Liuqiu Island, Taiwan (小琉球）

I have wanted to visit Liuqiu Island ever since I watched 食尚玩家. The travel variety show featured snorkelling and seeing giant sea turtles on the island. 

I visited Liuqiu Island in Dec 2023. It was during the off-peak season and the weather was good - sunny, yet not too cold. 

To get to Liuqiu Island, one can book a shared shuttle service from Kaohsiung to Dong Gang (~1h) via Klook, and take the next available ferry from Dong Gang to Liuqiu Island (~25min). There is no need to purchase a ferry ticket in advance as there are several ferry operators. I would recommend departing from Kaohsiung at 9am to reach Liuqiu Island at 10+am.

The first activity I did was snorkelling. You can go for 1h group snorkelling at 450 twd or 1h private snorkelling at 650 twd. I'd recommend going for private snorkelling. Equipment and costumes were provided. The snorkelling store provided lockers and shower facilities too. 

The turtles swim really close to us! So close that we could touch them but no touching of turtles as that would lead to heavy fine! Seeing the giant sea turtles made the trip so worthwhile!

After snorkelling and a quick shower, I went for a quick lunch. As it was a Monday, several eateries were not open. I wanted to eat YoYo起司捲 but it was not open that day. I would recommend visiting the island on another day to try the local food on the island.

I asked the snorkelling coach to sign me up for Standup Paddling (SUP). He arranged with a SUP coach to pick me up with a scooter to go for SUP. I paid 1000 twd for 1.5h SUP with a private coach. It was fun! I managed to stand up and paddle in the sea! I saw sea turtles again! Of course, I fell into the water too.

After SUP, I asked the SUP coach to drop me at 海龟烧 to grab a snack before taking a ferry back to Dong Gang.

It was dinner time and I had Kaisendon for 390 twd at Dong Gang Fish Market. The portion was huge! Don't worry about getting diarrhoea from eating at the fish market. The food was clean and safe for consumption.

To return from Dong Gang to Kaohsiung, simply hop into any available taxi at Dong Gang. Taxi ride costs around 200 twd.

Booking one-way transfer from Klook gives you more flexibility in terms of the time you can spend on Liuqiu Island.

If you love the sun, the sand and the sea and like water activities, you should definitely visit Liuqiu Island!

Fira - Santorini, Greece

To many people, Santorini is a romantic place, a honeymoon destination and a place where everyone should visit once in a lifetime.

It lives up to expectations in terms of the scenery, but the experience I had wasn't totally pleasant. 

When my friends and I arrived at Fira, Santorini by ferry from Mykonos, we were famished. We ordered lobster pasta and salad in a restaurant which promised to give us good discount. When our bill came, it wasn't correct. In fact, I observed the other table had problem with their bill as well. Either the waiters were poor at Mathematics or they were out to con us. You might want to have lobster pasta elsewhere in Greece but not in Santorini.

Watching sunset is a must-do experience at Santorini. 

Sunset at Fira

Fira at night

On our first night at Santorini, we walked along the streets of Fira. Unfortunately, my friend's mobile phone was pickpocketed from her backpack. There was no CCTV and there was no chance to getting the phone back. Although Greece felt safer than Italy, it is Europe afterall. Backpacks, especially those without zip, are strongly discouraged because they make you an easy target for pickpockets.

We sought help from the receptionist of our apartment. Initially, he advised that only 1 or 2 of us go to the police station to file the police report (there were 3 of us) because taxis apparently charge by person in Santorini. This makes no sense at all! In the end, the receptionist arranged for someone to drive us to the police station free of charge. 

After my friend filed the police report, we asked the police to help us with transportation back to our apartment. A guy came in a vehicle (not police car), not taxi, drove for around 5 min, dropped us along the main road (which we had to walk for a few hundred metres)  and charged us 15 Eur. This was exorbitant!

So you can see, my first impression of Santorini wasn't exactly great.

Mykonos, Greece

From Zakynthos, we took a flight to Athens, followed by another flight to Mykonos. There was no direct flight between Zakynthos and Mykonos. Our flight was delayed by an hour. As I have arranged with our apartment host to pick up us at the airport, I was very apologetic as I felt that I have wasted 1 hour of her time. However, the apartment host was totally chill about it. She simply told us to enjoy Mykonos. Looking back, it seemed that transportation delay is a norm in Greece as all our flights and ferries within Greece were delayed!

We had a good stay at Anemos Apartment at Mykonos. I was especially touched by the hospitality and friendliness of our host. This was life at Mykonos. Very laid back. Mykonos is well known as a party island. Unfortunately, neither I nor my friends are party animals.

Anemos Apartment

We took a bus to Mykonos town and were captivated by the blooming bougainvillea. Like all tourists, we took photos with the white and blue buildings. I was disappointed by the windmills and Little Venice in Mykonos was nothing like Venice. I was hoping to see the big bird, pelican, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Bougainvillea

Mykonos town

Where is my big bird pelican?

Windmills

Little Venice

This is life at Mykonos

Zakynthos, Greece

The planning of Greece itinerary has been particularly challenging. As Greece is made up of many islands, to get from 1 island to the next, we had to either take a flight (or 2!) or ferry.

Our first stop was Zakynthos, also known as Zante. We took Sky Express from Athens to Zakynthos. It was my first time taking a plane with propeller!

Sky Express plane

Zakynthos, which means many hills, was occupied by Italians in the past. This explains the influence of Italian architecture and cuisine on the island. We took a day tour with Nefis travel to visit the Shipwreck Beach, Blue Caves and Xigia Beach.

The Shipwreck Beach was a filming site for the popular Korean drama “Descendants of the Sun”. It was good that we went really early to avoid the crowd. Now that the Song-Song couple has broken up, I don’t know if the site will remain so popular.

Shipwreck Beach

The Blue Caves aren’t so impressive as they are basically hollows rather than actual caves. We jumped into the sea to swim at the Blue Caves but regretted almost immediately. The water was super cold and the current was strong.

Blue Caves

We also visited Xigia Beach. When in Greece, do as the Greeks do. We spent the afternoon suntanning / chilling at the beach.

Xigia Beach

When we were in Greece in June 2019, it was really, really hot! I conclude that the weather forecast in Greece is extremely inaccurate. It conned us into believing that the temperature would be 25-29 deg C when it felt like 35-39 deg C. On our first night, I heard thunder and it started to rain when the weather forecast stated 0% chance of precipitation.

If you like the sun, sand and sea, you will like Zakynthos. You can also go on a tour to see sea turtles at Zakynthos.

Dresden, Germany

Dresden is a beautiful city in eastern Germany which is so underrated! I'd recommend you to spend 2 full days in Dresden (a day trip from Berlin simply doesn't do it justice!) And stay in the Altstadt (old town). The Altstadt has much more to offer than the Neustadt (new town). The Altstadt is where the main attractions, museums and churches are located. It is also nearer to Dresden Hauptbahnhof (main train station). The Neustadt is further from the main attractions and is where the pubs and nightlife are located. I do not like the Neustadt as much as it is not as organized as the Altstadt.

Dresden Altstadt

I stayed at Motel One am Zwinger (which I recommend) when I was in Dresden. Just across the hotel is the hidden gem: the Zwinger, a beautiful baroque palace! And what is even better? Admission to the palace is free! No prize in guessing where I visit everyday. The Zwinger is converted to museums. Admission fee applies if you would like to visit the museums. The museum houses one of Raphael’s famous artpiece, Sistine Madonna. Go for it if you are an art lover.

Zwinger

Exit the Zwinger from the other side and continue walking and you will reach the Semperoper.

Walk along Brühl’s Terrace during sunset. Cranes can be spotted easily in Dresden as the city is undergoing restoration. The Augustus Bridge connects the Aldstadt (old town) to the Neustadt (new town).

If you walk across the bridge to the Neustadt, you can take a photo of the Altstadt and the Elbe river.

Sunset view along Elbe river

I would also recommend you to visit the Frauenkirche. Admission is free. The Frauenkirche might look plain on the exterior. Once you enter it, it exudes an aura of elegance and sacredness.  I would strongly recommend visitors to pay to go to the top of the church for the marvelous view of Dresden.

 Frauenkirche 

Interior of Frauenkirche

It was “eat with everyone day” at Dresden. It’s a potluck event which happens once a year and everyone is invited to eat with anyone at the event. The following photo was taken from the 67m high viewing platform at Frauenkirche.

Shopping at Dresden: The Altmarkt Galerie and the shopping street at Dresden Altstadt have almost everything we need. The Altmarkt Galerie also offers tourist tax refund on the spot.

Dresden Neustadt and outskirt

After spending 1 full day at the Altstadt, I spent the next day in the Neustadt and in Saxon Switzerland National Park.

Half day trip from Dresden to Saxon Switzerland National Park. 

Tip: Bring along water and some snacks for this trip.

Buy 1 day Dresden 3 zones ticket at 13.50 Eur. (So expensive! In comparison, 3 zones ticket in Hamburg cost 6.40 Eur. If I am a resident at Dresden, I'd complain to the transport minister. ) 

Anway, take S1 from Dresden Hauptbahnhof (~30min) to Kurort Rathan. The train sets off every hour.

Kurort Rathan

Exit from Kurort Rathan station and walk towards the river. Buy return ferry tickets at 2 Eur.

Take the ferry to cross the river.

Walk along the beautiful town in the direction of Bastei.

To get to Bastei, it is a non-stop upwards climb for about 0.5h.

And so I climbed…

And climbed

2 Eur entry fee to take photos of Bastei bridge and surroundings

Finally, I reached the Bastei bridge after 40min of climbing. By now, my stomach has been growling. Food at the Bastei bridge was rather expensive. Since I brought my own food, it is time to take a break and have a bite before descending and returning to Dresden.

Bastei bridge

beautiful rock formations

Since I have purchased the 1 day pass, I made use of it to visit Dresden Neustadt. The train S1 also stops at Dresden Neustadt.

Kunsthofpassage at Neustadt (new town). It has very interesting design. When it rains, the rainwater flows through the pipes and creates sounds.

Tip: You can take flix bus from the bus stop outside Dresden Hauptbahnhof to do a day trip to Prague.

10 tips on travelling in Germany

Cheap airline tickets
I usually book my tickets in advance with Lufthansa/Swiss Air. They have offers for open-jaw round trips between Singapore and Europe at around SGD800. These include meals, 23kg checked in baggage allowance and 7kg carryon baggage allowance.

Where to stay?
For hotels, I would recommend Motel One which has several chains throughout Germany. If you are looking for something even more affordable, B&B is good as well. Wombats hostels in Germany are clean and very popular.

Good walking shoes
Besides uneven cobblestones, broken pieces of glass can be found anywhere on the streets of Germany. Expect lots of walking and climbing of stairs. Good walking shoes (preferably covered) are recommended and practical. No German would be seen with flip flops on the streets in Germany.

Buying train tickets

You can buy train tickets online from Deutsche Bahn website or from the ticketing machine. Usually, you get a discount for purchasing train tickets in advance. The ticketing machine generally do not accept big notes like 50 Eur. Remember to validate your ticket before boarding.

Train seat reservation

Long distance trains like Intercity Express (ICE), Intercity (IC) and Eurocity (EC) allow you to make seat reservation at around 4.50 Eur. Is it necessary? Nope. You can save money if you know which seats are not reserved. In the photo below, the window seat is reserved from Hamburg to Berlin while the aisle seat is available. If a seat is reserved from B to C and you are travelling from A to B, you can still sit down at that seat. Of course, that requires you to know the train route well enough.

Do I really need to buy a ticket? They don’t check anyway!

Yes! You wouldn’t want to be caught as a Schwarzfahrer (a person without ticket). It is good to plan your itinerary and purchase a day ticket on days that you would be doing lots of travelling within the city. You never know when you would get checked. I had a day ticket in Berlin and was taking S and U Bahns like nobody business and never got checked. However, I was checked shortly boarding the train in Hamburg.

The guys in the photo did not have the correct ticket and were each fined 20 Eur. If they did not have a ticket, they would each be fined 60 Eur. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Toilets

Generally, you need to pay 0.50 Eur to use the toilet. You can save money by using the toilet at the restaurants which you dined in, at the museums which you visit or on the trains. Note: you would need to pay to use the toilets at the train stations, but not the ones on the train.

In Europe, toilets are usually labelled as WC which stands for water closet. Ladies are also labelled as Damen while Gentlemen as Herren.

What to eat besides pork knuckles and German sausages?

You can try roast pork, Donerteller, and for Asian food fried duck with curry. Portion is huge by the way. If you have enough of meat, you can go for soup too. For authentic bayerisher cuisine, you can go to beer houses like Augustiner, Paulaner, Höfbrauhaus or Löwenbrau.

By default, water is sparkling. Order stilles Wasser if you don't want carbonated water.

Gelato and good quality ice cream can be purchased at 1 to 1.50 Eur per scoop. Get it in a cone.

Bayerischer Krustenbraten at Augustiner

Dönerteller 

Fried duck curry rice

Shopping

Generally, the same shops can be found in any city in Germany. Tourists can get VAT tax refund on items which cost at least 25 Eur. Bring your passport with you whenever you go shopping. In generally, plastic bags are chargeable. Hence, bring your own reusuable bag when you go shopping.

Besides chocolates (Ritter Sport) and sweets (Haribo), you can find lots of goodies at the supermarket. I like to buy wine at Rewe (a supermarket) and you can buy multivitamins at the drugstore (Rossman) at 0.40Eur. Compare that with the multivitamins from Watons which are also made in Germany.

At supermarkets, the cashiers do not pack the items for you. You would have the pack the items into the bags yourself. Make sure you pack the items fast enough as you would not want to be holding up the line.

Jay walking

There is no German equivalent of the word jay walking because the Germans do not jay walk. When in Germany, do as the Germans do. Do not jay walk.