China With My Boy

Location: China 

Who with: my teenage son

Date of travel: September 2018


Why?
My Dad is an ABC (Australian Born Chinese) and I have long wanted to take my son on a trip to China. Travelling to China myself in the late 80s gave me an insight into my heritage and a sense of gratitude that my grandparents had the good sense to immigrate to Australia. I hoped that my son might get a similar feel for where his ancestors had come from, but now that China has embraced capitalism, the contrast is not so stark as it was when I visited 30 years ago.

How?
Master 15 and I joined the Intrepid Travel China Family Tour in September 2018 for a 14 Day tour starting in Beijing and finishing in Hong Kong.

I love a small group guided tour, having done a Peregrine Adventures tour to Vietnam back in 1997. My work life as an EA is spent organising people, diaries, and events to the nth degree, so it's nice to have someone else do the organising while I do the relaxing. While I had done some comparative research about tours, I did not want to research the locations too much on purpose - I wanted to leave some things open to a sense of surprise and curiosity. The tour was really well paced, with just the right amount of guiding and plenty of opportunities to strike out on our own.

Great Wall of China at Mutianyu

Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Reasons We Chose This Trip
The big ticket places we wanted to see were included: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, and the Panda Research Centre - especially the pandas! The bonus extras were the evening performances of acrobatics, kung fu, Szechuan opera, cooking class, bike rides, overnight sleeper train journey, and of course the amazing food.

Cycling the city wall at Xi'an

A cot full of baby pandas at Chengdu

Highlights
The visit to the Panda Research Centre was much anticipated, and I didn't want to leave. The Giant Pandas and the lovely bamboo gardens were beautiful, but the Red Pandas were the "unexpected stars of the show".

I had been looking forward to the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, but the early morning bicycle ride around the ancient City Walls and the amazing street food were a wonderful surprise.

Yangshuo was also a highlight. The Golden Week party atmosphere in West Street each evening was fabulous and the slightly less busy rural setting was a pleasant change after the urban centres.

Hong Kong is one of my favourite places on earth - the hustle and bustle, the food, the girls walking arm in arm, the food, the Star Ferry, and that view from The Peak. We weren't in the mood for shopping so we took the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to Lantau Island, avoided the tourist trap shops, and wandered past the foot of the Big Buddha to the Wisdom Path, which was much less crowded.

Cooking class at Yangshuo

Spectacular scenery on the Li River at Yangshuo

Some personal highlights
Watching my son as he flexed his wings while we travelled and stepping up when I felt myself getting flustered. We had arrived in Beijing two days before our tour began and I had booked a foodies walking tour of the hutongs for our first day. While waiting in our hotel reception to meet our guide, Master 15 looked over my shoulder at the printed ticket and noticed I had booked for September 2019, not September 2018. We rang the tour company and it turned out they had noticed the date the day before and had tried to ring our hotel to confirm if were were in fact staying the next day and not the next year. The hotel would not confirm (the correct thing to do, but nevertheless frustrating), so they did not send a guide to meet us. We tried to arrange another time, but it just wasn't going to work out. I was ready to have a little cry and retreat to our hotel room (I'll blame jet lag and menopause), but Master 15 encouraged me to strike out and we went in search of a t-shirt shop we'd previously found online.

We ended up having a fantastic day wandering around in search of t-shirts, mango drinks, and music shops. We even managed to find our way back to our hotel after I lost our map...

Master 15 had his 16th birthday the day we visited the Great Wall, which was a fabulous way to mark the day, along with the delicious cake our guide produced at dinner that night.

View from The Peak - Hong Kong

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car - get a Crystal Cabin

Would I recommend this tour for travel with a teenager?
Absolutely. The locations of our accommodation meant Master 16 felt comfortable going off to explore on his own

We were blessed with our travel companions - a family of four from Queensland and another family of four from New Zealand - we all got along famously. A great mix of activities combined with daily down time meant everyone was relaxed, well-rested and, for the most part, happy. Our tour guide, William, made sure we were all well taken care of.


The greatest gain from this trip with Master 16 was (yes this is going to sound cliched) the mother/son bonding time we had. Being on the tour took away the roles of "I'm the mother so I'm in charge and you're the kid so I'm in charge" and put us on an equal footing.  In only a couple of years' time he will fly the family coop, so I feel greatly blessed to have had the opportunity for this time of exploring outside our comfort zones together and creating some wonderful memories and "in" jokes.

Now we just have to book our flights for our foodie tour in September 2019!

Bali : travelling with teens

Location: Bali 

Who with: my husband and teenage children

Date of travel: January 2018

Why?

After my first trip solo to Bali in September 2016, I was keen to take my family back so they could enjoy it as much as I did.

How?

Luxury Escapes were offering an 8 night deal to the Grand Hyatt Bali at Nusa Dua - it looked wonderful with lots of meals, massages and drinks included. We booked two packages for the four of us. There was a family package option, but as our kids are teenagers, the two packages gave us better value for money.

I had read reviews where some people felt that they were treated less well because they had booked the Luxury Escapes package, but that certainly was not our experience.

We wanted to follow our stay at the Grand Hyatt with a 3 night stay in Seminyak in a private villa. I was overwhelmed with options when I searched online, so I contacted the Seminyak Snob, who I follow on Instagram, and they put me in touch with Ministry of Villas. After letting them know what we were looking for and our dates, they gave us a few suggestions and we chose Villa Jolanda. 

What?

We flew to Bali from Melbourne with Jetstar. On arrival at Denpasar we were met by a representative of the Grand Hyatt and directed to our driver. Men offering to take our cases surrounded us and the hotel rep seemed to encourage them so we thought they were part of the deal. We only had carry-on luggage and could have managed ourselves but we let them take our bags – one man per bag. Once we were loaded up they all put out their hands for a tip and I didn’t have many small notes, so they were rewarded quite handsomely for their efforts. Tip – next time we will just take our own bags or I will make sure I have lots more small notes!

On arrival at the Grand Hyatt we were treated to a cooling welcome drink and shown to our rooms. We had requested rooms close to each other and on the ground floor – both of which we got. The standard room has a king bed or twins beds and a large daybed tucked away in an alcove. The kids had a twin rooms but daughter chose to sleep in the daybed, which was also made up.

We had no issues with rooms – they were spacious, clean, and quiet. 

The resort is huge, with beautifully maintained tropical gardens, lots of ponds and water features and several swimming pools.

Grand Hyatt Bali

Several of our meals were included in the package, with a variety of styles and settings. We also received drink vouchers which could be redeemed at the restaurants and bars for cocktails and non-alcoholic bevvies.

The Kriya Spa located within the resort was a lovely indulgence and we cashed in those vouchers the next day. All four of us were welcomed with a refreshing drink and cooling hand towel and after some discussion about our treatment we were shown to the treatment villas – girls in one and boys to another.

We slipped into our robes and received a reflexology treatment, which was followed by an Authentic Balinese Massage. I LOVE a massage and this was so blissful. The surroundings, the care given, the extra consideration given to my daughter, as this was her first massage – it was wonderful. After the massage we changed back into our own clothes and then we were shown to another glass-walled villa where you could spend as long as you liked in your state of bliss before returning to the outside world. With a cup of herbal tea we kicked back on our daybeds, listening to the sounds of the water fountain surrounding us. It was a wrench, but we finally left feeling well rested.

A return visit to Kriya Spa wasn’t in my budget, so after that I ventured outside the resort to the Dandelion Spa - only a very short drive away. I contacted them via their website and booked a time. They were very efficient in replying and confirming my booking and advising what time the driver would be at the resort to collect me! While the surrounds were not quite as flash as the Kriya Spa, the level of service was wonderful. I think I tried nearly every treatment they had on offer over the following week. I must admit that I’d done quite a bit of research online before we left home so I could see which places offered the treatments I wanted and had received favorable reviews. I was not disappointed. If you’re looking for massage treatments in Nusa Dua I highly recommend the lovely girls at Dandelion Spa.

We did venture out of the resort from time to time, taking a couple of excursions to Ubud.

Cycling in the warm rain in Ubud

I had been on an Eco Cycling Tour on my previous Bali visit, and it was one of the highlights of my trip, so I booked us all in with them again. I could have gone with another operator and a different trip, but I knew what we were getting and it had been so enjoyable the first time. The tour starts off with breakfast with a view over Lake Batur (it was a quite foggy morning so we only caught glimpses of the lake and volcano through the clouds this time), and then a visit to a coffee and spice plantation, where we got to sample a range of teas and coffees. Then we were on our bikes and began the cycling part of the tour.

One of the main reasons I chose this particular tour was that we stopped at a local family’s home. When I was there last time I said to myself, “I wish my kids were here to see how blessed they are and that not all families have more than one tv and a computer each”. So now here they were. Our guide explained the layout of the home – who sleeps where, where important family rituals take place, how the family earns an income. Moments like these make me realize how much I have been blessed with.

I also chose to challenge myself by choice: spiders are not my favourite but this one was so beautiful and jewell-like.

Back on our bikes and we visited a rice paddy and rode through the streets and villages. It rained during the first part of the ride, but that just added to the sense of adventure – cycling through the warm tropical downpour. The tour finishes up with a late buffet-style lunch at a local restaurant. We all had a fabulous day and were a bit leg weary by the time we got back to Nusa Dua.

A few days later we hired a driver through Bali Golden Tour for another outing to Ubud. This was all easily arranged via email. The car was comfortable, clean and, most importantly, air-conditioned. Arta was a fabulous driver and guide – we always felt safe on the crazy roads with him. We customized our trip so that we could visit the Monkey Forest, the Royal Palace and the Ubud Market.

The Monkey Forest was the highlight of my whole trip. It was not at all how I had pictured it in my mind. This was like visiting a lovely tropical botanic garden and as a bonus there were monkeys! After purchasing our tickets, which were Rp50.000/each (~AU$5/each), we entered the gardens, and a short way in a couple of ladies were selling bananas, with the choice of a small or large bunch, for the purpose of photo opportunities with the monkeys. We got our large bunch and the lovely lady showed us how to hold the bananas to encourage the monkeys to jump on our shoulders. It was so much fun, although Brodie was a little nervous at first. As the lady was trying to encourage a smaller monkey for the petite Brodie the biggest monkey we saw all day climbed up on her shoulder! Several bunches of bananas later, the rest of the family managed to drag me away. We didn’t have any issues with naughty monkeys trying to steal sunglasses or bags that I had read about. It really does just come down to common sense and following the guidelines.

The visit to the Royal Palace and the Market was a bit of a let down after the excitement of the monkeys. They are worth visiting but only if you’re already in Ubud.

We did a quick spot of shopping on Jalan Dewi Sita, so I could visit Tn Parrot. I had read about them in the Lonely Planet guide before my first visit and bought t-shirts home then. They are high quality, well made t-shirts with tasteful designs that don’t include beer brand logos. As far as sizing goes, you may need to go up a size – I’m an Australian size 12 and their women’s large is pretty snug. They aren’t your cheap nasty t-shirts and you can expect to pay similar prices to home for them – but they are worth it for a nice useful souvenir. 

It must be hard for a tour guide to gauge just how much "guidance" his customers want - I think Arta got it just right. He also suggested some nice places for us to stop and have a family photo taken.

The next few days we spent lounging about the resort, occasionally indulging in poolside lunches, squirrel spotting, and wallowing in the pools. Bali Collection shopping centre is just outside the Grand Hyatt’s gate and we purchased some well-priced runners from one of the shops and bits and pieces from the supermarket there.

Water Blow blowhole is about a 10 minute walk from the resort along a path and board walk. While we didn’t get to see it in action, it was a nice place for a stroll. I laced up my running shoes one night and managed a 5 km run with several laps around the park near Water Blow, but it was just too humid for this lazy runner, and I didn’t attempt it again.

We caught a taxi to lunch at the Nusa Dua Beach Grill on our last day in Nusa Dua. It wasn’t quite what we expected but on the upside we had a lovely walk back to the Grand Hyatt along the beachfront, past some of the other resorts and beach clubs. Based only on what we could see from the beach path we though the Grand Hyatt had been a good choice, with its beautiful gardens and family friendly atmosphere.

I have to say the staff were all very friendly, especially when Brodie practiced her Indonesian language with them. We had all learned a few basic words and phrases and it became a great conversation starter with the staff at the resort and the shops and our drivers, and when I occasionally got it a bit wrong we got to have a laugh with them too. Tip: it pays to learn some basic Indonesian words before you go. We found these ones really useful:

Yes.....Ya

No.....Tidak

Please.....Silakan

Thank You.....Terima kasih

You’re welcome.....Sama sama

How are you?.....Apa kabar?

Good thanks.....Baik baik saja

My name is…..Nama saya…

What is your name?.....Siapa namu mu?

And my favourite:

That was delicious!.....Enak sekali!

Villa Jolanda - Seminyak

So on day 9 of our Bali trip we checked out of the Grand Hyatt and transferred by private car to Villa Jolanda in Seminyak. The villa is located down a narrow lane lined with walled villas. Stepping through the gates was like entering a secret garden. The living areas are all al fresco but undercover, overlooking the lovely swimming pool. The two bedrooms and their adjoining bathrooms are indoors and air-conditioned. On the first morning breakfast was provided and prepared for us and then we fended for ourselves the next two days.

The Bistrot : Jalan Kayu Aya No.117, Seminyak

After checking in and unpacking our bags we went exploring for lunch and found The Bistrot, a vintage French-style café. It has a gorgeous interior and is very family-friendly. The burgers were a big hit.

Pipeline Smoothie Bowl at Shelter

After a late start the next day we went in search of Shelter Café for lunch after it had been recommended to me by a girlfriend. Nalu Bowls is downstairs – Shelter is a roof top garden upstairs. I had the Pipeline smoothie bowl and it was to die for – all the tropical tastes I love. After some more wandering the streets of Seminyak we headed back to the villa for a siesta.

That night we wanted somewhere close by to eat and I found Wacko Burger Café online. Not knowing what to expect we went for a walk around the corner and it was a real gem - a very relaxed café next to a rice paddy with amazing burgers. Or so I am told, I was feeling a bit under the weather that night, so I ordered the homestyle chicken soup, and it was just what the doctor ordered.

For our last day in Bali we headed off to Waterbom – the best waterpark in Asia! I expected that I would spend the day bobbing along the Lazy River, but by the end of the day we’d all done pretty much all the rides, including the Flow Rider! The ticket price might seem a bit steep at first, but it really was worth it. We paid a little extra and hired a gazebo in the Lazy River area (no.38 from memory). A gazebo gives you a central location to retreat to or meet back up at, with it’s own safe for our valuables and cushioned seating. We ordered lunch from the Thaitalian restaurant and they delivered it to us in our gazebo. At most of the rides there are photographers who will take your photo. This was great as I don’t have a waterproof housing or pouch for my camera or phone, but they do like you to strike cheesy poses. At the end of the day you can view the photos and either purchase select ones or buy the whole package. Waterbom also has a cashless payment system, you load up a barcoded wristband and pay for any purchases with that. You can top it up at places throughout the park and if you don’t use it all up you get it back when you leave. 

Waterbom was a great way to finish our holiday with a bang.

When travelling by yourself you can just eat what you want when you like, but finding meals for a whole family on a budget can be a challenge. I find it a bit of a stress point when I’m trying to please everyone. Bali was a joy in that regard – everywhere we went there was something for everyone and at prices that didn’t make your eyes bulge.

Bali was the first time my kids had travelled to Asia (we went to Fiji about 9 years ago and didn’t leave the Shangri-La except to go to the airport for the return flight home - that’s terrible, I know, but in our defense we had just spent 18 months owner-building our home, putting in a lot of labour ourselves and we really needed a break) so some aspects of it were a bit confronting for them – the litter and the smells, the smoking, and the crowds, but I think Bali is a good way to ease them in to travel in Asia.

I would recommend Bali as a destination for a family travelling with teens. Our experience was that there was something for everyone – a good mix of relaxing and exploring. AND monkeys!

Bali : on my own

Location: Bali

Who with: on my own

Date of travel: September 2016

Why?

After an especially hectic time in my workplace I was looking forward to a holiday. For some time I had wanted to take my son on a trip to China and we talked about taking a tour together, but he decided he didn’t want to go. My husband insisted I needed a break anyway and should take myself away for a rest.

I had always joked that my lottery win holiday would be to book myself into one of the health retreats in northern New South Wales or the Gold Coast hinterland for a strict regimen of healthy eating, exercise, massages and meditation. Once I started researching online I wondered if that was really what I needed at the time.

Then I recalled a girlfriend had been to Bali for a yoga retreat, and long story short, found myself booking in to the Bliss Sanctuary for Women in Canggu.

How?

Booking in to Bliss was very easy via their website. It’s not all about the yoga, there is a range of packages you can add on and I chose the Self Empowerment package, which included a session with a Balinese Healer, a tarot card reading, and a colourpuncture treatment: more about the treatments later.

On arrival at the airport in Denpasar my Bliss driver, Putu, whisked me away to the villa in Canggu (it has since relocated to a new site). I was greeted by the hostess who sat with me to ask what I hoped for from my time at Bliss, then after a cool drink and snack, I went to the first of many massages in my private room, on my mosquito-netted, petal strewn massive bed.

Poolside @ Bliss

What appealed to me about Bliss was the relaxed, entirely up to you pace, with no dietary limitations, and no expectations to do anything at all. The unlimited massage treatments were also a big drawcard.

Breakfast and lunch could be chosen from an a la carte menu (nasi goring for breakfast!) and dinner was a banquet of authentic Balinese dishes with the other guests each evening – a wonderful opportunity to hear about their activities and which treatments everyone had that day.

The treatment session with the Balinese healer included in my package was a mixed bag of pleasure and pain. I was in Phase 2 of two frozen shoulders with a very limited range of motion, particularly on the right side. I will admit there were tears during the session and some fairly painful manipulation, but by the end of the session I could reach up and over my head, which I hadn’t been able to do for months. For me it was a minor miracle, and was followed by a few more cathartic tears.

I was a bit skeptical about the colorpunture treatment and was considering giving it a miss, but another guest’s recommendation made me decide to go ahead. I met with Henry and assistant his Nengah for a chat first, explaining that I was just exhausted and was looking to be rejuvenated by my stay at Bliss. Henry went to work on my head and face while Nengah was treating my feet. You can seen more about them and the treatment here.  I must have fallen asleep during the treatment because I woke myself up with an unexpected snore – Henry assured me that was not uncommon. The session lasted about 90 minutes and I came away feeling so relaxed and rested, as if I’d had the best night’s sleep.

Cleansing ritual at Pura Tirta Empul

Over dinner each evening our hostess talked to us about what we’d like to do the next day – sightseeing, treatments, shopping trips – and made the arrangements. I madly booked in cooking classes, cycling tours, and sightseeing for the first few days and then remembered why I was really there – to relax and be pampered. The second half of my stay was about the yoga, the massages, and the cream baths (the most divine head massage and hair treatment ever!).

For women travelling solo to a new and unfamiliar place, Bliss is perfect. Drivers are on hand to take you sightseeing and shopping: “I love the beautiful embroidered cushions in our rooms – where can I buy them?” “Ketut, could you please drive Miss K to Bungalow so she can buy some cushions.” And each guest is provided with a pre-programmed mobile phone, so in the event that you get lost you can easily contact your driver or the villa. 

When I got home and was waxing lyrical about my holiday a colleague (male) commented that the provision of a mobile phone took away the adventure of getting lost, but that really wasn’t what this holiday was about. 

My paid job and my domestic role is one of organizing other people down to the smallest detail.  Staying at Bliss gave me the mental, emotional and physical break I needed and the biggest decision I had to make each day was which massage treatments to choose and what to select for breakfast and lunch. I had gone to Bliss to be the one being taken care of, instead of the one taking care of others.

This trip ticked all the boxes for me: great food, sightseeing, massages, rejuvenation, and the frisson of a solo adventure.

My take away message from one of the healers was to “love yourself more, and doubt yourself less” - a powerful message for all the sisterhood.

Who Am I and Why a Blog?

If 50 is the hill, then I am over it (only slightly) and I am mother to two little ducks.

My name is Kez and I love to travel near and far.

As an outgoing introvert who doesn’t party or drink much, this isn’t going to be a blog about hitting the bars in exotic locations. After a day of travel and sightseeing I like nothing more than to retreat to my hotel room after dinner for some quiet "recovery time".


I do love food – mostly the eating part, with the cooking part as a means to an end. I am one of THOSE people who take photographs of their food.

I don’t have a glamorous instaworthy bikini bod and I’m not a fashionista. I’m healthy but not very fit.

The travel bug first bit me back in 1987 when I was invited to travel to China with a group of relatives – aunts, uncles and cousins about my age and younger. My paternal grandfather was born in China and we were embarking on a family pilgrimage to the ancestral village along with some other sightseeing.

My first overseas trip: After growing up in rural Victoria, Hong Kong was a bit of an eye-opener! I expected it would be busy and built up like Melbourne, but this was way beyond anything I could ever imagine. The crowds, the traffic, the high-rises, the noise, the smell! It was all a bit overwhelming and after a few days in Hong Kong, I couldn’t wait until we left for China.

At least in China there was a bit more breathing space. It was very exciting for a green 20 year old to be visiting places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square before it became synonymous with sadness. Then after a few weeks of constant touring in China, with the persistent noise and greyness, I was looking forward to getting back to the relative cleanliness of Hong Kong!

Since then I have been fortunate to travel to the UK and parts of Europe with my parents, visit New Zealand and Fiji twice, go back to Hong Kong and Macau again, visit Australian friends living in Cambodia, visit Thailand and Singapore, tour Vietnam from top to bottom, and live for a year in Saudi Arabia.

I recently undertook an exercise in developing my core personal values and some of the words that rose to the top like the cream on milk were curiosity, open-mindedness, personal development, challenge, adventure, gratitude, simplicity, and appreciation. Travel feeds all of those values. Challenge and adventure sound grand and difficult, but they don’t have to be. Adventure could be as simple as finding your way by yourself in a strange city to a restaurant for dinner. Challenge may be eating dinner in a restaurant by yourself, or mustering up the courage to try a few words of a new language.

My travel bucket list includes walking the Camino de Santiago before I turn 60 and taking my kids on a holiday of their choice before they decide they’re too old to travel with Mum anymore. My son Mitchell and I are booked to visit China together in September and will celebrate his 16th birthday on the Great Wall.

I hope I never lose that wide-eyed excitement I had as a 20 year old on my first overseas trip. And I hope I can pass that sense of wonderment and curiosity on to my two little ducks.

Why a travel blog? Over the last 12 months I participated in a community leadership course and one of the key messages was to find opportunities and purpose that align with your passions. I love to travel and I love to eat. The ISFJ in me loves the research and planning. I love the excitement of getting on a plane and going new places. Closer to home and more budget-friendly, I also love getting in the car and hitting the highway or the back roads. And I love getting outdoors and bushwalking locally.

My current 9 to 5 job situation may  change depending on the outcome of the next federal election (I work for an MP) so now is a perfect opportunity to explore a new path and reinvent myself.

Through this blog I hope I can encourage and inspire other mother ducks, "over the hill" or not, to strike out either with their ducklings in tow or solo, to places near and far away.