Beach time

Agonda Beach, South Goa, India


Simrose Shacks, quite upmarket beach huts with a lovely garden restaurant attached.

There's not a lot to do. Accommodation is very simple, mainly just huts. Seafood is served in shacks. There's minimum shopping or entertainment. The beach is quiet, barely a soul in sight. Take a pile of books and prepare to relax.

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

We're just back from Palawan and Manila in the Philippines. I took far too many photographs to post here but just for a taster here are a few.

Day two of island touring in the Bacuit Archipelago, we saw a starfish, presumably dead but still pretty.

And a very alive hermit crab.

We were picked up from the front of our hotel, we had to walk back a fair bit at low tide but it was an unexpected luxury.

Meanwhile in El Nido town the local children indulge in the local equivalent of hanging around outside the corner shop.

Or chilling out, but check the hair, that quiff surely didn't get there by accident.

There are more, lots more, I know you'll be desperate to see them so will post more in the next day or two.

Mui Ne

We had a quick weekend break in Mui Ne about five hours from HCMC by bus. The picture above was taken from Coco Beach resort where we didn't stay but did use the facilities. The following picture was taken from the same place.


Why tourists shouldn't wear traditional clothing

We stayed at the Full Moon Beach Resort and liked it. The rooms were quirky and cute, more bijou than luxurious but perfectly charming. The plumbing was a bit musical so if you stay there expect to wake up to other people's water music as it courses down the pipes. Nice staff, perfect positioning and a laid back atmosphere.



The pool is saline and the tiles are very nice, bourgainvillia drops into it from time to time but my photie-ography isn't up to capturing it yet.

The bar closes at 10.30.



There are lots of other places relatively close by where you can drink later.



Or you can time it right and get a bottle of wine as the bar closes and enjoy the sound of the waves a few meters from your table.

The view is stunning. Even at night.



But just in case you think it was all too idyllic .....











...here he is again