Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩

So we eventually got to Bali and instead of having 2 weeks there we only had 8 days which meant we had to cut down on the things we had planned on doing while we were there. We stayed in Seminyak.

We booked a hotel room which was luxury compared to the hostels we’d been used to staying in and it had a pool. We were able to do this because of how cheap accommodation was in Bali. Our first couple of days we just chilled at the beach or the pool and these were much needed rest days after the stress we had over the previous week.

We found a gorgeous place to eat along the beach front called Chez Gado Gado. The food was unreal. Definitely worth going to if your near by. The beach has really cool bean bags and umberellas in bright colours at night to sit and have drinks and watch the sunset. It looks really funky!

We went to Potato Head beach club for the day and we got a bed around the pool. The beds have a minimum spend but once we got lunch and some drinks it wasn’t too bad. If your travelling and on a budget it might be better to go with a group and split the cost. We had already decided we were gonna treat Bali like a holiday so we didn’t mind splashing out. Potato Head is a great place to see the sunset as it’s next to the beach. Bali has great sunsets by the way!

We had planned on having a few nights on Gili Trawangan but we only actually ended up having 1 night there. We booked it through a shop near to our hotel and got picked up by a bus and taken to the ferry. The ferry takes around 2 hours and has some beautiful scenery along the way. We also seen the volcano mount agung that caused all our problems and there wasn’t even so much as a puff of smoke coming from it! Never mind! You literally get dropped off on the beach and your bags are dumped on the sand 😂. There are no cars on Gili T and the only way of getting around is by bike or by “taxi” which is a horse and cart! All taxi journeys are the same price on the island no matter where you go to or from. They can add up so I’d recommend hiring a bike from the hotel (sometimes they’re free) which is how most people get about on the island. Something to remember when staying on Gili T there is lots of bugs and no sewage system. We had to move rooms because of the cockroaches in our bathroom but the hotel couldn’t have been more apologetic about it. It’s just one of them things and also the water isn’t clean so brush your teeth with bottled water. We got our bikes and cycled all the way round the island, it only took about an hour 😂 We hired snorkels at turtle beach and went snorkelling and it was fab. We actually seen turtles! It was amazing. We had a go pro type camera and we got great pictures and videos of them. We had planned on learning to dive here but with us being delayed it just wasn’t possible but at least we seen them snorkelling. There are also lots of swings in the sea that you see on Instagram which naturally we got some pictures of! That night we went to a restaurant called “Scallywags”. It was on the beach front we had a table candle lit right next to the waves coming in. It was lovely, the food was unreal and the staff couldn’t have been nicer. I would 100% recommend this restaurant to anyone staying on Gili T. We had a few drinks but because of the volcano the bars were quite dead. It had a very chilled almost “hippy” vibe about the place and is defo a party place if you want it to be. If I’m honest Gili T was a disappointment for me. The place is quite derelict and I’d read so many blogs etc and I just thought the place had been bigged up. I wouldn’t say don’t go though. You don’t know for yourself until you’ve been. We got the ferry back to Bali and when you arrive taxi companies try to con you into getting a taxi with them saying things like “you have to wait in a huge queue” or “it’s a 3hr journey because of all the stops” but ignore them they’re trying their luck!

Our last and definitely our favourite day in Bali we went to Finns Beach Club. It’s so much nicer than Potato Head and it has a nicer pool etc. Again it’s a minimum spend on a bed but this time we were there with another couple who we had met throughout our travels. It is also on the beach and an amazing place to see the sunset and Finns looks really cool in the dark too. It is a must when visiting Bali.

What to drink in Bali? Bintang! 👌🏻

Krabi, Thailand 🇹🇭

So, as I’ve already written in my previous blog, we had no plans to head to Thailand on our round the world trip and unexpectedly, within a few hours, we ended up having to fly there.

We had no accommodation and had done no research whatsoever on things to do/see in this part of Thailand. It was a quick job using airport wifi to get sorted!

We only had a few days in Thailand in the end and we decided to make the most of it and see the Phi Phi Islands. While we were there it was November and it rained loads so it didn’t look the way it does in pictures with clear skies and green water 😂. We booked a speed boat tour which went around a few of the islands including Maya Bay where they filmed “the beach” and monkey island. It turns out the weather was so bad we didn’t actually get to monkey island. Maya Bay is something that looks so beautiful in pictures but when we got there (and nothing to do with the rubbish weather) it was disappointing. There was about 200 people on this tiny little beach, about 30 boats and it was full of litter. We stepped off the boat and there was cigarette butts floating around our ankles plus other crap. It’s such a shame they’ve let it get so bad. The tour guide also said the coral has been ruined from a tsunami a few years ago but I also think that’s down to tourism. The toilets on the island are also disgusting (bare in mind you won’t have shoes on as they’re taken off on the boat). I don’t mean to sound so negative if it’s somewhere you want to see definitely still go I just personally was disappointed by it.

There is also the James Bond island which can be visited from Krabi but we didn’t go.

We had a night out while we were in Krabi and to be honest it was like being in Magaulf! Not particularly cheap either which you think it would be. We had a good time but it wasn’t anything special. Chang is a really popular Thai beer it’s lush! 👌🏻😋

One thing I would recommend anywhere in Thailand is a Thai massage. That was probably the highlight of my time in Krabi to be honest! Always barter the price BEFORE you go in.

I got really badly bitten when I was in Thailand and I had to go to the medical centre to get antibiotics. My left leg had about 5 swellings that looked like blisters which eventually got bigger and bigger until they burst. I’d had all my necessary injections before travelling so I new it wasn’t anything serious but it was still awful. They lasted over a week and I could feel gravity pulling at them when I walked! This was due to the rain bringing out the insects so make sure you have plenty of insect repellent and also tiger balm which is fab for healing any bites. I’d recommend this when travelling anywhere not just Thailand.

27 Hours in Singapore Airport

Yep you read it right! After our amazing time in Singapore we ended up spending 27 hours in the airport.

One thing I didn’t plan for or expect when travelling is cancelled flights and “acts of god”. We were due to fly to Bali just as the volcano started grumbling and all flights in and out were cancelled. We still turned up at the airport to see what our options were and it was either fly to Thailand, the Philippines or wait and rebook for the flight the next day to still go to Bali which was the option we chose. Since we were travelling and on a budget we decided to just stay the night in the airport as did quite a few other people. We were flying with air Asia and due to this I will never ever fly with them again. We got absolutely no help whatsoever and even getting a blanket and a pillow was a huge struggle. We found out about midnight that the flight the next day was also cancelled so we went straight to book onto the flight to Thailand for the next morning. They actually expected us to pay extra money for it as well! If you ever end up this situation be prepared to stand your ground and not leave until you get what you want. That’s exactly what we did and I got what I wanted in the end. This also left us with the problem that we hadn’t planned or budgeted to go to Thailand and need to either get to Bali or have the same battle with the flights to be changed as our next flight to Australia was booked from Bali. One thing at a time though.

Something else to bare in mind is an erupted volcano is classed as “an act of god” and insurance companies quite often use this as a reason not to pay out. If booking to go to Indonesia I’d highly recommend booking your travel insurance the same day to avoid possible complications.

So we unexpectedly ended up flying to Krabi, Thailand and had to do last minute research on everything!

Singapore 🇸🇬

We flew to Singapore with Cathay Pacific and the airline was really really good. We got a taxi to the hostel because it was so late and we were shattered, we just didn’t have the energy to be working out the trains etc. We got to the hostel and the room was so small my 6ft 2″ boyfriend barely squeezed in 😂. This was a really crappy hostel and if it hadn’t been a pod hostel I’m not sure we would have coped!

Our first day in Singapore we visited Gardens by the Bay. Stuff like that isn’t usually my thing but we went since we’d gone all the way to Singapore and might not ever go again and honestly I’m so pleased we did. It was beautiful and really interesting. We went later on so we were there during the day but also while it got dark too. I’d defo recommend doing it that way. You have to pay extra to do the skywalk and since we were traveling and on a budget we didn’t pay for that (it was a fair bit extra).

The next day we went to Singapore Zoo. This was one of the things I was most looking forward to on our round the world trip and it didn’t disappoint. We mainly went there to have breakfast with orangutans and even if your not a huge fan of them I would totally recommend. We prebooked online for the orangutans but had to still pay the zoo entry fee when we got there. Obviously you have to get there nice and early as you want a good seat at the restaurant. The breakfast was unreal! It was a buffet that done literally everything full English, cereal, pancakes, fruit, continental breakfast you name it they had it. It was worth the money just for the food 😂. After about 40 minutes they slowly bring the family of orangutans into the restaurant and they have their breakfast and then you queue up for your photo. After the breakfast experience we went round the whole zoo. We also fed giraffes which is an extra charge but a nice little experience too as we both also love giraffes. My whole day at the zoo was brilliant I loved it I would definitely go back.

The day after we done some general site seeing. We went to Raffles Hotel and had Singapore slings, Merlion Park for standard tourist photos, we went to The Fullerton Bay Hotel rooftop bar for drinks and we went on the Singapore flyer. Most of it was within walking distance of each other.

Friday we went to Universal Studios. This was such a good day out. If you like theme parks it’s a must while in Singapore. Our favourite ride was Jurassic park because we got absolutely drenched 😂 but it’s all part of the fun!

For our last full day and night in Singapore we had booked a room at the Marina Bay Sands hotel. It was absolutely incredible and worth every penny (although we couldn’t afford more than 1 night and had the cheapest room!) The pool is incredible and is the only reason for booking the room. We just thought we might never go back to Singapore so make the most of it. Everyone was posing for photos even the rich people! The only down side was there was a lot of kids but that’s just one of them things. We stayed in the pool till it got dark then went down to the hotel for a meal and hit the casino! You need your passport to get in the casino and can go even if your not a guest. We also went to the roof top bar which is the other side of the pool and the view is amazing. This is also open to people not staying at the hotel. We loved everything about our night at Marina Bay Sands it was so glamourous and so nice after weeks of staying in hostels.

Hong Kong 🇭🇰

We got the train from Hong Kong airport to the nearest underground stop to our hostel and then walked. It was literally around the corner. Getting the train saved so much money compared to getting a taxi and they were fairly easy to work out. We got a rail card (a bit like an Oyster card) and just topped it up throughout the week.

Our first full day in Hong Kong we went to the giant Buddha. We got the underground to the nearest stop which is pretty much outside. We got the cable car Ngong Ping 360 which is an experience in itself. On one side there is the city skyline and on the other it’s just green, it’s like the helicopter scene in Jurassic park! The big Buddha is pretty cool and definitely worth a visit. We got the bus back down as some people we were with wanted to save money. To be honest though if your getting the cable car up you might as well get it back down too as it’s only a few quid more for a return. The bus is cheap as chips though if your doing it that way it was literally the equivalent of around 4GBP and the queues aren’t as long as the cable car. After the bid Buddha we went to Victoria peak. By the time we got there it was dark and the view was amazing.

On our 2nd day we got the ferry to Lamma Island. There’s not much there to be honest but we done a hike and that was fun. There’s also a beach there too. That night we decided to go for drinks and it was Wednesday which means ladies night and I got a few of my drinks for free.

The next day we got the ferry over to Macau 🇲🇴 the “Las Vegas of Asia”. This you need your passport for and if, like us, your only going for the day then make sure you go at a decent time. (It is also a good way of ticking another country off your list!) The ferry takes an hour and places are quite spread out. You don’t hop off and your there and it isn’t all on the strip like Las Vegas. If you like casinos and a bit of glitz and glamour though it’s worth a trip. You also have to get buses from place to place so have an idea before you go which casinos you’d like to visit. We went to Sands, the Venetian and the Parisian and they were all really similar to Vegas once you are there. I really loved Vegas so it felt nice to be almost back! We got the last ferry back which was around midnight.

We had almost a week in Hong Kong and to be honest for us it was too long. We done everything we wanted to do and probably only needed about 4 nights there but on our last night we decided to get dressed up and head to Ozone. Ozone is the highest rooftop bar in the world and is at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. It’s not that easy to find so definitely ask people for directions and it is also quite windy up there so bare that in mind. It’s lovely though another must if your visiting Hong Kong.

China 🇨🇳

So on the China leg of our round the world trip we went to Beijing and then to Shanghai.

Our taxi to our apartment cost 100 CNY including a tip which is only around £10 and was around a 30 minute journey. We stayed in an apartment booked through booking.com and didn’t realise it’s actually a residential apartment. It was really difficult to get into and the owners didn’t speak any English. Turns out a lot of Chinese people don’t speak English, which to be fair, we shouldn’t expect at all I know that but you kind of do expect it don’t you 🙈.

On our first full day in Beijing we attempted to go to the Forbidden City. There is an underground stop pretty much right outside. But once we got in and went to get tickets you need I.D which I didn’t even think to bring so we had a wasted journey. So if the Forbidden City is on your to do list remember your passport!

The next day we went to the Great Wall. This was absolutely amazing. There are two different parts of the Great Wall you can visit from Beijing and we went to Mutianyu. This was because the man who was in charge of our apartment recommended this part as he said the other part (and I’m sorry I can’t remember the name) is quite run down. We got a bus from the main bus station at 7am (we also had a letter from the man in Chinese explaining exactly where we were headed incase we got stuck at any point 😂) and from the bus stop we got a taxi to the entrance. We got really lucky because we shared the taxi with a lady from Singapore who spoke Chinese so she done all the talking! We got a chairlift up to the wall the same type as when you go skiing (2 seater). We walked from tower 5-24. This might not sound a lot but believe me the Great Wall is hard work! I’d never really thought about it to be honest but it’s constantly up and down steps the whole time we were sweating!! It was a beautiful cold but clear day and we had to take all our layers off! We went in November so it was pretty cold when we were there generally. The steps are all quite small too so my boyfriends big feet didn’t find it easy 😂. You just don’t appreciate how big the Great Wall of China actually is until you see it. Our 2nd wonder of the world ticked off the bucket list for our 5 month trip. On the way back down we got a toboggan and it was so much fun! Videos of the toboggan ride are on my Instagram page @cas555y. Would definitely recommend, however, if that’s not for your there’s the option of just an ordinary gondola lift up and down too.

The following day was a Monday and the Forbidden City is closed. Something else to remember.

We finally went to the Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square on our last day. To be honest I didn’t think that much of it but that’s just my opinion. Maybe if we had a tour guide or something it might have been better but I am pleased we went.

When we arrived in Shanghai we immediately thought we preferred it to Beijing. It just had a nicer feel to it and we were really close to the centre (we had a private room in a hostel which had an en suite).

Our first full day we got on the hop on hop off bus tour to see some sights (were right little tourists lol). Shanghai was just as difficult as Beijing for not speaking the language but surprisingly the people selling junk on the streets had better English than people in nice restaurants.

We had planned on getting a flight to see the terracotta warriors from Shanghai but once we were there we realised how difficult it was to get around etc and just decided against it. We also decided to keep the money and use it to book Sydney opera house on New Year’s Eve for the fireworks but more about that later! We also planned on going to the revolving restaurant but it was again so difficult to get around and we just couldn’t manage to get a taxi so we also gave up on that idea too.

Something to plan in advance when booking a trip to China is the visa. We (very stupidly) just thought it was an online form like the other visas we needed however it is forms to fill in, passport pictures which aren’t regular U.K. Standard you will need to state when you get them done that they’re for a Chinese visa as they have different requirements to them and also a trip to the Chinese embassy. We went to the one in Edinburgh and I know there’s one in London but I’m not sure if there’s any more. You need to hand everything in and leave your passport with them. It can be posted out, however, we left it too late and had to pay for fast track which was quite a lot of extra money and had to go back to Edinburgh a few days later and collect them. You also need to book appointments for both of these visits. Our visas cost for 2 people using fast track was £356. I’d say fast track cost around an extra £50 each.

Tokyo 🇯🇵

Arriving in Tokyo airport was like arriving in space! Ok exaggeration! But we got off the plane and went to the loo and there was so many buttons on it. Most of them we couldn’t understand but they did have heated toilet seats which is pretty nice 👍🏻. Turns out every one of them in Tokyo pretty much was the same. We headed to the help desk and asked which train we needed to be on to get to where we were staying and it cost 3000yen between 2 so that saved loads in a taxi. They spoke good English and were really helpful we didn’t struggle at all.

We stayed at the Emblem hostel Nishiarai which is just outside of Tokyo and literally around the corner from the train station so we just walked to it. The hostel was absolute luxury if I’m honest and included breakfast. It was our first experience at a pod hostel and I think they’re the best kind. Just shut the curtain and you barely know your sharing with anyone.

Day 1 we visited Nishairai-Daishi temple. There was a ceremony on for children aged 3, 5 & 7 which we didn’t know before we went but was quite nice to see. The little children looked so cute in their traditional Japanese outfits!

The next day we were up early to visit Mount Fuji. It took us 3hrs to get to which was 2 trains and a 2hr bus journey. We just went to the viewing point across the lake and was there about 30mins! But it was really good to see. At the Fuji bus station we got lunch and there was only Japanese food (we weren’t keen on much traditional food to be honest I’m a really fussy eater). We opted for a vegetarian (to be safe) noodle dish which was mainly a bowl of water and they didn’t have cutlery only chop sticks 😂. It was fun shall we say! We never did get the hang of chop sticks and I don’t think I seen a knife the whole time I was there.

Day 3 was Halloween and we went to Disneyland. I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyland during Halloween 🎃. It was heaving and everyone, including adults, were dressed as Disney characters. We had a fab day but if I’m honest the rides aren’t as good as Paris. I’m a Disney fanatic though so this didn’t bother me.

The next day we got the trains to Shibuya crossing the busiest crossing in the world. It actually is so busy! We sat in Starbucks and were lucky enough to get a really good seat at the window and just watched the world go by for a while. It was fascinating to watch and I got a really good video on my Instagram @cas555y.

Our last full day in Tokyo we went on the sightseeing bus to see the city properly before we left. Proper tourists 😂. We also got off at the Tokyo tower and went up it. It’s not amazing and we couldn’t go all the way up on the day we went but I guess it’s another land mark to tick off the list.

India 🇮🇳

So we flew to Delhi from Dubai with IndiGo which is a low cost airline and cost £152 for both of our flights. You also need a visa BEFORE you go which we done online on the Indian governments website. This actually is a bit confusing as it doesn’t look like an official website so make sure your on the right one. Our visas cost £115 for 2 and can take a few days to clear. The questions can be very long winded too they took us around an hour to fill out.

Arriving at Delhi airport we went straight to the government taxi queue, which my friend who is Indian, told me to go to as it is safe and all journeys are logged. When you walk out turn left and you should see a man at a stand with an iPad. When we seen the car that was to take us it was like the scene from sex and the city 2 where they get chucked out of the hotel and 4 absolutely bangers take them to the airport 😂. The taxi journey was horrific! Driving in Dubai had been bad but India omg! They are mental. There’s no concept of lanes or someone’s right of way. There is constant beeping of the horn (they don’t indicate they beep!) It was actually a really scarey experience at first but you do get used to it.

We stayed at The Madpackers Hostel and I couldn’t fault it at all it was brilliant. One of the best hostels we’ve stayed at. We got a private room as it wasn’t much extra than staying in a dorm.

Our first night the hostel organised a night out which included free vodka and whisky 9-11pm so obviously we joined! It was actually a really good night we stayed out till around 1am. Naturally we felt a bit wary being out drinking in India at first but it was fine.

The next day we were both hungover and done nothing till the afternoon! I’d seen a shop the night before that sold beautiful saris so we went back to the same area to have a look at them but they were extremely expensive. I’m sure they just fleece tourists! So I never got one which I was gutted about as I think they’re stunning. We decided to get a rickshaw home you know as part of the Indian experience 🙈😂. Experience is the definitely the right word! You have to barter the price before you get in which we did (my boyfriend LOVES bartering 😂). The driver was smoking a joint and got the rickshaw stuck in a pothole while driving the wrong way down a road that has like 4 lanes (in the U.K. that’s a motorway right?!) Some locals had to help him push us out the ditch and the driver just turned round to us and laughed. It wasn’t funny at the time but it is now!

On our 3rd day we went to the Taj Mahal. This was the only reason for our visit to India. We had already booked train tickets but the hostel actually organised a trip every few days so booking before wasn’t essential but we didn’t know that at the time. We prebooked tickets on the Gatimaan Express and they were £9 each, each way. I must say though I needed an Indian credit/debit card and address to do so but luckily I have an Indian friend who helped me out using his parents details otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to book it. He insisted I got the Gatimaan Express as it was a new fast and modern 1st class train. It also included a meal and 2 drinks which we didn’t realise until we were on it. We got to Delhi train station really early and everyone was staring at us. I mean really staring. It made us both feel really uncomfortable. When we got to Agra it was chaos. Everyone just surrounds you and pesters you for a taxi/rickshaw etc. We got a taxi for 200 rupees to the Taj gates as far as you can go. They try to talk you into paying 1000 for an all day service including all the sights but there’s no way you’d ever see them again. We paid 1000 rupees each to see the Taj Mahal (roughly £10) Indians only pay 40! Because we were British and “paid so much more money” we got a guide for free and we never had to queue for anything. The guide was brilliant. He told us so many interesting things we wouldn’t have known otherwise and he took all of our pictures all day. He also new the best spots for pictures and fought off people at the Princess Diana bench which naturally was heaving. The Taj Mahal really is the most stunning building I’ve ever seen. Pictures just don’t do it justice you have to see it for yourself to appreciate just how beautiful it is. I also think it’s really romantic how the king built it to show the whole world how much he loved his wife. I’m soppy like that! It was at the Taj Mahal when the selfies started! 😂 We had our picture taken about 50 times that day. The guide said it’s because we look and dress differently and was also the reason for all the staring. (Apparently it’s not rude to stare in India!) After the Taj Mahal we walked to Agra Fort. You can get rickshaws or a horse and cart (no cars) but we had loads of time to kill. Our ticket to the Taj also included money off your ticket to Agra Fort so bare that in mind and go there first if your on a budget (it’s not very much but still). That was an extra 500 rupees each to get in. Agra Fort is nice but not much to see compared to the Taj Mahal. I personally think it looks nicer from the outside than inside. We walked back up to the entrance of the Taj Mahal as we had loads of time to kill and we got ice lollys and a monkey stole mine! He was so evil looking and was coming at me so I just threw it on the floor and ran away! The monkey just picked it up and started licking it like a human! Another it’s funny now but not at the time moment.

On our last day in Delhi we done nothing until we met some friends of a friend that evening. To be honest you get so much hassle when out and about as tourists that we just couldn’t be bothered with it. But once we met the Indian couple they took us to see some sights and for local food and no one hassled us. It was so much nicer.

Dubai 🇦🇪

We spent our first day in Dubai just lounging round the pool and relaxing. We were staying in an apartment at the grand Midwest hotel.

On day 2 we went up the Burj Khalifa which we prebooked at our hotel and was 130AED each. The view was actually amazing and even though it’s higher we both thought it was less scarey than the stratosphere in Vegas. That evening we went to the Dubai mall which is basically next door to the Burj. Omg the mall is heaven! The shops are amazing I will 100% take money just for shopping next time we go. We went to the mall to see the fountains. They were really good but once you’ve seen them you’ve seen them and to be honest I preferred the fountains at the Bellagio. They have a nice background though with the Burj Khalifa. The Dubai mall also has a pretty good aquarium inside which you can see the outside of for free.

Day 3: swimming with dolphins at Atlantis. This has always been on my bucket list and it was amazing. It was 1100AED each and includes Atlantis water park which is also incredible! Hands down the best water park I’ve ever been to. The Atlantis hotel is unreal we had a bit of a look around and would definitely stay there if we went to Dubai again. (Hopefully next time we’re not backpacking and on a budget!)

The next night we got dressed up and went to the marina for a meal. The Dubai marina looks amazing with all the expensive boats and high rise buildings it’s very glamourous! We went to a Chinese restaurant and the food was lovely. The only down side to our evening at the marina is there was no where to sit and enjoy a drink like we would usually do on holiday but that’s fine we new what Dubai was like before we went.

Day 5 at Zero Gravity. This was a Friday which is the start of their weekend and a popular day for it. It was 450AED for both of us with 150AED redeemable on food so not too bad and it was so worth it. We had a fab day. The music was really good, you can drink all day and the skyline for photos is just incredible! Plus you can sit around the pool or the beach.

Our last night in Dubai we’d been told about this souk by some people we met at zero gravity and thought it sounded great. But we actually got taken to the wrong place and ended up in some incredibly posh expensive hotel! We looked around the shops in their anyway and I got a henna which I’d been wanting all week. Maybe next time we’ll find it!