SereS Springs Resort & Spa – Bali, Indonesia

The plan was to wake up really early to check out Balinese sunrise over the terraced rice paddies with Mount Agung on the background. As always, it was a failed plan as I only stirred to wake when the morning light peeped through the glass window. I prepped some coffee, went to the balcony and checked out the early morning scene at SereS Springs Resort & Spa. I then saw both of our moms at the pool, happily chatting. Oh yeah, this is the second time that we included them on our backpacking trip and it’s wonderful to see them getting along pretty well.

SEA to Africa 2018: 33 Days Later

After a 10-hour overnight bus from Fes, we reached Merzouga at five in the morning. As usual, we had no booked accommodation and tours yet. Gladly, we met some New Yorker guys who will be collected by their host at the bus stop and decided to join them. We are going to Sahara Desert! Woot! But first, we'll have breakfast and rest. Check out this wall, it's made from mud and straw, like most of the structures on this side of Morocco 🌵 Photo by @lakadpilipinas #SEA2africa2018

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on May 27, 2018 at 4:20pm PDT

It's been five weeks and I have yet to recover from the exhaustion of our recent backpacking trip—effed up time zone, endless transfers, and unending packing-unpacking routine. Surprisingly, all of my stuff now are neatly packed and organized back to their original place, a far cry from years ago when I just want to see them lying around my bedroom floor for weeks, the beauty of having a neat freak partner.

Year Six. 55 days. 4 countries. 1 failed route. 15 key destinations. Southeast Asia to Africa. Husband and wife. And as always, we conquered our annual summer backpacking trip.

Australia: Brisbane Day Tour from Gold Coast

The group was caught up in strong winds coupled with heavy showers as we waited for our river cruise ferry. We’re in the middle of our Brisbane Day Tour and it seemed like it will be raining for the next few hours. After two minutes though, the sky cleared up and the sun was beaming all its high noon glory— a typical day in Australia’s third largest city.

How to Stay Sane on Long Road Trips

So, you’re heading off on a long road trip. There are a few reasons this could be happening, and it doesn’t have to be for anything significant these days; you could just want to head to a place to try some food you’ve always fancied!

Raffles Royale: Apartment-Type Accommodation in Gold Coast

It was that specific morning when we suddenly craved for a rice meal after two weeks of steak and chips. So after our coffee sesh, we walked to the nearest grocery and grabbed the foodstuff we needed (which is actually cheaper than fast food). We brought it back to Raffles Place, our home for three days in Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise, and prepped our lunch on our unit's fully functional kitchen. After our cravings were satisfied, we lounged on the sofa for a quick rest and woke up at sundown after four hours of effortless slumber, it was our best nap in Australia so far. 

Gold Coast: The Famed Resort Town in Australia

Finally, the sun was out after two days of chillin’ under the gloomy weather. We had one full day to wander around Surfers Paradise and after retiring at the end of the day, we knew that we’ve covered everything. The resort town of Gold Coast felt cold in spite of the warm weather. Nothing happened bad to us but everything seemed so staged here.

Rhapsody Resort: Our Home in Gold Coast

I woke up to the whistling sound of strong winds hitting our floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Occasional heavy drizzles added to the gloomy morning scene in Gold Coast. We planned on going to the beach that day but decided to just stay at the comforts of our huge two-bedroom suite at Rhapsody Resort. It wasn't sunny in Australia’s sunshine state of Queensland after all.