Juara Beach - Tioman Island, Malaysia

1511, Coconut Grove 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 f

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

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 you can enjoy a very pleasant and informative day out ‘with the apes’.



The reserve is just 5 minutes down the road

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

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... https://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 Lumpur.

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 o

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

Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

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

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 o

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/pulau-tioman-rainforest/

Bohol Ferry From Cebu

After spending 3 nights in the small T-Breeze Beach coastal resort near 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 our next destination in Pangangan.

Early in the morning, we got to the bus stop in Moalboal, a

Read more... https://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 traveled to Moalboal by bus from Cebu city, then took a trike for the short journey to our resort on the coast.

We stayed at t

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

Habal-Habal - Filipino Motorcycle Taxis

Habal-Habal (motorcycle taxi rides) provide an alternative form of public transport, and is 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 e

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

Lembongan Island Eating Out

Your eating out options in Lembongan are plentiful enough. Every guesthouse offers a menu, and there's a good variety of standalone restaurants and warungs. During our 8-day stay on the island we had the opportunity to sample much of what was on offer, but which of our Lembongan island eating out e

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-eating-out/

Mangoes in Moalboal, Cebu

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 mangoes in Moalboal are just the best).

Following a brief overnight in Cebu city, we took a bus for

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/mangoes-in-moalboal/

Lembongan Island Guesthouses

Nusa Lembongan is a laid-back island off the southeast coast of Bali. After our 4-day stay in Ubud, we took a boat to discover what the island had to offer. With a good selection of Lembongan island guesthouses to choose from, we'd selected 2 places - at opposite sides of the island from each ot

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-guesthouses/

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. Following just one night in the city, we were ready to move on to our first primary destination. However, our bus

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

Cebu City Guesthouse: New Era Pension Inn

Our first real experiences of the Philippines was our Cebu city guesthouse, since we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in, and take an ongoing domestic Philippines Airlines flight to the islands.

We would spend just one day in Cebu City, before leaving early the next morning for M

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/cebu-city-guesthouse/

New Year's Eve Malta Clifftop Camping

December 31st - While everybody else was putting on their glad rags and preparing for a Yuletide bash in the city, we were heading in the opposite direction - up into the hills in fact. We were planning a New Year's Eve Malta clifftop camping excursion.

Something different, we thought - Just

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/malta-clifftop-camping/

Transit between Manila Airport Terminals 2 & 3

Following an overnight stay in Rome, the first stop on our 20-day trip to the Philippines was Manila. However, in order to keep our city-stays to a minimum we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in. Our plan instead was to arrive at Manila airport, clear customs, then take the first fl

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

Lembongan Island Transfers

Following our 4-day stay in Ubud, we were heading south to spend some time on a lush island off the coast of Bali. The previous day we purchased tickets for our Lembongan island transfers from a small travel agent in Ubud. We were now gearing up for a (hopefully) pleasant bus and boat transfer

Read more... https://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-transfers/

Gdańsk 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... https://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-eating-out/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-4-day-break/

Ubud Bali Royal Palace - Music & Dance

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... https://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-activities/

Ubud Bali Eating Out - Favourite Warungs

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 s

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

Valencia Long Weekend - Airport Transfers & 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 f

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-hotels-airport-transfers/

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 best Hong Kong activities that are on offer. Our 2-day stopover was just enough time to pack in half-a-dozen quality excursions, as well as hitting the shops on Nathan

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/london-airport-transfers/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/panama-budget/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-takes-mansion/

Jakarta Train from Semarang

On our return journey to Jakarta, we knew we would have very little time in Semarang to purchase tickets. We therefore decided to book our train tickets online, several months earlier. The Jakarta train from Semarang can be busy, and with a return flight to Europe the following day we didn't want

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/panamanian-hotel-experiences/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-boat-transfer/

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 t

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-guesthouse-options/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/boca-chica-boca-brava/

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 C

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

Karimunjawa Island Beaches & Snorkeling

For many travelers, 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... https://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-beaches-snorkeling/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/buy-panamanian-island/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/buy-panamanian-island/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/breve-azurine-karimunjawa/

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... https://www.sandspice.com/ushuaia-guesthouse-bastimentos/

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 sno

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

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... https://www.sandspice.com/cocohuts-karimunjawa/

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 o

Read more... https://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... https://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 scoot

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

Bocas Town Carnival

A water taxi is most people's introduction to Bocas town in Bocas del Toro, though you can also fly directly to their small airport 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... https://www.sandspice.com/bocas-town/

Waterfall Rappelling in Boquete 🧗‍♂️

Abseiling down a waterfall might not be everyone's 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... https://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... https://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... https://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 T

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