Chiang Mai & Chai Lai Orchid Elephant Jungle Expedition
Famous for ancient temples and elephant rescue sanctuaries, the mountainous city of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand was next on our South East Asia itinerary. Chiang Mai (meaning ‘New City’ in Thai) is steeped in history with 75 temples within the city walls. This popular backpacking destination was only founded in 1296 when…
7 days in Laos: Vientiane and Luang Prabang
Laos wasn’t originally on our travelling itinerary but it made sense to visit because the country shares a border with Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, (as well as Myanmar and China). It was only an hour flight from Hanoi to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Unfortunately, we only had one week to spare which meant we had…
10 days in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi
Travelling through Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi is a well-trodden backpacking route, and it was one we were both thoroughly looking forward to embarking on. I’d only heard good things. Once under Chinese domination for over 1,000 years, Vietnam is renown for its coffee, floating markets, motorbikes (two-thirds of households across…
Exploring temples and historical sites in Bangkok, Siem Reap & Phnom Penh
I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity of doing all of the incredible things we’ve seen and done so far, but I ‘crashed’ after One Life Adventure’s 14-day tour of Japan. Being on the go 24/7 had eventually taken its toll. My body was achy and telling me to rest after exploring Bali, Malaysia,…
One Life Adventures 14-day Japan Tour: Tokyo, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Koyasan, Hiroshima & Miyajima Island
Grab a coffee, get yourself comfy and prepare to read my longest and most detailed blog post yet from the epic two weeks we spent in Japan – ‘the land of the rising sun’. One Life Adventure’s 14-day tour of Japan has been one of my favourite overall so far, but it was also by…
One Life Adventures 10-day Philippines Tour: Puerto Princesa, Port Barton & El Nido
I can’t think of many more relaxing places in the world to write a blog post than from a hammock on an island in the Philippines. We loved One Life Adventure’s 12-day tour of Sri Lanka Pre-COVID so it was a no-brainer for us to book onto their 10-day tour of the Philippines. To read…
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi
Kuala Lumpur was our next destination after spending three weeks in Indonesia. Back to the city life. The capital of Malaysia has always been somewhere that I wanted to visit predominantly to see the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers which dominant the city’s modern skyline. We landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport essentially ‘winging it’. Normally,…
Wanderlands Travel Bali Tour: Partying and Scuba Diving with turtles in the Gili Islands & exploring Lombok (Days 8-13)
From surfing, snorkelling, temples and waterfalls to crazy nightlife, stunning beaches and a sunrise hike to Mount Batur at 1771m, our first week in Bali didn’t disappoint. To read about everything we got up to click here. After spending five action packed days on tour in Canggu and Ubud and one week beforehand in Kuta…
Wanderlands Travel Bali Tour: Canggu, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, Ubud & Mount Batur Sunrise Hike – (Days 1-7)
A whole new adventure – South East Asia. A huge cultural shift from the familiar Westernised world we’ve been used to. Over the next three or so months, we’ll explore Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan on guided tours, and go it alone in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Our first stop is Bali where we’ll…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – The Great Ocean Road & Melbourne (Part VIII)
Our time in Australia has sadly come to an end. Over the last eight weeks we’ve clocked up nearly 3,000 miles travelling by motorhome from Cairns to Sydney and then via car to Melbourne with my Mum on what has been a truly unforgettable East Coast Australian Road Trip. Some of my favourite highlights include…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Canberra, Lakes Entrance, Phillip & Raymond Island + Yarra Valley (Part VII)
Canberra (ACT) – the Capital of Australia was our next point of call after spending an action-packed week in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. To read about everything we got up to last week including scaling the Harbour Bridge, watching a show at the Sydney Opera House, visiting Bondi and Manly Beach as well as…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Sydney & Blue Mountains National Park (Part VI)
Sometimes it’s important to take a step back and realise if all what we’re doing is really happening. This week has been an unforgettable one. I’m so glad we’re able to share the next couple of weeks with my Mum, who has flown all the way around the world to travel with us from Sydney…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Byron Bay, Port Macquarie & Newcastle (Part V)
This week has been much more relaxing. It’s been great because we’ve not had to put any set in stone plans in place with the kids finally going back to school. Continuing our journey down the East Coast of Australia in Jippy – our motorhome, we travelled from the Gold Coast to Byron Bay in…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Moreton Island & the Gold Coast (Part IV)
I can’t believe we’re now half way through our eight-week East Coast Australia Road Trip. Time flies when you’re having fun! Last week, we enjoyed a sunrise with wild kangaroos in Cape Hillsborough; explored Fraser Island (K’Gari) by 4WD and cruised along the Noosa Everglades before we then headed over to the Sunshine Coast. To…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Cape Hillsborough, Fraser/K’Gari Island 4WD Jeep Tour & Noosa Everglades (Part III)
From Cairns, Cape Tribulation and Daintree National Park in Far North Queensland, to Magnetic Island, the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands, the last couple of weeks exploring has been a nonstop adventure. To ensure that we didn’t completely burn out, we decided to spend the next couple of days in Airlie Beach before moving…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – The Great Barrier Reef, Magnetic Island & Whitsunday Islands (Part II)
Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef was something I desperately wanted to tick off my bucket list when in Queensland, Australia… and I can now say I’ve been lucky enough to do just that. A visit to Cairns wouldn’t be complete without visiting the world’s largest coral reef system. Made up of over 2,900 individual…
East Coast Australia Road Trip – Exploring Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Daintree National Park, Kuranda, Mossman Gorge & Port Douglas (Part I)
From the Great Barrier Reef, to Uluru/Ayers Rock, to pristine sandy beaches and vibrant cities such as Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne just to name a few, Australia has always been somewhere that has really intrigued me. I think it’s the different way of life and being on the other side of the world. Over the…
New Zealand Road Trip – Mount Cook National Park, Christchurch and Kaikōura (Part VI)
Our 3,600 miles+ New Zealand Road Trip has now sadly come to an end after an unforgettable six weeks. Some of my favourite highlights include cruising in The Bay of Islands, Abel Tasman National Park and Milford Sound; checking out the real Middle Earth™ at Hobitton™; learning about the Maori history and relaxing in geothermal…
New Zealand Road Trip – Wānaka, Queenstown & Milford Sounds (Part V)
So far we’ve been spoilt by New Zealand’s natural beauty and it honestly just keeps getting better and better as you’re about to find out in this penultimate blog post. Last time, we enjoyed a boat cruise in Abel Tasman National Park, went on some amazing hikes in Punakaiki, Paparoa National Park and Hokitika before…
New Zealand Road Trip – Nelson, Abel Tasman National Park, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers + More (Part IV)
The South Island of New Zealand is famed for having some of the best natural landscapes in the world. I would definitely agree! Over the next three weeks, we’ll travel over 1350 miles from Picton to Christchurch via Bluff in Norman – our camper van. We really are having the full ‘Kiwi’ experience. If you’d…
New Zealand Road Trip – Taupō, Tongariro National Park, Mount Taranaki & Wellington (Part III)
After an action packed few days black water rafting in Waitomo Glowworm Caves, canopy zip-lining and zorbing in Rotorua, we headed further South to Taupō – a town most famous for the incredible Huka Falls. Here, you can witness 220,000+ litres of water p/second barrelling over the 11 metre high waterfall along The Waikato River,…
New Zealand Road Trip – Hobitton™, Rotorua and Waitomo Glowworm Caves (Part II)
Unfortunately, we had to change our original plan of spending two days at Coromandel Town and Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel Peninsula after Paihia because of a nasty storm that was passing through. Instead, we drove 246 miles to Matamata on our eighth day – a town 15 minutes away from the Hobbiton Movie…
New Zealand Road Trip – Auckland, The Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga (Part I)
Over the next six weeks, we’ll be racking up roughly 3,000 miles by travelling down the North and South Islands of New Zealand in our very own self-contained camper van. From our point of view, what better way to travel. Welcome to our home! Unless we hired a car, this was the only way of…
Island Hopping in Fiji’s Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands
Spending eight nights island hopping on Fiji’s golden sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters in the Mamanuca and Yasawa archipelago was a perfect break after travelling for nearly three months in the United States. We booked the Yasawa Wanderer package with Awesome Adventures Fiji. However, not all of the resorts were available because we…
Contiki Grand Alaska Tour – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Valdez (Days 7-12)
Well rested, we departed from the Maclaren River Lodge on 29 June and headed for McCarthy in Wrangell-St. Alias National Park and Preserve 240 miles away – one of the longest drives of the trip. Our tour guide, Chris warned us that we would be ‘wild camping’ for the next three nights, meaning no showers…
Contiki Grand Alaska Tour – Denali National Park & Maclaren Riverside Lodge (Days 1-6)
After catching a connecting flight in Seattle from Las Vegas, we eventually landed in Anchorage, Alaska at 03:00 A.M on 22 June. The first thing we realised was how bright it was. It literally could have been the middle of the day. It turns out, Alaska never goes dark for six months of the year…
American Road Trip – National & State Parks Edition
In this blog post, we travel to four National Parks across three States over two weeks including Death Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon as well as visiting other State Parks, clocking up over 1,400 miles along the way. Day 1 – Death Valley National Park The second part of our American Road…
What happens in Vegas, stays in Las Vegas… well mostly
From the bright lights of the Strip, to some of the best casinos and entertainment shows in the world, Las Vegas was everything that I imagined it to be. It is a gamblers paradise. And for someone who likes to have a bet, I definitely enjoyed my time here. However, there is a lot to…
Four Days in Los Angeles & Beverly Hills (inc Universal Studios Hollywood)
We arrived in Los Angeles after stopping off in Monterey, San Luis Obispa and Santa Barbara overnight along the way. The drive along the coastal route of ‘Big Sur’ was the best highlight of our journey to LA after our time in Yosemite National Park. The aforementioned towns were used to recharge our batteries. To…
How to maximise two days in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Natural Wonder of the World. Renown for its waterfalls, giant sequoia trees and Tunnel View – the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall, granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome, make visiting very, very worthwhile! Things you should know before visiting Yosemite National Park: Timed…
How to spend 72 hours in San Francisco
After finishing Contiki’s tour of Canada & the Rockies, we had two chilled out days in Vancouver. To read about our time on the tour, click here. In order for us to be able to travel back to the United States, we required a negative COVID-test. It cost us $65 p/p to get a rapid…
Contiki Canada & The Rockies Tour – Banff & Vancouver (Days 6-11)
Before getting into this blog post, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who joined Em and I on this epic adventure of Canada & the Rockies. I’ve made friendships and memories that will last for a lifetime. To read about our first five days on Contiki’s Canada & The Rockies tour click here.…
Contiki Canada & The Rockies Tour – Whistler & Jasper (Days 1-5)
This is the first tour of our 10 months away. Previously, we have been on tours with G Adventures and One Life Adventures, but this was our first experience with Contiki. Day One We made our way to the meeting point and it didn’t take long for everyone to start mingling. The Canada & the…
The perfect way to spend 3 days at Niagara Falls & Toronto
We arrived in Toronto on 3 May having caught a very short 1hr 40min flight over from Chicago. In honesty, we flew to Toronto predominantly to visit the famous Niagara Falls, which is only a couple of hours drive away. There weren’t too many sights in Toronto other than the CN Tower that we wanted…
Chicago – The Windy City
Chicago – renown for its chilling winds, amazing pizza and for depicting Gotham City in the Batman franchise. 13°C and 16°C were the temperatures for the three days we were here, which would be considered warm and probably shorts weather back home in the U.K. but here, it was freezing – layers were needed! Scenes…
The perfect proposal in Central Park
Ever since we started planning our travelling again, I knew I was going to propose to my girlfriend, Emily. We have been together now for eight and a half years, so it was probably about time! I’d spent hours looking for the perfect engagement ring and days stressing about where and when I would do…
The bright lights of New York – Times Square, The Empire State Building, Broadway & More (Days 1,2 & 3)
Day 1 After boarding an Amtrak train lasting a little over three hours, we arrived in New York around 15:30PM. We walked the short distance from Penn Station to our hotel, which is literally a stones throw away from the iconic Times Square. Keeping in touch with family is a priority of both of ours,…
First Stop – 72 Hours In Washington D.C.
On 21 April, after both testing negative for COVID-19 (thank god) we made the journey down to Heathrow and stayed in an airport hotel overnight. We were up at the crack of dawn the next day ready to catch our flight at 11:15 direct from Heathrow to Washington with British Airways. There were, of course,…
Travelling is back on!
After 763 days, Emily and I are finally continuing with our travels! This time our planned route is a little different. For those of you that didn’t know about our original travelling itinerary, you can read about it here. We spent six amazing weeks in South Africa, India and Sri Lanka before we were forced…
An Update (17/06/20)
Today marks 3 months since Emily and I landed back in Manchester after we were forced to abandon our planned 10 months away because of the Coronavirus pandemic. A lot has changed in the world, in particular with regard to the Black Lives Matter movement and with the fight against COVID since we caught an…