Author: odohertyelaine

We take a very short flight from Penang to Langkawi. We are about twenty minutes in the air and I’m just about to put my headphones on and an announcement tells us we are getting ready to land!! The Langkawi archipelago is made up of 99 islands and we are staying on the largest – Pulau Langkawi.

We can walk out the front door of our small villa and we are more or less directly on the beach. It is called Pantai Tengah which is a quieter extension of Pentai Cenang, the most popular beach on the island. I think we are in the best spot! Tonight we walk along the beach and see an amazing sunset at Sandy Beach restaurant.

We have a delicious first dinner of sea bass and satay meat in sticks! They have Tiger beer here so we’re happy. The couple of other beach bars we checked out on the way served soft drinks and mocktails only!!

Next morning we check out our surroundings. There are lots and lots of food options and plenty of shops and bars within walking distance.

I’m loving our beautiful beach. The water is warm and the beach is sandy with hardly any stones or shells.

For lunch we eat at Cactus cafe. I have delicious chicken noodles and Shane finally has a beef rendang. I’ve been enjoying my lemon iced tea in Malaysia too. It’s my new drink!!

Some relaxing pool time in the afternoon and then we’re off to find a cocktail. We have a mojito and a chicken starter called Chicken Varuval (dry fried chicken with curry leaves) at Rockafellas. The waiter recommended we have this with naan bread and said it was a signature dish I’d hear…. and it was so good.

For dinner we go to Bobi’s – a popular spot that serves wine… delighted with myself, and it’s fairly decent and the food is fantastic. I have stir fried turmeric chicken, which comes with lots of fresh veg. It’s fab.

Next morning we start our day with a swim… the sea is just gorgeous. It’s perfect for me as there are no big waves and we can go out far but it’s still a comfortable depth. I’m actually properly able to swim here, no floating device needed, which is a huge deal for me and I totally love it!

After our swim we chill in the outdoor lounge space, which we’ve deemed our office before a light lunch at the restaurant next door to our hotel, Tokapi. I have Roti jala which is a crepe net served with dahl and curry.

This afternoon we travel to the peak of Mount Machinchang, which is the mountain we can see from our beach. It is home to SkyCab and the SkyBridge – the main tourist attraction on the island! We take SkyCab, the cable car, up the mountain and enjoy spectacular views.

At the top we get great views of SkyBridge, which is one of the world’s longest free-span curved bridges. Not only are there stunning views of Langkawi and the smaller islands around but you can see all the way to Thailand on a clear day. We have a number of different vantage points to view the bridge from and it certainly is impressive.

A very different view of the same bridge that we are about to walk across.

To get to the bridge we take the 324 steps “nature walk” and along the narrow pathway see monkeys and pass plenty of tourists – this may be the most we’ve encountered since we got here (tourists not monkeys!). Once on the bridge, the views are fantastic and it’s a glorious day… roasting in fact!!!

As part of our combo ticket we have entrance to the 3D museum. We don’t spend long but we do run around and have a bit of fun with some of the 3D illusions!

There’s an Oriental village at the base of the mountain that we walk past … it’s a bit touristy but looks nice!

More importantly as we are leaving the park, waiting for our car, there are Dusky Leaf monkeys just hanging out in the trees.

I can’t believe it and look how close I was able to get. If you read my Penang blog, you’ll know that these were elusive in Penang Hill and I was very disappointed… and here I am in a car park and they show up. They are the cutest looking monkeys ever!!

I’m smiling all the way home after seeing the Dusky Leaf. After a bit of a rest and a freshen up, we have a cocktail at the Hidden bar, which is just down the beach from us. This is a very popular spot for sunset and had a huge queue outside the first night we got here. Luckily tonight we get a table and enjoy a very nice margarita.

We see a really colourful sunset while watching some parasailing action.

For dinner we cross the street to a Chinese restaurant called Mayhian and have salted egg chicken and bitter gourd. The restaurant is busy with large groups eating family style and we can understand why it’s popular. The food is really good.

Next morning we have a 9am pickup for our Mangrove tour. We take a boat and visit Kilim Karst Geoforest Park with a number of stops along the way. Our first stop is to feed some fish and we see some beautiful coloured fish from the boat. We pass bats hanging from trees.

Next we stop at a spot on the river where we see eagles. The guide tells us there are two species of eagle – white belly and reddish brown. They are stunning and there’s so many of them. You can’t really capture it in the photo but it was so cool to see these huge beautiful birds.

We continue on the boat, admiring the mangroves and come to, what they call locally, Monkey river. And of course by now you’ll guess that there must be monkeys around… well you’d be right and there are loads of them. They jump from the mangrove branches onto the boat. They don’t have any interest in stealing your hat or glasses (unlike other monkeys I’ve come across) but they do want your water bottles or food.

Next stop is Bat Cave! We get off the boat and walk through a dark cave. When someone shines a light upward we see hundreds of bats hanging down! Some interesting stalactites and we are out the other side where there are more monkeys to say hello to!!

The time in the boat is really nice. The breeze is cool, we are wearing life jackets (it’s compulsory in Malaysia) and it’s not too bumpy. It feels very safe and it’s really pleasant. We pass the iconic Kilim Geopark sign.

Our last stop before lunch is at the beach. Oh my goodness… this beach is stunning. We swim around for about half an hour in the calm cool (ish) water and it is just heavenly. We both get a “welcome to Thailand” text from our phone providers – we can see Thailand in the distance but we are definitely still in Malaysia!

After a small lunch of fried rice and chicken, we are taken back to the hotel. This trip was well worth the reasonable RM120 (approx €26).

Tonight we have the best meal of our trip so far. We go to Orkid Ria, a fancy seafood restaurant just a few minutes walk from our hotel. We start with a cocktail and then choose our fish from tanks where it’s then weighed and priced. We chose a whole snapper and a couple of Tiger prawns along with green Chinese vegetables, aubergine, fried rice and a few chips thrown in for me!! It is so good and even though it’s our most expensive meal, relative to eating this at home, an absolute bargain.

After that amazing meal, we go to the beach for another lovely sunset.

We swim early next morning so the sea is a little cooler… it gets so warm in the day, it’s hard to believe. For lunch we take a walk to a restaurant called Fat Cupid, which gets really good reviews for their Nyonya dishes. As we walk in it looks very low key but the food is fantastic and actually quite fancy in its presentation. I have Nyonya Chicken Curry Kapitan, apparently the owners favourite comfort dish from Grandma’s recipe book – this nyonya-style curry uses a paste of fresh galangal, corriander, lemongrass and tumeric, served w/ stir-fried veggies, onion omelette & white rice. Shane has a chicken pontay which is a typical Peranakan dish made in a dark, rich soy bean sauce. Both dishes are fantastic.

In the afternoon, we take a grab and travel about twenty minutes to Kuah, the capital of Langkawi. By the way Langkawi is in Kedah state and is often called the “jewel of Kedah”. It is famous for the giant eagle statue that looks out to the sea, so that’s where we head for.

There is a large Geopark all along the water which we walk through.

We spot a couple of hornbills which are very cool looking birds and they swoosh past us, flying really low!

We walk through Legenda park where we see a guy taking photos and we quickly realise there is a gang of Dusky Leaf monkeys in the trees. There’s at least a dozen of them and we stay and watch them for ages. They are throwing fruit from the tree and climbing from one tree to another.

Dragging ourselves away from the monkeys (well that really only applies to me!), we walk further along the coast and arrive at Maha Tower. Proclaimed as an other main attraction on the island, you can buy a ticket to go to the top and look at the views… we don’t!

There’s not a whole lot more to see and it’s really quiet as it’s Ramadan and also it’s Friday which means there are extra prayers so we head back. For dinner we go to a place called Warung DE Cenang – this place always seems to have a queue outside but we’re early enough that we manage to get a table straight away. I have Telur Bungkus which is chicken with vegetables served in an egg omelette. It’s light and very good.

We head back home and get into our swim gear to have a sunset swim, our final swim on the island.

We leave Langkawi on Saturday morning to continue our journey in Malaysia. It has been a beautiful week and I would love to come back one day.

On Saturday we leave Ipoh and make our way to Penang. Penang is a state that includes Penang island. We are taking a bus to Butterworth (on the mainland) and making our way, via ferry to Penang island. We arrive to the bus station an hour early and our bus arrives an hour and a half late😩. It’s a very busy weekend as people are travelling for Chinese New Year. Once on the road, although there’s a fair amount of traffic, the journey is a comfortable two and a half hours. On the way I am fascinated by the miles and miles of Palm trees along the road. With barbed wire surrounding them, they are obviously palm oil plantations. When we get to our Airbnb, we quickly drop our bags, freshen up and we are on the move again. It happens to be Valentines Day and I’ve booked a nice restaurant which is Michelin recommended. It’s called Jawihouse and it’s on Armenian street which is one of the must-see streets in Georgetown, the capital of Penang state. Oh yeah and Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Although the food is very tasty, it’s not quite what I had intended – for starters it’s serving a mix of Indian and Middle Eastern food and more importantly there’s no booze!!! Look how pretty this salad is though!

Happily fed (ish!), we explore the beautiful Armenian street and find a bar. There’s a young couple playing live music so I’m delighted. They appear to be playing only love songs and the slow tempo doesn’t change! Quite entertaining!

Next morning we wake up early and get ourselves into a Grab (the Uber equivalent in Asia), which takes us to the bottom of Penang Hill. Here we take the longest funicular in Asia to the top of the hill – it’s very steep and 800 metres high. Once at the top, we head to the Habitat – a rainforest discovery area. There are plenty of macaque monkeys as we enter and leave.

The walk is peaceful and somewhat shaded and we look out for wildlife along the way. I’m really hoping to see a langur monkey which is a black monkey or even better a Dusky Leaf Monkey, which is black but with white around their eyes. We don’t have such luck today, although we do see a flying squirrel. We walk atop “Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk”, which has the highest accessible viewing platform on Penang Island and the views are great. We’ve also beaten the crowds so we’re happy out.

There’s plenty more monkeys to see as we cautiously leave the park and explore some more of the hill before taking the funicular down.

From the bottom of Penang Hill we take the local bus into Georgetown and have a proper explore of this very pretty old town. We have a much needed feed at the Jetty food court.

From here it’s only a few minutes walk to one of the Penang Clan Jetties at Weld Quay. The jetties were built by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century and are stilt homes, now protected as part of the UNESCO site. Seven are still inhabited and in tact and we visit Lee Jetty.

Walking out to the end of the jetty is very peaceful and provides a great view of the stilt houses. That said, the sun is blazing and I’m roasting!!!

We walk back among the streets in Georgetown and happen upon a house where Sun Yat-sen lived when he spent time in Penang. He is widely revered as the “Father of Modern China” as he led the 1911 revolution that ended the Qing dynasty, establishing the Republic of China. We pay a small fee and walk through the modest house which is now a small museum.

There are so many temples that you happen upon when walking around. This one appears when we walk through a small courtyard. It’s so lovely with incense burning and there’s always someone around saying a prayer.

This is one of the most popular temples in Georgetown – Kongsi. It’s a ticketed temple, closed this afternoon as they get ready for the Lunar New Year i.e. Chinese New Year.

We continue our exploring and see Little India – big gate and lots of restaurants! We walk to Fort Cornwallis, built by the British East India company in the 18th century. It is also closed but we walk around it (still roasting!!). We see the clock tower, lots of chickens hanging around and then we head back home for a rest!

For tonight’s dinner we have Korean bbq which is delicious… and cooked by my private chef!!

Next day it’s a regular work day for Shane so I busy myself with a visit to the gym, and some pool time.

In the evening we walk to the Waterfront food court but unfortunately the few stalls that are active have just closed and before we turn around it starts lashing rain… we are stuck here for a while and a man who sees our predicament and disappointment that we cannot get a dinner, gives us a can of beer and a Coca Cola!! Eventually the rain stops (after nearly an hour) and we walk toward home and end up having a really nice meal at a local restaurant, called Bonjour.

Next day we hit another local restaurant for dinner – this time it’s hotpot. After a shaky start (well for me as I really didn’t know what was going on!!), we have a really good meal where we cook dumplings, fish, meat and veg in two different broths – a spicy one and a creamy one. Again cooking mainly done by my private chef!!

There are fireworks going off every night as we approach the Chinese New Year. Also bangers are regularly set off at the temples… is it to ward off evil spirits – who knows! Now anyone who knows me knows I have a real aversion to bangers and fireworks so you can imagine how on edge I am!! 🫣 We do have a great view from the giant window in our apartment though, I just wish I didn’t have to listen to the bang!

I’ve been looking forward to having some roti and finally I get my chance for breakfast next morning. I had tried to have it for lunch but that’s a crazy idea, apparently you have roti for breakfast or dinner but not lunch!

This afternoon I take myself off for a massage and it is fantastic. The place is really fancy – it’s called Yu Zen Wellness and I have sixty minutes of bliss – no getting short changed here for you hour and for approx €23 I have a foot soak and a ginger tea afterward. Delighted with myself! 😁 Tonight we have more delicious food at a hawker centre – we have roast duck, grilled aubergine… so much food to try.

Next day I’ve booked a driver to take me around the island. His name is Mr Teik. He’s a Chinese Malaysian grandfather about to turn 70. His English is excellent and he’s really clued in. We start by visiting Kek Lok Si temple. This is the largest temple in Malaysia and certainly the most famous in Penang. Built over a period from 1890 to 1930, it is a pilgrimage site for many Buddhists from neighbouring countries. It is huge, taking up a whole side of a hill.

I walk around the temple viewing hundreds of Buddha statues and taking in the view from various vantage points around the complex. I take a short lift to the highest point and get close to the towering statue of Guanyin, sometimes called the Goddess of Mercy. This is a beautiful bronze statue surrounded by smaller versions all around, on a platform that provides a great view of the town below. Everywhere is a sea of red lanterns and as Buddhist temples go (and I’ve been to quite a few), this is probably the most spectacular.

From here we drive to the other side of the island which is undeveloped. This is where the land is farmed and they grow the smelly Durian! Mr Teik tells me that it’s addictive (hmm I’ve tried it and it’s so smelly and strong tasting it’s hard to stomach) but you should never have it on the same day you drink alcohol!!!

We continue driving along the coast and see some nice, albeit small, beaches. We are heading to the famous beach – Batu Ferringhi. He drops me at the famous “Golden Sands” hotel and tells me to walk through the lobby (as if I’m a guest!) past the pool and straight onto the beautiful beach. I do exactly what he says and this is what I see….

I can’t believe this is supposed to be golden sands… As beaches go, it’s crap! I had taken off my runners and got ready for a dip but I’m not comfortable to try to get to the water. I can only assume that there was storm damage and there’s also evidence of erosion … there must be another stretch of this beach that is beautiful… alas as this section is right now – this is not a beach for me!

Back in the car, we drive toward Georgetown and visit two temples that are on the same road opposite each other. The first is the Burmese temple.

I love this – the world Guardian and Protector. Apparently this is quite a rare statue. It possesses the quality of the five best combinations – the trunk and tusks of the elephant, four hoofed legs and two agile ears of the horse, the lion-faced toe (chimera) with the deer’s horn, the body and tail of the fish and the two powerful wings of the Roe (Garuda). Therefore it is ideally suited for its role of guarding the world in the form of the globe. I study it but can’t see the top to see if they’ve drawn in Ireland… I hope so!

In the hall of the main Buddha, I walk along the back wall and there are rows of Buddha statues from different Asian countries. I’m fascinated looking at the differences in style and pose from some countries I’ve visited – Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and others I haven’t – Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Philippines. I do love me a Buddha statue.

Across the road, I enter Wat Chaiyamangalaram, the Thai temple. It has exactly what you would expect of a temple from Thailand – beautiful, dazzling gold and bejewelled naghas guarding the entrance to the main temple.

I’m delighted to see a giant reclining Buddha – it’s not as big as the one in Bangkok but apparently it’s still one of the biggest in the world.

Mr Teik suggests we stop at a Hawker food court so I can grab some lunch as it’s already 1:30 pm. I choose some dry noodles with pieces of fish and eat it in the car on the way back to the apartment. It is roasting and I’m definitely going to be jumping in the pool.

From the pool, I can hear the call to prayer from the local mosque. Depending on if there’s a breeze blowing or like this afternoon where it’s really calm, it gets louder. [Sidebar: I’m currently loving the book I’m reading, “It should have been you“ by Andrea Mara and it’s really gripping. It’s far too hot to sit out in the middle of the day so I have resorted to walking up and down in the pool reading the book!]

For dinner tonight, we go back to the Waterfront food court which is looking very different to when we were here the other night, stuck in the rainstorm. Every thing is open and everywhere is packed….

We manage to find a table in the middle of the action and order mixed seafood with noodles, roast pork, vegetable dumplings, and for dessert we have Rojak. This is chopped fruit with sauce and sesame seeds. There’s some pineapple in there, but it’s not overly sweet as the sauce is not sweet and there’s also cucumber and what seem to be some sort of radish type vegetables in there interesting!

We go for a walk next morning and decide to get some breakfast. There is a huge market with tons and tons of food options, some with really long lines. We choose some dishes that we have been looking forward to trying. They are Chee Chong Fun, Popiah and Otok Otok and they are really tasty.

Our local Nasi Kandar place has been a favourite of Shane’s for a couple of days when I wasn’t having lunch. Today I’m ready to try it and I’m having all the “gravy”… that means about six variations of curry sauces on top of the rice and chicken (or fish in Shane’s case). It’s very tasty!

It’s Friday and Shane has finished work so we are now officially on holidays. We try the Thai bbq which again is a cook your own food on a grill… it feels like a lot of work but it’s a good meal.. eventually!

On Saturday morning we are up at 6am as we’ve booked a cycling tour with a 7am pick up from town. It’s about an hour drive to the other side of the island (where Mr Teik drove me earlier this week) to explore some of the Balik Pulau countryside.

We cycle through a palm tree plantation and our guide TC tells us how good virgin palm oil is… the world seems to get the bad stuff!

We stop in a small fishing town and have a walk around to see the local houses before having tea in the local coffee shop with some locals! We cycle further to the fishing area where the guide tells us that the fisherman fish on average a couple of hours a day!

We stop at Saanen Dairy Goat farm where we have goat ice cream and feed the animals. It has a lot more animals than the goats – we see an ostrich, an emu, porcupines and other smaller animals I’m not even sure what they were!

We enjoy the cycle back to our starting point and then it’s just under an hour drive back to Georgetown.

It’s time for some lunch and we both try Hokkien Prawn Mee. I have mine a little less spicy and it’s really good.

Happily fed (again!), we set off to see more sites of Georgetown. We see the Georgetown mansion which is a beautiful green building and the Fatt Tze blue mansion.

We walk down Love Lane, see plenty of small temples and mosques and admire lots of the old buildings.

We walk through a small park toward the water and see City Hall and Town Hall.

Looking out to the water, along the Esplanade, we see the Cenotaph – a war memorial dedicated to the Penang soldiers who lost their lives in various conflicts including WWI, WWII and the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation (1963–1966).

We walk along the Esplanade and see men fishing before turning inland again to find the two main churches in town. The first is the Church of the Assumption (Catholic). A simple white building, the inside of which is one of the plainest churches I’ve visited abroad. Secondly, St George’s (Anglican) – another fairly plain white church.

It is crazy hot and we’ve seen pretty much everything that was on our list, so we jump on a bus and head home. We saw lots of preparation for what looks like a giant street party in town for the 5th night of Chinese New Year celebrations but we opt to stay local and go to a Korean restaurant. We have fish pancake, fried chicken and “volcanic” rice which is mixed with cheese and served with seaweed on top!!

Next morning we visit Penang National Park. It sits on the north-west tip of the island and is just under an hour drive away. Luckily Grabs are cheap! There’s an RM50 (approx €12) entry fee for me but his lordship gets in free – certainly one perk of aging!! We hike for about an hour and a half through beautiful trees and enjoy amazing jungle sounds. We cross a bridge over the Meromictic Lake which is a rare phenomenon that consists of distinct, non-mixing layers of saltwater and freshwater. There are only a handful in the world.

We arrive to turtle beach, which is stunning and we are the only people there. It’s not safe to swim as there are dangerous jelly fish. From here we take a boat to another beach.

The boat leaves us at monkey beach which is a little busier but safe to swim in. On land you’ve got to watch out for thieving monkeys though!!

After dipping our feet and walking the length of the short beach, we take another boat back to the park entrance. We walk into the fishing village of Teluk Bahang and have a delicious meal of squid, broccoli bean curd and claypot fish stew. A bus arrives as we are just finished and so we head home.

Tonight we are going to Tek Lok Si temple. This is the giant temple I visited earlier in the week and I’m excited to go back and see it at night. The temple is a focal point for the Chinese community in Penang, especially for Chinese New Year. The New Year celebrations are particularly impressive, with thousands of lights and lanterns turning the scenery into a sea of light.

What a way to end our trip – Spectacular!

I fly to Kuala Lumpur to meet Shane and we have an overnight before our train journey to Ipoh. Luckily we are staying at a hotel that we can access without going outside of the train station as there’s heavy rain, with thunder and lightning. We get off to a great start with a very tasty meal (I’m confident the food will not disappoint here). I have salted egg with chicken rice and Shane has a laksa – tasty with just a nice bang of heat. Next morning we have breakfast included and are spoiled for choice at a huge Asian buffet. Satiated and happy that the sun is shining, we find our train and enjoy the two hour journey to Ipoh.

Ipoh is world renowned as a top food destination – no surprise that’s our reason for coming! There are three main communities here – Chinese (mostly Cantonese), Malay and Indian. We intend to eat across all three cuisines and enjoy the many specialties of this region.

We are staying in a really nice apartment surrounded by lots of eating establishments so this is going to work out well. We settle in and then take a walk around to get our bearings. We have a late lunch/early dinner and for our first meal we have the traditional “chicken and rice” which is poached chicken served with bean sprouts and rice. It’s not at all spicy but of course it’s served with chilli sauce on the side.

We find our local shop and get some basic provisions (milk for tea obviously!) and have an easy evening at home.

Next morning we start with a local breakfast of noodles and soup! I’m taking it very easy mind you… small amounts until I establish the belly can handle it!!

Shane is working so I have a lazy morning before we head out for lunch… more noodles but totally different to this mornings and served with a raw egg on top!

After lunch while Shane is working, I take a walk to the local shopping mall (it’s gigantic) and have a pedicure. Once Shane finishes work, we take a walk around old Ipoh and see lots of cute murals and interesting buildings.

It doesn’t take long to see all the main sites… the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, installed in 1909, features four panels with historical figures from various fields, including history, arts, sciences, and religion, to symbolize the “growth of civilization”. We take a close up look and guess quite a few of them (does that make us nerds – happy to take it!).

We see the very nice Ipoh Town Hall, completed in 1916.

The rest of our walk is soaking up the general atmosphere of the laneways and streets which are decorated for Chinese New Year. We stumble across an interesting looking bar called Kiki Lalat and I have a very refreshing soju mojito. Tonight’s dinner is at a very nice Chinese restaurant and we have pork belly, tofu with mince, aubergine and green beans, served with beautiful (almost purple coloured) rice.

Next morning I’m up early as I’m taking a tour to the Cameron Highlands which are a couple of hours drive away. I’m on a private tour (as I couldn’t find a group one to join) so it’s just me and the driver, Jim in a comfy car heading to the Cameron Valley Tea plantation.

I appear to be the first tourist today and I walk around enjoying the perfectly manicured views with no crowds to obscure my view.

I try the tea in the shop after my walk along with a a scone (I wasn’t expecting that) and then it’s time to go to the next stop on the tour which is the Orchid and Rose garden. When I get dropped off, I don’t have high hopes as this place looks like a small garden but as I continue walking through to the back, it opens up and the flowers are really impressive. There are also some animals to be amused by along the way – rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep… they have it all here at O&R, as they call it.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to a strawberry farm. This region is famous for strawberries so I have to taste them so I can compare to our trusted Wexford strawberries back home. The visit to the farm is somewhat underwhelming. I walk around a small area where some strawberries are growing, then check out the shop and that’s it!! I could have paid extra to pick strawberries and take them back but I gave that a pass (this tour has cost me €96 already!). Continuing onwards, we stop at Cactus Point – now this sounded good to me but it was pretty much a garden centre with lots of cacti. In fairness I was very impressed to see such an array of different cactuses / cacti – apparently you can say either but it does feel like a filler to make the tour!

Next stop is the local market – there are roadside markets all over the highlands so we stop at one and taste some white sweetcorn which can be eaten raw and is really delicious. I also try a white strawberry which I’ve never tasted. I buy some of both to bring home for himself.

The last stop on the tour is after lunch (I’m not hungry so it’s a non event for me but Jim has some tasty looking Indian food) and is a waterfall called Lubuk Timah. It’s a short walk past some hot springs to get there and as you may gather from the perfect line at the top, it is man made!!

I haven’t brought a change of clothes but I take off my shoes and socks and walk in up to my calves. The water is super clear and the temperature is delightfully cool.

We have another great dinner tonight, close to our apartment. We have grouper, cuttlefish and some rice with pork and vegetables. The view from our floor looks nice as the sun goes down.

Next morning we go for a walk along the river. We see a couple of monkeys

And walk home via our local mosque.

We have the delicious corn and an array of fruit for breakfast including red and white strawberries, mandarin, tiny bananas and pomelo. A slow morning (well for me) with some book time on the balcony and a quick workout (we have equipment at our apartment) and it’s time for lunch.

Today we try Nasi Kandar, or as the locals call it, Nasi Ganja (because it’s so addictive!). Unbeknownst to ourselves we are at the most popular place in town – we had an idea by the crowds but only found out later it’s THE place to try this dish. So what is it…. Well it’s fluffy white rice, a spicy ayam masak merah, half a salted egg, fresh cucumber slices, a generous splash of mixed curries, and – most importantly – a spoonful of spicy sambal kelapa. Add to this a choice of meat – I went for chicken which is the most popular, and there you have it. Most people eat it with their hands (crazy messy) but we were given a fork and spoon… spot the foreigners!!! I’m happy to report it was delicious!!

I have a relaxing afternoon reading my book and in no time at all it’s time for our next meal!! We go to another Chinese restaurant which is very busy due to Chinese New Year, which is in a couple of days. All the tables are full with families eating multiple dishes served in very large dishes on a lazy susans. We have a stingray and vegetable curry and a delicious homemade tofu topped with shrimp and mince.

Next morning I decide to text Jim and have him take me on a tour of some of the sites that are beyond walking distance. Ipoh is surrounded by mountains and limestone caves and cave temples are common. We start with a visit to the oldest one – Sam Poh Tong.

There are lots of Buddha statues and then the cave opens out to a back area where there is this beautiful Chinese temple.

At Jim’s suggestion I’ve bought some tomatoes to feed the turtles that are behind a grid opposite the temple! It’s great fun and I take some video to send to Anya (my niece) at home… she loves this stuff.

We drive about 250 metres to our next temple – NAM THEAN TONG. Technically I think it’s part of the same complex but it’s quite different. There are some very colourful statues outside and lots of nooks and crannies inside full of … you guessed it, Buddha statues!

The third temple in a row, which I can walk to, is LING SEN TONG. Equally colourful, the garden in front is decorated with colourful statues of characters from Chinese mythology such as the Monkey King from the classic tale Journey to the West.

Next we go to Mirror Lake. The locals call it Tasik Cermin 2 and I take a small boat through a cave to the “hidden world”.

You definitely need the helmet they’ve provided as the tunnel gets very low and we have to bend over to avoid banging our heads. When we enter out of the tunnel to the lake it is beautiful.

It’s a tiny boat with a Malay/Chinese couple and two lads – one from Brazil and one from Switzerland.

Next on the tour is Kellies Castle. an unfinished, ruined mansion, built by a Scotsman, Kellie-Smith, in the early 1900’s. Between the onset of WWI and the Spanish flu, it never got finished and when he died at the age of 56, his family moved back to Scotland and it was left in ruin.

It’s really interesting to walk though what would have been an extravagant house, with winding stairs to secret rooms and a tower which was planned to have the first lift in Malaysia.

Just as I reach the top of the castle to admire the views from the highest point there’s some giant rain drops starting to fall. I get back to the car before it buckets down. We get in the car and head north, hoping we’ll get to Perak Cave temple before it closes at 4:30pm. We make it and I’m so glad we did. It’s another temple built into a limestone cave and it’s very impressive. It has a huge Buddha statue (the biggest in Ipoh I’m told!)

What sets this one apart are the paintings on the walls… there are a lot of them and they are very impressive

I really do love these cave temples .. it’s so impressive to see them from the road. What a great idea to carve out a temple in the limestone mountains – genius!

Tonight’s dinner is at SG Frog Porridge. I’m excited to eat here as it got great reviews online and I don’t remember ever having frog before. I’m intrigued by the porridge, which I’ve managed to avoid on all my trips to Asia but tonight’s the night.

It’s not like our oat porridge at home, it’s essentially watery/creamy rice and is the base for the meal, just like a bowl of regular rice would be. At this place it’s got ginger in it and it’s really tasty in and of itself. Along with the porridge, we order frog in chilli sauce, lamb in ginger sauce, bok Choi and Tiger beer. I didn’t have any lunch today so I’m particularly hungry and this is my favourite meal so far. Well it’s a close tie with yesterday’s Nasi ganga!!

Next morning we find more of the river walk… there’s an area set up for Chinese New Years celebrations and the reflection in the water is stunning this morning.

We walk a little more around the old town and see the famous Concubine Lane, which is a famous narrow street however there are much nicer ones all around.

We stop for some brekkie and the owner sits down to chat to us – he is Chef Uni and he’s very excited when Shane tells him he’s from Sydney as he has family living there.

For lunch today we have curry bun. We’ve seen so many pictures of this, close by our apartment. It’s essential curry cooked inside a loaf of bread. It looks more impressive than it actually is but still decent enough. The bread is a bit sweet for my taste but we’re glad we tried it.

It’s Friday so this evening once work is all finished, we walk into the old town and have a beverage at Tin Corner 39. They have Guinness and Kilkenny on tap so it’s essentially an Irish bar!! We end up staying for a few and having our final dinner here as it lashes rain. Luckily it’s stopped by the time we are ready to walk home.

Tomorrow we are traveling north to Penang. We have really enjoyed our week in Ipoh, definitely a good stop if you’re in Malaysia.

We leave Chiang Mai and take a two hour flight to Krabbi island where we are picked up in a very nice “party van”!

From the airport we drive about an hour south and take a ferry to Koh Lanta island.

It’s about another half hour from the north tip of Koh Lanta, where we disembark the ferry, south to our Airbnb which is close to “Long” Beach. Once settled at the beautiful house we walk to a restaurant on the beach.

A cocktail before a delicious meal

We decide to try out the local transport to take us up the road… it’s very exciting!!!

It’s a nice slow start to the day next morning and I decide to stay by the pool and read my book with a cup of tea while the gang go for provisions and hopefully book us a day trip. They do exactly that, so I can continue my lazy day until it’s time to head to the beach for sunset and dinner.

Further down the beach we enjoy more delicious Thai food, cooked by what seems to be a Muslim family. They are so nice to us and when I see they have wine, I order a glass…. It’s a giant pour … ehhh I won’t be ordering another!!

Next morning we relax and have some pool time. It’s really hot so the pool is very inviting.

In the afternoon we book a local truck to take us to Old Lanta.

We follow a Lonely Planet walking tour to make sure we don’t miss any of the sites… it’s small though, so I don’t think we’re going to miss anything!

There’s a Main Street where we check out some shops and bars and halfway down we see some sort of ritual going on at the Chinese temple. It’s quite a spectacle that builds and builds with drums and chanting getting louder and louder.

We eat dinner at a really nice restaurant called Pinto and see a beautiful full moon…

We found out earlier that it’s a good day to visit the town as tonight is “Loy Krathong” – the festival of lights. This festival is celebrated on the 12th lunar months full moon, which happens to be tonight. Everyone in town is making, or in our case buying up these “krathongs” which are floating vessels or lamps. You light the candle in the middle and then set it afloat on the river.

I start off great and I’m delighted with my krathong but I give it a bit too firm a push and it falls over 🥲. A lovely young boy walks into the water and turns it over for me so it floats down the river.

Town is full of buzz with loads of stalls with interesting food and goods for sale. Once we’ve explored and got our blessings at the festival, we find our driver and head back to the house.

Next day we are up early and ready for our day trip. The trip we’ve chosen is the “4 islands” day trip and it promises an unforgettable trip to 4 famous islands, Koh Chuek, Koh Mook (Emerald Cave), Koh Ngai and Koh Maa. They apparently have the best snorkeling sites with crystal clear water and many varieties of underwater coral reef and sea creatures. Koh Mook will be the highlight of the trip, the only way in to this amazing location is to swim 85m. through an underwater tunnel that opens to a secret beach. Hmmmmmm it doesn’t quite turn out that way…..

We take off on a very nice long boat hoping the weather will improve.

The weather isn’t improving and the water is very choppy. First stop is for some snorkeling but it’s too rough for most of us. Shane manages to get in and see some fish but I’m definitely staying on board.

Back on board we head toward the next island. The small islands and rock formations on view from the water are very picturesque and if it wasn’t so dull it would be stunning.

The captain tells us it’s too dangerous to go to the secret beach so we head for Koh Ngai, park up the boat and spend the rest of the time here. No Emerald cave for us today unfortunately.

Although it’s not quite stacking up to what the brochure promised, it is a beautiful beach on this little island.

We spend some time relaxing in the very comfortable water and enjoying the beach. We have lunch, which consists of two different types of curry with a desert of fresh fruit. Thankfully we are under cover as it starts to rain fairly heavy. There’s not much we can do, so we decide to head back early.

Back on the boat we settle in for what turns out to be a very scary journey home. I’m not even going to attempt to describe the hour plus journey in the rough water as I’m getting palpitations even thinking about it, but suffice to say at one point I was crying behind my sunglasses and clutching my life jacket in fear. In fairness we were all very happy to get off that boat!

We head back home (appreciating being alive!), and later in the evening walk to a lovely restaurant, the Yellow Bistro, that’s really close to our house. We have another lovely meal as we’ve come to expect in Thailand.

We were told when we arrived at our house to watch out for the monkeys and be careful we don’t leave anything outside in case they steal it… well these monkeys are nowhere to be seen and we are a little disappointed. Next morning we finally see a monkey outside.

It’s our last day and we head to the beautiful Phra Ae beach. We walk a long way and enjoy the sunshine and the soft sand.

We have lunch at Funky Fish which again has plenty of good Thai options and fish in particular.

Next door is a massage place – you don’t go too far (even on the beach) without coming across a massage option. Rav and I decide to leave the gang having a drink while we get pummelled and stretched out next door… it’s bliss!

We jump in a taxi and ask the driver to drop us off at “The Big C” minimart. We grab some chips and booze and when we get to the counter to pay, the lady points to a sign reminding us we are not allowed to buy alcohol between the hours of 2 and 5pm! So embarrassing…. We have to put back the booze that we carefully chose!!

Time for a photo op in our elephant pants before heading back to the beach for our final sunset and meal.

We celebrate the end of our holiday admiring the sunset with a cocktail.

Next morning we are up early to journey back to Bangkok for our flight to Sydney. With a few hours to fill in, we go into town – we’ve come full circle and see the capital is still in mourning for the Queen Mother. The billboards, showing photos of her throughout her life, are really lovely.

Bye bye Thailand, you’ve been delightful!

We set off from the Tree House and drive a couple of hours to Chiang Mai. The house we are staying at is an old wooden house centrally located near the river and the Phae gate. We get settled in our rooms and then set off to explore our local area. Our closest wat (that’s a temple) is “Wat Chetawan” which appears to double as a car park!

We are very close to a large market which we walk through for a cursory view.

The plan this evening was to do a local food tour but the guide contacted us and suggested he take us to Lamphun, a town about forty minutes away and currently having a lantern festival. We are happy to go with that and are collected in a van by Eddie and Mr M. (yep that’s the name we’re given!) and off we go….

The food tour turns into more of a history tour as Eddie plays a YouTube video for us on the drive, explaining the history of Lamphun. Formerly called Haripunchai, it was under Burmese rule for a number of centuries. We are convinced (coerced is definitely too strong a word) to visit the local museum, where we hear more of what we just watched in the video…. And yet we still can’t remember the details!!!

We cross the street to WatPhraThat Hariphunchai which is a highly sacred and historically significant Buddhist temple in Lamphun. The lantern festival also known as the Hundred Thousand Lanterns Festival, is in full swing and after writing a wish, we are ready to hang our lanterns.

The festival features thousands of colorful, handmade lanterns that are hung to light up the temple grounds, with visitors able to purchase and hang their own lanterns with personal messages and wishes for good fortune. It’s like walking through a sea of lanterns!

Eddie and Mr.M take a tonne of photos of us at every given opportunity and they love to join in too!!

Eventually it’s time to move on and start the actual food tour. We walk along the main road outside the temple which is littered in food stalls and Eddie asks us what we’d like to try. We have a mixture of savoury, including the local Lanta sausage; and sweet, including an ice cream sandwich which is literally ice cream between 2 slices of white sliced bread! Then we jump in the car and head to a stall where a lady has pad Thai waiting for us. All plated up and waiting for our arrival! (🧐). He tells us it’s the best in town as she cooks it with passion! There are some other dishes to try here too but he doesn’t give us a whole lot of info.

Next we are taken to a food market for some fried pork which is my absolute favourite. As food tours go, it wouldn’t rate so highly but we’ve had lots to eat and the lantern festival was a huge bonus. We happily head home and rest up for a day of exploring tomorrow.

Next day we follow a walking tour from the Lonely Planet and Shane is our designated guide (no surprise there!!). We see part of the old walls which were built around the same time as the city’s founding in 1296 to protect the Lanna Kingdom from invasions.

Other than the walls and of course all the interesting shops and food establishments, it’s really all about the “wats” (temples) here in Chiang Mai. So essentially we embark on a walking tour of Buddhist wats! We start with Lok Moli temple. It’s not known when this temple was built but it is first mentioned in records in 1367!

The main temple has a beautiful wooden finish which is quite unusual (as you’ll see the more wats I post!)

There are many other shrines around the grounds and the chedi, or stupa (built in the 1500’s) stands in the background.

Directly across the road is Wat “Ra jamoniean T.Sripoom A.Muang” – quite a mouthful! It has a cool large Buddha outside.

Next we visit Wat Chiang Mai which was the first temple in Chiang Mai built by King Mangrai. The most important temple building is the pavilion-style stupa with a round-shaped dome. It was built on a square plinth, decorated with half-body stucco elephants and dates to 400-500 years ago.

Inside the temple there’s a monk praying and receiving gifts.

Onwards to the Three Kings monument. This monument built in 1983, is of the three kings considered the founding fathers of Chiang Mai. They founded the city in 1296 and it later became the capital of the Lanna Kingdom.

One more wat before lunch – this one, called Wat Sadeu Mueang is believed to contain the relics of King Mangrai (he was one of the three kings in the statue) but they are in the stupa as opposed to on show like the catholics do it!! Beautifully painted on the outside with impressive nagas flanking the entrance (they’re the dragons) and decorated with lots of gold Buddhas on the inside, as you’d imagine!

It’s time for lunch and we go to a restaurant that is famous for boiled chicken and rice. I actually try the pork which is super tasty.

With a new burst of energy after lunch (the heat and humidity is nearly killing me mind you!), we purchase a ticket to visit the large complex of Wat Chedi Luang. This has a number of buildings including Chiang Mai’s city pillar. This sacred pillar was placed here by the king when the city was founded and is considered a spiritual landmark, representing the city’s protection from misfortune and disaster, however women are not allowed to enter – why? I’ll let you read the sign for yourself.

Ah well there’s lots more to see around here… there’s a beautiful temple….

… and there are lots of monks around

…. There’s a beautiful old stupa (in the Lannna style), many many Buddha statues including a reclining Buddha…

… and the opportunity to lay some gold leaf.

We head home via the Tha Phae Gate which is the main gathering place in the city and it is also very popular with pigeons!!!

Back at the house we enjoy the beautiful terrace, even when there’s a downpour of rain that we have to avoid. No one is in the mood to go out for dinner – it’s seriously lashing rain so we decide to order a “grab” delivery. Last night we had a conversation with the tour guide about KFC and he told told us that they do a green curry which is really good. We’re intrigued so give it a go… and it’s actually really good!

Next day starts with a heavy downpour of rain so it’s a slow morning before we head off to finish the walking tour of wats. We stop at Wat Tung Yu. I particularly like the nagas on this one – they’re not just dragons, the’re mythical serpent-like beings that act as guardians to protect sacred spaces from evil spirits

The inside of most wats have paintings all around the walls – usually detailing stories of the Buddha. These ones are particularly nice.

Next we head to Wat Phra Singh, the most revered temple in Chiang Mai. The buildings are lavish and there’s a lot to see in this complex.

There are many beautiful gold Buddha statues but I particularly like the life like monk statues they have. The guy below in red is real!!!

Next stop is WAT MUEN NGEN KONG, which has a huge reclining Buddha. I do love a reclining Buddha!

One more before lunch! It’s called Wat Phuak Hong, which looks like it needs a little TLC but is really quaint, with no one around.

It has a really old Lana stupa….

….. And a monk who’s having a nap

We stop for lunch at a Khao Soi restaurant and it’s really good. They also have Chiang Mai donuts so that’s a must!

In the afternoon we visit the Silver temple. Everything is silver – the temples, the nagas, the Buddhas. It’s very different to what we’ve seen today.

One of the temples is another men only temple so of course the lads check it out so we have to wait outside… the cheek of these monks – sure they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for menstruating women!

Our final temple to visit today is Wat Jedyod Royal Temple or Wat Chet Yot – I know, the names are hard to handle! To get here we have to jump in a Grab as it’s a little outside of town. It is one of the oldest temples in Chiang Ma and a place of pilgrimage for those born in the year of the Snake.

It’s royal because it was commissioned by a king. There are a number of buildings to see on the grounds and it’s nice to see the young monks keeping it clean.

Time to go…

Back at the house we enjoy a beverage on the terrace and have a delicious Thai meal.

Next morning we head to Waroros market for a little souvenir shopping and hopefully to find just the right elephant pants! We see a very cute photo pose at the Phae Gate

After some lunch we take a red songthaew, which is an open-air truck that operates like a taxi. We have seen them all over Chang Mai and it’s time we had a go!

Our destination is Doi Suthep, a mountain just west of the city. With an elevation of 1,676 metres, it’s quite a fun journey alongside all the motorbikes to the top! The taxi drops us to a spot where we can take a funicular to the very top and you’ll never guess what’s up there… yep, it’s another wat!!! There’s also a nice view of the city below.

The temple at the top – Wat Prathat reminds me of Burma – loads of gold and many smaller temples around the large central temple full of what you’d expect – Buddha statues.

Rav and I see a monk giving blessings and decide to get ourselves in there and get one. We’ve no clue what the monk says but he motions for us to sit down and proceeds to drench us with water… it was hard not to giggle!

Happily blessed, we take the stairs and get to the songthaew for the drive back to the city.

It rains and there’s traffic but it’s also nice to see the city at night.

It’s late when we get back and it’s been raining so we take a very short walk to our local pad Thai restaurant which offers a limited but very tasty and very reasonably priced menu. I opt for the Padthai wrapped with egg – it’s excellent.

We finish our Chang Mai part of the trip with drinks on the terrace and next morning are picked up for the next and last leg of our journey.

The “Chang Dao jungle” refers to the lush, mountainous rainforest surrounding Chang Dao, a serene town in Northern Thailand known for its dramatic peaks, extensive cave systems, and exceptional biodiversity. There are a number of “treehouses” offering accommodation with stunning views out over the forest. Ours is the Treehouse Hideaway.

We check into our rooms which are, as you’d imagine in a treehouse – basic but grand and then it’s time for some lunch. We are dished up a plate of fried rice with chicken which ordinarily I would love but alas I got hit with “Delhi belly” this morning and I’m very much under the weather. I slept all the way here (which was about a 4 hour drive) and don’t have a lot of energy but I don’t want to miss the hike to the waterfall. We set off with our guide Mr. Moo and his trusted sidekick Uncle Wan (who’s in his 80’s)!

Uncle has brought along a tiny turtle to release back into the wilds and he points out a tarantula in its nest and a huge beetle! And I barely screamed!!!

There’s a lot of walking through rivers, although it’s more like being dragged through. Setting out on this hike we expected a couple but in fact I counted about 25 crossings….

Eventually we reach the waterfall . We packed our swimming gear but I’m not sure where you’d actually swim here!

Smiling before the arduous journey home!

Back at the Treehouse I need a snooze and a shower and then it’s time for dinner. It’s a very small bit for me until I feel better.

Next morning we have breakfast and give an offering to the local temple.

I’m nearly crying with the laughter when I do a google translate on the sign and it says this: 🤣🤣

We meet Mr Moo at 9am and he takes us by car (a 7-seater just about!!) to see the beautiful Chiang Dao temple up in the hills.

There are over 500 steps to climb with some Buddha teachings along the way and when we reach the top we’re treated to this temple with plenty of gold Buddhas.

After the temple, it’s onward to the Chiang Dao cave which is also somewhat of a temple. It’s a limestone cave estimated to be 250–300 million years old. It has the usual stalagmites and stalactites that you’d expect, some resembling elephants and faces etc etc.

A lot of the statues within the cave are of Burmese origin. These definitely look like the Burmese statues I’ve seen.

Sidebar: The Buddhist calendar is typically 543 years ahead of the Common Era calendar in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Therefore, to find the equivalent Common Era year for 2178 BE, you subtract 543: 2178-543 = 1635.

For lunch, Moo takes us to a restaurant for some pad Thai. Again it’s a small taste for me but it’s very good. Once lunch is finished we head for the hot springs and languish for an hour in some smelly water!!

We drive back up the mountain to the Treehouse and three of us have massages. Rav and I are beside each other and have two old ladies who giggle to each other and we’re convinced it’s about how tight and inflexible we are. They are gorgeous women and so sweet and friendly and the massage is amazing.

It’s a buffet dinner on the deck and another early night (I’m really hoping I bounce back tomorrow). Next morning we have brekkie and say goodbye to Mr Moo.

Time to head to Chang Mai … bye bye Treehouse, it’s been quite the experience.

It’s time for our group holiday and this time we’ve picked Thailand. I’ve been to Bangkok a few times but haven’t explored elsewhere in Thailand so I’m very excited for this trip… also I’m en route to Sydney so that’s always something to look forward to!

I arrive in the afternoon after flying on Emirates through Dubai and I’ve a few hours to hang around until the gang get here. They arrive on time so we find our pick-up and we’re off…

We’re staying for one night at Riva Surya hotel which is on the river and it’s really nice. The rooms are gorgeous. We sit outside and have a cocktail and a small bite to eat before calling it a night.

There was talk of a swim early next morning so off I go… but no one turns up! Still the swim was gorgeous and after breakfast we set off to explore.

We walk though the university and see a giant lizard rambling around outside one of the buildings – that was unexpected!

The Wilsons haven’t been here before and our intention is to visit the palace but we’ve just found out that the King’s mother died on Friday and the palace is closed. Bad luck… we still walk down to take in the surrounding area.

We walk to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and get a great view of it from across the river. It’s a bit cloudy so not as colourful as it generally appears but it is beautiful to see.

From here we take the ferry along the river to our hotel. It’s a busy river with lots of long boats ferrying people around and tugboats dragging huge loads of cargo.

Back at the hotel after a swim to cool down, we have foot massages, which are heavenly (well some of us think so!). Then it’s time to organise ourselves and head to the airport for the hour flight to Chang Rai.

We have an easy pick up at the small Chang Rai airport and get dropped at our Airbnb which is a lovely 4-bedroom house. We chose our rooms (all of which are lovely) and head out to the night market for some food.

There are lots of food stalls and a lot of choice. Shane finds Khao Soi, the signature dish of Northern Thailand which consists of egg noodles with chicken in a creamy coconut soup, topped with crispy noodles, with shallots, lime, and pickles on the side. It’s really good. We also have pad Thai, noodles with pork, roti and morning glory (which is a green veg). Washed down with a Singha beer, we have a look around the market.

We go to a craft beer bar (surprise surprise!) and there’s some live music which we are loving. Hard to tell if the singer is singing in English or Thai but we think he’s doing his own tracks. Our favourite is clearly the break out hit from his album – “Shine time”!!

Next day after finding some coffee (a lemon green iced tea for me!), we take a taxi to see the famous White Temple. It’s famous but it’s a total tourist trap – feels like a Disney Temple!

One of the highlights of the White temple complex are the golden toilets!! Yep the photo below is of the toilet block!!

Built in 1997, the temple sparkles and has intricate carvings at every turn. On the inside it’s full of colour, just like a regular Buddhist temple (no photos allowed inside). Obligatory photos taken, it’s time to move on.

Our grab driver waits for us and is keen to take us to the Long Neck Karen village, where the ladies where the gold to elongate their necks…. We decide not to do that! Apparently it was dying out until they realised they could make money from tourists and it’s become a thing again… 🥲. So instead of that we head for Rong Suea Ten Temple aka the Blue temple.

This is another contemporary Buddhist temple which commenced building in 2005. It’s beautiful and very interesting to walk around the complex but again doesn’t have an authentic feel about it. We’re encouraged to get a photo with the Buddha… unusual but happy to oblige.

We get dropped back to town and go to a local restaurant for lunch. The food is delicious. I have Chinese kale and pork belly and Shane has array of deliciousness too!

We want to visit an old temple and just around the corner is WAT JEDYOD built in 1844

I do love all the lanterns…

We continue walking along the main road and pass the Clock tower – which looks much better at nighttime.

A stop for a wee beverage before heading back to the house for a rest and freshen up before dinner. Dinner is a host of more Thai dishes – I chose dumplings in chilli oil this time and then a cider at SmoBeer before calling it a night.

Tomorrow we leave for the jungle…

My two friends are coming to Ireland from California and we are embarking on a road trip around the south of Ireland. Before we set off on our road trip, we take a visit to the passage graves, giving the girls a taste of Irelands Ancient East.

After a visit to meet the mama in Coolock, we head for a local dinner at the Cock Tavern. The ladies are jet lagged but thanks to my sister Linda and buddy Miriam, they’re kept awake while I sneak off to choir practice!

Next morning we set off on our journey south and drive through the hills of Wicklow. We have a short pitstop at Johnnie Fox’s as Suzanne has memories of being here years ago with her friend. It’s a great spot in fairness, but a bit early for a drink!

Another quick stop in Enniskerry, the picturesque village where they filmed the movie “Enchanted”, for a tea and coffee and then we are back on the road to Wexford. We won’t make it to Guinness in Dublin so this was a good photo opportunity.

We drive to Kilmore Quay and have a delicious fish lunch at Mary Barry’s before heading further south, through Templetown, which was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Wexford.

The Knights Templar were founded by the Crusaders in Jerusalem, early in the tenth century. In 1172, King Henry II granted extensive lands to the templars along the eastern shore of Waterford Harbour. They set up their headquarters at Templetown, which is named after them. The Templars were disbanded in 1307 and their lands were given to their great rivals, the Knights Hospitallers, who built the fortified church below.

We continue to Hook Lighthouse, the world’s oldest working lighthouse established from a beacon in the 6th century to a grand tower built by the ‘greatest knight that ever lived’ William Marshall!

We are convinced to do the tour by the very chatty and friendly guide. From the viewing area attached to the tower the views out to sea are beautiful.

When we go outside, the wind gets quite a hold of us … and apparently today isn’t that windy at all!!

As we leave Wexford we find a stall and Suzanne chooses some local strawberries which really are delicious.

We drive to Ballyhack and take the ferry to Passage East where we are greeted by a goat on a wall!

After another scenic drive, we arrive to Tramore and my home away from home. It’s been a jam packed day so we decide to stay in for the evening. Dot cooks us a beautiful steak and we continue our chats over some very nice red wine.

Next morning I show the ladies all Tramore has to offer, starting with the beach.

The sun is out but as we get up the prom there’s a shower of rain so we play a few games at the slots!! (They’re getting the full experience!!)

We continue to the Doneraile walk and although it’s a bit breezy, it’s fine and sunny.

We continue to the top of the hill and explore the village.

We really want fish and chips for lunch so head to Dooleys up the hill but it starts raining just as we are going to eat them outside… so Dot sweet talks the barman in Raglan road and he surprisingly lets us eat our Dooleys in the lounge… of course we have to have a pint!

In the afternoon we visit Gaulstown Dolmen, a regular on my tour!!

For those of you who I’ve brought here, you’ll know that you park in someone’s driveway to access the woods where the dolmen resides. Well when we park, another car pulls in behind us and a man in wellies follows us towards the Dolmen – we reckon he’s either a murderer or a farmer!! It’s the later and he tells us if we want to see his herd of Scottish Highland cows, he’ll be running them down the field behind the dolmen. We do wait and it’s amazing to see them up so close and coming toward us. They are magnificent.

That evening we go to O’Neills for dinner and catch some traditional Irish music in the bar afterwards.

Next morning we set off to drive the Copper Coast. We’re so lucky with the weather and have beautiful views all along the coastline.

We continue to Youghal and check out the seaside Medieval town, where Moby Dick was filmed. An Irish scone with our mid morning tea and we are off again.

Next stop is Cobh and a visit to the Heritage centre which gives us not just a “Titanic Experience” but the “Queenstown Story”. [Cobh used to be called Queenstown] It’s a really interesting museum with lots of info about emigration from Ireland.

Cobh was the final port of call for the Titanic. 123 passengers boarded the ship and among the few who disembarked, a young Jesuit priest, Fr.Francis Browne. He was ordered by his superior to leave the ship in Cobh, and his famous photographs of the ship taken during its final leg of the journey became internationally recognized after the disaster.

The town of Cobh has lots of history and is very picturesque. We walk up the hill for the iconic view of the coloured houses and it doesn’t disappoint.

There’s plenty of interesting things to see in Cobh including St Colmans Cathedral. The cathedral’s steeple is 91.4 metres tall (300 ft), making it the tallest church in Ireland.

And our amazing runner and Olympian, Sonia O’Sullivan is from here! Woo hoo!

We see the memorial to the British passenger ship, the Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland in 1915. Cobh was the closest major port and was the first to receive survivors and victims. 169 of the victims were buried in the Old Church graveyard which we visit on our way out of town.

We drive to Blarney which is less than an hour away and after a bit of shopping at the Woolen Mills (sure you’d have to), check into our very nice guesthouse which is a two bedroom apartment annexed to a house. We have dinner in town at the Muskerry Arms which is delightful and very popular.

Next morning I drop the ladies to Blarney Castle so they can do the obligatory kissing of the stone and visit the gardens while I tick a Cork Parkrun off my list! So while I’m doing this…

They’re doing this…

Onwards to Kinsale and a fabulous fish lunch at Jim Edwards. It’s sunny when we arrive and we sit outside but it’s pretty clear we’re going to have to move inside to eat as there’s definitely a shower coming! We make it inside in time and the food is fabulous.

We love Kinsale and enjoy a walk around town seeing the colourful houses, shops and so many restaurants.

From Kinsale we head west toward Clonakilty and get a bonus stop at Ballinspittle, home of the infamous “moving statue” of Our Lady, which was quite the story in the 80’s!

We have a short pitstop in the gorgeous town of Clonakilty to visit my gorgeous friend Margaret. A quick chat and a ramble around Michael Collins territory and we’re back on the road to our next destination – Schull. We are staying at the Schull Harbour Hotel which has a direct view across to the harbour.

It’s Saturday night and we have a reservation at Blairscove House. This is quite a big deal as you have to book some months in advance and it has a five star reputation. It’s about a twenty minute drive and we book a local taxi woman so I’m clear for some beverages!!

We arrive early and walk around the very pretty grounds and then have a fabulous meal in what was once the barn of the Manor House, but is now an amazing high ceilinged dining room. The array of starters and deserts are fantastic (you get to choose as many as you like from a very high end buffet) and the cocktails and wine are also delicious.

Next morning it’s raining and unfortunately the hike that I had really wanted to do to Three Castle Head is not on the cards. We have breakfast at the hotel and then take a walk through town … which takes all of about 5 minutes!! Suzanne has spotted something we’re gonna try later – Hacketts local pub apparently have a gin!

The rain has eased so we get our raincoats and head off to explore the Mizen peninsula. A few kms out the road, we explore Altar Wedge Tomb, a 4,000 year old tomb, located at Toormore Bay.

The rocky scenery and coastline is rugged around here and the windy weather is invigorating.

We continue to Mizen Head, the most southwesterly point of Ireland, where we walk the Mizen Head footbridge which was built in 1909.

It’s very windy and the rain has come back but we enjoy the views.

We battle on to get to the Signal Station at lands end. The station was also built in 1909 to help prevent the loss of life and shipping on the rocks.

There’s a museum at the station and we learn lots about this area and about Fastnett lighthouse but to be honest the highlight is the scenery….

… and the views of the bridge.

We continue to explore the peninsula and see the beautiful Barley cove beach.

We are constantly looking out to the ocean in the hope that the clouds will clear and we’ll get a view of the lighthouse and low and behold, at Galley cove we manage to catch a glimpse – Fastnett!

We drive around Goleen (home to Sophie Toscan du Plantier who was murdered here in the 80’s – if you know, you know) and to Crookhaven.

Back at Schull we head to Hacketts and try the gin (although I have a pint) and the bartender tells us how it was created by her mam. There’s live music by an American and he’s really good.

From Hacketts we head for dinner to The New Haven which serves really good food for this tiny town. Afterwards we head for one more at O’Regans and have an interesting chat with the barman.

We really enjoyed our couple of nights in Schull and we are off again – our next stop is Kenmare. It’s raining as we park up the car so we try to stay indoors – that means shopping and also a visit to the Cathedral.

As we leave Kenmare and drive through Molls Gap, which is part of the Ring of Kerry, the scenery is stunning.

We find a couple of viewing points and are able to pull over and enjoy the rural surroundings.

We arrive to Killarney National Park and stop for lunch at Muckross Park Hotel. Across the road is Muckross Abbey which is a 15th century Franciscan friary. Despite being in ruins, it is well-preserved and features a church with a square tower, a cloister, and a central courtyard with an ancient yew tree.

It’s an hour and a half to where we’re staying tonight so we get on the road and head for the Dingle peninsula. We pass through Dingle town and head further west to Ballyferriter. The scenery around Dingle bay and Slea head is stunning although we can’t really stop for a photo. We’re staying at a beautiful family run hotel called Ceann Sibeal.

We go for a walk to explore this tiny village. Again the views all around are stunning. Some Star Wars movie was filmed out here and you can see why…

We hit one of the local pubs (just across the road) for dinner.

… and a drinky-poos!!

Next morning we continue the Slea head drive to Dunquin pier.

It’s stunning. I’ve wanted to walk this pier for years and finally I’m here.

We continue to the Blasket centre where there are great views out to the Blasket islands and a great bookshop where we solve a mystery! This man is everywhere but I didn’t know who he was and low and behold his book is beside Peig Sayers (my Irish friends know very well who that is!) – a local man turned explorer of the Antarctic. I’ll have a copy of that please!

We are delighted with our Slea Head visit and decide to head into Dingle town. I insist the girls meet Fungi!

We have a walk around and visit a number of the famous pubs and do some shopping.

Avoiding some rain showers, it’s time for an Irish coffee (decaf if you please!)

Tonight we eat at the hotel and the food is fantastic. I have this amazing prawn laksa curry. Some of us may have had some Hacketts gin in our very comfy family room and the wine in the bar is delicious, so everyone is happy!

Next morning it’s time to pack up and start making our way toward home. We travel through Tralee and stop to visit Blennerville Windmill which is an 18th century working windmill. We do the tour and learn all about how flour was milled and as a bonus there’s a model railway section! We chat to the guide who turns out to be from Kilmore West – small world!

We’re now heading east toward Tipperary and to the Rock of Cashel. It is a beautiful sunny day and it looks amazing. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster as early as the 4th century and prior to the Norman invasion. The girls do the tour while I catch up on some messages and chat to some tourists (as you do!).

We’re spending our last night of the trip in Kilkenny so we continue east to the Newpark Hotel. Once we’re settled in and have a final gin and tonic, we head into town. First stop, the castle.

We really want to enjoy our final meal and Butcher restaurant has been recommended for a good steak. We’re lucky enough to get a table and we start with a cocktail which goes down very well. We each order a different cut of steak and everything is delicious, especially when it’s paired with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. What an amazing meal!

Happily fed, we hit a few pubs and check out the live music scene! We start with Kytelers, set in a medieval building, traditionally associated with the Kyteler family and Dame Alice Kyteler who was allegedly a witch! Parts of the building date to the 14th and 15th century!!

I had also brought Dots daughter and son-in-law here when they came to Ireland a number of years ago as part of their honeymoon. We like this spot!

The place is buzzing when we arrive inside and we manage to get stools at the bar so we can watch the band, which consists of three men plus a lady on the fiddle playing traditional music. They’re really good.

There’s a group of ladies having a great time at the end of the bar – one in particular has clearly been on the sauce for the evening and when I attempt a few Irish dancing steps for my friends she makes a beeline for me to join in the craic. Madhead!!!

We hit a couple more bars and in both pubs catch the last few songs before it’s all over. What a great night and we would have stayed out longer if we could!!! 🤣

The view from our hotel room next morning entices me to check out Jurassic Newpark!

So while the girls go here and do the tour of the castle…

I run around the park and see some dinosaurs! I love it!!

We get on the road and head toward home. I’ve driven this route so many times and every time I see the sign for the Quaker village in Ballitore I think I should visit.. well today’s the day. We are all intrigued so we park in the tiny village and make our way to the library where we hear all about the Quaker’s who settled here in Co. Kildare.

We finish our road trip with a drive through the Curragh and then we’re back in Swords for our final night before the ladies fly off tomorrow. What a great trip!

Samoa is an independent island state in the South Pacific. It’s less than 5 hours flight from Brisbane which is where Shane and I fly to from Sydney on a “cold winters day” (not really!!) in July. We are flying to Apia, the capital of Samoa on the island of Upolu (one of 2 main islands). It’s a night flight and we arrive just after 6am.

We are meeting up with our pals to cycle around the whole island and today there are no formal arrangements so once we’ve been picked up, we get a day pass for Le Vasa Resort and relax there until we can check into our hotel for tonight.

There’s a bit of rain so we find some cover in a fale by the ocean and have a little snooze. A fale is the traditional home of the Samoan people. There are beach fales, like the one below, all over the island and larger versions which the locals live in.

The gang arrive at lunchtime and the holiday begins!

We are staying at Salty Lodge, in the village of Mulifanua and there is some beautiful water across the road.

We enjoy the sunset with a drink whilst avoiding any falling coconuts!

Tonight we eat at the Salty lodge and it’s pretty basic. We do get a huge giggle when James thinks he ordered what Rich did so takes a curry and leaves Rich waiting for a fairly long time (we are all practically finished our meals) for what we thought would be another curry but ends up being a burger. We couldn’t figure out why the cook took so long to serve another bowl of curry… hilarious!!

Next day is the first official day of our cycling trip. We start with a welcome meeting, get our bikes and cycle to the centre of the village…. which is essentially a large house!

Let’s do this!

Lulu, our guide, gives us all sorts of information about island life and we have a particular fascination with the Women’s Committee. She tells us that all mothers in the village are eligible to join a women’s committee which meets monthly and also carries out inspections such as checking women’s bed linen and cutlery!! You can be fined if you’re not meeting the standards set! The women’s committee are behind the beautiful flowers and displays along the roads – very impressive. There’s also a men’s committee but we’re way more interested in the women’s!

We get a demonstration of how they make coconut cream, how they take the cocoa beans and make a chocolate drink and they show us around their farm.

We cycle back and then walk across the road and go for our first dip in the South Pacific Ocean.

We cycle 4.5kms to the Sheraton resort and have a fancy (ie expensive) lunch. It’s a pleasant temperature in the evening and after our late lunch we happily relax and chat over some snacks (we love the local “bongos”) and a few drinks.

Next morning we have an 8am breakfast which consists of fruit (delicious papaya), toast, eggs and pancakes. All packed up, it’s time to explore this island. We cycle a ridiculously pretty road lined with fales.

The island is very religious, apparently there are six separate religions, mostly Christian and there are so many beautiful churches.

The support van meets us at the bottom of a huge hill which most people don’t attempt to cycle as it’s really steep. There’s a beautiful church at the base of the hill and it’s defo too steep for me to attempt – it’s not just this bit behind the church, it goes up and up for a couple of kms.

I decide to walk up it as it really is a killer incline. I decline my bike at the top as I’m terrified to free wheel down a steep hill and decide to run down it… the guide thinks I’m mad but it’s gorgeous and I love it.

Back on the bike we pass more beautiful homes, churches, ocean scenery and this local bus.

We continue cycling southwest to our accommodation for tonight at Falaese’ela. It’s called Lalotalie ECAT Adventure and it’s set in a lush garden along the Liua le Vai o Sina River.

This is a very traditional fale on a family home, open to just us as guests for the night. Quite the distinct open bedrooms!!! A fale (pronounced fah-leh) is the Samoan word for a traditional oval shaped house with a thatched roof, supported by wooden posts.

We have lunch with the host (he whipped up some egg and tuna sambos) and he chats to us about all sorts of topics regarding island life. At one point we hear a loud bang and realise a coconut has fallen out of the tree – it’s a real hazard around here! After a short rest and some time to allow the tide to come in, we cycle a few kilometres to the Savaia Giant Clam Sanctuary for a spot of snorkelling to see giant clams.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. The clams really are giant and the colours as they open and close are stunning.

It’s raining as we finish up our swim and get on the bikes, but sure we’re already wet. We’re all looking forward to a nice warm shower but it’s not to be. There is a very basic outdoor shower but it’s not working so it’s into the river with us!!

We sit with our host for a delicious dinner and continue to chat. He is very keen to discuss agriculture and has lots of questions about how Australia do things and shares some of the ideas he has to implement in Samoa. [our host is a chief on the Men’s committee]

We climb under our mosquito net and it’s pretty comfortable (once you get down on the floor and get in)…… and we drift off to sleep to the sounds of the river. Next morning we find out that the dogs who had been roaming around at dinner got into James and Ravs fale and kept them awake during the night. So glad that wasn’t us!!

We set off next morning and cycle straight to Matautu, our next accommodation, where we drop off our bikes and get taken by car to our kayak adventure. On the way we see so many homes with graves out front. It’s common to bury family members in the front yard and is seen as a way to keep the deceased close to the family.

Bigger more ornate graves generally denote that the deceased was a chief in the village.

At the OS Turtle Kayak adventure, we join up with another group and head out, in pairs, on the water. We kayak through mangroves and out to the ocean. We see a few turtles, but unfortunately, not as many as we hoped for. Every so often we see a little head peep out of the water but they move fast and I certainly didn’t get a really good look at any of them up close.

We stop at a small, deserted beach and have some snacks. It’s really beautiful out here and very remote.

Back in the kayaks again….. it’s hard work and somehow I manage to keep steering us to the right. Not really sure how that’s possible, but it’s happening!

Back on dry land we are fed lunch which is some sort of chicken and vegetable dish with rice – quite tasty and we all try the local fizzy drink, called Taxi. We take the van back to the resort which is called “Return to Paradise”. Once we’re checked in, we explore the resort. I have a dip in the sea and it is beautiful. The colour of the water is gorgeous and there are loads of colourful fish swimming around.

Tonight we hit the “Rock Bar” for some drinks and have a beautiful view out to the ocean. There’s a DJ set up and before our dinner arrives, he comes over with a clipboard to capture singers names for tonight’s karaoke… needless to say I’m very into this!!! I get up and do Zombie and then convince Shane to do a duet with me… can’t believe this – I’ve only been waiting seven years!!!

There’s a couple of families with singers and the song choices are pretty good so it’s good craic all round. Rav and I do a splendid (if I do say so myself) rendition of the Copa Cabana and after some persuasion, I manage to convince the whole gang to get up for what turns out to be the final song of the night – a lively “I’m Dill Dando” (if you know you know 🤪). Mic drop!

Next morning we say goodbye to Return to Paradise…. the dark sky, albeit with a very nice rainbow, looks a little ominous for a day of cycling…. 39kms to Tafatafa.

All along the way the local people say hello to us and children shout and scream from their homes and run along the road with us. We say “talofa” which is hello and the kids say “bye bye”. They’re so friendly although sometimes I wonder are they laughing at us!! We see plenty of churches along the way too.

After 20kms we stop at Keke’s bakery and get an assortment of pastries which are really really good. We taste some sweet ones as a morning snack and get some savoury ones to keep for lunch later.

We drive to O Le Pupü-Pu’e National Park where there are two walks we want to do. One is to the “Ma Tree” and the second is the Lava Field Coastal Walk, which we’ve read is a must-see. It’s raining heavy so we rest under cover for a bit but it’s just not clearing. We decide to do the shorter Ma Tree walk and then see how we feel about the significantly longer Coastal walk. It absolutely buckets down rain on us as we walk the slippery, mucky trail to see this Ma Tree (not very exciting), and we get saturated from head to toe.

It’s definitely not a day to do the longer coastal walk so we get back on our bikes (still raining) and we head onwards. Our next stop is at the Togitogiga Waterfall. It’s a very nice waterfall but after all that rain it’s very brown… hmmm I’m not swimming in that!!!

From here it’s about 8kms to tonight’s accommodation at “Brenda’s Beach Fales”. To our delight (not really, we’re soaked through and are essentially using camping facilities), it’s another rustic fale, this time right on the beach, which, in fairness is gorgeous. We just need to get dry!!

The rain has stopped (thank god) and we get out of our wet clothes and into the sea to get wet again!!! It’s a lovely beach and the water is gorgeous.

There’s some duty free booze we’ve been carrying with us and this seems like the right time to finish that off!!

Dinner is provided and it’s a chicken noodle stir fry, served in the large open fale – it’s just the 6 of us so very quiet. We did hear about a bar a short walk along the beach so we ramble down there and have a drink. We are delighted they have wine that we can bring back and have with our dinner.

The ocean is loud as we go to sleep but it’s somewhat soothing. Not a bad place to wake up…..

Next morning it’s raining but as soon as it clears we head back to the coastal walk and give it another go. It rains very heavy as we get there so we put on our raincoats and start the walk down the road to the start of the walk. It’s very wet and mucky and we come to a section where the water pans from one side of the road to the other – alas we cannot get through. Maybe if we had wellies we would make it, but we don’t, so at this point we admit defeat and head back to the van.

We’re unlucky with the weather, but not to worry, we head back to Brenda’s to get our bikes and set off on the road again.

Of course the rain stops as I’ve got the raincoat on. I’m getting sweaty so I tempt fate and take it off…. surprise surprise, within minutes the rain comes again. We all fully accept we are just going to get wet!! We stop at a resort for some lunch with our van driver Malaki.

After a short break, we continue to the much anticipated To-Sua Ocean Trench. To-Sua literally means ‘giant swimming hole’. It’s 30 metres deep and accessible via a long wooden ladder.

I cautiously climb down the wooden ladder to get into the water.

The current pulls us in one direction and then gently pushes us back in the other! There’s a rope down the centre to hold onto and the water is a lovely temperature. It’s really nice. We get a small rain shower while we’re in the water which is cool.

From here it’s approximately 13 km to our next accommodation spot. I feel like I have very little power in my legs and between the rain and the fierce head wind that’s whipped up, it’s tough going.

That said, the scenery is gorgeous as we battle the wind and rain along the coast road. It’s still warm and although I’m feeling tired, it’s really invigorating. Below is some footage of the route (taken the next day from the comfort of the van!)

We arrive to TAUFUA Beach Fales in Lalomanu and although we are soaked through, the sun has come out. The only thing for it is to get into our swimsuits and get into the ocean. This is our home for the next 2 nights.

This beach is considered (by Lonely Planet) to be one of the best in the world. There’s a reef for snorkeling which we will try tomorrow but for now we enjoy the waves pulling us softly out and then pushing us back to shore.

When we ask if there’s hot water we’re told “it’s Samoa”… so that’s a no!! Mind you, the cold shower doesn’t feel so bad and once happily washed and in dry clothes, we head to the bar and have a cocktail until it’s time for the communal dinner. The dinner consists of a host of dishes including potato salad, coleslaw, chicken, sausages, rice and it is a delicious meal.

We hang around after dinner finishing our drinks – tea is available self service so I obviously take advantage of that! Most people have left around 9 pm and we are chatting to two young couples, from Wales and Brisbane. We noticed staff gathering at the other side of the room and it appears they are about to have a staff meeting. Out of nowhere they start singing a hymn. They have an amazing sound with harmonies and a very strong male base sound. It’s fascinating and the meeting continues well after we go to bed!

There is no cycling next day, so we have a restful morning, watching the sun come up and enjoying a cup of tea by the ocean.

We have a delicious communal breakfast and get ourselves ready to attempt the coastal walk for a third time. Malaki collects us as it’s a forty minute drive. The good news is it’s a beautiful sunny day with no rain. En route we see the beautiful countryside that we cycled through yesterday. It looks much nicer in the sunshine!

We are delighted we’re able to do the coastal walk and agree it was definitely worth coming back to.

It’s a fairly easy path but over lava rocks and tree roots and at some points it’s mucky but the views are stunning.

There are a number of viewpoints, each seem to be getting better as we continue. At the end we get to stand on the lava rock and get some great splashes from big waves below.

On our way back Malaki suggests visiting another waterfall – Sopoaga Falls.

Back at the beach we have some lunch and then hit the water for some snorkeling. It’s lovely and we see an assortment of fish in certain spots, not too far from the shore. Another family style meal tonight which is super tasty ahead of a restful sleep.

Next morning we set off on a tricky cycle with lots of hills. We’re cycling 39kms from Lalomanu to Faleapuna. It’s killer and at one point I can’t battle on and jump in the van… but only for 3 kms!

Then I’m back on the bike as the road flattens out somewhat. Eventually there’s a big downhill but I prefer a tough climb to a steep downhill so just like our first day cycling, I chose to run down the hill rather than cycle. I do get to wave on the rest of the gang as they fly by!

We reach Le Mafa Pass for a view and then it’s the real decent… not my favourite thing so I break practically the whole way down, way behind the others who fly down with no fear!! Not me!

At the bottom of the hill we arrive to the village of Faleapuna and Le Uaina Beach Resort. We are all in need of a little rest and relaxation after that tough morning, so we have some lunch and then relax by the ocean. I have a lovely swim in the pool.

…. and after we walk into the ocean (there’s no beach) and do some snorkelling.

It’s so peaceful and just gorgeous.

We watch the sun set and enjoy a tasty dinner before falling into bed for a good sleep!

Next morning we take a five minute walk to the Piula Cave Pool. Entry to the pool is tucked behind a Methodist church and we are there just after 8am when it opens so are the only people there.

Piula is a natural freshwater pool that originated from an old lava tube. The large cave leads to a second smaller one but you’re not allowed to swim through anymore – fine by me!! Rumour has it there are eels! The temperature is a little chillier than the ocean but the water is crystal clear and delightful to bounce around in!

Back at the resort, we shower and get ourselves ready for our last day of cycling.

We are heading for Apia and on the way Malaki treats us to a pineapple pastry. It’s like a Cornish pasty but with hot pineapple, mixed with custard, inside. It’s very tasty

As we arrive into Apia it starts to rain so we are finishing our cycle trip as we spent most of it – wet!!! Luckily our rooms at the Amanaki hotel are ready and we are able to check in and get dry. We take a walk around Apia in blistering heat!

We visit the beautiful cathedral.

Inside the cathedral is really impressive, especially the wooden roof

It is roasting in Apia so after our walk around and some purchases (I have to have a lava lava which is a sarong), we head back to the hotel and have a final swim in the pool.

For our final meal of the holiday we go to Bistro Tatau and have a fancy meal and some really good NZ wine. A great finish to a great trip.

Goodbye Samoa – you have been beautiful!

I’m flying from Boston to Reykjavik on Iceland Air and I’m surprised when the pilot tells us the flight time is just 4 hours 40 minutes. I’m arriving at 6am so a nights sleep is not gonna happen, plus the lady beside me keeps the light on and knits for the whole flight!!!

The international airport, Keflavík, is about a 45 minute drive from Reykjavík so I’ve done a bit of research on what’s close by that I can visit while I wait for my friend Nina and her daughter Kate to arrive. They’re getting in at 2pm so it’s a lot of time to fill on very little sleep!! I pick up a hire car (that takes a few minutes!!) and head off to drive a loop of the Reykjanes peninsula. I realise pretty quickly that the road I’m on is the road that was recently covered with volcanic rock when there was a volcanic eruption on 1st April (just 4 weeks ago). I’d say there are plenty of jobs for roadworkers in this country!!

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The scenery feels like you could be on another planet and beyond the black lava rocks there are steaming fields – vents for the steam rising from the volcanic earth.

I follow my trusted google maps toward Volcano Fagradalsjall which was dormant until 2021. I hike to Stórhóll viewpoint which gets closest to the black volcanic crater of the 2021 eruption. The trail to the viewpoint passes right next to its cooled black lava flow. The black lava field still steams from the residual heat. It’s very cold and windy and there’s no one around at this early hour.

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I’m really enjoying the hike even if I am knackered and it’s freezing. It’s brilliant to be out here, seeing the sights with no one around. Love it!

At the top looking down, I wonder how this looked when it was hot and flowing downhill…. Mad!!

After a couple of hours hiking I return back to the car and drive toward my next stop. On the way I see a few cars turned off and a sign for Brimketill (Surf cauldron). I pull in to have a look. According to the sign, Brimketill is an extraordinary pool on the seaside of the westernmost part of Stagarberg. It was formed due to the constant beating of the waves against the lava rock coast. The lava around Brimketill is extremely rough, cracked and with high, sharp edges and surfaces. It was likely formed in the Reykjanes Fires in 1210-1240. I walk across some sand and watch the waves crashing against the pool.

Only a few minutes further down the road I reach my destination, the “Bridge between Continents”. At first it looks a little out of place, spaning what appears to be a dried up river bed, a sand-filled cleft which seems puzzling in a country that isn’t associated with dry weather. But then you figure out that this isn’t a river after all. Instead, it’s a visible tear in the landscape, tangible proof that Iceland is divided by a rugged plate boundary. Here, the land on which you stand is slowly pulling apart. On one side of the bridge is the North American plate; on the other, the Eurasian. Though you can’t see or feel it, the ground beneath your feet is moving.

I step out onto the bridge and in the space of 15 or so metres, I have walked from Europe to North America! The Eurasian plate is Earth’s largest continental tectonic plate and approximately 75% of the human population lives on it. The North American plate is drifting to the west away from the Eurasian plate, widening the Atlantic Ocean in the process. Fascinating!

I drive through the “town” of Hafnir. Not a shop, cafe or school in sight but they do have a sign to tell you where you are!

I’m struggling to keep my eyes open so I head back to the airport to wait for the girls to arrive. The pick up is easy, as surprise surprise, the airport is tiny. All loaded into the car, we drive the forty minutes or so to Reykjavík. We are delighted to get a free parking space just around the corner from our apartment and without delay we head out to explore. Our apartment is right beside Haligrams church which is the biggest church in Iceland and was built to resemble a volcanic formation. It’s impressive from the outside but unadorned inside.

We continue on to Rainbow street, a popular spot for tourists, although there’s not too many around as the high season has yet to kick off. Happy Days!

We continue toward the water (which is the North Atlantic Ocean by the way), to the iconic Harpa Concert Hall.

We’re very lucky with the weather and it’s lovely walking around here and looking out to the ocean…

There are plenty of options for food and we chose a brightly decorated restaurant called Salka Valka, with a varied menu. I try the local fish pie and it’s really good.

Reykjavík has a lot of bakeries and there’s one in particular I want to visit that was on “Somebody Feed Phil”. [I just watched the episode with Renee in Portland and took notes]. It’s called Braud and next morning we take a short walk there to get some pastries for breakfast.

The cinnamon bun is definitely the winner, it’s warm and gooey and delicious. We try the famous “happy wedding cake” (on the right in the picture below) but it’s not very exciting.

Happy with our bakery haul, we get on the road as today we are driving, what is known as the Golden Circle. This is a popular loop drive which covers the main tourist highlights. The scenery as we drive is stunning and we stop a few times along the way for some photo opps.

Our first official stop is Pingvellir (or Thingvellir) National Park. From the year 930 to 1798 this was home to the Icelandic parliament. It covers a large area including the largest lake in Iceland and we get a good aerial view from the visitors centre.

We descend to what is called Law Rock where the Lawspeaker stood and recited the country’s laws to the masses (today the population is less than 400,000 and the “masses” were significantly smaller back then).

In olden times drowning was widely used as a method of execution. People were drowned in marshes, in fresh water and in the sea. 😱 We continue to Pingvellir church, a tiny wooden church built in 1859. It’s very picturesque in this setting.

Walking further around the park we visit Oxararfos – a waterfall where a lot of those executions happened 😱.

We head back to the car and continue on. By the way there are no entry fees to any of the places we visit but you have to pay for parking everywhere you stop. There’s a camera as you enter, and a barcode to scan where you reference your car registration to make the payment. It’s very efficient. Kate finds another waterfall along the route and it turns out to be absolutely spectacular. It’s called Brúarfoss and it’s Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall. It is stunning.

Our next stop is the Geysir Hot Springs Area. We have some lunch in the visitor centre first. I have a lamb stew which is more of a broth and costs nearly €30!! That’s Iceland for you!!

Onwards to the geothermal area which is across the road! We pass a steaming hot mud pool on our way.

We can see the main geyser has erupted as it’s only a short walk from the main road, but we don’t have to wait long until it gushes again. Now before I did some research I thought we were viewing what is known as the great Geysir but that’s been dormant for years!! We are actually watching Strokkur geysir which erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. Unlike Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park where you could be hanging around for an hour waiting.

We walk a full circle around and see it gush from another vantage point. Although we are waiting for it to erupt, I still scream when it happens!!

Next we head to Gullfoss which has a 32-meter drop, divided into two stages: an upper 11-meter drop and a lower 21-meter drop. It’s huge and stunning!

We walk to the lower drop and then upward to the higher drop where we get lots of spray on us.

Gullfoss means Golden Falls, named due to the rainbow-tinged spray hanging over this magnificent canyon. We are lucky enough to see a rainbow as we walk toward and away from the highest part of the falls.

We’ve seen plenty for today and decide to head back home for a little rest before dinner. Our apartment is in such a good location and it’s a short walk to “Bastard Brew and Food” where we have some good food and a couple of expensive drinks!!

After a good nights sleep and a lot of book reading – the girls are reading the same book and one is clearly trying to pass the other out…. I’ve also read the book so there’s a lot of discussion on it – we head for another bakery. This one is called Brikk and was recommended by our host so we happily stock up on an assortment of pastries. This cinnamon bun is even better than yesterday’s!

The weather is really bad as we leave the city and visibility on the road is treacherous as we (I) slowly drive through a dense fog and lashing rain. It clears a bit and although it’s still raining we stop to view Kerid crater.

We zip up our raincoats and hike up the steps (not many) so we can walk along the perimeter of the cauldron and look down to the amazing blue lake nestled among red volcanic rock – it’s stunning. It’s estimated that this volcano erupted 6,500 years ago!

As we pass through Hella, we stop for a cup of tea at the American SchoolBus Café. There’s a whole story about how the Romanian guy who owns it refurbished it and got it to Iceland. It’s very on trend!

It’s time to tuck into those pastries!!

Continuing on the road we head for another giant waterfall, SELJALANDSFOSS!

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Apparently this one features in a movie that Bjork starred in back in the 90’s, I must check it out. And in case you’re wondering we did not bump into Bjork on our travels 🥲.

We are able to walk behind the 60 metre drop….. there’s a lot of splashes and it’s great fun.

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There’s another “doss” a short walk away – it’s called Gljufrabúi but it’s known as the secret waterfall. The falls are partially obscured by the cliff rock.

If you don’t mind getting a bit wet (and we don’t), you can walk through the narrow canyon to a small pool and get a great view and a good soaking.

We love it….

As we are happily driving around this amazing island and admiring the varied landscape, we see what looks like a small house built into a cave. We’ve got to stop for a look. The name on the parking sign (you gotta pay for parking at all the stops) is Rútshelli. Apparently there are upwards of 200 of these mari-made caves on 90 farms in South Iceland, and 41 of them have been declared protected sites. They are virtually unknown elsewhere in the country. There are many stories around how they were used, this one was mostly used to store hay.

We drive approximately 30km to another giant waterfall – Skógafoss. At this stage we might be getting waterfall fatigue so we are happy with the view from here and then carry on. It is fairly magnificent mind you.

There is just so much beautiful scenery all around this south part of the island and it changes quite dramatically as we cover more ground.

Next to check off the list is a glacier. It’s a little over half an hour to Sólheimajökull glacier so that’s where we are heading. There’s an easy path that takes us quite close so we get a good view.

We walk down to the river where we see giant blocks of ice that have calved from the glacier… it’s impressive to see and strange to fathom that although it’s cold here, the weather is sunny and quite warm only a short distance away!

Back in the car, we head southeast toward Vik and Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach. The beach’s distinctive black sands result from lava cooling rapidly upon meeting the ocean. Apparently this beach is known for sneaker waves but we are safe today. It certainly is an unusual beach with a dramatic coastal view.

The beach sits alongside the town of Vik and from here we look up to see the Reyniskirkja wooden church which dates to 1929. The red roof really stands out and makes for a beautiful photo.

We drive up to the church and check out the view back down to the beach and the town – it really is a charming place .

We’ve had a long day and it’s a couple of hours drive home so when we pass through a decent size town, we stop for some grub. The restaurant has some Asian fusion going on and fills the gap needed. It’s dark by the time we get home and there’s just time for a glass of wine and some photo sharing before bed!

Next morning Nina hits the bakery and brings us back some treats! Today is our last day and we have a booking at the Blue Lagoon. We’re very excited! The first views of the blue water, as we make our way to the parking lot, are remarkable.

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We get one drink (alcoholic if you’re so inclined and yes we are!) and two face masks with our entry fee. We then float around for two hours between different sections of the pool and various sauna and steam rooms.

We are very chill by the time we’re leaving.

On the way back to the city we drive to the Perlan museum which is built around 6 former water tanks situated on a foresty hill overlooking the city. Unfortunately it’s overcast so we don’t get a view of Reykjavík.

For our final dinner we are going to Café Loki, a family run restaurant specialising in traditional Icelandic home style food.

I go for the Icelandic plate Loki which has Rye bread slices, with mashed fish (Plokkfiskur) & smoked trout, flatbread with smoked lamb, dried fish with butter and a taste of fermented shark. By the way it costs around €38.

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We take a walk around the old town to round off our Iceland trip. It’s such an easy charming town to explore.

Now if you’ve read some of my other blogs, you might know that I love a pedestrian crossing sign – or as we like to call it at home, the green man (even if he’s not green). Look how dapper this fella is in his cool hat – I love it!

And speaking of hats, one last photo before we rest up ahead of a 4:30am wake up call for our journey home!!

Iceland, I understand why you’re a bucket list destination for many people. This has been one of my favourite places to visit and I hope to visit again some day.