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Tag: travel-tips

  • Top Tips when Travelling to South East Asia.

    Top Tips when Travelling to South East Asia.

    Travelling to a new place is daunting, especially when it’s completely different to what you are used to. Therefore, it’s important to do some informative research, and learn the do’s and don’t’s of where you are going!

    You have to take into consideration the type of countries you are visiting, the culture, people, weather, foods, visas, communication, and even stuff like the data you use on your phone, the list sometimes feels endless! There really is a lot to consider when you are travelling!

    On the internet there is so much information on the best ways to do it, top tips for travelling, the do’s and don’t’s and so much more – it can get really overwhelming!

    Here, we have created the best comprehensive guide to planning your travels for South East Asia. This will show a start to finish planning guide of how we would go about travelling- so that you can get the most out of your travels!

    *This post includes affiliate links where we might earn commission, however all opinions are genuine and our own.

    Where shall I go to, and how long for?

    I mean this is really step one once you have decided you want to travel, and it’s probably the hardest decision… if you are still unsure, we have made a post (linked here), that can help you on those hard questions! Like we say, there is such much to see and do in South East Asia, it’s easy to get lost in all the information provided out on the internet!

    When researching, it is best to see the Visa situation for each country in South East Asia (that you are considering), as you may not be able to visit them all. We planned to visit India but once out there, found out that getting an Indian Travel Visa whilst being British is very unlikely (and time consuming). This led to shortening our travel experience, and missing out on India and Nepal entirely.

    Unless you are looking to stay long term, people’s travel length is usually determined by their budget. So it’s important to take this into consideration when deciding where to go, and how long for. Some countries like Singapore are a lot more expensive than the cheaper countries like Thailand and Vietnam!

    You really need to look at the motives on why you are going. What’s the reason for the travel, and what do you want to get out of it? It is important to not set expectations on travelling – but rather use this information as a guide to figuring out where you want to go.

    For example, if you are looking to immerse yourself in culture, you may be looking to visit different places than if you were to go to party or looking to work.

    We have split some of the most popular reasons people travel and put them alongside the best countries in South East Asia for this category:

    Work

    – Bali- It’s the most popular ‘influencer’ hotspot as it’s build up and has a lot of digital nomads out there, currently living and working.

    – Thailand (Bangkok) – It’s a cheap location for all living and has good internet access due to being a major city.

    – Vietnam (Hanoi) – Another cheap place to live with good internet access.

    Culture

    Asia is full of culture so it’s hard to pinpoint countries, as they are all rich in history, and all have their own highlights.

    Ones we would recommend would be India, Cambodia & Thailand but most of the countries would fit the bill in South East Asia.

    Party

    Bali – It is the obvious one where a lot of people go to party and enjoy the nightlife.

    Thailand (Phuket and islands including Phi Phi) – has an array of nightlife where many travellers enjoy. It is also home to the famous full moon parties.

    Philippines (Cebu city and some party islands) – This is an unusual pick for some, but through our experience a lot of hostels and cities are big for clubbing!

    Volunteering

    – Sri Lanka

    – Thailand

    – Vietnam

    If you would want to see a more in-depth blog of the best places in South East Asia for each of these reasons, do let us know!!

    When deciding, you may want to experience a bit of everything; so it’s probably worth looking into places that are also not popular for your reason to travel. Who knows, the most unpredictable place may be your favourite!

    What to do in each location?

    Now, you have decided on where you want to go (or at least an idea) and you have a rough timeframe, it’s good to look into each location thoroughly, to fine-tune your route and activity list. Refer back to the reasons you are visiting each country to figure this out.

    My personal reason to travel was to learn about new cultures, and to experience new things. I really wanted to see what the world has to offer. I mainly focused on what would push me outside my comfort zone. To date I have volunteered abroad with a wildlife sanctuary, climbed mountains, eaten local cultural foods, and embraced new cultures to name a few!

    Write down some activities you would like to do, no matter how crazy they seem – now see where you can do them! The countries in South East Asia have an array of activities and experiences so there will always be a place to do what you want!

    It’s important to allocated your time efficiently when travelling to Asia so you can get the most out of the travelling experience. You will need to make time for all your crazy experiences but also downtime to recover – this is something not many people account for!

    Whether you are going for 3 months or 1 year, you need to set aside time for travelling between places (more time in some countries), and resting between busy periods. You can then maximise your energy and time in each location (and avoid the burnout of travel, because it does happen).

    Timeframe!

    A lot of travellers are trying to fit everything in such a small timeframe that they end up missing out on some really cool experiences, or they get too overwhelmed with not having enough time.

    When visiting to South East Asia, it is important to look at the best time of year to go. The last thing you want to do is get stuck in floods in monsoon season in Phuket for the worst one they have seen in 50 years…like we did!

    As a rough guide, mainland South East Asia and Philippines are dry between November to April and Indonesia & Borneo are better from April to October. So take this into consideration! We will soon be releasing a full in-depth travel guide for South East Asia, which will include a travel calendar!

    In reality, all travellers should create a tiered itinerary for their travels.

    For us, this will be split into 3 tiers as shown below:

    Tier 1: Must see and Do’s

    This tier is the activities and places you MUST visit – the non-negotiables if you will. These are the parts of your travel that cannot be negotiated!

    This could be visiting an Elephant sanctuary, or getting a Thai massage or maybe climbing to base camp of Mount Everest. Whatever this may be, you need to figure out how long each activity will take, and include this in the timeframe you have set out. This will give you a good guide to how much time you have remaining for the travelling and any further activities you want to do!

    Tier 2: Cool things to do

    Now, this is a step down from tier 1, and would be all the activities you would like to do across the period. Again, these could be any activities. I would say the plan is to include upwards of 50% of these activities if you are able. However, this all depends on how much time you spend in each location, and how much spare time you have.

    Tier 3: If we have time!

    This tier is the least important, and one you will add things to do if you have a little spare time. This would only be used when in location’s where you have no tier 1 or 2 options left, but still had a day (or even half a day) to kill.

    This method of splitting the activities into tiers will show you a breakdown of priorities, and will make it easier when planning each location.

    For instance, if you are planning the south of Thailand (check our recommended guide here) you may have island hopping and visiting elephants as tier 1, visiting a national park and going to a market as tier 2, and finally going snorkelling as tier 3. If you are only in the South Thailand for 5 days then you will prioritise island hopping and the elephants, with maybe finding time for 1 of the tier 2 activities. I would ALWAYS keep your tier 2 and 3 lists, even if you don’t have time to do all activities. When you are travelling, a lot can change and you may be in places for longer/shorter, or even end up returning! The last thing you want to do is have some time free but don’t know what to do.

    Booking, Packing + Essentials!!

    Now, you have your motive for travelling, the countries you are to visit and when, and the activities you want to embark on. But nothing is booked or sorted yet. This is the stage you start making this real… Scary right??

    It’s time to start looking at flights, purchasing your travel bag, and all other travel essentials. Now it’s a good time to look choose a starting point that fits in well with the countries you are looking to visit. A lot of people start in the Philippines or Indonesia, and make their way north through Thailand and Vietnam, or vis-versa! This way, your travel flows better and you will maximise your time travelling and doing activities, and not spending time in airports or on boats, moving between places!

    When we travelled, we started in Philippines, down into Bali then across to Singapore, Thailand and finishing in Vietnam, working our way South to North in both Thailand and Vietnam.

    There is no right or wrong place to start, but it does help to start somewhere which fits your route!

    You have your flight booked- before you freak out you need to get everything ready! We would recommend buying/bringing cheaper clothes, as they will be in many different situations; whether it’s a sweaty city, on the beach, up a mountain or anywhere in-between- the clothing will wear down. But don’t worry if it does, there are many places out there where you can by clothing for 1/10th of the price you do back home!

    For the travel bag, our personal preference would be to pack as small as possible. When we travelled, we took an 80L +20L backpack which was waaaaayy too big for what we needed it for. We would recommend for first time travellers to go for a 60L backpack- we have found a budget option on Amazon here, or a highly recommended/ socially recognised one here, but this comes at a premium. The only benefit for me for having such a large travel bag is that it came with a 20L smaller bag, which you could take when you go on boat or day trips.

    When we researched the ‘essentials’ to pack when travelling, there were so many places stating we needed electrolytes and nutrient bars etc, but in reality none of this is necessarily required. These were purchased and packed, and just rotted at the bottom of my bag as the food and shops (even in the most remote places) had the basic amenities. We would still pack supply of nutrients (or emergency medication) for the worst case scenario but these won’t be used daily, probably not even weekly or monthly.

    For travelling, we would recommend visiting a medical professional, and finding out what injections you will need for each country you plan to visit. We would highly recommend doing this to protect you from any foreign diseases, or any uncertain medical issues, as the medical care in most Asian countries are a lot less reliable than most other countries.

    Overview

    The thought of travelling is daunting, we get it! There’s a lot more research and planning than meets the eye. Well, you can just book a flight, pack a bag and just go, but it can definitely backfire and lead you to missing out on some amazing experiences!

    We believe that if anyone follows this step-by-step process for their travel planning, they will be well equipped to make the most of this amazing leap of faith you would ever be taking.

    No matter what, you will gain irreplaceable memories and experiences, ones you would never forget. We would always recommend for people to travel and gain the life experiences that come with it.

    If anyone is looking to travel and would like some advice or support, do reach out to us and we would be happy to help in any way! We use instagram daily, so follow us here, and DM us!

    We really do hope you enjoyed this blog, and that it has given you the necessary steps to start your travel journey!

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

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  • Spending 24 hours in Aarhus, Denmark.

    Spending 24 hours in Aarhus, Denmark.

    In September 2024, we decided to take a crazy trip to Aarhus, Denmark for a trip that we only had 24 hours to spare for. Aarhus was one of the cheapest flights for the date we went (beginning of September), and wow we are SO glad we did this!

    24 hours is not a lot of time. With work, unless you book time off you only really have the weekends to do any form of activities. So, instead of doing a small, local activity, we thought why not take a short flight and have a fun adventure. It felt like we were almost doing something ‘wrong’, we managed a holiday with no time off! How crazy!

    Due to only having 24 hours it made the most sense to stick to a small city, rather than a capital, just so we could maximise our time, and to feel like we didn’t miss out on too much… so naturally Aarhus felt like the best solution! We had never been to Denmark, so this was also a chance to visit a new country!

    Below we will write about our 24 hour trip, what we got up to, and we will explain whether we would do this again!

    *This post includes affiliate links, however all opinions are genuine and our own.

    Time for takeoff!

    We had to leave at around 3am from our home ready to drive to the airport. Our flight was for 06:35, and we made sure to have roughly 2 hours before the flight for arriving at the airport.

    Due to the earliness of the flight, the airport was a lot quieter which is always nice! We flew from London Stansted Airport, so this isn’t necessarily a busy airport anyway. We chilled in the departures lounge, and got ready to board! Let’s go!

    We landed in Aarhus for 09:20, and arrived to what looked like a tent/marquee… it was surprising! This airport was nothing like we had seen, it was such a small airport- it was nice to have something chilled and not hectic, because let’s be honest most airports are insanely busy! We got on the bus to the city, after a quick passport control.

    How we spent 24 hours in Aarhus

    Arriving for around 10am, we were in the city of Aarhus! We were greeted to sunny skies, beautiful sceneries, and a vibrant atmosphere. Although we had researched a bit about this city, we didn’t majorly know what to expect.

    We decided our activities for this first day would be:

    Visit the ARoS Museum + the rainbow roof,

    Have lunch at the Street Food Market,

    Explore the local area

    Head to the hostel to check in

    Visit the Marselisborg deer park

    Have dinner, and then see what happens!

    The ARoS Museum

    Known for its spectacular rainbow roof, we had never heard much about the actual museum. Once we had arrived, we popped our bags into a locker (provided on the first floor), then went up into the museum! There was many surprises within…

    One of the exhibitions we saw was, well, interesting. It was definitely something NSFW! Let’s just say, we saw some “objects” made into things like slugs, dolls made into weird displays… it was odd to say the least! We had a giggle, definitely not family friendly but it was funny!

    Within this museum was also a range of interactive rooms, with one being a Japanese theme, lots of fun mirrors, and quirky decorated illusions!

    Something that we did see, which was a highlight for Aimee, was the “boy” sculpture within this museum. Being 4.5 metres in height, this hyper realistic sculpture truly was something to see! It was almost unsettling how real it looked. You may have seen some of the artists work online, but seeing this Ron Mueck piece here was truly fascinating!

    Our last stop within this museum was visiting the well known rainbow roof. Featuring a panoramic view of the city, this roof was made purely of rainbow glass, so as you walked around the circle room, you moved into each individual colour. Fun fact- your phone screen appeared different in each colour! We found this highly amusing!

    Street Food Market

    After our stop to the Art museum, we were hungry! We had made some food to bring on the flight but that had worn off!

    It was a slight walk between places, so Jack found a hotdog stand and brought one to munch on! We also stumbled across a smaller market hall which we wandered into. We didn’t eat here but it was fun to explore!

    Now, onto the street food market. Wow! This was so cool! Within this building were brightly coloured (and highly decorated) food vendors of all cuisines, from Japanese food, to Nepalese and traditional Danish… there were so many options!

    We found a bench in the middle of the hall to sit at, and we each went to a random stall and ordered something for us both to try (as a surprise). We ended up eating some beautiful rice dish from the Nepalese stall, a selection of empanadas, a traditional Danish pastry, and some Asian fried chicken! We were so full after this… however we found the ice lollies on the way out so managed to sneak one in too!

    Time to Explore

    We decided to explore a bit around the city, while also planning how we would get to the deer park! This was interesting to say the least!

    We didn’t quite read the bus spots/times very well and managed to wait a lot longer than needed to get on the right bus! We also didn’t realise we needed to buy a bus ticket (we couldn’t purchase on the bus), so this made things a lot trickier!

    While exploring, we took in the atmosphere. Aarhus feels extremely upbeat, and is so modern and youthful-feeling. It felt “fresh”, and we wouldn’t be surprised to hear a lot more hype over the next few years!

    Marselisborg deer park

    This was definitely the highlight of our trip. This was a free activity (only purchase needed was the bus ticket, and potentially carrots and/or apples if you wanted to feed the deer), and it was honestly breathtaking. The parameter of the park was fenced so there was no risk of the animals being hurt by the road, but we got to see deer roam around, watching the babies run after their mums… it was magical. We watched the sun set over the park, and the deers wandering in a pack, it’s not something we would forget. We did however forget to bring any carrots or apples… however, we did see some left on the floor, so we just used these.

    We didn’t approach the deer as it didn’t feel fair, so we only allowed them to approach us. One of the deer was extremely inquisitive and got very close to our phone, creating the cutest up close nose photo!

    The evening ahead

    Prior to this trip, Aimee added us into an Instagram group chat for Aarhus Travel, and we managed to find two people who were in our hostel!

    After checking into our hostel (we explain it further in this post here), we freshened up and got ready to meet these two new friends! We had a drink, then the 4 of us went out to find dinner! None of us were good at deciding where to eat, but eventually we settled on a Vietnamese restaurant not too far from the hostel!

    We spoke for ages, getting to know each other, and after we all ate and chilled, we slowly wandered back to the hostel. One of our new friends headed off to bed, as she’d had a busy few days, however the other decided to stay back and have a drink with us! Who else loves a hostel happy hour!

    After having a few drinks in the hostel common area, we decided to head to Kupé, a nightclub in the area. This was a great idea at the time, but remember we said we only had 24 hours?

    We got back to our hostel for roughly 3am, before Jack and our friend decided to go get pizza for us all! Very exciting, however, it was now 4am before we got ready to sleep.

    Rise and shine

    After only waking up at 8am, after under 4 hours of sleep (and a slight hangover), we got ready to check out and eat breakfast.

    This hostel was so cool.. it had an on site mini golf course! So, we had to of course get a game in before we left! We will link the hostel here if you want to check it out directly!

    Breakfast was a large spread of continental buffet food, and alongside the bottomless juices it was greatly appreciated after the night before!

    Getting ready to leave Aarhus

    We left the hostel, and made our way back to the bus stop, taking in the surroundings we would be leaving! We stopped for a coffee and cake at a cute coffee shop, before boarding our bus ready to leave! We highly recommend a Danish Kanelsnegle, it’s divine!

    Aarhus Airport

    And we were off! The airport, like we mentioned before, was so small! There was only duty free as shops we believe, then only really one restaurant! There was a kids play area, and it probably would only take 10 minutes from one end of the airport to the other (if that)! Our flight left at 13:35, ready to signify the end of our trip!

    Would we do this again?

    As a rule, the 24 hour trip was fun. It felt spontaneous, and peaked that fun side of adventure. However, Jack heading back to work the next day did not experience the fatigue after! For those who do have little time to spare around work (and general life), this was such a fun idea. You got to explore without needing additional time off! It’s fun, however probably way too tiring to make a regular activity!

    Our tips

    Are you thinking about taking an extremely short trip abroad? We would recommend having low expectations for having a cram packed itinerary. This might sound strange, but if you are “running around” you don’t always appreciate and take in your surroundings. We suggest making a list of all the activities you would be interested in, and making a “hierarchy” list. Start with your most favoured activities, then if you have more time, find what things are nearby and work your way around!

    For us , we were most excited to see the deer park, and the museum. The street food hall worked great due to needing lunch, and if anything else could fit in then we would’ve, but these were the most important to us!

    We hope you liked our overview of our trip to Aarhus! If you would like to see more blogs, please subscribe to our newsletter for daily blogs and follow our journey on our Social Media down below!

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  • Our Top 3 Bucket List Locations : Europe Edition.

    Our Top 3 Bucket List Locations : Europe Edition.

    As travellers, Aimee and I have highlighted many… and I mean many places we both want to travel and explore. I mean for me it’s every country in the world, and Aimee’s isn’t far off! So, we tasked ourselves to find the top 3 countries we would like to visit in Europe.

    As I am working full time, it is hard to plan many trips throughout the year, and we really are limited to picking and choosing when, and most importantly where, we go to maximise the time. So, creating this Blog doesn’t only help you learn more about some European countries (and get your tastebuds tingling for more travel), but also helps us work out how we can plan our trips/holidays for the year!

    Below we have detailed 3 top locations each in Europe, with the reasons why we are looking to visit each spot. Our aim for the year is to try and tick off one place from each list!

    Jack’s List

    Iceland

    First up on my list is Iceland. I think the country speaks for itself to why it was on our list. There are so many things to do! From whale watching, to swimming between tectonic plates, to waterfalls, riding snowmobiles and so much more! The list is endless on things we want to do here.

    Funny story: during the end of lockdown and covid-19, Aimee and I spontaneously booked a 4/5 day trip to Iceland and we had a plan to try do everything we wanted here. I mean what’s not to love about the place! However, due to money constraints and work issues, we were unable to get on that plane. This leaves Iceland as the country “we almost went to” which makes me want to go even more!

    One of the main issues with Iceland I have noticed is the cost of travelling in Iceland. From research, it seems to cost a lot more than your average cost around Europe which over 4/5 days can stack up to a pretty hefty cost!

    Even with all this, the country has so much to offer, and has been on my to do list for some time now. As a lover of Astronomy, nothing excites me more than the Aurora Borealis. It’s something I saw when I was younger, and I have been fascinated by ever since. I couldn’t think of anything better than laying in the middle of nowhere, at night, marvelling at the sky. This is also a reason I want to visit Morrocco and do the same in the desert – this is a story for another blog!

    The lagoons are picturesque and so beautifully placed in the natural lava fields; a place to relax which is completely different to anywhere else in the world. We would normally find a beach and enjoy the heat from the sun, but here… no! It’s naturally heated pools from lava. It doesn’t get better than that!

    All in all, it’s a country that is probably top of my list and one we plan to visit within the coming years. It’s a difficult one to plan as the itinerary is likely to require at least a week in the country so we would need to save ALOT to afford this trip.

    However, this trip for me is a once in a lifetime holiday, one that I would recommend to anyone so for me, it is so worth it!

    Switzerland

    Now, Switzerland for me is a rogue one. From choosing a cold country like Iceland, to a cold country in the Alps, it seems like I don’t like the warm (not true). Switzerland is a country that seems to fall under the radar for a lot of people, and certainly looks beautiful no matter where you visit there.

    There are 2 main reasons why Switzerland is included for me..

    1 – is the beautiful countryside and astonishing views you get with the lakes and mountains. I truly believe that I could live in some of these locations- and no matter how sad I am, the view could change my mood. Aesthetically, it seems like one of the most beautiful parts of Europe and one I do not want to pass up on. Also, it’s important to note how beautiful some of the towns and buildings are!

    The 2nd reason is because I have always wanted to try skiing or snowboarding. I hate the fact that I am 25 and still haven’t experienced it yet. The Alps seem like the perfect place to experience this to the fullest! I mean I could of chose a few countries in this region that have amazing Skiing and drop-dead views!

    Greece

    I have visited Greece before.. Well, some of the islands (that have been amazing and so fun in their own right). But mainland Greece is on this list for a whole different reason.

    Mainly, I want to visit mainland Greece to learn more about the history, and to visit the old ruins that have stood for thousands of years. I have visited Rome to see the Colosseum and local ruins which was something I really enjoyed. And I want to do the same with Greece!

    Greece has a rich history but unfortunately a lot of the structures have been destroyed through historic battles, or natural erosion over the years. However, there are still ancient buildings such as the Acropolis (which is such a great monument).

    The Greek people have always been kind and fun to be around, and the food is to die for! Tzatziki, Souvlaki & Gyros are some amazing foods which I love to eat when in England so when we travel to Greece, it will be at the top of my list to try and experience! I love trying new foods, so visiting Greece for this reason is exciting! Also, with it being on the mediterranean, the fish and fresh foods will be so worth the trip.

    Greece has so much to offer, from the ancient history to beautiful islands and warm waters, to yummy foods – it’s definitely a place I can explore for weeks and never get bored.

    Aimee’s list

    Italy

    Italy is a place I have wanted visit since I was young. The food alone is enough to draw myself to the country… as some of my favourite food is pasta and pizza! I literally cannot get enough of it! A creamy carbonara is my favourite.. but imagine how nice it is from Italy! Going here would just be us eating pasta and pizza, with Jack drinking Italian wine, what’s not to love?

    The country has so many regions that speak to me. Rome and it’s architecture. Florence and it’s artwork. Milan and it’s fashion! The Amalfi coast too?!

    I feel like each area of the country is divided into different experiences, and would be the perfect place to travel for months as it would feel like you are entering new countries for every city you visit.

    One thing for sure is the buildings ad architecture is something that I have admired across Europe, and something I definitely want to marvel at in Italy. There are so many picture-perfect spots in Italy, places to just wander and find little niche shops, whether it’s fashion, food spots, gelato parlours, you name it. There’s so much to explore round every corner, and is a place I do not want to miss out on.

    Albania

    A beautiful mediterranean country which I have only recently discovered. Everyone knows about Greece, Italy, and some of the local islands in south Europe but many do not mention Albania- and I’m unsure why!

    From research, the cities are colourful and scenic with spectacular views. It has a perfect balance of luscious countryside’s, picture-perfect beaches and traditional cities which are just awaiting to be explored. There is such variety in the country- each day can be so different from the next.

    It is also known to be such a friendly place with some amazing architecture and markets which are perfect to explore in the cities.

    There aren’t many countries that offer such variety when visiting and therefore it definitely deserves a spot on my list, and a country I cannot wait to visit!

    Turkey

    This has been a place close to my heart since I was little. It was a popular place for my family to visit which we met locals that I have been friends with for years. However, I never really explored the culture/city side of the country. It would usually be sun, sea and all-inclusive holidays!

    Since getting older, I have learned a lot more about the rich history in Turkey, and it has made me fall in love with the country more. Istanbul is a city full of adventure, beautiful stories and markets, which I can only dream of exploring. The architecture and religious mosques are stunning and something I would love to witness when visiting.

    As I have been Turkey many times, I have had the pleasure to eat many local dishes which always taste as good as the first time I tried it. A particular favourite being the sweet treat baklava! Something on my bucket list would be to find local street markets and delve into their culture and cuisine to immerse myself into such a beautiful country.

    When writing this blog, we really had to evaluate many countries as there are many, we dream of visiting which weren’t included into this list. We honestly could sit here for hours researching, writing, and daydreaming of being in all these countries. That’s why they call it a dream!

    I mean this is just a little snapshot of our reasons to why these places are the top of our lists and many other travellers. Sometime in the future – hopefully soon – we will be writing about our experiences in each of these countries and how AMAZING each one of these were! But for now, let’s just dream of being there.

    A few honourable mentions that just missed out on this list are Croatia, Germany, Poland & Estonia!

    We would be interested to learn any countries that are a MUST DO for us in the future! Please let us know your top 3 countries to visit in Europe are!!

    Thank you for reading this blog post and we have fun on your travels!

    If you want to keep updated with our journey, you can follow us on our social medias below!

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  • Aarhus, Denmark – The Ultimate Travel Guide

    Aarhus, Denmark – The Ultimate Travel Guide

    When we were researching somewhere to go last minute late last year, we stumbled across this hidden gem of a city called Aarhus. We managed to find flights that were incredibly cheap… and went on a crazy 24 hour holiday! After taking off at 6am, we landed a few hours later, ready to bus into the city! And wow what an incredible surprise. Sadly we left at 2pm the next day (it was intense but fun!), we could’ve easily stayed a lot longer!

    Considering Aarhus isn’t the capital, this Danish city is the perfect weekend break location, and somewhere we would definitely visit again. It is bursting with colourful sights, boasting an urban and youthful atmosphere – and has so many unique activities it’s always worth a visit! So, after finding our newfound love of this city, we wanted to share a complete guide with you to inspire you to visit this upcoming location!

    *This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are our own!

    How long should I stay in Aarhus?

    We would recommend not following our route of only 24 hours! This city would probably be best for a 2-3 day break, however it could be done slower or faster, depending on your preferences and time frame! If we were to go again we would likely stay 3 days. If doing a European road trip, this location could likely be shortened into just over 1 day or 2!

    When to visit Aarhus?

    We visited Aarhus at the start of September, which for us was great. The weather was good, it wasn’t too hot, the sun was out and was very green all around!

    Due to a vast amount of outside activities, we would recommend visiting this city as a spring/summer trip, rather than a winter destination.

    Quick Facts about Aarhus

    Currency : Danish Krone (DKK). We didn’t once use cash, as we found card-usage everywhere we went. We used an international card and it worked great for us!

    Data while abroad : We used international roaming, which was part of our sim-contracts in the UK (most providers offer this so check with your contract).

    SIM card : If you do not have roaming opportunities, you can buy an e-sim from as little as $4.50! We usually use Airalo which you can find here.

    Where should I stay in Aarhus?

    This city is home to one of the best European hostels we have stayed at! Having a full mini golf course within the hostel, alongside a sauna and bar facilities, this hostel was for sure a unique one! Included in our stay was a buffer breakfast, and a very different sleeping arrangement!

    This was our choice of room (they do offer ‘standard’ size hostel dorms, alongside private rooms)… but they have a 46 bed room! How insane! We decided to stay here to see what it was like and it was really cool. It felt weirdly very private and quiet considering the amount of beds! There seemed to be a noise-reducing barrier between the room and the social areas, as the room was so peaceful.

    The bed came with a keycard entry, and also a keycard-locked locker in the room (which was a nice surprise). Everything felt extremely safe and comfortable, and we would recommend it even as a solo traveller.

    We will link this hostel here, we would be back here in a heartbeat if we were to stay in Aarhus again! We will also include a few photos below!

    What to do in Aarhus? A comprehensive list!

    ARoS Art Museum

    Known for it’s rainbow roof art instillation, this museum holds a lot more than just this! We hadn’t seen much hype for the museum apart from the roof, so we were surprised to see some of the stuff we did. We met a giant! Home to the artwork by Ron Mueck, this museum is home to ‘boy’ which is a 4.5 meter sculpture… wow. It was huge! The attention to detail was really special and made it a key feature of our trip.

    There was also an exhibition space of an extremely NSFW collection… but we will let you investigate that one!

    Visiting the Marselisborg Deer Park

    Considering this is a free activity, this was probably one of the best experiences we’ve had!

    You have to take a bus to slightly outside of the city centre, and then have to do a lot of walking to get into the actual deer park… but it was so worth it! This isn’t really an accessibility friendly location sadly, but for those who can do it… it’s so amazing.

    Displaying facts and information surrounding being near the deer, this park gives you the opportunity to be up close to wild deer- you can see them interacting together, and we even saw babies! We chose to only let the deer approach us as we didn’t want to cause any stress, but the experience was really unique. You could purchase carrots and apples to take in and feed them, or there are always the odd few laying about to grab!

    Aarhus Street Food Market

    Perfect for a social lunchtime, this food spot is full of varied international cuisines which are all SO yummy! We think this spot is great for groups to go to, as you could get dishes from each place and share them all to try all the worldwide flavours!

    We tried food from ‘The Everest Kitchen’, which was Nepalese cuisine, Chicken from ‘Super Bao’, homemade popsicles from the self titled ‘popsicle’, and a traditional Danish pastry called ‘tarteletter’ from Mormors Køkken.

    Imagine living locally and being able to stop here for lunch! We are so jealous! Food in Aarhus was good, but this spot was probably one of our favourites.

    Go on a night out

    Whilst at our hostel we met someone from America who we got on really well with, and ended up deciding for all of us to go ‘out out’!

    Being a very youthful-feeling city, the streets felt vibrant and were buzzing! We decided to get ready at our hostel and chill there for a bit, then headed out to a local nightclub called Kupé. The music was a lot more modern, so not necessarily catered to all tastes, however we found the atmosphere to be great! We all ended up dancing with some Danish people we had never met, and it just felt like such a fun atmosphere.

    Now, here is where 24 hours wasn’t enough… we left the club at around 2am, then went for a slice of pizza… let’s just say we went sleep at around 4am, ready to wake for 8am in time to get ready for the flight home. (It probably wasn’t our wisest idea)

    Den Gamle By

    Sadly, we didn’t have time to experience this place. However, we did feel like it deserved a place on this list. Den Gamle By is an open air museum depicting the history of Danish market towns over 4 time periods. Immerse yourself in the past, and learn about the life of a local through history.

    Entry is roughly 125DKK (so around £14.30/€16.70/$18.00), and looks amazing. Under 18’s go free, and there is a student discount!

    The Infinite Bridge

    Another place we didn’t manage to visit was the infinite bridge. It does explain itself- it is a bridge that doesn’t have a start and an end, and it partially over water. It is a really beautiful spot, and would be so lovely on a summer’s day!

    We have seen some amazing photos of this over social media, and for drone flyer’s this spot would be so good!

    Where will your adventure take you?

    We hope you enjoyed our travel guide to Aarhus, and that it helps with your future (or current) travel planning! Let us know below what you thought of our list!

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  • The Best of Southern Thailand 2 Week Itinerary

    The Best of Southern Thailand 2 Week Itinerary

    Thailand is a country that is on everyone’s to do list and is one of the most popular places to visit in South East Asia. There is so much to do and see, it’s so difficult to know the best way to spend your time there. From snorkelling, seeing wild elephant and island hopping, to enjoying the nightlife and social bars, alongside the cultural statues and monuments to the overcrowded markets – there is so much to offer.

    When someone is planning to go Thailand for even a month, it’s important to maximise your time there so you don’t miss out on some of the best life experiences. This is why this blog is split into 2 parts, as 2 weeks is NOT enough time to make the most of this beautiful country.

    The south of Thailand is more tailored to paradisal beaches and 5 star hotels, but there is still so much to see and do. Below, we have given our take on the best way to spend 2 weeks in the south of Thailand. We have also given one day as ‘free’, to give leeway for travel.

    Phuket (3 days)

    Phuket is known as the perfect holiday/honeymoon destination but it offers so much more than that. Yes, the beaches are perfect for a holiday, and it is as good as any to spend 2 weeks doing completely nothing but lounging in the sun- but this doesn’t make the most of what Phuket has to offer.

    The first MUST DO is to visit the Elephant sanctuary in Phuket. This is a conservation organisation that save elephants that have been mistreated, and either rehabilitate or provide a large space for them to roam and be as wild as they can be. Here, all participants learn about the process of looking after the elephants and go through their daily routine. This includes: making and feeding the elephants with rice balls and bananas, covering them in mud and then giving them a scrub clean which is a 1/2 a day activity. This whole experience is one that we would recommend for anyone to experience as the elephants are amazing creatures to spend time with, and to learn about. Some of the elephants had personalities; one we remember is a 77 year old elephant that was playing in the waters by rolling around and pulling herself around on the banks. Even at 77 she was enjoying life.

    Phuket has some some of the best people in Thailand, and one way to experience this is through visiting bars and socialising with the locals. In Phuket there are a lot of bars to stop at, have a drink, meet people, play some pool or darts and just enjoy the moment. The people here are very welcoming and are always chatty.

    Unfortunately when we visited Phuket, we weren’t able to visit the Big Buddha due to flooding in the area. However, it is known to be one of the main sights in the area. Not only do you get to see such a large statue which is so popular in southern Thailand, but you also get to see the beautiful views of the whole of Phuket, and is an amazing place to witness the sunset/sunrise.

    Visiting Phuket wouldn’t be the right until you enjoyed some of the beautiful beaches available. It’s one of the best places to relax and spend a day soaking up the sun or going for a swim in the crystal blue waters.

    Krabi (2 days)

    Krabi is a short ferry ride from Phuket and is a small city which offers a good central hub to many top places in the south of Thailand. In Krabi there are many pubs and bars to visit, socialise and meet new people. At the end of the main strip is a beach which is scenic, and offers kayaking, boat trips and surfing.

    In Krabi, there is a beautiful temple, located high in the hills. The Tiger Cave Temple is a great sight, however requires 1260 steps to be climbed to reach the gates of this temple. Here there are statues and picturesque viewpoints for all to enjoy.

    Once you are have completed all the steps and exploring at the temple, you can relax at a local hot springs. These are naturally warm waters which are perfect to unwind and relax your body.

    Railay Beach (2 days)

    From Krabi, there is a local long boat to transport you from Krabi, to your next destination, Railay Beach! Please note that to get on and off this boat, you are required to be in the sea, so wear appropriate clothing and get ready to carry your bags on your head (this is always a funny sight to see!).

    Railay beach is a small strip of land no wider than a few football pitches sandwiched between the ocean. Here you are very limited with cheap stays with only one hostel in the area. We used Blanco Hideout Railay and we would recommend staying here! You can find this hostel by clicking here*

    The hostel offers a trip to see a Muay Thai fight, and drinks with other hostel members as a night event (which is a must to do)!

    At Railay, there is a little cove which once explored, opens up into a beautiful, secret beach. You are able to rent out kayaks and go to Phra Nang Cave Beach and explore the caves. Also, there is a local island (Phang Nga Bay) that is known as bond island, as it was used in the James Bond movies. We were even lucky enough to see a wild Asian Water Monitor Lizard disappearing off into the thick grass.

    As expected, it is a place to enjoy the natural beauty of the beaches. There are viewpoints to take in the most scenic areas of this area of paradise. For the more active travellers/explorers, you can try your hand at rock climbing to find the lesser explored areas of Railay.

    Phi Phi Island (3 days)

    Many have heard of Phi Phi Island, and maybe it has a reputation of being a popular spot to drink and party, but there is so much more to do! I mean, this island literally has a pizza spot with cannabis pizza (very unique)!!!

    Phi Phi Island is another sort trip on a boat from Railay which is a marvel within itself- with the countless islands you pass and the clear water.

    On this Island, there is a must do island hopping tour which visits 7 different locations with panoramic beaches, snorkel spots, caves to discover, with fresh lunch provided. This is an all-day activity so make sure you have the energy to be out exploring all day! If you are tired and hungry when you finish this tour, they drop you back at the dock which is right in front of a McDonald’s which many use as a stop to fuel up ready for the nightlife.

    The Phi Phi main road offers a range of souvenirs, clothing and different foods and drinks available. You can almost get lost in the streets looking at all that is offered. Once it gets dark, people spill into bars and pubs, and little pop-up alcohol shops appear. The island lights up! Everyone is having a good time and it’s a fun social atmosphere. For some daring people, there is a bar on the island that has a boxing ring which you can opt to fight in. We would only recommend doing this if you are prepared to be hit, and didn’t drink too much alcohol!!

    There’s so much to do on the island but is still one of the best to chill and enjoy where you are.

    Next stop, Khao Sok National Park!

    Khao Sok National Park (2-3 days)

    Khao Sok is a longer trip, but is so worth the wait. You will be avoiding the small boat trips and would be required to go inland on a coach or in a car.

    This national park is like no other. It is an expensive experience compared to others in Thailand, but is worth every penny. Put it this way, we would go back in a heartbeat. Khao Sok National Park is made for someone who wants to be apart of wildlife.

    You are taken on a long boat through the park which you visit some picturesque spots and admire some of the beauty. After a relaxing boat ride, you are taken to a jetty in the centre of the national park which has floating bungalows. Yes, we said FLOATING BUNGALOWS! And this is where we stayed!

    The bungalows will be your home for the next few days, and you will be provided with all 3 meals which are made from local people in the park. You are given time to explore which we used to kayak around the local area and see what wildlife we could see. Beware of the sun as there are a limited spots for shade and if you know Jack, he burns easily!

    After a long kayak filled with watching monkeys and wild eagles and searching for wild elephants, we headed back to go for a swim in the lake. We spend the next hour jumping off the jetty and swimming around the local area just taking in the breath taking views. There were wild fish which were easily 3 feet long, while we idly watched as we tucked into our lunch.

    There was so much to do and see, but it also allowed for such a simple lifestyle. There was no Wi-Fi or data spots, so you were completely immersed in where you are. We were taken on a jungle hike through areas where elephants were only hours prior. At the end, we were taken on a tour of a local cave with bats in, which we were taken in a handmade bamboo boat made by some of the locals. It was amazing to see local huts and kids running and swimming in the waters. Like this is their life… and we were somewhat jealous.

    In the evening we played card games, and relaxed before going out early in the morning to see wild elephants coming to the water to drink and wash. This is probably the best experience of my life as its mesmerising to see wild elephants elegantly in the wild. To make it even better, we saw a mother and calf which is rare to see in the National Park and probably rare to see in the wild.

    We only stayed one night but we believe there is an option to stay for another night to soak up the beauty. There really isn’t many places better than here and we would always recommend going here if anyone was to visit Thailand.

    It’s the MUST DO of all MUST DO’S!

    There are still a few places we missed out on this short 2 week itinerary of the South of Thailand, but this is our list we would recommend. Whoever visits Thailand will have the most amazing time, and we are sure they will love the country as much as we do.

    If we missed any places you would recommend, please let us know and we will add this to our next trip to Thailand which we hope will be in the next few years!!!

    Thank you for making it to the end of this blog post, and we hope you enjoyed our 2 week itinerary! If you enjoyed please like the post and follow for more content!

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  • Do I Want To Travel?

    Do I Want To Travel?

    Do I Want To Travel?

    This can be a tough question… When I was younger it was certainly a dream of mine. Mostly because I didn’t really know what it meant. Exploring the unknown was always a wonder for me. This is probably why I enjoyed subjects that are discovery-based – space (astronomy) and dinosaurs (Palaeontology).

    So to me, travelling was a dream. I mean when you see the pictures and videos online there’s no wonder so many people want to do it. White sandy beaches, clear blue waters, tropical rainforests, you name it! There’s so much to see and do- I believe that if you dedicated your life to travel, you still will miss out on some amazing things!

    But we can’t do that as we have school, work, or family and relationships to consider. This makes things complicated beyond belief. There is so much more to consider as travelling isn’t an easy, straightforward decision. Even thinking about travelling will take hours of research and planning, not to mention the money worries that happen. Unless you are spontaneous and whimsical, then I mean you can just book a plane ticket tomorrow, and well… you can figure out the rest later. Some people can do that, but for the rest of us, we have a lot more to think about our current responsibilities.

    It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in; travelling is something you want to do or not. Whether you decide that you want to travel as a child (like me) or it’s a new thing you discover once you retire. We aren’t all the same- otherwise that would be boring. You must look into what you want to achieve in your life. What are your goals to achieve? What would give you fulfilment in life? I know full well that sitting in sales for the next 40 years and retiring on a small (or even large) amount of money won’t satisfy me.

    And you might feel the same. Some people have the drive to live in the corporate world to earn and live well in a city or town, settle down, have kids, and live the somewhat traditional life our ancestors lived. There is nothing wrong with living life like this, as it suits a lot of people, and it may be your absolute dream. But we aren’t all like this. We don’t all want to wake up at a set time each day, go to the same place of work and complete the same or similar tasks day in and day out. See our family on weekends and wind down with a film on a chilled Sunday afternoon before kickstarting a heavily scheduled week tomorrow.

    Plenty of us are privileged enough to have the opportunities that the Western world provides. Whether it’s free education, high-earning opportunities, good health care, and gratitude for the life we are given. Some don’t want to leave the comfortable life that is set up for us once we are born. I really don’t blame them as I am very grateful for everything I have. But I still want more…

    Today there is such an opportunity to express yourself even in the way you work and live. You can travel with work or move to a totally different continent and way of life if that’s what you desire. And some people do this. Just search it online and there are thousands of people taking that step to move themselves or even their families to another corner of earth.

    But what really makes you want to travel? For me, it’s always been a burning passion of mine since I stumbled upon the beauty that’s out there. For others like my partner, it’s been introduced through exposure to what is possible. Some people just need to see the opportunities that are available with travelling to find that passion. It can be like an addiction. It certainly is for me.

    I never truly travelled until the last 12 months. My only taste of travelling was the brief holidays I had as a child or the countless short holiday with friends around Europe. The most adventurous family holiday would be to Egypt. Other than that, it was a sunny beach trip to Malta or Kos. Egypt for a 12/13-year-old was a wonder within itself. Who knew there was so much to see? It absolutely baffled me, and as I was taken by my dad, we stayed at a posh hotel and enjoyed some of the coolest activities I still have done!

    During the two holidays we had in Egypt, we saw the pyramids- which within itself was purely amazing. The structure that still stands and the only ancient wonder of the world that still exists. It’s truly a sight to see. We also visited the Valley of the Kings, saw pharaoh’s tombs, stayed on the river Nile, snorkelled for the first time, and saw the infamous Tutankhamun mask. It was really an eye-opening experience for a teenager to experience. It was a totally new culture, a different way of life. It really made me appreciate what I had and how lucky I am.

    Beyond the trips to Egypt, I would go on Lads holidays to party islands like Malia and Kavos. It wasn’t really my thing, but we had a good friend group and we made some of the best memories during those holidays. It was almost like being in the inbetweeners if you have seen it. As I am not a big drinker, it can become boring. I was more into the chill days by the pool with friends and booming music and having laughs than going to the clubs to get hammered. But it was an experience nonetheless and taught me a lot on the way.

    We did do a city trip as a smaller group and visited Rome for the football and sights which was a totally different style of holiday we were used to at the time.

    So all in all, I would say I was quite limited with holidays beyond the typical family trip abroad.

    But travelling has always been on my bucket list. And since experiencing it recently I am now driven to try and experience all I can.

    I believe that to discover whether travelling is for you, you need to ask yourself a series of questions.

    Firstly, you must determine whether you are looking to travel for a short-term/temporary or for a long-term/permanent.

    Some people look at travelling as a break from life, whether it’s a few weeks or even a few months. You can remove yourself from the stresses of your current life and experience a long-term break to help discover personal/individual goals before jumping back into the busy life you were in. Some people use it as a coping mechanism to hit an invisible reset button. Others just love to have holidays every so often to break up their lives.

    A much smaller percentage of people want to commit long-term to travel – or as I describe it, having the travel bug. Being able to travel long-term is no easy feat. Take me for example who is currently writing this blog on a wet July morning. The opportunities to see just make it all worth it. But there are a lot of changes one must make to enter that style of living. It’s more of a full commitment; less so like a change of careers. For some people who take this path, they don’t have plans to return, others look to live a simpler life.

    What do you want in life/What would make you happy?

    What are you drawn towards? It’s no easy question to answer, but it’s a stepping stone to deciding whether this life is for you or not. It’s not something you have to answer straight away or even something you are certain about. It may come to you like an epiphany, who knows? But to make this decision, you need to hit a certain level of agreement to make this step.

    No matter how you answered that last question, you can still look at the next question as a way of finding yourself.

    If you could close your eyes and imagine yourself doing anything in the world right now, what would you choose?

    This could be anything! Whether it’s your dream job of becoming a footballer, surgeon or running a charity to help children in Africa. There’s something inside of all of us that gives us a burning passion for something. You might not know it, but it’s there. It’s taken me many wrong turns and mistakes to even get close to finding out what this is and I’m ready to make more to figure it out.

    I for one, imagine myself on a quiet sandy white beach, with a fresh coconut, reading a book or getting ready for a snorkelling/scuba diving trip. What comes to your mind? It doesn’t need to have anything to do with travelling at all!

    This gives you a simple view of something you want to reach, some goal that you desire to reach.

    Are you willing to make this a reality?

    This is an important question to ask. A lot of people have dreams and personal aspirations they want to reach, but not everyone is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to make this possible. To me, it comes down to what’s more important. what you need to sacrifice to achieve this or your need or want to make it happen.

    You might have a high drive to become a traveller but are held back by the lack of drive or motivation to make it happen. This could be saving the amount you need for a travel package or prioritising a better lifestyle. Anyone looking to travel would need to look at making some life changes to make their dreams come true. For some, the sacrifice will be greater. It really comes down to how much you want to reach your dreams.

    These fundamentals are here to challenge your current situation, and your future ambitions, to figure out how happy you are vs where you can be. I hope you can use these questions to understand more about yourself. Travelling is something that I would recommend to all to learn about the world and most importantly, themselves.

    Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post. I hope that you were able to learn more about your desire to travel and the fundamental considerations to think about.

    For those who make the decision to travel, you will not regret it. And for those who don’t, I hope you find happiness in what you are doing. It’s not built for everyone, but for me and Aimee, it is.

    This is Jack’s past experiences and perspectives regarding travel, as part of Ourtwostepstart. For more travel content, check out our content on Instagram and YouTube, which you can find on this website!