A Trip to Mexico

Hola!  If you follow me on Instagram then you'll know that I've just returned from a dreamy trip to Riviera Maya in Mexico.  My friends are probably sick of the sight of all my holiday snaps now but hey, what's a girl to do?!

I spent 10 days at the Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort & Spa in Puerto Aventuras where I FINALLY managed to unwind and switch my brain to downtime mode.  It's been a bit of a crazy year so it has, so some time away from it all was long overdue and in fact, it reminded me of the importance of taking some time out to escape everyday life and recharge the good ol' batteries.

The Catalonia was a great choice with clean, modern rooms, a good selection of different themed  buffet and a la carte restaurants and eateries (there was a crepe van people!!), and of course a couple of lovely big pools and private access to a gorgeous white sand beach.

Although we were unlucky with the weather a couple of days (it is hurricane season in October afterall), I would highly recommend visiting Riviera Maya if you're after a quiet, all inclusive resort holiday.  The food was fab, beaches amazing with stunning crystal clear waters and most importantly, I could have as many mojitos as I wanted... Like, what else do you need?!

As our last few holidays have been pretty busy, I was a little worried that we'd be bored lounging around by the pool/beach all day (a ridiculous thought, in hind sight), but actually after buying a flat this year, switching jobs and so on, a wee break was exactly what the doctor ordered.  It turns out that some sunshine and snoozing on hammocks all day really is the best kinda medicine... Who knew!

We did one day trip whilst we were away which was to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins.  Despite the fact I was nearly eaten alive by mosquitos (nasty little buggers), it was really interesting to learn about the history there and I would definitely recommend a visit if you're into that kind of thing.  The site is quite small, but set aside at least two hours so you can wander around at your own pace and take it all in.  And please, if you do go, TAKE YOUR MOZZY SPRAY.

Anyway, a holiday is of course a perfect excuse for a blog post so instead of rambling on about how perfect the sea and cocktails were, I thought I'd share some photos with you.

I would definitely love to go back to Mexico one day and perhaps try a different area, so if you've been and you have any recommendations then holla!

Rachel

Bikini Top - ASOS

Bikini Bottoms - ASOS

AN ASIAN ADVENTURE: PART III OF III

THAILAND

Well here it is folks, part 3 of my travel diary.  I don't want the writing about happier days to end, but I really need to accept that I'm home now and faced with the harsh realities of work, bills and a ridiculously long and unaffordable ASOS wishlist.

For my third and final post we're visiting the insanely beautiful land of Thailand!

After a busy 8 days in Hong Kong and Singapore, it was decided that a relaxing week here would be the cherry on the cake and give us a chance to recharge the batteries.

I don't know about you, but I had always, ALWAYS wanted to visit this magical place after years of tormenting myself by looking at peoples' holiday snaps and gap year diaries.  As you may know, Thailand is pretty darn big so after reading tons of reviews and holiday guides, we decided that Phuket was the place for us.

Hotel

Well, where do I begin... We stayed at the BEAUTIFUL Beyond Resort Karon which is a five star, adult only hotel with it's own private entrance to the golden sands and crystal clear waters of Karon Beach.  On arrival, we were greeted by the receptionist with a glass of water, bowl of fresh fruit and a cold flannel and I knew this one was going to be special.

The hotel is split over three levels with every single room offering an absolutely stunning view of the Andaman Sea.  We stayed in a Beyond Deluxe room (third floor) and I cannot tell you how glorious it was to wake up to such views every morning.

The room was very clean, modern and spacious with plenty of storage space for all of my shoes and bikinis (I have a slight bikini addiction and always pack waaaaay too many!).  The room was also equipped with a mini fridge, coffee machine and wet room, and was made up every day by the super friendly staff.

If you managed to peel yourself away from your private balcony, the pool and restaurant area was a fab place to relax, drink yummy cocktails and soak up the 40 degree heat.  The hotel has two pools, one of which houses jacuzzi baths and a swim up bar, and you will never have any trouble with finding a sun lounger.

The food in the hotel's "Beach Bar" restaurant was always very tasty and unbelievably good value for what you were paying.

If you fancied a change of scenery, you could walk a whole 10 - 20 steps and find yourself a quiet little spot on the beach.  Karon Beach is quite long so although it is a busy destination for tourists, it never felt overcrowded.  It also gave you the perfect spot for watching a beautiful Phuket sunset!

In the vicinity of the hotel, there are endless shops, bars and restaurants to keep your belly full and taste-buds tickled with page upon page of cocktail options.  If you do visit this hotel (or even just the area), I definitely recommend a trip to the Red Chopsticks restaurant as this was a personal favourite of mine.

Here are a few pictures of the hotel, beach and surrounding area...... *sigh* ...

 
 
 
 
 
 

I can safely say that one week in Phuket was nowhere near long enough to be able to do everything we wanted to, however of course, who can visit Thailand without a trip to the Phi Phi Islands and most notably, Maya Bay aka. "The Beach".

We did a day tour of the islands by speedboat and even stopped for some snorkelling along the way - I've never seen water so clear in my life!  I was gutted to only be able to spend one day doing this, and unfortunately I didn't come across Leonardo DiCaprio, but it was a truly amazing experience nonetheless.

I absolutely intend on returning to Thailand and can't wait to see more of what this beautiful country has to offer.  It was the perfect end to a wonderful holiday and I feel truly blessed that I have been able to experience this.

Have you been to Thailand?  If so, I'd love to hear where you visited and if you have any recommendations for my future trip(s)!

Rachel

 
 
 
 

AN ASIAN ADVENTURE: PART II OF III

Hello folks, and happy Friday-eve!  I don't know about you, but all these blue skies and that big, bright ball in the sky (I think they call it the sun?) are getting me excited for the weekend!

It's been another busy week but I finally have some time to sit down and put together part 2 of my travel diary and this time, we shall visit Singapore my friends!

This was my first visit to Singapore and all I can say is that I bloody loved it.  Every single thing about it: The green gardens, the food, the people, the cocktails, Marina Bay - Everything.  The place is absolutely immaculate and as soon as I had my first wander around, I told myself that I would live here one day.

After my mini Hong Kong adventure (see previous blogpost), I visited Singapore for five days whilst staying with family and I tried to cram in as much as possible during my short stay.  There's a bucket load of things to see and do in Singapore, depending on your interests, but my favourites were... * drum roll*

The Zoo

What can I say, we don't particularly have that many fascinating species of animals in Scotland.  I mean, Highland coo's are pretty cool but let's face it, seeing lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) is pretty bad-ass.

I felt the zoo was a good way to spend my first day in Singapore and it gave my body a chance to adjust to the INSANE humidity there.  The zoo was spotlessly clean, really well kept and I loved the fact that the animals appeared to have lots of room to stroll around and be free in.

There were plenty of spots to stop for refreshments and lunch and all round, it was a great day out.

 

 

Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens is a tropical garden situated near the main shopping district and is a lovely walk if you fancy a more relaxed afternoon.  It's filled with beautiful plants, flowers and water features and it's so relaxing just to wander around at your own pace listening to the sound of the birds chirping away.

Also in the Gardens is an amazing little restaurant called "The Halia" where we stopped to enjoy a delicious lunch (and air-con!).  Their menu was very varied with something for everyone and was a great place to stop for a bite to eat.

 

  

 

Clarke Quay

This is an amazing wee place and if you're prone to a few cocktails and a dance, you NEED to visit here at night time to take full advantage of the funky bars, live music and Singapore clubbing scene.  There are literally endless bars and eateries to try depending on what tickles your fancy and if you visit during happy hour (which seems to last around 3 - 4 hours for most bars), then you can grab yourself some bargain deals on numerous drinks and cocktails - I recommend visiting during this time as it is quite pricey paying full price for drinks after the deals end..

Unfortunately I was a little er, merry, whist here so I didn't take any photographic evidence of my phenomenal (aka extremely average at best) dance moves, but if Singapore is ever on your to do list, I would definitely look this place up and give it a try.

Gardens by the Bay

So you may already have seen pictures of these bad boys because they are an extremely popular tourist destination in Singapore, and for a very good reason.  They are amazing.

The "Supertrees" take part in a light show every evening just after sunset and flash/change colour in sync to a number of great songs from the best musicals.  It's pretty hard to explain in writing but I'm sure there will be some cool videos on You Tube if you feel like having a nosey.  If I remember correctly, the show lasts around 20 - 30 minutes and in my opinion is a must-see, even just for one night.  I promise you, the pictures do these no justice!

 

Marina Bay

Lastly, but certainly not least and probably my favourite, behold, Marina Bay!  Where do I begin.  When I first got to Marina Bay it was early evening and to me, some of the buildings actually looked like a cardboard cut out because they were just so surreal.

The Bay oozes the "wow" factor and is the perfect setting of never ending bars, shops, restaurants and awe-inspiring buildings.  In addition, it is of course the home of the faaabulous Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

I drank in many a bars at the Bay during my stay (I feel I'm starting to sound like I have a bit of a drink problem - I don't, I think) and I also had the pleasure of eating at the OUE restaurant which is a rooftop bar and restaurant offering the choice of three cuisines; Japanese, French and Chinese.  I was lucky enough to have a booth right next to the window and I can't even put into words how amazing the views were overlooking the Bay.

Every evening there is a pretty damn cool laser show which is reflected off screens of water (like the Fantasmic laser show at MGM Studios in Florida for any Disney geeks out there).  As well as that, there are a number of fun, science-y type games and activities situated all around the Bay for anyone feeling creative.

Once you've completed all of the above, have stuffed your face and drank too much wine, a nice stroll around the Bay is literally the perfect way to end what I guarantee will have been a truly amazing evening.

Rachel

 
 
 
 
 

AN ASIAN ADVENTURE : Part I of III

HONG KONG

Aloha!  And welcome to Part 1 of my Asian Adventure travel diary.  I've recently been lucky enough to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand and it was one of THEE best holidays I've ever been on.  Quite frankly, I can't stop scrolling through my pictures and wondering why I ever had to come home (like seriously, who even needs a job?), so I thought I'd try and cheer myself up by sharing some memories that seem so distant already.

So my first stop was Hong Kong which is a gruelling 16 hour flight from Edinburgh.  My boyfriend gets quite grumpy and agitated on long plane journeys, so I told him it was 10 hours and really "not that bad".  You should have seen his face when we stopped in Abu Dhabi for our connecting flight and he realised we had another 7 hours to go.  Priceless.  Anyway, we flew with Etihad Airways and I have to say they made the 16 hour trip a lot more bearable - New and current movies, comfy seats, decent legroom, a fully kitted out "plane essentials" kit and of course, an unlimited drinks trolley.  That was me sorted!

Once we arrived in Hong Kong I couldn't help but notice three things:

1. Everybody was super friendly

2. The buildings were really, really, really tall

3. I had no idea what day, time or even planet I was on due to my old pal called Jetlag

Accommodation

My three nights in HK were spent in the laaaavly Harbour Grand Hong Kong, situated right beside Victoria Harbour.  The reception area had the biggest, most sparkliest chandelier I'd ever seen and the service offered by the bellboys was second to none.

My harbour view room was on the 32nd floor and, had it not been so foggy, would have offered amaaazing views of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon Island.  Unfortunately I was too excited to think about taking pictures of the room at the time but I can assure you, you would not have been disappointed!

The hotel offered several eating places with loads of different cuisines from around the world, a heated outdoor pool, a gym and spa area and even a harpist in the lobby to make sweet music to your ears!

Things to do, people to see...

Sadly, the weather was ridiculously foggy my whole three days in Hong Kong so I didn't get to do a lot of the touristy stuff I'd planned (Victoria Peak, the Big Buddha, Lantau Island).  Nonetheless, I tried to make the most of my trip and explored parts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon whilst trying some local cuisine and embarrassing myself by attempting to use chopsticks.

The city is beautiful in an array of colours at night and you can make the most of the colourful views by having a nice stroll around the harbour or by taking a boat cruise across the bay.

If you are a fellow cocktail lover, one place that you MUST visit if you are ever in Hong Kong is the "Ozone Bar" (also known as the highest bar in the world!) which is situated on the 118th floor of the Ritz-Carlton hotel.  All I can say is wow.  Again, we didn't get the spectacular views due to the weather, but the chilled atmosphere, funky interior and truly scrumptious cocktail menu ensured we had a fab time anyway.

Well folks, I feel like I've rambled on enough about my mini-adventure in Hong Kong.  The weather situation was disappointing but overall, HK gets a thumbs up from me and I would definitely recommend a visit if you are travelling around that side of the world.  I've included a few pictures from my stay below (sorry about the quality of some), and if you've ever been before, get in touch and let me know what you thought!

My next travel post will be about Singapore so keep an eye out and I'll see you there... Happy reading!

Rachel