To help you work off all that extra pasta and cheese, we’d recommend exploring some of the bellissimo hikes that you can go on while visiting the Amalfi Coast. Two of our favorite hikes are the Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) and Valley of the Ferries (Valle de Ferriere).

Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast

The Path of the Gods is a great way to see the beautiful coastline of the Amalfi Coast. You can start the path from either Positano, Praiano, or Bomerano. When we do this hike, we always start from Bomerano. Bomerano is above Amalfi and we prefer to walk down the coast instead of climbing up it. There is also a section with a steep staircase and if you’re like us you’d rather walk down the stairs instead of going up them. We’ve hiked up the Devils Staircase in New Zealand and learned our lesson.

How to get there: You can get to Bomerano from taxi or bus. You start the hike at the center of town so you can get water, snacks and even some hiking gear. If you have some time, grab a coffee at a cafe and relax before you head down. The center of town is a mix of locals and hikers.

Bomerano to Praiano

If you do decide to start from Bomerano, you can either finish the hike in Praiano or Positano. We’ve hiked down both ways and the path you choose is totally up to you! The walk down to Praiano is less traveled and the path is a little more rugged. We are pretty sure the steps going down to Praiano used to be for donkeys but loved the fact we didn’t see another person until we go to the main town. Duration: ~2 hours

Bomerano to Positano

The hike down to Positano is more popular and is it a bit more maintained. You’ll see stunning views of the coast and be able to take in the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. At the end of the hike, there are about ~1600 stairs you’ll need to walk down. Take it slow… our calf muscles have really felt it the next day from this section. Duration: ~2.5 hours.

Valley of the Ferries

Valle delle Ferriere (The Valley of the Fairies) is a lesser-known hike on the Amalfi Coast. On this hike, you’ll avoid the typical tourists that visit the Amalfi Coast and will be surrounded by endless lemon groves, beautiful forests and small waterfalls. Along the way, there are the remains of the ancient paper mills of Amalfi, which gives you a glimpse into the past of Amalfi’s thriving paper industry.

How to get there: Depending on where you’re staying, you can take the Sita bus from Amalfi to Pontone. Make sure you check the bus stops at Pontone as not all the buses do. Once you get off the bus, follow signs leading you to Valle delle Ferriere.

One thing that should not be missed is taking a detour to enter the Reserve. The entrance to the Reserve is guarded, and by guarded, we mean a little Italian guy sitting on a chair reading the paper. (How can we get that job?!) It is definitely worth stopping to chat with him to see if he will let you venture into the Reserve. All Italians are so friendly, so as long as you’re respectful, he’ll most likely let you explore! While in the Reserve, you should stop to drink the water that falls from the moss. It’s rumored to help you have much more vivid dreams. Duration: The hike takes about 3-4 hours.

Traveling around Italy? Check out our other blog posts for Italy.

The post Hiking on the Amalfi Coast appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

If you haven’t already figured this out from reading our blog, we both love food. To do our due diligence for our readers (and not for our waist lines) we spent our three months in Ubud taste testing as many restaurants and food groups as possible. You’re welcome!

After doing our best to try it all, we’ve put together a list of where to eat in Ubud and included an average cost per dish in US Dollars. We broke these restaurants out into three different categories: Great Views, Healthy Eats, and A Taste of Everything.

Great Views of Ubud

In addition to the delicious food, all of these restaurants have incredible views and a great atmosphere to make your meal that much more enjoyable.

Swept Away at The Samaya

This is definitely not a recommendation for those on a budget, but if you’re looking to go somewhere really special, with some of the best food we’ve ever had (not just in Bali), then we’d suggest dinner at Swept Away. It’s situated on a small river with views of Bali’s famous rice terraces making for a great atmosphere to enjoy a special dinner.

Price: $15.00 – $22.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Bale Udang

Asking yourself where to eat in Ubud for some great Indonesian food? Our favorite spot is Bale Udang. It’s a step up from your typical Warung with an extensive menu and even a favorite of locals looking to celebrate a special occasion… so you know it’s good! It also offers a unique atmosphere as you sit over a fish pond filled with tons of coy. If you’re brave enough, we highly suggest dipping your toes in for a free fish spa!

Price: $3.50 – $10.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Clear Cafe

Definitely one of our favorite places in all of Ubud! Partly because they have an amazing chocolate-peanut butter drink called a Chocolate Butterfly, and partly because they have a great view overlooking the Ubud Palace. Their menu is broken out by cultural cuisine, with a little bit of everything. When we lived near Ubud we went here at least once a week.

Price: $2.25 – $5.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Bambu Indah

Ever think to yourself, “I really need some bamboo in my life!”, well then you’re in for a treat! Bambu Indah is a hotel/restaurant made entirely out of bamboo and also has out of this world food. Typically when we go, we put our orders in and then take a walk around the hotel grounds. It’s incredible to see the work that has gone into creating this place as well as the views of Bali’s tropical landscapes. Definitely a great place to take some pictures and let your friends know this is where they should eat in Ubud!

Price: $3.75 – $15.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Sari Organik

If you’re looking to walk through serene rice fields, on a small path with the sun setting in the distance, then we’d suggest you head over to Sari Organik. To get here you will either have to walk (around 15 minutes) or drive your motorbike. We suggest starting your walk as the sun is setting for a beautiful stroll before dinner. They have a pretty lengthly menu with typical Indonesian dishes and organic salads with ingredients picked fresh from their garden.

Price: $2.25 – $4.50 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Quick Tip: Make sure you have a flashlight as the path is very dark once the sun goes down.

Indus

If you’re in the mood for Indonesian food with a view to go with it, Indus is a great option. Located on the outskirts of Ubud, Indus is set above rice fields and a great place to enjoy a delicious meal while watching the sunset.

Price: $4.00 – $22.00
Wifi Available: Yes

Warung Pulau Kelapa

We found this place when visited Bali on our honeymoon and ate here for both lunch and dinner. It’s located about 5 minutes outside the center of Ubud and is tucked off the the main road. The restaurant has views of its organic where they grow vegetables, herbs and spices. The garden is not only beautiful but they use a lot of what they grow in their dishes. Talk about fresh!

Price: $4.00 – $15.00
Wifi Available: Yes

Healthy Eats in Ubud

Many places in Ubud have healthy options available, but these places make healthy eating their priority. They all offer natural, organic ingredients that are locally grown and leave you guilt free after indulging on some tasty treats!

Bali Buda

No, we didn’t misspell Buddha for all you grammar perfectionist out there. Bali Buda has been a leader in the organic movement throughout Bali and not only cares about the food they serve you, but about the local community as well. This is another one of our go-to places to eat, especially when we’re looking to have a relaxing and nutritious meal. Oh and they have bagels. This may not be a big deal for most, but growing up in Northern New Jersey, bagels have been a staple of our diet since we were little and we’ve definitely been missing them.

Price: $1.00 – $6.00 per dish
Wifi Available: No, they prefer people talking than checking your Instagram feed.

Quick Tip: Want to connect with nature? Grab a free Earth Tray for your feet!

Soma

Soma is all about healthy eating. Most of their food is raw, keeping in all that good stuff, but for everything else they use slow cooking techniques which helps the food maintain its natural delicious flavors! When we’re looking to keep it healthy, Soma is always at the top of our list. And if you’re a fan of mushrooms definitely try the Shitake Patty!

Price: $2.00 – $4.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Quick tip: Every Saturday they have a great brunch from 11:00am – 2:00pm with live music.

Elephant

Elephant has the perfect combination of fresh healthy food and great views. Overlooking lush landscapes its easy to see why Elephant has become a popular lunch spot for many people visiting Ubud.

Price: $2.50 – 8.50 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Warung Sopa

Not you typical Indonesian Warung, Sopa has organic/vegetarian takes on traditional Indonesian dishes. They don’t have the biggest menu in Ubud, but the meals they do offer are cooked with a homestyle love and care. They also have some really great soups… our favorite is the corn!

Price: $1.50 – $4.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

A Taste of Everything in Ubud

Oh good you’ve made it down to our taste of everything section of where to eat in Ubud! As mentioned above, Ubud is cultural hotspot and offers a variety of foods from all over the world. The below places don’t necessarily have an amazing view but their food is definitely worth being on our list.

Melting Wok

A restaurant featuring Asian cuisine but run by a French woman named Geraldine … is there anything better? This place only serves a few dishes, but sometimes less is more. The few dishes they do offer are all incredible. Our favorite is the Sautéed Wok Curry Noodles in Coconut milk. It’s mmm mmm good! And speaking of mmm mmm good, don’t forget to get one of their French desserts!

Price: $2.80 – $4.30 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Quick Tip: Make a reservation. They are packed every night and closed on Mondays.

Hujan Locale

This was another honeymoon find and it quickly turned into some of the best food we’ve had in Bali. The restaurant focuses on Asian-fusion dishes that are created with fresh, local ingredients. They’ve also got a great drink menu and the interior is beautifully decorated.

Toro Sushi

To say we love sushi is an understatement, and we’re always on the hunt for a good roll. When coming to Bali we weren’t expecting much in the Sushi department but then we stumbled onto Toro. Toro has a variety of your standard rolls (California, Shrimp tempura, Spicy Tuna, etc.) as well as some great specialty rolls. If you’re wondering, our go-to are the Mexican Roll, Spicy Shrimp, and Gucci Roll.

Price: $2.50 – $5.50 per roll
Wifi Available: Yes

LaRaMona Tapas

If you feel like you need to get a break from the hippies of Ubud, head over to LaRaMona Tapas to get some 90’s grunge back in your life (in a good way). With a speakeasy feel, you have to look for the octopus on the door to find the place. Once you get in you’ll be greeted with graffitied walls and live music. Everything is tapas style and you’re going to want to try it all. Oh, and don’t forget to try the sangria!

Price: $2.50 – $4.50 per tapa
Wifi Available: Can’t remember… we had too much sangria.

Warung Siam

Home to some classic Thai dishes, Warung Siam is our go-to spot when we’re craving some Pad Thai. The portions are generous and the food is delicious! If Pad Thai isn’t your thing, they have a large selection of other Thai classics.

Price: $2.00 – $4.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Three Monkeys

Located on one of the busiest streets in Ubud, Three Monkeys is a great cafe set back from the street next to some small rice fields. We typically like to go here for lunch when we need to get some work done, as they have great wifi and relaxing atmosphere. They also have some pretty great pizza’s! Our favorite is the Fungi.

Price: $3.00 – $13.00 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

Taco Casa

If you’re in Ubud and get hit with a craving for some good Mexican food you’re in luck. Taco Casa is a great place to grab a few tacos and some delicious margaritas. You wouldn’t necessarily think to eat Mexican food in Indonesia, but this place is always packed and for good reason. A great place to visit if you’re looking for a quick eat.

Price: $3.50 – $7.50 per dish
Wifi Available: Yes

And there you have it, our top 18 places of where to eat in Ubud! As you can see, Ubud has a variety of places to eat, ranging from your typical warung to flavors from all corners of the world.

The post Where to eat in Ubud, Bali appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

1. Guinness Storehouse

My Goodness, my Guinness did we just put this first on our list? Yes, because Guinness just tastes better in Ireland. We are pretty sure that is a fact. The Guinness Storehouse is a seven-story building that gives you an inside look into what it takes to create this lovely stout. You’ll learn the history, how the beer is made and drink some Guinness. You can trade your free drink ticket in to do a sampling of three beers at the Connoisseur Bar or get a full pint at the Gravity Bar. We’ve been to the Guinness Storehouse twice and would suggest saving your free drink ticket when you get to the Gravity Bar (top level). It has 360-degree views of Dublin. It can get a little crowded but we love the atmosphere of being at the top of Dublin with the freshest Guinness around.

Adult Ticket Cost:  €25.00 – If you pre-book online the tickets are discounted to €18.50

2. Jameson Distillery

Shall we continue on the drinking train? We think so. The Jameson Distillery is also a must while visiting Dublin, Ireland. It’s a shorter tour compared to Guinness but also gives you a great overview of how Jameson was formed and again you get to sample some whiskey. You’ll get to taste three types of Jameson whiskey, where they will go through the different tasting notes. After the tour, they have a bar to hang out in and drink some more Jameson. Adult Ticket Cost: €17.00 for the Bow St. Experience – You can pre-book tickets online

ProTip – If you’re not going to buy the distillery edition whiskey, we’d suggest buying any Jameson you want to take home at the Dublin airport. You can buy the exact same whiskey at the airport and it will actually be cheaper because it will be duty-free. Save those euro’s for Irish wool ;). We did this after our last trip to Dublin and could skip checking a bag since we didn’t pack any liquids in our bags.

Other Whiskey Distillery: Pearse Lyons and Teelings.

3. Kilmainham Gaol

Full disclosure we have not visited this former prison in Dublin. We’ve just heard from a few locals that is a really interesting thing to do get a unique view on Irish history. You will need to pre-book tickets in advance.

4. Trinity College & The Book of Kells

Looking to find a well seasoned beer pong partner, head to Trinity College and grab yourself a college student. Just kidding but you should definitely stop by and walk through Trinity College and visit the Book of Kells. You can wander the cobblestoned campus and maybe even catch a wedding at the church located on campus.

5. Temple Bar

You’ll know you’re in the temple bar when you start running into cobblestone streets and a ton of tourist. Sure this is the touristy area of Dublin but it’s still a great time! There are a ton of Irish pubs and you can pop into any of them to grab a pint. We love walking around this area to explore and drink. If you want to try and get away from the main Temple Bar area you can head to William Street. We’ve found a lot of good Irish pubs that seem to be a bit less touristy. If you do head to Willaim Street make sure you stop at George’s St. Arcade. It’s a great little open-air market that has fun little shops.

6. Listen to Live Music

If you’re pub hopping around Dublin you can be sure of two things; one you will have a great time and two there will be a band playing in the corner of one of the bars. Our favorite thing about Dublin is that the pubs are very welcoming and relaxed. You don’t need to dress to the nines. You can just have a good time drinking and laughing with friends. If you want to step up your live music game, go see a concert in Dublin. We saw the Spice Girls at Croke Park and all our childhood dreams came true! We spiced up our lives and slammed it to the left. A ton of great artists pass through Dublin so you just have to see if any are playing while you’re visiting. Here are some places you can check out: 3Arena, Croke Park Stadium and RDS Main Arena.

Where to eat in Dublin, Ireland

TBH we didn’t have high hopes for the food when we first visited Ireland, but we are happy to say the food in Dublin is top notch!

L Mulligans Grocer – Get the regular scotch egg and the vegetarian scotch egg. We’ve been to this place every time we’ve been to Dublin, Ireland and it doesn’t disappoint.

Ely Wine Bar – This place doesn’t have your traditional Irish food but all the food is locally sourced and delicious.

HerbStreet – We love the location of this spot. It’s right along the canal and has an epic brunch menu. There is usually a line for their weekend brunch. We had to wait about 20 minutes for two people but you can go for a quick walk along the water while you wait. Oh and their chicken and waffles are baller.

Ryan’s of Parkgate Street – Realy good oysters and a very good Irish Pie

Hairy Lemon – Good pub food in Temple Bar area

Getting Around in Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland is a pretty easy city to navigate and can easily be walked. We like boast our step record of 50,000 steps in three days when we visited Dublin. If you get tired of walking, taxi’s are easy to come by and if you have data or can get on WiFi you can call an Uber. We use Uber’s when visiting Dublin and they were all great!

The post Irish You Were Here: Dublin, Ireland Travel Guide appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

1. Craft Breweries:

At first Google search, one might feel a bit overwhelmed with the number of craft breweries that call Portland home. At least that was the case for us as, and we only had one weekend to visit a select few.

• Rising Tide Brewing Company:

Rising Tide is the perfect spot to drink some beer and enjoy the great summer weather in Maine. We ordered a sampler of 4 beers each and grabbed a seat at the picnic tables. Besides the beer, they also have a rotating line-up of food trucks outside so you can coat your stomach as you sample all the beers!

• Shipyard Brewing Co.:

Shipyard is one of the more famous breweries in the area, partly due to their popular Pumpkin Head beer. People seriously go nuts for it! In fact, if you love their Pumpkin Head beer you can buy a growler to take home with you… or to chug after leaving the brewery.

They run small information/tasting sessions. If you want a full tour of the brewery, you will need to reserve in advance.

• Other Breweries:
  • Allagash Brewing Company
  • Bunker Brewing Company
  • See the full list of breweries in Portland from Beer Advocate

2. Kombucha Tasting:

We fell in love with the drink Kombucha while traveling through Bali. It was always available and not overly priced like you will find at Whole (Paycheck) Foods. Seriously, one 8 oz bottle can be almost seven bucks! In Bali, we would buy jugs for less than two US dollars. But we digress.

An unexpected, yet pleasant find while visiting Portland was the Urban Farm Fermentory. Like most places in Portland, this place has a hipster vibe. If you were to look up the word “Hipster”  in the dictionary you would see a dude with black-rimmed glasses, chugging a glass of Kombucha. And rightfully so! Kombucha is awesome, and we love anyone who loves this delicious fermented tea drink!

Urban Farm Fermentory is located in a warehouse-like space that offers visitors the opportunity to try not only Kombucha but also fermented cider and mead wines. We weren’t a fan of the ciders but thought we’d mention it for any cider enthusiasts.

You can try a tasting flight of six flavors of Kombucha, cider or mead wine for $5. If you like a particular flavor you can buy a growler to bring home for $12. We ended buying three growlers – Ginger, Hops, and Cascara. Addicted to Kombucha? We think so!

Overall it is a great low-key place in Portland to sit, relax and sample some great tasting fermented drinks!

3. Lobster, Lobster and more lobster:

When most people think of Portland they instantly picture the delectable crustacean known as the lobster. Portland has had a blooming lobster industry and visitors flock here to get a taste of fresh lobster right off the boat. We did our research and sampled a number of lobster dishes. We know, we live a hard life.

• Maine Lobster Co.: If you want to a lobster roll + outdoor seating along the boat basin, look no further than Maine Lobster Co. It is a popular tourist spot to grab a lobster roll, sitting outside while jamming out to a live band. However, you will be shelling out about $18 for one lobster roll! Hot damn lobster rolls can be expensive.
  
  Lobster Roll Rating: 3/5
  Reasoning: There was a lot of meat, but it was honestly just lobster on bread. Not much seasoning. Would recommend just getting a whole lobster.

• Eventide Oyster Co.: If Maine wasn’t 5+ hours from New Jersey we would be going to Eventide at least once a month to order everything on their menu, especially their lobster roll. We went to Eventide for their Sunday brunch and would strongly recommend this to be on everyone’s to-do list. First off, this place lives up to the hype. When you do your research on Portland, you notice that everyone suggests to go here and we can attest that everyone is right! If you’re going for their Sunday brunch get there by at least 10:45 am (15 min before they open). Their Sunday brunch is popular for a reason and with limited seating, the wait can get long quickly.
  
  What to order: You honestly can’t go wrong, but we wanted to get a taste of everything and ordered a lot. Eventide offers fresh oysters so we said “fuck it” and ordered a dozen oysters to start. They were awesome and worth the money. Our second course was a lobster eggs Benedict dish, which prompted us to lick the plate because it was that good! And for our last dish, we ordered the LOBSTER ROLL! (Bet you could have guessed that).

Lobster Roll Rating: 5/5

Reasoning: Where to start – from top to bun, everything about this lobster roll was fantastic. The lobster meat was plentiful and tossed in a sweet brown butter sauce. Unlike your traditional lobster rolls that are served on a potato roll, this one was delivered on a sticky bun to give it a unique texture while letting the flavor of the lobster come through!

• Lobster Shack at Two Lights: The atmosphere at Two Lights has a lot to do with our recommendation for this place. It’s located right on the ocean, making for the perfect scene when chowing down on a lobster roll. During the summer months, you can expect a line out the door. However, they are a well-oiled lobster roll/seafood turning machine. We ordered a full lobster, clam strips, and a lobster roll and were not disappointed.

Lobster Roll Rating: 4/5
Reasoning: Solid amount of meat with a good ratio of seasoning. Bonus of eating right along the ocean makes it taste even better!

4. Expanding Foodie Scene

• Duckfat: People apparently go crazy for the fries at Duckfat, which was the main reason we checked out this place. Personally, we weren’t that impressed and may be the only blog that isn’t raving about these fries. Dare we even say skip the fries and go for their milkshakes! You can take them to go and walk around Portland slurping on a Duckfat milkshake.

• Street and Co.: This is another restaurant that is on everyone’s list when they visit Portland and it didn’t disappoint! Located on one of Portlands famous cobblestone streets, and a {cobble} stone’s throw from the harbor you can expect to eat some great seafood here! We went with the mussels, scallops and freshly caught branzino.

• Grace: A restaurant located in an old church? One might ask if that is sac-religious, but we were willing to give it a try! The decor of this restaurant was very unique. We ate in church pews and we loved the fact that they kept all the original stained glass. The food was also very good and would recommend eating here while in Portland.

• *Eventide Oyster Co.: As mentioned in our lobster section, if you come to Portland you have to eat here!

• The Holy Donut: Go here for damn good donuts! We went a little donut crazy and devoured four very large and very delicious donuts.
  

5. Sunset Sail and Wine Tasting with WineWise:

Two things that when combined will make a great weekend activity almost every time! Preferably when you have someone to do the sailing while you chug the wine, which was the case when we booked a wine and sailing excursion with WineWise.

WineWise has a variety of tours, all including some element of drinking wine and exploring Portland. We opted to do the Sunset Wine Sails & Harbour Cruise focusing on the many styles of Pinot Noir. Erica Archer, sommelier, and owner of WineWise, took a group of 20 winos aboard the 74-foot sailboat named the Francis. We spent the next two hours tasting five different Pinot Noirs while sailing the beautiful Casco Bay. Erica is also the opposite of an uptight wine snob. Rather than lecturing us about wine, she made the learning experience fun and we had quite a few laughs.

6. Lighthouses:

If you’re headed to Maine, expect to see lighthouses. There are several located within about 20-30 minutes from Portland. In fact, if you want to go lighthouse cray (as the locals would say), you can plan a road trip to see several in one day. We opted to check out Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth. There are several walks along the coast that offer some great views of the lighthouse.

No matter what you do in Portland, Maine, it’s hard not to fall in love with this picturesque New England town… especially with a full belly of wine, beer, and lobster!

The post Top 6 Things to do in Portland, Maine appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

If you’re currently a US citizen and in this situation, take a deep breath as we share with you the steps to get a Chinese visa:

Step 1: Get your itinerary in order

In order to get a Chinese visa you’ll need to show a detailed travel itinerary.

This includes:

• Departure from Hong Kong to China
• Arrival slip in Hong Kong (small rectangle slip of paper you’re given when you land)
• Hotel bookings
• Departure out of China

Getting that itinerary in order, baby!

If you’re traveling on a whim and haven’t booked your hotels yet, you can easily use Hotels.com to make a hotel booking and change or cancel it later. For us, we also needed both our names on the hotel bookings. In fact, we actually went to the visa office with only Nick’s name on the bookings and had to go back, update our bookings, and reprint everything. This could be because we aren’t married and have different last names, but thought it would be good to mention for all you travelers living in sin

Step 2: Print your itinerary 

After you have your itinerary in order you will need to print everything out. Be sure to double check and make sure you have all points of your itinerary printed. In fact, be a little neurotic and print an extra copy. The Chinese embassy does NOT have a printer, which is why you need to print everything beforehand.

Step 3: Passport Photos & Copy of Passport

With your visa application, you will need to submit a passport photo. If you’re traveling for an extended period of time we recommend you carrying a few extra passport photos around. If you don’t have any with you, we’ve heard you can print passport photos at the visa office but this wasn’t something we did ourselves, so you may want to double check or print it elsewhere. Additionally, you will need to bring your passport (6-month validity, with at least two blank pages) and a copy of the first page of your passport – with photo and information.

Step 4: Make the Journey to the visa office

For those looking to get a Chinese visa in Hong Kong, you can either go directly to The Consular Department Office or use a third party to obtain a visa. Third parties include Forever Bright and China Travel Services. We opted to go directly to the visa office.

Off to the visa office we go!

Information about visa office:

• Address: The Consular Department Office
  China Resources Building
  No.26, Harbor Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong SAR

• Hours
  Monday to Friday (except Hong Kong public holidays,)
  9:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00

Oh and fun fact… notice above that they do close for lunch. We found this out the hard way and had to wait around for them to reopen.

When entering the building you will need to go through a metal detector and x-ray machine to have a security employee check your bags. They do not allow large items, such as suitcases, so be sure to leave them at your hotel. Once you go through security, you will make your way to the elevator and head up to the 7th floor.

Tip: The visa office provides applications and won’t accept applications that were printed and filled out prior to getting to the visa office. We thought we would save time and have the application filled out but ended up having to fill the application for a second time once we got there. Remember to bring a pen!

Costs:

As US citizens applying for a Chinese visa in Hong Kong you’re going to pay the same for a single entry or a multiple entry. Since it all cost the same, we applied for a 10 year multiple entry visa. Hooray Spring Break China 2025!

Breakdown of visa types and costs for U.S. Citizen:

• Single Entry: $140 (1040HKD)
• Double Entries: $140
• Multiple Entries for 6 Months:$140
• Multiple Entries for 12 Months or more: $140

You can pay by money order, cashier’s check, or Credit Card (Visa or MasterCard only).

Processing Time:

Visas are processed in 2-4 business days, and depending on the time crunch you’re in you may need to opt for an express service.

• Regular service – 4 business days including submission day.
• Express service – (+200HKD per person): 3 business days including submission day.
• Rush service – (+300HKD per person): 2 business days including the submission day.

Step 5: The Home Stretch!

You’re almost there! You’ve printed your documents, booked 5-star hotels to prove you have hotels booked (to only cancel later), taken a drop dead gorgeous passport photo and made your way to the visa office.

All that is left is to get your number and wait to be called to the window. Once your number is called hand in all your documents. If everything looks okay, pay the man for your visa, receive a piece of paper to collect your visa in a couple of days.

While you wait to collect your visa check out our tips on what to do and see in Hong Kong: Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island blog articles.

We completed the visa process in Aug. 2015 and are sharing our tips from our own personal experience. If you go through the same process and see that our information needs to be updated, please let us know!

The post How to get a Last Minute Chinese Visa in Hong Kong appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

1. Chateau de Chillon:

Located on the east end of Lake Geneva, Chateau de Chillon is an amazingly well-preserved castle that dates back at least 1,000 years! About an hour drive from both Bern and Geneva, Chateau de Chillion is a great day trip while visiting either city. It’s an incredible castle to see, which is why it’s on numerous lists of the most beautiful castles in the world! Not to mention, the views from outside aren’t too bad either.

Nick’s next rap album cover

2. Cheese & Chocolate:

Two of our favorite things are cheese and chocolate, and Switzerland is busting out of the seems with both of them. If you’re visiting Switzerland you’re almost obligated to indulge your taste buds in both of these things, so we planned a day trip to visit La Maison Du Gruyere and Maison Cailler.

La Maison Du Gruyere, known in English as The House of Gruyere, is where we went on a sensory journey devoted to the making of this delicious cheese. So move over House of Dior, we’d much rather be surrounded by endless cheese wheels than high-end fashion.

The cost of the visit is CHF 7 (per adult), and our ticket was an actual piece of cheese… does life get any better!? The cheese ticket included samples of Gruyere at 6, 8 and 10 months maturity. We also planned our visit to the factory when the cheese was being made, which takes places between 9 am – 11 am and between 1 pm – 2:30 pm. We visited early in the morning to get our cheese fix filled right away!

After eating all the Gruyere, we moved on to the one and only Maison Cailler, which honestly blew the cheese making factory out of the park. The cost of visiting Maison Cailler is CHF 12 (per adult) and is well worth the money. When purchasing our ticket, we were given a designated time slot with a group to go on the tour.

The tour itself was a walking mini amusement ride, which gave us information about Cailler without being boring! At the end of the tour, we were greeted with endless samples of chocolate! We didn’t think these words would ever come out of our mouths, but it was too much chocolate!

We probably had 20 samples of every Cailler chocolate under the sun! We rolled ourselves out of the factory and made our way back to Bern with two bags of chocolate to eat later on.

3. Interlaken:

If you’re headed to Interlaken, we’d suggest growing a pair of cojones and taking part in an outdoor activity. While visiting Interlaken we found ourselves in a field surrounded by paragliders landing all around us! The views from Interlaken are top notch, so we could see why people would want to get in an airplane and get up close and personal with the snow capped mountains. Interlaken is located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and if you’re not into jumping out of planes the scenery here is worth a visit by itself!

View of Interlaken… look at the color of that water!

4. Thun:

A 30-minute ride from Bern, Thun is a beautiful town with a lot of old school charm. The Bernese Alps surrounds the town, and its centerpiece is a castle situated in the middle of the town from the 12th century.  We only spent about an hour in Thun but could have easily spent more.

The main attraction we checked out was the Flower Bridge (Vieille Ville de Thoune). The old wooden bridge is used daily to control the water flow of the river that runs through the town. It’s a great place to stop and take a picture as the bridge has beautiful garden boxes hanging from the sides with cascading with flowers.

Also, if you want to do a little swan spotting in Switzerland, you won’t be disappointed when you visit Thun. Swans are swimming all along the river, but be careful if you try to take a selfie with them… they tend to be a bit aggressive!

5. Grindelwald:

We made our way to Grindelwald completely by accident. We followed a road with a beautiful snow-capped mountain in the distance… and ended up in Grindelwald. Isn’t that how all great adventures should start!?

Stumbling upon Grindelwald, located in the Jungfrau Region, brought us up close and personal with the Bernese Alps. Since we were visiting in September, we didn’t get to take advantage of the word class skiing this area of Switzerland is known for, but we did go on some small hikes and enjoyed a few brews with an incredible view!

One of the most popular things to do in this area is to visit “Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe”. It gets its name by being the highest railway station in Europe located 3,454 meters above sea level. We didn’t do this as it was too expensive for our budget… but when we become billionaires we will be back!

The town of Grindelwald is adorable and is worth a visit even if you don’t make your way to the Top of Europe! Most of the homes, known as chalets, are made of wood with sloping roofs and adorned with brightly colored flower baskets. We made a promise to ourselves that one day we will have a house in Grindelwald!

Need some tips on what to do while you’re actually in the city of Bern?  Check out our other blog post, with our top 4 reasons to visit Bern, Switzerland.

The post 5 Day Trips from Bern, Switzerland appeared first on Talk Travel To Me.

The hike up the Yellow Mountains was exhausting and we were feeling it the next day! To soothe our sore muscles (or lack thereof), we spent the next day lounging around in natural hot springs.

The Huangshan Hot Springs have been around for thousand of years, but they have more recently been transformed into a large complex with a wide range of small pools to take a dip in. Hot springs are mineral-rich and offer wide range of health benefits, besides the obvious of relaxing sore muscles. We found ourselves jumping into hot pools that were infused with red wine, green tea, jasmine, coconut milk, rose, ginseng and vitamin c.

Relaxing in some Vitamin C!

As you would expect from us, we spent a lot of our time in the red wine infused hot spring. This hot spring used grapes selected from Bordeaux, France which strengthened the cardiovascular system. It was also designed to look like a giant wooden wine barrel, so we basically were swimming in wine!

More wine!!!!

Depending on what hot spring we sat in, the temperatures ranged from 40-42 degrees Celsius (104 – 108 Fahrenheit). They also have pools with cooler water for when we felt like we were going to pass out from stewing in the hot spring too long.

Now serving Talk Travel To Me soup from Huangshan, China!

There was one cringe-worthy hot spring that was infused with coconut milk. It’s was hard to wrap our heads around sitting in a murky white pool of water, especially when we could see every little thing floating on top…. but for the sake of this blog post we sat in that hot spring for about two minutes before seeing a random hair float pass us.

Besides the coconut milk hot spring, the rest of the pools were very enjoyable. The rose and jasmine hot springs were some of the hottest and had flower petals floating on top of the water. The jasmine hot spring was actually too hot… we might have only got one pinky toe in before jumping out!

The Huangshan Hot Springs entrance fee is around ¥298 (about $45 US) and includes access to the hot springs as well as complimentary showers, towels and lockers to store your belongings.

For anyone making the trek up the Yellow Mountains, the Huangshan Hot Springs are the perfect place to soothe aching muscles and spend the day relaxing… and to sit in a vat of red wine!

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1. Roar at the BearPark:

Bern has been a home to bears since 1513, and the city has gone to great lengths to showcase these incredible animals. In 2015 the city opened a renovated BearPark which now includes an area for bears to swim, fish and relax. It’s located just outside Old Town and also has a new inclined lift for visitors to get a unique view. We visited the BearPark two days after they reopened after renovations and caught a glimpse of two large bears. Let’s just say we were thankful we had some distance between us!

There is also a small visitors center located next to the BearPark. It was a great resource when planning our trip. We’d suggest spending a few minutes talking to the very friendly staff.

2. Frolic in the Rosengarten:

The Rosengarten, located about 10-minute walk from the BearPark is the place to go and get a great aerial view of  Bern. Since the park is located above the city, you will need to walk up a little hill to get there but nothing too big! The Rosengarten is also home to a variety of roses … hence the name. If you’re hungry stop by Restaurant Rosengarten. We had dinner there one night and enjoyed the view of the city lighting up at night.

3. Play “Spot the Bear” in Old Town:

As mentioned above, Bern loves its bears and once you step foot in Old Town you will start to notice that bears are literally everywhere. You can spot them in the windows of shops, incorporated in the decor of buildings, and just about everywhere you look. We’d suggest starting a stroll through Old Town at the Zytglogge, Bern’s landmark Clock Tower. At the start of every hour, the clock will put on a small show, with mechanical figures coming out and moving around.

Besides the Zytglogge, Bern’s Old Town is filled with beautiful buildings, cobblestone streets and unique fixtures and fountains. The area is pretty small, so if you only have few days you can see most of Old Town by just walking around. There is also a tram that runs throughout Old Town if you’re feeling lazy!

Once you’ve walked around old town, head over to the Bern Münster. The Bern Münster is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland, and at 300ft it can’t be missed! Plus there is an adorable park near the cathedral, which has some great views at sunset!

4. Visit the Einstein Museum:

Quick history lesson: Albert Einstein lived in Bern for about two years from 1903-1905. During which time he created his famous formula E = mc ² and dropped some knowledge with his Relativity Theory. Who knew that? We didn’t until we visited the Einstein Museum, located in the Bern Historical Museum. The permanent exhibit includes a 1000 square meter area devoted to Einstein’s life. If the museum isn’t enough to fill your Einstein fix, you can even visit the apartment he lived in.

Once you’ve checked everything off your list to do in Bern, we’d suggest sticking around for a few extra days. Bern is centrally located, making for the perfect home base for those looking to make some day trips to the surrounding areas. We’ve already got you covered and put together our top 5 day trips from Bern, Switzerland in another blog post. Check it out here!

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Things to know:

For those visiting the Yellow Mountains for the first time, the town of Huangshan, located below the mountain, is the starting point of the journey. From there visitors take a 15-minute shuttle bus ride to the base of the mountain, where they will either take a cable car or hike up. There are a few different routes people can go, depending if you start from the Eastern side or the Western side of the mountains. The cable car on the Eastern side in the Yungu Cable Car and the Western cable car is the Yuping Cable Car.

Fair warning: The cable car lines can get very long as people don’t want to hike up nearly 6km of steps. Our jaws dropped when we saw how long the line was and we ended up having to walk up the never ending staircase.

We also opted to do a one day hike, making our way to the top and back down in the same day. However, there are hotels at the top of the mountain if visitors would like to make it a multi-day hike.

Be sure to wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring water and snacks (especially if you plan to hike up). If you’d prefer to have a lighter pack, there are places to grab some food once you reach the top, but in our opinion it’s always better to be prepared.

The entry cost for the Yellow Mountains is ¥230 (Mar. 1-Nov.30), however they do offer a 50% for students with valid ID’s.

Hiking Up the Yellow Mountains

As mentioned above, we hiked up the Eastern side of the mountain as the Yungu Cable Car had a crazy long line of people with brightly colored umbrellas. This was the start of the largest stair master that we ever came across. Our nearly three-hour journey was one of the most physically exhausting things we’ve ever done, but it was also equally rewarding.

The hike up left us feeling amazed and out of breath about every 20 steps. Per usual, the elderly and in one case a Chinese woman wearing heels passed us. We kept telling ourselves, “We hiked up Mount Doom in New Zealand, dammit! We can do this!”. On the bright side, we were able to experience a side of the Yellow Mountains we would have never seen if we took the cable car. The steep steps took us through mountain landscapes and gave an inside look the beauty of the Yellow Mountains.

People were being carried in these if they couldn’t handle the steps!

We were not only amazed by the natural beauty but also by the physical strength and endurance of the porters. The porters who carried items to the top of the mountain for the hotels looked like they had the strength of a thousand men. They used a shoulder pole to balance two baskets that had to weigh well over 50 lbs each! The majority of the men also looked to be older than 50…. putting Nick to shame. When we felt like complaining about how tired we were, all we had to do was look at a porter and we quickly shut up.

We also turned out to be local celebrities while we hiked up as many Chinese parents wanted their children to take a photo with us. We found out later that we visited the Yellow Mountains when a majority of children were off from school for holiday. With the number of photos, we took we can only assume that we are in a few school projects sharing what they did during their break ;)!

Once we made it to the end of the 6km of steps, (Hallelujah!) we had the opportunity to check out the many peaks which showcased the mountain ranges.

From this point on the Yellow Mountains, we could see for miles and miles and had a chance to relax and take in the scenery. The Yellow Mountains are known for the unique rock formations as well as the trees that sprout from the mountain tops.

Lock Love on the top of the Yellow Mountains!

After spending about two hours exploring the top of the mountains we started to make the journey down as we didn’t want to miss the last cable car which left at 5:00 PM.

To get down to the Mercy Light Temple, where the shuttle buses were, we had to make our way down the Western side of the mountains. The cable car on the West side is known as the Yuping Cable Car and we found out that leaving the Yellow Mountains was an adventure in its self! Apparently, we left during rush hour and made our way down some very steep cliffs in a single file line with hundreds of other people. If memory serves us correctly, it took us about one hour to make our way down with all our new friends!

Look closely and you will see a long line of people going down the mountain!

When we finally reached the cable car, we were ready to say 再见 (goodbye in Mandarin) to the Yellow Mountains and just pass out in our bed.

After hiking nearly six hours, the Yellow Mountains was an unforgettable experience that we’d recommend to anyone planning a trip to China… just be prepared to get in a good workout.  Although it can get crowded, the nature that surrounds the area is something like we’ve never seen!

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Once we arrived in Zadar, we quickly got our first taste of how unique the cities are within this small country. Croatia has been influenced by various countries as it has been ruled for centuries by many foreign powers and only fully gained its independence in 1991. With that being said, when visiting a city like Zadar, you can see examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance architecture and more. 

We spent three days making our way around Zadar, from walking through Old City to enjoying the scenic views of the Adriatic. Below is a breakdown of how we spent our time and the reasons we feel in love with this coastal town!

Old City:

Bell Tower at St. Anastasia Cathedral

• Climbing the 180 steps inside the Bell Tower at St. Anastasia Cathedral gave us a birds-eye view of Zadar and its surroundings. It was a bit of a work out to get to the top but well worth it when you see the view!

History lesson at the Archeological Museum

• Located across from the Roman Forum (prime real-estate), this museum displays archaeological remains from various cultural and historical periods. Although it’s pretty small in size, they had some incredible pieces of history on display and it was the perfect place to escape the mid-day heat!

Admired the Church of St. Donat

• For those walking around Old City, you really can’t miss the Church of St. Donat. The circular shape of the building is one of its defining characteristics and is a beautiful example of pre-Romanesque architecture.

Shopped along the Kalelarga and wandered through the Old City streets

• The Kalelarge is the largest and widest street within Old City and is considered the pulse of the city. It’s also was the perfect starting point to wander the side streets. Zadar is relatively small, making it the ideal location to get lost and wander in and out of the pastel buildings and white stoned streets.

Along the water

The Sea Organ:

• The Sea Organ is not your typical musical instrument, as its music is produced through the movement of the waves and wind. The organ is located underground, beneath large marble steps, and could be easily missed if we weren’t listening. However, once we heard that first sound coming from the Sea Organ we were immediately drawn in and just sat along the water to listen.

Greeting to the Sun:

• Located next to the Sea Organ is the Greeting to the Sun, a solar-powered light installation that comes to life once the sun goes down. After the sun sets, three hundred glass plates shine and move creating an animated light show. The architect, Nikola Bašić, who also created the Sea Organ, kept with the theme of communicating with nature. One way being with sound from the force of the waves and another being the light installation absorbing the energy from the Sun.

Beautiful Sunsets:

• Zadar has a pretty big historical figure vouching for this cities sunsets. Alfred Hitchcock visited Zadar in 1964 and made the bold statement that “Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, in Florida, applauded at every evening.” Woah, those are fighting words Key West!

We’ve never been to Key West, but have seen many beautiful sunsets during our travels, and Zadar is up there! In fact, it turns into quite the gathering just as the sun begins to set. Families and friends can be seen sitting along the Sea Organ, and people even dive into the water to swim straight into the sunset!

Hanging with the locals at the beach:

• To be honest, Zadar doesn’t have your quintessential white sand beaches, but if you’re willing to walk on some rocks you can enjoy a dip in the Adriatic. Most tourists don’t come to Zadar for the beaches, so when we made our way to “beach” near our hotel we found ourselves surrounded by locals. We had a great time just swimming, relaxing and enjoying the laid back lifestyle you tend to find while visiting Zadar. Our hotel was outside the Old City walls, which is where the locals tend to hang out.

After visiting Zadar, we’d say it is the place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle that you’ll find when visiting Dubrovnik. We loved exploring within Old City and enjoyed interacting with nature through the Sea Organ, Greeting to the Sun and being able to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world!

Have you been to Zadar!? What was your favorite part?

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