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A nice afternoon in Tirana and dinner at restaurant Oda
The square just adjacent to the local market
Restaurant Oda
The menus
The food
Eggplant stuffed with vegetables
Miss Zane is ready for the big bite!
Lamb cooked in wooden stove
Video clip
Conclusion
Map
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A perfect day tour if you are in Shkodër
The cost per person was 40€ and lunch was included
Miss Zane is contemplating about the upcoming activities
Going by boat on Komani Lake to Shala River.
I was just enjoying the beautiful scenery
Mountains of Albania
Shala River
Watch the video
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A visit to Dajti Mountain Peak
The cable car and the city of Tirana in the distant.
You really have a spectacular view from the top
The technical
There are many activities you can do here and the girls did horse riding.
There are short and long hiking trails in the woods just near, where you can walk, hike or just do some photo shoot!
Going there | Ticket price for the cable car
The cable car costs 8 Euro up and down for one person.
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Rozafa Castle
A beautiful view, Miss Zane and Skhodër city in the distant
Miss Zane and Claire busy photographing each other
30 minutes walking
The castle is located 130 m above the sea level
Beautiful views 360 degrees around
The legend of the Rozafa Castle
The city Skhodër
The Rozafa Castle is surrounded by the Buna and Drin rivers
The legend...
The entrance fee to the castle is around 2 Euro
The legend...
Try to visit the castle in the late afternoon so you get the golden light
The legend...
How to get there
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A day in Bangkok
The Grand Palace is a must to visit! The Grand Palace complex was established in 1782 and it consists of not only royal and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
At the Grand Palace you can see these amazing monkey warriors. It was the King Rama who had a monkey army under his command. Imagine to meet one these bad boys in a dark alley in the middle of the night!
Someone is busy with her phone and some other is taking a nap... on his duty!
Peace to everybody... from the mysterious girl in the escalator
There are street markets everywhere in Bangkok. You can really find whatever you are craving for. This girl is obviously in for some delicious sushi!
If you belong to the more brave, why don’t you try your taste buds with this? Here is some mouth watering barbecued croc. The taste is a little bit like chicken and surely it melts in your mouth.
The BTS Skytrain is the best way to go around in Bangkok. It’s clean and efficient but can be crowded in the rush hours. But people are very disciplined and fall in line when entering the train.
Siam BTS station, around here is the main shopping heaven in Bangkok. Ranging from the fashionable Central Plaza and Siam Paragon to the more modest MBK.
Around the Patpong area it’s always a busy street life day and night with lot’s of everything. The girls in the face masks look very determined on their way to something. The signage “The Lovers” hmm... I wonder what that is?
What a slim Asian beauty! At the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute you can watch her doing pole dancing (around a branch though).
A snake handler in deep concentration fighting with the longest venomous snake in the world, the King Cobra. Aside from the shows at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute they also do extraction and research of snake venom, and vaccines, especially rabies vaccine.
When the day turns into evening it gets quiet here in the park... in other places the evening has just begun. The eternal cycle of a city that never sleeps.
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If you are lucky you might see one of these
Mambukal Resort, a perfect daytrip for the whole family
Mambukal is home to several rare bat species for example the endemic giant golden-crowned flying fox and the Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat can be seen in the area. These, along with other resident bat species, are estimated to number between 7,500 to 8,000.
Facts
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Onuk island, the last frontier of the Philippines?
And by the way: Onuk Island (can also be spelled as Onok Island)
And hey! Don’t miss to watch the video clip at end!
How about the safety?
Malaria
There have been Malaria outbreaks in the mountainous Mainland Balabac but for now it’s considered safe to be out in the Balabac archipelago. But bring mosquito repellants because there will be tons mosquitos hunting for your blood after sunset.
Crocodiles
A minor concern are the saltwater crocodiles but they are only present in the Mainland Balabac. Which means out in the archipelago it’s safe from crocodiles.
Weather
The weather can be unpredictable. The dry seasons of April and May are the best times to visit the Balabac archipelago since the sea is perfectly calm on most days during these months. You may also visit Balabac during the months of December to February where it is fairly good. However, these months can the waves be particularly rough on the beaches.
Bandits
But hey! Balabac islands are located in the Sulu sea. Hmm wasn’t that the place where the Philippine army battle bandits? Yes, that’s right. But that’s on the other side of the Sulu sea at Jolo. There are no bandits in the Balabac archipelago.
On our way to Rio Tuba we passed by beautiful landscapes of Palawan
Sometimes you must eat right? The bus made one stop for lunch.
We arrived late after sunset in Rio Tuba. We were lucky the Pring Pension House had an available room for us. It’s just very near the terminal by the way.
Early morning at Pring. We paid 1200 PHP for a small Aircon rom without breakfast. Breakfast was available for 100 PHP.
Facts about how to get to Onuk island
- Public bus from San Jose Terminal (Puerto Princesa) going to Rio Tuba. Fare 350 PHP per person with Aircon bus. The trip takes around 7 hours so better start early in the morning. Expect to stay overnight in Rio Tuba. In Rio Tuba there are a limited selection of restaurants. But Sizzling Republic is recommendable, click the link to see the review.
- Ferry from Rio Tuba to Balabac Island. (Mainland Balabac) You need probably to take a tricycle to the port 100 PHP. Be there around 7 am to buy tickets. The trip takes 4-5 hours depending on the weather. Fare 450 PHP. At Balabac island you have to take a tricycle from the pier to Balabac town 60 PHP. Expect to stay there overnight. In Balabac town it’s even more limited when it comes to restaurants and shops. There are Sari Sari stores where you can buy the the essential and the best two eateries are located next to each other opposite of the police station.
- Ask around and rent a boat for going on island hopping. The price would be around 2000 PHP per person for the boat with lunch included. For Onuk island there will be an additional entrance fee of 1500 PHP per person. At Onuk island there are no shops so be sure to bring everything you need.
- For the time being it’s not possible to stay overnight at Onuk island. But things can change so ask around if you are interested to do that.
- If you for some reason need to extend your visa you can do it in Balabac town. There happen to be an immigration field office there.
The port in Rio Tuba. Here you must report to the coast guard that you are going with the ferry
Our ferry which will take us to Balabac island
Safety first. Before departure the coast guard inspects the boat and that everyone wear a life vest.
Sometimes you get sleepy of all traveling
My fellow traveler had brought two hamsters with him to give to his family for Christmas
Now it begins to look nice. A short stop at Bancalan island
Finally the pier at Balabac island
Balabac port
Balabac port and from here you take a tricycle going in to town
We stayed at MLK Lodging house. A basic room with fan. No breakfast available. 600 PHP night.
Yes there are saltwater crocodiles here at Balabac island (Mainland Balabac)
A nice sunset at the main road in Balabac town
There are no Starbucks here. But it’s still possible to get your cake and coffee with some slight modifications though. But if you don’t want 3 in 1, which for me is too sweet, bring coffee stick and creamer with you. Here at one of the two eateries located opposite the police station.
Finally on our way out to Onuk island. 1-2 hours boat trip depending on the weather. The sound from the engine was totally deafening so a friendly advice is to bring some kind of ear protection.
Before it was possible to stay overnight at Onuk island. It was just recently they changed their policy. The accommodation was very basic in those sheds. Nevertheless I was very disappointed not to be able to experience a 24 hours stay here.
The water was crystal clear and the sand white and soft. You couldn’t hear a single sound except from the waves and the sea breeze. So relaxing for a stressful mind.
The total silence together with the endless sea resulted in a magic ambience of timelessness which had a great impact on me...
The beach was very clean and surprisingly not full of plastic waste which sorry to say is common these days.
Low tide at this moment
Snorkeling
The final thought
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Yes, there are sunsets here at Punta Ballo Beach
The main entrance to Easy Diving Resort
Down at the beachfront
Come as guest leave as friend
It was very quiet here
The restaurant comes with sea breeze and ocean view
The bungalow was very fresh
I really like the idea of bedside tables with lamps
The bungalow had no AC instead it had two fans which suited me much better!
It was very clean everywhere
To fight the plastic pollution you could buy an aluminum bottle for 500 PHP with free refill of service water
The restaurant where you could enjoy Easy Diving's delicious food. They also accept walk in guests.
In the evenings they had mosquito coils so I was spared from mosquito bites
The food heaven
Oh my! I could die for this tuna steak with spicy wasabi sauce and garlic rice
My second love, tuna steak with creamy yellow curry sauce...
My secret lover forever! Pancake filled with fresh mango served with ice cream and chocolate sauce
Bicol Express, a famous spicy dish from the region of eastern Philippines, Bicol
As delicious as it looks, the crispy bangus (fish) with rice and egg. So so Philippines!
After a night of stargazing you need a real breakfast, so what can be better than hash browns with bacon and egg??
A delicasy for the most demanding taste, spicy shrimps fried with chilli and garlic
Easy Diving has lots to offer
One of the many stairs at Easy Diving
The friendly hotel dog taking a nap in the reception
Video clip
Conclusions about Easy Diving Resort
5 Location
5 Sleep Quality
5 Rooms
5 Service
5 Value for the money
5 Cleanliness
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The prayer room at the highest peak of the complex.
Cebu Taoist Temple and a date with the dragon
One of the many dragons which are protecting the area
Pray and make a wish
The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. ( This is not the entrance though )
The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well.
Amazing view from here
On a clear day you can spot the islands of Mactan and Bohol from here.
Unwind for a while
There are 81 steps in the stair... (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures)
My friends were enjoying the visit to the Taoist temple
A friendly fisherman. You were not allowed to throw coins in this pond.
Any place is good for taking a selfie!
The wishing well
The view is spectacular
The dragons
Chinese dragons stand on the temple’s roofs like protectors and sentinels of the site
The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people
Reminders
- Don’t wear sleeveless or shorts if you wish to enter it’s altar
- Don’t snap photos inside the prayers and temples (you can allowed to take photographs of every other part of the temple complex)
- Stay in the temple for just 30 minutes to an hour
- Observe silence
Going back to downtown
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Adventure for free, well at least almost for free!
Highlights: Sand reef, fresh sea urchins and comfort room!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!