Our Cambodian long boat motored across the vast ocean passed lush green islands and black rocks that jutted out of the water. I stared into the distance as wind whipped through my hair, sharing short sentences on and off with a girl from Italy. Then our boat slowed to a purr and we pulled up…

Away from the city noise of La Paz, right on the coast of the Lake Titicaca, lies the city of Copacabana, also known by many as the more touristy version of Puno. Similarly to Puno, the city is the weekend gateway for nationals but also a brief destination for the passing-by travellers. Apart from a…

For many travellers, spending a couple of nights in the Lake Titicaca area around Puno is usually the last stop in Peru before entering Bolivia. The unattractive city of Puno might not be your ideal destination but it undeniably is the starting point to organise tours in the region. But apart from Lake Titicaca most…

Although I’ve lived in Barcelona off-and-on for the last 4 years, I never made it to any of the islands nearby (Canary and Balearic Islands). It’s a crime, I know. The thing is, I never really stayed in the summers, which is the most popular time to go. More than once, I saw cheap flight deals in the autumn or early Spring months, but my local friends would tell me that it wasn’t worth it, and that I should wait for beach weather (looking back, I wish I would’ve ignored them and gone anyways).
So I never made it there, until just recently. Since it was August, prices weren’t cheap like those I had seen before, and because we planned a bit last minute, not many inexpensive accommodations were left. We wanted a relatively budget-friendly vacation, so our first step was choosing which island.

Sitting off the East coast of Australia is the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island. It’s one of Australia’s most unique attractions, with over 100 freshwater lakes and home to packs of dingoes, snakes, turtles, sharks and a sh*t tonne of birds.

The post 10 Photos that prove Fraser Island is (K’Gari) paradise appeared first on Hilltops and Flipflops.

Everybody knows about the famous Galapagos Islands but not everybody can afford spending 100$+ per day, especially all of those who fit into the backpacker category like us. Luckily, Silver Island (the name derives from a legend of pirate Drake, very much like Amapala) is a great and much cheaper alternative to see some of…

If you’ve always wanted to visit the Lakshadweep islands but don’t know how to plan your trip, this short video guide will get you started.
The Lakshadweep islands had been on our ‘visit list’ for a long, long time. So, at the end of 2016, we finally started planning a new year’s holiday there. We soon realized that the information we needed for proper planning was frustratingly difficult to find. But we managed to scrape things together, mainly through trial and error. And we ended up having a really good time!

When most people think of Zanzibar they picture beaches and perfect turquoise ocean – which is exactly what you’ll find! I do think it’s worth telling you about how awesome Stone Town is though; the old town in Zanzibar city is definitely worth exploring. Before heading up north to Nungwi, we wanted to take a day to explore Stone Town, to see all the markets and learn about the dark history of this little island.

In 2016, I finally got the chance to visit Sicily – the mysterious land of my ancestors and somewhere that’s been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. The whole trip was a sort of pilgrimage for me to discover my heritage and to meet family members I’d only ever heard stories about – so the fact that this all took place in what is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places I’ve ever visited was a huge bonus!

I’d had Zanzibar on my travel radar for a while and finally I made it. I had a week exploring the island, staying in three different areas. I wouldn’t say this was long enough but when you’re sleeping only metres from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, for me, it’s hard to ever say “I’ve had enough”.

You know those images you have in your mind of Hawaii? Of barefoot beach bars, peach-coloured sunsets and ukelele players, serenading honeymooners along the shoreline? Well, you’ll be relieved to know that they are 100% real. Yes, Hawaii is every bit as dreamy as you imagine.
From the moment you set foot in the “Aloha” state, and are greeted with a fresh flower hula garland and mai tai (yes that actually happens), you know you’ve arrived in paradise.

During our stay in neighbouring island Lembongan, we knew we wanted to visit Nusa Penida without forking out the cost of an expensive day trip. Accommodation is also limited out there, especially within our budget.
With day trips from Lembongan starting at around 500,000 IDR (about $50AUD) per person, this is how two of us managed to do it within our combined $60AUD daily budget:

This morning we finally leave the Hotel Liberteño (what a horrible but cheap place to stay) and head toward the Texaco gasoline pump in just outside the city centre of Comayagua. Although so far everybody has told us that there are no buses going down south without having to change in Tegucigalpa, we see the…

Tiger Islanda.k.a Amapala, is located just off the south coast of Honduras in the Pacific Ocean and shares the gorgeous Gulf of Fonseca with several other islands belonging both to El Salvador and Nicaragua. Read also our post on Tiger Island! In the past, stories say that Sir Francis Drake (an english corsair later named…

Roatan Island, off of Honduras, has long been a cruise ship destination. As we pulled in on the local ferry from La Ceiba, Honduras the boat dwarfed in comparison to the Holland-America and Carnival Freedom Cruise ships in port. Tourists disembark from their floating hotels to enjoy less than 12 hours on the island. They relax on the beach, take island tours, or head to the bar. They miss out on all the island has to offer in this rushed experience. Roatan is surely worth a stay.

Gili T wasn’t my favourite Gili Island as you can read HERE, but it did have some fantastic cafes and restaurants. I have put together some of our top picks with a variety of budget in mind. Please remember that in Indonesia you need to check the bottoms of the menus to see if the menu price is including or excluding tax and service charge. Usually a restaurant will put “++” at the end of their prices to show tax and service will be added on top. This can catch you off guard if you’re trying to keep to a tight budget.

I have a feeling this is my first blog about a specific hostel.. I just had to write it due to the crazy nature of this place. It is simply bonkers lol
Firstly I have to mention it is amazing value for money, with breakfast included as well as free coffee and tea all the time. Just check out this LINK for prices.
On arrival we were greeted by the owner, a French gent called Sebastian, who I can only describe as eccentric… He must have a similar mind to the director Tim Burton, as the design and concept of this hostel is truly bamboozling. To enter you must walk under the tree roots and through a wardrobe (watch out for the coat hangers) where you will then reach reception.

After spending 3 days on each of the Gili Islands (Air, Meno and Trawangan), I thought it would be useful to have a little recap. The weather whilst on all 3 islands was incredible, we had perfect snorkelling conditions, amazing sunbathing days and relaxing pool days on each island. BUT each island does offer something different and I definitely have a favourite and least favourite.

We had been looking forward to coming to the Gili’s for a while purely for the chilled out atmosphere and the chance to snorkel with sea turtles. We stayed at Bedagang backpackers, which was an amazing hostel, we’d highly recommend it and can be found HERE.

Gili Air was the first of the Gili’s we hit after coming north from Kuta in Lombok. The island is just incredible and well worth the visit if you’re coming this way on your travels. A little bit busier than Gili Meno but a million times quieter and better than Gili T. This island has a great mix for a relaxed stay.

Kuta Lombok, not to be confused with Kuta in Bali, same part of the world but a completely different place. Kuta in Lombok is a beautiful surfing village on the southern coast of the island, whilst Kuta in Bali is an over touristy, crowded and avoidable part of Indonesia.

There hasn’t been to many places in the world that have blown me away quite like Samoa, the scenery is absolutely incredible. I’ve been to islands in the Pacific before, but no where is as special as Samoa. I was travelling with my partner Lawrence and his family, and Samoa being their motherland made this trip even more special. We spent a week exploring the Islands of Upolu and Savai’i.

The main reason we took the flight to Kota Kinabalu was to visit the islands just off the coast, which are now part of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. The first step you’ll need to take is to get down to Jefferson pier. Earlier the better as it gets seriously busy, we didn’t even bother going down on a Saturday or Sunday, we were told it gets TOO busy! The map below shows where the pier is in comparison to where most hostels and hotels are:

Ready to unplug, kick off your shoes, and take a dip in some of the clearest, most refreshing blue waters? Welcome to the San Blas Islands off the north east coast of Panama! Here you will discover a true Paradise. There are 365 islands and cays in the archipelago in total, but only 49 of…

When you google “things to do in Langkawi” the cable car and skybridge will always be up there, and rightly so! It’s a must do, but only if the weather allows you. You have to wait until a completely clear day, or one where the clouds are not lying low. If you get any other weather you risk the cable car being shut or the bridge having zero visibility.
We managed to pick a day where the clouds were high in the sky, so the view from the bridge was spectacular. The bridge is 2,170ft above sea level, and has some glass bottom sections, which are really quite impressive. It is not an activity for the faint hearted or anyone scared of heights.

We hadn’t originally planned to go to langkawi as we’d never heard of it, but my god sent we glad we went!
Getting there was so simple, quite quick and was ok value for money. Don’t get me wrong you can fly from Penang to Langkawi pretty cheap but we decided to take the boat as you go past some amazing islands and sights.
From George Town it is pretty simple to walk to the ferry terminal, took us 15mins from Love Lane even with our big bags. You need to buy a ticket from one of the outlets on the way, they’re all the same price, very different to Thailand where you have to barter for a better price.

For the Christmas and New Year period we decided to treat ourselves. We actually booked this trip before we booked/ planned any travels. We stayed from the 23rd December to 2nd January. We booked the Executive Suite through Bookings.com

Honduras was our third port of call on our Carnival Cruise and another unexpected one, as our itinerary kept changing when the ship had another hurricane to avoid. It was funny because when we first received the letter with the changes the Wednesday had ‘Isla Roatan, Mohogany Bay’…. Yeah but what country is that?!? When we managed to get wi-fi on board we googled and realised we’ll be going to Honduras. The Honduras mainland has a reputation for being a dangerous place, with gang violence and robberies, I wondered if that had something to do with them not mentioning the country?

When our Carnival Cruise itinerary changed for the third time because there were even more hurricanes around, they added Grand Cayman to the list. When I first thought of The Cayman Islands I just knew that it was where all the criminals laundered their money right?!?

Siquijor, also named Isla del Fuego, used to have a not-so-good reputation due to rumours of witches and mystical beings inhabiting the island. It has been sidestepped for a long time due to the scare until the arrival of foreign tourists. Unbeknown to many, the island is a treasure-trove of unspeakable beauty. Siquijor boasts of stunning sunsets and sunrise, unspoilt beaches, crystal clear waterfalls, green mountains, breathtaking views, rich pre-colonial and colonial structures, and underwater paradise. The hearsays, in a way, helped preserve the island’s virginal beauty. Crime rate is reportedly low, people are welcoming and hospitable, and most importantly, you’ll get out alive and unharmed. Everything you’ve heard about the island are just myths.

We visited Ocho Rios during our Carnival Cruise in September 2017. We weren’t originally going to Jamaica but at the time there were a number of hurricanes in the area, so our itinerary had changed about three times. No complaints though, none of us had been to Jamaica before & we were excited to check it out. Plus I was hoping this could be my chance to finally run into Usain Bolt haha

Thinnakara is a peaceful little resort island with very few visitors, 45 minutes by boat from Agatti (where the airport is), or 10 minutes from Bangaram. Accommodation is basic but charming: 10 thatched-roof tents with fans, lightbulbs and an attached ‘green toilet’ with shower; and homely local food served in the sand-floored dining room.

Good morning from Koh Rong Samloem (theres a few different spellings, no-one’s quite sure on the right way). We’re around 5km off the south coast of Cambodia on island paradise, the best thing being NO WIFI ! So god knows when we will be able to post our blogs, photos and videos of me repeatedly falling off the paddle board ..
To get down to the islands was quite simple and relatively cheap, we took a 7 hour bus from Phenom Phen to Sihanoukville which cost $12pp one way. We stayed in Monkey Republic hostel for 2 nights which was a fantastic choice. Very social hostel (but not party hostel) with good food, cheap beer and english speaking staff who will help you with all you travel plans.

In September 2017, Dom and I travelled to Bali and stayed in Legian for 1 week. If you are planning on travelling to Bali soon, this post will give you an overview of useful things to know before you arrive:

Millions of tourist visit Hawaii each year with many spending their time on the picturesque beach front of Waikiki, with it’s white sand, clear blue water and views of Diamond head falling into the sea is something that I easily got used to. After spending a week exploring the streets with my best friend, Crystal, I can see why so many people are drawn to it. Waikiki is the perfect area for a girl’s trip and everything you could expect from an island paradise. The only thing that was missing was hula dancers. (we didn’t see one… what the?)

From snorkeling around the spectacular corals of South Button island and sitting in the still water of Wandoor beach to wandering around creepy Ross Island, here is how we lived the island life for a few days in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.

Are you obsessed with beaches? The perfect turquoise water, the giant granite rocks, the best fish you’ll ever eat and the island vibes you’ll never get sick of? Let me share with you the three islands we explored in the Seychelles and why you should get there.

The Seychelles, a group of islands off the east coast of Africa, really do live up to the hype. Although it’s perfect for honeymooners and those who are after a luxurious escape, we found that it’s within reach for people like us who have a slimmer budget.

Boracay; The small island in the middle of the Philippines, once you make it there you can have an adventure filled trip or relax next to the pristine, aqua coloured ocean.