Indonesia is much more than just beautiful beaches

Asia Indonesia Trips & Tricks

“Oh, you’re going to Indonesia? I’d love to visit Bali, Lombok and the Gilis; they look amazing!” When people find out you’re heading deep into the Pacific, they’ll assume you’re going to one of the “holiday islands”. Sure, Bali, Lombok and the Gilis are excellent places to visit and travel – there’s nothing quite like lying on the beach all day and drinking in the nearby shacks all night. However, Indonesia is so much more and it has plenty to offer regarding exclusivity. In fact, there might not be a nation on the planet which has as many experiences that are only found in one place. So, if there is at least one shred of adventurous spirit in you, check out what you […]

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Lombok after the earthquake

Asia Indonesia Trips & Tricks

Many of you are still asking whether it is safe to travel to Lombok after the series of earthquakes which hit the island in August 2018. The first main shock with 6.9 magnitude, flattening the whole villages, happened on August 5th, just 3 days after I had booked our Lombok vacation. The other big one struck just a few days later – there were reports of even bigger damage and over 500 people killed, with thousands injured. The grounds had been shaking every day, there were also some landslides around Mt. Rinjani, some hotels had been completely destroyed and forums were flooded with travelers asking for new updates about the safety on the island. The answers were different: from “please […]

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Hotel review: Jeeva Beloam beach camp (Lombok, Indonesia)

Asia Hotel reviews Indonesia

Lombok is quite big and if you want to feel its pulse you need to move around the island. Due to relatively bad roads and heavy traffic it is quite tiresome to be on the road daily, so we decided to stay a few days in the South first and spend the rest of our Lombok vacation on the West coast. While I was searching for hotels in Kuta beach, I ran into this small spot in Sunut peninsula, which seemed to be quite isolated. The photos and the reviews of Jeeva Beloam beach camp were very promising – I am a sucker for beaches and the fact that the camp owns an entire bay was the first green light […]

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The Taj Mahal Love Story

Asia Destinations India Trips & Tricks

Although India was never on my bucket list, I did secretly wish to see the grand Taj Mahal, especially after I had learned about the story behind it. Thanks to my boyfriend, who always comes up with great ideas (I know he won’t read this so I might as well give him the credit :P) we made a “small detour” on our way to Maldives this February. Since it was quite a challenge to get all the relevant information about Taj Mahal in one place, I have decided to write a post where I will gather everything you need to know, such as: what time is the best to visit, which gate is best to enter, how to avoid the […]

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Travel tips for visiting Golden Triangle in India

Asia India Trips & Tricks

Interested in visiting Golden Triangle in India by yourself and don’t know how and where to start? Here is an example of our February itinerary and some useful tips that will help you to get ready for this unique experience. If you haven’t visited India before, you need to prepare yourself for quite a rollercoaster, trust me. HOW MANY DAYS YOU NEED FOR VISITING GOLDEN TRIANGLE On the map it will seem like you can do the Golden Triangle within 3 days, but the reality is a bit different. First of all, the traffic in India is something beyond your imagination and you can easily spend 6 hours for just over 200 kilometers’ drive. There are a lot of agencies […]

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Hotel review: Crystal Sarovar Premiere (Agra, India)

Asia Hotel reviews India

I was told that when it comes to India, you should stick to 5-star hotels for several reasons: they are safe, they are clean and you don’t have to worry about getting stomach problems because of food and kitchen hygiene. Since we only had 4 days to spend on our Golden Triangle trip (and the roads in India are definitely not a joyride if you are having digestion issues) we decided not to take the risk and went for 5-star hotels during the whole trip, including Agra. I chose Crystal Sarovar Premiere hotel because of good recommendations, proximity to the grand Taj Mahal and a decent price, which included breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Location First let me say there is probably no […]

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Resort review: Royal Island Resort & Spa (Baa Atoll, Maldives)

Asia Hotel reviews Maldives

We visited Maldives in combination with India’s Golden Triangle for my birthday in February. Since this was my 3rd time visiting the islands, I knew exactly what I wanted: 1. air transfer to the island, 2. an all-inclusive option with Wi-Fi and fitness facilities, 3. private beach villa with sea-view, 4. an island big enough to have a decent walk around it and 5. reef sharks – I am in love with the little beasts. Royal Island Resort & Spa seemed to have it all so I booked a 6-night vacation and here is my honest review. If you are going to Maldives for the first time I suggest you read some travel tips first.

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