At the end of last year, we had our biggest jaunt into Asia yet. I already shared with you some stories of our few days stumbling around ruins in Cambodia. After all the ruins, we were ready to get on to some relaxation for our trip and meet up with our fellow travellers in Thailand. Since we took a late evening flight, we stayed overnight in Phuket before heading to our final destination of Koh Phi Phi.

Koh Phi Phi is just one of the many islands around Thailand, but like most of the others, the only way to get there is by boat. Because of our arrival time, we opted for the hotel's private "boat", although the ferry to the town center of Phi Phi was an option as well.

Right away on the water, you could recognise the Thailand from the pictures we all see.

The breathtaking water.

The iconic long boats, tassles hanging from the front, sailors rowing from behind.

The sun.

Our vacation was here! We arrived at the hotel, found our way among the maze to our villa, then promptly headed back to the beach/pool.  All I can say is the most authentic Thai thing we did that day was indulge in some pad thai.





Later on in our stay, once we'd had our chance to soak up some sun, we decided it was about time to get to exploring. We hired a boat for the day to take us around to some of the other islands and see the sites. Honestly, I can't even remember all the places we ended up visiting through the day. There was some debate on whether or not to go to Maya Beach, the most famous beach in the area (because of the film "The Beach"), but I can't even remember the decision there.




So basically, the day consisted of tops at somewhat touristy beaches like Monkey Beach and Mosquito Beach.  In between that was lounging on the boat, snorkeling, eating and drinking, so basically the perfect day on the water.




Another day consisted of us going into town to check out the more "city" side of things. It rained all day, making it an interesting long boat ride. Upon landing, we dashed out of the rain and into a little shack serving up cheap drinks and pad thai.  We decided to sit out the rain and join in the fun.





On our last day, we discovered we had a city of our own hidden behind the hotel. This is the thing they never tell you, but of course it makes sense - the locals need to live somewhere. We were on a hunt for a beach and was it worth the walk. The beach was almost completely secluded, although with the hotel being built nearby, it likely won't stay that way for long.  After a dip, we wandered back through the town chatting with some of the locals, many of whom were transplants from Australia or Europe who came to Thailand, fell in love and either never left, or came running back.




 So after a few days, our English skin was looking much tanner and we were ready to check out the culture side of Thailand on our last stop in Chiang Mai!

Last year, a lot of our travel ended up being about things on my bucket list. Jordan, Cambodia, Thailand's Lantern Festival were all some of the experiences I had been dreaming of. Perhaps it makes sense as I like to do the travel planning, but not exactly fair to my husband who willingly joins along on my long-awaited exploits.

This year though, it's been about Paul's wish list.  The first and biggest thing he's wanted to - ski the French Alps.

So, we found some friends to join (easy), found a chalet (not quite as easy) and headed to Chamonix.

I had dreams of skiing the beautiful slopes, indulging in all the apres ski I could and unwinding at the end of the evening in the hot tub with a glass of wine.

Little did I imagine when we planned the trip, that I would find myself about 3 months pregnant. Pregnancy and morning sickness do not mix well with a ski trip. I tried a half day of skiing, but gave up as it was uncomfortable and I decided I'd be much happier in my bed with a book.


So while I didn't enjoy skiing, cocktails, or hot tubs, I did still get to enjoy stunning views of the mountains, which you can see from just about anywhere in Chamonix, relaxed (if somewhat cold) walks around the town, somewhat pathetic attempts at speaking French and time to catch up on sleep, reading and chatting with friends.


Paul did get the chance to enjoy some of the more "traditional" offerings of Chamonix. While the skiing wasn't great due to the warmer than usual weather in February and the poor snowfall in the winter, he still spent the long weekend on the slopes.



He was especially excited to have skiied Valle Blanche, the glacier found at the top of the Aiguille du Midi. A guide is required on this off-piste slopes, although not as much necessary because of the mountains less than snowy conditions.




Then, before we knew it, the weekend was over, reminding us why most people choose to spend a whole week skiing (versus our 3 days).  While we weren't as impressed by the skiing, Chamonix had a lot to offer and we've been told that this wasn't a great year, so perhaps we'll have to give it a second chance (and hope they have some really good kiddie slopes!)

I've decided it is time to re-visit my much neglected blog.

And with the recent release of Jurassic World, the timing couldn't be more appropriate to tell you all about our recent(ish) weekend at the Jurrasic Coast! (I promise I will still make it back at some point to tell you about everything we've done in 2015, and some of that 2014 stuff like SE Asia. Yikes am I behind!!)

For the second year in a row, Paul's participated in a charity fundraiser with his work. Typically focused around team building and/or some type of physical challenge, last year, he tackled Snowdonia with biking, running and kayaking. This year, the task sounded simpler - a 26 mile hike on the Jurassic Coast, all done in 1 day.

While I was in no condition or of the inclination to walk 26 miles, I was curious about the Jurassic Coast. It is in fact named after the era when dinosaurs used to roam here and where fossils are often still found, from ichtyosaur skeletons to sea monsters. So, with explorations in mind, I tagged along on the weekend "getaway."

Belle and I started off enjoying a bit of the local area of Swanage. As luck would have it, that day was a big day for rowing there. All morning, the boats were headed out to row across the bay.  We grabbed a seat near the beach and tried (only somewhat successfully) to follow what was going on.




As we had crossed over on the chain link ferry into Dorset, I had noticed a beautiful sandy beach.  It was quite a walk, so Belle and I took the bus over to Studland Beach.

Not only is the beach beautiful, but it (like many random things you may stumble upon in Europe), has a history to it as well. This area was a training ground for Allied forces leading up to D-Day, and many troops departed from this area in Dorset to Normandy.

Nowadays though, there are few reminders of its history, other than signs warning you to watch for unexploded ordnances upon your walk.



It was a beautiful day, perfect for walking barefoot and dipping our feet (and paws) into the water. I made plenty of stops to rest, relax and enjoy the scenery. Further along the walk, the naturist portion of the beach came up.  Unawares of what I was walking into, we continued through.  I have to say my education of differences between American and British English was expanded that day!



After 2 miles, Belle was spent - at least that's the story I'm sticking to! Luckily, there was a lovely cafe at Middle Beach where we snagged another outdoor picnic table, along with afternoon tea & scones.  While I had wanted to head to get better views of Old Harry's Rocks, I realised that Paul was probably nearing the end of his walk, so Belle and I went to cheer him over the finish line.



Not much remains of the walls of this castle, which is understandable given it's 1,000 year history. The castle's towering keep (think the Red Keep from Game of Thrones) still shows how imposing this castle was back in the day, especially set up on the hill looking over the surrounding town.



During our visit, there was a falconry display putting us into the mood of what people may have experienced all those years ago, although wandering the ruins, it's hard to truly imagine how people lived there.  Half an hour was all we needed to roam what's left, then we were back out past the falcons, through the gates and onto London.

It was the perfect weekend trip and reminded me how much England has to offer (and how much more we have to explore!)

As I've been (not so patiently) waiting for summertime in London to arrive, I've found myself starting to ponder what trips we can take within the UK as the weather warms up and the sunshine (hopefully) appears.

While our first summer here we seemed to be everywhere except the UK, last summer we stuck around and tried out lots of our London to-do list while also exploring nearby places.

One of the things I would have had on my bucket list (if I had it written down) was seeing a Shakespeare play. A few times, I'd seen something come on at the Globe, but never quite got around to booking tickets.

Then, I realised I could see the plays elsewhere, more specifically the famed Stratford Upon Avon where Shakespeare was born.  Every summer, the Royal Shakespeare Company puts on several shows in their namesakes birthplace and tickets are a hot commodity as it's a short trip for Londoners to come down for the day (with train services even extended longer for those coming/going).

By the time I looked, tickets were sold out for the season so I resigned myself to missing out on it for 2014. Then, by chance, my obsessive compulsive self was checking later in the week and stumbled upon two tickets on a Saturday performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Who cares that I'd never heard of it? It was described as a comedy and it was Shakespeare so I just went ahead and snatched up what I could find!

With the tickets out of the way, I went about finding accomodation which ended up being slightly harder, especially since we wanted to bring the dog. We decided to make one night of it and drive ourselves there to enjoy the scenery and be able to get around the town.

On our arrival, we first stopped at a pub, then wandered the streets with Belle. There were obviously lots of visitors there for the shows and enjoying the sunny weather. We were happy to just stroll and take in the atmosphere.



That evening, we went to the theatre a little early for a drink and dessert before the play. We sat outside watching the swans laze by and trying to figure out which plays all the boats were named after. I wasn't sure what I would think of the play, but once it started, I loved it. It was quite funny and of course the acting was wonderful, plus a bit more interactive than you'd typically find in a West End production. They had put it in a more modern setting (a bit like all the Romeo & Juliet adoptions) which made it easier for us to understand since we weren't familiar with the play at all.


On our last day in Stratford-upon-Avon, we decided to walk the river this time before heading back. The weather was sunny and the dog was just begging for a chance to run around and perhaps chase a swan into the water.


After walking back towards the city, we stumbled upon a park where there were live productions of Shakespeare going on. It was free, the weather was beautiful, so we decided, hey, why not!


The play on at the time we arrived was Troilus and Cressida - a bit more gloomy than The Two Gentlemen of Verona as it tells about a sad love story during the Trojan War. While we were all for soaking up culture this weekend, when it was over, I wished I had the two hours of my time back.  The play itself apparently vexes many as it seems to be one of his most widely criticised. Add into that the poor costumes, people reading lines from scripts and children running rampant around the stage, I just couldn't figure out what was going on.  I felt a bit bad as you can't exactly compare a local troupe to the Royal Shakespeare Company, but it's bound to happen when you're performing right down stream from them.


With that last taste of Shakespeare, we decided we'd had just about as much Shakespeare as we could handle in 2 days and wound our way back to London. While we may not visit Shakespeare's birthplace again this summer, I know we'll have some great theatre experiences in store!

While the town of Siem Reap may offer visitors hospitality and charm, the main attraction (including for us) is the famous temples in the area. If you were to follow the posters, menus and others, it's really the land of Laura Croft, Tomb Raider, but this famed temple is only one of many.

Angkor, meaning city, was the head of the Khmer region. With over 400 sq km and hundreds of temples, it is impossible to see the sites in a day, much less a week. So most people, us included, start with the largest religious complex in the world and most famous in the area, Angkor Wat. Instead of trying to figure out what the ruins were ourselves, we hired a guide and tuk-tuk driver for the day to take us around.

After getting our tickets to the Angkor complex, we followed the crowds into the temple, first over the moat, then through the first gate into the larger complex area. Even at 10 am, it was already hot and humid, especially given my maxi skirt and shoulder coverings. When we finally made it into the shade of the temple, I was first happy for the coolness, then after taking a moment to observe my surroundings, I was amazed.


From the initial walk in, you see the iconic towers, rock darkened in many places, crumbling in others and sometimes missing altogether replaced by an errant plant sprouting from the ruins. It's beautiful, but to be honest, with hundreds of other temples in the area it's not exactly anything to write home about. I wasn't quite sure what the fuss was about until the moment we finally entered the complex.


The inner complex is covered with historic art - beautiful, intricate rock carvings. Around the whole outer wall, there's a depiction of the King, battles and mythical creatures. Inside, you'll find depictions of asparas, Hindu gods from it's original design and Buddhist figures from the later conversion. The detail is incredible and unexpected.



After a few hours of wandering, we headed to the nearby Angkor Thom to visit the Bayon temple. You know this complex is special as you begin the approach. The bridge over the moat is flanked on either side by statues wrestling a serpent leading you up to the walls of the complex, the top adorned with more ornate carvings, making you crane your neck up to glimpse more as the tuk-tuk rushes through.  The Bayon temple itself is famed for some of these carvings, specifically faces. As you wander throughout the temple, you'll see many pretending to kiss these faces (think like those pinching the Pyramids of Giza), but instead of doing that, we looked for the best vantages to see as many faces lined up as we could.


Finally, we made it to Ta Prohm (or the tomb raider) temple. Besides its association with Laura Croft, people love to visit this temple to see how it's been overtaken by nature. 


Over the years, strangler trees have grown up through, on top and over the ruins, leaving you with an odd combination of human creation and jungle. The temple is much smaller than Angkor Wat, but still crowded, so you don't quite get any experience to yourself here. After a long day in the tuk-tuk, we decided to head back to the hotel for another $10 massage and sleep for our early morning.


One of the things I had been most excited about Angkor Wat was the sunrise - which happened at 6:00 am unfortunately. Our lovely tuk-tuk driver picked us up at the far too early hour of 5:30 so we would have time to get our tickets into the complex and get a good spot.



 Or so we thought - upon arrival, there were almost more people than when we had arrived during the day yesterday. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people standing by the lakes in front of the temple waiting for the sky to put on its morning show.  Despite all the people, it was beautiful and so worth it.  

After soaking it all in, we decided to walk through the temple one more time - why not? We were already there. At that early hour, as many tourists headed home after snapping their shots, you felt like someone sneaking down the halls of the temple before anyone else woke up - enjoying the peace and chaos before everyone went to get about their business. Had we done it all over again, this would be the time that I visit the temple!

But, we were off through the fields and rice paddys in our tuk-tuk to visit Banteay Srei, a small temple, but with some of the best preserved stone work and often called the Gem of the Khmer.  If you weren't looking closely, you could walk around the area in less than 15 minutes, but we were there probably closer to 45, circling the buildings again and again to find new and beautiful details in the carving.



Then, back to the tuk-tuk, through the fields with cows, past the funny "gas stations" and tourist stands to Siem Reap, and onwards to Thailand.