best solo travel destinations – Our Two Step Start

Koh Tao Revolution Hostel by the Beach

As you may have seen, we have we have covered many budget friendly hostels across the north of Thailand in various locations for you to make the most out of your trip… and your money. 3 of these have been with Revolution Hostel who are the most popular Hostel chain in Thailand that offers all you need if you are an avid traveller. Find this one here.

The hostels covered have included pools, nightlife, amazing tours and so much more!

If you don’t know already, Koh Tao is an island off the east coast of Thailand that boasts such beauty.

It’s an Island we haven’t broke down for you guys to make the most of yet, I’m sure we will, but for now we will focus on Revolution!

*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 🙂

Location

Now, we are starting off with maybe the best part of the Hostel first. Koh Tao is an Island which means you will have a much different experience than what you did when you were staying on the mainland with Revolution.

The location is pretty much perfect except for one major point, so let’s get onto that. The location you are dropped off from when you make the ferry journey to the island is mighty far away from where the hostel resides. When we arrived, it was probably a 45 minutes walk, if not an hour, for us to make it to Revolution Hostel. We are ask travellers so we don’t mind a nice walk across an island. But with a heavy backpack and a long tiring journey from mainland, it’s the last thing you want to do.

The only way you can avoid walking Is by hiring a bike or car. The bike is simple enough, but the car definitely would not fit down the narrow paths for a direct route to the hostel. A car would require to go out and away from the main areas and round the island to get to the hostel, potentially taking 30-45 minutes and costing you money. So it can be hard/costly to find your way to the hostel, but once you are there, there is no drawbacks at all.

You are located at the crossroads of 2 busy streets, perfectly placed next to good food spots regardless of your favourite cuisine. But the most important thing to note is how close you are to the beach. The beach is literally a 1 minute walk away and you know that the views from the beach are magical.

Hostel Room Experience

The room we stayed in was a 6 bedroom mixed dorm which currently costs £14.94 per person per night. The room was very simplistic but had all the essentials a good hostel has. This includes lockers, a bathroom, charging ports, and most of all… curtains.

Even though the room was quite small for 6 people, it felt very quiet and independent once the curtains were closed. The bed was super comfortable and had enough room for a good nights sleep for sure.

The bathroom was spacious, with a good shower so there’s not much to explain there! Also, each of the rooms had cool names from cities all around the world… I believe we were Sydney but there was loads dotted about.

We would always recommend people who are travelling alone to try dorms to meet people experience more of what the travelling life has to offer.

Other Rooms Available

As it is one of the smaller complexes from a Rev hostel, there were limited types of hostels that you can book.

For instance, a 6 person dorm is the only sized room you can book and the only differences in these rooms would be a ‘deluxe’ or ‘standard room’

I’ll be honest, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between them but the only one we could find was that the deluxe was inclusive of curtains for independence. And let’s be honest, for less than £1 a night, why wouldn’t you pay the extra??

There are independent rooms which you can book the Standard double bed private suite which as you guessed it is a room for you and one other for only £41.37 per night! If you think about it, it’s only £6 more than what you pay for a dorm.

If you are looking to kick back and relax or want to escape the busyness of a dorm, then this is the perfect opportunity!

Social areas

Koh Tao revolution has a great social area located around reception which is where they host all of their event nights and games. It’s equipped with a bar, computable chairs, benches and even a pool table. They have live DJs who play music to keep the atmosphere pumping well into the night if you like. Or if you just want to chill with a drink, there are nice, quieter spots that are perfect for you.

The social spots are a great place to meet new people and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Events

Now this is where Revolution truly stand out from the rest…

They are world renowned for their amazing trips and experiences. So there’s no better place to look for those once-in-a-lifetime memories.

The Koh Tao Rev hostel is no different with loads of events to choose from. This includes sunset paddle boarding, Cliff jumping, diving and open water courses, shark bay snorkelling, abandoned hikes, and of course a glow-up party!

We did visit shark bay for snorkelling which was an amazing experience, one you can check out ‘here‘. to see our full experience! But the hostel truly has so much to offer, and so does the island with it’s tours. No matter which tour you choose, you will be getting the best of the best and they will not disappoint.

The reps who look after the tours are super friendly and always happy to help regardless of the situation.

Overall Experience

The hostel is definitely up there with some of the best we have stayed at. The views, location, events and people really make this a special place to stay when visiting Koh Tao. You can find out more and book here.

The hostel really offers so much more than just a place to sleep, it’s a place to make lifelong friends, have forever kept memories, and so much more. We honestly couldn’t recommend this hostel enough, and if we ever make it back to the wonderful island of Koh Tao, we know exactly where we will be staying!! Find out more about their branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, & Pai.

Find our Travel Essentials!

We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:

We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!

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

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Aling Aling Waterfall Experience – Complete Guide

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 🙂

Jack of Ourtwostepstart Jumping from one of the Aling Aling waterfall jumps!

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!

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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!

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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.

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Khao Sok National Park Travel Guide

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 🙂

Floating bungalows in Khao Sok National Park, Thailand — *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 seen in Khao Sok national Park — *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 the national park lake, Thailand — *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!

Floating bungalows in Khao Sok National Park.