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Steven Coe
Steven Coe

Steven Coe

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  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Granada

    Jan 2–4 in Nicaragua ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    📌 Next stop on the Nicaraguan Iteniary, the oldest city in the colonial new world of the Americas. The city was again, a colourful one with its vibrant buildings and churches. Granada definitely had a little bit more of a touristy set up with some cafes and a clubbing street, however, still nothing compared to other places like Asia where it is very evident.

    📌 We found a tasty bakery whilst the group went off on a day trip, we then explored some of the city and it's cafes. The city was a little grungy but the Spanish colonial architecture still gave character and charm to the squares and streets. Nicaragua on the surface definitely felt like the least developed of the central american stops so far.

    📌 On the last evening we joined the group for a volcano sighting where you can look into the crater and "see lava". It was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration and an oversell from the guy selling the experience but it was still a fun outing as we all sort of shared the disappointment ☺️We did enjoy a nice sunset over the national park though.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Leon

    Jan 1–2 in Nicaragua ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    📌 Happy New Years day! A short stop in Leon after a longggggg border crossing. We arrived in the evening to a lovely hotel within the characteristic colourful colonial Spanish influenced streets. Previously Leon was located 50km approx away but was moved due to volcanic activity around 1600. The politics in Nicaragua are interesting, the same president has been in power for 26 years and democracy is struggling.

    📌 We headed out to a vibrant restaurant, enjoyed a local beer and a few local Nicaraguan dishes including Repochetas which are similar to toastadas. The Nicaraguan Cordoba is super cheap and our meals continue to be great value, whilst beers are 2-3$.

    📌 We slept about 11 hours after our long New Year's Eve. We wandered around, doing the usual finding a local coffee and a quaint vegan cafe serving delicious drinks in the hot weather. We visited the largest church in central America, we found a local market serving Carne En Baho, a mix of meat, plantains and yuca served on banana leaves. It was soft and tasty and unique to the area originiating from a mix of cultural influences.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Atami for NYE

    Dec 31–Jan 2, 2026 in El Salvador ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    📌 We made a short journey down to the coast of El Salvador where we were staying in a lovely resort overlooking the beach. Due to the resort being somewhat secluded, it was a spot with not much more to do then relax. Upon arrival we enjoyed a beachfront dinner down at a shack on the black volcanic sand beach before retreating for a decent sleep.

    📌 NYE we lounged around, went for a swim in the ocean, possibly one of our first beach days in years. We hung around the pool and enjoyed some more lunch at the beach shack, where Ceviche was one of their specials. That evening after a nap (due to a 4am departure due) we spent the NYE celebration in the resort, serving a buffet style meal with champagne and some Spanish music. The view was beautiful, the vibes were great and it felt like everyone there was quite local, perhaps one of the bigger events in the area.

    📌 We retreated to bed not keen on the 3.30am wake up for the departure to Nicaragua. As we had been briefed the night before, the plans officially had to be changed as El Salvador to Nicaragua boats were not running due to NYD and the water conditions. As a result we had to drive through Honduras and therefore kick the UK citizens off the tour as they would be unable to transit through Honduras as they require a visa. Quite a drama but they will likely fly between the countries. We entered Nicaragua via basically a ghost town border with surprising ease, although it was the slowest border I've ever seen!!    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Suchitoto

    Dec 29–30, 2025 in El Salvador ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    📌 A one night stop in the hills of El Salvador, we took the opportunity to get a solid sleep and chill with no real plans. We enjoyed some drinks at a bar listening to the drama of the other people in the group 😅

    📌 One of the highlights was visiting a very local restaurant cooking Pupusa, stuffed rolled tortilla like fried balls. She was a lovely woman, the food was fresh and the flavours were delicious!

    📌 The next morning we headed around the town on a free walking tour, observing the vibrant colours, listening to the history pre and post civil war, the Spanish colonial influence and enjoying some views of the lake. El Salvador is quite a fascinating country with its recent change in social safety and previous history, tourism is only likely to grow!    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler
    1

    Copan, Honduras

    Dec 27–29, 2025 in Honduras ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    📌 A short stop in Honduras to experience a little bit of their culture and to admire another famous Mayan ruin site. It was the first real day of the tour and all us new additions to the group were getting a sense of who we clicked with. Naturally, the Aussies go towards the Brits.

    📌 The border crossing was a long one and we appreciated the assistance from Oscar, our Spanish speaking guide. We arrived in the afternoon/evening to Copan Ruinas, a quaint Colonial town that was wonderful to walk around. There was a tasty coffee shop (the majority of Honduras coffee is a small business), a beautiful square and some beautiful murals. We headed out to a local restaurant and ate a platter like dish of all the regional/Maya foods.

    📌 On the full day we visited the ruins, these were much more detailed with intrices in comparison to previous sites on the trip. It was also amazing as it is the home to many protected Scarlett Macaws, the national bird of Honduras. Due to an increased interest in birds of late, we headed to the bird sanctuary for illegally traded birds, injured birds etc. it was a very beautiful set up where good work was being done for these beautiful tropical birds. We finished the day having some drinks with the cliche old man pom talking all kinds of rubbish before heading to a quality steakhouse for cheap!    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Antigua & Acatenango for Christmas

    Dec 22–27, 2025 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    📌 A quick transfer to Antigua from the lake and we were keen to see this renowned area of Guatamala. The town was beautiful, a former Spanish colonial town with colourful shops and houses lining the streets that was surrounded by several volcanoes in the distance. We spent 2 nights enjoying Antigua, browsing the handicrafts shops, the beautiful cafes and some great food.

    📌 The highlight of the area and the main drawcard was hiking Acatenango. We started early and headed to the guide's house outside of town for breakfast and preparation. Starting at 2600m above sea level we began the hike not really sure how difficult it would be due to various reviews online. It was a beautiful walk, walking through dense cloud forests and then with ascent moving into pine forests. The visibility was terrible as we ascended into the clouds, it was quite strenuous but before we realised we were at the top! Definitely not our hardest hike but you could feel the altitude due to the rapid increase so quickly.

    📌 We were sharing with a Canadian woman and we sort refuge in our thin walled tin shelter which kept the wind out but not much else 😅 As we sat there the clouds parted after a while and the volcano was in sight!! We were then treated to a couple of beautiful eruptions so the wind and cold was less bothersome with all the excitement. As the sun set began we headed up to a vantage point (opting to skip the longer hike to get closer) and it was incredible, particularly as it got darker because we got our first glimpse of lava!!! 😍 We had a very cold windy night with visibility shifting but one benefit of the lack of sleep was the occasional look out the window to see a lava eruption 🌋 A rough night was soon forgotten as the sunrise was incredible again! We were so lucky and this was one of the most incredible things and Christmas eves/morning we have done as travellers.

    📌 We headed down happily as the altitude effects wore off (very puffy hands!) and chilled on Christmas day in a luxury accommodation before heading out for dinner where the streets were packed with a parade. We settled for Italian as there wasn't much open before crashing for a 11 hour sleep. Boxing day was just as chill, with coffee, a brewery lunch and meeting the G adventures tour for our next journey.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Lake Atitlan

    Dec 19–22, 2025 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    📌 We flew from the smallest airport in Flores to Guatemala City, where there was a little bit of shuttle chaos and waiting. Eventually we made it to the beautiful Lake Atitlan, where we stayed in Panajachel. The lake was beautiful as it is formed within a caldera at 1600m above sea level and is surrounded by multiple volcanoes at its edge. We made sure to enjoy some drinks with a sunset view each night.

    📌 Panajachel seemed like a nice balance of tourists and locals. The food we had was delicious, we explored some local cuisine, we enjoyed some delicious super cheap tacos and some traditional Mayan recipes. One of the highlights of wandering around admiring the food scene, was the fresh tortillas being hand rolled each day and cooked, something so simple but fresh and vital to the regions cuisine. Two other spots worth a mention was a great coffee shop with a local who wanted to tell us all about this product and a very small restaurant run by 2 women with no menu, cooking fresh bbq grill meats and great guacamole.

    📌 One the of the best days involved catching a local ferry to various towns across the lake, although it was a bit chaotic with getting on and they definitely overfill the boats! We visited San Juan for delicious coffee, breakfast and then wandered around the colourful streets, the colour is one of the best parts about Latin America 😍 We had one of our best experiences at a local small coffee grower visit. We were shown the process from bean to product, tasted some delicious espresso and listened to the passionate owner describing his love for coffee and doing it organically/sustainably.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Flores & Tikal

    Dec 17–19, 2025 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    📌 A 12 hour long journey to get into Guatamala from Belize, however there were plenty of tourists with us on the ferry and shuttle so we were all in the same pain. The borders were slowwwww but we eventually got into Flores late in the evening.

    📌 Flores was a small island consisting mainly of restaurants and hotels. The streets were colourful and it was nice to walk around the next morning. We were getting into Coffee producing territory now and that first morning was a good start, hopefully one of many delicious coffees whilst in this part of the world. We wandered around before settling for a beautiful brunch restaurant by the lake, serving a tasty central American style shakshuka.

    📌 The reason for visiting Flores was Tikal, a large Mayan city deep within a national park. We opted for the afternoon/sunset tour and as we drove out we realised how hard it must have been to find these ruins, it was dense jungle for atleast 20-30 mins from the gate. The ruins were beautiful, it would have been incredible at its peak in 800 AD. The views of the jungle with the 40-50m high temples poking through was very peaceful and something very unique. An abundance of spider and howler monkeys filled the jungle air with their dinosaur like roars. We were also treated to the sounds of beautiful parrots, sightings of toucans and falcons. As we walked back in the dark we spotted a few tarantulas, one being on the path appearing out of nowhere! Guatamala was off to a great start 😍    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Caye Caulker

    Dec 14–17, 2025 in Belize ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    📌 The fingers were crossed that it would be worth it as we endured a long and tedious journey with easily the most mozzies we'd ever seen. It was definitely worth it, the island was gorgeous, it was approximately 1.5 to 2km long and although it was heavily tourism centric, everything felt authentic such as small businesses, no large hotels, and chill Carribbean vibes in the bars and restaurants. A huge bonus also being that the official language is English.

    📌 We arrived late and checked into some quaint cabanas before heading out to dinner. The islands only cars are golf carts and everything is built literally on sand. Through good fortune we had chosen a restaurant that was run out of a locals house, there were 2-3 tables and a whiteboard menu of local cuisine. It was a great find with some delicious homely food. The next day we chilled out amongst the scattered tropical downpours , enjoying a delicious outdoor jerk bbq lunch, and some key lime pie 😍 Despite the storms, the sunset was gorgeous.

    📌 Our last day involved 5-6 hours of snorkeling and sailing around the worlds 2nd largest reef, behind the great barrier reef. We enjoyed some beautiful sightings of Nurse Sharks, Barracuda, Moray Eels, schools of Snapper, some Turtles (very close) and plenty of colourful corals and fish. It is common that Nurse Sharks are fed in a certain part of the reef which was fascinating to see them up close, however it definitely felt wrong and unethical to have such intervention, particularly as so many tourists are entitled and touch the animals readily. Overall, the reef and the Island however was well worth a visit, I don't think we have experienced anything like it.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Bacalar

    December 13, 2025 in Mexico ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    📌 A short one night stay to break up our transport to Belize ended up being a a nice surprise. The town was small, it felt quite local to Mexicans and domestic tourists (when not around the lagoon). The food and views were beautiful, with one of the highlights upon arrival being an incredible breakfast in a relaxing courtyard serving beutiful cafe/brunch dishes and Mexican breakfasts. Chloe's refried beans, pork and tortilla dish was delish.

    📌 We had some patchy weather, despite this the lagoon was gorgeous with it's blue shades and abundant lilies. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon drink lagoon side, a couple of cocktails including a fairly spicy margarita. Afterwards we headed to a quieter area to hunt out some authentic regional Mexican which as per the trip so far, was perfect. As we wandered back to the hotel, we popped into the local Christmas market and got amongst some of the street food for dessert! It was lovely to see everyone out and about in the beautiful tropical weather.    Read more

  • Steven CoeManchester to BrisbaneTraveler

    Playa Del Carmen

    December 13, 2025 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    📌 An eventful flight and some annoying customer service in Paris was put behind us once we landed in Cancun. The weather was warm, the vibes were up, the hotel was great and we were keen to eat fresh flavourful cuisine! We arrived late and headed out for dinner, a trendy tacqueria caught our eye and it really hit the spot. If this was where the bar sat for our next 6 weeks, we were in for a treat!

    📌 The weather was perfect for our time spent there, a walk along the beautiful beach was lovely, something we hadn't done for a long time. We continued to eat great food, including an amazing lunch at this "slow food" restaurant making everything from scratch, my saucy drowned baguette was incredible. We even managed to stumble across a Christmas market on our way to dinner which was going off.

    📌 Our final full day involved a trip to the world wonder, Chichen Itza. This would be the beginning of our Mayan journey and it was a very fascinating place, with stories of sacrifice and tradition capturing our imagination. It was definitely worth visiting, it wasn't super busy and the history is incomprehensible to us. That evening we headed a little off the track to find a more local cantina, the place was a little intimidating at first but we had a laugh and managed to get by with some limited Spanish and translation, the staff were friendly and the food of course was delicious 😋    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Things we learnt living abroad

    December 9, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    📌 People still don't really know a lot about Australia and they have some wild ideas of what it's like living there. It's still a very foreign place to many Britts, particularly because it's too far!

    📌 Europeans are bred different. Maybe more likely to be obnoxious or rude. Also, smoking??? C'mon!

    📌 Australia is a very privileged country, we have a great deal of benefits, beauty and things to be proud of that can often be taken for granted. Weather is one of these, it truly influences everyone's mood, everyone's activity and the general vibes.

    📌 Travel and living away educates you in empathy, politics, gratitude, culture and so many things. I think people who truly travel, those who immerse themselves to learn and listen with an open mind grow and develop more kindness, more awareness and more gratitude for life, for people of all kinds and all backgrounds.

    📌 When you move away, you're the one that's expected to make the effort because it's perceived that you're the one that left.

    📌 It doesn't take long to settle somewhere, develop a routine and start to have a place that feels a little like home.

    📌 Travelling with family and friends is one of the best things you can do, to share stories and relatable experiences, to try new things and foods but mostly to create very unique memories ❤️

    📌 Kindness and hospitality is so simple and easy to demonstrate, it can lead to so much growth, opportunity and memories. Living with Robbie and Emily was a highlight of our trip and really taught and showed us the amazing things that being caring, kind and welcoming can lead to. We leave with greater friends that what we came with.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Hebden Bridge One Last Time

    Nov 22–Dec 9, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌫 5 °C

    📌 Our last few weeks in the UK ended the way we started, in one of the best towns, our second home. How fitting to enjoy the town and spend some quality time with our 2nd family at Bridge Lanes.

    📌 The first night we got back, we went out with Emily, Robbie, Lynelle and jumped back into familiar conversations and fun time. However the next day, we had plenty of work to do, things to pack, and bags to send back to Aus in preparation for our return. Most of this was Chloe's job as I was working away in Preston and at various Vets4Pets to bolster some savings before our last stint of travel. The weeks flew by, working 6 days, travelling and getting back to Hebden blurred the days.

    📌 Our last weekend/few days was special, we did everything we will associate with living in the UK. Chloe got drunk on pints and wine with Alex, waking up on Sunday hungover before having to back it up the next day. We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday roast and sticky toffee in Heptonstall and of course one drink was not enough, ending up at The Old Gate (iconic) before grabbing some takeaway from Hui Man's including the unforgettable Chinese Salt and Pepper Chips!!

    📌 We owed so much to Emily and Robbie and will be forever grateful for their hospitality, friendship and simply the memories out and about with them or on the couch with Brunny. We leave the UK different people, better people and part of that is definitely owed to them. We look forward to one day visiting Hebden Bridge again for a Guinness at The Old Gate.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Vienna

    Nov 20–22, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    📌 Our last stop in Europe, Vienna! The city was lovely and diverse, you could see the clear power that the former monarchy left upon the city with the grand buildings and squares whilst you could also see how the city is often considered most liveable with its brilliant transport, housing and diverse clean districts.

    📌 One of the days we had a full 6 hour food tour booked for free (thanks intrepid)! The tour was excellent, it took us to places all around the city that were all family run. There were plenty of sweets, drinks, delicious traditional food such as schnitzel and strudel. The other guests were from Florida and Virginia USA and they were super nice. It was a day well spent, with the highlight being a local stand that had been serving sausages, goulash, horse meat and pork for over 40 years! Chloe found a new love for horseradish also.

    📌 Vienna was one of the few cities where Christmas markets had kicked off in full swing and we were so glad as we hadn't accounted for this when planning! They were absolutely stunning, being a large capital, they were much larger than last year's Baltics and of course more crowded, but they were really grand thanks to literally being in front of grand palaces and town halls. It was a really special end to the holiday and our time in Europe, and despite being quite commercial it's definitely an experience I would recommend to anyone once in their lifetime! 🥰    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Salzburg

    Nov 18–20, 2025 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    📌 Winter was really setting in, the train from Slovenia into Austria took us through some beautiful snow capped mountains and valleys. Salzburg was also starting to set up Christmas but we would just miss the official date. We continued our gastronomical exploration trying some delicious spicy sausages on arrival and then heading to a traditional Austrian beer house for hearty mains and a delicious breaded sweet cheese dumplings dessert served with caramelized plums.

    📌 One of the highlights of the trip was getting out the to nearby countryside. We picked up a car early and headed to Hallstat, a beautiful lakeside town amongst a valley. The weather was perfect, crisp and cold with clear skies. We made a few stops on the way at places significant to Mozart and a famous bakery/cafe with former royal approval. Hallstat was lovely but it's not worth doing much there, we instead headed off to a nearby valley for lunch and then for a walk around lake Gosausee. This was one of the most picturesque places I can remember, the snow capped mountains with the still lake and powdered covered green pines. Europe was really putting on a show for our last visit.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Ljubljana

    Nov 15–18, 2025 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    📌 There was quite the change going to Slovenia, you could definitely feel the difference in wealth compared to the other Balkans. Ljubljana was a really beautiful city, it was quite compact which made it very walkable, it had delicious food and great coffee. A standout restaurant was a craft beer and burger bar on our first night, the comfort food in the 1-2 degree weather was perfect. Despite the cold, the town was buzzing and the Christmas spirit was slowly creeping in as decorations were being set up, including a tree coming in on a semi trailer.

    📌 We hired a car and took a day trip out to Bled and the surrounding area. It was a gloomy day which added to the beautiful scenery. Chloe enjoyed a run around the lake, working up an appetite for a local hearty meal at a nearby towns traditional tavern. We explored a few more stops, enjoying the quiet areas outside of the cities before heading back to the capital. Sixt tried to throw us a dodgy curve ball by suggesting we had scratched the car, thankfully our pre pickup pictures ended that claim quickly!! We finished the night with local Slovenian stuffed cabbage dumplings and a local pasta dish similar to ravioli.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    istrian Peninsula: Pula and Rovinj

    November 13, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    📌 The reason to have a car was to visit the peninsula at the north and it was definitely the highlight of our trip to Croatia. An area that formerly and mostly belonged to Italy (or equivalents) until WW2 that is famous for beautiful towns, wine and truffles!!

    📌 We took a long drive from Zadar to get there, it was beautiful along the coast but unsurprisingly at this stage, most towns were closed. We headed to Rovinj early the next morning and wandered around the beautiful seaside town. It was peaceful amongst the coloured streets as we found coffee, admired the town and tucked into a wine and cheese board. The truffle cheese and olives were perfect 🤤

    📌 Pula was also beautiful, particularly the giant Roman colleseum which was in great condition. We visited it in the late afternoon and the sunset colours shining through the arches with the ocean in the background was a special scene. We enjoyed more Istrian dishes and truffle pasta, satisfied with our cuisine and appreciating the Italian influence ☺️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Zadar

    Nov 11–13, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    📌 We went a couple of hours north via bus in order to pick up a car and have a base to visit the nearby Plitvice Lakes. Zadar was also pretty quiet with lots of restaurants closed, it was a pretty little old town but we didn't need much time in it, particularly with the empty vibes.

    📌 The next day we headed off to the lakes early, cruising through the mountains in our keep was a lovely early morning. We arrived at the lakes and set off for a decent 15km walk. This part of Europe still has bears and although it's well travelled, there's always that "what if" feeling as you walk 🥴 The lakes were gorgeous, the colours were the most impressive blues and greens, whilst the cascading falls were endless and they have done a magnificent job building the boardwalks that allow easy access but still give a natural feel. It was a worthy day trip that we wrapped up with a lunch at a local roadside tavern which was serving delicious meats at great value.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Split

    Nov 9–11, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 Back into Croatia and into the EU for couple of nights in split before heading up the coast of Croatia. The bus was interesting as we got chatting to a guy from caboolture and he was such a strange cat, definitely a one way conversation, talking at us, which saw Chloe walk off ☺️

    📌 Split was lovely, the waterfront walk, the old town/palace area and the dungeons were all cool. It was again interesting to see where some scenes of GOT had been shot. The town was pretty quiet and getting food was a little challenging sometimes as pizza, pasta and seafood options were less appealing given our diet since entering this part of Europe. We ended up going to a vegan bar for a less heavy meal one day ☺️

    📌 We didn't do heaps, it was nice to have good coffee, sit around in the sun, look at buildings and relax.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler
    1

    Mostar

    Nov 7–9, 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    📌 We crossed back out of the EU into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We with both interested to learn a little bit of history as it definitely is a country we knew little about.

    📌 We arrived early and enjoyed lunch at a low key restaurant where the woman was waiting and cooking fresh local Bosnian food. The Cevapi were delicious, the stuffed peppers and the stuffed vine leaves (Japrak) were nice and hearty! The prices were super cheap, most meals were around 15-30 euros including drinks.

    📌 The old town was beautiful, tradition shops lining the streets (a little touristy however), the old bridges and the clear rivers running amongst the Ottoman style buildings made a pleasant atmosphere to walk around, particularly in the late afternoon. Again, we found a local craft brewery serving delicious beers at good prices, hence we visited twice ☺️ One evening we ventured into the newer city to a restaurant on my agenda, the service was terrible and they wouldn't seat us despite us trying to find a compromise. We ended up going to a very average pizza restaurant 🤷

    📌 The final day we learnt about the Bosnian genocide and war post Yugoslavia. It was another learning experience of horror, frustration and sadness from the past that seems to be recurrent as we travel but yet seems to not change, history repeating itself today 🤯 We ended the day with a delicious dinner and wine, making up for the previous night. A shame we didn't get to Sarajevo but perhaps next time.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Dubrovnik

    Nov 5–7, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    📌 A few days exploring the old town of Dubrovnik, probably most famous for Game of Thrones, it was a beautiful walled town. We were staying a little out in a nice apartment and the walk into the centre each day with the views and sunny weather was great.

    📌 The town was starting to shut down so sometimes food options were a little lacking, however it was great to walk around and have the city to ourselves. We didn't enjoy too much food here as it was overpriced, our meals were outside the old town which was better value and actually included a great burger.

    📌 One of the highlights was afternoon drinks at the cliff bars, a bar built just outside the walls on the ocean. The sunsets were beautiful and the atmosphere was perfect.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Montenegro

    Nov 2–5, 2025 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    📌 We caught the bus out of Tirana, we were both keen on Montenegro as we weren't sure what to expect. The change from Albania was drastic, it seemed much cleaner l, upmarket and more adequately set up for tourists.

    📌 We had one night in Budva to suss out another town, the place had a very upmarket almost pretentious vibe about it, influencer types everywhere. It was however, a beautiful walled town on the water, and it was worth a visit. The highlight was our dinner, this was the official anniversary date and the meal was delicious with excellent service.

    📌 We spent the next few days in Kotor, a popular spot where the bay was enclosed within beautiful rugged mountains. The bay was lined with venetian ports, the old town was quaint, particularly when the cruise ships had left for the day and there were cats everywhere! We enjoyed a hike up to the peaks behind the city with an American/Indian guy before heading back down and stopping at a local hillside house for home made cheese and wine. It was quiet, the views were outstanding and it was one of the highlights. Our last dinner in Kotor was another treat, a little out of the town was a tiny pizza shop with the friendliest owner, he even gave us some beer on the house 🍻    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Tirana

    Oct 31–Nov 2, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    📌 We arrived back in Tirana and picked up a car to allow ourselves a little more freedom. First impressions were a little stressful though as this city was a chaotic place to drive!! We headed out of the city to go an explore the nearby town of Kruje. This was a hillside town with a nice bazaar and castle on the hill. There wasn't a whole lot to do there but it was worth a drive and visit.

    📌 We headed back to Tirana which was a long drive with Friday afternoon traffic, the roundabouts and lanes don't really serve much of a purpose when driving in Albania so cautious driving was a must. We headed out for a local meal and enjoyed the space of having a comfortable high rise apartment for accommodation.

    📌 The next day we set off early to the south, approximately 2 hours away was Berat, a UNESCO preserved ottoman town. The buildings were beautiful, you could see why the place was called the village of 1000 windows. We wandered through the streets, enjoyed some craft beers with a peaceful view and then eventually got some local lunch. The cruise back to Tirana was smooth, much less traffic on a Saturday but still chaotic driving, they weren't as aggressive as the Turks though which was a relief. Driving around Albania was interesting, waste disposal and burning rubbish is a big issue here, so many beautiful valleys lined with olive groves were filled with smoke.

    📌 We spent the last night celebrating our 5 years, I had found a well rated steak house which served up a delicious meal with wine. It was a great experience and a beautiful celebration date ❤️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Albanian Alps Part 2: Valbone to Theth

    Oct 29–31, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    📌 We started early with a nice breaky and begun the walk through the town, it was approximately 4-5kms to the trail head at the end of the valley. As we were walking the Australians Michael and Tanya pulled up, they'd managed to score a lift from their hotel manager. We took the offer to cut a 1-2kms off the walk along the road and joined them.

    📌 We ended up hiking 80% of the hike with these guys, it was great. Along the way there was just such vibrant colours, the mountains were gorgeous, there was even a few places to stop and have a beer. The summit was a little sketchy but worth the views, the dogs along the trail were super cute and friendly and they would lead the way happily in hope of some food when we'd stop. At one point we were even joined by a little pup. Upon descent it was rough on the knees and we took an opportunity to have a beer with a lovely view!

    📌 It was a beautiful hike, the trees really made it special also. Overall we did approximately 18km and if was well worth the trip. We enjoyed a little wander around town before having a hearty dinner at our guesthouse. We were super fortunate with the weather and timing as the town of theth was basically shutting down for the season as we left.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Albanian Alps part 1

    Oct 27–29, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 We flew into the capital and headed for the mountain base of Shkoder via a small minivan company at the airport, we were used to the organisation and chaos of this kinds of transports since travelling eastern Europe last year.

    📌 Shkoder was a beautiful town and the the guesthouse was a gorgeous 200 year old renovated building. We left our things the next morning and headed off early for a long transport day into the mountains. It began with a bus ride full of various tourists and we soon began to make friends with some older Australians from Brisbane. The next part of the journey was a 2 hour boat cruise up river, this was chaos! An old boat, overloaded with obnoxious people seemed to be a nightmare but as people gradually got off at the most random spots and once the day trippers left, the boat was more roomy. It was a very beautiful cruise in the end, the autumn colours were beautiful. We then finished the journey with a short bus ride (a little chaotic as not enough seats) into Valbone where the hike would begin.

    📌 Given it was borderline end of season, most things were closed so we headed to one of the few restaurants that were open and ran back into the Australians. We had a nice chat over some wines and food before making our way back to prepare for an early morning hike.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Sicily: Taormina & Catania

    Oct 25–27, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    📌 The last few days we explored Taormina, another highlight of the island but a little more upmarket and tourist heavy. We decided it was worth spending a night there and it was a good decision. The town was beautiful, it had some gorgeous architecture, some beautiful beaches and a fantastic view from behind the city where you could see the Mount Etna and the Ocean.

    📌 That evening we had a beautiful sunset rooftop drink with amazing views and colours. We had a lovely conversation with some Americans whilst enjoying a drink and watching the sky light up next to the beautiful mount Etna volcano. The pricey rooftop prices were definitely worth it. We then made a great call on a dinner restaurant, the service was so friendly and the food was delicious.

    📌 The next day we headed for Catania, we were craving some Napoli style pizza and we hit the jackpot for lunch, more great service and a super friendly pizza chef. He talked us into a the "don Perignon" of local beer 😂, it was delicious and was only a little more then Aus prices in fairness.

    📌 We checked in and had a wonder around Catania, enjoying what was possibly our last warm night in Europe. We will definitely miss the vibes, Sunday night and everything was buzzing. The streets were hit and miss, a little rundown but the city was also full of more great architecture. We finished with a 3 course meal, some delicious seafood pasta, wine and ofcourse tiramisu. Until next time Italy 👌    Read more

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