Tag: UNESCO

Siem Reap 🇰🇭

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We’ve been doing the majority of Cambodia travel on a very small minibus. Luckily, one of Mark’s fellow BFG’s had a little word with our guide, and we got a huge coach with a seat each for our long drive to Siem Reap. After a spot of lunch at the place where all travellers seem to stop (they have 400 seats!), we headed to one of the floating/stilted villages. This is where rural communities live in floating/stilted houses, travel to floating/stilted schools, and eat in floating/stilted restaurants. We visited Kampong Khleang, which has a community of around 6000 people. Being the furthest away from Siem Reap, it’s the least touristy, which gave us a much more authentic experience. As we arrived, we were greeted by 100s of waving children who looked genuinely happy to see us, a welcome change from the usual begging to buy some mouldy bananas. As we were here during the dry season, we got to see the houses all their glory standing at 10M tall! During the wet season, the water will rise significantly up the buildings. The economy here is based largely on fishing in the flooded forest on Tonle Sap Lake – the largest inland freshwater body in Southeast Asia. When we got on the boat, we were able to see the proper construction of these houses as we floated slowly down the river. We got to see the locals at work, the school they go to, and the children playing in the river. It was an incredible experience. As the boat service is still owned by the locals (unlike some of the other floating villages), all the money spent goes into the community. When we got off the boat, we were greeted by more children shouting hello, giving us high fives and fist pumps. Despite the poverty, they all looked so incredibly happy.

As we drove into Siem Reap, we immediately thought, “Yep, we’re going to like this place.” We got ready to go out, and as we opened the door, we heard a loud thud and saw something running off.. turns out it was a massive Tokay gecko! An Australian lady came to see what we were looking at, who was obviously not in the slightest bit arsed about the size of it. We had a free evening, so we decided to consult the Lonely Planet guide and chose an Italian. It was absolutely delicious, but as per usual, we ordered far too much. It needed to be a quick one as alarms were set for Angkor Wat sunrise.

At 0330 the alarms went off 😴 it was a quick scrabble around to get everything ready and onto the minibus to get our temple passes; something that you need to buy to visit any of the sites. We arrived at Angkor Wat around 5am and joined all the other tourists around the lake waiting for the magic to happen. Our managed to get stood right at the front, but then a woman and her son had the audacity to just come and stand right in front of us all! Luckily it’s a group of gobby people and they very quickly got told. It still took them ages to move though. We were told the sun would be up by 06:30 and to be honest we were all very underwhelmed. The phone cameras were able to pick up a bit of colour but visually it just went from darkness to daylight, with no evidence of the dramatic sky you hope to see. As we were all walking to the breakfast area, the sun started peaking up above the temple, and we finally started getting some orange sky. We all abandoned the breakfast (for now) and continued to watch the silhouette of Angkor Wat instead. Once the sun was fully up we got to enjoy our hotel breakfast box, of 2 boiled eggs and some bread a butter.

I’ve been so looking forward to seeing Angkor Wat and was so excited to get in and explore. We met our guide and he walked us to the steps of the temple and sat us down whilst he gave us some history. Unfortunately, because he wasn’t the most engaging of people, half the group, including myself, were nodding off. We got inside and he went on and on and on about the stone used. We had been inside 20 minutes and not gone anywhere! As a keen National Truster and English Heritager, I really appreciate an info board with a visual on of what something once looked like and what it was for. There was none of that inside the temple, just long endless corridors of nothing. The guide continued to chat absolute shite, and unfortunately we were all so bored with what he was saying that the majority of us had walked off to explore ourselves. We climbed some steps and got a really good view of the site itself, which is absolutely huge! It was the general consensus that it was a massive shame with the guide we got, but that it’s still worth the visit.

The next temple we visited was Ta Prohm from the late 12th century, and the backdrop for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. This temple is in a lot worse state than Angkor Wat, but I have to say I enjoyed this one more. The way the trees have claimed the ruins as their own was incredible. The Fig, banyan, and kapok trees have spread their gigantic roots over the stones, and their branches and leaves intertwine to form a roof over the structures. The last temple of the day was Bayon Temple, and by this point, it was nearly midday and therefore far too hot to be slowly walking around ruins with absolutely no shade whatsoever. This meant it was a quick whip round and back on the minibus to go back to the hotel. We were given an option to return the following day to repeat the last temple and do a few more, and as fascinating as they are, we very much felt templed out, and the thought of having that guide again the next day was a big no no. It turns out, however, he’s got over 20 years experience and is the one who delivers training to other guides!! Mind blown..

We got back to the hotel, and it was time for one thing, and one thing only.. a nap. Mark really needed his hair and beard cutting, so he needed to be a quick one as we were having dinner as a group again tonight. G Adventures support local businesses and projects, so tonight’s dinner was held at New Hope Cambodia (who’s mission is free education for all) and we were taken there by a group of women TukTuk drivers, who have set up a business to make females feel safer at night on this very popular mode of transport. We watched a video on their project and was then served one of the most delicious meals we have had since being here. The flavours were incredible. We also got the chance to try some insects.. one was by far enough. It was crispy on the outside, but the absolute opposite on the inside 🤮 I have no idea how they do it on. I’m a celebrity, or even in Cambodian life in general. A few of us had opted to see Phare Circus, which has won a Guinness World Record for the longest circus show. It tells the story of rejection, revenge, spirit possession and eventual forgiveness, and community acceptance. The story is set to original music and told through a dramatic mix of theatre, traditional dance, and modern circus arts. We really enjoyed it!

Our next day was a free day to ourselves, and we desperately needed a lie in. We sacked off the hotel breakfast and went for a smashed avo and eggs beni brunch instead, which was lovely. We stopped at a cafe run by a husband and wife team to get some smoothies, which were delicious, and had a stroll around the river. Siem Reap is a much more settled place and even has some greenery! We’ve been recommended by a few people to visit the APOPO HeroRat centre, so we bartered with the TukTuk man and headed there for a tour. We absolutely loved it! These African giant pouched rats are special because of their incredible sense of smell. They come from Tanzania and go through a year of training before they’re allowed out ‘in the field’. Their aim is to sniff out unexploded mines in Cambodia and other countries and people with TB in African countries! We had a demonstration from Sophea who quickly found what she was looking for. She was rewarded with some banana. Because the rats are so light (1.5kg), they don’t set off any landmines as this requires at least 3kg of weight. What they can do in half an hour would take someone with a metal detector around 4 days. They have helped to save thousands of lives and get communities back into the areas where they belong. We were then able to hold one – we are holding Dora. It was a great little tour, and I would 100% recommend this to anyone.

We were getting peckish so decided to pay ‘Wild’ a visit – a cute cafe that specialises in spring rolls. We tried a traditional deep fried duck Cambodian spring roll, and a fresh Mediterranean style one. They were both so so tasty, and with cheap cocktails and even cheaper beer, we decided to stay here a while and just watch the world go by.

For our last night in Siem Reap we decided to hit Pub Street, and obviously had to pick a place that was showing the football. We had buffalo burger and crocodile burger, washed down with more beer and a very cheap tasting wine 🤣 I’d recommend doing a couple of laps of pub street just to really soak up the atmosphere. Bright lights and thumping music, it’s an absolutely buzzing place to be at night. We weren’t sure what to expect from Cambodia, but we’ve both absolutely loved it and are gutted we don’t have more time here. From what people have said that have been here before, it’s changed a lot over the past few years and has had a lot of money put in to improve the roads and the country as a whole. They are all so so welcoming and friendly and anyone coming to SEA should absolutely add it to the list.

This morning, we had another early start as we headed to the Cambodia/Thailand border for the final leg of our trip. The queue at the border was enormous and took around 2 hours to get through. Luckily, there was no pushing in like in Vietnam. However, there was a ninja Granny who managed to get past about 50 people! She then got escorted out by border control 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hoi An 🇻🇳

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We got back from Ninh Binh quite late, so we decided to head out for some food at a restaurant our guide had recommended.. which obviously was closed by the time we got there 🤣 so we decided to go to a restaurant a few doors down that looked busy. We ordered the BBQ plate where you’re given a plate of meat and veg and cook it all yourself. The waiter brought everything we needed, including a pot of some orange jelly. We thought this was pudding.. it was actually the stuff you set of fire. The flavours were really nice, but the pork had a really strange crunchy texture. Would this be our first bit of food poisoning?! (You’ll be pleased to know that all was well) We had read there was a really cool Harry Potter bar, and as Mark is a fan, we decided to check it out. We got there, and there was only one other couple in there, but it was a bit of a trek, so we decided to stay for Mark to try out the Butterbeer. It was much better than the one at HP Studios, but still absolutely foul 🤣 the waitress was really strange. Shuffling around and not smiling at all. We’re not sure if this was part of an act or if she was just desperate to get home. They did have a dressing up box, though!

We woke up to the wettest day yet in Hanoi and jumped in a taxi to the airport. Again, this was incredibly smooth, and we were checked in and through security in no time. This meant we could relax in one of the coffee shops, and finally have a decent latte! I just do not know how anyone can enjoy Vietnamese coffee. We boarded the plane which had a rather pissy aroma about it, and Mark squashed his super long BFG legs into the tiny space. Just over an hour later and we had landed at Da Nang airport, got our bags and jumped in the next taxi to Hoi An – our home for the next few days. We finally had sun and blue sky 💙

One of the must do things in Hoi An is having some clothes tailor-made. We checked into our hotel and set out to find the one recommended by our hotel. The whole process was really fun. You can either take photos of designs you like or search through their hundreds of pictures of clothes. You choose which fabric you want and then get measured. Mark went to choose his fabric, and because he was scared of the sales woman, he ended up picking material for another shirt and a pair of trousers. Over the next 2 days, we popped back a few times for extra fittings, having things taken in, buttons and poppers added, etc, and we’re both really pleased with our final garments. I’ve always struggled to get shorts to fit due to my super large thighs, but I’ve now got a jazzy linen pair that fit so well and are the perfect length to avoid chub rub.

Hoi An old town is a UNESCO site, meaning you get to see some beautiful and well-preserved buildings. The town reflects a fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures (principally Chinese and Japanese with later European influences). It should also mean a scooter free zone.. however, the locals are obviously not arsed about observing this rule 🤣 if you want to go inside any of the buildings, you need to buy a ticket that allows you to pick 5 ‘attractions’. One of the ones we chose was a really interesting old family house, and I was dreading it would be like one of those awkward National Trust house tours. Luckily, it was a quick tour from one of the owners, and we actually saw loads in such a short space of time. We learnt about the different styles of architecture, and they showed us a huge coin collection the family had collected over the years, which they believe brings them luck. We also had the mystery solved of why temples etc have such a huge step to get in – it’s so you have to look down to see where you’re going, which means you are automatically bowing your head.

Another must do in Hoi An is the basket boat tour. You wear the obligatory hat, and they take you down the river in the special boats used to access small, shallow, and interlaced waterways that are hard or inaccessible for common boats. They do some spinning performances to techno music 🤣 and our guide encouraged us to get in and have a go. You get so dizzy, and you really have to hold on tight otherwise you could fly off the back into the water. But it was a fun experience. We had a go at paddling the boat (which is harder than it looks) and catching some crabs (which were put back after) It was such a cheap and fun activity to do and one we would recommend to everyone.

Hoi An is ideally placed just 5km from the beach, and what better way to get there than to hire some bikes and cycle there. This did, however, mean joining the crazy traffic to get out of the old town and onto the quieter road to the beach, which was certainly an experience and one that made the bum twitch a few times. It’s such a lovely ride to the beach past the rice fields and seeing all the locals at work. The beach was great, and as long as you buy a drink at one of the many bars, you’re able to use the lounger for free. We stayed for a few hours to enjoy the sun we had now finally got. There’s also plenty of watersports if that’s your thing. After the beach we decided to try another recommended restaurant – White Rose Restaurant. They only serve 2 dishes, meaning they are absolutely delicious. We tried both – the white rose dumpling made from translucent white dough and filled with shrimp and fried wonton (Hoi An pizza) with shrimp, tomato, and mango.

Night time in Hoi An is colourful and busy, with lanterns lit up everywhere. We loved walking the streets at night and seeing all the 100s of bars and restaurants to choose from. We decided not to take a boat ride, instead sitting at a bar with a live band (with some questionable songs) and watching the world go bar. It also meant we had a great view of all the street food carts, which we were 100% not going to visit 🤣

We had one more day left in Hoi An, and decided to take a trip to Marble Mountain in Da Nang – a network of caves, tunnels, towers, and pagodas built by Mahayana Buddhists and the Nguyen Dynasty Kings. As we’ve had rubbish luck with viewpoints, we decided to brave the 32-degree heat and climb to the top. Unfortunately, they are building right in front of the water, so instead of seeing for miles, we saw a hotel erection instead. We’re so glad we had this a guided tour as we learnt so much from him, and he was really keen to learn about us and life in England as well.

Next, we visited the Goddess of Mercy. In the leaflet, it said she’s the highest Buddha in Vietnam, so we assumed that meant we would we going up a big mountain. It actually meant she’s the tallest 🤣 at 67 metres tall! It’s also known as Monkey Mountain, and we were lucky to see lots of monkeys running around and playing with each other. The public have been banned from feeding them for a number of years now (and covid also helped), so at least they weren’t surrounding us trying to snatch things out of the bag!

We really fancied something to eat that didn’t involve soy sauce or coriander, and luckily, Hoi An is full of western restaurants. We chose a pizza with mozzarella sticks and watched a local Hanoi derby on the TV. As much as we’ve loved trying all the different foods, it really was much needed.

Hoi An has been a dream. We even looked at changing our flight to HCMC to a later one to give us longer there, but unfortunately it would have cost too much 😔 it has so much charm about it and it’s so easy to see why people fall in love with it.

Ninh Binh 🇻🇳

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We got back from Ha Long Bay yesterday afternoon where the hotel owner met us and apologised about moving us to the sister hotel, and gave us a key to a free upgraded room. After sorting all our bits out we decided we needed to do the first bit of laundry as we are quickly running out of underwear – the joys of travelling. We spoke to reception who assured us that our washing would be ready for collection at 10pm that evening… so we headed out to Hanoi Social Club; a hip cafe with antique furniture and a chill vibe. We also decided we really wanted something other than rice and soy sauce, so we ordered a pull pork sandwich and a huge bowl of nachos. They were incredible and I would 100% recommend this place to anyone coming to Hanoi, espeically if you do fancy a change from Vietnamese cuisine. They hold live music events here too.

It was now getting dark but there was one more thing left on the Hanoi list – Thang Long Citadel to tick off another UNESCO site. I knew it would be shut but I was hoping I’d get a slightly closer look at it as it looks so pretty lit up at night. Unfortunately it’s surrounded by a huge wall and multiple guards. As it was actually a fairly decent trek we decided to stop for a drink, and popped into a watering hole next to the citadel. The vibe was really creepy and the people who worked there just stood and stared at us whilst we had our drinks. After a quick browse of the menu and deciding we definitely didn’t want to join them for a salty turtle, we paid up and left. We then headed to beer street – a street full of bars and loud music! By this point it was raining.. again.. so we decided to have one to take in the atmosphere before calling it a night. We got back to the hotel just after 10 and were handed a bag of clean clothes. Unfortunately.. these were not our clothes 😬 they apologised and said that due to the weather the clothes wouldn’t be dry and to ask again the following day. Fingers crossed its not lost, otherwise we will be wearing the same pair of pants for the next 3 weeks 🤣

It was another early get up this morning as we joined another trip, this time to the Ninh Binh province. We usually get picked up by minibus, however 2 people turned up on scooters and said they were here to take us to the main pick up point. So we jumped on the back and weaved our way through the crazy traffic whilst clinging on for dear life! Our first stop was to Hoa Lu – an ancient city surrounded by the Trang An limestone mountains. As the capital of the country for 41 years, Hoa Lu has many palaces, pagodas, tombs and pavilions that were built by different dynasties. Having a guide with us meant we finally got to understand what was happening when people take beer, light incense then sit and pray in the temple – it’s a way to honor and remember their ancestors. It was a very peaceful place to walk around and I would have liked more time there, but that’s always the case with these types of trips. We then grabbed some bikes to ride through a traditional village. Unfortunately the main route they use was super wet and muddy, so it was a quick up and down the concrete paths for views of the mountains.

This afternoon, we went to Tam Coc and took a traditional river boat along the Ngo Dong river. Tam Coc means ‘three grottoes, and these include Ca cave, Hai cave and Ba cave, meaning the first, the second and the third respectively. The ride took around 2 hours, and even though it was raining, it was still lovely to sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The locals even ride with their feet! Ours asked for a tip at the end, which I didn’t mind.. but he then told us how much he wanted!! So because he was being cheeky, he got half of what he asked for 🤣

Our last stop of the day was Mua cave and the 500 step climb (although it felt waaaay more than that) to the lying dragon. All of the guide books have something along the lines of “get panoramic views of Tam Coc with fields, blue rivers, and majestic limestone mountains. This combination makes a wonderful picture. ” We knew we wouldn’t get that because of the weather, but yet again, we had a cloudy rainy view. It’s also incredibly busy up at the dragon itself with long lines to get a photo. The rock steps around it are narrow and slippery, so we abandoned going up to it.

All the research said the same thing.. Vietnam is great to visit in February. I know the weather can’t be helped, but it’s been disappointing that it has so many amazing viewpoints to offer, and we’ve seen none. I even asked the guide if this is normal and she said no. I guess we’ve just been really unlucky 😔 we head to Hoi An tomorrow where the weather looks warm and dry.. so 🤞🏻it stays that way!

In other news…. we have our laundry!!!

Hạ Long Bay 🇻🇳

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Before we left Ha Giang for the long slog back to Hanoi, I had a text from the manager of the hotel we were going back to offering us one of his other hotels. Due to our main luggage being at the original hotel and being picked up for Ha Long Bay from there the following day , it was a thanks, but no thanks. Turns out whoever was in the room we were due to have had the shits 👍🏻 so we agreed and arranged to have our luggage taken to the new hotel. We now had the job of letting the company know for Ha Long Bay that we had moved hotels and needed picking up from a new location. We kept thinking of all the things that could go wrong.. but luckily, nothing did! The drive back to Hanoi was nothing like our VIP bus. We were squashed into a minibus where the bloke in front of me reclined so much I couldn’t actually move my legs. They then piled bags and boxes so nobody had any chance of escape should we need it. We stopped at the same wee stop as previous (actual PTSD) and had to try and climb over all the crap they had piled in the minibus. Mark kept his shoes on, and the driver was NOT HAPPY 😬🤣 after grabbing some food, we headed back to the original minibus. Thankfully, Tu was with us, as they had taken all our bags off and put it on another minibus! As there were already lots of people on there, we were split, meaning Mark got the rear, and I got the front seat – which in Vietnam is absolutely beyond terrifying!

We arrived out the outskirts of the old town as buses can’t go in during the weekend, and set on our way to find our new hotel. This part of Hanoi seemed a little more seedy than what we had previously been in and it was also raining, so we couldn’t wait to get back. Luckily when we got there, they knew we were coming and our bags were already in the room. We were also given 30% off in their sky bar. It was just a shame we couldn’t see anything due to the heavy rain.

The following morning was a mad rush to try and pack, which was proving quite difficult with our newly purchased warm clothes and minimal space. This meant we had 5 minutes for breakfast, the usual Vietnamese cuisine and spag bol 🤷🏼‍♀️ we were picked up in a very posh minibus and began the 3-hour drive to Ha Long Bay.. in the rain 👍🏻we stopped for a break where I was surprised to find a lovely clean toilet with toilet roll! We decided to pay a bit more for a luxury cruise for the trip to Ha Long Bay, as a lot of reviews for the cheaper ones really aren’t great. And we’re so glad we did as the room and the boat were amazing.

We headed for lunch and had a delicious buffet. The staff were so friendly and helpful, pulling chairs out, pouring drinks, and doing your napkin. I thought they might start feeding me at one point! We popped back to the room before the excursion to Cat Ba Island, and Mark had a little call of nature. Unfortunately, because the window is so big, the toilet is opposite, and the other boats pass by quite closely.. it was a poo with a view.. for both parties! We headed to Trung Trang cave on Cat Ba Island; known as one of the typical and largest caves for the cave complex in Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve. It’s full of stalactites glittering under the dim light and incredibly low passageways that Mark thoroughly enjoyed crawling through. Our boat had a large group of mature people from India who insisted on taking pictures of themselves literally every 2 seconds. It was quite amusing at first, but then it just became super annoying as we were constantly having to wait for them 🙄

It was then back to the boat for happy hour. We spotted a couple where the man had a t-shirt saying, “I like it when you tell me you want me,” with a picture of his wife in a bikini on it, and giant wooden clogs.. as in the ones you buy from Amsterdam that are big enough to be a decorative wall piece. On the boat next door was a woman in a red dress, wafting around, making the person she was with get all the pics for the Gram. It really is the best for people watching! We had a cooking class, where we learnt how to make spring rolls. Unfortunately, I didn’t make my rice paper damp enough, so it was a bit chewy, and we enjoyed a happy hour of 241 cocktails.

At dinner we decided to treat ourselves to a bottle of wine, and was recommended one by the waiter. After dinner when we were looking at the cocktail menu again I thought I’d check which wine we had as it was delicious. It then dawned on me that I didn’t read all the 0s on the price list, and it turned out to be 2,200,000vnd.. which is around £78.. surely it must be an expensive bottle anyway! A quick Google check however revealed its actually a tenner in Tesco (or £8.50 with clubcard) We were then offered the chance to go squid fishing, and if anyone caught a squid you got a free beer. As we are now poor we decided to give it a go. We could see them swimming around but unfortunately nobody caught a squid. The closest anyone got was me making a squid squirt – I’m sure not many of you can say that 🤣🦑

Emergency jumper – the ones we could find had ‘inspirational quotes’ on 🤣

In the evening we were due to have a facial (which we had booked prior to expensive wine) the Indian group however fannied about so much (probably taking more photos) that our treatment got delayed by 45 minutes!! No apology from them when they came out cackling away 🙄 it was a lovely facial until the end, when they sat us up and basically beat us up by thumping us in the back. We were all relaxed and ready for bed, and I was looking forward to a nice sleep in.. until the super load Americans next door decided to talk waaaay too loudly on their balcony at 6 am about the speed of the WiFi being better because everyone was asleep… Well, not now they’re not!! We joined in with the kayaking after breakfast, which was great being able to see all the rock formations up close.

Ha Long Bay is an absolute must if you come to Vietnam. Come and see the 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. It’s so beautiful, and the photos really don’t do it justice.

Having their 100000th photoshoot 📸

Lokrum Island & Dubrovnik old town 🇭🇷

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Today is our last full day, and a free day for us to do whatever we fancy. As the majority of the town was cut off this morning due to the city walls run, we decided to take a boat trip to Lokrum Island. As much as we have enjoyed exploring the hustle and bustle of old towns this week, it was nice to go back to nature and calm.

For those or you who are Game of Thrones fans, it’s an absolute must as you get to sit on the iron throne – which was gifted to them from the production team! Time on the island can be spent doing absolutely nothing apart from enjoying a cocktail and the views, or wandering around the whole place. We decided to do both! One thing to bear in mind is the only way to get around is to walk. There are no cars on the island as it is an uninhabited UNESCO protected nature reserve, although the majority is easily assessable on the well maintained paths. We decided to head to the top of the island to get views from the Fort, however this is a very steep hill and the ticker definitely knew about it! Sensible footwear really is a must for this part of the walk as the paths are rocky and uneaven, but the views are worth it. Other things to see are the botanical gardens, monastery, the ‘dead sea’ and of course, the hundreds of peacocks which roam the island.

This afternoon we headed back to the old town for our last explore around the streets. We found a lovely restaurant which served tapas, so we settled in for food and people watching. After eating we went for a walk around the outside of the walls, and spotted a dead eel in the water being gobbled up by all the other fish. I didn’t realise they were so big! We finished the day with an ice cream before heading back to the hotel to pack ready to leave tomorrow. Although tiring, it has been another incredible trip with 3 more counties ticked off the list (according to my app I’ve now done 57% Europe!) The scenery and landscapes have been beautiful and the old towns full of character and charm. Croatia is only around 2hrs away from England, so why not add it to your list of potential destinations!

Kotor & Budva 🇲🇪

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This morning was another super early start as we crossed another border into Montenegro. This however meant more long waits for checks, but more stamps for the passport; every cloud!

As is custom on these trips, we had a toilet stop at one of the petrol stations. Unfortunately nobody knows what a latte is in these parts! So for an energy boost we went for a fat coke and a kitkat 🍫 I was so confident that my card had worked that I took my treats and left the shop, however I was soon chased by an angry lady ushering me back into the shop as I’d clearly been a criminal and walked out without paying.

Our first stop of the day was Kotor; a medieval old town full of windy streets and busy squares. It has so much character and charm about it that I could easily spend a day here. As with all of the old towns we’ve been to, the streets are very slippery and uneaven. Unfortunately I didn’t continue the advice of good shoes and today wore a primark sandal special. This resulted in my slipping over and landing star fish on the floor. Apart from a bruised arm, jolted back and embarrassment, I’m absolutely fine!

The scene of the fall!

Leaving Kotor behind we headed for our next stop; Budva. Driving in I was a bit unsure why they had brought us here, as its basically a giant building site. Luckily we were able to put the vast amount of construction behind us and head into, yep you’ve guessed it.. the old town! We managed to find a square and settle down for some lunch. We noticed something going on in the cafe on the other side, and we were soon treated to a fantastic performance from an all man band, singing all sorts from traditional songs to roll out the barrel! There was also a wedding photoshoot and lots of other tourists getting the perfect gram shots outside the church – it was the best place for a bit of people watching.

We left Montenegro and headed back to Croatia where we will spend the remainder of our trip. Luckily the driver was able to sneak us round the super large Greek group in front at the border, so it wasn’t the massive wait we had prepared ourselves for. This evening we ate in the hotel which seems to have got ridiculously busy over the last day. I was happily eating my meal when the woman on the table next to me leaned over and stole my napkin! No excuse me, no nothing. The absolutely audacity.

Mostar 🇧🇦

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Today we left our lovely hotel in Drvenik and headed over the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the UNESCO old city of Mostar. Dressed as a giant bar code, we met our guide and had a walking tour of the town.

The cobbled streets were lined with lots of colourful shops selling all sorts from scarves, souvenirs and of course, a genuine (although incredibly obvious) fake. We walked over the iconic Stari Most bridge, which has since been rebuilt following the 90s conflicts. It is also known for people jumping off it into the river below. We were hopeful that the chap in his budgie smugglers would give us the ooooh we were waiting for, however he took the loose change and did nothing else apart from ask for more money off people. From the minute we got there to the minute we left, he was there, ready and waiting for the 23 metre jump. I’m sure he made a fortune today, but whether he took the plunge, we will never know!

Bridge feat. Budgie man

We were also taken to a traditional Turkish house, where there was a tortoise roaming free in the grounds. Unfortunately one of the tour group (one half of the friends with benefits) didn’t see the tortoise, and ended up kicking it in the face 🐢

Post kicking..

After the tour we were left to our own devices, so following advice from Google we went to the Lučki Most bridge for a better view of the Start Most, and it was indeed the perfect place to see it. As is tradition in Mostar, we had to try the coffee. Traditional Bosnian coffee is freshly ground into a fine powder, which is then put into a special pot called cezve or ibrik. Boiled water is poured over it and the mixture is then put back to the burner, and heated till the coffee starts to rise. I have to say, although verrrrry strong it was actually very nice!

The best view

I really enjoyed Mostar. Would I recommend it for a few days.. probably not. But if you get chance to visit for the day I would 100% recommend it. It has a certain charm and is rich with culture, history and beautiful buildings.

This afternoon we returned to Dubrovnik (after being stuck at the border for an hour) where we will be spending the next few days. We are staying on the outskirts of the town in a questionable hotel where the rooms resemble something from a retirement home. However it’s only a base to sleep and eat.. so can’t complain!

Wondering if this could accidently fall in my bag… (don’t worry, it didn’t!)

Split & Trogir 🇭🇷

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As always with a coach holiday, it was a super early get up ready for a long day ahead. Although the drive to Split was 2 hours, it was incredibly scenic. You just can’t beat a coastal drive!

We arrived in Split armed with our headphones and audio ready for the guided tour. Unfortunately, so did a very large cruise ship full of Americans, and they all quickly headed to the centre like flies to shite 💩 This however didn’t ruin the day as there is so much to see in Split. We were treated to a Cathedral, a Palace and a beautiful waterfront. We went up the bell tower for wonderful views of Split’s old town, and although the steps up to the top give you super twitchy arse, it is definitely worth it. I just wish people would learn the etiquette of waiting rather than barging past you on an already incredibly narrow and steep staircase.

As I watched Joe Lycett on Travel Man before I came, I made it my mission to find the ice cream that he enjoyed. Luckily we came across a Spar, and there waiting for me was a pot of Slag. An incredibly creamy vanilla ice cream! Unfortunately it didn’t come with a spoon, so we ate it like a Frube instead. There are also other Slaggy treats.. like squirty slag cream!

After Split we set off for another UNESCO treat – Trogir. Not a place I’d heard of before, but definitely a gem worth visiting. There are so many narrow streets full of character (and pants on the washing lines!) and a fabulous mix of Renaissance, baroque and Romanesque architecture, as well as cafes on every corner. We certainly could have spent a lot longer here, and we ended our trip with a traditional rafioli – fine thin dough which is filled with ground almonds.

Iceland Day 1 – The Golden Circle

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Today I’ve had the grand total of half hour sleep thanks to the most uncomfortable bed at the Ibis Budget in Manchester (I got SOB lying on my front because I was basically lying on a slab) so I needed to treat myself to a cheeky Giraffe airport breaky to keep myself awake for the day ahead.

Picked up the trusted wheels that’s going to get us around for the next few days, who we’ve named Tómas the Toyota. Never driven on the opposite side before; nailed it!

Our first stop was at Þórufoss. It isn’t officially on The Golden Circle but worth the stop as it’s very scenic and peaceful. The drive up to this is stunning as the sea of purple lupins take over the side of the road.

Thingvellir National Park was our second destination; home to some of the scenes in GoT. Unfortunately it rained the majority of our time here but it was still stunning, especially Öxarárfoss. The different shades and textures around the park make it such a special destination and it’s clear why it was given World Heritage status.

Gullfoss was up next and is thought to be one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions. The natural beauty of this place made us keen to return to be snap happy once again and enjoy the lush surroundings. Loaded up on a latte as the severe lack of sleep was starting to catch up.

As the rain clouds started rolling in we hopped into Tómas and made the short drive to Geysir. What could be better than the smell of rotten egg! Luckily the main Geysir ‘Strokkur’ erupts every few minutes so armed with the Nikon and the Tripod I was able to get a good few snaps.

Last stop for today was Kerið; a volcanic crater lake. The vivid blue of the water against the shades of reds and greens surrounding it made it such a treat and a lovely but windy way to finish the trip.

Back at the hotel and no energy to go out and eat, so we made do with some sandwiches and crisps from the local supermarket. Unfortunately we might have to hang around a few street corners to pay for it. They also don’t sell any alcohol.. what a shame for Santa!

As I’m writing this it’s 22:30 and still broad daylight.. so here’s to another sleepless night!!

 

Day 8 – Hammerfest

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We’ve reached the world’s northernmost town! A town completely destroyed in WW2 with the graveyard chapel the only building left standing. We opted for a bus tour to enable us to see as much of the town as possible. We were taken up high for the best views of the town which is blanketed with snow (much like back at home!) Back on lower ground and we were taken to the ‘Struve Geodetic Arc’, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve who determined the arc of the global meridian (all very sciencey!)

Other than that today has mostly been about sailing (and playing Scrabble) but we have stopped by some pretty fishing villages to pick up the fishy treats.

To brighten up our evening, we’ve just had a visit from two Norwegians to fix our rather stiff door 😉