10am: Chatuchak Market
One of the biggests markets in the World! Only open on weekends. (Skytrain stop: Mo Chit)

1pm: Lunch near the Grand Palace
Near the Grand Palace! Very good food, friendly staff. You can see the kitchen which is super clean, which is always a plus! (Around 150bahts for a main) ​I had my last Pad Thai of the trip. They also have great coffees and cakes! 

If you had enough of Thai food (I'll never have enough of Thai food! but...) I recommend LUCE, the Italian restaurant located at the 14th floor of our hotel: the Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn. They got me at "We have a healthy menu"! I rarely / never have Italian food outside of Italy (I'm from Nice in France right at the border with Italy so I can be quite picky when it comes to pasta, pizzas and risottos. But LUCE didn't disappoint! Just as good as Italian food, in Italy. We started off we smoothies, which were THE BEST I've had in Thailand! (And I've had a lot!) I had the grilled salmon, and my friend had the salmon tartare, both delicious. For dessert, I had coconut rice pudding from the healthy menu and Salome had the panacotta, both beautifully served. 

As mentioned before, we stayed at 4* Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn, which I recommend. It was ideally located (right opposite a train station) in a very nice and safe area. The hotel was very luxurious (huge shiny crystal lights when you walk in….). 

​The room: We stayed in a Sky Room located on the 30th floor, which offered panoramic views of the city. 

The gym: Located on the 14th floor, it's very well equipped, with both cardio and weight machines. Also very spacious, and you can't beat that view! 

Breakfast: (5th floor) was the largest breakfast buffet from our trip... The buffet offers absolutely everything you could possibly want for breakfast. From Thai food, to Chinese, Japanese, Western (pancakes, waffles, french toast, pastries, very good bread!...)

Do I need a visa?
Members of the European Union don’t need a visa to visit Thailand (maximum stay: 30 days)
 
Do I need special vaccination?
I went in June, and didn’t need to take any medication or get vaccination prior to the trip. However, depending on the time of the year and the region you are visiting, you may need to take malaria pills and get vaccination for hepatite B. Check with your doctor.
 
What Budget?
In comparison to European prices, Thailand is very cheap. You can eat for 40 bahts (=less than €1) (street food or simple restaurant) or 300bahts in a luxurious hotel/restaurant. We spent most our money on transportation and tours. See the section below on transportation. NB: Overall, Bangkok is more expensive than other regions of Thailand.
 
How to avoid getting ill
Never drink tap water! Always buy bottled water. Make sure the ice cubes in your drinks (water, and smoothies!) were made of treated water (99% chances they will be) Overall, street food is pretty safe (I had street food all week and didn’t get sick!)… And trust your instincts… If you have doubts, don’t eat it. No Pad thai, as tasty as it may be, is worth ruining your holiday for ;-)
 
Pack your bag: Checklist
Here are a few things you should take with you…

• Mosquito spray (although there are pharmacies on every corner in Chiang Mai where you will be able some)
• A copy of your passeport (If you need to exchange money, you will be asked for your passport! We learned the hard way and ended up having to take money out from an ATM, which cost us a fixed 220bahts)
• Change in your currency (easier to exchange! And to avoid the 220baths charge)
• Medication for food poisoning (just in case…) I was told by a friend that these are very hard to find in Thailand, even in pharmacies

 
How safe is Bangkok?
We were two girls, and felt very safe the whole time, day and night. There are policemen everywhere, who seem very on it! Definetly a city I would feel safe exploring by myself. Solo travellers, don’t hesitate to go!
 
One last tip: Negotiate EVERYTHING.
​

Transportation is included in the day package. Sun (the happiest, most enthusiastic and funniest guide ever!) and his friend, picked us up from our hotel at 7:30am, in a nice SUV with AC. We drove for about two hours in the mountains, to their village. On the way there, we had so many questions to ask Sun, about the elephants, but also about life in a Thai village. Sun is a proud member of the Karen tribe, and the first of his village to have been to University, to study languages (he speaks English and even French!) He explained to us that the people from his village are the only elephants experts near Chiang Mai, since they have been living with elephants for centuries (His 96 year old grandad still rides his elephant to the rice fields!) Everyone from his village grew up with and love elephants, considering them as members of the tribe. They know how to take care of them, and protect the specie.
 
The drive in itself is already an experience. The landscape is beautiful. You will drive through the forest, several villages and past many rice fields.

As we arrived, six beautiful elephants and as many elephant trainers were here to greet us! The elephant trainers almost instantly gave us sugar canes and sweet corn to feed the elephants. They taught us how to ask the elephants for a hug, and of course, we took enough pictures to fill up or camera’s memory card.

Sun had some typical Karen outfits for us to wear, all hand made by his and the elephant trainers wives. He explained to us how the shape and colours of the clothes all have a meaning.
 
For the next 30 minutes, we learned the elephant health check up morning routine, which we had to apply ourselves. We learned how to distinguish a healthy from a mistraited or sick elephant.
 
The next hour was spent bathing our elephants,… Trust me, that was hard work! An elephant trainer handed me an ace, and some sort of branch, and from sign language, I understood that I should crush the branch. Far from me the idea that I was in the process of creating a “soapy sponge” which would then be used to give my elephant a good scrub and a wash…… And when you’re done, the elephant even eats the “sponge”! 100% sustainable!

​*Sun knows all the tricks for a good Instagram picture... he'll make you (and the elephant) pose, for what he called the "Christmas card picture"! 

The water was not clear and I couldn’t help think how many snakes and bugs there must be at the bottom, and I might step on bare feet. So when an elephant trainer pushed me up to sit on the elephant’s back, I didn’t say no… It’s all a matter of perspective!  Sitting on the elephant didn’t seem too scary after all! The trainers throw buckets of water on the elephant (and you!) You don’t really have time to think about danger since you are too busy taking it all in!

*And another Instagram picture... 

Our sparkly clean elephants and …. us (definely not as clean as the elephants after a good bath in muddy water!) were ready for our walk. Sun explained to us that elephants need to be walked every day. We could either ride the elephant or walk by its side. I was concerned about hurting them, but Sun made us do some math… Try to workout how much you weigh in comparison to an elephant. How much do you think that is, in percentage? Not much… in fact, around 1%. (A lot less than when you ride a horse!)

Our sparkly clean elephants and …. us (definely not as clean as the elephants after a good bath in muddy water!) were ready for our walk. Sun explained to us that elephants need to be walked every day. We could either ride the elephant or walk by its side. I was concerned about hurting them, but Sun made us do some math… Try to workout how much you weigh in comparison to an elephant. How much do you think that is, in percentage? Not much… in fact, around 1%. (A lot less than when you ride a horse!)
​
*Here's a picture of me failing at graciously climbing up my elephant. I'll spare you the video.  

After an amazing 45 min – 1 hour ride in the forest, we arrived at the village. There was a beautiful lunch waiting for us in the shade, on banana leaves, cooked by the women of the village.

The village is self sufficient: They grow everything themselves, which I find amazing. I couldn’t believe the food that they managed to cook, with very little kitchen ustensils. They even made fried chicken! (Better than your KFC!) It’s safe to say we ate a lot.

After lunch, Sun and his team taught us how to make medicine for the elephants. Of course, it's 100% natural made of fruit, herbs and spices that they grow themselves. 

We then gave the leftover food to our elephants, together with the medicine we had just prepared, and gave them a nice refreshing shower.

Sun gave us each a DVD with LOTS of amazing pictures he took during the day! (Most the pictures on this article were taken by Sun) and it was time to head home.
 
*The elephant trainers were walking next to us and carried our shoes and bottles of water the whole time
* There are super new and clean toilets every step of the way.
* The trainers constantly offered to take pictures for us, and credits go to them for holding my GoPro the whole time!

On the way back, I still had so many questions to ask Sun… We drove past the rice field where his grandad was working. I asked if we could say hello, and he didn’t hesitate to stop the car and show us around the rice field! Sun put some rice in my hand and before I knew it, I was planting some rice with his family!
Note: This was not included in the tour. However, you can book a 2 day tour which may include rice planting (depending on the season). I just thought I should include it in this article, as it reflects really well the whole team’s attitude throughout the day. Genuine pride to share their culture, and not just a tourist trap! These types of experiences are what I love most about travelling!

** As I was asking Sun about education in his village, he explained how he hoped the next generation would be able to get higher education, and that the profit made with these tours will be put towards education for all the children in the village.

The tour includes transportation from and to your hotel, drinking water, lunch, insurance, and a DVD with high res pictures from the day.
Price: 3000 Bahts / person, if you share an elephant (one elephant / 2 people) or 4500 Bahts / person if you want your own elephant.
How to book: Click here to visit their website and book a tour. 

This was truly a magical day and I really hope to be back one day! If you are in Chiang Mai for a whole day, you must arrange to experience it for yourself, and please say hi to Sun and his team for me!

• Visit the Old City

If you are keen on temples, you will enjoy walking around (or cycling around!) the old city, from one temple to another.​

• Doi Suthep

​​A very big Buddhist temple located at the top of a mountain in Chiang Mai. Nice view of the city. Entry is 30 bahts. You will need to cover up to get inside, but you can borrow clothes near the entrance. 

• Sunday Night Market 

Every Sunday from 4pm to 11pm. This is the place to go to buy souvenirs! Mainly for tourists. NB: Again, negotiate everything!

• Night Bazarre

Similar to the night market, but smaller, and open every evening.

• Warorot Market

This is where the locals shop! The perfect place to stock up on spices, etc…

• Bo Sang Umbrella Factory

About 20 minutes from Nimman. Plan to spend about an hour there. 

• Learn how to plant rice

We took a rice planting class at Siripanna hotel, which was really fun! They have their own rice field! Back in three months for the harvest? 

• Get a massage

​​There are massage places on every corner! You can just walk in and get a 30min or 1h foot, back, shoulders, or full body thai massage. The average price for a 1h massage in Chiang Mai is 200bahts.

Other things you can do in Chiang Mai (We didn’t have time, but if you do…)

• Watch a LadyBoys show (In the evening at the Night Bazarre)
• Take a Muay Thai boxing class
• Watch a boxing match​

 There are many day tours departing from Chiang Mai.

• The Elephant Sanctuary: Native Tribe’s Elephants

Spoiler alert: This will be the BEST part of your trip!

Elephants are a very very sensitive topic in Thailand. There are many many tour operators offering to get to know the animals, but the majority of them treat the elephants very badly. I most definetly did not want to participate to any sort of animal cruelty, so I did my research…. I cancelled the trip I had originally booked after realising it wasn’t ethical, and booked Native Tribe’s Elephant Sanctuary tour instead. BEST. DAY. EVER. (No exageration here!) spent with HAPPY and HEALTHY ELEPHANTS. Read the full article here on our day with the elephants, and why you should book this tour and not any other! (Thank me later!) Read the full article here.
​

• Thai Cooking Class Chiang Mai is known for its delicious food, which makes it THE place to learn more about Thai cuisine… Of course, I wanted to take a cooking class! There are many many cooking schools around Chiang Mai offering classes, it was hard to choose. We went for the Organic Thai Cooking Farm.
  

Read the full article here.

Watch the video of our day at the organic thai cooking class.... 

Other tours you can go on departing from Chiang Mai (We didn’t have time, but if you do…)

• Doi Ithanon National Park
• Chiang Rai

​There are many, many, hotels in Chiang Mai. Each of them looking more beautiful than the other. Have a look on booking.com and you will spend hours trying to pick one (I did!) So I will make the job easier for you, and give you a shortlist. We stayed in 3 different hotels in Chiang Mai, and loved every single one of them. (In fact, we tried, but couldn’t decide which one of the three we preferred, all beautiful and luxurious, in their own way).
​

5* Siripanna Resort & Spa Hotel – Read the full review here

5* Akyra Manor Hotel – Read the full review here

4* U Nimman Hotel – Read the full review here

Rooms in the 3 hotels listed above range from £100/night. If you are travelling on a tighter budget and would like a cheaper option, there are many hostels and cheap hotels in Chiang Mai, no need to book (average £10/night)

Being a foodie, I always feel the need to include this section to my travel blog articles. However in Chiang Mai, you can eat absolutely everywhere and anywhere. Don’t be afraid to try a 40baht pad thai in the street, chances are it will be just as good as in a restaurant! You can also get fresh smoothies, fresh cut fruit (papaya, mango, pineapple…)  everywhere! (heaven!)
 
I still tried a few really good restaurants which I recommend and will list below:  
 
For Thai food:

Typical Northern Thai food restaurant. Excellent Kao Soi (speciality from Chiang Mai) 

In Nimman. An upgraded version of street food... Order any grilled meat, fish or veggies. Will be barbecued in front of you! Not many tourists, fun experience! Open until 2am. 

For Western or Thai food (We tried both! Both were delicious!) This restaurant is located in the Akyra Manor hotel in Nimman. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

Typical Northern Thai cuisine. Recommended to us by Akyra Manor Hotel, only a few meters away. 

Also in Nimman. For those who've had enough of Thai food (don't think this will ever be me!) We stopped by for smoothies (which were delicious). Big salads. Nice atmosphere! 

Do I need a visa?
Members of the European Union don’t need a visa to visit Thailand (maximum stay: 30 days)

Do I need special vaccination?
I went in June, and didn’t need to take any medication or get vaccination prior to the trip. However, depending on the time of the year and the region you are visiting, you may need to take malaria pills and get vaccination for hepatite B. Check with your doctor.
 
What Budget?
In comparison to European prices, Thailand is very cheap. You can eat for 40 bahts (=less than €1) (street food or simple restaurant) or 300 in a luxurious hotel/restaurant. We spent most our money on transportation and tours. See the section below on transportation.
 
How to avoid getting ill
Never drink tap water! Always buy bottled water. Make sure the ice cubes in your drinks (water, and smoothies!) were made of treated water (99% chances they will be) Overall, street food is pretty safe (I had street food all week and didn’t get sick!)… And trust your instincts… If you have doubts, don’t eat it. No Pad thai, as tasty as it may be, is worth ruining your holiday for ;-)
 
Pack your bag: Checklist
Here are a few things you should take with you…

• Mosquito spray (although there are pharmacies on every corner in Chiang Mai where you will be able some)
• A copy of your passeport (If you need to exchange money, you will be asked for your passport! We learned the hard way and ended up having to take money out from an ATM, which cost us a fixed 220bahts)
• Change in your currency (easier to exchange! And to avoid the 220baths charge)
• Medication for food poisoning (just in case…) I was told by a friend that these are very hard to find in Thailand, even in pharmacies

 
How safe is Chiang Mai?
We were two girls, and felt very safe the whole time, day and night. There are policemen everywhere, who seem very on it! Definetly a city I would feel safe exploring by myself. Solo travellers, don’t hesitate to go!
 
One last tip: Negotiate EVERYTHING.

​Many hotels let you borrow bikes, which is a great way to get around if the weather allows!
 
There are scooter rentals almost everywhere, although beware, it’s dangerous! A friend living in Chiang Mai told me that all of her friends who rented scooters had an accident!  
SCAM ALERT: Although most scooter rentals won’t ask for it, you DO need a license to drive a scooter around Thailand. The police does very regular checks, and arrest tourists everyday, who didn’t have a driving license.
 
The red trucks: There are open red trucks everywhere, driving around the city (basically a mix between a bus and a tuk tuk: They don’t have a precise itinerary. You can hop on, tell them where you are going and they will drop you off. However, although it says in big letters on the truck that the ride is 30bahts / person, they won’t hesitate to charge you 200-400 baths for a ride! Make sure to negotiate before jumping on.
 
UBER: Most definetly the best, easiest and cheapest way to get around! (Although you will need wifi…) You will be in a really nice car with AC for half the price of a red truck bus.
 
Tuk tuks: There are tuk tuks waiting in front of most tourist attractions, but they are usually more expensive than red trucks and UBER (unless you have really good negotiating skills!)
 
Most 4*+ hotels and tours have their own shuttle buses. Some hotels offer free airport pick up and drop off, and to drop you off to some of the main tourist attractions. Most day tours include transportation (they pick you up and drop you off at your hotel: handy!)

Have you been to Chiang Mai? Do you have any other activities, hotels, or restaurants recommendations? Have you tried any of the places recommended in this article? I’d love to hear about your experience!

Bank holidays call for week end getaways! If you are looking to get out of the city and breathe some fresh air, Cornwall is a safe bet... Having been to Looe and Liskeard before, I wanted to explore a different part of Cornwall. St Ives was recommended to us, and now I can see why! It is, in my opinion, the prettiest, most charming and quirkiest little fisherman village, in the area. 

We stayed at The Gannet Inn for 3 nights, and really enjoyed our stay. This charming and brand new hotel, is AA***** and definitely deserves the award. I kept repeating to Dom over and over again how much I loved the decor. The staff is lovely, and last but not least (....You know where this is going...) the food is delicious. Guests of The Gannet Inn also have access to the spa facilities of the Carbis Bay Hotel. (Which is why I picked this hotel.... thought it would give us something to do if the weather wasn't great!) 

As mentioned above, this is The Gannet's sister hotel. Although we didn't stay at Carbis Bay Hotel, we did visit it twice. The hotel & spa facilities are beautiful. It is located right on the beach, and although we didn't see the rooms, I bet they have amazing views! 

The Carbis Bay Hotel Spa has a Hydrotherapy pool, a (very big!) jacuzzi, a sauna, and also offers spa treatments. 

Kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, surfing... if you are lucky with the weather, or don't mind the cold! 

For a walk on the beach. Less populated and just as beautiful. 

Drive 15 minutes from St Ives to Marion, and you will be able to get a boat (2€) to St Michael's Mount. If you go when the tide is low, you will be able to walk there! (bring thick shoes or wellies if you don't want to get your feet wet!) 

Trust us to try all the so-called "best" restaurants...! Here are the ones we think you should try too if you are visiting St Ives. 

Great atmosphere, great food, and great cocktails (or so I hear!). Trendy yet quirky. Seafood dishes with a Central American twist. The place to go if you fancy a lobster or crab roll. 

If you are looking for a quirky restaurant, you MUST stop by this restaurant! We both ordered the fish platter which was delicious, and best value for money! 

Visit for the view! But the food is delicious too! This is a tapas restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner. Make sure to make a reservation for dinner as there aren't too many tables inside (they were fully booked all week end so we ended up going for lunch) unless you are happy to eat outside, in which case you can just walk in. Perfect for a glass of wine and tapas at sunset! 

We had breakfast at the hotel's restaurant every morning, which was very good. So we had high expectations for dinner! The Gannet Inn did not disappoint! 

Breakfasts ...

Dinner ... 

I was on the hunt for a healthy take away to eat on the beach: The Harbour delivered! I ordered a grilled code salad which was delicious! (even the seagulls tried to dig in!) 

And for the best Cornish pasties ... (according to Dom!) 

Have you been to St Ives? Please let me know if you try any of these places... would love to hear your thoughts! 

Being the capital of the United States, Washington D.C is the place to go for sight seeing. Having been to D.C many times, this short city break was more about walking around Georgetown, discovering new trendy restaurants and just enjoying the dynamic & positive atmosphere of the city. Although we did walk to the White House & The Capitol for touristy pictures (....we wanted a few pictures to update our Instagram feed. Don't judge, you would had done the same!) this article is about the cool things to do in D.C that won't be in your travel guide. 

We stayed at the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel, a trendy, and brand new hotel located right outside Georgetown (my favourite neighbourhood in D.C!) We arrived around 6pm, just on time for Wine Hour! No wine for me, there were some smoothies waiting for me in the room 🙏🏻😍 but mum deserved hers on Mothers Day! We stayed in a queen room with city view, which was super spacious. 

If wine hour wasn't enough, there are more reasons why you should stay at Kimpton Glover Park Hotel. 1) You can borrow free bikes to go explore the city. 2) There is a yoga mat in each room (seriously?! Brilliant.) 3) The gym. A full on, super well equipped crossfit gym!! aka. I found my dream hotel! 

Georgetown is my favourite place to go for dinner. Here are two good restaurants at the Navy Yard. Save some time to go for a walk by the water before dinner! 

We didn't end up eating there since they were fully booked, but this restaurant was recommended to me by many people. So if you give it a try, I'd love to hear your feedback! 

A very good Thai restaurant... lovely staff, huge portions! 

This restaurant is in the same building as the hotel, but have separate owners. I heard the food is delicious for dinner, but we ended up going for breakfast. Between the 5 of us, we tried pretty much everything on the menu, and we all loved it! 

Sightseeing in D.C is easy, since all monuments are walking distance from each other (wear good shoes... you will walk a lot!) 

Wave at the President! 

Also not to miss: The Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam War Memorial

Have you been to Washington D.C? What are your favourite things to do, places to eat or hangout in the city?