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BJ Holiday Lodge

August 11, 2021 by David Herd

BJ Holiday Lodge

BJ Holiday Lodge

BJ Holiday Lodge in Soi 3 North Pattaya iserves an excellent breakfast including tea or coffee for B95, or $3.90 AUD. They also offer a good low cost selection of Thai & western food.

Scrambled eggs 

BJ Holiday Lodge One thing you can guarrantee is the bacon is always very crispy. I mentioned this to BJ one morning & he replied, “I serve it that way because that’s the way I like it.” ๐Ÿ™‚ 

BJ Holiday Lodge Cheese Burger

BJ Holiday LodgeServed with fries for B85 or $3.47 AUD.

Did someone mention ice cream?

BJ Holiday Lodge After a cheesebuger ice cream is conpulsary. 

Pasta & Goulash

BJ Holiday LodgeBack in the normal times before Covid-19, I would enjoy drinks at the Cherry Bar or the Atlantic Bar then walk home via Soi 3. Many times I would stop at BJs for dinner & a glass of wine.

Reminissing

BJ Holiday Lodge This shot was taken in 2005 before BJs view of Pattaya Bay was lost due to another hotel building right next door. The room cost in those days was B540 or $22 AUD.

Friends from San Diego

BJ Holiday Lodge

My friend Paul McNeil & his lovely family paid a visit to Pattaya in August 2016, we all had breakfast at BJ’s. ๐Ÿ™‚

Bangkok 1998

BJ Holiday LodgePaul & I in Bangkok in 1998 before visiting Pattaya & Koh Samui. 

I guarantee the TV is always on. ๐Ÿ™‚

BJ Holiday Lodge No sound just the picture. ๐Ÿ™‚

The staff are always friendly & helpful

BJ Holiday LodgeAs soon as you sit down they arrive with a menu & manouver a fan to keep you cool.

Lunch today August 12 2021

BJ Holiday Lodge Chicken & Cashew nuts was delicious, cost B160 or $6.60 AUD.

Prawn cocktail

BJ Holiday Lodge

It tastes as good as it looks. ๐Ÿ™‚

Meatloaf & mash potatos.

BJ Holiday Lodge

This was on special November 30 2021 & was the best meatloaf I have tasted in years, at a low cost od $6 AUD

Finally poached eggs

BJ Holiday Lodge

B95 with coffee or tea is great value.

Thanks for visiting my BJ Holiday Lodge photo blog, excellent value at this establishment. 

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Flow Cafe Holiday Inn Pattaya

August 31, 2019 by David Herd

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn Pattaya is my usual venue for afternoon coffee, only a 150 meter walk from my condo at Markland in Beach Rd. The shot above is the hotel reception, turn left to fond the Flow Cafe Holiday Inn.

Terrific cakes & pastries.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Also meat pies, sandwiches & sausage rolls, and excellent coffee of course.

So many choices….

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

And such little time. ๐Ÿ™‚

My favourite waitress

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

This lovely lady with the gorgeous smile is Opor, that’s the shortened version of her name, she always makes me a special coffee. ๐Ÿ™‚

How sweet is this?

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Opor takes great pride in her work. ๐Ÿ™‚

Luckily I get a 25% discount.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

For a small cost you can get a โ€œHi Clubโ€ Card which gives you the discount on food & beverage except for the specials.

Other hotel specials

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Happy hour every day between 5 & 7pm.

Pizza happy hour

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

In fact they ate my favourite pizzas in Pattaya.

There are specials every day.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Every day is a good day at the Holiday Inn Pattaya.

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Thanks for visiting my Flow Cafe Holiday Inn photo blog, you will find me there most days around 3 pm. ๐Ÿ™‚

Something different

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

It tasted as good as it looked, very healthy indeed. ๐Ÿ™‚

New sandwich system

Flow Cafe Holiday Inn

 Instead of ready made sandwiches you now order from this list.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Holiday Inn

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Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

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The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattayaโ€™s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

May 31, 2019 by David Herd

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia, is the dream for many, isnโ€™t it? Imagine sunning yourself on a white sandy beach, mocktail in hand, without a care in the world. Bali and its affordability have made it increasingly popular in recent years; with travellers discovering that living a life of luxury on the island doesnโ€™t have to cost an arm and a leg.

Do the research

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

Just make sure you do the right research and preparation before you go and youโ€™ll be all set!

Tread across luxurious sandy beaches

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia 

The beaches in Bali are numerous, and each have their own little traits that make them oh-so-unique. If youโ€™re staying on the south of the island, the white sand coasts of Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur may be exactly the kind of paradise youโ€™ve been looking for. On the other hand, the hidden shores of Uluwatu, Padang Padang and Bingin, buried among cliffs, provide the tranquility that certain holidaymakers crave. If white sandy beaches arenโ€™t your cup of tea, the northern and western shorelines offer black sands โ€“ dark and delicious, with their very own coves where youโ€™re sure not to be disturbed. Exploring the gorgeous beaches will leave your friends and family full of envy and your social media profiles looking incredibly โ€˜goalsโ€™ worthy!

Explore culture beyond your wildest dreams

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia 

Not everyone wants to laze their days away on the beach โ€“ if youโ€™re driven wild by the thrill of exploring a new place, there are more than enough attractions available to give you a real taste of what Bali has to offer. If royalty and history tickle your fancy, then a visit to Ubud Palace is an absolute must โ€“ a taste of spirituality mixed with hundreds of yearsโ€™ worth of history. With thousands of temples on the island you could spend your time hopping from one to the next โ€“ each one is fascinating, and different from the one that came before it. If you time your trip right, you might find yourself on the island during one of their major festivals, allowing you to see the island in a whole new light. There are a number of different attractions and monuments you can immerse yourself in, especially if youโ€™re a first time visitor with a craving for everything.

Taste of the local cuisine

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

Balinese food is renowned across the world โ€“ and for good reason. The island has a number of locations that offer cooking classes to give you a true culinary experience. Itโ€™s all well and good being able to taste the food, but being able to show off to your relatives upon your return is even better! If you do just want to have a taste, then the options are numerous and the flavours tantalizing โ€“ indulge in traditional bites such as Babi Guling and Nasi Ayam, if you think your taste buds can handle it.

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

Luxury getaway Bali Indonesia

If you want to know even more about Bali, check out some of my photos of this wonderful island.

 Istanbul                   Budapest                     London

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Mostar                Dubrobnik              Split

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Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

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Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Check out these great photo blogs.

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Rock Art Port Macquarie

March 23, 2017 by David Herd

 

Southern breakwall Hastings River

 Rock Art Port Macquarie

Rock Art Port Macquarie

 Rock Art Port Macquarie actually began as an art competition in 1995 & gradually evolved into a fascinating outdoor gallery.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie

Sadly after a small amount of complaints 12 in 10 years the rock art is now banned. It’s crazy how a few idiots can spoil things for the majority, what a shame the council won’t hold a vote on the issue.

Celebrating an engagement.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Two lovers leave their mark to celebrate their engagement.

 The mouth of the Hastings River

Rock Art Port Macquarie

The river descends 1,040 metres (3,410 ft) over its 180 kilometres (110 mi) course. The Hastings river descends 1,040 metres from the Great Dividing Range over its 180 kilometres journey to the coast at Port Macquarie. 

Look closely and you will see the rock art. ๐Ÿ™‚

A beautiful day to catch a fish.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

One of the locals has picked a beautiful day to fish off the rocks.

Waiting for the big one 

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Actually I spoke to the guy who said he was trying to catch some small fish to use for bait.

Apparently their life is a circus.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

It says so on the rock. ๐Ÿ™‚

A great tourist attraction

Rock Art Port MacquarieYou can spend a very interesting hour or so checking out the Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie.

Port Macquarie

Rock Art Port Macquarie

And so it goes on & on, a great addition to this terrific coastal town.

 

  Port Macquarie’s Town Green

Rock Art Port Macquarie

This is a superb park where people relax and enjoy the perfect environment beside the Hastings River.

Oxley oval

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Just a short way along the road from the painted rocks is Oxly oval where cricket & football are played in beautiful surroundings.

A beautiful park beside the river.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

A great place to relax have a picnic lunch and check out the Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie.

Please check out my photo blog for Yamba on the Clarence River a little further north.

                      Please check out these fabulous posts

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Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great photo blogs.

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Port Macquarie coastal village

August 5, 2014 by David Herd

Port Macquarie coastal village originally was a penal colony, these days many people retire in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast (4 hours north of Sydney), because of the temperate climate, good fishing & boating and nice beaches. I think it is the pick of the NSW coastal towns. 

At the end of this post you will see how one of my distant relatives Helen Gillies arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother ๐Ÿ™‚

Port Macquarie is famous for fresh seafood

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Beautiful fresh prawns & delicious oysters, in fact my favourite lunch in Port is prawns & avocado on freshly baked bread with a dozen oysters natural to begin.

Port Macquarie coastal village

Port Macquarie coastal villageAs good as it gets. ๐Ÿ™‚

The Hastings River

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Hastings River is also the name of a small, developing wine region. The main clusters of vineyards are located in Port Macquarie and Wauchope.

The region was first planted with vines in the 1860s but recent history of the area has been pioneered by the Cassegrain family with Verdelho

Hastings River’s cellar door facilities, music events, regional restaurants, coastal attractions and great climate are serving to build interest in the local wine industry.

Beachhouse Pub formally Royal Hotel est 1840

Port Macquarie coastal village

Great place to relax and enjoy a few cold beers on a hot day. ๐Ÿ™‚

Vintage cars in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie coastal village

Everybody loves these old cars.

Love the colour

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Certainly not the original colour.

Luxury camper van

Port Macquarie coastal village

On the way to Port Macquarie we saw this luxury vehicle in Coffs Harbour.

My brother Warren lives in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie coastal village

Warren has lived & worked in Port Macquarie for over 20 years, he & his wife Kerry raised four great children who are now having children of their own. The Herd family has grown incredibly over the last 50 years, I have put a lot of the family history in a post called Following the Herd. My uncle Allan Herd also lived in Port Macquarie for many years, he passed away at the age of 95 in July 2012, his story as a soldier in WW2 is the most dramatic event in our family history, it’s a tale worth reading.


My lovely niece Laura & Jordan Millar.

Port Macquarie coastal village

Laura grew up in Port Macquarie, she is a talented singer/song writer. Here she is with her boyfriend Jordan Millar at The Fig in Port Macquarie.

Family & friends

Port Macquarie coastal village

 Three brothers, Warren, Ian, David with Kerry and Chris enjoy dinner in Port Macquarie.

The Wall of China restaurant

Port Macquarie coastal village

                   Very good Chinese food at this popular restaurant.

Classic council sign

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Here is a classic council sign in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast. A friend of mine who works for Trowbridge council in Wiltshire in the U.K. arranged for a couple of these to be erected in Trowbridge, after a couple of months and numerous complaints from the public they took them down.

And I thought the Pommies had a sense of humour.

Helen Gillies

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Helen arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother, she was 4′ 11″ tall. ๐Ÿ™‚

Records found in the Old Courthouse in October 1998

Port Macquarie coastal village

002

 

Jordan Miller & Laura Bell Herd at the Fig.

               Thanks for visiting my Port Macquarie coastal village photo blog.
 

                Istanbul                                 Budapest                        London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets Europe     Hungarian Parliament Building (2)       The Walkie Talkie (5)    

          Mostar                           Dubrobnik                            Split

43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837        IMG_7425    Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city                     

                 Saigon                            Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam       Main Square (3)     Vung Tau statue (6)

Pattaya live webcam
 
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Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 
Counter only started June 16 2020.

 

 

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