in an airplane, reflecting on my play leg. one of my biggest takeaways of my travels so far: resilience.
when you travel third world countries your standards change. the morning i woke up back in southeast asia after being in australia i was already covered in bug bites. i think i counted 18 between my ankle and my toes at one point. in Komodo i think i had some sort of heat rash on my shoulders, in El Nido i think i had been swarmed by sand flies. each time i assumed it was bed bugs (a bullet i have dodged so far, knock on wood). ever since i woke up to that cockroach crawling across my mouth in Thailand, bugs don’t faze me.
i have rode perched on a rickety seat of tuktuks/tricycles, squished on a lopsided seat on a 5 hour ride. in Rwanda i was crammed in a local bus with the worst BO i have ever smelled, just craving for the woman in front of me to crack the window. not fazed. (also, we pulled over at a police checkpoint and some sketchy stuff happened with the driver and a woman being pulled away in tears. slightly fazed. but moving on)
spent 6 hours in Bali’s domestic airport only to end up missing my flight, shed a tear, then turned on my fave songs in the uber and went back to get drunk with my hostel and mexicola friends back in Seminyak.
went to the weirdest kung fu acrobatics show in Beijing where i was the only tourist and everyone was horking and spitting on the ground the entire show. i was shivering freezing and had no idea what anyone was saying but the performers were crazy talented. and so nonchalant about it. in my head i am laughing to myself thinking, what a random thing this is that i am doing.
it’s all part of it.
before this trip i had never backpacked. i suitcased around europe and rio. now my backpack is my Wilson. i feel complete when i put it on, like it’s a part of me. there’s somethin about carrying all your current belongings on your back.
this girl in Manila was all in a tizzy that i had walked on this sketchy street and that i was traveling asia by myself. she was like DO YOU KNOW SELF DEFENSE? AREN’T YOU SCARED? at Motel Mexicola in Bali this girl wouldn’t let me leave her side when she found out i was traveling alone. she was like BE CAREFUL, NO ONE IS HERE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.
lol hunnies i traveled in Africa by myself. Asia has been a walk in the park.
i can guarantee 2-3 years ago Kellie would not have embraced the “experience” aspect like i have learned to. traveling to me now is a challenge of getting out of my comfort zone and taking it all in stride. resilience. i am really hoping that transfers over to my real life. i guess we’ll find out.
back in vancouver i am getting kicked out of my beloved apartment due to a renovation. it’s been stressful feeling like my hands are tied from across the world, but luckily i have the world’s best family and friends who have volunteered to help me out. it’s the sign for a new adventure, i guess! i LOVE my perfect life in Kits but if this trip has taught me anything it’s that there’s more to life than being comfortable.
another takeaway from my play leg: i love being the fun one. i totally get that from my mom. people want to be around you when you are positive, no drama, just enjoying yourself. it’s been a blast 🙂 i know myself better and have more self esteem than ever. if you don’t love yourself, you need to check yourself.
i’m not dwelling on the things i used to dwell on being a single 28-year-old. there is so much more to life than waiting to meet someone, settling down into married life and kids. not saying i don’t want that one day but i am certainly not sitting around hoping it comes anymore. not that i really was sitting around but you know what i mean.
so many feels towards all of the people that have been on this journey with me, whether i met them on my travels, we reunited on purpose, or they have sent me inspiring/supportive messages from home. i really feel lucky to have these people in my life.
when i got unpleasant news from home i decided i want to be the person who makes lemons out of lemonade. my mom sent me this:
maybe that’s what my play leg was about. positive vibes. making lemonade out of lemons. dancing. partying. self love. smiling.
Coron was one of those stops that surprised me. i left El Nido VERY reluctantly; had the best last night there and unreal time in general. a 4 hour ferry ride later, with 50% of the passengers projectile vomming (loudly, might i add) i discovered that Coron, unlike El Nido, is NOT set on the beach and does NOT have a stunning cliff face as its backdrop. it’s on the water and is against a mountain but NOT THE SAME AS MY BELOVED EL NIDES. i switched from my first “hostel” to a hotel and wondered how i was gonna kill these 4 days until i was off to Hawaii.
(side note: originally i had wanted to do 2 days in Coron and then a 2-day overnight trek through the rice fields in Banaue. they are said to be the 8th wonder of the world, and if you strung all the rows of crops together they could cover half the globe. it’s a 10 hr overnight bus trip from Manila so i would have been cutting it too close to my flight, but this is DEFS still on the bucket list!!!)
i came to Coron strictly for the diving – its waters are home to a bunch of old Japanese shipwrecks and i heard it was the best diving in the Philippines. something cool and different i wanted to check out since i was already in Palawan.
then my first day as i was scouting out dive shops i met Mark who went to my high school, gradded 3 years after me. the next day heading off to dive we met Tomas from Sweden and the three of us became bffs. so much for being bored and having to kill time in Coron!!!!
the first day was too choppy to make it to the dive site so we dove in Barracuda Lake – no westsuit cause it was SO SCORCHING HOT from the thermals. bit of a weird dive, as Mark and his remaining 10 bar can attest to.
we also went to Kayangan Lake, which has an amazing viewpoint (refer to every Google Image of Coron) and frolicked in the lake. i got the giggles from a guy snorkelling in the cave. like can you even see??? turned into such a fun day.
along with French couple Carol and Mat, we went to dins and the boys drank a lot of beer. i drank a lot of banana daiquiris but i guess when you drink on every day that ends in day your tolerance builds up. anyway their bromance was hilarious, we ended up at the cutest little reggae bar where we played bullshit (i won, fyi) and i swang on the swing as my happiest island girl self.
we did 2 wreck dives the next day which were suuuper cool. you can see the damage from where the bomb hit, but the rest of the ship is pretty in tact. it’s so cool to smeagle in and out of the rooms in the dark. lucky me in the Philippines, my open water 18m certificate is seen as a “light suggestion” cause we went down to 29m. most things in the Philippines are light suggestions, i’m learning: restaurant orders, safety precautions, boat schedules, etc.
went to a strange try-hard hippie bar with some hammocks, bob marley videos, and a sleeping tattoo artist.
our last day Mark and i scooted around the northern tip, had some delish pizza (Coron’s italian resto is bomb) and went to the hot springs at night, which are one of 3 saltwater springs in the world. just us and a gazillion locals. crowded but cool.
also after i left Coron i went to Manila and had the bessstt Wednesday night with my Motel Mexicola friends! Apollo picked me up and took me for real, delicious Filipino food, and Marco and his other friends met us later for drinks. which turned into more drinks, eating the Filipino delicacy balut – a duck embryo in a shell .. ya that happened.. – and dancing to reggae! you know how usually people are like “ya let me know when you’re in town” but you know you’ll never see them again? these guys are so legit, SO nice and so fun, i wish i lived in the same city as them!! thankful to see the real liveable Manila, otherwise i probably wouldn’t have made it past the sketchy markets by my hotel. if anyone goes to Manila stay at Z Hostel, it’s an unreal location next to all the trendy up-and-coming bars!!
there is SO MUCH left in the Philippines that i want to explore. i heard it’s like a Thailand 30 years ago: pristine, untouched beaches.. off the beaten path.. you get an amazing glimpse of the authentic local life, with the worn-down houses on stilts with their crops and laundry hanging out just outside of the towns. the overwhelming majority of people are still filipinos in the towns i went to. i would recommend this to se asia travelers in a heartbeat – come before tourism ruins it!!
my bff/personal photographer Tom (tam) has been freezing his buns off at the winter olympics but he was able to make a quick smeagle down to join peace play passion 🙂 our destination: El Nido, the Philippines!
this place is a dream. little beach town with an insane limestone cliff backdrop. tricycles everywhere (filipino tuktuks), cute buildings, tons of locals. their huts are interspersed between the tourists buildings right in the town. you drink on the streets and eat dinner with your toes in the sand. i couldn’t ask for much else really!
you can fly directly into El Nido from Manila, but we chose the cheaper route which was flying Manila to Puerto Princesa, then taking the 5 hour (lopsided, uncomfortable seated) minivan to El Nido.
so far people in the Philippines are either REALLY nice (the lady who let me sprawl 3 seats across on the airplane) or like lazy/stubborn? like they refuse to help. the airport staff was like “you missed the terminal transfer. you’re too late.” .. i was 3 hours before my flight. i ordered a banana shake, the lady filled the cup halfway, and was like “because you didn’t want water this is all you get.” when i asked for more milk she was like “it is impossible now.” i was like “i bet if you tried REALLLYY HARD you could fill it up!” like they are certainly not bending over backwards to help. also EVERYONE calls you sir/ma’am which i cannot stand. i am not old and i am not formal.
the Philippines itself is STUNNING. palm trees everywhere, super lush, unbelievable beaches. stupid pretty. El Nido’s all about the island hopping day tours and stops at literal pieces of paradise. we did tour A, which was amazing blue lagoons that you can kayak through.
i later did tour B which was caves, beaches and a giant sandbar called Snake Island. weirdest people on that tour group. make sure you haggle for the tour prices, they are set at about 300 pesos more than you need to pay!! actually haggle for everything here.
Tom and i rented a scooter one day and drove all around the northern tip of El Nido. this place is amazing because its local life is SO REAL and the tourists dont really venture outside of the island tours. the local children shouted and waved at us when we scooted by, there were straw huts and dusty villages, cows EVERYWHERE, rice fields and stunning green landscapes. tam says the thing he’ll remember about this trip was the vivid green colour of the vegetation.
please note if anyone plans on scooting around the northern loop, um, DON’T. the last hour was a bumpy rocky road and our bums were not happy. also the waterfall was a cash grab (they make you hire a guide for the 30 min hike) and meh.
tam and i basically just drank on beaches the entire time – local rum the first night, banana daiquiri + vodka shot at Seven Commandos Beach, $1.50 gin the last night. vom but effective. mostly $1 beers for tam. we got street meat at the night market (99% filipinos), visited with the locals, rode in tricycles. i started a dance party on our boat tour, tam basically ate a baby chicken in its egg to be polite lol. oh EVERYONE is trying to sell you stuff here when you are on the beach.
after tom left i switched my ferry ticket so i could stay an extra night, took a nap till 10:30, and forced myself to go out for a drink. had some inspiring life talks about how travel pushes you out of your comfort zone with Gustavo from Uruguay. he is here running a tour group of 65 people. they started in India, then Nepal, Thailand, Bali, now El Nido. guys i never thought i’d say this but i think i need to go to India now?! i think i will hate everything but all the more reason to push myself to do it. he was saying how the people who started their tour in India are so much braver and lower maintenance than the ones who met up in Thailand. i feel that. like bugs don’t creep me out anymore after i woke up with a cockroach on my lips. my accommodation is bare minimum and i don’t even notice. when tom and i first crammed in a tricycle and swerved in traffic on a dusty rode he was like “you’ve changed!” we have travelled together before. he knows i would have not have been kosher with that ride a few years ago.
El Nido does not have my heart like Bali (eg. they could work on their live beach music) but i 100% recommend this place to beach lovers. the natural beauty is actually mindblowing.
i know how lucky i am to have a friend like tom. every person who knows him wishes they were his bff. he is so funny and says the most random shit and just keeps the joke going way too long. i am grateful he flew down to the philippines to be part of my trip 🙂 he wrote peace play passion in the sand when i thought he was just looking for penis shells. he even surprised me by making me this website. this trip is all me and i love that, but i love even more that i have gotten to share parts of it with the people that i love.
just left bali and not too be a drama queen but i am feeling a little heartbroken tbh. i’m just trying to figure out when i can come back here. my second visit was jam-packed, barely took a second to breathe, and it was absolutely incredible.
(quick side note that i have had 3 people msg me saying my posts have inspired them to come to Bali, so Tourism Bali if you’re listening, i’m open to job offers? or even some commission? thanks.)
it’s hitting me how amazing travelling is because i have not had ONE BAD DAY in the past 4 months. maybe a discouraging hour here and there like when i missed a flight, but not once have i gone to bed thinking, “this was a bad day.”
can’t say that in regular life.
honestly my biggest hardship in bali was trying not to annoy my insta followers with all the photos i wanted to share.
after Komodo (bless that place) i came back to Ubud in Bali, and got so many reminders of our Borchelorette walking those streets. it is so peaceful and zen there, i watched as the locals practiced a traditional Balinese ceremony and placed flower offerings all over the streets. it was such a beautiful thing to witness. this next picture does something funny to my heart.
in Ubud i ate a poke bowl, got my hair braided, went to a restorative class at Yoga Barn. strolled through the streets past bars with live acoustic music, stayed in the beautiful Puri Garden Hostel …
and woke up at 2am to go hike a volcano!!
hiking Mt Batur is a huge tourist attraction in Bali. i went with Linda and her friend Joyce and we paid 300 rupia each + 350k for hot springs after (weird vibes – like purple elephant statues everywhere – not worth it). it includes a driver, “breakfast” (white bread + jelly) and the hike.
they pick you up at 2am, give you a banana pancake at 3, and you drive to begin your hike at like 4:30. everyone is required to have a guide which sucked because i just wanted to go at my own pace and i had to stay behind with the group. they said 1,500 people hike it daily on avg. i think i was spoiled by my lifechanging Cape Town sunrise hike and this one paled in comparison, most likely because it was swarming with tourists in Keds. HOWEVER, i am glad i did it!
and i saw the monkeys at the top! me: “dontshitonme dontshitonme”
came back for a day/night of exploring Canggu, where i would want to live if i ever moved to Bali. stayed at Lay Days Hostel where i “won” a shot by answering a trivia question before i even took off my backpack lol.
Canggu is: so cute, chill, healthy, organic, beach vibes, cool people. so many good places to eat. rice fields everywhere and locals cruising by on their scooters. expats living their best lives in adorable villas. the BEST banana shake at Machinery Cafe (trust me, i did my research). the cutest boho decor. surfers, beach bars, live music on the beach at sunset. so so presh. below is me enjoying breakfast and trip planning. soaking it all in and just happy to be there.
discovered Grab Bike (life-changer) and took an hour long moto ride, dodging in and out of the bali traffic, for like $4.
just to note, Uber in Bali is kinda sketch because although it’s super cheap ($10 for 45 min drive) the driver will accept the ride, msg you saying “where you going”.. and then if he doesn’t like it, he won’t cancel the trip but will continue to drive around as you watch his car driving like 30 mins away, while wondering.. is he coming?? then you eventually cancel it and pay the $1 fee. not great if you have somewhere to be. Grab was better in my experience, but if you want to be 100% sure you’ll get picked up, book a Bluebird taxi (the only ones that use metres).
went to the beach where Eat Pray Love was filmed, Padang Padang, which was cute but garbage-y (sadly this is a big problem in Bali) but was of course a must-do on a trip called peace play passion.
walked to Single Fin and watched the surfers riding in the waves. view was amazing.
then of course, for my last night in Bali, i wouldn’t go anywhere else but my fave hostel Capsule Hostel New Seminyak (shout out to Iva, Fifi, and Mango) and a night of dancing at Motel Mexicola and La Favela. AMAZING night as always – those places do NOT disappoint!!
my fave thing as a solo traveller in bali is going out to a bar, grabbing a drink, and sussing out who the most fun group will be for the night. that night i met a group of Aussie guys – one was a close talker but the rest were cool and so fun to dance with. i drank out of a coconut, joined a congo line, danced on tables with the staff to mexicola’s soundtrack of mambo #5, macarana, ymca, i wanna dance with somebody, love on top. same playlist every night. we walked up the street to La Favela and i practiced my fave Ugandan dance moves. hot dog from the street vendor and then home to sleep. a perfect last night.
when i returned to Bali after Aus and i was driving through the streets i got butterflies. the palm trees, temples, flower offerings and the people that display them. the people are so kind and gentle and pure. i know i will be forever itching for more Bali butterflies.
it may take me more than a month next time, but i cannot WAIT to come back.
while i have fallen in love with a handful of places on this trip, some have taken me a day or so to warm up. one of my first thoughts on Bali was there is too much traffic and why are there no sidewalks on this street, i’m gonna get swiped by one of these bikes. in Gili i didn’t like my original hostel because there was no wifi in the rooms or toilet paper (first world probs, i know) and there were too many rocks on the beach. LORD KNOWS my love for Rwanda was postponed until after the culture shock wore off.
with Flores it was instant.
and the cool thing is i know i wouldn’t have felt that way 4 months ago before i started this trip.
being off the beaten path again brought back feelings of Africa and it felt sooo good. the sidewalks are basically stepping stones in between giant cracks, dogs are prancing around the streets, local kids are playing with plastic cups in their bare feet, “construction workers” are using a jackhammer on the street while wearing flip flops and smoking a cigarette.
this is what i mean when i talk about an identity crisis. how can i love 5 star resorts and run-down tin huts with gardens of garbage equally?? who am i??
k getting ahead of myself. Flores is an indonesian island about an hour flight from Bali, located on Komodo National Park which is home to Komodo dragons and world renowned diving. i flew into a little town called Labuan Bajo and stayed at Ciao Hostel which is perched on top of the hill with hourly free shuttles to town. i will recommend this place to ANYONE ❤
the view in this town is BREATHTAKING. the most stunning sunsets i have even seen in my life. i know it sounds like i am exaggerating but i will put that on anything. ask me after the trip.
i was recommended to come here by Johanna from Vienna, who i met for like 30 mins in Koh Tao. the thing i love is we always chat on whatsapp like old bffs. some people are just your people, you know? this is what she said:
–
I couldn’t believe it
Seriously, I think Flores has been the best destination in all three months
A met a girl and she said the same, but was travelling for 6 months!
You should really come
The diving was SO freaking incredible, I freaked out completely. the other spots in indo are NOTHING compared to here, really. I’d say it was as good as on the Seychelles
–
i was sold immediately and did no further research. i was already coming back to bali for the chance of diving with manta rays in nusa penida, but this would be even better. done.
^^ me in my happy place
first day i dove with Blue Marlin Dive (2 dives + lunch for about $120). cruising on that lil boat through the islands and pop-up beaches of Komodo National Park i think i was as happy as i’ve been on this trip. i literally shed a tear on the cruise home cause i was like pinch me, how is this my life right now. i LOVE the dive scene, the locals are sooo fun to joke around with. my guide Fai knew Egy from Blue Marlin Gili! look how cute they are!
the marine life here is INCREDIBLE. ahhhh. so many fish, the reef is gorgeous, saw turtles to the point that i stopped taking pics of them. saw 2 stings rays, an octopus, a reef shark.
day 1 i did not see any mantas so had to book day 2 of course, this time with Diver’s Paradise because i wanted to do a combo trip with 2 dives and then the dragons.
the dragons were.. giant sleeping lizards lol and Rinca Island was hot af, we did a lil trek to a viewpoint. you have to pay about $17 for the park entrance fee (for divers too or anyone who goes out on the sea) + $6 to see the dragons.
now i have seen gorillas, elephants, orangutans, great white sharks, kangaroos, and much more this trip – but dragons were a new one! pretty crazy to know that the only thing between me and death-by-dragon was a stick held by our guide, which he said he would poke on the dragon’s neck if it tried anything lol. the bacteria will kill you in 4-5 days if you dont get treatment, as experienced by 2 people there last year. they were too stubborn to accept the antidote in the Labuan Bajo hospital and paid the price.
okay back to diving and the reason i came – so day 2 dive 2 was at Manta Point, where mantas are supposed to be abundant. we went down, didnt see any, i got swept by the current and actually surfaced after like 10 mins. tried to go back down but my ear was effed and wouldn’t equalize past a few metres.
so we hopped on a speedboat (me, my guide, my buddy) and relocated to where we saw a manta in the water, and went back down.
bit of a rough start but oh my god. that reward was insane.
we knelt down on the ocean floor and a 4 metre wide manta was just circling us, it was like a majestic graceful bat floating and flapping its wings in the water. it’s crazy cause turtles don’t give an f when you swim by, but the manta DEFINITELY takes note. a couple times it was coming at me with its mouth open and i thought it was gonna swallow me whole. you’re supposed to remain calm and let them control the interaction cause they can sense your heartbeat, but i was honestly beside myself with excitement. turns out the natural reaction for excitement is still to cover your mouth with your hands even when you’re underwater.
we saw 4 mantas total and it was so so amazing i am so happy.
other recos for Labuan Bajo: La cucina for pizza + i went to Le Pirate rooftop “The Deck” for quesadillas twice, they have an infinity pool and amazinggg sunset views. they also had a projector playing for movie night which was cute.
there are some awesome treks, waterfalls, cave, kayaking etc you can do around the island, but i didn’t have much time and my priority was the mantas.
otherwise just come for 3 nights and do exactly what i did and you will have the best time of your life. unexpectedly one of my top 3 stops of the trip.
so i was in australia and dan was going to singapore.. i was over the $22 cocktails and aussie accents (no offence aussies lol).. and there were a few things on my se asia bucket list i still wanted to check off. so in true #peaceplaypassion style – BALI I’M BACK BABY!!!
thursday feb 22:
arrive 12am, go to Linda’s homestay in Sanur where the most DELISH chocolate coconut cake was waiting. wake up to stunning pool surrounded by lush bushes and balinese music playing. birds chirping. SO HAPPY TO BE BACK.
fri feb 23:
Linda and i rent a driver ($50 for the day – if anyone is reading this and needs a hookup let me know!) and basically go on an instagram tour of bali. sooo breathtaking.
stop 1 Ulun Danu Temple, very peaceful right on the lake. clouds are rolling over the mountains. beautiful.
stop 2 the cutest swing and weird eggshell thing overlooking the twin lakes. $1 for these photo opps; hey, good for them for jumping on the capitalism bandwagon.
stop 3 Banyumala Twin Waterfalls – down a bumpy “road” but SO WORTH IT. not overcrowded (read: solo photo opps), 2 giant falls crashing down with mist spraying all around. was soooo beautiful!!
dinner & dancing at my fave club that lets me dance on tables and basically my reason for coming to Bali, SKY GARDEN lol everyone go here please. $10 all you can eat and drink until 9pm. no brainer.
oh i stayed at the Kuta Bali Resort thanks to a $25 hotel voucher from jetstar, GOD BLESSSSSS. king sized bed. gorg pool with swim up bar. so happy to take a break from hostel life. but had no time to waste sitting in a hotel room!!
sat feb 24: strolling through Kuta which is cute but then also tourist-scammy and there are piles of garbage on the beach. would not surf in that. but i was happy to check out a new hood, just soaking Bali in minute by minute.
check into my fave hostel in the entire world, Capsule Hostel New Seminyak. that’s the one that asks you song requests at check in and played all my faves in a row. havana, glorious, never be the same, all the drake. rooms are clean, private capsule beds. staff is awesome. EVERYONE STAY HERE.
ubered to Canggu – Loop Pool Bar but didn’t stay cause was $15; wandering through Canggu and falling a lil bit in love. cutest shops, everything is healthy, organic. smoothie bowls left right and center. The Lawn is a cute pool bar looking onto the sea.. walked along beach (so many casual surfer beach bars) to Finns and had my third banana blended drink of the day, this one with alcohol. was loling at tom’s texts; dont even remember what they said but i love being that solo loling girl in public.
OKAY. it’s saturday so i have to rally, i stayed at Capsule specifically to go to La Favela. but first off to Motel Mexicola – was debating asking some hostel people because everyone is super chatty and friendly at the bar. but no one seemed SUPER cool so i decided to head to mexicola solo, hoping it would be the right decision.
IT WAS.
best place ever. reminds me of señor frogs. made friends with an aussie couple right away, then jumped up on the stage and kicked my feet and joined in a congo line around the restaurant. danced my ASS off and became bffs with some guys from the philippines, mikkel apollo marco etc, had the best night ever and loved that it was all platonic. they were so nice and such good dancers. wearing appolo’s double lens glasses, dancing on tables to all the classics, loving it. then off to la favela; the guys were wearing flip flops so werent allowed in, so i went on a solo mish. 2am. met people immediately, danced some more. best night.
sun feb 25: …. let’s maybe not talk about this? lol? had flight to Labuan Bajo in Flores, arrived at airport 3 hours early cause traffic can take 40 mins or it can take 2.5 hrs. 2pm they tell us our flight is delayed 3 hours. i spent SIX HOURS in an airport daze, and somewhere in that time they switched my gate and i did not hear anything. missed my freaking flight.
shed a tear, then my uber let me play my own music, got to my trusty Capsule hostel and Felipe from Colombia and our other hostel friends had vodka waiting. bless them.
silver lining: flight was only $50, i was able to get my backpack (was worried it was on the plane), had another night in bali
the key: DO NOT WALLOW, DISCOURAGED TRAVELLERS. onward to make the most of my night!!
chilled at Capsule Bar to my fave song requests, went to meet up with the philippines friends at their gorg perfect ballin villa in Canggu. then – back to La Favela, which Apollo said he knew was coming when i showed up lol. fave line: “i thought Mikkel booked a villa in Canggu, oh thats cool so we’re just going to chill, have a relaxing weekend.” they went to la favela ¾ nights LOL
okay i’ve been asked by a few people for some bali recos, so here are a few notes on the areas i’ve been so far:
Kuta – wouldn’t stay here unless you’re looking to be walking distance from sky garden (which i was lol) but it’s kind of the old bali central that’s now overrun with tourist souvenir shops and people trying to hustle you “YEESSS? SHOPPING? DREESSS? TRANSPORT TRANSPORT?”
Seminyak – nicer, amaze shopping (like beach stores, cute macrame home decor), colourful beach bag chairs on the beach. obv stay at Capsule Hostel New Seminyak & walk to La Favela & Motel Mexicola. also Potato Head pool bar.
Nusa Dua – nicer beaches, expens resorts. water sports like snorkelling diving (not great though) banana boats
Uluwatu – go here for the temple & balinese dancing at sunset. beware the terrorist monkeys ripping off your shoes/all your belongings
Ubud – the heart – zen, yoga retreats, rice fields and more of the peaceful rural Bali. shopping too. stay near Yoga Barn. Puri Garden hostel is AMAZING – comfiest hostel beds ever. TWO. PILLOWS. do a bike ride through the countryside for a look at authentic Balinese lifestyle – but haggle the price down!!
Jimbaran – come here for a fresh seafood dinner on the beach, it’s cute. also Rock Bar is your classic breathtaking bali bar on a cliff.
Canggu – healthy, organic, chill, cute, surfer vibes. rice fields interspersed between cafes & beautiful villas. pool bars The Lawn & Finns for sunset, and other going out spots are Old Mans and any of the beach bars. hostels are Lay Day and The Farm.
Gili – 3 islands (Gili T, Gili Meno, Gili Air) ~2hr boat ride from Bali. beautiful (but rocky) beaches, horse carriages + bikes not motor vehicles, AMAZING diving with turtles. reggae music & just general island vibes. party hostels are Gili Castle & Gili Mansion, and i heard mbox is good. dive at Blue Marlin and say hi to Mat and Egy for me!!!!
went to Cairns for one reason and one reason only – diving in the Great Barrier Reef!!!
the town itself is dead and the hostel crowd at Gilligans i just couldn’t even. everyone is young and gets dolled up to go out and party every night. it’s kinda a stop where young travellers end up and stay for like 4 weeks looking for farm work to extend their visas.
i had a day to kill so naturally i hunted down google’s “best eggs benny in cairns”, then strolled around – there is a cute pool there along the water cause you cant swim in the ocean cause crocs – and got a new toooyyyyy, a GO PRO!!!!
my liveabroad tour was 2 days, 1 night out on the reef, 7 dives. about $520 which isnt too bad because it’s a night of accom and all meals were AMAZINGGGGG. props to the chef. side note what they didnt tell me was it was $15 per dive to have a guide, which is bs. especially for the night dive.
met my dive buddy/roomie becca and had lots of good inspo and talks about travel because she has been like everywhere in the world. so happy to have met her and had her on this tour!!
ok the dives!!!! the reef was actually so impressive. so happy to have seen it. saw some turtles, couple small sharks. wish i saw more but whatev. the big thing was this tour made me feel like a legit diver. my dive count went from 8 to 15. did a night dive, where we saw a sleepy turtle, shark, and a million giant black fish that hunt in the light of your flashlight. becca and i both said a year ago we would have been scared to do the night dive, but here we are today just killin it. navigated on my own with a buddy.
i dont know if i have ever been so exhausted in my life.
night dive, then up at 5:45 for sunrise dive when all the animals are waking up. breakfast, then another dive. 1 hour to rest on the deck, then back in it for another dive. soooo draining but felt awesome.
bucket list check!
that’s a wrap on Australia!! current mood: exhausted, happy, ONTO THE NEXT!!
wasn’t planning on coming to Byron but literally everyone was like YOU HAVE TO GO TO BYRON. yolo in australia.
cutest hippie beach town. people walk around barefoot and like this guy told me his breakfast was psychedelic. beaches are gorgeous, waves were mesmerizing. healthy food options (pricey af but delish) everywhere. went surfing, stood up every time and rode the waves in. you know you’ve made it when the aussies are like “NOICE ROIDE”
was there 3 nights and went out dancing every night – Railway Bar, the Northern, Cheeky Monkey. met some Chilean friends and Dan from Wales. why are Brits always the nicest. had brunch at Bayleaf Cafe and an acai bowl from Combi. had 2 lovely roomies, Hollie from England and Luca from the Netherlands, who endured our sweaty no a/c hostel room with me. but we set ourselves up for success by storing our pjs in the freezer. i love when you meet normal, fun, funny girls at your hostel.
facetiming my mom and Keira she tells me if i ever go on a trip this long again, she will put my hands and feet in the biting fish (refer to video from Thailand on my insta). she also told me she wished she could reach through the screen and hug me. my heartttttt.
at this stage in ppp i am just stressing about money. i guess all travellers with a dwindling bank account must feel like this?? torn between wanting to eat all the food and do all the things but also not go broke on a daily basis. OBVIOUSLY i can’t complain because i am living my dream life but ya feeling guilty about how broke/in debt i will be by the time this is over. Johanna, who i met in Thailand, said to me that money isn’t real; experiences are. yolo yolo yolo.
also trying not to stress about when this is all over and i have to go back to normal life. like i am so excited for stuff in the rest of my trip but then i’m like STOP THINKING ABOUT PARIS THAT MEANS PPP IS ALMOST OVER. i always do my best to live in the moment but it’s hard sometimes you know??
okay anyway. Byron’s charm lies in its live music at every corner, beside restaurant patios, on the beach. loved me and Luca’s poke date drinking wine and enjoying the sunset/music on the grass. #pokeplaypassion. then the kid singing hallelujah in the graffiti alley basically brought me to tears it was so beautiful 😥
that’s it. just 3 days of good music, good people, good times. got a good tan. onto Cairns for some diiiviinnnggg 🙂
1. everyone is annoyingly nice. like the bus driver was like WELCOME TO MELBIN EVERYONE ENJOY OUR AWARD-WINNING TRAM SYSTEM AND HAVE A GROIEAT DOIAY.
2. i loved dan’s office, The Age. everyone is hustling around and it’s a big glass cube with a cafe at the front and a nice lawn. and everyone is dressed in business chic. reminded me how much i love city life.
3. lots of restaurants and grab-and-go spots on my tram ride – i want to eat everything. how do people not get fat here.
4. it’s CRAZY expensive. my benny was $19. no tip or tax at least.
5. i am happy to be able to drink tap water again
other overall thoughts:
everything is perfect and stunning here. it would be SO easy (read: too easy) to transition to living here from Vancouver. quality of life is prime, there are soooo many events, everyone is always out eating and drinking and mingling. like i dig that. the city does a lot to keep its people entertained. there is free wifi everywhere downtown and the tram system is free downtown.
Van could learn a thing or two.
however if i HAD to generalize (lol) – sometimes they’re a bit much. like they love to BE AN AUSSIE and TALK ABOUT IT and be OVERLY FRIENDLY. but then on the flip side they love to make a fuss. like i saw a raaaging argument on the tram where this kid was like “theres not much room” when a man got on and next thing you know his gf is calling this other older lady an f-ing b. also i saw soooo much road rage, aussies don’t let ANY jaywalking slide without leaning on the horn and probably swearing. and like an old lady got mad at me at the train station where i was like oh sorry i’m in line and shes like WELL IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE IT lol. like i’m sorry these things would just never happen in Canada.
weather was great – very unpredictable in Melbs and i got to experience the sweltering 38 degrees and the “i didnt pack for this” 17 degrees. i was in Melbs for 3.5 weeks and experienced EVERYTHING on my list. defs made the most of my time. also lots of sipping chai lattes, catching up on wifi stuff and planning the rest of my trip!
activity log:
– Great Ocean Road road trip with Christie, Borch, Sarah, Mike, Willy, Andrew, Dad. drove to 12 Apostles (but actually 7 because erosion), stayed overnight in Lorne which is a super gorg beach town. saw some roos on the field at dusk and then almost hit like 5 as they bounced in front of the car. they survived but a bunny wasn’t so lucky, oops. also saw 2 koalas in the wild which i’m told is rare, Dan says he’s only seen them as roadkill!! they were cute and sleepy.
– dancing at Apartment 29 on a Wednesday. hippies with dreadlock man buns
– biker gang trip along the Yarra and down to St Kilda. v cute, so many patio bars along the river.
– solo to an art gallery party with cute exhibits (one red flower room which everyone loves to insta); DJs; pop up bars; outdoor dance floor where people were givin’er. was soo cool. STEP IT UP, VAN.
– drinks with Willy at Madame Brussels, which is a Victorian style rooftop patio with a side of inapprop sass. BEST pimms cup. also went to play blackjack at Crown and slightly ashamed to say that wasn’t the only time. just trying to make a living out here.
– k get the cheese and bacon burger at Grill’d THIS IS THE BEST BURGER I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE
– Phillip Island at Dan’s beachhouse for Aussie Day and his bday weekend
– kangaroos boxing!!!
SYDNEY
– tagged along on Dan’s work trip to Sydney and had the BEST time living my best life in Hotel Ovolo. listen to this. free happy hour 5:30-6:30, free mini bar, free breakfast, Alexa in the room (the front desk wanted to surprise us by playing macklemore when she found out i was going to the concert), free loot bag with snacks, free slippers and bag which i took home with me. cutest hip decor and washed out brick walls. like i am obsessed with this hotel.
– wandered along Darling Harbour and hit-on bridge, walked to Opera House, dinner at Mehico, Bondi Beach including the pool with huge waves which was actually SO cool. went to an AMAZING UNDERGROUND BAR called Palmer & Co (thanks Alana for the reco!) with 1920s prohibition-style servers wearing flapper outfits, live band and then piano player playing my parents’ fave songs. dan left and i danced with 40 year olds till 3 am. had a blast.
– also met up with Jeff from Abby for rooftop gin and tonics and pizza/wedges at The Australian Hotel. explored The Rocks which was real cute and cobblestone-y. Manly Beach where MACKLEMORE POSTED THE SAME INSTA AT THE SAME TIME AS ME. i will never live down the regret of not constantly refreshing his insta feed that day.
– Macklemore concerts in both Sydney (spontaneous purch) and Melbs (bought 4 months ago) BECAUSE MACKLEMORE IF YOU ARE READING THIS I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN. that’s 3 stops for me on the gemini tour and he’s in Paris in April so STAY TUNED!!
^^ the most sweaty
okay back to Melbs:
– runs along the Yarra, strolls down Swan Street, superbowl with Andrew at Precinct Hotel and 200 loud obnoxious aussie mates, partied in Richmond at Richmond Club Hotel, Swan Hotel (“hotel” is what they call bars), Public House
– explored the CBD (central business district / their downtown), Hosier Lane and AC/DC for graffiti, Hardware Lane or Degraves St for cute alley patio coffees. coffee is huge here, everyone’s just out for coffee all the time like it’s their job.
– got a tattoo in Fitzroy which makes me a hipster badass, then rooftop bevs at Naked by Satan. tried chicken parma which is like the thing here. giant slab of meat on fries. met Bran at Corner Hotel and then St Kilda festival which the entire population of Melbourne attended i think, but was cool! lots of live music and pop-up concerts/ dancing. met Sairah for lunch in Windsor, so good to catch up 7 years after Contiki!!
– went to Eau de Vie speakeasy cocktail bar, made friends with Tanya and Liz, got an espresso martini the bartender lit on fire. was sooo delish.
– Brighton Beach Huts, Asian tourist overload but understandable because the huts are VERY cute. people rent them for like $300k/yr and store surfboards, beach chairs etc in them.
– Little Italy at D.O.C. for the best pizza oh my god THAT CRUST. servers were fob italian. also gelato. grazi grazi
– Valentine’s Day drive to watch the sunset and get ice cream, then St Kilda to watch the penguins. playing all my fave songs. happy 🙂
best dan moments:
– night 1 at dumplings, guy walks in and goes “good vibes in here!” dan goes NOPE i’m out and leaves immediately lol
– beating everyone in ping pong “OK COOL NEXT”
– story about Nonna’s new bf in the car ride to family din
– his dad blaring Ed Sheeran after dinner.. dan: “YOU ALRIGHT?!?!!?”
– so intense watching Olympics, Aussies don’t make it – “NAH LOST ALL. MEDALS. LOST ALL MEDALS.. waste of my LOIFE. waste’a my WHOLE NOIGHT”
– struggling to close the window for 10 minutes, getting soooo angry amd swearing loudly lol
– then goes in the shower and literally STOMPS and CLAPS to his 2 favourite songs. this is his routine and he does it every single day
– (i literally just burst into a lol remembering this one): thinks he lost his key card for work. just goes into a RAGE looking for it. finally gasps as he realizes it’s at the back of his phone case. and i quote: “OH F THIS I’M GONNA KILL MYSELF. F THIS LOIIIFE. GONNA BE A SHIT DAY.” storms out of the room. i was BAWLING.
– just general road rage
– sticks his head out the window while driving and his hat flies out onto the highway
– comes across a choir rehearsing his fave song This is Me in Little Italy. is DELIGHTED to find they are still rehearsing as we walk back to the car. dances and sings along like a kid in a candy shop
– i just also want to say that while dan is the most outrageous obnoxious aussie in all the land, he is one of the most thoughtful, low maintenance, supportive friends i have. at the macklemore concert he was like “if you get a chance to go to the front, go” (so i did). he ALWAYS lets me do my thang. he took me to all the melbs hot spots and always provided recos. he was an amazing host. i say WHATEVER comes across my mind and he will engage in that conversation. i value his opinion (which he has in spades) so much. so so grateful that tom brought him along to New York 3 years ago – even though he thought we would hate each other – which led to Toronto, Rio, Vancouver, now Melbs. cannot wait to see where we reuny next!!
k i need to get out of Australia soon or i am going to get very broke and fat, but just a couple more stops first!!
peace play passion 