Philippines Island Hopping Itinerary 🌴🏍️🇵🇭
1 Night - Port Barton
2 Nights - @islaexperience 
2 Nights - El Nido 
2 Nights - Coron 
3 Nights - Siquijor
Have you been dreaming of the Philippines? 💭
Friendly reminder 🧡 (To myself included) to sto Friendly reminder 🧡 (To myself included) to stop the comparison. 
🧡 It can be so easy to do, especially on this app to compare our lives with other successes… but often we’re only seeing the end product, or highlight roll and not the years and months of work behind the scenes it took to get there. 
🧡So keep doing what your doing, keep chipping away and you’ll get there in the end.
💁🏽‍♀️This one’s for my late 20’s e 💁🏽‍♀️This one’s for my late 20’s early 30’s ladies having their early mid-life crisis facing all the decisions we have to make ⬇️
🔵 To quit or not to quit our jobs 
🔵 Wanting to change careers
🔵 Climbing the corporate ladder or going freelance 
🔵 Buying or not buying a house 
🔵 Having or not having kids 
🔵 And of course bucket list that’s wayyyyyyy to long 
Reel Idea  @the_unqualified_mum
🧡This week I confirmed to do something in the n 🧡This week I confirmed to do something in the new year that’s totally out of my Comfort zone, In a country I’ve never been to and a continent I’ve barely explored. 
🧡Whilst I’m filled with the fear, doubt and all the what ifs I’m also filled with excitement and doing something different and the opportunities that will come with that. 
🧡There’s also so much I need to do in between to make this possible so I’m also taking a huge bet on myself to which again is scary and exciting all at the same time. 
So this is your sign to do the thing ✨
🐘Sri Lankan Safari’s🐘🇱🇰 🍃Sri Lan 🐘Sri Lankan Safari’s🐘🇱🇰
🍃Sri Lanka has a number of national parks where you can go on a safari experience🍃
Some of these include
🐊Yala National Park (This is the most popular NP in Sri Lanka for Safari) 
🐊Udawalawe National Park
🐊Minneriya National Park
🐊Wilpattu National Park
🐊Wasgamuwa National Park
🐊Gal Oya National Park
🐊Kumana National Park
🐊Bundala National Park
🐆🧸On the Safari you can expect to see elephants, peacocks, water buffalos, crocodiles and if you are really lucky; leopards and sloth bears!🦚🐘
🚗🍃I have been to both Yala National Park (back in 2016) and Udawalawe (this year). I’d say I much preferred the Udawalawe Safari.
🐆WHY DID I PREFER UDAWALAWE?🐘
🐾It felt more natural 🍃
🟢In Yala the drivers would walkie-talkie each other then there would be a rush of all these jeeps trying to crowd around an animal. My experience in Udawalawe wasn’t like that at all. The only time the drivers would communicate is if they passed each other on a track. 
🧘🏽‍♀️It was a lot quieter in Udawalawe 🤫
🟢This might have been to do with the time of day (we set off at 6 am) but most of it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. At one point we were at a huge lake with water buffaloes, two elephants and crocodiles and we were the only jeep there. It was Magical. 
TIPS/RECOMMENDATIONS 💁🏽‍♀️
🦎I would really recommend booking a Stay at Lizard Safari Point in Udawalawe. The rooms are just £15 a night and we booked the tour directly through them and it was the best experience. 
🦎The tour cost about £35-£40 which included 4 hours of safari and entrance to the park. 
🌅Wherever you choose to do your safari make sure you go early morning! 
☔️Also, avoid booking on days when it’s going to rain as apparently the animals will hide!
🚂The most beautiful train ride the in the world 🚂The most beautiful train ride the in the world 🚂🍃
🇱🇰🚂Tips for the Ella-Kandy/Kandy-Ella train ride in Sri Lanka 
🎟️First Class Ticket = 3000lkr (£7.90)
🎟️2nd Class Ticket = 900lkr (£2.40)
🚂You can buy your tickets from the station the night before but the pre book shuts at a certain time, however you don’t need to worry you can easily buy or tickets on the day just make sure to come at least 30 mins before departure 
🚂I would highly recommend booking 2nd class over 1st 
🚂In 1st the doors should open but all the windows will be shut 
🚂In 2nd the windows will be open and the doors will be shut HOWEVER all you need to do is politely ask the ticket collector and they should open these up for you. (We had such a nice guy on our train who was opening up all the doors for us). 
🚂2nd is WAYYY more fun you can hang your head out the window, everyone is super friendly and you end up getting chatting with all the other passengers on the train. I don’t think we sat down once on this train because of all the socialising
10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮 1 nig 10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮
1 night - Leon 🌋
2 nights -San Juan Del Sur or Popoyo 🏄🏽‍♀️
2 nights - Ometepe 🌋
2 nights - Laguna de Apoyo/ Granada 🛶
3 nights - Little Corn Island 🌴🌽
📆For those of us who are limited to 25 days of holiday a year - 10 days in Nicaragua is TOTALLY doable. You’ll be on a tight schedule and will need to spend more on transport/taxis to get to places on time …. but it’s all worth it. ✈️
⏰If you have more time, I would say stretch to 14 days and up some of the stays to 3 nights. This will give you a chance to relax in each location. 💤
Would you visit Nicaragua for 10 days?
Seychelles from the sky 🇸🇨📸🚁🌴 📍 Seychelles from the sky 🇸🇨📸🚁🌴
📍Locations
Anse Source D’Argent 
Anse Cocos
Anse Major
Deffo still need to practise being a drone pilot but one step at a time right? 😂
🐢Curieuse Island is a small island located in t 🐢Curieuse Island is a small island located in the Seychelles it’s one of the only places in the country where you will see wild tortoises roam freely. 
🐢The whole island of Curieuse is a protected marine park where more than 200 🐢🐢🐢 live out their lives in a protected paradise. 
🐢There age of tortoises on the island range from 0-90years old 
🐢You can visit Curieuse Island  on an all boat trip from the nearby Praslin Island (we booked ours through @getyourguide) 
Would you like to see these gentle giants?
Anyone else excited for Autumn/Winter but also tot Anyone else excited for Autumn/Winter but also totally lying to themselves 😂🍁🍂❄️☃️🧣
Friendly reminder that you don’t have to do what Friendly reminder that you don’t have to do what society expects of you. Live your life by your own rules 🧡
From where I’d rather be with my @dockandbay be From where I’d rather be with my  @dockandbay beach towel🌴🇸🇨🐚
If you’re going if you love swimming or are going backpacking/on holiday soon then you NEED this @dockandbay towel! 
🍃It’s extremely compact
🍃it’s quick drying
🍃it’s sand resistant 
🍃it’s sustainable 
@dockandbay have also just dropped a brand new product so go and check it out 😉
🔖For 15% discount use code CCEV51UN at checkout to get
#dbcabanaclub#gifted
Seychelles 7-day Itinerary ⬇️🐢🌴🥥🌺 Seychelles 7-day Itinerary ⬇️🐢🌴🥥🌺
Days 1-2 - Mahe Island 
🌴Beau Vallon Beach 
🌴Anse Major Hike 
Days 2-4 - Praslin Island 
🌴Anse Lazio beach day 
🌴Valle de Mai trail
🌴Curieuse Island day trip to see Aldabra Tortoises 
Days 4-7 - La Digue Island
🌴Anse Source D’Argent 
🌴Anse Cocos Hike
🌴Anse Severe
When you start throwing peace signs ironically and When you start throwing peace signs ironically and it accidentally becomes part of your aesthetics✌🏽
I blame my friends 😅
Anyone else like this? 😅
🏄🏽‍♀️Sri Lanka’s Surf Towns are call 🏄🏽‍♀️Sri Lanka’s Surf Towns are calling… are you going to answer? 🏄🏽‍♀️
🌊Whilst I didn’t get to surf in Sri Lanka due to a broken toe, I absolutely love watching surfers as a pastime. I think it’s such a cool and impressive sport.🌊
🏄🏼Here are the best places to surf (or surf watch👀)
South Coast (November to April) 
🏄🏽‍♀️Hiriketiya 
🏄🏽‍♀️Matara
🏄🏽‍♀️Ahangama 
🏄🏽‍♀️Midigama
🏄🏽‍♀️Thalpe
🏄🏽‍♀️Mirissa 
🏄🏽‍♀️Hikkadawa
🏄🏽‍♀️Unwatuna 
There are also some smaller beach towns in between the above 
East Coast (May-October) 
🏄🏽‍♀️Arugam Bay 
🏄🏽‍♀️Pottuvil Point 
🏄🏽‍♀️Panama 
Do you fancy trying the surf in Sri Lanka?
What’s your toxic travel trait? ⬇️ What’s your toxic travel trait? ⬇️
Not sure this applies to everyone because I someho Not sure this applies to everyone because I somehow don’t think I’m anyone’s airport crush when this is the airport aesthetic 😂😂
Some more random facts about me ⬆️☺️ Tell Some more random facts about me ⬆️☺️
Tell me a random fact about yourself 💬💕⬇️
(PS I honestly don’t know why I turn around and look shocked at the rainbow in this video. 🌈The rainbow is literally the reason I asked for a picture 😂😂. One too many seltzers I think)
🌴 Welcome to @laplaya.hiriketiya If you’re l 🌴 Welcome to @laplaya.hiriketiya
If you’re looking to spend a boujee day in Sri Lanka make sure you head to @laplaya.hiriketiya. For a cold glass of wine 🍷and some delish pizza 🍕
This was my favourite place in Hiriketiya and the music is just 👌🏽😍
🌴🍃Welcome to Anse Cocos Beach on La Digue in 🌴🍃Welcome to Anse Cocos Beach on La Digue in the Seychelles🍃🌴
😍Pretty much Every Beach on La Digue is incredible but because this one takes a little more work to get to 🥾🌋 you’ll only find handful of other tourists here (in my experience at least) 
🚴🏽‍♀️ How to get there 🚴🏽‍♀️
🍃Head to the entrance of Grand Anse Beach. Most people cycle here and you will see straight in front of you a place to park your bikes 
🍃Head down the small path and follow the trail
🍃You will hike up and over one hill and come to another beach. Don’t get too excited this is Petit Anse beach not cocos so still a bit more to go.
🍃Continue up and over the second hill (this is a little bit longer than the first) 
🍃You have arrived at Anse Cocos
🍃This will take you about 30 minutes in total 
🍹Head straight to the beach shack and grab a mango daiquiri
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Christina in the Clouds

Adventure around a 9-5

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Beach Holidays, Caribbean · July 9, 2021

The Ultimate Holiday Guide to Antigua & Barbuda

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Ever since my trip to the Dominican Republic back in 2018, I knew that I have always wanted to come back and visit another island in the Caribbean. I just didn’t know when or where that would be. That was until a few months back my friend decided she was going to move to Antigua for a few months (because why work from home when you can work from the Caribbean?).

This was the perfect opportunity to tick another Caribbean island off my list, whilst also reuniting with one of my best pals after a couple of months apart.

Antigua and Barbuda is located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the East of the Caribbean, where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The islands are both TINY. Antigua encompasses around 281 square kilometres. Barbuda is even smaller covering only 161 square kilometres. The country also owns a third, lesser-known island named Redonda. However, this island is uninhabited as it is a large mass of volcanic rock out in the middle of the ocean.

My favourite fact about Antigua is that it is home to exactly 365 beaches, meaning that if you lived here for a year you could visit a new beach every day. However, it’s not just its beautiful beaches that make Antigua the perfect place to come. The wildlife, the hiking, the history and of course the culture are just a handful of other reasons why thousands of tourists flock here each year.

I spent two weeks in Antigua exploring different parts of the island every day, so if you want to know some of the best things to do in Antigua, then carry on reading below!

Jolly Harbour, Antigua

How to get to and explore Antigua

I flew to Antigua from London Gatwick Airport with British Airways. I was shocked to see that my flights were only going to cost me £350. The flight is approximately 8 hours long, which I found went super quickly with a combination of napping, eating and watching films.

Once in Antigua, I would recommend hiring a car. There are so many hidden little places to visit that you won’t find on the normal tourist trail, so a car is the best way to get access to these places. Car hire for two weeks will cost you anything between £300-£600. I would probably suggest spending a little more and hiring out an SUV. The road conditions aren’t great and there are potholes galore, so something a little sturdier is recommended. It’s also good to note that Antigua also drives on the same side of the road as England.

The best time to visit Antigua

For the best weather (and to avoid hurricane season from June-August) it is recommended to come between the months of December- April. I visited from late May to early June and still had perfect weather, so I don’t think you need to be too rigid with the dates.

Antigua

How long will I need to visit Antigua?

10-14 days is the perfect amount of time to visit Antigua. This will give you ample opportunity to explore as well as rest and relax at some of the stunning resorts and beaches here.

How much spending money will I need for Antigua?

Honestly, Antigua is not cheap. I would say going out to eat here every day is quite similar to going out to eat in London every day. Cocktails are around £8-10 and the main meals around £15. If you want to cut costs I would recommend cooking some meals and if you want to drink alcohol then opt for the local beer “Carib”.

In terms of boat trips/ excursions, you are looking at roughly £100-£150 per trip.

After calculating all my spending (including flights and accommodation), I realised what I had spent came to the same amount as an all-inclusive holiday. And remember, most all-inclusive’s are just cover flights, accommodation, food and drink and do not include car rentals or excursions.

I would highly recommend not going down the all-inclusive route. This way you will be encouraged to visit more of the island and try out some of the local restaurants. However, this is obviously dependant on what you would like to get out of your holiday. If you want pure relaxation a chill for 2 weeks then an all-inclusive could be the answer.

Where to stay in Antigua

One of the best areas to stay is a place called Jolly Harbour. This is a great location because there are lots of restaurants, a local beach and you are also close to some of the best spots on the island. There are lots of reasonably priced Airbnb’s in Jolly Harbour to choose from starting at £100 per night.

If are interested in staying at an all-inclusive resort there are a few amazing ones I can recommend:

  • Blue Waters Hotel
  • Coco Bay Resort
  • Pineapple Beach Club
  • Carlisle Bay Hotel

The best places to eat in Antigua

One great thing about Antigua is the food. You won’t go hungry on your vacation here as there is so much delicious food to try: jerk chicken, goat curry, fresh fish and more! My favourite restaurants that I would highly recommend are:

  • Dennis’ Beach Bar (Ffryes Beach)
  • OJ’s Beach Bar (Darkwood Beach)
  • Cloggy’s (English Harbour)
  • Casa Roots (Runaway Beach)
  • Sheer Rocks (Coco Beach)
  • Beach Limerz (Fort James)
  • Trade Winds (Dickenson Bay)
  • Hemingway’s (St Johns)


The best things to do in Antigua

Visit Darkwood and Ffyres Beach

Number 1 of the list of the best things to do in Antigua is Darkwood Beach and Ffryes Beach. You will get the “pinch me I’m in the Caribbean” kind of moment. I visited quite a few beaches in Antigua on my trip and I have to say these were my favourite. The beaches are a 3-minute drive from one another.

English Harbour

English Harbour is a small but stylish town that sits on two sheltered bays. It’s popular for its ample choice of bars and restaurants, as well as being home to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua’s most popular historical site. Here you will find some pretty impressive boats and yachts. The island also holds an annual sailing week from here.

Shirley Heights

Shirley Heights is the most popular place on the island to watch the sunset, and one of the best things to do in Antigua. You have views of English Harbour and can watch the sunset behind the lush green mountains. Sunday is the best day to come here, for a sunset watching party. There is also an onsite bar and BBQ. I would recommend going for the rum punch and jerk chicken. In normal times they would normally have live music here too but this has been stopped for the moment due to the pandemic.

Shirley Heights, Antigua

Enjoy a day by the pool

If you’re not staying at a hotel and your Airbnb does not have a pool then there are a couple of pretty cool places to go where you can enjoy a lazy pool day

Boom (located in English Harbour) is home to a stunning infinity pool that looks out over Nelsons Dockyard. Simply buy some food and drinks from their onsite restaurant to enjoy the facilities here.

Tradewinds (located near Dickenson Bay) is a stunning hilltop hotel, set back from the beach. The view from the hotel is pretty amazing and looks directly out of a Dickenson Bay. You can easily spend the day here sitting by the pool, drinking cocktails and waiting for the sun to set over the horizon.

Sheer Rocks

Sheer Rocks is a fabulous resort perched on a rocky cliff. The resort looks out over Coco and Ffryes Beach. Sheer Rocks is most popular and well known for its rock/plunge pools that look out over the ocean. You can hire these pools out for the day, but be quick as reservations fill up fast. Plunge pool day passes start at a very reasonable price of £27 for the day.

If you don’t manage to snap up a plunge pool for the day I would still recommend coming here for lunch or dinner. The food is amazing and the views are second to none.

Sheer rocks, Antigua

Take a Boat Trip to Barbuda Island

Want to experience even more Caribbean paradise? Well, one of the best things to do in Antigua is to also visit the island of Barbuda. I recommend doing a day trip over to Barbuda Island. We hired out a boat charter with an amazing company called Barefoot Antigua. We got together a group of 12 so the boat hire cost us around £90 each. The company provide you with drinks but you are also allowed to bring more drinks and snacks on board.

We were taken around Barbuda and then stopped at the island for lunch and cocktails. There are a couple of restaurants in Barbuda. If you are looking for more traditional food then you can head to Uncle Roddy’s. However, if you are after something a little different you can head to the famous sushi restaurant, Nobu, which is interestingly owned by Robert De Niro.

Barbuda Island
Nobu, Barbuda
Barbuda Island

Galleon Beach

Grab your snorkel and head to Galleon Beach. This is the best place to come for some wild turtle spotting. There are so many in the area and you can even see them popping up for air whilst just sat at the shore.

Close to Galleon Beach is the hiking trail up to the secret (not so secret) mermaid pools. Click here to find out the best way to get there.

Galleon Beach, Antigua

Devils Bridge

Devil’s Bridge gives you a unique glimpse into Antigua’s natural formation. The bridge is made up of limestone rock. Over time the waves of the Atlantic Ocean have crashed into the rock, forming the natural arch as well as blowholes and geysers.

Blue Waters Resort

If you want to experience 5* Luxury for the day then Blue Waters is the place to come. You can visit here for the day for £90. This entitles you to free food and drink all day, as well as the use of three pools and three small beaches. There is also an onsite spa where you can book treatments at an additional cost.

Blue Waters, Antigua

Dickenson Bay

Dickenson Bay beach is probably most famous for its extremely random, but truly iconic, red British telephone box that’s nestled between the palm trees. There are some lovely little beach view restaurants here and would definitely recommend getting some rum punch from Salt Plage.

Further along the beach, you will see a floating tiki bar out in the middle of the sea. Hop on one of the speed boats to get taken out here for some floating bar fun.

St John’s

St John’s is the island’s capital city. As the island is so small chances are you will be passing through St Johns en route to many of these other destinations I have mentioned in this post. Stop off and have a look around the city. There are lots of colourful buildings around, but my favourite was this orange wall below. The perfect picture spot ;).

St Johns, Antigua

Carlise Bay

Just another one of Antigua’s beautiful beaches you need to visit. This beach is noticeably surrounded by a lot of palm trees, so you truly feel like you are in a tropical paradise.

Great Bird Island

Great bird island, is a small inlet only 20 acres in size. It is only accessible by boat, but most boat tour operators will travel here if you are opting for a boat tour around Antigua. You can hop off the boat and do a short hike around the island, it’s well known for (yep you guessed it) tropical birds, as well as being home to the rare Antigua Racer snake. The whole world population of this snake lives on this island.

Great Bird Island, Antigua

Looking for more Caribbean inspo? Click here to read about my all-inclusive experience of the Dominican Republic.

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I'm Christina a part-time traveller who is exploring the world around my 9-5. From canyons to coasts, I love all kinds of adventures. I've created this space to provide you with all the travel inspiration and my top tips for seeing more of this beautiful world.

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Philippines Island Hopping Itinerary 🌴🏍️🇵🇭
1 Night - Port Barton
2 Nights - @islaexperience 
2 Nights - El Nido 
2 Nights - Coron 
3 Nights - Siquijor
Have you been dreaming of the Philippines? 💭
Friendly reminder 🧡 (To myself included) to sto Friendly reminder 🧡 (To myself included) to stop the comparison. 
🧡 It can be so easy to do, especially on this app to compare our lives with other successes… but often we’re only seeing the end product, or highlight roll and not the years and months of work behind the scenes it took to get there. 
🧡So keep doing what your doing, keep chipping away and you’ll get there in the end.
💁🏽‍♀️This one’s for my late 20’s e 💁🏽‍♀️This one’s for my late 20’s early 30’s ladies having their early mid-life crisis facing all the decisions we have to make ⬇️
🔵 To quit or not to quit our jobs 
🔵 Wanting to change careers
🔵 Climbing the corporate ladder or going freelance 
🔵 Buying or not buying a house 
🔵 Having or not having kids 
🔵 And of course bucket list that’s wayyyyyyy to long 
Reel Idea  @the_unqualified_mum
🧡This week I confirmed to do something in the n 🧡This week I confirmed to do something in the new year that’s totally out of my Comfort zone, In a country I’ve never been to and a continent I’ve barely explored. 
🧡Whilst I’m filled with the fear, doubt and all the what ifs I’m also filled with excitement and doing something different and the opportunities that will come with that. 
🧡There’s also so much I need to do in between to make this possible so I’m also taking a huge bet on myself to which again is scary and exciting all at the same time. 
So this is your sign to do the thing ✨
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