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  • Ultimate Palawan Travel Guide 2024: Top Attractions, Hidden Gems, and Travel Tips

    Ultimate Palawan Travel Guide 2024: Top Attractions, Hidden Gems, and Travel Tips

    Palawan Island is located in the Philippines, and is a thin strip of land furthest west. It’s a popular place for travellers as there are many stops across the large island, with beautiful beaches, once in a lifetime activities and amazing food!

    The Island is one of 7,641 Islands that make up the country of Philippines; with many dotted just off the shores. It’s a convenient location for travellers as you are only a 1/2 hour flight away when arriving in the capital of Manila, making it easily accessible! Also, if you have travelled other parts of the Philippines you can get a ferry from Cebu to Coron, but this will take a long time to travel – roughly 35 hours which will stop at other locations including the capital Manila, before heading to Coron (north Palawan). You can also fly from Cebu to Palawan which is roughly 2,000 Philippine Peso which is a lot quicker and not much more expensive!!

    The island is definitely worth the travel and wait time as we have not seen such paradisal beaches and islands anywhere else in the world!! The options are to fly to Puerto Princesa which is in the central part of the Island, or to the north Island of Coron which is the Busuanga Airport.

    *There are affiliate links in this post – they do not come at any extra cost to you, but just means we can earn commission to help us pursue this further 🙂

    Coron, Philippines

    Puerto Princesa

    The popular flight (and easiest) is to Puerto Princesa, as it is the larger airport and has more flights. However, Coron is a popular spot and one you don’t want to miss out on. We would recommend to head to Puerto Princesa and get local transport (likely a TukTuk) into the city of Puerto Princesa, which is roughly a 30 minute ride. There isn’t much to do here but is a lovely quiet place perfect to get over any jet lag from your travels! 12Go offer a bus and ferry option to transfer from Coron port to Puerto Princesa Airport here.

    We would recommend 1 nights in Puerto Princesa if you are fast travelling and 2 nights if you are slow travelling. As mentioned above, there isn’t much to do in the area but there is 2 activities we would recommend to do that you shouldn’t miss!

    The first of these are the underground river! The underground river is a natural UNESCO heritage site which a great way to learn more about the rich history of the Philippines and it’s beauty. This experience is a short walk into the Philippines forest where you come up to large rock formations and stunning blue water which leads into the mouth of a dark cave. You are given a guide who will paddle you through the caves and point out any interesting parts of the cave with his flashlight. Before entering the cave you are provided with a headset which has an automatic recording which will talk to you and inform you on the history of the cave and how it became so popular. Find guided tour tickets here.

    In the cave you will learn about Stalagmites and Stalactites, and be notified of the amount of bats in the cave. This will be pointed out by the guide through shining the torch for visibility. All round, the experience is calming, and is a lovely way to learn about the local caves with the potential to see wild monkeys on the way into and out of the caves! Be sure to avoid contact with them as they are wild monkeys, and are not pets!

    This is a great way to spend half a day in Puerto Princesa and is one of the most popular spots in the area!

    Also close to Puerto Princesa is Port Barton.

    Port Barton

    This is another popular spot just north of Puerto Princesa which is a literal paradise! The area of Port Barton has a large Horseshoe beach with many islands just off the coast.. perfect for a boat trip! The town has become more popular of recent years as more travellers are becoming aware of it’s natural beauty!

    It would be recommended to stay here for 2/3 nights and from here head further north. However, this is a great location to kick back, relax on the stunning beaches and spend time going for swims, snorkelling to look for marine animals, and exploring the area.

    It’s located near a mangrove and has some amazing walks to beaches which are so quiet that it seems private! The area is so stunning and always recommended by travellers who have been there. Also here is local waterfalls which you can venture to and spend some time taking in the natural beauty!

    There’s even an island called Paradise Island!!! You can book an island hopping tour that visits this island here.

    After enjoying Port Barton in all it’s beauty, you can then head up north towards El Nido by taking the most popular transport of a taxi/shuttle dependant on preference. The shuttle would be cheaper as it is taking multiple groups of people but will be slower and will usually take 4 or so hours. You can find a shuttle bus transport from 12Go for only £9 here. When we made the journey up to the north of Palawan to El Nido our shuttle blew a tyre and we were stuck on the side of a road for 1 hour with only a few local huts housing families and stray dogs. It was a welcoming experience as these people lived such a simple life and was so amazing to see it! Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you haha!

    El Nido

    When looking to visit El Nido there are 2 main hostels that travellers book! One is Frendz Hostel and another is Outpost Hostel. We opted for the latter which turned out to be one of the best hostels we stayed in across the whole 3 months in Asia! The hostel has everything you can ask for! Lovely staff, amazing facilities, good price, boat trips, the beach on the doorstep and more!

    When we say the beach on the doorstep, we mean that once we were dropped off near the hostel on the side of the road, we had to wander down steps onto the beach as pointed out by a sign. We wandered the beach for 2 minutes and boom there’s the hostel. Literally 3 steps up from the beach. It is so close that when you wake up in the morning and head down for breakfast, you will notice the tide has come in and if you are to go on the beach you will have to walk through the sea!

    You have the choice from a shared dorm of 12/8/4 or a private room. It is known to be a lively hostel, a place for people to meet fellow travellers and enjoy the evenings! Each day the hostel have boat tours running (there are 2 to do which are alternated), which we would recommend 100%. It’s an island hopping tour that really stood out and you will see places that literally look out of this world. The tours (as of September 2022) cost around £15 per person and would be from 9am till 5/6pm, which is inclusive of lunch (fresh fish and fruits like pineapple and watermelon), party games between islands (including alcohol), and snorkel gear and recommendations on where to find marine animals. It’s so worth the money and you get to know all the fellow travellers on the trip as well which is amazing!

    On the tour we met up with some local islanders that lived on one of the many islands dotted around the Philippines. Even though they didn’t speak English or we didn’t speak their language, we decided to play a game of Volleyball with the locals with mixed teams. We got to understand the simplicity of their life and how grateful they were for what little they had. It was such a surreal experience and on the island we were able to enjoy the sunset before heading back to the hostel for the end of the trip.

    As expected, we did both the boat tours which take separate routes around the islands visiting different areas! Once you get back you are welcomed at the bar with a free drink and the socialising has begun!

    The hostel offers great food, but it is a lot more expensive to eat at the hostel compared to local places just a 5/10 minute away. We are taking sometimes 3 times more expensive!

    If you do enjoy the party scene, you can venture into El Nido later in the evening and find a popular club called Amigos which has an amazing view once you walk through it! At the back you fall straight on the beach only 10/20 feet away from the sea and we can’t lie we had a few dips in there because why not! Many would take off their clothes and go in the sea in their underwear to then come out the sea, dry off and put their clothes back on to head back into the club! The vibes are electric and the people are super friendly! Even next door to the club there is an amazing burger spot which is a great place to stumble in once you have completed the night and looking for a late snack!

    From Outpost Hostel to the centre of town should only cost 100 Pesos (£1.50) each way and you can ride multiple people in one TukTuk!

    In the day there is still loads more to do! We ended up renting a driver and a group of us headed to some famous beaches (Nacpan & Duli Beach). These are roughly 45 – 60 minutes north of El Nido but well worth the journey! The beaches were empty, we were the only ones there! We stopped and had lunch on the beach before going into the sea and enjoying the beautiful weather! After a while, and moving between beaches, we came across loads of local Philippines kids running and playing on the sand which was awesome to see! As a group we played some volleyball and tired ourselves out to collapse on the sun loungers and enjoy the sunset. There’s no better way to enjoy this than ordering a local dessert of Halo Halo, which was so refreshing and beautiful! Definitely worth a try!!

    Also in El Nido there is a local waterfall called Nagkalit-Kalit ,which is a beautiful activity to experience, take photos, see the nature and swim under! El Nido is a place full of nature and one that should be on everyone’s bucket list!

    Moving on from El Nido would be to take a Ferry from the mainland of Palawan to the island of Busuanga which is the next location of Coron! The Ferry is pretty expensive at £40-£50+ and takes roughly 5 hours dependant on the weather and the choppy waters. Please note that the Ferry only runs 2 times a week (was Tuesday and Thursday we believe in 2022) so be sure to check this before looking to book as you might be stranded in El Nido for a few extra days if you don’t plan ahead. It’s not really the worst place to be left stranded though really!! You can book the ferry here.

    Coron

    From here you can head up north to the Island of Coron which is part of Palawan. Coron is a small seaside town that has some great activities that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

    Here we would recommend to stay at Outpost Hostel located in Coron. This is the same company as the one in El Nido, but is less party and more chilled out. It is located through the town, and up a steep street that overlooks much of the town- and provide great views of the sea and sunrise/sunset. The Hostel also has a small pool you can use and offers daily entertainment each evening which normally consists of drinking games and fun! The hostel is super friendly and is only a 15 minute walk from the main town, which has some good entertainment like a place to play pool and some great local food spots. In Coron, we would recommend going on boat tours as there are so many pretty islands close to the island. However, be aware that it is slightly more expensive than the tours in El Nido, and doesn’t offer the same entertaining perks as well. You will also be required to provide your own snorkel equipment or purchase/rent the equipment for the tour.

    The tour will include going to some beautiful islands and swimming in some amazing turquoise blue lakes which are breath taking. You seriously cannot get bored of the tours and the beauty of the country Philippines. One of these being Barracuda lake which houses actual Barracuda’s that live deep in the lake and are seldom seen. Unfortunately we didn’t see one but one of our friends did and if you are lucky you may see them too!

    In the town of Coron you can take a walk up into the hills and find a spot where you can look over the whole town and the waters afar! Mount Tapyas is a popular hike and one that will take you up hundreds of steps and roughly takes 60 – 90 minutes if you take your time. Up here you will see a large sign like the one in Hollywood and be able to witness a beautiful view with picturesque islands in the back. This would be a great place to venture up before sunrise or at sunset to see some beautiful views!

    Coron is a hotspot for many aspiring divers to get their PADI diving certificate or learn how to free dive. It has some cool locations including reefs, turtle spots and shipwrecks where you are able to do this and learn how to scuba dive and earn your PADI certificate!

    Also in Coron, there’s a natural hot spring called Maquinit which allows you to bathe in naturally heated pools of water to relax and sooth your soul. Coron is such a beautiful seaside town full of character and beauty. It’s certainly a place you can’t miss out on!

    Palawan

    The best time to visit Palawan would ideally be between November to May as this is technically their summer time. This means there is less risk of bad weather and encountering typhoons or cyclones which are more apparent between June and October. However, when we visited it was the start/middle of September and the weather was beautiful. Full of sun with a few cloudy days! There were a few days (mostly in Coron) where we were hit with heavy rain or wet weather but it adds to the experience and really didn’t dampen our spirits while there!

    Leaving the island would generally consist of grabbing a plane to either the capital Manila or onto the rest of the Philippines like Cebu from Francisco B. Reyes Airport. It’s located close to Coron would only be a short TukTuk ride to here!

    Visiting Palawan is such a beautiful journey

    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!

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  • Palawan Travel Guide for 2024

    Palawan Travel Guide for 2024

    Palawan Island is located in the Philippines, and is a thin strip of land furthest west. It’s a popular place for travellers as there are many stops across the large island. There are beautiful beaches, once in a lifetime activities and amazing food!

    The Island is one of 7,641 Islands that make up the country of Philippines; with many dotted just off the shores. It’s a convenient location for travellers as you are only a 1/2 hour flight away when arriving in the capital of Manila, making it easily accessible! Also, if you have travelled other parts of the Philippines you can get a ferry from Cebu to Coron, but this will take a long time to travel – roughly 35 hours which will stop at other locations including the capital Manila, before heading to Coron (north Palawan). You can also fly from Cebu to Palawan which is roughly 2,000 Philippine Peso which is a lot quicker and not much more expensive!!

    The island is definitely worth the travel and wait time as we have not seen such paradisal beaches and islands anywhere else in the world!! The options are to fly to Puerto Princesa which is in the central part of the Island, or to the north Island of Coron which is the Busuanga Airport.

    *There are affiliate links in this post – they do not come at any extra cost to you, but just means we can earn commission to help us pursue this further 🙂

    Beautiful blue waters and beach hut in Coron, Palawan, in the Philippines
    Coron, Philippines

    Puerto Princesa

    The first location in our Palawan guide is Puerto Princess! The popular flight (and easiest) is to Puerto Princesa, as it is the larger airport and has more flights. However, Coron is a popular spot and one you don’t want to miss out on. We would recommend to head to Puerto Princesa and get local transport (likely a TukTuk) into the city of Puerto Princesa, which is roughly a 30 minute ride. There isn’t much to do here but is a lovely quiet place perfect to get over any jet lag from your travels! 12Go offer a bus and ferry option to transfer from Coron port to Puerto Princesa Airport here.

    We would recommend 1 nights in Puerto Princesa if you are fast travelling and 2 nights if you are slow travelling. As mentioned above, there isn’t much to do in the area but there is 2 activities we would recommend to do that you shouldn’t miss!

    The first of these are the underground river! The underground river is a natural UNESCO heritage site which a great way to learn more about the rich history of the Philippines and it’s beauty. This experience is a short walk into the Philippines forest where you come up to large rock formations and stunning blue water which leads into the mouth of a dark cave.

    You are given a guide who will paddle you through the caves and point out any interesting parts of the cave with his flashlight. Before entering the cave you are provided with a headset which has an automatic recording which will talk to you and inform you on the history of the cave and how it became so popular. Find guided tour tickets here.

    In the cave you will learn about Stalagmites and Stalactites, and be notified of the amount of bats in the cave. This will be pointed out by the guide through shining the torch for visibility. All round, the experience is calming, and is a lovely way to learn about the local caves. There is even potential to see wild monkeys on the way into and out of the caves! Be sure to avoid contact with them as they are wild monkeys, and are not pets!

    This is a great way to spend half a day in Puerto Princesa, and is one of the most popular spots in the area!

    Also close to Puerto Princesa is Port Barton.

    Port Barton

    This is another popular spot in Palawan, just north of Puerto Princesa, which is a literal paradise! The area of Port Barton has a large Horseshoe beach with many islands just off the coast.. perfect for a boat trip! The town has become more popular of recent years as more travellers are becoming aware of it’s natural beauty!

    It would be recommended to stay here for 2/3 nights and from here head further north. However, this is a great location to kick back, relax on the stunning beaches and spend time going for swims, snorkelling to look for marine animals, and exploring the area.

    It’s located near a mangrove and has some amazing walks to beaches which are so quiet that it seems private! The area is so stunning and always recommended by travellers who have been there. Also here is local waterfalls which you can venture to and spend some time taking in the natural beauty!

    There’s even an island called Paradise Island!!! You can book an island hopping tour that visits this island here.

    After enjoying Port Barton in all it’s beauty, you can then head up north towards El Nido by taking the most popular transport of a taxi/shuttle dependant on preference. The shuttle would be cheaper as it is taking multiple groups of people but will be slower and will usually take 4 or so hours. You can find a shuttle bus transport from 12Go for only £9 here. When we made the journey up to the north of Palawan to El Nido our shuttle blew a tyre and we were stuck on the side of a road for 1 hour with only a few local huts housing families and stray dogs. It was a welcoming experience as these people lived such a simple life and was so amazing to see it! Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you haha!

    El Nido

    When looking to visit El Nido there are 2 main hostels that travellers book! One is Frendz Hostel and another is Outpost Hostel. We opted for the latter which turned out to be one of the best hostels we stayed in across the whole 3 months in Asia! The hostel has everything you can ask for! Lovely staff, amazing facilities, good price, boat trips, the beach on the doorstep and more!

    When we say the beach on the doorstep, we mean that once we were dropped off near the hostel on the side of the road, we had to wander down steps onto the beach as pointed out by a sign. We wandered the beach for 2 minutes and boom there’s the hostel. Literally 3 steps up from the beach. It is so close that when you wake up in the morning and head down for breakfast, you will notice the tide has come in and if you are to go on the beach you will have to walk through the sea!

    You have the choice from a shared dorm of 12/8/4 or a private room. It is known to be a lively hostel, a place for people to meet fellow travellers and enjoy the evenings! Each day the hostel have boat tours running (there are 2 to do which are alternated), which we would recommend 100%. It’s an island hopping tour that really stood out and you will see places that literally look out of this world. The tours (as of September 2022) cost around £15 per person and would be from 9am till 5/6pm, which is inclusive of lunch (fresh fish and fruits like pineapple and watermelon), party games between islands (including alcohol), and snorkel gear and recommendations on where to find marine animals. It’s so worth the money and you get to know all the fellow travellers on the trip as well which is amazing!

    On the tour we met up with some local islanders that lived on one of the many islands dotted around the Philippines. Even though they didn’t speak English or we didn’t speak their language, we decided to play a game of Volleyball with the locals with mixed teams. We got to understand the simplicity of their life and how grateful they were for what little they had. It was such a surreal experience and on the island we were able to enjoy the sunset before heading back to the hostel for the end of the trip.

    As expected, we did both the boat tours which take separate routes around the islands visiting different areas! Once you get back you are welcomed at the bar with a free drink and the socialising has begun!

    The hostel offers great food, but it is a lot more expensive to eat at the hostel compared to local places just a 5/10 minute away. We are taking sometimes 3 times more expensive!

    If you do enjoy the party scene, you can venture into El Nido later in the evening and find a popular club called Amigos which has an amazing view once you walk through it! At the back you fall straight on the beach only 10/20 feet away from the sea and we can’t lie we had a few dips in there because why not! Many would take off their clothes and go in the sea in their underwear to then come out the sea, dry off and put their clothes back on to head back into the club! The vibes are electric and the people are super friendly! Even next door to the club there is an amazing burger spot which is a great place to stumble in once you have completed the night and looking for a late snack!

    From Outpost Hostel to the centre of town should only cost 100 Pesos (£1.50) each way and you can ride multiple people in one TukTuk!

    In the day there is still loads more to do! We ended up renting a driver and a group of us headed to some famous beaches (Nacpan & Duli Beach). These are roughly 45 – 60 minutes north of El Nido but well worth the journey! The beaches were empty, we were the only ones there! We stopped and had lunch on the beach before going into the sea and enjoying the beautiful weather! After a while, and moving between beaches, we came across loads of local Philippines kids running and playing on the sand which was awesome to see! As a group we played some volleyball and tired ourselves out to collapse on the sun loungers and enjoy the sunset. There’s no better way to enjoy this than ordering a local dessert of Halo Halo, which was so refreshing and beautiful! Definitely worth a try!!

    Also in El Nido there is a local waterfall called Nagkalit-Kalit ,which is a beautiful activity to experience, take photos, see the nature and swim under! El Nido is a place full of nature and one that should be on everyone’s bucket list!

    Moving on from El Nido would be to take a Ferry from the mainland of Palawan to the island of Busuanga which is the next location of Coron! The Ferry is pretty expensive at £40-£50+ and takes roughly 5 hours dependant on the weather and the choppy waters. Please note that the Ferry only runs 2 times a week (was Tuesday and Thursday we believe in 2022) so be sure to check this before looking to book as you might be stranded in El Nido for a few extra days if you don’t plan ahead. It’s not really the worst place to be left stranded!! You can book the ferry here.

    Coron

    From here you can head up north to the Island of Coron which is part of Palawan. Coron is a small seaside town that has some great activities that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

    Here we would recommend to stay at Outpost Hostel located in Coron. This is the same company as the one in El Nido, but is less party and more chilled out. It is located through the town, and up a steep street that overlooks much of the town- and provide great views of the sea and sunrise/sunset. The Hostel also has a small pool you can use and offers daily entertainment each evening which normally consists of drinking games and fun!

    The hostel is super friendly and is only a 15 minute walk from the main town, which has some good entertainment like a place to play pool and some great local food spots. In Coron, we would recommend going on boat tours as there are so many pretty islands close to the island. However, be aware that it is slightly more expensive than the tours in El Nido, and doesn’t offer the same entertaining perks as well. You will also be required to provide your own snorkel equipment or purchase/rent the equipment for the tour.

    The tour will include going to some beautiful islands and swimming in some amazing turquoise blue lakes which are breath taking. You seriously cannot get bored of the tours and the beauty of the country Philippines. One of these being Barracuda lake which houses actual Barracuda’s that live deep in the lake and are seldom seen. Unfortunately we didn’t see one but one of our friends did and if you are lucky you may see them too!

    In the town of Coron you can take a walk up into the hills and find a spot where you can look over the whole town and the waters afar! Mount Tapyas is a popular hike and one that will take you up hundreds of steps and roughly takes 60 – 90 minutes if you take your time. Up here you will see a large sign like the one in Hollywood and be able to witness a beautiful view with picturesque islands in the back. This would be a great place to venture up before sunrise or at sunset to see some beautiful views!

    Coron is a hotspot for many aspiring divers to get their PADI diving certificate or learn how to free dive. It has some cool locations including reefs, turtle spots and shipwrecks where you are able to do this and learn how to scuba dive and earn your PADI certificate!

    Also in Coron, there’s a natural hot spring called Maquinit which allows you to bathe in naturally heated pools of water to relax and sooth your soul. Coron is such a beautiful seaside town full of character and beauty. It’s certainly a place you can’t miss out on!

    Palawan

    The best time to visit Palawan would ideally be between November to May as this is technically their summer time. This means there is less risk of bad weather and encountering typhoons or cyclones which are more apparent between June and October. However, when we visited Palawan it was the start/middle of September and the weather was beautiful. Full of sun with a few cloudy days! There were a few days (mostly in Coron) where we were hit with heavy rain or wet weather but it adds to the experience and really didn’t dampen our spirits while there!

    Leaving the islands of Palawan would generally consist of grabbing a plane to either the capital Manila or onto the rest of the Philippines like Cebu from Francisco B. Reyes Airport. It’s located close to Coron would only be a short TukTuk ride to here!

    Are you visiting Southeast Asia anytime soon? Check out the most useful apps for Southeast Asia travel, alongside our other Southeast Asia blogs here.

    Visiting Palawan is such a beautiful journey

    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!

    Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!

    Leave a comment

  • Top 7 Must-Visit Places in Vietnam: Your Ultimate Travel Guide for 2024

    Top 7 Must-Visit Places in Vietnam: Your Ultimate Travel Guide for 2024

    Vietnam is a stunning location that is rich in culture and beauty. The Vietnamese people are very proud of their countries heritage, and has some beautiful historic monuments that thousands of travellers visit each week.

    The country has so much to do, there are mountains in the north, forests in the west, a stunning coastline on the east and little tropical Islands dotted about.

    Out of the countries in South East Asia, it is not as popular as Thailand or Indonesia, but is just as beautiful. It’s a country that has months worth of places to visit, and some of the kindest people in the world; but a place not many take the time to discover.

    In this list we have narrowed the activities and places to visit down to 7, so when you are backpacking Vietnam you can see the best things to do, and not miss out on seeing what the country has to offer! These are based on our personal experiences, and those we have met travelling that have given their views on Vietnam and the best things to do.

    This list is the things we would recommend all travellers/backpackers to do when visiting Vietnam. These are ones that we couldn’t miss out on and will make your time one to remember!

    *There are affiliate links in this post – they do not come at any extra cost to you, but just means we can earn commission to help us pursue this further 🙂

    1. Hoi an

    Hoi An is a small city located on the east side of Vietnam just south of Da Nang. This archipelago is a beautiful setting which we stumbled upon, filled with markets and a river that runs directly through the middle. This welcomes Vietnamese boats and boat rides in traditional circular boats down the river. Hear you can experience some of the countryside and learn more about the area!

    Further in the city, they have the most stunning tradition to light lanterns on the river to create a beautiful view. It’s something that is unique and really sets a lovely tone in the city when you wander. You can actually create your own foldable lantern in this workshop here, which can collapse nicely to fit in your luggage home, for a stunning authentic souvenir home! In the city there are so many local shops that offer real leather products and jewellery which would be perfect to shop at!

    They are some awesome food spots as well so make sure to take your time in this area, and we would recommend a 1 night stay to make the most of your time in Hoi An. You can enjoy a small group food tour around Hoi An with a guide to experience the best local foods here.

    2. Ha Long Bay

    This is known as one of the natural wonders of the world, and a place that is like no other on our planet. It’s located on the coast which is east of Hanoi and has over 1,600 islands to explore!

    You can experience an overnight cruise which you stay on the boat and spend the night on the water in nature, such as this beautiful 5 star cruise here, or the day cruise to visit many islands, like this one here where you can see caves, go kayaking, swimming and more! During thie trip you will have opportunities to stop at the islands to explore. These includes the famous Titop island named after the Russian Cosmonaut that was the 2nd person to ever orbit the Earth.

    Activities include kayaking in natural waters, wildlife watching (including wild monkeys) and cave exploring! There’s so much to see and do and the views are breath taking. We would definitely take the time to travel to Ha Long Bay and and experience the natural wonder!

    However, there’s not much to do in Ha Long as it’s very quite and a lot of the city is closed so be prepared to keep yourself busy. We would only recommend 1/2 night max as you will run out of things to do in the city very quickly!

    3. Ha Giang Loop

    When travelling South East Asia, we wasn’t even aware of this as an activity and was only told during our first outing in the Philippines. We met a local traveller who had spend 6-12 months in Asia and said this is the BEST thing he has done so far while here.

    The Ha Giang Loop is a small village in the north west region of Vietnam and is located just south of a hundreds of miles of open roads, peaks and tiny villages high up in the mountains. This is a largely undiscovered area which has seldom roads weaving in valley and alongside mountains.

    As expected, it is home to some of the most amazing views we have EVER witnessed and really connects you back with nature.

    If is recommended to book the Ha Giang Loop with hostels or activity companies, like this one, as it is safer and they have a set route. However, if you are adventurous you can hire your own motorbike and head into the mountains yourself! Please note that the region is vast and you could easily get lost so we would only recommend this if you are an avid bike rider and know the area well, or have planned this thoroughly.

    When booking, you can choose anywhere between 2 – 4 days and they provide you with a full breakdown of everything you will do while completing the loop. No matter the length of time you will see breath-taking views, eat some amazing food deep into the mountains and visit isolated waterfalls.

    Unfortunately we only did 2 days worth and loved every second of it! We would tell everyone that they need to do the 4 day Loop which will take you further into the mountains, go to the China border, visit cliffs and so much more!! It’s an experience that changed our outlook on our travels, and we have vowed to go back and complete the full loop in the future!

    During the first day we started out early around 9 am and get to meet your personal rider (if you have chosen this). You can ride the bike yourself but we would only do this if you are a competent rider and know rode motorbikes confidently before. We opted for a driver to be safe!

    It’s important to note that you will only take a small bag that is taken on the bike so pack light! You can rent protective gear for the ride which you should do! Normally you can get up to 60 km so falling off can be very dangerous. It’s cheap and could save your life if the worst was to happen. We would also recommend to take long sleeve clothing and long trousers so protect your legs. It can get warm on the back of the bike but it will protect you if you were to fall off.

    During the rike, you will take a break every 1 – 1 1/2 hours to stretch your legs, nip toilet and eat some food and drink before heading off again! You will stop for lunch in a small town on Day one and have food included which is a buffet. The food is beautiful and a great place to fill yourself up and meet your fellow riders!

    The place to stay is hidden in a small town and offers another buffet for dinner which includes the BEST food we have ever tasted… and this was veggie spring rolls. Drinks are available and you can dance the night away with music and get to know all the amazing people around you. It really is a great experience! The next day you leave early and head forward further into the mountains but we headed back another way and made stops at some beautiful locations where we took photos and met some amazing people. This included taking a break at a waterfall and going for a swim. Me and the rider took turns jumping off the rocks into the waterfall and even rock, paper, scissor to see who jumped first… (Jack won!!).

    It was an out of this world experience and will definitely be the best thing you do in Vietnam! It’s just beautiful.

    The Ha Giang loop is usually booked through local (Jasmine Hostel) hostels or on activity companies in Vietnam

    4. Da Nang – Marble Mountains

    The Marble Mountains are located in Da Nang and is a great way to learn about the history of Vietnam, and explore cultural caves. The marble mountains include many steps which take you past sculptures, pagoda’s, religious caves, and old relic houses.

    It would take roughly 3-4 hours to explore and offer some amazing views of the city and beach from above. You can climb all the way to the top and even stop off for a quick ice-cream as you recover for the humid weather. The marble mountains get the name by being made from marble which is shown through sculpture shops surrounding showing off their amazing work. A lot of the statues are taller than us and are perfectly created!

    It’s such an amazing part of Vietnam to walk through and there really is no place like it. When leaving the mountain you can enter some souvenir shops that have small marble items you can purchase to remember this beautiful place by!

    5. Cu Chi Caves

    In Ho Chi Minh you can get a bus to the caves and learn more about the history of Vietnam. Vietnam were involved in a civil war between the 50s and 70s which saw many thousands of lives lost. During the war, the Vietnamese used tunnels as a way of hiding from the enemy and built a small tunnel civilisation which they would live in to survive.

    This is now available to visit and go into to see how they lived and learn more about the war. During this, you will be able to see the tunnels they walked and lived in, how they hid the entrances and many traps that they would lay to kill any enemy and how it was used. Find a half-day tour here, with an informative guide straight from Ho Chi Minh City.

    This really helps understand the war more and is a great way to spend half a day near Ho Chi Minh City.

    6. Hanoi Tailored Clothing

    Hanoi is a well known location for travellers to pick up tailored clothing to take home. There are so many tailored clothing shops and the quality of the maker and materials is amazing. They will show you different materials and designs to choose from and will let you design and create your own clothes and make it fit you perfectly.

    Once you place your order, you then leave it with them for a few days so it is designed and put together before picking it up. A lot of people struggle with finding a suitable place to keep/pack the clothing once purchased but you can now get the clothes sent home which they will sort at an extra cost.

    This is a rather expensive experience which can cost upwards of £100 – £200 as a minimum. You can easily spend close to £1,000 on tailored clothing but the clothes will last due the use of some top quality material and the expertise of the makers. For men it’s great to get a suit for home and for the ladies a dress that can remind you of your times in South East Asia.

    7. Mui Ne

    This is a place not many know about in Vietnam but definitely will be popular in the future! This hidden gem is a beautiful paradisal beach which is located next to sand dunes. These sand dunes are red, yellow and white so you can experience some amazing colours dependant on what part of Mui Ne you are.

    This is a perfect spot to do sandboarding activities and hire quad bikes/dune buggies to ride across the sand and have the best time. Once you are tired after a long activity in the sun, there’s no better place to collapse and enjoy the crystal clear waters and soak up the sun with an ice-cream or a fresh coconut.

    These sand dunes make you feel like you are in the Sahara Dessert and there is not any similar locations in South East Asia so make sure not to miss out on this!

    Vietnam is a must visit spot!

    Vietnam is an amazing country that is a must to explore for all travellers. There is so much to explore and learn whilst being here and it’s a place you are sure to make memories.

    Make sure to check out our backpackers guide to Hanoi and our other blogs on how to backpack South East Asia and other countries across the world.

    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!

    You can follow our Backpacking and travel journey through our Social Medias below:

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans!

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  • Vietnam Travel Guide; Top 7 Must-Visit Places in Vietnam

    Vietnam Travel Guide; Top 7 Must-Visit Places in Vietnam

    Vietnam is a stunning location that is rich in culture and beauty. The Vietnamese people are very proud of their countries heritage, and has some beautiful historic monuments that thousands of travellers visit each week.

    The country has so much to do, there are mountains in the north, forests in the west, a stunning coastline on the east and little tropical Islands dotted about.

    Out of the countries in South East Asia, it is not as popular as Thailand or Indonesia, but is just as beautiful. It’s a country that has months worth of places to visit, and some of the kindest people in the world; but a place not many take the time to discover.

    In this list we have narrowed the activities and places to visit down to 7, so when you are backpacking Vietnam you can see the best things to do, and not miss out on seeing what the country has to offer! These are based on our personal experiences, and those we have met travelling that have given their views on Vietnam and the best things to do.

    This list is the things we would recommend all travellers/backpackers to do when visiting Vietnam. These are ones that we couldn’t miss out on and will make your time one to remember!

    *There are affiliate links in this post – they do not come at any extra cost to you, but just means we can earn commission to help us pursue this further 🙂

    1. Hoi an

    Hoi An is a small city located on the east side of Vietnam just south of Da Nang. This archipelago is a beautiful setting which we stumbled upon, filled with markets and a river that runs directly through the middle. This welcomes Vietnamese boats and boat rides in traditional circular boats down the river. Hear you can experience some of the countryside and learn more about the area!

    Further in the city, they have the most stunning tradition to light lanterns on the river to create a beautiful view. It’s something that is unique and really sets a lovely tone in the city when you wander. You can actually create your own foldable lantern in this workshop here, which can collapse nicely to fit in your luggage home, for a stunning authentic souvenir home! In the city there are so many local shops that offer real leather products and jewellery which would be perfect to shop at!

    They are some awesome food spots as well so make sure to take your time in this area, and we would recommend a 1 night stay to make the most of your time in Hoi An. You can enjoy a small group food tour around Hoi An with a guide to experience the best local foods here.

    2. Ha Long Bay

    This is known as one of the natural wonders of the world, and a place that is like no other on our planet. It’s located on the coast which is east of Hanoi and has over 1,600 islands to explore!

    You can experience an overnight cruise which you stay on the boat and spend the night on the water in nature, such as this beautiful 5 star cruise here, or the day cruise to visit many islands, like this one here where you can see caves, go kayaking, swimming and more! During thie trip you will have opportunities to stop at the islands to explore. These includes the famous Titop island named after the Russian Cosmonaut that was the 2nd person to ever orbit the Earth.

    Activities include kayaking in natural waters, wildlife watching (including wild monkeys) and cave exploring! There’s so much to see and do and the views are breath taking. We would definitely take the time to travel to Ha Long Bay and and experience the natural wonder!

    However, there’s not much to do in Ha Long as it’s very quite and a lot of the city is closed so be prepared to keep yourself busy. We would only recommend 1/2 night max as you will run out of things to do in the city very quickly!

    3. Ha Giang Loop

    When travelling South East Asia, we wasn’t even aware of this as an activity and was only told during our first outing in the Philippines. We met a local traveller who had spend 6-12 months in Asia and said this is the BEST thing he has done so far while here.

    The Ha Giang Loop is a small village in the north west region of Vietnam and is located just south of a hundreds of miles of open roads, peaks and tiny villages high up in the mountains. This is a largely undiscovered area which has seldom roads weaving in valley and alongside mountains.

    As expected, it is home to some of the most amazing views we have EVER witnessed and really connects you back with nature.

    If is recommended to book the Ha Giang Loop with hostels or activity companies, like this one, as it is safer and they have a set route. However, if you are adventurous you can hire your own motorbike and head into the mountains yourself! Please note that the region is vast and you could easily get lost so we would only recommend this if you are an avid bike rider and know the area well, or have planned this thoroughly.

    When booking, you can choose anywhere between 2 – 4 days and they provide you with a full breakdown of everything you will do while completing the loop. No matter the length of time you will see breath-taking views, eat some amazing food deep into the mountains and visit isolated waterfalls.

    Unfortunately we only did 2 days worth and loved every second of it! We would tell everyone that they need to do the 4 day Loop which will take you further into the mountains, go to the China border, visit cliffs and so much more!! It’s an experience that changed our outlook on our travels, and we have vowed to go back and complete the full loop in the future!

    During the first day we started out early around 9 am and get to meet your personal rider (if you have chosen this). You can ride the bike yourself but we would only do this if you are a competent rider and know rode motorbikes confidently before. We opted for a driver to be safe!

    It’s important to note that you will only take a small bag that is taken on the bike so pack light! You can rent protective gear for the ride which you should do! Normally you can get up to 60 km so falling off can be very dangerous. It’s cheap and could save your life if the worst was to happen. We would also recommend to take long sleeve clothing and long trousers so protect your legs. It can get warm on the back of the bike but it will protect you if you were to fall off.

    During the rike, you will take a break every 1 – 1 1/2 hours to stretch your legs, nip toilet and eat some food and drink before heading off again! You will stop for lunch in a small town on Day one and have food included which is a buffet. The food is beautiful and a great place to fill yourself up and meet your fellow riders!

    The place to stay is hidden in a small town and offers another buffet for dinner which includes the BEST food we have ever tasted… and this was veggie spring rolls. Drinks are available and you can dance the night away with music and get to know all the amazing people around you. It really is a great experience! The next day you leave early and head forward further into the mountains but we headed back another way and made stops at some beautiful locations where we took photos and met some amazing people. This included taking a break at a waterfall and going for a swim. Me and the rider took turns jumping off the rocks into the waterfall and even rock, paper, scissor to see who jumped first… (Jack won!!).

    It was an out of this world experience and will definitely be the best thing you do in Vietnam! It’s just beautiful.

    The Ha Giang loop is usually booked through local (Jasmine Hostel) hostels or on activity companies in Vietnam

    4. Da Nang – Marble Mountains

    The Marble Mountains are located in Da Nang and is a great way to learn about the history of Vietnam, and explore cultural caves. The marble mountains include many steps which take you past sculptures, pagoda’s, religious caves, and old relic houses.

    It would take roughly 3-4 hours to explore and offer some amazing views of the city and beach from above. You can climb all the way to the top and even stop off for a quick ice-cream as you recover for the humid weather. The marble mountains get the name by being made from marble which is shown through sculpture shops surrounding showing off their amazing work. A lot of the statues are taller than us and are perfectly created!

    It’s such an amazing part of Vietnam to walk through and there really is no place like it. When leaving the mountain you can enter some souvenir shops that have small marble items you can purchase to remember this beautiful place by!

    5. Cu Chi Caves

    In Ho Chi Minh you can get a bus to the caves and learn more about the history of Vietnam. Vietnam were involved in a civil war between the 50s and 70s which saw many thousands of lives lost. During the war, the Vietnamese used tunnels as a way of hiding from the enemy and built a small tunnel civilisation which they would live in to survive.

    This is now available to visit and go into to see how they lived and learn more about the war. During this, you will be able to see the tunnels they walked and lived in, how they hid the entrances and many traps that they would lay to kill any enemy and how it was used. Find a half-day tour here, with an informative guide straight from Ho Chi Minh City.

    This really helps understand the war more and is a great way to spend half a day near Ho Chi Minh City.

    6. Hanoi Tailored Clothing

    Hanoi is a well known location for travellers to pick up tailored clothing to take home. There are so many tailored clothing shops and the quality of the maker and materials is amazing. They will show you different materials and designs to choose from and will let you design and create your own clothes and make it fit you perfectly.

    Once you place your order, you then leave it with them for a few days so it is designed and put together before picking it up. A lot of people struggle with finding a suitable place to keep/pack the clothing once purchased but you can now get the clothes sent home which they will sort at an extra cost.

    This is a rather expensive experience which can cost upwards of £100 – £200 as a minimum. You can easily spend close to £1,000 on tailored clothing but the clothes will last due the use of some top quality material and the expertise of the makers. For men it’s great to get a suit for home and for the ladies a dress that can remind you of your times in South East Asia.

    7. Mui Ne

    This is a place not many know about in Vietnam but definitely will be popular in the future! This hidden gem is a beautiful paradisal beach which is located next to sand dunes. These sand dunes are red, yellow and white so you can experience some amazing colours dependant on what part of Mui Ne you are.

    This is a perfect spot to do sandboarding activities and hire quad bikes/dune buggies to ride across the sand and have the best time. Once you are tired after a long activity in the sun, there’s no better place to collapse and enjoy the crystal clear waters and soak up the sun with an ice-cream or a fresh coconut.

    These sand dunes make you feel like you are in the Sahara Dessert and there is not any similar locations in South East Asia so make sure not to miss out on this!

    Vietnam is a must visit spot!

    Vietnam is an amazing country that is a must to explore for all travellers. There is so much to explore and learn whilst being here and it’s a place you are sure to make memories.

    Make sure to check out our backpackers guide to Hanoi and our other blogs on how to backpack South East Asia and other countries across the world.

    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!

    You can follow our Backpacking and travel journey through our Social Medias below:

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans!

    Leave a comment

  • Top Activities in New York: Must-See Attractions and Things to Do in NYC

    Top Activities in New York: Must-See Attractions and Things to Do in NYC

    New York is one of the most popular cities for people to visit in the world. It truly is a staple of America, and is filled with endless activities for anyone! As expected, spending a week in New York can be super expensive and is definitely not a budget location!

    Here we have compiled the best activities to see in the city to make the most out of the time; plus some important factors to consider when travelling to the City.

    When travelling to New York (and even the whole of America), they are very strict at airports so make sure to research and check what visas you will require/documentation to get into the country! You will also need to provide the location of where you will be staying and the reason for your visit when landing. Make sure to pack efficiently for your trip. If you are from America then this won’t apply to you but you will need an American plug head for visiting as they aren’t the same as Europe or the rest of the world. Also, the weather is vastly different depending on the time of year you go so it’s important to pack accordingly.

    Below, we have provided a list of activities that we would recommend to all visitors of New York so you can make the most of your trip!

    *This post includes affiliate links – these do not cost you anything extra, but means we might earn a commission; this helps us to continue making content and chasing our dreams 🙂

    Statue of Liberty

    A trip to New York wouldn’t be complete without stopping to see Lady Liberty. You can easily see her from afar if you head down to south Manhattan on the bank or look across from Brooklyn Bridge! Here you can get some really cool footage on a clear day, but you are rather far away so you can’t take it in fully.

    We would opt for people to go on the boat tour to Liberty Island, but wouldn’t recommend going into the Statue of Liberty! The island is small, and the boat travels around the island to give you good views of the statue, with Manhattan in the background. The statue inside requires you to climb a spiral staircase to the top and once you reach the summit, it is cramped and you are limited in time due to a long queue! Check out an awesome Statue of Liberty cruise here.

    You may be standing waiting in the statue for 20-30 minutes just to get to the top. Jack – as a 6ft tall man – had to bow his head due to the lack of room at the top. It’s not suitable for anyone 6 ft above and can be awkward to navigate. Also, when you are at the top you can look out the windows which are tinted green and dirty leaving for a subpar view outside. It’s definitely worth seeing as it’s so popular and a cool statue off the busy streets of Manhattan but we don’t think its worth going inside, and enduring a long wait for a very average and limited viewing.

    Top of the Rocks viewing deck

    Now, everyone talks about how every trip to New York should include a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and it’s probably something we would recommend too! However, we would always choose to visit the Top of the Rocks viewing deck first as it is further north to the Empire State building and gives you a better view of the whole Manhattan including the Empire State building.

    The Empire State building is located further south and is built within alongside the other high-rises leading to a lesser view in our opinion! However, it is still a great view and can provide a great activity for an hour or two.

    We would recommend that people are to visit the Top of the Rocks viewing deck early in the morning or late at night. The early morning views are spectacular and you can even get a sunrise over central park or the south of Manhattan over the Empire State which gives a perfect start to your morning. However, the night-time visit is spectacular as you see all the buildings across the city light-up! The views are amazing and it really is a view you can admire for a few hours. You can find tickets to the Empire State Building here.

    When visiting New York, this was one of our favourite memories and one that we think visitors cannot miss out on!

    Maddison Square Gardens

    Maddison Square Gardens is a beautiful stadium located in the heart of Manhattan and hosts some of the top sports in the country! When we visited New York it was during the sport breaks and unfortunately we were unable to watch a game but had a tour and would definitely go back to experience it! The stadium is enclosed which will create a great atmosphere and is a place many celebrities go to enjoy their favourite sport.

    Here they do a whole host of sports so that no matter your interests you can find something you will enjoy. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon/evening and experience something that you will truly enjoy!

    New York Pizza Slice

    Now this may sound a little crazy but this is a must!! New York is known for their pizza slices and we would recommend anyone who visits to experience it once! It’s a great budget friendly meal and who doesn’t love pizza! The slices are so large that 2/3 slices are enough as a dinner for one!

    There’s a range of topping that you can go for but we would recommend a standard mushroom or pepperoni as it’s simple but super tasty! It’s such a staple for New York and one we could definitely eat often! We have found a really great pizza walking tour here, where you get to try three different New York pizza chains!

    Visit Brooklyn Bridge

    Brooklyn Bridge is a popular location for people visiting New York and an area you can get some really good views of the city and also see the Statue of Liberty from afar. It also allows you to venture over into Brooklyn to visit a different borough of the New York state.

    The bridge is a place a bridge full of padlocks that couples have placed to symbolise their love be we would not recommend doing this and if you are found to do this you might be given a hefty fine!

    Central Park

    Central Park is a beautiful park located towards the northside of Manhattan and has a totally different environment compared to the hustle and bustle of the busy streets.

    There are beautiful walks and cycle trails perfect for exploring and getting in some exercise. It has some amazing views of the city and has little bodies of water dotted within the park. A great way to wander and spend a few hours exploring the park and the many statues that are on show.

    Museum of Natural History

    This museum is one of the most popular and well-known museums across the globe. When visiting, it has a relatively low entrance fee and has many exhibitions on show that you can wander and learn about for hours. There are also some additional exhibitions that are private and offer specific learning for those interested in that topic. These are very informative and a great way to spend your time in the museum.

    They have a canteen which offers decent foods and we would probably recommend for people to spend at least half a day in the museum as there is so much to see! You can find admission tickets here.

    Theatre Show

    I think this should be a staple when visiting such a large city like New York! There are options for amazing plays like Lion King, King Kong as well as many Broadway shows. There’s many options for people to choose from no matter the interests and is a great way to spend your evening!

    You can get dressed up, go out for a lovely meal then spend a few hours watching a perfectly choreographed play and spend the evening in luxury!

    Some great picks are Wicked, The Lion King, and Disney’s Aladdin.

    Shopping on 34th street

    If you are an avid shopper, then this is a place for you! Across 34th street there are many shops including the infamous Macy’s which offers some of the top brands in the world. These buildings covers multiple floors and are packed with different individual shops like Fred Perry, Superdry and more!! It’s the perfect place to find your favourite brands and maybe go on a little shopping spree as after all.. you are on holiday so why not!!

    Here they also have some really cool promotions that may not be offered elsewhere so would be a great place to look for some cool clothing and merchandise! If you LOVE shopping then you could easily spend a day wandering in shops and finding your favourite brands!

    Grand Central Station

    Grand Central Station is a beautiful station that has such amazing architecture and statues dotted in and around the building. We personally would visit just to see the station and the beauty it has but you can also use it as a fast and easy way to move across the city and into neighbouring boroughs!

    What many people may not know is they have an Apple shop located in the station which is great to wander around and even has a little market full of cakes and other sweet treats which can be a great place to grab food or have a wander!

    Time Square

    This is definitely a place you must visit! There is so much going on and it’s a place that is like no other! You will see street performers, musicians, souvenir shops, food stalls, a sky of marketing and so much more! While you are here we would recommend to visit The Hard Rock Café located on Times Square but if you are excited to go, make sure you make a reservation as it is a very popular place to eat!

    You can visit the famous Bubba Shrimp or maybe just sit on the steps of Time Square and just watch the world go by. It is a rather busy area and will be tough to move at times but is definitely a place we would recommend to see and admire even if it’s just to walk through Time Square.

    New York is such a busy place and has so much to do that it’s hard to do everything. Even when we visited there were things missed off of our list we were unable to do! We would set aside 5/7 days to do New York sufficiently depending on how busy you want to be, and if you like walking. Any longer will make the trip very expensive as it’s certainly not a cheap place to visit and stay!

    We hope this Itinerary helps plan your once in a lifetime New York trip so you can get the most of your time there!

    If you did enjoy the Blog make sure to like and subscribe for future Blogs as we aim to upload roughly 5/7 a week!

    Thank you for checking out our blog and be sure to see other blogs that we have made talking all things travel about Europe, Asia, Central America and everything in-between!

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  • Top Things to Do in Meknes, Morocco: Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

    Top Things to Do in Meknes, Morocco: Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

    Meknes is a rural town in the centre of Morocco that is very beautiful. It’s a location we didn’t know much about prior to being in Fes, but did some last minute research to find out that it’s a great place to visit for a day trip!

    When visiting Meknes, we would definitely recommend to research the best way to get there from your start location! If you are in Fes, we would take the train as it is only a 40 minute ride to the Town. However, try to book the train tickets online, or get to the station early to guarantee a seat on the train as they can get full up rather quickly (we found this out the hard way)!

    You can check out our full blog experience and thoughts on Meknes down below or by visiting our YouTube channel OurTwoStepStart.

    How to spend a day in Meknes

    Now you have set a day aside for Meknes, we would recommend you to book accommodation (either in person or online) with a local riad Hostel or homestay. This way you will have the authentic experience of staying in traditional housing and meet some of the locals. When visiting Meknes, we stayed in Dar Merzouga which had an amazingly friendly host and if you are in the area we would recommend staying here! Find it here.

    Below we have highlighted the best activities you can enjoy when in Meknes so you don’t miss anything!

    Visit the markets

    Meknes is known for it’s local markets and is full of them! The markets can stretch for a good 45 minute walk; leaving you with endless opportunity to wander, look for souvenirs for home, or just check out some of the niche stalls! Some of the markets are specific to food or clothing for example, so you can choose the market that is right for you to get them most enjoyment!

    When visiting a food market, be aware that it is a poorer country and they aren’t westernised with how they may treat animals. You are likely to see animal body parts such as Donkey hooves for sale or sheep’s head… or even live chickens being purchased and handled for meat. We would recommend for anyone who is bothered by this to avoid these specific areas where meat is sold as it can be graphic.

    The markets however definitely offers an opportunity to get some good deals as you can negotiate a lower price for the goods that are on offer. Usually we would recommend to look at the price and find a realistic price you are comfortable and go from there! The locals are likely to take you up on your new price as long as it’s isn’t too low!

    Bab El Masour

    This is a monumental Gate that is located in the heart of Meknes just a stones throw from the mass markets. It is known to be one of the best structurally and architecturally gates across north Africa which stands out amongst the old Town. It was completed in the 1730s and build for the sultan’s son Moulay Abdallah.

    It’s a great building which attracts crowds of visitors everyday and would be a great place to spend a few hours after wandering the local markets.

    Try local food

    As Meknes is a smaller Town, it doesn’t provide many westernised foods and sticks to the more traditional meals that Morocco has to offer. This is a great opportunity to find some local spots to taste authentic Moroccan Cuisine. Traditional food can be provided for dinner during you stay if you book with a Riad and is a great way to taste Morocco homecooked cuisine!

    There will also be small independent stalls which will offer a variety of snacks/bites you can grab. The can be specific like pastries or desserts, or shops that offer a range of foods to try! You can even watch some of these make the foods to show it’s freshly made and that it’s a traditional Morocco taste as they cook it in front of you.

    Street photography of locals

    As it’s a more traditional and less touristy area, it’s a perfect place to set up and take some street photography of Meknes. It’s known to being a traditional Town so would be great to snap authentic Moroccan living. Places we would recommend for this would be down the tight streets of the Medina, in the busy markets as there’s so much going on, and outside the Bab El Mansour.

    The Bab El Mansour is a monumental traditional structure which would be an awesome place to snap some photography. They have horse and cart outside with locals moving from place to place making it a great place to people watch!

    The perfect day trip in Morocco

    Meknes is a small Town that is full of life and has some beautiful parts we would recommend to visit! It’s the perfect 1-day trip into traditional Morocco and a great way to learn more about the countries culture and lifestyle.

    We have also covered some of the most important things to know for travelling to Morocco, with key things to look out for! Find the blog here, which you should definitely check out to help you through your dream Moroccan Travels!

    If you did enjoy this Blog and want to hear more on our past, present and future adventures please make sure to follow our Journey by subscribing to the Blog and check out our Social Media’ below!

    Make sure to like this Blog if it helped and we hope you have an amazing time when visiting this beautiful country!

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  • Top 12 Things to Avoid in Morocco: Essential Travel Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Visit

    Top 12 Things to Avoid in Morocco: Essential Travel Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Visit

    Morocco is a stunning country located in North Africa, which is a popular location for avid travellers and European holiday makers alike. Due to its location, the country is rich in history, and provides a diverse experience when visiting. You are able to enjoy luscious resorts, snorkelling in the Mediterranean, but you also have east Morocco to visit the Sahara Dessert to ride camels, and watch the beautiful still stars at night.

    There’s such opportunity in the country for visiting which makes it a popular spot for people when deciding where to go!

    The country is a heavily Muslim country which does come with some reservations as it is different to non-muslin countries. As you are visiting these countries, it’s important to do your research beforehand and understand the culture before visiting.

    Here we have provided things to watch out for and to not do when visiting Morocco!

    1. Be careful of locals taking you place!

    A lot of locals in busy areas will try to recommend you to visit certain places that are close. They usually do this to promote a family member’s shop, or restaurant, to boost sales; but has been known to be a ploy to lead you astray and some people have been mugged with this method. We would recommend having a plan in mind when visiting each place in Morocco.

    When you are walking you have a specific destination in mind, whether it’s a restaurant you were recommended, or you are walking to a local Souk to see what they have to offer. This way you are unlikely to be pulled from your plan- and limits any issues further down the line.

    Some of the locals will be very direct and intimidating with their requests so be sure to stay diligent. A trick that usually works is if you get the name of the place and say you’ll check it out later or mention you are meeting friends this way. Unfortunately it can seem rude denying them, and even sometimes ignoring their requests but it is a great way to move past them with any further problems.

    1. Make sure to research the area and take the taxis that are designated for that area.

    Each city will have a designated colour for their Petit Taxi Service. An example would be in Fez where all the Taxi’s would be red to symbolise they are a legitimate taxi service. These taxi’s are only limited to the city, and to move out of the city you would require other transport or a larger taxi which would accommodate.

    These taxi’s are usually very cheap and easy to find across the city. The most we spent on a petit taxi ride was 20 Dihram which was a 20 minute ride through the city. These are the fastest and cheapest ways to move through cities to your desired location which is great for budget travellers.

    1. During ramadan, keep your food and drink consumption subtle

    When we travelled Morocco, it was during Ramadan which taught us a lot about their religion and their way of life. As non-Muslims, it was a normal day for us, where we would eat our 3 meals a day, buy large bottles of water and enjoy some well deserved snacks. However, during Ramadan, no Muslim is able to eat food from sunrise to sunset. So when you are out in the day you will see no food or water consumed by locals.

    As this is due to a religious reason you don’t need to partake in this as the locals don’t expect you to. However, we would recommend that if you are in confined places such as on a train ride or in a busy area, that you limit your eating and drinking out of respect for all around you. If you are needing to eat or drink during the day in a busy area, we would recommend to do this subtly.

    1. Confirming prices with locals before and not after! (Don’t just accept the first price)

    As with most places in the north of Africa and across the world, you need to agree a price with the seller before and not after! This is can be used throughout Morocco, with exceptions being restaurants.

    Whether its at a stall in a market, or grabbing a taxi, or even agreeing a price on tours, you can certainly work out a price that mutually benefits both parties. As with any negotiation, we would recommend finding a price you are willing to pay for the good or service, and drop your price below. It is likely the local will provide a counter offer in which you can settle around your desired price. Some locals will offer a ‘tourist price’ for you which some may not haggle.

    Please do understand that you should not try to get the cheapest price necessarily as you are in a poor country, and the small amount to you is a lot larger for them.

    In some instances you will come across a more than reasonable offer which requires no negotiation. Here it’s best to accept the price you are offered if you are happy with it!

    1. Plan ahead with any transport you take! (train issues) – leave ample time for travel.

    If you are visiting one area in Morocco, or have a trip booked through a company, then it’s not too important to book/plan ahead with transport as it’s all provided/not necessary. However, if you have to explore different locations like us then it’s good to do your research, and have a route planned out with transport included.

    If you are moving from city to city it’s important to know what times you can get the transportation, and we would always recommend you sort this out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we had to wait 2 hours in a smaller city missing 2 trains as they were both fully booked and we waited till closer to the time to book the tickets. As we missed the first train, we decided to find a shop to relax at and grab snacks before looking to purchase the tickets for the next train which led to this next train being fully booked aswell. We ended up having to get the following train which ran every hour. This really slowed down our travel day and is definitely one thing we would avoid doing in the future.

    1. Watch out for kids being exploited to make money and beg from you.

    In Morocco, a lot of families are working throughout the day to earn enough money to feed their families. While they are working, they can sometimes send their young children (between 5 – 12 y/o) out to beg and get money from tourists pretending to be homeless or hungry.

    Even though they are really cute, and you want to give them some money it only goes to their parents. As they catch some gullible tourists with this, some parents are taking their children out of school to beg and earn money for their family. The best way to deal with this is to say no sorry and carry on walking. If they speak French only you can say désolé.

    1. Avoid booking accommodation online where possible

    Booking online is a more convenient and organised way to travel! We would normally recommend this to all travellers as it can eliminate any issues further down the line. However, there are some exceptions!

    In Morocco, we ended up booking in person due to online difficulties. We arrived at the Riad around 7pm, and they didn’t have any shared dorms available which they did have on hostel world. We understood that people would book extra nights and it would not update on the website- so can cause confusion which makes it easier to book in person!

    Because of this, we had to book a private room which on the website was £45 a night. As we were speaking with the host they provided a lower cost (as it’s cheaper in person) and also got a discount meaning we only spent £30 a night. Which isn’t too far from what we would pay if we were to stay in shared dorms. The only risk is that they would have no room but as we stayed in a quieter area we couldn’t see this being an issue!

    Booking in person can make it almost 40% cheaper than online and can avoid issues like double booking with other travellers!

    1. Don’t take a drone.

    Drones have been completely banned in Morocco since 2015! The only available use is for companies who acquire a special permit. Private users are prohibited, and therefore could lead to hefty fines; or the drone to be taken and sometimes not returned.

    Drones can be declared at the airport and they will hold them until your departure. If you are travelling Morocco and leaving via a different airport then you might need to change your flights. They will not ship or post your drone to the airport you depart, and will only drop the drone off in person!

    After hearing stories, the best bet would be to either declare the drone (if you are departing from the same airport) and pay 201 Dirhams holding fee, or just leave your drone at home or with someone you trust while you are in the country. They have a strict no drone policy that they do monitor when leaving the country. They don’t monitor it when entering!

    1. Make sure you know where ATMs are where you are staying.

    Most places in Morocco take cash only. It is expected of you to pay cash, with some higher end restaurants allowing card. However, when we left the airport we only had a couple hundred dirhams to our name… and only just had enough to pay for our taxi into the city! There doesn’t seem to be many ATM’s which may lead to long walks to find them.

    It’s always recommended to search the area in which you are going to see the local ATM’s and how close they are to where you are staying. We also found out that they can be sometimes unreliable and sometimes out of order so make sure to know where multiple are!

    1. Brush up on your French from School

    Morocco is a predominantly French speaking country, with many of the locals only knowing basic English if you are lucky. They only know broken English through previous interactions with travellers, and therefore knowing some French would be very handy.

    There were situations where people would speak no English, and Aimee’s understanding of French and her little knowledge of speaking French from school helped! Even simple words like numbers and greetings can help massively when trying to understand and communicate with the locals!

    1. Wear appropriate clothing.

    As it is a Muslim country, most of the local adult women will wear religious headwear. This isn’t expected by travellers, but is respected if you are to cover up. It is a great way to immerse yourself in their culture, and understand more about their way of life.

    However, we would recommend to cover your shoulders and ankles where possible.. definitely in less touristy areas as some locals aren’t used to seeing many tourists. Simple clothing like long t-shirts or shirts and a flowy dress or trousers for women. This is less so for men, as Muslim men aren’t expected to cover as much compared to women. During Ramadan, this would be recommended more so as it’s during a religious event.

    1. Don’t miss out on the Moroccan Cuisine.

    This is one thing we weren’t so aware of.. There is so much to try in Morocco, and it’s all delicious!! The food here is so fresh and flavourful, something we would recommend everyone to try and explore as you wont regret it!

    They have some dishes that are very different to things you have tried before! One being the B’silla. This is a pastry dish filled with chicken, almost like a English Pie but includes some flavours you won’t expect. They garnish it with icing sugar and cinnamon which turns it from savoury to sweet. Surprisingly, the dish goes really well. Traditionally, they also fill it with pigeon!

    Also, we would recommend to try their local Tajine, Harira, and a selection of Moroccan pastries! Don’t forget to wash it down with a sweet tea which is a must when visiting Morocco.

    Moroccan Travel is so Beautiful

    Morocco is such a beautiful country full of colour, personality and history! There is so much to see and do but it definitely requires good planning to make the most of your trip!

    These are our top tips when experiencing this stunning country, and we hope it helps you during your travels!

    Do let us know how you get on and if you have any more Do’s or Dont’s for Morocco!!

    Be sure to let us know your thoughts and like the blog if you enjoyed – it really goes a long way to supporting us and our Blog!

    You can also follow our travel Journey on our Social Below to see where else we have been and where we plan to go in the future!

    You can follow our socials here!

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  • Top 12 Things to Avoid in Morocco: Essential Travel Tips for Morocco

    Top 12 Things to Avoid in Morocco: Essential Travel Tips for Morocco

    Morocco is a stunning country located in North Africa, which is a popular location for avid travellers and European holiday makers alike. Due to its location, the country is rich in history, and provides a diverse experience when visiting. You are able to enjoy luscious resorts, snorkelling in the Mediterranean, but you also have east Morocco to visit the Sahara Dessert to ride camels, and watch the beautiful still stars at night.

    There’s such opportunity in the country for visiting which makes it a popular spot for people when deciding where to go!

    The country is a heavily Muslim country which does come with some reservations as it is different to non-muslin countries. As you are visiting these countries, it’s important to do your research beforehand and understand the culture before visiting.

    Here we have provided things to watch out for and to not do when visiting Morocco!

    *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 🙂

    We have made a new video about this too!
    1. Be careful of locals taking you places!

    A lot of locals in busy areas will try to recommend you to visit certain places that are close. They usually do this to promote a family member’s shop, or restaurant, to boost sales; but has been known to be a ploy to lead you astray and some people have been mugged with this method. We would recommend having a plan in mind when visiting each place in Morocco.

    When you are walking you have a specific destination in mind, whether it’s a restaurant you were recommended, or you are walking to a local Souk to see what they have to offer. This way you are unlikely to be pulled from your plan- and limits any issues further down the line.

    Some of the locals will be very direct and intimidating with their requests so be sure to stay diligent. A trick that usually works is if you get the name of the place and say you’ll check it out later or mention you are meeting friends this way. Unfortunately it can seem rude denying them, and even sometimes ignoring their requests but it is a great way to move past them with any further problems.

    1. Make sure to research the area and take the taxis that are designated for that area.

    Each city will have a designated colour for their Petit Taxi Service. An example would be in Fez where all the Taxi’s would be red to symbolise they are a legitimate taxi service. These taxi’s are only limited to the city, and to move out of the city you would require other transport or a larger taxi which would accommodate.

    These taxi’s are usually very cheap and easy to find across the city. The most we spent on a petit taxi ride was 20 Dihram which was a 20 minute ride through the city. These are the fastest and cheapest ways to move through cities to your desired location which is great for budget travellers.

    1. During ramadan, keep your food and drink consumption subtle

    When we travelled Morocco, it was during Ramadan which taught us a lot about their religion and their way of life. As non-Muslims, it was a normal day for us, where we would eat our 3 meals a day, buy large bottles of water and enjoy some well deserved snacks. However, during Ramadan, no Muslim is able to eat food from sunrise to sunset. So when you are out in the day you will see no food or water consumed by locals.

    As this is due to a religious reason you don’t need to partake in this as the locals don’t expect you to. However, we would recommend that if you are in confined places such as on a train ride or in a busy area, that you limit your eating and drinking out of respect for all around you. If you are needing to eat or drink during the day in a busy area, we would recommend to do this subtly.

    1. Confirming prices with locals before and not after! (Don’t just accept the first price)

    As with most places in the north of Africa and across the world, you need to agree a price with the seller before and not after! This is can be used throughout Morocco, with exceptions being restaurants.

    Whether its at a stall in a market, or grabbing a taxi, or even agreeing a price on tours, you can certainly work out a price that mutually benefits both parties. As with any negotiation, we would recommend finding a price you are willing to pay for the good or service, and drop your price below. It is likely the local will provide a counter offer in which you can settle around your desired price. Some locals will offer a ‘tourist price’ for you which some may not haggle.

    Please do understand that you should not try to get the cheapest price necessarily as you are in a poor country, and the small amount to you is a lot larger for them.

    In some instances you will come across a more than reasonable offer which requires no negotiation. Here it’s best to accept the price you are offered if you are happy with it!

    1. Plan ahead with any transport you take! (train issues) – leave ample time for travel.

    If you are visiting one area in Morocco, or have a trip booked through a company, then it’s not too important to book/plan ahead with transport as it’s all provided/not necessary. However, if you have to explore different locations like us then it’s good to do your research, and have a route planned out with transport included.

    If you are moving from city to city it’s important to know what times you can get the transportation, and we would always recommend you sort this out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we had to wait 2 hours in a smaller city missing 2 trains as they were both fully booked and we waited till closer to the time to book the tickets. As we missed the first train, we decided to find a shop to relax at and grab snacks before looking to purchase the tickets for the next train which led to this next train being fully booked aswell. We ended up having to get the following train which ran every hour. This really slowed down our travel day and is definitely one thing we would avoid doing in the future.

    1. Watch out for kids being exploited to make money and beg from you.

    In Morocco, a lot of families are working throughout the day to earn enough money to feed their families. While they are working, they can sometimes send their young children (between 5 – 12 y/o) out to beg and get money from tourists pretending to be homeless or hungry.

    Even though they are really cute, and you want to give them some money it only goes to their parents. As they catch some gullible tourists with this, some parents are taking their children out of school to beg and earn money for their family. The best way to deal with this is to say no sorry and carry on walking. If they speak French only you can say désolé.

    1. Avoid booking accommodation online where possible

    Booking online is a more convenient and organised way to travel! We would normally recommend this to all travellers as it can eliminate any issues further down the line. However, there are some exceptions!

    In Morocco, we ended up booking in person due to online difficulties. We arrived at the Riad around 7pm, and they didn’t have any shared dorms available which they did have on hostel world. We understood that people would book extra nights and it would not update on the website- so can cause confusion which makes it easier to book in person!

    Because of this, we had to book a private room which on the website was £45 a night. As we were speaking with the host they provided a lower cost (as it’s cheaper in person) and also got a discount meaning we only spent £30 a night. Which isn’t too far from what we would pay if we were to stay in shared dorms. The only risk is that they would have no room but as we stayed in a quieter area we couldn’t see this being an issue!

    Booking in person can make it almost 40% cheaper than online and can avoid issues like double booking with other travellers!

    1. Don’t take a drone.

    Drones have been completely banned in Morocco since 2015! The only available use is for companies who acquire a special permit. Private users are prohibited, and therefore could lead to hefty fines; or the drone to be taken and sometimes not returned.

    Drones can be declared at the airport and they will hold them until your departure. If you are travelling Morocco and leaving via a different airport then you might need to change your flights. They will not ship or post your drone to the airport you depart, and will only drop the drone off in person!

    After hearing stories, the best bet would be to either declare the drone (if you are departing from the same airport) and pay 201 Dirhams holding fee, or just leave your drone at home or with someone you trust while you are in the country. They have a strict no drone policy that they do monitor when leaving the country. They don’t monitor it when entering!

    1. Make sure you know where ATMs are where you are staying.

    Most places in Morocco take cash only. It is expected of you to pay cash, with some higher end restaurants allowing card. However, when we left the airport we only had a couple hundred dirhams to our name… and only just had enough to pay for our taxi into the city! There doesn’t seem to be many ATM’s which may lead to long walks to find them.

    It’s always recommended to search the area in which you are going to see the local ATM’s and how close they are to where you are staying. We also found out that they can be sometimes unreliable and sometimes out of order so make sure to know where multiple are!

    1. Brush up on your French from School

    Morocco is a predominantly French speaking country, with many of the locals only knowing basic English if you are lucky. They only know broken English through previous interactions with travellers, and therefore knowing some French would be very handy.

    There were situations where people would speak no English, and Aimee’s understanding of French and her little knowledge of speaking French from school helped! Even simple words like numbers and greetings can help massively when trying to understand and communicate with the locals!

    1. Wear appropriate clothing.

    As it is a Muslim country, most of the local adult women will wear religious headwear. This isn’t expected by travellers, but is respected if you are to cover up. It is a great way to immerse yourself in their culture, and understand more about their way of life.

    However, we would recommend to cover your shoulders and ankles where possible.. definitely in less touristy areas as some locals aren’t used to seeing many tourists. Simple clothing like long t-shirts or shirts and a flowy dress or trousers for women. This is less so for men, as Muslim men aren’t expected to cover as much compared to women. During Ramadan, this would be recommended more so as it’s during a religious event.

    1. Don’t miss out on the Moroccan Cuisine.

    This is one thing we weren’t so aware of.. There is so much to try in Morocco, and it’s all delicious!! The food here is so fresh and flavourful, something we would recommend everyone to try and explore as you wont regret it!

    They have some dishes that are very different to things you have tried before! One being the B’silla. This is a pastry dish filled with chicken, almost like a English Pie but includes some flavours you won’t expect. They garnish it with icing sugar and cinnamon which turns it from savoury to sweet. Surprisingly, the dish goes really well. Traditionally, they also fill it with pigeon!

    Also, we would recommend to try their local Tajine, Harira, and a selection of Moroccan pastries! Don’t forget to wash it down with a sweet tea which is a must when visiting Morocco.

    Want help planning your Moroccan 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 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.

    Find our full packing list guide here.

    Thank you for reading about Things to Avoid in Morocco

    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!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!

    We post daily content of our travel experiences and also must know travel tips so be sure not to miss out on this!

    Thank you for reading this blog, and have a good day.

    Leave a comment

  • 62 Instagram Captions for Your Travels to Stockholm – Quotes, Jokes and Quirky Captions

    62 Instagram Captions for Your Travels to Stockholm – Quotes, Jokes and Quirky Captions

    Finding inspiration for your photos can come from things as simple as pre-picking your captions (we know, that sounds extremely organised)! We love fun captions that really bring our photos to life, which is amazing for your colourful Scandinavian photography!

    Let’s be honest, most people nowadays post their photos online! And having photos from travels that are super cool is the BEST reason to post! Plus an aesthetically pleasing feed is always a plus!

    However, even if you have the perfect photo, a caption can completely help change a post. It can set the tone, and it can make people more likely to click on your account (and help with engagement)!

    We will share our top 62 Captions for Instagram posts ready for your Stockholm Travels! Please check out our Instagram @Ourtwostepstart , and tag us in your Sweden photos and adventures!

    62 Instagram Captions for Stockholm Travel

    Quote inspired

    1. “Everyone has a temper, but in Sweden, no one throws a racquet or screams. We show more manners and common sense. This is a game, not war.” – Mats Wilander
    2. “I’ve seen quite a bit of the world, but I really like Sweden and feel like I could live there someday.” – Juliana Hatfield
    3. “Spending time in Sweden on loan was one of the best things I ever did.” – Peter Crouch
    4. “I love Sweden. The entire world should be like Sweden. They all like to drink and get naked, and the women are hot. I can’t think of a better nation on the planet.” – Drew Curtis
    5. “I think one thing with Sweden is that in some way the Swedish society is a very good society, almost perfect on the surface. That is something that makes the writers forced to see what is underneath the surface, because it’s always something underneath the surface, of course.” – Alexander Ahndoril
    6. “Swedish style? No. Yugoslavian style? Of course not. It has to be Zlatan-style.” – Zlatan Ibrahimovic
    7. “I’ve seen quite a bit of the world, but I really like Sweden and feel like I could live there someday.” – Juliana Hatfield
    8. “Sweden will always be my home since my childhood there was like a fairytale, so I’ll always go back to it” – Zara Larsson
    9. “I think Sweden is known for people being a bit quieter than other cultures, and I guess it’s a mixture: shyness and leaving room for other people to talk. Of course, when people get drunk, all of that disappears.” – Jose Gonzalez
    10. “When I went to Sweden, I sort of found out who I was.” – Christen Press

    Pun-Inspired Captions

    1. Sweden up my life
    2. My life feels more sweden since being in Stockholm
    3. Living the Zlatan lifestyle
    4. Becoming a god like Zlatan in Stockholm
    5. Can you Lund me some money?
    6. This city is ABBA-solutely wonderful.
    7. Mamma Mia!
    8. Swede dreams Stockholm
    9. Honey I’m (Stock)holm!

    Cute Captions

    1. I can now say I have been to an official IKEA
    2. Living my ABBA fantasies out
    3. Visiting the land of ABBA
    4. Becoming a dancing queen in Stockholm
    5. You either love Stockholm, or you are wrong.
    6. Meanwhile in Stockholm…
    7. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A flight to Sweden
    8. Does your mother know that you’re out?
    9. Land of IKEA (and meatballs)
    10. Strike a pose in Gamla Stan
    11. Wandering through the beauty of Gamla Stan
    12. Finding the Nobel Prize in Stockholm
    13. “Do what makes you happy”… So I landed in Stockholm
    14. Stockholm Sights with Unforgettable Nights
    15. P.S. Stockholm, I’m in love
    16. The city that whispers beauty

    Food-Related Captions

    1. Fuelled on Swedish meatballs.
    2. Only listen to me once I’ve eaten my Swedish meatballs.
    3. My favourite sport? Meatball.
    4. In need of love, travel and Swedish food.
    5. Came for the meatballs.
    6. Time to try pickled herring I guess…
    7. Lingonberry bliss
    8. Crazy for crayfish
    9. Living for more Kanelbullar
    10. You have Swedish pastries? Okay deal!

    Inspirational Captions

    1. Let’s get lost in Stockholm
    2. Living in a Swedish fairytale
    3. Finding a home in Sweden
    4. Sweden isn’t just a destination, it’s a lifestyle.
    5. Pretty Swede views
    6. I loved IKEA so much I had to come to Sweden.
    7. Island hopping in Stockholm.
    8. Summer nights in the Swedish skyline.
    9. I’d rather be in Stockholm
    10. My dreams are real in Stockholm
    11. If I get lost, return me to Stockholm
    12. Everyday is great in Sweden
    13. The trip that is so funny that it was banned in Norway
    14. On my scandi-road trip
    15. The best Scandinavian adventure
    16. The best fairytale ending in Stockholm
    17. It’s time to backpack my first fairytale adventure

    Here is our share of the best instagram-worthy captions ready for your Stockholm snaps! Let us know your thoughts, and if you would add any! Mix these with cute emojis for the best aesthetic instagram feed!

    Like this post? We also have caption ideas for Paris, and Budapest.

    Want to see more?

    You can follow our socials here!

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    Share this post with friends!

  • Explore Stockholm: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Sweden’s Capital

    Explore Stockholm: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Sweden’s Capital

    Sweden hasn’t always been a place we both wanted to visit. Some people have recommended the capital Stockholm as a great short week trip and one we should explore if we could find the time. But it’s never been on our radar and one we almost stumbled upon when booking. This is how we spent our trip, we hope we can inspire your own Stockholm trip!

    The story goes…

    Aimee has been a long-term fan of a quirky American singer called Melanie Martinez…

    After much deliberation, we decided to take time out of our schedule to visit Sweden…

    We have finally made it to Sweden. Me and Aimee have been excited to visit for months!

    *this post includes affiliate links, which means we can earn a commission- however, this doesn’t cost you any extra, and all opinions are genuine and our own 🙂

    Day 1:

    After a long wait in the airport and a horrible flight (Jack with a flight migraine), we landed in the early hours and made our way to our hostel Generator Hostel.

    We were both so tired so the only thing we could do was sleep.

    Day 2:

    There’s no better feeling than crashing after a tiring day and getting a good night sleep in a totally new country… Let’s explore!

    We headed out to find a breakfast and stumbled across a quaint brunch place called STHLM Brunch Club. We shared a huuuge Cinnamon milkshake (with a cinnamon bun on top) after ordering a smoothie bowl with lots of fruit, and an avocado brekkie with poached eggs… and loads more! The best part by far was the homemade chilli jam. OH MYYY! Check it out below!

    Off we went to explore city, wandering towards busy areas and stopping for a quick drink (coffee and smoothie) before setting off again.

    The city has beautiful, big buildings- which light up the streets. It certainly is a place you can just stumble upon some really cool places. We found one of the best food halls and it has so much variety, that we couldn’t help but to wander!

    We then settled after looking for lunch, and took some time to people watch in the city. We had smash-style Swedish burgers which didn’t disappoint, the crinkled fries are a must try at Bastard Burger (what an unusual name)!

    After filling our bellies, and satisfying our appetites, we headed back to chill and get ready for the quiz night! The quiz night was awful if we are honest. It lasted 10 minutes and was hard to hear, be we didn’t let that stop us for the rest of the night.

    We met up with someone from Milan who was lovely, and we have a few drinks (they were soooo expensive!!). One double cost £15… that’s more than London prices!! After things started to become quiet, we decided to venture out and see if there was any exciting events on.

    We came across a seemingly boring pub which had no real attraction but once we entered there was a karaoke room which kept us entertained! Some song choices were questionable, but some allowed us to sing our heart out into the night before we decided to end the night around 1:45 am and trot back to the hostel before hitting the pillow.. HARD!

    Day 3:

    After a longer than anticipated night, we woke up rather late and quickly got ready before leaving for midday. We made our way to the southern part of the city, but made sure to stop off at 7eleven on the way to grab much needed snacks for the day (this must be a key traveller shop).

    It was then time to grab a proper meal as we stopped off at a Swedish cafe called Brön and Salt. Jack made his own salad of assortments while Aimee grabbed a colourful yogurt bowl.

    We then wandered further before taking the subway further south to a photography museum. But before we got there, we did an ‘Aimee’ stop and took some photos of the artworks in the subway (something you should see)! All the subways are decorated differently, which is so unique!

    The photography museum was a fun activity which we both enjoyed. We then headed to the top floor for a picturesque view and to share a charcuterie board and some really really strong (and expensive) spirits. The views of the archipelago was worth it, but the food was also so amazing! Find tickets to the photography museum here.

    We then found a banksy museum and nipped in to write and etch our name into the scribble wall. I mean why not!

    We wandered back across the water front to find a place for dinner and came across a small Indian shop where we ate till our hearts were content. We both had a Tikka Masala with Aimee’s being a mango flavour and mine garlic. The food was so amazing!

    After spending some good time together at dinner, we headed back via the subway and grabbed some more much needed snacks on the way to our hostel. We were so tired, we decided to stay in the room, snacks in hand, and played quizzes, joked about and listened to music until midnight. Luckily we didn’t have any neighbours in our dorm so we were free to do as we like. We even made a fort… haha!

    Day 4:

    Today, Jack had a secret breakfast planned! We quickly left the hostel; barely finishing getting dressed and headed about a 15 minute walk into the centre. From the outside, it was full of construction works, but inside was like walking into a little girl’s fairy tale dream.

    The walls were soaked in petals, a soft but standout pink colour that lit up the whole room. This place wasn’t small either, it had a long straight walkway with an L-like curve and seating all up one side.

    There was literally no visible wall, it was all petals!

    The design so was different and the food was perfect for our sweet tooth. It was filled with pancakes, waffles and more pancakes.. which were smothered in toppings, sauces- basically anything you could think of! You could make your own little slice of heaven.

    We decided to share our meals so we could experience most of their food. We ate so much that our stomachs were full, and we couldn’t even look at another sugary delight.

    We headed then out and found some local markets which we wandered through. Each market had different offerings.. some meat only, but some with beautiful colours of autumn with pumpkins and flowers! The area in which we found had many surrounding market. There were markets location inside buildings which spanned multiple floors, perfect for us to spend a few hours wandering and deciding where we could eat for lunch!

    After leaving the markets we found Ahlens which was similar to UK Selfridges. Basically an expensive large shop full of luxury brands. This isn’t normally our way of spending our time but was nice to see the brands they had and to just generally wander around the centre of Stockholm!

    As we walked, we started to get hungry so we were on the hunt for a perfect lunchtime spot. The weather wasn’t too enjoyable with odd spats of rain and gusts of wind but we came across a quaint Mexican restaurant in the heart of Stockholm called Tres! It was a beautiful stop for us to get food and was well priced compared to other local places.

    As we entered we were taken to our table and were delighted to see that they were a pet friendly restaurant! One thing in Sweden to note is a lot of shops, public areas and restaurants in Sweden are dog friendly which is always a bonus! Aimee decided she wanted to enjoy some cocktails but they had such a good deal on it made sense to get 3… so she says!

    We both opted for tacos, with Jack getting mixed meat tacos and Aimee getting Chicken Birria. As always we would try each others foods and they were both lovely, filled with sauces and gave a lovely authentic flavour of tacos! As we began to finish and get ready to pay the bill, we were welcomed by a couple who brought their young puppy with them who was trying to cause chaos but was super adorable! They sat in the booth next to us and we couldn’t help but watch the cute puppy.

    We soon headed out and decided that we would wander further into the markets once more to see if we can find anything we haven’t already before heading back to the hostel and giving our feet a well deserved rest. For the evening, we once again visited the local Sushi place opposite our hostel as the food was AMAZING earlier in the week! We treated ourselves to their lovely food once more and we can’t recommend this place enough!

    It is ran by a sweet lady who makes all the food in house! The restaurant/takeaway is called Bang Sushi so if you are ever in the area we would definitely say to check it out! The Sushi there was beautiful!!

    Day 5

    We woke up bright and early to start the day as we had a lot planned! However, there was no plan for breakfast and as we usually do, we look for a new place to try! After searching online and seeing what’s local, we found Cafe Pascal which was a hotspot for their croissants!

    The Cafe was full of people, so full it we had to wait for a seat. The food was lovely and it’s a great place to relax with a hot beverage. We swiftly moved on and headed to Gamla Stan which is the Old Town in Stockholm. We took the train as it was located roughly a 60 minute walk south of our hostel. Upon arriving at our final stop on the train, we had a 10 minute walk into Gamla Stan and it was totally different to the rest of Stockholm!

    The Old Town was tight, dark streets which had vintage shops full of various offerings. The buildings either side where tall and made the streets seem even more narrow. Walking around the Old Town really made you feel like you went back in time 100s of years ago! The streets were beautiful and we decided to head to a busy spot in Gamla Stan which had the Nobel Prize Museum.

    This was recommended to visit while in the Old Town but for us, it was underwhelming. It was cool learning about some of the amazing historical figures who really impacted us with their work, but in general was a very small building, which was very crowded inside and didn’t offer too much explanation with some works. For the price of roughly £15 each we wouldn’t recommend it and believe there are better ways to spend elsewhere in the city.

    Outside the Nobel Prize Museum was a popular row of colourful houses which was a located on a market square. We took in the beauty of these buildings before heading off to explore more.

    One thing we did do in Gamla Stan would be witnessing the change-over of the King’s Guard! This is something we stumbled upon as we were wandering around the streets and came across a large government building which had Guards standing outside. We spend a few minutes here admiring the building as it had some beautiful historical architecture but we then heard music coming from the distance.

    As the clock was striking the hour, a marching band was announcing through fine rhythm and music that the king’s guards were changing over. It included an announcement from one of the guards before the new guards went on duty. This lasted roughly 30 minutes and created a crowd on onlookers.

    Once we left we headed to look for some much needed lunch. There was an all you can eat Asian buffet which we found a few days prior and decided to head there! The buffet was awesome- it had a range of Asian foods to eat. As expected, Jack focussed on the Sushi as it’s his favourite, whilst Aimee enjoyed won tons and noodles! The food was so nice and it was reasonable for the quality of food and options available. Unfortunately, due to time constraints for a concert we had booked in the evening, we have to scurry out of there and head back to the train station towards the venue!

    If you know anything about Aimee it’s that she LOVES Melanie Martinez! We had tickets to see her perform live in Stockholm and it was really the catalyst to why we decided to visit here in the first place.

    It’s not really Jack’s type of music but in the end it was a decent concert. Aimee of course loved the experience and it was well worth seeing! The music was good, the professional dancers and performance was really good and the venue was amazing! A real experience going to a concert abroad and definitely one we would recommend for others to do!

    The concert finished at 11pm which left us hungry and a 20 minute train ride from our stay! We hopped on the train and looked for a great place to stop for food to fill us up for our walk back to the hostel. We managed to find a burger joint which is seemingly popular in Sweden… Max Burger! The small burgers were really cheap and we decided to almost order the whole menu to fill our appitites. We gave our legs a rest and sat down to pig out with our meals, and the burgers were really good!

    If you are looking for a good burger place in Sweden we would go here over the usual Burger King or McDonalds! We the waltzed back to our accommodation and went straight sleep as we seemed to be on our feet all day. We were definitely tired!

    Day 6:

    This was our final day and we were gutted to be leaving Sweden! Went spent the morning back at the shopping centre looking to pick up some novelty souvenirs for family members, and stopped for breakfast. As we were still tired from the day before and knew we were travelling home today, we stayed local. Jack was still looking for his Swedish meatballs as it’s definitely a top dish for him!

    We’d managed to find a canteen at the top floor of one of the shopping centres called Nordiska Kompaniet where Jack got his meatballs which he was so excited for! They did not disappoint!! The food was lovely and it was really a fitting way to end the holiday. Aimee try a fish stew which was rather rogue for Aimee but enjoyed it all the same and we just reminisced on the best parts of the trip.

    We find that when we are towards the end of a holiday it’s always nice to look back at the experiences and activities that made it unforgettable! After an hour or so it was time to head off from the centre, and back to the airport for our evening flight ready to come back home. We had a safe flight and had such an amazing time in Stockholm!

    Want to live this experience? Watch our YouTube Vlog from our trip below!

    We hope you enjoyed our personal experiences from Stockholm and would recommend visiting here if you like European cities and cool museums! There’s a lot of places to shop too so would be great as a friends getaway if you LOVE shopping!

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