Monthly Archives: December 2013

Philippines, Travelinds

Turtle Sunset

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New Year’s Eve 

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

A week in Moalboal was the perfect end to an exciting year of new experiences.  The Czech In resto provided a scrumptious sunset dinner of fresh seared Red Snapper and Tuna fillets – with a spectacular view of Panagsama Bay.

As the sun sank below the horizon, we watched the exquisite colours dancing across the sky.  Turtles popped their heads above the glassy water of the bay to take a breath and the swallows gathered to flit in great numbers from one side to other, as is their customary behavior around this time of the day.

Another daily scene was the groups of local children who swam and played together in the ocean, jumping off boats, paddling around the bay and having a whale of a time; while also entertaining the tourists looking on from the restaurant decks that jut out over the water.

As the sunset faded and night fell on 2013, a white yacht sailed into the bay and anchored for the night.  This was one of the most beautiful New Year’s Eve experiences I’ve had in a long time. What a perfect ending to a happy year!

Philippines, Travelinds

Panagsama to Kasai

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27 December 2013

Feeling adventurous, we took a walk one afternoon from Panagsama towards the Kasai Resort pier. We wanted to explore the coastline and possibly get to White Beach (although, we were totally oblivious to how far along the coastline White Beach actually is and the fact that it is not accessible except by the inland road).

We set off along the rugged coastline climbing over quite a few ‘private’ walls and jetties which separate each property from the next. The rocks were jagged and slippery and the rising tide was steadily making our chosen path impossible.  We pushed ahead, over coconut dumps, a sewerage river, sharp rocks, half-built walls, private property and scratchy plants and finally, as we reached the Kasai resort pier, were unable to go any further. This was after climbing up and down rock faces and sliding on our bottoms in certain places.

Along the way we’d seen half-broken bamboo huts, a couple of goats, some naked children cliff jumping into the ocean, a kingfisher and a lot of crabs and cowrie shells!

Disappointed that we were still nowhere near White Beach and unable to go back the way we came due to the tide (and lack of motivation to repeat the rigmorol in the ensuing rain) we headed back to Panagsama on the inland road from the resort. It must have been at least a two kilometre walk back to Panagsama (in the lightish rain), which took us through lazy villages and groups of local children playing in the streets.  The rain was a welcome change in temperature and it was great to get a taste of local life for an afternoon.

We never did walk to White Beach. Moalboal 1, Travelinds 0.

Funny moment:

A couple of children followed us for a while down the road asking us all the questions in their limited English vocabulary. Questions like “What’s your name?”, “Where are you from?”, “What’s your bride’s name?” etc

We’d noticed that this friendliness is present in all Filipinos we pass on the roads, but especially the toddlers who wave energetically and call out greetings as tourists pass by. We were busy discussing whether this is ‘just being friendly’ or if they ‘wanted something’ in return when one tiny mite piped up behind us, “Ok, give me money,please” at which all the others took up the mantra in turn to bring their point home.

(Unfortunately for them though, we don’t carry much money with us if we can possibly help it – safety first!)

Moalboal 0. Travelinds 1.
South Africa, Travelinds

Port Elizabeth – I <3 South Africa

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Destination: Port Elizabeth,

Eastern Cape, South Africa

Port-Elizabeth

Description:

Port Elizabeth is the fifth largest city in South Africa and is situated on the east coast.  A main city in the Eastern Cape Province, it has a large harbour, beautiful beaches, a developed infrastructure and a good local university.

Tourist must-sees:

This area is a great draw-card for tourists with everything from white sandy beaches to a mixed bag of friendly locals, to the sprawling National Addo Elephant Park only 40 minutes out of the city.

Some top recommendations from me include:

  • King’s beach and the Boardwalk shopping complex
  • Schoenmakerskop – village and seaside experience
  • Bluewater Bay area – beach days, picnic and children’s activities
  • Sunday’s River – ferry, estuary and holiday resorts.
  • National Addo Elephant Reserve – with “Big 5” and easy driving. It includes whale and dolphin sightings on the coastal reserve side.
  • Van Staden’s Wild Flower reserve – hiking, picnicking, bird-watching

My favourite place:

This is, by far, Sardinia Bay – a magnificent white beach with impressive sand dunes, rough coastline and endless rock pools to explore further down the beach. Great for any time of the day, early morning runs, picnics, beach days or romantic evening strolls.

Day Trips:

From Port Elizabeth, a day trip to the following destinations is a breeze: Port Alfred, Addo Elephant Park, St Francis Bay, Bathurst, Grahamstown, Kenton-on-Sea and Plettenberg Bay.

Don’t forget to do the absolutely beautiful drive along the coastline to the north of East London.  Grab a picnic lunch and beach gear and explore the coastline to find the hidden treasures of Glen Gariff, Haga-Haga and Morgan’s Bay too!

Fun facts:

Nicknames: The Friendly City, The Windy City, Algoa Bay, P.E., The Bay,

Title: Port Elizabeth was not named after Queen Elizabeth as often assumed, but after the late wife of its founder, Sir Richard Donkin.

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

Philippines, Travelinds

Chilling in Panagsama, Moalboal

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26 December 2013

There was a welcome break for one week over New Year’s, so we jetted off to Cebu for the week on a $200 return flight (Air Asia X) direct from Incheon International Airport to Mactan International Airport.

A three hour air-conditioned taxi ride later (at 2000 pesos, shared between four tourists we managed to round up) we arrived at Panagsama, Moalboal.  On the way back we took the local bus back to the Cebu City South Bus Terminal (open windows, less than 200 pesos, 4 hours) and enjoyed it much more than the crazy taxi driving. And then took a taxi from the bus terminal to the airport (220 pesos).

Sumisid lodge was everything we had hoped for and was well worth the trip.  With clean rooms and cosy facilities, it is a lovely little place with its own strip of beach sand and snorkelling spots right off the shore.  There are tables, chairs, sofas and beach loungers available and the adjacent dive center offers alternative activites, as well as motorbike hire options.  The breakfast options at Sumisid Lodge were great and the american breakfast (with REAL, crispy bacon) was our main preference for the week.

As this was a week between the end of semester and English Winter Camps, we literally did nothing for the entire six days. Two novels, a nice tan, plenty of delicious food and a lot of sleep left us feeling completely refreshed and ready to head back to work the next week.

We did take a walk along the coastline from Panagsama towards White Beach, but could only get as far as the Kasai Resort (read more here).  We didn’t do the trip to the nearby waterfall, or snorkel, or do any other ‘day trips’ that can be done to other parts of Cebu. We did take a short motorbike trip one morning to see White Beach, but after seeing our accomodation options (New Year’s week is quite full so not much was available), we quickly retreated back to Panagsama to lounge around at Sumisid lodge. Next time!

Panagsama strip is a great place for restaurant choice too and top three were:

1. Czech In (European cooking, fine-dining, high price) – try “fish of the day” and the tuna steak. The desserts were really delicious too!

2. The Pleasure Principle Resto (Mixed cuisine, reasonably priced) – great for lunches and excellent mango shakes!

3. Chilli Bar (Mixed cuisine, reasonably priced) – don’t miss out on sunset drinks and dinner to look over the bay at the turtles popping up all around.

Panagsama really impressed us with its chilled out vibe, friendly locals,reasonably priced restaurants and lodges and the many options to either relax or do a range of different activities.  We definitely hope to be back there soon!

South Africa, Travelinds

East London – I <3 South Africa

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Destination: East London,

Eastern Cape, South Africa

routes.co.za
Source: www.routes.co.za

Description:

East London is a lovely coastal city in the wilder parts of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.  It has a small harbour, really beautiful beaches, sought-after schools and maintains a relaxed small-town vibe.  It even has two shopping malls – Vincent Park and Hemingways Mall.

My favourite place:

This has to be a toss up between two classic Slummies landmarks – the rugged expanse of the sandy Nahoon Beach and a famous drive in cafe called The Windmill, with THE best milkshakes (in the world?), ice-creams and toasted sandwiches.

Tourist Spots:

Best Beaches: Nahoon beach, Gonubie Beach, Cintsa

Best Restaurants: Two Dogs (Beacon Bay), Le Petit (Nahoon), Cafe Neo (beachfront), Fish River Sun (highway), Lavender Blue (Beacon Bay), The Heavenly Pancake House (Gonubie).

Tourist Spots: There are also so many private game reserves on the coastal road from East London to Port Elizabeth and the famous Nanaga Farm Stall where you can find a plethora of curios, as well as fresh and delicious South African snacks like biltong, nuts, chocolate treats and dried fruit.

Accommodation: We’d also like to recommend a stay at the Seaforth Guest House, a quaint bed and breakfast right near the beach in Gonubie – they also offer an on-site beauty salon. Bonus!

Day Trips:

From East London, a day trip to the following destinations is a breeze: Hogsback, Cintsa beaches, Port Alfred, Bathurst, Grahamstown and Trennery’s Hotel.

Don’t forget to do the absolutely beautiful drive along the coastline to the north of East London.  Grab a picnic lunch and beach gear and explore the coastline to find the hidden treasures of Glen Gariff, Haga-Haga and Morgan’s Bay too!

Fun facts:

Nicknames: The Slum, Slondon, Slummies

Rugby team: Border Bulldogs

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

South Korea, Travelinds

Guardians of Gyeongbok Palace

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24 December 2013

On visiting the Gyeongbok Palace (Gyeongbokgung) in Seoul, I happened to notice some mysterious figurines on the corners of the roof, especially for the larger buildings.  Intrigued, I investigated a little further and found that these are traditional Korean figures called Japsang (잡상).

The figures depict the grandeur of the building (more Japsang means the building is of higher importance), as well as the shamanistic beliefs that these figurines work to ward off evil spirits. This notion was apparently derived from the characters of a traditional Chinese story called “Journey To The West”, which follows the adventures of Monk Xanzang, a Bhuddist monk who went to India in search of sacred writings.

There are about ten guardians, which are placed in a specific order on the sloping roof and always arranged in odd numbers.

Some of the most important characters are:

  • Monk Xanzang, the main character
  • Sonojeong, The Monkey King
  • Jeopalgye, the Pig Monster
  • Saojeong, the Half-Water Demon
  • Iguryong, Double-mouthed Dragon.
  • Mahwasang, Horse
  • Cheonsangap, Pangolin

Another example of just how much the Korean culture has been influenced by the Chinese nation, even though most are loathe to admit it.

Philippines, Travelinds

Turtle Point and Virgin Island

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22 January 2014

Balicasag Island

Part of our snorkel tour included a couple of hours at Balicasag Island (off the coast of Bohol).  We started out with snorkelling and then headed on to the deserted stretch of beach in front of the island lodge to wile away a few hours of sunshine.

Balicasag Island has a tiny local population most of whom thrive off the tourism to the island by selling trinkets and running the small local food stalls where tourists can grab a bite to eat.  There is also a lodge on the island which looked quite peaceful. It is a very small island and you could walk around it in under an hour. There are shallow reefs right off the beach which means you have to take a boat out to the drop-off to be able to snorkel.

This is, of course, another money grabbing scheme (not only to ‘protect the reefs’) because you need to pay a local boy to take you out to the spot on his tiny boat.  He supervises you and then returns you to the shore where you can go back to your original speedboat.  We had to pay the boatman to take us out to turtle point (he rows) in this TINY two man boat (three of us) against a very strong current. Interesting, and fun.  And we were happy to be supporting his monumental efforts at transporting at least 160kgs of us to the Turtle Point.  It didn’t look that far, but it took a long time to row out there.

The snorkelling choices here were one of three places (we could do more than one if we paid an additional fee per snorkel spot). We chose to go to “Turtle Point” as it seemed the least likely spot to be filled with boatloads of tourists. As we had hoped, we were the only ones snorkelling there, probably due to the very strong currents that abound off that particular point.  H held on to the boat for a while to try and stay in one place longer to admire the underwater beauty and R managed to read the currents a little better.

The main thing is that we actually swam with turtles, H for the first time, and we saw at least 15 turtles altogether.  It was super exciting! Turtles are really the most graceful creatures and despite looking like slow-pokes, it was impossible to keep up with them. It was an amazing experience!

Virgin Island

Virgin Island

The next stop on the island hopping tour was Virgin Island (it’s nickname only) and this was truly one of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen.  White sand and the bluest water colour of any bay I’ve seen around the world – it is so difficult to describe that clear-sparkling-blue-cobalt-turquoise-perfection!

The island has no shade whatsoever, so take suncream, hats and sarongs to cover yourself.  You can walk across a shallow sandbank to a mini island with a few mangrove trees.  Be careful, the sun is hot and the walk is way longer than it looks! Dodge the sea urchins and marvel at the beautiful pansy shells and starfish that lie strewn across this stretch of sand.

It was the perfect place to end the day with an afternoon snack of bananas and bread rolls our well-deserved reward for reaching the other side of the sandbank. Stunning!

South Korea, Travelinds

National Folk Museum of Korea

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14 December 2013

The National Folk Museum of Korea houses quite a few interesting exhibits about life and culture in South Korea.  The museum is next to the Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul and admission is free (remember, it is closed on Tuesdays).

It is quite an eye-catching building with the traditional Korean architecture towering above the pretty park (which, when we went, was also covered in a thick layer of white snow).

We chose to do a guided English tour (at 14.30) with a Korean guide and to watch a (free) traditional music performance that was being hosted at the museum auditorium.  It is definitely worth a visit, especially with its convenient proximity to the Gyeongbok palace and Insadong for touristy sightseers.

Our guide at the museum was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed her quirky take on the Korean life and culture!  Her English name was Hillary and she chatted away to us about the museum where she has been a volunteer English guide since she was a university student. She loves the gig so much that she still continues her volunteering every Saturday, because she now works during the week.   Her hope is that this guide work will help her to improve her English even more and also allow her to meet foreigners (waegooks) from all countries of the world.

Outside the museum are the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals with birth years engraved so you can find your own.  Not that we are superstitious at all, but it was fun to see the details.  I’m a Tiger (ferocious and stubborn) and he’s a Rat (highly intelligent and sneaky) – sounds about right!

Be sure to check out the little street of restaurants across the road from the museum, we found such a cute one in a little alleyway.  The lunch cafe is situated inside an old Korean house converted into a little eating spot called ‘Rice’ (밥).

South Korea, Travelinds

Rice

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14 December 2013

This cute little restaurant called ‘밥’ (said ‘bap’, it means rice) was hidden in one of the alleyways opposite the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul.  It is an old Korean house, with traditional low ceilings, sliding doors and floor seating, which was turned into a little eatery.

You leave your shoes at the door, duck through the entrance and sit down on the floor in front of the low tables.  The menu is simple and consists of Kimchi Jikae (spicy kimchi soup), fish kimchi jikae (with small fish in the soup) and other very traditional Korean dishes (considered as ‘light lunches’).  If you can’t read Korean, the menu on the wall might be difficult to decipher without any pictures available.  As in any traditional Korean restaurant, a bowl of steamed rice and a range of side dishes (Banchan) are usually included.

We walked across the road from the museum, up the street where there are restaurants, coffee shops and the modern art museum.  The ‘Bap’ restaurant is down one of the little alleyways opposite a Greek art gallery.

Machika jusaeyo “맛있게주세요” – bon appetit!

South Korea, Travelinds

Seoul Forest

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6 December 2013

tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o4_250

This weekend, we went to Seoul Forest (서울 숲 pronounced “soh-ool soop”) for a picnic with some Korean friends.  It is a large green area set along the northern side of the Han River (한강) and surprisingly, right in the center of the bustling metropolis of Seoul; although surrounded by trees and twittering birds, it certainly doesn’t feel like you are in the middle of this massive city.

History

tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o2_400Seoul Forest was opened in 2005 by Korea’s controversial tenth president, Lee Myung-bak, while he was still the Mayor of Seoul.  The Seoul Forest consists of five “themed” parks (sculpture, ecological etc) and it covers over approximately 1.16 million square metres.  Lee Myung-bak also created the beautiful Cheonggyecheon stream (one of my favourite places in Seoul!) and he is also accredited with having introduced the rapid transit buses to the city’s transportation system.

Our Visit

It was truly amazing to find this little piece of heaven in the middle of the craziness that is Seoul and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the park and forest during the peaceful afternoon.

We managed to get to the sculpture park, a couple of open grassy patches, an educational greenhouse, a butterfly farm, a deer enclosure, waterfalls and quiet benches; as well as plenty of place to picnic, ride bikes, walk and enjoy the sunshine.  There is is also a bridge near the deer enclosure, which leads over the wide Han River to the other side.  The south side of the Han River is mainly sports parks, walking areas and bicycle tracks.tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o6_400tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o5_250

Armed with our silver picnic mat and gimbap (as the Koreans do), we found a shady spot near the grassy patch that was also hosting a children’s festival that day called “Treasure Island”; near the convenience store and coffee shop, which are also, obviously, available in the middle of the forest (because, it would be unacceptable to escape to a forest if there wasn’t a convenience store and a coffee shop available).  Only in Korea I tell you!

Getting there

As with anywhere is Seoul, you can get easily get to the park in several different ways.

Car: We drove here using the GPS and paid about 8,000won for (outside) parking for the afternoon.tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o7_400

Bus: Front entrance (2014, 2412, 2413 or 2224, and get off at Seoul Forest), or Back entrance (141, 145, 148 or 410, and get off at the back gate of Seoul Forest).

Subway: Seoul Forest Station (Subway Bundang Line), Exit 3.  or
Ttukseom Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 8.tumblr_mxc1f1OH1A1s64282o3_250

Make the trip

It was certainly worth the trip and we hope to visit here again soon.  What a lovely retreat for Seoulites who need to escape the madness of the city for while!

South Africa, Travelinds

Travelinds <3 South Africa

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5 Dec 2013

Sawubona, Dumela, Molo, Hoegaanit, Howzit, Yo, Hello!
Since we are so passionate about South Africa, it felt appropriate to start a series of South African travel posts on this sad day, the final passing of our former president, Nelson Mandela (8 July 1918 – 5 December 2013).

South Africa is a land of beauty, energy, diversity, struggle, victory and determination – and where Travelinds calls home.  It boasts a wide array of cultures, 11 official languages, colourful traditions and an indescribable natural beauty.  Its recent history is filled with rage and confusion, its present is filled with tenacious endurance and the future of this ‘Rainbow Nation’ is yet to be determined.

Over the next few months, we’ll post a series of our favourite places to go in South Africa – there are so many! It’s the perfect destination for honeymooners, families, groups of friends, hikers, adrenaline junkies, curious travellers, destination weddings and nature enthusiasts.

There is so much to tell.

Our home, our South Africa.