South East Asia is an area where I neglected as I am always eager to conquer the far away lands but forgot the beauty that is near home.
This time, we set off to Hanoi, on the quest to slowly visit the New7Wonders of Nature.
We have done Jeju Island and Table Mountain only.
Day 1 We took the airport transport arranged by the hotel at USD18 for 4 seater car as we read about the various taxi scams in Hanoi. Day 1 was spent mainly walking around the old quarters and it was a really hot and humid day. Luckily I brought the portable fan along.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral.Old quarter.Had one of the best meal for this trip in Cau Go restaurant.
Day 2 Supposed to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but my outfit was inappropriate (shoulders have to be covered. unfortunately it was the longest outfit I brought) and had to give it a miss as I did not want to spend money to buy a shawl. The queue was also terribly long and we are glad that we give it a miss cause we later read that people queue on average 2 hours to enter for a 1 min time in the mausoleum! The bags had to be locked in the locker so imagine 2 hours without water! The mausoluem closed at 11am so even if you are queuing halfway, the door will still be closed at 11am sharp.
We went for the Ho Chi Minh museum instead and it was so boring. The artifacts are only in Vietnamese. Not worth a visit. Even the locals seem not interested. I would rather read up the history online.
Ho Chi Minh Museum
one pillar pagoda, walking distance from the museum.
Hoa Lo prison, worth a visit.
At night, we walked around the lake and this time the weather was much better and enjoyable! We also visited the night market again. The items are very similar to Singapore’s pasar malam so I did not make any purchase. We also visited the Thang Long water puppet show as this is a dying tradition which we could not watch in Singapore anymore.
Day 3 To Halong Bay, the highlight of this trip.
Halong Bay and Baitulong bay are so calming. We didn’t have any connection to the world and it feels so good to disconnect 🙂
Day 4
Visit to the cave, nothing fanciful as we have visited more grand caves in South Africa and Ipoh.
Making spring roll on boardOn the sundeck relaxing.
Day 5
The Malaysian couple we met on the cruise told us that the Women’s Musuem is much more interesting so we decided to give it a visit since we woke up early. Indeed, I like it much more than the Ho Chi Minh museum, and is very impressed by the tenacity of the Vietnamese women. Respect. I find the permanent exhibits very interesting, the marriage, the remarkable women in the past who fought against the French colony, Americans etc, and also the history of the Ao Dai.
We booked a grab car to go to the airport. In this short stay, we find that the grab taxi or grab car is a convenient way to get around Hanoi, as we do not need to bargain with the driver, no need to communicate on the address and most importantly, no need to fear of being scammed. So thankful for the invention of data plan and grab app!
This is my third time to Hong Kong and W’s fourth time! So I wasn’t particularly excited especially since HK is too similar to Singapore except when we get to meet relatives and friends.
Day 1 was spent travelling to our hotel, The Kimberley Hotel , getting a dinner and early rest. Our hotel was in a really central location and easily accessible via the airport coach bus. We decided to take the bus instead of airport express as it is cheaper and we do not need to change line. The bus drops near Kimberley Road.
The airport coach bus we took was A21 which cost HKD33 per pax and you can use the Octopus Card. There are designated spaces for luggages and if you carry big luggage like me, it is advisable to be early so you do not need to lift the luggage up if there is not enough space at the bottom tier.
Day 2
Caught up with my grandaunt and her family. Met her twice (once in HK 3 years back and once in SG 2 years back) and am so glad to see her healthy and strong 🙂
Hope to visit her again soon!
In the evening, I met with Ho Ho who brought me to this Korean restaurant, Kimchee Korean BBQ in Tsim Sha Tsui. I was still very full and could not eat much. Nonetheless, I feel so happy to be able to catch up with Ho Ho, one of my best friends from Denmark and meeting up with him makes me feel that time really flies! It has been 6 years and many of us are already settling down, settled down and some are even parents! Wish you all the best Ho Ho! 🙂
Caught up with my dad’s cousin and his family in the morning. I visited them 3 years ago in HK as well. Glad to see them doing well 🙂
As for lunch, I went to meet Fannie, someone whom I met in Harbin when travelling alone. Met Fannie again when she came to Singapore earlier this year and here we are in Hong Kong. Always so happy to be able to meet up friends despite living in different parts of the world.
We had our lunch in Barista Caffe, which was rather hard to find as it was located in a small hotel. But trust your GPS! Always good to get a local prepaid SIM card 🙂 I really enjoyed my pasta but the portion was huge and I could not finish. The set lunch was affordable at only HKD65.
Barista Caffe
Address: Hong Kong, 尖沙咀亞士厘道18號東亞中心3樓
Phone: +852 2511 0998
Hours: 8am to 6.30pm (weekdays), 12 to 6.30pm (Saturdays). Closed on Sundays.
We had dinner at Lei Garden in Mongkok.
Day 4
Disneyland Hong Kong is very accessible by the MTR! We took about 40 minutes to reach from Tsim Sha Tsui.
I brought my minnie mouse ear which I bought in Tokyo as I did not want to waste money to buy new ears haha.
Sleeping beauty. She really looked like a doll. Pretty mum and cute baby 🙂 Wish I can be as pretty as her after giving birth!Woody really looks fake here!
Love the Christmas theme Disney!
We went back to Tsim Sha Tsui and W wanted to try the Itacho Sushi here.
Verdict: Singapore’s Itacho is better and cheaper! The 40cents sushi was not 40cents here, sushi tasted the same but the udon used here is the thin noodle which I did not like. I like my udon to be thick and QQ. The bill was about SGD30+ each here but usually I eat less than SGD25 in Singapore due to the 40cents sushi.
Day 5 The weather looks good and we decided to hike up Lantau Peak! We took bus 11 to Pak Kung Au from Tung Chung bus terminal. As there is no bell to press, you have to alert the driver to stop at Pak Kung Au. The bus ride was 20 minutes and you can use Octopus card to pay. They do not return change for cash payment. Monday to Saturday is about HKD11 while Sunday is almost double the price which I am not sure why. Bus 23 also passes by Pak Kung Au but the queue was longer and we presumed that was because bus 23 goes to the Lantau Peak while bus 11 goes to Tai O village.
We have to cross to the other side to start the hike to Lantau Peak, otherwise on the side where we alighted will be towards the Sunset Peak. As we wanted to end at the Big Buddha, we had to take the Lantau Peak.
Fluffy clouds
It wasn’t as easy as I thought. The steps were pretty steep!
Finally reached after 1.5 hours!
But we have another 45 minutes to go before reaching the Big Buddha!
At the peak, we couldn’t see the Big Buddha at all. How is it possible to reach within 45 minutes, we wonder?
Coming down towards Ngong Ping was even steeper!
Soon after this point, we spotted the Big Buddha but it seemed so far away! 30 minutes seems impossible as it was mountains away from where we stood!
Can you spot the Big Buddha? There wasn’t anyone around to ask but we thought since there is only one way down and we have to go down nonetheless, we shall just go ahead.
And then we saw this in 30 minutes and we thought yes we are on track! The Wisdom Path.
Big Buddha.
We walked around the Big Buddha but did not visit the Po Lin Monastery as we need to hurry over to Tai O Village. We did not have any lunch yet as we gobbled down a sausage (HKD22) and bean curd (HKD15) sold around the Big Buddha. The bean curd and sausage were surprisingly good though rather expensive!
Many souvenir shops on the way to the Ngong Ping bus terminal and cable car station. Always a tourist trap! Kyoto’s kiyomizu dera has similar shops too. From Ngong Ping, we caught bus 21 that says to Tai O Village and we reached in about 30 minutes. Again it is best to use Octopus Card as they do not return any change. The fare was HKD6.30 and we were lucky to have caught this bus as at this point of writing, I realised the frequency of the bus is hourly!
Once we reached Tai O village, there was this guy who was selling boat tickets to go around the village and claims that it was the last boat for the day. The boat ride took us around the fishing village, and out in the sea a while to see any potential dolphins which we did not. After the ride, we crossed a bridge and came across another boat company which sells ticket at HKD20 instead of HKD25 which we took! We felt cheated but luckily it was only a little more expensive. So for future tourists, please walk a little more to take the cheaper boat ride (which I believe goes to the same attractions).
Tai O village was a good break from the crowded cosmopolitan Hong Kong.
Tried this Tai O Donut which was quite tasty! Apparently this is quite famous in Tai O.
And I love my crispy egg waffle (鸡蛋仔). Better than Singapore’s waffle.
We had a good dinner at 威尼斯酒家 where the boss was super friendly and we really like how the villagers dine together in the restaurant. We felt like we were part of the Tai O family! The food was of generous servings and affordable. We caught bus 11 back to Tung Chung where W wanted to buy the New Balance sneakers we saw earlier in the day at the Citygate Outlets. Unfortunately that day happens to be their Christmas party celebration for their staff and New Balance closed early! In the end, W still scored a good deal with his Timberland bermudas while I almost bought this Furla metropolis bag which was going at about SGD380 only. So tempted!
Day 6
We made a day trip to Macau, which happens to be a public holiday for Macau. Hence the ferry ticket was slighly more expensive. We took the Turbojet Ferry to Macau, which had a longer queue than the Cotai Ferry.
After purchasing our tickets, we realised that Cotai Ferry has promotion for return tickets for birthday month which was around HKD100 cheaper! Unfortuantely we already purchased our tickets. The good thing is, Turbojet’s Macau Terminal is nearer to the Ruins of St. Paul’s.
Senado Square.
Reminds us of Spain.
Ruins of St. Paul’s.
The fake Eiffel Tower costs about HKD100+ to enter which we felt is totally not worth it.
The casinos were very beautiful at night! We took a shuttle bus to the ferry terminal where we purchased Cotai ferry as this terminal has Cotai ferry only.
Day 7 On our last day, we decided to try Yi Dian Xin which was highly recommended by my brother. Indeed, it did not disappoint us!
The shop opens at 11am and we reached at 11.15am where there was a queue formed already!
We waited for about 20 minutes and the food was definitely worth the wait! The bill was about SGD15 per person and we ordered 9 dishes of dim sum.
We head over to Sham Shui Po as my brother wanted to get some Dragonball toys.
A michelin star dessert shop.
Before we leave Hong Kong, we bought some Jenny Bakery and Hang Heungwife cake (I think it is better than Wing Wah) for our family, friends and colleagues. Our Kimberley hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui is really convenient as we get everything we need at a walking distance! If our shopping gets heavy, we can just unload back in the hotel 🙂
Do take note that there are a lot of Jenny Bakery imitations in Tsim Sha Tsui so make sure to go to the authentic one! Jenny Bakery
Day 13 We had breakfast at the Clover Cafe in Global Village which served really good breakfast, especially their omelette. Next to the Cover Cafe, there is a souvenir shop which sells many interesting local products. We bought quite a few souvenirs!
Nice weather for outdoor dining.
One of the many things I like from the shop. But I do not have my own house to hang 😦
Clover Cafe Address: Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 533 6172
After breakfast, we headed to Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre because we need to see leopardy before leaving Africa!
Sleepy leopard, we will come back for you again 🙂
Serval, which has like a domestic cat face on a leopard body.
We walked next to the cheetahs as the guide says these cheetahs grew up in the sanctuary since young. So it was “safe”. As extra safety precaution, another guide walked behind us to protect our back. These cheetahs are so beautiful with their tears that reflect sunlight when they are chasing their preys. This is to help them to see better.
A rare white lion!
White lion with female lion. According to the guide, lions are territorial animals. And if we were to encounter lions in the wild, we should not squat but roar loud and stand tall. Squatting makes us look small and weak in which the animals will definitely attack.
Mercat. Always standing up tall to look far for preys and predators.
Finally, leopard!
Our guide says that one has higher chance of survival when meeting a cheetah than leopard as leopard shows no mercy by biting its prey at its neck!
Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre
Address: Forest Hall Road, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay, 6602, South Africa Hours: 9am–4:30pm Phone: +27 44 534 8170 Website: http://tenikwa.com/
These sanctuaries rescue injured animals and provide them with medication until they are ready to be released back to the wild. And off to the second last stop of our trip, Tsitsikamma 😦
We stayed in this family lodge in the Tsitsikamma town called At the Woods Guest House Storms River Tsitsikamma. This town is even smaller than Oudtshoorn!
Our room was very big and just like the name suggests, the furniture is very woody! We were very hungry and the town closes early so we just hopped over to the eatery next to the lodge to have a pizza.
At the Woods Guest House Storms River Tsitsikamma Address: 43 Formosa St, Stormsrivier, 6308, South Africa Phone: +27 42 281 1446
Day 14 We don’t know why but all the breakfast provided by the guest houses were splendid! South Africans have a thing for breakfast!
After breakfast, we went to the Tsitsikamma canopy tour as I wanted to try ziplining!
The initial fear was quickly overcome as it wasn’t that fast since you can control your own speed.
It can get quite warm in the forest and the wait was long. We had to wait patiently for each other to be secured and zipline. There can only be one person at a time so the wait can be pretty long. Thankfully the family we went with was very friendly and we had a good chat.
After the tour, we were provided with a simple lunch.
So creative!
The friendly South African family 🙂
Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours
Address: 101 Darnell St, Storms River, 6308, South Africa Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +27 42 281 1836
Before we move on, we decided we have some time for the Tsitsikamma National Park. We walked to the river mouth where there is this scenic suspension bridge.
On the way to our final stop (Port E.), we stopped by the Brooklyn Bridge to see bungee jumping! As much as I am tempted to try, I know I can never do this with my weak heart.
And then we drove all the way to Port Elizabeth, where we reached pretty late.
Our lodge, Sir Roys at the Sea was fabulous. I love how the lodges in South Africa have so much walking space and most of bath tubs!
So relaxing in the bath tub.
Sir Roys at the Sea
Address: 13 Newcon St, Port Elizabeth, 6001, South Africa Phone: +27 41 582 2377 Website: www.sirroys.co.za
We had dinner at this place, Port Captains House which has horrendous service. The food took so long to come (close to an hour) and the pasta sauce was basically just ketchup sauce. The bill took close to half an hour to arrive and we were so fed up we did not leave any tips for the first time. Since its service and food were terrible, I shall not leave their information here.
Day 15
Just driving around Port E as I couldn’t bear to say goodbye.
Having some elections soon.
Flying back to Johannesburg.
Day 16 We took an uber from the airport to our hotel Holiday Inn Express Sandton- Woodmead which is in an industrial area with security guards. We also saw double metal fence around the hotel so we felt safe staying there. We did not flag taxi at the airport as I read many reviews and concluded that uber is the safest mode of transportation in Johannesburg. This is also confirmed by the hotel staff, that one should not walk, flag a cab nor take public transport in Johannesburg. Even she as a local drives. Her eyes almost popped out when I asked if I could walk out to eat. We booked a private car provided by the taxi to a nearby mall, Mall of Africa for dinner. The moment we alighted from the Mercedes, all eyes were on us and we hurried into the mall for safety. We had no intention to shop at the mall as we told our driver to meet us 1.5 hour later at the same place where we dropped off. The mall was very huge, and has many international brands. We even found our Charles & Keith! There were not a lot of restaurants though, and we settled for Casa Bella. I had some spring chicken which was much better than yesterday’s pasta but the portion was too huge for me to finish. The next morning after breakfast, we booked an uber to the airport for our flight back to Singapore. We decided to use uber as it is cheaper than the hotel’s private car.
And so we concluded 16 days of South Africa trip with so much sweet memories to keep. Thank you W for all the hard work in planning and driving! This South Africa trip was definitely one of the best trips ever!~
Day 10 We stopped by Mossel Bay longer than planned because we heard from the Hermanus backpackers staff that there is shark cage diving here as well. So we are planning to try out luck here! Fortunately, we found this shark cage diving company that operates today! At R1550 per pax, we were provided with a simple breakfast which we did not eat as we had ours at the hotel.
Out on the boat. Hope to see some sharkies!
The guide feeding the seagull with his ice cream. haha.
We stopped by this place with a lot of seals. Seals are the primary food for sharks so we hope to find some sharkies here by luring them with some tuna oil.
Pouring the tuna oil.
After some wait we spotted a baby shark! And the first batch of tourists (maximum 6) went into the cage.
It was really hard to capture a good photo of the shark.
The upper deck has some pretty good views of the sharks. When it was our turn to enter the cage, we could only catch a few glimpse of the shark as the shark did not swim too close to us, and I am very bad in water. I had to constantly come up to catch my breath while trying very hard to battle with the cold water. I felt that it was better to view the shark on the boat. This shark cage diving educated me so much about sharks. Sharks do not eat humans as they eat sea animals that are high in fats such as seals. They attack humans as they might be curious about the object. Unlike humans, we have hands to feel and touch but these sharks could only use their jaws to touch. Unfortunately, a small bite causes catastrophic results. According to our guide, if a shark has intention to attack human, the human would not just lose a limb but would have the body torn apart because their jaws are that powerful. I used to be a big fan of shark’s fin soup but after seeing how gentle these creatures are, I made a little promise to myself not to consume the shark’s fin soup again. After about 3 hours on the boat, we head back for a light lunch and after which we bid farewell to Mossel Bay. W said we will drop by Mossel Bay again which I had zero clue about the itinerary. Thank you W for planning this whole trip 🙂
White Shark AfricaAddress: 7 Church St, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 691 3796Hours: Open today · 8am–5pmWebsite: http://www.whitesharkafrica.com/
As the lunch provided wasn’t fantastic, W wanted to try Kingfisher Restaurant recommended by the lady in our lodge. We ordered the classic catch of the day while I ordered a kids meal as I was still quite full from the lunch. The view of the sea was amazing, and we managed to see dolphins! However, I feel that the food could be better (or maybe I was too full).
Kingfisher Restaurant Address: 1, Marsh Building, Point Rd, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 690 6390Hours: 11am–11pm
Next, we drove to Oudtshoorn as W said there are lots of ostriches in this area. I did not know what to expect but I was enjoying every bit of the road trip 🙂 It was almost nightfall when we reached Oudtshoorn and we stayed at this quaint little family lodge called Die Fonteine. This is one of the best family lodges 🙂
Entrance to Die Fonteine.
Very clean, spacious and beautiful room. Our room also has this old school bathtub which I really love!
We had our dinner at this place, De Oude Meul Restaurant which sells ostrich meat. As we were quite full, W and I shared the ostrich meat. I was glad I shared as I didn’t like the taste of ostrich. It kind of tasted like beef which I have stopped eating for some years. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but I am not a red meat kind of person. The place was beautifully decorated with animals prints and some old mill, and we had the best and friendliest waiter (his name is Proud) ever! They also offer accommodation which I believe is just as good as Die Fonteine.
De Oude Meul RestaurantAddress: Oudtshoorn, R328, 14km from Oudtshoorn en-route the Cango Caves, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South AfricaPhone:+27 44 272 7308Hours: 11am–10pmWebsite: http://www.deoudemeulrestaurant.co.za/
Day 11
In the morning, we had breakfast prepared by the lady boss which was delicious! There were so many choices but I could not eat too much 😦
We walked around the lodge and found some sheeps and family dog 🙂
The owner told us that this is a sheep dog.
They will also shave and sell the wool. This type of simple lifestyle seems impossible in Singapore. Oh before we check out, we took a slice of the carrot cake which the lady boss made herself. It was really yummy! Really hope to stay one more night in this beautiful quaint town. Unfortunately we have too many places to visit on our itinerary. After all, it wasn’t easy to come to Africa!
Die Fonteine Guest HouseAddress: Die Fonteine, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South AfricaPhone: +27 82 255 5346Website: http://www.diefonteine.co.za/
After breakfast, we drove out for the Cango Ostrich Farm which is just opposite our guest house. We got tricked by some websites and maps and we wasted some time driving to the Oudtshoorn town!
We had really humourous guide.
These ostriches look so fierce! Our guide says never to run in front of the ostrich as their kick can pierce through one’s heart.
We get to ride on the ostrich which they accelerated really fast! I accidentally pulled one of its feathers off as I was struggling to stay balance. Not to worry though as the staff are really well-trained.
Having some free neck massage. Haha! We also get to stand on the ostrich egg which is really huge. If I remember correctly, an ostrich egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs. Imagine the cholesterol!
It was not as slippery as the cave in Ipoh as most of this are rather dormant. We took the 1 hour heritage tour instead of the 1.5 hour adventure tour as W did not want to crawl.
The guide Jason was so informative but I could not remember much as this African trip was information overload for my peanut brain 😦 Still enjoyed the tour though.
Cango CavesAddress: R328 North, Oudtshoorn, 6625, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 272 7410Website: http://www.cango-caves.co.za/Ticket price: R100 (adult), R60 (child) for Heritage Tour
After Oudtshorrn, we drove down back to Mossel Bay as W wanted to complete the whole Garden Route instead of cutting through to George.
We dined at this place (unfortunately we forgot the name) which served very good seafood and paella. The seafood was very fresh and this paella beats the ones we had in Spain! The portion is good for two but because the food was so fantastic, we ordered more side dishes.
Unfortunately, we did not enjoy after the paella as we witnessed a lady patron falling down and hit her head real hard. She was semi-conscious and looked really bad. The ambulance came quickly and she was taken away. I felt bad for her and her family and my appetite was affected as all I was thinking of is for her speedy recovery.
We then head over to Nothando Backpackers Lodge at Plettenberg Bay.Our room has really cool toilet hidden in the wardrobe, and I kept mispronouncing Nothando as Nitendo.
Nothando Backpackers LodgeAddress: 5 Wilder St, Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 533 0220Website: http://www.nothando.co.za/
Day 12 Today we head to Birds of Eden and Monkeyland.
I thought we will only see normal birds but the birds here are of many different varieties! Monkeyland is just nearby. Monkeyland is a personalised tour and we had a guide to ourselves. Probably because there were not many patrons at this hour.
Now I know what is the difference between monkey and ape! Monkeys have tails but apes don’t. These monkeys and apes are so agile and fast, it was difficult to get a good picture of them. Birds of EdenAddress: PO. Box 1190, The crags, Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaArea: 2 haHours: 8am–5pmPhone: +27 44 534 8906Website: http://birdsofeden.co.za/
Monkeyland Address: Garden Route, South Africa, South AfricaArea: 2 haHours: 8am–5pmPhone: +27 44 534 8906Website: http://www.monkeyland.co.za/
We got a combo ticket (both sanctuaries) at about R320 per adult.
Day 7 We always like free walking tours when we travel to learn a little more about the country’s history and culture. For Cape Town, we joined this free walking tour on the apartheid history. The starting point is the green market square and we took the 11am Historic City Tour.
You need to bargain if you want to buy something from this market.
The high court where the apartheid started. According to our guide, one of the rules to determine if one is white or non-white, is to put a pencil in between the hair. If the pencil falls, the person is deemed to be white.
During the apartheid period, benches, staircases, districts were all classified.
Slave lodge where they packed thousands of slaves in a confined space.
The City Hall where Nelson Mandela gave his freedom speech.
Cape Town Free Walking Tours Address: Green Market Square, Shortmarket St & Burg St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South AfricaPhone: +27 76 636 9007Hours: Check the website for tour timingWebsite: http://www.nielsentours.co.za/
After the walking tour in the morning, we went to the Table Mountain in the afternoon as the weather looks pretty good now. No more rain after I bought the coat. There were plenty of car park attendants wearing yellow vests which I believe are not official attendants. But we still gave 5 to 20 Rand to each attendant because we hope that they will help to look after our car, and we hope that having a little income will deter them from committing crimes. This car park attendant at the Table Mountain was kind to inform me to bring my jacket up as it will be cold at the peak. So thankful for his suggestion as it was indeed very chilly!
At the peak. We took the cablecar up instead of climbing because we did not have luxury of time. Besides we read that there could be muggers 😦
Breath-taking view from the top. We spent some time walking around the table top, until loads of tourists come up. Despite the crowd, Table Mountain is still a must visit because it is one of the most beautiful peaks we’ve been to. Table Mountain is now one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
On our last night in Cape Town, we decided to go back to V&A waterfront as I really love the shopping and to stroll along the waterfront. So romantic 🙂
We had a pasta dinner which wasn’t fantastic but was very cheap as they were having some 1 for 1 promotion.
Day 8 On the last day in Cape Town, we decided to go up the Signal Hill since we are living in Signal Hill Lodge haha.
View from Signal Hill was amazing! We get to see the Table Mountain! Just yesterday we were up there! We also saw many tourists doing paraglidingin Signal Hill. I was so tempted to try but it wasn’t cheap.
The hotel staff told us that there is cannon firing at 12 noon everyday which is why we saw the Signal Hill Noon Gun signboard near our lodge. Since it was already 1140am after watching people paraglide, we decided to pop by before leaving Cape Town.
What a sight! It was my first time being so near to the cannon and it was so loud! The friendly uncle also explained the history of the noon gun and how it works very well.
Time to head to Betty’s Bay where W promised me with penguins 🙂
We stopped by at The Whaling Station Greek Mediterranean for a late lunch and we were the only patrons there. I really love my prawns and fries! The prawns were fresh and succulent, the sauce was a little spicy but I like its savory taste, and the fries has rich potato taste in it. The salad has very refreshing mix of different vegetables and this is definitely one of the best meals so far! W ordered the catch of the day which was equally amazing. The owner was also super friendly, telling us about his Singaporean friend and how his son studied Chinese in China. The owners are from Greece.
The Whaling Station Greek Mediterranean
Address: 2662 Clarence Dr, Betty’s Bay, 7141, South Africa Phone: +27 28 272 9238 Hours: 8am–9:30pm
The restaurant owner told us we had to hurry to see the penguins! What a pleasant surprise to find that the penguins at Betty’s Bay are so many more than in Boulders Beach. In addition, the entrance fee (R20 for adult) at Betty’s was much cheaper.
We drove on to Hermanus where we stayed in this Hermanus Backpackers hostel just because they do a shark cage tour. Unfortunately when we arrived, we were told that due to adverse weather condition, they will not be doing any shark cage tour for the next few days. What a disappointment as the shark cage tour is something W and I looked forward to! To add to our disappointment, our room was in a poor condition. The curtain fell off and we constantly worry if people might look into our room. The bathroom door was faulty and cannot be closed properly. There wasn’t any air-conditioning, heater nor fan which means we have to open the window for ventilation despite the cold. We also have to risk people climbing in as the window was really low and we were on the first floor. The bathroom did not look clean and it was difficult to change my contact lens as there wasn’t any space to put my solution or lens case. The whole room was just badly maintained! We couldn’t wait to check out the next day! :(Our consolation for this backpackers was that the staff were all friendly and nice.
For dinner, we dine at Fabio’s Italian Restaurant which was pretty OK but not fantastic (hence we did not take any photo). Guess our appetite was affected by the shark cage disappointment.
Fabio’s RistoranteAddress: 60 St Peters Lane, Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaPhone: +27 28 313 0532Hours: 11am–10pmWebsite: www.fabios.co.za/
Day 9
Happy to leave the backpackers! And since there wasn’t any shark cage diving to do today, we decided to check out the local Hermanus Country Market since it happens to be a Saturday! It seems to be a blessing in disguise because the country market turns out to be fabulous! We totally enjoyed chilling with our food and local music, watching the kids play at the sandy playground. We also supported the locals by purchasing some really pretty handicrafts (some birthday cards, fridge magnet, room spray, baby shoes).
Hermanus Country MarketAddress: Fairways Ave & Jose Burman Dr, Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaPhone: +27 72 883 3894Hours: Saturdays 9am to 1pmWebsite: http://hermanuscountrymarket.co.za/
After lunch at the country market, we drove a long distance from Hermanus to Mossel Bay.
Stopped by a vineyard and saw this wolf dog.
When we reached Mossel Bay it was night time.
Finally tried an authentic outdoor braai (African BBQ). However we still prefer our meals at Millers Thumb and The Whaling Station. The ambience was good for large groups.
Kaai 4 Braai RestaurantAddress: Quay 4, Mossel Bay Harbour, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone:+27 79 980 3981
Yeah to a decent lodge again!
Bar-t-nique
Address: 82 Rodger St, Mossel Bay, 6500, South Africa Phone: +27 44 690 4554 Website: www.bar-t-nique.co.za/
mamakeng.com 