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 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

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

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/

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/

Malta Saint Julians Penthouse for Sale - Seafront with Roof Garden

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Malta Saint Julians Seafront Penthouse for Sale
South-facing luxury penthouse apartment overlooking the fishing boats of Spinola Bay - on sale for the first time.
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Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malta-saint-julians-penthouse-for-sale/

Death in Lembongan

During our 10-day stay in Lembongan, we had several interesting conversations with the owner of our last guesthouse - TS Huts near Mushroom beach. On one occasion he told us there had been a recent death in Lembongan - a member of his own family - and they would be holding the funeral the

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

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/

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
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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/

Loro Parque Tenerife 🦜

The town and waterfront areas in Puerto de la Cruz in the Canary Islands are pleasant enough to walk around, but if you're looking for a really special activity that will appeal to all the family, then you need to head out west a little. This is because Loro Parque Tenerife, together with its

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

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/

Malta Saint Julians Penthouse for Sale - Seafront with Roof Garden

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Malta Saint Julians Seafront Penthouse for Sale
South-facing luxury penthouse apartment overlooking the fishing boats of Spinola Bay

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/malta-saint-julians-penthouse-for-sale/

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/

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/

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 (the now bankrupt) Jet Airways.

Although there is a

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.... Koh Lipe, Thailand.

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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/

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/

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/