I can’t believe it’s been over two weeks since I came back from Croatia, I spent a week in this beautiful country and ticked a couple of places of my ‘to see’ list whilst I was there! If you’re planning a trip here anytime soon, or maybe you’re thinking of visiting Croatia for your honeymoon or are simply dreaming up new pretty place to explore in the future then be sure to pin this page to your travel board for future use! I’m going to be sharing places to visit, where we stayed, what to eat, my favourite moments and a few helpful tips and tricks!
VISIT IN SPLIT
Hands down my favourite day of the whole trip was when we took a day trip to Krka national park. This park is full of these insanely gorgeous natural waterfalls that you can gawk over! (Actually if you go in the summer months you can swim in them!) we booked our tour with a company called Splitlicious and I couldn’t recommend them enough! We got picked up in a mini bus around 8am in the morning and headed to Krka, it takes about 40 minutes to walk around the entire park and there’s a lovely little restaurant that over looks the waterfalls where we ate lunch.
I don’t know if you guys noticed from my post about Cinque Terre but it rained pretty dam hard while we were in Italy a couple of weeks ago, did that stop us having fun though? Hell no it didn’t! With an umbrella in hand we headed to Florence to explore this beautiful city and…
One of my favourite things about Italy is that no matter what part of it I’ve been to it’s always been beautiful and the food has always been incredible! A few weeks ago me and James took a break in Italy, we stayed in Pisa, rented a car and explored Cinque Terre and Florence while we were there. In case you missed it, you can see our guide to Cinque Terre here with lots of helpful tips! Today though, we’re going to be talking about Florence!
As I mentioned before we rented a car and it took us just over an hour to get to Florence from Pisa. Parking there can be a little tricky due to the ZTL. Basically, you can’t drive into the City walls unless you are a resident or have a permit. If you cross into the ZTL then it’s a costly error as you can incur a fine of up to €100 each time you enter it. (yikes)
In case you missed it, earlier on the blog this morning I wrote about everything you need to see, do and eat in Cinque Terre and what each of the towns had to offer! We had so much fun while we were there and you can read all about here! Also, be sure to check…
This time last month I was waking up in beautiful Santorini and was being blown away by the incredible views and amazing streets! If you missed my guide to Santorini then you can see it here! It really would be the most amazing place to spend your honeymoon! While you’re here though make sure you check out what…
How do you combat the winter blues? By planning your dream honeymoon, of course! Ok it might almost two years away but a girl can dream right?
We are true nature lovers so top of our honeymoon priorities will need to be unforgettable animal encounters and outdoor activities. We have a huge bucket list of destinations we want to see in our lifetime together, so as you can imagine picking our top 10 was soooo hard, however we have managed to narrow it down to 10 unforgettable activities, from sleeping under the stars on safari to planting coral reefs in the Maldives, now just to choose one!
The only way to describe the Maldives is ‘paradise’. Jess and I were very lucky to have won a holiday there last year and it was everything we had imagined it to be and more. Made up of lots of tiny, picture perfect coral islands and surrounded by crystal clear waters, holidays in the Maldives can be as laid back or as adventurous as you want them to be. Choose to stay in overwater beach huts, rustic jungle retreats or on a stunning beach villa.
A honeymoon in the Maldives might not sound like something for the adventurers amongst you but don’t be fooled, there are lots of water activities for sea life lovers. We swam with whale sharks, dolphins, turtles and saw so many different species of corals and fish that I couldn’t keep count.
As nice as it was spending time with Jess, we agree however that we weren’t able to take full advantage of the island. The Maldives are known for their romantic dinners at sunset and luxurious couple’s retreats, so I would absolutely love to go again, next time with Mr T in tow (and Jess smuggled in my suitcase!)
This really would be a trip of a lifetime. An African safari is so high up on our bucket list that it is practically off the charts. Sanctuary Makanyane certainly has the wow factor for us, tucked away in the wilderness your lodge is surrounded by lush forest setting with awe inspiring views of the tranquil Marico River.
This reserve is one of the largest in South Africa, is responsibly managed and has an abundance of the Big 5, a myriad of bird species, cheetahs and brown hyenas and is also the best place in South Africa to see wild dog, also called “Makanyane”.
3. Meet the Giant tortoises and baby turtles in theSeychelles
Wildlife lovers will know all about the plight of the endangered Hawksbill and green turtle. Between October and February these turtles lay their eggs on the pristine beaches of the Seychelles under the supervision and protection of the one of the longest running monitoring programmes.
I am very lucky to have already witnessed this spectacle first hand in Borneo but I would absolutely love to see it all again and share it with Mr T. He is a huge lover of Tortoises and Turtles, so much so, his nickname is ‘Turt’, so this would be his dream!
There are many experiences you can have with elephants in Asia. Before I knew better, I rode an elephant in Borneo. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget, but it left me feeling guilty (although the elephant was very well cared for!) and I have since been more interested in ethical elephant experiences.
Something we would love to learn is how to be elephant Mahouts. This is where you are taught about the importance of elephant husbandry and care, correct eating, sleeping, bathing and exercise. They are not trained to perform tricks and instead use elephant riding as a gentle form of exercise and stimulation, rather than making them trek through forests for hours with a heavy chair attached to their back, which is most unnatural to them.
There are many elephant parks that offer this experience some are better than others, just make sure the one you choose, offers the elephants plenty of rest time away from tourists, with plenty of food and freshwater. Try to avoid trekking camps that use chairs as these are too heavy for the elephant, instead you should be allowed to ride the elephant just behind its ears. Finally try to seek mahouts that do not use bull hooks, some will insist this is necessary, which is arguable, but you can check they aren’t misusing them by ensuring the elephant is free of cuts near its ears, mouth or armpits.
A couple of weeks ago myself and my sister, Lydia had the pleasure of travelling to the beautiful Greek island that is Santorini, and when I say beautiful, I mean BEAUTIFUL!! It was a paradise of colourful buildings, winding pretty paths and warm, wonderful people. If you’re thinking of honeymooning here then I would highly recommend it! Here I’m going to share where we stayed, the best local restaurants and let you in on the little hidden gems of Santorini!
STAY
We stayed at the most incredible airbnb accommodation called Rose’s cave and I have to say it was incredible! Let me start with the views, every morning when I surfaced out of the cave it would literally take my breath away! Gorgeous seas in front of me & to my left and right an array of colourful houses built into the side of the island! We had the perfect place to sit outside eat our breakfast & read plus we could sunbath on the loungers provided for us too! One of the things that really struck me about the accommodation too was how close it was to everything, yet how private it was! We were literally a 5 minute walk up the steps onto the Main Street of Oia, it was perfect.
Inside the cave was so much more spacious that I imagined, it had an open plan living/kitchen/eating area when you walked through the door & a back room which had a double bed & wardrobes. The sofas in the living area could also be made into beds if wanted and we then had an awesome shower which embodied the cave theme too!
Our airbnb host Rose was absolutely fantastic! He arranged transportation to and from the airport for us, had someone meet us to carry our suitcases to the cave & greeted us there with a bottle of wine when we arrived! He then told us all about the local area, his favourite restaurants, where we could shop and even gave us a Greek mobile phone that we could take with us everywhere to call him on in case we had any questions or needed help with anything! I seriously can’t recommend airbnb enough you guys, it’s a much more personal experience and you get to know the best spots recommended by the locals!
OIA
Oia is the small town where we stayed and is the the most famous part of Santorini for it’s colourful buildings built into the island, this is where you’ll get those perfect photos that literally look like a postcard! There tends to be one main footpath through Oia filled to the brim with restaurants, shops, market stalls and view points! Me and Lyd spent most of our days wandering through and admiring all of the greek creations, if you wander off the path you’ll find supermarkets, ice cream parlours and more wonderful restaurants! The one thing about Santorini is that it’s a maze of beauty, no matter which road or path you take you’ll be greeted with amazing places, sights people and sometimes donkeys!
Kristen, is the talented travel vlogger behind ‘Hopscotch the Globe’ as well as co-author of fiction adventure series, Rise of the Prince, along with her husband Siya. The couple also operate an Inspirational Center called DASHTA Moments. They work with individuals and small groups to guide them in their pursuit of an authentic life. Their peaceful and calm environment is an ideal setting for people to discover who they really are, through self-inquiry and awareness of the world around them. All the beautiful decor was a result of all their friends and family getting crafty and creating it for them! Not only was the final result so unique and beautiful, but also very meaningful to Kristen & Siya.
“Before the ceremony began, all the guests had a peaceful silent moment to take in the energy and the sounds of the nature around us in order to be present for the ceremony” their photographer, Sara, told us. “It was beautiful. Instead of hearing others talking or being distracted by phones, we heard birds chirping, the wind, and flowing water in the creek nearby”.
Siya asked Kristen to marry him with a moonstone pendant he had bought on his travels in Rishikesh, India, during a round the world 10 month trip. The couple have travelled the world together and were keen to represent the incredible work of mother nature at their wedding whilst also sharing their belief in supporting and protecting it.
I can’t quite believe I’ve been home from the Dominican for 4 weeks!! Say whaaaaat, where did that time go?! I’ve gotta be honest, I’ve been suffering with a real case of holiday blues since I’ve been back and I’ve already got itchy feet planning a trip at the end of the year! For now…
Did I mention that I went to the Dominican Republic a couple of weeks ago? If you follow us onInstagram you would have seen tons of updates over there (seriously guys, I couldn’t stop sharing the colourful scenes of this trip!) But I really have been so excited to share my full guide with you! If you’re planning a trip here soon, thinking about it for your honeymoon or are simply dreaming up new places to visit in the future then be sure to pin this page to your travel board for future use! I’m going to be sharing places to visit, where we stayed, my favourite moments and what you should pack!
