arrived in Positano and it is literally a dream. i have butterflies. i was staring at the cliff and thought my eyes were deceiving me cause it does NOT LOOK REAL.
this was the last major place on my euro bucket list, maybe only Cappadocia in Turkey is left (although i would obv go anywhere if given the option, let’s not kid ourselves). i have wanted to come ever since i pinned its photo on my “to-go” board on Pinterest like 5 years ago, so of course for my “passion” leg i had to slot’er in!!
flew into Naples, then it’s an easy 2-bus route to Sorrento and then Positano. you just hop on at the airport. i am staying at Hostel Brikette which is a lil pricey for a hostel but it’s the only hostel in Positano and the view is breathtaking!!
my first eve i was wandering around in a daze just taking pics of everything in awe. i met locals Lorenzo, Vito, Ricardo, who took me to a fave beach, got me a limoncello and drove me home on their scooter. i love Italian accents they literally are like “spagHETTi carbonARa”. they work at a family clothing store, run an air bnb, and run the tour boats to Capri and live a simple life of making spagHETTi with their FAMily and walking in barefeet. all the locals know each other, like literally all of them. it is so so precious.
i went on a kayak with Lorenzo, checked out the “air bnb” (castle) built into the cliff where riri stays when she comes, and a cave.
was strolling around planning on an early night when Katie from australia and Luigi from here pulled me over to their table for a limoncello spritz. this led to another limoncello spritz, lots of wine and a second dinner with Luigi and Nicola lol. yolo.
i am learning that the locals are VERY friendly and they looove to hang out. for extended periods of time.
i had a beach day but am dyyying to come here in the summer. the beach will be so so adorable with all the blue circle umbrellas and boats dotting the water. also Katie tells me the beach bar scene “goes off” in the summer.
i got a really good taste for the local lifestyle while i was here; each night i somehow found myself sitting at a table with 2 or 3 italian men, sipping wine or limoncellos. i went to a local’s bday party on my last night and got flashbacks of Jersey Shore. they gave me a giant takeaway pizza which i trekked up the gazillion stairs with, handing out to locals along the way. Christian said next time i come i can stay for free in his hotel and YOU BETTER BELIEVE I’M GONNA HOLD HIM TO THAT.
i think Positano is the most instagrammable place on planet earth. there are lilacs everywhere, the cutest alleys and doorways. in the evenings the clouds form around the hilltops and look all moody and majestic.
i am leaving here with very defined calves. stairs FOR DAYS. the locals love to say “when iiii was young, i used to climb these steps 3, 4, 10 times a day”. it’s like how my parents say they used to trek to school in a few feet of snow lol.
i feel like my heart physically hurts to leave Positano. it’s weird. i felt this way leaving Bali too. i think it’s cause i have this desperate need to come back but i don’t know when i’ll be able to. there’s so much left in the world still to see before i can make any repeats.
but anyway, grateful to have made it this time. the show must go on!! ciao bellas!
popped over to London and got some quality time with long lost friends (basically former talk shoppers)!!
i took the Eurolines bus which was cheap but kinda long/a pain. had to get out for France and UK border securities, go through the underwater train, etc.
spent a night at Lauren’s beautiful home in the countryside and had a delish British meal, hung out with her adorable 3-year-old twins Harvey and Sebastian and baby Eva (they were literally quoting “Charlie bit me” and i was DY ING), drove around Kent and other cute neighbourhoods, had a real British high tea. so presh and SO good to see Lauren, who i am convinced is superwoman.
i headed to a hostel in Clapham and at first i am a bit grumpy in London because i miss Paris and it’s cold as balls and expensive and a lot of public transit. teehee.
spent a night on my own and bar hopped in shoreditch – loved this one you enter through a fridge in Breakfast Club, you have to give the password “i’m here to see the mayor of scaredy cat town”. so official.
met Britt for lunch at Oxford Circus, so happy to see her she is doing so so good ❤ met up with Carmen and Evs, walked around to Covent Garden, Big Ben under construction, a real British pub pie in Soho.
Carmen Katie and i had (a lot of) drinks at Britt’s place in Vauxhall, then Carmy and i went for a late-night dance to Drake etc at Rumba. sooo fun but we’re confused why London isnt like Paris and clubs close at 3??
cute lunch at Aubaine with the lilacs and Italian waiter/my future husband, then strolled through Hyde Park and Notting Hill. all SUPER adorbs.
i keep getting flashes of scenes from Love Actually in London and am actually missing Christmas a lot! remind me not to skip it next year.
our last night we went out on Northcote Rd in Clapham, danced at Adventure Bar. love those girls, was so good to be reunited!!
off i go on a bus, train, flight, bus, bus to Positano. left at 3am with zero sleep. traveling, amiright?
i’ve been in Paris for just over a week now. it’s such a trip that this is my last month of travelling!! like where has the time gone, but also it feels like a million years since i’ve been home?? peeps always say you come home from a trip and it’s like nothing’s changed, but actually i feel like a lot has changed for me. what bums me out is the things that haven’t changed and they should, like if people are unhappy or in a dead end relationship or job. i wasn’t in either of those things – i actually loved my life – but this trip has just made me such a strong believer that if you aren’t genuinely happy with your life, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. you only have yourself to blame if you’re not livin a 10/10. my trip has been so incredible and it feels so good to be independently happy. i just want everyone to pick their passion (or their peace, or their play) and do that. NO SETTLING. OKAY??? okay.
i’ve been to Paris 3x before but only for like 3 days each time. this leg is about soaking in these butterflies in the city that i love (as evidenced by my Eiffel Tower cheese grater, soap dispenser x2, pillows, etc) and learning it inside out. past the Eiffel Tower and Tuileries Garden (although still some classic faves) i want to explore every arrondissement, get to know the locals, eat a croissant every day (so far, success), brush up on my francais. i want to take my time and have cafés on terraces, and read my book in the park. when i first came in 2012 i saw a girl reading on those Parisian green chairs in the Tuileries Garden and i thought, i want her life.
this was me yesterday – dreams do come true guys:
so far my Parisian life has been in 3 parts.
1. the Ritz
Courtney and i met at Tara’s stagette a few years ago (which i randonly crashed in Vegas) and we’ve only hung out a couple times but we both love Paris and positivity. good vibes. i am so happy she reached out and was able to meet me in Paris. for various reasons lol but i can’t wait to reunite when i’m back in Van!!
by some insane stroke of platonic luck we were treated to staying at the most gorgeous hotel in the freaking world. the Ritz Paris. i arrived after 24 hours (or 48, however you wanna look at it) at 1am, down $800, flight delayed, bag lost in Moscow, tears streaming down my face. walk into the Ritz like this. somehow i am in the Ritz, the Eiffel Tower is effing SPARKLING FROM OUR BALCONY and i put on the coziest peach robe because i have no clothes, and all will be okay.
that was a lot.
the Ritz has gold swans for faucets, a heated towel rack, everything is fluffy and peach (it was used to compliment their pale skin back in the day), a dreamy Parisian terrace, a bed that was fit for Marie Antoinette. THE STAFF IS INSANELY NICE. shout out to Greta for being an absolute doll on the phone and Johan for calling Air France every 15 mins to get my bag, and rolling his eyes and saying “The French”. i think we are bff but for some reason he didn’t invite me to stay longer.
The history here is insane. Coco Chanel lived there for 33 years, as she started up Chanel just down the street. Hemingway lived here and frequented the bar at the back of the hotel. (if those walls could talk..) Emma Watson stays here, David Beckham.. as we were there so was the King of Morocco. casual. same.
Court and i got coffee and croissants, had some good life talks (reminds me of my time with Christine in Rwanda), strolled through the Tuileries Garden and down the Seine, to Pont Alexandre iii, reemed out Air France lol, stopped at the Champs Elysses. had a nap because jet lag was killing me and the bed is essentially a cloud.
woke up and drank wine and frolicked on the bed. that place is a fairytale. stopped by Hemingway Bar for a 30 euro cocktail (thats approx $47 cad. NOT in budge. not even close. but treat yoself, yolo, hemingway, free appies, the experience, etc etc.). pranced over to Place de la Concorde for the most magical sunset with the Eiffel Tower as backdrop. living in a dream.
2. hostel life
i literally almost shed a tear when i checked out of the Ritz and transitioned back to hostel life.
but then i met my new gay best friend Levi from Indonesia/Colombia/Africa and our room was cute and we frolicked all over Paris together.
bought 3 euro wine, dodged a bar owner whose wife is due in 2 days but apparently he loves me (Parisians i tell ya), met new friends in Montmartre and then went dancing at Corocan’s Irish Pub. were not let into Silencio – “you are not invited here” LOL – and topped the night off with a crepe obv.
next day we had a gorg photoshoot with Levi’s gorg iphone (rip) lol was so fun/extra. croissant for breaky, crepe for din. banana drink at Dirty Dick, then to meet Steph and our new friend Matt at Harry’s. Steph Matt and i love life and love to yolo and we then went for a drink at Jefreys and Experimental Cocktail Bar. LOVE both those bars!!! here i discovered Love by Kendrick Lamar which may be my song of this leg.
just really happy to be in Paris.
3. reunion with Carmy!!
Carmen kicked off ppp with me in New York and we had the best time frolicking and dancing and are replicating exactly that here in Paree.
we are staying in a cute lil airbnb in Belleville (just up from Le Marais) and by lil i mean the ceiling is 3 inches above our heads and we have bonked our heads multiple times on the bathroom “doorway” (which is a curtain). “what is this an airbnb for ants?!” still cute though!!
i have flagged about 200 places i want to visit on my google maps so we have been flying through them!! to sum up:
– open mic jazz bar, hanging out with the band, Carmy plays the sax. then off to Baiser Salé which is the BEST jazz club, so fun!!
– brunch at Passeger – bagel sandwiches yummm. “is this dressing made of water?!” 😀
– strolling through St Germain, my fave cafe is Mabillion. cutest mint chairs
– Jardin du Luxembourg, Eiffel Tower
– French onion soup on a terrace
– Le Mauri 7, le Syndicat (speakeasy) and Chez Jeanette for drinks. then over to Hotel Bourbon to dance with some weirdos. weird vibes lol
– went to the ballet at Palais Garnier which is STUNNINGGG. if you go to the box office 1 hr before showtime you can get tix for 10 euros. view wasnt great but neither are our bank accounts. we paid a fraction of the price so got to view a fraction of the stage. so worth it just to see the venue.
– dancing at O’Sullivans Irish Bar – good vibes!!! chill people, fun bartenders, amaze dj who actually plays your requests :):)
– on our sunny day we strolled and read our books in the Tuileries Gardens (my fave place in Paris), got hot chocolate and macarons at Angelina’s (very rich but cute)
– went to a Parisian rave at Rex Club but it just so happens we werent tripping out on ecstacy so not sure i could fully appreciate the experience lol. everyone arrives at like 2-3 and the party ends at 7. cant really make friends cause everyone is bouncing to the beat like zombies. defs an experience though!! lol
– currently writing this in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont which is soooo lovely and reminds me of Central Park. it’s big and hilly and everyone is out running and playing.
… couple days later, Carmy just left today and here’s the rest of the recap!!
– a very French evening: Seine-side wine with some trendy Parisians, sparkling Eiffel from the bridge, escargot in St German.
– Chez Georges for an interesting playlist including the Beatles, Hebrew anthems, old school Britney, then some Ed Sheeran (.. ED?!) a wee bit more dancing at Frog & Princess
– Sacre Coeur, strolling/eclair in Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, Aperol Spritzes on a terrace with an excessive waiter from Barbados. he likes to party.
– our fave night: speakeasy hopping and new friends!!! met Robbie and Evan at Little Red Door, who didnt not not meet on Grinder, then to Candelaria. then off to our fave O’Sullivans for dancing till 4am, on the stairs, all the best moves. a HILARIOUS night. we are all doppelgangers: i am Molly, Robbie is Conor, Evan is Nick Jonas, Carmen is Marisa Tomei or maybe the Mona Lisa
– brunch at Benedict, shopping and lattes in Le Marais. meet our Content Crew at another speakeasy Ballroom, then to Experimental Cocktail Club and Braiser Sale for more jazz. another amazing night, friends are fun!! Carmen heads straight to her flight at 4:30am because you can sleep when you’re dead.
Paris really is a dream. the entire city is a work of art. like you have the Arc de Triomph and then directly down the Champs Elysses is the mini arc. in the Place de la Concorde there are mirrored buildings with identical pillars from actoss the bridge. like thought and artistry was put into every single part of this city.
the history is crazy here – like name me a square in Vancouver where kings and queens were guillotined and is now a beautiful oasis – i’ll wait. the architecture is SO grand and the little balconies are SO cute. i love it all. also the people are so classic Parisian. you see them dressed to the nines just strolling down the sidewalk and you’re like, yep this is Paris.
French girls are broody and chic. everyone should read this book i’m reading called How to be Parisienne Wherever You Are. it makes me want to embody everything that the mysterious yet passionate Parisian women are.
French guys are either super stand offish or super forward. (“can i get your number?” “i dont have a number” “whatsapp?” “nope dont have that either”) the clubs dont get busy till 2am and will close at like 6 even on a Sunday. before 2 Carmy and i are uuusually the only girls on the dance floor. i dont think they’re super used to people having fun?? lol. like one security guard at the ballet was like “you’re not from here. do you know how i can tell?” i was expecting him to say something pretentious like “your accent sucks” or “you’re not dressed up enough”. what he said was, “because you’re smiling”.
fave things to do: speakeasy hop. stroll through St Germain or Le Marais, pop into stores to sample perfume or hand lotion, to smell candles. go into books and read the backs of Parisian novels. eat a croissant for breakfast. soak in the Tuileries Garden and see the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
popping out for a bit but will be back to finish passion.
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.
before i left home, my family had planned a vacation to Hawaii and when my mom told me they wanted to go in March, which is when i had planned on being in Paris, i pouted.
the next day i realized.. if i extended my stay in Australia by 2 weeks (till mid March) i could just pop on across the Pacific ocean to join them. i told my brother and Janice but kept it a secret from my mom, dad and Keira. i have been SO EXCITED to surprise them this entire trip!!!
i ended up killing time in se Asia instead of Aus which meant i got to go back to my beloved Bali and meet Tom in the Philippines, so it all worked out!! easier on the budget as well, and also it’s been snowing in Paris in March.
they were SHOCKED when i came in the door of their house in Kailua-Kona (on the big island). my parents were just like WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE HOW DID YOU GET HERE, in a daze, and Keira said it was the best day of her life lol.
i had a 31 hr travel journey to get there including a 14 hr layover in Beijing (won’t be going back there) but told my mom i was doing the rice field trek and out of service, since in China you can’t access Whatsapp, Insta, fb etc.
Hawaii was exactly what i needed to decompress, transition out of my se asia “play” mode and get properly excited for Paris. also i am so lucky to have the best family ever who has helped me with apartment drama, etc. while i have been away. they have my back big time.
we spent 6 days in Kona and then flew to Kauai for 5.
the big island is basically all volcanic ash and we saw a black sand beach, a volcano glowing at sunset and into the night, went snorkelling with barrel rolling manta rays at night (so close they touched us!! apparently this is the only place in the world they do this), checked out a few beaches.
in Kauai we stayed in the Poipu Kai Regency resorts (highly recommend!! the grounds were so nice and location is prime) and saw beached turtles and seals at Poipu, checked out Waimea Canyon and some waterfalls, surfed at Hanalei Bay (including my mom and Keira, SO PROUD OF THEM!!) and had lots of good meals (coconut shrimp ftw) and lava flows.
had the best time with Keira, i was so happy she hadn’t grown too big and is still the cutest human ever. i noticed she can finally hold a conversation without getting too distracted which is nice!! sometimes i look at her and she is so cute it physically hurts.
i’m now in a plane en route to LA for a 20 hour layover (might as well throw another one of my fave cities in this trip) and then off to Paree. i am so so so excited. 🙂
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.
peace play passion 