Preventing common travel pain

Travelling presents all sorts of times when pain can occur. A pothole-filled bumpy bus ride in Asia. A budget flight in Europe with absolutely no leg room. Simply walking for miles and miles as you get your bearings in a city.

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Two of the most common forms of pain occurs in the neck and back, and they can end up getting the point where they put a major downer on your trip. If the pain is particularly severe, you may have to book a trip to the chiropractor along the way. But here are a few tips to prevent any issues before they occur.

Lift Luggage in Stages

Your heavy backpack or suitcase can end up being a common source of issues, so you should get into the habit of lifting your luggage in stages. For example, say you are lifting your luggage into an overhead compartment. Rather than doing this all in one go, you should start by lifting it onto the seat, and then up into the compartment in an entirely separate movement. Always bend at the knees to use your leg rather than back muscles. When you are walking, utilise the other straps on your backpack to distribute all weight evenly. Avoid carrying a bag over one should as this can end up putting a strain on one side of your body. Try to avoid twisting the lower back where possible, and instead pivot your feet.

Bring Back Support

If you know that back issues are a problem for you, it is certainly worth investing in a lumbar support pillow for your lower back. This can be a life-saver when you are on a particularly long leg of your travels. If you forget to bring one, an alternative that you could use is a rolled-up jacket or sweater. It is that inward curve of the lower back where you need to put this pillow. If you commonly suffer from neck pain, an inflatable travel pillow can do a good job of preventing this.

Keep Your Feet Supported

Your feet also play a major role in keeping your back protected, so make sure that you put them on a firm surface whenever you are sitting down. Use a footrest when it is provided. If you are heading out on a road trip, it is better to rest both feet on the floor rather than having one hovering over the accelerator all the time.

Pack Light

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Not only is packing light good advice for your trip in general, it can end up aggravating saving your muscles and joints from aggravation. Rather than stuffing everything in one suitcase, you may be better off distributing the weight around between a few different bags to ensure a more even spread.

Prevention is always far better than the cure as the old saying goes, and this is certainly the case when it comes to preventing pain on your travels when you can.

Taking the great American road trip

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Whether you live in America or halfway across the world, just about every self-proclaimed traveller has dreamt about driving across the country as part of a great American road trip. After all, the U.S. is an absolutely huge place, and the fact that you can reach every inch of it by car, without any sort of roadblock, is incredibly appealing. Road trips are the perfect option for those looking for an affordable and adventurous holiday, but only if you plan them really well. Keeping that in mind, here are four things you should do to make your great American road trip truly great.

Plan A Rough Itinerary

Whether you like it or not, most road trips do come with a time limit, so it’s vital that you have a route and rough schedule planned before you hit the road. There are a number of incredible American road trips you could consider, but, if none of those appeals to you, then you could always use a road trip planner to create one of your very own. Just make sure that you’re not driving too much each day, as this is dangerous and could also ruin the experience for you.

Look After Your Car

When you’re travelling long distances in your car, it’s more important than ever that you take proper care of it. With that in mind, you should make sure that you have your car inspected by a mechanic at least a week before you set off. You should also pack your car with tools, a spare tire, a brake bleeding kit, a tire pump, and more, and learn how to complete basic repairs and maintenance. This way, you will be able to help yourself if and when there’s an issue on the road.

Choose The Right Companions

Although you could head off on your own, road trips tend to be a lot more fun when you take friends or family with you. That being said, this is only true when you choose the right companions. You’re going to be stuck together in a car for hours at a time, so it’s vital that you bring people that you really get along with. Unless you really love driving, you should also make sure that whoever you bring is willing to share the wheel time with you.

Budget Your Money Wisely

Road trips can be incredibly affordable and budget-friendly, but this is only true when you spend time planning your budget and manage your money wisely. With gas, toll costs, food, souvenirs, attractions, and more, road trips can get incredibly costly very quickly. To avoid this, you need to consider all possible road trip costs and decide how much money you’re going to spend on each one. You should also have an emergency stash of cash for any unexpected expenses.

Heading off on a great American road trip is a dream for most avid travellers, but this dream can quickly turn nightmarish if you’re not prepared. To ensure you have an amazing time, make sure you remember the advice above.

Travelling across Europe

Europe is huge, so to travel across it would take you a very long time. So, we’re not suggesting that you attempt to tackle it all, but we do think that you should go for some of the best bits. Europe is truly stunning, and there are some incredible destinations that you could visit along your travels. But, we’re bet you’re wondering how we think you would be able to afford all of this? Well, it’s simple. Pack a bag, take a tent with you, and cut out all of the rubbish of hotels and jumping from flight to flight. Once you’re in Europe, getting on a plane and stopping in fancy hotels isn’t what you have to do. There’s so much freedom to pretty much go wherever you want, however you want. If you love the idea of camping, then see if we can get you to travel across Europe!

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Where To Go

Europe is the perfect mix of city breaks, beach locations, mountainous wonders…and anything else in between. If you’re looking for something that’s super varied, then you’ve pick the right part of the world to travel. If you were looking to explore some incredible mountains, mixed in with beautiful culture and people, then Switzerland is the place to go. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and it’s landscape revolves around white top mountains, and picturesque villages. If you were looking for something a bit more beachy, then Spain is the place for you. All of the coast of Spain is filled with tourist hotspots, beautiful beach locations, and a pretty cheap time. In both of these locations you will be able to find campsites where you can set up shop, and it’ll be pretty easy for you to get around and explore as well!

What To Pack

It all depends on how long you’re going for. If you’re going for a few weeks, then you’re going to have to pack plenty of pants and socks, and enough clothes for around 10 days. Then, you’ll need to sort your camping equipment, and you’ll definitely need to make sure you get absolutely everything. From a floor topper, to the tent itself, it’s all going to have to come with you. You can see more here if you’re looking to find out what is needed for a camping trip. As long as you have the essentials, you can keep picking things up in every country that you go to. Make sure you also take things like suncream, a pack up phone, and a portable charger with you!

The Logistics

You can either get around by train, bus, or plane. If you’re taking flights, make sure you find out whether it would be cheaper to get the Euro train, or a cross country train. If you are getting flights, always shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal!

Brooklyn bike tour

Get up and ride

Explore New York City by bike, with your guide as a local New Yorker. Get up and ride is rated as New York’s number 1 biking tour company! So I was honored to be asked to join and review one of their tours. The company did not disappoint. I love the concept of get up and ride – allowing visitors (or locals) to bike around the city in small groups and learn about the area from a New Yorker. Not only do you get to bike around, your guide will also highlight interesting facts about the area, and take you to their favorite coffee and food places! You definitely learn a lot, experience the real New York and have fun while doing it!

Bike tours

Get up and ride offer three tours:

1. The central park and more bike tour

On this tour, your guide will take you around central park and through the upper west and upper east side of Manhattan.

2. The lower Manhattan bike tour

This bike tour will take you around the charming greenwich village, the trendy lower east side and Chinatown.

3. The Brooklyn water front tour

Ride through the hipster neighbor of Williamsburg, then onto the stunning Brooklyn water front.

The Brooklyn waterfront bike tour

It was hard to decide which bike tour I would like to attend, in the end I decided to go on the bike tour in my neighborhood- I live in Williamsburg. I thought this would be a nice way to explore my surroundings via bike and as I have already biked around Central park and the west side of Manhattan numerous times I thought the Brooklyn tour would be best.

And it was amazing! Even though I live here, I still learnt a lot from our friendly and engaging tour guide. We met at the get up and ride bike store in Williamsburg, here we were fitted with our bikes and set up our walkie talkies – this would be the way our tour guide could communicate with us during the ride. It was a nice small group, with four people from Germany, a lady from California, the tour guide and the two of us. A small group allowed for a more intimate and fulfilling tour.

Williamsburg

So the start of our tour began in my neighborhood of Williamsburg, a hip neighborhood which has a great nightlife scene, with plenty of rooftop bars and live music venues, trendy cafes, chic boutiques, the cutest coffee shops and vibrant street art. We rode through the streets and the gorgeous McCarren park, stopping to see some of the oldest street art in the area, then at one of my favorite coffee shops “Devocion” here we stopped to rest, enjoy each others company and drink a delicious coffee in a beautiful setting.

Brooklyn navy yard

After our coffee, we continued on our bike tour. From Williamsburg we headed to the Brooklyn navy yard. The navy yard was once a ship yard and is now an industrial park with a mission to “demonstrate how modern manufacturing can thrive in urban America”. A highlight of our visit to the navy yard was our tour of the Brooklyn Grange – a world leading rooftop farm with a sustainability center. Here, they design, build and offer landscape services for gardens, farms and green spaces in NYC. As I work within the sustainability and conservation field, I was so excited that this stop was on our tour. The rooftop farm is very impressive, and the views of Brooklyn and Manhattan make it even more impressive! Our guide also pointed out that the navy yard also has a rooftop vineyard, which is now on my list to visit.

DUMBO – Down under the Manhattan bridge

After the Navy yard we continued on, riding through the gorgeous Vinegar hill with cobble stone streets before stopping in the trendy neighborhood of DUMBO. The neighborhood of DUMBO is now one of the most expensive areas in NYC – once an old industrial area, the warehouses have been transformed into high end boutiques and pricey restaurants. Plus the area is now known as the tech hub of Brooklyn, with many tech companies moving in. DUMBO is also one of my favorite neighborhoods because of the stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and it’s access to the Brooklyn bridge park. After learning about DUMBO we rode through the Brooklyn bridge park absorbing the cool breeze from the east river and taking in the iconic Manhattan skyline.

Brooklyn Heights

We continued riding through the stunning Brooklyn bridge park to the charming neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn heights is an affluent residential neighborhood with the most gorgeous brownstones. The Brooklyn heights promenade is also amazing, with great views of Manhattan and the statue of Liberty. We stopped for a slice of coal oven pizza at table 87 – so delicious. Next it was time to ride back to Williamsburg, we rode through the Brooklyn bridge park and continued on the greenway trail to return to the store.

Overall I was extremely satisfying with this tour. Biking is a great way to explore an area, and I loved how Get up and ride go above and beyond, their guides are very knowledgeable and friendly and I love how they added in coffee shops, food places, and interesting places to stop at. I would recommend them to anyone visiting (or living) in New York City. Check out there website here for more information.

Brooklyn bridge park

Brooklyn’s waterfront

The Brooklyn bridge park is a true gem of New York City. With a charming atmosphere and stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. The Park represents a reconstruction of the post industrial waterfront, which goes from Atlantic avenue in the South (the Columbia heights neighborhood), under the gorgeous Brooklyn heights promenade, past the impressive Brooklyn bridge, to north of the Manhattan bridge, to the trendy neighborhood of DUMBO (Down under the Manhattan bridge).

What to see and do

View the iconic Manhattan skyline

The view from the Brooklyn bridge park is one of my favorites places to observe the dramatic Manhattan skyline. On a clear summers day or during a sunset, the view is incredible.

Bike Ride

Go riding through the lush green park, taking in the views with a cool breeze from the East river. An easy 1.3 mile ride from one of the park to the other.

Wine and dine

Picnic

With plenty of green space and iconic views, the Brooklyn Bridge park provides a great opportunity to have a picnic and chill out.

Splurge at the River cafe

With a stunning setting, a romantic atmosphere and incredible views, the river cafe is the perfect place to dine on special occasion.

Buzz bar

A chill place to grab a drink and a quick bite to eat. With outdoor seating and live music events this is the perfect place to relax after exploring the Brooklyn Bridge park.

Brooklyn ice cream factory

Satisfy your sweet tooth at the famous Brooklyn ice cream factory. The lines do get long but the ice cream is truly delicious and satisfying on a hot summers day.

Free events

Take advantage of the events that the park puts on during the warmer months.

From waterfront workouts, water sports (Kayaking, rowing ect), summer night movies, environmental volunteering days, and books under the bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge park offers something for everyone.

Check out their website for upcoming events – Brooklyn Bridge park website

Visit the trendy neighborhood of DUMBO

Down under the Manhattan bridge. This area was once a ferry landing, and is characterized as 19th century industrial with warehouse buildings. With its Belgian block streets, the neighborhood definitely has a lot of charm and character. It has now been taken over by hipsters, and is one of New York’s trendiest neighborhoods, with plenty of places for weekend brunch, art events, photo shoots and is also considered to be the tech hub of Brooklyn.

Take a photo under the Manhattan Bridge

Stop at the intersection of Water and Washington street to take this iconic photo. It is now one of the most famous Instagram photos of New York City. The view is pretty impressive, with the Manhattan bridge framing the Empire State building.

The Brooklyn bridge park and surrounding neighborhoods are a true jewel of the city that never sleeps. It is one of my favorite neighborhoods and I always enjoy strolling through this area. It has changed a lot and will continue to do so. This area of the city has so much to offer. I would recommend visiting.

Venice

Venetian lagoon

Dreamy vibes, magical views and spectacular architecture, Venice is a poetic location.

Venice is the capital city of the veneto region in Italy’s north. The city is built on more than 118 islands, in a lagoon located in the Adriatic sea. This enclosed bay lies between the mouths of the Po and Piave rivers. These islands are separated by canal’s and are linked via bridges. Venice looks like a city out of a fairytale. It is no wonder that the lagoon and part of the city is listed as a world heritage site.

From the romantic canals, the renaissance, gothic palaces and dreamy vibes Venice is a very unique and breathtaking place to visit.

An island city

We had just spent a week exploring the charming Rome and found a cheap domestic flight to Venice. This was my second visit to this magical city (I came here once before, as a teenager on a school tour). The second time around was just as charming. We stayed at a hotel in the San Marco neighborhood. The central and the most popular district on the Venice island.

Highlights and must sees

Saint Mark’s Basilica: A beautiful church, with a mixture of eastern and western architecture. It sits on the very popular pizza San Marco.
Torre dell’ Orologio – The gorgeous clock tower that was built between 1496 and 1506! Which also sits on the popular piazza San Marco.
Doge’s palace: With stunning gothic architecture, this place was once the political and judicial hub of Venice.
Grand canal: This 2 mile long canal is considered to be the main ‘street’ of venice.
Rialto bridge: Described as the heart of Venice, this beautiful bridge was once the only way to cross the grand canal!
Campanile di San Marco: The tallest structure in venice. Note this is the reconstructed version, as the original collapsed in 1902.
Bridge of Sighs: An iconic bridge connecting the Prigioni to Doge’s palace.
Basilica di Santa Maria: Another beautiful church, with stunning architecture.
Murano Island: Take a trip to the Murano island to view an impressive glass-blowing demonstration!
Rialto Market: This one is for the foodies! A market rich in culture and food.

Get lost

My favorite thing to do in any location that I visit is to get lost, by just wandering around and taking in all the sights. I find this the best way to absorb the place! And venice, is one of my favorites cities to get lost in, wandering the beautiful streets and viewing the canals is so beautiful. For a couple of days on our trip, the city was covered in dense fog, this added an extra charm to the city!

Two day trip from Venice

While we were in Venice, we took the opportunity to explore a small village located in a mountain region located 70 km northwest of Venice. You can read about our adventures to Seren del Grappa here.

Wanderlust

With it’s charming atmosphere, gothic architecture and dreamy canals Venice is one of the most beautiful cities that I have explored. It is definitely wanderlust material.

Rome

Roma

Vibrant in art and culture, and showcasing a creative imagery into the past, Rome is an intriguing and breathtaking city to explore.

Rome is located in the central Italian peninsula on the Tiber river, 24km inland from the Tyrrhenian sea. Rome is the capital city of Italy, and also the capital of the Lazio region. Rome is also the most populated comune in Italy. With twenty eight centuries of history, and as one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe, Rome showcases a rich history in amongst the now cosmopolitan and happening city. Rome is truly, a magnificent city to explore and to absorb the dreamy atmosphere.

The city of love

This was my second visit to this charming city, and I would come back again! As we were based in Dundee Scotland, we found cheap flights from Edinburgh (around $20 USD)! Only a three hour flight. So took the opportunity to travel to Italy and explore.

We found a cheap(ish) backpackers hostel to stay in, which was located in the city center. An ideal location so we could just walk around and explore. We were here for six days and five nights before flying to Venice.

The eternal city

Walking through Rome provides a glimpse into ancient times. I was truly in awe walking around and visiting the ancient ruins. Rome is a very special place where you can feel and view history. Here is a list of the best ancient landmarks to visit when in Rome!

Pantheon: An ancient pagan temple, that has since been converted into a church. This is one of Rome’s best preserved monuments.
Janiculum walk: A beautiful walk through the hills, and when you reach the top an impressive view overlooking the Roman skyline.
Circus Maximus: An open field with ruins. This was once, one of the largest sporting arenas in the world!
Roman forum: A true glimpse into ancient rome. With ancient ruins linked to the former emperors. These ruins illustrate 900 years of history!
Piazza Navona: A breathtaking piazza containing three gorgeous fountains.

Roman Colosseum

In addition to the ancient landmarks highlighted above, a trip to Rome would not be complete without a visit to the impressive Colosseum! A well preserved piece of history, and a major tourist attraction in Rome.

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian amphitheater, is a huge stone amphitheater built between AD 70-72 by the Vespasian emperor. The Colosseum was used for four centuries! As the site of gladiator combats between men and other animals. The largest amphitheater in the Roman world, the colosseum could seat more than 50,000 spectators! The preservation of this ancient site began in the 19th century.

Highlights and must sees

In addition to the ancient sites must sees, here are recommendations of other points of interest that we enjoyed.

Trevi fountain: A well know landmark. A gorgeous 18th century sculpted fountain.
Spanish steps: 135 steps which are located between the Piazza di Spagna (at the bottom) and the Pizza Trinita dei Monti at the top.
Capitoline museums: A complex of art and archeological museums.
Pincian hill: Wander around the pretty gardens.
Visit the Vatican city: The headquarters of the Holy Roman church and one of the world’s smallest sovereign states. The Vatican city became independent from Rome in 1929. Inside you can visit St.Peters Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
Get lost. Just rome around Rome and explore your surroundings.
Indulge in Italian food, coffee and wine!

Rome

Rome is a very special city. Rich in history and culture. A beautiful city to explore and a great highlight of a trip to Europe.

Malmo and Lund

Sweden

Malmo

Malmo is the third largest city in Sweden and the capital and largest city of the Swedish county of Scania. Malmo is located near the southwestern tip of Sweden, and is connected to Copenhagen, Denmark by the Oresund bridge. This small and vibrant city, is rich in history, culture and art and with its friendly people, pretty sights and sandy beaches, Malmo is a great city to explore.

Lund

Located in the southern tip of Sweden in the Skane province. Lund is the second oldest city in Sweden! The city was founded in AD 990 and still maintains its medieval charm and low key vibes. Lund holds great traditions within education, the Lund university was established in 1660, and today it is one of the largest institutions for education and research in Scandinavia. It is no surprise that the university and its buildings dominate much of the city.

Southern Sweden

We have a friend who lives in Lund (who we had met in Townsville, Australia) who had invited us to stay with him. So from Copenhagen, Denmark we took the train across the Oresund bridge for 40 minutes until we reached Malmo. We arrived early and spent the day exploring the picturesque city before our friend picked us up and took us to his home in Lund.

We spent four days exploring Malmo and Lund, our friend was a great host and tour guide, who not only showed us the highlights but also took us to some hidden gems, and show us around the local night life scene. The weather was also so beautiful, sunny and mild. It also just happened to be the time of year that the Malmo festival was on, so we were able to experience and enjoy this annual festival.

Highlights and must sees

Oresund bridge: The bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden.
Turning torso: Impressive architecture, a twisted and sculptured tower block.
Malmo castle: A 16th century castle which was built by the Danish.
Kungsparken: A pretty park to wander around, and also the oldest park in the city
Science and Maritime museum:
The Stortorget: Malmo’s city center square. This square was built in 1536! And surrounds the old town.
Lund University and the historical museum: Visit the impressive buildings and explore the rich history.
Botaniska tradgarden: The beautiful botanical garden in Lund.
Lomma: The nearest beach to Lund

Our time in Malmo and Lund was so enjoyable, and I think it was made even better as we had someone to show us around! I would love to return to Sweden, the next hopefully to visit the North!

Next stop, Munich, Germany, to experience the famous Oktoberfest

Kota Kinabalu

Gateway to Borneo

Kota Kinabalu also referred to as KK is located on the northwest coast of Borneo, in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Kota Kinabalu, which was once formally known as Jesselton is the state capital of Sabah. The location is an ideal base to explore the northern region of Borneo.

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest (non continental) island in the world. Located in South East Asia, and surrounded by the south China sea to the north and northwest. The Island is divided by three separate countries. Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia. Brunei has the smallest portion of the Island. The Malaysian part of the Borneo is split between two different states, Sabah and Sarawak. The Indonesian state of Kalimantan controls the largest portion of Borneo.

Borneo is a nature lovers playground. The majority of the island is covered by dense rainforest, with a great richness of species diversity. This rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests in the world! Estimated to be 140 million years old. Home to a range of unique fauna and flora, and the center of evolution and distribution of many species. It is understandable that a lot of ecological research is conducted here. With this, Borneo is also home to a number of sustainable, conservation and responsible travel projects. The Island of Borneo is a really unique and magical place.

Four days in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu was our first introduction to this amazingly unique island. Spending four days in this city was truly wonderful, the only negative was that it was not enough time! We stayed at a backpackers hostel, close to the center of the city. As we arrived in the afternoon, our first day was spent walking around and taking in the atmosphere of the city. Our first evening was spent at the night market, then on to an all you can eat buffet – and buckets of beers, the price was ridiculously cheap. The next morning, we woke up and started to explore more of the city. In addition to visiting the sights and attractions of KK, the majority of our stay was spent island hopping, which included snorkeling and hiking adventures.

City highlights and attractions

KK water font and times square

With crystal clear waters and sunny skies the waterfront is gorgeous to walk along. Times square represents the commercial downtown area of Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah state mosque

Located close to the city center, the mosque is worth a viewing. The architectural design is very impressive.

Signal hill observatory tower

Provides gorgeous views of the city at the highest point.

Atkinson clock tower

This is the oldest standing structure in Kota Kinabalu. The towers sits on a hill overlooking the city.

Central market

A vibrant and busy market located on the waterfront. A great place to explore and take in the atmosphere of the city.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

The Tunku Abdul Rahman park is a marine park with a cluster of five islands (Gaya, Manukan, Sapi, Sulug and Mamutik) located off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. These islands are easily accessible. The distance ranges from three to eight kilometers off the coast, and you can take a 15-20 minute speedboat ride from the Jesselton point ferry terminal. Plus, all of the islands are a short boat ride from each other. Island hopping was the highlight of our time in Kota Kinabalu. We were able to visit many stunning beaches, go snorkeling, hike through jungle trails and see some pretty impressive animal and plant species.

Kota Kinabalu, with its tropical islands and stunning landscape is a nature lovers playground, and is rapidly becoming a more popular tourist destination, due to the city being a cultural hub with natural beauty. Kota Kinabalu was the perfect introduction to the island of Borneo. I am so eager to return and explore even more of the Island. I would love to experience a wilderness trip, absorbing the true remoteness and adventure that Borneo can offer.

Hoi An

Hoi An ancient town

The old town of Hoi An is a well preserved example of an old port. During the 15th to the 19th century, Hoi An was an major trading port. Hoi An has over 2,000 years of history. Hoi An was also a principal port of the Cham kingdom. This kingdom controlled the spice trade with Indonesia from the 7th to the 10th century. As a result the culture and history of Hoi An is strongly influenced by the Cham people. The second major influence of this charming town is from the Chinese. The buildings represent a unique blend of style from both foreign and local influencers. Hoi An old town is listed as UNESCO world heritage site and is well worth a visit. The old town is so charming to walk around and to explore the rich history. The greenery that is covering the ruins is also so impressive, and makes the place so much more magical.

Hoi An is located in central Vietnam, in the Quang Nam province. This area is a popular tourist attraction. People visit to see the charm of the old city and to relax at the beaches nearby. From Hue we travelled by bus for three hours to Hoi An, we stayed at a hostel at a nearby beach.

An bang beach

As we were craving the sun and beach, we decided that we would stay at a beach close to the old town of Hoi An. We stayed at a backpackers hostel along the An Bang beach.The hostel was great and we met up with some other backpackers, and enjoyed the nightlife with them. Hoi An old town was easily accessible from this beach town, so we were able to make the most of visiting the ancient ruins and enjoying some time in the sun. You can also catch a glimpse of the Cham Islands from the beach!

Next stop on our backpacking journey through Vietnam is further South, the coastal resort city Nha Trang