How To Get There:

We drove from Franschhoek to Mossel Bay which took just under 4 hours. The first part of the route along the Franschhoek was very scenic and all in all it was a very easy drive. From Mossel Bay we drove all the way up to Amakhala Game Reserve on the N2, the roads are great and nice and straightforward.

Where To Stay:

Mossel Bay

We stayed in an Airbnb in Mossel Bay for our first night on the Garden Route. It was a very nice loft style apartment with great sea views.

Plettenberg Bay

For our other 2 nights on the Garden Route we stayed in another Airbnb in Plettenberg Bay. This was another great find and had a lovely little private courtyard to chill in after a day on the beach which was about a 10 minute walk.

Woodbury Tented Lodge (Amakhala)

This was one of the top places we stayed in the whole of South Africa, the safari was an absolute highlight. Our guide was incredible and we saw so many animals and the entire experience at Woodbury was amazing. The tents even had air con and were very comfortable. 10/10

Where To Eat/Drink:

The Blue Shed (Mossel Bay)

Delicious iced coffee in a very quirky cafe. 8/10

Carola Ann’s (Mossel Bay)

Just down the road from our Airbnb this was one of my favourite restaurants on the Garden Route. Delicious mezze meals and wine. 9/10

East Head Cafe (Kynsna)

This was recommended by our Airbnb host as we stopped to visit the Kynsna Heads on our way to Plettenberg Bay. There were wonderful ocean views and the food was pretty good (although not the best we’ve had). 7/10

The Fat Fish (Plettenberg)

Sea views and great sushi. A really good find and liked the menu in the style of a newspaper. 8/10

What To Do:

Mossel Bay Lighthouse & Coastal Walk (Mossel Bay)

When we visited Mossel Bay the weather wasn’t the best but there was a lovely coastal walk which took you up to the lighthouse on the top of the cliff. We spotted lots of dassy and Doone apparently saw dolphins (questionable). 7/10

Kynsna Heads (Kynsna)

A beautiful place to stop on the Garden Route. The views were some of our favourite so far. You could drive up to the top to get to the view point and there was also a walk to another view a little lower down the cliff. 9/10

Sea Kayaking (Plettenberg Bay)

We booked on to this spontaneously the day before and we’re so glad we did. Unfortunately we didn’t get as close as we would have liked to the dolphins but instead we had the unique experience of kayaking amongst lots of baby hammerhead sharks which was unexpected. 7/10 (just because it was slightly chaotic at the beginning and we didn’t see dolphins so think it could have been even better if so.)

Robberg Peninsula (Plettenberg Bay)

Robberg Peninsula is absolutely stunning. We went here for sunset on our first evening and there were plenty of great spots to watch the sunset and bring a drink, it was one of the best sunsets we’d seen in South Africa for sure. The next day we went back again to do one of the hikes (there are three options of varying lengths) and we saw the seal colony. The entrance fee to the reserve is 65 ZAR per person. 10/10

Safari (Amakhala Game Reserve)

Just after Port Elizabeth about an hours drive away is Amakhala Game Reserve and we spent 2 nights at Woodbury Tented Lodge on safari. 2 game drives per day were included as well as all food (and there was a lot of food) and drinks. It was a magical experience and even though the days were long (4:30am starts) it was well worth it. We were lucky enough to spot so many different animals including lions, elephants, cheetah, rhinos, hippo, giraffes, antelope, jackal, and even a lynx! One of our absolute highlights. 10/10

How to Get There:

We rented a car from Cape Town using SIXT car rental and it was a very easy drive via Stellenbosch which took about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Where To Stay:

Maison Chablis

Beautiful hotel right in the centre of the town. The staff were really friendly, there was a gorgeous pool and the room was lovely. 10/10

Where To Eat/Drink:

Tuk Tuk Microbrewery

Cheap restaurants in Franschhoek aren’t easy to find but this one is a good spot for something a little less formal and expensive. You can also do a tasting of their 5 beers for 90 ZAR per person which is a nice little extra. 7/10

La Petite Colombe

The most amazing 3* Michelin Restaurant situated on Leeu Estate. The whole experience was fantastic, we did the lunch tasting menu and had the best time. Although this might be due to the fact that we’ve never had Michelin food before and so were blown away from start to finish. 11/10

What To Do:

The Wine Tram

The main reason people come to Franschhoek is the wine and the wine tram did not disappoint. We went on the Navy line and were advised to select 3 wineries which was definitely the perfect number. We chose to visit Plaisir, Boschendal and Bartinney. Boschendal definitely had the best wine but Bartinney won the prize for the best views and also had such a friendly atmosphere. 10/10

Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve

Just a short drive up the Franschhoek Pass is the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, which is the perfect place for a hike. The views over the wineries is well worth an early morning walk and there are about 10 different hiking trails of various lengths. The entrance fee is 70 ZAR per person. Just beware of the baboons! 8/10

Franschhoek Market

A cute little market selling lots of unique products like handmade jewellery, clothes and second hand books as well as various food stalls. The market is only on at the weekends but well worth a visit. 7/10

How To Get There:

We took a direct flight with Norse and after landing at 9am it was a very easy 20 minute Uber to Green Point where our first hotel was located. The Uber pick up point is a short walk from the terminal and has very easy instructions to follow.

Where To Stay:

Dysart Boutique Hotel (Green Point)

This hotel was really nice, the room was huge and there were 2 separate pool areas. It was a very small hotel but the staff were so friendly and went out of their way to make you feel welcome. 9/10

Sea Point Airbnb

The location of this Airbnb was perfect, right next to the McDonald’s in Sea Point so it was really easy to walk around the area. The host was very easy to get in touch with and the Airbnb was really spacious and clean. The only downside was that there was no air con but that was my own fault for not reading this on the description. 8/10

Loloho Lodge (Sea Point)

Another great property in Sea Point. Perfect location within walking distance to lots of cafes and restaurants as well as the ocean. Breakfast was also really nice here and the pool area was fantastic. 8/10

Where to Eat/Drink:

Kynsna Oyster Company

After getting to Cape Town our first stop was the V&A Waterfront and our first meal was sushi at the Kynsna Oyster Company. The sushi platters were huge and absolutely delicious. Probably one of the best meals in Cape Town. 9/10

Mantra Cafe

Located in Camps Bay it had wonderful views particularly of sunset over the ocean. The food was good but not really a stand out and you definitely paid more for the views. The margarita was excellent though. 7/10

Cape Town Cuba

We stopped off here on our way back from Boulders Beach and it was exceptional. The ocean views, wonderful food and friendly service made this one of our top choices. 9/10

Big Bowls

We stumbled upon this restaurant by accident when we were absolutely starving but it turned out to be a hit. Serving sushi and other Asian food there was so much choice and the flavours were great. Also the staff were once again so welcoming and friendly. 9/10

Butter

We went here for my birthday breakfast and it did not disappoint. Doone had the loaded hash browns and I had the chocolate chip pancakes and both were fantastic and also not too expensive. 10/10

Lily’s

Right on the waterfront in Green Point the lime and basil margaritas were rhetorical standout here. The lunch options were ok but for the price could have been better. Would go back just for the margaritas though. 7.5/10

Oranjezicht City Farmers Market

This market is open for dinner every Wednesday evening 4pm – 9pm and it is definitely one not to miss. There are so many food and drink stalls and also lots of other things to buy like jewellery, clothes, plants. We had these sweetcorn frittata bowls and they were fantastic. 9/10

Mojo Market

Another great market option in Sea Point this time. There is a huge variety of food stalls from Italian to sushi to burgers, and plenty more! We each had a poke bowl and a fresh coconut and they were again fantastic. 8.5/10

Fat Cactus

We were recommended this Mexican Restaurant in the middle of Sea Point by one of the staff at our last hotel and it was good but not great. Liked the fact you assembled your own fajitas but the frozen margs could definitely have been better. 6/10

Moro Gelato

Fantastic ice cream with several branches throughout Cape Town and also Stellenbosch. Would definitely recommend. 9/10

What To Do:

Paragliding

Probably one of our favourite activities was going paragliding off Signal Hill. It was so much fun although there wasn’t much wind when we were there so there would be rushes when everyone was taking off and then nothing for 10 minutes while they waited for the wind to pick back up so it was a bit chaotic. We used a tour company called Sky Wings and they were great, we would definitely do this activity again. 10/10

Lions Head Sunset Hike

I don’t think you can go to Cape Town without doing at least one of the hikes. Our guide Kurt was fantastic and even though we started off hiking in the clouds the weather cleared up very quickly and we got fantastic views. We debated whether to do this by ourselves but our guide told us some stories about people getting mugged on the hiking trail so glad we opted to go as a group in the end even if it was more expensive. The hike starts off fairly easy but it does turn into a bit of a scramble at the end and it’s definitely not for those with a fear of heights. 10/10

V&A Waterfront

Lots of restaurants and shopping in this area but otherwise not that exciting. Worth a look and great if you need to get a few things that you’ve forgotten about (like us) but otherwise wouldn’t spend more than a few hours here. 6/10

Sea Point Promenade

Great place for a wander along the coast line with beautiful views! 7/10

Boulders Beach

We took an uber to Boulders Beach to see the infamous penguins. The uber journey took about an hour but only cost around £20 and was very easy. It costs 215 ZAR per person for entry to Foxy’s Beach where there is a boardwalk to view the penguins. You can get closer to them on Boulders Beach which is right next door, the entry fee is the same and allows you entry to both beaches. Here we spotted lots of penguins in between the boulders and even one came for a swim with us. Also a great beach to spend a few hours as the water isn’t too cold! 8.5/10

Table Mountain

We took the cable car up to Table Mountain as we were short on time but if I came back I would definitely do a hike up and return via the cable car. The cost was 430 ZAR for a return ticket but it was an easy way to get up the mountain and the views from the top were spectacular and well worth it. 8.5/10

Our final city was San Francisco. One of my favourite places for its non stop hills, amazing nature, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and even more sea lions!

Journey to San Francisco

We finished off our road trip by driving through the redwood forests to San Francisco, which was a picturesque and beautifully scenic drive!

Where to stay

We stayed in possibly our most disappointing motel in America, it was called Motel Capri and was one of the most expensive (as was the rest of San Francisco!) but had the least amenities, the room was small and needed a bit of touching up and the breakfast would barely count as a breakfast with just a few cereal options and bread on offer. The plus points were the free parking and the location was good, an easy walk from Fisherman’s wharf, as well as Union Square and other central areas.

What to do

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge

One of the most iconic attractions in San Francisco has to be the Golden Gate Bridge. We drove over the bridge on the first evening we arrived and went to a few different viewpoints to see the bridge from different angles and take some photos. There are signs everywhere warning about the fact that it’s a big ‘smash and grab’ area and were told by several people that this had happened to them so make sure you leave no valuables in the car!

Go to Alcatraz Island

We booked our ticket to Alcatraz a couple of days in advance to make sure we could definitely get a place, online it was $53 per person and this gives you a set departure time from Pier 33 but you can return on any boat. We spent two and a half hours wandering around the island, seeing the different buildings, exhibits and visiting the prison building where you could take an audio tour around the main building. It was such an interesting trip and worth every penny. It is very windy on the island so bring layers!

Climb the Filbert steps up to Colt Tower for panoramic views

San Francisco has some serious hills and these stairs climb all the way up to Colt Tower. You can either go even further up to the top of the tower to get even more views, but you get plenty just from the top of the hill if not!

See the ‘Crookedest Street in the World’

Lombard Street is known as the crookedest street in the world with very steep bends going all the way down the hill. Drive or walk down the street to see it from a few different viewpoints!

Take a cable car or see one from the Powell/Mason cable car turnaround point

You can board the cable cars from this point, it’s $8 one way or $16 for a round trip, or if you don’t fancy a ride this is a great place to see the cable cars up close while they turn around.

See the sea lions at Pier 39

Pier 39’s most famous residents are the sea lions. You can view them from the pier and see them lying on their pontoons just next door, a great experience to see them up close.

Walk through Chinatown

An authentic Chinese influenced area, Chinatown is an interesting spot to see some different culture within the centre of San Francisco.

See some art at the MOMA

Although you have to pay for the exhibits at the MOMA there is some free areas on the second floor of the museum. You still need to reserve a place on the day you want to visit but otherwise you don’t need to pay to still see some incredible art! Or if you want to spend the whole day there I think tickets are around $25 per person for the day.

Take a stroll through Little Italy

Another place to see some different culture this area is influenced by the Italians in San Francisco and most importantly has lots of amazing pizza places!

Where to eat/drink

Boudin Bakery

Probably the most famous bakery in San Francisco, Boudin Bakery is based in Fisherman’s wharf and sells a variety of sourdough products. We bought a little ‘baby turtle’ shaped bread roll, complete with tiny eyes and fins. There were plenty of other animal variations like a bear and a lizard. It was delicious too!

IHOP

We couldn’t visit the USA without a trip to IHOP as pancakes are one of my favourite breakfasts of all time. We got the strawberry and banana protein pancakes and the blueberry pancakes, both of which were amazing.

Tony’s Pizza

We visited the notorious Tony’s Pizza in Little Italy and got a slice of cheese pizza to share. It was huge and so delicious, plus a very reasonable price too.

Roam Artisan Burger

This was a great burger place that allowed you to personalise your burger, so you could choose the type of burger (vegetarian, beef, chicken) and then choose the relishes and sauces you wanted. The sweet potato fries were a real winner too.

We drove up from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 6 days! Here’s a roundup of the places we stopped at along the way.

Santa Barbara

Our first stop up the coast was Santa Barbara, about an hour or two (depending on traffic) from LA. We stopped at the Old Mission Monastery and walked along the State Street Promenade in the centre, a long pedestrianised road filled with shops and restaurants. Our favourite area was East Beach and Stearns Wharf, the road was lined with palm trees and there was a great view of Santa Barbara and the mountains beyond.

Montana de Oro State Park

We stopped here for a hike along the bluff trail and despite the fog we saw a huge amount of wildlife, including seals, pelicans, squirrels, herons and plenty of other birds. I would definitely recommend this stop for anyone interested in nature or wildlife!

Morro Rock

We only stopped here briefly but it’s worth making a quick detour to see the rock looming out of the ocean. There are also plenty of seals around the dock area and you can hire a kayak to get a bit closer to them.

Cambria

A historic Californian town, Cambria has a small town centre with a few shops and restaurants. The most famous place to stop is Linn’s Easy as Pie Cafe to get a slice of ollalieberry pie. We also tried the peach and blueberry and they were both nice but didn’t come cheap at $7 for a slice.

Also located in the town and worth a stop is the interesting house named Nitt Witt Ridge, a California Registered Historical Landmark. Reclusive artist Arthur “Art” Harold Beal originally bought his hillside lot in 1928 and spent most of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and shovel and creating his own “castle on a hill.” Some parts of the house are from Hearst Castle, where he reportedly worked for a time. Other building materials he used for his house include beer cans, abalone shells, concrete, washer drums, car rims, tile, car parts, and old stoves. The unique home was sold in 2022 and is no longer open to the public but it is still possible to drive by!

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

Just outside of Cambria you can find Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, a great place for a hike. There are amazing views of the Pacific coastline as well as the opportunity to see plenty of wildlife again. We saw seals, sea otters, birds and even deer. For another shorter trail there’s also the Moonstone boardwalk that follows the coastline just outside the town of Cambria.

San Simeon/Hearst

William Randolph Hearst memorial beach is a nice place for a quick stop with a pier stretching far out into the ocean. Although we didn’t spot any apparently it’s a great area to spot whales migrating, which is why it was originally a spot for whale hunting.

Hearst Castle sits on top of the hill, and in the village of Hearst is Hearst Ranch Winery, which offers wine tasting for a pretty reasonable price – a good opportunity to try some Californian wine!

Las Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

One of my favourite stops! Just off the pacific highway is this elephant seal vista point where you can view thousands of elephant seals on the beach! Definitely not one to miss.

Big Sur

The Pacific Highway was closed after Ragged Point for a few miles when we were here so we had to take a different route and then come back to Big Sur from the northern side. It was still a beautiful road and had so many incredible views of the Pacific Coast. We also stopped at Big Sur State Park for a hike to the Pfeiffer falls, where we also saw our first redwoods!

Point Lobos State Park

Another amazing park for a walk, Point Lobos is just outside Carmel by the Sea. We parked just outside the entrance to avoid the $10 parking fee and walked in from here, we then took the path to sea lion cove and also ended up walking the Cypress Point Trail, which had incredible trees and once again incredible views!

Carmel by the Sea

Another very pretty town with ‘fairytale houses’ everywhere. Everything in the town is very expensive but there is at least a lovely beach with very white sand that you can walk along for free! At the end of the beach on a rocky bluff is a house built by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which is known as the “Cabin on the Rocks.” Another building worth visiting is Carmel Mission, a beautiful monastery dating back to 1770. We also drove along the 17 mile drive, a road between Monterey & Carmel with lots of scenic viewpoints. However, to enter the road you have to pay $11.75 per car, and the road is actually less impressive than some of the other amazing roads we drove along for free so I wouldn’t do this again.

Garland Ranch Regional Park

Another great park for hiking just outside Monterey and Carmel. This one is slightly more inland so rather than views of the ocean there are views of Carmel valley, which is also incredibly beautiful. We followed the waterfall trail, which climbed up into the hills, however there was unfortunately no waterfall as there hadn’t been any rain recently! We still saw lots of wildflowers and views over the valley, which made the climb worthwhile.

Monterey

Monterey is about a 15 minute drive from Carmel by the Sea and is a slightly cheaper area to stay which is why it’s filled with motels. Otherwise the Old Fisherman’s wharf is worth checking out which has lots of places selling Clam Chowder and is also where you can board a boat doing whale watching tours.

Santa Cruz

One of my favourite stops on the route, Santa Cruz is famous for surfing and the point of Steamer Lane draws top surfers and huge crowds when the big waves arrive. At the point is also the surf museum which has some of the original surfboards first surfed and lots of photos of surfing throughout the years. Other than surfing there is a great amusement park with rollercoasters, arcade games, food stalls and other attractions alongside the main beach. The wharf is also a great place to check out as it’s home to so many seals and sea lions! Downtown Santa Cruz also offers the usual shops and restaurants and every third Sunday a ‘makers’ market has plenty of interesting handmade products for sale.

Redwood Forests

Between Santa Cruz and San Francisco you have the chance to see plenty of redwood trees in one of the forests. There is the famous Big Basin Redwoods State Park but as we were short on time we stopped at Purisima Creek Redwood Open Reserve and took the Redwood Trail to view some of the famous trees!

Summary: Despite the road closure on the Pacific Highway meaning a major detour we had an incredible time exploring the towns, state parks and beaches along the coast. The scenic views around Big Sur were definitely a highlight of the road trip.

Journey to LA:

Our flight from Mexico City was about 4 hours in total. We flew with Volaris which is one of the low cost airlines in Central America so there were no meals included or any extras but it was all on time and apart from quite a lot of turbulence was a nice easy flight!

Car hire:

From the airport we took an Uber to pick up our hire car (this was provided by the car rental company.) We used a company called Kyte which was cheaper than the other rental companies we found and was very easy as we uploaded all our details and documents via the app beforehand so all we had to do was choose our car and we could set off on our trip. We got the choice of about 4 different types of car and Thomas immediately went with the Dodge which was a much fancier car than I had imagined.

What to do:

Go surfing in Malibu

All the way along the coast in Malibu there are various surf spots depending on the swell. We went to Malibu Lagoon Beach which was also a nature area home to a lot of pelicans and other birds.

See a Dodger’s game

We went on a Friday evening to see the LA Dodger’s versus the San Diego Padres and it was so much fun. Even if you don’t know the rules it’s pretty easy to pick up. Most Friday nights they have a fireworks show after the game finishes too. One thing to note is that food and drink is very expensive there but you can pack your own food to bring with you as long as it’s in a see through bag!

Hike to the Hollywood sign

This was one of our favourite hikes. Park on Canyon Drive and follow the Brush Canyon trail up to the Hollywood sign viewpoint. You can also continue up for another 20 minutes and you will reach the back off the sign with great views over the city! It’s not an easy hike but the uphill climb is definitely worth it for the views at the top.

Walk along Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica is a nice area with lots of shops, restaurants and a beach. The pier is very much like Brighton pier with rollercoasters and games as well as stalls selling hot dogs, ice creams, burgers and the usual fun fair food.

Check out the skate boarders at Venice Beach

Whilst Venice Beach isn’t the nicest area in LA the skate park has some amazing skateboarders and just next door there are the roller skaters too!

Go shopping at Melrose Avenue

Kind of like the LA equivalent of Camden with lots of ‘rock and roll’ stores but also some other very expensive places selling designer trainers and other clothing.

Stroll along the Hollywood walk of fame

No trip to Hollywood would be complete without walking along the Hollywood walk of fame to spot the stars names on the pavement.

Go for a hike in Malibu

Another great hike in the mountains of Malibu! We went on the Solstice Canyon Hike which winds up into the hills overlooking the Pacific Coast. In spring time there were loads of wild flowers too!

Take a day trip to San Diego

We were short on time otherwise would have stayed the night in San Diego as there was so much to see but instead we did the 2 hour drive for just the day.

Torrey Pines National Reserve

We stopped at Torrey Pines National Reserve in the morning for a 2 hour walk featuring incredible views over the Pacific Coast.

Chicano Park

Known for its Mexican influence, this park has lots of amazing graffiti, plus is home to some cool shops, Mexican restaurants and you can also spot some low rider cars in the area too.

Balboa Park

Known as the cultural hub of San Diego there were lots of gardens and museums in this area, although kind of a disappointment as all the buildings looked kind of like fake ‘old’ European style and the entry fee for anything was expensive.

Pacific Beach & Mission Beach

We walked along the beach boardwalk where there’s so much to see including surfers, skateboarders as well as lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. We also spotted some dolphins just off the coast!

Where to stay:

We stayed at Super 8 by Wyndham on West Sunset Boulevard right by the Dodger Stadium. The ideal location if you’re going to a Dodgers game as it was literally a 5 minute walk away, it was pretty good value too for LA prices and breakfast was included (although in hindsight after seeing the breakfast at some other hotels we stayed at later on this one seemed pretty basic!) The wifi however was terrible, and they no longer let you park for free so probably wouldn’t stay here again.

Where to eat/drink:

Beachwood Cafe, Hollywood

Great brunch spot in West Hollywood! It’s expensive but not overly so considering the location and the cornflake french toast was incredible.

SALUD Tacos, San Diego

Amazing taco place near to Chicano Park in San Diego. The portions sizes were so big we struggled to finish it and the Horchata was as good as in Mexico!

Summary: LA exceeded all our expectations and we will definitely be coming back. The only negative was the traffic but that was forgiven considering how amazing the city was.

Here’s a roundup of our best and worst bits from our 6 weeks in Mexico!

Best town/city

Puerto Escondido – we might be biased as we stayed here for 4 and a half weeks but we loved it here. Great surf, food, activities and beaches.

Worst town/city

Cancun – not too much to do in Cancun downtown itself and not much to see either so for that reason it gets voted the worst city in Mexico.

Best surf spot

Zicatela – monster 3-4m waves and a much friendlier surf spot than some of the other places nearby.

Worst surf spot

La Punta – if there was nobody else in the water it would be a great wave, unfortunately it was so busy all the time and not very friendly either.

Best activity

Horse riding on the beach at sunset – such a fun activity riding along the beach just outside Puerto Escondido.

Chichen Itza – we couldn’t pick just one best activity and no trip to Mexico is complete without a visit to this incredible ruin, quite rightly one of the seven wonders of the world.

Worst activity

We couldn’t think of one for this category!

Best ruins/archaeological site

It has to be Chichen Itza but closet followed by the Teohitican ruins for the sheer scale of the pyramids.

Worst ruins/archaeological site

None. All of the archaeological sites were amazing in different ways.

Best meal

Burrito amor, Tulum – our first proper meal out in Mexico and definitely the best burritos we had in Mexico.

Disfruta (best café) – as a side note Disfruta a little cafe in Puerto Escondido was a great place for juice, yoghurt bowls and veggie burritos and also so cheap.

Worst meal

We had a Mexican breakfast at Zicatela market and I ended up with food poisoning so this has to be the worst meal.

Best drink

Passion fruit & mango juice from Disfruta cafe for Thomas.

Passion margarita from Espadin Restaurant in Puerto Escondido for Issy.

Also Horchata gets a special mention as it was delicious. It’s a traditional Mexican drink made from white rice soaked in water and flavoured with cinnamon. It’s amazing.

Worst drink

None!

Best snack

Takis original flavour (green packet) – all the takis were amazing but this was my favourite flavour!

Worst snack

Penguin – one of the first snacks we tried from the oxxo in Mexico as they were everywhere. They were kind of like a mini roll but a really bad version.

Best dessert

We couldn’t choose just one so here’s our top three:

1) Fraisier from Caramel Pasteleria in Mexico City.

2) Churros from El Moro in Mexico City

3) Passion fruit & mango swiss roll from Mexico City

Worst dessert

Pineapple tacos from the local supermarket – they kind of looked like a puff pastry dessert but had 0 flavour and were disgusting. We couldn’t even finish them which is saying something.

Best accommodation

Los Amigos Tulum – great hotel, had its own kitchen area, spacious bathroom and bedroom, swimming pool on the rooftop and also access to a nearby hotel spa and well-equipped gym!

Worst accommodation

Villa Sofia Holiday Accommodations, Cancun – still a great place to stay but gets the vote for the worst accommodation as the rooms were a bit small and not as comfy as the other places we stayed at.

Journey to Mexico City:

A straightforward 1 hour plane journey from Puerto Escondido to Mexico City Airport and then we got an Uber to our hotel. The Uber price was so much cheaper than the taxi quotes we were given and so in the end it was only about 120 pesos to get to our hotel which was about 30 minutes away.

What to do:

Go to the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan

This is easy enough to do by yourself instead of doing through a tour company. From the northern bus station you can walk to gate 8 at the far end and buy a return bus ticket to the ruins, which costs 120 pesos per person. The bus takes about an hour to get to the ruins and it drops you at gate 2 (the ruins are so big there are multiple gates!) To enter it costs 90 pesos each and if you want a tour guide you can find one at the entrance. From here you follow the path to the Pyramid of the Sun which is absolutely huge and up until a few years ago could be climbed. It’s one of the tallest pyramid in the world (some say the 3rd, others say the 7th highest?)! The other main points of interest are the Pyramid of the Moon, the Palace of Itzpapalotl and the Temple of the Plumed Serpent. To get back again simply get the bus at the same point you were dropped off and it will take you back to the northern bus station in Mexico City.

A bit of history on the site:

The area around Teotihuacan was settled in somewhere around 400 BC. Tremendous progress happened between 100 – 250 AD during which the iconic pyramids were built. The civilization reached its peak around 400 AD. Then in the 700s, the city was pillaged and burned to the ground. It is not known what the reason for this was but it is suspected that it was either a local uprising against the elite or an external invasion. Teotihuacan was abandoned forever after that. No one knows where the ancient Teotihuacanos went. Unlike Mayans and Aztecs who continue to live among us today with their habits and practices, Teotihuacanos completely disappeared from the surface of the earth.

Visit the Frida Kahlo Museo

I think my favourite thing we did in Mexico City was visit the Frida Kahlo Museum or the Casa Azul (the blue house) where she lived for most of her life and eventually died. As well as displaying some of her artwork, the majority of the rooms are kept as they would have been when she lived there, such as the bedrooms and her painting studio. It wasn’t cheap at 250 pesos per person but definitely worth the visit. Also if you want to take photos you have to buy a photo permit which is another 30 pesos! Her life was fascinating though and the museum gives a great insight into one of the most famous Mexican painters of all time. Perhaps one of the most shocking facts was her two serious health incidents that occurred before she was 18. The first was polio at the age of 6 which meant one of her legs was longer than the other, and the second when a tram crashed into her bus where an iron handrail stabbed into her hip and out the other side. Although she eventually recovered she dealt with chronic pain throughout her life and had to have 35 operations.

Take a walk through Bosque de Chapultepec

Mexico’s equivalent to Hyde Park in London. A huge park which is perfect to wander round. In the centre is the Castillo de Chapultepec which houses the National history museum. We didn’t go but it was quite a responsable 90 pesos to enter.

See the Angel of Independence

This monument was built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of Mexico’s War of Independence. In later years it was made into a mausoleum for the most important heroes of that war. From the bosque de Chapultepec you can walk up the Main Street ahead to take a closer look at this impressive monument.

Meander through the Roma neighbourhood

One of our favourite neighbourhoods in Mexico City. There’s plenty of cool cafes and restaurants as well as brightly coloured streets to wander down and take photos!

Where to stay:

We stayed in Finca Coyoacan which was in the Coyoacan neighbourhood. This was a lovely area to stay and the hotel itself had very spacious bedrooms plus a shared living area/kitchen and a terrace at the back. The only downside was that the stove didn’t work which meant you couldn’t really use the kitchen for cooking anything. The neighbourhood is great for wandering around though and it’s only a 10 minute walk from the Frida Kahlo museo.

What to eat/drink:

Taco Orinoco

Kind of like a fast food taco place, you ordered at the till and within 5 minutes your tacos were ready. Not many vegetarian options and I ended up with a tiny quesadilla and a lot of spicy potatoes (which were delicious), but otherwise it was so tasty, cheap and came with about 5 different amazing sauces.

Churreria El Moro

Amazing churros. If you order the paqueta you can get 4 churros along with a hot chocolate of your choice for 105 pesos. There were about 7 different types of hot chocolate, we went for the Frances which was milk chocolate with vanilla. The churros were massive so by the end we felt very sick but it was worth it.

Alverre Cafe Bistro

Coyoacan has some great little cafes and this place was our favourite for desserts. They had so much choice and I think during our stay in Mexico City we tried about 4 different ones all of which were delicious. Apparently brunch is great here too.

Summary: A great few days in Mexico City! The highlights for me were definitely the Teotihuacan ruins and the Frida Kahlo Museum (and the desserts of course!)

We were lucky enough to stay in Puerto Escondido for four and a half weeks and with plenty of restaurants, bars and activities to try, as well as a beautiful coastline to explore, we loved every second! Here are our top things to do in the area!

Journey to Puerto Escondido

We were coming from Cancun so we had a flight from Cancun to Mexico City, a 3 hour stopover here, and then a second flight from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido. A very straightforward journey with Aeromexico and even the surfboard found its way to Puerto Escondido without an issue! The flights themselves were only about 1 and a half to 2 hours and as Mexico City airport is enormous we had plenty to occupy ourselves with during our stopover even if there was no aircon in the entire airport!

What to do:

Surfing

Probably the most popular activity in Puerto Escondido with the Zicatela surf spot known as the Mexican Pipeline being a major draw for surfers. These are the main surfing sports in the area…

Zicatela

The biggest and most powerful wave around, it isn’t known as the Mexican pipeline for no reason. This wave gives consistent barrels and is definitely one for the pros. A great spot to watch the surfers if you don’t have the level to face these monster waves! There are places to rent a board on the street parallel to the beach for about 500 pesos for 24 hours.

La Punta

At the far side of Zicatela beach there is the intermediate to advanced wave of La Punta – a point break giving consistently good left hand waves. However, as there is no real beginner beach in Puerto Escondido this is classed as the beginner beach which means it is very crowded and also a real local spot so if you are a tourist and haven’t paid for a lesson don’t expect to catch many waves. Unfortunately, this makes it quite an intimidating spot to surf and if you can avoid surfing here I would. That being said if you’re lucky and can avoid the huge amount of surf lessons that take place here it can be a great spot! To rent a board in the area there are several surf shops offering soft tops (with the amount of people surfing here a soft top is definitely the best option to avoid an accident and paying $100 USD for a ding in their board) for between 100 and 150 pesos for an hour. Don’t expect them to be friendly though.

Playa Carrizalillo

I’m not sure we can even call this a surf spot as every time we went here there were no waves but if you’ve never surfed before here you can at least practice standing on the board for the first time!

Barra de Navidad

Just outside Puerto Escondido is Barra de Navidad where there is a beach break, a great place to avoid the crowds. However, logistically it’s a bit tricky as there are no places to rent a board anywhere nearby and it’s a little far out. Also watch out for the crocodiles as there is a lagoon just next to the beach which is a protected area for them – we spotted one having a snooze on the road to the beach and had to make a quick dash past it praying it wouldn’t wake up!

Improve your Spanish

There are plenty of Spanish schools in Puerto Escondido to give you a hand with learning the language! We had 4 weeks of private lessons at Oasis Surf & Spanish School. Each lesson was an hour and a half and we paid a total of $715 USD. Being absolute beginners I definitely felt like we had at least a basic knowledge by the time we left so I would recommend the school if you’re looking to improve your Spanish skills!

Release baby turtles at Playa Bacocho

The organisation Vive Mar protects the beaches around Puerto Escondido for turtles but other animals and ecosystems too. At Playa Bacocho they have a turtle hatchery, where they put the eggs that the turtles lay on the beach in order to protect the eggs from threats like humans, domestic animals, global warming and light pollution. They then release the turtles back into the ocean when they are born. Every evening at 5pm you can go to the hatchery at Playa Bacocho and pay 150 pesos per person to release one of the baby turtles into the ocean. Before releasing a turtle they give you some information about the turtles, the different species, what Vive Mar does and a bit about the current threats the turtles are facing. You are then given a baby turtle in a coconut shell to release into the ocean! I thought it was going to be a very touristy experience, which it was, but it was also super informative and I really enjoyed the whole thing from learning about the turtles to seeing them up close!

Visit the markets

Mercado Zicatela and Mercado Benito Juarez are two of the markets in Puerto Escondido and definitely worth a visit. As well as selling an array of items from fresh fruit and vegetables to shoes to wicker baskets and spices they also have some great little restaurants with cheap local food. Mercado Zicatela is a great place for breakfast as there are restaurants on the terrace overlooking the sea. There is also a night market at Bahia Principal which is worth checking out too!

Watch the sunset

There are plenty of places to watch one of the famous Oaxaca sunsets, from La Punta to Carrizalillo the whole stretch of coastline offers beautiful sunset views!

Snorkelling at Playa Carrizalillo

A great beach to see some wildlife! By the rocks you can see many types of fish and also if you’re lucky some turtles!

Take a walk at Andador Turistico

Just next to the Bahia Principal you will find a walkway which goes along the coastline. It’s a great place to spot crabs, birds and fish. The walk itself has lots of steps and bridges to cross, and ends rather abruptly as part of the walkway has fallen into the ocean now! If it is fixed any time soon it looks like you can keep going along the coast until another beach!

Take a day trip to some nearby beach towns

We rented a car for 1100 pesos a day and drove down the coast to Barra de la Cruz, which is maybe 2 hours south of Puerto Escondido. It is primarily a surf spot so don’t expect lots of other activities but if you’re looking for a nice right hand wave this is normally a very consistent wave. It costs 100 pesos a person to go to the beach here though! Along the way we also stopped to visit Huatulco and Manzunte which have more tourists than Barra de la Cruz and are both laid back beach towns, Manzunte is definitely quieter and smaller than Huatulco but if you’re looking for a beach town without the big surf of Puerto this is the perfect place to stay! The restaurants and bars looked great with lots of choice and we paid a visit to a bakery called La Baguette which had the best bakery selection we’ve seen so far in Mexico.

Go horseriding at sunset

Lots of tour companies in Puerto Escondido offer a similar tour with horse riding at the Manialtepec Lagoon. We used Paraiso Huatulco and had a great experience. We were picked up from Zicatela at 3:30pm and it was about a 25 minute drive to the ranch (more like just a track) where the horses were waiting tacked up and ready for us. We rode through farmland with cows, horses, banana trees and lots of birds, crossing multiple rivers along the way until we reached the lagoon. Here they took off the horses saddles and the horses swam across the lagoon to the other side which was incredible to watch! We were taken across in a kayak and then we continued our ride along the beach until we reached a little restaurant. We stopped here until the sun began to set and we remounted and set off back the way we came with a wonderful view of the sunset! However, things got a little chaotic here as one of the horses got loose and the horses tried to follow suit which ended in everyone looking a bit confused, lots of hats lost as the pace picked up and one horse taking off down the beach until he was stopped by some other horse riders. This all made the ride even more of an adventure!

Where to stay:

We stayed in a great airbnb as we were there for over a month so wanted somewhere we could make our own meals and have our own space! Mary, our airbnb host was absolutely lovely and gave us plenty of fresh mangoes from the mango tree in the garden every day and even gave us a pot of homemade mango jam which was delicious! We did have a couple of scorpions pay our kitchen a visit but otherwise it was a great place to stay. There are plenty of hotel options in Puerto Escondido for a reasonable price and if you’re looking for a more luxurious option there are several of those too!

Where to eat/drink:

Disfruta Juice Bar (Carrizalillo)

Next to our Spanish school was Disfruta Juice Bar, they have plenty of juices and smoothies to choose from but also yoghurt bowls, burritos and other things to try too! The mango juice was amazing and their vegetarian burrito was incredible and a steal at only 65 pesos!

La Palapita Bar (Zicatela)

Right on the beach the perfect place to have a drink and watch the sunset. They are famous for their pina coladas served in a pineapple, and at certain times you can get unlimited refills for only 25 pesos. It is a little more expensive for the cocktails but it doesn’t get much better than pina coladas in a pineapple watching the sunset on the beach really.

Oaxaca Grill (Carrizalillo)

Quite a touristy spot and therefore quite a pricey place to eat. They serve huge hamburgers and it’s a great setting with fairy lights all around. However, the vegetarian option wasn’t amazing plus at between 145 to 180 pesos for a burger without any chips it’s definitely western prices.

Las Margaritas (Centro)

A great breakfast find! Don’t expect any tourists here, this is definitely a local spot but serves up an amazing traditional Mexican breakfast. Their breakfast options include a coffee or tea, a juice, a fruit platter plus your choice of main dish (such as chilaquiles or an omelette) for only 125 pesos. We were so full afterwards we had to have a wander around the nearby market to walk off our breakfast.

El Cafecito (Zicatela & Carrizalillo)

No matter when you try and go to El Cafecito both restaurants always seem to be busy although you’re normally seated quite quickly despite the queues! It’s easy to see why this is a favourite in Puerto Escondido as the portions are big, tasty and cheap! Not the best food we tasted but definitely worth trying if you’re looking for good value. It also has a separate bakery section attached – the apple tart is the best thing we tried from there by a long way. Avoid anything with puff pastry it just tastes strange!

Casa Fe Restaurant (Zicatela)

A bit more fancy this restaurant is part of the Casa Fe Hotel in Zicatela. It is still quite reasonably priced but definitely on the more expensive side for Puerto Escondido. Very decent food though and plenty of vegetarian options which was a plus!

Los diosa de los rios (Barra de la Cruz)

Not located in Puerto Escondido but if you go to Barra de la Cruz this was the best place. Serves amazing fruit bowls and for such a decent price! As well as fruit bowls there are incredible waffles, hot cakes, protein smoothies, juices and more. There was also a very cute puppy here which made it all the more memorable.

Selma (La Punta)

Right in the centre of La Punta this bar is next to the beach and a great place to sit and enjoy the sunset with a drink. The drinks were great if a bit pricey but it had a nice relaxed atmosphere and swings to sit on making the drinks price a bit more worth it.

Fish Shack (La Punta)

The Fish Shack has the reputation for the best tacos in Puerto Escondido (especially the fish ones which is maybe obvious from their name!) We had one chicken taco, one cauliflower and one mushroom and I think the cauliflower was our favourite. I think these were probably the best tacos we tried so worth the hype, however they’re quite small and 50 pesos per taco, I think I would need at least 3 or 4 to myself for a main meal.

Mama Malu (Zicatela)

Just off the main street in Zicatela next to the Oxxo is a little restaurant serving great Mexican food. It’s not fancy but that’s part of the charm and the burritos were delicious. We also had a litre of ‘the agua del dia’ we have no clue what it was but it was absolutely amazing and tasted exactly like the Nesquik strawberry flavoured milk.

Colombian Street Food (La Punta)

A great find in La Punta. Like the Oaxaca Grill there were several different street food restaurants in this one area, we tried the arepas and empanadas from a Colombian place and they were incredible!

Summary: We absolutely loved our stay in Puerto Escondido! Our Airbnb was great, the surf was incredible, the food was amazing. 9/10 (only downside was the unfriendly surfing vibe at La Punta which stops it from getting a 10/10!)

First stop on our trip to Mexico was Cancun and Tulum in the Yucatan peninsula, after a day in Madrid between flights!

Cancun

Journey to Cancun:

We arrived in Cancun on Monday 27th April at 17:45 after a 10 hour flight from Madrid. Although we had a slight panic at the airport that maybe the surfboard wouldn’t arrive we eventually had all our luggage and paid an extortionate $40 USD for a taxi to get to the centre of Cancun.

What to do:

Chichen Itza

Perhaps the most common thing to do in Cancun is to go on a day trip to see one of the wonders of the world, Chichen Itza. We decided out of the thousands of tours on offer to go with one by Amigo Tours which promised to arrive before the crowds. So at 5:40 in the morning we were picked up at a meeting point about a half hour walk from our hotel. We arrived at Chichen Itza at about 7:30am just before the gates opened (it was about a 2 hour journey but we crossed into another time zone!) We were the first tour group to arrive and apart from a few cars there was nobody else there yet so when we entered the site there were only a few people. Marco, our guide, was great and gave us so many interesting facts about the area that I would have had no clue about and Chichen Itza definitely did not disappoint.

Following our tour we were taken to another archeological site called Yaxunah. This site is only in the very early stages of recovery so we were only able to see a little but it was great to compare two very different archaeological sites. We then stopped at a cenote for lunch and a swim (where Thomas managed to lose his sunglasses and his GoPro in one go – he still hasn’t learnt to not bring sunglasses into water!) After learning the cenote could be about 45m deep we abandoned the search. Finally we returned to Cancun at about 6pm! It was our main reason for staying in Cancun and the visit has definitely been one of our highlights so far.

Isla Mujeres

For our second day trip from Cancun we decided to take the ferry to visit Isla Mujeres. We took an Uber from our hotel which cost about $6 USD to the ferry terminal where we bought our tickets. Although only a 15 minute journey to get there, our return tickets cost about $30 USD per person, which we thought was quite pricey! We chose to rent a golf buggy to get around the island since we were only there for the day and bought this in advance from Prisma Golf cart rental for $48 USD for the day. I wouldn’t recommend going through this company as they were quite rude and gave us no explanation as to how the golf cart worked so off we went without much idea what we were doing. It was an interesting way to get around the island but in hindsight I would have just rented a scooter or bicycle as the golf cart was a bit more annoying to park and probably the more expensive tourist option! We circled around the island, however many of the areas you had to pay to enter like Punta Sol at the end of the island. In the end we went back to the northern part where we had originally hired the golf buggy and stayed around this area where the beaches were swimmable. While I’m glad we went to the island it was very touristy which spoilt the otherwise very beautiful beaches a little and made it very expensive so I probably wouldn’t return.

Where to stay:

We stayed in Villa Sofia which was in the central area of Cancun rather than the hotel zone. The hotel itself was in a lovely safe area, near to a couple of big supermarkets. There was a shared kitchen space, pool and terrace which was an added bonus. Whilst the room was maybe a little small it was very comfortable and nicely decorated, would definitely stay here again (and we did on the night before our flight to Puerto Escondido!)

Tulum

Journey to Tulum:

To get to Tulum we took an Uber to the Ado bus station in Cancun. We had booked our bus online which cost us about $30 USD in total so $15 per person. The bus was air conditioned, super comfy and took about 2 hours 45 minutes to get to the centre of Tulum.

What to do:

Cenote encantado nuan

To start exploring Tulum the easiest way is by bicycle! There are plenty of places in the centre renting bikes or scooters. We found ours about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and rented 2 bikes for 5 days for a cost of 1,500 pesos. Once we hired bikes we set off for the beach only to find beach access barred unless you paid entry to a beach club (some of these had a minimum spend of $70 USD) so we continued cycling along the beach road and eventually came to the entrance for Cenote encantado nuan. The entry fee was 100 pesos per person and there was only a handful of people about. It was a lovely cenote with lots of wildlife and we had a great time swimming and paddle boarding there!

Tulum archaeological zone

Probably one of the most famous things to do in Tulum but definitely worthwhile. We cycled to Tulum archaeological zone which took about 30 minutes from our hotel. We arrived just as the ruins opened at 8am so as to try and avoid the crowds. The entrance fee into the area is 58 pesos per person and entrance into the ruins is an additional 90 pesos per person. Being right on the coast there were amazing views and the ruins were incredibly scenic. The whole area took about 1 hour to wander round and then we continued cycling along the road to reach the beach.

Playa Paraiso

We finally managed to find a beach with free access so we parked our bikes at Playa Paraiso. Although had we come a bit later I think we would have been firmly directed to their sunloungers or restaurant rather than just walking down to the beach! We walked along the beach and went for a swim. When we were there we found there was huge amounts of seaweed along the beach which they were having to pick up with a rake attached to a tractor. Apparently this seaweed appears during hurricane season in the Caribbean.

Coba ruins

We caught the bus leaving the ado bus terminal at 8:36 and after leaving a good 20 minutes after this time we reached the ruins at about 10am. The bus cost 61 pesos per person and dropped us about a 5 minute walk from the entrance. The entry fee was 100 pesos and there was also the option at the entrance to rent bicycles to get around the ruins as the area was huge, we chose to walk and it took us maybe 2 and a half hours to walk around the entire site. There was a lot to see including the Nohoch mul pyramid, the largest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula standing at 42m high. Until quite recently people had been allowed to climb the pyramid although this is not the case anymore but still a very impressive site to see in any case! We also spotted a lot of wildlife including birds and monkeys. We decided to catch the bus back to Tulum at 2pm, however after waiting for half an hour without a bus appearing we eventually shared a collectivo back to Tulum along with a few other tourists for 100 pesos each.

Muyil ruins and Sian Ka’an biosphere

We also got to the Muyil ruins by another bus, this one was even more straightforward and took 20 minutes at a cost of 33 pesos each one way. The Muyil ruins were very empty of tourists and although there wasn’t a huge amount there it was still worth a visit, especially since you could access the Sian ka’an biosphere at the back of the el Castillo building. Entry to the ruins was 70 pesos per person and entrance to Sian ka’an was 50 pesos per person. There was a boardwalk through the jungle where we got bitten by about a thousand mosquitos (if going anywhere near a jungle do not forget the mosquito spray like us!) The boardwalk leads you to a dock where there are boats that can take you further into Sian ka’an, but at 1000 pesos per person we decided against this option! We saw lots of birds and butterflies along the way and also climbed a rickety looking viewing tower about half way along the boardwalk. Although it looked a bit scary and is definitely not for those suffering from a fear of heights the views from the top were worth the climb!

Tulum jungle gym

We decided to try out Tulum jungle gym the morning before our bus back to Cancun. The one in the town is 300 pesos per person which is still pretty expensive, but in comparison to the beach location which is 600 pesos it was a bit more reasonable! This was definitely a lot of fun and not too busy which was a surprise, however it’s a bit too expensive to become a regular gym!

Where to stay:

We stayed at Los Amigos which was about $57 USD per night. It was in the centre of Tulum and also featured a kitchenette in each room, a rooftop pool area and free use of a nearby hotels gym and spa which was a nice added extra! The staff were also super friendly and we really enjoyed our stay there!

What to eat:

Although we mainly made our own food in our little kitchenette so save on costs here were some of our favourite places we visited for food/drink!

Burrito amor

Definitely our favourite meal. We had guacamole and tortilla chips, a margarita, a coconut water, vegetarian burrito, chicken burrito and an egg burrito and everything was amazing. Although not super cheap at about $40 USD for our order.

Raw love cafe

I had an amazing Frappuccino here and the garden at the back of this cafe was super cute, although Thomas had a coconut milk latte which was nowhere near as nice.

Me Latte

Just next to our hotel was this lovely little cafe serving breakfasts and incredible drinks. The choco ice latte I got here was one of the best drinks I’ve ever tasted and was sadly gone in about 2 minutes it was so good. Very reasonably priced too.

Dune Boutique Hotel (smoothie cafe)

We can’t remember the exact name of the cafe but it was part of the Dune Hotel next to the beach in Tulum. Although the staff weren’t too friendly and we weren’t huge fans of the beach area of Tulum the smoothie bowls we had were amazing. Very overpriced but very tasty.

Summary: So far we love Mexico, the food, the people, the nature, the ruins. Everything was amazing although we are looking forward to going to a slightly less touristy area next!