Life Update: travel plans and What’s Next?
Last year, we were completely exhausted from practically a decade of moving around the world from place to place. once we both concerned the challenging realization that it was time for a base and that being “nomadic” wasn’t for us anymore, we essentially just stayed put for practically an entire year!
It was as if the years of hard travel and running an online company while on the road caught up with us. We essentially had no desire to pack our bags and go on a trip — which is unheard of.
That was 2018. fast forward to this year and we’re much much more eager to get back on the road — we just needed a little bit of R&R and some downtime, we’re not in our 20’s anymore!
Earlier this year, we spent 2.5 months in Ecuador and Peru, two weeks in Nova Scotia and delighted in a few staycations here in Grenada.
Ecuador was exactly the trip we were ready for!
After being back from Nova Scotia for practically 8 weeks now, we’re feeling ready to take off again — the travel itch is full-on this year.
⚠︎ big travel Announcement:
We’re travelling to Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan!
While these won’t be new countries for us, we’re going to islands and towns that we haven’t explored yet. It’ll be a mix of work and pleasure and we’re looking forward to sharing our beach, food, diving and cultural findings with you!
We went live on Facebook announcing this trip. check it out here (or continue reading below):
Why Asia?
This part of the world is one of our favourites and we find ourselves returning here again and again — either to travel or to put down some short-term roots.
The interesting cultures, the tasty cuisine, and the overall charm have stolen our hearts over the years. many of our travels have been spent in Asia (including Central, East, South, West, and Southeast) and in fact, we have just one country left before we’ve seen all of Southeast Asia (Timor-Leste/East Timor).
There’s just something special about this part of the world that keeps us coming back.
The street food in SE Asia is some of the best anywhere!
This time around, we’re heading to the Philippines to attend our friend’s wedding. He’s American, she’s Filipina and we can’t wait to experience a conventional ceremony and celebration!
Plus, other friends of ours will be there as well — this is going to be a fun reunion. We’ve rented a vacation home best on the beach and will be exploring the island, partaking in wedding shenanigans, and enjoying the company of our friends.
When we were talking about the wedding schedule and details, we at the same time received an offer from Lotus hotels to visit Indonesia and experience their spectacular accommodations, which are all PADI 5* dive resorts.
The timing couldn’t have been much more ideal and we chose to incorporate Indonesia into our Philippines travels.
A couple of weeks after accepting the offer in Indonesia, we were approached by a pr company in Japan who represents various tourism boards there.
She invited us to experience lesser-travelled parts of Japan and share our findings with our audience.
The company wanted us to visit in October/November, which lined up perfectly — everything seemed to fall into place. And, when that happens, we choose it.
We feel so humbled and grateful to be at a level where brands and tourism boards recognize our value and want to work with us. We started blogging for family and friends back in 2011, and because making the conscious decision that we were going to turn travel blogging into our full-time career, it has blossomed into something far bigger than we ever imagined.
And that’s all thanks to you and your support!
Us with the press trip crew in Chicago. Influencers from Mexico, Brazil, Australia and ourselves. plus the pr reps for the hotel we stayed at.
While press trips aren’t our main income stream or blogging model, when we’re invited on campaigns that suit our ethos and travel style, we happily accept them.
This is a fun way to travel, as we’re either doing something completely distinct (like plotting hiking routes in Kyrgyzstan), road tripping around and exploring on our own (like in Argentina and Nova Scotia), or scuba diving in remote locations (as Nick did with the Indonesian tourism board).
Since we take time to vet the provides and consider whether or not they fit with our interests and brand, we’ve had nothing but positive experiences in the past and I’m sure it’ll be the same for our trip with Lotus hotels and Japan tourism.
First up, Indonesia
In 2009, we backpacked around Indonesia for 2 months, while travelling to the islands of Bali, Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Sumbawa, Java, Flores, Rinca, and Sumatra.
We slept on mattresses on the floor, endured some seriously dodgy accommodations, and actually bargained one particular room down from $3 to $2.50 / night! We took whichever transportation was the most affordable (we even rode on top of a bus), we typically ate street food, and we didn’t care about comforts — we just wanted to stay on the road for as long as possible.
The travel bug and the sense of freedom were overwhelming.
We were on an extreme budget that year abroad. In fact, we travelled Indonesia for around $35 CAD/day, for both of us.
Us in Indonesia during our first trip in 2009!
Our encounters with the people, the natural surroundings, the distinct culture, the experiences we had, and the overall adventure of travelling around this part of the world made Indonesia top our list of preferred countries during that year in Asia.
We loved it so much that in 2017 we chose to return to Indonesia to live in Canggu Bali for 3 months.
Here we are, 10 years because our first trip as budget backpackers, revisiting Indonesia in a completely different way — a way that reflects our current lifestyle and 35-year-old selves. It’s very surreal to think back on how far we’ve come and how we’ve developed because 2009.
While we’re pleased we backpacked when we did, our tight budget at the time certainly limited some of the things we wanted to experience, which included scuba diving. this time around, Nick will get his diving fix!
Living in Canggu Bali
Our Upcoming route in Indonesia
Grenada -> new York -> Taiwan -> Bali -> North Sulawesi -> Raja Ampat -> Bali -> Gili Trawangan -> Bali
After a long, 25-hour travel journey we’ll arrive in Bali — jetlagged I’m sure but ready for the adventure. We’ve booked a good vacation home on Airbnb in the beach town of Sanur. even though we’ve spent lots of time in Bali we’ve never been here, but from what I’ve heard, Sanur has been dubbed as “snore” because it’s quieter than many of South Bali — which is fine by me!
After 3 nights spent chilling out, exploring by scooter and stretching our legs after the long flight, we’ll fly to North Sulawesi to the small island of Gangga. This area is known for having spectacular scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities. We’ve never been to Sulawesi and are thrilled to see what Gangga Island and the surrounding Bunaken national Marine Park have to offer.
This is where we’ll be staying, Gangga Island resort and Spa. It looks amazing! (Photo credit: Lotus Hotels)
From North Sulawesi, we relocation on to our next island paradise, Raja Ampat. This once-secret group of 1500 islands is becoming much more popular but is still considered off-track due to the effort it takes to get here. nothing this good comes easy!
Idyllic islands, palm-fringed shorelines, crystal clear water, and some of the best diving anywhere in the world can all be found in Raja Ampat. The underwater world is teeming with life, which Nick knows first hand because he went on a diving trip here in 2017 during our stay in Canggu. I was so envious of that trip, and now I get a chance to see it with my own eyes.
We’ll be staying at the Papua Paradise Eco resort for 5 nights in overwater bungalows. This type of accommodation has been a dream of ours for numerous years, and it’s finally coming true. viewing marine life swim by, and snorkelling best offshore will be pretty incredible.
Overwater bungalows! We’re looking forward to snorkelling best offshore. (Photo Credit: Lotus Hotels)
From the far east of Indonesia, we’re returning to Bali to visit another town that we’ve yet to see, Candidasa. A trip to a nearby village, scuba diving and unwinding by the pool are all on the agenda here. After what I’m sure will be a great 3 nights in Candidasa, we’re taking a boat over to nearby Gili Trawangan.
During 2009, we spent about a week on Gili T and really delighted in the slow pace of the island. I remember renting bicycles with a plan to ride around the circumference of the island, only to find out that just 1/4 of it was paved, and the rest was sand!
It’ll be interesting to see how Gili Trawangan has changed over the past 10 years. The plan here is to do some scuba diving and snorkelling (of course), indulge in some unwinding medspa treatments and explore the island.
The dining andpool area of vacation home Almarik on Gili T. (Photo credit: Lotus Hotels)
In total, we’ll be travelling around Indonesia for 20 days and can’t wait!
A wedding in the Philippines
During our 10 years of travel, we’ve attended various weddings abroad. many of those weddings were for people we didn’t actually know! When we found out our good friend was getting married, we figured it would be held in the Philippines (where he lives), and knew we had to make an effort to get there — especially considering Nick was named best man!
We’re flying into the town of Dumaguete and taking a boat over to the island of Siquijor, which is where the festivities will take place.
The last time we were in the Philippines was back in 2012 when we travelled around the islands of Luzon and Palawan. There are over 7,000 islands in the archipelago and, not surprisingly, we haven’t explored Siquijor in the past.
Known for its interesting witchcraft healers, awesome scuba diving, beautiful beaches, and beautiful waterfalls, we’re very much looking forward to experiencing this island — through the eyes of a local.
Exploring a deserted island in the Philippines back in 2012.
A quick trip to Japan
In 2018, we chose to fly from Bali to Tokyo and celebrate Nick’s birthday in Japan. He’s a sushi fiend. landing in Tokyo and having sushi that day for lunch was probably the best birthday he could’ve dreamed of!
We spent around two weeks travelling to Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, and some surrounding villages. I think you could spend years in Japan and continuously learn about the history and culture of this distinct destination.
On a walking trip in Kyoto. Tatsuya was a great guide, and friend!
This diverse country has a little something for everyone — mountains, beaches, history, lakes, cities, food, and culture. There are just so numerous things to do in Japan.
This time around, we’re starting off in Tokyo (sushi!) and heading to the northeast region of the country, Tohoku — which is known as being a hidden traveller’s gem. This part of Japan is filled with hot springs, mountains, villages, crater lakes, and of course, regional food specialities.
From the north, we’re heading south to the Okayama area to explore castles, museums, gardens and shrines, before making our way back to Tokyo where we’ll complete our journey by soaking in an onsen (public bath).
This whirlwind trip will give us a taste of some parts of Japan we’ve never been, and from what I’ve seen and heard, I’m pretty sure we’re going to want to return.
Tohoku region of Japan (image courtesy of Shutterstock).
Returning Home
This trip is all about the islands, and after hopping around 7+ islands in Asia for 2 months, I think we’ll be ready to return to our home base (which is also an island!).
Having a base to return to really makes our travels a lot easier. These days, we don’t have to pack up literally everything we own and bring it with us. Plus, having a home allows us to actually accumulate a few belongings and to get some work done.
Once we return home it’ll be all about catching up with work, going to with friends, enjoying some downtime and getting ready for our next adventure…which is happening around mid-January!
Have you been to any of the destinations I discussed in this article? If so, please give us your must-sees, eats and dos in the comments below!
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