Wanting to visit Rome in 2025? This city is bursting full of exciting activities, beautiful places to visit, fun foods to try; and even our list won’t touch the sheer amount of things to do! But, we hope this list is a great start to building your bucket list trip to Rome! We will also link some top places to stay (for all budgets), and some extra activities for some additional inspiration!
*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 🙂
Our top list of things to do inRome
Take in the views of the Colosseum
Eat some infamous pizza and pasta
Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain
Wander the Market at Campo de’ Fiori
Take an authentic cooking class
See the works of Caravaggio and Bernini at the Galleria Borghese
Visit a country in a country with the Vatican City
Marvel at the Pantheon
Take a walking tour and see the hidden beauties around Rome
Have a glimpse of the Roman Empire with the Roman Forum
Activity Recommendations
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour – Explore some of Rome’s most impressive structures with this guided tour. With the help of a passionate dedicated guide, learn about the history of Rome with a knowledgeable host. Included you get entry to the Colosseum (and access to the arena if selected), entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine hill, and additional headsets to make sure your head your guide clearly. You can book this here.
The Original Roman Crypts and Catacombs Tour – For those open to seeing something a little different, the catacombs have proven a very popular attraction in Rome. Go underground with a knowledgeable host where you will explore the crypts and catacombs. See the bones of 4,000 Capuchin monks at the Bone Chapel, explore the network of sacred tunnels is associated with the first Christians in ancient Rome, and finish the tour with a tour around the hidden gem of the Basilica of San Martino ai Monti. You can book this here.
Pasta & Tiramisu Class with Wine by the Vatican – Who goes to Italy and misses a cooking class?! Discover the local secrets to making pasta and tiramisu in a locally loved restaurant, nestled in the foodie neighbourhood near the Vatican. With this small group, enjoy free flowing wine and prosecco, as you learn how to make these traditional dishes from scratch. Book it here.
Authentic Wine Tasting in a Historic Vineyard – Venture outside of the city centre to Rome’s countryside, to taste some locally sourced wines as you embark on a journey where you’ll learn about wine production and the philosophy behind it, wine making techniques, and heat the stories behind what makes these wines special. Find out more here.
Places to stay
Here are some of our recommendations for staying in Rome
Budget Traveler :
Generator Rome – Close to the Colosseum and Termini Station, this hostel offers both dorms and private dorms, boasting a 8.3 rating from over 2,000 reviews on HostelWorld. For dorms, they offer rooms of 4, 6 and 8 people, with the option of female only or mixed dorms. Nights start from around £26pp. You can book it here.
Mid Budget Traveler :
Just Chilling Suite – Situated 200 metres from Santa Maria Maggiore, this hotel has a fabulous rating of 8.8 from over 1,400 reviews, in a great location in Rome. Rooms start at around just under £100, and there is even an option to have a room with a hot tub in your bedroom! Find it here.
Luxury Traveler :
Rhea Silvia Luxury Navona – Set directly in Piazza Navona, this hotel offers elegant accommodation, with reviews saying their hotel room views are “unmatched”. With options to have breakfast included, the rooms include deluxe double/twin rooms, triple rooms with a view, the king suite with a spa bath, and the deluxe king suite. Rooms start from around £190. Book it here.
Have you done any of these things?
Would you add anything else to this list? If you have been previously, what is your favourite thing to do? And if you haven’t been, what is your most wanted thing to do?
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!
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!
We post 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!
Travel fears are real, especially if you are younger. Just because you are older and more travel-wise it doesn’t mean that the fears are gone at all. The travel fears are super real and can be apparent even for the most experienced travelers. Anywhere you go will offer new challenges and create new fears. But the real question is, how do you overcome those fears?
A lot of fears from travel come from the unknown and unexpected outcomes. This can be new locations, new people or new activities. But there are definitely ways to not only overcome them, but thrive during this time. It’s not simple at all but if you follow these steps then you will be well on your way to getting there.
Fear Identification
First of all you have to identify the fear. This may seem very obvious but it isn’t as straight forward as you may seem. If you are looking to book your first solo travel trip and come to a sticking point when booking – even though it’s the perfect trip, it is most likely due to fear/worry. You know you haven’t done this before, and I’m sure you have friends or family who are worried on your behalf which hasn’t helped. This seems pretty obvious what the fear is. But for other circumstances it may not be so clear.
You have to figure it out the problem before you can look to solve this problem. The solving can be mighty difficult if you don’t know what you are supposed to solve.
The fear could be an activity you have done previously and enjoyed thoroughly, or a place you love. Sometimes it’s the things you can be most comfortable with that can include or build up fears. Maybe it’s a previous experience or maybe a high expectation that you’ve set or maybe it’s slightly different? There’s many factors that can alter and develop old feeling and turn them into fear.
So the best way to identify this would be to break the idea down. Split it into parts to help see where the fear is located. If you are worried about going to a conference, then is it due to meeting new people, or having to do a speech, or maybe something simple like eating in public? There will be an isolated fear somewhere, you just may have to dig further down into the activity or place to locate it.
Gradual Exposure vs Instant Exposure
Now these two cannot work hand-in-hand but is the main two ways in which people can overcome a fear which is preventing them. They both work towards the same goal of breaking that fear and reaching that ultimate goal. But it’s done in different ways so let’s delve deeper into what they mean and how they can help.
Gradual Exposure
Gradual exposure is the art of taking things slow to reach the goal. This will be part exposure to get comfortable. An example would be if you are scared of spiders, you would start with being in the same room with one. Once this becomes comfortable, you will then get a little closer and with time, get to the point you can stand by them without sprinting out the room. This is a ‘gradual’ process that can take up to weeks or months to master. It allows your body to be at ease with whatever your fear is.
This is aimed towards more reserved people who are less impulsive and spontaneous, but still have a desired goal at hand. They are to edge closer at their pace where they can comfortably go and make progress this way as they aren’t able to move any quicker. Which leads perfectly into Instant Exposure.
If we use a bungee jump or sky dive for example, someone who looks to use gradual exposure may start of with a small ledge, then onto diving in a pool. All the way up to a cliff jump and then onto the idea, the final fear.
Once they reach this fear, they will see it as a 3 metre dive or a cliff jump. In an attempt to trick the brain and reassure that we have done something similar before. The brain is more comfortable as it’s done something that’s somewhat similar, regardless of the scale and becomes more confident
Instant Exposure
Instant exposure is the simple decision to throw themselves into it in any means. This may not be directly into the fear, but into something similar that can massage that fear and allow for an easy jump next time. An example of this is a visiting a new place. A new place is scary and way outside your comfort zone. However, booking a flight may not be, neither is getting on a plane or being in an airport.
The idea of a new place is what you focus on though. But you know it’s very similar to what you have done many times before. You may even be staying at a hotel/hostel chain you have stayed at before, just at a different location. These familiarities is growing the confidence your body has.
For the instant exposure, it’s more of ‘faking it till you make it’ and being spontaneous by dealing with the ‘fear’ later. You are to trick the brain that you can’t go back as you have booked it. Another example would be an interview. We have all been nervous and wanted to cancel an interview right before attending it. Your brain will come up with excuses or reasons why you shouldn’t go, but these aren’t real reasons but more-so any excuse not to turn up.
The actual hardest step of conquering that fear is to simply accept you are doing it. Just booking it in, whether it’s a scary sky dive or an interview. Your body will kick in and complete the fear, but booking it can be the real sticking point. So sometimes your brain works better when you just book it and deal with the fear once you are in front of it.
Examples of Travel Fear & Overcoming Them
Skydiving
Sky Diving or any sort of fear that drives from height is tough to overcome. We know people who have legitimate crippling fear of heights and it’s not fun to watch. However, if you take the gradual exposure approach, you will start with something that’s comfortable, your limit which may be a 2 metre ledge or looking down out of a 3/4 story window. As you are in control of the situation, you are likely to get comfortable and feel safe at some point which allows the opportunity to increase the levels. You are to increase it as close to the fear as possible. So, if you are comfortable with the height but don’t like the jumping aspect, you start with diving in a pool and work your way up.
You end when you feel ready to book that sky dive and feel satisfied that what you have achieved so far, is close to the overall goal.
For instant exposure, it’s the hurdle of booking it. A good way to get comfortable with the idea of booking it is speaking with people who have done it before. A positive response will lower the fear a little, and make you one step closer to booking that skydive. When it comes to the sky dive, you will recite what you have learned from either of the types of exposure and use that to fuel the almighty jump. Remember, there will be many reasons flowing through your brain on why you shouldn’t do it. Such as what if the parachute doesn’t pull or you faint. But in reality, this is there to put you off so just focus on the end goal.
Instant exposure is the task of small steps in the process, whereas gradual is small experiences towards the process.
Solo Travel
Solo travel is probably one of the hardest to overcome for travelers, as it combines many different fears in one. It’s worrying how to meet friends, or reacting to any problems that may occur, or even visiting a new place which adds further fear. For gradual fear there are a few ways to dealing with this. You can tackle the fears individually or at a scaled level.
Individually might be visiting a new place in locally for you, with a friend or family member. You are likely to be comfortable with this and enjoy it. You then can build it up by visiting this place again but by yourself. This will allow you to be more confident in your own presence and learn to enjoy your company. The next step could be to visit somewhere close-by on your own which you haven’t been before. You can just do a small time there or just a walk to get comfortable. Maybe even stop for a coffee or a small lunch here.
You will become accustom to being in your own company and in new/different places which is imitating the feeling of what you are likely to feel when you solo travel. So you are forced to ask for help if you need or ordering food at the bar to strangers, it’s all a step in the right direction and will build up your confidence in being a solo traveller.
Instant Exposure is a simpler path but a lot harder to conquer, it’s all about mental reassurance and attempting to book the experience and ‘go with the flow’. Doing it this way can be helped by speaking to people who have experience solo travelling or even reaching out to groups online who are planning to be in the same place as you at the same time. If you meet fellow travellers, you can support each other in booking that solo trip and making that leap into the fear. After all, the booking is the hardest part. If you can create friends who are to be there when you are, it will feel like you are travelling with a friend rather than being a solo traveler meeting strangers.
Conclusion
These examples and types of exposures can be assigned to any type of fear you have when travelling. You either need to imitate a scenario and almost role play to get comfortable, allowing your body to understand the task and how to overcome it. Or rather find ways of booking the opportunity with the support of others and using your own experiences as you know booking the fear, is usually always the hardest part.
We have both experienced many travel fears in which we have overcome many. This includes solo travel, meeting new people, new experiences and so much more. It’s becoming accustom to venturing outside your comfort zone and a whole lot of f**k it moments.
So you are aware, Aimee runs off instant exposure and normally books before realising what the fears are or look to face them head on. Whereas Jack is somewhere in between depending on the scenario. You have to find what works best for you and decide on how you want to attack the fear. As no one can conquer it for you but you!
Thank you for following the blog and we hope this truly helps you overcome those long or newly developed fears with travel or even other aspects of your life. If you did find this helpful, do like the blog and subscribe for more blogs to come!
Do let us know what your travel fears are in the comments below! We may talk in another blog regarding our experiences of overcoming our own fears and how we did it so if you want to know more, let us know.
You can follow our daily travels and experiences using our social media’s below! Do check it out as we are heading off to Thailand soon with a whole lot of Thai content to come!
Find our Travel Essentials!
We have a full list of recommendations for any travels! Check out our:
We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!
Trip.com– Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Eat With– Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our Latest Vlog here!
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!
Slow travelling is something we touched upon in a recent blog called ‘Fast Travel vs Slow Travel‘ which compared slow travel and fast travel. It’s understanding what they both are and which would be better suited to your travel needs and plans. It’s not a topic many think of when deciding to travel but really provides insight on how to plan your trip and helps you to make the most everyday.
For those who aren’t aware of what slow travel is, it’s pretty simple. Slow travel is the design to travel at a slower pace. Now, this can be for a number of reasons. And this is what we look to delve deeper into later on in this blog. But slow travel isn’t usually the common type of travel for most.
Fast travel seems to be a lot more popular and here’s why. The main benefit of fast travel is so you can see more place compare to slow travel. It’s like visiting a sweet shop and buying one of everything. You know you are buying too much, but you don’t know when you will be in the sweet shop again so you make sure you don’t miss out. When travelling there is so much to see and do, travelers often get FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). It’s common and leads people to visit more places just to cram it all in. This partnered with the fact that many travelers only do this part time or rarely meaning they aren’t likely to be back at this corner of the globe any time soon. So they think ‘while I’m here I might as well make the most of it.
But this is enough about fast travel, after all, it’s not the topic of conversation.
Benefits of Slow Travel
As mentioned above, slow travel comes with a lot of benefits which we will put under the microscope now.
Becoming A Local
The main benefit of slow travel is being able to enjoy the places you visit more. Picture this, you have 2/3 days in each location and you are constantly rushing around to complete to ‘top things to do in each location’. By doing this, you will be missing out on the rest of the activities in the location as well as a host of things to do there. This includes the best coffee shops, places to eat and so much more.
Slow travel really allows you to savour each moment and enjoy the little things. If you are just racing through each place you may not remember much about it other than the ‘big activity’. Some of the fondest memories is the ones where you weren’t necessarily doing the craziest of activities, rather, the most simple. An example of this would be enjoying a late night sing along with locals in Indonesia where a local was playing guitar and we sat with him and his friends for hours singing. It was amazing!
Sometimes you need to just embrace the place you are in, take a moment to be present to enjoy it the most.
Recovery Days
Traveling will be an amazing experience no matter where you go. Whether you enjoy partying, living off grid or just exploring new cultures, you will be sure to have the time of your life. So many memories will be made and you will likely see more than most. However, a lot of people don’t mention one of the downsides to travel.
It. Is. Exhausting.
First of all, living out of a backpack or suitcase is pretty simple for a few weeks but when you are venturing into months or even years, it can be quite a challenge. Not to mention the endless activities you have planned each day to make the most of each trip. The last thing you want to do is have an ‘off day’ and miss out on some awesome experience!
So don’t!
It’s super important, if not a necessity to allow for down days. Days where you can relax and allow your body to recover. You have to think, a lot of your travel time will be lugging round a heavy bag and moving from place to place so 1-3 days every so often is so needed.
For traveling, we would recommend roughly a 2 day break every 3-4 weeks depending on how fast you travel and how much of a veteran you are at traveling. After a busy few weeks jumping from place to place and completing daring, once-in-a-lifetime activities, there’s no better way to spend some time.
For this, we would recommend you to find a place near the beach (if possible), a pool would work well also. And spend time to yourself, reading a book, or relaxing in the sun and taking the days easy. For adrenaline seekers, this may seem boring. However, your body cannot keep going at a fast pace forever when travelling so make sure to take this breaks to avoid travel burn out.
We would suggest to maybe revisit some old fond memories you enjoyed before travelling such as tennis or hiking but do it without feeling the need to be somewhere. Have a wander up the beach or through some shops and really let your body recover. It’s important to note that your mind would need a rest also. Having a few days without a packed schedule might help with this.
Avoid Missing Out
Travelling really is an open ended book. You have the possibility to experience whatever you want in each location and it’s your job, as the author, to make these decisions. A slow travel plan will allow you to learn about travelling on the way and maybe even be informed by fellow travellers of new, unheard of experiences that you are interested in. Research can only give you so much.
The idea of slow travel is learning more about each place and embracing the little things so when you go you will have added time in each location. This will give you a buffer so that if there are any other activities in a location you might not of planned for, then you have the time to schedule it in.
If you are running off a fast paced travel schedule, you will either have to miss out of the activity or substitute it with another which either way, you will be missing out.
Flexibility
Even if you have done hours and hours of research into where you are heading, and planned it perfectly, it doesn’t mean your schedule will work perfectly. You have to understand you are heading into new places which running totally different to what you are used to. They may have poorer transport, or different open and closing times which you can’t always plan for.
Slow travel lets you substitute your time and move about days to suit any issues that may arise. An example would be in Philippines which have poor transportation links which require a few days buffer. If not, you will have to lose out on parts of your plan. If we had planned slow travel, then we could of worked around it with the added days as safety. This is a mistake we aim to not make again as we missed out on one of our top activities because of this and we don’t want you to do the same.
Overview
Slow travelling is, at least for us, the desired way of travelling. It really allows you to make the most of your time and be flexible when deciding on your plans. There’s so many things that can delay your travels that are out of your hands, it’s best to have a little buffer. Therefore, you can still see everything you want plus more without missing out on your bucket list activities. Obviously, this is location specific but we would look to use this method when visiting most places. Your body will always need a day or more to recover when travelling so make sure to adhere to your bodies needs before getting travel burnout.
Thank you for reading this blog and we hope you enjoyed! If you did, make sure to subscribe for more blogs and check out our social media’s below to follow along with our daily travels. This includes a VERY exciting trip to Thailand over the next month where we will give you loads of Thailand related content!!
We post weekly Youtube Videos! Please check out our newest Vlog from Bangkok!
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!
Bangkok is a bustling city that truly never sleeps so make sure your Instagram posts don’t either! There’s an endless supply of activity so make sure to keep your posts booming for all your followers and get them dreaming of their own Bangkok adventure’s!
Also, check out our Social Media’s for our amazing travelling journey! Hint Hint: we have just came back from our trip to Thailand!!
Planning a trip to Chiang Mai? This hostel is a top pick for visiting, from top-tier trips and discounts, social evenings, free dinners, a pool, the list goes on! Carry on reading to find out exactly why we loved Revolution hostel so much, and how you can visit when you go Chiang Mai, Thailand!
*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 🙂
Chiang Mai is one of the largest cities outside of Bangkok in the north of Thailand. However, the centre of Chiang Mai is a small quarter which is surrounded completely by an old moat with a few bridges crossing. The Revolution Hostel is located on the east side of the centre inside the moat allowing for easy walks to the centre and even perfectly placed between the two largest markets in the area.
Also, around the corner are quite a few breakfast and food spots which are highly rated, and bars across the road if you like some nightlife. Don’t forget there is always a 7/11 around the corner which is always handy for snacks, drinks and more.
Hostel Room Experience
The hostel room we stayed in was a 4 person dorm right next to the pool which was perfect! The room itself had good space and much needed luggage room under the bed for storage. The bed were suuuper comfy and had shelves for storage as well as a curtain if you aren’t feeling too social.
The en-suite is one of the better touches with a large bathroom. It’s rare to find an en-suite in Thailand with a hostel that is large enough to separate the toilet and shower to avoid any issues. The room overall was a great offering for the price and had all you needed in a dorm room in Chiang Mai.
The Hostel has many other rooms available for your preference. These include a 4/6/9/10 bed dorms as well as private rooms. Some of these dorms have a unique style. The 9 bed dorm is a 3 tier bunk bed which we have never seen before. The other dorms are as usual and offer the same facilities as the 4 bed dorm we described above.
The private rooms are a great spot for a small group of friends or couples. Sometimes you need a break away from the busy dorms so do check out the private rooms available. Some of the private rooms offer 3 beds so if you have 2 friends then why not. The rooms are super spacious and are actually tucked away from the social areas of the hostel which offer a quieter experience.
Social Areas
The hostel has 2 main social areas with one being the pool area. Here is it busy during the day with many enjoying the pool and the games in the area – whereas others might just be enjoying the weather and relaxing ready for the evening. Considering you are in a large city, it’s pretty surprising to see a hostel with a pool. But it definitely changes your experience so much! There are also tables alongside the pool for games such as beer pong and a newly opened drinks bar where you can enjoy alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks during the day.
The main social area around the reception at the entrance to the hostel. Here you have benches which are ideal to social on with a bar to get drinks throughout the day and into the evening. This space also has an upstairs area which unfortunately was being renovated during our stay but is perfect for travellers who are working while they travel. Its can also be used as a quieter space. In the social area they have a large board which outlines the evening activities alongside tomorrows evening activities and a whole host of tours that the hostels provide – but we shall get onto this later.
An important but small addition to this area is a water outlet for drinking. It costs 1 Baht to fill up a normal sized water which is crazy cheap but also stops people from reusing plastic bottles to help the environment. Lovely touch.
This area is usually where the hostels evening events will start. The people attending will be given a time to meet in this area and mingle before heading out for the evening. It’s a great spot to meet people and have a few drinks before the event.
Events
The hostel offers a wide range of events for their guests and they really don’t disappoint. The one we enjoyed the most was the elephants we visited! This experience truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one we won’t forget. The best part of the experience really was that the elephants were protected and are allowed to roam. During our trip, we spent the time looking for the elephants and finding them. The elephants were of course eating and relaxing where we spent some time stroking and taking photos of them. Once we finished, we went on a short walk to a local waterfall and enjoyed the water which was super relaxing. For Aimee, it was her 1st waterfall so she absolutely loved it!!
We wandered back to the main area where the elephants were enjoying time in the local river and we joined in! We ended up washing the elephants and spending time with them before have a lovely lunch overlooking the elephants enjoying their lunch also. The experience was honestly amazing and we would totally recommend anyone who visits Chiang Mai Revolution to go on this experience! The other events include a pub crawl, watching Muay Thai fighting, Cooking classes, sticky waterfall and Drag Queen Cabaret!
The events are very broad which caters to many people and are very reasonably priced for the experiences. We would recommend doing atleast 2 experiences while at the hostel as all the people we spoke with during our stay said they were totally worth it.
Would We Recommend
The hostel offers a whole host of room options to stay with the needed amenities in each. The beds were comfy and there was ample space for your luggage to store. The social areas are really the highlight of the hostel with a swimming pool and loungers! This is pretty rare for a hostel in the city and is a great addition. They also have a bar so if you want a chill day, you can enjoy the pool and drinks at the bar in peace. However, they also have an evening social spot to enjoy and meet people. It’s the perfect place to meet fellow travelers and like-minded people.
The events and activities during the day and in the evening really are the star of the show for the hostel. You can enjoy some crazy nights and unforgettable experiences with the hostel and we couldn’t recommend it more!
The hostel is more than just a nights stay, they provided a family feel and allow you to get the most of your experience in Chiang Mai whether it’s a 2-day stop or you are here for weeks!
We also wanted to highlight a big thank you to Lyndsey, the manager at Revolution Chiang Mai; Jack fell extremely ill during his stay in Chiang Mai, and needed a hospital visit. Lyndsey and the Revs team did everything they could to help in this situation, and we were SO grateful of their help and assistance throughout our stay.
We post weekly Youtube Videos! Please check out our newest Vlog from Bangkok!
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!
Bangkok is a bustling city that truly never sleeps so make sure your Instagram posts don’t either! There’s an endless supply of activity so make sure to keep your posts booming for all your followers and get them dreaming of their own Bangkok adventure’s!
Also, check out our Social Media’s for our amazing travelling journey! Hint Hint: we have just came back from our trip to Thailand!!
There is a brand new eSIM provider that you NEED to see! They create great packages for business travel and tourism, meaning you can be connected to data wherever you go; straight from landing with the plane! This is Yesim, and let us show you why you need to get it!
With many 5 star ratings, we will explain more about this new eSIM provider that is becoming very popular (and it is even backed by companies such as world packers & Raiffeisen Bank)!
Carry on reading to get a €3 discount for your next eSIM purchase, alongside us breaking down what exactly is an eSIM, and why you need it for your travels!
*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 🙂
A somewhat new concept that is becoming very popular in the travel community, eSIM’s are simply an electronic SIM card.
Instead of taking out and swapping between SIM cards, you can download this eSIM directly to your phone (check it’s compatibility first); meaning less hassle, and a safer way to change to your different data plans! You simply turn ‘off’ your home sim, then turn on the eSIM.
Similarly to standard SIM card plans, Yesim offers both specified data allowances (such as 10GB), or unlimited data plans- meaning you wont have a cap or extra charges for your data usage!
Why do we use eSIM’s
For us, eSIM’s has made travelling SO much easier! Guaranteed one of us two will usually buy an eSIM prior to departure, that we can switch on once we land in the country we are headed to!
This then means if we struggle to find wifi or SIM card availability, one of us is guaranteed to have data, for if any problems do arise! It just feels a LOT safer when we go away.
Yesim Data Plans
Yesim offers some great packages dependant on your needs!
From individual country plans (such as a Thailand eSIM, Italy eSIM etc), to Regional eSIMs (such as Southeast Asia, South America etc), alongside global packages, and uniquely, Business packages.
Their plans have over 800+ network providers, meaning for seamless connectivity wherever you go! Something interesting to note is that they offer unlimited data packages, which not all eSIM providers do!
Most plans start from around £1.30/GB, with such a long list of countries provided.
Yesim Deals
Something very unique we have seen with Yesim is that they offer discounts that are ‘seasonal’.
For the upcoming Olympic Games in France, you can buy their SIM card here, with using the code OLYMPIC24 for €2 discount off of your purchase!
They also have a rewards system using Ycoins, where 100 coins will equal one euro to spend! By referring friends you can gain Ycoins to use for future eSIM purchases!
Yesim Discount Code
Now, its finally time to share the discount code!
Once you click this link, use code travelpayouts2024 on checkout to receive €3 discount from your purchase! It’s really that easy to get cheap data that quickly!
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.
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
Want a central hostel in the heart of everything while in Zagreb? After spending one night in this traveller friendly hostel/hotel combo, we wanted to share more! The Chillout Hostel has the best of both worlds; hostel dorms for the budget friendly extrovert, and hotel and private facilities for those liking a bit more privacy!
Carry on reading to hear about our experience in this hostel, and why you should be staying here for your next Zagreb trip!
*This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂
Situated in the heart of Zagreb city centre, Chillout Hostel is in Ilica 16, right next to all of the landmarks, nightlife, shops, restaurants and more! Just on the doorstep you will found countless things to do and see! It is also near tram links, meaning easy access around the rest of the city!
The hostel itself shares areas with the Timeout Heritage Hotel, so you will enter the same entrance for both!
Private Room Experience
For our stay, we stayed in a private room, with private en-suite bathroom. This came at €60 per night for 2 people.
To begin with, the room was beautiful and extremely unique! The walls were covered in a newspaper print, with fascinating and quirky stories printed throughout! It then had green and gold accents… it really was stunning! The room had high ceilings and a balcony (somewhat communal? It was chained off between rooms but still visible to other rooms).
We had a double bed which was comfy, a full length mirror, a vanity dresser, wardrobe and fridge to keep things cool! (Please don’t forget to grab your snacks though… as sadly we forgot our chocolate in there 😦 …)
The bathroom was very clean. We had a sink with a large mirror, then a shower cubicle with a GREAT water pressure… oh the little things in life! The flooring even had glitter running throughout!
We were also given an electronic key card for entry, which also gives you additional perks which we will explain a bit further down!
Other Rooms Available
Within the Chillout Hostel, you can book a standard double en-suite (which we booked), a mixed dorm of 6 bunk beds (from around £30), or a mixed dorm of 4 bunk beds (from around £35).
The dorms include their own en-suite bathrooms, and as many European accommodations, you will need to pay a city tax additionally.
Social Areas
The hostel had many social areas!
We decided to have a drink in the rooftop terrace the evening we arrived- there is a great cocktail menu, it just depends what your budget is as most cocktails were €10+. The terrace was busy, staff were attentive, and music was playing etc!
Another area was the downstairs seating, which you would’ve walked through to reach check out! Although we didn’t sit here, we saw many people using this as a working area in the morning, but a social area in the evening!
Bunker Nightclub
Now this was fun! Additional to the social areas mentioned above, this hostel features it’s own built in nightclub!
We mentioned the key cards didn’t we? So, the entry fee of the nightclub is squashed once you show your key card, meaning free entry to their club!
Each night is themed different, with our stay falling on the 00’s disco night! However, it was mores a late 00’s-10’s music, with the odd more modern song included!
The club was split into different areas, with extremely cool neon graffiti throughout! The drinks were a little expensive, however that is to be expected in most night-clubs.
Tours available
At the hostel desk you will find different posters and leaflets, including some discounts for tours! One of the discounts included is for the museum of hangovers, something we will soon be sharing about!
Just ask at the front desk for any assistance.
There is also a group chat you can join, telling you about anything happening at the hostel!
Would we recommend staying at the Chillout Hostel?
We would recommend staying at the Chillout Hostel! It was in such a great location, with clean facilities and friendly staff. You can book it here.
Is it worth the cost?
For a capital city hostel in Europe, we did think the price was okay! In comparison to local hotels we couldn’t really complain!
There was a few cheaper options, but for this location and the nightlife we are happy with our choice!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading our review of the Chillout Hostel in Zagreb!
If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!
We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!
Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!
Europe is full of many beautiful rural spots to look at nature. Whether it’s admiring the alp mountains or just the fields of southern France, it’s widely known to have scenic countryside views which many don’t know about. Being European, we attempt to visit Europe often to enjoy the major cities but also some of the lesser known locations and smaller towns and cities in different countries. The location of Aarhus, Denmark was one we didn’t know much about and when doing our research we came across a local park outside the city which was known for having wild deer which you could walk with… So we did exactly that!
Read more to find out about the Marselisborg Deer Park and how you can walk alongside wild deer in Denmark!
*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 🙂
As our Aarhus trip was a 24 hour holiday, we didn’t have much time to lose and probably would of spent a little more time in the park if we had time. You can out a bit more about Aarhus here. Alongside our 24 hour trip here!
Whilst in Aarhus you can stay at this hostel for a budget friendly (& high quality) stay!
The best way to get to the park is either through a private taxi, but as budget travellers we opted to wait for the public bus, which you can catch from Aarhus’ city centre.
As we were on a schedule, waiting for the bus wasn’t the smartest idea as we waited for an hour at least but finally the bus arrived. It’s only a 10/20 minute bus ride out of the city to a small bus stop at the Ballehage/Ørneredevej bus station . From here you walk 10 minutes into the woods following a small road which leads up to a trail. The park is by the water and is protected with fences. As you enter you are given signs of how to stay safe.
The Deer Park + Experience
The deer can be very protective – especially with the males if it is mating season. So make sure to take caution and make no sudden movements when near them. Now you have entered and closed the gate behind you, you can wander around the park and explore to see what you can find. As we were late, we only spend roughly 1 hour 30 here but would likely spend more.
About 5 minutes into the park is an open area where the majority of the deer stay which is the best spot.
We would totally recommend spending a little to buy some fresh carrots or apples from the local shop to feed the animals. We weren’t aware of this before going but managed to find some on the floor to feed them which was adorable! At the time of visiting, there were a few calf’s running around with their mothers and playing in the park.
The deer are used to humans and therefore are happy to come up to you if you are offering food and don’t mind being toughed. It’s such a beautiful park and location that we found a nice spot to sit down and enjoy watching the deer wander. Within eyesight there must be 50/70 deer at least.
When to visit Marselisborg Deer Park
The park is usually quite busy with people from lunchtime onwards till closure, so we would recommend to visit earlier in the morning for the best experience! However, it is a nice lunchtime activity, so depending on your allotted time available it depends when is best to visit!
We visited during ‘golden hour’ which is itself was extremely beautiful.
The Marselisborg Deer Park in Aarhus
This is a must do when visiting Denmark and was such a surreal experience.
If you enjoyed this blog make sure to check out our other blogs and don’t forget to subscribe for more travel blogs. Also, if you like the blog it would go a long way to support our website!
We also post our travelling content on our social media’s which are liked down below if you would like to see what daily adventures we get up to!
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Thank you for reading our Marselisborg Deer Park 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!
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!
The best hostel in Fez? Riad Verus is a budget-friendly hostel that is a must-book location for a Moroccan trip!
We spent one week in Morocco, exploring Fes, Meknes and Rabat, as budget travellers! We had the most beautiful time; experiencing Moroccan culture, trying local cuisine, exploring local areas… it was such an amazing last minute trip!
Having 2 nights in Fez, we stayed at one hostel, called Riad Verus, and we had such an amazing time! So, here is our review on staying at this central hostel in Fez, Morocco!
We were gifted two nights at this hostel, however these views are genuine and our fully our own. Please let us share all the positives and negatives of our stay!
*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 🙂
Riad Verus
The Basics
Riad Verus is a Riad-style hostel in the heart of the famous Fez Medina in Morocco. With easy access to the winding Medina streets, this hostel is in a prime location for travelling around Fez, at a budget friendly cost. Starting from only around £7.50 per night in dorms, breakfast is included within the cost, and private rooms only costing around £24, which is great for couples and friends!
With friendly and welcoming staff, Riad Verus hosts many different social events; while we were there, we got to experience breaking fast for ramadan with our entire hostel guests, with a full selection of traditional moroccan foods provided by the hostel. We then went upstairs for popcorn, shishas, and time to relax!
This hostel wouldn’t be our top social hostel we stayed at, but this might just be due to guests at the time! However, there is definitely option to socialise- since we visited during ramadan, this might’ve slightly affected our experience of socialising! This is a great budget friendly option for the location especially! It was extremely clean, and the atmosphere was great!
The Room
We stayed for two nights in Riad Verus, in dormitory rooms! This is very common when booking hostels, as many budget backpackers always tend to reach for the cheapest option! Our dorm was a mixed dorm of 10 beds, with an en-suite provided for all guests in the room. Each bed is provided with a blanket which can be quite rare when staying in hostels, and provided a cosy aspect! The beds were built into a brick structure, so there wasn’t the risk of rickety beds, or having to worry about the person above/below. Each bed had a reading light, and charging socket access. There is locker access below the bottom bunks, but these aren’t massive.
The bathroom in our dorm room was clean, with one toilet, one shower, and one sink. The door to the bathroom wasn’t extremely secure in our dorm, however this is easily helped by being communicative with your roommates, or if you are travelling with someone just ask them to watch the door! Some were quite ‘sticky’ doors, but this is understandable for an old building like this one! Everything worked well, the shower was great and had a lot of room, we wish there was an additional sink (or larger sink area), but it was enough!
The Hostel
The hostel comprised of 5/6 floors, with very steep stairs. This hostel wouldn’t be an accessible friendly one due to no lift access. We do understand this due to the type of building it is, however, it was a bit of a struggle for Aimee when she was unwell, so this is important to keep in mind. The hostel itself was an extremely beautiful building, boasting traditional Riad features and colourful atmospheres.
Downstairs Communal Area in Riad Verus
There were toilets littered across the hostel on each floor allowing for easy access. As you enter the hostel, there is a small communal area which has books available to borrow, and is a common place for travellers to meet and get to know each other. In this area there is a luggage room which is great to leave your belongings when you arrive before check-in or have just checked out, however this is not locked, so leaving your bag is at your own discretion.
Upstairs communal area in Riad Verus
There is also an upstairs area on the top floor, which has a variety of seating areas, games, and an even higher upstairs terrace area overlooking Fez. We particularly liked the upstairs over the downstairs common area, due to many choosing to socialise in this area. They included popular games such as cards against humanity, jenga, cards etc, all free to use! There was also shisha access, which we were given free the first night of our stay, after we broke fast with the hostel! The area had many sofa and seat styles, and different areas on this one floor at slightly different heights, so there was the option to ‘seclude’ yourself slightly if you did want a bit of peace! The upstairs had a retractable sun roof, so in the morning it was also really bright and airy! They even had some hostel tortoises in a little area!
Riad Verus View from the Terrace
Breakfast was served upstairs, giving a variety of foods for a hearty breakfast! There was vegetarian options which we thought was great! We were served a muffin, bowl of fruit, a sandwich with egg, avocado, meat and cheese, a granola/yogurt bowl and a type of samosa each! Considering this was included in the stay we were more than impressed. We were also given fresh orange juice, and then unlimited traditional Moroccan tea throughout the stay.
Breakfast selection for two at Riad Verus
Would we stay again?
We would happily stay at Riad Verus again! We would prefer a lower ground room, only due to after long days of walking the stairs aren’t fun! For the price especially we really think this hostel is a great find, and we understand why they are a top voted hostel with Fez!
We wouldn’t have many faults to majorly point out, more so just preference of not liking the steepness of the stairs, and some building features that are showing ‘ageing’, such as some issues with the doors. But honestly we wouldn’t deter staying for that reason!
You can find a direct link to the hostel here, where you can book on HostelWorld.
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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.
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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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