Tag: islandlife

Mallorca Diaries; Port de Pollensa Eats

June 29, 2025

During our stay in Port de Pollensa at the start of June, as usual we scoped out and tried some of the best restaurants in the area. So I thought I’d share my top pick of the finest places to eat at in this picturesque town on the South coast of Mallorca.

My first recommendation is Stay Restaurant located on the jetty, providing sweeping views of the port from their large terrace seating area. The stunning setting, brilliant service and top quality food makes this place one of the highest rated spots in town.

We visited twice as we enjoyed it so much here, once for an early dinner and another day for lunch. They serve a more varied menu until 6pm which includes classics like Patatas Bravas, Calamari and Chicken Wings, as well as more international dishes like a Thai Curry and Currywurst.

The next must visit spot in Port de Pollensa is the famous Cappuccino Grande Cafe, an aesthetic restaurant and bar offering an elevated dining experience.

We chose to sit on the terrace amongst the gorgeous blooming flowers overlooking the port at sundown, but they also have seating out on a small jetty right on the water.

My Greek style salad was exquisite and my boyfriend enjoyed his delicious bowl of creamy bacon pasta.

I was inspired by the olives served so elegantly in a champagne coupe; I’ll definitely be doing that at home for a chic Friday arvo aperitif moment!

Another highly rated restaurant for the best local food in town is C’an Josep, located a little out of the main port meaning uninterrupted views of the coast.

We ate here for a big family meal of about twenty of us so they certainly had their work cutout, but everything was on point and the food was fantastic.

I had Padron Peppers to start followed by the Goats Cheese Salad which was divine. I also had a taste of my sister’s Seafood Paella which was delicious too.

For a more casual evening tapas dinner we went to Plaza Uno Restaurant just off the main square of the port.

We had the Chicken Wings to share as a starter, then to follow I had some tapas plates including a classic, hearty Ratatouille and the Goats Cheese, Serrano Ham, Honey and Rocket Bruschetta.

Ryan had the Penne Pasta Arrabiata and shared the bruschetta with me too, which we both agreed was the stand out dish of the evening.

So those are my top four picks for dining out in the area of Port de Pollensa. Of course there are plenty of local places which do great Spanish food too, but these are my recommendations for something that bit more special and elevated for when you want to treat yourselves on holiday ❤

Once Upon A Time In Bali

April 13, 2025

Our two months living in Canggu Bali was a real dream come true filled with wonderful experiences and beautiful memories shared together with my boyfriend.

From the comfort of our gorgeous villa Casa Cherish and lapping up all the delicious food at Canggu’s top foodie spots, to weekly surf sessions on Echo Beach and exploring the most breathtaking landscapes the island has to offer, every second of Bali was like a scene from a movie.

So here is the highlight reel of our eight weeks in paradise, a concise mashup of cinematic clips to summarise our truly awesome time living there – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YchfgNSISB8

Like the moon, let each phase of life teach you the beauty of change ❤

Farewell Bali; The Final Chapter

April 6, 2025

It was always going to be a tough farewell to our dream life in Bali after two months living in pure paradise. However the unexpected horror that unfolded in our final week when I was attacked and bitten by a pack of dogs, was something I never imagined might happen to us on our favourite beach in Canggu. One minute we were strolling by the shore at sunset, the next a huge pack of stray dogs were running and barking at us before proceeding to bite my legs. Thankfully I got away from a terrifying situation which could’ve got a lot worse, but I was left with very painful wounds and unable to walk properly for our final few days in Bali.

Nonetheless, I didn’t let that spoil the many wonderful memories we had already made and decided to embrace a more slow pace, relaxing final weekend soaking up stunning sunsets and savouring the most delicious food back at our favourite cafes, restaurants and beach clubs one final time. And whilst this wasn’t the fairytale ending to our perfect time living in Bali, I’m so grateful for my healthy body which has kept me strong, fought diseases and heeled my wounds like magic. Checkout the full vlog on my YouTube channel here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4DKxzlwZeY

I heal, I grow, I manifest, I flow ❤

Bali Diaries; Life Lately

February 24, 2025

And so we find ourselves commencing the final week of our time here in Canggu. I knew the few months we are here would fly by and it definitely has, but it also feels like we’ve been here forever and its become a place we call home.

We’ve certainly made the most of this adventure and experienced the very best that Bali has to offer.

From exciting day trips to see the most breathtaking natural beauty at Leke Leke Waterfall,

and trekking around the luscious green jungle at Teglalang Rice Terrace in Ubud,

to working from the many gorgeously aesthetic cafes,

serving the most delicious healthy vegan food,

and scooting down to watch sunset on the iconic Echo Beach.

I have an extensive list of our favourite cafes, restaurants, bars and beach clubs, so I’ll have to do a future blog post on my personal recommendations for if you’re visiting Canggu too.

But for now we have a whole week ahead of us to enjoy and soak up every moment of the blissful Bali life before we return to the UK via Singapore.

Do checkout my Bali Diaries vlogs over on my YouTube channel here – https://youtu.be/6ww63YMJVUw?si=1Yxp3Il7uj5Mq9bm

Let the final chapter of Canggu life 2025 unfold ❤

Bali Diaries; Surf Session Echo Beach

February 9, 2025

I’ve always loved surfing so living in here in Bali for a few months, my goal has been to get a session in every week. I would consider myself at intermediate level, so I’ve been going without an instructor which is more challenging particularly when it comes to getting past the break, but my skills are swiftly improving and I’ve had some great sessions.

I decided to kick the week off with an AM surf on Echo Beach last Monday and needless to say, it was the best way to start the week on a high. With the sun shining and the waves not too hectic, it was the perfect conditions for a chill morning surf.

A swimsuit on and hair pulled back into a ballet bun and I was ready to get out there. Getting past the break is always the hardest bit particularly with the big foam boards which are super heavy and almost twice the length of me!

I actually got out pretty quickly this time and caught some of my best waves yet. It can be exhausting just paddling to get out and battling with the tide, but it’s so worth it for those epic moments riding the waves.

My final wave was awesome and I stayed on it until I was almost on the beach, so I had to jump off before it got too shallow. It’s then equally challenging to get back onto the beach without being dragged under by the tide, so I had to rip off my leash and run up the beach to get out safely before letting my board wash up.

That post surf salty hair free feeling is the best.

Checkout the full edit of my surf session on my latest vlog here – https://youtu.be/M0LS_QLRNW4?si=UgXKwVvSnVcWdudK

Chapter 30; Bali Birthday Celebrations

January 27, 2025

26.01.25; celebrating my 30th year around the sun on the wonderful Island of Gods, Bali.

I might be entering my thirties but I really do feel like a twenty year old at heart still.

We kicked off celebrations on Friday evening with a stunning sunset at the iconic La Brisa on Echo Beach.

For dinner we went to another awesomely aesthetic spot in Canggu Penny Lane.

It was the Ubud health bowl for me and a hearty buttermilk chicken burger for my boyfriend.

On Saturday I treated myself to a blow dry at The Rustic Sun Canggu as it’s less than £15 pounds here in Bali!

That afternoon we went to a new beach club Luna and soaked up the scorching sunshine, whilst dipping in and out of pools and lounging in our private pod sipping cocktails.

For dinner I changed into my new Flook The Label beach dress, a birthday gift from my boyfriend which I chose last week in their boutique in Pererenan.

Luna beach club comes alive at night too with spectacular lights and even a fire show.

Sunday 26th January, my actual birthday, I awoke to the cutest surprise from my boyfriend.

He organised with the villa manager to decorate the pool with a happy birthday message, balloons and even a floating breakfast.

This was truly the best way to welcome in my 30th birthday.

After a very chilled day relaxing at the villa my the pool, we headed down to Batu Bolong Beach to catch sundown.

Our third magnificent sunset in a row and the perfect way to see out my big birthday weekend.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at The Lawn where I had my favourite classic Caesar salad with prawns.

The night finished at Deus Ex Machina Sunday sessions live music and 241 cocktails of course.

Mood for my thirties; Happy. Content. Staying in my own lane. Healing. Freeing. Flourishing. Growing. Glowing ❤

You can watch the full birthday weekend vlog over on my YouTube channel here – https://youtu.be/gQm6zSVOcfU?si=M3SjFdGB_rgJGqtc

Bali Diaries; We’re Living In Canggu!

January 19, 2025

Happy Sunday from beautiful Bali! We’ve been here in Canggu a week now and I still can’t believe we get to call this our home for the next two months!

We’re staying at the stunning Casa Cherish villas in central Canggu, only a 15 minute walk down to the beach.

With its Moroccan inspired interiors every corner of this two bed villa is so aesthetic, and the private plunge pool is a luxury to have in this 30 degree tropical heat.

We’re settling into Bali life nicely and fully embracing all of our favourite things about this wonderful island including:

the endless sunshine,

buzzing cafe culture,

delicious foodie scene,

active lifestyle,

beach sunsets,

morning surf sessions,

lucius green palms,

the freshest fruits,

friendly locals and doggies,

aesthetic interiors,

boutique shopping…the list goes on.

It’s only our first week on the island and we’ve already done so much, but when you’re living in such an exciting place surrounded by likeminded people, it’s hard not to be motivated to get out and seize every single day.

Two months sounds like a long time however I don’t doubt it will fly by and we won’t want to leave. So I intend to enjoy every second here in Bali by actually slowing down a little to focus on being fully present in the moment.

Alignment: you are in the right place at the right time ❤

Santorini Diaries; Fira

August 18, 2024

As the capital of Santorini, the historic town of Fira is the largest and most cosmopolitan settlement of the island. Located on the western coast it boasts stunning views of the Caldera and is another top spot for watching sunset.

We found the the walk from Imerovigli to Fira took about 30-35 minutes down the coastal path, the perfect pre dinner stroll during golden hour complete with sweeping views of the Caldera.

Whilst Oia is known to be the prettiest town on the island, I personally preferred Fira given it was far less busy, it’s equally as beautiful as Oia and as the most historic town it feels more authentic.

When it comes to dining, you’re spoilt for choice with restaurants and bars to choose from in Fira. Upon researching the best spots in Santorini for food, I booked the highly rated and popular restaurant called The Vine, located just above the main square of Fira overlooking the Caldera.

With our front row table during sunset, there was a minimum spend for our reservation making this our most expensive dinner of the trip.

However we made the most of it and stayed for about 2 hours to see through the entirety of sunset; date nights don’t get much better than that picturesque setting!

Cocktails are a must for date night too and they certainly didn’t disappoint. As always it was a Tommy’s Margarita for her and a Classic Mojito for him, but with a sweet strawberry twist.

We ordered sourdough bread and a classic Greek feta salad to start, then I had the most exquisite king prawns with veg to follow and my boyfriend had the sirloin steak cooked medium rare. To accompany our main courses we had truffle mash potato and honey glazed baby carrots.

Service was very good and whilst my boyfriend’s steak wasn’t the best cut, the food on the whole was delicious and wonderfully presented. I would recommend The Vine for couples seeking a special evening during their stay in Santorini.

A boat day during our time on the island was a must, so we booked a sunset cruise at one of the tourist offices in the centre of Fira for just 40 euros each.

To get to the port of Fira there is a cable car to take you down the steep cliff edge, a fun experience in itself. With our boat trip commencing at 3pm on the Sunday, we were greeted by our tour guide down at the port where we boarded this fantastic old pirate style ship.

First we sailed over to the famous Caldera which we climbed in the scorching heat. A sweaty yet awesome experience to be on the top of the active volcano!

Next we stopped to swim in the hot springs before heading over to the tiny island of Thirassia. This used to be part of Santorini before a volcanic erruption many hundreds of years ago separated the land.

The boat trip concluded with a sunset cruise around the port of Oia complete with a glass of wine. A truly magical way to end the day and see the sun go down at sea.

Being dropped back in the port of Fira at about 9pm, we decided to have dinner in town and stumbled across this lovely restaurant Pelican Kipos. With a large outdoor seating area full of greenery and fairy lights, it was the perfect chilled ambience for a Sunday night dinner.

I had the quinoa avocado blue cheese salad and my boyfriend had the spaghetti carbonara. The food was delicious, service very friendly and attentive, and the final bill of about 40 euros was surprisingly reasonable considering this was the centre of Fira.

Another restaurant we didn’t pre-book but came across on our final night stroll into town was Vanilia. Luckily we got seated at the very front of the terrace with uninterrupted views at golden hour, the perfect final dinner setting.

My order was the grilled squid served with a wonderful fresh salsa, whilst my boyfriend had a decadent four cheese pizza topped with parma ham and rocket leaves. We also shared a Greek feta salad as I couldn’t resist another one on our very last night in Greece.

The food came fairly quickly and was delicious, my whole squid was particularly divine. An unexpected 10/10 meal for our last night in Santorini complete with sunset views, but without the super expensive bill you might anticipate somewhere like this in Fira.

By day the capital is great for shopping and exploring the historic streets, whilst by night there is more of a vibrant scene with lots of restaurants and bars staying open late.

So that brings us to the end of my Santorini Diaries series and I hope you found my recommendations interesting and useful. There’s no questioning the idyllic beauty of this iconic island; it’s certainly won my heart and I can’t wait to go back again soon ❤

Santorini Diaries; Imerovigli

August 4, 2024

When looking into where was best to stay in Santorini, we settled on the smaller town of Imerovigli situated between the capital Fira and popular larger town of Oia. This turned out to be the best decision not only because it avoids the busy tourist hotspots, but this area has some of the most stunning, uninterrupted views off the beaten track at sunset.

On night one I booked a table at The Wine Bar in the centre of Imerovigli, to have drinks and dinner as we watched our first sundown over the Caldera.

Whilst this was on the pricier side of places we ate, the wine was divine and we enjoyed our selection of dishes including pitta bread, olives, pulled pork sliders and a Greek feta salad of course.

Just next door to the bar was a white rooftop, simply perfect for those gorgeous golden hour shots.

We spent our afternoons soaking up the scorching Greek sun on our private balcony with plunge pool at Cresanto Luxury Suites, just a 5 minute walk from the town of Imerovigli.

The hotel also had a main infinity pool with loungers where we could order cocktails poolside too.

Now these are the kind of Monday blues I’m talking about!

Our private balcony provided the ultimate spot for handstand practice and I would often do my workout routine in the mornings here, before jumping straight in the pool to cool off.

One of the most incredible locations for sunset away from the crowds was Skaros Rock on the cliffside of Imerovigli.

We hiked over to the other side of the rock where there is a deserted church with the most breathtaking sweeping views of the Caldera at sundown.

Unlike the tourist hotspots in Oia and Fira, we had the place all to ourselves making this a hidden gem for golden hour.

Strolling around the town, we finally found the famous spot overlooking those iconic blue top churches.

Once the sun went down each night, the moon came out to glow over the white wash buildings of Santorini.

One evening we decided to take a sunset stroll to this church on the hill which we could see from our hotel.

Walking along this coastal path on the outskirts of Imerovigli was so peaceful and once again, away from any crowds of tourists.

Along the way we stumbled across the super luxurious CavoTagoo hotel where there is currently a Roka Restaurant popup.

Here we stopped to enjoy sundown cocktails with yet more spectacular views of the Caldera and sun dipping below the horizon.

This was a more popular spot in Imerovigli, but we got a table and soaked up the sunset whilst sipping our delicious cocktails.

That evening we strolled into the centre of Imerovigli and ended up at a local restaurant called Mama Lena.

We had courgette fritters with tzatziki to start, followed by rice stuffed peppers for me and a vegetable tomato linguine for my boyfriend. A much more reasonably priced restaurant serving traditional Greek food.

The local kebab shop called Jimmy’s Souvlaki on the main street of Imerovigli, became my boyfriend’s favourite place to grab a classic Greek lunch of chicken gyros.

On reflection we would choose to stay in the town of Imerovigli again given there’s far less tourists, there’s plenty of 5* luxury hotels and suites to choose from, and there’s no denying the outstanding sweeping views of the iconic Caldera ❤

Santorini Diaries; You, Me & Santorini

July 28, 2024

Upon returning from our holiday to Santorini last week, I can definitely put it up there as one of the most beautiful, picture perfect places I’ve ever had the fortune to visit.

From the aesthetic white wash towns built into the cliffs of the volcanic rock overlooking the caldera, to the stunning sunsets every evening showering the island in golden orange hues, I can see why Santorini is a world famous destination for couples in search of a romantic vacation.

During our week we explored most of the island including the capital Fira and the Instagram famous Oia. We even did a sunset boat cruise and had plenty of time for relaxing at our hotel by the pool too, so a week away turned out to be just right.

We stayed at Cresanto Luxury Suites in the town of Imerovigli situated between Fira and Oia. Whilst this is a newly opened hotel which is still finding its feet in terms of delivering a 5* service, it was a great location and our spacious room with the private balcony and plunge pool with sea view was fantastic.

Dinners and drinks out were fairly expensive which we expected, however my boyfriend’s favourite gyros spot Jimmy’s Souvlaki was less than 10 euros for a meal and drink. When in Greece it’s local gyros for lunch most days!

We enjoyed lots of delicious meals together including wonderful fresh seafood, my favourite Greek feta salad on repeat of course, and even some great Italian cuisine too.

Over the next few posts I will look back on each area of the island we explored and share my top tips along with my food and drink recommendations.

Having been to Santorini before, my boyfriend already knew of some hidden gems for sunset which avoid the crowds and provide uninterrupted, panoramic views at golden hour.

So stay posted for all the picturesque Santorini content to come as I relive our incredible week on this breathtaking Greek island of love ❤