A hidden Gem - Sugar Beach

Sugar beach

Following a late start due to the lure of the thermal baths at Mambukal, I set about my optimistic and epic journey to Sugar Beach. In truth I was always chasing my planned itinerary. But after the 2 buses and Jeepney ride, I saw a wonderful sunset as my journey was reaching conclusion. Trouble was it then took a massive detour and by the time I was due to alight the bus it was already pitch black dark and didn't fancy the 3km ride from a random village by tricycle followed by a paddle boat across the river and then look for accommodation.

Instead I opted to stay on the bus to Sipalay the next big resort and look for accommodation in the town and resume my travel plans the next day.

Sipalay beach

A quick check on booking.com, agoda and Airbnb, showed me a reasonably priced gaff near the bus station. A quick check in and off I went looking for food.

It was 7:50pm, and I asked in the hotel restaurant what time they were serving food until.

"I will just check with the chef sir"

2 mins later "8:30'sir"

So I ordered my meal and waited.

The waitress came back a few mins later and said "sorry we have none left of your choice, so I ordered something the waitress said was available, 10 mins later she came back and said "sorry sir, kitchen closed"

Sipalay beach had many local tourists, and I managed to get food elsewhere at a ridiculously cheap price, tasty too. It was a place the Lonely Planet says you have no reason to visit other than to catch a bus, but I thought it was a nice setting and I think the criticism was overly harsh.

Sipalay, not a bad place considering its write up in the Lonely Planet

I then went to the busiest bar on the beach front and got well in with some local lads who had been drinking a while it seemed. One guy was insistent that he bought me a drink, which out of politeness I refused. However it quickly turned 360° and ended up him wanting me to buy him and his mates beers, at which point I paid my small bill, made excuses and had an early night.

The next morning I took full advantage of having the pool to myself, had a swim and relax before continuing my journey to Sugar Beach. Each travel leg I managed to shave a considerable amount from the Lonely Planet guidelines by negotiating the price down.

Nice morning in the pool

I was glad I hadn't embarked on this remaining portion of my journey the night before, when I saw the complexity in getting to the beach. Down a very poor dirt track for about 3 km and across a river in a paddle boat. Both 'drivers' tried and failed to rip me off, but at night I would have had considerably less bargaining power.

Journey across the river

Just around the corner is Sugar Beach

I found accommodation easily enough at my preferred destination. A lovely resort that had some cheap (very cheap) Pica huts made from bamboo and coconut tree leaves. The hut was about the size of a standard garden shed, with a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net to prevent the inevitable bites due to the large gaps in the hut walls and roof.

My Pica hut 

This net did a fine job of keeping the bugs out

Sugar beach was quiet, very quiet, at times I had the place to myself. With beautiful sand fringed by coconut trees and warm sea, it was lovely. The 2nd day (Saturday) it did fill up with day and weekend trippers from the Philippines. The were all friendly and invited me to the feast they were having and I joined in with a game of volleyball.

Lazing in the hammock

I caught a little too much sun messing around in the sea having a swim. A cool breeze hit the bay making it feel cooler than it obviously was.

Nice spot this Sugar Beach

The owner of my hotel (Canadian) rocked up the next day and I spent a long time chatting with him. After the staff saw me with the owner and seemingly knowing him, the staff who were already excellent, treated me like a king for the rest of the stay.

Nice little bar on the rocks

I got taken to a cave, which otherwise I would not known existed, then shown around the nearby locals village. Drinks in the bar were good value especially when the owner was buying them. He was a bit of a confident 'businessman' and entertained me and the girls that worked at the resort with a series of magic tricks and presumably exaggerated stories.

Hidden attraction the cave at Sugar Beach

The staff in the place were really good fun, polite and confident enough to tease me over my apparent fear of the huge lizards (Gecko's) that were about. Normally I don't mind these as they eat the bugs and mosquitoes in your room. These fellas however must have eaten some mosquitoes in their time. They were about a foot long and 2 inches wide. Quick on their feet also, which made me a little jumpy, much to the humor of the staff.

HUGE Gecko's

I was asked by the owner to join him and some other guests on an all expense paid, island hopping and snorkeling trip be next day. I was too polite and too English in a way, which lead to me leaving the resort before they came back. I was annoyed with myself, throughout my travels I wanted to force myself to accept the many opportunities to come my way. In my defense I did have another monster day of travelling lined up so wanted to get away at a reasonable time. It would probably have meant staying another day with more drinks and magic on the night

So in the last couple of weeks I've been to two very beautiful and contrasting beach resorts, one massively developed (Boracay) this one much quieter. So which beach did I prefer?

Sand and sea quality Boracay just edges it, but Sugar beach was near perfect. Nightlife I preferred Sugar beach with its quiet nightlife where you get to meet and know everyone. Sugar beach is not a party destination and should remain that way in my opinion. The remoteness of Sugar Beach keeps the place special. Great for scuba diving apparently if that is your thing. Importantly to me both have magnificent sunsets to enjoy.

Philippines do sunsets exceptionally well

Another ambitious travelling day was to follow. Just as well I skipped the free boat trip as it took ages to get to Dumaguete. Back to town I took the hard route walking then a paddle boat over the river and a tricycle ride up the dusty and very bumpy beach track and into town. An alternative option was to get charter a boat to take me direct. This was 300 Peso, in both directions I got it for 120. So that was a total saving of 460 Peso (>£7) which paid for a nights accommodation.

Got to say I've loved other places more

With it been Sunday, buses weren't that frequent, but once the first one came they almost lined up as connections. I had to get three buses in total, 1.5 hours, 2.5 hours  and 2 hours. I took the unwise, even foolish over confident step at the start of the journey by buying a coconut pie from a street seller, 2 in fact as he didn't have change. The pie just looked like a standard meat pie you get in England but the filling was hot fresh coconut, the slimey stuff you get in fresh green coconuts before they have dried out. They were delicious and my stomach never suffered from the experience.

I stayed somewhere a bit nicer in Dumaguete, it was nice to get good night sleep and feel properly clean when you come out of the shower. It was well worth the £12 room charge.

All that travelling tired me out. Continuing the upscaling theme I had dinner in a highly recommended restaurant with homemade ginger lemonade which was delicious.

Fine Dining

A good sleep after an early night and I was feeling revitalised. I took in the sights of Dumagete which took about 2 hours (dragging it out), went back and did a bit of studying on the internet, which set me up nicely for another nap. 

Dumaguete Cathedral

Dumaguete Bell Tower

This hotel was really great to meet other travellers, I got onto long conversations on numerous occasions with people from round the world, sharing travel tips and stories.

Squid for just a few quid for lunch

Would I recommend Dumagete to other travels, yes but only as a stop over to break the journey. On the night walking along the seafront there is plenty going on with makeshift stalls and street food. A nice vibe of people going for an evening stroll.

Nice statue by the promenade

Next blog covers my time on Siquijor Island, famed for witchcraft and me partying hard at the annual fiesta.

Life in Philippines away from the beaches

Leaving the island of Boracay I had a similar sketch as arriving, having to pay an extortionate (in comparison to the boat fare) terminal fee and a cheap boat ticket. Having promised myself that the rest of my time in Philippines would be over land or sea what would happen over the next few days would be long bus rides and boat trips.

I took the bus (6 hours) to Iloilo, a name that I continually failed to pronounce correctly. I had various passengers sat next to me, some couldn't speak English, some were quiet but the last couple of hours I was accompanied by a student from Iloilo. Angela was very friendly and the discussion flowed and the time quickly passed by.

To save me the expense of a taxi from the bus station to my hotel, Angela not only helped me get the Jeepney that I needed, she also came with me, which was a nice touch as it was completely the wrong direction for her.

Jeepney's are a great way of getting around cities and towns in the Philippines (if you know which one to catch). They are Jeeps with a long open back, with benches running along both sides. They are very cheap and stop for you when you want. You just hop on or off the back.

Iloilo has a dedicated nightlife area called Smallville, which is home to many bars, restaurants, clubs and upscale hotels (not mine). So Saturday night in Smallville would do a right job.

Many bars and restaurants had singer's or bands on. I choose a restaurant with a local lady blasting out tunes from Maria Carey, Adele, Rihanna etc. She really was excellent. I later found a bar with a band playing some real good tunes. The band was fronted by 2 student singer's, the bass guitarist was also a young girl. On the drums and guitar were possibly their fathers.

My intention was to bar hop but the band was that good I stayed for plenty. Thank goodness I didn't notice the nightclub behind this bar until the following evening or the night could have got very heavy.

The next day been Sunday and the Philippines been mainly Catholic meant that most of Iloilo was closed. Good job really as I wasn't on top form from the night before.

I did manage to get out and into the city for a walk. Not too much to see or do, I went into the museum which was supposed to be closed but the guard let me in, turned the lights on and trousered my entry fee.

For those that can't translate this, it is Iloilo Museum

Iloilo Cathedral, one of the few places open on a Sunday

That night I also went to Smallville, but the night was on a much smaller scale, although I did hit that nightclub as the band in their were also very good.

A decent boat ride and I was on my next island, with none of the rip of terminal (just 30 Peso) and environmental fees.

Boat to Bacolod

In Bacolod, there isn't too much to do as a tourist. I walked into town, about 4 km from hotel, with literally hundreds of jeepneys whizzing by, but I didn't know which one I needed.

Bacolod central park

I visited a wildlife preservation place (not a zoo) it was home to various birds and owls. I walked a further 2 or 3 km to Bocolad's version of Smallville for dinner. The locals were ultra helpful and friendly to me, probably unusual to get a foreigner out there. They told me how the Jeepneys worked and which one to catch home.

Are you looking at me?

A couple of rare birds from Bacolod

Jeepney ride home

The next day I craved a tourism day so went to the historical town of Silay. I did it all by a series of Jeepneys. I got to love them and quickly became an expert in them. One ride I was in charge of collecting all the money and handing out change which I and the locals loved.  Having so many Jeepney's plying the same route brings plenty of competition and they are always trying to overtake each other in search of extra passengers. It makes for a fun ride.

Silay is virtually unchanged in the last 100 years and is a view to what Philippine towns looked like back then. I had lunch in a 1920's bakery and visited a few houses which the owners proudly showed off their collection of antiques and was a great glimpse into life in that town.

Hofilena Heritage House

A decent spot inside

Some other geezers house I went into

I had lined up a football match for the evening. It was Bacolod against a team from Singapore in the AFC cup (presumably Asia's equivalent of the champions league). Just before I was setting off to the ground the heavens opened big style. 2 solid hours of torrential rain with a great electrical storm. I abandoned going to the game, if it went on I would be amazed.

Once the rain subsided it left many area's flooded so I just went to the Korean restaurant next door for dinner and an early night.

Korean dumplings for supper, a taste of whats to come later in my trip

I had left a bag full of washing at the laundrette and paid extra to have it ready for 10am the next morning as I wanted to get an early start. Sadly they let me down and it wasn't delivered until 12. The reason I wanted to get away was I was staying at a resort up in the hills towards the centre of the island. It had various activities to do, tree top canopy walk, waterfalls swimming pools and a couple of Japanese style thermal baths.

Mambukal Resort up in the hills

I booked my room at the office in Bacolod the previous day, requesting the cheapest private room which was under a tenner. They warned me that the class of room I had chosen was very old and I might not like it. After booking I read up on trip advisor, one writer saying the room gave them the creeps so bad they checked out without staying over. Personally I didn't think it was too bad. It was very dated, maybe needed a lick of paint but was clean had a bathroom with cold shower, so I was happy.

Boating lake at Mambukal

I got myself straight into the thermal baths which were fairly hot, very hot as you got near the waterfall that was filling it with near boiling thermal water. I spent ages in there, I liked chatting with the locals who were also on holiday at the resort. The locals just get in the water with whatever they are wearing, possibly not the most hygenic thing, but that is their culture and I respect that. That said I changed into my swimming shorts before entering.

As it was getting dusk we were treated by a fine sight of hundreds if not thousands of huge fruit bats and flying foxes flying over the pool. I'm not a massive fan of bats but I didn't mind these.

One or two massive bats flying about

After I was about cooked in the pool I got out and had a cool mango shake at the food stalls. Saying I'd be back later for dinner and a few beers, when she said they close at 7 I thought what am I going to do tonight, I didn't fancy just staying in my very basic room. I went around all the food stalls and found one that was going to stay open until 9, after I quick shower and change I was back in no time. 

Thermal Spa at Mambukal

A power cut soon ended any possibilities of lasting until 9pm, so I ended up with an early night in my room. 

The next morning was more thermal bath action before a seemingly impossible day of travel to my next destination, Sugar beach. Sugar Beach was recommended to me by a friend and he described it as a bit of a Robinson Crusoe kind of place. I read online that it was a bit like Boracay before the tourists arrived. I didn't leave until gone 11 and I needed to get a bus back to Bacolod (1.5 hours), a Jeepney across town to change bus stations, A 5 hour bus to Sipalay, jumping out in a small village just before the city, a motorcycle with sidecar (Tricycle) down a very bumpy road to the sea, a paddle boat across the river to Sugar beach where I needed to walk 1km or so and find some accommodation. Mission not accomplished.

Up North in Thailand

My last blog ended as I was just about to board a 14 hour 'VIP ' bus overnight from Luang Prabang to the Laos-Thai border. It was due to arrive at 8am but getting to the bus station the luxury bus I had booked was actually a minivan.

 

The minivan hurtled over the road that in places was little better than a badly maintained farm track.  Every time I anywhere near got to sleep we hit a very bumpy stretch that ensured that no sleep was to be had.

 

During the journey the driver and the co-driver took a shine to a local young Laos woman so much so they were taking photo's of her sleeping as the journey went along.  One of them was particularly snide and creepy and after finishing his driving shift made an Italian guy sit in the front so he could snuggle up to her.

 

The van went a lot faster than the bus, so much so we got to the destination Huay Xai bus station at 04:20.  It was way too early to even consider getting accommodation.  The tuk-tuk drivers that met the bus were painful to negotiate with.  One in particular was frustrating at best and he caught me in a 'grumpy moment' following a lack of sleep. 

 

I decided enough was enough and I was going to make my way into Thailand to Chiang Rai.  The border didn't open until around 7:30 but I managed to flag down a bus and was in Chiang Rai by lunchtime.

 

Having been a day ahead of my rough schedule I had done no research, and my lonely planet book had limited information on the city.  I saw a sign for a couple of guesthouses hopped off the bus and was sorted.

 

Chiang Rai was great. In a zombie like state I wondered the city took a nap and headed to the night market for my evening meal.  A vast choice of stalls selling Thai food at cheap prices with a stage with traditional dance performances made for a nice inexpensive evening.  It was early to bed as I had so much sleep to catch up on.

Chiang Rai Food Market

Traditional dancing on stage

I decided to stay on in Chiang Rai for another night to allow me to take in a day trip which went to 7 or 8 places.  The trip was great it was £18.60 but was great value for money.  Only two of us were on the trip my travel partner for the day was an English lady from Oxfordshire.

 

We took in the White Temple which was a nice change as every other temple was beginning to look the same.  It had a modern art theme and was great, it was a shame the sun wasn't shining as it glistens in the sun.



White Temple



The rest of the morning we visited a Black House/village which was OK, a tea plantation which had great scenery and a monkey cave, which is where our vehicle broke down.



Tea Plantation



A few phone calls later and we were paired with a mother and daughter group from China who I'd briefly met the day before as they were in my guesthouse.

 

The daughter was great fun, and could speak good English and was hoping to finish her university studies in the UK.  The afternoon flew by with visits to Maisai on on the Myanmar border, an opium museum, the golden triangle (a point were Laos, Myanmar and Thai meet separated by the Mekong river) and an average temple.  A great day with nice people.



Golden Triangle (Laos top right, Myanmar left, Thailand bottom)



I headed back to the night market for dinner, instantly bumped into the Chinese girls that persuaded me to get a hot pot meal where you had to cook your dinner on a clay pot at your table.  Thankfully the girls helped me out and the food was delicious. 



Master chef



A couple of beers with the younger Chinese girl back at the hotel and I was done in.

 

Struggling to make an early start the next morning I headed for Chiang Mai.  I found some ridiculously cheap digs £4.50 and went for an explore.  Chiang Mai had a 'big city feel' about something I'd not experienced sine Ho Chi Minh City several weeks back.  I'm not sure if it was because I was tired or the district that my hotel was located I didn't really like it.

 

Deciding to move on and return to Chiang Mai later in the trip to give it a fair trial I headed up in the mountains to Pai.  A much smaller place but overrun with tourists.  I found a great bungalow/wooden hut to stay in with a hammock on the balcony which was very relaxing as I watched the river flow.

 

I took in a sunset tour to Pai Canyon.  A ridge ran along with a huge drop either side.  I walked along it noticing it was only about a foot wide with a shear drop, once I got over this section I turned back and saw exactly where I'd walked which is when my legs turned to jelly.  The only way back was to retrace my steps but this time was seriously shaking and was so glad when I made my final baby step onto safe ground.



Pai Canyon





Sunset over Pai Canyon



On the way back into town we noticed a girl by the side of the road who had come off her motorbike.  She had cut her head open and was covered in blood. I went with her to the hospital, which I was impressed how quickly she was treated.  Anyone reading this considering renting a scooter around this part of the world please wear a helmet, the sight of this young girl covered in blood was not pleasant.

 

Earlier that day I put nearly all my clothes into a very cheap laundrette.  Whilst on a decent session of beers walking back late at night was horrified to see my clothes were hung up on the roadside outside the laundrette with the place shut up for the night.  Luckily when I went to collect them the next day they were all still there, perhaps that says more for my fashion sense rather than the trustworthiness of the other tourists in Pai!

 

The next day i took in a day trip with a great group of people, a young English couple, two German lads, a french girl and Dutch girl and 'a couple' of Spanish lasses.  We took in a waterfall, I took a dip into some hot springs and also had a great lookout place 1450m up over the mountains.

 

The highlight of the trip was a trip to Lod cave.  It was massive with many natural structures that the guide imaginatly suggested looked like animals.  We took a trip through the cave on a bamboo boat which was skimming the water and with each rowing stroke everyone ended up with wet backsides.



Lod Cave





I think this was an 'elephant' inside the cave



From Pai buses only go to two places Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, the latter been a recommendation from the lady from Oxfordshire, so MHS it was.

 

I found 'OK' accommodation for £2.80 a night for a double en-suite room although it didn't have hot water. MHS is small but nice and I saw the sights that afternoon. The evening I bumped into a Japanese girl that was on my bus earlier.  We had a few beers listening to possibly the worst band I'd ever heard.  It was worse than karaoke as it appeared the guitarist and bass were also beginners.  They murdered a few tourist classics.



Mae Hong Son lake





Artistic view of a statue



The Japanese girl was telling me about a week long meditation retreat she was going on in a few days.  Sounded really interesting and something I'd consider.  We swapped details so I'll find out how it was before deciding if it is for me. I might find the no speaking, reading or writing a challenge though.

 

My final day in MHS I took a full day trip with a guy from Holland whom I'd met at Pai Canyon.  Another great day taking in a waterfall, Chinese village, fish cave (not worth the £1.90 fee) a mud spa, bamboo bridge and a bamboo trek.  Some of the spiders I saw that day were huge, actually they were bigger than that I'd say they were absolutely massive!



Lake at the Chinese village



Giant spider



Waterfall





Bamboo bridge over rice fields





Mud spa selfie



My journey to Chaing Mai was eventful due to all the locals (I was the only non Thai) throwing up as we snaked around the 1,864 curves and hairpin bends in the mountains back to the city. A couple of the day trips I'd done had options to visit a local tribe where the women wear brass bands around their necks which stretches them.  I didn't fancy it as it had an element of human zoo about it. One of the passengers on the bus was a 'long neck' so I got that 'attraction' for free (obviously without the photos).

 

So now as I've just arrived back in Chiang Mai I only have little over a week left of my trip.  I've upscaled my guesthouse and have a pool (just over £10 a night B&B).  Still no or little sight of Christmas but I'm looking forward to my Christmas dinner at home, it will be my first Western food in 11 weeks.