TRAVEL JOURNALS
An important part of travelling is storytelling. We all do it even if we have only been away for a weekend city break. We are all fed so much information by the mainstream media of how dangerous and scary the world is. We hope our stories written here in our travel journal will help you see that the world is full of strangers who are kind and always willing to help. We hope our stories inspire you to have an adventure.
Some of our favourites
Not sure where to start? Check out these favourites of ours.
OUR MOST RECENT travel journals
STAYING FIT DURING LOCKDOWN
We ran 5km’s every morning and the comfort and ease of use of our NordicTrack treadmill made every session something to look forward to.
COMING OUT OF HIBERNATION
With the lockdown restrictions easing, it is safe to say we can all start to leave our cosy hibernation spots. This year has been tough for everyone and we have all dealt with it differently.
SO LONG 2020, HELLO 2021!
2020 the most unexpected year has taught us how to deal with restrictions in the travel industry and even thrive.
ESCAPE TO BURLEY MANOR
We started the wood burner and got ready for bed. The hut has a large skylight above the bed which is amazing for watching the stars above.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Three years ago we started an adventure that would change our lives.
OUR SCOTTISH ADVENTURE
We arrived at low tide and sneaked down a secret way onto the slippery rocks to take photos of the castle.
THE ISLE OF SKYE
Last time we visited Hannah went for a little paddle under one of the waterfalls and I managed to persuade her to jump in again. She said it was very very cold!
THE ISLE OF LEWIS & HARRIS
The crossing itself was incredibly calm and the water was glass like, cracking under the weight of the ferry. The stillness made it easy to spot the playful pod of common dolphins swimming around and under our boat.
NORTH WEST COAST OF WALES
Black Rock is a unique beach that you can drive onto and park for the day. It sounded fun and we decided to give it a go.
SOUTH COAST OF WALES
Crossing down onto the beach and working our way across the sand and back up the tree lined path, we carried on towards Broadhaven South.
CORNWALL THE NORTH COAST
This was perfect for us as we could do a sunset surf and then also get up early to explore the coast and surf more. It was very windy in the evening and the photos looked epic with a golden sunset.
CORNWALL THE SOUTH COAST
We decided to head west and along the Lizard coast to Kynance Cove. Kynance Cove is a beautiful little tidal beach with incredible turquoise water.
THE CLUB AT COTTONMILL SPA MEMBERS
When Cottonmill spa reached out to us and asked if we wanted to have a complimentary membership for their exclusive members only spa we said yes instantly.
TOP COASTAL DESTINATIONS THIS YEAR
Our friends at Planet Travel Holidays specialise in active sports holidays around the globe and we recently chatted to their team to find out where they will be travelling to as soon as they can.
KEW GARDENS
Kew Gardens is a 326 acre site that is home to 40 historical buildings and in 2003 was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Kew is home to some 8.3 million plant and fungal specimens.
LOCKDOWN IN LANZAROTE
Who knew that 2020 would become such a crazy year!
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
We must admit we felt like we were in the Wes Anderson movie of the same name.
SLOVENIA
Hannahs knee gave in and she slipped, luckily she fell towards a section where there was a bit of path and not outwards over the side.
SWITZERLAND
After spending 3 days in this beautiful part of Switzerland we caught the train back down the valley to our car, loaded up our luggage and headed on towards our next destination.
INCREDIBLE INDIA - DELHI, JAIPPUR AND JODHPUR
This is part one to our trip around India where we spent the majority of our time spread across 3 cities.
THE MONKEY ISLAND ESTATE
Winding our way down English country lanes and through small villages. We were on our way to a place we didn’t know existed until a few weeks ago.
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
We were ready, but still couldn’t decide on what footwear we should take. We started searching for a shoe that had the right mix between lightweight and sturdy enough to take on the jungle and mountain environment.
SOPWELL HOUSE COTTONMILL SPA
After several hours of relaxing on warm stone beds, lying in the hydrotherapy pools and relaxing on the super soft and cosy loungers we had a treatment each.
FUERTEVENTURA
It is one of the most dramatic beaches we have ever seen and combined with the drive to get there makes it spectacular.
THE LAKE DISTRICT
The morning light was soft and the water was calm and had a glass like reflection, it was so peaceful watching the birds dancing above the water.
COPENHAGEN
We had to wait for an hour or so before we made our way to the front of the line to buy tickets. It was worth it, the place was beautifully decorated and really felt like a winter wonderland!
ICELAND EXPEDITION
We first aimed for one of the smaller looking glaciers on the map. We had to turn down a fairly rocky bumpy road but were eventually rewarded with the most magnificent glacier with crevasses running all the way through it, it was like a huge monster had dragged its claws along the ice creating massive beautiful scars.
SCOTLAND
The fresh air and mist against your face, the vast Lochs and endless Munroes always keeps us coming back for more.
WELCOME TO THE HIMALAYAS
It was absolutely freezing and now that the sun was setting it was getting colder and colder.
WHAT WE LEARNED WHILE TRAVELLING THROUGH ASIA
The Himalayas are bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined.
LA JOYA II BIU BIU, BALI
The morning yoga classes overlooked the ocean and there was also a plunge Jacuzzi that sits on the top of the cliff where you can watch the sunset from.
MICRO ADVENTURE WITH WIGGLE.CO.UK
When Wiggle contacted me to see if I was available for a micro adventure in the Sussex country side I quickly checked my calendar and booked my ticket to London.
THAILAND
Thailand has it all. Sun, sea, beaches, mountains, food and culture.
RECOVERING IN MALAYSIA
I woke up the next day and my leg wasn't looking great, it was weeping a lot and every time I kept putting cream on the burn it was making it worse and oozing some lovely yellow puss - yeuuuk.
ITS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPINES
The Philippines has been one of the best countries we have ever travelled to we just couldn't get over how kind the people were. We especially loved how the women are treated completely equally to men and very well respected and how they valued their relationships with family and friends as a huge priority.
THE SKYLINE OF SINGAPORE
There's something special about Singapore, it could be the magical skyline, the diversity of culture or the promotion of the arts.
WILD SUMATRA
Not long after this we were treated to our first sighting of what we came to see, a female Orangutan and her baby who was happily swinging in the trees above our heads.
PLATARAN,
BOROBUDUR
Upon arrival there was an instant sense of calm, beauty and serenity.
OUR JOURNEY IN JAVA
The plan was to travel quickly through Java and treat it as a stepping-stone to Sumatra, but boy were we wrong. We decided to extend our stay in Java as we fell in love with the island!
BALI PART TWO
Leaving Balis coast and heading into the heart of the Island. We would be visiting volcanoes, jungles and waterfalls.
BEAUTIFUL BALI
We spent 60 incredible days exploring Indonesia and we kicked off the trip by visiting Bali. This is Part one of our Bali adventure.
NEVER LET FEAR DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE
The moment of truth arrived and there was no news of any cancellations.
FINDING OUR ADVENTURE
We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for." - George Mallory
EGYPT
The pyramids really took our breath away. They were colossal, massive and each carefully cut piece of rock for the construction was as big as a family car.
AUSTRIA
Most of the time I was wearing my snowboarding gear as the icy air seemed to cut straight through and made me very cold. We walked into the hills and explored a winter wonderland that had frozen ice and snow everywhere.
NORWAY MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE
The early morning light and views across the fjord were spectacular.
INTO THE BELIZE JUNGLES
On the way out of the cave we noticed a very large spider on the cave wall, we found out later that the cave is home to large predatory spiders.
SWIMMING WITH SHARKS IN BELIZE
We got up early to watch the sunrise over the ocean and the orange colours as the clouds lit up on the horizon was a fantastic way to start the day.
CARACOL
The journey itself to Caracol was an epic adventure crossing jungle rivers and potential covered Mayan sites that had not yet been excavated. Every substantial mound or small hill had the potential to be some incredible piece of history.
TIKAL
The Howler monkeys roared and that view made famous by the original star wars movie came into view. The tallest structure in the Americas until Columbian times rose from the jungle and the early wake up call was all worth it.
THE GARDEN ROUTE SOUTH AFRICA
We were treated to the best whale watching, a mother and her calf Southern Right Whale followed our boat and played with each other in front of us. They even swam right under our boat and we got to see just how massive they really are.
CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA
After landing in Cape Town we picked up our rental car and headed towards the city. That iconic view of Table Mountain quickly came into view
TURKEY
His weight then caused it to dig in and as he fell it ripped upwards and down to the bone. He screamed and everyone just stood in a circle around him staring in shock.
MOROCCO - INTO THE SAHARA
The silence of the desert was deafening, the vast expanse of sand and dunes was endless and we were grateful for our guide leading the camels.
MOROCCO - HIKING MOUNT TOUBKAL
The trail seemed to last forever, it was very hot and we were now all very tired. We had also been up for a long time but knew that pushing on would be worth it.