Seoul: the capital of South Korea. A futuristic metropolis, where skyscrapers and K-Pop meet royal palaces and  traditional bustling street markets. Seoul has become the world's 10th-most economically powerful city and the second-largest metropolitan area - it feels like stepping into a parallel universe, where London doesn't exist. Having spent most of my recent adult years in or around the London area, it's easy to think that you are living in the centre of the universe - but I was wrong. The people of Seoul have their own pop culture, fashion, identity, and they don't care so much about the Western world. Before visiting Seoul, I (like a lot of travellers out there) had this pre-conceived notion of Seoul being almost troublesome (thanks to it's northern neighbour). And, whilst that is true in respect to their counterpart, Seoul happens to be one of the safest places I've visited! 

Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional Korean village, and a great way to take a step back into time and see what South Korea would have been like centuries ago. It's easily one of the best things to do in Seoul and an area I loved visiting - especially in the Hanboks!
You can pop into one of the local tea houses for a spot of rice tea which is made in the traditional way (Flower Tea was my firm favourite). Even if tea isn't your thing (it's not usually mine either - or any hot drinks, for that matter), I'd still recommend a visit anyway purely for the experience and the peaceful zen you receive from it.
Location-wise, this is in between Gyeongbukgung Palace and the UNESCO World Heritage Changdeokgung Palace, so a trip here is an easy addition to your day trip to these. 

Here's the full itinerary for our trip - we managed to do all of this in 7 days. What's stopping you?

DAY 1:
Lotte world tower, staircase and mall
Starfield library and Coex mall
Common ground containers
Korean folk village

DAY 2:
Jogyesa Temple
Myogaksa Temple
Changdeokgung and Changyeokgung Palaces
Cat Cafe
Insa Dong
Ikseon Dong

DAY 3: 
Bukchon Hanok Village
Ikseon Dong
Gyeongbokgung Palace and Hanboks
Raccoon Cafe
Hongdae

DAY 4:
Style Nanda
Myeongdong Streets
Seoul City Hall
Kwangjang Market

DAY 5:
Raccoon Cafe
Greem Cafe
Hongdae

Head over to my Instagram to see more from the trip, and I'll share more updates on Seoul on the blog and where we stayed soon!

If you're here having a research because you're visiting LA, then let me tell you straight off the bat: I'm jealous. And really upset. If you're in need of an irritating little meatball to hit LA with, then I am available for hire. Will link my email. 😂
All jokes aside, LA is a really unreal place. It's not somewhere that everyone overhypes and that movies make look way cooler than it is - it's worth all the hype and more (even in the rain). There's no shortage of sun (except for the first 3 days of my trip anyway), an abundance of cool places to eat, beaches you can chill on at the weekends and you'll never need to wear more than 3 layers at most - sold yet?!

There is so much to do here that 7 days simply isn't enough if you want to do LA right. It does mean that a second trip is always warranted though, so below I've done all the hard work for you so you can sit back and relax reading through your new itinerary, including rare rainy day suggestions if you happen to be one of the unlucky chosen ones.

You can't come to LA without experiencing the most unbelievable sunsets you'll ever see. Noted - you'll probably see amazing sunsets in other places - but there's nothing quite like LA. The sky turns a beautiful candy floss colour and although you'll see this wherever you are in the city (doh), it's even more special if it's seen from up high.
Griffith Observatory was our chosen location (and clearly everyone else's too) and although it was busy, you can see why. From Griffith you're able to see out as far as the coast in the distance, while also watching the city go up in lights from the same spot. The crowds clear out very shortly after sunset, giving you a little more freedom to have a wander round (and actually go inside the observatory if you're a nerd like me), and from there it's only a short ride down to Hollywood for you to enjoy the rest of your evening after having a mooch.

Sure, getting up close to the most famous sign in the world is cool, but it looks even better from above! If you're an active person, or if you're just actively pretending that you've moved to Hollywood by slipping into LA culture, then hiking the Hollywood Hills is a good place to start. Just for your own sanity, make sure you're not wearing a shirt. Take water. Don't be like me. 

There are plenty of awesome trails around the area which are great for walking and hiking. The particular one I did started directly below the Hollywood sign, round and up to the Wisdom Tree Trail to the American Flag, then across to above the sign. I've linked here an informative blog post you may want to check out if hiking is your thing and you fancy giving it a go, but I can promise you it's well worth nearly dying of dehydration for.

You can't come to California without cruising up the PCH, and you most definitely can't visit Santa Barbara without planning your early retirement. To be honest, I'm not sure I know the right way to describe Santa Barbara to do it the justice it deserves - it simply just boils down to falling in love when you visit. It's the place to be if you're looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and it has a much more relaxed way of life.
A nice drive to take is to go through Santa Monica, through to Malibu, and then from there to Santa Barbara. Google Maps will try to give you a different route, however this is much more scenic and means you'll be driving next to the coast whenever you're able. It also means that if you forget anything important (exactly like I did) you can stop off in either SM or Malibu to rectify the situation.
New SD card to replace the one I forgot = $35.
The total death glare Matt gave me when I told him = priceless.

There are also plenty of vineyards around the area which offer wine tasting and tours (I wish I'd done this and stayed the night!), as well as an abundance of (expensive) shops - but it's not the place to come if you're looking for a party. A nice hotel to check out is the Eagle Inn (linked), it's a boutique hotel not far from the beach and in perfect walking distance to the pier (just beware of the pelicans dive bombing you).

This quiet, unspoilt beach is a hidden gem along the PCH just outside of Malibu. It's not well sign posted though, so you need to know it's there (thanks, Instagram) or you'll miss it, which isn't necessarily such a bad thing as it keeps the crowds at bay. 
The beach is made up of beautiful rocky coastline and is exactly what you'd dream a sunset on a Malibu beach would be like. We planned our visit on the way back from Santa Barbara and made it to the beach just in time for sunset - it's a really nice place to bring a small picnic and watch the sun go down. It's not one for the less able though - you'll need to go down a good few flights of wooden stairs and also jagged cliff edges - so again, don't be like me. Don't wear flip flops unless you want to dice with injury.

Below is a little whistle stop tour of other things to do whilst in the City of Angels:

Whether you've ventured to the Med recently, or daydreamed about visiting soon; the little Greek island of Mykonos is worth grabbing your suitcase and boarding the next plane for. 
Nicknamed the "Island of Wind" which it certainly lives up to - it has a quaint, traditional charm which sets it apart from the rest (minus the heaving numbers of visitors each summer, like Zante for instance). Obviously, the main attraction to the island is the cobbled town with white washed walls and vibrant flowers, but aside from that, Mykonos has so much more to offer. In this blog post I've compiled everything there is to see, eat and do, so all that's left for you to do is book your ticket and go!

ICYMI, I have a blog post up all about our stay at Bill & Coo, which is 5/10 minutes from Mykonos Town. If it's your first time travelling to the island, then I'd recommend staying nearby the town - it's central, you won't need to rely on any methods of transport and has a really fun vibe at night.
You can find the link to the blog post here, and other suggestions include; Myconian Villa Collection, Kouros Hotel & Suites, De.Light Boutique Hotel or an AirBnb in Faros area.

Everything on the island tastes very fresh with so much flavour, so you'll be sad to leave when the time comes.
My personal favourite places to eat were;
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Mamalouka - the perfect central spot in town. Hidden between walls covered in flora, it's super easy to walk past and miss this gem. It's brilliant for seafood in particular and the Lobster linguine is a really good choice.

Scorpios - you'll need transport to get here but you can't go to the island and not visit Scorpios. It's an open air restaurant on the beach with live music playing, but it's very popular so you'll have to book instead of turning up. If you visit then make sure you try the Greek salad!

Buddha Bar Mykonos - admittedly this is not a one-off to Mykonos only; but if you like Thai food then you can't give this restaurant a miss. Always such incredible food!

Nikola's Taverna - must visit if you like seafood. The best fresh fish on the island!
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​Kastro's Bar - you'll have come across this tiny little bar plastered all over Instagram at least once. It's worth going for the location alone!

Scorpios - if you're just looking for drinks and not food, visit Scorpios at golden hour to watch the sunset. It's really relaxed and the views are great.

Semeli Bar - located in Little Venice, this is also a really nice location to watch the sunset right on the water.
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Lets get the obvious out of the way to begin with - explore Mykonos Town. You'll make it barely 10 feet without wanting to take a photo and you'll be more than happy to get lost all day in its winding little alleyways. I would allocate at least a day to explore here with no rush or time limit, and you can shop in all the little souvenir shops. There's even a bunch of designer stores (Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton etc) dotted around if you're looking to push the boat out a bit.

Visit the beaches - there's plenty of beautiful hidden beaches around the island that have crystal clear water. If you do visit the beach, then consider visiting the ones on the South of the island instead of the North; there's less wind there.

Cavo Tagoo - If you're not a beach person (highly unlikely), then you should consider putting Cavo Tagoo on your list. Although I've not personally been, the pictures look incredible and I've heard plenty of good things!

Rent a quad bike - it's a fun way to explore the island and you'll get a great tan for the day. They can also handle the rough terrain of the island, so it's the perfect way to find hidden beaches and coves.

So unless you've been living under a rock for the good majority of 12 months (or in the unlikely event that you just don't have Instagram), by now you'll be well aware that the Greek island of Mykonos is one of the 'must see' travel destinations for this year. Its white cobbled streets covered in flora are a photographers dream, and as someone who had previously only made it to Mykonos for a whopping grand total of 7 hours on the trip from hell last time I visited; I always knew I'd grab any opportunity to return with both hands - properly this time!
It's perched within the Aegean sea and I'd probably describe it as a livelier version of Santorini. It's small and easy to explore, meaning you'll probably be spending a good amount of time at your accommodation - so it's important to pick somewhere just right for you.

​​Whenever I visit Greece, I always lean towards accommodation that is my idea of 'typically Greek'. That usually consists of white washed walls, modern yet traditional, a smaller complex without masses of rooms and a sea view.
Bill & Coo is the perfect mix of all the above with added luxury. Situated 15 mins away from the airport by car, and 5 mins away from Mykonos Town (or a 20 min walk, which I probably wouldn't recommend if your legs are burnt to cinders like mine were), it's in an ideal location that boasts one of the best locations on the island to view the sunset, and is near enough to the buzz of the town (which is full of quaint family run tavernas and more eccentric bars), but yet still far enough away to offer a low-key relaxing vibe depending on your mood.

The hotel is fairly small with around 30 rooms, and has a sister complex about a 10 minute drive away on the beach. Bearing in mind the entire resort is a luxury resort (it's actually part of the leading hotels of the world ltd. group) there are four different types of suites on offer depending on what you're looking for, ranging from a more basic option to top of the range. We stayed in the "Bill & Coo Suite with Private Infinity Pool" (which we were super lucky to be upgraded to at check in), and this was probably up there with being one of the most amazing accommodations I've ever stayed in. There's literally nothing more I could've asked for from this suite, it had it's own infinity pool and veranda, as well as it's own in-room sauna?! (that's probably something I'll never see again in my lifetime so trust me when I say I made good use of trying that out)

One feature that I also thought was really novel is the little mobile phone they give you when checking in. This is yours for the duration of the stay, and is used to contact the reception at any time of day, from wherever you are on the island - making it especially convenient if you are using their car service, or if you want them to make a reservation somewhere for you. 
One thing that made all the difference was that the hotel staff actually took the time to get to know you properly. They all know you by name, remember what your plan for the day is, and would do absolutely anything they can to help you out, so it sort of feels like you're just chatting to a friend. 

Where food was concerned - that aspect certainly didn't disappoint either, which is great if you're a foodie like me. Breakfast is included and is served 8:30 to 11, and there's actually so much variation on the menu that it made it hard to cram all the options I wanted to try into 3 days. Choices ranged from eggs, to oats, to tostadas and everything is a la carte. My favourite by far was the "Kayanas", which is essentially scrambled eggs mixed with feta and tomatoes, as well as Greek yoghurt and honey. Being able to order multiple options off of the menu meant that it carried us through for longer, and although we chose to eat out every night to explore and make the most of our surroundings, the evening menu was just as good. It was a gastronomy menu consisting of 6 different choices of meat and 6 different choices of seafood, and if you're not into that there's a vegetarian menu too.

At the start of the month, myself and a couple of other bloggers enjoyed a night in London, but a different one from which we would usually experience.

Whilst living in central London for three years, I never had the need to stay in hotels - and now I’m back living at home 20 mins outside of London on the train, I usually just go home.
But La Suite West kindly gave us the chance to experience all that their hotel has to offer, along with the challenge of an escape room beforehand, as a bit of fun.

We did our escape room experience at Lock’d near Waterloo, and I’ll have to admit, I really wasn’t sure what to expect beforehand. The day before I found out we would be participating in an escape room, one of my friends was telling me about her experience of a horror escape room, so when I found out that we were doing one - I was terrified! I didn’t actually realise that escape rooms are actually fun, and not horror based. The particular experience that we did was named ‘Grandpa’s Last Will’.
We all ended up loving our escape room experience, and wanted to do it again. It made me feel like I was doing some sort of bushtucker trial for an hour (minus the creepy crawlers of course), and we managed to escape with 3 minutes to spare. It’s a great team building experience and a great way to bond with people too.

Prices for Lock’d start from £80 and can be booked for groups from 2-5 people. You can book your experience here.

Later on, we arrived at La Suite West in Kensington. This is where we would be having a late afternoon tea, dinner, and staying for the night. Above is the lovely room I stayed in for the night - the beds really are as comfy as they look, the bathroom is a bloggers paradise made completely of marble, and the floor was heated to a very toasty temperature!
The location of the hotel is also idyllic, situated on the edge of Hyde Park - a stones throw away from Oxford Street or Kensington Palace. The street outside is lovely and quiet providing a good night’s sleep, which I find is actually very rare to get in London.

Prices for a room at La Suite West vary from on average £140 to £170 per night and can be booked via their website here.

Not being a vegan or vegetarian, this was the first time I have ever properly tried a vegan menu. I was pleasantly surprised at how good vegan food can actually taste, as admittedly I was skeptical about how much flavour the food would have - but we certainly weren’t disappointed. The BBQ Tempeh and Rocket sandwich was a particularl favourite for all of us, and the combination of strawberries with coconut cream was lovely.
At a price of £29 per person, I would say that this is pretty decently priced for central London - the majority of afternoon teas in the London area range around the £45+ mark.

Dinner was served in-room, and as the usual restaurant was shut for refurbishment, we were able to choose food from the Greek restaurant across the road. There was a wide selection to choose from and the flavours were spectacular - the Greek salad was particularly divine. I found the staff at the hotel very accommodating to the best of their abilities, and consistently went out of their way to help us whenever we needed. The hotel was also impeccably clean and I simply couldn’t fault it in any way.

We were also able to have breakfast in-room the next day, which had a wide selection of fruits, meats, and traditional breakfasts selections.

So unless you don’t follow me on Instagram… (in which case, I'm intrigued to know how you got here?) You’ll have found it pretty hard not to notice I’ve been gallivanting around Europe recently on the worlds worst boat trip. I mean I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm on a floating prison. Never the less, the stops (that we've made it to) have been incredible, (they're rushed - but still) I made it to Santorini!

Santorini is everything I had dreamed and MORE - those pristine terraces of houses upon houses, with the occasional break for a private pool, are everything I expected! (I'm promising myself that one day I WILL stay here, and I WILL have a pool).
The small town of Oia is the place you want to go to (you know, the one from pretty much every social media site going) and everywhere you turn is a photo opportunity. Unfortunately I was only there for a mere 3 hours so I didn’t get to experience what I can only imagine would be the best sunset ever (one day), but in my short time in Oia, I got to see why this place is so popular. It really is so beautiful and well kept, and Greece has totally stolen my heart - what more could you want; it’s close to home, picture perfect, clear blue skies, and not to mention the greek cuisine!

As soon as I stepped foot in the town I was literally speechless, and I didn’t know where to look first (although that's probably because it was the first time I'd seen land in about 3 days, and let me tell you I was absolutely sick of the sight of water at that point) all the little white restaurants with vines hanging above them and cute red table cloths, I felt like I’d just stepped into something from BeautifulDestinations Instagram! 

We also had longer on Mykonos so we opted to spend the day exploring instead, and pictures speak louder than words so you can see for yourself!

Back in April, I visited Orlando on a personal trip for my 21st birthday.
Of course, we spent the whole 10 days doing the theme parks there. I am fortunate enough to have been taken to Florida many times when I was younger by my parents so I have experienced most of what Florida has to offer, but my friend had never been to a Disney park. EVER. Not even Paris!

The parks themselves at Florida really are a world of their own, and you can't just go for a day. It requires planning beforehand, and organisation whilst you're there.
My top tip for you guys is to not stay in the WDW resort. Its mega expensive, and also more practical to either rent a villa or stay in a hotel nearby. If you are staying for 2+ weeks, then hire a villa. You will be spending at least some time there, so your accommodation will matter more to you. But if you're going for less than 2 weeks, stay in a cheap hotel. Trust me, you will be so busy that you'll pretty much be leaving the door every day at 7am, and not getting back until 11/11:30pm. So it's literally just a place to sleep.
Kissimmee is an ideal location to stay. The part where we stayed was a 5 minute drive down a straight road, and then we were on WDW property. It's also really close to Disney Springs (hands up if you remember when it was called Downtown Disney?!), the Orlando Premium Outlets, Hooters (don't judge, the 3 mile island hot wings are INSANE), and about 30 mins from Universal.

For me personally, I think that the Disney parks are in a complete league of their own. Universal just simply doesn't compare - and I'm also not a huge fan of VR rides. Saying that though, Universal Studios Hollywood is a really incredible experience, and it's totally different. I'm really interested in media/filmmaking/tv production etc (I studied it for 3 years at uni), so to be able to do a backlot tour there is just phenomenal. You can see the set of Desperate Housewives, The Grinch, King Kong etc. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is also OUT OF THIS WORLD for film and tv geeks like me. I was lucky enough to see the PLL set when it was still up, but there's still the Friends set, Gilmore Girls, Ellen DeGeneres show etc.
Anyway, back to Florida... My favourite ride at Universal is The Mummy, mainly because it's one of the only non-VR rides (BUT its just a really incredible ride anyway!) But I just think the level of detail that goes into everything at WDW is on another level. My favourite rides have always been Big Thunder Mountain, The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean (with a new addition of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Expedition Everest! These two were not there last time I went). These are the rides I'll run to first, and then keep repeating.

I feel like the pictures speak for themselves when it comes to Disney, so I'll leave most of the writing at that. But if you scroll down to near the bottom, you'll see some pictures about dining inside Cinderella's Castle, some information about it, and how you can book it.
Oh yeah, and there's also a pic of me looking terrified on the Tower of Terror. But don't worry, I make this face every time I go on it.

If you have any Qs about anything Florida/Orlando/Parks related, I'm always happy to answer!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Xo
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Couldn't not include this. LOL

​This pic was taken from inside Cinderella's Castle, at the restaurant called "Cinderella's Royal Table".
You can eat here at any time of day for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but you must book prior to your trip if you want to do this. (I'm talking MONTHS in advance.)
The idea is you get to eat really INCREDIBLE food (like, seriously good breakfast), but mingle with the princesses at the same time. When you first enter the castle, you join a short line to meet Cinderella. Once you have done this, you head upstairs to the banquet hall, where you'll be seated for your meal. Whilst you are eating, the princesses will come round to your table one by one. You'll know when they're coming as you'll hear the trumpet sound.

If there is just two of you, the best table to get is the one directly by the window. I was lucky enough to get that table, but I think you can also request it in advance. 
The breakfast costs about £100 per person and can be booked here.
I did this on the morning of my 21st birthday, so it's a lovely unforgettable experience to mark a special occasion.
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​Don't be alarmed - but last week, my mum and I had a sleepover at London Zoo. We pre-planned the whole thing; we waited until the zoo closed for the day, and then we snuck in at the dead of night with our sleeping bags, and slept over with the animals all night.

Jokes aside, we did sleep over at the zoo... but we didn't have to sneak in. I'm not that much of a rebel! We spent the night at ZSL London Zoo's Gir Lion Lodges. (Open Wednesdays - Mondays from Feb - Dec)
The Gir Lion Lodges are based right next to the Zoos resident lion enclosures, and I'm talking pretty much wall-to-wall. This is great for all the animal lovers who want to feel like they're on a safari (in the middle of Regent's Park!).

Bonjour - Welcome to my Paris city guide!


Paris is such a popular destination for us UK'ers these days, it's so easy to get to. Who doesn't want to hop on a train and an hour later be sipping wine and eating French stick next to the River Seine?

Below I have listed my favourite tips for your paris trip, to make it that little more special.


Places to see (landmarks as well as those not well known):
- Eiffel Tower
- Notre Dame
- Arc de Triomphe
- Palace of Versailles
- Marie Antoinettes Estate & The Petit et Grande Trianon (a lot of these photos featured on here were taken there)
- Musee du Louvre
- Avenue Montaigne
- Rue Cambon
- Champs Elysees


Things to do:
- Do a river cruise (Bateaux Parisiens is a good one - I did their sunset cruise and loved it)
- Eat in the Laduree on Champs Elysees
- Explore the little side streets along the Eiffel Tower and near the Concord area
- Shop in Bon Marche
- Have lunch in Four Seasons George VI
- Buy a giant Babybel (you won't regret it)


Places to eat:
- Four Seasons George VI
- Laduree
- Bon Marche
- L'Avenue


Places to stay:
- Hotel Trianon Palace Versailles
- The Peninsula
- Four Seasons George VI
- Citadel Notre Dame
- Paris Perfect Rentals (for apartments)
- Hotel Plaza Athenee

2 key tips:
- Try and speak French if possible. The locals really appreciate it!
- Use the metro. Cabs are ridiculously expensive, the traffic in Paris is a nightmare. The metro is so cheap and quick, and really widespread with good connections.

One piece of advice I have is that if you stay outside of central Paris outside of summertime, then be prepared to be getting back to your hotel late every night. I have stayed both in central Paris next to the Notre Dame and outside of Paris in the Estate of Versailles, and outside of the summer months, there is not a lot going on outside of Paris in the evenings. However that's not necessarily a bad thing, if you're in to relaxing and having a chilled out trip then that's probably best for you anyway.
The transport links both inside and outside of Paris are very good and cheap, so you'll have no problems with this.