I didn’t expect Roosevelt Island to become one of my favorite New York memories, but that’s exactly what happened the evening we headed up to Panorama Room for sundown drinks.
Perched on the rooftop of the Graduate Hotel, it felt like the entire city was laid out just for us.
As the sun dipped lower, the skyline slowly shifted into that dreamy, golden haze that New York does so wonderfully.
From the balcony we could see from Billionaires’ Row stretching sleek and tall, the Empire State glowing a vivid purple at sundown, and all the way downtown to the Financial District where the World Trade Center rose confidently in the distance.
I ordered a margarita which was deliciously bright and zesty, the perfect match for a warm fall evening in NYC.
We paired our drinks with fries expecting a small snack… but in true American fashion, the portion was absolutely massive!
Once the sun finally slipped below the horizon and Manhattan began to sparkle, we wrapped up our rooftop moment and made our way to one of the most underrated experiences in the city; the Roosevelt Island Tramway.
For just $2.90, we floated high above the Hudson River towards the bright lights of Manhattan at dusk.
The city looked magical from up there and it was awesome to see so far down the blocks lit up at night as the tram lowered through the streets of Manhattan.
If you’re ever in New York, I can’t recommend this little adventure enough. A breathtaking sunset on Roosevelt Island, a cocktail in hand, and a picturesque tram ride back under the night sky.
It felt like we had discovered a hidden gem just out of the city complete with unforgettable views of Manhattan from a whole new angle ❤
With the weather in the UK looking absolutely glorious this weekend, we decided to go on a mini staycation down to the iconic surfer town of Newquay in Cornwall. Leaving on Friday morning from Hampshire, the journey took just over 4 hours and we arrived to checkin at The Headland Hotel by 2pm.
We spent our afternoon at the newly renovated Aqua Club spa with lots of indoor and outdoor pools overlooking the deep blue ocean sparkling in the sunshine.
It was a perfect Friday arvo enjoying the spa pools, sunbathing whilst reading my book and indulging in a glass of bubbly paired with some olives of course, my absolute bliss.
After a freshen up and change for the evening, we went for a stroll along Fistral Beach and had sundowner drinks at Boardmasters Bar.
It was just a 15 minute walk from our hotel into the centre of town where we had dinner at a bistro on the front called Saltsheds.
I had a twist on a traditional Greek salad whilst my boyfriend had a chicken bacon burger with chips which we said was really good. Classic food done well with a nice coastal view, you can’t go wrong with that.
Later that evening there was the most incredible sunset which we got back to the headland just in time to see the final few minutes before the sun dipped below the horizon.
Nothing beats the natural beauty and romance of a breathtaking sunset.
Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel, we went down to Fistral Beach where I rented a board to do some surfing.
Obviously it was very different to surfing in Bali and unfortunately the waves were fairly flat this day, so I only caught a few small ones and then called it a day. Not to mention the water was freezing even with a wetsuit on!
I’m glad I gave it a good go though as Newquay was where I first learnt to surf at the age of 8, so it was a nostalgic moment coming back over 22 years later. We even tried to recreate this photo my mum took of me on a film camera all those years ago, but I’m not sure it has the same effect taken with a modern iPhone.
That afternoon we went to the Newquay Food Festival which happened to be taking place this weekend in the middle of town on Killacourt overlooking the cove.
My boyfriend enjoyed his favourite Greek chicken Souvlaki wrap, whilst I couldn’t resist the fabulous looking spicy Bloody Mary cocktail with all the accompaniments.
I also caught up with an old friend who moved down to Newquay years ago and it was a joy to see her thriving in her new home.
Saturday evening we had 8pm dinner reservations at Dune Restaurant within the Fistral Beach Hotel, so we had a gorgeous sunset stroll along the top of Fistral Beach over to our dinner spot.
We were spoilt with another picturesque golden hour with sweeping views of Fistral as surfers continued to catch waves until dusk.
Our experience at Dune Restaurant was very positive as we savoured a delicious dinner complete with sundown views and wonderful service from our friendly waiter.
We shared the padron peppers and a bread board to start, followed by the chicken dish for my boyfriend and the roasted Monkfish for me.
The flavours of the smoked tomato lentil dahl, coriander yoghurt and carrot purée to accompany the Monkfish were divine, and the fennel bhaji added a lovely crunch to the dish.
A post dinner walk back along the beach at dusk with those pastel peachy pink skies, was the most beautiful way to end our evening.
So that was our very short but sweet stay in Newquay this weekend and although we are not usually ones for a UK staycation, the weather in particular made it almost feel like we were abroad.
Happy Sunday! We’re winding down after another awesome week here in Bali, so I thought I’d share some highlights of our trip to the island of Nusa Penida yesterday. I booked the trip with a local via Instagram and the total cost was 950k IDR per person, which is just under £50. Comparing this to prices online it seemed the best deal which is usually the case if you book through the locals.
Our day started bright and early with pickup from our villa at 6am to get to the port where the boat was departing at 7am. It took about 45 minutes to get over to the island of Penida where our driver for the day was ready to greet us.
First stop was Diamond Beach, an absolute paradise on earth with the white sand beach and crystal clear turquoise water. We trekked down the precarious stairs to walk along the beach, but you are not allowed to swim as the tide is too dangerous.
Salty toes and that warm ocean breeze was heavenly.
Next stop was the Thousand Island viewpoint where there is the famous instagram spot Tree House Molenteng. Unfortunately they make you pay for a photo here and there was a very long wait, so with the peak midday humidity we decided to pass on this.
It was then a long hour and a half car journey through the jungle roads to Kelingking Beach.
Another jaw dropping view out over the cliffs where many tourists come to get that iconic Instagram snap.
The tropical rain had started at this point so we didn’t walk very far down, but the view from the top overlooking Kelingking cliff faces was magnificent.
1:30pm and it was time for a well deserved lunch at a local Warung, also included in the cost of our trip. I had a fresh garden salad with a coffee and my boyfriend had a tasty sweet and sour chicken dish with rice.
With a long journey back to Bali mainland ahead of us, we caught the fast boat back from the island at 3pm and were driven home to our villa again. Bali traffic, particularly in Canggu gets hectic at rush hour, so it was 5:30pm by the time we arrived back at Casa Cherish.
A long day of travelling and hiking, but very much worth it to have seen these iconic natural wonders of Bali.
Diamond Beach was the highlight for me; it’s pure paradise which got me in a tropical state of mind ❤
Dani Aneka 