Author

Celia Corbin

Browsing

I read that there were topless beaches in Tahiti but after exploring several beaches and traversing through the mountains around the island, I thought it was only a myth. That is until I came to this topless beach.

My friend and I planned to spend Sunday hanging out but she and I thought we’d wing it. She picks me up at the Papeete City Marina around 10 a.m., and we begin walking along the main road hoping someone wouldn’t mind picking up a couple of pretty hitchhikers. 😉

We didn’t wait long before a French transplant, and two-year resident picked us up in his car. We told him we planned to go to this white sand beach, and at first, he was hesitant about going out of his way to take us there, but then quickly had the look of “f*ck it” that he changed his plans to drop us off. Score!

It was about a twenty-minute drive to the beach, and he begins sharing his perspective on the dark side of Tahiti advising we should hide our cell phones if we ever go out to a certain hangout point where teens tend to hang out on Sunday evenings. A bit strange, but I get where he’s coming from.

After we get dropped off, I notice a SUP stand offering rentals for 1500 xfp. It wasn’t crowded, and we found a perfect spot in the shade to lay out. It wasn’t long before I was gazing around that I noticed it was a topless beach. Right on. I love how super casual topless beach cultures are. There are women of all shapes and sizes, people with families, couples, and just single ladies like ourselves who don’t blink an eye with this. Tan line free zone as far as I’m concerned. Why aren’t more Americans relaxed this way? It’s quite a change from my time in Indonesia where I had to cover from head to toe!

We spent the rest of the afternoon there, and I had a chance to work on those tan lines on my back before we decide to explore our way along the rocky beach to satisfy our ‘It’s 5 o’clock somewhere’ thirsty palettes.

We reach Le Meridien Hotel Resort (about 2 km walk from where we were) and conclude our day with a sunset and Happy Hour.

bungalows

We’re still a bit far from Papeete and decide to hitch a ride back. It was only seconds after getting back onto the main road that a couple of cute guys picked us up and dropped us off as far as they were going. Then another few minutes before a couple picked us up and offered us a few roadies (completely legal here!) while they drove us into town – not to mention great music! At this moment, I love Tahiti! 🙂

When in Singapore, the best bet of any self-respecting foodie is to forget the fancy restaurants, at least for a while. If you want to get to know the Lion City, hawker food is where it’s at. Cheap, tasty and surprisingly diverse, it’s everything a backpacker wants in a meal.

To be honest, it’s extremely difficult to pick just a few dishes from the mind-numbing assortment that is available. But since it would take forever for us to finish enumerating the best of hawker fare, we’ll just stick to our absolute favorites. Make sure to have a taste of these, but don’t be shy of expanding your palate to other stalls that you find around the city.

Laksa

Price per Serving: around $4

We just cannot say enough good things about laksa. It’s a spicy rice noodle soup with a mix of coconut milk, beancurd puffs, fish, shrimp and cockles. It is at once satisfying and flavorful and we’re pretty sure will quickly become one of your go-to meals.

Our favorite laksa place is Sungei Roak Laksa, located somewhere between the New World Centre and Avant Theatre. It’s not as rich as other laksas, which can only mean that you’ll be coming back for a second serving.

Carrot Cake

Price per Serving: around $5

This certainly isn’t your typical carrot cake. It’s crispy, savory and doesn’t contain any carrot at all. Instead, it’s made with the visually similar daikon, which is grated, mixed with eggs and flour, and fried until crispy and golden brown. You’ll want to try carrot cake from different places, as each stall throws in its own mix of flavorings and toppings.

One of the best carrot cake places out there is Fu Ming Carrot Cake, located in the Redhill Food Centre. Here, they flavor their carrot cakes with a drizzle of soy sauce. Simple, but it allows the natural flavor and texture of the carrot cake to shine through.

Pork Rib Soup

Price per Serving: around $4

Perhaps calling this a soup is inaccurate. Locals actually call it pork rib tea. At first glance you may see why. It looks like nothing more than pork bones and scraps boiled in water. One taste, however, and you’ll be completely blown away by the complexity of flavor in this simple soup.

Each stall has a different spice mix so it’s hard to choose which one is our favorite. However, we do highly recommend Leong Kee Bak Kut The, which is not too far away from the National Stadium. Leong Kee serves Malaysian-style pork rib tea, which is more strongly flavored with herbs than most.

Kaya Toast

Price per Serving: around $4

While you’re in Singapore, you must try the quintessential Singaporean breakfast, kaya toast. It’s basically layers of bread toasted and slathered with coconut jam in between. It’s absolutely delicious on its own, but most Singaporeans prefer to eat it with soft-boiled eggs and a choice of either coffee or tea.

If you’re a kaya toast newbie, you must try Ya Kun Kaya Toast, which has over 40 outlets all over Singapore. If kaya toast isn’t your thing, you can opt for French toast or what they call “toastwiches”, also served with classic eggs and a hot beverage.

I’m stuck in paradise. It’s been an incredible ordeal being stuck in paradise, and I slap myself each time I hear myself complaining about being stuck in paradise. But what I’ve learned over and over this last year is that paradise is never really paradise!

It’s been a couple of months since I first arrived in Pape’ete, Tahiti. My new cruiser family and I met here in mid-May and then took a flight to Apataki Atoll to pick up the captain’s newly purchased Lagoon 450 catamaran. We were only supposed to be in Apataki for less than a week, but then the Apataki Carenage (boatyard operation) gave our anti-Fallon necessary to paint the hull to another boat owner. That held us up an additional week until we could have a new one delivered.

We finally made it back to Pape’ete on June 8th with plans to stick around for less than a week. But, when we were going through some final boat inspections a few days later, we noticed a battery leaked on the life raft. After taking it in to be serviced, it was confirmed that the entire life raft would have to be replaced. Okay, that’s fine. We’ll just pick one around here, right? Wrong. The closest one we could find was all the way in Kiwi land in New Zealand.

What should have been a 4-day replacement process has turned into over a month due to email miscommunication and a lack of urgency with the execution on getting it here. What’s so important about the life raft? I’m sure there are at least a ½ dozen movies out there where a character has to abandon ship, and the life raft is their only chance at survival. Because we’re going on an approximate 14-day voyage to Tonga soon, you can understand why it’s important we have a working one of these.

The life raft actually arrived last Wednesday, but now it has to go through customs to clear. Lovely! Another process. Customs should only take a couple of days, but now we’re on island time with a holiday thrown into the mix. ☺

Why am I complaining so much about being stuck in paradise? Isn’t this an opportune time to explore towering waterfalls and chiseled pro-surfer bodies? Not exactly. French Polynesia is the most expensive place I’ve traveled since I quit my corporate job in September. I cry each time I see the 1050 xpf ($10 USD) sticker label at the Carrefour supermarché for one green bell pepper. Our “cat” is parked conveniently in front of dozens of retail and souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants! Ugh, somebody hang onto my crisp francs, please! I burned through $55 USD for 2GB of mobile wifi service in 30 minutes because it’s as slow as molasses here. The upside is I feel like I got a little bone thrown my way when I purchased a one-hour hot spot card for $5 USD and since then the WiFi Gods have mysteriously hooked me up in an “unlimited” sort of way. Suh-weet! At least I get one win.

The point is that I’m constantly tempted to be a consumer here. I’m finding the temptation to consume more material goods, and I’m getting accustomed to the luxury things in life again – like brand-name makeup, fancy shampoo, and great coffee. So is paradise really paradise when your old and unnecessary consumer habits return? I’ll let you answer that for you, but right now it’s not for me. I like having less. Less is more…more money in my bank account that is!

“This is a place tourists don’t see, but they should. It’s incredible and you won’t forget it.” says a Tahitian-American transplant.

I’ve arranged to meet my local new friend at 10 a.m. We’re running old school, and nobody has a way of getting touch with one another but to stop by and wait until we find each other. He’s running late so I think he can’t find where I’m staying at the Papeete City Marina. I tell him to look for Cocod’iles catamaran with palm trees painted on the side. I’m also feeling fatigue from my early morning insomnia. I want to cancel and begin to close my eyes for a mini-nap, but then I see him wandering aimlessly in my direction trying to find my boat. I wave and finally get his attention and tell him I’ll meet him outside of the marina gate. Coincidentally as I’m leaving, I run into my other friend I met in Apataki a few weeks ago. She mentioned having to do some work on her boat but would try to meet up in time to catch us.

The three of us head over to a parking lot across from the marina and hop into his slate-colored Audi and into the mountains.

Fautau’a Valley is located on the east side of Papeete. It starts off with a fairly easy trail to Loti’s Pool. My Tahitian friend takes out his Bose Bluetooth speakers and begins playing a mix of reggae and pop music as we make our way up the trail. Further along, we learn there are pools where Queen Aimata Pomare IV used to cool off and bathe. We’re about one hour into the hike before we get a brief history lesson from our part-time tour guide as we pass mossy brick Fachoda fort ruins from the French Tahitian war in 1846. We cross over the ruins and continue making our way to the waterfall observing the stunning nature along the way.

waterfall half way point
Natural waterslide and cliff jumping points are on the top of this waterfall.

We finally make our way to the top and are welcomed two freshwater pools. The first freshwater pool has a gentle mini-waterfall that leads to a natural waterfall into the second pool.

first freshwater pool
Ready, Set, Brrrr!!!

I jump in, and my insomnia was instantly cured by the shock therapy of subzero-feeling temperatures. We watch some teens jumping off of several cliff jumping points into the second pool. I’m feeling like a kid and slide down the natural water slide into the second subzero pool. SO refreshing! We climb over to where the large waterfall begins and spend the rest of our afternoon here.

Natural waterslide from one fresh water pool into the next! Pretty fun!
Natural waterslide from one fresh water pool into the next! Pretty fun!

On our way back down, we came across the waterfall from a distance making this a perfect photo-opp! 

waterfall fountain
I’m thirsty!

The hike takes about two hours and to access, you sometimes need special permission from the Papeete town hall, as well as pay an entrée fee of 600xpf (about $5 USD) per person. It’s a hit or miss with these rules and is ever-changing, but we were fortunate enough to enjoy Mother Nature for free and without permission!

 

 

 

Thinking of spending a full 24 hours in Positano, Italy? Here are some of the key things you need to know:

  • This gem of a town on the Amalfi Coast is BIG on lemons. And sandals.
  • If you prefer, you can have your sandals made according to your specifications on any shoe boutique or roadside shop — a nifty boon because you’ll want to walk everywhere… and bet your blisters would take all the fun out of that.
  • The lemons are also quite nifty — you’ll likely wish to be hydrated at regular intervals, and whether it’s through a drink, a cold dessert, or through any number of Italian-style sweets you can think of, the lemons used to make them are reliably refreshing.
  • Strictly speaking, you’re required to walk almost everywhere. But you won’t be complaining much, seeing as the streets, stairways, and flower-draped buildings alone are sights rewarding enough by themselves. There are lots of churches, towers, and out-of-the-way villages to visit too if you’re inclined to spend more than 24 hours in Positano to properly explore them all. Tip: When you get far enough up this lovely terraced town, look to the coast and decide if all that walking hadn’t been worth it.
  • Everyone keeps saying how stunning Positano looks when seen from the outskirts — very few places in the world could equal these stacks of pastel houses that seemingly cascade from the mountains down to the beaches. But has anyone ever told you what the view from ocean-facing windows in any of those houses is like? No? It’s probably ‘cause that’s something best left for you to find out
  • Ah — almost forgot about the beaches. But then again, if you’re planning to spend a mere 24 hours in Positano, Italy, it’s forgivable to assume that visiting Fornillo or the Marina Grande (or both!) is already pretty high up your list of priorities… isn’t it?

There are only two seasons in Klaten, and that is the dry season or the wet season. You’ll find that even during the wet season, you’ll want to take a dip and get out of the Klaten’s sometimes unbearable heat. There are usually two fees, a local entrance fee, and a foreigner entrance fee. The foreigner fee is usually about double what it costs the locals. Don’t get too bent about the price. It’s just the way it is and not really breaking anyone’s pocket in the long-term. You’ll also have better days the sooner you come to terms with this.

Here are three places to keep you cool during your stay:

COKRO:

One of my students (at the time) took me here. It’s basically a water park where the water source comes from a well. There are several sections of this mini water park to break up the fun.

Lazy River: there’s one area (my favorite) where you can rent inflatable tubes and lazy tube around the “river” (it’s more like a hundred meters in length by a five meters in width.). It’s shallow enough to stand in but deep enough for you to relax in.

There are also vendors in this section with blankets set out near the river. For a small fee, they’ll watch your belongings so you can freely enjoy the water park. If you get hungry, they also sell things like iced tea and refreshments, instant noodles, and other local snacks.

Waterslides: Adjacent to the lazy river are a couple of pools with decent sized waterslides. It’s fun coming here and being a kid. Sometimes the water doesn’t run as freely, so you have to give yourself a little nudge to keep going at a faster pace.

Tipping Well and Playground: This area is mostly intended for children, but fun watching them. Next to the kid’s pool is a water playground where kids run around and besides that is a tipping well that kids loved hanging under. It was a well from above that continually has water slowly filling up. Once it fills up, it tipped over gallons and gallons of water onto the kids and then resumes upright to its filling position again.

Entry Fee:

15,000 rp for 1 local + 1 tourist

5,000 rp to watch our bags

5,000 rp per tube rental

 

PONGKOK:

Pongkok

Pongkok is a cold water spring where the locals swim and snorkel. It consists of a sandy bottom with random treasures such as a random bicycle and many varieties of tropical fish. The spring gets to no deeper than 6 feet, so overall a very safe place to get cold.

Pongkok 2

You can rent or bring in your own snorkels, and it’s a place where many families come to hang out.

Entry fee: 13,000 rp

 

ROWO (LAKE) JOMBOR:

Here we have a lake more intentionally used for fishing than for swimming but nonetheless recommended to me by the locals (depending on who you ask). I was never daring enough to challenge myself against the fresh water fish and fisherman, but it’s there as an option!

rowo 1

If you’re not keen on swimming, it’s nice just to walk around and enjoy the views from either above on a hill or listen to some of the music jamming from the waterfront in which I decided to take.

rowo 2

Entry fee: 5,000 rp

Parking fee: 2,000 rp

Food/Drink: 3,000 rp (iced tea) 10,000 (cup of noodle soup x2)

 

DRESS CODE:

One thing you need to be especially mindful of when traveling to Klaten is modesty. I was completely unaware of the cultural differences and assumed they might be wearing full body swimsuits instead of bikinis. Once I arrived with my host family, I quickly realized how wrong I was! Growing up and living most of my life in Southern California, bikinis and swimwear were a normal thing, but the women here were covered from head to toe in long pants and long sleeves. This was a culture shock for me, even with it being my 3rd country and again after my 21st country.

Long story short, I ended up swimming with my sundress on. Not because my host family asked me to, but because it was how I felt most comfortable blending in.

After that, I started wearing my yoga workout pants in the water. It’s lightweight and quickly dries making this a perfect multi-use item for long-term travelers. They seemed to be okay with me wearing a tank top, but that’s only because they knew I was a foreigner. If I were local, it would be frowned upon.

 

Just about every traveler dreams of going on a European vacation at least once in their lifetime. And Italy often figures prominently in many of these highly sought-after itineraries.

Much like Spain and Greece, this boot-shaped nation is hundreds of years old and boasts a long and colorful history. The latter has, in turn, resulted in centuries’ worth of breathtaking architecture, art, and sculpture — and of course, one of the most celebrated cuisines in the world.

So, if you happen to find yourself en route to one of the most coveted travel destinations in the world, what should you do first?

Walk Around the Trastevere Neighborhood

Rome might be off-putting to some, what with its overpriced tourist traps and scam artists that seem to be lurking around every corner. If Italy’s capital city makes you feel the need for some extra room to walk, run, or even hop around in, look no further than the old Trastevere neighborhood.

Located a bit further from the capital’s bustling city center, this old neighborhood’s relatively quiet cobblestone streets are a nice reprieve from its tourist-oriented counterparts. Once you’ve gotten your fill of undisturbed brisk walking or even jogging, you can even stop in at one of the local eateries for a cheap but yummy bite.

Climb Florence’s Most Famous Building

If you have a taste for heights (and the adrenaline rush that often comes with scaling them), and you aren’t the least bit claustrophobic, go all the way up to the top of the Duomo in Florence.

The climb up this dome-shaped structure will not only get your spirits rising (pun unintended), but it will also give you a splendid, all-encompassing view of the city dubbed “Rome’s little sister.” As a bonus, you’ll also get a glimpse of the wonderful feats of architecture and engineering that went into building this structure on your way up.

Drive the Amalfi Coast

Channel your inner-daredevil and go for a drive along the Amalfi coast. Italians have quite a reputation for being among the world’s most reckless drivers and nowhere is this more apparent than on the treacherous road snaking its way along the Italian coastline.

If you’re brave enough, you can rent a car and attempt to navigate your way around this rather dangerous highway. If you actually value your life (but still would like to experience that roller-coaster like thrill of riding in a vehicle that appears to go over the edge in any minute), you can also hitch a ride with a local and then hang on for dear life, while enjoying the view of the picturesque coast, of course.

Pizza in Napoli

Grab an honest-to-goodness slice of Neapolitan pizza in its birthplace. Naples is widely credited as the very birthplace of the bread and tomato-sauce combo that has captured the hearts of people all over the world. It would be a crying shame to visit Italy and not sample this delicacy in the way that it was meant to be eaten.

Besides, after all that traveling, you’re sure to need all that extra energy that only a slice of pizza dripping with cheese and carbohydrates can provide.

Bangkok is one of the top destinations in Southeast Asia. Here you will find everything you need to know about transportation from the airport, SIM cards, accommodation, and how to pick a neighborhood. 

FROM THE AIRPORT:

The most efficient and least expensive way to get into the city is to use the BTS Skytrain. Otherwise, you can take a taxi which costs you about $40 USD.

You should be able to pick up a SIM card from the airport. DTac covers more area and cheaper but spottier in the city. True carrier is biggest but centric to big cities.

TRANSPORTATION:

Line, Tuk Tuks, Motorbike taxis, taxis, and trains. Uber is available but not reliable. I dealt with many cancellations from my drivers after waiting 45 minutes to pick me up and because they couldn’t find me, canceled my ride. This happened from several different locations.

ACCOMMODATIONS: 

Like any big city, you can use many different booking platforms. I prefer using Agoda for hotels, HostelWorld for hostels, and AirBNB for something unique.

Tip: HostelWorld sometimes offers the same accommodations as Agoda. Try comparing prices between the two. HostelWorld is often less expensive and doesn’t charge any booking fees. This may be because their audience is often budget travelers.

NEIGHBORHOODS:

Picking the right neighborhood can be intimidating. You definitely don’t want to pick a special deal from a hotel provider only to find it’s in a desolate area on the wrong side of town from where I want to be.

My Strategy:

Step 1: I first tend to look up neighborhoods on AirBNB. They offer a great platform that describes each of the neighborhoods. Am I looking for my hipster crew? Will I be there more on business? Or am I looking for a place centrally located to all the tourist attractions? Check out AirBNB first and read up on the different neighborhoods.

Step 2: If you’re not feeling AirBNBish and want to stay in a hotel, I then look up Agoda and search by location based on the categories listed and reference my AirBNB list. Once I find a place I like on Agoda, I cross-reference with HostelWorld to see which has the better rate. 9/10 times, HostelWorld always saves me a few dollars.

Note: I do not receive any affiliate payments by recommending these companies.

FOOD CULTURE:

Bangkok has an amazing food culture. You can find all sorts of cuisines from street food to fine dining. There are also many great cooking schools if you wanted to learn how to cook Thai food. I took a cooking class through (website) while attending TBEX (travel blogger conference) and it was some of the best food on my trip.

IMMIGRATION:

You get 30 days for free as a US citizen but getting a longer visa wasn’t too difficult for me to obtain. There was a Thai consulate in Los Angeles, where I used to live, and I got a 90-day visa pretty easy before my arrival. It cost me $60, and they hang onto your visa for 24-48 hours upon approval. When it’s returned, you have a Thai social visa occupying one full page in your passport.

Wedged between two more popular countries in South America, Uruguay proves itself worthy as your downtown destination. Uruguayans take pride in their beach-lined coasts, rich culture and history, and tourist attractions. But more than that, this country offers visitors an exceptional experience. Here are four ways to explore Uruguay. 

PARTY ‘TIL YOUR HEART’S CONTENT

Parades and parties never hear the last call in Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo. It hosts the longest Carnaval celebration in South America, lasting a full forty days. You may dance and sing-along with the natives in Desfile de las Llamadas, an all night long parade. This parade is usually accompanied by the drumming of the candombe, a historical instrument in Uruguay.

HAVE FUN UNDER THE SUN

Primarily known as a summer beach destination, Uruguay’s beaches do not disappoint. Punta del Este is the home of some of the best beaches in Uruguay. Usually visited by celebrities and wealthy vacationers during late December to February, it simply is the perfect place to soak, swim, and relax.

Tourists looking for white sand beaches with astonishing vistas can find them at Punta del Diablo. A five-hour bus ride from Montevideo, this is the ideal place to go for a walk at sunset, enjoy the sea breeze, and breathe in clean air. You may even go surfing and kite-boarding with Punta del Diablo’s strong waves and winds.

TAKE LONG WALKS

Uruguay has stunning land areas too. Visitors can take a long walk and just be one with nature at the Parque Nacional Santa Teresa. This park sprawls over a 3,000-hectar area covered with about 2 million trees and traversed by 60 km of high trails. Flora and fauna originating from various regions around the world can also be found in this park. Another tourist attraction inside the park that has a historical significance is the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa that lies quietly on top of a hill.

RIDE LIKE A GAUCHO

For visitors looking for a laidback adventure, Gauchos in Estancias are there to help. Estancias, mostly found in the interior of Uruguay, give the tourists a chance to experience the tranquility of the country. It offers old farmhouses to stay at, horses to rent and take on guided tours on the beach or in the forest and learn new skills such as cattle herding.

Uruguay may not yet be recognized as a top tourist destination, but it will surely leave you speechless with everything it has to offer. Progressive, striking, secure, and culturally refined, Uruguay is a diamond in the rough. Looking for your next downtown destination? Perhaps it’s time to say “Hola, Uruguay!”

 

Pin It