Hotel review: Grand Elysee La Residence (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Asia Hotel reviews

When I travel to Asia I always search for 5 star hotels first. I don’t want to offend anyone but the hygiene standard is a bit different in Asia compared to Europe (plus I am allergic to all kinds of shit), and usually 5 star hotels are quite affordable. Luckily this was also the case in Siem Reap, where you can get high quality hotels for less than 60 USD per night (2 persons, breakfast and airport transfer included). Grand Elsyee La Residence was the most reasonable and cheapest choice (by the way if you want to save 15€ with your next booking, make a reservation through this link), the reviews were fantastic and the location seemed ok as well. […]

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3 highlights for your first trip to Malaysia

Asia Trips & Tricks

Malaysia is one of the best countries in Southeast Asia because it’s got such a diverse mix of cultures. The combination of Malay, Chinese, European and Indian influences have created a varied, rich culture. It is also a very diverse country in terms of nature and landscape. You’ll find beautiful beaches to relax on, amazing rainforests packed with wildlife, and a very modern city of Kuala Lumpur. There is a little bit of something for everybody in Malaysia which is why it should be on everybody’s bucket list. But there’s so much going on that you might not know where to start if you do visit. As Malaysia is huge, you’re never going to do it all in one trip, […]

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Hotel review: Jeeva Santai Villas (Lombok, Indonesia)

Asia Hotel reviews Indonesia

After spending 4 amazing nights in Jeeva Beloam beach camp, we were excited to visit another member of “Jeeva” family in Lombok – Jeeva Santai villas in Mangsit. To be honest, I was hesitating with my reservation until the very last moment, deciding also between Qunci villas, Puri Mas resort, Katamaran hotel or Jeeva Klui villas, but my gut told me to go with Jeeva Santai. After the terrible Lombok earthquake some of these resorts were badly damaged, however Jeeva Santai villas managed to stay intact and safe. So once again I got a confirmation that I have to listen to my inner voice more often 😊 I pre-booked the villa online and you can get 15€ off your next booking […]

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5 things to see in Lombok

Asia Indonesia Trips & Tricks

Want to visit Bali but you are afraid you will end up on a crowded beach or taking a selfie in a rice field full of tourists? Then consider visiting less commercialized Lombok instead. It is just 2 hours’ ferry ride away from Bali. Or just fly in directly from Singapore, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur. Lombok can offer you stunning beaches, very clean seas, lush green inland, lively waterfalls, friendly monkeys and an impressive Mt Rinjani – an active volcano with breathtaking views of the lake inside its crater. We visited Lombok in September, only a month after the terrible earthquakes, so a lot of places we wanted to see were closed or had limited access. Which was actually just […]

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Indonesia is much more than just beautiful beaches

Asia Indonesia Trips & Tricks

“Oh, you’re going to Indonesia? I’d love to visit Bali, Lombok and the Gilis; they look amazing!” When people find out you’re heading deep into the Pacific, they’ll assume you’re going to one of the “holiday islands”. Sure, Bali, Lombok and the Gilis are excellent places to visit and travel – there’s nothing quite like lying on the beach all day and drinking in the nearby shacks all night. However, Indonesia is so much more and it has plenty to offer regarding exclusivity. In fact, there might not be a nation on the planet which has as many experiences that are only found in one place. So, if there is at least one shred of adventurous spirit in you, check out what you […]

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Lombok after the earthquake

Asia Indonesia Trips & Tricks

Many of you are still asking whether it is safe to travel to Lombok after the series of earthquakes which hit the island in August 2018. The first main shock with 6.9 magnitude, flattening the whole villages, happened on August 5th, just 3 days after I had booked our Lombok vacation. The other big one struck just a few days later – there were reports of even bigger damage and over 500 people killed, with thousands injured. The grounds had been shaking every day, there were also some landslides around Mt. Rinjani, some hotels had been completely destroyed and forums were flooded with travelers asking for new updates about the safety on the island. The answers were different: from “please […]

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Hotel review: Jeeva Beloam beach camp (Lombok, Indonesia)

Asia Hotel reviews Indonesia

Lombok is quite big and if you want to feel its pulse you need to move around the island. Due to relatively bad roads and heavy traffic it is quite tiresome to be on the road daily, so we decided to stay a few days in the South first and spend the rest of our Lombok vacation on the West coast. While I was searching for hotels in Kuta beach, I ran into this small spot in Sunut peninsula, which seemed to be quite isolated. The photos and the reviews of Jeeva Beloam beach camp were very promising – I am a sucker for beaches and the fact that the camp owns an entire bay was the first green light […]

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