Travel: A Day Trip to Mostar

A Day Trip to Mostar

Back in May 2022 me and my boyfriend had a holiday to Dubrovnik in Croatia, this is the perfect spot for day trips and sightseeing. From here we took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina this included a guided tour of the city and entrance to multiple sights. Below is what I would recommend you do on a day trip to this wonderful country.

Visit an Ottoman House... Part of our tour included a visit to a traditional Ottoman House. These have been preserved as museums showcasing traditional furnishings such as rugs and ceramics. On this tour we received a free drink at the house in the courtyard I opted for a peppermint tea and my boyfriend bad a traditional coffee. The house was a really interesting part of the tour and really painted a picture of the culture and way of life in the past.

Travel: Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

While in Dubrovnik another tour we booked onto was a trip to Kotor in Montenegro. This was an excursion booked for our holiday through TUI called The Best of Montenegro with a guided tour of the old town. 

I must admit that we skipped out on the guided tour due to our tour guide having lost her voice and therefore it was difficult to hear the tour. 

Overall these are what we recommend for the day trip to Kotor:

Paris: Notre Dame

The Notre Dame 

One of the sights I was most looking forward to seeing during my trip to Paris was the Notre Dame. After seeing it in photos online over the years I just knew that I wanted to see this stunning bit of architectural history in person.

The day we were there it was amazingly sunny and incredibly busy we opted to go inside and to also pay for tickets to go up to the top to admire the views over the city. We were incredibly lucky getting tickets for this and managed to get the last few so if you are visiting and want to go up to the towers it is always best to book this in advance particularly during the Summer months. 

The Cathedral and its stained glass windows were stunning to view inside and out, as you can tell this trip was a while ago now and I was devastated by the news that the Cathedral had gone up in flames in the April of last year. This building is certainly one of the first architectural sites I think of when I think of Paris and it is a devastating that the history of the building has been lost.

Here's hoping that the reconstruction saves what is left of this once amazing monument so that future generations can have the chance to see this building in person.

The views from the top of the cathedral were fully worth the cost to go up and once this hopefully reopens in 2024 this is a sight I would eefinitely recommend visiting if you are in Paris.

Below are a few of my images from the top of the Notre Dame.

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Travel Bucket List

If you are new to my blog let me introduce you to my love for travel! I love visiting new countries, experiencing new cultures and seeing all the wonderful sights on offer. I wanted to share with you my current travel bucket list with all the countries that I currently would love to travel too! Here is my list:

Singapore

While this one is on the bucket list a trip has been booked to Singapore linked with a trip to Thailand. I am so excited to see the amazing sites of this wonderful country. Part of our plans include visiting the Bay Gardens to see the Super Trees, the Cloud Forest with a one night stay at Marina Bay Sands with access to that famous infinity pool. 

Bangkok, Khao Sok and Phuket, Thailand

Linked with our Singapore trip we will be visiting the above locations in Thailand. Visiting this country has been a bucket list dream for years! Other than the destinations the only specific plan that we have booked is to visit the Elephant Hills in Khao Sok, here we get to meet and feed the elephants with a mixture of jungle trekking and canoeing. Other than that we are looking forward to lots of temple visits, good food and sandy island beaches with maybe a visit to the Phi Phi Islands from Phuket.

Marrakech, Morocco 

Marrakech is another destination that has been on the list for a while with a cancelled trip in 2021 due to Covid. We have rebooked this for 2023 over my 30th birthday and I am incredibly excited to wander the Souks, have a day trip to Essouria, visit the Atlas Mountains and the desert.

Copenhagen, Denmark / Malmo, Sweden

Copenhagen was a trip that is also going to be rearranged after being cancelled due to the pandemic, hopefully for 2023. I am going to be visiting here with one of my close friends and we are planning on having a day trip over to Malmo in Sweden.

Germany

One country that I have never been to is Germany which as it is such a short flight from the UK needs to be remedied. High on my list are Berlin, Stuttgart or Munich. I would be happy to visit any of the three and immerse myself in the culture and history that this country is rich with.

Switzerland

We hope to link a trip to Germany and Switzerland together due to the countries sharing a border. I would love to see the views of the alps and visit the major cities like Zurich or Geneva to get a real feel for the country.

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is a picturesque city in Belgium perfect for a small weekend getaway. A great small city for wandering the cobbled streets, eating lots of good food and sampling all the Belgian chocolate that you can.

Ljublijana, Slovenia

The capital of Slovenia and one of the more recent up and coming European countries to visit. Known as a green capital with lots of green open spaces in the country that are stunning and a must visit including Tivoli Park and Lake Bled. I would love to explore this stunning country.

Riga, Latvia

A new addition to my bucket list is Riga in Latvia located in Northeastern Europe being one of the three Baltic States another city with lots of culture and good food that I would love to wander around.

Japan

Japan has been the top of my bucket list for years with cost being the only thing keeping me from going. I would love to do a tour of this country visiting Tokyo, Kyoto,  Nara and Hoikkado. There are just so many sights and experiences in this country that I want to partake in including visiting Mount Fuji, taking part in a traditional tea ceremony, experiencing the Japanese Onsens, visit all the insane shops and cafes in Tokyo. There are just so many sights that I want to see in this country and I am hoping for a 2024 visit fingers crossed.

Those are my current travel plans and wishes. Where is on your travel Bucket List? Comment below and let me know.

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A Day in Bratislava

A Day in Bratislava

Back in November while on holiday in Vienna me and my boyfriend had a day trip to the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. Being only an hour train ride from Vienna where we were staying made it an ideal day trip destination. If you're planning a trip around a few different countries, I believe these two capital cities are the closest together in the whole of Europe making this an ideal place to start.

While we were only there for a day we managed to pack in a lot of the major sights and we even got to visit the Christmas Market in the centre that happened to have just started for the season.

The city is incredibly easy to walk around and if you do not wish to walk from the train station you can cheaply get a day trip bus ticket for a couple euros. However all the sights are located in or near the main centre so this would just be needed to get to and from the train station. Below is a guide of of the sights we saw and would recommend and the restaurants we ate at on the day. I cannot recommend any accommodation as we did not stop over in the city.

The Best European Cities to Visit After Lockdown

The Best European Cities to Visit After Lockdown

I'm sure a lot of people like myself have had their travel plans this year cancelled or rearranged, this week I should have been sunning it up in Zadar in Croatia a trip which unfortunately could not be rearranged. 

To make myself feel better about this I have been looking back on past holiday photos and reminiscing over memories. I figured I would share with you some of my favourite cities that I have visited and that I would recommend visiting once lockdown is over and travel is a possibility again. After all we can only dream of destinations and plan for future trips currently!

5 Things I Want To Do After Lockdown

5 Things I Want to Do After Lockdown

This post was inspired by Hello Miss Jordan's post 7 Things I'm Going to Do Once Lockdown is Over. 

I like the idea of looking ahead past all the doom and gloom of the current situation and setting future plans and goals that I can look forward to.

Currently I am very much enjoying the break this lockdown is providing me with, I don't think I realised just how rundown I had been feeling and I am incredibly grateful that I am in a fortunate position where I am currently able to work from home. 

Despite the break however I have been very sad to have a lot of future plans cancelled, while I understand it is necessary in the current climate it has definitely taken away the joy of having things booked in advance to look forward to.

With all that being said the 5 things I want to do after lockdown include:

Paris: Disneyland

Back in June last year (can't believe it's been that long since I've posted) I visited Paris. It was during that wonderful heatwave we had and it couldn't have been more perfect weather to visit Disneyland.

I had never actually visited Disneyland in Paris before so I was excited to see how it matched up to the original in Anaheim. We got there bright and early for a full day to try and pack as much in as possible and that we certainly did.

We jumped straight into the rides and went on the Tower of Terror which I had never been on before but really enjoyed, it's a shame that they are getting rid of the ride.

Lisbon: Belem: Jeronimos Monastery

Next up on the Lisbon tour we had a trip to Belem to visit Jeronimos Monastery. Construction of the building began in 1501 and was completed 100 years later, it is the former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome. The monastery is a beautiful example of late Gothic architecture and the building has since been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Prague: The Charles Bridge

While in Prague one of the sights that you have to go see if the Charles Bridge, it is a stunning piece of architecture. While pretty much all of the architecture in Prague is stunning this bridge can not be beat in terms of beauty and history! The bridge crosses the Vlatava river in between the new town and the old town.

Travel: Prague Astronomical Clock

 Back in February I visited the beautiful city of Prague! As everyone has said time and time before it truly is a fairytale city!

There are beautiful buildings and architecture everywhere that you look, no two buildings are the same.

There are so many different sights to see and behold and the one that I was most looking forward to was the Astronomical Clock.

All the photos I had seen of this prior to going were stunning and when in person it looked even more fairytale-esque.

Travel: Prague: An Overview

 Back at the end of February I visited Prague, I had heard so many people rave about the beauty of the city, its buildings and how cheap it was to visit.

Me and my friend booked to go happy with our destination, we stayed just outside Prague in Andel and we were unfortunately booked into the wrong hotel (that's a story for another day.) Despite this our holiday was not ruined and we saw some breathtaking sights!

Travel: Nice

I visited Nice in October and I have delayed making a full post about my trip because to begin with the experience was down right awful.

This was not due to the city itself or any of the sights, rather the hotel that we were staying at to begin with. On the day we arrived the first evening we went out for food someone went into our room and stole from my friend. (I thankfully had all of my valuables on me).

Hello 2017

Today is the first day of the new year (where did 2016 go seriously!?) I thought I would share with you all my goals for the coming year.

1. Travel more - I've already got two holidays in the works one being Prague and the other being Iceland. I'm super excited to see more sights and explore new places.

How My 2016 Went

2016 has flown by and we're all getting ready to welcome in a new year.

So I thought I would share with you all what 2016 was like for me.

There were some amazing highs I visited New York for the first time it's been at the top of my bucket list since I was around 13.
This holiday was fantastic and despite me getting ill the day before going I powered through and honestly I loved it. The sights were everything I'd imagined and more. My favourite had to be the Empire State Building at night it was stunning!

I started a distance learning degree with my work. Progression and all that once I complete this job will have a Bachelor of Science. I've finished two modules so far and have achieved solid 2:1 marks in both. Wasn't sure how I was going to fare with uni work but turns out I'm managing it rather well.

A Day in Cannes

While in Nice we took a day trip out to Cannes known for the glitzy film festival and stunning scenery.

We lucked out and the weather was sunny and incredibly warm. We were hoping to have a tour of the Palais des Festivals but happened to visit while there was a business conference on.

Travel: Yosemite National Park

Another stop on our trip was Yosemite National Park which is located in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

The park is stunning and absolutely massive we were put on the tourist trail in the valley which wasn't long and there was no chance of you losing your way and getting lost, you could just follow the crowds. The weather was sweltering but the trees gave off some much needed shade and you got sprayed with water from the waterfalls while walking by.

Travel: Disneyland California

You can't visit California and not go to Disneyland! While on our two week tour this was a must! This was one of the last few trips on the tour, you know what they say save the best for last!

We were lucky that when we went it landed on the 60th Celebration and they had exclusive merchandise and special parades going onto celebrate.

I had never been to Disney before and I am a massive fan, so of course I was like a kid in a sweet shop when we went and what better one to visit than the original Disneyland park?

(Please note: Ignore my outfit in these photos, it was a 2 week trip and towards the end of it stylish was not a look I could go for.)

Travel: The Grand Canyon

Over a year ago now I visited America for the first time, one of the places that was at the top of my travel list! I went on a two week tour around California (This included Arizona and Nevada.) 

I realised that while I blogged about the trip I did not do any specific posts related to the different places we visited or the sights that we saw.

We went to many places on this trip, I gained so many amazing memories, saw many amazing tourist attractions but the one that was near the top of my list had to be the Grand Canyon.

It was a stunning experience!