My trip to Vanuatu has been another amazing solo trips, filled with volcano hike and beach time, but also lots of relaxing.
Vanuatu in pictures
Category: Backpacking
Amazing Philippines
I landed in Manila after an 8 hours flight from Sydney on Cebu Pacific, an airline that I definitely don’t recommend. No entertainment or pillows and blankets on the flight, very limited food that you need to pay for, however that was the cheapest option to fly and even so it wasn’t so cheap.
Anyway, after the flight as I arrived to Manila airport the first thing I did was buying a local SIM card for 1500 pesos, which turned out to be a scam, in 7 Eleven it’s much cheaper.
I took a taxi from the airport to my Airbnb in Makati, the best area of the town to stay at and hang out.
My Airbnb at least was very nice and I felt comfortable and ready to have a good night sleep.
The next day I went out to explore the city, which is just another ordinary big city with lots of traffic.
These are the places that I think are worth visiting:
Manila cathedral
A beautiful cathedral surrounded with many other historical buildings in the area called Intramurous. I explored the area by myself but there are many your options as well. A lot of Asian people in that area, assuming there were locals, wanted to take pictures with me, I guess because I look different, but still strange for a place that gets many tourists.
SEDA hotel rooftop bar: Straight up
This was my favorite place to hang out in Manila and drink amazing mocktails while watching the sunset. They have delicious food as well and you can easily spend a few hours there, above all the craziness of the city.
The rest of my time in Manila I spent swimming at the pool of the building where my Airbnb was, just chilling and looking forward to my next destination.
Puerto Princesa
Excited to be leaving Manila, I headed to the airport to take a domestic flight to Puerto Princesa.
In Puerto Princesa a kind local that I connected with on couchsurfing offered to show me around and soon after I landed we would be riding on his motorbike towards a beautiful beach located one hour away from Puerto.
But first we stopped at the PP sign and took some pictures.
On the way to Nagtabon beach we stopped at a beautiful look out and we made it just in time to the beach for the sunset. I also enjoyed a coconut whole relaxing and watching how the sun goes down.
We ended the day with a delicious dinner at a local eatery in Puerto, where mainly locals eat and the menu is many pots right in front of you, so you just lift the lid and look what’s inside. A very economical way of having dinner but I definitely enjoyed it.
The next day I was picked up at 7 am and headed to the world’s longest underground river. The van ride took around 2 hours and I was a bit sleepy, but in the same time excited to see something different. I don’t remember ever being at an underground river and especially not the longest one in the world. It’s 8,2 km long and the water is such a beautiful color. I made some Nepalese friend on the tour, who were kind enough to take some nice pictures of me.
We had to wait a bit when we arrived and soon we all sat on a boat entering the caves . It was dark inside, of course, but the tour guide had a torch and we could see thousands of bats hanging from the ceiling.
After the tour, which took around 30 minutes , we all went for lunch , which was included in our tour and it was buffet lunch, very delicious, with lots of options to choose from.
I think we reached Puerto Princesa around 4 or 5 pm.
The following day I took a van to El Nido.
El Nido
El Nido is simply beautiful. I spent 4 days in the town and I loved it. It has a good mix of nice restaurants, vibrant night life, good beaches and in addition to all this I met very nice people there.
I took tour A to visit some islands and do snorkeling. I did kayaking at the Big Lagoon, saw turtles and fishes while snorkeling and enjoyed some beach time. I highly recommend tour A. Snorkels and shoes are not included, but you can rent before boarding the boat.
Las Cabañas Beach
This beach is often referred to as Maremegmeg beach and it’s perfect to watch the sunset.
Maremegmeg Beach Bar is amazing for dinner and happy hour drinks, when you buy one cocktail and get the second for free.
The beach is beautiful and the water was warm and pleasant.
Nacpan beach
Another amazing beach just a short trycicle ride from El Nido, Nacpan beach is very nice to spend the day at.
Canopy Walk
While in El Nido a must thing to do is the canopy walk, which includes a short hike and it rewards you with magnificent views.
My favorite restaurants in El Nido
Maa’s Grill
This was hands down my favorite restaurant not only in El Nido, but in the whole Philippines. Local food with fresh ingredients and with amazing service, I ate two times at this restaurant during my four days in El Nido. That’s where I had for the first time sisig, a local dish that became my favorite food. There’s pork sisig, beef sisig and I even had the las gambas aka prawn sisig. I loved them all.
Altrove
This restaurant is amazing if you’re craving pizza like I did one of the evenings. The pizza here is really delicious and prices are decent.
And of course while in El Nido, you have to try the crepes from the vendors on the streets, delicious.
From El Nido to Coron
From El Nido I took a ferry to Coron, which took five hours and it didn’t depart at the time it was supposed to, but one hour later. I found out that that’s normal for the Philippines, ferries depart usually at least with one hour delay.
In Coron I ate twice at Levine’s restaurant, where I had my beloved sisig once again.
My stay in Coron was too short unfortunately, just one full day to do a tour and I opted for the Super Ultimate tour, which I really enjoyed , despite the weather: on and off raining the whole day.
I still did some kayaking and snorkeling and enjoyed the delicious food we had included.
Cebu city
From Coron I took a domestic flight to Cebu city, which was an adventure because my backpack ended up coming six hours later with the next flight. At least they delivered it to my accommodation so in the end it was all good.
I spent two days in Cebu city, visited the San Pedro fort, the cathedral , the Taoist temple and a few other attractions.
Overall Cebu didn’t impress me much but I liked it more than Manila and I definitely liked my massage at Cheeva Spa.
Bohol
From Cebu I took a ferry to Bohol, where I spent two amazing days with Phoebe, the English girl I met in Cebu and she was adventurous enough to drive us around the whole island on a motorbike.
We rented a motorbike for 350 pesos a day, filled up full tank for 200 pesos and we hit the road.
We went to Busai Dreamfalls and enjoyed a coconut there, we drove through the Manmade forest, visited the cute tarsiers at the Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area and we had a look on the Chocolate Hills while being soaking wet because the rain caught us.
It was a full day of adventure and good laughs.
We stayed in Panglao area and we hit the beach as well, which was very nice and relaxing.
Siquijor
After Bohol I took a ferry to Siquijor island, my last destination and probably the best one. Not very touristy, but gorgeous and enjoyable, Siquijor was the place where I saw the most beautiful sunsets while in the Philippines.
The sunsets at Paliton beach will stay for a while in my memories.
I also visited the 400 years old balete tree and treated myself to a foot spa, where the fish bombarded my feet.
Siquijor has lots of beautiful waterfalls, probably the most famous being Cambugahay Falls, which opens at 8 am and there’s a small fee to pay before you enter.
Lugnason Falls is another beautiful waterfall that the locals recommended us and it was indeed beautiful.
But my favorite Siquijor attraction remains Sambulawan underground river which was very different to the Puerto Princes one. Here the caves are small so you have to swim through the river. It was a unique experience that I highly recommend.
My favorite restaurants in Siquijor:
Bucafe
Picturesque little brekky place with delicious ice latte with the perfect view.
Aroi Mak Mak Thai Station
Absolutely delicious Thai food and drinks.
Marco Polo
Amazing pizza place. Go for the sunset.
Luca Loko
I just ate some potatoes here, but the detox drink based on carrots and ginger was very refreshing and delicious.
After Siquijor I returned for one more day to Manila, but I was so tired by then that I spent the whole day just chilling at my Airbnb.
Favorites from the supermarket
I like going to the supermarket in different countries and I did that also in the Philippines and I discovered a few products that I really liked. I attach a picture of them, maybe you will like them too.
And if you decide to visit the Philippines I hope you’ll have an amazing time, just like I did! Thank you for reading!
My ten days Queenstown holiday
Day 1
I landed at around 7:30 pm, so after checking in at my accommodation the only thing left to do for the day was dinner. I read everywhere that I must try the famous Fergburger so that’s exactly what I did. And it was just as amazing as everybody claimed it would be .
Day 2
I had an early start of the day, woke up around 7 am and went to the lake and admired its beauty.
After that I met up with a fellow traveler and we headed to Queenstown gardens, then hiked Queenstown Hill, two of the main attractions in the city. We saw beautiful sights and a few wild goats as well. The view is magnificent and the hike is not too hard.
For late lunch I decided to get another Fergburger and eat it by the lake, where the too friendly ducks surrounded me eager to get a bite from my burger.
On Saturdays there’s a market by the lake with local produce and hand made jewelry.
Day 3
On my third day I ventured out of the city and went to Wanaka, which is aprox 1 h drive from Queenstown and it’s a calm little town with friendly people and good vibes. The aim of the trip was hiking Roy’s Peak, a quite serious hike that took us 6 hours to complete. When we started it was a bit raining but once we reached the summit it all cleared up and we had the beautiful view that was worth it all the hard hike and the early wake up.
We saw many sheep along the way and a lot of hikers already returning because they went up for the sunrise which must have been amazing.
After the hike we spent some time by Lake Wanaka, saw the famous Wanaka tree and grabbed some lunch from one of the many cafes in town.
On the way back to Queenstown we made a short stop at the Wanaka Lavender Farm, where apart from the amazing lavender products you can purchase, there’s also lavender ice cream which tastes amazing.
Day 4
Day 4 was my birthday, so I decided to take a tour to Milford Sound, a must visit location if you’re in Queenstown. It’s however aprox 4 hours drive from Queenstown, but we made some stops along the way. The first stop was in the town called Te Anau, a cute little town with a lake and a few cafes, where I got myself a coffee and enjoyed it while walking along the lake.
The next stop we made was at Mirror Lakes, which I wasn’t very impressed by, but was still nice.
The following stop on the other hand was very nice, Monkey Creek, where you could see the mountains covered in snow.
At some point we even saw a kea bird, which is apparently a very clever bird, with the intelligence level of a 2 year old toddler.
Once we reached Milford Sound, we boarded the boat and cruised for aprox 2 hours. I let the pictures talk for themselves.
Even though it was cloudy, the views were spectacular. I really enjoyed the cruise and met some nice people.
The drive back to Queenstown seemed much longer but the day was not over yet.
Once we got back to Queenstown I was determined to have a nice dinner and a glass of wine for my birthday. A local recommended me the restaurant Public, just by the lake, so that’s where I went with my new friends. Had a lovely dinner and a glass of wine and happily ended the day with a big smile on my face.
Day 5
Another day, another hike. This time it was Ben Lomond hike, which included the Tiki Trail – this one you can skip if you take the gondola , but I’d recommend hiking it, it’s not very hard.
This hike took me 9 hours to complete but with long stops at the summit and shorter ones along the way. The weather was amazing and the views breathtaking. I really enjoyed this hike.
In the evening I went to one of the Ice Bars in town – there’s three of them in total – for a delicious cocktail served in -7 degrees. Needless to say that after that one cocktail I returned quickly to the warm and left the cold behind for good.
Day 6
My favorite breakfast place was Fergbaker, they make amazing coffee and it’s the perfect place to start your day.
On the agenda this day was a daytrip to Glenorchy. Glenorchy is aprox 45 min drive from Queenstown and it’s another cute little town with a lake and beautiful surroundings.
Not only Glenorchy, but also the whole way to there is beautiful, a really nice drive.
For dinner I’ve chosen Caribe Latin Kitchen, where I also found my favorite Brazilian soft drink: Guarana.
Their nachos were very delicious too.
Day 7
It was time to take it easy and just relax, so I went walking along the lake all the way to Sunshine Bay, which took me around 50 min walk. It was the perfect sunny weather for it, some people were even swimming in the lake, which I considered quite brave because the water was still very cold.
For lunch I went again for a fergburger and I promised myself it’s gonna be the last one. For dessert I had a giant ice cream from Patagonia, which is another must try place, their ice cream is fabulous, it costed me $10.
I also went to Kiwi Park, which in my opinion it was a bit disappointing and too expensive, $49. Although the ticket is valid for three days, I wasn’t going to return, so I just gifted it to a random person on the street. I saw some native birds and some kiwi birds too, but overall I wasn’t really impressed.
Day 8
My second tour was to Mount Cook, which is aprox 4 h drive from Queenstown. Absolutely beautiful stops along the way, such as a bungy jumping spot and Lake Pukaki. The tour was very intimate, just a minivan, so no large groups, we all ended up becoming friends and on the return to Queenstown went for dinner together to Pub on Wharf, where I had a delicious salmon with spinach and veggies. Really good!
Day 9
It was going to be another rest day, so I walked again to Sunshine bay, had a nice meal at Blue Kanu restaurant and went for some drinks at Habana Boutique Rum Bar, then even ended up going dancing at The Bunker. It was a fun day.
Day 10
I started the day at 9 am when I checked out of my accommodation and headed to the airport to fly back to Sydney.
Looking back at my trip, all I can say is that I really enjoyed it and I’d go back to Queenstown in a heartbeat anytime. It’s a fun place where I could easily meet people and there’s a good variety of restaurants and bars, so perfect for everyone.
Short escape to paradise
School holiday has arrived and that meant traveling for me. Although just for a short 5 days, but I packed my bags and headed to the airport , excited to discover a new country, which is just 3 h away from Sydney.
Lucky with a window seat, I watched amazed the turquoise blue water of the sea and was ready for a few days of warm weather and beach.
The view looked quite good already from the plane.
As soon as I arrived I went to the shuttle and shortly I was headed to the capital of New Caledonia: Noumea, my home for the next 5 days.
I was between the last people on the bus to be dropped off, so the journey to Noumea lasted much longer than I expected, almost two hours.
By the time I reached the city I was starving, so my first stop was a restaurant.
Parfums d’Olive has every week food from different countries and I was there for Croatia’s turn. I paired my delicious meal with a glass of Chardonnay and I was totally enjoying my holiday.
The weather was pleasant and the atmosphere nice, people very friendly and even open to speak English.
New Caledonia is a French island, therefore the official language is French, but assuming because they get lots of Australian and New Zealander tourists, thanks to the location, people are very open to speak English and it made things much easier for me.
My first night was relaxed, after dinner I went to my accommodation and had an early bed time because the following day I had a tour booked.
Little did I know that my next day will turn out to be completely different from what I planned.
I got up early, at 6:45 to be at the meeting point for 7:40, as agreed with the tour company. I waited and waited and at some point I decided to ask for help because there was no tour bus coming to pick me up. My Australian phone number didn’t work, so I went into a hotel and asked the receptionist to call the tour company and ask why aren’t they coming to pick me up. He was very kind and helped me and soon I found out that the pick up point was actually in another place, so I missed my tour. I thanked the receptionist for his kindness and started wandering around, at first quite upset. I went to Baie des Citrons and walked around, then decided to go for a coffee, connect to the wifi and research what can I do in the area.
The day was looking to be beautiful, warm and sunny.
I found out that I was near a very nice lookout , so I decided to walk there. Along the way I met a friendly French lady, who spoke a bit of English and we ended up walking together and taking pictures of each other with the beautiful views. I especially liked the beautiful blue colors of the sea.
Ouen Toro, the name of the hill, from where you can see the city, is an aprox 30 min walk from Baie des Citrons and it’s a popular location for people who wish to start the day with sport. I saw many people walking or biking or jogging.
After completing the walk we said our goodbyes with my new French friend and we parted ways. I decided that my next stop will be Place de Cocotiers but I wasn’t sure of which way I need to go so I asked directions from a lady who was on the side of the street with a few more people, they were Jehovas witnesses. The lady that I asked for directions kindly offered me to take me there by car .
So I got a ride all the way to Place de Cocotiers, where there was some sort of musical event happening.
I hang out around there for a while , walked around, discovered The Best Cafe, where I ate a delicious crepe filled with fruits and cream and soon after that I went back to my accommodation which was very near.
The following day I decided to take a daytrip. Amedee island, where I was supposed to go with the tour, didn’t seem to be working out, the boat was fully booked, so I went to Ilot Maitre instead. Ilot Maitre is a 20 min boat ride from Port Moselle and it’s a small island, where there are overwater bungalows and the color of water is absolutely stunning.
I spent a good few hours just sunbathing and enjoying the 27 degrees. When I went back to Port Moselle I met up with two of my new Latino friends, we had dinner at Le Bout du Monde and then we headed to another little island, called Ile aud Canards, which was just a 5 min taxi boat ride.
We went there to watch the sunset and it was spectacular. Probably the best place to watch the sunset while in Noumea.
On day 3 I met up with a lovely lady from Tahiti and her local friend and we went for breakfast to Ilot Maitre. So during this trip I ended up going twice to Ilot Maitre and to be honest I’d happily go again. It’s a nice place, breakfast was amazing and the color of the sea very beautiful.
Unfortunately my trip was too short to explore more of New Caledonia, but at least I had enough time in Noumea.
Other things that I enjoyed while in Noumea were:
Port Moselle market
Port Moselle sunset
Sunset at Anse Vata
On day 5 my flight was at 10 am back to Sydney, again I was lucky to have a window seat and could watch for the last time the beautiful colors of the sea and wave goodbye to New Caledonia. Would be great to go back sometime…
My favorite hikes around Rio
Already before going to Rio I knew that it’s an amazing city for outdoor lovers. Plenty of hiking opportunities and I was ready to do a few of them. Four days out of the two weeks I spent in the city I went hiking and I really enjoyed.
Pedra da Gavea
In my opinion the best hike that you can do around Rio. It’s also the hardest one, which involved proper rock climbing with ropes , which was a first for me. It’s definitely a challenging hike but at the same time very rewarding too. And the views!! The views are amazing both along the hike, but especially at the top.
The whole hike, including the rock climbing took aprox 4 hours, luckily along the way there were people who were willing to help me because sometimes it seemed impossible to complete the hike. All sweaty and with my body shaking, I felt so proud of myself that I reached the top.
Pedra do Telegrafo
A much easier hike than Pedra da Gavea, Telegrafo is as popular. The hike itself is not too long, maybe around 1 h, but the line for the photos is at least an other hour usually. Actually that was the hardest part to deal with because it was very hot and you’re basically in the burning sun waiting to take the perfect picture. There’s a professional photographer at the spot, who I luckily hired because my hiking partner took horrible pictures.
Pedra Bonita
Translated as “Beautiful Rock”, this hike is one of the easiest ones that I did but still with very rewarding views. From the top you can see Pedra da Gavea and the beautiful coastline of Rio.
Two Brothers
Out of the four hikes that I did, this was the easiest, less than one hour hike, but in the heat it wasn’t the most pleasant, however the views were worth it. We took an Uber and then a motortaxi took us through the favela, all the way to where the trail starts. From then it’s quite straight forward.
I listed the hikes in the order of preferance for me. There’s plenty more hikes around Rio, which I’d be happy to do if I ever go again. As much as I loved Pedra da Gavea hike, I’m not sure if I’d be willing to do it ever again. I was sore for the following 3 days… In any case hiking in Rio has been one of my favorite activities. Highly recommended.
Four days in São Paulo
I’ve been warned about São Paulo as being dangerous and especially intimidating city considering it’s size, however to me it didn’t seem so intimidating. Dangerous, yes, in some places I didn’t feel exactly safe, but quickly ubered myself out of such places. Actually there was only one sketchy place where I felt a bit out of place.
Day 1
My friends and I went to the rooftop of Unique hotel, Skye bar for amazing cocktails and beautiful views of the city. Very enjoyable place that if I ever go again to Sao Paolo I’ll revisit.
We arrived just in time for the sunset, which was not necessarily impressive but the views were still quite spectacular.
After a bit of warm up at Skye bar, my friend Vanessa and me headed to a bar, can’t recall the name, where we ended up singing karaoke after a couple of cocktails. It was a fun night, we met a very nice local couple, they even ended up giving me a lift to my accommodation.
Day 2
The day started with meeting up with Vanessa, who’s a professional photographer that came with her camera ready to capture some nice shots of me exploring her city. We went to Beco do Batman, which was just a few minutes walk from my accommodation in Vila Madalena. The murals we found were beautiful and the atmosphere very laid back. Vila Madalena neighborhood was the perfect base for me, being full of nice little restaurants and cafes, I checked out a few.
After Beco do Batman we went to the famous Avenida Paulista, walked around and had nice conversations along the way.
On Avenida Paulista it’s a must to go up to the Sesc Building for amazing views.
Day 3
This is the part where I felt a little bit strange… I went to Mercado Municipal to try the famous mortadella sandwich, which was delicious, however the area is full of homeless people and it’s just not the place where you’d like to hang out. Straight from the Uber I walked into the market, where it’s completely fine, but outside it’s just a weird vibe. The market itself is quite impressive, the vendors give you many types of exotic fruits to try with the hope that you buy some of their produce. I ended up trying at least 6 fruits that all tasted delicious.
I enjoyed hanging out at the market, but the highlight was definitely the mortadella sandwich, which basically is a giant sandwich with at least 10 layers of ham. We were three people and we shared one and all of us was full after eating a portion.
After such a treat we headed to Ibirapuera Park, a big park where people go for their work out, to ride a bike, like we did, or just to chill on the grass.
Day 4
On my last day in São Paulo I checked out the Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade. It’s a beautiful neighborhood where there are lots of cafes and restaurants. I ate a delicious crepe at Hachi Crepe&academy.
Although people say that São Paulo it’s like a jungle, to me it didn’t seem that chaotic at all. It’s busy and vibrant, so after four days I was ready to leave it and search for the sun and the beach, but it wasn’t overwhelming for me.
The real Rio: favela – go or not to go?
The first thing Brazilian people told me when I started my amazing journey around Brazil, was, I quote: “Under no circumstances go anywhere near a favela.” And what do I do on my second day in Rio? Hell, yeah, I’m totally going to a favela!
It’s no joke though, that place can be not just intimidating, but real dangerous and to be honest I was skeptical at first, it certainly wasn’t on my to do list, but everything changed when I met Sally, the super adventurous and fearless American lady, who together with her son are involved in a project helping people living in the favela. She told me so passionately about the project and gained my trust and interest when she mentioned Diogo, who grew up and lives in the favela. Diogo, was going to be our guide around the favela. I decided, yes, I’m gonna go and see how is it.
So yesterday at 5 pm we met, took an Uber and was headed to experience my very unique Brazilian favela visit. Worth to mention the fact that most Uber drivers refuse to drive to the favela because of the crime and danger they may encounter there. So we were driven basically until a certain point in the favela, where Diogo met us and we continued walking around. It was unreal to think that I’m there and can see how people live their life, which is a whole different reality from mine or yours. We walked around a bit, saw the houses built next to each other, saw some people , who were harmless and they minded their own business, greeting Diogo and us as well. I felt safe the whole time, but I’m not writing this to encourage visiting favelas. I think some organized tours might be a good option, but I wasn’t going to take any of those. To me it felt safe because I knew Diogo is part of that community, a respected member, who they know won’t bring people there unless it’s for a good cause.
And speaking of good causes, I’d like to spread the word about the project Diogo is involved with. He is a 33 years old luta livre instructor, which is a kind of self defense sport, that he and another instructor are teaching to the kids in Fogueteiro and some other favelas around Rio. It started small, just a few kids and now had grown to almost a hundred kids from the ghetto, aka favela. The illegal housing in the hills of Rio is the place of lots of illegalities and bad examples for the kids, so the aim of this project is to show kids a way of possibly breaking out from there, teaching them the meaning of community and discipline, basically giving them the hope of opportunity. I’ve seen those kids and their innocence, there love for life and joy was incredible. I received so many hugs and even some spoke a few words in English and were curious to know a bit about me. It was honestly very touching and so sad to realize that unfortunately some of them may turn out gang members,drug addicts or delicvents just because the place where they belong to turns them into that. On the other hand, I witnessed so much potential and desire to succeed. We watched them having one of these self defense classes and they were so determined to do well. Even the youngest one had lots of energy to compete maybe with a more experienced member.
Some parents joined us to watch the self defense course and they were super nice, although they spoke no English. From what I heard there are lots of hard working people that have been stuck in the favela and navigate through the tough life that they have been given, every day facing possible danger.
To get to know more about the project helping these kids, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/d5eg9f-favela-fighters?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer and if you can donate a bit , please go ahead , every little means a lot for a child growing up less fortunate than you.
As we finished watching the self defense training and the heavy rain calmed down a bit, we continued our way around the favela, still got soaking wet within minutes, seeing a lot up Rio from a different angle.
At some point, at the site of the Main Street we saw a guy with a massive guy just casually hanging out. Not an everyday vista, but we were safe with Diogo. As we reached a reasonably safe place, we called an Uber and left the favela. I was so emotional and touched and in the same time humbled and grateful, it was a good reminder to don’t take things for granted and enjoy the little things just like the kids enjoyed the rain. They got wet and they didn’t care, they just laughed and run around. This memory of seeing powerful on another level but still combined with joy, happiness and so much potential, will stay with me for a long while. Having had the opportunity to see this side of Rio is really a unique chance that the regular traveler doesn’t get.
Grenada – the place that transformed me entirely
Grenada was my first contact with the Carribean and although I had some ideas about it before, the culture shock has been inevitable. I knew I’ll love it before going there because in general the island lifestyle is cool everywhere, but here it’s in particular special.
I suppose I need more time in general to adjust than I thought. I was getting slightly annoyed about many things that function differently than in other countries. Such as when the taxi driver showed up whenever he could and everything was happening in slow motion a bit for my rhythm. With all these, there’s something special about this place and it’s people.
I got there just a day after Independence Day , but luckily I still managed to participate at some local news events.
My stay was initially supposed to be just one week, but sadly due to health issues I ended up being stuck for a month… Looking back at it I’m grateful for the experience because it put me face to face with myself and made me realise how ignorant I’ve been and taught me numerous life lessons.
What impressed me the most was how strong the community is over there. It felt like I’m visiting a little village, where everyone is connected and the mutual support is the main characteristic. I received so much love and support in the most unpleasant of circumstances that it was overwhelming and even suspicious at the time and I was unable to appreciate it right then, looking back at it I certainly do appreciate.
I didn’t do so much as I’d normally do, but there’s a few places I visited and liked, such as:
1. Esther’s bar and Grand Anse Beach
Grand Anse Beach has been named the best beach in the world for a good reason, it’s really beautiful. Along the beach there are several hotels and my favourite bar, where I spent a lot of time with a fellow traveler. For delicious, but strong cocktails I highly recommend.
2. Grand Etang National Park
Grand Etang National Park is great for hiking, meeting monkeys and admiring Grand Etang Lake. The lush green scenery is very calming and comforting.
3. Welcome Rock
In my opinion the best viewing point on the island. The hike is easy and the view is absolutely incredible.
4. Horse riding
At Bonanza Stables apart from the horses you get to see also a donkey, some cats and dogs and duck. It’s like a mini animal shelter, the cutest being the Rottweiler puppies.
5. Belmont Estate
To learn about chocolate making and taste the best ever chocolate, this place stays in my memories. It’s a shame to say that I’ve been living for years in Switzerland and never visited a chocolate factory, just to find out that even Switzerland is getting the coco from Grenada.
Oh, and apart from learning about the chocolate making process, which involves much more work than I imagined, you get the chance of meeting some cute animals too and if I recall correctly, Rainbow, the talking parrot.
6. Saint George’s
The capital city of St George’s is colourful and small, easy to get around just by walking. Fort George and The Carenage area are worth for a visit.
6. BBC beach
Much smaller than Grand Anse, BBC beach is way less crowded than other beaches, a good opportunity to hang out where mainly locals hang out.
7. La Sagesse beach
Another nice beach, especially great at sunset.
8. Waterfalls
Every Grenadian I met recommended me to check out some waterfalls. They are really nice and the hikes there will get you muddy, so a splash in the water will be quite refreshing .
8 best things to do in Ubud – Bali
Ubud is the most touristy place in Bali ( of course I skipped the popular beach destinations such as Kuta, Seminyak and Uluwatu ) that I enjoyed and where the crowd was there but didn’t feel disturbing. As the matter of fact Ubud and the surrounding attractions offered me a few of my most memorable Bali trip moments. Ubud itself is small but packed with plenty of restaurants and cafes, however if you are after a different sort of experience head to :
1. Greenkubu Cafe
It’s just a short drive from Ubud and it seems to be still unknown for the tourists or I was just lucky when I went there, but it wasn’t busy at all. It’s perfect for a delicious lunch in a scenic setting, where food comes at reasonable prices and it’s served by friendly waiters, that are generous enough to give you also a passion fruit right from the hanging vines that are all over the venue. It’s easy to spend a few hours here because it’s not only the great food, drinks and desserts that may keep you staying , it’s also the typical Balinese swing that you can hop on for a modest 25K IDR, whereas at other places for the same fun they charge four times more.
2. Tegenungan Waterfall
With so many waterfalls on this island, there’s a few nearby Ubud too and you won’t escape the huge crowds at them. If you’re in the zone it does worth talking a look at Tegenungan, but swimming there is a no,no,no, as the water is dirty and lots of rubbish all over.
3. Tegallalang rice terraces
The magnificent rice terraces for sure offer an outstanding view from any angle you’d look at them. The most popular and visited rice terraces in Bali, usually teeming with tourists, around 4 pm on a weekday I surprisingly bumped into just few people.
4. Mount Batur sunrise trekking
My ultimate best Bali moment and my very first night trekking that rewarded me with a gorgeous sunrise at 1717 m . It’s a must-do if you’re a nature lover with a fairly good fitness level. On the main street in Ubud there are numerous companies selling their tours and the prices start from as low as 280K and can reach double. The driver picked me up at 2 am at my accomodation in Ubud and after picking up a few more people, we were driven to have breakfast – at 2:30 am for God’s sake! – followed by an aprox 1 hour drive to the base of Mount Batur, where we met the local guide that handed us a torch and off we went up the mountain… For like 2 hours. It was steep and not always easy but we made it just in time for the sunrise. At 6 am sharp we all looked in the same direction and were lost for words when the sun popped out from behind Mount Agung and started coloring the sky in a harmonious variation of pink, orange and purple. Even the monkeys started to gather around us for the show, we thought, but in reality they were just after our food.
5. Campuhan Ridge walk
A much easier walk than Mt Batur, which is free and starts right in the center of Ubud, the Campuhan Ridge walk is a great way of escaping for a moment the noise of the village and just enjoying the surrounding nature. It takes aprox half an hour to reach the end of it and the best time is to go early morning or late afternoon because it can get quite hot and there’s no shade at all along the whole walk.
Instead of shade, there is another of my favorite places though:
6. Karsa Spa
Following the Campuhan Ridge walk, almost at the very end of it you’ll spot Karsa Cafe and the spa with the same name. I’ve booked my treatment aprox two weeks in advance because I read it’s a very popular place and gets booked out quickly, so I wanted to make sure I’ll not miss out on my two hours of pampering. The one hour traditional Balinese massage was followed by half an hour scrub and another half an hour flowerbath. My therapist had been a real sweetheart and did her best to make my experience a special one, even hopping up on a chair to take the perfect photo.
7. Kajeng rice field walk
One of the reasons I fancy Ubud is that there’s a few walk routes that you can do in nature. The starting point is in the center of Ubud and the walk takes you through the village of Kajeng, which is authentic and it has a local charm to it. The whole loop takes around one hour.
8. Ubud Market
I’ve spotted a few boutiques where shopping was tempting, however if you’re after the local vibe and you’ve got the bargaining skills, it’s Ubud Market where you should head to. From clothing to handmade purses and perverted bottle openers, everything is available “at a good price” as the vendors say.
Good to know: the first “ good price” they offer is always the highest, in most cases they drop it to less than half when you’re ready to walk away without buying their product.
Munduk and around – Bali travel tips
I’ve never heard of the little village of Munduk before my travel to Bali, but people that have been there described it as peaceful, mountainous and pretty. I thought it does worth a try, so spontaneously hopped on a shuttle bus in Ubud, direction Munduk. The ticket cost me a modest 150K IDR and the journey took three hours. The drive to Munduk is in particular scenic, passing next to rice fields, lake and the mountains. The road is almost the whole way very curvy, I’ve been warned by a fellow traveler that I may get sick, but that didn’t happen, I was just enjoying the panorama.
When the driver suddenly pulled over and claimed we’ve reached central Munduk, I was looking with disbelief though because that didn’t look like a center at all, unless the center consist just of a restaurant on the side of the road. It was just me and another traveler, the rest of the passengers continuing their way further north. We got off and looked around, nodding towards each other that it’s impossible to be right in the center of Munduk and there’s nothing around. Luckily her internet reception was working, cause mine refused loading, this way we figured we’ve got more than 1 km to walk to actually reach the village and our accomodations. With our backpacks on ( cherishing the fact that I travel light ) and a few bad words told, we started rolling ( not literally ) downhill for the next few minutes until eventually reached the actual center of Munduk. According to the locals the shuttle bus normally drops people on the top of the hill, which is still bizarre because it’d really take just some extra minutes drive to the village itself.
However, the mountainous setting is gorgeous and very peaceful, gives you the feeling that you’ve just traveled back in time.
In any direction you look there’s the stunning Mother Nature smiling back at you.
Not only nature is beautiful, the locals are in particular nice people. It was enough to walk once from one end of the village to the other and locals were already calling me by my name, but they have never heard of the existence of my country. Once in Munduk don’t forget to:
Indulge in delicious local food
As small of a village that Munduk is, it still offers numerous restaurants with spectacular views.
Warung Classic has been my absolute favorite for the amazing food and the best spot to watch sunset and Warung Dong Paloh for the super delicious breakfast and the signature Balinese black rice porridge .
Take a dip in the gorgeous waterfalls
I could rave about the great food, but it’s not just food that I’ve been so enthusiastic about, it’s also waterfalls. Yes, the Munduk area is probably the best in Bali when it comes to ticking off the list the most spectacular waterfalls. Walkable distance from the village center, there are three of them: The middle falls, Melanting and Red Coral. Each of them require a visiting fee of 10 -20 K IDR. I made it only to Red Coral waterfall and I was more than delighted with the scene, but I’ll let the picture speak for itself.
A short drive from Munduk, followed by a little steep but enjoyable hike, nestled in the lush forest, it’s the spectacular Banyumala Falls or simply Twin Waterfalls if the Indonesian name sounds too complicated. An absolute must visit, Banyumala is gorgeous and so refreshing. The best time to go is early morning, before the crowds invade it. I got there around 8:30 amand no other soul was there, except my two travel buddies for the day, but one hour later, when we were leaving there were already people coming. The entry fee is 30K IDR and it includes a small bottle of water, which comes handy considering the hike. Regardless, carry plenty of water with you wherever you go, it’s hot and humid at any time of the day and night in Bali.
Visit temples and lakes
Lake Bratan, with its famous Beratan Lake Temple is located near the town of Begudul, less than an hour drive from Munduk. It’s the second largest lake in Bali and rated by Huffington Post as one of the 20 most beautiful lakes in the world. Tourists from all over the world visit this place, the temple being the icon of Indonesia. It’s certainly beautiful, but since it’s so extremely touristy it doesn’t represent anymore such a strong cultural and religious meaning.
If most people visit the popular Beratan Lake Temple, the hidden gems hunters go trekking through the jungle and canoe over the lake to find the less famous version of it.
Lake Tambligan Temple is situated beside Buyan Lake and although you can drive there from one side, it’s way more interesting, challenging and satisfying to sign up for a two hours jungle trekking adventure.
The cost of the trekking with an English speaking local guide is 275K IDR and it does worth every penny. First things first, our guide, Gudi ( I’m pretty sure that’s the wrong spelling ) handed each of us a bamboo trekking stick and we started venturing into the rain forest, following carefully his passionate explanation about the trees that we were seeing.
Along the way, in the middle of the jungle we stopped at a little temple, which he educated us about, mentioning that locals trek there on a daily basis to do the traditional offerings ritual. Quite an effort of them to do that daily?!
Gudi told us also about the previous years floodings and many more interesting information that kept us interested while following the trail. Time passed quickly and we weren’t even tired when we reached the lake and have been invited on the canoe, where we didn’t even have to paddle. Crossing the lake in the canoe has been relaxing and filled with beautiful mountain views. The temple is quite unique and the whole trekking and canoeing experience just adds to it.
Get your photo taken at Handara Bali Gates
Heading to the Begudul area it’s impossible to miss the famous picturesque gates that are all over social media. It’s actually the entry to a golf course and resort and in no time became so popular, that now they even charge 30K IDR for a 10 minutes photo session in front of them and the receipt you get is called Selfie ticket. Hahaha! Been there, done that…
Relax in Bali Botanic Garden
It provides a great escape to enjoy the cool temperatures under a tree and get familiar with the rare tropical plants and wildlife in their natural habitat. Ideal for any age, the gardens offer a vast variety of activities and families, including accomodation or treetop adventure park.
Wake up for the sunrise
Munduk is great not only for sunset, but sunrise is spectacular too. The early hours of the day are being announced by the roosters ( which annoyed me most times ), I didn’t need to set an alarm, but after I dragged myself out of the bed I was in fact grateful to the noisy creatures. Needless to say that the hardworking locals were not even close being as sleepy as I was, it looked like they were going full power already at not even 6 am.
I’m sure there’s much more to do in and around Munduk, but I’m afraid my only three days there allowed me to do just the above mentioned ones. It’s been one of my favorite parts of Bali though, lots of memories made, nice people met and beautiful places visited. Sadly, during the hikes I did around there I’ve seen a lot of trash left behind, which seems to be a general issue in Indonesia. On that note, I’d like to add a reminder: while traveling please, please :
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