Tag: blogging

My A to Z Travel Challenge: H is for Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam🇻🇳

Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where we spent four days a few years ago.  Hanoi was not a place that interested me as I had heard it was quite industrialised due to the influence of communism.  However it was somewhere where Anthony wanted to visit, and I can’t always have my own way!  After checking into our hotel and going for a wander, I realised how wrong I had been.  The architecture was amazing and the restaurants were some of the best we had eaten in.  It is easy to see the French influence in the buildings and especially the food.  There’s nothing tastier than French food with a Vietnamese twist.

The view from our room at the Hotel Nikko

Over the next two days we walked around the city going to the Old Quarter and also the Citadel.  We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of some schoolgirls graduating.

St Josephs Cathedral

A heavy load for this small bike!
St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the Old Quarter.  Built in 1866 and resembling Notre Dame de Paris. 

Hubby trying out a buyer’s load

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Graduation inside the Imperial Citadel

The Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th Century and many of the old structures are still standing.  The Imperial Japanese Army used it to imprison 4,000 French colonial soldiers in 1945.  

Expertly manicured bonsai trees are found all around the Citadel. 

Restaurants

I thought I would mention some of the restaurants we ate in as they were all so good.

La Place: A small cafe opposite St. Joseph’s Cathedral.  If you sit upstairs you can see the Cathedral from the window.  Cute cafe serving Vietnamese food.
Pots and Pans: Sadly this is no longer in operation.  Such a great find as they trained staff on the premises and the service and food were excellent.
La Verticale: Fine French dining in the old French Quarter.
La Badiane: Another French restaurant with excellent service.  Try and book downstairs, where there is more atmosphere.

Just a couple of the dishes we enjoyed!

Ha Long Bay Cruise

After three nights in Hanoi, the next day we were setting off for Ha Long Bay for a 1 night/2 day cruise.  I think most people break up their stay in Hanoi by doing this.  We actually cancelled this trip due to a typhoon forecast to hit Hanoi the day before.  Luckily we were able to reinstate this trip as it was and has been one of the best trips we’ve ever done.  It’s the perfect break after the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. We had booked with Aphrodite Cruises.

Our Itinerary – Day One

7.30 am: We were picked up from our hotel by the tour’s small bus and then went onto pick up other passengers around Hanoi.  During the four hour journey we slowly got to know some of them who would be joining us on our mini cruise.  The journey seemed endless especially as we had a 30 minute obligatory stop at a restaurant/souvenir type of warehouse.

11.30 am: Arrived at Ha Long Bay.

12 pm:  Everyone boarded the ship and we were taken to our cabins and told to meet on deck to have lunch and also meet the fabulous crew.

This ship features just 17 luxury cabins and is served by a five star crew.

On the top deck where cocktails would be served

1 – 2 pm: Lunchtime.  A gourmet delight and so well presented.

3 – 5 pm After lunch we sailed onto Thien Cung Cave. A sprawling natural grotto with intricate stalactite & stalagmite formations & colourful lighting.

From outside and inside the cave
The bottom left looks like a giant pair of hanging legs with boots on!

5 pm onwards:  The time from here was filled with a cookery lesson, how to drink saki and enjoy a cocktail or two on the top deck.  Then dinner was served on the dining deck.   It was amazing how many other cruise ships were out in the bay with us.  I think the whole area is in great danger of being overpopulated with cruise ships.

 

Day Two

I woke up to the sound of running water and when I got out of bed found it was coming from our bathroom!  The bidet hose had come loose and was gushing upwards like a fountain.  I opened the cabin door and shouted for help and as two or three crew members came running in the room, I had no choice but to jump back into bed with hubby while they tried to fix the problem.  They managed to stop the leak but emerged from the bathroom soaking wet!  We were offered a change of cabin but as we were packing up that day it seemed pointless to move.  Luckily not too much damage was done.  From then on it was all go, go, go!

First a quick snack before breakfast and then onto a smaller boat to be taken to a beach for swimming or a walk.  The beach was on Ti Top Island.  We were only allowed one hour there as so many other cruise ships were waiting for their turn.  The sea is so crowded that it’s impossible to actually swim.  Anthony decided to walk to to the top of the island, but even that was a struggle as many people were coming down as others were going up.   Back to the ship for another fabulous meal.  Then it was time to pack up, sail away and say goodbye to our fantastic crew.

At the beach!

Relaxing on the way home

If you ever go to Hanoi I highly recommend taking a cruise to Ha Long Bay.  It was one of the highlights to our trip.

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As always thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this post! 

 

 

Weekday Sunsets in Swanbourne, WA

Last week we went for a short walk along the promenade from Cottesloe to Swanbourne. There had been a few bush fires that week, the result of “controlled burns”. These are also known as hazard reduction burning. However, even these can get out of control and cause a haziness to spread across vast areas. The smoke can be smelt from miles away.

I took a photo of the sunset that day and you can see how hazy the sky is. 

It was quite chilly but that doesn’t stop people trying to catch a wave or a fish! 

 

🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 🌅 🌊 🎣 🏊‍♀️ 

 

 

 

My A to Z Travel Challenge – F is for Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Japan

Fukuoka is the first place we stopped at during our road trip through the Kyushu Islands.  It is a city of canals, waterways and bridges.  It said to be the oldest city in Japan.  We were staying at the Hotel Okura which is located overlooking the Hakata River.  As we were only here for two nights we didn’t have much time to see this city so had to decide where we wanted to see most.

Walking over one of the canals on our first night. 

In the lobby of the Hotel Okura 

Fukuoka Castle Ruins

I really wanted to see one of the castles here but was a bit disappointed that it was only ruins!  But we had a good walk around and there were some great views over the city from the top.  Built at the beginning of the 17th Century and torn down in the 19th Century, because it was viewed as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past.

Fukuoka at dusk 

One of the shopping centres we walked through

Fukuoka is also home to the famous Canal City which is called a city within a city, and has a canal running through it.  Unfortunately we didn’t have time for a wander around as we chose to go to Nokonoshima Island instead.

For our last night we stopped at a British Pub called Morris Hippo! strange name and enjoyed a few drinks here before dinner at Cafe Otto overlooking the canal.

Our handsome drivers! 

Other places to visit in Fukuoka:

Fukuoka Tower
Ohori Park
Tochoji Temple
Kushida Temple

Hopefully we’ll visit again as I enjoyed Fukuoka very much

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F is finished and next up is G!

 

 

 

 

My A to Z Travel Challenge – E is for Ephesus, Turkey

Ephesus, Turkey

We visited Ephesus on our Mediterranean cruise many years ago.  We took my parents who were then in their early eighties.  This was one of our ports of call along the way.  Docking in Kusadasi, we took a bus tour organised by the travel desk on the cruise ship to Ephesus.  Even though it was October and meant to be out of season it was still so crowded with many tour groups visiting at the same time.  At one point I had to turn around and put my hand up to a French tour guide and say wait, stop pushing as she tried to shove me aside along with her twenty or so people!

It seemed amazing to me that hoards of people were allowed to walk all over these ancient ruins, seeing as this has been stopped in Athens.  Still it made for a very interesting tour.  Although trying to keep up with our guide was another story, as he was hopping and jumping like a mountain goat over rocks and stones.  This was how we lost my parents during this trip.  I didn’t realise how many silver haired men wearing turquoise polo shirts there actually were.  Luckily we caught up with them back at the entrance.

A sight to behold!  Trying to take photos and soak up the history and also trying to find your tour guide.

The Library of Celsus

The Library of Celsus

I’m not really a cat person but find they make very good models for photos!

Ephesus, Kusadasi

Trying in vain to spot my parents!

Amongst the ruins – My Samson!

The dusty dry landscape of Ephesus

It is a trip well worth making if you visit Kusadasi.  I’m not sure a tour is any better than going it alone though as you are not able to wander freely and soak up the history here.

Here is a link to much more information and history about this wonderful place.  Ephesus.

And that ends E

 

 

 

 

 

My A to Z Travel Challenge D is for Da Nang, Dalwallinu and Denmark

Da Nang, Vietnam

Da Nang, a coastal city in Central Vietnam is a place we’ve visited a few times as it’s relatively easy to fly to from Perth.  Also the airport is very near the coast, which means you can be on the beach by lunchtime!  The coastline stretches for 30 kilometres and has many resorts lining the road.  Our first stay here was in a hotel not on the beach but across a very busy road and it seemed that we had chosen a spot very popular with the locals.  When we went over for our first swim there was hardly an empty spot in the sea!

The view from our hotel window

Da Nang is halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the South and Hanoi in the North. It’s a good place to spend a few days before heading off to either Hue a few hours North or Hoi An in the South.  In fact most hotels in Da Nang offer a shuttle service to Hoi An.

We caught a taxi to the Novotel in the city and took some photos overlooking this busy city, in contrast to the stunning peaceful coastline.

Da Nang is definitely a place I will be visiting again.

🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖

Dalwallinu, Western Australia

We visited Dalwallinu on a wildflower road trip in September a few years back.  It is located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, around 250 km from Perth.  Dalwallinu is the first town on the wildflower tour.  Every year the wildflowers start appearing anytime from June in the North and sweeping south to finish in November.  We stayed one night in Dalwallinu and another in Moriwa.  The flowers are incredible and appear all over the roadside and grow in the harshest of conditions.

Perth to Dalwallinu

Enjoying happy hour in the delightful surrounds of our accommodation with smoke billowing from a bonfire in an upturned oil barrel!

We had to keep stopping along our drive because there were so many beautiful views.

A pig look alike tree
A carpet of purple flowers

The circular flowers are known as Christmas wreaths and seem to flourish in these sandy conditions.

If you ever visit Australia during these months this is certainly a tour worth doing, but be sure to book accommodation early as there are very few motels or hotels along the way and they get booked up very quickly.

💐🌷🌸 🌺 🌻 🥀💐🌷🌸 🌺 🌻 🌼 🥀

 

Denmark, Western Australia

Finishing with another place in Western Australia, this time way down south.  Denmark is over 400 km from Perth, too far for a day trip but great for a weekend or mid week break.  We have travelled to Denmark a few times in the time we have lived in Australia. There are wonderful wineries to visit and it’s a good place to visit Walpole where the Valley of the Tree Tops walk is located.

It was named Denmark after a naval surgeon, Alexander Denmark in 1829. Before this it was called Leeuwin’s Land after the Dutch East Indiaman, Leeuwin.  This was back in 1622.  Any sailing ship in the 1600’s was called a Dutch East Indiaman.

There are so many rental properties in Denmark it’s hard to know what to choose.  We booked a cute little house in the middle of the forest.

As you can see by the photos we went in the middle of winter, but we had a cosy fire in the house we rented.

Some of the birds that came to the balcony every morning waiting to be fed. 

Some from our morning walk.  Hubby contemplating another 25 years with me 😆
And that’s not our house, just a ramshackle shed in the middle of the woods. 

Wrapped up warm against the chilly weather! 

And D is done!

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My A-Z Travel Challenge – Places I’ve visited beginning with C – Capilano Suspension Bridge, Cavtat and Cottesloe

This post has places in Canada, Dubrovnik and Australia.

Capilano Suspension Bridge, North Vancouver, Canada

A place in North Vancouver but it does deserve a mention under C!  We did a day trip here from our stay in Vancouver a few years ago now and had a great time there.  Crossing the bridge is not recommended if you have vertigo as it stands 70 metres above the Capilano River and when there are at least fifty or more people trying to cross and take photos it can be a bit hair raising.

It was first built in 1889 by George Grant Mackay and was then made of hemp rope and cedar planks. The history of this bridge is very interesting, the land and teahouse situated there being the home of many settlers over the years.  The word Capilano comes from the Squamish nation and was originally spelt Kia’palano, meaning beautiful river.

Source:  www.capbridge.com

The cantilevered and suspended walkway jutting out from the granite cliff – not for the fainthearted!

 

Crossing with so many others
This is when the bridge gets shaky!

 

One of the bridges into the treetops

 

The Capilano River
one of the small lookouts on the treetop adventure activity

 

To get here from Vancouver it is very easy either on public transport or one of the sightseeing tour buses.  It’s well worth a trip to see this amazing structure.

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Cavtat, Dubrovnik

Cavtat (pronounced Savtat) is a small town that we visited during our trip to Dubrovnik.  It’s a very pretty place with plenty of bars, restaurants and cafes to sit in and watch the world go by.  From Dubrovnik you can either take a bus or a ferry.  We were actually staying outside of Dubrovnik in a place called Mlini but from here you can also take a bus or ferry.  We took the ferry which takes about 30 minutes.

Church of St. Nicholas
Cafes and restaurants by the harbour
Looking for a souvenir
Found one!
Abandoned rowing boat – beyond repair!
Overlooking the beautiful Adriatic sea

Some of the photos I took during our walk around Cavtat.  After a delicious lunch we took the bus back to Mlini.

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Cottesloe, Western Australia

Cottesloe is my home town, well almost!  Just a 10 minute drive away from where we live and is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Family friendly and now safe for swimming with a shark net in place.  Patrolled by lifeguards from the month of November through until April.  There is a wonderful path for walkers and cyclists that stretches for miles with stunning views over the Indian Ocean.  BBQ areas are also dotted along the path for people who want to bring their own food.

My parents along the Groyne enjoying the sunshine

One of the sculptures from Sculptures by the Sea

One of the small inlets along the coast

Artwork on the side of the Surf Lifesavers Club

The concrete pylon in the distance, built in 1936 and now heritage listed. A popular diving point.

Overlooking the dunes

A balmy calm day

The most photographed building in Cottesloe is the iconic Indiana Tea Rooms, originally built in 1910 as an ice cream parlour and then as a restaurant in 1966.  Sadly it is now closed and awaiting redevelopment, as to what no-one is sure at the moment.  There is much debate about whether to knock it down and build a modern glass structure or refurbish the old building.  Personally I would like to see it refurbished as Cottesloe wouldn’t be the same without it.

From the entrance

 

And that concludes C! 

🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷🔶🔷

 

 

My A-Z Travel Challenge – B is for Betancuria, Biarritz and Budva

Betancuria, Fuerteventura

Betancuria is a small village on the island of Fuerteventura that I visited a while back.  It was part of a day tour that I took around the island.  It’s a really pretty town with only a population of 811 and was founded in 1404, so it’s very historical.  Before visiting Fuerteventura I hadn’t heard of this town.

Street with ceramic artwork on the walls
Iglesia de Santa Maria

Statues of the Kings Ayose and Guize

 

Betancuria is definitely worth a visit, the scenery on the drive is amazing.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

Biarritz, France

Biarritz was just an overnight stop before we started our road trip in Spain, it was the easiest place to fly into from the UK to pick up our bus the next day to San Sebastian.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this place.  It had a very old fashioned sea-side feel about it, plus the food was amazing.  We stayed in a small quaint hotel near the sea front and had just enough time to explore next day.

In the restaurant conveniently located opposite our hotel

The street on which our hotel was
Georges Vl Hotel

Brave bathers!
Through the window
Statue of the Virgin Mary
Biaritz Sea Front

Waterproof Jacket by Next! 

Eglise Saint Eugenie

Inside the Eglise Saint Eugenie

 

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Budva, Montenegro

Budva, situated on the Adriatic coast, was a place we spent an afternoon at during our stay in Montenegro.  It’s a very old settlement over 2,500 years old and has a very well preserved medieval walled city.  We were actually staying at a place called Rafailovici but after seeing Budva I wish we had stayed there.

The walled city

The Holy Trinity Church inside the walled city
St. Ivan’s Church

The Citadel

The library inside the Citadel

Cute ivy clad stone house inside the walled city

Narrow alleyway
Narrow street inside the walled city
Stone alleyway
Exploring the many alleyways inside the walled city

Streets and alleyways

That finishes B – next up is C!

 

My A – Z travel challenge – Places I have been – 😎🌍 – A

I thought it would be a fun idea to write an A to Z of places I’ve in the past, as travelling in the present is not an option at the moment. Also it will certainly keep me occupied during this isolation period. So here goes … A is for Alcatraz, Amundon Island, An Bang […]

I thought it would be a fun idea to write an A to Z of places I’ve in the past, as travelling in the present is not an option at the moment. Also it will certainly keep me occupied during this isolation period. So here goes …

A is for Alcatraz, Amundon Island, An Bang Beach and Athens 

Alcatraz, San Francisco

During our trip to USA a few years back we did the tour of Alcatraz.  We were actually very lucky to go as I didn’t realise how popular this place is and I managed to book the last spot on the last day of our stay in San Francisco.

Alcatraz was an operating prison from 1934 to 1963 and was “home” to the infamous Al Capone.  Before 1934 it was a US Military prison from the late 1850’s.  No-one ever managed to escape from “The Rock” although many attempts were made.

It certainly looked a bleak place and no attempt has really been made to restore it, for historical purposes.  There is an exhibition room there and at the time we visited was showing prisoners’ stories about why they were sentenced.

🔫 💣 🔪

Amundon Island, Sweden

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My trip to this nature island was very recent, just last year.  We went to Gothenburg for three days to visit my cousin and his family.  It took a while to reach the island, first a tram and then a bus, around an hour’s journey.  Then at my slow pace of walking another hour of walking around the island!  This island is great for snorkelling and camping, during the summer months of course!

At the start of our walk
Ominous looking clouds
My mum looking very glamorous in her Russian hat
This is where I walked the plank

🌳 🌳  🌳  🌳  🌳

An Bang Beach, Vietnam

An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam

This has to be one of my favourite beaches.  Just a short drive from Hoi An town or just borrow one of the many bikes the resorts offer and cycle.  When we went there were a few casual cafes along the beach, although I think it must be more built up now.  If you bought a drink you could get a sun bed, not a bad deal at all!  The only thing was the closeness of the beds, they were so close you had to crawl from the end of the bed.  Very easy to eavesdrop on your neighbour’s conversations.  The service was five star, with the staff from the cafe serving  you on the beach.  There was also free wifi – on the beach!  Some people go to Hoi An without ever realising that there is a fantastic beach there.

 

🏖 🏖 🏖  🏖  🏖  🏖

Athens

Athens was one of our ports of call on a Mediterranean cruise we took a few years ago.  We did the obligatory tour of the Acropolis and then wandered around Athens on our own.  I first went to Athens when I was 18 when it was allowed to walk and climb over the ruins of the Acropolis.  I suppose due to the wear and tear of this ancient site they have had to stop this and it is now tightly controlled by security guards, shouting and whistling at sightseers not to step out of line!

Old Temple of Athena, Athens, Greece
Old Temple of Athena, honouring Athena and Poseidon

Odeon of Herodes, Atticus
Odeon of Herodes, Atticus

Propylaea, Acropolis, Athens
Propylaea, Acropolis The ancient principal entryway to the Acropolis

 

And that concludes A! 

 

 

Day Trips from Melbourne – Ballarat Wildlife Park

There are so many places to visit just outside of Melbourne, just an hour or two away, so it’s easy enough to fit in a side trip during a four day visit.

Our first day trip was spent at Ballarat Wildlife Park.  It takes around 90 minutes to drive from Melbourne and it’s a beautiful park to spend an afternoon in, especially as they have koalas.  You do have to register your names at the entrance and pay a bit extra for the koala experience, but as these cuddly creatures are becoming more extinct I thought it was worth it.  The park is situated on 37 acres of bushland and has more than 100 free roaming kangaroos.

We spent a couple of hours here looking at all the different animals and it is a very hands on place, being able to feed the kangaroos.  Judging by the amount of food on the ground I think the kangaroos are pretty bored with it and definitely not hungry.

Our encounter with the koalas

These are just a few of the photos I took of all the different animals there, and the ones I could get decent shots of!  The other animals they have are penguins, birds, crocs, Tasmanian tigers, snakes, emus, wombats, quolls and aligators.  There are also two Sumatran tigers there.

There is a licenced cafe there where we had lunch.  In my opinion though it’s probably better to bring your own picnic.

PARK INFORMATION

Opening hours: 9-5 pm daily.  Closed Christmas Day
Admission: $35 for adults – $19.50 for children.   There are group discounts for families.
Animal Encounters: – $40 – $80, I believe for groups of four or less.

As you can see it makes a great family day out, admittedly not cheap but it’s good to see the animals well cared for in a natural habitat.

🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘

 

On our way back to Melbourne we had a quick pitstop at Lake Wendouree.  A beautiful spot to have a picnic and a walk.  Then it was back to the city for dinner.  A very tasty Korean.

 

Until our next trip!

Pinterest

 

 

A stay at The Ink Hotel, Melbourne

Another trip to Melbourne!  This time I decided to try a hotel (The Ink Hotel) instead of an apartment and as usual was visiting Laurence and Maddy.  My nephew Tom was over from the UK and came with me.  The main reason I chose a hotel over an apartment was because the price was the same and also for the Air bnb apartments they wanted a hefty deposit up front, to be refunded a week after your departure.  I liked the fact that there is a proper reception for any issues that may come up.

After picking up our luggage from the Virgin terminal, in my wisdom I thought we would take the Skybus into the City.  The board saying “20 minutes into the City” seemed too good to be true.  Well it was.  Approximately 90 minutes later we arrived at The Ink.  
Tip:  Do not take Skybus on a late Friday afternoon over a long weekend! 

First Impressions

The check in was quick and easy and the staff are friendly and helpful.  The check in desk is located on the ground floor along with the bar/sitting/eating area.  I loved all the artwork on the walls and looked forward to having a drink at the bar later. It had a great casual vibe.

The Ink is the building in the middle

Very bohemian!

“A drop of ink may make a million think”

As we had rooms on the 12th floor I thought we might get a bit of a view!  Not much in my case and none at all for Tom.  Still the room was very cosy and everything you wanted was there.  We had “pocket rooms”, but there are other rooms that are bigger.

The Room

Huge comfy bed and pillows.  Good lighting and USB ports either side of the bed.  There was also a safe next to the bed. In the wardrobe there was an iron and ironing board and hair dryer.  Dressing gowns for your comfort.  A snug desk with lamp plus more USB ports with a fridge underneath.

Not completely  without a view!

The Bathroom

Lovely toiletries placed right at your fingertips.  The toilet is to the side of the shower.

The Ink is very conveniently located and close to the South Bank and Casino, both within walking distance.

We had breakfast here most mornings and although the menu is limited, the coffee is free and there will be something to suit everyone.  Eggs how you like or a healthy bowl of muesli.

Lastly Tom and I enjoying our free welcome drink in the lounge 

 

I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone going to Melbourne for a few days.  It’s a great “no hassle” hotel with the availability a full time reception and just a short walk to either the tram or bus stop.

What do you prefer an apartment or a hotel?