Visiting the Philippines - discovering Palawan

In case you missed the previous post, check it out here...

Palawan - Although we arrived Puerto Princesa (the capital city) at night, getting to the hotel was pretty easy. 

The driver who took us to the hotel ended up being very resourceful throughout our stay. We chatted with him on our way and he made some great suggestions to us. We had an idea of the activities we wanted to do but hadn't made prior arrangements, so he gave us useful tips and even helped us book one of the excursions for the next morning. 

As much as I am a planner, I like to leave room for new plans as I go along and this was one of those times. My sister and I knew where we wanted to go, but we left a lot of this trip unplanned and went with the flow. It all worked out well in the end.

Visiting the Philippines

The Philippines was the last country in South East Asia I visited before leaving the region last year. My sister joined me and we both needed that holiday. We spent the first 3 days in Manila and I am glad we did as my sister could barely function for the first two days, she slept, a lot, because adulting 😂I was not very different either, hahaha.

The Philippines is a country of islands. It has approximately 7,641 islands so you'll be spoilt for choice. The country thrives on tourism so we were looking forward to exploring. Popular slogans we saw around were "Love the Philippines" and "It's more fun in the Philippines". We visited only Manila, Boracay and Palawan.

Visiting Algeria

Algeria, a country in North Africa, shares its borders with a few countries and the Mediterranean sea. The capital and largest city is Algiers, in the North, on the coast. Algiers is a hilly city with impressive architecture, were you to walk around, you would definitely get your steps in and stay fit with the incline.

Places to Visit in Myanmar 2

 Continued...

In case you missed the previous post, you might find it useful, so here is the link

Bagan

The ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered to be significant in the history of Myanmar as that's where a good part of civilisation in the country started.

Lined with temples, stupas and pagodas, in burnt red bricks but also whitish and black ones, some of them date back to the 15th century. There are also the signature gold temples that you'll typically find everywhere in the country.

Places to Visit in Myanmar

Myanmar was once booming with tourism and was the next big thing in South East Asia (SEA). You would get such great deals at much cheaper than some other parts of SEA. It had people visiting in their droves until the military coup in 2021. The situation has changed significantly since then and has slowed many things down.

 

I moved to Myanmar for work in May 2023 and although I did not write much while I was there (better safe than sorry), I tried to see a bit of the country. 

See my first post on Myanmar in case you missed it Slowly Making My Way Around Myanmar

I took a few weekend trips around and discovered some beautiful places I think are worth sharing with you, in case you happen to visit that part of the world.

Ngwe Saung

Ngwe Saung is a beach resort area located about 238km from Yangon. It's a 5 hour drive without traffic but 6 hours realistically. I got there by public transport, by coach/bus. It was the only place in the country I was allowed to get to by public transport.

Reaching for the sun

Departure from Yangon from the pick up point was at 5:30am on a Friday and by 11am, I was settled in the hotel. I returned on Sunday and the pick up from the front of the hotel was at noon. By evening around 6pm, I was back home. 

Visiting Vietnam

Vietnam had been on my bucket list for such a long time and I was excited to go with some friends. 

The visa application was online and more straightforward than I imagined it would be. Between the application and the visa being granted, it all happened in a week.

Getting There

As with travelling, a few things did go wrong and I remember saying this was one of my worst trips (the travel part) recently. I don’t remember when last I went on a trip that was this stressful! 

I arrived at the airport and was told that I could not be checked in as the airport I was meant to transit through required me to go through immigration, so I needed a transit visa. I’m not sure how we missed this when the ticket was booked, but I got rerouted on one leg and bought another ticket on the spot, and all this was happening before 6am. I was originally to leave at 6am and arrive at 11:30am, including the lay over, but the trip ended up taking the whole day. I got to my destination around 9pm.

Visiting Greece

Greece is a popular destination in Europe where civilization is said to have started around 1600 BC. The country is full of so many gems, then the islands score a good number of tourists yearly. The capital, Athens, is a good place to start. Walking around on cobble stones, restaurants line the streets in typical European style. The city is full of so much history and it is easy to walk around.

View of Athens

The Acropolis is one of the most popular sites to see in Athens. it is a historical landmark that holds particular significance in the Greek history and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone Roman theatre structure

Visiting Mauritania and Riding the Iron Ore Train

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa, a country very few get to visit. I've been told that I visit places normal people would hardly think of visiting. My travels take me off the beaten path and I'm happy to keep discovering. 

The Iron Ore Train was the reason I visited Mauritania and it was nice to discover a bit of the country. 

We arrived in Nouakchott, the capital, and we got visas on arrival - the visas cost $60. It is advisable to have cash, it was quick and efficient. As this was an organised group tour, we had a briefing on the evening of our arrival then headed out to dinner.

Benefits of Travelling

 Let’s face it, life can be hard. We have a lot going on at different times of our lives. How do you disconnect from all the pressure and obligations we have? When do you get some down time?

Travelling is one way, at least it works for me from experience and from feedback I’ve got from fellow travellers.

Visiting Singapore

Quick facts:

- Singapore is an island country in Southeast Asia. 

- It is a city state and does not have states and cities like other countries. The country is a well-planned urban area.

- The country has an estimated population of 5,917,600 people.

- The official languages are Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil. The population is a mix of people originating from China, Malaysia, India and others. 

- Their currency is Singaporean Dollars (SGD).

- Singaporeans kind of sound like Nigerians when they speak English, hahaha

Visa requirements

i) Valid Passport with minimum of 6 months validity from the date of entry

ii) Photocopy of passport

ii) Previous passports (if any)

iv) One recent passport size colour photo with white background (taken within the last 3 months)

v) Completed Visa Application form (Form14A)

vi) Sponsor Letter of Introduction (LOI) from Singapore (V39A)

vii) Proof of employment letter with salary & leave entitlement, employment letter approving annual leave

viii) Pay slips or bank statements

ix) Hotel Booking

x) Copy of round trip air ticket booking/itinerary 

xi) $22 visa fee

Visiting Laos

Laos had been high on my bucket list for years so when I had the chance, I just had to visit. I visited in February 2024.

Quick facts

-         -          Officially the Loa People’s Democratic Republic, the only landlocked country in South East Asia, it is bordered by 5 countries (Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand).

-        -          It’s capital and largest city is Vientiane and the people speak Lao.

-        -          They have an estimated population of 7.8 million people.

-          -          The local currency is called Lao kip

Visa Process

I wrote to the Lao embassy in Yangon where I live, to make enquiries and was told as a Nigerian passport holder, I needed the following:

-          -  Letter of introduction from where I work

-          - Proof of funds (pay slips/ bank statements)

-         -  Visa fee of $35

-         -  Hotel reservation

-          - Flight booking

-         -  2 passport photographs

-         -  Copy of passport data page

-         -  Passport with at least 6 months validity

As no visa application had been treated for a Nigerian at that Embassy before, I was told that my application would be sent to their Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval. The lady seemed worried and asked if we had an office in their country, so they could apply for me. I told her I was in no hurry and would wait for the approval. The approval only took 2 weeks!

Slowly Making My Way Around Myanmar

I moved to Yangon, Myanmar, in May 2023. The Golden Land as it is called, is a country like no other, peculiar in many ways. I've heard some people still refer to the country as Burma which is the former name, but the name was changed to Myanmar in 1989. The people however, are still referred to as Burmese. 

One thing that stands out is how Burmese people are polite, they would not openly get annoyed as it is does not reflect well to openly express anger or irritation. Even when people struggle with something, you'll hardly get an outright NO. Losing face is something people would not do, so they might say okay or beat around the bush. In all that, you are 'not allowed' to lose your cool as it is not taken well :-) If you put too much pressure, they could shut you out. And you'd never hear a thing even if it were killing them. However, they are always eager to help when they can, which I think is sweet.

My arrival was anything but pleasant because of my nationality. I was treated shabbily and told clearly that it was because of my nationality, but I'll save that story for another day!

In speaking with people, I noticed not many people know of this country or where in Asia it is located. So I've put a map below for reference - see the red arrow? The flag is also beneath the map.

Flag below

A Summary of my Time in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Article written in French below....Ecrit en français ci-dessous après la version anglaise

Some words that describe the Democratic Republic of Congo for me are: chaotic, colourful, disorderly, vibrant and joie de vivre. Music would wake you up from early hours of the morning and accompany you through the day; be it gospel music or party tunes. And should you ever try to ‘bother’ a person about noise or order, you’d get the retort of “we are in Congo”.

Visiting Serbia

 I visited Serbia in August 2022 and it was so much fun.

Hello from the streets of Belgrade

My brother and I flew with Air Serbia from London, the flight took about 3hrs and 40 mins. The plane was neat and had enough leg room in economy. Staff were polite and the flights were right on time. Going back to London, we flew in business class. Business class was the same as economy, only difference was we were offered food, while in economy, we were offered water and biscuits. Those in economy who wanted food and drinks had to pay.

For Nigerian passport holders, in case you were wondering, if you have a valid and used UK or Schengen visa, you won't need a Serbian visa.

What kind of traveller are you?

When it comes to travelling, there are different categories of travellers :

1) those who get to the airport way ahead of their flights, then take all the time to stroll around or just wait at their boarding gates

2) those who wait for last minute, are constantly in a hurry, running or missing flights

3) those who spend their time window shopping or eating

I happen to be in the first category. I get into a bit of a panic when I'm running late, so I would much prefer to get to the airport early, ahead of the long queues. This saved  me once when I was asked to do a covid test by an airline because they had not yet updated their regulations (didn't need a test) from the country I was travelling to. Thankfully, there was a place to do an antigen test at the airport, and I had more than enough time to get the result, check in and wait to board.

I recently had to travel to London via Kigali, Nairobi and Paris. There was a 40 minute delay from Kigali which was not a problem. However, on arrival in Nairobi, there was a 3 hour delay. I watched the time pass and kept consoling myself that I would make the connecting flight in Paris. At times like these, you watch time pass quicker than anything. I spent 40 minutes in Paris and I spent a good amount of that time on ground running. 

As we arrived, we disembarked then got on the bus that took us to the terminal. That took about 15 minutes then I ran from the bus to get through security. Thankfully, there wasn't a long queue but as every minute passed, I was getting more and more apprehensive. I saw some people go right under the security barriers, but I didn't want anything to delay me more than necessary in case someone decided to be difficult with me. 

Anyway, it took me 7 minutes to get through security. I felt my phone vibrate but that was the least of my worries. As soon I got through security, I ran like my life depended on it. I had a family event in London starting at 2pm and I kept saying to myself that I could not miss that flight. I was to arrive around noon. 

As I approached the boarding gate, the counter seemed empty, but I kept running. Right on cue, a lady appeared, then shouted London in that familiar asking tone. Out of breath, I shook my head while running to get to her and she gestured for me to slow down and said it was okay. God knows I was grateful for that. I was the last one to get on the plane, the door closed right as I got on. I sat down, panting, then I spotted a couple that was on the Nairobi flight as well. They were seated just in front of me. I remember seeing them go under the security barriers, I spoke to them. You made it from the Nairobi flight. We all shared the knowing laughter of 'we made it'. As I was about to switch off my phone, I saw a text message from Air France notifying me to go to the boarding gate. That must have been the vibration I felt while waiting to get through security.

Of course my suitcases did not make it onto the plane. As we landed, I got another text message notifying me that my suitcases were in Paris and would arrive on the next flight, which was at 4pm. I found the Air France baggage unit, filled out the forms with my address and my suitcases were delivered the next morning. I have to admit, their service in this regard was great. 

I find Airports very fascinating. It's a place where people 'put aside all dignity' if need be, when it comes down to it. The two times I have had to run like this (with no shame) to catch planes, were between London and Paris. First time was in London in 2010, I was returning to Paris where I lived at the time and this time, in Paris. Fortunately, all ended well for me, I can't imagine how frustrated I might have been if I had missed the flight.

A Very African Problem

Pilar had been quite stressed at work and was looking forward to getting away from her life in Bangui, Central African Republic. It had increasingly become unsafe with more and more car jackings taking place. The curfew constantly made her feel imprisoned, it was midnight at first, then it moved to 11pm but was recently changed to 9:30pm. What could anyone possibly do before 9:30pm? The only time to socialise was during weekends, people from different organisations organised barbecues and house parties during the day. From 8pm, one by one, everyone would start to jump into their cars, contacting their various radio rooms to announce their return home, not to contravene security rules. The country was known for its constant conflicts. Rock club was always full during the weekend, of those wanting to swim, to play tennis or to just sit out in the sun. Hôtel Ledger was known for their Sunday brunch and also had a nice pool, then hôtel Oubangui, not the fanciest but had good massages. These were some of the things that helped Pilar decompress during weekends.

Visiting Senegal? A few things to do

I visited Senegal last month after 10 years! I didn't remember so much about Dakar from the last time I visited, but the thing that struck me most in 2012 was the Gorée Island (île de Gorée) and I knew I had to go back.

Senegal is a small country in West Africa with a population of about 16 or 17 million. Largely on the coast, a good part of the population speaks Wolof, one of the national languages. Wolof and French are widely spoken.

The baobab tree and the lion are national symbols. While talking about boabab trees, someone made reference to how elders sit under baobab trees in rural areas and disputes get resolved under boabab trees. It obviously holds great significance and there are lots of these trees all over the country.

If you followed the Africa cup of Nations recently, you'll know that the team that won was the Lions of Teranga 😊

A baobab tree

Dakar, the capital of the country, has a nice vibe to it, it has a life of its own and there are lots of things to do. The night life is indeed night, as they start late, close to midnight (depending on the kind of fun you are looking for) and go on till morning. There is a wide range of restaurants, bars and hang out spots with live music. There is a beach area lined with exercise equipment already set up. You'll find people exercising there most times, the area is called La Corniche. 

In Dakar, the art scene is grand, from street art to graffiti, museums and the art village. The traffic is equally hectic so the colourful streets can keep you company while you get through. Have a look at  some of the street art I drove past:

Travelling in Rural Africa

One of the many adventures of living in a remote place is travelling. Since I've been in this line of work, I have appreciated the ease with which I could travel in normal times. Getting from point A to B now takes a lot of planning and consideration. To get out of Uvira, the town I am currently in, I have to travel for 3 hours to another town called Kamanyola, then cross the border to Rwanda to a town called Kamembe.    

Kamembe is a small town that has a national forest of 1020km2. There are two exit/entry points from the Democratic Republic of Congo into South Kivu : 1) Kamanyola, which is around 46km and around 1hour and 15 minutes from Kamembe airport and 2) Bukavu which is 20km from the Kamembe airport and about a 40 minute drive. Typically, I would spend the night in Kamembe then fly to Kigali the following morning. It is a 40 minute flight, but a 5 hour drive to Kigali where I can fly from. This option is more practical for me than going to the capital (Kinshasa) to access the international airport. It is equally a two day trip.

See my previous post about some of my first impressions of the DRC.

Meeting the Democratic Republic of Congo

I got to the airport early to avoid the rush. As I finally settled at the gate that was displayed on the screen, I got busy, killing time. At some point, it didn't seem right. The people at this gate all seemed too calm and quiet. I had 30 minutes before boarding time and decided to check again. I decided not to rely on the information on the screen and asked an airport staff. I was told that I was indeed at the wrong gate.

I rushed to find the right gate and as I approached, I knew these were the people I was looking for! Congolese people are vibrant, kind of like my fellow Nigerians. There were people speaking loudly, some overly dressed, which the Congolese are known for and of course they were disorderly. People had started lining up to make their way to the plane. The flight was smooth, then when the plane touched down, on cue, people started clapping. I did not understand how I felt, but I was actually shocked that so many people were clapping in sync. 

Discovering Ethiopia

I stayed in Ethiopia for three months last year and of course I took time to discover a bit. It is a beautiful country but I only had so much time, which I tried to make the best use of. Visit Ethiopia with me through this post...

Addis Ababa is the capital of the country. The capital is at an altitude of 2,355m above sea level

- Amharic is the official language and there are 10 regions in the country. Each region has its own language

- The population of Ethiopia is about 113 million

- The Orthodox Church is super strong there

- The country is GMT+3 (2 hours ahead of Nigeria)