Tenerife

I'm not sure what I was expecting Tenerife to be like, keeping in mind the fact that I wasn't even aware of its existence until a few months ago, but I wanted to stay forever.  Despite not looking like much from the plane window, I can see myself going back to this little volcanic island time and time again.

Staying in one of the most amazing places I've ever seen definitely helped. The Hollywood Mirage, situated at the very top of the hill with incredible views looking over Los Cristianos, big white buildings named after stars like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, Cactus' and Palm Trees, and pool areas with their own bars, it made you feel like you didn't even need to leave the resort.

After a few days of lounging around the pool and settling into the island lifestyle, it was time to see what Tenerife had to offer. First was Siam Park, deemed the No.1 water park on tripadvisor, it certainly lived up to expectations. Considering I didn't cringe when entering the wave pool, I guess you could say it was an upmarket Jamberoo (a.k.a the only other water park I've been to). 

From the Sunday markets with the prettiest playsuits and dresses for no more than 10 euros, the picturesque beaches, the friendly people, the good food, and the amazing weather, for such a small island, Tenerife has everything you could ever need.

Aside from the fact that there are copious amounts of Brits abroad, I could not recommend travelling to Tenerife enough.  One of the loveliest places I've ever been lucky enough to visit.

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Turkey Cappadocia Adventure

After the 3 most relaxing days it was back on the road again.  Next up was Olympos, but not without a couple of stops along the way.  The beautiful waters of Kaputas beach were just the right cure for being stuck on a bus in the 30+ degree heat.  Only a short drive from this Mediterranean beauty was the beautiful town of Kaş. By far my favourite town in Turkey. The most amazing textiles, side streets and doorways, I wish it was more than just a lunch stop.

Another few hours and we finally reached Olympos. Hippie paradise! Nothing but markets, restaurants and a beach, this place resembled Byron Bay. Although it was a long walk in blistering heat, the clear waters of Olympos Beach were definitely worth it. An amazing place to just chill out and get a real homey feel.

14 hours and a stop off in Konya later, we finally arrived in Cappadocia.  The home of natural sites, this place just had endless beauty.  Exploring underground cities, traditional cave homes, valley walks and eating nutella gozleme, the Cappadocian lifestyle is one to get used to.

  

4am wake-ups aren't my thing - but when it's to go hot air ballooning in Göreme National Park, it's a little easier to suffice those precious hours of sleep.  Nothing will ever compare to being 3,000 feet above one of the most amazing natural sites in the world in a floating basket.  1 hour felt like two minutes, but it was still the most amazing experience I've had to date.  Another massive tick off the bucket list, I couldn't recommend doing this enough.

Another full day of travel brought us back to Istanbul. My last chance to snap up the amazing Turkish street food and a last minute shop at the Grand Bazaar.  I will miss the copious amounts of turkish delight and baklava on hand wherever you went and the never ending culture and history of such a beautiful country.  Turkey was one of the most amazing experiences and I definitely learnt a lot.  Despite a few mishaps along the way that involved losing and breaking nearly everything I owned, I would go back in a heartbeat.

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Turkey Aegean Adventure

Booking a holiday from one European country to another is dangerously too easy, but oh so worth it.  I've always had the desire to travel to Turkey, and from the moment I stepped out of Ataturk airport I knew I was in for an experience. 

With the centre of Istanbul only a 5 minute walk from where I was staying, it didn't take long for me to be in awe of the most amazing city.  From the cobblestone streets to the grand Mosques and Museums, there was something to fall in love with at every turn. 

First up was the Grand Bazaar, and boy did it not disappoint.  Filled with the most flawless patterns, lanterns, turkish towels, spices, turkish delight, and baklava, it took so much self control to not spend all my lira on the first day.  After being loured into a sweet store and being converted from a Turkish delight hater to lover, it was onto exploring the streets of Istanbul.  This wouldn't have been a typical experience if I didn't get lost for an hour in the 27 degree heat, but it was so cool to see all the different aspects of the Turkish culture and life.  Eventually finding my way back to the Blue Mosque, it was time to discover for myself the beauty of the most photographed ceiling in the world. And a beauty it was. Incredible. Inside and out, it was the most beautiful place I have ever stepped foot into. 

An early start the next morning saw me off on a week long adventure down to Fethiye, with a few stops along the way.  First up was Gallipoli. It was such a surreal feeling to be somewhere you've heard and learnt about for so long, and for it to be such a beautiful place was definitely beyond what I was expecting.

After a couple of days of exploring ruin after ruin, it was finally time to venture to Pamukkale, the hot springs that dreams are made of.  A massive tick off the bucket list. It definitely lived up to its name "Cotton Castle" and was everything I imagined it to be - exactly like the pictures.

Just a short drive from Pamukkale was the little coastal town of Fethiye, where it was time for a 3 day sail around the Aegean Sea. Nothing but the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean and good food, it was exactly what I needed. Being able to wake up on the deck of a yacht and just dive into the water was an absolute dream.  Turkey is an absolutely magical place and this is only half of what I've experienced. Stay posted for part 2 of my Turkish adventure.

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London Calling

After only one week, I can't see how anyone could get tired of such a vibrant city.  There is always something happening in London - whether it's midday or 2am in the morning. In such a short amount of time I've already seen too many places to count on two hands. From central London to the outskirts in Guildford to 'little Venice' - a slice of Italy in the middle of London, no place is the same. 

The daylight hours are definitely tough to get used to - sunrise at 4.30am and sundown at 9.30pm.  Everywhere is busy by 7am and traffic piles up like a busy day in Sydney's CBD. A 10 minute trip takes 40, and the roads are a mad rush where it's every man for himself.  

Luckily, London has the most amazing train system in the world. The greatest invention I've ever experienced - THE TUBE! So constant and gets you to where you need to be in the blink of an eye (little exaggeration - but it is so much quicker than home). It's also very different to trains back home in the sense that nobody talks - and if you do everyone stares and listens in - and you sit directly across from people, so it can tend to get a little awkward as there's only so many times you can read the map above their head.

Central London itself exceeded all my expectations.  Everything is so incredibly close, yet once again, it is all so different.  Oxford Street = shopping heaven! Being able to shop at places like Topshop, H&M, and Zara, and actually see a reasonable price tag (yes - even with currency conversions) is a dream come true. But one shop you just can't go past - Primark! You have to sort through a lot of 'crap' so to speak, but you can find absolutely amazing things for actually WAY too cheap! 

With the crazy daylight hours it is so easy to lose track of time, and 4 hours in Oxford Street felt like 1 and I did not even get through a quarter of it.

With having experienced so much in such little time, I'm so excited to see what the next few weeks hold!

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AUSTRALIA >> LONDON

(My Aunty & Uncle's street via my bedroom window) 

After tossing up what to name a travel blog for way too long, I decided to just stick with the ol' Whisky & Boy - so my blogging style will be changing a lil bit!

On the 31st of May, a very nervous but excited self jetted off on a 4 month adventure to the land of Europe.  With so many mixed emotions, second thoughts, and feeling home sick from the moment I walked through the departures gate, travelling alone is definitely harder than I thought.  After 14 hours in a tightly crammed economy plane seat, I arrived in Abu Dhabi and it is everything you would have heard about - hot desert and rich people. 2 hours seemed liked 10 minutes and before I knew it, it was back to horrible plane food and not being able to find a comfortable sitting position.

Another 7 hours down and I finally made it to LONDON! Little town houses fill every street, double decker buses scurrying around the busy roads, and street signs that look identical to those you see in Harry Potter - this place is literally everything I've imagined.

Lucky enough to have family that live just 30 minutes from central London, I can't wait to explore and discover all that I can in the 3 months that I'm staying in this beautiful place before I travel around the rest of Europe (If anyone has any suggestions of places to go/things to see let me know!)

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