The Terravision Rome Airport Bus

Getting from either of the airports outside Rome to the city center can be an expensive business. Fortunately, there are some inexpensive and efficient alternatives to taking a taxi. We used the Terravision Rome airport bus service to travel from Fiumicino airport to the center of Rome.

Great

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-rome-airport-bus/

Rome - Inexpensive Start for a Long-Haul Flight

Rome is not exactly South-East Asia, but this is where our journey to the Philippines began, following a short flight from Malta.

The reason for this was our discovery of some very reasonably priced Emirates flights running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Italy is a small hop from our b

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-inexpensive-start-for-a-long-haul-flight/

Getting Gringoed in Isla Colon Bocas del Toro

After spending a couple of days in Bocas del Toro, we decided to spend some extra days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido Guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/getting-gringoed-in-isla-colon/

Malaysia My Second Home - Our Personal MM2H Application Experience

Our interest in the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program started after several visits to Malaysia and some long trips through the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, all spread over a 5-year period.

If you have the time, then taking an extended multi-week break in Malaysia works out much cheaper

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/our-mm2h-application-experience/

London City Stopover - What to See & Do in just 6 hours

We arrived back in London Gatwick at the end of our multi-stop flight to Hong Kong and Bali, courtesy of Cathay Pacific. With just 12 hours between our arrival at Gatwick and our onward flight home from London Luton airport, we were optimistically hoping to cram in some essential sightseeing on o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/london-city-stopover/

Langkawi Long-Term Stay - 3 Months in Malaysia

Ever considered a long-term stay in just one location in South East Asia?  An opportunity to get an in-depth feel of the region at a more relaxed pace, while actually saving on your daily budget? We did just this on the chilled-out paradise island of Langkawi in Malaysia: An excellent destination

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/langkawi-malaysia-long-term-stay/

13 Weeks in Langkawi - Where to Stay and What to Do

Our plan for this trip to Malaysia was quite unlike our other adventures to date. Having spent many years touching the surface of different Asian cultures through shorter visits, we now wanted to understand how it feels to live in just one locality. Spending 13 weeks in Langkawi seemed an ideal

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/13-weeks-in-langkawi/

Apartments at Sri Lagenda, Kuah Langkawi

Looking more like the location for a post-apocalyptic movie than a condominium in a tropical paradise, Sri Lagenda is a prominent 13-storey apartment block located close to the center of Kuah in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Here it is possible to rent apartments for short or long-term lets, either

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lagenda-apartments-kuah-langkawi/

Sri Lanka 21-day Budget & Costs

Our Sri Lanka 21-day round trip started and ended in Negombo. From there we traveled inland to Sigiriya to visit the Lion Rock.

We then took a bus to the central highlands, taking in Kandy, Polwaththa ECO lodges, a tea plantation and the Knuckle Mountains.

Following a dizzying descent from

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-21-day-budget/

Georgetown Penang - A Cultural Smorgasbord

Following our island hops through Phuket and Langkawi, we planned to spend 7 days on the southernmost island in our itinerary - based in Georgetown Penang.

Although it is an island, Penang is connected to the Malaysian mainland via a very long and narrow 13.5-kilometer bridge. We would travel

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/georgetown-penang-a-cultural-smorgasbord/

Rome - Inexpensive Start for a Long-Haul Flight

Rome is not exactly South-East Asia, but this is where our journey to the Philippines began, following a short flight from Malta.

The reason for this was our discovery of some very reasonably priced Emirates flights running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Italy is a small hop from our b

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-inexpensive-start-for-a-long-haul-flight/

Madrid Airport Transfers & Where to Stay

Arriving late in the evening at Madrid airport, we were keen to discover how straightforward our transfers into the city would be, and how our selected hotel on the Gran Vía in the center of the city would measure up.

Following a 9-day trip through the Canary Islands - including Tenerife and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/madrid-airport-transfers-where-to-stay/

Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk Istanbul - Beware Scammers!

For many years we had heard a lot about the complimentary hotel services offered by Turkish Airlines for unplanned Istanbul layovers exceeding 10 hours. Many people try to game the system in order to qualify, but the rules are quite specific. If you are not a truly genuine candidate, the Turkish

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-hotel-desk-istanbul/

Checkout Our 360 Degree Panoramic Images

Using Google Street View and some post processing software, its possible to produce some pretty nifty 360 degree panoramic images from a standard smartphone, without having to splash out on an expensive dedicated 360 degree camera. Having said that, a 360 degree camera is definitely on our

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/360-degree-panoramic-images/

Exploring Songkhla Thailand

Songkhla is a large city located in southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. We were inspired to visit this province not so much to admire the architecture as to renew a 30-day Malaysian visa, which was due to expire.

It also seemed to be an ideal excuse to spend a few days exploring

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/exploring-songkhla-thailand/

Climbing Gunung Raya, Malaysia

Among the most impressive features of Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia are the mountains. The highest of these is known as Gunung Raya, which dominates the island at 881 meters above sea level. Although not for everyone, climbing Gunung Raya by foot is a challenging but massively rewarding

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/climbing-gunung-raya-langkawi-malaysia/

Getting Gringoed in Isla Colon Bocas del Toro

After spending a couple of days in Bocas del Toro, we decided to spend some extra days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido Guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/getting-gringoed-in-isla-colon/

Visa Runner - Langkawi Malaysia to Songkhla Thailand

If you're planning an extended stay in Malaysia, then its likely that at some point you'll have to renew the limited tourist visa you are given on first arrival. This procedure is often referred to as making a ‘visa run’, and will vary according to your nationality and location in Malaysia. In our

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/visa-runner-langkawi-songkhla/

Malaysia My Second Home - Our Personal MM2H Application Experience

Our interest in the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program started after several visits to Malaysia and some long trips through the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, all spread over a 5-year period.

If you have the time, then taking an extended multi-week break in Malaysia works out much cheaper

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/our-mm2h-application-experience/

Kuala Lumpur - First Impressions

Following a short transit through a decidedly chilly Holland and Belgium (see If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium), we were ready to take a flight to warmer climes. Our KLM flight went non-stop from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, departing at 20:50 in the evening and arriving at 15:45 the following

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-lumpur-first-impressions/

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Funnily enough, it was a Tuesday when we arrived in Belgium. We knew this must be Belgium because of the bicycles and the scary clowns...

For those of you (especially Americans) who aren't familiar with the movie, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium is a 1969 romantic comedy film made on lo

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/must-be-belgium/

Planning a Travel Itinerary Around Malaysia

We always wanted to visit Borneo - even more so than Malaysia. So when we found reasonably priced flights from Amsterdam, we didn't hesitate to snap them up, and started working on our Borneo and Malaysia travel plan.

At this point, I need to regress a little in order to share a really useful w

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-travel-plan/

Denpasar Souvenir Shopping

Our last port of call in Bali was Denpasar, not far from the airport. Here we had just one day and night before taking a Cathay Pacific flight back to London, via Hong Kong. Our plan for this 24 hours was to get in as much souvenir shopping as possible, since we had discovered that Denpasar is know

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/denpasar-souvenir-shopping/

Our Philippines Impressions? It's not what we expected

Our Philippines impressions were formed gradually over the 3 weeks we spent there. We arrived in the Philippines with open minds, though it's difficult to erase all the preconceptions you have about a place before you visit it.

In our case, we were anticipating white sand beaches, relaxed

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-impressions/

Airlines, Airports & Transfers

The single most expensive item of your trip to the tropics will no doubt be your air fare. Getting a great deal here could easily be worth an extra week or two in your chosen destinations. But it's not just about the cost - How about reliability and service?... and most importantly of all -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/airlines-airports-transfers/

INDIA - I'll Never Do It Again

‘INDIA - I'll Never Do It Again...’ I first came across this expression while chatting with a fellow traveler at a beach cafe in Agonda, South Goa. She pointed out a table on the beach with this inscription carved artistically into the wood.

It sums up the conflicting emotions felt by many tra

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ill-never-do-it-again/

Philippines Tokay Gecko - The "Little Britain" Lizard

Wherever we travelled throughout the rural areas of the Philippines, we were entertained most evenings and nights by the strange and intermittent Philippines Tokay Gecko night call.

The call was too loud to be emitted by an insect. It sounded more human - like a negative response occa

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-tokay-gecko/

Videos & Soundtracks

Videos & Soundtracks from our favourite destinations
Be sure to crank up the volume!

Looking for more Inspiration? Take a look at some other highlights for the Free Independent Traveller:








Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/videos-soundtracks/

Penang Malaysia - Welcome to China

On a first visit to Penang, you could be forgiven for thinking yourself in mainland China. As with the unbalanced demographics of Tenerife North in the Spanish Canaries, which is permanently occupied by a majority of aging Germans, Penang Malaysia seems to be home to a disproportionate percentage o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/penang-malaysia-welcome-to-china/

Bland Filipino Food

Before we started this trip, from our research we gathered that there was no distinctive Filipino cuisine. From our actual experiences in the Philippines, this appears to be true. On the menus everywhere you find pork and chicken, most often barbecued in a sweet and sticky marinade. This bland

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bland-filipino-food/

Easy-Access Snorkeling Locations

Tropical beaches are fine, but if you enjoy exploring the scenery below the waterline it's fun to hire a mask and fins and go checkout the marine life. The ideal way to do this is directly from the beach. Often however you'll find the best snorkeling is offshore - in which case you'll need to hire

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/easy-access-snorkeling-locations/

Istanbul Walkabout - Turkey's iconic mosques & monuments

We dedicated our first full day in in the city to visiting some of the “must see” Istanbul mosques, museums and monuments. Because there are so many of these, and with a limited amount of time, we had to be quite selective.

In part, this was made easier for us by the opening times of some of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-mosques-minarets/

Maspalomas Gay Paradise - Gran Canaria

Following a 6-day break in Tenerife, we continued our Canary Islands journey by taking a ferry across to Tenerife's sister-island, Gran Canaria. The ferry dropped us off in the north of Gran Canaria, from where we took a bus down the east coast of the island to Maspalomas. What we were hoping for

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maspalomas-gay-paradise/

Philippines Trikes Taxis & other Transport Options

Before coming to the Philippines, we read a lot of articles about people being ripped off by trikes and taxi drivers. We was therefore initially wary on the occasions we decided to use Philippines trikes taxis or other transport options.

However, as with a lot of the other information we read on

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-trikes-taxis/

Best Bites & Spicy Delights

From our perspective, the local food on offer can make or break an extended travel agenda. If you have an adventurous palette, more often than not you'll discover some amazing flavours and experience a diversity of unforgettable snacks and dishes. Here is a summary of our favourite eating

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/best-bites/

Lembongan Island Snorkeling Tours

Snorkeling and diving are among the great attractions of a trip to Lembongan, providing an enjoyable and more active alternative to soaking up the sun on the beaches. If you're not keen on swimming out from the shore to find a snorkeling spot, another option is to take one of the full-day

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-snorkeling/

Philippines Buses & Jeepneys

During our trip through the Philippines, we had the opportunity of trying out a myriad of transport options. In addition to Habal Habal motorcyle rides and Trikes and Taxis, there were a few tips we picked up using the Philippines Buses & Jeepneys.
Which Colour Bus?
Always take the yellow a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-buses-jeepneys/

Budget Accommodation Nightmares

We’re great believers in checking and double-checking the photos, descriptions and reviews of hotels and guesthouses before making a booking. What we’ve learned though is that you can’t always rely on the integrity of your research. Reviews can be faked, photos and descriptions can be misleading or out-of-date, and your budget accommodation nightmares become a

Sri Lanka Top 10 Activities

Sri Lanka has it all - beaches, mountains, wildlife, cuisine, culture and history.
Our Sri Lanka Top 10 Activities list is just the start…






 

 
No 10 - Eco Living
Try out a tree-top cabana. Everywhere you look in Polwaththa, you'll see a wealth of fascinating insects, bu

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-top-10-activities/

Philippines Best Beach Destinations? 50 Shades of Pink

If getting a suntan is high on the priority list, then unless you want to stay pink you need to choose your Philippines beach destinations carefully.

Our 3-week trip around the Central Visayas - Cebu and Bohol - presented us with several unexpected challenges, one of these being to find a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-beach-destinations/

Langkawi Accommodation Options

With just 1 week in the archipelago, we didn't have as much time as we'd have liked to experience Langkawi island life. Between hopping over from Phuket and then boating onwards to Penang, we hoped to pack as much into our schedule as possible while varying our Langkawi accommodation

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/langkawi-accommodation-options/

In the Philippines Karaoke is King

In the Philippines Karaoke is treated almost as a national sport - and taken very seriously indeed. Everywhere you go you'll hear it - morning, noon and night.

There always seems to be some tone-deaf hopeful drawling out the lyrics to "My Way" or Jennifer Rush's "I'm Your Lady".

This is no

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-karaoke/

Gran Canaria Ferry from North Tenerife

Considering the close proximity of Gran Canaria to Tenerife - if you have the time - it can be worthwhile including a visit across to see how the other half live. You can either fly over or take the ferry. In our case, we planned to take the Gran Canaria ferry from the port of Santa Cruz in North T

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gran-canaria-ferry-from-north-tenerife/

Griller in Manila Shabu Shabu self-service

We tactically avoided a trip into Manila on our arrival in the Philippines, but opted to spend just a couple of days there before taking our return flight home. Although we didn't have much time to spare in the city, we managed to visit the older Intramuros area and enjoyed a novel eating

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/manila-shabu-shabu/

Get Inspired - with Free Independent Travel

Free independent travel brings many advantages over a standard packaged holiday deal: Even within a modest budget, there are no limits. Go where you want, when you want - and tailor the trip to fit your own personal aspirations. Get inspired with some of our own favourite travel

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/

Burj Khalifa Tallest Building in the World - Dubai stopover

How can you visit Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and not experience the ear-popping heights of Burj Khalifa Dubai - the tallest building in the world?

We're all used to the high-rise skyscrapers of Shang Hai, Hong Kong and NYC, but the Burj Khalifa exudes a slim eloquence, modernity and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/burj-khalifa-dubai/

The White Sands of Dumaluan Beach, Philippines

Our trip around the Philippines Central Visayas was concentrated primarily on Cebu and Bohol. Panglao island is located within the Bohol Province, and it is here where we discovered the lesser-known Dumaluan beach.

Dumaluan beach is a narrow, white sand beach stretching for around 500 meters on

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dumaluan-beach/

Death in Lembongan

Death in Lembongan: Invitation to an outdoor Balinese #cremation

http://www.sandspice.com/death-in-lembongan/

During our time in #Bali and #Lembongan we'd already had a taste of the vibrant life on the islands: Now we would learn a little about death in Lembongan.

#Funeral

Dubai Mall - Best Retreat for the Zombie Apocalypse...

Dubai seems to be all about extremes. Not only do they have the tallest building in the world, they also boast the Dubai Mall - The largest shopping mall in the world. Here, you can find one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world, with the world's largest acrylic panel.

...oh, and just

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-mall/

Oasis Hotel Manila

Our trip back to Manila followed a 3-night stay in Panglao. For the capital city, we booked the small Oasis Hotel Manila in north-central area of the city for our 2 last nights.
Travelling from Panglao to Manila
A trike from Panglao to the airport took around 30 minutes (250 pesos).

At T

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/oasis-hotel-manila/

Langkawi Island Life - Lush, Tropical, Timeless

#Langkawi #Island Life - Lush, Tropical, Timeless (& Duty-free)

http://www.sandspice.com/langkawi-island-life/

Langkawi’s archipelago comprises 99 thickly forested tropical isles dating back half a billion years & is home to the most ancient rainforest on the planet.

#Malaysia

Dubai Desert Safari

Our short 3-day layover in Dubai included visits to the largest shopping mall in the world as well as to Burj Khalifa - the tallest building. For our final full day in the United Arab Emirates, we were off on the obligatory Dubai Desert Safari.

We were not expecting much, but it turned out to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-desert-safari/

Panglao Island Nature Resort

The Panglao Island Nature Resort  (recently renamed as the Mithi Resort & Spa) is a classy 5-star resort located far from the hustle and bustle of the more popular destinations in Panglao, Bohol.



As a day visitor, you get access to the resort and use of their pool, beach and facilities

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panglao-island-nature-resort/

SandSpice at the Movies

Travel is all about discovering new places, and many of the countries we have visited have been used as the setting for some iconic movies: ‘From Russia with Love’ in Turkey, ‘Prison Break’ in Panama, ‘South Pacific’ in Malaysia, ‘Game of Thrones’ in Spain. Add another dimension to your trip by che

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/sandspice-at-the-movies/

Seaside Boutique, Panglao in the Philippines

We chose the Seaside Boutique for our second stay in Panglao, and we're very happy we did (€27 per night including breakfast).

This guesthouse is located on the opposite side of the island from Alona and other popular spots. We were made very welcome into this family home, with our bedroom and p

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/seaside-boutique/

A Short Dubai Stopover

Since a lot of South-East Asian flights stop there en route, a Dubai stopover seems to be a great addition to your vacation. In fact, for many travellers this is often where the holiday begins (or ends).

For us, this came at the end of our trip to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Our Emirates return

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-stopover/

Secluded Tropical Beaches

Secluded beaches are just one of the great rewards when visiting remote destinations in less-accessible areas of the tropics. Here are some of our favourites. All you need to take along is a towel, a picnic and a long cool drink.  :-)

 


Secluded Tropical Beaches
Subscribe now to get

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/secluded-tropical-beaches/

2013 Loboc Earthquake Damage, Philippines

Before leaving Loboc, we stopped to take a closer look at the damage caused by the 2013 Loboc earthquake.
The 2013 Loboc Earthquake
The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 7.2, with an energy equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs. This was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 yea

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/2013-loboc-earthquake/

London City Stopover - What to See & Do in just 6 hours

We arrived back in London Gatwick at the end of our multi-stop flight to Hong Kong and Bali, courtesy of Cathay Pacific. With just 12 hours between our arrival at Gatwick and our onward flight home from London Luton airport, we were optimistically hoping to cram in some essential sightseeing on o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/london-city-stopover/

Loro Parque Tenerife

Loro Park Tenerife - More than just a zoo in Puerto de la Cruz

http://www.sandspice.com/loro-parque-tenerife/

The highlight of our visit to the north of #Tenerife was our day trip out to #LoroPark: undoubtedly the island's top attraction.

#PuertodelaCruz

Fox & Firefly Cottages Loboc

Our 3-week trip through the Philippines included a short break at a small guesthouse resort in Loboc in the province of Bohol. However, don't expect anything fancy at the Fox & Firefly Cottages Loboc.

This is a pure backpackers place, with the smallest dormitory I have ever seen (about 16

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fox-firefly-cottages-loboc/

Our Karimunjawa Travel Budget & Impressions

Our 19-day journey through Indonesia started and ended in Jakarta. From there we took our return Qatar Airways flight back to Rome. But did our Karimunjawa travel budget cover our costs? and was it all that we were expecting?
Our Karimunjawa Travel Budget
Before leaving, we had worked out a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-travel-budget/

What to See and Do in Loboc Bohol

Famous for its lunch cruises along the scenic and winding river, Loboc Bohol is also one of the few locations where you can observe the Tarsier monkey. This is a small nocturnal animal with large red eyes - and one of the world's smallest primates. We planned to spend 3 nights there, as a break f

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/loboc-bohol/

East Malaysia & Borneo

Want to get off the beaten track to find some secluded out-of-the-way places? Our East Malaysia & Borneo travel plan allowed us to enjoy both sea and jungle, with various modes of transport to keep it all interesting. Be sure to first check out our Plan, Maps and Budget for this 21-day tr

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/east-malaysia-borneo/

Tenerife & Gran Canaria with Stopovers in Spain

We put together a 2-week multi-destination itinerary which includes Tenerife & Gran Canaria with stopovers in Spain - the medieval city of Girona and the capital Madrid.  It’s quite a lot of travelling for a 14-day trip, but well enriched with a wide variety of locations and potential act

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/tenerife-gran-canaria/

India West Kerala to Goa

This India West Kerala to Goa itinerary spans 31 days, primarily in India, but including 3 short city stays in Rome, Istanbul and Edinburgh. Not bad for just €457 per ticket… and flying with one of the top airlines in the world. Be sure to first check out our Plan, Maps and Budget for this 4½-week

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/india-west-kerala-to-goa/

India West Kerala to Goa

This India West Kerala to Goa itinerary spans 31 days, primarily in India, but including 3 short city stays in Rome, Istanbul and Edinburgh. Not bad for just €457 per ticket… and flying with one of the top airlines in the world. Be sure to first check out our Plan, Maps and Budget for this 4½-week

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/india-west-kerala-to-goa/

Lembongan Island Beaches

For the first 4 days of our 2-week trip to Indonesia we enjoyed the peace and culture of Ubud in Bali. Since Ubud is a good way inland from the coast, we made sure our accommodation featured a decent pool (actually a private pool) to freshen up after a day in the heat. Following our transfer south

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-beaches/

Island Hopping from Phuket to Penang

The first couple of weeks of this 4-week trip to Malaysia involved island hopping from Phuket to Penang, stopping off in between in Langkawi. Despite their close proximity to each other, these are 3 very different types of island. Phuket is quite commercial, whereas Langkawi is much less-developed

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/island-hopping-from-phuket-to-penang/

Bali & Lembongan

Bali is a universal favorite with travelers and tourists alike, but it is not so well known for its beaches. If it’s clear blue sea and uncrowded white sand you’re after you need to venture a little further. So why not try a Bali-Lembongan combination, including one of Bali’s sister islands to the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/bali-lembongan-combination/

Snorkeling at Alona Beach

After spending 3 days in Pangangan (Bohol) we traveled down to Panglao to try out the beaches there. Alona in Panglao is best known for its white sand and weekend animations, but the local snorkeling at Alona beach is also worth checking out.

You can rent a mask and fins for 250 pesos for the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/alona-snorkeling/

Philippines Central Visayas - Cebu & Bohol

The biggest problem planning a trip around the Philippines is the amount of choice available. There are so many islands and potential routes that it can become quite overwhelming. There are also limitations regarding transit options between the destinations you do want to visit. You have to be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/philippines-central-visayas/

Sri Lanka Central and South

Our Sri Lanka travel plan was designed as a 21-day rollicking rollercoaster of a ride to the World’s End and beyond. It promised to be an eventful trip, taking in the central highlands around Kandy and Sigiriya. followed by Haputale - the largely Muslim town above the clouds. After that we'd be hea

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/sri-lanka-central-and-south/

Central Java & Karimunjawa, Indonesia

Under €1200 all-inclusive for a 3-week trip to a secluded tropical island? Our Central Java & Karimunjawa  travel plan also included a couple of days in Rome and flights with top-rated Qatar Airways. However, things didn't all go quite to plan... Be sure to first check out our Plan, Maps and Bu

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/central-java-karimunjawa-indonesia/

Ashiyana Resort, Alona Beach

To get to Alona beach, we needed to arrange transport from Pangangan in central Bohol. We left our guesthouse at Isla Hayahay, and took a trike to the bus stop on the main road (100 pesos). We then took a yellow air conditioned bus down the coast road to Tagbilaran (26 pesos).

The bus wasn't bu

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/alona-beach/

Langkawi Long-Term Stay - 3 Months in Malaysia

Ever considered a long-term stay in just one location in South East Asia?  An opportunity to get an in-depth feel of the region at a more relaxed pace, while actually saving on your daily budget? We did just this on the chilled-out paradise island of Langkawi in Malaysia: An excellent destination

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/langkawi-malaysia-long-term-stay/

AirAsia Inflight Experience

Following a few days in Phuket, we planned to take a short AirAsia flight south to the tropical island paradise of Langkawi. We were curious to see how the AirAsia inflight experience compared to other budget Asian airlines such as Lion Air and Jet Airways.

Although there is a boat that runs b

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/airasia-inflight-experience/

Roundtrip Panama City to Bocas Del Toro

Apparently, Panama is among the top 5 best-rated countries in the world in which to retire. Facts like this, together with the attractions of a tropical climate and the buzz of a Latin American country are hard to ignore. Throw into the mix really cheap flights with Lufthansa from Europe and we’re

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/roundtrip-panama-city-to-bocas-del-toro/

Colorful Filipino Currency

Check out the colorful Filipino currency. These notes are brightly colored like Euros (though the equivalent amount goes a lot further).

It can sometimes be difficult to get the locals to change the larger denominations (500 or 1000 peso notes), so we took every opportunity to keep a big stash

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/colorful-filipino-currency/

Tenerife North - Puerto de la Cruz

After spending 3 days at Golf del Sur in the south of the island, we headed up by coach to Tenerife North - Puerto de la Cruz. We planned to stay 1 night at a small hotel close to the bus station in the center, followed by a few more nights at a more up-market hotel in the north part of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tenerife-north-puerto-de-la-cruz/

Booze in Bohol - Philippines

After spending 3 days in Pangangan we headed down south by bus to Panglao, and the celebrated Alona Beach. Along the way, we stopped off at a hypermarket in Tagbilaran to stock up on goods. This was our first experience of a Philippines supermarket. Among other items, we were curious to discover t

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bohol-booze/

Lembongan Island Activities - Best chill-out spots

A week on this island is just about the right amount of time you'll need to visit the main attractions and enjoy most of the popular Lembongan island activities that are on offer. We actually spent 8 days there, and were able to do all the things we wanted at a leisurely pace. From snorkeling to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-activities/

Short Breaks & City Stops

Short Breaks & City Stops
Coming up next.... Madrid Budget Break, with all the Bells & Whistles.

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Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/short-breaks-city-stops/

Phuket Thailand - Welcome to Russia

Our Malay peninsula west coast journey actually started in Phuket Thailand – just north of the Thai-Malaysian border. We wanted to use the flexibility of an open-jaw flight ticket to pack as many destinations as possible into our round-trip. Since we would be ending the journey in Kuala Lumpur, Phu

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/phuket-thailand-welcome-to-russia/

Pangangan Island, Bohol

After spending 3 nights in the small T-Breeze Beach coastal resort near Moalboal, we headed back to Cebu City, and onward via ferry to Bohol. Our next destination was Pangangan.

Not quite an island, Pangangan is connected to the mainland by a 4 km mangrove-bordered causeway. There are a few so-c

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/pangangan-island/

13 Weeks in Langkawi - Where to Stay and What to Do

Our plan for this trip to Malaysia was quite unlike our other adventures to date. Having spent many years touching the surface of different Asian cultures through shorter visits, we now wanted to understand how it feels to live in just one locality. Spending 13 weeks in Langkawi seemed an ideal

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/13-weeks-in-langkawi/

Malay Peninsula West Coast

Malay Peninsula West Coast - Island-hopping through to the mainland

http://www.sandspice.com/malay-peninsula-west-coast/

#Malaysia #IslandHopping #Peninsula

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malay-peninsula-west-coast/

Bohol Ferry From Cebu

After spending 3 nights in the small T-Breeze Beach coastal resort near Moalboal, we were heading back to Cebu City. We would take the Bohol ferry from Cebu over to Tubigon in Bohol, then travel on to our next destination in Pangangan.

Early in the morning, we got to the bus stop in Moalboal, a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bohol-ferry/

Snorkeling in Moalboal Cebu

Snorkeling in Moalboal Cebu was one of the highlights of our visit to the Philippines. Moalboal is located on the northern coast of Cebu, looking out towards Negros. We traveled to Moalboal by bus from Cebu city, then took a trike for the short journey to our resort on the coast.

We stayed at t

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/snorkeling-in-moalboal-cebu/

Habal-Habal - Filipino Motorcycle Taxis

Habal-Habal (motorcycle taxi rides) provide an alternative form of public transport, and is available throughout the Philippines.

We first became aware of this while walking alongside the main road through the town of Loboc, in Bohol. A motorcyclist pulled up in front of us, gesturing to the e

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/habal-habal-filipino-motorcycle-taxis/

Lembongan Island Eating Out

Your eating out options in Lembongan are plentiful enough. Every guesthouse offers a menu, and there's a good variety of standalone restaurants and warungs. During our 8-day stay on the island we had the opportunity to sample much of what was on offer, but which of our Lembongan island eating out e

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-eating-out/

Mangoes in Moalboal, Cebu

This is why we came to the Philippines: To relax in an off-track, secluded location with an open bath-water temperature sea, great snorkeling, eating tasty local food, fish, and exotic fruit (the mangoes in Moalboal are just the best).

Following a brief overnight in Cebu city, we took a bus for

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mangoes-in-moalboal/

Lembongan Island Guesthouses

Nusa Lembongan is a laid-back island off the southeast coast of Bali. After our 4-day stay in Ubud, we took a boat to discover what the island had to offer. With a good selection of Lembongan island guesthouses to choose from, we'd selected 2 places - at opposite sides of the island from each ot

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-guesthouses/

Cebu City to Moalboal by Bus

Cebu City is quite a congested, noxious conglomerate. Transport from place to place moves at a snails pace. It would be quicker walking - though less safe, due to the heavy traffic. Following just one night in the city, we were ready to move on to our first primary destination. However, our bus

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cebu-city-to-moalboal/

Gdańsk Poland Activities

Apart from the picturesque old town and excellent eating venues, Gdansk is home to a top-class selection of interactive museums. You'll need at least 3 days to do justice to these as well as the other Gdansk Poland activities on offer.

Staying at the Liberum hotel in the heart of the old town,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-activities/

Cebu City Guesthouse: New Era Pension Inn

Our first real experiences of the Philippines was our Cebu city guesthouse, since we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in, and take an ongoing domestic Philippines Airlines flight to the islands.

We would spend just one day in Cebu City, before leaving early the next morning for M

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cebu-city-guesthouse/

New Year's Eve Malta Clifftop Camping

December 31st - While everybody else was putting on their glad rags and preparing for a Yuletide bash in the city, we were heading in the opposite direction - up into the hills in fact. We were planning a New Year's Eve Malta clifftop camping excursion.

Something different, we thought - Just

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malta-clifftop-camping/

Transit between Manila Airport Terminals 2 & 3

Following an overnight stay in Rome, the first stop on our 20-day trip to the Philippines was Manila. However, in order to keep our city-stays to a minimum we had decided to skip Manila completely on our way in. Our plan instead was to arrive at Manila airport, clear customs, then take the first fl

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/manila-airport-terminals/

Philippines Travel Plan - Central Visayas

The initial inspiration for our Philippines Travel Plan came from the discovery of very reasonably priced flights with , running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Rome is a small hop from our home base in Europe, this seemed a perfect opportunity to extend our trip with a couple of nights in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-travel-plan/

Lembongan Island Transfers

Following our 4-day stay in Ubud, we were heading south to spend some time on a lush island off the coast of Bali. The previous day we purchased tickets for our Lembongan island transfers from a small travel agent in Ubud. We were now gearing up for a (hopefully) pleasant bus and boat transfer

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-transfers/

7 Must-Do Valencia Activities

Although there's certainly no shortage of things to do on a short trip to Valencia, the trick is to get organized in advance so that the must-do Valencia activities can be as diverse and fun-packed as possible.

We had booked a self-catering apartment in the Campanar district, north-west of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/must-do-valencia-activities/

Gdańsk Poland Eating Out

With just 4 days to spend in the historic old town, we did a little preparation to ensure that our Gdansk Poland eating out experiences would be both enjoyable and cost-effective.

From a dozen or so promising candidates we made a shortlist of 5 restaurants and cafes that ticked all our boxes,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-eating-out/

Gdańsk Poland 4-Day Break

If you're based in Europe and are looking for an inexpensive long weekend away, you might want to consider a Gdansk Poland 4-day break.

The beautiful old town of Gdansk offers plenty of excellent hotels and restaurants, but the real attraction is the culture and epic history of the town and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gdansk-poland-4-day-break/

Ubud Bali Royal Palace - Music & Dance

The goal of searching out all possible Ubud Bali activities is not necessarily the best way to appreciate and enjoy this traditional and cultural town. The ideal thing to do here is just to relax and soak up the atmosphere, and then go out and sample some of the excellent food on offer.

Of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-activities/

Valencia Eating Out

For our 4-day trip to Valencia, we had selected in advance a number of interesting restaurants with good reviews. The only problem was that these restaurants were dotted around the outskirts of the city and were not particularly easy to get to. Our Valencia eating out plans therefore had to be r

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-eating-out/

Ubud Bali Eating Out - Favourite Warungs

With just 4 days in Ubud, we were keen to discover the best food that Bali has to offer. To this end, we did a little research in advance to ensure that our Ubud Bali eating out experiences did not disappoint.
Ubud Bali Eating Out - Our 4 Best Restaurants
Before leaving for Bali, we made a s

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-eating-out/

Valencia Long Weekend - Airport Transfers & Accommodation

With the budget airlines offering ridiculously cheap flights from all over Europe to a variety of destinations in Spain, a Valencia long weekend is hard to resist. Add to this a relatively low cost of living and accommodation options, and you're onto a winner.

We budgeted €350 per person for a f

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/valencia-long-weekend/

Ubud Bali Hotels & Airport Transfers

Following an overnight stay in London and a short break in Hong Kong we were keen to reach the relative peace and tranquility of a 4-night stay in Bali. We had chosen two very different styles of accommodation for our Ubud Bali hotels: A family-run guesthouse and an upmarket Spa and Gallery

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ubud-bali-hotels-airport-transfers/

Tenerife Siam Park Sensation

If you are planning to spend some time in the south of the island, then the Tenerife Siam Park sensation is something not to be missed. Siam park is a large, clean, beautifully landscaped and well organized water park, officially the No 1 water park in the world.

If you come to Tenerife, this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tenerife-siam-park-sensation/

Golf del Sur - Tenerife South

After spending a really enjoyable 2-night stopover in Girona, Spain we continued our journey to our principal destination - the Canary Islands. Our first introduction to these islands was the Golf del Sur - Tenerife South.

We planned to spend 3 nights in Golf del Sur in a self-catering

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/golf-del-sur-tenerife-south/

Hong Kong Activities for a 2-day Stopover

With just a short one or two-day break in the city, its a good idea to have a plan if you want to experience some of the best Hong Kong activities that are on offer. Our 2-day stopover was just enough time to pack in half-a-dozen quality excursions, as well as hitting the shops on Nathan

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hong-kong-activities/

Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong Stopover

Since our Cathay Pacific flight from London to Bali made a pit-stop in Hong Kong, we decided to take advantage of the break to add a 2-night stopover to our trip. Accordingly, we booked ourselves into the Pearl Premium Guest House in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Kowloon. This Tsim Sha Tsui Hong K

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tsim-sha-tsui-hong-kong-stopover/

Cathay Pacific Inflight Experience

Despite our recent underwhelming experiences with Qatar and Turkish Airlines, we were still cautiously optimistic about our forthcoming Cathay Pacific flights to Hong Kong and Bali. We were hoping that our Cathay Pacific inflight experience would be something to savour.

We had purchased return

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cathay-pacific-inflight/

London Airport Transfers

With a variety of large international airports dotted in and around the city, its both time-efficient and cost-effective to plan your London airport transfers in advance.

We had booked a multi-stop flight to Hong Kong and Bali with Cathay Pacific, travelling from London Gatwick.

Our plan was

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/london-airport-transfers/

Bali and Nusa Lembongan - A 2-island itinerary

Bali is a universal favourite with travellers and tourists alike, but it is not so well known for its beaches. If it's clear blue sea and uncrowded white sand beaches you're after you need to venture a little further. So why not try a combination of Bali and Nusa Lembongan - one of Bali's sister

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bali-and-nusa-lembongan/

Our Final Panama Budget & Impressions

Our actual Panama budget and impressions of the country.

http://www.sandspice.com/panama-budget/

Is #Panama really a place to retire to? Our final Panama #budget suggests one answer to the question but our overall #impressions were positive.

Jakarta Takes Mansion Hotel

Jakarta Takes Mansion - Comfortable, inexpensive & close to the action

http://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-takes-mansion/

Close to Gambir train station, the #Jakarta #TakesMansion is also one of the few #hotels in this price range that features a rooftop swimming pool.

Jakarta Train from Semarang

On our return journey to Jakarta, we knew we would have very little time in Semarang to purchase tickets. We therefore decided to book our train tickets online, several months earlier. The Jakarta train from Semarang can be busy, and with a return flight to Europe the following day we didn't want

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-train-semarang/

Our Panamanian Hotel Experiences

Here's a no-frills summary of our Panamanian hotel experiences.

http://www.sandspice.com/panamanian-hotel-experiences/

If you're seeking decent Panamanian #hotel experiences, don't go too cheap. Anywhere we stayed charging less than $40 a night was a mistake…
#Panama #Costs

Karimunjawa Island Boat Transfer

There are variety of Karimunjawa island boat transfer options.

Most boats travel to and from Jepara, but depending on the day of the week you can also get boats to and from Semarang and Kendal (which is not too far from Semarang).

However, you need to check the latest schedules. Not all

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-boat-transfer/

Boca Chica to Panama City

Although it is a great location to break your journey between the major cities, transport options from Boca Chica to Panama City and/or David are limited.

If you don't have your own car, there are 2 ways to get from Boca Chica to Panama City: The hard way or the expensive way.


Boca Chica t

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boca-chica-to-panama-city/

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options

For such a small island community, there is a surprising number of Karimunjawa guesthouse options. During our stay there, we were able to experience a variety of accommodations at very different ends of the price spectrum.


Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options
In Karimunjawa, you can pay anything

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-guesthouse-options/

Boca Chica and Boca Brava

It took us around 7 hours to travel by bus from Bocas Del Toro to Boca Chica and Boca Brava. This would be our last taste of the Pacific ocean before returning to Panama City and the end of our 4-week vacation.

After the upbeat tempo of Bocas Del Toro, we were looking forward to getting away

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boca-chica-boca-brava/

Bocas to Boca Chica by Bus

Following our 8-day stay in Bocas Del Toro, we prepared for the next stage of our journey - travelling from Bocas to Boca Chica by bus.

This trip requires a little more organisation since the Hello Travel bus shuttle company which operates from Bocas Del Toro does not provide a service to Boca C

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-to-boca-chica-by-bus/

Karimunjawa Island Beaches & Snorkeling

For many travelers, the big attraction of the small tropical islands of Indonesia are the beaches. After travelling through the urban cities of central Java to reach our destination, we were looking forward to spending 10 days relaxing on the white sands of the Karimunjawa island

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-island-beaches-snorkeling/

Buy Your Own Panamanian Island

Our 4-week trip to Panama wasn't just about taking a holiday. We've read many of the reports about Panama being a great place to live: It's also one of the top destinations in the world in which to retire. We were therefore interested to find out more about property opportunities and costs

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/buy-panamanian-island/

Breve Azurine Karimunjawa

The Breve Azurine Karimunjawa was our last accommodation choice on the island. Due to the cost (IDR 1,410,000 per day) we planned to stay here only for 2 nights.

Following on from an enjoyable stay at Cocohuts just 15-minutes walk away, our expectations were high.


Why we chose the Breve

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/breve-azurine-karimunjawa/

Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - Panama

Our first impressions of Isla Bastimentos were not promising. We were just hoping that the guesthouse we had booked 3 months earlier - the Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - would ease our misgivings and provide us with a clean and relaxing place to chill out.
The Ushuaia Guesthouse

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ushuaia-guesthouse-bastimentos/

Karimunjawa Snorkeling Excursions

No trip to these islands would be complete without trying one of the organized Karimunjawa snorkeling excursions. We made our arrangements through Jon from SeaSky, and booked his full-day snorkeling trip to the western islands for IDR 200,000  per person (€14).

This price included the use of sno

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-snorkeling-excursions/

Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro - Panama

Following our 5-day tour of Isla Colón, we were ready to venture further afield to one of the other large islands of the archipelago - Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro. We were looking forward to pristine beaches and fascinating jungle trails, similar to what we had discovered on Isla Colón.
Isla B

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/isla-bastimentos-bocas-del-toro-panama/

Cocohuts Karimunjawa

Following our hit-and-miss fortune with guesthouses in Karimunjawa, at well over 3 times the price of a regular homestay, we expected Cocohuts Karimunjawa to be quite an upgrade on the 2 places we had stayed so far in Karimun town.
Fabulous Views from Cocohuts Karimunjawa
Perched high up on the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cocohuts-karimunjawa/

Chilling by the Blue Lagoon in Isla Colon

After spending a couple of days in Bocas town, we decided to spend a few more days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del T

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/isla-colon-bocas-del-toro/

Karimunjawa Eating Out

Since Karimun town is quite a small place, you can't expect to find a great number or variety of eating establishments. Some guesthouses offer their guests meals or kitchen facilities, but most travellers end up heading out in the evenings to discover the best Karimunjawa eating out o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-eating-out/

Bocas Del Toro Snorkeling Tour

The easiest way of finding some decent Bocas Del Toro snorkeling locations is to take a full-day boat trip from Bocas town. This isn't a bad option for just $30 per person, including 5 different activities and locations.


Bocas Del Toro Snorkeling Tour Itinerary
The tours leave in the morning

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-del-toro-snorkeling/

Karimunjawa Scooter Rental - Getting Around

There are 22 kms of ‘road’  between the main port of Karimunjawa and the furthest point north on the island. This is a little too far for walking, and there are no buses or taxes as such. So unless you pay for a guided tour, the only viable way of discovering the island is with a Karimunjawa scoot

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-scooter-rental/

Bocas Town Carnival

A water taxi is most people's introduction to Bocas town in Bocas del Toro, though you can also fly directly to their small airport not far behind the town. Since we were travelling in by bus from Boquete, we made our way to Almirante and took a boat from there

Our initial impression was of a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/bocas-town/

Waterfall Rappelling in Boquete

Abseiling down a waterfall might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for an adrenaline rush its hard to beat. Waterfall rappelling in Boquete, also known as canyoning, is one of Panama's most thrilling and popular adventure sports.

The concept is simple: suit up in a harness and belay your way

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/waterfall-rappelling-in-boquete/

Sri Lanka 21-day Budget & Costs

Our Sri Lanka 21-day round trip started and ended in Negombo. From there we traveled inland to Sigiriya to visit the Lion Rock.

We then took a bus to the central highlands, taking in Kandy, Polwaththa ECO lodges, a tea plantation and the Knuckle Mountains.

Following a dizzying descent from

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-21-day-budget/

Hotel Central Boquete Panama

“Hotel Central” is quite a misnomer for a hotel name, since the Hotel Central Boquete Panama is anything but central. You'll have to walk a good 15 minutes uphill from the center of Boquete town before you reach the hotel.

From the outside, with garish yellow paintwork and an odd structure, the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-central-boquete-panama/

Ziplining in Boquete Panama

Ziplining had already been on our hitlist for a couple of years. When planning our trip to Panama, we discovered that the Boquete TreeTrek Mountain Resort operate one of the largest and most popular ziplining experience in Latin America, so what better place to start than ziplining in Boquete

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ziplining-in-boquete-panama/

Boquete Mountain Trails - The Hills Have Eyes

The hills and mountains around Boquete are a huge draw for tourists who want to enjoy some serious trekking off the beaten path. However, you may first want to take into account some recent and not-so-recent incidents before heading out alone on the Boquete Mountain Trails.
Boquete Mountain T

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/boquete-mountain-trails/

Getting to Know Karimunjawa Town

Although it's quite a small place, it is possible to get temporarily lost in the similar-looking streets of Karimunjawa Town. Most of the facilities you require are to be found, but are spread around the place and not always easy to locate.

Top of your priority list is probably finding your

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-town/

Coffee Tours in Boquete Panama

Having done the Tea Plantation tour in Sri Lanka, it seemed only fair to do one of the Coffee Tours in Boquete Panama - And very informative it was.

We booked our tour at the Boquete Mountain Safari tours office for $29 per person. In fact, for the same price they offered to let us join a group

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/coffee-tours-in-boquete-panama/

What to Do in Boquete Panama

Boquete is one of the highlights of a trip to Panama, showcasing the diversity of this unique country. Not really a town as such, Boquete is a huge district spanning 488 square kilometers. However, most of the action is centered around a short but busy central high street: It is here you'll start y

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/what-to-do-in-boquete-panama/

Jungla Experience Boquete Panama

Our journey west along the Panama highway had taken us through the foothills of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range to the city of David in south central Chiriquí. From here we took a bus north to reach our first guesthouse in the Boquete region - the Jungla Experience Boquete.

The a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=8033

Hotel Residencial Cervantes David

We interrupted our journey from Santa Catalina to Boquete by stopping for a night at the Hotel Residencial Cervantes David.

When planning our trip, we thought it would be a good idea to break our journey to Boquete in David. In practise, there's no real need to do this when travelling from

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-residencial-cervantes-david/

Getting Around Panama by Shuttle Bus

If you have a few more dollars to spend, and you want to make your travel a little easier, the Hello Travel bus shuttle company makes a good alternative to going it alone. For the extra cost, they can make getting around Panama a bit less stressful.

They have regular air-conditioned shuttle s

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/getting-around-panama/

Around Town in Santa Catalina Panama

Santa Catalina is a relaxing place to unwind, especially after spending a few days in Panama City. This is a small resort town on the Pacific coastline, south of Santiago. The town is centered between 2 beaches: Playa Estero for the surfers and Playa Santa Catalina for the divers.

Surfing on Pla

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/santa-catalina-panama/

The Soná of 'Prison Break' Fame

Any fans of the mini-series will be familiar with the infamous Soná of 'Prison Break' fame. This fictional prison featured in much of Season 3 of the series.

The good news is that if you're planning to travel by bus from Panama City (or from Boquete) to Santa Catalina, you will get to visit S

Read more...http://www.sandspice.com/sona-prison-break/
#Soná #PrisonBreak #Panama

Panama City to Santa Catalina by Bus

If you plan to travel from Panama City to Santa Catalina by bus, you'll need to start your journey from Albrook's bus station. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is by metro.

Before leaving Panama City for Santa Catalina, make sure you'll have enough cash for your stay. There are no

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-to-santa-catalina/

Panama Canal Kayaking - Jungle Land Experience

The Panama Canal is arguably one of most important structural achievements ever built. Apart from cutting a slice through a mountain, construction of the canal also involved flooding a river to form a gigantic lake. When planning our trip to Panama, it had never occurred to us that Panama Canal

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-canal-kayaking/

Top 14 Panama City Activities (or maybe not...)

You can see a lot of what Panama City has to offer by simply walking around. The distances between most of the popular attractions are not that great. Here then is the list of our top 14 Panama City activities and attractions, most of which are reachable on foot.
Amador Causeway
If you're taking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/top-14-panama-city-activities/

Panama City Hotels - Avoid Slum Areas

When choosing a place from your shortlist of Panama City hotels, you really need to make sure you're locating yourself in the right areas. Away from the centre, with its relatively small and upmarket high-rise district, you can quickly find yourself in rundown slum areas with a heavy police

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-city-hotels/

Avianca from Bogota to Panama Tocumen Airport

The final leg of our journey from Amsterdam to Panama was an Avianca flight from Bogota, Columbia to Panama Tocumen Airport. This involved another security screening, but thankfully not as inanely intense as in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

Our arrival at Bogota airport was definately a 'habla e

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/avianca-bogota-panama-tocumen-airport/

Lufthansa Longhaul Inflight Experience

Our flight from Europe to Panama involved a 3-leg flight with Lufthansa, starting from Amsterdam. Naturally, we were curious to discover how our Lufthansa longhaul inflight experience would pan out.
Our Lufthansa Longhaul Inflight Experience
Our Lufthansa flight deal was quite exceptional. Just

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lufthansa-longhaul-inflight-experience/

Amsterdam Layover Hotel & Activities

Our incredibly low-priced Lufthansa flights from Europe to Panama departed from Holland. We therefore needed to find budget flights to get us to Schiphol airport, and spend the night close by before taking our flight the following day. For this we decided to include an Amsterdam layover hotel in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/amsterdam-layover-hotel-activities/

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Apparently, Panama is among the top 5 best-rated countries in the world in which to retire. Facts like this, together with the attractions of a tropical climate and the buzz of a Latin American country are hard to ignore. Throw into the mix really cheap flights with Lufthansa from Europe and we're

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panama-travel-plan/

The 10 Best-Value Pubs & Restaurants in Edinburgh

The 10 Best-Value Pubs & Restaurants in Edinburgh

http://www.sandspice.com/pubs-restaurants-edinburgh/

#Edinburgh #Pubs #Restaurants

Samsara Guesthouse Karimunjawa

Since we arrived 2 days late on the island, we spent only one night in the first of our selected guesthouses - the Waru Guesthouse. For our next three nights, we were booked into the Samsara Guesthouse Karimunjawa, which was just 10 minutes walk from the main harbour.

Samsara's is an i

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/samsara-guesthouse-karimunjawa/

Waru Guesthouse Karimunjawa

The Waru Guesthouse Karimunjawa was the first of the 4 guesthouses we planned to visit on Karimunjawa island. We had originally planned to stay at the Waru for 3 nights, but an unscheduled 2-day delay in Semarang meant we were only able to get there for the last night.

We arrived at Kariman p

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/waru-guesthouse-karimunjawa/

Karimunjawa Fast Boat

We travelled to Jepara from Semarang in order to take the Karimunjawa fast boat north to Karimunjawa island.

Since the fast boat leaves at 9am, we arrived in Jepara the day before and booked ourselves into the , close to the port.

On the morning of our departure, we were advised to get to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-fast-boat/

Hotel Samudra Jepara Port

Before leaving the in Semarang, we used one of their guest computers to book the Jepara port for the following night.

The Samudra Hotel was a last minute booking (actually for the same day) following some unavoidable changes to our travel plan (see Jepara ATM woes).

We needed a hotel close

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-samudra-jepara-port/

Hotel Quest Semarang City - Indonesia

After successfully retrieving our credit card from the BTN bank (see Honey, the ATM ate my card), we could finally get our travel plan back on track. The BTN debacle had effectively taken 2 days out of our planned itinerary. We were now looking forward to an un-scheduled overnight stay in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-quest-semarang/

Backtracking to Semarang City by Minibus

Following our misfortunes in Jepara, we were heading back to Semarang city to try to rescue our vacation from disaster.

With no credit cards and insufficient cash, we wouldn't be able to continue our journey to Karimunjawa, where cash is the only form of payment accepted by almost all est

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/backtracking-semarang-city/

Jepara ATM woes - down & out in the suburbs

This marked the low-point of my trip to Indonesia.

Events had spiralled relentlessly downhill from our arrival at Semarang airport, on a domestic flight with Lion Air from Jakarta.

Following the loss of a credit card at Semarang airport (see Honey, the ATM ate my card), we continued with

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jepara-atm-woes/

Hotel Elim & Minibus to Jepara

There are several options for getting over to Karimunjawa island from the mainland of Central Java. However, the boats run most frequently from Jepara. More importantly, there is always a boat leaving Jepara port early on the Sunday morning (weather permitting). It's for this reason that we chose

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/hotel-elim-minibus-jepara/

Georgetown Penang - A Cultural Smorgasbord

Following our island hops through Phuket and Langkawi, we planned to spend 7 days on the southernmost island in our itinerary - based in Georgetown Penang.

Although it is an island, Penang is connected to the Malaysian mainland via a very long and narrow 13.5-kilometre bridge. We would travel

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/georgetown-penang-a-cultural-smorgasbord/

Honey, the ATM ate my card

What was I to do when an Indonesian ATM ate my card?

We had just arrived at Semarang airport on a Lion Air flight from Jakarta. This was the 2nd day of hopefully a 15-day trip to Karimunjawa: An island 88 kms north of Central Java.

Loosing our card at this stage of the journey, with a fairly

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/atm-ate-my-card/

Lion Air Inflight Experience

Lion Air inflight experience - How do budget Asian airlines compare?

http://www.sandspice.com/lion-air-inflight-experience/

Although not scoring high in airline ratings, our #LionAir inflight experience was a positive one. Comfortable & on time, with ample legroom.

#Travel #Indonesia

Jakarta Stopover

Overnight #Jakarta stopover? Choose a hotel with free shuttle-service.

http://www.sandspice.com/jakarta-stopover/

Close to the airport, the Ibis Budget Hotel is clean, comfortable & affordable, with a free #shuttle bus service. Ideal for a Jakarta #stopover.

Doha Airport Layover

Our Qatar Airways flight from Rome to Jakarta included a lengthy 10-hour Doha airport layover. There was really no way of avoiding this when we booked the flight.

If we had arrived early in the day, we could have enjoyed one of Qatar's complimentary 3-hour tours of the city. However, we would be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/doha-airport-layover/

Qatar Airways Inflight Experience

With their elitist tv commercials and tip-top rating in the World's Best Airlines, we were expecting great things from our Qatar Airways inflight experience.

This is why we snatched up the opportunity to fly with them from Rome to Jakarta for around €500 per person, economy class.

We could ha

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/qatar-airways-inflight-experience/

Terravision Turmoil

Our first experiences with Terravision 2 years ago had been positive (see Thumbs Up for Terravision). Fast-forward to the present, and things appear to be deteriorating into Terravision Turmoil.

At least, this is our impression from recent experiences travelling between Rome and Ciampino

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-turmoil/

Indonesia Travel Plan

Under €1200 all-inclusive for a 3-week trip to a secluded tropical island? Our Karimunjawa Indonesia travel plan also included a couple of days in Rome and flights with top-rated Qatar Airways.

This seemed like an unbeatable deal to us when we first started to plan this trip. It all started w

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-indonesia-travel-plan/

Paradise Inn Sigiriya

We set out in the morning from our guesthouse in Negombo. Our next destination was the Paradise Inn Sigiriya.

We took a tuk-tuk for the 2km ride to Negombo bus station. From there, we asked around for the first bus to Kandy. We would have to change buses in Kandy, then take another to Sigiriya,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/paradise-inn-sigiriya/

Sri Lanka Top 10 Activities

 






 

 
No 10 - Eco Living
Try out a tree-top cabana. Everywhere you look in Polwaththa, you'll see a wealth of fascinating insects, butterflies, giant squirrels and birds. There’s also an abundance of edibles growing like weeds in the surrounding jungle ar

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-top-10-activities/

SandSpice - Plan Your Travel | Travel Your Plan

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Edinburgh City Break

If you ever need an excuse to enjoy an Edinburgh city break, the availability of some great international flight deals flying from Edinburgh to the Far East has to be high on the list. Combine this with a low-cost Ryanair budget flight to Edinburgh from many British and European cities, and you c

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/edinburgh-city-break/

Where to stay and eat in Galle Fort

From Unawatuna, we moved a few kilometers along the coast to Galle. Here, we planned to stay for 2 nights at a guesthouse located inside the fort walls. In particular, we were looking forward to enjoying  real Indian food at the Galle Fort Indian Hut restaurant.
Inside Galle Fort
Galle is an old

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/galle-fort-indian-hut/

Jungle Beach Unawatuna

After 6 days lounging around the beaches of Tangalle, we headed west up the coast by bus to the small town of Unawatuna. We had heard about some special beaches in the area, in particular Jungle Beach Unawatuna.

We had booked a 3-night stay at Sam's Guesthouse, located on the inland side of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jungle-beach-unawatuna/

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle

Palm Paradise Cabanas Tangalle is a medium-sized beach and garden resort located a few kms west along the coast from Tangalle. My last visit to Palm Paradise - 19 years previously - was very enjoyable, so I was keen to return.

The highlights I remembered from my first trip were the beautiful ca

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palm-paradise-cabanas-tangalle/

Tangalle Beaches - Tantalizing Tangalle

Following our stay high in the mountains around Haputale, we took a morning bus for the 7-hour journey down to Tangalle, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. For this part of our journey we were winging it, with nothing booked in advance. We were just looking forward to those fantastic Tangalle be

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/tangalle-beaches/

World’s End Sri Lanka - Far Above the Clouds

World’s End Sri Lanka: The first stage of our journey through central Sri Lanka would conclude with a visit to the hill town of Haputale, and the World’s End plateau at Horton Plains.

After spending several days in and around the old capital Kandy, we arranged to travel by train from Kandy to Ha

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/worlds-end-sri-lanka/

Malaysia & Borneo : Highlights & Costs

Our actual trip to Malaysia & Borneo closely followed our plan regarding the places we would visit. These were based on 2 main areas:
♦  The Malaysian peninsula: We arrived (and departed) Kuala Lumpur, and spent roughly 10 days there.
♦  Borneo: This second half of the trip also lasted around

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malaysia-borneo-highlights/

Philippines Tokay Gecko - The "Little Britain" Lizard

Wherever we travelled throughout the rural areas of the Philippines, we were entertained most evenings and nights by the strange and intermittent Philippines Tokay Gecko night call.

The call was too loud to be emitted by an insect. It sounded more human - like a negative response occa

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/philippines-tokay-gecko/

Girona City Stopover: Where to stay & eat

Our Girona city stopover allowed us just one night in Girona, before heading south to Barcelona-El Prat airport later the following day.

We therefore needed a hotel that was close to the bus and train stations, and still within easy reach of the attractions and restaurants that the city has to o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-stopover/

Girona in Giro - What to see

What can you do in Girona if you have just 5 or 6 hours to spare?

Actually, quite a lot.

Our hotel was located in the centre of Girona, next to the Onyar river. We started out early after breakfast and followed the river northwards - passed the brightly painted façades of the houses - headin

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-ingiro/

Girona transfers from airport and onwards to Barcelona

Located within sight of the Pyrenees in the northeast of Catalonia, Girona is a great place from which to start a journey to some really exotic locations. This is due to Girona's proximity to Barcelona - a main Spanish hub from where many flights depart in the direction of South America, Latin Ame

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-transfers-from-airport/

Canary Islands via Spain

A trip to the Canary Islands had long been on our agenda. This year, the availability of cheap budget-airline flights with stopovers in Spain finally made this trip too good to resist. We carefully put together our 14-day Canary Islands itinerary.

Instead of getting return flights direct to the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/canary-islands-itinerary/

Mumbai & The Thousand-Yard Stare

After spending more than 3 weeks in India, absorbing the dubious charm of overcrowded Sleeper coaches and chaotic inner city streetlife, we were apprehensive that Mumbai would trump - in aces - anything that had gone before.

This was the reason we saved Mumbai metropolis until the last.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-thousand-yard-stare/

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere el

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Goa Beach Hopping

One of our favourite activities on visits to Asia is beach hopping. Just pack a lightweight bag with a picnic, grab a hat and plenty of water, and head out to discover whatever is beyond that distant headland. We spent some really enjoyable days doing this in Sri Lanka and Borneo. Now it was time t

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/goa-beach-hopping/

Palolem Beach Goa

A few kms south of Agonda beach is Palolem beach, which stretches across a 1.6 km curved bay. The beach is pretty much built up from end to end with a large variety of accommodation, restaurants and shops. Rooms and cabins range in price, for anything between 200 to 5,000 rupees per night.

With

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach/

South Goa Beaches - Agonda

When we arrived in Goa, fresh off the night train from Kochi, we hadn't yet decided between the South Goa Beaches - Agonda beach or Palolem beach. We had nothing booked, so left it to chance. As it turned out, our first experiences would be on Palolem beach.

After an hours march from the s

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-beaches-agonda/

South Goa via AC2 Train Class

As relieved as we were to be leaving Kochi, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming train journeys to South Goa via AC2 train class.

We had pre-booked berths on an AC2 train leaving that evening from Kochi at 10pm. We should arrive early the following morning in Madgaon, Goa. From

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-via-ac2-train-class/

I'm a Celebrity - Get me out of Fort Kochi!

We arrived at Ernaculum Town station in Kochi later than expected - it was already getting close to dusk. We didn't know it, but we still had another 1 hour journey to take us to our guesthouse in Fort Kochi.

Outside the train station, there was a large queue ... and a surprisingly orderly s

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fort-kochi-india/

Indian Railways Sleeper Class to Kochi

Our next destination after Varkala was Kochi. 5 days earlier, while we were still in Kovalam, we had purchased train tickets from a Travel Agent. He had explained to us which ticket classes were available for a trip from Varkala to Kochi, and advised us not to take Indian Railways Sleeper Class or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/indian-railways-sleeper-class/

Madrid Airport Transfers & Where to Stay

Arriving late in the evening at Madrid airport, we were keen to discover how straightforward our transfers into the city would be, and how our selected hotel on the Gran Vía in the center of the city would measure up.

Following a 9-day trip through the Canary Islands - including Tenerife and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/madrid-airport-transfers-where-to-stay/

Madrid Airport Transfers & Where to Stay

Arriving late in the evening at Madrid airport, we were keen to discover how straightforward our transfers into the city would be, and how our selected hotel on the Gran Vía in the center of the city would measure up.

Following a 9-day trip through the Canary Islands - including Tenerife and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/madrid-airport-transfers-where-to-stay/

The Windswept Cliffs of Varkala, Kerala

The next place of interest travelling north up the coast from Kovalam is Varkala. The cliffs of Varkala are famed for their dramatic, windswept appearance and precarious shopfronts perching over the edge.
Reaching the Cliffs of Varkala
The journey from Kovalam to Varkala takes almost 2 hours by

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cliffs-of-varkala/

The Kovalam Lighthouse Beach Experience

One week before arriving at Kovalam Lighthouse Beach, I sent an email to our hotel requesting an airport pickup. The fact that I got no reply should have been an early warning sign.

When we arrived at Trivandrum airport, I reckoned there was a 50/50 chance that someone would be waiting to pick

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kovalam-lighthouse-beach-experience/

Jet Airways Inflight Experience

Several weeks before starting our trip to India, we went online and booked 2 domestic flights directly with Jet Airways. We had never heard of the airline before, so we were curious how our Jet Airways inflight experience would compare to other budget airlines.

We booked the following one-way

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jet-airways-inflight-experience/

Mumbai International Airport

Arrival at Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji) and transfer to the Domestic terminal was blissfully straightforward and efficient. At passport control we produced our e-Tourist Visas, and were processed quickly enough.

After clearing passport control, we strolled into a large and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-international-transfer-to-domestic-terminal/

Istanbul Leather Shopping

One of the bonuses of a short stay in Istanbul is the opportunity for shopping. There are some great bargains to be had in the bazaars and highstreets of the city, and if its leather you're after, look no further. You'll find that shopping for leather in Istanbul can be a very social

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/shopping-for-leather-in-istanbul/

Istanbul Mosques and Minarets

We dedicated our first full day in in the city to visiting some of the “must see” Istanbul mosques, museums and monuments. Because there are so many of these, and with a limited amount of time, we had to be quite selective.

In part, this was made easier for us by the opening times of some of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-mosques-minarets/

Istanbul Eateries and Accommodation

We would only have 2 nights and days in Istanbul. To optimize our time in the city, and to find the best Istanbul eateries, we did as much planning as we could before leaving home.

After sorting out our transfers, our next priorities were accommodation and food. Following a good deal of online r

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-eateries-accommodation/

Istanbul Airport-City Transfer

Planning our visit to Istanbul from the comfort of our living room, using Google Earth as our map reference, seemed straightforward enough. To avoid the expense of taxis, we decided to arrange our own Istanbul airport-city transfer.

We would be arriving at Sabiha Gokcen - the furthest of the 2

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-airport-city-transfer/

Turkish Airlines Inflight Experience

We were quite excited about flying with Turkish Airlines for the first time. Our expectations of the Turkish Airlines inflight experience were justifiably high, considering they were once the No.7 airline in the world (recently dropped to the No.18 position - see The World's Top 100 Ai

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-inflight-experience/

Rome Attractions

For a short 2-3 day break in Rome, you need to be extremely selective: There are just so many Rome attractions to see, and to see the sights properly you need to spend the time.

It also helps to pace yourself and vary your activities to avoid a cultural overload. There are only so many museums

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-attractions/

Inexpensive Rome Restaurants

Rome is like one giant restaurant. Every street seems to host a series of eateries tempting visitors with their delicious Italian kitchen aromas. In our experiance, it's pretty difficult to get a bad meal in Rome, but if you're looking for inspiration, here are our current favourite and i

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-restaurants/

Rome Hotels & Guesthouses

We often use Rome as our launching pad for long-distance flights to Asia. Many of the bigger airlines offer a variety of flight options starting or ending in Rome. As a result, prices are often cheaper than flying out from other airports, since many Rome hotels & guesthouses can be booked at

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-hotels-guesthouses/

India Travel Plan - West Coast

Choosing the best dates and flights for a long-haul trip to the tropics involves a little more than just picking a few free weeks to visit shortly before you leave. When it comes to finding some of the best travel opportunities, whether the Seychelles, India or the Caribbean, it often pays to star

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/india-travel-plan/

Inspiration for Some Unique Activities

Fancy a city-center infinity pool over 50 floors high? How about some Desert Dune Bashing, or a 4½ km zip line tour over the Panamanian jungle?
Whether you're into water rafting in Borneo or beach combing in Goa, for inspiration check out these accessible, inexpensive & unique activities at S

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/inspiration-unique-activities/

Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk Istanbul - Beware Scammers!

For many years we had heard a lot about the complimentary hotel services offered by Turkish Airlines for unplanned Istanbul layovers exceeding 10 hours. Many people try to game the system in order to qualify, but the rules are quite specific. If you are not a truly genuine candidate, the Turkish

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-hotel-desk-istanbul/

Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk Istanbul - Beware Scammers!

For many years we had heard a lot about the complimentary hotel services offered by Turkish Airlines for unplanned Istanbul layovers exceeding 10 hours. Many people try to game the system in order to qualify, but the rules are quite specific. If you are not a truly genuine candidate, the Turkish

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-hotel-desk-istanbul/

What’s the Damage? Final Venice Budget

A short trip to Venice is potentially one of the most costly city breaks you can take. Even with a Venice Budget, why is this city so expensive?

Well, we noticed a few things that might explain this. Apart from the artists and artisans, not much is created or grown in Venice: Goods and
Read more http://www.sandspice.com/final-venice-budget/

The Venice of "Don't Look Now"

If like us you’re a bit of a movie fan, then this section is for you. The Venice of Don't Look Now is encapsulated in a 1973 British-Italian thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from a short story by Daphne du Maurier. It was filmed at a variety of locations throughout Venice, showing a see
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-dont-look-now/

Venice Osteria and Trattoria

Considering that Italy is pretty much one big restaurant, there’s never any difficulty finding somewhere to eat. Whether a Venice osteria and trattoria or pizzeria, there are plenty of places to choose from. In our experience, the overall quality of food in Italy is generally good to very go

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-osteria-trattoria/

Vaporetti Essentials: Get a Day Pass

Of course, one of the reasons we all go to Venice is to travel on their unique vaporetti transport system. Unless you are particularly flush with cash, you’ll want to do this in the easiest and most economical way possible. For a short weekend, a Vaporetti Day Pass is the answer.
Vaporetti Day P

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/vaporetti-day-pass/

Booking a Venice Hotel

Choosing the Ca ’Fortuny Hotel Venice was the result of some precise online research. Finding a good, reasonably-priced hotel in Venice that’s not too far from the centre can be a challenge in itself. It's therefore always a good idea to scrutinize the best deals that are currently on offer.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ca-fortuny-hotel-venice/

Venice off-Season

How much should a short 2-night break in Venice off-season really cost?

With low-cost airlines flying from numerous destinations, the return flight is possibly one of the cheapest items of a trip to Venice. However, even this can be deceptive: The budget airlines fly to Venice Treviso, not to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-off-season/

Budget Accommodation Highlights

Traditional & cost-effective budget accommodation: The hotels and guesthouses you book will have a dramatic effect on your overall travel experience. Check out our recommendations for some of the best, most cost-effective budget accommodation we've discovered in our recent travels.
Our Budget

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/budget-accommodation-highlights/

The Temple of the Tooth

Before we left Kandy we took a few hours to visit the celebrated Temple of the Tooth. This is where they keep one of Buddha’s teeth as a holy relic. The relic is regarded as a symbolic representation of the living Buddha and is the focus of a daily series of offerings, rituals, and cerem

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/temple-of-the-tooth/

Beneath the Knuckle Mountains

During our stay at the , we arranged several treks through the surrounding thickly-jungled mountain areas. Whenever we emerged into a clearing, we could see the Knuckle Mountains bathed in mist in the far distance.

It's clear to see how these mountains got their name. Local residents s

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/knuckle-mountains/

Polwaththa Eco Lodge

From Kandy, we had arranged a pickup by tuk-tuk to take us up into the surrounding mountain jungle to the Polwaththa Eco Lodge.

We were looking forward to a peaceful break, close to nature and away from the hustle and bustle. Our tuk-tuk driver arrived on time shortly before noon. We paid Rs

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/polwaththa-eco-lodge/

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me... http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/ #ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

#SriLanka Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me...

http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/

The poop from #Pinnawala #elephant #orphanage has its uses: Need recycled paper made from elephant dung? Great for those "Don't Forget" notes...

Kandy Lake Comfort

From Sigiriya, we travelled the short distance to Dambulla by tuk-tuk. We were in two minds whether or not to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. The deciding factors were time and the weather. It was still raining, and we didn't want to delay our bus trip to Kandy. We were heading for the Kandy lake

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kandy-lake-comfort/

Lion Rock Sigiriya

After spending our first wet night in Sigiriya, it was still raining the next morning. However, our plan was to climb to the top of the famous Lion Rock buddhist monument, and a wet day wasn't going to stop us doing that.

Before that, we had a look around the grounds of our guesthouse. It was

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lion-rock-buddhist/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Sri Lanka Travel Plan - Central & South

Our Sri Lanka travel plan was designed as a 21-day rollicking rollercoaster of a ride to the World’s End and beyond. It promised to be an eventful trip, with all content published from my tiny Samsung smartphone.



 
Researching the Trip - Sri Lanka Travel Plan
Our idea was to choose a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-travel-plan/

Oasis Hotel Manila

Our trip back to Manila started in Panglao. We had booked the small Oasis Hotel Manila in north-central area of the city for just 2 nights.

A trike from Panglao to the airport took around 30 minutes (250 pesos).

At Tagbilaran airport, the terminal tax is 100 pesos per person. Philippine a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/oasis-hotel-manila/

The White Sands of Dumaluan Beach, Philippines

Dumaluan beach is a narrow, white sand beach stretching for around 500 meters on the south coast of Panglao. It's only a few kms down the coast from Alona beach, but offers a similar beach experience, more geared towards locals than foreigners.

If you get there early in the morning with a group

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dumaluan-beach/

Panglao Island Nature Resort

The Panglao Island Nature Resort is a classy 5-star resort located far from the hustle and bustle of the more popular destinations in Panglao, Bohol.



As a day visitor, you get access to the resort and use of their pool, beach and facilities for 550 pesos. This also gives you 400 pesos

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/panglao-island-nature-resort/

Seaside Boutique, Panglao in the Philippines

We chose the Seaside Boutique for our second stay in Panglao, and we're very happy we did (€27 per night including breakfast).

This guesthouse is located on the opposite side of the island from Alona and other popular spots. We were made very welcome into this family home, with our bedroom and p

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/seaside-boutique/

2013 Loboc Earthquake Damage, Philippines

Before leaving Loboc, we stopped to take a closer look at the damage caused by the 2013 Loboc earthquake.
The 2013 Loboc Earthquake
The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 7.2, with an energy equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs. This was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 yea

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/2013-loboc-earthquake/

Fox & Firefly Resort Loboc

Don't expect anything fancy at the Fox & Firefly resort Loboc. This is a pure backpackers place, with the smallest dormitory I have ever seen (about 16 square meters for up to 8 adults).



Apart from the dormitory hut there are two other 2-person huts, and a communal washing/toilet a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fox-firefly-resort-loboc/

The Terravision Rome Airport Bus

Getting from either of the airports outside Rome to the city center can be an expensive business. Fortunately, there are some inexpensive and efficient alternatives to taking a taxi. We used the Terravision Rome airport bus service to travel from Fiumicino airport to the centre of Rome.

Great

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/terravision-rome-airport-bus/

Rome: This is where it all begins...

Rome is not exactly South-East Asia, but this is where our journey begins, following a short flight from Malta.

The reason for this was our discovery of some very reasonably priced , flights running from Rome to Manila (€528 return). Since Italy is a small hop from our base in Malta, this seem

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-beginnings/

Checkout Our 360 Degree Panoramic Images

Using Google Street View and some post processing software, its possible to produce some pretty nifty 360 degree panoramic images from a standard smartphone, without having to splash out on an expensive dedicated 360 degree camera. Having said that, a 360 degree camera is definitely on our

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/360-degree-panoramic-images/

Lembongan Island Snorkeling Tours

Snorkeling and diving are among the great attractions of a trip to Lembongan, providing an enjoyable and more active alternative to soaking up the sun on the beaches. If you're not keen on swimming out from the shore to find a snorkeling spot, another option is to take one of the full-day

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-snorkeling/

Exploring Songkhla Thailand

Songkhla is a large city located in southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. We were inspired to visit this province not so much to admire the architecture as to renew a 30-day Malaysian visa, which was due to expire.

It also seemed to be an ideal excuse to spend a few days exploring

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/exploring-songkhla-thailand/

Affiliate Disclosure

SandSpice is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/affiliate-disclosure/

Climbing Gunung Raya, Malaysia

Among the most impressive features of Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia are the mountains. The highest of these is known as Gunung Raya, which dominates the island at 881 meters above sea level. Although not for everyone, climbing Gunung Raya by foot is a challenging but massively rewarding

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/climbing-gunung-raya-langkawi-malaysia/

Visa Runner - Langkawi Malaysia to Songkhla Thailand

If you're planning an extended stay in Malaysia, then its likely that at some point you'll have to renew the limited tourist visa you are given on first arrival. This procedure is often referred to as making a ‘visa run’, and will vary according to your nationality and location in Malaysia. In our

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/visa-runner-langkawi-songkhla/

Denpasar Souvenir Shopping

Our last port of call in Bali was Denpasar, not far from the airport. Here we had just one day and night before taking a Cathay Pacific flight back to London, via Hong Kong. Our plan for this 24 hours was to get in as much souvenir shopping as possible, since we had discovered that Denpasar is know

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/denpasar-souvenir-shopping/

Exploring Songkhla Thailand

Songkhla is a large city located in southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. We were inspired to visit this province not so much to admire the architecture as to renew a 30-day Malaysian visa, which was due to expire.

It also seemed to be an ideal excuse to spend a few days exploring

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/exploring-songkhla-thailand/

Airlines, Airports & Transfers

The single most expensive item of your trip to the tropics will no doubt be your air fare. Getting a great deal here could easily be worth an extra week or two in your chosen destinations. But it's not just about the cost - How about reliability and service?... and most importantly of all -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/airlines-airports-transfers/

INDIA - I'll Never Do It Again

‘INDIA - I'll Never Do It Again...’ I first came across this expression while chatting with a fellow traveler at a beach cafe in Agonda, South Goa. She pointed out a table on the beach with this inscription carved artistically into the wood.

It sums up the conflicting emotions felt by many tra

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ill-never-do-it-again/

Videos & Soundtracks

Videos & Soundtracks from our favourite destinations
Be sure to crank up the volume!






Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/videos-soundtracks/

Penang Malaysia - Welcome to China

On a first visit to Penang, you could be forgiven for thinking yourself in mainland China. As with the unbalanced demographics of Tenerife North in the Spanish Canaries, which is permanently occupied by a majority of aging Germans, Penang Malaysia seems to be home to a disproportionate percentage o

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/penang-malaysia-welcome-to-china/

Easy-Access Snorkeling Locations

Tropical beaches are fine, but if you enjoy exploring the scenery below the waterline it's fun to hire a mask and fins and go checkout the marine life. The ideal way to do this is directly from the beach. Often however you'll find the best snorkeling locations are offshore - in which case you'll

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/easy-access-snorkeling-locations/

Maspalomas Gay Paradise - Gran Canaria

Following a 6-day break in Tenerife, we continued our Canary Islands journey by taking a ferry across to Tenerife's sister-island, Gran Canaria. The ferry dropped us off in the north of Gran Canaria, from where we took a bus down the east coast of the island to Maspalomas. What we were hoping for

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maspalomas-gay-paradise/

Best Bites & Spicy Delights

From our perspective, the local food on offer can make or break an extended travel agenda. If you have an adventurous palette, more often than not you'll discover some amazing flavours and experience a diversity of unforgettable snacks and dishes. Here is a summary of our favourite eating

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/best-bites/

Lembongan Island Snorkeling Tours

Snorkeling and diving are among the great attractions of a trip to Lembongan, providing an enjoyable and more active alternative to soaking up the sun on the beaches. If you're not keen on swimming out from the shore to find a snorkeling spot, another option is to take one of the full-day

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lembongan-island-snorkeling/

Budget Accommodation Nightmares

We’re great believers in checking and double-checking the photos, descriptions and reviews of hotels and guesthouses before making a booking. What we’ve learned though is that you can’t always rely on the integrity of your research. Reviews can be faked, photos and descriptions...

Langkawi Accommodation Options

With just 1 week in the archipelago, we didn't have as much time as we'd have liked to experience Langkawi island life. Between hopping over from Phuket and then boating onwards to Penang, we hoped to pack as much into our schedule as possible while varying our Langkawi accommodation

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/langkawi-accommodation-options/

Gran Canaria Ferry from North Tenerife

Considering the close proximity of Gran Canaria to Tenerife - if you have the time - it can be worthwhile including a visit across to see how the other half live. You can either fly over or take the ferry. In our case, we planned to take the Gran Canaria ferry from the port of Santa Cruz in North T

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/gran-canaria-ferry-from-north-tenerife/

Get Inspired... with Free Independent Travel

Free independent travel brings many advantages over a standard packaged holiday deal: Even within a modest budget, there are no limits. Go where you want, when you want - and tailor the trip to fit your own personal aspirations. Get inspired with some of our own favourite travel

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/free-independent-travel/

Death in Lembongan

Death in Lembongan: Invitation to an outdoor Balinese #cremation

http://www.sandspice.com/death-in-lembongan/

During our time in #Bali and #Lembongan we'd already had a taste of the vibrant life on the islands: Now we would learn a little about death in Lembongan.

#Funeral