Lembongan Island Beaches

For the first 4 days of our 2-week trip to Indonesia we enjoyed the peace and culture of Ubud in Bali. Since Ubud is a good way inland from the coast, we made sure our accommodation featured a decent pool (actually a private pool) to freshen up after a day in the heat. Following our transfer south

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

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/

Island Hopping from Phuket to Penang

Island Hopping from Phuket to Penang
The first couple of weeks of this 4-week trip to Malaysia involved island hopping from Phuket to Penang, stopping off in between in Langkawi. Despite their close proximity to each other, these are 3 very different types of island. Phuket is quite commercial,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/island-hopping-from-phuket-to-penang/

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/

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/

Bali & Lembongan

A Bali-Lembongan combination 2-island itinerary - Plan, Maps & Budget
Bali is a universal favorite with travelers and tourists alike, but it is not so well known for its beaches. If it’s clear blue sea and uncrowded white sand you’re after you need to venture a little further. So why not try

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/bali-lembongan-combination/

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/embassy-mersing-malaysia/

Cherating Accommodation Options: Resort or Guesthouse?

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. Cherating accommodation options are a little limited, but for this occasion we'd decided to choose one of the larger beach

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

Philippines Central Visayas - Cebu & Bohol

Philippines Central Visayas - Cebu & Bohol
The biggest problem planning a trip around the Philippines is the amount of choice available. There are so many islands and potential routes that it can become quite overwhelming. There are also limitations regarding transit options between the

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

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/

Sri Lanka Central and South

Sri Lanka Central and South, Mountains & Beaches
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, taking in the central highlands around Kandy and Sigiriya. followed by Haputale - the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/sri-lanka-central-and-south/

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/

Central Java & Karimunjawa, Indonesia

Central Java & Karimunjawa, Indonesia
Under €1200 all-inclusive for a 3-week trip to a secluded tropical island? Our Central Java & Karimunjawa  travel plan also included a couple of days in Rome and flights with top-rated Qatar Airways. However, things didn't all go quite to

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

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/

AirAsia Inflight Experience

Following a few days in Phuket, we planned to take a short AirAsia flight south to the tropical island paradise of Langkawi. We were curious to see how the AirAsia inflight experience compared to other budget Asian airlines such as Lion Air and Jet Airways.

Although there is a boat that runs

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

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/

Roundtrip Panama City to Bocas Del Toro

Roundtrip Panama City to Bocas Del Toro
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

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/roundtrip-panama-city-to-bocas-del-toro/

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/

Tenerife North - Puerto de la Cruz

After spending 3 days at Golf del Sur in the south of the island, we headed up by coach to Tenerife North - Puerto de la Cruz. We planned to stay 1 night at a small hotel close to the bus station in the center, followed by a few more nights at a more up-market hotel in the north part of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tenerife-north-puerto-de-la-cruz/

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/

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/alona-beach/

Lembongan Island Activities

A week on this island is just about the right amount of time you'll need to visit the main attractions and enjoy most of the popular Lembongan island activities that are on offer. We actually spent 8 days there, and were able to do all the things we wanted at a leisurely pace. From snorkeling to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-activities/

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/

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/