Important update (2026): Our hot air balloon ride over Inle Lake was one of the most unforgettable experiences of our trip to Myanmar. Sadly, due to the ongoing political conflict and security situation, Oriental Ballooning no longer operates flights here. Although this experience is no longer available, we’ve kept this article to share our wonderful memories...
Important travel update (2026): We visited Myanmar before the military coup in February 2021. Since then, the country’s security situation has changed significantly, with ongoing armed conflict and restrictions affecting travel. This article shares our personal experiences and the beauty of Inle Lake as we encountered it. Some attractions, tours and transport...
After spending an awesome three days in Bagan, we headed off to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city and its last royal capital. Mandalay is often overlooked by travellers, which is odd because it has so much to offer. We had planned two days there, but we left feeling that it really wasn’t long enough. Mandalay is a cultural and religious centre of...
Important update – October 2026: We visited Bagan in 2017, before the military coup of February 2021. Since then, Myanmar has experienced significant political upheaval, ongoing conflict and major changes to tourism. We’ve kept this article as a record of our experience exploring Yangon and its beautiful attractions. Please be aware that the situation today is...
It had been a long time since we’d set foot in a hostel. After months of backpacking around Australia in my twenties and many bad experiences, I’d kind of put the hostel world behind me. But after our recent stay at the 5FootWay.Inn Project Boat Quay, my opinion of hostels has definitely changed. It turns out that they’ve come a long way in the last ten years. My...
Important update – October 2026: We visited Yangon in 2017, before the military coup of February 2021. Since then, Myanmar has experienced significant political upheaval, ongoing conflict and major changes to tourism. We’ve kept this article as a record of our experience exploring Yangon and its beautiful attractions. Please be aware that the situation today is...
When we booked our first trip to Hawaii, my plan was to avoid Oahu as much as possible. My expectations of Oahu were very low. I always pictured it as Hawaii’s tourist-hub, over commercialised, full of high rise condos and tacky tourists attractions; and to be honest, this was also our opinion of Hawaii in general, and it stopped us from heading there for ages. But...
It’s not hard to find a good hike on any of the Hawaiian Islands, and Oahu is no exception. It has more hiking trails than you can realistically conquer during a two week holiday. If like us, you’re a hiker, you may find it tricky to choose from them all. But, on the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline, lies one of Hawaii’s most iconic landmarks, the Diamond Head...
The Australian state of Victoria is heaven for the wine lovers out there. With wine regions scattered all over the state, you could visit a different winery every day and not run out of choices for months. Living in Melbourne, we are lucky to have several wine regions just over an hour’s drive from the city centre. The closest one to us is the Mornington Peninsula...
Over the years we’ve become frequent visitors to the small town of Daylesford, in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. Just a short ninety-minute drive from Melbourne, it’s easy enough to get to if you’re after a weekend of quiet relaxation. The area is home to the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia and is therefore very popular for romantic weekend...