Summer Travels 2018

Second stop: Bali 💛

We were super excited about visiting Bali; this is the furthest east either of us have ever been. Probably the furthest away from our UK homes.

Flying to Bali was easy and relatively cheap as we used the budget flight company: Jetstar. It took us 3 hours to get here. At Denpasar airport, we were greeted by chaos as all the drivers wanted to take us to our next stop in Ubud. Luckily we had already arranged a transfer with our hotel so it was all relatively straight forward.

We stayed at a lovely villa: Pondokk Massas villa. It was a 20min walk from central Ubud but the villa provided a shuttle bus twice a day and taxis were cheap. The staff here were personable and could not do enough to help you. We were initially here for 3 nights but we ended up staying for another night. The breakfasts here were AMAZING! We always feel grateful for bacon when on holiday as living in a Muslim country means it is a real treat. So the bacon and poached eggs were always going to be a winner!

Using a recommendation from a friend, we had already pre-booked a tour with GetYourGuide.com to do an ‘Instagram tour’. It was essentially a tour guide to all of the best spots in Bali for photos with our very own photographer, who was so knowledgeable and put us at ease straight away. Also, his car was amazing! You could lay back and relax! He was so impressive that we booked him for another trip as although he was slightly more expensive, we knew we could trust that his service would be exemplary.

Our first stop took about 2 hours but we arrived at the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple. It was absolutely beautiful and our guide ensured that we were well informed with the historical and cultural knowledge of this temple. He also took some amazing shots; who knew what could be down with the back of an iPhone and a mirror! Mount Agung was a part of the backdrop but the clouds unfortunately kept it hidden for most of our visit.

We then visited the beautiful former water palace in Eastern Bali. The water palace featured tiered fountains, gardens and stone sculptures showing the ying yang culture of the Hindu statues with the mythical creatures representing the good and bad.

We then ventured to Tukad Cepung waterfall. The light shining through the top of the falls created natural beams of light which proved to be absolutely stunning. It was a steep trek down but an even steeper one back up! Our guide had us climbing up an array of rocks for the perfect pictures. After this, we went to a local Balinese restaurant and it was amazing!

We then carried on to Ubud where we saw more of the beautiful rice fields and the workers harvesting the rice. Our final stop was at a coffee plantation where I finally found some coffee that I liked! Ginseng coffee was the locals favourite and I liked it so of course, I had to buy some. They also had some delicious coconut coffee too.

Here, among the range of coffees and teas, was one of the famous Bali swings. A little scary but a truly magical moment. We did so much in one day but it was a fantastic tour which we would truly recommend.

We spent the rest of our time in Ubud exploring the local town and chilling at our hotel. We then went to the Mason Elephant sanctuary before returning back to our villa in Ubud as this made it easier to get the morning boat to Gili T.

To be continued…

Summer Adventures 2018

First stop: Singapore

School’s out! So the only question is where shall we go on our summer vacations this year?

It is Amy’s final few weeks in Dubai and she was keen to do Bali so that is where we are going – however with a whistle stop tour of Singapore enroute.

Singapore is a fabulous city. Somewhere I could actually see myself living. Cool, calm and collected were my immediate vibes from this city and they know what they’re doing. Their metro line is seamless and we used this throughout our whole stay: it was relatively cheap too!

We used it right from the start where we paid $5 for a return ticket each, compared to $30 one way in a cab and it only really took 20mins longer.

Our hotel, Park Hotel Clarke Quay, was conveniently located approximately 5mins from Fort Canning MRT. This was perfect as it meant we only had to trudge our rucksacks for a few mins before arriving at our hotel. I would absolutely recommend this hotel; it wasn’t too fancy but it was exactly what we needed and the location was spot on.

We caught up on our sleep on Friday night before exploring the ‘to do in Singapore’ list on Saturday. We weren’t overwhelmed by the list but I imagine if you spent more time researching, there would be some more cool thing to do. Meanwhile, we headed to Garden by the Bay which was pretty impressive. It is essentially a man made rainforest but it is truly unique and a highlight of the Singapore skyline. It’s backdrop is the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel. You can pay to do the skywalk and it is well worth it for the views. We decided to go up one of the ‘trees’ and it cost $10 for the views and a soft drink. Maybe a little overpriced but again, epic views.

From there, we headed to Merlion Park which had a statue of the mascot of Singapore. It is a lion’s head with a fish body. There was lots going on around this area as there was lots of school children preparing for their national day. This also offered an alternative view of the city which is snapshotted below.

We had wanted to visit Raffles for the traditional Singapore Sling but it’s sadly closed for refurbishments. So we went to grab a small bite and ventured to see the light show at the Gardens by the Bay and had a few cocktails at Ce La Vé. We managed to get seats with amazing views and had front row views for the firework display. It was great! We then ventured to Clarke Quay in time for the football at McGettigans. And thankfully we won 2-0!

Our second and final day in Singapore was spent at Universal Studios. We literally had the best day and all of our childhood memories came flooding back. We spent all day here and I think the Battlestar Galactica rollercoaster was my favorite: the Cylon ride in particular. Sentosa Island was busy but ideal for families. It’s well set up and organised too so I would recommend it.

We loved our brief visit to Singapore and would be keen to explore more of what the city has to offer next time round.

Kenya – Spring 2018

Ever since I was a little girl, Lion King has always been one of my favourite films. We had it on a much loved VHS tape and my sister and I watched it repeatedly throughout our childhood.

To do an African Safari is an absolute dream come true – a bucket list moment that I will treasure forever (no exaggeration!).

Amy and I (my loyal travel companion) flew into Nairobi airport after an early wake up call. We were kitted out in our khaki clothing and our backpacks, excited for our next adventure.

We were recommended HTT tour company by our friends, Alice and Jon, who had ventured here in the summer. The communication had been outstanding with Najma being our point of contact throughout the planning of our trip. At arrivals, we were met by Kassim, the tour representative, and our driver James. James is with us throughout our stay and it is clear how much experience he has of Nairobi.

Our first stop was Lake Naivasha and it meant a 3 hour trip in our mini bus. Immediately, we were overwhelmed by the slums close to the airport, with James saying that it was in fact one of the largest in Africa. As we always find on our trips, it is truly humbling to see how others live but also how much the Kenyans embrace life.

About an hour into our journey, James highlighted an impressive valley which spans from the Red Sea all the way to Mozambique. It was breathtakingly beautiful!

We arrived at our accommodation for the first night: Lake Naivasha Country Club. It was everything we could have wanted and more! Upon arrival, Oliver on the front of desk, ensured that we had hibiscus flower juice and a refreshing flannel before we said goodbye to James for a few hours and ventured to our home for the night.

Our lodge was simple, clean and pleasant but it was the views which wowed us.

It overlooked the wonderful grounds where the wildlife was in its element. We saw monkeys, literally monkeying around, zebras and deer in the distance and we could see it all from our lodge.

We went for lunch at the club’s restaurant, which was all included in our package. It was a buffet style so we were able to experience some of their speciality foods.

At 3pm, James took us for a boat trip to Lake Naivasha and we didn’t really know what to expect. It cost us 8000 Kenyan shilling which worked out at approx £28PP.

Amy and I have had some interesting boat rides together and this had the potential to be another one! We saw many animals on this trip: Corman birds, African fish eagle, pelicans, water buck, wilderbeast, zebras to name just a few. However, the best moment was seeing the hippopotamuses in the wild, in their natural habitat. Our guide told us how they congregate in schools of hippopotamuses so as soon as we saw one, we saw between 10-12. They are one of the most aggressive animals in Africa but luckily, they are herbivores. After watching them for a while, we explored some more of the lake yet we were becoming slightly concerned about the moody skies and the choppier waters. You could see in the distance the rain was coming and the rumble of thunder appeared imminent but luckily it didn’t really affect us in the end.

We observed fishermen in the water catching their prey and we were also fortunate enough to witness the African fish eagle in action too. Our guide let out a whistle and then threw a fish into the water to allow us to see the eagle sweep in to catch its prey.

We arrived back to Lake Naivasha Country Club and we decided to explore the grounds. We were a few metres away from a zebra! It was surreal! We weren’t sure how far we could go as we didn’t want to disturb the animals or stress them out. Then we met Mungai. Mungai was the loveliest man, who worked at the club, and he happily showed us around. What we didn’t know then was the hippopotamuses come onto land at night (hence why after 7pm, we had to call for security to escort us to dinner!). Mungai told us that he’d seen a hippopotamus in the bushes earlier and we went to find him. It was incredible! He told us how although they weigh 400kg, they move quickly so we had to take care. Top tip: if a hippo starts to chase you, make sure you run in a zig zag style!

Dinner was included in our package too so we ate and returned back to our room as we were exhausted! Apparently we could have seen more hippos at night but we knew we had to get a good night’s sleep for our next day here in Kenya. James told us we needed to be on the road at 7am for the 5 hour trek to Masai Mara.

I absolutely loved our stay at Lake Naivasha Country Club, seeing the wild at our doorstep and the service was exemplary. It was sad to go but exciting to see where our next stop would take us!

The trek to Masai Mara was long and very bumpy. Let’s just say that I won’t be complaining about the UK’s pothole situation for a while!

We stopped off on the way to a gift shop; an ideal opportunity to get some gifts and souvenirs. We had asked James what the deal was with haggling as we wanted to get a bargain but equally, we did not want to offend! Our sales guy, firstly quoted us 15,000 shillings (£100 approx) so I went in with an offer of 8000. He took it straight away but asked us to pay his boss 6000 and him, 2000 in his pocket. It seemed dodgy but we went with it…the man was risking his job but that money to him, would have meant so much more than his pitiful wage.

As we got closer to Masai Mara, the roads worsened. We had been told to expect it but it was awful! At one point, the roads were blocked and a man charged us to use his road (which he had cheekily cornered off with a tree trunk!).

As we had made quite good time in the end, James took us to see the Masai Mara tribe. It was quite an experience as we had no idea of what to expect! It cost $40PP and the money went to support their children’s school.

They greeted us with their traditional dance before getting us involved in their high jump dancing. It was intense but extraordinary!

Dixon, the man showing us around, then proceeded to show us how to make a fire; about their herbal remedies and then he took us into his house. When I say house, it was little bigger than a shed but it had 4 rooms: the kitchen, 2 bedroom and a guest room. We sat in the kitchen and could barely see as he said the light was limited due to mosquitos. His son, who was 5, loved taking selfies with us but it was quite shocking to see his dirty clothes and how little he had.

Although saying that, it was all they were used to and they seemed quite content. I was almost sold off to the tribe as a wife…if only I’d had 10 cows to sell to them! They would only mix with other tribes if exchanging a brother for a sister for marriage. We did get slightly conned at the end when they pretty much insisted we bought necklaces…we didn’t dare argue! An amazing experience to see their culture and although pricey, it was well worth it!

We were welcomed by the staff at Sopa Lodge and settled into our room. It was large with two double beds and they were eco friendly. By this, I mean there was only electricity during certain time periods every day and limited WiFi.

Our first drive was amazing! We saw so many different animals such as giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, an elephant and so much more. My favourite moment was seeing some lions with their cubs walk out across our path. We were fortunate enough to see a leopard run down from a tree too!

Following on from this, we returned to the lodge for a buffet style dinner. As we arrived back, we were able to witness a stunning sunset with the zebras improving the backdrop.

Our final day at Masai Mara began at 8am after some more delightful food for breakfast. We chose the option of doing a full day drive as James said it would enable us to get deeper into the bush.

Our day began with us seeing more animals: cheetahs (as a pair which is apparently rare), hyenas, more hippos, a male lion with some female ones too. However the highlight for me was seeing the elephants. We saw up to 15 at a time with their baby calves with them. We were able to get quite close to them too which made the experience even better!

After a long and exhausting day, we refreshed at the lodge before heading down to dinner. We enjoyed a bottle of red wine called Four Cousins and it was Amy’s first time enjoying red wine! It was very sweet and almost tasted like rose. But it allowed us to enjoy a fun filled, final evening, along with a show from the local tribe.

It feels too soon to be leaving but it has been a once in a lifetime trip and we hope to come back to Kenya again soon! The people were incredibly kind considering how little they have and although poverty is extreme, it was fascinating to see how they build in strategies to cope with the lifestyle they are used to.

Asante Sana, Kenya!

Oman 2017

May 2017

Geography is not my strong point with me being like most others, foolishly thinking that Dubai was a country when of course the UAE is! I have learned a lot from my time in Dubai especially with reference to the Middle East and specifically the GCC countries (thanks to teaching Social Studies!). Oman is our neighboring country and it would have been crazy not to visit another country whilst I had the chance.

My friend Ali and I took a road trip to Oman for the weekend during which Ramadan was starting. It meant that Oman was incredibly quiet and low key in comparison to the busy nature of Dubai. We headed to Muscat, the capital, and the drive was supposed to take approximately 5 hours.

But oh no! That would have been too straightforward. I unwisely put into Google maps, ‘Oman border’ which literally took us to the borderline. We ended up at a border crossing but it was the one that only the locals could use. However they kindly let us across; apparently being a teacher does have its perks! We were there for over an hour as you have to sort out not only going through customs but getting Oman insurance for the car. Note. for next time to type in Hatta border crossing!

We eventually got to our hotel in Muscat, a few hours later than anticipated and in the early hours of the morning. We stayed at a place called Delmon Hotel Apartments. It was very basic but it was in a good location.

On the Friday, we had a trip with Sidab Sea Tours to take us dolphin watching and snorkeling. We saw lots of amazing dolphins and they came so close to the boat. Seeing animals in their natural habitat is literally one of my favourite things. It’s how it’s supposed to be. Afterwards we went snorkeling l, which was a first for me, but I absolutely loved it! I attempted getting some footage on my GoPro but it was quite similar after a while.

Once we had returned to shore, we had lunch at a restaurant called Blue Marlin which has really good reviews on Trip Advisor and we had a lovely meal. In the evening, we went into the old town and saw the authentic souks. For dinner, we went to Bait Al Luban for traditional Omani food as recommended by friends. You sat on the cushions provided so it was a slightly unusual yet traditional experience for us.

The following day Muscat turned into a ghost town but this was due to it being the first day of Ramadan. Everywhere was closed and we hadn’t anticipated this as Dubai still maintains much of its busy atmosphere.

Therefore we did a whistle stop tourist tour to see the Grand Mosque and the Sultan’s Grand Palace. Both incredibly beautiful buildings.

A lovely break away from the chaotic nature of Dubai but next time, we will be sure to visit outside of Ramadan.

Trip 1: Sri Lanka

March 2017

Sri Lanka was our first trip since moving to Dubai and the thought of planning it all ourselves was quite overwhelming. We had decided to go for 5 days before heading back the UK and we wanted to fit in as much as possible during our trip. A friend of ours recommended the tour company, Rainbow Tours Sri Lanka, as her parents had used them in the summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the organiser, Peter, and their driver, Tilak.

Peter was extremely personable and it was clear to see how passionate he was about Sri Lanka. We told him what we wanted to do and he gave us a detailed itinerary along with choices of hotels: some being more expensive than others but all having good reviews for the price we paid.

Flying on the Thursday evening, with Fly Dubai, was ideal as it meant that we could maximise our time in Sri Lanka. We arrived and spent the night at the Airport City Hub hotel which was pleasant enough for a good night’s sleep before the fun really began.

Our wonderful driver, Tilak, collected Amy and I promptly from the hotel where our journey really began. Tilak’s car was air conditioned and comfortable which was ideal considering we would be driving around a lot over the next few days. Colour was the first thing we noticed in Sri Lanka. Emerald green palm trees overwhelming the sides of the roads with the crisp blue sky; a stark contrast to the grey haze of Dubai. That was not the only contrast. It was clear that Sri Lanka was very much a developing country with poverty and pollution still being an issue. Yet it was one of the most beautifully raw places that I had ever seen and I knew this would not be the only time that I would be enticed by the Sri Lankan scenery.

Our first stop was at the Pinawella Elephant Orphanage and I had real mixed opinions on visiting the orphanage as I was concerned that the elephants would not be treated well, like elephants in a zoo. Elephants have always been one of my favourite animals – their stubborn nature but yet still so loving and intelligent. Tilak ensured that we had a great view of the elephants and helping us to capture some special moments. A part of me regretted not being able to get up close and personal with them but as I said before, my worry was how they were treated and I absolutely did not want to support any maltreatment of this incredible species. One of my favourite moments was what appeared to be two siblings, fighting with each other and dunking each other under water. An unbelievable moment.

The day continued by heading north into the Golden Triangle Unesco Heritage region with a visit to the Rock Cave Temple at Dambulla. It is also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla and it is one of the largest and best preserved temples in the country. There were five caves which contained statues and paintings related to Buddha and his life. On our walk up to the temple, we were surrounded by monkeys…literally everywhere! Returning down from the temple, one of the monkeys took a liking to my scarf; they were so fearless and clearly used to the volume of visitors.

Having already completed two two hour drives, Tilak drove us to our final destination of the day before heading to our hotel – for a massage in the jungle. It had been recommended to us to get a massage and the only way I can describe it is bizarre! Amy and I went into a ‘couple’s’ room, this is a long standing joke now! However, you could hear everyone else’s conversations which did give us the giggles. We firstly had to go into a sauna where the ground was covered in leaves! We then had our massage, which was fine but it was a herbal based oils. An interesting experience in the middle of the jungle – definitely memorable! Finally we headed to Sigiriya, where we stayed at the Hideout Villa hotel. Here, we had a late night swim before dinner and an early night as we had a busy day on the Saturday. We decided to upgrade at this hotel so we had a tree house room…it was the ultimate dream as children to have your own tree house, let alone sleep in one and it was an opportunity not to be missed. It was difficult to get our suitcases up to it but thankfully the porters were on hand to help us. The room was pleasant but basic but again, absolutely all we needed for a restful evening. 

Saturday arrived and after a quick early breakfast, our schedule, from Peter at Rainbow Tours, had suggested an early morning climb of Lion’s Rock as it would be cooler but also less busy. This was great advice as we certainly noticed the difference on our way out, with it becomingly increasing numbers of visitors arriving. Lion’s Rock was stunning. The fresh gardens surrounded the rock as we began the hike up. At about the halfway point, there were the lion’s paws. The name of this rock came from King Kashyapa’s desire to welcome visitors but to warn enemies. As we became closer to the top, the stairways became narrower; it was not for the faint hearted! We persevered. And upon reaching the climax, the views were breathtaking. Check out the pictures – you could see for miles!

This took a few hours and we ventured onto Kandy, stopping along the way to visit a Spice garden to learn about natural medicines.

We carried on to Kandy and our next stop was to visit the Temple of Buddha’s tooth – a sacred place for Buddhist worshipers. There were lots of local people there along with tourists and it was certainly a place to reflect and appreciate other cultures. We wanted to continue this appreication for Sri Lankan culture thus our reasoning for visiting a local market followed by the Kandy cultural show where we saw traditional dance and fire performances. It felt like an old social club from back home in the UK but it was an ideal venue for the show. Our driver Tilak used to participate in the show and he loved showing us his passion for dance.

After this, we met up with Peter, the man who had organised our tour, for dinner and it was a fantastic opportunity to quiz him about Sri Lanka. We had chosen to stay at his home which was the Rainbow Tour B&B Homestay. We were so glad that we took this option as Peter’s home was beautiful with idyllic views across Kandy, even witnessing a sea plane land.

We had a lovely breakfast before the drive south into Hill country via the Ramboda falls. The views were spectacular but it was a relatively short stop before we headed to a working tea factory for lunch and sightseeing in Nuwara Eliya. We had purchased a ticket for the scenic train to Ella and it was well worth it (but you must purchase a month ahead if you want to guarantee your ticket). Again, and it feels like I keep saying this, the views were picturesque. We stayed at Ella’s Edge hotel and as we walked out of our room, with the mountains and jungle in front of us, there really felt like no better place in the world.

As we had another early start, we had an early night before heading to bed. We had some early sightseeing in Ella going to Ravanna Falls but also the Nine Arch Bridge.It was definitely worth the trek to see it (we went the wrong way!).

Our final hike of the trip was to Little Adam’s Peak for sensational views across Ella. Tilak then drove us south to Yala for the afternoon jeep safari. I absolutely LOVED seeing animals where they should be…in the wild! We saw: elephants, water buffaloes, warthogs, monkeys, deer, alligators and much more. We stayed that night in the Blue Turtle hotel, ready for our final day visiting some of the south coast beach resorts of Tangalle and Mirissa.

In the morning, we visited Kosgoda Turtle hatchery and the beaches were beautiful. I wish we had had time to spend more time on the south coast relaxing. After this, we went to Galle Fort for lunch and sightseeing before heading to the airport in Columbo.

We had a truly wonderful trip in Sri Lanka and we would love to go back again in the future. We would absolutely recommend Rainbow Tours if you want to enjoy an expertly planned trip without the hassle of organising it yourself!

 

Dubai life: 18 months on…

Wow so looking back on my previous blogs was quite eye opening. The young teacher with the world at her feet is now right there, exploring the world! Just not quite so young anymore.

So I made the move to Dubai and it was the best thing I could have ever done. Not only has it allowed me to develop as a professional, I have changed as a person. I have become bigger and better. More confident and resolute. And absolutely, fiercely independent.

Let me turn back the clocks to give you a whirlwind catch up on Dubai life. Oh I remember so vividly the day that I moved to Dubai, loaded up with my 30kg luggage and my poor parents having to deal with my emotions. Saying goodbye was awful…I’ll never forget going through security and turning back with that gut wrenching feeling of being on my own. Really, truly on my own for the first time ever. No Dad to call when my car wouldn’t start or Mum’s roast dinner on a Sunday. No girls on standby for whatever crisis was occurring. I was starting a new and exciting life which was ridiculously scary.

I soon made friends with my fellow ‘newbies’ and the brunches, socialising and drinking began. It is true what they say about the Dubai stone. As time went on, the ‘newbies’ dispersed into our own friendship groups, much like the uni days when you all find your feet post Christmas. I was lucky that I already had a good network in Dubai with family and friends already living out there. But my Dubai family soon evolved in the form of Amy, Alice and Jon. They are very much the ones I can depend on and we’ve been through so much already: relationships (new and old!), engagements, holidays, birthdays, new jobs and so much more.

Teaching is very different in Dubai. The students at my school continue to amaze me. There is very little in the way of behavioural issues which has allowed me to develop my pedagogy and the element of challenge in my lessons. In my previous schools, I had always been that teacher that was good at engaging those that found learning challenging in terms of their ability or their behaviour. Having a different mix of students in Dubai, certainly provided an alternative challenge. One that I have absolutely loved.

The group sizes are much smaller which means that I have been able to manage my workload more effectively. And by not having the time consuming behavioural issues, has allowed me to spend more time on resources and getting to grips with the new specifications. There are of course differences to the college in terms of the array of different backgrounds of our students in terms of culture, ethnicity and religion. I have learned so much about different walks of life thanks to my students and I will always be grateful to them for opening my eyes to this.

Another thing that I have fast developed a passion for is travelling. I love it! I got a small taste for it when I went to New York on my own back in 2013 but my love of it has flourished. I have been fortunate to travel to the following places in the last 18 months: UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, Thailand (be it only to Bangkok), Vietnam, Cambodia, Oman, Budapest, Azerbaijan with a few other trips planned. Technically I’ve stopped over in Turkey and Qatar too but only for a mere few hours so I can’t really count it!

My plan is to do a few posts about my trips but it could well take some time!