TRAVEL BLOG
I have been fortunate enough to travel to many places around the world. My adventures really came alive after I finished University. I put job applications on hold and started planning where I wanted to visit and explore.
The purpose of this page is to share with you guys the places I have been, with tips and tricks to help you get the best out of your travels; most valuable to me were the tips I got given by friends, family and people I met along the way.
The expression, 'I'll just go with it', hits the nail on the head with travelling; however its good to have a bit of guidance to get your adventures kick started.
I hope you enjoy this page and it gives you some great ideas of where you want to go.
Which adventure are you taking...
Sri Lanka
The Philippines
Australia
Sri Lanka
Ok, so you want to know more about Sri Lanka...
I went to Sri Lanka back in September 2017 with my girlfriend. We spent three weeks travelling around, through the middle and along the south coast.
Everyone in Sri Lanka is so nice.
We started off our journey with two nights in Colombo. Personally we didn't do too much here, as it was very built up and did not really excite our tastebuds!
We used tuktuks to get around everywhere. However, when exploring on foot, try not to catch their eye or look lost ,because you will be stopped every ten seconds and asked if you need a ride. Thats not a joke either! At the end of the day though, they are just looking for anyway to be helpful and make sure you enjoy your travels.
We swiftly moved on and took the train to Kandy. The train station is located in Maradana Colombo (Maradana Railway) and the journey takes around 2 hours to Kandy. Do not let Coloimbo station put you off as it is very run down. Try and get a 1st class ticket as well (it won't be expensive), as it is air-conditioned (a real bonus). I would advise you to go the day before to book your tickets; Sri Lanka tends to have a lot of celebrations, so the locals travel a lot and quickly fill the seats The tickets were all sold out for the day before! Also, be ready to run onto the train and be bold, as people take no prisoners when boarding! It is quite an experience!
Kandy
On arrival in Kandy, our first nights stay was in the Kandy City Hotel, just a 5 minute tuktuk from the station. Again, you won't have any trouble getting transport anywhere. When you first walk into this hotel it looks a bit run down, but you'll find that with a lot of places in Sri Lanka. However, once inside, it's usually a really pleasant surprise. We got a private room and it was massive. You won't be disappointed with the view of the mountains at breakfast either.
We spent two nights in Kandy, as we met some friends that happened to be in Sri Lanka as well. For our second night we moved to The Clock inn, this was a nice hostel with great wifi.
Whilst in Kandy I would recommend visiting The Temple of the Sacred Tooth. This is an amazing monument to explore. You will also find The Big Buddha at the top of the hill, which is well worth a visit. Check out the amazing view of the whole of Kandy.
Sigiriya
The purpose of our visit here was to visit the famous Lions Rock, about 4 hours north of Kandy by car. As we were with friends, it made the journey much cheaper. £30 each not only covered the cost of the return journey from Kandy to Sigiriya, but also for the driver to stay over night and take us to Lions Rock the next day. If you stay at the Kandy City Stay, you could ask for Chad Taxis. This is who we used, such a friendly driver.
In Sigiriya we stayed at the Al Fresco Lions Villa, it was incredible; in the middle of nowhere with such great wifi. And only £11 a night. We had traditional food cooked for us by the owners (you will find this with most small/boutique hotels), who even went to get us beers from the local town.
Train journey Kandy - Ella
So after arriving back in Kandy we returned to the The Clock Inn, ready to get the train to Ella the next day. This train ride is commonly referred to as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world, so I would definitely take it. It's 6 hours of pure beautifulness and relaxation. There is one condition though to ensure this is the case - make sure you buy a first class ticket. They are around £12 (£2 an hour) and you will definitely be first in line to sit with your legs out of the train doors and just enjoy the stunning views. I can honestly say 6 hours has never felt quicker. Again, I would also advise buying tickets in advance, to make sure you get tickets for this price. Otherwise they can be up to £25; still a great deal for what you see and experience. But it's a bit annoying when you know it can be half the price!!.
Ella
We stayed at Ella Flower Garden which I highly recommend. Its nice and quiet and so pretty with PHENOMANAL views. We stayed in a family room, which are the best as they have the best views.
We stayed in Ella for two nights, our first stop being the famous Nine Arch Bridge (picture on the left). This place is amazing. We spent so long here, just soaking in the views. A train comes probably every hour and its fascinating to watch it go by. Don't worry there are guards there to make sure the bridge is cleared when a train approaches. It's very safe! You can walk a bit further along the line and even underneath the bridge as well.
On one of the evenings in Ella, the hotel organised a cooking class for us with Honey Bee Sri Lanka; a home stay next door to our hotel. This was definitely one of my favourite parts of the trip. The lady that runs the cooking class is so nice and the food you make is amazing.
There are lots of cool places to eat in Ella, The Chill Café is very nice, as is the café in Ella Flower Garden.
One regret, we didn’t end up hiking Little Adams Peak, which apparently it's amazing for the sunrise!
During our 2 nights in Ella, the hotel owners helped us organise our trip and book a taxi to Udawalawe National Park.......
Udawalawe
The drive to our "home stay" in Udawalawe was around two hours by car. This place was in the middle of nowhere, so secluded. We were only here for one night so a home stay was perfect for us. The place was really clean and the family were lovely, but don't expect English to be the spoken language. For me, this just adds to the charm and authenticity of the experience.
They cooked us the most amazing dinner and even went to the local town to get us some beers.
*Just a side not. Sri Lankan people are the nicest people I have ever come across.
*
So we got up early the next day to go on safari, which was SO fun. The son of the family takes you and he was such a nice guy. When you arrive at the park you can have a guide join you on the truck to help you spot animals, all for the cost of a tip at the end; well worth it. I think entry to the park was around £25.
I really enjoyed the Safari and I definitely recommend to book on to the early tour, as this is probably the only time you will see Elephants.On the way back to the house, the son took us through sugar cane fields and into a local village, which was fascinating and a very nice extra.
Tangalle
From Udawalawe we ordered a taxi to head down south to Tangalle. This is where we left our friends as they were going East. The journey to Tangalle took around 4 hours and cost us £20 each.
Just to let you know this was the best part of our trip!
If you are looking for an escape away from tourists, then I urge you to go here. Please please stay in Cinnibar Resort. I can’t stress this enough. We booked a hut (not the treehouse) for £10 a night (which included breakfast) and just kept asking to stay longer. The road up to the resort once you leave the main road, is probably the worst road I have ever come across. But that's what made each adventure there so brilliant and just made it feel even further away from civilisation. It felt so so secret.
We walked up and down the whole beach (Marakolyia) and the place we stayed was by far the prettiest/best place. We were only meant to be there for 2 nights, but we ended up staying for a further 4, as we just loved it so much. Paradise beaches and just a short moped drive to lovely restaurants along the beach. We did not plan this at all, we just got so lucky to find this place. If you wanted to spend a bit more money, you have the option to stay in a larger room, or even a tree house that looks straight out onto the ocean. We were tempted by this, but because we were running out of money and wanted to stay in this resort longer, we kept our room. I just can't explain to you how beautiful this place is. I suggest you stop reading this right now and look up this place to see for yourself. You eat breakfast by the sea every morning, there’s hotel dogs (say hi to Max), hardly any people, an outdoor shower in your room, your own hammock, amazing food and a lovely owner. Amazing. The breakfast/dinner bar is covered by bamboo leaves and all you can hear is the crashing of the waves. The hotel to the right of Cinnibar has a cool place to eat and is owned by a Sri Lankan who played pro rugby in London for a while. He gave us some good tips which are coming up next.
In Cinnibar you can hire a moped for roughly £5 a day. Here you can drive along the coast, discover local life and explore a myriad of beautiful little beaches. We found two beaches called Hiriketiya (which is popular with surfers) and Gomboyoka (I think). Gomboyoka had amazing waves and these two Sri Lankan guys just lent us two body boards, which was so much fun! I would say Hiriketiya was the nicer of the two as there is room to relax on the beach for the whole day if you wanted to. There is a great milkshake bar there as well. Yes, Sri Lankans love their milkshakes!
If you come out of Cinnibar resort and turn right on the main road, there is a place a couple of kilometres away where you can go and watch turtles hatch at night. However, beware the roads are quite sketchy and we didn’t end up actually seeing any turtles because we were too early. Next time!
You can also ask the owner about canoes which you can hire just a few hotels down (Gandhi villas I believe), situated upon a massive lake. We had the whole lake to ourselves, it was very peaceful and we saw so many native birds. Entry was free because of the time of year we were there, but I'm sure it isn't a lot if you are going in high season.
Unawatuna
After eventually leaving Tangalle, we made our journey to Mirissa. One of the owners from Cinnibar Resort kindly offered to take us there. This was about a two hour journey as well. We only spent the night here as we had really only come to see the Blue Whales. If you are also looking to have a night out, then t is a good location, but be prepared to not get any sleep. as the majority of hotels play music all night long.
We stayed in a place called Pinki, it was cheap and clean, and from here we booked to go on Raja and the Whales Tour. This is apparently the best and the most ethical. I would ring and book a of couple days ahead and preferably book a morning excursion. The tour will allow you to see the whales from a distance that is safe for the whales. A-MAZING.
The same man who gave us a lift here, kindly dropped us to our next destination a few hours east, Unawatuna. This was equally our favourite place, with different qualities to Tangalle. We stayed in a villa called Lands End Villa which was also a 10/10 place. Unawatuna is a bit touristy but not overwhelming! It has a cool vibe.
The great thing about Lands End, is that it was right at the end of the strip. So very quiet and tucked away from everyone else. Again, we were lucky with the time of year, so we pretty much had the whole villa to ourselves.The pool for this villa faced west, looking out onto nothing but ocean. You couldn't see any other hotel.
This place was around £12 a night and again, the guy who owns it was so nice. He spoke such great English and he was always happy to help. It is the most amazing place to sit and have breakfast, whilst just listening to the waves crashing against the rock face.
On the main beach, there are various places to go scuba diving and we used the villa moped each day to explore.
Lands End Villa
Galle Fort
We travelled to Galle Fort a few times during our stay in lands end, about 30 minutes away by moped. This place is well worth a visit. Galle Fort makes you feel like you are in a different country. It was built by the Dutch and feels very European. There are a lot of quirky shops and great places to eat. just outside of Galle Fort there is a massive market as well. So if you are looking for a bargain, try here. The picture to the right is of the streets inside of Galle Fort.
Jungle Beach
Again drive your moped there...its such a pretty drive. Park your moped up and walk through a foresty path and you will get to Jungle Beach. It's not as busy as the main Unawatuna beach and worth a visit.
I also recommend biking to Wijaya Beach Restaurant to eat at sunset. Such amazing views and food. We went back in the day the next day and spent the day on the beach. Glorious!
The Philippines
Summary
During our time in The Philippines we visited 5 different islands and several wonderful places within them. The Philippines is by far my favourite place I have ever been to. If you want to be swimming in crystal clear blue waters, then you're going to like this guide. Here are the islands we visited:
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Palawan
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Cebu
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Malapasqua
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Bohol
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Siquijour
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Molbol
Sit back and enjoy the read!
Palawan
On our arrival in Palawan, we booked a mini bus straight to the top of the island, El Nido. This journey took us a total of 6 hours. I can tell you now, this was most probably the worst journey I took on my travels, but took us to my top 3 best places on our trip. So it was definitely worth it. There is an alternative option to get to El Nido, by plane, but we didn't have the money for this.
The picture to the left is the hostel that we stayed in whilst in El Nido, Kame House Backpackers. It was owned by two Spanish guys and they were amazing. They were always up for a drink! The staff in the hostel were very helpful and gave us some great tips on things to do whilst in El Nido.
Tour A
On our first full day we had booked one of the famous boat tours. Again, we booked this through our hostel. There are 4 tours to pick from (Tour A, B, C and D). You can combine tours together as well. We were told to go for either Tour A or C. I wouldn't be able to tell you the best tour as we went on tour A. I wouldn't worry to much though, as each tour offers crystal blue water and lots of opportunity to swim and explore. Its an early start, we had to be at the docs for 08:45. Don't worry, you are only a 5 minute scooter away from the hostel.
The the first stop on the tour is to a lovely secluded island with a beach. You get the chance to snorkel here and just relax. The staff on the boat were lovely and and prepared an amazing lunch, after which we visited Big Lagoon. This place was just unreal. if you want to check out some pictures, I have linked my instagram to the bottom of this section, linking straight to a few of the posts from the tour. The picture to the left is the last stop on the tour and as you can see its a pretty awesome view, with an equally awesome rope swing!
Nacpan Beach
Nacpan Beach is about a 40 minute scooter ride away from El Nido (21.7km). The journey there is filled with stunning views throughout. You will come across a dirt track with a hut and there is just a small fee to pay to go on the beach. We spent all day here and had food from Mad Monkey Hostel that was situated on the beach. This beach also had a bar located in the sea, accessible by swimming! Just make sure you put your money in a plastic bag if you want a cold one, whilst enjoying another one of the Philippines spectacular views.
Back in El nido, we went to a great pizza place one evening, Altrove Express. This is located in the town centre of El Nido and is a great place if you are looking for some Western food.
Malapascua
After leaving Palawan, we flew to Cebu and then headed north to go to a little island off the coast called Malapascua. If you are looking to go somewhere remote and see the purest culture of the Philippines, then this is the island for you.
With roads only wide enough for moped transportation, you really feel like you are isolated from civilisation.
This island is famous for its diving with Thresher sharks. Thresher sharks live up to 25 metres below sea level and are completely harmless. They are named after their exceptionally long, thresher-like heterocercal tail or caudal fins. They are such a beautiful animal and site to see. Don't worry if you don't have your PADI for SCUBA diving. This island has you covered for that.
The island has amazing white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue seas. You will hardly see a soul on the beach during the day, just the locals going about their day; and they are always open to help you get somewhere or just to chat.
Head to the Lighthouse for sunrise or sunset. The locals will show you how to find it if you get a bit lost. The view of the ocean is amazing.
I highly recommend this island if you are looking for complete paradise and relaxation. When we first arrived on this beautiful island, we had mixed emotions because it was so remote. But we soon realised this is exactly why we loved it so much. You get to see how other people live and demonstrate that you don't need social media or luxury goods to enjoy and get through life. TRUE PARADISE!
Bohol
Here I go again, but if you only had the chance to visit one other place, you need the island of Bohol in your life! There is so much to explore in this beautiful place. We stayed on a tiny sub island of Bohol, Panglao Island. We stayed at the Acacia Sunset hostel, set in the South West of the island. It was so peaceful and we were a 5 minute walking distance to the beach.
This is also where we completed our PADI with Equation Dive and Travel. The instructor we had was amazing; he has actually opened up his own dive centre now, called Haka Dive Centre. I really recommend going here, he is amazing and you will pass your PADI with flying colours!
Bohol is voted one of the top places to dive in the Philippines, and trust me, it doesn't disappoint. The marine life is on another level. You might even be lucky enough to see Whale sharks as well.
We found ourselves continuously eating at Shaka Takeout located on Panglao Island, it does amazing veggie and vegan food.
Our first adventure was to travel North on mainland Bohol to The Philippines Tarsier Sanctuary. We rented a moped for the day. It took approximately 50 minutes to get there. The journey made even more adventurous with the torrential rain! I would advise taking a tuktuk if it is raining. It was definitely an experience that I wouldn't change now, but looking back, we should have travelled by car! As we got DRENCHED!
These little Tarsier guys were amazing to see. You have to be very quiet around them as they are very sensitive animals with real emotions. These wonderful creatures can be found in South East Asia, The Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei; butare is a very rare species of the Tarsiidae family. You are advised to take photos from a safe distance as they are easily spooked by humans.
Our next stop were The Chocolate Hills located in Carmen, Bohol, Philippines. This was another 44km which took about an hour or so by moped. Some would say we were mad, you would be right. Of course it rained the whole way there as well.
The journey can be broken up though with The Manmade Forest. This is an incredible road to drive through. I would suggest setting off early for this day, so you can experience the Manmade Forest all to yourself and get some great photos.
The Chocolate Hills are just stunning. They appear more green in the photo on the right, as we were in the Philippines during the rainy season. But they usually appear more brown. The view point is right at the top of a twisting and winding road. But this is the view you get of them when at the top.
All in all I can't recommend Bohol enough. There is so much of this island to see. Just leave in plenty of time for a trip like this, so you can make it back before dark.
To Be Continued...
Australia
East Coast.
Prepare yourself for what you are about to read! The east coast has endless activities and places to explore, such that however much time you have here, will never be enough.
We started off our journey in Sydney like every other Brit that seems to go to Australia for their Garp Yar! We were fortunate enough to know family friends who lived just outside Sydney, so we set up camp there for the first week. We spent this time exploring the city, including one of my favourite urban spots in the world, Manley. This place is living goals.
We soon realised from people who are just in Australia for some East Coast memories, that we didn't need to spend any more than a week in Sydney. We were also quickly realising how easy it is to blow your money in Australia, as a backpacker with no income.
We set off to find a suitable Camper Van for our journey over the next 4 weeks. We booked ours through Happy Travels based just round the Corner from Wake Up Hotel, a great hostel if you're looking to meet people. Happy Travels set us right up. It was about $1200 each and got us the camper van you can see in the left image. $1200 is about the total amount we spent in the last 3 weeks in The Philippines; just to put it into some perspective. It seemed crazy to us at first, but it was well worth it.
Let me quickly tell you about some great places you shouldn't be missing in Sydney...
Sydney has endless beautiful Bays for you to visit, and they are all easily accessible by taxi ferry service. One of my favourite being Watsons Bay. This bay is quiet and so peaceful. When you first set foot onto the port, you will find Watsons Bay Boutique Restaurant. This is a great stop for a Sunday day out with friends.
If you then follow the path round to the left, you will make your way round to the Lighthouse view point. The reason Watsons bay was such a favourite is because you can see right out onto the ocean. It's a great way to escape the city hubbub and be alone with your thoughts. There are also old war ruins and trenches. Not sure about the history, sorry!
I also highly recommend you visit Rose Bay. This is another great escape from the city. It's a very relaxing place to go with friends at the weekend or in the summer after work. Watch the Sun set over the city in the distance and perhaps book a scenic Sea Plane ride.
I recommend getting an Opal Card if you are planning to be in Sydney longer or living there for a few months. Transport is really accessible and cheap as chips.
Darling Harbour is a great place to go for some food in the evening; it's located West of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Whilst around Darling Harbour way, head just back into the city and you will find yourself in China Town. This place is always very lively with a lot of food markets to explore. One of our favourite places for a brunch was InCafe based on Pitt Street, just down the road from the WakeUp hostel.
The Freedom Tower is worth a visit it if you want to be the complete tourist. I suggest going up about an hour before the sun starts to set and the view is quite something.
If you're looking to go for a surf or just chill out with friends for the day, then get yourself to Bondi Beach. Or if you're looking for a nice walk, then the Bondi to Cougee coastal walk is a great one. Make sure you pack a day bag for that, as it's also a big one. Or if you're only up fora short one, then head up the hill to the right of Bondi Beach and take a dip in the Bondi rock pool. Believe me when I say it is cold in the winter. Surprisingly it does get very chilly in Sydney and anywhere just North.
I thought I would save the best until last...Manley! This place is like a second home to me and I would be happy if I only visited here on any return visit. The people, the atmosphere and the beach are just amazing. The simple life, and that's all you need in my opinion.
GALLERY
Right, so lets get into it...
The Blue Mountains
Our first stop before setting North up the East Coast, were The Blue Mountains. It is about 110km inland from the city and took around an hour and a half to drive there in our camper van. We stayed at Blackheath Glen Tourist Park which is about 10 minutes from The Blue Mountains view point. If you are here during the winter, it's just like camping in winter in England. It's cold!
The Blue Mountains are stunning. There are so many trails and walks you can take through this beautiful area. We only trekked to Katoomba falls as we were on a tight schedule; the starting point is about a ten minute drive from the view point. What a stunning waterfall. Australia's wet season is in the summer, and we were there in winter, so the water wasn't in full flow; but still well worth the visit.
Nelson's Bay
North of Newcastle
Sugarloaf Point - Lighthouse
75-77 Lighthouse Rd, Seal Rocks NSW 2423, Australia
A 2 hour drive from Nelsons Bay found us at Sugarloaf Point in Yogan.
The view of the ocean from the light house here is unreal. If you time it right as well, you'll be able to catch the Whales migrating from Tasmania and up the East Coast. We were there in July, Australia's Autumn season.
The lighthouse is one of only two towers in Australia with an external stairway. It is still active and was originally built to guide ships along the rocky coastline after a number of incidents, including the shipwrecking of the SS Catterthun and the Rainbow.
The walk to the lighthouse is really easy and doesn't take long at all. However, you should probably note the decent for some might be difficult on the way back to the car park.
This was a great place to visit and break up the journey whilst on route to our next stop in
Port Macquarie.
Koala Hospital, Lord St, Port Macquarie NSW 2444, Australia
The Koala is one of those animals that we think of when consider Australia. If you are a Koala lover, then this place is a must for you; a hospital for injured and endangered koalas who just need some care before they can be let back into the wild. There is also a beautiful heritage home just next to the Hospital. These little guys were definitely worth the detour travelling up the coast.
If you are still not quite ready to set off for the next leg of your journey, then head to the coast and walk to Tacking Point Lighthouse for some more awesome ocean views.
From here, we set off to our over night stay in Yamba at the Fishing Haven Holiday Park. None of us fish, but it was the cheapest accommodation available and landed us this view for the evening. Do not swim in that river though, its riddled with Tiger Sharks!
Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse
Fishing Haven Holiday Park - Yamba
Angourie Point - Yamba
Byron Bay
After staying the night in Yamba, next on the list and 130km North was Byron Bay. If you want to completely chill out, eat good food and find yourself ;) Byron is a good stop for you. There is always so much going on here. From quirky shops, cool places to eat and endless activities. Try and time your visit for the Splendour In The Grass Festival. You will definitely see some characters.
Just be prepared to spend a lot of money In Byron.
We were fortunate enough that I have family friends in Brisbane, so we drove between the two each day. It's a couple of hours each way. But trust me, when you have driven a 1000km +, a few hours is a nice little drive.
Our first activity here was Kayaking off the coast with Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay. This was unreal; an afternoon of kayaking with 20 other travellers. They take you off the coast where you get to see Dolphins and sometimes even Whales. You get a great view of Cape Byron Lighthouse as well.
We also visited Crystal Castle Shambhala Gardens which are set inland 20km from Byron Bay. Such a great place to explore and take in the views. I really enjoyed being away from any internet signal and just soaking up the atmosphere.
We also planned our skydive here. If you have doubts but have always wanted to do this, then just DO IT. There's no better way to view Byron Bay than from up above. Worth every penny. After a morning of skydiving, get yourself to
The Mez Club for some breakfast.
The photos below are from Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, and Movie World.
GALLERY
Noosa
Fraiser Island
The next stop from Brisbane was Noosa. This is where most backpackers head in order to explore the famous Fraiser Island. This is considered the largest sand island in the world at 1,840 square kilometres. It's length is about 123km and its width is 22km, so its not messing about.
We spent 3 days driving on the east coast (see picture on the left) in 4 wheeled drive machines. This was one of the must do's right near the top of my bucket list; tick!.
This alone was a highlight of the island and probably the best part of my trip along the East Coast; you get to meet and spend it with some great people who are all just there to enjoy themselves as well.
Exploring Inland you discover Mackenzie Lake and Lake Wabby and along the coast a shipwreck. Lake Wabby was spectacular. You feel like you are in the middle of a desert.
You'll camp in Teepees on the outskirts of the one town on the island, population 180!
We completed our tour of Fraiser with NOMADS. These guys give you so much freedom and are very relaxed, letting anyone drive. The tour guide is a classic laid back Ozy that just wants you all to have a great time. When you get off the island, you will stay in NOMADS hostel and be taken to the local bars for a night out before setting off for your next east coast adventure. This is all part of the tour.
The picture to the right is in 1770, otherwise known as the first location Captain Cook set foot on Australia in 1770.
We stayed in a really cool hostel, Cool Bananas Backpackers 1770, run by an English guy. I highly recommend the Surf lessons. He does this day in day out and you can tell he just gets fulfilment from teaching people his beautiful sport.
The Whitsundays
This has to be a highlight as well. Make sure you do an overnight stay on a boat tour, so you can see a lot more of this beautiful place. in some respects it's a similar experience to Fraiser Island, because you get to spend it with a group of great people you have never met before, exchanging travel stories and anecdotes over a few cool beers!
Magnetic Island
Millaa Millaa Waterfall
Josephine Falls - East of here 80km
Port Douglas
St. Mary's by the sea
70km North of Cairnes
