Our Two Step Start

Tag: Southeast Asia

  • 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

  • Visas needed for popular South East Asian Countries from the UK in 2025

    Visas needed for popular South East Asian Countries from the UK in 2025

    Check out OurTwoStepStart on Youtube Here. Where we post our travel blogs and insights to inspire you, to travel!

    Visiting South East Asia is a daunting prospect, with months of planning and organising. That… partnered with creating your itinerary and wanting to make the most out of your once-in-a-lifetime trip, it’s really not easy.

    In fact, it’s rather time-consuming and even scary trying to gather all the necessary information and create the perfect plan. There’s so much to organise and find.

    When we were planning our trip to South East Asia, one of the toughest parts for us was finding up-to-date and correct visa information for each country we aimed to visit. Now, we are going to cover some of the most popular destinations in South East Asia and the visa requirements needed if you are from the UK (We shall do any other highly requested countries also… So let us know!!)

    Please note, all this information is as of the 11th of August 2025 and is likely to have changed by the end of 2025 or even sooner.

    Visas from the United Kingdom

    We are both from the UK and spend many hours looking for country visas. Here, we have the most popular ones all in one place so you don’t have to spend loads of time like we did!

    1. Visas from the United Kingdom
      1. Thailand
      2. Vietnam
      3. Philippines
      4. Cambodia
      5. Laos
      6. Indonesia
      7. Singapore
      8. Malaysia
    2. Visas for Southeast Asia
    3. Find our Travel Essentials!

    Thailand

    Thailand is a pretty simple country for visas… Well, to start off with.

    Anyone from the United kingdom can access a free, 60-day visa to explore and visit Thailand at their leisure. However, at the time of checking, the Thailand Embassy are in talks to reduce this to 30-days. Fortunately, this does not have a confirmed date yet, and something you would need to check yourself here.

    But as it stands, the 60-day visa is accessible for all British Citizens, so make sure to make the most of this before it changes. Also, this is a single-entry visa, so if you were to leave, you would have to reapply before entering again, so bear that in mind. There is an opportunity to extend this visa by 30 days once it’s running out, but you would need to do that at a Thai Immigration office.

    Also, British Citizens have an option of a multi-entry tourist visit, which allows you to spend up to 2 months at any one time in Thailand before having to leave the country and come back. This visa does last 6 months total so you can make the most from visa runs or visiting other countries while dipping in and out of Thailand!

    British Citizens do not qualify for the visa exemption scheme as of the date writing this.

    Vietnam

    Vietnam is known for being quite a complicated location to get a visa but as of recent, things have changed.

    The country is really popular for tourists and we think they know that, and that’s why they have competed with Thailand to make it easy for travellers.

    When we travelled, we were only limited to 14 days of travel before requiring a visa… However, today you get 45 days of free travel to Vietnam before requiring a visa. All you need is a valid passport!!

    For the visa, there are also quite a few options. The most obvious being the 90 day e-visa. As expected, it is something you can apply online or go through your travel agent to acquire and seems to be a relatively easy process. Not only does the visa extent your day by double but also it allows for multiple entries to the country.

    So, if you want to nip to a neighbouring country and come back, you still have that option.

    It really is that simple, you can visit for up to 45 days or get an e-visa which allows for a full 90 days. Find more information here.

    Philippines

    Philippines for us is one of the best countries in the world – full of beauty, wonder, and amazing people and culture. So definitely look at visiting this wonderful place!

    But how do you visit here?

    The Philippines allows you to visit here visa free if you are from the UK up to 30 days for business or tourist use providing you have an exit flight out of the country. This is a great opportunity to visit a large portion of the country and explore a lot of the island it has to offer.

    But this country for sure could and should be visited for longer. If you want to stay longer in the Philippines you would have to apply for temporary visitor (9a) visa while in the country. This would extend your initial 30 day travel period to an extra 29 days.

    Cambodia

    Cambodia is an ever increasing popular tourist place to visit. It may not be as popular than the staples of Thailand or Vietnam but is just as beautiful, so how do we get there?

    The visas for Cambodia is 30 days and costs either $30 or $35 depending on the type of Visa you get. This is the only real way of visiting Cambodia and you can get an extension for Cambodia travel which can only be applied for once you are in the country.

    This is something you would need to complete once you are in the country.

    Make sure you are also aware of the E-arrival card which is required for most foreign visitors into the country (including the UK). This is completely free but something you have to apply for and obtain at least 7 days before arriving in the country. So don’t forget this!!

    Laos

    Laos is simple, you NEED a visa to enter!

    This visa is easy to apply and you have 2 ways of obtaining the visa. Firstly, you can get the visa online through the Laos e-visa portal. This is the safer way to apply and obtain the visa and avoids any problems when arriving in the country.

    However, you can also get a visa upon arrival to Laos but please note this only includes certain location. This includes Vientiane Wattay airport, Luang Prabang Airport, and Paske airport.

    To be safe, it would be worth getting a e-visa to stop and unnecessary risks but it all depends on how much of a risk-taking you are.

    Indonesia

    Now this is a popular location for travellers like you! Bali- one of the many islands in Indonesia- is one of the top locations in South East Asia. But don’t forget the rest of the beautiful country, which has so much to offer!

    The Indonesia visa is pretty simple and easy to acquire.

    Anyone entering the country would require a 30 day visa which has an easy access link here. It’s an easy online E-visa that should take you no longer than 30 minutes to apply for. As you can tell, it’s only 30 days…

    if you do want to stay longer in Indonesia, then you luckily have the option to do so! However, you are only limited to a small extension… 30 days! I mean it’s not too bad but is it enough?

    The cost for the visa extension is a total of 500,000 Indonesian rupiah, which is a total of £22 give or take. So pretty cheap if you ask me.

    If you want to stay more long-term, then you have the option of applying for a 60 day visa. This is something you have to apply for at least a week before your flight to leave the country. This is done on the immigration Indonesia Website, and as predicted, is less likely to get accepted than the 30 day visa. But it’s worth the shot!

    Singapore

    If you have come to this page looking for an easy way to enter Singapore, then you are in luck. Singapore is not like many other countries in Asia, and they are no different with their entry with visas. Believe it or not but you DON’T NEED a visa to enter Singapore.

    Yes, you read that right!

    But unfortunately, it’s never that simple. You have no costs sure, but will be given a limited amount of time you are allowed to stay in the country. And, to be honest, it is completely variable.

    Usually, for a UK national, it is anywhere between 30 days to 90 days, but there’s no guarantee what the number would be. The way you find out the amount of time you are allowed to stay is when you arrive…

    Now what does that mean??

    Unfortunately, the time you spend in Singapore is totally dependant on the immigration officer you meet once you arrive. As explained, it’s most likely between 30 to 90 days but you will have to cross a few fingers and hope it’s long.

    But either way, who has the money to stay in Singapore long anyways??

    Malaysia

    Malaysia is similar to Philippines in a sense of not needing a visa to enter. But for the Philippines you are only limited to 30 days. That’s right, that must mean for Malaysia you can stay longer visa free!!

    Drum roll…!

    You can stay in Malaysia, Visa free for 90 DAYS!! This is shown here but wait… there’s more!

    In Malaysia, if you are loving it so much, you can apply to stay for extra time there! You have to apply on the official portal of Malaysia to be granted a visa to pass 90 days. However, without applying and getting this accepted, we are unsure on the length of time the extension is, so you might have to find that one out for yourself.

    But nonetheless, 90 days visa free is pretty awesome, so we can’t complain!

    Visas for Southeast Asia

    South east Asia is such a popular place across the world with more and more travellers each year venturing here. So before you travel, make sure to keep note of our post to relay back to when you are country hopping! Because the last thing you want to do is have to individually search for each individual Visa for every country you visit. We have done it… it takes time!

    Wherever you are in South East Asia, or even if you aren’t there yet, we hope you are having an amazing time. Visit these countries, explore all they have to offer, and most importantly (for legal purposes), make sure you keep up to date with Visas and their changes.

    Be aware that ALL the information of visas are as of the August 2025 and are change more than we would like. So do double check to see if anything has changed so no mistakes are made.

    Thank you for viewing this blog, and make sure to check out many of our other blogs surrounding South East Asia and all things Travel

    Also, make sure to check out OurTwoStepStart and all our travel blogs, insights and just general travel content. We are sure you’ll love it!

    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

  • Vietnam 2 week Travel Itinerary

    Vietnam 2 week Travel Itinerary

    Vietnam is a beautiful country located in South East Asia and is a popular backpacking location for travellers!

    No matter your travel itch, it will for sure be scratched here with bustling cities, rich history, and so much more to get your teeth into. Each location you visit is like a new country itself with it’s unique design and feel.

    People seriously dream of visiting this place, but where in Vietnam shall you start?

    There is no right or wrong answer to this question, but you sure want to make the most of your time here. If you are from the UK, you can spend 1 month here at most before moving on or doing a border run.

    Through personal experiences, stories and research, we have come up with the best itinerary for travelling Vietnam, so look no further!!

    Hanoi: Day 1 to Day 4

    When visiting Vietnam, you are likely going to enter through one of the major cities. This will be either Ho Chi Minh in the south or Hanoi, the capital, in the north. Here, we opt for the north. Hanoi is a busy city that truly never sleeps.

    This would be a great introduction to life in Vietnam and an opportunity to try a lot of the local foods, including Banh Mi. During your time here, you can visit local markets, hit up the local puppet show, or visit the history of Hoa Lo Prison and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

    You can easily find yourself lost in the busy streets of Hanoi but there is beauty wherever you turn and would be a great starting point for you Vietnamese journey!

    Ha Giang Loop: Day 5 to Day 8

    Now, this is one location people won’t think of and maybe only been made aware of due to other people’s experience but this is a MUST DO. For us, this was the best thing we did in South East Asia and something everyone would rave about when speaking about their top things in this part of the world.

    It’s an experience that can very much cater to your itinerary and you can choose the length of time you want to experience this. Only a short 12-hour bus journey from Hanoi. Deep into the northern hills of Vietnam lies a tiny village called Ha Giang that boasts a pretty popular and beautiful sights many visit each year.

    When visited in 2022, it was very popular, so it may be more so now it would still be highly recommended to see. The loop starts from a 1-night stay in the northern hills to a 3-night, 4-day stay. This stay will include travelling, from location to location, all through the northern mountains and staying in various villages and seeing sights along the way.

    The sights include stop offs to meet locals, beautiful vantage points to enjoy the awe-inspiring views, homemade, local delicacies, and so much more. The itinerary will be laid out by the company you choose to do this through, and will give you a rough guide of your day-to-day activities.

    All this travelling through the mountains will be done on a motorbike so get your license ready or get a joy rider to do it for you, either way, the experience will be a once in a lifetime trip you will not regret!

    For more information on this, check out our blog on the Ha Giang full experience here. And make sure to try the veggie spring rolls!!

    Da Nang/Hoi An: Day 9 to Day 11

    Now, moving further south in Vietnam to a beachside location full of surprises. Da Nang is a powerful, coastal city surrounded by places to explore and local attractions.

    Firstly, a day trip/night stay in Hoi An is required to experience the floating markets, beautiful handmade clothing and so much more. This place is likely venturing through a Disney film with it’s vibrant colours and feel. In the evening, the locals sometimes set off lanterns on the river providing a beautiful image as the sunsets.

    Here is the home of leather wallets, tailored clothing, jewellery and so much more in Vietnam and a great place to explore when you have a little money spare from your trips.

    After leaving Hoi An, you have options…

    You can either venture to Ba Na Hills to see the hand bridge and venture up cable cars to the hidden cloud city in the mountains. Believe it or not there is a theme park up there and you can stay overnight for an amazing experience, something we weren’t aware of at the time. The hand bridge is the one you see on Instagram; however, be prepared for the views to be covered by the clouds because, yes, you really are super high into the clouds.

    Or you can head to the Temples of My Son, which are deserted historic relics that you can find yourself exploring till your hearts content. This is a unique and unheard of UNESCO heritage site that not many travellers visit and have stood for centuries. To be specific, the relics here were built between the 4th and 13th century for Indian Kings and rulers and they really do still stand today.

    Unfortunately, the Vietnam War saw to that some were destroyed, but large building still stand erect and strong even after all these years. It’s a great location to just wander for the day, see where the path takes you. Some people opt to visit there via bike to be able to visit the UNCESCO site and see all the beauty it has, and upon reflection, wish we did the same!

    (both of these locations would lead you to head back to Hanoi and complete your 2 week trip! However, if you opt for neither of these, you have the opportunity to spend a couple days at one last location…

    Ha Long Bay: Day 12 to Day 14

    This is one of the natural wonders of the world and the views are not to be underestimated. Here, you can find yourself on the water, weaving between hundreds of tiny, uninhabited islands boasting all of its natural green beauty.

    The water and bay are something to admire for sure, and worth the long trip to the City from the (likely) capital. However, don’t be fooled by the large, tall buildings in the city of Ha Long Bay as the city feels deserted and baron.

    When exploring the streets, it was really difficult to find anywhere to find a place to eat or shops open. Maybe it was the time of year we visited (November) or something, but it wasn’t what was expected.

    However, the Bay is really something to admire and a wonder that shouldn’t be slept on. You have the opportunity to explore caves, visit Ti Top island, and go kayaking to look for wild monkeys! The great thing about Ha Long Bay is that the locals to preserve the natural beauty and therefore make sure that it is kept well even with many tourists visiting it throughout the year.

    If you don’t know already, Vietnam is really a beautiful country, and a trip here would be a huge highlight reel for you in many years to come. The country really does boast a beautiful mix of amazing foods, loving people, historic sights, natural wonders and so much more. And even in 2 short weeks you can find a way to experience all this and more!!

    W would however recommend a whole month in the country to really explore and soak in the country has to offer. It truly is amazing and a location we could not recommend for new travellers, avid travellers, or generally anyone in this world.

    If you have been to Vietnam before or any of these locations, we would love to know your thoughts and recommendations on any locations that are a MUST to include in this 2-week itinerary.

    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 Osijek 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!

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

    Leave a comment

  • Bangkok Bucket List Travel Guide Checklist (2025)

    Bangkok Bucket List Travel Guide Checklist (2025)

    Wanting to visit Bangkok in 2025? This city is bursting full of exciting activities, beautiful places to visit, fun foods to try; and even our list won’t touch the sheer amount of things to do! But, we hope this list is a great start to building your bucket list trip to Bangkok! We will also link some of our own YouTube videos doing these exact activities for some additional inspiration!

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

    1. Eat 40p noodles at Boat Noodle Alley
    2. Shop at the busy Chatuchak market
    3. Go cafe-hopping to the many unique cafes
    4. Sunset dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya river
    5. Have a full body Thai massage
    6. Try Michelin star food (even on a budget)
    7. Have a cocktail on a rooftop bar
    8. Eat street food on Khao San road
    9. Embrace the nomad lifestyle in the many budget hostels
    10. Go temple hopping amongst the beautiful Bangkok temples
    Bangkok bucket list travel guide

    These top 10 bucket-list activities will be sure to kick-start an amazing adventure to Bangkok, the exhilarating capital of Thailand!

    For more Thailand inspiration, maybe check out ‘how to see elephants in Thailand‘, our Bangkok Hostel Recommendation, or ‘Visiting Boat Noodle Alley‘.

    Find our latest Bangkok 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!

    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

  • Boat Noodle Alley; The best authentic Thai Noodles?

    Boat Noodle Alley; The best authentic Thai Noodles?

    Bangkok is famous for its vibrant street food culture, and few dishes capture this spirit like boat noodles. These tiny bowls of flavor are not just budget-friendly but also offer a taste of Thai culinary traditions. With prices that won’t break the bank, you can enjoy a satisfying meal while exploring the city’s lively food scene. So, we bring you Boat Noodle Alley.

    The late 1700’s saw Bangkok canals being a big place for trade, and vendors in wooden boats would paddle up to potential customers with shallow bowls of noodle soups (to avoid spillages), however, as the 1970’s came vendors were forced to come to land. Now, you find an alley of noodle spots north of the Victory Monument, where you can have your own taste of these authentic Thai foods!

    In this adventure, we visited two popular noodle shops: Pa Yak Boat Noodles and Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong Noodles. Each offers a unique experience, showcasing their take on this beloved dish. One is all about quality over quantity (both are v good though), while the other cranks up the heat for spice lovers.

    Cost-effectiveness and spice levels stand out as key features in our noodle exploration. Whether you’re looking for a tasty meal on a budget or a fiery culinary challenge, Bangkok’s boat noodle stalls have something for everyone.

    This blog post is based on our newest vlog which you can check out here!

    *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 🙂

    Pa Yak Noodles

    Noodle Variety and Prices

    At Pa Yak Boat Noodles, the menu is limited to just four variety options. Each bowl costs a mere 18 baht, roughly 40-45p. This price is hard to beat, especially in a city noted for its street food. When you think about dining out in Europe or North America, you could pay four times that amount for just a snack, making this a fantastic deal for travelers.

    Flavour Profile and Texture

    The dishes here feature an interesting range of noodles. Options include slippery glass noodles and wide, flat noodles. The rich broths are packed with flavor, accompanied by various toppings like tender meat and veggies. We also got the best bowl of crispy pork crackling. The overall experience is marked by complex flavor profiles, making each bowl stand out, despite the limited variety.

    Ambiance and Service

    Situated by the river, Pa Yak Boat Noodles offers a unique dining atmosphere. Though the view may not be picturesque, the lively vibe adds to the experience. However, the service was a bit direct, which can be common in tourist-heavy areas. A bit of patience goes a long way when navigating a language barrier.

    Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong Noodles : A Spice Lover’s Dream.

    Expanded Menu and Options

    In contrast, Ruathong Noodles boasts a more extensive menu with nine options. Diners can choose from a variety of noodle types and proteins, including pork and beef. This breadth makes it appealing to those looking to explore different flavors in one visit.

    Spice Levels and Flavor Intensity

    Ruathong Noodles is a haven for those who enjoy spicy food. The heat levels vary dramatically from one dish to the next. For example, the glass noodles come with a mild broth, while other options fire up your taste buds with intense heat. The lingering spiciness makes for an exciting meal, but be warned: not all dishes are suitable for the timid (like us).

    Ambiance and Service at Ruathong Noodles

    Ruathong Noodles offers an energetic atmosphere. You can see chefs crafting noodle dishes right before your eyes. This behind-the-scenes look can be quite entertaining and adds to the overall dining experience. The service was friendly, making it a more welcoming spot compared to Pa Yak Boat Noodles.

    Comparing the Two Boat Noodle Experiences

    Price and Value

    When it comes to overall cost, both restaurants offer amazing value. At Pa Yak Boat Noodles, four small bowls and a large bowl can leave you full for about 150 baht (around £4). Meanwhile, Ruathong Noodles, with its more extensive menu, still maintains a comparable price point for the quality and variety offered.

    Flavour and Spice Comparison

    Both of these establishments on Boat Noodle Alley deliver impressive flavours, but they cater to different taste preferences. Pa Yak Boat Noodles provides a delightful experience with its well-balanced flavors. In contrast, Ruathong Noodles is perfect for those who crave spicy dishes. In essence, both places deliver satisfying meals but appeal to different preferences.

    Recommendations Based on Spice Tolerance

    If you enjoy a mild meal and are exploring local fare, Pa Yak Boat Noodles is the place to go. On the other hand, for the spice aficionado, Ruathong Noodles is a must-visit. Understanding your spice tolerance can help you choose the right spot for an unforgettable meal.

    Beyond the Noodles: Tips for Exploring Boat Noodle Alley

    Communicating in a non-English speaking environment can be daunting. Learn a few basic Thai phrases or use translation apps to help order your food smoothly. Keep it simple; locals often appreciate the effort, even if you stumble over the words.

    Exploring Other Food Options

    Boat Noodle Alley is bustling with street food vendors offering various delicacies. Take your time to explore beyond noodles. You might discover hidden gems, like fresh fruits or savory snacks that complement your meal.

    Budgeting for Your Trip

    When planning your food budget, consider that meals at these noodle spots range from 18 baht to about 50 baht per bowl. With such low prices, you can try multiple dishes without worrying about costs.

    Conclusion: A Delicious and Affordable Bangkok Adventure

    Visiting Pa Yak Boat Noodles and Ruathong Noodles on Boat Noodle Alley reveals the rich diversity of Bangkok’s food scene. Each place brings its unique flavor and experience to the table. While Pa Yak Boat Noodles stakes its claim on affordability and classic flavors, Ruathong Noodles fires up the palate with spicy selections.

    Boat noodles in Bangkok offer a tantalizing and budget-friendly culinary adventure. Whether you’re wary of spice or eager for a challenge, these establishments have something for every palate. Dive into the delicious world of boat noodles, and don’t forget to share your experiences with fellow travelers!

    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!

    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 Ha Giang Loop- Visiting Vietnam’s Hidden Gem – Full Itinerary

    The Ha Giang Loop- Visiting Vietnam’s Hidden Gem – Full Itinerary

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

    Top tours to do in Hanoi | Ha Giang Loop Tour | by Ourtwostepstart
    Top tours to do in Hanoi | Ha Giang Loop Tour | by Ourtwostepstart
    Top tours to do in Hanoi | Ha Giang Loop Tour | by Ourtwostepstart

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

    The Ha Giang Loop

    Want to jump to a specific part of this blog? Check the content here!

    1. The Ha Giang Loop
    2. Transport to Ha Giang
    3. Hostel stay
    4. Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 1
    5. Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 2
    6. How to Book
    7. Overview
    8. Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?
    9. Find our Travel Essentials!

    Transport to Ha Giang

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

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

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

    Hostel stay

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

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

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

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

    Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ha Giang Loop Experience – Day 2

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

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

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

    How to Book

    Book the Ha Giang Loop Tour

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

    Overview

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

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

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

    Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?

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

    Find our Travel Essentials!

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

    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

  • 59 Best Instagram Captions and Quotes for Thailand

    59 Best Instagram Captions and Quotes for Thailand

    Captions are a great way to match your travel photography, to make the best aesthetic travel feed for you! So don’t sleep on your captions and make sure to use ones that will really catch the eye of your viewers! Let’s get ready for Thailand!

    Thailand is a beautiful location full of adventure and diverse activities, so we have provided the best captions you need for your once in a lifetime travel here! These include quotes, cute, inspirational and food related captions! So have the best time and be sure to use these captions to capture the best memories.

    *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 🙂

    Thailand Instagram Captions Blog Post cover
    1. Quote Inspired Captions
    2. Pun-Inspired Thailand Captions
    3. Cute Captions about Thailand
    4. Food-related Captions
    5. Thailand Language Captions
    6. Inspirational Captions
    7. Travelling to Thailand
    8. 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
    9. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
    10. Thank you for reading our Thailand Instagram Captions Guide

    Quote Inspired Captions

    1. “Thailand was built on compassion, kindness, and resilience. Its people embody the true spirit of ‘The Land of Smiles’.” – King Bhumibol Adulyadej

    2. “Thailand is not just a destination; it’s a state of mind where worries melt away.” – Zac Efron

    3. “In Thailand, the spirit of adventure finds its playground amidst the wonders of the East.” – Richard Quest

    4. “Thailand is like a colorful tapestry woven with history, traditions, and the hues of nature.” – Angelina Jolie

    5. “If you feel lost, you’ll find yourself in Thailand.” – Unknown

    6. “In the heart of Thailand, you’ll find peace in the present and dreams for the future.” – Unknown

    Pun-Inspired Thailand Captions

    7. Muay Thai, miss American Pai

    8. What a Thai to be Alive!

    9. Eye of the Thai-ger

    10. What are you talking a-baht?

    11. Wat a view

    12. Wat a Thai to be Alive!

    13. Phuket, Let’s do it!!

    14. This is my Thai!

    15. Feelin’ kinda Krabi

    16. Here for a good Thai, not a long Thai

    Cute Captions about Thailand

    17. Left my heart in Thailand

    18. Dreaming of Thai beaches

    19. Palm Trees, 30 Degrees and a fresh coconut for me

    20. Sunsets and Sunrises are my therapy

    21. Turquoise waters and white beaches are all I need

    22. Island life is the perfect life

    23. You’ll find me in the Thai mountains

    24. I found myself in Thailand

    25. Elephants fill my happy thoughts

    26. Island hopping bliss

    27. Chiang Mai Charm

    28. Perfect day for Pad Thai

    29. Nothing better than a Thai food market

    30. Thailand – Where there are endless adventures and good food

    31. Everyday breakfast order – Thai Omelette

    32. I’d go Muay Thai for a Pad Thai

    33. Any type of Thai curry is my kind of curry

    34. 7Eleven is my BEST neighbour

    35. If you lose me, you’ll find me in 7Eleven

    36. I just came for the 7Eleven Toasties

    37. Who thought mango and rice would be so nice?

    38. Just simply can’t get enough noodles!

    Thailand Language Captions

    39. dai yang sia yang – You can’t make omelette’s without breaking any eggs

    40. nam keun hai reep dtak – Make hay when the sun shines

    41. chua jed tee dee jed hon – Every cloud has a silver lining

    42. lûueak-tham-ngaan-thîi-rao-rák láe-jà-mâi-mii-wan-nǎi-thîi-rǔu-sùek-wâa-dtâawng- tham-ngaan-looei – Choose the work you love and there won’t be a day you feel you have to work

    43. hâi rae – To give rice (when someone has given another person something without first asking for anything in return)

    44. jai mai – The heart does not lie (always trust your intuition or gut feeling when making decisions)

    45. nee seua pa ja ra kay – To escape from the tiger to the crocodile (making a bad situation even worse by your actions)

    46. thîi thîi khuuan khâa gàae gaan bpai nán mâi mii thaang lát – There are no short cuts to any place worth going.

    47. dai yang sia yang – To lose something is to earn something again

    48. kin nam jam fai – Always remember and appreciate where your benefits come from

    Inspirational Captions

    49. Life is worth living, so live it!

    50. Making my dreams come true in Thailand

    51. Your heart is the location for your own happiness

    52. Turn your travelling dreams into reality

    53. One day these beaches won’t just be a vacation

    54. Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you’ll end up on a beautiful beach in Thailand

    55. Trust the process

    56. Finding friends have never been so easy

    57. There’s so much to see in Thailand, there’s no reason to stop exploring

    58. The city of smiles will forever keep you smiling

    59. Travelling is the best medicine I will ever need

    We hope you enjoyed these captions and they were helpful when matching these with the amazing photos you have taken in Thailand!! We have completed captions for other locations which you can find here.

    Travelling to Thailand

    We hope you have the best time visiting Thailand! Check out our North Thailand Itinerary, our Southern Thailand Itinerary, as well as our Khao Sok Guide! Are you travelling around Southeast Asia? We have a full list of Asia Guides; such as our Palawan guide, our ultimate backpackers packing guide, and the 7 top foods to eat in Southeast Asia.

    Our favourite must-needed travel resources

    Where to Fly

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

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

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

    Where to Stay

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

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

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

    Where to Explore

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

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

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

    Where to get Connected

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

    Where to be Protected

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

    Our Top Traveller’s Essentials

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

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

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

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

    Find our full packing list guide here.

    Thank you for reading our Thailand Instagram Captions Guide

    You can see more of Thailand in 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! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!

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

    Leave a comment

  • Outpost Hostel Review: Beachfront Accommodation in El Nido

    Outpost Hostel Review: Beachfront Accommodation in El Nido

    Outpost Hostel, El Nido

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

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

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

    1. Outpost Hostel, El Nido
    2. Our review of Outpost Hostel in El Nido
    3. Overall – 9.5/10
      1. Arrival – 7/10
      2. Rooms – 8/10
      3. Toilet & Showers – 9/10
      4. Communal/social Area – 9.5/10
      5. Trips – 10/10
      6. Location – 8/10
      7. Food (Taste) – 8.5/10, (Price) – 5/10
      8. Facilities
    4. Our experience at Outpost Hostel
      1. Would we recommend Outpost Hostel?
    5. Outpost, El Nido!
    6. 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
    7. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials

    Our review of Outpost Hostel in El Nido

    Overall – 9.5/10

    Arrival – 7/10

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

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

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

    Outpost Poster in the Hostel in El Nido, Philippines
    Philippines map in the accommodation.

    Rooms – 8/10

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

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

    Toilet & Showers – 9/10

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

    Communal/social Area – 9.5/10

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

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

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

    Sunset Views on the beach in El Nido, Philippines
    Morning breakfast view in El Nido, Philippines
    Photo of one of the communal areas at Outpost Hostel in El Nido, Philippines
    Breakfast with beach view in El Nido

    Trips – 10/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Island Views on Palawan Tour from Outpost Hostel
    Island Views on Palawan Tour
    Island Views on Palawan Tour
    Island Views on Palawan Tour from Outpost Hostel
    Island Views on Boat Trip booked through Outpost hostel

    Location – 8/10

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

    Food (Taste) – 8.5/10, (Price) – 5/10

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

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

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

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

    Pork Sisig meal at Outpost Hostel
    Pork Sisig at Outpost Hostel

    Facilities

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

    Our experience at Outpost Hostel

    Would we recommend Outpost Hostel?

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

    Outpost, El Nido!

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

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

    Our favourite must-needed travel resources

    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.

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

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  • Ultimate Palawan Travel Guide 2024: Top Attractions, Hidden Gems, and Travel Tips

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

    Palawan Island is located in the Philippines, and is a thin strip of land furthest west. It’s a popular place for travellers as there are many stops across the large island, with beautiful beaches, once in a lifetime activities and amazing food!

    The Island is one of 7,641 Islands that make up the country of Philippines; with many dotted just off the shores. It’s a convenient location for travellers as you are only a 1/2 hour flight away when arriving in the capital of Manila, making it easily accessible! Also, if you have travelled other parts of the Philippines you can get a ferry from Cebu to Coron, but this will take a long time to travel – roughly 35 hours which will stop at other locations including the capital Manila, before heading to Coron (north Palawan). You can also fly from Cebu to Palawan which is roughly 2,000 Philippine Peso which is a lot quicker and not much more expensive!!

    The island is definitely worth the travel and wait time as we have not seen such paradisal beaches and islands anywhere else in the world!! The options are to fly to Puerto Princesa which is in the central part of the Island, or to the north Island of Coron which is the Busuanga Airport.

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

    Coron, Philippines

    Puerto Princesa

    The popular flight (and easiest) is to Puerto Princesa, as it is the larger airport and has more flights. However, Coron is a popular spot and one you don’t want to miss out on. We would recommend to head to Puerto Princesa and get local transport (likely a TukTuk) into the city of Puerto Princesa, which is roughly a 30 minute ride. There isn’t much to do here but is a lovely quiet place perfect to get over any jet lag from your travels! 12Go offer a bus and ferry option to transfer from Coron port to Puerto Princesa Airport here.

    We would recommend 1 nights in Puerto Princesa if you are fast travelling and 2 nights if you are slow travelling. As mentioned above, there isn’t much to do in the area but there is 2 activities we would recommend to do that you shouldn’t miss!

    The first of these are the underground river! The underground river is a natural UNESCO heritage site which a great way to learn more about the rich history of the Philippines and it’s beauty. This experience is a short walk into the Philippines forest where you come up to large rock formations and stunning blue water which leads into the mouth of a dark cave. You are given a guide who will paddle you through the caves and point out any interesting parts of the cave with his flashlight. Before entering the cave you are provided with a headset which has an automatic recording which will talk to you and inform you on the history of the cave and how it became so popular. Find guided tour tickets here.

    In the cave you will learn about Stalagmites and Stalactites, and be notified of the amount of bats in the cave. This will be pointed out by the guide through shining the torch for visibility. All round, the experience is calming, and is a lovely way to learn about the local caves with the potential to see wild monkeys on the way into and out of the caves! Be sure to avoid contact with them as they are wild monkeys, and are not pets!

    This is a great way to spend half a day in Puerto Princesa and is one of the most popular spots in the area!

    Also close to Puerto Princesa is Port Barton.

    Port Barton

    This is another popular spot just north of Puerto Princesa which is a literal paradise! The area of Port Barton has a large Horseshoe beach with many islands just off the coast.. perfect for a boat trip! The town has become more popular of recent years as more travellers are becoming aware of it’s natural beauty!

    It would be recommended to stay here for 2/3 nights and from here head further north. However, this is a great location to kick back, relax on the stunning beaches and spend time going for swims, snorkelling to look for marine animals, and exploring the area.

    It’s located near a mangrove and has some amazing walks to beaches which are so quiet that it seems private! The area is so stunning and always recommended by travellers who have been there. Also here is local waterfalls which you can venture to and spend some time taking in the natural beauty!

    There’s even an island called Paradise Island!!! You can book an island hopping tour that visits this island here.

    After enjoying Port Barton in all it’s beauty, you can then head up north towards El Nido by taking the most popular transport of a taxi/shuttle dependant on preference. The shuttle would be cheaper as it is taking multiple groups of people but will be slower and will usually take 4 or so hours. You can find a shuttle bus transport from 12Go for only £9 here. When we made the journey up to the north of Palawan to El Nido our shuttle blew a tyre and we were stuck on the side of a road for 1 hour with only a few local huts housing families and stray dogs. It was a welcoming experience as these people lived such a simple life and was so amazing to see it! Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you haha!

    El Nido

    When looking to visit El Nido there are 2 main hostels that travellers book! One is Frendz Hostel and another is Outpost Hostel. We opted for the latter which turned out to be one of the best hostels we stayed in across the whole 3 months in Asia! The hostel has everything you can ask for! Lovely staff, amazing facilities, good price, boat trips, the beach on the doorstep and more!

    When we say the beach on the doorstep, we mean that once we were dropped off near the hostel on the side of the road, we had to wander down steps onto the beach as pointed out by a sign. We wandered the beach for 2 minutes and boom there’s the hostel. Literally 3 steps up from the beach. It is so close that when you wake up in the morning and head down for breakfast, you will notice the tide has come in and if you are to go on the beach you will have to walk through the sea!

    You have the choice from a shared dorm of 12/8/4 or a private room. It is known to be a lively hostel, a place for people to meet fellow travellers and enjoy the evenings! Each day the hostel have boat tours running (there are 2 to do which are alternated), which we would recommend 100%. It’s an island hopping tour that really stood out and you will see places that literally look out of this world. The tours (as of September 2022) cost around £15 per person and would be from 9am till 5/6pm, which is inclusive of lunch (fresh fish and fruits like pineapple and watermelon), party games between islands (including alcohol), and snorkel gear and recommendations on where to find marine animals. It’s so worth the money and you get to know all the fellow travellers on the trip as well which is amazing!

    On the tour we met up with some local islanders that lived on one of the many islands dotted around the Philippines. Even though they didn’t speak English or we didn’t speak their language, we decided to play a game of Volleyball with the locals with mixed teams. We got to understand the simplicity of their life and how grateful they were for what little they had. It was such a surreal experience and on the island we were able to enjoy the sunset before heading back to the hostel for the end of the trip.

    As expected, we did both the boat tours which take separate routes around the islands visiting different areas! Once you get back you are welcomed at the bar with a free drink and the socialising has begun!

    The hostel offers great food, but it is a lot more expensive to eat at the hostel compared to local places just a 5/10 minute away. We are taking sometimes 3 times more expensive!

    If you do enjoy the party scene, you can venture into El Nido later in the evening and find a popular club called Amigos which has an amazing view once you walk through it! At the back you fall straight on the beach only 10/20 feet away from the sea and we can’t lie we had a few dips in there because why not! Many would take off their clothes and go in the sea in their underwear to then come out the sea, dry off and put their clothes back on to head back into the club! The vibes are electric and the people are super friendly! Even next door to the club there is an amazing burger spot which is a great place to stumble in once you have completed the night and looking for a late snack!

    From Outpost Hostel to the centre of town should only cost 100 Pesos (£1.50) each way and you can ride multiple people in one TukTuk!

    In the day there is still loads more to do! We ended up renting a driver and a group of us headed to some famous beaches (Nacpan & Duli Beach). These are roughly 45 – 60 minutes north of El Nido but well worth the journey! The beaches were empty, we were the only ones there! We stopped and had lunch on the beach before going into the sea and enjoying the beautiful weather! After a while, and moving between beaches, we came across loads of local Philippines kids running and playing on the sand which was awesome to see! As a group we played some volleyball and tired ourselves out to collapse on the sun loungers and enjoy the sunset. There’s no better way to enjoy this than ordering a local dessert of Halo Halo, which was so refreshing and beautiful! Definitely worth a try!!

    Also in El Nido there is a local waterfall called Nagkalit-Kalit ,which is a beautiful activity to experience, take photos, see the nature and swim under! El Nido is a place full of nature and one that should be on everyone’s bucket list!

    Moving on from El Nido would be to take a Ferry from the mainland of Palawan to the island of Busuanga which is the next location of Coron! The Ferry is pretty expensive at £40-£50+ and takes roughly 5 hours dependant on the weather and the choppy waters. Please note that the Ferry only runs 2 times a week (was Tuesday and Thursday we believe in 2022) so be sure to check this before looking to book as you might be stranded in El Nido for a few extra days if you don’t plan ahead. It’s not really the worst place to be left stranded though really!! You can book the ferry here.

    Coron

    From here you can head up north to the Island of Coron which is part of Palawan. Coron is a small seaside town that has some great activities that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

    Here we would recommend to stay at Outpost Hostel located in Coron. This is the same company as the one in El Nido, but is less party and more chilled out. It is located through the town, and up a steep street that overlooks much of the town- and provide great views of the sea and sunrise/sunset. The Hostel also has a small pool you can use and offers daily entertainment each evening which normally consists of drinking games and fun! The hostel is super friendly and is only a 15 minute walk from the main town, which has some good entertainment like a place to play pool and some great local food spots. In Coron, we would recommend going on boat tours as there are so many pretty islands close to the island. However, be aware that it is slightly more expensive than the tours in El Nido, and doesn’t offer the same entertaining perks as well. You will also be required to provide your own snorkel equipment or purchase/rent the equipment for the tour.

    The tour will include going to some beautiful islands and swimming in some amazing turquoise blue lakes which are breath taking. You seriously cannot get bored of the tours and the beauty of the country Philippines. One of these being Barracuda lake which houses actual Barracuda’s that live deep in the lake and are seldom seen. Unfortunately we didn’t see one but one of our friends did and if you are lucky you may see them too!

    In the town of Coron you can take a walk up into the hills and find a spot where you can look over the whole town and the waters afar! Mount Tapyas is a popular hike and one that will take you up hundreds of steps and roughly takes 60 – 90 minutes if you take your time. Up here you will see a large sign like the one in Hollywood and be able to witness a beautiful view with picturesque islands in the back. This would be a great place to venture up before sunrise or at sunset to see some beautiful views!

    Coron is a hotspot for many aspiring divers to get their PADI diving certificate or learn how to free dive. It has some cool locations including reefs, turtle spots and shipwrecks where you are able to do this and learn how to scuba dive and earn your PADI certificate!

    Also in Coron, there’s a natural hot spring called Maquinit which allows you to bathe in naturally heated pools of water to relax and sooth your soul. Coron is such a beautiful seaside town full of character and beauty. It’s certainly a place you can’t miss out on!

    Palawan

    The best time to visit Palawan would ideally be between November to May as this is technically their summer time. This means there is less risk of bad weather and encountering typhoons or cyclones which are more apparent between June and October. However, when we visited it was the start/middle of September and the weather was beautiful. Full of sun with a few cloudy days! There were a few days (mostly in Coron) where we were hit with heavy rain or wet weather but it adds to the experience and really didn’t dampen our spirits while there!

    Leaving the island would generally consist of grabbing a plane to either the capital Manila or onto the rest of the Philippines like Cebu from Francisco B. Reyes Airport. It’s located close to Coron would only be a short TukTuk ride to here!

    Visiting Palawan is such a beautiful journey

    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! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!

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

    Leave a comment

  • Palawan Travel Guide for 2024

    Palawan Travel Guide for 2024

    Palawan Island is located in the Philippines, and is a thin strip of land furthest west. It’s a popular place for travellers as there are many stops across the large island. There are beautiful beaches, once in a lifetime activities and amazing food!

    The Island is one of 7,641 Islands that make up the country of Philippines; with many dotted just off the shores. It’s a convenient location for travellers as you are only a 1/2 hour flight away when arriving in the capital of Manila, making it easily accessible! Also, if you have travelled other parts of the Philippines you can get a ferry from Cebu to Coron, but this will take a long time to travel – roughly 35 hours which will stop at other locations including the capital Manila, before heading to Coron (north Palawan). You can also fly from Cebu to Palawan which is roughly 2,000 Philippine Peso which is a lot quicker and not much more expensive!!

    The island is definitely worth the travel and wait time as we have not seen such paradisal beaches and islands anywhere else in the world!! The options are to fly to Puerto Princesa which is in the central part of the Island, or to the north Island of Coron which is the Busuanga Airport.

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

    Beautiful blue waters and beach hut in Coron, Palawan, in the Philippines
    Coron, Philippines

    Puerto Princesa

    The first location in our Palawan guide is Puerto Princess! The popular flight (and easiest) is to Puerto Princesa, as it is the larger airport and has more flights. However, Coron is a popular spot and one you don’t want to miss out on. We would recommend to head to Puerto Princesa and get local transport (likely a TukTuk) into the city of Puerto Princesa, which is roughly a 30 minute ride. There isn’t much to do here but is a lovely quiet place perfect to get over any jet lag from your travels! 12Go offer a bus and ferry option to transfer from Coron port to Puerto Princesa Airport here.

    We would recommend 1 nights in Puerto Princesa if you are fast travelling and 2 nights if you are slow travelling. As mentioned above, there isn’t much to do in the area but there is 2 activities we would recommend to do that you shouldn’t miss!

    The first of these are the underground river! The underground river is a natural UNESCO heritage site which a great way to learn more about the rich history of the Philippines and it’s beauty. This experience is a short walk into the Philippines forest where you come up to large rock formations and stunning blue water which leads into the mouth of a dark cave.

    You are given a guide who will paddle you through the caves and point out any interesting parts of the cave with his flashlight. Before entering the cave you are provided with a headset which has an automatic recording which will talk to you and inform you on the history of the cave and how it became so popular. Find guided tour tickets here.

    In the cave you will learn about Stalagmites and Stalactites, and be notified of the amount of bats in the cave. This will be pointed out by the guide through shining the torch for visibility. All round, the experience is calming, and is a lovely way to learn about the local caves. There is even potential to see wild monkeys on the way into and out of the caves! Be sure to avoid contact with them as they are wild monkeys, and are not pets!

    This is a great way to spend half a day in Puerto Princesa, and is one of the most popular spots in the area!

    Also close to Puerto Princesa is Port Barton.

    Port Barton

    This is another popular spot in Palawan, just north of Puerto Princesa, which is a literal paradise! The area of Port Barton has a large Horseshoe beach with many islands just off the coast.. perfect for a boat trip! The town has become more popular of recent years as more travellers are becoming aware of it’s natural beauty!

    It would be recommended to stay here for 2/3 nights and from here head further north. However, this is a great location to kick back, relax on the stunning beaches and spend time going for swims, snorkelling to look for marine animals, and exploring the area.

    It’s located near a mangrove and has some amazing walks to beaches which are so quiet that it seems private! The area is so stunning and always recommended by travellers who have been there. Also here is local waterfalls which you can venture to and spend some time taking in the natural beauty!

    There’s even an island called Paradise Island!!! You can book an island hopping tour that visits this island here.

    After enjoying Port Barton in all it’s beauty, you can then head up north towards El Nido by taking the most popular transport of a taxi/shuttle dependant on preference. The shuttle would be cheaper as it is taking multiple groups of people but will be slower and will usually take 4 or so hours. You can find a shuttle bus transport from 12Go for only £9 here. When we made the journey up to the north of Palawan to El Nido our shuttle blew a tyre and we were stuck on the side of a road for 1 hour with only a few local huts housing families and stray dogs. It was a welcoming experience as these people lived such a simple life and was so amazing to see it! Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you haha!

    El Nido

    When looking to visit El Nido there are 2 main hostels that travellers book! One is Frendz Hostel and another is Outpost Hostel. We opted for the latter which turned out to be one of the best hostels we stayed in across the whole 3 months in Asia! The hostel has everything you can ask for! Lovely staff, amazing facilities, good price, boat trips, the beach on the doorstep and more!

    When we say the beach on the doorstep, we mean that once we were dropped off near the hostel on the side of the road, we had to wander down steps onto the beach as pointed out by a sign. We wandered the beach for 2 minutes and boom there’s the hostel. Literally 3 steps up from the beach. It is so close that when you wake up in the morning and head down for breakfast, you will notice the tide has come in and if you are to go on the beach you will have to walk through the sea!

    You have the choice from a shared dorm of 12/8/4 or a private room. It is known to be a lively hostel, a place for people to meet fellow travellers and enjoy the evenings! Each day the hostel have boat tours running (there are 2 to do which are alternated), which we would recommend 100%. It’s an island hopping tour that really stood out and you will see places that literally look out of this world. The tours (as of September 2022) cost around £15 per person and would be from 9am till 5/6pm, which is inclusive of lunch (fresh fish and fruits like pineapple and watermelon), party games between islands (including alcohol), and snorkel gear and recommendations on where to find marine animals. It’s so worth the money and you get to know all the fellow travellers on the trip as well which is amazing!

    On the tour we met up with some local islanders that lived on one of the many islands dotted around the Philippines. Even though they didn’t speak English or we didn’t speak their language, we decided to play a game of Volleyball with the locals with mixed teams. We got to understand the simplicity of their life and how grateful they were for what little they had. It was such a surreal experience and on the island we were able to enjoy the sunset before heading back to the hostel for the end of the trip.

    As expected, we did both the boat tours which take separate routes around the islands visiting different areas! Once you get back you are welcomed at the bar with a free drink and the socialising has begun!

    The hostel offers great food, but it is a lot more expensive to eat at the hostel compared to local places just a 5/10 minute away. We are taking sometimes 3 times more expensive!

    If you do enjoy the party scene, you can venture into El Nido later in the evening and find a popular club called Amigos which has an amazing view once you walk through it! At the back you fall straight on the beach only 10/20 feet away from the sea and we can’t lie we had a few dips in there because why not! Many would take off their clothes and go in the sea in their underwear to then come out the sea, dry off and put their clothes back on to head back into the club! The vibes are electric and the people are super friendly! Even next door to the club there is an amazing burger spot which is a great place to stumble in once you have completed the night and looking for a late snack!

    From Outpost Hostel to the centre of town should only cost 100 Pesos (£1.50) each way and you can ride multiple people in one TukTuk!

    In the day there is still loads more to do! We ended up renting a driver and a group of us headed to some famous beaches (Nacpan & Duli Beach). These are roughly 45 – 60 minutes north of El Nido but well worth the journey! The beaches were empty, we were the only ones there! We stopped and had lunch on the beach before going into the sea and enjoying the beautiful weather! After a while, and moving between beaches, we came across loads of local Philippines kids running and playing on the sand which was awesome to see! As a group we played some volleyball and tired ourselves out to collapse on the sun loungers and enjoy the sunset. There’s no better way to enjoy this than ordering a local dessert of Halo Halo, which was so refreshing and beautiful! Definitely worth a try!!

    Also in El Nido there is a local waterfall called Nagkalit-Kalit ,which is a beautiful activity to experience, take photos, see the nature and swim under! El Nido is a place full of nature and one that should be on everyone’s bucket list!

    Moving on from El Nido would be to take a Ferry from the mainland of Palawan to the island of Busuanga which is the next location of Coron! The Ferry is pretty expensive at £40-£50+ and takes roughly 5 hours dependant on the weather and the choppy waters. Please note that the Ferry only runs 2 times a week (was Tuesday and Thursday we believe in 2022) so be sure to check this before looking to book as you might be stranded in El Nido for a few extra days if you don’t plan ahead. It’s not really the worst place to be left stranded!! You can book the ferry here.

    Coron

    From here you can head up north to the Island of Coron which is part of Palawan. Coron is a small seaside town that has some great activities that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

    Here we would recommend to stay at Outpost Hostel located in Coron. This is the same company as the one in El Nido, but is less party and more chilled out. It is located through the town, and up a steep street that overlooks much of the town- and provide great views of the sea and sunrise/sunset. The Hostel also has a small pool you can use and offers daily entertainment each evening which normally consists of drinking games and fun!

    The hostel is super friendly and is only a 15 minute walk from the main town, which has some good entertainment like a place to play pool and some great local food spots. In Coron, we would recommend going on boat tours as there are so many pretty islands close to the island. However, be aware that it is slightly more expensive than the tours in El Nido, and doesn’t offer the same entertaining perks as well. You will also be required to provide your own snorkel equipment or purchase/rent the equipment for the tour.

    The tour will include going to some beautiful islands and swimming in some amazing turquoise blue lakes which are breath taking. You seriously cannot get bored of the tours and the beauty of the country Philippines. One of these being Barracuda lake which houses actual Barracuda’s that live deep in the lake and are seldom seen. Unfortunately we didn’t see one but one of our friends did and if you are lucky you may see them too!

    In the town of Coron you can take a walk up into the hills and find a spot where you can look over the whole town and the waters afar! Mount Tapyas is a popular hike and one that will take you up hundreds of steps and roughly takes 60 – 90 minutes if you take your time. Up here you will see a large sign like the one in Hollywood and be able to witness a beautiful view with picturesque islands in the back. This would be a great place to venture up before sunrise or at sunset to see some beautiful views!

    Coron is a hotspot for many aspiring divers to get their PADI diving certificate or learn how to free dive. It has some cool locations including reefs, turtle spots and shipwrecks where you are able to do this and learn how to scuba dive and earn your PADI certificate!

    Also in Coron, there’s a natural hot spring called Maquinit which allows you to bathe in naturally heated pools of water to relax and sooth your soul. Coron is such a beautiful seaside town full of character and beauty. It’s certainly a place you can’t miss out on!

    Palawan

    The best time to visit Palawan would ideally be between November to May as this is technically their summer time. This means there is less risk of bad weather and encountering typhoons or cyclones which are more apparent between June and October. However, when we visited Palawan it was the start/middle of September and the weather was beautiful. Full of sun with a few cloudy days! There were a few days (mostly in Coron) where we were hit with heavy rain or wet weather but it adds to the experience and really didn’t dampen our spirits while there!

    Leaving the islands of Palawan would generally consist of grabbing a plane to either the capital Manila or onto the rest of the Philippines like Cebu from Francisco B. Reyes Airport. It’s located close to Coron would only be a short TukTuk ride to here!

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