Of course, you expect nothing but the most pleasant experiences from your trip! You know that everything will go very smoothly and that this adventure will be one you’ll remember for the rest of your life!

But sometimes, minor mishaps happen that you don’t expect! It’s no big deal—they’re just minor, after all! But what if you lost your passport while traveling, or were pickpocketed or robbed, and lost all your documents and money? 

That’s exactly what happened to me during my trip through Latin America—specifically in Colombia! I’ll share my story with you and explain the steps you need to take to replace your lost documents as quickly as possible.

How I Was Mugged in Colombia

The story is, by Colombian standards, quite common, but for me it was my first time, so I was in shock for a while!

So, it was just another day on my 6-month trip through Latin America—during that time, I had managed to visit Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia. I had plans to visit other countries as well—Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina… But everything changed in an instant! 

As usual, I planned to buy some groceries at the local market and spend the day visiting one of the attractions near the Colombian town of Pasto! I was already at the market entrance; all I had to do was cross the street… Traffic—cars, buses, motorcycles, and people—in this area is pretty heavy, so I had to race against all kinds of vehicles to see “who gets there first”! One of the motorcycles was acting a little strangely—sometimes stopping to let me through, other times pretending it would go first—so of course I decided to let it go first… But just then, it sped up and snatched my small shoulder bag, which I was carrying “over my shoulder”! In just a split second, I realized that everything—literally everything—that was very important to me was in there! Namely—my wallet with cards and cash, my phone, my driver’s license, and, most importantly, my PASSPORT!

Of course, I tried to run after him, but after a couple of turns, he disappeared from view, and I was left with nothing!

If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, or if you’ve simply “misplaced lost” your passport—here are a few recommendations or “steps” on what to do in this case!

Don’t panic and pull yourself together!

First of all, I want to say that you must NOT PANIC! Of course, at that moment your adrenaline is through the roof, and thousands of thoughts and questions are racing through your head—“How could this happen?”, “What next?”, “What should I do?”, “What should I do?”, “Where should I run?” … But this is just your first—and perfectly normal—reaction! Next comes the realization that you’re in a rather unpleasant situation! 

Try to pull yourself together as soon as possible, so you can take the following very important steps quickly and confidently!

Go to the nearest police station

Once the adrenaline has subsided a bit, the next thing you must do is contact the police! That’s exactly what I tried to do, but the nearest police station was closed, so I headed to the bus station (it was near the market). There, a police officer told me he couldn’t help because it wasn’t his jurisdiction! So I ran off to look for help elsewhere… Some police officers I met along the way told me where the police station responsible for that area was located! Finally, about 30 minutes later after the incident, I recounted the whole story in detail, explaining exactly what had happened. They listened carefully and said— “It’s a common occurrence!” “We’ll check our precinct; maybe the documents were thrown away somewhere nearby.”—but, as I understood it, that was all… In their actions and words, there was no interest in tracking down the perpetrator while the trail was still hot!

Even if they don’t find the perpetrator or the documents (or if you simply don’t trust the police very much), it’s very important to ask them for a certified report confirming the crime was filed, their contact numbers, and an address or phone number where they can reach you. This certified document is very important for one of the next steps, so don’t forget to get it from the police!

Call the consulate (or embassy)

Once you have the document from the police in hand, you can safely return to your hotel, hostel, or rental cottage. That’s exactly what I did—I went back to my hostel to ask the owner for help— to use the phone to contact the consulate! In my case, the nearest Ukrainian consulate in Colombia was actually in Peru! I also wanted to “track” the last location where my stolen phone had been active using my laptop. It turned out that my phone had ended up with the criminals back home, and I knew the exact coordinates, which I gave to the police (though I didn’t really believe they’d go there to check).

A little while later, I dialed the consulate’s phone number. A very soft voice came on the line, greeting me with “Hola!” I immediately asked if I could speak in English or Russian (because my Spanish vocabulary wouldn’t have been enough to describe the situation)! To which the same voice replied, “I speak Russian”! I was so happy and excited at that moment! Finally, someone would be able to help me!

I described the whole situation in detail—what happened, how, and when—and asked what could be done in this case!  The first question the consul asked after hearing my story was, “Are you okay? Were you hurt?” And that’s a very important and appropriate question for the consulate to ask! Yes, fortunately, I wasn’t injured, everything was fine! I was interested in the next steps, specifically what I needed to do to obtain temporary documents.

Block my bank cards

After you’ve reported the emergency to the appropriate authorities, you should take care of your financial situation. Since my bank cards were stolen, the first thing to do is to block them, so that fraudsters can’t use them!

Don’t panic—everything can be fixed, even if money has been stolen. If funds were withdrawn from your bank card, you need to report it to the bank immediately. Most often, the bank is on the customer’s side, and, after receiving all the necessary evidence of unauthorized withdrawals, the bank will refund the money to your bank account.

I froze all my accounts in time, so the thieves weren’t able to make off with my money.

Change or cancel tickets

Probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do!

If you have return tickets home, then you might not have to do anything, except maybe change the dates, but in my case, things turned out to be a bit more complicated.

Since I had planned my trip carefully, I bought tickets to Ecuador in advance at a good price so that I could explore the Galápagos Islands! I was so disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill yet another childhood dream this time!!! On top of that, the tickets were from low-cost carriers, where more often than not you get “0” for a cancellation.

But I managed to figure that out too—I called one of the airlines, and they told me to submit a request through the feedback form. That’s exactly what I did, but a couple of days later I received a rejection, since my case wasn’t included in the list of eligible situations: “refund due to illness,” “refund due to death,” “refund due to flight cancellation/schedule change.” There was only one option available—to change the departure date—but in my case, that wasn’t an option at all, since I couldn’t fly at all.
Well, I didn’t get discouraged and decided to try requesting a ticket cancellation due to illness through the form on the airline’s website! And, miraculously, five days later, they canceled my ticket and sent me a voucher, which I can use within a year!  

With another airline, I simply had to request a refund through the form on their website, and they processed it without any issues—though I did lose 40% of the ticket price, but that’s still much better than losing the ticket entirely!

The long-awaited certificate for my return to Ukraine

The consul asked me to send an email detailing what had happened and to attach the necessary documents, namely:

• an electronic copy of my stolen passport;
• a certified police report (based on this, I did not have to pay the $30 consular fee);
• a photo of myself to confirm that “I am who I say I am” and not someone else acting on my behalf.

After receiving this information, the consul said they would submit a request to the immigration service to confirm my citizenship and let me know what to do next.

Two days later, I received a letter stating that my citizenship had been confirmed and that they could issue me a temporary passport—“certificate of return”—that is the exact name of this document. This document is valid for 30 days from the date of issue and allows me to return to Ukraine (or any other your country). At that moment, I realized that my journey was over—from there, it was straight home, to apply for a new passport and replace my lost documents.

To move the process forward, I needed to do the following:

• submit an application for a return ID to Ukraine and attach a signed scanned copy;
• submit a request to waive the consular fee due to an emergency (in all other cases, you’ll need to pay the consular fee, which is $30);
• attach a 3.5×4.5 photo for a foreign passport.

As stated on the website of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Peru—processing the document can take as little as one day.

I’d say that the consul or his team handled everything very efficiently, since I received a reply just one day later saying the document was ready!!! All that’s left is to ship it from Peru to Colombia!

Problems with document delivery via DHL

In this case, the delivery was handled by DHL, but even they aren’t without their “mishaps”! It would seem that a major international company with a solid reputation, but the human factor plays a big role! A day later, I managed to figure out how to arrange for a courier to pick up my passport at the Embassy in Peru! But when my passport arrived in Bogotá, I was told that there was no way to deliver it to my address in Pasto!!! What on earth is going on?! DHL said that a local shipping company should handle this, but as it turned out, none of them could pick up my passport from DHL (it requires a lot of documents, letters, etc., so I got turned down by three different companies). At that moment, I felt like my brain was going to explode—they can’t deliver my passport from Bogotá to Pasto, and I can’t travel from Pasto to Bogotá without my passport!!! Ugh, this is all so confusing and incomprehensible!

I decided to wait until Monday and see what would happen next! While walking around town, I happened to spot a yellow DHL sign! I decided to ask for advice there. I told them the whole story, and they were very surprised by this turn of events and said they’d deliver my passport to the specified address without any problems!

An hour earlier, I’d managed to send a message to the consul describing the delivery issues and asking who would pay for this international shipment. On Monday, I received a response from the consulate, which was entirely expected—I needed to work things out locally with the shipping companies and resolve the delivery issue, and, of course, I’d have to cover all the shipping costs myself!

After a week of waiting, I received a message that my documents had already arrived at the consulate! Yahoooo!!!!

The shipping cost from Peru to Colombia came to 246,108 Colombian pesos, which amounted to just over 68.5 dollars.

Now I just need to make it home safely! But that’s another story  

I’d like to summarize this once more.

What to do if your passport is lost or stolen:

1. Don’t panic—stay calm!
2. Go to the nearest police station.
3. Call the consulate (or embassy).
4. Block your bank cards.
5. Change or cancel your tickets.

Be careful and stay alert while traveling! I hope you don’t lose your passport—or your head!

Good luck!  

Сообщение What should you do if you lose your passport (or if it’s stolen) while traveling? появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

Let’s be honest, who was not captivated by the feeling of anticipation before the trip and the desire to get up at 4 in the morning for the plane, when on an ordinary day it is difficult even to imagine? When you travel, you usually find some routes to the most interesting attractions, museums and just good places where to eat. Along the way, you put a spare sunscreen into your suitcase, knowing that in a couple of tens of hours you will be able to soak up the sun somewhere on the Cote d’Azur, or you will be fascinated by the ancient castle. Perhaps this description is enough to spark the idea of ​​travel, but there are a few more non-obvious reasons that will help you decide on your next adventure. Unless, of course, you have not yet rushed to pack your bags.

1. Get to Know Yourself From a New Side

When you are traveling, a little thing can often catch you off guard and change your self-image. Just yesterday you were embarrassed to defend your rightful place in the line, but today you are talking to a stranger on the street. And in another ten minutes, you are going to travel with your new company to a very exotic place nearby. Or you have always dreamed of learning how to do somersaults, and your new friend happily shows you the basics. So, after a couple of hours of training, you are ready to jump from a 10-meter waterfall, doing a difficult trick in the air. After all of that, you might safely write down this new skill in the list of your achievements.

2. Feel New Smells and Tastes

Perhaps this is the first thing you will have to face in an unfamiliar place. The truth is that the changes are not immediately noticeable. Thanks to such little things, you might feel the real culture and traditions of the people who live in that exact place. Although a couple of days ago it was only a dot on the map.

3. Change Your Usual Landscape

There is no secret that we need to look at the horizon to be on the same wavelength with the world (is it not a secret, right?). But sometimes watching the same trees from a car window is boring. Changing the steppe to mountains, mountains to the sea, and the sea to the desert, you can truly relax and re-boot your head, your body, and, most importantly, your soul.

4. Switch From Monotonous Everyday Life

A point that follows from the previous one. You can stop worrying about washing / cooking / changing spark plugs or noisy neighbors with a drill (underline as appropriate). There is no guarantee that they will not find you thousands of kilometers away from home, but it will turn out to shift the focus of attention and really “reboot”.

5. Learn New Things

For example, how to cook extravagant meals or just go to a Chinese calligraphy workshop. When you are on vacation, you need to try something that you would never do at home. First of all, because there is no right place and time when you are home. And secondly, who in their right mind would come up with the idea to go to study Jedi techniques in their hometown? Another thing in Bali …

6. Stop Being Afraid. No, This is NOT About The Comfort Zone

To get out of your comfort zone, you must first get into it, but that’s a completely different story. I’m talking about the fact that knowing almost everything about yourself, in a new place, your fear fades into the background. Your adrenaline and a burning desire come to the fore, and you are full of confidence to find new places where crowds of tourists do not lead, but you have heard about it from other travelers. BTW, the police officers will gladly help you (most of the time).

7. Make New Friends

Especially if you are not staying in a 5-star hotel with the same tourists as you are, but in a regular hostel or, even better, by Couchsurfing. Of course, sometimes you want to be alone, but this is a great life hack that will help you look at life through the eyes of the locals. In particular, if you want to consider a country for a potential relocation. In general, the more friends there are, the easier it is to travel: someone will help you to find an Instagram place, and someone will even offer to spend the night in his house!

8. Get Into Ridiculous Situations

And bring memories with you instead of fridge magnets. Curiosities – this is where the storehouse of stories that can be retold to your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Moreover, when they are filled with real action of how you made your way through the jungle to meet the sunrise on a beautiful mountain. Meanwhile, the heavens decided to flood the whole area with tropical rain. Or how I caught the biggest tuna which some wild shark almost ate! But you got it first. Well, the magnet would still ever get lost.

9. Get to Know People for Real

It would be foolish to say that after spending a lot of time traveling, you remain closed to other cultures. Over time, you begin to understand how different people live in every corner of the World and how much all of them are similar to each other. Traveling to new places, you discover not only yourself, but also you get to know others as they are. Yes, people are different, but you will be surprised that everywhere they want the same thing – to be happy!

10. Love the World Around You

Say what you like, but our planet is an amazing place, where there is still so much unknown. Even if you are staying in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or nearby the highest waterfall in the world, you become a discoverer. It’s not for your Instagram followers, but for yourself. Even if everyone has seen it a million times, but for you – it is your first time! This wonderful feeling cannot be compared with anything, because you, again and again, open the world for real!

11. Bonus: If You Go On a Trip With Someone

This test of strength is no less than an apartment rebuilding together! All the people who know will confirm. Usually the most extreme situations, and for somebody, it might be a simple trip to a neighboring city can be another challenge – masks fall off and people show their real reactions! This is where you can find out who is your true friend and who was just pretending.

I hope that now you have no doubts and the suitcase is already packed. Good luck in your travels and see you!

Сообщение 10 (non-obvious) Reasons Why You Should Travel появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

After I have visited 15 countries, I already considered myself an experienced traveler. So, I decided not to dive into all the planning of my next travel because I didn’t have enough free time. My idea was just “to go” and then make the detailed plan later! Something went wrong at the very beginning and the result turned out to be not exactly what I imagined! Instead of swimming in the nice water of the Caribbean Sea and climbing volcanoes, I ended up in a Mexican prison without even crossing the border!

TOP 6 Travel Planning Mistakes

In October I’ve already bought my tickets for the flight in December! I did this with lightning speed, as soon as I saw that a KLM air flight company had a great promotion. So, at that time, it was possible to fly to Mexico from Europe for only $250 – 300. Of course, the most profitable option was to connect several flights to get to the final destination as cheap as possible! I noticed, that sometimes 2-3, or even 4 transfers are much cheaper than a direct flight! It was the same in that case, due to the coronavirus! As it appeared, that was my first mistake!

1. Incorrect Routing

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world in 2020, a lot of airports have applied many restrictions. One of the good examples was a restriction to transfer your baggage from one airline to another (except the case when they are partners).

Thus, my combo flights WizzAir + KLM turned out to be impossible, because I cannot transfer my luggage inside the airport in Berlin (i.e. I would have to leave the transit area, get my luggage and go with it to the check-in counters). This has been completely ruled out for safety reasons due to COVID-19!

The only possible option to make the correct “transit” with luggage is to use all the connections with one airline, or a group of airlines that cooperate! So, they would transfer the luggage without your participation. The detailed information about different partners can be found on the airline’s website, in my case it was KLM.

My luck was still on my side and since WizzAir has changed the flight schedule, I was able to get the funds back to their bonus account. By the way, there is a cashback that you can get to your WizzAir bonus account when booking on booking.com. And, in addition (thanks to the same pandemic) I requested a voucher for the purchased ticket “Berlin-Amsterdam-Mexico City”, and returned all the money. I immediately used that voucher when I was buying tickets for the right route “Kyiv-Amsterdam-Mexico City”. So, it was one airline with a minimum number of connections!

Based on everything that happened in my case during the ticket purchasing, we can conclude that it is necessary to carefully investigate all the conditions of transit in different countries and airports before buying the “cheapest” ticket. If you do not do this, you may find yourself in a situation where you will not be allowed onboard due to the lack of transferring your luggage.

2. The Lack of Time for Detailed Planning

When I already had the “right” tickets, I was constantly postponing a very important task for solo travel – which is a deep research of attractions, routes, and different details! Namely, I needed to spend some time doing some researches about how to get to the exact place, and where to go in Mexico in general. It is always required to schedule your route day by day, so you can understand where and when you will be at a particular moment in time! And it is also imperative to read about the culture of the country and work out all the nuances that may arise when you need to cross the border.

Since I had limited time before departure and too many other tasks – for example, I wanted to complete the renovation phase in my apartment, meet friends before a long trip, and so on. In general, at that time I was doing everything, but not preparing for the trip! I let everything possible “drift”, and the result of such actions was not going to wait.

3. The Lack of a Visa to Your Destination or Transit Countries

The only thing I did was checking the visa requirements – it turned out that it was very easy for me to get a visa to Mexico. So, if you need to do this you just can apply for it online, but not earlier than 30 days before departure (if the link does not open, try a VPN). Just about 15 minutes after submitting the online application, I had an electronic confirmation that I needed to print. After that, I read the rules for entering Mexico on the embassy’s website once again – here.

I also recommend you to check all the requirements about any visas to transit countries! Or it is also possible to change the route so, there is no need to make additional documents for any transit. Also, I want to mention that some countries are very strict about visas, even if you are not going to leave the airport (for example in my case I have to have visas to the UK or the USA)! If you don’t have all the necessary permits, you simply will not be able to go on board at the departure airport!

4. The Lack of Hotels Bookings for the Entire Route

The time flew very fast and when I had only a couple of days left before departure, I decided to book a hostel in Mexico City for a couple of days. My idea was just to relax after a long flight and because of the time difference. After that, I was thinking to stay by Couchsurfing, so I haven’t done any other reservations. That was another mistake of the “experienced traveler”.

So, if you want to cross the border some of the migration officers may request a detailed itinerary of your travel and it might be mandatory to have hotel reservations. As you might know, the authorities do not want you to be engaged in vagrancy or to live “no one knows where.” This is also pretty logical – if you want to visit the country, you have to spend your night somewhere.

The hotel reservations can be replaced, for example, with a printout of the Airbnb payment (by the way, here you will get a very good discount on your first booking using this link), or a confirmation from a resident that you will be staying with him or her. In general, any document confirming that you have a “roof” over your head for your trip will work perfectly!

5. The Lack of Sufficient Funds of Subsistence

Yes, no matter how trite it may sound, but you must have funds for a living – in different countries, the amount varies from $20-30 to $100 (and sometimes even more) per day. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to have a certain amount on your credit card or in cash equivalent to confirm your ability to pay for the entire trip. For Mexico, it is $50 per day (these requirements are written on the ministry’s website). So, if you plan to spend 10 days in the country, then you must have $500 at least in your account.

You have to show the migration service that everything is good with your financial side! Mostly it will be enough to print a bank account statement, or you need to have cash with you for the estimated number of days (or a combination of both – the statement + “cash”). They might ask you to show these documents. After that, the migration service will have no questions or suspicions about any illegal attempts to earn extra money in the country.

6. No Return Tickets, or Tickets to Any Other Country

This is probably one of the most common mistakes experienced travelers make, especially when they fly for an indefinite period, how it was in my case! I was going to travel for 3 or 4 months, or maybe more. The plans were to visit some of the countries in Central and South America. Since I was not limited by time, I decided not to take any tickets – neither return home nor to any of the neighboring countries that I was going to visit.

That was the main reason for the denial of my entry to Mexico. The migration officers must be 100% sure that you are not going to stay in the country more than allowed by your visa because it is illegal! So, as you can understand, your return ticket or a ticket to any other country is VERY important for the authorities!

In my case, it had to be a ticket to Costa Rica – this is where I planned to go from Mexico. But unfortunately, no matter how I tried, I failed to convince the migration officer that I just a good traveler. As a result, I went straight to the Mexican prison.

This is a completely different story, but at the end of this, I want to summarize – if you are going on a journey on your own, then you have to be very responsible for planning. Check and research as much information as possible, book accommodation, buy tickets for the entire journey (even if they are kind of “fake” – here you can do this), print out everything you can print, pack your backpack (or suitcase) and go traveling without any headache! 

I am sure that you will succeed! If you have any funny things that happened to you, don’t hesitate – write in the comments!

Good luck!

Сообщение Planning Mistakes When Traveling Solo появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

When I was little, I really dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights! I’m sure that each of us in childhood was fascinated by any action that took place in the sky, whether raindrops were falling from the sky, a snowflake was melting on our palms, huge bizarre clouds, or a huge multi-colored rainbow! All this in childhood seemed like something magical, inexplicable, and alluring! I believe that dreams or most cherished desires must come true! So, I grew up, but my childhood dream remained, so I decided to try to make it happen!

Where to see the Northern Lights in Norway?

When I was just thinking about where to go to see the Northern Lights, I read a lot of information. In general, it all boils down to the fact that you can see it above the “Arctic Circle”, where the Arctic begins – a territory of a harsh life, very long nights in winter and midnight sun in the summer!

Among all the possible places where to see the Northern Lights, Norway was in the lead. This is all because Norway has so fabulous nature, fjords, waterfalls, the mysterious history of the Viking times … And most importantly, Norway has a very mild winter! This is only a thanks to the warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean. I was already traveling to Norway in summer, so I was trying to imagine how great it would be to see the magic of “Aurora Borealis” – this is another name for the Northern Lights.

So, if you want to see the Northern Lights in Norway, you can choose any location that is beyond the Arctic Circle. These can be such famous places as Lofoten Islands, North Cape (the northernmost point in Europe), or Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen). Sometimes you can see the Northern Lights below of the Arctic Circle, but I didn’t want to risk!

I chose a small town Tromsø. Why Tromsø? The answer is quite simple – it was the only city where the cheapest tickets from Gdansk in Poland were! Since I already had friends in Gdansk, I decided to stay with them for a while, to explore the city, and later go north to the Arctic!

As it turned out, Tromsø is the best place to enjoy the magical natural phenomenon – the Northern Lights!

The Northern Lights in Tromsø

I arrived in Tromsø quite late in the evening. The weather didn’t dispose at all to watch the northern lights that evening. The whole sky was covered with dense snow clouds. The snow slowly whirled in the light of the night lights and it was the moment when I first felt like I’m in a fairy tale!

There are at least 8 places in Tromsø which are the most suitable for seeing the Northern Lights. All of them are marked with a special icon “Northern Lights observation point” on the tourist map.

The high-resolution map can be downloaded at the end of this story!

Since hostels and hotels in Norway are quite expensive, I decided to take a tent with me to enjoy the outdoors. It is good that the Norwegian government has adopted the Outdoor Recreation Act that allows you the right to roam which means you can set up tents almost anywhere in the country for 1 day if it is not a private area or you are no closer than 150 meters from the nearest residential building. However, you can put up your tent even in private areas if you ask the owner about that. Also, this permission is required if you need to stay in the private territory for more than two days. The limitation of setting up a tent or a car for one day does not apply to mountainous areas or any remote areas. So, you can stop in the mountains and forests in tents for more than 1 day.

Telegrafbukta and Sydspissen

I decided to use the right of nature access, so I went to the south of the island, where a very cozy Telegrafbukta bay is.

This is a large area intended for outdoor activities for Tromsø residents, and guests. Telegrafbukta has tables, benches, and barbecues. Also, there is a small beach – “Tromsø southern beach”, a toilet with hot water and other infrastructure for a comfortable stay. This area hosts the annual music festival “Buktafestivalen”. You can find more information about it and buy tickets on the festival organizers’ website.

Telegrafbukta is one of the best locations in my opinion where you can see the Northern Lights. There is also another recommended spot for observing the Northern Lights nearby – which is the southernmost point of the island – Sydspissen.

After a long day of exploring the most interesting places in Tromsø, I returned to this bay around 19:00 to stay overnight. As soon as I started preparing dinner, I suddenly noticed with my peripheral vision, a some kind of glow, something unusual began to happen around. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It seemed as if the wizard started painting the sky with green colors, creating bizarre patterns! It was real magic! That was the moment when my childhood dream came true! It was the Northern Lights – Aurora Borealis!

To be honest, seeing this marvelous nature for the first time was so emotional that even tears of joy rolled down from my eyes! Truly wonderful magic!

Storsteinen – Tromsø city View point

Another great spot to see the Northern Lights is the viewpoint near the summit of the Storsteinen mountain. This place is located on the mainland of Tromsø, so you need to cross a very picturesque bridge which connects the island with the mainland.

Passing the Arctic Cathedral, the road bifurcates. One direction leads to the Fjellheisen cable car (Tromsø Cable Car), where a very comfortable trailer for 28 people will take you to a height of 421 meters in just 4 minutes. This is not free, but affordable.

Fjellheisen cable car ticket prices

Round trip:

• Adult – 240 kroner ($ 26.2);
• Children (3-15 years old) – 120 kroner ($ 13.1);
• Family (2 + 4) – 520 kroner ($ 56.8);
• Group (more than 20 people) – 210 kroner per person ($ 23);
• Student and pensioners – 210 kroner ($ 22.95)

One way:

• Adult – 150 kroner ($ 16.4);
• Children (3-15 years old) – 90 kroner ($ 9.8);
• Family (2 + 4) – 290 kroner ($ 31.7);
• Student and pensioners – 130 kroner ($ 14.2)

Fjellheisen opening hours:

• daily, 10:00 – 23:00

More information can be found on the official Fjellheisen website.

If you go straight along the road, without turning to the cable car direction, then follow the signs you will see stairs, which are called “Sherpa stairs” (Sherpa trapp). This staircase was built recently, in 2019. The construction began in 2016 by Sherpas and Mangars from Nepal. For 3 years they managed to lay out 1200 steps leading to the top of the mountain by hand. The duration of the route is about 30-75 minutes one way.

I decided not to waste my budget on the cable car, but to walk up the Sherpa stairs and enjoy the surrounding views!

At the top, where the cable car arrives, there is a small cafe where you can have a cup of hot coffee or buy a Norwegian souvenir.

I was in this place during the day, so I didn’t see the Northern Lights. But there’s really an amazing view of the entire island! Recommended!

Tromsdalen Tourist Route

Here is another place, or rather a whole walking route, where you can go in search of the polar lights. This route can take a full day to climb to the top of the Tromsdalstinden mountain and return to the city. The mount Tromsdalstinden is visible from almost every corner of Tromsø, so finding a route won’t be difficult. Just follow the signs named Tromsdalen. I want to note that it is not necessary to climb to the very top to see the Northern Lights. It will be enough just to go outside the city, where there is no light pollution.

I really wanted to go along this route, but the weather was not favorable at all, so I postponed this venture.

Mandelasletta football fields

If you stand facing the entrance to the Arctic Cathedral, then to the left of it you can see several huge football fields. This spot is also very good for observing the Northern Lights. Everything you need is there – a great view and no lights around!

If you want to find other places suitable for the Northern Lights, you need to return to the island.

The Prestvannet Lake

Another natural attraction is the huge Prestvannet Lake. There’s a very gratifying route around the lake. There are several areas with tables and benches. It is also a good place to take a thermos of hot tea and come here in the evening to enjoy a magical colorful show in the sky!

When I arrived in Norway at the end of October, I unexpectedly discovered a real winter here. Therefore, the lake was covered with ice!

Ski hills Skihytta

The entire island, where the city of Tromsø is located, is laced with hiking and ski trails. Norwegians are very athletic, so they spend a lot of time outdoors, doing sports, running, and when the weather allows, they go skiing.

In one of these natural parks around the city, they even built a Ski Jump Center, where you can hone your sports skills. Not far from this place is the Skihytta Cafe House, which is also an excellent observation point where you can look at the city from above, and if you are lucky, you can enjoy the Northern Lights.

The Rundvannet Lake

To complete the list of recommended spots where you can see the Northern Lights, I want to add another spot near the lake Rundvannet. There is also a walking trail around the lake, sheds, benches, and tables. I haven’t been to this place, but I am sure that it is worthy of attention to have a great time in nature.

I’m confident that this list of beautiful places where you can see the Northern Lights in Tromso and its surroundings can be continued indefinitely because it’s super easy to find a secluded place without too much lighting on the island.

When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

You can go to Norway for the Northern Lights from late September to late March. The darkest nights and very short days are observed during this period, i.e. there’s a high probability of seeing “Dancing Lights” in the sky. Most often, Aurora Borealis can be observed in the evening and until late at night. I would say it is approximately from 18:00 to 01:00. Unfortunately, there is no exact timetable for this natural phenomenon, so you can only rely on good weather and good luck.

In order to see the Northern Lights, several factors must coincide – a clear, cloudless sky (i.e. no precipitation in the form of rain or snow), no moon, because moonlight can affect the brightness of the radiance and of course your mood and patience!

I used the NorwayLights app or the Norway Lights website to check the Northern Lights forecast, but even if you see the “GO” recommendation, there is no 100% guarantee that the Northern Lights will appear in the sky.

As a result, a few days spent in Tromso, I managed to see the Northern Lights twice, and it was a unique and mesmerizing show!

I highly recommend everyone to go to Norway at least once in their life and fulfill their childhood dream! The emotions you’ll received from this magical phenomenon will be carved with scenic colors in your memories!

P.S. Tromsø map in high definition!

Сообщение Northern Lights in Norway – fulfilling my childhood dream | Incredible появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

Most often, tourists come to Puerto Princesa for a day or for only 2 days, (i.e. this city is like a buffer zone on the way to El Nido).

It’s interesting that if you take a detailed map of the surroundings of Puerto Princesa at the airport, you will be able to see a lot of attractions that are not written in guidebooks. That’s why, instead of two days, that I planned at the beginning, I decided to stay 5 days and a little explore both Puerto Princesa City itself and some places nearby!

It turned out that there are so many interesting places and natural beauties all over Palawan Island that you can stay here for a whole month to slowly try and explore every nook! Unfortunately, I had only 8 days to explore the whole island so I tried to choose the most interesting points for me.

The high-resolution photo of this map can be downloaded at the end of this story!

Lamis and I arrived in Puerto Princesa around noon, so there was time to see something within the city. First of all, we needed to figure out where to rent a bike for a reasonable price. I have already described in detail where exactly you can rent bikes in my article “Puerto Princesa Underground River: how to get there on your own”. I only recall that the best option is to turn right after exiting through the central gate of the airport and walk a couple of minutes. There are several bike and car rental points, and bargaining is appropriate. I managed to get an excellent Honda Click 125i for only 450 pesos per day.

Where to stay in Puerto Princesa

After we took the bike, it was necessary to get to our hostel and hurry to catch something to see.

I was so happy with our choice of stay that I decided to allocate a little space in the article and describe it in more detail. There are a lot of offers where you can stay for a night in Puerto Princesa, but if you want something special …

Quite by accident, I booked a hostel with the lovely name “Marieville”, but after 5 days in this place, I felt like a member of the family of a very friendly and cheerful couple Stella and Matt. The conditions they have are almost for everybody – there are separate rooms for two people, there are rooms for a family with children, and there’s even a huge room for a big company of 8 people! Some rooms have air-cons, but you can use fans in any room you pick! The Internet connection in the furthest rooms is not very good, but it is not the main thing!

The highlight of this hostel is that they have a huge dining area-restaurant, where you can not only meet interesting tourists and chat with the owners but also try a very diverse cuisine!

Ate Stella (you usually use “Ate” in the Philippines for women as a sign of respect which means “Older sister”) will cook for you incredibly delicious dishes! The prices are reasonable! My favorites for such a short time were: chicken teriyaki (Japanese cuisine), chicken curry (common in India, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean) and adobo (a traditional Filipino dish).

After we settled in this nice hostel, we had a few hours left to manage to visit a couple of places in Puerto Princesa.

1. Crocodile Farm

The first point that I marked on my map was a place with a very intriguing name – “Crocodile Farm”. I’ve heard about various animal farms, but for crocodiles to be raised there – this was the first time I saw one!

This “Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center” is located just 15 kilometers from our hostel, so we went there!

It’s very easy to find this place following the excellent road and signs. There is a huge parking lot for cars and motorbikes on the territory.

After we bought tickets, we were asked to wait for a guide.

The guide waits for the group and conducts a tour every 30 minutes, during which he will tell in detail about the center and show huge and small crocodiles.

Right at the entrance, we were met by an almost world legend – the skeleton of a huge crocodile, which was caught in the Bataraza province in the south of Palawan. This crocodile died of stress! So, try not to worry and avoid stress as much as possible!

PS. Lolong is the world’s largest crocodile also included in Guinness World Records!

In the same hall, you can get acquainted with the history of the center, as well as learn more about the life of crocodiles in the Philippines.

Then the guide invites you to visit a huge hangar, where there are various types of freshwater crocodiles, as well as those that can live in salt water. Since this is a crocodile farm, so there are also a lot of rescued and newborn little crocodiles! They will be released when they grow up.

After exploring a huge variety of small crocodiles, the guide will announce to go through and see the real giants! Honestly, crocodiles are so huge that it seems as if it’s in some kind of movie!!!

After that, the tour ends. Also, you can visit a small zoo here with various birds and snakes! Only here you can see a rare animal – Bearcat. In fact, this is not a bear at all, and certainly not a cat, it simply has the name “Bearcat”. This subspecies of animals can be found only in Palawan. It feeds mainly on wild fruits and berries. It takes an important role in the ecosystem of the island – it helps plants distribute seeds through droppings.

Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00 (tours every 30 minutes, starting from 08:30, with a lunch break from 12:00 – 13:00).

Tickets: adult – 40 pesos, pensioners – 30 pesos, children (4-12 years) – 20 pesos, children (up to 3 years) – free of charge.

2. Butterfly Ecological Garden

On this day, we decided to visit another place with an equally interesting name – “Palawan Butterfly Ecological Garden and Tribal Village”.

When we arrived at the place, we had only a little more than half an hour to quickly explore everything. A few Bearcats met us right at the entrance, and only then we went to a large aviary with tropical plants. There are butterflies of different species and colors flying slowly from all sides, without paying any attention to us at all. I had a slightly different idea of ​​what a “butterfly garden” might look like, but what I saw here was amazing. There is a special area where the entire “chrysalis” becomes a butterfly. There are also places where butterflies dine. All in all, it’s very interesting!

There is a guide too who will gladly tell you all about butterflies and answers any question. The guide prompted us to move to another territory, which is located behind the aviary with butterflies. It turns out that here you can find out the history of the Palaw’an tribe – the ancient people who inhabited the territory of Palawan. Also, you can get acquainted not only with them personally or with their way of life and customs, but also listen to their folk songs!

And you can also try to shoot from a bow or an air gun, throw a spear, and if you are a very brave one you can even hold a real tiger python on your neck!

Opening hours: 08:30 – 17:00

Tickets: adult – 50 pesos, senior citizens – 40 pesos, children – 35 pesos.

After that, we decided to finish our adventure for today and return to the hostel to plan the next day.

3. Talaudyong Beach

I really wanted to get to some beautiful beach to watch the sunset. Stella (the owner of our hostel) recommended a very beautiful beach with clean sand, palm trees and of course with the most beautiful sunset in Palawan! I always follow the idea that really beautiful places are always hidden from tourist guides, and only the locals will tell you exactly where this “hidden-gem” is! Therefore, every evening I asked in detail what they could recommend me. So, I found out that one of the super touristic places with the name “Honda Bay” promoted by the guidebooks is absolutely not worth attention if you are going to visit El Nido.

Talaudyong Beach is located 37 kilometers from Puerto Princesa, so you can safely leave in the afternoon to see the sunset. We stocked some food and water and left our hostel at about 13:00. To get to this beach, you must cross the island through the highlands. Therefore, the road will first gain height, and then, wagging with a serpentine, go down to the sea. You will definitely enjoy the bends!

An hour later we arrived at the place. The whole beach is separated into “public” and “private” zones. The public part is just a city beach, accessible to everyone. You have to pay 20 pesos to leave here your motorbike, and if you arrived by car – then 50 pesos.

The private part is much more interesting! It is a beautifully designed area among palm trees, with a restaurant and cozy gazebos, where you can sit in a small company or with your family.

There are also lifeguard stations, showers, toilets in the territory! So, in general, you have everything you need for a comfortable stay!

The beach is regularly cleaned from rubbish, branches and other things that the sea or wind will bring! So, I can say with confidence that it is very comfortable and safe to relax here. Of course, all these benefits of civilization are not free and you will have to pay a small fee, but all the conditions are worth it!

Entrance fee: adult – 100 pesos, children (7-12 years) – 50 pesos, children (up to 6 years) – free of charge.

Additionally, you can rent:

• Beach Huts 6-10 people – 300 pesos
• Beachfront tents, good for max. 15 people – 500 pesos
• Double tent for 20-30 people – 1500 pesos
• Family Blue Cottage up to 30 people – 2000 pesos

We decided not to rent anything, and it was unnecessary, but just enjoyed the beach, water, and of course a stunning sunset!

On the way back we met a young family who stopped by the roadside because they got a flat tire on their motorbike. We could not just pass by, so we offered to help. The guy explained what happened without any English, anyway it was understandable without any words. I tried to pump the tire several times but to no avail. There was a hole somewhere that instantly blew all the air, no matter how hard we tried. It needs vulcanization! Since it was already getting dark, we decided to escort them at low speed to the nearest wheel repair place. It is good that it was not very far — only 5-7 kilometers along a mountain road! Everything turned out well, and at this vulcanization place, there was a master who could help them!

Never hold back to show your kindness or willing to help, because it is very easy and you might even save someone’s life!

4. Estrella Falls

A new day is coming which means – new discoveries! The next day, we decided to go to another part of the island to not only enjoy nature but also dive into the cool waters of the Estrella Falls.

The Estrella Falls is 90 kilometers from our hostel. The path is really far, but we came here to travel, not just lie on the couch!

So, we woke up early, took some food, and off we go! The way was so diverse – you can see here mountains, fields, and even small forests!

After about 85 kilometers, the road turns right to go to the highlands, where the waterfall is located. Just after passing by a small village, you run into a very beautiful dead-end, decorated with bright multi-colored flags on both sides. This is our destination – Estrella Falls!

Walking along the path under the sign “Welcome”, you find yourself in a very cool forest, or I can say “the jungle”. A very well-groomed path goes along the river, here and there going to the right or left to the arbors. There are several river pools where you can not only swim but also jump from a bungee. So, you can also have a great time with children here, because the depth of these backwaters is not very big.

We headed to the very end to see the main attraction – Estrella Falls. The waterfall itself was not very big, but picturesque. The locals even organized a small photo zone!

In general, this place is ideal for relaxing all day. There are gazebos, barbecue and everything you need for a leisurely vacation! I would recommend you to take more food and make a barbecue here, like a huge company of Filipinos did!

Opening hours: 06:00 – 17:00

Entrance fee: adult – 50 pesos, bike parking – 10 pesos, table rental – 100 pesos.

We spent time here for about an hour and decided to get to another place before returning home. I didn’t plan to go there, but since we went so far, why not! And I did not lose!

There’s a small fishing village, Panacan just about 20 kilometers from the waterfall. I saw a lighthouse and the beach on the map, that’s why I decided to check these places.

Here is the result we got!

5. Acacia Tunnel

I wanted to end this day with something fabulous, magical, so on the way back to Puerto Princesa, despite the excellent road, I decided to make a stop in a small forest called Acacia Tunnel. In fact, we already drove it along the way to the waterfall! But since it was a really good road and the weather was perfect, we drove through this amazing place at high speed! The length of this tunnel is about 1.5 km.

I can talk a lot about how the trees intertwined intricately and froze in fairy-tale images, forming a natural arch filled with coolness and freshness, but its best just to take a short break and look at this miracle of nature!

At this fabulous moment, I want to complete my story, because the next place I am going to visit is a real paradise – El Nido reserve!

P.S. As I promised before, here are maps of Palawan and Puerto Princesa!

Сообщение 5 Incredible Places in Puerto Princesa That You Certainly Didn’t Know About | Attractions появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

“El Nido, Palawan” – what first comes to mind when you hear these, almost magical, words? Undoubtedly, this is a “paradise vacation”, “incredible nature” and of course “tours along the most beautiful and cozy bays and islands!” Are you intrigued? Then let’s go!!!

I left Palawan Island like a cherry on the top of the cake for the final stage of my adventure around the Philippines, which lasted a little over a month! During that time, I managed to visit 7 islands, and I even wrote a short review of the TOP 10 Exciting Attractions in Negros Island which are undoubtedly worth a visit! During the short time spent in the Philippines, I can sincerely say that I fell in love with this incredible and multifaceted country! Even Port Barton with its “secrets” did not leave me indifferent!

In El Nido, everything is arranged in a way that a visiting tourist needs to think as little as possible and spend as much as possible. Therefore, they came up with the “island-hopping” which are just different tours around different areas and divided them into groups A, B, C, D.

Since there are a lot of tourists in El Nido and the most popular tours are A and C, I decided to choose something less crowded. Since I think any of the proposed options is interesting, so I opted for a tour with the name “B”!

Prices for El Nido Island-Hopping Tours

If you walk around El Nido, you can find signs with advertisements for island-hopping tours everywhere. Their prices are almost the same, but there is one life hack, how you can make any of the tours even cheaper!

When Lamis and I just arrived at the hostel, the owner immediately suggested us to take a look at the big banner with tours, and the price can be negotiated later, so she can even give us a small discount!

As a result, the normal prices of island-hopping tours in El Nido are

• A – 1200 pesos;
• B – 1300 pesos;
• C – 1400 pesos;
• D – 1200 pesos

We managed to agree to take “Tour B” for only 1200 pesos per person. The discount is only a couple of dollars, but it’s nice!

“Tour B” in details – the organization, different attractions, and our impressions

After agreeing to the price and making a payment in advance, we had nothing to worry about!

Exactly at 07:00, a minibus arrived for us, where several tourists were already waiting, and they also wanted to go to one of the proposed island-hopping tours. On the way to the pier in El Nido, we picked up a couple of people. We were a bit sleepy but in anticipation of an adventure! When we arrived at the pier everyone was asked where we were going to go.

I was very surprised by the process of organization! Everything was very harmonious like it has been worked out for years! As along the conveyor lines, all tourists were placed in groups and assigned to the boats. We also were not an exception, and after 10 minutes, boarded to our comfortable “ship”!

In total, together with us were another 8 tourists and 4 crew members who went on an adventure around the islands, which is quite a small group in comparison with how many other boats were filled!

When all preparations were completed, our boat set sail. At the exit from the lagoon, everyone moved toward their routes according to the purchased tour! Only 4 boats turned in our direction (including ours) and it was very pleasing because there won’t be many tourists

Entalula Island

After 40 minutes of fast sailing, we arrived at our first place – Entalula Island. Since there were small waves, the landing on the island took place into the water! But it wasn’t scary at all as the sea was perfect!

The island is very beautiful, sand is white, soft, and very pleasant to the touch! Mmmm, I just want to soak up this sand as long as possible!

All quickly rushed to be photographed with the bizarre rock, which is the most beautiful spot of this place! I had to wait a bit for everyone while they were taking plenty of pictures and going all around the beach! BTW, part of this amazing place is private property, and as evidence, there is a sign about that! But this doesn’t stop the tourists

I was surprised that none of our group, except me, was swimming for some reason, although it is very comfortable here both to swim and sunbathe.

After spending about an hour on Entalula Island we went to the next spot.

Snake Island

The name of our next place is very unusual – “Snake Island”! The island has this name because of the shape of its sandbar! It looks just like a snake, and no there were no snakes around! But I didn’t check, maybe these bastards are there too…

If you climb the nearest mountain, you can see everything from a height!

We had about 40 minutes here to explore the surroundings, and after that, it was necessary to return to the boat to have lunch!

Of course, I couldn’t sit still and, when everyone went for a walk back and forth on the sandbar, I decided to explore the island as much as possible. It turned out that just “around the corner” there are fantastic views of the neighboring islands, and there is also a good “photo zone” with a fallen palm!

It was already lunchtime, so after all the exploring of the surroundings, we hurried to our boat, where lunch was already prepared! “Why on the boat?” – good question! So, it is because of the dogs living on these islands, which will surely beg for food from kind tourists!

While we were on the road, our Filipino team was preparing lunch in an improvised kitchen right on fire! Everything turned out to be very tasty! Our menu included: undoubtedly rice, several types of meat, noodles with vegetables, crabs, a couple of fish, vegetable stew, fruit slices! You can get also any drinks for an additional fee! We took Cola for 100 pesos per can!

After a quite hearty dinner, everyone was ready to go on, to the new adventures!

Cudugnon Cave

The next destination was a truly mesmerizing attraction! As you probably already understood from my previous stories “Puerto Princesa Underground River”, “The longest underground river cave in Laos – Kong Lor Cave” I simply adore caves! So, when I saw in the description that we had to visit 2 caves, I immediately decided which tour I should choose!

After lunch, it became a bit more fun, so the road, lasting 20 minutes, seemed very fast. We moored ashore with a small strip of sand. But our goal was not a beach at all, it was this little hole.

Everyone took turns hastening to repeat acrobatic stunts to enter the Cudugnon Cave.

The cave has two huge halls with a vault height of about 20 meters. The first hall is quite dark, so all tourists immediately hurried to go to a more spacious and brighter second hall. Interestingly, this cave was relict, and archaeologists found the burials of the ancient sea people of Palawan here, as well as jewelry and artifacts from the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) were also discovered.

After a short rest in the coolness of the cave, I was so impressed with what I saw that I completely forgot that I have a camera on my neck. The path to the boat lay along the water, therefore, after only one awkward move my camera momentarily plunged into the water. Alas, after swimming it wasn’t possible to turn it on. So, the rest of our tour, I had to take pictures on the phone …

Cathedral Cave

Slightly overshadowed by the thought that I would have to fix my camera, I continued enjoying the surrounding beauties, because in this case there was one more cave ahead! The name is “Cathedral Cave”. It seemed to me that this is not quite a cave, but rather a huge grotto with tall arches, like at the cathedral! If the weather is good you can even go inside by a little boat and see the whole scale. But we weren’t lucky and our tour guides showed us this cave from a distance! However, I can say for sure that it is very impressive!

Since here you don’t need to go anywhere, this place took us about 10-15 minutes, while everyone took pictures of the view. A couple of tourists wanted to snorkel in this place, but it turned out that this was forbidden due to the abundance of sea snakes around the cave! After a while, we moved towards our final point.

Pinagbuyutan Island

Pinagbuyutan Island was left for the final part of the tour so that tourists can relax after a very busy day! This paradise is a 40-minute drive from Cathedral Cave. When we arrived at Pinagbuyutan Island we saw a quite long beach, palm thickets, and rocks. The water around has a crystal-emerald color! If paradise exists, then it is here – in “Tour B”!

This place was so beautiful and calm that I even took a nap for 40 minutes!

The highlight of this place is that there is enough space for everyone (but there were “already” or “only” 4 boats + a couple of boats with private tours for a couple of people)!

And in the end, I’ll say that no matter what tour you choose, I’m sure that you will be glad to see everything! Of course, I would like fewer tourists (and it is possible if you take a private tour), but in general, there will be enough time and space to make beautiful shots or just relax for everyone!

Satisfied and happy we arrived at about 16:00 at the same place from where we started in the early morning. Transfer to hotels was not supposed, but it was already not important, because El Nido fell in love with itself and its incredible nature!

“See you, El Nido!” I’m confident that I will return once again to this amazing place!

Сообщение El Nido: “Tour B” – the most unusual and uninhabited island hopping tour | Palawan появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

After several weeks traveling around the Philippine islands, I saw so much diverse nature that it seemed that not much could surprise me. But it turned out that I was mistaken, and Negros island was able to directly defeat me with its beauties and absolutely incredible nature! I decided to share with you the most interesting attractions and made the TOP 10 places that definitely deserve attention!

What To Do in Negros Island

I decided not to rank my list as “top” (when each attraction has its own place or a certain position in the ranking), but simply present the most interesting, in my opinion, places in the order I visited them.

Initially, I planned to stay in Dumaguete when I arrived from Siquijor Island, only a couple of days, but this turned out to be absolutely not enough to finish all my ideas. Therefore, I slightly changed my plans and decided to explore the island in more detail, as far as time allowed. And after Negros set aside a week to Palawan. By the way, I already wrote a couple of stories about it – one of them will tell you about the miracle of nature – Puerto Princesa Underground River!

Oops, I deviated for a bit from the main story …. So, let’s go back to Negros Island!

1. Mag-Aso Volcanic Steam Spring

Since I had a place of basing in the Dumaguete, so it would be logical to explore Negros, starting from the neighborhood of the city. Moreover, there is something to surprise here.

Mag-Aso Volcanic Steam Spring – this name immediately surprised me, when I just started exploring Negros island on a Google map. I am not indifferent and with trembling interest concern to any volcanic activity, and this place was not an exception.

The Mag-Aso Volcanic Steam Spring of volcanic origin and it is 14 km away from Dumaguete. It’s very easy to get to it on a motorbike or by taking a “private” tricycle. The same road leads to two other attractions. I will tell you about them a bit later.

The Mag-Aso Volcanic Steam Spring is a natural hot spring that flows down rock formations along the road. Puffs of hot steam surround the water outlet and have a very pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide. Along the road, there are signs that this steam is poisonous. We stopped for a few minutes to take a look at the Spring and take a couple of photos. It’s really breathtaking and truly impressive!

I forgot to say that around Negros I partially traveled with my friend Eva from Costa Rica, who was my companion on my solo trip to the Philippines.

The entrance to Mag-Aso Volcanic Steam Spring is free and it’s working around the clock!

2. Pulangbato Falls

After a magical-volcanic spring, the road turns right to the next attractions. There are two of them here, one of which we decided to visit on the way back and for now, drive forward to the beautiful and very unusual Pulangbato waterfall. After a couple of kilometers of a not very good road, we arrived at the Pulangbato Falls sign. This sign indicated direction to the waterfall and to a recreation complex that has the same name as a waterfall.

This complex has sun loungers, several relaxation areas, and swimming pools. It looks like you have to stay here for a couple of hours and relax a bit.

Nature around is amazing and very relaxing. The waterfalls are not big but beautiful. There is a bridge where you can make good photos.

The Entrance to this complex is not free – 100 pesos per person, but it is definitely worth it.

Opening hours: 09:00 – 17:00

Eva and I also decided to spend some time here and have lunch!

3. Red Rock Hot Spring

Following the plan, we had another relaxation spot, but at the hot springs. Riding a motorbike, we went down the road in the direction to Dumaguete, about one kilometer. We were politely met by the staff of the “Red Rock Hot Spring” complex.

The story of this place is very interesting. The area around this hot spring once was bought by a European. There was nothing equipped there back then, but trickles of water flowing out of the rock heated by the bowels of the earth. The owner decided to collect these trickles and organize a pool so you can comfortably swim in hot water.

Later the owners decided that everyone should enjoy the natural hot baths, so they built all the necessary infrastructure. There is a shower (it must be taken before and after bathing at the spring), tables, a small restaurant. Food prices are slightly above average but affordable.

The Entrance fee is only 70 pesos, and this is very cheap to relax without a doubt.
Opening hours: 07:00 – 20:00

I was so relaxed in this place that I completely forgot that there was a road ahead to Dumaguete in order to try to catch another attraction.

4. Twin Lakes, Balinsasayao Natural Park

After a really good rest, 33 kilometers of road awaited me to get to a truly large-scale sight!

In the depths of the jungle, in the crater of extinct volcanoes there hid two lakes similar to each other, so they were called Twin Lakes. They are like twin brothers spilled over many hundreds of square meters, surrounded by green slopes of the mountains. You can rent kayaks for 150 pesos per hour or a boat – 250 pesos per hour on the shore of the first lake to freely ride around the lake and even see Olayan Falls.

The road to Balinsasayao National Park is very winding, mountainous. So, we had to work hard to arrive on time. As a result, we arrived at the checkpoint around 15:45, i.e. just an hour and something before closing. There we paid entrance fees, listened to a small briefing, and even take a look at the layout of the area.

Since we absolutely had no time left to walk around the park and enjoy the surrounding nature, we decided not to take the boat, but walk along the path to the second lake. The one-way road took us approximately 20 minutes. At the end of the path, there is a tower with a great view of both lakes.

The Twin Lakes is definitely worth a look. However, I would recommend you to arrive there as early as possible in order to have time to see everything, go boating and have a great rest. There are tables, barbecue areas on the territory, so you can even hang out for the whole day.

On the way back to Dumaguete we stopped several times to take photos because nature around was incredible!

The Entrance fee is 100 pesos per person + 35 pesos for parking a motorbike.

Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00

5. Casaroro Falls

The next day we met Lamis and three of us went to another miracle of nature – Casaroro Falls. By the way, Lamis happily shared her emotions about traveling to Palawan. This story will reveal all the secrets of Port Barton. This story is very interesting, I recommend it!

The main reason I was unable to visit Casaroro Falls the day before was that the waterfall “didn’t work”! Yes, yes, this is possible! When Eva and I arrived there to see it, it turned out that the waterfall was on “service”! This word surprised me so much that I could not restrain myself to find out all the details. It turned out that after the rain a large stone fell on the road leading to the waterfall. It seemed to the administration of the waterfall unsafe for tourists, so they decided to close the waterfall for “maintenance” in order to remove the stone and repair the destroyed path.

Lamis agreed to be our local guide and show the most beautiful camera angles for photography at the waterfall. I had no idea of its scale back then, but Olya, with whom we were traveling in Qatar, said that this was the coolest waterfall she had ever seen!!!

After going about 330 steps down and crossing the river a couple of times along cement paths and fording, we finally saw Casaroro Falls! The sight is unbelievable – huge water flow breaks down from a 30-meter height as if someone had opened a huge crane! The flow is so powerful that it’s even impossible to talk near the waterfall!

Everything said earlier turned out to be true – this is the coolest waterfall I’ve ever seen!!! In my rank of attractions in Negros, it can worthily take the first place!

We paid 30 pesos per person for the entrance.

Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00

6. Apo Island

It is known that vacation in the Philippines is most often associated with diving, snorkeling, and beaches. The most interesting place for snorkeling in the Dumaguete area is the Apo island. I decided to go there with a one-day excursion.

You can get to Apo by yourself if you take a bus from the Bus Station in the direction of Zamboanguita to the small market in Malatapay (the ticket price is 20 pesos), and from there to the Malatapay Wharf pier. You can rent a boat for 4 people for 2500 pesos, for 6 people – 3000 pesos, for 8 people – 3500 pesos and for 10 people – 4000 pesos.

I decided to take an organized tour from the diving center “Harolds Dive Center Dumaguete”. The cost was 1200 pesos per person.

The tour package includes:

• Round-trip bus transfer;
• Equipment (flippers, mask, life jacket);
• Breakfast, water, tea, and coffee;
• Separate boat;
• Marine Park Fees

This was the rightest decision because I didn’t have snorkeling equipment with me.

Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with the underwater shooting, and Lamis forgot to take a waterproof mobile case for her phone. As a result, there were only vivid memories of how I swam in the company of 4 huge turtles and another 5 tour participants. My impressions were unforgettable and it was very emotional!

This event took us almost the whole day – from 05:00 to 15:00 and I exercised a lot, so I do not recommend planning a lot of activities for the evening. It’s better to pick up something calm.

7. Bulwang Caves

A huge cave complex Bulwang is located near to Mabinay City. It turned out that the Mabinay province is not only the cave capital of Negros island but also all the Philippines! There are about 400 caves in this region, 100 of which were explored, and about 50 of these investigated caves were explored by the Danish-Belgian team of cavers in the late 90s.

The most profitable option to get there is on your own (rented) motorbike. This will not only save money but also allows you to see several other attractions in the area.

This time I chose not the most convenient and profitable option – a bus. It took us (Lamis and I) 2 hours to get from the Bus Station in Dumaguete to Mabinay City by Ceres bus. The ticket price was 126 pesos per person. We were planning to visit Pandalihan Cave and Bugsok Waterfall, but it turned out that no public transport goes there, and local cabmen can deliver us there for 600 pesos! This was an absolutely unacceptable price for 11 km!!!

We decided to cancel this idea and took a jeepney for 20 pesos per person from Mabinay City to the Bulwang Caves Information Center.

Due to the fact that we spent too much time on the road and understanding that there was nothing to do in Mabinay City, we were able to visit only one of the caves. If you arrive at the cave center before 08:30, you can pick a tour to 3 or even to 7 caves!

There are 3 different packages:

• Basic level – 25 pesos per person for entrance to 1 cave (there are 3 of them – Panligawan, Pandalihan, and Crystal Cave) + 400 pesos for a guide for 6 people;
• Advanced level – 100 pesos per person for entrance to 1 cave (there are 7 caves in total) + 400 pesos for a guide for 5 people;
• Extreme level – the cost is negotiated separately, depending on the training level of the participants, as well as their special equipment.

In the tourist center, I met a local guide Shem, who not only told us about the caves in the area but, after telling about my caving experience, he also invited me to the annual world speleologists’ camp here in Negros! As a nice bonus was also a small discount because there were only two of us

Of the three caves that are available in the Basic Package, we visited only one – Crystal Cave. Even after several Crimean caves, which I visited in 2011, and descended to a depth of “-200 meters”, this Crystal Cave was very impressive! Here are a few photos that I made during a short tour.

8. Niludhan Falls

It would be a shame to go so far from Dumaguete and see only one cave, so we decided to try to get at least one waterfall.

There is the picturesque Niludhan Falls not far from Bulwang Caves, but it also does not have any public transportation which goes there. Since we were without motorbikes, we had to ask local guides to bring us to the waterfall. After 20 minutes of negotiations, it was possible to establish a price – 520 pesos. This price included 2 personal drivers on two motorbikes + refueling 1 liter of fuel in each bike, which generally was OK for us.

After 25 minutes we arrived at the place! I think that in the rainy season this waterfall should be very deep and spill over its entire width! We got only a few tricks, but they were also beautiful.

This waterfall is worthy of attention, but I recommend visiting it on a rented bike, and not on public transport!

The entrance fee is symbolic – 25 pesos per person.

9. Manjuyod White Sandbar – The Philippine Maldives

I really wanted to get to this beautiful place! Unfortunately, the tide schedule did not coincide with my sleep schedule, and package tours were very expensive, so I decided to skip this attraction this time. Lamis will tell you about it in details

To get to Manjuyod Sandbar you can either take a bus going to Bais City or join an arranged group tour. Everything in the tour is included. Prices depends in each agency you applied. I recommend Harold’s Mansion you can check their site and see prices. They also offer different tours.

As for my experience, I was invited by my friend to go to Manjuyod Sandbar joining with her Mom and her Mom’s colleagues. There were a lot of us, so the boat we rented was a big one. More or less we were 15 – 20 people. The more the merrier, the cheaper the breakdown of cost for the boat. Food is not included nor transportation going there.

How to get to Manjuyod White Sandbar?

Take a bus that goes to Bais City the fare is around 60 pesos. Once you arrive in Bais take a tricycle to get you to Campiñahan Wharf or Canibol Wharf. Rental boats are available there. Prices range from 3500 – 4500 pesos depending on the season and number of people.

If you rented a motorbike then you can save more. The trip is an hour from Dumaguete to Bais.

You’ll see small boats that roam around in Manjuyod Sandbar that sells snacks and drink even seafood and they can cook it for you. But prices are a bit pricey.

Tip: Buy and bring your own food and drinks, there are no stores to pass by during the trip.

10. Canlaon (Kanlaon) Volcano

I decided to complete my list of the most exciting attractions in my opinion on Negros island on the active Canlaon Volcano.

The Canlaon volcano is located 175 kilometers from Dumaguete or 50 kilometers from Bacolod. Since I was based in the Dumaguete, I planned to go to this highest mountain on Negros island from there.

The height of the Canlaon volcano is 2435 m with a base diameter of 30 km! This fact only acted out my imagination to hike to its top. At the end of 2019 the Taal volcano erupted, which was somehow connected by one volcanic chain to the Canlaon volcano. In this case, the danger level of visiting this region was set at Level2 – which meant that it was closed for visiting by tourist groups.

No matter how hard I tried, alas, a visit at the beginning of 2020 was impossible. I’ll try another time. But I managed to collect some information about how exactly it is possible to climb to the top of the volcano and take a look into its crater.

There are two options for visiting Canlaon Volcano:

• as part of a tourist group, from the base of the volcano – 500 pesos for the entrance to the reserve + guide services start from 700 pesos per day + food for the group and guide. So, the final cost depends on the number of people. It is necessary to agree in advance;
• to purchase a 2-3-day package tour in Dumaguete, Bacolod, or in Cebu City – the price starts from 8000 pesos for “all in one”.

Unfortunately, climbing to the top of the volcano by yourself is prohibited!

There are also two climbing routes to the volcano – from the city of the same name Canlaon City, as well as from the other side from a small village Guintubdan.

All detailed information can be found in the official Facebook group.

This concludes my story about the most incredible attractions of Negros Island. Of course, this island is huge and you can find more interesting places! I will be glad to your comments and additions to further discover the Philippines and beautiful nature of Negros!

See you!

Сообщение TOP 10 Exciting Attractions in Negros Island, Philippines | Incredible появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

I noted several places myself going to Palawan. Some of these places are in Puerto Princesa. For example, Crocodile Farm, Butterfly Sanctuary, and other places outside the city. In my list, I certainly included visiting the underground river – “Puerto Princesa” (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park) or simply called in abbreviation “PPUR” which stands for Puerto Princesa Underground River.

I visited an underground river once in Laos so I had an idea what it was. However, it was still sooooo interesting to see another phenomenon one more time regarding with caves and rivers!

At the airport, I noticed a lot of signage and offers with organized and “ALL IN” tours. You can see advertisement tours plastered even on the tricycle. I also saw tours to the underground river. The average cost of tours was about ₱2200 or even higher.

Of course, taking a package tour which includes round trip transfer, breakfast, visiting the nature reserve and the underground river is the easiest option but not always THE best option when you are on a budget. So, I wanted to organize a trip on my own which was not expensive!

Since I traveled with Lamis, if you remember her from her story about the Mystery of Port Barton, we decided to rent a scooter and just refill the fuel which was cheaper and go to the town of Sabang, the route to the underground river.

Where to rent cheap bikes in Puerto Princesa

Before I flew to Palawan, I was traveling in the Philippines for almost a month. Of course, I was already oriented in the prices of fuel, renting a motorcycle, food, and a lot more. So, a motorbike is the most convenient means of transportation in Asia. Therefore, when you arrive at a new place, the first thing you have to befriend is the one and only “motorbike”!

On the way from the airport (good thing that Puerto Princesa International Airport is within the city), I met a group of foreign tourists who were waiting for their friend on motorbikes. I decided to approach them and asked where they got to rent motorbikes and how much it costs. And their answer surprised me – they rented it for ₱700 per day. There were a lot of places to choose from and they were all in the same street. I’m going to tell you guys that it is very EXPENSIVE and this is literally ROBBING!!! The average price to rent a motorbike in the Philippines ranges from ₱250 – 500 for one day. The more days you rent the cheaper it cost per day!

So, I thought “Okay, let’s figure something out” and we headed towards a huge mall to have breakfast. After having a hearty meal, it was possible to figure out the issue with the motorbike rental. I interviewed several people near the main entrance to the mall but… they couldn’t help me. Then I decided to find out where it was profitable to rent motorbikes from the tricycle driver. He made a few calls and said that he would take us to a place where we could rent a motorbike for ₱450 which was completely a different way!

After 10 minutes, we arrived at Dong’s Motorbike and Car Rental, just on the opposite side from the airport where we were just a while ago. The owner of the rental announced the same price which is ₱700, so I decided to be smart and told him that the tricycle driver promised us that the price is ₱450 per day. Anyway, he thought about it for a bit before considering and agreeing that I rent the bike for 2 days for ₱450 a day!

This place is just located to the right of the exit from the airport. There you can pick which you want to rent, car or bike. And remember that bargaining is applicable!

How to get to Sabang from Puerto Princesa

There are various ways to get to Sabang from Puerto Princesa by yourself. These are options you can use:

• As a part of a group tour – from ₱2200 per person;
• A rented minivan that arrives at the hotel to pick you up – ₱600 per person one way, travel time 2 hours;
• A bus from the central bus station, Lexxus Shuttle – ₱400 one way, travel time 2 hours;
• Bike – ₱450 + ₱150 fuel 

So, we have settled everything with the bike and bought food and hit the road!

Since the national reserve is open from 08:00 to 16:00, we decided to arrive as early as possible. The trip took us about 2 and a half hours with an excellent cemented road! Halfway through our trip, I noticed that I forgot to bring my camera, so I had to enjoy the views with my own eyes and took photos using my phone.

What you need when independently visiting the Underground River

We didn’t know that visiting the national reserve it was necessary to get a “permit” in Sabang (It was ₱250 if I am not mistaken), somewhere in the tourist information we manage to arrive immediately at the port. There were a lot of people and nothing was comprehensible where to go and what to do.

In the end, after 20 minutes of wandering around, I managed to find out that: 

• You need to go to the tourist office (opposite of the port) there you need to pay for everything;
• Return to the port and find a boat with fellow travelers;
• And wait!  

Entrance fee of visiting Puerto Princesa Underground River

If you are a Filipino, then you will pay less for the services. However, if you read this blog, then most likely, alas! You are a foreigner; you should pay more!

Rates and Fees

Adults (21 yrs. old and Above)

• Entrance fee: ₱500
• Audio Device: ₱85
• Environmental Fee: ₱150
• Terminal Fee: ₱5

Total: ₱740

Young Adults (13 – 20 yrs. old)

• Entrance fee: ₱150
• Audio Device: ₱76.50
• Environmental Fee: ₱150
• Terminal Fee: ₱5

Total: ₱381.50

Children (3 – 13 yrs. old)

• Entrance fee: ₱150
• Environmental Fee: ₱150
• Terminal Fee: ₱5

Total: ₱305

General Entrance (without visiting the cave)

• Entrance fee: ₱150
• Environmental Fee: ₱150

Total: ₱300

After everything is paid, you need to go to the pier where all the boats depart and choose the most suitable option. It’s either pay for the whole boat or join a group. So, we decided to choose the second one, so we had to wait a bit. While waiting we ate cookies! 

Boat Rate

• 6 people (total capacity) – ₱1100 – ₱184 per person;
• 7 people (total capacity) – ₱1255 – ₱180 per person;
• 8 people (total capacity) – ₱1425 – ₱179 per person.

Just in case, here is a photo with a detailed price list for both foreigners and Filipinos.

The total cost of visiting the Puerto Princesa Underground River for two people was: 

Bike and Fuel + Permit + Ticket Entrance + Boat for 7 people = total ₱2940, which is ₱1470 per person!

Towards to UNESCO HERITAGE

After about 20 minutes, we boarded the boat and were happy. We went in the direction of our long-cherished dream, listed as a world of wonder in UNESCO heritage – Puerto Princesa Underground River!

Our boat was swiftly moving forward, surrounded by other boats with explorers and adventurers who wanted to see this new wonder of the world. The boat trip lasted for 40 minutes along with the small current of waves. Everyone was in a lively queue, waited for further instructions before we all disembark. Everyone started to take photos and we are no exception!

After 5 minutes, we began to advance! Since they said that our turn has already come and we need to prepare to sail into the cave! After walking along a well-organized path through the forest, we went to another beach, calmer and cozier. There were boats ready for departure, loaded with tourists.

Everyone was given an audio guide, a life jacket, and a helmet. Everything was strictly organized by the staff of the reserve! Just look at that face!!!

In the cave of the Puerto Princesa Underground River

After some time, it was our turn and we went to the Kingdom of Darkness, constant temperature, and bats! The audio guide was broadcasting everything and was very pleasant to hear. The other guide from the boat told us stories, showing bizarre forms created by nature, stalactites, and incrustation! It was an utterly interesting trip, with a length of 3 kilometers and a duration of 45 minutes. What was seen inside charmed our souls and the surrounding silence added secrets and mystery!

Since I forgot my camera, we used the phone to take photos. Here are a few of them.

After the tour, everyone returned to the cozy beach but completely enthralled with different emotions and happiness after what they saw and experienced.

We had little time left to walk around and see the surroundings again. Seeing the monkeys and taking a photo against the background of an impromptu photo zone where you can confirm that we were here and saw everything with our own eyes!

On the way back, while Lamis was in deep thoughts. I was investigating the surroundings on Google to understand how exactly we can get to the nearby attraction. To be honest, it turned out that Google did not understand how to get there exactly and offered one way which was the sea and probably by a boat…

What to see near Puerto Princesa Underground River

So, after an hour we arrived at the port. The trip took longer than we thought because there were big waves and even causes a traffic jam for the boats. So, we had to wait for the right moment and dock to get back to the mainland.

It was already lunchtime and we decided to have a burger in a small cafe nearby. The prices are OK and the food is not bad! 

With high spirits taking with us is a new “friend”, we went along a narrow path along the coast.

The road was very picturesque and accompanied by beautiful waves and the sea breeze. There were skillfully stacked stones in the form of figures and columns along the way.

After a few hundred meters, we met by the ticket office. It turns out that you can go further for ₱100 per person because it is private property! I love the Philippines!

Following the path with another 200 – 300 meters, another amazing beauty of nature was revealed to us – this is the Pyamaluguan Sabang Waterfalls which flows directly into the sea! Just breathe taking, extremely unusual, and beautiful! I have never seen anything like that!!! A wonderful and beautiful place to be!

Everything around was for relaxation. There’s a pool, tables, benches and a dressing room for the use which you will need to pay extra  

In this beautiful place, we spent about an hour before hurrying back, because we had to go home to Puerto Princesa. We were looking forward to more adventures which I will describe in the future articles and this day will forever remain in my memory with vivid emotions and unforgettable impressions! Nature is so amazing!

Сообщение Puerto Princesa Underground River: how to get there on your own, prices | Attractions появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

Port Barton is a peaceful local town which is located in the Northerpart of Palawan. Lots of tourist visits this place all year round. Beautiful white beaches and islands.

But…

What’s the catch in this small town?

To be honest, I first heard of Port Barton from other foreign nationals who were talking together with the owners who owned the place where my friend and I was staying. We were really intrigued as to why it was so known to tourist. Like… what’s in that town? Besides the beaches and islands?

So, to answer the ambiguous secret. We went there for a day and figure it out ourselves!

Trip going Port Barton from Puerto Princesa as I remember correctly only lasted for 4 hours and some minutes, which I don’t remember how many exactly. The day we left the hostel was 25th of February 2020 at 9am and arrived in Port Barton around 1pm. We stayed there for a day before moving out to our next destination.

What to see in Port Barton

There were only a few places to explore within the area. One of those includes the waterfalls, however, the falls wasn’t really eye catching for me. Though I still find it beautiful, of course.

Pamuayan Waterfalls

I bet if it was a rainy season it’s a magnificent site to behold and see the waterfalls. But at that time… it wasn’t. And there’s an entrance fee. It’s not really a fee but more like donation. Technically, it is a donation. So, you guys can give any amount you like and then write your names in a log book as always before entering.

We also visited a beach. The first beach we saw was Coconut beach, though we didn’t really visit and stepped foot because we just passed by. We were driving a motorbike which was not a good idea. I tell you! DON’T drive a motorbike. The road is awful, just my opinion haha. It’s better to walk than to actually drive. The struggle was real. I had to get off  of the motorbike a couple of times. Especially it was going uphill and downhill there were too much huge rocks and gaps in between the road. Not to mention, muddy. Now… that’s DANGEROUS. Sure, I’m exaggerating (a bit?) but this is just my honest opinion of what I have experience.

White Beach

Moving on, we arrived at our destination the “White Beach”. Forgot to say, we skipped the first beach because we had no time. It was getting pretty late. The target was the White Beach!

At long last, we arrived after a challenging road trip

There was an entrance fee to be paid before going in. If I can recall correctly the price would be between 50 or 60 pesos and you write your name in a log book. And you are good to go and savour the beach to your hearts content haha

The beach was really beautiful guys!! Like… to the point that I want to use profound words to express how amazing and stunning it was! Just… ASTONISHING!

The sand was sooooo soft and sooooo fine! I can still remember how it feels in my feet! It was such a good feeling. Absolutely different from the beaches I have visited. I highly recommend

The best cheapest restaurant

The next day, we only have morning to go around and see the town. Since, we were going to leave at noon to El Nido. First things first, breakfast. The popular restaurant and the cheapest, as one of the locals said who manages the place we stayed and recommended us is called GACAYAN RESTAURANT.

This place is perpetually packed with tourists. So… to say… extremely busy staffs.

This is plainly a very honest opinion coming from me in regards about food. For the certain food that I have ONLY tried.

Chocolate Pancake for 100 pesos? Not worth it. I don’t recommend their pancakes. It was too dry and too thick. It’s was more like of a bread, seriously. I think the thickness was near to 2 inches. And the taste was too bland for me. There was no syrup even added to the pancake. It’s just the pancake itself.

I have tried their burger and it was okay. It cost around more than a hundred pesos. The chicken curry was also good. I just hope that the restaurant will improve more, regarding about their dishes as to what’s it lacking

Let’s talk about…

Drum rolls, please

How good is the WIFI

Let’s not forget about WIFI. The one, that we can’t live without especially when travelling. The essential part of how we need it.

If you get lost, who do you ask? Google! But how can you ask Google for help when there’s no WIFI nor signal?

Obvious answer, a person! (Of course, haha)

And what if that person you ask wants to help but can’t help because you guys can’t understand each other?

We go back to WIFI and go to Google and so on and so forth.

Very long introduction ain’t it? Bear with me and read ma story

So… the thing is or the strangest thing is that…
There’s a signal at the waterfalls, kinda strong connection for WIFI/Data, in fact. Also, at Port Barton Beach. Strange ain’t it?

Because when I was in the heart of the town, I swear guys, I wanna flip. It was that bad. Like, there was none at all. But at Gacayan Restaurant when I stayed there, the signal is good which is even utterly strange for me. It’s not just me but my friend also experienced the same.

I am not sure with other tourist if they had the same experience. This is based on ours, so who knows, really?

However, all in all, connection was bad.

Let’s reveal the secret of Port Barton

To end this story, Port Barton has something that other cities or towns don’t have. This small town was able to preserve itself as a local town. Meaning you can still feel the vibe of the localness of the place, the people and the culture. Not only that! The place is peaceful at night, awesomely peaceful. I’ve quite much enjoyed the quietness of the town and how relaxing it was. Blissful!

Now, I understood why tourists comes and visit the place!

Сообщение The mystery of Port Barton, Palawan | Attractions появились сначала на Adventurer's Notes.

The fourth day of my first solo-adventure I decided to devote myself to a completely different European city – the capital of Saxony – Dresden. Back then, I had no idea about this European city, but my good friend recommended Dresden as the “cherry on top of the cake” if you went to explore Prague.

I was very intrigued by this advice. Is it really so beautiful there? Let’s go and explore!

Looking for a secret hostel

After visiting Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora, I returned to the hostel in the evening. It was a completely ordinary hostel, at the same price as my previous 3-star hotel. I decided to change the place, because I had to return home early in the morning of the next day. That’s why I wanted to find a place that is close to the bus station as possible, so that I didn’t need to spend a lot of time to get there in the morning. I moved to this hostel the day before, after I visited the Prague Zoo.

I chose the hostel “All Seasons Hostel“. It had very good reviews and location but it was not so easy to find its location! I unsuccessfully walked back and forth along the street several times where the hostel should be.

Suddenly, I noticed a foreigner who was also looking for something very uncertainly, and it was clear that he also could not understand where the problem was!? I walked over to him and asked if he was looking for the “All Seasons Hostel”?! He answered hesitantly: “Yes…” and we continued this quest together! Only the third time we got lucky when we asked the seller of the nearest store! It was impossible to find this hostel since it does not have any sign on the street. So, we just need to find a white door, and there will be a small bell with the name of this secret place! I never thought it would be so difficult to find the right address in the European capital!

At the reception I was warmly greeted by a young man who, as it turned out, spoke very good Russian! I asked a question: “How did you manage to learn Russian since you are a native Czech?” He answered: “I just needed to know Russian to do this work, so I learned it! Although, I don’t like to speak in Russian because I don’t like the language!”

How to get to Dresden from Prague

So, in the evening, after Kutna Hora, I started checking various options of how to get to Dresden.

First of all, I decided to check the bus ticket prices using a very useful and convenient application “Omio“ (by the way, if you register using this referral link, you will receive an $11 discount on your next tickets). I found that including all the fees, the cost of tickets was about 30€. There were a lot of options and companies, but their schedule of the return buses was not very convenient for me! I planned to return to Prague before 20:00. Yes, I know that you can find tickets cheaper if you buy them in advance! However, my decision to go to Dresden was spontaneous, so I had to choose something from what was at the moment.

Next, I decided to check what various travel agencies can offer. The whole Internet was full of a huge amount of advertising, which will show you the capital of Saxony for only 60€ or even 200€ in all its glory!

I spent about half an hour looking for an acceptable tour and found a website that offered a one-day trip to Dresden, in Russian!

The travel agency “Megatour” organized a wonderful one-day trip to Dresden for only 832 CZK (32€), so I could return to Prague at 19:00! This is perfect! The guide will give you a bunch of interesting information and show all the most touristic places! A round-trip transfer and its schedule were very convenient for me!

So, you can get to Dresden from Prague:

• By bus, for example FlixBus (from 10€ one way, if taken in advance);
• Take a one-day tour through a travel agency (from 32€, but back and forth);
• By train (from 35€ one way).

The next morning, I was in a hurry to meet with an excursion group to go abroad, to the capital of Saxony – Dresden. On the way, the guide was telling us interesting and not very interesting historical facts. As a result, people were mostly feeling sleepy!

What to see in Dresden

After two and a half hours, the whole group left near a beautiful lake, which was not far from the city center. We were given special headphones to hear the guide from a distance.

The guide told us very creatively and in details about all the most interesting facts of the Dresden history and the whole region. Also, she told us about what the life was like, during the time of kings and why Augustus II the Strong was so important in the history.

As soon as I arrived in Dresden, I was immediately struck by an incredible scale! Not a single building fit into the lens of my camera!!! It was incredible, amazing and breathtaking!

The duration of our tour was about two and a half hours. During this time, the whole group slowly walked around the main sights of Dresden. Surprisingly, they are all located on a relatively small area.

The list of the most important sights of Dresden includes:

• Zwinger
• Albertinum
• Semperoper Dresden
• Fürstenzug (The Procession of Princes)
• Brühl’s Terrace
• Dresden Frauenkirche
• Katholische Hofkirche

Furthermore, according to the plan, we had 3 hours of free time, which I decided to spend with benefit and visit less touristic, but very interesting places.

When I was planning a trip to Dresden, I marked several interesting places, which are not in the city center. As it turned out in practice, it was impossible to visit the whole list, because I didn’t have enough time! However, I decided to try to visit something from my plan. I also wanted to see the real life of Dresden, which was not in the historical center! So, I went across the Augustus Bridge to the other side of the Elbe River.

Crossing the bridge was not easy, because it was under reconstruction. But I was able to quickly get through all the constructions.

On the other side, “The Golden Rider” met me stately! It was the equestrian statue of Augustus II the Strong. Since the day was very sunny, its bright golden figure with reflections added significance and grandeur!

At first, I decided to run very quickly through the nearby attractions. I headed from the bridge to the left side to look at the historic city from the waterfront.

I always say that it is very useful to turn off standard routes into the streets and courtyards, because you can see that there are a lot of interesting and unexpected things.

Exploring the park area close to the waterfront, I met cute German pensioners who were walking around. They didn’t understand a word in English, but we can use the sign language. So, they quickly realized that I want a beautiful photo with a view of the city!

After that, I returned to “The Golden Rider” monument and headed straight down the alley. The Germans impressed people with their pedantry and order. No matter where I was looking at everything was clean and well-kept everywhere!

German Hygiene Museum

While I was exploring the surroundings, I noticed one museum on the map which I would very like to visit. It was the museum dedicated to human anatomy, healthy eating, personal hygiene and maintaining health.

I have once visited museums of science and technology in Malaysia and Vietnam, so this one seemed be to me worthy of my attention!

Opening hours of the German Hygiene Museum and ticket prices

Tuesday – Sunday, Holidays – 10:00 18:00

Closed: Monday, January 1, December 24 and 25 (except holidays).

Children under 16 years old – Free

Pupils, Students, Senior Citizens – 4€

Adult ticket – 9€

Family ticket – 14€

Having estimated the scale of the museum, and the fact that I only had about one and a half hour, I decided to skip it. However, I definitely recommend having a few hours, or even half a day, in order to have a great time and learn a lot of new things in this place! Next time, I’ll definitely come here!

Transparent Factory Volkswagen (Gläserne Manufaktur)

Since I was not able to visit the German Hygiene Museum, I decided to get to the next interesting attraction in Dresden! This is a transparent (it was made from glass) Volkswagen automobile factory. This name immediately intrigued me, so I decided to undoubtedly see what it was with my own eyes.

In just 10 minutes of a quick walk, an amazing building was right in front of me. I decided to check it closer.

It turned out that this factory not only produces cars, but also conducts tours, test drives and interactive classes!

Of course, while I had some free time, I decided to explore everything in detail.

I found, that the tours are scheduled every hour, and available in several languages. Unfortunately, the next tour was supposed to begin in 45 minutes (I was only 15 minutes late when the tour had already started), and the duration was an average of 1 hour, around all stages of high-tech, automated production.

I didn’t have enough time to wait till the next tour, so, the only option I had was to go around an exhibition of cars which were produced in the past, as well as concepts of the latest developments of the future.

Currently, the transparent factory produces a semi knocked down kit assembly electric Volkswagen e-Golf. In total, 74 cars are produced per day. The automated robots manage the production, and only a few employees monitor the assembly process. More information you can find on the Volkswagen factory website.

Volkswagen Gläserne Manufaktur Opening Hours

Monday – Wednesday – 09:00 – 19:00;

Thursday – Friday – 09:00 – 21:00;

Saturday – 09:00 – 19:00;

Sunday – 10:00 – 18:00

Electric car test-drives

Monday – Saturday – 10:00 – 15:30

I also managed to play Volkswagen radio-controlled racing cars on the game stand and sit in a few brand-new top model cars from the best German car manufacturer!

Undoubtedly, it was an unforgettable experience!

This was the end of my one-day excursion in Dresden. It was time to go back to Prague.

I spent 4 incredible days! It was enough to change my comfort zone, reboot my mind and get a lot of new experience!

See you in the next adventures!

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