Ricky Shetty's Blog, page 8

Lion and Safari Park

Our first safari experience! Before our 3 day trip to Kruger National Park, we were debating whether to visit any other Animal Safaris. There are a lot of different Private Animal Parks to choose from in the Joburg area. It really depends on which animals you want to focus on! When we found out about the Lion Cub Encounters (a chance for our kids to play with lion cubs), we decided to check out Lion and Safari Park, which is about 1 hour north of Johannesburg (near the Cradle of Humankind and Lesedi Cultural Village). There are a LOT of different activities to choose from including Lion and Cheetah Walks as well as several different safaris. We opted for the Intro Safari (which lasts about 1 hour) as well as the Cheetah Interaction and the Lion Cubs Interaction. We got to see several lions (many up-close) as well as African Wild Dogs, Giraffes, and Emus. Plus, we did the giraffe feeding to end off a jam-packed day! This is a totally different experience from Kruger National Park and I would recommend doing both since Kruger is amazing for the abundance of wild animals you will see however Lion and Safari Park is incredible for the up-close, intimate, and personal encounters you can have with the Lion Cubs and Cheetahs! Rianne and Ryan were surprisingly not scared of the lions (as you can see from the video below). I guess they thought of them as bigger versions of cats! My wife, on the other hand, was scared to pet the lions…can’t blame her! I loved all the animal encounters including petting an adult Cheetah! The Lion and Safari Park has a shuttle service from many of the major hotels in Joburg or you can organize a driver and guide privately. If you start your day off early, you can combine the Lion and Safari Park with the Lesedi Cultural Village and Cradle of Humankind since they are all in the same area.! Check out the #GiraffeKisses we got in the video below:

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Big Bus Tours – Abu Dhabi

This is the third city of our Round-The-World Trip that we are working with Big Bus Tours. We previously did Big Bus Tours of Hong Kong and Dubai. Make sure you read about our amazing 7 day Unlimited Attraction Pass trip of Dubai! I think most people feel that the first day of visiting a new city is overwhelming until you get your bearings. Even though I have visited over 50 countries, I find that my first day is all about orientation and familiarization. Then, the next few days, you can do more in-depth exploration. What better way to orient yourself than from the top deck of a Big Bus Tour! In Abu Dhabi, we had 3 days, 2 nights so we did the 2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour exploring the Red and Green Lines. We did the Red Line the first day getting off for a visit to the Corniche, Heritage Village, and the Dhow Cruise. The second day we did the Green Line with a visit to the Grand Mosque and Ferrari World. One of the awesome things about doing the Big Bus Tour of Abu Dhabi is they have a complimentary shuttle back and forth from Mall of the Emirates in Dubai to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Plus, there is a Red and Green Line Bus waiting for you in Abu Dhabi when you arrive! Here are some of the places I would suggest visiting: 1) Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque The first thing we saw when we arrived in Abu Dhabi was the majestic Grand Mosque. This is one of the only mosques in the UAE that is open to visitors so I highly recommend doing the Free Guided Walking Tour (runs 3-4 times/day). You will learn a lot about Arabian culture, Islamic architecture, and Muslim religion. They have free garments for you to borrow during your visit. There is also a Recorded Commentary but I prefer a live person explaining things! Both the interior and exterior are breath-taking!! 2) Heritage Village One of the best places to see the beautiful skyline of Abu Dhabi is from the Heritage Village. The kids loved playing in the sand while Anne and I relaxed and enjoyed the view. One of the tallest flag poles in the world is on location with the elegant UAE flag flying proudly above the Heritage Village. There are several shops as well as […]

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The Yellow Boats – Sightseeing Tour

It’s been an amazing 2 weeks exploring Dubai. Before we left Dubai, we wanted to do something unique to see the city from a different perspective. While looking online, we came across The Yellow Boats and saw people getting some amazing pictures from inside one of their distinctive yellow boats. Seeing the beautiful pictures of some of Dubai’s landmarks from the comfort of a boat seemed like a fitting conclusion to our own family trip to Dubai. Why the Yellow Boats? 1) Guided Commentary We have done boat trips in the past where you just watch everything but wish you knew more details and there is no guide to explain things. Well, with The Yellow Boat’s knowledgeable and well-informed skippers, you won’t have any questions unanswered as there are several stops along the way, where the skipper gives you insider info that you won’t find in any guidebook. 2) Kid-friendly Rianne and Ryan loved The Yellow Boats, especially when it did 360 degreedonuts and other trics as it zoomed around the Arabian Gulf. My wife and I felt totally safe since our kids had life jackets on and they sat between us. The skipper lifted both kids in and out of the boat and you can tell that he really had the safety of them in mind. Our kids kept saying “When can we ride The Yellow Boats again?” even after the trip was over! 3) Picture Opportunities A lot of the pictures we take have lots of other tourists walking in and out of the shots. It’s almost impossible to get “The Perfect Shot.” So, you don’t feel that your picture stands out apart from everyone else’s. During The Yellow Boat trip, you will get unbelievable pictures of just you with Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab that will leave you astonished! Trust me, you will want to change your Facebook profile picture immediately when you get home from the trip! We certainly did!! We had such a memorable time with The Yellow Boats and are super grateful for the unforgettable experience. They have several different options and leave at multiple times every day. Wwould highly recommend you to take the 90 mins trip of Dubai. When you do, make sure you send me some pictures of you in front of Burj Al Arab and Atlantis The Palm!! Can’t wait to hear about your own trip with The Yellow Boat. You […]

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Unlimited Attraction Pass with Big Bus Tours Dubai

YES…we did it all! Big Bus Tours Dubai has an Unlimited Attraction Pass with 15 different bonuses which you can use within one week.We averaged about 2 attractions per day and finished all 15 bonuses in 7 days. Here is an overview of all the attractions we did within one week: 1) 3 Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours (Red, Green, and Blue) There are different ways to do a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour. There is no right way as it’s really up to the individual. However, there are 2 schools of thoughts: i) Do the Entire Loops First, Then  the Stops (do all 3 lines in one day then do the stops over the following days) ii) Do a Line Per Day (3 lines over 3 days) We opted for a hybrid approach, doing the entire red and green line in 1 day stopping for the Dhow Cruise and Atlantis Lost Chambers Aquarium. The second day, we completed the blue line & the Marina cruise. On the last few days, we did all the bonus attractions including the night tour, the 3 walking tours, the museums, and the half day trips. 2) Magical Night Tour I love exploring a city at night. However, with 3 young kids, it’s difficult to take them out after dark. The perfect solution is to do the night tour as you get to see all the main attractions within a 3 hour window stopping for the Light & Sound Show at WAFI as well as a short 15 minutes walking tour of the WAFI Souk. 3) Dubai Creek Cruise One of the MUST-DOs when visiting Dubai is an Arabian Dhow Cruise. Instead of purchasing a separate ticket, the Unlimited Attraction Pass includes 2 free Dhow Cruises: one on the creek and the other on the Marina. The Dubai Creek Cruise allows you to see the day-to-day life of the Emirates from the comfort of the top deck of a Dhow. There is even snacks, drinks, and ice cream on sale. Yes, you don’t need to ask…the kids got some ice cream!

The Highest Building in the World – At The Top Burj Khalifa

Do you have a Bucket List? Make sure you add and cross off Burj Khalifa from the list! Ever since we saw the beautiful Burj Khalifa being built, our dream was to go to the top to step foot inside the highest building in the world! Then after seeing the majestic tower in various movies (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Fast &  Furious 7), it made us want to visit even more! Well, this week, that dream came true as we visited At The Top Burj Khalifa (the highest observation platform in the world) As we rode the elevator up and stepped foot onto the Outdoor Platform, my wife’s eyes’ were filled with tears as she said to me, “I can’t believe we are actually here!” Soon, my eyes got teary too as we looked down at the world below us! We were really on top of the world! We went up around 4 pm and stayed until the sun set so we could see the view during both the day and the night. It’s really a different perspective. We got to see a very different view of The Dubai Funtain (we stayed for 3 shows) which is every 30 mins from 6 pm onwards! I recommend going around sunset – maximize your time on the Outdoor Deck before it gets dark because it can get cold once the sun has set. I also suggest booking your tickets in advance to ensure you get the timing you want (Sunset Visits are definitely super popular and sell out quick). and also to avoid the line-ups of people buying tickets directly at the venue. They have a limit to the number of people who visit each hour so it doesn’t get super crowded at the top. I like this feature as no one wants to be at the top when it’s over crowded. Even though we are just in the early stages of our Round-The-World Trip, our trip to the top of Burj Khalifa has already become one of our favourite memories. Our kids can and will aways remember that mommy and daddy took them to the top of the world! The attraction is super friendly. The kids loved the pods they could relax in while watching the city and the desert below them. They also loved the Outdoor Deck and kept shouting “WOW!!” while looking down (watch the video below for their cute expressions)! […]

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Mini Hotel in Causeway Bay

Looking for budget accommodation on Hong Kong Island? After staying in Kowloon and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, we wanted to experience staying right on Hong Kong Island. The Hong Kong Tourism Board connected us with the friendly staff at Mini Hotel and we were able to get a 3 night media stay in a beautiful family room. Mini Hotel has 2 locations and another one opening soon: 1) Central  2) Causeway Bay At first, we felt the room might be super small however we amazed at how big and spacious the family room was – in fact it was 2 rooms joined together with separate entrances and bathrooms and showers in each room (a very unique configuration). One of the highlights is the lobby where you can connect with other travellers, use the iMac computers to surf the web, check your emails, or post updates on social media, as well as the complimentary luggage storage upon check-out. The amazing staff at Mini Hotel left balloons and snacks for our kids which was such a hospitable gesture to arrive to and see when we entered the room! There is complimentary water and tea & coffee too for the in-the-morning pick-me-up! There is a restaurant and Starbucks right opposite the hotel too as well as dozens of shops and restaurants minutes away! There was an Airport Express Bus that left from very near our hotel which made the commute much easier (yes, travelling with young kids, a stroller, and luggage is always challenging when you are arriving and departing a country so it’s go to use Express Buses or Trains to get to the airport). You can watch our video tour of our room here: In addition to our blog review, if you want to read what other bloggers (including solo travellers and couples and other families) had to say about their stay at the Mini Hotel check out the blog reviews below: Mini Hotel – Blog Reviews

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Chung King Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui

In addition to sightseeing and food recommendations, I’ll be reviewing different hotels, resorts, and accommodation options for travelling families. Some will be sponsored media stays and some will be just unique accommodations that I think our readers will find informative. Most budget travellers find themselves at Chung King Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon at some point during their stay in Hong Kong. In 2003, when I first visited Hong Kong as a solo backpacker, I stayed in Chung King. Now, in 2017, I’m back this time with my wife and 3 young kids. Hong Kong is notorious for it’s expensive yet small accommodation. It’s almost impossible to find budget options in the heart of Kowloon…except for Chung King. The rooms are small yet you can get cheap prices especially if you are willing to bargain. We booked our first 2 nights online but then we bargained for a cheaper room when we were there. Chung King is a massive 16 story concrete building that is lit up in flashing neon lights at night right on Nathan Road with over 4,000 residents living there (with a mix of locals, short & long-term residents, and tourists). It is divided into 5 blocks (A, B, C, D, E). Blocks A & B tend to be the busiest (with long lines to get up the elevators). There are dozens of shops selling everything imaginable and a very multicultural ambience (with many South Asians, Africans, and ethnic minorities conducting business here too). The location is amazing and some of the rooms have sea views (yes, you can get a sea view room for under $100 Canadian)! We were able to walk to the Star Ferry, Evening Light Show, Night Market, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and more. There are dozens of restaurants within walking distance of Chung King. Plus, the MRT is only 2 mins walk away to discover the rest of Hong Kong and the airport bus stops only minutes from the entrance! We stayed at Park Inn for the first 2 nights and then Ashoka Delta Guest House for 4 more nights. Park Inn was bigger and cleaner and had a better view but was more expensive than Delta. We looked at several rooms and bargained a lot to get a good rate (about $60 Canadian for a Family Room). Some suggestions and hints: 1) Bargain for a Cheaper Rate once you Arrive […]

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Day Trip to Corregidor Island with Sun Cruises Philippines

Even though my wife was born and raised in Manila, she had never been to Corregidor Island. Well, we decided to change that during our family trip to the Philippines thanks to a media trip with Sun Cruises Philippines! When the crew started singing and dancing when we set off from Manila Bay, we knew we were in for a fun day! The boat trip is a scenic and relaxing one hour journey (only 48 km west of Manila) with snacks and drinks available to purchase on board. You can stay in your assigned seats with AC inside or you can sit out on the outer deck with the wind blowing in your face to cool you down. When you arrive at Corregidor Island, there are trams waiting for you (you get a number when you check in connecting you to one of the trams). They are all open-air so it is a great way to see the island and all the sights from the comfort of the tram! I was very impressed with the organization and professionalism of Sun Cruises. We even got our very own private tram since we were on a Media Trip! This helped a lot since we have 3 young kids so were given the flexibility to get on and off where we wanted and take as long as we needed. We also got to combine the driving trip with several walking trips which gave us a unique perspective on the island! Our guide Brian (which rhymes with our son Ryan) has worked with Sun Cruises for 12 years, lives on the island 6 days/week, and was super informative giving us an-indepth history of the island, World War 2, and helping pick up the kids from the tram! Highly recommend asking for Brian when you book your trip! We stopped at several places along the way learning a LOT about Filipino WW2 History including: 1) PACIFIC WAR MEMORIAL The distintive dome reminded me of my trip to Hiroshima when I taught English in Japan. In this area, you can see the eternal flame, a beautiful sculpted garden, and the Pacific War Memorial Museum with many artifacts and photos telling you the history of Corregidor. 2) JAPANESE GARDEN OF PEACE Even though the Japanese have a bad reputation for the horrors they committed during World War 2, you can’t help but feel sadness and sympathy when […]

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Sightseeing in Manila with Kids

Unlike other big, touristy, and more famous Asian cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Bangokok, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, the capital of Manila is still trying to find itself on the global tourist world map. This was my third visit to Manila (2004, 2012, 2016) the first time before getting married, the second time with our daughter, and this time with all 3 kids. In all honesty, I have never really liked Manila because of the pollution, poverty, traffic jams, and lack of strong tourist infrastructure. We went mainly with the purpose of visiting Anne’s family in Makati. However, this time, since we had almost 3 weeks in Manila (and 1 week island hopping), I decided to do some sightseeing with the kids. A few times, Anne and I went together and other times, I took the kids alone so Anne could focus on planning for her parent’s 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary! Here’s some of our favourite family-friendly sightseeing attractions in Manila for kids: 1) MANILA OCEAN PARK This is an amazing aquarium with lots of shows and activities! We spent almost 8 hours at Manila Ocean Park including seeing the Birds of Prey Show, the Sea Otter Show, the Light Show, and feeding the Penguins (additional charge).I recommend getting the All-Inclusive Ticket so you can see everything! Here is a short video we made at the Evening Light Show with the Dancing Water Fountains: 2) KIDZANIA This attraction is in several cities around the world however it was our first visit to Kidzania. We only had 2 hours and it definitely felt rushed so in hindsight, we should have planned for 4-6 hours to do many more attractions such as becoming a firefighter, hospital worker, tour guide, and more! When you finish an activity, you get paid and you can use the Kidzania Dollars to buy things around Kidzania. 3) KID’S MUSEUM Also known as Museo Pambata (“Kid’s Museum”), I was a little disappointed by this museum. There were 2 levels but the attractions felt outdated and there weren’t enough interactive activities. I think they should update this museum with more tech and engaging aspects. The highlight was the picture above (Rianne dressed as a Filipino Farmer) as well as the traditional Filipino Town! I would skip this museum and focus on the other attractions on this list! 4) RIZAL PARK Rizal Park has a train, kid’s playground, Chinese […]

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Island Hopping in the Philippines

With 7,000+ islands, you can’t visit the Philippines without exploring some of these islands yourself! Back in 2004, I travelled to the 3 major regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Cebu, and Mindanao including a lot of the major islands. However, since getting married, we haven’t done as much island hopping. Well, on this trip, we decided to change that by going to Bohol, Camiguin, and the surrounding islands. 1) BOHOL On our first day, we explored the island of Panglao which is connected to Bohol by 2 bridges. We began the day with a delicious lunch at Bohol Bee Farm and got to hold a colony of bees (my wife was scared I would drop it and all the bees would chase us!), followed by exploring the Hinagdanan Cave, the Seashell Museum, & St Augustine Church, and ended the day at the beautiful Alona Beach. We then headed to our room at White and Green Resort. Our second day started with a visit to the Tarsier Sanctuary where we saw the world’s smallest primate followed by the Double Hanging Bridge, the Man-made Forest, the Butterfly Sanctuary, the famous Chocolate Hills, lunch on a Floating Restaurant while cruising down the Lombok River, holding a giant python at the Zootic Animal Park, walking around Baclayon Church, and ending the day at the Blood Ritual Memorial. Our third and final day started with an early morning boat ride to go Dolphin Watching. We then headed for lunch at Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary where I took Rianne and Ryan on a smaller boat to see a Giant Turtle and do some Fish Feeding. Next up we took a boat to Virgin Island, a beautiful white powdery sand bar where we checked out the Mangroves and ate some delicious Banana Fritters and drank some Coconut Juice! 2) CAMIGUIN Once we arrived, we had dinner at CheckPoint Food which is owned by an Australian who also owns Turtle Beach Cottage where we stayed for 3 nights. A lot of the resorts and hotels can help organize day trips of Camiguin as well as the surrounding islands. It seems like everyone knows each other since Camiguin is a fairly small island. The next morning started with visits to the Hot Springs and the Soda Swimming Pool (where the water actually tasted like Soda/Carbonated Water). Next up was a visit to the Old Church Ruins at Bonbon, Catarman and then […]

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