Tag Archives: tourist

Philippines, Travelinds

Sea Turtle House, Moalboal

28 July 2014

Sea Turtle House
The ‘private swimming pool’ – step right out into the ocean.

Sea Turtle House, or STH as it is affectionately known by its owners Stefan and Nenita, is a charming beach lodge right on the edge of White Beach, Moalboal. It is surrounded by tropical vegetation and gives panoramic views of the Tanon Strait between Negros and Cebu in central Philippines. The rustic atmosphere coupled with a fresh sea breeze makes for an ideal beach getaway and we had a wonderful week of complete relaxation.

Named for the Green Sea Turtles that frequent the coastline (we literally saw sea turtles popping up for air every day the water was flat enough), Sea Turtle House has to be our new favourite holiday destination; it’s reasonably priced, offers great home-cooked meals from Arlene, a beautiful location and a stunning reef to snorkel only 100m off shore. Check out more information at the Sea Turtle House Dive Adventure website.  It is also only a short walk from the long, white, sandy beach.

Sea Turtle House
Looking out over Moalboal reef.

What to expect: 

Hammocks, bamboo cabanas, sun loungers, air-conditioned rooms, tropical garden, stunning coral reef that runs from white beach all the way out past Panagsama towards the acclaimed Pescador Island, a great dive spot, home-cooked meals, scrumptious bacon breakfasts and lots of sunshine. Also, massages, snorkel tours and tuk-tuk trips in to Panagsama (for other restaurants) or Moalboal for groceries, are available on request.

Getting here:

Situated on the west coast of Cebu, it is less than a 3 hour taxi ride from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.  We flew directly into Cebu (Cebu Pacific/Air Asia X are the best low cost airlines for this) and then jumped straight in to a (white) taxi in front of the ‘Departures’. It cost us 2,500 pesos (US$ 58) for a three hour taxi ride – well worth it for two to four passengers! STH can also arrange an airport transfer for you for around the same price.

Tips:

Sea Turtle House1.If you go in the rainy season (June to November), even though a little rain can be expected all year round, then it is much quieter but be prepared for some rainy days of reading a book on your bamboo porch. or under the cabana.  We even had a typhoon pass by us during our stay here (July 2014), but the following day we had glorious sunshine and got thoroughly sunburnt on our (absolutely awesome) snorkel tour.

2. There are some basic rooms and others with kitchenettes. We upgraded when we arrived and it was great being able to prepare little snacks, tea or light meals for ourselves using our groceries from Moalboal town and the fruit market.

3. We requested massages, manicures and pedicures in our rooms on some of the rainy days and were sent an angel, named DaDa, who appeared to relieve all the stress and anxiety from our weary bodies. She was amazing, truly! And her rates were more than reasonable too – for an hour long full-body massage and also a great mani-pedi. She is a mother of four and a beauty school student so I’m sure your small financial contributions will be greatly appreciated in her life, especially for what you get out of the deal (a fantastic massage and the gift of giving back).

Read more…
  • About Panagsama (the neighbouring tourist area with hotels, restaurants and dive centers) here.
  • STH reviews on TripAdvisor before you book on Agoda.com
South Korea, Travelinds

Jeju-do Roadtrip – Part 3

27 July 2014

Jeju Island, South Korea

Geumneung Beach
Geumneung Beach

Our last full day we headed up towards the north western corner of the island, hoping to catch a bit of sun and find a place to settle down for the last evening on Jeju island.

Circumnavigating Jeju, you can catch a glimpse of Hallasan (the prominent volcano mountain in the centre of the island) when the clouds aren’t covering it like a fluffy white beanie.

 

Geumneung Beach

Our first stop for the day was at Geumneung Beach, the quieter, neighbouring beach to Jeju’s most famous one – Hyeopjae Beach.

We found a spot of sand (between the ‘for hire’ umbrellas) and enjoyed the hike across the bay to get to the water deep enough for swimming.  As with most beaches in Korea, it wasn’t more than chest deep and you have to just pretend to be really swiming.

Windhill Hotel and Resort, Aewol.
Windhill Hotel and Resort, Aewol.

After a couple of hours, we washed off and headed up towards Aewol where we had seen a hotel online that looked like a winner.

 

Windhill Hotel and Resort

Windhill Hotel&Resort turned out to be quite difficult to find (through winding little alleys and one car wide farm roads our GPS directed us, when it would have been so much easier to come in from the other side on the coastal road through Aewol) @_@

It was a nice little hotel though and we had a comfortable stay in a clean, airconditioned room.

Cafe Uncle Tony’s

We found a small restaurant down the road, Uncle Tony’s Cafe, where we had the most delicious fish and chips we’ve found in Korea. Thank you, Britain.

Cafe Uncle Tony's, Aewol
Cafe Uncle Tony’s, Aewol

We enjoyed it so much we came back again the next day for brunch. And had fish and chips again! With vinegar! This place has a great vibe and mouth-wateringly good food.

Back to Jeju City

The last day we headed back in to Jeju City to get ready to board the ferry again.

With about an hour and a half extra, we decided to do at least one cultural activity and settled on an interesting visit to the Natural History and Folklore museum.

Heading back down to the dock was bittersweet, but Jeju is a truly beautiful place and it’s easy to see why it is held so dear in the hearts of the Korean people.

 

Memories

Favourite memories for the trip included hallabong, beaches, local hospitality and the mysterious volcanic rocks that line the turquoise bays. Goodbye, Jeju Grandfathers, and keep watch until next time.

Mount Hallasan hiding in the clouds
Mount Hallasan hiding in the clouds
South Korea, Travelinds

Jeju-do Roadtrip – Part 2

26 July 2014

Jeju Island, South Korea

tumblr_inline_nclsgwf0tT1rg4d7lThe second night of our road trip, we stayed at a pension on the West Coast of the island – in Korea, ‘pension’ refers to a self-catering holiday flat or room, usually with a kitchenette.  We had almost driven right around the island from Woljeong-ri in the northeastern corner, past some stunning ocean views, to the southwestern corner of the island.

Travelinds found a pension called Madangdol Pension and booked in for a night. It looked out over the dark blue ocean crashing on to volcanic black rocks – amazing!

There was a Heuk Dweji (Black Pig) restaurant down the road from the pension and enjoyed a scrumptious Korean-style braai, seated on the floor of a restaurant whose only other customers were some rough looking fisherman and farmers from the area. If the owners were surprised to find two random waygooks in their establishment, they didn’t show it.

Jeju Island Black Pig
Jeju Black Pig Barbcue

At the pension, there were only three other guests (a mother and daughter who were on vacation with the daughter’s new boyfriend who was a university professor and the designated barbecue chef for the family).

Travelinds shared some South African biltong and cider with them, they shared some of their barbecue with us; and the evening ended with us teaching them how to play a couple of card games and chatting about life and travel dreams. What fun!

The morning came too soon and we were on our way once more. Heading back up north towards Jeju City.

Jeju

South Korea, Travelinds

Jeju-do Roadtrip – Part 1

25 July 2014

Jeju Island, South Korea

Art House
Art House

This summer, Travelinds did a roadtrip to Jeju Island – South Korea’s ‘Maldives’ and a popular honeymoon destination for Koreans. There were four days (Monday to Thursday) to explore and decided it would be more fun to go over on the car ferry with our dear old Kia Sephia.

We stayed three nights and chose the hotels as we went along. From Jeju City, we drove around the whole island going east first and driving along the 1132 Coastal Highway.

We stopped the first night at Woljeong-ri and stayed at “The Art House”, a charming bed and breakfast with pension rooms also available.

It was only a short drive from Woljeong Beach with its beautiful turquoise sea, sandy beach, giant energy windmills and only a handful of tourists. The Art House is on Agoda.com – see the reviews on TripAvisor here.

Woljeong
Evening swim at Woljeong Beach

At Art House, we met up with a couple from Spain who were touring Jeju without a car and more importantly without any knowledge of Korean. We offered to drop them off along the way to our next destination so that they could explore before heading back on the local 700 bus.

Woljeong-ri
The drive along Woljeong-ri (on Jeju’s north coast)
Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak
Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak

We dropped them off at the UNESCO Natural Heritage site called Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak) to hike the volcanic peak with the hoards of tourists spilling from tour busses. With a sore ankle and suffocating heat (or was is crowds?) as an excuse, we declined the hike, took some sneaky pictures at the museum that made it look like we had touched the mountain and headed off down the coast in our air-conditioned car.

Pyoseon Haevich beach, low tide.
Pyoseon Haevich beach, low tide.

Next stop was the south-eastern corner of Jeju at Pyoseon Haevich Beach and Jeju Folk Village. The beach was lovely for swimming, but not so lovely for tanning as the whole bay is covered in water during high tide resulting in permanently wet beach sand, even at low tide. Most people hire those silver picnic mats and umbrellas (Korean style) and sit on these for a bit before retreating from the sun.

The only bikinis were H and a couple of other Russian tourists that were frolicking in the shallow bay – full body wet suits, long sleeve rash vests, big hats, fully clothed swimmers, tubes, umbrellas and loads of whitening suncream reminded us that we were still very much in Asia.

Jeongbang waterfall.
Jeongbang waterfall.

We looked in at the Jeju Folk Village but decided against going in as we had run out of time and it was time to drive on to our next hotel on the west of the island.  On the way, we managed to stop at the Jeongbang waterfall for a quick snack of Hallabong (a famous Jeju tangerine with protruding stem, sweet and delicious) and a mini photo session.

TIP: The GIANT Mosquitoes at Jeongbang are permanently hungry and really dig in when they find a weak spot; like feet, legs, arms or even faces.
Jeongbang waterfall.
Jeongbang waterfall.
South Africa, Travelinds

“South Coast” KwaZulu-Natal – I <3 South Africa

Destination: “South Coast”,

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Description:

The “South Coast” as it is fondly known by local Natalians is the southern coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, dotted with endless beaches, that stretches from just below Durban all the way down to Port Edward. Everyone you speak to may have a different opinion on which beach is the best to visit, but this probably depends heavily on where their annual family outings and summers were spent.  Wherever you choose to go, you are sure to find long sandy beaches and good waves for surfing (and from mid-December to early January, a boat-load of visitors that escape the cities and head east for a beach holiday around Christmas every year).

Tourist Must-sees:

  • Pennington, Scottborough, Hibberdeen, Uvongo, Margate, Ramsgate, St Michael’s and Leisure Bay are some of the more popular beaches among local holiday-makers.  These are generally very busy in the summer months and you will usually find life-guards, vendors and tourists here between October and April.
  • Some lesser known beaches that are just as beautiful, but less busy, are: Winkelspruit, Pumula, Southport, Southbroom and Munster.
  • Lake Eland – a game reserve, restaurant and wedding venue – is also a wonderful day out for the whole family, especially on those occasional rainy days during the summer months. Go on a safari, take in the stunning views of Oribi Gorge, take a zip line tour, brave a walk out over the impressive gorge drop and eat a great meal, South African style. This is an especially sentimental place for me personally, as quite a few of the family’s and our friend’s weddings have happened here!
Photo credit: www.margate.co.za > close up Hibberdene to Port Edward
Photo credit: www.margate.co.za > close up Hibberdene to Port Edward

My favourite beach:

One of my favourite beaches is Southport, mostly for sentimental reasons, but also because of the lovely swimming bay and the wide sandy beach for tanning and beach games.  It also has a small shady park in front of the only restaurant where you can picnic or braai (this is the South African word for “barbecue”).  There is also a very nice restaurant a short walk up the road from the beach, called Castaways, that has a great menu.

Hungry?

MacBananas (a farm stall) has some of the best pancakes, shakes and lunches in the area. It is a definite favourite with the South Coast locals.

If you don’t mind waiting in queues during the December holidays, the Waffle House in Ramsgate also has a wide selection of savoury and sweet waffles – think along the lines of “Banoffee”, “Chili Con Carne” or “Fresh Strawberry.

Fish on the River (Port Shepstone) is also a hidden gem when it comes to seafood, especially fish and chips. Sit on the deck and look out over the river or enjoy the nautical decor in the breezy interior.

Fun facts:

“Vaalies” are what the locals call the hoards of holiday-makers that come from the Northern provinces (Gauteng, Freestate etc), which stems from the old provincial name of “Transvaal” and has stuck over the years. (Aside: You may not want to use this term when talking to an actual “Vaalie”, unless you’re a good sprinter or know kung-fu.)

P.S. It is always good to remember that safety comes first, so: swim where the lifeguards have designated, watch out for riptides, keep an eye on your belongings and wear sun cream at all times!  A little caution goes a long way to ensure the happiest of beach days.

Check out more posts about South Africa here >> *I <3 South Africa*

South Africa, Travelinds

Tsitsikamma, Storms River Mouth – I <3 South Africa

Destination: Tsitsikamma

Eastern Cape, South Africa

Description

Tsitsikamma National Park is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in South Africa and it is situated on the world-famous Garden Route.  TsitsikammaIts rolling green hills, sheer cliffs, wild oceans, fascinating wildlife and rugged beauty are simply breath-taking; Mother Nature at her finest.Tsitsikamma

 

Tourist Must-sees

In the National Park itself, there are camping facilities, chalets, hiking trails, picnic spots, a bird-watchers paradise, plenty of wildlife and the rugged sandy beaches that belong to the earth, not to tourists.Tsitsikamma view

There are also amazing sight-seeing opportunities in the nearby areas of Storms River Mouth and the village, Nature’s Valley, Plettenberg Bay and The Crags.

The Big Tree, The Otter Trail, Robberg Nature Reserve and Birds of Eden are some of my favourite spots in this area.

 

Attractions range from the highest bungee-jump in the world at Bloukrans to the five-day beach hike on the Otter Trail, this place offers adventure-seekers a multitude of thrilling endeavours.

 

There are also a number of acclaimed restaurants nearby.

I especially recommend De Oude Martha in Storms River Village (a short drive from the Tsitsikamma Reserve). There are also other interesting places like Canopy Tours, Monkeyland and the Elephant Sanctuary to make for a great day out with the whole family.

 

Tsitsikamma is also a perfect setting in which to relax and enjoy the sunsets, or do some serious whale-watching and stroll along the green pathways alongside the dark blue coastline.

My favourite place

My favourite place here is at the Tsitsikamma National Park at the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp. There are cute wooden cabins here, perfect for a romantic getaway, where in fact we enjoyed a very romantic spring break in October 2011.

Otter TrailMemory Bank:

We walked a little way along the Otter Trail to reach the famous waterfall pool, seeing antelope, cormorants, whales, dolphins, seagulls, baboons and kingfishers along the way. Then followed a lunchtime picnic followed by a cool swim in the tannin-coloured waters below the waterfall before heading back along the trail. A little way before the camp, we found a secret rock pool below the path where we enjoyed a dip in the refreshing waters; dodging the bunch of sea urchins on one end of the pool.  Such an amazing day!

Fun facts:

  • Whale-watching Season: June to November
  • Climate:                                 Temperate Coastal Climate – The wettest months are May and October, and the driest are June and July.

Helpful Resources:

Booking website: Tsitsikamma National Park (SANPARKS)

Recommended Tour Agent: Imvelaphi Safaris (her name is Jeannette and she is a vibrant, knowledgeable and professional entrepreneur who will provide you with an awesome tour package).

Check out more posts about South Africa here >> *I <3 South Africa*

 

Malaysia, Travelinds

Tip of Borneo Accomodation

14 February 2014

After a week at the Tip of Borneo, the following accomodation in the area seemed worth a look. Since not all seemed to be available for online booking, Travelinds thought they’d mention a few options to those looking to spend a couple nights in this beautiful place:

1. Tommy’s Place (mid-range, email booking)
  • We stayed here for the 5 days and loved the vibe of this chilled out lodge.  The food was decent (breakfasts were delicious!), it’s right opposite the beach, ten minutes walk from the Tip of Borneo monument and lookout, managed efficiently and generally clean.

    Tommy's Place
    Tommy’s Place
2. BorneoTip Lodge (mid range, email booking)
  • Right next door to Tommy’s Place, wooden bungalows and a lovely pool seems to be in the making (a long way from finished though).  Popular with bikers going up to the Tip for the weekend. Also right across from the beach and ten minutes walk to the Tip of Borneo.
3. Merrimas Villas (mid to high price, online booking available)
  • Beautiful villas here and it is right on the tip. five minutes walk down to the beach. Great restaurant (see blog on Chef Jainnes Apin) and friendly staff.
4. TipofBorneo Villas/bungalows (mid to high price, phone/email booking)
  • The last lodge before the tip itself. Seemed like simple but comfortable bungalows (different sizes available) but mid to high prices. Cheapest beer at this restaurant. Five minutes walk from the beach.
5. Tampat Do Aman (Howard’s) (mid range, online)
  • This seems to be the most well-known (well marketed) lodge in the area with its rungus-style longhouse and rustic living experience. The information is available on their information website and you can read more in the menu of Tip Top restaurant (Howard’s) while you are there. http://tampatdoaman.com/

This area is largely untouched with hardly any urban development noticeable. It provides a great base to relax, enjoy the beach, swim, surf, explore beautiful local beaches (with absolutely no people to crowd out the long white stretches) and just enjoy a bit of an authentic Sabah experience.

It is so worth the trip!

Tip of Borneo beach
Tip of Borneo beach
Malaysia, Travelinds

Mabul Island

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08 February 2014

Day trip snorkelling tour to Mabul Island with Scuba Junkie. The most inhabited of all the surrounding islands, Mabul gives off an energetic vibe and it was clear to us that all tourists and locals here were passionate about the ocean and its mysteries, as well as protecting their environmental treasure trove.

Mabul Island

We snorkelled in three different spots for the day and ate lunch at the Scuba Junkie cafeteria (buffet style) at the beach resort. There were no swimming beaches on Mabul but there is a small white beach where you can suntan or rest in the shade of a few umbrellas.  The resort itself looked very nice – small wooden bungalows and pretty gardens.  Swimming is not advised as there as too many sea urchins, but you can snorkel with the dive operators from off the boats, a little further out.

The rest of the island contains other resorts, dive operators, local houses and some home stays – this is another option for staying on Mabul cheaply. It is advised to check out the home-stays in person before deciding and/or paying for your accommodation.  We were warned repeatedly that home stays are strictly “very basic” accommodation (bamboo huts/shared bathrooms/sleeping on floor) etc.

Best sightings for the day:

Hawksbill turtle, Blue spotted ray, a school of very large Trumpet fish, a group of Puffers, very large Green turtles (at least 20 of them for the day) and so much more!

Snorkelling spots:

We snorkelled along the drop off and also in the artificial coral garden. Lobster Wall and Panglima Reef were wonderful, so many turtles and many other interesting fish.  Artificial Reef was completely boring and the visibility was poor.

Transport tips:

If you are staying on Mabul, but not diving/snorkelling through Scuba Junkie, you can still use their boat as a shuttle between Semporna and Mabul.  It was only about MYR 50 and they do regular trips.  You can take your luggage with you on the boat to Mabul (and back again).

See more about Scuba Junkie here.

 

Malaysia, Travelinds

Mataking and Timba-Timba Island

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07 February 2015

tumblr_inline_n40p17q3WL1rg4d7lMataking Island

Mataking Turtles
Turtles popping their heads out of the smooth turquoise water off Mataking Island.

 

The Mataking Island day trip was by far our favourite of the three days spent snorkelling off the coast of Semporna, Borneo.

With its long white beach and crystal clear turquoise water, it is just like something out of those romantic movies in tropical paradise.    Just the two of us, on a white beach, under the shade of a tree, looking out over the cobalt water lapping on the shore…
We saw a large number of fish and other sea life, including barracuda, stone fish, colourful varieties of parrot fish, turtles and weird looking tiny things.

The colours here are truly spectacular and this is definitely one of Travelinds’ best places in the world to snorkel and to swim!
We spent time on the beach after lunch while the divers rested and could see the turtles popping their heads out of the water every few minutes (to breathe).

 

 

 

 

 

Timba-Timba Island

Mataking

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to Semporna, we went to the Diver’s Delight snorkelling spot off Timba-Timba island and saw so many turtles here!

It was really exciting for me as I had not had much experience in swimming with turtles, even while snorkelling in Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand!

It was a truly spectacular snorkelling day and we flaunted the sunburn to prove it!

See more about Scuba Junkie here.tumblr_inline_n40p3uXy3t1rg4d7l

 

 

 

 

 

Malaysia, Travelinds

Sibuan Island

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06 February 2014

Nicknamed “Sunburn island”, Sibuan is like something out of a dreamy beach romance.  White sandy beach, cobalt clear water, reefs right off the island and a couple of palm trees dotted here and there.  The military base building is the only sign of life here and life seems to creep past at a suitably slow island pace.

The snorkelling here was fantastic, colourful coral, turtles, all kinds of colourful fish and other interesting sea creatures.  It is close enough to swim back to the beach if you get tired and the visibility was good that day.

Favourite memory:

Due to the military presence of these islands (mostly for environmental protection and immigration law enforcement) it is common to see a couple of soldiers, with big guns, lying around on hammocks or patrolling the islands checking for illegal activity. One of the Swedish tourists was in his skimpy speedo (only) and demanded a photo shoot with the soldier and his large weapon, to which the soldier of course, happily complied. They were having a whale of a time doing a photo shoot of “the soldier and the speedo” – hilarious to watch!

Weird experience:

We were on our third snorkelling spot of the day around Sibuan when we heard two loud bangs in a row.  It was enough to get us to lift our heads out of the water suddenly and look around expectantly. Apparently, this area has a problem with fisherman using dynamite for fishing purposes and unfortunately, these explosions occur pretty regularly.  This particular one was apparently about two kilometres from us, but unbelievably loud for being that distance away.  There is a system to report explosions (time,date, location) in the area so that officals can investigate and hopefully catch the offending parties.

TIP:
Take suncream with you. It sure is hot, with little to no shady spots on the island. As a result, we spent most of our downtime at Sibuan in the shade of the speedboat.

See more about Scuba Junkie here.