RUSUTSU RESORT - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PLAN YOUR PERFECT SKI HOLIDAY

HOW TO GET TO RUSUTSU SKI RESORT

Flying into Hokkaido

Hokkaido is one of Japan's four primary/main islands. It is the northernmost island and where Rusutsu Resort is located. The capital city is Sapporo, and the major airport is New Chitose Airport  (CTS). Flying is the most efficient way (cheapest + fastest) to enter Hokkaido.

Since we were in Malaysia visiting family prior to the trip, we booked direct return flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo via Airasia X for RM2862. That's £542 / $693 / €629 for 2 return flights + 2 x 20kg checked bags, which was a really good deal. In case you're wondering, the flight time to Sapporo from KL is about 7 hours 30 min.

You may also want to check flight prices to Tokyo (or another major city in Japan) and then connecting to Sapporo via one of the many available options which include low-cost airlines such as Skymark, Peach and Jetstar. Prices between Tokyo and Sapporo can go as low as £40 one-way if you book early!

Chitose Airport is pretty nice. We were battered after our red-eye flight but managed to purchase a data-only SIM for our mobile phones for JPY4980 (about £35) - this was for unlimited data for 7 days. This seemed to be standard pricing. You'll see one main counter in the arrival hall advertising data SIMs for sale. 

Transfer: Chitose Airport to Rusutsu Resort

We booked a shuttle (bus) transfer via BIGRUNS bus company, which is the official partner of Rusutsu Resort.

Tickets are JPY3600 (£26) per adult each way. 
It's JPY3100 if you're a guest at one of the resort's 2 official hotels.

There are a couple of  alternative bus/shuttle companies around but the price seems to be fixed at JPY3600, so you might as well use the official recommended provider.

Click here to book bus transfers to Rusutsu Resort

The bus stops in two places at Rusutsu Resort:

• Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention (this is where you will stop unless you're staying at the Westin)
• Westin Hotel Rusutsu

The ride should take between 1 - 1.5 hours.

FREE Transfer: Sapporo City to Rusutsu Resort

Good news! Rusutsu Resort offers a daily FREE bus shuttle service that connects Sapporo City (near the JR train station) to Rusutsu Resort.

You should still make a booking online to ensure a seat on the bus (Click here to book).

This is most convenient for day-trippers from Sapporo City, or anyone planning a stop in Sapporo before or after ski trip in Rusutsu.

IMPORTANT:

This free shuttle only runs ONCE a day on each leg, as follows:

Sapporo --> Rusutsu: 8am
Rusutsu --> Sapporo : 5pm

Should these times not suit your schedule, you can also take the local bus which operates that route. It's JPY2140 each way.

RUSUTSU SKI RESORT ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

  

 

Basic Facts

• Total number of trails: 37
• Total length: 42km / 26 miles
• Three mountains: East Mountain, West Mountain, Mount Isola
• Longest run: 3.5km / 2.2 miles
• 18 lifts 
• One of the largest ski areas in Hokkaido
• Off-piste, tree skiing available
• Night skiing every night on West Mountain during peak season
• Great for beginners

 

 

Lift Passes & Tickets

The pricing system at Rusutsu Resort is really flexible, offering 4-hour, 6-hour, and 1-day tickets, as well as the usual multi-day passes up to 7 days.

One of the best things about Rusutsu Resort is that it's just the one resort there, which makes things simple - one pass covers the whole area and that's it. No separate areas with different pricing combinations etc ie no need for those mental Venn diagrams trying to figure things out.

Here is a rough guide to the pricing for 1 adult based on the 2019/2020 winter season and their conversions to USD and GBP based on the exchange rate at the time of writing (Nov 2019):

4-hour ticket	JPY4,900	USD45	£35
1-day ticket	JPY6,200	USD57	£45
3-day pass	JPY17,500	USD161	£125
7-day pass	JPY40,700	USD373	£292

You can also purchase a night-skiing-only ticket that's valid from 4pm - 8pm. This is the cheapest available ticket you can get at JYP2800!

Lift tickets and passes can be bought at the ticket counters at the main resort building (Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention). It was not too busy when we were therein February / lines weren't an issue. If this isn't your starting point, you can also purchase lift tickets at East Mountain or West Mountain,

Once you have obtained an 'IC card' (on which your lift ticket/pass will be programmed), you will be able to recharge it online for your next visit - and trust me you will want to go back!

NO DEPOSITS are required for lift passes.

FULL OFFICIAL PRICING SCHEDULE

Night Skiing

We LOVED being able to ski at during the night - it was a totally different atmosphere and knowing that we could stay on the slopes until 8pm every day let us be more relaxed during the day.

Night skiing is usually open until the end of March but the start date will depend on snow conditions.

NOTE: Night skiing is only available on the West Mountain, which is the area closest to/directly connected to the resort building. It's less adventurous/more aimed at beginners than the East Mountain or Mount Isola.

So the area that you can ski at night is slightly limited but still good for practising those turns!

^Rusutsu Resort has a few fun and quirky features, such as a singing tree and.. this double-story German carousel near the entrance. Rides are free!

Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rental / Hire

We haven't reached the stage where we would have our own skis/snowboards yet (a day I'm looking forward to!), so we rented these. Plus poles, boots, helmets, and goggles.

We were travelling light and spending a lot of time in hot climates in Asia during that period, so we also rented a jacket + pants set each.

We found the entire rental process to be really organised (well, we were in Japan after all) and all clothing and equipment to be very well kept and maintained. The items were of good quality and most importantly (to me), everything felt clean! They stock two brands: Salomon and Atomic.

Renting equipment directly from Rusutsu Ski Resort is really convenient since access to the slopes is close by. But admittedly, it is also kind of pricey.

To give you an idea, to rent a standard 3-piece ski set (skis, poles, boots) or 2-piece snowboard set (snowboard, boots) from Rusutsu Resort for 3 days will set you back JPY15,700.

That's USD144 / £113.

SWAPPING BETWEEN GEAR

Since we both snowboard AND ski, we swapped our gear halfway through the week. We started with skis and then moved over to snowboards.

It costs JPY1000 per swap.

STORAGE

There are a number of lockers adjacent to the rental centre. These are reserved for Rusutsu Resort hotel guests, who can use them for free.

If you're not a hotel guest, there are also coin-operated lockers that you can use for about JPY300-400.

We used a locker store our equipment all week, so we wouldn't have to drag those heavy things to and from our accommodation every time.

MONEY-SAVING TIP!

If you don't have your own gear and must rent, there is a shop across the road from the main resort building called Amuse Sports. They stock Rossignol and Burton.

Their price for 3-day rental for the same example (above): JPY11,500.

Even better, if you book online early enough (this means until the end of November), you get even lower prices. This is valid only for rentals of 5 days or more.

Rusutsu Resort Ski School & Lessons

I highly recommend this!

Rusutsu Resort is very beginner-friendly; it is a great place to learn if you're just starting out.

It was only Ricardo's second time in his life doing either skiing or snowboarding, and he managed super well! But I must say he is a fast learner - we were on the black trails together by day 3!

I'm a firm believer in 1:1 teaching (or in this case 2:1), so I arranged for us to have a private ski lesson on our first day. Our instructor was a lady called Belle who was from New Zealand. She gave us so many great tips!

Having this lesson really helped us improve rapidly and build our confidence on the slopes! I always make sure to book lessons at the start of the trip so we can start applying new knowledge straightaway.

When we swapped to snowboards, we had another private lesson. This time with an English girl called Georgina who was enthusiastic and encouraging.

We received a lot of useful, personal feedback which helped us fix little errors in our positioning and stance. It's amazing how a small change can produce such a huge difference in performance.

So again, I highly recommend booking at least one lesson if you really want to level-up your skills!

RUSUTSU RESORT LESSON INFO

Each lesson we did was 2 hours long.

Price for a private instructor for 2 hours:
1 person: JPY22,000 / USD202 / £158 
2-4 people: JPY33000 / USD302 / £236

These figures may seem a bit steep but I assure you the improvement you'll experience is so worth it!

Prices vary depending on if you're 1 person or 2-4 people, and lessons can be booked for 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 hours.
Prices are the same whether you ski or snowboard.
Lessons can be booked online using the link below!

At the moment, group lessons at Rusutsu Ski Resort are only available for kids (aged up to 14).

FULL LESSON INFO HERE

^Left: Mt Yotei in the background  /  Right: The Westin Rusutsu can be seen at sunset

Projection Mapping Lights Show

During our trip, the friendly staff at Rusutsu Resort insisted we try to catch the lights show that was happening every night at the main building. This was a bit tricky as the show started at 9pm and we'd usually be having dinner at that time.

But one evening we had dinner a little early and came back to see it and I'm glad we did! It was a spectacular projection of vivid, colourful celestial images against the enormous glass wall of the resort hotel.

We had a lot of fun! Definitely try to make the effort if you're in Rusutsu.

The lights show will run every evening from 8.30pm, three times in a row. Each show lasts 12 minutes.

For the 2019/2020 season, the show will tell the story of 'Ainu' and showcase the Hokkaido's wildlife and natural beauty.

FOOD / RESTAURANTS / EATING OUT

Rusutsu is a small village, so you're not going to find too many options when it comes to eating out.

Rusutsu Resort Restaurants

Rusutsu Resort itself has about 10 restaurants on-site, spread across their hotels and grounds. These restaurants are generally on the expensive side and it is advisable to book a table in advance if you plan on dining at these restaurants as they are often full.

Unfortunately, we didn't try any of them as we had sumptuous breakfasts and dinners provided by our accommodation (which I will come to shortly).

Eating on the Slopes

During lunch we would often be on the slopes, so we ate at any one of the resort's four 'mountain cafeterias', which are all pretty similar to each other, offering a variety of Japanese dishes.

The prices at the cafes were affordable, and it was really soul-satisfying to be able to have a hot bowl of ramen on a cold day. As an example, we paid JPY980 for a bowl of miso ramen. That's USD9 or £7!

Restaurants Outside the Resort

There are a handful of restaurants and izakayas (informal Japanese pubs) along the main road outside the resort - if you look on Google Maps or Tripadvisor you'll be able to see some. I recommend booking a table in advance where possible!

We managed to have a meal at Izakaya Tanpopo (after reading a few excellent reviews online) on our last evening in Rusutsu which proved to be a treat - delicious food in a cosy yet lively atmosphere. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Our meal including cocktails came to about £50 for 2 people.

Convenience Stores

A good way to save on your expenses is to stock up on snacks and other food items at one of the two convenience stores available across the road from the resort.

You have two options: 7-11 or Seicomart.
We preferred 7-11 and found it to have more variety and generally better quality snacks.

If you've ever been to a Japanese convenience store, you'll know that you'll be able to find the most delicious snack items including hot food and desserts. I loved the soft Japanese cheesecakes and fizzy, alcoholic grape and peach canned drinks the most.

We were in 7-11 almost every night!

If you need cash, there is an ATM inside the 7-11. Strangely enough, we did not see any ATMs in the Rusutsu Resort buildings.

WHERE TO STAY / CHEAP RUSUTSU ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation in Rusutsu is expensive.

When I first started planning our trip, I remember feeling a bit discouraged after looking at prices for Rusutsu accommodation. Prices were generally high and options limited.

The Rusutsu Resort Hotel sounded amazing and offered ski-in/ski-out facilities, but I wasn't prepared to pay upwards of £300/USD400 a night. I thought it was better to spend this money on private lessons :p

The Westin Rusutsu across the road looked fancy and cool.. but came with an even heftier price-tag. Don't get me wrong - if I could afford it, I'd be spending my entire week at the Westin! Anyways..

If you have money:

--> Room rates for The Westin Rusutsu

--> Room rates for Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention

--> Official Rusutsu Resort booking page

FOR THE REST OF US... let's carry on.

The affordable accommodation options essentially comprise a handful of small hotels called 'pensions' spread across the Rusutsu area. This means considering staying a little farther away from Rusutsu Resort itself.

Here are some 'cheap and good' alternatives I found:

(prices quoted are based on a February 2020 stay):

CHISE HOUSE

This was the cheapest Rusutsu accommodation I could find, mainly because they offer dormitory style rooms and shared bathrooms.

In fact, it's pretty much the only low-budget option in Rusutsu especially if you don't have a car.

You can get a bed/futon for £36/night.

Pros: Lowest prices in town. Great for groups.
Cons: It's 3km from Rusutsu Resort. You'll have to take a bus/taxi.

--> Chise House room rates/availability

---

PENSION LILLA HUSET

This is a slightly nicer place than Chise House, and the best part about it is the location, which is right opposite Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention.

A twin room with shared bathroom is £140/night including breakfast.

They also have a couple of 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments (with ensuite bathroom) if you're willing to spend a bit more.

Pros: Great location. Close to gondola & convenience stores.
Cons: Sells out very fast

--> Pension Lilla Huset room rates/availability

---

OHISAMA HOUSE

This appears to be a lovely-looking lodge-style accommodation that's also walking distance from Rusutsu Resort.

A double room with shared bathroom starts from £129/night.

Pros: Location, price
Cons: Probably sold out

-->> Ohisama House room rates/availability

---

PENSION CLYDESDALE

A farmhouse-style accommodation a little farther from the resort - about a 15 min walk. The hosts provide a shuttle service in the mornings and evenings. You can also get dinner prepared for an additional fee.

A twin room with shared bathroom is £189 including breakfast.

Pros: Good food options, shuttle service
Cons: Still need a shuttle to resort

--> Pension Clydesdale room rates/availability

^View of the Rusutsu Resort Amusement Park, which operates during summer season

Airbnb

If all fails, there is also a small selection of private rooms and other 'pensions' available on Airbnb. 

Make sure to use the map and zoom in closer on  the actual Rusutsu Resort, as when you search for the location 'Rusutsu Resort' it will tend to show you results for the larger surrounding area that extends into Niseko.

Sign up for Airbnb with my link to get £25/€30 off your first booking!

Keep reading to see where we stayed in Rusutsu:

OUR TOP PICK FOR RUSUTSU ACCOMMMODATION

I’m excited about reaching this point in the article, as we really lucked out on this one. I’m also feeling proud of my efforts in finding affordable accommdoation.

After searching hard and realising that not all ‘pensions’ are clearly listed on English websites, I found THE BEST PLACE TO STAY (if you’re on a budget/don't have bucketloads of money to spend):

PENSION YAMADA - OUR REVIEW

This was a total steal in Rusutsu at JPY7000 per person per night including breakfast AND dinner!

That’s just over £50 pp/pn. I repeat: including breakfast & dinner.

Ricardo and I had a room to ourselves. Our friend Kym who joined had a single room for herself for the same price.

I’ve forgotten how exactly I came to know about Pension Yamada, but I remember seeing a few vague reviews on TripAdvisor and that their website was completely in Japanese. Most importantly – there was no online booking available anywhere.

I quickly realised that Pension Yamada offered the best value-for-money accommodation that wasn’t too far from the resort. I had to book it.

I asked my friend Tomoko in Kagoshima ring up to make a reservation for me – no deposit needed. If you have a Japanese-speaking friend, now is the time to make use of them!

Related post (where I met Tomoko): How to Have Fun in Kagoshima

Pros: Everything??
Cons: No online booking

TO BOOK: Call +81 136-46-3427

 

^Our humble but comfortable room

Why We Love Pension Yamada

• FOOD: Mrs Yamada served up the most plentiful and delicious, home-cooked Japanese meals that were different every night!
• Private 'onsen' in the downstairs bathroom - small but enough.
• Really clean and comfortable rooms.
• I'm usually a bit concerned about shared bathrooms, but the facilities here were spotless (and cleaner than some of the bathrooms I've seen in other people's homes). 
• Of course, there are heated toilet seats!
• Green tea available 24/7.
• Close enough to Rusutsu Resort to walk (about 10 minutes), although Mr Yamada will offer lifts.

^An example of what we would get for breakfast (top) and dinner (bottom)

Eating well is so so important on a ski holiday.

Those sumptuous breakfasts kept us going for hours every morning. In the evenings, the promise of a hot, nutritious dinner on arrival made sure we still walked with some excitement towards our temporary home in Rusutsu, even though our bodies were often sore and tired.

Again, I would like to say that Pension Yamada is the best place to stay in Rusutsu considering the price, location, and facilities!

RUSUTSU RESORT - OUR VIDEO

We made a fun compilation of videos we took during our trip, which should give you a much better idea of our experience!

Rusutsu Ski Resort // Skiing & Snowboarding in Hokkaido, Japan!

We filmed predominantly with a GoPro camera mounted on a helmet.

Watching it now makes me feel nostalgic - I miss everything, including the motivational sound effects that came out of the ATMs that made you feel like you won a prize at a carnival.

ENDING NOTES

Out of the 7-8 countries I've skied/snowboarded in before, Rusutsu Resort in Japan easily tops my (not that big) list. Absolutely loved it. It was everything I expected and more. Except the weather could've been a bit more snowy - we had the misfortune of too-sunny weather towards the end, haha.

It's true - skiing in Japan irreversibly spoils you and leaves you longing for more every year!

We don't know where we'll be hitting the slopes yet this season, but hopefully, we can return to Rusutsu Resort again (so we can make a better video :p).

ANYWAY!

I hope this post has given you some useful information so you can plan the best ski/snowboard holiday in Rusutsu Resort - feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!

Disclosure: Our experience was made possible in collaboration with Rusutsu Resort, who provided our transfers, lift passes, equipment rental, and 1 x private lesson.

As always, all thoughts and recommendations are my own unless otherwise stated.

Recent Posts

• Best Restaurants in Lahore For First-Time Visitors
• Rusutsu Ski Resort Ski Holiday Planning Guide + Where To Stay
• Guide to Supermarkets in Porto, Portugal – Everything You Need to Know + Handy Tips!

The post Rusutsu Ski Resort Ski Holiday Planning Guide + Where To Stay appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

[this post includes a video – scroll right down for it!]

This post is about the most elaborate and fantastical hotel I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. 

Earlier this year, I managed to drag Ricardo along to South-East Asia with me. For a full six weeks! We did a whirlwind tour through Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam (and Malaysia of course but that’s not counted since it’s home).

While in Vietnam were lucky enough to spend a few days at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc, which seems to be the most impressive Marriott hotel I know of to date!

ARRIVING AT THE RESORT

 Phu Quoc island was only a 50-minute flight away from Ho Chi Minh City, which I really couldn’t wait to leave since it was so full of unnecessary noise. We flew Vietjet for under $70 each, return.

I was so excited to be on what I imagined would be a serene, noiseless island that I honestly cannot remember any details about the flight. Though it could also be frequent flyer problems.

At Phu Quoc International Airport, we were greeted by staff specially sent from the hotel to collect us. We were offered some snacks and bottles of cold water during the ride, which took barely 20 minutes.

Nevermind that our car entered the hotel grounds via a road that was flanked by a GIANT gold dog on each side, Egyptian style..

When we entered the lobby MY JAW DROPPED. I really didn’t know where to look first.

WHAT WAS THE WELCOME DRINK?

I wanted to take photos of every wall, every corner, and every piece of beautifully designed furniture that seemed to have been created or custom-made for the place. 

I was so distracted that I found it hard to pay any attention to our host or notice what the welcome drink was. Did I even drink it?

What I did notice was that the staff all had specially designed uniforms that matched the building in which they worked. Here are some of the bell boys/front desk staff. Bummer, I didn’t manage a photo of the ladies – I LOVED their uniforms – in their black/white/yellow themed dresses and headband with feather combo. It was almost like festival attire.

LAMARCK UNIVERSITY

The concept behind the Marriott Phu Quoc is the brainchild of renowned hotel designer, Bill Bensley, who conjured an elaborate story of a former university-turned-hotel, complete with all sorts of characters and events that tie in with Phu Quoc island’s own history of French colonialism. 

 

We were given a tour of the hotel (a.k.a. Lamarck University) so we could fully understand its background and how it came to be. 

 

As the theme is so meticulously followed throughout the resort and the stories so believable, I found myself questioning the host, ‘is this part real or made up?’ more than a few times.

 

I mean, they had portraits of named family members related to the ‘Founder of Lamarck University’ hanging around. They also had old gym/sporting equipment and trophies alongside photos of university alumni.

 

THE PINK PEARL

This was undoubtedly my absolute favourite part of the resort.

 

At the time we visited (end of January 2018), the Pink Pearl fine-dining restaurant had only opened the week before. I feel like using words to describe it would be pointless, so here are photos (which don’t even do it complete justice):

The ground floor comprises the main dining area – the most stunningly stylish dining area I’d ever seen. It transports you to an alternate, whimsical reality, drenched the sweetest shade of pink. The chairs and sofas are the kind you wish you could steal and put in your own home.

Simply being in that room made me feel glamorous (even though I was dressed for a stroll on the beach). 

Four private dining rooms occupy the first floor of the Pink Pearl. The transition from ground to first floor involves walking past a pink flamingo mural, where the stairs were. A FLAMINGO WALL!

Ricardo and I had dinner at The Pink Pearl one evening and it was a real treat. The resident chef is rotated every two or three months. At the time we went, the type of cuisine being served was Thai – as they had invited a chef from… somewhere in Thailand (haha).

Being there when the whole place was lit up with all those fancy lights made it a magical meal – not to mention the food was delicious.

WHERE WE STAYED | THE TURQUOISE SUITE

The Turquoise Suite is the largest suite on the property; ours was 90 square metres in size. That’s bigger than our 1-bedroom apartment at home.

What I loved most were the twin showers – I’d always rejected Ricardo’s attempts to shower together because I hate when it’s not my turn under the shower (I get cold easily). But with this setup we could get clean together AND have a conversation whilst doing so!

LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS! 

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL ROOM WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS!

The Turquoise Suite is located in the Department of Botany, hence the plant pictures and old seed packets.

There were so many places to plant my butt that we were simply spoilt for choice. I don’t think we managed to sit on all the things that were sittable things. The ratio of available butts to available sittable things was 2 : too many!

The suite comes with a huge balcony overlooking the pool and beach (Emerald Bay). Really, this is the room to get if you’re visiting and want to give yourself a grand treat for a special occasion or because why not.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

The School of Professional Studies was so much fun! It essentially contains the meeting/conference rooms of the hotel and other spaces you can lounge around in.

It was like someone’s gigantic living room with lots of compartments.

We particularly enjoyed the blue room above because it seemed to have the strongest air-conditioning.. 

This place is truly a visual paradise!

Everywhere we looked – it looked good. It was clear to see that no detail was spared in the process of bringing to life Bill Bensley’s colourful imagination.

Oh yeah, this place cost almost $250 million to build  😎
.

CHANTERELLE SPA

The Chanterelle Spa was easily the most beautiful spa I had ever seen.

It had a mushroom theme (‘chanterelle’ is the name of a type of mushroom) tied in with some elements of Alice in Wonderland.

I think this was just a clever and politically correct way to fuse magic and mushrooms into the narrative of the spa  😆 

This includes picture frames that aren’t straight or aligned with each other, and a hallway with arches of different sizes and heights.

I LOVED ALL THE ROOMS here. Even if you’re not getting a spa treatment, it’s worth coming by just for a tour of the facilities. Every room is stunning.
 

HOI AN LANTERN MAKING

When you enrol at Lamarck University (a.k.a. check in to the hotel), you’ll be given the timetable of student activities for the week which you can sign up for.

I thought it was a really fun idea; it reminded me of being at Club Med when I was a kid.

You could visit the Fish Sauce Factory nearby (did you know that Phu Quoc Island is famous for producing fish sauce?), or cycle to the local bee farm.

On-site activities include surf yoga, Vietnamese classes, towel sculpture, t-shirt painting, and.. beer yoga.

We took part in the Hoi An lantern making class. It took some patience and good fine motor skills, but I loved the finished product. I gave my lantern to my mother – it’d been a while since I gave her a handmade-by-me gift!

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

If you haven’t already guessed, The Department of Chemistry refers to the bar. It also has a pink colour theme, and is located next to the Pink Pearl and also the beach.

At the bar, you’re able to request a unique cocktail that will be mixed according to your preferences, or not – depending on how much you like surprises..!

Bite-sized or tapas style food is served here.

WHAT IS THE FOOD LIKE?

I don’t usually have high expectations, or any expectations, about eating at hotels, but the JW Marriott Phu Quoc really outdid itself in terms of the variety as well the quality of the food offered.

Let me just point out that there are five dining options at the resort. FIVE! 
Ok maybe four-and-a-half since the bar/Dept of Chemistry only serves small plates.

Tempus Fugit restaurant is the main dining area, where the daily buffet breakfast is served. It was a dream to be able to have Vietnamese pho and banh mi (amongst a number of other savoury asian things) in the morning instead of what is the bane of my breakfast life: ‘continental breakfast’.

Red Rum is a seafood restaurant on the beach – this was my least favourite, though we got the chance to eat GIANT CLAMS there!

French & Co is cafe style eatery that I remember for their AMAZING smoothies. I still fantasise about the green tea & coconut smoothie. And the blueberry ginger smoothie.

Then there’s the Pink Pearl of course.

I’m not ashamed to say that WE ATE ALL OUR MEALS AT THE RESORT during our three-night stay. They have good food! You will be well fed.

JW MARRIOTT PHU QUOC: FINAL TIPS

• If you can only swim in one pool (there are three!), make it the Shell Pool.
• Definitely try the blueberry or green tea smoothie at French & Co.
• Rent a stand-up-paddle board or body board for free at the beach.
• Have dinner at Pink Pearl Restaurant. Go upstairs to have a peek at their private dining rooms if possible!
• Ask for a tour of the Chanterelle Spa if you’re not getting a treatment.
• If you can manage it, stay in the Turquoise Suite! Otherwise, I can safely say that every other room is also a delight.
• I would recommend staying for at least three nights. I wish we could’ve stayed longer!

  The resort is so huge that it’ll take quite some time to explore. This is something you’ll want to do as everything is so beautifully made, and with little quirks to be found if you look hard enough. You’ll want to be able to experience at least some of the activities available; and time to enjoy all the immaculately designed rooms/areas of the resort.

CLICK HERE FOR BEST ROOM RATES

WATCH OUR VIDEO!

The post Review: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa (Vietnam’s Most Colourful Resort!) appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

Phuket is one of those places I dreamed of visiting when I was a child, especially since my family ended up going without me on two occasions. I’ve been wanting (but not dying) to go ever since, even though the general consensus isn’t exactly ‘Phuket is AMAAAZING’. Just one of those places I had to see for myself, you know.

First of all, Dream Hotel is beautiful:

There is a smaller rooftop pool available but we didn’t spend much time there. The big pool was too tempting – plus it had a swim-up bar.

A taxi from the airport costs 700 baht normally, but we managed to haggle it down to 600 – hey that’s over £2 in savings! Haha.

Dream Hotel is located halfway down from the airport to the popular tourist area  of Patong, so the ride took about 20 minutes (it’s 50 minutes to Patong).

We didn’t bother to visit Patong at all because we’d heard a lot of negative things about it (I don’t fancy big crowds).. and sincerely, I loved hanging out at Dream so much that I felt it better worth our time. We did do an island-hopping day-trip, which seemed mass-produced and not as idyllic as it sounds. It made us long to be on the clean, peaceful, and beautiful grounds of Dream even more.

Digression: A couple of nice photos I got from the island trip:

The staff will advise and help you book any boat trips or other activities you might be interested in, although you might find better prices if you looked around yourself outside or online.

Our hotel room was modern and clean. It also kept up-to-date with the trend of not installing any doors to separate the bathroom area. There was a pillow menu. I ordered all the pillows because I am one of those annoying people who needs to feel with my hands (and face) to decide. The bed was huge and I had a few good dreams on it. DREAMS.. geddit?? DREAM HOTEL?

You know what didn’t disappoint? The breakfast that was included in the room rate. No boring ‘continental breakfast’! I was so happy.

There was porridge – that’s rice porridge, not stodgy bland oats  – with all the amazing salty condiments like fried anchovies and salted duck egg and preserved vegetables. I looked forward to this every morning, along with the green curry, fried rice, noodles, and fresh tropical fruits..

PLAYTIME AT THE POOL

I went and bought these three yummy things – pink donut float, giant pizza float, funny pretzel float) – just for the trip. The pizza was definitely the best – it has holes to hold your drinks! Apparently you can buy eight and connect them all to form a whole pizza.

DREAM BEACH CLUB

Aside from the main hotel grounds, the resort also includes Dream Beach Club, which you can access via free regular shuttles that go back and forth every day.

I loved Dream Beach Club! There are beds (and towels)! And music! There are regular DJs there and the afternoon vibe is energetic and fun.

If you want some quiet there is a private beach – Dream Beach – that connects to/is a part of Layan Beach. We went there a lot. In these photos it seems pretty empty but that’s because I went there especially early (read: 11am) to get these shots before the place filled up.

LAYAN BEACH

An empty beach is a good beach. Except if you hurt yourself and there’s nobody around to help you? Haha

SUNSET

On some evenings the hotel puts on a fire show. Too bad it poured down so much on my visit but at least the flames survived..

SUNDAY BRUNCH

The Sunday Brunch at Dream Beach Club comes highly recommended – and we’d heard so much about it from Christine (our host at Dream) in the days leading up to Sunday. She said to expect A LOT OF FOOD.

There was a lot of food. All kinds! It was served buffet-style next to the pool so there were a lot of undecisive people skulking around with their plates – this includes me.

There were burgers and pizza and roast. Grilled seafood, stuffed croissants, and a variety of condiments. It was just amazing and made you wish you had eight stomachs.

I stuffed myself with a lot of papaya salad (my all-time favourite Thai dish).

BOAT AVENUE FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET

One of the little excursions you can enjoy from Dream is a jaunt to a buzzing local food market – the Boat Avenue Friday Night Market that happens.. every Friday (surprise).. in Cherng Talay. The hotel provides a free shuttle to and from – it’s about 15 minutes away. You just have to sign up at reception.

It’s exactly how you’d imagine an Asian food market – lots of stalls, lots of strong smells, and lots of food that appeal to your curiosity (and sense of adventure). It seems to be frequented by lots of local people too.

//

If you’re ever in Phuket and want some fun and peace at the same time, do consider staying at Dream. It’s a little haven away from the touristy spots and you’ll be treated and fed well. They also don’t mind if you order ALL the pillows from the pillow menu!

Click here for rates & availability or book directly from the website 🙂

The post Fun Times at Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

Although I learn very quickly (I’m one of those annoying people who’s ‘good at everything’), up to last month I was a pretty novice snowboarder, having only had about six days of experience.

One evening, my friends Shah and Fay said, “Hey, we’re going to Chamonix in two-and-a-half weeks and there’s a spare spot, wanna come?”

“Okay!”

I hadn’t been to Chamonix before and I was super excited. I was thrilled about being able to get on the snow again. We were going to Les Grands Montets, which I knew nothing about so I thought I’d do some Googling. My research led me to reading things like:

“..the home of professional extreme skiing”
“..notoriously steep and not very beginner-friendly”
“..the blues are pretty much reds and reds are pretty much blacks”
“..has a reputation for offering some of the steepest slopes in Europe”

What……………

I started to get bit nervous. So I went ahead and bought a good pair of Dainese padded shorts, made sure to include a helmet in my equipment hire, and paid for winter sports insurance. I was set!

I never knew getting to Chamonix was so easy. London to Geneva in about 1.5 hours, and then a ground transfer for about €30 – also about 1.5 hours long. Boring info: I used AlpyBus going and Mountain Dropoffs returning – both were good.

I got there earlier than my friends, so I chilled out at our Airbnb apartment while I waited. Well, actually I was getting some work done. Contrary to popular belief, I DO work. The bonus is that I can work remotely so this is how I get ‘soooo much time off”, for those wondering. I’m also not bound to annual leave allowance.

Anyway! Our accommodation was situated at the foot of Les Grands Montets (super easy access to the lifts), in Argentière. It was a magical scene from the balcony:

If you thought that was good, this is what it looks like on a sunny day:

On our first day out, we decided that we should take the shuttle to the next resort, Domaine De Balme, so we could get accustomed to our hired boards/boots/skis. This resort was meant to have ‘kinder’ slopes.

We arrived quite early in the morning, when the pistes were freshly groomed. It was really slippery and with the new board that I wasn’t quite used to, I caught an edge and had a mighty fall quite early on. I landed on my front like a rag doll, banging my head (or rather, helmet – see, good decision!) onto the hard snow. I was in a daze for a minute and the pain was a shock, but naturally I picked myself up and continued snowboarding the rest of the day.

The rest of the beautiful day!

I loved Domaine de Balme. It wasn’t too challenging and had offered some peaceful yet fun runs surrounded by pine trees.

And at the top of the mountain.. it was stunning. Ignore the skiers :p

Below the clouds, the scene was magic in its own way..

There’s a certain excitement in snowboarding or skiing in low visibility. It’s scary = it’s fun! See what I said about my finding a LOT of things fun..

The next morning..

I woke up with the right side of my ribs feeling soooo bruised from the fall I had the previous day. So I just popped an Ibuprofen and off to the slopes I went!

I had a three-hour private lesson that I booked through ESF (€180) so I could improve more quickly. It was excellent. I requested ‘an instructor who’s cool and funny’. Freddie was cool and funny. I was happy.

By the afternoon, I was having so much fun coming down the difficult slopes at Les Grands Montets. And the VIEW! Descending through the clouds.. it was freaking awesome.

I fell a few more times.. but they were fun falls! It was more painful doing up my bindings because being in that position squished my bruised ribs. Sometimes I had to pathetically ask Shah to do them up for me. Luckily, he’s such a patient guy that he always obliged.

I am aware that I look like a boy child on a ski trip with his parents.

We stayed on the slopes until it closed and I had to be rushed down by one of the staff through the fog at the bottom. I looooooved it!

Oh here are some snaps of food: confit de canard, rillettes de canard (our daily staple), and french onion soup. It was great to be in France.

Anyhow, I am so grateful for that day because, turns out it was my last day of snowboarding for the season. That evening, I was beginning to have trouble breathing – it started to hurt each time I inhaled deeply.

WHAT IS THIS PAIN

After a terrible night’s sleep STILL with pain around my rib area, I awoke in the morning thinking ok MAYBE.. something is wrong.. maybe it’s not just a bruise after all because, there is in fact, no visible bruising.

So instead of putting on my gear as usual, I sadly had to stay back and wait for an appointment at the clinic nearby. And waited I did. It took bloody three hours in the waiting room before it was my turn! Eventually, this was the situation:

“You’ve cracked two of your ribs”

“So what do I do now?”

“I’ll give you some painkillers”

“If I take enough painkillers can I go snowboarding tomorrow?”

“No”

“Are you sure”

“Well you can but it will be painful”

“Aha! But you said I CAN.”

“Just stay at home and read a book”

So yeah that was that. Turned out I cracked some bones with that fall on the first day. But hey at least I did enjoy two fantastic days of snowboarding (with fractured ribs yes but ah.. ignorance really is bliss isn’t it??).

I proceeded to the pharmacy, picked up my meds, and went back to the apartment. I guess I was pretty excited to take the meds because the pain was getting pretty sharp and awful, and I couldn’t breathe comfortably.

ALMOST-DEATH BY TRAMADOL

I was prescribed a combination of Dafalgan (1g Paracetamol) and something called Tramadol. I’ve lived pretty much a medication-free life, so I’d never even heard of Tramadol. Little did I know that it was about to make my life HELL.

It was too strong for me! I barely even weigh 50kg and I was given 50mg tablets.. Obviously at the time I didn’t even consider that it might have been too much so I took one, got high off it, then went to bed.

By early morning, I was DYING. I was so nauseated I could barely even move. Also added one more item to my Life CV – projectile vomiting. That was interesting. But try vomiting with TWO CRACKED RIBS.. it’s fucked up man. I pretty much spent the entire day crawling between sofa and toilet and feeling like death. I couldn’t even hold down two sips of water. I was drowsy. Being horizontal so much of the time made me lethargic and left me feeling like absolute shit.

Eventually I recovered from the sickness, but I never touched another tablet of Tramadol since.. I’d rather put up with the pain than to go through THAT again.

Fortunately, the next day I was on a flight to my favourite Porto for some recovery-time in the sunshine 🙂

BONUS STORY – GENEVA AIRPORT NIGHTMARE

If you like hearing about bad things happening to other people, here’s one for you:

So I got to Geneva Airport to catch my flight to Porto, still feeling weak and unable to carry anything heavy (y’know, it’s a bit difficult when you’ve cracked your ribs). I could only take very shallow breaths, too, and without any strong pain meds this was a real challenge.

I get to the check-in desk and inform the lady at the counter of my situation and asked if I could get any assistance should I need it. She says ‘no’. No big deal, I thought.. I’ll just go really slow.

I approached the security check like an old lady, dragging my heavy backpack along the floor since I couldn’t really carry it with the straps. Sometimes, I could carry it in front like a baby, but for brief amounts of time. By the time it got close to my turn, I was feeling awful and out of breath; face pale. The staff could see me clearly struggling, but no one so much as asked me if I was okay or if I needed any help.

No matter, I thought. I’ll manage. Then I got told to hurry up. Other passengers, instead of helping me, started to cut in front of me. I stayed patient and didn’t let it bother me.

Once I got through, I looked for my gate and saw that it was a 20 minute walk. And that mean 20 minutes or normal walking, not 20 minutes of my old-lady-walking.  I saw an information counter just ahead, so I thought I’d better ask for some help. Breathing was getting really difficult and painful.

“Hi, do you think I could get some help with my bag? I’ve had a snowboarding injury so I can’t really lift it and I have trouble breathing. I’ve cracked my ribs.”

“Sorry, no. You should’ve asked earlier at check-in.”

“I did tell the lady but she said she couldn’t help me there, and I did think I could manage.”

“I can’t do anything, sorry.”

“Is there a trolley I can use at least?”

“No, no trolleys are allowed here.”

“Please, I only need some help with my bag. I can still walk, I just can’t lift my bag.”

“Exactly, I can’t call for assistance for you. It’s not like you broke your leg! You can still walk!.”

I was looking so pale and pitiful at this point that the best this mean lady could do was tell me ‘the fastest route’ to my gate. I could barely even understand what she was saying because I’d started to feel lightheaded. Actually I felt bullied. And helpless. I hated this lack of independence.

I nodded my head and walked a few steps away and hid behind a pillar. In a moment of weakness, I started to cry. BAD DECISION. The sobbing made it even more painful, and my breaths even more shallow. I tried to slow down and compose myself, but I couldn’t. I felt SO BAD.

Eventually, a French family saw me and came to ask if I was alright. In my amateur French I managed to tell them about my injuries and how I couldn’t get help. I’m still grateful for them because they then went over to the mean lady at the desk and demanded that she request assistance for me.

I did get help in the end, but not before the mean lady came over to me to say, “I’ll call for someone, but there’s no guarantee, so if you miss your flight don’t blame me.”

THANK YOUUUUU mean people of Geneva Airport.. I’m now a much stronger person. But bigger thanks to the kind family who cared enough to check on me.

The post Went to Chamonix and Had a Great Fall appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

At first I was a little bummed to be moving there from the amazing Holiday Inn Resort but.. WOW IT WAS SO GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL FULL OF PLANTS AND oh it was just so green.

It boasts two pools.. each one is relatively small, but set amongst tall palm trees and.. more palm trees. Haha!

They provide chalet-style accommodation. It’s really like a little paradise village where the walkways/paths are the streets.

The yellow building was our (mine and my sister’s) room.  Look at all the flowers and.. erm.. palm trees!

The rooms are not fancy and do not boast any luxury benefits such as cable TV or a built-in multi-phone-charger. But they have all the essentials and are comfortable and clean. Except that one morning, I found our bathroom had been converted into a communal home for a thousand wasps overnight. Luckily, I’m not afraid of insects and anyway, they died a couple of hours later.. further converting the bathroom into a wasp cemetery. I was not really bothered.

Rates start from €69 for a standard double room – during peak season this is €160.

More info on their rooms here.

This is just beside the reception, on the right leading to the restaurant and in the middle you’ll see a little opening to the stairway that takes you down to the pool area.

Even the restaurant is green and cosy!

There are little things scattered all over the place.. it was rather quirky in a sense. Like these birds above!

There was a little black cat that was always roaming about. He was surprisingly friendly and extremely playful! We put him on top of the pool table and let him play with the balls. Soon after, we got told off by one of the staff.

When the sun begins to set, the lights are turned on and LOOK how magical the place becomes! The pool is on the right side in this pic.

^My sister and I.

Every time we had time to spare at the resort, we would be lounging by the pool because it was the prettiest place to be. Erm, and also there was no wifi in the rooms….. Hahaha

I admit I think I spent a bit too much time on my gadgets.. but I had just gotten a new retina-display Mini Apple iPad from Argos and it’s fab!

It replaces my old iPad 2 and it’s a better size for little me.

I’ve been addicted to this zombie game called Dead Trigger 2. The gameplay is awesome and it’s so much fun!!! It also gets my heart pounding.. sometimes.

It suits me, right?? I think so anyway.

^Wasting time with my iPad in a boat that’s not even in water…

I downloaded some movies to watch on it during times when I was on the plane or bus but most times I was so exhausted I just didn’t bother.

It’s exhausting sitting on other people’s scooters for a photo, for example.

And it’s exhausting to see people squeeze into a tuk-tuk with their giant bags..  I mean.. it was SO HOT.

OH! I want to say a big thank you to the fantastic staff at Emerald Garden Resort for taking the trouble to send to me by post – free of charge – my set of earphones that I so carelessly left behind on one of the sun loungers by the pool. How efficient and kind of them.. I’m so pleased 🙂

This post was brought to you by Argos

The post Krabi, Thailand – Lush Greens at Emerald Garden Resort appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

One rainy afternoon, Aysha and I rented a dune buggy to drive around the island. It must’ve cost something like €40 for the day, I can’t be too sure, but it wasn’t very pricey. I have to say we did well in terms of exploring the small island – we rented a jeep and circled pretty much the whole island one day, and cycled over 30km on another! Oh and also did a boat tour.

Do you think I passed as ‘looking cool’? I tried!

It was grey that day but still warm enough. Pretty good for the end of October, really.

We had so many funny mishaps with the buggy!

First of all.. we tried to ascent a too-steep bend and the engine died multiple times. Seeing no other way, we took turns going behind the buggy to push it, whilst the other stayed behind the wheel to navigate.

It was just so stupid, because there I’d be, huffing and puffing and pushing with all my might, but the buggy would move NOT ONE INCH. We laughed so much and nearly had a stomach ache.. and actually, I can’t remember how we got it up in the end..

Anyway. Along the way we spotted this sign.. so we followed it and found a really scenic place for a snack/drink.

With a menu like this, who could resist??

But really, I love rabbit and I LOVE octopus.
Please, meat is meat.. rabbit is no different from chicken. 

I apologise for the terrible quality of pics.. (compact cam)

Although it was – as you can see – rather a grey day.. it was in fact super lovely. The island was quiet as it was off-peak in in regards to the tourist calendar.. and we had a relaxing drink overlooking the sea. The blue, blue sea!

I remember for some reason I was really craving chips that day. Well, I crave chips pretty much every day…

We drove town into the little town square, which was quite empty on a weekday afternoon.

I thought my parking was pretty good. Under the tree, because it was starting to rain. See, I can be sensible too!

There was a small market nearby and we went to see what sorts of things they sold in Greek markets.

The answer is: GIANT ONIONS. (or possibly garlic..?)

And just so you can get an idea of their size..

Isn’t it fascinating?? (by that I mean ‘what the f’)

I had never seen white pea pods before!

Oh one of my favourite vegetables ever – okra! Or ‘ladies fingers’, as we call them back home (Malaysia). Though the ones I’m used to are a darker green, slimmer and longer.

I liked the pink tips on these ones..

Aysha is absolutely in love with baclava, so we stopped by a corner-store bakery so we could pick her up some.

The rest of our journey continued to be hilarious…

It started to rain. And we got stuck in peak-hour traffic – when everyone had finished work. Our little buggy went so slowly relative to all those REAL cars. So on an uphill stretch, we went along like a tortoise with only three legs, and held up all the traffic.

At times like this, what can you do really, other than.. snap a picture of your own face??!

All in all, I had a fantastic day. Everything was spontaneous (as it mostly is in my life) and it didn’t even matter that we were under the rain half the time. Time with Aysha is always super funny and we end up in so many ridiculous situations together.

Like the time we almost missed our cruise ship back from Spain, having to use the disabled persons’ ramp to get in since the normal-people-ramps had closed. With everyone watching from the deck, knowing that we had caused the delay. This was after hitching a ride from strangers (forcing ourselves into their car) and her having peed herself a little from the excitement/anxiety. Haha!

🙂

We ended the night with wine and some kinda of UNO game.. don’t ask me.. I’m not very well versed with card games. I just bring the masks.

Boo!

I haven’t been back to Greece since and that was my first and only time in the country. I think I’ve been missing out, haven’t I?

Perhaps it could be my next obsession (my current one is Portugal – duh – and previously it was Italy).

You can book holidays to Greece via Thomas Cook (don’t just book it, Thomas Cook it, right? Haha).

They’ve got pretty good deals for lots of resorts on all the different islands. Perhaps something to consider for the next year.. Greece 2014 here I come!

*This post was brought to you in collaboration with Thomas Cook! 🙂

The post Zakynthos – Our Dune Buggy Adventure! appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

But Cristina appeared before me just as I was about to resign to a couple of hours of me-time and chirped, ‘I’m going to the beach, wanna come?’

OF COURSE I said YES. And it dawned on me – WHY did I not think of going to the beach? WHY? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME? I had just arrived in Sagres AKA BEACH TOWN and I wanted to SIT DOWN on a sofa and what? Just sit there?? I was so stupid! Like DUH.. what kind of sun worshipper was I? A shit one!

So off I went and packed my bags – in something like ten seconds.

^Sunset and moonrise at Praia do Tonel

Once I was ready, the both of us sauntered off.. into the wild.. nah just into hot, dry Sagres.

^The street where the surf school was near

The walk to the beach was really fun. The whole place was so EMPTY.. so barren. The landscape encouraged us to walk slowly and because there were hardly any trees, the sun was upon us like a giant blanket of joy!

There was this part where we had to walk through a narrow dirt path outlined with long tall grass.
I felt like I was a part of Spirited Away, about to walk into some sort of weird screwed up fantasy world (a good thing).

But instead I got this ^

Imagination is key here.

About two minutes from this point, we got a bit lost. There was no one in sight except for two old non-English-speaking men and we had to use our very broken Portuguese – onde? praia? a praia? 

At least I know now that it’s ‘onde é que a praia?’… I think so anyway. Haha!

Well, whatever it was, it worked. Eventually, we arrived at Praia da Mareta, one of the many beaches in Sagres.

^just before the steps down to the beach.

What a gorgeous day it was! In mid-September, I was feeling like the luckiest person (from London who had managed to escape the onset of autumn)!

Obviously, I bragged about it to my friends. This is why we go on holiday, right? :p

We found ourselves a nice spot in the sun and… shared a spliff (ok for the Nth time, this is an honest and open blog). I swear all my closest friends are made this way.. !

We had a most lovely time talking about.. rubbish, of course. Rubbish I don’t really remember.

^Goliath came along too.

^Beautiful golden sand!

I wish I had tiny people to place on the little mounds, to create an exciting scene! Tell a story!

^Sorry, it’s just me again..

Once started to get cold and we could no longer keep moving along the beach following the rays.. we picked up our stuff and left. But look what greeted us when we got back onto the street:

We looked at each other for a few minutes, confident in our mutual desire to chase the sunset.

We RAN. RAN LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW. 
(Or as my crazy little sister would say – RAN LIKE COWS – no it doesn’t make sense, but it’s not supposed to).

We ended up on a cliff slide overlooking one of the more scenic beaches in Sagres – Praia do Tonel – JUST as the egg yolk sun was about to touch the line separating the sky from the sea.

Mission accomplished, I say.

We sat on a ledge, sharing my beach towel, and smoked a little more.

It was THE MOST beautiful sunset. Magic! Magnificent!

The sky was clear as clear could be. The air smelt and tasted good.

We were really happy!

^So happy that we didn’t care that we looked like crap.

I can’t really fully describe how truly a special moment that was. Just us two girls, who had only met a couple of hours before, perched on a ledge, witnessing a stunning sunset together. We promised each other that we would visit each other soon, after surf camp was (inevitably going to be) over.

Cristina comes from Bucharest, Romania.

Guess where I’m going this Friday? YEP 🙂

^In the distance you can see Sagres Point, a kind of fortress-like building (it’s actually a promontory) I never got to visit.

Cristina and I then had a most serene walk back to surf camp under the night sky.

Editing the photos for this post made me MISS THE SUN so much. When I got back to London from Portugal, I was so brown. Super tanned. So tanned that even I thought it was a bit much. But two months have passed and so I’m a bit more normal now, though I do want to keep a bit of my tan still on.

Which brings me to THIS below – some really handy tips to help you keep your tan for longer than ever! I’m not just saying.. I’ve read through and they actually are pretty good tips. Some of which I already practise, and not to be a brag, but I do have pretty good smooth skin that’s erm.. not pale!


I always have a wax before any holiday. But I never exfoliate – this is because I’m lazy.
Because I have asian skin (and generally I’m kind of a mutant), I pretty much never burn.. it would take a LOT of sun exposure to sizzle my skin!

Saying that, I am a firm believer in sunscreen and these days I apply SPF50 before going to the beach. Protect your skin!

ALWAYS MOISTURISE. EVERYWHERE. EVERY INCH.


Right now, I’m using Dove summer glow + soft shimmer moisturiser, which contains self-tanner and.. my favourite bit – it has tiny little sparkly bits in it! Literally makes my skin shimmer. It’s fab.

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Hayes and Jarvis.
You’ve got them to thank for these useful tan-keeping tips!

The post Beautiful Sagres – Praia da Mareta/Tonel & Chasing the Sunset appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

At this point I was really starting to enjoy hostelling! It was kind of my first time properly staying at hostels while travelling so it was kind of novel.. and amazing. Thanks again Hostelbookers for the opportunity!

The lovely people from surf camp in Sagres gave me a lift straight to the property in Lagos. But Bura provides free pickups from the bus or train stations anyhow, if you need.

The location is slightly out of the city centre but close enough that you can walk.. for 20 minutes or so.. this of course was ‘very long’ to me but I managed and I survived! It’s not so bad when you’re walking in such a beautiful place and in good weather 🙂

Also, there’s a large supermarket just five minutes down.. which I visited not long after I arrived to satisfy my Portuguese snack cravings.

^View towards the front of the house.

Not unlike my previous accommodation, this hostel was like a big house shared by friends. It’s on a street lined with other houses (where I presume normal people live).

Heather and Matt, who are originally from the UK, loved Lagos so much that they decided to buy this house and set it up as a hostel. And it’s fab!

^Looking towards the back entrance.

One of the highlights of the place, I had read, was the stand up paddling course you could do with Heather, who had recently qualified as an instructor. So I asked if she could kindly take me one day.. I had never tried it and well you know me.. I like to try everything and anything. Especially if it involves water!

Of course, you can also sign up for surfing lessons if you preferred.

^The window you see is from the room I was placed in! That orange thing is my bikini hanging to dry.. haha

^The rooftop!

I found this dude who had spent the whole night sleeping on the roof until the blazing sun came up. Clearly he was roasting but refused to leave..

…Until I appeared and started taking pictures, that is. Sorry to have made you feel uncomfortable, random guy!

I was given a bed in a six-bed dorm.. but I must say the room was huge. There was so much space! I stayed with a few boys.. and I was so lucky that none of them snored. Seriously.. NONE of them. Either that or I had somehow gone deaf while sleeping.

What you see there on the bottom bunk was all my luggage for my 2+ weeks away. I placed an image of the Bura fridge because I thought the colours went with the colours of my bags….

^The resident dog – sorry dog, I forgot your name..

^Comfy living area for all your lazing needs

STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING

As I was blessed with such perfect weather…and as the sun loves me so much, the conditions were good enough for Heather to take me out for a lesson the next day. We took the van down to Porto do Mos beach.

I have to say the hardest part about the whole experience was carrying these gigantic boards down from the parking lot. They were SO BIG! Or perhaps my arms were just too short but whatever.. they were heavy and large. I guess that was my warm up.

We went through the basics in theory – how to hold the paddle the correct way, for example – on the sand for a bit before going into the water. I couldn’t wait cos it looked so, so inviting.

Most of the time, I paddled whilst on my knees. I did stand up to do it a few times.. and fortunately I didn’t fall once (I was worried about my pink hair, which had just survived a battering few days at surf camp prior).

I enjoyed just sitting on the board and cruising along with the paddle.. perhaps because I was lazy. But it was so relaxing and serene. We chatted about random stuff and travel stuff.. and before I knew it, an hour (or two?) had passed and it was time to go back.

Here’s a little Instavideo I took in an attempt to take you swimming with me
(btw, follow me on Instagram please!):

I have to say that stand up paddling was a lot harder than I anticipated. I mean, it LOOKS so easy! I think I did well, but it was definitely a challenge staying upright and keeping balanced. My legs were wobbling a lot of the time….. forcing me to use my never-really-used muscles. Haha.

THANKS Heather for the wonderful introduction to SUP.. I genuinely enjoyed it!


Nights at the house involved mostly drinking and lounging about. One night, I brought my light up toys, kaleidoscope glasses, and glow sticks down to the pool so everyone could play with them. Toys are for sharing!

Everyone at the house, staff and other guests alike, were really friendly. I noted that there were quite a number of Australians.. (I love them!).

I’ve got so much more to share about my time in Lagos but that’ll have to come in another post.

Nights at Bura Surfhouse can be booked via Hostelbookers, and prices start at about £15pppn. Yes, there is free wifi internet!

You can follow Bura Surfhouse on Facebook and on Twitter.

The post Lagos – Bura Surfhouse & Attempting SUP appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

After spending a couple of nights in Albufeira, I took a bus to Lagos. As Albufeira train station is actually located 7km away in another area called Figueiras, it proved more convenient to catch the bus. The journey time was about an hour and only cost a few Euros.

Penny, one of the surf school staff, picked me up from Lagos station. You can arrange pickups with the school in advance for €15. She had no trouble spotting me at all.. I only had to say ‘I have pink hair..’. It was about another half-hour to Sagres.

It was SO HOT that day (as was every other day there haha).. by the time I arrived at the house (Algarve Surf Camp), I felt rather like a wilted petal. A PINK wilted petal!

I WAS IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE THE MOMENT I WAS INSIDE.

^Kind of a lame Instavideo I took hehe

It was just so cool and all I felt like doing was sitting down and having a full on chill-out.

I was shown my room/bed and everything I needed to know around the house, which was pretty empty since everyone was out surfing and won’t be back until the evening.

^The surf house!

^The driveway leading to the house

The ‘Residencial’ is a disused/abandoned hotel which some people enjoy describing as haunted. I heard that it’s possible to enter it and climb up to the roof to watch a magnificent sunset, but sadly I somehow missed out on doing this!

Here are more pics of the house:

^Seashell ashtray!

^The bar has an open policy whereby you’re free to help yourself to drinks from the fridge, and if you’re not an asshole you then write down your name and what you’ve had in a book on the counter.

There was a social event that evening – BBQ + sangria. I have to say I didn’t expect too much of it.. but the food turned out freakin’ delish. There was lamb, chicken, pork, beef, sausages, potato salad.. everything!

^Just inside the main entrance of the house.  Very surfy.

^My room! The I took the top bunk.. and my stuff took the bottom. Yes I was definitely quite glad that no one occupied the bottom one because having that extra space was toooo convenient.

The room wasn’t that big and I shared with four other girls. But not for a moment did I feel suffocated or that I needed more ‘space’. I felt like I was sharing a room with my sisters or friends, in a house as part of a big family!

Everything was very relaxed and often you would find doors left open. No one felt like they needed to guard their belongings like a hawk.

The room had a balcony and a large, ensuite bathroom and toilet. I know this is quite important to some, so I must say it: yes, there is free wifi internet access!

^View from the balcony connected to our room.

Sagres was not what I expected at all. It was a lot more deserted than I pictured.. and very flat! In fact in some ways it had the look and feel of one of those tiny, barely populated towns you would see as part of a zombie apocalypse movie or something (think the ‘Residencial’ building might have contributed to forming this part of my imagination).

I LOVED IT. I loved that it was so quiet. I loved that there was nothing much else to do other than feel the heat of the sun from an empty sky and listen to the leaves and tall grass whispering to each other with every gust of wind. I loved the abundance of beaches. They were like temples – everyone was drawn to them, staying for hours each day. And of course I loved that pretty much everyone was there for one main (and VERY FUN) activity – surfing.

A TYPICAL DAY AT ALGARVE SURF CAMP

Everyone wakes up at about the same time – between 8.30 and 9.00am. I assume no one would wanna be up earlier than that.. unless they’re a real nerd. Anyway. After washing up, getting dressed, and packing our bags, we go down to stuff ourselves with some brekkie!

The lovely staff a.k.a. the house elves puts all the food on display and you can have your pick of the usual cereal stuff, yoghurt, fruits, toast, hot drinks, etc. There’s also a selection of ham, tuna, and cheese plus a variety of bread. Most people used these to make a packed lunch for later.

Sometimes the elves make pancakes or brownies and other treats.. they’re all delicious.

My packed lunch always consisted of a ham/tuna roll, and a giant sandwich stuffed full with Nutella and peanut butter (of course).

At approximately 10am, everyone’s fed and ready to go (except the slow ones.. although I didn’t know of anyone who was so slow that they got left behind). We all pile into the lemons – by this I mean the vans/jeeps – and off we go to the beach!

It’s all very exciting and made me feel somewhat like I was at some sort of boarding school. It was a great sense of community.

After a bumpy 25-30 minutes, we arrive at Praia do Amado. It’s beautiful and has neat lines of manageable waves – perfect for beginners.

^It’s set against a backdrop of cute little midget mountains. I guess I should say ‘hills’.

IT’S REALLY A MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH.

Please watch this rubbish compilation of rubbish videos I recorded that day.

SURF SCHOOL

We linger around and enjoy the sunshine for a bit until everyone gets allocated to their groups/instructors and given wetsuits.

Cristina, a girl who bunked with me, was learning with me. We’d spent the previous evening enjoying a cliffside view of a spectacular setting sun together – so we were pretty much best friends by then.

[In fact, I’m off to Romania to visit her next month!]

^Cristina, Me, GermangirlwhosenameIforgot

This was the last photo of my brilliant neon pink hair before the sun + sea sucked the life out of it. I tried spraying SPF50 sunscreen into my hair, but I don’t think it had any effect.

Once suited, we carried our boards down to the beach, to our little segment – the beach is shared with other surf schools.

We do a little warm up before going into the water – running and some stretches. Lemme tell you that running in a rubbery wetsuit with the sun blazin’ down.. was a bit.. blah. Especially after carrying those heavy boards all that way, while firewalking (the sand was SO HOT).

I’d tried surfing a couple of times before (read about my surf experience in Matosinhos, Porto) and I have good balance and coordination, so I didn’t find it too difficult.

In fact it was SO immensely FUN! I didn’t care about my hair. The sea could eat it all up if it wanted.

The biggest challenge for me was lugging about that huge board – an eight foot one (for beginners) – which kept banging against my legs and ankles, and around which my short arm simply couldn’t fit.

Luckily, they let me switch to a smaller, 6ft one the next day when I asked. Best thing ever! I had EVEN MORE FUN. Every time I fell off I just wanted to go back and try even more. I’m happy to say that I caught some good waves.

I LOVE SURFING!!!!!!

The lessons are split into two sessions with a lunch break in between.

The only shit thing is carrying those boards back up, and then back down again for the second session. Haha!

^Isn’t this the perfect way to spend a lazy hour by the beach?

I spent my breaks down by the beach, playing in the water 🙂

^Me and my stupid hair.

At the end of the afternoon, it’s time to rinse off and hang up your wetsuits etc. And what a lovely setting in which to do so!

There were yoga classes on the beach once or twice a week, and I got to participate in it one evening. It was just MAGICAL (just ignore the part where you lay down and sand keeps blowing onto your every crevice). I loved the view of the green upside-down hills every time I bent over.

Yoga on the beach was so good that I completely fell asleep at the end of it.. vivid dreams and everything.

THE BROKEN JEEP

Yeah, one day, our jeep broke down just as we were leaving to go back.

I think everyone was so high on surfing that no one really cared. To me, it meant more time by the beach and more time in the sunshine!

In the end, the boys had to push the jeep up the road and out of the way while we waited for another vehicle to pick us up.

While waiting, we enjoyed this:

The ocean was glistening like a smooth, shiny tarp.

Eventually, our rescue jeep came and we were back at the house in no time. Everyone has a shower and then you can either stay in for dinner or take a walk to the buzzing, two-street metropolis of Sagres to find food.

As mentioned above, I stayed for a BBQ one night which was superb, and on another evening Cristina and I went out for some traditional Portuguese food instead.

^Dinner at the house

^Me, Sara, Cristina

Sara was our surf instructor. She’s Welsh and she’s so lovely. This pic was taken in Lagos, when it was one of the staff members’ birthdays and everyone went down to celebrate (the nightlife in Sagres was just too much for us to handle).

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ALGARVE SURF SCHOOL! 

When I was reading the reviews on Tripadvisor I noticed a common theme of people suggesting being flexible with your dates ‘because you’ll want to stay longer’. I thought it was just one of those things that people wrote about places they enjoyed… but you know what, at the end of my three nights there, I REALLY WISHED I COULD STAY LONGER. I wanted to stay so bad! Maybe next summer..

Prices per night at the surf school start at €20 per person. More info on their website, including packages, lessons, board hire, and other things. You can also stalk their Facebook page here.

The post I Love Algarve Surf School Sagres! appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

If you know me personally or have followed my travels.. you’ll know that I don’t normally stay at hostels. In fact, the first time I used a hostel was two years ago in 2011, when I was kind of forced to after I got kicked out of that farm in France (read about how that changed my life). Yes it was kind of cheating since I got a private room in one of the ‘best hostels in Europe’ (Villa St Exupéry Gardens in Nice) but it opened my eyes to and destroyed all the silly stereotypes I had about hostelling.

With the help of Hostelbookers, I designed my solo Portugal trip around some carefully handpicked hostels. I was really excited (I HAD THE MOST AMAZING TIME).

Ale-Hop Albufeira Hostel

In Albufeira where I spent two nights, I picked a really new hostel called Ale-Hop – it only opened this year in July! The name is actually that of a shop that sells ‘bits n bobs’ and other souvenirs, and the hostel is located above it. They’re so new that they haven’t got a proper website yet, but you can check out their Facebook page.

The owner, João, welcomed me at the shop. In fact, the Reception = Till = Reception. He showed me around the building and I was placed in a 6-bed female dorm with ensuite bathroom.. except that, there were no other guests in that room so it was rather a treat for meeeee 🙂

I was really impressed the moment I stepped in. Not only was everything shiny and new – the beds were all made and it all looked super cosy.

I introduced the room to Goliath (my pet mouse), freshened up (read: replaced my face) and went down to find dinner. João recommended a good restaurant called ‘O Alentejano’ just down the road that served traditional Portuguese food.

I love dining alone! It gives you so much time to concentrate on eating and to fully enjoy your meal. I think it’s one of the best forms of ‘me time’ ever.

For my first meal in Portugal I had bacalhau (salt cod) – of course, I love it.. almost to an obsessional degree.

  
^left: fish soup (soap de peixe) / right: almond tart (tarte de amêndoa)

EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD. So good that I went back again the following night. I know.. how unadventurous of me 🙁

But the upside was that the owner was so happy to see me again! We spoke a little. He opened the restaurant about five years ago and lives in a nearby village, where he grew up. I think his name was José. You can actually see him in the photo above – he’s the dude standing on the right side near the seated woman!

Restaurante O Alentejano
129 Rua da Liberdade
Albufeira 8200-151
Portugal

I had a wander around the town and quickly realised that Albufeira was ‘very touristy’. Dominated by British tourists, even the streets were occupied by things like pubs screening English football and I spotted many groups of erm, British people. Haha! I guess it is in Algarve what Magaluf is in Mallorca.
I decided to go back to the hostel and spend the rest of my night on their roof terrace:

It was quiet. Possibly because it was a Monday night. I had the whole place to myself. It was fab.
Look at the view!

^The thing about being alone is that you end up with some quite lousy self-timer shots of yourself

I put on some music, watched my light-up toy bunny, and had a naughty little joint… (again – this is an honest blog)

It was a warm night. It as a happy night!

The Next Day

I took my time getting up – hey, I was on holiday! Used the free wifi to look at maps and plan my route a little bit. I even painted my nails 🙂

^Me in the ensuite bathroom, which had two toilets and two showers. All were super clean and nice and new. I especially enjoyed the large mirrors..

^I bought these sunnies from Topshop before my trip.. I thought they were cool but now looking back at them, I’m not so sure… I guess I needed to see photographs of me using them first?

I’m a lucky girl though – the lovely people at VisionDirect had a pair of sunglasses of my choice shipped to me in Portugal. I picked something rather classic – a pair of RayBan Clubmasters. Initially they wanted to send me some contact lenses to try.. but I have perfect eyesight. I did experiment with coloured contacts – FreshLook contacts to be precise -when I was younger but I never got over the whole ‘putting something foreign in my eye’ thing..

ANYWAY, I was really pleased! The Raybans arrived at a friend’s address in Porto, where I would visit later on in my trip.

As you can see, I made good use of the extra space available to me 🙂

I loved the colours in the room. I felt like I was in some sort of school dorm!

I thought the place looked much better with daylight, so I took some photos before I waltzed away to the beach.

^The hostel can be accessed via a small lane next to the shop. Guests are given a personalised security pin which can be entered onto a keypad at the door!

I think ultimately the best thing about the hostel is its location. You can’t beat it really. It’s right in the centre of everything. It’s not what you would call a ‘party hostel’ and there are no organised social activities etc. It’s a place you can go to unwind and have a quiet time after a long day out – which was perfect for me.

I know it was helped by the fact that I had a six-bed room all to myself, but I genuinely enjoyed staying here!

Special thanks to Daniela, one of the staff, who was ever so helpful and patient with me. She was allllways smiling. I can’t wait to go back to visit againnnnn 🙂

Nights here can be booked via Hostelbookers. They have private double/triple rooms too. Rates start from £15pppn in an eight-bed dorm.

Ale-Hop Albufeira Hostel
Rua 05 de Outubro 23
Albufeira 8200-109
Portugal
Email: alehopalbufeirahostel@gmail.com 

The post Albufeira – My First Stop & Where I Stayed appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.