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September 8, 2018

Bran castle is also called Dracula‘s Castle, and is located in the Transylvania region of Romania. But did Dracula really live in this castle, and why is it called Dracula’s Castle?

An Easy Day Trip to Bran Castle Transylvania

Bran castle in Transylvania is a must see destination if you ever travel to Romania. It’s about 200 km from Bucharest to the north, and is about a three hour drive. It’s in a mountainous area surrounded by the picturesque Carpathian Mountains.

History of Bran Castle – Vlad Dracula

This is an authentic medieval castle built in the 14th century. Our tour guide told us that the man who built Bran Castle was a grandson of the famous Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a. Vlad Dracula. However I don’t buy into this story, for the dates don’t seem to line up.

The story goes that Vlad the Impaler had rather a nasty reputation as a cruel and ruthless ruler of 15th century Romania. And that’s why he was given the nickname Dracul, which translates as “son of the devil”.

Vlad Dracula was said to have passed through this valley several times, however there are no firm associations between Vlad Dracula and Dracula’s Castle a.k.a. Bran Castle. Here’s a picture of Mr. Vlad.

I’m at Bran Castle in Bran, Brașov https://t.co/RhX81d2Ii3 pic.twitter.com/SVniitIZ1X

— leandro (@leoSouto) August 27, 2018

Whether or not the man who built it was related to the Vlad the Impaler has little effect on the astonishing beauty of this castle. This is an authentic medieval castle from the 14th century, and it’s dripping with medieval character.

Bram Stoker and Count Dracula

Apparently Bram Stoker got a little confused as to the real location of Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania. Bran Castle fit the description perfectly for the castle described in Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula.

Bran Castle is located high on a rock above a valley in Transylvania, exactly the same as in Bram Stoker’s 19th century novel Dracula. But there is debate over whether Bram Stoker based Draculas’s Castle on Bran Castle, or a different castle some 60 km away.

And also there’s another newer castle built in the Northern Romania which is rumoured to be Dracula’s Castle. So as it stands today there are actually three potential Dracula‘s Castles, and a bit of debate as to which one is the real one referred to in Bram Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula.

The Hunyad Castle in Transylvania, Romania. This was supposedly the inspiration for Dracula’s castle in B. Stokers book pic.twitter.com/PbbSWncE

— warebear (@Warebear0118) October 3, 2012

Whether or not Bran Castle is the real Dracula‘s Castle, it is still in amazing castle to visit. That’s because of its authenticity, being a genuine medieval castle built on top of a 60 metre cliff. And it’s in such a beautiful mountainous location.

Bran Castle Royal History

This castle also has some recent royal history. It was the favourite residence of the Queen of Romania, from the 1920s through to about 1948, when the Communist rulers confiscated Bran Castle and expelled the Royal Family.

The castle remained State property with the Communist party until around 1989, when they were overthrown during the Romanian Revolution. When Romania took back possession of the castle in 1989, they discovered that all the authentic medieval furniture was missing.

So the empty castle was re-stocked with replica medieval furniture, which is amazingly accurate and antique looking to this day. But it is a shame that it’s not the authentic medieval furniture that would’ve been found there in the 1920s.

Bran Castle Romania secret staircase — A Secret Staircase

Tour Inside Bran Castle

We booked a tour through our favourite tour booking platform GetYourGuide.com. The tour was called 2 Transylvania Castles in 1 Day. The tour left Bucharest at 8 am and was advertised as a 12 hour tour. As it turned out we arrived home back in Bucharest around 9:30 PM, so it’s closer to a 14 hour tour.

Bran Castle is the last stop for the day on this 2 Castle tour. The bus stops at the parking area, about a 15 minute walk from the castle. There are very few stair stairs along the walk up to Bran Castle, but there is a moderately steep pathway.

Bran Castle Romania pathway — The pathway up to Bran Castle

We visited the castle on a Saturday during peak season (mid summer) on a nice warm sunny day. In mid afternoon there were literally swarms of people walking through Bran Castle. Check out the video below and you’ll see what I mean.

There is one entrance and one exit to Bran Castle, and a standard marked route that visitors follow through the castle interior. The marked tour route takes you up to the third floor through a series of narrow staircases. Our favourite is the secret staircase which takes you from the 1st to the second floor.

Medieval Museum

Along the marked tour route you pass many rooms set up as a kind of museum where you can see a re-enactment of medieval life. Medieval armour and weapons are on display, and even a torture chamber.

At one point you pass by a room with the replica kings crown set up in a cabinet. Along the castle tour route there are heaps of great viewing points, both at the stunning surrounding countryside and the internal enclosed courtyard.

Bran Castle Romania view from the top — Admiring the view from the top of the Castle

The good thing about Bran Castle is that you’re not part of a guided tour, so there’s no real hurry. Instead the tour is self paced, and there are heaps of instructional boards along the way, where you can read about the history and significance of each room.

Before you exit the Bran Castle you pass a couple of basic souvenir shops packed with Bran Castle souvenirs. We bypassed these and bought our souvenirs along the road side after you exit the castle, where there are heaps more souvenir shops at cheaper prices.

Bran Castle Romania souvenir — The line of souvenir shops near Bran Castle

Other Things to See at Bran Castle

On the way out be sure to take a walk around the lake below the castle. It’s here that you get the best photo of the castle with the lake in the foreground and a reflection of the castle on the lake.

Bran Castle Romania Lake View — The view from the Lake

This would be best in the morning, because it is difficult to get a good photo of the castle in late afternoon with the sun directly behind the castle.

The GetYourGuide.com tour package includes the Bran Castle entrance fee. In Bran Castle you don’t have to pay for a photography pass either (unlike nearby Peles Castle), which is a tremendous relief.

Recommended Itinerary

All in all you should allow around three hours to visit Bran Castle. Here’s our recommended itinerary:

15 minutes to walk in from the car park
90 minutes to walk through the castle interior
30 minutes to walk around the lake in the bottom of the castle
15 minutes to walk out
30 minutes to browse the souvenir shops

You might want to add another hour to just sit in the park and chill out, or to grab some lunch. There are a couple of take away food places amongst the souvenir shops.

Bran Castle Romania courtyard — Admiring the courtyard inside the Castle

Bran Castle as a Must See Destination

Overall Bran Castle is deserving of its reputation as the Number One Castle in Transylvania. As a result we thoroughly enjoyed Bran Castle and all it’s 14th century authenticity. It truly is a dazzling medieval castle, perhaps one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

Bran Castle does offers fairly easy access to the exterior, but the interior tour is not suitable for visitors with mobility problems. Overall we thoroughly recommend you visit this castle as a must-see attraction in Romania. Probably best to avoid peak hour and choose a quiter time to visit.

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Flying to Bucharest Romania on Aeroflot Russian Airlines

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August 25, 2018

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P080 Moscow to Bucharest Romania — Cheap airfares via Moscow

Holidays to Europe can cost and arm and a leg when it comes to airfares. But consider flying to Moscow and then to Bucharest Romania on Aeroflot Russian Airlines. We chose this trip because it’s the most economical way to get from Vietnam to Europe; actually it was cheap as chips.

How to Choose the Best European Holiday Destination

So picture this. We are in Vietnam having kind of a long holiday. And we have an bright idea to go to Greece next, just because we’ve always wanted to go to Greece. But sadly when we check our favorite app Skyscanner, tickets cost an arm and a leg. But tickets to Moscow on Aeroflot Russian Airlines are very cheap in comparison. And Moscow is a major hub for Eastern Europe. Moscow it is.

Our next choice is how to get from Moscow to Greece. We search on Skyscanner and find some very cheap flights to Bucharest, Romania. And getting from Bucharest to Greece is very easy; there are loads of cheap regional flights to choose from.

So getting from Hanoi to Europe turns out to be cheap and easy, flying Aeroflot to Moscow and then to Bucharest Romania.

Noi Bai Airport Dining Hack

Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam is one of my favorite airports because it’s brand new, it’s modern and it’s super clean. After all, it was just opened in 2015. After an early start we arrived at the airport 3 hours early for our 10:15 AM flight. And then after checking in, and before going through security, we went upstairs for some breakfast.

This is a great hack at Noi Bai airport, the meals before security cost around two or three dollars for a solid Vietnamese style meal. But if you buy inside the departure area past security, meals cost 4 to 5 times that amount. And as a bonus there are about 10 or 15 great Vietnamese restaurants to choose from.

Who doesn’t like a nice bowl of Vietnamese Pho? Time for one last Pho before hitting Moscow.

Moscow to Bucharest SVO stopover — In the expansive restaurant area at Not Bai Hanoi

Flying from Hanoi to Moscow

Our first flight to Moscow was over 9 hours, and overall very comfortable flight. We were on an Airbus A330, loaded up with a great entertainment system. What I really like is that the movie descriptions include IMDB ratings out of 10. This tells you which movies are awesome and which ones are not really worth watching. I’ve never seen this on any other airline. It’s a great help to decide which movies to enjoy.

Moscow to Bucharest Aeroflot economy class — Onboard the super comfortable Aeroflot Economy class

The other thing I really like is that the menus have detailed nutritional information like fat content and calories. This is shown for each meal portion as well. This is important if you’re on a low-fat diet, so you can easily see which meals to choose with the lowest fat content.

And the meals are super yummy, we were all very happy with the two meals given in our Aeroflot economy section. There were even ice creams issued in between meals, which always makes for a great flight.

Arriving at Moscow SVO Sheremetyevo Airport

We arrived in Moscow and had a 4 hour stop over. This was my second time to Moscow airport. My first trip was a bit rough. Back then in 2017 it took about 40 minutes to get through the first security just to enter the airport. And then another 40 minutes to get through the second security, just to board the plane!

Moscow to Bucharest Romania on Aeroflot Russian Airlines — Moscow Here We Come!!!

Thankfully this time the first line was about one minute and there was no second line! Overall it was a very easy transfer, one of the fastest I’ve ever done. Good job Sheremetyevo Airport!

We stopped at a café for a snack and a cuppa, and a bit surprised with a whopping US$35 bill. Anyway it was a great airport and interesting to look around at all the shopping.

Flying from Moscow to Bucharest, Romania

Next flight was from Moscow to Bucharest aboard Aeroflot. It was quite funny because we had to catch a bus across the tarmac to our plane. But as it turned out we were treated a scenic tour of Moscow along the way, because the bus had to travel right around the end of the runway across to the other side which took about 20 minutes. So it was some great views of Moscow with a nice sunset as a backdrop.

Moscow to Bucharest Romania at SVO airport — Boarding the Sukhoi Superjet from Moscow to Bucharest

When we boarded our plane we were surprised to find it was not a Boeing or Airbus. Instead it was a Russian made jet plane called a Sukhoi Super JRRJ 95. It was much the same as smaller Airbus 320 or a Boeing 737: two rows of three seats and no in-flight entertainment.

Overall it was a pleasant flight taking two hours and 40 minutes which we slept most of the way. The meal was much more basic than the first flight, and most of the passengers seem to be Romanian. Very few western tourists on this flight! We had a laugh thinking how rare we must be for Australians to fly this route. It is quite off the normal tourist beat.

Arriving in Bucharest, Romania

Arriving in Bucharest it is very simple getting through customs. Lines were short and it took us only about five minutes. I worried that they would ask for our ongoing ticket out of Romania, because I had packed it in our check-in luggage, but in the end it was not required.

When it was time to pick up our check-in luggage at the baggage carousel, we discovered that our luggage never turned up. We had to spend about 15 minutes filling out paperwork to hopefully pick it up the next day. Not what you need after close to 24 hours of travelling!

Mozio to the Rescue

One of my new favorite apps is Mozio. This allows you to book airport transfers ahead. They are so quick and easy the whole process takes around 5 minutes, and is paid up front so there’s no chance of having to argue with some money hungry taxi driver.

So we exited the main door into the arrivals area to meet our Mozio driver to take us to our Airbnb apartment. He directed us where to buy a SIM card at a news agent in the arrivals area. We purchased two Orange SIM cards for 120 Romanian Lae for the pair of them. These come preloaded with 6 GB data and 300 minutes talk time so it’s quite economical.

During our 20 minute drive to our Airbnb in Bucharest Old Town our friendly driver told us all about the major attractions Bucharest, Romania. He also laughed and told us that late luggage from Moscow is very common.

Airbnb in Bucharest

The Airbnb was great; all we had to do was enter a number into the keypad at the front door. Then enter another number to a lock box at the door of the apartment to get the key. It couldn’t have been easier.

Moscow to Bucharest Romania bucharest airbnb — Our awesome Airbnb in Old Town Bucharest

Aeroflot Economy Class Review

Overall I rate our first trip from Hanoi to Moscow in Aeroflot economy class 9.5 out of 10. It was an outstanding flight which I couldn’t fault. Food was great, entertainment system was top class, cabin crew was marvelous, seats were comfortable, and it was on time. What more could you ask for in economy class?

Second flight from Moscow to Bucharest in Aeroflot economy class I rate 7 out of 10. It was a comfortable flight with friendly cabin staff. The plane was not as fancy as the A330. The seats were not quite as comfortable. We had no entertainment system on the plan, thus it loses a few points. And there was no nutritional information available on the menu for our in-flight meals. Although it was no frills, it was far better than a budget carrier.

I haven’t deducted points for luggage, since that was no fault of the flight itself. As a bonus though, the bags arrived at 7pm the following day and a courier dropped them off to our apartment. Communication was good through the whole process, and it was a happy ending.

Exploring Bucharest

After a long Aeroflot flight it’s time for a good night’s sleep. We couldn’t wait to explore Bucharest, especially since we were staying right in Bucharest Old Town. Next stop is definitely the biggest attraction in town, the Palace of the Parliament.

If you’re looking for a place to start your European vacation, I can definitely recommend you give Aeroflot a try from Moscow to Bucharest.

How Much Does it Cost to Fly to Bucharest Romania?

We always go to the ingenious website/app Skyscanner.com. This site compares loads of different sellers and gives you the best price possible. If you’re not using Skyscanner, you’re not getting the best deal. Click below to find the cheapest flights to Bucharest Romania… or anywhere else on the planet!

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Changing to a New WordPress Theme

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August 18, 2018

I would like to announce a new theme here at Nicerightnow. No that does not mean we’ve decided to move into men’s apparel. What it does mean is that we have switched to a new WordPress website theme – the Newspaper 9 theme.

How Will the New WordPress Theme Help Me?

The Newspaper 9 WordPress theme offers improved loading speeds, so the website should load quicker for a better user experience. It also offers a few nice little ‘widgets’, like the weather widget you see displayed on each page. Overall the theme is intended to offer more sophistication than the previous theme, which should ultimately result in a more enjoyable experience whilst you consume the content.

Why Change Themes?

I’ve been planning to upgrade the WordPress theme to Newspaper on for some time. Ever since my blogging mentor Brandon Gaille from the https://theblogmillionaire.com/ recommended it to me in his outstanding blogging course. Brandon uses this theme on his website and it has blistering fast load speeds.

Then one day, out of the blue, my old theme suddenly became sick. Mysterious code started appearing at the top of the home screen where beautiful photographs are supposed to appear. I contacted the theme creators to find a solution. I managed to get it half fixed, but it was still showing ugly code on the homepage. This was just 2 days ago that I first noticed the problem.

This turned out to be a great opportunity to upgrade to the Newspaper theme. So on 17th August I loaded up the theme after work. Yes I still have to work 14 hours doing my day job. I was very happy to get it up and running after 3 hours of work.

End Result

The website is functional using the Newspaper 9 theme as of 17th August 2018; however there are quite a few links and functions which are not quite working properly. For instance, the “about me” page shows some random guy who came with the Newspaper theme. Some of the buttons and menus don’t quite work properly. I know about these, and will fix the problems over the following days.

Thanks for Your Patience and Understanding

Thanks for being patient and understanding, whilst I get the Newspaper theme running smoothly. If you notice any bugs I’d be grateful if you contact me at ramon@nicerightnow.com. The website should gradually get up to 100% functional over the next week or so. However, there are bound to be some little bugs lurking around that I miss.

Happy travels.

Ramon

Sensational Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen

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July 21, 2018

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The best thing about Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen is that it is situated right in the centre of town. And it houses Denmark’s crown jewels! 400 years of royal splendour, all within easy walking distance of your Copenhagen hotel.

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Historically Speaking

Rosenborg Castle Denmark was built in the early 17th century by one of the most famous of all Scandinavian kings – the flamboyant Christian IV. In fact this castle is known as a castle of Dutch renaissance architectural style, and was originally built as a summer palace for the royals. Uniquely one of the best things about Rosenborg Castle is that it is open to the public for tours.

Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen parklands — A tiny part of the Castle Garden

What’s There to See at Rosenborg Castle?

The main attractions inside the Rosenborg Castle include:

The Danish Crown Jewels
The Great Hall
Coronation Chairs
Life sized silver lions guarding the thrones
Royal Regalia

Rosenborg Castle Garden

In front of Rosenborg Castle you will find the King’s Garden, or Rosenborg Castle Garden. This is the oldest royal garden in Denmark, and was constructed before the castle. Of course that makes this garden over 400 years old!

But the secret is out, for these gardens attract a whopping 2.5 million visitors every year. The Rosenborg Castle Garden opens at 7am year round, and closes between 5pm and 11pm depending on the time of year.

Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen gardens — Rosenborg Castle Gardens

Entry to Rosenberg Castle

Entry to the Rosenberg Castle Garden is free, and visitors are able to walk across the bridge over the moat. In fact they can walk right up to the front door of Rosenberg Castle for free. Indeed you can walk right around the castle for free and get some fantastic photos while you are at it.

To enter the castle will cost you 110 DKK per person, or about US $17. Quite moderate for such a world renowned attraction.

Getting to Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen

As stated above it is centrally located and easily accessible by foot. There is also Norreport train station nearby.

The castle is across the road from the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens, which are also well worth a look. I am sure these gardens are worth checking out all year round, but when we visited in Autumn the colours were simply amazing. Of course I recommend allowing a good couple of hours to stroll around these wonderful botanical gardens.

And the next stop could be the famous Nyhavn, which is only 15 minutes walk from Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen. That’s what we love about Copenhagen, everything is so accessible.

Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen botanical gardens — Nearby Botanical Gardens

Do Yourself a Favour

Rosenborg Castle Copenhagen deserves to be on your ‘not to be missed’ list when visiting Copenhagen. In the first place take advantage of the free sightseeing around the outside, or the paid tour through the interior of the castle. Above all you are bound to be impressed by this splendid 400 year old Danish castle.

Detail, Crown of Christian IV’s created 1595 to 1596 by Rosenborg Castle Denmark pic.twitter.com/coIk6Oltfb

— Paul.V (@paul2974) February 26, 2017

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Amazing Ayutthaya Day Tour by Bus and Boat

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July 7, 2018

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Ayutthaya was founded in 1350, and was the second capital city of Siam after Sukhothai. Sadly it was destroyed by invading Burmese armies in the 18th century. Happily, you can visit on an amazing Ayutthaya Day Tour by Bus and Boat.

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History Lesson

The city of Ayutthaya was a bustling metropolis from the 14th to 18th centuries. Alas it was invaded by the Burmese Army in 1767 and burnt to the ground. The entire city’s inhabitants were forced to abandon the city, and it was never rebuilt. Today it is an important archeological area and a UNESCO World Hertigate site covering 289 hectares.

By the way, in case you’re wondering how to say Ayutthaya, it’s pronounced Ah-you-tea-ah.

Ayutthaya scale map — A scale model of the main site of Ayutthaya

Take a Day Tour from Bankgok to Ayutthaya

We booked a day tour on our favourite booking platform Getyourguide.com. The Tour is called From Bangkok: Ayutthaya Day Tour by Bus and Boat, and the cost was US $57 per person. The duration of the tour is 9 hours and it includes transfers to and from your hotel. Not only that it includes a sumptuous 3 course lunch on board the cruise boat.

Pick up time is about 6:30 am from your hotel by a mini-bus. Next the mini-bus takes you to a bus terminal at River City Bangkok, where you’re transferred to a coach to drive to Ayutthaya. We arrived back at our hotel at around 4:30 pm.

Itinerary

Visit Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, the famous summer palace of the Thai royals, about an hour north of Bangkok.
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ayutthaya, including monasteries, temples and palaces.
See Wat Mahatat, a famous site where a Budda head is entangled in the roots of a large tree.
Visit What Phanan Cheong, a magnificent 14th century temple still in use.
Visit a giant outdoor reclining Buddha measuring 42m in length.
Cruise along the river from Ayutthaya back to Bangkok, including a sumptuous all-you-can-eat lunch.

Main Attractions

Bang Pa-In Summer Palace

First stop was about an hour into the trip, Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Even though this place was inhabited by Thai kings since about 1632, the current complex was built between 1872 and 1889. We stopped here for just over one hour, where you can either join the free guided tour, or go and explore the grounds on your own. We went off on our own.

bang pa-in near Ayutthaya — Now of the stunning summer palace vistas

When we arrived we discovered that there is a law that nobody can enter without having long trousers. Luckily you can purchase some light cotton trousers in the souvenir shop for 100 baht, or around $3. Actually they make a nice souvenir to take home.

Another thing worth purchasing is a golf buggy to explore the expansive grounds. They seat 4 people, so it’s worth teaming up with fellow tourists, if you want to avoid dripping bucket loads of sweat. Cost is 400 baht to hire the cart, so if you split this 4 ways it’s about $2 each.

Ayutthaya

Next stop is about a half hour up the road, the main attraction of Ayutthaya. Here we followed the tour operator for about an hour through the ruins of this ancient city. You can go nuts with amazing photo opportunities and scramble around some of the ancient ruins.

Along this tour you get to stop at possibly the most famous attraction at Ayutthaya, the famous head of the Buddha entangled in a web of tree roots.

Wat Phanan Cheoeng

No Thailand tour is complete without a visit to a functioning Buddhist temple. On this tour it was the What Phanan Cheong, about a 10 minute drive from the reclining Buddha. This is a special temple, being the oldest in Ayutthaya built in 1324. It even houses an incredible golden seated Buddha dating back to 1334.

I would have said this temple is only 100-200 years old, it is kept in remarkably good condition. After about 20 minutes adoring this magnificent temple, it’s back on the tour bus for the final stop.

golden buddha at Ayutthaya — Magnificent 14th century Golden Buddha

Reclining Buddha

Back onto the bus, the next stop is only a 10 minute drive to the huge reclining Buddha. You get to spend about half an hour here, there’s really nothing to see except the reclining Buddha itself. The drive in is fascinating, past a huge complex of canals and ruined temples.

Alongside the reclining Buddha is a small cluster of souvenir shops, with a reasonable collection at very cheap prices. This is the best place to purchase your Ayutthaya souvenirs for the day.

Ayutthaya reclining buddha — 42m long Ayutthaya relining Buddha

Boat Tour

At around 1pm we boarded the White Orchid River Cruise at Wat Chong Lom Pier. The first order of the day was a magnificent buffet lunch. The range of food is both eastern and western and the quality is outstanding. There you can have desserts and coffee as well, all on the lower deck in a spacious air conditioned dining room. The lunch alone is worth at least $20 in my opinion, making this $57 tour remarkably good value.

Ayutthaya jetty to board cruise — Boarding our boat cruise

After lunch it’s time to head to the top deck to enjoy the breeze and the scenery along the river. Then over the next couple of yours you get to see countless temples and statues for some great photo opportunities. Finally towards the end of the tour you are into the metropolis of Bangkok and quaint temples start to give way to sky scrapers and apartment blocks.

Ayutthaya to Bangkok cruise boat — Air conditioned dining deck

At the End of the Day

In time the tour concludes much the same way as is started, by transferring from the boat to your private minivan for the airport transfer. The process is rather chaotic, with the tour operators somehow organising people onto their different minivans, with hordes of people from other boats adding to the confusion. But we were quickly taken back to our minivan and taken back to our hotel with little fuss.

Ayutthaya tour bus — Our ride for the day

Value for Money

In the first place Ayutthaya has been on my bucket list for many years, it is a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site with such a dramatic history. It was well worth the visit, albeit quite a short visit. As is the case with most tours, you spend a full day of touring just to spend about an hour at the main attraction.

The good thing about this tour was the amazing quality of other attractions. Together with the beautiful temples, palaces, and the Boat Cruise to Bangkok, which all made the tour outstanding value for money.

The booking process and all the transfers were seamless with this GetYourGuide tour, and we enjoyed the tour immensely. The weather was incredibly hot and humid, however an beautiful air conditioned bus was never far away, such that we did not get overly hot or tired all day.

Overall this was not at all a strenuous tour, with no hills and nothing more than a short walk along flat ground and good paths. We rate this tour 9 out of 10, and thoroughly recommend it for it’s historical significance. And also the relaxing cruise along the river.

bang pa-in royal summer palace — Summer palace

Get Your Guide Tours

We love Getyourguide tours and use them whenever possible. Indeed we’ve been on quite a few now and have never had a dud tour. For example here are some of the things we like about this platform.

Competitive prices – we have never paid more than what you would see in reputable travel agencies, and sometimes we pay a bit less.
Quality – you can see if the tour is a quality tour by reading the reviews.
Companion App – there is a companion app on smartphones, so you can see all the different tours as well as details of any bookings you might have. You can quickly book a new tour also.
Last minute bookings – we have made several last minute bookings, by booking a tour the night before. No problem with Getyourguide.
Worldwide Tours – it’s possible (and quick) to book a tour virtually anywhere in the world. Great for planning ahead for your upcoming holiday.

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Hearst Castle Tour – Southern California

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July 2, 2018

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Southern California is a great spot for a road trip. We did the Highway 1 Classic Road Trip through California, and found some amazing stops along the way. One of our most amazing stops was Hearst Castle, which is located along some of the most beautiful Pacific coastline stretches of California Highway 1.

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Where Is Hearst Castle?

Hearst Castle is roughly in the middle between Los Angeles and San Francisco, near the beachside township of San Simeon. Hearst Castle can be approached from North, South or East, as it is in a very accessible location.

Hearst Castle Tour visitor centre — Visitor Centre at Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle was our most unexpected stop on our road trip, for we did not even know it existed until literally the day before our visit. What we found totally blew us away! It’s hard to miss Hearst Castle from Highway 1, as it is very well signed. You can also see the massive Castle towers from the highway, perched high up on the coastal hill-top. As you turn off the main highway you are led into a massive car park and a visitor centre specifically built for Hearst Castle. When we arrived the car park was full , it was a beautiful sunny Sunday on a long weekend after all. Our anticipation began to mount when we saw a huge amount of cars, we figured we were onto a great tourist attraction. At that stage we still did not really know what lay before us. We really had no idea, but that is the novelty of being an explorer right?

Hearst Castle Tour driving in the bus — Half way up the winding road to Hearst Castle

Entering the Castle

We discovered that the Castle sits atop the mountain, and the only way up is to take the shuttle bus for a guided tour. No private cars allowed. Hearst Castle was completed in 1947 by the publishing magnate William Hearst. At the time it was his private residence and family ranch. Mr.Hearst used to host many rich and famous acquaintances at Hearst Castle, including Carry Grant!

Hearst Castle Tour bus — The shuttle bus to Hearst Castle

Here are the options for guided tours:

Grand Rooms Tour – the most popular tour which takes visitors through Casa Grande, the largest part of the Castle.
Upstairs Suites Tour – explores the upstairs rooms of Casa Grande.
Cottages and Kitchens Tour – Explores the opulent and lavishly decorated cottages which were used to house guests, as well as the industrial sized kitchen.
Neptune Pool Tour – Explores the amazing outdoor pool and entertainment area.
There are also night tours and private tours available.

Hearst Castle Tour free time — Ramon stands above Neptune Pool

The main tours include the shuttle bus trip and a 1.5 hour narrated tour, and are reasonably priced at $25 per adult. Kids are $12 entry. Afterwards we would be free to roam the grounds for as long as we wanted, before taking our shuttle bus back down to the visitor centre.

Hearst Castle Tour scenic view — Clarice enjoying the 360 degrees enjoyed at Hearst Castle

Which Tour?

The most popular tour is the Grand Rooms tour. Unfortunately there was a 4 hour wait for this tour on our visit. Apparently it’s wise to book ahead if you wish to take this tour. We elected to instead go on the less popular Cottages and Kitchens tour, which only had a half hour wait. But instead of being disappointed, we were utterly blown away!

Hearst Castle Tour cottage — Inside one of the “cottages”.

The Hearst Castle Tour

It was a very interesting drive up a windy paved road to the mountain top where Hearst Castle is located. Back in the day Mr.Hearst had a private zoo set up with all manner of african wildlife roaming the slopes of the mountain. These days it is a working cattle ranch, so cattle is all you will see in the way of animals. On the 15 minute bus trip, guests are treated to recorded information about the ranch and the history of the castle. Whilst ascending we were also treated to fabulous uninterrupted views of the coastline.

Hearst Castle Tour Entrance Road — Starting the drive up the winding road to Hearst Castle

The tour was eye-popping. The host explained in detail the building construction as well as all the lavish decorations and furniture. Also who stayed in them and for what periods. First we toured through the 2 main cottages / guest houses. Then we toured the amazing kitchen, which had 8 full-time staff and catered for many big parties back in the day. Finally we toured the wine cellar below the main Casa Grande buildings, which once housed one of the finest wine collections on the planet.

Hearst Castle Tour Cellar — Clarc preparing to enter the massive cellar.

The Grounds

After the tour we were left to wander around the grounds. One of the key attractions to see was Neptune Pool, a stunning 32m long outdoor pool with an oil burning heating system. It looks like something straight out of ancient Rome, complete with towering roman statues. It was being refurbished during our visit due to some structural issues, but it promised to be finished and back to it’s original glory by late 2017.

Hearst Castle Tour Kitchen — Checking out the industrial kitchen

If Neptune Pool is not enough, all guests walk through the indoor Roman Pool. After about 30 minutes of exploring we stepped back onto the shuttle bus and headed down the mountain.

Hearst Castle Tour Roman baths — Roman baths are stunning

Dining Options

Back in the visitor centre and we found the many different dining options. Take-away foods are the main menu items, where we all chose different dishes including pizza, barbecue pork and salad. Prices are quite inflated as you would expect for a major tourist attraction.

Hearst Castle Tour grounds — Roaming around the Hearst Castle grounds

Overall

Hearst Castle is a stunning attraction which should not be missed when you’re in the area. It’s worth going just to see the uninterrupted 360 degree views of the coastline and surrounding area. But it’s the lavish castle itself which steals the show, it is so beautiful and so worth visiting. It truly is a must-see to end all must-sees!

Hearst Castle Tour scenery — My favourite part is this golden fountain statue with billion dollar views

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15 Best Travel Apps for 2018

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June 25, 2018

Here are the apps we found most useful during all our recent travels. We have rigorously road tested each app, and can assure you that THESE APPS ROCK! Here are our 15 best travel apps for 2018, ranked from most useful at the top.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.

Here are our 13 Best Travel Apps for 2018

1. Google Maps

We are huge fans of self-guided foot tours. Not only are they good exercise, but they are also 100% free. And Google Maps is the key to a successful foot tour. Consequently, we use Google Maps for most of our foot tours.

I also use Google Maps in major cities for checking different public transport options. Often there are several different public transportation options, and Google Maps helps to discover them. Google Maps is also useful to explore inter-city options, particularly in countries like Germany where there are multiple train routes available.

Download now for IOS, Android.

Navigating through a German village using Google Maps — Google Maps got us through this tiny German village

2. Tripit

Tripit has become an indispensable travel app in our family. Particularly because I use it for both work and holidays.

We’ve had some rather complicated itineraries traveling around Europe, and with Tripit we never have to think much about when we try to remember what’s next. All our land, sea and air travel are normally pre-booked, and all pre-loaded into Tripit. That means we have instant access to all our future travel plans, down to the minute.

Download now for IOS, Android.

3. XE

I do try to memorize a quick currency conversion rate in each country we visit. However, in Vietnam $1 = 22,701 Vietnamese Dong. Try converting that quickly in your head! Thus it is still incredibly useful to have a currency conversion calculator in your pocket.

XE is also useful when booking accommodation and travel tickets online in foreign currencies. This app is especially useful when traveling through Europe, passing through several countries on a single trip.

Download now for IOS, Android.

If you ever wanna know someone’s upcoming #travel plans, take a look at their @xe app – #wanderlust #summertravels #ttot #adventure #XE pic.twitter.com/Cu2uloKklE

— Hopscotch (@Rayuelando) May 23, 2017

4. Trip Advisor

Trip Advisor is great for figuring out the most popular attractions in any location. Normally if we have just a few days in a city, we check the top 10 attractions on Trip Advisor. Then we try to see at least 3 or 4 of the top attractions.

There is actually so much functionality to Trip Advisor, we only use a small portion of it. Dining, Accommodation, Airfares… Trip Advisor can help with these and more.

We used Trip Advisor to research these major attractions in Paris

Download now for IOS, Android.

5. Agoda

What I love about the Agoda app is that they offer special discounts for mobile app users. We have secured some amazingly cheap luxury hotels through the Agoda mobile App. Often some great last minute deals can be found also.

One other thing we love about Agoda is their rewards system. We currently have $260 in Agoda rewards, credited to us by Agoda for our recent bookings. That means we can now get 2 or 3 nights of Agoda accommodation for FREE. Thanks, Agoda!

Download now for IOS, Android.

Note: We love Agoda so much that we are now partners. Click HERE for more details or to make a booking.

6. Sky Scanner

This is my go-to app for searching and booking airfares. This app does it quickly and effortlessly by comparing dozens of different airlines. It’s great for comparing different options to make up a new itinerary on the go.

Download now for IOS, Android.

7. Get Your Guide

This was my big surprise for the year. Whilst in Prague searching for tours to Karlstejn Castle I booked a random tour online and stumbled upon this app. I was amazed at how easy the whole tour booking process was, and the prices were competitive too. I went on to book several more tours using this app, and now Get Your Guide is my go-to app for booking tours.

Download now for IOS, Android.

Here is a Vlog showing our first ever Get Your Guide Tour:

Note: We are so impressed with GetYourGuide that we’ve become a partner, click HERE for more details or to make a booking.

8. Uber

We love Uber because Uber cars are so easy to book using this app. The cost of the trip is automatically deducted from your credit card, so arriving in a new country is far less stressful. That’s because there’s no need to carry the local currency to catch a regular taxi.

Uber is particularly useful for airport transfers. We found that traveling in a group of 3, Uber is often only slightly more expensive than public transport from the airport to the city center.

Download now for IOS, Android.

9. Grab

Grab is popular in South East Asian countries where Uber has not been established. In Manila or Bangkok for instance, Grab is virtually equivalent to Uber, and a much better option than grabbing a traditional taxi. Even more surprisingly, Uber is not available in some European countries.

Download now for IOS, Android.

thinking: with the Grab discount it’s cheaper than taking public transport!!!

*checks Grab app*

ok time to top up ezLink pic.twitter.com/iAhJ8j4ndA

— せんせい (@AngweeCher) November 11, 2017

10. Public Transport Apps eg. DOT Mobilbilletter

Public transport apps are incredibly useful in non-English speaking countries. Our best success was in Denmark and Switzerland, where we found the train ticket vending machines particularly difficult to use. If you have the local app on your phone, and have your credit card linked, purchasing public transport tickets is child’s play.

Usually, these apps have lots of extra functionality like station maps, timetables, and ticket comparisons. My advice is to install and link your credit card for each city you intend to use public transport.

Download DOT now for IOS, Android.

11. Booking

So you want a hotel and you are too tired to go through all the hassle of booking one? Booking.com is the easiest app I’ve ever used for booking hotels. Searching and booking takes literally seconds. This app has the smoothest user interface you will ever see, and you also get some great bargains thanks to the Genius discount system.

Download now for IOS, Android.

Note: We like Booking.com so much that we’ve become an affiliate, click HERE for more details or to make a booking.

12. World Heritage

This is one of my favorite apps because the UNESCO World Heritage sites is my personal bucket list. I have never visited a World Heritage Site that disappointed me, so I make a point of visiting as many as I can whilst traveling.

This app helps to quickly locate nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites and to learn all about them. It also helps to make a list of World Heritage favorites, and track how many you have visited. I have personally visited 2% of all UNESCO World Heritage sites (32 out of 1073). I have a long way to go!

Download now for IOS, Android.

Yosemite National Park using world heritage app — Classic World Heritage Yosemite Scenery

13. Google Translate

We don’t use Google Translate often, but when we do it’s a great help. What I particularly like is how you can type in some foreign text, and Google Translate will first figure out which language it is. And secondly, it will translate smoothly for you.

Download now for IOS, Android.

14. GPSmyCity

This is a self-guided walking tour app for many cities worldwide. The app is free however to unlock it’s potential you need to pay for the best features. It is basically a map of the city with all of the tourist attractions loaded into it. You can choose one of the many pre-loaded walking tours, or design your own based on your likes and dislikes.

To use the app you follow it similar to how you follow Google Maps. Then at each tourist stop, you can effortlessly read all about history. It’s like having a tour guide in your pocket, and well worth the $5-$7 per city.

Download now for IOS, Android.

Using GPSmyCity in Brussels — We found this famous location in Brussels using GPSmyCity

15. Big Bus Tours

We love Big Bus Tours and used them in several cities including London, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Budapest. This companion app helps you to quickly locate the nearest Big Bus Tours bus-stop and shows you a live map of where the buses are en-route. It also helps you to find information on each tourist attraction, plus heaps of other useful functionality.

Download now for IOS, Android.

Here is a video of the London Big Bus Tour we enjoyed.

Discover New Apps

So we had some great new travel app discoveries: GetYourGuide, Grab, GPSmyCity, and Big Bus Tours. The beauty of travel apps is that there are many more out there waiting for you to discover them. What awesome travel apps have you discovered lately?

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Pancakes Amsterdam Restaurant Review

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June 23, 2018

Pancakes are a traditional Dutch delicacy and an all time favourite in Amsterdam. And the Pancakes Amsterdam Restaurant is the best in the business. They have several locations scattered around Amsterdam that serve a wide range of delicious pancakes. And we’re off to Pancakes Amsterdam Westerkerk to review these heavenly pancakes.

Pancakes are Serious

In Amsterdam, pancakes (‘Pannenkoeken’ in Dutch) are a legitimate dinner. They can be eaten as either a snack or a main course. With this in mind you only have to see how many pancake houses exist in Amsterdam to appreciate that the Dutch take there pancakes seriously. And so do the hordes of tourist.

Pancakes Amsterdam Restaurant

Located in all of Amsterdam’s top locations – in the famous nine streets, directly opposite central station, and next to the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House is one of the top attractions in Amsterdam and attracts huge crowds.

There is usually a long like down the street waiting to get in. So it was refreshing for us to get straight into Pancakes Amsterdam with no lining up. The restaurant is very popular and there were loads of customers inside, but the staff are extremely efficient and there was no waiting.

Pancakes Amsterdam is a modern twist to traditional pancake houses, inspired by international cuisine and traditional dutch cooking. The Pancakes Amsterdam restaurant that we went to was the new restaurant between Anne Frank House and Westerkerk, next to the canal. It is a cosy, family friendly restaurant with a modern yet rustic decor. It’s also one of the Top 2 Pancake Restaurants in Amsterdam. The other major one is the Pancake Bakery.

The Menu

At Pancakes Amsterdam diners get to enjoy Dutch and or American Pancake, or even create their own pancakes from a selection of ingredients on the menu. There is a huge selection of sweet toppings such as maple syrup and blueberry sauce, savoury toppings such ham and cheese, or some rather unusual offerings.

On the menu you will find the following:

Dutch Pancakes – Flat, thin crepe like pancakes. Traditional, sweet, savoury or create your own.
American Pancakes – Tasty, thick but fluffy US classics with a Dutch touch.
Poffertjes – Dutch delicacies a little bit like baby pancakes.
Special Pancakes – Pancake of the month, create your own, or breakfast menu.

Of course you can pimp your pancake with extra toppings. Ingenious.

Pancakes Amsterdam meal — Pimping your pancake is optional

No Cash

Pancakes Amsterdam Westerkerk is a card only restaurant – no cash payment. This cuts down on the staffing required in the restaurant through not having to manage stacks of cash. Actually one thing that turns me off in ‘normal restaurants’ is when the food handlers touch filthy money and then handle the food. It’s refreshing to know that this won’t happen at Pancakes Amsterdam.

The Anne Frank queue outside Pancakes Amsterdam Restaurant

Nice Touches

We really enjoyed receiving a complimentary clog upon paying the bill. Actually they gave us 2, perhaps because we have a kid with us. Indeed they were lovely little procelain blue and white clogs, fit for a key chain. I was happy with that.

Additionally at Pancakes Amsterdam all pancakes are made with whole-wheat flour from a local windmill. Not only is whole-wheat a healthy option, but the local windmill is a nice touch.

But as usual in Amsterdam the toilets do require payment to use them. But diners at Pancakes Amsterdam are given a free token, so there’s no need to pay to use the WC. I love this, because paying to use these facilities is one of my pet peeves in Europe.

Review

We did not get particularly adventurous at Pancakes Amsterdam. Clarc went for a golden oldie, an American Pancake with maple syrup and whipped cream. Clarice and I went for the more traditional Dutch Pancakes – apple crumble pie, vanilla ice cream and cinnamon on traditional dutch pancakes. That is to say we all have a sweet tooth!

And our pancakes did not let us down in the least, they were all supremely delicious, and made for a perfect lunch.

Details about #pancakesamsterdam on my Insta https://t.co/9I4widLL0Z #STEurope pic.twitter.com/HXlY4DfR4a

— Nandita / saffrontrail.com (@saffrontrail) April 25, 2016

Cost was AUD $60, which is around € 4o. This was with coffees and delicious hot chocolate, so all in all it was reasonable value.

The staff were exceptional. They were incredibly friendly and helpful when trying to decide from the menu. For efficiency and service I have to give them a 5 star rating. Also for restaurant cleanliness I must also give 5 stars. And the restaurant was spacious and well laid out.

Overall I will rate this restaurant 5 stars, I cannot fault it on any level. Just don’t go in expecting an economical meal. It’s all about quality. Do yourself a favour and head to the spectacular Pancakes Amsterdam, it’s sure be a highlight of your visit to Amsterdam.

Outside the Pancakes Amsterdam Restaurant

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The Truth About the Seton Homeschool Curriculum

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June 14, 2018

As another school year starts we were very excited to unpack the homeschool box and check out the Seton Homeschool Curriculum for Grade 6. This is the third year we have Homeschooled our son at Seton and we’re very keen to see how Grades 4, 5 and 6 compare.

Why Seton Homeschooling?

You may wonder why on earth a travel blog is writing about homeschooling? For our family, homeschooling has played such a huge part in our ability to travel around the world. We don’t have to wait for school holidays to go travelling. We just take the school with us wherever we go.

So far we have been very impressed with the Seton Homeschool Curriculum through grades 4 and 5. Seton claims to be flexible, affordable and academically excellent. Let’s examine this further.

Flexible Homeschooling

We have travelled extensively across the globe since we left Australia in 2016. Our plans have constantly changed throughout, as we recalibrated on several occasions. Though out all the changes and uncertainty we found the Seton Homeschool Curriculum to be remarkably adaptable.

About the biggest challenge we faced was travelling through Europe, we wanted to travel with light baggage weighing less than 10kg each, for all 3 of us. The total Seton Homeschooling Curriculum weighs in at around 18kg including all the school books. So we merely divided it in half. Our son studied the first half of the subjects in Europe, and the second half after we returned to Asia. I’d call that flexible!

Seton Homeschool Curriculum package — The 33 lb Seton Grade 6 package arrives!

Academically Excellent

We have found the standard to be very high academically, such that our son can easily mix it with the traditionally school kids. I am constantly amazed at how in-depth the language subjects such as English and Phonics journey into the English language.

Affordable

The total cost per year was a little over $1,000 per year, and that included a few supplemental books such as readers. By Australian standards that is remarkably cheap. There is not a lot of extras required, just the basic writing equipment such as pencils and paper.

And considering the cost we saved by not purchasing school uniforms, it’s quite a bargain.

The Seton Homeschool Curriculum for Grade 6

Like any school, the curriculum does evolve over time, according to the age of the child. However in grades 4, 5 and 6 the Seton Homeschool Curriculum and range of subjects virtually unchanged. Each year we find the curriculum merely delves deeper into the subject, and examines them from differing perspectives.

Maths

Maths is probably the subject I’m most pleased with, because as well as presenting the subject in an informative and well structured manner, there are many many exercises which are somewhat repetitive. I believe this is a key to getting the maths to sink in.

Science

Science branches off into a wide range of areas, but there is a large section on human health and physiology, and another large section on animals – biology and so on. This is our son’s favourite subject because it is so interesting.

History

The history has covered mainly early United States history, which has fascinate me because we learnt nothing of this in Australia. It is rather like reading a long story book, except it is real history. Grade 6 however changes to World History, and covers right back to ancient history around the world.

English

The depth of this core subject is phenomenal, covering all manner of grammar and creative writing. The focus in grade 6 is on writing paragraphs with a new assignment each week.

Phonics

This was one of the easier language subjects in grades 4 and 5, however it is not included in the Seton Homeschooling Curriculum for Grade 6.

Vocabulary

Working with a Thesaurus and a Dictionary, there are daily excercises which help children to express themselves more thoughtfully.

Comprehension

In this subject there is a new short story to read each week, and then several questions to test how well the student understood the meaning of the reading.

Spelling

Covering some great spelling quizzes each day as well as some problem solving and comprehension learnings.

Seton Homeschool Curriculum lesson plan book — A peek inside the main lesson plan folder

Reading

Possibly the most time consuming of all subjects, because there are 4 readers of around 170 pages each to read followed by a book report. In addition there are quite a few other thick books to read. The idea is to develop a habit of reading every day, and to love reading. I have had many long bonding sessions reading these books with my son. Treasured times indeed.

Handwriting

Daily exercises on Cursive style of handwriting.

Religious Education

Another of the more demanding subject, studying the Baltimore Catechism as well as Children’s Bible History. There are daily lessons in this subject, and it is quite intense.

Art

One of the minor subjects, this covers a new art project each week. It can be done in an hour, and a keen artist will learn a few tricks that they can use on their own later. This is one of the few subjects without assessment tests, instead parents are encouraged to grade students on attitude and effort.

Music

This is a flexible subject, with a one hour lesson each week. This is one of the few subjects without assessment tests. Children are encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument. As an added bonus, kids that read music generally do better at Maths.

Physical Education

15 minutes per day with a new focus each week, from running and jumping to exercises and skipping ropes. This encourages daily exercise. This is one of the few subjects without assessment tests.

Testing and Grading

Most of the testing is done through online tests. Probably two thirds are computer graded and the remainder are human graded. And there is an easy to use upload feature on the Seton website for uploading assignments, reports etc. for grading. We love this style of assessment.

Seton Homeschool Curriculum report forms — The testing and assessment part of the lesson plan folder

What we Feel the Curriculum is Lacking

Overall we feel the academic strengths of the curriculum are outstanding. But what’s lacking?

Computing – most kids in Australia are little masters at computing by the time they reach secondary school, however the use of computers is low in the Seton Homeschooling Curriculum.
Group Activities – probably not an issue with large families, but for an only child this can be an issue.
Public Speaking – standing up in front of a class to read is good training for public speaking.
Discipline – yes it’s easy to be a little soft when you’re the parent. But I guess that not the fault of the curriculum now, is it.

Do we Recommend the Seton Homeschool Curriculum?

Overall it’s a resounding yes. The curriculum is detailed and well structured. Seton has spent years refining it, so attention to detail is extremely high.

The choice to participate in homeschooling is a big one, and a huge change in family lifestyle. If you have made the decision to homeschool, then we strongly recommend Seton as the school to provide a strong education for your child.

Seton Homeschool Curriculum lesson plans — One of the excellent daily lesson plans

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