Life Update: Reisepläne und was kommt als nächstes?

Letztes Jahr waren wir von praktisch einem Jahrzehnt, in dem wir von Ort zu Ort um die Welt bewegt wurden, völlig erschöpft. Sobald wir beide die herausfordernde Erkenntnis betrafen, dass es Zeit für eine Basis war und dass wir “nomadisch” nicht mehr für uns waren, haben wir im Wesentlichen nur ein ganzes Jahr lang nur eingestellt!

Es war, als ob die Jahre des harten Reisens und des Laufens eines Online -Unternehmens, während er unterwegs war. Wir hatten im Wesentlichen keine Lust, unsere Taschen zu packen und eine Reise zu unternehmen – was unbekannt ist.

Das war 2018. Schneller Vorlauf in diesem Jahr und wir sind viel mehr bestrebt, wieder auf die Straße zu gehen – wir brauchten nur ein bisschen R & R und einige Ausfallzeiten, wir sind nicht mehr in unseren 20ern!

Anfang dieses Jahres verbrachten wir 2,5 Monate in Ecuador und Peru, zwei Wochen in Nova Scotia und freuten uns über einige Aufenthalte hier in Grenada.

Ecuador war genau die Reise, für die wir bereit waren!
Nachdem wir jetzt seit praktisch 8 Wochen von Nova Scotia zurückgekommen sind, fühlen wir uns bereit, wieder abzuheben-der Reisetch ist dieses Jahr voll in der Lage.

⚠︎ große Reiseankündigung:

Wir reisen nach Indonesien, den Philippinen und Japan!

Obwohl dies keine neuen Länder für uns sind, gehen wir in Inseln und Städte, die wir noch nicht erkundet haben. Es wird eine Mischung aus Arbeit und Vergnügen sein und wir freuen uns darauf, unseren Strand, Essen, Tauchen und kulturelle Erkenntnisse mit Ihnen zu teilen!

Wir gingen live auf Facebook und kündigten diese Reise an. Schauen Sie es sich hier an (oder lesen Sie weiter unten):

Warum Asien?

Dieser Teil der Welt ist einer unserer Favoriten, und wir kehren immer wieder hierher zurück-entweder um zu reisen oder kurzfristige Wurzeln niederzuschlagen.

Die interessanten Kulturen, die leckere Küche und der allgemeine Charme haben uns im Laufe der Jahre unsere Herzen gestohlen. Viele unserer Reisen wurden in Asien (einschließlich Zentral, Ost, Süd, West und Südost) verbracht. Tatsächlich haben wir nur noch ein Land übrig, bevor wir ganz Südostasien (Timor-Leste/Osttimor) gesehen haben.

Dieser Teil der Welt hat nur etwas Besonderes, das uns zurückkommt.

Das Street Food in Se Asia ist eines der besten überall!
Dieses Mal gehen wir auf die Philippinen, um an der Hochzeit unseres Freundes teilzunehmen. Er ist Amerikaner, sie ist Filipina und wir können es kaum erwarten, eine konventionelle Zeremonie und Feier zu erleben!

Außerdem werden auch andere Freunde von uns da sein – das wird ein lustiges Wiedersehen. Wir haben ein Ferienhaus am besten am Strand gemietet und werden die Insel erkunden, an Hochzeitsmenanigans teilnehmen und die Gesellschaft unserer Freunde genießen.

Als wir über den Hochzeitsplan und die Details sprachen, erhielten wir gleichzeitig ein Angebot von Lotus Hotels, um Indonesien zu besuchen und ihre spektakulären Unterkünfte zu erleben, die alle Padi 5* Tauchresorts sind.

Das Timing hätte nicht viel idealer sein können, und wir haben uns entschieden, Indonesien in unsere Philippinen zu integrieren.

Ein paar Wochen nach der Annahme des Angebots in Indonesien wurden wir von einer PR -Firma in Japan angesprochen, die dort verschiedene Tourismusbehörden vertritt.

Sie lud uns ein, weniger geräumte Teile Japans zu erleben und unsere Ergebnisse mit unserem Publikum zu teilen.

Die Firma wollte, dass wir im Oktober/November besuchen, was sich perfekt ansah – alles schien in Ordnung zu sein. Und wenn das passiert, wählen wir es.

Wir fühlen uns so demütig und dankbar, auf einem Niveau zu sein, auf dem Marken und Tourismusbretter unseren Wert erkennen und mit uns zusammenarbeiten möchten. We started blogging for family and friends back in 2011, and because making the conscious decision that we were going to turn travel blogging into our full-time career, it has blossomed into something far bigger than we ever imagined.

And that’s all thanks to you and your support!

Us with the press trip crew in Chicago. Influencers from Mexico, Brazil, Australia and ourselves. plus the pr reps for the hotel we stayed at.

While press trips aren’t our main income stream or blogging model, when we’re invited on campaigns that suit our ethos and travel style, we happily accept them.

This is a fun way to travel, as we’re either doing something completely distinct (like plotting hiking routes in Kyrgyzstan), road tripping around and exploring on our own (like in Argentina and Nova Scotia), or scuba diving in remote locations (as Nick did with the Indonesian tourism board).

Since we take time to vet the provides and consider whether or not they fit with our interests and brand, we’ve had nothing but positive experiences in the past and I’m sure it’ll be the same for our trip with Lotus hotels and Japan tourism.

Zuerst, Indonesia

In 2009, we backpacked around Indonesia for 2 months, while travelling to the islands of Bali, Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Sumbawa, Java, Flores, Rinca, and Sumatra.

We slept on mattresses on the floor, endured some seriously dodgy accommodations, and actually bargained one particular room down from $3 to $2.50 / night! We took whichever transportation was the most affordable (we even rode on top of a bus), we typically ate street food, and we didn’t care about comforts — we just wanted to stay on the road for as long as possible.

The travel bug and the sense of freedom were overwhelming.

We were on an extreme budget that year abroad. In fact, we travelled Indonesia for around $35 CAD/day, for both of us.

Us in Indonesia during our first trip in 2009!

Our encounters with the people, the natural surroundings, the distinct culture, the experiences we had, and the overall adventure of travelling around this part of the world made Indonesia top our list of preferred countries during that year in Asia. 

We loved it so much that in 2017 we chose to return to Indonesia to live in Canggu Bali for 3 months.

Here we are, 10 years because our first trip as budget backpackers, revisiting Indonesia in a completely different way — a way that reflects our current lifestyle and 35-year-old selves. It’s very surreal to think back on how far we’ve come and how we’ve developed because 2009. 

While we’re pleased we backpacked when we did, our tight budget at the time certainly limited some of the things we wanted to experience, which included scuba diving. this time around, Nick will get his diving fix! 

Living in Canggu Bali

Our Upcoming route in Indonesia

Grenada -> new York -> Taiwan -> Bali -> North Sulawesi -> Raja Ampat -> Bali -> Gili Trawangan -> Bali

After a long, 25-hour travel journey we’ll arrive in Bali — jetlagged I’m sure but ready for the adventure. We’ve booked a good vacation home on Airbnb in the beach town of Sanur. even though we’ve spent lots of time in Bali we’ve never been here, but from what I’ve heard, Sanur has been dubbed as “snore” because it’s quieter than many of South Bali — which is fine by me! 

After 3 nights spent chilling out, exploring by scooter and stretching our legs after the long flight, we’ll fly to North Sulawesi to the small island of Gangga. This area is known for having spectacular scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities. We’ve never been to Sulawesi and are thrilled to see what Gangga Island and the surrounding Bunaken national Marine Park have to offer.

This is where we’ll be staying, Gangga Island resort and Spa. Es sieht erstaunlich aus! (Photo credit: Lotus Hotels)
From North Sulawesi, we relocation on to our next island paradise, Raja Ampat. This once-secret group of 1500 islands is becoming much more popular but is still considered off-track due to the effort it takes to get here. nothing this good comes easy!

Idyllic islands, palm-fringed shorelines, crystal clear water, and some of the best diving anywhere in the world can all be found in Raja Ampat. The underwater world is teeming with life, which Nick knows first hand because he went on a diving trip here in 2017 during our stay in Canggu. I was so envious of that trip, and now I get a chance to see it with my own eyes. 

We’ll be staying at the Papua Paradise Eco resort for 5 nights in overwater bungalows. This type of accommodation has been a dream of ours for numerous years, and it’s finally coming true. viewing marine life swim by, and snorkelling best offshore will be pretty incredible.

Overwater bungalows! We’re looking forward to snorkelling best offshore. (Photo Credit: Lotus Hotels)

From the far east of Indonesia, we’re returning to Bali to visit another town that we’ve yet to see, Candidasa. A trip to a nearby village, scuba diving and unwinding by the pool are all on the agenda here. After what I’m sure will be a great 3 nights in Candidasa, we’re taking a boat over to nearby Gili Trawangan. 

During 2009, we spent about a week on Gili T and really delighted in the slow pace of the island. I remember renting bicycles with a plan to ride around the circumference of the island, only to find out that just 1/4 of it was paved, and the rest was sand!

It’ll be interesting to see how Gili Trawangan has changed over the past 10 years. The plan here is to do some scuba diving and snorkelling (of course), indulge in some unwinding medspa treatments and explore the island. 

The dining andpool area of vacation home Almarik on Gili T. (Photo credit: Lotus Hotels)
In total, we’ll be travelling around Indonesia for 20 days and can’t wait!

A wedding in the Philippines

During our 10 years of travel, we’ve attended various weddings abroad. many of those weddings were for people we didn’t actually know! When we found out our good friend was getting married, we figured it would be held in the Philippines (where he lives), and knew we had to make an effort to get there — especially considering Nick was named best man!

We’re flying into the town of Dumaguete and taking a boat over to the island of Siquijor, which is where the festivities will take place. 

The last time we were in the Philippines was back in 2012 when we travelled around the islands of Luzon and Palawan. There are over 7,000 islands in the archipelago and, not surprisingly, we haven’t explored Siquijor in the past.

Known for its interesting witchcraft healers, awesome scuba diving, beautiful beaches, and beautiful waterfalls, we’re very much looking forward to experiencing this island — through the eyes of a local. 

Exploring a deserted island in the Philippines back in 2012.

A quick trip to Japan

In 2018, we chose to fly from Bali to Tokyo and celebrate Nick’s birthday in Japan. He’s a sushi fiend. landing in Tokyo and having sushi that day for lunch was probably the best birthday he could’ve dreamed of!

We spent around two weeks travelling to Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, and some surrounding villages. I think you could spend years in Japan and continuously learn about the history and culture of this distinct destination. 

On a walking trip in Kyoto. Tatsuya was a great guide, and friend!

This diverse country has a little something for everyone — mountains, beaches, history, lakes, cities, food, and culture. There are just so numerous things to do in Japan. 

This time around, we’re starting off in Tokyo (sushi!) and heading to the northeast region of the country, Tohoku — which is known as being a hidden traveller’s gem. This part of Japan is filled with hot springs, mountains, villages, crater lakes, and of course, regional food specialities.  

From the north, we’re heading south to the Okayama area to explore castles, museums, gardens and shrines, before making our way back to Tokyo where we’ll complete our journey by soaking in an onsen (public bath). 

This whirlwind trip will give us a taste of some parts of Japan we’ve never been, and from what I’ve seen and heard, I’m pretty sure we’re going to want to return.

Tohoku region of Japan (image courtesy of Shutterstock).

Nach Hause zurückkehren

This trip is all about the islands, and after hopping around 7+ islands in Asia for 2 months, I think we’ll be ready to return to our home base (which is also an island!).  

Having a base to return to really makes our travels a lot easier. These days, we don’t have to pack up literally everything we own and bring it with us. Plus, having a home allows us to actually accumulate a few belongings and to get some work done.

Once we return home it’ll be all about catching up with work, going to with friends, enjoying some downtime and getting ready for our next adventure…which is happening around mid-January!

Have you been to any of the destinations I discussed in this article? If so, please give us your must-sees, eats and dos in the comments below!

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