emma neuvonen: Island Hopping

Asia, Indonesia, Island Hopping, Travels

Gili Islands

8/05/2014

A few hours boat ride away from Bali and just off the coast of Lombok, lay the three little Gili islands- Air, Meno and Trawangan. Islands that in the past were mainly visited by backpackers and adventurers that were looking for off the beaten path places and untouched maritime paradises. Fast forward a few decades and the reality of these islands has completely changed. Whereas the islands still remains non-motorised, the heavy boat traffic and tourist load have each taken their toll on these once paradise islands. Not to say the initial beauty has vanished, but let's just say that the recent popularity comes with a price to pay.

Underwater life around Gili Meno

Asia, Beach, Island Hopping, Thailand, Travels

Downtime on Koh Lipe

3/05/2014

"Snorkelling during the day and chilling out during the night at a low key reggae bar"- highlights of Koh Lipe according to the Lonely Planet. Let just say it's not so far from the reality! Just add the hammocks and seafood barbecues and you get the summary of the usual vacay life on the little Lipe.

We'll be back here in April...;)

Sunrise Beach

Croatia, Island Hopping, Travels

Croatia: Island Hopping - Mljet

7/13/2012

We had really been looking forward to this part of the trip, not only it would be out of the main tourist stream, but also one of the last unspoilt and pristine islands in the Dalmatian archipelago. A short ferry later we arrived to the little port of Polače, the tiny village with only few guesthouses and restaurants. Our place for the night was just down the beach road- this meant we could have a night swim just across the street! This night was the night, as we extended the boat party into an all-nighter and honestly who would’ve known; this place was the least obvious choice screaming for a party, but with a good posse it turned out to be the most unforgettable one.

Croatia, Island Hopping, Travels

Croatia: Island Hopping – Korčula

7/12/2012

The sun had started to set as the ferry arrived to Korčula, the alleged birthplace of inspirational traveler Marco Polo. The harbor was just next to the old town, which made it easy for us to look for the apartments we would be staying in. The fact that the old town’s actually inside of the fortifications little higher up, gives the place an extra touch of distinctiveness. So basically if you follow the walls you will end up walking around the old center- and there are so many restaurants and small shops along this loop. We found our place right next to all the restaurants, and got a very warm welcome from the owners- it turned out to be a huge two-bedroom apartment with kitchen and a living space with views right down to the sea. It was really convenient to get down stairs and be instantly in the middle of the lively restaurant street and just pick a place to sit down in. It really is such a cool setting for all these restaurants; you can sit down to have your dinner overlooking the calm, night sea with just a few lights over the horizon. Later as we got around the very heart of the old town, we noticed how calm it really was compared to Hvar or other places we had been so far (the places also closed up way earlier). One really cool place to visit in the night is the tower bar (it’s on the walls in one of the city wall's towers), and you must climb these steep ladders to get up there. A very cool vibe and even better views- drinks weren’t bad either…

Croatia, Island Hopping, Travels

Croatia: Island Hopping - Hvar

7/10/2012

Hvar was the first of the three islands we were going to make a stop on our trip, and we were really excited to see what it would have in store for us. Known as the upscale yacht haven, we had high hopes for it, to say the least. We got our first glimpse of it as the ferry approached the bay of Hvar Town: beautiful white houses with terracotta roofs all across the hillside, kilometers long beachpromenade, boats and yachts all over the bay, and amazingly clear waters. And this was just the very first note.

We weren’t only excited to be in Hvar, but we were super thrilled to meet up with our travel buddies Rachael and Christian who were going to join us for the rest of the trip. But before that, we had the first day to spend by ourselves. We got to our little pension called Oaza- a two-storey building with an inner courtyard patio and a location right off the harbour and around the corner from the main town square Pjaca.

Greece, Island Hopping, Travels

Santorini - Greece

6/08/2011

About a half an hour before arriving, we started to see the cliffs of Santorini rising from the water. The closer we got, the more people squeezed on to the deck for their first pictures of it. I have to admit, the view was really spectacular: a massive caltera rising from the sea and small white villages built amphitheatrically around its edges. This was the first observation, the second was the massive cruisers lined up along its coast. Judging by the sea traffic, we were not going to be alone on this volcanic paradise.

Spectacular sunsets

Greece, Island Hopping, Travels

Naxos - Greek Islands

6/04/2011

As soon as the boat sailed away from the Athens harbour, it was time for aperitif! As a Frenchman, I had squeezed a bottle of Pastis 51 into my luggage back home- for a special occasions such as this ;). We didn't expect the boat ride to pass by so quickly as it did, and we really had all the ingredients needed for a good time: the gorgeous sea, a little breeze cooling us down, the simple excitement to be there, the drinks and most of all the good friends!

Older Posts

Gili Islands

Downtime on Koh Lipe

Sunrise Beach

Croatia: Island Hopping - Mljet

Croatia: Island Hopping – Korčula

Croatia: Island Hopping - Hvar

Santorini - Greece

Naxos - Greek Islands

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