Lessons Learned From Traveling With Your Man

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Mark Twain

Thankfully through traveling to three continents and eleven different countries together, my husband and I have fallen more in love with each other (and traveling) than the dreaded latter of the quote above. But through our world galavanting, we've not only learned more about ourselves, but we've also learned some priceless lessons about each other. So I've compiled a list of five things that you can expect to learn when traveling with your man.

1. Bathroom language just can't be avoided. Especially when you spend every day for two weeks chowing down on some Thai green curry and a bathroom break is required within 10 minutes of finishing. Check out this post to see what are must haves in your medicine kit. 

2. Hanger is real...and ugly. I truly believe that all things said out of hunger should immediately be forgiven and forgotten. End of story. Oh and always carry snacks with you when traveling...always. 

3. Your fights while traveling will most likely become hilarious stories...later on. Keep that in mind while traveling. My favorite happened while on our honeymoon in Fiji. We decided to take a hobie cat and sail to a nearby island about a mile away. I had warned my new husband that it may be the wrong time to do this since the wind was dying down; but we went anyway and made it there in no time. Well when we were heading back, the wind died. I'm not just saying, it died down, I mean, there was zip zero zilch wind coming our way. We were stuck about half a mile from either island, in the blazing heat of the sun and for some reason we made the wise decision not to put on sunscreen that day. Being stuck, with no sun screen, and no way back does not make for a fun day of sailing. Of course at the time it wasn't funny but it didn't take long for us to laugh about it later. 

4. Their true side will be shown quicker while traveling than in day to day life. Combine unfamiliar territory, different languages and cultures and you've got yourself a mix dangerous enough to send the most calm and collected guy into a panic. And rightfully so. Thankfully, I've found a guy that stays cool even in the midst of canceled flights, being lost in an unfamiliar city or worst of all, trying to find the nearest bathroom after the aforementioned green curry outings. Because let's be honest, those are the times that I panic the most.

5. One will always be more adventurous than the other. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous person but that doesn't even come close to what my husband likes to do. This inevitably means that we make compromises when we travel. My husband's life long dream is the go cage diving with great white sharks in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a perfect example of when I'm definitely not as adventurous as he is. Cuddling up with tigers? Yes. Zip lining in the jungle? Why not? Swimming with whale sharks? Do you even have to ask? But Great White Sharks? I'll be in the boat documenting it all, thank you very much. Fair compromise right?

Needless to say; everyday is a new challenge, a new adventure, and a new story to be told. And we can't wait to see what happens next! If you liked this piece, check out my post about How to Travel Without Killing Each Other.

*this post was originally used as a guest post on The Nectar Collective

Philippine Budget-How to Keep Track of a Budget on Trips+A Giveaway

There are so many different types of travelers and traveling styles. There are people who go all out on vacation and do not spare any expense. There are the budget travelers that try to get the most bang for their buck. And there are the backpackers who try to stretch their dollar as far as it will possibly go. There's absolutely no wrong way to travel, it's all simply based on preference and budget.

Without a doubt, Jeremy and I fall into the budget traveler category. We like to enjoy ourselves, will splurge from time to time, and try to overall travel comfortably. But for the most part we try to just get the best deal we can and save as much as we can. We figure that the cheaper we can go, the more we can see, longer we can go for and the more often we can go. Win win right? 

I have talked before how Jeremy and I have somewhat specific roles while traveling. He books everything from hotels to airline tickets, and I plan what we are going to do and keep track of the budget. I can be quite particular about this and actually have a notebook that I always carry with me while traveling. It's to write and document but also to keep track of our spending on a day to day basis. I fill in the sheets of paper like this:

DAY OF THE WEEK

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks:

Entertainment:

Transportation:

Extra:

Then, each time we spend something, I put it in the correct spot. It doesn't take long and it's a great way to keep track of your spending. If we see that we're under our budget for that day, then we know that we have extra money to use towards something else, or do something extra on the trip. 

It's also a great reference for future trips. A lot of our trips recently have been around South East Asia. So if we save our detailed budget from Thailand (which we did) then we can pretty accurately plan our trip to any of the surrounding countries as well. 

So in hopes of helping some people out in their planning and budgeting process, I've decided to post our spending for each trip. Obviously from what we spend, you could easily spend a lot more or a lot less depending on your personal preference. Also, it's safe to say that depending on your starting point, plane tickets are going to fluctuate a lot. However, once you make it to South East Asia, you can stay pretty cheaply. 

Here was our total spending for our three day/three night trip to Moalboal, Philippines. The numbers include the price for both my husband and I. 

*I just had to share the $1 bike repair in the budget because I'm still in shock at just how inexpensive things are there!

Was this helpful for anyone? Would you like to see more of these?

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This giveaway is loong overdue! As promised, I have something to giveaway from a trip we took. And even though we had a short three days in the Philippines back in June, I still managed to find something to bring back and giveaway at the last minute!

On our two hour drive from where we staying in Moalboal, back to the airport, in Cebu City, we came across this small handicraft market. The owner has a small operation where she makes bags, placemats, baskets, hats and more all by hand. She told us that she actually produces some baskets that are bought by a company in Cebu City and then exported to Targets in the states. So if you ever see any of these baskets, please let me know! I quickly spotted this handwoven purse with wooden handles and thought that it would be a fun addition to any wardrobe. 

Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

1. Open internationally. 

2. Winner’s entry validity will be verified by me and if an entry proves to be invalid, you will be disqualified.

3. Giveaway ends on the  14^th of September at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be contacted by email no later than the 17^th of August. Winner has 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not respond, a new winner will be picked.

4. Please note that Lost in Travels Blog is responsible for the payment and shipment of won items but not responsible for any packages lost in transit. 

More Than a Place to Sleep-Villa Langka Hotel

One of the most nerve wracking parts of traveling for me is finding a hotel. I have a friend who has a similar hate and faces buyers remorse every time she books. It's hard not to when there's literally hundreds of choices in each area. So my solution? Let my husband do the dirty work. Thank goodness he's happy and willing to take it off my hands for me. And this time he was able to find the Villa Langka hotel in Phnom Penh, a gem among the hundreds of choices in the city.

When we travel we always look for the same things in our hotels. And thankfully Villa Langka filled all of these requirements.
1. Locally owned and operated aka no chains (only one location in the heart of Phnom Penh)
2. Small in size (48 rooms in total in two different buildings)
3. Budget friendly ($55 a night with an included buffet breakfast. A deal breaker when we look for hotels)
4. Location location location (just a short walk away from tons of bars, restaurants, and shops)

Thankfully in Phnom Pehn we lucked out once again. This hotel went straight to the top five places we have ever stayed. And with an added bonus of hotel security outside to watch over our bike. A must if you're renting in Cambodia.

My favorite part by far was the pool area. Since we weren't by the ocean during this trip, this was the perfect oasis in the middle of the city to cool off in the mid day heat. Many times we would site see in the morning, hang out by the pool and go back out once it had cooled off again. The overgrown trees and serene atmosphere throughout the property made you feel like you were miles from the city when in reality, you were just steps to popular restaurant and shopping areas.

There are two buildings of rooms. The first one is the original building with traditional style rooms. We stayed in the new building which were filled with about 30 simple, modern rooms which were perfect. It even had touches of bamboo and Cambodian silks throughout the room.

via

Absolutely beautiful, wonderfully relaxing. Villa Langka needs to be on your list of places to stay when traveling to Phnom Penh.

What do you look for when booking hotels on vacation?

Cross Country on Two Wheels-Roadtrip Across Cambodia

On the last few trips it's become a sort of unintentional tradition to rent a motorbike and take a road trip (you can check out our one in the Philippines and Thailand). We love it because not only it is a cheaper method of transportation versus taxis or tuk tuks since it's less than $10 a day for a rental, but I feel like we are also able to see parts of the country that would have whizzed by the bus window.

In total we rode over 900 km (that's 560 miles for you USers), or the width of Cambodia and almost back again and I have the bruises on my butt to prove it. We went through cities and back country roads where the farmers were steering their ox through the rice paddies. We drove through the blazing heat, dusty roads and pouring down rain. We met farmers, school children, business owners and our guardian angel; a stranger who drove slowly in front of us with their hazards on so we could see the road through the downpour of rain. But no matter where we traveled, we were always met with smiling faces and inquisitive looks. Even though it was a long ride, I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Here are some little tid bits from our 13+ hours on the open road:

Our first pit stop was to get gas at a small family owned service station. The girls in the top picture were selling mango and salt (an interesting combination for sure) while the boys helped their father with the station. The man sitting below had worked for ten years at a hotel in Phnom Penh in order to buy this gas station. And you'll notice that on the gas pump they have a handle they have to crank in order to get the gas from the barrel, up into the glass container, then through the house and into the vehicle.

Some of the other gorgeous views along the way.


This is another one of our many pit stops where we found children swimming through lily pads and collecting lotus pods to sell and eat.

We often had 'road blocks'. Luckily this was only one cow but there were times when we had to sit and wait for a group of them to get up and move out of the way before we could keep going.

On one of our last stops we went by an area where all of the houses and buildings were up on stilts. Certain areas can actually flood so much during rainy season that the water actually reaches the bottom of these buildings.

Along the same route we found a hammock restaurant on stilts and decided to take a break and enjoy the view. Plus, who can say no to hammocks and a cold drink?

I just couldn't resist putting some pictures of cows in Cambodia because they may just be my new favorite animal.

On our way back from Siem Reap to Phnom Pehn, we left at 4:30 in the morning (definitely not my idea) in order to beat some of the city traffic and also the scorching heat that sets in late morning. Thankfully the views made it well worth it.

Even though the trip was a blast and I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Southeast Asia, there are some things that made it a whole lot easier on us, and some things that we wish we would have known:

-It goes without saying that you need a lot of cushion. On the way back I was tempted to go try and find those butt inserts to make the ride a little better. Instead we folded some of our clothes in bags and sat on those instead.
-Cover up! Even though it may not feel hot when you're riding and you can feel the wind, you're getting a lot more sun that you think you are.
-Have a water proof option. We rode during the rainy season and thankfully only got caught in the rain once. We covered all of our bags in trash bags to protect them from getting wet.
-Get an international license. We've never been asked to show ours in the countries that we have rented but it doesn't hurt to have this extra precaution.
-We bought kramas (traditional Cambodian scarves) before we hit the road. A lot of the roads we went on weren't paved so there was a lot of dirt and dust that we would have been breathing in if we didn't have these scarves. Anytime we stopped, we got funny looks because of how dirty our faces were in the areas the scarf didn't cover.

Have you ever done a road trip in another country? What was your saving grace or what was something you wish you would have known beforehand?

10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Travelling the Silk Road-Guest Post

I have a very special treat for your guys today. Delia's blog, World in Words is a new find for me and I could not be more smitten by her creatively articulated travel stories. She left her job as a politics correspondent in the UK to travel the Silk Road from Turkey to China. I mean seriously, how awesome is that?! After you read her post below on things she wished she knew before leaving for her travels, you seriously need to head over to her page because she has some of the most unique travel experiences I've ever read! Here are some of my favorites to get you started: Walking in the Pamirs, How to Survive a Sleeper Train and Darvaza Gas Craters. Oh and Horse Riding in Kyrgyzstan; because those photos are beautiful!

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I've not confessed this to many people... but at the bottom of my rucksack, underneath my medical kit, trainers and other essential items, is a Lada car window handle. And no, since setting off to travel the Silk Road across Central Asia more than three months ago, I've not needed it once. Not once. Truth be told, with it being a road less travelled, I just wasn't sure what to expect. Yes, I hoped for amazing blue tiled mosques in Uzbekistan, a bizarre dictatorship in Turkmenistan and horses on green hills in Kyrgyzstan but that's sort of where my expectations ended. Despite doing quite a bit of research online (and having a guidebook) I failed to really comprehend what I would need to take with me and just what lay in store.

The street of mausoleums, Shah-I-Zinda in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

So, without further ado I would like to dispel a few myths to help others who may be interested in travelling Central Asia:

1) You do not need to take your own car window handle (we read online that this was a MUST pack item due to old knackered cars having no window handles). Most cars have electric windows, and while many of them will not work - your Lada window wrench will sadly be no use whatsoever (it won't even open cans of tuna. Fact.) You will be better served taking a portable fan - perhaps one of those fancy pants battery operated ones that sprays water.

Matty (boyfriend and partner in travel crime) brandishing the single most useless item to travel with.

2) The taxi drivers in this corner of the world play TERRIBLE music at high volume for hours on end. The only solution to this is to bring along an aux cable so you can plug in your iPod or music of choice and take control of the party. Oh, and there's not a lot of public transport in Tajikistan, Kyrgzstan and even parts of Uzbekistan so this really is a serious concern. Otherwise you could be listening to Uzbek dance trash for hours on end like this:

Our 'shared taxi' in Uzbekistan, heading to the Tajikistan border

Or this:

Another day, another journey: My travel buddies Donagh (left) and Matty (middle) on a 12 hour journey to the Pamirs in Tajikistan

3) The toilet paper here (which doesn't actually look like loo roll, more like a bandage - the very reason I went a day without using it at all when we first got here) is incredibly scratchy. It's been christened (by us) as the Chuck Norris paper - because it doesn't take sh*t off anyone... To be honest you're unlikely to bring away enough toilet paper for your entire trip so this is just a warning - get yourself mentally prepared.

4) But while we're on the subject - the bog roll is the least of your worries. The Central Asian 'toilets' are perhaps some of the worst in the world. Of course when I say toilets I mean holes - many of which have a metal wire across them to reinforce the hole, with the unfortunate consequence of catching everything that falls their way... If you get my drift. You will find holes side by side and the locals will think nothing of sidling up besides you - or watching you and asking you where you are from while you are busy squatting. Other holes will just leave you in fear of losing a leg down them, I mean look at this: 

 

5) Wi-fi: There is wi-fi in Central Asia! And it is quite widely available we had it everywhere from the capitals to the more rural towns like Karakol in Kyrgzstan - although it is almost always painfully slow. If you need a reliable wi-fi connection on the Silk Road the best thing you can do is buy local 3G SIM cards (for about $2) and then buy a 3G package (about $10 for 1GB) which is much faster than wi-fi. We caught on to this in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and our 3G package still had loads of Internet left when we left the countries about two weeks later, despite going on the Internet a lot and uploading picture-heavy blog posts like this :)

Left to right: Me, Matty and Donagh in a remote homestay in the Pamirs, Tajikistan. I admit we had signal of no kind here.

6) What to pack: Central Asia is not as conservative as you may think. Personally, I thought I would need to be covered from ankle to wrist in many countries but it's just not the case. A long skirt and t-shirt is ideal but knee-length skirts and vest tops are also fine in many places - for more details on what to pack and a brief dress code for each country click here. 

Me sporting the most conservative outfit I took on the trip... at Kah Kaag fort in Tajikistan as the sun said its goodbyes for the day

7) Need your hair done on the Slik Road? Fret not. I braved getting my highlights done in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and admittedly I went uber-Barbie-blonde but it gave my roots the lift they needed. If you're wondering what sort of refreshments might be on offer at the salon, forget tea and coffee but think more corn on the cob. Nice touch indeed. Plus it only cost about $30. Bargain.

   

8) The food. Oh, the food. Believe everything that it is said about Central Asian food - and expect worse. It just ain't that great and is certainly not the reason for visiting this stunning corner of the world. Expect kebabs (great), lots of fatty meat, bland sauces and more fatty meat (not so great). Until you hit Kyrgyzstan and China that is, when the food suddenly takes a turn for the better. If you're vegetarian expect a diet of rice, cucumbers, tomatoes and bread. 

Matty tucks into another kebab....

9) The booze. Praise the booze. Expect to be offered vodka at 10am in the morning - this is ok. In fact just get used to drinking vodka at all hours and forget any hopes of having it with a mixer. Vodka in Central Asia is drunk neat, but make sure you have something to hand to follow it with - tomatoes work brilliantly but sprite is still my number one chaser. There is also plenty of beer in these countries - just keep an eye on the alcohol percentage as many are a tad on low side (about 3%). But the best tip I can give you is - when you get to Uzbekistan make sure this is your beer of choice, delicious:

 

10) Getting visas on the Silk Road may lead you straight to the vodka bottle. This is ok and normal. The single biggest headache on this journey will be picking up visas. The key is meticulous research - one of the best sites we found was Carivanistan - which is constantly updated with travellers most recent experiences. The situation changes every few weeks - we were denied visas to Afghanistan because the 'rules changed' in Tashkent and we had troubles getting our Turkmenistan visas in Armenia because they're not talking to Azerbaijan which was our exit port. To see where and how we picked ours up along the road click here. But fret not, you're never more than a few metres away from a shot of vodka.

   

But perhaps the best advice I can give you if you are planning to travel Central Asia is that you are in for a trip of a lifetime. From the incredible high altitude world of the Pamir Mountain range in Tajikistan to the evocative cities of Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand in Uzbekistan that conjur up images of ancient Silk Road traders; you will be enthralled almost every step of the way. It's a journey like no other. Just don't take a car window handle.

Staring into a burning gas crater in the Turkmenistan desert

Where sleeping dogs lie... A high altitude cafe at 4,300 metres on the Pamir Highway

Put A Ring On It

I know several people, myself included, that do not like traveling with their wedding rings. There are several reasons for this.

1. Being humble. When traveling to third world countries, where people may not know where their next meal is coming from or where mothers are sending their children out to beg; it may not be the best place to show off your diamond ring worth more than they may ever see.

2. Safety. Let's face it, there are some places where flashing a diamond ring just isn't the safest idea. You have the chance of becoming a target just by having it around your finger. And...

3. Well...you don't want to lose it. Which is probably one of the main reasons I don't want to travel with it. Because even though I've never misplaced it before, it would be just my luck that it would happen the one time I bring it on a trip.

It is a combination of these reasons that makes me leave my ring at home on trips. Many girls simply wear their wedding bands which is more low key but there are several women out there that either have had their two bands soldered together or have opted for just a one ring show, like me. 

Which ever your reason for not wearing your ring on getaways, you may feel a little 'naked' without anything on your hand at all. So I've come up with some beautiful but low key options for rings to wear while traveling.

1. Diamond Baguette Ring // 2. Simple Gold Chain Ring // 3. Circle Disk Letter Initial Ring // 4. Cushion Cut Aqua Blue Chalcedony Ring // 5. Sterling Silver Stacking Rings // 6. Rose Gold Knot Ring // 7. Platinum Custom Finger Print Ring

Which would you pick? Do you wear your wedding ring while traveling?

Linking up with Ashley, Jean, Lauren, Kerry, Chrissy, Kenzie
Also, click here for your chance to win a FREE ONA camera bag, camera strap and Starbucks gift card!

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Expat Diaries: What Makes the Cut?

It's time for Expat Diaries once again! Link up your travel/expat stories below and get to know some of the other lovely bloggers!

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I love most aspects of planning for a trip. I love picking the destination, researching where to go and what to see while we're there. I even love budgeting for trips (anyone want to hire me? Dream job, right there). But you know what sucks all the fun out of it? Packing. I always procrastinate and more times than not, I forget something. But there are certain things that I make sure to never forget. No matter what season, what destination (because we know that those two things can drastically alter a packing list) these are some small items that always make it into my bag.

1. Pashmina- these multi-functional scarves always make the cut. These are great on cold airplanes, restaurants and trains to use as an extra layer. They're also great in temples and cathedrals when women need to have their shoulders covered.

2. Medicine bag- the worst thing is being away from home, getting sick and not having medicine handy. I'm especially careful about what I pack when going overseas since it may be more difficult to find medicine or communicate what I need. Here are some things I make sure to stick in there.
.Advil
.Immodium- traveler's diarrhea is a real thing guys...especially in Thailand.
.Motion Sickness Bands- I don't get motion sick as bad as I used to, but using these really helps! They just work by using pressure points, no popping pills necessary.
.Triple Antibiotic Ointment- with a daredevil husband like mine, I can never be too safe. I sometimes stick butterfly bandages in there as well...just in case. (I know his mom is nodding her head right now)
.Tiger balm- I can't even begin to express how amazing this product is. From burns, bug bites muscle pains and sprains, it's got you covered.

3. SD Card Holder- we always carry multiple SD cards with us when we travel. This is because 1. we're click happy and take way too many photos and 2. if we lose one of the cards, at least we don't lose our photos from the entire trip. We usually use a different card based on the day or location. This also helps in editing when we return home because we know exactly what pictures are on each card. Carrying them in a case like this helps keep them all together and makes for easy access.

4. Eye Mask- the plane has the inside lights left on, the hotel oh so conveniently forgot to mention that there are bright neon lights right outside the window (welcome to Korea), or you're crashing on your grams couch and would really rather not know what she looks like in her pj's. Eye masks are always a good idea.
Ear Buds- I actually never really gave thought to this one...until we were flying back from vacation. I wanted to catch up on some sleep before our full week ahead of us, and what do you know, we get the seats right behind a screaming baby. And I'm not talking about the cute little cooing and squealing. I'm talking about the blood curdling screams that happen right before you're about to fall asleep. Parents, I have so much more respect for you after hearing that. But ear buds are a definite must from here on out.

5. Tripod/Camera Remote- I realy dislike having to ask people to take our photo. I feel like it inconveniences them and half of the time we don't get the shot that we wanted. So instead, we bought a gorilla tripod. It's small and flexible and can be set up in numerous different ways including being able to hang from trees or cliffs (that one really made me nervous when we tried it in Thailand...hanging over the water. But it worked!)

6. Travel Organizer- my husband is known for wearing cargo shorts whenever we travel. Not for the comfort sake but for the fact that he keeps our tickets, passports and any other documents stuffed in every.single.pocket. After one too many times of shuffling through pockets to find what we needed, we bought this travel organizer. Smaller than a book and can hold all of our money, passports, tickets and any other document that we may need. Organization made easy.

7. Travel Clock- we typically don't travel with our cell phones since we would hardly be able to use them anyway. So instead we bring a small travel clock to work as our alarm. We learned the hard way when we traveled to Thailand, booked an early tour, and realized there was not a clock to be found in the entire guesthouse. Actually none of the places we stayed in Thailand had clocks. It's now a must have item in our bag.

8. Entertainment- let's face it, airports and airplanes are not always the most stimulating places to be stuck for hours at a time. Entertainment is huge on my list and a favorite of ours is Skip-bo (ok a favorite of mine and my husband is kind enough to tolerate it).

9. Kindle- ever since I bought my Kindle two years ago, it comes on every trip we take. Vacation is really the only time that I have to sit down and leisurely read so it's great that I can store so many books in such a small space! I also have the water-resistant cover because let's face it, the beach and Kindles just don't mesh well.

10. Flashlight- this may seem like an odd thing to pack but we've used our mini flashlight a ton on trips. Exploring caves, going on walks at night, unexpected power outages. You can never be too prepared and you can find flashlights that fit in the palm of your hand so they don't take up too much room.

What are your travel essentials?

Planning a Cruise in Alaska-Vintage Love & Photographs

Living abroad, I continuously amaze myself at just how little of the good ol' United States I've actually seen. Growing up we pretty much stuck to Michigan (where we lived) and Florida (where my grandparents lived. read:free housing). Through my adolescence we started to travel more but mostly internationally (no complaints there). But have I seen the Grand Canyon? Nope. Niagara Falls? Nope. Yellowstone? Nope. My students are in shock that I haven't seen some of the most famous landmarks in my home country. Which is why hubs wants to buy an RV when we move back home and travel around the states for a few months. Anyone want to join us? Along with the continental U.S. another place that's high on our list is Alaska. Today I have Kristy from Vintage Love and Photographs to show you exactly why I need to go there.

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Hey guys! It's Kristy from Vintage Love and Photographs. I thought I'd share about my last trip I took which was last year. My husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary once he came home from a deployment in May. We took a seven day cruise departing from Seattle to Alaska. I've never been to Seattle/Washington but I liked what I saw & would like to visit again. Our stops were in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan & Victoria, Canada.

I've visited all over the U.S. including Hawaii and I have to say Alaska is the most gorgeous state I have visited thus far. Every time I walked outside I was just in awe of all the beauty around me. I am not a nature girl at all so that tells you how beautiful it is there.

I bet you're curious as to if we saw any wild life! Well, I will be honest and tell you we didn't see a lot. I know! But we saw a bear and her cub from the ship and another bear while we were on a tram, so close enough to appreciate but not too close. We also saw I believe a baby humpback whale. We did see a lot of bald eagles which was pretty cool too.

As far as going on a cruise both my husband and I love them! They are so easy to plan vs. a regular vacation and we have found they are more affordable. I've been on three cruises thus far and hope to go on many more in the future. I thought I'd share some tips for those interested in going on a cruise.

-Do your research & the more in advance you book your trip the cheaper it will be. If you go during September-December to the Caribbean/Mexico it will be even cheaper because it's during hurricane season. I've gone on two cruises during this time & the weather wasn't an issue but this is all personal preference.

-Unless you have lots of money to spend just skip the balcony. I had to learn this the hard way. You will not use it as much as you think you will and if you're unlucky like me you will have to inhale unwanted cigarette smoke. 

-If you want to drink soda on the ship just bring your own in your luggage (stop at a store prior to boarding) and save a bit of money.

-Take a chance and book your excursions once you get to port. Those excursions tend to be cheaper than if you book with your cruise line.

-Pay attention to what you charge to your room (the only way to pay for things on a ship, at least with Carnival) because it adds up!

I hope I have at least piqued your interested in both going on a cruise and visiting Alaska. Side note, be sure to check out my fun giveaway over on my blog.

The Simple Life

I'll be the first to admit that the Philippines was not high on my travel bucket list. I've heard great things about their beaches but with us being more of the 'go go go' type of travelers, beaches alone didn't draw me in. With the Philippines being just a short four hour flight from Korea and with tickets as low as $150 per person, it's the perfect getaway for a long, or even in our case, a short relaxing getaway. 

We stayed at the Tipolo Beach Resort in Moalboal, about  two hour drive south of Cebu City. While I admit, it's nothing luxurious with basic rooms including a bed, wardrobe, mini fridge and nothing else, the genuinely friendly staff and ocean views far made up for it. 

The hotel has a total of eight rooms, three of which offer prime ocean views. But don't worry, they are all close enough to the water that you can fall asleep to the sound of the tide breaking against the shore. And that alone is worth the four hour plane ride. 

I can't speak highly enough about the staff here. They go out of their way to help you and to make sure that your trip is everything you hoped it would be. Many times we sat around chatting with the staff after eating or while we sat by the ocean. This is part of the reason I love staying at smaller accommodations. You have the chance to get to know the staff, their lives and more about their culture. 

They also had absolutely amazing food! (that's the most important part right?) Breakfast, lunch and dinner, residents from other resorts walk over to try their food. Wood-brick oven pizzas, mango smoothies and....well we stuck with that because once you find a good thing you should stick with it right? The staff also introduced me to a new drink. This probably isn't new to anyone else but the concept of mixing beer and Sprite blew my mind. Finally, a beer drink that I can get behind!

As a part of the hotel, they also have a side business, Planet Action Adventures. You can sign up through the hotel to go on day excursions like repelling down waterfalls (what we picked), river climbing (what we want to do next time), horseback riding, mountain biking, and city tours. Below is a picture of the beast that took us to the waterfall location, custom built by the hotel workers. 

On our last day, we called a 'tricycle' to come pick us up and take us to the taxi stop. These are extremely popular here and both tourists and locals alike use them. Pretty much a small cab attached to a motorbike or bicycle. A great and cheap way to get around. 

Some of these tricycles serve as food vendors. My favorite by far were the ones that served up fresh pastries. You could see locals carrying around huge bags of these and at only 5pesos(12cents) each (seriously guys...12 cents for fresh pastries. My jaw literally dropped when I converted it), I was stocking up too!

Stay tuned next week when I highlight repelling down waterfalls and our motorbike road trip through the pouring rain!

Linking up with Lisette