As part of our mission to see many more of the 7,000+ islands of the Philippines, I got a surprise trip to Samal Island, of the coast of Mindanao near Davao, the capital. If you’ve always wanted to stay in an overwater room and have a beach to yourself, without the price tag that a […]
Mindanao had been on my travel list ever since we moved to the Philippines and a recent surprise trip made it happen: A beach getaway to the Pearl Farm Resort led us to Davao, the capital of Mindanao – and it’s a lot better than its reputation!
Lake Batur is one of those places on Bali where tourist masses and blissful silence are just minutes apart from each other – if you just know where to look! We combined it with a visit of Pura Besakih and Goa Gajah, as do many tours advertised in Ubud and South Bali, yet we were
So, you have proposed to the love of your life or renewed your vows – and now you want to plan the perfect honeymoon? Don’t worry, I have you covered. Read below my choice for the top five romantic getaways around the world, for different interests and different budgets! From luxury hotels on private islands
If you are staying in Ubud overnight and have any cultural interests, you should add a dance performance do your evening schedule. It will make for a nice evening out and will provide some insights into Balinese history and culture. There are very different dance forms available, the “made for tourists” performances vary in quality
If you are staying in Ubud or visiting it on a day trip, you should add Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, to your itinerary – it’s an unusual site and only 5 km from town, so you can easily fit it into your schedule! And it’s in a very pleasant setting, so you can have
I have reviewed a few temples to visit on Bali. The biggest, most popular and most important from a religious perspective, is Pura Besakih. It’s located on the side of Mount Agun, the highest peak and volcano on Bali. It’s also the most touristy one, with all the good and bad that comes with it!
One of our favorite places in Ubud to have a drink or meal (and the only place we went to more than once) is Karsa Kafe. A small place, serving basic food and drinks in the most beautiful place you can imagine: It’s situated on the edge of rice fields and forest with a perfect
If you want to see what makes Ubud so special, you should go take a hike. Seriously, you should get out of the busy downtown full of tourists and go on a walk through the forest and rice fields all around Ubud. It’s easy to do and there are plenty of choices. One of our
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island was our choice of resorts for a romantic getaway to the Maldives – and it was a memorable trip and one of the best hotel stays in my life! The Maldives are a naturally beautiful dream destination (read here) and the Conrad is a beautifully designed resort, spread over its
Most reports on the perfect honeymoon destination include two destinations – Bora Bora and the Maldives. And I couldn’t agree more. Both are beautiful beach destinations that make the perfect place for a romantic getaway. The Maldives has some of the most amazing beaches and lagoons and has managed to develop and maintain a great
If you enjoy visiting temples on Bali, but don’t like the tourist crowds that come with the most popular ones, check out Pura Luhur Batukaru (Batukau). Despite being one of the nine directional temples on Bali and one of the most important, sacred sites for the local Hindus, it gets much fewer visitors than other