Where to stay: Tony’s Villas and Resort

I liked this place a lot. It was nice and quiet and the service was great. There weren’t a lot of children around and being a smaller place, it wasn’t overcrowded with people. The breakfast included was nice enough and the rooms were comfortable. It was also located in Seminyak which I prefer and recommend over somewhere like Kuta. The W hotel was across the road so when we did the Sunday Brunch, it was an easy walk. A lot of the other great places were within walking distance.

What to do:

Have a look on trip advisor for highly regarded places that do day tours. You get a private driver and they take you where you want to go. This was a great experience.

Nusa Dua: beautiful beaches

Ubud: Monkey forest, Bali Swing, Rice Fields

Where to eat/drink:

• The Rosé Social
• Mano Beach House
• Wurung be ja na (local place in Nusa Dua)
• Chandi
• Sea Circus
• Boni Bali (local place in ubud – the view is nice but the food is average)
• Sisterfields
• Motel Mexicola
• Potato Head
• La Planca
• The W (do the Sunday brunch and Bloo Starfish)

Where to stay: Selina Manuel Antonio

This was the best Selina I have stayed in and was even one of the best hostels that I have been to. It reminds me of a South American Drug Lord’s mansion as it is located in the jungle and is painted white. The rooms were clean and the staff were lovely. The pool area was great and the food at the hostel was pretty good too. It doesn’t offer free breakfast though.

Things to do:

Manuel Antonio National Park: The reason you visit this wonderful place. I just loved seeing all the local flora and fauna and especially the sloths. Make sure you pay for a guide as without them you wont see anything! They are so skilled at their jobs. You can swim on either of the beaches at the park but I preferred to go to the main beach outside the park so I didn’t have to walk out of the park all sandy and wet… you’ll see what I mean when you go there!

Eat: El Avion is across the road from Selina and has an old plane out the front. The view is really what you fo there fore though. La Lambretta is a cool little pizza place, nothing too special but again has a great view of the ocean and jungle. Emilio’s Cafe we came here for breakfast and it was really nice, it is located next door to La Lambretta. Agua Azul this is a relly popular place that you would not expect to be good. It gets really busy so make sure you get there early for dinner!

La Luna @ Gaia Hotel: The hotel is one of the fancy ones and the restaurant located at the top of the hill is amazing. It is pricey but we went here on our last night. It would be a really romantic place to go but we also enjoyed going as friends. Cocktails are great and food is amazing.

Beach: The sand isn’t as nice as the Caribbean side but don’t let that stop you. Manuel Antonio is HOT and you will need the beach to cool off after going to the national park.

Rafting: We went with Tico Loco – They were great and looked out for our safety. The rafting experience itself was fantastic and was actual white water rafting unlike others I have tried in other places. 100% recommend this when in Manuel Antonio.

Things to do:

Markets: Lots of markets in Makarska. We were told to buy our pirate/sailor costumes somewhere other than here because of the price but we found it to be the same price as Dubrovnik. It was cool to walk around and see what the locals were selling.

Cave party: I am not sure if this is just a sail thing but this party went off! Everyone gets dressed up as pirates or sailors and its a great time. It does get super hot though. I ended up leaving and went to a local club which was so much cheaper and a lot of fun!

Explore: The town isn’t anything spectacular but there are some good spots to eat and everywhere you go you can see the beautiful Biokovo Mountain Range. It is just stunning.

Rafting: Do not do this unless you are with a large group of people and are willing to laugh about how terrible it is. We even went on a rainy day and the water was still so calm.

Ultra Music Festival: this is something you can obviously only do if you’re in split at the same time. I loved ultra and I’m so glad I went. It is a fun atmosphere and great to see people from all over the world having a good time together.

Waterfalls: Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the waterfalls but everyone I know loves them and the photos I have seen look incredible.

Things to do:

Old Town Tour: basically the tour of the old town for people who don’t watch GoT

Game of Thrones Tour: It was really hot but totally worth it. I loved seeing the filming locations of different scenes from the show. The tour also just shows you how beautiful Dubrovnik is and you can even watch the sunset up on a hill after a long and hot climb!

Revellin: a club In a castle…your pre-game got to be strong though… The prices are a JOKE! Like $20 for one vodka. The music was good though and it is cool dancing inside a castle.

Buggies: You can do this activity where you go in buggies – you end up really dirty and they aren’t as exciting as they are made out to be.

Eat out: the food is delicious and you get such a European experience eating surrounded by stones and old buildings.

My fave not only was Korcula beautiful, it was so much fun! We had a long swim stop and that was heaps of fun to lay on floaties in the ocean with everyone. Korčula is absolutely stunning and looks like something out of a fairytale. Not to be missed when in Croatia.

Things to do:

Massimo Cocktail Bar: Basically a sunset bar that is inside and on top of what looks like a castle tower. You have to climb up this skinny ladder to get to the sunset lounge at the top. It is incredible and such a fun way to watch the sunset.

Explore the town: as I said before, Korčula is absolutely stunning so make use of your time here and explore this spectacular town.

Boogie Jungle: A really fun night out that has great music and guarantees a good time!

Accommodation: Sail Croatia – Split Return
We went with Sail Croatia over other companies because they specialise in that and defs have the best reviews. So we found out at check-In that our boat wasn’t sailing so we had been put on a different boat. We were split up from a friend because of this but Tim, Julia and myself were upgraded to a premium boat. At first I was upset because honestly I thought only boring people would pay extra for a more luxurious boat…boy was I wrong. I loved the people on my boat and they certainly weren’t boring. All but about 4 people were from Australia, most from Sydney… Now I’m a lifetime member of the Melbourne/Sydney rivalry and whenever someone is from Sydney I’m reluctant to make friends with them… How my opinion has changed. I loved them all and I feel so lucky to have spent a week surrounded by absolute legends. We sailed on the mighty Azimut… Or fondly referred to as ‘the Mut’. We had aircon and thank fuck for that… I would defs recommend paying more for that sweet sweet aircon. The crew were amazing and helped with whatever you needed and breakfast and lunch really never disappointed.

What to do:

Climb the hill: if hiking is your thing you can climb the hill to explore the 7th century ruins and overlook the harbour.

People watch: Hvar is known for fancy boats and celebrities. You can sit back and watch everyone live the life you could only dream of.

Party: Hvar nightlife is sweaty, overpriced but lots of fun! I had a great night out in Hvar. You can head to Carpe Diem which requires you to get on a little boat and head over to another part of the island.

How to get there: Caribe Shuttle

Caribe is the best way to get around Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. They offer wifi and if you are lucky, you may even have the van to your self. We came from La Fortuna and it was a direct bus with a quick stop where we changed drivers.

Accommodation: Playa 506

506 is located near the Selina (A popular hostel chain in Latin America) in Puerto Viejo. It is a fair hike outside of the town centre but it is truly beautiful. You have a relaxing area that backs on to the beach (image above), the beds are comfortable and private and it has it’s own restaurant. I wish I had have spent more time at this hostel as it is such a chilled out place with a cool vibe.

Accomodation: Hostel Sel et Sucre

A good enough hostel with its best feature being safety. A big gate is locked at night so you feel really secure here. This isn’t necessarily needed in Puerto Viejo in my opinion, I felt safe in the town including walking around at night. The hostel is a bit of a mess and the check-in desk is surrounded by crap and it is a bit of a turn off. I would recommend this hostel as a stop over or basically if you don’t plan to have any fun. The location is spot on though and is in the middle of the town.

Things to do:

Go to the beach: On all of my overseas trips I find myself back in the Caribbean – I just cant stay away and Puerto Viejo offered my what I love about the Caribbean. Crystal clear water, soft sand, and Insta-worthy pictures. The beach is beautiful here and the town travels along the beach so you can see something different each day you go.

Koki Beach Restaurant & Bar: Such a cool restaurant. They have great cocktails and seriously delicious food that has a Caribbean/Latin twist. During the day the view is beautiful as it faces the beach and at night the lights set a great vibe. Make sure you check Koki out while in PV.

Markets: Markets EVERYWHERE! There are some good things but a lot of it I feel you could just get in Thailand (avoid products with elephants on it). Typical to Costa Rica though, things are quite expensive considering you are shopping at a market. You still have to check them out though.

How to get there: Caribe Shuttle

Honestly the best way to get around Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. They offer wifi and if you are lucky, you may even have the van to your self. We came from SJDS in Nicaragua and had to change vans in Limon (Costa Rica) – from there it is direct.

Things to do:

Hot Springs: the hot springs are located on the mountain and look fantastic. Be mindful however that during some times of the year the weather is so hot and humid that you wont feel like going.

Restaurante Tiquicia: The most delicious traditional costa rican food (photo above). There was so much provided and it was just amazing. It is a little out of the main town but totally worth it. You eat in the outdoor part and its very relaxing.