The first time we had heard of Vanuatu was because of the TV show Survivor which had filmed a season there. Espiritu Santo is the largest island of the 80 Vanuatu Islands and like the TV show, it heralded beautiful white sand beaches, cool blue holes and world renowned snorkelling and diving. It is part …
The first thing you are struck by when walking in Honoria, the capital of Guadalcanal is how friendly the people are. Everyone seems to have a smile on their face and a welcome “Hello” or “Good morning” or even a high five! There are over 900 islands in the Solomons with over 70 different languages …
The South Pacific becomes a reality as we slowly make our way to Samarai Island which is still part of Papua New Guinea. Lush islands with sandy beaches and houses on stilts pass us by. Locals in outrigger canoes come out to take a look as cruise ships are infrequent in this area. Samarai Island …
The old adage of be careful what you wish for is certainly true. Since our arrival in Hong Kong and our travels through the islands, we have been dogged with cloudy skies. However, our arrival in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea heralded sunny blue skies. This however, ramped up the heat factor when the …
We arrived early morning in Dili the capital of Timor-Leste, one of the world’s newest country. Timor-Leste suffered thousands of casualties during several guerrilla wars and pro-independence wars from Indonesia. Unlike other islands in Indonesia where Islam or Hindu is the religion of the masses, Timor-Leste is predominantly Roman Catholic. It’s still hot and humid as …
Before the fiasco with our excursion to the Gilli islands, we had shunned the ship’s excursions to book our own on the Internet. We wanted to see the Komodo dragons but also wanted to experience one of the world’s seven pink beaches which there is one near Komodo National park. Unfortunately, the ship only offered …
The ship’s excursion brochure to Gilli Trawangan an island north of the island of Lombok promised a nice walk around the island, time for snorkelling or a donkey taxi ride with a lunch later and some stopovers for tea and cakes and a visit to a pottery making place. However, it fell far short of …
The Intercontinental Bali in Jimbaran is located not too far from the international airport in Denpasar and the Benoa Port if you are taking a cruise. We booked an ocean view Club room which gave us access to an exclusive check-in area, pool and Club lounge. By prepaying the rate, you save quite a few …
As a newcomer to Bali the first thing you come to realize is that you don’t try to rent a car or motorbike to drive around…not unless you have a death wish. Many tourists have fulfilled that wish. There is heavy traffic everywhere, the roads are very narrow in some areas, and the motorbikes zip …
Finding the right hotel for the right price and the right location is always the most difficult thing to do when planning a trip.When we searched for a hotel we wanted one not too far from the action and at a reasonable price. We selected Hotel ICON on the Kowloon side. It’s a sleek and …