Thailand Part One - Khaos on Khao San Road

For most people, if you think of Bangkok, you'll probably think of Khao San Road. Or The Hangover 2, which I haven't watched but assumed the title would inevitably be relatable. Hopefully not the face tattoo though.

Why I Travelled 8 Months On My Own

So I did it.

I quit my job, I bought a one way ticket, and I flew to the other side of the world.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Chiang Mai

Alongside beautiful beaches, hedonistic parties and delicious cuisine, one of Thailand's biggest draws is undoubtedly the elephants. Powerful, playful and incredibly wise, elephants are some of the world's most fascinating creatures, and visiting them is a regular appearance on many travel bucket lists.

Time for an Adventure!

It's difficult to remember where my fascination with travel came from.

Cocktails on Perissa

Santorini is all about sitting back and enjoying the easy, slow pace of Greek life. So, embracing this laid back lifestyle we headed to the island's beaches to soak up that Mediterranean sun!

Oia, Santorini

Oia is Santorini's most recognisable town. It's the one that you will have seen in all the photos. The blue domes, the traditional windmills, the incredible sunsets - it's no wonder that hundreds of tourists flock to Oia every day.

Hiking in sandals

Let's just take a moment to appreciate the unbelievable cuteness of the above photo.

*Squeal*

Skaros Rock, Imerovigli

If you go to Santorini you will no doubt do a lot of walking. Unless you plan on spending your time relaxing in the pool, and hey, if you're lucky enough to have these views then I don't blame you!

Yasou, Santorini!

Santorini has one of the most recognisable views in the world. Even if you haven't heard of the name before, there's no doubt that you've probably seen the pictures on Instagram. And it's really no surprise - it's without a doubt one of the most picturesque places I've ever been. With the perfect whitewashed buildings and unmistakable blue domes all perched high above the sparkling caldera, there's no view quite like Santorini's!

San Marco

Gondolas aside, Saint Mark's Square is probably the most iconic image of Venice.

From the Canals

 

Just like you can't go to Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower, you can't go to Venice without riding in a gondola. It's expensive, it's a cliche, but it's one to tick off the bucket list! After all, you can't fight those touristy temptations forever...

Looking Over Venice

Look at that crazy mane of hair. Once again, unrealistic expectations resulting from *that scene* in Pocahontus have not been met. Sad times.

Exploring Venice

You haven't truly explored Venice until you get lost there.

River Walk

As Spring starts to arrive in St. Anton, the days grow warmer, the snow starts to melt and the recovering grass is revealed underneath. But of course, melting snow means less skiing. So, what do you do in a ski resort with no skiing? You go exploring!

Finding Narnia

Fun fact for you all, I am currently writing this from my first bath in 5 months complete with bubbles and Bon Iver (on Spotify, not in my bath). Heaven, right? Sometimes you need a little pampering, ya know?

Anyways, let's get back to the mountains and snowier times. St. Anton can get very busy out on the slopes. That's when you run away into the trees. Here we found our own bit of Narnia.

First Snow

There's nothing I love more than snow. It's one of the few things that still fills me up with that child-like excitement, waking up in the morning to see a blanket of white outside, fighting the temptation to make snow angels and build snowmen until the sun goes down. So after weeks without a single fresh flake in sight, when the snow finally started falling in St. Anton on new year's eve (and then again at midnight - talk about a perfect movie moment!), I couldn't resist getting outside straight away. If there's anything that can instantly transform a place into a magical wonderland, it's snow.

Rainy Day Date

After a delicious and filling brunch at Joe's Kitchen (read the post here), Reiss and I headed out into the rain for our adventure-filled day at ZSL London Zoo! We didn't let the rain dampen our spirits though, as a rainy Monday meant an empty zoo, leaving us free to roam around without the queues. Although a lot of enclosures in the zoo are currently under reconstruction for 2016, including the lion exhibit, there's still plenty to see, from slow lorises and aye-ayes to adorable baby gorillas!

Trebah Garden, Cornwall

Summer is a season full of beautiful things: BBQs, sunshine (admittedly a little sporadic in England), and flowers. One of my favourite things to do on a sunny summer day is go for a long walk, particularly around a gorgeous garden in full bloom - so quintessentially English! Trebah Garden has been on my "to visit" list for a while, so on a warm sunny day, my sister and I decided to explore the sub-tropic garden. From a private beach to an ampitheatre, Trebah Garden is truly special. So if you love winding pathways, hidden gems, and flowers galore, you've come to the right place!

Porthchapel Beach, Cornwall

I've always believed that some of the most special beaches are the hidden ones. You know, the tucked away beaches where you have to get your rock-climbing, adventurous mind in set and clamber down a cliff to get to. So when we wondered upon this beachy oasis of Porthchapel Beach on a coastal walk from Porthcurno (see the post here), of course we couldn't resist having a closer look!

Porthcurno, Cornwall

 

Almost every time I visit a new beach in Cornwall for the first time I gasp in awe and proclaim that it's my new favourite beach. The wonderful thing about Cornwall is that it never fails to provide that sense of wonder whenever I explore it. However, the other week Cornwall really outdid itself with beautiful weather and beautiful scenery, and once more I found myself a new favourite beach, although it's probably going to be a hard one to beat. Let me introduce to you my new slice of paradise: Porthcurno.