Self-guided – 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.

Windsor Castle – Historic Royal Home

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 19:50:00 +0000

Known to be a popular residence of the current monarchy, Windsor Castle is a large complex that is open to the general public. By car, it takes about an hour to get there from London. There are plenty of paid car parks in the area, but it tends to get very busy in the summer so there’s more traffic and difficult to find a parking spot. Another option is to go by train which takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The train station is a short and pleasant 10-minute walk away from the castle.

Tickets can be booked online for a specific time slot and the booking process will note any restrictions on the day. You must book online to be able to visit and booking directly is the cheapest option. The ticket also comes with an audio guide that can be set to several different languages. As you walk throughout the site, you’ll see numbered signs that you can enter into the audio guide. This is a great way to learn about the history of the many different areas in the castle. It is also possible to book private and group tours if you prefer. The grounds are very well kept and all areas are very well signposted so it’s easy to find your way around. You can visit the different gardens and several different state apartments with many different things on display.

It’s easy to spend a full day here as there are so many places to visit. There are also activities for kids and a couple of cafes to grab something to eat. As you head towards the exit, you’ll pass by St George’s Chapel which is full of history. The Chapel is normally closed on Sundays for service, and you should check if it is open on the day you plan to visit as it’s a beautiful place. At the exit, there is also a soldier of the Queen’s Guard stationed in a booth. A small area is cordoned off and the guard will occasionally step out of his booth and march up and down the cordoned-off area. After leaving Windsor Castle, you can explore the town which has lots of restaurants and the riverside is especially popular. There are rowboats for rent and many ducks and swans floating on the river. Overall, it’s a great day trip from London to a place that’s full of history.

1066 Battle of Hastings

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 05 May 2019 21:35:00 +0000

Near the shores of Hastings, this historic battlefield can be visited on a short day trip from London. Only a one and a half-hour train ride from Charing Cross or about 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Entry to the site costs 13.60 GBP² or free with an English Heritage membership. There’s an audio guide included with the ticket to listen to the history as you walk throughout the site. There’s a visitor center a short walk from the entrance which you should start with. There’s lots of info here providing background on William the Conqueror of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold of England.

Following the visitor center, you can head to the trail of the battleground. There are two options; a trail which goes on a circuit down to the battleground and then up to the Abbey, or the trail which goes straight across to the Abbey with a panoramic view of the battleground. There are several numbered information panels on the trail which you can input into the audio guides which narrate the events of the battle. It took us about 30 minutes to walk throughout the battlefield and up to the Abbey. We then walked around the Abbey learning about its history from the information panels there. We then visited the garden next to the Abbey before heading back to the entrance. At the entrance, you can head up the tower where there is a small museum with some artifacts. You can also climb to the top of the tower which has views of the town. We completed our visit in about an hour before heading for some lunch and back home.

Milan – Art, Culture and a Fashion Capital

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 22:38:28 +0000

For the UK Easter break, we decided to go on a 4-day getaway to Milan. It’s a short 2-hour flight from London and we arrived at Malpensa Airport at around 10 AM. It’s a small airport so we got through customs quickly and were out by 10.20 AM. The train station is a short 5-minute walk away and buses to the city center are also available at the terminal. Buses cost 8 EUR³ and the train is 13 EUR. We decided to take the train and got on the 10.30 AM train to Milano Centrale. The onboard ticket man was very friendly and recommended us to get a daily travel card which cost 4.50 EUR to get around in the city. He also said we could touch and go using contactless credit cards. The train ride to Milano Centrale took about an hour so we got there at around 11.30 AM. The station is huge and there are no ticket barriers to exit so you just make your way out. From the station, we decided to walk to our Airbnb⁴ near Duomo since we had time to spare before our check-in time slot. It should take about 45 minutes to walk but we made several stops for pictures so it took us 1 hour 30 minutes. On the way, we walked through Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli which is a garden where the natural history museum is. We also came across the shopping district which has several Gallerias which are like shopping malls.

We got to our Airbnb at around 1 PM and after settling in we went looking for food. We soon found out that most of the local places close the kitchen between 2-3 PM. We managed to find a place that said they could serve us if we ordered quickly. After lunch, we headed to the historic city center. The main site is the Duomo and it is a truly magnificent cathedral. The building is huge and it has many columns all with great detail. The plaza also covers a large area and is great for pictures. We walked around the area and got back to the Airbnb by 7 PM.

Our next two days we took day trips to Como and Verona which you can find out more about from the links. On our last day, our flight was at 8 PM so we explored the city throughout the day. In the morning, we went to Sempione Park which is one of the biggest in Milan. We got off at the Cardona metro station and walked towards Castello Sforzesco which serves as an entrance to the park. It is free to enter the open areas of the castle and tickets are available for the museum. The park has gardens and a lake which make for a picturesque walk. We walked through the park and got to the Arco della Pace which is an arch dedicated to peace. From here, we went to get lunch and then to the Duomo.

There are several tickets available to visit the inside of the Duomo; cathedral only, cathedral plus stairs to the top, or cathedral plus lift to the top. We chose the ticket with lift access and it cost 37 EUR. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket office. The queue for the lift was quite long and we waited for about 30 minutes. The stairs queue was practically empty so it would have been quicker and cheaper to go by stairs. Also, the lift entrance is around the back of the Duomo. Once inside, the lift takes you to the terrace area. The level of detail in the stonework is mesmerizing and there are several balconies that make for great pictures. You walk across the terrace to the front and climb a couple of stairs to get to the top. More impressive views from here and you can walk over to the other end of the cathedral. Watch your footing as some of the stonework can be slippery. Once we were done, we headed down to visit the inside of the cathedral.

The inside is massive and there are many tall columns throughout. It’s very gothic in style and nice to walk around. At the entrance of the cathedral, there are some stairs which lead underground. Here you’ll see some tombs and the original baptism pool. This is a museum-like area and there are several artifacts on display. When finished with this, the ticket also gives you access to the museum opposite the Duomo. Do keep in mind that the museum closes at 6 but the last entry is at 5 PM. So we couldn’t get in as we got there at 5.10 PM. Following the Duomo, we went for a quick walk around the area and came across the Leonardo da Vinci statue. From here we then headed to the airport for our flight back to London.

Verona – The City of Romeo and Juliet

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 23:03:00 +0000

We took the 9.45 AM train from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova which took about 1 hour 50 minutes reaching Verona at 11.35 AM. The journey is quite scenic with vast crop fields and the alps in the distance. The Verona train station is on the outskirts of the city and it’s about a 20-minute walk from the train station to the city center. Once at the main plaza Piazza Bra, the area is filled with people walking around. There are several restaurants/cafes with outdoor seating around the plaza and along the side roads. There is a castle – Castelvecchio – a short 10-minute walk away towards the river. The entrance is free to explore the open areas of the castle and tickets can be purchased for entry to the museum. There is a bridge connected to the castle that crosses the river and is great for pictures.

By the time we were done walking around the castle, it was coming up to 1 PM so we went for lunch around the Verona Arena. After lunch, we continued walking towards the historic city center which is on the peninsula of the river. We found that there are many more restaurant options here. As we walked deeper into the city center, we came across Juliet’s Balcony. There is a very long queue here so we just walked by and continued to Piazza delle Erbe. At this plaza, there were many stalls selling all kinds of products and souvenirs. The surrounding buildings are very historic and there are also several restaurants and cafes. In the center of the plaza, there is a pillar with a chain hoop that people take pics with.

Going further in, there is another plaza Piazza dei Signori and there are several museums in the area. One of the museums is of the catacombs of previous Verona rulers. It was now coming up to 5 PM and our train back to Milan was at 5.45 PM, so we started heading back. On the way back we stopped at the Verona Arena for some pictures. This Roman Amphitheater is huge and still being used for concerts and events. After a quick rest stop here we walked back to the station and got our train back to Milano Centrale, arriving at around 8 PM. Overall, Verona is a beautiful city for a day trip with old architecture and Roman ruins.

Lake Como – Lakeside Towns and the Alps

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:15:00 +0000

The day following our arrival in Milan, we decided to head to Como. We first went to Milano Centrale and bought tickets at the machines which have an English option. Tickets are quite cheap with a one-way journey costing 4.80 EUR¹ and you can also buy online beforehand. Our train departed at 9.04 AM and it’s only a 40-minute journey to the Como S. Giovanni station. From the station, it’s a short walk to the main plaza – Piazza Cavour. The ferry is opposite the plaza lakeside and after walking around for a bit, we headed there to get tickets for a ferry to Bellagio. We got there at around 10.30 AM and there was quite a long queue which we waited in for about 15 minutes. We bought fast ferry tickets for 13 EUR departing at 12.15 PM. There’s a complete list of fares available here. With about 1 hour 30 minutes to go, we went for a walk around the city. There are several plazas and pedestrian areas that make walking a nice way to explore the city. The lakeside walk is also beautiful and has some seating areas to enjoy the view.

By noon, we were back at the pier and the queue was already long. We boarded the ferry and all seats on the upper deck were almost taken but I managed to find one. The windows on the upper deck are a lot cleaner than the lower deck so it’s better for pictures. The windows on the lower deck also get splashed by the water. It took about 45 minutes to reach Bellagio arriving at around 1 PM. The views on the way are incredible especially the last 15 mins where you can see the Alps. We also got a peek at the small towns of Argegno, Lenno, and Tremezzo which the boat made stops at. Once in Bellagio, we walked up a narrow path and there were several restaurants along the way so we stopped at one for lunch. After finishing lunch around 2 PM, we headed to La Punta which is the peninsula that sticks out into the lake. This viewpoint has the best views of the Alps and it takes about 10 minutes to walk there from the town center. Once at the peninsula, there’s a small park and cafe/restaurant where you can relax and enjoy the view. We stayed here for about an hour then headed back to the pier to get tickets for Menaggio.

When we got to the main ticket office, there was a huge queue. We waited in line for over an hour. All the staff is behind the counter and there is no one walking about to provide info which was frustrating. We saw a ferry stopping at another pier at the other end of town, so one of us went to it to see where it went. It turns out there was another ticket office there with no queue. We had to run there as it was departing soon at 4.30 PM but we made it and ended up getting tickets for Varenna for 4.60 EUR since we’d lost so much time. It was a quick 15-minute sail to Varenna and again, the views of the lake and surroundings are spectacular.

After getting off in Varenna, we went for a walk and wandered through narrow hilly passages. It’s a nice walk and there are several restaurants/cafes in the colorful lakeside town. My favorite part is the path along the lake as there are several viewpoints with postcard-perfect views of the lake and colorful houses. There are some benches to rest at and take in the views or you could dine in one of the many lakeside restaurants. After about 2 hours of walking around, we headed to the Varenna train station and got there at around 6.45 PM. Trains to Milan leave every hour and we’d just missed the 6.37 PM train so we had to wait for the 7.37 PM one.

The ticket office was closed and there was no one around to provide info. A train arrived at 7.27 PM and we weren’t sure if it was our train being early or another train. We got on and there was no information about where it was going nor did the train conductor make an announcement. We asked passengers and they said it didn’t go to Milan so we got off. Our train was late and came at 7.50 PM. Since we couldn’t buy a ticket at the station, when the ticket inspector came by he sold us a ticket for 6.70 EUR and we were able to pay by credit card. On the route from Varenna to Lecco, the train goes right by the lake with views of the sun setting behind the mountains. The journey back took about 1 hour 20 minutes and we were back in Milan at 9.10 PM.

Walmer and Deal – Coastline Castles

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 21:23:00 +0000

It is possible to take a train to these castles but the train times aren’t that frequent, so we rented a car for these visits. From London, it’s about a 2-hour drive here and only 15 minutes from Dover. We first drove to Walmer Castle and there is parking available at the site. Tickets cost 12.60 GBP¹ or free with an English Heritage membership. An audio guide is included with the ticket which gives you access to the castle and the gardens. There are several information panels with numbers that you input into the audio guide. This castle was part of a chain of artillery castles that King Henry VIII had built to fortify the coastline. He feared attacks from a new alliance between France, Spain, and the Pope after he broke away from the Catholic Church to create the Protestant church. Since then, the castle has been converted into a stately-home. You can see how the furnished rooms have been transformed to create a more comfortable residence. Several Lord Wardens have added improvements over time and it was once used by Duke Wellington. There’s a room with some of his history and also the room he died in has been kept the way it was on the day. You can also step outside to explore the gardens. We went in winter so the garden wasn’t as pretty as it must be in summer. It took us about two hours to complete our tour of Walmer Castle and we were done around 1 PM.

To get to Deal Castle, it’s a short 5-minute drive up the coast and there is also parking available next to the site. Tickets cost 7.90 GBP or free with an English Heritage membership. This is another artillery castle by King Henry VII but this one has been transformed into a museum. The entire castle is open for you to explore on a self-guided tour with the audio guide included with the ticket. At this castle you can learn a lot more about the 16th-century defense system. An interesting part of the castle is wandering through underground perimeter passageways below the castle. There are wellies available for you to put on as it can get muddy. You can complete the visit in about an hour so we were done at around 2.30 PM.

Dover Castle – Coastal Defense

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 20:37:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite day trips from London so whenever family or friends visit, I take them to this castle. It’s possible to visit via public transport from London by taking a train to Dover Priory station. From St Pancras International, it takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. You can then walk for 30 minutes or take a bus which leaves you at the bottom of the castle hill. By car, it’s about a 1-hour 45-minute drive and there’s parking available at the site. Tickets then cost 21.30 GBP¹ or it’s free with an English Heritage membership. The ticket includes guided tours of the war tunnels which for me, are the highlights of the visit.

The car park is located inside the site next to the ticket office. From the ticket office, it’s a short walk down to the WW2 war tunnels which you should make your first stop. Tours leave every 15 minutes and last about 50 minutes. There are 2 tours, one is of the underground hospital which is an immersive experience. You follow the story of a rescued shot-down pilot who has been brought in for an operation. The layout of the tunnel, sounds, and even smells have been re-created to how they would have been during the war. This is one of my favorite tours of any museum/site I’ve visited. The other tour is of the war tunnels used for WW2 Operation Dynamo. In this tour, you’re taken through the military evacuation operation of allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Projections of real film footage and dramatizations with special effects bring this event to life. This tour ends in the restaurant/gift shop and there is a small museum area with artifacts above. Also, you can step outside to a balcony-like area that has panoramic views of the seaside.

Following this, you can walk along the castle walls towards the Great Tower. On the way, you can take a small detour to the Medieval tunnels which were used to defend the castle. There’s not a tour for these tunnels but there are several information panels to guide you through the route. Once you come back up from the tunnels, you can then walk across to the tower gate to get to the Great Tower. This medieval palace built by King Henry II has several artifacts throughout with information panels. You can ascend all the way to the roof which has great views of the city. In the surrounding buildings, there are also some self-guided tours of the royal courts. Following this, you can then walk down to the ruins of the Roman lighthouse and the working church of Anglo-Saxon origin. For me, this is usually where I end the day and head back. There are however a couple of other sites such as PWRR Museum which has some history of the regiments. There is also the WW1 Fire Command Post with the only working British 3 inch gun which was used to shoot down warplanes. Overall, Dover Castle is well organized and has produced great tours to experience history.

Edinburgh and Loch Ness – Winter Holidays

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:42:12 +0000

From London, it’s a short 1 hour 30 minute flight to get to Edinburgh making it perfect for a weekend getaway. We left on an early Saturday morning getting to Edinburgh at 9.30 AM. We rented a car to get around the city and after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we headed out to the National Wallace Monument. It was an hour’s drive away from Edinburgh to the site which is near the city of Stirling. Entrance tickets were 10.75 GBP¹ and you can find more info on the site here. Once you’ve paid for your ticket, there’s a bus service included which takes you up the hill to the monument. You can wait for the bus or hike up the hill which took us about 15 minutes. At the monument, you can then walk up the stairs in the tower to top for panoramic views of Stirling. Inside the tower, there’s a museum laid out on several floors. These make for good checkpoints to explore the museum on the way to the top. The museum goes over William Wallace’s and Scotland’s history. Once you reach the top, it gets very windy so make sure you take warm clothing. After taking some pictures, we headed back down and took the bus back down to the entrance.

By now it was around 1.30 PM so we headed back to the capital to visit Edinburgh Castle while we still had some sunlight. Finding free parking in the city can be a little tricky but we found a paid car park near the castle. We got to the castle ticket office at around 3 PM. Tickets cost 19.50 GBP but we got them for half price with our English Heritage membership. A free guided tour is included or you can hire an audio guide for 3.50 GBP. We had about 1 hour 30 minutes to explore the castle which is full of history. There are also some great viewpoints from the towers and castle walls. It was dark by the time we finished touring the castle when the site was closing at 5 PM. We then went for a walk around the city and came across a winter Christmas market which was set up in the Princess Street Gardens. There were several rides and the city is nicely lit up with Christmas lights. After getting some dinner, we then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep for an early morning the next day.

On Sunday, we left at 7.30 AM for Loch Ness, stopping for breakfast at Inverness at 10.30 AM. It’s then a quick 15-minute drive to the start of Loch Ness. Along the highway, there are several viewpoints with parking spots to get some pictures of the lake. We continued along the lakeside highway until we reached Urquhart Castle. This is roughly the halfway point of the lake so we decided to visit the lakeside castle. Tickets cost 12 GBP and there’s no English Heritage discount here. There’s also a free guided tour included with the ticket which leaves from the mound at the end of the castle. We walked around the castle ruins before the tour started at 1.30 PM. On the tour, the guide takes you through the site going over the history and the changing appearance of the castle through time. The tour takes about 30 minutes and ends in the keep. There’s also a pier at the site for boat tours that stop here. We were done with our visit at around 2.30 PM and started to head back to Edinburgh. When we got back, we went for another quick walk around the city to get some dinner. It was then an early night to be up to get our early morning flight back to London the next day.

Farleigh Hungerford – Medieval History

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:53:39 +0000

Since we’d just become English Heritage members when visiting Stonehenge the day before, we decided to check out this castle on another day trip. From Bristol, it’s only a 45-minute drive to reach the castle, and keep your eyes peeled as the entrance is easy to miss. There’s plenty of car parking available at the site. With the English Heritage membership, we get free entry but you can check prices here. At the entrance, you’re given an audio guide and the staff member points you towards the start of the self-guided tour. There are several detailed panels with numbers that you enter into the audio guide for more information. It begins by taking you throughout the open areas of the site where the castle’s rooms would have been.

Today, there are just the remains of the towers and some of the foundations; but the audio guide and the panels do a good job of describing how the castle would have been. Several stories include an imprisoned wife, a wife killing her husband, and medieval visitors eating human remains in the tombs. Towards the end of the tour, we visit the chapel which has painted walls from medieval times. These were discovered underneath the top layer of paint so they are quite faint. Inside the chapel, there are family tombs of the Hungerford family who owned the castle. These tombs have been carved with the human shape of the family member buried there. Following the chapel, you can brave descending into the dark chilly crypt. There are several human-shaped lead coffins here where medieval visitors used to poke to eat the human remains. This is the final stop of the self-guided tour after which we returned the audio guides and headed back to Bristol.