Day 17
12 juin 2024, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Today was our earliest start so far, so when the alarm went off at 3:30am, we didn’t exactly jump out of bed with excitement! Fortunately we were well prepared last night, so we only needed to get dressed, brush our teeth, grab our bags and walk slightly down the street to wait for our pre-booked Uber driver.
Ted had been concerned about the number of seats available on his KLM flight back to Amsterdam but he didn’t need to worry because he got a ticket without any trouble. He did however need to check a bag in, but he will still have time in Amsterdam to collect it before his next flight.
We had breakfast together at Le Pain Quotidien in the airport before we sadly had to separate before continuing on our individual itineraries. As Ted didn’t have as much holiday leave as myself, he is heading to Bali to meet our friend Josh before returning home, whilst I am going to Málaga to see my longtime pen pal Heddi and her family, followed by family and friends in Berlin. Fortunately there is wifi on Singapore Airlines, so I was able to communicate with him throughout his journey.
I stayed behind in the cafe to continue typing this blog and, by the time Ted landed in Amsterdam, it was only just time for me to check into my RyanAir flight. Fortunately the process was very quick, as RyanAir seems to have gotten some things right! The security process at Brussels airport was very thorough, which I assume could be a result of the terrorist attack a few years ago. Since my flight wasn’t until after 9, I bought myself a water and chocolate croissant before waiting in the boarding lounge until it was time to board our flight.
Unsurprisingly, the flight was very mediocre, and slightly worse than I’d anticipated. This was mainly due to there being no vegetarian option available, meaning I could only have a bottle of water and Pringles for the 3.5 hour flight. I was hoping for a crewfie with the RyanAir crew to add to my collection but they weren’t particularly friendly or outgoing.
When we arrived in Málaga, we were greeted with warm weather and fortunately, the quick arrival of my bag. It was a long walk to the airport train station and I wondered what the long queue was for. It turned out it was for the train ticket machine, so I joined the line. After nearly taking the wrong platform, I was finally on my way to the accommodation.
The 12 minute walk from the nearest station to my apartment wasn’t all that fun due to the broken wheel on my bag and even though the weather wasn’t that warm, I was a sweaty mess by the time I arrived! The check in process was odd - I never actually met anyone, I just had to send a copy of my passport to the owner via WhatsApp to verify my identity, then they sent me the code for the front door including instructions on how to retrieve the room key from the lockbox.
The apartment is absolutely beautiful and very well equipped, so I definitely made the right choice with this place. After having a shower, I discovered that a moisturiser had leaked in my suitcase, so I used the washing machine to wash some clothes before heading out to meet Heddi, Penntti and Freja at their apartment.
It was so great seeing Heddi again! I haven’t seen her since I was living in Valencia doing my language exchange in 2017. She took me up to their apartment where I met up with Pentti and Freja. I gave them my presents from Australia (koala socks and a notepad) which I bought from a koala hospital in Port Macquarie, and they gave me a cartoon book about Finnish people.
Since I had barely eaten since this morning, I was extremely grateful they had set out a lunch in their apartment of cheese, bread and fruits. After lunch, we went to look at Málaga Cathedral which included an audio walking tour. By the end of the tour, I was really struggling to stay awake after our 3:30am start to the day, so I went back to the apartment for a quick nap before we went out for dinner that night.
When I returned to the apartment, I was shocked to see that the handle on the washing machine door had broken…and I couldn’t retrieve my clothes! I sent a quick message to the owner of the apartment about my dilemma before going out for dinner. Pentti had been recommended a tapas restaurant where we had a very good meal, which included salmon, mushroom and vegetarian options. I paid for dinner as Heddi had paid for my ticket to the Alhambra on Friday.
Heddi and Pentti offered to come back to my apartment to help open the washing machine but upon my return, saw that it was now open! I think the owner may have come into the apartment to try and fix it. I was just so grateful to be able to retrieve my clothes! The owner also advised they’d send a handyman over tomorrow.
We will be having an easier day tomorrow as I will probably still be a bit tired, but it’s cool being here for the first time in Málaga!En savoir plus
Day 16
11 juin 2024, Belgique ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
We didn’t sleep in today, as we were probably self conscious of oversleeping and missing our departure from the ship! There was certainly nothing to be concerned about though as most of our luggage had been collected for us last night, meaning we only had to go to breakfast and collect our last few items before leaving.
Our departure time was listed as 8am, but as we were already ready, we disembarked early to see if we could collect our bag and leave. As it turned out we could, and it was just as easy as our boarding process. Since Amsterdam was quite rainy, we decided to take a taxi to Centraal Station, as there didn’t seem to be an Uber pickup area available.
Our very talkative driver checked our train departure for us, advising of our platform to disembark from. When we arrived at Centraal, we were unpleasantly surprised when the driver informed us he only took cash, meaning we needed to scramble and find an ATM in the train station. Fortunately, Ted found a Travelex ATM, where I was able to withdraw some Euro.
As it seemed like we’d just missed a train, we bought some mediocre coffee before taking the elevator to our platform. When a train pulled into the station indicating Brussels, Ted wondered if the train would go to Brussels Central too. As it turned out, it was the earlier train we thought we’d missed, which was half an hour late. Since we had bought an ICE train ticket, we were able to catch this train straightaway, rather than waiting another 2 hours for our original train.
The train was a basic 2nd class but we didn’t mind, since there was plenty of room and it was comfortable enough. The journey had about nine stops before reaching Brussels Central. It wasn’t until we reached Breda that our tickets were checked, as this was where the international travel started.
On the way I managed to get a very distant photo of the Atomium, which wasn’t made easy as the view was either blocked by a tree, a building or another train. Our arrival into Brussels was easier than our Amsterdam arrival, as the station was less frantic. Our accommodation is only a four minute walk from the station too. All I can say about Brussels is….wow!
Before we even reached our accomodation, we were both surprised by the quaintness and beauty of the area. It was like a combination of Amsterdam, Paris and St. Petersburg all in one. Everywhere you looked there was a sweet delight of decadence, whether it was chocolate, pasties, waffles or macaroons, as well as high end shops and fancy hotels. Our accommodation also did not disappoint - it was located in the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, which is an ensemble of three glazed shopping arcades, comprising of cafes and fancy shops.
The only problem we had was checking in. As we had arrived early, there was no one to speak to but fortunately a man from the business next door called one of the reception staff for us. Our room was already ready, so we were able to leave our bags to go exploring. The room was also large and impressive - it seemed to consist of African artefacts and artwork for decorations.
Since we were hungry we settled on going to Burger King for lunch, which isn’t ideal, but was a decent and cheap enough option for us. We looked through a few of the shops where we bought some items from a “Tin Tin” store, before starting our own walking tour I had created before leaving Australia.
Our first stop was the enormous Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, located within easy walking distance from our accommodation. We then proceeded to the impressive Mont des Arts, which is an historic site, including the Royal Library of Belgium, the National Archives of Belgium, and a beautifully manicured public garden. It also provided a great view from above, where we could see the Brussels Town Hall in the distance.
Even though there were a lot of renovations and roadworks happening, it wasn’t difficult reaching the nearby Royal Palace which was really impressive, and didn’t have the crazy amount of crowds of Buckingham Palace. There was a huge park across the road from the palace so, after buying an ice cream, it was a beautiful place to wander and enjoy the serenity.
After walking past the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, we took photos of the Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon, but were more impressed by the stunning Square du Petit Sablon across the road, which was a flower garden designed in a Flemish Neo-Renaissance style, surrounded by 48 bronze statues depicting medieval professions, such as stone-cutters, tallow makers and linen croppers.
No trip to Brussels would be complete without seeing Manneken Pis (the replica anyway), so we headed there next, as well as (seemingly) every other tourist in Brussels. The number of tourist shops surrounding the underwhelming statue was huge yet, as tempting as it was to buy something chintzy, we decided to pass.
The best was yet to come though as we reached The Grand-Place/Grote Markt which is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful town squares we have seen. It was surrounded by the Town Hall, King’s House, and the Houses of the Grand-Place. The square had so much colour and vibrancy, it was like an overload on the senses.
After our sightseeing, we headed back to the apartment to relax. It is interesting but we had originally regretted booking a side trip to Brussels, solely because Ted’s flight from here to Singapore was changed, meaning he now has to go back to Amsterdam tomorrow to make the flight. We came anyway as we had already paid for the train tickets and accommodation, and we are so glad we did now.
We thought we would go out for a drink but the closest gay venue - whilst very cheap for drinks - was full of men over 65! For an early dinner we went to Chez Charles Brasserie, which we both enjoyed because the portions of food were huge. Ted had been keen on trying some Belgian meatballs which he had, while I settled for pasta.
Afterwards we went to a local gay street where we had a beer and met an Australian/Belgian couple. Whilst there, it started to pour rain so we went back to our apartment to get everything ready for our departure tomorrow. As Ted’s flight to Amsterdam is at 6am, we will need to wake at 3:30am to take an Uber to the airport. Yikes!
Brussels has been a wonderful experience - not one we were expecting but also one that exceeded our expectations.En savoir plus
Day 15
10 juin 2024, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
Today was a much needed ship day, as we used this opportunity to pack up our bags in preparation for our departure tomorrow. We didn’t sleep as late as we would’ve liked after last night, but it was a relaxing day nonetheless. We couldn’t exactly exhaust ourselves today by merely eating and laying in the Solarium!
Packing our bags was a lot quicker this time than when we left Australia, and since we didn’t have any wifi coverage, most of the day was spent socialising with our onboard friends. We had our final dinner with the Reno boys before catching up with Blaine, Suzanne and Charlie for a tea before bed. It was quite sad as we all went our separate ways, but that’s what happens when a cruise finishes.
One awesome thing that occurred was when a helicopter came right up next to the cruise ship before heading to one of the nearby oil rigs. We could literally wave to them from our balcony.
Tomorrow we will catch our train to Brussels before Ted and I sadly have to head off in different directions before reuniting back home.En savoir plus
Day 14
9 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ 🌬 13 °C
We managed to sleep well again last night but since we didn’t have any concrete plans for Kristiansand, we took our time getting off the ship. As the weather was a bit overcast and it was a Sunday, there wasn’t a great rush, so we enjoyed some time in the Solarium before disembarking. It was very fortuitous that we took both jumpers and a wind-cheater with us, as the weather became cold and windy. It’s somewhat strange how all the cooler weather we’ve encountered has been in the south, whilst the north was actually warmer.
Just like most of the Norwegian towns we’ve seen, Kristiansand didn’t disappoint. This was another time where most of the sights were within walking distance from the cruise port. After walking through the colourful Fiskebrygga (fish market) along the waterfront, we went towards the Markens Gate shopping district, where we waited until 11am to enjoy a coffee at a local cafe.
Next, we walked over to the Kristiansand Cathedral where a Sunday service was just starting. The old town of Posbyen was very similar to the old town of Stavanger, but it was still quaint and worth walking through. The waterfront of Nupenparkern was one of our favourite areas, which was a beautiful large park with a distinct fountain and a lot of greenery.
We returned to the cruise ship for lunch and, even though we’d considered returning to town for another walk around, we felt pretty satisfied with what we had seen. Our afternoon was instead spent relaxing until we met up with the Reno boys for dinner. One thing we noticed today is how Ted’s cough has now almost disappeared since having that alcoholic bitters yesterday!
Since tonight was formal night, we dressed up in our Sunday best and joined Wee and Keith for a 70’s theme night in the Centrum. Some of the other boys and Suzanne joined us so we went to the Schooner Bar for more drinks before heading to the bar on the 13th floor for dancing. Lo and behold, the guys from Brisbane were similarly there so our small group continued to grow. I stayed out until 1:30am, whilst Ted continued for about another hour. Tomorrow we have another ship day, which will be our opportunity to pack up everything before our arrival back in Amsterdam.En savoir plus
Day 13
8 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
Unfortunately neither Ted nor I were blessed with a good night’s sleep, as Ted was sick during most of the night with coughing and a sore throat. We still managed to drag ourselves to breakfast though as we weren’t going to let a lack of sleep hold us back from a day of sightseeing! We had a cruise of Lysefjord booked for 10am which went out towards Pulpit Rock, so we had a quick wander around the waterfront before boarding our cruise.
Pulpit Rock was something I’ve wanted to see for a long time and would have preferred to see it from above but since the weather was plain and you required hiking shoes, the cruise seemed like a good alternative. Pulpit Rock was in the news this week too, as a tourist sadly fell to his death whilst sightseeing the rock.
As it turned out, the cruise itself was not that interesting. It wasn’t the fault of the cruise line, as the boat itself was very nice and well equipped. It was just that, after all the fjords we’ve already seen prior to today, the Lysefjord didn’t offer anything new. And similarly, the view of Pulpit Rock from far below was very underwhelming! It wasn’t a total loss though - the sight of the beautiful houses along the water with a massive fjord as their daily view was impressive to see.
After returning to Stavanger, we went back to the cruise ship for lunch before heading out again. As we still hadn’t seen much of the town yet, we went straight towards Gamle Stavanger, which is the old town with its white wooden buildings. From there we went to the stunning Fargegaten, a street with colourful houses, bars and restaurants, before heading over to the Cathedral which wasn’t really photo-worthy, as it was covered in scaffolding for some renovations.
We went back to Fargegaten again since, like the Viking Bar from yesterday, the place seemed like a wonderful location to have a drink. I had a red wine whilst Ted had an Underberg Bitters, which the waitress recommended for his cough. Ted ended up really liking it, so here’s hoping it has some good medicinal benefits.
As we headed back to the boat, it started to rain heavily, so we were grateful to have done our sightseeing earlier. We had dinner with the boys from Reno before returning to our stateroom. I had a really bad headache, no doubt from lack of sleep, so I was more than happy to have an early night.
During the cruising this evening, there was a storm nearby in the North Sea. Whilst the view of rising waves and winds was somewhat interesting, it was also a bit unsettling! Tomorrow we will visit Kristiansand - we don’t have any concrete plans for there so it should be a relaxing day.En savoir plus
Day 12
7 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
This morning when we opened our curtains, we were greeted with the beautiful sight of the Norwegian fjords on our approach to Flåm. We continued to enjoy this view at breakfast as we sailed into port. We didn’t know what to expect with Flåm but we were surprised to see how small it is, compared to previous towns like Ålesund and Geiranger. As it turned out, that was a real blessing, as it really felt like we were among nature with fresher air and beautiful scenery.
Ted and I were among the first passengers to disembark as we were eager to see the town. Weather wise, this has been the coolest port so far (about 2 degrees) but truthfully we don’t feel cold at all, which we assume is because there is no wind or humidity. Flåm is a very beautiful place, which we enjoyed just walking about and appreciating the peace and quiet. Originally we thought it would be too low key but we ended up loving it.
Since our tour to Stegastein Lookout wasn’t until 10am, we considered hiring a mini electric vehicle like we’d seen in Geiranger but the price was way too exorbitant. While waiting for our tour, we met two guys from Brisbane whom we hadn’t met earlier so it was good to see some fellow Aussies. Our driver was so obnoxious! Not only did he talk down to the passengers, but he was aggressive on the road with other drivers.
Fortunately the viewpoint was worth it, and we were also given reasonably good weather. The drive up took us past the beautiful village of Aurlandsvangen before driving for 20 minutes up a very winding road. Not only were the oncoming drivers a hazard, but so were the many mountain goats that would wander onto the road.
Thankfully we had pretty decent weather at the viewpoint, which provided an amazing vista 650 metres above Aurlandsfjord. Once again, we took plenty of photos which we will have to cull later! After another hair-raising drive back to Flåm, we returned to the cruise ship for lunch. One of the waitresses whom we’ve befriended recommended a Viking Bar in Flåm so we thought it seemed like a good excuse to go exploring again.
The place in question was the Ægir Bryggeri (brewery), which was fully decked out in Viking lore, including a carving of a Norse god’s face in a tree trunk (which may have represented Yggdrasil, the central sacred tree). It seemed like a great place to enjoy the atmosphere, so I ordered an ale, and were joined shortly after by Blaine and Suzanne.
After returning to the boat, we enjoyed our dinner with some of our American friends as we were treated to beautiful fjord scenery whilst departing. Ted was feeling under the weather again, so he went to bed early whilst I stayed for a few drinks in the Schooner Bar. Tomorrow we visit a new destination, Stavanger!En savoir plus
Day 11
6 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
After a pretty good sleep (jet lag begone!) we went for breakfast before arriving at Ålesund around 11am. Once again, the cruise ship top deck was a great viewpoint of the city upon arrival, so we took several pics of the beautiful city which already looks more impressive than Honningsvåg!
Since we have just found out that guests are not allowed to take food off the ship (whoops!), we waited in the Solarium until disembarkation, and filled ourselves up on croissants so we wouldn’t be hungry later. We were greeted with beautiful weather, as well as troll footprints painted on the footpath, making sure that finding the centre of town would be easy.
As soon as we saw the waterfront, we knew we would like Ålesund. We weren’t sure where to head to next, so we just wandered around before encountering a walking tour, and following them to a nearby viewpoint at Storhaugen Park. From there we wandered down to Ålesund church, before making our way to the Aksla Viewpoint, which was definitely the highlight of our visit.
Before reaching the viewpoint, you first walk through beautiful Byparken park before climbing the 418 steps to the top. The climb was not particularly difficult, however it also guaranteed a good workout. We ran into Keith and Wee in the park, as well as seeing the Reno boys on the climb up. I think Ted and I took about a million photos. We did want to get a good selfie from a viewpoint but a group of Americans with a selfie stick didn’t seem willing to give it up.
We went back down to the waterfront but sadly our beautiful weather disappeared, as the wind and cold blew in. After picking up some food from the supermarket, we returned to the cruise ship for lunch. Our afternoon ended up being low key as Ted has been feeling unwell, which isn’t that surprising considering how many people we have seen coughing and sneezing in the Windjammer restaurant.
Both Charlie and Blaine contacted us about dinner plans, but since Ted wasn’t feeling well, we settled on a quiet night in. Tomorrow our next destination is the town of Flåm in western Norway!En savoir plus
Day 10
5 juin 2024, Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
Going to bed early wasn’t such a bad idea, since Ted and I both had a better sleep than usual. For a change, I thought I would try the dining room for breakfast instead of the chaos of the buffet restaurant, whilst Ted still preferred the latter. Whilst I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere and the portions of food, the service was really quite slow and lacking, with incorrect and forgotten orders. I did give it some allowance though as I’ve since heard that a lot of the waitstaff have fallen ill.
Ted and I were keen for a quieter day so we spent most of the morning relaxing in the solarium, and fortunately we arrived early enough to avoid the insane grab for a deck chair. The day didn’t remain quiet for long though as several friends arrived to join us.
Morning trivia was on but since I didn’t want to relinquish my deck chair, I messaged some of the answers to Wee who was there. In the afternoon, we went to “Guess that Tune 80’s” with Mike, Wee, Suzanne, Blaine and Charlie, and came first with an amazing 20/20! We then stayed for a regular trivia game where we only scored 12. By the time we played the third game, with an announcer who could barely pronounce English, our score had plummeted to 6!
After dinner we relaxed in our room before I joined Blaine, Suzanne and Charlie at the Windjammer restaurant for a tea before bed. Tomorrow we arrive in Ålesund, which is the first of four days in a row of sightseeing.En savoir plus
Day 9
4 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Today brought us to our northernmost destination of Honningsvåg, Norway, which is the third northernmost city in Europe and the fifth northernmost in the world. It also brought us our first bad weather for the holiday, as it was pouring rain when we arrived.
We managed to sleep in okay, although this 24 hour sunlight is still playing havoc with our systems! Since we didn’t have any excursions booked for today, we were in no rush to disembark the ship when we arrived at 7:30am. From what we could tell on Google, there was nothing open at that early hour anyway, so the morning was far from busy.
We disembarked after breakfast with a handful of other passengers, and wandered around town. There was very little to see as everything was still closed, but we did still get some good photos of the waterfront as well as from an unofficial viewpoint we found. There was also nobody walking around so it almost felt like a ghost town. Considering how far north we were, the weather still wasn’t that cold although it did start raining again during our walk.
We went to the local Christmas Shop which specialised in decorations and Christmas themed items, so we bought a Christmas bauble to add to our collection. I did also want to see the statue of Bamse, a local hero dog who was commemorated and well remembered by the townspeople. Since we had pretty much seen everything we wanted to, and the weather was still rainy, we returned to the ship and it was only 10:30am!
After getting back onboard we warmed up in Café Latte-tudes, whilst the crew were practicing an emergency drill. Ted and I then relaxed in the Solarium, which was perfect because we virtually had the place to ourselves. These have been perfect opportunities to catch up on reading, Netflix and writing this travel blog.
When I looked at shore excursions for Honningsvåg, nothing really looked that interesting for the price paid and, after speaking to some of our fellow travellers, I’m glad we did our own thing. One excursion I considered was going to Nordkapp, but it sounded like it was very weather dependent and not overly interesting.
We joined Blaine, his mum Suzanne, and the boys from Reno for dinner in the Windjammer restaurant, before heading to the Schooner Bar for drinks and to enjoy the music and 24 hour sunlight. We also had plenty of whale and dolphin sightings through the huge windows, which would prompt all the passengers to run to one side of the ship each time! We then moved onto the Safari Bar next door which was quieter and more relaxed, although the service was a lot slower!
The Safari Bar then hosted a game show called “The Perfect Couple” which I’m glad we didn’t volunteer for because by this time (11:00pm), we were really tired. I felt somewhat silly leaving so early since so many other passengers were still up dancing and drinking in the daylight, but we couldn’t stay awake much longer. Tomorrow will be another ship day as we cruise the Arctic Circle, so I think I’ll make the most of the relaxing time.En savoir plus
Day 8
3 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Now that we have 24 hours of daylight, we woke up way too early again at 5am because, even though we’re using eye masks, our bodies and brains are still telling us to get up. Whilst having breakfast in the buffet restaurant with Keith and Wee, we admired the amazing, mountainous scenery which is reminiscent of the scenery we saw in Alaska.
Unlike Geiranger, our cruise ship is located a short distance from town so after disembarking, we needed to find a way in rather than doing a 40 minute walk. Since our main priority was going up the cable car, we found a ticket seller which offered this option which included the shuttle bus to and from the cruise port. Since it was around the same price as a regular cable car ticket, it seemed like a good option.
After boarding the bus we departed about 10 minutes later, much to the dismay of an elderly Asian gentleman who was still waiting for his wife to board. It was sad to see because the gentleman didn’t understand that he needed to disembark, whilst watching his wife trying to chase the bus as it was leaving.
The cable car ride wasn’t very long and was fortunately very frequent. It was an amazing view from the top, which we shared with groups of school students and even a handful of dogs. Since the last shuttle was returning to the ship at 1:30pm, we decided to forego that idea as it would’ve meant that we wouldn’t have time to see the city. Our cable car driver told us about the local bus service from town back to the cruise port which sounded like a better idea.
We walked towards the Arctic Cathedral for some photos before crossing the Tromsø Bridge towards the city. Earlier, Ted and I had mentioned how amazing the weather had been, since it was almost summer-like and not cold at all. All that changed as we crossed the bridge, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds and a cold breeze picked up. Our beautiful weather had seemingly disappeared!
We wandered around the town of Tromsø which, at best, was quaint but not much else. One worthwhile stop though was at the Smørtorget cafe which, whilst expensive, offered the best coffee we’ve had so far since starting this holiday! We purchased the bus tickets through an online app and, nine stops later, we were back at the cruise port for a much cheaper price.
Whilst waiting to board the boat it started to rain, which drew attention to the holes I didn’t know I had in my shoes. We went for lunch in the buffet restaurant before heading to movie theme trivia with Charlie, which we’d already missed most of!
Our afternoon was mostly a relaxing one, as I read in the solarium before going to dinner with the guys from Reno. This 24 hour daylight is still hard to get used to! I ended up going to bed at 10pm after hanging out with Blaine and Charlie, but the bright light was telling me it was too early to sleep! Tomorrow we head to Honningsvåg, the northernmost point in mainland Europe.En savoir plus
Day 7
2 juin 2024, Norwegian Sea ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
Last night we had the best sleep so far, as we’re slowly getting used to both the different time zones, and the almost 24 hour daylight. Today was another ship day, so there isn’t much to write about!
Most of the day was spent socialising, as we went to trivia with Keith and Wee in the morning, and then spent most of the day relaxing in the Solarium, which is an adults only pool area. Considering we are in a Nordic climate, it is fully enclosed and warm enough to swim or just relax.
I ended up going to the 3pm trivia with Charlie and Blaine (I’m still yet to win a game!), and ended up being joined by Ted and Blaine’s mother Suzanne. We spent so much time afterwards talking about all things political that suddenly, it was time for the 5pm trivia! We then ended up having dinner with the Americans from Reno.
Today we also crossed the Arctic Circle, which would explain why we’re having 24 hours of daylight now. Apparently there were some Orca whales off the side off the boat but I didn’t see them, so hopefully they’ll reappear again during our cruise.
Ted was keen to watch the tennis in our stateroom so I went back out for drinks with Blaine and the Americans from Reno. Our arrival tomorrow in Tromsø isn’t until 10:30am but I still didn’t have an overly late night.En savoir plus
Day 6
1 juin 2024, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Any hopes I had of a sleep-in today were dashed when Ted woke up at 5am and decided to involve himself with every room activity possible, meaning I couldn’t fall back asleep. Since it was still too early for breakfast, we went and got a coffee at the Starbucks-like cafe which, just like the name suggests, serves awful coffee. This morning was also a good opportunity to enjoy our balcony, as we sailed through the fjords and admired views of all the waterfalls, from both there and from the top deck of the ship.
Ted took a bag to breakfast this morning, so we were able to take some food items with us on our day out in Geiranger today. Due to my early wake up call, I did need another snooze before we packed up and headed out around 10:30am. The disembarkation of passengers almost ended up being a disaster for the crew as someone decided to open a barrier leading downstairs, which ultimately led passengers to descend towards the exit in a completely chaotic fashion.
Geiranger is a very pretty town, well hidden within the Norwegian fjords. We were anticipating cooler weather but it is much milder than we’d expected. One thing I had considered hiring for our time here was one of the E-mobility vehicles which looked like a lot of fun but were however, really expensive! We ended up finding our tour bus after asking at the tourist information, and were handed a weird radio-like device, which was meant to deliver the tour to you in your own language (but didn’t work).
Our German driver Andre first took us to the Flydalsjuvet lookout but it wasn’t exactly like the pictures promised - a heavy fog was still there from the morning and only dissipated slightly to give us a hazy view of the waterfront. Andre kept apologising but didn’t need to as that’s just how life is.
As we continued to ascend, any remnants of Summer disappeared as we were completely surrounded by snow and ice. After driving past Lake Djupvatnet, we arrived at the Dalsnibba lookout to photograph the glacier. Well, in theory anyway, as the fog was even thicker there! It only ended up being a quick toilet and souvenir stop, as there wasn’t a lot more to do.
Andre felt bad so he offered us a very quick photo opportunity at Lake Djupvatnet before continuing on. We passed through town and continued in the opposite direction towards the Eagle Bend lookout. Fortunately the weather here was great, which was lucky because this lookout was the best of the lot. We also had extra time here to make up for the earlier sights.
After returning to town, we wandered through the local shops and restaurants, considering whether to eat there. As predicted, the prices were exorbitant, so we piked out and returned to the ship to drop off our backpack and have lunch onboard. Ted did however pay $3.15 to use the toilet in town so at least we contributed something to the local economy.
After lunch, we headed back out again as I wanted to do the local waterfall walk. Ted decided we would take the road up instead and come from the opposite direction which I wasn’t thrilled with as the climb was twice as difficult. The photos we got were great though, as the weather continued to improve. On the walk back to the ship we stopped at a local grocery store where Ted bought some strawberries for his onboard breakfasts.
Ted wanted to have dinner on the starboard side of the ship so we could watch the departure process, which included the folding up of an enormous zigzag walkway that is attached to the boat. We saw some of the American guys again at the back of the boat, and joined them in taking photographs of the various waterfalls during the departure.
Since our sleep patterns have been sketchy, we both thought an early night sounded more appealing than going out for drinks. Tomorrow we have another ship day, so we will probably use it for a bit of R&R.En savoir plus
Day 5
31 mai 2024, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 13 °C
Today was just a ship day for us, which was a great opportunity to explore and meet some of our fellow passengers. I did wake up earlier than I would have liked, so I used the opportunity to take photos of different parts of the cruise ship, like the rock climbing wall, the sky bar and the formal dining room. I also met some other early risers, who were either going to the gym or just had jet lag.
Ted also went to the gym at this time before we met up to go to breakfast together. Like all our previous cruises, we overindulged, but also knew when to stop. One thing we like about cruising is meeting the different crew on board - I spoke to a lovely Mexican waitstaff lady, which was a good opportunity for us to both practice our English and Spanish.
Ted and I went to our first onboard trivia event where we may have been a bit too confident - we thought the questions were too easy but only ended up coming fifth! We were a bit gobsmacked when a man in an electric wheelchair buggy purposely ran into some chairs near us just so he could have some room. I then went to another trivia competition nearby which was “guess the destination”, where you needed to guess somewhere by a photo. I did a lot better at this one, and was personally impressed how many I got correct.
We went to lunch early at 11:30am since we were already hungry again, but Ted wasn’t feeling well afterwards so we went back to the room until he recovered. After sleeping for about two hours he felt better so it was most likely a combination of different food and lack of sleep. I did have the opportunity to go to another trivia event, but decided to watch Trump’s reaction on TV to his recent guilty verdict. What a waste of 10 minutes that was!
Since tonight is formal night, we’d had our clothes pressed and booked to have dinner in the formal restaurant instead of the buffet restaurant. Since our dinner wasn’t until 8:15pm, we ended up having something to tie us over before getting ready and going for drinks at the Vintages bar again. We saw some of the guys we’d met last night before going to the formal dining room.
We ended up getting a table to ourselves instead of sharing with others and, as much as we enjoy the buffet, it was really nice to have a proper formal meal instead. I had soup and risotto, followed by cream puffs. After dinner, we went to one of the bars where we joined the guys again for drinks. Our group has now grown to ten guys, although it’s still eight Americans and just us two Aussies. We are still adjusting to these long Norwegian days and by 10pm, Ted and I were exhausted and went back to the room. Tomorrow we go to our first port of call, Geiranger!En savoir plus
Day 4
30 mai 2024, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
Today begins the first day of our cruise! I’d like to say I had a good sleep but unfortunately I woke up early with slight jet lag. Since we had the time, we packed up everything early before heading out for breakfast. The Dutch seem to be late risers as the nearby cafes didn’t open until 8am or later, so we had plenty of time.
We headed to a cafe named Winkel 43 where we had club sandwiches and coffee which isn’t very breakfast like, but we didn’t mind. We sat outside and watched the city go by, whether it was people, dogs or bicycles, and since it’s a quieter part of the city, it was very relaxing. Ted had originally said he didn’t think he could live in Amsterdam - after our outdoor breakfast, he has now said he definitely could.
After paying for breakfast (so expensive!), we went back to the accommodation to check out. Since our cruise today didn’t depart until 4pm, we had the whole morning to enjoy, so we decided to visit Haarlem after all. We really wanted to see somewhere outside of the capital and since my foot wasn’t hurting half as much as before, thought it sounded like a good idea.
We caught a train from Centraal which only took 15 minutes and were welcomed with some beautiful Dutch countryside. I had mentioned to Dennis and John that we would be coming there, and John greeted us halfway from the station. Haarlem is so beautiful - similar to Amsterdam but friendlier, cleaner and more relaxed. John showed us some of the sights such as the Zentralplatz, the old church, and cheese shops before taking us to their apartment to join Dennis for coffee.
Their apartment is amazing, with a view of a church converted into a brewery, as well as being within walking space of a cinema, cafes and supermarkets. The boys had bought us some Stroopwafel to take with us on our travels too. After leaving the apartment, John took us to the waterfront, where we had a tourist photo with a windmill before returning to the station for our train back to Amsterdam.
After collecting our bags at the accommodation, Ted called an Uber to take us to the station but the first Uber driver, seeing the size of our bags, drove off! Fortunately the second Uber driver was a lot nicer, and even helped with our bags. Even though we had arrived almost an hour early, the check in process at Royal Caribbean was extremely easy and smooth, whether it was the bag collection, the security or immigration.
Once onboard, Ted and I went straight to our stateroom to offload our backpacks before heading to the dining room for lunch. We had paid extra for a larger balcony room and, although the room is slightly dated compared to Princess or Celebrity, it’s still fine for the two of us. Since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, Ted and I overindulged slightly at the buffet, which made us feel somewhat lousy afterwards!
To work off some extra weight, we did a quick walk around the ship, seeing some of the bars, swimming pools and lounges. We also needed to attend our safety procedures and muster drill which was a surprise. Usually this involves going to one of the onboard theatres and watching a safety demonstration video - this time we merely needed to talk to one of the crew who told us where we would need to go in an emergency. Maybe it’s because of our jobs, but we were surprised how low-key it was.
Ted ended up finding our suitcases located down the hallway, after wondering where they were all this time! We met our room attendant Terrence who took some of our clothes for pressing as tomorrow night will be one of the formal nights.
Since we were still so full after lunch, we had a very light dinner before heading to the LGBTQ meetup at the Vintages bar. We met three others - a couple from Tennessee named Keith and Wee, and an older man from Fort Lauderdale named Greg. The effects of jet lag and little sleep did start to affect us though and we ended up heading back to our room just after 8pm. It has been a slow start but I’m hoping that we can meet some good people on this cruise too.En savoir plus
Day 3
29 mai 2024, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
Upon landing in Istanbul, I retrieved my bag from the overhead locker and was concerned when I saw that one of the pockets was still open. I double checked the locker to see that my ASIC and house keys had fallen out, which I retrieved. Thank God for my constant checking!
Istanbul airport was enormous - truthfully, one of the biggest airports we’ve been to. It was a very long walk to the transfer gate, with an equally huge queue of people. We would’ve arrived there sooner if it hadn’t been for my ankle injury, and getting stuck behind a sporting team from Djibouti. The security was chaotic too - a lot of yelling and disorder but we made it through somehow.
We had been excited about seeing the Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul airport, which has been touted as one of the best in the world. Sadly that excitement faded when it took forever to get there - and once there we had only 10-15 minutes before having to head to our next gate. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that our next gate was LITERALLY the furthest one from the airline lounge!
I asked the receptionist if I could possibly get some assistance as my ankle was really giving me trouble, but she said I would have to pay for a buggy if I wanted assistance. Disappointed, we set off for the gate which, as mentioned, was a long way away. My ankle was throbbing by the time we arrived and even then, we had to wait even longer for boarding to start.
When we finally started boarding, we were then left waiting ten minutes in the aerobridge before we could go onboard. The business class is pretty nice though - although it’s a bit dated looking, we each have our own private suite. This would’ve been better on the international flight, as you could’ve changed into your travel pyjamas without having to use the toilets! It’s a funny feeling too because you can’t see anything outside of your own cabin, so I had no idea the main door was closed until the safety demonstration started on the personal TV screens.
The flight to Amsterdam was similarly very pleasant, with great food and polite service. Despite intending to watch a heap of movies and TV shows, I enjoyed the Turkish Airlines “quiet zone” to just read my book. When we began our descent into Amsterdam, we were greeted with grey skies and impending rain! It wasn’t quite the springtime arrival we were hoping for, but it was still nice to be back somewhere we haven’t visited for a long time.
Fortunately, Schiphol airport isn’t half as difficult as Istanbul Airport, so the customs and baggage collection process was really simple. The only tricky part was trying to get into the city - the two InterCity trains had broken down so we waited about 25 minutes for a different train in, which was totally packed due to the cancellations.
Upon arrival, we considered taking an Uber to the accommodation but decided to walk the 20 minutes instead. Unfortunately Amsterdam isn’t the most pedestrian friendly city when you have luggage, particularly since my suitcase has dodgy wheels. Our accommodation is wonderful though, as it’s on a beautiful quiet street and provides free coffee. Woohoo! We didn’t need to wait long for our room either and, even though we’re located on the 5th (top) floor, there was an elevator (rare in Amsterdam buildings) that took us all the way to the 4th floor, lessening our difficult climb with luggage.
We decided to do some sightseeing which was very casual as we have been to Amsterdam before. Easier said than done though as the number of bicycles around are terrifying! I’m sure I saved Ted’s life more than once from being mowed down by a flying Dutchman. We are located near the Anne Frank House so we joined the surrounding crowds in getting a photo before continuing on. For lunch, we stopped at a Dutch pancake restaurant where I had an an apple and banana pancake with another coffee.
Most of the sights we saw were the canals and houses which are always so beautiful, so after a couple of hours we headed back to our room. Last night’s lack of sleep was catching up with me, so I had a nap in the room. Ted woke me up after an hour to avoid messing up my sleeping routine but truthfully, I was so tired I could’ve easily slept another five hours.
Originally we had planned to go to nearby Haarlem tonight to see my friend Dennis whom I’d met here 10 years ago, but since I didn’t want to worsen my foot injury, he said him and his husband John would come to Amsterdam instead. After getting ready, we caught an Uber to the Taboo bar in the Amsterdam gay street and had a drink whilst waiting for them.
It was a great idea to catch up with the guys, as we always love a reason to go out with the locals. After having our fill of Heinekens, we went for dinner at the restaurant Black and Blue which was directly across from the bar. The waitress was American and mentioned her Aussie boyfriend was from Newcastle. The bar next door offered something called Wild Wednesday with beers for €2 so we went there to continue the evening.
Before we knew it, it was 10:30pm, and the boys had to head off home. It was a bit unexpected as the days are much longer here, meaning there was still daylight until quite late. After catching an Uber back, we went to bed at about 11.15pm.En savoir plus
Day 2
28 mai 2024, Indonésie ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Going to bed early last night was a smart idea, since we managed to get about nine hours sleep. Well I did anyway, since Ted claimed I was snoring all night. Also the air conditioning in the room, whilst a welcome addition, is playing havoc with my sinuses as we probably aren’t used to it coming from a cold Adelaide.
We went downstairs for a mediocre breakfast which didn’t offer many options that Ted could eat. Also, the traditional music they played in the dining room was loud and annoying! Since we have booked for two nights, we have day use of the room before heading to the airport tonight for our flight to Amsterdam.
Ted suggested we head out for a coffee, so we walked down towards the main area of Seminyak. Unluckily for me, I rolled my ankle whilst stepping down from the kerb onto the street. The pain was awful, so Ted ran to a nearby convenience store to get me some cold cans of drink to put on the ankle to reduce the pain. After about ten minutes, I managed to hobble back towards the hotel.
Since we still hadn’t had our coffee, we stopped at a street side vendor called “What the Truck” to rest my ankle and have an iced coffee. They also gave me some ice to place on my ankle. Ted suggested it might help by relaxing in the pool which sounded like a great idea, so we got changed before heading down for some R&R.
After a while we needed some lunch so we went to nearby Taris Bali for a simple meal of nachos and a tuna sandwich. The waves again were a sight to behold - I had read that there was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia however, it wasn’t at a concerning level. Either way, watching the waves did still unsettle you slightly.
Ted bought me a compression bandage to stabilise my foot before we headed out for another massage today. Walking there was difficult but not impossible as it is very close to the hotel. I decided to get a facial instead of a foot massage, for obvious reasons! The massage today was better than yesterday’s, although lying sedentary for a while made it more difficult to put weight back on my foot.
After hobbling back to the hotel, we decided to go to the airport slightly earlier to avoid the Bali peak hour traffic. Fortunately our taxi driver was quick to arrive, and similarly the traffic wasn’t too bad. Our cab did sustain some damage though when a motorcycle coming the other way in heavy traffic swiped the side of the car.
As we were very early, we ate a small meal at the Two Dragons in the departure hall before going through to the check-in gates. As we’re flying Business Class we went straight to the appropriate queue, only to be stuck behind an enormous group from Brazil travelling together who seemingly took forever to check-in. It was so slow that people who arrived at the Economy Queue at the same time were almost checked in before us.
Ted has been stressing out continuously about this flight, solely because we were unable to check in using the Turkish Airlines app. The worrying was fruitless though as we checked our bags and ourselves in easily all the way to Amsterdam. We were pleasantly surprised to find out we were also entitled to lounge access at the Tujuwan Lounge before boarding.
We made the right choice at the immigration line which moved very quickly and made our way straight to the Lounge. As far as business class lounges go, it was very mediocre however, we still appreciated the quiet space and complimentary food and drink.
Since I’m still struggling a bit with my ankle injury, we headed off towards the gate a bit early since walking there wasn’t the easiest thing to do. We didn’t need to wait very long - the flight boarded on time and we were among the first ten passengers onboard.
The business class is quite different to Qantas - it was great to see that each seat was like a personal capsule for ultimate privacy. There were some other benefits too including the larger entertainment system and the onboard chef to ask us for our meal order.
Since there was complimentary wifi for business class, Ted and I wasted no time before posting a photo of ourselves on Instagram! The food service onboard was incredible, receiving some nuts and a drink before the main course. I had the marinated prawns and a zucchini soup which were both divine, following by rigatoni with parmesan tomato sauce, and a selection of traditional Turkish desserts. The first wine I chose - Bodega Beronia Crianza - was not only unfamiliar to me but also wasn’t my type of wine, so the Flight Attendant brought me another which was much better.
After the flight attendant made up my bed, I settled down for some sleep hoping that the glasses of wine would help. Alas, I only managed three hours before feeling mostly awake. The rest of the cabin though managed to sleep a lot more than I did. I did some meditation though and got another hour but I sort of feel like I’m too wound up to sleep. One interesting thing was seeing all the city lights as we were flying over Iran.
The breakfast served was just as awesome as the dinner, as I had an omelette served with fruits and a scroll. I was hoping to get one of my trademark “crewfies” with the crew but they advised me that Turkish Airlines don’t allow crew to be in photos.
Thankfully this flight was really enjoyable and before we knew it, we were in Istanbul. And I did like the way the Captain said in his pre-arrival PA “I wish you a good landing”.En savoir plus
Day 1
27 mai 2024, Indonésie ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Today started extremely early - 3:30am to be exact - as our flight to Denpasar on Jetstar was departing at 6:15am. Fortunately we had taken care of nearly everything - packing our bags, turning off the power points, putting Snoopy into day care - during the weekend. All we needed to do was wake up, get dressed, and await our Uber driver who arrived early.
Our drive was speedy thanks to the early hour and the fact that we live in Adelaide, so our arrival just involved dropping off our bags and going through security. Since we were quite early, we first got a coffee from our friends at Muffin Break before heading towards the international gates, which are very close thanks to the small size of Adelaide airport. Boarding was a pretty quick process, especially since we were in Row 6. The flight was also completely full as everyone seemed to be escaping the cold of Adelaide. We had pre-ordered food before our flight, which included an awful toastie and green tea but then, economy airline food is never known for its gourmet quality!
I spent most of the flight alternating between reading my book and watching Netflix, and even managed to get a selfie with the crew before disembarking. Ted walked through the airport at breakneck speed hoping to be one of the first through immigration, but it seemed that the process had changed again as we needed to purchase a visa there in the airport. After trying to wrangle the website, a friendly agent offered to do this for us during the immigration process, which was a lot easier than trying to do it ourselves.
Ted had pre-ordered a Klook driver to transport us to our hotel, so we didn’t need to find a driver upon arrival. The transfer was about half an hour with so-so traffic but Bali didn’t look too different from the last time we were here. As we arrived at our hotel before 2pm we were unable to check in, so we changed into our summer clothes before heading out to explore.
We walked along the beachfront before reaching Chez Gado, which sold more westernised food than Asian food. The view of the water was amazing but also a bit disconcerting considering how enormous the waves were. Ted had also pre-booked a massage for us at De Nyuh Spa, so we enjoyed our one hour massage before heading back to the hotel to check in. One thing I did learn though - never do a massage shortly after a big meal! As I was lying face down on the massage table and the masseuse was pushing onto my back I was concerned I would be sick at the same time!
For dinner, Ted suggested we try a vegan restaurant he had been to before. The walk was about 20 minutes from our hotel, and was in a secluded spot amongst gardens. The satay was very nice, and you really didn’t miss the meat element. It was also a healthier option as the restaurant didn’t sell Coca Cola! After dinner, we headed back towards our hotel and stopped at a crêperie for a coffee and crepe for dessert. We really weren’t in the mood for going out since we’d been up since 3:30am, and the thought of sleep sent us to bed by 9:15pm!En savoir plus
Day 21
31 mars 2023, Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Despite being exhausted when we arrived last night, I really didn’t sleep well. I was still thinking about all the happenings from yesterday, not to mention that this room has a noisy air conditioner. I did manage to get another hour of sleep in, but we also needed to get up before the breakfast time was over.
One plus about this hotel are the friendly staff, and the breakfast served was pretty good too. We asked the receptionist if we could possibly check out later due to our late arrival last night, but she was only able to give us an extra hour. It was better than nothing, so we thought we would explore Manila before needing to come back and get ready before our flight tonight.
As it turned out, Manila wasn’t as great as we would’ve liked. For starters, our hotel is not in the nicest area as we noticed quite a few beggars. This was made more difficult when two young girls came up to us and begged for food whilst we were waiting to cross the road by pulling on our clothes.
We walked towards the waterfront which wasn’t as great as it sounds, as it was more industrial. On the way, we saw a demonstration of fire trucks, complete with sirens blazing. Since it was so near the American embassy we initially thought it was some military emergency! Across the road was Rizal Park, which was a large open space of parks and Chinese gardens. We then headed towards Intramuros, which is the historical walled part of the city.
To be honest, that wasn’t the greatest either. Anything historical usually interests me, but the area was neither beautiful nor appealing. When Ted suggested returning to the hotel, it seemed like a great idea since the heat was getting worse anyway.
When we got to the hotel, we showered, changed and packed up before organising a Grab to the airport. That wasn’t the most pleasant experience either, as we saw plenty of shanty housing, as well as a woman with a baby who kept tapping on the car window when we were stopped at the traffic lights. It was certainly an eye opener, and unfortunately not a pleasant one.
The airport experience wasn’t as easy as we’d expected - when we went to check in, we were told our bags had to be security screened first. Apparently this is a requirement for all flights to Australia, Canada and the United States. After waiting half an hour for screening to open, the process involved opening our bags so they could do an explosives check on the content. After that, we could finally check in our bags, although we did wonder if we would’ve had to go through this process if we had our bags checked all the way to Melbourne yesterday.
We had about three hours until we needed to board so we went to the Mabuhay Lounge. As far as lounges go, it was not the greatest as the selection of food was poor and the bathrooms weren’t that clean. But it was still a quieter, less hectic place to pass the time. When we went to board, our boarding passes were checked, and we were told we needed to put our bags through security screening (apparently there wasn’t the right stamp on our boarding passes). We tried to explain that we had already done this, but we were still led downstairs to do it again.
Sure enough, our bags weren’t there and we reiterated again that we had already done it. Fortunately the lady who checked us in was there and confirmed our story so we were taken back upstairs to the boarding gate. When we went to board we were told - again - we couldn’t board as our bags needed to be screened. This time, the same guy who took us downstairs had to tell the boarding staff we had already been checked so, after all the initial hassle, we were finally onboard.
Business class on Philippine Airways again exceeded our expectations as everything was wonderful. After dinner had finished, I settled down to sleep and managed a good four hours. I started to watch the new Doctor Strange movie during breakfast but didn’t quite get to see the ending before we arrived in Melbourne.
The differences of being in Australia compared to many other countries was so obvious, as the immigration process was so fast and easy. We did however stand nervously at the baggage carousel wondering if our beloved bags had actually made the flight (they had!).
As I type this last day entry on our flight home to Adelaide, we are very grateful to be back in Australia. We have seen some beautiful destinations, but the trip has also opened our eyes, and made us again grateful for what we have.En savoir plus
Day 20
30 mars 2023, Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C
I didn’t sleep as well as I would’ve liked due to a sore back, but I still felt like I slept enough. I did need to get up and redirect all the air conditioning vents though as every one of them was blowing directly onto my face!
Today involved a lot of waiting again, as our flight to Manila wasn’t meant to depart until 6.10pm. As we weren’t required to check out of our hotel until 12pm, our morning was somewhat uneventful! We went down to enjoy the beautiful buffet breakfast which we’d enjoyed at this hotel before, and relaxed in the room until it was time to check out.
Fortunately the reception area of the hotel is equally beautiful so it was easy to relax there with a decent coffee, which went perfectly with the egg tart I bought at KFC last night. The seating area has a view of the swimming pool which, Ted is convinced, he saw a couple making whoopee in it! We wanted to eat lunch somewhere other than the hotel so we braved crossing the highway of hell to see what was on the other side of the road.
We are both over Asian food at the moment so going to The Pizza Factory, which was offering two for the price of one, seemed like a good option. We did some more browsing through the shops and bought some clothes for the gym before heading back across the highway to our hotel.
At about 3pm, we ordered a Grab to take us to the airport. The check in counters hadn’t opened yet but did shortly after. Thank God Ted noticed the tagging on the bags - we have a 20 hour layover in Manila, meaning we have a hotel room for the night - and the check-in agent had tagged our bags all the way to Melbourne! In other words, we would’ve spent the night and morning in Manila with little more than the clothes on our back.
We were given passes to the Miracle Business Class lounge before the flight which was a nice place to relax beforehand. Our flight ended up being delayed though due to the late arrival of the aircraft, so we ended up spending even more time in the lounge than expected. When it was time to board, it was a long walk from the D gates to the F gates, and when we arrived, they had already began to board the Economy class section.
Our aeroplane seats were wonderful as always, and I definitely think the Business Class product on Philippine Airways is far superior to a lot of other airlines. The staff and food were both wonderful, and the 3 hour flight seemed to, well, fly. Unfortunately we didn’t arrive into Manila until very late, which was delayed even further by the really long immigration queue.
Our pick up driver was messaging me whilst we were in the queue so it wasn’t difficult to find him once we were outside the airport. One thing we found surprising was how busy Manila was even around midnight. Our hotel is definitely below the standard of the past hotels we’ve had on this holiday but it was adequate. The booking has caused endless hassle too, as they kept emailing us saying that both our credit cards had been rejected and then after a lot of correspondence with booking.com, told us that it was finally okay. In other words, it wasn’t until we actually arrived that we knew for sure that we had a room for the night.
The room is definitely not that great either, but since it was already 1am, we didn’t really care that much. We have the whole morning in Manila to explore but to be honest, I’m not that excited about it.En savoir plus
Day 19
29 mars 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C
We woke at about 6am this morning to pack up everything and have breakfast before our return to Thailand today. We were a bit early for breakfast but the staff didn’t seem to mind. This has been the most grand hotel that we have stayed in, and it is definitely one we will remember. We organised a Grab to the airport through the busy Phnom Penh traffic, although it’s nothing like Bangkok or Beijing! Our driver was very grateful when we gave him the remainder of our Cambodian money as we will not be needing it from today onwards.
As it turned out, the time of our flight had changed to twenty minutes later, so we were quite early. Adding to that, they didn’t open the check in counters until about two hours before the flight! This was the only airline where we were required to purchase the cost of checking in a bag beforehand and, even though my bag was over 15kg, they didn’t mention anything about paying extra.
We had a slight freak out at immigration when the agent couldn’t locate Ted’s Cambodian visa in his passport. We weren’t sure if the check in agent removed it or if it fell out, but Ted provided proof on his phone that we had purchased one and all was fine. I bought a coffee and croissant before the flight since it is an airline where food is optional. The flight itself was actually quite pleasant, mainly due to the crew and the fact that it wasn’t overly full.
Our arrival in Bangkok was very easy because, as hectic as Bangkok airport is, it also runs quite smoothly. We caught a taxi back to the Park Nine Hotel and settled in before Ted headed into the city for a dental appointment. After he returned, he had mentioned seeing Sizzler near our hotel and, after great memories of the restaurant, thought it would be a good option for dinner.
After crossing the absolutely crazy street out front to reach the restaurant, the experience sadly wasn’t as good as we remembered. The vegetarian meals apparently weren’t available so I settled for just the salad bar. Even that was disappointing as there were so few options. Ted’s meal took ages to arrive and unfortunately the whole experience didn’t motivate us to come back again.
We had a look around the local shopping centre too where I bought some shorts, as well as an egg tart from KFC (if they sold them back home, I’d become a regular there). Tomorrow we will continue our journey home via Manila.En savoir plus
Day 18
28 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Today we took it easy - and didn’t feel guilty about it! We had every intention of going out exploring but, as we’re on the tail end of our holiday, feel like we’ve done a lot of sightseeing already.
We both slept very well as the beds and pillows here are so comfortable. Breakfast was quite a grand affair with a lot on offer in a formal dining room, but there were so many tourists and employees walking about, it was difficult to get food while trying to avoid people!
Our hotel is perfectly situated across the road from the Royal Palace so we headed out to take some photos. We had the opportunity of seeing Phnom Penh in a much better light today as we’d arrived quite late last night. The area near the palace is spacious and beautiful, and we walked through Royal Palace Park, across from the Tonle Sap River. It wasn’t as peaceful as we would’ve liked though, as the tuk tuk drivers here continue to harass you for a ride. Most of the time it was easier just to walk away.
One of the saddest things we’ve seen since coming to Cambodia is how a lot of their past history, including the Killing Fields, have become a tourist attraction. Whilst we mean no disrespect to the Cambodian people, we both agreed that we would only see sights that involved their happy history, as opposed to a very sad time in their past. Cambodian people should be remembered for much more than just the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, and we’d like to show our appreciation for their hospitality in other ways.
The morning became very hot, and we contemplated how much of the city we wanted to see. Ted suggested getting an iced coffee which was a great idea, so we found a nice coffee house to chill out in and recover from the awful humidity. There weren’t a lot of sights that we wanted to see after the Royal Palace, so we went back to the hotel and enjoyed a day in the beautiful pool instead.
Our lunch was in the restaurant next to the pool, where we also had some relaxing drinks. Happy hour was happening too which made it even more enjoyable. We met an American lady who now lives in Phnom Penh - it was somewhat eye opening hearing about life in Cambodia and how different it is from ours. It has made us both very grateful for what we have in life.
We spent the evening having a look over the city from the Organic Sky Bar, which is on the top floor of our hotel. Dinner was in the elegant restaurant downstairs and again I found myself being overly courteous to the Cambodian employees who work there.
Tomorrow we fly back to Thailand as we start our journey home. I am very grateful we have come to Cambodia as it has been both eye opening and delightful at the same time.En savoir plus
Day 17
27 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C
We could definitely not call today a day where time went quickly mainly due to all the waiting we needed to do! When we booked today’s flight to take us to Phnom Penh, we purchased the latest one as it was the cheapest but it also meant we needed to wait all day to take it. Since our hotel’s check out is at 12pm, we spent a lot of time sitting!
We spent the morning in our room, packing up and watching YouTube, before having to leave. We had considered paying for a day room but the hotel is booked out (staff told us it is a diplomat visiting, which seems correct as there is extra security around). We had considered laying by the pool all day but after that became too hot, I went back inside to a side area where I typed up this blog and enjoyed the air conditioning.
For lunch, we walked to the shopping centre across the street to try a local pizzeria. I wasn’t keen on going to a large franchise like Domino’s so we went to a smaller place instead. The shopping centre has been very handy as it also has a convenience store there. I bought a coffee mocha frappe at Café Amazon before heading back to the hotel.
After a while we got tired of waiting at the hotel, and decided to head to the airport early instead. Ted got a Grab to take us there and it ended up we didn’t have to wait too long to check in anyway. Whilst waiting for our flight, we ate at a Coffee Club but there were very limited items on the menu as the airport has only been operating at half capacity, so I just had a croissant and French fries for dinner.
Our flight ended up leaving late due to the late arrival of the aircraft, but it was the same type of aircraft that we had caught previously. I spoke to the crew during the flight and even had a crewfie with them, as per tradition. Our short flight ended up taking a lot longer than expected, mainly due to the aircraft circling at least six times. The captain advised us it was for a VIP arrival which we later found out was the Malaysian Prime Minister.
Getting through the airport was easy since it was a domestic flight, but getting to our hotel was much harder! Since Grab doesn’t have a designated pickup area, we needed to find a quiet place outside the airport where we could order a car. Easier said than done though, as the tuk tuk and taxi drivers here are much more pushy and insistent. Unlike Siem Reap, merely saying “no thanks” once doesn’t quite do the trick. We were getting frustrated as we couldn’t find a good place to stand, so we ended up crossing the busy road to find a side street where we could wait. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long, and our driver took us the half hour ride to our hotel.
Phnom Penh is of course, much busier than Siem Reap but once we left the airport, we could see a real charm to the city. Our hotel though - wow! It is located across the street from the Royal Palace (hence the name “Palace Gate Hotel”) and everything about it looks regal and royal, whether it was the decor, or the portraits of the King and Queen on the walls. Our room is not as large as the last hotel, but the furnishings are more grandiose.
Tomorrow we’re hoping to see a bit of the city, although there doesn’t seem to be as much to see as Siem Reap.En savoir plus
Day 16
26 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C
Neither of us slept well last night, due to kids running around in the room above us! When the 4am alarm sounded we both dutifully got up, got dressed, and got ready for the day ahead. Since the buffet breakfast wouldn’t have commenced until 6am, we’d arranged for a breakfast box to take with us on the tour, and were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful offering the hotel provided, which consisted of fruit, eggs and pastries. We felt bad through as the poor staff were sleeping behind their desks when we came down and we didn’t realise until we walked in,
Our pick up came on time, and transferred us to another bus with other tourists. Our guides name was Bun, and he was a very kind and happy elder Cambodian man. We were first driven to the entrance where our temple passes were checked before disembarking and walking through the dark. We crossed a floating bridge before being brought to the edge of a pond in complete darkness.
Bun told us we were in the perfect spot to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat before the sun rose (quite true considering the number of tourists who turned up behind us) but there sure was a lot of waiting! I took at least fifty photos, each with different hues and varying degrees of light (I ended up keeping less than five pics!) but everyone else was doing the same.
Once the sun rose, the novelty was starting to wear off so Ted and I wandered around and got some different pics before our group of about 12 rejoined and Bun led us around the temple. It was impressive, although since ancient history has never been my favourite subject, a lot of the information was probably lost on me. I did however love the bas-relief carvings which were very intricate, as well as the architecture. The towers were the most impressive features of the structure.
In the centre were the “Stairs to Heaven” which was an extremely steep staircase leading towards one of the higher temples. Ted wasn’t keen but I braved them for the view over Angkor Wat. I hadn’t been feeling the heat until then! One thing Bun speaks about regularly is Angelina Jolie and Tomb Raider, the former having established a non-profit charity organization dedicated to environmental security and improving health; and the latter which has promoted Cambodia as a popular tourist destination.
We were then taken to a local Cambodian restaurant where we could eat our breakfast boxes or purchase food. The food the hotel gave us was plentiful, so I only ordered an iced coffee to try and beat the heat. We spoke to a British couple on their honeymoon who are doing a similar holiday to us, only in reverse. They also said staying in Siem Reap longer was preferable to too much time in Phnom Penh.
We next visited the Southern Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side - gods to the left and demons to the right – and the fortified city of Angkor Thom. At the 12th century Bayon temple, we saw its beautifully crafted central towers, covered in more than 200 enormous faces.
The most famous temple of the tour was the jungle-covered Ta Prohm, mainly because it’s the one people remember from the “Tomb Raider” movie. This was probably the temple we enjoyed the most - very atmospheric and it was a real example of what happens when the jungle reclaims a man made structure.
All of the tourists were struggling by this stage because, even though the tour driver handed our regular water and cool towels, the midday heat was oppressive. Fortunately the tour had finished by this stage so we were returned to our hotels, giving us an opportunity to see more of the city - we are definitely staying in the nicest part.
We walked to a local restaurant for lunch which was wonderfully cool, and with amazing food. The real great thing about Cambodia is the kind and friendly service of the people too. After lunch, we exchanged some of the clothes that Ted bought yesterday (more hassle than it should have been!), as well as collecting our much needed laundry before heading back to our hotel.
For dinner, we headed back down to Pub Street, where we ate at a westernised restaurant, mainly because it had fans and air conditioning! There was even a dog that wandered into the restaurant. We then had a walk around the street which fortunately had a cool breeze blowing at this stage. I donated some money to a group of amputees who were victims of land mines - we had also seen them at one of the temples, and they play music in a band to encourage people to donate money.
I bought some ice cream rolls for dessert which are made on the street, before Ted suggested we should go to the local Rendezvous Bar again. It was definitely more popular than last time, although it did feel a tad awkward sitting in seats in everyone’s view! We only spoke to one American who introduced himself but we didn’t stay long since Ted was being ogled by the locals for wearing shorty shorts. Tomorrow we head to a new destination - Phnom Penh!En savoir plus
Day 15
25 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C
Today we did something very different as we wandered outside of our usual comfort zone. When travelling before, we have always been very wary of accepting any offers on the street, such as tours, souvenirs or massages (our past trips to Egypt and Cuba probably heightened our world wariness). We did however see a video on YouTube last night of a vlogger who recommended hiring a tuk tuk for the day, as it is a unique and cheap way to explore the city. Therefore, today seemed to be as good a day as any to try!
After breakfast, Ted spoke to the receptionist about hiring a tuk tuk, and she promptly went outside and spoke to one of the drivers waiting out the front of the hotel. We didn’t really have any set itinerary, so she suggested a few places and the driver said we could do it in about 2 hours for $10, or we could have the whole day for $20. We couldn’t really see ourselves wanting to go all day in the heat, so we decided just to try the first option.
Being in the tuk tuk was better than we’d expected, mainly because the movement meant there was always a steady flow of air. Our first stop was a service one - we had a full bag of laundry we wanted to drop off at a nearby laundromat! We were a bit early though as grandma was still eating her breakfast with the kids, whilst a man looked like he’d just stepped out of the shower to serve us! They weren’t that perturbed though, and we were very grateful they took our dirty washing to clean.
The driver Mun then took us to the nearby Royal Residence, where we got some better photos of the palace and gardens. Mun suggested taking us to the War Museum, which was definitely not what we’d expected. We half imagined we would be visiting some huge, grandiose building in the middle of the city, so when he drove us to what resembled a rural farm on the outskirts of town, we were a bit confused.
The entry fee was $5 which seemed a bit steep, but the museum was more interesting than I thought it would be. It was essentially one big garden filled with machinery, guns, and vehicles from the war complete with ex-soldiers as guides. There are also two planes, which were obviously our favourite things to see. One sad part was the section on landmines, which spoke about the heavy toll they have played on the people of Cambodia. This was not a traditional museum in any sense, but either way, I am glad that we saw it.
Ted had previously shown interest in seeing a nearby floating village, so when he asked Mun how far it would be (he indicated about an hour), we decided to explore it. Even though the day was getting warmer, travelling in the tuk tuk made it pleasant…until we left the sealed roads! There was plenty of dust blown about but we figured it was just all part of the experience.
We first needed to buy tickets to enter the village at a ticket booth, where I bought some drinks and used (surprisingly) very Westernised toilets! We then drove through a rural village where there were also other tourists about exploring the local markets and shops. It was definitely an opportunity to see the real Cambodian people as opposed to the area we’ve been staying in Siem Reap.
When we came to an area with a low river and many old, rickety boats lying around, Ted surmised that it might have been a boat graveyard. Our prediction wasn’t quite true though, when Mun pulled over to the side of the road, and a boat operator motioned for us to come onboard! We then realised this was going to be the next part of our transport to visit the floating village.
The Kampong Pluk floating village was nothing short of an experience. For starters because it is dry season, most of the houses were on very high stilts and not so close to water level. It was interesting to see how the people of this community lived while simultaneously being very grateful for what we have in life. Some of the sights and smells we encountered weren’t so appealing, and one of them included people swimming and working in the unclean water we were sailing through.
Our boat driver then sailed out to the open water of Tonlé Sap (the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia) until we arrived at a two-story floating platform in the middle of the lake. It was very much geared up for tourists, as it sold drinks and souvenirs, as well as a display of live crocodiles (I kid you not). We only bought a couple of drinks but after talking to the operator, she mentioned how they also sold school supplies to a local school for extra money.
When the amount of everything climbed to $US20 (the amount seemed to change every time), I became really PO’d because I was starting to doubt the intentions of the operator as it was appearing more and more like a tout to take tourism dollars (reviews on TripAdvisor have similarly expressed this concern). By the time we left, I was still annoyed but our boat operator did say he had the school supplies and we would be delivering them to the school on our return.
My doubts were allayed somewhat when, sure enough, we stopped at the shore back in the town and our boat operator pointed out the school, giving us the bag of school supplies. We disembarked and trekked up some stairs before reaching the school building. We were both unsure where to go but when we found the classroom it was like they had been expecting us.
The kids and teacher were so welcoming! We couldn’t understand fully what the kids were saying but the teacher seemed to be asking them to express their gratitude which they all did in unison. It was definitely a heartwarming moment. I think we both would have liked to spend more time with the students to learn more about their daily life and routine, but we were unsure if we were able to do this with our boat operator waiting for us, so we bade farewell to the school and continued back.
After about twenty minutes more of sailing, we were returned to our original embarkation point, but with no sign of Mun anywhere! We weren’t necessarily bothered as our boat operator called someone and assured us he would be there soon. The heat however was unbearable, but fortunately there were some locals who offered us to join them at a roadside shop covered by a sheet to avoid the blazing heat. As the minutes continued I was getting concerned but fortunately after about 15 minutes, Mun came back!
By this time, Ted and I had had enough excitement for one day, and asked if we could return to our hotel. It was the middle of the day so it was the perfect time to call it quits and head back. The return trip took about an hour but by that time we were tired, dirty and satisfied, and looking to relax. After showering and changing, we ate at the hotel restaurant for lunch again - after the heat of the day, we weren’t exactly motivated to trudge around town and find another venue.
Ted went for a walk around the shops and discovered a well priced clothing store. We aren’t sure how genuine the articles are, but Ted made some purchases of T-shirts, shorts and boxer shorts which were pretty great. One pair of shorts came as a necessity for Ted, as we need to have knees covered for our visit to Angkor Wat tomorrow. We thought we would only need to purchase the cost of the tour, but we are now expected to buy temple entry tickets which are about $US37 each.
For dinner, Ted had found a Japanese restaurant during his walk so we thought we might give it a try for something different. It didn’t quite work for me as there were only a couple of vegetarian options but truthfully, it was still enough for me after lunch. We have our 4am wake up tomorrow so, it will be an early night for us tonight!En savoir plus
Day 14
24 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C
Fortunately today was not half as difficult as yesterday. Even though I’m not 100%, it’s a marked improvement on yesterday. I was very grateful that Ted let me have the bedroom to myself, but unfortunately he didn’t sleep so well on the couch as the air conditioner is somewhat noisy, and he could hear people shouting last night.
We went downstairs for the breakfast buffet which was similarly wonderful to the other places where we have stayed. I didn’t have much of an appetite but still ate more than I did yesterday! I think part if it is also craving more westernised food options again as we’ve been eating a lot of Asian food lately. The Cambodian people are very similar to the Vietnamese - so warm and friendly. I feel a touch embarrassed and undeserving of their wonderful service.
We are meant to be doing the sunrise tour of Angkor Wat tomorrow, but I’ve changed the tour date to the day after, just in case either of us are under the weather tomorrow. Ted has been feeling a little bit seedy too so maybe a combination of the change in diet, the heat and the different living conditions are catching up with us.
After breakfast, we went for a quick wander around the neighbourhood. We’ve noticed that Cambodia is cleaner than Vietnam although we are in a nicer area too. We saw the nearby Royal Residence which is a very beautiful and understated building. Directly in front were the Royal Independence Gardens which are in direct view of the Raffles hotel. It’s wonderful to see how well kept this city is, compared to many other cities we have seen around the world.
Even though it was about 8:30am, the heat was already starting to creep in so we returned to the hotel. Ted and I have adopted a new philosophy for our holidays - if we need to take a time out, we shouldn’t feel guilty about it. We’ve often felt like we should be rushing about seeing as much as possible, but after falling ill yesterday, decided that a day like today of just relaxing by the pool is essential too.
The pool area of this hotel is wonderful, and it was not a difficult area to relax in! We were however the only guests in the whole pool area, so we’re assuming either the hotel isn’t at full capacity, or everyone was out exploring tombs or the city. This hotel also has a very nice restaurant so we went there for lunch, although I chose a tuna salad which wasn’t what I wanted but was probably healthy!
Ted went for a walk around the neighbourhood to try and find nearby Pub Street but to no avail, so in the evening we both dressed up to go and find it for dinner. It ended up being about ten minutes away, and it was very similar to Walking Street in Huế - a lot of restaurants, pubs, tourists and locals all mixed together in a welcoming, friendly atmosphere.
We found a nice corner restaurant which was under a fan because, even though it was mid evening, there was still little respite from the heat. I’m still not feeling the greatest, so pumpkin soup was all I could manage. Ted was interested in checking out the local venue, but when we walked by the place was completely deserted!
We aren’t totally sure of our plans for tomorrow but if Siem Reap is anything to go by, we love it so far. We have no doubt there are plenty of options to do here to keep us busy.En savoir plus
Day 13
23 mars 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
It seems appropriate that today is Day 13 of the holiday, because today I woke up feeling really ill. I hadn’t slept well during the night, and by morning I felt really lousy - no appetite whatsoever, nausea and a pain in the stomach. We went down for breakfast but I asked only for toast. As it turned out, I couldn’t even get that down, so the owner made me a ginger tea instead. She gave me a cheese sandwich to take away, which actually ended up being the only thing I ate all day.
The whole day involved navigating different waves of nausea, as I either felt lousy or worse. I’m wondering if it might be a combination of dehydration, something I ate or maybe a bug I’ve picked up. The thought of it being Covid did cross our minds, but fortunately my self test came back negative.
We made some changes to our holiday after some discussions with the English guys last night in an effort to try make this trip less difficult. We have now extended our time in Siem Reap by one day whilst reducing our time in Phnom Penh, and instead of taking a six hour bus ride between the two cities, we’re taking a one hour aeroplane ride instead!
We stayed in our room until midday (our check out time) meaning we had to stay in the villa reception area until our airport transfer came about 2.5 hours later. I actually fell asleep on the lounge chair as I was feeling run down. Our transfer was in a small bus which was still more comfortable than that bus from Ha Long Bay! There wasn’t much traffic to worry about in Da Nang, and we ended up being the first customers at the Cambodia Angkor Air counter. Ever since our flight over on Philippine Airways, Ted has been considering the better seat options, and paid $10 for “extra legroom seats” on the flight!
We went through security and immigration and waited in an airport Burger King before heading to our boarding gate. Ted had bought me a Bánh Mì for lunch before we headed to the airport but unfortunately I had to throw it out, as the thought of food still nauseated me. When the flight was ready for boarding, we were bussed to the nearby aeroplane which was an ATR.
The boarding process was different, as we boarded from the rear of the aircraft instead. Our extra legroom seats weren’t any better than a regular aeroplane seat, so the ones without extra legroom would’ve been more difficult! The illness I had was really knocking me about, so I put my head against the wall and tried to sleep. Since the cabin service was only a bottle of water, I didn’t miss much.
When we arrived in Siem Reap we were among the first to disembark, since our seats were actually in the rear in the aircraft. The airport is beautiful, looking like a traditional Cambodian temple, although it was very empty and quiet inside. The immigration process was easy, even though our visas got wet somehow during our travels, and we quickly located our transfer driver Sok.
Sok was very knowledgeable, showing us the different bowing Cambodian people use for different classes of people. Like Vietnam, Cambodia tourism was hit very heavily by Covid, as the number of passengers dropped to below 10%. When we arrived at our hotel, we were very pleasantly surprised - we have a huge apartment with a separate living room and kitchen with two balconies. They even supplied us with a small fruit basket, although the fruits here aren’t quite like the ones we get back home. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to appreciate the apartment yet as I was feeling so nauseous, and Ted kindly slept on the couch so I could get better. Hoping tomorrow I feel better!En savoir plus
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