Looking for a cute place to stay in Goa? Our local Goa expert, Jules, recently stayed at the very cool Olaulim Backyards in North Goa. Here’s what to expect if you want to stay. 

And in case you missed it, don’t forget to read about the first and second staycation at the very unique and cute Wigwam and Casa Jaali.

Jules has started this Staycation Series to bring some love to businesses around the state. She’ll be taking some staycations in both North and South Goa to highlight the cool, quirky, and sometimes slightly secret options Goa is lucky to have.

I am attempting to keep the beauty and excitement of travel alive whilst still realising the danger of it during the Covid-19 Pandemic. There are different rules all over the world to do with travel restrictions and all countries and places should be checked before you decide to travel, if you do. India has banned all International flights since March 2020 which is a big (and unfortunately necessary) blow for a lot of businesses who depend on foreign tourism.

Here in Goa, life is slowly trying to get back to ‘normal’ as businesses and people try to make the most of the monsoon season and reach out to the main crowd of domestic tourists. I want to help people realise the importance of supporting your local communities, businesses, restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and boutiques during this difficult time. This doesn’t mean you need to travel far and wide to find them, they could be on your doorstep, down the road or a little drive away.

** Please note that all staycations should be taken responsibly. Wear your mask, sanitise your hands, and don’t go if you are feeling unwell.

Checking into Olaulim Backyards: A Jungle Paradise

Olaulim Backyards, a jungle paradise, has been up and running for over 10 years now. It is run by the most lovely couple, Pirkko from Finland and Savio from Goa. Their passion for the place, the sleepy village of Olaulim and their crazy animals (more on this later) is apparent as soon as you step on to the property. It literally is a hidden gem in North Goa with no signboard outside just a strange ‘Beware’ sign on the gate that will help you know you have arrived at your destination. 

Rachel loved this place and it was one of the first places she wrote about when starting her blog. Both Savio and Pirkko knew Rachel and Ben very well, even giving them their famous cat, Kitkat!

Olaulim, is in what I would like to call the ‘country side’ of Goa. It’s on the opposite side of the highway to the beach and is a very green and tranquil village with not much going on at all. There are no nightclubs, no supermarkets, no late night bars and very few restaurants. This part of Goa is not meant for the typical party Goa tourist but for the tourist or resident who loves nature, enjoys peace and quiet and is in need of actual R&R. Olaulim Backyards is the perfect place for this. With only 5 rooms available on the very large property, they have chosen quality over quantity. Each room is different and is named after a different type of bird species which can be spotted on their property if you are lucky. All rooms are large wooden huts with outdoor bathrooms and the option of doubles, triples or quadruples. Two rooms are located at the same level as the bar and dining area and 3 are located a bit further up at the back of the property up some steep steps. Myself and my friend Nishtha, stayed in one of these which had a beautiful view of the glorious green jungle below. Don’t expect a 5 star luxury stay, expect nature and comfort and homely feels. Rooms don’t have air conditioning, but the fan was very sufficient when I stayed in the hot month of April. 

It is open throughout the year usually with a few weeks or a month of closure for maintenance or a break. Choosing to stay during monsoon amongst the non-stop rains and luscious green grass would most definitely be amazing! 

Gloriously Green Balcony

When you first enter the property you will see their very beautiful and very blue swimming pool neatly placed under the palms and between their dining area, chill area and the backwater in front of their property. You will then also realise why they have a sign telling you to ‘Beware Dog/Donkey’ as their resident Donkey, Mantra, is likely to be grazing by the bar or taking a little drink from the pool. You genuinely should be a little bit aware of the donkey as he has been known to be interested in humans and want to give them a little love bite. They also have a beautiful shiny brown horse, a goat and 4 or 5 dogs. 

Nishtha and Mantra.

Behind the pool is the backwaters which separates Olaulim Backyards from the fields and neighbours across the way. When sitting in the pool the silence of the place is pretty unbelievable especially when you live on the other side of the highway in the thick of it, like me! 

Food

Breakfast is included in your room rate and is served in the cute dining area by the pool. They have communal benches where everyone can mingle and serve themselves some of the homegrown fruit, homemade juices and delicious eggs they have to offer. The pineapple, jamun, melon, papaya, guava and mangos are all grown on the property and the freshly made cashew fruit and bimbli juice I tasted, were delicious. 

Breakfast Is Served

They have a honesty bar just near the pool which is stocked with beer, wine and most spirits. You can write down what you drank and pay for it later. If there is a specific drink you want then you can let them know and they will source it for you. In the months of April and May they may have some delicious Urrak which is served with Limca, salt and chilli. A delicacy in Goa! 

Taverna Hama Hama

For lunch and dinner they have a new addition which is the Backyard Cafe by Nikita. This is located just between the main entrance of Olaulim Backyards and the little gate you use to enter. I had the most delicious iced coffee and a very refreshing kokum spritzer. The mushroom burger was amazing and the specials – falafel with pesto hummus – change weekly. The cafe is for anyone and not just guests at Olaulim Backyards so you will be likely to see lots of residents who live locally popping by. 

Backyard Cafe By Nikita

Activities 

There are lots of options for cool activities here. Things you don’t usually get to do living or staying in Goa. 

Kayaking 

I think the most exciting activity is the kayaking which can be done on the backwaters behind the property. It is a large body of water which goes around the property and into a nice big open space. There are a few fishermen with fishing nets so these need to be avoided but the views and the peace and quiet are amazing. You can kayak and see both sunrise and sunset which are the best times to beat the heat. For sunrise we were out in the kayak by 6:30am ready to see the big pink ball of fire in the sky. It is definitely the most beautiful and satisfying way to start the day, though you may need a little nap afterwards like me. They also have a rowing boat and a surfboard that can be used as a paddle board. 

Ready For A Sunrise Kayak

Swimming 

You can swim both in the pool and the lake. I would say lake swimming is for adventurous people unlike myself who is terrified if anything touches my leg. However, for others it may be the refreshing dip you have been waiting for. My sunrise kayak session meant the water in the lake was hot, like really hot, and could have easily been a jacuzzi if bubbles were added! The pool was the cool off that was most definitely needed in the heat of April.

Sunset By The Pool

Bike Rental 

They have quite a few bicycles available for guests to take out and explore the local village. It is definitely worth taking one out and riding to the neighbouring villages of Aldona and Nachinola to see their local churches, beautiful houses and sleepy streets. 

Village Walk 

Pirkko, who honestly knows everything about all the plants, flowers and area surrounding Olaulim Backyards, if available can take you on a very cute walk around the village and neighbouring houses. Along the way there are beautiful flowers, lots of vegetables being harvested and dried out in the sun (see chillies below) and the views and experience of proper Goan village life. All the neighbours know Pirkko and Savio and it is very obvious they are all very fond of them and what they done with Olaulim Backyards. 

Village Chillies

Chill and Chat

Take some time to chill. Take a seat on the swing, the sunbeds or the lounging chairs and immerse yourself in the peace and quiet. Read a book, play some of the board games and if you feel in the mood for it, meet the other guests. With only 5 rooms, this place can be as intimate or secluded as you want it to be. The communal bar and dining area is perfect for getting to know the stories of other guests and the very interesting story of Pirkko and Savio and their journey to where they are now. I am still amazed and very jealous to know, Pirkko speaks 10 languages and Savio speaks 5! 

The Chill Area

How to Book 

You won’t find Olaulim Backyards on any third party sites and so the best place to book is directly through their website which can be found here. 

Also check out their instagram @olaulimbackyards which has more pictures and updates of their jungle life! 

Tips

• Take extra mosquito spray and be prepared for the annoying creatures to come out at dusk and dawn – best to keep your room doors shut when possible.
• Don’t stay here if you are scared of nature and wildlife. You don’t have to be a huge fan, I am a born and bred city girl, but you need to be accepting of frogs in the bathroom, an occasional spider and a few noises out in the wild at night time. 
• Speak to Savio and Pirkko about their lives, about the village, their kids and about the future of Goa. They really make the homestay feel like home! 
• Get up for sunrise! It is difficult but it is so so rewarding!

A Rest After A Sunrise Kayak

The post A Cool Staycation at Olaulim Backyards appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Looking for a cute place to stay in Goa? Our local Goa expert, Jules, recently stayed at the very cute Wigwam in Goa’s Mandrem. Here’s what to expect if you want to stay!

Jules is beginning this Staycation Series to bring some love to businesses around the state. She’ll be taking some staycations in both North and South Goa to highlight the cool, quirky, and sometimes slightly secret options we are lucky to have available.

Don’t forget to pick out our Insider’s Guide to Goa

Jules, here, trying to keep the beauty and excitement of travel alive whilst still realising the danger of it during the Covid-19 Pandemic. There are different rules all over the world to do with travel restrictions and all countries and places should be checked before you decide to travel, if you do. I have family in England who are completely locked down and won’t be going anywhere for a while – both due to fear and restrictions. India has banned all International flights since March 2020 which is a big (and unfortunately necessary) blow for a lot of businesses who depend on foreign tourism.

@Farhaddubash

Here in Goa life is slowly carrying on as businesses and people try to make the most of what’s left of the tourist season (November – April) and reach out to the main crowd of domestic tourists. I want to help people realise the importance of supporting your local communities, businesses, restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and boutiques during this difficult time. This doesn’t mean you need to travel far and wide to find them, they could be on your doorstep, down the road or a little drive away.

** Please note that all staycations should be taken responsibly. Wear your mask, sanitise your hands, and don’t go if you are feeling unwell.

Checking into Wigwam, Goa: A Unique Stay in Mandrem

Wigwam is in its fourth season now and is owned by a lovely couple from the UK – Tanya and Nic. It is definitely one of the coolest spots I have ever stayed in Goa, beginning with the insanely cool reception desk that leads on to the very Instagrammable tipis.

@Farhaddubash

They have seven of these beautiful tipis, two wooden cottages, and two apartments on offer. I was lucky enough to stay in a tipi, Number 7 to be precise. It is a surprisingly spacious structure with a very comfortable bed and mosquito net in the middle. The excitement of staying in a tipi is real, with a funny mesh door and a hole in the roof at the top where the bamboo poles meet and allow some of the morning blue sky to shine through. We also had Jax the resident dog sleeping outside the entrance of our tipi which was extra cute.

Each tipi has its own bathroom, not inside but found just next door, down your own little path. This beautiful outdoor bathroom is a real treat – I had 2 lovely palm trees growing in mine. I have always said there is nothing quite like showering under the stars or amongst the luscious green jungle. It can never not be special!

@Farhaddubash

The grounds of Wigwam are breathtaking with the gardener definitely needing some sort of medal. Each tipi or wooden cottage has its only little path to get to it, surrounded by all different types of palm trees, glorious green leaves and flowers. There are different areas for guests to chill in, with beds, sofas and chairs scattered around.

Food

I checked in on a Sunday. This is when they have their special BBQ night with a DJ, fun cocktails and a great BBQ selection. We tried to lamb shawarma, hummus falafel, corn on the cob, and the aubergine dip – all delicious. I recommend the strawberry daiquiri or espresso martini to get you in the holiday mood. The very cute cafe area also serves breakfast and lunch with an amazing selection of smoothie bowls.

Activities

Wigwam has a few bicycles you can take out to explore the sleepy village roads surrounding it. If you take a right out of Wigwam you can cycle up towards Mandrem beach which is not far at all and happens to be my favourite beach in North Goa. I think cycling is the best way to explore a new place. You actually have time to take it all in and can of course stop for photos any time you want without holding up traffic or nearly being run over or crashing into a cow – all very possible in India!

They also offer different types of morning yoga and meditation classes. They have a board up in the cafe with the timings for the week. Classes are all donation based and take place on a very cute decking surrounded by the lovely green jungle.

Make sure you also check out the clothes shop before you leave, just next to the cafe area. They have some of the coolest denim jackets I have seen with very cool patches and prints sewn onto the back! I need one in my life!

@Farhaddubash

How to Book

As I said above, Wigwam has tipis, wooden cottages, and apartments. Definitely something different if you’re looking for a cool and unique space to stay in Goa. 

While you can book here, you can also check out their website and their Instagram, @wigwamgoa, for more information. Mention that Jules sent you!

Where else in Goa would you like to see? Let us know!

For more on Goa

• 75 Unique Things to Do in Goa You Don’t Want to Miss
• Goa Nightlife: the 6 Most Popular Party Places in Goa
• 5 Quiet Goa Beaches Perfect for Relaxing in Paradise

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The post A Unique Staycation at Wigwam, Goa appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

My parents recently came to visit and I really wanted to show them a Hacienda. I had been to some for lunch outside of Merida and had stayed in a couple of smaller ones in town, but I was looking for a really epic one since they were on vacation. Hacienda Sac Chic has won tons of awards and is well-known as a luxury wedding destination and Casa Sisal, another home of theirs on the same property is a house that really inspires Ben and I when it comes to how we want to build our dream house in Cholul. I decided it was perfect to check these out, and they invited me to stay complimentary to share about it with you!

When you first enter, you don’t see the pool straight away but as we toured the house and got settled in, we were drawn to it like moths to a flame! It was a hot day, and the pool was perfect. It’s such a beautiful setting and right next to a bamboo forest!

I actually had to take a photo of these leggings for Instagram, and they are made from bamboo. I didn’t know there would be so much bamboo at the Hacienda, but WOW how well did that work out!?

The entrance had so much colorful walls and different types of plants. I love the cactuses! there were archways throughout the area you could walk around the whole garden exploring and even go up on the roof.

The Hacienda called Casa Antigua is from the 1850’s and is made from limestone. In the main house are two bedrooms, one with a loft up top, a living room, kitchen, and a huge bathroom plus a pool outside. Across the courtyard is Casa Nueva, has three bedrooms as well with a sunken in living room (so cool and something I want to do in my future dream home!), and is a little more modern. We stayed in Casa Antigua. The house was renovated by the architect Salvador Reyes Rios and his partner and wife Josefina Larrain and they made most of the furniture using local craftsmen.

My room, coffee in bed, and the loft which is above

I’m actually obsessed with the blue concrete in the bathroom. I think it’s chukkum which is a local way of doing concrete here and I want to do this in grey one day! It’s so beautiful.

Casa Sisal, Near Merida, Yucatan

Old meets new when you dip under an old archway and cross the grounds into Casa Sisal. I love the Hacienda and my parents really loved it – but Casa Sisal is a modern stunning home that if I could, I would live in! No one was staying there so they let us come over to take photos and use the pool.

This bedroom is everything! I love the chukkum, it was so smooth and polished, I love the cream color and simple elegant design. Sometimes simple is best, and in this house that’s what makes it!

The glass doors were great and while you usually see black aluminum in homes, I loved the white they had which really kept things looking fresh and bright. This house had a sunken in living room, too that you step down into and a big open modern kitchen.

In case you’re wondering why I had so many outfit changes, it’s because I had some clothing to promote on Instagram so went ahead and shot them here! I’m not normally packing so much for an overnight trip.

In terms of how much it costs, it does change based on the season. Casa Sisal is $375/night which for a luxury mansion in seclusion like this I think is a good price – most likely you’d have another couple to split it with since it’s two bedrooms.

The Hacienda is split into two houses, Casa Antigua where we stayed ($700/night) and Casa Nueva ($975/night) or you can take both of them for $1550/night. Obviously, it’s not super cheap but this is one of the top Haciendas in the Yucatan and often people rent this out for weddings. Check out booking and more rate information here.  Just an FYI, the BARN I am getting married in back in Ohio is charging $1500/night to take the farmhouse the night before the wedding. Lol! 

Logistically, I drove here and visited the nearby Santa Barbara Cenotes on the way in, before we checked in. You can hire a chef, but we brought a cooler with our own food to cook dinner and our own drinks. Once you’re here, you are pretty much staying here; it’s quite secluded and it’s really like finding a mansion in the jungle! It’s a magical experience. We packed Rummikub and played a few games before bed, toured the grounds, and spent time reading by the pool. There IS WiFi at the property and there is staff on site to make sure everything goes smoothly.

So, where would you want to stay, the Hacienda or Casa Sisal!? And who thinks I should have booked my wedding for here!? Haha kidding kidding, it’s still in Ohio but maybe we should throw a big party here one day for our anniversary! ;)

The post Hacienda Sac Chich, Near Merida, Yucatan appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

There are so many apartments for rent in Mexico City that are boho-chic or modern or have an old fashioned feel. The options are limitless for where to stay in Mexico City. It can feel overwhelming at first when you start to look. You have to really think about the area you want to stay in before you start to look to help you narrow it down. It would be like going to NYC and not knowing if you want to be in Queens or Manhattan – you should figure that out first then look for a hotel. In this post, I’m going to share where to stay in Mexico City based on a few places I’ve stayed and others that are on my list after extensive research – as I know I’ll be back for years to come!

Read More:

• 20 essential tips for Mexico City
• 3 day Mexico City itinerary

Airbnb’s are a great option! You can get them from $30 a night, or a very cute one for around $50, and a super stylish one for $80, while a luxury one would be closer to $200. Boutique hotels start at $100 and go up to around $400 and there are some really amazing world-famous ones I’ll share about. There are also budget hostels that are perfect for backpackers. I’m going to break the post down into categories and share with you the best of the best in each one!

Where to stay in Mexico City: Which Neighborhoods and Hotels are Best for You

In general Roma and La Condesa are the best. They are trendy, cute, safe, and have awesome cafes and popular restaurants. They also host most of the best nightlife. They are for sure the most fashionable right now. Juarez is just near here and also a good option – some say it’s the next Roma.

For a fancier area, you can look at Polanco which has all the luxury shopping and very rich people hanging out. If you wanted, you could stay at the historic center, but it’s not what I would choose personally as we only went there for a day of shopping and sightseeing. It’s also called El Centro and mostly around the Zócalo area is where you’ll get such a bustlin’ real life Mexican scene like cantinas and crowded markets.

If you want a more local borough that is cute and safe, then look into Cuauhtémoc and San Rafael. Coyoacán is another area we explored a little that has some museums and markets and is pretty much residential but I think it’s best to do just a day trip here.

Overall, Rome and Condesa are the winners and Juarez is a great option, too, if you find a perfect place to stay there. If you want to be in the thick of it, then El Centro but I don’t recommend that.

Where to stay in Mexico City: Airbnb’s in Mexico City

When you search for an Airbnb, just look for Condesa, Roma, and Juarez. Realistically this is where you’re going to find the cutest and most popular Airbnb options. Downtown you’re going to get more average homes that won’t be as “cute” or “trendy” but are real-life homes or modern business-like apartments, while in the areas I listed you’re going to get more upscale apartments that were designed by millennials who probably did so with Airbnb in mind and are set up well for guests. For Airbnb’s, you’re looking at around $40-$100 for a cute, fun one or up to $200 for a luxury one. I’ll share where I stayed plus a few I had found and starred for later trips. I spent so many hours finding the perfect places!

If you book an Airbnb, you can sign up with a new account using my link and get $40-$52 off your booking. That is a night free for a lot of these options! You can also just sign up now and use the credit on a later trip to anywhere.

Cute Roma Apartment, 3 BR, $80

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I loved this little 3 bedroom apartment. It was in Roma, on the main street, located near Lalo and all the coolest cafes. The living room was cute as you can see and the bedrooms were cozy and comfortable with big closets. The bathroom was fairly small and standard, but clean. The kitchen had a nice coffee machine and coffee for us to use. It was $80 at the time of booking.

Luxe Casa Dovela Apartment 1 BR in Condesa $180

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Our last night, we splurged out in this apartment in La Condesa. It was $180 at the time of booking. It was such a dream, I wish I could have stayed longer. It was a one bedroom huge apartment with a big living room complete with Netflix. The kitchen had snacks, water, coffee, and soft drinks. But let’s be honest the bathtub was the best. It had heaters which were very luxurious in the winter here and not the usual – and having a nice hot bath then staying warm in the heat was amazing. I’ll be staying here again!

Minimalist and clean Roma apartment 1 BR for $72

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Industrial loft in Roma $100

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Brick hipster 3 BR in Juarez $105

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Boho secret garden 1 BR $79

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Luxury Modern Roma studio $98

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Colorful chic 2 BR in Roma $120

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Vintage architectural 1 BR gem in Roma $120

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Colorful bright 2 BR Roma apartment $129

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Wooden loft in Roma $119

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AMAZING 3 BR Art Deco Beautiful House in Roma $300

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Best Deal: cute boho 2 BR Roma apartment for $37

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Where to stay in Mexico City: Boutique Hotels and B&B’s in Mexico City

Mexico City has some of the most incredible boutique hotels. It was hard to decide between Airbnb and the hotels but I just love the charm of staying in someone’s home and they were so well-located. Plus, a bit cheaper. But if you want the true hotel experience you will be in heaven at these world-renoned boutique hotels that are featured over and over on everything from CN Traveler to Goop. It was hard to narrow down this list, but this is my personal list of favorites. These range from $100 for a lowest room at a couple of these hotels to up to $500 and rates vary a lot by room and time of year so I will not add rates, but a link where you can see images and get rates!

Condesa DF

 

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Mornings at #HotelCONDESAdf! @nealbeckstedt #habitaLOVESyou

A post shared by Grupo Habita (@grupohabita) on Dec 1, 2018 at 9:00am PST

The most popular boutique hotel (and maybe hotel of all time) in a neoclassical building in Mexico City is Condesa DF, in Condesa. It’s a mix of Mexican and French design. There are 40 rooms. See more photos and get rates.

Busue

 

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A post shared by BUSUE MX (@hotelbusue) on Apr 6, 2018 at 3:29pm PDT

This is your chance to stay in a Hacienda styled luxury hotel room with the tiles, wooden beams and all. This is in Polanco, the very fancy neighborhood with all the shopping nearby. See more photos and get rates.

Chaya B&B

 

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A post shared by Chaya B&B Boutique (@chayabnb) on Feb 10, 2019 at 7:35am PST

This is a dreamy place to stay downtown. The suite has a bathtub in it, and while the other rooms are small they are designed in a beautiful way. This is a younger scene and more vibrant than the other traditional boutique hotels. There are 11 rooms and it’s a place to splurge on the suite. See more photos and get rates.

Hippodrome Hotel

 

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A post shared by Top 8 things to do in… (@cbtop8) on Aug 11, 2018 at 4:18am PDT

On the edge of La Condesa, you can have breakfast on your balcony overlooking the park. This hotel is very modern with geometric designs and bold colors. See more photos and get rates.

Las Alcobas

 

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A post shared by Las Alcobas (@lasalcobas) on Sep 30, 2013 at 3:44pm PDT

This is a Luxury Collection Hotel and there are huge standing bathtubs in each room – complete with fancy massage jets. It’s all about the personalized customer service and tiny details like Bose speakers, complimentary coffee wake up service, and a turndown service that includes a shoe-shine! See more photos and get rates.

El Patio 77

 

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A post shared by El patio 77 (@elpatio77) on Nov 15, 2018 at 1:21pm PST

A little lesser known, this is a very cute hotel that has each room decorated for an area of Mexico like the butterfly Michoacan room! It’s the most affordable on this list (each room is a different price) and that is because some are suits but a couple of rooms have shared bathrooms. See more photos and get rates.

Nima Local House Hotel

 

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A post shared by Nima Local House Hotel (@nimalocalhouse) on Nov 2, 2018 at 6:14pm PDT

In Roma, this hotel has just four stunning rooms. They have huge windows with wrought iron frames that open to standing balconies. The rooms are light, bright, and have cozy things like fur throws. See more photos and get rates.

Hotel Habita

 

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#thismustbetheplace #Habita @vinecents #habitaLOVESyou #CDMX #DesignHotels

A post shared by Grupo Habita (@grupohabita) on Jun 21, 2018 at 6:06pm PDT

Romantic and very classy and modern, this Polanco hotel is for those who want a luxurious fancy escape. It’s a gorgeous hotel even from the street. See more photos and get rates.

Downtown Mexico

 

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Right in the heart of Mexico City, on Isabel la Católica 30 you will find #DowntownMexico by #GrupoHabita part of the @smallluxuryhotels collection. @mirosleidys #habitaLOVESyou

A post shared by Grupo Habita (@grupohabita) on Dec 7, 2018 at 6:48pm PST

If you want to be in El Centro, near Zócalo, then this is the trendiest best place to stay. It also has a bar and rooftop pool. This is owned by the Habita group, who also own the hotel listed above (Hotel Habita) and Condesa DF. See more photos and get rates.

La Valise Hotel

 

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A post shared by La Valise (@lavalisehotels) on Aug 3, 2018 at 10:13am PDT

Hidden away in Roma, each room is a unique and pure luxury in this 1920’s building. The “Terraza room” has a bed that slides out through the open balcony doors so you can sleep outside! This hotel is very exclusive. See more photos and get rates. PS: there sister hotel in Tulum looks epic!

Where to stay in Mexico City: Hostels in Mexico City

There are tons of hostels in Mexico City, but these are the top five most popular with some being old classics and others being adorable boutique hostels.

Casa Pepe, El Centro, $25 

 

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A post shared by Casa Pepe (@casapepehostel) on Oct 31, 2018 at 10:41am PDT

Rooms are so cute and comfortable. This is the best hostel on the list for cleanliness and comfort but has style too and bathrooms are per 6 people dorms. There are private rooms for $100 that are very cute and have bathtubs! They have a cool bar scene and even rooftop yoga.

Mexique Zocalo, Cuauhtemoc, $15

Amazing rooftop views of the city. Simple dorms with lots of color and art, a kind of hipster vibe in a restored 1950’s building – so holding that cool Mexico City charm.

Hostel Home, Roma, $10-15

 

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A post shared by Eduardo (@eduardo_leon) on Nov 30, 2018 at 2:28pm PST

Cute and colorful entrance but very basic beds and rooms. You’re in Roma, though, which is awesome! The building is a restored old colonial.

Gael Condesa, La Condesa, $15

This is a quiet, simple no-frills place in La Condesa, a trendy neighborhood like Roma. It isn’t a party place but has a nice common room.

Metro Hostel Boutique, Roma, $15

 

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Don’t you love a good interior!? Check out the hostel I stayed in during my visit to Mexico City ( felt much more like a bed and breakfast).

A post shared by Stamps In Stilettos (@stampsinstilettos) on May 28, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

Super cute place, cute rooms, beds, and decor. Quiet area in Condesa, not a party They also have private rooms for 2 or 4 people for $40-$70.

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After 10 months away from India, the longest I’d been away since 2012, I was dying to get back to “Mother India” and there was no better place to start my time there than a safari with Samode Safari Lodges, the most luxurious of the Bandhavgarh resorts. I’m going do a little Samode Safari Lodge review and share about seeing a tiger for the first time. Next week, I will put up a post with things to know before visiting Bandhavgarh National Park plus what to pack and wear in another upcoming post.

When I first came to India, I knew nothing about the country but really wanted to see a tiger. I lived here for five years, but alas, no tigers were seen – not due to lack of safaris! There were several reasons I chose to go on safari in Bandhavgarh, but the main reason is that it’s the most densely populated area of tigers in India so your chances of seeing one on safari are very high. Samode Hotels have a safari lodge there and staying with them was a no-brainer. I have stayed with them in Jaipur at the Haveli and the Palace and they are the most luxury over the top hotel in India when it comes to small touches and personal attention from staff. There are just twelve rooms at the lodge so it’s a really cozy environment.

When you stay at Samode, you pay a daily tariff like any hotel but this will include your meals, drinks, and safaris. You can book online to see the full breakdown of the rates and inclusions/exclusions. To get to and from the easiest way is to fly into Jabalpur and take a taxi to the property, which they can arrange.

Samode Safari Lodge Review

I’m going to share about the lodge itself, the food, the rooms, and the actual safari, all of which were amazing! One thing that is so important on a safari is having great guides and we were blown away with how awesome ours were.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Lodge and Grounds

There is the main lodge at the center of the property with a beautiful pool next to it. In the lodge are a games room, library, a main gathering area with sofas and fireplaces, and then the back patio for meals which was offering the best views. They have so much amazing vintage furniture (like all Samode properties) and everything from the napkins to the sugar dishes for coffee is all so cute and well thought out.

I love all the wooden rafters on the roof and the beautiful fabrics they’ve chosen for all the furniture. There was WiFi in the lodge, so I did come here in the mornings (so early, jet-lagged) to get some work done. They have a coffee bar set up for those going on safari. I also got time to use the pool after the morning safaris, where of course they come bring you cold towels and drinks while you relax.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Food

On the night I arrived at nearly 10 PM, I was so tired and they offered to bring me food to the room. They brought me the most amazing thali and butter naan, which I devoured (of course eating with my hands!) then had a bath and passed out cold for the night.

All the dinners are thalis. Their butter chicken was so good, I had to have seconds and every time I finished a naan, they brought another to the table. Dinners are sit down and they have them either on the patio, by the pool with candle-light, or inside a second lodge room. Sometimes they do fun alternatives like walking down a candle-lit path to tables set up near a movie projector, which they played a film about tigers on. Before dinner, there are cocktails and such down by the pool!

For breakfast, they have a buffet set up at the patio of the lodge, and you can also order fresh juice, coffee, tea, and egss, bacon, and sausage.

Breakfast and lunch are both a mix of Indian and Western cuisine and I went for the Indian food on most occasions! I loved chole bhatura was so mouthwatering (pictured above).

Lunch was all kinds of yummy things like baked chicken, pad thai, and a wide range of food. The bannoffie pie was so good – someone bring me another slice!

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Rooms

Relaxing in the room without WiFi was actually amazing because it was so nice to unwind and enjoy the surroundings. The rooms are huge and the back patio, pictured below was so perfect to watch the jungle from.

The main living room was huge and had a little coffee bar, couch, TV, and a second bathroom. I love that they had a second bathroom – so great when you’re traveling with a friend.

Samode is all about the small touches. They put a little note and chocolates on my bed at night and after the evening safaris (which got cold) they had a warm foot bath waiting in the room. Perfection!

I loved the kantha quilts, hand-woven rugs, and all the traditional Indian touches in the room. I sat on the bed in the morning looking out at the jungle hoping to see a tiger. I didn’t, but it COULD have happened. They have tigers on the property and saw tracks one night while we were there.

The bathroom was HUGE. There was a shower, bath, and closet, plus two vanities. But then, because one bathroom wasn’t enough, there was a SECOND bath outside! I actually used it like a pool and filled it with cooler water and laid out and got a tan.

Samode Safari Lodge Review: The Safari

Your safaris are included in your room tariff and they take care of setting up everything for you with Bandhavgarh park, you just need to take your ID with you. It’s important to have good guides on safaris who can track the tigers and find them – and Samode has the best naturalists!

There are two safaris, each lasting around five hours. There is sunrise and sunset. The park is closed at lunch time. Both have equal amounts of visitors so it’s not that one is better than the other, although they said it’s more likely to see a tiger in the morning than evening.

Not just tigers are there, but leopards, jackals, deer, sambar, monkeys and more. There actually aren’t wild elephants here usually but lately, they have started coming into this park – but it’s not something that has been in the past so it causes issues with the safari meaning sometimes a zone will need to be shut. Wild elephants can be dangerous. The elephant above is a rangers – these are used to make sure tigers stay in the park and it helps keep the villagers safe.

Our first tiger sighting was so cool. First off, they are hard to see! They really do blend in – those stripes work! But, our tiger was sitting there while a buffalo walked up to it. At first, I thought that the tiger would attack but it actually ran off scared! Blurry shot I know, but it happened so fast.

On the morning safari, all the cars come together (not just Samode) and have a little breakfast snack at a meeting point. there is a real breakfast when you get back to the lodge but it’s nice to have some fruit, sandwiches, coffee, and just relax a second. Samode set up such a cute picnic.

Right before leaving the first morning, we went to the water hole and saw a tiger walk up for a drink. It was magical – we watched him for ten minutes!

I have two more posts coming about what to expect on the actual safari and then what to pack and wear for safari so stay tuned. If you want a boutique or luxury stay, then look no further than Samode. They are my favorite hotel chain in India (they have just four properties) and a safari is a once in a lifetime experience so spending a bit more for the time of your life to be absolute bliss, is 1000% worth it to me!

Seeing tigers and the safari is amazing, but the lodge, the food, the room and the people you are around make up the experience as a whole and Samode offers it all at their best.

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Goa is the kind of place that you’ve either never heard of or you go every year for an epic holiday. There’s no in between. Travelers that pass through Goa tend to come back. The Arabian Sea, the coconut trees, the cute beach huts, and the luxe beach resorts all bring together Goa’s laid-back scene. Some people will say that if you stay at a 5-star hotel, you aren’t seeing the real Goa, but after over five years of living there, I really don’t agree with that. There are cool beachy vibes at every budget. Many of the beach resorts in Goa bring in that chill vibe so that you feel it the moment you check in.

Don’t forget to check out my Insider Guide to Goa and my Ultimate Guide to India. Both are ebooks you can read on your phone, PC, or Kindle.

Major Beaches Around Goa to Stay In

The first thing to understand is that Goa is a very small state. You can drive from North to South in under four hours! Yet, people still find it a huge decision to go to the North or the South.

Basically, the North has most of the popular restaurants and parties. The South is more “quiet and serene” but has many of the best five-star hotels. For a more in-depth comparison of North and South Goa, check this post.

Here’s a list of the beaches in each area if you have a specific one in mind:

North Goa

• Aguna Beach
• Arambol Beach
• Ashwem Beach
• Baga Beach
• Calangute Beach
• Candolim Beach
• Colva Beach
• Majorda Beach
• Mandrem Beach
• Morjim Beach
• Utorda Beach
• Vagator Beach

Read More: Ultimate Unique Guide to North Goa and BEST Places to Visit in Goa in 3 Days

South Goa

• Agonda Beach
• Betul Beach
• Cavelossim Beach
• Cola Beach
• Galgibaga Beach
• Mobor Beach
• Palolem Beach
• Patnem Beach
• Varca Beach

Read more: The secret beach resort in Goa and 5 lesser known beaches in Goa

Where to Book

So, the first thing I want to mention is that while there is a great selection of beach resorts in Goa, I do think they are best when you are a couple and need just one room. If you’re with more than one person, you’re going to get such a better deal (and have a cool Goan experience) if you try to get an amazing renovated Portuguese Goan villa.

There are so many amazing homes listed and they often come with a cook, cleaner, and other bits like a gardener or security guard. You can then cook at home, stay all together in a group, and usually save a ton of money while living like a “real Goan”. You can search through the resorts here on Airbnb. If it’s your first time using Airbnb, use this link to get a discount on your first booking.

But now, back to the beach resorts in Goa, sorted by budget. For the below, I’ll link to the best prices I find. It’s usually Agoda or Booking.com.

Note: some of these are not DIRECTLY on the beach but are walkable or a quick scooter ride away.

Best Beach Resorts in Goa (By Budget)

Budget Beach Resorts

Noname Guesthouse

Location: Arambol

Arambol is the “hippie” area with drum circles at the furthest north of Goa and this is the most popular guesthouse for backpackers.

Book here

Babu Huts

Location: Ashwem

Ashwem is the cool place to be and these huts are the cheapest, best value on the beach. I also love the food here.

Check their Facebook here

Cupid’s Heaven Guesthouse

Location: Agonda

Agonda is beautiful and quiet and you’ll get the perfect room at this budget guesthouse popular with backpackers.

Book here

Pappi Chulo

Location: Vagator

Kind of a party hostel, this is right on top of the cliff in Vagator – the best sunset spot in town.

Book here

Eco-Friendly Beach Resorts

Vaayu

Location: Mandrem

Surfing, tacos, smoothie bowls, this place is cool and has awesome eco-friendly lodging.

Book here

Jamboree Creek

Location: Mandrem

It doesn’t get more eco-friendly than Jamboree. They have the only cob house I know of in Goa as well as their own garden and so many other initiatives going on – plus yoga and all kinds of cool classes to join.

Book here

WigWam Goa

Location: Mandrem

A newer one this year, this is an amazin hip place to be with yoga, delicious eco-friendly food, and cool teepees among other lodging.

Book here

Bamboo Yoga Retreat

Location: Palolem

This is a yoga retreat but it’s also just so cool and if you’re vegan and yogi and such then this is one to check out on beautiful Palolem beach.

Book here

Mid-Range Beach Resorts

Yab Yum

Location: Ashwem

I am so obsessed with these huts! They are circle little hobbit looking things dotted along the beach under coconut trees.

Book here

Ciaran’s

Location: Palolem

My to-go in Palolem is Ciarans. Beautiful rooms, on the beach, affordable, and great food.

Book here

Otter Creeks & Elsewhere

Location: Ashwem

Elsewhere is a secret location (but everyone knows where it is) and rumor has it Brad and Angie stayed here once upon a time. Otter Creek are the same owner but cheaper cabins you can afford. Stunning location on Ashwem beach.

Book here

Ozran Heights

Location: Vagator

This is on Vagator Cliff and isn’t a big restaurant like most so you can actually sleep at night with a little less partying sound. These are comfy cabins with an awesome view in a great location.

Book here

Luxury Beach Resorts

The W

Location:  Vagator

Vagator finally got a 5-star hotel! The W is on Vagator cliff and is close to parties, food, the coolest beach around, and actually throws cool parties itself.

Book here

Alila Diwa

Location: Majorda

I love to take a weekend away at the Alila Diwa. Their club rooms offer so much – even a shoulder massage while you checkin.

Book here

Ahilya By The Sea

Location: Nerul

These are just several amazing rooms along the coast of Nerul Beach. I am obsessed with the design but they sure aren’t cheap!

Book here

The Leela

Location: Cavelossim

If you want a classic 5-star experience anywhere in India, you can’t go wrong with the Leela.

Book here

I hope you love these amazing beach resorts in Goa! Enjoy your stay and for more, including budget, mid-range, eco, and luxe property options for each beach in Goa, check out my ebook, the Insider’s Guide to Goa, which will tell you everything from where to eat to where to party or even go get a wax – I literally cover it all!

For more on Goa

• Goa One Week Itinerary for the Beach Lovers and Foodies
• 50 Unique Things to Do in Goa
• Best New Restaurants in Goa: + New Shops & Hotels

For general India travel tips and advice, check out this post on planning your trip to India and this post on how to dress in India. Plus, you can join my India travel Facebook group!

Don’t Forget These India Travel Essentials

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As two weeks passed by in Panama, and Silvia and I were ended out trip in Bocas Del Toro, people kept saying “ah, you’ve been to San Blas so you’ll find Bocas a let down”. We were like “oh no!” and worried about it a bit. We are both 30-ish and over our party backpacking days. Bocas Del Toro is a party place on the main island of Colon but being on the island of Bastimentos, hiding out at the Red Frog Beach Resort was our saving grace! I’ll share about the resort here – and you can read my article on what you need to know before you go to Bocas Del Toro here.

The infinity pool was great, and yes, we saw a sloth in the wild here!

Fruit juices and cocktails are all around $5 so you can get your drink on and stay on budget all day if you want, by the pool or beach

Red Frog Beach Resort Review

The resort is one of the more well-known ones is Bocas Del Toro and has around 60 villas (we stayed in a villa) and some Bali-style jungle lodges which are a bit cheaper but really cute. The villas are more “modern” I’d say. They don’t have tropical jungle vibes and you can tell they are built to please the Americans visiting. Really, it reminds me of cabins we have in Ohio at the National Parks and such – affordable, convenient, and great for families.

Here is a look around our villa.

The villa was fully stocked but did need some repairs. The main bathroom in the hall had a toilet that always ran when you flushed and the shower didn’t turn on so I had to share with Silvia. I’m sure if I had told maintenance, they would have fixed it but I didn’t really mind. The A/C was wonderful, beds were comfy and we used the fully-stocked kitchen to cook two nights while we watched old 90’s movies and did some blogging work.

We stayed for four nights, which meant we had time to go to both on-site restaurants, the spa, and explore both Red Frog Beach and Turtle Beach which is the resorts private beach. One thing to note is that the sea is rough here and we could not swim – however, it is rainy season and in peak season it might be safer.

The food was really nice, not amazing, but this is an island resort so you can’t really expect Michelin star. Everything we had was nice, though, and ranged around $15 for a meal. Had we paid more like $25 we could have gotten lobster, etc but we had already eaten a lot of that in other places in Panama.

They have one restaurant by the pool and one on the beach. At the beach, try the fried prawns – yum! I fed the tails to the little dogs that became my besties. This resort was a really nice place to relax and end our trip in Panama. It’s a quick 10-minute boat ride to town and from there just 3 minutes to the aiport by car (included in the price of the room) so it’s good even for before you fly out. We had a 740 flight and it was totally okay. We left with a group of other guests.

If you stay, BONUS: you’ll get to meet this dog and his brother. I called them Boca and Chica and they came to find me every day (or so I like to think). Such cuties!

Check out Red Frog Beach Resort here.

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If you looked up any article about the most well-designed boutique hotel in Panama City, you will inevitably end up with the result of the American Trade Hotel. I know I did! I stayed here for three nights when I first got to Panama City out of the five nights I was there.  This is part of the Small Luxury Hotels Collection of the World and deservedly so – it’s so beautiful!

The American Trade Hotel also has an incredible history, as does the whole area of Casco Viejo. Not too long ago, this was a “no-go” zone with gangs and violence. In 1997, it became a UNESCO town and they cleared out the rif-raf. That meant smoking out this building because there were gang members squatting here. It was a tough time, but necessary for the growth of Panama City and to help with tourism.

They renovated the hotel, and many other buildings in Casco Viejo (still in progress) and it’s now the trendiest place in Panama City – and safe, to boot!

American Trade Hotel Review

The entrance.

It’s in a perfect location in a main square in the middle of Casco Viejo. From here, you can easily walk anywhere or hail a taxi/Uber to the other parts of town.

Yes, that’s Aesop!

The amenities here were wonderful and I won’t lie – a bottle of that lotion came with me on the rest of the trip! The room service menu was full of yummy affordable choices, some under $10. The shower was huge and I loved the design of the tiles. The bedroom was simple and sweet but felt very cozy and the windows actually opened up to an amazing view. I loved the painted wooden walls!

Breakfast was included, and so good!

There is a small breakfast menu to choose from that is included in the room rate. I tried the omelet and the pancakes. You also get all kinds of yummy things with it and coffee/tea. The dining area was the best – I loved the tropical boho style and couldn’t help but take a few photos in there!

If you want to book the American Trade Hotel, you can check prices and availability here. I suggest booking well-enough ahead in the peak season (October – February) as it is by far the most popular hotel in the city.

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After a few days sailing in the San Blas islands, living the island life, I have never felt happier than when I walked into my giant room at Las Clementinas in Casco Viejo back in Panama City.

Recently Casco Viejo has been going through huge renovations and this little apartment/hotel is one of the most famous places to stay based on how freaking adorable it is! We were on the top floor of a walk-up and at first, I wasn’t sure what it would be like since it seems like an older building, but they have done such an incredible job designing these rooms and adding every luxury touch you could want. Even better, each room is totally different! I had a very calm, sleek room and Silvia had a bright kind of modern room. Let’s take a look!

Las Clementinas Apartment Review

The apartments come complete with bedrooms, dining/living room, kitchen, and bathrooms.

On the bed was a little guide to Casco Viejo written by the couple who own the hotel and live in the area. It was a really cute touch and made the place feel like home. The whole decor in my room was laid-back and relaxing. I didn’t want to leave!

In the kitchen, you can ask ahead of time to stock breakfast.

Since these are serviced apartments, not a hotel, there isn’t a restaurant inside (although there is one connected next door). So if you don’t want to be bothered going to the grocery store, you can ask them to put your breakfast items in the fridge.

The living room and bathroom were both decorated so cute, as well!

There were books and newspapers as well as robes and Algotherm products in the bathrooms. There was a TV in the bedroom and I tried to brush up on my Spanish watching the Simpsons before bed!

If you want to book the Las Clementinas, you can check prices and availability here. I suggest booking well-enough ahead in the peak season (October – February) as it is very popular and there are not a lot of rooms, which helps keep the charm!

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Looking for a cute affordable place to stay in Merida? We were, too! Airbnb in Merida is a great option. We came to Merida for two weeks and booked one hotel ahead of time for three nights when we arrived, the from there we winged it. We bounced around sometimes booking Airbnb’s the day off with the “instant book” option. I LOVED the unique boutique hotels here but loved the Airbnb’s in Merida even more. I’ll share exactly where we stayed, some that I loved but were booked up, and save you the research time.

If you sign up for a new account with Airbnb, you can use this link to get $40 off your first booking. If you already have an account, maybe your travel buddy doesn’t and you can book under their new account to save the money. I believe it’s only on bookings over $75, but they change their benefits and rules every few months.

Airbnb in Merida: Cool, Cute, Affordable Airbnb’s in Merida + Some Unique Hotel Options

Why do I love Airbnb? I love having a whole house to myself, seeing how people there live (design-wise, and just feeling more a part of local life), being able to cook something, most of them have a pool to chill at all alone in Merida, and you get a little more luxury for your dollar if you know how to look! I’ve used Airbnb in England, Ireland, USA, Mexico, India, and more! In Merida, it’s all about staying in restored colonials – nothing better!

Rates here are so affordable that you can have a whole house to yourself for cheaper than a night at a hotel, and if you are traveling with a group you can get a huge mansion for like $20/person.

1. Casa Monarca

This is the first Airbnb in Merida we stayed at – we booked two nights but then wanted to stay longer. Unfortunately, it was already booked up. I will definitely stay here again if I visit Merida again (which I plan to). This is owned by a couple who seem really nice and have done the BEST job restoring this old colonial house into a modern mansion. They kept so many of the original tiles and Merida style design.

This house has a bedroom upstairs with a full bath, and a second bedroom which is dettached as a guest room in the back, also with a full bath. It’s all pure luxury. There is a pool, garden, and hammock outside. The kitchen was perfect and had everything we needed to cook and the downstairs sofa and bed were SO soft and comfortable. This one does not make you pay the electricity bill like many Merida Airbnb’s do (they read the meter and charge what you use). You can use Uber and pay about $2 to get anywhere from this location and you can easily walk to most popular restaurants and bars instead. Parking is on the street like almost all properties in Merida.

Click here to book or save Casa Monarca. At the time I booked, it was $91 per night. The place holds 4 people, so that would be $25/night per person if you had a group. What a steal!

2. Casa de Colores, Santiago

ignore my Carl’s Jr, lol

What a place! This is a 4-bedroom casa that we splurged out even though we were only two people. It was just so beautiful and for $166 a night, how wild you can have a whole mansion to yourself with a huge pool. The way this place has been restored is so stylish; it’s the coolest Airbnb I’ve stayed at. We just stayed a night, but typically they do have a two-night minimum. You’ll see a lot of the nicer Airbnb’s do, although sometimes the owner will make an exception.

Parking is on the street, but it’s a quiet area and there were tons of spaces. The road was nearly empty. You can walk to some cool places here; Santiago is a great neighborhood. I think the photos tell you everything about this place! The master bedroom as a jacuzzi and private garden outside.

Click here to book Casa de Colores. At the time I booked it was $166 per night. This place is for 10 people (one room has two double beds), so that would be just $16 per person if you filled the rooms.

3. Casa de Luz

We stayed here three nights when we first arrived and if it wasn’t booked, we would have stayed longer. I wrote a full review here. This is on booking sites and Airbnb, like many boutique hotels in Merida. The room we stayed in was lower level with its own balcony by the pool. The design of this place is a little more simple, not super upscale and is a hotel as well. You will have a key to the front door and to the room. You don’t have a whole house here.

Click here to book Casa de Luz. At the time of booking it was $120 per night.

4. La Casita of Maison Azul

OMG – beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful one in all of Merida! It’s a one bedroom house which is separated but in the same complex as the owner’s main house. The pool separates them, but they are not always home and when they are gone they rent that out as well, so you sort of have the place to yourself. This place is beautiful and romantic. I cannot get over how beautiful it is!

Click here to book Casita of Maison Azul. This is around $100 per night and breakfast is included and cooked for you by the host.

5. Casa Naranja

While we love the luxe life with Airbnb, we couldn’t splurge every night especially when it was one days that we wouldn’t even get to enjoy the Airbnb and just needed a place to sleep. This is the most affordable option we found that was still cute and had what was necessary. It’s a one bedroom near Santiago Park (so walkable to many places). It has parking out front, WiFi, and surprisingly, considering the low price, A/C is included.

Click here to book Casa Naranja. It is around $25 per night and you have the place to yourself.

6. Casa Esmeralda

The design of this is basically how I picture my future house! I’m obsessed. It’s a “chic, airy, garden escape”. It’s a redone colonial with two bedrooms and the most amazing garden I’ve ever seen which surrounds a massive swimming pool. The place is mostly white with big pops of color and has kept it’s Yucatan-style. It has WiFi and you can walk to the city in 20 minutes or just Uber.

Click here to book Esmeralda. It is currently $132 per night. You get the entire house which fits up to 6 guests, making this place cheaper than a hostel once you split up the cost, at $22 per night per person.

These Airbnb’s in Merida just scrape the surface and I was limited by my short time there of being able to check out more. I stayed in some hotels, too while I was in Merida. If you want a hotel, I can recommend Hotel Hacienda Merida. Rates are around $80/night and the rooms are lush with fluffy beds, romantic feel, robes, and really nice toiletries. The bar and pool are awesome and it’s right next to Saint Lucia square. Book on Hotelscombined to save, since they compare rates from Expedia, Booking.com, and all the rest.

Some photos of the hotel mentioned:

For more insane Airbnb’s in Merida, put your dates in on this page and see what is available while you are there.

It’s amazing what you can find. If you’re traveling with just one person, you’ll find amazing entire houses cheaper than a hotel and if you have a group, you can stay at the most kickass mansion cheaper than each of you would spend at a hostel. Remember to use my link to sign up to Airbnb to get $40 off your first booking.

Pin your favorite Airbnb in Merida for later:

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Before coming to the Yucatan, we didn’t book anything ahead except our first few nights in Merida since we knew we wanted something central to get our bearing. In this Luz En Yucatan review, I’ll share why I chose this hotel and what you can expect here!

That’s a tray of complimentary booze in the main hall! Yes, really!

Luz En Yucatan Review, Merida, Yucatan

I love to look for boutique, unique properties when I travel and I found Luz En Yucatan just doing a Google search. The reviews were amazing and rooms started at just $57 which changes as the tourist season rises and falls.

You can click here to see current rates, read reviews, and book.

We stayed three nights and then checked out but a few days later we wanted to come back! It was sadly already booked up. It’s pretty popular so I recommend booking it well before your trip. The place is run by Tom and Donard who use to be Trek America guides. I loved hearing their stories and hearing about how they redid this hotel years ago. There were so many colonial style historical homes that were in shambles, and this was one of them! They put their heart into fixing it up, even sleeping on a mattress on the floor for 7 years while they did all the work.

The property is set up like many hotels here which is that it’s a home so kind of seems like a B&B. There is a key to the front door which you’ll be given, and then a key to your room. The pool is a shared space. All the amazing tiles you see are original from many years ago!

Our room was on the ground floor and had a little porch/balcony area. Above us was an apartment-style room that a family of 5 was staying in and even cooking dinner at to save some cash. They were actually so interesting, the Taylor family, and I told them they need to start a travel blog! They took their kids by rental car all over Mexico and were headed next to the USA. I loved hearing their stories. Actually, it’s another reason I love to stay in small boutique style hotels like this; so you can meet other travelers.

The room has everything you need – and keep in mind the low price. Our room had two beds which is pretty common in North America, TV, WiFi was great (I even streamed Hulu on a VPN and got my This Is Us fix), fridge for the many snacks I bought, and a big water dispenser. It also had A/C which you’ll find is not always the norm at boutique style hotels or Airbnb’s here. Electricity is expensive and many places are fan-only. Ben and I basically cannot live without A/C so definitely had to find a place that had it!

The bathroom was really nice – hot shower, full water pressure (again, something we didn’t find at all the places we stayed in Merida!), and they had some soap and shampoo dispensers in there.

They had someone clean the room every day and replace towels, the staff was really nice, and they even gave us a 4-page document with all their personal tips and recommendations for Merida. That made my job as a blogger WAY easier, lol.

The best thing about this place is the location. It’s just a minute walk from Saint Lucia park (Parque de Santa Lucia) which has some of the best restaurants in town in it and is near some awesome coffee shops and famous Yucatan lunch places. I hit them all up and will follow-up with a blog post soon about the best food I ate and the shops I checked out. You can take Uber in Merida without issue but while staying here we didn’t have to; we could walk everywhere.

It’s a great place because of a few reasons: It’s got the colonial charm Merida is famous for, it’s a great location, it’s got a family cozy feel, FREE booze, and the location couldn’t be better. I’d highly suggest staying here while you’re in Merida!

Click here to check rates and availability on HotelsCombined who compare all the top booking sites prices. Enjoy your stay!

The post Luz En Yucatan Review – Affordable Urban Retreat in Central Merida appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I have been waiting to stay at Coco Shambhala Sindhudurg ever since I heard the plot had been bought! I love their sister property in Goa and constantly recommend it to people looking for a luxury stay in Goa – but this new place is a 4 villa property just across the border in Maharashtra. Then I saw that India Outlook Traveller named the “best debut hotel in India” while their Nerul location was voted “finest boutique hotel in India” and I knew I had to see the new one for myself. Read more about the hotel on their website.

Coco Shambhala Sindhudurg

The property has four villas and a lot of staff, so you have people taking care of your every night – which is the same style as their Goa property. It’s that “luxury butler” experience so you are just in total bliss the whole time. Looking around, it’s just beautiful from the coconut tree wood to the infinity pool and views of the Arabian Sea. Your room rate includes food and your fridge is stocked up with drinks, including beer. The only thing you pay extra for is wine/liquor and the spa. Each villa has two bedrooms and is meant for up to four people.

The rooms have big fluffy beds, towels, that gorgeous grey stone floor, and cute bathrooms with rain showers. They have toiletries and all that jazz. Literally, everything is so set up for you and it’s like they can read your mind. We were playing Scrabble around 6 PM and they showed up with some french fries and little snacks – yes, please!

Have you tried Malvani food? They bring you the tastiest breakfast, lunches, and dinners to the villa and set it all up for you. We tried the local breakfast like misal pao done Malvani style, as well as some poached eggs, and all the other items they bring along to compliment breakfast. For lunch, we tried the carrot and pumpkin soup and a pomegranate goat cheese salad. Dinner was the best: the local prawn curry, rava fry Pomfret, eggplant masala, and other goodies. Turns out I love Malvani style Dal. Before we checked out, we had a quick lunch of vadda poa and fried chilies and pakora.

They actually call you before and discuss the menu so you can eat whatever you want. You could ask for a chicken sandwich if you’d rather – it’s 100% up to you (to an extent, don’t go getting crazy lol).

The have games you can request or TV’s in both bedrooms. We played Scrabble and I guzzled wine which is what you do at a place like this! This part of the coast is so undeveloped, so there is nowhere to go but the beach, which we did, but coming here is to really just chill here and indulge a bit. There is nothing down by the beach so you’ll have it all to yourself. It’s a really nice little cove.

The spa at Coco Shambhala Sindhudurg was epic. If you stay here you literally have to try the Ayurvedic massage. It is the BEST massage I’ve had in India and the third best in the world, knocking that 4-hour champagne massage in Bangkok down to number four. Honestly, this was just the most relaxing hour I’ve had in months.

For information on pricing and booking which fluctuates throughout the year, check out their website.

The post My Stay at Coco Shambhala, Voted India’s ‘Best Debut Hotel’ appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I kicked off 2018 at Telunas Private Island, one of the properties of Telunas Resorts, which is a resort that focuses on geo-tourism (sustaining or enhancing the geographical character of a place) and is basically a peaceful getaway in paradise. I have been sharing all about it on social media, and so many people have messaged about how to get here and how much it costs, so I’m going to do a full review of the property and let you know what to expect when you stay here.

How to Get to Telunas Private Island

It’s just 50 km from Singapore, although the island is technically in Indonesia. You’ll take a ferry from Singapore or wherever you are to Batam, Indonesia which will take about 45 minutes. The Telunas staff will meet you there and then you’ll take a longtail boat (so cool and they have snacks) about 1.5 hours to the island.

For me, I flew from Goa to Singapore and stayed the night in Singapore before going. I totally recommend you check out Singapore for a couple days before or after your trip. You can go from the airport to hotel to Harbourfront Ferry terminal all on the MRT (local transportation) really easy and very cheap. Tip: if you go for the morning ferry, there are Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coffee Bean, and all kinds of breakfast places at the ferry terminal so you can grab coffee and such before you board. If you want a hotel near the MRT, I stayed at the Dorsett which was just perfect – in Chinatown, next to an MRT stop.

When you book, Telunas staff will help you time out when you should get the ferry based on your flights and where you are coming from and help you book it. It’s all very organized and easy. When you arrive at Telunas private island, you’ll be greeted with the friendly staff, a cold towel, and a cucumber welcome drink.

The Rooms at Telunas Private Island

Staying on a private island is cool but I think the biggest reason people are so obsessed with this hotel is that it’s the only overwater villas near Singapore! I had never stayed in one before and it’s been a dream of mine – walking into my room was all “wow, omg, the view, the wood, the bed, it’s amazing!”. The girl who helped check me in was just laughing like she hears this 10x a day from guests.

The wood in the room is reclaimed, mostly from old fishing boats. These villas are stunning. You can’t walk in without being wowed – and they’ve been designed with all Malay and Indonesian touches. All 15 villas are the same with a living room, loft with two beds, a bedroom that opens to the ocean, and a bathroom. The rooms can fit up to 5 people.

In terms of amenities, they have all the basics like shampoo and conditioner but also offer aloe, mosquito spray, and a list of extras they will bring you on request. They have coffee, tea, and a water dispenser in the room. A lot of people messaged asking about mosquitos and honestly I only ever heard one (didn’t see it) buzzing one night but never got a bite and didn’t even use the spray. Usually, over salt water, mosquitos aren’t as much of an issue. The room does not have A/C but has a strong fan which was fine (and I’m addicted to A/C). The bed was so soft and I was tired from traveling. The first night I went to bed at 10 and woke up at 10. Not bad!

Right now, rooms are going for around $206 (2,950,000 IDR) per night. What a steal, no!? You can check availability and book here. Prices change based on peak season so you can input dates and see what the price is when you want to go.

Food at Telunas Private Island

Your food is automatically added to your room rate for $60 (850,000 IDR) a day or $31 (350,000 IDR) for kids. Breakfast is a buffet, lunch is a set Indonesian meal, and for dinner, you can choose ahead between 3 dishes (mix of Indonesian and European). Drinks are on an honors system and you can take what you want from the communal fridge.

Indonesian soup to die for, chicken from the kid’s meal (I’m a kid still), beef wellington

Pasta, salads, soups: there is no shortage of food. There is also a bar by the pool with snacks like nachos and cocktails. If you want something special, they will arrange a candlelit dinner or a village tour to have lunch with some locals. I was never hungry enough to even need the snacks I packed (I mean, you can’t go to an island unprepared, haha).

Activities on Telunas Private Island

This is a place to have a social media detox, and detach from the online world and enjoy the jungle around you. I won’t lie – that is hard for me! I brought books and movies because I thought “Ah, I’ll get so bored!” but in the end, I never watched any movies. I did read by the pool but spent time doing the free activities they had and chatting with other guests. (If you want a good book, [easyazon_link identifier=”1101904240″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Dark Matter[/easyazon_link] was amazing).

They have kayaks, standup paddle boards, and games like cornhole and ping-pong. They also offer daily activities like treks, things for the kids, and bonfires. You can take the kayak over the island across from Telunas, which is their other resort and hang out there if you want. You can go on a solo trek around the island, too – there is a path.

You could also just chill by the infinity pool and read, my favorite vacay activity.

You MUST get a massage. You cannot come here and not book one. It was the most insane experience because it’s on an overwater structure and while I was having my massage a HUGE thunderstorm came through. My masseuse kept going and I cannot even explain how cool it was. I think no other massage in my life will compare to having one while you can hear the strongest rain, wind, and water splashing on rocks below. There were tarps she pulled down, so I didn’t get wet, but I could peak below and see the ocean crashing. So wild! The sunsets are amazing so you might want to plan to finish your massage right as the sun is going down. When you go for a shower after, use the ones at the spa which are open-air showers with amazing views.

Pin this peek into Telunas resorts for later:

The post All the Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

In all my years of traveling, I’ve never stayed anywhere as overwhelmingly luxurious as the Samode properties in Jaipur. There are two, the Samode Haveli in town and the Samode Palace 30 km outside town. I’ll share about both of them in this Samode review so you can see what each are like and decide which you would prefer to stay in – or stay in both like I did!

• You can read more about the history of the Samode family here.
• Read my full guide to Jaipur here.

Samode Review: Haveli and Palace

This is a joint review as I stayed at both Samode Haveli in Jaipur and another Samode property called Samode Palace just 30 km outside Jaipur (it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the Palace). The Samode properties are owned by the Samode family, who were royal family of this area of Rajasthan and although democracy in India got rid of Maharajas, they are still well-respected. The Samode family decided to work with partners to turn their palaces into hotels.

Their properties are well known in India and known as being super luxurious and are mentioned often in Vogue, GQ, and other top magazines both domestic and international. Kendall Jenner just did the 10-year anniversary shoot for Vogue India at the Samode Palace and celebrities often stay there. I’m going to share about each place individually now.

Samode Haveli

The Haveli is in the city of Jaipur in a fantastic location. Beyond that, every taxi driver will know where it is which is helpful, although I don’t recommend telling shopkeepers you are staying here as they’ll know you’ve got cash to spend, ha ha! This is by far the most unique place to stay in Jaipur and I am IN LOVE with this hotel. I’ll tell you all the reasons why!

Let’s start with what you see when you walk in – I’ll share the images in order so you see the amazing architecture and everything that I did in the same order. The entrance to this haveli is amazing.

The architecture at Saomde Haveli is amazing and since I was traveling with Tia and her new clothing line, we took a ton of pictures here (which is great for me, too, to share on Instagram!). While we looked around for places to shoot, it was overwhelming how many beautiful spots there were.

Because the property is so huge, you actually don’t see many of the other guests until dinner time or by the pool (which is also massive).

The Rooms at Samode Haveli

We were in a room with an attached balcony, which is an upgrade from the standard room. The balcony was amazing! The bathtub was an additional bonus. Check out the room! I love the arches that divide the space.

Even the shampoo and conditioner is in cute little bottles. Everything is really well thought out in the rooms from the coffee maker with fancy imported coffee to the turn down service getting the room ready for bedtime. It’s really quite fancy! I loved it! The room is also HUGE and has a whole area just for closet space.

The Food At Samode Haveli

The food is SO good. I’ll start with breakfast which can be either buffet or a la carte. You can get anything from blueberry pancakes American-style to a dosa.

You might be able to guess which one is mine and which is healthy Tia’s, above, haha! I can’t go without the beans and tomato now, which is Ben’s English fault. The ham and cheese omelette was so tasty!

At lunchtime there is a buffet as well and I chose that over ordering a la carte because they had such a wide variety of food up there from local Rajasthani to North Indian in general and then Western food.

One of the days at lunch, I decided to eat by the pool and wasn’t too hungry so ordered a kids meal – chicken burger and a cold coffee. It was huge! And so tasty. Sitting by the pool in the shade eating good food… nothing better.

For dinner, there is a new menu and it has some really tasty things on offer. The first night I had Western food (BBQ chicken sliders and Teriyaki wings which were both starters and didn’t get a main dish). It was really good. We also tried some wine that the waiter suggested which was DELICIOUS!

Tia had the tuna which was the biggest piece of tuna I think I’ve ever seen served and I had Indian food the next night. I went with mutton seekh kebab which is one of my favorite north Indian dishes and it was really tasty with some cheese naan!

Overall thoughts on Samode Haveli

The property is gorgeous, the food is amazing, and the room is cozy and spacious. I don’t have anything negative to add here. The staff makes the stay even better because they are all so nice. We chatted with the waiters at the restaurant for ages! Everyone is helpful and it has a boutique feel here, nothing like a crowded 5-star hotel.

Samode Palace

I don’t think I’ll ever forget staying in a PALACE that is owned by a real Maharaja who still come and stay there sometimes! It was totally magical and as we came before peak season started we were upgraded to the suite – amazing! The only downside was having only one night.

Check out the pool view!

Below, is the courtyard, looking down from my room. The place is like a maze and this is only one side of it. You can wander around aimlessly and find little hidden nooks and rooms! It’s far outside the city and in nature. You can see wildlife out here and take a safari with the hotel, which is what many guests were here to do.

My room was insane thanks to an upgrade and I can’t wait to show it to you! I never do videos on Instagram but when I saw this room I got so excited I shared videos of the whole thing, so maybe you saw that.

The bathroom was huge! There is a big shower (I think made all out of marble), a stand alone bathtub, and tons of closet space plus some additional clothing racks.

But the best bit is the balcony.

How amazing is this!? It’s a great view, looking over the hills and the pool and it’s got a jacuzzi. The room has a fancy coffee maker so you can wake up here and enjoy coffee with a view or hop in the jacuzzi to chill out before going to bed. So ideal.

The food at Samode Palace was a completely different menu from the food at Samode Haveli. I had the bacon sandwich on sourdough and was in heaven with that choice. Please order it when you go! Tia got something healthier, I think a beet salad. We shared the prawns which were tasty, too.

Diner was the real treat although I hate that I cannot get good photos of food at nighttime. We ate on the rooftop by the pool with candlelight. I had the prawn soup in coconut broth with a main course of mutton curry.  Tia had an eggplant curry. Everything was really good and we spoke to the chef after telling him how amazing it was.

Like at Haveli, the staff here is amazing. They were so friendly. I will definitely be coming back to stay here again. It’s one of those things that is hard to explain because every fancy hotel has nice-enough staff but here it’s like the enjoyed their jobs which isn’t always the case at hotels in India. Everyone went above and beyond to take care of all the guests.

There were some rooms like below which are just stunning and the main rooms of the palace. They don’t get a lot of light so if you want to take photos here plan to do so when the sun is at its brightest. These photos don’t do it justice!

Rates and Booking Information:

For both properties, room rates vary drastically. Each room is different and priced differently based on how nice the rooms are. Seasonally in India prices go up even 4x the amount from monsoon to peak season – so, for example, you could get a basic room at the palace for 8,000 Rs. during the monsoon or the suite for 50,000 Rs. during the peak season. For this reason, I’m not going to list prices.

Click here for prices and availability on Samode Haveli

Click here for prices and availability on Samode Palace

Pin the Samode review for later:

The post Living Like a Princess in a REAL Palace Maharaja-Style with Samode in Jaipur appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I really wasn’t going to review my hotel in Udaipur in detail but decided after my stay that I would: 1) because it’s my new favorite hotel in ALL OF INDIA 2) because I had SO many photos to share 3) because they have varied room rates making it affordable for pretty much everyone 4) because when I searched best boutique hotel in Udaipur with lake views, Google came up EMPTY and I had to search long and hard to find this perfect hotel plus ask a lot of people for advice- so I hope this article will save people a lot of time searching.

Don’t forget to read my guide to Udaipur – it sums up basically everything you need to know about visiting, from getting there, sorting an Uber, shopping, food, and top tourist attractions

Jagat Niwas is the Best Boutique Hotel in Udaipur with Lake Views

Bold statement when I haven’t stayed in them all, I know! But I’ve been to Udaipur twice, looked inside many Havelis for research, and feel confident that this hotel will overdeliver on what you expect from it. I think Jagat Niwas Palace is one of the best hotels in Udaipur, even better than some five-stars because of its 17th-century charm and the incredibly friendly and helpful staff.

I spent a few days before this trip searching for the best hotels in Udaipur with a view of the lake and wasn’t really focusing on price, but was searching for both boutique and budget hotels in Udaipur near Lake Pichola. Basically, in heritage places like this, I like to stay in classic old havelis instead of 5-stars. It’s very similar to staying in Riads in Morocco rather than a 5-star hotel; you’re just going to get more charm which is really the point of it all!

After looking at photos of Jagat Niwas and reading reviews, I knew it was the place for me! The first night the room I wanted wasn’t available so I actually got to stay in two rooms at different price points so can share a little about both.

The Rooms and Rates at Jagat Niwas

One of the main reasons this hotel is so perfect for travelers is that the rooms and prices vary a lot and they INCLUDE breakfast – yay!

• If you have a decent budget you can take the Jagat Suite for 12,500 Rs ($191 USD) and be completely spoiled like a princess with the amenities or even the Heritage suite which is pretty killer for 6,250 Rs ($95 USD) also lake-facing with the cute little sitting area built into the wall over the lake.
• If you are a mid-range traveler then you can look into the Heritage rooms that are non-lake-facing but super cute and larger for 4550 Rs ($69 USD) but really if you coming then I think you should just splurge for the lake-facing one for $95 bucks!
• If you are a budget traveler, this can be the the place you splurge at on your India trip and don’t pay 500 Rs for a room – it’s definitely the place to do it. It’s the most beautiful city in India and you can get the cheapest standard non-lake facing room for 2,999 ($46 which is a steal especially if you are splitting with a friend)

CLICK HERE to check room availability and read more reviews!

Here are some images from the Jagat Suite which is just so beautiful! I will be staying here again for sure. The WHOLE freaking bathroom is marble and the window glass is the same as it was in the 17th century. You feel like you have gone back in time here.

yes, I’m wearing a swimming suit! 

The Staff at Jagat Niwas Udaipur

The people running this place are what really make it special. I met the mother/son who own it and was sure to tell them how happy we were with our stay.

In India, hospitality is a funny thing because in some ways (at grocery stores or public offices) there is NONE but in hotels, it’s always above and beyond in India and this staff was even more so, probably the best hotel staff I’ve encountered. Like if I opened a hotel in India, I’d steal them away from Jagat Niwas lol! Jk!

From bringing us tea in the evenings to helping me find a place to get a micro SD card last-minute for my GoPro they were always helpful and happy.

The Jagat Niwas Palace Restaurant

The restaurant is so popular you need to make a reservation as outside guests come here for the view and yummy food at sunset. The tandoori dishes are amazing (tried malai chicken tikka and mutton seekh kebab) and the dal baati (traditional Rajasthani dish) is really tasty. The breakfast you get for free is basic with eggs, toast, beans, tomato, tea, coffee, fruit, etc. You can also order pancakes and such a la carte if you want to pay for it.

The Boat Tour is the Cherry on Top!

Their boat tour is to DIE FOR and 1000x better than the crowded budget one I did years ago. Touring the lake around Lake Palace is kind of the “thing to do” and I thought it was okay when I first did it… but nothing to write home about. This time is different!

The boat is insane – mirrored ceilings, jewel-toned loungers and pillows, kind staff to help, and of course snacks and coconuts! We chose to go at sunset and high tea but you can go early morning for breakfast or even dinner in the moonlight. We actually had some of my friend Tia’s clothing from her new collection to shoot for, so we even did an outfit change on board lol, they have a little private room!

Book it now with this link and pin the best boutique hotel in Udaipur with lake views for later:

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I bopped around in Slovenia and stayed at a different hotel every night as I made my way around the country. On this trip, I worked with the Slovenia tourism board and part of our arrangement was that I could choose my lodgings and itinerary on the trip. I did SO much research before going so that I could find the coolest places to stay at. I found lots of unique places to stay in Slovenia and was grateful that the Slovenia tourism board booked me rooms there.

On all “influencer” trips they will, of course, need to give you a hotel room to sleep in, and there is not rule that you have to promote that hotel. You do it only if you want to! So, there were some places that I went to that will not be on this list. You can be assured I am only including places that I really loved.

Here are some seriously unique places to stay in Slovenia!

1. A Treehouse at Garden Village Bled

I’m starting with my favorite, and because it’s my favorite, it will have the most information! Garden Village Bled is gold and I highly recommend splurging out to stay here a couple nights while you are in Lake Bled.

You get to stay in a treehouse! Lake Bled is such a “fairytale” place that it’s perfect to stay up in a treehouse while here.

You can click here to book. Rates are as low as $100 (right now while I’m typing this) but go up to around $250 at peak season. Location: Lake Bled.

As you can see there is a loft upstairs, this photo shows what it looks like if you peek down from below. The next shot is the downstairs. The pool is all natural and there are even ducks floating around in it. The whole place is an eco-resort.

The food was phenomenal! You’ll get a welcome drink and snack. We had dinner here and it was a 3-course meal (pre-selected), which I found very common in Slovenia at restaurants. The tables had grass growing on them!

Sorry for the huge amount of photos. But, I really enjoyed this place. The staff was so kind, the food was delicious, and I have always wanted to stay in a treehouse. It’s a huge bonus that it’s also eco-friendly.

2. Raduha

I adored this place! The design was spot on and the food was the best meal I had in Slovenia. The woman behind it all, Martina, has such an eye for design and did this all herself with all local wood and products like felt which is a huge industry here and sheep skins. They are kind of like treehouses, but not in the actual trees – so I guess huts on stilts?

Raduha is in Luce, and would be if you decide to visit the mountain region, which you should! You can reach them at houseraduha@gmail.com or you can click here to book. Rooms are listed on their site at $200+ per night, but when booking last minute on booking.com I see a rate at just $78.

Each room here is different and designed differently. There is a pool and spa. It’s in a very quaint little village. If you rent a car and drive through Slovenia (which is the best way to get around) then you should totally set this hotel into your itinerary – even if just for the food! They serve food that is basically foraged, fresh from the forest! It’s amazing.

By the way, the beds here are the softest!

3. Kempinski Palace Portoroz

The Kempinski is a 5-star hotel, so you might wonder what makes that unique and I don’t blame you. But, all Kempinski hotels are set up in buildings that have historic meaning, like this one. It is a palace!

The restaurant here is called Sofia because Sofia Loren used to love to come here for late nights out. It’s so classy! You can either stay in the traditional side, or the “modern” side.

I stayed in the traditional side, which I recommend (I saw the modern side). The rooms are all very large here and most have balconies that overlook the sea.

The Kempinski is in Portoroz which is just the village next to Piran. You can walk to Piran if you want from Portoroz, that’s how small it is. Rooms are showing up now at around $180 for a night, which is about average for a Kempinski hotel. You can click here to book.

The breakfast here is INCREDIBLE! I have never seen such a huge 5-star breakfast so give yourself time to eat here in the morning. The whole place has a “palace” vibe, because it IS an old palace – plus it’s the perfect location.

4. Vander Urbani

I did not have a lot of time at Vander. It’s a member of Design Hotels and I think this was my favorite hotel other than the treehouse! I loved the simplistic style.

I love staying at Design Hotels, although they are often smaller and have smaller rooms. Instead of offering space, they offer more in the details.

Vander is in the heart of Ljubljana and has a perfect location. Rooms are online now for $190 per night. You can click here to book. There is a pool on the rooftop.

According to a friend we met in Ljubljana, the restaurant at Vander is one of the most famous in town and offers a lunch deal of a 3-course meal for just 12 euros. We walked by one afternoon when we came back to Ljubljana and saw it packed to the brim. It’s a very popular place!

5. Hotel Slon

Slon means elephant in Slovenian! Doesn’t this room look nice? Now would you be surprised if I told you it was a Best Western!? It is!

I actually requested the tourism board to put me in a Best Western when I could have requested anywhere because this hotel is really cool and partly because when I was researching it I couldn’t believe it was Best Western, as the ones I stayed at in the USA did not look like this.

The hotel is in the heart of the city making it a great location and it’s one of the most popular hotels in Ljubljana, along with Vander. But, if you found Vander too expensive then you might enjoy this hotel.

Rooms here are at $120 right now. You can click here to book. The location is Ljubljana city center.

It’s a 4-star hotel but it was so spacious, clean, and classy I would have thought it was 5-star. It’s really impressive and the rooms are cozy. I stayed here for two nights and was very comfortable! My room was massive.

A few more unique places to stay in Slovenia…

If I had more time in Ljubljana, I would look into Cubo Hotel and Hotel Nox. They are both top hotels in the city center.

• Hotel Cubo is in this massive historic building and is the priciest on this list at $260. It’s a 5-star hotel.
• Hotel Nox is a better deal at $130. It’s a boutique hotel with just 24 perfectly designed rooms.

For those of you going up to the mountain region: If you are a family or you are looking for something more long-term with a kitchen you can check out Alpske Sanje which is a whole house (and owner of the cute dog below). Other options would be apartments at Apartma Logarska.

So there we go! These are some unique places to stay in Slovenia, based on weeks of my research before I went! If you know more, tell me about them.

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Ben and I heard about Cavo Olympo from his brother who had stayed there a year prior but when I searched best boutique hotels in this area of Greece, it was actually the only good option that came up! It’s definitely ahead of the game here. In this Cavo Olympo review, I’ll share photos of the property and deets about the spa, pools, and food.

Cavo Olympo Review: the best (and only) luxury boutique hotel in Plaka, Greece

The rooms are spacious and have a lot of light coming in. The bathroom is also really large with a bathtub/jacuzzi. Amenities like toiletries and robes are all there. There is a mini-fridge and everything is chargeable inside, including bottled water.

My room was a junior suite and had a balcony. You can see the suite below has a private pool. The views from the rooms are spectacular. We got a sea-facing room and I’m not sure what the price difference is, but it’s worth getting one!

Check room rates and availibility here.

My dress & leather jacket are from Sancerre, in Bali (but sold online)

There are multiple pools and bars in Cavo Olympo, including one massive infinity pool. You’ll want to get out there early if you want a seat at one of the prime sunbeds set out on the infinity pool lounge (or do what I did and come later, like 4 pm when people start to go to their rooms).

Gym, Spa, and Food

There is a full gym and spa in the hotel. The spa has an indoor pool, steam room, sauna, massage rooms, and nail salon. I got my nails done while I was here and it was reasonably priced at $25 euro. I normally don’t splurge on that (since it’s so affordable in India) but I hate chipped nails when I travel.

You can book “half-board” and get breakfast and dinner buffets included in the rate. While I’m normally not down for even 5-star buffets, Greek buffets are SO good. I recommend trying the dinner buffet at least one night because then you can try so many different Greek dishes and see what you like best- that way you aren’t always ordering gyros when you go to restaurants!

Dinner had salads, casseroles and stews, a grilled meat section, and appetizer section and desserts. All the classic Greek stuff you would want is there. Wine was pretty cheap; I think I paid about 6 euro a glass.

I chose to have breakfast in bed rather than go down to the buffet (mainly to get this picture lol) and because breakfast in bed is the best! The breakfast is insane and this is a little bit of everything that is offered at the buffet. The granola has chocolate chips in it!

We went to the local beaches a lot here, but had dinner at the hotel every night and spent a lot of time by the pool. I was reading I Am Pilgrim here which is the best book I’ve read all year. FYI the water is FREEZING in May; we swam anyway!

The coverup is also from Sancerre!

When you order drinks by the pool, they’ll give you olives and chips to go with it. Something salty so you can keep drinking, lol.

There is a beach below which you could see from the rooms but there is not a “beach” perse, it’s rocky below. It’s nice to walk down to it and see, but you can’t swim or lay out down here. 

Luckily Plaka beach is two minutes away along with beautiful beach restaurants and bars. I loved this area and this is by far the best hotel around!

The hotel is beautiful and I’m definitely going to end up staying here again! You can click here to see room rates and availabilities. Enjoy your stay!

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Wondering where to go in Bali for a unique experience? You’ll love this glamping experience in Ubud!

Upon checking in at Sandat Glamping, you’re given a welcome drink and left to explore while they get your room key. The main dining area is amazing. It’s all bamboo and the furniture and design are very cool.

It’s all jungle vibes!

The room right above is the yoga shala. It’s really nice. Unfortunately, I only had one morning here and I had other plans (exploring with Duara Travels, which I’ll write about later on). The following am I left, so I missed yoga here. But man, what a kickass place to do it.

The Rooms at Sandat Glamping

Just wait for these rooms…

How amazing are these tents!

I love the circular bed. We stayed in a suite tent and it had a pool outside of it. The rooms are spacious, not just for tents. They are bigger than some boutique hotels I’ve stayed in.

While it’s glamping, it’s definitely more like a hotel than a tent. It has A/C, hot water, a mini fridge, and WiFi.

This awesome guy is showing us a tool that hangs by the door. It makes a strange sound that lets them know we need something. Each tent has a different tool with a different sound.

They don’t come down to the tents without ringing a bell at the top of the path also! I guess this would be because people are skinny dipping! You can definitely hear your neighbors here, and I think our neighbors were on their honeymoon if you know what I mean.

The pool was insane. I really wish I had one more day to spend here so I could just chill at the room. I got to stay in such cool places in Bali, but for the exception of Villa Sungai, I really didn’t get enough time in the rooms.

The water was cold but that’s because the pool is often in the shade.

Food & Spa at Sandat Glamping

Breakfast is a buffet down in the main bamboo room. You can also order more, off the menu. I had yogurt and muesli with some amazing dried fruit they make. I also had the strongest coffee. it was so good, I had two cups.

I also had a massage here. I have to say, it wasn’t the best one I’ve had. The girl was really nice, though. They set it all up in the room and although it wasn’t a deep tissue massage like most Balinese ones I had, it was still very relaxing. The cinnamon burning below the bed was really nice.

Click here to book Sandat Glamping.

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If you’re on Instagram, no doubt you see girls staying at private pool villas every 10 photos on your feed! It seems like most “digital nomads” live in Bali, and bounce from villa to villa. I was there for three weeks and really wanted to see what it was like to spend two days in pure luxury with my own pool. 

I stayed for two nights at Villa Sungai, which is inland about 40 minutes from Seminyak (driving through Canggu). You can easily go from the villa into Canggu, but it rained while we were there and I was so happy to read and play scrabble. I’d had a lot of beach time already! 

All meals are served at the villa and there is a menu with Indonesian and Western food. The owner is Australian and the design was done by her. It’s pretty impeccable. 

The rooms (3) at Villa Sungai

That’s 3 types of robes… you know, so that if you want a big fluffy one it’s there, but if you want a terry cloth one that’s there too. But then maybe you want a really light one for by the pool so they added it as well! 

The bathroom is huge and outside are two showers and a bathtub. 

They even fill the tub up with flowers. We drank about a bottle of wine and a couple cocktails each day, so it’s not like we did nothing (lol) but we mostly just drank, read, and played in the pool. 

The Villa Pool & Food

The whole villa has three rooms and they look about the same although one is larger than the other two. The decoration is simple and makes it easy to relax. They have TV with a lot of movies as well as music and speakers set up. 

In the main living room there are also speakers set up and an iPod to play with. I plugged my own phone in and used my own music. There is also a game room full of board games and books.

It was a great location, and Tia was traveling with me so we did a little photo shoot for her new summer line. Here’s a shot from that! The shoes are from a shop in Bali. I bought them in black and also got my mom a pair in black. 

This is another one of Tia’s creations from the photoshoot! I don’t think it’s for sale yet, but I’m definitely going to be buying this one.

Rainy days, tea and a book… perfect afternoon. I didn’t let myself get my computer out (much) even though the WiFi was great. We ended up watching Lion which was so good and I don’t think anyone can watch this without crying. 

In the evenings, they brought us snacks before dinner which they paired with cocktails. The spring rolls, tzatziki dip, and corn fritters were beyond tasty. 

For dinner, we ate Indonesian meals since we had been eating mostly Western food during our trip. The portions were huge and we never finished anything which I felt guilty about, although we tried.

Breakfast was the BEST. This creation is something I haven’t heard of but I don’t think it’s Indonesian. Maybe it’s Australian? Buttermilk pancakes with creamed corn and bacon… yeah, really! So good.

This biscuit may look ordinary, but it’s a homemade cheese biscuit that is crazy tasty!

Village Tour

We took bicycles to go out on the paddy fields and toured around the neighboorhood a bit. You can have the maganer, Made, take you on a full tour but it was REALLY hot. 

Again, we did some shots for Tia’s collection which I’m sharing. I’m telling you being a travel blogger traveling with a fashion designer/photographer is a serious win-win haha! It makes my life a lot easier. 

Click here to book Villa Sungai.

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Wondering where to stay in Bali? Check out the beautiful and luxurious Alila Seminyak!

I have stayed at the Alila Diwa in Goa three times and love it more everytime. Four years ago, it was the first “fancy” hotel I stayed at, in a Club room. Ever since I have always remembered how spoiled I felt there by their stellar service (massages at check-in!).

While the Alila Seminyak did not have shoulder massages during check-in, the rest was spot on! I thoroughly enjoyed staying here. When I travel long term in a country, I try to mix up with eco-friendly properties, boutique villas, young hostel type vibe like the surf camp, and a little bit of a 5-star getaway. I chose to do the 5 star bit in Seminyak because it’s more city vibes and that is when I prefer a 5 star.

The location of Alila Seminyak is ideal. It’s walking distance to a lot of cute shops and my new favorite taco place, Sea Circus. But the offer a free shuttle to Seminyak Square if you want to go further into town and be dropped off. This was a nice touch!

The rooms at the Alila Seminyak

They were in one word: HUGE.

I love a spacious room! Our room was an ocean facing room with a living room and bathroom that had a bathtub. Honestly, when it comes to 5 star hotels, there has never been a chain that does better than Alila on my travels.

The view from the room is above. Not bad! There are three pools on the property, and one is just there.

We had breakfast in bed one morning just so we could open the balcony and enjoy the sea breeze and coffee from bed. Basically, the best way to spend a morning.

The rest of the hotel: food, spa, and pool

During our time there, we did a “couples” massage ha ha, me and Tia. It was really nice. They have you choose the scent of oil you prefer. They did have almond oil which is good because Tia is allergic to coconut!

The massage was great, although it was a 60 minute massage and although we started late due to delays, we finished early, meaning it was really a 45 minute massage. I think they were running behind on appointments.

Breakfast is just about the grandest affair ever! There are HUGE buffets set up with everything you can imagine. But, beyond that, you can order anything you want from the menu. I had the bacon quiche plus some fruit, yogurt, and museli. 

The restaurant you have breakfast at, is at the edge of the hotel overlooking the sea.

One night there, we enjoyed the BBQ at the pool. I had the ribs and Tia had fish. It was really tasty, but the portions were too small. We ended up ordered a second main dish for each of us, plus we had sides of salad and potato with it. The ribs were just two small ribs. The price wasn’t high, so maybe it was more of a sunset snack.

There is a temple onsight at the Alila. Although you should probably leave the hotel and explore temples around the island, it’s pretty cool that there is one on the property. When you’re at this hotel you won’t forget you are in Bali. It doesn’t have that “I could be anywhere” vibe.

And yes, I have a black eye in every photo in Bali. I got hit with my own surf board, woops! But, it was worth it to surf all week and get a little bit better.

At the pool, you are treated like a queen. They bring you a big fluffy towel and a caddy that has sunscreen, face moisturizing spray, after sun cream, ice cold towels, and unlimited bottled water.

You can book it by clicking here.

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