Turkey

January 29, 2024May 17, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Istanbul

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

I went to Turkey with Jake, a friend from the US, who came to visit over Thanksgiving. Turkey Day in Turkey!!!

Logistical notes:

Make sure to apply for your visa ahead of time!
To get to the city center in Istanbul, you can take a bus from the airport called Havaist or the new metro line (M11). We ended up taking the bus.
Unless you plan on getting around exclusively by taxi, you will need to buy an Istanbulkart (a contactless, prepaid transportation card) to be able to use the metro and other public transportation services (tram, bus, Metrobus and ferry) in Istanbul. (Highly recommend taking a ferry at some point!). We got confused by the machines, but you need to find one that sells the actual card, not just a machine that tops up an existing card. I found that using google translate app was quite helpful in figuring this out.
Here’s a great guide of how to get to/from the airport.
It’s helpful to get cash out as many vendors/taxis only took cash (if you are American, make sure to get a Charles Schwab debit card to get any ATM fees reimbursed)

Jake is so happy to be on hour 29 of traveling!!

ACCOMMODATION:

We splurged on hotels in the other two spots in Turkey so we stayed in a private room at the Cheers hostel in Istanbul. We thought it would cool to have views (see two photos below) of the Hagia Sofia, which was indeed true until the Call to Prayer woke us up twice throughout the night every single night. Night ideal when Jake was trying to adjust to an 11 hour time zone change.

The hostel room was very old and basic, but it did the job. However, the room was quite warm & the AC was turned off for the winter. Normally wouldn’t be a problem to just use the windows to cool the room off at night, but we couldn’t leave the windows open because the city was so dang loud. Between the garbage getting collected at all hours of the night, construction starting at 6am (it felt like), and the Call to Prayer, we couldn’t get any sleep if the windows were open. The free breakfast was pretty great and there was a hostel bar, so overall seemed like a decent hostel.

WHERE TO EAT:

Incili Mozaik – We ate here our first night after a long day of travel (8 hrs for me, 30hrs + for Jake) so we ended up in the touristy area close to our hostel. We honestly expected subpar, yet expensive food as such, but we ended up loving the food. We might even say it was out favorite meal in Istanbul (although it could be just that we were so tired & hungry that anything tasted good haha). My Turkish meatballs were so moist & tasty. Jake loved the assortment of meats he got. Honestly, a great spot that is very close to the Hagia Sofia.

Yigit – Cute, local breakfast spot

Zapata Burger– Because we couldn’t find a restaurant that served a Thanksgiving meal, we decided to just go out for a classic American meal – Cheeseburger + fries 🙂 This burger was fabulous and the fries weren’t half bad. Although we would’ve rather had some turkey and mashed potatoes, this was a great alternative.

What to do:

There is so much to do in Istanbul – it’s a huge city! Here are a few highlights:

Hagia Sofia – you can’t not visit it (you also won’t miss it, as you can hear the call to prayer 5-6 times a day and it’s LOUD)
Blue Mosque – I actually this one was more beautiful
Balat – cool colorful neighborhood, cute cafes, bohemian/hippie vibes
Kadikoy- our favorite neighborhood. Just make sure to map to the center of this area as google maps took us to a very weird part of the neighborhood where nothing was going on lol. You can use Zapata Burger to map yourself to & then you’ll be in the mix of the neighborhood.
Do a Hammam – Here’s a summary of what it is & some of the best places to do one. It’s a must do while in Turkey if you like spa experiences.
We loved taking the ferry across from the European part of the city (we stayed in Sultanahmet since it was close to a lot of the mosques) to the Asian part of the city (if I came back, I’d stay in Kadikoy).

Overall Thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about Istanbul. On the one hand, it’s huge & loud & overwhelming & busy (fun fact: Istanbul topped the list for the number of international arrivals in 2023, followed by London & Dubai). On the other hand, there were some cool pockets & neighborhoods with fun cafes, nice large sidewalks for strolling, & beautiful architecture. Given I spent 5 days here, I don’t feel like I missed much that I would’ve wanted to do, but if I had only done 2-3 days, I might’ve felt like I needed to return.

CITY: Cappadocia

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I can’t say enough good things about Kelebek Cave Hotels. The room itself was spectacular and just so unique. It was huge and the bed was so comfy. The free breakfast buffet was extensive and the views from everywhere in the property were stunning. The thing that really took it over the top was the staff were all incredibly helpful and bent over backwards to make sure our stay was excellent. They booked everything for us (airport transfers, hot air ballon ride, sunset ATV ride, and even mailed some postcards on my behalf). Can’t recommend this hotel enough!

WHERE TO EAT:

Inci Cave Restaurant – We met some other travelers at lunch at chatted with them so we invited them for dinner that night. The restaurant put us in a private room that was basically a carved out cave. Very cool! Food was pretty good, but the room was the standout element. It was fun to have some new people to chat to as well!

Turkish ravioli restaurant – we’d heard about the Turkish so when we came across this restaurant we knew we had to eat here! Jake said it was one of his favorite meals in Turkey. Nice ambiance and excellent service.

What to do:

There were quite a few activities to choose from in Cappadocia, although it’s really known for their incredible Hot Air Ballon rides.

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon rides – this is why most people come to this region, and it did not disappoint! The scenery from up above is unreal- it felt like a mixture of Sedona, Bryce Canyon, & Mars. It was so peaceful, serene and magical the entire ride. It was truly incredible to see the scenery and once you add 100 other balloons also along the horizon – it’s just indescribable. At the peak, we were 950m above the ground! FYI they can often get cancelled due to weather, and it was cancelled both mornings we were there… luckily we were able to change our flights to later on the day on our last morning there and the balloons were good to go! Well worth the stress of changing last minute flights. We paid 180 euros per person, which isn’t cheap, but it’s a no brainer to do. Our hotel arranged it all for us, so it was a breeze. I would recommend booking the balloon flight for your first morning you are there so if it gets cancelled, you still have other mornings to go. It’s for this reason too that I would say you should spend a few days here in case your first go at it is cancelled. Also it was quite cold in November when we went, so bring layers if you are going in winter.

Sunset ATV ride – This started out not that fun as it was freezing cold (we were here in November) and it was raining… not a recipe for success. They gave us rain jackets, but the weather literally put a damper on the experience. However, the weather turned a little clearer by the end and we did get to explore a few awesome views/sites in the end, including Rose Valley, Love Valley, & Red Valley. Unfortunately the clouds ruined any chance of a sunset, but we still enjoyed the experience. Maybe just check the weather before you book! Here’s an example of a tour (although we just booked ours through our hotel the night before).

Take the Red or Green day tours – We did the Green one, as this is what other folks had recommended. We got to see one of the underground cities (pretty impressive), Pigeon Valley, an Onyx factory, Selime Monastery, a nice hike along a river (although ours was shortened due to weather) & Goreme Panorama. This is a nice way to see a ton of sites in an efficient manner.

We loved grabbing a drink or snack at one of the many cool restaurants that have views of the city.
There are a few walks/hikes you can do, but when we tried to do one, we experienced the craziest/strongest wind either of us had ever seen so we didn’t last long before seeking refuge in a cafe for some lunch.

Overall Thoughts:

Cappadocia is definitely worth a visit! It’s so unique and I enjoyed it for more than just the hot air ballon ride (although this was undoubtably the highlight). This was my favorite stop in Turkey!

CITY: Antalya

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Perge Hotel in Antalya, which was almost amazing. The room itself was awesome! We really splurged and got a room with an amazing private deck & hot tub, knowing that the pool would be closed for the season. The room was huge and literally had two bathrooms, basically a dream. The location was great – right on the Mediterranean, but still walking distance to the Old Town. However, the hotel was a bit of ghost town (to be fair we were there in off season in Nov, but still it was odd). The front desk staff were very strange, awkward and not very helpful. They charged us 70 euros for laundry and didn’t tell this upfront (obscenely expensive for laundry). If they had had the customer service level of the Kelebek hotel, this stay would’ve been perfect!

WHERE TO EAT:

Mono Terrace – This was the only standout restaurant in Antalya that we ate at. The food was great, but even better was the rooftop vibe & views. Definitely go at sunset! Cocktails were fun & reasonably priced, which was a bonus.

What to do:

There is definitely way more to do here in the summertime, as this is the most popular beach destination in all of Turkey. People scuba, snorkel, go on a boat cruises and just lay in the sun on the beach. Given it was in the 60’s most days, we did not have those options. In fact, it was quite slow and quiet when we were there.

It poured rain one day so we headed to the mall and went to a movie (3 hr movie in Turkish 🤪). Honestly going to movies while traveling is one of my favorite ways to escape a bad weather day! (But normally I prefer English movies with local subtitles 🙃)

When the sun popped up, we meandered the streets of Old Town. It was actually quite nice to explore without the throngs of tourists that I’m sure are here in the summer.

I went on some runs (Jake tried to join me but couldn’t keep up 😄) through Old Town and along the water front.

We meant to go on a hike to see some waterfalls but ended up just enjoying the gorgeous deck and tiny private pool on the hottest day we had. After a fairly packed week of activities, we were happy to have a chill day, mostly playing cards (I won – don’t worry).

Overall Thoughts:

Antalya would’ve been awesome if we’d been here during the summer. However, despite being here in the offseason, we still enjoyed it. I’d happily return to check it out when it’s more happening.

BUDGET FOR 14 days in Turkey:

Accommodation: $1,433 ($102 per night): Jake and I decided to splurge and stay at cool/fancy hotels since it was overall pretty good bang for your buck.

Food: $238

Groceries: $0

Activities: $442 (I treated Jake to the hot air balloon ride since he didn’t really want to go in the first place (weirdo), which accounts for $180 of this)

Local Transportation: $271 (includes 3 flights within Turkey)

Total: $343 (Daily average: $170)

Transportation to next destination: $51 (Flight to London)

Southern Thailand

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023Leave a comment

March 2020

CITY: Koh Lipe

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Bloom Cafe and Hostel was such a nice hostel. While it wasn’t as social as other hostels I have been to, you will get such a great night sleep. The bunk beds are all custom made so the height between the beds is higher than normal. Also, no need to climb a pesky ladder to get into a top bunk- theres a wooden staircase to get you where you need to go. The beds are comfy and you have that coveted personal light, plug and curtain. There are lockers under the bed to store your valuables. The front desk was helpful in organizing discounted breakfast, transportation off the island and snorkeling trips.

WHERE TO EAT:

Bloom Cafe– This was the cafe attached to my hostel and it has amazing breakfast and lunch! Probably my favorite food I had on the island.

Tropical café– Your classic instagrammable cafe. It was cute to sit in, but I wouldn’t say the food was to die for.

Sea La Vie– A great spot to hang during the day or night. Good drinks, great atmosphere, and fun decoration.

Bennys on the beach– The perfect spot for an appetizer and drinks at sunset. It’s a tranquil, little spot!

I also fell in love with the Thai pancakes that all the different tiny food stalls have up and down the Walking Street. So delicious as a snack or late night noms.

WHAT TO DO:

The main activity I did was a half day snorkeling trip and it was great. There are two main routes that all the boats use and I opted for Route B. Apparently it’s the “better” route.

Other than that, I spent my days exploring the island, sitting in the sun, and meeting up with Max (the Australian I met in Borneo) and some friends he had made. We watched sunset and bar hopped around the island.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was my favorite island in Thailand because of it’s small size. It’s just so easy to get around because all you need are your two feet! I can’t stress how happy I was to be able to walk the whole island. It’s also filled with great restaurants and beautiful beaches. Can’t ask for much more than that! I would come back here in a heartbeat.

CITY: Koh Lanta

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Blanco Hostel for two nights while in Koh Lanta. At first I was unsure whether I would like it, but it ended up being super social as there were tons of different spots outdoors to chill and sit and meet new people. The restaurant on site has plenty of food options and the hostel is a 5 min walk from the beach. There are lockers and free breakfast available. Overall would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

There was nothing too notable about the food options around the hostel. Luckily I didn’t mind the food at the hostel. The one restaurant I would recommend is May’s Kitchen. There were lovely women welcoming us at the front and the food was delicious!

WHAT TO DO:

I took part of the hostel’s 1/2 day of snorkeling and drinking on the boat for sunset. It was a great way to see some of the best snorkeling spots near the island as well as make some new friends from the hostel.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Koh Lanta was another beautiful island in Thailand, however I much preferred Koh Lipe.

CITY: Khao Sok National Park

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

The night before and after the adventure into the national park I stayed at Chillax Hostel. I have nothing negative to say about this hostel. The front desk was very helpful and the wifi was decent. I also ate at the hostel both nights for dinner and it was delicious. I slept great here and would highly recommend this hostel!

WHERE TO EAT:

I only ate at the hostel, but no complaints here 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

The main reason for coming to Khao Sok is to take an overnight to explore the national park by boat. I booked my overnight excursion through my hostel the day before- no need to book ahead of time. This isn’t the exact tour I did, but it gives you an idea of what’s included and an potential itinerary. Exploring the park via boat is magical. It feels like a whole different world. We also hiked through a cave and got to see all types of animals, including thousands of bats. Staying on the wooden huts on the lake was a really cool experience and I highly recommend it!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was such a fun stop for me from start to finish. It was lovely spending time on a lake and doing some hiking. After spending weeks and weeks on sandy, salty, beaches, I was thrilled to swim in some fresh water and spend time amongst stunning rock formations surrounding the lake.

CITY: Koh Tao

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I met up with Sabrina, a good friend from home, and we booked at Summer of ’69 for 2 nights. This was charming small hostel, with a cool evening vibe filled with guitar jam sessions and a bar onsite. While we enjoyed our stay and had planned on staying 2 additional nights, it was now mid-March of 2020, which meant Covid-19 was making waves. After a few folks in our room were coughing all night, Sabrina and I made the call to switch to a private room at a hotel nearby.

Koh Tao Simple Life Resort was a lovely place to end our trip (we made our way to Bangkok to fly back to California after our time in Koh Tao). The free breakfast was a big buffet of delicious treats. After months of 10 person dorm rooms, it was so, so nice to have a room and bathroom to ourselves. The pool and daily room cleaning was nothing to complain about either. We also preferred this area of the island to where Summer of ’69 was located. Lastly, the staff were so wonderful and kind. Highly recommend this place.

WHERE TO EAT:

Maya Beach Club– I enjoyed a few delicious smoothies while laying on their lounge chairs on the beach. Sabrina and I spent hours laying in the sun here 🙂

Plug and play – We enjoyed a delicious brunch here! Would definitely recommend.

Baia Burger Concept – Wow did we enjoy a burger and milkshake from here! I also had a delicious apples and cinnamon french toast! As I write this, I wish I could go back and eat more of their yummy food.

WHAT TO DO:

Koh Tao is famous for it’s gorgeous scuba diving so Sabrina and I spent one morning diving in two different spots near the island. It was beautiful! Definitely a highlight of my time in Thailand.

Other than that, you better believe that with Sabrina with me, most of our days was spent lying on the beach soaking up with sun and taking dips in the ocean every so often to cool off from the humid heat. It was quite the relaxing last stop of the trip.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Koh Tao is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand. I loved the food scene and beach scene here. Breathtaking views and a fun place to walk around. Definitely enjoyed my time here.

Mainland Malaysia

July 3, 2023Leave a comment

Feb 2020

After finishing up in Borneo, I flew straight Georgetown, Penang. I opted to skip Kuala Lumpur as I knew I would be seeing other big, metropolitan cities later on my trip (or so I thought… thanks Covid 19 😦 )

CITY: Georgetown, Penang

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I met up with my Australian friend Max, who I met while in Sepilok in Borneo. We stayed at The Frame Guesthouse, which was in a perfect location near Love Lane and many other great restaurants. The free breakfast was fairly basic, but no complaints about anything free. The beds were comfy and the rooms were clean. Also, the AC was great!

WHERE TO EAT:

Max and I stopped by Halab for a delicious milkshake after eating some chicken fried rice from the street food stalls Georgetown is known for.

Max was braver than me on the street food front haha

Junk Cafe served up a great burger and some fun drinks!

I stopped in at Pit Stop Cafe for a solo breakfast my last day here and it was delicious!! Also, as a bonus the wifi was some of the best I came across in Malaysia.

Who knew I would get some crazy, yummy bagels in Malaysia? But Mug Shot serves up bagels a few different ways and I managed to have 3 while in Penang.

WHAT TO DO:

I had been complaining about the lack of ability to just meander my way through a city, but Georgetown is great for this! I loved exploring all the colorful buildings and street art you just naturally come across.

This was something I had never done before, but Max wanted to check out the Tropical Spice Garden. It never would have occurred to me to visit here, but it was a blast. Learned all about different plants that were local as well as from rare areas of the world. My favorite part was learning about all the poisonous plants 🙂

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Georgetown is a colorful, fun, small sized city that’s a joy to explore for a few days. I could have done with one or two more days here to try more restaurants and window shop a bit.

CITY: Cameron Highlands

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

There are not too many hostels around, but Traveller Bunker Hostel was great! The beds were comfy and had a curtain, plug and personal light. There are personal lockers (just bring your own lock!). There’s a couple comfy common areas to meet other travelers, eat some takeout, or play some cards.

WHERE TO EAT:

The Mossy Forest Cafe was a sweet find in this tiny town. I had a yummy burger for dinner and spent some time on my computer over tea the next day.

WHAT TO DO:

I took part of the 1/2 day tour offered through the hostel to see one of the oldest mossy forests in the world, a huge tea plantation and a strawberry farm! It was overall a great tour and an easy way to meet other travelers. There are also a ton of hikes in the area if you have time!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Cameron Highlands was nice spot to get a break from the humid, heat typical of Southeast Asia. Instead, because of the elevation, I needed my Patagonia jacket at night 🙂 It was lovely. I liked the focus on nature for this stop. It was refreshing breathing in the cold air in the forests and trying a fresh strawberry milkshake from the strawberry farm.

CITY: Langkawi

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Langkawi Dormitorio was a great spot to land for 3 nights in Langkawi. The beds were comfy and the rooms were spacious. The hostel was near the beach and in middle of the strip with all the restaurants and shops. I, myself, enjoyed the spa downstairs, opting for a food massage twice!

WHERE TO EAT:

Huggin’ Hippo– A great spot right on the beach for cute, casual brunch.

My French Factory– This was my favorite spot to eat in Langkawi. I went back twice! I had both savory and sweet crepes and both were a treat.

I also ate at some of the local markets. Definitely stroll through and sample all the delicious food available at the many different food stalls.

WHAT TO DO:

I spent some time walking along the beach and the different markets throughout town, which was beautiful.

The highlight for me was checking out the famous Langkawi Skybridge, which is the longest free span and curved bridge in the world. While bridge itself is pretty cool, the most spectacular part is the Skycab, which the gondola that takes you up the mountain. The views are unbelievably beautiful. Also, don’t miss the 7 Wells Waterfalls which is around the corner. Great place to cool off from the intense Langkawi heat.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Langkawi was cool, but not my favorite spot. It was a large island and without the confidence to drive a scooter around, it was difficult to get around. Also, after the Skybridge, I wasn’t sure what I was to do all day. That being said, I am not a huge beach person, which means sitting at the beach all day doesn’t appeal to me, but I know a lot of the travelers at the hostel loved spending their days on the gorgeous Langkawi beaches.

Next up: Thailand!

Bonus content: I’d love to meet the person making the decisions on the interior of Malaysian busses haha

Borneo, Malaysia

July 3, 2023Leave a comment

Feb 2020

CITY: Kota Kinabalu

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

If you can’t stay at Faloe Hostel while in KK, then change your dates 🙂 This is my favorite hostel I have ever stayed at!! Like by far… and I have stayed at plenty of hostels. It’s very small so max there are like 20ish people at one time. This means its super easy to meet people, which is key. There is one big table in the middle of the hostel that everyone congregates at and socializes together. Every time someone checks in, Vanessa and Ivy (the two amazing hosts) introduce them to whoever is around, which contributes to everyone becoming like a family while you are there.

There is a washer/dryer at the hostel and it’s free!!!!!! There’s also tiny kitchen, which is a rare treat amongst the many kitchen-less hostels in Southeast Asia. There are loads of board games ( 🙂 ), plugs, curtain, and personal night in each bed, and decent wifi.

I could go on and on, but just stay here! No need to do more research.

WHERE TO EAT:

I spent my time here cooking mostly, as it was such a treat, but a group of us from the hostel went to Lucy’s Kitchen KGC for drinks and dinner for sunset and it was lovely!

WHAT TO DO:

Kota Kinabalu isn’t known for having a ton to do; it’s mostly a gateway for what the rest of Malaysian Borneo has to offer.

One of the main things to do here is to a bit of island hopping and snorkeling. I spent most of my time in KK playing board games because I don’t get to play that often while traveling, but my friends who went snorkeling said they enjoyed it!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

While KK itself isn’t anything to write home about, I spent 3 days here before heading off to other parts of Borneo, but literally flew back to KK just to spend more time at my favorite hostel ever, Faloe!!

CITY: Sepilok

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Louisa and I dragged two new friends from Faloe hostel along with us to Sepilok and the 2 day river adventure to see the wild orangutans! While in Sepilok we stayed at the Sepilok Nature Lodge. It’s more of a lodge, but there are a few dorm rooms, which is what we booked. Wifi is only available at the reception and the room are basic, but do the job. We stayed here the night before and the night after the Mr. Aji River Adventure.

WHERE TO EAT:

There’s not many options as it’s not really a town, but don’t eat lunch/dinner at the restaurant on site. Instead eat at the cheaper, better restaurant across the street!

WHAT TO DO:

For such a small area, there’s quite a bit to do! The main reason to come to Sepilok is it’s a jumping off point for the many river adventures to see the wild orangutans that Borneo is famous for, but beyond that I went to two sanctuaries: The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Both were fabulous and are doing great work to provide safe places for these animals to live and rehabilitate. We ran out of time, but there is also the Rainforest Discovery Centre which I heard was worth checking out.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed hanging in Sepilok. There were a surprising number of other cool travelers so we ended up playing cards and having beers at the restaurant across the street late into the night. You wouldn’t go here other than for the river adventure, but it’s a lovely stopover.

CITY: Mr. Aji’s Jungle Experience

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I am so glad we booked with Mr Aji. There are a few tour options, but we thought the 3 day/2 night option was perfect. Louisa, Ross (from Scotland), Will (from Idaho) and I headed off into the jungle for 3 days of non-stop wildlife. We saw wild crocodiles, elephants, proboscis monkeys, white tailed monkeys and the best of all, the orangutans! Also, during the night river cruise and night walk, we saw civet cats, bats, and all types of birds and spiders. It was awesome. We stayed in basic hotel rooms, but note that there is no wifi available. Food is included as well as transportation to and from the Kinabatangan River from Sepilok. While this tour is more expensive than others available in the area, there is no question you should book with Mr. Aji (just email him at mr.ajisdk@gmail.com) as his knowledge and expertise are unparalleled. Also, we met some folks who went with a different company and said they barely saw any animals and wish they had come with us instead.

CITY: Mabul

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Will and I headed to Mabul island to do some scuba diving so we said goodbye to Louisa and Ross (but don’t worry, we reunited a few days later in KK on our way out of Borneo). We took a bus from Sepilok to Senporna. Once in Senporna we took a speed boat to the island through the company we booked our scuba diving. Scuba Junkie offers some packages so we had our transportation to and from the island, accommodation, food and two days scuba diving. The dorm rooms were fairly basic, but on an island this small, you can’t expect much. The wifi barely worked for me, but Will had service so that works if you have a sim card.

WHERE TO EAT:

Because our package included food, we ate 3 meals and 2 snacks all at the resort 🙂 The food was pretty good for a basic island!! You definitely don’t go hungry.

WHAT TO DO:

The only reason to be on Mabul is go scuba diving. In fact, one of top 5 dive sites in the world can be accessed from Mabul. Sipadan is undoubtedly a must see. It’s home to black, white and grey tipped Sharks, Trevallies, and Chevron and Yellow fin Barracudas. We also saw Bumphead Parrotfish, Potato head Groupers and tons of turtles.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Sipadan is an actual dream. I feel so, so lucky to be able to have dove here. I personally think the diving at Mabul itself wasn’t anything to write home about, but I can see why Sipadan sometimes is even listed as the number one dive spot in the world. Mabul is a tiny island but it was pretty cool to feel like you are in the middle of the world with a few thousand people.

Singapore

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023Leave a comment

February 2020

While in Montenegro in 2017, I was lucky to meet a lovely gal from England at a hostel. We hit it off and stayed friends throughout the years, and fortunately we discovered we would both be in Asia at the same time! We decided to meet up in Singapore before heading to to Borneo together.

CITY: Singapore

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

My friend Louisa and I booked a 3 night stay at the Bohemian Chic hostel, but when we arrived, then said they had a better room at their sister hostel, Chic Capsules. From my research I didn’t find that the options for hostels in Singapore were all that great. None seemed all the social, but luckily because I was with Louisa, I didn’t have to stress too much about finding a hostel that I could easily make friends. The hostel had free breakfast and a capsule bed setup, which was quite a treat. The room was completely dark, but each bed had a personal light and curtains. It meant anyone could sleep whenever they wanted, which was great for me because I ended up being quite sick while in Singapore. I think at one point I slept 16 hours in a 24 hour period. The two sister hostels are a 2 min walk from each other and are located in the Chinatown area of Singapore.

WHERE TO EAT:

OK honestly, given that I was so sick the whole time in Singapore, I barely ate anything besides some plain crackers. However, I was craving an Impossible burger the whole time I was abroad, and Singapore is one of the few places outside the US can get it, so we headed to The Marmalade Pantry, which is adorable. Great for a girls lunch!

Found the Impossible Burger in Singapore!

We also went to Privé in Clarke Quay. It was very cute and also had a great truffle Impossible Burger. All I could handle was a chamomile tea though 😦

Lastly, we joined a family friend of Louisa’s at nice Italian restaurant called Original Sin. I had some delicious bread and cheese, a rare treat in South East Asia.

WHAT TO DO:

Louisa and I explored the Botanical Gardens (slowly) one afternoon, which is quite beautiful.

The highlight in Singapore was having a drink at the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel (like in Crazy Rich Asians) at Cé La Vi. Such cool views. After our drink we walked around the Supertree Grove nearby.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I wasn’t able to explore much or eat much because I was so sick, but Singapore was still quite delightful. I can see why people are enchanted by this sprawling metropolitan city in the middle of Southeast Asia.

Bali, Indonesia

July 3, 2023Leave a comment

Jan 2020

CITY: Canggu

I spent 3.5 weeks exploring around Bali and a few other islands nearby. After 3 months of non-stop adventuring in NZ & AUS, I was very excited to do a whole lot of nothing in Bali to rest and recuperate. Who said traveling wasn’t hard?! Luckily for me, Bali was filled with time spent with my sister, friends from NZ, and new friends. I also got by open water scuba certification! There were good things about Bali and not so great things, but more about that later.

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I met my sister at the Bali Airport and we took a taxi to our hostel in Canggu, called The Farm Hostel. Because my sister was visiting on her “holiday,” we decided to splurge on a nice hostel and The Farm is known as one of the more popular spots in Canggu. However, we regretted it. While in general it was a nice spot, the place was filled with a bunch of influencer types who were on a 3 week holiday/vacation so we didn’t really connect with many of them (as much as we tend to do with other backpackers). We thought we might extend a night once we got there, but we fairly immediately decided to move on to Ubud. The facilities were nice but it was fairly loud at random times. The breakfast was not that filling. The pool was enjoyable, but we didn’t love the people around so we were happy to continue onward.

WHERE TO EAT:

Rise and Shine Cafe– My favorite brunch spot in Bali 🙂 I went a total of 3 times here. Can highly recommend the french toast, the breakfast sandwich and the pancake rolls as well as any of the smoothies.

Fish Bone Local– While waiting for the surf lesson, Ellie and I stopped here for a drink and it was such a nice, airy, casual vibe.

WHAT TO DO:

Ellie, my sister, was a bit jet lagged and I had hit a bit of a wall from the non-stop adventure of NZ/AUS so we slept in and got brunch both days. The highlight for us was a surf lesson down at Canggu Beach, though. We organized it through the hostel, but check out Airbnb Experiences for other options.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Canggu didn’t impress us all that much. We found it difficult to walk around due to the small streets and crazy drivers and motorbikes. It was fairly crowded with people and we didn’t meet anyone we really connected with. However, stay tuned to my opinion on Canggu after coming back a second time.

CITY: Ubud

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

My sister and I headed to Ubud after Canggu, and following the less than fun experience at the hostel, we decided to splurge on a hotel. We loved our stay at Bebek Tepi Sawah hotel. It was a small hotel with about 8- 10 rooms, two restaurants (one just for hotel guests) and a spa. The bed was so comfy, the room was spacious and the bathroom was dreamy with a bath and outdoor shower. The staff were so kind and helpful. The only downside was it was a bit far from the main bit of “downtown” Ubud. I wish it was more in walking distance, however, the hotel offers a shuttle that will take you down to two different spots in town as well as pick you up. Overall great place to stay.

WHERE TO EAT:

L’ Osteria– This was a more upscale Italian restaurant near the Monkey Forest. I had a very yummy pizza and pasta that my sister and I split. Ambiance here was so lovely.

Suka Espresso– Had a delicious burger (hard to come by in Bali) and a milkshake! Also, just a cute place to hang around in.

WHAT TO DO:

The main activity Ellie and I did was an “instagram” tour around the area. We booked through Airbnb Experiences (just search from experiences in Ubud and tons of options will come up). While I normally don’t love doing things like this, it was a fairly economical and efficient way to see some sites around the area. We visited the Water Palace, Gate of Heaven, waterfalls, a Swing and some rice fields. It felt a little silly to be amongst the heavy stream of tourists doing the exact same thing, but like I said, it was an efficient way to see a lot in one day. And of course we got some fun pictures 🙂

Ubud is known for the Monkey Forest in the city center. You can spend 1-2 hours walking around the many groups of monkey’s (over 700 monkey’s in total) living here. This was a fun afternoon activity. Just be careful with your belongings as they are famously known to pickpocket whatever they can get their hands on.

Other than that tour and the Monkey Forest, Ellie and I put some serious spa time in. We got multiple massages over our 5 days, a facial, a hair treatment and a body scrub. All for less than one massage would cost at a hotel in the States 🙂

We also had dinner with Sabrina, who was getting her Yoga Teacher Training nearby. This is the 7th country Sabrina and I have been to together 🙂

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Ubud was a nice little break from the go, go, go travel I had been doing. It was nice to relax, see some monkey’s and hang with Ellie. Definitely don’t skip Ubud while in Bali.

CITY: Gili T

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at three different spots in Gili T:

Broken Compass– This was a cute, homey hostel on Gili T. It’s fairly small so it’s easy to get to know the people staying there. There are activities most nights and a pool so again it’s fairly easy to be social. I spent 2 days here before switching to Gili Castle because I got a discount there through the dive shop I was getting certified through. Would definitely stay here again (and I wish I had stayed here the whole time…. you’ll see why below).

Gili Castle– This is a party hostel, which is already strike one for me (lol). I am really not into party hostels as I usually don’t find too many people I connect with and I don’t drink a ton so normally I don’t seek out party hostels. However, given the discount I decided to be “responsible” and take advantage of cheap accommodation. Boy did I regret that! Let’s just say that after not being able to sleep for 5 hours, I woke up at 4am covered in BED BUG BITES. SO let’s just say there is no reason to stay here.

Marygio Resort– After the bed bug debacle, I decided to move to a hotel. This was a beautiful little oasis. Not it’s not a 5 star hotel, but for $40 a night, I was thrilled to have a king bed, a private bathroom and a pool to dip in.

WHERE TO EAT:

Casa Vintage Living– My favorite smoothie bowl spot on Gili T. It’s off the main street, which means it’s not as crowded and it’s affordable. They also have a location on the west side of the island for prime sunset watching.

Gili Bliss– This is on Gili Air, the smallest of the Gili islands. We ate here while on the snorkeling day trip. It was such a cute spot and as per usual I got a delicious smoothie bowl.

Regina Pizzeria– If you are craving an affordable pizza, look no further.

Gili Teak– a great spot to watch the sunset on the western side of the island.

Coffee and Thyme– ate here a few times for lunch and dinner. Smoothie bowls galore. Are you surprised?

Honeyst– This was a special dessert spot that combines ice cream, mango and honey. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but wow do they know how to play with flavors. Stop here in the heat of the afternoon for a cold treat or after dinner.

Banyan Tree– another great cafe on the beach with a fun, colorful menu.

The many delicious meals of Bali! Can you tell I like smoothie bowls?

WHAT TO DO:

Scuba diving- There is a lot of great diving in the area and I took advantage and got my open water certification here! Highly recommend Gili Divers. I had a blast here.

Snorkeling- I booked a day trip snorkeling around the 3 islands, which was great. I saw the Gili Meno underwater statues, turtles and plenty of fish. It was about $8usd so quite cheap and booked it through Broken Compass, the hostel I was staying at.

Ride a bike or walk over to the western part of the island for sunset. The sunsets are legendary and there are tons of cute bars set up for this very purpose.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Gili T was a blast. I loved that there were no cars and you can just walk/bike around the island. A perfect mix of relaxing + adventuring with the incredible scuba diving/snorkeling available. While the bed bugs put a hamper in things, it didn’t stop me from loving my time here in Gili T.

CITY: Nusa Penida

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Nuansa Penida hostel was literally named one of the best hostels to visit in 2020 by hostelworld so if you find yourself on Nusa Penida this is the place to stay. Two beautiful pools. Super comfy beds. Met great people. Small restaurant onsite. Curtains on the bed. Lockers in the room. Nice bathroom. Would definitely stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

Sunny Cafe– This was my favorite food on the island. Every dish was delicious!

Secret Cafe– Very instagrammable spot, and while the food was good, it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. Worth a stop though!

WHAT TO DO:

Through Nuansa hostel, we did a tour of Broken Beach, Angel’s Billabong, and Kelingking Beach. I didn’t feel the tour was worth the time/money with the excepting of Kelingking Beach. I would highly recommend battling the crowds to visit this spot.

We also tried to snorkel with manta rays, but unfortunately they weren’t anywhere to be seen the day we went 😦

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

While Nusa Penida is definitely beautiful and less touristy than other spots around Bali, the lack of infrastructure showed. The roads were treacherous and difficult to navigate. No way to get around besides hiring a driver unless you were brave enough to battle to narrow, windy, bumpy roads. It was difficult to get food at night unless you wanted to eat at your accommodation each night (which I felt got old). There were power outages each day I was there (once at night while I was in the pool, which turned out magical because the stars were insane). All in all, Nusa Penida was not my favorite, but if you have the time, it’s not a bad spot to hang for a few days if you know what you are getting into.

CITY: Uluwatu

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

This was not my normal backpacker spot, but when a friend I met in NZ (Sophie) invited me to join her here, I was excited to treat myself. Sal’s Secret Spot was a magical little gem (Thanks Sophie for finding this!). The room was so, so cute. The bathroom was outside (like many bathrooms in Bali) and I loved showering under the blue sky. Living up to it’s name, there were many nooks and cranny’s to cuddle up with a book or to lie in the sun. Also, the breakfast was so yummy. Anyway, if you have the money to splurge, you can’t go wrong with staying here.

WHERE TO EAT:

Casa Asia– This was nicer place to eat for dinner. Fairly extensive Italian menu with something for everyone. We also had one of their delicious desserts. Highly recommend this restaurant for a nicer meal or a date night.

Drifter Cafe– This was a cute little cafe attached to a surf shop. Good breakfast and snack food.

WHAT TO DO:

It rained while Sophie and I were here so we mostly took advantage of the nice hotel we were at and spent our time reading and getting massages. This also meant we didn’t get to go to one of the many famous cliff side bars for sunset.

While we didn’t go surfing, Uluwatu is known for it’s beaches and surfing so that’s another fun thing to do while in town.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Uluwatu was nice break from the frenetic cities in Bali and I enjoyed the down time with Sophie. There was no pressure to go see or do anything so we focused on massages and good food. If you have the time to get down to Uluwatu, it is worth it.

CITY: Canggu

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

The second time around in Canggu went much better. This was helped by the fact that I was with 4 of my favorite people from my NZ travels. Also, I had been in Bali for 2.5 weeks at this point so felt much more comfortable and relaxed. Anyway, we stayed at a MUCH better hostel called the Palms. It’s a fairly new hostel so it was affordable for such a nice hostel. Honestly I think it’s comparable to The Farm, maybe even better. The bed’s were luxurious. There were curtains and lockers and nice bathrooms. The pool was great and had some nice bean bags and chaise lounges to hang around on. Also, it’s right near Rise and Shine as well as Crate Cafe. Definitely highly recommend staying here while in Canggu.

WHERE TO EAT:

Crate Cafe– This is a well known cafe in Canggu, known for beautiful menu items for a very reasonable price. While the line can be long, it’s definitely worth the wait.

Penny Lane– The most beautiful, instagrammable, adorable restaurant in Bali. I loved it here. Definitely not local food, but delicious, delicious food. Lots of truffle options so you know I am happy.

WHAT TO DO:

We spent most of our time by the pool but did manage to venture out to hang at another pool at a beach club 🙂 La Brisa had a few pools, beach front beds and a delicious menu for food and drinks. Not a bad spot to land for a few hours to watch sunset.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Canggu was much better this time around. I was more relaxed and less burnt out (although plenty sun burnt 🙂 ). It was nice to not make any decisions and just go along with whatever the group wanted. Using Gojek (which I hadn’t gotten the hang of the first time around) made life way easier. If I ever go back to Bali, I would head straight to Canggu for the food alone.

CITY: Seminyak

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Because I met up with three friends I made in NZ, we decided to get a villa for the group of us instead of staying at a hostel. Bali is made for this so it seemed like the right move. It’s fairly affordable if you have a group of people so it was a no brainer. We booked through Airbnb, so check out the many villas available on the site.

WHERE TO EAT:

Warung Nia– This place was such a joy to dine at. So much so that we had dinner here three nights in a row! Get ready for the best hospitality, delicious local food for local (ish) prices, and a fun atmosphere with live music.

Kynd Community – Good brunch food + but definitely more known for being Instagrammable.

Gelato Shack– It’s hard to come by good gelato in Southeast Asia, but Gelato Shack delivers!

Wacko Burger– This is a fun burger restaurant with yummy milkshakes and fries. Also pizzas, because why not?

WHAT TO DO:

Because we had a villa to ourselves, we enjoyed sleeping in and lounging the day away at our private pool. We managed to drag ourselves out by heading to a private surf lesson for the group that we booked through Airbnb Experiences. There are a ton of options so just read the reviews and book away!

On our last day we spent a day at Potato Head, a well known beach club, where we met up with two more of our friends from the NZ trip. We enjoyed the swim up bar in the pool and some poolside snacks before watching sunset in the pool. Can you tell Seminyak has been pool time heavy?

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Seminyak was more chaotic and built up than anywhere else in Bali. I couldn’t describe it as cute, quaint or relaxing. However, by staying at a villa, we were able to create our own relaxing zen zone to enjoy.

Overall thoughts on Bali

What made Bali so special for me was the many familiar faces I got to see while here. Bali itself I don’t think will ever make it on the list of my favorite places in the world. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be back. I wish I had gone to Lombok and Flores. Bali felt like a contrived construction of a place. Poverty intermingled with wannabe influencers and any shot the instagrammers posted didn’t ever show the trash on the ground or the stray dogs roaming around. Or the shacks locals lived in. I don’t know. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind, but rarely did anything feel authentic. Also, I never thought I would come to appreciate sidewalks as much as I did here. It was frustrating not being able to just walk around and explore an area. Instead, the lack of sidewalks and narrow roads that barely fit one car let alone two way traffic forced us to always have a destination in mind when leaving our accommodation. However, I did have some great massages, explore new parts of our earth through scuba diving, and had some amazing smoothie bowls so not all was negative 🙂