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/

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 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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

Our Final Panama Budget & Impressions

So what are our takeaways following a 4-week road trip around Panama? Below you'll find a summary of our Panama budget and impressions.

As to be expected there are positives and negatives, as well as plenty of opinions and observations.


Our Final Panama Budget
Our Panama trip worked out

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

Jakarta Takes Mansion Hotel

For our short return visit to Jakarta, we opted to stay in the Jakarta Takes Mansion hotel, close to the center of the city. The hotel is just a 20-minute walk across the park from Gambir train station, and not far from a central shopping area.


Jakarta Takes Mansion Hotel
Takes Mansion is a

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

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

During our 4-week trip around Panama, we stayed at a variety of hotels and guesthouses - in fact 11 in all. It therefore only seems logical that we should provide a summary of our Panamanian hotel experiences.
Budgets and Expectations
We varied our hotel budget, ranging between $33 and $66 per

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

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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 a 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 fo

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

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

COVID-19 - The New-Normal Flying Experience

Already, for several years before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we'd become disenchanted with our long-haul flying experiences.

As aircraft companies expanded their fleets with planes adapted to cram in more passengers, the cost of flight tickets came down and the surge of new

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/covid-19-new-normal-flying-experience/

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/

Our Karimunjawa 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/

Kuantan by Taxi 🚖 from Mersing

Our 3-week journey through Malaysia and Borneo included some tight connections. One such was our lightning visit through Kuantan in order to catch our connecting flights to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo.

Having spent 4 nights in Tioman, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing, and then

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/travelling-tioman-kuantan/

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. In fact, we were hoping our Cathay Pacific inflight experience would be something to savour.

We had purchased

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

Girona in Giro - What to see & do in Springtime

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 center of Girona, next to the Onyar river. We started out early after breakfast and followed the river northwards - passing the brightly painted façades of the houses - and he

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

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

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

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 European airports, since many Rome hotels & guesthouses can be

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

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/

Philippines Travel Plan - Central Visayas

The initial inspiration for our Philippines Travel Plan came from the discovery of very reasonably priced flights with Emirates 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 ni

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

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/

Mumbai International Transfer to Domestic Terminal

Arrival at Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji) and transfer to the Domestic terminal was in our case 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

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

Our Venice Budget 🎭 2 Nights Inclusive - What’s the Cost?

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

Well, we noticed a few things that might explain this. Apart from the local handiwork of artists and artisans, not much is created or grown in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/final-venice-budget/

Polwaththa Eco Lodge

Our trip through Sri Lanka wouldn't have been complete without a short stay at one of this island's Eco settlements.

So, from Kandy we had arranged a pickup by tuk-tuk to take us into the surrounding mountain jungles to the Polwaththa Eco Lodges.

We were looking forward to a peaceful break,

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

Borneo Rainforest Discovery Centre

No trip to Malaysia is complete without an extended visit to Borneo. Apart from the wealth of activities this island has to offer, it is fascinating and heart-warming to discover the biodiversity conservation efforts they are making here.

Located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-rainforest-discovery-centre/

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

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

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/

Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong Stopover

If you take a flight with Cathay Pacific from London to Bali you'll be making a pit-stop in Hong Kong. Why not then take advantage of this break in your journey to add a Hong Kong stopover to your trip?

As well as breaking up an extended long-haul flight to Bali, this also gives you the

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

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, then you need to venture a little further. So why not try a combination of Bali and Nusa Lembongan - one of Bali's

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

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/

Sandbank Affaire

The Sandbank Affaire Makunudu Maldives is a special experience devised by the Management of the Makunudu Island Resort. This is a private evening excursion to a distant mini-island (the Sandbank). You are accompanied by just your waiter and a chef, and are treated to a Lobster BBQ with a bottle of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sandbank-affaire-makunudu-maldives/

Panama Travel Plan - Our 26-day Itinerary

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/

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. But 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

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

In-transit through Rome Airports? Try Best Western Fiumicino

Our trip to the Philippines was planned with a return flight to Fiumicino, near Rome. The flights back to Italy from the Philippines hit us a lot harder than the flights going there. Even though we were flying with Emirates, we had a 5-hour stopover in Dubai which just extended the misery.

So

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/best-western-hotel-riviera-fiumicino/

India Travel Plan - West Coast

Choosing the best dates and flights for a long-haul trip to the tropics involves more than making a quick selection shortly before you leave. When it comes to finding the best travel opportunities, whether the Seychelles, India or the Caribbean, it pays to start making yours plans well in advance.

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

Dubai Layover - Marhaba Lounge

Taking into account the ever-increasing restrictions and delays involved in long-haul travel, there inevitably comes a time when you're obliged to consider the pros and cons of an extended layover.

Long-haul (10-hour flights or more) usually involve a minimum of one stop before reaching your

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/marhaba-lounge-dubai/

Borneo Wavehunters at WaveHunterAsia

White Water Rafting is a "must do" activity if you are staying a few days in Borneo in the vicinity of Kota Kinabalu. As a result, the Borneo Wavehunters had been on our agenda from the very beginning of our planned trip to Malaysia, and we were lucky enough to experience it.

I say “lucky” beca

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-wavehunters/

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 Sri Lanka's 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 -

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

Jakarta Stopover

We'd just had a lengthy 10-hour Doha airport layover on our journey to Indonesia from Rome. Getting to our hotel as quickly as possible when we got to Indonesia was therefore a priority. On arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, we'd decided to take a short Jakarta stopover in a nearby

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

Girona transfers from airport and onward 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/