Eating and drinking my way around the world!
The Suez Canal in Egypt is an amazing waterway to transit. So much history create the backdrop to this man made wonder which transits from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Here are a few of my favorite photos I took in 2017 during my Celebrity Cruise. If you wish to read about it, please visit my blog Suez Canal Egypt by Cruise Ship.
Piraeus, Greece is the often overlooked port city in the urban area of Athens. Of course, if you have not been to Athens, GO! Otherwise, why not while a day away in wonderful Piraeus. (photos) We have learned to love this little city by the sea and take every opportunity to spend some time here, often overnighting. Here is how we spent our most recent cruise stop in Piraeus – cruise port of Athens.
Our ship, Celebrity Constellation docked at 6am and was cleared by 7am. While we were still tucked snuggly in our beds, the majority of guests were frantically wolfing down their breakfasts, sneaking food from the buffet and not so discreetly stashing it into their free cruise ship totes and fighting to be the first off the ship, onto a tour bus, out to a taxi – whatever their choice of the day. Making the mad 12 kilomter trek to Athens.
At 8:30am, we casually crawled out of bed, showered and went to a very empty and relaxed breakfast. We sat on the open air deck enjoying our fresh squeezed orange juice, eggs benedict and fruit plate, without the regular morning hum of scraping chairs, clanking plates, and chatter. After breakfast, we went back to our cabin, grabbed our backpacks and were off without fighting any crowds.
We casually walked the 30 minutes along the port into the sleepy city of Piraeus. It was slowly starting to roll up the shutters, people greeting each other, coffee brewing, lots of smiles! Did I mention how much I love Greece?!
It was a Saturday, so of course the first thing we did was hit the local market. Although it is very small compared to other markets, it had everything you would expect; vegetables, fruit, fish, meat. Locals greeting each other, kissing, hugging, laughing, probably exchanging the latest gossip and of course, shopping.
After the market, we strolled the streets enjoying the weekend bliss. No surprise if you follow me, we stopped at a shop selling wine – well, specifically Greek Wine. The owner was an eccentric, wonderfully crazy joy. He showed us around, explaining the wines (unfortunately no tasting here) and other small treasures he sells. We bought 2 bottles of the homemade brew and were on our way.
Next stop was a sausage store; fresh smoked, dry cured, loukaniko – you name it, they had it. A lovely lady out front offered tasty samples, although she did not speak english, we had a lot of fun. Of course, we bought some delicious sausage to take home to my father in law.
The sausage sampling woke our taste buds, leading us to our next stop – Street Souvlaki (I have no financial gain or affiliation – simply love this place!). They have 2 fast food style restaurants in Piraeus and we visit it at least once every time we are in town. One wall is a barbecue where they are busy grilling meats of all kinds and vegetables – the smell of bbq wafts out the door enticing you in. The prices are very good and the food is amazing. Menus are available in english and the staff is exceptionally friendly. Think pitas, souvlaki, feta cheese, kebab, and my favorite addition to everything, Tzatziki! This time we ate souvlaki kebabs, kebab pitas and a side of tzaziki for a total of €10.50 with beer and a water.
After lunch, we negotiated a taxi to hit a few spots we still had not visited. Our driver was very friendly, chatty and accommodating. We drove up the windy, steep back streets of Piraeus and eventually found ourselves high on the hill of Kastela with fantastic views of the Saronic Gulf and Athens. We also had a nice view of the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
After spending some time walking around and enjoying the magnificent views, we slowly wound our way down to the yacht marina of Mikromilano for a closer look. Restaurants and cafes line the very busy, picturesque waterfront. From there we headed over to the equally busy Bay of Zea. Next time we will come directly to this area and enjoy the small port atmosphere!
Our taxi took us back to the ship where we paid him the pre agreed price of €18 (we gave him €20). The price was expensive, but we really wanted to check those areas off our list. Next time we will investigate taking the local bus.
Q & A
Can I walk to Piraeus? Yes, if you do not have any mobility issues. The walkways are are uneven.
How long does it take? It should take around 30 minutes – not rushing.
Do they speak english? Yes, many locals speak very good english. When they do not speak english, they are still very friendly and try hard to understand. So speak up and meet some very wonderful Greeks!
What is the currency? Euro
Is there a shopping district? Yes, here is the map. Short walk of 34 minutes if you go direct.
Are there pharmacies? Yes, lots. The prices are incredibly good, so if you need anything, this is the place to get it. Pharmacists are knowledgeable and speak english.
I want to go to Athens. Can I take the public bus? Yes! I found out that the X80 bus goes from the Port to the Acropolis in 30 minutes for EUR 4; it runs every 30 minutes and has some interesting stops. For more info, click here.
We arrived by cruise ship and have much info to share. If you arrive by cruise ship in Jordan, do not miss this world wonder under any circumstances. (Click to Visit our Photo Album) Come prepared (see Q & A below) and conquer this amazing UNESCO site, even if only for a short period.
Our ship, the Celebrity Constellation, docked at Port Aqaba and we were allowed to disembark by 10 am (time varies from ship to ship, but circumstances remain the same). Rather than taking the very pricey 10 hour USD$280 ship excursion, we hopped on the 15 minute free shuttle bus to town, where for the next 15 minutes we negotiated a taxi to Petra, also know as the Rose City.
After discussing with several drivers and comparing prices in a friendly, respectful manner, we settled on USD$120 both ways with our driver waiting 4 hours – we gave him a USD$10 tip on top of the payment as a thank you for a total transport cost of 93 Jordanian Dinar. The negotiation time was well worth it! I would recommend not paying more than 120 Jordanian Dinar (USD$170) for a round trip, including tip.
Tip: take a photo of your taxi number/plates so you can find it when you come back
The Taxi ride one way took around 1.5 hours (3 hours total transfer time both ways)
There are 2 atms on the right hand side on the way to Petra where, if you ask him to, the taxi will stop for you to pick up Dinar. Alternatively, there is an ATM in the Petra entrance.
Tip: download an offline currency converter like ‘Units Plus’ so you can figure out how much money you need
The Petra entrance fee was 50 dinar.
Once in, you have the option of taking a horse and carriage through the passage (Siq) to the Treasury for approximately $20. This we found a little confusing, as the back of the ticket implies it is included??? We walked; it took about 30 well spent minutes with lots to see and plenty photo opportunities.
The Treasury, carved from the glorious pink sandstone is where is opens up to the ancient archaeological city of Petra showcasing temples, tombs, theatres and more!
No matter what, if you have the opportunity of docking in Jordan, do not miss visiting this world wonder! I am fairly certain, you will not look back and say: I wish I had not visited Petra, or Petra was a waste of time.
Q & A
What currency can I use? Dinar – There are 2 atms on the right hand side on the way to Petra where, if you ask him to, the taxi will stop for you to pick up Dinar. Alternatively, there is an ATM in the Petra entrance.
Tip: download an offline currency converter like ‘Units Plus’ so you can figure out how much money you need
How much time will I need in Petra? Minimum 3 hours (4+ is better, of course 2 days would be awesome!)
What should I take with me to Petra? Take some fruit / bread / muffins to snack on and lots of water
Umbrella is great to shield the sun
Good walking shoes
Camera
Shoulder covers
Sun cream
How much does it cost to go to Petra? Our Cost:
Taxi plus tip: 93 JOD / USD$130
Petra entrance: 50 JOD / USD$70 each (100 Jordanian Dinar for 2 persons)
Our total cost for 2 persons: USD$270 – The ship excursion would have cost us USD$560, so we saved USD$290!!!
How much time total will I need for the complete Petra excursion? Approximate Time needed for the self excursion: 3 hours travel time, 4 hours Petra (3 if you are good on your feet), 15 minutes for the shuttle + 45 minutes buffer time (waiting for shuttle bus, negotiating prices, etc.) for a Total Time of 8 to 10 hours – less if there are no wait times and you are able to negotiate a taxi quickly.
Note: Times and costs are based on our experience.
After Phuket, this was the last stop of our cruise and we decided to cautiously dedicate 3 days to Singapore. This is how we managed to stay in one of the most expensive destinations in the world on a shoestring budget, and still manage to do everything on the Top See List.
At the cruise port terminal, we exited the building in search of a taxi to take us to our hotel. We did the usual walk to get as far away from the crowds as possible when a man approached us and offered his taxi service. We said yes, he turned out to be a limo service and charged us SGD$50. For any cruisers finishing here or visiting here: Walk completely out of the terminal where there are actually a string of bored taxi drivers waiting.
As it was Chinese New Year, we decided the best place one could celebrate and soak up the atmosphere would be Chinatown. It doesn’t hurt that this area is probably the most affordable tourist area in Singapore. We checked into the Chinatown Hotel on Tech Lin Road. If you choose this hotel, keep in mind some rooms do not have a window and many rooms have bunk beds. Our room had a window, a large bed, and the very asian bathroom – think powder room with a shower in it; wet toilet and sink when you shower. It is located very well, close to food, markets, temples, subway and right in the middle of Chinatown. Cost for 3 nights: SGD$217.32 or SGD$72.44 (USD$51.18) per night, including taxes. Not bad considering it was Chinese New Year.
Our go to food destination for the 3 days was the Maxwell Road Hawker Center which dedicated the massive 3rd floor to food stalls – literally hundreds of food stalls, all hawking their own style of homemade street food. An adventurous foodies paradise featuring things I had never heard of and concoctions ranging from temptingly delicious to “I will absolutely not eat that“. The levels below featured clothing and other necessities, and the bottom level was mostly fish and seafood. Fruit was being sold at the outdoor markets.
All of Chinatown was decked out in red for the festivities, lanterns swayed from the buildings and outdoor markets and shops were selling all sorts of wonders. We bought a breakfast pomelo for a shocking SGD$9 and savoured every bite. Then we visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum; no entry charge, very pretty and surprisingly quiet.
Starting to feel hungry, we headed to the Maxwell Road Hawker Center to begin the odyssey of the search for lunch. It was 13:30 (1:30 pm) in the afternoon and the place was packed with locals.
After a lot of searching and changing our minds several times, we settled on a place called Hang Kee Cantonese Cooked Food where we ordered 2 Spicy Chicken fried Vermicelli noodles with chicken for a total of SGD$12. The cook was rude, and the chicken was questionable, but the noodles were very good. Note to self: do not return to that booth. Check out my Maxwell Road Hawker Stalls – Eating on a Budget in Singapore blog for more on the several vendors we tried in this mind boggling place.
We took the opportunity to wash our laundry while there. Easy Wash is a chain of DIY laundromats; easy to find they offer coin operated washers and dryers. We simply through the wash into the machine and went for a walk around the market! If you don’t understand how it works, just ask someone else who is using the facility. Cost for one load: SGD$14
Keep in mind, the night markets are amazing as well, as they are all lit up and so pretty. Disadvantages are the shoulder to shoulder crowds. If you are not so adventurous with food, there is an upscale open air street food market in the heart of Chinatown, aptly called Chinatown Food Street. Prices are minimum double as much – 2 plates of rice with Abalone, 3 big prawns, a pork with noodles dish, 1 diet coke and 2 wet wipes: SGD$63.00 (for street food ? ).
We discovered that you should not ask people for directions. They put smiles on their faces and then proceed to tell you anything that sounds good; ideally, you should be well aware of where you want to go! Which brings us to the subway, known as the MRT. Great system – very clean. You buy your ticket at a ticket machine. Make sure you have SGD$5 as it seems everybody with SGD$10 were having complications. From Chinatown to Bayfront it was SGD$1.40 each way ($2.80 total pp).
Gardens by the Bay – Super Tree Grove (free) – 25 to 50 meter tall vertical living gardens designed to look like futuristic trees, unique plants from around the world, children’s water play area, the Sun Pavillion (desert landscapes and plants), art sculptures and lakes. Extra for a fee: OCBC Skyway catwalk ($8), the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories ($28 for both)
The famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel towers against the Singapore skyline. This 5 star resort boasts some of the best views in the city from it’s observation deck ($23 for non guests), an incredible infinity pool in the sky, a casino, lounges, shops, bars and restaurants. Often sold out, prices to stay start at around $450 per night. We did not go into the building, but there is a beautiful view from the Gardens by the Bay.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands luxury shopping mall. Great place to bide some time if it is raining or to browse and buy in upscale shops with names like Armani, Dior, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton to name a few. Over 60 high priced restaurants will keep the hunger at bay or help quench your thirst while watching the good life pass by.
Chinese New Year was jammed full of people; you could literally not move. We had made plans to meet with friends in the Marina Bay district for drinks, snacks and the firework display. After trying for almost 2 hours to negotiate the 2 blocks to the subway, we were presented with a controlled entrance (due to high volume) and a never ending line up. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our plans and instead found a spot where we watched the unimpressive fireworks and then fought our way back to our hotel. The next day, almost everything in the city was closed.
Note: Singapore is known as the cleanest city in the world and with that comes many false claims and illusions. There are cigarette butts on the ground, there are rats and there is dirt and garbage. That being said, in the posh tourist areas, like Marina Bay, you will probably not see any butts, garbage or dirt – consider it tourist dollars hard at work. ? Here, you will also pay $28 for a Singapore Sling at Raffles!
Curreny: Singapore Dollars SGD
Cost: Taxi (limo)from cruise port $50, Hotel $217.32, Food $148.50, Laundry $14, Subway $2.80, Taxi to airport $20.
Total Cost: $452.62 (2 persons, 3 nights) or $150.87 per day – USD$106.66
CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS of Singapore including Subway, Laundromat, Hotel, Opening Hours, and more.
Click for info on the Food Hawker Stalls
NEXT STOP: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Check out our other Asia Travels!
Unfortunately, the weather did not co-operate for our Phuket, Thailand stop. We tendered to land under a very overcast sky. Decidedly, instead of the original plan of hitting Patong Beach for drinks and massages, this was a perfect day to try