Month: May 2017

Portland Travel Guide

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My trip to Portland was for work – I work for British shoe brand Dr. Martens – and we had our SS18 Global Conference there. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have some spare town and explore the city of Portland while I was there. This was actually my first time in North America – it’s never appealed to me that much, as coming from England I assumed the cultures would be pretty similar and I like to be thrown into the unknown. But, doubts aside, I had a blast. Portland is small but perfectly formed and there’s definitely some cool little places to shop, eat and drink as well as fun activities. Here’s what I got up to… EAT Harlow A cool vegan eatery in hip Hawthorne for when you want something healthy and nutritious. Halsteins Classic American burgers and out-of-this-world service. Ruby Jewel An amazing selection of ice creams – plus, they do a dairy-free version too. Grassa Pasta and salads in a cool and trendy canteen-style building. Sizzle Pie Pizza Some truly …

Climbing Mount Batur in Ubud, Bali

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Climbing Mt. Batur in Ubud was such a great experience; at the time I couldn’t be bothered (you have to set off around 2am) but once I got to the top it was so worth it. Myself, my housemate Sinead, my friend and fellow blogger Lulu and her boyfriend Will all climbed together. We paid around £20 each after a little bit of haggling, but I met someone who paid less (and many who paid more). Mount Batur is a proper tourist trap, there are people bussed in in their hundreds. So you’ll be part of a big group ascending in the dark. We were assigned a guide, there’s one guide for about six people, and given torches. My torch didn’t actually work, and they didn’t replace it, so I was climbing in the dark… fun! The climb up isn’t hard but it’s difficult because it’s pitch black and also the volcanic rock is quite loose – I definitely slipped a few times. Having a little group of us meant we kept morale up and we …

What I Wore: Bali Edition

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On holiday my style gets way more colourful and outlandish – in London I feel as though you get funny looks if you go brighter than navy. I’ll often be the most colourful person n the tube, wearing cobalt or red in a sea of grey. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking neutrals, my work wardrobe is mainly black, white, nude and navy. And it works. But when you’re in vaycay mode anything goes and you can just have way more fun with fashion. Last time I went to Bali, my main lament was that I just didn’t bring enough bikinis, so this year I brought about 10… which may have been too many but whatever, I loved them all. I got one special (read: expensive) bikini from independent label Just Sauced, a few cheap sale styles for ASOS and some sporty bikinis from Topshop. H&M are also failproof for swimwear. My body shape doesn’t suit one pieces as my stomach is basically my least-fat body part, so why am I going to cover …

Pretty Poison, Canggu Review

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I bloody loved Canngu (read my Canggu travel guide HERE) and I’m already planning on visiting again. One of the highlights of my time there was Pretty Poison. An awesome California-style skate bar and club on the edge of a rice field. My boyfriend and I drove there on our bikes, parked up and went in. We arrived around 7.30pm so it was super quiet – everything in Bali gets busy much later. I’m glad that we arrived so early though, as it meant we could see the place properly and we had time to get a tattoo before it got too busy. Getting the tattoo was a great experience, they used all the proper sealed and sanitised equipment but it was super-relaxed. I was having a beer and listening to hip hip – it doesn’t get any better. A small tat will set you back about £15. We visited on the hip hop night which saw classic tunes being spun back-to-back by local DJs as well as a live MC battle and live graffiti. …

Café Organic, Canggu Review

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Honest to Cher, a big reason why I love Bali so much is the food – specifically smoothie bowls. When I first visited last year I went on a Tinder breakfast date (with a guy who turned out to be dating a friend-of-a-friend from back home, small world huh?) and tried my very first smoothie bowl. And well, it was love. Not the guy obviously. So when planning my second trip to Bali I researched all the smoothie bowl eateries I could and ended up visiting a fair few of them. While my favourite will always by Alchemy (read my review here) Cafe Organic comes a close second. Located in trendy Canggu (there’s a few other locations too), Cafe Organic is the kind of place that in London would set you back £30 for breakfast. It’s full of the young and beautiful and the gleam of silver MacBooks – so in many respects it’s very similar to home. But the food, oh the food, it’s next level. Everything is organic and super fresh and their …

Uluwatu Travel Guide 

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I only spent two days in Uluwatu, Bali but I really enjoyed my time there. The scenery really is stunning and there’s a lot of beautiful Cliffside views and places to watch the sun go down over the ocean. GETTING AROUND The first thing to mention about Uluwatu is that this is not a walking spot. Most places are pretty spread out and the roads don’t have sidewalks, or streetlights – and due to the hilly topography of the area, the roads are super winding. So I would not recommend walking anywhere for your own safety. To get around, like most places in Bali, hire a scooter – they’re really cheap and make getting around so easy. I can’t drive (at all) but they’re super-easy to get the hang of. Just drive slow and wear a helmet and you’ll be fine. My housemate who I was travelling chose not to ride a bike for personal reasons and found that taxis were VERY expensive here (around £6 for a 5-minute journey which is ten times the …

5 Books to Read on Your Holiday

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I recently had a dreamy three weeks in Bali (read all about that HERE) and the first thing I did when I was holiday planning was compile a reading list. That’s honestly one of the best things about going on holiday, reading, it’s such a luxury to be able to get lost in a good book. To be honest at home I just don’t have the time, and if I do crack open a good book in bed I’ll be fast asleep before I’ve even turned a page. So yeah, holidays are my chance to devour a few good novels. These are the five I managed to get through this time around and I was so pleased that I loved all of them – it’s great when you pick winners though not always the case. Anyway… read on to see what I’ve been reading and to add them to your list. The Regulars by Georgia Clark You know how they say ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’? Well, I did, I bought this book …

What to Shop on The Highstreet Now

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The latest and greatest hits from the high street. Click the pink links to shop… The Green Power Suit This Topshop suit is a super-flattering emerald green that’s sure to turn heads. Pair with a band tee or bright pink accessories. SHOP HERE The Looky-Likey Bag This Mango number is a blatant rip-off of the Balenciaga shopping bag, but since I don’t have a spare £1k, this is going straight to the top off my wishlist. SHOP HERE The Millennial Pink Jacket The shade of the season makes it’s way onto a classic denim jacket, updating this classic item into something fun and fresh. SHOP HERE The Art-Inspired Earrings Ugh, these are so JW Anderson it hurts. Shop them to add a high fashion look to your work wardrobe. SHOP HERE The Sophisticated Silk Shoes These slip on sandals will add a luxe touch to any outfit, wear as a comfy alternative to heels or to dress up casj jeans and a tee. SHOP HERE The £18 Dress What. A. Steal. And totally on trend. …

Gili Teak Boutique Resort, Gili T. Review

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  I’m usually very much a budget traveller – I’m happy enough to be in the sun and not working. But I do love a good hotel (read my hotel reviews HERE). So while in Indonesia this year I thought I’d treat my boyfriend and I to a chi chi place in Gili Trawangan. My friends Grace and Sean put me on to this place, so thanks guys. Gili Teak resort is on the quite side of Gili T. – and island known for its parties and as the rowdier sister to Gili Air and Gili Meno. I love Gili T. and the fact it’s busy and you can party on a night, but there is a quiet part, so you get the best of both worlds. After getting off the boat from Bali, the heavens opened and there was a huuuuge tropical thunderstorm, which made the 20 minute walk to the hotel from the boat more like 40 minutes. And I was terrified I was going to get struck by lightening – not to …