Some people believe that the ‘Lanka’ from Sri Lanka is derived from the Tamil word ‘ilanku’, which means ‘to shine’ or ‘to glitter’, thus making Lanka a name that literally means ‘that which glitters’.
If you don’t feel like being at the party, Sri Lankan Homestays can be a great option and a good way to get to know about the local food and culture. And you may just end up feeling like one of the family. I was about to go into Nilambe silent retreat the following week, so I was feeling particularly introspective.
I felt awkward and at a loss of where to look. A little bit like being on the tube in London but with friendlier faces and instead of being on a train you are in Sri Lanka on top of a mountain surrounded by glorious, unspoilt nature.
If you are creatively minded you are especially going to enjoy wandering the streets of the George Town UNESCO world heritage site. They are lined with crumbling, pre-second world war Chinese shop houses, most of which don’t seem to have had much restoration and with all the original signage, so it really feels like stepping back in time.
Owner, artist and classical musician Annabelle Ng and her partner Fabien (also an artist) have created a peaceful haven in the middle of bustling George Town. It was so nice to hear them working downstairs on their art or playing the piano while chilling upstairs in the simple, yet charming converted guest bedrooms.
Few things are as beautiful as the view from the Pura Lempuyang Temple, where the heavens meet the earth. Situated on top of Lempuyang Montain, which sits directly across from the active volcano Mt Agung. The best time to get there is sunrise to avoid disappointment. I arrived at 6.45am by scooter from Amed... two minutes before the deadly magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rocked Lombok! Timing!
Giant crabs on stilts, seafood, hikes and new friends. Kep is a teeny tiny seaside town about a 30 minute drive down a dusty motorway from Kampot. Its the place to go and chill when you want to get out of town. Which I tend to need after too long in one place. So on my days off from volunteering in Kampot, I would hit the road for some R + R.
Down by the river in a little ol' riverside town called Kampot, in the south west of Cambodia teaching yoga and flowing with life. There isn't a place in this world I could of chosen to begin my yoga teaching career that would of been a better choice than Banteay Srey Project and Spa.
On further inspection it turns out Koh Phangan is an 'ultra spiritual' destination, attracting all sorts of healers, yogis/yoginis and spiritual types. It is also said to be formed on a big chunk of rose quartz crystal, a crystal known for its heart healing properties. Funny then that it attracts all these people who are in need of some healing and lovin.
As the world becomes more travel savvy and the concept of working online booms, hostels are no longer just catering for students on their gap year but also for glam packers, digital nomads and families who are still looking to have fun and meet people but can do without the trashy party vibe.
I've been in Chiang Mai over a month now and I have been so busy that aside from my weekly Thai massage, yoga and exploring the many coffee shops, I've hardly done any culture at all! So this morning I decided to hit the mountain and check out some of Chiang Mai's most sacred and beautiful temples.
In case you didn’t know, minimalism is kind of a thing these days. Just as the digital nomad movement is making waves, so is minimalism…
You know that feeling you get when you are about to travel to somewhere completely new? That feeling of excitement, nervousness and endless possibility?
I love Sydney, I do.
But it's bloody expensive and pretty easy to spend your entire life savings in the space of a weekend if you don't have your eye on the ball.
Fear not, I have lovingly complied a list of 10 free/inexpensive things to do in the beautifully blue city of Sydney.
Ahem! Anyway...When I started this journal, the name 'Chasing Waterfalls' was meant to be kind of metaphorical (like in the TLC song ; ), but I may have sparked a bit of a waterfall obsession here.
Before making the switch, I spent the past 5 years working 9-5 in a marketing job in London. The job was good, but I started asking myself the question, what do I REALLY want to be doing? How do I REALLY want to be spending my life?
Set in the Rajaji Tiger reserve at the foot of the Himalayas in Rishikesh~the valley of saints, sits the abandoned 'Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram'. It was coined 'The Beatles Ashram' after the Beatles visited in 1968 to attended a transcendental meditation training session with the Maharishi...
It is difficult to express my feelings about the experience I've just had in Rishkesh without using cliché words such as ‘blessed’, ‘grateful’ or ‘life changing’. You really do come away feeling like your heart might explode from all the new friends you’ve made. Largely from spending fifteen hour days in the same room… learning, laughing, crying and growing together...
We drove for three hours from Fort Cochin through some luscious greenery to an elephant orphanage called Kodanad Elephant Sanctuary. It was a bit sad to see them in chains and occasionally being whacked with sticks, although I think this might be a theme in India...unfortunately.
Blink and you’ll miss it, my initial thoughts on India: entirely lovable but crazy as a coconut. A good intro to India is the state of Kerala, meaning ‘full of coconuts’. I’m told that it’s much calmer than the north and the big cities. Some lubrication for the madness of the north!
It can be a little challenging living back on the Gold Coast after 10 + years overseas in the UK & Europe. Although the beaches are beautiful...
Maybe it's because it's the first place in Australia that the sun touches each day but something happens to you when you're in Byron Bay...
OK I know I have talked about a lot of special places on this blog, but this one takes the cake. I almost don't want to post about The Gedong Gandhi Ashram in Candidasa because it holds such a special place in my heart...
I had big plans for Nusa L. Lots of Yoga, some snorkelling, maybe try some diving as Nusa Lembongan is THE place for diving but unfortunately the universe and my little toe had other plans...
Ahhh Ubud, you little treasure. Ubud is up there on the list of special places, you could say that its more of a feeling than a place. But it is a place. Its definitely a place...
One of my fav cafes was The Green Ginger Noodle House. The perfect place for a post yoga sesh dragonfruit smoothie bowl and a cup of ginger tea (see pic above). So much goodness!!
It is strange to see people in the middle of the city casually walking around with surfboards...
I fell hard for Lisbon, the cobbled streets, the architecture, the trams from the 1930's, the custard tarts, the way that the balmy streets are alive with late night diners and the people...
From what I'd heard about Pretty Pai, I kind of new I might fall in love with the place, but I didn't think it would be so instantaneous. As soon as I arrived in my bungalow (next to a rice field with a view of the mountains), I immediately tried to cancel my apartment in Chiang Mai and I'd wished that I'd brought all my possessions so I could stay longer.