Travel with Mon

Katara Cultural Village

Doha, Qatar

Visiting a country so different from mine shocked me to the point where I ended up walking around almost gawking at everything (or everyone!). Katara Cultural Village displayed the beauty of Muslim culture through its marvelous architecture at sunset and had my jaw drop down even more. Although Doha was only a 24 hour transit for me, it made a strong impression without a doubt. I was fortunate enough to take Qatar Airways’ evening city tour with an amazing local guide right before my flight, and this majestic village lingered in my head all throughout it.

Transportation

I’m going to be honest, I did not do any research for my layover in Doha because I only had 24 hours and Qatar Airways had my hotel and tour booked in advance. All my transportation was either uber or the tour bus so I haven’t even tried any public transportation. I was at the airport gathering point with other Qatar Airways passengers who booked the same tour and we all departed together to the West Bay then Katara Cultural Village, Marina, Souq Waqif, and back to Hamad International Airport. My 3 hour city tour was around 15-20 USD including everything and it was a promotion that Qatar Airways had when they first launched couple routes that transit in Doha from East Asia.

But if you are not with Qatar Airways nor any city tour, I’d recommend taking the metro from the airport as it newly opened in May, 2019. Check out https://corp.qr.com.qa/English/Projects/Pages/DohaMetro.aspx for all the available stations. The red line seems to connect most of the tourist attractions and the cultural village, which would be near Katara station. Single journey is only 2 QAR and a day pass is 6 QAR, which is only a 1.5 USD! If you prefer something more convenient, you can uber from the airport to the village which is about 30 minutes, and the price may vary upon traffic and demand.

Things to do

Walking around the village with a new friend I made on the tour bus was pretty much all I did. The girl I sat next to was actually my university’s senior who was studying the same major as I, coming back from her internship and exchange. It was such a nice coincidence as I was on my way to my internship and exchange for a year and to hear her stories of her year abroad made the entire tour so much more interesting. The world is so small yet so big!

From the main entrace it was a nice 15-20 minute walk around the village with eye-catching patterns and architecture, endless photospots, unique Islamic culture, and people with traditional garments. There was no entrance fee, so you only need a phone/camera and a pair of comfortable shoes then you are good to go. I highly recommend visiting the village at sunset as the sky turns pink and purple over the village and it’s the most beautiful thing ever. Hands down one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.

One thing to note, although it is not strictly regulated (if I remember it correctly), wearing floor length clothes or something that covers shoulders, arms and legs was the general dress code of the people at the village. I wore a loose jumpsuit and brought a scarf to cover my shoulders but it wasn’t required to do so. Since it’s a mosque where people have religious ceremonies at, please be mindful of your outfits out of respect 🙂

Summary

All the sparkly patterns dazzled my eyes and the pink sunset framed the entire village so wonderfully that I would genuienly say that this village had the most impressive architecture and magical atmosphere out of all the places I’ve visited in Doha. Secretly felt like Jasmine, waiting for Aladdin to come pick me up with his magic carpet!

Feel free to visit http://www.katara.net/en for more detailed explanation of the village.

-Transportation
Qatar City Tour: 15-20 USD, 3 hours total, as of Jul-2018
Metro: 2-6 QAR, 50 minutes from Hamad International Airport
Uber: 30 minutes from Hamad International Airport, prices may vary

-Things to note
Bring a camera or a phone
Visit at sunset
Cover your legs out of respect
No entrance fee

*conversion rate: 1 QAR to 0.3 USD approximately

Maafushi

Kaafu Atoll, Maldives

Maafushi is a small local island in Maldives, with plentiful options for budget tourists to enjoy. Among expats working in resorts, it is known as a must visit local island with its combination of local culture and tourism spots like bikini beaches, which is uncommon to find in other local islands. While working as an intern on a private island, I had an opportunity to make a quick trip to this amazing island for a night with my colleague and needless to say, it was truly memorable.

Transportation

The water! Yes, Maldives did spoil me a bit with its unbelievable water color. But all the gasps aside, we took a speedboat from Malé airport to Maafushi which is normally 25USD per way per person but we only paid 20USD because we had working visas. Perks of working in the Maldives! It took us 45 minutes to Maafushi, including a short stop at Malé city to pick up a few more passengers. This is the fastest option unless you are doing private pick up which may take up to 35-40USD per head. It depends on which resort/hotel/hostel you stay at and with which ferry company they work with. I booked my ticket on icomtours the night before my departure.

If you are looking for something cheaper, there’s another option to take a local ferry for 3USD but it departs from Malé city ferry terminal not the airport. Check the schedule via http://maafushimaldives.com/arena-lodge-maldives-maafushi-south-male-atoll/ferry/ for details. Usually you can purchase the ticket at the dock or in the ferry. It takes 90 minutes per way and it is a more laid back journey compared to the speedboat so if you are keen on enjoying the blue waters and soaking in some sun, this might be for you. But keep in mind that this is a local ferry, hence there will be more locals than tourists whereas the speedboat has more tourists than locals. Also, no working visa discount here, hey it’s only 3USD!

Accommodation

Would you belive if I told you I only paid 35USD for a night? Crazy, right?! We went in mid November which was not the peak season but not the lowest either. We booked ours through http://booking.com/ and it wasn’t even on the list of deals, which was surprising with such an affordable price. Because there were two of us, we paid 70USD in total, but still 35USD per person was such a steal for what it offered. Anyways, I would highly recommend Kaani Village & Spa for your stay, not only because of its price but its facilities and service. The outdoor swimming pool was clean and perfect to tan peacefully during the day and to jazz up the night with the cool lighting. The staff in Front Office were present at all times and responsive. One drawback was their food. We had lunch at their second floor balcony restaurant and it totally gave me a stomachache. The dish did not look so fresh nor tasty so I’d say enjoy the pool and the service but get food elsewhere. Thankfully our room was decent and clean, not too small with comfortable beds, so a strong 4 out of 5!

Kaani has two other resorts with different price points under its brand, and if you are willing to spend more for an ocean view room, check out Kaani Grand, which is located right at the bikini beach. There are other small lodges all around the island ranging from 20USD to 200USD per night, and since the island is only a 20 minute walk around, the location of the accommodation is not so important. Ours was just a minute away from the main road that connected the main dock to the very end of the island, which was super conveninet. But wherever you stay, it would only take a couple minutes to walk to the main road. And the island is very safe even during night, so walking around isn’t dangerous at all.

Things to do

Obviously I had to go for a nice tan, and the bikini beach was the best place to absorb all the Vitamin D. Maldives is a Muslim country so all the local islands normally strictly prohibit people from wearing bikinis or even short sleeves. Of course if you are going to private islands with international resorts, everyone’s only in their bikinis with a glass of cocktail, but in local islands you have to stick to the Muslim rules. As selling alcohol is illegal in local islands, if you are looking for a night out with alcohol, I’d recommend looking into excursion boats that take you out to the middle of the ocean. They will serve you “outside” the island which is technically allowed (I think). Back to bikini beach, you can legally tan here in your bikinis, jet ski, snorkle, go parasailing, but still no alcoholic beverages. My friend went on a jet ski for 30USD for 15 minutes and she had so much fun. I was still afraid of the jet ski back then-little did I know I would jet ski everyday in Bintan couple months later-but I just spent a few hours on the beach and although it was a bit crowded, it was good to feel liberated with other tourists around rather than serving guests in uniforms back in my work island.

Beatiful murral on the main road & sunset at the back of the island

During sunset, we walked on the main road and came across couple girls in front of a colorful mural. They were shy at first but when they saw me taking photos, they joined enthusiastically. They reminded me of the kids from Huraa, another local island, where I went for plastic awareness education at a local school on the island.

After walking on the main road for few more minutes, we arrived at the end of the road that led to the most reflective beach I’ve ever seen. There were steppping stones that were half underwater, streching out all the way to the middle of the ocean where the locals were in for a sunset swim. This beach was not a bikini beach with only a few locals hanging out, and it was more of a stoney shore than a sandy beach. I’d highly recommend going at sunset as the water almost turns pink which portraits such a serene moment with the sunset.

Summary

Soaking in last bits of sun before going back to work

A night at Maafushi was such a nice getaway and I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Maldives with a budget. Especially if you are an expat working in another resort island, treating yourself to a short trip here is definitely worth it! Two days were enough for us but if you are planning for a longer trip, looking into island hopping around Maafushi might be an option after your first night as there are better snorkeling/diving spots around.

-Transportation
Speed boat from Malé International Airport: 25USD per way, 45 minutes
Ferry from Malé City: 3USD per way, 90 minutes
Private transfer: 30-45USD per way per person, 30-40 minutes (if departing from Malé)

-Accommodation
Kaani Village & Spa: 70USD per night per room (2 people), as of Nov-2018
Other resorts ranging from 20-200USD per night

*Maldives accept USD, the local currency is MVR (1USD=15MVR approximately)

White Beach

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

Warm water, breezy beach, sandy toes are all waiting for you at White Beach in Moalboal! I had such a dreamy afternoon tanning at this clean and tranquil beach and enjoyed the pink sunset on the way back to my resort at Panagsama Beach.

The main difference between Panagsama and White Beach is that there is a long strip of sandy beach for tanning at White Beach whereas Panagsama is more diving/snorkeling friendly. The water at White Beach was so clear and free from any plastics which is almost impossible to find anywhere else. Although my resort was connected to Panagsama, visiting a more relaxing beach was a great decision, especially for uninterrupted tanning and sunset photo sessions.

Transportation

If you know how to drive a bike then renting a bike for the day and biking to the beach would be the cheapest option with rentals starting from as low as 300PHP (6USD) per day. However, we wasn’t so confident in our driving skills so we took a tricycle in front of our resort in Panagsama Beach and after a 15 minute ride, we arrived at White Beach. There was a 5PHP entrance fee per person and our tricycle stopped in the middle of the road, which was a weird location to collect entrance fees. But it was only 10cents US so we didn’t mind. Our driver Jojo kindly waited for 4 hours in front of the main entrance of the beach and took us back to our resort right at sunset. It was raining on the way and Jojo had the tiniest windshield wiper which made us laugh so hard! He suggested 400PHP for the round trip (8USD for two people) and we said we can pay him half once we get there then pay him the rest after we get back but he said we can just pay him all 400PHP after he drop us off at our resort which was so nice of him. It made me realize how people in Moalboal did not think much about the money but more about making others happy. It was only 2USD per way per person but I couldn’t imagine how big the amount might seem to him. He asked us couple questions along the way and kept the conversation going so I felt like we were very lucky to have met him as our driver.

What to expect

Kids selling bracelets to tourists after school

Couple hours in, kids coming back from school stopped by the beach and started selling bracelets to the tourists. I asked them if I could take a photo of them and they all yelled “Yeah!” and posed. A few minutes before they started selling bracelets, these four kids came to us with a plastic bottle filled with those small toy plastic balls that are made to grow bigger when they absorb water. One girl showed us how it works and gave one to us to keep. She pointed at the sea and said “put water”. I instantly knew they wanted us to be surprised by how fast it grew but I also wanted to point out that it is not environmentally friendly to throw plastic into the ocean for fun. Hesitantly I told her that it’s not nice to throw plastic away like that and she quickly understood and brought water in a cup. That made me think about how these kids are so smart and fast but lack education.

Also, there wasn’t any changing rooms or showers at the beach so make sure you are already wearing your swimsuits underneath your clothes if you want to tan or swim. Bringing a towel or a scarf to sit on and dry off would be handy as well.

Dining/Drinking

We walked into a bar at the beach that was connected to Ravenala Resort. A beautiful painting and the sunset view was welcoming us. The drinks were 90-130PHP (2-3USD) and interestingly this was the only bar that had 10% service charge in Cebu. There wasn’t any Happy Hour but they said we can only order drinks not meals. We weren’t hungry anyways but keep in mind that these bars along the beach might not take dinner orders until after sunset. We were here around 5PM and enjoyed the sunset at the best spot possible.

Summary

Clear afternoon sky & pink sunset at the same spot

Although Moalboal is a divers’ town, if you want best of both worlds and are looking for a nice tanning beach, White Beach will not let you down! Best time to go would be after lunch and come back around 6PM for the pink sunset tricycle ride.

-Transportation
Tricycle from Panagsama Beach: 400PHP for two (round trip), 15 minutes one way
Bike rental from Panagsama Beach: 300PHP per person (whole day), 10 minutes

-Other Expenses
Entrance fee: 5PHP
Bar: drinks ranging from 90 to 130PHP +10% service charge

*conversion rate: 50PHP to 1USD approximately

Osmeña Peak

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

Osmeña Peak is the highest point in Cebu, attracting more locals than foreign tourists as a hidden gem. Due to its location being quite far away from the main touristy areas of Moalboal, its trails are still quiet and peaceful, and the scenery is simply breathtaking. If you are a hiker or just a tourist who is up for a quick workout, Osmeña Peak is the place to visit!

Transportation

Breathtaking view from our bike ride to Osmeña from Kawasan

As mentioned in my Kawasan Falls post, habal habal (renting a bike with a driver) was my mode of transportation from Kawasan to Osmeña. Not going to lie, it was one bumpy ride! But the jaw dropping views made up for it. We encountered several small villages with local kids coming back from the school in groups and a couple of busy local markets. It took an hour and half from Kawasan Falls to Osmeña Peak and our entire bike ride from Panagsama Beach to Kawasan, then to Osmeña, back to Panagsama and to Moalboal bus terminal was 2000PHP (40USD) for two. If you are only biking from Kawasan Falls to Osmeña Peak, you might be able to find drivers in front of Kawasan Falls entrance and negotiate the price under 500PHP per person if you are lucky! It’s a 30km ride and with rocky roads.

If you are staying in Panagsama Beach, I’d recommend doing Kawasan and Osmeña on the same day. If you can drive a bike, you can rent one for as cheap as 300PHP per day, which is roughly 6USD. There’s a small parking lot in front of Shaka, a breakfast smoothie place in Panagsama Beach, and you can rent directly from there. Do wear a helmet, it’s a long and a tricky drive with narrow roads and sudden turns. Because of this, you cannot rent a tricycle if you are going all the way to Osmeña. However, if you are only going to Kawasan Falls, you can do a tricycle. For more information, please check my Kawasan Falls post 🙂

Unfortunately there are no public buses that run between Moalboal/Cebu city bus terminal and Osmeña Peak. If you are doing a private day trip to Kawasan Falls from Cebu city, better ask your driver to make a stop at Osmeña after Kawasan as it is located further away from Cebu city. But since the roads are extremely narrow, make sure to check if your driver can make his way safely. The easier route here would be hiring habal habal from Kawasan to Osmeña and meeting up with your driver back at the waterfall. But again, the best option is to just bike from Panagsama if you are staying in Moalboal.

Hiking

Your driver will drop you off right in front of the stairway that leads to the entrance. It only takes a minute to get to the ticket office and the entrance fee is 30PHP per person, which is less than 1USD. From there it was a quick, give or take 20 minutes of a decent hike. It was not difficult for a beginner like me (yes I do not hike regularly) but was a little bit steep. The lady at the entrance asked if I need a guide and I said no, which I do not regret. There’s only one way up and it is literally a striaght trail to the top, so anyone can reach the top on their own without a guide. The view on the top is absolutely unforgettable so definitely be prepared for saying ‘oh my gosh’ too many times.

One memorable thing from the hike was making a new friend. We coincidentally met a fellow Korean tourist who spotted us in Kawasan Falls and again at the peak which was super interesting! He kindly approached us first and we chatted along the trail which made me forget about the steepness of the hill while getting to know him. Definitely one of the best perks of backpacking is meeting new people and becoming friends so quickly!

What to bring

I brought the same light waterproof backpack from Kawasan Falls and wore a pair of sports leggings, sports top, running shoes and a pair of sunglasses. Shoes wise you could hike with sandals if you had to. But I would recommend running shoes or any type of sports shoes. What I forgot to pack was sunscreen. Little did I know my nose would turn strawberry red the next day… Definitely apply sunscreen before the hike and make sure you stay hydrated! It’s only 20PHP to get water at the entrance but if you want to reduce single used plastic, do bring a water bottle. However, there isn’t a drinking fountain nearby so you might want to fill it up before you head out.

Summary

Osmeña Peak offers something different from all the other touristy spots in Cebu. I went at 1PM when the sun was at its peak, but the locals say sunset time is the best time to visit. No matter the time of the day, the bespoken view is worth a visit!

-Transportation
Bike from Kawasan: approximately 500PHP per person, 1.5 hours
Bike from Moalboal (Panagsama Beach): approximately 1000PHP per person (including a stop at Kawasan Falls), 2 hours (if non-stop)
Private car from Cebu City: depends on the availability, takes A LOT of time maybe 5 hours?

-Other Expenses
Entrance fee: 30PHP
Water: 20PHP
No Locker available but free bathroom for changing at the entrance

*conversion rate: 50PHP to 1USD approximately

Kawasan Falls

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

The blue water from Kawasan Falls definitely has its special place in my travel memories from Cebu, Philippines. It is a must if you are in Moalboal, a 3-4 hour drive away from Cebu city. If you are into cliff diving, natural water slides and swings, a.k.a. canyoneering, Kawasan has so much to give! For me, I only went for the water swing without a tour guide, and only paid 50PHP which is about 1USD, to rent a life jacket. Usually a guided tour for canyoneering ranges from 1000 to 1500PHP depending on your guide’s normal rates or booking companies. If you book in advanced through various websites, the prices will be higher than negotiating at the spot but it is entirely up to you on how much you’d like to be prepared for your trip. Personally, I enjoyed exploring through the falls without knowing what to expect and it was not dangerous just to hike with my friend without a map.

Transportation

For those who are coming from Cebu city for a day trip, there are buses from Cebu South Bus Terminal that will take you straight to the bus terminal near Kawasan Falls. It is the cheapest option if you are coming all the way from the city but it takes roughly 3-4 hours, depending on the day’s traffic. Buses with air conditioning is 156PHP or about 3USD per trip and buses without is 130PHP per trip. Once you get off the bus, there will be a sign that says ‘this way to Kawasan Falls’ and the entrance fee is 40PHP. You can also rent a car and hire a driver for a private trip but that would obviously cost a whole lot more and might vary significantly from one agency to another.

If you are coming from Moalboal, there is a bus that departs from Moalboal to Kawasan Falls which takes a bit less than an hour with only 20 PHP (less than 1USD!), but make sure you ask the bus driver if it goes to Kawasan. Because I wanted to do a half day trip to Kawasan Falls and Osmeña Peak combined, I hired a habal habal, which is a motor bike ride with a driver, that can take both me and my friend in one bike. We negotiated the price with a driver sitting in front of our resort in Panagsama Beach, with the price of 1500PHP for the two of us that includes a ride from our resort to Kawasan Falls, then to Osmeña Peak from Kawasan, then back to our resort from Osmeña Peak, and finally to the bus terminal in Moalboal as we were going back to Cebu city that night. Unfortunately, the driver bailed on us and did not show up the next morning! We wasted 20 minutes walking around looking for our driver but he never showed up. So we ended up negotiating with another driver in front of our resort very spontaneously, but he only agreed on 2000PHP for both of us, with the same routes. It was still a good price (about 20USD per person for a 105km trip all combined) so we agreed and biked to Kawasan Falls and reached in 40 minutes. If you only do Kawasan Falls from Panagsama Beach, I believe you can go for 1000PHP round trip for two people and maybe agree on 1200-1500PHP if the driver seems unwilling.

Hiking/Walking to the Falls

Our driver dropped us off at a Cathedral close to the entrance and there were a few guides waiting to negotiate tour prices. However, as we were not keen on a guided tour, we just asked for the direction to the entrance and it was only a 15 minute walk. After a humid but straightforward walk to the entrance, we paid 40PHP each and told them our nationality in exchange of an entrance ticket. Then we asked for the directions to the first fall and it was another 20 minutes of walking straight until you see it. The walk was beautiful with amazing water colors and sounds of birds, with morning sunlight slowly making its way between the trees. I recommend going as early as 8 in the morning if you want a peaceful walk and uninterrupted photo sessions as there will be big groups of people canyoneering in different locations. Once we found the first fall, which is the main waterfall that you are most likely to spot on Instagram if you search Kawasan Falls, you can ask for directions to the locals there to the second fall. There might be a local asking for 50PHP to take a photo with ‘I Love Kawasan’ signs but we kindly said no. Lockers are available for 100PHP if you’d like to swim but we skipped that as well.

From the second fall, it got a bit confusing. There wasn’t a noticeable trail we could follow so we were just walking on and on without a clue. We randomly came across a local lady doing laundry at the riverside, so I yelled out “Excuse me! Do you know how to get to the third waterfall?” and she pointed to a direction. I yelled out “Salamat!” and we kept on walking to the pointed direction for a good 10 minutes but still no sign of the third fall. So we walked back and asked her again and she said just go straight. Eventually we made it to the third waterfall and looking back maybe this is why people hire guides, but then again it added to making the experience more special so if you are crazy like me, just go straight from the second fall then you will end up at the third one after many ‘what if’s or ‘should I go back’s.

The third waterfall had a bunch of activities to do, which was rewarding after a long hike. I really wanted to try the water swing but not cliff jumping or water slides so I just rented a life jacket for 50PHP and went on the water swing couple of times. It was still 10-11ish in the morning so there wasn’t as many people as I expected. But after half on hour, there were a bunch of Korean tour groups forming lines behind us, and we decided to head back after a few more swings. If you are into other activities, you can rent a helmet and a life jacket and go for cliff jumping and water slides even without a guide but if you are with a guide, he will probably arrange everything for you.

What to bring

I heard later that there are more waterfalls after the third one but we were pretty satisfied with our experience and were soaked in water wanting to change quickly, so I changed my clothes in the bathroom near the water swing. But I do not recommend doing that unless highly necessary as the toilet was extremely unsanitary. I only did it because I was wearing slippers and wanted to change into my running shoes and normal clothes rather than walking down in my bikinis. I had a waterproof bag with a jumper, a pair of leggings, running shoes, and a sports top for the hike in Osmeña Peak after the falls and the key here is to take a waterproof bag. I didn’t need a locker as my friend hold onto my bag while I went on the water swing but also the local guy who rented out life jackets kept my belongings for me without a fee. Just keep an eye on your stuff or ask your friend/family to hold onto it but because there’s water dripping everywhere, packing in a waterproof bag is a smart choice. I wore a knee-length summer dress with bikinis inside and a pair of flip flops on our way up to the falls and it was not too hard to walk but after jumping into the water, my feet got slippery hence I changed. If you want footage of canyoneering I’d recommend taking a waterproof camera but I only brought my iPhone in my waterproof bag and it survived.

Summary

All in all, it was such a fun exploration with beautiful photo spots and exciting activities. Definitely make a visit if you are staying in Moalboal or even Cebu city!

-Transportation
Bus from Moalboal: 20PHP, 50 minutes
Bike ride from Moalboal: 500-1000PHP (negotiable), 40 minutes
Bus from Cebu City: 156PHP, 3-4 hours
Car ride from Cebu City: Expensive but safest, price depends on the company, 2.5-3 hours

-Other Expenses
Canyoneering tour: 1000-1500PHP, life jacket & helmet included
Entrance fee: 40PHP
Life jacket rental: 50PHP (in third waterfall, no locker available)
Locker at the first water fall: 100PHP

*conversion rate: 50PHP to 1USD approximately