We woke up to another sumptuous breakfast prepared by the owners. Before we left, we were also invited to a ride on the tractor with Philip, the male owner! Of course we readily agreed to it. Hubby and I hopped into the small space in the tractor with him while he brought us to visit his cows. We remained in the tractor while he went down to shift the hay. There were so many interesting features in the farm that I actually thought we could take our future wedding photoshoot here!

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The owners learnt that we were heading back to Perth city. So, they recommended we take another route where we would be able to cover a wildlife park and a boat harbour. Of course, we followed their recommendations! And since then, I made it a point to ask for recommendations when I stayed with locals! Before we left, I made sure we took along all our roses!

We stopped by the Caversham Wildlife Park. There were free-roaming kangaroos who greeted us upon entering the park. We could purchase feeds for the kangaroos and feed them on hand. However, I wasn’t particularly an animal lover. I was happy just watching hubby feed them while I take photos of them! We also saw koalas lazing on the trees. I was all prepared to hug them. Really looked forward to it. But I was scared of skin-to-skin contact, hence, I had my long sleeve top prepared. But I learnt that it was not allowed and I could only stroke the koalas using the back of my hands. Nonetheless, I was happy to stroke them!!

There were other animals like goats and sheep shearing demonstration. When I saw how the young kids were allowed to participate in feeding of the goats, I made a mental note that I wanted to bring my kids here in future. At the retail shop, I brought a kangaroo home and continued my collection of 1 soft toy from each country!

We drove on and began to see the sea. We have arrived at the Hillarys Boat Harbour. We strolled along the Sorrento Quay Boardwalk, looked at yachts and watched people play in the water. It was interesting to see a water slide feature in the middle of the water!

The drive back to the city was scenic. The coast was on our right while there was a line of houses facing the sea on our left. Perhaps 1 of the criteria for my dream house includes a view of the sea. Haha!

We checked in to the Ibis Hotel. It was a basic room, nothing fanciful, but good enough for 2 nights’ rest. It was easy to miss the carpark though. I remember we went around the hotel twice because we missed it the 1st time.

That night, we strolled out for dinner. Apart from cafes and some shops that were already closed for the evening, there seems like not much in the city. We continued walking till we reached the bell tower. It was already dark, so we could only see the bell tower change its colour in the dark. Though there was nothing much at night, I enjoyed the leisurely stroll in the cooling weather.

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Happy anniversay to us! We woke up to the sounds of cows mooing and fragrance of food. Finally, we could have a good view of the animals who have also woken up after a night of rest like us! We were eager to get out of the room to see them!

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Breakfast was included in our stay. The female owner Marija pushed us a cart with all the homemade bread, jam and milk while we waited at the table outside our room! Everything was fresh! We had requested for smaller portion the night before as we did not want to waste any food they prepared.

Once we were done with our breakfast, the owners showed us around their family farm and allowed us to try milking their cow! It was our first time. I was so afraid of hurting the cow I did not really dare to milk it. But I guess, the more panicky I was, the more discomfort it felt!

After the cows, we visited the other farm animals such as the chickens and the pigs. We met Charlotte who had just given birth to 8 piglets and the super plump daddy named Sausage. I wonder if they are still alive now… Till now, their names remain etched in my mind. I mean, try naming someone Sausage, see if I’ll forget?!

The plan for the day was to explore the Swan Valley. That’s also the reason why we chose this BnB because it was within the area. So, it was very convenient to visit the places and turn back if we forgot something. Swan Valley was like a round circuit. Regardless of whether we go clockwise or anti-clockwise, we were able to cover quite a variety of shops/vineyards.

First stop was the Whistlers Chocolate Company. I’m a chocolate fan afterall! Totally love the generous amount of chocolate they gave to all visitors. And the display made of chocolate was awesome! After spending some time walking round and round the shop to take in all the products, we went to Mondo Nougat next.

There were so many vineyards in the area. Honestly, we were quite clueless which ones to visit. So, we chose the really large and famous ones, as well as the smaller ’boutique’ vineyards. Of course, it appears that the smaller ones are the hidden gems! We chanced upon Tyler’s Vineyard and found out they had a personalised service! We found some wine we liked and printed our own wine labels after taking photo with their in front of the vineyard!

Lunch was at Iron Bark Brewery. Pizza, high chair and beer has been my favourite combi all this while! We had a leisurely lunch before we continued our tour of Swan Valley.

There was another chocolate company which more people probably heard of, the Margaret River Chocolate Co. Of course we had to pay it a visit too! We also stopped by some random vineyards and took more photos!

Towards the end of our loop, we went past the House of Honey. I bought some honey back for my sisters. Houghton wine was another large company which spans across large area of land. However, we have kind of hit our alcohol limit so we couldn’t buy more even though the price was very attractive!

One of the problems I heard about visiting Australia was the lack of food options at night. However, I think that was probably more of the past. That night, we found Alfred’s Kitchen which opened till late. There was a large crowd and long queue outside the kitchen. There was no space for dine-ins. So people were crowding around the fire and eating their burgers! We joined them!

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I have always wanted to visit Perth since young for the most silly reason: because it starts with ‘Per’, just like my name. In 2014, hubby suggested going on a relaxing trip and Perth came to our mind!

Perth was the 1st place we visit in Australia and also our 1st self-drive! So, planning for this trip was really exciting as we would be spending our 4th dating anniversary at Australia!

We took an afternoon flight and reached there in the evening. We had a small scare as we were clearing the immigration. The officers said there was something of an odd shape in my luggage and asked that I empty my luggage. I was so worried hubby would see the present for him (a watch) earlier than he should! Luckily, I hid it well and the officers figured out it was probably my umbrella in the bag and they allowed us to pass. PHEW! We grabbed a quick dinner at the airport and headed to collect our car.

By the time we were on the road, the sky was already dark, but it was not long before we entered a short dirt path and found our farm stay – Kellers BnB. It was a room with attached toilet (and a bath!) next to the main house where the owners stayed. They were quick to welcome us at the door.

There was a space for our car right outside the room. Being my 1st time staying with a stranger in a dark (because it’s night) and ulu place, I told hubby to park his car facing out, so that we could escape as soon as we need to. That’s the problem with watching too much thrillers and horror movies!!!

Of course, the room changed my opinion once we entered. And to my surprise, hubby had already arranged with the owner to lay flowers and chocolates on the bed to celebrate our anniversary!

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This morning, I made breakfast for us using simple and convenient ingredients we bought the night before. I’ve always thought it was easier to make western breakfast.

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We first headed to Witney, another town nearby. Along the way, we drove past other even smaller towns that had only 2 rows of houses next to the road. Witney was considered much bigger and had a shopping mall with big brands such as Marks & Spencer.

We also visited the Teddy Bears Museum, a popular attraction at Witney. There is a huge collection of soft toys here! If you love soft toys, you would love being here! In particular, there was a room filled with collection which the owner was unwilling to sell. There were also bears specially made for this museum in Witney adorned with Swarovski jewellery! However, they were out of my budget! After deliberating for some time, I finally settled for a Jellycat bunny. After all, Jellycat is an England brand (but not made in England! Haha!) Well, that’s all I was willing to spend!

Next up, we headed to Bicester Premium Outlet for crazy shopping. Unlike other countries, there were not as many outlets here for shopping. This is located about midway between our accommodation and London. I’ve heard from my friends who come here on a day trip from London as well! For us, I thought we might as well cover it while staying at Cotswolds. I really went quite crazy shopping here as I walked into the shops and bought my mom and sisters and of course, myself a bag each! Look at my loot!!!!

That evening also marked our most eventful day for the entire journey. We ran over a peasant that dashed across the road. We also hit the curb and ended up with a punctured tyre after avoiding a large trailer in the narrow single-lane roads. Luckily, we had full insurance coverage. We called the rental company for help and although the rescue team said they could take between 30mins to 2hrs to reach us (that really freaked me out), they came within 20mins and replaced the punctured tyre with a temporary one. Although it was just a temporary solution, at least, we could make our way back to the apartment! And everything was completed before the sky turned dark! It was really not fun to be stranded in the pitch darkness and cold. Really thankful for that!

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We had to drive slowly for the remaining 30-min journey back. Of course that took us more than 30mins. The sky had already turned dark by the time we reached the apartment and we were so tired and hungry. But I still decided to make aglio olio for ourselves and my in laws to lift the mood a little. It’s one of my fastest and most confident dishes. Considered the first meal I made for them!

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Manchester?? Maybe, you might say ‘United’ just like me! Therefore, I thought we should at least drop by the Old Trafford stadium and take some photos with or inside it! The tickets to tour the stadium was expensive. As none of us were really Man U fans, we visited only the retail shop and the cafe which were free! There, I bought some rompers for baby although we did not know her gender then!

Thereafter, we drive back to the Chinatown as we had not have enough of Happy Seasons. We decided to whack more duck this time round! The chilli was really good and could be eaten on it’s own! We also strolled around the city and found familiar food and sights! Look at the Lee Kum Kee sauces and Genting Casino!

With a happy belly, we continued our journey down south towards Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England. Before our trip, I read alot Cotswolds because it was made up of many small pretty towns. We decided to stay at Bourton-on-the-water due to it’s proximity to other towns. And yes, all the towns have really interesting names. I really looked forward to this and thought this was a highlight of our trip!

After about 4hrs, we reached our nice Airbnb apartment which was 3 storeys high with a lawn behind. It was really cosy within and I loved the cabinet design of the kitchen! It was fully equipped yet nicely hidden behind the cabinet doors. On level 2, there were 2 bedrooms and a toilet. Hubby and I had the whole of level 3 to ourselves with an attached toilet! This place made me feel at home and I considered this as my favourite accommodation for this trip! I’m glad we are staying here for 2 nights!

Once again, after we had settled down, we drove out to the Co-op supermarket in town and topped up groceries for the next few days. Whenever we stay at an apartment, my hands would itch to make our own meals. It was not troublesome to me at all as I enjoy it.

Our last itinerary for Scotland was the Edinburgh Castle! We left the apartment after trying to finish cooking whatever groceries we have left in the fridge. We then drove back to the same carpark we parked at yesterday as it was one of the nearest to Singapore.

We first came across the Mill’s Mount Battery. Here, there were a few cannons good for photo taking. This is also the meeting point for the free guided tours which everyone can join. For us, we decided to explore on our own. As it is a high point in the city, the spot also gives a good view of Edinburgh from above.

We then walked into the Regimental Museum. Inside, there were displays of costumes and swords. We also spotted the soldier’s dog cemetary and visited the Scottish National War Memorial and Great Hall. There was also a nice photo spot behind the War Memorial. If was not easy taking a nice photo there because of back light. And alas, we finally have 1!

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We decided to have lunch before making our way back to England. We came across Kampung Ali, a food stall operated by a Malaysian selling Malaysian and Singaporean food. Although it was just day 4, I was really looking forward to having some mouth-watering food from hometown. I settled for Penang Prawn Mee and my all-time favourite Iced Milo! It was really satisfying for the stomach and soul, although the meal cost a whopping 4x more than that in Singapore!

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With that, we said our goodbye to Scotland. I will definitely be back one day because I had not explored enough of it!. We then started 1 of the longest drive to Manchester, England.

Even the rest points along the expressway are so pretty and clean! The seats in the cafeteria faces the lake. Although it started to rain, I felt I still had to run out to take a photo! Finally, we saw the sign which said ‘Welcome to England‘! By the time we reached Manchester, the sky was already dark.

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We decided to head to the Chinatown for the Happy Seasons roasted duck restaurant upon our friend’s recommendation. And it was really awesome!

That night, we checked into the Luther King House for a rest. It was a little disappointing because it felt like a rather dated chalet with a cramped en-suite toilet. Of course, I knew not to trust photos online. But being here after a long drive makes me want a big and comfy bed even more. Luckily, it was just for a night! And I’m generally able to fall asleep on any bed. So this ability of mine comes in especially useful at times like this.

We woke up to a hearty breakfast prepared by my MIL. This morning, we are finally heading out on our self-drive trip, something I enjoy most during overseas holidays!

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We decided to head to the furthest attraction before stopping over others on our way back. So 1st stop was Luss, an approximately 2hr drive from our accommodation. Luss is a small town by the Loch Lomond. Based on information found online, it has scenic views of the Loch and also a Smokehouse Shop which sells salmon. That made me really want to go there!

As we drove along the streets of Scotland, we continued to see snow along the sides of the road. Very soon, we reached Luss. But to my disappointment, the Smokehouse was closed although I goggled and checked that it should be open! No salmon for this trip!! Instead, we spent some time wandering about the quaint little town. It was not crowded. But once in awhile, there were tourists walking along the streets. Some shops were opened. Friendly shop owners spoke to us and we had a cup of hot drink before leaving. Edinburgh was cold. Standing by the loch was even colder!

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Next stop was Glengoyne, a whisky distillery which Scotland is well known for. We did not take the tour. We merely visited the retail shop which had many bottles of whiskey on display. We bought a bottle and shall try it after I have delivered!

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Finally, we stopped by the Stirling Castle. We didn’t have time to explore the castle as we had to meet hubby’s friend for lunch. We stopped outside for a photo with the castle. The parking alone cost us 6 pounds! But we really had no time. Hence, we decided to save the castle visit for Edinburgh Castle.

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We were back in town for lunch with hubby’s friends working in Scotland. We googled and found that the nearest place to park was at NCP Car Park Edinburgh Castle Terrace. We had authentic Scottish food at a restaurant Ghillie Dhu recommended by them together with bubblegum soda! Food was Yummy but portions were huge. Luckily, it was a late lunch so we were kinda hungry.

Next, we walked the streets of Edinburgh. There are a few famous streets here. We walked up the Victoria Street, spotted Oink!, and then to High Street and Royal Mile! We visited the St Giles Cathedral and then went back to Old Fishmarket Close for Wings. Finally, I bought a kilt for my little niece and then bade goodbye to our friends who drove 3hrs back to Aberdeen. That night, we bought fish and chips for dinner and had a good sleep!

We settled for a quick breakfast at the hotel and then lugged our luggage to King’s Cross Station. Together with other tourists, we stood at the main lobby and stared at the large screen waiting for our train and platform number to appear. Once seen, we entered the gates and boarded our train bound for Edinburgh.

I was really excited to board the first class cabin on the LNER train. We booked first class seats because we could be assured a seat next to the luggage deposit area. Snacks and drinks were served on board. Tickets were about 105SGD per pax. Seats and cabin were clean. However, as you can tell from the photo, there wasn’t much leg room when 4 of us sat opposite one another. Luckily, the train cabin was not full. We could walk around and stretch our legs on other single seats beside.

In the first leg of the journey, we went past grasslands where sheep roamed freely. There were also windmills. We went past several small towns and a larger town Newcastle Upon Tyne. However, I realised the sky was gloomy as I have heard from many friends who have been here! Having been to New Zealand, I really missed the blue skies and white clouds! As our train crossed into Scotland, the scenary outside changed! Our moving ’55 inch TV’ screened showed traces of snow on the floor. Thicker snow were seen as we went further in. Really exciting! However, we also started to gear up as we feared the cold.

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Finally, we have arrived at Edinburgh Waverley station after 4 hours of train ride. We alighted from the train station and suddenly feel a very cold gush of air. Not only did we need our jackets, we needed our caps and gloves even. My hands were freezing in 5degs.

The Edinburgh Waverley station seemed more confusing than the King’s Cross Station. There were more platforms, up and down. As we were still early for our car collection, we followed the sign to the Waverley Mall for lunch before picking up our car from the Europcar office, also within the station itself.

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The night before, we actually had a horror when hubby found out that he had forgotten to bring his driving license along! For me, I was not planning to drive this trip, so I had not brought mine along too! Fortunately, my FIL brought his along and we managed to still collect our car after we changed the driver’s details. Phew! Else, half our trip would have to be re-planned. Read also: 10 things to note while doing self-drive.

From the train station, we took a 10mins drive to our AirBnB apartment at Newhaven Road. The actual distance was not that far, but we went really slow to get used to the manual car and unfamiliar roads.

For the next 2 nights, we stayed at a cosy 2-bedroom AirBnB apartment. The bright red sofa appeared to be the highlight of the living room with fully equipped kitchenette. And 1 of the rooms had an attached toilet. We had some problems with the heater on the 1st night, but was glad that it was promptly resolved by the owner the next morning.

As there were no plans for the rest of the evening, we decided to head out to the Tesco Superstore about 5mins away to stock up some groceries for some homecooked meals the next few days. When parking your vehicle overseas, do note their parking rules before happily leaving your vehicle.

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When I was a kid, I always dreamed of visiting England one day. I’m not sure why. I’m guessing it’s most likely because I read and heard most about this country while growing up. After all, we were once under the British colonial rule. So I’m guessing, it would be an interesting and beautiful country to visit.

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Our plan was to start our tour from Scotland and then self-drive back down to London. But knowing that we needed time to adjust ourselves to the different time zone, we decided to rest for 1 night at London before taking a train to Edinburgh tomorrow!

As we were still too early to check in, we deposited our luggage with the concierge and walked to the King’s Cross Station less than 5mins away to settle our train tickets to Scotland. King’s Cross Station is next to the St Pancras International which is a terminal for trains to Europe. Beneath the station also lies the King’s Cross St Pancras tube station of the London Underground. The proximity of all these different lines makes this place one of the busiest transport hub in the country! Another famous feature of the King’s Cross Station was it’s association with the Harry Potter story and film. Fans would be happy to visit the Harry Potter shop and take a photo with the fictional Platform 9 3/4. Admittedly, I was not a Harry Potter fan. I can barely remember the story! But I had a great time looking at the items sold in the shop although the queue for the photo with the trolley was too long for a non-fan girl like me.

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There is a row of eateries at level 2 of the station. We bought our lunch from Wasabi Snacks and Bento shop and found a seat overlooking the gantries of the train station.

When we could finally check in to our rooms, we decided we needed a rest before heading out for dinner again. Afterall, London was 8hrs slower than Singapore. My body was already sleepy at 3pm (11pm Singapore time). What was meant to be a short nap turned out to be a rather long sleep. We dragged ourselves out of bed unwillingly and headed back to the King’s Cross Station for dinner at KIOSK where they served burgers and sandwiches. That night, I woke up at 3am (11am Singapore time) and started to rummage my bag for cookies. after messaging my friends for 1hr, I finally fell back asleep…