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Adventure is out there
  • Andrea and Luke French
  • Luke French
  • Andrea and Luke French
  • Luke French

Adventure is out there

Our travels, to see where the world takes us Read more
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  • Adventure is out there

    Merlion, Singapore

    March 18, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Previously voted as one of the most disappointing tourist attractions in the world, I was presently surprised by how nice this was to view.

    It was busy, but actually not horrendously, and it came with a wonderful view of the bay and Marina Bay Sands.

    Luke found out that it wasn't functional for around 30 years, which I guess would be disappointing! Glad to have seen it in its full glory.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    The Thinker by Rodin, Singapore

    March 18, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    A surprise Thinker sculpture by Rodin we found while wandering the bay area. You can tell how safe the country is as the sculpture was just around from a main road, protected from the elements by being on the ground floor of a building but people wandering by had open access.

    Just cos Singapore doesn't do anything by half, there's another Thinker statue on the island across from the bay too!    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Spectra - A Light and Water Show, Singap

    March 18, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    A really fun light show on the bay water, it started just after the sun had gone down and the high rise buildings lit up around the area.

    Beautiful to watch it was choreographed with music, I believe there was a storyline to do with the origins of Singapore but I didn't pick up on this myself tbh!Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Lau Pa Sat, Singapore

    March 18, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Of the four hawker centers we visited in Singapore this is the most upmarket one. Sat between high rise buildings in the finance quarter you wouldn't expect anything less though!

    The other hawker stalls we visited were either in Chinatown or Little India and definitely had more of a local vibe, with competitive pricing.

    Lau Pa Sat was fun to visit though as we experienced elevated hawker stalls, feeling more like food stalls within the UK (and losing a bit of the charm in our opinion).

    One of the streets outside is cordoned off in the evening and becomes Satay Street. Something that neither of us could partake with unfortunately, and definitely has a social aspect too as you could only order large amounts of skewers for sharing!

    The building was so unique in the surroundings, as high rise buildings towered above it, yet it was a beacon of light in the evening that many flocked to.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Changi Airport, Singapore

    March 19, 2024 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Singapore's Airport had been hyped up for me over the years, unfortunately it couldn't really match my expectations!

    One of the main attractions is the largest indoor waterfall in the world, costing £2.5 million to construct, wasn't working the day we visited. I guess we can say that we've seen it dry - which is far more rare!

    The other attractions we wanted to see were either expensive, or not available to us as we weren't in that terminal. A shame but I think if I had arrived without any expectations it would have been a fun place to visit.

    There was lots of greenery so it felt calming, some fun sculptures to enjoy, interesting (and comfy) seating options, and a peaceful atmosphere as announcements were kept to a minimum in communal areas.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Jakarta, Java, Indonesia

    Mar 19–21, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    A busy and overwhelming city to visit unfortunately this is a new addition to our list of places we didn't enjoy.

    The whole city is so huge, and built for car or motorbike travel because of that. There are pedestrian walkways, but they mostly lead you around a building, or to a "crossing" (which doesn't really help you to cross a busy two or three lane road full of heavy traffic).

    We had to take taxis everywhere we went, but it was difficult to find places to eat in the evening. We did manage to find a vegan restaurant to eat at for lunch, they were very amused by trying to serve us so obviously more of a local spot! There was a lovely bakery that had just opened opposite too, and we managed to find two Italian restaurants to eat at (which were amazing though!).

    After a stressful entry into Indonesia, and knowing we had a long and busy journey through Java coming up, we decided to not go sight seeing while we were here but rather to relax and organise.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Braga Street, Bandung, Java, Indonesia

    March 21, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    A really odd but fun street to visit!

    The oddness started when we were in the taxi there, being waved at by someone in a cartoon animal costume for money. This seems to be a normal thing to do in Indonesia though?!

    The weirdness continued as we walked down the street, greeted by weird statues in store fronts and windows, a haunted house and cafe, and a brightly lit up bus with a Samara like girl hanging out of a window.

    Maybe the added sense that we were being looked at weirdly, as there weren't many western tourists around, added to the effect!

    The shops inside actually looked really cool though, most had modern designs and were popular.

    We would have definitely visited again if we were staying longer, or had it been closer to our hotel.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Gunung Padang, Java, Indonesia

    March 22, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌩️ 28 °C

    A monolithic site in Indonesia which is surrounded by mystery!

    No one knows when this site was built, or for what purpose. There is lots of theories, with locals and experts differing opinions. It was amazing to see though, and as its not on the tourist trail we only saw 4 other people visiting (although somehow one man was from Manchester, what are the chances!).

    There was a viewing point further back which had the best view of rice terraces we've seen so far, and it felt the most remote we've been in a while as we couldn't see anyone else there!

    We did have to save Luke from a couple of ticks though, and avoid some rather large spiderwebs with angry looking spiders in them to get to and from the look out point. Not to mention the huge hornets that were happily flying around.

    It was surreal to be stood on the side of a mountain, in remote Indonesian Java, on a site that many have had human construction on thousands of years ago, with barely any tourists around.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia

    Mar 23–28, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    A fantastic city we enjoyed exploring, but we do love a walled city! Not the walls or gates we were used to though, as the walls were plain and white while the gates had intricate designs carved into them.

    We found some lovely restaurants to eat at, as well as a bar we enjoyed but our accommodation was possibly what we enjoyed the most about the city as we were inside a local village area and got to see the local life.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Taman Sari, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia

    March 24, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    A beautiful water palace which was within walking distance of our accommodation. A local 'guide' joined us though and showed us the way to a marionette shop, batik shop, and civet coffee shop (which was not a shop we enjoyed, and thankfully were able to leave without trying any).

    After a longer walk than expected we finally arrived at the water palace, which was beautiful bathed in sunlight. The water looked very inviting!

    We then went on a hunt for the underground mosque that was also within the complex, after not being able to find the entrance we were told it was closed though, apparently from after the pandemic as the air quality had lowered that much. They were hoping to be able to restore and reopen after Ramadan though, but too late for us.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Prambanan Temple, Yogyakarta, Java

    March 26, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We headed to this temple on public bus which was interesting! All in all it was successful though and only cost us £1 for the entire journey.

    The temple was practically empty when we arrived, just as the morning sun was starting to get hot. We had to share Prambanan with possibly 12 other people, which was a surreal experience as most temples that size we have visited have been much busier.

    The Prambanan temples themselves had been fully reconstructed, leaving wide open spaces around each temple and surrounded by manicured gardens.

    As we moved along to the temples behind Prambanan the level of reconstruction lessened, and by the time we arrived at Sewu Temple there were piles of bricks, half constructed temples, and areas that had been partially pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle being solved. It was fascinating to see the construction work, and also to see less and less tourists until the only other people we could see in the area were the workers.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Borobudur Temple, Yogyakarta, Java

    March 27, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We tried to visit this temple with public transport as well, but had the wrong mini bus times so had to resort to a grab to get us there in time!

    It was worth it in the end as the temple is magnificent, set around lush jungle with a large volcano looming in the distance.

    We had to change our shoes to sandals (which we got to keep!) to minimise the effect on the soft brick it was built out of it, and we were also only allowed to climb the temple with the tour guide for an hour. It was an interesting tour though giving us insight to the many, many carvings and sculptures that are featured.

    Reaching the top we were greeted by more fantastic views, as well as the iconic stupas around the inner mandala motif.

    Stunning to see, albeit busier with tourists than Prambanan but still enjoyable.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Kampung Tridi, Malang, Java

    March 29, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We entered into the villages from here, it was only 25p per person entry and we got a cute keyring too! These colourful villages were an idea from university students on how to increase tourism and help an area of the town which was poor. They painted three villages with different colours and has been a success - as tourists like us obviously now go!

    It was a few years ago unfortunately so some parts are started to show age, but it was fun to be able to wander around what would be a very local area (if it wasn't brilliantly coloured).

    This was already on Luke's radar but he was reminded of it by another tourist we were talking to all the way back in Cambodia so it's definitely put Malang on the map.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    KWJ Malang, Malang, Java, Indonesia

    March 29, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    This is the larger of the colourful villages, we paid 50p per person for entry but got a sticker too. A local guide talked to us, and told us the higher price is because this village is better! To be honest, it was kept in better condition though. He explained that the price was for upkeep, and paint, but this was one of the cheapest sightseeing days we've had in Indonesia so not mad about the price at all.

    It was great to be able to see an initiative like this, and support it. It was the only time in Malang that we really saw any other tourists, as its mostly a stop off for the Gunung Bromo tour (which we will do from another city). During the walk back from the villages we stopped by various shops looking for snacks, and caused quite a stir with the locals as they weren't expecting to see us there!    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Malang, Java, Indonesia

    March 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    After a meal at a fantastic thai/Vietnamese restaurant we walked by the city park and some monuments on the way to the train station. The park with the city monument surrounded by a lily pond was especially pretty, although odd to be at the centre of a roundabout.Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Mount Bromo Sunrise, Java, Indonesia

    March 31, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    An early start of 1.30am to get transport over to Mount Bromo, change over to a jeep and join a convey of jeeps all heading towards the same direction. At one point we were in the plateau near the peaks when the convey split in favour of a race over the sands!

     Then we started driving up towards the sunrise spot with some very steep and twisty roads, definitely an experience in the dark at about 3am.

    We parked up at the side of a road, got instructions from the driver to be back at 5.30am and headed towards the viewpoints. All you could see in the dark was the the town lit up below, an ominous peak rising from the skyline and stars scattered across the nights sky.

    As the sun began to rise in the east the soft glow spread across the valley, revealing mist wrapped around the mountains, and the full glory of Mount Bromo's crater.

    Breathtaking and surprisingly serene considering that the landscape was also dotted with hundreds of other people watching the same show from mother nature.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Gunung Bromo, Java, Indonesia

    March 31, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    After sunrise we drove down towards the plateau again, the driver once again dropping us off and pointing us into the direction of the stairs.

    We trudged through volcanic sand for a few minutes until reaching harder ground - unfortunately this came with a steep incline too! Possibly the hardest part of the walk, but thankfully it wasn't too warm. We had layered up for sunrise as it was actually cold, and this was where we unlayered again!

    There's a large staircase up to the crater which wasn't too bad to actually climb, as the steps weren't steep and there was multiple parts to stop that I took full advantage of.

    We had a magnificent view as we got to the top and the HUGE crater emerged right in front of us, although we could hear it from much further away. We enjoyed the cool breeze and stunning views for a few minutes until it started to get really busy and then the awful smell of eggs started - definitely signalling time to descend!

    We passed a temple at the bottom on our way down, although unable to go inside and also late back to the jeep we kept moving along.

    A brilliant adventure for us, the only thing we didn't appreciate was seeing horses being used to carry tourists to the bottom of the steps. We were in the minority of people who were actually walking so it was a booming business. A shame as South East Asia has plenty of other modes of transport that could be used for this, which would be far more fun!    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia

    Apr 4–7, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    A small port town Labuan Bajo is mainly visited as the entrance to Komodo National Park. I believe most tourists only spend a night, or two, at most here but we settled for a few more nights to enjoy the peaceful island.

    Thankfully we were staying further up in the hills, and away from the busy port area, where there was bats, lizards, and frogs for us to enjoy! More of a local area too, and we still had some delicious food to choose from.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Kelor Island, Komodo National Park

    April 7, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Small island we visited first on our Komodo Island trip, mostly for a hike up to the scenic point which I decided not to do. It was a beautiful area to relax in, with lovely blue water. We saw some small reef sharks here, which were kinda aggressive apparently!Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Flying Foxes, Komodo National Park

    April 7, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After sailing through the national park we anchored down just in time to see the flying foxes start to emerge. At dusk thousands of these massive bats head towards Flores Island for feeding (we may have actually met some close to our accommodation on the island).

    At first they were all heading in one direction, and then more started to fly across the sky and over our boat. We watched them stream out till it was too dark to be able to see anymore, and all you could make out was the boats lit up across the sea.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Komodo Island Tour, Komodo National Park

    Apr 7–9, 2024, Selat Sumba ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We spent two nights sailing around Komodo National Park on a Phinsi boat, and we enjoyed relaxing on the deck of the ship watching the islands slowly go by so much that both luke and I ended up with sunburnt faces!

    A couple of snorkeling spots too, not quite as serene as Phillipines but fun to swim with the fish again.    Read more

  • Adventure is out there

    Padar Island, Komodo National Park

    April 8, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We woke up at 4.30am (although tbh I think everyone was awake at 3am when the engines started!) ready to leave for the hike up at 5am.

    Even this early the heat and humidity were high, and we were sweaty messes by the time we were at the 'top' (there were higher points to go to, but the views weren't much better we were told!).

    A stunning viewpoint over a spectacular island and surrounding sea ♥️    Read more

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