Seaside – Maldo Travels

San Andres – Buggy Rental

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 20:00:00 +0000

When we arrived in San Andres, we mainly got around the island via public transport or taxi. In the first couple of days on the island, we noticed several buggies on the streets and also rental spots. We enquired about the buggy in one of the rental spots near Centro and decided to hire one for one of the days we had free. The rental came to 200,000 COP¹ for 1 full day with a full tank.

We picked up the buggy at around 11 AM and headed down to the southern tip of the island. It took us about 45 minutes to drive down the coastline enjoying the great beach views along the way. We stopped at El Hoyo Soplador which is one of the main tourist spots in San Andres. At this place, the parking is free, but the locals ask you to buy a drink or food from the restaurant bar. We ordered one of the local cocktails called Coco Loco which was served in a coconut. There was a long queue when we got there to take a picture at the place. This tourist spot is a natural phenomenon of a blowhole in the rocky ground. When the waves come crashing into the cove, you’ll get a gust of wind and water sprayed out of the blowhole. We waited in the queue for about 10-15 minutes to get a picture/video.

Next, we continued driving along the coastline in a loop around the island. After about 20 minutes, we arrived at a viewpoint on the west side of the island. At this viewpoint, there is the tourist letter sign of I Love San Andres Island. There aren’t as many people at this viewpoint compared to the other letter sign of San Andres in Centro, so it’s easier to get a picture here. After getting a picture we continued driving up the coastline to get to Centro on the north side of the island. It took us about 30 minutes and it was now around 1.30 PM so we went for lunch in Centro.

After lunch, we stopped by the main tourist letters of I Love San Andres in Centro. We then looped back around the island making stops at remote beaches along the way. Most of the west side is quite rocky and mainly used for Scuba diving. The south and east side have untouched sandy beaches with clear water. Since these beaches are more remote, they don’t have crowds like the beaches at Centro and were great to relax in. We finished our loop back to Centro at around 6 PM to drop off the buggy.

San Andres – Scuba Diving

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000

We had originally planned to do one of the 3-day certification courses, but we ended up backing out because the place we planned to do the course was very unorganized. Also, we went during Covid and they didn’t seem to have adequate cleaning protocols. We didn’t plan on doing scuba diving there again, but whilst in Centro, one of the tour reps convinced us to go with another dive center. We were booked in for a morning half-day Scuba Experience session and we were picked up from our hotel at around 10 AM. After making a couple of other stops, we got to the dive center Sea Pride on the western side of the island at around 10.30 AM. We registered and went to the seating area to wait for other groups to arrive. Once everyone had arrived, one of the instructors began their presentation and demonstrated how to use the equipment. They gave clear instructions on what our role was once in the water and that we would have 1 instructor between 2 people who would operate the equipment.

At around 11.30 AM they started handing out the equipment and made sure the fit was OK for us and that it was all in working order. After everyone had their gear on, we were taken out to the shore to dive into the water. The entry point for us was from a rocky shoreline, and we had to drop into the water on our backs. An instructor checks your equipment one last time before you drop in, and there’s another instructor in the water waiting for you as well. The tank is the heaviest part, but once you drop in, you float right to the top. The instructor then tells you to lie flat and breathe through the regulator. They then turn you to face down into the water for you to get used to breathing through the regulator. Once everyone from your group is in the water and familiar with the regulator, the instructors signal us to swim further into the sea. They adjust the buoyancy as we keep progressing so all we had to do was breathe through the regulator and signal that we were OK. My group set out at around 11.55 AM and the scenery was amazing. We got to see corals, lots of different fish species, and an eel. In all that time in the water, I didn’t notice how deep we had gotten until we were signaled to go back. I managed to get some great shots with my GoPro, but the instructor also took pictures of us which were much better.

Overall it was a great experience that convinced me to take the certification exam on another holiday. The instructors were great and knowledgeable, but sometimes they took a while to adjust my buoyancy which meant that sometimes I was too close to the corals or the seabed. The experience in the water lasted about 30 minutes and we were out of the water by 12.30 PM. We then went back into the dive center to return our gear and get changed. The minivan then arrived at around 1 PM to pick us up. One of the stops it was making was at Centro which was convenient for us since we had another semi-submarine tour scheduled in the afternoon.

San Andres – Caribbean Paradise

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 20:00:00 +0000

At the departure airport, everyone has to purchase a Tourist Card which costs 25 USD² and can be paid in USD or COP³. you must make sure to keep the Tourist Card throughout your stay and present it at the San Andres customs when leaving the island. We arrived at the San Andres Airport at around 4 PM. The airport is quite small so we got through customs quickly. Upon exiting the airport, several taxis are waiting to pick up passengers. Our hotel was located in San Luis on the east side of the island which was a little far away from Centro where the main strip is. We decided to first walk to the main strip to see if we could get a tour for the following day.

The main strip is a short 20-minute walk from the airport, and you can first walk to the beach and walk alongside the sea which is a beautiful walk. Once we got to the main strip, we found a couple of tour agencies and bought an Islands Tour for the next day. We then took a taxi to our hotel which cost us 25,000 COP. We stayed at San Luis Place by Dorado which had a private beach. A perk of the hotel we stayed at is that we also had access to the private beaches and facilities of the other hotels By Dorado. That evening we headed to one of them in the San Luis area Hotel Reina del Mar which had a bar and restaurant.

We spent a week in San Andres which is great for both relaxing and going on tours to explore the island. Many of the hotels have private beaches and we found time every day to chill at the private beaches and pools of the hotels By Dorado. There are also lots of tours and activities available and we headed out on the Islands Tour, a Scuba Diving Experience, a Semi-Submarine tour, rented a golf cart to tour the island, and went to a Boat Party. Overall, it’s a great island destination to experience Caribbean beaches with lots of activities.

Botany Bay – Beautiful Sandy Beach

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:41:00 +0000

It’s possible to take public transport to this destination, but you need to first take a train to either Broadstairs or Margate and then take a bus to Botany Bay. From London, it’ll take around 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on where in London you’re departing from. It’s much easier to get there by car since it’s a 1-hour 45-minute drive if there’s no traffic. However, this beach is very popular in the summer, so it’s best to leave in the early morning to get a decent parking spot near the beach.

The Botany Bay area is very residential and depending on where you’ve managed to park, you’ll likely have to walk along the cliff to one of the beach entrances. You’ll get some spectacular views of the sea and beach from this walk. There’s a free toilet and changing area at one of the main entrances, it’s not very big nor well kept though. If it’s a busy summer’s day, then there will probably be a long queue as well.

The beach itself is quite small, but it’s a sandy beach which is quite rare in the UK, hence its popularity. It’s also rather unique given the white chalk cliffs that border it. The cliffs make for great photo opportunities and are also great to walk along since they have great viewpoints of the beach. When we went in September, the weather was in the high 20s to 30s, but the water was still icy cold. Overall, it’s a great beach that’s close enough to London for a day trip.

Lisboa – City Sites and the Beach

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 23:45:00 +0000

From Canas de Senhorim, it was about a 2-hour 40 -minute scenic drive through mountains and valleys. The highways are great and once in the city, the roads become very hilly and narrow. Our rental was automatic which made driving in the hilly city much easier. We found a car park near Castelo de São Jorge and then walked to Praça da Figueira to have some breakfast. We found a great restaurant that has a tasty vegan menu.

After breakfast, we walked uphill for about 30 minutes to Castelo de São Jorge. We went through stone-tiled roads and several building walls were decorated with iconic tiles. There were also great views of the city on the way. The castle complex is quite large and we walked the perimeter of its walls. We didn’t go inside though and headed to a viewpoint instead. It was about a 25-minute walk to Miradouro da Graça. This is a great spot for unobstructed views of the city and the iconic suspension bridge Ponte 25 de Abril. There are several tables and chairs with parasols here where you can order snacks and drinks. We took a break here for about 30 mins before heading back to the car park. When we got back, we came from the top and found that the car park rooftop was also a great viewpoint of the city. It was about 1.30 PM now so we headed to the beach at Sesimbra.

It was about a 1-hour drive with some traffic getting out of the city. As we arrived at the beach, we got a wonderful elevated view of the sea driving down winding roads. We found a car park a short walk away from the beach. There are several bars along the beach and private spots with parasols that you can rent. There are also plenty of public areas where you can set yourself up. The beach is sandy and stretches for miles. There are cliffs at the far end and it’s a very beautiful place. We chilled here for about 3 hours before heading back to Lisbon for dinner.

There was a lot more traffic on the way back, especially crossing the bridge so it took us about 1-hour 30 minutes. We made a stop at Torre de Belém before heading for dinner in the city. The riverside is a beautiful walk, especially at sunset. You get a great view of the suspension bridge and Santuário de Cristo Rei as well. We headed for dinner at around 7.30 PM and then drover back to Canas de Senhorim.

San Jacinto – Relaxing Beaches

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 23:25:00 +0000

From the capital city Quito, it’s about a 6-hour 30-minute drive down the winding roads that descend the Andes. We left at around 6 AM and stopped in Santo Domingo de Los Tsachilas for some breakfast at around 8.30 AM. We then continued for another 2 hours and 30 minutes to Chone where we took a small break at around noon. We then drove 1 hour 15 minutes to San Jacinto getting there at around 1.30 PM. It’s a very small town and joins with San Clemente. We stayed in a villa just off the highway which was 2 blocks from the beach. After settling in, we headed to a restaurant in San Clemente. The tide was high in the late afternoon with violent waves crashing onto the rocky shores. It wasn’t possible to get in the sea but there was a beautiful sunset on the horizon.

The following day, we headed to San Jacinto beach where there’s a colorful sign with the town’s name. The tide was low now with gentle waves so it was possible to get in. A family friend was from the area and he met us there and took us to a beach a little further south towards Crucita. This beach was on the mouth of a river so you could bathe in the river as well. There was also a protected mangrove swamp where you can go for a walk. A site official takes you around and provides info on the flora and fauna. It’s free but they sell bracelets to help with the maintenance of the site. There are several birds at the beach, especially cranes. You can also look for small crabs popping out from their burrows.

At around 4 PM, we went to get some food at Hotel San Jacinto. They have a seaside restaurant serving fresh seafood and outdoor seating. They have a viewpoint looking out to the sea that you can climb. The waves break on the banks so you’ll get wet when a large wave comes in. After eating, we headed to Bahia de Caráquez which was about a 40-minute drive away. There’s a small town in this bay which has a large bridge that crosses over to San Vicente. We drove over the bridge and walked out to a pier at San Vicente Malecon which has great panoramic views of the city. After the sun had set, we headed back to our villa.

On the final day, we headed to the beach at Crucita in the morning which was a 20-minute drive south of San Jacinto. This beach is more touristic and we had breakfast at one of the beachside restaurants. After breakfast, we went for a short stroll along the beach before making our way back to Quito.

Nusa Penida – Scenic Island Beaches

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 23:14:50 +0000

We booked this tour in Kuta for 800,000 IDR³. The tour bus picked us up from our hotel at around 7.30 AM and it’s a 30-minute drive to Sanur Beach. We’re given our boat tickets here and have 15 minutes to walk around the beach. It’s quite empty in these early hours but some of the stalls are open if you want to grab snacks or drinks. The ride on the speedboat to Nusa Penida takes 1 hour and we arrive at around 9.15 AM. We get off on the north side of the island at Toyapakeh. There are several guides here picking people up so you have to wave your receipt for yours to spot you. We then get on another tour bus and head to Kelingking Beach. The island is quite mountainous and we drive through the winding roads of the mainland to reach the south-west side of the island. It takes about 50 minutes reaching our first destination at 10.15 AM. We arrive at the cliffside which has an amazing view of the beach and the peninsula reaching out into the sea. We only have about 15 minutes here to take pictures so we can’t head on the trail down to the beach.

Our next stop is a 30-minute drive away to Angel’s Billabong arriving at 11 AM. This is a natural infinity pool that looks over the sea. However, it was closed off so you cant swim in it and can just take pictures from around it. It is very busy here and we stayed for about 10 minutes to get some pictures. We then headed to Broken Beach which was a 5-minute walk away. This destination is a cove where an arch in the cliffs lets water flow in to form a pool. We get around 30-minutes to walk around the perimeter before heading back to the tour bus.

At around noon, we continue to our last destination at Crystal Bay stopping for lunch at a tourist restaurant. We’re done with lunch by 1.15 PM and reach Crystal Bay at 1.30 PM. This is a popular sandy beach lined with beach chairs, umbrellas, and bars/restaurants. We’re given snorkeling gear and the guide says we don’t have to swim too far to see some sea life. We head into the water and is very shallow for about 20 meters. There are corals and rocks in the shallow water so it would be best to head out with water shoes. It’s a great snorkeling spot where you’ll get to see plenty of corals, fish, and other animals swimming around. We had about 2 and a half hours at Crystal Bay and we spent most of our time snorkeling. We then also grabbed some ice-cold beers and sat on some benches in the shade enjoying the view.

At around 4 PM, we headed back to the harbor which was a 30-minute drive away. We got on the boat and were back at Sanur Beach by 5.30 PM. Our pick up was late and arrived at around 5.50 PM. This was rush hour time and after dropping off other tour groups at their hotels, we reached our hotel at around 6.30 PM.

Gili Islands – A Remote Paradise

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:01:37 +0000

Coming from Kuala Lumpur, we arrived at Bali International Airport at around 10 PM. Getting through customs was fairly straightforward and when exiting, there were several tour sales reps around. We found an ATM at the airport to get cash out and then we got a Grab⁴ to our hotel in Kuta. We didn’t have boat tickets yet for the Gili Islands so we asked our driver who gave us a Whatsapp number for a sales rep. There was no more space on the boats departing from the nearby port at Serangan, but the rep said there was a boat leaving from Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan at 10 AM. This harbor was about an hour’s drive away and the sales rep said he could offer us return tickets plus transportation for 1,600,000 IDR⁵ for both of us. It was quite pricy but it was similar to what we found online for just boat tickets. The car picked us up at around 8.30 AM the following day to take us to Padang Bai. There was a lot of traffic getting out of Kuta but we made it to the harbor in time for the boat. The pier at the harbor was very busy with lots of people waiting to get on their boats. We’re all given stickers to help the staff determine who goes on which boat. As you board the boat, they take your luggage to secure onto the boat. You then head down to sit in the lower deck. The boat travels quite quickly and about 20 minutes in, the captain announces that people can head to the upper deck. Beer is also available to buy on the boat. It’s quite a long journey and we arrived at Gili Trawangan at 12.30 PM.

The Island

We stayed on the largest of the Gili islands, Gili Trawangan, which is also known as Gili T. The main strip on the east side of the island is filled with tour agencies, restaurants, hotels, and bars. There are also lots of certified scuba diving agencies, many of which also offer accommodation. This part of the island is very lively and great to relax in during the day. It has beautiful sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. In the evening, you can catch the sunset whilst having a drink or some dinner with a view of the sea. At night, the bars have live music and there are 2 or 3 clubs on the strip. The atmosphere is great with people dancing on the beach outside the club. There is also a night food market that does some great barbecues and fresh seafood. The west side of the island is less busy and has some resort hotels. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset and it’s a short 25-minute walk from the east side. You can also rent bikes if you’d like to explore more of the island.

Snorkeling

We booked this tour for 100,000 IDR each and the boat left the pier at 1.30 PM. The first snorkeling stop is at the shore of Gili Meno. There are some corals here and lots of colorful fishes. The main attraction is some statues on the seabed where lots of fish swim around. The water is clear, calm, and quite shallow which makes it great for snorkeling. We spend about 30 minutes here before heading to Turtle Point. The waters here are much deeper and fewer fishes are swimming around. The highlight here is that you are pretty much guaranteed to spot turtles swimming or resting on the seabed. We made 2 stops at different parts of the Turtle Point and got to see lots of turtles. We stayed in the area for about an hour and 15 minutes before heading to Gili Air for some food. We’re taken to a restaurant inland and then have some time to walk around the island. This is the smallest island and much quieter than Gili T, but it also has similar sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. After a short walk, we then headed to the boat and back to Gili T.

Hong Kong – Scenic Island City

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 10:42:00 +0000

From Beijing, it’s a 3-hour 30-minute flight to Hong Kong. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 3.30 AM so we took a taxi to the airport for 130 RMBRenminbi.'>⁵ plus a 10 RMB airport toll. Since there was no traffic, it was a short 40-minute drive to the airport. In these early hours, the airport was very quiet so checking our bags and getting through customs was quick and easy. We landed in Hong Kong at 7 AM and once again went through customs and security quite quickly. There are bus and train options to get from the airport to the city. We connected to the airport WiFi and got an Uber⁶ since we wanted to get into the city quickly. It took about 45 minutes to get to our hostel in Causeway Bay and cost 332 HKDHong Kong Dollar'>⁷. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we left our bags and set out to explore the city.

The City

We stayed in Hong Kong for 4 days and other than checking out some viewpoints, we explored the city. There’s a very well organized metro system which makes getting around the city quick and easy. The fares depend on how far you’re traveling on the metro and you can check on the machines which can be set to English. We stayed in the Causeway Bay area which is bustling with lots of shops and restaurants. It’s also a short ride on the metro to Central where there are more malls among many skyscrapers. There is also a lively nightlife in Central with many bars and clubs in the area. Central also has ferries to cross the bay or for a day trip to Macau. Ferries to the mainland at Tsim Sha Tsui cost 3.70 HKD. At Tsim Sha Tsui, there’s a nice boardwalk called the Avenue of the Stars which goes along the bay. It’s a good spot to catch the sunset but we decided to catch the sunset at the Sky 100 observation deck in the International Commerce Center building. We bought our tickets for 135 HKD each and found that it’s cheaper to buy online rather than at the ticket office. Back on the Central side, there is also an Observation Wheel at the AIA Vitality Park which costs 20 HKD each. Overall, Hong Kong is a beautiful city that can be explored at your own pace via public transport.

Victoria Peak

This viewpoint is easily accessible via a funicular and its cheaper to buy tickets online. You get great views on the journey up to the peak and once at the destination station, there are several viewpoints. There are also some shops and restaurants there as well as the Madame Tussauds wax museum. From the station, there is another viewpoint along a trail that goes down the mountain which is a short 10-minute walk away. After taking some pictures there, we followed Google Maps for the Victoria Peak viewpoint. We got a bit lost and ended up at Victoria Peak Pavillion which was also a nice viewpoint. We then had to make a bit of a U-turn to get to Victoria Peak. The route is mainly along narrow roads with a couple of cars occasionally passing by. The last 5 minutes of the walk is along a dirt path going through trees and bushes. Once at the top, you get a great view of the city and the bay. The way back down to the station took us about 25 minutes so it’s not that far away.

Suicide Cliff

Another hike to a viewpoint is the infamously named Suicide Cliff. Although the path can be a little treacherous, it’s a fairly straightforward hike up to the viewpoint. There are several trails to the viewpoint and we chose to do a long one starting at City One metro station. We followed the directions on this site and they also have a handy Google Maps route. It’s a scenic hike with several views of the city along the way. From City One, we walked along the road towards Lion Rock Country Park. Once inside the park, there is a dirt trail going through trees. There is a small stream along the way to fill up your water bottle if you have a filter. It was very hot when we went with temperatures reaching 34 degrees. The route goes through Kowloon Peak Viewpoint which has great panoramics of the city. It’s possible to get a taxi/Uber here if you’re not into hikes. From this viewpoint, the route continues into the mountain and there is a warning sign saying it’s not safe. This is when the hike gets more difficult as the trail goes through overgrown grass and bushes. I was wearing shorts and got a couple of cuts from the bushes. Eventually, the trail leads past some antennas of the radio station and arrives at Suicide Cliff. The views of the city’s skyline from here are amazing. Overall, the hike was very tiring taking about 4 hours and 30 minutes to get to the top but with rewarding views. It was then another hour to go down to the main road. We were looking to get an Uber but it was about 5.30 PM now and the traffic was horrendous. So we decided to walk another 30 minutes to Choi Hung metro station to get back to our hostel.

Macau – The Vegas of Asia

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 18:59:00 +0000

Ferries leave from the piers at Sheung Wan which is one stop away from Central. When we arrived, there were 2 ticket offices open selling tickets and the Cotai operator was cheaper with tickets at 171 HKD⁸. We saw someone reselling tickets for 150 HKD but only took cash. The ferry was scheduled to leave in 15 minutes at 11.10 AM. Going through security was very quick and we managed to board the ferry on time. The journey takes about an hour and we arrived at the port in Taipa which is next to the airport. Going through customs and security here is also quick and easy. Once at the arrivals hall, we set out looking for tours and an ATM. We met a tour guide offering his services for 150 HKD each. He took us to several casinos using the free bus transportation between casinos. At the casinos, he took us to the areas where they have timed shows. At Wynn Palace, there was a water fountain show like the Bellagio in Las Vegas. You could also tour around the water fountain in a cable car for free.

After visiting a couple of casinos, our guide took us to the historic city center. There are many colonial buildings and pedestrian streets which make for great walks. We walked through Senado Square, St. Dominic’s Church, and the Ruins of St Paul’s. We passed through some markets as well which were good for picking up some cheap souvenirs. We then head to a couple more casinos which include Studio City, The Parisian, and The Venetian. The guide also arranged for us to buy our ferry ticket back to Hong Kong with one of his friends. He got us first-class tickets for 200 HKD and we met up with his friend in the afternoon to pick up the tickets. We were done with our tour at around 7 PM and the guide dropped us off at the port.