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Tag: Advice

South Indian Food That You Can’t Miss!
As you probably know, India is home to some of the worlds most popular dishes!
The rich creamy curries everyone knows and love are a staple part of north Indian cuisine but the south Indian cuisine is undoubtedly better as we think it’s slightly more exotic, spicier and maybe even a bit lighter, thanks to the huge influence of coconut in the southern part of the country!
So without further ado, here’s 7 examples of South Indian Food You Can’t Miss!
(Leave your arguments, disagreements and dishes I missed out in the comments section!)
Sambar
Sambar is an absolute staple of south Indian cuisine. It’s a sort of tangy vegetable broth made with pigeon peas! Loads of ingredients go into it, you won’t escape it if you visit south India as it’s served with pretty much everything. This isn’t a bad thing!
Parotta
Parotta with coconut goodness
Parotta has to be the best Indian bread (not to be confused with Paratha, a north Indian bread). Unlike a chapatti (which is dry fried), parotta is made with a bit of coconut oil, giving it an amazing taste.
It’s rolled flat then coiled up before cooking so that it peels off in flakes when you eat it. The best part is seeing the person making the bread, smash the bread up making it more springy. It’s the best!
Idli
Idli and sambar

Idlis are little stodgy rice and lentil cakes that are made in a pressure cooker! They’re quite boring by themselves and they’re are typically coupled with sambar and eaten for breakfast. Idlis are definitely a breakfast item, it’s hard to get them after 11am. Pour the sambar over the idlis and dive in!
Vada
Vada’s are like funny little doughnuts, but aren’t sweet at all. They’re usually made from dal (lentil) or gram flour and are another breakfast item served up with hot sambar. Get there early while they’re hot and before they sell out!
Dosa
Masala dosa!

Now we’re talking! Dosas sum up my memory of south Indian food. Dosas are made from rice flour and dal combined with water, then poured out onto a large round hot plate (tava) and quickly cooked. They’re filled with a variety of ingredients, rolled up like a huge tube then served with sambar and coconut chutney.
More dosa-ness!
Dosas are very light and you can easily pull them apart and dip into the sambar. You’ve got to use your hands for this dish! Try Masala dosas, usually filled with fried potato, onions and spices and served in triangle shape inside the dosa – YUM!
Uttapam
Uttapams are quite similar to dosas, but much thicker, denser and nowhere near as big. They’re usually served with sambar (everything is served with sambar!) and chutney. They’re also known as Indian pizzas. A belly buster!
South Indian Thali!
The ultra thali!

South Indian Thalis are legendary! ‘Thali’ translates to ‘plate’ and are guaranteed to fill you up! It’s the ultimate budget meal, as most restaurants keep refilling your plate until you refuse any more! What makes the south Indian version better than other thali meals is the additional coconut used as an ingredient and the base oil for cooking.
This particular thali was consumed in Mangalore, it was unbeatable! I literally couldn’t walk after I finished it.
Photos: Uttapam by roland, Sambar by bob_mcbob, Vada by I for Detail
What’s your favourite south Indian food?
October 2, 2013
A Week in Weird and Wonderful Wuzhou!
Colonial streets of Wuzhou’s old quarter
Heard of Wuzhou? No neither had we.
During our stay in China, after we gave Guangzhou another chance we travelled to Wuzhou, some 7 hours north west of Guangzhou.
I’ll try and paint an accurate picture of Wuzhou. It’s a ‘small town’ by China standards with a population of about 3 million. It used to be a major transport hub during the British colonial rule due to it strategic location between Hong Kong and Guangzhou and its position on the Xi river.
Located in the Guangxi Province, most Chinese people haven’t heard of the place, so why would you?!
We visited Eloise’s brother as he teaches Engrish in main Wuzhou university, so we were staying right on the campus grounds in the thick of the weird action.
Here’s a few fun facts and some things to do Wuzhou!
Wuzhou has some amazing colonial architecture
Eloise admiring the architecture of the old quarter
The European settlers built a grand quarter in the ‘Old Town’ of Wuzhou. It’s pretty impressive and well worth an afternoon of your time. People still live there now in the buildings that survived bombings from the Japanese during war time.
Check out Wuzhou’s Main Square at night
Night-time equals communal exercises in the main square, with dancing, stretching and repetitive movements going down!
With the large majority of ladies turning out in a nice party-red colour, it’s an interesting and weird sight seeing everyone dance at the same time!
Explore the Night Markets
Want to see a few things you’re unlikely to see in Hong Kong? Check out some of Wuzhou’s nightmarkets! People look at your like you’re from out of space and you’ll get your picture taken several million times!
Future pet, or dinner?
People will literally stop in the middle of the road to look at you.
It’s not quite as bad as some of the staring in India, (see Annoying People You’ll Probably Meet When You Travel in Asia ) but it gets a bit irritating after a while when people point and laugh at you!
Really? Another picture?
Eat at Wuzhou’s famous Soya Milk restaurant
Snacks at the ‘Soya Milk’ restaurant
Apparently people come from far and wide to sample the delights of the Soya Milk restaurant. Going by the reaction of several hundred people in there when we walked in, they don’t get that many foreign visitors!
Unknown dessert!
Climb the Dragon Mother Temple mountain!
Me and Nathan at the top of the Dragon Mother Temple. Soaked in sweat.

Head out early and hit the Dragon Mother mountain. See the petite Chinese ladies scramble over rocks and slopes with 6 inch heels on, and see elderly men and woman power past you on the way up the hill as you mop your brow in the insane humidity!
The view is pretty amazing at the top, just bring a towel.
You’re likely to be tricked into becoming a judge/VIP at several public events
VIP judges at a random event!
My advice, don’t agree to go along to any concerts, auditions, or performances unless you’re prepared to be pumped full of Chinese strength Red Bull, then pushed on stage to deliver a congratulatory speech to the winner in front of a hysterical crowd!
We were asked to be special guests at a children’s concert! They even paid us!
No one speaks English!
A very questionable menu!

The only English we saw during our entire time in Wuzhou was this menu at a restaurant near the University! We’re lying. We saw some English in the new Wal-Mart shopping centre. About the skinned frogs on sale…
Your Chinese will improve dramatically!
We’ve been to very few places on our travels that speak zero English, which is good for forcing you to Learn Mandarin! It isn’t actually that hard once you get the tones right… honest!
So if you want a real off the beaten track adventure to a Chinese city that probably won’t feature in the China Lonely Planet for a while, check out Wuzhou!
It’s a days bus journey from Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong – Just make sure you get your destination written down before you hop on the bus or you’ll end up somewhere even stranger!
September 28, 2013
21 First World Traveller Problems!

These poor world travellers have never-ending first world problems…
Found on Twitter, these genuine tweets are ridiculous, small-minded and silly – But hilarious either way!
But unfortunately we can relate to most of these 🙂
All images by us – Inspired by first hand experiences!
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Add 21 First World Traveller Problems to your Pinterest board!
This was added to our Travel Funnies ✈ board on Pinterest!
Check out our main Pinterest Board for more travel goodness!
September 24, 2013
Free (or really cheap) Things to do in Hong Kong
Hong Kong isn’t exactly known as a budget destination. As the financial powerhouse of China, the densely populated tiny group of islands known collectively as Hong Kong is populated by no nonsense business men, ladies who lunch and everything in-between.
Luckily Hong Kong is packed with cheap or free things to do for the budget conscious! Around every corner there’s something jaw droppingly epic – Another gigantic mall, quirky shops, strange alleyways, colonial history, fantastic architecture and plenty of cityscape travel photography opportunities.
Explore those streets!
It’s still one of our favourite places to visit. Hong Kong is an incredibly vibrant city, easy to explore and offers something new every time you step outside to explore what’s on offer. And as an ex-British colony, English is widely spoken. Another plus!
So let’s get started!
Grab an Octopus card
Milo the sausage dog sniffing our Octopus Card!

This is Hong Kong’s prepay travel card you can use everywhere around the city. Load it up with HK dollars and use the buses, trams, the MTR (underground) and even use it to make purchases in shops and vending machines around the city.
Cost: $50 deposit including $20 credit.
Embrace Walking
Wan Chai food markets

Hong Kong is surprisingly small. You don’t need to get the MTR or buses everywhere, use your legs and really see the city. Explore the tiny streets and crazy markets, wander around with a sore neck from looking up at the amazing building for too long!
Cost: Free!
Ride the Hong Kong Tramways
The view from the tram!

The Hong Kong Tramways are the oldest mode of public transport in Hong Kong and runs pretty much the entire length east to west of Hong Kong Island.
✈ See more: Watch our Hong Kong Tram Way Time-lapse video ✈
It’s slower than other forms of transport around the city, but it’s infinitely cooler, and the view is pretty good!
Cost: $2.50 per journey
Climb the Bank of China Building
Views from the Bank of China building

The Bank of China building is one of the most iconic buildings on Hong Kong Island and has an observation deck on the 30th floor. While it isn’t the tallest building, the view is spectacular and you get a good view of Kowloon across the Victoria Harbour. Just remember to take your passport for security clearance.
Cost: Free!
Ride the Star Ferry
The Star Ferry and the view of Hong Kong island

Top of the cheap things to do in Hong Kong pile is to ride on the iconic Star Ferry! Running from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, the ferry is the perfect vantage point to enjoy the epic skylines on both sides of the water. It gets a bit choppy so bring your sea legs!
Around 5pm is perfect for riding the ferry back to Hong Kong Island as the sun is setting and reflecting off the windows of the surrounding sky scrapers – Plus you’ll beat the commuter rush!
Cost: $2.50 Mon-Fri
Explore the Museums on Wednesdays
The Hong Kong Museum of Art
ALL of the museums in Hong Kong are totally free on Wednesdays, and are some of the best Eloise and I have ever been to. Ever. The Hong Kong History Museum is incredible, with more colonial history and fact than you can throw an opium pipe at. Allow a whole afternoon!
Cost: Free!
Ride the bus to Stanley
Catch the bus from Central to Stanley, a port town south of Hong Kong Island. You can either take the tunnel or go the long way around past the Happy Valley Race Course (more amazing city views)!
Stanley Port
On the bus you’ll see how the other half live as you pass Repulse Bay, home to some of the most expensive real-estate on the planet. Stanley has a market on Sunday and is great for clothes and souvenirs, as well as having some nice sea front bars and shops.
Cost: $6-10 on Oyster Card
Visit the Beach!
South Bay beach!
A beach in Hong Kong? The south island has one or two reasonable beaches, while they’re not up to Thailand spec, if you can put up with coach loads of mainland Chinese tourists, it’s a nice way to spend the afternoon. Check out Repulse Bay or South Bay beaches if you want a dose of city beach action.
Cost: Free!
Check out the ‘Symphony of Lights’ Light Show
The iconic Hong Kong Skyline
Every night at 8pm the buildings on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon light up for a typically Chinese laser and light show. While it’s a bit crap, fortunately it’s free!
✈ Travel Photo of the Day: The Hong Kong Island Skyline ✈
The view itself is much more awe inspiring than the laser show. Grab an ice cold Tsingtao from the 7-11 at the Star Ferry dock, get there 30 minutes early and sit and wonder what the fuss is all about!
Cost: Free!
Stroll through Statue Square and Victoria Park on Sunday
Indonesian marriage celebrations in Victoria Park
For a contrast to the business vibe and usual hustle and bustle, head to where Hong Kong’s massive domestic worker population gathers in huge numbers every Sunday in various parts of the city.
Hong Kong’s largest minority, the Filipino’s, flock to the Statue Park area in Central. While the Indonesian collective head to Victoria Park. Ladies sing, pray, listen to music, watch videos and generally enjoy their one and only day off to the max.
Cost: Free!
What free or cheap things have you discovered in Hong Kong?
August 21, 2013