Our Two Step Start

Tag: Travel advice

  • 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

  • Travel Fears and how to overcome them!

    Travel Fears and how to overcome them!

    Travel fears are real, especially if you are younger. Just because you are older and more travel-wise it doesn’t mean that the fears are gone at all. The travel fears are super real and can be apparent even for the most experienced travelers. Anywhere you go will offer new challenges and create new fears. But the real question is, how do you overcome those fears?

    A lot of fears from travel come from the unknown and unexpected outcomes. This can be new locations, new people or new activities. But there are definitely ways to not only overcome them, but thrive during this time. It’s not simple at all but if you follow these steps then you will be well on your way to getting there.

    Fear Identification

    First of all you have to identify the fear. This may seem very obvious but it isn’t as straight forward as you may seem. If you are looking to book your first solo travel trip and come to a sticking point when booking – even though it’s the perfect trip, it is most likely due to fear/worry. You know you haven’t done this before, and I’m sure you have friends or family who are worried on your behalf which hasn’t helped. This seems pretty obvious what the fear is. But for other circumstances it may not be so clear.

    You have to figure it out the problem before you can look to solve this problem. The solving can be mighty difficult if you don’t know what you are supposed to solve.

    The fear could be an activity you have done previously and enjoyed thoroughly, or a place you love. Sometimes it’s the things you can be most comfortable with that can include or build up fears. Maybe it’s a previous experience or maybe a high expectation that you’ve set or maybe it’s slightly different? There’s many factors that can alter and develop old feeling and turn them into fear.

    So the best way to identify this would be to break the idea down. Split it into parts to help see where the fear is located. If you are worried about going to a conference, then is it due to meeting new people, or having to do a speech, or maybe something simple like eating in public? There will be an isolated fear somewhere, you just may have to dig further down into the activity or place to locate it.

    Gradual Exposure vs Instant Exposure

    Now these two cannot work hand-in-hand but is the main two ways in which people can overcome a fear which is preventing them. They both work towards the same goal of breaking that fear and reaching that ultimate goal. But it’s done in different ways so let’s delve deeper into what they mean and how they can help.

    Gradual Exposure

    Gradual exposure is the art of taking things slow to reach the goal. This will be part exposure to get comfortable. An example would be if you are scared of spiders, you would start with being in the same room with one. Once this becomes comfortable, you will then get a little closer and with time, get to the point you can stand by them without sprinting out the room. This is a ‘gradual’ process that can take up to weeks or months to master. It allows your body to be at ease with whatever your fear is.

    This is aimed towards more reserved people who are less impulsive and spontaneous, but still have a desired goal at hand. They are to edge closer at their pace where they can comfortably go and make progress this way as they aren’t able to move any quicker. Which leads perfectly into Instant Exposure.

    If we use a bungee jump or sky dive for example, someone who looks to use gradual exposure may start of with a small ledge, then onto diving in a pool. All the way up to a cliff jump and then onto the idea, the final fear.

    Once they reach this fear, they will see it as a 3 metre dive or a cliff jump. In an attempt to trick the brain and reassure that we have done something similar before. The brain is more comfortable as it’s done something that’s somewhat similar, regardless of the scale and becomes more confident

    Instant Exposure

    Instant exposure is the simple decision to throw themselves into it in any means. This may not be directly into the fear, but into something similar that can massage that fear and allow for an easy jump next time. An example of this is a visiting a new place. A new place is scary and way outside your comfort zone. However, booking a flight may not be, neither is getting on a plane or being in an airport.

    The idea of a new place is what you focus on though. But you know it’s very similar to what you have done many times before. You may even be staying at a hotel/hostel chain you have stayed at before, just at a different location. These familiarities is growing the confidence your body has.

    For the instant exposure, it’s more of ‘faking it till you make it’ and being spontaneous by dealing with the ‘fear’ later. You are to trick the brain that you can’t go back as you have booked it. Another example would be an interview. We have all been nervous and wanted to cancel an interview right before attending it. Your brain will come up with excuses or reasons why you shouldn’t go, but these aren’t real reasons but more-so any excuse not to turn up.

    The actual hardest step of conquering that fear is to simply accept you are doing it. Just booking it in, whether it’s a scary sky dive or an interview. Your body will kick in and complete the fear, but booking it can be the real sticking point. So sometimes your brain works better when you just book it and deal with the fear once you are in front of it.

    Examples of Travel Fear & Overcoming Them

    Skydiving

    Sky Diving or any sort of fear that drives from height is tough to overcome. We know people who have legitimate crippling fear of heights and it’s not fun to watch. However, if you take the gradual exposure approach, you will start with something that’s comfortable, your limit which may be a 2 metre ledge or looking down out of a 3/4 story window. As you are in control of the situation, you are likely to get comfortable and feel safe at some point which allows the opportunity to increase the levels. You are to increase it as close to the fear as possible. So, if you are comfortable with the height but don’t like the jumping aspect, you start with diving in a pool and work your way up.

    You end when you feel ready to book that sky dive and feel satisfied that what you have achieved so far, is close to the overall goal.

    For instant exposure, it’s the hurdle of booking it. A good way to get comfortable with the idea of booking it is speaking with people who have done it before. A positive response will lower the fear a little, and make you one step closer to booking that skydive. When it comes to the sky dive, you will recite what you have learned from either of the types of exposure and use that to fuel the almighty jump. Remember, there will be many reasons flowing through your brain on why you shouldn’t do it. Such as what if the parachute doesn’t pull or you faint. But in reality, this is there to put you off so just focus on the end goal.

    Instant exposure is the task of small steps in the process, whereas gradual is small experiences towards the process.

    Solo Travel

    Solo travel is probably one of the hardest to overcome for travelers, as it combines many different fears in one. It’s worrying how to meet friends, or reacting to any problems that may occur, or even visiting a new place which adds further fear. For gradual fear there are a few ways to dealing with this. You can tackle the fears individually or at a scaled level.

    Individually might be visiting a new place in locally for you, with a friend or family member. You are likely to be comfortable with this and enjoy it. You then can build it up by visiting this place again but by yourself. This will allow you to be more confident in your own presence and learn to enjoy your company. The next step could be to visit somewhere close-by on your own which you haven’t been before. You can just do a small time there or just a walk to get comfortable. Maybe even stop for a coffee or a small lunch here.

    You will become accustom to being in your own company and in new/different places which is imitating the feeling of what you are likely to feel when you solo travel. So you are forced to ask for help if you need or ordering food at the bar to strangers, it’s all a step in the right direction and will build up your confidence in being a solo traveller.

    Instant Exposure is a simpler path but a lot harder to conquer, it’s all about mental reassurance and attempting to book the experience and ‘go with the flow’. Doing it this way can be helped by speaking to people who have experience solo travelling or even reaching out to groups online who are planning to be in the same place as you at the same time. If you meet fellow travellers, you can support each other in booking that solo trip and making that leap into the fear. After all, the booking is the hardest part. If you can create friends who are to be there when you are, it will feel like you are travelling with a friend rather than being a solo traveler meeting strangers.

    Conclusion

    These examples and types of exposures can be assigned to any type of fear you have when travelling. You either need to imitate a scenario and almost role play to get comfortable, allowing your body to understand the task and how to overcome it. Or rather find ways of booking the opportunity with the support of others and using your own experiences as you know booking the fear, is usually always the hardest part.

    We have both experienced many travel fears in which we have overcome many. This includes solo travel, meeting new people, new experiences and so much more. It’s becoming accustom to venturing outside your comfort zone and a whole lot of f**k it moments.

    So you are aware, Aimee runs off instant exposure and normally books before realising what the fears are or look to face them head on. Whereas Jack is somewhere in between depending on the scenario. You have to find what works best for you and decide on how you want to attack the fear. As no one can conquer it for you but you!

    Thank you for following the blog and we hope this truly helps you overcome those long or newly developed fears with travel or even other aspects of your life. If you did find this helpful, do like the blog and subscribe for more blogs to come!

    Do let us know what your travel fears are in the comments below! We may talk in another blog regarding our experiences of overcoming our own fears and how we did it so if you want to know more, let us know.

    You can follow our daily travels and experiences using our social media’s below! Do check it out as we are heading off to Thailand soon with a whole lot of Thai content to come!

    Find our Travel Essentials!

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

    We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!

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

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

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

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

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

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

    Leave a comment

  • Osijek, Croatia Travel Guide

    Osijek, Croatia Travel Guide

    Wanting to visit a city free of tourism while traveling Croatia? Meet Osijek! This smaller city packs a punch, and is a great place to spend 1-2 days while in Croatia! It was an amazing spot to slow down, and really take time to breathe!

    So, here is our travel guide to Osijek in Croatia! We will share some things to do, places to eat, where we stayed, and some other helpful top tips!

    *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. Things to do in Osijek
      1. Wander Ante Starčević Square
      2. Visit Petar Pan!
      3. SS Peter & Paul
      4. Find the 8 statues!
      5. Walk along the Drava River
      6. Osijek Zoo
    2. Where to eat
      1. Mlinar bakeries
      2. Restaurants
    3. Travel Essentials for Osijek
      1. Croatian eSIM
      2. Google translate app
      3. Pre-booked transfer
    4. Where to stay
    5. Find our Travel Essentials!

    Things to do in Osijek

    With Osijek being a smaller city (well, 4th largest in Croatia), it isn’t as cram packed as Zagreb, but still there are some great things to do!

    Wander Ante Starčević Square

    Ante Starčević Square is in the centre of Osijek city, surrounded by shops and cafes! Here you will find a cute water feature, alongside a statue of Ante Starčević himself! It is a great place to take time to relax and wander, as it is very quiet and peaceful.

    Statue in Ante Starčević Square in Osijek Croatia
    Ante Starčević Square in Osijek Croatia

    Visit Petar Pan!

    We’ll be honest this place was so yummy it really deserved a spot on the list! Perfect for a hot sunny day, we stopped here for an ice cream break and was not disappointed! With a menu full of ice cream sundaes, they had ones designed to look like Disney characters which was so fun. The only downside was they didn’t take card (we believe), so make sure to have some cash!

    Pinocchio themed ice cream at Peter Pan in Osijek!

    Look how cute this Pinocchio themed ice cream was! Yum!

    SS Peter & Paul

    This Neo-Gothic co-cathedral in Osijek is really stunning! We saw this cathedral on the walk through to the city square, and it is breathtaking! We didn’t go inside, however we have heard some great things about the people running the cathedral.

    SS Peter & Paul Cathedral in Osijek Croatia

    Find the 8 statues!

    Find the 8 statues of Osijek! We saw three of the eight and they are really special! Some include a mum holding her baby, the Croatian Paganini, an elephant, and a writer (one of Croatia’s most famous statues)! This can be a great way to explore and take in the city atmosphere as you find all of the statues!

    Franjo Krežma Statue
    Franjo Krežma – the Croatian Paganini
    Šetač – a writer in eternal walk

    Walk along the Drava River

    With a nice breeze, you will appreciate walking along the river in summer! We spotted some boats, and took this time to chat and decompress.

    Boats along the Drava river

    Osijek Zoo

    We didn’t actually go to the zoo, however this is a recommended spot in Osijek. You can find tickets here! Some animals they have include lions, bison, zebras and giraffes!

    Where to eat

    We will be honest with you, the night we stayed in Osijek we struggled to go out due to Aimee’s health, so we got some snacks from the shop!

    Mlinar bakeries

    These are dotted around Croatia, but we made sure to grab snacks from here! Our top recommendation would be a chicken burek (we miss them very much)!!

    Mlinar Bakery in Osijek

    Restaurants

    As we didn’t visit any set restaurants, we will share a list of some recommended ones for you to try!

    • Ventidue (Italian, Pizza)
    • Lumiere (International, European)
    • Slavonska KuĆa (Croatian, European)
    • Zimska Luka (Croatian, European)
    • Waldinger (Michelin Star, International, European)

    Travel Essentials for Osijek

    Travelling Osijek was pretty straight forward, but these are some top things we recommend!

    Croatian eSIM

    For a ‘set’ amount of data, we found Airalo to be the best choice! You can find their packages here.

    You can find bundles with unlimited data, that span across the whole of Europe, perfect for those backpacking around multiple countries… Find them here at Yesim!

    Google translate app

    Osijek was a little harder to navigate due to not everyone knowing English (it was a lot less touristic). Therefore, having the translate app was a godsend! The best thing about having the app version is you can use your camera to scan your surroundings (think menus, signs etc), and it will translate it to your language in real time!

    Pre-booked transfer

    If you are flying into Osijek (yes they have an airport!!), please try to book prior transfers. We struggled to find a bus and ended paying for taxi transfer, which we aren’t sure was the best deal. This was just based on our own experiences.

    Where to stay

    For this trip we stayed in such an amazing airbnb! We only spent £29 for a night, which at the time was a lot better than hotels in the area at our time of searching! We genuinely are so happy we stayed here, we will leave the link here, this isn’t an affilate link, just somewhere we wish to get the love they deserve!

    We hope this guide helps you for your next trip to Osijek! It is an amazing city to visit for a stop-gap, and was a place to stop and breathe.

    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

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

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

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

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

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

    7 Top Tips and Tricks for long-haul flights

    So let’s dig in!

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

    Wear comfortable clothing

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

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

    Bring Snacks

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

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

    Small Carry on Bag

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

    What if you want snacks?

    Or your phone runs out?

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

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

    So the solution?

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

    Have your charger in your carry-on

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

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

    Get up and walk around

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

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

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

    Plan your flight

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

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

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

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

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

    Dietary requirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

    See our Long-Haul Experience!

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

    Find our Travel Essentials!

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

    We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!

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

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

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

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

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

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

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

    Leave a comment

  • Travelling Planning in 2025 – Our Next Steps

    Travelling Planning in 2025 – Our Next Steps

    Now as we enter the new year, it’s the exciting time to ponder the travels and adventures you look to embark on.

    Hopefully, 2024 included some of your best travels yet and you made the most amazing memories to cherish. But let’s make sure 2025 can top this!

    When looking for inspiration it can definitely be overwhelming as there are so many options and opinions expressed and you just can’t decided on which one can you? Well.. this is where we come in!

    We are going to breakdown all the best locations to visit and categorize them so you can tailor your searches to EXACTLY what you want to get out of your travels in 2025.

    But before we begin, it’s important to reflect on the travels you embarked on in 2024. So tell us yours in the comments below once you read ours!

    Our Travels

    March 2024

    To start our travels we have to revisit March where our first journey of 2024 began. Here, we took 7 days to not only experience but also explore different parts of Morocco!

    Morocco was very different to a lot of the travel we were used to but dove in head first and enjoyed every second of it.

    We spend 3 days exploring the old Medina in Fes; which are small, narrow streets squished between tall, antique style buildings. Like we were stuck in the maze runner’s maze (if you have seen it!).

    After long we then moved to a small city called Meknes around an hour or so train ride away for 2 days, before hitting our last location of Rabat (the capital). Rabat was a beautiful split between being a built up city, full of local markets, and an unique way of life.

    Morocco was a lovely place to visit and one we would always recommend to readers to explore! Check our Morocco blogs and YouTube videos below!!

    June 2024

    Here we headed on a relaxing, all-inclusive family trip with family to the lovely seaside town of Side, Turkey. This was a quaint location which we plan to visit again, but more-so to explore the ancient areas and activities in the town. It was super vibrant and of course included a beautiful beach which was boasted lovely weather.

    August/September 2024

    For Jack’s birthday, we decided to plan and embark on a last minute trip to Thailand! Now, this was Aimee’s first time in Thailand and even Asia so she was super excited!

    We left a few days before Jack’s birthday and celebrated it in Bangkok eating food, walking around markets and living our best life. We spent a total of 4 days here before moving north to Chiang Mai, one of Jack’s favourite places in North Thailand. Unfortunately Jack was ill (with a respiratory infection) the duration of Chiang Mai, but we managed to see a few markets and temples on the better days. We did manage to see the elephants of course though!

    After leaving here we went to Pai and explored the beauty of the village going on tours, walking markets and making the most of our time in the north.

    We finally finished Thailand with a 4 day stint in Koh Tao, an island south of Bangkok. Here we rested up the best we could after a busy travel schedule and illnesses. The beach was paradise, and a place we wish we didn’t have to leave. We spent time snorkeling looking for turtles (sadly didn’t find any), and seeing many colourful fish.

    The food across Thailand is wonderful and super fresh, and we made sure to make the most of it haha!

    Unfortunately, this was our last trip of 2024 with only a seaside U.K. trip in October rounding off the year with our old dog Bruce.

    Our dog Bruce (an old staffy), at Old Hunstanton beach for his 17th birthday
    Bruce’s 17th Birthday at the beach.

    2025??

    Now, what’s in store for 2025? Travel plans definitely differ person to person, with some looking to organise their year before it even begun, whereas some like to be spontaneous and let their impulses decide. Neither of these options are right or wrong, it just depends on who you are, and what you want.

    For longer trips, you have to consider more of course (including flight price etc). But for shorter flights, you could even book just before you take off!

    So how are we planning it?

    We have broken it into the months we are looking to travel, and times where it’s best to go to make the most of the time we have.

    Jack as you may know is working full time, and Aimee is recently out of surgery (for more information on our daily lives check out our Instagram), so getting out isn’t realistic for now. But we have a plan!

    We have decided on a break, no matter small or large, every few months so we have explore and have time off from our busy lives. So the schedule is as follows:

    • March
    • April
    • June
    • August
    • October/November

    Disclaimer** Now this is subject for change but it’s a rough plan

    March

    March is the first trip after Aimee’s surgery and will be a small one together (likely with a family member). We plan on a 3/4 day trip to somewhere quaint like France, in a town that is less busy.

    We have a rough plan but these types of holiday are great when you are working with limited days off, and a great way to travel during the winter months. Across Europe are some beautiful areas (one coming to mind being Aarhus- Denmark) which many people wouldn’t think about visiting. So why not choose somewhere you might not usually consider and give it a whirl?

    It would likely be a quiet, less busy style of trip, where we would go to a smaller area and spend our time exploring the lesser-known location. You don’t necessarily need to know everything you are doing here, the trip would be split between some planned activities and some spontaneous.

    April

    April would be more exploratory for us. This would likely be a 2 location trip over 4/5 days which again would be relaxing like the March trip but a little more adventurous.

    Examples would include trip that consist of either of the following:

    • 2 town/small cities in a larger, popular country like Spain or Italy. Like Gijon and Oviedo in the north of Spain!
    • 2 cities from neighboring countries. Examples would be like Eastern European countries who are close to each other. Like Podgorica and Dubrovnik or Rotterdam and Antwerp.

    The trip again would be like March’s trip, but with more activities and planning involved (with a likelihood of more days than less). For sure it should be warmer than the other trip so why not explore more and spend more time here!

    June

    Our plans for June are likely to be a warmer location. The summer time has started and there’s no better way to celebrate it than going to a warm country! This trip is likely to be a longer trip than the previous 2 of the year, so let’s dig in.

    The trip would be to a location similar to Greece or Turkey – probably sticking to Europe somewhere.

    For us, it will be at the start of June to avoid the busy months of the summer holidays and to also skip the hottest months of July and August which can definitely get too hot. This trip could be completely different, and is likely to be either of the 2 below:

    • A, recovery holiday that is very relaxing and a time to just enjoy the sun and being in a different country.
    • Or B, a busy experience holiday of trying to see the most of a country.

    I suppose it depends on how we both feel when we are looking to book, and whether we need a detox or are ready for a busy adventure. Either way, June is a super good time to go away.

    August

    Now, at the end of August 2024, we were in Thailand so that would be very hard to beat but we can definitely try. This trip could be a big one for us and likely to be at least 1 week depending on whether Jack is still working. This trip could be the first of the year that would be outside Europe but may not be as spectacular as last year. We would choose an exotic place that is a warm location where there is a lot to do. Examples would be Egypt, or like our trip last year to Morocco.

    As Aimee would be over 6 months through recovery we would plan to be super busy and plan to explore each location/region we visit; so we can gauge how prepared we might be for our next trip of 2025.

    October/November

    This is where, at the start of 2025 at least, we have the plan to potentially take a leap towards long-term travel to some degree. Whether this would be a few months abroad or the start of a one-way trip with no planned end… we don’t know.

    Sounds super exciting right?????

    This would likely be a trip to South East Asia, more specifically, Vietnam! Vietnam is a place you may know Jack has visited, and Aimee is highlighting it as her next bucket list location. Now, Aimee has a family member here which she hasn’t seen for a decade which means that Hanoi is a great place to start our travels (since that is where they live). In Vietnam, we would likely look to slowly travel through Vietnam to explore each location thoroughly. Here, we would be looking to spend close to a week in each location and soak up what we are actually doing.

    Vietnam is such a diverse country and the perfect start for travel as it has a blend of bustling cities, beautiful beaches, rural towns & natural delights.

    It’s likely from here, we would move to bordering countries like Cambodia or Laos, with another trip back to Thailand.

    If you aren’t already aware, we would be looking to earn for ourselves during our trip and therefore would stick to the ‘cheaper countries’ so our money can stretch us for the longest time whilst we earn/save.

    This is something we are working towards even now, and cannot wait to start this new chapter in our lives. Closer to the time we will design ideas and travel plans ready for this big trip.

    A trip we plan to last us into new year and hopefully further beyond!

    This is SOOOOOOOOO exciting for us and we cannot wait to experience all of this, and bring YOU along with our traveling journeys and experiences.

    Not only do we want to show you our life of travel, but also motivate you to take this leap of faith as we plan to do soon so that your dreams can also come alive.

    Be sure to follow along for more travel stories, trips and so so much more!

    Check Out Our Latest YouTube Video!

    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!

    Also, check out our Social Media’s for our amazing travelling journey! Hint Hint: we have just came back from our trip to Thailand!!

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

    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!

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

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

    Slow travelling is something we touched upon in a recent blog called ‘Fast Travel vs Slow Travel‘ which compared slow travel and fast travel. It’s understanding what they both are and which would be better suited to your travel needs and plans. It’s not a topic many think of when deciding to travel but really provides insight on how to plan your trip and helps you to make the most everyday.

    For those who aren’t aware of what slow travel is, it’s pretty simple. Slow travel is the design to travel at a slower pace. Now, this can be for a number of reasons. And this is what we look to delve deeper into later on in this blog. But slow travel isn’t usually the common type of travel for most.

    Fast travel seems to be a lot more popular and here’s why. The main benefit of fast travel is so you can see more place compare to slow travel. It’s like visiting a sweet shop and buying one of everything. You know you are buying too much, but you don’t know when you will be in the sweet shop again so you make sure you don’t miss out. When travelling there is so much to see and do, travelers often get FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). It’s common and leads people to visit more places just to cram it all in. This partnered with the fact that many travelers only do this part time or rarely meaning they aren’t likely to be back at this corner of the globe any time soon. So they think ‘while I’m here I might as well make the most of it.

    But this is enough about fast travel, after all, it’s not the topic of conversation.

    Benefits of Slow Travel

    As mentioned above, slow travel comes with a lot of benefits which we will put under the microscope now.

    Becoming A Local

    The main benefit of slow travel is being able to enjoy the places you visit more. Picture this, you have 2/3 days in each location and you are constantly rushing around to complete to ‘top things to do in each location’. By doing this, you will be missing out on the rest of the activities in the location as well as a host of things to do there. This includes the best coffee shops, places to eat and so much more.

    Slow travel really allows you to savour each moment and enjoy the little things. If you are just racing through each place you may not remember much about it other than the ‘big activity’. Some of the fondest memories is the ones where you weren’t necessarily doing the craziest of activities, rather, the most simple. An example of this would be enjoying a late night sing along with locals in Indonesia where a local was playing guitar and we sat with him and his friends for hours singing. It was amazing!

    Sometimes you need to just embrace the place you are in, take a moment to be present to enjoy it the most.

    Recovery Days

    Traveling will be an amazing experience no matter where you go. Whether you enjoy partying, living off grid or just exploring new cultures, you will be sure to have the time of your life. So many memories will be made and you will likely see more than most. However, a lot of people don’t mention one of the downsides to travel.

    It. Is. Exhausting.

    First of all, living out of a backpack or suitcase is pretty simple for a few weeks but when you are venturing into months or even years, it can be quite a challenge. Not to mention the endless activities you have planned each day to make the most of each trip. The last thing you want to do is have an ‘off day’ and miss out on some awesome experience!

    So don’t!

    It’s super important, if not a necessity to allow for down days. Days where you can relax and allow your body to recover. You have to think, a lot of your travel time will be lugging round a heavy bag and moving from place to place so 1-3 days every so often is so needed.

    For traveling, we would recommend roughly a 2 day break every 3-4 weeks depending on how fast you travel and how much of a veteran you are at traveling. After a busy few weeks jumping from place to place and completing daring, once-in-a-lifetime activities, there’s no better way to spend some time.

    For this, we would recommend you to find a place near the beach (if possible), a pool would work well also. And spend time to yourself, reading a book, or relaxing in the sun and taking the days easy. For adrenaline seekers, this may seem boring. However, your body cannot keep going at a fast pace forever when travelling so make sure to take this breaks to avoid travel burn out.

    We would suggest to maybe revisit some old fond memories you enjoyed before travelling such as tennis or hiking but do it without feeling the need to be somewhere. Have a wander up the beach or through some shops and really let your body recover. It’s important to note that your mind would need a rest also. Having a few days without a packed schedule might help with this.

    Avoid Missing Out

    Travelling really is an open ended book. You have the possibility to experience whatever you want in each location and it’s your job, as the author, to make these decisions. A slow travel plan will allow you to learn about travelling on the way and maybe even be informed by fellow travellers of new, unheard of experiences that you are interested in. Research can only give you so much.

    The idea of slow travel is learning more about each place and embracing the little things so when you go you will have added time in each location. This will give you a buffer so that if there are any other activities in a location you might not of planned for, then you have the time to schedule it in.

    If you are running off a fast paced travel schedule, you will either have to miss out of the activity or substitute it with another which either way, you will be missing out.

    Flexibility

    Even if you have done hours and hours of research into where you are heading, and planned it perfectly, it doesn’t mean your schedule will work perfectly. You have to understand you are heading into new places which running totally different to what you are used to. They may have poorer transport, or different open and closing times which you can’t always plan for.

    Slow travel lets you substitute your time and move about days to suit any issues that may arise. An example would be in Philippines which have poor transportation links which require a few days buffer. If not, you will have to lose out on parts of your plan. If we had planned slow travel, then we could of worked around it with the added days as safety. This is a mistake we aim to not make again as we missed out on one of our top activities because of this and we don’t want you to do the same.

    Overview

    Slow travelling is, at least for us, the desired way of travelling. It really allows you to make the most of your time and be flexible when deciding on your plans. There’s so many things that can delay your travels that are out of your hands, it’s best to have a little buffer. Therefore, you can still see everything you want plus more without missing out on your bucket list activities. Obviously, this is location specific but we would look to use this method when visiting most places. Your body will always need a day or more to recover when travelling so make sure to adhere to your bodies needs before getting travel burnout.

    Thank you for reading this blog and we hope you enjoyed! If you did, make sure to subscribe for more blogs and check out our social media’s below to follow along with our daily travels. This includes a VERY exciting trip to Thailand over the next month where we will give you loads of Thailand related content!!

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

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

    Find our Travel Essentials!

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

    We also recommend using these when planning your next trip!

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

    Bangkok is a bustling city that truly never sleeps so make sure your Instagram posts don’t either! There’s an endless supply of activity so make sure to keep your posts booming for all your followers and get them dreaming of their own Bangkok adventure’s!

    Also, check out our Social Media’s for our amazing travelling journey! Hint Hint: we have just came back from our trip to Thailand!!

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

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

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  • Fast Travel vs Slow Travel: The best way to Backpack and Travel!

    Fast Travel vs Slow Travel: The best way to Backpack and Travel!

    Travelling is a daunting thought especially for first-time travellers. You have so much planning and decisions to make before even getting there and it can definitely feel like a full-time job if you are unsure on what you are doing. The best way we found is to break it down as shown in our blog post here which is a great step-by-step guide to planning your first travelling experience!

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

    Jack of Ourtwostepstart on Rabat Beach in Morocco. This is a location where we chose not to slow travel, but instead opting for fast travel through Morocco.
    1. Slow Travel vs Fast Travel
      1. What are travel styles?
      2. Fast Travel
      3. Slow Travel
    2. How should I Travel?
    3. 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
    4. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
    5. Thank you for reading our Slow Travel vs Fast Travel Guide

    Slow Travel vs Fast Travel

    What are travel styles?

    Let’s get back to types of travel.

    For us, there are two main styles of travel. The first being fast travel, and the second being slow travel. Now, what do they mean?

    Fast travel is when you go travelling and move through each location at a quicker pace. And as you guessed it, slow travel is the opposite! This is where the locations you travel are travelled slower.

    We need to look at the best parts of each and even the drawbacks to see which of these types of travel will suit you or the places you are going.

    Fast Travel

    Let’s start with Fast Travel.

    It all really depends on the type of person you are and the places you go. But Fast travel is all about moving fast and doing all the ‘important’ activities and places in each location. This can be a desired way to travel due to time constraints, but not necessarily due to the love of travelling fast. If you are travelling for the summer and want to visit loads of places, then you might only give yourself just enough time to do everything.

    When doing this you won’t generally have much downtime to relax or wander about to find activities. This is usually following a plan and having many of your days pre-planned so you don’t miss any of the main activities!

    A major benefit to doing this is you get to see many amazing places, more than what you would see if you did slow travel. You can tick off many top locations that are spread across different places in a shorter time.

    However, even with the benefit of seeing more, there are definitely some drawbacks.

    The first major one is money. It’s likely to cost more than slow travel as you are requiring to book accommodation or transport at a shorter notice than slow travel. Also, you don’t have to luxury of chill days where you won’t be doing activities I(so called cheaper days). As you are strapped for time, convenience is really the importance when travelling like this so make sure to budget for this.

    Burnout!! Travel burnout is a real thing, especially when you are doing fast travel. If you are constantly on your feet, moving locations and dragging you backpack around, it will mentally tire you out. Some days you will need ‘days off’ so be sure to take these when required!

    There’s also so much more chance to go wrong! The travel plans will be packed so any setback will make a difference. Even if it’s a delayed flight or finding out a place of interest is closed, it will push EVERYTHING back and you won’t have any time spare to make up this time.

    Be careful when doing fast travel. We think it’s a good option if you really are strapped for time and don’t have a choice but would always recommend to leave 1 day free for every 10 in case of delays or problems. Trust us, you’ll need it! Also, if you have a lot to see make sure you are organised when planning so you don’t make mistakes and miss any of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will leave you in a grump.

    Slow Travel

    Now, let’s talk about slow travel.

    Slow travel is a lot more popular for travellers to use even when they don’t know they are using it. Slow travel is the desired style of travel for us. But sometimes it’s not always possible. So lets deep dive into the different benefits of slow travel and the reasons why people may avoid using it!

    Slow travel is great for giving yourself the time for recovery on down days so you can enjoy the best of each location. Here, you aren’t forced to run around everyday looking to complete all the best activities of each location. You can take your time and plan it well instead of cramming it in.

    An example was when we travelled Bali, we booked a jewellery class for the morning but had to catch a ferry at lunchtime so had to cut our jewellery time short and almost didn’t complete our makings! If we had the option to slow travel we could of completed the jewellery class on a day where we didn’t have much else planned so we didn’t miss part of the experience.

    When going back, we would like to complete the full experience!!

    Also with slow travel, you have these extra days or even parts of a day to relax. These pockets of time with nothing booked are heavily needed to recover and calm your body before.

    You may want to fill this time with another activity if you feel up for it, but if you are long term travelling, it’s important to have this type of downtime. This could be in a bar drinking and playing pool with friends, or even as simple as laying by the pool or beach with a book. Your body can regenerate and gain energy ready to go again.

    We see a lot of travellers get the ‘travel burnout’ by not giving themselves this time off. We were the same when we started but make sure to pace yourselves so you make the most out of every opportunity!

    Slow Travel gives you time to appreciate the places you have been by seeing things you wouldn’t necessarily if you fast travelled. You will see parts of each place that travellers miss and these could be the best memories for you. An example is befriending locals who you see everyday or you visit to eat at their food spot. These relationships are built overtime and cannot be accomplished in one meet.

    In Bali, when taking time to recoup energy we found ourselves visiting the same breakfast spot daily at a similar time and they always greeted us well and served amazing food! They would reserve the spot for us as we became regulars in our favourite spot and would speak with them daily. It wasn’t a busy food spot but rather a quant brunch shop we ended up loving. Similar happened in Krabi, Thailand.

    When you look back on your travels you will have these memories of a small food stop or a local you spoke with which you may not have if you only visited the top places in each area. You have to think, when you visit each location you are only experiencing 1% of what it has to offer usually so make sure to expand your horizons to see what else the place has to offer. And there’s not better way to do this than have a few days extra to visit the local market, speak with locals or go for a walk in the centre to see what you find!

    Believe it or not but slow travel is cheaper!! If you are on a budget then you might want to look at this as an option (if you can!). Anytime you book something last minute or only a day in advance, you are likely to pay more for it. That’s why they say if you are to book a flight, book it for next year. Sometimes you cannot do this but if you are booking your transport and flights last minute as you are moving quickly through countries, you are likely to spend more doing so.

    You are also limited to the itinerary you have organised so if you need to be at one place in 2 hours and the cheaper option is a train which leaves in 3 hours, you will have to find an alternative. This may be spending two or even 3 times more on private transport.

    However with slow travel you can book a few days in advance. This provides more options for you including more budget friendly options. It’s always good to note that public transport is nearly always cheaper than private.

    Slow Travel also has some drawbacks that many may not consider when travelling. One being that many people choose to fast travel and not slow travel so when you are meeting people, it’s easier to align your itineraries with friends if you travel fast. A lot of the time when travelling slow you may find that you will meet friends who will soon leave the place you are staying in making you envious.

    A lot of popular places follow a similar route so if you are travelling at the same places with similar itineraries, you will stick together. Slow travel can disrupt this and give you a massive feeling of FOMO (Fear of missing out!!).

    If you are keeping your travel plans open, you can definitely change between fast and slow as you wish but for some can be quite daunting!

    Also, slow travel can be limiting if you are spending a lot more time in each location. Most people who are travelling have a plan roughly on how long they want to travel for and where. But if you want to see many countries, you may have to sacrifice a few to travel slow.

    If your dream is to travel all of south east Asia, and you have 3 months, you may have to bookmark some countries for your next travel as you won’t be able to fit them all in.

    Yes you have the benefit of seeing more of each country, but you may miss big bucket list things like swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines or island hopping in Thailand as you may miss whole countries all together.

    Unfortunately it’s the sacrifice we have to make, whether it’s fast travel and missing the little things or slow travel and missing some bucket list activities. You cannot have it all!

    How should I Travel?

    All in all the type of travel is totally dependant on the type of experience you want and where you go. We would always recommend checking your itinerary and deciding based on your travel plans but it’s always good to know the benefits and drawbacks of both types.

    Fast travel is such a whirlwind of activities, emotions and bucket list activities which is amazing but definitely including many highs and lows. Basically a lot more can go wrong and it’s likely to be more expensive! So be careful and strap in for an amazing ride.

    Slow travel is more like a nice cruise, it’s amazing to see each location and the intricate beauties they have. But there’s only so many locations you will see as not many people have unlimited travel time. You will unfortunately be limited to less countries and locations but deep-dive into each location.

    As we look forward towards our travels, we would love to slow travel as a rule. However, some places would work well for us with fast travel like cities. An example of this was our trip to Morocco! You can see our Fez Vlog Part 1 & Fez Part 2, Meknes Vlog, and Rabat Vlog which can show how fast travel worked for us!

    Let us know your thoughts on fast and slow travel and your preference when travelling. We would love to know any benefits or drawbacks to either that we haven’t mentioned to see further insights to your travels.

    We plan to travel long term in the future so will update in the future on our travel plans as a blog in the next 12 months! If you do want to follow our social media’s to follow our day-to-day travels, they are provided below!

    Aimee’s next trip is to Croatia so look out for A LOT of Croatia content coming your way in the next few weeks! Such as this Youtube vlog here!

    Watch the first stop in Osijek, Croatia!

    If you did enjoy this blog of fast and slow travel, please drop a like to help support us in post more regular content and subscribe if you want to see more things travel related!

    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 Slow Travel vs Fast Travel Guide

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

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

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  • Top Things to Do in Meknes, Morocco: Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

    Top Things to Do in Meknes, Morocco: Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

    Meknes is a rural town in the centre of Morocco that is very beautiful. It’s a location we didn’t know much about prior to being in Fes, but did some last minute research to find out that it’s a great place to visit for a day trip!

    When visiting Meknes, we would definitely recommend to research the best way to get there from your start location! If you are in Fes, we would take the train as it is only a 40 minute ride to the Town. However, try to book the train tickets online, or get to the station early to guarantee a seat on the train as they can get full up rather quickly (we found this out the hard way)!

    You can check out our full blog experience and thoughts on Meknes down below or by visiting our YouTube channel OurTwoStepStart.

    How to spend a day in Meknes

    Now you have set a day aside for Meknes, we would recommend you to book accommodation (either in person or online) with a local riad Hostel or homestay. This way you will have the authentic experience of staying in traditional housing and meet some of the locals. When visiting Meknes, we stayed in Dar Merzouga which had an amazingly friendly host and if you are in the area we would recommend staying here! Find it here.

    Below we have highlighted the best activities you can enjoy when in Meknes so you don’t miss anything!

    Visit the markets

    Meknes is known for it’s local markets and is full of them! The markets can stretch for a good 45 minute walk; leaving you with endless opportunity to wander, look for souvenirs for home, or just check out some of the niche stalls! Some of the markets are specific to food or clothing for example, so you can choose the market that is right for you to get them most enjoyment!

    When visiting a food market, be aware that it is a poorer country and they aren’t westernised with how they may treat animals. You are likely to see animal body parts such as Donkey hooves for sale or sheep’s head… or even live chickens being purchased and handled for meat. We would recommend for anyone who is bothered by this to avoid these specific areas where meat is sold as it can be graphic.

    The markets however definitely offers an opportunity to get some good deals as you can negotiate a lower price for the goods that are on offer. Usually we would recommend to look at the price and find a realistic price you are comfortable and go from there! The locals are likely to take you up on your new price as long as it’s isn’t too low!

    Bab El Masour

    This is a monumental Gate that is located in the heart of Meknes just a stones throw from the mass markets. It is known to be one of the best structurally and architecturally gates across north Africa which stands out amongst the old Town. It was completed in the 1730s and build for the sultan’s son Moulay Abdallah.

    It’s a great building which attracts crowds of visitors everyday and would be a great place to spend a few hours after wandering the local markets.

    Try local food

    As Meknes is a smaller Town, it doesn’t provide many westernised foods and sticks to the more traditional meals that Morocco has to offer. This is a great opportunity to find some local spots to taste authentic Moroccan Cuisine. Traditional food can be provided for dinner during you stay if you book with a Riad and is a great way to taste Morocco homecooked cuisine!

    There will also be small independent stalls which will offer a variety of snacks/bites you can grab. The can be specific like pastries or desserts, or shops that offer a range of foods to try! You can even watch some of these make the foods to show it’s freshly made and that it’s a traditional Morocco taste as they cook it in front of you.

    Street photography of locals

    As it’s a more traditional and less touristy area, it’s a perfect place to set up and take some street photography of Meknes. It’s known to being a traditional Town so would be great to snap authentic Moroccan living. Places we would recommend for this would be down the tight streets of the Medina, in the busy markets as there’s so much going on, and outside the Bab El Mansour.

    The Bab El Mansour is a monumental traditional structure which would be an awesome place to snap some photography. They have horse and cart outside with locals moving from place to place making it a great place to people watch!

    The perfect day trip in Morocco

    Meknes is a small Town that is full of life and has some beautiful parts we would recommend to visit! It’s the perfect 1-day trip into traditional Morocco and a great way to learn more about the countries culture and lifestyle.

    We have also covered some of the most important things to know for travelling to Morocco, with key things to look out for! Find the blog here, which you should definitely check out to help you through your dream Moroccan Travels!

    If you did enjoy this Blog and want to hear more on our past, present and future adventures please make sure to follow our Journey by subscribing to the Blog and check out our Social Media’ below!

    Make sure to like this Blog if it helped and we hope you have an amazing time when visiting this beautiful country!

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Be careful of locals taking you place!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Avoid booking accommodation online where possible

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

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

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

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

    1. Don’t take a drone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. Brush up on your French from School

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

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

    1. Wear appropriate clothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Moroccan Travel is so Beautiful

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

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

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

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