Tag: Boat trip

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Yangtze River – The Snowy Jade Cave

Today we enjoyed the luxury of a lie-in and a late breakfast (by cruise standards, at least) from 7:30 am. Immediately after eating, we docked and were bundled into a very old, janky-looking bus to head to today’s attraction, the Snowy Jade Cave. It is a large cavern filled with calcium deposits forming stalactites and stalagmites (the snowy part), some of which feature mineral deposits and green jade-like hues (the jade part).

First, we actually had to get there, which proved to be a heroic effort for our struggling vehicle. The poor bus groaned at every slight incline. At one point, we were moving so slowly that two other buses tried to overtake us simultaneously, right as a motorized rickshaw was coming from the opposite direction. It was a miracle we all made it through in one piece, although our hearing took a permanent hit from all the hectic horn-beeping.

Thankfully, we arrived safely and walked the final stretch to the cave entrance, accompanied by a few curious macaque monkeys. Exploring the cave was great fun. Some sections opened into massive caverns while others squeezed down to tight crevices we had to inch through. Naturally, almost every calcium deposit was named after whatever object or mythical creature it vaguely resembled, of course being China there were several dubious looking ‘dragons’. There was a lot of colorful lighting but sadly this time there was no smoke machine. We also got a kick out of the signs along the path, which transitioned from helpful safety advice to deeply inspirational life advice the higher up the steps we climbed.

After finishing the tour, we had some spare time before heading back, so we sat down to watch the local monkeys. The park authorities had tied large squashes up in the trees to keep the animals fed and close enough for photos, explicitly to discourage tourists from feeding them directly. Big signs everywhere warned that feeding the monkeys turns them into aggressive pests.

Unfortunately, a few Chinese tourists ignored the rules entirely, using peanuts to lure monkeys onto their laps for photo ops. This worked brilliantly until the peanuts ran out. The moment the snacks disappeared, the monkeys grew annoyed and started tugging at the tourists’ hair and clothes to demand more. The tourists managed to break free unscathed, but mere moments later, they were right back at it, randomly poking a monkey sitting on a handrail in the stomach. We decided to head off and leave them to it, as a painful lesson seemed inevitable and we had no desire to stick around to watch it.

We piled back into our janky bus and trundled down to the dock, thankfully without further incident. Once back on board after lunch, we had a free afternoon, so our guide Michael offered to teach us Mahjong. It turned out to be surprisingly easy to pick up, playing much like rummy or other set-matching games, though Michael did have to write numerical values on the tile suite with Chinese characters so we could read them.

The best part of the whole experience was the table itself. It featured a built-in automatic dice roller in the center to determine who started and where to split the tiles. At the end of a round, the center raised up to reveal a mechanism into which you swept all the tiles. The table then shuffled, sorted, and neatly stacked them back into rows before pushing them back up for the next game. It was extraordinarily snazzy.

The four of us spent about two hours playing. Michael seemed genuinely pleased that we enjoyed it so much, circling the table to check our hands and offer tips. A crowd of Chinese guests gathered around to watch us play, which added a touch of performance pressure. Luckily, everyone won a couple of hands, so there were no sore losers in the group.

Afterward, we retreated to our room and finally had time to sit back and relax on the balcony for a bit before dinner. It was a nice way to relax and enjoy the scenery without the crowds. We even saw a pretty waterfall.

In the evening we enjoyed our final dinner on the boat another buffet of Chinese food, however this time we recognised some familiar faces… Smiley potato faces that is! Not quite sure these are a Chinese delicacy but we still enjoyed them! After a few photos requested by the kind dinner staff we headed back to our room to pack.

Tomorrow we head to Yangshuo, making a stop off in Chongqing, the largest city in China and in fact, the largest city in the world! Home to 32 million people! Hopefully we don’t get lost…

Will tell you all about it soon, love Alice x

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Three Gorges, China

Today began with a 6:30 AM announcement that we would shortly be traveling through Wu Gorge. We quickly got dressed and headed up to the top deck’s outside section to take a look. It was as beautiful and breathtaking as you would expect, with mist clinging to the steep walls of the gorge and lush trees covering the ridges. The ship’s staff provided commentary as we passed interesting spots, pointing out 2,000-year-old hanging coffins, relocated settlements, and famous landmarks along the way.

At 7:30 AM, we went downstairs for breakfast before setting off on our 8:15 AM tour of the Lesser Three Gorges. We transferred to smaller boats, and then to even smaller ones, to explore narrower sections of the river. With more hanging coffins dotted along the cliffs, it was a wonderfully relaxing morning watching the mountains glide past. On the way back, our boat captain sang us local songs from his hometown, a place now displaced by the dam project.

We enjoyed another buffet lunch before returning to the top deck to witness our sail through Qutang Gorge. While it looked amazing, it is unfortunately not quite as thrilling to write about, as it was mostly more of the same stunning scenery.

Afterward, we set off on an afternoon tour of White Emperor City. We were not entirely sure what to expect because the guides seemed actively trying to dissuade us from going. They explained that it usually only appeals to Chinese tourists, as it is a historical spot famous for inspiring classic poetry taught in Chinese schools. We decided to join anyway. If a location is beautiful enough to inspire generations of poets, it is surely worth an afternoon spent wandering around, especially when the alternative is sitting on a stationary boat.

The guides then warned us that if we insisted on going, we should prepare for a pretty brutal climb up a lot of steps. Slightly apprehensive, we decided to brave it. A bus took us to a nearby coastal area, where we walked across a large bridge to an island. The site was originally a large hill, but the construction of the dam and the rising river level turned it into an island. The “White Emperor” refers to Gongsun Shu, a warlord who declared himself emperor after dreaming that a white dragon told him he would rule China. Sadly that dream never became a reality but the name lives on.

Once we reached the island, vendors were selling hiking poles everywhere, and a long queue had formed for people waiting to be carried to the top in sedan chairs by porters. We started to worry we had severely underestimated the trek, but the climb turned out to be entirely manageable. Although steep, the stairs were short-lived, and we reached the top in about ten minutes.

At the summit, we were rewarded with a striking yellow gate marking the entrance to the complex, yellow being the traditional color of Chinese emperors. Inside, various statues depicted historical scenes, though we lacked the context for most of them and sadly did not get much of an explanation even after asking questions. Many famous Chinese poets have visited over the centuries, leaving behind inspired works carved into stone tablets that were beautiful to admire, even if we could not read them.



We also spotted a stone statue with a reputation. Legend has it that rubbing his head brings wealth and good luck, while rubbing his back cures back pain. Naturally, we gave both a try. The local tourists were leaving cash offerings afterward, but since we did not have cash and the statue did not seem to accept Alipay, we will just have to hope he grants our wishes anyway.

Next, we viewed a display of the 2,000-year-old hanging coffins up close. Some are full-sized, while others contain only bones, and it remains a mystery how they were placed so high up the cliffs. Chinese visitors were tucking money into the display because in Chinese culture, coffins symbolise good luck and prosperity. The Mandarin word for coffin sounds identical to a phrase meaning “to be promoted and get rich.” Since the coffin display also lacked an Alipay scanner, I am keeping my fingers crossed for good luck regardless.

Our last stop was a balcony from where you could see a view of the gorge that is actually painted on the 10 yuan note, so obviously we stopped for a photo of two.

On the way back from the city, our guide bought us some small plums to try on the bus. They were incredibly sweet and juicy, serving as a lovely starter before dinner.

After dinner, we were treated to a performance by the ship’s staff. It felt a bit mean to make them put on a show after a hard day’s work, especially after learning their schedule consists of six straight weeks of work followed by just one week off. The show was fun, if a little odd. It mostly consisted of dances by staff members who had clearly zoned out and were simply going through the motions.

There was also a segment where all guests celebrating birthdays were called on stage, asked to give a speech, and blew out birthday candles together. Shortly after, an audience member volunteered to sing Beijing opera. To be fair, he could definitely sing and certainly had a serious set of lungs on him. However, opera is an acquired taste at the best of times, and Chinese opera involves a lot of high-pitched screechy instruments and vocal stylings. Blasted at ear-numbingly loud volumes, it was safe to say it was not a crowd-pleaser among the Western guests.

After the grand finale, it was straight off to bed. Another early start awaits us tomorrow. I will tell you all about it soon.

Love,
Alice x

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Coron, The Philippines

On our first night in Coron, we met up with the group from the boat trip—everyone except the German couple—and went out for dinner.

As we chatted about our plans for the next day, we found that we had all struggled to find boat tours that didn’t include places we had already visited. Frederico, who had been to the Philippines before, enthusiastically recommended some of his favorite spots. Unfortunately, none of them were included in the standard tours. He was so disappointed that we wouldn’t get to see them that he suggested hiring a private boat to visit them ourselves.

Grace had already looked into this, but even split between the nine of us, it was a bit too expensive on our backpacker budgets. Then, in an incredibly generous gesture, Frederico offered to pay for the entire boat, saying we’d only need to cover the environmental entry fees. He insisted he had plenty of money and simply enjoyed spending time with us as a group—so he was happy to make it happen.

The next morning, our boat crew picked us up and took us to a local market to buy food for the day. I couldn’t even step inside—the smell of fish in the heat was overwhelming—but Grace and the other English girls braved it and picked out some chicken, rice, and fresh fruit.

While waiting outside and watching the other boat crews gather their supplies, I had a realization about the pork we’d been eating on our El Nido-to-Coron boat trip. We had been wondering why it had so much cartilage, and I suddenly put two and two together—it was probably pig’s head. I decided to keep that revelation to myself. Oh well, at least it had tasted good!

With our food sorted, we set off for our first stop, a viewpoint overlooking the island and a stunning lake where we got to swim. The lake was full of tiny fish that were so used to tourists they had no fear—you could actually scoop them up in cupped hands of water.

Next, we explored some breathtaking lagoons and went for another swim. The towering rock formations looked so dramatic and unreal, it felt like we were on a movie set, as if they were made of polystyrene and craft materials rather than actual rock.

For lunch, we stopped in a quiet cove and had BBQ chicken, rice, and fresh fruit. The fruit was incredible—the mangoes and pineapples here are unbelievably sweet and flavorful. I can’t get enough of them.

After lunch, we visited another lagoon, this one only accessible by swimming through a narrow tunnel in the rock. Again, it was stunning. One of the best parts of the day was how relaxed the pace was—we weren’t rushed from place to place like on the typical tours. We could actually take our time, swim, explore, and enjoy the scenery without feeling like we were on a schedule.

Our final stop was a snorkeling site. At first, we weren’t too excited—we’d already spent three days snorkeling—but the boat captain assured us it was worth it. And wow, he was right. The coral and marine life were unbelievable; it felt like being dropped into an aquarium.

At one point, we swam around a rock and came face to face with a barracuda. Given that we were wearing jewelry and barracudas are known to go after shiny objects, it was a little nerve-wracking. Thankfully, it seemed just as startled as we were and quickly swam away. We also spotted a triggerfish, which aggressively defends its territory in a cone-shaped zone extending from the seafloor. Luckily, we kept our distance and didn’t provoke it.

Puffer Fish, Barracuda and a turtle

The rest of the marine life was far less intimidating—needlefish, starfish, pufferfish, parrotfish, and even a sea turtle feeding nearby. It was an unforgettable experience. That evening, we all met up one last time for dinner before heading our separate ways. The next morning, Grace and I had a flight to another island—Cebu.

I’ll tell you all about it soon! Love, Alice x

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El Nido to Coron boat trip, The Philippines

Our time in El Nido didn’t start of great, we turned up at our hostel, the one with the best ratings in the area, to find it dark cramped and dirty looking. So we immediately headed back out into the town on the search of a different one, the only one that still had space was double to price, but thankfully this trip were no longer penny pinching and unemployed so we decided to splash out on the much nicer hostel, still unsure how the other one had such high ratings.

After we had moved all of our stuff over and showed we went out for a lovely Italian dinner sharing a pizza and a salad. But yet again I had vomiting and diarrhea about an hour later, which is no ideal as we only had one more day in El Nido before we were supposed to be doing a three day boat trip.

So the next day, sadly our only full day in El Nido, I spent the morning in a local clinic trying to get to the bottom of what the issue is. After a fun stool sample in a dubious looking toilet and some waiting around for results I was told I have a parasite infection, probably from a salad or contaminated water. Luckily 10 says of antibiotics should resolve the issue and the doctors visit and medication only came to around £50, well worth it to be on the mend!

Thankfully the next morning I wasn’t feeling as weak and tired and had managed to keep some food down, so we decided to go ahead with out boat trip. We had booked a two night, three day excursion from El Nido to Coron, we were luckily on one of the smaller catermerang boats, there were 11 travelers; A Dutch couple, A Swedish couple, A German couple, tow other British Girls and an Italian man. Along with four staff on the boat.

It was a super fun three days, we visited sand bars, snorkeling spots and beautiful beaches. We lucked out on our first day when we found a brand new looking snorkel and goggels at a snorkeling spot somone had obviously dropped and left without as we were the only people there. The snorkeling spots were amazing we saw so much cool corral and so many cool fish, we also saw some turtles. The group soon cottened on that Grace was the girl to stick close to when snorkeling and I lost my private guide, but she was showing us all the cool stuff in the ocean and stopping us getting attacked by trigger fish and a large Barracuda at one point!

We also got very spoilt with three freshly cooked buffet meals each day. In the evenings we docked up on small islands and ate on the land, the first night on of the English girls was feeding some dogs all our leftover chicken adobo and we’re getting very grumpy looks from the boat staff, only afterwards did we realise the food was for them too and they just waited for us to finish before they ate. Woops!

We slept in basic wooden huts with mosquito nets, and showered in water collected from rain, somehow even in this most basic and isolated of places we still couldn’t escape the Filipino love for karaoke and there was a battery powered machine, which made for our evening entertainment, the first night we had a karaoke off with the other boat staying on the island, they claimed it was unfair because I was too good a singer which may have been the best compliment I’ve ever had and I would of been very happy with it except it made me a bit too confident and it all came crashing down with a rather lacking attempt at Adele! Ohh well I guess I’ll stick to my normal day job when I get home! The boat crews were also joining in, singing their hearts out even if they didn’t always know the words, we particularly enjoyed the captain’s rendition of ‘You take my breath bread away’

The group was super fun and we all really got on playing dice games and chatting in-between stops. The Italian guy traveling on his own turned out to be an Actor and director apparently he is a main character on the netflix series ‘White Lotus’ which was lost on all of us, we had all heard of it but none of us had seen it. But he was telling us the cast are waiting to hear if they have won an oscar they have been nominated for.

It was a fun three days, except for some light to moderate sun burn for everyone on the last day when we seemed to be driving in a way that gave zero areas of shade, even our factor 50 suncream couldn’t seem to save us, but luckily we were the ones who got off the lightest and it’s already turned brown!

It was a great way to travel to Coron, even if we are knackered now! Can’t wait to tell you all about Coron soon, lots of love, Alice x