Flights To Fancy

Travelling the world in luxury for less a week at a time

The Loft Canggu Cafe: A Canggu Restaurant To Please Everyone (Even Vegans!)

The Loft Canggu - Shake

I’ve been to Bali many times but it’s usually just The Hubs and I. This trip we were a group of eleven and eight of us decided to head to Canggu for the day. Even thought it’s not an area I’m overly familiar with, as the designated ‘Bali expert’ the group still looked to me for guidance. Especially on where to have lunch. So what does a girl do when she is under pressure to find a Canggu restaurant to please four picky kids, three die-hard meat eaters and a vegan? Google of course. After researching all the options I decided on The Shady Shack Canggu Cafe but my carefully laid plans were thrown into disarray when we arrived to find it closed for the day! I hadn’t factored in Galungan which was a serious rookie mistake! I jumped on my phone to start the search again and found The Loft Canggu. The menu seemed to tick all our boxes and best of all, it was open! Thank you Google! Read on for all the details …

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How To Plan A Successful Blue Mountains Day Trip From Sydney

Three Sisters Blue Mountains NSW

Everybody should do a Blue Mountains day trip from Sydney at least once. Being a Sydney local, I have made the journey many times. The Blue Mountains region is an easily accessible area of stunning natural beauty on the city fringes which encompasses dramatic sandstone formations, impressive canyons, steep cliffs, virgin bush land and stunning waterfalls. Dotted with quaint villages, local galleries and award-winning gardens, the Blue Mountains has much to delight. With so much to see, day trippers will have to carefully decide what to include in their Blue Mountains trip because it is not possible to see it all in a day. Read on for all the details …

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Need Forster Accommodation? Try Great Lakes Caravan Park Forster

Boat at sunset at Great Lakes Forster Caravan Park

I love the nostalgia of a road trip. My recent stay at the Great Lakes caravan park Forster brought back memories of my childhood when Mum and Dad would throw me and the dogs in the back of the unseatbelted, unairconditioned, unreliable Kingswood and drive from dawn til dusk on bitumen turned molten under the harsh Australian sun to some far flung caravan park in the middle of nowhere because it was cheap. I remember spending a lot of time on the side of the road listening to the stream of expletives that spewed from my Dad’s mouth while his head was buried under the bottle green bonnet. No wonder I can swear like a sailor! Later, as newly licensed, cash-poor teenagers, we would pool our pennies for gas, pile into one of our bangers and speed out of Sydney most Friday nights with an exuberance reserved only for the young. Those were heady days and we reveled in that joyous space between childhood and being a ‘real’ adult where you are invincible. 30(ish) years on, I itch to explore all the world has to offer and travel means boarding a flight to fancy rather than starting up the family car. With one exception. Our annual group trip. As we settled into our Forster accommodation, the menfolk unpacked the cars, the kids ran excitedly from one cabin to the next and I nursed a freshly poured wine while taking a moment to study the now laugh lined faces of those once carefree young women I road tripped with a lifetime ago. And I felt blessed. Blessed to still have them in my life. Sure it’s a harder to get together now. Gone are the days when we would simply ring around on a Thursday night to see who was ‘in’ for the weekend as none of us yet possessed (or even imagined) smart phones capable of instant group chat. These days our technology has improved but hectic schedules, kid’s weekend activities, shift-working husbands and a general level of exhaustion must all be juggled with military precision to find time to catch up. Even though my grown up boys have long since stopped tagging along, I still enjoy the simplicity of these trips and spending quality time with a group of pals I love with all my heart. Read on for all the details …

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Nostimo Greek Grill Bali: My Favourite Bali Greek Restaurant. Kali Orexi!

Nostimo Greek Restaurant Seminyak_ Chicken Souvlaki Platter

Wanna get your Greek on? Have I got the place for you! Kali Orexi means ‘good appetite’ in Greek and that’s exactly what you need to bring to Nostimo Greek Grill Bali. Nostimo Bali is my favourite Bali Greek Restaurant (yes there are a few!) and I just know you are going to love it too. If you can’t tell your Skordalia from your Souvlaki, come with me as I unravel the mysteries of Greek food at this fabulous Greek restaurant in Seminyak Bali …

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The Club Villas Seminyak: 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Bali Villas With Private Pools

The Club Villas Seminyak: Private Pool Villa Bali

*** Last Updated May 2019 ***

For my last two trips to Bali I chose to stay at The Club Villas Seminyak. There are tonnes of Seminyak villas to choose from and I am so glad I stumbled on these stunning Bali villas with private pools. The complex has a choice of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villas to suit most travellers and you will be blown away by the value! Read on for all the details …

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Skyjet Airlines Philippines From Manila to Boracay Caticlan MNL-MPH

Skyjet Airlines Philippines BAE 146 on the tarmac at Manila NAIA almost ready for take off to Boracay Caticlan

Getting to Boracay is a little tricky, but this tiny slice of paradise in the Philippines is absolutely worth the effort. The first step is to decide which airport to fly into; Boracay Caticlan or Kalibo. The Manila Boracay route is frequented by multiple airlines and flights from Manila to Caticlan are typically faster but more expensive than flights to Kalibo. Of course we decided on Caticlan. Once in Caticlan the next step is to navigate from Caticlan airport to Boracay Island. I found that Skyjet Airlines Philippines had the quickest flight time from Manila to Boracay. Add a private speed boat from Caticlan to Boracay Island and you have the fastest way to get from Manila to Boracay. If you want to spend more time relaxing than travelling on your next trip to Boracay read on for all the details …

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Fun Water Activities in Boracay #1 – Helmet Diving Boracay

Helmet diving Boracay fish frenzy

Ever considered helmet diving in Boracay? As a former avid open water diver I am well versed in breathing underwater, but lately ear problems have prevented me from diving as much as I would like. This tiny island in the Philippines has some of the clearest water in the world and there are a host of water activities in Boracay. Given my ear problems, I was really drawn to Boracay helmet diving as an alternative to scuba. When I noticed the incredibly low price of helmet diving in Boracay I signed up immediately. Read on for all the details of our helmet diving Boracay adventure …

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Airswift Airlines Flight from Cebu To El Nido CEB-ENI

Flight T6337 at AirSWIFT El Nido Airport

Getting a flight from Cebu to El Nido used to be impossible. In fact, the only way to traverse between the two cities was to catch a flight to Puerto Princesa and then spend eight rather uncomfortable hours on a bus bumping across dirt roads. When time is of the essence, this is not really feasible and AirSWIFT Airlines capitalised on this previously untapped route by adding the only direct Cebu to El Nido flight to their already popular flight from Manila to El Nido. Making an AirSWIFT booking is simple and all flights from Cebu to El Nido land at the purpose built AirSWIFT El Nido terminal at Lio airport. Read on to find out exactly what it’s like to fly AirSWIFT Philippines …

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