• age gap couple smiling desa penglipuran village entrance bali galungan festival agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    A Rainy Day at Penglipuran, Bali, One of the World’s Cleanest Villages

    Two reasons that make Bali so enchanting to tourists even Indonesians are the culture and architecture. The architecture boasts a centuries-old style of design that’s heavily influenced by Bali’s Hindu tradition, especially the temples. If you’ve seen most of the temples in Bali, I encourage you to visit Penglipuran, Bangli, Bali. Recognised as the World’s Third Cleanest Village 2016 alongside Giethoorn (Netherlands) and Mawlynnong, the small village will definitely charm you. I heard about this village from my mom, who has been urging me to visit it. After a year or two, finally, I managed to see it with my own eyes. And with a plus-one 😉 Penglipuran derives from…

  • a guide to choosing a hostel seminyak bali asian girl traveler red hat skirt white shirt holds luggage standing at hostel entrance agirlnamedclara
    Money,  Travel

    A Guide to Choosing a Hostel in Seminyak, Bali

    Where do you prefer to stay during a holiday – a hotel or hostel? For someone who always joins a group or private tour, I’ve been staying in the hotel all my travel life. Little did I know that staying in the hostel, especially when in Seminyak, Bali could be the best option. Therefore, this week’s blog post is about a guide to choosing a hostel, especially in Seminyak, Bali 🙂 Of course, the opinion is subjective. If you’re travelling with family, spouse, or friends; appreciate privacy and have a comfortable budget – by all means, go for hotels. There are many wonderful, romantic hotels and resorts in Bali that…

  • sea rock villa bentota sri lanka girl in bikini backside with beach hut and coconut tree blue sky agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Galentine’s Day at Sea Rock Villa, Bentota, Sri Lanka

    It’s the lovey-dovey month again (yes, FEBRUARY) and the sky has been gloomy these days. Come on, we need sunshine to welcome Valentine’s day! In February 2019, I went to Sri Lanka for a 6 days solo trip and enjoyed it to the max. The travel agent arranged a one-night stay at Sea Rock Villa, Bentota before my last day and I found myself thinking, “Yes! I deserved this!”. Bentota is a resort town with clean, private beaches, comfortable resorts and is less packed. It’s a contrast to Hikkaduwa, which is as busy as Kuta (Bali). If you’re thinking to have Valentine’s Day trip to Sri Lanka with your bae,…

  • agirlnamedclara one day kl express travel itinerary
    Life,  Travel

    Transiting in Malaysia? Here’s Your 1 Day Kuala Lumpur Express Travel Itinerary

    What would you do if you or someone you know have only one day to spend in Kuala Lumpur aka KL, Malaysia and want to experience the rich culture? Whether you’re transiting or just want to have a crash trip in KL, I’ve crafted this post as your 1 Day Kuala Lumpur Express Travel Itinerary. I was a KL tour guide for two people who had a similar situation, therefore, the inspiration for this week’s blog post 😉 But before that, let me share the story behind this. The whole idea of being a tour guide in a city where I’ve lived in for more than 10 years is inspired…

  • asian girl traveler tourist trying golden necklace long neck tribe village chiang mai agirlnamedclara
    Life,  Travel

    I Made Chiang Mai as My First Thailand Trip… Though It May Be Unethical

    A lot of people rave about Thailand, especially Bangkok and its paradise islands. I had enough of people telling me that I should go to Thailand, so I did, in 2018. However, instead of Bangkok or Hua Hin (the Thai Santorini-style destination), I chose Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai as my first Thailand trip. I know, I know. I will visit Bangkok one day, don’t worry. But if you haven’t travelled to Chiang Mai, now I’m telling you that you should :p I was browsing Thailand tour packages when I found the Chiang Mai trip. And the main reason that tickled my wanderlust soul was the Long Neck Tribe Village.…

  • female solo traveller windproof jacket walking alone mountain background blue sky morocco
    Travel

    Admiring the Beautiful Landscape of Morocco and the Sahara Desert

    You will not see a lot of greens in Morocco but the African country will charm you in its own way, especially the landscape. The news of the Australian bushfire reminds me that we should be grateful and appreciate mother nature, and the landscape we’ve been to. Whether it’s the spectacular Norwegian fjords or the exotic Sahara desert of Morocco. Therefore, I would like to share with you the beautiful landscape of Morocco. The Morocco Landscape Traveler Photo Album I know I look fat in the photo. But I didn’t care as it was SUPER COLD in the morning in Sahara! I had layers of clothes and wished I brought…

  • buddha bar marrakech giant gold buddha statue rick's cafe casablanca morocco nightlife agirlnamedlcara
    Travel

    Morocco Nightlife: Buddha Bar Marrakech and Rick’s Café Casablanca

    Happy New Year 2020! This week’s post is a little bit late because, ehm, honestly I was too in the year-end mood, hehe! In this blog post, I want to share with all of you the nightlife in Morocco. Yes! Morocco is more than an exotic culture and mesmerizing design. During my trip to Morocco, I had really good times in Buddha Bar, Marrakech and Rick’s Café, Casablanca. Of course, the interior design of both places made the experience more worth it. The Luxurious Buddha Bar, Marrakech I prefer bars over clubs because I can’t stand the smoke. Well, unless I really feel like dancing and going wild 😛 And, if…

  • agirlnamedclara asian solo female traveler pose morocco hotel background marrakech palm tree swimming pool
    Travel

    Morocco Travel — A Glimpse of Bahia Palace and Marrakech Souk

    I failed. I’m sorry dear readers and friends, I declare that I failed in capturing the beauty of Bahia Palace and Marrakech souk in Morocco through my camera lens. At that time in 2015, I never dreamt of becoming a travel and finance blogger hence I didn’t really bother to take many beautiful photos of the sites. Furthermore… not to excuse myself, Moroccans do not like being photographed. Although I didn’t mean to focus on the locals, they seemed worried whenever I pointed to the camera. As a girl who wandered around the souk alone with a DSLR in her hands, I tried to be polite by not taking too…