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
UK to NZ
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
Visiting the awe inspiring Grampians National Park, a wild adventure just 3 hours from Melbourne, Australia!
When most people think of Australia there are two very distinctive images that come to mind, the beach and the outback!! One is our typical image of those that live along the coast, the laid back surfer lifestyle and easy going ways. The other is of a barren orange landscape where not many people live
A guide to Jakarta, the surprisingly beautiful and interesting capital of Indonesia!
After being in Manila directly before coming to Jakarta, a city we had mixed feelings about, somewhere overcrowded with traffic, poverty, inequality, grime and crime, we expected much the same in Jakarta. Though there were shades of similarities, being huge sprawling cities with unregulated development, traffic jams and chaos, we found Jakarta to be surprisingly
A guide to the isolated island of Coron and its 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
How to get to the paradise island of Coron from El Nido and the rest of The Philippines
The tiny island of Coron off the north end of Palawan might seem quite remote and hard to get to. However for such a small and unassuming place the sheer beauty that can be found here means many flock to its turquoise waters and powder white sand beaches for a slice of paradise! However, depending
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 wild life, to explore the dense and otherworldly jungles and rain forest, 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
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
Seeing Orangutans in Borneo: A magical experience seeing this fascinating endangered animal in its natural setting.
Flying over to the Malaysian part of Borneo most have one main objective: To see the endangered Orangutans in their natural environment in the only place in the world where they exist. With dwindling numbers over the last few decades this bucket list item is even harder to tick. However with many amazing conservation areas
Hiking in through the dramatic tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.
Malaysia is such a diverse country and one of the places that really illustrates that is the landscape of the Cameron Highlands. Whilst the rest of the country is baked in sun and sweating in the humid conditions, up here the temperature and climate is totally different. The landscape, wildlife and the lifestyle is unique