Footprints in the sand

5 months after flying off into the unknown, we are coming home!

It's been an incredible journey; I've seen amazing places, met wonderful people and learned a lot about myself.

Before I left I could only dream about being on the road and hopefully living somewhere different for a change. I spent my days dreaming, not sure how to make it a reality.

Now, I can honestly say it takes losing everything to find out what you really want, and whilst a life on the road isn't for me, I've still had a wonderful time.

We are about to pack up our tired and worn out belongings for the last time, so I've been thinking about my best memories from our journey. There are a lot, but here is my top ten!

1. Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne will always be special to me as its where we recharged our batteries after a stressful and emotional start to our trip. In Mui Ne we found good food, cold beers and a very chilled out vibe. It was just what the doctor ordered.

2. Hoi An, Vietnam

Walking into old Hoi An was a magical experience and one I wasn't prepared for. It was quintessential of the orient and had everything I had been craving to see; ancient temples, lanterns and even a tea house.

3. Halong Bay, Vietnam

Sailing through the cliffs of Halong Bay is top of many peoples top ten, I imagine. Travelling by boat is a firm favourite of mine too and I can't imagine a better end to our time in Vietnam.

4. Angkor temples, Cambodia

The hot weather, bugs and incredibly early start didn't dampen our wonderful day at the temples of Angkor one bit. I loved exploring the ruins and seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat.

5. Songkran, Thailand

Celebrating a festival with the locals from across the street! On Songkran we shared beers, food and laughs with the families opposite our beach bungalows and loved every minute of it! There was also a German man, but I don't know where he came from!

6. Pad Thai on Ko Phangnan, Thailand

Surprisingly the best Pad Thai we has was in a little hut restaurant on a quiet stretch of road near Haad Yeo beach. It was so ridiculously cheap and ridiculously amazing we went back for more!

7. Monkey forest in Ubud, Bali

Real monkeys stealing my bananas and sitting on my shoulder like I'm Captain Barbossa! Enough said!

8. Catching waves in Kuta Bali


I loved getting sporty (and an awesome tan) on the beach in Kuta. The water was deep and clean. There is nothing like the rush of riding a wave all the way to shore.

9. Eating pizza in Naples, Italy

7 days and I-dont-know-how-many pizzas! That was some very good eating and definitely the best thing about Naples.

10. Living like a local in Santo Stefano, Italy

Finding the real Italy after spending so much time in the cities. The life and culture in our corner of Piedmont is traditional and rich. I have always wanted to live in Italy and I'm so proud that I've had the chance to do so in such a wonderful place!







Thank you everyone for sharing the journey with me through this blog! I'll be posting about my future and past adventures as they come up so keep a weather eye on the horizon!

Mui Ne

23 - 27 March 2014

We arrive in Mui Ne a little after lunch and are warmly greeted at our hotel 'Mui Ne Hills 2' and shown to our rooms. Its not long before we are dozing beside the pool in the shade of the frangipani tree.

The pool has a panoramic view of the sea and we can watch the kitesurfers whilst enjoying the cool breeze and very chilled out playlist.

The beach is a little disappointing, with a strong current and high winds, not great if you aren't there to kite surf, but we do come from very spoiled Bournemouth in terms of nice beaches. The whole area here is tailored to kitesurfers though so if that's your kind of thing, this is the place for you!

Mui Ne reminds me in parts of Greece and Turkey in the hills and rustic lifestyle, and Tulum (Mexico) for the relaxed traveller vibe and shabby chic coolness.

We find a groovy sand covered place for cheap drinks in the evening, and indulge in a delicious burger. Here, flip flops are left at the entrance to get the sand between your toes and the sound system is playing chill out. As usual there is a friendly dog and some clicking lizards in the distance.

For whatever reason Mui Ne is full of Russians, so much so the menu, signs and shops all cater to them. Its so interesting to be the minority somewhere, but it makes finding somewhere to eat a bit harder. One night I eat the greenest green curry ever (I literally mean bright green) and on our last night we treat ourselves to a slap up Indian that really hits the spot!

Overall, Mui Ne is everything we needed. Sun, swimming and not a lot else.

In the morning we will be off to Dalat!