Doha Airport Layover

Our Qatar Airways flight from Rome to Jakarta included a lengthy 10-hour Doha airport layover. There was really no way of avoiding this when we booked the flight.

If we had arrived early in the day, we could have enjoyed one of Qatar's complimentary 3-hour tours of the city. However, we would

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/doha-airport-layover/

Qatar Airways Inflight Experience

With their elitist tv commercials and tip-top rating in the World's Best Airlines, we were expecting great things from our Qatar Airways inflight experience.

This is why we snatched up the opportunity to fly with them from Rome to Jakarta for around €500 per person, economy class.

We could

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/qatar-airways-inflight-experience/

Terravision Turmoil

Our first experiences with Terravision 2 years ago had been positive (see Thumbs Up for Terravision). Fast-forward to the present, and things appear to be deteriorating into Terravision Turmoil.

At least, this is our impression from recent experiences travelling between Rome and Ciampino

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-turmoil/

Indonesia Travel Plan

Under €1200 all-inclusive for a 3-week trip to a secluded tropical island? Our Karimunjawa Indonesia travel plan also included a couple of days in Rome and flights with top-rated Qatar Airways.

This seemed like an unbeatable deal to us when we first started to plan this trip. It all started

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-indonesia-travel-plan/

Paradise Inn Sigiriya

We set out in the morning from our guesthouse in Negombo. Our next destination was the Paradise Inn Sigiriya.

We took a tuk-tuk for the 2km ride to Negombo bus station. From there, we asked around for the first bus to Kandy. We would have to change buses in Kandy, then take another to Sigiriya,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/paradise-inn-sigiriya/

Edinburgh City Break

If you ever need a great excuse for an Edinburgh city break, the availability of some great international flight deals flying from Edinburgh to the Far East has to be high on the list. Combine this with a low-cost budget flight to Edinburgh from many British and European cities, and you can be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/edinburgh-city-break/

7 Must-Do Valencia Activities

Although there's certainly no shortage of things to do on a short trip to Valencia, the trick is to get organized in advance so that your Valencia activities can be as diverse and fun-packed as possible.

We had booked a self-catering apartment in the Campanar district, north-west of the city

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-activities/

Galle Fort

From Unawatuna, we moved a few kilometers along the coast to Galle Fort. Here, we planned to stay for 2 nights at a guesthouse located inside the fort walls.
Inside Galle Fort
Galle is an old Portuguese colonial town that now functions as an over-priced honeytrap for unsuspecting tourists.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/galle-fort/

Jungle Beach Unawatuna

After 6 days lounging around the beaches of Tangalle, we headed west up the coast by bus to the small town of Unawatuna. We had heard about some special beaches in the area, in particular Jungle Beach Unawatuna.

We had booked a 3-night stay at Sam's Guesthouse, located on the inland side of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jungle-beach-unawatuna/

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle is a medium-sized beach and garden resort located a few kms west along the coast from Tangalle. My last visit to Palm Paradise - 19 years previously - was very enjoyable, so I was keen to return.

The highlights I remembered from my first trip were the beautiful

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palm-paradise-cabanas-tangalle/

Tangalle Beaches - Tantalizing Tangalle

Following our stay high in the mountains around Haputale, we took a morning bus for the 7-hour journey down to Tangalle, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. For this part of our journey we were winging it, with nothing booked in advance. We were just looking forward to those fantastic Tangalle

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tangalle-beaches/

World’s End Sri Lanka - Far Above the Clouds

World’s End Sri Lanka: The first stage of our journey through central Sri Lanka would conclude with a visit to the hill town of Haputale, and the World’s End plateau at Horton Plains. After spending several days in and around the old capital Kandy, we arranged to travel by train from Kandy to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/worlds-end-sri-lanka/

Malaysia & Borneo : Highlights & Costs

Our actual trip to Malaysia & Borneo closely followed our plan regarding the places we would visit. These were based on 2 main areas:
♦  The Malaysian peninsula: We arrived (and departed) Kuala Lumpur, and spent roughly 10 days there.
♦  Borneo: This second half of the trip also lasted

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-borneo-highlights/

Philippines Tokay Gecko - The "Little Britain" Lizard

Wherever we travelled throughout the rural areas of the Philippines, we were entertained most evenings and nights by the strange and intermittent Philippines Tokay Gecko night call.

The call was too loud to be emitted by an insect. It sounded more human - like a negative response

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-tokay-gecko/

Gdansk Poland Eating Out

With just 4 days to spend in the historic old town, we did a little preparation to ensure that our Gdansk Poland eating out experiences would be both enjoyable and cost-effective.

From a dozen or so promising candidates we made a shortlist of 5 restaurants and cafes that ticked all our boxes,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-eating-out/

Girona City Stopover - Where to stay and eat

Our Girona city stopover allowed us just one night in Girona, before heading south to Barcelona-El Prat airport later the following day.

We therefore needed a hotel that was close to the bus and train stations, and still within easy reach of the attractions and restaurants that the city has to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-stopover/

Girona in Giro - What to see

What can you do in Girona if you have just 5 or 6 hours to spare?

Actually, quite a lot.

Our hotel was located in the centre of Girona, next to the Onyar river. We started out early after breakfast and followed the river northwards - passed the brightly painted façades of the houses -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-ingiro/

Girona City Transfer Tips & Options

Located within sight of the Pyrenees in the northeast of Catalonia, Girona city is a great place to start a journey to some really exotic locations. This is due to Girona's proximity to Barcelona - a main Spanish hub from where many flights depart in the direction of South America and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-transfer-tips/

Canary Islands

A trip to the Canary Islands had long been on our agenda. This year, the availability of cheap budget-airline flights with stopovers in Spain finally made this trip too good to resist. We carefully put together our 14-day Canary Islands itinerary.

Instead of getting return flights direct to the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/canary-islands-itinerary/

Mumbai & The Thousand-Yard Stare

After spending more than 3 weeks in India, absorbing the dubious charm of overcrowded Sleeper coaches and chaotic inner city streetlife, we were apprehensive that Mumbai would trump - in aces - anything that had gone before.

This was the reason we saved Mumbai metropolis until the last.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-thousand-yard-stare/

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Gdańsk Poland 4-Day Break

If you're based in Europe and are looking for an inexpensive long weekend away, you might want to consider a Gdansk Poland 4-day break.

The beautiful old town of Gdansk offers plenty of excellent hotels and restaurants, but the real attraction is the culture and epic history of the town and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-4-day-break/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Goa Beach Hopping

One of our favourite activities on visits to Asia is beach hopping. Just pack a lightweight bag with a picnic, grab a hat and plenty of water, and head out to discover whatever is beyond that distant headland. We spent some really enjoyable days doing this in Sri Lanka and Borneo. Now it was time

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/goa-beach-hopping/

Palolem Beach Goa

A few kms south of Agonda beach is Palolem beach.

Palolem Beach stretches across a 1.6 km curved bay. The beach is pretty much built up from end to end with a large variety of accommodation, restaurants and shops. Rooms and cabins range in price, for anything between 200 to 5,000 rupees per

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach/

South Goa Beaches - Agonda

When we arrived in Goa, fresh off the night train from Kochi, we hadn't yet decided between the South Goa Beaches - Agonda beach or Palolem beach. We had nothing booked, so left it to chance. As it turned out, our first experiences would be on Palolem beach.

After an hours march from the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-beaches-agonda/

South Goa via AC2 Train Class

As relieved as we were to be leaving Kochi, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming train journeys to South Goa via AC2 train class.

We had pre-booked berths on an AC2 train leaving that evening from Kochi at 10pm. We should arrive early the following morning in Madgaon, Goa. From

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-via-ac2-train-class/

I'm a Celebrity - Get me out of Fort Kochi!

We arrived at Ernaculum Town station in Kochi later than expected - it was already getting close to dusk. We didn't know it, but we still had another 1 hour journey to take us to our guesthouse in Fort Kochi.

Outside the train station, there was a large queue ... and a surprisingly orderly

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fort-kochi-india/

Indian Railways Sleeper Class to Kochi

Our next destination after Varkala was Kochi. 5 days earlier, while we were still in Kovalam, we had purchased train tickets from a Travel Agent. He had explained to us which ticket classes were available for a trip from Varkala to Kochi, and advised us not to take Indian Railways Sleeper Class or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/indian-railways-sleeper-class/

Ubud Bali Activities

The goal of searching out all possible Ubud Bali activities is not necessarily the best way to appreciate and enjoy this traditional and cultural town. The ideal thing to do here is just to relax and soak up the atmosphere, and then go out and sample some of the excellent food on offer.

Of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-activities/

The Windswept Cliffs of Varkala, Kerala

The next place of interest travelling north up the coast from Kovalam is Varkala. The cliffs of Varkala are famed for their dramatic, windswept appearance and precarious shopfronts perching over the edge.
Reaching the Cliffs of Varkala
The journey from Kovalam to Varkala takes almost 2 hours by

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cliffs-of-varkala/

Kovalam Lighthouse Beach

One week before arriving at Kovalam Lighthouse Beach, I sent an email to our hotel requesting an airport pickup. The fact that I got no reply should have been an early warning sign.

When we arrived at Trivandrum airport, I reckoned there was a 50/50 chance that someone would be waiting to pick

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kovalam-lighthouse-beach/

Jet Airways Inflight Experience

Several weeks before starting our trip to India, we went online and booked 2 domestic flights directly with Jet Airways. We had never heard of the airline before, so we were curious how our Jet Airways inflight experience would compare to other budget airlines.

We booked the following one-way

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jet-airways-inflight-experience/

Mumbai International Airport

Arrival at Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji) and transfer to the Domestic terminal was blissfully straightforward and efficient. At passport control we produced our e-Tourist Visas, and were processed quickly enough.

After clearing passport control, we strolled into a large and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-international-transfer-to-domestic-terminal/

Istanbul Leather Shopping

One of the bonuses of a short stay in Istanbul is the opportunity for shopping. There are some great bargains to be had in the bazaars and highstreets of the city, and if its leather you're after, look no further. You'll find that shopping for leather in Istanbul can be a very social

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/shopping-for-leather-in-istanbul/

Istanbul Mosques and Minarets

We dedicated our first full day in in the city to visiting some of the “must see” Istanbul mosques, museums and monuments. Because there are so many of these, and with a limited amount of time, we had to be quite selective.

In part, this was made easier for us by the opening times of some of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-mosques-minarets/

Istanbul Eateries and Accommodation

We would only have 2 nights and days in Istanbul. To optimize our time in the city, and to find the best Istanbul eateries, we did as much planning as we could before leaving home.

After sorting out our transfers, our next priorities were accommodation and food. Following a good deal of online

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-eateries-accommodation/

Valencia Eating Out

For our 4-day trip to Valencia, we had selected in advance a number of interesting restaurants with good reviews. The only problem was that these restaurants were dotted around the outskirts of the city and were not particularly easy to get to.

Our Valencia eating out plans therefore had to be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-eating-out/

Istanbul Airport-City Transfer

Planning our visit to Istanbul from the comfort of our living room, using Google Earth as our map reference, seemed straightforward enough. To avoid the expense of taxis, we decided to arrange our own Istanbul airport-city transfer.

We would be arriving at Sabiha Gokcen - the furthest of the 2

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-airport-city-transfer/

Turkish Airlines Inflight Experience

We were quite excited about flying with Turkish Airlines for the first time. Our expectations of the Turkish Airlines inflight experience were justifiably high, considering they are currently the No.7 airline in the world - recently overtaken by  who are now No.1 (see The World's Top 100

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-inflight-experience/

Rome Attractions

For a short 2-3 day break in Rome, you need to be extremely selective: There are just so many Rome attractions to see, and to see the sights properly you need to spend the time.

It also helps to pace yourself and vary your activities to avoid a cultural overload. There are only so many museums

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-attractions/

Rome Restaurants

Rome is like one giant restaurant. Every street seems to host a series of eateries tempting visitors with their delicious Italian kitchen aromas. In our experiance, it's pretty difficult to get a bad meal in Rome, but if you're looking for inspiration, here are our current favourite Rome

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-restaurants/

Rome Hotels & Guesthouses

We often use Rome as our launching pad for long-distance flights to Asia. Many of the bigger airlines offer a variety of flight options starting or ending in Rome. As a result, prices are often cheaper than flying out from other airports, since many Rome hotels & guesthouses can be booked at

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-hotels-guesthouses/

Our India Travel Plan

Choosing the best dates and flights for a long-haul trip to the tropics involves a little more than just picking a few free weeks to visit shortly before you leave. When it comes to finding some of the best travel opportunities, whether the Seychelles, India or the Caribbean, it often pays to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/india-travel-plan/

Ubud Bali Eating Out

With just 4 days in Ubud, we were keen to discover the best food that Bali has to offer. To this end, we did a little research in advance to ensure that our Ubud Bali eating out experiences did not disappoint.
Ubud Bali Eating Out - Our 4 Best Restaurants
Before leaving for Bali, we made a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-eating-out/

What’s the Damage? Final Venice Budget

A short trip to Venice is potentially one of the most costly city breaks you can take. Even with a Venice Budget, why is this city so expensive?

Well, we noticed a few things that might explain this. Apart from the artists and artisans, not much is created or grown in Venice: Goods and
Read more http://www.sandspice.com/final-venice-budget/

The Venice of "Don't Look Now"

If like us you’re a bit of a movie fan, then this section is for you. The Venice of Don't Look Now is encapsulated in a 1973 British-Italian thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from a short story by Daphne du Maurier. It was filmed at a variety of locations throughout Venice, showing a
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-dont-look-now/

Venice Osteria and Trattoria

Considering that Italy is pretty much one big restaurant, there’s never any difficulty finding somewhere to eat. Whether a Venice Osteria and Trattoria or Pizzeria, there are plenty of places to choose from.

Unless you like to snack throughout the day, you can pretty much calculate that during

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-osteria-trattoria/

Vaporetti Essentials: Get a Day Pass

Of course, one of the reasons we all go to Venice is to travel on their unique vaporetti transport system. Unless you are particularly flush with cash, you’ll want to do this in the easiest and most economical way possible. For a short weekend, a Vaporetti Day Pass is the answer.

The bad news

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/vaporetti-day-pass/

Booking a Venice Hotel

Choosing the Ca ’Fortuny Hotel Venice was the result of some precise online research. Finding a good, reasonably-priced hotel in Venice that’s not too far from the centre can be a challenge in itself. It's therefore always a good idea to scrutinize the best deals that are currently on offer.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ca-fortuny-hotel-venice/

Venice off-Season

How much should a short 2-night break in Venice off-season really cost?

With low-cost airlines flying from numerous destinations, the return flight is possibly one of the cheapest items of a trip to Venice. However, even this can be deceptive: The budget airlines fly to Venice Treviso, not to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-off-season/

Temple of the Tooth

Before we left Kandy we took a few hours to visit the celebrated Temple of the Tooth. This is where they keep one of Buddha’s teeth as a holy relic. The relic is regarded as a symbolic representation of the living Buddha and is the focus of a daily series of offerings, rituals, and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/temple-of-the-tooth/

Beneath the Knuckle Mountains

During our stay at the , we arranged several treks through the surrounding thickly-jungled mountain areas. Whenever we emerged into a clearing, we could see the Knuckle Mountains bathed in mist in the far distance.

It's clear to see how these mountains got their name. Local residents

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/knuckle-mountains/

Valencia Long Weekend - Airport Transfers and Accommodation

With the budget airlines offering ridiculously cheap flights from all over Europe to a variety of destinations in Spain, a Valencia long weekend is hard to resist. Add to this a relatively low cost of living and accommodation options, and you're onto a winner.

We budgeted €350 per person for a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-long-weekend/

Polwaththa Eco Lodge

From Kandy, we had arranged a pickup by tuk-tuk to take us up into the surrounding mountain jungle to the Polwaththa Eco Lodge.

We were looking forward to a peaceful break, close to nature and away from the hustle and bustle. Our tuk-tuk driver arrived on time shortly before noon. We paid Rs

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/polwaththa-eco-lodge/

Valencia Long Weekend - Airport Transfers and Accommodation

With the budget airlines offering ridiculously cheap flights from all over Europe to a variety of destinations in Spain, a Valencia long weekend is hard to resist. Add to this a relatively low cost of living and accommodation options, and you're onto a winner.

We budgeted €350 per person for a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-long-weekend/

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me... http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/ #ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me...
http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/
#ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Kandy Lake Comfort

From Sigiriya, we travelled the short distance to Dambulla by tuk-tuk. We were in two minds whether or not to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. The deciding factors were time and the weather. It was still raining, and we didn't want to delay our bus trip to Kandy. We were heading for the Kandy lake

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kandy-lake-comfort/

Lion Rock Sigiriya

After spending our first wet night in Sigiriya, it was still raining the next morning. However, our plan was to climb to the top of the famous Lion Rock buddhist monument, and a wet day wasn't going to stop us doing that.

Before that, we had a look around the grounds of our guesthouse. It was

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lion-rock-buddhist/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Our Sri Lanka Travel Plan

Our Sri Lanka travel plan was designed as a 21-day rollicking rollercoaster of a ride to the World’s End and beyond. It promised to be an eventful trip, with all content published from my tiny Samsung smartphone.



 
Researching the Trip - Sri Lanka Travel Plan
Our idea was to choose a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-travel-plan/

Maldives Under the Reef

Maldives under the reef: Your first underwater experience of the Maldives is likely to be your local house reef. All the islands have their own unique housereefs. For many people, this is all you actually need. Just put on a mask and step into the shallows. You don't need to go further than a few

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maldives-under-the-reef/

Sandbank Affaire

The Sandbank Affaire Makunudu Maldives is a special experience devised by the Management of the . This is a private evening excursion to a distant mini-island (the Sandbank). You are accompanied by just your waiter and a chef, and are treated to a Lobster BBQ with a bottle of wine.

Since this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sandbank-affaire-makunudu-maldives/

Makunudu Island, Maldives

Travelling with Emirates from Europe to Makunudu Island, we had an initial stop in Cyprus. We then had another stop in Dubai for our connecting flight to Male - The Maldives capital.
We had a couple of hours to kill in Dubai, so spent most of it queueing up to spend a penny in a toilet not big

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/makunudu-island/

Ubud Bali Hotels & Airport Transfers

Following an overnight stay in London and a short break in Hong Kong we were keen to reach the relative peace and tranquility of a 4-night stay in Bali. We had chosen two very different styles of accommodation for our Ubud Bali hotels: A family-run guesthouse and an upmarket Spa and Gallery

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-hotels-airport-transfers/

Maldives Planning a Break

Maldives Planning a Break: The luxury of some of the smaller islands in the Maldives comes at a price. However, if included as a short addition to a longer trip through other countries in the region, this unforgettable experience can be enjoyed without drastically over-doing the budget.

The

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maldives-planning-a-break/

The Dubai Mall

Dubai seems to be all about extremes: Not only do they have the tallest building in the world, they also boast the Dubai Mall: The largest shopping mall in the world, in which you can find one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world, with the world's largest acrylic panel.

Oh, and just

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-mall/

Burj Khalifa Dubai

How can you visit Dubai and not experience the slim eloquence, modernity and quality of Burj Khalifa Dubai - the tallest building in the world?

We're all used to the old high-rise skyscrapers of Shang Hai, Hong Kong and NYC, but the Burj Khalifa exudes a slim eloquence, modernity and quality

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/burj-khalifa-dubai/

Dubai Desert Safari

Our final full day in the United Arab Emirates, and we’re off on the obligatory Dubai Desert Safari. We’re not expecting much, but it turns out to be great fun with Dune Bashing, an Arab campsite way out in the desert, sunset photos, getting dressed up in the traditional gear, henna tatooing,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-desert-safari/

Dubai Stopover

Since a lot of South-East Asian flights stop there en route, a Dubai stopover seems to be a great addition to your vacation. In fact, for many travellers this is often where the holiday begins (or ends).

In our case, this came at the end of our trip to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Our Emirates

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-stopover/

Jalan Petaling - Kuala Lumpur Chinatown

Jalan Petaling, otherwise known as the Kuala Lumpur Chinatown, is as good a reason as any to visit this cosmopolitan city. After just 3 nights in Sepilok, we packed up our bags again and made our way to the airport at Sandakan.

We had pre-booked flights back from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur via

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-lumpur-chinatown/

Borneo Rainforest Discovery Centre

Located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the Borneo Rainforest Discovery Centre is one of Sabah's most popular and most accessible environmental education centres. It is open daily from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.

We made a special trip to the Discovery Center, since it was within easy walking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-rainforest-discovery-centre/

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

Our first day in Sepilok, and we were keen to get a closeup view of the orangutans. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is the reason most visitors come to Sepilok, and it is indeed a very pleasant and informative day out.



The reserve is just 5 minutes down the road from the . They

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sepilok-orangutan-rehabilitation-center/

Sepilok Borneo - Where to Stay & Eat

After 4 days in Kuala Penyu, we organized a taxi to take us to the airport at Kota Kinabalu. Our next destination was Sepilok Borneo, not far from Sandakan.

We had a late morning flight booked with Malaysia airlines (RM99 per person, 1-way Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan). This is a short 40-minute

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sepilok-borneo/

Borneo Wavehunters

White Water Rafting is a "must do" activity if you are staying a few days in the vicinity of Kota Kinabalu. As a result, the Borneo Wavehunters had been on our agenda from the very beginning of the trip, and we were lucky enough to experience it.

I say “lucky” because these excursions are very

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-wavehunters/

Kuala Penyu Tempurung Seaside Lodge

Before leaving Kota Kinabalu, we telephoned ahead to our next lodging - the Kuala Penyu Tempurung Seaside Lodge - to arrange a pickup once we arrived in Kuala Penyu. We needed to do this, since there are few transport options in the area around Kuala Penyu- even taxis are difficult to find.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-penyu-tempurung-seaside-lodge/

Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

From Kuantan, we would have to take 2 flights to reach Kota Kinabalu, with a change in Kuala Lumpar.

After the disappearance 6 days earlier of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 out of KL, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming flight with the same airline, also travelling into and out

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuantan-kota-kinabalu/

Kuantan by Taxi from Mersing

After 4 nights in Tioman, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing, and then travel on by bus to Kuantan, where we had already booked a hotel.

We needed to reach Kuantan on the same day we left Tioman, since we had an early flight booked from there the following morning.



After

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/

Into the Tioman Rainforest

One of the nicest beaches on Pulau Tioman is Juara beach on the northern coast. There are rivers at both ends of Juara beach. On the northernmost river you can hire a kayak and navigate your way a short distance upriver into the Tioman rainforest.

Just before the river at the southern end of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/

Tenerife Siam Park Sensation

If you are planning to spend some time in the south of the island, then the Tenerife Siam Park sensation is something not to be missed. Siam park is a large, clean, beautifully landscaped and well organized water park, officially the No 1 water park in the world.

If you come to Tenerife, this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tenerife-siam-park-sensation/

Kuantan by Taxi from Mersing

After 4 nights in Tioman, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing, and then travel on by bus to Kuantan, where we had already booked a hotel.

We needed to reach Kuantan on the same day we left Tioman, since we had an early flight booked from there the following morning.



After

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/

Kuantan by Taxi from Mersing

After 4 nights in Tioman, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing, and then travel on by bus to Kuantan, where we had already booked a hotel.

We needed to reach Kuantan on the same day we left Tioman, since we had an early flight booked from there the following morning.



After

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/

Kuantan by Taxi from Mersing

After 4 nights in Tioman, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing, and then travel on by bus to Kuantan, where we had already booked a hotel.

We needed to reach Kuantan on the same day we left Tioman, since we had an early flight booked from there the following morning.



After

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/

Into the Tioman Rainforest

One of the nicest beaches on Pulau Tioman is Juara beach on the northern coast. There are rivers at both ends of Juara beach. On the northernmost river you can hire a kayak and navigate your way a short distance upriver into the Tioman rainforest.

Just before the river at the southern end of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/

Kuala Lumpur - First Impressions

Our flight went non-stop from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, departing at 20:50 in the evening and arriving at 15:45 the following afternoon. It was comfortable enough, and cost just €521 for a return ticket.

While still inside the airport, we booked a taxi coupon from one of the booths (RM89),

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-lumpur-first-impressions/

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Funnily enough, it was a Tuesday when we arrived in Belgium. We knew this must be Belgium because of the bicycles and the scary clowns...

For those of you (especially Americans) who aren't familiar with the movie, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium is a 1969 romantic comedy film made on

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/must-be-belgium/

Planning a Travel Itinerary Around Malaysia

We always wanted to visit Borneo - even more so than Malaysia. So when we found reasonably priced flights from Amsterdam, we e didn't hesitate to snap it up, and started working on our Borneo and Malaysia travel plan.

At this point, I need to regress a little in order to share a really useful

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-travel-plan/

Our Philippines Impressions? It's not what we expected

Our Philippines impressions were formed gradually over the 3 weeks we spent there. We arrived in the Philippines with open minds, though it's difficult to erase all the pre-conceptions you have about a place before you visit it.

In our case, we were anticipating white sand beaches, relaxed

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-impressions/

Best Western Hotel Riviera Fiumicino

Our trip to the Philippines was planned with a return flight to Fiumicino, near Rome. The flights back to Italy from the Philippines hit us a lot harder than the flights there. The Best Western Hotel Riviera Fiumicino (€51, breakfast included) was a good choice for a one night stop-gap.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/best-western-hotel-riviera-fiumicino/

Colorful Filipino Currency

Check out the colorful Filipino currency.

This new currency is brightly colored like Euros (though the equivalent amount goes a lot further...).

It can sometimes be difficult to get the locals to change the larger denominations (500 or 1000 peso notes), so we took every opportunity to keep a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/colorful-filipino-currency/

Bland Filipino Food

Before we started this trip, from our research we gathered that there was no distinctive Filipino cuisine. From our actual experiences in the Philippines, this appears to be true. On the menus everywhere you find pork and chicken, most often barbecued in a sweet and sticky marinade. This bland

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bland-filipino-food/

Philippines Trikes Taxis & other Transport Options

Before coming to the Philippines, we read a lot of articles about people being ripped off by trikes and taxi drivers. We was therefore initially wary on the occasions we decided to use Philippines trikes taxis or other transport options.

However, as with a lot of the other information we read

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-trikes-taxis/

Philippines Beach Destinations: 50 Shades of Pink

If getting a suntan is high on the priority list, then unless you want to stay pink you need to choose your Philippines beach destinations carefully.

Many of the places we visited called themselves 'beach resorts', but the term is used pretty loosely. This often translates to sand-less, rocky

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-beach-destinations/

In the Philippines Karaoke is King

In the Philippines Karaoke is treated almost as a national sport - and taken very seriously indeed. Everywhere you go you'll hear it - morning, noon and night.

There always seems to be some tone-deaf hopeful drawling out the lyrics to "My Way" or Jennifer Rush's "I'm Your Lady".

This is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-karaoke/

Tenerife Siam Park Sensation

If you are planning to spend some time in the south of the island, then the Tenerife Siam Park sensation is something not to be missed. Siam park is a large, clean, beautifully landscaped and well organized water park, officially the No 1 water park in the world.

If you come to Tenerife, this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tenerife-siam-park-sensation/

Philippines Buses & Jeepneys

There are a few tips we picked up the hard way from our travels using the Philippines buses & jeepneys.
Which Colour Bus?
Always take the yellow aircon buses. The price difference between these and the standard red buses is minimal, but they are faster and more roomy, they don't stop as much

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-buses-jeepneys/

Griller in Manila Shabu Shabu self-service

Although we didn't have much time to spare in the city, we managed to visit the older Intramuros area and enjoyed a novel eating experience at a Manila Shabu Shabu restaurant.
Intramuros
We took a stroll from our Oasis Park Hotel in central Manila to Intramuros. Along the way we were surprised

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/manila-shabu-shabu/

Oasis Hotel Manila

Our trip back to Manila started in Panglao. We had booked the small Oasis Hotel Manila in north-central area of the city for just 2 nights.

A trike from Panglao to the airport took around 30 minutes (250 pesos).

At Tagbilaran airport, the terminal tax is 100 pesos per person. Philippine

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/oasis-hotel-manila/

Dumaluan Beach

Dumaluan beach is a narrow, white sand beach stretching for around 500 meters on the south coast of Panglao. It's only a few kms down the coast from Alona beach, but offers a similar beach experience, more geared towards locals than foreigners.

If you get there early in the morning with a group

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dumaluan-beach/

Panglao Island Nature Resort

The Panglao Island Nature Resort is a classy 5-star resort located far from the hustle and bustle of the more popular destinations in Panglao, Bohol.



As a day visitor, you get access to the resort and use of their pool, beach and facilities for 550 pesos. This also gives you 400 pesos

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panglao-island-nature-resort/

Into the Tioman Rainforest

One of the nicest beaches on Pulau Tioman is Juara beach on the northern coast. There are rivers at both ends of Juara beach. On the northernmost river you can hire a kayak and navigate your way a short distance upriver into the Tioman rainforest.

Just before the river at the southern end of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/

Juara Beach -Tioman Island, Malaysia

 on Juara beach is a relatively new place. It comprises 8 to 10 compact but comfortable raised wooden beach chalets. The management and staff are very welcoming, and helped us with advice on the local areas of interest, and to fine-tune our onward journey. We paid €37 per night for our chalet,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/juara-beach/

Golf del Sur - Tenerife South

After spending a really enjoyable 2-night stopover in Girona, Spain we continued our journey to our principal destination - the Canary Islands. Our first introduction to these islands was the Golf del Sur - Tenerife South.

We planned to spend 3 nights in Golf del Sur in a self-catering

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/golf-del-sur-tenerife-south/

Tioman Island Ferry

Although we arrived at the ferry terminal in the morning, the Tioman Island ferry wasn't due to leave until early afternoon. Depending on the weather, the ferry times can vary. There is an elaborate ticketing process, friendly staff, and a comfortable "departure" area.

Return tickets cost RM70:

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tioman-island-ferry/

Miserable in Mersing Malaysia

Mersing Malaysia is the gateway to Tioman Island, a very popular destination for travellers. We had a pleasant coach ride down to Mersing from Cherating, on a very comfortable Adik Beradik coach. The 240km trip took around 4 hours, including a 20-minute stop along the way where we could eat and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mersing-malaysia/

Cherating

After our first night in Kuala Lumpar, we made an early start: We needed to get to the bus station to take an early coach to Cherating, on the east side of the peninsula.

Of course, you can fly from Kuala Lumpar to Kuantan, and take a bus from there to Cherating. However, since we would be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cherating/

Kuala Lumpur - First Impressions

Our flight went non-stop from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, departing at 20:50 in the evening and arriving at 15:45 the following afternoon. It was comfortable enough, and cost just €521 for a return ticket.

While still inside the airport, we booked a taxi coupon from one of the booths (RM89),

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-lumpur-first-impressions/

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Funnily enough, it was a Tuesday when we arrived in Belgium. We knew this must be Belgium because of the bicycles and the scary clowns...

For those of you (especially Americans) who aren't familiar with the movie, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium is a 1969 romantic comedy film made on

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/must-be-belgium/

Planning a Travel Itinerary Around Malaysia

We always wanted to visit Borneo - even more so than Malaysia. So when we found reasonably priced flights from Amsterdam, we e didn't hesitate to snap it up, and started working on our Borneo and Malaysia travel plan.

At this point, I need to regress a little in order to share a really useful

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-travel-plan/

Our Philippines Impressions? It's not what we expected

Our Philippines impressions were formed gradually over the 3 weeks we spent there. We arrived in the Philippines with open minds, though it's difficult to erase all the pre-conceptions you have about a place before you visit it.

In our case, we were anticipating white sand beaches, relaxed

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-impressions/

Hong Kong Activities for a 2-day Stopover

With just a short one or two-day break in the city, its a good idea to have a plan if you want to experience some of the Hong Kong activities that are on offer.

Our Pearl Premium Guest House in Tsim Sha Tsui was well located for the activities that we had in mind.

It was within easy walking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hong-kong-activities/

Best Western Hotel Riviera Fiumicino

Our trip to the Philippines was planned with a return flight to Fiumicino, near Rome. The flights back to Italy from the Philippines hit us a lot harder than the flights there. The Best Western Hotel Riviera Fiumicino (€51, breakfast included) was a good choice for a one night stop-gap.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/best-western-hotel-riviera-fiumicino/

Colorful Filipino Currency

Check out the colorful Filipino currency.

This new currency is brightly colored like Euros (though the equivalent amount goes a lot further...).

It can sometimes be difficult to get the locals to change the larger denominations (500 or 1000 peso notes), so we took every opportunity to keep a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/colorful-filipino-currency/

Bland Filipino Food

Before we started this trip, from our research we gathered that there was no distinctive Filipino cuisine. From our actual experiences in the Philippines, this appears to be true. On the menus everywhere you find pork and chicken, most often barbecued in a sweet and sticky marinade. This bland

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bland-filipino-food/

Philippines Trikes Taxis & other Transport Options

Before coming to the Philippines, we read a lot of articles about people being ripped off by trikes and taxi drivers. We was therefore initially wary on the occasions we decided to use Philippines trikes taxis or other transport options.

However, as with a lot of the other information we read

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-trikes-taxis/

Philippines Beach Destinations: 50 Shades of Pink

If getting a suntan is high on the priority list, then unless you want to stay pink you need to choose your Philippines beach destinations carefully.

Many of the places we visited called themselves 'beach resorts', but the term is used pretty loosely. This often translates to sand-less, rocky

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-beach-destinations/

In the Philippines Karaoke is King

In the Philippines Karaoke is treated almost as a national sport - and taken very seriously indeed. Everywhere you go you'll hear it - morning, noon and night.

There always seems to be some tone-deaf hopeful drawling out the lyrics to "My Way" or Jennifer Rush's "I'm Your Lady".

This is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-karaoke/

Philippines Buses & Jeepneys

There are a few tips we picked up the hard way from our travels using the Philippines buses & jeepneys.
Which Colour Bus?
Always take the yellow aircon buses. The price difference between these and the standard red buses is minimal, but they are faster and more roomy, they don't stop as much

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-buses-jeepneys/

Griller in Manila Shabu Shabu self-service

Although we didn't have much time to spare in the city, we managed to visit the older Intramuros area and enjoyed a novel eating experience at a Manila Shabu Shabu restaurant.
Intramuros
We took a stroll from our Oasis Park Hotel in central Manila to Intramuros. Along the way we were surprised

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/manila-shabu-shabu/

Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong Stopover

Since our Cathay Pacific flight from London to Bali made a pit-stop in Hong Kong, we decided to take advantage of the break to add a 2-night stopover to our trip. Accordingly, we booked ourselves into the Pearl Premium Guest House in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Kowloon. This Tsim Sha Tsui Hong

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tsim-sha-tsui-hong-kong-stopover/

Oasis Hotel Manila

Our trip back to Manila started in Panglao. We had booked the small Oasis Hotel Manila in north-central area of the city for just 2 nights.

A trike from Panglao to the airport took around 30 minutes (250 pesos).

At Tagbilaran airport, the terminal tax is 100 pesos per person. Philippine

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/oasis-hotel-manila/

Dumaluan Beach

Dumaluan beach is a narrow, white sand beach stretching for around 500 meters on the south coast of Panglao. It's only a few kms down the coast from Alona beach, but offers a similar beach experience, more geared towards locals than foreigners.

If you get there early in the morning with a group

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dumaluan-beach/

Panglao Island Nature Resort

The Panglao Island Nature Resort is a classy 5-star resort located far from the hustle and bustle of the more popular destinations in Panglao, Bohol.



As a day visitor, you get access to the resort and use of their pool, beach and facilities for 550 pesos. This also gives you 400 pesos

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panglao-island-nature-resort/

Habal-Habal - Filipino Motorcycle Taxis

Habal-Habal (motorcycle taxi rides) provide an alternative form of public transport available throughout the Philippines.

We first became aware of this while walking alongside the main road through the town of Loboc, in Bohol. A motorcyclist pulled up in front of us, gesturing to the empty

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/habal-habal-filipino-motorcycle-taxis/

Seaside Boutique, Panglao in the Philippines

We chose the Seaside Boutique for our second stay in Panglao, and we're very happy we did (€27 per night including breakfast).

This guesthouse is located on the opposite side of the island from Alona and other popular spots. We were made very welcome into this family home, with our bedroom and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/seaside-boutique/

2013 Loboc Earthquake Damage, Philippines

Before leaving Loboc, we stopped to take a closer look at the damage caused by the 2013 Loboc earthquake.
The 2013 Loboc Earthquake
The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 7.2, with an energy equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs. This was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/2013-loboc-earthquake/

Fox & Firefly Resort Loboc

Don't expect anything fancy at the Fox & Firefly resort Loboc. This is a pure backpackers place, with the smallest dormitory I have ever seen (about 16 square meters for up to 8 adults).



Apart from the dormitory hut there are two other 2-person huts, and a communal washing/toilet

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fox-firefly-resort-loboc/

Cathay Pacific Inflight Experience

Despite our recent underwhelming experiences with Qatar and Turkish Airlines, we were still cautiously optimistic about our forthcoming Cathay Pacific flights to Hong Kong and Bali. We were hoping that our Cathay Pacific inflight experience would be something to savour.

We had purchased return

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cathay-pacific-inflight/

What to See and Do in Loboc Bohol

Famous for its lunch cruises along the scenic and winding river, Loboc Bohol is also one of the few locations where you can observe the Tarsier monkey. This is a small nocturnal animal with large red eyes - and one of the world's smallest primates. We planned to spend 3 nights there, as a break

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/loboc-bohol/

Snorkeling at Alona Beach

Alona beach in Panglao, Bohol, is best known for its white sand and weekend animations, but the local snorkeling at Alona beach is also worth checking out.

You can rent a mask and fins for 250 pesos for the day from any of the dive shops on the front strip. Then, you need to make your way to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/alona-snorkeling/

Alona Beach

To get to Alona beach, we needed to arrange transport from Pangangan in central Bohol. We left our guesthouse at Isla Hayahay, and took a trike to the bus stop on the main road (100 pesos). We then took a yellow airconditioned bus down the coast road to Tagbilaran (26 pesos).

The bus wasn't

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=506

Booze in Bohol

If you're not careful, drinking (booze, not water :-) ) can account for a large share of your holiday budget. This is especially so if you happen to be a wine drinker. A bottle of red or white white purchased at a bar or resort will cost 500 to 600 pesos (€10-12).

On the other hand, a stonking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bohol-booze/

London Airport Transfers

With a variety of large international airports dotted in and around the city, its both time-efficient and cost-effective to plan your London airport transfers in advance.

We had booked a multi-stop flight to Hong Kong and Bali with Cathay Pacific, travelling from London Gatwick.

Our plan was

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/london-airport-transfers/

Pangangan Island, Bohol

Not quite an island: Pangangan is connected to the mainland by a 4km mangrove-bordered causeway.

There are a few so-called 'beach' resorts dotted around the island, and little else.
Isla Hayahay Resort, Pangangan
We booked for 3 nights at the Isla Hayahay resort (35 euros per night, excl.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/pangangan-island/

Bohol Ferry From Cebu

After 3 nights in Moalboal, we were heading back to Cebu City. We would take the Bohol ferry from Cebu over to Tubigon in Bohol, then travel on to Pangangan.

Early in the morning, we got to the bus stop in Moalboal, and waited for one of the yellow airco buses to pass through on its way to Cebu

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bohol-ferry/

Snorkeling in Moalboal Cebu

Snorkeling in Moalboal Cebu was one of the highlights of our visit to the Philippines. Moalboal is located on the northern coast of Cebu, looking out towards Negros. We stayed at the T-Breeze Beach Resort, which offers a good selection of snorkeling gear for hire - around 200 pesos per

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/snorkeling-in-moalboal-cebu/

Bali and Nusa Lembongan - A 2-island itinerary

Bali is a universal favourite with travellers and tourists alike, but it is not so well known for its beaches. If it's clear blue sea and uncrowded white sand beaches you're after you need to venture a little further. So why not try a combination of Bali and Nusa Lembongan - one of Bali's sister

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bali-and-nusa-lembongan/

Mangoes in Moalboal

This is why we came to the Philippines: To relax in an off-track, secluded location with an open bath-water temperature sea, great snorkeling, eating tasty local food, fish, and exotic fruit. The place we chose to stay was the T-Breeze Resort, just outside Moalboal.

The Shell Cottage we chose

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/moalboal/

Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus

Cebu City is quite a congested, noxious conglomerate. Transport from place to place moves at a snails pace. It would be quicker walking - though less safe, due to the heavy traffic. Our bus trip from Cebu city to Moalboal would be taking longer than we anticipated.

After breakfast, we took a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cebu-city-to-moalboal/

Cebu City

Our first real experiences of the Philippines would be in Cebu city, since we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in, and take an ongoing domestic flight to the islands. On arrival at Cebu, we exited the airport, walked up the ramp across the road, and took a White taxi to the Ayala

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cebu-city/

Manila Airport Terminals 2 & 3

In order to keep our city-stays to a minimum, we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in. We would have to leave from there anyway at the end of the trip, so we reserved 2 days at the end for that. Our plan instead was to arrive at Manila airport, clear customs, then take the first

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/manila-airport-terminals/

Ciao, Ciao Roma

We didn't have much sightseeing time in Roma before picking up our flight to Manila. We just had an overnight stay, and were scheduled to pick up our flight to the Philippines the following evening.

Still, this gave us the best part of the following day to wander around, so we decided to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ciao-ciao-roma/

Club Machiavelli Rome

We booked a table at Club Machiavelli a week before we arrived, and lucky we did.

This wasn't our first visit to the restaurant: Our previous visit 6 months earlier wasn't so successful. We had researched the restaurant on TripAdvisor, and were very keen to try it out. On that occasion, we

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/club-machiavelli/

Antica Dimora Contessa Arrivabene

One night in Rome, and we checked into an establishment rejoicing in the name of Antica Dimora Contessa Arrivabene.

This used to be a private house, and must have seen some wild times in the 1920s, if the paintings in their sumptuously decadent rooms are anything to go by. Both the rooms and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/antica-dimora-contessa-arrivabene/

The Terravision Rome Airport Bus

Getting from either of the airports outside Rome to the city center can be an expensive business. Fortunately, there are some inexpensive and efficient alternatives to taking a taxi. We used the Terravision Rome airport bus service to travel from Fiumicino airport to the centre of Rome. Great

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-rome-airport-bus/

Rome: This is where it all begins...

Rome is not exactly South-East Asia, but this is where our journey begins, following a short flight from Malta.

The reason for this was our discovery of some very reasonably priced , flights running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Italy is a small hop from our base in Malta, this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-beginnings/

Philippines Travel Plan

The inspiration for our Philippines travel plan came from our discovery of very reasonably priced flights with , running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Rome is a small hop from our base in Malta, this seemed a perfect opportunity to extend our trip with a couple of nights in Rome before

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-travel-plan/

Cocohuts Karimunjawa

Following our hit-and-miss fortune with guesthouses in Karimunjawa, at well over 3 times the price of a regular homestay, we expected Cocohuts Karimunjawa to be quite an upgrade on the 2 places we had stayed so far in Karimun town.
Fabulous Views from Cocohuts Karimunjawa
Perched high up on the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cocohuts-karimunjawa/

Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro - Panama

After spending a couple of days in Bocas town, we decided to spend a few more days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/isla-colon-bocas-del-toro/

Our Final Panama Budget & Impressions

So what are our takeaways following a 4-week road trip around Panama? Below you'll find a summary of our Panama budget and impressions.

As to be expected there are positives and negatives, as well as plenty of opinions and observations.


Our Final Panama Budget
Our Panama trip worked out

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-budget/

Karimunjawa Eating Out

Since Karimun town is quite a small place, you can't expect to find a great number or variety of eating establishments. Some guesthouses offer their guests meals or kitchen facilities, but most travellers end up heading out in the evenings to discover the best Karimunjawa eating out

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-eating-out/

Bocas Del Toro Snorkeling Tour

The easiest way of finding some decent Bocas Del Toro snorkeling locations is to take a full-day boat trip from Bocas town. This isn't a bad option for just $30 per person, including 5 different activities and locations.


Bocas Del Toro Snorkeling Tour Itinerary
The tours leave in the morning

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-del-toro-snorkeling/

Karimunjawa Scooter Rental - Getting Around

There are 22 kms of ‘road’  between the main port of Karimunjawa and the furthest point north on the island. This is a little too far for walking, and there are no buses or taxes as such. So unless you pay for a guided tour, the only viable way of discovering the island is with a Karimunjawa

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-scooter-rental/

Bocas Town - Bocas Del Toro, Panama

A water taxi is most people's introduction to Bocas Town, Bocas Del Toro, though you can also fly directly to their small air strip not far behind the town. Since we were travelling in by bus from Boquete, we made our way to Almirante and took a boat from there

Our initial impression was of a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-town/

Waterfall Rappelling in Boquete

Absailing down a waterfall might not be everyones cup of tea, but for an adrenaline rush its hard to beat. Waterfall rappelling in Boquete, also known as canyoning, is one of Panama's most thrilling and popular adventure sports.

The concept is simple: suit up in a harness and belay your way

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/waterfall-rappelling-in-boquete/

Hotel Central Boquete Panama

“Hotel Central” is quite a misnomer for a hotel name, since the Hotel Central Boquete Panama is anything but central. You'll have to walk a good 15 minutes uphill from the center of Boquete town before you reach the hotel.

From the outside, with garish yellow paintwork and an odd structure, the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-central-boquete-panama/

Ziplining in Boquete Panama

Ziplining had already been on our hitlist for a couple of years. When planning our trip to Panama, we discovered that the Boquete TreeTrek Mountain Resort operate one of the largest and most popular ziplining experience in Latin America, so what better place to start than ziplining in Boquete

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ziplining-in-boquete-panama/

Boquete Mountain Trails - The Hills Have Eyes

The hills and mountains around Boquete are a huge draw for tourists who want to enjoy some serious trekking off the beaten path. However, you may first want to take into account some recent and not-so-recent incidents before heading out alone on the Boquete Mountain Trails.
Boquete Mountain

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boquete-mountain-trails/

Getting to Know Karimunjawa Town

Although it's quite a small place, it is possible to get temporarily lost in the similar-looking streets of Karimunjawa Town. Most of the facilities you require are to be found, but are spread around the place and not always easy to locate.

Top of your priority list is probably finding your

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-town/

Jakarta Takes Mansion Hotel

For our short return visit to Jakarta, we opted to stay in the Jakarta Takes Mansion hotel, close to the center of the city. The hotel is just a 20-minute walk across the park from Gambir train station, and not far from a central shopping area.


Jakarta Takes Mansion Hotel
Takes Mansion is a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=8976

Coffee Tours in Boquete Panama

Having done the Tea Plantation tour in Sri Lanka, it seemed only fair to do one of the Coffee Tours in Boquete Panama - And very informative it was.

We booked our tour at the Boquete Mountain Safari tours office for $29 per person. In fact, for the same price they offered to let us join a group

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/coffee-tours-in-boquete-panama/

Boquete Panama - Getting Around/What to Do

Boquete Panama is one of the highlights of a trip to this diverse country. Not really a town as such, Boquete is a huge district spanning 488 square kilometers.

However, most of the action is centred around a short but busy central high street.

A single dual-carriage highway runs up through

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boquete-panama/

Jungla Experience Boquete Panama

The Jungla Experience Boquete is a well-equipped hostel, combining a dormitory with a couple of private rooms.

The place is hard to find. There are no boards or signs indicating where it is. If you arrive after dark or don't get lucky with a savvy taxi driver, you'll have problems finding

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=8033

Hotel Residencial Cervantes David

We interrupted our journey from Santa Catalina to Boquete by stopping for a night at the Hotel Residencial Cervantes David.

When planning our trip, we thought it would be a good idea to break our journey to Boquete in David. In practise, there's no real need to do this when travelling from

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=7943

Jakarta Train from Semarang

Knowing in advance that on our return journey we would have very little time in Semarang to purchase tickets, we decided to book our Jakarta train tickets online, several months earlier.
Purchase your Jakarta Train Tickets Online
Using the Tiket.com website, we purchased 2 executive-class

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-train-semarang/

Getting Around Panama by Shuttle Bus

If you have a few more dollars to spend, and you want to make your travel a little easier, the Hello Travel bus shuttle company makes a good alternative to going it alone. For the extra cost, they can make getting around Panama a bit less stressful.

They have regular air-conditioned shuttle

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/getting-around-panama/

Around Town in Santa Catalina, Panama

Santa Catalina, Panama, is a relaxing place to unwind, especially after spending a few days in Panama City.

Santa Catalina is a small resort town on the Pacific costline, south of Santiago. The town is centred between 2 beaches: Playa Estero for the surfers and Playa Santa Catalina for the
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/santa-catalina-panama/

The Soná of 'Prison Break' Fame

Any fans of the mini-series will be familiar with the infamous Soná of 'Prison Break' fame. This fictional prison featured in much of Season 3 of the series.

The good news is that if you're planning to travel by bus from Panama City (or from Boquete) to Santa Catalina, you will get to visit

Read more...http://www.sandspice.com/sona-prison-break/
#Soná #PrisonBreak #Panama

Panama City to Santa Catalina by Bus

If you plan to travel from Panama City to Santa Catalina by bus, you'll need to start your journey from Albrook's bus station. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is by metro.

Before leaving Panama City for Santa Catalina, make sure you'll have enough cash for your stay. There are no

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-to-santa-catalina/

Our Panamanian Hotel Experiences

During our 4-week trip around Panama, we stayed at a variety of hotels and guesthouses - in fact 11 in all. It therefore only seems logical that we should provide a summary of our Panamanian hotel experiences.
Budgets and Expectations
We varied our hotel budget, ranging between $33 and $66 per

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panamanian-hotel-experiences/

Panama Canal Kayaking - Jungle Land Experience

The Panama Canal is arguably one of most important structural achievements ever built. Apart from cutting a slice through a mountain, construction of the canal also involved flooding a river to form a gigantic lake. When planning our trip to Panama, it had never occurred to us that Panama Canal

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-canal-kayaking/

Top 14 Panama City Activities (or maybe not...)

You can see a lot of what Panama City has to offer by simply walking around. The distances between most of the popular attractions are not that great. Here then is the list of our top 14 Panama City activities and attractions, most of which are reachable on foot.
Amador Causeway
If you're taking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/top-14-panama-city-activities/

Panama City Hotels

When choosing a place from your shortlist of Panama City hotels, you really need to make sure you're locating yourself in the right areas. Away from the centre, with its relatively small and upmarket high-rise district, you can quickly find yourself in rundown slum areas with a heavy police

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-hotels/

Avianca from Bogota to Panama Tocumen Airport

The final leg of our journey from Amsterdam to Panama was an Avianca flight from Bogota, Columbia to Panama Tocumen Airport. This involved another security screening, but thankfully not as inanely intense as in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

Our arrival at Bogota airport was definately a 'habla

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/avianca-bogota-panama-tocumen-airport/

Karimunjawa Island Boat Transfer

There are variety of Karimunjawa island boat transfer options.

Most boats travel to and from Jepara, but depending on the day of the week you can also get boats to and from Semarang and Kendal (which is not too far from Semarang).

However, you need to check the latest schedules. Not all

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-boat-transfer/

Lufthansa Longhaul Inflight Experience

Our flight from Europe to Panama involved a 3-leg flight with Lufthansa, starting from Amsterdam. Naturally, we were curious to discover how our Lufthansa longhaul inflight experience would pan out.

Our flight deal was quite exceptional. Just €310 each for a return flight ticket. We've

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lufthansa-longhaul-inflight-experience/

Amsterdam Layover Hotel & Activities

Our incredibly low-priced Lufthansa flights from Europe to Panama departed from Holland. We therefore needed to find budget flights to get us to Schiphol airport, and then include an Amsterdam layover in our schedule.
Freezing in February
If you bring enough warm clothing with you, a February

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/amsterdam-layover-hotel-activities/

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Apparently, Panama is among the top 5 best-rated countries in the world in which to retire. Facts like this, together with the attractions of a tropical climate and the buzz of a Latin American country are hard to ignore. Throw into the mix really cheap flights with Lufthansa from Europe and we're

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-travel-plan/

The 10 Best-Value Pubs & Restaurants in Edinburgh

The 10 Best-Value Pubs & Restaurants in Edinburgh
http://www.sandspice.com/pubs-restaurants-edinburgh/
#Edinburgh #Pubs #Restaurants

Boca Chica to Panama City

Although it is a great location to break your journey between the major cities, transport options from Boca Chica to Panama City and/or David are limited.

If you don't have your own car, there are 2 ways to get from Boca Chica to Panama City: The hard way or the expensive way.


Boca Chica

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boca-chica-to-panama-city/

Samsara Guesthouse Karimunjawa

Since we arrived 2 days late on the island, we spent only one night in the first of our selected guesthouses - the Waru Guesthouse. For our next three nights, we were booked into the Samsara Guesthouse Karimunjawa, which was just 10 minutes walk from the main harbour.

Samsara's is an

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/samsara-guesthouse-karimunjawa/

Waru Guesthouse Karimunjawa

The Waru Guesthouse Karimunjawa was the first of the 4 guesthouses we planned to visit on Karimunjawa island. We had originally planned to stay at the Waru for 3 nights, but an unscheduled 2-day delay in Semarang meant we were only able to get there for the last night.

We arrived at Kariman

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/waru-guesthouse-karimunjawa/

Karimunjawa Fast Boat

We travelled to Jepara from Semarang in order to take the Karimunjawa fast boat north to Karimunjawa island.

Since the fast boat leaves at 9am, we arrived in Jepara the day before and booked ourselves into the , close to the port.

On the morning of our departure, we were advised to get to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-fast-boat/

Hotel Samudra Jepara Port

Before leaving the in Semarang, we used one of their guest computers to book the Jepara port for the following night.

The Samudra Hotel was a last minute booking (actually for the same day) following some unavoidable changes to our travel plan (see Jepara ATM woes).

We needed a hotel close

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-samudra-jepara-port/

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options

For such a small island community, there is a surprising number of Karimunjawa guesthouse options. During our stay there, we were able to experience a variety of accommodations at very different ends of the price spectrum.


Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options
In Karimunjawa, you can pay anything

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-guesthouse-options/

Hotel Quest Semarang

After successfully retrieving our credit card from the BTN bank (see Honey, the ATM ate my card), we could finally get our travel plan back on track. The BTN debacle had effectively taken 2 days out of our planned itinerary. We were now looking forward to an un-scheduled overnight stay in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-quest-semarang/

Backtracking to Semarang City

Following our misfortunes in Jepara, we were heading back to Semarang city to try to rescue our vacation from disaster.

With no credit cards and insufficient cash, we wouldn't be able to continue our journey to Karimunjawa, where cash is the only form of payment accepted by almost all

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/backtracking-semarang-city/

Jepara ATM woes - down & out in the suburbs

This marked the low-point of my trip to Indonesia.

Events had spiralled relentlessly downhill from our arrival at Semarang airport, on a domestic flight with Lion Air from Jakarta.

Following the loss of a credit card at Semarang airport (see Honey, the ATM ate my card), we continued with

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jepara-atm-woes/

Hotel Elim & Minibus to Jepara

There are several options for getting over to Karimunjawa island from the mainland of Central Java. However, the boats run most frequently from Jepara. More importantly, there is always a boat leaving Jepara port early on the Sunday morning (weather permitting). It's for this reason that we chose

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-elim-minibus-jepara/

Boca Chica and Boca Brava

It took us around 7 hours to travel by bus from Bocas Del Toro to Boca Chica and Boca Brava. This would be our last taste of the Pacific ocean before returning to Panama City and the end of our 4-week vacation.

After the upbeat tempo of Bocas Del Toro, we were looking forward to getting away

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boca-chica-boca-brava/

Honey, the ATM ate my card

What was I to do when an Indonesian ATM ate my card?

We had just arrived at Semarang airport on a Lion Air flight from Jakarta. This was the 2nd day of hopefully a 15-day trip to Karimunjawa: An island 88 kms north of Central Java.

Loosing our card at this stage of the journey, with a fairly

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/atm-ate-my-card/

Lion Air Inflight Experience

On arrival in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, we were heading straight out again without delay> We had booked a domestic flight with the carrier Lion Air to take us to Semarang. Although it is a budget airline, we were hoping that the Lion Air inflight experience would be a painless

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lion-air-inflight-experience/

Jakarta Stopover

On arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, we'd decided to take a short Jakarta stopover in a nearby hotel, and then take a domestic flight onwards to Semarang. We would have time enough to see Jakarta city on our way back.

To ensure our schedule wasn't compromised by any flight

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-stopover/

Doha Airport Layover

Our Qatar Airways flight from Rome to Jakarta included a lengthy 10-hour Doha airport layover. There was really no way of avoiding this when we booked the flight.

If we had arrived early in the day, we could have enjoyed one of Qatar's complimentary 3-hour tours of the city. However, we would

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/doha-airport-layover/

Bocas to Boca Chica by Bus

Following our 8-day stay in Bocas Del Toro, we prepared for the next stage of our journey - travelling from Bocas to Boca Chica by bus.

This trip requires a little more organisation since the Hello Travel bus shuttle company which operates from Bocas Del Toro does not provide a service to Boca

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-to-boca-chica-by-bus/

Qatar Airways Inflight Experience

With their elitist tv commercials and tip-top rating in the World's Best Airlines, we were expecting great things from our Qatar Airways inflight experience.

This is why we snatched up the opportunity to fly with them from Rome to Jakarta for around €500 per person, economy class.

We could

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/qatar-airways-inflight-experience/

Terravision Turmoil

Our first experiences with Terravision 2 years ago had been positive (see Thumbs Up for Terravision). Fast-forward to the present, and things appear to be deteriorating into Terravision Turmoil.

At least, this is our impression from recent experiences travelling between Rome and Ciampino

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-turmoil/

Indonesia Travel Plan

Under €1200 all-inclusive for a 3-week trip to a secluded tropical island? Our Karimunjawa Indonesia travel plan also included a couple of days in Rome and flights with top-rated Qatar Airways.

This seemed like an unbeatable deal to us when we first started to plan this trip. It all started

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-indonesia-travel-plan/

Paradise Inn Sigiriya

We set out in the morning from our guesthouse in Negombo. Our next destination was the Paradise Inn Sigiriya.

We took a tuk-tuk for the 2km ride to Negombo bus station. From there, we asked around for the first bus to Kandy. We would have to change buses in Kandy, then take another to Sigiriya,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/paradise-inn-sigiriya/

Edinburgh City Break

If you ever need a great excuse for an Edinburgh city break, the availability of some great international flight deals flying from Edinburgh to the Far East has to be high on the list. Combine this with a low-cost budget flight to Edinburgh from many British and European cities, and you can be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/edinburgh-city-break/

Galle Fort

From Unawatuna, we moved a few kilometers along the coast to Galle Fort. Here, we planned to stay for 2 nights at a guesthouse located inside the fort walls.
Inside Galle Fort
Galle is an old Portuguese colonial town that now functions as an over-priced honeytrap for unsuspecting tourists.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/galle-fort/

Jungle Beach Unawatuna

After 6 days lounging around the beaches of Tangalle, we headed west up the coast by bus to the small town of Unawatuna. We had heard about some special beaches in the area, in particular Jungle Beach Unawatuna.

We had booked a 3-night stay at Sam's Guesthouse, located on the inland side of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jungle-beach-unawatuna/

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle is a medium-sized beach and garden resort located a few kms west along the coast from Tangalle. My last visit to Palm Paradise - 19 years previously - was very enjoyable, so I was keen to return.

The highlights I remembered from my first trip were the beautiful

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palm-paradise-cabanas-tangalle/

Karimunjawa Island Beaches & Snorkeling

For many travellers, the big attraction of the small tropical islands of Indonesia are the beaches. After travelling through the urban cities of central Java to reach our destination, we were looking forward to spending 10 days relaxing on the white sands of the Karimunjawa island

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-beaches-snorkeling/

Tangalle Beaches - Tantalizing Tangalle

Following our stay high in the mountains around Haputale, we took a morning bus for the 7-hour journey down to Tangalle, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. For this part of our journey we were winging it, with nothing booked in advance. We were just looking forward to those fantastic Tangalle

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tangalle-beaches/

World’s End Sri Lanka - Far Above the Clouds

World’s End Sri Lanka: The first stage of our journey through central Sri Lanka would conclude with a visit to the hill town of Haputale, and the World’s End plateau at Horton Plains. After spending several days in and around the old capital Kandy, we arranged to travel by train from Kandy to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/worlds-end-sri-lanka/

Malaysia & Borneo : Highlights & Costs

Our actual trip to Malaysia & Borneo closely followed our plan regarding the places we would visit. These were based on 2 main areas:
♦  The Malaysian peninsula: We arrived (and departed) Kuala Lumpur, and spent roughly 10 days there.
♦  Borneo: This second half of the trip also lasted

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-borneo-highlights/

Philippines Tokay Gecko - The "Little Britain" Lizard

Wherever we travelled throughout the rural areas of the Philippines, we were entertained most evenings and nights by the strange and intermittent Philippines Tokay Gecko night call.

The call was too loud to be emitted by an insect. It sounded more human - like a negative response

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-tokay-gecko/

Buy Your Own Panamanian Island

Our 4-week trip to Panama wasn't just about taking a holiday. We've read many of the reports about Panama being a great place to live: It's also one of the top destinations in the world in which to retire. We were therefore interested to find out more about property opportunities and costs

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/buy-panamanian-island/

Girona City Stopover - Where to stay and eat

Our Girona city stopover allowed us just one night in Girona, before heading south to Barcelona-El Prat airport later the following day.

We therefore needed a hotel that was close to the bus and train stations, and still within easy reach of the attractions and restaurants that the city has to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-stopover/

Girona in Giro - What to see

What can you do in Girona if you have just 5 or 6 hours to spare?

Actually, quite a lot.

Our hotel was located in the centre of Girona, next to the Onyar river. We started out early after breakfast and followed the river northwards - passed the brightly painted façades of the houses -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-ingiro/

Girona City Transfer Tips & Options

Located within sight of the Pyrenees in the northeast of Catalonia, Girona city is a great place to start a journey to some really exotic locations. This is due to Girona's proximity to Barcelona - a main Spanish hub from where many flights depart in the direction of South America and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-transfer-tips/

Canary Islands

A trip to the Canary Islands had long been on our agenda. This year, the availability of cheap budget-airline flights with stopovers in Spain finally made this trip too good to resist. We carefully put together our 14-day Canary Islands itinerary.

Instead of getting return flights direct to the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/canary-islands-itinerary/

Breve Azurine Karimunjawa

The Breve Azurine Karimunjawa was our last accommodation choice on the island. Due to the cost (IDR 1,410,000 per day) we planned to stay here only for 2 nights.

Following on from an enjoyable stay at Cocohuts just 15-minutes walk away, our expectations were high.


Why we chose the Breve

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/breve-azurine-karimunjawa/

Mumbai & The Thousand-Yard Stare

After spending more than 3 weeks in India, absorbing the dubious charm of overcrowded Sleeper coaches and chaotic inner city streetlife, we were apprehensive that Mumbai would trump - in aces - anything that had gone before.

This was the reason we saved Mumbai metropolis until the last.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-thousand-yard-stare/

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - Panama

Our first impressions of Isla Bastimentos were not promising. We were just hoping that the guesthouse we had booked 3 months earlier - the Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - would ease our misgivings and provide us with a clean and relaxing place to chill out.
The Ushuaia Guesthouse

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=8386

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Goa Beach Hopping

One of our favourite activities on visits to Asia is beach hopping. Just pack a lightweight bag with a picnic, grab a hat and plenty of water, and head out to discover whatever is beyond that distant headland. We spent some really enjoyable days doing this in Sri Lanka and Borneo. Now it was time

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/goa-beach-hopping/

Karimunjawa Snorkeling Excursions

No trip to these islands would be complete without trying one of the organized Karimunjawa snorkeling excursions. We made our arrangements through Jon from SeaSky, and booked his full-day snorkeling trip to the western islands for IDR 200,000  per person (€14).

This price included the use of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-snorkeling-excursions/

Palolem Beach Goa

A few kms south of Agonda beach is Palolem beach.

Palolem Beach stretches across a 1.6 km curved bay. The beach is pretty much built up from end to end with a large variety of accommodation, restaurants and shops. Rooms and cabins range in price, for anything between 200 to 5,000 rupees per

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach/

South Goa Beaches - Agonda

When we arrived in Goa, fresh off the night train from Kochi, we hadn't yet decided between the South Goa Beaches - Agonda beach or Palolem beach. We had nothing booked, so left it to chance. As it turned out, our first experiences would be on Palolem beach.

After an hours march from the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-beaches-agonda/

South Goa via AC2 Train Class

As relieved as we were to be leaving Kochi, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming train journeys to South Goa via AC2 train class.

We had pre-booked berths on an AC2 train leaving that evening from Kochi at 10pm. We should arrive early the following morning in Madgaon, Goa. From

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-via-ac2-train-class/

I'm a Celebrity - Get me out of Fort Kochi!

We arrived at Ernaculum Town station in Kochi later than expected - it was already getting close to dusk. We didn't know it, but we still had another 1 hour journey to take us to our guesthouse in Fort Kochi.

Outside the train station, there was a large queue ... and a surprisingly orderly

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fort-kochi-india/

Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro - Panama

Following our 5-day tour of Isla Colón, we were ready to venture further afield to one of the other large islands of the archipelago - Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro. We were looking forward to pristine beaches and fascinating jungle trails, similar to what we had discovered on Isla Colón.
Isla
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/isla-bastimentos-bocas-del-toro-panama/

Indian Railways Sleeper Class to Kochi

Our next destination after Varkala was Kochi. 5 days earlier, while we were still in Kovalam, we had purchased train tickets from a Travel Agent. He had explained to us which ticket classes were available for a trip from Varkala to Kochi, and advised us not to take Indian Railways Sleeper Class or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/indian-railways-sleeper-class/

The Windswept Cliffs of Varkala, Kerala

The next place of interest travelling north up the coast from Kovalam is Varkala. This journey takes almost 2 hours by taxi and cost us 1,800 rupees (€25). There is just one bus that goes there direct, leaving Kovalam at 6-15 am. Otherwise you have to change buses in Trivandrum. They say the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/varkala/

Kovalam Lighthouse Beach

One week before arriving at Kovalam Lighthouse Beach, I sent an email to our hotel requesting an airport pickup. The fact that I got no reply should have been an early warning sign.

When we arrived at Trivandrum airport, I reckoned there was a 50/50 chance that someone would be waiting to pick us up.
There was no-one.
No problem. Instead we took a prepaid taxi from the Trivandrum Domestic Airport Taxi Service, This cost 500 rupees (€7) - half the price that the hotel would have charged us.
We found our run-down looking hotel not far from the taxi drop-off at Kovalam lighthouse beach.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kovalam-lighthouse-beach/

Jet Airways Inflight Experience

Several weeks before starting our trip to India, we went online and booked 2 domestic flights directly with Jet Airways. We had never heard of the airline before, so we were curious how our Jet Airways inflight experience would compare to other budget airlines.

We booked the following one-way flights, inclusive all fees:
♦  Mumbai-Trivandrum (4,043 rupees per person. Approximately €56)
♦  Goa-Mumbai (2,556 rupees per person. Approximately €35)

The Jet Airways website and booking procedure is straightforward and efficient, and we received our PDF eTickets within a few minutes by

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jet-airways-inflight-experience/

Mumbai International Airport

Arrival at Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji) and transfer to the Domestic terminal was blissfully straightforward and efficient. At passport control we produced our e-Tourist Visas, and were processed quickly enough.

After clearing passport control, we strolled into a large and surpringly empty Arrivals Hall.

This was a welcome outcome. We had been expecting to be mobbed by taxi drivers as soon as we'd passed through security, as has happened on previous visits to India. Access to the airport buildings is now much more secure, which makes arrival far less

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-international-transfer-to-domestic-terminal/

Cocohuts Karimunjawa

Following our hit-and-miss fortune with guesthouses in Karimunjawa, at well over 3 times the price of a regular homestay, we expected Cocohuts Karimunjawa to be quite an upgrade on the 2 places we had stayed so far in Karimun town.
Fabulous Views from Cocohuts Karimunjawa
Perched high up on the hillside overlooking the port and town, Cocohuts definately offers the best views.



We chose a deluxe bungalow for IDR 500,000 (€35) per night. There are 2 of these cabana-stlye lodgings, which share a large open balcony and stunning views.

A little higher up the slope, you can rent one of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cocohuts-karimunjawa/

Istanbul Leather Shopping

One of the bonuses of a short stay in Istanbul is the opportunity for shopping. There are some great bargains to be had in the bazaars and highstreets of the city, and if its leather you're after, look no further. You'll find that shopping for leather in Istanbul can be a very social activity.

If you have the time, probably one of the cheaper places for leather shopping is away from the center - in the Zeytinburnu district. This is around 5 km to the west of central Sultanahmet. It was our intention to spend our last afternoon shopping for a couple of leather jackets, but our limited time

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/shopping-for-leather-in-istanbul/

Istanbul Mosques and Minarets

We dedicated our first full day in in the city to visiting some of the “must see” Istanbul mosques, museums and monuments. Because there are so many of these, and with a limited amount of time, we had to be quite selective.

In part, this was made easier for us by the opening times of some of the places we wanted to visit. Hagia Sofia is supposed to be closed on Mondays, and we read that the Topkapi Palace was closed on Tuesdays.

Since we had just a Monday and a Tuesday, we decided to start from the Blue Mosque and see how far we could get. After the Blue Mosque, we found Hagia Sofia to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-mosques-minarets/

Istanbul Eateries and Accommodation

We would only have 2 nights and days in Istanbul. To optimize our time in the city, and to find the best Istanbul eateries, we did as much planning as we could before leaving home.

After sorting out our transfers, our next priorities were accommodation and food. Following a good deal of online research, we'd decided that the best area to base ourselves for such a short stay was Sultanahmet. There we would be close to most of the attractions and restaurants, and wouldn't need much use of any local transport.
Finding a Good Place to Stay
From our shortlist of around a dozen hotels, we

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-eateries-accommodation/

Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro - Panama

After spending a couple of days in Bocas town, we decided to spend a few more days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro.
Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro - Accommodation & Food
Before heading up north from Bocas town, we visited the local supermarket to stock up on fruit, snacks and drinks. There are no shops in the area we were planning to visit, and we would be staying up there for 3 nights.


Tesoro Escondido Eco

Istanbul Airport-City Transfer

Planning our visit to Istanbul from the comfort of our living room, using Google Earth as our map reference, seemed straightforward enough. To avoid the expense of taxis, we decided to arrange our own Istanbul airport-city transfer.

We would be arriving at Sabiha Gokcen - the furthest of the 2 airports which service the city, in the mid-afternoon. Our plan was first to get some local cash from an airport ATM. We would then purchase an Istanbul Card (a sort of all-purpose top-up travel card). After that, we would take a Havatas bus from the airport to Yenikapi bus station south of the city

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-airport-city-transfer/

Turkish Airlines Inflight Experience

We were quite excited about flying with Turkish Airlines for the first time. Our expectations of the Turkish Airlines inflight experience were justifiably high, considering they are currently the No.7 airline in the world - recently overtaken by  who are now No.1 (see The World's Top 100 Airlines).

They would surely provide an inflight experience to savour and remember.

In fact, finding this particular flight - with such a highly recommended airline - was a major factor in determining our holiday itinerary.

The flight ticked all our boxes:
♦  Depart from Italy: Great excuse for a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-inflight-experience/

Rome Attractions

For a short 2-3 day break in Rome, you need to be extremely selective: There are just so many Rome attractions to see, and to see the sights properly you need to spend the time.

It also helps to pace yourself and vary your activities to avoid a cultural overload. There are only so many museums and churches your head can comfortably absorb before needing a break.



Our budget for a short stopover in Rome is around €150 per day for the pair of us, including hotel, restaurant, travelling around, snacks and sundries.

Instead of paying exorbitant taxi fees to travel in and out of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-attractions/

Rome Restaurants

Rome is like one giant restaurant. Every street seems to host a series of eateries tempting visitors with their delicious Italian kitchen aromas. In our experiance, it's pretty difficult to get a bad meal in Rome, but if you're looking for inspiration, here are our current favourite Rome restaurants.
Rome Restaurants - Ristorante Isidor
Since our first visit 3 years ago, we've returned to Ristorante Isidor several times. Each time the food and service has been excellent.

Among our favourite dishes are some great multiple-pasta tasting combinations, juicy fillet steaks, chicken breast in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-restaurants/

Rome Hotels & Guesthouses

We often use Rome as our launching pad for long-distance flights to Asia. Many of the bigger airlines offer a variety of flight options starting or ending in Rome. As a result, prices are often cheaper than flying out from other airports, since many Rome hotels & guesthouses can be booked at quite reasonable rates.

To keep costs to an acceptable level, we're always on the lookout for a good, well-located hotel or guesthouse and reasonably-priced restaurants. Our budget for a Rome hotel is anything between €50 to €75 per night for a double room (including taxes, etc). If breakfast in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-hotels-guesthouses/

Karimunjawa Eating Out

Since Karimun town is quite a small place, you can't expect to find a great number or variety of eating establishments. Some guesthouses offer their guests meals or kitchen facilities, but most travellers end up heading out in the evenings to discover the best Karimunjawa eating out options.


Karimunjawa Eating Out
Your food options in Karimunjawa are fairly limited. Variations of egg, rice, noodles, chicken, tofu, fish and soups for the Indonesian dishes. Pizza, pasta and burgers for the Western dishes.

If you search around, you can supplement these with grilled corn and sweet or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-eating-out/

Our India Travel Plan

Choosing the best dates and flights for a long-haul trip to the tropics involves a little more than just picking a few free weeks to visit shortly before you leave. When it comes to finding some of the best travel opportunities, whether the Seychelles, India or the Caribbean, it often pays to start making yours plans well in advance. We started preparing our India travel plan around 4 months before departure

The major cost of most trips to the tropics is the airfare. A good way to get the cheapest fares - on the best airlines - is to start searching several months before your trip.