Sorry we’ve been quiet for a few months. Our travel was interrupted in Indonesia back in July by Steve being diagnosed with lung problems. It took a while back in the UK to complete tests and get stable on drugs but now we are back on the road and resuming our travels in Perth, Western Australia.
Our last stop in China was Hong Kong, which is very different and still has a very British vibe. We took the funnicular railway uo Victoria Peak and a 6km long cable car ride on Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. Next stop Indonesia!
Although Xi’an in synonymous with the Terracotta Warriors, there is far more to see and do than this admittedly breathtaking sight. We also risked heatstroke cycling around the top of the city walls in 35 degree heat and ate our weight in dumplings.
The very efficient bullet train got us from Shanghai to Hangzhou very quickly and after a bit of confusion with the Didi ride hailing app we made it to our hotel in Westlake.
West Lake is the main draw and it’s a beauty – pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift slowly under arched bridges and past great expanses of beautiful water lilies – an idyll of leisurely charm. Walkways, perfectly positioned benches, parks & gardens around…
Hiroshima is a living monument to the devastating effects of the atomic bomb and the reconstructed city serves in its entirety as an eloquent testimony to the power of life over destruction. Visiting the Peace Memorial Park and Museum was a sobering experience and prompted Steve to learn more about the events that brought the Second World War to an end.
Modern Hiroshima is a vibrant and captivating city with great food and lovely scenery, not least the picturesque Miyajima Island where we proved it really is a small world!
Steve visited Tokyo over 20 years ago, for a long weekend en-route to Australia on business, and found it to be the most difficult place he’d ever travelled to. We had our fingers crossed that the intervening years had made things easier for Western tourists who didn’t speak or understand a word of Japanese. We had a stay of 4 nights and 3 full days booked but no firm plans other than Sumo on day 3 – let’s just…
Coron is part of Palawan Province but is a separate area of islands around 100Km North of El Nido and the Palawan ‘mainland’. It CAN be reached by plane from El Nido, but there’s definitely still luggage restrictions on this route, so ferry was our only option. The reason for our visit to Coron was the fleet of 8 WWII Japanese ships sunk near Coron in 1944 and their remains apparently offering some of the world’s best wreck diving….
Organised tours, or private boat charters, are the only way to see the delights of El Nido – it’s all about island hopping in the surrounding area to explore the white sand beaches, lagoons, turquoise waters and underwater beauty. We did 2 day trips – Tours A & C, the ‘best’ apparently. Highlights included kayaking into the gorgeous Big Lagoon (and getting a tow back as we were tired and Debbie’s shoulder isn’t really up to kayaking), great snorkelling…
A very large island 2 hours by ferry from Siquijor, Bohol (like most of The Philippines) also has pristine white beaches, blue sea & good diving but we were heading there for the inland attractions. Our short stay included visiting the Chocolate Hills, Quad Biking, Zip Lines, Cable Cars and visiting a Tarsier sanctuary.