Travelinds enjoyed a festive evening out at the ballet on Boxing Day. The Nutcracker Suite is an old favourite and the Universal Arts Centre in Seoul did not disappoint. There are shows here all year round so book your tickets next time you’re coming to Seoul.
Chuseok weekend is usually a great time of the year for outdoor activities and we headed off the Bukhansan National Park to hike. Cooler weather, clear skies, changing colours and a slight breeze made the hike all that much sweeter.
The mountain borders Seoul to the north and was used as a natural defence in ancient Korean dynasties. It is a large mountain area (visible from almost anywhere in Seoul if you look north) with a few main peaks, multiple entrances and varied levels of hiking difficulty. It was amazing to go straight from the bustling city to the shady paths of the silent mountain. Once we were on the mountain, in the stillness and sounds of nature, we completely forgot about the city behind us until the magnificent view points reminded us how close we really were.
As amateurs just hiking for the views, we didn’t really look at the difficulty levels, times or correct entrances and just headed to one on this directions list from Visit Korea. (Our choice was Bukhansan National Park – Gireum Station (Line 4), Exit 3. Take Bus 110B or 143, and get off at the last bus stop).
With these instructions, we took the subway to Gireum Station, then the 10-minute bus and ended up at the Bukhansan Jeongneung Information Centre (start of Recommended course #4 on the Dulle-gil trail). This is where we started hiking. Being on the unfit side, we decided to head to Daeseongmun gate (on the board it was described as a medium-to-advanced hike, 3.4km, 2 hours 45 minutes). From there we would see how we were feeling before deciding the next leg of the hike. As it turns out, Daeseongmun gate was quite enough challenge for one day (we did it in less than 2 hours) and, since we had already found some beautiful views on the way up, we headed from there across to Daennammun gate and then down towards Bukhansan Gugi Ticket Office.
Yeonginsan Natural Forest ( 영인산자연휴양림) is about twenty minutes from Asan. It is a reserve for hiking, picnics, camping and outdoor activities, popular for school outings, families with young children and hikers. It is stunning in spring and autumn and has lush green scenery in the summer. We’d imagine winter would be very pretty in the snow, but hiking in the cold and snow is not our idea of fun!
A ten minute drive from our apartment in Dunpo, it’s an easy morning out if we feel like some exercise with a view. It is a course that lends itself well to all levels of hikers. It is possible to walk to all the major points from the central area and back to the middle again, or from point-to-point in a circuit if you’re a more serious hiker and require more of a challenge.
Cost:
1,000 KRW pp for Asan or Cheonan residents
2,000 KRW for others
Parking:
There are parking lots below the mountain, at the entrance to the reserve (where the swimming pool and chalets are) and further up near the education centre and cable car.
[We usually park (for free) at the bottom entrance to the hiking trail and walk up the 2 km to the central picnic area, passing the ticket booth on the way.]
Bus:
There are two bus stops in Yeongin-myeon, the Middle School stop (영인중학교 1979(아산)) is closest to the hiking trails, but the Nonghyup stop (영인농협 637(아산)) is just a few minutes further.
From both bus stops both, if you carry on walking up the main road towards the mountain, you will come to the beginning of the trail on your right. (It’s opposite the dirt parking lot)
The bus stop in Yeonginsasn.
Next up:
The following weekend, Travelinds ventured out to Bukhansan National Park in Seoul – a more challenging hike than Yeonginsan.
A tropical island off the west coast of Thailand, Ko Lanta offered us long stretches of beach, exquisite scenery and lots of sunshine. A week here felt like a month-long holiday and we returned home sun-tanned, refreshed and little fatter from all the delicious Thai food. Surprisingly easily accessible from the Krabi main land, it’s a fantastic option for a hidden getaway and also gives you easy access to the remote southern islands like Koh Mook.
Thai Green Curry
Accommodation
We stayed at Lanta Palace Resort and Beach Club, an amazing spot halfway down the west coast of Lanta Yai (the bigger of two Lanta islands). Google maps clocks the journey from Krabi Airport to our hotel at under two and a half hours, which is accurate. This includes two (short) car ferries – we took a taxi from the airport (2500 Baht).
Activities
The week was spent relaxing, swimming, eating, resting and exploring. Motorbikes were easily available for hire and provided a great way to explore the island from end to end. There are a few places to shop, like the market, restaurants to try along the way and Thai massages, too!
Since it was rainy season, we did not take any snorkelling tours out into the Andaman Sea. The visibility at this time of year is poor and the sea conditions can be rougher than usual, especially when you’re on a long-tail boat. One rainy day, one of the families staying near us took a long-tail to Phi Phi and back, in the rain. They said it took them days to find their land-legs again after the bumpy ride which liberated them from both their breakfast and then their lunch on the way back; but they still thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Rented motorbikes took us to the nature reserve on the southern point with it’s iconic lighthouse, Old Lanta Town and the market. The Mu Koh Lanta National Park was beautiful! It’s a 400 baht entrance fee. There’s a circular walk, an isolated and beautiful beach for swimming and of course, the lighthouse. Walking shoes are recommended. Also, take heed of the TripAdvisor reviewers who warn against the monkeys and safeguard your bags – it seems that bags are targets for inquisitive and relentless monkeys, especially if they contain food items!
Kayaking Day Tour
We booked a day trip (8:00-15:00) with one of the many travel companies (Lanta Eco Tour) to kayak and swim off the east coast of Koh Lanta – the islands are Ko Bubu, Ko Talabeng and Ko Por. The van picks up everyone from the hotel, takes them to the pier in the mangrove swamps, with millions of colourful crabs, hands you over to a guide who leads you over a rickety boardwalk to the pier, then shows you some huge fish in the “fish farm” before loading you into the longtail boat.
The trip out to the islands is about 45 minutes long and the tourists kayak first, get back on the boat, go to the next island, swim and have lunch and then head back towards the mangroves. We didn’t realise that there was only one kayaking opportunity and were disappointed that we had only taken a few pictures of the kayak experience. Other than that, it was a most enjoyable day and a beautiful place.
Restaurants
There’s an array of restaurants around Koh Lanta. In Koh Tob beach, where we stayed, there were at least 20 along the road. We enjoyed Bobby Big Boy Seafood & Bar. Bobby is a dynamic host with a big personality, his menu is great, his prices are competitive and his restaurant is spacious and relaxed. We went back every day. And then carried on down the road to the massage parlour before heading back to the hotel each night.
Beaches
Our stay was on the smaller Klong Tob beach (at the northern end of Klong Nin beach). It was clean, almost private and amazingly different at high tides and low tides. One day of high winds brought jellyfish, but the rest of the week was lovely for swimming, especially at high tide. The main beach, Klong Nin, is the next long stretch of sand, which would be stunningly beautiful if it weren’t so littered with rubbish and debris after heavy rains and high tides.
The beach at the Mu Koh Lanta National Park is also stunning, and great for swimming.
Low Season
Since this is during the low season, the rates for hotels and activities are lower and we were especially happy with the value for money we received at Lanta Palace Resort and Beach Club, at less than $15 per night. The rain was intermittent (as it has been the last few times we’ve been in rainy season) and we only had one afternoon that was pouring.
Howzit and welcome to Linds.co.za., friend! This is the official online home of the adventure-loving Linds from South Africa. Whatever you'd like to know about us, you'll find right here.
Welcome! Learn More About Us Here
As you browse our posts, you’ll find a lot of living here. There are pervasive themes: an adventurous spirit, tenacity, and a living hope.
Lind: A Brief History
The widespread Lind family has a rich history in South Africa now. There’s no doubt about a bit of wanderlust in the blood.
Our Lind ancestors mostly hail from Norwegian-Swedish-Scottish-English descent (Yes, we know how complicated it sounds). Isn’t complexity beautiful?
Fascinating bloodlines have come together over centuries. Just think of the eyes in our family. These windows to the soul range from icy Nordic blues to rich chocolate pools that draw you in despite yourself. We’re all so different, and we’re all bonafide Linds!
They’re certainly an interesting bunch these Linds. Want enough unbelievable stories to fill a couple of books? Let’s just start with a website!
See our sweet, dainty, petite female dog here? She was called Butch! That’s Lind humour that. She’s in doggy heaven now, but she shared in many of our adventures over the years.
If you’d like to start exploring and learn more about us, here are a few things you’ll find on our site:
The “Travelinds” Blog
Join us on this exciting journey as Travelinds discovers beautiful new places and faces around the world. Visit our travel blog.
The “Oribi Mom” Column
With so much on offer in our new hometown, the adventures started rolling in as quickly as the babies here. Three sons, a menagerie, a little farm, and parenting gave rise to the “Oribi Mom” column in the local paper. It’s published right here and on the newspaper’s website.
We hope you enjoy the journey with us!
Our three small boys looking at a creature scuttling off into the forest in Oribi Gorge, South Africa
If you’d like to skip to our latest travel blog posts, CLICK HERE.
The Journey Begins
This is now the Lind’s favourite place to be as we travel the world. Of course, we weren’t always the “Travelinds” jetting off to the next adventure. The humble Travelinds blog started as a basic diary, giving us a platform to capture the strange and wonderful things we were seeing every day in a place we didn’t know. It was our first time leaving our home in South Africa, as we’d quit our jobs and signed up as English Teachers. From there, it snowballed quickly. Before long, we had hopped onto planes, walked foreign streets, and navigated subways for the first time. We also guessed at what menu items we pointed at would bring to the table, which could mean a delicious steak, a soup that burned off your taste buds, or pickled silkworm larvae.
Johannesburg has treated us to a fine stay with the family we love. Today we took a trip up to Gaborone, Botswana for a night, to see the old folks and catch up with a beloved aunty. Since we were short on time and had been living out of suitcases for a month already, we decided to try a ‘luxury bus’ instead of the InterCape as we had heard about this option.
We found the Flight Connect bus on the internet and decided to try it. It claimed a 6 hour trip, with on-board WiFi, directly from the bus station at O.R.Tambo International Airport to Gaborone, Botswana. To us this seemed a reasonable package for the price offered and we booked our tickets through email.
The office (in Botswana) was very prompt in replying to us with a booking number and indicating methods of payment (cash or credit card) and ensuring that we knew where to go. We got to the airport and then headed to the bus terminal, which is directly behind the Intercontinental Hotel, outside arrivals. The bus was on time and our names were on the list. We made the payment for our return ticket when we arrived in Gaborone.
Tips:
There is a bathroom on board and it is clean, but rather bumpy.
The bus stops at the border, you jump out and go through immigration and then WALK THROUGH no-mans land (not too far) to the next border post and jump back on to the bus on the other side of the border. Don’t be alarmed when the bus is not there as you come out of the first immigration building.
There is WiFi on-board but no charging stations so take a fully charged battery with you.
This Valentine’s weekend we stayed at Midmar Dam with our siblings and a new addition, our 6-month-old niece. It was the week after the world-famous open water race – the Midmar Mile (which R has completed 10 times!). We invited friends and family to join us so that we could catch up with everyone while we were in KZN.
As usual, Midmar did not disappoint to wow us with its February thunderstorms and high winds, but it was worth it for the clear, glassy water in the early mornings. It was an awesome weekend of quality time with the family around the braai, laughing, making memories, enjoying the fruits of South Africa (Amarula – yum!) and remembering why we love our crazy siblings so much!
It was a happy Valentine’s day indeed!
TIP: If you will be travelling around Kwa-Zulu Natal quite a lot in a period of a year, then it is well worth it to get yourself (or your family) a Rhino Card. It gives you discounts on bookings (if you have the card before you make the booking) and on entrance fees and daily levies at the reserves and environmental sites. We bought one and it paid for itself in just the month we were in South Africa – what a bargain!
TIP: Ezemvelo gave us a few grey hairs as we arrived because they didn’t have our booking confirmed, but after much discussion (calm?) and compromise, they accommodated our party of ten people and a baby with gracious hospitality in the awesome chalets – book here.
[Lesson learnt: When you book and pay online, it is not enough to have the pro-forma invoice and receipt number. Phone ahead and make sure that you receive the actual booking confirmation sheet along with other documentation to support your booking and avoid disappointment.]
Colourful markets along the main Kinabatangan highway.An (unfortunately) dead Forest Cobra – these snakes can grow to terrifying lengths and are fierce predators.As close as we dared to photograph the dead cobra (what if it was faking?)Travelinds’ first sighting of a monitor lizard eating it’s own kind (who had been roadkill just a few hours before).
One of our favourite pastimes – and one of the things we miss the most about South Africa – is game viewing. Not in a zoo, of course, but in a reserve. The natural habitat of the animals is somewhere you are not guaranteed to see anything at all; but it’s all about the search! Nothing compares with driving around all day scanning the bushveld, trees, slopes and ravines for animals and then catching a glimpse of the flicking white tail-end of a leopard, or the majestic mane of a ferocious (or lazy) male lion in the shade of a bush. Reversing away from an approaching elephant or speeding to get away from a protective rhino mother is all the adrenaline you need!
So, this week was spent basking in God’s awesome creation at iMfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve. What a fantastic place to see interesting, dangerous, funny, wild, crazy, big, tiny, rare and fascinating African wildlife in their natural habitat. Four hours from home, this game reserve is a perfect getaway for long weekends.
Accomodation
We stayed at Nselweni Bush Camp which is down the road from Mpila, where we were supposed to be staying. Thanks to a misunderstanding and a booking problem, the management kindly allowed us to move over to Nselweni – a beautiful bush camp right on the bend of the river. We woke up with the birds and fell asleep with the night sounds of lions, frogs, hyenas and cicadas. It was perfect for a romantic getaway in a private “half tent/half cabin”that looks on to the bush. Conveniently, it was at a central iMfolozi location, about 20 minutes to Mpila.
Nselweni has fully equipped units with a braai place (that’s barbecue for non-Saffers), a gas oven, a fridge, kitchen utensils, an outside table and a semi-covered verandah. The shower window can open right up and the bathroom and bedroom both look out into the bush. We enjoyed the nyala that graze outside your hut during the day and its a colorful bird paradise.
We stayed here three nights in Unit 2 & 3 – both are lovely, private and quiet, especially Unit 2. Units 4 & 5 have half views of the river but only the Conference Centre deck gives a panoramic view of the river; and this is open to anyone who wants to use it. We saw buffalo, kingfishers, crocodile, trumpeter hornbills, impala, vultures and many others right from the deck.
Wildlife
At any wildlife reserve, you need to respect nature and remember that wild animals don’t follow the rules or take heed of the ‘boundaries’ us humans expect. Watch out for the opportunistic hyenas at night who steal meat right off the braai or pinch anything left out on your verandah while you sleep. It’s best to take a torch and maybe a stick if you’re walking around the camp at night.
Our highlight sightings were a pack of wild dog, lion, puffback, bathing yellow-billed kite, a huge elephant breeding herd with little babies, so many white rhino and a metre-long vine snake on the road.
Night drive
On the last night, we treated ourselves to a night game drive (which leaves from Mpila camp) and we were so impressed with Bheki, our guide, who found us lion (up close and roaring), genet, chameleon, vine snake, crocodile, buffalo, rhino, nightjar, bushbuck.
Ezemvelo Wildlife
Thanks to Ezemvelo KZN wildlife, it was a wonderful stay. They are doing a great job protecting Kwa-Zulu Natal’s wildlife, especially the precious rhinos! We never did see that elusive Black Rhino on this trip, but the Whites were magnificent.
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”
♦♦♦
Welcome, friends!
Check out the Lind family’s musings, travel adventures and general craziness, and you might just marvel that we’re all still alive. This also happens to be the official home of the popular Travelinds blog. We’ve touched down for a while, although there’s always new adventures to come. Stay tuned!
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