Review: The Funny Lion

Review: The Funny Lion

The Funny Lion was the perfect place to just relax and be pampered by the hotel’s attentive  staff. The sunsets are stunning poolside or on the balcony. An in-room or poolside massage is one of the the only decisions you’ll have to make while you’re there and if you’re feeling adventurous, check out one of their tours and explore the island by land or by sea. When you visit make sure to challenge yourself to a Filipino-only breakfast! You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it.

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Ultimate Guide To Volunteering Overseas

Ultimate Guide To Volunteering Overseas

My very first time volunteering I was a young 18-year old. It was my very first solo trip around the world and I had chosen to spend three months in Ecuador volunteering with street kids and improving my Spanish. I hadn’t saved very much money for this trip, about $20,000 for a full year of travel after flights and needed to find ways to travel cheaper for longer. That was my start in volunteering while travelling and I personally think that it can be a very rewarding experience for you and the cause you are trying to help as long as you do your research and enter into it for the right reasons.

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Zephyr Lodge Guatemala - The Good, The Bad and The Infinity Pool

Zephyr Lodge Guatemala - The Good, The Bad and The Infinity Pool

When I was in Guatemala I heard about Zephyr Lodge long before I learned about Semuc Champey, the natural pools located deep in the Guatemalan jungle. Reviews are mixed on this place, through word-of-mouth and also online but my temporary travel companions at the time were insistent on staying there so I decided to give it a try.

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A Day Trip To Semuc Champey

A Day Trip To Semuc Champey

If you’re up for a 6 hour bumpy ride into the middle of the Guatemalan jungle then I would suggest staying in Lanquin for 2 or 3 days, relaxing poolside at Zephyr Lodge and doing a day trip to Semuc Champey. The highlight of my time in Lanquin was visiting the Kam’ba cave system during the Semuc Champey day trip and putting on my Indiana Jones hat for a couple of hours. It was so much fun and months later I have not been able to stop talking about.

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Why You Should Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary On Your Next Aussie Vacation

Why You Should Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary On Your Next Aussie Vacation

Lone Pine is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary in the world. Here you can learn all about these super cute animals and get a chance to take a picture with them or even hold them and have a cuddle session.

Lone Pine houses 130 koalas as well as kangaroos, wallabies, emus, dingoes, snakes and lots of other Australian wildlife. There are shows on during the day as well as some great hands-on experiences with the animals.

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Indian's Nose - Lake Atitlan

Indian's Nose - Lake Atitlan

The Indian’s Nose viewpoint sits at at 2,863 meters looking over the pueblos of San Pedro, Santa Clara and San Marcos. Its name comes from the fact the profile of the mountain looks like a sleeping Indian with the viewpoint as its nose. The hike is 1.5 to 2 hours of a very steep climb. Definietly worth it though!

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Tulum Ruins, Mexico

Tulum Ruins, Mexico

Tulum is located on Mexico's Caribbean Coast just south of Playa Del Carmen. It can be considered the "green resort" town because you can still find many luxury resorts and stylish beach clubs but there's also a growing number of eco style hotels and beach cabins available.

Right outside of town there is a small set of Mayan ruins known for its picture perfect setting on the beach. The Tulum Ruins are the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.

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San Fernando Fort, Omoa

San Fernando Fort, Omoa

Omoa, Honduras is small town on the Caribbean Coast, a short trip from San Pedro Sula. Omoa used to be the main Caribbean port of Honduras until the mid 19th century. Now it is a very laid back beach town where you can be one of the only tourists in sight. As you can see, I had the whole place to myself!

One of the main reasons to visit is to see the historical 18th century San Fernando Fort. It's also a great stop over on the way to or from the Guatemala Border.

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Laguna Bacalar - The Lagoon of 7 Colours

Laguna Bacalar - The Lagoon of 7 Colours

The town of Bacalar and Laguna Bacalar itself are popular amongst budget travelers and backpackers but due to its remote location and importantly, the distance from Cancun Airport, it’s one of the least touristy places you can visit this close to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico.

I visited Bacalar on a two week trip with my family with a goal to show them what I love about Mexico away from the margaritas and novelty sombreros of the Mexican Riviera. Although there’s nothing wrong with those things, I really wanted to show them another side of Mexico.

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Top 15 Places to Visit in Central America and Mexico

Top 15 Places to Visit in Central America and Mexico

Central America is a treasure trove of breathtaking destinations waiting to be explored. From ancient ruins to pristine beaches, this diverse region offers something for every traveler. Join me as I unveil the top 15 must-visit places in Central America, guiding you to unforgettable experiences in this enchanting part of the world.

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Hostel Packing Essentials

Hostel Packing Essentials

I’ve written a lot recently about my hostel experienceswhat they’re like and some great ones to stay in. One important topic to cover is the essentials specific to hostels that you should make sure to pack when traveling and planning to stay in a hostel.

Some of these might already be obvious to you but hopefully you’ll pick up on some new items. I’ve covered what you should definitely pack and some things that I read on other “must pack” lists that I didn’t really need. These are my hostel essentials only so doesn’t cover the basics for every trip like clothes and adaptors etc. 

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Wandering Wednesday

Wandering Wednesday

If you’re like 99% of the population then you probably have a day job and if you’re anything like me, by Wednesday you’re ready to chuck it all in and head for the hills. Forget the kids, who cares about the mortgage, let's move to the Caribbean!

Wandering Wednesday is my gift to you on this, the humpiest of all days, where you can take 20 minutes out of your day and read all the best travel stories the internet has to offer.

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Laguna De Apoyo - The Resort For Budget Travelers

Laguna De Apoyo - The Resort For Budget Travelers

Laguna de Apoyo is a crater lake said to be the result of Volcano Apoyo imploding on itself over 20,000 years ago. It is 48 square kilometres and the deepest point has been measured at 200 metres. It gets deep very quickly but is naturally warm and filled with volcano mineraly goodness. Like many beaches in Central America, the lake has a black sand beach.

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That Time When I Stayed In A Party Hostel And Went To Sunday Funday

That Time When I Stayed In A Party Hostel And Went To Sunday Funday

I like to have a good time but I also love to be in bed by 10pm. Usually. I had been hearing about Sunday Funday since Panama City and knew it was a pretty big deal. While staying at a backpacker resort in Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua, I met a lovely lady who invited me to her 30th birthday party that was happening in San Juan Del Sur. It was to be on a Friday night, followed by a weekend of festivities with the big event on Sunday at Sunday Funday.

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6 Tips to Choose a Hotel for Your Next Solo Business Trip

6 Tips to Choose a Hotel for Your Next Solo Business Trip

Travelling is often a great experience especially for people who don’t like to stay still. However, not everything on our trip is always under our control, there are many factors which affect the overall quality of our trip. One factor which can greatly affect our overall well-being and satisfaction during our solo business trip is our choice of the hotel.

The important thing is that this factor of hotel choice is usually in our control and the major factor which affects this decision is usually the cost. We have a list of tips to help you make the right choice when you stay in a hotel on your next solo business trip

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