Donsol, Whale Sharks and Legazpi
Travel Blog | March 23, 2012 | 2 Comments
Reluctant as we were to leave the beauty of Saud beach we had a lot more Filipino treasures to explore. From the relaxing, serene shores of Saud beach, we headed south towards Donsol in search of some whale sharks. The weather proved challenging, but the wildlife made it all worthwhile. From Pagudpud we reversed […]
Ilocos Norte, Pagudpud and Saud Beach
Travel Blog | March 19, 2012 | 4 Comments
The ‘Borocay of the North’ is the strapline trying to attach itself to this beautiful part of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. While I cannot make the comparison yet, I believe Saud Beach in Pagudpud really is a little hidden gem that may eventually give its more famous southern cousin a run for its peso. We […]
Manila and the road to Pagudpud
Travel Blog | March 15, 2012 | 4 Comments
We arrived in the Philippines on board another Jetstar flight at around 8pm on a Saturday. Having left Bali we had a brief layover in Singapore before our arrival in Manila. The immigration, customs and baggage pick up went like a dream and we were out of the airport within half an hour of touching down. This […]
Three Months Flashpacking
Travel Blog | March 9, 2012 | 9 Comments
After our three months travelling we thought it was about time we did a mini update about our experiences, featuring the highs and the lows of flashpacking travel. The good news is we are having an absolute blast and there really hasn’t been any time when we have felt ‘lost’ or homesick. Of course you miss […]
Diving & Snorkelling in Gili Air
Travel Blog | March 5, 2012 | 4 Comments
One of my goals on this trip was to earn my PADI diving certificate and get in as many dives as possible as we touch on some of the worlds best dive sights. I had only tried diving once a good few years on a trip to Mexico. While I enjoyed the experience, I was […]
Bali to Gili Air
Travel Blog | March 3, 2012 | 0 Comments
We’re back in Bali since our last visit three years ago. We’d never planned to come to Bali, on this particular trip. However, the long range weather forecast for the Phillipines, our desired next stop, was not good at all. So we were off to Indonesia to explore some different places, find a small island […]
Singapore City Sights
Travel Blog | February 25, 2012 | 2 Comments
Our Australasia antics completed and we headed towards Asia. Our first stop was Singapore, which proved something of a surprise to both of us. A vibrant city full of interesting culture and not the clinical and sterile stereotypical description you could be forgiven for imagining. Our journey to Singapore was with Jetstar. The flight was perfectly adequate […]
Waitangi to Auckland
Travel Blog | February 15, 2012 | 0 Comments
Waitangi We’re glad we made it to Waitangi and saved our ‘Maori cultural experience’ until the end. This post rounds off our New Zealand trip with our visit to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a drive down the Western Northland coast (I liked writing that compass phrase, not sure why) and then a few days in […]
No place like Northlands, NZ
Travel Blog | February 11, 2012 | 2 Comments
Our time in New Zealand is fast coming to a close, but we had just enough time to spend a couple of days in Northland to view the Bay of Islands and discover the site of the Waitangi Treaty We found a lovely private owned campsite at Sandspit about an hours drive through Auckland, it […]
Coromandel, Oysters, Coves & Beaches
Travel Blog | February 10, 2012 | 1 Comments
After the heat of the geothermals we set off to cool down with a sea breeze as we headed north toward the Coromandel Peninsula, via the Bay of Plenty. After being inland among the forests and mountains it was good to be heading to the sea again. Both John and I feel more comfortable when […]