About Author: Tanya

Description: Tanya is a TEFL teaching farmer’s daughter and writes most of the posts. She is also an experienced IT person, a fantastic organiser and an awesome cook. She left a free-beer-providing IT job in a brewery for life on the road. That is commitment!

Posts by Tanya

Our First House-Sit in Singapore (Lucky Us!)

Posted on May 22, 2013 | 2 Comments
We had both always wanted to go and hang out in Singapore. Andrew had been there for twenty four hours with his brother quite a few years back and I had spent some time there when I was a child. I don’t remember anything about it except that I started...
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Two Months In Bali, How Much Did We Spend?

Posted on April 24, 2013 | No Comments
We stayed on the island of Bali in Indonesia for 59 days, lets call it two months. We spent a grand total of AUD $3367.92 during that time. We certainly didn’t live like kings or queens and we also didn’t live like paupers… we lived a “just right for us”...
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Kerobokan, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us

Posted on April 17, 2013 | 1 Comment
Kerobokan in Bali is quite the intriguing mish mash of places. You can find the famous Kerobokan prison, not that you would ever want to actually visit the place. Ample fairly awesome condos, rooms, villas and houses to rent and buy can be found in Kerobokan. And, you can also...
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Pacsafe 20L Personal Safe Review

Posted on April 10, 2013 | No Comments
A few months ago I entered a competition from Bagworld by liking and sharing a product of theirs on Facebook. Of course, I chose the Pacsafe Travelsafe 20L Portable Safe, and I won. Thanks again Bagworld! I love Pacsafe. I love Bagworld. I love Security. Put them all together and...
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Candidasa, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us

Posted on April 3, 2013 | No Comments
Candidasa or Candi Dasa is a small village located on the east side of Bali. The drive from the airport takes approximately 90 minutes. The drive from Ubud is about the same. It is a very relaxing place but the pros and cos of Candidasa pretty much cancel each other...
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Happy Third Year Wedding Anniversary To Us

Posted on March 27, 2013 | 4 Comments
Queue the love gush time: One of the best things that EVER happened to me was meeting Andrew. He is the soothing yin to my raging yang. He is my lover, best friend, travel partner, money maker, maker of cups of tea, and all around awesome person. How I love thee! Surprisingly we...
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Trail Wallet App Review

Posted on March 13, 2013 | 4 Comments
I came across this iPhone / iPad / iPod app a few months ago and without any hesitation, I paid my USD $1.99 and have’t looked back since. Trail Wallet is an app that can easily track your daily expenditure in the local currency of the country you are...
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Ubud, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 2 Comments
Yoga, meditation, breathing classes, re-birthing, and tantric retreats. I may not be totally into these things but there are plenty of expats living in Ubud that are. This is the place you want to hang out if you want to eat healthy, breathe healthy and just live life simply. Most...
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What Things Cost At Carrefour In Bali, Indonesia

Posted on February 27, 2013 | No Comments
One of the first things we do when sizing up a place to stay long-term is to check out the prices in a supermarket. The bigger the supermarket the better as then you will be able to find all the things you actually need / want to help make your...
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Sanur, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us

Posted on February 20, 2013 | 2 Comments
The sleepy beachside village, but more like a city, of Sanur in Bali was our next stop on our “lets find a suitable place or three in Bali to keep coming back to” tour. I liked the place, Andrew did not. Of course, we don’t have to agree on everything...
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Legian, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us

Posted on February 6, 2013 | No Comments
We’ve been to Bali a number of times before. I (Tanya) have enjoyed the Bali tourist route six times now. Andrew, three. The difference, this time, is that we are here as potential long-termers. We have sixty days to explore what Bali has to offer for someone like us, long...
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House-Sitting in Gelorup, Western Australia (Just 2km From Tanya’s Folk’s Place)

Posted on January 23, 2013 | 1 Comment
Just before we headed up to Perth to start our house-sitting gig in Mt Lawley I noticed a “House-Sitter Wanted” advert on one of the many house sitting websites we belong to. Although the advert wasn’t wanting us to fly to Spain, or Portugal, or Portland for that matter, the...
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One Pan Wonder Recipe – Sweet Corn Fritters

Posted on January 16, 2013 | 4 Comments
One Pan Wonder Recipe – Sweet Corn Fritters Sweet Corn Fritters are very simple to make, have hardly any ingredients and are perfect for snacks on the road. If you can make use of a hostel kitchen outside of the peak hour times, make a heap of them to eat...
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House-Sitting in Mt Lawley, Perth, Western Australia

Posted on January 9, 2013 | 3 Comments
By the time we set foot at our house-sitting gig in Mt Lawley the longest we had stayed in one place was five weeks. That was the sugar gliders at Xinbeitou in Taipei, Taiwan. Sure, we had stayed in Siem Reap for close to seven weeks but we had moved...
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Happy New Year From Perth, Western Australia

Posted on January 2, 2013 | No Comments
Happy New Year from Perth, Western Australia! New Year is a time to look back on the past year and forward to the next. What have you achieved in the last twelve months? What do you want to achieve in the next twelve? The Christmas orgy of food and presents...
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Merry Christmas From Us At Magic Travel Blog

Posted on December 26, 2012 | 2 Comments
Merry Christmas! Are you as overstuffed as we are? Along with catching up with all our buddies over the last few weeks, we have had to endure (heh) a Christmas Eve dinner and a Christmas morning breakfast in Perth. We then jumped in the car and headed to Bunbury for...
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Magic Travel Blog – Trip Update 4

Posted on December 21, 2012 | 5 Comments
Priorities are a funny business. They are often so muddled and difficult to sort out. But then, once in a while, something cuts through it all and your priorities become clear. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Trip update 3 left off with us in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We had just...
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How To Get From Taipei Main Station To Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Easily

Posted on December 20, 2012 | No Comments
The easiest way to get from Taipei city to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is by the use of a taxi. However, that’s a little pricey. If you want to travel to the airport the same way as most Taiwanese and the majority of tourists you can catch a bus...
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The Sights At Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

Posted on December 19, 2012 | No Comments
When you visit Taiwan, please make sure you have at least two full days set aside for Sun Moon Lake. The area that surrounds the lake is remarkably beautiful and you can’t help but relax and want to hike, ride a push bike, hop on a boat or just sit...
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Sun Moon Lake Accommodation – Mei Jen House Review

Posted on December 17, 2012 | No Comments
Sun Moon Lake is quite a touristy destination that is popular with the Taiwanese. It a little hard to find a room that would suit us for under our normal budget of around $30 per night. There are plentiful accommodation options around Sun Moon Lake USD $40 and up...
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Taiwan Handy Hints – EasyCards

Posted on December 14, 2012 | No Comments
Taipei’s EasyCard Want To Get Around Taiwan Easily? Get Yourself An EasyCard Straight Away The easiest way to get anything or anywhere you want in Taiwan is by purchasing an EasyCard. An EasyCard is a “touch-n-go” ticketing system issued by the Taipei Metro but can be used for bus services,...
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Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, Taiwan

Posted on December 12, 2012 | 2 Comments
Right in the centre of Taiwan is one of the most beautiful lakes we have seen in the world. Sun Moon Lake is certainly a tourist hot spot in Taiwan that you should not miss when you visit. The moment you arrive at Sun Moon Lake you really do forget...
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How To Get From Taichung To Sun Moon Lake Easily

Posted on December 10, 2012 | No Comments
This guide to get to Sun Moon Lake is from the main Taichung Train Station as we stayed in Taichung for a few days. We previously wrote about Taichung here. If you are catching the HSR trains, not to worry, our guide will still help you. We also have a...
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The Night Market In Taichung, Taiwan

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 2 Comments
Although Taichung isn’t a major tourist destination it does have quite a bit to offer. However if you make the same mistake as us and visit the city on a Monday then none of the museums or art galleries or anything like that will be open. Take note, Monday is...
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How To Get From Taipei to Taichung Easily

Posted on December 3, 2012 | 1 Comment
It was time to see the rest of Taiwan. We had spent six weeks in Taipei and we loved it. Taipei has so much to offer everyone that we were quite sad to leave. Alas, it was finally time for day one of our two week “Taiwan By Rail” Tour....
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Day Trips From Taipei, Taiwan

Posted on November 30, 2012 | No Comments
There are many day trips you can make from Taipei in Taiwan. Click through the pictures to see where you can go and read more. Check out the harbour city of Keelung on the north east side of Taiwan. We enjoyed the harbour views, stair climbing in Zhingzheng National...
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Day Trips From Taipei – Beitou

Posted on November 28, 2012 | No Comments
Taiwan is famous for its natural hot springs. One of the most accessible places to experience these if you’re in Taipei is in Beitou. It’s just a short MRT ride to the Xinbeitou station from the centre of Taipei. The trains on the Xinbeitou MRT line are even painted and...
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Day Trips From Taipei – Hsinchu

Posted on November 26, 2012 | 4 Comments
Hsinchu is the oldest city in northern Taiwan and can be reached in an hour or so via Taiwan’s TRA train system. To get to Hsinchu make your way to Taipei Main Station and head to the TRA section. Check the screens for the next available train to Hsinchu (or...
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Multi Functional Travel Gear – Magic Travel Cloth

Posted on November 23, 2012 | No Comments
Hi! I love my multi-functional devices, and here is one that I LOVE even more than the usual! We went into a souvenir shop in Taipei in our second week in Taiwan and I saw this awesome handkerchief decorated with the Taipei Metro system route map. It includes pictures of...
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Day Trips From Taipei – Maokong Gondola and Traditional Tea Tasting

Posted on November 21, 2012 | 2 Comments
Want to see Taipei from the sky? Check out the Maokong Gondola on the outskirts of Taipei in Taiwan. Andrew and I were both a little excited about finally getting to experience the Gondolas. If it’s windy they close the gondola. Before the day we went it had been closed...
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Day Trips From Taipei – Tamsui

Posted on November 19, 2012 | 2 Comments
Tamsui is a small city just north of Taipei on the MRT Danshui Line. It is important to know that Tamsui is also known as Danshui, Danshuei and Tamshui. The name is always the same in Mandarin but the spelling in English varies. Heading to Tamshui on the MRT will...
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Five Tasty Eats In Taipei

Posted on November 12, 2012 | 4 Comments
While we were in Taipei, we had the opportunity to cook our own meals as we were pet/house-sitting. When we weren’t cooking tasty pastas, pizzas, omelettes (and more), we were out exploring Taipei’s many food options. There are a lot of them and we certainly ate a lot. The below...
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Seven Things To Do In Taipei, Taiwan

Posted on November 7, 2012 | 2 Comments
Here is just a snippet of what Taipei in Taiwan has to offer visitors. Click through the pictures to see and read more. Go hiking on the outskirts of Taipei. We completed the Xiazhulin Hiking Trail just north of Tienmu in Taipei, Taiwan. The hiking trails are a lot...
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Things To Do In Taipei – Xiazhulin Hiking Trail

Posted on November 5, 2012 | 1 Comment
The Xiazhulin Hiking Trail is also known as the Tienmu Trail which was originally part of the Yulu Ancient Trail is easily accessible by taking the MRT to Shilin Station and then catching a bus (220, 601, 16…) to the last stop of Tienmu. From the last bus stop of Tienmu,...
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Parcel Postage Rates – Price Guide to Post Stuff from Taiwan

Posted on November 2, 2012 | No Comments
I am not sure if I have said it often enough on here but I Love Taiwan. Perhaps we were just lucky but when we headed into two different post offices in Taipei we received excellent service. The first post office we went in was extremely busy so we didn’t...
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Things To Do In Taipei – Checking Out Street Art In Ximen

Posted on October 31, 2012 | 2 Comments
Ximen in Taipei, Taiwan is the place to hang out if you are cool, young, good looking, funky and of course hip. Shopping is great here as are the restaurant choices. If you head to the backstreet’s of Ximen there are areas of street art to check out. Here are...
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Things To Do In Taipei – Miniatures Museum Of Taiwan

Posted on October 29, 2012 | 1 Comment
The moment you open the doors to enter the Miniature Museums of Taiwan (MMOT) you can’t help but feel like a kid again. It’s a hard feeling to describe but there is something about miniature things and massive doll houses that just brings you back to five year old you....
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House-Sitting in Taipei, Taiwan

Posted on October 26, 2012 | 2 Comments
We were so lucky to score house-sitting gigs in Taipei, Taiwan. Seriously lucky! Our hosts weren’t exactly sure what date they would be leaving their property for a holiday in the United States so they organised a week for us at one of their friend’s houses. For one week we...
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Things To Do In Taipei – Museum Of Contemporary Art (MOCA) In Taipei

Posted on October 24, 2012 | No Comments
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Taipei is a must see if you are spending a few days in Taipei. It is located not far from Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan MRT Station. Map link here. What makes MOCA so special the regularly changing exhibits so if you are...
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Things To Do In Taipei – Museum Of World Religions

Posted on October 22, 2012 | No Comments
The Museum Of World Religions was really fantastic. We both had our doubts as we had been to numerous temples, mosques, churches, shrines, pagodas… the list goes on. However, the museum of world religions took learning about religions to a whole new level. As we entered the museum in Yonghe,...
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