Though Bali is an awkward shape, and it would be hard to figure it out, you can safely consider Ubud as the ‘center’ of Bali. It is surrounded by picturesque rice terraces with farmers working, but also where you will find some of the fanciest villas and 5-star dining. It is a mecca for vegans and yogis, with many retreats and cafes dedicated to this growing breed, and prices to match! Despite its huge popularity, Ubud still has a lot of charm and is definitely one of our favourite areas that we keep going back to. After 4 weeks here, we’ve now found some of the best day trips from Ubud. Transportation…
-
-
How to Use a Squat Toilet in South East Asia! Tips, Tricks and the Benefits!
Squat toilets are terrifying when you encounter one for the first time. Where do you sit? How do you watch YouTube videos comfortably? Are there any benefits using squat toilets vs sitting toilets? How do I use a squat toilet with bad knees? But if you’ve traveled extensively, or about to go on a backpacking trip around Asia, you will definitely see these kinds of toilets. You may even have to use them when the time comes; during that jungle trek in Laos, or when you’re motorbiking through Vietnam, or after a Massaman curry in Thailand. Below I have compiled a list of tips on how to use a squat…
-
Norwegian Air Long Haul Flight Review For Budget Travellers!
Edit: Below is my personal Norwegian Air flight review. However, this edit from my most recent experience. We flew for a 3rd time with Norwegian Air, and while the flight itself was flawless (except for one rude-ish flight attendant), we did not receive our suitcases for 3 days. It did not make it from Gatwick-London to Singapore. Now, that’s fine, and I get it might happen. But we were advised by the lost baggage office in Singapore that we could potentially claim for the items we had to purchase in the 3 days we didn’t have our bags. Imagine leaving London in freezing cold with winter clothes, and arriving in…
-
Tips for a Long Haul Flight; What To Take, and What To Do!
Currently flying from Bangkok to Stockholm right now, and this non-stop 12 hour journey can either be a drainer, or pretty comfy. Hopefully we survive this long-haul flight! I’ve put together a quick list of essentials that can either make or break a long plane ride. Check them out and let me know if you have any more tips or tricks to add! Check the requirements for carry on luggage. Most airlines we’ve come across will allow a carry on bag (various weights and sizes depending on the airline) that you will store in the overhead locker, and will also allow a smaller bag that you can store under the…
-
Goodbye Island Life….
So long story short, we have now left Koh Tao. The place where we made our lives for the past 5 years; made a home, created life-long friendships (cheesy but true, especially when you work, drink, eat, even sometimes live aside one another!), and most importantly, started our diving careers from Open Water students, through to Master Scuba Diving Trainers. To run through it quickly, the biggest reason we left the comfort of our island home is because we are looking for the next challenge, and in that, we decided that we needed to find something that will set us up for our future. We love being Scuba Instructors, and…
-
The Essential Item to Pack for Backpacking SE Asia
I’m baaaack! I know it’s been radio silence for a long time on this travel blog, but that’s because Lionel and I haven’t been traveling. We’ve been settled on Koh Tao now for a while. This month was actually our 5 year anniversary of starting our PADI Open Water scuba diving course. In December this year, it’ll be our 5 years of actually living and working on Koh Tao as dive professionals! Crazy how fast the time has gone. I’ve slithered back out of the water that is now my home to talk about something that has radically changed my life recently. The thing that I believe is an essential…
-
Koh Tao Festival 2016 Toilets. What to Expect.
Koh Tao Festival is upon us again! It happens every year, and is a two day event run by the Save Koh Tao organisation, and the local Koh Taoian community. This year it falls on the 18th and 19th of June, and right now I can hear the thumping bass from the festival grounds. It’s my third year attending the Koh Tao Festival, and as always, it’s a time for the Thais, Burmese workers, and Westerners (local, and tourists) to mingle, eat food, drink, and listen to looooud, peaking Thai techno/pop. There’s also usually a few shows that are performed on the main stage, and last night we watched the…
-
Hard Day at Work
When you make a bubble ring off your fiance's head. #uwproblems #diving #islandlyf A photo posted by emma.o (@elko.em) on Mar 15, 2016 at 4:57am PDT
-
GET SOME, and GET ON IT.
Awesome new work shirts designed by the ever so talented Lionel Kobi. #getsome #gettingsome #gotsome @saireecottagediving #kohtao A photo posted by emma.o (@elko.em) on Mar 13, 2016 at 10:17pm PDT Stop thinking about it, and do it. Get Some. Get on it. Find out what you love, and do it. Whether it’s traveling, being successful in your career, or with your family and friends. Do it. Be Happy, and Get Some. We did, and we love it.
-
A Plastic World
We were having lunch in Amed, #Bali when we noticed this kid singing and yelling, trying to entertain himself from outside his family's shop. During our travels around #SEAsia I loved checking out these little #cornershops where locals would buy everything from 3-in-1 coffee satchets to toiletries and enemas (don't ask me how I know)! Unfortunately, everything is packaged in tiny wrappings of multicoloured plastic which is then discarded and thrown onto the ground. As a diver we see the effects of the everyday plastic which gets washed into the ocean, literally choking the marine life and the coral. This won't get broken down for thousands of years and may…
