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thebarefootangel May 11, 2018

The Elephant in the Room – Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary

So, I guess I need to start of by addressing the elephant in the room… I am painfully aware that I haven’t blogged for 249 days… To anyone that is new here (welcome!), when I left off on September 4th I was bracing myself for Hurricane Irma and naively assuming that nothing too bad would happen. Needless to say that wasn’t quite the case.

Unfortunately, I still find it very hard to read or watch anything hurricane-related, and the idea of writing about it has been a source of a lot of anxiety for me. Maybe one day there will be a hurricane post, but it certainly won’t be today. I’m sorry. Anyway… enough of the metaphorical elephant, can we talk about literal elephants now??

We recently got back from the most wonderful Asian adventures (more on these to come!), comprising four countries, six cities and a good few bucket-list items checked. One of the ones I had most been looking forward to was visiting the elephants in Thailand! And it certainly did not disappoint…

Chiang Mai was the last city on our itinerary, and I had patiently been waiting for our elephant encounter. I knew that I wanted to find an ethical elephant sanctuary, with no riding, tying up or stress for the elephants and fortunately Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary delivered the exact elephant experience we were looking for.

Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary is about an hour’s drive North of Chiang Mai. We were met by our friendly guide bright and early at our hotel and we hit the road, stopping along the way to gather up the rest of our group. (Lanna Kingdom restrict their groups to less than 15 people so that the elephants don’t get overwhelmed and so that each visitor can get some time getting to know the elephants.)

We arrived to Lanna Kingdom and quickly changed into the more elephant suitable attire that they provide (you’re going to get wet and muddy, in the best way possible, so keep that in mind!) all the while marveling at the five magnificent creatures just strolling around.

Each of the elephants has their own mahout and you are introduced to the elephants with them. We had arrived just in time for breakfast so first on the agenda was handing them their corn and bananas. We also received a quick but informative briefing about the sanctuary and the elephants themselves, a little about their background and characters. All of their elephants have been purchased from logging camps, riding camps or circuses and many of them still bear the scars and the branding from their previous homes. It is fantastic to know that they can live out the rest of their days safely at Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary. They all have big personalities (excuse the pun) but none more so than the baby of the bunch, little Lanna, sooooo mischievous – you couldn’t help but feel for her mahout as she lead him on a merry dance around the property, charging around and generally misbehaving as only a little elephant can.

After feeding the elephants (a bizarre experience that I can only liken to trying to post food into the nozzle of a very wet vacuum cleaner) their bananas (be sure to remember to say ‘di di’ (good girl) when she takes one). We then headed down to the river to start bathing the elephants. The schedule at Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary is pretty fluid, the same items need to get done every day, but they are somewhat lead by the elephants and what they’re in the mood for.

We also helped out making the elephant ‘medicine balls’ – just three ingredients, these are needed to keep our favourite pachyderms ‘regular’. Banana is muddled with sugarcane and sour tamarind in a large pestle and mortar before being scooped out and fed to them. The sweetness of the sugarcane and their favourite bananas help to make the sour tamarind (the key ingredient) more palatable.

Lastly it was mud spa time, definitely the messiest but probably the most fun, the elephants head to the water hole so that you can rub the mud into their skin, which is necessary to keep their skin healthy.

There’s always time for a water fight too…

Before heading back into the city there is just enough time for lunch! Delicious vegetarian pad Thai and slices of fresh watermelon we’re waiting for us. All the tasty food smells proved a bit too much of a temptation for baby Lanna and she squeezed herself into the enclosure in order to try and steal some watermelon.

We opted for the half day tour and we found that was the perfect amount of time with the elephants and still allowed us time to explore Chiang Mai. The cost of our tour was B2,500. More about the tour options available can be found on their website here.

(If you’re not already following me on Instagram, why not? Find lots of our Asian travels there)

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thebarefootangel August 21, 2017

River Exe Cafe, Exmouth

A couple of years ago my sister introduced our family to the River Exe Cafe (she has always been our guru when it comes to where to go and what to do in Devon) and since then it has become a firm family favourite, our go-to for lunches when we’re reunited and celebrations in the summertime.

Just a short ferry ride from Exmouth Marina and sitting out on a barge in the middle of the Exe Estuary, the River Exe Cafe is the perfect place for a sunny, seafood lunch with indoor and outdoor seating available on this custom-built floating restaurant. Just be sure to make your reservation in advance as it is often booked-up weeks in advance, especially in July and August.

Reservations are made via their website through Open Table where you are able to book your table and your water taxi at the same time. The water taxis take 12 passengers at a time and you have 2 hrs from the time you arrive at the restaurant before they will arrive to take you back. The Puffin water taxis cost £5 per person return, payable directly to the boatman.

Anyway, that’s quite enough about the logistics, you want to hear about the food – right?! You won’t be disappointed!

The River Exe Cafe is known for fine British dining and their fresh local seafood (you come past the mussel boat that supplies their mussels on your way out on the Puffin boat, so it doesn’t get more local than that).

We were thrilled to wake up the morning of our lunch to find that the sun was shining and it was the perfect weather for our day out on the water. When you are making your reservation weeks or months in advance the weather on the day is a bit of a lottery during our fine British summer. Our reservation was for 2 pm so we were to meet our ferry captain at the harbour at 1:45 pm. We had a few minutes spare to stroll down to the harbour enjoying the sights, the boats, the brightly coloured houses. We made our way down to the Visitors Pontoon where you meet your boatman – he checked our names off his list and then we were on our way!

You head out onto the estuary against the tide, so your ferry journey on the way out to the restaurant is approximately 15-20 minutes. Plenty of time to review the menus and make your food choices, tummies starting to rumble in anticipation of the delicious food that awaits.

Our table of 5 wanted to try as many different dishes as possible and decided that three courses would almost certainly be necessary (we are predictable little piglets) – clam chowder, fried baby squid, moules, fish and chips, scallops, mackerel rillettes and monkfish were all on our list – a seafood feast!

I started off with the Lyme Bay scallops, baked in coral butter and white port, topped with a crunchy Parmesan crumble. Three fat and juicy scallops, perfectly cooked and served in their own shells on a little bed of salty samphire.

My dad enjoyed the clam chowder, which contained a touch of curry for a tasty but untraditional flair, beautifully finished with a generous garnish of fresh dill.

The mackerel rillettes and goats cheese mousse starters on the specials menu were declared delicious and were creatively presented too.

For my main course I just had to go for the Exmouth mussels served in the classic Marinière style. I opted for the starter-sized portion as the servings are generous and I had a hankering for a side of the crispy truffle and Parmesan fries to dunk in the creamy, white wine sauce. My sister, on the other hand, swears by the Devon cider and smoked bacon sauce for her mussels. With six different flavour mussel options to choose from, I look forward to trying other combinations on future visits.

The monkfish special came with crispy duck, lentil and parsnip salsa, piles of samphire and a curry sauce, with the meaty fish soaking up all the flavours.

Crispy beer-battered fish served with chunky chips and mushy peas.

Not pictured were our desserts of apple tarte tatin with toffee sauce and individual pots of Dunstaple Farm ice creams.

With a food menu prominently featuring local produce and seafood, the wine list and drinks menu more than matches up with local beers and ciders, Devon craft lagers and even Pebblebed wines from nearby Topsham.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and look forward to more next summer! You’ve still got a few more weeks to get down there and try it out for yourselves. What are you waiting for?

You can follow along on my UK adventures on Instagram, here, as we’re off up to North West Wales for more British beach adventures in Abersoch.

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thebarefootangel February 22, 2017

A Review of the NU Hotel, Brooklyn

Last Wednesday I shared with you my review of the hotel that I found for us to stay in Manhattan in this post, so I needed to follow-up with the details for the lovely hotel where we stayed in Brooklyn, the NU Hotel.

The first thing that I noticed when we checked into the NU were the pet water bowls and the dog treats on the reception desk – yes, the NU hotel is pet-friendly!! Sadly our pups had to stay at home for this trip, but it’s always worth noting when you do find somewhere that they could come to.

The second thing I noticed was the smell of freshly baked cookies. The NU bakes them in house daily and if you’re there at around midday the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies pervades the lobby area – delicious!!

Our friendly check-in staff welcomed us and gave us all the details for breakfast, the gym and the bar. The NU serves a complimentary continental breakfast daily in the lobby which we really appreciated – a great selection bagels and all the condiments, mini muffins, yogurts, fruit, cereal and hard-boiled eggs with fresh tea and coffee. The bar is open in the afternoons/evenings Tuesday through Saturday.

Our room was lovely, a good size with wooden floorboards and a modern, minimalist style with interesting artwork (kinda sad that we didn’t know about the rooms with the hammocks (!) but next time we know what to ask for). The bathroom is large, bright and white, with gorgeous L’Occitane toiletries (my favourite!)

The NU hotel was perfectly located in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, just off Atlantic Avenue and within walking distance of the Barclays Center, where we were watching the fight (UFC 208), and a host of great bars and restaurants – I took it upon myself to check out Don Chingon (for fabulous guacamole and Paloma cocktails) and Broccolino (for delicious freshly made pasta and wine on tap). On Sunday morning we ambled a few blocks up Atlantic to meet friends for brunch at Colonie for superb Shrimp n’ Grits (get there for when it opens at 11:00 am, or just before, there are no reservations taken and it is popular!)

There was so much more that we wanted to explore in Brooklyn, but unfortunately the weather just wasn’t playing ball making it difficult to get around on foot – so we’ll just have to come back! 😉

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Photo Credit: All hotel photos are hotel’s own.

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thebarefootangel February 15, 2017

A Review of the Arlo Nomad Hotel

So, we just returned from NYC on Monday – but already I need to share the details of the fabulous hotels that I tracked down for our stay. I mean, I am seriously good at finding the best boutique hotels on my pretty limited budget (and modest to boot…)

I will be working on a little beginners guide to NYC coming up, but firstly let me tell you all about the Arlo Nomad.

This was my view from our bed…

We spent our first two nights at the Arlo Nomad in Midtown and we absolutely loved it! The hotel is brand new, only 2 months old and everything is still very fresh. The staff were warm, helpful and keen for feedback. They also welcomed us with vouchers for free pizza slices at check-in from the in-house pantry Bodega which was very much appreciated!

Hit up Bodega for tasty breakfast options, coffee, interesting snacks and late night pizza.

The rooms are small – 151 sq ft, to be exact (pretty normal for Manhattan) but they have used the space well and not compromised on comfort. Spotlessly clean with comfy bedding and crisp linens but the real highlight has to be the view – we booked one of their sky rooms which basically meant that two of our walls were floor to ceiling glass with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline, such an amazing feature.

Bathroom was a good size with sliding frosted glass doors and a large rainfall shower-head. Room amenities included lovely signature lemongrass Blind Barber Arlo toiletries, a fridge and a hairdryer – the clothes steamer was a nice touch.

Outside of your room the Arlo has plenty of great communal spaces to relax and enjoy including a library/studio, a cozy bar and lounge (BARlo) and their restaurant, Massoni (known for great pizza with inventive toppings – try the mushroom pizza with French onion mascarpone and smoked mozzarella). Sadly their rooftop bar ‘The Heights’ was closed during our stay due to the heavy snowfall, but that’s just an excuse to go back and visit another time…

Bodega is also an excellent spot in the lobby open 24 hrs and serving coffee and a selection of deliciously curated snacks. I highly recommend their ‘toasts’ for breakfast – we tried the scrambled egg, cheddar and bacon toast and the fig, ricotta, prosciutto and almond toast.

Yummy toasts!

Should you feel the urge to venture outside – and it was certainly tempting to just stay within the cozy confines of the Arlo Nomad with the below freezing temperatures in NYC – you’ll find yourself in the heart of Koreatown with a host of excellent restaurants on your doorstep. We stumbled into Her Name Is Han right next door for tasty dumplings and Soju cocktails.

For a great breakfast nearby consider wandering over to Penelope on 30th and Lex – a small and bustling cottage-style cafe with generous portions and all the brunch favourites.

I really couldn’t fault our stay at the Arlo Nomad and look forward to going back one day and exploring NYC some more!

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thebarefootangel February 8, 2017

Travel Carry-on Essentials and Top Travel Tips

In planning my upcoming trip to NYC with the husband, I have been excitedly making my packing list and prepping everything that I’ll be taking with me (including a lot of cold weather kit!) Since your comfort on a flight is almost entirely down to what you put in your carry-on, I thought I would put together a post for you detailing my hand luggage essentials –

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Extendable Weekender Bag | Extendable Duffel Bag | Clear Clutch Bag | Eye Masks | Dry Oil | Facial Spritz | Water Bottle | Kind Bars | Perfect Bars | Nikon J1 Camera | Tech Travel Wallet | Portable Charger | Headphones | Kindle | Passport Cover | Trainers | Cardigan | Blanket Scarf | Silk Mask

:: My roomy carry-on tote by Stella & Dot:

For a weekend or short trip away I prefer to use a tote or duffel carry-on and then use my small hard case as checked luggage, if I need to (ideally I like to take both as hand luggage – see more about how I travel everywhere with carry-on here). My Getaway bag from Stella & Dot is ideal with the zip around extendable section, for when I shop a little more than I intended. It has comfortable tote straps and a detachable shoulder strap so it’s easy to carry or hook over my wheelie luggage for hands-free convenience. I have it in Red Ikat and Indigo Ikat (neither of which are currently available, but it comes in a host of different prints.) I also love this one, because: palms…

:: My Satechi rose gold wireless (or wired) headphones:

It can’t only be me that finds earbud headphones (especially the cheap ones distributed on airlines) incredibly uncomfortable after only a few minutes… (are my ears the wrong shape??) Anyway, bringing my own headphones allows me to listen to music, podcasts or the in-flight entertainment in peaceful (and, more importantly, stylish) comfort.

:: My Nuxe dry oil:

Airplane travel is a nightmare for your skin and the air-conditioning is incredibly drying. I like to remove my make-up (especially flying long-haul, since I’ll likely want to sleep) once I’m comfortably seated and smooth on a few drops of my Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, made up of six plant oils, which helps keep my skin hydrated (also great for your hands). Then I just apply a light make-up look (read: tinted sunscreen and a slick of mascara) right before we land.

:: My Face Spritz:

Along the same vein as the face oil – I really love a refreshing facial mist or spritz when I am traveling long-haul as I find that it can do wonders to wake up my tired and parched skin after a few hours in the air-conditioning. I have been loving the aloe, cucumber and green tea spritz by Mario Badescu and I finally tracked down a travel size!

:: My Sleep mask

Lights on, lights off, reading lights – there’s all sorts going on during a night flight. Help block out some of that irritating light pollution with this light-weight and comfortable silk sleeping mask – which comes with a bonus set of ear plugs. I also thought of slipping a couple of these on under my silk mask – no one would need to know!

:: My Vinyl zippered make-up case:

Is it as chic as my usual leather make-up case? No, but every now and then practicality must win out. By packing my make-up in here I’m not left fumbling for a ziplock bag at security for my liquids. I also love these chic clear clutches and want to collect the whole set.

:: My Tech/Travel organizer from MarkandGraham.com:

I like to be organized when I travel and for everything to have a place. This gorgeous (monogrammed) leather wallet keeps all my essentials close to hand, passport, pen (for those pesky customs forms), boarding pass, foreign currency or emergency cash, hotel confirmation, itinerary, portable charger (more on that later), USB charging cables and even my kindle – speaking of…

:: My Kindle:

I love a proper book (you remember, those ones made of paper) as much as the next girl. I love the smell of the print and those delightfully smooth pages, full of promise, just waiting to be read. But not when I travel. They’re too heavy and I have to resist the lure of the airport stores brimming with best sellers. Instead I stock up my Kindle with new titles in the days before I travel and then I have a plethora of reading options at my fingertips all weighing only 7.2 oz.

(I might make an exception for a couple of magazines – especially a travel magazine to help get me excited for the adventure ahead)

:: My Camera:

Not because I think I’ll find anything massively inspiring on the plane to shoot, but because I ain’t leaving that shiz in my checked luggage… sorry people, but keep your valuables where you can see them! Latest model here.

:: My Blanket Scarf:

Flights can get chilly, I like to snuggle and it’s especially comforting when it’s your cozy scarf and not a synthetic, questionably clean, airline blanket. Pack a nice, big blanket scarf and spritz it quickly with your favourite perfume at duty-free so that it smells like home – then snuggle up and enjoy the in-flight movies. An open-front soft cardigan is also great to layer up and wrap yourself in.

Bonus – you can also fold it up and use it as a pillow.

:: My Emergency Change of Clothes:

Travelling to and from the Caribbean is a nightmare when it comes to lost luggage (Luggage in Another Terminal is a well-used synonym for our local airline LIAT) and, as such, it is essential that you pack at least one light change of clothes and some spare underwear in your carry-on (consider a bikini too if traveling to a hot destination). Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

:: My Prescription meds:

Following on from the point above, please remember to take any prescription medications in your carry-on, in case your luggage is lost. Add an Emergency-C sachet to help fend off the plane germs and some headache tablets to ensure comfortable travel. A couple of sleep gels would also be a great addition, if that’s your thing. (I’ve never needed them but have some friends that swear by them for long-haul travel).

Note: Do not forget to check the regulations for prescription medication and over-the-counter medication in the country you are traveling to, before traveling internationally. Be sure to take the prescription details with you and carry the medication in their original clearly marked containers. Make sure the name on the prescription, the medicine container and your passport all match.

:: My Portable Charger:

There’s few things worse than running out of battery with several hours of travel still ahead of you. Trying to get a seat next to the charging stations at the gate is a challenge and then you’re stuck there, camping out, defending your spot and keeping an eye on your valuables. Instead, I invested in a large portable charger. Day-to-day I use it on the ferry and when you have to travel further afield it’s a lifesaver. Mine is a 6000mAh charger (I have it in white and rose gold) and I can get two or three full charges out of it (iPhone and/or Kindle) before I need to power up. There are definitely more powerful chargers on the market – but they can get heavy. I prefer having a lighter charger and it does the job.

:: My Water Bottle:

I bought this one for myself at Christmas and I love it. Keeps my tea hot or my water cold. Especially useful when traveling, I take it through security empty and then fill up at a water station the other side.

:: My Snacks:

I like to pack some nuts and cereal bars in my carry-on to help stop me making nutritiously poor (and overpriced) panicked food decisions at the airport when hanger (it’s a real-life, actual thing – just ask my long-suffering husband!) strikes. My favourites are Kind Bars and Perfect Bars – since they both have just the right amount of chocolate.

Top Travel Tips:

Make a list – being super prepared before you go will help ensure that you don’t overpack, and at the same time reduce the risk of you forgetting something essential.
Consider using gallon zip lock bags or packing cubes when packing your smaller/lighter items of clothing (cami tops, skirts, shirts, gym clothes) roll tightly and then put them into the ziplock bag (you can usually fit around 5 items per bag) squeeze the air out before sealing the bag and it compresses everything down. (This tip enabled me to take only hand luggage on my 3-week honeymoon)
Wear layers – oftentimes when I travel I’ll be going from hot to cold climates and vice versa – I like to plan my travel outfit with lots of layers so that I can build up and strip down accordingly. (This also helps on the plane where the temps can fluctuate)
Wear your bulkiest clothing on the flight to save space in your luggage – comfy shoes or trainers are also a must!
Inform your bank and credit card company before you travel (and take an emergency stash of cash just in case) – even if you don’t ~~remember~~ have time to stop into your branch before you travel, almost all cards will have a number you can call on the back of the card. Give them the details of your travel and avoid your card getting declined at an inopportune moment.
Carry photocopies of important documents – always ensure that you have a photocopy of the picture page of your passport, any visas and your health insurance. (Which brings me neatly to…)
Always have travel insurance – a medical emergency while traveling will already cause all sorts of stress and hassle, don’t add crippling financial debt into the equation. As expats we have always used World Nomads.

Any top travel tips for me before we go? We leave tomorrow, I’m so excited!! Expect some NYC blog posts on my return…

The Elephant in the Room – Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary

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River Exe Cafe, Exmouth

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A Review of the NU Hotel, Brooklyn

Photo Credit: All hotel photos are hotel’s own.

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A Review of the Arlo Nomad Hotel

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Travel Carry-on Essentials and Top Travel Tips

Shop this Post

Extendable Weekender Bag | Extendable Duffel Bag | Clear Clutch Bag | Eye Masks | Dry Oil | Facial Spritz | Water Bottle | Kind Bars | Perfect Bars | Nikon J1 Camera | Tech Travel Wallet | Portable Charger | Headphones | Kindle | Passport Cover | Trainers | Cardigan | Blanket Scarf | Silk Mask

:: My roomy carry-on tote by Stella & Dot:

:: My Satechi rose gold wireless (or wired) headphones:

:: My Nuxe dry oil:

:: My Face Spritz:

:: My Sleep mask

:: My Vinyl zippered make-up case:

:: My Tech/Travel organizer from MarkandGraham.com:

:: My Kindle:

:: My Camera:

:: My Blanket Scarf:

:: My Emergency Change of Clothes:

:: My Prescription meds:

:: My Portable Charger:

:: My Water Bottle:

:: My Snacks:

Top Travel Tips:

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