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Our First House-Sit in Singapore (Lucky Us!)
Posted on May 22, 2013 | 2 CommentsWe 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... -
Cheap Things To Do In Singapore
Posted on May 15, 2013 | No CommentsWe recently spent 10 days in Singapore. Singapore isn’t exactly off the beaten path or known for being cheap and cheerful. If anything it’s very well established and rather expensive. However you don’t have to spend a fortune in Singapore. Here are some of the things we did that didn’t... -
Advice if You’re Moving to Chiang Mai
Posted on May 8, 2013 | 1 CommentI recently wrote a big long email worth of tips for someone about to move to Chiang Mai. It’s stuff that’s applicable to most people so I thought I’d repeat a slightly edited version of it here. This is a bit of brain dump but hopefully it makes sense. ... -
Bali Round Up For Long Term Travelers
Posted on May 1, 2013 | No CommentsWe are now at the tail end of our two month stay in Bali. We’ve spent two months here as part of our ongoing quest to find places to spend bigger chunks of time in the future. How has Bali stacked up? We knew going in that convenient access back... -
Two Months In Bali, How Much Did We Spend?
Posted on April 24, 2013 | No CommentsWe 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”... -
Kerobokan, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us
Posted on April 17, 2013 | 1 CommentKerobokan 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... -
Candidasa, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us
Posted on April 3, 2013 | No CommentsCandidasa 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... -
Bicycle Tour of Bali
Posted on March 20, 2013 | 3 CommentsWhile in Ubud we took the opportunity to go on a bicycle tour of the area. There’s a multitude of people offering tours and we opted for Bali Budaya based on them having a nice brochure. It’s very scientific. They picked us up bright and early and drove us and... -
Ubud, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us
Posted on March 6, 2013 | 2 CommentsYoga, 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... -
What Things Cost At Carrefour In Bali, Indonesia
Posted on February 27, 2013 | No CommentsOne 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... -
Sanur, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us
Posted on February 20, 2013 | 2 CommentsThe 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... -
Thailand Long Term Visas
Posted on February 13, 2013 | 5 CommentsRecently someone asked me how they could go about staying in Thailand for 2-3 years. That’s quite an involved question so I decided to publish my response here. All of this is accurate as far as I know. The regulations change periodically so you should make sure to double check... -
Legian, Bali For Long Term Travellers Like Us
Posted on February 6, 2013 | No CommentsWe’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... -
We are in Bali!
Posted on January 30, 2013 | 13 CommentsWe have just arrived in Bali and I’ve broken a thong. That’s a “flip flop” for you americans and a “jandal” for you New Zealanders. This may not seem important but my faithful double pluggers have been with me for many years and have accompanied me on many an international... -
House-Sitting in Gelorup, Western Australia (Just 2km From Tanya’s Folk’s Place)
Posted on January 23, 2013 | 1 CommentJust 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... -
House-Sitting in Mt Lawley, Perth, Western Australia
Posted on January 9, 2013 | 3 CommentsBy 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... -
Merry Christmas From Us At Magic Travel Blog
Posted on December 26, 2012 | 2 CommentsMerry 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... -
Magic Travel Blog – Trip Update 4
Posted on December 21, 2012 | 5 CommentsPriorities 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... -
How To Get From Taipei Main Station To Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Easily
Posted on December 20, 2012 | No CommentsThe 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... -
The Sights At Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan
Posted on December 19, 2012 | No CommentsWhen 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... -
Sun Moon Lake Accommodation – Mei Jen House Review
Posted on December 17, 2012 | No CommentsSun 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... -
Taiwan Handy Hints – EasyCards
Posted on December 14, 2012 | No CommentsTaipei’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,... -
Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, Taiwan
Posted on December 12, 2012 | 2 CommentsRight 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... -
How To Get From Taichung To Sun Moon Lake Easily
Posted on December 10, 2012 | No CommentsThis 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... -
How To Get From Taipei to Taichung Easily
Posted on December 3, 2012 | 1 CommentIt 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.... -
Day Trips From Taipei, Taiwan
Posted on November 30, 2012 | No CommentsThere 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... -
Day Trips From Taipei – Beitou
Posted on November 28, 2012 | No CommentsTaiwan 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... -
Day Trips From Taipei – Hsinchu
Posted on November 26, 2012 | 4 CommentsHsinchu 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... -
Multi Functional Travel Gear – Magic Travel Cloth
Posted on November 23, 2012 | No CommentsHi! 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... -
Day Trips From Taipei – Maokong Gondola and Traditional Tea Tasting
Posted on November 21, 2012 | 2 CommentsWant 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... -
Day Trips From Taipei – Tamsui
Posted on November 19, 2012 | 2 CommentsTamsui 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... -
Day Trips From Taipei – Yangmingshan National Park
Posted on November 14, 2012 | No CommentsYangmingshan is a national park just outside of Taipei. It’s easily accessible, mountain filled and is perfect if you want to get out of the city and get some fresh mountain air. Sulphurous volcanic fumes aside. There are a number of buses to Yangmingshan from the various parts of Taipei.... -
Five Tasty Eats In Taipei
Posted on November 12, 2012 | 4 CommentsWhile 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... -
We Need A Home Base
Posted on November 9, 2012 | 12 CommentsOver the last year Tanya and I have travelled through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan. Right now we’re back in Australia with our families enjoying the Australian summer and looking forward to a baking hot Christmas. We’re also in the process of planning for next year. Think About The... -
Seven Things To Do In Taipei, Taiwan
Posted on November 7, 2012 | 2 CommentsHere 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... -
Things To Do In Taipei – Xiazhulin Hiking Trail
Posted on November 5, 2012 | 1 CommentThe 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,... -
Parcel Postage Rates – Price Guide to Post Stuff from Taiwan
Posted on November 2, 2012 | No CommentsI 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... -
Things To Do In Taipei – Checking Out Street Art In Ximen
Posted on October 31, 2012 | 2 CommentsXimen 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... -
Things To Do In Taipei – Miniatures Museum Of Taiwan
Posted on October 29, 2012 | 1 CommentThe 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.... -
House-Sitting in Taipei, Taiwan
Posted on October 26, 2012 | 2 CommentsWe 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...
