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   Maldives has been very high on my bucket list, so when we decided to go there for my birthday we wanted it to be perfect. We had in mind the full Maldivian experience, with the lovely over water bungalows and the perfect blue water.
   After a very long and thorough process our choice was the relatively new resort of Amari Havodda.
We went there with the highest expectations and I am very happy to say that this place exceeded them all!
I don't believe I was this much impressed with any place we have visited so far!


    Getting there:
   Considering the resort is pretty far away from Male we had to take an one hour domestic flight from there, followed by a 10 minutes speed boat ride.
   However this was carefully arranged by the resort. Upon arriving in Male we were greeted by a very friendly resort employee who took us to the private airport waiting lounge where we had a nice buffet breakfast. Everything went smoothly from this moment on, and they made sure we reached the resort as scheduled.

   The island:
   For someone who has dreamed of the Maldives for so long, seeing this tiny island of not even 1 square kilometre surrounded by the most perfect turquoise water was a jaw dropping moment!
   Although it's a small island, you only get to see other people during one of the meals, any other time the island feels secluded.
   The island itself is surrounded by a lush reef full of exotic colourful fish, tortoises, lobsters and even small reef sharks, making this place ideal for snorkeling.
   The resort has several types of accommodation, from garden villas to beach villas to of course the incredible overwater villas.


   Our overwater villa:
   We felt like the whole Maldivian experience would have not been complete without staying in an overwater villa.
   The villa was perfect in every way: newly decorated and spacious with all the amenities you could desire. The bathroom with its outdoor shower was another big plus for this room. However la piece de resistance was by far the private deck having the most incredible view of the ocean.
   Waking up in the morning and jumping in the perfect water was truly a great experience.


   The food:
   The food was absolutely delicious at Amari! We had full board included, which was more than enough for us, considering we are not big alcohol drinkers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all buffet style with a lot of Asian influence, seafood and continental dishes. A little bit for everyone.


   Activities:
   Even though it's a small island, the resort offers a lot of possible activities ranging from scuba diving, snorkeling, kayak and ski jet renting, private boat tours to secluded islands and dolphin watch cruises.
   Having the reef only a few feet from your villa will have you in the water snorkeling for hours every day...and you will absolutely love it! We've never seen such a large variety of marine life before! Needless to say that the resort will provide the snorkeling gear throughout your entire stay.
   The resort also has an infinity pool with a great bar area for socialising, a tennis court and a spa for relaxing, just in case snorkeling took its toll on your body.

   The staff:
   One of the things that made this island unforgettable was the nice staff. From the moment we got to the island we were met with smiles, warmth and kindness. Everyone there went above and beyond to cater to our every need. Their attention to details was also spot on and we really loved our bed decorations, mostly the one they made for my birthday.


   Overall we had the most amazing experience at Amari Havodda and it was for sure the best birthday a girl could wish for!


   Check out also our short video we made on the island:


xoxo,
O

Click HERE for the English version.

Nu am stiut niciodata ca imi doresc sa vizitez Israelul, pana cand Cris a decis sa ma surprinda de ziua mea cu un weekend in Tel Aviv. Nu am avut nici cea mai vaga idee la ce sa ma astept dar am fost foarte impresionata sa descopar un oras modern si cochet, si cu foarte multe de oferit.

Cand sa vizitezi Tel Aviv:
Tel Aviv este cel mai bine de vizitat primavara si toamna, atunci cand vremea este placuta si ideala pentru a te plimba prin oras in timpul zilei. Verile in Israel sunt extrem de fierbinti si poate fi destul de neplacut sa vizitezi orasul pe o arsita ingrozitoare.

Cum sa ajungi in Tel Aviv:
Wizz Air are foarte multe curse din Romania direct catre Tel Aviv, inclusiv din Timisoara, Cluj sau Bucuresti. Daca sunt luate din timp biletele pot fi destul de ieftine, chiar si sub 200 de lei de persoana.


Sunt foarte multe lucruri de facut in Tel Aviv, ca sa nu mai zic de multitudinea de excursii pe care le poti face de aici, ca de exemplu la Marea Moarta sau Ierusalim. Noi am stat doar 3 zile, deci nu am facut chiar toate excursiile posibile deoarece am vrut sa exploram cum se cuvine orasul, dar daca planuiti o excursie mai lunga e bine de stiut de posibilitatea acestor excursii.

Plimbare pe promenada
Pot sa spun sincer ca nu asa mi-am imaginat Tel Aviv-ul, nu stiu exact ce mi-am imaginat, dar in mod singur nu m-am asteptat sa gasesc o combinatie intre Los Angeles si Barcelona. Nimic mai frumos decat sa te plimbi aici sau pe plaja in timpul zilei, dar si seara cand locul devine foarte colorat si animat.


Strazile vechi din Old Jaffa
Complet diferita fata de atmosfera moderna de pe promenada, aceasta parte a orasului va va arata o cu totul alta fata a orasului. Old Jaffa a fost partea mea preferata deoarece pe langa faptul ca e bogata in istorie are si un iz romantic.


Boulevardul Rothschild
Aceasta este cea mai renumita dar si veche strada din Tel Aviv, care in timp a ajuns un adevarat centru cultural, culinar si perfect pentru petrecerea timpului liber.

Degusta niste preparate din peste proaspat in Portul Old Jaffa
In timp portul a fost transformat intr-un district de arta plin de restaurante faine, cafenele dragute si galerii interesante de arta.

Excursii de o zi 
Asa cum am mentionat mai sus, am avut timp limitat in Tel Aviv, asa ca am ales sa facem o singura excursie din cele multe posibile. Am considerat ca o excursie la Marea Moarta ar fi cea mai potrivita pentru noi, insa foarte multa lume alege sa viziteze atat orasul Ierusalim sau Bethlehem.
Sunt foarte multe agentii care ofera astfel de tururi, dar noi nu suntem foarte mari fani ai tururilor organizate asa ca am inchiriat o masina si am condus noi pana la Marea Moarta.

Excursie la Marea Moarta
Orice alta excursie ati alege, trebuie sa puneti si Marea Moarta pe lista. Acest loc este de-a dreptul incredibil si mai mult de atat, este unic! Este un sentiment foarte interesant sa pasesti pe sare, iar toate miturile sunt adevarate, plutesti extrem de usor in apa marii. Mai mult de atat, uneori peisajul pare de-a dreptul selenar...


HaCarmel Market
Este fara doar si poate cea mai faimoasa piata din Tel Aviv, cu un aer cat se poate de autentic si o varietate larga de mancare, sucuri naturale proaspete si produse de patiserie genial de bune. In mod absolut produsele de patiserie din Tel Aviv au fost printre cele mai bune ce le-am mancat vreodata oriunde in lume.


Incercati mancare traditionala
Mancarea in Israel a fost foarte buna si au multe locuri dragute unde puteti incerca tot felul. Preferatele noastre:

The Humus Church – Este un “must” pentru iubitorii de humus! Localul arata ca o biserica (cred ca a si fost candva una) si se serveste doar humus, cel mai bun ce l-am gustat vreodata!


Sabich – Inainte sa mergem in Tel Aviv am urmarit emisiunea “Somebody feed Phil”, care recomanda locul acesta. Suntem super bucurosi ca am ales sa mergem! Au un fel de sandvich in pita lor traditionala care imbie o multitudine de gusturi. Ca sa nu mai zic ca e si foarte accesibil ca pret.


Hakosem – pentru un falafel autentic si delicios

Miznon – pentru traditionala conopida gratinata


Weiss Bakery – acestia au niste produse de patiserie facute sa iti lase gura apa

The Container – un loc super cool unde sa bei un cocktail in Old Jaffa Port

Old Man & The Sea – pentru un pranz bun in Old Jaffa Port. Aperitivele sunt delicioase, dar pretul este putin mai ridicat.

Ei bine, ideea de baza este ca oriunde alegeti sa mancati, trebuie sa incercati humus, falafel si patiserii.

Sfaturi utile:

- Pentru a vizita Israel este necesar un pasaport valabil pentru minim 6 luni de la intrarea in tara, iar
viza se obtine pe o perioada de 90 de zile direct la ajungerea in aeroport.
- In Israel, datorita Sabatului, zilele de weekend sunt Vineri si Sambata, asadar majoritatea magazinelor si localurilor sunt inchise incepand de Vineri seara pana Sambata inclusiv. Orarul de la autobuz, tramvai si tren sunt tot dupa un program de weekend, iar unele nu circula deloc Sambata. In cazul in care ajungeti in Tel Aviv sambata (cum este zborul din Timisoara de exemplu), e bine de luat acest lucru in considerare si sa cautati un alt mod de a ajunge de la aeroport in oras, deoarece nici trenul pe aceasta ruta nu circula Sambata.
- Daca vreti sa inchiriati o masina aveti nevoie de un credit card de pe care cei de la agentie vor retine un anumit depozit. Noi am inchiat masina de la Sixt direct din aeroport (dar am avut facuta o rezervare online din timp) si am putut sa o lasam la un hotel din centrul orasului.
- Daca mergeti cu masina inchiriata pana la Marea Moarta e bine de stiut ca pe autostrada nr. 6 se percepe o taxa. Factura se va trimite la agentia de la care ati inchiriat masina, urmand ca ulterior ei sa va retraga acea suma de pe card plus comisionul lor. Sugestia mea este sa evitati acest traseu si sa alegeti altul care nu implica taxe.

Tel Aviv este o destinatie draguta de weekend, mai ales daca vreti sa evadati undeva la caldura, dar fiti pregatiti sa cheltuiti mai multi bani decat v-ati propus deoarece orasul este destul de scump cand vine vorba de cazare si mancare.


xoxo,
O

Some might hear of the Caribbean blue...Some might see that it is true...
Our trip to the Caribbean was a very spontaneous decision. We had a few vacation days left so in the spur of a moment we got the plane tickets, booked our accommodation and one month later we were in the Dominican Republic.
Punta Cana is mostly known as a honeymoon destination, but it's much more than that...depends on what you are looking for. Yes, you can choose to splurge at a fancy resort and just soak in the sun for an entire week, or you can explore all the surroundings...beaches and islands...and still...soak in the sun.

Best time to visit Punta Cana
The best weather is definitely between December - May, with December - February being the most crowded period. You will want to avoid the period from June - November known as the hurricane season, with the highest chance of it being in September.

Explore the famous Bavaro Beach
The thing I loved most about this beach is that it changes its "mood" at every 20 meters... from a crowded place tangled with sun beds to an empty stretch of sand with only palm trees around you.
The gorgeous blue water also mixes things up for you, from calm and relaxing in one place, to wild and wavy in the other, just pick your poison.


Isla Saona
We visited this island in an organized day trip and to be fair the excursions in the Dominican Republic are a bit expensive, but definitely worth it.
The trip to Saona was 130$ for both, including barbecue lunch and a stop to a natural pool (basically a place with shallow water in the middle of the sea), but the color is this water is truly unreal.


The island was lovely and it had the most exotic vibe ever!
The return to the resort was a 2 hours catamaran ride! If the trip would have been just that it would still have been amazing! The staff organized a party on the catamaran with latino music and rivers of cubata's...the fancy word for rom with coke ;).


Isla Catalina
Same as to Saona, we went in an organized day trip for 140$ for both. This also had lunch included and return with the catamaran.
If I'd have to choose between the two islands, well...I can't decide. They were both amazing.


Boost your adrenaline
There are a lot of water sports that you can practice, from banana rides to windsurf, if not there is always the option of parasailing. If you have not tried it yet, I would recommend it! It really is the lowest form of extreme sport :).

Try Mama Juana
Mama Juana is one of their traditional drinks which I actually enjoyed! It is a mixture of rum, red wine and honey, soaked in a bottle with tree bark and all sorts of herbs.

Make new friends


Looking forward in hearing your experience in Punta Cana, we sure did have fun!


Hugs,
O

I had no idea how much I wanted to visit Singapore before I got there! I don't think this makes any sense to you, but it sure does to me...so let me elaborate.
While planning our trip to the Philippines (articles about El Nido, Palawan - here and Boracay - here) and looking for flights we had two options in terms of layover: Manila or Singapore. After reading about the two, Singapore definitely won the race and we decided to extend our layover into a short trip. Best decision ever!

From the moment we landed in Singapore I was absolutely mesmerized, maybe because Changi Airport is one of the most impressive airports in the world! They even have a botanical garden...
Ok, I have to admit first of all that I can't be very objective here as Singapore was my first trip outside of Europe, so it does have a special place in my heart.

When to go
The best time to visit Singapore is between February to April when the weather is the most pleasant. The months between November to January are to be avoided as those are know to be the rainiest.

Getting around
Public transport is very efficient in Singapore and you will be able to get around quickly and easy at a relatively low price. The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) will get you to all the important sites as it spans the entire city, therefore make sure that you book your accommodation close to one of the MRT stations. A single journey ticket will cost between 1,40 - 2,50 SGD depending on the journey's length. You can also buy a tourist pass with unlimited travel for 1, 2 or 3 days for 10, 16 or 20 SGD.
You can use the same MRT to get from the airport to the city centre and the journey is 30 minutes long. More details can be found here.

Where to stay
We stayed at Hotel G Singapore and we chose it mainly due to its proximity to the MRT and a walking distance to Bugis Junction, a busy hub with shopping malls and a large variety of restaurants. Marina Bay and the city centre were just 30 minutes walk away. All in all this hotel offered a good value for money.


Gardens by the Bay
By far this represents one of the iconic sites in Singapore and without a doubt is one of the most amazing places I have ever seen.
This incredible nature park spans over 101 hectares and it consists of three gardens: Bay South, East and Central, the largest of the three being the Bay South Garden. This also holds the two conservatories: The Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. There is a free entrance for the gardens, but to visit the conservatories there is a fee of 28 SGD (Singapore Dollars).



The main attraction of these gardens are by far the Supertrees, which are man made tree like structures high up to 50 meters that at night light up in many bright colors.
The OCBC Skyway is an elevated walkway between two of the biggest supertrees that offer a great panoramic view of the gardens and Singapore as well. One ticket for the Skyway is 8 SGD.


Garden Rhapsody
Do you have a happy place? You know...the kind where your mind wonders from time to time. Well one of mine is for sure Gardens by the Bay during Garden Rhapsody. I cannot express with words how beautiful this place is at night! Imagine listening to the most peaceful rhapsody while these magnificent super trees light up in many colors that dance to the rhythm of the song.


Take a stroll down Marina Bay
Located in the central area of Singapore, this bay is the perfect place to take a stroll at night as it will amaze you with some of the most impressive structures in Singapore. Besides the renowned Marina Bay Sands, you can also see the Arts and Science museum, take a glimpse of the Downtown Core skyline and walk on the delightfully lit Helix Bridge.


Marina Bay Sands Observation Deck
My second favorite place in Singapore, after Gardens by the bay, is definitely this. A 23 SGD ticket will get you up to the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands from where you will be left breathless by the most incredible view. I would recommend going up at night to enjoy the light show that the city has to offer.


Downtown Core
This financial quarter of the city is where you will find some of the most impressive buildings and skyscrapers in Singapore.


Chinatown
Even though it is very close to Downtown core, this neighbourhood couldn't be more different. It is the traditional and old part of the town where you will find the best street food and a very busy nightlife. We were fortunate enough to be there during the Chinese New Year and we got to witness their traditional festivities. Food wise you must try Bak Kwa (Chinese meat jerky), although a tad expensive it was one of the best things I ate while there.


Botanic Gardens 
Tucked away in this urban jungle you will find an oasis at the Botanic Gardens. The entrance is free, however there is a fee of 5 SGD to enter the National Orchid Garden.
This is not a very popular place for tourists, but you will get to mingle with the locals. If you have only a short time in Singapore, you could skip this as after all it is just a regular botanic garden and there are far better places to see in this city.

Orchard Road
This is the main shopping street in the city, home to all the high ends brands as well as some local boutique shops. Basically there is a little something for everyone.

Maxwell Food Centre
This hawker centre is located in Chinatown and is the perfect place for you to try a variety of local dishes. It is basically a more organised food market with good and cheap food.
The place doesn't look much but it is definitely famous with not only tourists but locals as well.

Singapore is a lovely city and at night it is absolutely amazing! Hope that I inspired your next travel destination!


xoxo,
O