Adventure Travel Archives - Page 2 of 6

19th May 202031st March 2023

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland

Everyone needs to see the Aurora Borealis once in their lives, right? So began the journey to Oulu, the southernmost city of northern Finland. Oulu is located in the subarctic region and it’s pretty close to the geographical centre of the country. That makes it a great city for Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Oulu

My photographer friend and I had started chasing the Aurora Borealis a few days earlier in Helsinki. After spending the day in the Kemi Snow Castle in Finnish Lapland, it was time for us to hop on a bus. Roughly two and a half hours later we were in the largest city in the Subarctic region of Finland; Oulu.

We had prearranged a host in Oulu who was doing her second Master’s degree at the Oulu University. Our host, Anna, had lived in many different places in the world and had some interesting views on daily life in Finland. We had planned to meet her at the university, so from the bus station we need to get a local bus. We had considered walking, but even though it was only a couple of kilometres, the cold was getting too much for me. Oulu has a super modern fleet of buses. The cost of riding one reflects that. It’s €3.50 for a one zone ticket. That ticket lasts for as many rides as you like within that zone for 60 minutes, or 80 minutes for multiple zones.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Snow Everywhere!

We may have prematurely exited from the bus, but we were still in the general vicinity of the university. This meant we got to walk through some of the winter wonderland that is Oulu in Febrary.

The snow didn’t just cover the ground, it literally stopped watercourses from running too! Some creative soul had decided to put some lights on what would’ve been the banks of a canal. With all the white everywhere, a little bit of colour was quite a welcome sight.

It wasn’t the only place in town where someone had decided to add some coloured lights.

But these ones changed a little bit. There’s nothing I like more than watching lights move. I mean, that is the whole reason I had tormented myself with a trip to Finland in the winter!

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Oulu City Centre

We were getting quite used to seeing snow everywhere by this point. So when we encountered a paved area with no snow, we were a little perplexed.

How could this small patch of ground between two other patches of ground that were snowed over be snow-free? We were so obviously confused by it that a lady walking past us stopped to tell us that the ground was heated. Well, that makes sense. But then we wondered why it was just that patch and not all the paved areas in the city centre.

It really was better not to think too much about that one, so we just kept walking and came across this guy. He is a monument to the Finnish Police. I didn’t see any police the whole time I was in Finland, so I can neither confirm nor deny if they look anything like this portly policeman.

Getting Around Oulu

As I mentioned earlier, the local bus services in Oulu are rather pricey. €3.50 for one zone and €5.80 for two zones. We worked out pretty quickly that things were going to get very expensive. We were staying in Martinniemi, a small village about 40 minutes out of Oulu. That meant we would need to spend €11.60 a day just to get to and from Martinniemi. That’s not including transport within the city.

We opted to get a multiple day ticket, which ended up being much cheaper than buying separate tickets. As you can see on the Oulu transport site. The only problem was, we couldn’t buy these tickets anywhere in Martinniemi. So we ended up having to purchase them through the Oulu Transport App (Oulu Joukkoliikenne).

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Day One

We had scoured over our maps for hours to choose a place that wasn’t too far away from where we were staying. It wasn’t that we minded walking but the cold was really affecting us. The place we chose was only 700 metres from where we were located. As we got closer we started to realise that even though the map had indicated there was a path to the spot we’d picked, it actually wasn’t accessible from where we were.

We had however, ended up in a huge open area with a perfect view of the sky to the north. A completely cloudy sky. There was no way we were seeing any lights that night, so we headed back home. It was only a minor setback. We still had two nights.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Day Two

We got back to looking at our maps to find a better vantage point. But this time we were smart and decided to check out the suitability and accessibility of the place during the day.

On the way we saw an abandoned house. Our curiosity got the better of us and we went inside. As you would imagine, the house had been stripped bare and the inside was pretty much just snow and graffiti.

But it did have a nice view of the outside world.

Once we finally made it to a tiny frozen-over marina we knew that we had chosen well this time. It was interesting to see all the small boats that would normally be docked there, dry-docked on stands near the car park. We noticed a few small cabins there too.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Walking on Water

Not long after we got there, a guy drove in and parked his car. He proceeded to get a gas bottle and a box out of the car boot. They were placed on a small plastic thing with a rope attached to it. He started pulling it along the snow covering what would be the water of the bay in the summer.

From what we figured, he had a cabin on a nearby island. As the water was frozen solid, the only way to reach it was by walking.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Second Time Lucky?

When we returned that night there was a bitingly cold wind blowing. I grabbed my phone to check what the time was and saw a warning I had never seen before; a flashing thermometer. Then that was it. My phone that had over 50% charge an hour beforehand just died. Then my friend looked at his two phones and they both had the same problem. That, the wind and the cloud cover were signs for us to leave.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland – Day 3

This was our final chance to see the lights. The Aurora app we had downloaded informed us that there was a great chance of spotting Auroral activity under clear conditions. This made us hopeful. Given the phone issues of the day before, we made sure to keep our phones out of the cold as much as possible.

We sheltered in this cabin for a bit after the wind got too much for us. We were surprised to find that it had electricity. It also had some kind of stove in the centre. We surmised that it must be for people to use if they get stuck at the marina due to bad weather. At that point, I was thinking that chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland may not have been the best idea I’ve ever had.

Once we ventured back outside we realised that there was too much cloud cover to see anything. But there was definitely something going on behind that cloud cover.

There were no buildings in that area that could be causing such bright lights, so it must have been the Auroras. Damn cloud cover!

Nallikari, the Place for Summer and Winter Activities in Oulu When Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland

Just before we made our way back to Helsinki on an overnight bus, we decided to see if we could get some kind of winter activity in before we left Oulu. Nallikari, which is a beach area in the summer, seemed to be the place to go.

According to the internet, they had all types of snow activities happening there. Except of course when we went. All of their normal activities had been halted for one reason or another. They told us we could come back in a few days but that wasn’t really going to work for us.

We explored the area for a little bit. It was quite amusing to see beach shacks on snow. Although the coolest thing we did that day was stand on the sea. Well, what would have been the sea if it wasn’t frozen over.

I guess that meant it was time for a selfie with our host while people walked on the ‘sea’ in the background.

Just in case you’re wondering, that’s a look of pain on my face. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t feel my hand at that point. I’d had to take a glove off to unlock my phone so this picture could be taken. See my solution for that annoying cold weather problem in this post.

The End?

We jumped on our night bus back to Helsinki not long after. Then flew out of Helsinki back to London where I was supposed to get a flight home 2 days later. That flight got cancelled and I was stuck in London for an extra two weeks. As if that wasn’t annoying enough, my host Anna messaged me with a picture of the lights just after we left. She’d seen them as she was getting off the bus near her house!

At least I can tick ‘visiting the Subarctic region in winter’ off my list, but the Aurora Borealis will have to wait for another time in another country.

Check out all the destinations visited on this trip –
Vilnius
Riga
Tallinn
Helsinki
Kemi
Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland

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15th May 202031st March 2023

Kemi Snow Castle in Finnish Lapland

If you’ve never heard of Kemi before, it’s way up north in Finnish Lapland. As you would imagine, it is covered in snow for roughly half the year. Sounds cold and boring, right?

But there’s something special about this sleepy little Lapland town. It’s famous for constructing the world’s biggest snow fort every year.

The Kemi Snow Castle in Finland’s north draws tourists from all over the world.

As I found out when I heard more people speaking Cantonese and Mandarin than English while I was there.

An Introduction to Kemi Finland

My photographer friend and I had taken an overnight bus from Helsinki to Kemi in Finnish Lapland. The change between the two cities was quite stark.

While Helsinki’s sky was perpetually overcast, there was very little snow. Kemi’s sky was still quite overcast, but the ground was white from snow cover.

Discovering the White Town of Kemi on the Way to the Kemi Snow Castle in Finland

There were no roads and footpaths. Only snow. I suddenly saw an image in my head of me ending up on my butt because I’m totally inept at walking on snow.

Luckily, I narrowly avoided hitting the ground by grabbing my friend and nearly making him fall. It just seemed like the right thing to do!

As Canada, Kazakhstan and now Finland have taught me, walking on snow sucks.

The snow made everything surprisingly bright, despite the overcast sky.

I had always heard that the Lapland region was perpetually dark in the winter, so I wasn’t expecting much in the way of daylight or brightness.

The glare from the snow was actually quite astounding. Sunglasses were definitely needed! Have a look here to find out what else you might need in Finland.

Trying to Find Some Breakfast Before Going to the Kemi Snow Castle

We had arrived at 10am and noticed a nearby food place. We thought we could go and grab some breakfast and use the WiFi, but the place was closed.

Okay, plan B, check at the supermarket across the road. Although the staff were really nice, they seemed quite clueless as to where stuff was in their town.

They did advise us that most businesses wouldn’t open for another hour at least. Time for a walk then.

Walking to the Kemi Snow Castle in Kemi Finland

As you would expect of somewhere only 90 minutes shy of the Arctic Circle, the town of Kemi on Bothnian Bay near the Swedish border is rather small. Both in area and population.

I don’t know if it was because of that or because of the cold, but there was almost no one around.

Come to think of it, I’m not even sure I saw many cars driving around. I did see quite a few parked cars with a substantial amount of snow on them though.

You really couldn’t blame people if they wanted to hibernate at home for the whole winter. Given the daily sub-zero temperatures the town offered.

It was hovering around -4°C when we were there. Yuck!

Lumi Visio/Snow Vision – Snow Carving On The Way to the Kemi Snow Castle

The people that had ventured out had found an interesting way to keep themselves occupied.

We had stumbled upon some kind of snow carving competition in the centre of town.

Note I said snow, not ice, carving. To be honest, this was somewhat of a novelty as I’d never seen anyone carving snow before.

Given the copious amounts of snow around Kemi, it totally made sense to turn it into art. But I did wonder how the huge blocks of compacted snow collected from the bay found their way to the centre of Kemi.

Kemi’s Annual Competition Near the Kemi Snow Castle

The competition, called Lumi Visio or Snow Vision, is an annual event in Kemi.

During the competition, teams race against the clock to build a sculpture to a theme. I’m not entirely sure what the 2020 theme was but if I had to guess, I’d say weird cartoons.

As much as I wanted to stay and check out the sculptures for a bit longer, I found that, even with winter gloves and shoes, my hands and feet started to hurt after several minutes of no movement.

Seriously, how do people live in these temperatures?

Finding the Kemi Snow Castle

I had gotten some feeling back in my extremities as a walked but wasn’t sure how much more of the cold I could take.

That was why I was so happy to this sign.

It meant that the Kemi Snow Castle was near! Also, the Finnish ‘lumi linna’ is now my preferred way to say ‘snow castle’!

The Making of A Famous Finland Snow Castle

A team of architects and engineers spend months planning and building the castle using a different theme each year.

Construction starts in December, for a January opening. The castle normally stays open until April.

Previous versions of this Finland snow castle have looked like castles, (of course!), or forts.

Looks like the castle’s 25th year was ‘Igloo Style’.

Even though the shape and size of the castle may be different each year, there are some things that are always included in the design.

Like the Ice Bar and the chapel.

I was told that people come from as far afield as Hong Kong to get married in that chapel.

As someone from Hong Kong, this sounds like an absolutely crazy concept to me.

Considering our winter temperatures rarely fall below 10°C and most Hong Kongers start wearing polar-style down jackets when the temperature gets below 20°C.

I guess they do it more for the gimmick factor.

Inside the Kemi Snow Castle

After walking through a kind of dark hallway from the entrance, you’ll find the Ice Bar.

Of course, they make the bar the first thing you come across and the lovely bartender will definitely try to entice to grab a drink to warm up.

But maybe the carvings on the wall above you will distract you enough to that you won’t care about having a drink.

You could sit on the sculptures and pose for photos.

As we walked further into the castle, there were a few different coloured caves with sculptures in them.

Unfortunately, my camera just couldn’t deal with the green and blue lighting in those rooms.

To be honest, my camera was having issues with the cold by this point. Clearly it’s a warm-weather camera!

Anyway, walking to the end brings you to what looks like a meeting room.

There was a dining alcove that split off from the main area. The ‘chairs’ were made of ice and covered with reindeer fur.

The presumption is that reindeer fur is super warm, but I just had to try one out for myself.

I didn’t freeze my butt off. So that was nice.

Themed Rooms in the Kemi Snow Castle in Finnish Lapland

As we were walking back out, I noticed a hallway off to the left that we hadn’t explored yet.

It looked quite plain and unassuming, but we decided to check it out anyway.

Coming off that hallway were several rooms.

Each had different carvings on their walls.

Some were just for sitting down and hanging out.

Then others for sleeping.

They came complete with ice frames and some very warm looking bedding.

As warm as the bedding looked, I could never see myself being able to sleep there.

Especially seeing as the temperature inside the castle was -4.4°C. That 4.4 degrees below zero.

Would you believe that actually made it colder than outside?

It was -3.7°C out there.

No thanks!

Have a Quick Look Inside the 2020 Kemi Snow Castle

If you’re interested in seeing what the main room of the Finland snow castle looked like in 2020, check out the video below.

Tourist Centre at the Kemi Snow Castle in Finland

Outside the castle there is a permanent building, called SnowCastle365. It acts as the reception for the castle hotel and glass cabins. It’s also the place to book other adventures, like reindeer sledding, snowmobiling and dining in an ice restaurant.

As appealing as some of the activities sounded, we gave them all a miss because as you would expect, they were prohibitively expensive. We were also happy enough with just seeing the Kemi Snow Castle in Finnish Lapland.

There was also a cafe in that building, as well as public amenities and some comfy couches to sit on before you head back out into the cold.

On to Oulu From Kemi Finland

Once we finally got up the courage to brave the cold, we headed back to the bus station to get the bus to Oulu. We were slightly perplexed when the bus hadn’t showed up five minutes past its departure time.

We spoke to a local lady who was also waiting and she confirmed that we hadn’t missed the bus. She told us not to worry because it often runs late.

The bus ended up being about 15 minutes late and we were surprised that we recognised the driver. He was the same driver who had driven us from Oulu that morning. It was his second run back to Oulu that day.

Will we see the Aurora Borealis in Oulu? Stay tuned for the next installment!

Would you like to know more about the Kemi Snow Castle in Finland? Then head to the Experience365 website

Check out all the destinations visited on this trip –
Vilnius
Riga
Tallinn
Helsinki
Kemi Snow Castle in Finnish Lapland
Oulu

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13th May 202031st March 2023

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland – Helsinki to Kemi

Just a two and a half hour ferry ride from Tallinn in Estonia is the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. From there it’s easy to access one of the world’s coldest and most isolated regions. I may have mentioned before that I really hate the cold.

So why had I spent a couple of weeks heading north into Finland in the middle of winter? Two words: Aurora Borealis. I’m a sucker for pretty lights. So began the adventure of chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi.

Enlisting Some Help

I wasn’t confident in my camera’s ability to capture scenes very well, so I made a friend who is a photographer take the trip with me. On the off chance that I would be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the spectacle that is the Aurora Borealis.

We had gotten the 6 am ferry from Tallinn, which got us into Helsinki bright and early. Actually, not so bright really. It was still pretty dark by the time I got outside the terminal building at 8:30 am.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Wandering Around Helsinki

Not far from the port I got the first taste of what would be awaiting me in Northern Finland. You know, that white stuff that covers the north for about half the year.

Luckily, that was all the snow I saw in Helsinki. In fact, the city seemed to be surprisingly free of it. I don’t know if this means that Helsinki doesn’t get as much snow as I had imagined. Or if they’re just really good at hiding it.

Mind you, I’ve been in Canada in the winter and snow isn’t something that can easily be hidden. So I’m going to run with my first thought; Helsinki isn’t the winter wonderland I thought it would be.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Easy to Navigate City

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t bloody cold! Almost too cold for my warm weather body to handle. it was hovering around zero. Eww! But my only choice was to suck it up and walk. Helsinki is an amazingly walkable city. There are wide footpaths and cycle paths everywhere.

The signage is also pretty awesome. I think it would be a pretty difficult city to get lost in.

One thing I noticed while wandering around Helsinki, was that the Finns seem to have quite a sense of humour. Whether it’s a sign at the entrance of a fast food joint

Or sculptures like this one, called Naughty Boy

Speaking of sculptures, there was no shortage of them around the city.

I guess it was a sign of the season that I saw some temporary ice sculptures too. Or half sculptures. It looked like one of them could’ve been Snoopy, but someone made a mistake while sculpting it. I mean, there’s no way it could’ve melted in that weather, right?

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Oodi in Kansalaistori Square

A well-known building in Helsinki is its central library or Oodi as it’s known locally. It’s located in Kansalaistori Square, which is right near the city centre. Oodi bills itself as “A meeting place, a house of reading and a diverse urban experience”.

A Dreary Day Hang Out

It certainly was an experience. It also seemed like the place to be on a dull winter’s day. We thought we’d go there for the warmth and WiFi. Everyone in Helsinki had the same idea, it seemed. It’s the most crowded library I’ve ever seen.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – An Urban Experience

The outside of the building is striking, with a three storey glass facade. Each of the three floors of the building had different areas. The third floor had all the books, along with a children’s play area. We found a terraced area with powerpoints on the second floor. There were loads of people just hanging out there.

Feeding the Inner Geek

A wander around the second floor allowed me to watch a 3D printer in action. Oodi had several 3D printers for public use. The geek in me was happy. Yes, this was definitely no ordinary library.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – WiFi Everywhere

Oodi also had sewing and embroidery machines, studios and editing rooms, games, music and meeting rooms as well as a restaurant and a cinema! Of course, there was also WiFi available, as there is everywhere in Helsinki. You see, Finland decided back in 2010 that internet access was a right and should, therefore, be available to everyone. That means free WiFi is everywhere. You don’t have to go far to get connected in the city.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Quirks in the City

Helsinki is a beautiful and clean city that’s easy to navigate, but it does have it’s quirks. Firstly, I’m not sure if they get to see the sky in Winter there. It seemed to be perpetually overcast. Or dark. I only managed to get a few photos while it was light. Not because I was wandering around late at night but because it got dark at around 3 pm!

As much as they believe internet is a right in Helsinki, they don’t believe that relieving yourself is a right. If you want to use the toilets in many establishments, you have to make a purchase.

All the toilets have security codes which are printed on the receipt you get after you pay. You’d wanna hope that you don’t end up in a huge line when you really need to go.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Night Prices

Another interesting concept in Helsinki is night prices at fast food places. If you want to get something to eat after 9 pm, the menu prices increase and the specials disappear. Even if the place is due to close at 10 pm, they’ll switch to night menu prices for their last hour of trading.

And those prices will possibly continue for their first hour of trading the next day, depending on their opening time.

Also, it seems that a lot of things are Lactose and Gluten free. I even saw Lactose free sausages!

The Unexpected Expense of Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi

Some Northern European countries are well-known for their exorbitant prices for everyday items. While I was expecting Finland to be more expensive than the Baltic countries I had just come from, I wasn’t quite prepared for how much the prices did jump.

Some things were more than twice the price! I guess those are the prices you pay when Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi!

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Crazy Prices

It was just as well that I’d run under budget in the Baltic countries. The only other country I’ve come across in my travels that was more expensive was Norway. I figured that prices might get worse the further I headed into the north. With that in mind, I stocked up on all the cheap(ish) non-perishable stuff I could get my hands on at the Kamppi Centre.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Kamppi Centre

Interestingly, the Kamppi Centre was one of the biggest redevelopment projects and the largest construction site in Finnish history. It took four years to transform the area in downtown Helsinki into the hub that it is now.

It has almost anything you could need, from a huge shopping centre with nightclubs, offices and residences to local and long-distance bus terminals. You just need to make sure you’re in the right terminal

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – Overnight Bus to Kemi from Kamppi

The buses that I took in the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia), especially in Vilnius were quite luxurious and had complimentary hot drinks. This was not so with the Finnish overnight bus that we were taking to Kemi in Finnish Lapland.

It was the least comfortable of all coaches taken thus far, despite being comparatively more expensive. I had mistakenly assumed that things would get more luxurious in Finland. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all.

Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi – White of the Night

I stared out the window of the mostly empty bus as we made our way out of the city. For the first hour of the ride from Helsinki to Kemi there was no snow to be seen.

Then I watched the amount of snow slowly increase on the road, until about 2 hours out of Helsinki where everything as far as the eye could see was covered in several centimetres of snow. Including the road!

I thought the bus driver might slow down at that point but he did not. As terrifying as it sounds to me, driving on snow is the only way you get anywhere in the winter in Finland.

Arriving in Lapland When Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi

I had actually managed to sleep a bit on the way, as the ride had been pretty smooth. We pulled into Oulu, the biggest city in Northern Finland at about 7 am. But that wasn’t the end of the journey.

There we had to wait a short while for the bus that would take us onto Kemi in Lapland. That two hour journey continued on more snowed over roads until we were finally in Kemi.

Follow the continuing adventure in Kemi where we visit a famous seasonal site.

Check out all the destinations visited on this trip –
Vilnius
Riga
Tallinn
Chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finland Helsinki to Kemi
Kemi
Oulu

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11th February 202022nd July 2023

The Captivating Cook Islands

What trip to the South Pacific would be complete without a visit to a remote island chain that tourists never really hear about? The often overlooked, tiny South Pacific nation of the Cook Islands had always been somewhere that I’d wanted to see. With under 30,000 visitors a year from outside Oceania, it’s one of the South Pacific’s best-kept secrets. The captivating Cook Islands are about as close to paradise as you can get on this earth.

Travelling to The Captivating Cook Islands

As amazing as the Cook Islands are, their remoteness makes them a bit of a challenge to get to. The only option to get there from Samoa, a mere 900km away, was to fly 3250km to Auckland. Nearly four times the distance! From there I had to fly another 3000km to Rarotonga, the biggest of the 15 islands of the Cook Islands Chain. That’s over 6 hours flying to get to islands that should only be an hour’s flight away.

Extra Planning

Booking a flight from Auckland to Rarotonga requires a little more planning than normal. There are only 12 flights a week. Those flights are split between Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and Jetstar. If you want to fly out of Auckland on a Monday, you’re outta luck. On Sunday, a morning flight with Air New Zealand is the only choice. But Tuesday to Friday you’ll have a choice of a morning or afternoon flight. Saturday is the busy day as all 3 airlines fly the route that day. There are also flights to Rarotonga from Sydney and Los Angeles, but they only run once a week.

Time Complications

To make matters even more complicated, flights to Rarotonga cross over the international date line. That means that most flights land in the Cook Islands the day before they left Auckland. Conversely, flights back to New Zealand land two days after they left Rarotonga. Are you confused yet? Things can get quite complicated so extra vigilance is required to make sure you don’t end up cutting your time on the Cook Islands short by mixing up your days.

Arriving on The Captivating Cook Islands

The displeasure of all that extra planning fades away as soon as you land in the captivating Cook Islands. Who could help but be captivated by the cute little neon sign that welcomes you to the islands? Immigration officers greet you with ‘Kia Orana’, the local way of saying hello, then quickly and painlessly process your entry into the tiny country.

Welcome to the Cook Islands!

When you enter the baggage reclaim area, you notice a man in the middle of the luggage belt. He’s performing a slightly upgraded version of the serenade received on other South Pacific islands like Fiji and Tonga; with laptop accompaniment instead of guitars.

The Captivating Cook Islands At Night

On the way to the Cook Islands, I had crossed the international date line for the third time during my pacific adventure. That meant I had once again gone back in time, to land in Rarotonga on the eve of the day that had just passed. Of course, everything was closed and there were no transport options besides taxis and airport transfers. I’m not a taxi kind of person and hadn’t booked an airport transfer with my accommodation because I thought that NZ$15 was a bit extreme for a 5 minute drive!

My accommodation was just behind the airport, a mere 200 metres away from where I stood. Unfortunately, I had to walk all the way around the airport perimeter to get to it. That made the walk a little bit longer but also gave me time to really take in the awesomeness of my surroundings.

The Night Sky in The Captivating Cook islands

I was awed by just how dark things got once I hit the suburban road that would take me to my lodging for the night. I must admit that I stopped many times to admire the amazing amount of stars in the night sky. It was actually an exhilarating feeling knowing that just a few minutes walk from an international airport had taken me far enough away from all light sources to see the full glory of the heavens after dark.

K in Motion Travel Blog. The Captivating Cook Islands at Night — Rarotonga at Night. Yes, it was actually that dark!

It’s Christmas Time Again On The Captivating Cook Islands

After a good sleep, I woke up to Christmas Day, for the second time! The Captivating Cook Islands are a majority Christan country. So as you would expect, Christmas is a big deal there. With an island twist..

K in Motion Travel Blog. The Captivating Cook Islands. Meri Kiritimiti Sign — Merry Christmas – island style!

Most places on the island were closed for the Christmas holiday, so I’d decided to hire a bicycle from my hostel, (NZ$10 for 24 hours), and ride around the island. The island of Rarotonga, or Raro as it’s affectionately known locally, is only 32km in circumference. You can circumnavigate the island comfortably in less than four hours on a bike. Additionally, it’s an easy ride because the road around the island is completely flat. The middle of the island, on the other hand, is not so flat.

Cycling Around The Captivating Cook Islands

The main road around Raro hugs the coastline, so you are guaranteed spectacular views no matter where you stop along the road.

Even the dead get great views!

Cycling around the island is a great way to get a feel for island life. You’ll also learn that islanders are not only a caring bunch, they also have a great sense of humour. The only ‘stop’ sign on the whole island is a shop sign!

And obviously this is a joke, right?

There are no busy roads in Raro! In fact, there’s a good chance you won’t see another person on the main road for hours. But you’ll see plenty of this.

And this.

And maybe even a bit of this.

Seafood With a Side of Safety on the Captivating Cook Islands

After a few hours of cycling around the island, I had decided that it was time to escape the heat and grab a bite. Seeing as it was Christmas Day, my only option was to eat at a resort. I felt like I was the centre of attention when I walked in. All the staff were waiting to serve me. I was given the option of dining inside or outside. The decision was easy.

Owing to the season, the tables were looking quite festive, in that island kind of way.

I’d opted to try a local dish called Ika Mata. It consists of raw fish marinated in lemon and coconut milk.

To be honest, I wasn’t holding high hopes for this dish as I’m not a huge fan of fish, but it was actually quite delicious. Once I’d finished my feed and admired the beach for a bit longer, I headed back to the main road where I saw this sign

Interestingly, the law on the Cook Islands when I was there only required people between the ages of 16 and 25 to wear helmets when cycling or riding scooters/motorbikes. I could probably guess why that was the particular age group chosen but it’s still a little weird that it wasn’t applied to everyone.

After a few more roadside stops to look out into the mesmerising blue sea, I found my way to a small local shop where I’d planned to buy some refreshments. That should’ve just taken a few minutes, but I left the store three hours later.

Local Celebrities on the Captivating Cook Islands

You may be asking how I could’ve spent three hours in a small store. Well, part of the reason was that the lady behind the counter was a chatterbox. I also never shy away from a chat. Especially when it’s with a well known and respected local. Aunty Mei, who was the local lei maker, was happy to give me some insights into her life on the island.

Many are familiar with the Hawaiian lei, generally slipped onto the neck as a symbol of friendship when welcoming visitors. The idea is similar in the Cook Islands, but they also have many other uses. There are two main types, Lei Kaki, which are similar to Hawaiian leis, and Lei Katu which are wreaths placed on the head. Aunty Mei specialises in the second type. Locals will place orders with Aunty Mei for all kinds of events, like graduations and weddings.

Aunty Mei’s Leis on the Captivating Cook Islands

All flowers used for Aunty Mei’s creations come from her own lovingly tended garden. The impression I got was that Aunty Mei had enough lei orders to keep her going for several months at least. She did say she had noticed a slight downturn in business in recent years as the younger generation were becoming disinterested in traditions. That’s something that unfortunately seems to be a bit of a trend around the world.

Despite being busy making a lei at the time I had walked in, Aunty Mei stopped what she was doing to chat to me. That’s one of the things that make islands so endearing; everyone has time for everyone. It’s always enlightening talking to locals, but as it was getting late, I had to continue my ride. Aunty Mei said I was welcome to come back and chat any time, then offered some flowers from her garden as a parting gift.

The Capitivating Cook Islands Cross Island Trail

After seeing the flat coastal parts of the island, I was ready to tackle the rugged, hilly interior.

I had asked around town about the Rarotonga Cross Island Trail and most responses indicated that I shouldn’t try it without a guide. Looking at the hills I had to scale, I didn’t think it would be too difficult. Plus with my experience trekking around the world, I was sure I’d have no problems.

At the beginning, the trail was more like a road. Quite flat and easy to walk along. The surroundings were very lush and green as well.

I even spotted a few animals just hanging around, trying to shade themselves from the harsh Cook Islands sun.

The trail stayed relatively flat for a while, then it started narrowing gradually.

The Big Challenge of the Captivating Cook Islands Begins

A little bit further along the trail, I entered the forest. It was there that the trail became considerably thinner and started looking a bit more like the trails I’m used to. I found this a little exciting as I was looking for more of a challenge.

Perhaps I should be careful what I wish for! It wasn’t long before things got decidedly harder.

Now I could see why everyone was suggesting that I do the trail with a guide. It was definitely not an easy hike. Even as an experienced hiker I was beginning to get annoyed with parts of the trail. It seemed to wind back on itself and cross streams a crazy amount of times. It was a relief when I finally made it to the mid-point of the hike.

From there you can take a side trip to The Needle, which is a rock jutting out from the hill. People think it looks like the eye of a needle. It can be seen from many places on the coast of the island.

From the mid-point, the trail became slightly easier, although there was one particularly muddy section where locals had tied a rope to a tree to help people on their way down. I was excited when I saw this sign

It meant that the trail was coming to an end and I would soon be able to reward myself with a cool-down at the Papua Waterfalls!

Getting Back to the Other Side of the Captivating Cook Islands

The Cross Island Trail had brought me out to the main road on the south side of the island, but I needed to be on the north side. Luckily there were buses that ran regularly along the main road. They run clockwise at certain times and anticlockwise at certain times. Unfortunately, I had looked at the normal schedule and thought they would run until 4pm. But as it was a public holiday, service stopped at 3pm. Whoops.

I still had several hours before my flight departed, so I started walking. It wasn’t long before someone stopped to pick me up. He worked at the next resort, a few kilometres up the road. He told me he’d take me there and I could get another lift into the town from there. I actually didn’t mind walking, so once he dropped me off, I continued along the road.

Friendly Locals of the Captivating Cook Islands

I had probably only been walking for 10 minutes when another car stopped and motioned for me to get in. They were a middle-aged Australian couple who had made the Cook Islands their home many years ago. They told me they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. The island life had won them over and I can definitely see why. A short while later, they dropped me off at the pub across the road from the airport.

I had left my backpack there before I’d done the Cross Island Trail. As most places were closed by 4pm, I’d figured that it would be a good place to hang out before my 9pm flight back to Auckland. I sat myself down to enjoy a local beer with a view, when some locals came to join me.

They insisted that I shouldn’t be sitting alone and that I needed to drink more. Once I mentioned that I was flying out that night, they tried everything in their power to convince me to stay. “Don’t worry, you can get a flight out tomorrow”, they said. As amusing as my new friends were, I knew what I had to do. Get myself on that flight back to New Zealand so that I could continue my South Pacific adventure in the French territory of Nouvelle-Calédonie.

Find out more about the captivating Cook Islands on the official Cook Islands Tourism Corporation site.

Check out all the South Pacific Adventures:
Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji
Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga
American Samoa
Surprising Samoa
The Captivating Cook Islands
New Caledonia
Discover the Real Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Palau

26th January 202031st March 2023

Surprising Samoa – An Undiscovered Gem in the South Pacific

I’d always known that time moves differently in the South Pacific, but I wasn’t aware that it was possible to lose a whole day! That’s exactly what happened in the hour between taking off from Pago Pago, American Samoa at 10:30am to landing in Apia, Samoa at 12pm the next day. Time gymnastics aside, Surprising Samoa is an undiscovered gem in the South Pacific, just waiting to be explored.

If you’ve read some of my other South Pacific posts about Tonga and American Samoa, you’d be aware that flights between island states in the region do not come cheap. The 45 minute flight from Pago Pago, American Samoa to Apia, Samoa was no exception, although at US$85, it may have been the cheapest in the area. We landed at the tiny Fagali’i airport, which only had a 600m long runway. As of 1st January 2020, this airport has been closed down and all of it’s flights have been redirected to the bigger Apia Faleolo Airport.

Super Small Airport in Surprising Samoa

The Fagali’i Airport was only a few kilometres from the town of Apia on Samoa’s second largest island, Upolu. All I needed to do was walk the short distance down the airport road to the main road to catch a local minibus for 2 Samoan Tala (WST)/US$0.75. As I was walking, a local guy started talking to me. This local guy, let’s call him Bruce, (not his actual name), was also going into town and said he’d help me find the bus.

It actually wasn’t that hard to find, it just required waiting at the intersection of the airport road with the main road. Bruce was saying that we may have a long wait but the minibus arrived soon after we reached the intersection. On the bus, the driver had a coin tray placed between his seat and the passenger seat, where all passengers were expected to place their fare. The driver would give change if needed but clearly preferred correct change.

Interestingly, the driver was on the lefthand side of the car, even though we were driving on the lefthand side of the road. Samoa changed from driving on the righthand to the lefthand side of the road back in 2009. The main reason for this was the high price of continually importing American lefthand drive vehicles in a region where righthand drive cars were more readily available. Although the change happened over 10 years ago, it is still possible to see quite a few lefthand drive vehicles, like this old-style American school bus that is now used for public transport.

Surprising Samoa Seaside

The bus dropped us off at a seaside bus station right near the local market. Bruce suggested that I might want to walk along the waterfront for a while. It was rather peaceful. He pointed out some points of interest to me while we walked along. Of course, there were palm trees but Bruce couldn’t tell me if they were naturally occurring or introduced.

Bruce then said he would help me find the place I was staying at. The problem was that the building at the address I was given was not the place I was staying at. We stopped and asked at places along the way but no one had any idea where my accommodation was. I eventually found the main building for the flats quite accidentally. My host had left a key there for me. I was relieved to finally be on my way to where I was staying!

The Sleepy Capital of Surprising Samoa

With a population of less than 40,000, Apia is one of the smallest capital ‘cities’ around. I had arrived in the early afternoon, but by the time I got to my host’s place, everything was quiet. Super quiet. There were barely any cars on the road. All the shops were closed. By 3pm! Wow. That could’ve presented a problem because I was hungry at that point. Imagine the relief I felt when I spied a small cafe that had people inside. I happily went inside only to find out that the people inside were staff and they were closed. Feeling sad, I started walking back towards the door when a worker asked if I wanted to take any of the food they had left on the counter.

I was able to have quite a hearty meal with the cafe’s leftovers. Including this interesting take on a salad. That was great because I’d planned a hike to a nearby hill, Mount Vaea. I had no idea what would await me on the top of the hill that stood 472m above the town. I just wanted to get a good view.

Hiking To The Highest Point Of The Island

For the first part of the hike, I had to walk along some suburban roads to get to the trail. The initial part of the trail was more of a dirt road running behind some local farms. The road may have still been in use, but not that often. Except maybe by the occasional cow.

About halfway up the hill, I met a local named Seb who was on his way down. He stopped to chat with me. He seemed surprised that I was on that trail, because it is the hardest way up to the hill. I thought it was weird that he would say that because I was finding it quite easy. I just shrugged it off thinking that other people’s ideas of difficult are different to mine. He was also worried about me going up by myself, so he decided to accompany me to the top. Even though he was already on his way down. I assured him that I’d be okay but he insisted. So now I had someone to talk to on the way up, which was lovely.

The Fun Way up Mount Vaea

We had actually come up to the hill next to Mount Vaea. I had noticed that on my map, but the second hill looked so close that I was sure I could find a way through the bush. Luckily Seb knew where the trail joining the hills was. That was where things got fun. Despite the trail being dry all the way up, this connecting trail was very slippery and muddy. Almost like there had been a recent downpour.

The previously open trail gave way to a well covered forest trail. That could explain why it was so wet even though there had been no rain. My trusty hiking shoes were having problems keeping me upright. But I was determined not to let the mud get the better of me! Although treacherous, the connecting trail was short. We were soon on the top of Mount Vaea.

Tomb With A View

From the top of the hill there was a view over almost the whole town of Apia, although it was slightly obstructed by trees at few points. The first thing I had noticed when I got to the top was a huge white structure. Seb had informed me on the way up that this was the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson. He had in fact thought that was the reason I was going up the hill.

If you don’t know of Robert Louis Stevenson, he was the 19th century author of Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. What’s his connection to Samoa? He settled in Apia a few years before he died. He was revered by Samoans and Seb told me that when he died, Samoans surrounded him with a watch-guard overnight then carried him to the top of Mount Vaea and buried him. The inscription on the tomb was from Mr Stevenson’s own words –

Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

Heading Back to Town

Although there was an easier way down, it would take me several kilometers away from where I was staying. That’s one of the reasons I’d picked the trail I did on the way up. The start point was much closer to the area I was in. Seb had also parked his car on the road near the beginning of that trail, so we braved the muddy connecting trail again.

We got to see a lovely sunset over Apia on the way down. Seb then offered to drive me back to where I was staying. When Seb dropped me off, he suggested that after a shower, he could come back and take me for a drive around town.

Getting To Know Surprising Samoa

When Seb came back, we decided that it would be a good idea to eat something first. I thought all the shops had closed at 3pm, but there were a few restaurants that reopened for a few hours around dinner. I never would’ve known that without some local insight. It took a bit of time but Seb found a place that sold traditional local grub. Right next door to the local beer depository. Score!

We took our local food and beer to a nice little spot by the seaside before driving around the ‘city’. I hadn’t realised how small the city was until we drove around it. I had almost walked around all of it while trying to find my accommodation earlier in the day.

Seb decided that he wanted to drive me to the airport the next evening, so I told him the time I needed to leave and he agreed to be there at that time. Knowing that island time is a real thing, which causes people to be late a lot, I also made sure I had a backup plan!

The Sites of Surprising Samoa

The next day, I thought it was about time to see the city close up. It was lovely and quiet. My impression of surprising Samoa by that point was that it was kind of sleepy and slow-paced. That is to be expected on South Pacific islands. It could’ve also been possible that everyone was napping because it was so hot and there was nothing else to do.

When walking around, I barely saw any people. But I did come across the striking Immaculate Conception Cathedral.

Which was also beautiful on the inside.

My favourite sight in Apia was these amusing signs in the window of a pharmacy. Yes, an actual pharmacy in plain sight. Samoans have a great sense of humour!

Rush To The Airport

Seb didn’t turn up at the prearranged time, so my host took me to a point about halfway to the Faleolo Airport on his scooter. There he helped me flag down a taxi. The taxi driver then agreed to take me to the airport for the exact amount of Samoan Tala that I had left. That was great, because what I had left was a little less than the 80WST/US$31 it would normally cost.

I was starting to get a little concerned that I might be running late. It was a 30 minute drive to the airport and my flight was scheduled to leave in 1 hour. The taxi driver however thought that was plenty of time. I was on an island, where being late was essentially being on time. There was nothing to worry about. I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. It was time to get ready for the next leg of my adventure in another South Pacific paradise; the Captivating Cook Islands.

Check out all the South Pacific Adventures:
Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji
Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga
American Samoa
Surprising Samoa
The Captivating Cook Islands
New Caledonia
Discover the Real Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands

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16th January 202031st March 2023

American Samoa: An Oddity in Oceania

Picture this; you exit the airport terminal on a lovely tropical island to get your international flight to another tropical island. Once you step foot on the tarmac, you realise that the only plane that can be seen is not even big enough for ten people. In fact, you can only see 4 windows! This is just the first of many things that make American Samoa an oddity in Oceania.

American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania – Smallest International Flight Ever

This tiny plane, the inside of which is about the size of a minivan, only runs once a week between Tonga and American Samoa. At US$374 for a flight that takes less than 2 hours, it was the exact opposite of cheap. But that’s not even the strangest part. On the way to the American Samoan capital of Pago Pago the plane made a scheduled stop in Samoa. Although they are in the same island chain, American Samoa and Samoa are separate states.

Upon landing in Samoa, all seven people in the plane were required to alight and pass through immigration. Just to get back on the plane again straight away. Our plane was so small that our pilot also doubled as the cabin crew. He didn’t even need a microphone to do the safety announcement. As you could guess, there was no cabin service, but everyone got a window seat. As the flight duration was too short to reach cruising altitude, we all had a pretty awesome view for the whole flight.

American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania – Entrance Fee

As I was the first person from our plane to make it across the tarmac to the arrivals area, there was no line at the immigration window. To tell the truth, it didn’t even feel like immigration. The officer welcomed me in a cool and casual way. That’s not normally something you expect when going through immigration! He then looked at my passport and told me that I needed to pay an entry tax to visit American Samoa.

Entering American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

For a moment I thought that he might have been talking about the Electronic System Travel Authorisation (ESTA) used in the US. American Samoa is a US territory, after all. So I said, “Oh, I have ESTA”. He then informed me that even though it’s an US territory, ESTA is not required. American Samoa instead required visitors to obtain an entry permit if they are staying in the territory for more than one day.

Entry Fee For American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

Seeing as I had a flight out around 30 hours later, I thought I’d check if I would be exempt from the fee. The lovely officer asked what flight I was leaving on, without asking for any proof. He must’ve memorised the flight schedules. That wouldn’t be particularly hard considering that there are only 3 airlines running international flights from that airport. He then handed back my passport and said, “Okay, have a good time in American Samoa”

Entry Permit Becomes Entry Permit Waiver Program

As of 2019, people from the countries that could previously get the entry permit on arrival must now apply online for the Entry Permit Wavier Program (EPWP). The country list is the same as that for the US Visa Waiver Program. The processing fee for the EPWP just happens to be the exact same price as the old entry tax.

America in the South Pacific – American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

After exiting the small airport, it was immediately obvious that this was a little bit of America in the South Pacific. Everyone was driving ‘trucks’, which don’t exist on other Pacific islands. Anything that wasn’t a truck, was a minivan from one of the many resorts in Pago Pago, or an old-style US school bus. Who knows how they got transported all that way.

Having visited the US on several occasions, Pago Pago really felt like it could be a small continental US town. The roads and infrastructure were almost identical to those I saw in the US. The island also had its fair share of American chains, like McDonald’s as well as American-style malls. All the people I spoke to had very strong American accents. Even they said they felt that they are a lot more Americanised than other South Pacific Islands. It’s actually something they are proud of.

The Beauty of American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

Pago Pago, pronounced Pango Pango in Samoan is located on one of the two main American Samoan Islands, Tutuila. There is one major highway on Tutuila that runs from the airport in the southwest to the east of the island. The highway runs along the coast for almost its entire length, which makes for some mesmerising views on the way to your accommodation.

The Flower Pot Rocks of American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

The Flower Pot rocks are a prominent feature on the righthand side as you drive away from the airport. Just after them, you’ll see the Pago Pago Harbour, which is one of the deepest harbours in the world. The harbour is flanked on the opposite side by Mount Pioa, which is also known as Rainmaker Mountain. It is a big part of local folklore and is said to trap clouds, giving the harbour some of the highest amounts of rainfall in the area.

American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania – American Traditions

While American Samoans have passed down a lot of their traditions and folklore through the generations, they have also whole-heartedly embraced American customs. I got to see this first hand because I was there around Christmas time. While Christmas is celebrated around the world, there are certain things that I’ve only seen in the US during the festive season. That includes people going out of their way to decorate their houses with colourful displays of lights.

One More Thing About American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

One final thing of note about American Samoa is that despite being in the same chain of islands as Samoa, it’s on the opposite side of the International Date Line. That means that it’s 25 hours, or more than a whole day behind it’s nearest neighbour. That definitely causes a few headaches when trying to book flights. In fact, when flying from Tonga or Samoa, you will land in American Samoa the day before you left.

Flying Back to the Future From American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania

When it’s time to go, you’ll land two days after you left. That essentially means you’ll be flying back to the future! And yes, of course I told anyone that would listen that I was flying back to the future! I also did the same thing when I crossed the international date line for a second time on this trip, on the way to the amazing Cook Islands.

Check out all the South Pacific Adventures:
Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji
Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga
American Samoa An Oddity in Oceania
Surprising Samoa
The Captivating Cook Islands
New Caledonia
Discover the Real Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Palau

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11th January 20208th February 2024

Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

The South Pacific Ocean is known for its crystal blue waters and amazing marine life. It’s also known for pristine beaches on resort islands. But probably one of its best-kept secrets is the tantalisingly tropical Tonga island chain.

If you haven’t heard of the Kingdom of Tonga before, it’s about time you did! The archipelago of 169 islands in Polynesia that form the Kingdom of Tonga lies to the northeast of New Zealand.

Logistics of Getting to Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

To be honest, none of the South Pacific island countries are known for being easily accessible by sea. Unless you have your own boat. In fact, the most efficient way to move between them is to fly.

Although quick, these flights do not come cheap, no matter when you book them. The flight from Nadi in Fiji, to Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga in the Tongatapu group of islands, took just over one hour but cost US$250.

The Fua’amotu international airport in Tongatapu is rather small. Interestingly, the runway is only graded to handle smaller jet aircraft, so you’ll never see a 747 there!

Even though the airport is classed as international, don’t expect to be able to get a flight there from anywhere in the northern hemisphere. In fact, the only flights are from Suva and Nadi in Fiji, Pago Pago in American Samoa, Sydney in Australia or Auckland in New Zealand.

Perhaps the strangest thing about this airport is that it closes on Sundays. Let’s just say it takes a bit of planning to tantalisingly tropical Tonga!

Arriving in the Tongatapu Islands of Tantalsingly Tropical Tonga

Once you’re there, you’ll be given a welcome serenade, as seems to be the island way. This had also happened in Fiji but somehow the Tongan welcome wagon was a bit lackluster.

Or maybe they were just too cool. As you would expect from a small airport, immigration was quick and the officers were really friendly.

The capital Nuku’alofa, is around 20 kilometers away from the airport but there was a slight problem. There was no public transport from the airport to the town.

Taxis were, of course, available for 40 Tongan Pa’anga (TOP)/US$17.50. I had decided to do things a little differently. While researching for this trip, I had seen many comments about hitchhiking being a viable way of getting around.

A Hitchhiking Adventure in Tatilisingly Tropical Tonga

I’d barely even made it out of the airport grounds before a minivan stopped. This minivan was full of ladies who, almost in unison, motioned for me to get into the car. The talkative ladies were very interested in why I was in Tonga.

They seemed quite surprised that I would choose to go there. I got the impression that they believed Tongatapu was the most boring island in the Tongan chain and that there was nothing to do there.

The Adventure in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga Begins

After a while of chatting, the lady driving pulled over onto the side of the road. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. Perhaps we were just waiting for someone?

I couldn’t see any buildings around though. Just then, a lady seemed to appear out of nowhere and joined us \. It was at that point that the driver turned to me and asked if I had a license.

I indicated that I did, then she opened her door and said, “I don’t like driving in town, so you can drive!”.

I was so surprised that I think I agreed before I really knew what was going on. But hey, I do like driving, so why not? The ladies directed me to their village, just outside of the town, where we had to drop someone off.

A Full House in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

We stopped at a house where there seemed to be an impossible amount of people residing. At least 4 generations of people. They invited me in for dinner, but I had a host waiting for me in town, so I had to regretfully decline.

My host Jasmin, who I’d met from Couchsurfing, was infinitely amused that my hitchhiking adventure had turned into a driving adventure. I guess that’s not an everyday occurrence.

Food in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

I was fairly hungry when I arrived and it was around dinner time. Luckily, Jasmin knew where the good local food was made. But what do you do when you’re waiting on a tropical island?

Drink from a coconut, of course! A coconut straight from the fridge, no less.

Filling Up on Local Food in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

Cliche coconut consumption aside, I was looking forward to trying a local delicacy. A popular dish in the area consists of meat wrapped in taro leaves that have been soaked in coconut milk.

There are two variations; Lu Pulu (beef) and Lu Sipi (lamb). I grabbed the Lu Sipi and it was super rich and delicious. Given all the meat and coconut milk it contained, it was also a very heavy meal. I was barely able to finish it!

Imported Foods in Tantalsingly Tropical Tonga

Tongans also love having dessert after their super heavy meals and I was interested to see what Tongan desserts looked like. Unfortunately, pretty much everything was closed because I was on a small island after 7pm.

I did manage to find an ice cream shop open though. It seemed to be the only place open besides a couple of bars. I’m not sure if that’s why it was so crowded, or if it was just because locals really love ice cream? Even if the only flavours available were vanilla, strawberry and blitz.

Another imported food that Tongans love is KFC. Tonga is too small for KFC to open there, but all Tongans know what it is. To the point where anywhere that sells any kind of fried chicken refers to it as ‘Kentucky’.

Jasmin informed me that when locals fly back from New Zealand, where there are KFCs, they will bring back buckets of the stuff for the family. That sounds gross, I know, but it is only a short flight!

Nightlife in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

When Jasmin was ready to retire for the night I decided to have a little walk around the town. Except for a few cars here and there, the town was very quiet.

It wasn’t long until I’d found my way to some roadside tombs. They were quite ornate and it looked like people added flowers and tended to the graves every day.

Failing at Walking in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

As I wasn’t far from the sea, I decided to take a walk down to the waterfront. That didn’t go as I had planned. I could barely walk a few hundred metres without a car stopping to ask if I needed a lift.

Tongans are a very caring bunch and seemed worried that a foreigner was out walking by themselves at night. After the fifth car stopped and I hadn’t even managed to walk 500 metres, I gave up and found some local beer.

Animals of Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

Of course, you would expect tropical islands in the South Pacific to be full of tropical animals like birds and colourful fish. I promise I’ll show you some of that later.

Tonga also had its fair share of introduced animals wandering around. There were some stray cats and dogs, which you might expect to see almost anywhere in the world.

But chickens weren’t really on the list of animals I’d expected to see. Never-the-less, they were everywhere and normally had a couple of chicks in tow.

Other much larger animals that I was not expecting to see were boars. Obviously these had been introduced by European explorers and are now own by locals who let them roam the islands.

They generally seem quite docile and are always happy to eat any food you might leave out for them.

There are stories of fishing pigs. These are boars that have lost their natural fear of the water and can be seen wading out at low tide to catch themselves some dinner.

If you were thinking of going to Tonga for some sun and sea, you could end up staying to watch the fishing pigs!

Wandering Around the Town in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

As I’d been unsuccessful in reaching the waterfront at night, I decided to try it during the day. This time I was able to do it in a respectable five minutes! That’s how small Nuku’alofa is! On my wander, I was able to see some palm trees as you would expect.

But one of the more interesting things I saw was the Centennial Church. This church was run by the Free Church of Tonga, an organisation set up by the Tongan King and a missionary in 1885.

Unfortunately, Cyclone Gita hit Tonga a few months after I left, causing widespread damage. The church was one of the buildings damaged and as a consequence, is no longer in use. The royal tombs across the road fared better though.

As I got closer to the waterfront, there were a few memorials around.

And of course, as it was coming up to Christmas, some seasons greetings.

I’d come for the water though. While there was no beach to be seen, the area was calm and peaceful.

Tourist Attractions in Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga

As the Tongan island chain is particularly remote and not the most easily accessible, tourism hasn’t had a big impact on the area. That means that literally every tourist attraction on Tongatapu is listed on this roadsign.

That’s not to say that Nuku’alofa has not been set up with tourists in mind. There are actually a few informational signs around to guide you on your way. Like this handy map of the island, near the waterfront.

Tantalsingly Tropical Tonga Under The Sea

After Jasmin finished work, she asked if I wanted to join her for a swim. She had two bikes so we rode down to the waterfront. Given the absolute flatness of Nuku’alofa, the ride was rather quick and enjoyable.

We left the bikes up near the carpark and walked along some rocks to the local swimming spot.

I spied this little fella in a rock pool on the way.

But the view was definitely better under the water!

The fact that the tantalsingly tropical Tonga island chain is a little bit off the tourist radar and a little bit harder to reach makes it all the more enticing.

The absence of the big resorts seen on other islands gives it a more genuine and homely feel. It’s definitely a must-see! Head to the official Tonga Tourism Authority website to start planning your trip.

Check out all the South Pacific Adventures:
Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji
Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga
American Samoa
Surprising Samoa
The Captivating Cook Islands
New Caledonia
Discover the Real Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Pacific Paradise of Palau

29th December 20195th May 2023

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji

When most people think of Fiji, they think of islands, beaches and resorts.

While these are certainly prevalent, they are not really what Fiji is all about.

When I think of Fiji, I think of my childhood Fijian neighbour, who I thought was the funniest and friendliest man alive.

Because of that man, I was expecting a lot of friendliness and a whole pile of laughs in Fiji. I was not disappointed!

Read on to find out more about the friendliness and festivities in Fiji.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Fiji Time

Being a chain of hundreds of islands in an endless sea means that Fiji has a culture and vibe all of its own.

Aside from the friendliness that was noticeable instantly, one thing that struck me on arrival was that everyone was happy.

This could be because they have their own version of time over in Fiji.

This concept may be a bit hard for busy people to get a handle on. I’m sure you’ve heard of island time, but Fiji takes it to a whole new level with ‘Fiji Time’.

They even have the t-shirts to prove it.

Fiji time is really something else.

Things move slower and no one is stressed by deadlines. This means that everyone always has time for others.

Fiji has to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places on earth.

In fact, when you visit, you’ll leave with a new word in your vocabulary; Bula, the Fijian word for welcome.

You will hear and see it everywhere!

The friendliness and festivities in Fiji start at the airport.

All travellers arriving in Nadi are even given a welcome to Fiji serenade by locals in their colourful local threads.

We may have had no idea what they were singing about, but it sounded cheery and quickly put us at ease.

One interesting thing about Fiji is that alcohol is super expensive. Like really, stupidly expensive.

So much so that when locals have friends flying in, they ask them to grab some duty-free booze for them from the airport.

It’s half the price!

I had therefore agreed to grab some bourbon for my host, Save, who in turn met me at the airport.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – A Local Experience

Save lived in a very simple house in an area not too far from the airport.

It was very green and lovely but I was disappointed to find that I was on the wrong side of the island to climb the mountains.

The area only had a few small hills.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Family and Food

As soon as we got to Save’s house, I met some of his family and we immediately sat down for dinner.

As I mentioned before, Save’s place was rather simple, so they didn’t have a dining table.

That meant that a rug spread across the floor became the dining table for a delicious local meal.

Mostly eaten by hand. I like this idea actually. Who needs to wash those pesky knives and forks anyway?

Save’s place was about a 10 minute walk down from the main part of town, where the buses to the city left from.

On the way I saw some kids swimming in water that I wouldn’t think was good for them, but they seemed to be having a lot of fun!

I also saw horses and chickens wandering around.

It wasn’t until further into my South Pacific travels that I realised that chickens wandering around was a normal everyday occurrence on many Pacific Islands!

I also passed a store that claimed to have all my needs.

Although I found this claim dubious, especially considering the rather small size of it, I went inside to check it out anyway.

It turns out that they didn’t have all my needs, but the lovely shopkeeper was eager to chat to me.

With all that Fijian friendliness flying around, I didn’t leave that little store for over an hour.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Chats On a Fractured Fiji

On my many walks through the area that I was staying in, I noticed that there were a lot of Indian restaurants around.

I’d also noticed Indian places of worship.

I didn’t give it a second thought until the local bus into the city broke down.

The bus driver invited me to sit in his bus and wait for the replacement bus to come.

While waiting, he filled me in on why there was such a huge Indian population in the area.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Colonial Leftovers

Under British colonisation in the early 1900s, Fiji was a part of the indentured labour scheme.

Indentured labour is pretty much just a nice way of saying slavery.

While the labourers did get paid, the wages were very low and the conditions could sometimes be atrocious.

These indentured labourers had been brought over to Fiji from India at the expense of the colonial government.

Yet the government decided that, even though these labourers had contributed greatly to building the colony’s economy, they would not pay for them to go back to India.

That left many displaced workers with little to no money and no way of getting back to their birthplace.

With nowhere else to go, they made Fiji their home.

While I’d like to say it was all smooth sailing from there, according to Mr Bus Driver, it was not.

Even though they outnumbered the indigenous population at one point in history, they remained under-represented with in the country’s parliament for several years.

They also endured many years of racism. It seems like things may be getting better if this sign is any indication.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Exploring the City

As this impromptu history lesson ended, the replacement bus arrived.

Mr Bus Driver made sure I was the first person to step onto the bus.

He indicated that I should take the seat behind him.

The 30 minute drive into the city cost only FJ$1.5, which is around AU$1.

It wasn’t long after getting off the bus that a friendly local had stopped me to say, “Bula!”.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Friendly Shopkeepers

He introduced himself to me as Will and said that if I needed anything while I was in the city, I could go to him.

After showing me where the cheap local food was, he insisted that I go to his friend’s shop.

He had told me the story of his friend being a struggling artist just trying to sell some traditional handmade crafts.

I was expecting a small shop, but it was huge.

While I suspect that story was a bit of a speil, Will didn’t get pushy.

With their proximity to Australia and New Zealand, Fijians are no strangers to cashed-up tourists. So I can’t really blame the guy for trying.

Even though I didn’t buy anything, he still seemed happy.

When I left he asked me to tell all my friends about the store, of course!

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Christmas and New Year

Given their colonial past, you would be correct in assuming that Fijians are big on celebrating Christmas and New Year.

But of course, they do it with their own island twist!

I don’t remember seeing many Christmas trees while exploring, but I did see many sets of lights arranged to look like Christmas trees.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Fireworks and Friendly Fire

When the new year is almost upon them, Fijians like to light up the sky with fireworks. As is done in many places around the world.

But what they do after is a little more unique.

As I was walking to a house party I’d been invited to by some people I’d just met outside a club, one of my new friends told me to stop.

I was a little puzzled and wondered what was going on.

My friend advised that there were people behind a gate getting ready to throw buckets of water at us.

We quickly crossed to the other side of the road, where he explained that this is somewhat of a local tradition. Throwing buckets of water at unsuspecting people walking past.

Considering it was summer, I could think of worse things to endure.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Islands

I guess no trip to Fiji is complete without seeing a few different islands, right? But what’s a budget traveller to do?

Would you believe there is actually an island resort in Fiji that caters to budget travellers?

It’s still not what I would consider cheap, but the price is considerably lower than other islands.

Someone from the family that I stayed with for the second half of my stay, was able to get me an industry discount.

That meant that I only paid FJ$190 (AU$125) for a day trip to Beachcomber, one of the Mamanuca Islands. The regular price at thst moment was FJ$219 (AU$145).

A free bus transfer to Denaru Marina comes with the purchase of an island package.

That was great because I really had no other option to get to the marina, which was several kilometres out of town.

The boat ride out was quite enjoyable.

As you could imagine, there was plenty of blue water to keep me mesmerised. Along with some famous islands.

There were sporadic announcements about upcoming islands where different movies had been filmed.

Some islands were even named after the movies that were filmed there.

We even stopped at a few of the bigger resort islands on the way to drop off passengers.

They got their own special island welcome.

Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji – Beachcomber

Beachcomber itself is clearly set up for a younger, more active crowd.

Even though the whole island is less than one kilometre long, there’s a lot to do, if you’re willing to pay a bit extra of course.

You could play mini golf on a fairly well-used course.

Or do some kayaking. Although that option wasn’t available on the day I was there.

The first thing you might notice is The Sand Bar, where you can get yourself a local beverage for about FJ$8.

But if you take 10 minutes to have a walk around the island, you might see some wildlife too.

Or there’s a small boat tour included in your day trip.

They’ll take you out to the middle of the sea to let you do some snorkeling and feed some fish.

Perhaps you’d just prefer to sit on the beach and admire the view?

Keep an eye out for the next stop on my South Pacific tour; Tonga!

Head to Fiji Travel for more information on Fiji.

Check out all the South Pacific adventures:
Friendliness and Festivities in Fiji
Tantalisingly Tropical Tonga
American Samoa
Surprising Samoa
The Captivating Cook Islands
New Caledonia
Discover the Real Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Palau

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13th October 201931st March 2023

Party in Panama City

K in Motion Travel Blog. Party in Panama. Panama City Skyline

Getting To the Party in Panama City

After my awesome Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica I’d gotten myself on a direct bus from the Costa Rican capital of San Jose to the Panamanian capital of Panama City. It was a very long drive. About 16 hours, mostly along the Pacific coastline. I gotta say I was tired of sitting down and ready to party in Panama City! Or sleep in Panama City.

I got into Panama City at about 3am and found my way to a hostel. They couldn’t check me in, but said I could sleep on a very comfortable looking couch in the meantime. Anything that didn’t involve sitting down was quite enticing for me at that point. So I took up residence on said couch and was snoozing a few seconds later. After a few hours sleep on the couch, the staff gave me a bed in a room. Then they said I wouldn’t have to pay for the first night’s accommodation. Sweet.

Casco Viejo – Old Town

My accommodation was in the old town, so I’m sure you can guess what I did. Explored the old town, of course! The old town is also known as Casco Viejo, which is Spanish for Old Quarter. Not only was it granted world heritage status by UNESCO in 1997 but it’s also home to some of Panama City’s best nightlife. This was very evident around Christmas time, when the party people took to the streets at night.

Casco Viejo was surprisingly quiet during the day though. At times it felt like you were the only one in the area. There were also some parts of it that were a bit gritty. Several buildings had fallen into disrepair, despite the UNESCO listing, and it didn’t seem like any attempt was being made to fix them. For me, this just added to Casco Viejo’s appeal.

In stark contrast, just a few hundred metres away, one of the town’s major sites, Catedral Metropitana in Plaza de la Independencia was under reconstruction. Strangely, I didn’t hear any construction noises, nor see any workers near there during my stay. I guess they must’ve had time off for the Christmas holiday.

There were also a few green areas in the town, which made it super lovely and relaxing. It was such a pleasure to walk around Casco Viejo. At times it even felt like you’d walked into another century.

See the New From the Old

The town is rather tiny and very easy to navigate, although the narrow streets can be a bit disorienting to begin with. One of the most awesome things about Casco Viejo is that it isn’t very far from Panama City’s super modern skyline.

As a defensive measure, the town was built on a peninsula. Obviously, there’s no need for it to be defensible these days. But the design means that a short walk from almost anywhere in the old town will get you to a beautiful foreshore. On that foreshore is the Matasnillo River, which separates Casco Viejo from Panama City. The river is 12km long.

From the heart of old Panama, you can peer across the water into the heart of modern Panama City. It looks beautiful.

Party in Panama City – Casco Viejo at Night

As lovely as it was during the day, the old town changed its tone at night. No longer were you walking along almost deserted streets. The narrow streets of the old town came alive at night. They were full of lights from restaurants and cocktail bars that weren’t visible during the day. Full of cheery chatter from many people that seemingly came out of nowhere to enjoy some drinks. Nighttime was the time to party in Panama City!

The atmosphere was quite jovial, possibly due to it being the festive time of year. That was before the fireworks. The main fireworks display, which I presume was put on by the city, was followed by more fireworks. This time smaller ones that looked like they were coming from nearby rooftops. They seemed to spur people in the streets to start dancing, as the music got louder so it could be heard over the intermittent fireworks.

Panamanians really know how to party! I didn’t want to be the weird tourist that just stood there watching. So I befriended some locals and joined in. Firecrackers may have been handed to me, to set off in unison with others. I may or may not have set them off while laughing uncontrollably. You’ll never know.

Party in Panama City – The Panama Canal

What trip to Panama would be complete without a visit to Panama’s most famous and one of the world’s most ambitious engineering projects? The Panama Canal or Canal de Panamá is a marvel of not so modern engineering. It’s amazing to think that it was put into operation in 1914 and the original lock gates are still in use.

Why Make a Canal?

In short, the canal was constructed to reduce maritime transits between the Pacific and Altantic Oceans. The journey through the 82km canal takes nearly 12 hours. The alternative route, would take ships around the entire South American continent. That journey also includes traversing the treacherous Cape Horn and could take several weeks. Even with tolls that can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, the canal proves to be more cost-effective for most cargo and cruise companies.

What Happens in the Canal?

A series of 6 canal locks are used to raise ships the 26m required to sail through the artificial Gatun Lake, then lower them back down to sea level at the other end. The Gatun Locks raise/lower ships on the Atlantic side and the Minaflores Locks raise/lower ships on the Pacific side. While that may all sound rather boring, seeing it in action is slightly more interesting.

Obviously, Panama City is on the Pacific side of Panama and I therefore visited the Minaflores Locks. The most interesting thing I learnt there was that a man paid a 36 cent toll to swim the Panama Canal in 1928. These days the toll can run into the $100,000s, depending on the size and weight of the vessel.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the Panama Canal, it has its own website.

The Party in Panama City is Over

They say all good things must come to an end. This is the unfortunate thing about travelling. Sometimes you need to leave a place before you’re ready. This was the case with Panama. The people and the sights had been beautiful, but I was quickly running out of holiday time.

For more information on Panama, head to the Visit Panama website.

Keep an eye out for my next posts on my adventures in Colombia and street art in Colombia!

Go back to where it all started and follow the whole overland adventure from Nicaragua to Colombia and Colombia to Peru –
Love and Volcanoes in Nicaragua
Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica
Party in Panama City
Contemporary Colombia and its Colourful Cities
Contemporary Colombia Street Art
A Journey to the Middle of the World
Baños – A Crazy Little Town in Ecuador
Northern Peruvian Frontier Town of Tumbes
Adventures in Southern Peru

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8th October 201931st March 2023

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica

If you’ve heard of Costa Rica, you’re probably aware that it’s famous for it’s greenery, it’s happy residents and it’s mountains. There are adventures to be had in those mountains! Mountain adventures in Costa Rica are probably the main tourist draw of the country. While I don’t normally go for touristy stuff, I can’t resist adventures. So onto Costa Rica I went!

Pre-Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Getting to the Mountains

After an uneventful border crossing through the Peñas Blancas border, I continued on to the town of Liberia in Costa Rica’s northwest. It was about a 2 hour drive with some awesome scenery. I’d only planned a short stop in Liberia, as I wanted to get to the mountains as quickly as possible. I really do love mountains! I arrived in Liberia in the evening and it all looked very festive. That could’ve been because it was around Christmas time.

Getting my head around the currency in Costa Rica proved a bit challenging. In Nicaragua, 100 Nicaraguan Córdoba are equal to roughly US$3, whereas 1000 Costa Rican Colones are equal to a little under US$2. It was at that point that I realised that I didn’t know the word for one thousand in Spanish! I had only learnt the numbers to 100, thinking that would be enough.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Guessing the Price

So when I bought something at the town square, I sheepishly asked how much it was, knowing that I may not understand the answer. The reply was, ‘dos mil’. So two something.. mil must mean 1000, right? I handed the man two 1000 Colones notes hoping that I had guessed correctly. The man took my money and handed me my street food with a smile. I’d gotten a US$3.50 street meal and learned something new! Costa Rica had been great so far.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Getting to the Mountains

The next morning I got myself on a bus to the mountains. Sort of. Apparently there were no direct public buses available from Liberia to my destination. So I had to hop on a bus going to San Jose and get off at La Irma. From there I could get a bus onto the mountain town of Monteverde.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Looking For The Bus Stop

I grabbed a snack from the service station at the junction where I’d been dropped off. It seemed to be the only building for miles. I couldn’t see the bus stop that the previous bus driver had promised was there. I tried to ask the staff at the service station where I could catch the bus. As I only had about a week’s experience of speaking Spanish, it didn’t go as well as expected. It turns out that Spanish words spelt similarly to English words have different pronunciations. We all worked it out eventually though.

I made my way across the road to the bus stop, which was a small shelter surrounded by trees. It was barely noticeable from the service station. I started waiting there, not knowing when the bus would arrive. The fact that other people were waiting made me feel a bit more sure about the fact that the bus was running.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Riding with Locals

After about 20 minutes of waiting, I was the only person left at the bus stop. I watched as cars pulled up every few minutes and people waiting got in the cars. I figured it was just an easy place for people to arrange for their lifts to meet them. Then a car stopped and motioned for me to get in. There was a lovely bunch of people in the car eager to know all about me. The language barrier made things a little difficult but the occupants were still super friendly.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Failed Attempt at Walking

They took me a few kilometres up the road, but they needed to turn off the road that went the way I needed to go. By that point, I was only about 3km from Las Juntas, so I decided it was walkable. It wasn’t long before a man in a small red car picked me up and took me the rest of the way to Las Juntas. He dropped me off at the bus station so I could get a bus to Monteverde.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Las Juntas

I bought my ticket from a tiny little hole in the wall, which took me a while to locate. The bus wasn’t due to leave for another hour so I walked around the little town of Las Juntas. It was very quiet and very green.

While I was walking around, a few locals stopped me and asked if I was looking for ‘agua caliente’. I guess that means that there are hot springs in the area. They’re really not my thing, so I continued walking and found the town square. It had a lot of interesting sculptures. Some with a definite Christmas theme.

Las Juntas de Abangares was a product of Costa Rica’s 1800s gold rush. It served as a major mining town and important stop for people seeking their fortunes. Its importance in history is documented at the Ecomuseo de Las Minas de Abangares, or Mining Eco Museum of Abangares. I guess that also explains this strange monument on the road heading out of town toward Monteverde.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Monteverde

The 30km journey from Las Juntas to Monteverde took just over an hour, because of the size of the bus, the incline and the winding mountain roads. Of course the scenery was awesome. I got into Monteverde just in time for sunset. A very early sunset. Apparently that’s a thing in Costa Rica.

I got lucky when I arrived to check-in at my accommodation in Monteverde. Not only was it right near the bus terminus, but the lady at reception was super nice. She put me in a room by myself, but still only charged me the shared room price. As an extra bonus, the place had hot water! Everywhere I’d stayed in Nicaragua only had cold water. But then again, it was fairly hot there, so having cold showers wasn’t so bad.

After checking in, I booked my mountain adventures in Costa Rica for the next day. I then decided to explore the town a little bit, only to find that almost everything was closed. It was also much cooler than the foothills and it was very hilly. This wasn’t a problem for me but I could see how it would be for some.

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Ziplining Through a Forest Canopy

I arose bright and early, excited about my upcoming zipline adventure through a forest canopy. I would soon be zipping along the longest zipline in Central America! But first, we had a safety briefing.

Then spotted some local wildlife on the way up to the treetops.

Each of the ziplines started and finished at small wooden platforms throughout the treetops. As you could imagine, there are quite a few stairs to climb to get to the first platform. Then there was some waiting, because only one person is allowed on the platform at a time. I was excited when I was finally on my way!

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Pretending to be Superman

The park had a total of 11 ziplines, including the longest zipline in Central America at 1590m. 2 of those lines were superman lines. As the name suggests, you fly down the lines in a horizontal position, like superman. It’s a pretty awesome feeling. The staff member at the platform told us that we were around 2km above ground level at that point. You wouldn’t want to drop something from that height!

After the superman lines, we ended up on a suspension bridge that led us to the park’s peace de resistance; a 45m high Tarzan Swing!

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Me Tarzan

It’s kind of like a combination of a small bungy jump and a swing, except that the staff are sneaky and will retract the platform you’re standing on with no warning. Which means there was a lot of screaming. From other people, not me. I may have let out a ‘woohoo’ or two.

Food and Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica

What’s the best way to end a hard morning of flying around a rainforest on ziplines? Steak and chocolate at a cute cafe with new friends!

Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica – Onto the Capital

My final stop in Costa Rica was San Jose, the capital. It is also said to be the safest city in Central America. The locals were very friendly. On my walk from the bus station where I was dropped off, to my accommodation on the other side of town, I was stopped for a chat a few times. One of the most notable of these chats was with a man named William. He had marched right up to me and put his hand out to shake and introduced himself. After the normal questions, he deduced that I mustn’t be married because I looked happy. I couldn’t argue with that logic.

As I continued my walk through the city, the atmosphere was quite festive. I soon arrived at my accommodation. The staff were very friendly but didn’t speak much English. My crappy, but improving Spanish was really getting a workout. After sorting everything out, I retired to my room to see a sign with some bizarre rules.

Costa Rica had been amazing and beautiful, but it was time to move on. After a good night’s sleep, I hopped on a bus for the long trip to Panama City in Panama.

Looking to have your own Mountain Adventures in Costa Rica? You can find out more about Costa Rica at Visit Costa Rica