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  • Our best picks to eating in Bali!

    Our best picks to eating in Bali!

    Now, Bali is known to be a great place to socialise and meet new people. It is a central hub to a lot of people’s South East Asia travels, and is on par with Thailand and Vietnam for some. In comparison, it’s very different, but nonetheless an essential part of a travellers itinerary.

    Bali is now one of the most popular spots in South East Asia, and draws in thousands of digital nomads. This has changed the environment… and therefore has created more westernised food options. If you are looking for traditional Indonesian food, you may find it harder in Bali compared to more traditional areas like Java or Jakarta. You can still enjoy the local foods, with my favourite being a Nasi Goreng, or if you prefer noodles; a Mie Goreng.

    In this blog post, we will be covering some of the popular and niche places to dine across Bali, and the Islands surrounding, to make the most of the amazing food they have to offer. Please note, Bali is more expensive than the mainland and countries surrounding, so make sure to bring a few more pennies for the Bali tax!

    Below we have highlighted 7 of the best places we have eaten at, and given recommendations according to our experiences.

    The Best Places to Eat in Bali

    Copenhagen – Canggu

    Copenhagen is a well-renowned breakfast/brunch spot location in Canggu, where a lot of nomads and travellers use as their go-to spot. The menu allows for 3 options for 70,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£3.50) or 5 items for 100,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£5). The options included a tropical fruit salad, a pink smoothie bowl, freshly made bread and paninis, fresh fish or cooked meats, amongst many more options. They even had sweet treats which were perfect to finish off a breakfast fit for a king. For Asia, the price may seem higher than usual, but it definitely is one of the best brunch food spots we ate at. We can’t recommend this enough.

    Finns Beach Club & Bar – Canngu

    Finns beach Club is probably not on many people’s lists when it comes to good food. I mean it’s the perfect place to socialise, drink and party till your hearts content. Who doesn’t love bopping to music while drinking alcohol with friends by the sea in an actual swimming pool?

    Even though the main attraction is the alcohol-filled pools, they don’t limit you to cheap takeaway food. There are 4/5 restaurants available to order and dine at; all you need to do is leave the pool and grab a table. But don’t forget your manners and put on a top! They have options including Pizza, Indian, Sushi and more!

    I took this opportunity to fill my addiction of Sushi by ordering a freshly made platter (which definitely fixed my appetite ready for more pool time)! The food there is expensive… and not one to order at when you are looking to budget travel. However, every once in a while you deserve to treat yourself to a good time and nice food, and this is definitely the place to do this!

    The Krusty Krab – Nusa Penida

    Yes, you read it right…

    It’s the Krusty Krab!!

    In Indonesia, there is a restaurant that is the real life Krusty Krab… which even had Krabby patties! There was no chance we were to pass this opportunity up. It’s located on the North-west side of the Island, Nusa Penida.

    They had Sponge Bob decor making you feel like you were in the show!

    Of course we had to order and try the Krabby patty (which is the obvious choice). I mean the burger was nice, it’s not much more than a normal burger. The food was simple but wasn’t a showstopper by any means. It’s just more the fact you were at an iconic restaurant, and is something you and your friends can definitely make the most of when you are on this island! Its a fun experience and one we would recommend if you loved the show.

    Suka Espresso – Uluwatu

    Suka Espresso is a lively food spot just off the main strip of Uluwatu. They offer a wide range of food and is known for it’s high quality service and quality. We took advantage of their brunch food by ordering fluffy pancakes and colourful exotic fruits with fresh muesli and sweet jams. There is so much to offer on the menus, and is definitely a place we would recommend and go back to given the chance. The food is reasonably priced and a perfect stop before heading on to the beach only a few steps away.

    Do note that this is a popular spot for travellers to eat, so try to attend during off-peak times if you aren’t happy with waiting for a table.

    Corner House – Seminyak

    The Corner House has a pub-like atmosphere at the end of a busy main street in Seminyak. The restaurant has live music in the evening, with western-style pub decoration and atmosphere. It almost feels like you are in a pub back at home! They serve a wide range of foods like stone cooked pizzas, pastas, noodles, meats etc.

    It is a large pub which is in a great location for people to wander round shops and local area as there is so much to do.

    My favourite meal is the vegetable stir-fry which only cost 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£2.50), which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Even though it was the cheapest, the dish was amazing and so good that I returned the next day for dinner to order the same meal again! Overall, the pub is usually costing 100,000 (£5) to 200,000 (£10) for main meals which is average for the area, but if the rest of the food is similar to the stir fry I had, then it is worth every penny.

    Taco Cartel in Ubud

    A perfectly quaint Mexican restaurant located in the heart of Ubud, Taco Cartel is one to visit! It is on the main street perfectly between the Bali rice terrace & infinity pools, the Monkey forest and right beside to the street markets – it’s perfectly placed! Now, it’s less like a dinner spot to sit down and have a fancy meal, but rather a perfect small restaurant which has an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs cook your food right in front of you.

    We ordered 2 chicken tacos which came with a refreshing spicy sauce and a squeeze of lime, alongside a stuffed beef burrito. You best believe the food was beautiful! The tacos were at a reduced price of roughly 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£1) per taco as a lunch deal which was a steal.

    Ours in Uluwatu

    Ours is a place where we stumbled upon when searching for dinner but was definitely a highlight. It just so happens the day we ate there was the same day they offered pasta and wine (choice of 3 wines) for £95,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£5 roughly). When we saw this offer there was no way we were going to turn it down.

    Due to the offer, we went all out and ordered a few starters to share and then a beautiful Chorizo Bolognese with a white wine to wash it down. The seating is perfectly placed all surrounding the bar in the middle, with dimmed lighting to create a lovely atmosphere. Definitely one we will return to once we come back to Uluwatu!

    What are your thoughts?

    Bali is a place full of fantastic foods that we wish we could try a mouthful of each. The local food is one we didn’t touch upon much, with Nasi Goreng being a favourite of mine. One we may cover in another blog post!

    Shoutouts to the beach restaurant on Gili T (which we don’t know the name of) which offered free soup and bread for starter, District 6- the all you can eat pizza and pasta place in Uluwatu, and the little hotdog parlour opposite the entrance to the monkey forest in Ubud.

    We would always recommend eating local, but sometimes it is nice resorting back to the foods from home you love.

    Thank you for reading to the end of our blog, and we hoped that you will be dining at some of these lovely restaurants in the near future- or at least get to Bali to enjoy all that the island offers.

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  • Week in the Life of Volunteering in Costa Rica

    Week in the Life of Volunteering in Costa Rica

    In December 2022 we had the amazing chance to go to Costa Rica, and participate in a wildlife intern volunteer program. This experience was such a key highlight for us both. Being immersed in wildlife, surrounded by likeminded people, and learning and being able to watch wild animals… it was such a mind-blowing experience.

    We had a 16 day trip in Costa Rica, in which only 7 days was dedicated for volunteering… this quickly changed. We instead decided to extend our stay volunteering to fill our full 16 day trip.

    Our experience was spent in Alajeula (not far from the capital of San Jose), where we spent our volunteering at Rescate Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is home to around 650 animals, all that cannot be returned to the wild for a variety of reasons (had a detrimental human imprinting, bad injuries, wouldn’t survive in the wild etc). It also has a veterinary hospital and rehabilitation centre, which is the largest in Central America, and the only one in Costa Rica. It also runs breeding programmes for endangered species, such as the scarlet macaws.

    Below we are going to share an insight into what our volunteer experience was like, how our day to day activities looked, and if it was worth it!

    How did we volunteer abroad?

    There are so many ways to volunteer abroad now! Especially for a wider range of interests now. There are plenty of opportunities, ranging from free to paid positions, for a variety of time periods and specialities.

    Our focus was mainly on animals, since we both share that interest. However, I had wanted to focus more on photography and social media based work, whereas Jack was happier to be more physical and hands on.

    With knowing our time scale (roughly), and our interests and skillsets, we decided to volunteer through the ‘Volunteer World’ platform, and this is where we found Rescate! This was a paid placement, and we believe the cost is more now than when we volunteered, but ours was roughly £400 a week.

    We applied through the volunteer world website, writing why we wanted to join on this program, and thankfully we were accepted!

    There is other platforms to use to volunteer abroad, which we will briefly touch on here (watch out for a future post explaining these in further detail)!

    For free volunteering opportunities, its great to check out WorldPackers and Workaway, however we have seen there isn’t as many animal based opportunities. Volunteer World has also introduced some free placements, but we think they are for longer time periods. Some charities you can also reach out directly to see if there are any volunteer spots available.

    What is included?

    Every placement is different, but we will explain about our one specifically.

    Included in our fee was a hostel-style accommodation in the volunteer house (I actually designed and painted a mural here!), alongside 3 meals a day.

    The accommodation was nice! The room we were in had two bunks of two beds (so four of us in total), you had your own wardrobe space, and our view was overlooking a path in the sanctuary where we often saw a peacock walking across! There was a shared bathroom with a shower, which was great. Then there was a community area with cooking facilities, a fridge, a large table, and whiteboard saying our weekly activities! This is also where the tree is painted. We spent many nights here playing music, socialising, making food and having a laugh!

    For breakfast we had access to basics like cereal, eggs, milk etc. We were then added into a WhatsApp group chat, where we would have a set list of meals to request. In the morning, we would make our lunchtime and dinner requests in this chat from the list provided. There was both meat and vegetarian options! Within the sanctuary was the ‘animal kitchen’, where food was prepared for all the animals, however we were allowed in their to get fruit to snack on.

    They were able to pick us up from the airport, however this did have a small fee. There was also wifi available around the sanctuary and volunteer house.

    And of course, all of our volunteer activities and learning was included!

    What did the average week look like?

    So within a week we were given two ‘off days’, where we could go off to explore. During our 16 day trip, we spent a two day stay in Manuel Antonio, then another two day stay in Monteverde.

    Each week a schedule of activities was written on the whiteboard, with everyone having different roles. We were able to say what our preferred activities were in a group meeting, which was how we managed to have a slot in the clinic!

    This is an example of one day :

    8-9am : Behaviour Observations with the Jaguar (Aimee)

    9-11am : Collecting leaves for the animals (Aimee + Jack)

    11-12pm : Behaviour Observations for the Coyotes (Aimee + Jack)

    1-3pm : Enrichment Activities Construction (Aimee + Jack)

    3-4pm : Lecture (Everyone)

    Lectures were really cool! There was one held weekly, in which we would learn about animals, one week we had someone speak about a bird endangerment programme in another country!

    Enrichment activities was spent in the ‘woodworking’ shed, where we would construct activities for the animals to use, to boost animals instincts among other reasons. Part of this session would also include research about what to make, why it would help etc.

    Behaviour observations were one of Jack’s favourite activities, where you would use an app with one of the main ‘leaders’, and you would track the animals behaviours every minute. This was done over quite a few different species.

    There was many other activities, such as assisting in the feeding round, helping with the Macaws, clicker training, cleaning and assisting in the clinic, and more.

    What about once your activities were done?

    We made it a daily routine to go on a walk around the sanctuary before any of our activities began so we could soak up our surroundings. This always made our days start on a great start

    At around 7pm our dinner would be ready to collect from the kitchen, so many times we would just chill in our accommodation with the people we met.

    We were given keys to the main gates, so that we could leave the sanctuary after closing times, so there was one night we went to a Walmart, another where we went to a shopping mall, and many snack runs!

    One night we do remember was for New Years Eve, where we playing games, sang along to music over the speaker. We then went into the park to watch the fireworks over the city. It was such an amazing night.

    Another key memory from our trip was when we all sat in the car park for sunset, we had met a lovely group of people, and the 5 of us sat and played guitar, sang songs and watched the sun go down. It was magical.

    There was also a cinema room within the sanctuary, so we did have a couple of movie nights. We watched the first avatar on the night we arrived!

    Was it worth it?

    YES! We would honestly go back in a heartbeat. Costa Rica was an extremely special trip for us for multiple reasons, and we cannot wait for the day we go back to visit. Costa Rica holds a place in our hearts always.

    We think the price was fair for what was included, considering it’s all your food and accommodation for the whole week, plus activities. We don’t know many places in Costa Rica where you’d get a price that fair for food and accommodation. Plus the memories we had were insane, and we probably would’ve paid more if we needed to. We got to be surrounded by wildlife, saw some amazing animals, met amazing people and had the best time.

    Would you ever volunteer abroad?

    We would recommend anyone to volunteer abroad atleast once, it’s truly an eye opening experience. Plus, it’s great to socialise and meet people who are likeminded, and can push you outside your comfort zone.

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  • Aarhus, Denmark – The Ultimate Travel Guide

    Aarhus, Denmark – The Ultimate Travel Guide

    When we were researching somewhere to go last minute late last year, we stumbled across this hidden gem of a city called Aarhus. We managed to find flights that were incredibly cheap… and went on a crazy 24 hour holiday! After taking off at 6am, we landed a few hours later, ready to bus into the city! And wow what an incredible surprise. Sadly we left at 2pm the next day (it was intense but fun!), we could’ve easily stayed a lot longer!

    Considering Aarhus isn’t the capital, this Danish city is the perfect weekend break location, and somewhere we would definitely visit again. It is bursting with colourful sights, boasting an urban and youthful atmosphere – and has so many unique activities it’s always worth a visit! So, after finding our newfound love of this city, we wanted to share a complete guide with you to inspire you to visit this upcoming location!

    *This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are our own!

    How long should I stay in Aarhus?

    We would recommend not following our route of only 24 hours! This city would probably be best for a 2-3 day break, however it could be done slower or faster, depending on your preferences and time frame! If we were to go again we would likely stay 3 days. If doing a European road trip, this location could likely be shortened into just over 1 day or 2!

    When to visit Aarhus?

    We visited Aarhus at the start of September, which for us was great. The weather was good, it wasn’t too hot, the sun was out and was very green all around!

    Due to a vast amount of outside activities, we would recommend visiting this city as a spring/summer trip, rather than a winter destination.

    Quick Facts about Aarhus

    Currency : Danish Krone (DKK). We didn’t once use cash, as we found card-usage everywhere we went. We used an international card and it worked great for us!

    Data while abroad : We used international roaming, which was part of our sim-contracts in the UK (most providers offer this so check with your contract).

    SIM card : If you do not have roaming opportunities, you can buy an e-sim from as little as $4.50! We usually use Airalo which you can find here.

    Where should I stay in Aarhus?

    This city is home to one of the best European hostels we have stayed at! Having a full mini golf course within the hostel, alongside a sauna and bar facilities, this hostel was for sure a unique one! Included in our stay was a buffer breakfast, and a very different sleeping arrangement!

    This was our choice of room (they do offer ‘standard’ size hostel dorms, alongside private rooms)… but they have a 46 bed room! How insane! We decided to stay here to see what it was like and it was really cool. It felt weirdly very private and quiet considering the amount of beds! There seemed to be a noise-reducing barrier between the room and the social areas, as the room was so peaceful.

    The bed came with a keycard entry, and also a keycard-locked locker in the room (which was a nice surprise). Everything felt extremely safe and comfortable, and we would recommend it even as a solo traveller.

    We will link this hostel here, we would be back here in a heartbeat if we were to stay in Aarhus again! We will also include a few photos below!

    What to do in Aarhus? A comprehensive list!

    ARoS Art Museum

    Known for it’s rainbow roof art instillation, this museum holds a lot more than just this! We hadn’t seen much hype for the museum apart from the roof, so we were surprised to see some of the stuff we did. We met a giant! Home to the artwork by Ron Mueck, this museum is home to ‘boy’ which is a 4.5 meter sculpture… wow. It was huge! The attention to detail was really special and made it a key feature of our trip.

    There was also an exhibition space of an extremely NSFW collection… but we will let you investigate that one!

    Visiting the Marselisborg Deer Park

    Considering this is a free activity, this was probably one of the best experiences we’ve had!

    You have to take a bus to slightly outside of the city centre, and then have to do a lot of walking to get into the actual deer park… but it was so worth it! This isn’t really an accessibility friendly location sadly, but for those who can do it… it’s so amazing.

    Displaying facts and information surrounding being near the deer, this park gives you the opportunity to be up close to wild deer- you can see them interacting together, and we even saw babies! We chose to only let the deer approach us as we didn’t want to cause any stress, but the experience was really unique. You could purchase carrots and apples to take in and feed them, or there are always the odd few laying about to grab!

    Aarhus Street Food Market

    Perfect for a social lunchtime, this food spot is full of varied international cuisines which are all SO yummy! We think this spot is great for groups to go to, as you could get dishes from each place and share them all to try all the worldwide flavours!

    We tried food from ‘The Everest Kitchen’, which was Nepalese cuisine, Chicken from ‘Super Bao’, homemade popsicles from the self titled ‘popsicle’, and a traditional Danish pastry called ‘tarteletter’ from Mormors Køkken.

    Imagine living locally and being able to stop here for lunch! We are so jealous! Food in Aarhus was good, but this spot was probably one of our favourites.

    Go on a night out

    Whilst at our hostel we met someone from America who we got on really well with, and ended up deciding for all of us to go ‘out out’!

    Being a very youthful-feeling city, the streets felt vibrant and were buzzing! We decided to get ready at our hostel and chill there for a bit, then headed out to a local nightclub called Kupé. The music was a lot more modern, so not necessarily catered to all tastes, however we found the atmosphere to be great! We all ended up dancing with some Danish people we had never met, and it just felt like such a fun atmosphere.

    Now, here is where 24 hours wasn’t enough… we left the club at around 2am, then went for a slice of pizza… let’s just say we went sleep at around 4am, ready to wake for 8am in time to get ready for the flight home. (It probably wasn’t our wisest idea)

    Den Gamle By

    Sadly, we didn’t have time to experience this place. However, we did feel like it deserved a place on this list. Den Gamle By is an open air museum depicting the history of Danish market towns over 4 time periods. Immerse yourself in the past, and learn about the life of a local through history.

    Entry is roughly 125DKK (so around £14.30/€16.70/$18.00), and looks amazing. Under 18’s go free, and there is a student discount!

    The Infinite Bridge

    Another place we didn’t manage to visit was the infinite bridge. It does explain itself- it is a bridge that doesn’t have a start and an end, and it partially over water. It is a really beautiful spot, and would be so lovely on a summer’s day!

    We have seen some amazing photos of this over social media, and for drone flyer’s this spot would be so good!

    Where will your adventure take you?

    We hope you enjoyed our travel guide to Aarhus, and that it helps with your future (or current) travel planning! Let us know below what you thought of our list!

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  • The Best of Southern Thailand 2 Week Itinerary

    The Best of Southern Thailand 2 Week Itinerary

    Thailand is a country that is on everyone’s to do list and is one of the most popular places to visit in South East Asia. There is so much to do and see, it’s so difficult to know the best way to spend your time there. From snorkelling, seeing wild elephant and island hopping, to enjoying the nightlife and social bars, alongside the cultural statues and monuments to the overcrowded markets – there is so much to offer.

    When someone is planning to go Thailand for even a month, it’s important to maximise your time there so you don’t miss out on some of the best life experiences. This is why this blog is split into 2 parts, as 2 weeks is NOT enough time to make the most of this beautiful country.

    The south of Thailand is more tailored to paradisal beaches and 5 star hotels, but there is still so much to see and do. Below, we have given our take on the best way to spend 2 weeks in the south of Thailand. We have also given one day as ‘free’, to give leeway for travel.

    Phuket (3 days)

    Phuket is known as the perfect holiday/honeymoon destination but it offers so much more than that. Yes, the beaches are perfect for a holiday, and it is as good as any to spend 2 weeks doing completely nothing but lounging in the sun- but this doesn’t make the most of what Phuket has to offer.

    The first MUST DO is to visit the Elephant sanctuary in Phuket. This is a conservation organisation that save elephants that have been mistreated, and either rehabilitate or provide a large space for them to roam and be as wild as they can be. Here, all participants learn about the process of looking after the elephants and go through their daily routine. This includes: making and feeding the elephants with rice balls and bananas, covering them in mud and then giving them a scrub clean which is a 1/2 a day activity. This whole experience is one that we would recommend for anyone to experience as the elephants are amazing creatures to spend time with, and to learn about. Some of the elephants had personalities; one we remember is a 77 year old elephant that was playing in the waters by rolling around and pulling herself around on the banks. Even at 77 she was enjoying life.

    Phuket has some some of the best people in Thailand, and one way to experience this is through visiting bars and socialising with the locals. In Phuket there are a lot of bars to stop at, have a drink, meet people, play some pool or darts and just enjoy the moment. The people here are very welcoming and are always chatty.

    Unfortunately when we visited Phuket, we weren’t able to visit the Big Buddha due to flooding in the area. However, it is known to be one of the main sights in the area. Not only do you get to see such a large statue which is so popular in southern Thailand, but you also get to see the beautiful views of the whole of Phuket, and is an amazing place to witness the sunset/sunrise.

    Visiting Phuket wouldn’t be the right until you enjoyed some of the beautiful beaches available. It’s one of the best places to relax and spend a day soaking up the sun or going for a swim in the crystal blue waters.

    Krabi (2 days)

    Krabi is a short ferry ride from Phuket and is a small city which offers a good central hub to many top places in the south of Thailand. In Krabi there are many pubs and bars to visit, socialise and meet new people. At the end of the main strip is a beach which is scenic, and offers kayaking, boat trips and surfing.

    In Krabi, there is a beautiful temple, located high in the hills. The Tiger Cave Temple is a great sight, however requires 1260 steps to be climbed to reach the gates of this temple. Here there are statues and picturesque viewpoints for all to enjoy.

    Once you are have completed all the steps and exploring at the temple, you can relax at a local hot springs. These are naturally warm waters which are perfect to unwind and relax your body.

    Railay Beach (2 days)

    From Krabi, there is a local long boat to transport you from Krabi, to your next destination, Railay Beach! Please note that to get on and off this boat, you are required to be in the sea, so wear appropriate clothing and get ready to carry your bags on your head (this is always a funny sight to see!).

    Railay beach is a small strip of land no wider than a few football pitches sandwiched between the ocean. Here you are very limited with cheap stays with only one hostel in the area. We used Blanco Hideout Railay and we would recommend staying here! You can find this hostel by clicking here*

    The hostel offers a trip to see a Muay Thai fight, and drinks with other hostel members as a night event (which is a must to do)!

    At Railay, there is a little cove which once explored, opens up into a beautiful, secret beach. You are able to rent out kayaks and go to Phra Nang Cave Beach and explore the caves. Also, there is a local island (Phang Nga Bay) that is known as bond island, as it was used in the James Bond movies. We were even lucky enough to see a wild Asian Water Monitor Lizard disappearing off into the thick grass.

    As expected, it is a place to enjoy the natural beauty of the beaches. There are viewpoints to take in the most scenic areas of this area of paradise. For the more active travellers/explorers, you can try your hand at rock climbing to find the lesser explored areas of Railay.

    Phi Phi Island (3 days)

    Many have heard of Phi Phi Island, and maybe it has a reputation of being a popular spot to drink and party, but there is so much more to do! I mean, this island literally has a pizza spot with cannabis pizza (very unique)!!!

    Phi Phi Island is another sort trip on a boat from Railay which is a marvel within itself- with the countless islands you pass and the clear water.

    On this Island, there is a must do island hopping tour which visits 7 different locations with panoramic beaches, snorkel spots, caves to discover, with fresh lunch provided. This is an all-day activity so make sure you have the energy to be out exploring all day! If you are tired and hungry when you finish this tour, they drop you back at the dock which is right in front of a McDonald’s which many use as a stop to fuel up ready for the nightlife.

    The Phi Phi main road offers a range of souvenirs, clothing and different foods and drinks available. You can almost get lost in the streets looking at all that is offered. Once it gets dark, people spill into bars and pubs, and little pop-up alcohol shops appear. The island lights up! Everyone is having a good time and it’s a fun social atmosphere. For some daring people, there is a bar on the island that has a boxing ring which you can opt to fight in. We would only recommend doing this if you are prepared to be hit, and didn’t drink too much alcohol!!

    There’s so much to do on the island but is still one of the best to chill and enjoy where you are.

    Next stop, Khao Sok National Park!

    Khao Sok National Park (2-3 days)

    Khao Sok is a longer trip, but is so worth the wait. You will be avoiding the small boat trips and would be required to go inland on a coach or in a car.

    This national park is like no other. It is an expensive experience compared to others in Thailand, but is worth every penny. Put it this way, we would go back in a heartbeat. Khao Sok National Park is made for someone who wants to be apart of wildlife.

    You are taken on a long boat through the park which you visit some picturesque spots and admire some of the beauty. After a relaxing boat ride, you are taken to a jetty in the centre of the national park which has floating bungalows. Yes, we said FLOATING BUNGALOWS! And this is where we stayed!

    The bungalows will be your home for the next few days, and you will be provided with all 3 meals which are made from local people in the park. You are given time to explore which we used to kayak around the local area and see what wildlife we could see. Beware of the sun as there are a limited spots for shade and if you know Jack, he burns easily!

    After a long kayak filled with watching monkeys and wild eagles and searching for wild elephants, we headed back to go for a swim in the lake. We spend the next hour jumping off the jetty and swimming around the local area just taking in the breath taking views. There were wild fish which were easily 3 feet long, while we idly watched as we tucked into our lunch.

    There was so much to do and see, but it also allowed for such a simple lifestyle. There was no Wi-Fi or data spots, so you were completely immersed in where you are. We were taken on a jungle hike through areas where elephants were only hours prior. At the end, we were taken on a tour of a local cave with bats in, which we were taken in a handmade bamboo boat made by some of the locals. It was amazing to see local huts and kids running and swimming in the waters. Like this is their life… and we were somewhat jealous.

    In the evening we played card games, and relaxed before going out early in the morning to see wild elephants coming to the water to drink and wash. This is probably the best experience of my life as its mesmerising to see wild elephants elegantly in the wild. To make it even better, we saw a mother and calf which is rare to see in the National Park and probably rare to see in the wild.

    We only stayed one night but we believe there is an option to stay for another night to soak up the beauty. There really isn’t many places better than here and we would always recommend going here if anyone was to visit Thailand.

    It’s the MUST DO of all MUST DO’S!

    There are still a few places we missed out on this short 2 week itinerary of the South of Thailand, but this is our list we would recommend. Whoever visits Thailand will have the most amazing time, and we are sure they will love the country as much as we do.

    If we missed any places you would recommend, please let us know and we will add this to our next trip to Thailand which we hope will be in the next few years!!!

    Thank you for making it to the end of this blog post, and we hope you enjoyed our 2 week itinerary! If you enjoyed please like the post and follow for more content!

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  • Budapest Bucket List

    Budapest Bucket List

    When travelling, being unorganised can be a blessing, but also a curse! Spontaneity is always fun, and can be great when meeting new people… However, you can miss out on seeing things you’d planned on due to lack of time, and ending up needing to reorganise and prioritise plans!

    We have found that creating a bucket list of things we wanted to see and do really helped in prioritising while travelling!

    While on our trip to Budapest, we made a list of things that were more important to see, and once we’d met new people, we shared this list with them! This also then made organising plans with others easier, since we already had ideas!

    We have altered this list slightly to cater to more people than just our preferences… so let us know your thoughts! We will plan to make a more in-depth review of Budapest (imagine a full travel guide), but for now, this is our Budapest Bucket List!

    So, here is our Budapest Bucket List

    Visit the Fisherman’s Bastion

    Learn about Soviet History at the House Of Terror

    Take in the view and architecture of the St Stephen’s Basilica

    Dance in Szimpla Kert in a ruin bar

    Try a traditional Chimney Cake

    Pay respects at the Shoes on the Danube

    Have a stroll around the Hungarian Parliament

    Relax in the Thermal Baths

    Cruise in a boat along the Danube River

    Eat some Hungarian Goulash

    Have you been to any of these places? What are your thoughts? Would you recommend any other places, or leave out others?

    Where to stay!

    Don’t know where to stay? We stayed at this hostel, which is in a great central location! It has great transport links, and is extremely budget friendly. Want to know more? Find it here *

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  • Do I Want To Travel?

    Do I Want To Travel?

    Do I Want To Travel?

    This can be a tough question… When I was younger it was certainly a dream of mine. Mostly because I didn’t really know what it meant. Exploring the unknown was always a wonder for me. This is probably why I enjoyed subjects that are discovery-based – space (astronomy) and dinosaurs (Palaeontology).

    So to me, travelling was a dream. I mean when you see the pictures and videos online there’s no wonder so many people want to do it. White sandy beaches, clear blue waters, tropical rainforests, you name it! There’s so much to see and do- I believe that if you dedicated your life to travel, you still will miss out on some amazing things!

    But we can’t do that as we have school, work, or family and relationships to consider. This makes things complicated beyond belief. There is so much more to consider as travelling isn’t an easy, straightforward decision. Even thinking about travelling will take hours of research and planning, not to mention the money worries that happen. Unless you are spontaneous and whimsical, then I mean you can just book a plane ticket tomorrow, and well… you can figure out the rest later. Some people can do that, but for the rest of us, we have a lot more to think about our current responsibilities.

    It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in; travelling is something you want to do or not. Whether you decide that you want to travel as a child (like me) or it’s a new thing you discover once you retire. We aren’t all the same- otherwise that would be boring. You must look into what you want to achieve in your life. What are your goals to achieve? What would give you fulfilment in life? I know full well that sitting in sales for the next 40 years and retiring on a small (or even large) amount of money won’t satisfy me.

    And you might feel the same. Some people have the drive to live in the corporate world to earn and live well in a city or town, settle down, have kids, and live the somewhat traditional life our ancestors lived. There is nothing wrong with living life like this, as it suits a lot of people, and it may be your absolute dream. But we aren’t all like this. We don’t all want to wake up at a set time each day, go to the same place of work and complete the same or similar tasks day in and day out. See our family on weekends and wind down with a film on a chilled Sunday afternoon before kickstarting a heavily scheduled week tomorrow.

    Plenty of us are privileged enough to have the opportunities that the Western world provides. Whether it’s free education, high-earning opportunities, good health care, and gratitude for the life we are given. Some don’t want to leave the comfortable life that is set up for us once we are born. I really don’t blame them as I am very grateful for everything I have. But I still want more…

    Today there is such an opportunity to express yourself even in the way you work and live. You can travel with work or move to a totally different continent and way of life if that’s what you desire. And some people do this. Just search it online and there are thousands of people taking that step to move themselves or even their families to another corner of earth.

    But what really makes you want to travel? For me, it’s always been a burning passion of mine since I stumbled upon the beauty that’s out there. For others like my partner, it’s been introduced through exposure to what is possible. Some people just need to see the opportunities that are available with travelling to find that passion. It can be like an addiction. It certainly is for me.

    I never truly travelled until the last 12 months. My only taste of travelling was the brief holidays I had as a child or the countless short holiday with friends around Europe. The most adventurous family holiday would be to Egypt. Other than that, it was a sunny beach trip to Malta or Kos. Egypt for a 12/13-year-old was a wonder within itself. Who knew there was so much to see? It absolutely baffled me, and as I was taken by my dad, we stayed at a posh hotel and enjoyed some of the coolest activities I still have done!

    During the two holidays we had in Egypt, we saw the pyramids- which within itself was purely amazing. The structure that still stands and the only ancient wonder of the world that still exists. It’s truly a sight to see. We also visited the Valley of the Kings, saw pharaoh’s tombs, stayed on the river Nile, snorkelled for the first time, and saw the infamous Tutankhamun mask. It was really an eye-opening experience for a teenager to experience. It was a totally new culture, a different way of life. It really made me appreciate what I had and how lucky I am.

    Beyond the trips to Egypt, I would go on Lads holidays to party islands like Malia and Kavos. It wasn’t really my thing, but we had a good friend group and we made some of the best memories during those holidays. It was almost like being in the inbetweeners if you have seen it. As I am not a big drinker, it can become boring. I was more into the chill days by the pool with friends and booming music and having laughs than going to the clubs to get hammered. But it was an experience nonetheless and taught me a lot on the way.

    We did do a city trip as a smaller group and visited Rome for the football and sights which was a totally different style of holiday we were used to at the time.

    So all in all, I would say I was quite limited with holidays beyond the typical family trip abroad.

    But travelling has always been on my bucket list. And since experiencing it recently I am now driven to try and experience all I can.

    I believe that to discover whether travelling is for you, you need to ask yourself a series of questions.

    Firstly, you must determine whether you are looking to travel for a short-term/temporary or for a long-term/permanent.

    Some people look at travelling as a break from life, whether it’s a few weeks or even a few months. You can remove yourself from the stresses of your current life and experience a long-term break to help discover personal/individual goals before jumping back into the busy life you were in. Some people use it as a coping mechanism to hit an invisible reset button. Others just love to have holidays every so often to break up their lives.

    A much smaller percentage of people want to commit long-term to travel – or as I describe it, having the travel bug. Being able to travel long-term is no easy feat. Take me for example who is currently writing this blog on a wet July morning. The opportunities to see just make it all worth it. But there are a lot of changes one must make to enter that style of living. It’s more of a full commitment; less so like a change of careers. For some people who take this path, they don’t have plans to return, others look to live a simpler life.

    What do you want in life/What would make you happy?

    What are you drawn towards? It’s no easy question to answer, but it’s a stepping stone to deciding whether this life is for you or not. It’s not something you have to answer straight away or even something you are certain about. It may come to you like an epiphany, who knows? But to make this decision, you need to hit a certain level of agreement to make this step.

    No matter how you answered that last question, you can still look at the next question as a way of finding yourself.

    If you could close your eyes and imagine yourself doing anything in the world right now, what would you choose?

    This could be anything! Whether it’s your dream job of becoming a footballer, surgeon or running a charity to help children in Africa. There’s something inside of all of us that gives us a burning passion for something. You might not know it, but it’s there. It’s taken me many wrong turns and mistakes to even get close to finding out what this is and I’m ready to make more to figure it out.

    I for one, imagine myself on a quiet sandy white beach, with a fresh coconut, reading a book or getting ready for a snorkelling/scuba diving trip. What comes to your mind? It doesn’t need to have anything to do with travelling at all!

    This gives you a simple view of something you want to reach, some goal that you desire to reach.

    Are you willing to make this a reality?

    This is an important question to ask. A lot of people have dreams and personal aspirations they want to reach, but not everyone is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to make this possible. To me, it comes down to what’s more important. what you need to sacrifice to achieve this or your need or want to make it happen.

    You might have a high drive to become a traveller but are held back by the lack of drive or motivation to make it happen. This could be saving the amount you need for a travel package or prioritising a better lifestyle. Anyone looking to travel would need to look at making some life changes to make their dreams come true. For some, the sacrifice will be greater. It really comes down to how much you want to reach your dreams.

    These fundamentals are here to challenge your current situation, and your future ambitions, to figure out how happy you are vs where you can be. I hope you can use these questions to understand more about yourself. Travelling is something that I would recommend to all to learn about the world and most importantly, themselves.

    Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post. I hope that you were able to learn more about your desire to travel and the fundamental considerations to think about.

    For those who make the decision to travel, you will not regret it. And for those who don’t, I hope you find happiness in what you are doing. It’s not built for everyone, but for me and Aimee, it is.

    This is Jack’s past experiences and perspectives regarding travel, as part of Ourtwostepstart. For more travel content, check out our content on Instagram and YouTube, which you can find on this website!