392. Resort 16

Black edit - Because it never goes out of style.

1. Christopher Kane
2. The Row
3. DKNY
4. Balenciaga
5. Alexander Wang

Warm colours - Because we like to stand out

1. Marni
2. Dior
3. Chloe
4. Carven
5. Acne

Cold colours - Because you want to look cool

1. Miu Miu
2. Diesel black gold
3. No. 21
4. 3.1 Philip Lim
5. Carven

389. New Look.

1. Mules, £24.99 Buy Me
2. Jeans, £24.99 Buy Me
3. Culottes, £17.99 Buy Me
4. Palm top, £7.99 Buy Me
5. Gingham top, £12.99 Buy Me
6. Jumpsuit, £19.99 Buy Me
7. Gingham skirt, £19.99 Buy Me
8. Dress, £19.99 Buy Me
9. Heels, £24.99 Buy Me

386. Retro.

1. Sunglasses, £152, Illesteva Buy Me
2. Jumpsuit, £1965, Balmain Buy Me
3. Bag, £1065, Valentino Buy Me
4. Heels, £460, Manolo Blahnik Buy Me

A little retro feeling of the 70's is in the air this Summer. And although it's drizzling at the moment I can't help but imagine all those fabulous ladies strutting around in the most inappropriate attire in such hot weather yet looking so fabulous.

1. Dress, £59.99, Zara Buy Me
2. Hat, £15.99, H&M Buy Me
3. Bag, £20, Topshop Buy Me
4. Loafers, £52, Topshop Buy Me

I can't help but imagine Alexa Chung or Freja Beha Erichsen walking around looking effortlessly cool in this denim dress and loafers, accompanied with a stupidly small bag that only just about fits their phone and credit cards, perfect.

384. Beauty Essential.

Since travelling around Asia I discovered a new beauty saviour, coconut oil (extra virgin and organic is a must). It has so many different uses and even health benefits. Being 100% natural you can feel happy knowing that no chemicals or anything artificial is hidden within this heavenly substance, it also. Below I've listed what I've used the coconut oil for, try them out for yourself.

- If your ends are feeling a bit dry and limp, pop about a teaspoon of coconut oil onto your hands and massage it into your hair. It's best to leave it in over night for best results, lay a towel over your pillow for you to sleep on, then thoroughly wash it out the next morning using a little shampoo.

- It's a great natural way to moisturise especially if you have dry skin. Just a few drops is needed and it'll leave it feeling a lot less scaly.

- Instead of using shaving gel, use coconut oil. It leaves your legs feeling incredibly smooth, moisturised and smelling fragrant.

- Replace your cooking oil with coconut oil, it's been proven that this is way better and healthier for you. Although it is high in saturated fat it contains lauric acid which helps kills bacteria, fungi and viruses. Not only this it's also proven to help loose weight, it is made up of medium-chain triglycerides which are used directly for energy by your body.

- Also use it for massage oil, a bug repellant and lip salve.

If you're wanting to use it as a liquid form, run it under a hot tap for a minute or so, it melts super quickly.

378. Travel diary. Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

Not my favourite place in Vietnam overall, but was the most commercial place out of what we visited. Its great for shopping and is really cheap, one big markets with all kind of things

. We decided to take a break from being a backpacker whilst we were there and went to New World hotel and used their pool. It was really expensive (£10) but we needed a bit of luxury for a day a very different change of scene compared to our hostel. We stayed at "Vietnam Inn Ho Chi Ming", would definitely recommend it. If you get the bus in its a five minute walk. You literally cross the park and your there (right next to chucks burgers). Staff are helpful and you can book everything through them.

De Lat

After a 5 hours night bus from Ho Chi Ming, which was surprisingly easy we arrived in the very cold De Lat at 5am. We stayed at Wolf pack hostel, and I'd have to say the best and cheapest hostel we stayed in. They greeted us with tea, biscuits and a big blanket. Thinking we wouldn't be able to check in until midday they gave us a bed to sleep in until the morning, then moving to our actual room once the others checked out. The beds were huge and comfy, given a big old duvet too. Each bed had a light and plug socket. The rooms were big and spacious, so although its 8 to a room with an en suite it didn't feel crowded. Super clean too. They also put on the most amazing dinner in the evening for a couple of dollars each. It's basically and giant banquet, and every at the hostel sits around together so its nice and sociable but also a great way to eat real Vietnamese food.

Crazy House

A sight you have to see in De Lat. It really is a crazy house, with the coolest architecture it's something you'd imagine from Alice in Wonderland. Everything is organic and natural looking as if it's made from a tree or plants but it's actually a hotel. It's honestly the coolest thing ever. If you can stay there, do!

Canyoning

Not something I would naturally choose to do, but everyone recommended that this was a must in De Lat. It was $25 for the day which included everything. We abseiled down two cliffs first after a crash course in abseiling. However it did feel super safe and the guys we were with knew what they were doing. After the two cliffs we were then thrown into the deep end (literally) and had to walk down a waterfall. In which below you can seem i'm obviously not shitting my pants at all. It all looks very easy, but it AIN'T. After we were told we had to do the famous "washing machine" waterfall, which was known as the scariest but to be honest it was totally fine. You lowered yourself down to the waterfall off a cliff, let go and then go underwater for two seconds until the waterfall pushes you out. Fine. 100% would recommend it, even if you're scared.

Hoi An

The prettiest town we visited during our stay. It's very quiet and calm, traditional and colourful. Definitely my favourite place. In the ancient town there were lots of amazing little places to eat and cute tea houses.

Reaching out tea house

This was one of our highlight in Vietnam, it was truly a beautiful place. A little tea house, you are asked not to speak but either to be silent or whisper. Communicating to the staff through pen and paper, the staff are in fact mute or deaf. They embrace the idea of serenity and appreciating the tea you drink and not rush but take it all in. The interior was so pretty and traditional and there was such a beautiful vibe and aura about the place. The tea and coffee was delicious and came out in the most ornate sets. You could easily spend hours there,

A back alley where we ate delicious Pho.

Ha Long Bay

When choosing which cruise to go for, we wanted obviously the cheapest but with good reviews. Have researched it was basically you get what you paid for. We ended up paying about £90 for two nights with the party cruise. It wasn't majorly party, just depends on what you want to do really. The first day you cruise through the beautiful bay (unfortunately we came at winter so it was really foggy) and you can go swimming and kayaking about. Sleeping in a two bed cabin the beds were hard as rocks but it was fine for one night. You get fed lots as well. Pretty yummy food too. 

The next day we arrived at Freedom island which is teeny tiny, really pretty though. And we kayaked to a private cove which was amazing. Definitely well worth a visit if you want to see the beautiful wonders of the world.

Hanoi

A lot different from Ho Chi Minh, it's an old time which has kept its traditional sense about it and its hustle and bustle down small alleys. Everything is higgldy piggldy, but really cool. Each road is dedicated to a type of product, one might specialise in herbal remedies another will just be kids toys etc. Really fun to explore. 

There's a lot of good museums to go to as well as delicious places to check out. 

Fanny's Ice cream it's delicious and elaborate.

Griang's cafe for the traditional egg coffee.

Banh Mi 25 for the best sandwiches ever, made from fresh baguette and off the bone ham.

Hanoi Fusion for a slightly more upmarket but cheap dinner.

377. Travel diary. Cambodia.

Siem reap We arrived bright and early in the morning, still relatively cool outside the sun was just rising. We grabbed a tuk tuk driver to take us from the airport to our hostel. Haggling down from $10 down to $5 looking back now we could of probably got it cheaper. They will try and mug you off. Get to the dusty roads you felt the need to cover your mouth and eyes as the roads weren't exactly all Tarmac. It was a nice start to our trip though. Having had the crappiest flight (8 hour stop over) we got to our hostel, One Stop hostel which was amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. We slept in the lobby until midday so we could finally check in. Wasn't too happy about that as they were rather slow. However I would recommend to stay there as it is cheap, modern and clean. In the dorms each bed has its own plug socket, mirror and light. Practically luxury. We decided in the evening so explore the town, with lots of restaurants hey all averaged out at about $4 a meal. If you keep walking around you'll find pub street ( lit up in giant LEDs) which to state the obvious is full of bars, clubs and pubs. It's a bit more pricier this end if your looking for a beer as you can get pints practically free if you go further out of the main areas. Carry on and you'll find market street which is also lit up, if your lost it even as lit up arrows pointing you in the right direction. You can get a few bargains round here, little hippy shorts and sarongs. Shorts we bartered to $2 but normally they are $3, sarongs are a lot more expensive compared to bali to my surprise and they were no way near as nice. They were all about $5.

Angkor Wat We spent a good few hours here. We decided to go just after sunrise as its crazy busy so left to cycle up there at about 7am. To cycle from the main town was about 8ks, it's not too bad in the morning as its nice and cool. However we had the faux pas of thinking you could buy tickets at the checkpoints. Checkpoints are dotted all around Angkor Wat, you cannot buy your tickets there! You have to buy them at the main ticket office which were 6ks back, ended up getting a little moped to take us there. Tickets are $20 each and they take your photo to print onto your ticket, so very official. When we got to the Angkor Wat, the main temple, the sun was still rising in the sky and it was so pretty. Surrounded by lakes it was stunning. I would highly recommend going at the time we did as it wasn't too busy. The ruins are gorgeous and the grounds are beautiful, you could take hours around them. We only ended up going to three out of many many temples. We cycled around which was so much fun, admiring the insane scenery. I didn't take too many pictures as I was too busy taking it all in and concentrating on not falling off my bike.

Phnom Penh Having completed a 5 hour journey on a bus, it wasn't the most pleasant of journeys due to it being very bumpy, very noisy and slightly too hot. I would recommend to always pay a couple dollars extra for a better bus because we later found it definitely pays off but hey do sell out faster. I wasn't a massive fan of Phnom Penh, it's a lot more built up than siem reap. We spent a couple of nights there and did the standard tourist thing which were the killing fields and the museum. Hostels will try and flog you tuk tuk tours which take you in between the sights for a set price between $12 - $25 depending on how many sights you choose to visit. I would recommend just getting different tuk tuks each time as it works out cheaper. First stop was the museum, all entry is reasonable being about $3. Located at the actual prison is was crazy how recent it all was and an interesting insight to it all. The trauma all the Khmers went through by their own people. I would highly recommend going before the killing fields so you get a better understanding of what happened. At the killing fields you get given a audio tape to guide you round. It's surprisingly beautiful and peaceful however it tells the saddest stories but brings a lot of respect to those who died.

Koh Rong We stayed one night in Sinaukville before Koh Rong as we were told its a nice quaint town. Wasn't a massive fan as the beaches weren't that nice. We booked a ferry for $25 which was the fast boat. Everywhere is the same company and the same price unless you get the slow boat which I wouldn't recommend. The fast boat is pretty good and takes about 2 hours max. We stayed at green Ocean where a few other backpackers had recommended, this was to the left of the pier. It was $16 for a double bedroom ensuite. Or a dorm is $7. Let me tell you there is no air con in any of these places, electricity gets turned off for a few hours during the day and at night. So even the fans don't work. It is a minimal life style. If you stay where all the main bars are its bloody noisy. There was one place which was away from it all called monkey island, but I couldn't tell you what the accommodation was like. Food was alright I would highly recommend eating the amok curry. It's so yummy! The beaches on Koh rong are incredible. The most clear I have ever experienced and so warm. It honestly is like paradise. You'll notice though that you will feel little stings in the sea, they don't hurt that much just little pricks now and then. That's baby jellyfish which you can't see! We took a boat trip one of the days for $7. I would only recommend doing it if you an see the plankton at night. As the snorkelling is average and I wasn't a fan of fishing. The trip to long beach was a bit weird as the boat didn't dock close enough to the beach so you couldn't get off... However we did watch the sunset which was nice. Don't expect the drivers to speak ant English either. We were there at full moon so it was too bright for plankton which was sad. It was a nice day but without the plankton it was a bit average. You can rent kayaks for real cheap, we got good ones for $8 for both of us(3 hours). Definitely recommend as its real fun and cheap. Super pretty during sunset too.

Kampot We stayed at Arcadia, this was 15 minutes from the centre. A tuk tuk should only cost $4 for both of you. Don't let them con you! I would recommend to stay here but if your not a minimal living person don't book the dorm. You don't even get a cover...only a pillow and a mossie net. Gets pretty chilly at night too. However the place is pretty and has such a cool friendly vibe about it. The amok curry there is also amazing, massive portions too. It's easy to just hang there for the whole day which is exactly what we did as it was located right on the river where you could go for a swim and it had a swing and some bouncy giant pillow thing. We took one of the tours around Kampot which was $12 each. It was honestly the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced. The tour guide didn't speak very good english so didn't really understand the relevance of any of the weird places we visited. Don't pay to go on it. At night you do a boat tour to see fire flies, there will be one small bush with about 10 fire flies. The sunset is stunning though. So all depends on what you want. We did eat the best deserts we had had in a while, highly recommend to eat there. Kampot ice cream and pie. Very original name. Do it. The brownie was so good and I'm very fussy as I don't like brownies when they are cakes rather than a crunchier outside and gooey middle. This was the good shit.

375. Travel diary. Australia.

Melbourne

Melbourne has so far been one of favourite cities I've visited and definitely better than Sydney. Well that's my opinion. It had such a cool vibe about it and I could totally see why it's been voted one of the most live able cities in the world.

There wasn't so much as sites to see, it was very limited when we went on our tour. But definitely visit the botanical gardens if you get a chance, it's totally beautiful and check out the art gallery too.
We wanted to stay here for longer, there's so many good places to eat, bars to drink at and clubs to party at. Oh and don't let me forget the shops to spend your money at!

Section 8 - Party here. It's got such a cool relaxed dance vibe with no pretentious feelings about it. It's outside too so you don't get too sweaty.

                           

Hosier Lane - This is the main road for all the sickest street art about. You'll see loads around Melbourne. It's so beautiful and colourful.

Sydney

                           

Three sisters and blue mountains - This places was truly stunning, if you want to see any history in Sydney then here is where you're going to get it. Kinda like their version os stone henge.

Get the ferry - Take the ferry from the Opera house to Manly. Manly has gorgeous beaches and is great to spend the day there. It's not as busy as Bondi and it's prettier. The ferry return is about $14 and you get stunning views. Great for a nice touristy picture.

Sushi on Stanley - You have to eat at this place, the food was incredible and really cheap. Serving all fresh Japanese food it cost no more than $10 and you got a lot for your money. It's a tiny little place but has real authenticity about it.

Brisbane

Brisbane is definitely a quieter city. Night life isnt massive but we spent new years at a cool club called T.B.C. With a similar vibe to London, it's underground and plays music which isn't in the pop charts. A nice change to the awful backpacker bars we've ended up in.

I also went to the Steve Irwin zoo, it was amazing! So many cute animals, the Koalas were definitely a highlight.

Fraser Island

Only 4x4 are only allowed on this island, so if you plan to go without a tour make sure you have a 4X4. Luckily we were with friends. Also note, there are basically no facilities on this island. You have to buy all your food in advance and all amenities. There are about two shower and toilet blocks. Which are all a long drive from where ever you stay most likely. As we were camped out on the beach, however idyllic and waking up to the crashing waves of the sea, it was hard to find somewhere to hide and pee.

Lake McKenzie was incredible though, a natural lake in the middle of the island, I'd never seen anything quite so clear before. The sand was the whitest and cleanest sand I had ever seen and the water was insanely clear. Beautiful. We even did a bit of snorkelling and saw some turtles!

Driving around Fraser Island itself is fun. We weren't the most prepared, as we got stuck in the sand a few times and had to be towed out by fellow drivers. This was common but we didn't have any equipment to help us out. Driving was also a very trecherous thing, lots of bumps and if you get car sick. This isn't for you.

Perth

I enjoyed Perth a lot more than I thought, not many people venture to the West coast but this was on our way to Bali. Nikki also had family there so it was really nice to spend some friendly faces. There were so many beautiful untouched beaches and it felt so serene.