Tag: Adventure

Route 13

Credits:  Papers by Creativity by Crystal’s Room Collection, Art & Soul Papers by Sahlin Studio, Story Telling Paper by Sahlin Studio.

Flying, albeit relatively expensive, is the easiest way to Luang Prabang.  But you miss all the stunning scenery along the way.  Nestled between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, surrounded by mountains, getting there takes some effort via an 11-hour bus ride from Vientiane.  From Thailand, it’s a 2-day slow-boat.

We chose to take Route 13 because it was cheaper, the scenery – stunning and we wanted to stop at Vang Vieng even for just a day (although a day isn’t really enough).  From there, it still takes 7 hours on a meandering, poorly paved road leading to the ancient city, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The remarkable landscape makes the exhausting experience worthwhile.

We break the trip for lunch and there I had my bowl of delightful beef noodle soup as I had planned, remembering how good that bowl of soup was in 2007.  Lining up for that bowl, I watched with interest how they assembled the dish right before us.  First the fresh noodles, then the beef, the vegetables and at the end of the line sits a huge pot of soup ever so gently simmering under a slow fire.  The lady ladled up soup almost to the brim and handed it to me.

I devoured it with gusto.  It was as I remembered it to be, pretty damn good soup.

From that time till we reached Luang Prabang, we stopped a couple of times.  The entire bus tensed up when we realized that it was having problems with its brakes

– made even scarier when the air became dense with fog, which kept me awake and praying the rest of the trip.  We inched our way to the city and finally breathed a sigh of relief when we saw signs of city lights just around the bend.

It took us nine hours… but all is well that ends well.  Luang Prabang is worth it, I promise.

Not far from our nice little boutique hotel, just across The Apsara, is a sidewalk eatery I stumbled upon on my earlier trip.

It serves a mean Laotian-style BBQ that is a much like but not quite shabu-shabu.

It’s a cross between that and a Korean BBQ where the meat is grilled on the griddle while the soup is simmering on the same griddle.  As the meat cooks, the fatty juices drips on to the soup and I don’t have to tell you how divine that soup gets the longer it simmer and the more drippings it gets from the meat.  Brilliant.

And just like that, Luang Prabang has charmed me once more, today’s dreadful last stretch erased.

Getting There:  Click here for more options.

Posted on by Jenn 2

Soaring High in Vang Vieng

With most of Vang Vieng still asleep, we sauntered down before the break of dawn to the hotel lobby half asleep ourselves.  The ride came at 6 in the morning as promised and drove us to an empty lot where another vehicle with the basket and balloon arrived almost the same time.

They flipped the basket sideways, inflated the balloon with a giant fan and simultaneously flames it to give out that required hot air.

“You’re taking the VIP ride”, said a Chinese man in a coat to us.  Essentially, he meant that the basket can fit 4 but with no one else booked, the basket was ours for the next 40 minutes.  With their GPS and radios checked, we were asked to climb in.

By now Vang Vieng was waking up.

The balloon slowly lifted us up allowing us a bird’s eye view of this picturesque town.

With the air still misty, the mountain peaks looked mystical, like a painting almost.

The rice fields stretches out of the town and into the foothills.

The Namsong River beautifully snakes through Vang Vieng, manifesting its charm even more.

From the top, we see that the empty lot is actually the old airstrip and close to it is the road leading to Luang Prabang.

The beauty of Vang Vieng so captivated me; I forget that I was afraid of heights.  Tranquility fused with a rush of adrenalin was an experience unlike any I’ve had.

Hot Air Ballooning over Vang Vieng seemed to have blown away the cloud looming the town lately.

On the bus to Luang Prabang later that morning, I take one last look and say adieu to a town I have, in less than a day, become enchanted with.

Useful Info:

The Ballooning Company
Ban Vang Vieng, Laos PDR
+856-20-9691-8111
email: info@laoballooning.com
website: http://www.laoballooning.com
Posted on by Jenn 10

Fun and Frolic at the River Namsong

Credits:  Papers by Jessica Sprague (Bright Stripes paper), Carina Gardner (Coqu flirt 16), ITM Tricolor (Red tiny dot), QQ Knotty Girl papers; Elements by Carina Gardner (daisy paper bits)

Once a peaceful and quiet town, Vang Vieng used to appeal only to adventure travelers wanting to rock climb, explore caves or to simply enjoy its tranquil surroundings, its people and culture.

Surrounded with striking karst rock formation, the Namsong runs through it contributing to its serene setting.

Since the launch of inner tubing in the mid-2000, the quiet town of Vang Vieng has never been quite the same.

The Namsong now appeal to “partying” backpackers.

The town today is most know for “tubing” down the Namsong and with it came

many bars along the riverbanks catering to those floating downstream either in rubber tubes or on a kayak.

The townsfolk once farmers are now owners of bars and guesthouses – predominantly made up of chill-out bars and dance shacks all offering cheap booze,

some offering more thrills in the form of swings and ziplines.

Along with the bars, lodgings of various types line both sides of the riverbanks.

A short afternoon cruise up and down the river on a motorized boat reveal all these.  It is the easiest way to watch the goings on around the river.

Foreigners partying or simply floating down the river dominate local scenes along the river.

The “party” scene may have appealed to me years ago but today, I prefer the relaxed atmosphere of the down river part of the Namsong.

Watching the sunset over cocktails after a long day is my idea of a good time.

This looks like fun… so we booked a sunrise ride over Vang Vieng on a Hot Air Balloon… on my next post.

Posted on by Jenn 3

A Day in Vientiane

Credits: Page from Kayla’s Tin Album by Shabby Miss Jenn.

The outdoor seating at Dao Fa Bistro called out to us as we walked pass it.  We were tired from wandering the streets of Vientiane, visiting temples, doing some window-shopping and some real shopping along the way and resting our weary soles seemed like a good idea.

Right beside our table was a couple chatting over a plate of prosciutto on sliced garlic bread.  We decided to order the same.

While we watched the people pass by, we devoured our basket of this heavenly tasting cured ham on garlic bread over iced coffee and cold Beer Lao.  How French can you get?  Laos was under French rule from 1893-1953, the influence evident in the many French inspired bistros that line the streets.

Our day started early at the LCCT in Malaysia.  An early morning flight to Vientiane had us arriving in Laos’ capital at around 9AM.  A taxi prearranged with our hotel was waiting for us outside the Wattay International Airport.  “Welcome to Vientiane” the driver greeted us.  A friendly guy wanting to know more – where are we from, how long we’re staying, where else we’re going, so on and so forth.  What a nice start to our Laos adventure, me think!

After 15-20 minutes probably (I was so deep in conversation with the taxi driver, I lost track of time), we arrived at what looked like a pink colonial 3-storey building on an unpaved road across the Mekong River.  We thanked the driver and paid him Kip 64,000, equivalent to US$ 8 for the pick up.

The cool modern design of the interior was a contrast to the colonial style exterior.  The color maintained the same scheme of pink and light blue of the exterior.  We were told to wait as they fix our room and we can wait at The Spirit House, the restaurant next door.

It was 10AM so we opted to share an Egg’s Benedict, just enough to satisfy our hunger but leaving space for lunch.   This was the first of many good meals throughout this trip.  But I was expecting that and would have been disappointed if our meal were anything less than good.  In 2008, when I first visited Laos, I was amazed to find the food here superb – Laotian, French or a fusion of both.  Not leaving out the charm of Laos, the food was one major reason why I went back and writing to you about it.

Hotel Beau Rivage Mekong is a boutique hotel sitting on a quieter stretch (road still unpaved) of Fa Ngum Road, a short distance from the center of town where the main “riverside scene” is.

The Mekong River albeit practically dry in January serves as its main charm – great sunsets over cocktails is the main lure of their restaurant, The Spirit House.  A superior room would have the river view

while a standard room at US$ 53, had the garden view.

Our room was predictably pink – clean and spacious with a nice corner bar.

Leisurely walking to the main town, we would wander into streets; exploring shops that would catch our fancy when we happened to walk pass Makphet, a restaurant on the top of our list.

 We decided that lunch was going to be a little early since we were already there.

And as luck would have it, L’adresse de Tinay, the other restaurant we were eyeing was right beside so we made dinner reservations before we continued our exploring.

Clockwise: Grilled Beef Filet wrapped in Betel leaves with soy chili sauce, Green Mango Salad, Crispy Fried Mekong Fish with Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce, Red Hibiscus & Lime Breeze.

 Ranked by the 2009-2010 Miele Guide as one of the best restaurant in Asia, Makphet is a nice cozy restaurant serving modern Lao cuisine.  Not only do they serve wonderful food here, they are a “training restaurant” as well.

A training restaurant consists of culinary instructors from organizations such as Friends International to train homeless children and youths in the kitchen and in the front of house.  The group now run and support similar projects in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Egypt and Myanmar.  Needless to say, the dishes we chose were excellent and service was good.  They taught them well.  Be sure to get there earlier as the place can get packed.

* More on Makphet here.

Stuffed yet happy to be ticking off one item off our long list so early in the trip.  We walked to Haw Phra Kaew, once a royal temple of the Laotian monarchy that now houses a decent museum of Laotian art.  Built in 1565 by King Sethathirath as his private sanctuary.  This charming temple used to house the famous Emerald Buddha, which is today housed in Bangkok.

Intricately designed columns surround the temple

and buddhas grace the hallways where many still worship.

Practically across Haw Phra Kaew on Setthathirath Rd. is Wat Si Saket – a favorite and no doubt one of the most beautiful in Vientiane.  Both are important Buddhist sites but the latter is known to be the oldest temple still standing.

Modernization:  This was what greeted us at the entrance.

Built Siamese (Thai) style rather than Lao style, which could have saved the temple from destruction when the Siamese army destroyed and burned most of Vientiane in 1828.  The French restored the temple in 1924 and again in 1930.  The sim or the ordination halls stands in the middle of a square cloister.

Thousand of small niches were built at the outer walls of the cloister with small Buddha images on each niche.  On shelves in front of the wall are three rows of Buddhas in various shape and size.

Along the edge of the cloister were potted plants abundantly blooming bringing life to the faded yellow walls and pillars, exuding a tranquil charm all its own.

Dinner at L’adresse de Tinay was the perfect cap to our tiring yet beautiful day in Vientiane.  Tomorrow, we journey on to a Vang Vieng.  L’adressee is so to speak the newest kid in town serving outstanding French cuisine.  When we arrived, we were shown to the table we personally picked that afternoon.  A young man in black came out to greet us and get our orders.  Deliberating on what to order, the young man started giving his two cents worth and recommendations, owning up to the dishes when it hit me…  “Are you the chef?” I asked and he smiled and humbly introduced himself as Chef Tinay.

Trained in France, he went back home and opened this gem of a place with the help of his French wife, Delphine.

Main dishes: Duck Confit served as a cassoulet with Toulouse Sausage in sweet garlic cream (bottom left); Perfectly cooked Rack of Lamb (bottom right)

Everything we had from start to finish was excellent, ending with Delphine’s Limoncello, which she herself served.  Excellent French meal for US$ 40 per person… can you actually believe that?

* More on L’Adresse de Tinay here.

And with that we went to bed pleased at how well the day went.

Useful Info:

Hotel Beau Rivage Mekong
Fa Ngum Road, 
Ban Seetarn Neua,
Vientiane, Laos
+85621-243-350
Email: contact@hbrm.com
 
Makphet
Behind Wat Ong Teu parallel to Sethathirat Road,
Vientiane, Laos
+85621-260-587
Email: Makphet@friends-international.org
 
L’adresse de Tinay
Behind Wat Ong Teu parallel to Sethathirat Road,
Vientiane, Laos
+85620- 913-434
Email: ladressedetinay@gmail.com
Posted on by Jenn 9

Unexpected Bonus

“Mag-dive ka na, nandito ka na rin, you should dive, you’re already here”.  To be in Moalboal and not dive is indeed ridiculous. But because I was the only diver in the group, I didn’t plan to… until the divemaster convinced me, that is.

So we got up early the next day, sore from yesterday’s canyoning, and headed to this tiny island called Pescador.  Among the many impressive dive spots in Moalboal, Pescador is described to be their “jewel”.  My friends indulged and shared the cost of the banca (outrigger boat) with me.  They went snorkeling while I explored the world under… ok, that doesn’t sound right but you know what I mean.   😉

Located in the Tañon Straits, a narrow stretch of sea between the southern end of Cebu and Negros Oriental.  Considered “the most unique in the world” as it has the richest marine biodiversity in the coral triangle in the Philippines.

The island is essentially a wall dive made interesting with the overhangs, small caverns and holes in the reef wall.  It was an easy dive with just the right currents.  I was enjoying the drift, fascinated with all the marine life along the small caverns when divemaster taps me on the shoulder.

He pointed to my left and there, a short distance away, was a giant wall of fish, a silvery cloud of endless sardines against the blue backdrop of the deep, moving in one accord.  I was awestruck.  Never thought I’d ever get to see such a spectacle in our shores.

The first time I became aware of a sardine run was when a friend, years back,  showed me an awesome video filmed in South Africa.  Every year between the months of May and July, this famous shoal of sardines travel from their home in Agulhas banks and head north.  Predators follow this migration making it the main attraction for divers, rivaling the great migration in the African savannah.  This made it to my bucket list.

The tiny island off Moalboal has been host, for a few years now, to millions of sardines running the tropical waters but unlike the migration in South Africa; the sardines in our shores seemed to have made it its home (at least for now).  This wonderful phenomenon is seen all year round.  Predators seen in these side are mostly Threshers, White Tips and Whale Sharks.  Unfortunately, there were no predators in sight in this dive.  We were flying out the next day and couldn’t go below 40 ft.  Although not as spectacular as the South African video, it was an awesome experience nevertheless.

Observing from the surface, the snorkelers had their share of awesomeness from a different perspective.  They had to abort mid-stream though as the water got choppy, making it difficult to continue.  “Super bitin, too short” they said.

On our way back to the resort, the choppy waters were too big for our small boat, breaking an outrigger.

We were dropped off somewhere along White Beach.  Carrying our gears (except the tanks), walked the rest of the way back to the resort.  Awesome day.

Posted on by Jenn 11

The Kawasan High

Credits:  Papers by Queen of Quirks, Elements by Scrap Matters’ Life Simple Surprises Kit

Remarkable diving defines Moalboal and many combine it with a side trip to Kawasan Falls in nearby Badian town.

Just an hour away from Cebu’s diving destination, Badian is known for its 3-tiered waterfalls called Kawasan Falls.

A short trek will take you to the first falls where one can enjoy it with nary a need to swim if that is the preference (bamboo rafts are available to take people to the falls).

The beauty of the waterfalls cascading into turquoise pools and the lush tropical vegetation surrounding it already provides a natural high.

What more if, for 4 hours, you get to swim, trek, and jump into several of the turquoise pools along the way to Kawasan Falls?

We entered the falls from upstream, near the border of Badian, at the Matutinao Valley geared with a pair of booties, a life jacket and an adventurous spirit.  Canyoning at the Kawasan is not your ordinary Kawasan Falls excursion.

It requires swimming, river trekking, jumping off waterfalls and a bit of rappelling.  Canyoneering, as they call it, is a sport of exploring a canyon by engaging in rappelling, rafting and waterfall jumping.

The adrenalin started pumping at the Matutinao River, just a short distance from our jump-off.

We scrambled over rocks as we get use to the art of river trekking.

We sort of rappelled down a mountain slope to reach another canyon.

We swam when the water was deep.

We jumped from big boulders 4 times, sometimes over waterfalls, other times into a small basin with little room for error.

It was terrifying at times, but for the most part, it afforded us an ultimate high, non-stop adrenalin rush.  It was a high like no other.

The Aquaholic team made us feel safe all through out, guiding us through the magnificent sceneries of gorgeous blue lagoons and spectacular canyons and rock formation.

The remoteness and lack of habitation have left this valley a sanctuary.  In the course of our 4-hour escapade, we bumped into a few locals at the start and another canyoning group that explores the river the harder way from below, which they call river climbing.  Otherwise, we had the river and the beautiful riverscape all to ourselves to take pleasure in.

We reached the top of the 3rd cascade of Kawasan Falls at around 2pm.  Contrary to the tranquil environment we came from, we were greeted with loads of people enjoying their Sunday.

Caught off guard and surprised to see people out of nowhere walking down from atop the falls, they watched us with wonder as we walked pass them, exhausted but exhilarated.  Their facial expressions seemed to ask, “Where the heck did they come from?”

Going back to the van we walked this bamboo bridge which ironically was more frightening.

Why, one might wonder, do we take the grueling route when it only takes 15 minutes, 30 minutes tops to reach all 3 falls?

The answer to that would be because we love the challenge of an adventure.  Because we like doing things the unconventional way.  Because we are adrenaline junkies.  Because off-the-beaten paths are always more breathtaking…

Useful Info:

Philippine Aquaholic Diver’s Inc.
Club Serena Resort
Moalboal, Cebu City
Contact No: +63 (32) 516-1847; +63 (32) 474-0050; +63 (917) 717-3333
Email: dive@aquaholics.com.ph
Posted on by Jenn 6

Prelude To A Great Adventure

We were squished in a corner at the back of the mini van that was to take us westbound to Moalboal.  The van leaves when it is full and another one takes its place, taking in more passengers.

We only had time for a quick brunch at One Citilink Terminal before the conductor started calling for passengers.  There was no leg room where I was sitting in the van; I had to sit up the entire 2 hours to Moalboal.  I could not be happier to stretch my legs finally when we got off.  And even more so that we are to embark on a new adventure.  Yay!

Boasting of world-class dive spots, Moalboal has been a favorite haunt of serious divers since the ‘70s.  Diving, snorkeling and beach combing aside, a new adventure has emerged a few years ago in this side of Cebu.  This led us to Club Serena.

Where the van dropped us off, we took a tricycle to the resort.  The chatty tricycle driver offered to take us island hopping, snorkeling…  “Makakamura ho kayo (it will cost you less)”, he said.  I would have taken his offer except that we had more than just snorkeling and island hopping in mind.

Beach in front of the resort

In the outskirts of Moalboal is White Beach and lying at the end away from the busier Panagsama Beach is Club Serena.

Stunning hues of blue from sea to sky is supposedly typical throughout Cebu.

Although both beach share a coastline, separated only by coves and rocks, White Beach also known as Basdaku (which means big sand in Cebuano) has a wide stretch of sand.  Panagsama Beach, however, plays hosts to many bars and restaurants but has no real sand to boast.  Typhoons and bad coastal management has left the beach of Panagsama rocky and without sand.  Depending on preference, I’m glad we ended up in quiet White Beach.

Honey for sale outside the resort.

Possibly the most expensive resort along the strip, Club Serena has 8 rooms scattered around its grounds.

We took the Beachfront Suite, which they also call the Honeymoon Suite (perfect actually for honeymooners but that was not what we were there for).

Fits all 4 but 2 had to sleep on mattresses.

The suite comes with a room that is big enough to fit 4 of us, it also has a living and dining area where we would hangout and read.

Albeit slow, the clubhouse just across our suite whips up wonderfully prepared Asian dishes and having all our meals there during our stay was a delight.

Having breakfast before we went off to our adventure.

An activity center offering a wide array of activities from diving to dolphin watching to canyoning was the reason we decided to splurge on the resort.  The resort alone with its many cozy corners, a nice pool and well-appointed rooms is already worth the splurge.

Having an activity center that arranges all your activities so close by was icing on the cake.

Over a late lunch when we arrived, our guide came up to brief us on tomorrow’s activity.  What to bring, what not to bring, what to expect, taking note too that one of our companion was over 60.  He seemed worried but was assured when he learned that our friend has climbed Mt. Kanlaon many times.  More than what I can say for myself.

We spent the rest of the day chilling.

We slept, read, and enjoyed the sunset over some wine and cheese until it was time for dinner.

The owner threw a party that night hence the nicely set-up tables.  It went till the wee hours of the morning but we were too tired to care.   🙂

What a perfect prelude to exceptional activities to come.  Stay tuned.

Useful Info:

One Citilink Terminal
N. Bacalao Avenue, near Cebu City Medical Center & Cebu Technological Center
 
Club Serena
For reservations:
Telephone:  +63 32-417-2445
Mobile:  +63 920-902-8888 / +63 917-623-6057
Posted on by Jenn 6

Buluowan, the Lower Terrace

Taroko Gorge.  Travel buddy Art, a globe wanderer for more than 3 decades, largely influenced our trip to the national park.  He’s gone to so many places, he inspire me to never stop travelling.  Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Bhutan, Antarctica – name it he’s been there.  And to give a thumbs-up on Taroko Gorge?  I knew we chose a winner and wasted no time booking our flights.  With tips from Art, we planned the trip as efficiently as we could.

We had to make good use of our limited time hence the 2 nights stay at the Leader Village Hotel.  Perfectly located within the park with its headquarters just a short walk down.

From the lobby, following the wooden walkway that borders the road leading to the park’s headquarters, I was rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the lower terrace.

Lush green trees surrounds the lower terrace

A beautiful sight that had me thanking Art for his recommendation.

The Traveler’s Center from E-das Hall

What used to be the home of the Taroko tribes more than 3,000 years ago is now the Park’s headquarter, which includes a recreational area (also called the Traveler’s Center)

featuring aboriginal cultures, a multimedia presentation at the E-das Hall, and a souvenir shop.  Also found here are the Swallow Grotto trail and the Meander Core Trail.

While aimlessly walking around, a guy called out prodding us to enter the E-das Hall as “the show’s about to start”, he said.  Happy to be away from the heat even for just a while, we comfortably seated ourselves and watched the entire show… in Chinese with no sub-titles to boot.  Who cares when we can cool ourselves on a hot summer’s day?  The show briefs about the different attractions to be seen and experienced at the park and the visual presentation had us eager to explore the park.  So right after the show, we went on our first trail.

Swallow Grotto Trail

Behind E-das Hall is the Swallow Grotto Trail.

Looks promising, don’t you think?

On the map though, it ends on the highway and A was hesitant to walk this trail because we might end up backtracking.  I insisted and of course he was right.

The steep steps down seemed never ending, and when we reached the end of the road, we were rewarded with this.

An obstructed view of the Liwu River.  

I cringed because I insisted and was wrong, and we had to go back up those steep steps.

Next time I will listen.

Meander Core Trail

Now this trail is a breeze with beautiful scenery and lush flora along the way.

It’s a shorter trail that starts near the traveler’s center.

The pretty wooden walkway leads all the way to a viewing deck at the end. There, we were rewarded with these views.

The Taroko Gorge (left) and the Sipan Dam (right)

After these two trails, a hearty lunch was the only way to go.

We walked back to the hotel through a more scenic and shorter route,

A rooftop picnic area at the Traveler’s Center

which passes the back of the Traveler’s center.

All these stunning scenery left us awed by the beauty of Taroko and we have not technically left our hotel grounds yet.

Posted on by Jenn 5

Taroko: An Edgy Start

Our journey to the east coast of Taiwan began when we got off the cab at the Taipei Train Station with our backpacks in tow.

The station is a large building housing several rail services with an array of shops and restaurants on the 2nd floor.

Getting ourselves acquainted with the station the day before we thought would prepare us for a stress-free travel.   Not quite!

Taroko Gorge, one of the most fascinating areas of Taiwan, is accessible by plane or train.  Unless pressed for time, we like traveling by land, in this case by train.  While we are able to see more of the place, it is likewise a cheaper way to travel.  Sincheng (Hsin-Cheng) station is the closest station to the Taroko Gorge National Park and because our hotel is located within the park, we took Lonely Planet’s advice and bought our tickets to Sincheng,

which we soon realized, is a small station in a small town.  The more common route to Taroko is through the Hualien station (a different train passes that station).  That however is still an hour’s drive to the National Park.

To make matters worse, on the B2 level where we were to board, there are 2 lines going on opposite directions.  The ticket didn’t give much information — it was written in Chinese save for the word “Sincheng”.  It didn’t specify which train/line to take, at least not in English.  All we had were the platform number and the time of departure.  None of those we approached (young or old) could help us because they either did not speak much English or they didn’t know where the hell Sincheng is.  A and I looked at each other and without speaking burst out laughing reminiscing about our bus mishap years ago, very aware that what happened in Uganda might just repeat itself in Taiwan. It really wasn’t something to laugh about but…

We eventually found (and I assume was) a customer service booth.  And with the little mandarin I know and a lot of pointing, we boarded our train hoping for the best.

Three hours later we found a cab parked outside the Sincheng station and in 10 minutes, we were unloading our backpacks at the Leader Village Hotel, our home for the next 2 nights.

Winding through a zigzag road, the drive to the front of the lobby melted away the tensions of the day.

A welcome party greeting guests at the driveway.  Fun sculptures are found around the hotel grounds.  

Spectacularly situated on the Buluowan plateau, the Leader Village Hotel, surrounded by green mountains, was a sight to behold.

Set in fabulous scenery, native aboriginal themed wooden cabins were built in clusters all over the hotel grounds.

Known too for their restaurant, meals were a combination of western and aboriginal dishes.

Aboriginal dishes came as a set meal (middle pic): an order of grilled tilapia with different vegetables including sweet potatoes.  It also came with sticky rice on a bamboo.  Steaks were tender, superb when sprinkled with a dry spice mixture.

The staffs are mostly Taroko aborigines and after dinner, we were treated to a cultural show performed by the children of the Truku tribe.

The cabins are spacious, clean and rustic complete with modern amenities such as rain showers and TV.  Although the beds set on the floor is quite charming, getting out of bed was an effort… a sign that age is creeping up on us!

The best part though is to wake up to this.  I could sit on our porch the whole day and I’ll be a happy camper.

Just in front our cabin.  The grounds so green, butterflies abound.

But laze around we didn’t do of course as the beautiful grounds invites to be explored.

Dramatically set above the gorge proper with fabulous scenery everywhere, Buluowan was where the Taroko aborigines once lived and held festivals and celebrations.  Divided into the upper and the lower terrace, the hotel is on the upper while several trails, a recreation area including an exhibition hall are found on the lower terrace.

After breakfast, we explored the upper terrace.  Behind the hotel is a short nature trail aptly called Bamboo Grove Trail.  It was a cool walk through a bamboo grove.

It wasn’t so bad after all.  All is well that ends well.

More of the lower terrace up next.

Posted on by Jenn 10

“Why Taiwan?”

Most would ask when I tell them a trip to our northern neighbor was brewing.  “Why not?”  Truth is, Taiwan was never really on my radar until Fun Taiwan, a travel show featuring fun things to do in… you guess it… Taiwan.  So yeah, these shows can entice.   As an aside… can someone please produce a more quality shows about the Philippines?

Taiwan, I discovered, has marvelous natural landscapes and that is why we found ourselves one day

walking around Yong Kang Street, absorbing the sights and smells of this interesting, trendy street

where snack stands of all kinds, coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques

and even a park share space and voice.

The best Xiao Long Bao — in my opinion.  On the right a new dish: Shrimp and Pork Pot sticker.

It is also where the first Din Tai Fung outlet is still found and to this day, lines are long so being there early is wise.   (We had an early dinner there on our last night in Taipei so we would not have to wait for a table — more on why this is a top choice here).

Dandy Hotel — uses simple lines, white walls and bleached furnitures giving an uncluttered feel to a small space.

Just a short walk from our trendy boutique hotel at the Da’an district, we set out to Yong Kang for some happy hour and dinner after.  After a full day, we deserved it to unwind and to finally savor our first day in Taiwan.

Taken from Baskin and Robbins on the 2nd floor of the station where an array of restaurants and shops are found.

At the Taipei Train Station earlier that day, we got by with the simple mandarin tucked away in my brain somewhere and managed to buy train tickets for our journey east the following day.  We decided to explore the station first to find our way around before tomorrow’s journey.  It’s a huge station, getting lost or worst, getting on the wrong platform or train is a possibility… especially since many still speak very little English.  So our game plan was to always be one step ahead.

With that out of the way, we headed to the second floor and devoured our first meal in Taipei – Beef Noodle Soup at the food court.

A glimpse of what was to come (food-wise) in the next few days… actually in the next few hours.

Wonderful staff helping us find our way around.  That’s our map that they were trying to figure out for us.

Walking around Yong Kang, we entered a bar thirsty for some cold beer.  We made friends with the servers while downing our Asahi and a side dish of shiitake mushrooms.

About an hour later, we walked the street again looking for a place to dine.  When it started to pour, we entered the first restaurant we fancied.  In a small alley off Yong Kang Street is Sit-Fun. The photos at the entrance and the glassed-in kitchen screamed, “Come in!”

Clockwise: a succulent Pork braised in Brown Sugar; tender, crispy Fried Squid with Garlic; a very tasty Fried Oyster with Soy Sauce; interior.

Our default restaurant turned out a winner of a choice.  By no time, the place was full and all the food we ordered were excellent.

Famous not only in Yong Kang but also all over Taipei is this shaved iced dessert (like Ice Monster) and the sweet tooth in me just couldn’t resist.

Before calling it a night, we stopped by Smoothie House and I convinced A to share this huge bowl of shaved ice filled with strawberries, condensed milk and topped Panna cotta with me.

So what say you?  I say a perfect end to a long fruitful day.   🙂

Useful Info:

Dandy Hotel
No. 33 Sec. 3, Xinyi Rd., Da’an District
Taipei City 106
Tel: +886-2-2707-6899
Fax: +886-2-2706-5777
 
Sit-Fun Shih Tang
5, Lane 8, Yong Kang Street 
Tel: +886-2-2322-2632
 
Din Tai Fung
194 Sec 2, Xinyi Rd., Da’an District

Posted on by Jenn 6