Flores island hopping

Hi all!

Island hopping in Labuan Bajo area in Flores was the main reason for the short escape from Singapore. I specifically chose this tour operator (even though it was slightly pricier) for its boat safety and the service quality. And I think every penny was worth it. We started the day pretty early (about 5 am) and headed to Padar island for a short hike to get this beautiful view. I also started to understand why the tour combined this activity with snorkelling. It was HOT! The heat and the sun was super harsh and a mix of dry and humid, totally different from Singapore.

Seriously, just look at how pretty this place is.

After that, it was back to the boat to chase some manta rays at the manta point. Even though I didn’t get into the water because I can’t swim, it was a funny experience witnessing my boat mates chasing the manta cluelessly. Here’s them floating about after failing to see the manta the first time around. Eventually, a rope was thrown to them in the waters and they had to hold on to it as we went in search for the manta. I did see the manta’s head poking from the sea waters, which was really clear.

After everyone saw the manta rays, we headed to the pink beach. This was the main reason I was glad to choose this operator. They brought us to the longest pink beach in the area that had nobody because it was off the main boat route. Here, you can do some slight snorkelling to see baby turtles and sharks (if you’re lucky). But it’s a pretty safe zone for snorkelling. I also saw a squad of squid from the bridge (below) as we were walking over to the beach. The water is actually that clear and pretty (there’s no editing done to this picture)!

The pink from the beach comes from the red corals that has eroded over time due to the waves. The sand here is actually some of the finest and softest sand I’ve felt. You literally sink slightly as you take each step forward. But it’s really fun. It was here I also started to understand why people enjoy beach holidays. Something I usually scorn. This location was sooo pretty I felt slightly sad to leave.

After the pink beach, we headed over to Komodo island. It was noon by the time we arrived, so we did a mild hike, except for a short portion that was slightly tougher because it was very sandy and my shoes didn’t have a good grip on the steep slope. I also experienced my first sun burnt here. That’s how harsh the sun was, considering I don’t burn even without sun screen and being out in the sun for a long time. 

The view from the top of the island, which is where the komodos usually hang in the morning when it is cooler.

There’s this small white patch on the ground in the picture below, and that’s where the komodo have mark its sun bathing spot.

Our one and only komodo that we saw. Male, 26 years old, he was resting next to their water basin. He was just lying there and everyone was pretty calm. But when he suddenly stood to walk to a shadier spot, everyone literally scampered away, yet trying to capture its movement at the same time.

After lunch at komodo island, it was down to Taka Makassar, a crescent beach located in the middle of the sea. At first everyone had to swim a good distance to reach the beach. But after the boat got closer slowly, me and my friend who were the only one left on board could actually walk over. But it was super crowded, so I didn’t head over. Plus I’m really short, so the water would probably reach up to my neck (based on the water level against my taller friend that eventually went in for a dip).

Corals from the boat.

The crescent beach from afar.

The last place for this tour was Kanawa island, a private island open to the public for free. The sand on the beach here was not as nice as the pink beach (more pebble-like), but the waters was still pretty clear. I even saw 2 starfish that was found in the shallower waters.

This marks the end of my first short beach getaway. It was fun and relaxing. Though getting on and off the boat is slightly intense because of how slippery and high the dock is to the boat. So the locals always had to pull us up, in particular when we arrived back onto Labuan Bajo, just in time for the sunset. Till the next post, bye!

Nikko

Hi all!

I’m finally down to my last post from my Japan trip in Mar/Apr. My last full day in Japan was spent at Nikko. If you do not have a JR pass, you can get a day pass from the tourist information centre located right outside Asakusa station. However, my JR pass did cover the JR ride down to JR Nikko, so I bought the chuzenjiko onsen pass (2000 yen) from the local Nikko train station (right beside the JR station) instead. This made it cheaper and I could enjoy unlimited bus rides to/fro to the places I wanted to visit. Side track, my first and only picture with the Shinkansen, just for memory sake 🙂

I actually dropped off at the wrong stop and ended up at taking the ropeway (600 yen/adult) to a viewing platform. It is actually quite pretty to see the water flowing from Lake Chuzenji to form the Kegon waterfall. This was not in my initial plan because it was slightly pricey and my money was stretching slightly thin by then. But as I mentioned, I blindly followed the majority of locals who got off the bus, wrongly assuming it would lead to the observation deck to see the waterfall up close. It turned out to be an unorthodox hiking point of sorts for the locals as they started climbing up an unmarked path with warnings of bears into the forest. I was slightly befuddled and lost at this point and headed back down to the carpark to await for the bus. Spent some time looking at the bus stops led me to realise I got off 1 stop early. Silly me!

Finally at the correct place! The elevator ride (return) costs 550 yen and it gives you the opportunity to witness the falls up close. In my opinion, this is truly the best way to enjoy and capture the beauty of the falls.

Had suiton (vegetarian dumpling soup) at this store below – located right outside the Kegon falls elevator. It totally hit the spot in this cold weather. Topped it up with a yuba croquette (fried tofu skin) and a cup of amazake.

From here, headed down to Toshogu shrine (1380 yen/adult) which I was hesitant to visit because of mixed reviews about how overrated it was. But I genuinely enjoyed my time here even though part of the main shrine building was under construction.

The “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” monkeys are located here and they are honestly quite small (though not the smallest of the iconic wood carvings).

Right opposite the monkeys are the Sonozono elephants.

The tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The super small wood carving of the sleeping cat (nemurineko) of the Sakashitamon gate that leads to a flight of stairs to the tomb. 

Beautiful paintings of the dragon on the ceiling.

Aside from that, there’s the Honjido hall that house the “crying dragon”. This is due to the acoustics of the ceiling (where a dragon is painted). Only when one stands under the dragon’s head, can a ringing sound be heard when 2 blocks of wood are clapped together. This is performed by a priest and it is pretty cool to witness it. Unfortunately, no photography/videography was allowed in the hall.

Ended the day by popping by Shinkyo bridge which was located in the middle of the road. You can pay a fee to get on the bridge, but I think it is best seen at a distance (and free). Nikko can be fairly expensive to visit as a day trip, but it was worth it. Till the next post, bye!

Miyajima

Hi all!

Here comes my main reason for visiting Hiroshima – Miyajima. To avoid the crowds, I took the 7.05 am JR ferry from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima. The perk – catching the beautiful sunrise along the way.

TIP: There are 2 types of ferry (JR West & Matsudai Kisen) that depart from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima. If you wish to depart early, I would recommend taking the JR West. Not only is it covered by the Hiroshima pass, it also operates at earlier hours. You can check out the timetable for the JR West ferry here.

TIP: There’s washrooms and vending machines located on the top deck if you need them. 

It’s a totally different experience exploring the island when it’s still quiet and peaceful. I could really appreciate and take in all the beauty of the floating torii gates and Itsukushima shrine (300 yen).  Breathing in the early morning seaside air and being in the shrine really helped to calm and quieten my mind from all the stress in reality.

It was not fully high tide yet, so you could still see the wooden poles supporting the shrine below. But when the water floods in, it will look like the shrine is floating.

You can get this uninterrupted full frontal view of the torii gate from the Itsukushima Shrine. It’s really best to visit before the crowds start to flood in so you don’t need to squeeze a way through the human traffic for this. I literally had the whole area to myself and can count on 1 hand the number of people who were visiting the shrine the same time as me. That’s how wonderful this is. 

TIP: Visit EARLY!

The town area after exiting from the back of the shrine.

My first deer…can I just say look at how fluffy their butt is. It’s my favourite part of them, haha, am I weird for saying this? Compared to the deers in Nara, the deers here are relatively a lot more docile and shy. The few times I tried to get a selfie with them, they tend to run off in the opposite direction. Maybe I’m just a deer repellant?

I was following the directions of the signboard to visit the five-storied pagoda but somehow I got a bit lost and ended up on the track to Momijidani park. I was actually in 2 minds about hiking up Mt Misen or taking the cablecar up and then hiking down. But when I was going up along the Momijidani route, I saw the cable car would only open at 9 am. It was about 7 am then, so my decision was easily made – hiking up it is. The Momijidani route (about 2.5 km, approx. 2 hours to reach the summit) takes you through the forest, along the Momiji river.

There’s not much to see (attractions wise) in this route. The start of the route is fairly calm but it gets a lot of steeper, with uneven rocks in the second half of the climb. This route is well labelled with signboards (located every 200m) guiding you to the summit of Mt Misen. They were like my little cheerleader, encouraging me to continue on, especially when the hike got steep, with a lot of stairs and there was not a single soul in sight. In hindsight, it did get a little daunting. But the early morning hike, with the cool spring air was highly rejuvenating.

Took a rest and had a banana, in front of Reika-do Eternal Fire Hall. The fire is said to be burning for over 1200 years. The flame is also the pilot light for the peace of flame in Hiroshima peace park. It’s quite smoky and dark in the temple which made it quite hard to breathe and stay for long. Took a quick snap of the flame boiling the water in the pot before quickly escaping for some fresh air.

Just up the stairs (located beside Reika-do Eternal Fire Hall) is Sankido Hall. The hall contains the guardian gods of Mt Misen. People come here to pray for the happiness of their family and for a successful business. I didn’t enter the building, but just to the side of it, is this balcony platform where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the sea.

While I was panting heavily, I saw 2 Japanese old man coming down from the summit and they happily greeted me and encouraged me by saying I was near the summit already. Later along the hike, every Japanese hikers I met would alway greet me with a cheerful “ohayou gozaimasu”. It feels really great to hear such heart-warming greetings.

I finally came to the last stretch of stairs before reaching the summit. It was a clear day so I could really see Hiroshima across the waters.

Since I made my way up already, I refused to pay for the cablecar ride down. So I took the hike back down via the Daisho-in route (about 3 km, approx. 2.5 hours). This is a more scenic route but the stairs were brutal on my knees. I was really questioning my sanity halfway down. I also almost sprained my ankles here…and this was the hike (coupled with long hours of walking) that gave me knee pain later in my trip.

Just look at this beauty.

A little peak of the ferries making their way to Miyajima and the floating torii gate.

Finally arrived at Daisho-in temple (free entry) and back to human civilisation at about 12 pm.

Tengu statue

The size of the buddha’s feet

Doll matsuri display. It’s really elaborate and slightly creepy as I recall all the doll-related manga I’ve read in the past.

Thought this was a funny display. I’m gonna roll my eyes high high.

Cute little statues with their knitted hats.

A classic Japanese post box from the Japanese movies I’ve seen.

Miyajima is famous for its momiji manju (red bean pancakes), oysters and anago (salt-water eel). There’s a lot of shops with their momiji manju baking process visible for tourist to see through glass windows. It’s essentially a pancake with (traditionally) red bean paste. I don’t like red beans so I didn’t have them. There’s a popular shop along the Omotesando (main shopping street in Miyajima) that sells fried momiji manju with different flavoured fillings. I’m not a fan of fried stuff so I didn’t get it.

From the daisho-in temple, I walked along the streets and visited the Senjokaku (100 yen). It’s an incomplete wooden building commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for the purpose of chanting Buddhist sutras for fallen soldiers. But Hideyoshi died before construction was completed. Tokugawa Ieyasu took power after and the building was left in its incomplete state.

Because it’s made with wood, it was really cooling to roam around and the view from the building was gorgeous. You could get a view of the sakura flowers and the sea or one of the town with the mountains in the backdrop. There’s also a good view of the five-storied pagoda located just beside the Senjokaku.

By then it was around 1 pm and when I walked pass the torii gate, it was still high tide. So I headed off to get some fishcakes to hold off the hunger. This shop, located along Omotesando, sells different flavoured fishcakes for 300 yen each. A bit pricey but the fishcake was larger than the typical sizes. I had the pickled ginger and leek combination and it was good. The flavour of the pickled ginger (though mild), really helped to cut through the oiliness from the fishcake. It was here where my love for Japanese pickled ginger blossomed.

Dropped by Miyajima Coffee (one of the recommended local cafes) for a perk me up and to rest the tired body while waiting for the tide to subside. I had a cup of americano (390 yen) which was pretty good (but light) while looking through my pictures from the morning.

Just nearby was the super large wooden spoon on display.

Oysters, a local delicacy, but I’m allergic to seafood.

Finally, the torii gate at low tide. With the crowd and the low tide, it’s a totally different experience from the morning. I think it was good that my day turned out this way because visiting the gate (at low tide) when there’s people around makes it so much more lively and interesting. There’s also the workers who came to touch up the lower section of the gate that has been submerged under water.

A little patch of sand that extended into the sea. It was also around this area where I saw this weird/funny(?) couple. The girl was in her bra (she had removed her shirt) and a mini skirt, trying to pose sexily and sultrily at the camera (recorded by her partner) with a scarf as she “frolic” in the waters. Pretty awkward when an older Japanese couple walk pass them while they were recording.

Left the island at around 4 pm and headed to Anagomeishi Ueno for some anago bento. It’s located near the ferry terminal and train stations (local & JR). Initially, I intended to dine-in but the restaurant was closed and only opened for bento purchase. So I got one (1944 yen) and brought it back to the hotel to have for dinner. Despite having cooled down by then, it was still pretty good and flavourful.

TIP: If you wish to save a couple of bucks, dine-in instead of getting the bento (if possible). It’s slightly cheaper. 

Anagomeishi Ueno

Address: 1-6 Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi 739-0411, Hiroshima Prefecture

Ended the day with a long hiroden ride back to the hotel. Till the next post, bye!