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Brisbane to Manchester
  • Steven Coe

Brisbane to Manchester

The journey to Manchester via Asia and Eastern Europe Baca lagi
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  • Permulaan perjalanan
    28 Februari 2024
  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Phnom Penh

    29 Feb–3 Mac 2024, Kemboja ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    Starting point of the trip
    - a bus from HCM to Phnom Penh
    - a few technical difficulties with sim cards and NAB authentication issues smoothed out once Aldi mobile allowed roaming
    - a bustling quite modern city that is advancing quickly
    - killing fields and s21 prison showing the horrors of the pol pot regime, teeth and bones evident still in the mass Graves.
    - the beautiful royal palace
    - delicious Khmer food and cheap 1$ beers
    - breweries and beer drinking during the hot middle of the day    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Siem Reap

    3–5 Mac 2024, Kemboja ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    - Bus to Siem Reap, smooth and not too long, 4-5 hours. Angry birds helped time go faster
    - all kinds of spring rolls cafe
    - Sunset at Angkor Wat was lovely, met a tuk tuk driver who was the nicest man
    - Sunrise and temple visits of the Khmer empire, a huge city from 1000 years ago, visiting felt very wild and the temples were so intricate. Despite their beauty, 4-5 temples was enough, it was far too hot by midday
    - beers at several breweries and cafes were great, Siem Reap seems to be trending toward a sustainable and environmental view with their restaurants and some shops.
    - delicious vegetarian meal, the best peanut butter pie. Also Haven restaurant, a restaurant hiring local kids to educate them and pay them was a great dining experience.
    - landmine museum and the hero rats were visited, very raw places highlighting horrible things. The rats were cute though.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Siem Reap Airport Experience

    5 Mac 2024, Kemboja ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    What an experience to the airport, it needs it's own entry
    - organised our tuk tuk friend to pick us up from the hotel approx 2.5 hours before flight.
    - Siem reap has recently built a new airport and we googled this and figured it was 20 mins away, I enter the airport into the grab app and off we go, I don't realise that this says it's approx an hour journey. 10 mins into the drive, Chloe says, have you put the right airport in and I'm like yeah and then check and the airport is supper far away, so we change the address on the app (to the airport 20 mins from city). We translate to the driver, different airport, he is so confused, partly cause he speaks no english, I am also accidentally translating in Google translate in Vietnamese rather then Cambodian and lastly he says he knows airport road. We assume this is the old airport he is talking about.
    - We are not confident on which is the new airport as Google says 20 mins away but apple shows a much further one. I google the new airport code and it comes up as the one 20 mins away.
    - we then read a blog and realise they all say the airport is 45km away and the initial direction we were heading and the one the driver knows is the new one. Turns out Google is wrong and has not updated the new airport address.
    - by this time we then have to translate to go back to the new airport in broken english and google translate. The grab app won't let me change the address back so keeps telling him to turn around, lucky he knows the way.
    - we have approx 1 hour 50 to get to an airport that is now 1 hour away, in a tuk tuk, with our bags squished in. The price on the grab app mind you says 16k when it should be 60k and I can't change it , so we think we will just tip 40k on the app.
    - we race to the airport in this tuk tuk and he is going as fast as possible (I think he is unaware of the time constraints however). The airport approaches and we are approx 15 mins before bag closure.
    - Chloe goes in and I attempt to tip driver appropriately as he realises the app has not paid properly, I can't tip more then 20k and we only have a 100usd note. I attempt to tell him "ATM" and point inside. Chloe tries to change the 100usd but nobody will, we end up getting money from an exchange place eventually.
    - we get outside and old mate tuk tuk driver looks like he has almost given up on us, he is so grateful when I give him the 20USD.
    - the airport staff are so casual and blazae, the airport is dead. We end up on the plane, and it seems because we checked in last, we get the emergency exit. After all that experience, the extra leg room seems all worth it ☺️    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Ho Ch Minh City

    5–8 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    - late arrival into HCM, the hotel room was unavailable due to AC not working, they all know each other so we went across the street to another hotel. Free upgrade for the next 2 nights as a result.

    - we explored the HCM chaos, motorbikes drive wherever they like including the footpath. We browsed the cafe apartments and visited the war remnants museum. Essentially, learning that the Vietnam war was brutal and the USA were crazy invested in a war that wasn't theirs to fight. A must visit place to get an insight into the horrible things that occurred. We visited a brewery selling all kinds of Vietnamese beers and then found dinner at an overhyped but nice rooftop restaurant called secret garden.

    - Day 2 involved a visit to the Cuchi tunnels, a place where the Viet Cong fought the USA using the underground tunnels. Another insane insight into brutality and unimaginable war history. Going through the tunnels was very tight, even despite the fact that they have made them bigger for tourists. The second part of the day involved a visit to the Mekong Delta, a large farming area supplying 80% of rice to Vietnam. This part visited a bee farm, some fruit farms and small canals on a boat, it was very touristy and probably would give it a miss next time. A tour deeper into the delta would have been better.

    - we finished with finding a delicious big bowl of beef pho (Pho Bo). A shop that was dingy and dishing out bowl after bowl, it had won a Michelin star in 2023.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Hội An

    8–11 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    - We quite enjoyed Hoi An, it was quieter and the ease of getting around on the bikes made it more flexible.

    - We had started getting over the same basic breakfast and Hoi An was the place to go and find some western style ones due to the fresh/wellness type culture that Hoi An has.

    - Walking around the streets was great, having a look at all the tailors or leather makers or fake shoes. Despite the pestering to buy, it was interesting to see the products.

    - We booked a food tour with a local company and he took us to all the off the beaten track places which is hard to find in Hoi An. We would end up in a locals loungeroom which they had converted to a eating space essentially.

    - Chloe continued her quest to swim in every sea, swimming in the south China sea.

    - we treated ourselves to a wine bar and some delicious cheeses, couldn't help ourselves considering 4 wines and cheese was only $35    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Hue

    11–13 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    - A short stop in Hue was on the agenda as it was close to Hoi An and the home of the former royals/dynasty

    - The trip to Hue was off to a flyer when the bus company booked by the hotel seemed like the most disorganised chaotic shuttle service. The tourists waiting were going to all different places but nobody knew which bus they were getting and apparently they were all late, despite once time to get on, they actually had been sitting there since the start. The bus was a sleeper that looked like it was from the 90s and had never been cleaned. I'm glad we weren't booked for 20 hours to Hanoi like some people.

    - We arrived in Hue to a rainy foggy evening, found some tasty vegetarian food including a banh xao and ofcourse spring rolls. We then found a very cool cocktail bar down a small alley where a staff member was having a birthday so we got a bunch of free stuff. The drinks were delish.

    - We used the full day to visit the former royals, the Nguyen's, city of living. It was interesting to see but a few hours there was enough. We used the rest of the day to relax and then we did another food tour as Hue has been said to have 1500 dishes.

    - the food tour again took us to places we would never go due to language or just being in random places. We dabbled in many dishes and I tried pigs blood in my Banh Bo Hue and pigs feet. Not sure if I'd eat that again.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Hanoi

    13–14 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    - We flew into Hanoi early (to Chloe's dissatisfaction due to lack of sleep) and planned to wander around before heading to Halong the following day.

    - We walked around the busy streets of the old quarter with its crowded buildings and chaotic shop fronts. We found our 10th or so Banh Mi of the trip (spoiled for choice in Hanoi). As for the Banh Mis, if it wasn't for their cheap price of around 2$, the probably would be better in Melbourne due to the quality of ingredients used in Aus.

    - We went on a walking tour where we were shown the main places such as the lake but also some smaller places like the tiny little houses some of the older generation took up after the war, literally 4-5 square metre rooms with holes in the roof to climb into the floor above. Not sure how they live this way. We also visited an egg coffee shop which was run by the family that initially invented egg coffee after the war, the iced version was a lot nicer then the warm.

    - We met an Aussie who was living in Japan on the ski resorts. We started with some local beers (Bia Hoi) for approx 70 cents and had a few drinks. We then moved on to a hidden gem I'd heard of, which was a woman making Pho in her house for tourists. We found the alleyway, went upstairs and found a loungeroom full of tourists eating delicious Pho Ba (beef). There was no english, no menu or no other choices, we parked on the tiny kindergarten chairs and enjoyed some Pho for approx $2. After that we moved on to beer street/corner which is pretty dirty in culture but a good place to people watch, particularly when beers are 1-2$ for a pint.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Halong Bay

    14 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    - We were picked up early (Chloe not too keen again) and headed to Halong Bay in a small bus chockers with tourists bags (seems they don't plan for that very well). We were spending 1 night on the Bai Tu Long Bay, a subsection of the Halong park where only 10-15 boats go rather then 200+ in Halong Bay.

    - We were given the top room, we had our own floor and balcony which was nice after some of the budget hotels so far. We went for a kayak around the limestone mountains and ended up at a beach and despite the misty weather, most people had a swim, it was cold but super refreshing and the water is quite clean. The rubbish around the place although small really does dampen the place and feels disheartening, a shame to see places ruined by tourists who don't care or fishing pollution.

    - The kayak back was tough and long but a good time and we enjoyed a hot shower on return. This lead beautifully into happy hour beers and cocktails, and even a spring roll making competition which Chloe took out as the winner (another free beer)

    - All the meals on board were included in 5-6 course menus and the food was great. Dinner included things like baked fish, honey chicken, prawns, soups, fresh fruit etc.

    - By this time a few english and Dutch had some liquid courage and they embraced the karaoke, it only takes a few people to break the ice because soon enough me and Chloe were singing Hwy Jude, sweet Caroline and even a Duet of Land Down Under which was good fun. We finished the night and I randomly caught a squid off the side of the boat.

    - Halong bay was a good experience, Swan cruises were a good company and Bai Tu Long was a good choice.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Hanoi

    15–16 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    - Return back to Hanoi from Halong Bay, early in the morning, today's goal was to eat some good food and relax. However, that wasn't going to be easy as the hotel decided to cancel our reservation last minute in an attempt to scam us for more money

    - We decided to book a last minute hotel with decent reviews, it was only for a night. We checked into the worst hotel we have ever seen, the walls were so dirty and the room was super damp. It was like a horror movie hotel.

    - We went and found a good banh mi and wandered around looking at the shops. The amount of fakes here is insane and they look incredible, quality however?

    - Dinner at a small little restaurant, of course spring rolls were eaten. Early night for an early morning train.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Ninh Binh

    16–17 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    - Early morning train to ninh binh at 6am, this was a nice little taste of local life as there weren't many white people on here. The train chugged along for 2 hours and included sales of random things from Banh mi to Pho.

    - we arrived in Ninh Binh to a cloudy foggy landscape of dotted mountains, where we got a grab to the accommodation which was quite remote. The accommodation was great, early check in and time to hire bikes for a ride around.

    - we hired bikes and went out to Mua caves, good 7km ride through rice fields and random little pathways through local areas that Google took us on, even short cutting through a cemetary. The Vietnamese love to try and trick you and ofcourse as you arrive at the destination on your bike, they try and make it look like you need to go into their parking lot and almost stand Infront of your bike yelling at you in Vietnamese to stop. They are sky dogs. Overall, the viewpoint was cloudy but it was still nice to go for an exploration, we also ran into the Dutch couple from the Halong cruise.

    - We were starving and had a great falafel sandwich and a margarita/goats cheese pizza (in a woodfire oven!), this was elite, particularly in the foggy weather with damp clothes. We almost rode the 7km back when we realised we didn't have Chloe's bottle, so back we went in the rain and by now the section that required you to ride on the side of a road was very busy with trucks which was super stressful. Long story short, no bottle and no sign of the bike that had the bottle, so not sure if someone stole the bottle or the bottle and the bike.

    - We ended up having a quiet and peaceful dinner with a early night in the comfortable bungalow which was very beautiful. I quite liked the outdoor shower/bathroom but Chloe didn't because of the bugs 😂    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Hanoi

    17–19 Mac 2024, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    - We made our way back to Hanoi via a limousine bus which was pretty interesting, purely because the communication is always lacking

    - Ofcourse food was on the agenda once checked in and we made our way to a restaurant on the list to go to, a cafe where the owner has built everything from recycled materials and is trying to fight the uphill battle of sustainability in Vietnam. This was another little adventure in itself as we ordered a few things and the fresh spring rolls hadn't come. We grab a waiter and he sort of goes to check and then comes back 15 mins later and he uses google translate to apologise and says they accidentally went to another table. So we translate back and forth with confusion and eventually I ask if we can get a new batch, basically he says okay so you'll have to pay again. Hilarious, not sure how he got to this logic even with the language barrier. We find someone who speaks english better and the issue is resolved, but still unsure what he was thinking 🤔

    - We wander around Hanoi aimlessly and find an antique shop, the perfect place to collect an obscure souvenir.

    - the afternoon/evening involves a visit to train street where they are extremely intense with hassling you to sit at their cafe, evidently social media has made this place a crazy capitalist location. Anyway we sit down, have a few 2$ beers and watch a few trains go by, if this was in any western country, it would not be a thing.

    - A visit to a local brewery and then some Bun Cha for dinner, which is kind of like Pho but has bbq meats in the soup instead, so it's rather smokey.

    - The last day is just hanging out, we sleep in, we eat another banh Mi from another stall and then a delicious authentic Beef Pho (Pho Bo) for lunch. Ticked off all the essentials before treating ourselves to a nicer vegetarian restaurant for dinner, one because why not and two because we have no cash and need a place that takes EFTPOS not annoying cash only ☺️

    - Vietnam and Cambodia segment done, overall a good experience with Cambodia being the clear winner of the two. We most likely won't be back to Vietnam for a while, perhaps China, Phillipines or Japan/Korea next    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Istanbul

    19–23 Mac 2024, Turki ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    - We arrived in Istanbul after a stop in Dubai, somehow managing to get a whole row on both flights 👌

    - Istanbul is super well connected by metro, trains and ferries so we got to our hotel pretty easy, this hotel was a nice change compared to Vietnam, well kept, clean, no mould and no loud motorbikes tooting. We were staying on the European side. First impressions were kebabs everywhere, cats and dogs everywhere and not a lot of English.

    - on the first full day we did a walking tour where we visited the old city/ or former constantinople with the mosques from 500 AD and a cistern from the Roman Empire. The Romans also stole a 3000 YO obelisk from Egypt which sits in Istanbul. This area was super touristy but the history was cool.
    We finished the tour and were pointed in the direction of a local kebab shop, the menus and the people don't speak a whole lot of English so it was a bit of a guessing game/translation on phone situation. We finished the day visiting the mosque built by some famous sultan and the grand bazaar/spice bazaar. Dinner involved a small restaurant in Karakoy where we had Mezze (little share plates) of dip and cheese filled filo pastry. We then found a wine bar nearby with local wines from all over Turkiye.

    - Turkish breakfast was served each morning to the room and included cheeses, cold meats, eggs, and bread which was quite tasty with Turkish tea. We visited the suburb of Balat where there are cafes, colourful houses and cool shops. The cats were friendly here and joined us for a coffee in a cool cafe. We browsed some vintage and antique shops, and found some lunch at this street slightly further out which was very local. They were hand rolling the dough (like a pizza chef) for our pides and pitas. We then stumbled on a tiny baklava shop which was super cheap and delicious. We ended the day with a boat tour which was underwhelming but had some interesting history. We ended up on the Asian/Anatolian continent/side of Istanbul where we went to the local fish market for a fresh fish sandwich and some cheap markets.

    - We started the last day with a highlight, buffalo cheese with honey and bread and baked eggs, it was so fresh and so delicious.

    - The Asian side was very local, more of a student area with bars and pubs and cheap replicas. We had an unreal doner kebab on this side and some traditional Turkish coffee brewed on coals. Our last highlight of the trip was dinner on the final night at no.19 which was a small restaurant where the woman cooked all the food and served it out of casseroles, she changed the meals each day and had no menu. It was like going to a friend's kitchen for a party. Ofcourse, we found a small baklava place on the way home before we get an early bus to Canakkale/Gallipoli the next morning.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Canakkale

    23–25 Mac 2024, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    📌 A bus trip to Canakkale, the closest city to Gallipoli started with a little difficulty getting to the main town from the bus terminal due to scammer taxis and being unsure how to buy local bus tickets.

    📌 We arrived at the small coastal town which has quite a charming waterfront. We found a small stall serving fresh fish sandwiches and tucked in.

    📌 A walk along the waterfront meant visiting the Trojan horse replica from the movie Troy, as Cannakale is quite close to the ancient ruins of Troy.

    📌 The full day we had in Canakkale involved visiting Gallipoli on a tour. The tour started and we knew we were in for a treat as there was an old boomer from Brisbane (a former barrister) on the tour who loved telling everyone about himself. The tour involved visiting Anzac Cove, the front lines and Lone pine. It was quite fascinating to hear the easy mistakes made that cost many Aus/NZ lives, such as landing at the wrong place or the Brits having a day off instead of supporting NZ once they'd taken the objective. It was also interesting to hear the significance of the win for Turkiye and how it led to the rise of Ataturk and therefore the Turkish revolution and independence.

    📌 We finished Canakkale with a small hidden woodfired pizza dinner and then a very authentic dessert shop with the friendliest staff. We didn't know what we ordered but found out later it was Halva (a cheese based sweet cake). A nice change from the Baklava.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Cesme

    25 Mac 2024, Turki ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    📌 This was a long day of travel, we started the day in Canakkale, we got the local bus to the main bus terminal which was no problem. We were then on a 6 hour bus to Izmir, one of Turkey's large city's which was a slow journey due to multiple stops. Once arriving at the Izmir bus terminal, we found the local bus to Cesme, approximately another hours drive to the coast.

    📌 Once arriving in Cesme it was such a relief to leave the bags behind and go and find dinner. Cesme is a small coastal town surrounded by a yacht filled harbour and some old fortress walls, the streets are narrow and cobble stoned.

    📌 We found a small bar who with the language barrier established we wanted some wine and they were very accommodating. We then moved on to find a place serving Mezze and tucked into dips, Halloumi like cheese, calamari and bread ofcourse. No dessert was needed after all this tasty food.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Chios: a short stop in Greece

    26–29 Mac 2024, Greece ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    📌 A short trip to Greece by ferry, we enjoyed a tasty breaky with delicious greek feta whilst waiting for the car and this was a good start to the Greek food to come. Impressions of Chios were that is was a large island with little tourists and mostly residents. The population is 50k.

    📌 We had a lovely host at an Airbnb type accommodation a few metres of the beach, it was nice to have freedom with a car and space.

    📌 The main attractions visited were the mastic museum and mastic villages. Mastic is a unique product of the trees growing on Chios, it was popular during the the last 500 years as medicinal and cooking products and was exported all over Europe. The museum also talked about how the island was often ruled by others such as the Romans, the Ottomans and the Genoans. Eventually it rejoined Greece in 1920. Pygri and Mesta villages were big stone walled village complexes with narrow lanes and unique buildings.

    📌 We drove around the island, taking about an hour where we visited some 11th century monastery and an abandoned village that was abandoned during the massacre of Chios by the ottomans in 1820.

    📌 The food was a highlight, the feta was delicious, particularly when in a stuffed capsicum. The gyros were brilliant of course and the seafood was also great. A couple of standout restaurants were an old stone building and a traditional Greek taverna. Overall it was a worthy stop over in Greece, and an island worth visiting if avoiding overrun tourist Greece.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Selcuk

    29–31 Mac 2024, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 Getting to Selcuk was a little bit of a journey, a short walk to Chios bus station ➡️ A bus to Izmir Airport ➡️ pickup a rental car ➡️ drive to Selcuk. All in all, it was pretty smooth and easy despite not knowing the bus timetables.

    📌 We arrived in Selcuk around lunchtime and tucked into some local food, some shish kebabs. We wandered around and found Selcuk to be a small town, some nice green parks.

    📌 We were keen to see the ancient Roman sites. We booked a day trip visiting the house of Mary apparently, a place where she come after Jesus death. This was basically a small church which was underwhelming. We then moved onto the city of Ephesus which was the main attraction. Ephesus was excellent to see, it's very well preserved given its around 3000 years old and they are still finding things under the earth around the area, it would have been a huge Roman City. Seeing the toilets and the library were the highlight. We then were given PTSD from India where they took us to a carpet salesman but disguised it as them wanting to show the craft of women and we had only been just next door at lunch. The carpets were quite nice but we soon ran out of there, not wanting to drop a few grand on a whim.

    📌 We finished the tour off at the temple of Artemis which is just a small pillar, what is left of an ancient wonder of the world. There was also a short visit to an old greek town in the hills which turned out to be overrun with tourists shops and fake looking wineries. Overall Ephesus was the highlight and worth it.

    📌 We capped off Selcuk with a visit to the coastal town/port nearby known as kusadasi, this was pretty touristy as cruise ships stop here. We finished the trip/evening with ofcourse a baklava shop and a Kunefe (a baked cheese pastry type desert). The family owning the shop were super friendly.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Pamukkale

    31 Mac–1 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    📌 A short stay in Pammukale, we road tripped 2.5 hours in order to go in city the natural wonder known as the travertines or cotton castle. The town was small and the hotel we were staying at was a very quiet (offseason strikes again) family run hotel.

    📌 We went for a wander and we were glad we were only staying one night as there wasn't a whole lot of appeal to the town. We had a doner kebab for lunch and headed back to the hotel, was this the beginning of Stevens downfall.

    📌 A few hours later fevers were coming on and body aches, I had no appetite and we just sat around the hotel restaurant whilst Chloe ate and I had some pieces of bread. It was a great night, a few vomits and minimal sleep had Chloe super happy.The morning was better but the thought of a kebab still feels gross at the time of writing this (7 days later), not sure if I'll have another in Turkey. It probably wasn't even the kebab but who knows.

    📌 We visited the pools and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis. Both were incredible to see! The pools were beautifully blue and white and we were there early enough to avoid large tour groups. It was a shame though that they are not as beautiful as they once were, hotels have been diverting water the past 10 years, meaning less in the pools. The ancient Roman City was impressive, there was barely anyone there and it was in great condition (so much better then the Coliseum), it was incredible to walk through history with so much freedom.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Fethiye: Coastal Roadtrip

    1–3 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    📌 Time for some relaxation and not a whole lot of activities planned, the next few days were a couple of stops through various coastal towns of the Mediterranean.

    📌 Fethiye was quite large and we were staying a little bit out. It was a port town with a decent district of food and drinks but by this point Turkish food was not as appealing, we weren't feeling the meat and salad dishes as much, maybe the food poisoning didn't help that ☺️

    📌 We ofcourse found a happy hour, a beer for a few dollars and then decided on some vege burgers. We were both pretty cooked after a bad night sleep.

    📌 The next morning involved a 5km or so hike along the coastal Lycian way, one of the most scenic long walks in the world (500km) that follows an ancient group of people in this area. This walk was hot but it was well worth the views over the crystal blue waters and islands.

    📌 We then headed along the coast to the blue lagoon and beaches of Oludeniz, voted the best beach in the world in 2006 and often Turkey's best. This area was lovely but also made us realise how good Australian beaches are, the shops in abundance along the water for tourists (even a Starbucks on the sand) and the darts everywhere took away from the charm of a beautiful place. Big fan of beaches that are just beaches with a dirt path!

    📌 We finished the stay here with a great dinner as a restaurant that was dead quiet but we are glad we went in (after hesitation) as the food was great and even the chef came out to chat to us. The main worker even started showing us photos of all the places in Turkey he'd been, he loved a chat ☺️    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Kas

    3–4 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    📌 We continued our coastal roadtrip onto Kas, this was an interesting drive through the windy roads and it really showed the questionable driving of the Turkish. They don't really use lanes very well and happily tailgate you, possibly the worst/ most aggressive driving I've seen outside of Asia.

    📌 Our first impressions of Kas were it was a smaller more wealthy town on a very steep hill. The houses and hotels were well kept, the port was lovely and the water was crystal blue.

    📌 We had a great accommodation with a great view, which was a nice change from some previous ones. We wandered up and down the steep hills and decided to get a few drinks from the local bottleo. It was a lovely view over the water watching the sunset, we even saw a sea turtle swimming around.

    📌 We had some Italian for dinner at a place making fresh pasta, it appears Italian is our go-to when we don't feel like Turkish meat and salad, which is getting a little tiring. We met a dog at the restaurant who Chloe named Mila 2, and she loved the pats. She started following us home when we left and we had to walk away fast so she would loose us, it was heartbreaking. The next thing would happen the next day with a German Shepherd, the street dogs really crave love 😔    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Antalya

    4–6 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    📌 Our last coastal area, Antayla is a much larger city and driving through here was another fun experience, more crazy drivers losing their mind or almost crashing. One moment was essentially a one way road (thanks google maps) with cars and trucks coming the other way, and a truck tailgating us whilst flashing his lights because we weren't going fast enough. A good laugh now but a stressful time then 😂

    📌 We wandered around old town, which being right next to the ocean was charming. This was a very touristy location however, as there were many British pubs and clubs.

    📌 The main highlight of Antayla was on day two where we explored a nearby very well preserved city of Aspendos. This stadium was huge and there was hardly anybody there, I can't imagine what it would have been like in its prime. We then went on to visit some waterfalls, one with beautiful blue water and another that ran directly into the ocean.

    📌 We dropped the car off in preparation for the bus to Cappadocia and then realised we hadn't actually booked the bus for the next day. We assumed this would be fine as most of the buses so far were half empty, well we were wrong and the buses were all booked as it was the weekend. We managed to find an overnight bus which meant we left at midnight instead of 8am the next day, when we eventually got on the bus after poor communication and it arriving at 1am, we were quite ready to sleep. So, in the end this turned out to be a good decision as sleeping part of the 9 hour journey made it go a lot quicker.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Cappadocia

    6–9 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    📌 Arriving at 11am in Cappadocia after the overnight bus, we checked into a hotel and went for a wander, obviously being a super popular tourist destination it was more expensive and touristy restaurants. Cappadocia is famous for a few particular dishes such as meat cooked in terracotta pots.

    📌 We enjoyed a unique dinner in a local Turkish restaurant where you could sit on the ground next to the fire. We enjoyed some dips and bread with hot wine and stuffed eggplant. Of course tea was consumed at the end.

    📌 The main highlight arrived on the morning of day 2, the air balloon ride. We got up at around 4.30am and arrived at the balloon field around 5.30. It was about 3 degrees so it was freezing but all the balloons were getting ready and it was exciting. We were waiting around for a bit and then we were told to wait 30 minutes, they weren't sure if flying was going to happen due to some temperature or wind issues (potentially not windy enough). We got the greenlight at about 6.30 and about 20 people got into our basket including a lovely Kenyan family.

    📌 We were up in the air for about 45 minutes with about 100 balloons, it was amazing! The journey was so smooth and we went up, down and around the rock valleys, it was such a clear day we could see the huge mountains in the background. It was a great time limit too, not too short or not too long. When we touched down the cars and crew speed to the area and run over to grab the basket, it's all quite chaotic but fun and in the end they prevented us from landing on our side. We finished with champagne type juice and a certificate.

    📌 We spent the rest of our days wandering around Cappadocia, quite a small place but gee we were glad we went up the first morning because the next two mornings were cancelled. It was nice to not do much but wander, we went through the canyons on walks which involved a dog following us inevitably. We went inside the rock dwellings and explored a few viewpoints. Overall Cappadocia was a very unique place and the balloon was incredible, a bucket list item.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Ankara

    9–11 Apr 2024, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    📌 Last stop in Turkey, the capital city. A short bus trip of a few hours was refreshing and a smooth check in to a neat hostel. We had one night booked here and we basically had 2 full days as the flight was booked for almost midnight on the 10th.

    📌 Ankara doesn't appear to have a whole lot of attractions, it appears similar to Canberra, a capital due to location more then anything. As a result there are less tourists and prices are cheap.

    📌 Day 1 involved me getting back on the Turkish doner kebabs which was a good choice. We were super full from those, so we decided a wine bar and a late dinner was ideal. Where we were staying was quite busy and had plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants. Italian for dinner in a small restaurant playing old school jazz and blues. The ravioli was delicious. We finished the night watching the MAFS finale with some chocolate.

    📌 Day 2 was an interesting start, it was the holiday for the end of Ramadan, hence the place was a ghost town. The city got busier as it was lunch time and the shops started to open. Lucky it was a day for not much, organizing some work and accomodations in the UK, visiting the tomb of Atarturk and having a slow coffee. We were able to hang out in the hostel and sort out a few things also which was handy. Off to Georgia next, which we were both keen for.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Tbilisi

    10–14 Apr 2024, Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    📌 Arriving in a new country is always a little difficult, knowing how to get to the accommodation, having no internet, having no local currency. As we got off in Tbilisi at 2.30am, the esim was average so we had to get a local Sim and fend off the taxi drivers. It was a smooth ride to the accommodation as Georgia actually has a reliable rideshare app unlike Turkey.

    📌 We were staying in a trendy neighbourhood with some cool coffee shops, bars and a former Soviet industrial building converted to a hostel and courtyard of bars/restaurants. The city was also full of trendy restaurants, wine bars and shops. Some say Tbilisi is the Berlin of eastern Europe.

    📌 We started our intro to Georgia with a free walking tour, we were shown old Soviet buildings, old Tbilisi town which was not destroyed by the Soviets and learnt a great deal of history. It was evident that Georgians do not like Russia and they are very angry that Russia still occupies 20% of Georgian territory. It was also fascinating how Georgia has only been independent since 1991 and they had a revolution in 2003.

    📌 The food in Tbilisi was incredible, some of the well known Georgian food we have tried so far includes; Khinkali (dumplings), Khachapuri (cheese filled bread), Chkmeruli (garlic sauce chicken) plus many others. Of course, good food needs to be consumed with good wine, and Georgia has been found to have been making wine since 4000 BC using clay pots in the ground, potentially the first wine makers in the world. It tastes delicious and is super cheap, approx 3-4$ a glass.

    📌 A couple of other highlights included the cable car over the city, a converted market to a food hall of different bars and restaurants, an outdoor wine courtyard of bars and restaurants, and the old architecture and the monument celebrating Georgia over time. Another nice surprise was the national museum which showed the importance of this area in human evolution. The first humans potentially migrated to Europe from Africa through this area and thus many fossils have been evident here.    Baca lagi

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterPengembara

    Kazbegi; The mountains near Russia

    14–16 Apr 2024, Georgia ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    📌 We travelled to Kazbegi/Stepansminda with a gotrip driver (super convenient) named Vano who was Russian but was able to use hand signals and understand when we wished to stop. We drove a couple of hours through beautiful landscapes of snowy mountains on some sketchy roads. There were tunnels through mountains pitch black or avalanches that had closed off parts of the road. This was a main highway between Russia and Georgia also, so there were heaps of trucks from Russia and central Asia.

    📌 We arrived in Kazbegi, a quiet town with many trucks waiting to cross the border, surrounded by huge mountains on both sides. The accommodation was a really nice guesthouse that we basically had to ourselves.

    📌 We started day 1 with lunch at a local place, it was basically a little shack with a guy bringing us home made wine and delicious khinkali dumplings. We then walked into the square where a taxi driver soon approached and asked us in broken English where to go, we suggested some waterfalls nearby and off we went. As per standard he was a crazy driver but he was nice and he kept pointing at things saying "it's nice, it's nice". The waterfalls were beautiful, it was nice to be in rugged nature. Interestingly, the falls were not far from the Russian border so trucks lined the side of the road as only 50 or so can pass per day and some trucks can line the road for days.

    📌 Day 2 was our full day and the weather was perfect, the day started with a hike to the UNESCO Trinity Church up high on the mountain. The hike was tough but worth it, we admired the views then started the hike to the glacier behind the church. This gave us an even better view but unfortunately we couldn't go too far along the 10km track as snow would have stopped us. The views were incredible and we even ran into a aussie guy from Richmond.

    📌 Day 2 continued with a adventure, we went back down from the church around lunch, found out taxi friend in his beaten up x-trail and asked to visit one of the highest villages in Europe, Juta. He was keen and enthusiastic and we drove off through some awesome valleys, so far, no problem. We started ascending up a very sketchy road and at times a narrow one where old mate driver was saying "no problem, no problem", despite being basically on the edge of a crumbling dirt road. At one point we got out and walked whilst he went over snow half covering the road. Eventually we made it to an impassable spot, despite him thinking he could make it, we translated walking is better from here and he says "walking is nice". We made our way a few kms up the road but eventually got stopped by an avalanche over the road near the town. We ventured back to a happy taxi driver who was enthusiastic to show us more spots on the way back down plus a nearby waterfall. Our near death adventure was one not to forget, the driver was a reflection of Georgian drivers and his car just made it even more hilarious.

    📌 Overall, Kazbegi was incredible, a very unique place in the world and very friendly people.    Baca lagi

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