Burleigh Heads - health, fitness and surfing

 Burleigh Heads is situated halfway between Coolangatta Airport and Gold Coast. Mainly famous for it's surf conditions (which attracts all levels of surfers to the area) it is starting to grow in popularity due to it's location and increasing devotion to health and fitness centred lifestyles. Families, couples and solo travellers flock here for the near nightly free events at the Burleigh Heads Surf Club and the pristine beaches that are never as packed as Surfers Paradise.

Also, as it is only a 10-15 minute ride to the Gold Coast tourists can easily access the lively nightlife that is Surfers or get away from the havoc and relax in peace in Burleigh. The Gold Coast Highway is always in an easy walking distance so getting a bus in either direction is effortless. The buses run very frequently and hit all major tourist attractions.

The one thing I did notice as soon as I arrived was just how active people were. From five in the morning right into the evening there were people of all ages either running, walking, working out on the fitness equipments provided by the government or MILFs practicing group yoga on the beachside as their young ones amused themselves on the playground nearby. Also, every fifth or so restaurant I walked past was an organic, health-food or paleo store. They even had an amazing farmers market held in their local school grounds that sold a variety fruit, vegetables, meat, takeaways plus arts and crafts. Don't think that this place is super hippy with angry vegans running amok, but a town full of locals that are conscious about staying healthy and wanting to live a long, awesome life. Because of this, it has produced a very calm, relaxed vibe - perfect for a relaxing retreat from the real world or a cure to a hard night of club hopping in Surfers Paradise.

Burleigh Heads is definitely the place to be next time you are in Queensland. Just pack your paddle board, running shoes, some acai berries and coconut water and you'll be one of the locals in no time!

View from the top of Burleigh Heads National Park

View from Burleigh Heads Surf Club to Surfers Paradise

View from Solnamara Beachfront Apartments

Burleigh Head bugs

Nice in Paradise Tours - Coron, Palawan

By the looks of it, there are about 3 or 4 companies operating in Coron that specialise in island hopping. I could be wrong and there are more but that was all I could see while I was waiting at the dock.

I tried two different companies, and I know that's not enough to make a final conclusion about who is the best company, but I was just so impressed by this one and it far exceeded the other company.

This company is called Nice in Paradise Tours (http://www.niceinparadisetours.com/). They are locally owned and run a number of island hopping tours daily. They are pretty easy to spot as all their banka boats are painted in a bright green colour, which in my opinion stands out really nicely against the turquoise waters and volcanic rock formations. Their tour guides were knowledgeable and efficient. Professional and ensured that we all got to see what was important and definitely knew where all the best photo spots are.

Price was they are pretty average and are similar to all the other companies. If you want to know that your money is going towards a company that will get you to the places you want to see, then this is who to go with.

I went on two tours with them: The island escapade and Coron Island Tour. Below is a bit more information on each tours. The tour numbers range but they're no more than 12 as that is the most comfortable number you can fit on a banka (plus the captain, tour guide and sometimes one more employee).

The Coron Island Tour
Departs the dock at 9am and comes back around 5pm. Hits 6 destinations in a day: Kayangan Lake, Twin Peak Reef, Banol Beach, CYC Beach, Twin Lagoon and a gorgeous coral reef by the Balinsasayaw floating house. The lunch they served was divine and they always cook more than what is needed!

View along the hike to Kayangan Lake

Coron Jetty

NIP's bright green Bankas

Entrance to Kayangan Lake

Kayangan lake

Our captain/chef

Coming into Banol Beach

The awesome lunch spread put on by NIP

The Island Escapade Tour
This tour was more relaxing as it only hit 3 destinations- the best beaches in Coron. These islands were Banana Island, Isla Bulog and Malcapuya Island. Malcapuya Island was definitely my favourite and the most beautiful beach we visited. There is a stunning reef a few metres away from the shore and it also has the biggest clams I've ever seen in my life! I wish I had an underwater camera to capture a picture.

Again, lunch was incredible.

Moses Miracle at Seonyudo

Off the west coast of South Korea is a little island called Seonyudo. The best port to access this island is from Gunsan and it takes about an hour and a half ride on a ferry to get there. It's a small island that is perfect for a little weekend getaway.

One of  my favourite things on this island is that when the tide goes out it creates a stone/shell pathway to a smaller island that is usually a little swim out from the shore. It only takes about two to five minutes to walk around the whole thing but it's a little beaut. Sitting on the top of the little peak under some shade you can look back onto the main beach and it seems like all your cares just wash away in that moment.

(Photos below are courtesy of Adam Jones)

Looking towards the little island.

Walking out the water level was only ankle to mid-calf deep.

Walking to the peak of the little island.

Looking back towards the main island. You can see the pathway here.

We only stayed for about 5 minutes here. Walking back the water had risen to nearly hip deep.

Kkotji Beach, Anmyeondo

I had the surprise of my life this weekend when I saw bio-luminescent plankton light up the waters at Kkotji Beach, Anmyeondo. I never knew these existed in Korean waters and it was absolutely stunning. It was definitely a case of the right place at the right time as these plankton are unpredictable as to when and where they will show and in how many numbers. We were fortunately enough that Saturday night brought many of these types of plankton to that particular beach we decided to camp by.

It is simply mesmerising  watching the waves light up as they break on the shore, and have your footprints shine with each step you take.

Can't go wrong on Koh Rong

Just imagine a strip of pristine, powder-soft white sand and clear, blue, warm water. Put that next to modest shacks, hammocks swinging in the breeze, barbeque's grilling the latest catch of the day and soft island music in the background. This is idyllic Koh Rong Island, 25km off the coast of Sihanoukville in Cambodia located in the Gulf of Thailand.

This island has been some-what untouched. There are no motorized vehicles....well, just no roads on this whole island. Although, the Cambodian government are looking to start building this area more. I do prefer how natural and un-westernised it is so I would recommend getting there now before it does become just another big tourist spot.

There are different areas on the island to stay at with varying levels of accommodation and owned by different operators. We stayed in the area more known as Monkey Island as this is where the Monkey Island resort operates. On this strip there are a variety of accommodation options but my two favorites were Coco's Bungalow Resort and Treehouse Bungalows (see my accommodation tab). It's hard to describe just how beautiful this place is, such paradise. I'll just let my pictures do the talking.

It is best to try prebook your ferry a couple days beforehand to get the boat time that suits you best. There are two boats out a day, one at around 8am and one at about 1pm. The ferry takes about 2 hours to get across as you are just riding on a slow, basic wooden motor-boat. May take a little longer if the wind is there and there's a bit of a swell....best to have some sea-sickness pills ready just in case. A ferry ticket costs $20 return. Return times from the island is either 10am or 2pm from memory.

We managed to book all our accommodation and ferry tickets through Koh Rong Dive Centre as they operated and owned this part of the island. They were well organised, professional and very accommodating. As the name states you can also book your water activities with them too. This is definitely a great place to unwind and relax for a week or three, if that is what you're looking for.

Hiking and surfing in South Korea

During Korea's equivalent to Thanksgiving (Chuseok) I was able to spend my time up north in the Gangwon-do province, home to one of the country's favourite mountain ranges and also home to one of the very few surf beaches in the country.

Seoraksan National Park is famous for its hiking trails and its variety of flora. It is especially popular during Autumn as the beauty of the place just gets amplified as the leaves start to turn red and orange. This park is also home to the 3rd highest peak in Korea, Daechongbong, which is 1,708 metres tall.

Myself and a group of friends decided to do a three day, two night hiking and camping trip through the mountain ranges here. My excitement was a mix of knowing the scenery would be amazing and also this was my first time doing something like this. A couple of people in the group were quite experienced hikers and they did admit that this was one of the toughest hikes they had done yet. There was a lot of up-hill battling involved and while you're hating the strain it had on your body at the time, it was all worth it once you reached certain peaks along the way. As we got higher the surrounding views just got more breathtaking, and the higher you climbed the number of autumn-coloured leaves increased as well. We all couldn't stop saying how amazing/wonderful/beautiful everything was every five to ten minutes; so many ooh's and aah's along the way....no exaggeration! This has got to be one of the most beautiful places I've been to  in Korea. It was also refreshing  and such a nice change from the concrete jungle most people know Korea to be.

There are many, many trails that this park offers whether you just want to do a day hike or do something like what we did and stay there for a few nights. If you are going to do just a day hike I would highly recommend doing the Ulsanbawi Trail. This trail is a challenging one but definitely worth the effort. Not only does the peak offer amazing views but the rock formations that this trail has is something extraordinary. Once you reach the peak there is a man there who sells hot chocolate or coffee if you planned to stay up there for a little while. There is a bit of chill at this peak so if you can I would bring something warm to wear once you get up there.

Hiking up to Ulsanbawi (photo compliments to Kat Yetka)

Ulsanbawi Rock

Many valleys and waterfalls along the hike.

Along all the trails there are shelters where there are bathrooms (as in long drops), a place to rest and sometimes a place to set up camp. They also have a tiny convenience store but it is only limited to mainly water, canned coffee and noodle packets. Note that they don't offer hot water so the noodle packets are best if you did bring your own cooking utensils. Also, no ATMs so cash only and make sure to bring your own toilet paper!

The colours changing

The gang at our first nights campsite. (Photo compliments to Kat Yetka)

Temple in the sky. Buddhist temple that gave us a free dinner.

View from Gueggangul. (Photo compliments to Kat Yetka)

View of Sokcho from Ulsanbawi

At Daechongbong Peak. (Photo compliments to Kat Yetka)

We ended our hike at the Osaek entrance as this was the best access point to get to Dongsan beach, one of the very few surf beaches that South Korea has to offer. This is in the town of Yangyang, which is also known as the 38th parallel. Dongsan beach has waves that are perfect for beginners or those that are wanting a bit more practice. While I never made my way to the 38th parallel, I was told that these waves were slightly bigger if this is what you were looking for.

There are a couple of surf shops that line the beach but the one I decided to rent from was called 911 Surf. This shop offered slightly cheaper rental cost, which was 25,000 won a day for a surfboard and wetsuit. With the boards he gave you the options between a foam or hard board, as well as whether you wanted a long or short board.  In terms of accommodation, this shop and the other one down the road had a guest house attached to it but there are also pensions you can rent from or for the cheap option a jjimjilbang not too far away, which is what I ended up doing. Or else, you are welcome to camp on the beach if you have the gear.

Unfortunately, I only found this place as the summer was ending but I know for sure that once the weather starts warming up again I'll be spending some of weekends up here.