Category: Southeast Asia

The Ha Giang Loop- Visiting Vietnam’s Hidden Gem – Full Itinerary
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The Ha Giang Loop for us was a hidden wonder! A place we wasn’t aware of and didn’t plan to visit at all once we headed to Vietnam. Vietnam has so much to offer we didn’t come across it when researching – we only learnt about it when meeting fellow travellers who have experienced the loop. We then added it to our itinerary and didn’t regret it one bit! So we wanted to share it with you so you don’t miss out on it as well! Here is our 2 day itinerary for visiting the Ha Giang Loop!

*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂

The Ha Giang Loop

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Transport to Ha Giang

Ha Giang is a town hidden in the north of Vietnam which requires a 12 hour sleeper bus/coach to get there. Crazy we know!! This is usually from the capital Hanoi and can be very daunting for new travellers as it’s such a long time travelling. However, it’s not so bad.

We got a small minivan up to Ha Giang which was quite a difficult ride. The chair was almost a grandad’s armchair, which was cosy and soft. A perfect seat to melt into and enjoy the next 12 hours in. Sleeping was a tough task but with the seat reclining, you had some sense of a bed but it was still difficult to sleep. If you plan to budget and get the minibus we would recommend to go in the day. If we went overnight, we think the experience would be much worse and probably similar to a flight where you just can’t sleep well.

Our recommendation would be to load up on food at the local shop or 7Eleven beforehand to give yourself snacks and meals as you more towards Ha Giang. This bus will include locals making the trip north so be mindful of noise as many of these people will be looking to relax on this journey! If you want help with buses during your southeast Asia travels, look at booking with these!

Hostel stay

We stayed at the Garden Villa Homestay in Ha Giang which is a premium Hostel located in the centre of Ha Giang. The Hostel was unique in it’s reception being full outside in a courtyard type area with the rooms located all around. We opted for a private room as we planned to start the loop in the morning and wanted a good night’s rest (highly recommended!).

The room was simple with a large double bed, a sizeable en-suite. The walls were wooden which was unique but offered a great nights sleep ready for the start of our Ha Giang Loop journey.

In the courtyard they had a rather beautiful seating area which looked over a local lake into the mountains. If we stayed longer we definitely would of enjoyed this with dinner or as a place to enjoy when waking up in the morning. Do be aware, near any fresh water usually brings mosquitos, so to be safe and itch free, use bug spray while staying here!

However, the price of £13 for a deluxe room which is often discounted to £10 is pretty reasonable. If you are sharing this with a friend or partner, that’s only £6.50 each for a night stay with an en-suite! Cannot complain!! Find it here.

Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 1

For the Loop, we decided to book with Jasmine Hostel as we were recommended these by a few friends to go through. In the morning of our Ha Giang Loop start (9am roughly), we headed to the hostel where we met decided on whether to have an easy rider or not. An easyrider is a local who gets paid to ride you through the Ha Giang Loop as appose to riding yourself. This is perfect if you aren’t comfortable riding a bike or don’t have any experience in riding in the mountains. We opted for an easy rider for these reasons alone.

Having an easyrider allowed for more benefits including able to soak up the views when riding. If you were riding, you couldn’t take any time to look away from the road to enjoy the scenery.

Make sure to pack a small bag for the Loop as there really is limited space on the bike for a large bag. The rider places both yours and their bag between his legs and straps it to the bike so it has to be small enough. Also, make sure to bring Vietnamese Dong with you! If you want to grab some food or drinks out, there will be no card machines as you are in the middle of nowhere so don’t make that mistake.

Before riding off, we decided to rent out knee and elbow pads for the ride. These may look a little silly but these will for sure save you if the worst was to happen. As the saying goes.. it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

So now we have met our easyrider and have 5 or so minutes to get used to being on a motorbike. After this, we all as a group head up to the petrol station and fill up before heading off into the mountains!

The first ride took roughly 2 hours until we found our first stop. This first stop is at a mountains edge where a family lives and has a shop of local snacks and drinks to eat and hydrate before heading off. There’s enough time to have a toilet break, grab snacks and admire the view!

After this break you are back on the move to head towards the spot you will enjoy for lunch! You will spend the next few hours weaving through the hills and enjoying the beautiful scenery before you come across a local town which comprises of 1 main road with a few side streets. Here, you will be stopping off where a buffet style lunch will be prepared. This lunch is included in the price of the payment to Jasmine Hostel but do be aware they charge you for drinks. The food here is local and is super tasty. You will order food bits and sit at the table and share between a small group of 4-6. This is a great way to meet your fellow riders and make friends. After all, the Ha Giang Loop is a multiday activity.

Once again you head back onto the bike and head back into the mountains for more luscious views. You just can’t get enough of them!

You will make several stops on the way to your hostel stay including a place where locals will be playing pool and also a viewpoint on top of a tower! All these stops are a great place to soak up the local way of life and experience deep in the mountains!

You are likely to arrive at you place of stay around 5-6 dependant on weather etc where you are likely tired from all the riding throughout the day. You are given an hour or so to freshen up and find your hostel room before heading down for drinks and dinner. We met some friends and ended up playing cards for a good 30 minutes before dinner which was a great ice breaker when meeting people.

As we all started to gather round for dinner, the light from the sun fell and the food was brought out one by one. A feast for all of us to share. The food was all locally made and produced by ohh my it was some of the best food we have ever had. The spring rolls are still to this the day the best food ever! The spread included such variety from meats to noodles and rice and sides including these flavourful spring rolls.

After the food was finished and everyone’s belly was full, there were shots passed around for all the enjoy and cheers to the amazing experience in which we embarked on. From here, the music will be played and the drinks will flow. This is the perfect time to get to know your fellow riders and sing, dance and drink the night away. Karaoke is offered and this entertainment usually lasts until roughly midnight.

Be mindful that you will be back on the bikes for roughly 9 am so don’t drink too much!

Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 2

In the morning you will be provided breakfast which is rather hearty ready for your long day ahead of riding. As it’s the 2-day itinerary, we were heading back so split off from the rest of the group. Our riders took us back a different way to Ha Giang. This way allowed us to see the different views of the mountains that were just as beautiful. It was only a 3/5 hours back to Jasmine Hostel but included some stops to stretch our legs and even to see some local natural waterfalls.

At the waterfall, we stopped off and even went for a swim in the waters below! The riders got involved and joined us swimming and invited us to cliff jump from the top. This is a remote waterfall but there’s not many opportunities in life where this is possible so why not! We spend 10-20 minutes cliff jumping and wild swimming before trying to dry off and getting back onto the bike.

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A post shared by A+J • Budget Travel Couple (@ourtwostepstart)

We then carried on back to Jasmine Hostel where we arrived just in time for a late lunch.

How to Book

Book the Ha Giang Loop Tour

Our whole experience was amazing with scenic views, friendly people, and amazing activities! There was no fault of the experience and think it is budget friendly only being £215 with 3 days/2 nights which is inclusive of the following: All meals, all overnight stays, free stay at Jasmin Hostel the night before, Bike hire, fuel, transportation from locations across north Thailand. All you are expected to pay for is your drinks, insurance and any tip for a rider if you want. Check this out here.

Overview

This experience was the best we had during out time in South East Asia and something we aim to do again. We would totally recommend this to anyone and it’s truly a once in a lifetime experience!

If you have experienced the Ha Giang Loop, do let us know what your experience was like! We hope this has inspired you to take this trip and travel the world. If you did enjoyed this blog, check out our recently uploaded Hanoi best trips to do here and like this blog, it really does help!

Also, you can follow our travel journey on our social media’s which we will link below where we share all of our travel tips, thoughts and experiences!

Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?

We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Vietnam trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!

Find our Travel Essentials!

We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
- Travel Photography Essential s
- Essentials for Backpacking
- Beach Travel Essentials
- Women’s Travel Essentials
- Travel Gifts
- Travel Games
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
- Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
- Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
- Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
- HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
- Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
- Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
- ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!

If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

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14th Aug 2024
The top tours in Hanoi you can’t miss out on
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Hanoi is one of those cities that never sleeps. There is so much to see and do you can almost get overwhelmed which can lead you to missing some amazing experiences. It’s very much a city that you could spend a few weeks in and still discover amazing experiences and hidden gems. So let’s delve into the all the exciting tours in Hanoi which you can’t miss out on!

*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Tours in the City

Local Cooking Class with market visit

In Hanoi, it’s very popular for traveller’s to partake in a cooking class to learn how the locals make the delicious local dishes. This tour will give you the full experience starting off with going to a market and gathering your fresh ingredients. You will have the option between 2 set menus which is inclusive for vegetarians.

After this, you will head back and be supported with cooking your meals included a demonstration and step-by-step instructions. They also provide you with homemade rice whisky and seasonal fruits to enjoy during your experience. Once you have cooked your food you are welcomed to relax and delve into your tasty meal.

The experience is topped off with a certificate of completion and a cookbook for when you arrive back home and look to recreate these dishes from scratch.

It’s such an amazing experience with local produce and knowledge to make some of the best and popular Vietnamese foods! This experience is great for all types of people and a great way to learn more about the countries culture. Check out the experience here for more information and to book!

Hanoi Food Tour

This is a must visit tour for all traveller’s in Hanoi. As many already know, Vietnam produce some of the best foods in Asia and this food tour will certainly not disappoint.

Your will be given a local tour guide which will take you round the old quarter to all the best food spots. You will be given recommendations on the best foods to try at each spot and given samples to taste to get your taste buds tingling. The food on this tour is the best way to find the best local spots, as after, the locals do know best!

You will be taken off the beaten path down alleyways that produce some top spots to stop off at which many will accidently skip on their own. The foods on offer is all cooked locally and includes an array of options for any requirements. You will also be taken down to Train street which is a local train which passes through a narrow street where locals sell food. It’s a must see place! Here you will enjoy a complementary drink before moving on to more locations.

The local guide really knows the best places to taste some of the best flavours in Hanoi so be sure to check it out here.

Day Trips from Hanoi

Ha Long Bay Tour

The first and most obvious day trip that is available from Hanoi is east to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a natural wonder of the world and a popular place for tourists to visit and see the natural beauty here!

It has stunning islands that you can meander through with many fun activities! There are different trips to choose from including overnight stays, day trips and 5-star cruises.

The day trips is a full day experiencing the closer islands of Ha Long Bay. There are many activities to do during this trip like kayaking, sightseeing, island hopping, visiting beaches and more! You also get your lunch included in the trip as there is roughly 5-7 stops along the way.

It’s a great experience to see the Bay and it’s beauty on the timescale. The day will be jampacked full of activities and will be totally worth it!! You even get the opportunity to explore some local caves in the Bay. This is the perfect trip for budget-friendly explorers who want to see a large part of the Bay in a day whereas the others are more luxurious. To learn more on the day trips, check it out here.

The above package is a standard trip around Ha Long Bay whereas the package here is more luxurious and offers a premium experience. The transportation between each location has beautiful interior and luxurious seating adding to the overall experience in the Bay. The food provided offers more options and is in a similar setting to a premium restaurant with stunning interior and a dining experience.

Compared to the option above, you will embark on similar excursions but have a luxury experience for meals and between places. This is perfect for luxury travellers or holiday makers who are looking for a premium experience in the Bay. It’s definitely worth it!

The meal you have on this 5 star trip is an all-inclusive buffet with a large selection of local foods to choose from. To see more on this amazing trip, do check it out here.

Now, this is a major step up from the day cruise with the option of a 2 day/1 night or 3 day/2 night stay on a luxury cruise. This cruise will make it’s way through the Bay looking at all the beautiful locations with activity stops including the ones in the day trip.

The main different is that you are on a luxury cruise with many onboard amenities that aren’t included in the other packages. These packages include all meals included (3 meals a day dependant on when you board the cruise), entrance and sightseeing fees, all activities, cooking classes & Tai-Chi on board and squid fishing.

The stays will include a beautiful private room with an en-suite. These rooms are very luxurious and look like they are straight out of a 5 star hotel at the Marriott so you will not be disappointed.

These are the ultimate luxurious experiences that will make your time in Ha Long Bay super memorable for years to come. If you are looking for the best Ha Long Bay experience, check out the 1 night experience here and the 2 night here.

Ha Giang Loop Tour

The Ha Giang Loop is not massively known but is a top experience when visiting Vietnam. Hidden in the northern parts of the Vietnam mountains, the Ha Giang Loop is a route in the mountains that takes anywhere from 2 – 4 days to complete. Before setting off, you can decide whether to have an easyrider which will be a local to join you on this journey or if you feel competent enough, you can ride the motorbike yourself!

The Ha Giang Loop is a collection of roads which elegantly weave in the mountains near the Chinese border with many amazing activities get involved in. Now, the main experience of this trip is a motorbike ride into the mountains with some of the best views we have experienced in our lives. The loop showcases hundreds of mountains stacked behind each other creating a unimaginable view. This is a view you could stay and watch for hours on end.

The loop is designed to have stops along the way where you can get photos, a drink, even go on a quick hike to viewpoints and more! The first day is heading into a small town in the mountains where you will be having your lunch with your group and have some time for a little exploration.

You will have designated stays across the Ha Giang Loop’s route with some amazing local preparing each meal which is super flavourful. So flavourful that the best food we had during the trip across South East Asia was in the Ha Giang Loop eating local vegetable spring rolls. The best food we have EVER had!

Your day’s will be 4-6 hours worth of biking per day with a break ever hour or two so you can stretch out. During the trip you can stop at important places across the Loop including the Chinese border, mountain top stops and so much more. When we visited we stopped off on the way back at a local waterfall where local kids were swimming and we did some cliff jumping into the waterfall below which was a surreal experience.

This experience is seriously a once in a lifetime experience and one we didn’t know much about before going but now is something we would definitely do again.

To learn more about this experience you can check out the 2 day/2 night tour here and the longer 3 night/4 day experience here! The longer you go, the more experiences you will have and of course the more you will see and do. So if you have the time and it sounds like your type of tour, definitely go for the 4 night experience!

Lan Ha Bay Day Trip

This is a great trip around Lan Ha Bay which is local to Hanoi and a great day trip to see a paradisal beach and local activities.

On the trip you will be taken to local ancient villages where you will be given a multitude of activities. This includes massages and visiting local houses and meeting the locals. This is a great way to see how the locals live and get a taste into what their life is like. You will also enjoy your time on Cat Ba Island which is a tropical haven!

After visiting here you are given some fun aquatic activities including swimming, boat jumping, kayaking and more. This is a great opportunity to enjoy your time and soak up the aesthetic views in the beautiful bay.

The luxury cruise includes a rooftop bar, two restaurants and even a water slide floating swimming pool! The cruise offers great enjoyment onboard between locations with some amazing rememberable experiences in the day! To learn more about this amazing day trip, check it out here.

The Best Hanoi Tours!

We hope these top Hanoi Trips have inspired you to book your bucket list experiences when visiting the capital of Vietnam! Hanoi offers some amazing experiences for day trips so be sure not to miss out on these great opportunities!

If you enjoyed this blog do check out our other blogs around travel including the best things to do in Hanoi and the ultimate North Thailand 2 week itinerary!

We also showcase all of our travels on our social media’s including all of our daily adventures so be sure to check that our below! This includes an exciting trip to Thailand in September 2024 so expect all things Thailand coming up!

Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?

We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Vietnam trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!

Find our Travel Essentials!

We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
- Travel Photography Essential s
- Essentials for Backpacking
- Beach Travel Essentials
- Women’s Travel Essentials
- Travel Gifts
- Travel Games
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
- Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
- Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
- Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
- HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
- Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
- Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
- ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!

If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

Type your email…

Check out our Social Media’s below!
- Instagram
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Pinterest
- Mail
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.

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7th Aug 2024
How to swim with Wild Dolphins in Bali!!
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Bali is a beautiful island in Indonesia that is very popular for nomads but also for travellers. On this large island, there are so many bucket list activities you can do, that even one month might make it hard to do everything! From cliff jumping in natural springs to climbing volcanos and swimming with manta rays and turtles, there’s endless options. The one bucket list activity we are talking about today is seeing wild dolphins in Lovina.

*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Wild Dolphins in Lovina

Location

Lovina is a small town located on the north coast of Bali. To compare to Canggu, it is roughly 3/4 hours away by car and requires a trip through the mountains to get there. This town isn’t too popular and doesn’t have many activities here to draw travellers to but is a beautiful seaside town. One activity that is close to Lovina is the Aling-Aling Waterfall where you can cliff jump and visit natural springs for an authentic, thrilling activity. You can learn more on this blog here.

How to Book to see Wild Dolphins

There are many ways to book this activity but the best way is to look on websites such as GetYourGuide to look for private hire. Here is a link to booking ready for your private boat trip to see wild dolphins!

This activity will provide you with the full experience to see wild dolphins in Lovina! Book it here.

Activity

Usually it is an early start. The best tour guides in Lovina will be starting the exploring first thing which requires you to be up and out by 7 am. Unethical boat tours will start around 6am whereas the dolphins are best admired around 7/8am when the water settles and boats clear.

You are picked up and taken to the beachfront where you are likely to catch the end of the sunrise which is a marvel within itself. This is something that we would recommend ALL to do when visiting Bali as there definitely are some amazing sunrises on this beautiful island! But this definitely isn’t what people are at the beach this early for so lets see the dolphins.

You can easily get into the water and wear some snorkelling goggles to marvel at the dolphins as they elegantly swim below you. As you have rented privately, you can agree a time you are out there and maybe even spend some of your time at the shore swimming near the corals and exploring the shallow water.

It truly is one of the best experiences so we would always recommend to do this but make sure to conduct it ethically to protect the dolphins and not to fund unethical practice.

Conservation for Wild Dolphins

Be careful for when you book your tour as many tours are unethical and ‘chase’ the dolphins which isn’t good practice. We always like to encourage people to be kind to the animals and support ethical organisations who allow for people to view these amazing mammals in the right way. Here we have done some research and the best ways to see dolphin’s in the wild ethically is by renting a private boat and awaiting dolphins to come to the boat or to rent a kayak or paddleboard to venture out and see them.

Many boats will be seen leaving at 6 am and chasing the dolphins but if you are able to get a private boat then make sure to find a nice spot in the ocean and turn off the engine. The dolphins are known to be social and come up close to boats and people to play or be near. So there is no need to chase them, the best encounters are when they come to you!

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As it’s known, there’s so many amazing activities to do in Bali so be sure to check out some of our other Blogs in Bali!

We also showcase all of our travel content across our social media’s which are provided below so be sure to check them out! If you enjoyed the Blog and want to see more, make sure to like and subscribe for more daily blogs and travel updates!

Our favourite must-needed travel resources

Where to Fly

Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.

Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!

CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!

Where to Stay

Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!

HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!

Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!

Where to Explore

Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!

Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!

Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!

Where to get Connected

Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!

Where to be Protected

ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!

Our Top Traveller’s Essentials

Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!

Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!

Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!

Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.

Find our full packing list guide here.

Thank you for reading our Wild Dolphin Guide for Bali, Indonesia

If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

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We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!

Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
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17th Jul 2024
Is Ha Long Bay worth it?
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Is Ha Long Bay worth it?

Ha Long Bay is a beautiful location that is situated on the east side of Vietnam roughly 2/3 hours from the capital. The Bay is known to be one of the most popular spots to visit in the world to visit. So much so that it is known to be a natural wonder of the world. Over 10 million people are to visit the natural wonder but does it really live up to expectation? And is it worth visiting??

*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 🙂

Transport

The best way to get here from most locations is by private taxi or coach. As mentioned it is a few hours from the capital, and these are the most popular ways that people travel to the Bay. We went directly from the Ha Giang Loop which was a sleepers bus through Hanoi and to Ha Long. This was a long journey but was overnight so the perfect place you can have a sleep and wake up at your destination.

You can check out the 12go buses here for all of your Asia bus needs, or check out the specific route here.

The City of Halong

The city is strange… A large city with buildings standing pretty tall but not much life. We stayed on the west bank of Ha Long and we struggled to find places to eat. There weren’t many people around and felt very desolate. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to visit the east side of Ha Long but we heard similar stories of quiet streets and a lack of life in the large city.

Hotel

We stayed at Ruby Ha Long 8 Hotel which was on the bank of the water, a beautiful place for early morning walks. It’s a great location to see the Ha Long from the city and to go to the dock to board your boat ready to visit the islands of Ha Long. The Hotel costs roughly £15 a night and is high quality with lovely, spacious rooms, spotless bathrooms and great hosts. If you are looking to visit be sure to check out this hotel for an amazing experience here.

Activities and Experience

There are quite a few different activities and bookings you can attend with some providing overnight stay while in the Bay.

When we visited we opted for the day trip into the bay which included a buffet lunch, kayak activities, places to swim and explore as well as cool islands and caves. The activity lasts most of the day usually ranging from 9 am through to 5/6 pm and definitely keeps you busy throughout the day.

Check out the full experience via Viator here – Halong Bay Day Trip with Cave and Titop Island From Hanoi.

To delve in deeper, we started the day in the morning and meeting at the docks to board the boat which is much larger than the boats provided across the rest of South East Asia. Usually the boats are small with limited cover but this is a proper boat!

Here you had a seating area much like a restaurant with booths either side and a walkway down the middle to a bar with drinks and snacks. There are places to go outside and enjoy the lovely weather or views throughout the day so don’t worry. In the morning they will provide you with some fruits (fresh pineapple)for a small fee and you are left to your own devices while we head to the first stop.

On the trip you head to some luscious caves deep into the bay which are very large and you are taught about the history of the bay. It’s a nice walk and can take up to 45 minutes to enjoy before you head off to your next destination. At the end of the caves there is a local shop which offers local souvenirs that you may want to buy to remember your trip by.

Another destination on the agenda for the day is Ti Top Island which gets it’s name from astronaut Gherman Titov who visited the island in 1962. The island includes a statue which looks out across the bay and also has a viewpoint that is a pretty short walk. This gives you a beautiful view of the Bay!

It’s known to be one of the top beaches in Vietnam and can be popular to visit in the busy months of the year. They have a designated area to swim in to preserve the surrounding waters. This is a common place for people to also enjoy sports including beach volleyball or just simple to relax and get an ice cream to soak up the views of this beautiful island.

The top destination on this trip for us would be this small lagoon located through a small crack in the mountain that opens up to a lake-like water. Here there are wild monkeys that live and can come up close so make sure to keep your distance as after all, they are wild animals! The hidden water is a great place to explore with a Kayak and you get roughly 1 hour to explore, check out the rock edges, look for other small gaps towards more pools of water and just to marvel at the beautiful greenery.

This location really is beautiful and is a place to soak up the natural beauty of the bay. It definitely helps you to understand why it’s a natural wonder of the world! Such a stunning location!

The lunch provided on the trip is rice with different local meats and veggies which is a great way to fill yourself up after exploring and being busy around the local islands. The food is cooked fresh on the boat and is a buffet so make sure you make the most of it.

Throughout the day, the captain will make sure to update you on each location you are to visit and the plan for the day so you are aware of proceedings.

At the end of the day you will be dropped off back at the same location you were picked up at so you can head back and get much needed rest after a long day exploring the bay.

As mentioned previously, there are options to stay overnight or even for 2 nights! This would be a great way to see the Bay away from the bulk of travelling and enjoy the natural silence and beauty. This is also an opportunity to catch the sunrise and sunset in the bay which would be a marvel within itself. Also, as it’s a natural wonder there is limited pollution so there may be a good clear sky to enjoy the stars at night.

If you are interested to know more on the overnight stays at the bay, do check it out the 2 day tour here and the 3 day tour here.

Our Thoughts on Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is a beautiful location that is full of nature and untouched islands. The stops are very informative and have a great balance of history, nature and activities that will keep you busy for the whole day for sure. The price for the day trip is budget friendly and when visiting it is definitely the number one thing to do here. Many people travel to Vietnam to visit the Bay so we would totally recommend it!

However, there are other places across South East Asia that are just as beautiful if not more so, including the South of Thailand and Palawan. If we could only recommend visiting one location we would recommend opting towards the South of Thailand and Palawan. We feel these are better value for money and have more opportunity to experience all of what the islands have including snorkelling, turtles and meeting locals on isolated islands.

To learn more about these opportunities in the South of Thailand please check out more here. For more on Palawan, Philippines, check out our blog post here.

We hope you enjoyed this blog and wish you an amazing trip wherever in the world you are travelling. We are currently showcasing all our travels, trips and experiences on our social media’s below so be sure to check them out.

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 our Ha Long Bay Guide

If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

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15th Jul 2024
How to see Elephants in Thailand!
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Thailand is a beautiful, scenic country full of amazing experiences that we believe everyone should see. You can really do almost everything here from see amazing natural sea life to venturing in the mountains or going off grid in the national parks. You really have it all and it totally makes sense why it’s some people’s favourite country to visit. Seeing Elephants were a massive highlight during this trip!

For us, it’s a place we see ourselves exploring and exploring until we see every inch of the country… but we know it would take a long time.

Thailand is very rich in their array of animals and boost amazing diversity across the animal kingdom. From the Indochinese Tigers, to giant lizards, whale sharks, many types of monkey and the infamous Asian elephant!

*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 🙂

Asian Elephants Background

Asian Elephants are found across Asia, with the majority of the population being in India and Sri Lanka, and the rest found across Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. These elephants are much smaller than their Africa counterparts, standing at roughly 7 – 10 feet tall at the shoulder; with African elephants towering at 8 – 13 feet at the shoulder.

These species are similar but have some distinct differences between the two. These include the size; Asian elephants are known to be quite a bit smaller as we have stated above. Also, the Asian elephants have a distinct one “finger” trunk whereas African elephants have 2. This means that African elephants can almost pinch objects as a grabbing motion whereas you may see Asian elephants roll their trunk to grab an object. The other main differences are the head shape, the Asian elephant having two bulb like shapes on the top of their head and they are different, round-shaped ears which are smaller than their African descendants.

Asian Elephants Protection

Unfortunately, Asian Elephants are used in various different ways for money or entertainment, which means the number of wild Asian elephants have been in decline for many years. We would ALWAYS urge people to visit these animals and be loving and respectful towards them, and only support organisations that have the animals best interests at heart.

Usually, these elephants will be used for tourists to ride them, or use them in construction when moving large objects out the way. When doing this, they are not treated well and are manipulated to complete their task. If you are to visit any area that does promote this we would urge you avoid this tourist trap, as it is harmful to the elephants and only promotes locals to carry on with this sad activity.

The elephants are still used in circuses across these countries where they are taught to dance, climb, and perform in front of a crowd. During their routines they would be whipped or beaten into submission so they complete their performance for the crowds and again is such a sad story to hear. We have first hand experienced some elephants who have been beaten and abused so bad that they are forever impacted by their torture and still act out “dance routines” out of fear on being beaten once more. More on this later on in the blog.

In both instances, we would never recommend anyone to part take in animal exploitation and would always point people to visit organisations that support these beautiful animals. Below we have highlighted some of the amazing organisations and opportunities to marvel at these beautiful creatures.

How to see Elephants in Thailand

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

In Phuket and Chiang Mai is a sanctuary which have always supported abused, exploited and mistreated elephants from all walks of life. When you visit this sanctuary you are taught how to safely move around these amazing animals and give them the respect they deserve.

When visiting, you get half a day or a full day depending on what package you choose, and have an itinerary packed full of amazing things. In the morning, you are picked up from your stay, and taken to where the Elephants are free to roam. The elephants are allowed to wander across the many acres of land that is protected by the sanctuary as they wish, but are usually hovering by the food as expected.

Upon arrival you will see elephants wandering and hovering around the food spots anticipating their lunch. You are given an introduction of the day and given the rules from the sanctuary. Each elephant has their carer, and they prepare the food they eat for lunch which you and the volunteers for the day will be feeding the elephants. The food will either be vegetables or fruit mixed in rice that is shaped into balls or local bananas. These are the elephants favourites and you can grab the food as you wish and feed it when ever elephant you wish!

As someone who has only done it once (so far), it can be daunting feeding them due to sheer size of them but after a few times you will become more comfortable with the gentle giants. You can go round and meet all the elephants and you can speak with volunteers at the sanctuary who will inform you of the name of the elephant, the history of each elephant and their experiences.

Unfortunately, most of the elephants have some sad stories and we will give you an example below just to show what some of these amazing creatures go through and how important it is to support these animals.

The elephants can be very food orientated so don’t take too long and ‘tease’ the elephants with the food as they will look to try and grab it from you. The best way to feed them is to hold it in front of them and they will use their trunk and their ‘finger’ to wrap around the food which they will then drop it in their mouth. Don’t worry, the elephants eat the banana peels so don’t think about peeling it for them!

At the sanctuary, there is a photographer that will go around and take photos of you and the elephants which you can get at the end of the day to remember your experience by.

The end of the feeding will lead you to grabbing some food and meeting the people in your group while the elephants go off with their owners and get ready for their mud bath.

You get homemade local food which you can have a hand in making for the rest of the group if you wish. Lunch will be a spread of local foods and fruit which you can help yourself to so get ready for a hearty lunch! The food is amazing and really is flavourful, you will not be disappointed!

After lunch, you are to get ready to get mucky!! The elephants will be in a large natural mud bath which you will be joining them. It’s better than it sounds trust us! So you need to get your trunks on and then meet the elephants in there.

The activity is grabbing a bucket and chucking it on the elephants. Make sure to stay away from the back of the elephants as they can be unpredictable and obviously they cannot see you so you definitely don’t want to be sat on! The aim is to cover the elephants (other than their face) in mud. The elephants love the attention and mud and will like to try and roll about and even spray mud on themselves (and even you). The elephants will definitely show reveal their personality and once they are all covered, they are shown to the natural waters where they are scrubbed down and washed.

Here you are given a scrubber and the elephants will let you scrub them on the sides and the top of the head which is very nice for them. We had some older elephants aged around 70/80 who were still playing and grabbing the edges of the bank and swinging in the waters. They would dunked their heads under and grab the weeds out the pool.

It’s beautiful to see the elephants enjoy themselves and live a simple life where they can be themselves. The experience is truly beautiful and was definitely one of the top highlights of our trip!

Find a trip to an ethical sanctuary in Chiang Mai here.

Elephant’s Sad Story

One of the elephants who we believe was roughly 30 years of age was previously owned and was a part of a circus who would travel the country. The Elephant would be taught simple tricks and dances and during rehearsals , the elephants would be whipped, abused, & beaten so they would complete the dance/trick and make no mistakes. These elephants then develop these actions into their personalities and unfortunately it becomes them. The elephant we talk about was 8-10 years rescued but would always sway in a dancing motion and would NEVER stop. After speaking with the carer, the elephant will NEVER stop this movement as the swaying (dancing) will mean they are not beaten and the elephant isn’t aware that it is safe from these horrible people and if it was to stop, nothing would happen. Unfortunately it is engrained into them and has become apart of their personality which is upsetting to hear. However, these sanctuaries are the best places for them and they are looked after really well.

Elephant Watching in the Wild

Kuiburi National Park

In Kuiburi National Park you get to see wild elephants! It’s only open from 2pm – 6pm so make sure to visit the park beforehand to maximise your chances to see the elephants. You are in a safari and drive around the park with a ranger who will find the elephants and keep you at a safe distance to observe the elephants in their natural habitat. Usually this is roughly 50-100 metres away so you don’t disturb them so make sure to bring some binoculars to get the most out of the trip! If you forget binocular’s or don’t own any, don’t worry! You can rent binoculars for roughly 100 baht.

When visiting the park, you are required to pay a national park fee which is roughly 200 Baht for an adult plus the cost of a ticket. The reason they charge this is because it’s attached to the Kaeng Krachan National Park which the elephants are able to free roam. It’s a great location to see elephants as the park has thin jungles great for visibility but also has over 200 elephants thriving in this habitat.

Khao Sok National Park

Here is the location we would recommend to see elephants!! There is no guarantee to see elephants here as they can be quite rare but trust me, if you do get so see them, it is totally worth it. Not only do you have the chance to see elephants in their natural habitat but you are also on a massive lake and there is a whole experience to the park. Beyond seeing the elephants, you are to stay on floating bungalows, go on hikes to look for elephants and so much more!

It’s an experience that we would definitely recommend for anyone! In the morning on our way out of the park we stopped at a popular elephant viewing spot and found a mother elephant and her calf coming down to the waterfront. Time really stood still and it was such a majestic experience. We sat there for what felt like hours just admiring the beauty. We felt so lucky to experience this and if you manage to get this lucky then you will never regret it! To learn more about the full Khao Sok National Park experience you can visit our designated blog here.

Seeing Elephants in Thailand

There are many ways of seeing these beautiful animals in Thailand, but we would always recommend to look at the all the ethical ways. Make sure to do your research to which sanctuaries across Thailand are actually ethical as many will try to market as ethical to bring in more people. There are many sanctuaries to choose from for this and we may even do a blog post soon so you have all the options at your disposal.

Many people dream of seeing elephants so do make it top of your itinerary when you are visiting Thailand, you won’t regret it!

If you did enjoy our blog then make sure to subscribe for more things travel. You can also like the blog and give your thoughts down in the comments below. Any support would be very grateful so we can carry on providing our travel tips and support travellers to see all their top places.

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You can also follow us on our social media’s which we have shown all of our travel experiences and provide the best AND worst of travel. Be sure to see where we head next!
- Instagram
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Pinterest
- Mail
Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!
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.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Δ
3rd Jul 2024
Aling Aling Waterfall Experience – Complete Guide
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Bali is such a busy place for travellers and backpackers to visit that you often get caught up with the crowds. On the island there is so much to do and see that you can often get overwhelmed with the options. Do you head west to Canggu which is a surfers paradise? Or east to the party islands? Or maybe stay central in the small authentic town of Ubud? The island of Bali has so many locations that offers scenic views and adventurous activities so it’s easy to miss the small things! This is Aling Aling Waterfall, and is a place to check out for sure!

*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 🙂

Aling Aling Waterfalls

When doing initial research of Bali we can conclude that many don’t list Aling-Aling Waterfalls at top of the itinerary but for us we would put it on there for sure. It’s location is isolated but is located roughly 30 minutes south of Lovina which is a popular spot to swim with wild dolphins! Be sure to check out our best spots in Ubud here to get the best itinerary for that part of the island.

Many seem to not notice the wonder that is Aling-Aling waterfalls and merely pass by it when visiting Lovina. However, we would totally recommend visiting and seeing the natural wonder hidden deep in the mountains.

Finding and Entering Aling Aling

This waterfall is a hidden wonder of Bali, off a mountain road and has 3 main cliff jumping points, and 1 natural water slide. At the site there is a large car park and an entrance fee of roughly £8 per person if you want a guide to take you, or £2 without a guide. Please note that if you don’t take a guide you are not able to swim or enjoy the natural waterslide or cliff jumps- and will be fined if you are caught.

The actual Aling-Aling waterfall doesn’t allow swimming or cliff jumping as it sits at roughly 200 metres which is far too high for us!! However, there are set locations which allow this with a 5 metre platform and a swimming area at the base of a natural waterslide. The waterslide is very simple. You sit at the top of the fall which is roughly 10 metres up and you slide down the rocks which is softened by the flow of water before dunking in the beautiful pool below

The Aling Aling Waterfall Experience

The 5 metre jump is perfect for people who aren’t too confident in heights (or water) and is an easy ledge to practice on! The slide seems scarier but once you do it, you are likely to want to ride it again! Below is the slide in action!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A+J • Budget Travel Couple (@ourtwostepstart)

Further down the stream, you have higher cliff spots which are perfect for adrenalin junkies and confident jumpers. When we experienced these falls the weather really challenged us with torrential rain and flooding but this didn’t stop us from completing these jumps! The first cliff jump which is 10 metres was personally the hardest and is a simple leap from a ledge into the waters below.

The 2 further cliff jumping locations were 15 metres but looked the same as the 10 metre. There was only one slight difference minus the height difference. The 1st 15 metre jump required you to leap away from the side to avoid overhanging rocks before reaching the pool below. This is a hard thing to commit to but make sure to jump outwards! At each activity location there are steps so you can make your way back up to the jumping spot again or to watch your friendly make the leap!

We didn’t make our way to the final jumping spot due to the weather but as it was the same height it didn’t matter too much. The location is in the heart of the mountains, in the jungle so be aware of your footing as it is all natural terrain.

Check out one of the jumps below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A+J • Budget Travel Couple (@ourtwostepstart)

Is it worth it?

Usually this activity would take around 1/2 hours to enjoy and just beside the waterfall car park is a local place serving food which is a great place to grab a meal after all that jumping you did! It serves local food with the usual amazing flavours.

For us, this is an activity we would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Bali as it’s got everything! Adventure, beauty, nature, hiking. It’s a perfect way to spend half a day while travelling the island. We would recommend hiring a taxi to Aling-Aling if there is a group of you. If you are an individual or just you and a friend, you can also hire bikes and head there if you are confident in your motor skills!

We hope you enjoyed our experience and would love to know your thoughts on Aling-Aling waterfalls and if you would dare to jump the 15 metres!

We have found a full comprehensive tour here, for easy booking!

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 our Aling Aling Waterfall Guide

If you did enjoy the blog be sure to like and subscribe for more Bali and South East Asia Travel content. We also post our daily travel experiences on our social media’s which we have detailed before if you would like to check it out!

Type your email…

Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
- Instagram
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Pinterest
- Mail
Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!
Leave a comment Cancel reply

Δ
13th Jun 2024
Ubud Travel Guide : The Ultimate Bali Trip
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Ubud is a secluded town located in central Bali and is known for it’s traditional lifestyle and setting. It’s not party like Gili T, or social like Canggu, but rather calm and old-fashioned in it’s look. Here you will find traditional areas and food spots to enjoy the local parts of what Bali has to offer.

This being said, there’s still so much to do. It’s definitely a location you would need to spend a few days at to make the most of the activities available. We would recommend 3/4 days here and it’s a place you cannot afford to miss! The activities are endless, and the food is to die for… so be sure to add this to your Bali plans!

*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 🙂

Ubud Travel Guide

Activities in Ubud

There are a range of activities that cover many interests so be sure to give yourself enough time to enjoy all Ubud has to offer!

Mount Batur

This is such an amazing experience that a lot of people tend to skip due to the length of the activity. You get to hike up an active volcano.. what more do you want??

The day will start of super early! Earlier than you think- at roughly 2 am for pick-up (depending where you are staying)! From here, you head towards the base of the mountain but stop off for breakfast on the way. It’s not a traditional breakfast but you will be offered tea or coffee and a fried banana for energy. As you relax, it’ll give you time to meet the people you will be hiking with. You then head off to the base of the volcano and begin your ascend. The initial climb is a long stretch of road that becomes steep and then you are to head up some steep steps.

The climb is likely to take 2/3 hours with time taken waiting for people to climb ahead. Unfortunately it can become somewhat congested with people when going up. However, when you get to the top it really feels like it’s just you up there. There’s so many viewpoints to choose from and when you get to the top you are perfectly in time for sunrise. This is the whole reason you wake up at 2am!

The views are absolutely stunning and that’s even on a cloudy day. Once you have taken photos and soaked up the beautiful views, you can head up further to the absolute top and see if from there! Be cautious as there are wild monkeys that live on the volcano and can be aggressive if provoked. The best way to deal with them would be to ignore them and keep your distance where possible.

At the top you will take an hour to soak up your surroundings and more importantly catch your breath and get ready to descend the volcano! Now this is the fun part!

At the top you are shown to a naturally heated spot where the volcano spurts warm gases and heats up the rocks. You can spend time here and the local guides will provide some cool information on how this happens! After this, you head across a narrow strip at the top which is no more than 2 feet wide at points with no rocks to keep your balance with your hands. So be careful!!

Once the scary part is over, the fun begins! The majority of the descent is down through hard grains which is almost like sand. Most people spent their time almost skiing down in their shoes which is much better than walking in our opinion!

The hike is a must and and really offers so much more than the views at the top (even though they are spectacular!). On the way back you are likely to stop off at the coffee plantation and you get the opportunity try many flavours of coffee. It’s not necessary the best thing to do after a long morning climbing a volcano as many would like to just go back and relax but the types of coffee available is awesome with loads of different flavours. These include avocado, coconut and honeycomb to name a few! Find the sunrise hike here.

Jewellery making class

This is a great opportunity to take something away that will always remind you of your travels or of the beautiful place of Ubud! You get to go to a jewellery making class which you are shown the steps to make your own designs and given the materials which is included in the price. If you make simpler designs, you may even be able to make 2/3 types of rings for any family members you want to gift them to!

They help you melt the silver and manipulate it so that it is ready to be cut and designed as you wish!

It’s such an amazing experience and is a great way to make a sentimental gift for yourself or someone important that isn’t just bought at a local market. It’s a design that you have created and the perfect way to round of your trip in Ubud! Just make sure to not book up that day as it’s a 3 hour slot to complete, and you will need most of that time to finish your jewellery. Unfortunately we booked to leave early that day so had to cut our time short on our jewellery making class. Find a great class here.

Monkey Forest

The Monkey Forest is a popular spots for travellers and visitors when going to Ubud. It’s a forest located right on the edge the town which is home to many monkey that are allowed to roam freely throughout the forest and even into the town. Now, this has caused many problems with the monkey being hit by traffic and also going into shops and restaurants looking for food.

When visiting the park, it’s super important to be aware of your surroundings and keep anything small in a bag or left at your accommodation. This includes food! The monkeys have come accustom to people bringing food into the forest and now see us as providers of food. They will check your body (including pockets and your bag to see if they can find food. One even tried to open our backpack in search for food.

It’s such a beautiful forest which is well maintained for the monkeys and have some amazing spots to enjoy and take photos. However, we would recommend to respect the monkeys privacy and do not approach any monkey and if a monkey does approach, to slowly move aware safely. A lot of people forget these are wild animals and they deserve their privacy.

The park has some luscious walks and some cool bridges you can cross where you can get some amazing photos of the monkeys in all sorts of places. It truly is a cool place to visit to see how the monkeys live. Find a full guided tour here.

Local Markets

In Ubud there is a local market that is in the heart of the town and is a very traditional market. It’s relatively small but offers many handmade items that locals have handcrafted. The prices are affordable as it’s not a popular one for travellers to visit but the quality is there! The market has woodwork, mini statues and an assortment of clothing!

After visiting all the busy and energy zapping activities in Ubud, there’s no better way to relax than strolling through markets and looking at some local stalls!

Campuhan Ridge Walk

This is a very popular trail located a 10/15 minute walk from the centre of Ubud. It takes roughly 1/2 hours to walk the trail there and back so be sure to take your walking boots. On the trail, there is no shade from the sun so if you are to do this on a warm day, make sure to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon when its a little cooler.

The walk provides stunning views and has a tall single palm tree located on it’s path which provides great photo opportunity! We would recommend to walk the trail in the morning just after sunrise (or at sunrise if you can) or just before sunset to get the best views from the trail.

Kecak Fire Show

There is a local temple in Ubud that hosts shows almost every night for spectators to watch and enjoy. The shows are usually in the evening and boast local dances and songs. The fire show is a great way to wind down and spend the evening after you have just eaten and it will help you learn more of the local culture of Indonesia!

The show is placed in a traditional setting with the seating area likely to be stone blocks so don’t expect luxury! It’s a truly unique experience and one we would recommend for all to do!

Tegallanang Infinity pool and rice terraces

These infinity pools are a staple for Ubud and a really popular place for travellers and tourists. They have a number of pools located on the side of the building offering luscious views of rice fields, statues and so much more!

They have a few bars which you can enjoy some cocktails and order food to enjoy by the pools. There’s a lot of seating options available including seating towards in the pools overlooking the scenic views.

This place doesn’t just offer infinity pools and food but so much more!! there are walks you can take around the grounds which have perfect photo stops including aesthetic seating areas and large swings! There’s also bridges with water running through creating a peaceful aroma and it’s a place you can relax in for the day when you need a much earned rest!

The entrance fee is pretty cheap but the food and drinks inside are more expensive than most places in the area so be prepared to pay for that! You also can’t take any food or drink in which is important to know beforehand. Find this tour, where you can visit the Tegallanang Rice Terraces, waterfalls and a jungle swing!

Saraswati Temple

Sarawati is a local temple in the centre of Ubud that boasts some beautiful statues and water gardens. It is known as the underwater palace and has some of the best stone carvings across Bali. It’s home to some amazing artwork and even has a lotus garden which is great for capturing the best photos.

As with many locations, it would be best to visit first thing in the morning to avoid crowds or later in the afternoon. As it is a popular temple, you may find yourself in a busy temple if you don’t plan ahead when visiting. It’s a amall temple which you can walk through within 30 minutes but it’s completely free to visit.

Teganungan Waterfall

Teganungan waterfall is located around 30 minutes south of Ubud in a remote area of Bali. It’s one of the larger waterfalls in the central Bali area being 15 metres tall! There is a fee to entering the area but it is only roughly £1.50 or 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah.

There are some perfectly placed seating or bird nests that are used by travelers to get good photos with the waterfall in the background. You are allowed to go right up to the waterfall and swim in the waters below which is a great way to relax in such a tranquil place. If you aren’t fancying a swim, you can head up on the terraces to grab food with jaw dropping views of the waterfall.

These restaurants are slightly more expensive than local Bali restaurants but they have cheaper alternatives elsewhere on the complex. As it’s a popular spot, it’s likely to get busier the closer you get to lunchtime so if you want to avoid the crowds, it’s best to get there bright and early!

Places to eat in Ubud

There are many food options in Ubud that you can explore. They have a good range of different restaurants with some tasty authentic Indonesian restaurants!

Taco Cartel

This is a Mexican lunch spot that is like a takeout. There is seating but it is a rather small shop that does lovely tasting food! They offer the traditional Mexican choices such as tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

They even offer deals such a each taco being 19 Indonesian Rupiah for lunch (as of October 2022). The food is cooked in front of you as they have an open kitchen. You can watch the chefs cook your food from scratch! The food from Taco Cartel is super flavourful and offered at a decent price compared to other locations. Our Favourite was the Pork Burrito which is super filling and comes with a lovely spicy sauce to enjoy. However, on the menu is a monster wet burrito which is perfect if you are starving and love a hearty meal!

They offer burgers and other grill type meals which look super good.

Rayjin Ubud

This is a beautiful Japanese food spot that you can’t miss out on! It is known for being a budget-friendly yet tasty Japanese restaurant, you can expect a delightful culinary experience without breaking the bank. The menu features an array of classic dishes like steaming bowls of ramen with rich, savory broths, perfectly cooked noodles, and toppings such as tender slices of pork, soft-boiled eggs, and fresh green onions. Sushi rolls are crafted with care, offering combinations of fresh fish, crisp vegetables, and tangy rice, all wrapped in delicate seaweed.

Donburi bowls provide hearty portions of seasoned rice topped with succulent cuts of teriyaki chicken, beef, or tofu, drizzled with a sweet and savoury sauce. Despite the modest prices, the quality of ingredients and the authenticity of flavours make each meal satisfying and memorable. The cosy, casual ambiance and friendly service further enhance the dining experience, making it a perfect spot for a delicious and affordable Japanese meal. It’s a stunning restaurant located in the heart of Ubud and one you must visit!

Bebek Bengil

This is a traditional restaurant that is bursting full of flavour. It’s a popular spot in Ubud providing high quality foods that is authentic Indonesian delicacies such as the Crispy Duck. The food is reasonably priced and the food is more-ish for people to return back to the restaurant the next day.

The food is certainly persuasive but the views out from the restaurant boast a scenery that not many restaurants in the area can compete with. They have luxurious views of local rice fields and nature creating the perfect experience for food lovers!

Cafe Lotus

This is a must visit as it is located perfectly in the centre of Ubud. It’s sandwiched in between the local temple, street markets, the main street and the local museum! It’s got the perfect location and also provides stunning views of local gardens which is the perfect way to relax in the day and soak up the sun!

The cafe offers hearty, high-quality meals that you cannot miss out on. The food comes at a premium cost but you do get some of the best flavours that Bali have to offer with each dish! They offer traditional meals but also so simple pasta, pizza and sandwich meals that are sure to fill you up and leave you satisfied! This is the perfect stop gap between your hectic day so you can enjoy some good food and stay within the heart of Ubud.

Places to Stay in Ubud

Green View Backpackers

This is a quant hostel located outside the busy streets of Ubud in a quiet and hidden location. It’s premises are located by a small stream and is roughly a 20/30 minute walk into the main parts of Ubud. This location is perfect for travellers who love walking as it offers some beautiful morning walks at a fraction of the price of some stays closer to the centre.

This hostel charges roughly £5 per night for dorm stays and private rooms for £13. You get all basic amenities and there are also some tea and coffee dispensers available free of use! The hostel also provide breakfast included and you have a choice including a banana pancake or some assorted fruits. It’s a simple breakfast but it’s a great way to start your day and you can’t really complain at the price at all! Find it here.

Demank House

This is a Hostel located close to the centre of Ubud and provides rooms of up to 2 people so it’s perfect for couples and friends who travel together or have met through travel. The rooms are super clean and come with balconies with luscious views of the street and surrounding areas. The rooms give a more hotel stay feeling as appose to a busy hostel which is great for those who like to relax!

The main benefit to this stay is the price and breakfast! The price is £12 each night but this is for a room of 2 so if you are sharing then it’s only £6. You can’t get much better than that! The breakfast also consists of toast, scrambled eggs, tea and fresh fruit. This comes as an extra but is so worth additional cost to start the day on the right foot! Find it here.

Askara Hostel

A perfectly placed hostel directly in the centre of Ubud allowing for easy access to most of the town’s busiest places and top activities. The rooms are offered at £9 for a dorm room which shares 12 or £24 for a private room for 2 people. For it’s location and luxury, it’s a great spot to stay and even has a pool to relax in on chilled days.

At the hostel they have a host of activities you can book to experience in Ubud. They organise the whole trip and make it comfortable for you so you don’t have to do anything but enjoy the ride! Breakfast is also included as part of your stay which is a local dish with fruits and a hot beverage of your choice. It’s a popular hostel for travellers so is a great place to meet people but without any party/drinking element!

Ubud is such a beautiful location full of activities, history, culture and nature. It’s a spot that is so diverse in setting that doesn’t resemble any other places we have visited before. It’s a place many should visit and experience with so many amazing activities to choose from!

We hope you enjoyed our breakdown of what to do, where to eat and where to stay in Ubud. It would be much appreciated if you could like the post if you enjoyed. Find it here.

Travelling to Southeast Asia?

Check out our blogs for Southeast Asia! Check out blogs like our Palawan travel guide, top 7 places to visit in Vietnam, and our North Thailand itinerary!

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 our Ubud Travel Guide

If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

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5th Jun 2024
Khao Sok National Park Travel Guide
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Khao Sok National Park

Nestled in the heart of southern Thailand, Khao Sok National Park is an oasis that offers lush rainforests, towering rock formations, and tranquil waters. Whether you’re an adventure seeker, wildlife enthusiast, or simply a lover of natural beauty, Khao Sok has something extraordinary to offer. Here’s a travel guide will make your visit unforgettable.

To visit the beautiful park we would first recommend staying just outside the park in Khao Sok Morning Mist Resort which is a popular stay close to the national park with easy access. It’s best to reach by taking the bus from Surat Thani which takes roughly 2/3 hours. The bus will drop you off at the tourism information centre which requires a 20 minute walk down the road to your hostel Khao Sok Morning Mist Resort. Here, the resort sort out your booking for the park and will provide transport to the entrance of the park.

*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 🙂

Khao Sok National Park
Visiting Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park is a beautiful treasure of Thailand! With the best time to visit being between December – April (this is not necessary at all, however, these periods are recommended for the best visit), explore the perfect bliss of this national park.

Multiple trip variations exist, including different activities such as hikes boat tours etc! We have listed this one, which includes a morning jungle hike, two wildlife safaris by longboat, two lunches, dinner and breakfast!

Find the link to an amazing 2 day experience in Khao Sok National Park here.

Encountering wild Elephants

One of the most awe-inspiring activities in Khao Sok is the chance to see wild elephants in their natural habitat. As you venture deep into the park, guided tours can lead you to areas where these magnificent creatures are known to roam. Imagine the thrill of spotting a herd of elephants bathing in a river or feeding on lush vegetation. Be sure to maintain a respectful distance, allowing these gentle giants to go about their day undisturbed.

When we venturing through the national park, we spotted a mother elephant meander down to the waterfront with her young calf for hydration. This was a truly surreal experience which left us in wonder. It’s amazing to see parts of this beautiful country protected to allow these beautiful creatures freedom to roam and be wild.

Wild Elephants spotted in the National Park.

Kayaking and exploring

When arriving at your chosen stay for your time in the national park, you are free to explore the local surroundings which include free access to a kayak! This gives you freedom to explore the waters and and limestone cliffs. There is so much to see you cannot miss out on this! While exploring you can see gibbons calling and swinging through tall trees, storks/hawks & eagles gliding through the skies, or if you are lucky… elephant or a shy Tapir meandering near the waters edge! The waters are crystal clear with many fish visible to spot.

A kayak trip would be perfect to take photos, just relax and be one with nature for a short while. The park is beautiful everywhere you look so be sure to soak up all the surrounding views and all the natural beauty.

Kayaking in Khao Sok

Hiking Trails

Khao Sok is crisscrossed with an array of nature trails, each offering a unique perspective on the park’s biodiversity. The park’s guided hikes range from leisurely walks to challenging treks, catering to all levels of fitness and adventure. As you traverse these paths, you’ll encounter a rich variety of flora and fauna. Listen to the symphony birds and spot exotic flowers in bloom. Popular trails include the scenic route to Sip-et Chan Waterfall, where you can cool off with a refreshing dip in crystal-clear waters.

While wandering the trails, you will encounter broken trees from wild elephants not so elegantly weaving through the forests. You may even be lucky enough to find elephants footprints but these are rather hard to come by. Be sure to watch out for any leaches which are common in Khao Sok and hard to notice. We were shown a demonstration by our guide on how to spot and remove them so hopefully you will too!

Exploring the Caves of Khao Sok

Khao Sok is dotted with intriguing caves waiting to be explored. One of the most famous is the Coral Cave, named for its stunning coral-like formations. A guided tour will take you through narrow passages and vast chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. The cool, dim interiors offer a fascinating contrast to the bright, humid jungle outside. Some caves involve wading through water and emerging in secluded forest areas, adding an element of adventure to your exploration.

The reach caves, you may require to embark on long hikes or bamboo rafting across rivers to your chosen cave. Some may even require the physical activity of climbing steps or rocks to the entrance of the cave. It is so worth it!

Night Tours in Khao Sok

Although this sounds daunting, this can be one of the best ways to see a lot of the wildlife in the national park. A lot of the wildlife are nocturnal which will open up a whole new experience with different encounters than in the day. Bats can be seen darting through the blackened skies and you may even spot a leopard out on the hunt. You will have a expert guide navigating you through the jungle with a flashlight your only visibility. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! As you are hidden deep in the national park, the stars will be shining at their brightest giving you a beautiful natural show when you look up.

Swimming in the lakes of Khao Sok National Park

At your accommodation, you will have free time to entertain yourself and what better way to do this than going for a swim in the lake. The waters are so clear and pure, inviting you in! As you are staying on bungalows, this offers a great opportunity to jump in and enjoy your time with picturesque beauty in the background. There’s something truly peaceful about going for a gentle swim in the lakes in the clear water to unwind. Alternatively, it’s also a perfect spot to sit on the side of the bungalows and read a book and watch the world go by. There’s barely a pin drop in national park so just kick back, relax and soak it all in! There’s not many better views in South East Asia than this national park so be sure to make the most of it!

Is Khao Sok Worth visiting?

Khao Sok National Park was definitely one of the many highlights that stood out during our time in Thailand and South East Asia! There’s so much to do and see and if we went back we would definitely spend longer there, just being in the wild. It’s a place everyone should visit and one we couldn’t recommend enough!

To see more on our trips across Thailand check out our South Thailand 2-week itinerary, and our North Thailand itinerary! Make sure to subscribe to see more blog content!

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 our Khao Sok Guide!

Thank you for reading our blog and we hope it helped with planning your trip to Khao Sok National Park!

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!

Type your email…

Check out our Social Media’s below!!!
- Instagram
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Pinterest
- Mail
Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans!
Leave a comment Cancel reply

Δ
24th May 2024
Outpost Hostel Review: Beachfront Accommodation in El Nido
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Outpost Hostel, El Nido

El Nido is a beautiful coastal location in Palawan which is surrounded by tranquil blue waters and paradisal islands. When researching the town there is so much to do, and therefore we decided to stay for 5 nights and searched for a busy Hostel that provided lovely views, and had good access to beach tours… that lead us to booking Outpost Hostel. You can see just how exciting Palawan is to travel in our guide here.

We used HostelWorld and came across 2 main Hostels to choose from. The hostel we ended up choosing was Outpost Hostel, as it was directly on the beach and was known for good socialising to meet people. You can find a link to the hostel here.

*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 🙂
Our review of Outpost Hostel in El Nido

Overall – 9.5/10

Arrival – 7/10

When arriving in El Nido, we were dropped off in a peculiar location on the side of a bend of a main road. From here we were directed from our driver to head down some side steps. This was reaffirmed as we saw overhead signs directing us onto the beach for the Outpost Hostel. Take a left across the beach for 2 minutes and you will end up at the steps of the Hostel.

It’s a simple Hostel to find as you just have to follow the beach until you find the entrance. If you are arriving in the morning you may find an issue of the tide coming in and having to walk through the sea (maybe up to your knees), to get to the entrance so wear appropriate clothing.

When you arrive you head past the bar to the desk which you are welcomed with happy staff who will help you with your bags and direct you to your room.

Rooms – 8/10

There are many rooms to choose from including dorms ranging from 4 – 12 people, and the option for a private room. The dorms are very spacious and offer ample space for you to keep your belongings at the bottom of each bed. It’s important to note that the dorms are bunk beds, so you may require to stay at the top bunk which many people try to avoid. If it isn’t completely full at the hostel you are able to ask and they will put you in a bottom bunk if there are bottom bunks available.

The bedding is clean and the rooms are well kept. Very simple but it’s all you can ask for from a hostel, and the beds are comfy. Unfortunately they don’t have any privacy in the rooms. Curtains are not provided to give privacy which some may prefer, however the beds do still feel isolated and hidden which is nice.

Toilet & Showers – 9/10

The toilets are very professional and communal to all the rooms in the Hostel. It’s one large area which has many cubicles that are checked regularly and kept to a really good standard. The decor is very modern, and all the surfaces are kept clean. The showers are located in the same area as the toilets and are within cubicles just like the toilets. The showers are powerful and warm which is a nice, and includes hooks for your towel and any clothes you look to change into.

Communal/social Area – 9.5/10

The communal area is the whole of the downstairs which consists of a reception, bar for drinks, and tables and chairs for food and general socialising. It’s a large space which can hold up to 50-75 people; perfect for social nights at the Hostel. In the day a lot of people spend their time at the tables eating breakfast/lunch and admiring the views, before heading out on their daily adventures. There are even sun loungers and deck chairs provided for anyone that wants to spend time soaking up the sun and relaxing with on the beautiful beach.

Upstairs there is a quieter communal area which overlooks the beach and ocean which was a favourite space to eat breakfast and soak up the morning views. There’s an open space that has sofas for comfort, a space for books and music which is perfect to relax. It’s a less sociable area than downstairs and is often a space used to individual time.

The Hostel offers an environment for both a quiet evening or a sociable one making it a great hostel no matter your situation.

Trips – 10/10

The trips are the true selling point for the hostel! They do trips everyday as they have 2 main island hopping tours. The locations are split into tours A,B,C & D. One Tour is A & C and the other is B & D. These tours are very similar, but also different at the same time. They consist of visiting different islands that is close to the town of El Nido, with different activities throughout the day.

A stop off close to an island that is so tiny that you have to swim to… it has no beach and there is a viewpoint at the top. The island was no more than 20 metres by 20 metres but the island had enough height above sea level to provide a beautiful view overlooking the waters to admire the picturesque islands in the back.

There were a few islands that were perfect for scuba diving, and offered the opportunity to find turtles. Although we didn’t manage to see any, there are popular locations that see many turtles in the wild. We were just unlucky. Some of these islands will offer drinks and snacks on the beach, and you are free to explore as you wish. If you don’t want to snorkel, you can explore down the coast or venture into the island further. Maybe plays some games with locals or other boat trip goers. Or just enjoy the view, sit back and relax on the beaches!

One of the islands is remembered very fondly as we played a game of volleyball with some locals on a random island. They didn’t speak any English and there was no way to communicate, but all was needed was a volleyball. We split the teams up so we had some locals to make it fair and we played a game. It was one of the best experiences we have ever had! The best part of it was we played volleyball as the sun started to set! It was magical!

Also on the tour there is lunch provided which consists of a large fresh fish that is cooked whole and so soft! The fish was beautiful, and there was also pork and chicken provided with rice and a handful of other options. There was also fruit provided which was super fresh! Watermelon and Pineapple is given and you can eat as much as you want. We enjoyed this on one of the many beaches on the beach. They brought a table to set up to plate all the food on! The other trip had a stop which had a beach hut built on the side with benches and a table so food was served here!

Towards the end of each trip simple games were played with the whole boat, and losers would be served a shot of the rum provided by the hostel. Everyone was given a shot as mandatory to get people in the mood and was a great way to kill time between islands.

When heading back and arriving back at the hostel, you were welcomed with an alcoholic beverage which was a lovely touch.

One of the days we wanted to go to a beach roughly an hour away and one of the workers were happy to take us there in a minibus and charging us a small fee each to do so! We ended up getting 8 or so people to come with and made a full day of it with the staff enjoying the trip also! We visited a few beaches, played volleyball and ate local cuisines. The staff are very flexible and are happy to help with any bookings or plans you have when in El Nido so if you do have a question be sure to ask!

Island Views on Boat Trip booked through Outpost hostel

Location – 8/10

The town of El Nido is only a 5 minute TukTuk away, and once you get back onto the main road there will be TukTuks waiting or they will stop to ask if you need taking somewhere. You could walk the distance as it isn’t far, but a TukTuk makes it easier! You should be able to get a TukTuk for 100/150 Filipino Peso (£1.50-£2.00). Make sure to barter and do not overpay! There isn’t much to do in the town but there are food spots, and is generally a nice town.

Food (Taste) – 8.5/10, (Price) – 5/10

The food at the hostel is super nice! They serve up local foods like Pork Sisig (our favourite) and Chicken Adobo- and it’s all freshly made and so flavourful. In the day they offer sandwiches and other snacks, which is a great bite to eat while chilling! There is a lot of variety with vegetarian options available also! When you order just let them know you where you are sitting and they will bring the food up to you!

However, the price of the food is premium; and you can find local restaurants that offer their food at a much cheaper rate. In September 2022, the food in El Nido cost roughly 300 peso for dinner with the lunch being slightly cheaper. However, there is a local restaurant round the corner which offers some beautiful homemade dishes for roughly 100/150 Filipino Peso which is a lot more affordable and is only a 5 minute walk away.

We would recommend looking for local restaurants to eating to keep spending down for your trip.

Breakfast is included when booking a room and is one of the best meals for the day. They provide fresh fruit and beautiful options which will leave you very satisfied for your busy day ahead!

Pork Sisig at Outpost Hostel

Facilities

The Hostel had an ATM on the top floor which was really convenient so you didn’t have to search for one and head into town.

Our experience at Outpost Hostel

Would we recommend Outpost Hostel?

The Hostel was an amazing stay and one we would totally recommend when you are heading to El Nido! The customer service really is amazing, and they really do improve your experience. The food is lovely and the boat trips really help you to see the surrounding areas which you cannot afford to miss! The rooms are standard, but have the necessities needed– plus some well kept and modern showers and bathrooms! The evening is organised well to keep travellers busy with games, social activities and more! The hostel is one of the better ones we stayed in during our time in South East Asia, so don’t miss out! There’s no better view from a hostel balcony than a morning at Outpost, El Nido!

Outpost, El Nido!

Thank you for reading our review of the wonderful Outpost Hostel in El Nido, Philippines! If you are debating whether to book here we would totally recommend it and know you will not be missing out! Are you travelling Southeast Asia? Read our top 7 places to visit in Vietnam, an ultimate 2 week itinerary for North Thailand, and our top places to eat in Bali.

Make sure to like the Blog post and let us know your views on staying at this amazing hostel!

Our favourite must-needed travel resources

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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!

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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.

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22nd May 2024
Ultimate Palawan Travel Guide 2024: Top Attractions, Hidden Gems, and Travel Tips
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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

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17th May 2024