Seeing Penguins on the Beach at St. Kilda

While selecting activities for my trip to Australia, I came across many tours for penguin watching on the beach online. As an animal lover, I decided that this was something I must definitely experience! However, most of these tour packages were priced at over $100 to go on a two hour trip to Phillip Island, which is a bit expensive for people who are backpacking. With a little more research, my friend and I figured out that you can see them pretty much every night at the beach in St. Kilda, which is just 20 minutes away via tram from central Melbourne.

After knocking back a couple drinks at the bars in CBD, we hopped on the tram from Southern Cross Station and made our way to the pier at St. Kilda Beach around 7pm a little after the sun set (we confirmed this time via the weather app). At first we weren’t sure if they were going to come out, as spring had just started in Australia and it was a bit chilly. But we saw a large group of people gathered at the pier and sure enough, a group of penguins started to emerge from the rocks!

Sometimes they are hard to see in the dark, so usually a fluorescent light is shone over them so people can view them from the wooden docks. Park rangers are present to ensure the penguins’ safety, but sometimes they wander close to people. One even climbed up to say hello to us (I apologize for the low video quality, as no flash photography was allowed):

I really enjoyed this experience a lot because it wasn’t like going to a zoo–it was a completely natural phenomenon! Compared to other penguins I’ve seen in other countries, these ones looked a lot tinier. In addition to Melborune, there are several other places in Australia where you can see penguins frolic on the beach.

St. Kilda also has botanical gardens that I recommend going to during the day! My friend and I were able to see some sakura blossoms here and along the Yarra River. Though I thought the weather here was quite cold compared to Tokyo, I am really happy I was able to see the beautiful sakura once again this year!

No matter what time of year you come to Australia, I think you can always find something beautiful to enjoy!

Lavender Fields Forever, Alpacas, and the Blue Pond!

Lavender Fields Forever taken at Farm Tomita in Furano, Japan.

There’s nothing quite like backpacking through flower farms and eating lavender ice cream in the countryside of Japan. During this time of year (late June – August), Hokkaido’s flowers are in full bloom and many people flock to Furano and Biei to enjoy the view. There are a number of farms you can visit by taking the Lilac Express from Sapporo Station, and each of them have unique attractions and food!

I first started at Farm Tomita which is just walking distance from Lavender Farm Station (what a cute name)! This is one of the most famous farms due to its large variety of flora, melon farm, and delicious lavender-flavored food. The fields here are very large and you can easily spend over an hour here. I highly recommend trying the tiny slices of lavender cheesecake and hiking to the top of the hill for a unforgettable view. Here is a map of other lavender farms that you can visit in the area.

Afterwards I decided to take the express train from Lavender Farm Station to Biei Station and take a sightseeing bus to see the Blue Pond. This miraculous pond was formed by aluminum and sulfur mixing in with the water during a landslide. Groundwater washing in from the nearby Shirahige Falls and Shirogane Hot Spring also played a role in helping it obtain its color. What makes it amazing is that trees are still growing from the bottom of it. The color of the pond slightly changes over the course of the year and it has become an extremely popular tourist attraction. It was a cloudy summer day when I arrived, so I was able to capture a wonderful blue hill:

Unbeknownst to me, the sightseeing bus next stopped at a flower farm called Shikisai-no-oka, where you can rent vehicles to ride through the fields and also see alpacas! I was absolutely exhausted from backpacking, so I spent the majority of my time with the alpacas. They were fluffy and adorable–definitely a sight for sore eyes!

Overall, Furano and Biei make for a wonderful day trip in Hokkaido! They are fairly secluded areas in a valley of mountains so this trip was the perfect escape from the city. These areas are quite crowded during the summer seasons by tourists who come to see the flowers, so be sure to come early and “be careful about saliva”.

Bathing in the Mud with Elephants at the Sanctuary (Phuket, Thailand)

49261860_10216071598374153_7310570126372241408_n — Volunteers jump in the mud to wash rescued elephants in Thailand.

I never dreamed I would be swimming through the mud in a giant elephant bath during my first day in Phuket, but as soon as I heard that the elephants were in need of protection, I signed up to be a volunteer at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. There are a total of 4 parks in Thailand you can visit to help save the elephants (Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Samui, and Phuket) that all offer an educational hands-on experience with them.

The day starts with a free pickup from your hotel (from most locations) to the sanctuary. After listening to a presentation on why it is important to protect the elephants, you are handed a knitted shirt and are given directions on how to feed them with corn stalks, bananas, and sugar cane. The elephants are extremely friendly and approachable, and the English-speaking guides will tell you each of their stories. You can tell that each one has been through a lot by the marks on their bodies. They seem much happier in their natural habitat than anywhere else!

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Most of the elephants I met were rescued from a harsh lifestyle of show business. Due to being forced to lift heavy equipment and be trained to do tricks, some of their ears were worn from leather harnesses and and straps. Additionally, their skin was discolored from being away from the mud for so long. It is evident that elephants used for riding and for circuses are lacking in hygiene and not taken care of properly. This is why we must do what we can to collectively help them and spread awareness.

A very important lesson to learn is: elephants should never be ridden. The elephant’s spine will degrade overtime from the weight on their backs and it can cause permanent damage to their bodies. One thing that upsets me with tour companies in Thailand is that they often feature both an elephant sanctuary and and elephant riding course. Elephant riding should be discouraged as much as possible to tourists and permanently removed from the tour companies because it is extremely harmful to them. Even though elephants look strong, they are fragile creatures that should be treated with respect.

After our feeding session, we headed to the mud bath where we happily washed and played with them! The mud is extremely important in nourishing elephants’ skin and you can tell that they really enjoy it. I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous to get in, but the group of friends that I met here encouraged me to so I took the plunge! I am so happy that I decided to do this because I feel like I understand the elephants a lot more now.

You can choose from a half day and full day course with them, and an overnight course is available as well. I decided to try the half day course just to see what it was like for 2,500 baht. All of the money is used for medicine and maintaining the elephants in the sanctuaries, so I felt like this experience was well worth it.

After you bathe with the elephants, you will be able to take a shower and feast on a delicious Thai buffet meal, I enjoyed my experience here very much because I feel like I learned a lot about them, and I even got to hug one at the end of the tour!

For those looking to volunteer, please look at the volunteer page, and cherish the moments you are able to spend with these precious animals.

Exploring Koh Samui Island on New Year’s Day

On the first morning of 2019, I took the very first ferry that departed from from the Full Moon Party Island (Koh Phangan), and traveled to my neon pink hut on Koh Samui. Koh Samui is my favorite island in Thailand because not only is it conveniently located, but it also has a myriad of activities and places to explore. What better way to kick off the new year than on a beach!

49585664_10216062834475061_4381647071837421568_n — Sunset on Lamai Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand.

After doing some swimming and photography, I took a taxi to see the Hin Ta and Hin Yai, also known as the Grandmother and Granfather rocks. They are extremely famous due to their uncanny resemblance to human genitalia, and are definitely worth checking out for the view of the beach as well.

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Next I had my taxi driver take me to the Secret Buddha Garden on top of Pom Mountain. This is a relaxing outdoor sculpture park surrounded by lush jungle and waterfalls. There are also some nearby temples and buildings you can walk to on foot. It is one of the most relaxing places in Koh Samui due to it being away from the beaches and center of the city.

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I had originally planned to see the pink dolphins on this trip, but due to a severe storm that hit Thailand, I had to come back and do this on my 2nd trip. Instead, Koh Samui Tours rescheduled me to a Samui Aquarium & Tiger Zoo where I got to meet tigers, see birds race on bicycles, and get kissed on the cheek by an otter!

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Though I’ve been to more zoos than I can count in Asia, I had fun seeing the wildlife here that is unique to this island. The double-beaked bird and the long-necked turtles were animals that I had never seen before. The otters were some of the friendliest I had ever met and could do a lot of neat tricks!

You could easily spend a week on Koh Samui Island relaxing and enjoying the scenery, but I recommend staying for at least 3 days. You can book ferries to other surrounding areas through 12go like Krabi, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. Each hotel usually has their own restaurant, and the island food is always fresh and delicious! Be sure to try the mangos and any fruit that you can find. My favorite dish was the glass noodles with shrimp.

49436035_10216062835555088_5205459560562688000_n — Delicious seafood glass noodles made at New Hut Bungalows.

Be sure to be outside during the sunset you so can look at the beautiful magenta sky!

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I loved swimming under it every day! Though the weather during this trip was a bit stormy, I fortunately was able to a lot of fun things. Please come here if you get the chance.

Petting and Holding Otters at Tokyo’s Otter Room Cafe

Two adorable otters huddle together for comfort at the Otter Room Cafe.

I never thought I’d have the chance to hold an otter out of water, but after almost 4 years of living in Tokyo, I should know that nearly anything is possible! With my recent visit to the Otter Room Cafe in Ikebukero, I learned they are not only adaptable and highly intelligent creatures, but also quite cuddly ones too. This animal cafe was newly added as an expansion of the Usamimi Cafe that features rabbits, and visitors can choose a timeslot between 30 minutes to an hour to play with either species by submitting a form via email through the official website (JP/EN).

Upon arriving, my friend and I paid 1000 yen for 30 minutes, and were promptly handed an apron, hand sanitizer, and printed English instructions so we could brace ourselves for the otter outbreak. We were then led to a room where three adorable otters were sleeping in a cage. When the cage door opened, one of them was placed on our laps! The otter was so adorable we didn’t even know how to react.

Wanting to see his friends, the otter would crawl on and off the seats and back to us. Though otters are not intended to be kept as pets, these otters were kept in a very clean area and seemed to be healthy and happy. It was difficult to take photos of them as they are a bit finicky, but I managed to capture a few.

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The three otters we saw were named Gucchan, Taeko, and Wakabarasu. Though there were a bit sleepy when we saw them in the afternoon, they seemed happy to be together. Compared to the meerkats I saw in Korea that were quite scrappy, these bunch were very friendly and pleasant to be around. Please come if you are interested in meeting otters!

A Sacred Beach Getaway to Koh Nang Yuan (Thailand)

The postcard-worthy view of Koh Nang Yuan in Koh Tao, Thailand.

Koh Tao is yet another popular destination in the Gulf of Thailand due to its colorful coral reefs that make it popular for diving because it attracts a large variety of sea creatures. In addition to that, there are many beach huts and ocean resorts on the island making it a lively place. “Koh Tao” actually means “Turtle Island”, and you can see that a lot of the islands within it resemble turtles due to their leafy green foliage and surrounding rocks.

I chose to go to Koh Nang Yuan (on the northwest coast of Koh Tao) which is a chain of 3 gorgeous islets that are great for scuba diving. Once arriving by speedboat, you can reach all of them on-foot by using a sandbar that spans in-between them. If you climb up a trail from the boardwalk you can see one of the most amazing views in Thailand! The emerald oceans glisten beautifully from above, and it truly feels like paradise.

In order to reach Koh Tao, I took a speedboat from my resort in Koh Samui. I booked an affordable tour from Klook in advance, and had more than enough time to go swimming, hiking, and eat a buffet meal that was included in the tour. Though some articles I’ve read online warn tourists to stay away from Koh Tao due to a series of murders that were found on the island (source: News.au), I did not sense any hostility while I was on this tour, and I think it is more than fine to visit even as a solo traveler as long as you are responsible.

During my trip here, I decided to stay in Tango Bay Resort on Koh Samui (for around $50 per night), because it is conveniently located and there are more activities to do on the island. I enjoyed staying on Chaweng Beach because it is lively but still feels like a private beach. My resort came with a private hut, a pool, a delicious restaurant and bar with a happy hour every day, and a beach, so I felt more than welcome!

When I walked into my room, both of the towels were folded like elephants! It was truly a sight to behold and I couldn’t get over how cute they were. I was impressed at how beautiful the beach was at night with the lanterns hanging from the trees and reflecting off the ocean. I saw many people having weddings here and felt luxurious since I came here by myself. Whether you’re with people or alone, it’s really hard to be sad here.

There are 3 foods that I recommend trying in Thailand: Seafood (any kind), sticky mango rice, and coconut ice cream (ideal if it’s from a real coconut). I was fortunate that I could have all three on the beach!

It was great to relax here after being trapped in an office for so long. I can’t stress how important it is to get away from the city and take an island vacation! It doesn’t have to be expensive because countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and more are very affordable, and the quality of service is usually quite good. I hope that everyone reading this is inspired to come here some day!

That’s all for now–see you next menu, Space Cowboy!

A Relaxing Day and Vivid Night in Koh Lanta, Thailand

A night to remember at the Mushroom Bar Paint Party in Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta is one of my favorite places in Thailand due to its exotic nature and vivid nightlife featuring parties with fire acrobatics and neon lights. The island is small enough that you can pretty much see all the major destinations in three days, but the beaches stretch on for miles and there are many bars so you could spend quite a long time here and never get bored. There are less tourists on this island because there are no airports here, but you will run into a lot of adventurous backpackers and it’s really easy to make friends during evening events.

The best way to come to Koh Lanta is by taking a 3 hour ferry from Phuket or other surrounding islands (I booked my ticket online in advance through 12go). I stayed at Pinky Bungalow Resort, and booked my own private bungalow for less than $25 per night by going through Booking instead of their official website. My bungalow was right on the beach and it also had a pool with a lot of delicious restaurants nearby!

Outside of my bungalow were a lot of stray cats! One kitten was a tuxedo cat that reminded me of my own cat, Leo. The staff of Pinky Bungalows were really friendly and helped me call a taxi to get around. You can also use apps like Grab (which is similar to Lyft and Uber in the US), or rent a motorbike.

One of my favorite restaurants was called Happy Veggie, near the Koh Lanta Animal Welfare Center. Here I had a delicious vegan burger with a black sesame bun, and an acai yogurt smoothie bowl for dessert. It was absolutely delicious and the fruit was some of the freshest that I have ever had.

I spent the majority of the day swimming on the beach next to my bungalow, and also taking photographs of the surrounding nature. As I was on my way to my hotel via taxi, I noticed a sign for a neon paint party at Mushroom Bar. After looking it up, I found that it was right across the street from my bungalow so I went over around 7pm to check it out!

I was in for a wild night as lanterns illuminated the beach overhead and neon paint glowed with messages left behind from previous backpackers who had came here. I ordered a blue vodka cocktail and was informed that the party wouldn’t start until 10pm so I decided to lay in a hammock and catch up with my messages.

When I went up for my 2nd drink, I noticed there was a special drink menu with happy shakes and joints for sale, so I curiously decided to order the happy shake. The bartender confirmed that my order was correct, then he blended the strange concoction for me and I sipped on it for a while as people finally started coming to the party.

As the night went on, the breeze felt cooler, the colors danced and flickered with the music, and before I knew it, I was dancing on the beach with these travelers from Britian, and free tequila shots were given out at the bar. The music was a nice blend of house and techno, which felt perfect for the mood. A lot of travelers in their mid twenties showed up and it was joyful talking to all of them. The colors from the surrounding bars all blurred together to create this beautiful glow, and I felt a sense of excitement, awe, and wonder. I felt exactly like the dog I captured in the photo below:

A dog from the Koh Lanta Animal Welfare Center frolics outside of the Mushroom Bar.

As if they appeared out of nowhere, around midnight a group of trained acrobatics came to the beach and put on a grand fire show. Apparently these happen almost every night, or whenever one of the beach bars has its weekly party:

Around 3am I finally felt tired so I went back to my bungalow and fell asleep. Though the taste of the happy shake wasn’t that appetizing, I would recommend it to those who are looking to enjoy the beach in a new way. Just one is good enough to feel the happiness that most people seek, and the people at the bar seem to take good care of you.

The next morning was met with a beautiful afterglow as I prepared to tour the islands surrounding Koh Lanta. I tried some delicious fried squid and bananas soaked in tapioca milk at a restaurant nearby with a newfound sense of determination and wonder for my future travels!

Volunteering at the Koh Lanta Animal Welfare Center (Thailand)

Koh Lanta is an exotic and tropical island located in the Krabi Province of Thailand. It is somewhat secluded and is a popular backpacking and resort destination due to its relaxed nature and beautiful wildlife. One of the key points of interest on my 2nd trip to Thailand was doing some volunteer work, so I decided to volunteer at the Lanta Animal Welfare Center!

The Lanta Animal Welfare Center is a non-profit charity that saves animals from injuries and abuse, and then aims to release them back into the wild where they were found or to give them to proper homes. Due to the location of Koh Lanta being far away from the mainland of Thailand, this is sometimes difficult so they are accepting both volunteers and donations. Anyone visiting Thailand can come here and help out. There is no cost for doing so (though donations are encouraged), so all it costs is your time!

Below is a video of the main are of the center that I captured:

A typical visit to the center usually starts out with a tour so you can become acquainted with some of the animals and hear their stories. For example; according the the official website a dog was injured by a coconut falling from a tree and lost the use of his back legs. Fortunately nurses were able to cure the spinal injury that he suffered from, and now he can walk again!

The founder of this Welfare Center was able to fund it by cooking at a restaurant for many years and using the profits to build the cages and medical areas within it. As of now, approximately 15,000 animals have been sterilized and saved thanks to the help and support of volunteers. They also have mobile clinics where workers are sent to other parts of Thailand to treat animals that can’t make the way here, and also for the purpose of sterilization and vaccination. Unfortunately the Thailand government does not give any aid to animals, so workers here are trying to spread awareness and hopefully receive some funding in the future.

After the tour, you are free to walk around Kitty City and pet the cats, or take a dog out on a walk! I took a puppy named Hailey around the beach and went running with her. There is also a Kitty Cafe where I bought a delicious cupcake. All money spent here goes towards maintaining the center, and the food here is very delicious.

For those who are interested in working here, Job Opportunities are sometimes listed on the website, but it is easiest to come in-person and start volunteering first. If you are interested in donating, please see the Donation Page. I hope that more backpackers decide to stop here, because it really is rewarding and meaningful to everyone. ♥

Lisa Frank was onto Something: Pink Dolphins are Real (Khanom, Thailand)

A bashful pink dolphin appears on the coast of Khanom, Thailand!

Remember back in the day when everyone rocked Lisa Frank folders, binders, and pencil cases too school? Have neon-plastered animal stickers embody your school supplies was the epitome of cool. In fact, the psychedelic and retro design still stays cool to this day. I remember one original design in particular stood out to me: The Pink Dolphin.

Lisa-Frank-is-Real — Lisa Frank Designs: The epitome of cool in grade school.

Notice the beautiful way the water reflects off her in the sunset! This was a majestic creature of divine beauty that I had always dreamed of meeting. I thought that it was unfathomable that I would ever witness one in real life, but fortunately I was incorrect. As I was planning my vacation to Thailand for Golden Week, I noticed there was a tour package too see none other than pink dolpins in Khanom! Immediately I started scheming my way there so I could finally live out my childhood dream of meeting them.

“See Dolphin 100%” – They sure sold me with that advertising!

The pink dolphins found in Khanom are actually subspecies of Sousa Chinensis (white dolphins) in China. They are also an endangered species due to over-fishing, loss of habitat and pollution, so they are quite a rare sight to see (according to Coconuts Bangkok). I feel very fortunate that I had this opportunity to see them up-close!

In order to reach Khanom, I flew from Phuket to Koh Samui Island (you can also fly there from most Thailand airports), and booked a group tour to see them through Koh Samui Tours. The tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you on a ferry trip to the coast where you can view them from your seat. These dolphins are completely untamed, so they were a bit hard to capture on camera, but I manged to take one nice video:

You can also see pink dolphins in other countries such as Hong Kong or Brazil, but from Japan, this was probably the most budget-friendly way to see them. I had previously went swimming with regular-colored dolphins in Okinawa and had fun, but Thailand has a lot more adventurous tours than Japan does. The area in which I swam with them was very tiny and it didn’t feel as authentic. Though I couldn’t swim with the pink dolphins, just seeing them exist in their natural habitat was enough to make me happy.

As I traverse more of the world, I look forward to seeing what other Lisa Frank designs come to life!

The Adventure of Hakodate, Monkeys, and Squid! (Part 1)

Over the weekend I went on a two day trip to the charming city of Hakodate in Hokkaido, Japan! This town has been on my travel list for a while because of its famous dancing squid dish and gorgeous views from the top of Mt. Hakodate. Why I chose to go this weekend is because Nakata Yasutaka played a show at Riviera (in Sapporo), so I figured it would be the perfect combination of sightseeing and listening to my favorite music.

The first place on my list was Yunokawa Onsen to see the hot-tubbing monkeys! This was very close to the airport and inexpensive to travel to by taxi. I was happy to skip town for this scenic view:

Seeing monkeys bathe was definitely an experience. Though you can’t bathe with them, there are a number of hotels that are part of Yunokawa where you can use onsen! Here is a comprehensive list, including those that are available to day trippers. I took a very relaxing bath at Hotel Banso which had an amazing aroma sauna, then took the tram to Mt. Hakodate to see this glistening view of the city:

A lot of people say that the city lights of Hakodate glisten like a jewelry box, and it’s very true! You can take a cable car to the top of the mountain from 10am to 10pm to witness this breathtaking view. The sensation that I got from being up here was truly amazing–I felt like I could finally clear my head after being in Tokyo for so long.

This town is very peaceful and is probably the closest place that I’ve been to in Japan that resembles the countryside where I grew up in America (minus the squid, monkeys, and mountains). It’s very quiet, the people are friendly, and there are a lot of parks and rivers. However, I think Hakodate is definitely more fun! A lot of towns in America are suburbs, but Hakodate has a lot of nature so it is better for sightseeing.

After my wonderful experience on the mountain, I went to Bar Jey’s in central Hakodate and was whipped up an impressive cocktail:

There is not a lot of nightlife in Hakodate, but there are a number of fantastic bars! Because I am a budget traveler, I stayed at Hakodate’s only net cafe called Eye Cafe. It is cheap and close to Fort Goryokaku and is very convenient. I will cover the rest of my adventures in my next post! Please look forward to it.