hotels – Travels with Ali

~ Exploring Macau’s Iconic Casinos: A Visual Journey ~

During all the times we have been to Macau, we have never visited the famous casinos. This is something that has been on my list for a while.

Macau’s economy relies heavily on gambling. Macau has 61 casinos of which the biggest is The Venetian Macau. It’s surprising to note that Macau is the gambling capital of the World, the hotels and casinos are much larger for one thing.

Walking back from dinner on our first night, we passed by the MGM. So we stepped inside to take a look. There were several sculptures of lions, on display. As everyone knows the lion is the symbol of MGM.

The MGM Hotel

I loved the amazing detail of these lions, there were many more too.

Neither of us are gambling types which is fortunate, otherwise the temptations would be too great!

The artwork at the MGM is stunning, I could have stayed a night or two here quite happily. It felt more like a museum than a hotel.

Most of the casinos are located in Taipa and the three biggest are The Venetian, The Parisian and The Londoner. We managed The Venetian and The Londoner, but our senses were overwhelmed and we didn’t get to The Parisian. I did feel as if I had visited three cities in one day.

The Venetian

The Venetian in Macau was built to replicate The Venetian in Las Vegas. To say it is astounding would be an understatement. My first impressions on walking to the canals section were that the weather had improved and turned warmer. Realising that it was in fact a false ceiling, I had the feeling I was an extra on The Truman Show.

It was a Sunday the day we visited and also a festive holiday and the crowds were out in force. When I looked up I was momentarily confused as to what the dark holes in the sky were. I thought at first they were drones. I have to say it was very disconcerting.

I’ve now been to Venice!

As we left The Venetian, I looked up to see the striking ceiling, with such complex designs.

**Ceiling of The Venetian depicting signs of the Zodiac**

The Houses of Parliament from The Londoner in the background.

The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben at The Londoner

After a while Anthony said he had to get out, it was getting to be claustrophobic! They don’t make it easy though to find an exit, everywhere just seemed to lead to more labyrinths.

Before heading over to The Londoner I managed to take a couple of photos of the Eiffel Tower at The Parisian.

The Londoner

We stopped for a drink at one of the many cafes inside and watched The Changing of the Guards.

Big Ben

I enjoyed visiting The Londoner, the architecture is unbelievable. I can’t imagine how it would be to stay in a place like this. For one, the cost would be extortionate and also I think it would feel too overwhelming.

I’m happy that we visited some of the casinos but I doubt we would go back, Macau has so much more to offer. If you visit and want to see some fabulous art, I would suggest one of the big casinos.

~ Three Days in Bangkok – Boats, Bars and Retail Therapy ~

Last week we caught up with Anthony’s brother and wife for a few days in Bangkok. Having been here many times before, there was no need to be a tourist. I had booked us into the Chatrium Riverside Hotel with a fantastic view over the Chao Phraya River. Staying by the river is a wonderful way to see Bangkok, as most hotels have their own river boat. The ferries run all day to Sathorn Pier and from here you can take other boats or walk a short distance to the station.

City and river views from our room

Our first morning was spent catching up over a lengthy breakfast, watching the river transport.

After breakfast we took the river ferry over to the Iconsiam. A massive shopping mall, not with just shops but also artwork, fountains, waterfalls and many restaurants.

It was the King’s Birthday today plus Father’s Day, so we expected crowds. It wasn’t as bad as we feared and we had the ferry almost to ourselves.

Outside and inside the Iconsiam was absolute mayhem, people milling around and taking photos and generally blocking the way! Didn’t expect anything less being a public holiday.

Not your traditional tree!

The basement has a floating market with many hawker type stalls. It’s also where all the Thai style handicrafts are located. I did manage to pick up a few Christmas presents.

I wanted to see the waterfall on the third floor, which drops from the middle of the ceiling and changes colour as it falls. This was spectacular and a feat in architectural design.

For lunch we snagged an outside table overlooking the river and ate while we watched the different boats go up and down.

Taking the same route back to the hotel, we had more of a wait for connecting ferries.

These guys don’t hang around and it’s a swift turnaround. You have to be quick on your feet to jump on and off! But no complaints as it’s a free service.

A new suitcase for me, plus goodies inside for Anthony. I’ll have no trouble at the carousel looking for my case.

We had a quick rest before heading down for a seafood buffet. The weather was perfect, with a light breeze making it possible to sit outside. For me it’s still quite hot, but you see many of the Thai people with hoodies and sweatshirts on as it is Winter.

The next day we took it easy around the beautiful pool, catching some rays and swimming a few laps.

Our last evening was spent on a nearby rooftop bar drinking champagne and watching the sunset.

There is plenty to do in Bangkok, from visiting the temples, just browsing the many shops or taking a leisurely cruise along the river. Also with many different cuisines you can eat cheaply at the hawker stalls or fine dine if that’s your thing. Bangkok is a wonderful city to stop over for a short break.

~ Driving Adventures – Perth to Sydney {Glenelg, South Australia and Kaniva, Victoria} ~

So technically, I didn’t drive from Perth, but flew to Adelaide to meet Anthony who did drive! Also while I’m being upfront here I didn’t do any of the driving, I did a lot of sleeping though. If sleeping was an olympic sport, I would definitely be up for a gold medal.

I arrived shortly before Anthony and checked into the Stamford Grand in Glenelg. We’ve stayed here before, a few years ago and it was a welcome return. I was fortunate enough to be upgraded to a fantastically large room overlooking the ocean.

Glenelg, South Australia

After I had checked in I went for a walk along the promenade and down the pier. There were quite a few people around considering it was a Tuesday afternoon in winter.

Anthony arrived shortly before sunset and we walked to the marina where there are many restaurants. We chose a tapas place and had an excellent dinner.

After a good night’s rest and a buffet breakfast we set off on our long drive over to St. Kilda in Victoria. It would take approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes, plenty of sleeping time.

Serviceton, Victoria

Anthony is already in Victoria and I’m still in South Australia – “you snooze, you lose”.

We had hoped to have a coffee break here but sadly the cafe had closed it’s doors for good.

One of the great things about driving these long distances is that you get to see all the small country towns. Some aren’t the best, but there are some wonderful surprises along the way. An example is Kaniva, Victoria where we stopped for lunch.

Kaniva, Victoria

I did enjoy the sheep art trail along the road. I looked up the meaning of why there are so many sheep. I found it was to encourage visitors to look closer at the town. There are 46 sheep in all, we definitely didn’t have the time to find them all.
Grazing sheep are still very much part of a sustainable agricultural future for this area. They help improve both soil health and plant biodiversity. Source: Kaniva.org

We bought sandwiches and ate at one of the picnic tables, enjoying the winter sun.

Then we were off again to arrive in Melbourne in time for dinner at Laurence and Maddy’s.

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~ Hazlewood Castle, Tadcaster – A Historic Gem for a Memorable Overnight Stay ~

This year on our way back from Glasgow we had an overnight stay at Hazlewood Castle. I only happened upon this castle when looking at our route home and saw that it was also a hotel. I was extremely excited to find that it was quite reasonable for an overnight stay. We didn’t manage to get a room in the castle itself but in one of the buildings surrounding the place.

Hazlewood castle dates back to 1066 and was in the possession of Gamel, son of Osmund. It was during the time of King Edward the Confessor.

1086 Doomsday notes that it was given to Mauger le Vavasour by William de Percy.

From 1183 until 1826 it was in the hands of the Vavasour family and it was only due to the death of the 7th baron that it was passed to a relative – Edward Stourton, who then took the name Vavasour.

In 1290 it was granted a licence to crenallate the medieval building.

In 1908 it was put up for sale and the Vavasour family moved to New Zealand where they started the famous Vavasour Winery.

This of course is just a very short timeline and below is the history of events that took place during the different reigns. The family certainly had their ups and downs but always seemed to come together again.

Coincidentally Vavasour is one of my favourite Sauvignon Blancs so I was especially intrigued that the name was originally from France. The restaurant was also called Vavasour.

The surrounding buildings and gardens

The castle is situated in beautiful countryside and the views are amazing. We had a pleasant walk through the gardens and were also surprised to be given a key to enter the small chapel. I think the key must date back hundreds of years as it was extremely large and difficult to open the door.

The door to the chapel

Inside the Castle

This is a fabulous hotel for a night or two, great for an anniversary or birthday treat. There is also a day spa offering relaxing and revitalising treatments, ideal for a girls’ weekend away.

Also posting for Lens Artist Challenge, In the Garden, hosted by Ann-Christine.

~ Amazing Albania – Berat to Kruje ~

Kruje, located 20kms north of Tirana was our next destination. We were staying for one night in the Hotel Panorama and when we arrived mid-afternoon there were coaches either side of the small narrow road. There was parking but we couldn’t see where to stop to look for it. There was a carpark opposite but it was blocked by a coach, then a man appeared and said he would guide us in! It was just chaos but he seemed to know what he was doing and even took our cases for us. I couldn’t work out if he worked for the hotel or it was just a hobby directing the traffic.

It was very orderly inside and we were promptly shown to our room. After a short rest we decided to walk through the bazaar and then up to the castle. As Tirana was only a short distance it looked to be a busy destination and we could hear the hustle and bustle from our room.

Kruje was like a mix of Gjirokaster and Berat. Cobbled streets, a bazaar and a castle upon the hill.

Various items for sale at the bazaar

Once we were at the top, we stopped for a drink in the cafe and rest! It was only a short walk but of course all uphill.

I can’t believe I didn’t take photos of the castle so have had to “borrow” one from the Albanian Tourist Industry. I was too busy taking in the views.

Looking for a place for dinner later we found the perfect spot with fabulous views. Something I did find odd in all of Albania was seeing groups of men in the evenings at cafes and bars, no women at all. Old and young, smoking and drinking. We walked down one small street in Kruje with cafes either side and they were full of just men. It would be hard travelling with a female companion to feel comfortable in these smaller places.

Interesting Facts: Edward Lear, the famous English landscape painter visited Albania in 1848, but Lord Byron in fact got there 40 years before in 1808. We saw many paintings by Lear in the places we visited. These small things intrigue me especially when I mention Albania to people and so many have asked, if it’s safe and where is it. I suppose the fact that it was closed off for nearly 50 years attributes to this.

A day and one night is plenty to see what Kruje has to offer and makes a good stopping off point to travel further North, which unfortunately we didn’t have time for. Our next and final destination is Tirana.

~ Postcard from Perth ~ Swan River and Heirisson Island

At the beginning of the month I had an overnight stay at the Crown Perth with my lovely friends. The hotel sits right by the Swan River and even though none of us had taken the correct walking shoes we still managed to have a wander by the water.

I was happy to see some sculptures along the way too.

Spanish Black Granite Sculpture
Oushi Zokei

Willem de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea captain and arrived in Perth during the late 17th century. He named the Swan River after the large number of black swans he saw. He and his crew first landed on Rottnest Island and saw numerous quokkas (a native marsupial), and thinking they were large rats he named it ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island”).

The reason for our stay was to have our last girls’ hurrah before the lovely Lisa departs for good back to the US. A few photos below of the fun we had.

Having our own rooms was a luxury.

**High Tea complete with gluten free and vegetarian options.**

Next was a swim by the pool and then off to the casino to try and win some of our luxury stay back! Sadly we didn’t hit any jackpots.

Then some fun in our rooms before checking out.

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With school holidays on at the moment I thought I would take the munchkins to Heirisson Island where there is a kangaroo sanctuary. It’s not far from us but never having been there I asked Anthony along to be the driver. We easily found a carpark and proceeded along the river in search of kangaroos. Rosie didn’t bring shoes so all I had to offer was an old pair of Lachie’s wellies, which were a tad tight! After walking for ten minutes she started to cry saying her feet hurt, so onto Anthony’s back she went.

With the extreme hot weather Western Australia has been experiencing, everything was very brown and scrubby.

We walked along the river for a while and there was a lovely breeze blowing off it, but once we were in the middle with no shade it was fairly hot.

Still excited and not too tired yet!

We finally found a bench to sit and have some snacks but no kangaroos had been sighted.

Thinking we would have to walk back we came across another family who were looking at their phone. I went up to them and said have you seen any yet, and was informed that the husband had found a group but we had better hurry as they were bounding away.

They were hard to spot, being camouflaged by the brown grass. As you can see Lachie was very happy that we finally found some.

Heirisson Island was named after French midshipman François-Antoine Boniface Heirisson in 1801. It was once home to the Nyoongar people.

Also linking to Jo’s Monday Walks

🗼Paris in a Day – Hop on, Hop off 🗼

Day One

With only three days in Paris, there’s no better way to see all the sights than on a hop on/hop off bus. Nowadays with many people travelling and the need to book online for tickets and a time slot, I decided not to do any major attractions but to just enjoy being in Paris.

My friend Rita met me at my hotel, after a decadent breakfast. I have to say I chose well as it’s a delightful hotel. A small boutique hotel with a lovely seating area at the front and a dining room in the basement.

We first walked over to Notre Dame and saw the work in progress after the fire in 2019. There was so much to see, and I was stopping all the time to take photos. Some of the streets we walked down looked like they belonged to an old style Paris of the 1950’s, with cute window boxes and old fashioned pastry stores. Tranquil parks and men reading newspapers.

The Dame herself! With a crane in the background as the work still has a way to go yet.

Before we hopped on a bus we stopped and had lunch in Tuileries Garden. My friend is a huge walker and I wasn’t sure if I could keep up with her pace which was super fast.

From the bus

We did alight a few times, once to walk a little way down the Champs-Elysees and again to take a few shots of the Louvre. It was great fun being on top of the bus at the front and going around the famous Arc de Triomphe roundabout.

By now it was late afternoon, meaning it was almost happy hour! So we jumped on the bus again and headed to Galerie Lafayette. Sadly not much time for shopping but to treat ourselves to a champagne in one of the many bars and restaurants they have.

Rooftop Views over Paris

The incredible neo-Byzatine-infused polychrome glass cupola created by master glassworker Jacques Gruber. It really was a sight to behold and I could have stood for ages looking up. It’s a place where you could easily spend half a day or more. Lunching, shopping, drinking and spending big bucks!

It was back to the hotel after this for a short rest before dinner. We ate at a place called Le Machon d’Henri but not before stopping at a magnificent church on the way.

The Saint Sulpice Church’s claim to fame is the organ inside and also where some of The Da Vinci Code was filmed. The organ is supposedly the largest in the world with its 6,600 pipes.

I think we had covered enough for one day, and even though we did use the bus I still clocked up an incredible 14,000 steps.

I hope you’ll stay with me for the rest of my trip to Paris and if you’ve got this far thank you for reading.

Medan – Gateway to Lake Toba

After leaving Bali we caught a plane to Medan, North Sumatra for the next part of our adventure. We stayed one night on the way and one on the way back. I had looked into staying longer here but after some research decided against it. So happy I made this decision as from what I could see from the car and hotel window it looked quite drab, apart from the enormous colourful mosques dotted about the place.

We flew on Garuda Air with a brief stop in Jakarta. Garuda changed our flight at least twice leaving us with no opportunity to stay anywhere but the airport hotel, we didn’t check in until 9.45 pm. When we arrived in Jakarta I panicked as I thought we had missed our connecting flight, only to be told there was an hour’s time difference, phew!

Downtown Medan is over an hour’s drive from the airport and as we had 10 am start the next day it didn’t seem worth the effort to stay in town. We stayed in Horison Sky Airport Hotel and the less said the better! Although as Anthony pointed out you get what you pay for.

The room was dark and small, but the worst was the smelly pillows. Actually the fact that there was no alcohol served here was probably a close second.

On the way back after our four night odyssey around Lake Toba we stayed at the Four Point Sheraton. As I mentioned before though, driving through the streets and from the window, I was in no way enticed to explore further.

Dreary, grey and polluted

Anthony wouldn’t have minded a walk around but I pointed out to him there were no actual pavements or sidewalks to walk on. You would be lucky if you could walk far without being hit by a bike or van.

This lovely young girl came up to me at Medan Airport and asked if she could interview me for her Uni assignment. I was very happy to oblige. She asked me questions about where I came from and where we had been travelling.

As you can see not much to say, but I will definitely have plenty to say about the next part of our journey!

Searching for Street Art in Penang – Day Two

One of the things I wanted to do whilst in Penang was to look at all the street art that Penang is famous for. Although I had downloaded a map of all the places, my sim card was not activated properly! So we went back to the 7-11 where we had bought them and the very kind assistant sorted this out for me. I do exasperate Anthony with my constant stopping and starting and looking at my phone as to where to go! He tends to just walk randomly.

The streets were busy today as it Sunday and it seemed like everyone had the same idea.

We did find lots of murals and metal artwork along the way. The weather was cloudy and a nice breeze blowing, not at all what we expected.

Trombone Player by Gabriel Pitcher. An English born artist who has painted murals around the World.

Above are various street scenes from our walk

Humorous 3D artwork found on street walls depicting the life of long ago.

It was almost impossible to walk on any sidewalk or the covered archways that lined the road. Walking on the road was the easier option, but with cars driving very close by you had better watch out for your hands and feet!

If I hadn’t glanced sideways I would have missed these cute kittens peeking out from these windows.

Enough street art for one day, I have a few more and I know I’ve missed many. It was getting on for lunchtime and time to go shopping!

We took a “Grab Cab” to Gurney Plaza where there is a huge shopping mall. Grab is the equivalent of Uber in Malaysia and seems to be the only taxi service in Penang. Once you have the App it’s pretty straightforward and the good thing about it is that you can use cash to pay and no need for credit card details.

Lunch was just a quick snack in a European Beer cafe, pretty lousy to be honest! Then off to the shops to look for walking shoes for me as mine had now given me a blister and shorts and a backpack for Anthony to climb Penang Hill. Well we were successful in everything and mine were called “the most comfortable shoes in the world” and I have to say this is 100% true, I felt like I was walking on pillows.

Back to the hotel for a quick swim and rest before heading out for dinner.

Dinner at Kebaya Restaurant

I had seen a place nearby called Kebaya Fusion Restaurant. The chefs were Swiss trained so we were expecting some gastronomic extravaganza. The restaurant is in a heritage listed building called Seven Terraces and owned by Christopher Ong. The building has been lovingly restored with the most beautiful decorations and furniture. The tiles on the floors were imported from Vietnam. I didn’t realise it was also a hotel until I asked if I could look around.

The waiter explained it was a set two or three course menu and it would be good to choose different dishes so we could share. Everything was mouth wateringly delicious.

Inside the hotel

The photos below show what an opium lord’s house would look like back in the day. Complete with opium pipes and snuff boxes.

After dinner Anthony suggested a nightcap in the bar, as we sat down I recognised the owner Christopher in the corner with a lady friend. When we left I went up to him and complimented him on his beautiful hotel. We stood and had a chat with him for a while about the renovations he had made.

Off to bed for a good night’s sleep after a very busy day.

Lens Artist Photo Challenge #164 – Looking Up and Looking Down

This week for the Lens Artist Photo Challenge – Sofia from Photographias is hosting and the theme is Looking Up/Down.

“Knowledge comes from looking around, Wisdom comes from looking up” – Adrian Rogers

Osmania Women’s College, Hyderabad, India

Outside/Inside Escalators, Hong Kong Bank Building, Hong Kong

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There is something absolutely nerve racking about being inside a cable car in the elements with only the floor between you and the depths below. It is quite eerie sitting there in the deathly quiet except for the clanking of the machinery.

From the cable car on top of Lantau Island, Hong Kong

The lego style apartment blocks, Tung Chung, Hong Kong

Looking out over Da Nang, Vietnam
Bana Hills Cable Car

Riding in a cable car is definitely the best way to see the world below.

Tag: hotels

~ Exploring Macau’s Iconic Casinos: A Visual Journey ~

The MGM Hotel

The Venetian

The Londoner

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~ Three Days in Bangkok – Boats, Bars and Retail Therapy ~

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~ Driving Adventures – Perth to Sydney {Glenelg, South Australia and Kaniva, Victoria} ~

Glenelg, South Australia

Serviceton, Victoria

Kaniva, Victoria

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~ Hazlewood Castle, Tadcaster – A Historic Gem for a Memorable Overnight Stay ~

The surrounding buildings and gardens

Inside the Castle

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~ Amazing Albania – Berat to Kruje ~

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~ Postcard from Perth ~ Swan River and Heirisson Island

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🗼Paris in a Day – Hop on, Hop off 🗼

Day One

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Medan – Gateway to Lake Toba

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Searching for Street Art in Penang – Day Two

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Lens Artist Photo Challenge #164 – Looking Up and Looking Down

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The MGM Hotel

The Venetian

The Londoner

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Glenelg, South Australia

Serviceton, Victoria

Kaniva, Victoria

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The surrounding buildings and gardens

Inside the Castle

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Day One

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