Aventuras De Viaje's Blog, page 12

Twin Lakes Review, Dumaguete, Philippines

This Twin Lakes review contains costs, directions for getting to Twin Lakes, pictures, and other useful information.

Our last stop during our day out on the motorbike was Twin Lakes. I thought about skipping it because it was quite far away but as Anna said “no regrets”. I think she ended up regretting it though because we ended up doing another jungle hike.

Cost(s): 50php for locals, 100php for foreigners.

Address: Sibulan, Negros Oriental. Ph: 0935 147 5318.

Twin Lakes Review

It took way longer to get to Twin Lakes from Red Rock Hot Springs that I thought. I knew we had to go out to the coast and then back inland, but didn’t count on the winding scenic road through the mountains. I think it took close to an hour, and about the same amount of time back to Dumaguete.

A view on the way to Twin Lakes.

When you finally arrive at Twin Lakes you pay your entrance fee and then have to drive another 10 minutes or so to the parking area.

It is a short hike to the first lake. 80 meters according to the sign.

We had arrived quite late in the day so there was no-one there to hire out the boats, not that I would have anyway (I’m much more of a land dweller).

The sun was slowly going down when we arrived.

Then I decided we would do the hike to the second lake. It was a great path, but we had to rush it a bit because I didn’t want to be walking back in the dark. Some of the safety rails were missing.

The jungle path to the second lake.

Along the way are some photo opportunities of the lake.

Looking back towards the boats.

At the end of the path is a viewing tower where you can see both the lakes.

The first lake. I forgot the name of it.

The second lake is much like the first, only much smaller. It’s called Lake Danao which seems to be a common lake name in the Philippines.

Lake Danao.

There was also a sign to a waterfall but unfortunately we ran out of daylight.

Getting to Twin Lakes in Dumaguete

Twin Lakes is actually quite far from Dumaguete, about 30km, close to a town called Sibulan.

You can probably take a jeepney to Sibulan proper from Dumaguete and then find transport from there to Twin Lakes.

I recommend hiring a motorbike. You can get details about that in the Casaroro Falls post.

Do you agree with this Twin Lakes review? Feel free to leave your own Twin Lakes review (and anything else you want to say) in the comments

Red Rock Hot Springs Review, Dumaguete, Philippines

This Red Rock Hot Springs review contains costs, directions for getting to Red Rock Hot Springs, pictures, and other useful information.

Just down the road from Red Rock Falls is Red Rock Hot Springs, a warm pool filled with the the mineral water from the mountains.

I knew we would be sore from walking all the stairs at Casaroro Falls so a mineral bath was just what the doctor ordered.

Cost(s): 40php person + table hire (40php + depending on what you hired).

Address: Red Rock Road, Valencia, Negros Oriental

Red Rock Hot Springs Review

Red Rock Hot Springs was not as big as other hot springs I’ve been to in the Philippines, but was still, if not more, nice.

It was just one pool with a couple of water fountains you can put your head under. The water was a very comfortable warm and with the slightest scent of the minerals.

The pool with fountains.

No doubt the upgrade to Red Rock Falls has had a positive effect on the Hot Springs business as well because they were building additional shelters.

Mountain view from the hot springs.

We had a really nice time at the Red Rock Hot Springs, especially due to the fact that we were the only ones there. Our timing was pretty much perfect. There was a big group when we arrived, but they left after five minutes and, apart from the workers, we had the whole place to ourselves.

There was a small shop there to buy snacks, drinks, and even local cooked meals. They also had showers and toilets.

Along the highway on the way in you see the steaming area and can really smell the sulphur (I think it’s sulphur) from the mountains.

Steam from the mountains.

Getting to Red Rock Hot Springs in Dumaguete

Red Rock Hot Springs is actually in Valencia. You pass it on the way to Red Rock Falls.

You can take a jeepney to Valencia proper from Dumaguete and then find transport from there to Red Rock Hot Springs.

I recommend hiring a motorbike. You can get details about that in the Casaroro Falls post.

Do you agree with this Red Rock Hot Springs review? Feel free to leave your own Red Rock Hot Springs review (and anything else you want to say) in the comments

Red Rock Falls Review, Dumaguete, Philippines

This Red Rock Falls review contains costs, directions for getting to Red Rock Falls, pictures, and other useful information.

After Casaroro Falls we went to Red Rock Falls, otherwise known as Pulangbato Falls. It was fairly close to Casaroro Falls and I think we made it there within half and hour.

Cost(s): 50php per person (I think).

Address: Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Red Rock Falls Review

I think they must have “pimped out” Pulangbato Falls recently because, contrary to what I had read, there was no hike involved and you definitely did not need a guide to find it.

Seems they’ve built it into a ‘proper’ tourist attraction, easily accessible to young and old.

Actually, it is pretty nice. We went on a Thursday. I imagine is is ultra-crowded on the weekends.

I counted three different swimming spots. One main one at the top which I think was just a straight up man-made pool. Lots of families with their hired shelters. No picture of that, sorry. I accidentally deleted my pictures of Red Rock Falls from my phone. Luckily Anna had some which I have used in this post.

The next level down was where we spent most of our time. Next to the little shop and a small waterfall pool. It was nice for a quick swim. We ate halo halo and sweet corn.

You could also go to the top of this waterfall. I lost the photo of that.

The pool I went for a quick dip in. Looks quiet but about 30 seconds after taking this ten or so people jumped in.

On the bottom level was the bigger waterfall. I didn’t go in it but there were plenty of people who did.

The largest waterfall on the bottom level.

Getting to Red Rock Falls in Dumaguete

Like Casaroro Falls, Red Rock Falls is actually in Valencia. You can take a jeepney to Valencia proper from Dumaguete and then find transport from there to Red Rock Falls.

Of course, I recommend hiring a motorbike. You can get details about that in the Casaroro Falls post.

Do you agree with this Red Rock Falls review? Feel free to leave your own Red Rock Falls review (and anything else you want to say) in the comments

Casaroro Falls Review, Dumaguete, Philippines

This Casaroro Falls review contains costs, directions for getting to Casaroro Falls, pictures, and other useful information.

After living in Dumaguete for 4+ months we finally rented a motorbike and went to see the surrounding area.

I woke up Anna relatively early (9:15am, she usually sleeps till at least 11am) and by 10:30am we were at the motorbike rental place. Details on hiring a motorbike are at the end of this post.

Cost(s): 15php / person. Maybe more for foreigners but sometimes I pass as a local.

Address: Taft St, Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Casaroro Falls Review

Casaroro Falls is pretty close to Dumaguete. It took under 30 minutes to ride there.

We parked the bike and some workers put a piece of cardboard on our seat to keep the sun off. Good idea.

We paid the small fee to the young girl (she couldn’t have been more than 12 years old) and then walked down the many stairs. Anna was not happy (she hates walking), so I reminded her that whatever we walked down we would also have to walk back up. That cheered her up.

This incline was the pretty much the same all the way down.

Unfortunately I accidentally deleted my photos of Casaroro and Red Rock falls from my phone, but luckily Anna had taken a couple also.

The start of Casaroro falls was a bunch of small cascading falls as opposed to the classic big waterfall.

Casaroro falls was a bunch of small cascading falls as opposed to the classic big waterfall.

You could walk along the river negotiating the broken bridge. It was nice and quiet. While we were there only one other couple turned up.

I think if I had kept following the river I would have seen a big waterfall.

After the long walk back up we went to Valencia and grabbed a quick bite of bola bola (meatballs), bulalo (beef soup), and rice. Then we headed to Red Rock Falls, a.k.a. Pulangbato Falls.

Getting to Casaroro Falls in Dumaguete

Casaroro falls is better described as being in the small town of Valencia as opposed to Dumaguete. You can take a jeepney from Dumaguete to Valencia and then hire a tricycle to take you to Casaroro falls. You would have to get the driver to wait for you to get back.

Personally I advise just hiring a motorbike. Probably wouldn’t be that much more expensive and is much more convenient, especially if you want to see other things in the area.

Where to Hire a Motorbike in Dumaguete

There are at least three motorbike rental places on the corner of Perdices and Santa Rosa.

If taking a tricycle just tell the driver to take you to DCCCO. The closest moto rental is the most expensive (400/24hrs). Look across the other side or Perdices. The one on the left is 350php/24hours and will give you two helmets.

The one on the right will rent you a motorbike for as cheap as 250php/5 hours, or 300 for 12 hours, for a semi-autmatic. A full automatic is more expensive, and only one helmet is included. An extra one is another 50php. We did the 5 hours but went way over and had to pay an extra 90php. It ended up costing 400php in the end, with the extra helmet. The bike was in great condition. My advise would be to just do the 12hours up front, or go to the one on the left.

Whoever you go to, take your drivers license (from whatever country you are from) and another form of ID. They keep your id but not your license.

Do you agree with this Casaroro Falls review? Feel free to leave your own Casaroro Falls review (and anything else you want to say) in the comments

Healthy Habits When Traveling

Having healthy habits when traveling will, well, keep you healthy. In this post I share my personal healthy habits that I use when traveling.

They are habits, not rules. Being ultra strict sucks the fun out of traveling (and life), but getting sick can easily ruin your whole experience. I’ve found that adapting a few healthy habits while traveling is a good compromise.

I’ve written a post on staying healthy while traveling before but now I feel more en-lightened with my extended research into the Survival Fitness Plan (SFP).

The majority of the information in this post has been adapted from the book Daily Health and Fitness by Sam Fury.

Health Habits in General

Before getting into my healthy habits when traveling I’ll give a quick summary of my non-traveling health habits. It makes for good comparison.

Here is a typical day in regards to my health habits:

~7-8am (just whenever I naturally wake-up). Wake. Drink 500 – 1000ml fresh water.
Daily health and fitness routine (10 x super-burpees, 10 x pull-ups, self-defense drills, 15min yoga, 15min meditation). ~45 minutes.
Ginger, lemon and honey tea.
~10:30am. 60 mins fight and flight training.
1T of coconut oil.
~1-2pm. Lunch. Usually soup or porridge.
~4-6pm. Fresh fruit juice and small snack.
~7-9pm. Dinner.

Other notable habits

I eat kim chee with almost every meal. It’s awesome for the digestive system.
I’m 90+% vegetarian (I cook vegetarian but if someone gives me meat I’ll eat it).
I don’t eat anything between 9pm and 1pm the next day (intermittent fasting) except 1Tb honey (in my morning tea) and 1Tb of coconut oil.
In regards to meals, I follow the SFP nutrition guidelines pretty closely.
I drink cold brew green tea during the day. Put green tea in a bottle of water and leave it overnight. Can do this with other things also, lemon, ginger, etc.
I rarely drink alcohol, and it’s even more rare for me to get drunk. I don’t do drugs or smoke.

Healthy Habits When Traveling

When I’m traveling I try to stick to the my normal habits as much as possible, but there are two main complications.

I love trying new foods (my vegetarianism goes out the window).
I’d rather explore than exercise.

Nutrition

I still do intermittent fasting as normal.
Cold brew herbal tea. Usually just green as it’s easiest.
Simple and light lunch. Soups or sandwiches. Often I just buy it from the supermarket.
Yoghurt replaces kimchee (unless I’m in Korea, obviously). Eat one a day.
My afternoon fruit juice is fairly easy to find. No added sugar or condensed milk. Coconut water is a good alternative also and it isn’t too hard to find in larger supermarkets.
Dinner time is when I try the local foods.

I used to eat in the really cheap local places, but I guess my stomach is getting weaker with age. I still like the local restaurants, but I’m a bit more careful with hygiene these days.

If I’m sticking around a while I will hunt down accommodation where I can cook.

Top Three Tips for Avoiding Travelers Diarrhea:

ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS and/or use hand sanitiser before eating, after using the bathroom, after touching animals, and any time you feel necessary.
Eat fresh. If it is not cooked while you wait, avoid it. Especially “street food”. Supermarket stuff and western standard restaruants are usually fine.
Don’t drink untreated water. This includes washing fruit, brushing your teeth, etc.

Exercise

My morning routine does not change. Super-burpees, pull-ups, self-defense drills, yoga, and meditation. Every morning, without fail (almost). If I can’t do it in the morning (usually because I’m in transport) then I do it when I arrive at my accommodation.

Fight and flight training goes out the window, but I walk a lot. If something is under 4km I will usually walk it. Walking at least 10km a day is normal when I’m sightseeing.

Also, I enjoy outdoors activities when traveling, (e.g., snorkeling, bike riding, hiking, etc).

If I’m sticking around a while I’ll try to find a public swimming pool and/or somewhere to do sprints.

What healthy habits when traveling do you use? Share them in the comments

16 Amazing Malaysian Foods

The last time I was in Malaysia was 5 months ago and I wrote this post on amazing Malaysian foods but for some reason never actually posted it.

Just as well because since then I’ve been living in the Philippines and I haven’t been doing anything “travelly”, so this at least gives me something to share.

Featured Picture: Cooking noodles in Penang.

Malaysia is an awesome place for food since it has Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian influence.

I’ve actually done a Malaysian foods post before but it was a long time ago and there is easily enough Malaysian dishes to warrent a second one.

I have family in Malaysia so I try to visit there at least once a year for a couple of weeks. On this latest trip I went there for just under two months, so this post basically contains a selection of random amazing Malaysian foods I ate during that time.

16 Amazing Malaysian Foods
1. Pan Mian

One of my Uncle’s favorite places to eat lunch is this place that specializes in Pan Mian. Pan Mian basically noodle soup but it is the freshly made noodles and the soup broth which makes it extra delicious.

I think one of the main reasons he likes it so much is because of the freshly chopped garlic for your chili sauce. I must admit that the chili sauce is one of my favorite things about that place also.

Pan Mian

2. Indian Food

I did a quick trip to Penang to take a Jin Shin Jyutsu course. My accommodation was in Little India so eating some Indian food was inevitable. This is a generic Indian meal, i.e., choosing dishes from already cooked food. There are some specific dishes later on.

A dish from Little India.

3. Shui Jiao Mian

Another dish I had while in Penang was shui jiao mian – dumpling and noodle soup.

Penang is known for being an amazing place for food.

4. ABC

A desert favorite. I find that there is a version of this in most places in Asia. In the Philippines it is halo halo, and it is called ice porridge in China. They are all the same concept with their slights twists.

They Malay version is generally shaved ice, sugary syrup, fruits, jelly, mungbean, condensed milk, sometimes corn, and icecream if you pay a little extra. Prepare for a very filling sugar rush!

I wouldn’t eat it everyday, but a great “little” treat.

5. Penang Laksa

Penang is thought to be the food capital of Malaysia and Penang Laksa is one of the most famous dishes. With good reason!

I’ve had many Laksa’s in my time in all parts of Asia. Hands down, this was the best I’ve had. Well done Penang.

Easily my favorite version of Laksa.

6. Satay

Back in Kota Kinabalu and my Aunty wanted to take me out for a birthday dinner, which actually turned out to be a mid-afternoon feed.

In any case, she seemed pretty adamant about getting satay from some restaurant a friend had recommended to her. It was a good move.

Malaysia does very good Satay

7. Nasi Ayam

Nasi ayam is a very common cheap meal all over Malaysia. It is chicken and rice. There are a few different types depending on how you want your chicken cooked (steamed, roasted, etc.)

I got this one from the airport on my way to Melaka. Even from the airport it only cost 7MYR.

Nasi Ayam (chicken and rice). A staple favorite in many parts of the world.

8. Sup Ayam

Once I got to Melaka I checked into my accommodation and proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with the owner of the guesthouse. It was a good conversation but by the time it finished most of the restaurants close-by were closed. The only thing open was an Indian restaurant which had no vegetables on the menu so I ordered this chicken soup with rice. 5MYR.

Spicy chicken soup and rice. A good dinner, only 5MYR.

9. Yee Mee

A long time ago, maybe more than a decade ago, one of my Uncles took me to eat Yee Mee. Basically another type of noodle soup but I really liked the type noodles. When I walked past some hole in the wall restaurant in Melaka it caught me eye on the menu. Cost 4MYR.

It was not the same as I remembered, but still delicious.

Yee Mee – My uncle used to call it rats tail noodles.

10. Kuih

Number ten on this list of amazing Malaysian foods is Kuih. Kuih are traditional Malay cakes. There are many different types. This one is called Kuih Ketayap and is actually one of my favorite types of kuih. It was given to me by the wife of the owner of the Sleep Food Tourism House which is where I resided whilst in Melaka.

I don’t know what’s inside it, but it is sweet and delicious. Reminds me of a honey pancake.

Later that same day I went to Mini Malaysia and in there I saw this poster which displays all the different types of Kuih.

There are many types of cakes/sweets in Malaysia.

11. Ayam Penyek

I’m pretty sure this is an Indonesian dish. There seems to be a fare bit of Indonesian food in Melaka. Anyway, fried chicken, sambal, rice, novelty greens. Hits the spot with an ice lemon tea all for under 10myr.

It’s really just a different style of chicken rice.

12. Roti Bakar

For my last dinner in Melaka I went to a restaurant that I went to the first night specifically so I could try a couple fo dishes that interested me, the first being this one, roti bakar.

It is basically egg toasted bread, which is what I was expecting, but it had a little fishy taste to it. Maybe they mix in something with the egg, or perhaps the sauce was fish sauce. In any case, I don’t like fish so I was a bit dissapointed. Still okay to eat though.

Wasn’t as tasty as I thought it would be. Still edible though.

13. Rojak

The second dish I wanted to try was rojak. I didn;t really know what to expect from this and am a bit undecided about if I liked it or not. It was definately edible, but maybe too sweet for me.

It was mixed fruit in sweet sauce, and spicy. I think you can get non-fruit versions but whatever the waitress was telling me got lost in translation.

Sweet and spicy. Not really my thing but worth the taste test.

14. Kon Lau Mi

This is very common in Malaysia. It’s basically just noodles in soy sauce, although I am sure there is more to it than that.

One of my little brother’s favorites.

15. Japanese Tofu and Ground Meat

One of my favorite dishes. You can tell because I started eating it before I took a picture.

I’m a big fan of tofu, especially Japanese tofu.

16. Yong Tau Foo

Yong Tau Foo is basically Chinese style tofu stuffed with pork.

I love Yong Tau Foo but this was pretty average. My uncle makes it way better.

Well that’s eat for this list of 16 amazing Malaysian foods. It’s making me miss it – Philippines cuisine has nothing on Malaysia.

Do you know of any other amazing Malaysian foods that should be on this list? We’d love to hear about them or anything else you want to say in the comments

Life in Dumaguete, Philippines

This post is an update of my life in Dumaguete.

I’ve been living in Dumaguete for a month now and it’s going pretty good. I’ve settled into “work mode” and haven’t explored anywhere out of the city limits yet, but I’ll get to it after finished the project I’m on. Hopefully before the end of next month.

Life in Dumaguete

Well I’m basically just living. Working, cooking, reading, watching TV, and Anna (from Baybay) is here keeping me company.

I haven’t made any other friends – not that I’ve been trying. I’m one of those people that only needs one other person to get my fill of human interaction, and most times not even that.

Dumaguete Public Swimming Pool

Dumaguete has the biggest swimming pool on Negros island and it is only a ten minute walk from my apartment.

It’s a 50m pool and only costs 20php to enter.

I’ve discovered that late morning is the best time to go. Well, I haven’t tried early morning or the afternoon, but if you go before 11:00am there is often school groups. After that it’s pretty much empty. It closes for lunch at 1145am until 1pm.

Also, if you go there at that time there often isn’t anyone to collect the money so you get a free swim. Not that 20php is breaking the bank. At that price it’s practically free anyway!

I’ve been working on my underwater swimming lately. Trying to improve how fast and far I can go.

A swimming carnival at the public pool. Usually there are much less people.

There is also a running track which you can use. I don’t know if there is an entry fee because I’ve never been there.

Running track in Dumaguete.

Dumaguete Public Library

I got Anna to become a member of the local library. It’s not very big but there is more than enough to keep me busy. I’ve been getting into Dan Brown (author of the Angels and Demons, The DaVinci Code, etc.)

Let’s Talk Food!

One of my favorite things when not traveling is being able to cook, and I’ve been cooking a lot whilst living life in Dumaguete – mostly because I’m a better cook than Anna.

Between the Dumaguete Public Market and the couple of supermarkets in town I can get all my favorite foods except one, blue-berries. But considering where I am that’s pretty good.

Fresh tofu. Can get it in Robinsons supermarket, but it is half the price in the pubic market.
Pure honey. Camiguin honey. 100% from Lee’s Plaza (or maybe it was Robinsons supermarket), or a little shop next to the immigration office.
Coconut Oil. 100% virgin, cold pressed coconut oil from Robinson’s, or a little shop next to the immigration office.
Coconut Water. Lee’s plaza.
Moringa. Fresh from the public market and all the supermarkets. Capsulated/powdered from the little shop next to the immigration office.
Red Rice. Can get it in the supermarkets but again, much cheaper in the public market.
Mungbean. Markets, supermarkets.
Kim Chi. Available in Robinsons supermarket, but fresher and cheaper from Soban Korean restaurant. Only 250php per kilo! And it is only a five minute walk from my apartment.

A local eatery in the Philippines.

Getting a Visa Extension in Dumaguete

I heard that Dumaguete was a small but fairly busy immigration office. It is small, but not that busy. I didn’t have to wait to be served. The form has been simplified since the last time I did it, but other than that it is the same process.

The immigration office is located down an “alley” of shops, just around the corner from Nova / Lee’s plaza. Head towards the ocean and turn right at the end of the block. Walk a couple of minutes and turn right down the alley when you see the sign to the immigration office, which is on your left.

Just before the immigration office on your right is a little shop with moringa, honey, soaps, imported meats, etc. Owned by a Canadian guy and (I think) his Filipina wife. Nice guy.

The alley to the immigration office.

The process wasn’t instant like it was in Tacloban. I went in the morning and they said I could collect it at 3pm.

Got anything to add to this post of life in Dumaguete? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

Living in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines

This post is about my first couple of weeks living in Dumaguete.

Over the last year or so I have come to prefer actually living in places as opposed to just constant travel. My first real go of this was in Baybay. My next destination for “living” was supposed to be Colombia but I had some issues with my passport so have had to postpone that a few months and will wait it out in in the Philippines.

I was planning to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks pre-Colombia anyway to learn the rest of the Vortex Control Self-Defense Stick Fighting.

From Perth I flew via Kuala Lumpur to Cebu City. I spent a night in KL airport which I don’t mind. It is a good airport with showers, movie room, decent internet, and I know a pretty good place to sleep that no-one else ever seems to be in.

I finally bought a Mac, which are cheaper in Malaysia, and I also got the VAT refund. I think I ended up saving about $300usd in comparison to getting it in Australia.

I didn’t do anything in Cebu City. I slept the night in the Hotel San Remigio Pensionne Suites which I chose because it was walking distance to the south bus station. It was a good place to stay. Big room, air-conditioner, cable TV etc.

In the morning I met up with Anna (my friend from Baybay) at the bus station and we headed to Bogo.

Stick Fighting in Bogo

Peter has moved a couple of times since I last saw him in Moalboal. He went to the Camotes islands for a while but now he is in a town called Bogo which is about 3 hours bus north of Cebu City (135php).

Instead of doing a course I got Peter to just teach me the remainder of his stick fighting method in a couple of hours whilst I filmed it on my phone. I got a good refresher and a lot of extra learning, much more than I anticipated.

Peter teaching me stick fighting in Bogo.

We stayed in Bogo for two nights at the North Homes Pensione. Peter recommended it. It was very basic with a fan, bed, and not much else. Shared bathroom with one other room so was not a problem. OK internet. Good size room. Only 350php / night. There are other options available

There isn’t anything special to do in Bogo unless you want to go to the islands.

Riverfront in Bogo.

Getting from Bogo to Dumaguete

We went from Bogo to Dumaguete all in one day. We left the hotel around 09:30am and arrived in Dumaguete at about 6:30pm.

From Bogo to Cebu took 3hours and cost 135php per person.
Once in Cebu a taxi to the South bus terminal was 105php.
We then got on a bus to Lilian port. It took about 5 hours and cost 200php per person.
The ferry from Liloan to Dumagette was 62php per person and took less than 30 minutes.
Finally, a tricycle to the Coastal Inn (about 500m north of the city centre town) cost 150php. You could catch a jeepney to town which would only cost about 12php.

Whilst spending a couple of days searching for a place to live we stayed at the Coastal Inn in double fan room. It was 450php/night. Had Cable TV and private bathroom. Decent internet (as good as you can expect in a Filipino hotel) and walking distance to town. No hot water.

Garden of the apartment complex.

Living in Dumaguete

After a couple of days we found a place to live. Dumaguete is a bit more expensive than Baybay and I also decided to go for a fully furnished apartment. Also, wanting a short term rental also puts the price up a bit. I figure it is worth to pay a little more for a furnished place and short term lease. That way if I want to leave I only have to wait out the month.

Bedroom side of our apartment.

We found a place not far from town for 10,000php per month. It has a public pool next door. Not a lap pool but sufficient for survival swimming training.

The apartment is basically a big hotel room but with a kitchenette. It has an air-conditioner, TV, bed, and work table. Internet and cable is an extra 500php/month and I still had to buy kitchen stuff (plates, rice cooker, electric cooker, etc). The kitchen stuff and some other extras I needed cost about 6000 php, which was much less then I expected.

Kitchen side.

Well that’s it for this first post on living in Dumaguete. In a couple of weeks I’ll update on how things are going.

Do you have experience living in Dumaguete? Share your thoughts in the comments

13 Awesome Things to do in Sydney, Australia

Discover 13 awesome things to do in Sydney.

My reason for going to Sydney was to acquire a Colombian passport.

I originally planned to just go home (Perth, Australia) to celebrate Chinese New Year with family and then head to South America.

Shortly after making this decision my mum informed me that I could get me Colombian passport which is great because I would then not have to worry about visa restrictions – but the consulate was in Sydney so we had to go there.

Unfortunately there was some complications so I will have to return in an undetermined number of months, but the trip was not a total loss. There’s a lot to see in Sydney and we had a great time.

Featured Picture: Looking out from on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Australia Day.

13 Awesome Things to do in Sydney
1. China Town

We (my Mum and I) caught a red eye flight to Sydney and landed at about 0800am. We couldn’t check into our hotel that early so we stored our baggage and went for a walk.

China Town was right next to us so that was the first place we went. It was much smaller than I expected and not much going on at 9am but has some good food later on in the day until late at night.

Chinatown in the morning – not much going on.

2. Hyde Park

We decided to check out the botanical gardens and along the way had a wander through Hyde Park. It’s a nice place to stroll through.

Inside Hyde Park.

3. Botanical Gardens

After Hyde Park we got to the botanical gardens. The area was fairly large. We probably only saw half of it.

From the upper level of the Botanical Gardens.

4. Sydney Opera House

From the north side of the botanical gardens we were able to exit right in front of the iconic Sydney Opera House. We went inside and had a little rest from the heat. A truly beautiful piece of architecture.

Sydney Opera House.

5. Harbour Bridge

Next to the Opera House is the other famous icon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We considered climbing it but then discovered it would cost over $150 each. I just couldn’t justify the extortion – even if my mum was gonna pay for it (which she was).

Instead we just went on the pedestrian walk of the bridge to take some snaps of all the boats in the harbour (featured picture).

The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge taken from North Sydney.

6. The Rocks

One the way back toward the hotel we walked through the Rocks. A nice little area which is full of history that I did not learn about.

Inside the historical area of The Rocks.

7. Street Art

Whilst walking around Sydney you can see some pretty cool street art, which is probably my favorite thing about cities.

Street Art at Bondi Beach.

8. Catch a Ferry

The next day we went to the Colombian Consulate in North Sydney. To get back to the hotel we decided to take the ferry, which is a pretty nice thing to do.

View of Sydney from the ferry.

9. Darling Harbour

In the afternoon we took a walk around Darling Harbour. Nothing too exiting. Lots of restaurants and some other stuff. I think the main thing is the scenery, i.e., the harbour.

Darling Harbour.

10. Chinese Friendship Garden

The next morning we decided to check out the beaches, but before doing that we went into the Chinese Friendship Garden. This is a very peaceful garden with art, lakes, rock formations, small waterfalls, etc.

It is a little surreal that something so peaceful is then surrounded by the skyscrapers of Sydney.

$6.00AUD entry.

A waterfall inside the Chinese Friendship Garden.

11. Coastal Walk

After the Chinese Friendship Garden we caught the bus to Coogee Beach and then did a 6km walk along the coast to get to Bondi. It was a cool and cloudy day. Perfect for walking.

Coogee Beach.

12. Markets

Apparently there are a few good markets in Sydney on the weekend. Unfortunately we were not there over the weekend but our last day there was on Australia Day and there where some pop-up markets around the Rocks area.

A pop up market on Australia Day.

13. Bare Island

The last thing on this list of awesome things to do in Sydney is to go to Bare Island. Bare Island is located at the beach in La Peruse and is a filming site of Mission Impossible 2.

Apparently it is very nice to walk around but we couldn’t find any parking!

Getting to Sydney

From Perth it’s a 4 to 5 hour flight. Once at the airport (Domestic) it is just under $20aud to get to the city by train. More from international.

Accommodation in Sydney

Whilst doing all these amazing things to do in Sydney we stayed at the Great Southern Hotel.

Cost: $80/night.

Address: 717 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia.

This is not a hotel I would normally stay at as it costs about 4x more than I would usually pay, but my Mum booked (and paid) for it.

For the price I was expecting something pretty good. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great either. Just a normal hotel.

It was in a really good location (which would account for the price), TV, fridge, air-conditioner, desk, chair, and a comfortable bed. Not huge but big enough. Wifi available at $20 a day – extortion.

I wouldn’t stay there again. I just feel the price didn’t reflect the quality.

Book your stay at the Great Southern Hotel or some other accommodation in Sydney.

Getting to the Great Southern Hotel

The Great Southern Hotel is on George Street which is a main street through the city center. It is about halfway between Central and Town Hall stations.

Here is a video slideshow showcasing photos taken whilst in Sydney.

Got anything to add to this list of amazing things to do in Sydney? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

The Street Art of Sydney, Australia

This post is a collection of pictures I took featuring the street art of Sydney.

In general I am not a fan of big cities, but one thing I do enjoy is the street art that can be found.

I don’t think Sydney is particularly well known for its street art, but being the largest city in Australia it did not surprise me that there was quite a bit around – not that I saw very much of it.

Anyway, here are a few shots of what I came across just walking around.

Featured Image: Murals at Bondi Beach.

The Street Art of Sydney

This was the first one I noticed just near our hotel. Maybe the only non-commissioned piece of these photos.

Graph art near our hotel, on George Street.

Came across this one in the historical area known as the Rocks.

In the historical area of the Rocks.

Under a bridge walking back to the hotel from the botanical gardens.

Lots of murals in the walkway near the Chinese Friendship Garden.

Staircase along the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk.

Lots of great pieces at Bondi beach.

This final one was taken near the top of Nurses Walk in the Rocks.

Have you explored the street art of Sydney? Let us know your favorite piece (or anything else you want to say) in the comments