Kinmen - my favourite Island all time

One of my favourite destinations on this planet is not one that sees loads of travellers, that would maybe be one of the reasons that this is such a fantastic place to visit.
For many travellers Taiwan is not on the list of places to visit when traveling through Asia, but for those who do visit it tends to be one of the most memorable stays on their trip.
Out of those who visit Taiwan and also make it to the outlying island of Kinmen (金門, Jinmen) CONGRATULATIONS!

Beautifully decorated Entrance in Jinsha, Kinmen folk culture village - Kinmen, 金門, Jīnmén, Taiwan

This island has it all, contemporary and old history, great people, great food, beautiful scenery, and great guesthouses.

During my visit to Kinmen I stayed at Luo Fun Jyu guesthouse a beautifully restored house in the village of Zhushan.

The owner, a man and his old father treat guests like VIPs with splendid service, and this is probably Most amazing B&B stay in Taiwan
We were picked up from the airport by the father of the owner "Laoye", a very friendly and helpful man, he spent a day taking me and my friend around for sightseeing free of charge.
During the stay we were treated to tea and drinks in the evening. Laoye was also taking orders for what breakfast we wanted the following day (then order it from the breakfast shop). Rooms are excellent, and fantastic value for money.

Below would be some impressions of what there is to see on this Island.

First of all, the guesthouse is a sight in itself:

 

Breakfast prepared and ready to eat when waking up at the Luo Fun Jyu Guesthouse on Kinmen - Taiwan

 

The village and surrounding area of the guesthouse on Kinmen - Taiwan

Around the main town of Jincheng one of the landmarks of the island is Juguang tower (莒光樓) a pretty romantic location, from here one can also enjoy a very pretty sunset from the balcony looking out over the island and the ocean.

 

Juguang tower (莒光樓) - Jinchen, Kinmen - Taiwan

Juguang tower (莒光樓) - Jinchen, Kinmen - Taiwan

A short ride away from the town is Ci lake, (慈湖)with a dedicted sunset viewing spot.

 Ci lake, (慈湖) - Kinmen, Taiwan

One of the most famous and successful singers from the mandarin speaking world is Theresa Teng, (鄧麗君)loved by generations. During the height of the war her songs were played at the Beishan broadcasting station in Kinmen (48 loudspeakers) just 2 kms away from Xiamen city aiming towards the Chinese mainland with songs like Tian Mi Mi. At one point the star herself visited the Island and went to speak through the broadcasting station to the troops stationed on Kinmen.

Today Kinmen hosts a museum dedicated to her and her time on the Island.

Teresa Teng remembered and commemorated for her time spent on the island of Kinmen - Taiwan

Traveling around the Island (there are actually two islands making up Kinmen county) there are loads of sights both reminding of contemporary tensions (formally battle ended in the 1980s) but also much older sights, the island has been inhabited since the Tang dynasty.

Mashan (馬山) observing station, Huan Wo He Shan (還我河山 - Return My Country) - Kinmen, Taiwan

Traditional village setting on Kinmen - Taiwan

Nightlife at the town square in Jincheng - Kinmen, Taiwan

Vintage cafe in Jincheng, greeted by a typical Wind Lion at the entrance - Kinmen, Taiwan

Kinmen serves a potent version of the famous Taiwanese milk tea with a splash of Kaoliang liquor named "Mao Zedong milk tea" showing how distant the past on the island today - Kinmen, Taiwan

 

Jersey – The Sunniest place in the British Isles

Just a short flight from the airports of the UK capital lies Jersey. Not only the largest and southernmost of the British channel islands, but also the place the receives the most sun hours per year of all the British Isles (https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/were-still-sunniest-place-british-isles/#.W78Egmeosy8).

For ~70 GBP I made the journey from Southend Airport to Jersey and back for a weekend of sea and sun in September to soak up the last feel of summer before autumn starts. Jersey did not disappoint, it was indeed warm and sunny, the sea was blue, and glittering, and the sea food was fresh. Even the famous Jersey cows were smiling along with me for the weekend.

On the agenda was some beach walking around the capital, a visit to the central market, fresh oysters and a speedy rib boat trip out to the islets of Les Ecrehous where we also had the possibility to spot some curious seals.

Although it is cheap and fast to get to Jersey from the mainland UK it is worth to note that hotels can be expensive. Public transport on the other hand was cheap, timely and efficient. It was possible to pay the bus fare with a contact less debit card, 2 GBP from the airport to the bus terminal in St Helier (Liberation station, one will notice there are many references to Liberation on this island given the history…)

Below are the impressions from 36 sunny hours on Jersey in September this year:



Mont Orgueil Castle Over looking Gorey Harbour - Jersey



Rib boat trip to the islets of Les Ecrehous



Rib boat trip to the islets of Les Ecrehous



The islets of Les Ecrehous are uninhabited however have a few holiday homes, when the water is low it is possible to walk between them.



Around the market in St Helier, Oysters sold for 1£ each



Fish and seafood market of St Helier - Jersey



Beach at St Helier - Jersey



Central Market, St Helier - Jersey



Central Market, St Helier - Jersey

Whale Watching, Sao Miguel, Azores

One must do activity in Azores would be going for a trip to look for dolphins and whales.
Important to keep in mind is that you are not guaranteed to see anything, although highly likely to see at least dolphins during the excursion.


There are quite many operators offering whale watching on Azores, departing from various towns. I went with Terra Azul (https://www.azoreswhalewatch.com/) departing from Vila Franca Do Campo for a three hour trip priced just around 60€ for one person.


I did not expect the three hours to pass so quickly, and what I also did not expect was the emotions rushing through me at every sighting of marine life. It was really worth the money, the guide made the best to inform us of the species we saw and their charateristics. We were lucky on that day back in June 2018 and spotted various types of both dolphins and whales, including a fin whale (second largest whale in the Ocean). Below would be my impression from this wonderful 3 hours tour.


Dolphins on the whale watching tour with Terra Azul, Azores



Pilot whales with their characteristic fins outside the Azores, Whale watching with Terra Azul



Rib Boat with dolphins jumping in front, whale watching with Terra Azul, Azores

Azores - Europe's best Island Getaway? Driving and Hiking around the Island in June.

A green and lush island full of flowers, where Hydrangea grows in abundance, with a warm climate, full of fresh fish, locally grown bananas, Europe's first and only tea plantation. A fair bit of history, some good restaurants, birds and marine wildlife, great hikes for all levels of hikers. All this readily accessible only a couple of hours flight from continental Europe and where hotels and AirBnB still offer some really good bargains.


Sounds too good to be true? I am happy to say Azores could as well be too good to be true, luckily it is a very real group of islands in the Atlantic outside of Portugal :)



Location of Sao Miguel Island, Azores

I spent 5 days on the main island of Sao Miguel in June this year. The flight was booked with TAP and I paid just below 100€ return from continental Portugal to Ponta Delgada. There are also quite a few options available with low cost airlines to Azores both from Portugal and from other European airports during season (UK for example). I stayed in a very comfortable room that I found through AirBnB and paid no more than 25€ per night.



On the island I rented a car, driving here is easy, traffic is not too heavy and roads are good, one just needs to be careful not to get to swept away by the beautiful landscape and make sure to keep focus on the other cars around.



Below would be my impressions of places visited, and food eaten during my days driving and hiking around Sao Miguel.




Among others I visited a Jurrasic Park like hot spring area near to the Viewpoint of Bela Vista, the tea plantation of Gorreana, hiked to a waterfall (see separate post), and also went Whale Watching. In addition to that I spent one sunny afternoon lazing around and swimming on the small islet of Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo.

Since 1883 the company Gorreana produces black and green tea on the island of Sao Miguel - Azores



Lau-a-Teng (picture) and his buddy Lau-a-Pau arrived from Portuguese Macau in the 1800s to start Europe's first tea plantation



Tea plantation, Cha Gorreana, Sao Miguel - Azores



The Islet of  Ilheu de Vila Franca is just outside the town with the same name, it offers a secluded lagoon with clear and rather warm water for swimming. Boats depart from the marina hourly during the day. Sao Miguel - Azores



The Islet of  Ilheu de Vila Franca is just outside the town with the same name, it offers a secluded lagoon with clear and rather warm water for swimming. Boats depart from the marina hourly during the day. Sao Miguel - Azores



Jurassic World looking environment around one of the thermal baths on the Island of Sao Miguel - Azores



Jurassic World looking environment around one of the thermal baths on the Island of Sao Miguel - Azores



The trade mark view on the island of Sao Miguel, Sete Cidades, with the Atlantic in the background - Azores



Fish stew with rice, a very tasty dish offered for 15€ (for a large pot) at the restaurant O Capitao, Lagoa, Sao Miguel - Azores



Braised Tuna on Sao Miguel - Azores



Fresh sea food served on Sao Miguel - Azores

São Tomé and Príncipe – Cidade de São Tomé (Capital)

Some 200km off the coast on Africa just on the equator is São Tomé and Príncipe, a set of two main Islands with a Portuguese background. Ahead of my trip, mentioning my destination to colleagues in the office there was only one of some 20 persons who knew the place (and she was Portuguese…), and I guess that is no surprise with a country that only receives some 20-30k international arrivals per year.

There was limited information to be found, although booking flights and hotels was easy and straight forward. For my September trip, I booked return flights from Lisbon with Portuguese carrier TAP priced at just around 600€ about six months in advance. At the time this is the only option to fly from Europe directly (almost… one hour stop in Ghana). A travelogue in a Swedish newspaper had named the country “The Havana of Africa” (Havana of Africa).

Below would be my experiences through photos of arriving to the country’s only international airport and spending a couple of days exploring the capital city and surroundings. This is probably around one of the happiest places I have visited, throughout my stay there I never saw anyone getting agitated or angry, what’s more is the safety is really good, no issues walking around late in the evening. While walking out on the countryside at multiple times people would stop and offer me rides to the next village.

Some practical advice would be to know that there are no real possibilities for using your credit card here, also the ATMs do not work with an international card, so cash is king and the EUR is widely accepted, many of the hotels would also offer the possibility to pay by a bank transfer (for the two places I used this option they had a Portuguese bank account meaning a free SEPA transfer is possible from any other EUR account in Europe).

Price level is relatively low compared to Europe, but also compared to some of the neighbouring countries on the African mainland. In general, local produce such as fish and fruit is really cheap, while mineral water and processed food products are imported from Portugal and sell at around the same price (or sometimes higher).

Final approach, the last part of the flight from Accra is quite fast and all of a sudden the Island rises in front of us out of the blue Atlantic.

The international airport of São Tomé, one rather small building containing customs, arrivals, and departures (with a small Café and a souvenir shop)

Town Centre in the capital city, just nearby the Mercado Municipal, here would also be the place to go to find transport on the island. Taxis and also shared taxis (minibuses) that are much cheaper although tend to be pretty packed (for the one I used we about 15 people in the minibus)

Mercado Municipal, a fest of fresh produce both from land and ocean, a whole fresh tuna sold at 6€ (not sure if that is the local price), and I got five bananas for about 0.20€.

Whole fresh tuna sold at 6€ (Mercado Municipal – Sao Tome)

Fresh fish for sale directly at the beach (the friendly lady did happily let me take a picture of her in action when I asked)

Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, or simply Cathedral of São Tomé (Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graça)

Town Centre – the yellow minibuses serve as the closest option to public transport, crowded and slow but a cheap way to travel the island. We were about 15 persons (some kids) in mine for the two hour ride across the island and with some language confusion we still managed to share some food, and establish that I was not married, come from Sweden (or maybe Switzerland) and that the others thought it would be a wise decision to consider to find a local lady, get some kids, and settle on the island…

Street scene - Cidade de São Tomé

Your local Sao Tomean liquor store (outside Mercado Municipal)

Mangoes growing at a very convenient height in the middle of town (near Avenida da Independencia - São Tomé)

Lighthouse on top of Forte de São Sebastião, a building that also houses the national museum of this island nation.

Village life just nearby the capital city