Paul's Travel Blog

Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan - Indonesia

2019-02-10T10:20:00.000+00:00

Nusa Lembongan

After around half an hour or so for more passengers, we took the speedboat from Nusa Penida to Nusa Lembongan for 50,000 Rupiah each. Upon arrival our driver Deko, recommended to us by Jason at Blue Corner Dive, was waiting as promised to pick us up and take us to our humble residence at Coconut Village Guest House, where just 4 detached basic villas are looked after by a lovely local family. One reason we stayed here, was that it had good reviews and was close to the more upmarket D'Nusa resort where our good friends Ryan and Ice would soon have their wedding ceremony.

Smiles all around on Nusa Lembongan

There were some great restaurants nearby however, with Tropical Burger and Grill plus many other options in walking distance. The hotel is also in close proximity to the mangroves and the nice coastal bars on the north and north west of Lembongan island.

Delightful burger at Tropical Burger & Grill

Stag night out on Nusa Lembongan

We had a free day before the wedding so we asked our driver Deko if he could provide something of a tour so he took us to a few nice spots:

Mangroves:

The mangroves were well worth a visit, and cost 50,000 Rupiah per person to go around via a punted boat for approximately 30 minutes. Saw some nice birds and worth it for the tranquility.

Mangroves at the north of Nusa Lembongan

Mushroom Bay:
Not much to it, lots of boats coming in and out in an otherwise quite nice bay area with restaurants and bars - there are better spots

Mushroom Bay Nusa Lembongan

Devil's Tear:
Definitely worth a visit. It's a beautiful spot with nature showing off it's power with waves crashing against the jagged coastline and spewing the resulting spray up into the air and occasionally over bystanders who get too close! Be careful, the waves here are unpredictable and a few of us got soaked whilst taking a picture but I could imagine how it could be worse...

Deko charged us 500,000 Rupiah (around $35 USD) for up to 10 people to join so we split this between us making it super cheap and cutting out any driving. If you need a driver on Lembongan, why not give Deko a call or WhatsApp? +6281239377391

Chilling with Deko at Devil's Tear

Wedding at D'Nusa
The wedding at D'Nusa was a lovely occasion and the weather held out. The food was also very good and I'll let the photos below do the talking!

Wedding at D'Nusa Resort Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Ceningan

We then crossed the narrow, Yellow Bridge to get to Ceningan Island to the south east of Lembongan to explore somewhere new for a few days. We were staying at a delightful little spot with an infinity pool called 'The Bridge Huts' (not slumming it these days!). It wasn't far from the bridge.

The Bridge Huts Nusa Ceningan

We rented bikes for a couple of days and with friends explored some of the sights, as well as the bars and restaurants, on the island.

One of the first places we stopped to soak up the sights was Mahana Point, popular with surfers and thrill seekers looking to do the jump from the restaurant into the ocean. You could easily sit out here on a nice day and watch the surfers bobbing like corks and catching waves with a nice mango smoothie.

Mahana Point Nusa Ceningan

After a brief pit stop we decided that we wanted to keep going and took the inland road towards Ceningan Cliffs, another nice cliffside cafe-restaurant with amazing views, this time looking over Nusa Penida.

Ceningan Cliffs with view of Penida

We spent the rest of our time on Ceningan living the holiday life. One of our favourite spots was Seabreeze Ceningan where I was able to take this dramatic sunset shot. This is a great spot for such an occasion and a good place to meet people and soak up the views from their own infinity pool.

Sunset at Seabreeze Ceningan on Nusa Ceningan

Another very honourable mention goes to Mangrove Restaurant, which is also home to Ceningan Divers. We were upset that the weather had meant we weren't able to dive with the mantas on this occasion but we were extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to dive with the Mola Mola (sunfish) from Nusa Pendia already on this trip.

Mezze Platter at Mangrove Restaurant

We had loved every spot we had visited, but for convenience we would likely recommend giving Nusa Lembongan a miss if you're on a strict time table. We had a little more time and had the benefit of exploring the island a little more and there are definitely some spots worth visiting, but the convenience and accessibility of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan made for a great chance to explore via moped and not feel like you spent too long on the bikes. We can't wait to head back to explore more of Indonesia but for a 2 week holiday, Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Ceningan make for the perfect getaway.

Sanur & Nusa Penida - Indonesia

2019-02-01T08:47:00.001+00:00

Kate and I booked ourselves a holidventure in Indonesia to see a thing or two as part of our trip to Nusa Lembongan for our good friends, Ice and Ryan's, wedding. We flew into Bali Denpasar and from there visited destinations in the following order:

Sanur
Nusa Penida
Nusa Lembongan
Nusa Ceningan
Denpansar

Arrival:

We had arranged for our accommodation to provide airport pickup. It felt like a bit of a luxury that we wouldn't normally opt for, but for 200,000 Rupiah (about $15USD) for a 30 minute transfer when arriving late, we thought we would save ourselves the hassle. It was a good decision. Upon arrival there is a mass of confusion with hundreds of drivers looking for their pickup (as it seems to be the go to thing to do) and quite a lot of monkey business. Our friends we were meeting up with in Bali opted for drivers at the airport, most were overcharged and one was charged double what she was told she would be paying before the driver opened the door to let her out. Please make arrangements in advance!

Sanur:

We were staying at a nicely located hotel called 'Sanur House' which is in good walking distance of some of the best restaurants (i.e. Lilla Pantai) and bars (i.e. Casablanca) as well as the main strip along the beach which again features more of the same as well as a great pampering option of 'The Nest'. We experienced all of those examples mentioned during our stay, notably taking advantage of the latter's 'Lost in Paradise' 4+ hours Spa experience 900,000 Rupiah ($64 USD) per person. Not my usual thing personally, and it required us to book 24 hours in advance with help from our friend Eef who lives locally, but my god was it worth it! It consisted of a Balinese full body massage, a 60 minute facial, an amazing 'Hair Cream Bath' which was basically a creamy head massage and finally a manicure and pedicure. There is also a pit stop which includes a glass of white wine accompanied by some excellent sushi, because with all that pampering you need a break right?

Girls at 'The Nest' - Sanur

Still big kids more than 10 years after starting the blog!

Sanur in general felt like a nice place to relax, it was a decent option to start our 2 week trip but it did feel a little more geared to retirees and the older expat community rather than an exciting, backpacker destination. But there are some nice places to visit and a decent place to spend a couple of nights if you need to recover from jetlag, get used to the currency and culture and plan your next steps from the poolside of your hotel or a beachfront bar.

Fish Soup Bali Style

Views at Sanur are none too shabby

Nusa Penida:

We arranged to travel from Sanur to Nusa Penida with the assistance of Pippin from our next hotel, Kompyang Cottage. Using a company called IDOLA, Pippin booked our tickets on our behalf at more of a local price of 150,000 Rupiah ($11 USD) per person. The trip took just around 30 minutes via this fast-boat service and the crossing was painless.

Kate in front of the IDOLA 'office'

Penida is somewhat regarded as the fat, lower-achieving big brother of Lembongan. Whilst much more substantial in size, it's infrastructure is trailing somewhat behind. However, what you lose in the way of convenience in many ways this is made up for by its rough edges and untapped charm. We made sure that our hotel was in walking distance to our accommodation so that we didn't need to navigate too many unkempt roads by bike. We were pleasantly surprised in that most of the roads were renovated around a year ago, so it wasn't as difficult to get around as we had previously thought.

The Pizza at Artrolling Bistro Penida...

...washed down with a Bintang beer

Because our time was limited (3 nights), we had decided to book a day tour to visit a few of the key sights on the island from the comfort of a nice air conditioned vehicle, owing to the fact that it had either been scorching hot during the day with the possibility of heavy downpours at any given moment. We also decided to dive with the hope of visiting the Manta Rays that are synonymous with Nusa Penida diving. Other than that, we were happy to take advantage of our hotel pool and soak up the local goings on.

Our accommodation at newly built Kompyang Cottage

Before mentioning the tour and the diving, it's worth noting that of all the travel we have done over the past 10 years we were taken aback by the spirituality of Bali and Indonesia. Never had we seen such a prevalence of temples and it even seemed that many more were being built. There were various celebrations or festivals going on around these temples with locals flocking towards them in traditional dress and every room we have stayed in, every shop, hotel and business we visited had a small pallet of plaited palm leaves constructed daily as a form of offering to ward off evil spirits.

We were very lucky on our first night to have come across a local, annual ceremony called 'Calon Arang' where it seemed half the island had come out dressed in white with the smell of incense rife in the air. People flocked to the temple where music was being played and there were various 'barong' dancing displays, one was quite a sensual number featuring island girls, one seemed somewhat comical involving a child dressed as a monkey and another involved a hairy elaborate scary costume portraying the witch of 'Calon Arang' who would scream now and again. The gist is that the local villagers are not trying to banish evil spirits, but create mutual understanding by reiterating that they provide offerings and they both have their different ways, and they should all go about them without disturbing the other.

Calon Arang - Nusa Penida

For the 'private' day tour (our guide brought a friend along so it didn't turn out to quite be private!) we paid 400,000 Rupiah ($30 USD) for a driver to take us to three or four spots on the island in the comfort of a weather proof car with AC!

Goa Giri Putri cave Temple was the first stop on our adventures. After a short but steepish set of stairs we reached what looked like another temple with a couple of people dressed in white at the top, one of whom blessed us by splashing water over our heads as we reached the top and the other offered water. If you didn't know there was a cave there you would think that was about it. However, after being instructed to pay the 20,000 Rupiah donation to enter you then squeeze yourself through a smallish hole to get into the main cave area where there are 5 different temples in a large expanse. It's pretty amazing and definitely worth a visit. You may also see and hear prayers taking place which gives the whole thing quite a spooky vibe!

Entrance to Giri Putri Cave

Giri Putri Cave Temple

Pura Paluang Temple was our next destination, and a rather unique one in that it's potentially one of the only temples in the world that features cars... According to our guide, these stone cars appeared in the temple long before actual cars made their way to Nusa Penida and nobody knows who built them! Even more bizarrely, it's believed that you can sometimes hear the car engines at night. Spooky! There are some reviews of locals not allowing tourists to enter, as well as there being a good chance of sharing the experience with cheeky monkeys. We encountered neither, and whilst it was a first of a kind visit, I don't think Pura Paluang will be finding its way onto many bucket lists anytime soon.

Local man helps Kate with a sarong

Pura Paluang Temple Cars

The iconic Kelingking Beach Viewpoint was our final stop. This was the spot that instagrammers around the world flock to and there were many a pose taking place and selfiestick present to capture the moment. You can see why, a steep drop from the top overlooking a T-Rex shaped peninsula makes for an incredible vista. Getting down to the beach is supposedly tricky, and we saw a few fatigued soldiers making their way back up to the top. We wouldn't have really had time to chill at the bottom, so that was our ~~excuse~~ reason for not making it all the way down (and having to traverse all the way back up again)!

T-Rex of Kelingking (actually means 'pinky')

We stopped at a restaurant to have lunch and drinks followed by a brief stop to get kitted up at Blue Corner Dive for our dive the following day before being dropped off at our hotel at around 3pm. It had been a pretty fun day and would definitely recommend using a vehicle with AC to see some of these sights.

Diving Nusa Penida with Mola Mola (or Sunfish) had to be the highlight of our trip (aside from our good friends Ryan and Ice getting married of course!). We had booked ourselves in for 3 dives to give ourselves the best change, though we hadn't needed them as we were lucky to have seen them during the very first dive at Karang Sari! This was more than enough to compensate for the fact that the weather had denied us the chance to visit the manta sites that we had originally hoped to visit. The 3 meter dark shadow appeared at around 28 meter down from the depths and remained until a second shadow began to appear. The size and scale were like nothing we had ever seen, it was incredible when the animals turned for this giant circle to suddenly become a super slender ellipse. There wasn't much that could top that but the diving in general was pretty great with some good sightings including turtles, lionfish, puffers, leaf fish, morays and more over this and the following two dives of Sental and Sekolah Dasar to PED drift dive.

It's not such a bad life

Jason from Blue Corner Dive Peninda, who had also helped us source the previous day's guide, had also kindly agreed to drop us off at the hop-on point for boats to Nusa Lembongan. We bought tickets for the fast boat at 50,000 Rupiah per head and waited at a nearby cafe for 30 mins or so before we were called to board a rather small but nippy speedboat for the 10 minute or so journey to Lembongan where our driver Deko, also recommended by Jason, was waiting for us.

Jason the superstar from Blue Corner Dive Penida

The speedboat from Penida to Lembongan

We were looking forward to experiencing the more 'tourist-ready', sophisticated little brother of Nusa Lembongan, where we would also have the pleasure of witnessing the marriage of our good friends from China, Ryan and Ice.

Siquijor - Philippines

2018-08-26T15:29:00.001+01:00

To read an overview of our Philippines travel itinerary, click here. Kate and I headed to Siquijor from Moalboal, the following is some advice for those doing the same.

Moalboal to Siquijor:

Now don't be afraid :D there are boats, a bus and tricycles a-plenty, but it's really not difficult when you know, and soon you will! Just make sure you're on your way not much later than 9am to give yourself a nice relaxed journey

1. From your accommodation in Moalboal, take a tricycle to the bus stop in Moalboal town where you can get the yellow Ceres bus to Bato. These are relatively frequent (every 40 mins or so), with AC and non-AC options (just take whatever comes first) and should cost less than 100 pesos.

2. From the Ceres bus terminal in Bato, you will need to take a tricycle to Liloan Port (it is not the port you will drive past shortly before getting off, do not be fooled into thinking you can walk it!). You'll have to haggle a bit like we did among the cluster of drivers waiting, but we paid 60 pesos in the end for 2 people (these days I can never be arsed to haggle over another 20 pesos or so).

3. From Liloan Port, there is an hourly ferry that goes to Sibulan Port which takes around 25 minutes and is under 100 pesos PP.

4. From Sibulan Port, take a tricycle to Dumaguete Port. We paid 150 pesos for two people with luggage but could have haggled down. Was happy to pay that in the end as it is a good 20 minute or more drive with traffic. You can also go via the cheaper, jeepney option, but may have to wait and less comfortable, especially with luggage.

5. From Dumaguete Port, take another ferry to Siquijor Port. More basic, non-AC ferries are frequent with 2 or three private boats offering transit. You may wish to seek out the OceanJet service which has a more comfortable, AC service, but this wasn't operating when we visited (though they assured us they would be up and running again in a couple of weeks).

6. When you arrive in Siquijor Port, you will be greeted by a flurry of tricycle drivers and many, many, people trying to loan you motorbikes. If you're travelling light, you can consider renting one for around 250 pesos per day there and then. If you're taking luggage, then you probably need a tricycle. There fares on the island are fixed, there is a board with what you can expect to pay to the left where all the tricycles are parked slightly up the hill. Or just look at this picture:

Siquijor pricing for transport from the port

Glamping in San Juan

We had arrived earlier than planned in Siquijor island and therefore booked ourselves a couple of nights in tent accommodation by the beach at a place called 'Glamping Siquijor'. After a relatively bumpy and loud crossing on the ferry, our immediate impression of the island was quite pleasing. We were greeted by bright blue waters and a small port, with a solo man on a megaphone warning about how smoking was prohibited throughout Siquijor municipality (note not the whole island). A sign at the pier confirmed this.

When we had made our way along the pier we were accosted by locals doing their best to offload a motorbike rental (this was a bit of a running theme) to us for the duration of our stay, which wasn't really practical at that point in time considering we had our big bag. We opted instead for renting a tricycle to our campsite. Our driver continued to try to rent us a motorbike even after being dropped off, I took his number and he seemed happy with that and drove away.

Panoramic photo at Glamping Siquijor

Arnel was the happy local man who welcomed us to Glamping Siquijor and I was thrilled that we also got a brief orientation of the island, which included an overview of the main sights and snorkel spots. The campsite was perfect, with not too many tents and the accommodation whilst being basic was clean and comfortable, with ample furniture just outside the tent to relax (including a hammock!). It was also an idea place to meet other people and share a few drinks and stories, as we did with a group of friends from Portugal and Japan which ended up in a ukulele singalong.

Kate presenting the tent's interior at Glamping Siquijor

Arnel strikes a natural pose during orientation at Glamping Siquijor

View from campsite at Glamping Siquijor

It's apparently not uncommon for people to visit Siquijor at months at a time and I can definitely see why! It has a slow pace of life and there are numerous options in the way of scenic spots to visit along the generous coastline. Whist the beach at Glamping was not the best (quite a lot of seaweed) it was great for a sunset and just the sense of being by the sea made for the perfect compliment to camping. There are also a couple of really good restaurants in walking distance, Kate and I were extremely surprised by the standard of restaurant and still good value. We were expecting it to be a bit more basic, like it was in Sablayan but this wasn't the case at all

Tents at Glamping, Siquijor

Romance on the beach at Glamping, Siquijor

We opted to rent a motorbike to explore the island with a little more flexibility and freedom. On our travels we stopped by the renowned Balete Tree, which is a supposedly enchanted tree covered in vines, I think it's the Philippine equivalent of a Banyan Tree. At the food of it is a 'fish spa', where we dunked our toes and got that tickly and tingling sensation of being nibbled.

Balete Tree and fish spa in Siquijor

Fish spa at the Balete Tree in Siquijor

Balete Tree in Siquijor

One of the best things was just to cruise around and enjoy the island scenery on the bike, so this is what we did. We did this up until a point where the van in front of us carrying something taller than they should have been carrying took out a power line causing us to screech to a halt and take a detour down a more minor road.

Soaking up the scenery by motorbike on Siquijor

This road ultimately lead us to the approach to 'Monkey Beach'. Anything with monkey in the name and we're game, so we parked the bike up and made our way on foot for around minutes through a tranquil, forested area until we reached the top of stairs leading down to a cove-like area that was the beach. There were a handful of people already there, snorkeling and sunbathing. We didn't have our gear with us, so we just relaxed for a while and watched the multitudes of hermit crabs on the shore made of broken coral, shells and small pebbles. It was an ideal place to hang out and relax.

The approach to Monkey Beach, Siquijor

Monkey Beach, Siquijor

That evening, back at our 'Glampsite', we watched our second beautiful sunset and watched a lady, who turned out to be our neighbour, collecting sea urchins for her dinner. 'A poor persons merienda', she stated (with a merienda apparently being a Filipino term for what you eat between meals). I informed her that with so much natural beauty and being able to pick up her snack on her doorstep, many would consider her to be quite wealthy indeed.

Sunset at Glamping, Siquijor

Sea urchins at Glamping Siquijor

It was time to move to our scheduled accommodation, also in the San Juan municipality, of Royal Cliff Resort. We were looking forward to slightly more comfort and I was excited about that views that would be offered. We weren't disappointed, and were greated by beautifully dressed and friendly local staff and a wondrous vista from our cabin, where we could occasionally see sea turtles surfacing for air. The dining areas were also strategically placed for optimum coastal viewing, and as the food was decent, we could have easily just stayed here for the remainder of our duration! However, we had heard that there were still a few things we needed to do, one of them being the Cambugahay Falls. After a lazy morning, we set out to do this local style, via public Jeepney.

A dining area at Royal Cliff Resort, Siquijor

View at Royal Cliff Resort, Siquijor

Kate eating lunch at Royal Cliff Resort

Our cabin at Royal Cliff Resort

Cambugahay Falls

We were lucky in that the, apparently hourly, jeepney happened to go past the resort bar (which was roadside and anecdotally, the only place where they had wifi) just as we appeared there. The only problem was that it was almost completely full. Kate was able to squeeze in and sit on the end of a length of small, wooden stool serving as temporary seating in the aisle. I opted to join the payment collector on the back, hanging on tightly to the rack on the top with the island breeze in my face. I actually quite enjoyed it, but I was conscious that I was gripping on quite tightly so when a spot opened up I was more than happy to slip inside the jeepney with the other customers. I think a few local heads turned when they saw me, a foreigner hanging off the back of a jeepney driving past. I got a few laughs and waves which also gave me great amusement.

Jeepney selfy in Siquijor

We stepped off the jeepney and were followed a little bit by a couple of people looking to offer their services as guide, but after all it's a waterfall and we didn't really feel the need to take them up. We walked down the steps and we saw that there was a lovely lagoon-like pool framed by a beautiful waterfall. There are a few man-made wooden platforms that look like adolescents tree-house projects, from which people were swinging and dropping into the inviting water. We paid 50 pesos each for unlimited swings from the taller platform and enjoyed ourselves for the afternoon. There are further tiers with more waterfalls and swinging platforms further up, but it wasn't busy so we didn't need to go too far.

Kate at Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor

Me dropping from the rope swing at Cambugahay Falls

Upon leaving the waterfall we were followed for a good 20 meters by someone demanding 10 pesos for parking our non-existent bike. She finally got the message after realising we were continuing on foot! We walked down the hill towards Lazi town, picking up a delicious sugar coated BBQ banana (or 2) on route. It's only a ten to fifteen minute walk from the falls to the San Isidro Labrador Convent & the local church. It was worth a visit whilst we were in the area, though nothing especially interesting to witness in my humble opinion. What was interesting was that people found it strange that we were walking, 'Why are you walking?' one shop-keeper asked as we sauntered down the hill. I couldn't really think of an answer so I babbled something along the lines of us walking meant we could interact with wonderful people like her. Not sure if this was genuinely baffling to local people or yet another veiled attempt to rent out a motorbike!

Banana BBQ in Siquijor

Labrador Convent in Siquijor

Church in Siquijor

We stopped off for a shake and some food in Lazi town. A really quaint area with a few shops and a couple of cafe-restaurants. We noticed that there were some ladies selling fish at the pier, so we went over to have a little bit of a look and witnessed a purchase in progress as a local haggled over the price of fish. If we had the capacity to cook in our accommodation, I have a suspicion we too may have ended up purchasing something! A lady gutting and cleaning a large fish at the time was happy to hold up the prize catch when I was seen snapping with my phone.

Bartering for fish in Siquijor Island

Showing off the fish in Siquijor

Fish for sale on Siquijor Island

We were now left with the difficult question of getting back to our accommodation. We were offered a tricycle price of 500 PHP which was way over the top, and just as the sky was beginning to grey and the clouds thicken, we happened to see the exact same jeepney that had dropped us off right at the falls earlier! We couldn't believe it and thanked the 'Travel Gods' once again for bestowing us with such luck. On the return route, there was a scary moment where the jeepney had to break suddenly to avoid colliding with a pickup that pulled out onto the road recklessly, causing a young guy to go flying and almost end up in the driver cabin. We were all ultimately unscathed, but it got the heart going!

That night we were aware of a party taking place (as it does every Friday) at Ceaser's/Czars. It was already very busy by the time we arrived, with a DJ set taking place (we were expecting a live band, which there was eventually, but apparently the DJ opens the proceedings here!). For 50 pesos or so you can get your very own table and chairs on the lawn area in front of the stage which we did, along with placing an order for a bottle of the local 'Tanduay' rum and 'Jamaican', which is a lime cordial with which you mix the rum. We wanted to stretch it out a little bit more than that so we also opted for a bottle of sprite and some ice to help it all go down.

Ordering drinks at Ceaser's on Siquijor Island

Party at Ceaser's every Friday on Siquijor Island

It was a great, fun night with locals and tourists mixing, we also made an appearance on the dancefloor during the band's set. There is a curfew of midnight when things ground to a halt all of a sudden, and less than sober, jovial locals departed on bikes. Royal Cliff is thankfully in walking distance, but we were sure to put the light on our phone so that we were clearly visible, as a lot of the walk demands you be partially on the road or very close and I can see how accidents could happen.

Diving Apo Island

There is a fancy resort on Siquijor called Coco Grove. It also happens to be the only resort on the island which legally provides diving and snorkeling excursions to Apo Island. We paid a visit to the dive shop at the resort to find out more, and we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as expensive as we had feared. To do the snorkeling day trip cost 1,950 PHP per person, then to dive it was a standard additional 1,500 PHP per dive with a choice of one or two dives. This included all equipment rental plus one guide to every four divers (ultimately eight of us dived).

The boat is good and you can opt to go on the top level or shelter from the sun and spray indoors. They also provided us with an excellent buffet lunch. We got to the first dive spot, which was to be a rather shallow dive of a beautiful coral garden. The second spot was more of a wall/dropoff where we went a little deeper to around 20 meters. It was here that we saw an incredible shoal of jackfish, as well as sea turtles. We saw some amazing sights but as usual with diving I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Sea turtle, diving Apo Island

Coral Garden at Apo Island

Jackfish at Apo Island

SCUBA selfie during Apo Island Dive

Because neither Kate or I are especially confident on motorbikes, and let's face it we're on holiday so we want to be able to daytime drink, we opted to do a day tour with a tricycle driver. This cost 1,200 PHP from Royal Cliff, which I thought was pretty good value considering it's a long time and you can dictate where you go. We wished to visit:

Mt. Bandilaan National Park and viewpoint
Tulapos Marine Sanctuary (as recommend by Arnel at Glamping)
Kanheron Ranch (a privately owned, unusal Wild West themed ranch

Mt. Bandilaan National Park and viewpoint

One peeve of travelling via tricycle is that it's quite noisy, especially when you're going up steep hills. It can also be a bit uncomfortable when traversing less than smooth roadways. We encountered both on the way to the viewpoint. Having said that, tricycle is a great way to travel as you are less cut-off from your surroundings compared to how you would be in a closed vehicle (not that you have the capacity to travel by car, I don't remember seeing many) and you feel more involved in the environment around you. I never got tired of strangers, especially young children, waving and saying hello as we passed. As we got further into the national park things seemed to get a bit more basic in the way of housing, albeit with a few exceptions, and things got a lot more beautiful and rural.

We made it to the steps up to the viewpoint and then climbed the gantry that led to the iconic island viewing point. The day wasn't especially clear nor was it especially cloudy or overcast. It was great to look over the splendor of the island as birds (I think perhaps starlings?) flitted by us as close as they dared as we were at one with the treetops. It was almost as though they were playing a game among themselves.

Kate enjoying the viewpoint Mt. Bandilaan

Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

This was a supposedly a great snorkel spot, and Arnel at Glamping said it was his favourite. After a bit of a drive we ended up getting to the coastline of the marine sanctuary. We were approached by a local guy who mentioned that we should pay 50 pesos each for the sanctuary fee, as well as hiring a guide for 250 pesos, which was mandatory. There wasn't any signage or formal ID, so we did verbally express our hesitations to cough up, but ultimately thought that a guide wouldn't be a bad idea.

The sea was very shallow up until far in. It was just about deep enough to swim in just as the spiky sea urchins seemed to be appearing so we gladly got off our feet and horizontal in the water. It felt like we were kicking for a long time, there was a good amount of marine life even in the shallows, with a heck of a lot of starfish and anemones with clown-fish living in them. Finally, the water seemed to get very deep very quickly and it wasn't long before our guide pointed out quite a large black-tip reef shark scouring the depths below. There were a couple of other snorkelers in the area who appeared to be diving down alot, so we headed towards them and saw what was almost certainly the most amazing thing I have experienced snorkeling.

Just below the water there was a shoal of barracuda, consistently forming balls and other shapes for their safety. They weren't especially put off by our presence, and we were able to dive down and in towards them as they manipulated their position to form curves around us or even a donut shape with us at the center. As I dived, they would calmly swim away from me, but they also weren't bothered about getting quite close to them either. It really was a spectacular experience and one that I would highly recommend if you are given the chance.

Swimming with barracuda at Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

We swam back slowly to shore, admiring the marine life. Kate spotted a giant clam shell as well as a crab living in an anemone, there was a lot of life here and who knows what else you might spot with a few snorkel sessions and more time. We had planned on visiting our third spot of the day however so had to get moving.

Giant clamshell at Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

Starfish at Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

Kanheron Ranch

I wasn't too sure what to expect from this place. Arnel at Glamping said it was something between a museum and a fancy house with a Wild West theme. I was intrigued so we included it in our route. We were greeted by our host and paid the 50 Pesos entrance fee, then subsequently given some background about the owner and the art within the residence. It was quite impressive, especially the owners art where he uses a method of burning wood. I'd recommend it as a worthy stop, not only for the impressive collection of old American artifacts, but just as an impressively designed building. There is a deep plunge pool, with the pool area overlooking the island with a view practically as good as the viewpoint we had visited earlier.

Kanheron Ranch, Siquijor

We had stopped for a beer before we left, only for the owner to turn up whilst we were there. Daryl, who is also now one my newest Facebook buddies, was kind enough to give us his story even though he must have been asked over 1,000 times. He now lives in the United States, but is from Siquijor and thinks it's important to open his house up to the public so that that local people can get a glimpse of this collection of Americana, which he so loves, as they may otherwise not have an opportunity to see it first hand. He's an altruist at the end of the day, and we had quite a long chat about culture and wealth/awareness in general before we decided that our poor driver had waited long enough and it was time to start the not-so-short journey home.

Selfie with Daryl, owner of Kanheron in Siquijor

Whilst it isn't worth an individual post owing to the fact we didn't do too much exploring, we finished our time in the Philippines in Dumaguete in an amazing place called Victoria's Haven. Worth a mention for the amazing staff and Drago, the dog the size of a small horse that resides there as well. Dumaguete town is a great spot to eat and drink with locals.

Drago the dog at Victoria's Haven

James makes a G&T at Victoria's Haven

We had really enjoyed our time in the Philippines and I'm happy that I've finally taken the time to blog about it. I hope you enjoyed reading and perhaps our experiences may help you plan your own trip someday. Siquijor has a reputation among Filipinos for being associated with the dark arts, we definitely felt there was a special magic to the place that will be calling us back.

Moalboal - Cebu - Philippines

2018-08-26T05:56:00.000+01:00

To read an overview of our itinerary on this 3 week trip to the Philippines, click here.

Sardines at Panagsama Beach - Moalboal

Cebu Airport (Mactan) to Moalboal

If you have the money and just wanna get there, you can expect to pay around 2,500 for a private driver (note: you can get much cheaper doing the reverse route privately as many cars just want to get something for their way back to Cebu city). Otherwise, here's the best cost to time efficient method:

1. From Cebu airport take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal. Take a cheaper white taxi (not a yellow airport taxi) and ensure they use the meter (they may try to quote a high fee like they did with us). It's quite a drive, around 40 mins depending on traffic, and should cost under 400 pesos, not too bad especially if you're sharing.

Note: If you're really looking to save, there is a cheap (around 30 pesos) 'Mybus' that takes you from the airport downtown (every 30 mins - disembark at Park Mall then travel to South Bus Terminal via jeepney) but not really worth trying to save a few pesos here, especially if you have luggage, in my opinion.

From The South Bus terminal, find the Air Conditioned Yellow Ceres bus travelling to Moalboal (just have a walk around and ask, you might have to wait for an AC bus and non-AC buses will will try to get your business!). The buses are frequent, around every 30-40 mins and it will take you around 3.5 hours to reach Moalboal. You pay in cash on the bus (someone will collect) it was 140 pesos per person. Once you get to Moalboal, there will be tricycle drivers who will be happy to take you to your guest house. We stayed near Panagsama Beach as this is where the sardines are located (lots of tourists pay to travel here from white beach on snorkel trips when there's really no need). If you're staying in this area too, get off at the second bus stop in Moalboal (the one near McDonald's is the first stop, so just take the one after that). Tricycles to this area shouldn't cost more than 150 pesos (tourist prices of course).

We stayed in a nice little guesthouse called Roo's. The staff, Eden & Princess were really nice, though the rooms are quite pokey and small it was a well run establishment and the owners, whilst not present, were very supportive via email. The main things we wished to do whilst we were here were to either dive or snorkel with the sardines and do some canyoneering.

Get a massage by the beach in Moalboal

Firstly, the area itself leading towards Panagsama beach is quite nice albeit very touristic. There are a lot of options in terms of places to drink and eat, many of them having verandas overlooking the sea. Lots of them serve reasonably priced food of a decent quality but we found a couple of belters which blew the other places out of the water, those being 'Ven'z Kitchen' and 'The Pleasure Principle'. Ven'z does really good quality local food (pop in the day before to place your order if you want seafood), and The Pleasure Principle's seafood platter combo is especially good value.

Creative sign at Ven'z Kitchen

The Pleasure Principle's seafood platter

The Pleasure Principle's pizza

Canyoning/ Canyoneering and Kawasan Falls

A friend of ours had done this previously and highly recommended it to us. Whilst it may seem that jumping from great heights from rocky outposts into plunge pools with questionable safety standards might not seem part of what you want to do during a relaxing holiday, we thought we would give it a go. Relatively pricey by local standards, Roo's guesthouse were able to arrange our guide and experience for 1,500 PHP per person, which turned out to be better than other places where I'd seen this offered.

We were up at 9am and ready to go, our tricycle took us to another nearby guesthouse where we waited for other customers and we also rented some diving booties. Good footwear is essential, and if you don't have closed shoes with good grip then your guides should hopefully insist on helping you to rent something of a good standard. Soon, we were in our hello kitty jeepney being carted on the 40 minute or so drive to the falls. It was a stunning coastal route, and also a nice opportunity to chat and meet other people in the group. There were clearly a few nerves, including myself, as we weren't sure what to expect and some were conceding that they most likely wouldn't complete the largest jump of around 15 meters.

We got dropped at a kind of outpost where we had to register our names, and from there we made a 20 minute or so walk to get to the stairs which lead down to the canyon and the starting point of our adventure. It's also worth noting that you make sure you wear suncream and drink/bring plenty of water, as even just 20 minutes of exposure on a hot day can take its toll.

The first thing that struck me was that it was a lot more shaded and cool in the canyon, the second thing was how stunningly beautiful it was. It seems to get more and more picturesque as we progressed and I would say that even if you didn't wish to do any of the jumps, it's worth joining the activity just for the scenery. To begin with, our guides lead us through small jumps and areas where you would just lie down and let the flow of the water carry you over a small drop, not unlike a slide at a waterpark. As the day progressed, we attempted jumping from bigger and bigger heights. Some people didn't feel comfortable with some of the jumps, which is totally fine as the guides will show you an alternative route. As we were there on a weekend, the canyoning was quite busy so there were instances where we essentially had to 'queue' to make our jump. Of course, this was prolonged by the more hesitant jumpers who needed a fair share of '3..2..1... countdowns' before plucking up the courage to throw themselves over the edge or, more likely, scuttle back from it and take the alternative safe route.

If you're ever played the game 'Skyrim', the scenery at the falls is like one of the levels that was designed with such beauty you might believe it could have only been engineered manually off the back of a vivid imagination. With dapples of sunlight glistening off bright blue pools, the sound of rushing water and Kaleidoscopes of butterflies flitting by it truly was serene. We trusted the guides to advise us how and where to jump and with our buoyancy aids and helmets felt as though we were secure enough. The guides would often do flips and dives into various pools just to exemplify just how confident they were!

The final jump was high. It must have got everyone's hearts racing and if it hadn't been for the build up of other jumps I don't think I would have had the stomach to attempt it. Kate went first, she sauntered up to the edge and didn't hesitate when the countdown was issued. A perfect launch and entry when hitting the water. Next was my turn. No option now but to take the easy and quick way down and without thinking (which ultimately is the best way to approach the day) threw myself over. I think my form wasn't great but I was in the water and alive, was that a little bump on my back? Yep, my life vest cushioned me slightly, as I hit the water my feet went forward and my back ever so slightly made contact with a rock or something at the bottom. The camera strap was left on my wrist but had broken off and the camera was floating away! That is a bit scary. The guide afterwards said that I had jumped slightly in the wrong place and I like to think that I was never in any real danger but just goes to show there can be quite fine lines between safety and danger.

Not to scare anyone who is considering doing this in the future, I think it is overall very safe, but a friend said they saw somebody being taken away on a stretcher before we made our way to the end point of the falls. I think the biggest risk is turning an ankle or slipping on the wet rocks between jumps rather than the jumps themselves. If you listen to your guides and jump safely and confidently, you'll be fine.

The route ended at Kawasan Falls, where there were already a lot of people in and around the water. Our group swam into the falls and hung out in the area for a bit, as they were quite impressive, albeit busy as many people make the trip here not necessarily doing canyoneering but just to see the falls. As the rush of that final jump slowly wore off, we were ready to make the beautiful walk to get to the car park of the church where our 'Hello Kitty Jeepney' was waiting for us. It had been a very action-packed and fun-filled day and we were all now ready to have a bit of stability in our lives!

Swimming with Sardines

We spoke to a few people including those in our guesthouse who had been in town for a few days already, and the general consensus was that it wasn't really required to dive in order to swim with the sardines, as they were located just offshore from the nearest beach to us. That was brilliant news, and we decided to give it a go with our fins, masks & snorkels. We marched down to the sea wall one afternoon but the tide was high and the waves were crashing so we decided to get a banana shake and wait for things to calm down a bit. Some people were snorkeling from boats, and it wasn't so much the waves when swimming but the getting in and out that worried us. Eventually things calmed slightly, so we decided to make a go of it, opting for one of the alleys that lead to the sea. It's quite difficult getting into the water, as there are lots of sharp rocks so good footwear is definitely recommended.

Sunrise assessment of the waves at Panagsama Beach

We managed to get in and the first thing we noticed was that the visibility was pretty poor. To make things worse, Kate was having some trouble with her mask leaking and we were getting a little bullied by the waves as we tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue. Whilst we did see a good amount of sardines, we decided to cut it short. Getting back in was also tricky, and I cut my hand a bit on some sharp rocks as the waves decided to pound me and I lost balance when taking off my fins. It all felt like a bit of a failure, but it was our own fault for not really thinking about our timing.

Sunrise at Panagsama Beach - Moalboal - Phlippines

The key is to go in the early morning, when the sea is calmer and the visibility is better. So this is what we did. Very early, around 5am, the alarm went off whilst it was still dark and we gathered our things and made our way to the seafront once again with just a few cockerels breaking the silence as we went by. The sea did indeed look a lot more peaceful, like most of the people in Moalboal perhaps it too hadn't quite woken up yet. It was still dark after the short walk, so we opted to wait until we had a bit more light. Ultimately we went it where the tricycle drivers park. There are no 'good' places to enter from the land, but there was a spot we had seen some divers walk up the previous day where we opted to go in. Some of the tricycle drivers followed us with big grins, I think hoping to see us struggling with the entry, but smartypants here had mentally mapped the route the locals lead the divers meaning we got in with minimal issues.

Sardines and Panagsama Beach - Moalboal - Philippines

This time the experience was a world apart. We could see right to the bottom, and after a short swim a wall of countless sardines appeared right in front of us. The current was a little strong, but there was a buoy with a line which we used as a reference point and also held onto when we needed a rest from the submerging to get a better look at our fishy friends. We must have snorkeled for an hour and a half or so, and we were only sharing the water with a handful of others as well as a couple of small, local fishing boats. Not only were there gigantic walls and balls of sardines, but there was actually some pretty decent coral and small fish that went with it. It was an experience that lived up to our expectations, and I would definitely recommend swimming with the sardines in Moalboal to anyone.

Kate swims with sardines in Panagsama Beach, Moalboal

Coral and fish in Panagsama Beach, Moalboal

Sablayan - Mindoro Island - Philippines

2018-08-24T10:42:00.000+01:00

For a full trip itinerary of this trip in the Philippines, click here.

Outside Sablayan Public Market - Mindoro

Sablayan is a municipality in Mindoro island. It's known as being the hop-off point for those looking to dive the famous Apo Reef, the second largest reef after the Great Barrier Reef. There are fairly limited options when it comes to accommodation, but it's recommended that you aim to stay in a resort which offers diving and factor in some contingency time for the weather. We went in August, which is late for the dive season but still were able to enjoy a good dive on the reef.

The main reason we chose Sablayan as the destination is that from here it is easy to get to Pandan Island and arrange the Apo Reef dive. As we really weren't sure what to expect from Sablayan we stayed in the relatively inexpensive Adventure Camp Beach resort, which is located right next to the port to get to Pandan Island, and also offers diving excursions in the local area, as well as Apo Reef.

To get there, once you arrive at San Jose airport, take a tricycle (it's a very small airport and drivers wait outside) and tell them you wish to take a bus to Sablayan. They'll take to you the (small) local bus station (15 mins drive, probably charging a foreigner fee of 50 Pesos Per Person with luggage). The bus is around 1.5 -2 hours and will cost around 140 Pesos per person, tell the driver you wish to get off in Sablayan. It's a pretty causal approach to getting off the bus, so it can be difficult to determine where to get off with locals stopping the driver quite consistently. The thing to note is that there are two terminals, if you stay at Adventure Camp Beach resort, you'll want the first major terminal and from there you can take a tricycle. If staying in the main town (inland), you'll want the second terminal.

Rice paddies on the way to Sablayan

Mindoro is an island well-worth exploring in itself. Legitimate travellers will be rewarded with unbelievably friendly locals, authentic cultural experiences and off-the beaten track hospitality. The island is mostly known for farming rice, and other than fishing, there isn't much else here in the way of industry. Despite being a well-known place from which to arrange a dive on Apo Reef, tourism hasn't seemed to have been developed to any significant degree.

Local kids playing basketball in Sablayan

A little about Adventure Camp. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but as it's not expensive our expectations were relatively low. Having rocked up, the environment itself is not amazing in relation to other beaches in the Philippines. Whilst they have done a great job with clean and simple accommodation, the beachfront isn't good for swimming and whilst they clean the beach daily, there is a bit of rubbish. However, this doesn't really matter as this is your base camp to explore Sablayan, Pandan Island and Apo Reef. The hospitality of Ate Suanie the Manager is excellent, she has a great sense of humour.

Adventure Camp Beach Resort Public Area

One of the first things we did was go for a walk of the area. There are lots of small street with basic housing and small shops where the locals will smile and wave as you go past. There is nothing major in the way of heavy hitting attractions, but you get the good vibes of an authentic chance to mingle with the locals if you wish. This wander culminated with us taking a tricycle to the Sablayan Public Market. This is mainly a market for buying meat, fish and vegetables but there are also some smaller shops and restaurants around the outside, offering cheap food and goods for locals.

Sablayan Public Market

Lunch at Sablayan Public Market

We inquired about diving, but being the off-season, there were no others at the resort looking to dive Apo Reef. This was a problem for us, as whilst we would have ultimately sucked it up had there been no better options, Adventure Camp would have had to arrange a private boat for us. Altogether, for the two of us to dive Apo reef privately with Adventure Camp with all gear and a guide would have cost 32,000 Pesos for 3 dives. Understandably, we started looking into our options. We were aware of Pandan Island Resort (to my understanding the only resort on the island who also offer dives), so I fired them a quick email and luckily they had two divers waiting for decent weather. It's a bit shifty to dive with a resort you're not staying with and honesty is the best policy, so I mentioned this to Adventure Camp who were totally cool about it.

It turns our it's quite easy to arrange a boat to Pandan Island from Sablayan (going rate is 250 pesos for the trip based on 2 people, more works out cheaper PP), so we built our trip to Pandan Island Resort around the diving schedule.

One thing we didn't realise, was that to Dive with Pandan Island resort, they require you to do a fun dive with them prior to the Apo Reef dive to ensure you're capable. This is quite a good idea, as it could prevent ruining others' dive on the day but something to consider time-wise if you're heading there.

The cost of the Apo Reef Dive with Pandan Island Resort ultimately looked like this:

Boat Hire: 9,000 PHP (split between 4 so as a couple we paid half or 4,500 PHP)
Apo Reef Fee for Divers: 2,940 PHP PP (so we paid 5,880 PHP as a couple)
Environmental Fee: 275 PHP PP (550 PHP as a couple)
Diving Bill: 6,600 PHP (13,200 PHP as a couple). This is for 3 dives on Apo reef plus one obligatory fun dive the day before. Each dive is 1,650 PHP and if you want to do a refresher dive as Kate did, it cost 2,050 PHP)
Picnic Lunch: 260 PHP (520 PHP as a couple)

Therefore a day diving Apo reef with four people with Pandan Island Resort will cost you in the region of 12,325 PHP per person (we also tipped an additional 1,000 PHP for the crew). Not a cheap day but well worth it for something you're not going to do every day! We didn't get to see any hammerhead sharks or rays unfortunately, perhaps owing to the season, but we still had some great dives. Our guide Romel was very chilled and the boat crew were excellent. Though pictures never quite live up to reality, I'll let them do the talking.

Apo Reef

We stayed in a bungalow for two nights on Pandan Island, there was heavy rain intermittently but during the gaps in sunshine, it was glorious. I highly recommend factoring this into your itinerary as it is a quiet and peaceful place. The service in the resort was OK, but it's the slow and peaceful beachfront life that you stay for. When you're ready, you can arrange a boat back to Sablayan (it only takes around 20 mins). The bungalows are quite romantic, are standalone and cost us 1,800 PHP per night.

Sablayan to Pandan Island boat

View at Pandan Island Resort

Relaxing at Pandan Island Resort

The rain continued over the next few days which limited our exploration - I was quite keen on visiting the national park and penal colony, but it wasn't to happen. Spirits were high however, because in the evening as the rain came out, so did the videoke machine (karaoke machine with TV showing lyrics) at Adventure Camp. We got to meet Ate Suanie's friends including Lotlot and drank many bottles of Tanduay rum whilst taking it in turns to sing pop songs on the machine. The following day heads were sore but Lotlot was kind enough to take us on a tour of the town where we were even introduced to the local radio station.

The Mangyans statue in Sablayan

103.3FM Radio Station in Sablayan

Tanduay and Karaoke

Our last night with Ate Suanie and friends

We had had a great time in Sablayan. Our next stop was to fly to Cebu and make the journey to Moalboal, famous for the uncountable shoals of sardines which can be found just off the coast.

Philippines Manilla - Mindoro (Sablayan, Pandan Island & Apo Reef) - Moalboal (Panagsama Beach), Siquidor (Apo Island) - Dumaguete Itinerary

2018-08-24T08:23:00.002+01:00

The Philippines! What a nation. This was the 4th visit for Kate and I, yet I was yet to blog about it. Our latest 3 week trip was definitely blog worthy, and I hope to help a few of you out there who are planning similar itineraries. The Philippines is notoriously difficult to travel from 'a to b' with any degree of certainty regarding transport times owing to the nature of island hoping and generally poor infrastructure. I often find that even the locals are uncertain about what can and can't be done because they may not use public transport and may not go the same route as backpackers would. Therefore, I'm hoping to make it easier for readers to understand the logistics of this amazing route, to cut out any headaches and enable you to book accommodation and remove any anxiety regarding logistics.

Keep in mind, that we flew to Manila from Hong Kong as the flights are significantly cheaper, you may find it easier or cheaper to fly to Cebu or mix up the order of destinations.

We initially spent a couple of nights relaxing in a nice Manila hotel, there are plenty of blogs and information out there about Manila, if that's what you want to see. We planned on doing a bit more of a circuit so this is what I ultimately blogged about, with our itinerary as follows:

Manila - To chill and wait for our flight to Mindoro (note only 3 flights per week from Manila)

Sablayan, Mindoro Island - Hop off point for those looking to dive the famous Apo Reef as we did (the second largest reef after the Great Barrier Reef). We stayed in the municipality of Sablayan, from where it's easy to visit the tranquil Pandan Island. Mindoro is an island well-worth exploring in itself. Legitimate travellers will be rewarded with unbelievably friendly locals, authentic cultural experiences and off-the beaten track hospitality. Recommended minimum stay 3 days, 5 days if also diving Apo reef and visiting Pandan Island.

Manila to Sablayan:

Take a flight from Manila to San Jose airport. Once you arrive at San Jose airport, take a tricycle (it's a very small airport and drivers wait outside) and tell them you wish to take a bus to Sablayan. They'll take to you the (small) local bus station (15 mins drive, probably charging a foreigner fee of 50 Pesos Per Person with luggage). The bus is around 1.5 -2 hours and will cost around 140 Pesos per person, tell the driver you wish to get off in Sablayan. It's a pretty causal approach to getting off the bus, so it can be difficult to determine where to get off with locals stopping the driver quite consistently. The thing to note is that there are two terminals, if you stay at Adventure Camp Beach resort, you'll want the first major terminal and from there you can take a tricycle. If staying in the main town (inland), you'll want the second terminal.

Moalboal, Cebu (note around 4 hours from Cebu City) - Famous for being home to shoals of sardines which can be found a short-swim from the coastline, as a result quite touristic but you can also reap the comforts which come from this. Minimum stay 2 days.

Mindoro to Cebu :

Firstly fly to Cebu from Mindoro, take a tricycle to the bus terminal then take your bus back to San Jose airport (just reverse your previous journey).

Cebu Airport (Mactan) to Moalboal. If you have the money and just wanna get there, you can expect to pay around 2,500 for a private driver (note: you can get much cheaper doing the reverse route privately as many cars just want to get something for their way back to Cebu city). Otherwise, here's the best cost to time efficient method:

Siquijor Island - Famous locally for its black magic and witchcraft, but for us it was the most pleasantly surprising destination on the itinerary notably for marine sanctuaries, waterfalls, local hospitality, value and dining. Can also dive Apo island from here (not to be confused with Apo Reef!). Minimum stay 3 days, 4 if doing day trip (snorkling/diving) to Apo Island but the longer the better!

Moalboal to Siquijor:

3. From Liloan Port, there is an hourly ferry that goes to Sibulan Port which takes around 25 minutes and is under 100 pesos PP.

Dumaguete - Popular & vibrant spot for locals and tourists alike. Lots of nice restaurants and possible also to dive Apo Island from here (best if staying in dive resort accommodation). Minimum stay 2 days.

Japan 10 day Itinerary

2018-07-01T16:32:00.000+01:00

Snow monkeys in Nagano

My wife and I spent 11 days in Japan, we got to see a decent number of places without it feeling rushed and I’ve uploaded the itinerary here if you would like some inspiration (or to copy it)! I must give credit to www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com for her Japan budget itinerary, from which I based my own. Whilst we ran our trip on more of a mid-range budget, there are a couple of very good hotel recommendations in this itinerary, based on location, as well as key attractions.

Our dates were 5^th to 15^th February, which is not the peak season. You would need to bring warm clothes as we did but it meant for better prices for flight and accommodation and there was the benefit of beautiful snowy landscapes in Nagano and Kanazawa. All in, the trip cost around 1,000GBP per person including return flights (from Hong Kong). You could definitely do it cheaper (Japan doesn’t have to be as expensive as everyone says) but we wanted to make the most of what was on offer.

Our schedule was:

· Day 1 – 3 Osaka (activated 7 day JR pass for rail network)

· Day 3 – 6 Tokyo

· Day 6 – 7 Nagano

· Day 7 – 8 Kanazawa

· Day 8 – 11 Kyoto

As where we live in China (Zhuhai) is very close to Hong Kong, we booked with a low-cost carrier (LCC) called Hong Kong Express which turned out to be incredible value. It has the system where you pay for what you want i.e. luggage, weight of luggage etc. We saved money by only having one piece of check-in luggage at 20GK, all customers are allowed a piece of hand luggage up to 7KG at time of writing. Hong Kong Express also have many destinations in Japan, regular offers and a low fair finder. Whilst it is no frills, the staff are excellent, and I would use them again. I was also able to pay for flights via WeChat (which was a first) and as it’s a Hong Kong airline, when checking in to the ferry from ZH we didn’t have to check our bags in again at HK airport. Happy days!

Depending on your itinerary, you should consider getting the JR pass. Whilst it isn’t cheap, if you are taking a lot of trains whilst in country it will work out better value than booking individually (you should work out the difference as it is only cheaper if you're planning to move around a fair bit). Transport will burn a big hole in your budget if you’re moving around Japan. Whilst I believe that you may be able to get the JR pass whilst in Japan, most people recommend ordering the JR Pass vouchers and having them in hand before you depart as we did (via Trip.com, though it was via the Chinese site and not sure if possible via English site). When you get to Japan, you convert them for your rail pass and inform the clerk in the JR office when you want it to be activated (if future dated).

Some people recommend the app, Hyperdia, for trains etc. We found that trains were pretty frequent, and google maps worked just fine. Most public areas have free Wi-Fi which whilst not 100% reliable is usually good enough to help you get from A to B and we didn’t feel the need to purchase a SIM card during our trip.

Japan is very safe, but it’s always prudent to book insurance. I once again purchased this via World Nomads, and whilst I haven’t yet had to claim I’m reassured by their generally positive feedback.

I really wanted to see a Sumo wrestling match however as we were visiting Japan in February there were none to be had. However, it is possible to get in touch with the 'stables' where wrestlers train and call ahead to see if you can attend a session. Whilst we didn't get round to it I left it in the itinerary and you can find out some good information on the stables, including numbers to call in a Japanese Times article here.

One other thing I was interested in booking before the trip was the famous, classic Japanese Kabuki theater. This is a very traditional show that tends to offer a few acts per day. However, booking online can be a hassle and pricey as the cheaper seats tend to sell out very quickly! I’ll go into more detail about the show, which is highly recommended, however my advice would be not to prebook and instead to purchase tickets at the theater on the day you wish to view a show. More info in the Tokyo post!

My FairFX travel card which I've been using now for almost 10 years once again came in very handy, it's easy to top up and you don't have to worry about getting bad exchange rates or ludicrously high fees when using abroad. There are other options out there but this card has saved my butt on many occasions and to date, there has only been one ATM in rural Cambodia where it hasn't worked.

*I don't have any endorsements for the above links and all have been provided with 100% impartiality

Kyoto - Japan

2018-07-01T16:27:00.000+01:00

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 8

After a basic but reasonable breakfast, we were on the road again, (or the rails) to make the two-and-a-bit hour journey for would be our final destination of Kyoto. At least that was the plan. The snow, however had other ideas. Our ‘Thunderbird’ train had been cancelled due to the harsh weather, it was almost impossible to see due to the snow at times, and we, along with many other commuters we were kinda stuck in a busy station. Our only option was to take the train back to Nagano and from there go to Nagoya and then on to Kyoto. If we had to pinpoint the least fun day of the trip, this would have certainly been it, especially considering a main pull of the stop in Kanazawa was the break up the trip with a simple onward journey to Kyoto.

Sorry lads, we're full

As there were many others in the same situation, we could only get the non-reserved standing options where we were huddled together with skiiers and snowboarders and regular commuters for the two hours or so to Nagano, followed by the three and a half hours to Nagoya. We were finally able to get a seat for the last hour-long stretch from Nagoya to Kyoto. A whole day standing on cramped trains was nothing to be excited about, yet our spirits picked up as we bought a few cans of Asahi from the shop and our carriage to Kyoto was packed full of lively businessmen who were laughing and joking, creating a warm vibe.

We had decided to splurge a little bit for our final three nights in Japan (which would also fall across Valentines day/ our thirteen anniversary), and our excitement was justified as we checked into the lovely hotel, Noku Kyoto. It was the only 4-star hotel we stayed in during the trip. After our frustrating day, we didn’t want to go far for dinner and we needn’t have too with many good dining options on our doorstep. We opted to fill our faces with sushi and found the well-reviewed ‘Kikyo Sushi’ restaurant was within ten minute walking distance so there we headed!

I want to fly back to Japan just for the food

This appears to be a friendly, family run restaurant with the youngest being able to speak a good amount of English which really helps! The dishes are prepared behind the counter, and the sushi is presented to you by the chef on the wooden board just in front of the counter. We also opted for some sake tasting and really got to experience the range of flavours available, which I find you never really get to full witness the contrast if you’re not comparing them side by side. There was a local sake too which was a nice way to compliment it.

Amazing tempura vegetables and prawns

Sake from around Japan

Highlights had to be the tuna and salmon nigari, the prawn and vegetable tempura as well as the prized ‘otoro’ or fatty tuna. I think we could have easily gone back to eat here every night and even though we weren’t watching the pennies, the bill was very reasonable. Whilst I appreciate we’re travelling in a foreign country, having English speaking staff really helps to make the situation comfortable and for you to really understand what’s available.

Day 9

Today we visited Arashiyama (meaning storm mountain) with the main pull factor being the scenic bamboo forest there. From Kyoto Station we took the JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama Station – the journey is only 15-20 minutes and the JR pass can be used. It is quite a simple walk from there to get to the bamboo forest. Unless you go early, it’s going to be busy. Whilst there are quite a few tourists around snapping pictures, everyone seemed quite relaxed and peaceful and it is a very relaxing walk through the paths that take you amongst the bamboo groves. The approach from the station is also quite well catered to tourists with some places to buy snacks and souvenirs dotted along the route. Some of these places sold unique gifts that we hadn’t seen in other parts of Japan, so it might be worth factoring in some shopping time if you liked.

Bamboo forest in Arashiyama

There were also the human powered rickshaw service taking people around the town, fortunately they didn’t seem to be wheeling people through the bamboo forest or at least while we were there! Apparently the word ‘rickshaw’ actually originates from the Japanese word “jinrikisha”, which means “human-powered vehicle”.

Near the bamboo grove is Ōkōchi Sansō, which is the former residence of Japanese silent screen legend, Ōkōchi Denjirō. Whilst you have to pay 1000 yen to enter, there is a really nice route around the villa's beautiful gardens and excellent views of Kyoto from the top. You also get a free cup of matcha, green tea, and a snack in the tea room of the grounds. There is also a small museum on the grounds dedicated to the former owner.

Shrine at Ōkōchi Sansō

Ōkōchi Denjirō

In the afternoon we visited the highly photogenic Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine. Originally the shrine was dedicated to the god of rice and sake as early as the 8th century. The shrine also features many examples of fox statues, the reason being that the fox is seen as the messenger of the god of grain foods called ‘inari’ and therefore the stone foxes are often known by this name. If you see keys in the mouths of the foxes, these are replicas of keys to granaries in the hope that they stay well stocked!

The iconic Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine

The shrine was also very busy but the grounds are quite extensive so it never felt too crowded, although it was hard to find a moment to take a picture without other tourists in the background! The hundreds of bright orange torii (gates) are like nothing I’d ever seen before. There are routes all around the hillside with small shrines with miniature torii, it looked like it may have been possible to purchase your own! You could spend as much or little time as you liked here, taking in the beautiful city scenery and roaming through pathways under the vibrant torii. If you’re on a budget this is also a great option as it is free to enter.

Japan seems to have an affinity for Italian food, and as we live in China we don’t have too many options when it comes to international cuisine. Therefore that evening we visited another restaurant close to our hotel called Trattoria Casa Verde. Run by a solo Japanese front of house/ chef/ wine waiter, the food was excellent and the fact it took a little time to come out wasn’t a bad thing as it gave Kate and I time to reminisce about our full and interesting day. We had a margarita and a mushroom and ham pizza. Both were great and we washed it down with a carafe of the house red.

Yummy Japtalian food

Day 10

Alas, it was our last full day in Kyoto and Japan. We enjoyed the Japanese style breakfast in the hotel (a lot lighter than the western) and decided to take the short trip to the nearby Kyoto Imperial Palace, just a stone’s throw from our hotel Koku Kyoto. Formerly the ruling palace of the Emperor of Japan, the grounds are large and contain many halls and structures, but predominantly consists of nice and spacious open territory.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

There is a small shrine in the Oike-niwa (garden and pond area) which seemed to be occupied by a cat. Intelligently so as this area specifically doesn’t allow dogs. This guy seemed right at home and rolled over for us to dutifully rub his belly. There were also mallards and herons perching nearby which the fluffy fella had been stalking when we came by. Some locals would drop a few coins in a collection box and ring the bell for good fortune.

Happy temple cat

Early evening we booked ourselves in to watch a show at ‘Ran Theatre Kyoto’. Billed as ‘a fun filled night with traditional music and local sake and beer.’ It wasn’t very busy although we were watching the earlier of two showings. The hosts was attentive and kind and the performance both fun and educational! They introduced the instruments one by one and gave a brief description in Japanese and English prior to each performance. There were also performances as a band as well as the offer to try.

Ran Theatre Kyoto

Kate and I obviously put our hands up and it was great fun to play the Japanese drum and the rest of the band joined in! It was obviously aimed at tourists, but with my interest in music I found it very engaging and the performers were very sweet & smiley.

Stars of the show

We had decided to treat ourselves as it was both Valentine’s day and the 13^th year anniversary since our first date, so we opted for a Japanese steak house called ‘Pound’!

Pound Steakhouse in Kyoto

The cuts of beef are visible from the outside window and the menu shows the prices and weights of meat and which part of the cow they are from. Of course, you could spend as much as you like as there were also specials of the finest Kobe beef costing well over 100 pounds! However, we went for two cheaper cuts of moderately fatty ‘shoulder clod’ and ‘chuckeye roll’ cooked rare.

Even thought they weren’t the most soughtafter cuts, the meat wasn’t too lean and was cooked perfectly. The house mushroom and garlic sauces as well as the sides we ordered we also superb. We left feeling very, very full. Luckily it wasn’t far to walk back to the hotel!

We finished both huge steaks at Pound Kyoto

The following day we took the train to Osaka (Kansai) airport from Kyoto station. We had time as our flight wasn’t leaving until 2pm. We had loved every minute of Japan (aside from perhaps the day standing on the busy train!) including the people, who are accommodating & courteous, the scenery, the food and the general atmosphere. 10 days was enough for this trip, but I’m sure we will try to head back one day. Ultimately, we found it wasn’t as expensive as everyone had said and can easily done on a mid-range budget and even a low budget at a stretch. If you want to travel around whilst really enjoying the dining and experiences Japan has to offer, you have to pay a little bit more. However, the majority of natural beauty on offer is either free or very cheap and the seven-eleven options aren’t too shabby either. Either way, I hope you enjoy what you make of your Japan trip as much as we did.

Kanazawa - Japan

2018-05-02T15:55:00.001+01:00

You can check out our full 11-day Japan Itinerary here.

Day 7

Today we travelled from Nagano to our next stop of Kanazawa. The main attraction here was to visit one of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’, called, ‘Kenrokuen Garden’ as well as to help break up our journey back to the south west to visit Kyoto.

Elderly Japanese ticket worker in Nagano station

On the old school train from Nagano to Kanazawa

We took the cute little train to the main Nagano station, from there we used our JR passes to take the train to Kanazawa station. We had booked ourselves a well-situated but budget hotel called Toyoko Inn Kanazawa. They had a shuttle service from the main station to the hotel but unfortunately this didn’t start until around 4pm, which is also when their check-in opens! We got there by public bus and left our bags to go and see the garden. It was hard to fathom the amount of snow piled up at the side of the streets and covering the tops of rooftops and cars. Kanazawa is large and not the kind of city that can just grind to a halt because of the weather. The snow was obviously no surprise as many of the roads and pavements had built in sprinklers to prevent the snow from sticking. Many of the smaller streets, however, didn’t and you’re at the mercy of ice and slush!

Statues in Kanazawa look like their playing in the snow

The garden was a 15-minute walk from the hotel and when we arrived, the snow really gave it a unique and magical feeling. It wasn’t too busy and overall the garden wasn’t as large as I had predicted. We walked around the iced ponds and lakes, the snow-capped pagodas and teahouses and winding paths. The experience would be totally different in the spring or summer, as though visiting two completely different gardens. All in all, we spent around two hours crunching the snow under our feet in the garden before heading out and into the nearby Kanazawa Castle.

The castle was also a sight to behold, especially as the snow was really coming down now and icicles, some that looked up to six feet long, protruded down sharply from terracotta tiles. The grounds where the castle is situated are extensive. There are a few watchtowers which look great as well as some original materials from an early 1700’s reconstruction (fire seemed to be a recurring problem throughout Japan) at the main entrance gate.

Kanazawa Castle

Right next to our hotel is a branch of the ‘Oriental Brewing Company’ which was super convenient for pre-dinner drinks. They also had a range of snacks on offer (we tried the deep-fried lotus root which was tasty). They have their home brewed beers whilst also stocking other craft beers and the prices are reasonable.

Oriental Brewing Company

Whilst we had been making the most of the Japanese cuisine available, we decided to embrace a local Indian/Nepalese restaurant, also close to the hotel, called ‘Aashirwad’. The quality of the food and service was incredible. If you do go, try the naan bread as it is to die for. We ordered a fair amount of food and I didn’t think we would get through it all. I was wrong.

Indian/Nepalese banquet at Aashirwad

We were due to head to Kyoto the following day. Our decision to have a nice one night stopover in Kanazawa was looking like it had been a great decision, and it would have been had things gone to plan...

Nagano - Japan

2018-03-22T15:13:00.000+00:00

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 6

Today we travelled to Nagano with the main point of the visit being to see the famous snow monkeys! The train from Tokyo to Nagano station is about 2.5 hours and is covered by the JR pass we now had activated. The ride itself was very beautiful and from our comfortable seats the vistas from the window became gradually more mountainous and snow-capped.

These chocolate crisps were actually Ok

To save time, even though we had our bags, we decided to try to connect to the monkey park from Nagano station prior to travelling to our hotel (which was around an hour commute from the station via another train). At Nagano station we bought the one-day pass to the monkey park which is 3,200 yen for adults or 1,600 yen for children and covers:

· One-day unlimited use of the Nagaden Train

· One-day unlimited use of the Nagaden Express Bus between Nagano Station and Kanbayashi Onsen

· One day unlimited use of the local Nagaden Bus between Yudanaka Station and Kanbayashi Onsen

· Admission to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

Considering that the entrance to the monkey park is only 800 yen for adults but the train or buses aren’t covered by the JR pass, it is just about worth purchasing if not just for convenience. We marginally missed the train from Nagano station, so we took the bus instead which was convenient and comfortable.

Snowy landscapes were very different from urban Tokyo

Upon arrival, there was a slushy and icy tarmacked road to negotiate before we reached the approach walk to the monkey park which was as much a highlight of the visit as the park! The forested and snowy lane was a peaceful and beautiful scenic experience. Needless to say, Kate and I exchanged the odd snowball over the 30-40 minutes it took us to get to the entrance of the park.

Evidence of the hot springs that attract the monkeys

The park itself was quite busy with tourists, many of whom like us must have travelled to the region purely for this experience. The park is not expansive, there are only two main areas you can go and staff are regularly feeding the Japanese macaques to encourage them down from the mountainous areas to be within photo shot range of the eagerly snapping visitors. Monkeys therefore have the ability to go where they please, but with such readily available food there’s little reason to stray too far meaning there are an abundance of snow monkeys, some so brave and habituated to the tourists that they are impartial to camera phones in the face. Others are a little grumpier and keep their distance.

Tourists enjoying the monkeys

Japanese Macaque posing for photo

The hot spring area (which isn’t open to human bathers by the way) is the place where you’re most likely to see a number of tourists gathered round hoping for that prime National Geographicesque shot of the bathing monkeys. We were fortunate enough to see one in the middle of the spring, perched casually on a stone whilst a few others came and went with their main intention seemingly to have a drink from the spring.

The photo you show your friends

The reality!

If you like nature and you like monkeys, I’d say it’s worth the visit (which can also be done as a day trip from Tokyo). Don’t expect it to be an ‘at one with nature’ experience, more of a competing for elbow room to get that wonderful shot which doesn’t necessarily reflect the experience in the slightest. However, where else are you gonna see monkeys hanging loose in hot springs? As we waited for the bus to take us to the little town of Yamanouchi-machi where our hotel was located, a lovely & giggly shy Japanese couple who were heading back to Tokyo with very limited English offered to drive us. It was such a sweet gesture and we accepted. After a fair bit of traipsing around we were glad to have comfortable and direct passage to our destination! Thank you both!

Yudanaka Seifuso

After our comfortable but small budget room in Tokyo, we had booked ourselves into a nice, traditional Japanese Inn known as a ‘ryokan’ called ‘Yudanaka Seifuso’, not cheap but in the top three hotels in the area and with its own ‘onsen’ (hot springs bathing facilities). It was everything you would expect from traditional Japanese accommodation, sliding doors, paper walls & futons on the floor for beds.

Room at Yudanaka Seifuso

It was shoes off upon entering the accommodation and run by a family, with hospitality normally reserved for family. Traditionally speaking, men and women bath separately, and nude. Fortunately, there is a private onsen here which is open to couples, so Kate and I got to enjoy the experience together in the privacy of our own bathing facilities, we certainly felt like VIPs!

Onsen at Yudanaka Seifuso

We struck gold by dining at a traditional local restaurant –I didn’t capture the name as it didn’t seem to have one in English, but further research suggests there are a lot of homely, similarly priced traditional style restaurants in this town! We got adventurous with some horse sashimi. It actually looked a lot like tuna but the taste was quite unique and the meat itself a little chewy, but overall quite nice. We then had some chicken katsu style rice and a hearty bowl of ramen, all washed down with some local beer.

Restaurant in Yamanouchi-machi

Horse sushi washed down with local beer

I can’t move on without mentioning the amazing, traditional breakfast at our ryokan. At 8am we had a knock to come downstairs where there was a tray of miso soup, pickled vegetables, fruit and a large lump of salmon waiting for us. Absolutely incredible and even though there wasn’t much else to see in this quaint little town, we were sad to be leaving the hospitality of our hosts.

Breakfast at Yudanaka Seifuso

Tokyo - Japan

2018-03-22T14:40:00.000+00:00

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 3

Today we travelled to Toyko. Osaka was a great city, but from a tourist's perspective without the gift of time, one full day was enough as there is a lot to see elsewhere. Our 7-day JR Pass became active today, so we took the subway to Shin-Osaka and from there reserved our seats at the JR Office for the train to Tokyo station.

Japanese trains are comfortable and efficient, and the friendliness and mutual respect between staff and commuter is something we could all learn from. The train conductor will even bow to the patrons whenever leaving the carriage! Unless there is an ‘accident’ (there were a fair few of these) trains will generally leave to the minute that they are scheduled to do so. It is possible to use the JR Pass without reserving a seat provided that the train has non-reserved carriages, they sometimes do they sometimes don’t. Of course, there wouldn’t be a guarantee of getting a seat.

Japanese Trains Rock

Japanese culture is very non-confrontational, so you may find that even if you accidentally board a ‘Reserved Only’ train you probably won’t have any problems. There was one instance for example where it took a while and a lot of sweating for the assistant at the platform to word, in the least confrontational way, that the woman at the information desk was incorrect to inform us we could board a certain train without reserved seats, but he said we could get on it anyway.

View of Mt. Fuji on train from Osaka to Tokyo

The ride to Tokyo was a speedy 2.5 hours, meaning we still had plenty of time to enjoy the day. After checking in at our budget but well-located hotel (Horidome Villa), we headed out to Asakusa to visit Sensoji temple via Nakamise street. This shopping street marks the approach to the temple and whilst touristic, has a nice vibrancy with many tourists, both foreign and Japanese, opting to buy or rent kimonos which lends to the atmosphere. There are lots of stores to buy souvenir trinkets or snacks and you can even rent man-powered rickshaws to take you through in style if you wish. The drivers look really friendly, but we would feel a bit weird being literally carted around by a person!

If you’re looking to get something to eat, there are also some nice side-streets in the area where you can get some more traditional food and a drink in you.

Nakamise Street

Sensoji is a nice example of a Buddhist temple and it’s also the oldest in Tokyo. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with a lot of tourists and it therefore doesn’t have the relaxing experience of some temples you could opt to visit, but it’s worth seeing and you can experience the traditional architecture with views of the modern Tokyo skyline in the background.

Sensoji temple

The evening was all about Akihabara. Just one metro stop from our hotel, this area is alive with amusement arcades, restaurants, anime and games shops, electronic stores and more. When I say and more I really mean it, as it is even home to the biggest porno shop you’ll probably ever see. I’ll leave it to your imagination, but I’m not sure if your imagination will suffice to conjure up the range of items required to fill 5 floors of debauchery!

Vending machines were everywhere

The arcades were not quite what I was picturing. Whilst they have some of the more traditional style arcades consisting mostly of the ‘candy-grabber’ move the claw and pick up a prize format, the main pull was the more gambling style machines that are seemingly irresistible to a portion of middle-aged Japanese men. The sound coming from these smoky rooms of row upon row of machines with their intense music competing for non-existent audible space was borderline intolerable. The games looked like a combination of luck and skill, some involved guiding metal balls into holes that are bought from the machines directly. The players are all completely in the zone, staring intently at their own machine and hoping to get lucky. The only ladies to be seen were those keeping the beverages coming.

Arcade in Akihabara

During our adventures around Akihabara we found a store dedicated to collectible cards. Floor upon floor of individual game cards were on sale ranging in price from the inexpensive to extortionate. On the upper floors groups of men and boys were gathered around tables either playing or trading their cards. Again, not a woman in sight other than the caricatured and scantily clad anime figures featured on the front of most of the cards. The gamers seemed really happy and it felt more comfortable to see people interacting with each other, rather than with machines.

Card games are pretty popular here

I’m certain that there was more to see, from other traveler’s pictures there seems to be shops selling retro games and consoles which I would have loved to have found but we had no joy. That night, we had our first taste of sushi in Japan at a nearby restaurant. Whilst we didn’t catch the English name, we got a photo of it, and if you’re in the area it’s hard to miss. Very reasonable prices and good service. A lot of fun and recommended if you’re in the area.

Sushi restaurant in Akihabara

Oh yes

Day 4

Today got off to a good start with some brunch in a downstairs beer hall. These are often smoky places (strange in the otherwise strictly no smoking public areas of Japan) which serve up draft beer and usually good value lunch specials. The food was excellent, and I even unwittingly received British style bacon which was an absolute result.

Japan 1 - China 0

Following this we visited Meiji, which is Tokyo's most famous Shinto shrine located in a 200-acre forest in Shibuya. We had perfect weather, it was fresh and sunny meaning that we got dapples of sunlight filtering through the canopy of the trees as we meandered along the spacious graveled paths.

Forrest near Meiji Shrine

The walk is a massive highlight, considering that you are in one of the top 10 most populous cities in the world you can get such a vast sense of space just minutes from a busy subway platform. Good weather is a must as it is all outdoors, but you would need to wrap up warm as we did in February. At the main shrine there are people offering up coins and clapping for their prayers to be answered, as well as some leaving their wishes in the forms of notes tied up and left for the higher powers to grant.

Later we went to the city center of Shibuya and witnessed the Shibuya crossing, Tokyo’s answer to Piccadilly Circus. The people are so well behaved here, it’s rare you will see individuals cross even the smallest of quiet streets without the little green man’s permission. You wouldn’t want to cross prematurely here however. There is a big expanse separating commuter’s vehicles from every direction as pedestrians eagerly wait the opportunity to cross. It is fun to stand and watch the lights change at least once and see people merge from all angles and try to negotiate their own paths.

Shibuya Crossing - Tokyo

We were greeted by a robot in a shop window and after a brief interaction waved goodbye and went to see if we could get a feel for a ‘Robot Restaurant’ with mixed reviews. Whilst we opted not to part with our cash for the high-ticket price and what seemed to be a tourist trap, but the area was really cool. We ultimately came across ‘Blackhole’, a ‘yakiniku’ or grilled/BBQ meat restaurant. The service here was good as was the quality of the food. A little bit of a splurge but still cheaper that home, you can order sensibly and have great quality food and superb dining experience.

Happy Robot

Black Hole - Tokyo

Day 5

Close to our accommodation (around 15 minutes via public transport) is the Tsukiji Fish Market where we went for breakfast. Now, if you are hardcore you can get up early (or stay out, as some say you need to be there early as 2am) for a chance to register to be a part of the famous tuna auction. To be honest, we didn’t fancy it and perhaps we missed a trick, we’ll never know but it seems like a big gamble for something you might not ultimately be able to take part in.

Tsukiji is actually a wholesale fish market

Anyhoo we went there early(ish) to get our fill of raw fish. There are lots of streetside restaurants on the approach to the market, which is actually wholesale supplier, to sample the local catch of the day. There are plenty of options and even a couple of good coffee shops. The place is great to look around even if you’re not a fan of sushi, after scanning up and down a few streets we found an indoor sushi bar to park ourselves at and sample the delights. Proper yum.

Enjoying oysters at Tsukiji fish market

Fishmonger on the approach to Tsukiji market

Sushi at the inner-market near Tsukiji

A short walk from the Tsukiji fish market will get you to the Tokyo Kabukiza Theater. This traditional Japanese theater was originally constructed in 1889, but has been rebuilt more times than Robert Downey, Jr’s career. When I initially investigated purchasing tickets online prior to departing for Japan, they weren’t yet available. When I checked again, all the cheap tickets had sold out! This lead me to do a little more research, as I didn’t want to miss out on this key aspect of Japanese culture. I ultimately came across this gem of a page, ‘Tokyo Cheapo’, which among other useful tidbits explains how it is possible to takes your change and purchase tickets for an individual act on the day of the performance. Well that was totally fine with me, as 1.5 to 2 hours is plenty to get a taster of the show (rather than buying full day tickets which are likely for multiple acts spread over an entire day, equating to 6+ hours of performance). In a nutshell you need to check out performance times, rock up, queue if need be and buy your ticket at a fraction of the price online.

Tokyo's Kabukiza Theater

We were in luck and arrived 5 minutes prior to the next performance with tickets still available. We were also seated (online it mentioned standing but I couldn’t see anyone doing this). Although we were at the back, there wasn’t a major impact on the viewing experience. The show itself was great if not a little confusing. We forgot to get the translation machines so we sat back and absorbed the weird and wonderful world of kabuki which involves elabourate costumes, questionable intonations and impromptu giggles from the audience. It was bizarrely good and would recommend to anyone who has the time to visit.

No photographs were allowed inside the theater. Here's one.

The previous day we had booked tickets to watch a show called “Panasonic presents WA (Wonder Japan Experience)”. We didn’t quite know what to expect and we certainly weren’t prepared for what turned out to be the best show we had ever seen. After a busy day at the fish market and the theater, we didn’t have time for a sit down dinner, so we made the most of the good quality food and readily available microwave at a 7/11 near the show venue.

Kate washing down her microwave carbonara

Two microwaved carbonaras and Asahi dry beers later, there we were being lead into a funky waiting room with lockers to put our stuff into.

I don’t want to go into too much detail as it’s the kind of show that sucks you in and trips you up, there are plenty of surprises. Without offering up any spoilers, make sure you get floor tickets (rather than seated VIP) and get ready to be dazzled. The performers in the show are of the highest quality, and the organization of the entire thing is epic with stage managers and staff ensuring that the experience is interactive and safe (considering the audience are often part of the stage).

So much fun!

You are constantly engaged with something to look at in all directions, and the variation and boldness of the performances is out of this world. I can’t recommend it enough and if you have the chance to go you will undoubtedly leave with a smile on your face. It’s also great for children as well as adults who want to party. Very bizarre, just go see it for yourself.

Perhaps that's why it's called WA!!!!?

Osaka - Japan

2018-03-19T11:27:00.000+00:00

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 1

We arrived at Osaka Kansai Airport late afternoon. We then made our way upstairs from arrivals and headed towards the train station within the airport. Here, in the JR office, we were able to exchange our vouchers to get our pre-booked JR passes and mention the day we wished to have them activated.

From here we made our way to our budget hotel accommodation, Hotel the Lutheran, which is just a stones throw from Osaka Jo (Osaka Castle). All our hotel and travel information is available on our itinerary here. The hotel was pleasant and the staff welcoming, every hotel we stayed in had a bath (not full sized) and the type of toilet you would expect from Japan with a heated seat and lots of weird yet wonderful squirty options!

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

Day 2

The following day we visited the castle, which was great and free to enter aside from the museum which is the fancy looking building in the photographs. It was worth it though, and there were around 8 floors of Osakan and Japanese history with a cool viewing platform at the top. It is nice to walk around the castle grounds in general and get a sense of the architecture and more traditional times. There are a couple of souvenir shops as well as places to buy snacks. We happily spent 2-3 hours here.

Osaka Castle

We didn’t have too much planned for our first full day, which meant that we were able to head to our next location relatively early that evening, the must-see area of Dotonbori. It’s famous for the vibrancy of the restaurants, street-food hawkers and elabourate LED and 3D decorations along the main strip. Some say you have to come on an empty stomach, some say you have to avoid eating here as it’s overpriced and touristic. Whilst it was dark when we visited, it was still earlyish so the crowds weren’t as mad as people say it can get, we tried a bit of steak from a street food vendor (which was expensive) then found a restaurant with a lot of locals dining in which was much better value. It was also novel for us, ordering from the machine outside before going in.

Dotonbori at night

The area really is alive and worth a visit when in Osaka and embodies a lot of the cliché, albeit fun, Japanese craziness you imagine before coming here. They say you should have your photo taken with the running ‘Glico Man’ who’s the symbol of the area. I’m not sure why and to be honest I’m a little confused about Japanese culture in general, such as the fascination with anime and all things cute. I guess that’s the main reasons why we’re here, to learn more about the people and this wonderful, bizarre country.

Glico dude is behind us, honest

Amakhala Game Reserve - Eastern Cape - South Africa

2017-02-11T14:11:00.000+00:00

We made good time on the remainder of the journey from Thesen Island to Amakhala Game Reserve after our Skydive at Plettenberg bay to breakup the trip somewhat.

Although it was a little rushed, we were really happy to hear that we had arrived at our accommodation, Woodbury Tented Camp, in time for the afternoon game drive departing at 4pm. We were given welcome drinks and escorted to our 'tents' which I must say, were a lot less tent-like than we were expecting. I think we both expected to be roughing it in the outskirts of the South African wilderness, I think it's fair to say that we didn't have a great idea about what South African safari would entail. In my visions, it was going for days in the bush without as much as a shower and perhaps a single native bushman pinning down electric wires to deter lions from joining you in your sleeping bag. As time went on however, I also found it suspicious that the majority of our fellow tourists as a whole in South Africa were, for want of a better expression... getting on a bit and no doubt appreciated their comforts.

Inside the tent at Woodbury Tented Camp, Amakhala

The tents were actually very large and included a en suite shower and sink with a private toilet 'outhouse' next door, but everything was easily of a standard you would find in a hotel. We couldn't believe it! Not only that but we could see into the park from our small patio area. The communal dining/ rest area also had a balcony overlooking a broad section of the park where on occasion it was possible to see animals.

Animal spotting from the balcony at Woodbury Tented Camp

On our very first game drive we headed out, in total there were nine of us and because we were the last to get on the jeep we unfortunately couldn't sit together. The rest of the party were a group of Norwegians who had come on a family trip and we'd be getting to know over the coming days, with the exception of one guy who was the brother of our guide, Ryan.

Taken on our last game drive with Ryan after his brother left

The first game drive funnily enough also turned out to be the best. I actually couldn't believe how easy it was for us to spot the game, which we more or less saw all of on that first drive with the exception of the lions. Our first sighting was a solitary ostrich, followed by a solitary bull elephant. It was great to see him there relaxing and casually feeding from the long grass and the scrub.

Solitary bull elephant in Amakhala Game Reserve

We later saw a mother white rhino and her offspring following close behind, which was something I didn't expect to see. The white rhino is in increasing danger from poachers, and they weren't even allowed to tell us exactly how many there were in the park. We were also informed that 25% of our fee would be going towards the protection of these animals as there is an armed guard with an attack dog providing 24 hour protection for these wonderful creatures. They spend the majority of their time drawing them away from the fence when they get too close so that opportunists don't drive past and see them and then return later to take their horns.

Mother and baby White Rhino at Amakhala Game Reserve

Around half way through the drive, we stopped for a drinks break. However, we weren't alone. We had tracked some giraffes as they were just approaching a watering hole and as they gathered around it we turned the jeep engine off and all had a drink ourselves. I was surprised that were allowed to get out of the jeep in order to have these, but the guides seemed to know what they were doing! The giraffes weren't too afraid of us, but they were quite jumpy and alert. They spread their legs in order to lower their bodies enough to reach the water, but wouldn't drink for a very long time and would shoot up their heads again at any unexpected sound. As the sun set the giraffes quenched their thirst and Kate and I enjoyed a glass of wine in these amazing surroundings which these fantastic creatures, what an experience!

Giraffes enjoying the watering hole at Amakhala

Kate and Paul taking a stop at the Amakhala Game Reserve

Later in the drive, we even saw the cheetah which was apparently no small feat as there was one male in the park, one female too but she was looking after three cubs and would have been near impossible to spot. He was originally relaxing in the long grass and all we could see were his ears. After a little roll around he decided to get up and stretch. The cheetah was very unperturbed by our presence and casually strolled past our vehicle towards what Ryan described as his favourite milkwood tree. He must have made a kill fairly recently as his belly was so jutting that he could have been mistaken for being pregnant! He scratched his claws on the tree and made a few territorial sprays before heading to the tree, just as Ryan had said.

Cheetah at Amakhala Game Reserve, South Africa

Dinner took place at 6.00pm in the communal restaurant with the other people who took part in the safari. They took our orders before the afternoon drive and it was served to us by the friendly and accommodating staff. In addition, all drinks were complimentary throughout our stay and every time we went back to the tent it had been prepared with tea and biscuits, the bed made, and the tent open or shut for us depending on what time of the day it was. All we had to worry about during our stay is what time we had to be in the main area for drives/food!

Sunset at Amakhala Game Reserve, South Africa

It wasn't a total breeze though, for the morning game drives we awoke at 5.00am and set off at around 5.30 after some much needed coffee. On our first morning drive we happened to find a Lion and soon after, the three females he was stalking. It was amazing to see them roaming free and without a care in the world. From what we had seen to date, there were plenty of antelope and warthogs for them to feed on when they were hungry! Just like the other animals seen to date, they paid us little attention and went about their lion business without paying us much regard. This was apparently because they get used to the cars and don't see them as a threat, it would however, not be a great idea to step out of the vehicle whilst they were around.

Male and female lion at Amakhala Game Reserve

The reserve itself is quite big, and I found it interesting how we were able to keep finding the animals. It turns out that this is a combination of cooperation between guides, all of whom are driving at the same time and making others aware of what they have seen on the radio and where, so that we may adjust our route and later head there with a better chance of seeing something than just going solo. Secondly, our guide has been at the park for a long time, and informed us that many patterns of behaviour, even from wild animals, is somewhat predictable (i.e. the cheetah with his favourite tree). Of course there was never any guarantee and we weren't always able to see what we wanted, but more often than not if there was a desire to see a particular animal there was a chance that another guide would have already spotted it and we could make our way towards them.

Amakhala Game Reserve spans around 7,500 hectares

On the second drive, we also saw a family of elephants as well as even more white rhino! They were there grazing away and making their ways across the reserve in all their glory. It was such a touching experience to see these animals with the freedom to roam in such a great expanse of land, and really brings home just how important it is to protect these animals.

On the second evening we were cooked a braai, the South African BBQ that is incredibly popular here. It was delicious and a very social way to cook, we all had our drinks around the fire then the food was presented inside, buffet style. After some perfect weather, we also had a lightning storm that evening which was actually a very cool experience. However there was a rain spider inside the tent waiting for us!

Preparing the braai

Our resident rain spider... eeek

Below are a collection of some of the photographs and videos we took during our 3 nights of safari. It was as incredible as I had hoped and I can't think of a better way for us to have finished our honeymoon. As we sipped on our wine, reminiscing about the animals we had seen and the preciousness and fragility of our environment, Kate and I toasted to the complex and amazing country that is South Africa. May all of its treasures be realised for just how precious they are and carefully protected so that future generations may too have the fortune to discover them for themselves. May its cultures be not only be understood but also embraced by those who are living as part of them. A special thanks to Meldon Kruz of Kruz Africa who helped us arrange this trip of a lifetime.

Plettenberg Bay Skydive - Eastern Cape - South Africa

2017-02-11T12:27:00.003+00:00

We regretfully left Thesen Island in Knysna after having a packed schedule and wonderful dining experience. On our way to Amkhala Game Reserve, where we would be staying in accommodation called Woodbury Tented Camp, we had arranged to do our first skydive! Arranged via Skydive Plettenberg Bay, we packed our stuff into the back of the car and headed to the small airport where the company is based.

Inside the plane shortly after takeoff, Plettenberg Bay

There were a small group of girls who had recently completed their skydive chatting about how exciting and care free it was, though I must admit, Kate and I were a little nervous. We had heard that it was much easier when compared with bungee jumping, which while it was a great rush, it feels as close as it can to committing suicide without actually committing the act at the time! We weren't too sure what to expect, but the guides Mike and Jeff were very friendly and explained everything to us whilst we put on the harness and got ready to board the plane. We were running a little behind schedule and whilst I wasn't really nervous leading up to the jump, now we were waiting for the plane to refuel I was running the experience through my mind including how it could go wrong!

Kate and Mike waiting on the landing strip for take off

Soon we were boarding the small Cessna 182 propeller plane, which didn't have anything in the way of a door. Kate and Mike got in first and Jeff sat behind me where the door would have normally been. We took off and I got a full view of the terrain below as we climbed to 10,000ft during the slightly turbulent ascent. Whilst it didn't feel like I was going to fall out at any time, I could have easily stuck an arm or leg or more outside the aircraft and my main view was the sky and the ground below. It was actually a very scenic ascent, which did something to calm the nerves. We could even see Knysna lagoon and the Heads where we had cruised in the John Benn the night before.

Plettenberg Bay Skydive, scenic view during the ascent!

The aircraft was loud, it was difficult to talk. After what seemed like a long time although was allegedly only around 20 minutes or so, it was time to depart. Jeff suddenly got a bit active and asked me to put my legs on the outside of the plane. Next thing I know the wind is hitting my face and we're dropping through the air like a bomb. Again the freefall was supposedly around 30 seconds but I don't remember much other than the parachute opening and being able to relax a bit for the first time in a while as I was suspended in front of Jeff like a big daddy and baby!

Seconds before jump, Plettenberg Bay Skydive, South Africa

The company actually lets you fly the parachute, although I was feeling quite sick by this point, a feeling similar to sea sickness so I was more than happy to let Jeff glide us slowly back to earth. Even so I thought I'd have a go and with Jeff's instruction was able to steer a little and he even showed me my first experience of zero gravity, we built up some speed with a spinning motion before he pulled back hard and there was an amazing feeling of weightlessness. Jeff then took back the reigns and guided us back down to earth with expert precision.

Freefalling in Plettenberg Bay South Africa

As I was going down I could see Kate a little way above us also doing some spinning and things. We waited a little while for Kate to land then we embraced, happy to have our feet back on land but buzzing from the experience. We needed to take a half our or so whilst the video was being prepared, but this would have been needed regardless prior to getting back into the car and making the rest of the four and a half hour car ride to Amakhala!

Happy but relieved to have feet back on the soil!

Thesen Island - Knysna - Eastern Cape - South Africa

2017-02-11T07:25:00.000+00:00

On Friday 3rd Feb, after our canoe and hike we were back on the road headed to Thesen Island in Knysna. The 45 minute drive wasn't so eventful and we arrived at the small, modern and upmarket Thesen Island not long after midday. We picked up our keys from Thesen Harbour Town Office (TH1) and made our way to our self-catering apartment TH5. It was a lovely looking room and well placed in terms of getting to the local restaurants and attractions.

Self-catering apartment at TH5, Harbourtown, Thesen Island

That evening we visited the nearby Tapas and Oysters restaurant. It was the liveliest place we had been to to date, full of locals and live music to accompany great food at the best value we had seen to date. The portions were large and the hardest thing was deciding what to choose. They had a great selection of beers and all in all the place had a 'younger' vibe in comparison to a lot of the other restaurants we had visited. There wasn't much more we wanted to do that evening, as we were having a relatively early start the next morning to visit the Wild Oaks Community Farmers Market (7.30-12.00 noon).

Ribs and onion rings at Tapas and Oysters, Thesen Island

On Saturday the 4th Feb we headed to Wilds Oaks which is a Saturday market in a small nearby town called Sedgefield, during our stay in the area. We wanted to experience as much of the local produce as possible and whilst we had been eating our fill in the unprecedented number of quality restaurants around Cape Town and along the Garden Route, this was a great chance to indulge and get a feel for the variety of produce on offer. We also needed to do some souvenir shopping and we were getting towards the end of our trip, and there were other markets serving this purpose next to the farmer's market so the timing and logistics were absolutely perfect. Whilst we had seen a lot of trinkets on our travels, we wanted to try our best to find something authentic and ideally locally produced.

Me buying some Ostrich Pate at Wild Oaks Farmer's Market

Home-made chocolate at Wild Oaks Farmer's Market

Wild Oaks is a fairly large but easily manageable setup with everything you need to get you started in the morning with various stalls offering breakfast options. There were businesses selling coffee, traditional cooked breakfasts as well as wraps, hot dogs with local sausages, Cape-Malay cuisine, pitas, many gluten free options etc. We opted to start the day with oysters and a glass of wine, naturally. Then it came to stocking up, small businesses were selling local cheeses, biltong, honey, chocolate and cakes, dried fruit, fresh fish, pates, breads and more, most of which you could try before you bought. There were also other products like soaps and fresh produce where many locals were doing their weekly shop. Street entertainers were playing music, including a minstrel band and there was even a human statue near the entrance.

After having our fill, we walked over to the souvenir style Mosaic Market to check out their wares. There were lots of items on offer such as the wooden handmade bowls, woven table cloths, artwork along with smaller handmade ornaments and keyrings. We spent the whole morning eating and shopping, one of the highlights was meeting the owners of a local clothes business called Collywobbles who design and produce their own clothing line. We had a good chat with them about their fun and funky designs and picked up a couple of T-shirts each. Other things we took home from the day were an African Salad Bowl with tongs, a wire-bead cockerel and snake and some souvenir keyrings, some food items and full bellies. There was a girls school choir singing traditional songs which we stopped and listened to for a bit before dropping some money in the donation box for them.

That evening we went back to Knysna and dined in a seafood restaurant called 34 South, which really exceeded expectations. Whilst my dad told me it was never a good idea to order seafood on a pizza, I would lapse into doing this every year or so only to be disappointed. This time however proved to be the exception! The standout food however was the sushi, which again was great value and used fresh ingredients all washed down with a bottle of wine of course.

34 South, Knysna, South Africa

Sunday 5th Feb was our 'Animal Insurance' day. That is, we were due to visit a game reserve in the upcoming days and we wanted to make sure that we saw some of the local animals with more certainty, just in case we weren't able do during our game drives. First stop was Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary, which was a hour's drive away and actually closer to Plettenberg Bay. It was kind of like a mini nature reserve, providing a home for rescued and sick monkeys. They run tours every half and hour and you have an opportunity to be among them in their own environment rather than looking at them through cages. The monkeys are able to roam free and the guides spread seeds, fruit and nuts throughout the sanctuary to encourage the monkeys to pursue their natural foraging behaviour. The tours are around 45 minutes long, but the monkeys are never to far away and we were able to see local vervets as well as foreign species such as gibbons as well as lemurs.

Ring-tailed lemur at Monkeyland, Plettenberg Bay

Gibbon at Monkeyland, Plettenberg Bay

The company also has a bird next door called 'Birds of Eden', the largest free flight bird aviary in the world, as well as Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to some of the big cats, both endemic and rescued from other parts of the world. As we were short on time, we opted to visit the latter. Because it was close to midday, many of the animals were quite lethargic and the 'pens' they were in were more or less small enough so that you could see most animals, even if it was just a leg stuck out from behind the tree. Again, you are partnered with a guide for a tour around the facility and it's great to have somebody explaining the plight of each animal as well as information about where they are native to and how they came to be in the sanctuary. Whilst it still felt a little small, they were definitely doing their best to ensure that the animals they had were being looked after and it was all in all a positive experience.

Lions at Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary

Our final 'Animal insurance' visit was to Knysna Elephant Park where it is also tour based. We opted to purchase 'feeding buckets' for the elephants at a small extra cost. After a short video introduction, we boarded the all-terrain-vehicle for the short drive to where the elephants were roaming freely. The elephants were conditioned to know that the truck contains people with tasty snacks, so they casually wondered over to the feeding area where the guides gave us some more information about how to feed them as well as do's and don'ts for safety. Within seconds, the elephants were lined up against a railing in an orderly fashion, trunks at the ready to receive food. With the utmost delicacy, upon presenting the food they would gratefully take it off us with their trunks and bring it to their mouths to chomp down on. Kate had the alpha female of the group who was quite forthcoming with the food and patted the trunk of my elephant out the way to get to my food as well. As much as I tried to make sure only my elephant got the food destined for her, she was persistent and on a couple of occasions her trunk came out of nowhere to snatch the squash, carrot or apple that was destined for another!

Feed me! Knysna Elephant Sanctuary

The food was gone in no time, and when the elephants realised this they wandered off and continued to graze in their usual format of wrapping the long grass in their trunks and tearing it out of the ground, often with the help of using a foot as a level, then bringing it to their mouths to eat. We were able to casually follow them around in groups of four, each with a guide who would answer questions about the elephant as we patted them or just simply observed them going about their business. Overall it was an excellent experience in a great setting, the elephants seemed happy and healthy. There is even a lodge that you can stay in with a communal area that overlooks an indoor heated area for the elephants to watch them sleep at night!

Kate patting an elephant at Knysna Elephant Sanctuary

Our day wasn't over yet though, we were scheduled to take part in a sunset tour of the Knysna lagoon and Knysna Heads on the John Benn. The boat also serves as a restaurant and shortly after we boarded we ordered (as you probably guessed), some oysters although this time with a bottle of sparkling wine! This is a great way to experience the lagoon and there is some well-placed (i.e. not overbearing) audio commentary at various points in the cruise. There is a small outside area where you can experience the elements if you so wish, but all in all it's great to just relax and soak up the scenery as you negotiate the lagoon and get close to the heads. It's a good idea to get there early as we did in order to make sure that you get a table next to the window, or if it's a mild evening, out on deck.

Oysters and bubbles on the John Benn

The Knysna Heads seen from aboard the John Benn

That evening was our last evening in Thesen Island, so we celebrated by dining on some moules-frites at Siroccos restaurant which was full to the brim with locals enjoying the seafood, great steaks and other delicious food on offer.

We went to bed after a long and satisfying day and got some much needed rest as we would be doing a four and half hour drive the following day to Amkhala Game reserve for our very first safari, but not before doing our very first skydive!

Wilderness - Garden Route - Southern Cape - South Africa

2017-02-11T06:54:00.000+00:00

So we were finally departing the Western Cape we had loved so much to discover our next stop on our tour booked via Kruz Africa, a small town called Wilderness in the Southern Cape which is famous for beautiful beaches and nice restaurants. We broke up the drive from Jan Harmsgat with a visit to The Blue Shed Coffee Roastery in Mossel Bay. It was a fine cup of coffee in a rather ramshackle setting, just about ramshackle enough to fulfill the hipster vibe but any more ramshackley and it would have been just that little bit too rustic. Mossel Bay isn't the most pleasant of views with the refinery that was built to deal with offshore gas that was discovered in the area in the 1960's, but this made for a pleasant stop and we bought some of their coffee to take away.

Blue Shed Coffee Roastery, Mossel Bay, South Africa

We arrived at our accommodation, Whale's Way Ocean Retreat and were greeted with the view of people paragliding, using the thermals to navigate the wonderful coastline. Whale's Way has a great sea view from the balcony, from where we also had our breakfast. I'm sure that there are many whales to be spotted from here in the right season! Leonie, the proprietor, is friendly and welcoming and always more than ready to help with advice for the many activities in the local area. Instead we enjoyed watching the paragliders drifting by and even saw somebody setting off right in front of us, once the wind was in his 'sail' he just hopped off the cliff! When they're up there it looks very relaxing and almost effortless. Not sure if we'll be trying it out this time though...

Whales Way Ocean Retreat, Wilderness, South Africa

After the luxury of Jan Harmsgat, we fancied a more casual dining experience that evening so booked into a cafe/restaurant called Flava. The standout thing for me about the restaurant is the funny and friendly staff with whom you can have some good banter with throughout the evening. They even provide a shuttle service to take you to and from your hotel which is great if you want a drink so you can leave the car.

Steak at Flava, Wilderness, South Africa

On the 1st of Feb we had a leisurely morning and spent the afternoon inspecting the local beach which, true to its 'number 1 activity to do in Wilderness' status on Trip Advisor, was absolutely brilliant. Just down from Whale's way there are some flat rocks onto which the waves crash and there are alive with mussels and oysters. Locals can be seen fishing off these attempting to catch the fish that feed from the attached mollusks.

Wilderness Beach, South Africa

There were a family on one of these rocks where the father had donned his wet-suit and was chipping the harder to reach oysters from the rocks, large ones at that and filled three large hessian bags with his catch. The mussels were definitely large enough to be harvested, however this wouldn't be allowed without a permit (and we don't have any cooking facilities where we are staying anyway).

Mussels on Wilderness Beach, Wilderness, South Africa

The dramatic coastline stretches on and on and we really enjoyed soaking up the sights and poking around in the rockpools which dent the landscape. It is really beautiful here at every time of day.

Landscape at Wilderness Beach, South Africa

That evening we had a reservation at The Girls Restaurant. We treated ourselves to two bottles of excellent wine and really enjoyed our dinner of yet another seafood platter, though this time cooked, which included two portions of locally line-caught fish of the day (hake and my not so favourite kingklip, though I did give it another try), along with prawns in three different styles (The Girls sauce is especially delicious) and squid. We didn't leave hungry and yet again were on the receiving end of some unbelievable service, if not the best to date. The waiters were very clued up on their wines and dishes and described them to the customers in such good detail that you wonder why more restaurants don't provide this.

Seafood at The Girls restaurant, Wilderness, South Africa

After dinner, Manchester United were playing Hull city, so we found a sports bar/restaurant near by called Bongos which whilst, it didn't have the best reviews, has since undergone new management. The staff there couldn't have been more accommodating, they persuaded us to stay for a few drinks before the game started and we met a group of Norwegians on a golf trip after a game of pool. The match didn't go to plan, a 0-0 draw, but it was great having that down to earth old fashioned pub vibe which hasn't been present in many of our upmarket destinations. After the two bottles of wine in the restaurant and a few more Namibian beers, which are great by the way, (or G&Ts in Kate's case), we were delightfully sloshed and not too sure on how to get home. We were pretty sure the restaurant shuttle we took into town was no longer operating. No problem, the bar staff were more than happy to drop us to our door, unbelievable hospitality!

On the 2nd Feb we had another nice breakfast and relaxing morning and then took the car out to visit Oysters R Us, where we would indulge in an oyster eating frenzy. In a humble but also edgy and cool setting, the friendly staff again go above and beyond to make sure you enjoy the experience. They have their oyster tanks which sustain the locally caught shellfish, but not only this, there is also a well stocked fridge willed with tapenades, pates, condiments and more. You grab what you want and they'll add it up on the till. Once you're sat with your nibbles you can order your bubbles, wine or beer and they'll also take your oyster order. We naively went with four each, and later got another four. The oysters were large and plump and even had a delightful creamy taste which is apparently the case during the summer season. During winter they are more briny and salty but they are available all year round. The oysters come with a fine selection of condiments including lemon wedges, black pepper, Tabasco, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce (and picked ginger), French onion vinaigrette, horse radish and tartar sauce so you just need to decide which style you would prefer. It's an absolute must for any oyster lover if you visit here.

Shucking Oysters at Oysters R Us, Wilderness, South Africa

That evening we ate at a great little steakhouse called Joplins where the menu offers a very simple selection of different steak cuts, all coming as standard with egg and chips. Again, the meat here is very good value in a homely and comfortable atmosphere with the steaks being cooked on the charcoal grill outside. I couldn't resist filling my boots with the T-Bone and Kate had the rib-eye, the bill came to less than 700 Rand or around 30GBP and that included a bottle of wine!

On Friday 3rd Feb we packed up and headed to the Eden Adventures office to rent a canoe. We paddled for 40 mins or so along the Kaaimans River with just the sounds of birdsong and the lapping of the ripples against the boat (plus whatever noise we made when we were paddling of course). We saw various birdlife, especially Kingfishers that could be quite loud when they wanted to be!

Canoeing along the Kaaimans River, Wilderness, South Africa

After this we beached the canoe at a small stony landing point and took a hiking trail to a waterfall, which also took about 40 minutes to get to. The trail was easy and the majority of it with a boardwalk and the shade from the trees provided a welcome relief from the hot African sun which was doing its best to cook us in the canoe. Once we reached the waterfall, there was a higher 'platform' up a relatively steep rockface that we climbed in order to get to the second tier of the waterfall with a more easily accessible swimming area. There were a few other tourists there picnicking and swimming and we jumped in, cooling down in these lush surroundings having exerted ourselves, probably for the first time on this trip!

Waterfall in Wilderness, South Africa

We hiked back to the canoe and on the paddle back to drop the canoe off at the Eden Adventures office we saw a Boomslang snake swimming across the river just in front of us! These snakes have quite potent venom, but we weren't too worried as he seemed to be trying his best to get out of our way. Again, we saw many birds such as the common guineafowl, kingfishers and ducks. It is definitely one of the highlights of the trip to date, and seeing this beautiful area, alive with wildlife from the peace and tranquility of a canoe was awe inspiring.

Guinea Fowl along the waterfall hiking trail, South Africa

We then drove to Knysna, or more specifically Thesen Island where we would be staying in self-catering accommodation. Good times, but going far too quickly for my liking!

Swellendam - Western Cape - South Africa

2017-02-02T16:10:00.000+00:00

On our departure day from Mosaic Private Sanctuary, we had arranged to meet up with 2 soon to be interns who would be joining us in China for their internship programmes with InternChina. This would be a lunchtime get together, so in the meantime we had the morning to explore a little more of the local area around Hermanus lagoon. At the other end of the gravel drive that takes you to the main road, there's a fishing trail called Walker Bay. After driving as far as we could in our little Kia Picante, we carried on on foot towards the coastline where the sea meets the lagoon (4X4 vehicles are able to negotiate the terrain).

Walker Bay, Hermanus, South Africa

It's a dusty road, surrounded by vegetation which stretches on for quite a way but after 45 minutes or so we reached the sand dunes that indicated the sea was just on the other side. Having scampered up the dunes we were rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view of the ocean and a beach which went on as far as we could see, with very few people knocking around. The beach was scattered with shells, mostly mussel shells, and a couple of Oyster Catchers flew by. It was really beautiful and would have been a great place to picnic, but we had other plans so made our way back to the car and headed into Stanford to meet Francois and Radus for lunch.

Walker Bay, Hermanus South Africa

The restaurant/bar was called Square One, and is owned by a friend of theirs. I ordered a burger which I ultimately could barely fit in my mouth and Kate ordered the pizza which was cooked perfectly and had a nice thin base, just as we like it! It was very popular with the locals and I could see why. The staff were friendly and the food was great. It was nice talking with Francois and Radus about all things South Africa and China, but after lunch we had to be on our way, albeit very full and satisfied!

Square One, Stanford, South Africa

A slight 30 minute detour meant we were able to briefly check out Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa which borders the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Rather than just being a tickbox exercise we were astounded by the dramatic beauty of the waves crashing against the needle shaped rocks and yet again, a beautiful scenery that traverses the route there.

Cape Agulhas, South Africa

From Hermanus it was a 2 and a half hour drive (+1 hour detour) or so to our location, Jan Harmsgat Country House. Located in Swellendam, which is the 3rd oldest town in the Republic of South Africa, albeit just off the N2 main road. We arrived to the whitewashed buildings and parked outside the reception area, the grounds were stunning and we passed their vineyard on the short driveway to the main property. Once you were on the grounds it felt miles away from the road and we were greeted by birdsong and later by two of the resident cats, who evidently were a little too lazy to catch those singing birds.

Greeted by local resident at Jan Harmsgat Country House

Saltwater pool at Jan Harmsgat Country House

Jan Harmsgat is a 5 star retreat and certainly a far cry from our more humble backpacking days that you can read about earlier in the blog (definitely not saying those days are gone however!). The room we were taken to was very luxurious and part of the original slave quarters although I'm not sure if they would have had a porcelain bathtub adjascent next to what was one of the biggest beds we've slept in. There was a fully stocked minibar for the cottage to use (there were four rooms in this cottage, 2 upstairs and 2 down) and a saltwater pool. It also produced its own delicious wines and had winetasting available in their delightful restaurant. Not only was the restraurant quality, it was great value and I have to give massive points for them not exploiting a captive market by overhiking the prices which they could have easily done. They would take our food orders in the afternoon and provide an awesome dining experience in the evening, using produce grown themselves.

Our room at Jan Harmsgat Country House

Great value fine dining at Jan Harmsgat Country House

Breakfasts were also a dream, with a cold buffet to start which included a range of cheeses, smoked salmon and muesli followed by (if there was still room) a hot breakfast from the menu. We used this time to enjoy the pool and do as little as possible. We bought a couple of bottles of their wine and olive oil and were delighted to see that they had even gone so far as to wash our car before we left, how about that for service? We bid farewell to the accommodating staff, gave the cats a tickle and then went on our way to our next destination that would be a small town called Wilderness.

Well it is our honeymoon... Jan Harmsgat

Hermanus & Stanford - Western Cape - South Africa

2017-01-30T16:21:00.001+00:00

On the recommendation of our South African friend Jan, we decided to take the scenic route around the coast from Gordon's Bay to Hermanus. The driving in the late afternoon was simply stunning with the sunlight hitting the hills and glittering off the waves. The main roads are of a good standard with plenty of spots to pull over along the way to stop and enjoy the scenery, and if in season, spot southern right whales. Whilst we didn't have the benefit of being in season, we had the pleasure of the great weather and fabulous views.

Taking a pit stop for a photo with our little Kia

Views along the R44 to Hermanus

En route we happened upon a sign simply saying 'Penguins', and although time was getting on a bit we decided to check it out and headed towards a place called Betty's Bay. After a fairly short detour, following the penguin signs we ended up in a gravel parking area and headed over towards a waddle of penguins relaxing in the evening sunshine. We were able to follow the route to get close to them and whilst you're not supposed to touch them, they don't seem inhibited by human presence. There were hundreds of penguins by the boardwalk and all along the coastline, as well as a fair amount of dassies.

African penguins at Betty's Bay

Our poor Kia Picante had to endure an 8km stony, potholed gravel road to negotiate in order to get to our destination, Mosaic Private Sanctuary, but when we finally arrived we were delighted to find out that we had been upgraded to a 9 person cottage named Duminy. It was far more than we could have ever imagined in the way of accommodation, beautifully designed to let in the light and with natural materials. Because we arrived after dark we didn't get the full spendour of the location being on the Hermanus Lagoon, and instead enjoyed the luxurious and spacious self-catering accommodation that had been arranged as part of our tour package by Kruz Africa.

Kitchen/living room in Duminy Cottage, Hermanus Lagoon

The next day however, after a rainy and stormy night we were able to witness Hermanus Lagoon in all its splendour. Our location was like being within a painting, one that adapted and shifted moods depending on the weather and time of day. There was nothing to hear but the light breeze and various birdsong. We could enjoy doing as much or as little as we wanted here after our busy time in Cape Town.

Patio view at Mosaic Private Sanctuary, Hermanus Lagoon

Duminy Cottage at Mosaic Private Sanctuary, Hermanus

For me, the most picturesque time was at dusk where the sun hung low in the sky and exaggerated the contours of the mountains and brought out the moody contrasts in colours. This is best exemplified in the excellent picture that Kate took that evening from the lagoon edge.

Hermanus Lagoon from Mosaic Private Sanctuary

On Friday 27th of January we decided to take the trip into the town of Hermanus where we could soak up the sights and whilst it wasn't whale watching season, you never know here as Hermanus is the place to be when it comes to land based whale watching. From Mosaic, it was around 30 minutes or so into town and we enjoyed pottering around, doing a little clothes shopping and visiting a charity shop to get a few CDs for the car. At the seafront we were joined yet again by those wonderful dassies. We enjoyed relaxing and looking out to sea with these critters close by.

Dassie on the rocks in Hermanus, South Africa

The dassies got even closer when a local man called them over, they seemed to recognise his voice and scampered up the cliffs to where he was standing, waiting with bread in hand. They were jumping all over him, even biting him which is why I was hesitant when he handed over some bread and suggested we starting feeding them too but to pay attention to make sure they all got a feed! I soon had dassies on my shoulders too, to the delight of this local gentleman.

Dassie in Hermanus, South Africa

Helping a local feed his dassies in Hermanus

We were recommended a restaurant by a South African friend of ours for an early dinner. It is called Bientang's Cave, it's wedged into the coastline at Hermanus and would be relatively difficult to stumble upon unless you knew of it. It's a great place to dine and whale watch when the season is right, but regardless of the whales it's a unique location and a great spot to enjoy the coastal views whilst tucking into some great cuisine and be on the receiving end of friendly and personal service.

Sharing seafood platter at Bientang's Cave, Hermanus

Kate enjoying her seafood and wine at Bientang's Cave

After dinner, we took the opportunity to do a shop for another braai, as the BBQ facilities at our self-catering cottage were tremendous. After the shop we played a little dominoes and went to bed eagerly anticipating our white shark cage dive the following day.

Surprisingly, we didn't need to be at the office/slipway of the company, White Shark Projects, until around 12.30. In the past we had typically been informed that the morning is the best time to see marine life. Tom, the biologist working for the company explained that it shouldn't matter and that sharks are relatively unpredictable creatures. It was great having a biologist to answer questions and explain the plight of great whites and how their numbers are unfortunately dwindling due to pressures imposed by the fin industry and clumsiness of commercial fishing methods.

After an important safety talk, we boarded the boat and made the 15 minute journey to the site. Whilst there ever a guarantee of seeing anything, we were excited as we had heard the group before us had seen 4 sharks, and the morning group 6! Not only that, but we were in the best possible location to view great whites, Gansbaai. When we arrived at the site, there were a couple of other boats anchored nearby, then we put on our wetsuits and one of the crew laid the bait as we waited... and waited and waited. It must have been for nearly an hour and a half and we were beginning to lose faith when suddenly one of the crew yelled 'shark' and we looked over to see the torpedo like body cruising just below the surface by the side of the boat. It was majestic, and whilst it wasn't there for very long we were so happy to have seen it. The next step was to get into the cage and wait for it to pass, the crew enticing it with the bait (although not letting it bite).

We were using the 'breath hold' method, i.e. without scuba gear. So with our masks, the 6 of us in the cage would take a breath when the crew mentioned there was something to see and put our heads towards the front of the cage as, hopefully, the shark made a pass close by. Into the cage we went as we waited... and waited... and waited. Eventually it looked like there was nothing to see, the other four got out of the cage but Kate and I decided to wait it out for as long as we could. It ultimately paid off as our shy, lone, shark made the briefest of passes quite close to the left hand side of the cage before disappearing into the depths. Whilst this had been a special moment for us, the crew were disappointed as it had been their worst shark-viewing experience in a long time and decided to compensate us with vouchers for another trip, which was a really nice touch.

That evening we fired up the braai and enjoyed our great value meat and wine for our last evening at Hermanus Lagoon.

Yes there are only two of us

Preparing the meat for the Braai

Kate arranging the drinks for dinner

Cape Town - Western Cape - South Africa

2017-01-30T11:50:00.000+00:00

We departed Stony Brook on Sunday 22nd Jan and headed back towards Cape Town where we would be staying at a 'Boutique Hotel' named Rouge on Rose in the Bo-Kaap area. After the hour-and-a-bit drive we parked streetside, our vehicle watched by car guards who patrolled the streets after dark.

Our Suite at Rouge on Rose in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

We were greeted at our hotel by Michel, one of the proprietors who helped us with getting our cases from the car and taking them upstairs, where he also personally delivered some bubbles on ice to celebrate our honeymoon. The suite was excellent, both comfortable and stylish, and all the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful.

Complimentary bubbles at Rouge on Rose

For our first evening we decided to check out the V&A (Victoria and Alfred) Waterfront. We decided to walk as it was only 20 minutes from the hotel but undoubtedly made the wrong choice, by taking the quickest route along the main roads and encountered quite a lot of hassle from the same folks who approach cars for money at intersections and red lights. We were followed a short while by one individual until it became clear that we weren't going to give any money, and whilst we never felt directly threatened it was a little uncomfortable. Needless to say we used Uber for most journeys following this (taking the hire car around the city and finding parking seemed disproportionately inconvenient compared to how cheap it was simply to arrange a car to take us from A to B).

Kate at the V&A Waterfront - Cape Town

Arriving at the Waterfront, the contrast couldn't have been more different. Luxury yachts scatter the marina and well-dressed holiday makers wander, chatting to one another past the exquisite selection of upmarket restaurants awaiting their custom. The area is busy, but not overbearing, and whilst you would do well to make a reservation to ensure you are able to dine at your restaurant of choice at a suitable time if you have constraints, as a couple without any real agenda we were able to find a table for two in a restaurant recommended to us by our tour operator Meldon, called Den Anker.

Sneak peak inside the kitchen at Den Anker

I couldn't believe the value when looking at the menu prices. Whilst it isn't incredibly cheaper than what we pay to eat out in China, for the food you're receiving and the setting you are in there is no denying that South Africa has an incredible quality to price ratio. For those coming from more expensive regions, if you were to compare it to the equivalent dining experience in the UK or elsewhere, then you'll be among the foodies weeping tears of joy whilst allowing yourself shamelessly to enjoy a starter, mains and desert. You'll find that there is very little need to compromise and soon be relaxing your vigilance in converting those South African Rand knowing full well that ordering that extra bottle of wine isn't going to hurt the pocket too much, nor is ordering exactly what you want from the menu. Of course, if you did want to spend that little more on the ultimate luxuries on offer, there are tasting menus comparable to the prices of back in the UK, but again they come in a little cheaper and tend to offer a lot more (including wine & tea matching among other things).

Evening at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

On January 23rd we had a arranged a helicopter tour as a honeymoon gift courtesy of some friends from home. The company it was arranged through was called Sports Helicopters and we opted for the blue route, or 'Two Oceans' tour. We took an Uber directly to the point of departure, although they do offer a shuttle service from the V&A Waterfront. We arrived early (just before 10.00am) as instructed for our scheduled 10.30 departure. It did feel a little rushed as the somewhat impatient, young staff were doing all they could to usher us onto the helicopter where the driver was already on the tar mac and seemingly waiting for us. It soon became clear we were going to be simply taking off as soon as possible rather than taking our time and after a short safety briefing we were being escorted to the helicopter and without a moments hesitation took off at 10.00am.

Paul and Kate after the ride

The rushed start was soon forgotten however, as we were up in the air in no time and soaking up the panoramic views over Cape Town and enjoying the information provided to us by our captain come tour guide. This being my first ever helicopter ride, Kate allowed me the privilege of the copilot position and the experience was unreal. As we coasted over the bays on this clear day it was undoubtedly the best way to experience the geography of Cape Town in all its glory. The half hour flew by and by the time we had completed our descent we were all the more appreciative and knowledgeable about the capital city that had recently become our place of residence for this short period of time.

Bird's eye view of Cape town from the helicopter

As it was still early and the helicopter company was able to take us to the Waterfront via their shuttle, we decided to shop around for a decent travel camera. We looked into possible options then opted to shop around, but soon realised that South African electronics don't represent great value for money. If only we hadn't been so busy prior to our departure to pick one up in China. We opted out of it and instead decided to pay a visit to a gun store which also hosted a firing range (as you do).

Fun with guns at 'Gun Fun', Cape Town

The range we found on 57 Haut Street had a gun shop, 'City Guns' above it, the range is from the company 'Gun Fun' where we went for the popular 'Shoot the Poacher, Save The Rhino' package. Unfortunately there weren't any AK47s available so we switched this for a .223 assault rifle and before firing this, had a chance to try out a Glock handgun on our own targets. It was great fun, and the guide helped us with a safety briefing as well as by assisting with loading and general safety on the range (basically making sure nobody pointed the guns anywhere else but down the range). Kate mainly shot her target in the balls which was slightly disconcerting. Afterwards we were able to keep our targets and we donated to the 'Save the Rhino' charity box they had in the facility.

Unloading a Glock at Gun Fun, Cape Town

That evening, we were lucky to get a table for two at Miller's Thumb restaurant without reservation (we arrived quite early), which is extremely highly rated for seafood. It ticks all the boxes of great hospitality, a great choice of specials when it comes to seafood and a various array of styles in which your dish can be prepared (i.e. Malay, piri piri etc). We also tried the local fish, kingklip, which I later found out was actually in the eel family. It was prepared very well but the texture is not that of a nice slightly oily, flaky fish which I tend to go for usually. Kate had 'bluenose' which was delicious and both dishes were cooked to perfection as you can see from the picture. Of course this was all washed down with a bottle of local wine!

Enjoying some fish at 'Miller's Thumb', Cape Town

On January 24th it was time for our long awaited Robben Island and full day table mountain tour. We weren't too sure what this would comprise of, but it turned our that we had a private guide/chauffeur for the day (thanks Kruz Africa!). Theo picked us up from our hotel in his BMW and took us to the dropoff point for the Robben Island ferry. There wasn't anything Theo didn't know about South Africa and Cape town and we delighted not just in his knowledge, but in his passion for history and what he did. We just chanced to be going to the island the same day as a 'Miss South Africa' photo shoot, damn shame.

Miss. South Africa candidates getting ready for a picture

After departing the ferry, we made a short walk to where we boarded a bus and the friendly guide, who was also very witty, was giving us clear and concise information about the various historic sites and landmarks as we went by. As we were passing a gun installation intended for the Nazi Germans during World War Two (which was subsequently never required), a turtle meandered past and we later saw a wild deer which was an unexpected delight. The tour was unexpectedly far from somber and whilst the topic in question was far from jovial, the guide had the ability to keep it engaging and frank without allowing it to become overbearing.

Robben Island Deer spotted from the bus

Following the coach journey around the island, we were dropped at the prison facility and introduced to Nthando, an 'ex-resident', a man who had actually been incarcerated in Robben Island as a political prisoner for around 6 years. In fact all of the tour guides of the prison had previously served time as inmates when it had been a 'correction facility'. His frank but unemotional accounts really brought the information to life, again it could have been a darker experience than it was, but his insistence on the importance of looking forward whilst not forgetting the past and emphasising his belief in the 'power' in the 'power to forgive' and not let the past continue to do damage was inspiring. I'll not go into much more detail as it's something everybody visiting Cape Town should experience for themselves, but it was a very worthwhile and informative experience and yes, we did see Nelson Mandela's cell!

Nthando and I

Nelson Mandela's Cell

This was our most overcast day in South Africa to date and as a result, on Theo's recommendation, we skipped the Table mountain part of our tour (since the cloud cover would obscure any view from the mountain) and instead opted to visit the Castle of Good Hope which was established by the Dutch, followed by a visit to the Botanical Gardens and a visit to a local prestigious vineyard called 'Groot Constantia'. The long awaited rain came down (South Africa had been experiencing a drought so this was in many ways a great thing) as we made our way through the castle. There were a fair few renovations going on, but we were still able to experience the area and Theo all the while was contributing bits and pieces of knowledge to put everything into context and bring it all to life. We didn't spend a great deal of time here considering we are from the UK (and Jersey) where there are castles a plenty, and much older ones at that! We made our way to the Botanical Gardens.

Inside the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town

The rain was still coming down, but it was time to grab a bite to eat so we left Theo and waiting out the rain with a good old chicken mayo sandwich. As luck would have it, it was clearing up by the time we had finished and we got to enjoy the splendour, scale and serenity of these impressive and lush gardens. I was very impressed, especially considering I'm not really down with horticulture and even just the name 'botanical gardens' has me innately looking for the nearest exit sign. They are amazingly well kept, and the variety of what's on offer is astounding. There is a 'Canopy Walkway' that is only a few years old from where you can get a great bird's eye view of a lot of the gardens. The indoor facility is nice, but a bit of an afterthought, but all in all it's a worthwhile visit.

The Botanical Gardens, Cape Town

Theo was on time to meet us as scheduled, from here we visited Groot Constantia for our 4th... I think, I'm losing count now... but certainly not our last, wine tasting session. This is the oldest vineyard in South Africa, with the estate being founded in 1685. Now it is obviously a successful commercial endeavour, with a substantial wine-tasting hall packed full of benches and discerning, and not so discerning customers. I took full opportunity to ignore the spittoon with benefit of our friendly guide showing us around, and having tried 5 generous portions of wine for 'tasting' (more or less what would pass as a a full glass of wine in some bars at home), Kate and I were feeling very jolly. The wine itself was of a great standard, and worthy of it's reputation as an estate at the forefront of wine production after all these years. If I was wealthy, there would have definitely been a few crates added to the container bound for China as would have been the case for every vineyard we had the pleasure of visiting to date.

Groot Constantia, Cape Town

On our way back to the hotel, Theo pointed out District 6, an area that was leveled during apartheid as it didn't comply with their policies of segregation. Theo's own family were displaced from here and there is still nothing occupying the land even today. It' s still a sensitive issue, and the time that has passed since apartheid is but a blip. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this is the case when exploiting the playground that is South Africa for the average tourists like ourselves, combined with the positivity exuded from the locals who freely discuss all there is to experience here and are rightly proud of everything their home has to offer. An honourable mention has to go to 'Nelson's Eye' Steakhouse where we spent dinner that evening. Amazing range of steaks, perfectly prepared in an unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere.

Fillet steak at Nelson's Eye, Cape Town

January 26th was our final full day in Cape Town, and we had a tour of Bo-Kaap scheduled which included a 'cooking safari' in this predominantly Muslim area. We had the brightly coloured houses, synonymous with Bo-Kaap on our doorstep, so we were eager to find out more about the history behind this. Our tour guide arrived around 15 minutes late, which was a little frustrating as was her inability to acknowledge this but we put it down to 'African timekeeping'. Shireen firstly took some time to explain the architecture of the area before taking us to the local shop, The 'Atlas Trading Company', to explain mainly the spices that we would be using later that day for our cooking experience. She was very knowledgeable and understandably so considering she was born in this very area and had seen it change over the years.

The brightly coloured houses in Bo-Kaap

The most interesting snippet of information I garnered from the wealth of history being provided, pertained to how the Cape Minstrels came about. Originally the slaves of the area's colonial landowners, they would have been forced to work new years day but would have been provided with a day off on the second of January during which they were free to celebrate in a manner of their choosing. They opted to sing about their life troubles, often this would relate directly to their masters and they would parody and joke about them to ease their woes. Now of course this would have attracted attention, notably so from the local children who would report back to their parents about the jest at their expense and punishment would ensue. As a result, they decided to paint their faces but being slaves, of course their wardrobes were modest and it would be possible to identify individuals from their clothing. So to combat this, they would sew patches of fabric onto their clothes and thus making it difficult, if not impossible to ascertain who was who to any degree of certainty leaving them free to mock and poke fun of whom they pleased. This tradition continues, and the Kaapse Klopse or Cape Minstel Carnival (originally dubbed the 'Coon Carnival' under apartheid) takes place on the 2nd of Jan, and the competitors can be seen performing their music in bright attire on Saturdays throughout the month.

Atlas Trading Co. Cape Town

After the spice shop we went to Faeeza's Home Kitchen (faeezashomekitchen@gmail.com). Faeeza was incredibly welcoming, we even had a local drink on arrival, and in a short time it felt just like being at home and part of her family. She explained to us what we would be cooking, a Cape-Malay style chicken curry along with samosas, curry bites and roti. She walked us through the various steps and the smells were simply incredible. She made the cooking seem straightforward and we were able to construct the various items ourselves. We were provided with a recipe book to take with us after and left with happy memories and full bellies.

Curry and Roti at Faeeza's Home Kitchen

Saying goodbye to Faeeza

For the final part of our tour, Shireen met us with us and after a nice cultural chat in Faeeza's kitchen about everything from the weather in various countries to the guy outside trying to wash her car for a few coins, we did the touristic thing of taking pictures around Bo-Kaap as she nodded to the other locals and gave sweets to some of the local children. It was much better seeing the area with a little more history to back it up, as it isn't especially big and without this it would have been nothing but a 10 minute tour. It's ultimately very picturesque and being just a short 5 minute walk from our hotel it was great to finally check out the neighbourhood.

Picturesque Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

On our final evening in Cape Town, we had heard via our hotel about a 3 person show, 'Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Queen's Diamond' that was taking place in Camp's Bay's 'Theatre on the Bay'. As we hadn't spent any time in this part of Cape Town, and our opportunities in China to see a production like this are few and far between, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat followed by the show.

I'd had a little time to check out the reviews before the performance, but even so I was still pleasantly surprised by the wit and talent that was on display. The energy from the performers was incredible, they were engaging throughout as they interacted between each other and occasionally the audience whenever there was an audible guffaw or even an awkwardly timed sneeze! Often requiring character changes in quick succession, and playing off the parodied inconvenience of this was a major highlight for me, with the actors 'deciding', via persuasion or inescapable logic (after all this is Sherlock Holmes) who would need to go offstage and return in a new role.

I'd highly recommend looking into what may be showing during your trip to South Africa, check out 'Pieter Toerien Productions' to find out more. After the show, like proper stalker fans we waited to congratulate the actors and ended up going for a drink together at nearby 'Dizzys', which is more like your typical non-pretentious pub and a good option if you're looking to enjoy Camps Bay without the premium price tag. It's also good for sports and were showing live football whilst we were there.

A picture with the writer, and one of the cast Robert Fridjhon

On our final morning in Cape Town we decided to try for Table Mountain again, luckily the weather was looking absolutely glorious. We queued for at least an hour and a half for the cable car up the mountain, but it was a nice day and the views whilst you are waiting are stunning, the highlight of the wait was hearing the 'noon gun' cannon being fired.

Queue at Table Mountain, Cape Town

Table Mountain Cable Car, Cape Town

Finally we were shuffling into the cable car, in which the floor rotates 360 degrees to help everybody get a chance to enjoy the ascent. It's quite a quick ride and we were soon stepping onto the top of Table Mountain. I must admit, I was floating the option of turning straight around when we first saw the queue but when we were up there it was well worth the wait.

View from Table Mountain, Cape Town

The views for one are stunning, and being in the open air is a different experience from when we had the chance to see cape town from the heavens in our helicopter ride. The walking trails are quite vast and there is even a fair amount of wildlife to see, especially lizards, birds and dassies. No, I wasn't sure what a dassie was before either, but their proper name is 'Hyrax' and they're pretty cute.

Hyrax or 'Dassie' on Table Mountain, Cape Town

Franschhoek - Western Cape - South Africa

2017-01-21T15:45:00.000+00:00

We booked our 21 day itinerary with a small but great value company called Kruz Africa after a personal recommendation from a South African friend of ours. Whilst we booked the flights in good time (South African Airlines) from Hong Kong, we had admittedly left it a touch late to book accommodation and activities for the season we would be travelling in, that is mid-January to Feb. We shopped around and had some great offers but ultimately, we felt Kruz offered the best package for the places we were staying.

Having booked insurance with World Nomads which offered the level of cover we were looking for with great rates, we flew into Johannesberg O.R. Tambo international airport, and then took an immediate transfer to Cape Town. Before we transferred, Meldon from Kruz met us at O.R. Tambo and presented us with some champagne for our honeymoon which was an awesome touch. We had a little time for a coffee and a chat and it was great to meet him having had a few conversations over the phone.

Internal flights were booked with a well known flight, hotel and car hire service in South Africa called Kulula, with whom we had also prebooked our hire car. Internal flights and hire car rental was very cheap, although we had to pay the equivalent of around 700GBP deposit on the car upon arrival. To rent the car with super waiver cover and tire and windshield cover cost around 250GBP. Internal flights from Johannesburg to Cape town and returning from Port Elisabeth to Johannesburg was around 120GBP per head with British Airways.

Driving to Franschhoek

We picked up the car in Cape Town and I was a little anxious about driving having read about the dangerous drivers and poor road conditions, however I was more or less pleasantly surprised by the driving here (compared to China it seems relatively safe). One thing that was a bit unnerving are the roadside sellers you encounter at junctions who will come up to the car. We rented a Kia, just a basic city car which represented the best value, and whilst it’s a 4-door (5-door?) we didn’t have enough room to enclose our suitcases in the boot, so the back seats were down with the cases for all who got close to see. This makes it obvious we are tourists and trying to brush away sketchy-looking hawkers on either side whilst judging oncoming traffic at busy intersections can be uncomfortable to say the least.

Our first stop was a 3-night stay in the area of Franschhoek in South Africa’s Western Cape. The area is famous for it’s wines and Dutch architecture. It’s about 80 kilometers from Cape town so took just over an hour to get there from the airport. It was originally settled in 1688 by French Huguenot refugees. Originally named Olifantshoek (elephants corner) because before lands were drained for vineyards and other cultivation, elephants would cross into the valley to calve. Unfortunately they are long gone, but as a result of the boom in wine growing it’s now a mature, upmarket destination with the feeling of a resortesque-playground for wine-loving retirees and those who enjoy the quiet life.

Dutch Reformed Church, Franschhoek

We stayed at the outskirts of town in a welcoming and rural vineyard called Stony Brook. The hosts greeted us upon arrival and we felt at home right from the outset. We were quite tired and smelly after our travel, so we freshened up before deciding to checkout the town. There are some options where you could probably get by without the car here, but Stony Brook isn’t one of them. However, it feels great to be off the beaten track and having your privacy in self-catering cottages. The area feels secure and the staff, including the workers, are friendly and will give you a smile and a wave if they happen to pass by.

View from our cottage at Stony Brook

On recommendation of Joy, one of the owners, we picked up a bottle of dry white wine named ‘The J’ to enjoy later that evening, then made the short 10 minute drive into town to find somewhere to eat. On Joy’s recommendation we dined at Café Des Arts, just off the main in a nice courtyard area next to Stellenbosch Library. The food was very reasonably priced, and had a cool and friendly atmosphere. The member of staff was very engaged and politely recommended the pork belly and lamb’s liver. Having never tried lamb’s liver we tried it and weren’t dissapointed. The pork belly was also slow cooked to perfection, the sauce was perhaps a little too sweet but altogether a very nice low-fuss meal.

Amazing staff at Cafe des Arts

We did a shop for the following day’s breakfast, picking up everything we needed for a full English from Woolworth's supermarket (living in China going around here was wonderful, a lot like Marks and Spencer back at home with prices to match). The bed in the cottage was very comfortable and we slept extremely well!

Inside the cottage at Stony Brook

The following day was our first full day in South Africa, after a slow breakfast we headed to one of the most reputable vineyards in the region, La Motte, to have a quick look around and enjoy the 2-3 hour hike on offer around the grounds. La Motte is impressive to say the least. There were vacationers lazing around the sizeable and pristine kept gardens and patio areas sipping on wine, chatting and romancing with their significant others. The staff were very polite and friendly, and unpretentious considering that this is definitely a destination for those who enjoy the finer things in life or want to impress.

The pristine entrance to La Motte Vineyard

We mentioned that we wanted to do the hike at reception, to which we were told to head up to the restaurant to book and pay. It was inexpensive at around 50ZAR per head (about 3GP at time of writing… Brexit) and included an essential bottle of water (we also brought some with us). After a quick cursory check on our footwear, we were led to the start of the trail. We were quite excited about the potential to see a wide range of birds, reptiles and even mammals like baboons, however setting off at 2pm is far from an idea time to see these things!

The hiking trail at La Motte

The trail initially takes you through the La Motte vineyards then up through a path resulting in some amazing views of Franschhoek. It’s not easy in the sun, and there are some steep parts where you do have to be conscious of your footing but all in all anyone who hikes fairly frequently won’t have any issues. We didn’t come across anything spectacular on the animal side of things, however we did see a few lizards and enjoyed some great views.

Lizard spotted on La Motte hiking trail

Following this we picked up some La Motte Wine and did another shop to take back to the cottage, this time in the more budget-friendly ‘Pick and Pack’ supermarket which had a lot more cosmopolitan feel, with locals of all races adding modestly priced items into their shopping carts. We were specifically shopping for items for our first Braai (South African term for BBQ), and couldn’t believe how inexpensive the meet was here. For example, our two T-Bone steaks came to a little over 40ZAR, which is under 2.50GBP even with Brexit! In addition we bought some sausage, burgers, salad and seasoning to enjoy later. That evening we fired up the BBQ and enjoyed both bottles of wine from La Motte and went to bed giddy with very full tummies.

Our first Braai attempt!

On our final full day in Franschhoek we were planning on embarking on the Wine Tram, however, we hadn’t yet done the complimentary wine tasking (when you book accommodation) here at Stony Brook. Morning wine-tasting was a first for us, as we sampled our way through the list with expert guidance from Joy along with some very interesting and frank insight into the running of the vineyard and the ups and downs that go along with it. It was so interesting to hear the stories alongside the information about the wine and we had a great chat whilst finding out more about the region and wine business as a whole. Even though there’s a relaxed approach to drink-driving, I was conscious of being in a good state of mind so used the spittoon for the first time in my life!

Wine tasting at Stony Brook Vineyards

We made the decision to opt out of the famous Wine-Tram, for better or worse, and instead make the trip to another vineyard ourselves, this time to one called La Bri, in particular to try their wine and ‘biltong’ (South African dried, cured meat) pairings. The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly and the experience cost just 60ZAR (3.50GBP). Whilst I didn’t feel as though biltong is naturally a great item to pair with wine (can’t beat cheese or chocolate), it was novel and we tried ostrich biltong for the first time. The wine was also great and we took a couple of the bottles of Syrah (more or less a Shiraz) to enjoy with us later on our trip.

Kate enjoying Biltong Pairings at La Bri Vineyard

A closer look at the biltong pairings at La Bri Vineyard

After a failed attempt to eat at the amazing-looking Le Bon Vivant restaurant (their kitchen closed at 2pm and we arrived too late), we had a late lunch in the street-side ‘Dutch East’ restaurant with some oysters, and two decent portions of French and curry style mussels washed down with a little bit of Sauvignon Blanc. I didn’t miss the backpacking days right now!

Mussels at The Dutch East restaurant

A very honourable mention must go to towards the excellent coffee we had at The HOEK espresso bar. It was without a doubt one of the best coffees I’ve ever had. Good coffee is getting more pretentious, but this was a fine example of an understated establishment which really knows what they’re doing. They also sell some snacks and the ‘small batch’ ice cream is highly recommended.

The Hoek Espresso Bar from the outside

Flat white with an ice cream at The Hoek Espresso Bar

Having had some really nice R&R we decided to enjoy some of the cheese and wine we had gathered on our travels back at the cottage and enjoy an evening of tranquility before heading back towards the hustle and bustle of Cape Town where we would be doing some great activities such as a Peninsular helicopter tour, Table Mountain and Robben Island Tour and Cape Malay ‘Cooking Safari’ in the renowned Bo-Kaap district.

Xiamen, Fujian - China

2016-07-22T10:11:00.000+01:00

Xiamen, like Zhuhai where I reside, is rated as one of China's 'Most livable cities'. Just across the water from Taiwan, it is a port town with a colourful history of trade and wars. Perhaps, as a result of its proximity to Taiwan, Xiamen seems to be a tricky place for a large group to travel. The first hostel we organised was initially quite open to a group of 12 foreigners rocking up, however they soon U-turned and we were left with a cheap but pleasant enough AirBnB option.

It was quite a drive from Zhuhai, around 18 hours on the way out and 10 hours on the way back in a fairly cramped minimum owing to the combination of having the most cautious driver in China and traffic. The company was good and it didn't seem as long as it was.

On the bus to Xiamen

The first bizarre occurrence was finding out that we couldn't just traipse into the hostel together. Instead we had to be lead in groups of 4 and go different routes. Apparently there are rules about larger groups of foreigners staying in the same place.

Nan Putuo Temple
The first day we rather sleepily visited one of the famous temples close to the campus of Xiamen University. Now anyone who's visited Asia has probably seen a lot of temples, even so, this one was rather impressive. There was plenty to see and some great views and open spaces. This Buddhist sanctuary from the Tang dynasty was a nice soft visit having been up most of the night on a cramped minibus.

Nan Putuo Temple - Xiamen

That evening we visited a brewpub wonderfully name 'Fat Fat Beer Horse'. They had a great range of craft beers and there are some nice nighttime views from the terrace.

Fat Fat Beer Horse Brewpub - Xiamen

Tulou Time
The following day we went to visit some of the famous Fujian 'Tulou', fortified and enclosed circular buildings unique to the Hakka ethnicity. Now we visited a fair few of them, and I'm guilty of not being able to remember all of the names but some were 'authentic' in that there were very few tourists or stalls, and were more or less Hakka families going about their business in their communities. They are wonderful structures and supposedly very resilient to natural disasters and attacks.

Tulou - Xiamen

The most famous residences we visited was the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, about 4 hours drive out of Xiamen town. The hiking and views were very impressive, there are amble opportunities to enjoy the countryside and take some scenic photos. Inside the cluster itself it is a little touristy with lots of visitors, shops and inevitably... noise. Even so, just to see the structure of these places is very impressive. You are free to walk around and the locals seem happy to relax and watch TV or play computer games whilst tourists swarm around their homes! There is a real sense of community here, there are no haves and have nots, the rooms are more or less the same and responsibilities in the community are allegedly shared. Took the following information from Wikipedia:

"All rooms were built the same size with the same grade of material, same exterior decoration, same style of windows and doors, and there was no "penthouse' for "higher echelons": a small family owned a vertical set from ground floor to "penthouse" floor, while a larger family would own two or three vertical sets.

Tulous were usually occupied by one large family clan of several generations: some larger tulou had more than one family clan. Besides the building itself, many facilities such as water wells, ceremonial hall, bathrooms, wash rooms, and weaponry were shared property. Even the surrounding land and farmland, fruit trees etc. were shared." Sounds idyllic.

Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster - Xiamen

Excellent views around Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster - Xiamen

We visited the 5 story tulou called Yuchangluo which has unusual 'zigzag' structure owing to measurement errors during contruction but has still stood strong for over 700 years. There is a beautiful ancestral hall in the middle of the tulou.

Yuchangluo - Xiamen

There are plenty more tulou, but in terms of a place to stay if you want to relax and soak up the ambiance of the countryside whilst being close to these natural museums I recommend this place on the left in the picture below.

The Hotel of Qingde

It apparently has a few names but on the card I got it says 'The Hotel of Qingde'. You're living in an historic building in the countryside that dates back to 1743. Since visiting, I found this fella who blogged about it in detail he loved it so much. Definitely my first port of call next time I visit Xiamen. He includes detailed information about the rooms and contact information/address etc.

Gulangyu Islet
On our final day of the trip we made the much anticipated trip to Gulangyu Islet. Firstly, could the information about the ferries be more unnecessarily complicated and unclear? I was trawling for recent information about from which port to depart as allegedly foreigners aren't allowed from some, and others only operate at certain times. China at its worst. Well let's cut the BS, foreigners need to take the ferry from Dongdu Port near Zhongshan road to Sanquitian Port on the islet itself. You will need your passport and it can be difficult to book in advance, but it's possible, one Chinese ID can book up to 5 tickets and tickets can sell out quite far in advance so it's advised wherever possible.

Gulangyu - Xiamen

Koxingga - Gulangyu - Xiamen

If you check out the reviews on TripAdvisor or other travel communities they are so mixed. There is talk from people who were there 10 years ago and how much its changed for the worse. There is talk about overpriced touristy tat and hassle wherever you go and pricewalls wherever you go. But there is also talk about the beautiful architecture, the relaxed vibe and the great street food. I guess all are true to some extent. The island was quite busy when we visited, some parts were more crowded than others but all in all it wasn't unpleasant. There are plenty of places to explore but as most will tell you, you do need to do a lot of walking if you want to make the most of the place.

Beautiful scenery near the Piano Museum - Gulangyu - Xiamen

Rocking the IC shirt Gulangyu - Xiamen

It's a popular destination for couples wanting to take wedding photos. We saw many small groups tucked down alleyways or up against colonial restaurants snapping away in snazzy clothing. It's a great place to get a bit lost to be honest. You can eat your way around, do a bit of a hike or relax on the beach. There's a lot to see and you can take it at your own pace. The heat was almost unbearable when we visited in June, so it seemed to make sense to see a few things before seeking some shade and repeating this process. It's a little pricey, but no more than you would expect from a popular little island with all this history, and there is plenty of competition when it comes to shops and restaurants to stop it from being too ridiculous. There is always a McDonalds for the none too adventurous// penny pinchers. All in all well worth a visit.

Impressive piano, Gulangyu - Xiamen

Street food - Gulangyu - Xiamen

Are you a student or recent graduate thinking about coming to China or boosting your CV and employment prospects? Come for an internship with InternChina and you will never regret it.

Yangshuo, Guangxi - China

2016-07-14T10:59:00.000+01:00

I've recently returned from my fifth trip to Yangshuo and the Li River in Guangxi province. I thought I should blog about it! In the past I've taken overnight buses from Zhuhai, but these are now out of favour it seems. The the most cost effective options from Zhuhai are by train (from Gongbei Train Station to Guangzhou, about 70 mins, and from Guangzhou to Gulin, approx 3 hours) or bus to Guilin from slightly obscure Shangchong station in Zhuhai which takes about 8 hours.

By far, the best ways to experience the Yangshuo are via bicycle or motorbike. These can be hired from most hostels. Even if you're not the most confident rider, it's quite easy to navigate the Yangshuo area where sights to see are spread over a vast area.

If you're short of time, it's not a bad idea to join the dreaded tour group. You'll follow that flag around town, possibly be forced to wear a cap and there's a good chance you'll be berated in never-ending, nasal rhetoric from your tour guide on the microphone whilst bussing from place to place. But on the bright side you don't have to worry about getting around and can choose the itinerary before you depart. Tours are often able to save you money as they get the 'real' price or special deals on attractions. So not only do you have the added convenience of not having to find out where to go you could also avoid getting ripped off in what is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.

Popular places on tours include the following:

Silver Cave - I've been to a few caves in the Yangshuo and this is probably the most impressive. Well illuminated (although someone once said it reminded them of lighting in a cocktail bar), and quite extensive. They are definitely worth a visit if on part of a tour and especially if you have a soft spot for caves.

Butterfly Spring - Definitely has a tourist trap feel about the place. Very nice scenery (but where isn't there nice scenery around Yangshuo), crossing the bridge is quite nice, there is a random ass slide, a culture show which goes down a storm will locals and of course a cave. Don't get too upset if you miss out.

Water Caves (Mud Caves) - Quite good fun on a rainy day, especially if you are feeling like getting covered in mud and like caves. In fact if you like caves Yangshuo is looking like a great choice.

Li River Rafting/Cruising - I've done both, and both are great opportunities to get some excellent shots. However, neither feels like the true natural experience of enjoying the scenery and peace and quiet. For one, the 'rafting' often involves a motorised bamboo raft, which can be incredibly noisy. Instead I recommend the bamboo 'drifting' on the Yulong River. The cruise isn't too bad though, a bit touristy but a good way to get on the river comfortably. The latest thing is to have your picture taken with cormorant birds which were traditionally used for fishing. If you are going to do this, I recommend doing it from Xingping old town where you can spot the scenery on the 20RMB note. There is a nice pagoda on top of a hill which is worth hiking up for the views before you can grab a beer, haggle your fee and enjoy cruising into Yangshuo town.

Yulong River Drifting - This is one of my favourite things to do in Yangshou. If you get a good driver (captain?) he will punt you along with his wooden stick and not hassle you too much to get your picture taken at one of the floating stands. If in a tour group you'll undoubtedly not be alone but if you get off the beaten track you can probably find someone to take you down the river for a good price. This is much more peaceful than the rafting/cruise and great if you have good weather. Next time I would like to kayak which would be even better!

Can be a little touristy during peak season

Moon Hill - Some very nice spots for a photo - taxis often won't be able to drive all the way to the base in but it's worth a visit especially on a clear day and only 20CNY entry. The views are excellent from the top and it's actually not such a difficult hike, depending on the time of year and the heat/humidity. My special tip? When you get to the 'top' there is a 'no entry' sign which one might choose to ignore to follow the more rugged path to reach the top of the hill where the views are simply breathtaking. Be a little careful up there especially on a windy day. There are old ladies under the arch of moon hill selling slightly warm beer and trinkets, one of the ladies may ask you to see her 'guest book' of tourists who've written messages of which she is very proud.

If my 70 year old parents can do it so can you!

View from the VERY TOP of Moon hill

Nice viewpoint on route to the Moon Hill

Big Banyan Tree - a nice place to spend half an hour but not the end of the world if you miss it. There is a place here which rents traditional clothes for 10RMB which is fun if you're in a group to get some good shots with some good backdrops. Be careful as you'll probably find yourself getting your picture snapped by local tourists too!

Longjin Drifting - If you are looking for something a little less cultural and more exciting, you can definitely consider Longjin Drifting. This is a great activity in all weather and it actually lasts for quite a long time! You pair up in dingys and the water will channel you down the course. The route feels safe and there are staff dotted along to help you if you get stuck.

Xingping Old Town - Whilst the town is touristy in the most part, there are some nice old buildings to see. It's quite nice to haggle for a boat and make your way back to town from here. This is also home to the view captured on the back of the 20RMB note (tick that box, post it on social media). I recommend climbing up to Bird's View Pavilion on Karst Peak which although a bit steep in parts (there is a ladder at one point), it is worth it for the breathtaking views on a clear day.

Other places that are well worth seeing in Yangshuo are:

Dreamlike Lijiang Theatre (梦幻漓江) - Often not included on tours owing to its higher price tag. But picture a beautiful lake as a stage and the mountains of the Yangshuo as the stunning backdrop. Combined with a professionally produced, artistic and varied open-air performance from the hundreds of dancers and actors I would go so far as to say this is unmissable spectacle in a unique setting. Book via your hotel/hosted with transfer as it will often sell out especially during holidays and weekends.

West Street - This is THE place the go out to drink and party after a day of culture. In the peak seasons it's absolutely crammed full of Chinese tourists and in the low season it's dead and depressing. There are lots of bars, clubs and places to eat and things to buy. Tuc Tuc drivers wait around in the early hours to take tourists back to their hotel or hostel.

West Street - Yangshuo

Stone Village - Yangshuo Putao (Shitoucheng) - One gem my friend Jesse and i came across when biking around was this place. It's on the tourist map, along with many other things, but you won't hear many people talking about it. If you like exploring and history, this is like one big climbable exhibit from the Qing Dynasty. You can go in the stone houses and you may need to ask a local or two in order to get there.

LaoZhai Shan - This is a good, steep hike close to where the viewpoint for the 20CNY note with excellent viewpoints but it is a bit tough and I'd hold back on a very wet day as the steps can get slippy. It's quite uneven thus making it difficult to decent in such conditions. At one point there is a ladder, but it's great for the more adventurous and those in good physical health!

Viewpoint from top of LaoZhai Shan

The ladder climb at Lao Zhai Shan

Cycling/motorbiking - This is probably the best thing to do in Yangshuo. If you can bring yourself to avoid the tourist traps and couldn't care less for commercialised caves and rivers just hop on a bike and explore. Many hotels/hostels rent these out and whilst you can explore much further on a motorbike, you can't beat a bicycle on a stunning day if you just wanna chill.

Ultimately the area is so spread out that there are many beautiful places to be discovered, the above is for those who are looking to find the attractions that are readily available and easy to access. Outside of the peak season you wouldn't need to book in advance, unless you want to stay at one of the renowned hostels or hotels, and you could rent bikes and see where you end up. In the peak season however things can get busy and even though there are hundreds of hotels and counting, you may struggle to find anywhere decent. Remember that this is a touristic area and unlike other parts of China, you might get treated like a walking dollar sign. It is always a good idea to haggle and watch your possessions. Otherwise just enjoy chatting to visitors from all over China and soak up what the beautiful scenery has to offer.

Thinking of coming to China for an internship?

Zhuhai - Guangdong - China

2015-08-28T08:59:00.000+01:00

Although I have now been living in Zhuhai for almost four years (where does the time go?) it came to my attention that I was yet to blog at all about this awesome city that has snuck up on me and become my home...If looking for travel information and what to bring/prepare, scroll towards the end of this post.

The Fishergirl - Symbol of Zhuhai

Kate and I decided to give China and more specifically Zhuhai a try after agreeing that we still wanted more of an adventure after a year of travel. We had heard good things about Zhuhai from a friend Yanis who we met whilst travelling in South America, notably the climate and general lifestyle. His friends are now our friends :o)

Fond memories with Yanis in Peru

Teaching English or an Internship?
The easiest way to attain a paid job in China legally is undoubtedly by teaching English. Securing a working visa through a school/university is the most surefire way to ensure that you can coast into China and start earning a wage that is relatively impressive. The main prerequisites for a good teaching job and Z (working) visa are a degree and TEFL (TESOL) certificate. The most cost and time-friendly means of acquiring this certificate is by doing an online course. This is a 100 hour course following which you can complete the examination from the comfort of your computer chair. The material is not as straightforward as you might think, but there is a lot of useful information and I fully recommend you complete all materials as it will stand you in good stead for when you arrive in China. Of course, there is no substitute for the real thing and your first class is when you really begin learning!

Teacher Paul

Another option for undergraduates and recent graduates would be to do an internship through a 3rd party internship programme provider such as the company I currently work for, InternChina, These present really exciting opportunities to get practical experience whilst adding an impressive notch onto your CV. On the downside, all internships are unpaid by Chinese law, but students will spend thousands on their university education, an internship is a comparatively extremely cheap investment and will offer an amazing cultural experience whilst setting down some good foundations for a future career.

InternChina Interns visit the Li River in Yangshou, Guilin

Zhuhai - The People
So what can you expect from Zhuhai? I can't actually remember what I expected when I set foot on the plane to come here. I definitely expected China in general to have a much more oppressive, communist and totalitarian vibe. Nothing could be further from the truth. For one, having seen quite a lot of the world there is nowhere I have felt generally safer. The people are welcoming and never once have I felt threatened. Although not unheard of, violent crime is a none-consideration. Whilst opportunistic theft does occur if you are careful you will not have any problems. I don't lose sleep if my girlfriend is coming home later without me as if anything, local guys are a little intimidated by western woman and are quite shy compared with us westerners when it comes to propositioning.

Unlike the bigger cities, 'foreigners' (which refers to any non-native Chinese) are not in abundance. You may find some people taking pictures of you (some will ask and some will snap away), some will try speaking to you in English (some will say hello for a giggle others want to converse). Either way, you're going to get attention. If you're no Quasimodo people will outright call you handsome or beautiful upon first meeting you. This is something I find hard to get tired of although it's important to keep your feet on the ground with compliments in such abundance! Some say there is a 'times ten' rule out in China, in that however attractive you are in your home country you can multiply that by ten when you're on the ground in China. Watch that head of yours, you may be dragging it along the ground behind you or need to pop it with a pin if you're not careful!

X10 Rule in action

Taking a picture of the picture taker taking a picture in Shenzhen

The general public don't speak English and this is perhaps the biggest challenge when first arriving in Zhuhai. I see it as the price you pay for visiting somewhere that has so much culture to offer those who are willing to gamble on residing outside of the 'security' of the big cities, but trust me you get a lot more back as a result. Learning mandarin is an ongoing process but far from impossible. In Guangdong province you may also consider learning Cantonese but personally, mandarin is enough for now!

Whilst more foreigners are arriving every year, a foreign friend is still in high demand and people will try to add you onto WeChat (Asia's Whatsapp) and invite you to teach each other your respective languages or even meet their family over dinner. Even after three years I cannot get over just how nice people are and how welcoming they can be towards us 'foreigners'. If you aren't the life and soul of a party at home, this doesn't matter either as qualities such as humility and respect go very far here and people will approach you, a stranger's just a friend you haven't met after all.

Zhuhai - Environment and Location
Zhuhai has won awards for its environment. There is plenty of greenery and a fair amount of parks to choose from when the weather is nice as it often is. There are definitely more beautiful places in the world and there are plenty of cars, but everyone I have spoken to who has lived elsewhere in China has said that it's the nicest environment they have experienced out of any Chinese town or city they have been to before. Motorbikes and even electric bikes are not allowed in the main town which gives you an idea of the efforts the government is going to to ensure that Zhuhai retains its reputation as a great location and a worthy place for Chinese nationals to visit during their holidays. Even though Zhuhai can boast this pleasant environment, it is also conveniently located to many factory towns which is great for anyone considering the export business or a role in international trade. I worked in this industry after teaching and travelled to most of these towns but I was always glad to come home to Zhuhai. Check out this video to see how unlike what you may think, Zhuhai is not the concrete jungle most expect from cities in China.

Bai Lian Dong Park - Jida

The 'sliding car' track at JingShan Park

Zhuhai has its own airport of JinWan which is just an hour or so from Zhuhai town proper, albeit more relevant for domestic flights rather than international for which you have Hong Kong and Macau. Zhuhai is within reach of hundreds of islands although in reality there are only a handful that are truly accessible and worth visiting. Unlike in Zhuhai, you can swim in the sea when you visit these islands and each has its own flavour and makes for a nice weekend trip if living here.

Fisherman on Ye Li Island

Just a little over an hour on the boat and you can find yourself in the commercial hub of Hong Kong. There are even ferries directly from Hong Kong airport to Zhuhai and vice versa. You can buy all your branded goods, enjoy fine dining and even do a shop in Marks and Spencer. I've been over countless times to enjoy the familiarity of the Western culture whilst still offering a large amount of its own personality. You can spend your time in Wan Chai in a British pub knocking down pints and watching the football with fellow Brits and never know you were in Asia if you so choose.

Even more accessible is the Las Vegas of Asia and ex-Portuguese colony of Macau. It's possible to walk across the border to Macau from Zhuhai and be among the glitz and glamour of some of the world's finest casinos and restaurants. Macau is a city that grows on me even more each time I visit and for such a small place there are many treasures to be discovered. For Macau and Hong Kong you need to be careful however, as visiting these places counts as an 'exit' from China in your visa and you'll need to make sure you have enough entries in order to get back into mainland China! You can always fly in or out of Hong Kong/ Macau before or after your visit to China as they both conveniently have international airports.

Senado Square in Macau

Another thing well worth noting is that you have amazing countries of South East Asia on your doorstep. It's easy, quick and cheap to fly to Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia etc, The hardest decision is choosing where to go whenever there is an opportunity for a vacation.

Zhuhai - The Food
If I had to choose one thing I would miss if/when I leave China, it would probably be the food. Eating out is cheap and convenient and I'm still discovering new dishes. There are an abundance of styles of cooking unique to various Chinese provinces, each more delicious than the last. If you're a foody and especially if you are open minded to trying new things you will be in your element!

Almost every meal is a social occasion

A particular benefit of being in Zhuhai or Guangdong province is the 'morning tea' or 'dimsum' style of cooking native to this province. Beautiful pork filled steamed buns, soup dumplings, durian fritters, delicious porridge etc is in abundance. Even so, you can eat in any style from menus with countless more variety on offer when compared to your bog standard Chinese takeaway back home.

Kate enjoying some Dim Sum

Mealtimes are a social experience with communal dishes presented on a rotating disk in the middle of the table (we know this as a 'lazy Susan' back in the UK), giving you the opportunity to try a bit of anything. Meals tend not to be as sophisticated as back in the West and dishes come out as they are ready and hungry chopsticks dive in often as soon as the china plate hits the table. Restaurants are lively and full of energy although you may have to get over the sound of someone slurping their noodles or someone casually lighting up a cigarette next to you after their meal.

I look forward to eating with zeal at every single mealtime here and I hope that I can someday learn to cook as they do here.

Zhuhai - Lifestyle and Attractions
Zhuhai doesn't have any real heavy-hitting attractions when you compare with the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army in XiAn. Those living here often agree that the best things to do here involve making the most of the lifestyle. Although an industrious place filled with interesting and entrepreneurial people, it doesn't have the awkwardness and pace of the big cities. Millionaires will sip on coffee or a beer whilst working their way through emails and then do some networking in one of the many new 5-star hotels. It's possible to cycle or take a pleasant stroll along Lover's Road and meet the Fishergirl, she is the symbol of Zhuhai after all.

Meetings don't have to be boring

At a local waterfall

Relaxing in HaiBin Park - Jida

Local Temple

Jida Beach

Beishan old town

Something I love about Zhuhai is that because you can afford to eat out every night and have somebody help you clean your house for a relatively cheap price, you can spend more time pursuing your hobbies! Personally this involves music, football and writing. Of course some people enjoy spending this free time in the bars which I can't say I am immune to either!

Gigging at a local expat bar - The London Lounge Jida

Zhuhai has its own high speed railway station and it's possible to get to Guangzhou South in around 70 minuntes. From Guangzhou it is possible to take the fast train to almost any major city in China, even to Lhasa in Tibet. From Guagnzhou it's possible to travel by train to Shanghai in around seven hours! Insider TV produce a very professional and watchable video to show off Zhuhai's assets, a must watch if you're thinking of coming here.

What to Prepare, Money and what to Bring?
When my parents came to visit, jammed into their suitcase was an 8 pack of toilet roll. I can't quite imagine how they envisaged I had been living but it was ultimately unnecessary. Guess what people, you can buy toilet paper in China! Unless you're deep in the countryside, the middle of the Mongolian plains or Gobi Desert you'll probably have good enough access to most essentials! Before thinking about what to put in your suitcase here are a few things you may wish to consider:

Unlocking your phone, to be able to be used in China with a local SIM card.
Purchasing a VPN (accessing certain websites in China: Facebook, YouTube, blogs etc...)
Arranging accessible money for your time in China (prepaid currency cards are the way to go).
Booking the correct type of insurance.
Download the following apps: WeChat (Chinese WhatsApp), Baidu maps, Pleco (Eng-Chin dictionary)
Look through InternChina's FAQ’s especially relating to budgeting

One of the most important things to consider prior to leaving your own country is to make sure that you have the appropriate visa. Giving advice on this is difficult as the visa you will need to apply for depends on your intentions for your trip to China (holiday, work, business, study etc). It also depends on things such as your nationality and where you apply from (are you a Latvian applying from the UK for example). There are various agencies online and with offices all around the world. There are Chinese embassies in most countries. The best thing to do is speak to somebody who has done it before and go with a recommendation. There are plenty of grey areas with visas and that doesn't look like it will change any time soon. Generally speaking, for anything other than a working visa you are better off applying for a single entry for a greater chance of success. There are of course exceptions to that rule, USA citizens for example who have it easier at present, however I'm reluctant to say more as the advice will be out of date as soon as it is published.

It's possible to bring cash and exchange in China for decent rates. This can be done in one of the many banks or even the black market. US dollars like in most countries are the most easily transacted currency.

So what to put in that case of yours? Obviously it depends on what you intend to be doing in China. One of the first articles I wrote on this blog relates to what to pack generally if backpacking. However, I'm going to assume you'll either be on a budget trip, staying in hotels/hostels or planning on coming to work/live long term:

Towel - Most cheaper hostels will not provide or will charge for this
Medication - Trying to find Chinese equivalents of Western medicine can be tough to say the least
Laptop/tablet/smartphone - Whilst internet cafes are not uncommon, security may be an issue
Adapter plug - There are usually two types, shown below. Make sure your adapter caters for these:

Small gifts and pictures from home - When people start inviting you to their place you'll feel bad you have nothing to give or show to them about your culture and family
Deodorant, hair products, suncream etc - These kind of products can be found but tend to be more expensive and there isn't always a great choice
Your clothing choice will depend on where you're going and time of year. Do your homework
Ladies bring tampons! Sanitary towels are available but if these aren't your preference stock up.

Getting in and out of Zhuhai
If travelling into Zhuhai by air, there are a few options. The international airports of Hong Kong and Macau are both common options as they serve many international destinations and neither is inconvenient. In addition you have Zhuhai's airport of JinWan and the other option of arriving in Zhuhai's big brother, Guangzhou.

Hong Kong
If arriving at Hong Kong airport, you don't even need to go through customs provided you arrived in time to get tickets for one of the 4 ferries heading from the SkyPier to Zhuhai JiuZhou Port. At present, these ferries depart at 12.15pm, 14.05pm, 17:00 and 20:00. You would need to have at least one hour and a half between your scheduled arrival and the ferry's departure for a chance of securing a ferry in time. One of the reasons for this is that your luggage will have to be collected and loaded onto the ferry on your behalf. When purchasing a ticket whilst still in HK airport, at the ferry ticketing desk they should ask if you have luggage. If so you will provide them with your luggage receipt which they will use to collect your luggage. You don't need to worry about it until it arrives with you on the ferry in Zhuhai! (unless of course your luggage didn't arrive with you in HK in the first place, speaking from experience...). You'll be called to board around half an hour before scheduled departure but may not find yourself on the boat until five minutes before you actually leave. Check out this video to see a walkthrough. Then it's just a matter of enjoying the 70 minutes or so boat ride to Zhuhai.

Once you arrive in Zhuhai, don't forget to collect your luggage before going through customs. When you get off the ferry, on the right hand side is a 'pen' when the luggage will eventually be lowered. You can choose to be patient or scramble for the luggage with the locals when it's finally ready for collection. After you have gone through customs and airport security, the minute you exit the port via those automatic doors, chances are you'll be accosted by 'black taxi' drivers. These guys hang around all day with the sole intention of ripping off a fresh fish. They suck. Best thing to do is be confident, walk out the doors and turn left (most people will be going this way) for 200 meters or so before crossing at a little zebra crossing towards the legitimate taxi queue. Even better would be to have someone waiting for you when you arrive! Check out this video to get an idea about what to expect and where to get a taxi.

Waiting for luggage from the boat

Macau
Macau shares three borders with Zhuhai that are commonly used. Those being Gongbei (the busiest and most common land border), Hengqin (the newish 24 hour border south of Zhuhai) and WanZai (a very quick boat journey over the river). If flying into Macau, like Hong Kong you have the option to not actually enter the country and take the express link to one of the aforementioned borders. One you arrive at the China side of these borders, be aware of the usual monkey business from people who don't have your best interests at heart, notably the black taxi drivers. Gongbei border is slap bang in the thick of it. After heading through China customs you may be subject to some interest, watch out for pickpockets and ignore beggars. The best thing to do would be to soldier through the big open square and head straight ahead for the taxi queue to get where you need to go.

If arriving in Hengqin, the biggest nuisance will probably be 'black taxi' drivers (or even licensed taxi drivers) hassling you to take you to where you want to go, especially if you arrive at an antisocial hour. It will always be expensive unless you use the meter. During the day there is a bus stop which can take you to pretty much anywhere you need to go. Check with your hotel/hostel for the nearest bus stop name and the right bus(es) to take when you arrive. Otherwise if you want to take a taxi, walk past the gathered drivers outside customs and head to a proper taxi parked nearby (the driver will follow you). If he tries giving you a price ask to use the JiChengBiao (taxi meter) or just point to it. If he refuses just take out the camera phone, snap his license plate or ID on the dashboard and you should find he will quickly oblige.

WanZai is a funny little port. After the almost ridiculous little boat journey from Macau you'll arrive there. You can check out the seafood street nearby or the market with all the dry seafood. But if you just want to get to where you need to go, you can make your way to a bus stop at the main road just outside the port or flag down a taxi WanZai is not too far out of town and you'll probably be subject to fewer hassles previously mentioned.

Jinwan
Jinwan may seem like the best option because it's Zhuhai's own airport. However, in reality it is still a bit of a hassle to get to Zhuhai city from here. Once you arrive at the airport you'll probably want to just get a taxi to Zhuhai. It costs around 160RMB to get from here to the city of Zhuhai and take around an hour and a half depending on traffic, but be careful, even the taxi drivers will try to get more cash out of you. The best thing to do would be to insist the driver uses the meter, do not agree a price. In addition you can use your phone GPS to make sure he isn't going a strange route although this in reality will probably only be the difference of 50RMB tops.

Guangzhou
If arriving in Guangzhou you can take a coach to Gongbei directly from the airport. Just find the ticket counter once you have gone through customs and ask to go to Zhuhai, Gongbei. There are various companies offering this service which are more or less the same. Once in Gongbei you will be able to get a cab to anywhere you need to go in Zhuhai for a reasonable price.

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Back in Lijiang and Kunming - Yunnan, China

2014-08-17T17:47:00.000+01:00

14th Aug 2014:
On the 14th we headed back to Lijiang. After squeezing into another minivan to get back to Jianchuan, there was a bit of a scare when we found the tickets for the official bus were sold out, however this didn't last long as we were soon scooped up by a private driver and with others paid 40RMB per head to take us near to the old town, from there we were able to hitch the remainder of the journey.

Giving Lijiang Old Town another bite of the cherry we made out way past the square and up the hill to find a nice view. We found a cafe with just that but got a little stung when the two cokes we ordered came with a price tag of 90RMB or nine GBP. The place wasn't even clean but we compromised by sending one back and sipping the remaining beverage as slowly as possible, damn you Lijiang!

Nice rooftops view in Lijiang

The most expensive coke in Lijiang?

Soon enough we were at a busy Lijiang train station. Kate had a nasty fall on spillage and hurt her knee just as we were boarding but being on the bottom (of three) bunks this time, she was able to rest and have doctor Bailey tend to her. This Lijiang to Kunming train was a little less comfortable than the outward journey owing to there being triple bunks and no cabins. Strongly recommend getting the bottom bunk if possible.

15th Aug 2014:

We woke up in Kunming train station and took a nearby bus (number 25) to Beichen Pedestrian Street to get some breakfast and get some energy for the day. We had met a new friend called Nicole at the train station and she came to join us at Prague Cafe. The street has tons of eating options and boasts O'Reilly's Irish Bar, one of the best places to drink in Kunming (according to trip advisor, locals may know better).

Energy restored, we headed to Golden Temple on Mingfeng Shan (singing Phoenix Hill) to spend a few hours before heading to the airport. We bought tickets to try the German built sliding car which tugs you up a portion of the hill via a cable as you sit on it. The area has many interesting sights such as the temple itself, however for me the most interesting things were the historic bronze artifacts held in the museum (and replicated on the outdoor paths) along with the 500 year old massive bronze bell in the bell tower.

Statue in the park

Bronze replica of an ancient artifact

Enjoying the Japanese garden

The 14 Ton bronze bell

Nicole and I also managed to work out a suitable Chinese name for myself, we settled with Bai Li Ping, we weren't sure which Bai character to use but we came across a Bai tree (cedar) and it was fated.

Nicole and I by the Bai tree

Kunming airport was very busy and check-in queues were pretty brutal, luckily we left plenty of time. Stepping off the plane in Zhuhai we immediately felt the humidity and pined for the freshness of Yunnan. Even so, Zhuhai is a great place to come back to and having jumped from place to place it will be nice to stay in one place and see the gang again.

They say if you travel to one place it China as a backpacker then it should probably be Yunnan. With the scenery on offer I can definitely see why. My only advice would be to make sure you leave enough time to explore the surrounding areas as well as the main towns. Much of Yunnan's infrastructure such as railways and highways were developed in accordance withthe towns that were hand picked to be developed for tourism or have at least been on the receiving end of heavy investment. Therefore,whilst it is straightforward for travellers to reach the likes of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la, you are essentially following the path prepared for you by the Yunnan government. Try to vary from these channels and you may quickly find it inconvenient, expensive and in some cases near impossible due to the lack of infrastructure and difficult terrain. However, from the short time we travelled we found that the more you investigated independently and the more difficult the route was to arrange, the more rewarding it would be. Visit Yunnan with the sheep and you wil be part of the tourism machine. Visit Yunnan with your mind open and you will be blown away by awesome experiences and mindblowing surroundings.

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Shaxi - Yunnan, China

2014-08-17T17:31:00.000+01:00

11th - 14th Aug 2014:

In Shangri-La We moved to N's Guesthouse as 517 only had the expensive rooms left. They did a great yakburger and rooms were good value but we were ready to move on so checked out and made our way to Sha Xi. To get to Sha Xi you have to book a ticket to Jian Chuan, from there it's a 10RMB packed minibus ride to the small town. Although small, Sha Xi had to be one of our favourite stops on this trip. The buildings are beautiful and in the most part authentically old unlike other places we had been. The pace is relaxed and the people honest and friendly. We spent the first day relaxing in the square watching a film crew shooting for a phone advert. Later we spent some time getting purposely lost amongst the back lanes. We stayed at the guest house Horse Pen 46 in the square. Our room was small but quirky, our toilet was positioned at the end of the bed! A St. Bernard and Tibetan Mastiff lounged around the courtyard and received a belly scratch or two (they would have received more if they weren't so smelly!).

The toilet at the end of the room :o)

The sleepy dog

Shooting the advert

Chilling at the cafe

The temple in the square

The backstreets of Shaxi

For dinner we found an amazing hotel called Cindura-Di, whilst to stay there would be comparitively expensive, you can enjoy a delicious meal in the luxury surroundings of the courtyard at increadibly reasonable prices. The food is lovingly prepared by Fiona, who when she found out about our fragile stomachs set about arranging some special tea and mint drops. The hotel is a Taiwanese family run business and incredibly hospitable.

The stunning reception area

Staircase

Being treated like royalty

Highly recommended

The second day we wanted to visit Shibao Shan (stone treasure mountain) to see the temples and excellent views. Arranged via the Horse Pen 46 Hostel, it was 200 RMB return for the driver to take us to the mountain and two temples in a small van which we shared with two other tourists, Laura and Matti from Italy. We found these guys after asking around to see who wanted to share the trip costs with us. There was a bit of a situation when the moto driver they had already had preliminary discussions with saw us approaching the car to leave Shaxi and moaned until Matti gave him some money for not going with him. You aways hear about how important it is to 'save face' in China but from what we saw on this trip it must have a different meaning this country!

Another long and windy road eventually took us to the ticket gate, where upon the driver's advice, Kate ducked down in the back to save on a ticket cost (we let Matti have this saving to make up for paying the whining driver off). We asked the driver to take us to the farthest temple, Shizhong Temple (Stone Bell Temple), to begin with. We could immediately see why this was one of the first nature reserves to be officially protected by China. There are countless grottoes, shrines and stone carvings many dating back around 500 years. The forest walks are beautiful and the views are sprinkled with smaller temples and shrines along the mountainside. Note that you do need a ticket to enter but we got past this with the 'I must have left it in the car' routine'.

Village on the mountain side

A statue in one of the grottoes

Some interesting geology

After a couple of hours we headed back to the car and made our way back towards the other temple of merit, Baoxiang Temple (Scenic Treasure Temple). Monkeys were rife here and we heard they could be aggressive to visitors but we didn't encounter any difficulties. We thoroughly enjoyed the sights of this temple, some old some new, and it was truly a beautiful setting amongst stone cliffs, forest and waterfalls. Well worth the trip. Upon return our driver asked for a little more money for us taking longer than we should have done but this did little to dampen a noteworthy trip.

At Baoshi Temple

Monkey posing

Monkey family and friends

The evening was topped when we enjoyed some amazing Italian food at The Hungry Buddha restaurant. We had briefly attempted to find it before with no luck, but Matti and Laura knew the owners and were able to show us to the small restaurant just off the main square (if coming down the longer street from where minivans drop off their passengers, keep going straight past the square and it is the second business on your left). We are both foodies, spoiled after living in Jersey, even so I can't recommend this restaurant enough. If you like good western food, especially Italian food, it would be a crime to leave Shaxi without eating here.

Maurie along with his wife and team prepare the food right in front of you, all of it is sourced locally or made in house. They even have a selection of home made cheeses of the highest standard (anyone who values good cheese knows that in most parts of China it is as rare as rocking horse poo). After we discovered the Hungry Buddha we didn't eat anywhere else. The pizzas and cheeses are sublime but everything on the menu is fantastic and reasonably priced considering the time and love that goes into the food. Washed down with excellent wine and great vibes (the small 8 seater square setup encourages conversation so a great place to make friends) you get a real homely feel and will definitely leave with a smile on your face.

Maurie and his wife

Happy customers

Fine trio of desserts

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