Pay What You Want Retreat WELIGAMA, SRI LANKA

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’.

SRI LANKA, TRAVEL, RETREAT, REVIEW, YOGA, LOVE, EATS + DRINKSNicole ThompsonNovember 26, 2018SRI LANKA, YOGA, RETREAT, WELIGAMA, TRAVEL, PLANT BASED, VEGAN, BREATHWORK

Crumbling CityGEORGE TOWN, PENANG

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.

Piano in the Garden PENANG

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.

REVIEW, TRAVELNicole ThompsonAugust 16, 2018AIRBNB, REVIEW, PENANG, MALAYSIA, ART, ARTIST STUDIO

The Gates of Heaven BALI

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!

Kep + Rabbit IslandCAMBODIA

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.

Teaching Yoga in Kampot BANTEAY SREY PROJECT CAMBODIA

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.

The Crystal Island KOH PHANGAN

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.

Pretty PaiTHAILAND

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.

The Best Yoga in Chiang MaiTHAILAND

The best yoga in Chiang Mai. The best of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin and Tantra yoga in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai TemplesTHAILAND

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.

The Minimalist Packing List

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…

Manafesting a New Life

You know that feeling you get when you are about to travel to somewhere completely new? That feeling of excitement, nervousness and endless possibility?

Sydney on a Shoestring AUSTRALIA

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.

Waterfalls for Days AUSTRALIA

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.

TRAVEL, DAY TRIP, WATERFALLS, PHOTOGRAPHYNicole ThompsonJuly 9, 2017WATERFALLS, SPRINGBROOK, AUSTRALIA, GOLD COAST, NATURE, WALKS, HIKING

Location Independence KOH LANTA

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?

The Beatles AshramRISHIKESH, INDIA

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...

Yoga Teacher Training RISHIKESH, INDIA

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...

Elephants + Waterfalls KERALA, INDIA

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.

Fort Kochi KERALA, INDIA

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!