I planned for a little weekend getaway for Tom’s birthday and wanted to go somewhere we had never explored before. I’ve always had Saraburi in the back of my mind after finding the gem Baan Souchada Resort and Spa at the travel fair at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Saraburi is known for their abundance of sun flowers, so in my mind I was thinking a nice getaway in natural surroundings at their perfect rice field villa overlooking the sunflower fields… though, as I found out, sunflower season is over by the end of January, so for Tom’s birthday on the 9th, they would all have gone away.
Even if there was no sunflowers, I was very impressed with their premises. I love hotels that aren’t mainstream brands. And honestly the pictures of the pool villa upgrade was convincing enough. The villa is gorgeous, still overlooking the rice fields, but with a long pool and a smaller mini pool to relax. There is also an outside Jacuzzi in the back of the villa.
Workout of today could easily be done here!
Nothing more appealing than green surroundings. This is pretty much right in front of the pool villas!
What was equally as good was their food and wine. We did their set menu and Tom was particularly impressed with their salad, which is never Tom’s fave. So much that he had to find out where the chef had studied, which was, exactly as he guessed Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School. Oh and don’t forget to try the spa at least one day, great price, dreamy, and it has an authentic Thai vibe.
On cloud 9 after a Thai massage… 55
So peaceful to sit downstairs at the spa, there’s an area for yoga as well!
All the villas (at least in the area we were staying) were running on solar panels placed on the roof. They also plant their own crops, flowers and are farming animals on the property. You can also spot little birdies everywhere and there’s a bird watch tower for that purpose as well.
Many beautiful temple sites around Saraburi. Wat Phra Phutthabat is probably the one that stands out the most. If you only have time for one temple- this is it!
Pa Sak Jolasid Dam
What’s a dam if not for posing :p
Sooo jelly at Tom here, Monkey is my spirit animal!!! There are monkey’s EVERYWHERE IN LOPBURI. But they are very naughty!
These monkey’s are just living along the streets in Lopuri. How insane.
Around the property there’s the Jolasid dam, markets, honey farm (they might not be farming bees as this is seasonal, but they have some amazing beauty products), temples and with easy access to the vineyards in Muak Lek. We also drove by Lopburi on the way home, which is no more than 20 minutes away. Beware of the monkey’s tho, they stole my ice cream!
Conclusion: if you love nature, exploring, wine…, monkey’s and awesome (pool) villas, you have to go to Saraburi!
The hostel scene in Bangkok has become quite on the uptrend. There’s hostels everywhere, but most are similar and lacking that vibe that should come with travelling solo and trying to meet new people. We had one night at the Yim Yam Hostel in Ratchatewi area before we headed of to Maya Festival last month and we were pleasantly surprised. English speaking staff, some that are there because they fell in love in Bangkok, deciding to make their stop a little more permanent than the one week originally planned for. These guys really makes the place! Décor that gives this perfect artsy setting. And pretty much every spot is perfect for Instragrammers wanting to get some pictures for their social media account.
You might not be able to see it in the picture, but this place is packed with tables and turns out to a cosy study place at night time. They also serve freshly brewed coffee and drinks exotic drinks. If this was closer to my home I would choose this before True anyday!
Set the whole nailing of the interior aside, the vibe at Yim Yam was very welcoming. I could assume anyone travelling from abroad or lacking knowledge about the best spots around Thailand would find this place very rewarding. Even me, who has lived here for 5 years actually got see a new area of Bangkok.
One of the many places to chill in the garden
Their large garden and nice seating areas is a major plus. You won’t find much of this here in Bangkok.
There’s events and outings for everyone to join! On Saturdays they have a BBQ night with an all-you-can eat for an extremely low price. Afterwards the crew will take you to Khao San road and you can experience Thailand as a real traveller, he-he. You can check their Facebook page for updates.
The rooms are neat, and the private rooms were nothing less than a nice hotel room but for an affordable price. We also loved the location, right next to the BTS (Skytrain) and the amazing drink and food place at night time called HEAT. Being a Thai local, you know those pieces are a steal!The hostel is also only minutes away from The Grand Palace, The Platinum Shopping Complex, Victory Monument, Wat Po, and Siam Paragon and other shopping centres. Quite convenient, especially if you’re only here for a short amount of time.
I would love to come back here again, even just brushing by and enjoying a nice cup of coffee, staring out at the traffic passing by. <3
We only stayed in Lisbon for 3 days, and this might be too short and unfair of a statement for me to make. But Lisbon is now my favorite city in Europe. It’s trendy, artsy and full of culture. For any food lover out there, Lisbon has some amazing restaurant and dining concepts.
Time out market was one of them. A hip food court with international dishes and stalls serving wines and beers from Portugal. I always get so surprised at how affordable it is to dine out in southern Europe. I wish I had some photos from the Time Out Market, you’ll have to click here for pictures. They’re building one in Miami now, so please Bangkok. Let’s get one here too! Unfortunately AND of course fortunately ,we got a new camera in Portugal but the RAW format is not compatible with our Lightroom so I’m missing so many photos.
Loved my fresh pressed coffee and Bocadillo in the morning.
Portugal is famous for their delicious sea food, so of course we had to try out one of the best seafood restaurants (called Sea Me) in town. Make sure you make a reservation beforehand, we learned the hard way… let’s just say it was the longest we’ve ever queued up for a restaurant. But it was so worth it. And do pair it with Portugal’s famous green wine “Vinho Verde” It’s light, sweet and bubbly and so easy to drink. That’s the only wine I drank during my stay there. I also don’t have any photos from this place… the food and drinks were just too good to waste any time.
Casa da Índia. This is where the locals eat traditional Portuguese food. You have to come here for lunch. It’s packed and the service a bit slow, but a great way to experience the laxed lifestyle of this happy people. I can vouch for the Piri Piri Chicken and Picanha.
We were lucky enough to be invited to the Navigator to see their eucalyptus nursery and the beginning of how their office paper is made. Navigator is the world’s premium office paper best seller founded and produced in Portugal.
The city seems flat when driving in to Lisbon, but you’ll be surprised at how steep the streets of Lisbon really are. It’s so beautiful to walk around and get lost there, and just a small tram journey away lies the stunning district of Belém. This is where Jeronimos Monastery and the famous Belém tower is located.
Whenever I find kinder ice cream or pistachio, gotta buy it! Always ends up melting in my hands though…
This should be a scene of Game of Thrones!!
Stunning Jerónimos Monastery in Belém
You can stay in the centre of Lisbon too, and still get to see some historical architecture. This is Rua Augusta Arch.
Photo from Bica Duarte Belo, you must take a stroll up here if you’re in the city. The locals claim that this is one of the most beautiful roads in the world.
We stayed at a loft apartment in the middle of Lisbon that we rented from The Blue House Lisboa. Perfect location and great value for money. They have loads of apartments that could fit your needs, travelling solo or as a family.
I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Portugal, where Lisbon is one of the cities I definitely want to revisit!
Caught up in the hustle of travelling around Europe and getting back home I totally forgot about the posts that were promised, but hey, let’s start with Norway!
It doesn’t matter how long or short my stays in Norway are… it’s always going feel like home, and leaving is always just as hard. It never feels like I’ve had enough time here.
Travel partner number uno!
I think the hardest part is missing my family, but also my childhood home, all the memories I was brought up with, the familiar sights, smells and flavors. My friends. The feeling of a system that truly works. Strict rules and stiff prices set a side, I consider myself quite lucky to come from and having been born and raised in this beautiful country. I always find it more exciting coming here on holiday, especially when bringing Tom along, as he’s a tourist, meaning I have to think of amazing places to show him. My dad was the best when it came to taking us around all of Norway as kids, so I’m pretty much reliving and showing off my childhood memories to Tom. But I also get the opportunity to explore the unseen, which is awesome. Also, experiencing things as an adult gives you a totally different perspective than when you were young.
Our cabin in the woods. One of my fave places during the summer months. So isolated.
So far I’ve taken Tom north to Tromsø for dog sledding and searching for the northern lights, we’ve also walked the streets of little Bodø before travelling on Hurtigruta to beautiful Lofoten. Lofoten during winter time is amazing, but you have to rent a car to drive around the island to get the most of it. And make sure to figure out when the sun rises and sets, because you’ll only have around 4 hours with a clear view. Last year we did the most beautiful road trip I can think of, driving up to Åndalsnes past the famous “Trollstigen” and “Troll wall” before setting up tent in the stunning Geiranger Fjords, we also witnessed the gorgeous Seven Sisters Waterfall while exploring the fjords by boat. We continued by chilling out by the beautiful lakes of Stryn and made a little detour to camp out around Jostedalsbreen to go kayaking and glacier walking in “Styggevatnet”. You need to save up a bit if you want to do several planned activities in Norway, but trust me, it’s all worth it! We also made a trip to Bergen, Voss and the famous Borgund Stave Church. You can see more photos and how to do the same roadtrip here. I love travelling around Norway.
Love the architecture of Oslo
This year around we decided to try spending more time with friends and family as last year, we managed to book our trip while nobody was home. We started off in Oslo visiting my aunt and catching up with friends and family there. We normally only go for a couple of days, but since we planned a 1 month trip this year we managed to squeeze in almost a full week in Oslo. Oslo is a fantastic city during the summer months, and there’s so many nice places to eat and drink.
Oslo vibes
I also love how the weather and distance makes it perfect to walk everywhere. This time we visited Taco Republica for Oslo’s best tacos and they were extremely tasty, we were also introduced to amazing burgers at Kverneriet (Burgers) in Majorstuen, both of them must-visits if you’re a food lover like myself! The list of great bars and places with craft and draft beers are endless. Oslo makes beer drinking fun! I think our favourite place must have been Kulturhuset, I can’t remember how many beers they had on draft, but I can promise you they have something for your taste and something you’ve never tasted. The upstairs is lined up with games like shuffle board, table tennis and foosball tables- in other words PLAYTIME. Just how I like it!
Preikestolen with Sandra<3
We found a great deal for tickets to Stavanger as well, and were so lucky to crash with our lovely Norwegian friend Sandra (which we actually first met back home in Bangkok). We rented a car from the app “Nabobil”, highly recommended if you want to rent a car at a good price and drove up to hike the Pulpit Rock. The ferry leaves every 30 minutes, not far from city center and is a 45 minute ride followed by another 30 minute drive before you reach the starting point and parking. The hike up and down will take you a total of 2 hours if you add some speed to it, but the average time is 4 hours so keep that in mind if you are travelling as a family or haven’t been trekking much before. Stavanger is such a pretty city so make sure you have some time to walk around the old town, enjoy a nice meal at the water front or just walking around the streets for shopping and photos. It’s very picturesque!
Love this shot from Pulpit Rock!
Trekking and nature is a must when visiting Norway.
I’ve already started planning for our trip home for Christmas and New Years. Can’t I haven’t been home for two Christmases already. Insane! Crossing my fingers for a white Christmas. <3
Tom’s is half English so we try to go London whenever we are in Europe!
Spain rules…
We would always come here to enjoy the view when I lived in Spain. Behind me you can see some of the town, Guadalest.
So excited for the summer holiday to start. We are flying in to Norway o the 8th of August and are planning to stay there all until the 23rd. Then we are flying to London for 5 days to hang out in London and see Eminem at Reading Festival. We’ve also managed to squeeze in a couple of nights in Lisbon. From then on we’ll go chill in Barcelona for a couple of days until finally we get to see my mom and sister in Spain again. I can’t believe I haven’t visited them for two years now, and actually haven’t seen my little sister since! I’m so excited to see my mom’s restaurant too and I’m so happy that she finally has realised her dream of opening her own Thai restaurant. If you’re ever in Benidorm, Jindeeka is the name!
Hi guys, finally, I’ve taken the time to sit down and actually write-up a post about the Maldives. I have included the best photos in the previous posts, including our video from the trip, which I’ll be linking to underneath this post, or you can simply click the marked area as usual. So many of you have been asking how the prices are, what to do and where to stay when going to Maldives.
There are plenty of resorts and hotels scattered all over the Maldives, and you can find amazing properties and white sandy beaches starting from only 3000 baht/100 USD. If you are on a low budget, these are more than good enough as the beaches are amazing anyways. You can also opt for something more expensive and more private like the island resorts. It hurts the wallet, and requires some saving up beforehand, but if you plan it in time, you could get a great deal. We stayed at Anantara Maldives with 3 days at Dhigu and 3 days at Veli, which was just a pontoon boat ride away from each other.
Dhigu is more suited for families, and you can have your very own bungalow on the beach, which is dreamy if you ask me. The bungalows are spacious with your own path, leading you straight to the beach where your very own little seating area is waiting for you under a straw hut. There’s a nice seating area just outside your bungalow too, and a beautiful outside bathroom with a large bathtub in the middle, surrounded with white sand. It’s everything you would imagine a beach paradise to be like. There’s more dining options at Dhigu and the island is much bigger and gives room for activities for the kids too.
Our little pathway to the beach
For the lovers or friends who wants a bit more privacy the over water bungalow at Anantara Veli would be the better option. Kids are not allowed on this island during the evening, which feels quite nice if you want to chill by the pool where it’s nice and quiet. The pool bar at Dhigu has a much better view and more space, but it’s also crowded with people
The overwater bungalow at Anantara Veli
The Maldives can be quite expensive and it does not really matter if you are staying in a cheap hotel or a private resort. Going on guided tours and snorkeling trips will cost you quite a bit. We went for a 2-hour excursion to look for dolphins, which costed 150 USD pr.person. In this price you get to jump into the water and search for them too. There were also cheaper options where you stay at the boat for around 75 USD pr. Person. If you think about what you get in return, being lost in the Indian sea cruising along the atoll’s of Maldives, WATCHING WILD DOLPHINS, it’s worth it! However, don’t compare it to the prices in Thailand… the difference is enormous.
You can get a nice Thai massage in these little huts. Even if you’re not going for a massage you should come here to chill. The water looks insane here while the sun shines!
Alcohol and food is expensive on the islands… we stayed at the Anantara and you can expect the prices to be the same as back home in Europe. I’m Norwegian and I found the prices in Maldives to be much higher than back home when it came to food. But drinks are somewhat the same. A beer is from 10 USD upwards and drinks and wine usually starts at 15 USD. A good trick is to wait for sunset; the pool bars have a great 2 for 1 happy hour deal and there’s tapas deals all day for snacks in Veli. You can also open a bottle of wine at the pool bar all day for only 45 USD! A decent meal ranges between 25-80 USD, where you can expect to pay 45 USD for a good meal to stay full. These are the dinner prices, but if you book a table at the pool par or during lunch times there’s a different menu and you can have simple dishes for as low as 20-25 USD. There are also buffets for 125 USD with a different theme to every day of the week.
There will be an added 22% in service charge and government taxes on top of anything you do there… SPA’s, massages, food, trips, you name it.
Chill in the jacuzzi and watch the sunset after your SPA treatment!
Another thing I highly recommend if you go to Anantara Dhigu is their massage. It was the most relaxing experience I’ve ever had at a SPA. The massage rooms are located above the water with a window looking down at the sea… and the staff are just perfect there. Actually, the staff are perfect at the whole hotel without even exaggerating Book your appointment so you finish just in time for sunset. There’s a chilling area overlooking the sunset with sun beds and Jacuzzis and saunas for all the SPA’s guest.
The breakfast buffet is AMAZING at both the resorts and you’re not going to have space for much after. Definitely get a hotel with breakfast package or even half board options!
Pefect tub in your bathroom/sealed garden at Dhigu.
Maldives is on my list of top destinations that I have visited. It’s so relaxing, so pristine there’s nothing quite like it. The beaches are white and the water is clearer than anything I have seen. No garbage in the sea, no pollution in the sky. We had to stop several times during our trip to gaze at the beautiful scenery reminding ourselves how crazy it was that we were there. There are so many places I’ve yet to see and new that I would love to go to, but Maldives was so special I would love to go again!
The sky is so clear you can see stars on the night sky and the sunset is amazing!!! Don’t belive me? Check it out here.
So to all my fellow travelling souls if you ever have the chance to go to Maldives, take it! You can save up and travel in luxury or you can go the budget route and opt for something cheaper, but whatever you do, GO! We are so lucky to live here in Thailand where a plane ticket costs only around 300 USD / 10000 baht!
Best time to travel is between December to late April. We went at the beginning of April as it was fully booked for the dates we wanted. So make sure you are early out. We were lucky and only encountered one day of rain.
