The unglamorous side to travel...

A bonus post for you this week! A fun take on my thoughts on the unglamorous side to travel...

The weeks of planning the far-flung and oh-so-exotic locations, poring over guides books, finding the best beach hut to stay in for the can’t-believe-your-eyes-price – who’d have thought it would be four times cheaper to live on a beach in Thailand (including accommodation and eating out three meals a day), than merely get by in London? 

My family, friends, and colleagues were all pleased for me and vicariously excited for my upcoming adventure – but perhaps a little jealous of my escape to the sunshine during the cold, British wintertime…

This post is for anyone who’s a little bit envious of mine – or anyone’s for that matter – exotic travel plans. Ok, so maybe two months backpacking in Thailand costs the same as two weeks’ in a luxury five-star resort, but long term (budget) travel takes its toll (yes, really!) 

Here’s what you’re not missing out on:

Lotions and potions: It’s thirty plus degrees in the tropics. This means two things – you can’t go out in the day without slathering on the sunscreen and the mosquito repellent by night. It’s humid, you sweat and your skin is permanently greasy with the creams and sprays, sticky from the salt from swimming in the sea and a little bit of you longs for a temperate climate, where you can leave the house bare-skinned… This is genuinely one of my favourite things about going home!

Living out of a bag: A sixty-five-litre rucksack seems a generous-enough size. As you’re packing to go away, its contents are meticulously planned, listed, packed and everything has its precise location in the bag. Fast-forward to the fortieth time I’ve unpacked and re-packed my bag and it’s not quite so orderly – prompting everything coming out of your bag to find the one item I'm looking for. Oh, and why do my possessions seem to expand once I’ve left the country? I was sure I left home with some space to spare in my bag, but it’s all I can do to stuff everything in when I’m on the move.

The clothing issue: The bag size restriction means that there’s space for precisely one week’s worth of clothes that must be washed every week. Pack extra items for special occasions, or niche activities at your peril! You’ll soon resent packing those heavy walking boots on the off chance you climb that mountain – or the ‘smart’ outfit in case you go somewhere posh (you probably won’t, or if you do then it’ll have to ‘go’ with flipflops). Note the above point and cue jettisoning of any non-essentials once you’re on the move.

Island time: This probably as much what we love about the island lifestyle as it is a frustration, but when you leave your ordered nine to five lifestyle to travel, it’s hard to leave behind the structure of things (supposedly) running on time and happening when they’re supposed to. Cue transportation leaving when it’s full – or when it’s ready to. Bus journey quoted as taking four hours when you booked but took seven hours in reality? Laundry promised to be washed and dried by five pm yesterday but is still not ready and the laundrette is closed when you go to pick it up the day after? This is all par for the course. Things will happen when they’re ready, so get used to it!

Stinks: As much as you might try and avoid any unpleasant smells, it’s a constant challenge when living in a humid climate, and most usually exacerbated by having to pack damp items whilst on the move. Micro fibre towels one of the main offenders and one of my pet hates – as much as I admit they do save space and dry quicker than a standard towel. The worst part is perhaps getting used to the smell – or at the very least, putting up with it!

Kev and Sarah's adventure part 2!

Hello!

So here we are again, ready to embark on our next big trip; an adventure that will take us to Hong Kong, Macau, Perth, Thailand and Laos...then on to Central America - as we say goodbye to the British winter and follow summer round the globe.

You can follow our fun times and photos on this page - please feel free to leave a comment, we would love to hear from you!

Sarah and Kev
xx

A long weekend in Seville

Things I learnt in Seville:

• There are orange trees everywhere and the plump, colourful fruit looks delicious but don’t be tempted to eat one as they are in fact the bitter oranges used for making marmalade (I leant this the hard way!)

One of the many orange trees in Seville

• Less is more when it comes to ordering tapas - it's better to order a second round if you're still hungry than have a mountain of food you can't manage!

• I discovered I like sherry. Even more so at €2 a glass!

A great foodie scene, stunning  architecture, beautiful  weather and a maze of narrow, shady streets to get lost in, Seville really does have something for everyone. 

Seville is a small city meaning everywhere is accessible by foot (assuming you enjoy walking!) For those less inclined to walk, there are horses with old fashioned carts on every street corner ready to transport you to your next destination – the clip-clop of hooves are never far away!

There are many sights to see in Seville, here are some of our highlights:

The cathedral sits right in the city centre and it is a focal point both in terms of location and for its splendour and  grandeur.  It makes a great starting point for a day’s sightseeing and is also a useful navigation point if you get lost in the city’s narrow and winding streets.

The Alcazar Palace and Gardens are regularly cited as the top attraction in Seville. The intricate and ornate palace is a fantastic example of ‘mudéjar’ architecture and is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. It features a beautiful domed ceiling, detailed mosaic patterns adorn every wall and the architecture is elaborate and decorative: the Alcazar palace never fails to impress.

The domed ceiling in the Alcazar Palace

The Alcazar courtyard

Equally lovely are the Alcazar gardens with its expansive, verdant and shady grounds, complete with the ubiquitous bitter orange trees, strutting peacocks and its sunny pergola.

Its free entry on a Monday between 4 and 5.

The pergola in the Alcazar Gardens

The Parasol Metropol is the world's largest wooden structure and is a cross between a sculpture and a viewing platform with walkways, offering panoramas of the city in every direction. It is especially good to visit as the sun goes down. 
Don't forget to exchange your ticket for a free drink in one of the bars on the street outside afterwards!

The Parasol Metropol

Built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, today the Plaza de España houses mainly Government buildings but it is most famous for being one of the filming locations for the Star Wars films! That fact aside, it has always attracted visitors in their droves and when you see it you'll understand why. The spectacular buildings with canal, bridges and fountains set against the blue sky backdrop is stunning and well worth a stroll to this part of town.

Plaza de Espana

Seville is also famous for its great foodie scene and wherever you are in the city, you’re never far from a tapas bar. Some of my favourite dishes were grilled sardines, risotto, pig cheeks – and not forgetting the ubiquitous ‘patatas bravas’, a staple of any tapas spread.

Start with a sundowner on Calle Betis. From the Torre d'oro, cross over the bridge, walk along the river and take your pick from the many riverside bars and restaurants, each with a view out over the river and city.

Calle Mateos Gago in the heart of the city centre is a lively street filled with shops, bars and restaurants and is a good place to start if you’re looking for a bite to eat. The locals tend to eat late and restaurants soon fill up so it’s worth making a reservation if you've got your heart set on a particular restaurant. Otherwise, grab a drink and wait for a table to come available.

Worth the wait was a table at Mama Bistro (http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/tag/mama-bistro/), where everything from the home-made bread to the service – and not forgetting the main attraction: the meal – was exceptional.

Sardines and hollandaise at Mama Bistro

Also try Mamarracha for good, authentic local food and check out the funky vertical garden inside: http://mamarracha.es

The Alameda de Hercules is an avenue lined with bars to the north of the city centre and is also great for pre-dinner drinks. Try a local sherry (jerez), sweet orange wine (vino de naranja) or a drop of the local red wine – it’s local production means you’ll rarely pay more than a few Euros for a glass.

Sherry at the Alameda de Hercules

We spent 3 nights/4 days staying in an Airbnb penthouse studio apartment in central Seville, a stone's throw from the cathedral with a gorgeous sunny roof terrace affording us fantastic views out across the city. Its 3rd storey location meant it was high enough above the hubbub of the lively bars on the street below to not be distracted by the noise of revellers below and we were able to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

The view from our penthouse apartment

So in summary, go to Seville! It’s a lovely compact city, perfect for soaking up the sunshine and the atmosphere, sampling the local cuisine and is a great place to get away for a few nights.  

Angkor Wat & Siem Reap

Angkor Wat & Siem Reap

Hello from Cambodia! We've had another few busy days. Following on from our 12 hour journey from Thailand we (madly) agreed on a 4:30am start the next day to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. One of the drawbacks of visiting in the wet season (as we are) however was that it was too cloudy to see a beautiful sunrise. It was very cool arriving in the dark though and watching the temples emerge from the blackness.
What we weren't then prepared for were the hoards of sales prople trying to sell us coffee, cold water, guide books and silk scarves! "You want coffee, lady?" became a bit of a catchphrase we would hear many, many times.
Outside the temples we were also met by lots of Cambodian children selling postcards and bracelets. I was amazed not only by their standard of English but also their ability to reason with you and try and persuade you to buy! Some of the kids approaching us can't have been more than seven or eight years old and on telling them I don't want to buy a guide book because I can't carry anymore stuff in my rucksack, they will look at Kev and say, "but he can carry it for you!"
It's quite exhausting constantly batting people away telling them you don't want to buy anything but in a poor country like Cambodia we are perceived as the rich westerners and everyone wants "just one dollar" from us.

So, on to the temples. We hired a tuktuk and driver for two mornings to take us round the temples and show us the sights, then on day three we hired bikes from the hostel and cycled round some of the temples nearest to our accommodation.
First up was the Angkor Wat (the famous one):

Then it was on to Bayon, which was my personal favourite:

Ta Prohm (otherwise known as 'Tomb Raider Temple'

Those of you familiar with the Tomb Raider computer game might appreciate the following, though I must admit it's lost on me!

I was taken aback by how many young amputees there are in Cambodia, all as the result of the massive landmine problem here. During the war millions of mines were laid but without being counted, or any maps of their location being created. Mines remain active for up to 150 years and are littered all over Cambodia.
We visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum www.cambodialandminemuseum.org to find out about founder Aki Ra, who single-handedly goes out everyday to find and disarm landmines. He has also set up an orphanage and school for child victims of landmines, which are still a massive problem for Cambodian people who rely on going into the forest to search for food.
We thought this was a great idea: www.cleanupsoap.com - charity soap in the shape of a landmine; as it gets smaller so does the number of mines in the world.

Siem Reap is a busy and friendly tourist town and where all the visitors to Angkor stay. We were amused to find the main strip of restaurants and bars on a road called 'Pub Street', for obvious reasons, really! There is a great selection of good value Khymer and Western food and bar promotions though Cambodia is not as cheap as we expected since the tourists are charged a separate rate in dollars. Still, you can get a good meal for $3 or $4 and plenty of places offer draft beer for 50 cents, so we're not exactly getting ripped off!

Next it's off to Phnom Penh and then on to the beaches of Sihanoukville.

Will blog again in a few days.
Love Sarah & Kev xx

Postcards from Thailand

Well what a busy few days we've had! Bangkok was crazy, non-stop and very, very hot. As we stepped off the plane we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity, a lot like going into into a steam room. We were relieved to have booked into a lovely hostel with a pool and very stylish outdoor bar area where we discovered the delights of Chang beer (and the corresponding hangover after finding out it's 6.5% proof!)

Not to be defeated by the jet lag we headed straight out to soak up as much culture as possible. First up was the city temples and the Grand Palace, outside which you have to leave your shoes before you can enter. In the surrounding streets I was amused to see rows of market stalls selling worn shoes, which I can only assume have been pinched from outside the temples!

Next up was the Khao San Road to try our hands at bartering and to stop for a couple of Thai beers, but it's literally impossible to sit still for two minutes without being hassled to buy some piece of tat (I'm good for wooden croaking frogs, beaded bracelets and croched hats, thanks.) The offer of 'fish massage' was intriguing but I'm a little bit too squeamish, I think!

The jet lag did eventually catch up with us the following day, when we couldn't sleep all night but then didn't wake up until 1pm. So we took a stroll around the weekend market at Chatuchuk, eyeing up the bewildering array of street food (only for the brave or initiated, I think!) and then resting our weary bodies with an hour's foot and shoulder massage, all for the princely sum of about four quid.

On our final day in Thailand we left the city behind to do a day trip to Ayuthaya, the old Siamese capital to take in the old temple ruins. I was fascinated to see baby elephants being used to give tourists tours of the area. We even had our photo taken sitting on a baby elephant's knee! It was scary and thrilling being so close to a huge wild animal, but in hindsight, so sad to see the elephants being made to do tricks, getting into poses for the tourists' delight - not wild at all really and probably drugged to avoid risk of the animals hurting anyone...

The train to the Cambodian border was an interesting experience: six hours trundling through rural Thailand and some lovely snapshots of local culture from the windows. We seemed to be the only Westerners on board, so we had no idea what was going on when the train apparently hit something on the track and we stopped in the middle of nowhere in the blistering heat. No one appeared to speak any English either, so we were relieved when the train shuddered back into motion within an hour or so. The border crossing itself was suprisingly quick and easy, and the journey to Siem Reap was altogether pleasant, albeit a sweaty one on a coach sans air conditioning.

My next post to you will be from Angkor Wat - a sight we've been really looking forward to seeing.

Sarah & Kev xx

Our Itinerary

Hello and welcome to the blog!

Well it's just over a month until we're off on our travels and we're busy putting the final preparations in place. All visas have been successfully applied for and granted, the flat is slowly but surely being packed into boxes, our travel kit and supplies have been sourced and I'm counting down the final days until I finish work (7 to go!)

The glorious London sunshine and temperatures are giving us a hint of what's to come as we frantically scribble down last-minute tips and recommendations from our friends: what to see, what to avoid and so on.

So what better opportunity to publish our itinerary so you can help us count down to our departure and then follow our progress once we're on our way.

Don't forget to check back here soon to see what we've been up to!

Sarah & Kev x


26th August: Leave London for Bangkok.

31st August: Cross the border from Thailand into Cambodia.Spend a few days taking in Angkor Wat, the beaches of Sihanoukville and bustling Phnom Penh.

10th September: Taking a boat down the Mekong Delta from Phnom Penh and crossing the border into Vietnam. We'll be in Ho Chi Minh City in time for my birthday, then it's up the coast to Hanoi visiting Na Trang and Halong Bay amongst other places along the way.

23rd September: Leave Vietnam for Malaysia. Two nights in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur.

25th September: It's off to Borneo, where we plan to trek through the jungle, climb a mountain and see the orangutans!

23rd October: Fly over to Singapore for one night's stopover and a Singapore sling.

24th October: Over to Indonesia to take in Bali, Lombok & the Gilli Islands.

7th November: Our Australian adventure begins! One week in tropical Darwin, followed by a drive from Cairns to Sydney in a camper van. Christmas week in Sydney.

27th December: Off to New Zealand. New year in Auckland followed by a grand tour of both Islands in a camper van.

19th February: We venture out to the middle of the South Pacific to spend a week on the Cook Islands in search of desert island paradise.

26th February: Back to Auckland for a couple of nights in preparation for the long journey home.

1st March: It's back to London via Los Angeles. Two flights of approximately 12 hours. We land in London on the morning of 2nd March.