Bangkok is a city full of adventure, and a hotspot for travellers from around the world. From crazy food, beautiful temples, stunning city vibes and so many different things to do, Bangkok is a place to visit for sure!
While in Bangkok, there is an abundance of places to stay. Our stay was split between Back Home Backpackers (perfect calm hostel) and Revolution Khaosan By the Bliss (perfect social hostel), which we will share about in a future post. However, let us share about our stay in Back Home Backpackers!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
*This hostel stay was gifted, but all views are genuine and our own.
Based near the tourism centre of Khaosan Road in Bangkok, this Hostel is within close walking distance to the popular road, however is far enough away it doesn’t feel *too* touristic considering the proximity. It is right across from a 7/11 , so you can imagine the amount of toasties we have eaten (we know it’s a lot!!!). It was tucked up a side road, but we found it easily accessible by grab (which we used a lot in Thailand).
Khaosan road is a hotspot for many travellers and tourists alike. It has a bustling nightlife that will easily take you into early hours (or even later…). However, for those who dislike the loudness and nightlife, finding a hostel within a close distance that is calm can be a struggle.
It’s also known to have some of the best local foods spots in the area so be sure to check them out, you won’t regret it.
Hostel Room Experience
Whilst we stayed at Back Home Backpackers, we stayed in their 10 bed dorm.
Each dorm had plug access and a light, multiple fans across the room, a pretty street view, privacy curtains on each bed, ladders for top bunks, and two bathrooms with showers in both.
Bathrooms came with shampoo and shower gel to use, with towels available. Breakfast can be arranged at an additional cost.
Street View from Back Home Backpackers Bangkok
We really enjoyed our stay! The beds were comfy, and after our long flight to Bangkok it was highly appreciated!!! There were different wifi hubs available throughout the hostel meaning it was easy enough to be connected around the hostel. The facilities were somewhat simple, but all that was needed for our stay!
This 10 bed dorm starts from around £8.50 per night (always varies per season), and can be booked here.
Other Rooms Available
For dorm rooms, Back Home Backpackers offer rooms of 8 to 10 beds for mixed dorms, however they do offer a dorm room of 4 for just female visitors if this is something you prefer.
Private Room
There are options of single, twin, double and triple bed rooms within this hostel. They range from around £25 upwards a night, but there are some great options to check out! We didn’t personally stay in a private room, but from reviews and photos these seem a great option.
Social Areas
We loved the social areas! Great for digital nomads and freelancers, there were plenty of seating arrangements and areas, with internet and electric access for easy working!
There was food and drink facilities available which were highly recommended by the people around us!
During high season it seems like they offered a range of activities, however since we visited in low season it seems like they didn’t offer many night time activities. This isn’t really an issue, since Bangkok is full of many fun things to do day or night.
Would we recommend
We would recommend staying at Back Home Backpackers! They have a really friendly atmosphere, perfect for digital nomads looking for a chill vibe. This isn’t a busy hostel, so those looking for a vibrant nightlife, we wouldn’t recommend here- unless you want close proximity to Khaosan road with a chill ‘base’.
With great wifi available, and lots of space to work from your laptop, this is a nomad haven to relax in the busy city. You can find and book Back Home Backpackers here.
Want help planning your Thailand adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Thailand trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Find our Travel Essentials!
We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
Trip.com– Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Eat With– Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
Singapore is a uniquely small country at the most southern tip of Thailand which is a popular destination for travellers when moving through Southeast Asia. So before visiting, here are some fun facts you can learn about before visiting Singapore.
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
24 Fun Facts about Singapore
Singapore is the only island city-state in the world
There are 3 city states in the world which are The Vatican and Monaco whose capital is the same as the country. With Singapore being the only one out of the 3 being an island.
The most expensive city in the world in 2022
This includes the average cost of a car being over £60,000!! They share the crown with New York so we wouldn’t be looking to move and live in Singapore anytime soon.
One of the Greenest cities in the world
They pride themselves on sustainability and greenery with many parks in their country. They boast natural amentities across the country even in their airports! Singapore is the most sustainable city in Asia.
Singapore means Lion City
This is named from a Sumatran prince in the 14th century who encountered a lion in Singapore! Lions aren’t seen in Singapore so it’s likely to be a tiger, but nonetheless, the name still stuck.
6th Safest country in the world
In 2023, Singapore is named the 6th safest country in the world! They are the safest country in Asia with the leading country being Iceland.
Chewing gum is illegal
If you don’t know already, Singapore is a very clean country and the government believe that allowing gum will change this. Therefore, gum is banned to avoid people littering in the streets and you can be fined if you are caught with it.
World’s Best Airport
Changi Airport is one of the largest in the world and boasts many activities which can keep you busy for days! They have an huge shopping mall which you could walk around for hours. In certain terminals, you can enjoy a 24 hour cinema which is a great way to spend time or watch some new films while waiting for your flight.
The main attraction is the largest indoor waterfall which is located in the centre and is surrounded by gardens which offers a beautiful aesthetic view.
Largest Orchid garden in the world
This orchid garden holds over 1,000 orchids with over 2,000 hybrids in the garden which is filled with colour. It’s a popular destination with 200 VIP orchids which can only be seen at this garden.
Singapore flag hidden meaning
The simple Singaporean red and white flag has hidden meanings showing the core values of the country. The red and white bold colours signify brotherhood & equality and purity & virtue respectively. The moon representing the growth of a young nation with the 5 stars each having individual meanings. These are peace, democracy, justice, equality, and progress
Maximum height on Singapore buildings
The government created a law meaning that any buildings constructed cannot exceed the height of 280 metres. However, the Tanjong Pagar Centre was granted special permission and exceeds the limit by almost 4 metres to be the tallest building in Singapore.
Military Service is Mandatory
It is mandatory for all Singaporeans to serve in the military for 1 – 2 years once finishing school. Not only this, but they are required to serve every year in some aspect until they reach the age of 40.
Richest population in the world
It is said that for every 6 people in Singapore, one is a millionaire in USD! This is why they can survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Littering is Illegal
If you are found to drop small pieces of rubbish on the floor you are likely to be fined S$100 and larger objects including bottles can lead to community service. This would be cleaning parts of the city and wearing a bright bib which intends to embarrass the worker to onlookers to avoid repeat offenders.
Super Hot Country
Singapore is known to be very warm even during their winter months. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city was in 1934 where the weather was 19.4 degrees. This can be like a summers day in Europe!
National Tree Planting Day
Singapore celebrate a niche holiday called national tree planting day on the 7th of November. This is where Singaporeans will take time to plant trees throughout Singapore and can even be a popular gift for weddings and birthdays.
Durian Love & Hate
Durian is a popular fruit that is sold and consumed in Singapore which is odd for travellers to see. However, it is illegal to consume the fruit in public areas including public buildings and public transport so make sure to eat it in private.
Greenest Country
Singapore host a whopping 400 parks and 4 nature reserves across it’s small landmass. This is perfect for nature lovers and travellers to wind down in after being in the busy streets.
Man Made Lakes
All of the lakes in Singapore are manmade. They have been made to store fresh water. This means there are NO natural lakes at all in Singapore.
Unnatural Beaches
Not only do they have man made lakes, but also beaches! Singapore have been known to purchase sand from neighbouring countries. Therefore, some of the beaches you visited might just be a mix from countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Lowest Crime Rates
We know already that Singapore is the safest country in the world but it also has one of the lowest crime rates! There are strict penalties for any offenders to stop anyone even thinking about it!
Sentosa Island dark history
Sentosa island is a popular island at the south part of the country. The island hosts tourist attractions like Universal studios, SEA Aquarium, luxury hotels and so much more! However, in 1942 it was used during the war and earned it’s nickname ‘The Island of Death From Behind’. Creepy right!
Using others WIFI is Illegal
Yes, this is right! If you are caught using someone else’s WIFI you may be given a fine as it is Illegal to do so in Singapore!
Singapore Kindness Movement
This movement was started to teach kids and parents the correct manners and etiquette to Singaporeans. This is created by the government to create a better atmosphere in Singapore so people are more friendly and respectful of others.
Crazy High Reward for Paris 2024 Olympics
The Olympics is very popular in Asia and the countries are known to be very successful. Singapore however is a small country that doesn’t often win medals so they have created an incentive for any Singaporeans to win a gold this Olympics. The reward is a staggering £700,000 which is one of the highest awards in the whole Olympics. They really want the best don’t they!
Now that’s all for the fun facts on Singapore. Now you are ready to visit the beautiful country and learn more when you are there! Just make sure not to litter at all or try to use others WIFI as you may be there longer than expected.
If you did enjoy this blog do check out our other blogs including the best activities in Singapore or any of our Southeast Asia content! Also, a like would be very helpful to support us with our blogging journey.
Want help planning your Singapore adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Singapore trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Find our Travel Essentials!
We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
Trip.com– Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Eat With– Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
The Ha Giang Loop for us was a hidden wonder! A place we wasn’t aware of and didn’t plan to visit at all once we headed to Vietnam. Vietnam has so much to offer we didn’t come across it when researching – we only learnt about it when meeting fellow travellers who have experienced the loop. We then added it to our itinerary and didn’t regret it one bit! So we wanted to share it with you so you don’t miss out on it as well! Here is our 2 day itinerary for visiting the Ha Giang Loop!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
The Ha Giang Loop
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Ha Giang is a town hidden in the north of Vietnam which requires a 12 hour sleeper bus/coach to get there. Crazy we know!! This is usually from the capital Hanoi and can be very daunting for new travellers as it’s such a long time travelling. However, it’s not so bad.
We got a small minivan up to Ha Giang which was quite a difficult ride. The chair was almost a grandad’s armchair, which was cosy and soft. A perfect seat to melt into and enjoy the next 12 hours in. Sleeping was a tough task but with the seat reclining, you had some sense of a bed but it was still difficult to sleep. If you plan to budget and get the minibus we would recommend to go in the day. If we went overnight, we think the experience would be much worse and probably similar to a flight where you just can’t sleep well.
Our recommendation would be to load up on food at the local shop or 7Eleven beforehand to give yourself snacks and meals as you more towards Ha Giang. This bus will include locals making the trip north so be mindful of noise as many of these people will be looking to relax on this journey! If you want help with buses during your southeast Asia travels, look at booking with these!
Hostel stay
We stayed at the Garden Villa Homestay in Ha Giang which is a premium Hostel located in the centre of Ha Giang. The Hostel was unique in it’s reception being full outside in a courtyard type area with the rooms located all around. We opted for a private room as we planned to start the loop in the morning and wanted a good night’s rest (highly recommended!).
The room was simple with a large double bed, a sizeable en-suite. The walls were wooden which was unique but offered a great nights sleep ready for the start of our Ha Giang Loop journey.
In the courtyard they had a rather beautiful seating area which looked over a local lake into the mountains. If we stayed longer we definitely would of enjoyed this with dinner or as a place to enjoy when waking up in the morning. Do be aware, near any fresh water usually brings mosquitos, so to be safe and itch free, use bug spray while staying here!
However, the price of £13 for a deluxe room which is often discounted to £10 is pretty reasonable. If you are sharing this with a friend or partner, that’s only £6.50 each for a night stay with an en-suite! Cannot complain!! Find it here.
Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 1
For the Loop, we decided to book with Jasmine Hostel as we were recommended these by a few friends to go through. In the morning of our Ha Giang Loop start (9am roughly), we headed to the hostel where we met decided on whether to have an easy rider or not. An easyrider is a local who gets paid to ride you through the Ha Giang Loop as appose to riding yourself. This is perfect if you aren’t comfortable riding a bike or don’t have any experience in riding in the mountains. We opted for an easy rider for these reasons alone.
Having an easyrider allowed for more benefits including able to soak up the views when riding. If you were riding, you couldn’t take any time to look away from the road to enjoy the scenery.
Make sure to pack a small bag for the Loop as there really is limited space on the bike for a large bag. The rider places both yours and their bag between his legs and straps it to the bike so it has to be small enough. Also, make sure to bring Vietnamese Dong with you! If you want to grab some food or drinks out, there will be no card machines as you are in the middle of nowhere so don’t make that mistake.
Before riding off, we decided to rent out knee and elbow pads for the ride. These may look a little silly but these will for sure save you if the worst was to happen. As the saying goes.. it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
So now we have met our easyrider and have 5 or so minutes to get used to being on a motorbike. After this, we all as a group head up to the petrol station and fill up before heading off into the mountains!
The first ride took roughly 2 hours until we found our first stop. This first stop is at a mountains edge where a family lives and has a shop of local snacks and drinks to eat and hydrate before heading off. There’s enough time to have a toilet break, grab snacks and admire the view!
After this break you are back on the move to head towards the spot you will enjoy for lunch! You will spend the next few hours weaving through the hills and enjoying the beautiful scenery before you come across a local town which comprises of 1 main road with a few side streets. Here, you will be stopping off where a buffet style lunch will be prepared. This lunch is included in the price of the payment to Jasmine Hostel but do be aware they charge you for drinks. The food here is local and is super tasty. You will order food bits and sit at the table and share between a small group of 4-6. This is a great way to meet your fellow riders and make friends. After all, the Ha Giang Loop is a multiday activity.
Once again you head back onto the bike and head back into the mountains for more luscious views. You just can’t get enough of them!
You will make several stops on the way to your hostel stay including a place where locals will be playing pool and also a viewpoint on top of a tower! All these stops are a great place to soak up the local way of life and experience deep in the mountains!
You are likely to arrive at you place of stay around 5-6 dependant on weather etc where you are likely tired from all the riding throughout the day. You are given an hour or so to freshen up and find your hostel room before heading down for drinks and dinner. We met some friends and ended up playing cards for a good 30 minutes before dinner which was a great ice breaker when meeting people.
As we all started to gather round for dinner, the light from the sun fell and the food was brought out one by one. A feast for all of us to share. The food was all locally made and produced by ohh my it was some of the best food we have ever had. The spring rolls are still to this the day the best food ever! The spread included such variety from meats to noodles and rice and sides including these flavourful spring rolls.
After the food was finished and everyone’s belly was full, there were shots passed around for all the enjoy and cheers to the amazing experience in which we embarked on. From here, the music will be played and the drinks will flow. This is the perfect time to get to know your fellow riders and sing, dance and drink the night away. Karaoke is offered and this entertainment usually lasts until roughly midnight.
Be mindful that you will be back on the bikes for roughly 9 am so don’t drink too much!
Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 2
In the morning you will be provided breakfast which is rather hearty ready for your long day ahead of riding. As it’s the 2-day itinerary, we were heading back so split off from the rest of the group. Our riders took us back a different way to Ha Giang. This way allowed us to see the different views of the mountains that were just as beautiful. It was only a 3/5 hours back to Jasmine Hostel but included some stops to stretch our legs and even to see some local natural waterfalls.
At the waterfall, we stopped off and even went for a swim in the waters below! The riders got involved and joined us swimming and invited us to cliff jump from the top. This is a remote waterfall but there’s not many opportunities in life where this is possible so why not! We spend 10-20 minutes cliff jumping and wild swimming before trying to dry off and getting back onto the bike.
Our whole experience was amazing with scenic views, friendly people, and amazing activities! There was no fault of the experience and think it is budget friendly only being £215 with 3 days/2 nights which is inclusive of the following: All meals, all overnight stays, free stay at Jasmin Hostel the night before, Bike hire, fuel, transportation from locations across north Thailand. All you are expected to pay for is your drinks, insurance and any tip for a rider if you want. Check this out here.
Overview
This experience was the best we had during out time in South East Asia and something we aim to do again. We would totally recommend this to anyone and it’s truly a once in a lifetime experience!
If you have experienced the Ha Giang Loop, do let us know what your experience was like! We hope this has inspired you to take this trip and travel the world. If you did enjoyed this blog, check out our recently uploaded Hanoi best trips to do here and like this blog, it really does help!
Also, you can follow our travel journey on our social media’s which we will link below where we share all of our travel tips, thoughts and experiences!
Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Vietnam trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Find our Travel Essentials!
We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
Trip.com– Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Eat With– Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
Hanoi is one of those cities that never sleeps. There is so much to see and do you can almost get overwhelmed which can lead you to missing some amazing experiences. It’s very much a city that you could spend a few weeks in and still discover amazing experiences and hidden gems. So let’s delve into the all the exciting tours in Hanoi which you can’t miss out on!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
In Hanoi, it’s very popular for traveller’s to partake in a cooking class to learn how the locals make the delicious local dishes. This tour will give you the full experience starting off with going to a market and gathering your fresh ingredients. You will have the option between 2 set menus which is inclusive for vegetarians.
After this, you will head back and be supported with cooking your meals included a demonstration and step-by-step instructions. They also provide you with homemade rice whisky and seasonal fruits to enjoy during your experience. Once you have cooked your food you are welcomed to relax and delve into your tasty meal.
The experience is topped off with a certificate of completion and a cookbook for when you arrive back home and look to recreate these dishes from scratch.
It’s such an amazing experience with local produce and knowledge to make some of the best and popular Vietnamese foods! This experience is great for all types of people and a great way to learn more about the countries culture. Check out the experience here for more information and to book!
Hanoi Food Tour
This is a must visit tour for all traveller’s in Hanoi. As many already know, Vietnam produce some of the best foods in Asia and this food tour will certainly not disappoint.
Your will be given a local tour guide which will take you round the old quarter to all the best food spots. You will be given recommendations on the best foods to try at each spot and given samples to taste to get your taste buds tingling. The food on this tour is the best way to find the best local spots, as after, the locals do know best!
You will be taken off the beaten path down alleyways that produce some top spots to stop off at which many will accidently skip on their own. The foods on offer is all cooked locally and includes an array of options for any requirements. You will also be taken down to Train street which is a local train which passes through a narrow street where locals sell food. It’s a must see place! Here you will enjoy a complementary drink before moving on to more locations.
The local guide really knows the best places to taste some of the best flavours in Hanoi so be sure to check it out here.
Day Trips from Hanoi
Ha Long Bay Tour
The first and most obvious day trip that is available from Hanoi is east to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a natural wonder of the world and a popular place for tourists to visit and see the natural beauty here!
It has stunning islands that you can meander through with many fun activities! There are different trips to choose from including overnight stays, day trips and 5-star cruises.
The day trips is a full day experiencing the closer islands of Ha Long Bay. There are many activities to do during this trip like kayaking, sightseeing, island hopping, visiting beaches and more! You also get your lunch included in the trip as there is roughly 5-7 stops along the way.
It’s a great experience to see the Bay and it’s beauty on the timescale. The day will be jampacked full of activities and will be totally worth it!! You even get the opportunity to explore some local caves in the Bay. This is the perfect trip for budget-friendly explorers who want to see a large part of the Bay in a day whereas the others are more luxurious. To learn more on the day trips, check it out here.
The above package is a standard trip around Ha Long Bay whereas the package here is more luxurious and offers a premium experience. The transportation between each location has beautiful interior and luxurious seating adding to the overall experience in the Bay. The food provided offers more options and is in a similar setting to a premium restaurant with stunning interior and a dining experience.
Compared to the option above, you will embark on similar excursions but have a luxury experience for meals and between places. This is perfect for luxury travellers or holiday makers who are looking for a premium experience in the Bay. It’s definitely worth it!
The meal you have on this 5 star trip is an all-inclusive buffet with a large selection of local foods to choose from. To see more on this amazing trip, do check it out here.
Now, this is a major step up from the day cruise with the option of a 2 day/1 night or 3 day/2 night stay on a luxury cruise. This cruise will make it’s way through the Bay looking at all the beautiful locations with activity stops including the ones in the day trip.
The main different is that you are on a luxury cruise with many onboard amenities that aren’t included in the other packages. These packages include all meals included (3 meals a day dependant on when you board the cruise), entrance and sightseeing fees, all activities, cooking classes & Tai-Chi on board and squid fishing.
The stays will include a beautiful private room with an en-suite. These rooms are very luxurious and look like they are straight out of a 5 star hotel at the Marriott so you will not be disappointed.
These are the ultimate luxurious experiences that will make your time in Ha Long Bay super memorable for years to come. If you are looking for the best Ha Long Bay experience, check out the 1 night experience here and the 2 night here.
Ha Giang Loop Tour
The Ha Giang Loop is not massively known but is a top experience when visiting Vietnam. Hidden in the northern parts of the Vietnam mountains, the Ha Giang Loop is a route in the mountains that takes anywhere from 2 – 4 days to complete. Before setting off, you can decide whether to have an easyrider which will be a local to join you on this journey or if you feel competent enough, you can ride the motorbike yourself!
The Ha Giang Loop is a collection of roads which elegantly weave in the mountains near the Chinese border with many amazing activities get involved in. Now, the main experience of this trip is a motorbike ride into the mountains with some of the best views we have experienced in our lives. The loop showcases hundreds of mountains stacked behind each other creating a unimaginable view. This is a view you could stay and watch for hours on end.
The loop is designed to have stops along the way where you can get photos, a drink, even go on a quick hike to viewpoints and more! The first day is heading into a small town in the mountains where you will be having your lunch with your group and have some time for a little exploration.
You will have designated stays across the Ha Giang Loop’s route with some amazing local preparing each meal which is super flavourful. So flavourful that the best food we had during the trip across South East Asia was in the Ha Giang Loop eating local vegetable spring rolls. The best food we have EVER had!
Your day’s will be 4-6 hours worth of biking per day with a break ever hour or two so you can stretch out. During the trip you can stop at important places across the Loop including the Chinese border, mountain top stops and so much more. When we visited we stopped off on the way back at a local waterfall where local kids were swimming and we did some cliff jumping into the waterfall below which was a surreal experience.
This experience is seriously a once in a lifetime experience and one we didn’t know much about before going but now is something we would definitely do again.
To learn more about this experience you can check out the 2 day/2 night tour here and the longer 3 night/4 day experience here! The longer you go, the more experiences you will have and of course the more you will see and do. So if you have the time and it sounds like your type of tour, definitely go for the 4 night experience!
Lan Ha Bay Day Trip
This is a great trip around Lan Ha Bay which is local to Hanoi and a great day trip to see a paradisal beach and local activities.
On the trip you will be taken to local ancient villages where you will be given a multitude of activities. This includes massages and visiting local houses and meeting the locals. This is a great way to see how the locals live and get a taste into what their life is like. You will also enjoy your time on Cat Ba Island which is a tropical haven!
After visiting here you are given some fun aquatic activities including swimming, boat jumping, kayaking and more. This is a great opportunity to enjoy your time and soak up the aesthetic views in the beautiful bay.
The luxury cruise includes a rooftop bar, two restaurants and even a water slide floating swimming pool! The cruise offers great enjoyment onboard between locations with some amazing rememberable experiences in the day! To learn more about this amazing day trip, check it out here.
The Best Hanoi Tours!
We hope these top Hanoi Trips have inspired you to book your bucket list experiences when visiting the capital of Vietnam! Hanoi offers some amazing experiences for day trips so be sure not to miss out on these great opportunities!
We also showcase all of our travels on our social media’s including all of our daily adventures so be sure to check that our below! This includes an exciting trip to Thailand in September 2024 so expect all things Thailand coming up!
Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Vietnam trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Find our Travel Essentials!
We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
Trip.com– Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Eat With– Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
Visiting Zagreb is such a great location for adventure… From unique and quirky museums, to vibrant nightlife and rich history, this beautiful European city is one to visit! One very unique thing to do whilst in Zagreb is visiting the Grič Tunnel. What started as a World War 2 protection, this underground has became an interesting part of this city- from hosting raves, being a hot photoshoot location… we will break down why you need to visit this Zagreb attraction!
The Grič Tunnels also appear in our Zagreb Vlog which we will link below!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Related to the second world war, this tunnel was initially constructed between 1943-44 to serve as protection for the locals. Their purpose was to help towards giving shelter during bombings during world war 2 and the Croatian War of Independence. The Grič Tunnel is only a section of all of the tunnels in Zagreb, but is the only one open to the public.
There are Croatian legends stating there was a vast amount of tunnels, which would’ve been destroyed during the 1880 earthquake, which it is said to have disappeared with all of the church gold. Whether that is true or not, this is a very cool legend to tell!
It was argued this tunnel was not worth the expense it caused, with many arguing it was unnecessary. The initial plan was larger, with plans of boasting an underground hall being discarded during the building process. The tunnel spans over 350 metres, and has a capacity of 5,000 people, which is what added to the call of it being unnecessary due to the smaller capacity allowance.
The tunnel through history
After being bomb shelter, the prior mentioned underground hall was added, and it transformed into a food warehouse space… However, shortly it came discarded and abandoned. It simply became a place where homeless people could find shelter, and space for drug users.
Interestingly, the 1990’s brought the revival of the Grič Tunnel, hosting historic raves; turning a once war shelter into a vibrant nightlife scene. With remodelling, this spot hosted one of the first raves in Croatia, with DJ’s coming from Germany, the U.K. and more!
The tunnel did however still use some of it’s intended use; due to the Croatian War of Independence, the air raid shelter was in use between the war (1991-1995), with additional temporary toilets being built to aid in this hard time.
Calls to renovate the tunnel came with the 21st century, with a historic proposal being set in 2015. With work beginning in 2016, there was three main stages to this renovation. There has still been some controversy regarding this Tunnel, since key modern safety precautions still haven’t been followed, even post renovation.
Events in the Grič Tunnel
As mentioned before, the Grič Tunnel has had some interesting key moments! Here are some of the top ones so far!
1993 Under City Rave
Hosting a ‘techno’ rave, this 1993 rave was an exciting moment for the Croatian nightlife scene! Renowned DJ’s such as DJ Mate Galic from Berlin, DJ Beamish from London, Random Logic from Slovenia, and many others featured at this great event! It was even aired on MTV.
Expecting only 300-400 people, this initial rave brought 3,000 ravers in October of 1993, at the first international rave, called the ‘Under City Rave’.
Advent in the Tunnel
During the Christmas months, this usually dark and monotone location is transformed with colourful bright lights and decorations, to create a magical advent location to visit!
From concerts to exhibitions, this space is transformed into such a beautiful surrounding- imagine winter wonderland, or the nutcracker aesthetic!
The advent causes some of the entrances to be closed off, however we think it is worth it for sure! Admission is usually free, with opening times between 9am and 10pm.
Flora Art
Hosting a beautiful flower exhibition, this is yet another breathtaking use of this war tunnel space.
Croatia je Hrvatska
In 2017, the tunnel hosted yet another interesting exhibition, this time being the Croatia je Hrvatska. Appearing as a time machine, the exhibition used projectors, props and music to allow guests to explore social, political, economic and other events of Croatian history! Featured in this exhibit was use of the central hall, creating a ‘Rainstorm’ room, with constant rain.
In 2018, this interesting exhibition was awarded the international award IIDA Global Excellence, proving the pure excellence of the space and history of this tunnel.
How to visit Grič Tunnel
With entrances at Mesnićka street, or through two other entrances in the current Art Park below Lotršćak Tower, this is a free to enter spot, that during non-event periods only takes a 5-10 minute walk.
It is open between 9am-9pm daily, and is a must visit for your trip to Zagreb!
You can get a guided tour of the Tunnel included in a walking tour, which will give you an in-depth history and explanation of the rich history of the Grič Tunnel, such as this one here.
Similarly, there is a walking tour that’ll explore the Croatian war and communism themes, in a history guided tour, featuring the Grič Tunnel, find it here.
Would we recommend the Grič Tunnel?
For such a short timeframe, yes! This tunnel might only take 10 minutes of your day, but it felt very impactful! We had never been anywhere like this, and we took time to sit on one of the sides and soak in the surrounding of the tunnel.
It is a unique place to take some photos, so it’s another reason to visit to get some interesting photos for your instagram page!
There is also a very ‘spooky’ feeling to this tunnel, with some of the closed off areas giving an eerie atmosphere… if you are into this type of thing, 100% make it a must visit spot!
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Croatia trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our Croatia Series!
Our Latest Video!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading about Visiting the Grič Tunnel
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
Now, we have talked briefly in a previous blog about our experiences at Rescate Sanctuary. But after recently reflecting on our blog, it’s apparent that we didn’t go into much detail of what each activity looked like.
Now, if you haven’t read the blog it would be a great read before reading this one to understand where we went and the type of volunteering we were apart of. Make sure to check out the blog here.
This Blog will be more in-depth on each activity and what a typical day would look like and how beneficial the whole experience is for you!
Visit Rescate Wildlife Sanctuary for yourself- book it here!
Also, check out our latest YouTube Mukbang where we talk about our Volunteering experience!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
To start with, let’s talk about the day to day activities. Generally they would follow a simple order of working hours from 8am – 3pm/4pm with some deviances dependant on activities.
Feeding Route
If you have drawn the short straw (so to speak), you may have to start the day around 6:30am/7am for the feeding round. This happens routinely once a day as all the animals need feeding in the morning. This is done early as all the animals normally wake up around this time for feeding.
This task is usually 1/2 volunteers along with a ranger who goes around to each animal and provides them with the right amount of food. Now, with this being a large sanctuary this will take a few hours and will require different foods to satisfy the diversity at the sanctuary. You will be tasked to prepare the food (fruits mainly) for specific animals before taking off to feed. The group will have a wheelbarrow’s worth of food which will be taken around the park and each diet will be feed one by one.
As the majority of animals require a fruit diet, this is the one that takes the longest as the monkeys, peccaries, all the farm animals, birds, reptiles, mammals and more require the fruit! Each enclosure will be approached and fed the correct amount of food according to the number of animals and type of animal.
This is a fun experience as many of the animals are into a routine of knowing when it’s feeding time so they become excited at your presence. For the simple animals to feed, you may be tasked to hand the food out but of course keeping a safe distance and placing the food in the correct area of the enclosure.
Then you have the meat eaters, so basically all of the felines/canines plus the odd animal like the Greater Grison (worth googling if you don’t know them! They are like a ferret or a weasel).
These animals are fed raw meat, usually chicken or darker meats similar to what they would eat in the wild. This is an opportunity to get up close with the larger predators and understand the sheer dominance and power of these animals.
For anyone who is looking to use this towards their career aspirations to be a vet or go into animal care, then this is a great opportunity to ask questions and understand more.
Please note that the animals aren’t kept in small cages- the jaguar for example came to an area for food but was free roam in his very large enclosure!
Observation
Observation may be seen as quite a boring part of your day and one that not many look forward to. However, once you understand the reasons for it, it can be very insightful and help you know more about each species individually.
The observation is exactly what it says on the tin. You are there to observe a select animal or species to see it’s usual or unusual movements and activities in a typical hour of the day. Now, the observations change each day depending on the research of the rangers but when we volunteered it was usually the grey fox, coyote’s or the squirrel monkeys.
The observation would usually include 2 – 4 volunteers with one ranger to oversee the project and is used on tablets provided by the sanctuary to note down all the information. Each species had a different enclosure so you would be required to take note of the following: location in the enclosure, what they were doing, and maybe even how high were they (this is for the monkeys). This was recorded every minute on the minute for 30 minutes.
The Coyote’s for instance were pretty simple to monitor as they usually sleep most of the day and all you have to do is make sure you are monitoring the right Coyote… This can be difficult. As we remember it, there are 4 different Coyote’s, being Vinni Van, Bugs, Yep, and another one we cannot remember at all.
The Coyote’s had specific features including one with a poorly eye, or one with part of it’s ear missing. This is important to recognise who is who when observing their behaviours.
As it’s an enclosure, you will be observing from a distance and therefore might not have full visibility. This is very obvious in the monkey enclosure with the trees and leaves constantly blocking your view.
Observation is imperative to see how the animals are interacting with each other and if they are acting normal. It’s important as they are in an enclosure and the aim is to minimise the stress for each animals so doing this can allow the rangers to reduce stress if required.
Animal Enrichment
Animal Enrichment is where you are tasked to create different ‘toys’ that help with their cognitive function. Being in an enclosure is the best place for them but even they can get bored being limited to a space. However, this is the best place for them as they cannot be re-released so they need occupying.
The best way to do this is by making natural games/toys for the animals to enjoy. Enrichment is usually measured by how much they interact with the object.
Below we have provided some examples of the enrichments we made:
Rope and Bamboo Ladder
This was made using large bamboo sticks that were cut down to 2 feet long bars. We used roughly 6/8 of them which we lined up and used large lines of rope which we weaved through the bamboo holes (created by drilling on either end). This was then all attached and could hold a significant amount of weight. This is perfect as this bamboo rope ladder was made for large spider monkeys which can weigh up to 5 kg.
So it is important to make a sturdy, resilient bamboo ladder that will not sway too much and hold up the monkeys as they swing.
This is jack making the rope ladder!!
Monkey Puzzles
This is a log that has a few holes drill out of it so that you can stash small treats in for the monkeys to find. As the monkeys are really smart, it’s important to hide the prize using natural materials like hay or feathers. The monkey’s are used to this enrichment so find this easy so it’s important to keep their brain working so to make it harder, you can wedge a branch in the gap which is stiff and hard to pull out. The monkey will learn that in order to get the treat they will need to find a way into the gap.
The monkey will finally remove the sturdy stick from the gap and rummage until they have found the sweet treat! It’s such a handy puzzle to give the monkey as you can observe them figuring it out and they are stubborn so don’t expect them to give up!
Log filled with Onions
Now this sounds like an odd one but the peccaries absolutely love raw onion.. Awful, we know!!
It’s basically a chucky log which you are to put divots in all along the sides. The aim is to make the divots large enough that you can stuff little pieces of onions in there for the peccaries to find and eat. However, it was very difficult to make the divots the correct size so they fit but also didn’t easily fall out. In the end, we did what we could and ended up rubbing the whole log with onion so they could smell the scent and potentially play with it regardless.
The enclosure is situated a little away from the path so the logs would need to be thrown into the pen. This is tough as a lot of the enrichment ideas need to be sturdy enough to survive the throw. But there is a positive! The peccaries notice the noise and run over the check it out so they definitely will be aware of the log for sure.
On first glance it didn’t seem to be very popular with the peccaries as none of them showed much interest. However, after 10 or so minutes one of the peccaries ended up vigorously nudging it and smelling it in a playful manner which was awesome!
This lasted for a good 10 minutes until the peccary accidently knocked it into their mud bath which it was then covered and we think the onion smell disappeared. However, we would definitely call this a success! In the other peccary pen, it really wasn’t as popular as the peccaries ignored it.
Training
This training was essential to help with taking care of the animals for the duration they were there. This is done on any dangerous animals so usually the felines or canines. The point of this training would be to imitate when they would need to do check-ups on the animals. They would feed the animals and softly jab them in the side with a utensil which would imitate an injection.
The animals will get used to this feeling and it will be easier when doing health check ups in the clinic.
The animals will also be fed during this time so it’s a win win for both! The animals we saw this used on was mainly ocelots and Guapo, the Jaguar.
Clinic
The clinic is a small outhouse halfway through the sanctuary that houses all the injured/newly welcomed animals in the sanctuary. The animals that are housed here are usually injured and requiring antibiotics, surgery or time to recover. These animals are treated differently to the ones around the sanctuary as they are completely wild. They are to be treated as wild which includes no interaction at all. This includes making eye contact or any gestures.
The reason for this is that most the animals that are in the clinic are planned to be re-released. Any sort of interaction is unnatural for the animals and may imprint on them.
The animals here are different depending on which animals need to be there so it’s a total mystery before you enter.
The usual tasks in here is odd parts like collecting branches for enclosures, altering enclosures in there so it’s comfortable for new inhabitants and cleaning enclosures. We were lucky enough to be tasked to clean the sloth enclosure in the clinic which was a surreal moment for us. As some of you may know, Sloths are Aimee’s favourite animal and pretty much the whole reason we went Costa Rica in the first place. Here, we were able to get up close and personal with them while cleaning which was definitely a highlight!
Luckily, Sloth’s are one of the few animals that don’t get imprinted by humans but we still respected their space and admired them from a distance.
Different roles?
The Sanctuary also has other opportunities based on what your interests are. One example being Aimee worked with their marketing team to support their Social Media accounts which was mutually agreed upon before arriving. This meant that she had less physical hours in the day but had social media tasks which she undertook while Jack was working with the animals.
This really helped balance Aimee’s day due to ongoing health conditions she had at the time. The Sanctuary was very supportive of this and would not push any volunteers to do something they don’t want to do.
Upon meeting the workers there and the team, Aimee expressed an idea of painting a mural in the living space that can symbolise the sanctuary and all the efforts of each volunteer that has helped.
This was an idea Aimee came up with and on one day in our spare time we headed out to grab some paint with a friend that worked at the sanctuary before starting the next day. Aimee spent the last 2 days sketching and then painting a mural on the wall. As it was at the end of the trip, time was limited but aimee managed to finish it moments before we got in the taxi to leave.
It’s a part of us that is at the sanctuary now and everyone sees when volunteering here! We are so grateful for the sanctuary to allow this and are very supportive in creative new ideas, so what’s to lose. The photo of the tree painting is below – we definitely need to go back and see it soon!
The Sanctuary offers such opportunity with volunteering that each day will never look the same. The people are amazing and are super supportive with the volunteers which is really helpful to know. If you are looking to get some experience here towards a career of veterinary then they have a vet program which is working a lot more in the clinic to help with sick or injured animals. You will need some sort of education and knowledge to work here so check the eligibility before applying for this role!
The park is a beautiful place and the activities are so insightful to the simple life of working at a sanctuary. After leaving, Jack would be more than happy working there full-time as a volunteer but maybe another day!
Make sure to check the sanctuary out here as it’s a great place to learn about animals and also learn a lot about yourself. There’s so many amazing memories to have here and will always hold a special place in our hearts.
If you did enjoy the blog and like the idea of volunteering abroad, make sure to drop a like and let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our daily blog uploads regarding all things travel!!
Want help planning your Costa Rican adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Costa Rica trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading our Rescate Volunteering Abroad guide!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
We travelled to morocco as a last minute trip and didn’t have many plans on where to visit and what to do. So as we arrived in Fes we didn’t have much of a plan. We wandered the beautiful tight streets in the medina but started to become hungry so it’s time to look for food. That is when we found the Ruined Garden Restaurant! Which can be described as a fairytale restaurant that is truly unique!
We also featured this restaurant in this YouTube Vlog below! Check it out!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
After a quick search we stumbled across the Ruined Garden, which was in the heart of the medina. Now, if you are to visit during Ramadan be aware they close halfway through the day, but during the rest of the year they have better opening hours.
We were welcomed at the door which has a castle-like feel to it, with large doors at the entrance. We wandered up the few steps and entered the large garden which had scattered tables and chairs. We found a table and within a few seconds greeted by a local cat which was super friendly!
It’s very common for locals to own cats as there is an abundance in Morocco! We then ordered drinks and decided to share some food which was definitely the right decision.
The ambiance of the restaurant was beautiful, you had luscious green with fountains dotted about which is the total opposite to what the rest of the medina is. It was quiet and calming!
Foods
We found a local dish called the B’stilla which is a local meal almost like a pie, but with a twist. It’s coated in caster sugar and cinnamon making it a sweet meal which sounds strange but OMG it worked! It was beautiful and we would highly recommend trying it.
We also tried the samosas which came as 3 large samosas which were generously filled with different meats! The food was amazing at the Ruined Garden and really filled us up.
Seating
When finishing our meal, we spent 20/30 minutes soaking up the area. We played with the cats, enjoyed the calmness of the air and even noticed some pet tortoises which came out to explore and eat their lunch! They started to wander around the grounds with the cats not taking much notice of them.
Even though they were pets it was a cool experience to see in a restaurant located in the centre of Fes, the medina. It’s something we didn’t expect but we definitely welcomed.
Facilities
Within the restaurant they did have bathroom facilities; they were somewhat basic but had everything that was needed!
There weren’t many stairs, however due to location within the medina and the steps, we wouldn’t say it was completely accessibility friendly.
Cost
The restaurant was more on the expensive side than other local areas to eat, with the meals costing anywhere between 120-180 Moroccan Dirham (£10 -£14). However, we couldn’t fault the flavour and experience in the restaurant.
Would we recommend?
We would totally recommend this restaurant to travellers who are looking to good traditional food in the centre of Fes! The food was super tasty, and the atmosphere of the place really added to the experience. Just make sure that if you do go, that you don’t let the cats manipulate you like they did to us by begging for food (they were too cute). Even though it is more expensive than some local restaurants, the food is well cooked and presented with rather large portions so we couldn’t fault it!
We hope this have helped when deciding on some places to eat in Fes and if you have visited the Ruined Garden before, please let us know below!
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Morocco trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading about Visiting the Ruined Garden
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
Monteverde is a beautiful location, high up in the central mountains of Costa Rica which offers some astounding views. It’s a location very popular for tourists to visit to see the cloud forest which isn’t too far from the small town. However, if you have visited the country, you would know it can be rather expensive across the board. So when we visited we made sure to look for a budget-friendly hostel in Monteverde which was well located to being central to the town and close to the cloud forest. For this, we found Monteverde Backpackers hostel!
We only stayed 1 night in this hostel but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and wanted to share our insights. Carry on reading to find out more!
Make sure to read further to learn more about what to expect when you visit this lovely hostel in Monteverde!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
The location for the Hostel was right on the centre of Monteverde only being a 2 minute walk to the main road. Around there are many restaurants, gift and clothes shops and supermarkets perfect for convenience. Only a 5 minute walk up the hill and down the other side is a food court which is also the bus station down off the mountain.
The main attraction for Monteverde is their cloud forests which is a 20 minute drive from the hostel.
Hostel room experience
The room we booked was a 4 dorm room which was somewhat small but offered enough space for all your stuff. They were the usual bunkbeds with lockers below the bottom bunk for your luggage. The en-suite was a good size with a very good shower. Although the room was very simple, it’s offered at a good price and was very welcoming for sure.
Other Rooms Available
Alternative to the 4 dorm room we stayed in, they offer a 6 person dorm and private rooms. They also provide a ‘deluxe’ 4 person dorm room which offers better beds and 2 bathrooms for the 4 guests.
Private Room
The private room is a 3 bed private ensuite room. This is inclusive of one large double bed and one single bed. This makes it perfect for couples or groups of friends to use!
The cost of the room starts from around €34.72 which across 3 people is cheaper than any other room in the hostel! With the room, breakfast is included with free tea and coffee available. Another benefit is that the room actually includes a kitchen which you can use to cook your own meals if you don’t want to go out for food which is a great perk for budget travellers!
Social Areas
The social area is in the reception which includes a long table which many use to gather and mingle with other travellers. There is also a ping pong table in here which is a great icebreaker for travellers and they often host games to get everyone involved!
The walls are covered in beautiful paintings and drawings of the exotic animals that live across Costa Rica creating a great atmosphere in the hostel.
Tours Available
Monteverde backpackers have many tours available with the obvious being the Cloud Forest which is there most popular. However, there are so many more tours they offer including trips for night walks in the forest, or day trips for adrenaline sports like Ziplining, andhorse riding.
These tours are a great way to see the local beauty in Monteverde and the hostel organise everything for you including everything you do on the trip and even pick-up and drop-off at the hostel.
Would we recommend
We would totally recommend this hostel as it is a budget friendly price for it’s location. It’s right on the centre of Monteverde which limits the amount of walking you have to do as it’s very hilly here!
Also you can book breakfast for a small fee on top of the room which is convenient! If anyone has visited Costa Rica before then you will know that eating out is very expensive so this really helps to budget you time here.
Most people visit the area for their amazing activities which the hostel provide a host of options for you to do at a reasonable price. The hostel overall offers a great experience for all travellers and is a great place to visit if you are looking for a hostel in Monteverde town.
If you did enjoy this Hostel review do let us know and we will make sure to provide more reviews to help you on your travelling journey. Check out our other Costa Rica blogs!
Want help planning your Costa Rica adventure?
We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Costa Rica trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading about our Monteverde Hostel Review!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Bali is a beautiful island in Indonesia that is very popular for nomads but also for travellers. On this large island, there are so many bucket list activities you can do, that even one month might make it hard to do everything! From cliff jumping in natural springs to climbing volcanos and swimming with manta rays and turtles, there’s endless options. The one bucket list activity we are talking about today is seeing wild dolphins in Lovina.
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Lovina is a small town located on the north coast of Bali. To compare to Canggu, it is roughly 3/4 hours away by car and requires a trip through the mountains to get there. This town isn’t too popular and doesn’t have many activities here to draw travellers to but is a beautiful seaside town. One activity that is close to Lovina is the Aling-Aling Waterfall where you can cliff jump and visit natural springs for an authentic, thrilling activity. You can learn more on this blog here.
How to Book to see Wild Dolphins
There are many ways to book this activity but the best way is to look on websites such as GetYourGuide to look for private hire. Here is a link to booking ready for your private boat trip to see wild dolphins!
This activity will provide you with the full experience to see wild dolphins in Lovina! Book it here.
Activity
Usually it is an early start. The best tour guides in Lovina will be starting the exploring first thing which requires you to be up and out by 7 am. Unethical boat tours will start around 6am whereas the dolphins are best admired around 7/8am when the water settles and boats clear.
You are picked up and taken to the beachfront where you are likely to catch the end of the sunrise which is a marvel within itself. This is something that we would recommend ALL to do when visiting Bali as there definitely are some amazing sunrises on this beautiful island! But this definitely isn’t what people are at the beach this early for so lets see the dolphins.
You can easily get into the water and wear some snorkelling goggles to marvel at the dolphins as they elegantly swim below you. As you have rented privately, you can agree a time you are out there and maybe even spend some of your time at the shore swimming near the corals and exploring the shallow water.
It truly is one of the best experiences so we would always recommend to do this but make sure to conduct it ethically to protect the dolphins and not to fund unethical practice.
Conservation for Wild Dolphins
Be careful for when you book your tour as many tours are unethical and ‘chase’ the dolphins which isn’t good practice. We always like to encourage people to be kind to the animals and support ethical organisations who allow for people to view these amazing mammals in the right way. Here we have done some research and the best ways to see dolphin’s in the wild ethically is by renting a private boat and awaiting dolphins to come to the boat or to rent a kayak or paddleboard to venture out and see them.
Many boats will be seen leaving at 6 am and chasing the dolphins but if you are able to get a private boat then make sure to find a nice spot in the ocean and turn off the engine. The dolphins are known to be social and come up close to boats and people to play or be near. So there is no need to chase them, the best encounters are when they come to you!
As it’s known, there’s so many amazing activities to do in Bali so be sure to check out some of our other Blogs in Bali!
We also showcase all of our travel content across our social media’s which are provided below so be sure to check them out! If you enjoyed the Blog and want to see more, make sure to like and subscribe for more daily blogs and travel updates!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading our Wild Dolphin Guide for Bali, Indonesia
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
Want a central hostel in the heart of everything while in Zagreb? After spending one night in this traveller friendly hostel/hotel combo, we wanted to share more! The Chillout Hostel has the best of both worlds; hostel dorms for the budget friendly extrovert, and hotel and private facilities for those liking a bit more privacy!
Carry on reading to hear about our experience in this hostel, and why you should be staying here for your next Zagreb trip!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Situated in the heart of Zagreb city centre, Chillout Hostel is in Ilica 16, right next to all of the landmarks, nightlife, shops, restaurants and more! Just on the doorstep you will found countless things to do and see! It is also near tram links, meaning easy access around the rest of the city!
The hostel itself shares areas with the Timeout Heritage Hotel, so you will enter the same entrance for both!
Private Room Experience
For our stay, we stayed in a private room, with private en-suite bathroom. This came at €60 per night for 2 people.
To begin with, the room was beautiful and extremely unique! The walls were covered in a newspaper print, with fascinating and quirky stories printed throughout! It then had green and gold accents… it really was stunning! The room had high ceilings and a balcony (somewhat communal? It was chained off between rooms but still visible to other rooms).
We had a double bed which was comfy, a full length mirror, a vanity dresser, wardrobe and fridge to keep things cool! (Please don’t forget to grab your snacks though… as sadly we forgot our chocolate in there 😦 …)
The bathroom was very clean. We had a sink with a large mirror, then a shower cubicle with a GREAT water pressure… oh the little things in life! The flooring even had glitter running throughout!
We were also given an electronic key card for entry, which also gives you additional perks which we will explain a bit further down!
Other Rooms Available
Within the Chillout Hostel, you can book a standard double en-suite (which we booked), a mixed dorm of 6 bunk beds (from around £30), or a mixed dorm of 4 bunk beds (from around £35).
The dorms include their own en-suite bathrooms, and as many European accommodations, you will need to pay a city tax additionally.
Social Areas
The hostel had many social areas!
We decided to have a drink in the rooftop terrace the evening we arrived- there is a great cocktail menu, it just depends what your budget is as most cocktails were €10+. The terrace was busy, staff were attentive, and music was playing etc!
Another area was the downstairs seating, which you would’ve walked through to reach check out! Although we didn’t sit here, we saw many people using this as a working area in the morning, but a social area in the evening!
Bunker Nightclub
Now this was fun! Additional to the social areas mentioned above, this hostel features it’s own built in nightclub!
We mentioned the key cards didn’t we? So, the entry fee of the nightclub is squashed once you show your key card, meaning free entry to their club!
Each night is themed different, with our stay falling on the 00’s disco night! However, it was mores a late 00’s-10’s music, with the odd more modern song included!
The club was split into different areas, with extremely cool neon graffiti throughout! The drinks were a little expensive, however that is to be expected in most night-clubs.
Tours available
At the hostel desk you will find different posters and leaflets, including some discounts for tours! One of the discounts included is for the museum of hangovers, something we will soon be sharing about!
Just ask at the front desk for any assistance.
There is also a group chat you can join, telling you about anything happening at the hostel!
Would we recommend staying at the Chillout Hostel?
We would recommend staying at the Chillout Hostel! It was in such a great location, with clean facilities and friendly staff. You can book it here.
Is it worth the cost?
For a capital city hostel in Europe, we did think the price was okay! In comparison to local hotels we couldn’t really complain!
There was a few cheaper options, but for this location and the nightlife we are happy with our choice!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading our review of the Chillout Hostel in Zagreb!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
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