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Munich, beer and Bavarian culture

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Germany has always interested me because of its history and beer (more so the beer). I've only ever been to Berlin, which I believe shows a completely different Germany to the rest of the country. I wanted to see the old beer halls, the gothic architecture, lederhosens and eat knodel – Munich promised to tick all of these boxes. As the Bavarian capital, Munich is steeped in tradition and history. However, during World War Two it was heavily bombed with most of its buildings turned to ruble or were severely damaged. To this day, the buildings you see around the city have a fake layer over the top of them to give the illusion of what the buildings used to look like. Walking through the city, you can feel the history in the buildings and the streets, one of the reasons I love to travel. Marienplatz Drinking all the beer Beer is a big part of German culture and a big part of my life. My partner and I are obsessed with Weihenstephaner hefe weissbier – the oldest brewery in the world and
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How to find the right camper van in NZ – and our first trip!

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After months of searching we finally found our camper van that will take us around New Zealand for the next 4 months (September till December 2019). Meet Susanna Ford About our new van Susanna is a Ford Econovan, 1996, manual and came with: solar panels (and a spare panel) a power inverter – runs from the van's battery and turns the Directs Current (DC) power into standard, Alternating Current (AC) so you can charge devices electric sink surround sound speakers electric fans several USB ports a portable loo a bed (with plenty of storage underneath) 50L Brass Monkey fridge . Inside Susanna Ford What it means to be self-contained Susanna is also self-contained which means we get to camp pretty much anywhere in NZ (that's marked as a self-contained campsite). To be self-contained you need certain things, such as a portable loo and a drainage system so you're not spreading your waste all over the place – nice. Check out how to get a certi
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Getting lost in Egmont National Park and Taranaki, New Zealand

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We've been in Wellington nearly 3 months now and wanted to seek some adventure in our new little Nissan – so we looked at the map for the nearest volcano and out popped Mount Taranaki. In the thick of it in Egmont National Park Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont, is in the region of Taranaki (go figure). Taranaki is slap bang in the middle of Auckland and Wellington on the west coast. The volcano itself is near the city of New Plymouth, which we wanted to check out too as we'd heard that it's very artsy and trendy. The journey from Wellington It's a 4 and half hour drive (well, that's what Google told us) from Welly to Egmont Village – where we were staying for 2 nights. With the car all packed up, Fleetwood Mac on full whack, and a Peoples' coffee in tow – we set off on State Highway 1 out of Wellington. The drive isn't so bad once you leave inner and outer Wellington, but coming from someone whose driven the horrors of motorways in the
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How much we spent travelling around Southeast Asia for 3 and half months

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It's one of the first things you Google when planning a big trip: "How much money do I need?" I can only tell you from my recent experience of how much my partner and I spent on accommodation, food, drink (mainly coffee and beer), and transport in Southeast Asia. How much you'll need really depends on a number of things: how long you want to stay in places how many places you want to travel to how you get around, for example cheap buses vs planes if you like drinking lots of beer and coffee day trips and excursions. Rule one: don't take life too seriously - it's only money Our itinerary  Over the 3 and half months we went to: Thailand - 1 month Laos - 1 week Vietnam - 1 month Thai islands - 3 weeks Malaysia - 2 weeks Singapore - 4 days In total we spent just over £5,000. Now let's break down the costs. Accommodation  Overall we spent : £1,665 Thailand : £532 - average £22 per night (one of these nights includes a st
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Getting inked in Ho Chi Minh by Shiiworks

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On our recent travels to Ho Chi Minh City my partner and I decided to get a tattoos. Getting inked (credit: Flikr ) Why we decided to get them We both had tattoos done this year at  Family Business  in London by  Jonathan Mckenzie  who is a very precise and fine detailed artist – it was actually my first ever tattoo. I didn't really think tattoos would be addictive, but here I am, getting my second one in the space of 4 months – in Vietnam! We were a bit dubious about getting tattoos in a different country, as you have to think: Is it hygienic? Safe? Will I regret it? It's really important to do your research on a tattooist and know what the standards are in the country you're getting it in. Obviously, if you're going for a bamboo tattoo in Thailand then there's a risk, but most tattooist now play by the hygiene rules – but check before you book. You should read reviews, look on social media and TripAdvisor, or better still talk to someone who got a tat
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Thailand to Malaysia by train (and a couple of ferries)

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If you’re in Thailand and want to go to Malaysia without getting a long bus or a plane, than you’ll be pleased to know it is possible by train(s) and a few ferries. The beautiful Koh Samui  Our itinerary My partner and I recently travelled from Koh Samui, Thailand all the way to Georgetown, Penang and it went surprisingly smooth. Here's how we did it: 1. Lomprayah ferry  and bus (joint ticket):  Na Thon Koh Samui to Surat Thani Train Station  ( duration: 3 hours and 5 mins, cost: 700 baht) -  booked with 12goAsia 2. Thai sleeper train (special express): Surat Thani, Thailand to Padang Besar, Malaysia (duration: approx. 7 hours, cost: 722 baht) - booked with Thai Railway Ticket My train ticket from Surat Thani to Padang Besar 3. KTM Komuter: Padang Besar to Butterworth (duration: 1 hr 30 mins, cost: 115 baht) - can’t pre-book, got the ticket at the station 4. Butterworth ferry to Georgetown (duration: approx. 20 mins, cost: 1.20 ringgit) - got th
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Coffee tasting and finding Utopia in Luang Prabang, Laos

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We didn't have many expectations for Luang Prabang, but when we left we were gutted we didn't spend more time there. This post includes: How to get to Luang Prabang What the atmosphere was like Kuang Si Falls The Alms Giving Ceremony  Coffee tasting The Utopia bar How much we spent The beautiful Mekong River at sunset Atmosphere Classed as a world heritage site in 1995, Lurang Prabang is the ancient capital of Laos. The town is full of charm and quaintness with its beautiful French-indochinese architecture with hints of modern influences. It feels like it's a place that doesn't know what to do with all the attention it gets, but doesn't care at the same time. Comparing it to other places we’ve been so far, I’d say it’s got the chill vibes of Pai mixed with a bit of Chiang Mai, but not as busy. To get around town I'd highly recommend hiring a bicycle. It's not too busy on the roads, unlike it's neighbouring countries Thailand and Vie
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