Inspirations

Travel Lyn Style

3 days ago

One last Bali thought before I stop talking about the island.

Over the past few weeks I’ve taken you from Ubud to Tejakula, Amed and Jimbaran, shared ceremonies, offerings, waterfalls and village life, and perhaps most importantly introduced you to the people of Bali. Their pride in their island, their traditions and their desire to share them with visitors is often what makes people fall in love with the Island of the Gods.

The itinerary I followed costs around £2,000 per person and, if I’m honest, I would happily do exactly the same journey again. But not everybody has a £2,000 budget.

If you’ve enjoyed following my Bali adventures and have been quietly thinking, “I’d love to go, but not at that price”, then Bali can still be done for under £1,000 per person.

This 11-night twin-centre combines the peaceful surroundings of Ubud with time to relax in Canggu, giving you a taste of Bali’s cultural heart alongside its coastal lifestyle.

📅 Departure: 10 March 2027
🛏️ Duration: 11 nights plus 2 nights in flight
💷 £999 per person
💳 Deposit: £99 per person

Your package includes:
✈️ International flights from London Heathrow with 23kg baggage
🏡 3 nights at Senetan Villas & Spa Resort, Ubud
🥐 One Bedroom Bungalow with breakfast
🚗 Private transfer between resorts
🌴 7 nights at The Bali Dream Villa Resort, Echo Beach, Canggu
🥐 Superior Room with breakfast
🚘 Private airport transfers throughout

Senetan sits amongst the greenery outside Ubud and offers a quieter side of Bali, whilst Canggu provides beach sunsets, cafés, surfing, restaurants and a different pace of island life.

Additional local charges:
📄 Visa On Arrival: 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah per person (approximately £25-£30)
❤️ Bali Tourist Levy: 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah per person (approximately £6.50-£7)

This may not be exactly the Bali that I chose for myself, but one of the things this trip reminded me is that there is no single “right” way to experience the island. Whether you want to explore four different regions or simply split your time between jungle and coast, Bali remains one of the most rewarding destinations I know.

And now, I promise, I shall stop talking about Bali. At least until somebody books it, even if that somebody happens to be me!

Price based on 2 adults sharing.
Price and availability correct at the time of posting and subject to change.

Package sold by Travel Lyn Style.
Organised by Merlin Travel Group ATOL 11770.

#TravelLynStyle #BaliHoliday #Bali2027 #IslandOfTheGods ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 week ago

If you've been following my Bali diary over the past two weeks and found yourself thinking, "I'd quite like a bit of that", this is the exact route we followed. Minus the malfunctioning laptop, the scooter expedition, the slippery stones and my ongoing fascination with Bali's wildlife.

What you will get is a journey through four very different parts of Bali, from the cultural heart of Ubud to the quieter north coast, the black sand beaches of Amed and a relaxing finish in Jimbaran.

📅 Departure: 14th October 2026
🌙 Duration: 12 nights in Bali + 2 nights in flight
💷 From £2,000 per person based on 2 adults sharing

Your Package Includes:
✈️ Economy class flights from London Heathrow with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul
🧳 30kg checked luggage per person
🍳 Breakfast throughout
🌿 3 nights at Mathis Retreat Ubud in a Garden View Bungalow
🏊 3 nights at The Tiing Villas Tejakula in a One Bedroom Ocean View Villa with Private Pool
🌊 3 nights at Good Karma Bungalows Amed in a Sea View Villa
🌴 3 nights at InterContinental Bali Resort Jimbaran in a Classic King Room with Balcony and Garden View
🚗 Private transfers throughout, including airport and hotel transfers

Things to See & Do:

The following are some of the experiences we enjoyed whilst travelling this route. Excursions are not included in the package price but can be arranged before departure or during your stay.
🌾 Explore the UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
🛕 Discover Bali's temples, ceremonies and daily offerings
🌋 Enjoy views of Mount Batur and Bali's volcanic landscapes
🐒 Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud
🥥 Explore traditional villages and rural Bali
🐠 Snorkel coral reefs and discover Bali's underwater world
🚤 Watch colourful fishing boats line the beaches of Amed
🌅 End your journey beside the sands of Jimbaran Bay

Additional Local Charges:
📄 Visa On Arrival – 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah per person (approximately £25-£30)
❤️ Bali Tourist Levy – 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah per person (approximately £6.50-£7)

This holiday is dynamically packaged by Travel Lyn Style and protected through Merlin Travel Group. Price is correct at the time of publication, based on the stated departure date, and is subject to availability and change.

One of the reasons I enjoy Bali so much is that every region feels different. Move around the island and you'll find rice terraces, volcanic landscapes, traditional villages, coral reefs, fishing communities and long sandy beaches, often all within a few hours of each other.

If you'd like to discover the Bali beyond the beach clubs and social media hotspots, I'd be delighted to help.

#TravelLynStyle #Bali #Indonesia #CuratedTravel ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 week ago

One of the things visitors to Bali quickly learn is to watch where they're putting their feet.

At first, it's because the small woven baskets of flowers, rice and incense seem to appear everywhere. Outside homes, shops, restaurants and temples. Beside swimming pools, at crossroads, in rice fields and even on the dashboards of vehicles. After a few days, you find yourself automatically checking the ground before taking a step.

The Balinese call these daily offerings canang sari. They're expressions of gratitude and devotion, intended to help maintain harmony between people, nature and the spiritual world. During my recent trip, one of our hotels provided a simple explanation of their significance, but what fascinated me most wasn't what they meant. It was how completely they're woven into everyday life.

The first offerings appear before dawn, long before most tourists have emerged in search of breakfast. Fresh flowers are carefully arranged, incense is lit and the day begins. By the following morning, the process starts all over again.

Most visitors photograph the neat, colourful offerings, and rightly so. Some are extraordinarily beautiful. Yet one of my favourite photographs from this trip is of yesterday's offerings gathered outside a temple after a ceremony had ended. The flowers are fading, the leaves are beginning to dry and they will soon be replaced by fresh ones. To me, that's far more interesting than the perfect examples because it shows that this isn't something arranged for visitors. It's simply part of daily life, repeated day after day, year after year.

One of the things I've always found interesting about Bali is that the offerings tell you a great deal about the place you're in. In rural areas such as Tejakula, Amed and the villages around Ubud, they're impossible to miss. In some of the more heavily developed tourist areas, they seem to fade into the background. They haven't disappeared, but they're no longer the first thing you notice. For me, that's often a clue as to whether I'm experiencing Bali itself or simply a destination that happens to be located in Bali.

I also noticed a small tradition that many visitors probably overlook. In some of the more traditional family-run shops, banknotes received from customers are briefly passed over the merchandise before being put away. The gesture is intended to share prosperity and invite good fortune for the business. It's easy to miss if you're busy putting away your change, but it's another example of how spirituality and daily life remain closely connected.

Amusingly, after spending part of my holiday on a mission to find culinary pandan to bring home, I started noticing familiar plants appearing everywhere. The flowers, leaves and natural materials used in offerings don't come from a separate world reserved for ceremonies. Many are the same plants growing in gardens, used in cooking or sold in local markets. In Bali, daily life, nature and spirituality aren't neatly separated into different boxes. They coexist quite naturally.

My first visit to Bali was in 1993 and the island has changed enormously since then. There are more hotels, more traffic and more visitors than ever before. Yet every morning, all over the island, somebody is still weaving leaves, arranging flowers and lighting incense before the day begins.

During our stay, preparations for Galungan were already underway. We saw people working on offerings, carrying materials and preparing for one of the most important festivals in the Balinese calendar. I kept hoping we'd round a corner and find the roads already lined with decorated penjor poles, but we were just a little too early.

Our driver on the journey back to the airport promised he'll send me photographs once everything is in place, which feels rather fitting. After two weeks spent noticing the details that most visitors walk straight past, I'm now sitting in England waiting for pictures of decorations I narrowly missed.

For me, that's Bali in a nutshell. Not just the beaches, temples and resorts, but the daily rituals, traditions and quiet acts of gratitude that continue whether tourists are watching or not.

And that's why those small baskets of flowers, rice and incense tell you far more about Bali than any brochure ever could. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 week ago

Bali – Day 14 – Time to Say Goodbye

Our final morning in Bali began much as the previous three had. Breakfast happened, the musicians smiled back, and the resident monitor lizards emerged for what appeared to be a communal hydrotherapy session beneath the fountain.

Meanwhile, my laptop chose this particular morning to retire the letters I and O, along with the number 0 and the backspace key. Not ideal when online check-in, travel admin and the small matter of writing yesterday’s epic tribute to Cuca were all on the agenda.

Fortunately, my trusty iPhone came to the rescue. Several hours of squinting at a screen the size of a digestive biscuit later, everything was eventually accomplished. I may now require stronger glasses.

By then it was lunchtime. We headed to the Sunset Bar beside the beach, found a shady table, ordered lunch and settled in. The drinks arrived promptly. The food did not. By the time our meals eventually appeared, our shady table was in full sunshine, we had completed the Times Jumbo Crossword and finalised our departure strategy.

Back in the room we had just over two hours until our airport transfer. My other half’s suitcase was already packed and standing neatly by the door while he headed off to the pool for a final dose of sunshine. I, naturally, had not started packing. Instead, I decided my remaining rupiah needed converting into souvenirs, with very little consideration for the increasingly theoretical amount of space left in my suitcase.

First stop was the supermarket for ginger sweets, dragon fruit and Bali soap, followed by the little offerings shop across the road for incense. I wanted the real thing, the fragrance that drifts through temples and shrines every day, not the version packaged for tourists.

The young lady serving spoke very little English and my Balinese remains limited to polite greetings and goodbyes. Through a combination of pointing and enthusiastic gesticulation she understood that I wanted incense and seemed slightly disappointed when I explained that I only needed one packet of 100 sticks. She informed me the total was 40,000 rupiah. I smiled and pointed at the 25,000 rupiah price tag on the shelf. Balinese people don’t visibly blush, but there was definitely a sheepish smile before she agreed that perhaps it was 25,000 after all. I handed her the 40,000 rupiah anyway and told her to pray for me. The smile that followed was worth every rupiah.

Next came a return visit to a souvenir shop I’ve frequented on previous trips. Pushing open the door, I announced, “Hati-hati! Tourist in the house! Selamat siang!” There were giggles. There were smiles. I explained that I was desperately short of both time and suitcase space but that I absolutely needed a duck to remind me of Bali. Naturally. An appropriate duck was located, wrapped and purchased while I chatted with the young man behind the counter and mentioned that I remembered his mother from previous visits. We parted company smiling, my duck safely wrapped and the clock ticking ever louder.

Back at the hotel I had one hour remaining. First things first: a cup of tea. Then came the awkward realisation that I had absolutely no idea what to do with the kettle I had acquired earlier in the trip. It certainly wasn’t coming home with us, and leaving it behind somehow felt wrong.

A quick WhatsApp message to our driver, complete with photograph, solved the problem. He wanted it. Everyone was happy.

Packing eventually commenced. Some creative redistribution of luggage contents may have been required, but eventually both suitcases closed successfully.

As we climbed into the car, the scent of pandan drifted from the offering on the dashboard. The small basket was covered with dried shredded pandan leaves, releasing that familiar fragrance I had spent half the holiday obsessing over. It felt oddly fitting.

The ducks, the monitor lizards, the peacocks, the squirrels, the pigs, the koi carp, the waterfalls, the rice terraces, the snorkelling adventures, the friendly smiles, the pandan expeditions and even the occasional minor catastrophe all seemed to arrive together for one final farewell.

The journey to the airport passed without incident. Check-in worked. Security worked. Immigration worked. Frankly, it all felt suspiciously efficient.

Standing at the aircraft door, I smiled at the staff and announced, perhaps a little louder than necessary: “Bye Bye Bali. It’s been fun.” Several smiled and wished us well. And just like that, our visit to Bali came to an end.

Next stop, Istanbul. Then Heathrow. Then home. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 week ago

Bali – Day 13 – Jimbaran

Another lazy wake-up in our almost soundproofed room. We can hear the fountain, but the wildlife appears to have signed a non-aggression pact with the hotel management. No dawn chorus, no competitive rooster crowing, no dogs conducting neighbourhood meetings at 3am.

Breakfast took place in the main restaurant, where we were escorted directly to our “usual” table in the garden in front of the musicians. It was reassuring to see that the same musicians were still there six years later and still not smiling. Naturally, this became my mission for the morning. A little applause, plenty of smiles and an enthusiastic thank you for allowing me to film them eventually yielded two smiles out of three. Progress.

At 11am we set off for the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, better known as GWK. The journey south was conducted largely at walking pace thanks to traffic, which at least gave us time to observe the surroundings. Fast food chains and coffee shops have firmly established themselves here and, whilst perhaps inevitable, they do make parts of southern Bali feel rather less Balinese than they once did.

We also passed a durian shop and spent several minutes wondering whether spending every day surrounded by the world’s most divisive fruit might have consequences for one’s social life.

At one point traffic ground to a halt beside a traditional market. I was convinced my elusive pandan leaves were lurking just a few metres away. Before I could leap from the car in pursuit, the traffic cleared and my opportunity disappeared into the distance.

GWK itself is a curious place. The approach feels more like arriving at a government complex than a cultural attraction, with vast avenues, manicured lawns and enormous animal sculptures scattered throughout the grounds. Buying tickets should have been simple. It wasn’t. After successfully navigating the online booking system, we discovered we also needed a time slot for our guided tour inside the statue. This information only became apparent after several rounds of showing tickets, receipts and screenshots to various officials. Eventually we secured places on the 1pm tour and were left with an hour to fill.

Inside the park, we wandered past the immense statues of Wisnu and Garuda, dodging selfie sticks, influencers and small children strategically positioned to block pathways. The statues themselves are impressive, and the accompanying audio guides explain the significance of Wisnu, the Hindu god who preserves and protects the universe, and Garuda, his mythical eagle-like companion.

The Lotus Pond offered spectacular views of the surrounding limestone cliffs, although not a lotus was visible. Naming conventions appear to be somewhat flexible.

Soon it was time for our buggy ride up to the main attraction: the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue itself. Standing 121 metres tall, it is one of the tallest monumental statues in the world. Conceived by Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta in 1990 and finally completed in 2018, the project took almost three decades to finish and weighs around 4,000 tonnes. Seeing photographs beforehand simply does not prepare you for the reality of standing beneath it.

The guided tour takes visitors inside the structure itself. Behind the copper and brass exterior lies a vast steel framework that feels more like the inside of a skyscraper than a statue. We learned about the engineering challenges involved, the wind testing, the construction process and the sheer scale of the undertaking. Looking out from the viewing level across southern Bali was surprisingly disappointing. As an engineering achievement alone, it is worth visiting. By the time we returned to the car we were hot, tired and sporting an impressive step count.

Fortunately, the day was about to improve dramatically. We stopped in Jimbaran to collect our laundry and, more importantly, to see whether my pandan leaves had actually been put aside for me. They had. I cannot adequately explain the level of joy this generated.

The shop owner seemed quietly amused as I enthusiastically purchased pandan, along with galangal, ginger and turmeric. Thanks to modern technology and a great deal of pointing at things, I emerged triumphant. For the equivalent of about 20 pence, I had finally secured my culinary treasure.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent by the pool sharing a scoop of coffee ice cream and enjoying the return of the sunshine after several cloudy days. With our final full day in Bali slipping away, there was a definite sense that the holiday was beginning to draw to a close.

Dinner that evening was at Cuca, just a short walk along the beach from our hotel. This was our third visit. For anyone staying in Jimbaran, I genuinely believe it should be on the list of places not to miss.

Opened in 2013 by Chef Kevin Cherkas, whose career included time in some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, Cuca has collected an impressive number of international awards and recommendations, including recognition from Tatler and the Michelin Green Guide. More importantly, the food is exceptional. We sat at the kitchen counter, watching a brigade of chefs produce dish after dish with astonishing precision. It was exhausting just observing them.

I started with a Bali Mary, made with Cuca’s own house-made Tabasco. My better half chose a Sungria that arrived looking like a science experiment before wine and brandy were poured over frozen fruit and sorbet.

We selected three dishes each. Whilst technically described as tapas, the portions are considerably more generous than many tapas bars would dare to serve. Every dish brought different flavours, textures and surprises. Nothing felt complicated for the sake of it; just thoughtful, creative food executed brilliantly. Desserts followed and demonstrated that restraint had abandoned the kitchen entirely. As always, Cuca delivered an experience rather than simply a meal. If I return to Bali in the future, and I sincerely hope I do, I have absolutely no doubt that I will return to Cuca as well.

Our walk back along the beach felt rather reflective. Tomorrow would be our last day on an island that has once again reminded us why we keep coming back. The plans for tomorrow are simple. Sunshine permitting, a final day of relaxation. And packing. Mostly packing. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali – Day 12 – Jimbaran

Today was a very late start for me as the soundproofing I’d hoped for yesterday actually worked. No roosters, no dogs and, most importantly, no peacocks announcing the dawn of a new day. Just the gentle hum of the air conditioning and eventually an announcement from my other half that we would miss breakfast if I didn’t get a move on.

Breakfast didn’t quite go according to plan. The resort has been hosting a wedding over the past three days and we have never seen it so busy. We arrived expecting one of our usual tables outside only to be told there was a queue of around twenty minutes. Rather than spend part of our holiday standing in line for coffee, we defected to another restaurant.

Before doing so, we checked on the resident monitor lizards. Three were spotted lurking around the fountains, looking like miniature dinosaurs that had somehow survived extinction and found gainful employment at a five-star resort.

Our alternative breakfast venue initially seemed like a triumph. We secured an outside table immediately and ordered coffee. Five minutes later we were congratulating ourselves on an excellent decision. Thirty minutes later we were still waiting for a fried egg. By the time it arrived, we suggested that management might consider issuing the staff with roller skates.

After breakfast, we split up for the morning. He headed for the pool while I embarked on a solo expedition involving laundry, a pharmacy, a dinner reservation and, most importantly, the acquisition of pandan leaves to bring home.

The first few tasks went remarkably smoothly. Even crossing the main road was becoming second nature. It is surprising how quickly repeatedly dicing with death starts to feel normal. Unfortunately, my lie-in meant I had missed the best time to visit the traditional market. A consultation with AI suggested an alternative supermarket, so off I set through the residential backstreets of Jimbaran. The walk itself was fascinating. Small temples stood outside family compounds, ornate gateways framed hidden courtyards and dogs lounged outside homes keeping a watchful eye on passing strangers.

Then things took an unexpected turn. A woman on a scooter slowed down beside me and shouted, “Hey Miss, where are you going?”
“The supermarket,” I replied.
“Hop on, I’ll take you.”
For reasons that remain entirely unclear, I accepted. Moments later I was clinging to the back of a scooter driven by a complete stranger, without a helmet, weaving through narrow roads and wondering whether this was either the best or worst travel decision I had ever made. My impromptu taxi deposited me safely at the main road, wished me a happy holiday and disappeared into the traffic. I still can’t quite believe that happened.

The supermarket turned out to be smaller than expected and, naturally, had no pandan leaves. It did, however, have sambal, kecap manis, gado-gado seasoning and an intriguing Japanese tea maker that nearly followed me home. My search continued.

A post office smelled strongly of pandan but had none for sale. Market stalls had none. Small shops had none. One vendor looked at me as though I had developed a sudden and rather worrying fixation with leaves. Eventually, I found a stall overflowing with herbs, vegetables and spices. Victory seemed certain. They had sold out.

Apparently more would arrive tomorrow and I have persuaded them to put some aside for me. Whether this agreement survives contact with reality remains to be seen, but I am cautiously optimistic.

On my wanderings, I also came across a less attractive side of Bali. Tourism has brought prosperity to many communities across the island, but it has also brought an enormous increase in waste. Bali’s waste management infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the rapid growth in visitor numbers and population. Whilst many local organisations, businesses and volunteers work tirelessly on clean-up initiatives and recycling projects, rubbish remains a significant challenge in some areas. Plastic waste in particular often finds its way into rivers, roadsides and eventually the sea. It is a reminder that paradise and reality frequently occupy the same space, and that responsible tourism matters more than ever.

Back at the hotel, we decided to give the breakfast restaurant a second chance for lunch. This proved to be an error. A poke bowl and a Caesar salad required more than thirty minutes to appear. Fortunately, Bali’s wildlife department stepped in to fill the gap. A squirrel spent the waiting time performing increasingly ambitious acrobatic manoeuvres between a palm tree and the awning above our table. It moved too quickly for photographic evidence, which is unfortunate because it was by far the most efficient thing operating in the restaurant.

To compensate for the delay, complimentary coffees and ice cream were offered. We declined, worried they might arrive sometime next Tuesday.

Later, I mentioned the Japanese tea maker from the supermarket and was informed that I should have bought it. This led to a highly educational fifteen minutes during which I discovered that I could order an actual kettle online for less than £5 and have it delivered directly to the hotel. Twenty-five minutes later, kettle in hand, I was enjoying a proper cup of tea and feeling extraordinarily pleased with myself. Better still, I discovered that the same app can deliver pandan leaves. My backup plan was complete.

Then the heavens opened. Not gentle rain. Not drizzle. Proper tropical rain. Great sheets of water falling from the sky and bouncing off the ground in all directions. It lasted only a short while, but afterwards the air was filled with that wonderful scent of rain falling on hot earth. There is even a word for it: petrichor. Sadly, the clouds lingered and our hoped-for sunset never materialised.

Dinner was at Balique, just across the road from the hotel and one of our favourite restaurants in Jimbaran. The menu blends Indonesian and French influences and, once again, it did not disappoint.

Tomorrow we are planning to visit the GWK Cultural Park and we have a special dinner reservation. There is also the small matter of collecting laundry and, hopefully, finally taking possession of some pandan leaves. The suspense is becoming almost unbearable. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali – Day 11 – Amed to Jimbaran via Sidemen

The day dawned with its usual flurry of activity, although I missed the actual dawn entirely. My considerably more motivated other half was up early enough to capture the spectacular sunrise photos attached to this post. Whilst lying in bed enjoying some well-earned sleep has its merits, discovering afterwards that Mother Nature put on one of her finest performances without me is mildly irritating. Note to self: make more effort.

Tea was consumed, breakfast was enjoyed and then came the now familiar packing ritual. This one felt particularly bittersweet because Good Karma has quietly worked its way into our affections. Of all the places we've stayed so far, this is the one I was least ready to leave.

Talking of packing, I owe a debt of gratitude to my now retired airline pilot Dad. Thanks to lessons learned on family travels and later refined at boarding school, I can still fit what appears to be a small household into a suitcase. A useful life skill when travelling with snorkelling gear, electronics, emergency supplies and enough tea bags to survive a minor apocalypse.

With a few hours to spare before departure, I went on one final expedition around the hotel gardens in search of pandan leaves. My plan was simple: smuggle home enough fragrance to make the house smell faintly of Bali for a few weeks. The mission failed completely, but it proved a pleasant excuse to wander the grounds one last time, say goodbye to the staff, chat with Wayan from our snorkelling trip and watch the fishermen preparing their boats.

At 11.30, we hit the road. More accurately, the road hit us. A particularly enthusiastic collection of potholes just outside the hotel had us bouncing around the back seat like contestants in some obscure village fairground ride.

Our route took us inland through eastern Bali. Familiar landmarks flashed past, including Tirta Gangga and the giant flying duck at Maha Gangga Valley. Sadly, there was no opportunity for photographs because we were on a mission to reach Sidemen for lunch.

As we descended into Sidemen Valley, it became obvious why so many people rave about it. Sidemen feels like Bali has quietly stepped back a few decades. There are rice fields, rivers, villages and mountain views, but remarkably little noise. No traffic chaos, no endless souvenir shops and no one trying to sell you a day bed package. The loudest things, apparently, are the frogs. If your idea of a holiday involves doing very little whilst staring at Mount Agung, this may be your happy place. It has certainly found its way onto our list for next time.

Koli Koli, however, was a rather different experience. Perched dramatically on the valley side, it consists of terraces, plunge pools, day beds and approximately fourteen million steps. There were influencers carefully posing at every available viewpoint, not a handrail in sight, and very few Balinese guests. It felt less like Sidemen and more like a beach club that had taken a wrong turn somewhere near Canggu. That said, the view was spectacular, my prawn tacos were excellent and our table occupied prime real estate overlooking the valley. I can't complain. Well, not much.

Back on the road, Bali continued to provide entertainment. We saw pigs being transported in a manner unlikely to feature in any luxury travel brochure, passed coffee farms, watched villages preparing elaborate decorations for Galungan and listened to our driver explain one of Bali's most important festivals. Galungan celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the return of ancestral spirits to visit their families. Various locals have also described it to us as "a bit like Christmas" or, less helpfully, "nothing very interesting for tourists".

As we approached the south of the island, traffic density increased dramatically. Scooters carrying entire family units squeezed between buses, trucks and cars, all apparently operating under the same principle: arrive first, ask questions later. This brought us to the Bali Mandara Toll Road, a 12.7-kilometre stretch built across Benoa Bay. It saved us all of ten minutes, cost the princely sum of 14,000 Rupiah and satisfied my curiosity. Money well spent.

Arrival at the InterContinental Jimbaran felt like stepping into a parallel universe. A gong was sounded as we entered. I chose to believe this was a welcome rather than a warning to the staff to hide anything breakable. Check-in was swift, my IHG membership was acknowledged and we were upgraded to a rather splendid mezzanine room overlooking immaculate gardens inhabited by what appears to be a small army of peacocks. The wildlife tally continues to grow.

Our attempt to catch the final moments of sunset failed by roughly ten seconds. Consistency is important.

Instead, we headed to the new supermarket outside the resort. Officially, we needed water and sugar-free tonic. Unofficially, browsing an Indonesian supermarket is one of my favourite holiday activities. I inspected candlenuts, ginger, galangal and yet again searched unsuccessfully for pandan. The staff informed me that if I wanted pandan, I would need to visit the traditional market the following morning. Challenge accepted.

We also encountered durian. I quite like durian. My other half reacts to durian as though it has personally offended him. We left it on the shelf in the interests of domestic harmony.

Dinner was taken on Jimbaran Beach. Whilst the resort restaurants are lovely, it is difficult to ignore twenty beachfront seafood restaurants sitting fifty metres away. Unfortunately, before reaching them, a rogue wave launched a surprise attack and soaked our shoes. Apparently wearing shoes on a sandy beach was our first mistake. We eventually found a table beside the sea, enjoyed a simple dinner with a cocktail and a small Bintang as we watched local dogs conducting their nightly patrols amongst the offerings left on the sand.

Walking back along the beach, avoiding further aquatic ambushes, we reflected on how different this part of Bali feels from the places we'd visited over the previous ten days. Less authentic perhaps, more polished certainly, but still undeniably Bali.

As we returned to our room, the resident peacocks were settling into their rather luxurious accommodation in the resort gardens. Whether they are capable of replacing Bali's army of roosters as the official dawn alarm system remains to be seen, although given that this is a five-star resort, I'm hopeful that somebody has explained the concept of soundproofing to them.

Tomorrow's mission involves relaxation by the pool for him and a traditional market and a determined search for pandan leaves for me. The odds of success currently appear to be roughly on a par with spotting a unicorn. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali – Day 10 – Amed

For reasons that remain unclear, sleep and I had a disagreement during the night. Whether it was the waves, the heat or my brain deciding that rest was overrated, I couldn’t say. The upside was being awake in time to watch the fishing boats return to shore at dawn.

The black volcanic beach beside our room was almost deserted as the traditional jukung boats appeared one by one on the horizon. A little further along the beach, a lady sat waiting with her three children, all eyes fixed firmly on the sea. Somewhere out there was Dad. Amed may be popular with snorkellers and divers, but it remains very much a working fishing village. Long before tourists emerge in search of coffee, many local fishermen have already been at sea for hours.

After breakfast I wandered back down to the beach and discovered two freshly caught fish lying on a wall exactly where the family had been sitting earlier. No explanation was required. Dad had clearly done his job.

At 10am we met Kayan and his boss Wayan for a snorkelling trip. The first stop was the Japanese Shipwreck. To be fair, describing it as a shipwreck raises expectations. What remains today is less “sunken maritime relic” and more “underwater reminder that there was once a ship here”. Fortunately, Jemeluk Bay more than redeemed the morning. Huge shoals of fish drifted over the reef, occasionally parting around us as though we’d accidentally wandered into somebody else’s underwater motorway.

Back on dry land, we immediately inspected the photographic evidence. This involved my phone inside a waterproof pouch that I had spent the entire morning distrusting and my other half’s waterproof camera. Against all expectations, both survived. A handful of my photos turned out reasonably well. Many of his were excellent. Unfortunately, his camera has now refused to communicate with his iPad, so the best images of the day are effectively being held hostage until we get home.

Lunch was a delicious nasi goreng, adding yet another serving of rice to what is becoming a remarkably rice-based diet. Afterwards came a well-earned siesta, some route planning for tomorrow’s transfer and an unexpected biology lesson as I continued my hunt through the hotel gardens for culinary pandan.

As evening approached, we boarded the shuttle to Mathis Lodge, the sister property of the Mathis Retreat in Ubud and thankfully free of rebellious ducks.

The journey up the mountain was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Just when we thought we had experienced Bali’s most challenging roads, this one raised the bar. Our backsides regularly lost contact with the PVC-covered benches as we bounced through potholes of increasing size.

Yet the journey itself was fascinating. Through open doorways we caught glimpses of family life; children watching television, parents preparing food and offerings, neighbours helping each other with building projects and youngsters enjoying the simple thrill of a ride in the back of a pick-up truck.

The higher we climbed, the cooler the air became. The road became a track. The potholes became geological features. Eventually we arrived at Mathis Lodge, perched high above Amed with sweeping views across the hills and sea beyond.

The setting is spectacular. Had it not required an assault on the lower spine to reach it, we could happily have stayed there. Instead, we settled for cocktails, a delicious dinner and a shared crème brûlée that was entirely worth every calorie.

The journey home was considerably more comfortable thanks to Wayan and one of the lodge’s electric vehicles. Along the way we chatted about life in Bali. He explained that he still lives with his parents, as many young adults do, because living independently is expensive.

When Indonesians talk about money, they talk in millions. Wayan explained that weddings, houses and family ceremonies can easily cost hundreds of millions of Rupiah. It turns out that young adults in Bali face many of the same challenges as young adults everywhere else. First you have to find the right person. Then you have to pay for the wedding. Then you need somewhere to live. Then come the children. Suddenly those potholes on the road up to Mathis Lodge didn’t seem quite so frightening.

Bali often feels wonderfully carefree to visitors, but conversations like this are a reminder that behind the beaches and sunsets are ordinary people like Wayan, working hard, saving what he can and hoping to build a secure future for himself and his future family. We found ourselves quietly hoping he succeeds.

Back at the Good Karma we thanked Wayan, wished him luck in finding both love and prosperity and wandered back along the beach. Then we looked up. Away from the lights, the sky was astonishing. Thousands upon thousands of stars stretched across the darkness, more than either of us could remember seeing in years. For a few moments, we simply stood and stared.

Tomorrow we leave beautiful Amed behind and head south to Jimbaran for the final three nights of our Bali adventure. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali - Day 9 – Amed

The dawn chorus at Good Karma is slightly different from previous mornings. Yes, the roosters are still convinced that everyone needs waking at ridiculous o’clock, the dogs continue their ongoing negotiations with one another, and the insects hum enthusiastically. But here, all of that is overshadowed by the fishing fleet.

Just after sunrise, dozens of traditional outrigger boats appear on the horizon and begin their daily return to shore. Sails billow in the morning breeze before being lowered in a surprisingly orderly fashion. Nets are tidied, catches sorted and, one by one, each boat makes a determined charge towards the black volcanic beach.

The early arrivals enjoy the luxury of choice. The latecomers have all the fun of trying to parallel park an outrigger boat between several others already occupying the available real estate. It is a daily spectacle somewhere between a ballet and a marine version of supermarket car park chaos.

The fishermen’s wives gather on the beach to inspect the night’s catch. Judging by the expressions this morning, nobody was planning an extravagant shopping trip. We later learned that fishing has been difficult for several months, although things are slowly improving.

After breakfast it was time for our snorkelling adventure. Being considerably more sensible than I am, my other half tested all of his equipment in the swimming pool beforehand. Everything worked perfectly. I tested mine using a far more advanced method known as optimism.

Our guide, Kayan, and skipper were waiting for us on the beach. Boarding the boat demonstrated once again that there are two types of people in this world. Those who spring gracefully aboard like Olympic gymnasts, and those who resemble a sack of potatoes being loaded onto a ferry. I shall leave you to guess which category I occupied.

As we headed north, it became clear that Amed is changing. Beautiful villas sit alongside increasingly ambitious developments, some more sympathetic than others. One enormous building now blocks the sea view for properties that had enjoyed it for years. Meanwhile, a beautiful traditional property nearby sits abandoned whilst bureaucracy does what bureaucracy does best.

Our first snorkelling stop produced exactly what had been promised: turtles. Four of them in fact. Now, before anyone writes to me, turtles are magnificent creatures and seeing them in the wild is genuinely special. But after ten minutes of watching them graze peacefully on seagrass, it did occur to me that we were essentially observing underwater cows having lunch.

The second stop at Jemeluk Bay was more revealing. We had heard stories of colourful coral gardens and underwater temples. The reality was rather more sobering. Whilst parts of the bay showed signs of the damage that tourism and warming seas have caused over the years, there were also encouraging signs of regeneration, with artificial reef structures helping new coral establish itself.

Everything took a turn for the extraordinary when Kayan showed us how to quietly attract some of the smaller fish. Within moments I was surrounded by hundreds of tiny fins. Sergeant majors, damselfish, wrasses and even a couple of parrotfish appeared from seemingly nowhere, swirling around us in a glittering cloud of colour. For a few minutes it felt as though we’d been allowed into a world that normally carries on quite happily without us.

Unlike the ducks in Ubud, these creatures actually seemed grateful for my attention.

Back at the resort, lunch disappeared remarkably quickly before the afternoon dissolved into a mixture of poolside relaxation and, inevitably, another snorkelling expedition on the house reef. The underwater camera finally made an appearance and plans were immediately made for another snorkelling trip tomorrow.

As evening approached, pink clouds drifted across the sky above the Bali Sea whilst the fishing boats rested on the black sand beach, waiting for darkness and another night’s work. A warm breeze rustled through the trees and for a while I simply sat watching it all unfold. There are places that impress you with grand monuments or famous sights. Amed isn’t really like that. Its charm lies in something much quieter: the feeling that life here is still closely connected to the sea, the weather and the passing of the day. Sitting there, listening to the wind and watching the boats wait patiently for their next voyage, I felt remarkably at peace with the world. Dinner followed, along with an early night.

Tomorrow there will be more fish, more snorkelling and, if luck is on our side, some colourful coral and a turtle or two.

The ducks remain unbeaten in the category of least appreciative wildlife encountered on this trip. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali – Day 8 – From Tejakula to Amed

Our final morning in Tejakula dawned much like the previous ones, with a chorus of roosters, dogs and assorted wildlife enthusiastically announcing the start of a new day. One particularly keen rooster had started at 3am. Either his watch was broken or he’d had a late night at the local warung.

Breakfast came with an unexpected side order of geological drama. News alerts were reporting a powerful earthquake off the Philippines, triggering tsunami warnings across parts of the Pacific and as far south as Indonesia. There is something rather surreal about reading headlines involving potential natural disasters whilst calmly eating tropical fruit and drinking coffee beside a swimming pool. Thankfully the warnings were later lifted, leaving us to continue with the considerably less dramatic challenge of packing our suitcases. This time, however, it was remarkably civilised. No bulging emergency bags. No sitting on suitcases. No negotiations with zips. We appear to be learning.

Our driver arrived exactly on time with cold water and Balinese sweets waiting in the door pockets. He confirmed that we could stop for lunch wherever we liked because we were his only clients for the day. It was a stark reminder that Bali’s usual high season crowds are still slower to arrive than expected. Events thousands of miles away have a habit of rippling through the world in unexpected ways.

The journey south-east towards Amed was easy, with light traffic, conversation, music and increasingly impressive views of Mount Agung appearing ahead of us. After about an hour we turned inland to the Palm Springs Dive Resort, which I had selected for lunch largely because it looked attractive on Google Maps. Sometimes, dare I admit it, that is the full extent of the planning process.

The road in was beautiful. The surface less so. Potholes and crumbling edges required a degree of concentration that suggested the road and the scenery were competing for attention.

The resort itself was immaculate. The gardens looked as though an army of gardeners had been working through the night. Frangipani trees were heavy with flowers, sprinklers hissed away across bright green lawns and the swimming pool looked very tempting indeed.

Lunch was enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the gardens. Smashed avocado on toast for him, mie goreng for me. A combination that probably sums up modern Bali rather well. Business was clearly quiet. At one point our waitress disappeared to carry a newly arrived guest’s suitcase to her room before returning to process our bill. Hospitality, reception and porter services all rolled into one.

Back on the road, we made a brief supermarket stop before continuing along the coast. Dive centre signs began appearing in several languages, a sure indication that Amed was approaching. The town has grown noticeably over the years, stretching further along the shoreline and creeping up the surrounding hillsides. It’s popular, but still nowhere near as busy as we expected. We had grand plans of venturing out and exploring Amed’s nightlife this time. Unfortunately, after repeatedly declaring “the hotel must be just over this hill” and being wrong on four separate occasions, we eventually concluded that our sense of distance remained as unreliable as ever. We also discovered that there wasn’t actually very much within easy walking distance. Plans were quietly revised.

Check-in brought a pleasant surprise. We were given Villa 210, the very same villa we stayed in during our 2023 visit. It genuinely felt a little like coming home. A hammock has since been added across the terrace. It looks lovely and slightly obstructs access to the room. This is very much in keeping with the Good Karma philosophy, where aesthetics occasionally win the battle against practicality.

The beachfront has changed too. When I first stayed here in 2001, fishermen’s boats sat comfortably on the beach while guests wandered freely along the path. Years of coastal erosion have narrowed the shoreline considerably. Nowadays, the outriggers stretch across sections of the walkway and navigating them has become something of an obstacle course. Limbo dancing appears to have become an unofficial local sport.

We had hoped to spend the afternoon snorkelling on the house reef, but the falling tide and rocky entry suggested this might be more painful than enjoyable. Instead, we settled by the pool where we were soon approached by a local boatman offering snorkelling trips. Plans for tomorrow were made within minutes. Promises of colourful coral, tropical fish and excellent visibility were exchanged, and we booked ourselves onto a private morning excursion. Whether the underwater camera chooses to cooperate remains to be seen.

The remainder of the afternoon passed peacefully before dinner. The restaurant blends Balinese, Japanese and Western influences, resulting in a menu that somehow makes complete sense once you’re sitting in front of it. Fish curry with coconut for me. Chicken and vegetable soup for him. Then came dessert. A steaming portion of pisang goreng – fried banana drizzled with honey. It was excellent. It was also entirely unnecessary. The leftovers accompanied us back through the beachfront obstacle course and safely returned to Villa 210 for later consumption.

No tsunamis. No transport dramas. No rogue ducks. No missing keys.
Just a smooth transfer day.
Frankly, it made a pleasant change. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 weeks ago

Bali – Day 7 – Waterfalls, Wellness and an International Incident

We woke to the now familiar soundtrack of roosters, barking dogs and crashing waves. The cows appeared to have taken the morning off. I found myself strangely disappointed by their absence. The ducks, meanwhile, remain sorely missed.

Breakfast came and went without drama. The sea continued to do sea things. The coffee was good. At 10.30am we met Alit for a short excursion to Yeh Mampeh Waterfall and the traditional village of Julah.

The drive to the waterfall took only about twenty minutes, although the road seemed determined to fold back on itself at every opportunity. At the car park we were handed over to our guide, the unforgettable Jasper, who introduced himself cheerfully as “the friendly ghost”. With that reassuring introduction, we set off.

The walk to the waterfall follows a steep and narrow path through tropical forest. Jasper turned the journey into a botanical quiz, stopping every few minutes to point at another plant and ask us what it was. Our score was not impressive.

We saw vanilla growing on vines, cocoa pods beginning to form on the bark of trees and cloves drying in the sun. Most interesting of all was pandan, a plant whose leaves are widely used throughout Southeast Asia. It gives rice, desserts and drinks a distinctive sweet aroma that I instantly recognised from countless Balinese meals. At last, the mystery ingredient behind my homemade nasi goreng had been identified. Naturally, within minutes I discovered that I can buy dried pandan online and have it delivered to my front door in England within 24 hours at excessive cost! Nothing says “authentic local discovery” quite like next-day delivery.

As we climbed higher, Jasper explained that many visitors come here seeking spiritual enlightenment. The waterfall is fed by pure mountain springs and the surrounding forest has become something of a wellness destination. People arrive to meditate, fast and reconnect with nature. Being a Sunday, however, nature was sharing the space with children of varying ages on fishing expeditions and a surprising number of scooters carrying youngsters who clearly saw no reason whatsoever to walk uphill when internal combustion had already been invented.

We passed a handful of isolated villas hidden amongst the trees. According to Jasper, almost all belonged to foreigners.
“That one is Balinese,” he said proudly, pointing at a building in the distance.
It turned out to be a cow shed.

The waterfall itself was pretty. A ribbon of water plunging down the cliff face into a cool pool below, surrounded by dense vegetation. The spray was wonderfully refreshing after the climb.

Jasper also pointed out a series of pipes carrying fresh spring water down the mountain to local homes. In many parts of Bali, these mountain springs remain an important source of daily water, a reminder that not every village relies on modern infrastructure in quite the way we do.

The return journey proved slightly more challenging than the ascent thanks to several polished stones that seemed specifically designed to test the dignity of unsuspecting tourists. Nobody actually fell, but there were enough frantic arm movements and last-second recoveries to suggest that gravity was taking a keen interest in proceedings.

Part way down we encountered a monkey enjoying a breadfruit lunch. Upon spotting us, it abandoned its meal and shot up a tree. Jasper advised us not to make eye contact. Apparently monkeys interpret prolonged staring as a challenge. As somebody who had no desire whatsoever to engage in diplomatic negotiations with an irritated monkey, I followed instructions.

Back with Alit, we headed towards Julah, one of Bali’s oldest villages. A short drive brought us to an extraordinarily narrow road which somehow functions as the village’s main street. Julah belongs to the Bali Aga tradition, the island’s original inhabitants whose customs pre-date many of the Hindu influences seen elsewhere in Bali. While much of the island has modernised rapidly, villages such as Julah retain traditions that have been passed down through generations. We parked beside the village temple and were told we were welcome to photograph it but not enter. That seemed straightforward enough.

Unfortunately, we then spotted a small path leading upwards and concluded that it might offer a better view.
A few minutes later we were intercepted by Alit, accompanied by a serious-looking young boy of about eight years old.
It transpired that the area above the temple is reserved for priests and certain religious ceremonies. Foreign visitors are not permitted there. We had accidentally committed what may be Bali’s least threatening international incident. Apologies were offered immediately. The young boy graciously accepted them and then proceeded to become our guide for the next part of the visit.

He showed us the village meeting hall before leading us through narrow lanes lined with family compounds. Traditional Balinese homes are often built around a shared courtyard, with different structures serving different purposes and multiple generations living together. We visited a family who were weaving trays and baskets from bamboo and palm leaves. These are still used daily for offerings and ceremonies throughout Bali. One lady demonstrated how she prepares a traditional mixture of betel leaf and areca nut, chewed across much of Asia for centuries. The practice turns the mouth and teeth a vivid red colour and was traditionally believed to help maintain oral health, although modern medical research takes a rather more cautious view.

As we continued through the village, we passed homes ranging from simple wooden structures to elaborate compounds with carved stone entrances. Outside one house, our guide pointed to a feather placed amongst the daily offerings. The feather, we were told, was intended to remove bad feelings, conflict and negative energy from the household. I made a mental note that I could probably use a bulk order to be delivered with my pandan.

Lunch followed at Warung Seni, a delightful predominantly vegetarian restaurant hidden amongst tropical plants. Service operated at what can best be described as a deeply relaxed pace, but nobody seemed concerned, and once the food arrived it was absolutely worth the wait. The bill was astonishingly small. I checked it twice.

Back at the hotel there was time for a swim, a drink and another spectacular sunset over the Bali Sea.
Dinner happened.
Nobody took photographs.

Tomorrow we pack our bags once more and head for Amed, Bali’s diving and snorkelling capital, where new adventures undoubtedly await and where, with any luck, nobody will need to explain that we are standing somewhere we shouldn’t be! ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 6 – The Art of Doing Very Little

After several days of temples, rice terraces, monkeys, ducks with attitude problems and long drives through the Balinese countryside, today was deliberately left free to relax and it turns out that doing very little is surprisingly easy in Tejakula.

Dawn arrived in the usual subtle Balinese fashion, which is to say a rooster somewhere nearby decided that everyone within a two-mile radius needed to be awake immediately. Several of his colleagues clearly agreed and joined in. The dogs contributed their thoughts. A cow somewhere in the distance added a supporting statement. Nature’s alarm clock here has no snooze button.

Breakfast was followed by a leisurely wander through the village. One of the things we enjoy most about northern Bali is that daily life feels very visible. Unlike many tourist destinations where life appears to happen behind the scenes, here it unfolds right in front of you.

The village population seems to consist of roughly equal numbers of people, dogs, chickens, cats and motorbikes. Chickens shepherd tiny chicks through the roadside vegetation whilst dogs lie across pathways apparently confident that everyone else will simply walk around them. Which, to be fair, they do and we did too.

As we passed a nearby temple, I stopped to photograph one of the guardian statues. To western eyes, these figures can look more like something from a horror film than a place of worship. Bulging eyes, enormous teeth and expressions suggesting they’ve just received an electricity bill.

Their purpose, however, is protective. Balinese Hinduism places great importance on maintaining balance between opposing forces. These fierce guardians stand watch over sacred spaces, keeping negative influences at bay. The larger and more terrifying they appear, the better they are at their job. Looking at this particular example, I suspect very few spirits would dare argue with him.

Reaching the main road we came across what initially looked like a collection of recycled plastic bottles filled with suspiciously coloured liquids sitting outside a small market stall. This, as it turns out, was a petrol station.

Motorbikes are the primary form of transport for many Balinese families and in not everyone lives close to a conventional filling station, or for that matter wants to queue at one. Fuel is often sold from small roadside stalls, measured into bottles ready for purchase.

Years ago these would frequently have been recycled glass bottles, often with their former contents still proudly displayed on the label. I remember seeing Absolut Vodka bottles being pressed into service during a previous Bali trips. Nowadays plastic bottles seem to be taking over, although the principle remains exactly the same.

To a European visitor it looks slightly alarming, particularly when accompanied by a funnel that appears to have seen active service since the previous century. Yet somehow it works perfectly.

Health and safety departments everywhere would probably need a lie down, but the locals simply stop, buy their fuel and carry on with their day.

A little later when we turned off back to the Tiing, we found several large piles of coconuts stacked beside the road. Coconut palms are often called the “Tree of Life” across Southeast Asia because virtually every part is useful. The water is drunk, the flesh eaten, the oil used in cooking, the leaves woven into offerings and decorations, the husks repurposed as fuel or fibre and the timber used in construction.

Once you understand that, you stop seeing coconut palms as tropical scenery and start seeing them as one of the foundations of everyday life.

Back at our hotel, the sea continued its ongoing campaign against the shoreline. The north coast may be calmer than some parts of Bali, but the waves were still energetic enough to make us happy to remain on dry land.

Four local children had reached a different conclusion. For the best part of an hour they launched themselves repeatedly into the surf, were unceremoniously thrown back towards the beach and immediately charged in again. The sea was clearly winning on points, but their enthusiasm never wavered.

As the sun began to set, the colours softened, the waves continued to crash incessantly and another day drifted to a close. Dinner was pleasant, uneventful and entirely lacking in stories worth repeating.

Tomorrow, however, we leave relaxation behind and head off in search of fresh adventures. Which almost certainly means more opportunities for me to accidentally misunderstand something and then write about it afterwards. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 5 – Ubud to Tejakula

Our final morning in Ubud began much as the previous ones had, with roosters announcing the day, frogs singing in the rice paddies and the child next door exercising its tonsils loudly. The local mosquitos had clearly enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet overnight, leaving me with enough bites to resemble a relief map of Bali.

Breakfast provided unexpected entertainment. A small scorpion made a brief appearance in the restaurant, causing rather more excitement than concern. In all our previous visits to Bali, this was our first encounter with one and thankfully it was a miniature version rather than something from a nature documentary. It was swiftly escorted back to the rice fields by staff armed with a broom and a calmness that suggested this was not entirely unprecedented.

Then came the duck drama.

Regular readers may remember that I previously paid a visit to the resort's four ducks and was met with complete indifference. This morning there appeared to be movement in the duck house despite all four residents being outside. Investigation revealed two new arrivals behind a gate. We watched as they were introduced to the established flock in what can only be described as a Balinese version of a secondary school playground. There was some posturing, a little pushing and eventually an uneasy ceasefire, with the newcomers occupying one end of the pond whilst the original residents guarded the exit ramp.

Sadly, I never discovered whether the new arrivals would have been more appreciative of my duck-feeding efforts because it was time to pack.

Packing is one of those holiday activities that nobody ever talks about. Why do dirty clothes occupy twice as much space as clean ones? And why can nobody ever remember the exact sequence of world-class Tetris manoeuvres required to fit everything into a suitcase five days earlier? Unsurprisingly, we acquired an overflow bag. That overflow bag very nearly became our downfall.

As we checked out, the hotel presented us with Tri Datu bracelets, traditional Balinese bracelets symbolising protection, balance and blessings for the journey ahead. We gratefully accepted them and hoped they might also provide protection from self-inflicted travel disasters.

A few moments later, as our driver loaded the luggage into the car, I noticed a growing puddle of milk spreading across reception and on closer inspection also across the boot of the car. The overflow bag had, quite literally, overflowed. The bracelets clearly still had some work to do. A rapid bag swap and clean-up operation later, we were finally on our way.

Bye bye Ubud, it's been fun.

We headed uphill towards Kintamani, passing through an area famous for its oranges. Roadside stalls appeared every few hundred metres, each piled high with fruit. Had we stopped at all of them, we could probably have opened our own juice bar by lunchtime.

Our destination was the rim of Mount Batur's crater. Many visitors choose to climb the volcano before dawn to watch the sunrise. We instead chose the considerably less strenuous option of lunch with a view. This comes with a risk of its own. By afternoon, cloud often rolls in and obscures the scenery entirely. Fortunately, whether through good fortune or divine bracelet intervention, the skies cleared as we arrived.

At the Mount Batur checkpoint, where visitors normally pay an entrance fee of 50,000 rupiah per person, our driver explained that we were simply passing through on our way to Tejakula rather than stopping to visit the area itself. The charge was promptly waived. It wasn't a life-changing saving, but every traveller enjoys the feeling of being waved through a barrier without having to hand over any money.

We found Ritatkala Café, which I had earmarked for lunch, and any fears of battling crowds quickly disappeared. We almost had the place to ourselves and settled into comfortable seats overlooking the immense crater. The view was mesmerising. Small clouds drifted across the landscape, casting moving shadows over the villages dotted around the crater lake. The huge black lava fields stretching across the valley floor served as a reminder that although the last major eruption was more than twenty years ago, Mount Batur remains very much an active volcano.

Lunch was fresh, delicious and reasonably priced. Sometimes spending far too much time researching places before a trip does actually pay off. With full stomachs and plenty of photographs taken, we continued our journey north.

The road followed the crater rim before beginning its descent towards the coast. Gradually the landscape changed. The cafés, boutiques and yoga studios of Ubud disappeared, replaced by villages where daily life seemed to carry on largely unaffected by tourism. For me, this is often where the real character of a destination starts to reveal itself.

The roads became narrower, steeper and increasingly dramatic. At one point we found ourselves travelling along a ridge with deep jungle-covered valleys dropping away on both sides. Once again, we felt rather pleased with our decision to hire a driver rather than attempt Bali's roads ourselves.

Google Maps briefly disagreed. At one stage it attempted to send us down what appeared to be little more than a goat track.

Our driver wisely stopped to ask a local for directions and some impressively skilled reversing followed before we regained the main road. A little later, Google became confused again and required a second opinion from Apple Maps. Technology is wonderful until it isn't.

The rest of the journey unfolded through small villages, hairpin bends and increasingly frequent glimpses of the water in the distance. This prompted a discussion in the car when I announced that we could see the sea and was immediately corrected with claims that it was in fact an ocean. AI was called upon to settle the matter. It turns out that the water to the north of Bali is indeed the Bali Sea, whilst the southern coast faces the Indian Ocean. I shall refrain from dwelling on who was right.

Eventually we arrived at our next home away from home, The Tiing Tejakula. Sometimes a hotel looks good in photographs and turns out to be merely pleasant. Sometimes it exceeds expectations completely. This was the latter.

The private pool was impressive enough, but it was the enormous sitting room overlooking the sea that really made us stop and grin at each other. Add in a comfortable air-conditioned bedroom and not one, but two bathrooms, one inside the other outside and we immediately knew we were going to enjoy our stay.

As the sun began to set, we walked along the black volcanic sand beach watching local fishing boats preparing to head out for the evening. The sea, however, looked considerably less inviting. The strength of the waves was obvious without any need for personal experimentation, so between our villa pool and the hotel pool, we'll be playing it safe.

Dinner was taken beneath the palm trees beside the shore. My North Balinese prawn fritters were plentiful and delicious. The pesto chicken was rather less memorable, although perhaps it was at a disadvantage after spending the day competing with volcanoes, duck politics and exploding luggage.

The combination of travelling and several interrupted nights finally caught up with us and we were tucked up in bed surprisingly early. Tomorrow's plans are refreshingly simple: a sea view, a swimming pool and nowhere in particular that we need to be. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 4 – Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

The day began with nature’s alarm clock in full working order. Roosters crowed, frogs sang, insects buzzed and the child in the next room delivered an impressive solo performance. Somehow, aided by a cup of tea and a stern conversation with myself, I was functioning at 7am.

The morning was largely uneventful. Some relaxed. I tackled emails and discovered that several things I thought I’d neatly tied up before leaving the UK were busily unravelling in my absence.

At 2pm our driver arrived and we set off for Jatiluwih, around 90 minutes northwest of Ubud. The journey itself was a lesson in Balinese road etiquette, namely that the largest vehicle has right of way and everyone else works around that fact. Buses appeared around blind bends, scooters emerged from nowhere and pedestrians wandered calmly through it all as though immortality had been officially confirmed.

Not far from Ubud we passed the Sangeh Monkey Forest. Several monkeys sat on walls watching the traffic stream past. They looked thoroughly unimpressed by the whole affair, which is fair enough considering they get front-row seats every day.

As we climbed higher, villages gave way to elaborate family temples. Every Balinese home has one, and some were grand enough to make a small church feel underdressed. I innocently asked whether we had reached a particularly wealthy area. Our driver explained that honouring the gods is expensive, regardless of your income.

One thing that became immediately obvious was the number of children riding scooters. We followed one young lad who couldn’t have been much older than eleven or twelve, confidently making his way along the road without a helmet. When I expressed mild surprise, our driver laughed and pointed out that there were no police around here.

In another village we passed a temple where cock fighting takes place. While controversial to many visitors, it remains part of Balinese tradition and religious ceremonies in some communities. Judging by the sea of parked scooters outside, it was attracting considerably more interest than feeding four mildly irritated ducks had managed yesterday.

Further along we passed a wedding celebration decorated with magnificent woven bamboo displays framing a photograph of the bride and groom. When I admired it and mentioned stopping for photos on the return journey, our driver casually informed us that wedding guests are generally welcome to help themselves to the food. Apparently gatecrashing weddings is less frowned upon here than it is in the UK.

Eventually we reached Jatiluwih and paid the princely sum of 75,000 rupiah each, about £3.40, for access to one of Bali’s most famous landscapes.

Jatiluwih covers more than 600 hectares and forms part of Bali’s UNESCO-listed Subak irrigation system, a cooperative water management network developed over a thousand years ago. Meanwhile, back home, some of us still struggle to organise a neighbourhood WhatsApp group.

The rice was not the vivid green I had imagined. Much of it was red rice, a local speciality, growing taller than many other varieties and approaching harvest, turning the terraces shades of gold rather than emerald. Rice is so central to life in Indonesia that the average person consumes around 100kg each year. Looking at the number of rice-based snacks being sold along the trail, we could well believe it.

The threatening skies finally delivered on their promise just as we stopped to admire a puppy determinedly chewing a scooter tyre. We sheltered in a small warung, chatted to a French couple and attempted to make friends with two equally enthusiastic puppies.

When the rain eased, we continued. Faced with a choice between a shorter route and a longer route, we naturally selected the longer one. This led us to a steep descent into a river valley and the inevitable realisation that every step down would eventually need to be climbed back up.

The climb was manageable. The second downpour was less so.

Our refuge this time was a toilet charging 5,000 rupiah per person. There are still places in the world where spending a penny costs about 21 pence.

By the time we emerged, the light was fading and the terraces had taken on a dark, atmospheric appearance. Very photogenic. Slightly less appealing when you’re wondering where exactly the path goes next.

We eventually reunited with our driver and headed to the Bintang Market to complete yesterday’s unsuccessful shopping mission. Every missing item on the list was found. Spirits were immediately lifted. It turns out retail therapy works surprisingly well when the total bill is less than the price of a sandwich at Heathrow.

Dinner was taken at one of the restaurants we had passed on yesterday’s rice field walk. It was simple, local and perfectly pleasant. Not every meal has to be life-changing.

Tomorrow we leave Ubud and head north. Hopefully with fewer emails, less hill walking and slightly drier weather. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 3 – Around Ubud

Despite nearly 24 hours of travelling and a Business Class bed, sleep remained a somewhat optional activity. New surroundings, unfamiliar noises and several mysterious light sources ensured I spent much of the night wondering whether I was awake or asleep.

Breakfast brought our first opportunity to study the hotel’s interpretation of “included”. This consists of one hot drink, one juice, one menu item and either fruit or bread. Not both. Let’s not get carried away.

As not much of this was suitable for my diabetic other half, we enquired about substitutions. These were indeed possible, for an additional charge. A second coffee was also available, for an additional charge. Fortunately my Eggs Benedict was excellent and the view across the paddy fields helped restore perspective.

The day then took a turn when I discovered our bathroom door was locked from the inside despite the room being completely empty.

There followed a trip to Reception, a diversion to the restaurant facilities and the arrival of what appeared to be most of the hotel’s maintenance department. The lock, it transpired, had only recently been replaced. A key was produced and the crisis resolved.

I am pleased to report that a bathroom key has now been added to the room key set, meaning future guests will hopefully not find themselves outwitted by an unoccupied toilet.

At 11am the activities programme announced “Feed the Ducks”. Visions of dozens of eager ducks immediately sprang to mind. Instead, I was handed a tiny plastic pot containing approximately twelve molecules of duck food and directed towards a duck house containing exactly four ducks. I threw a handful of pellets. One duck looked at me. I looked at the duck. The duck looked at the remaining pellets. I apologised and left.

Before heading off for a walk through the rice fields, we decided it might be wise to place our passports and valuables in the safe. The key didn’t fit. Reception was called. Again.

By now I imagine conversations in the staff room were beginning with the words “What have they done now?”

The correct key eventually arrived and the safe was tested successfully. Confident that all was now well, I locked the safe. Then discovered I couldn’t unlock it. For a brief moment I thought our passports would be spending the next month or two in Bali even if we weren’t.

Fortunately a member of staff performed some sort of magical manoeuvre and rescued both the safe and its increasingly embarrassed occupants.

Deciding that we should probably stop breaking things inside the hotel, we headed off into the rice fields. We immediately missed the turning. Once we finally found the correct path, however, the walk was lovely. The route wound between paddy fields and irrigation channels and was shared by walkers, dogs, scooters, lizards and one snake, all apparently getting along perfectly well.

After half an hour we reached the conclusion that whilst the path was undeniably beautiful, it wasn’t actually going anywhere. So we turned around and walked back.

The afternoon was spent recovering from the exertions of duck feeding and safe management before setting off in search of sweeteners, a lilo and Slimline Tonic. Two supermarkets later we had located none of these items. Bali has been very welcoming so far. Bali does not appear to believe in artificial sweeteners.

Our final outing of the day was Hikaria’s immersive light experience, a beautifully designed trail of lights, music and storytelling through the rice fields. I am particularly proud to report that despite darkness, uneven pathways and my usual level of coordination, I successfully completed the entire walk without falling headfirst into a paddy field. This achievement should not be underestimated.

We returned to the hotel for dinner and an early night, our step count considerably healthier than our energy levels.

Tomorrow we head to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. With a bit luck, the ducks won’t be involved. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style is at MATHIS Retreat Ubud.

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 2 – The Arrival

I left you yesterday somewhere over the Indian Ocean, armed with a rather excellent white and dark chocolate mousse complete with its own glowing candle. Turkish Airlines clearly felt that if I was going to sleep, I should do so feeling celebrated.

A quick glance at the route map before bed showed us approaching Baku. It was a sobering reminder that whilst I was cocooned in comfort at 35,000 feet, life on the ground below was considerably less peaceful.

Then came the serious business of sleeping. Or at least attempting to. My bed was made up, duvet deployed, eye mask secured and I drifted off… for roughly an hour.

What followed was a long-running battle between me and the in-flight entertainment system. First, the screen in the empty seat opposite lit up like a floodlight. Then my own screen decided it had aspirations of becoming a nightclub. At one point it displayed psychedelic coloured stripes and the words “Please Wait” for so long that I felt personally invested in the outcome.

There were resets. There were more resets. There was an offer to move seats. There was a moment where I seriously considered throwing a duvet over modern technology and pretending none of it existed.

Eventually I gave up, put on a film about elephants and promptly fell asleep.

Two hours before landing I was woken for breakfast somewhere near Singapore, having accumulated perhaps three hours of sleep in total and a newfound appreciation for functioning electronics.

The flight made up time and landed in Bali 55 minutes early.

As the aircraft door opened I immediately announced, “It smells like Bali.”

This caused great amusement amongst the welcoming airport staff. Apparently not everyone arrives on an island and starts sniffing the air like an enthusiastic Labrador.

Denpasar Airport was astonishingly efficient. Having completed visas, tourist levy and arrival paperwork before departure, we sailed through the new e-gates and reached baggage reclaim in minutes.

Our driver, however, was expecting us almost an hour later. When he arrived, apologising profusely, we were standing exactly where we should have been if the aircraft had landed on schedule.

The drive to Ubud was my first introduction to Balinese traffic. According to our driver, it wasn’t bad. I would hate to see bad. Scooters appeared from directions I hadn’t previously considered possible. Cars braked apparently on instinct rather than necessity. Everyone survived. Somehow.

An hour and forty-five minutes later we arrived at Mathis Retreat. And suddenly all thoughts of malfunctioning seats, airports and sleep deprivation disappeared.

Rice fields stretched away beside the hotel. Frogs provided the evening soundtrack. The pool glowed invitingly in the darkness. Our room was beautiful, complete with a bath large enough to comfortably accommodate a small sailing dinghy.

After dinner we wandered through the illuminated paddy fields, soaking up the warm evening air and trying to process the fact that we were finally here.

By this point I had been awake, asleep and awake again across three continents, two airports, several time zones and one stubborn entertainment system.

Bed was calling. Loudly.

Tomorrow: Ubud begins. And judging by the chorus of frogs outside our room, there will be no need for an alarm clock. 🐸🌾✈️🇮🇩

#Bali #Ubud #TravelLynStyle #TurkishAirlines ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

3 weeks ago

Bali – Day 1 – The Journey Begins

There was definitely a buzz in the air this morning. One final lactose-free flat white at home (it never tastes quite the same anywhere else), a few last emails and then the realisation that after months of planning, today was finally departure day. The dogs knew before we did.

Suitcases had appeared from cupboards, doors were opening and closing more often than normal and they spent the entire morning shadowing our every move. Before long it was time to deliver them to doggy daycare and their own two-week holiday. They were delighted to see Tara and her family. We unloaded enough food and treats to survive a small apocalypse and promised we’d be back soon. Judging by their expressions, they weren’t buying it for a second.

Back home, the packing operation commenced. Every trip begins with the same question: how can one person possibly need this much stuff? As long as the snorkel, flippers, Imodium, sunscreen and a healthy supply of Lyon’s Green Label tea bags made it into my suitcase, everything else was negotiable.

Then suddenly it was time to leave.
What have we forgotten? Who knows.
The golden rule remains unchanged: passport, phone and medication. Everything else can be solved with a credit card and varying degrees of optimism.

Getting to Heathrow was easy. Dropping the car at Meet & Greet was painless. Check-in, however, was surprisingly busy. Judging by the queue, Business Class was completely full.

Our bags disappeared onto the belt and we immediately started guessing their weights.
He won comfortably with just 16kg from a 30kg allowance. I’m not entirely sure how that’s possible. Perhaps he’s travelling light in an effort to save the planet. Mine weighed 23kg. The kitchen sink is surprisingly heavy.

Fast Track security deposited us into Terminal 2 and its vast collection of shops, all eager to separate us from our money before we’d even left the country. We resisted temptation and instead began what felt like a sponsored charity walk to the B Gates. Eventually we reached the lounge.
Within minutes, he had a cup of tea, I had a glass of rather pleasant white wine and the holiday finally started to feel real.

The flight to Istanbul was smooth, comfortable and entirely civilised. Business Class has a habit of making six-hour journeys feel slightly unreasonable to complain about.

Then disaster struck. I removed my shoes.
Both of my big toes were peering through holes in my socks. Not one sock! Both socks!

There I was, sitting in Business Class looking like I’d escaped from a Dickens novel.
Thankfully Turkish Airlines came to the rescue with a pair of slippers. My dignity was only partially restored, but at least my toes were no longer on public display.

We landed in Istanbul and immediately embarked on Marathon Walk Number Two.
Istanbul Airport is enormous. It’s less an airport and more a fully functioning city that occasionally allows aeroplanes to visit.

After what felt like several postal districts, nine moving walkways and at least one change of climate, we found the Business Lounge and settled in for a couple of hours.

The food displays were spectacular.
There was only one problem. No Coke Zero. This triggered an expedition amongst the hoi polloi downstairs where I eventually located some. Imagine my delight when I discovered that two small cans cost more than half the price of a bottle of vodka. To make matters even more entertaining, purchasing alcohol requires both a passport and a boarding pass. Apparently buying vodka is considered a matter of national security.

Our next flight to Bali is just under 12 hours long. The current estimate has us arriving about 45 minutes early, which is 45 extra minutes in Bali and therefore worth celebrating.

After yet another lengthy walk we eventually located Gate B17. What is it about B Gates? Whether in Heathrow or Istanbul, they always seem to require advanced hiking skills, specialist equipment and an Ordnance Survey map.

Our aircraft is almost brand new and happens to be the 500th aircraft delivered to Turkish Airlines. It carries a special celebratory livery which would have been lovely to photograph had it not been the middle of the night.

For now, the journey continues. The slippers are on. The seat converts into a bed. The destination is Bali. And somewhere over the Indian Ocean, I shall attempt to get some sleep.

Tomorrow, our Balinese adventure begins. Admittedly we’ll arrive in the evening and probably go straight to bed, but let’s not allow facts to get in the way of a good story. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

4 weeks ago

How would you feel about crossing the Mediterranean on a 166-passenger sailing ship?

While most modern cruises seem determined to recreate a shopping centre with a zip wire attached, Star Clipper quietly sails around Italy and Croatia under proper canvas sails with polished wood decks, ropes the size of small pythons and passengers who generally know how to sit down and relax for more than four minutes without needing a DJ, a waterslide or an organised dance class beside the swimming pool.

This 11-night itinerary starts in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, and slowly works its way along the Italian coastline, passing Sicily and across to Croatia before arriving directly into Venice.

Amalfi appears in all its dramatic cliffside glory, Taormina brings Sicilian atmosphere and views of Mount Etna, while Rovinj looks exactly the sort of place where you accidentally stop for a quick drink and emerge three hours later wondering whether you still need lunch.

There are also several smaller Southern Italian ports included that larger ships simply cannot access, which is part of the appeal of this style of cruising. Less queuing behind thousands of people with matching excursion stickers, more wandering ashore wondering what smells so good coming from the restaurant on the corner.

One of the genuinely unusual things about Star Clippers is that these ships are still permitted to sail into the heart of Venice and dock at San Basilio rather than depositing passengers somewhere vaguely adjacent to the city.

This is the sort of cruise that appeals to people who like sea air, smaller ports and evenings that involve a proper drink on deck while pretending they could absolutely manage the sails if required.

📅 Departs 18th July 2026
⚓ 11-night package from £3,299 per person

✈️ Includes:
✅ Return flights from London Gatwick
✅ 11 nights full board aboard Star Clipper
✅ Overseas transfers
✅ Port charges

Sold by Travel Lyn Style
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

Price correct at time of posting and subject to availability and change based on availability at time of booking.

#smallshipcruising #MediterraneanCruise #starclipper #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

By Sunday evening of a very hot bank holiday weekend at the start of half term, many parents reach the point where the idea of somebody else organising the cooking, entertaining, tidying up and negotiating over ice cream starts to sound deeply attractive.

This is where Greece starts looking like an exceptionally good idea.

The newly refurbished Grecotel Creta Palace on the north coast of Crete manages to pull off something quite difficult: a genuinely luxurious family resort where adults still feel like adults while children remain extremely happy and permanently well fed.

The split-level maisonettes are ideal for families of four, giving parents and children their own space rather than everybody attempting to coexist in one overheated hotel room by day three of the holiday.

The LUXME® all-inclusive concept here is also a serious step above the usual buffet survival exercise. Five restaurants, premium drinks, in-room minibar and espresso machine, pâtisserie, crêperie, gelateria, afternoon tea and late-night snacks are all included, along with one of the loveliest dining experiences in Crete at the Agreco Farm.

Meanwhile the children are happily occupied with Grecoland kids clubs, creative activities and GrecoTeens, leaving parents free to make important holiday decisions such as, pool or beach, another glass of rosé, or whether anybody can realistically face putting sun cream on a child again before dinner.

🌿 Grecotel Creta Palace, Crete
✈ Direct return flights from London Heathrow to Chania
🧳 23kg checked baggage per person
🚖 Private airport transfers included
🛏 Garden View Maisonette
🍴 LUXME® All Inclusive

📅 20th July 2026 departure
🌙 7 nights

Total family price: £7,100 for 2 adults and 2 children aged 2–11 sharing.
Price does not include the tourist tax of 105EUR payable locally.

Sold by Travel Lyn Style
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

Price correct at time of posting and subject to availability and change at time of booking.

#TravelLynStyle #Crete #LuxuryFamilyTravel #grecotel ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Britain enters a temporary Mediterranean personality disorder the moment temperatures go above 30°C.

Suddenly everybody remembers they enjoy eating outdoors despite owning garden furniture that has spent the last eight months quietly dissolving under a tarpaulin.

The prosecco and rosé special offers magically appear in aisle 4 next to the Italian sausages, somebody panic buys twenty kilos of charcoal and people who normally eat dinner at 6pm begin talking confidently about “late evening tapas”.

This annual transformation is genuinely fascinating because the holiday mindset starts long before anybody reaches an airport or books a holiday. When the weather takes a turn for the better, people immediately begin mentally relocating themselves elsewhere.

Suddenly nobody wants to sit indoors, lunch feels like it should involve olives, impromptu parties get arranged, people start remembering terraces in Spain, long evenings in Greece and little restaurants they discovered somewhere in Italy years ago and still talk about now.

For a few days, life feels lighter and slightly less rushed, which, if we’re honest, is what people are really searching for when they travel.

Ironically, I’m about to head to the northern French coast where it will actually be cooler than London this weekend.

I did not see that plot twist coming.

I suspect the French already have a word for this!

#TravelLynStyle #BankHolidayWeekend #TravelPsychology #BritishSummer ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Northern Italy in September is very hard to beat.

The summer crowds start to ease, the temperatures soften slightly and life around the lakes seems to slow into a gentler rhythm. Cafés spill onto promenades, ferries criss-cross between elegant little towns and every road appears to lead to another view that makes you want to stop the car “just for five minutes”.

This self-drive itinerary is one of those holidays that works because it doesn’t try too hard.

You fly into Milan, collect your automatic hire car and spend a week moving between Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda, with enough time in each place to actually enjoy it rather than constantly packing and unpacking.

There are grand villas and botanical gardens around Lake Maggiore, tiny lanes and waterfront cafés in Bellagio, lakeside drives through Bardolino and Garda, little ferry crossings, long lunches and the sort of hotels where aperitivo before dinner feels entirely appropriate.

You’ll also spend time in Verona, where Romeo allegedly declared his love from Juliet’s balcony. Whether Shakespeare ever visited is doubtful, but the city still does romance very well once the day visitors disappear and evening settles over the piazzas.

This is Italy done at a comfortable pace.

Discover the Italian Lakes
📅 3rd–10th September 2026

✈ Direct economy flights from London Heathrow to Milan Malpensa
🧳 23kg checked luggage included
🚗 Automatic car hire included throughout

🌿 3 nights at the 4* Hotel Milan Speranza au Lac, Lake Maggiore
⛵ 2 nights at the 4* Palace Hotel, Lake Como
🍷 2 nights at the 4* Hotel Oliveto, Lake Garda

🥐 Breakfast included throughout

£3,160 total for 2 adults sharing
£1,580 per person

Additional tourist tax of €47 payable locally.

Price correct at time of posting and subject to availability and change at time of booking.

Sold by TravelLynStyle
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

#TravelLynStyle #ItalianLakes #LakeComo #ItalyTravel ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

This July 2026 departure follows the reverse order to the itinerary I’ve just experienced, beginning with Bergen rather than Stavanger, which gives the voyage a very different feel. Instead of gradually building towards the fjords, you arrive straight into classic Norway almost immediately.

Bergen is a wonderful first introduction with its colourful waterfront, steep hillsides and relaxed atmosphere before the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic as you continue deeper into the fjord region.

Skjolden sits right at the end of the vast Sognefjord, surrounded by towering mountains and waterfalls, while Olden brings glacier landscapes, green valleys and some of the most photogenic scenery of the entire cruise. Stavanger then finishes the Norwegian section of the itinerary with its old harbour, white wooden houses and easy pace before returning to Southampton.

Having just completed the same voyage myself, I can also give honest first-hand advice beyond the brochure photos… the best places on board for fjord sailings, how busy the ports can get, which excursions are worthwhile and where it’s better simply to wander.

🚢 7-night Norwegian Fjords cruise
📅 Departure: 11th July 2026
🛳 Sky Princess
👫 £3,788 total for 2 adults sharing (£1,894 per person)
🛏 Inside cabin
🥂 Princess Premier Package included
🍷 Unlimited beverages included
💵 $100 shore excursion credit included

📍 Southampton
📍 Bergen
📍 Skjolden / Sognefjord
📍 Olden
📍 Stavanger
📍 Southampton

As this sailing is already very close to departure in cruise terms, availability and pricing are no longer at the “book early” promotional level. There are other departures on similar itineraries which can often offer better value, so it’s worth comparing dates if budget matters more than travelling as soon as possible.

One of the unexpected pleasures of this itinerary is the simplicity of travelling from Southampton. No airport queues, no luggage limits, no connecting flights… just unpack once and settle into the rhythm of the voyage while Norway drifts past outside.

Price correct at time of posting and subject to availability and change at time of booking.

Sold by Travel Lyn Style; Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

After 7 days sailing the Norwegian Fjords aboard the magnificent Sky Princess, I can confidently say that cruising is a very particular style of travel. Done well, it’s relaxing, sociable and surprisingly easy. Done badly… you’ll spend half the week queueing for lukewarm buffet bacon while wondering why your feet hurt 😅

So here are my honest cruise dos, don’ts and little tricks that genuinely make life onboard better:

🚢 DO arrive with patience on embarkation day. Thousands of people are trying to board at the same time and no amount of glaring at security staff will make the queue move faster. Comfortable shoes and a sense of humour help enormously.

🧳 DON’T overpack.
Yes, I know cabins look enormous in the brochures. They are not. If you bring 14 “just in case” outfits, you will spend the week playing suitcase Tetris under the bed.

☕ DO avoid peak buffet times where possible.
Breakfast at 8:30am on a sea day becomes an Olympic event involving trays, elbows and people wandering aimlessly searching for toast. Earlier or later is far calmer.

🍽️ DO use the dining rooms.
The buffet is convenient, but proper waiter service breakfasts and dinners slow the pace down nicely and become part of the experience.

🌊 DON’T underestimate sea days.
People imagine endless tranquillity. The reality can involve crowded lifts, competitive chair hunting and a ship full of passengers all moving at exactly the same moment.

🚶 DO walk everywhere onboard.
Cruise ships are floating cities. You will eat far more than usual and somehow still convince yourself that dessert “doesn’t count because you’re on holiday”.

🪟 DO spend time simply watching the scenery.
Some of my favourite moments weren’t excursions at all. Just sitting quietly with coffee watching waterfalls, tiny fjord villages and snow-dusted mountains drift past the ship.

🛏️ DON’T feel pressured to do everything.
There will be quizzes, theatre shows, trivia, art auctions, dance classes, spa offers, demonstrations and approximately 47 different things happening simultaneously. Missing half of them is perfectly acceptable.

💊 DO carry basic medication.
Sore throats, headaches, seasickness and tired legs appear remarkably quickly when travelling with thousands of people while sleeping less than normal.

📱 DO download the cruise line app before travelling.
Deck plans, dining bookings, daily schedules and your onboard account become much easier to manage. It also prevents wandering Deck 15 looking for somewhere that was actually on Deck 7…

🚢 DON’T book every excursion through the cruise line automatically.
Some ports are extremely easy to explore independently and often far cheaper. Others genuinely benefit from organised tours. Research beforehand matters.

🧥 DO bring layers.
Norwegian Fjords in May involved sunshine, freezing wind, drizzle and sunglasses weather… sometimes within the same hour.

🥂 DO talk to people.
Cruises are oddly sociable. By the end of the week, fellow passengers and crew stop feeling like strangers and start feeling like temporary neighbours sharing the same floating village.

And finally…

🚢 DON’T forget to look up occasionally.
Not at your phone.
Not at the schedule.
Not at the dessert menu.

Just outside.

Because sailing quietly through a fjord at sunrise really is one of those travel moments that stays with you long after the suitcases are unpacked.

#TravelLynStyle #CruiseTips #NorwegianFjords #PrincessCruise ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 7 – Sea Day (and the final lap)

Sea days require structure. Without a proper plan there’s a genuine risk of being three cocktails deep before the breakfast plates have even been cleared.

In a tactical move to avoid the morning bun fight on Deck 16, we headed for the Estrella Restaurant on Deck 6 instead. Unfortunately, every other passenger onboard had reached exactly the same conclusion. Arriving at 9am, we were met by a queue of hungry cruisers clinging firmly to the idea of private tables rather than embracing forced breakfast friendships with strangers.

When I announced we were a party of 3 and perfectly happy to share, I suddenly wondered whether anyone onboard could still technically qualify as a stranger after a week of collectively breathing recycled air and relying on the same bilge pumps.

Our lovely waiter Jason appeared almost immediately with coffee, enthusiasm and what can only be described as musical theatre levels of morning positivity. Breakfast arrived in spectacular fashion: Full Englishes, yoghurts, pastries and grapefruit all enthusiastically consumed while I waited patiently for warm milk for my coffee.

Sadly, this was where the experience took a violent turn.

By the time the milk arrived, my coffee had cooled to the approximate temperature of regret. Still optimistic, I poured the milk into the cup only to watch it emerge from the jug in large floating lumps. Plop. Plop. Plop.

Breakfast ended faster than a fire drill.

To recover emotionally, we headed to the Princess Theatre for the Culinary Arts show, where the Executive Chef from Mumbai and the Romanian Maitre D performed what was essentially an Italian cooking demonstration disguised as a double act comedy routine. Pesto was assembled, shrimp and scallops singed into submission, tiramisu discussed and executed, egos challenged and the audience laughed obligingly.

This was followed by a backstage galley tour where several hundred passengers shuffled through spotless stainless steel kitchens while absolutely nothing was being cooked. It felt a little like visiting Willy Wonka’s factory on his day off.

With the entertainment concluded, 3,500 passengers resumed the traditional sea day activity of wandering aimlessly around the ship looking for stimulation. Naturally, we found ours in the form of Bloody Marys.

My now abandoned breakfast quickly became a distant memory and I announced that I was starving. Two of us bravely fought our way through the final gale-force winds towards the buffet, only to be intercepted by the pizza counter en route. Two slices later, we continued along to the buffet where, against all odds, we found a window table.

This immediately triggered the classic cruise condition of:
“I’m completely full… but I still want to see what’s available.”

Several investigative laps of the buffet followed.

The afternoon then became an uneasy balance between relaxation and logistical panic as reality dawned that suitcases needed to be outside the cabin between 5pm and 10pm.

Important questions emerged:
What do I wear tonight?
Will it still look acceptable tomorrow?
Can I travel home in this?
Why did I pack so many cardigans?

At some point I retreated to my cabin and watched The Greatest Showman while pretending packing wasn’t happening. Frankly, it was one of the more emotionally stable parts of the day.

By evening we were back in quiz mode, arriving just too late for a logo quiz populated by people whose brand recognition skills clearly belonged at MI5. A more general knowledge quiz followed during which we confidently informed a nearby team that we were very good at geography.

The geography questions suggested otherwise.

Our final dinner arrived alongside a spectacular sunset, the horizon doing its absolute best to provide a dramatic closing scene for the cruise. Jason, our ever cheerful waiter, made the evening feel genuinely special and by this point had probably earned honorary family status.

Of course the night didn’t end there. A farewell musical quiz led seamlessly into the final karaoke session of the voyage. The undeniable star of the evening was Star herself, whose beautiful rendition of Coldplay’s Fix You managed to both silence and push to a standing ovation an entire bar full of people.

Eventually the evening dissolved into hugs, promises to stay in touch and the strange nostalgia that arrives at the end of a really good cruise when everyone simultaneously starts pretending they’re delighted to be going home.

Tomorrow we disembark and our Norwegian Fjords adventure comes to an end.

Thank you for following along with our chaos, quizzes, coffee disasters and questionable buffet decisions. Until the next adventure…

#NorwegianFjords #SkyPrincess #CruiseLife #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 6 – Bergen

This morning started at an hour that frankly should only exist for airport departures and poor life choices.

Not only did I have to get myself ready for our Bergen excursion, but I also had to coax our invalid back into functioning member of society mode. At 6:50am I tapped on his cabin door, attempted to fill the kettle, discovered there wasn’t enough water for two hot drinks and immediately reignited my ongoing frustration with Princess Cruises’ apparent belief that water is some sort of luxury add-on rather than a basic human requirement.

Off I marched to the Deck 16 buffet in search of bottled water. Realising halfway there that our patient hadn’t eaten since the previous evening, I decided that a fainting episode halfway round Bergen would create paperwork, embarrassment and potential lifting injuries, so I added yoghurt and croissants to the mission.

Rookie mistake. You ask for the water first. Always. Several minutes passed before the lovely Cynthia reappeared with two bottles and I returned triumphantly to Deck 10 like some sort of highly caffeinated expedition supply runner.

By 7:40 our patient had been watered, caffeinated, fed and dressed. Only 10 minutes behind schedule, which frankly felt miraculous.

The excursion check-in itself was pure chaos. Our three tour numbers were clearly visible together on the list, but this somehow escalated into us being told dramatically that our bus was waiting and would leave without us. Cue three adults speed-hobbling down gangways and across the pier like contestants in a very niche mobility-themed game show.

The “bus” turned out to be a tiny 14-seater electric shuttle waiting patiently for us while we arrived looking like we’d just completed military training.

Bergen itself was fascinating. Founded in 1070, it was once Norway’s capital and still feels deeply tied to the sea, trade and its Hanseatic history. The city was preparing for Constitution Day celebrations on 17th May, so everything felt unusually calm and organised by cruise port standards.

Our first stop was Byparken, where we saw the surprisingly small statue of composer Edvard Grieg outside Grieghallen. Our guide explained that childhood illness left Grieg physically quite slight, which certainly explained why his statue looked less imposing than expected.

We continued past Lille Lungegårdsvannet lake, where cherry blossom framed the famous Sprøytegutten fountain sculpture, before heading towards the harbour and a view of the UNESCO-listed wooden buildings of Bryggen on the opposite bank. Bergen really does know how to do waterfront scenery properly.

The fish market area was busy but not overwhelming, and thanks to our tiny shuttle bus we squeezed through narrow residential streets in places larger coaches simply couldn’t reach. We passed through Nøstet, climbed winding roads towards Mt. Fløyen and stopped at Skansen for spectacular views across the city, harbour and surrounding mountains.

One of the unexpected highlights was a stop for cinnamon buns and excellent coffee in Bryggen. Norway may be expensive, but at least the coffee generally justifies the financial trauma.

Our guide also informed us that Bergen is Europe’s wettest city. For once, Bergen decided to be polite and delayed the rain until the exact moment we stepped back onboard. Perfect timing.

A very late cooked breakfast followed on Deck 16, awkwardly timed somewhere between normal breakfast hours and the crew laying out lunch. At the same time a full crew-only security drill was taking place, with staff standing in lifejackets at their muster stations awaiting further instructions while we quietly concentrated on fried eggs and hash browns beside them. The upside of operating on such a questionable eating schedule was that the buffet was nearly empty and we achieved the rarest of cruise ship victories: unrestricted access to window seats overlooking Bergen harbour and its increasingly miserable weather.

As we sailed away around 2pm we passed beneath the Sotra Bridge with only 3.5 metres of clearance according to the captain. I was extremely pleased to be safely watching this on the Bridge Cam rather than standing nervously on an outside deck wondering whether my hairstyle was about to become part of Norwegian infrastructure.

The afternoon involved a tactical nap, several trivia quizzes and an Olympic-standard level of people watching.

Tonight was formal night again. Tuxedos and sequins began emerging around 4:30pm, although enthusiasm seemed noticeably lower than the first formal evening. Either people were tired, running out of clean clothing or simply accepting defeat against the North Sea.

We are now heading back towards Southampton with gale-force winds expected overnight. The captain reassured us they would do everything possible to stop us rolling out of bed. Always comforting.

The clocks are going back to UK time, disembarkation instructions have appeared and reality is beginning to creep back in.

Tomorrow is our final sea day, so we may need to resort to increasingly questionable entertainment choices to keep ourselves occupied.

#NorwegianFjords #Bergen #SkyPrincess #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 5 - Skjolden

The day began with adversity. One of our three musketeers had been struck down overnight with a sore throat, zero energy and enough dramatic sighing to briefly raise concerns about Hantavirus. Fortunately, after medical evaluation involving a mug of Lyon’s Green Label tea, the diagnosis was downgraded to “man flu at sea” and our fallen soldier declared himself temporarily unfit for fjord exploration.

Thankfully Skjolden doesn’t require an early start, with docking only at 11am. Outside, drizzle hung stubbornly over the fjord while two of us took refuge in Deck 16 breakfast territory with large coffees and absolutely no intention of going anywhere until conditions improved.

A Saga ship, Spirit of Adventure, had arrived ahead of us and was busy tendering passengers ashore. The village population of roughly 200 people suddenly found itself hosting about 5,000 cruise passengers. One suspects the locals see cruise schedules in the same way medieval villages once viewed incoming Viking ships.

Several coffees later, an early lunch was consumed, followed by an attempt at the daily trivia competition. We achieved a deeply average 11/20 score with no cheating whatsoever, despite certain team members possessing facial expressions suggesting otherwise. Yes Val, you were right and I should have listened to you.

After regular welfare visits upstairs to check hydration, medication and morale levels, the weather finally relented and we headed ashore. The appearance of sunshine transformed what would have been a miserable walk earlier into a genuinely lovely afternoon stroll. We also laughed far more than necessary at the Princess Cruises sign pointing “To The City”. Skjolden is many wonderful things. Metropolitan powerhouse is not one of them.

Our mission was simple: presents for the girls and medication for our invalid. Both objectives successfully completed.

Skjolden itself is charming. Tiny, peaceful and surrounded by scenery so dramatic it almost looks artificial. Despite the constant arrival of floating apartment blocks full of tourists, it somehow still feels authentic and calm. We spent a while sitting beside the fjord simply watching the light shift across the mountains.

A particular highlight for the golfers amongst you: the driving range beside Skjolden Hotel uses biodegradable golf balls made from fish food which are enthusiastically launched directly into the fjord. Somewhere beneath the water, Norwegian fish are apparently living exceptionally well.

Back near the terminal, the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns completely destroyed any remaining self-control. The smiling local vendor knew exactly what he was doing. Armed with pastries, shopping bags and the satisfaction of successful errands, we reclaimed a strategic window seat onboard and admired the scenery whilst devouring our spoils.

Our patient accepted medication, rejected food, and insisted he was “absolutely fine”, which in British Isles terminology usually means “moderately dying but carrying on regardless.”

Sailaway was beautiful. We dined as a reduced party of two while watching our wake disappear into the fjord and the village of Skjolden quietly recover from another full-scale cruise invasion.

Dinner was good without being life-changing, after which the evening descended into the chaos of silent disco territory. There are few things funnier than watching a large crowd of adults enthusiastically singing completely different songs into the void while dancing with deadly seriousness.

One final welfare inspection upstairs involved tea preparation, curtain management and medication distribution before disaster struck again: confirmation that tomorrow’s excursion meeting time is 7:30am.

Cruel and unusual punishment.

Naturally, despite the looming alarm clock, I still somehow ended up back downstairs for another round of karaoke, which was delightfully good in places and deeply concerning in others.

Now it’s finally bedtime.

Tomorrow: Bergen.

#NorwegianFjords #PrincessCruises #CruiseLife #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 4 – Olden

Having been told repeatedly that the approach into Olden was absolutely spectacular and that I should be up on deck at 5:30am wrapped in layers admiring the scenery, I naturally chose the far more civilised option of watching the Bridge Cam from underneath my duvet in my inside stateroom.

Eventually, after my travel companions started flooding our WhatsApp group with smug fjord photos and snowy videos, I accepted defeat, put on approximately 14 layers and headed up to Deck 17 to investigate what all the fuss was about.

Annoyingly, they were right.

Olden really is stunning. Crystal clear water, snow-dusted mountains, tiny colourful houses and scenery so postcard-perfect it almost looks artificial. The village itself only has around 500 residents, which must make life « interesting » for the locals when Sky Princess and Celebrity Apex arrive together and casually unload another 6,500 people into town for the day.

We sensibly waited for the excursion crowds to thin out before disembarking, then promptly ignored all sensible budgeting instincts and bought open-top sightseeing bus tickets.

The 60-minute route took us through Olden and alongside the extraordinary turquoise waters of Oldevatnet Lake towards viewpoints overlooking the Melkevoll Glacier, one of the many glacier arms flowing down from Jostedalsbreen, mainland Europe’s largest glacier.

The drive itself was beautiful. Waterfalls tumbling down mountainsides, mirror-like lakes, tiny farms clinging to impossible patches of land and the sort of scenery that makes you run out of both storage and battery on your phone very quickly.

Several photo stops were included along the route, alongside some slightly questionable standing-up-whilst-the-bus-was-moving photography attempts. Entirely against all common sense of course… but the photos were worth it.

We decided to hop off in Olden town afterwards to explore. “Explore” may be slightly generous. Olden is lovely, but it does not exactly overwhelm visitors with endless attractions. Still, sitting in the sunshine eating strawberries, ice cream and chocolate while staring at a fjord felt like a perfectly acceptable way to spend the afternoon.

The walk back to the ship was tackled bravely by all involved, despite mobility and enthusiasm levels varying considerably by this point.

Back onboard, pool bar relaxation became the priority before our 5:30pm sail away through the fjords, followed by dinner and then a Sing-Along 80s event where, in a moment of temporary madness, I somehow ended up dancing on stage defending the honour of the massively overpopulated yet strangely silent starboard team.

The enthusiasm levels from our side were not exactly overwhelming, so I feel I carried a disproportionate amount of the entertainment burden for the evening.

After the theatre show, we all retired happily to our cabins for some well-earned sleep.

Tomorrow: Skjolden 🚢

#NorwegianFjords
#PrincessCruises
#CruiseLife
#TravelLynStyle. ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 3 – Stavanger

Last night I went to bed full of good intentions. The plan was simple: wake up early, watch our approach into Stavanger live on the Bridge Camera feed and enjoy a smug maritime moment from the comfort of my inside cabin. When you book an inside cabin, a TV channel becomes your emotional support window.

At 5:30am there was little happening apart from vast expanses of sea and questionable life choices. By 7:30am we appeared to be drifting peacefully outside the harbour while gulls circled dramatically overhead and small boats glided past.

Imagine my delight when I wandered into my companion’s cabin at 8:25am only to be informed that we had actually docked an hour earlier. The Bridge Cam was still showing us floating about in the bay like a confused ghost ship. This did absolutely nothing to improve my already sleep-deprived mood.

Breakfast was a sit-down affair this morning. Sadly, the avocado had clearly endured a difficult voyage of its own and the poached eggs tasted of absolutely nothing whatsoever. The coffee was so bad I’m choosing to protect everyone involved by not discussing it further.

At 10am we disembarked in search of a hop-on hop-off bus. Or, given our collective mobility levels by this point in the cruise, more accurately a hobble-on hobble-off bus.

Following a quick visit to the tourist office, we climbed aboard full of optimism. Unfortunately the experience included hard seats, filthy windows, commentary that sounded as though it had been recorded during a hostage situation, and no earphones. Thankfully I had my own and shared them around like some kind of budget cruise philanthropist.

One of the stops took us to the famous “Swords in Rock” monument, commemorating the Battle of Hafrsfjord where Norway was united into one kingdom by King Harald Fairhair in around 872 AD. Three enormous swords stand embedded in the rock to symbolise peace, unity and the end of conflict.

Naturally, all I could think was that somebody had clearly let King Arthur loose in Stavanger.

After nine increasingly uninspiring bus stops, I decided enough was enough. Feeling both under-informed and underwhelmed, I found an excellent self-guided walking tour online and promptly abandoned my companions to their coffee, pastries and ongoing banter.

It turned out to be the best decision of the day.

The commentary was witty, informative and properly brought Stavanger to life. I wandered through the old streets, learnt about the city’s sardine-canning history, admired the beautiful wooden houses and finally returned just over an hour later feeling vastly more educated and slightly smug.

Meanwhile my companions had continued bravely researching Norwegian café culture.

Before returning to the ship I stopped at the tourist office again and gathered plenty of useful information for future Norwegian cruise clients. You know who you are 👀

Back onboard, hunger levels had reached critical status. A unanimous decision was made to order room service and gather on the balcony of our third musketeer on Deck 9. Club sandwiches and crisps disappeared rapidly under blue skies and surprisingly warm sunshine while, at long last, everybody relaxed properly.

As we sailed away from Stavanger, the ship eased gracefully away from the dock with the help of some impressively powerful bow thrusters. There’s something oddly satisfying about watching a vessel this size manoeuvre itself delicately out of harbour while the engines quietly do their work beneath your feet.

My companions then disappeared for a post-lunch snooze while I wrapped myself in coat and scarf and headed for Deck 18. The sea was growing rougher, the wind stronger and I refused to miss the drama from my television bunker masquerading as a cabin.

Dinner that evening was excellent and we achieved what can only be described as one of the greatest tactical victories of the cruise so far: securing a window table for the remainder of the voyage.

After dinner, despite being tired, we felt obliged to seek out one final bit of entertainment before bed and stumbled across “The Voice of the Ocean” — essentially karaoke with production values and public voting.

Six finalists were selected by audience vote to compete in the grand final later in the cruise. The whole thing was significantly less painful than anticipated and we unexpectedly stayed for the karaoke afterwards, where several passengers demonstrated levels of confidence wildly disproportionate to their singing ability.

A final communal rendition of Sweet Caroline echoed around the ship and with that, Day 3 was officially declared over and out.

Tomorrow: Olden 🚢

#NorwegianFjords #PrincessCruises #CruiseLife #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 2 - Sea Day - Formal night

Formal night onboard a cruise ship is people-watching at Olympic level!

Tonight was the Captain’s Champagne Waterfall event. Towers of glasses, enthusiastic photographers, sparkling outfits and enough Blanc de Blanc vin mousseux flowing to encourage everybody into believing they looked absolutely fabulous.

And to be fair, some genuinely did.

There were elegant black tuxedos perfectly tailored, timeless cocktail dresses, crisp dinner jackets and the sort of effortless glamour that makes you think somebody may once have crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary in another life.

Others… perhaps interpreted “formal” rather more creatively.

Glittery off-the-shoulder dresses bravely revealing tattoos with life stories of their own. Sequinned jackets fighting heroically against buttons under visible pressure. Summer floral maxi dresses apparently selected for a Mediterranean beach wedding but now making an unexpected appearance somewhere between Scotland and Norway.

There were high heels walking with varying levels of confidence across gently moving decks. Tuxedo collars clinging on for dear life after the third buffet visit. Satin shirts opened one button further than strictly necessary. Shapewear working overtime beneath flowing fabrics. Sparkly handbags the size of a teacup. Bow ties sitting at rebellious angles by dessert.

And then there are always a few gentlemen fully committed to the occasion, proudly wearing formalwear purchased for a wedding in approximately 1998 and determined to get proper value from it ever since.

But honestly, that’s part of the charm of cruising.

Nobody is too cool for it all. People make an effort. They dress up, drink champagne beneath chandeliers, queue patiently for photographs and thoroughly enjoy themselves.

And somewhere in the middle of all the sequins, tight waistbands and enthusiastic formalwear decisions, there’s actually something rather lovely about it.

#CruiseLife #PrincessCruises #FormalNight #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

1 month ago

Day 2 - Sea Day (daytime)

Sea days on a cruise have their own personality.

Yesterday was all excitement, sailaway drinks and exploring every corner of the ship. Today the North Sea had other ideas 😅

Cold winds, grey skies and a ship full of people all trying to find the same comfortable chair with a sea view and a cup of coffee.

Outside decks are quieter now, apart from determined walkers doing laps in coats and woolly hats while the wind tries to carry them towards Norway early.

Inside, the ship takes on a different rhythm. Quiz teams form alliances, lift patience disappears completely, and the buffet somehow becomes busier every single time you walk past it.

As it’s Mother’s Day here onboard, there’s been a lovely atmosphere throughout the ship today. Champagne flowing at breakfast for the mums, warm wishes from staff everywhere we went, and even a cheerful “Happy Mother’s Day” from the spa team accompanied by a knowing wink in my direction 😆

In an unexpected turn of events, we also participated in a paper plane folding competition. I can officially confirm that none of us are destined for careers in aeronautical engineering. One aircraft barely achieved take-off, while another performed an impressive emergency landing directly into the audience.

One thing I find fascinating is how quickly a cruise ship becomes its own little floating world. Thousands of people, all settling into routines after barely 24 hours at sea.

And somewhere beneath all the chatter, champagne glasses and questionable paper aviation skills, this enormous ship just keeps steadily carrying us north towards the fjords.

Tomorrow: Norway 🇳🇴

#PrincessCruises #SeaDay #NorwegianFjords #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 1 – Southampton, sunshine and slight chaos 🚢

Cruise embarkation day has a certain glamour in your head… and then reality steps in with duck poop, motorway passport checks and wandering around a cruise terminal like lab rats looking for daylight.

The day started perfectly though, glorious sunshine and genuine excitement as we set off for Southampton. My freshly cleaned car, however, had clearly become a target for every duck in the neighbourhood overnight. Not the elegant start I’d imagined.

After collecting our third musketeer and performing some highly questionable luggage engineering, we somehow fitted 3 adults, a week’s worth of cruise luggage and assorted handbags into my tiny Fiesta. Honestly, I still don’t know how.

Traffic behaved itself and conversation flowed nicely… until it suddenly didn’t.

“Everyone’s got their passport, haven’t they?”

The silence that followed could have won awards.

A quick motorway exit and emergency bag search later, we confirmed we did indeed have 3 adults and 3 passports. Crisis avoided. Holiday resumed.

Southampton itself was surprisingly straightforward. Between Google Maps, port signage and instinct, we found our way to the terminal without too much drama. Car drop-off was easy. The walk to check-in less so for my elderly companions, but we got there eventually.

Then came…the queue.

Not a queue. A QUEUE.

I dropped the others off with instructions to stay put while I tackled the luggage situation and joined what felt like the population of a small country waiting to board a ship. Thankfully things sped up eventually and we received our Medallions. Mine happened to be Gold, naturally 😉

Security itself was painless enough, although the terminal definitely feels like it belongs in another decade. Endless corridors later, we finally stepped onboard to smiling crew members and multiple cheerful “Welcome aboard!” greetings.

First priority: find seats and obtain drinks.

Finding seats was easy.

Understanding the Princess Premier drinks package after a long day? Less easy.

Who orders? Where? What’s included? Why does everyone else look like they know what they’re doing?

Confusion reigned briefly.

Then I realised I’d left my coat and handbag at security.

Of course I had.

After calmly explaining my stupidity to staff, I marched back upstream through the terminal like a determined salmon and thankfully found everything exactly where I’d abandoned it.

Success.

Fuelled by relief and determination, I finally secured two cocktails and a cappuccino for the group just in time for sailaway.

We headed enthusiastically towards the “front” of the ship for the best views… only to discover we were actually standing at the stern while the ship casually performed a 180-degree turn. Still, Southampton looked beautiful in the evening light whichever direction we were facing.

Cabin time followed, with our little trio split across an inside cabin, balcony cabin and deluxe balcony. Plenty of exploring, unpacking and getting settled into our floating home for the week.

Pre-dinner entertainment involved a surprisingly competitive landmark trivia quiz before dinner at Cielo, where we had a genuinely lovely first meal onboard… which I completely forgot to photograph because apparently I’m already in holiday mode.

After escorting the older generation sensibly off to bed, I decided to continue exploring alone.

The Lido deck was deserted, freezing cold and extremely windy. Very glamorous.

Next stop: the Vista Lounge for one final drink and a little live music before finally admitting defeat and calling it a night.

And that was Day 1:
No lost passports.
No lost handbags.
No missed embarkation.
And only minor emotional damage from the duck attack.

Tomorrow… Sea day, Norway here we come! 🇳🇴

#NorwegianFjords #PrincessCruises #CruiseLife #TravelLynStyle

: ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Puerto Rico, Cruise the Southern Caribbean and Miami… all in one January escape.

Start with 3 nights in San Juan, where colourful colonial streets, sea views and warm Caribbean evenings ease you gently into holiday mode before boarding Celebrity Constellation for an amazing 7-night sailing through the Southern Caribbean.

This is one of those lovely itineraries where everything works seamlessly. Wake up to a different island almost every morning without once needing to repack your suitcase. Explore Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, wander through Basseterre in St Kitts & Nevis, explore the green volcanic landscapes of Dominica, soak up the atmosphere of St Lucia and Barbados, then balance it all with a full sea day to relax and let go properly. Coffee at the Oceanview Café, a long lunch, a book by the pool or simply watching the waves as you drift by. Cruise works beautifully when the itinerary gives you time to breathe as well as places to discover.

Celebrity Constellation is also a very easy ship to settle into. Smaller and calmer than the newest mega ships, with a more relaxed atmosphere, good dining and enough space to enjoy the sea properly.

After the cruise, instead of flying straight home, finish up with 4 nights in Miami Beach at the adults-only Hotel Greystone. Enough time to enjoy the Art Deco architecture, rooftop cocktails, beach walks and late January sunshine before heading back to London.

Included:
✈️ London Heathrow flights including checked baggage
🛏️ 3 nights at The Condado Plaza Hilton San Juan with breakfast
🚢 7-night Celebrity Constellation cruise
🍽️ Full board cruise with prepaid gratuities
✈️ Domestic flight from San Juan to Miami
🌴 4 nights at Hotel Greystone Miami Beach with breakfast

Departure date: 27th January 2027

Total package price: £2,525 per person based on 2 sharing
£150 per person deposit

Mandatory local resort fees totalling approximately £76 per person payable locally.

Sold by Travel Lyn Style
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

Prices correct at time of posting and subject to availability and change.

#CelebrityCruises #CaribbeanEscape #MiamiBeach #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Sri Lanka is one of the easiest long-haul trips to get right.

You’ve got history, wildlife, scenery and coastline, all within a relatively small area, so you’re not spending your time in transit. When the route is planned properly, it just flows, and this itinerary does exactly that.

You start in the Cultural Triangle, right in the centre of the island. Sigiriya is as impressive as you expect, and worth the early start. Polonnaruwa adds a bit more depth, and the village experience at Hiriwadunna gives you a feel for everyday life rather than just the main sites.

Kandy comes next, slightly further south. It’s a natural stop, not just for the Temple of the Tooth, but as a way of breaking the journey before heading up into the hills.

Tea country is where people usually pause for a moment. Cooler air, green landscapes, and a completely different feel in the central highlands. The train to Ella is part of the experience, not just a transfer, and it’s one of those things people always mention afterwards.

From there, you head down to the south-east for Yala. Proper wildlife, not a staged park, and one of the best places to see elephants, with a decent chance of leopard if you’re lucky.

You finish on the south-west coast in Bentota, which is exactly where you want to be by that point. A few days to relax before heading home.

It’s a full itinerary, but it makes sense. You’re not being rushed from place to place, and you’re not missing the key experiences either.

For a first trip to Sri Lanka, it’s a very solid way to do it.

✈️ Departure: 14 September 2026
🛏️ 9 nights touring Sri Lanka
🍽️ Half board throughout
🚗 Private chauffeur guide and transfers
💷 £1,999 per person
💷 £3,998 total for 2 adults

Sold by Travel Lyn Style
Package organised by Travelpack – ATOL 2866

Price based on 2 adults sharing. Includes direct international flights with 23kg baggage. Correct at time of posting and subject to change based on availability at time of booking.
No fees payable locally.

#SriLanka #CuratedTravel #TailormadeTravel #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Some destinations get all the attention.

But just beyond them, there are places that offer something completely different, often with a much better balance.

Nepal brings you straight into the mountains. Big views, cooler air, and a pace that naturally slows everything down.

Sri Lanka works well if you want variety without feeling rushed. Trains through tea country, wildlife, coastline, and journeys that are part of the experience rather than something to get through.

The Maldives is the simplest reset. Minimal planning, short transfers, and a few days where you can properly switch off.

Thailand gives you a balance of culture, food, and comfort. Easy to navigate, very well set up, and flexible depending on how much or how little you want to do.

None of these are complicated to plan, but choosing the right one makes a noticeable difference to how a trip feels.

#TravelLynStyle #BeyondTheObvious #travelplanning #tailormadetravel ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Kathmandu is one of those cities that has a constant energy to it. Busy, layered, and full of life.

What most people don’t realise is that you only need to go a short distance beyond it for that to change completely.

Chandragiri Hills sits just outside the city, elevated above the valley, with a very different feel. The air is clearer, the pace is slower, and the views open everything up. You are still close enough to dip into Kathmandu if you want to, but you’re no longer in the middle of it.

That balance is what makes this work.

This is a nine-night stay built around wellbeing, in a way that feels practical instead of scheduled. You have a programme in place, but it doesn’t take over your time.

Yoga, naturopathy and Ayurvedic treatments are all included, with a focus on how you feel by the end of the stay rather than how much you can fit into each day. Treatments are spaced out properly, so you’re not moving from one appointment to the next, and there’s time in between to actually enjoy where you are.

There’s also a more considered approach to food, with the possibility of personalised nutrition plans designed to support the process without making it feel restrictive or clinical.

And then there’s everything else around it. The setting, the views, the quieter pace of the day. The ability to step away from it entirely for a few days, or to head back into Kathmandu and experience it on your own terms.

It’s not about doing more. It’s about feeling better by the time you leave.

✈️ Departure: 17th September 2026
📍 London Heathrow with indirect flights on Air India
🛏️ 9 nights at 5* Chandragiri Hills Resort & Spa
💷 £2,499 per person
💷 £4,998 total for 2 adults

Sold by Travel Lyn Style
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

Price based on 2 adults sharing. Correct at time of posting and subject to change based on availability at time of booking.

No local taxes have been advised for this property at the time of posting.

#Nepal #WellnessRetreat #CuratedTravel #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Southern India, coast to coast, with a very different rhythm to the journeys most people first imagine.

This route starts in Kochi, where the pace is gentle and the setting is defined by the water. The Chinese fishing nets at sunset aren’t a show, they’re still part of daily life, and this sets the tone for what follows.

From there, the journey moves inland into Wayanad. Forests, tea plantations and small communities replace the cities. The Edakkal Caves add a layer of history that goes back thousands of years, with carvings that pre-date most of what people associate with India.

Mysore brings another shift. A royal city with a very different feel, centred around its palace and traditions, but still easy to explore at your own pace. It’s one of those places where you can step in and out of structure depending on how you like to travel.

Then the coast returns. Mamallapuram sits on the Bay of Bengal, where the Shore Temple faces the sea and sunrise becomes part of the experience rather than something you have to chase.

It’s not a rushed route, but it’s a considered one. West to east, cooler hills to coastline, with just enough structure to hold it together and enough space to enjoy it, without feeling like you are constantly on the move.

✈️ Departure 16 January 2027
📍 Flights from London Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic
🧳 Checked luggage included
🚆 Scenic train journeys included
🛏️ 7 nights accommodation in 4* hotels
🚐 Guided touring with local English-speaking guides
🎟️ All monument entrance and park fees included

💷 £1,550 per person
(based on 2 adults sharing)
Deposit £350 per person

Indian tourist visa not included (£21 per person, payable separately)

Sold by TravelLynStyle
Package organised by Travelpack – ATOL 2866
Price correct at time of posting and subject to availability/change at time of booking

If India has been on your list for a while, this is a very easy place to start the conversation, and from there we shape it into something that fits you properly.

#IndiaTravel #IncredibleIndia #TravelInspiration #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

India isn’t one trip.

It’s a collection of very different experiences, each with its own pace and focus.

In Kerala, life slows down. The backwaters stretch for miles, houseboats move gently through the canals, and many stays are centred around Ayurveda and wellness, where treatments form part of the daily rhythm.

In Amritsar, everything centres around the Golden Temple. Its langar is often described as the world’s largest free community kitchen, serving around 50,000 to 100,000 vegetarian meals a day, with everyone sitting together as equals.

Udaipur offers a different perspective again. Set around Lake Pichola, with the City Palace overlooking the water, it’s a place of smaller-scale exploration, narrow streets, and evenings that settle naturally into a slower pace.

Shimla shifts the landscape completely. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, it was once the British summer capital, chosen for its cooler climate and mountain setting, and it still offers that sense of space away from the intensity of the plains.

Each of these places shows a different side of India.

It’s not about trying to see everything. It’s about choosing the version that fits how you want to travel.

#IndiaTravel #TravelInspiration #IncredibleIndia #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

India doesn’t ease you in. It surrounds you.

Within hours of arriving, you’re in Old Delhi, where every street feels alive with movement, colour and sound. It’s intense, unpredictable, and completely absorbing. And then, just a few days later, you’re standing quietly in the gardens of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, watching the marble shift through shades of soft pink and white as the light comes up and the crowds begin to build behind you.

That contrast is what makes this journey work so well.

You move on to Jaipur, where daily life and centuries of history sit side by side. Ceremonies unfolding in temples, intricate façades, and moments where you simply pause and take it in. And then everything changes again as you head out to Sariska. Early mornings, open landscapes, and the steady rhythm of a safari. No guarantees, no staged moments, just the anticipation of what might appear.

This is the journey I’ve just returned from. Every hotel, every transfer, every experience has been tested properly, and it shows. The pace is right, the logistics are taken care of, and you’re free to simply take it all in without having to think about what comes next.

✈️ 9–18 October 2026
💷 £2,725 per person, based on 2 sharing

Includes direct return flights in Economy Class from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic, 8 nights’ accommodation in 4 or 5* hotels, meals throughout as per itinerary, guided touring, 2 jeep safaris in Sariska, all entrance fees and Indian tourist visa (£21 per person to be applied for and purchased separately)

Excludes drinks with meals and tips

It’s a very considered way to experience India for the first time, or to see it differently if you’ve been before.

If you can picture yourself moving through this journey, I’ll share the full itinerary with you.

Sold by TravelLynStyle
Package organised by Merlin Travel Group Ltd – ATOL 11770

#IndiaTravel #IncredibleIndia #TravelLynStyle #TravelPlanning ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 8 – Sariska to Delhi, and home ✈️

Our final morning began slowly, with a later breakfast and freshly made dhosa, a small moment to savour before reality crept back in. The mood had shifted. Still warm and chatty, but with that unmistakable sense that something special was coming to an end.

We said our goodbyes to the team at Sariska Safari Lodge and set off towards Delhi, watching rural Rajasthan drift by one last time. Then, just when we thought the day would be a straightforward transfer, came one final surprise.

🚙 A stop in Shahpura
🏰 A hidden haveli experience
🍽️ A beautifully prepared lunch away from the heat

A short jeep ride through narrow streets led us to Shahpura Haveli, a heritage property that once belonged to a noble family of the region. These havelis were traditionally built as private residences, often centred around courtyards to keep interiors cool in the desert climate. Today, many have been carefully restored, offering a glimpse into Rajasthan’s architectural and cultural past. From rooftop views over the village to intricately decorated rooms, it was an unexpected highlight.

The journey continued with one last reminder of India’s energy. Chaotic traffic, tuk-tuks filled well beyond their intended capacity, and the constant movement that somehow just works.

🏨 Final stop at The Roseate, Aerocity
🍽️ One last dinner together
💬 Promises to stay in touch

By the time we reached the airport, it all felt very real. A smooth check-in, a full overnight flight on @VirginAtlantic with minimal service, and then… Heathrow. Sunshine, efficient e-gates, and familiar surroundings.

But something had shifted.

This wasn’t just a trip. It was a shared experience that turned four individuals into a small group of friends, connected by everything we had seen, learned, and felt along the way.

I am genuinely grateful to @MerlinTravelGroup and @MTGHolidays for the opportunity to be part of this journey.

And India… I suspect this is not goodbye 🇮🇳

#TravelLynStyle #IncredibleIndia #FamTrip #TravelMemories ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 7 – Sariska Tiger Reserve

The excitement had been building for days. After everything we had already experienced, today felt like the moment many people associate with India… an early morning safari in search of Bengal tigers.

My alarm went off at 04:45 and I was not a happy bunny. By 05:30 we were in the lobby, slightly bleary-eyed but fully equipped:

🐅 Passport check
🚙 Blow-up cushion for the suspension check
💸 Tip money check
🔭 Binoculars and phone adapter check
🧴 Sunscreen check
🧥 Leopard print shirt check
🦟 Mosquito repellent… forgotten, but rescued by Jen
✨ Excitement levels at maximum

We headed to the park entrance to collect our official guide and enter Sariska Tiger Reserve, once a former royal hunting ground and now part of India’s Project Tiger conservation programme. Tigers were reintroduced here in 2008 after local extinction, so sightings are never guaranteed.

And that is the reality of safari.

We saw plenty, just not what we had built up in our minds.

🦚 Peacocks, everywhere
🦌 Spotted deer (chital), their coats catching the light
🦌 Sambar deer, larger and more solitary
🐗 Wild boar moving through the scrub
🐒 Hanuman langurs watching us with mild curiosity
🐿️ Squirrels, a hare, a mongoose
🐊 A distant crocodile near the water
🐾 And the unmistakable footprints of tiger and leopard

Factually, the reserve wasn’t empty. It was alive. But visibility is everything, and what we didn’t see shaped the experience more than what we did.

Where the morning fell short, in my view, was in the execution. The driver pushed the pace too much along rough tracks, and our guide lacked both the language and the engagement to bring the landscape to life. On safari, especially when big cats remain elusive, interpretation is everything. Without it, you can feel like you are simply passing through rather than understanding what you are seeing.

After three and a half hours, we returned to the lodge feeling deflated. It’s worth saying this clearly for anyone planning a trip like this: wildlife is unpredictable. Even in parks with higher densities than Sariska, sightings are never guaranteed. The difference is often in the guiding.

We recovered quickly.

A late breakfast, a pause to regroup, and then out into a local village market to source ingredients for our afternoon cooking session.

The market was everything we have come to expect here. Busy, noisy, chaotic, a little dusty, and completely absorbing. We picked out cauliflower, okra, bitter gourd and melons while cows wandered calmly through the centre of it all, entirely unbothered.

Back at the lodge, lunch and a proper siesta felt well earned.

By late afternoon we were in the courtyard for our cookery session. On the menu:

🍽️ Gobhi pakoda
🍽️ Bhindi masala
🍽️ Karela fry with besan

As the ingredients were introduced, I found myself mentally building a shopping list to recreate it all at home. The reaction to UK pricing raised more than a few laughs.

It was hands-on, relaxed and genuinely enjoyable. A reminder that some of the most memorable parts of a trip are often the simplest.

The evening was quiet. Three of us gathered in the lobby for a final drink together. Nic continues on to Kerala, while the rest of us start the journey home tomorrow.

We drive back to Delhi in the morning. A couple of stops on the way, but mentally it already feels like the closing chapter.

India doesn’t really let you leave quietly.

#IndiaTravel #SariskaSafari #WildlifeReality #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 6 – Jaipur to Sariska

After five full days of constant movement, today felt like a deliberate exhale.

We left Jaipur after breakfast at a very civilised 9:30am and, with lighter traffic than we had become used to, made steady progress towards Sariska. The journey takes around three hours, but what makes it interesting is not the distance, it is the gradual shift in landscape and pace of life.

The city gives way slowly. Roads open up, buildings thin out, and daily life becomes more visible. We amused ourselves trying to capture a “cow in the wrong place” photo, although the reality is that in India, cows always seem to be exactly where they are meant to be.

Along the way, we noticed brightly coloured sacks scattered across the fields. These are often made from recycled fabrics, including old saris, repurposed to carry and protect harvested crops. It is a practical and resourceful reuse of material, and something you see widely in rural India.

Outside many homes, there were also neat stacks of shaped cow dung. This is dried and used as fuel for cooking and heating. In rural communities, it remains an important, low-cost and sustainable energy source, often mixed with straw and left to dry in the sun before use. It can also be used as fertiliser, so very little goes to waste.

And then, high up on the ridgelines, we began to notice the remains of old stone structures. At first glance they look almost accidental, but these are the remnants of small hill forts or watchtowers, part of the wider defensive network that once protected this region. Positioned to command long views across the landscape, they would have been used to monitor movement and relay signals between larger forts. Now, they sit quietly above it all, slowly being reclaimed by the hills.

We arrived at Sariska Safari Lodge almost an hour ahead of schedule. The contrast with the previous days was immediate. Quiet, space, and a sense of calm. We were welcomed with flower garlands and a cold drink, a simple gesture that felt entirely in keeping with the setting.

Security here came in a slightly different form. A German Shepherd named Zoey gave each of us a thorough inspection before allowing us through. Having become used to metal detectors and security checks in city hotels, this felt both reassuring and slightly more personal.

The lodge itself is set within gardens, with a pool to one side, and rooms that are spacious and well designed for comfort rather than show. After a relaxed buffet lunch, the afternoon was left free. Time to pause, reset, and prepare for what we had all been waiting for.

In the evening, we gathered in the courtyard to watch a short BBC documentary on the reintroduction of tigers to Sariska.

By the early 2000s, the tiger population in the reserve had been completely wiped out, largely due to organised poaching and habitat pressure. In 2008, a carefully managed relocation programme began, bringing tigers from Ranthambore into Sariska. Tigers were moved individually, monitored using radio collars, and gradually adapted to their new territory. It became one of the first major tiger reintroduction projects of its kind, closely watched at the time. Today, the population is still monitored carefully, and every sighting feels significant.

As we watched, our four-legged security detail remained busy, ensuring that the local monkeys kept their distance. Her focus and training were impressive, and quietly reassuring as dusk settled in.

Dinner followed, generous and full of flavour as always, before an early night.

Tomorrow starts at 5:30am. The search for tigers begins.

#IndiaTravel #Sariska #WildlifeExperience #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 5 - Jaipur

Another early start, and for once, no resistance from any of us. We had been told to be ready for 8am to witness a Hindu morning ceremony, and it quickly became clear why timing mattered.

As we stepped off the minibus, the sound reached us first. A steady, rhythmic chant rolling through the streets, growing louder with every step towards the temple. The closer we got, the more the atmosphere intensified. This was not something staged or curated. It was lived, shared, and deeply felt.

We paused briefly to receive a bindi before removing our shoes and leaving them neatly in racks outside. Our guide then quietly told us he wanted to take us inside, not as observers, but as guests. He knew people here. We would be welcomed.

What followed is difficult to describe without overstating it, but it was genuinely moving. We were drawn into the crowd, surrounded by devotion, music and movement. At one point, a woman behind me gently tapped my shoulder and placed a handful of rose petals into my hands. With a simple gesture, she showed me what to do. I threw them into the air as others did, and in that moment, it felt like a release.

When the chanting ended and we stepped back out into the daylight, three of the four of us had tears in our eyes. Not sadness, but something closer to overwhelm. It felt like we had been allowed into something deeply personal.

From there, we moved into Jaipur’s vegetable and flower markets. The pace shifted immediately. Colour, noise and movement in every direction. At the centre, bulk trading was already underway, with buyers negotiating quantities early in the day, while smaller vendors set up around the edges. Much of the physical movement of goods is still done the traditional way, balanced expertly on heads, often by women. It is not a formalised union system, but a long-established way of working that has been passed down through generations, built on rhythm, strength and experience.

Next was the City Palace Jaipur. Still partly a royal residence, it offers a layered history of Jaipur’s rulers, particularly Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who founded the city in 1727. Courtyards open one into another, each space becoming slightly more private, with intricate detailing and a blend of Rajput, Mughal and European influences. It feels both grand and purposeful, designed not just to impress, but to function.

We didn’t have time to visit Jantar Mantar, but its story stayed with us. Built in the 18th century, it houses a collection of monumental astronomical instruments. The largest sundial can measure time with remarkable precision using only shadow and stone, a reminder of the scientific understanding that existed here centuries ago.

From there, we made our way to Amer Fort. Rising from the hills just outside the city, its scale is immediately striking. Built in the late 16th century, it was the main residence of the Rajput rulers before Jaipur was established. By mid-morning, the heat was already intense, so we took in the setting and its history from the outside rather than venturing in.

At that point, morale dipped slightly and hydration became the priority. Relief came in the form of a small coffee shop and some very welcome iced lattes.

Lunch was hosted at the Jai Mahal Palace. A former royal residence set within expansive Mughal gardens, it manages to feel both central and completely removed from the pace of the city. Calm, understated and quietly luxurious. A place I would recommend without hesitation.

The afternoon gave us time to pause back at our hotel before heading out again for dinner at Samode Haveli. Still owned by the royal family, it retains a sense of continuity rather than reinvention. Courtyards, intricate detailing and a quiet elegance that doesn’t need to announce itself. The food and service matched the setting.

On the way back, we stopped briefly at Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds. Built so royal women could observe life in the streets below without being seen, its façade of hundreds of small windows creates both airflow and privacy. Even at night, it holds its presence.

Tomorrow we leave Jaipur.

#Jaipur #IncredibleIndia #IndiaFamTrip #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less

Travel Lyn Style

2 months ago

Day 4 – Agra to Jaipur

A very early start today. We left the hotel at 6am, not to chase sunrise, but to experience the Taj Mahal at its quietest. Cooler air, fewer visitors, and far less intensity at the entrance made a noticeable difference before we had even stepped inside.

Seeing the Taj Mahal up close is one of those moments that holds its weight, even when you think you know what to expect. Built in the 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it is often described as a monument to love, but what strikes you most is the precision. Every element is deliberate. The symmetry is exact, the proportions balanced from every angle, and the white marble shifts subtly in tone as the light changes.

Up close, it becomes even more intricate. The inlay work, known as pietra dura, uses semi-precious stones set into the marble to create delicate floral patterns that are still perfectly intact centuries later. Verses from the Quran are inscribed in black marble, increasing in size as they rise so they appear uniform when viewed from below. Even the four minarets are positioned with a slight outward tilt, designed to protect the main structure in the event of an earthquake.

Having fewer people around gave us the time and space to notice these details properly. The gardens, laid out in the classic Mughal charbagh style, felt calm rather than crowded, and for once, it didn’t feel rushed.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast, packed, and then set off by road towards Jaipur.

Our first stop en route was Abhaneri Step Well, also known as Chand Baori, and it was completely unexpected. None of us had heard of it before, which made the impact even stronger.

Dating back over a thousand years, Chand Baori is one of the oldest and deepest stepwells in India, built not just as a water source, but as a vital community space in a region where water has always been scarce. What you see today is an extraordinary geometric structure, over 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry across three sides, descending around 20 metres into the earth.

But beyond the visual impact, it’s the purpose that gives it meaning. Stepwells like this were designed to store water during the monsoon season, ensuring supply throughout the year, and also provided a cool place for the local community to gather. Even now, standing at the edge and looking down, you can feel the temperature drop slightly. It’s a reminder of how architecture here has always been shaped by climate as much as by culture.

From there, we continued to Aagman Camp, set within the rural landscape of Abhaneri. This is not a staged stop, but something much more considered. The camp has been created to offer a genuine connection to village life, supporting the local community whilst giving visitors a way to pause between the major cities and experience something quieter and more grounded.

Lunch was served in an open, relaxed setting, surrounded by farmland. Simple in concept, but very well executed. The food was freshly prepared, rooted in local flavours, and after a morning of early starts and travel, exactly what was needed.

What made this stop particularly interesting was the interaction with local artisans. We watched lac bangles being shaped by hand, a traditional craft where natural lacquer is heated, moulded and decorated with remarkable speed and precision. Alongside this, a potter demonstrated how clay can be transformed into fully formed vessels in just minutes on a wheel. These are not demonstrations created for tourists, but skills that are still very much part of everyday life here, passed down through generations.

Then back on the road for the final stretch into Jaipur.

Our base for the next two nights is the Jaipur Marriott, conveniently located near the airport. After checking in, we had an hour to rest before heading down for dinner.

There’s a noticeable shift as soon as you arrive in Rajasthan. The flavours deepen, the spices become more assertive, and the dishes carry a little more heat. Tonight, I was very grateful for the raita alongside my dhal.

Tomorrow we begin exploring Jaipur itself and start to uncover what gives the Pink City its character.

#IndiaTravel #RajasthanJourney #TajMahalMoments #TravelLynStyle ... See MoreSee Less