Tag: ocean

Tulum Travel Diaries; Salty Hair, Sandy Toes

March 14, 2026

Our final full day in Tulum greeted us with the kind of sunshine that instantly lifts your mood.

Determined to savour every last moment, we set off for a long, leisurely stroll along the beachfront, the soft white sand beneath our feet and the Caribbean glowing in its endless shades of turquoise.

I had been hoping to spend some time at Hotel Panorama, a spot I’d had my eye on all trip, but when we arrived we discovered it was closed to the public for a wedding celebration. In Tulum though, a closed door is never the end of the story as the beach is dotted with beautiful hotels and beach clubs, each with their own dreamy atmosphere.

Not far along the sand we discovered a newly opened hotel called Azucar with brand new white daybeds lined with perfect palms and the chilled vibe we were looking for.

We settled onto a daybed right on the beach facing the endless stretch of powdery sand and that dazzling turquoise sea. The setting felt effortlessly chic; relaxed, sun-drenched, and exactly the kind of place where time seems to slow down.

I decided to mix and match my beach look pairing my Bond-Eye pink swim bottoms with a simple white balcony style bikini top.

A big floppy hat shaded me from the midday sun while adding a little drama to the look and my new Miu Miu sunglasses were the perfect finishing touch.

Of course no beach club outfit is complete without a little playful holiday jewellery, the kind that sparkles even brighter under tropical sunshine.

To cool down, I ordered an iced long black coffee while my boyfriend opted for a refreshing pineapple juice. With the sun high in the sky and the gentle soundtrack of waves rolling onto the shore, it was simply idyllic scenes.

With lunchtime soon upon us, we ordered a few dishes to share: a chicken salad, a beef taco, and of course a big bowl of fresh guacamole served with classic tortillas for scooping.

The chicken salad was a standout featuring a crisp romaine lettuce heart lightly charred on the grill, topped with sweet mango salsa and a scattering of seeds that added a satisfying crunch. Fresh, vibrant and full of flavour, it tasted exactly how a beachside lunch should.

Afterwards we stretched out on the daybed for a while letting the food settle while reading, chatting and soaking up the warmth of the glorious afternoon Mexican sun.

Soon enough we wandered down to the shoreline and slipped into the sea, the cool water a welcome contrast to the heat of the sand.

With the sun beating down and the lively buzz of people enjoying their afternoon along the beach, it felt like the most perfect closing chapter to our time in Tulum.

A final swim, a final stretch of sand between our toes, and one last afternoon soaking up the magic of this beautiful place; absolute bliss ❤

Tulum Travel Diaries;  My 31st Birthday Celebrations

March 1, 2026

Being a January baby, escaping the UK winter in search of warmer climates is always the best way to spend my birthday. So for our winter dose of sun at the start of this year, we jetted off to Mexico and enjoyed two glorious weeks in the coastal town of Tulum.

My birthday on the 26th January was about halfway through our holiday, and it was the most perfect sunny day in Mexico which started with some chilled time on the beach.

I had a fresh coconut to enjoy as I read my book, before dipping our feet in the ocean.

My birthday bikini of choice was this cute butter yellow number with ruffle details.

These butter yellow ruffle hot-pants were the ideal finishing touch to my beachside look.

After a few hours relaxing in our cabana, we walked down the beach to have a couples massage.

With the sound of the ocean waves and palms rustling in the light breeze, it was the most dreamy location to indulge in a massage together.

We then walked along the beach road to find the famous Escultura Ven a la Luz.

This iconic work of art by Daniel Popper is a 10 meter tall sculpture made with steel, wood, rope and greenery.

Ven a la Luz  meaning ‘Come to the Light‘, represents the harmony between people and nature and is one of the most instagrammable spots in Mexico.

An afternoon pickup was in need, so we popped into Starbucks for iced coffees and some fruit to snack on.

It was then time for a spot of shopping in the many boho-chic boutiques which line the beach road in Tulum.

I treated myself to a stunning handmade top with flared sleeves and tassels from this shop called Las Lulas.

At £80 it wasn’t cheap, but I just loved the hippy-chic vibe of this piece and the level of detail is exquisite.

Casa Pink Revolver was another lovely boutique selling gorgeous gold jewellery, so I purchased this chunky statement gold ring to add to my collection.

I was yet to choose a gift for my boyfriend to get for me, so with a Sunglasses Hut just down the street, I couldn’t resist the Miu Miu classic round shape sunnies which have been on my wish list for so long.

Not a huge amount of gifts, but each very high quality pieces which I will get a lot of wear out of both on holidays and back home.

Soon the early evening crept up on us and I was hoping for another sunset moment on the rooftop of our hotel, but a huge storm came in bringing buckets of rainfall with it, so we headed back to our room to get ready for the evening.

My birthday dinner fit was this incredible Flook The Label chocolate brown maxi beach dress that my boyfriend bought me for my 30th birthday last year in Bali.

This dress is such a flattering cut and the perfect vibe for a special evening out on holiday.

To complete the look I wore my By Alona pearl necklace, Heaven Mayhem statement gold earrings, my gold swirl bangle, ruffle mule heels from Sol Concept, and my little Bottega dupe handbag from Topshop.

Beachy, sexy and a touch of glam with the pearls, I truly felt like the birthday girl in this outfit.

My restaurant of choice for birthday dinner celebrations was Ilios Greek in the centre of the Tulum beach road.

We’d visited this place earlier in our trip and it was such a fun party vibe with delicious Greek food, we had to come back for my birthday.

In traditional Greek style we did the plate smashing which was super fun.

Then they gave everyone sparklers and we all danced on our chairs!

I ordered my all time favourite, a Greek feta salad which was simply divine.

We also shared the flatbread with hummus, a hearty moussaka, and a fresh green avocado salad.

I had such a fun evening celebrating my birthday and was even surprised with a cupcake and candle from my boyfriend back at our hotel to finish the night.

Another wonderful birthday spent in paradise with the sand between my toes, sunshine on my skin and a big smile on my face; hello chapter 31 ❤

Bali Diaries; Nusa Penida Island

February 2, 2025

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 ❤

Turkish Tales; Balmy Nights

June 26, 2023

Whilst Balmy Beach Resort is a tropical paradise by day, it also comes alive at night with live music every evening and cocktails served until the early hours.

I love getting dressed up for evening dinners on holiday and having fun with cute outfits I wouldn’t get a chance to wear out at home.

With our first proper evening at the resort being a Friday night, weekend vibes were in the air from noon and by dusk the live DJ was getting the atmosphere buzzing at the beach bar.

I wore this Stradivarius skort paired with my favourite floral wrap frill blouse, these ASOS woven sliders and my new Dune white crochet handbag with gold chain which I brought in duty free at the airport.

When we were at the airport on our journey over to Turkey, I also decided to really splash out and treat myself to these magnificent MuiMui sunglasses.

I wanted to debut them for our special romantic dinner for two on Saturday evening at the Balmy a la carte restaurant.

First up though, it was sundowners at the beach bar where I enjoyed a glass of bubbly in this beautiful champagne flute looking so elegant next to by cute new bag.

Having got a golden glow from the first few days of sun, I decided to wear this white body con middy dress I got in Australia years ago paired with my pear detail sliders, a pair of oversized white shell earrings and my By Alona gold chain pearl necklace which I wore almost every night, the perfect holiday jewellery piece.

I was feeling very St Tropez in all white complete with those killer sunnies and sipping my champagne at that beautiful boho beach bar.

There’s nothing like dining al fresco on holiday with that salty sea air and mellow pink and blue sky as the sunsets and dusk draws in.

We had a wonderful evening together enjoying delicious food and being looked after so well by our lovely waiter; can you tell he was making me laugh here 😉

Sunday night I wore this tropical print maxi dress which is completely backless and features a flattering thigh split. Very little accessories needed with this number, the dress does all the talking.

That evening the live music was over at the garden bar, where we sat in the charming surroundings of the courtyard and could gaze up at the stars in the night sky.

Monday night I went a little more casual with these black crochet Zara shorts, my boho print bardot style croptop, those timeless ASOS plaited sliders and my usual gold jewellery to complete the look.

And once again we found ourselves down at the buzzing beach bar for post dinner drinks and another live band session.

For the final night we got dressed up and ready for dinner in time for golden hour down by the pool and beach bar.

I had to get out my favourite summer minidress from Abercrombie & Fitch, paired with this pastel pink shell detail ASOS clutch for a pop of colour, and of course my new MuiMui babies.

That golden hour glow was giving me all the fuzzy feels and I just wanted to bottle that magical moment forever.

Once the sun hid behind the mountains and the pastel pink sky set in, we went for pre-dinner cocktails at the beach bar.

We couldn’t have wished for a more exquisite setting for our final dinner at Balmy Beach.

Later in the evening the crescent moon came out to sit just above the mountains at dusk; how peaceful and spiritual this moment felt.

And so that marked the end of our stay at Balmy Beach Resort and we couldn’t be more grateful to the staff who were so kind and friendly in making our time there an absolute joy and pleasure.

Sunset views and moonlit hues; goodnight Balmy Beach ❤

Euro Summer Vibes; Mallorca

August 7, 2022

There are so many options when it comes to a summer holiday over in Europe and whilst I’m lucky enough to have visited many of them before, there are still plenty of destinations I am yet to discover. This September we will be taking a late summer break to the beautiful island of Mallorca, Spain.

I went to Mallorca about 5 years ago on a family holiday and stayed in the gorgeous town of Pollenca located in the north. This time we are going south of the island to visit Cala D’or which translated to English literally means ‘Golden Bay’.

The crystal blue water really is breathtaking on that southern coastline and from our hotel we will have direct access to a secluded beach cove with undisrupted views out to the ocean.

We chose to treat ourselves to an all inclusive deal at the highly acclaimed Alua Soul adults only resort hotel. I can’t wait to be sat by the pool bar with an ice-cold colourful cocktail in hand, soaking up that scorching Spanish sun.

With Cala D’or and the marina just a short walk from our hotel, I’ll be keen to take a wonder around and explore the local town. I’ve already got my eye on a few fun looking bars and clubs around the area, one of which is this awesome spot called Lola with its aesthetic decor giving me Bali meets Morocco vibes.

Whilst I always do my research before travelling somewhere new, I find the best way to discover local gems is by strolling around or even asking a local, they’ll always have a good recommendation.

We might have a day in Palma at the end of our stay, but most of all we are looking for this holiday to be time to relax, bathe in the sun, swim in the ocean, indulge in delicious food and drink and just have fun together. We are in need of a chill holiday after all the action packed adventures we’ve had abroad so far this year.

Bring on those salty skin sandy beach bum days on the golden coast of Mallorca with my love ❤