We had a mad plan to travel around South America without using planes, which meant crossing every border by land or water. However, it all went wrong a few days before heading to the first border crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, and this is why… Route we planned The plan was to break the journey up into steps. (Route in Grey not blue) Bus 1: Bogotá to Cali, taking 11 hours and 50 minutes. Staying two nights in Cali. Bus 2: Cali to Ipales, an overnight bus taking 10 hours. Staying one night in Ipales. Walk across the border to Tulcan. Bus 3: Tulcan to Quito, taking 8 hours. Much did it c ..read more

Normally, when you search online for information on routes to take between places, there is always tonnes of up to date information. However, when travelling between Boracay and Iloilo in the Philippines, we found absolutely zero relevant or up to date information. 12GoAsia and even Google Maps said there was no public transport route between the two places, and one reputable website was telling us to go back to Batangas and get a boat from there or go on multiple modes of transport and take 10 hours. However, it is possible to get from Boracay to Iloilo, and this is our guide on ‘Getting from ..read more

While looking for a cheap hotel in Dubai (no easy task), I was surprised to find a Premier Inn at Dubai International Airport. The price of £40 for one night surprised me even more, and without thinking twice, we booked a night at the Premier Inn, Dubai International Airport. Where is Premier Inn, Dubai International Airport? 69V5+5H6 Dubai International Airport – Parking B – Airport Rd – opp. Terminal 3 – Garhoud – Dubai Getting to the Premier Inn, Dubai International Airport The Premier Inn, Dubai International Airport, is literally across the road from the airport. The road is freeway-lik ..read more

I never planned to document getting from Caticlan to Boracay Island, Philippines. After all, it is only a 15-minute journey; how difficult could it be? Well, it isn’t difficult, but it is a real faff, even by Philippine standards. This guide will take you step by step from the moment you arrive at the ferry terminal to the moment you arrive on Boracay Island. Getting to Caticlan Jetty Port. This was simple for us; we arrived at the docks after a 10-hour ferry ride from Batangas. The main terminal building we needed to find was right beside where we got dropped off. However, if you are arrivin ..read more

Most people going from Manila to Cebu will fly, not us. We are spending 2 weeks travelling from Manila to Cebu by bus, boat, and also GRAB when we really have to. The first stage of this journey was getting from Manila to Batangas Port, Philippines, by bus and this is how we got on. Booking Manila to Batangas Port, Philippines, by bus. Throughout this trip, we have been very loyal to using 12GoAsia. We find them so easy to use. Yes,  of course, we are paying for their service, but it is just so simple to use (apart from their app, which is rubbish).  This journey was no different; w ..read more

Today we are going to talk about how we got from Vientiane, Laos, to Udon Thani, Thailand. We hadn’t planned on this route, but we had enough of Laos and decided to head back to Thailand earlier than planned, and this is how we got on. Please note: This is based on a British passport; entry requirements into Thailand may differ depending on the passport.   Booking your travel from Vientiane to Udon Thani During our travel around Asia, we have become accustomed to booking our trips through 12GoAsia and booking our journey through them. However, most tour operators in the area offer the sa ..read more

  Mention Pak Beng, Laos, to anyone and you will get a strange look, followed by where? That is, unless, like us, you have taken the slow boat to Laos. Pak Beng is the overnight stopping point for the slow boat halfway between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang. This is how we got along during our overnight stay in Pak Beng. Where is Pak Beng, Laos? Located on the Mekong River in northern Laos about half way between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang. How to get there? Slow boat between Huay Xai and Laung Prabang. Where to stay? This is a difficult one, especially when travelling as a family. Every sing ..read more

Day 3: Delhi, India. Today was another extremely tough but enjoyable day in Delhi. We experienced pick pockets, scammers, heritage, and some amazing people. Morning. Another terrible night of sleep, but a serious lie-in was had. Nicola tried to wake me up at 9 a.m., and I politely told her to do one, and before we knew it, it was hitting midday. I quickly got up and washed. While I was getting ready, learning from yesterdays mistakes, Nicola ordered Megan some toast from the hotel so she had a full belly. Once Megan was fed we went downstairs and jumped in a passing Rickshaw who wanted 450 r ..read more

Day 2: Delhi, India. A mental, but fantastic first full day we had in Delhi. I haven’t experienced headaches in a very long time, but today I have had a few… Delhi is an assault on the senses; the noise, the smells, and the people rushing at you from all sides make it extremely difficult to cope. Morning. The previous night’s sleep wasn’t very fantastic. We got off to a bit of a slow start today, due to me being awake from 1-3am watching Glentoran defeat Linfield, Nicola was also up from midnight until about 3am, and Megan was not in bed until around midnight, so ..read more

Big day! Today we arrived in Delhi,India, which was our first port of call on our 8–9 month trip around the world. Our blog post ‘Day 1: Delhi, India’ recaps the first day in the madness of Delhi, India. Morning Delhi Airport The arrival at Delhi Airport was surprisingly straight-forward. I was expecting a bit of a delay due to the heavy smog in the area, but we landed slightly after the expected time. Immigration was the next part; we actually went to the wrong queue by accident, and it worked in our favour. We had an e-Visa and should have joined that section; we didn’t see it and went to a ..read more