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

Kuantan by Taxi A one-car garage, Tioman-style http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/ #Travel #Malaysia #Tioman

Kuantan by Taxi
A one-car garage, Tioman-style
http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/
#Travel #Malaysia #Tioman

Pulau Tioman: Into the Rainforest Our chance to cross the river Indiana Jones style! http://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/ #Tioman #Rainforest #RiverCrossing

Pulau Tioman: Into the Rainforest
Our chance to cross the river Indiana Jones style!
http://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/
#Tioman #Rainforest #RiverCrossing

Juara Beach, Tioman Island Great banana juices, spicy curry, noodles & sambal fish. http://www.sandspice.com/tioman-juara-beach/ #Tioman #Juara #Malaysia

Juara Beach, Tioman Island
Great banana juices, spicy curry, noodles & sambal fish.
http://www.sandspice.com/tioman-juara-beach/
#Tioman #Juara #Malaysia

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:

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

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

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

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),

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 the...

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Fifty Shades of Pink

Fifty Shades of Pink

Land of Karaoke

Land of Karaoke

Philippines Buses & Jeepneys

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...

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...

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 airlines...

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...

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

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...

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...

The Soná of 'Prison Break' Fame - A real place, but not as you know it http://www.sandspice.com/sona-prison-break/ #Soná #PrisonBreak #Panama

The Soná of 'Prison Break' Fame - A real place, but not as you know it
http://www.sandspice.com/sona-prison-break/
#Soná #PrisonBreak #Panama

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...

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).
Fox & Firefly Resort Loboc: Reception Area
Apart from the dormitory hut there are two other...

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).
Fox & Firefly Resort Loboc: Reception Area
Apart from the dormitory hut there are two other...

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...

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,...

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 the...

Panama City to Santa Catalina by Bus - No guns allowed on board http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-to-santa-catalina/ #Panama #SantaCatalina #Soná

Panama City to Santa Catalina by Bus - No guns allowed on board
http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-to-santa-catalina/
#Panama #SantaCatalina #Soná

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).
Fox & Firefly Resort Loboc: Reception Area
Apart from the dormitory hut there are two other...

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 aircon bus down the coast road to Tagbilaran (26 pesos).
The bus wasn’t busy,...

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...

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,...

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 the...