Our Two Step Start

Tag: solo-travel

  • Koh Tao Revolution Hostel by the Beach

    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.

    hostel activities in Koh Tao

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

    Koh Tao revolution social area

    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.

    snorkelling trip in Koh Tao, Thailand

    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!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

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

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

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

    Leave a comment

  • Travel Fears and how to overcome them!

    Travel Fears and how to overcome them!

    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!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

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

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

    Leave a comment

  • 7 Top Tips and Tricks for a long-haul flight you MUST know

    7 Top Tips and Tricks for a long-haul flight you MUST know

    Flying long haul can be scary, especially when you have never done this before. It’s such a different experience to flying locally. The plane is larger, you get food, and special amenities including a screen to watch movies, shows and play games! But where do you start and what’s the best tips and tricks for the flight?

    As some of you may know, we had an amazing trip to Thailand at the end of August ’24, and therefore had a long haul flight recently. We thought there is no better way to share our experience than to write a blog so you can see all the little tips to use as well.

    *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 🙂

    7 Top Tips and Tricks for long-haul flights

    So let’s dig in!

    1. 7 Top Tips and Tricks for long-haul flights
      1. Wear comfortable clothing
      2. Bring Snacks
      3. Small Carry on Bag
      4. Have your charger in your carry-on
      5. Get up and walk around
      6. Plan your flight
      7. Dietary requirements
    2. See our Long-Haul Experience!
    3. Find our Travel Essentials!

    Wear comfortable clothing

    Comfortable clothing is a NECESSITY when traveling on a long haul flight. A simple yet effective outfit like joggers and a baggy top would be perfect. The last thing you want to is constantly toss and turn trying to be comfortable. Or even worse – have to try change in one of those tiny bathrooms that you can barely go toilet. A hoodie would be prefect for this situation, a great multi-use item that can keep you warm but also act as a makeshift blanket or pillow if you need it.

    However, if you are looking to take a hoodie be aware that this is something you will need to carry on the duration of your trip. So if you don’t have space in your luggage for it, you might need to compromise.

    Bring Snacks

    Now, as budget travelers, we always look to find ways to cut down on costs but also to have the top experiences we can. So unless you want to spend £4 for a chocolate bar you wouldn’t normally choose when you are home, then make sure to be prepared. We look to bring our own foods to the airport to avoid the prices and this is the same for the flight. Usually we pack rolls/baguettes for the airport AND for the plane ride with some additional sweets/snacks. However, you can’t just pack your whole bag full of snacks and food otherwise you won’t have all the other important things for your trip. We would recommend bring a meal deal or a roll as a snack between meals, as well as some sweets of your choice.

    After all, you will be sitting for a large amount of time and likely to get bored, so hunger will strike.

    Small Carry on Bag

    Now this seems counter-intuitive as you’ve just been told to pack snacks and food alongside the important items in your bag. But you need your bag small enough to save yourself a lot of time and effort during the flight. Picture this, you pack your bag and it doesn’t fit under your seat. That’s fine, you just pop it in the overhead compartment and it’s out the way. Time to kick back and relax right?

    What if you want snacks?

    Or your phone runs out?

    Or you realise there’s something in your bag that you need? Like a toothbrush as after all, it is a long haul flight.

    It could be anything and you don’t want to keep jumping up and down to grab it as it will become annoying for you and your fellow travelers.

    So the solution?

    Find a bag that has good space but is also perfect to slide under your seat with still having a decent amount of leg room. This will allow for sure an easy grab for any unexpected issues or objects that you need to get from your bag.

    Have your charger in your carry-on

    If you never have been on a long haul flight before, then you may not know that the screens you have for entertainment also include a charging port and a headphone port for you. This is super important as you are likely to run out of charge on your device so make sure to pack your charger in a convenient spot.

    The last thing you want to do is realise it is right at the bottom of the bag and have to pull EVERYTHING out to just to reach it, or worse! Put your charger in the holder so you have no charger during the whole flight. No one wants that problem.

    Get up and walk around

    It’s very easy to just sit in your seat and sleep, eat and watch your way through the flight but your body won’t be happy after it. You are likely to be very achy or tired by the end of the flight or maybe even light headed. You have to think, there’s not many times in your life where you are sat down in the same position for longer than 8 or so hours. Yes, we have sleep but that is usually in a more comfortable position than you one you will be in during a flight. It is recommended to get up and stretch every 2 or so hours.

    However, we would recommend to not only do this, but walk up and back down the aisle once or twice to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing. This will help your body regulate and keep yourself from getting stiff.

    Remember, after a long haul flight you will likely have after affects from jet lag so the last thing you want to do is add to that by making your body achy and stiff.

    Plan your flight

    Now this isn’t planning it to the minute. You don’t have to schedule each activity during the flight and keep to time constraints. That isn’t what we are saying. However, you will have 8+ hours worth of travel time with not a lot to do. So, how can you fill this time?

    We would recommend to have multiple ideas of ways to keep you busy during this time. We have even seen people take Nintendo switch as a good activity which would definitely kill a few hours on the flight. However, you will soon get bored so what else is there to do. We would recommend having 2/3 other options on top of what they provide on the flight.

    They provide great entertainment with many new and classic films, popular TV Shows, and music and even some pretty cool games with who wants to be a millionaire and popular games like battleships being available. For us, a great way to enjoy the first 30/60 minutes is to scroll through to see what they have to offer and pick out a few films/shows you will want to watch during the flight. We also do this with the games, have a little scroll and find games that will occupy us during the flight.

    We would recommend to have a pack of cards, or a travel game to bring that is small as well as some games on your phone. But be sure that they are games that work offline as you won’t have any internet connection during the flight. Also include some sort of chilled activity like a book or E-book that you can read or a diary/journal that can occupy you.

    Having these vast options will give you the option to change when you are bored and not run out of things to do. And worse case, you can just go sleep for a few hours to kill time!

    Dietary requirements

    Now this may not be important to everyone, but if you have any allergens or dietary needs such as being vegetarian, then make sure to communicate this. This is done BEFORE your flight and is necessary to put the steps in place to avoid any problems during this flight.

    If you have an allergy with peanuts for example, it is a MUST to let them know beforehand. They will make an announcement during the flight that passengers are not to open any packets of peanuts during the flight. They will also make sure that the meals provided don’t include any peanuts. This will save any last minute conversations and problems during the flight.

    For dietary requirements, such as being veggie, they usually take your meal orders when you book so that they can allocate enough to bring on board before the flight. The last thing you would want is for meal time to come around and there are no veggie options available because you didn’t let them know ahead of time. They will have a list of all those who have requested dietary specific requirements which likely means you will get your meals before the rest of the passengers which is a little bonus if you are super hungry.

    These are super important to know so you don’t run into any problems during the flight and so you can enjoy your experience before heading off on your backpacking journey. These tips and trick will guide you through a smooth ride and allow you to make the most of your time in the sky.

    If you did enjoy this blog, do let us know below by liking, subscribing or leaving a comment, it would be much appreciated.

    As mentioned above, we are soon to be heading to Thailand so we will be using this tips ourselves! But also, look out for some amazing Thailand Vlogs, Blogs and much much more on our socials which is linked below.

    See our Long-Haul Experience!

    We recently uploaded our full travel vlog for our flight with Gulf Air to Thailand! So, if you want to see how a long-haul flight works out, then check out our vlog!

    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 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!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

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

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

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

    Leave a comment

  • The Art of Slow Travel: How to make the most of every moment

    The Art of Slow Travel: How to make the most of every moment

    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!

    Looking for more Thailand inspiration? Find out how to see elephants in Thailand, or maybe our Khao Sok National Park guide!

    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!

    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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Be careful of locals taking you place!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Avoid booking accommodation online where possible

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

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

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

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

    1. Don’t take a drone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Brush up on your French from School

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

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

    1. Wear appropriate clothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Moroccan Travel is so Beautiful

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

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

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

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

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

    You can follow our socials here!

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    Share this post with friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Avoid booking accommodation online where possible

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

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

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

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

    1. Don’t take a drone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Brush up on your French from School

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

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

    1. Wear appropriate clothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Want help planning your Moroccan adventure?

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

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

    Our favourite must-needed travel resources

    Where to Fly

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

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

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

    Where to Stay

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

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

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

    Where to Explore

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

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

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

    Where to get Connected

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

    Where to be Protected

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

    Our Top Traveller’s Essentials

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

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

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

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

    Find our full packing list guide here.

    Thank you for reading about Things to Avoid in Morocco

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  • Ultimate 2-Day Fez Itinerary: Unveiling the Best of Morocco’s Cultural Gem

    Ultimate 2-Day Fez Itinerary: Unveiling the Best of Morocco’s Cultural Gem

    Morocco is a vibrant, scenic country which is full of rich histories! There is so much to love about and it is surprising with the amount of places you must visit in the country!

    Ideally, to get the most out of the country you probably would need 1 month worth of travelling to visit all of the must see places. These include seaside towns/cities like Tangier or Agadir with beaches that you need to see. But also they have many beautiful locations inland like Chefchaouen which is a completely blue town or Mergouza which is on the cusp of the Sahara desert which is perfect for a range of activities!!

    It’s definitely a location we will be revisiting but for now, 7 days is all we have so lets make the most of it!

    We have filmed a Vlog for Fes which is up on our YouTube which you can find here or below.

    *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 🙂

    How to spend 2/3 days in Fes!

    If we are honest, we looked at the cheapest flight across Europe and countries just outside and this jumped out as one of the cheapest! We initially were looking to fly to Ouarzazate for £30 return but we didn’t book them tickets in time- but rather saw a cheap flight to Fes for £50 which we couldn’t pass up!

    So it’s not as if we chose to visit Fes.. more-so it was meant to be. The city really didn’t disappoint!!

    As we booked the flights 36 or so hours before departure, we didn’t know a whole lot about the city. What activities to do, where to stay, what and where to eat etc! We pretty much spent the day before brushing up on the best things to do.

    For Fes, we kept an open mind on whether to travel around Morocco, or to just take it easy and explore the city more! We didn’t have many plans, but rather we would make decisions on a day-to-day basis depending how we were feeling, and if we wanted to venture to different places.

    As we landed in Fes first thing on a Monday morning, we navigated the city into the marina and wandered through the favela-like streets to our stay. We were very lucky, we outreached to hostels and AirBnB’s in Fes to see if we could get any gifted stays to keep costs down on our trip, and we spoke with a lovely hostel who were very happy to support our trip with content in return!

    If you have the tools, this is a great way to keep costs down but don’t be discouraged if you can’t get gifted stays, not everywhere does them!! Let us know if you would like us to talk more about how we have gotten gifted stays!

    So we had this hostel for 2 nights and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!

    A traditional Riad building located in the heart of the Medina, and only a stones throw from local Souks that you can wander for hours on end! Find the link to this amazing Riad here.

    Our stay was magical! On arrival we were taken to the rooftop which had stunning views over the medina and the whole city, with old ruins standing tall like they once did centuries ago. At the rooftop, they offered sweet tea which is a family recipe.. one they were reluctant to spill the beans on!

    After settling in and dropping off our luggage at the Riad, we ventured out in the rough direction of the Souks, and took in the scenery around our new home for the next 7 days or so.

    We winded through the tight streets, passing children playing football in makeshift goals, and family members wheeling foods to and from their shop. The atmosphere was happy and subtly busy. The narrow streets creates a somewhat chaotic atmosphere as the buildings overhang to make the medina streets smaller.

    Once we hit the Souks, we started from (somewhat) the top and wandered down admiring the vast shops, activities and products on offer. Each shop was totally different and had it’s own stamp of traditional creativity. From local spices, to handmade leather bags and soft silky dresses, the Souk was full of product diversity- a place you can revisit later, and see completely different products on the same stalls as before.

    After wandering down the hill and the shops either side, we were looking to find a place to settle down to have our first proper meal in Morocco. Of course, we visited the country during the awkward period of Ramadan so all Muslims were fasting from dusk till dawn.

    If you are to visit during this time, we would recommend to be respectful to the locals and avoid eating or drinking in public/busy places if it can be helped.

    We found a highly recommended restaurant in the heart of the Medina called The Ruined Garden, which was only a 5 minute or so stroll from our hostel. As we arrived, we had a short 20 minute wait for the restaurant to open and we were actually the first people to enter for lunch. The aesthetic was amazing!

    The front doors were huge, almost castle-like, with a small staircase leading up to the seating area. It was pretty enclosed up until this point but once you turned the corner onto the top step, the room opened up and in the centre was a fountain with beautiful gardens surrounding. Vines were strung from above to create a beautiful ambience and we were gratefully seated amongst it.

    As we sat down, we were greeted by 2 adorable cats who clearly are pets to the owners of the restaurants. We ordered traditional dishes – the B’stilla – being an oddly sounding sweet and savoury, pastry-like filled pie. Yeah this was typed right.. Once we received this, we were pleasantly surprised with the taste as it was dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. This was a very enjoyable meal, and one we decided to recreate once we arrived back home. Wasn’t quite the same but one we did enjoy for sure!

    At the restaurant, we both shared the meal and the portion was super filling that we couldn’t finish it between us! It’s one that we would definitely recommend for any visitor to try. It’s really got everything, from traditional flavours to strange flavour mixes. If anyone has tried this dish we would love to know your views and know your thoughts as we both loved it!!

    Towards the end of the meal we were delight to have the visitors of tortoises who suddenly woke up from the back of the gardens and wandered around the courtyard. There were 2 large tortoises who decided to wander around and visit some of the lunch-goers. It was a surprising but welcomed introduction as it’s not one you expect in the centre of the old medina!

    Just as we were to pick up the bill and leave the restaurant, we looked back to see a tiny, baby tortoise who was slowly munching on a rather large piece of watermelon (for his size!). It was so small that the garden area it was in prohibited him from escaping due to a small 2-inch wall which he couldn’t master no matter how hard he tried!

    Upon leaving, we decided to wander back to our hostel and relax for a few hours, after travelling since 1 in the morning. We spent time on the rooftop and enjoyed the chilled atmosphere, while being served endless cups of traditional sweet Moroccan tea.

    As the sky darkened and the mood changed, we were informed that the hostel were hosting dinner as part of the stay! We ended up breaking the fast with the local Moroccans as they served a buffet fit for a king! A sea of plates filled the table, full of colourful traditional Moroccan foods with a soup perfectly placed in front of each guest and a freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it all down with. Here, we conversated with other travellers and ate till our hearts content!

    After finishing our meals and thoroughly thanking our hosts for the lovely spread, we headed back to the rooftop to carry on socialising and enjoy our first night!

    If you thought the hostel hadn’t done enough, we were also given free popcorn (salted of course) and provided a Shisha for all guests. We spent time eating the popcorn, playing card games and practicing our newly learnt skill… smoke rings!!

    We soon headed off to bed and called it a night so we could get ready for a fun and adventurous day tomorrow.

    Day 2

    The next day started with a little lay-in. We would always recommend that if you are travelling, or even on a holiday, to make sure to take time to rest when needed as no one can be on the go 100% of the time! So Aimee slept in to 9:30 am so she felt energised for the day!

    During this time, Jack went upstairs and ended up socialising with some travellers whilst enjoying a complementary breakfast. Once Jack finished, Aimee joined and had her fruit breakfast before we got showered, changed and ready for our busy day!

    By this point we didn’t have a plan beyond Fes; but just planned each day the night before and kinda just winged it! If you have travelled before, it’s probably the best way to do it (if you don’t mind the odd panic and stress that comes with it!).

    So today we headed outside the medina to a local shopping mall called Borj Fes which is recommended to visit while in Fes! It’s 4 stories tall and filled with a variety of shops! We initially wandered around some of the clothing shops just having a wander, and comparing it to home shopping malls. After a while, we stumbled upon a supermarket on the lower floor which we looked for snacks!

    We found a bakery full of cakes, pastries and many quirky looking sweet treats! We took about 10 minutes, but finally decided on grabbing a few of each, a drink and headed out! If you are looking for snacks or looking to make your own food in Fes, we would recommend visiting this supermarket! It’s a lot cheaper than most other shops as mostly locals shop here! It’s so cheap- we got a 2l bottle of water for 3.50 Dirhams which is roughly 30p which is a bargain! We spent £2 on 6 pastry/cakes, which we found a table outside and enjoyed! The snacks were lovely and it perked our appetite ready for heading to Burger King!

    Burger king was a lot cheaper in Morocco and we bought some cool items which we have never seen before! All in all, this mall was a great place to spend a few hours eating lunch, venturing shops and taking a break from the hot sun!

    In the afternoon we left the mall to head back to the medina. We decided to wander the local souk and embrace the beauty of the old medina. Here we found ourselves wandering for an hour or so before finding a quaint, local restaurant which we chose to be where we ate our dinner.

    Luckily, we ordered and received our meal before the sun went down. As we received our meal, the Ramadan fasting ended as spoken through loud speakers informing everyone and the restaurant closed to any further customers. The owners and staff all sat down with their freshly prepared meal and broke their fast!

    If you are ever to go to a Muslim dominant country during Ramadan, it is important to find out when the sun sets and the fasting stops as all restaurants will close. The last thing you want to do is go out for your dinner but be stuck wandering looking for a place that is open (like we did…). Once we finished our meal we headed back to the hostel to relax in the evening, look at the beautiful nightly view and social with some travellers.

    We soon played cards into the evening before deciding to go sleep!

    Once the morning came and we woke up, we came to the conclusion that we wanted to explore more of Morocco, and decided on moving to Meknes which is a small city, 40 minutes west of Fes on the train. We got our breakfast, picked up our snacks and headed to the train station!!

    We really enjoyed Fes and it is a beautiful place which we couldn’t recommend it enough. We would say that 2/3 days is enough time there and there are so many places to visit in Morocco so we wouldn’t stay much longer!

    Did you like Fes?

    This blog is the 1st of a 3-part blog. Next up is our experiences and activities in the small city of Meknes!

    We post regular blog content related to all things travel so if you want to keep up with us, please consider subscribing to the blog as it does go a long way for us!

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  • Discover the Best of North Thailand: Your Ultimate 2-Week Backpacking Itinerary!

    Discover the Best of North Thailand: Your Ultimate 2-Week Backpacking Itinerary!

    Thailand is a beautiful country that full of adventure, activities and amazing culture and food! It is a popular travel destination for most and one that hardly any would avoid.

    The north is definitely different compared to the south. If you have never been to the south, it’s more renowned for its perfect beaches compared to its other half and a popular destination for luxurious holidays.

    You can check out the best 2 week itinerary for Southern Thailand here.

    The North however is more delicate. The atmosphere is fast paced in cities like Bangkok but places like Chang Mai and Pai, it’s relaxed.

    You have the perfect balance of lifestyle which is really important. Sometimes you are exhausted and want a quieter setting away from the bustling city. Or maybe you are wanting to be apart of the busy life in the city, and see what there is to offer.

    Either way, there is option for both!

    Here, we have compiled the 2 week itinerary for those who are looking to make the most of north Thailand!

    Bangkok (3 days)

    This is a likely place to start. Bangkok is the capital and is a really large city to navigate and can often feel overwhelming. Most people will land in Bangkok when flying internationally so it just makes sense to explore here first! Therefore, you need an itinerary to make the most of your time there, and to be an efficient traveller.

    It’s a place with many beautiful cultural temples which are worth visiting and learning more about the history of the country. The city is broken up with a large river through the heart which allows for boat tours to see the best parts of the city. As a fun fact, the City is actually called Krung Thep (this is the sorter version) and has the meaning of “the city of angels”.

    We personally would recommend to avoid these as they are quite highly priced and doesn’t show you the up close and personal part of the area. If you visit the sights in person you can learn a lot about the history and culture! However, we do know that people are limited in time so if you are restricted, this is a viable option to see the city in a shorter timeframe.

    Please note, that if you are looking to learn more about the city – or any city for that matter – the best way is on foot for most cases!

    We would recommend visiting the following temples:

    • Wat Pho
    • Wat Arun
    • Wat Phra Kaew

    All of these offer offer a similar viewing but very different stories/meanings. It’s all really dependant on how much you are interested in the rich history of the country. We would recommend visiting at least 2 grounds to really learn more of the Thai culture. The grounds are mostly filled with temples, sacred sculptures, paintings, pagodas and carvings!

    These temples are historical places that monks use to practice their religion through prayer and living here. The temples we have mentioned were founded in the 17th and 18th century and were created by kings. These sites will usually take 2/3 hours depending on your interest and is definitely an activity we would recommend. As these temples are so rich in culture and history, we would recommend visiting at least 2 sites while in Bangkok to make the most of what they have to offer. 

    It is important to note that you are required to wear certain attire to visit these temples. You need to cover both your shoulders and knees at all times.. this includes men as well. We would recommend to wear light trousers and a long sleeved shirt for men and maybe a long sleeve dress (flowy not fitted or a jumpsuit with a long sleeve shirt. Both will need to wear shoes. 

    Alternatively, you can purchase traditional clothing outside in markets or near the temples for roughly 100 Baht per item which is perfect to cover you up with.

    The ones provided above are some of the more popular/stand-out temples which we have either visited or have been recommended by fellow travellers. 

    The capital is also showered in local shops, food markets and Thai activities that you MUST try!

    If you have embarked on this journey to travel Thailand, or even if you have decided to go for a holiday, you are really going here to venture out and push your horizons.. and there’s not many better places to do this than in Thailand & Bangkok!

    It seems like Bangkok markets spring up on every corner, with each stall offering something completely different. There’s so much to choose from! From traditional clothes vs perfect knock-offs, to traditional foods like Pad Thai, crocodile tail or scorpion, to novelty souvenirs and totally random items you would think would never be sold at a market. It literally has it all.

    The markets can stretch as far as a couple miles long, making it a perfect evening stroll if you don’t mind people trying to draw you in to their miscellaneous stalls. It’s a great way to just see what there is to offer and pick up a few bargains if you are short of any items along the way.

    Some markets are themed so if you are hungry and looking for food, a street food market would be the perfect way to try foods, stick to your budget and enjoy your evening!

    Bangkok also has opportunities including Muay Thai classes, Thai cooking classes, Thai Massages and more. Activities like these are a great way to learn more about different parts of their culture. So we would recommend to align some of your interests with these types of activities to make the most of your time.

    We took part in Muay Thai and relaxed with a Thai massage but unfortunately missed out on the Thai cooking experience which is top of our list once we go back.

    Chiang Mai (3 days)

    Chiang Mai is known to be a must see city… and it does not disappoint! It was one of our favourite cities as it really had it all!

    Some of the activities do overlap with Bangkok (including cooking classes, Muay Thai and Cooking Classes) so we would recommend to spread the activities over the two cities so you can experience all that the country has to offer.

    You could explore the city through busy shopping malls and international food courts, perfect to grab souvenirs or top up on some budget clothing. But it also has the busy markets and local food spots which is perfect to learn the culture and indulge in that tasty Thai cuisine!

    The activities in the area are plentiful! You have so many options that you could potentially enjoy the city and it’s surroundings for a week but you don’t have that long!

    If you didn’t do the elephant sanctuary in Phuket (highly recommend), then the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai is a must do. You are able to spend a half day/full day with the elephants doing various activities such as feeding them, having a mud bath with them and scrubbing them clean.

    You don’t really need to do them both as they are one of the most expensive activities to do in Thailand. However, I know that people loved the experience so much that they had to do it again! And trust me, we want to do it again and we can’t wait to experience it as it truly is amazing!

    We would always recommend to do this activity and it should be towards the top of ALL people’s bucket list. But please take note that these are wild animals and you should firstly research the place you are looking to do this and see the ethical side before booking. Not all sanctuaries are ethical so please do thorough research before booking. We don’t condone any animal suffering and understand that these sanctuaries that offer this experience do so to earn money to help the elephants from lives of torture, human imprinting and neglect.

    The elephants that are at these sanctuaries have been badly treated and are here as a safe haven so they can live their lives as normal as possible. They are given many hectares to roam free and live their life how any elephant should. They are few natural foods such as bananas and routinely looked after by medical staff and cleaned.

    Some of the elephants have picked up bad habits such as pulling their teats or swaying as stress mechanisms from previous experiences. We learnt a story of an elephant that was older (in her 70s), and was a circus animal who would never stop swaying even after being in the sanctuary for decades. We were told that she would be whipped when she stopped and therefore it has become a part of her personality and something she would not stop.

    As we are writing this, we have noticed it would be beneficial to highlight the most ethical elephant sanctuaries across Thailand or maybe the most ethical sanctuaries for animals across South East Asia. So stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.

    Chiang Mai also has activities such as a water park which we would totally recommend! Only being 15 or so minutes from the centre, you can visit a natural lake which has inflatables, cliff jumping, slides, ziplines and more! It’s a great place to take a day out to have fun and embrace your inner child as you bumble over some total wipe out replicas. There is also a water catapult which is a great experience for people who are more daring. Just know that you do go surprisingly high (speaking from first-hand experience).

    The water park also has food spots and paces you can chill out and relax after burning all your energy. It’s a great way for friends to escape the city and take a day to have a good bit of fun.

    A gym we would recommend to visit for Muay Thai would be Chiang Mai Muay Thai Gym. It is located Wiang Kaew Road and is a great place for people who have never tried Muay Thai before! They are patient and teach you the techniques well. The class is very inclusive and you are given a 1 on 1 coach that will be on pads, and teaches you what you need to know. For any regulars, they do more intense classes which you can learn more advanced moves to really test your skills.

    The training is fun and you are allowed to go at your pace, but they are happy to push you which is fun! Trust me, you will be shattered by doing this so be prepared! Luckily, in the gym they have fans and an open room so air can flow to help you when recovering! Once you have finished, we would recommend to turn left up the road once leaving and visit a smoothie place on your left roughly 100 or so yards up the road. This is a great place to get a well-earned refreshment before heading back to your stay for a wash!

    The markets in Chiang Mai are full and constantly popular among locals and travellers. They have a weekend market which is a perfect spot to wander and soak up the atmosphere while shopping for any food or novelty gifts! The people are welcome and don’t usually try to drag you over which is refreshing as this can be an issue and off-putting for some travellers.

    For the more daring visitors, you can try exotic foods including insects, scorpions and even crocodile! So get stuck in and let us know how nice (or not nice) these foods are…

    Pai (2 days)

    Pai is a tiny village located in the north mountains beyond Chiang Mai. The travel to the Village is enough to make anyone car sick as you twist and turn through mountains to arrive there! It’s a 4 hour trip one way and is definitely not for the faint hearted. Even monks were requiring stops to throw up during the drive and these are likely take this trip regularly!

    It is so worth it though! It’s a small fishing village that has no more than a dozen crossed streets with individual shops to wander around.

    Around Pai is where the activities and the natural beauty of the countryside is for you! Firstly, there are Bamboo Bridges that are sprinkled throughout fields that you can wander on to see the locals harvest their crops. Throughout the walk, there are viewpoints, activities and cafe’s making the walk all the more exciting!

    Local dogs wander up and down and are super friendly. Don’t be surprised that if you sit down, you will be accompanied by one! It’s a great place to explore the fields, relax on bamboo swings, and grab lunch while enjoying countryside views. There is also a local spot providing crossbow shooting just off the bridge. It’s an old fashioned crossbow entirely made out of wood & bamboo. You are taught how to shoot it and provided a target over the stream to test your accuracy!

    Close to the bamboo bridge is a local waterfall that you can stop at and indulge in. When we visited, it was later in the day and we were the only ones there. We had to crossed a small bridge and then descend down a few rocks before entering the tranquil waters. It’s the absolute perfect place to get photos and just be one with nature. It’s completely silent except the sounds of the waters and a great place to take in your surroundings. There are also some conveniently placed rocks so you can sit and marvel at the large waterfall.

    We would recommend to also visit a place that is completely unheard of for many travellers. It’s not a known place at all and is located just south of Ban Rong Yaeng on the 1095. There will be a few food trucks on a layby with a dirt track leading off.. this is the place. You may not think of much but there will be other onlookers waiting for the sun to set and you will not be disappointed. To get to the viewpoints, you would need to navigate uneven terrain which look similar to dirt bike tracks. But it would be totally worth it!

    The views are surreal as the sun will set behind distant mountains – you can relax up here and it is a great place to take some photos of a beautiful view!

    Now you are back in Pai, it’s definitely recommended to visit the local markets that happens in the evening where you can eat some of the best fruit we have ever had! The fresh mango, pineapple, pear and strawberry in Pai is crazy! They also offer a lot of personal gifts like a passport holder which can be engraved, or a bracelet you can personalise for yourself, friends or family back home! There are rows of stalls and makeshift shops that offer clothing and local delicacies so you can immerse yourself in the local culture!

    Visiting Pai is a great addition to anyone’s North Thailand trip and one I would not miss out on!

    Chiang Rai (2 days)

    Chiang Rai is a beautiful city located north of Chiang Mai. This is in the high mountains close to the north border where Myanmar and Laos meet. Usually, people would take an early morning bus trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai which would take 3h 45m. The stay is only one night with travellers getting a bus back the following day.

    This truly limits the time spend here and only give you time to see 2, maybe 3 of the main sites at most.

    However, you aren’t able to see the full beauty of what Chiang Rai has to offer. There is more to see than the main attractions and we would recommend an extra day so you can witness these.

    To maximise your stay, we would get the first bus in the morning which is at 7:00 am with the arrival time being 10:45 am. This will give you most of the day to get settled, drop off your gear at the hostel and move onto the the best part – exploration.

    The most popular things to do in Chiang Rai are the temples. These temples are some of the most unique in the world!

    Wat Rong Khun is stunning piece of architecture, covered entirely in white; and is a must visit in the city. It would be best to visit the temple first thing in the morning when the queues will be small and tourists won’t there. This would maximise the experience and allow you to immerse yourself to get the most from the temple.

    It is likely that you will spend 2/3 hours here which is enough time to walk around the gardens, see the paintings and marvel at the temple.

    Wat Rong Suea Ten temple is a newly established temple that is completely blue with gold trimmings which stands out in all it’s beauty. It opens at 7:00 am and would be the quietest time to visit the temple.

    The local gardens are perfect to explore and is a great place to learn more about the Buddha and what the temple represents. The blue colour is meant to represent tranquillity and healing for the buddha.

    Inside, you are welcomed by a large white Buddha which is used by locals to pray. You are able to take photos in this temple (not many allow this) so please be respectful when you do.

    As with most cities in South East Asia, Chiang Rai has many Bazaars markets/markets which you can venture through and explore. In Chiang Rai, they have a walking street which housed many stalls and provides attractions for visitors. Again, these are like usual Thai markets but they also have bars and sometimes bands playing so you can definitely spend the evening there, eat dinner, soak up the atmosphere and search for any cheap souvenirs.

    Chiang Rai isn’t known necessarily for it’s hiking but it is definitely worth exploring. The city is located in between many waterfalls which you could easily take 1 whole day driving between and marvelling at there natural beauty. Around these waterfalls, are hikes where you can explore the mountains and you can also visit some small towns which are on the rivers edge.

    The river actually has a beach.. We mean it isn’t exactly a beach as it’s along the river but is a beautiful place to visit. It’s not quite the place to go for a swim and bring a book and sunglasses the catch some sun. But it’s definitely a place you can relax and enjoy the mountainous views.

    Mauy Hung Son (3 days)

    This is totally different to anywhere else in Thailand and should definitely be more popular! It is seriously close to the Chinese border and is inhabited by many Chinese locals which has affected the aesthetic of the town.

    It is mostly small huts on a hillside with fields surrounding. A perfect place to unwind and understand a new way of life.

    There is an option to do a loop which will entail some insane views of the north of Thailand. This includes the highest point in Thailand, and views as far as the eye can see. There are also pagodas that are perfectly placed on the edge of mountain tops for the must luscious pictures and viewpoints. On this loop, you will motorbike around for a few days stopping in local stays and being off the grid.

    Like we say, if you are looking for a place very different to the rest of Thailand and would like some downtime, this is definitely the place for you.

    The perfect Northern Thailand Itinerary

    As the North is vast and the locations are far away, there is 1 day solely allowed for travelling between places. Please take into consideration that from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you will likely grab a overnight 10 – 12 hour train ride. This is a much cheaper alternative to flying.

    We really hope you like are 2 week itinerary for the North of Thailand which has completed the full month itinerary we have for Thailand (2 week South Thailand itinerary here).

    We are recently back from a trip to Morocco which we are looking to create some awesome blog content for in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

    Also, we have some amazing travel plans in the coming months which you will not want to miss out on.

    Our plan is to provide our whole experience with travel for you so you are the best equipped when going away on your own travels.

    If you enjoyed, please subscribe to be notified for some awesome content planned, and make sure you like this blog if you found it useful for your travels.

    You can also follow our travel ups and downs on our Social Medias below! Any support would be greatly appreciated.

    Like this post? Share it with friends to plan your next trip!

  • 62 Instagram Captions for Your Travels to Budapest

    62 Instagram Captions for Your Travels to Budapest

    Finding inspiration for your photos can come from things as simple as pre-picking your captions (we know, that sounds extremely organised)! We love fun captions that really bring our photos to life! And Budapest is full of aesthetic places that NEED great captions!

    Let’s be honest, most people nowadays post their photos online! And having photos from travels that are super cool is the BEST reason to post!

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

    Check out our FULL Budapest Map guide here!!

    We will share our top 62 Captions for Instagram posts ready for your Budapest Travels!

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

    1. 62 Instagram Captions for Budapest Travel
    2. Quote inspired captions for Budapest
    3. Pun-Inspired Captions about Budapest
    4. Cute Captions for Budapest
    5. Food-Related Captions
    6. Hungarian Language Captions
    7. Inspirational Captions about Budapest
    8. Short Budapest Guide
      1. Hostels in Budapest
      2. Hotels in Budapest
      3. Budapest Tours and Excursions
      4. Budapest Necessities
    9. Our favourite must-needed travel resources
      1. Where to Fly
      2. Where to Stay
      3. Where to Explore
      4. Where to get Connected
      5. Where to be Protected
    10. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
    11. Want to see more?

    62 Instagram Captions for Budapest Travel

    Quote inspired captions for Budapest

    1. “In Budapest, I always had questions. What is your signature dish? They, of course, said goulash. I loved it so much and now have to figure out a way to make it at home.” – Tia Mowry
    2. “My house in Budapest, My, my hidden treasure chest, Golden grand piano, My beautiful Castillo.” – George Ezra
    3. “Europe’s most underrated big city, Budapest can be as challenging as it is enchanting.” – Rick Steves
    4. “The Grand Budapest Hotel is not really my thing, but I kind of loved it.” – Quentin Tarantino
    5. “I live in Budapest and saw how the football helped the Hungarian people to be happy.”– Lothar Matthaus
    6. “Budapest in late May is a city of lilacs. The sweet, languid, rather sleepy smell of lilacs wafts everywhere. And it is a city of lovers, many of them quite middle-aged. Walking with their arms around each other, embracing and kissing on park benches. A sensuousness very much bound up (it seems to me) with the heady ubiquitous smell of lilacs.” – Joyce Carol Oates
    7. “The heart and soul of Central Europe, Budapest excites good travelers… and exasperates bad ones. I love this city for its flaws as much as for its persistent personality”. – Rick Steves

    Pun-Inspired Captions about Budapest

    1. I am Hungary for travel
    2. This is so Buda-ful
    3. Feeling Buda-ful in Buda
    4. Having the Pest time
    5. The Buda-best city of Europe
    6. Budapest zoo at feeding time for the hungry Hungary hippos
    7. I was so Hungary
    8. My life is in ruin (bars)
    9. Don’t be such a Buda-Pest!
    10. Hungarian wine puns are in pour taste.
    11. Buda best
    12. Hungry Hungary hippo.
    13. Hungary to come back
    14. Am I a Pest if I return back to Buda?
    15. Hungary for some more goulash.

    Cute Captions for Budapest

    1. Can I just go back now…
    2. Dreaming of Budapest
    3. Wandering through history
    4. Loving life in Buda
    5. Exploring through the old town
    6. You’ll find me in the thermal bath
    7. Blessed by beauty in Budapest
    8. Surrounded by art nouveau
    9. In the city of spas
    10. Unlimited chimney cakes please
    11. They even have a wine festival!
    12. History buff in Hungary

    1. Eating food at the Danube
    2. Danube River cruise and food
    3. Chimney cakes galore
    4. Goulash. That’s all.
    5. I will never have enough Goulash
    6. Cannot wait for another chicken paprikash
    7. But have you tried Langos?
    8. Life is sweet, like this chimney cake.
    9. Chimney cake sugar rush
    10. Goulash on the mind
    11. Came for the sights, stayed for the food

    Hungarian Language Captions

    1. Aki mer, az nyer – (he who ventures, wins)
    2. A türelem rózsát teremt – (Patience creates roses)
    3. Addig jár a korsó a kútra, míg el nem törik – (A mug keeps going to the well until it breaks eventually)
    4. Az élet túl rövid ahhoz, hogy megbánással ébredjünk fel – (Life is too short to wake up with regrets).
    5. Emelkedj felül a viharon, és megtalálod a napfényt – (Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine).

    Inspirational Captions about Budapest

    1. I cannot wait to wake up every day in Budapest
    2. Exploring one end of the Danube to the other
    3. Feeling my stress melt away
    4. Finding peace in this European Capital
    5. My hidden treasure chest
    6. Where dreams are made
    7. Victor Vasarely wanna-be
    8. My art will be in the halls of the National Gallery
    9. Budapest is building my dreams
    10. Living to be in Buda
    11. Lifestyle in Budapest is unmatched
    12. Creating content in Budapest

    Here is our share of the best instagram-worthy captions ready for your Budapest snaps! Let us know your thoughts, and if you would add any!

    Short Budapest Guide

    Hostels in Budapest

    The Hive Party Hostel – With 300 beds, the Hive hostel is one of the most popular hostels in Budapest! With a prime location near a lot of famous attractions, this hostel has a courtyard nightclub, offers many tours (both drinking related, and sober daytime activities), and has won awards such as the 2nd best hostel worldwide for groups in 2018! Find it here.

    Maverick Urban Lodge – Being located in downtown Budapest, this hostel offers a rooftop terrace, cozy common areas, both dorm and private rooms, and is a more budget-friendly option for city travel! Find it here.

    Hotels in Budapest

    Danubius Hotel Helia – This 4 star hotel is on the banks of the River Danube, opposite Budapest’s Margaret island! Find rooms overlooking the river, with the hotel offering spa access, a large pool, and even options for medical treatments and examinations if required! Find it here.

    Áurea Ana Palace by Eurostars Hotel Company – Who says Budapest isn’t a place of luxury? Being extremely close to St Stephen’s Basilica, this hotel has concierge services, allergy free rooms, a restaurant, spa and wellness centre, and is truly deserving of 5 stars! The hotel’s architecture truly is something to see, and out of many 5 star hotels we have seen, we understand why this one has such a rating! Find it here.

    Budapest Tours and Excursions

    Széchenyi Spa Full Day Access – Visit the most famous spa in Budapest, with an optional palinka tour on offer! Included is entry tickets to both the spa and palinka tour (inclusive of tour guide), locker access for the spa, tasting of a 2cl palinka or choice of non-alcoholic drink, ready to rewind in this stunning (and largest in Europe) thermal spring bath. Find it here.

    City Highlights Cruise – Budapest is a city of many beautiful sights, so sail across the River Danube (with night options available), and admire the famous bridge, Buda Castle, Parliament and more! This cruise includes a welcome drink and is a must do whilst in Budapest! Find it here.

    Organ Concert in St. Stephen’s Basilica – Have an experience to remember, with this enchanting organ concert in St Stephen’s Basilica. Let music fill the vast space and find yourself in a state of bliss! Tickets are here.

    Budapest Necessities

    Hungary E-Sim – Using airalo’s easy to use e-SIM’s, check out this Hungary eSIM, with packages starting from just $4.50. Find it here.

    Trains – Find trains to and from Budapest with Trainline, which you can find here.

    Trips – Can’t find a trip above you are interested in? Check out Tripadvisor’s Budapest List, where you can find plenty of things to do for all interests and needs!

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

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

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

    Let’s be honest, most people nowadays post their photos online! And having photos from travels that are super cool is the BEST reason to post!

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

    We will share our top 62 Captions for Instagram posts ready for your Budapest Travels!

    62 Instagram Captions for Budapest Travel

    Quote inspired

    1. “In Budapest, I always had questions. What is your signature dish? They, of course, said goulash. I loved it so much and now have to figure out a way to make it at home.” – Tia Mowry
    2. “My house in Budapest, My, my hidden treasure chest, Golden grand piano, My beautiful Castillo.” – George Ezra
    3. “Europe’s most underrated big city, Budapest can be as challenging as it is enchanting.” – Rick Steves
    4. “The Grand Budapest Hotel is not really my thing, but I kind of loved it.” – Quentin Tarantino
    5. “I live in Budapest and saw how the football helped the Hungarian people to be happy.”– Lothar Matthaus
    6. “Budapest in late May is a city of lilacs. The sweet, languid, rather sleepy smell of lilacs wafts everywhere. And it is a city of lovers, many of them quite middle-aged. Walking with their arms around each other, embracing and kissing on park benches. A sensuousness very much bound up (it seems to me) with the heady ubiquitous smell of lilacs.” – Joyce Carol Oates
    7. “The heart and soul of Central Europe, Budapest excites good travelers… and exasperates bad ones. I love this city for its flaws as much as for its persistent personality”. – Rick Steves

    Pun-Inspired Captions

    1. I am Hungary for travel
    2. This is so Buda-ful
    3. Feeling Buda-ful in Buda
    4. Having the Pest time
    5. The Buda-best city of Europe
    6. Budapest zoo at feeding time for the hungry Hungary hippos
    7. I was so Hungary
    8. My life is in ruin (bars)
    9. Don’t be such a Buda-Pest!
    10. Hungarian wine puns are in pour taste.
    11. Buda best
    12. Hungry Hungary hippo.
    13. Hungary to come back
    14. Am I a Pest if I return back to Buda?
    15. Hungary for some more goulash.

    Cute Captions

    1. Can I just go back now…
    2. Dreaming of Budapest
    3. Wandering through history
    4. Loving life in Buda
    5. Exploring through the old town
    6. You’ll find me in the thermal bath
    7. Blessed by beauty in Budapest
    8. Surrounded by art nouveau
    9. In the city of spas
    10. Unlimited chimney cakes please
    11. They even have a wine festival!
    12. History buff in Hungary

    Food-Related Captions

    1. Eating food at the Danube
    2. Danube River cruise and food
    3. Chimney cakes galore
    4. Goulash. That’s all.
    5. I will never have enough Goulash
    6. Cannot wait for another chicken paprikash
    7. But have you tried Langos?
    8. Life is sweet, like this chimney cake.
    9. Chimney cake sugar rush
    10. Goulash on the mind
    11. Came for the sights, stayed for the food

    Hungarian Language Captions

    1. Aki mer, az nyer – (he who ventures, wins)
    2. A türelem rózsát teremt – (Patience creates roses)
    3. Addig jár a korsó a kútra, míg el nem törik – (A mug keeps going to the well until it breaks eventually)
    4. Az élet túl rövid ahhoz, hogy megbánással ébredjünk fel – (Life is too short to wake up with regrets).
    5. Emelkedj felül a viharon, és megtalálod a napfényt – (Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine).

    Inspirational Captions

    1. I cannot wait to wake up every day in Budapest
    2. Exploring one end of the Danube to the other
    3. Feeling my stress melt away
    4. Finding peace in this European Capital
    5. My hidden treasure chest
    6. Where dreams are made
    7. Victor Vasarely wanna-be
    8. My art will be in the halls of the National Gallery
    9. Budapest is building my dreams
    10. Living to be in Buda
    11. Lifestyle in Budapest is unmatched
    12. Creating content in Budapest

    Here is our share of the best instagram-worthy captions ready for your Budapest snaps! Let us know your thoughts, and if you would add any!

    Want to see more?

    You can follow our socials here!

    Want to keep updated with what we post? Subscribe below!

    Share this post with friends!