| In our continuous quest to bring you couple travel ideas, we want to introduce you to Rob and Kim of SimplyTravelled.com.
How to give them a follow: Blog: www.simplytravelled.com twitter: @simplytravelled Facebook: @Simplytravelled 1) Tell us how you met? What inspired you to travel together? How do you make couple travel work? They said: Kim was finishing her MBA in Tennessee and randomly met two guys from Australia at a conference. She asked them what it’s like to live on an island (yes, she’s part londe!), and kept in touch via email for 8 months. She clearly made an impression, as then she was invited to head over to Oz for a 3-month working holiday. She met Rob at work, here he fixed her computer. They fell in love, and now he fixes all her problems ;) We were inspired to travel because we just knew we weren’t living the life we dreamed of. We were “stuck” – not that we were miserable – we were comfortable with good jobs and great friends and family near by. We just knew there was something more to life, so decided to act on it! More on this in question 6. We definitely haven’t mastered couple travel yet, but we make it work by being open, learning and adapting along the way. Arguing, fighting, forgiving and moving on, It’s part of the fun of it all (most the time anyways).  Kim and Rob of Simply Traveled 2) If you had to travel with someone else besides your travel partner, who would it be? (this person can be living, historical or mythical) He Said: If it was long term it would have to be my mate Hearschy. We’ve known each other for over 10 years, lived together and both love adventure. She Said: My beautiful sister, Jennifer! She’s a bit more organized than me, yet enough spontaneous to go with the flow. We see-saw from keeping each other on the straight and narrow to letting loose, knowing there’s a time for everything, so it’s a great balance. In the couple of trips we’ve been on together, we didn’t want to kill each other, so I think she’d make the perfect travel companion! 3) What has been your favorite destination in your wanderings? He said: It’s a close one but I’d have to say Hawaii. We only spent two weeks there, but it was an awesome place. I love being outdoors and Kauai especially tailored to this passion with stunning beaches, amazing hiking and picturesque landscapes. Oh and I had the best pork burritos ever! She said: Ahhh, such a tough one! I’m absolutely in love with New Orleans – the food, music and culture are the perfect combination for a sublime getaway! Outside of that, the Philippines completely stole my heart – I’ll elaborate on this one in question 5 ;) 4) I know you guys recently went to the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh. Tell us a little more about the experience. He said: It’s a sobering experience and definitely worth visiting. I found the S-21 audio tour and museum to be the more moving of the two sites to visit. The stories are gut wrenching and it makes you question how man can be so evil. She said: An utterly heartbreaking reality! I’m reading the book now, and I still can’t wrap my head around how something so horrible happens. And the fact that history keeps repeating itself makes me incredibly sad. But, without harping on the obvious negatives of genocide, the Cambodian people were some of the loveliest people I’ve met on my travels, so it was great to see the country and its people getting back on top!  Couple’s cooking school 5) Tell us about the Philippines. It is on our list. What were some of the highlights? Sights? Food? Culture? He said: Highlights/Sights: Luzon in the North was amazing. The word famous rice terraces were unbelievable and I loved the hiking along the narrow pathways. Apo Island was an authenticate island experience and the snorkelling with turtles was really fun. Food: Garlic rice with corned beef and fried eggs became a staple. I had it at our homestay and it was some of the best food I ate in the country. Culture: I can’t think of anything specific but the people were very welcoming, helpful and had great English skills. She said: Ok, to start on a negative, the food is not amazing (sad but true) – but it’s not horrible either, and actually, the mangos are to die for! The rice terraces in Northern Luzon were phenomenal, and definitely a highlight. Sagada was one of my favourite towns for the quaint nature and laid back mountain vibe. My favourite island was Cebu – we travelled top to bottom, learning to dive on Malapascua Island (home of the thresher shark), before heading south to Moalboal. Pronounced “mwoal-bwoal,” it is a beautiful beachfront town, where you can snorkel with sea turtles and thousands of sardines. I can say I found my real love for the water in the Philippines! 6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be? He said: Pollution/rubbish. You really notice how bad of a problem it is when visiting Asia. A more sustainable way to fuel society and better practices around waste disposal would benefit everyone. She said: Oooh, good one. Previously I’ve always thought of this question in the context of poverty. However, due to reflections on our current journey, I’ve got a different perspective on this one. The problem I’d solve is two-fold: 1. People realizing their potential and 2. Not being afraid of using it! I see so many people with the brains, the means and the support network to do incredible things that often just “settle” and it drives me crazy! I’m pretty certain if these same people (and I’ve definitely been one of them before) followed their dreams, the world would be a much better place!  Love birds! 7) You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement? He said: Generally our worst fights are after we have had a few drinks. Nashville springs to mind. I’m not sure what I said, though I dodged a bottle of water being thrown at my head whilst I was making my way to the vending machine. The next day it was all a big laugh! She said: Haha, is it bad that I’m completely oblivious and didn’t actually see this question coming at all!?! Ok, let me think…it’s probably not our biggest fight, but it was recent, so timely. We took a 4 hour bus ride to Ho Chi Minh. Instead of getting organized for where we’d stay when we arrived (yes, we had free wifi on the bus), we read our books and listened to music instead. When we arrived, it was raining and Rob suggested we take a minute at the station to work out where to go while we had a signal. I was like – are you kidding? Hello! we just had 4 hours to get organized, but you want to do it now? Nope – lets start walking. So off we went. An hour and a half later we were still circling around the city trying to find District 1. To stop from killing each other, we decided to take a break to fuel our bellies and connect to wifi to get a grasp on where we were. Attempting to defuse the situation, I suggested to Rob we just ‘agree to disagree.’ He said, “Nope!” I called him some choice words and walked away. I returned to him and apologized, we ate, walked the 30 minutes to our final destination and lived happily ever after! 1000 Fights: A huge thanks to Rob and Kim for sharing their love story and a few tips for traveling together.
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The Perfect Norway Road Trip
So often we hear that the best way to see Norway is by taking a cruise. We could not disagree more! The best way to see Norway is by taking a road trip! Norway’s stunning natural beauty, friendly people, and captivating history make it a great place for traveling couples. The fjords of Norway are unlike any place we have ever visited and we can’t wait to share with you a few of our tips and tricks for making your road trip successful.
Oslo Airports
Most international flights bring you to Norway via one of three “Oslo” airports. None of the airports are near the city. The (OSL) Oslo Airport Gardermoen it Is located 47 km north-east of Oslo. The Rygge Airport (RYG) is located at 66 kilometers south-east of Oslo and finally the Torp Airport TRF is located 110 km south-west of Oslo. Do not fret about which airport you arrive at as there is easy access to rental cars at each. There are actually many pros to staying your first night outside of Oslo proper. We elected to stay in the small hamlet of Fredrikstad and had a great experience.
Picking the Right Rental
We’ve written a recent post will help you select the right rental car. Please keep in mind that there are a lot of mountains, climbs, and weather in Norway. Don’t go cheap on the rental car. We used and highly recommend our friends at Auto Europe for rentals in Norway and the rest of Europe.
Oslo
The bustling capital of Norway is truly beautiful. Perched on the edge of the sea. Cruise ships park right in the center of downtown. Norwegians have long been a seafaring people. Sailboats, motorboats and rafts line the harbors and almost outnumber the cars. Your road trip we’ll start with a couple days in Oslo. Holding off on renting your car until the time you’re ready to leave Oslo is also an option. The public transportation is actually very good. As we will address later Norway is very expensive. Oslo is extremely expensive. We stayed at the Radisson Blu on points. It is a beautiful hotel. If you have hotel points Oslo is the place to use them as hotel chains are rare as you head north.
Key things to see in Oslo:
Nobel Peace Prize Museum: we put this one first because it was by far our favorite. Few museums leave you wanting more museum. The Nobel Peace Prize Museum is one of those select few. It is a two-story museum located along the harbor. There is a nominal fee for entry, and then you proceed upstairs to view different exhibits about the winners of the award. It is extremely moving.
The Scream!
National Museum of Art: the second must-see in Oslo is the National Museum of Art. It houses the best-known artists from Norway. King of the Norwegian artists is of course much. You must find the scream. The crowds tend to block the view, but be patient and the opportunity to snap a good picture we’ll certainly come. Munch is an interesting character. You really should do some reading on him prior to your visit. An entire museum dedicated to him is in construction as we speak.
Oslo Opera House
The Oslo Opera House One of the most stunning pieces of architecture in the world is the Oslo Opera House. Its shape and placement reflect the shape of an iceberg. The inside is even more stunning than the outside. We highly recommend taking the full tour of the Opera House. They take you backstage, which is it technological paradise. You also visit the ballerina dressing rooms, musicians preparation areas, and a number of other workshops for production of the sets. Really cool! The tours are led by pensioners who have retired from their work with the opera house. They know the place inside and out. Our guide had great stories about some of the performances and performers. One of the best souvenirs we purchased was a used shoe. In the gift shop of the opera house you can purchase used ballet shoes used in actual performances.
Inside of the Oslo Opera House. Each pattern on every chair is unique.
The Crying Baby
Vigeland-Land– The famed Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland has a complete museum and even an entire park dedicated to displaying his work. One of his famous pieces is the crying baby. People come from the four corners of the earth to see this baby throwing a tantrum. The park is stunning. It is a great place to take a picnic or there are small cafés located throughout the park are great places to grab some ice cream or a cake. When word of warning about visiting the museum. It is definitely rated PG 13. There are a number of works that depict human sexuality in less than a discrete manner. The park is fine but the museum may not be appropriate for families.
Want more pictures of Norway? Just give us a follow on instagram.
Oslo Food Scene
The best food on our trip was found in Oslo. You can get just about any type of cuisine in the city. Our favorite spot is an Indian place called Mister India (http://www.mister-india.no/). Located on one of the side streets in downtown, the food is incredible. There are red & green Curry that is to die for. You maybe wondering why we elected to go to an Indian ethnic place. We figured we’d get plenty of Norwegian traditional food on the road trip up north. This definitely proved to be the case. It’s okay to check out couple ethnic restaurants in Oslo and still call yourself an authentic explorer.
There are number of really good Fish houses along the harbor.
Lillehammer
Once you have conquered all of Oslo it’s time to head north. Our first stop is at city whose name is very familiar to sports fans. Willie Hammer was the home of the Olympics in 1994. There are a number of museum displays that celebrate the Winter Olympics. There is a huge hockey stadium that has a bobsled you can check out. Lillehammer also has a World War II museum that is very interesting.
End of Part One of the Norway Road Trip! Stay tuned for the second half!
We worked worked with our friends at @autoeurope to present this post.
The Perfect Couple Travel Luggage
Picture Venice. The soft Italian sun reflecting off the glistening water. The gondola masters guiding their vessels up and down the waterways. The lapping water against the colorful mansions. Our idyllic paradise was nearly destroyed by an unlikely culprit: bad luggage. We made the unfortunate choice to get dropped off couple miles from our hotel. This meant that we needed to cross multiple bridges navigate the sea and hike a long ways. Our heavy mismatched luggage made this trek miserable. Ever since that day we have been on a quest to find perfect luggage for traveling couples.
At long last we have finally found the perfect luggage combo: The Atlantic Compass Unite. We are not ones to wax poetic about our travel equipment. We just want it to work. If we don’t think about the luggage….that’s good luggage. The Compass is extremely light. They are built tough. The best part? They have a built in secret weapon: a little thing called Link2Go™. This little thing is actually really huge when it comes to couple travel. If we could kiss the engineer that came up with this we would. (Luci would…not Mike.) So here’s how it works, two spinners can be linked together making is one spinner, one suitcase that you can handle easily with one paw. It must be hard to connect them you ask? Nope. So simple you can do it with one hand eating a gelato and the other connecting the two. (Yes we have tried it. Strawberry gelato is the best.) Pure genius.
We put them to the test on our recent trip to Norway. So within 5 hours we were in three massive international terminals. Each one was unfamiliar to us. We just connected our Compass Unites and off we went! Look at the picture of Mike over there. Does he look stressed? Ok maybe a little, we were looking up maps of the airport. Were we worried about bags? Not at all.
Give them a try. You can find an Atlantic Luggage dealer here.
Couple travel presents enough challenges…don’t mess up the luggage.
#sponsored
Our Secret Getaway in Heber: The Better Park City
Being based in the Western US, we are always looking for great weekend trips. One of our favorite places is Park City, Utah, until we discovered the Heber Valley, Utah. Located a few miles up the hill from Salt Lake City, this charming valley is perfect for four-season activity. It has a little of everything for the entire family.
Heber Valley
The Heber Valley is aptly known as Utah’s Switzerland as it sits on the base of the stunning Wasatch Mountains. The area offers green lush meadows, cool streams, and an idyllic setting for those that love the outdoors. The winter brings some of the best snow on earth. What we love about the Heber Valley is that it still remains quaint and feels undiscovered. There a great options for lodging and dining in the area.
Great Golf
If golf is your thing, Heber Valley is your place. With five different courses offering every skill level a challenge: Wasatch Mountain Lake & Mountain Courses, Crater Springs, and Soldier Hollow Gold and Silver Courses.
Hot Springs
One of the most unique features of the area is the Homestead Crater. It is a geothermal hot spring that is formed in a beehive-shaped crater. The pure alpine water seeps up into the limestone formation and the geothermal forces warm the water to a delightful 96 degrees. The crater is the only warm water scuba destination in the United States. Take a swim or soak. You can also take a tour of the crater and learn a little more about the geology of this interesting formation.
Winter sports
Regardless if you are into snowshoeing, downhill or Nordic skiing, this place has it all. World-class skiing mountains are a short drive from Heber. There are snowmobile trails that offer views and rides that rival any alpine destination. The best part? You avoid the hustle and bustle of the resort with your chalet in Heber.
Biking
For the hard-core mountain biker, the Heber Valley is a true mecca. There are great trails to explore and enjoy. Didn’t bring your bike? You can easily rent the right equipment, and even catch a ride to the trailhead.
Getting there
It is said that there is only one stoplight between Heber Valley and the SLC airport. It is just that easy. It takes just under an hour from door to door. Salt Lake City airport is a major hub for Delta Airlines. Getting there from the major cities in the west is usually around a two-hour flight. This makes the Heber Valley an ideal setting for a weekender. For couples living east of the Mississippi, Heber Valley is a great destination for your couple vacation.
Needless to say, we highly recommend you spend you next couple’s getaway in the Heber Valley.
Our friends at @hebervalley helped us put together this post. Does this affect our love of this beautiful area? Not one bit.
How to Be an Expert in Road Trip Prep
The Fighting Couple is going on a road trip. A really, really, long one: 1,457 km or 900 miles to be exact. We are headed to the Nordic country of Norway. (Here is a link to our route: (Our Norway Trip Map)
You can imagine there are going to be some serious fights on this trip. Luci and I in close quarters for an extended period of time is a recipe for disaster.
The right travel partner makes all the difference! As our friends Karolina and Patryk say:
“The golden rule of a perfect road trip is to find a good person to travel with! With a good companion you can solve all the problems and make unforgettable memories!”
Public Transit vs. A Car
Once you have found the perfect travel partner. The next step is the car. We are huge fans of public transit. We wouldn’t see big cities any other way. Cities like Paris, London, Boston, Bangkok, and Singapore offer great ways to get around. But….when you want to get out and see the country, there is no better way, than by car. Taking on a large country like Norway? Having a car is a must.
The Perfect Road Trip!
Pick the Right One
The first thing you need to do is pick the right rental car. Thinking of driving your own car? Sometimes it is more economical to put the miles on someone else’s vehicle. We book our trips six to eight months in advance. Last year, when we began the planning process, we knew that we needed the right car. Here’s our best advice: Spend the extra money and get a bigger car. There’s nothing worse than being cramped in a tiny car getting blown all over the road. Nothing strikes more fear into the heart of a petrol head than the word “compact”. Spend the money.
If you are renting a car in winter, check out our post on winter driving and rental cars.
Breaking Up
One of the key things we have on this trip is setting aside two real “drive” days. The rest of the time we drive an hour or two in the morning and the same in the evening. We try to do most of the driving before and after everything opens or closes. With the help of Google maps, you can get a preview of what the roads look like.
Find a Way
As we have shared in the past, GPS single handedly saved our relationship. Putting miles on your car because you are lost is not an option. Even with great tools, trust us, Wi-Fi and cellular can at times be sketchy. Nothing beats an old-fashioned Garmin GPS with current maps. Rent one from the rental company or candidly, buy one really cheap on eBay. Be familiar with your route and have a rough idea of the direction and cities that you are headed to. Also pay attention as you drive; this will help give you markers in case you do get lost! Think of it as memory breadcrumbs.
Eat
When we take long road trips, we like to hit a large grocery store and load up on snacks and beverages. You never know when a short drive turns into a massive mess. Nothing is worse than when Luci gets “hangry” and all of the sudden the fighting begins. We don’t want that for you. Candidly, we don’t want the competition. There can only be one Fighting Couple.
Questions
Not all the side effects of driving are bad. We have found that it is actually a great time to discuss issues in our relationship. You definitely have a captive audience. A word of warning: Avoid the really heavy stuff. If one of you gets mad, there is nowhere to go. Another conversation starter is the “Book of Questions.” There are a number of different ones out there. We enjoy asking each other these random questions and hearing the sometimes-bizarre answers.
Stop
Buy yourself a good guide to the area that you are exploring. Make some stops along the way. Get out and walk around. Stretch the legs and clear the mind. Getting the blood flowing during a long road trip is critical. We have found many interesting spots that were not on our agenda, when Mike has the courage to deviate from the excel spreadsheet.
We hope that you find a few of these ideas helpful. We can’t wait to share with you our epic road trip. We do need to let you know that our friends at Auto Europe are helping us plan our trip. We have been using them for years. They offer a wide variety of autos at fair prices. Best of all, our experience with their customer service is stellar.
The Perfect Maine Roadtrip
This is a guest post from our friends Chris and Laura of Trailsunblazed.com.
Laura and Chris’ Maine Roadtrip
The fact that we now have a blog dedicated to our trips and adventures is evidence that traveling has become a big part of our lives together. Every couple has their thing. Jay-Z and Beyonce have music, Hill and Bill have politics, Tom Brady and Gisele have human perfection. For us it’s traveling and getting outside and taking advantage of the great outdoors. So let’s take it back to where it all began: Maine. Before we even knew each other, we had spent our entire lives traveling with our families to South America, Africa, Europe, and every corner of the US. Since we’re from Massachusetts, a road trip to our northern neighbor may seem like the least exotic destination imaginable, but this is one of the most memorable trips for us since it was the first time we hit the road together.
First Stop: Acadia National Park
After we sat in endless summer traffic on I-95 and made the requisite Chipotle stop along the way, we finally arrived at our first destination. Acadia is probably #1 on everyone’s list of places to visit in Maine, and for good reason. Although, we only spent two days in Acadia, we took advantage of most of what we hoped to see and do while we were on Mt. Desert Island.
- Camp at Seawall Campground
- Climb Mt. Champlain via the Precipice Trail (below)
- Watch the sunset from Cadillac Mountain (below)
- See a bunch of seals at seal cove
- Eat dinner in Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor
We easily could have spent a full week in Acadia, and lucky for us we live close enough that we probably will in the near future.
Second Stop: Bold Coast
After leaving the most popular destination in Vacationland, we continued the journey north to a place that most people even in New England have never heard of: Cutler, Maine. Cutler is about as remote a coastal town as you will encounter on the east coast. It is located just across the Bay of Fundy from Nova Scotia and looks out across some New Brunswick’s Grand Manan Island. Our phones actually thought that we were in Canada so we immediately turned them to airplane mode to avoid getting destroyed by Sprint and Verizon. The reason for venturing to this faraway, unknown coastal town was to hike along the Bold Coast in the Cutler Coast Public Reserve Land, which ended up quickly becoming one of our favorite hikes in the US. The trail, meandering along the rugged cliffs overlooking the ocean, is unlike any other hike we have done in New England. Not to mention, since it is so remote, and “unblazed” if you will, we only ran into a couple other hikers throughout the entire day.
One important tidbit worth noting about this trail is that there are only three official campsites along the way. With so few fellow hikers on the trail, we expected that snagging a tent site would be easy…we were mistaken. It didn’t end up being an issue, however, because with so many comfortable-looking rocks on which to pitch our tent, we had myriad options. I try to give credit where credit is due, and camping on the edge of a cliff over the ocean was 1,000% Laura’s idea. Other than the rocky surface and swarming mosquitos that forced us into our tent prematurely, camping on the cliff ended up being a far more memorable option than camping in the woods at a boring campsite. Seals swam below us, we watched the sunset from the tent, we woke up to the sun rising over Canada, and successfully survived the night without getting blown into the sea.
Third Stop: Mt. Katahdin
From Cutler, we drove inland to Baxter State Park to look for Moose and hike Mt. Katahdin. We spotted two moose down the road from our campground on our first night. It’s difficult to spend any time around Baxter State Park without seeing at least once moose.
The hike up Katahdin is no joke. This is one of the most challenging day hikes in New England and by the time we finished scrambling up boulders to reach the summit, we were exhausted. We were fortunate enough to have climbed on an extremely clear day, so the breathtaking views were a well-earned reward.
The descent down Katahdin is equally spectacular, at least for the first stretch along the Knife Edge (below). Neither of us fell off the edge of the knife; however, Laura did fall and then proceed to roll down the mountain shortly after we made it safely off the ridge. She had some bumps and bruises but managed to save the camera like a champ. By the time we made it back down to the car, we were completely kaput and made a b-line for the only restaurant we could find. Being in the wilderness of Maine, we had limited options and our tired, hungry minds clouded our judgement to the point where we ended up buying at least three pounds of Chinese food which tasted about as good as you might expect Chinese food from northern Maine to taste.
Fourth Stop: New Harbor
After the challenge of Mt. Katahdin, our fourth and final stop was much more relaxing. We drove back down the coast and took a puffin cruise out of New Harbor. Unbeknownst to us at the time, most of the Maine puffins have already migrated out to see by mid-August, and the naturalist onboard announced that it was very unlikely that we would even see a single puffin. Of course they announced this after the boat had already left the harbor. However, in what can only be described as a miracle, we spotted 11 puffins, two bald eagles, and won a free ticket to go on another puffin cruise. A fitting end to an amazing trip.
Although Maine is a long shot from being on par with places like Patagonia, Kenya, or Macchu Picchu, this trip will always be one of our favorites.
A huge thanks to Chris and Laura for sharing this amazing post. We cant wait to follow this path! Give them at follow at www.trailsunblazed.com
Bali for Couples
As we travel the globe searching for the best couple destinations for you, we have discovered one place you must add to your list, Bali. The delightful island is located on the southern end of Indonesia in the Indian Ocean. Getting there is simple. There are a number of direct flights right into Denpassar, Bali, or as we did, connect via Singapore or Bangkok. Balinese hospitality matches the weather: warm and inviting. English is widely spoken, and getting around is straight forward and affordable. Here are our 7 hints for driving in Bail. Bali offers you a perfect setting to reconnect with your lover.
Beautiful Bali
Bali Beaches
Where to start? The beach of course! The warm blue waters with their white sandy beaches offer couples an ideal setting to relax or if inclined, engage in snorkeling and other world-class water sports. We elected to make Kuta, on the southern tip of the island as our base. There are so many different options for hotels in Bali. Of course if your pocketbook can handle it, a resort right on the water is highly recommended. Here are a few beach ideas. The great thing about Bali, is you can wander and find your own Best Beach!
Bali Beaches!
Kuta beach-Perhaps the most popular on the island. Can be crowded, but undeniably one of the best on the island.
Pemuteran– This dog-bone shaped by offers some of the best snorkeling and diving. The sea life and fauna have no rival.
Balian beach-If surfing is you thing, Balian is you place. With its ruckus waves, it is a grandstand to some of the best surfing on the planet. If riding waves is not your thing, there is no charge to enjoy the show as a spectator.
Ubud-An Artisan Paradise
One of our favorite places in the world is a little town in central Bali, an enclave of craftsmen and shops called Ubud. Ubud is the craftsman capital of the island. To the north of town is a street line with handicraft artisan shops. You can purchase glass works, ceramics, and some the best woodworking we’ve come crossed. There’re items for every budget. Perhaps the most tempting is the intricate jewelry that the island’s craftsmen create. Each creation is a work of art.
Bali Cuisine
After playing all day in and the sun and sand you would likely have worked up an appetite. It’s time to take in some of the world-class Bali cuisine. The wonderful thing about Bali, is that it’s perched on the crossroads of the Asian Pacific area. There number of Thai and Vietnamese influenced restaurants. Fresh fruit and seafood are almost always on the menu. We highly recommend taking in the street food that is available on almost every corner of the island. We also unexpectedly had some of our best curry there as well.
Hiking
If hiking and exploring are your thing, Bali will not disappoint! There is a long list of trails and hikes for beginners to the more adventurous at heart. Every inch of Bali was made for Instagram. The lush green jungles and rain forests beg to be explored. Don’t forget to pack plenty of water as the islands tropical heat can certainly melt any advanced trekker. Here are a few ideas for day hikes:
Mount Agung– This mountain is one of the most sacred sites for the Balinese. The trails are a bit rough and on the confusing side, but so worth it. If you have the cash for a guide, it would be a good idea. The views from the top are stunning!
Mount Batur– One of the “newest” attractions in Bali, it was formed by a volcanic eruption in 1917. The sunrise view from the summit is breathtaking. There is a caldera lake called Lake Batur in the crater. This is a great day hike… don’t forget to pack you lunch!
Side trips
The beauty of Bali is that it is centrally located and there are a number of wonderful side trips just a short flight away. One of our favorites is Borneo.
We elected take a short flight to Borneo. While we loved the ocean and culture of Bali… Borneo’s biodiversity is second to none. You can take in the orangutan park or if you’re little more adventurous head deep into the jungles of Borneo. There’re a number of resorts and camps you can go out on. We’ll like to go to the little lake in the center the island called Battang Ai. You have to take a boat across to an island in the middle of the lake. There are a number of different nature hikes and aboriginal village experiences. Our favorite was taking a waterfall adventure. The trek was pretty grueling but the reward was swimming under our own waterfall. Check out our Borneo for Beginners post for all the details.
Beautiful Batang Ai
We given you a few ideas on how to make Bali your next couple vacation. There is so much to offer traveling couples, and with that the affordable costs it is a great selection for your next couple holiday.
Have you been to Bali? If so we’d love to hear some feedback on what your favorite parts. Just leave a comment below.
20 Places You Are Saying Wrong
1) Nice, France WRONG: Nice RIGHT: Niece.
Trust us, Nice is Nice!
2) Phuket, Thailand WRONG: Fu-ket RIGHT: Poo-get
Read our post on skipping Phuket and visiting Krabi.
3) Thames River, UK WRONG: Th-AIMS RIGHT: TEMs
Don’t know about you, but I could listen to Benedict Cumberbatch say “Thames,” All…day…long!
4) Nevada, USA WRONG: Nev-AH-duh RIGHT: Ne-VAD-Duh
Don’t worry too much…Americans on the east side of the USA don’t know how to say it either.
5) Copenhagen, Denmark WRONG: Co-pen-hay-gen RIGHT: Co-pen-hog-gen
Hey you! There is not no “hay” in Copenhagen!
6) Beijing, China WRONG: Pee-King RIGHT: Bay-JING
This one harkens back to very poor translation spelling.
7) Reykjavik, Iceland WRONG: Ray-ka-vick RIGHT: Ray-kia-vick
Ok…we struggle with this one. Think of the car brand?
8) Taipei, Taiwan WRONG: Tai-PAY RIGHT: Tai-BAY
Home of one of the tallest buildings in the world, Taipei 101.
A view from Taipei 101.
9) Ibizi, Spain WRONG: eye-BEE-zuh RIGHT: eye-BEE-thuh
It sounds a little too much like I beat her.
10) Moscow, Russia WRONG: Moss-COW RIGHT: Moss-CO
No mossy cows in Moscow.
11) New Orleans, USA WRONG: New Or-Leans RIGHT: New Or-Luns
The faster you say it, the better it sounds.
12) Qatar WRONG: cut-TAR RIGHT: Kuh-TER.
There is plenty of tar in Qatar, just not in the name of the country.
13) Bangkok, Thailand WRONG: BANG-kock RIGHT: Bang-Gowk
This is another common mistake we hear. Anyway you say it, one of the best cities we have visited.
14) Budapest, Hungry WRONG: Budda-PEST RIGHT: Budda-Pescht
If you are headed there, drop us a line. We know the best goulash place. Mmmmm.
15) Iraq WRONG: Eye-Rack RIGHT: EYE-Rock
Watch the evening news, and at least half of the local reporters will get it wrong.
16) Versailles, France WRONG: Ver-sillys RIGHT: VER-Sigh
This is a great drinking game standing in line for tickets to the palace.
17) Dubai WRONG: Do-Buy RIGHT: Do-BAY
Please do buy the duvet, not the Dubai.
18) Newfoundland, Canada WRONG: New-Found- Land RIGHT: Nyoo-fn-Land
Ok…we cant say it right either. Here is a Canuck to help us:
19) Gstaad, Switzerland WRONG: Gee-STAD RIGHT: Sch-TOT
Theres no G in Gstaad.
20) Cannes, France WRONG: CANS RIGHT: CAN
Saying it right vs. saying it wrong will cost you a good seat at any good Cannes restaurant.
How many did you get wrong? Leave a comment below.
Travel-the best V day gift!
Tis the season of Love! Valentines day is just around the corner. We are all facing the age old question, what to give our loved one? Why give chocolates or flowers? Give them the world! We asked a few of our friends to submit “Selfies of Love.” Hopefully this will inspire you to invest in your relationship and see the world together. Even better, we are giving away $50 for the best couple travel selfie! Below are the best of the best we have received to date. Think you have a better one? There is still time to enter! Read below for all the details on entering. Happy travels!
Don’t forget to vote for your FAVE “Selfie of Love” below!
Beth and Ben on a hike up the Santa Ana Volcano in El Salvador. Check out their blog: www.mytraveltools.com
Happy Baha couple!
A room with a view! Paris Opera House
Robbie and Carrie at Kennedy Space Center.
Hamlet Depot, Hamlet, North Carolina.
Love at the Louvre with Olly & Jo of @ollyandjo
The couple behind @onlymypassport in Valencia, Spain.
Charlotte and Cameron at Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park
[poll id=”2″]
Its not too late to enter!!!! Just zing us a picture and tell us in less than 10 words where it was taken. Send them to [email protected]
The fine print (sorry, we don’t look good in stripes):
1) Pictures must be travel themed and feature at least two people. (No cat pictures allowed.)
2) Void where prohibited. (Void is such a weird word…..Void.)
3) All pics must be “tastefully” done. (Ummm… no weird stuff, ok?)
4) Contest rules are subject to change. (Unless Luci changes her mind….which NEVER happens.)
5) Contest ends on February 10, 2016 at midnight MST. (All good things must come to an end.)
5.5) 18 years old and above only to win. (This is the most fun adults get to have…no kids allowed!)
6) The expert judges at 1000 Fights will pick the winner!. (There are no rules against crossing your fingers.)
7) Submitting pictures to www.1000Fights.com means we can use them. (We will use them in our post if you win. Thats all. We promise.)
The Do’s and Dont’s of Darwin
Known as Australia’s only tropical capital city, Darwin welcomes visitors with the best weather, beaches, and activities every adventure seeker would love. Perched on the very northern coast of Australia, the area doesn’t see the attention of its sister cities Sydney or Melbourne. This lack of attention is actually a good thing. It is one of the few places that live up to what you envision the land down under being.
Visiting Darwin was our first visit to Australia, we learned a few lessons from our visit. We want to pass on a few of the basic do’s and dont’s for the area to ensure a problem-free and enjoyable vacation. We want you to have the insiders guide when going to the northern territory of Australia.
Do Plan for Adventure
Darwin offers visitors plenty of activities they can do from daytime to nighttime. There are two amazing national parks within driving distance of Darwin: Kakadu and Litchfield. Both are must sees for any visit to the “Top End.” There are many tours that leave from darwin and take you to on a day trip. The tour we elected to take gave us passage on a croc viewing cruise and a day swimming in the waterfalls of Kakadu! There are many multi day camping excursions into the national parks if you wish to get a more involved adventure. For the history buff, there are many World War II sites in Darwin. You can take a harbor cruse that highlights the different points of interest. There is also a WWII museum which has many interesting exhibits just outside of Darwin.
Kakadu National Park
Once the sun goes down in Darwin, the fun continues! We highly recommend visiting the Mindil Beach Sunset Market. It lines the beach with art, food and fun vendors. We absolutely loved just people watching along the path. You can also check out the Deckchair Cinema for an outdoor film viewing while resting in a reclining chairs under the stars.
Don’t Overspend on Accommodation
There will be plenty of things where you can put your money in, and accommodation shouldn’t be one of it. To fully experience the authentic atmosphere of Australia’s Northern Territory, consider signing up for a house sitting instead. According to a popular house sitting platform Trusted House Sitters, many homeowners in the area are in search for a loving home sitters to look over their humble abode including their pets while they are away. You get to stay in their homes for free, while enjoying the rest of your trip in Darwin. It will save you plenty of cash that you commonly spend on hotels or inns. This is highly beneficial for those planning to stay in the destination for a long period of time.
We stayed at the Bromeliad Bed and Breakfast and had a great time. The innkeepers are so kind and will definitely help you make your visit to Darwin an enjoyable one.
Do travel with insurance
Whether you are traveling to Darwin from another Australian location or internationally, the need to have a travel insurance will be highly helpful to you, especially when going on a trip with your family. A typical policy, based on the information shared by this travel insurance guide, can help you avoid any travel risk, such as:
· Hefty medical costs
· Airline and accommodation cancellation
· Lost, stolen or damaged items
· Legal liability
The same article also showed the ins and outs of making a claim, when the need arises, making it easier for you in case an emergency strikes.
Don’t Visit During the Wet Season
Given the plenty of outdoor activities you can do in the city, the best time to visit Darwin is during the dry season, which lasts from April or May until September or October. It’s the most beautiful weather to get around the city with clear blue skies, warm days and balmy nights. During the wet season, you have to endure storms that sometimes led to cyclones and floods. The temperature is less humid as it gets close to the wet season. The wet season starts around October to November, but rain falls more between January and March. According to resource page Outback Australia Travel Secrets, the wet season may still work for travelers who are more adventurous and flexible as it’s the time when wildflowers are blooming and waterfalls are raging.
Darwin’s geographic location made it a highly popular destination for travelers in search of peace of mind without the need to leave the city life. We hope this post presented you with all the preparation and safety tips you need before going to the capital city of Darwin. Feel free to add more tips to this list, by leaving a comment below.
We are Mike and Luci.