Wanderlust Wednesday - Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Approaching sunset on a beach in Bali. This photo was taken almost exactly one year ago.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Cannes, France

Being in the French Riveria in high season makes you want to be a billionaire. The bay is crowded with luxury yachts. Sports cars speed down the promenade. Along the beach front are five star hotels and designer boutiques. The original Chanel store at shop number five on the main boulevard apparently inspired the name of the Chanel no. 5 perfume.

If you're like me and prefer not to pay for the beach, the public section offers you a priceless dip in the sea for free.

Top 5 Things To Do in Mykonos

Mykonos is well-known as a party island in the Cyclades in Greece. Most visitors are only there to party by night and rest their hangovers by the beach in the afternoon. If you do venture into town, there's plenty to see once you break through the veneer of the tourist trade.

On the harbourfront

1. Get lost in the streets in Mykonos Town...and find a great restaurant

There are endless shops and restaurants in Mykonos town. It's incredibly easy to get lost because the streets were designed to be confusing for potential invading pirates. My recommendation for a great dinner is Pasta Fresna Barkia on 15 Kouzi Georgouli street for fresh homemade pasta.

2. See the windmills

These windmills date back to the 16th century and were used to grind wheat. There are 16 on the island but they no longer spin in the seabreeze, having been decommissioned in the 20th century.

3. Swim at the beach topless

Paradise beach is empty in the morning.

On Paradise Beach, bikini tops are optional. The beach is packed during the afternoon with young Europeans wearing colourful bathers and designer sunglasses. Umbrellas and lounges are 12 euro.

4. Drink cocktails during happy hour

Frozen cocktails during happy hour at Paradise Beach Resort & Camping are only 5 euro!

5. Get friendly with the pelicans

Pelicans are a mascot on Mykonos. This doesn't mean they're friendly or want their photo taken.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia

Yesterday, I went for a walk by the beach with my dog. For anyone familiar with Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia, the beach in the above photos is at northern end, past the groyne.


Perth has 19 sandy white beaches stretching along the West coast. In winter they're pretty quiet apart from joggers, dog walkers and die-hard surfers. This may be the last stretch of endless beach I see for awhile as I'm imagining the European beaches I'm about to visit are going to be rather different.


The beach smelt strongly of salt and seaweed. Despite Perth's recent cold snap, it was mild and pleasant. No strong seabreeze. Just gentle waves rolling in from the Indian Ocean. Perfect for some quiet contemplation in my last week in Perth.


That's my beautiful chow chow Ruski standing tall below. He loves the beach, but he's the only dog that prefers the dunes and rocks over the water!

Beautiful Boracay - A photolog

In Boracay, the pure white sand is so fine that it feels like you’re walking on icing sugar as the grains sift through your toes. The only way to cool down from the humidity is to plunge into the inviting azure waters of the sea. The temperate water is soothingly calm with no crashing waves in sight - perfect for a relaxing dip without the worry of losing your bikini top.

In Boracay, everyone on the beach is smiling - honeymooners, hawkers, henna-tattoo artists and visitors from all over the world. Judging by the above photos, it's easy to see why.

This post is the beginning of a series on my eight day holiday to the Philippines, so stay tuned for more posts, photos and travel tips. Please feel free to leave a comment!