A Guide to Bali

Bali is one of my favourite places on the planet. The island and its surrounding places have a weird and wonderful mix of modern day eateries and shops alongside a beautiful culture rich with religion and traditions. The island caters for every type of traveller and I would recommend it to everyone! It’s one of the most Instagram-able places ever, but also a developing country, so the island relies completely on tourism. The people are truly some of the kindest and nicest that I’ve ever come across, and that really makes a difference when you’re travelling! They’re completely go-with-the-flow, happy, caring and they looove music. It’s great. So, what to do and where to go?

Get spiritual and find your chill in the jungles of Ubud. 

Ubus is my favourite and the list of things to see and do is endless! Start with the must-sees like the Tegallang rice terraces where you can get your ‘gram’ shot in a swing (note that the shot is not as easy as it looks lol and the swings have a harness which might ruin your ‘floaty dress’ image. Wear a kimono or shorts underneath so the men can put the harness around it). 

Cleanse your soul and bathe in the holy water of the Pura Tirta Empul Temple. This was one of my favourite things to do. What’s the point in going anywhere if you’re not going to immerse yourself fully and just stand at the side to watch?! Pay one of the local guides to talk you through the ritual and avoid praying to the death stones! 

Have a spa day with a flower bath. It was so hard to get that ‘gram’ shot again. How do IG people do it?! Me and my bestie were half in the nude and in the dark of the bath with the petals floating away from us…. lol. The spa package was perfect on the other hand.

Visit the elephants at the numerous parks and safaris that Bali has. We went to Taro which was the closest and it felt like most of the elephants were in good care. 

Visit the art market which is the best place (I think) to buy all your clothes, accessories and gifts from. It covers a huge area with small shops winding round, up, down and through endless covers. It’s a great place to haggle too!

Tegenungan Waterfall was a fun day out and I think we saw Bedugul lakes and temple in the same trip too. Climb Mount Batur and watch the sunrise… this one is still on my to-do-list, but I’ve hear great things!

Party, eat and shop in Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta

I honestly didn’t do much in these areas but eat, sleep and drink! The beaches are filled with surfers and the water isn’t safe to swim in so I’d recommend a place with a pool or visiting the beach clubs like Potato head and Mr Sippy. I’m sure there’s lots we missed but I prefer the islands and Ubud so we didn’t stick around for long.

Take the fast boat to Gili Trawangan Island

Gili T is the largest and most popular of the three Gili islands. It’s got a strip of restaurants, shops and bars with a bunch of activities and day trips to do.

Watch the sunset over at Sunset point. Head over to the other side of the island, grab some drinks (or a special shroom shake!) at happy hour and sit in a bean bag to watch one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen! Even on a rainy day, the sky was covered in pink.

­ Rent a bike! The island is the biggest of the three, but actually it’s tiny still! You can cycle around the whole island and back through within an hour. There’s only one path around and with no cars and a tonne of places to hire from, it’s the dreamiest place to cycle around.

Do a day trip. We spent the day island hopping and snorkelling which was lots of fun and at a pretty decent price! It’s great to get out on the sea and do things that you wouldn’t otherwise. It’s a great way to meet people too! We also rented out a gopro for the day which was completely worth it for the shots and underwater statues that lie below the water.

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­ Go diving! Gili T has some of the bluest waters around. On my first visit, me and my best friend completed our PADI Open Water certificate. We went with Diversia and it was so much fun! The water is pretty clear when the weather is good and you can see pretty corals, fish and even turtles!

Here is a list of the hostels and hotels I’ve stayed at:

– Nick’s Hidden Cottages, Ubud

– Bima Sakti Hostel, Canggu

– Coconut Garden Retort, Gili Trawangan

– Blue Moon Homestay, Gili Trawangan

And if you have a stopover try….

– ZEN Rooms Cipete, Jakarta

– Favehotel, Makassar and Jakarta

– And if you have time, visit the island of South Sulawesi with the magical lands of Tana Toraja…. Read more here!

 

You can use the link below to receive £10 off when booking any of these hotels and more with booking.com!

https://www.booking.com/s/vanish15

Thanks for reading guys!

Keep up with my adventures on Instagram @vanishamay and have a good day wherever you are

Vanisha

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My Top 10 Favourite Countries Ever

“To land in foreign worlds, where everything is new and exciting and scary, where you communicate through smiles and hand gestures, where you taste amazing foods and discover new smells, where you make the most life-changing experiences and learn the biggest life lessons.”

As many of you know, I LOVE to travel. And by travelling, I mean backpacking, exploring, fully immersing yourself into new cultures, countries and experiences. Reminiscing through these adventures for this blog has made me feel super lucky and grateful for my life of travel. I’ve worked hard and am super proud of my travel accomplishments and experiences. This world is incredible. And people always ask, “what’s your favourite place?!” which is the most impossible question to answer ever! So, in no particular order, I have managed to roughly give you guys my top 10 favourite places (so far) in the world!

1. Philippines

The Philippines was a dream. The islands were some of the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen and there are hundreds of them! The people were super friendly and there was so much to see and do. I’d definitely consider going back soon as it’s probably in my top 5 and I feel like there’s much more to explore! One thing in particular that I loved was the lack of tourism and tourists, and because of this the Philippines had so much beauty and authenticity still. It was also pretty cheap!

2. Mexico

Mexico holds some of my most personal and best memories. It’s full of beauty, colour and great food. People seem hesitant to visit certain areas but I would encourage everyone to visit the country. Every place has it’s dodgy areas but as long as you’re reasonably cautious and vigilant, you’ll probably be fine! Cancun was great if you like resorts and package holidays but because of this and the over-westernisation, it was my least favourite. Tulum was a gem but slightly overpriced, Playa Del Carmen was full of fun, Mexico City was incredible and I loved the city but of course, my favourite was Tapachula; the home to some of my favourite people and Misión México. If you’d like to volunteer, donate or have any enquiries about the refuge then please don’t hesitate to message me 🙂

3. Italy

Italy will always remain one of my favourite European countries and I’ve loved every city and town that I’ve visited. The food and wine is obviously a winner in itself, but it’s the romantic vibes that make the country a winner. Some of my silliest memories with my fave gal are here, like the time we stayed in an old monk’s monastery, the time we nearly died because we accidentally hiked onto a ski slope, when we bought items rhyming with Pisa for our photo-shoot at the famous tower… I won’t go on.

4. India

Obviously on my list because of my heritage but also because it’s an incredible and insane country. It has absolute manic and diverse city scopes along with some of the most extreme poverty that I’ve ever seen, alongside absolute beauty, beaches and tropical landscapes. The culture and religion here is deep and adds to all of the beauty. Plus the food is obvs amazing too, which seems to be a running theme here in my top ten!

4. Malaysia

Malaysia had it all! Beautiful islands, clear waters, culture, great foods, jungles and big cities. It had an incredible vibe and mix of cultures which was just beautiful. I’d definitely recommend visiting Penang, trekking in the Taman Negara jungle, volunteering a couple of your days with these munchkins and visiting some of the islands too.

6. Peru

Peru was a country like no other. One of the worst bus journeys I’d ever experienced but some of the most incredible adventures. Trekking Machu Picchu, the salt mines, alpacas, the colourful culture and the mega cities, me and B both fell in love with the place. And Cusco was just magical! Literally, it felt like there was just magic in the air at times. We also felt pretty safe here which I know is an important factor if you’re travelling as a girl or alone. You can read more about this trip here.

7. Brazil

Full of colour, happiness and beauty, Brazil was fun from the get go. Me and B visited a good mixture of places and loved them all. The cities, the islands, it all just got better and better. And there are black beans on every corner! My fave. We went to Rio, Sao Paolo and the heavenly island of Ilha Grande. Safety here is obviously a slight issue, be sure to stay in the touristy areas and don’t just wander accidentally into a favela. Common sense really people…!

8. Indonesia

Indonesia was a right little adventure. Me and the girls did the usual Bali, Gili T islands, got our diving certificates and did yoga in Ubud, but we also visited some of the non-tourist islands like Sulawesi. Me and Ana did a work exchange there for two weeks, where we stayed with a Muslim family in their traditional home and were really immersed into their ways of life. I learnt so much on this trip. There’s also a place nearby called Tana Toraja which still remains to be one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It felt like I was an extra in a movie, it was so surreal. You can read more about that trip here!

 

9. Vietnam and Cambodia

Okay, I know technically these are two countries but I feel very similar for both so I’ve grouped them. I also visited both very briefly and at the same time, we managed to get a cheap coach across the border and back! Both countries are beautiful with fascinating and very recent dark histories. The countries are both re-building themselves but you can feel the pain of the past like no other countries that I’ve been to. They both really moved me. And they’re both really beautiful! Cambodia has Angkor Wat and Vietnam is full of beaches, beautiful mountain scenes and pretty little towns. The culture and religion is deep and that’s one of my favourite things to see and feel.

10. China

China holds a big place in my heart because it was my first solo adventure, and my first working/living experience abroad. As a travel destination, it compares to no other. It’s full of variety, full of unusual sights and a one-of-a-kind culture (which will always surprise you and also make you think wtf on a daily basis!).  There’s so much to see and do, with the North being completely different to the South, plus everything in between. The country is so huge, you could spend a while visiting even the main sights, and that’s on their sleeper/fast trains! Also, you know what else bangs? The food. And of course, I’m back here again, because it’s a great country to live and work too.

Pretty tricky to come up with just 10 because there’s been so many places that I’ve loved and every place leaves you with a different feeling for different reasons. Travel is one of the only things that I’ve ever been truly sure about and there’s not one moment that I regret. It brings you highs, lows, the biggest life lessons, the best experiences and all sorts of people. Think you aren’t lucky enough to travel? Think again (read more here… ). I encourage anyone to jump on that plane, do not be afraid to leave your hotel room and truly travel and immerse yourself as much as you can! It’ll always be worth it. The world is incredible.

Special thanks to every single person who has made every single moment in my journeys so special. You da best for crossing ma path.

 

Thanks for reading guys! Give me a shout if you have any questions! Go book that ticket, live ya life to the bestest.

V

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And follow me and my adventures here on instagram! https://www.instagram.com/vanishamay/

Indonesia: Living with the dead. Could you do it?

Don’t believe in magic? Never had a deceased person in your living room? Never watched an animal sacrifice? Visit Tana Toraja. It’s a land like no other. I’ve never had an experience like it. Tana Toraja is in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and although it’s far off the typical tourist track, it’s worth a visit for sure.

 

The villages of Tana Toraja sit between rice fields and jungle mountains, and is an icky few hours drive through spectacular landscapes from Belopa. Although many villagers now identify themselves as Christian, many still uphold animistic traditions, and are completely at one with the dead. Believing in reincarnation and connecting with their dead, Torajans still practice the ancient ways of dealing with the dead.

 

When we visited, we were extremely lucky to be invited to a traditional funeral ceremony. We had no idea what to expect, and it still seems hard to believe. I’ve been to many funerals, but none compare to this one… this is not for the faint hearted (and put me off meat for two months) … you have been warned.

 

Firstly, the funeral was for a lady who died aged 116. Amazing right?! She had 109 grandchildren and had died two years before (imagine all the names and birthdays?!). Unlike our funerals, Torajans believe that the spirit stays alive, so they embalm the body and keep it in the house to care, feed, clothe and look after it. Funerals can take years, and the body stays with the family until then. The whole village save money together, and the family move into traditional housing which is protected by white magic. Torajans believe that no funeral can take place while there’s negativity felt. If people in the family are not getting on so well, then the funeral will wait until all relationships are fully fixed again. If a daughter is studying away at university, they wait for her return. It’s an amazing commitment.

 

Funerals can last days, and this one was four days long. Living more simpler lives, Torajans save all their money for lavish funerals. They feed their guests buffalos and pigs which are considered to be holy. The buffalo and pig are killed at the ceremony, and given as a sacrifice to the gods. The more that are killed, the more wealth is represented of the deceased family. On our visit, we watched the slaughter of around 11 buffalo. Slit from the neck, bleeding out, then skinned in the main arena, family and friends watch and celebrate the sacrifices. I’ve never smelt, or seen anything like it. Words cannot describe.

 

And for someone from the West, who’s meat is purchased from a packet, and who’s dead are buried within days, it was completely shocking. But, thinking about it now, it’s remarkable and beautiful. Adults and children were at one with the dead, at complete peace, with no taboo or awkwardness. The children were not wrapped up in cotton wall, their eyes were not covered, and there was something so beautifully natural about their connection to the dead. After all, it is the most natural thing in the world, right?! We could definitely learn something from them.

 

Once the ceremony is over, the dead are buried in caves, trees and homes made for them. They’re never forgotten about, and are regularly given gifts of food, money and cigarettes by their friends and family. And every few years, they’re taken out of their caskets, cleaned, greeted, and celebrated all over again. Torajans believe that the magic of the land helps protect the community, and keeps the dead more alive.

 

Tana Toraja is literally a land full of magic, and celebration of life and death. The people were friendly, kind and so hospitable. I encourage every single one of you to visit this enchanting community at some point in your lives!

 

And here’s the latest BBC documentary which explores Tana Toraja for those who want to see more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08p0z6x/our-world-living-with-the-dead

 

Thanks for reading!

Have a good day,

V

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