After surprising our family with a secret trip home for Christmas, all the way from Australia, we decided rather than just fly all the way back down under in one we would visit a few places on the way. After calling in at Berlin and then Dubai for a few days we had a full
Asia
How to spend two days in Dubai, UAE on a backpacker budget!
For most backpackers heading out to South East Asia, Australia or New Zealand, Dubai is a natural layover and most flights pass through here. Many of those passing through on long trips overseas will be on a tight budget and might consider just passing through this notoriously expensive city and braving the excruciatingly long flight
Discovering the Floating Village of Kampong Khleang and the Local Way of Life, Cambodia
After visiting Angkor and the amazing temples of Siem Reap you might be wondering what else there is to do in the small city. The temples might dominate most visitors agendas and indeed the majority of their time here, and rightly so, but if you want to escape the flashing lights of Pub Street and
The unbelievable paradise Gili islands between Lombok and Bali where you can swim with turtles! Indonesia!
The Gili islands Indonesia are three small Islands (Gili actually means small island in the local language of Lombok) off the coast of Lombok in the sea between it and Bali. These three islands are complete paradise, no cars, continuous immaculate beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters filled with corals and amazing sea life, little cottages
Why you shouldn’t judge Bali: The beautiful, culture filled and diverse island beyond the tourists!
Bali is a destination that seems to split opinion. Many flock their due to its popularity, especially backpackers and Australian tourists. Others avoid it like the plague exactly because of that, considering it to be too touristy and lacking in real culture. The truth is we were very interested to visit to see the reality
How to get to the paradise islands of Java, Bali, Lombok and the Gilis in Indonesia
Travelling between the islands of Indonesia is pretty easy with most of the most visited being close enough to comfortably take the ferry. However there are many options and booking them can be confusing and often the most irritating part of the journey is organising transport once on the island as public transport in Indonesia
Climbing the smouldering live volcano Kawah Ijen in protective masks for sunrise over the sulphuric acid lake and blue flame crater, Indonesia!
After being on a packed bus for 15 hours, sleeping for 2 and heading up to the impressive Mt. Bromo on Java we could have been forgiven for taking a break! But no, not us! It was onwards and literally upwards to climb our second active volcano in as many days and with probably as
The mesmerizing trek up volcano Mt Bromo including a 16hr bus and a 2.30am wake up call, Indonesia
We had never heard of Mt. Bromo before heading off to Asia and unlike many big experiences it wasn’t etched onto our Asia bucket list for years! We had been staying in a homestay in the hills of SaPa in rural Northern Vietnam, huddled around a fire and drinking rice wine to stay warm when
A guide to Yogyakarta, the historic heart of Java we fell in love with, Indonesia!
When we heading over to Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta and often spelt like this too) from Jakarta we had really no idea what there was to do here. In fact we always just saw it as a kind of pit stop for heading off over to Mt Bromo rather than a destination in its own right. But
The incredible ancient Borobudur temple: The largest Buddhist temple in the world, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The largest Buddhist temple in the world, a huge monument to this religion standing mysteriously atop a hill on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. Ever since I saw images of the characteristic and unique perforated stupas around the top of this enormous temple I knew it was somewhere I just had to visit. One of the
A Guide to the Isolated Island of Coron and It’s Many Beautiful Islands, Lagoons, Wrecks and Beaches, Philippines.
Most people have gathered by now that the Philippines is paradise, though there does seem to be some out there that still need a little convincing of this. Sure it’s not Thailand or The Seychelles, but that’s a good thing! Here on the small and unassuming island of Coron off the northern end of the
El Nido Island Hopping: Unbelievable Turquoise Waters to the Awe Inspiring Big Lagoon and Hidden Beaches of Palawan, Philippines!
El Nido, on the island of Palawan in the Philippines is paradise on earth! Crystal clear warm turquoise waters, amazing limestone formations, pristine secret beaches, hidden lagoons and perfect weather! No wonder after 9 months backpacking we couldn’t wait to drop our bags and hop straight onto one of the traditional wooden boats and sail
Exploring the Bako National Park Borneo: Stepping into the real Jurassic Park that is teeming with amazing animals, wildlife and jaw dropping landscapes!
When we decided to visit Borneo we did so to see the amazing wildlife, to explore the dense and otherworldly jungles and rainforest, to delve into nature and see some unforgettable sights. One of the best and easiest to reach places to do this is Bako National Park Borneo, from the Croc infested river that
The two day trek up the 13,435 ft Mt. Kinabalu on Malaysian Borneo, a true adventure!
Climbing Mount Kinabalu, one of the tallest mountains in South East Asia had been one of the first things I wrote down on our “to do” list in the region. As the list inevitably grew over time and encompassed some amazing and immense bucket list experiences and many more we didn’t even know about until
A guide to the bustling, diverse and fascinating Malaysian capital: Kuala Lumpur!
KL seems to be one of those love it or hate it places, some people told us of how they instantly fell it love with the intense mixture of culture, history, energy and food. Others proclaim it to be a boring city with little to offer but a concrete jungle of tall buildings and maze