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My first Christmas in the new apartment

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Hi everyone!

It’s been a while! Those of you who also follow me on Instagram, know that the last few weeks have been incredibly hectic and busy. I’ve been all over the place! As I am slowly getting all things sorted before my family arrives for Christmas I have decided to share these preparations with you.

I titled this blogpost “My first Christmas in the new apartment” not because I have just moved in (as I have been here over a year now) but due to travelling last year I did not spent Christmas here, in London. It is extremely special this year not only it’s my first Christmas in my homie, but also because my family is coming over in the next few days and we will spent Christmas together, yay! I am so excited and I have spent the last few weeks shopping and getting everything ready. I wanted to make sure my homie is cute and cosy.

I’d love to show you a little sneak peek of my Christmas homie. Hope you’ll enjoy it as I have never done a home blogpost before (even if I was planning it for ages!)

  • New flatmate Henry!
  • Cushions are all from Ikea
  • Boho cushions from Dunelm
My absolutely favourite chair from Dunelm. It’s actually a set of two chairs and a side table but I keep them in a separate rooms. This is my favourite spot in my house now!
Here’s the side table from Dunelm that comes together with 2 bamboo egg chairs. And my new flatmate Henry, haha! PS. Found Henry at Home Sense!

I also got these super cute Christmas accessories from Home Sense and a beautiful set of Christmas crackers from Dunelm.

I have been looking for a rustic oak round mirror for ages. I have seen so many gorgeous ones on Pinterest but couldn’t find any I real life, haha! I finally discovered this incredible one at Dunelm! It honestly added an extra space to the hallway! I also found a match oak console table at Wayfair and love how it looks all together!

  • Christmas chestnuts!

I still need to get few bits and pieces for other rooms but I hope you’ve enjoyed this little sneak peek of my living area where I am spending most of the time when I am home.

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Exploring Cambodia and Laos with Avani Hotels

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Hello everyone!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram already know that 2 weeks ago I was so lucky to be invited on a luxury press trip to Cambodia and Laos by Avani Hotels. As I have never been to these countries before I said YES straight away! I’ve also heard a lot of good things about Avani Hotels so thought that would be a perfect opportunity to experience the brand myself. Our trip was quite short – 3 days in each destination, but I am amazed by how much we’ve managed to see so I’ll put my favourite places and things to do in Cambodia and Laos in this blogpost too.

CAMBODIA

First place we got to visit is Cambodia. I was lucky to stay at the newly renovated FCC Angkor Avani Hotel located only 20 mins drive from the airport. What I love about this property the most is the central location – only 10 mins drive from the UNESCO world heritage site of Angkor Wat and right across from the Royal Independence Gardens and Royal Residence. The hotel centres around the former ‘Mansion’ of the French colonial governor, which became the renowned Foreign Correspondence Club and a popular meeting place for local and international journalists, celebrities, and travellers from around the world.

I have fallen in love with the property from the moment I walked in – some places just GET me and FCC Angkor Avani Hotel clearly did! Look at this beautiful entrance! I felt like stepping into an acient fairytale.

The hotel offers 5 different room types ( 80 rooms in total) – deluxe room, deluxe courtyard room ( where I’ve had a chance to stay), premier room, junior suite and governor suite. I absolutely loved the colonial structures with designs inspired by Cambodia’s nature. This hotel had my favourite boho vibes with all the natural tones, wooden floors, rattan furnitures and wooden slippers that I ended up wearing everyday and also brought them with me to London, haha! Our room had a beautiful view over the stylish pool area. Have a peek!

My beautiful room. Will never forget how comfortable this bed was!
A little retro touch- how adorable is this type writer on the desk? I’ve only seen it in the movies!

I also need to mention the incredible restaurant and bar that FCC Angkor Avani Hotel has to offer. The main restaurant in the hotel is Mansion Restaurant– a beautiful colonial ( and to me bohemian) style restaurant with outdoor seatings, where you can experience the authentic Cambodian cuisine. I especially enjoyed the breakfasts! I have ordered Khmer noodles the morning we’ve arrived and ended up having it every single day together with a bowl of fresh fruits! Oh how much I miss it!


The hotel also has the beautiful outdoor bar called Scribe, where you can enjoy the most delicious cocktails and admire the nature. It was also my favourite working spot.

What to do in Cambodia?

1. Sunrise at Ankor Wat– absolutely magical, can’t find words to describe it! It’s just something else!

2. Get lost Ta Prohm temple– famous from movie Lara Croft. This place is honestly surreal! This place hold many secrets! You need to see with your eyes!

3. Jewellery workshop with Ammo Jewellery– a social enterprise with a mission to provide specialised design skills to help young and disadvantaged Cambodias unlock their creative potential. I absolutely loved this workshop and had so much fun designing!

LAOS

After an amazing stay in Cambodia we’ve headed to Laos. To be absolutely honest with you, I haven’t heard much about Laos before I was invited for this press trip, but that made me want to go even more. In Laos we’ve stayed at Avani+ Luang Prabang Laos. Another incredible property located in the heart of beautiful Luang Prabang, right opposite the night market and surrounded by dozens of heritage temples and magical Mekong River.

We arrived to Avani + Luang Prabang Hotel at night and even thought I couldn’t really see much, I could already feel how charming, peaceful and elegant this property is. Their 25- metre pool accompanied by sun loungers in a little light impressed me straight away. We’ve headed straight for dinner to their famous restaurant.

The Bistro Restaurant at Avani +Luang Prabang reflects our times, as well as our multi-cultural and multi-ethnic backgrounds. The inspiration comes from classic favourites, and the adaptation comes with local flavours and ingredients. What I loved about this restaurant is that they strive to use sustainably grown products from local farmers using traditional & organic farming & fishing techniques, as well as local artisanal produced sausage, cured meats, cheese & breads (We’ve had a chance to visit one of the farms- the Buffalo Dairy Farm and it was a very interesting experience). The first dinner was a sharing style feast where we’ve got to try many delicious dishes! After the dinner we’ve headed straight to sleep.

The rooms were gorgeous! Will never forget the smell of wood when I stepped in. The decor was minimalistic, natural and light. Avani + Luang Prabang offers 53 rooms in total, with three different room categories – deluxe room, deluxe pool view room and suites. Each room designed to be open-plan, simple and comfortable. Each room is en-suite with a shower and twin vanities- such a great idea when you’re sharing a room with somebody! I’ve stayed at Deluxe Pool View Room and absolutely loved the balcony overlooking the pool. I would normally start my day with a little read, cup of tea, admiring the lush green courtyard.

There’s also a beautiful spa at the hotel with therapies and treatments inspired by Laotian and traditional Asian techniques. I was lucky to have a chance to experience it. I have chosen a full body massage. It was so needed after few intense days! It was lovely!

After the massage we’ve had a couple of hours off so I’ve headed straight to their beautiful pool and enjoyed a little swim followed by a watermelon juice served at the pool bar. They had a great variety of fresh juices and smoothies. Look how beautiful this place was!

Wearing Mavele Swimwear. I absolutely love the print and the colour combination! This model is called Tribal Toucan. You can purchase it here.

What to do in Laos?

1. Visit Kuang Si Waterfall- is a three levelled waterfall. Honestly one of the most beautiful waterfalls my eyes ever seen!

During this trip I was wearing another Mavele bikini! Perfect for a little swim! This model is called Sunshine Fox. You already know how much I love this London based brand. If you’re looking for a new bikini you can have a look at their designs here.

2. Sunset cruise with Mekong Kingdoms – explore the beauty of the Mekong’s powerful waters, admire the incredible views of tropical jungles, mountain peaks, impressive rock formations and authentic villages. Try Laos testing tapas, sip cocktails and watch the sun going down!

3. Dine at Manda de Laos features Laotian Family Cuisine specialties from all regions of Laos. This restaurant is a perfect option for either romantic candle light dinner under the stars, relaxing lunch or magical spot for the cocktail and a sunset watch. It was my favourite dinner during this trip!

4. Experience Alms giving ceremony at sunrise- Luang Prabang’s alms giving Ceremony is a longstanding tradition in Laos Buddhist culture since the 14th century. It takes place daily as the sun rises, beginning on the main street of Luang Prabang. Such an incredible experience!

Here with Bonnie and Chloe waiting for the ceremony to start!

5. Visit Phra Bang temple- there was quite a few temples around but I found this one especially charming.

Thank you Avani Hotels for having me on this wonderful press trip and giving me a chance to experience the culture and the beauty of Cambodia and Laos!

Post in collaboration with Avani Hotels

10 things you should pack for a long haul flight

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Hello everyone! Recently many of you have been asking me how do I deal with constant travelling and long haul flights. I thought I’ll put a little packing guide with all you the things you should have in your cabin bag for a long haul flight. As a full-time travel blogger I am on the go all year long and I feel like I finally have my own little routine. Some of the things may be obvious however I believe these tips can be very useful to the new travellers and people who never flew long haul before.

1. Comfortable outfit

I swear there’s nothing worse than flying in something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Forget about wearing jeans or tight tops. I normally wear comfortable underwear and sports bra ( this year I discovered Sloggi Zero Feel Bra and honestly you don’t feel like you’re wearing anything! Brilliant for long flights!) long, baggy sweatpants, t-shirt, big cosy hoodie and trainers. As I normally get quite cold on long haul flights I also make sure I have an extra jumper and a blanket in my cabin bag. I also pack a little light outfit – usually a dress and sandals to change when I am flying to a tropical destination.

Shop Sloggi

2. Wet wipes

Literally the first thing I think of when packing for all flights in general. It’s not only to keep yourself refreshed at all times. You need them to wipe the screen, side of the sit and dining table before you take off. Imagine how many people sat there and touched everything before you.

3. Eye mask

Something I honestly can’t imagine travelling without. This is the only way I am able to fall asleep on a long flight- otherwise all the lights can be very disturbing- for example when passenger next to you is watching the movie or reading a book or when in your time zone is a night time while on the plane it can be a day light already. I highly recommend having eye mask in the cabin bag. Many airlines also give you an eye mask together with headphones, ear plugs and a blanket but I feel like it’s always better to have your own just in case.

4. Ear plugs

I swear there’s nothing worse than travelling without ear plugs and sitting next to someone who either speaks very loud or snore during the long haul flight. It’s actually a nightmare that I have experienced many times in the past that’s why now as experienced traveller I always have ear plugs in my hand luggage.

5. Good moisturiser

Very important thing as the skin gets super dry on the long haul flights. I always have a good moisturiser on me. I am especially loving Vichy Minéral 89 which is a perfect in-flight hydration. It’s highly recommended by flight attendants.Vichy Minéral 89 hydrates the skin for up to 24 hours after application and prevents pollution particles from sticking to the skin. It’s light and non-sticky and leaves the skin’s texture improved and feeling healthier and smoother. I also travel with a sheet mask. It’s a quick way to give your skin a little boost. It’s easy to apply and remove and you don’t really need to move from your sit.

6. Dry shampoo

You already know that I am a big fan of Batiste Dry Shampoos. They are life saving on a long haul flights and keep my hair refreshed at all times.

7. Snacks

Another thing I’ve learnt over the years. I had quite a few long haul flights where I was feeling hungrt. Of course you do get food and you can always ask cabin crew for something extra but I must admit I don’t love plane food so I like having something that I enjoy on me in case I get hungry. I would normally have some fruits, chocolate bar and nuts.

8. Hand sanitaser

I know this one is pretty obvious but I still decide to mention it as it’s super needed on all flights in general.

9. Reusable water bottle

You always stay hydrated and you help to reduce the waste from single-use plastic bottles

10. Travel pillow

nothing worse than travelling with no pillow- I swear! It happened to me few times that I have forgotten to pack mine and it was literally a distaster. From now on I always have a comfortable travel pillow with me.

Now you’re already to go! Follow that travel dream!

Travel in The Blonde Flamingo style

Celebrating Notting Hill Carnival in style- afternoon tea experience on Brigit’s Bakery Bus

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Hello everyone!

As some of you already seen on my Instagram, couple of weeks ago I’ve surprised my mum with a plane ticket to London. She has been to London quite a few times already, but this year she visited me during the summer for the first time ever. I’ve planned to show her the best things to do in town in the summer. We’ve spent few days visiting my favourite parks, coffee shops, rooftop bars and restaurants, but there was one thing I really wanted myself (and never had a chance to do it), so I thought it would be a great idea to do it together- Afternoon Tea experience on famous Brigit’s Bakery Bus.

As my mum visited me during Notting Hill Carnival weekend, they’ve prepared a special menu and decorations.

Image source- Brigit’s Bakery Instagram

You can probably imagine my reaction when I walked in to the bus full of palm trees, flamingos and Caribbean rum- I literally felt like I am back in the Caribbean that as you know – I absolutely love. It looked just so fabulous!

As soon as we’ve sat down we were offered a drink and a little savoury sandwiches and the tour started. The bus headed from Victoria station through all the most important London’s landmarks. I honestly think it’s a great way to see the city if you’re only in town for a little while! They’ll make sure you won’t miss anything! During our tour we’ve had such a beautiful and super hot weather- London looked honestly prettier than ever!

After the starter we’ve been served Caribbean style lunch – rice & peas, Jerk chicken wings & Coleslaw- everything was freshly prepared and delicious. My mum absolutely loved eating and watching London’s vibrant life through the bus window. We’ve continued admiring the views, while chatting, taking lots of selfies and sipping chilled Prosecco.

And then the time for desserts! I had almost no more room after the lunch I am not going to lie, haha but everything looked too good to be missed. We’ve tried Caribbean tart with banana & Dulcey chocolate (my personal favourite!) , chocolate cupcakes, Sablé Breton and Choux vanilla and Rhum followed by traditional scones with clotted cream and jam. So delicious!

We couldn’t finish it all but we were offered a take away box. After the tour we’ve been also kindly gifted the prettiest coffee mug- it made it a perfect London souvenir for my mum.

Here’s both of us after too much food and bubbles

We’ve absolutely loved the tour! We definitely ate too much but had so much fun together! I think I was great way to see London’s landmarks too. If you’re planning to visit London and looking for a fun thing to do you should definitely check out Brigit’s Bakery Bus Tour!

Post in collaboration with Brigit’s Bakery Bus

Mexico Travel Guide- my recommendations for adventure lovers

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Finally back to blogging! Yay! Sorry I was absent for a over a week now! This month has started with crazy amount of work- so many campaigns, photoshoots, and trips- I have been all over the place! But I am currently sitting in Fuerteventura in the cutest little bar by the sea and I decided to take a little break with my current work and finally write the Mexico guide for you.

As you already know from my previous blogpost during our Mexico trip we’ve spent most of the time in Tulum, however as the beach full of seaweed was a struggle, we did go around and explored the most magical beaches and places that I would love to share with you.

Puerto Aventuras

This place was recommended to us by locals who promised it’s worth driving to as there’s no seaweed on the beach. Puerto Aventuras was more of residential complex- restaurants, bars, tennis courts, golf courses two big marinas and beautiful sandy beaches. At the gate ( this place has the entrance like a regular resort) the security stopped us and ask if we’re staying there but we say we’d like to come for a lunch to the beach restaurant and they let us in without any problem. They have mentioned something about the minimum spent but we assured it’s not a problem at all. We did spend the entire afternoon on the private beach- so beautiful and clean compare to Tulum. There was a little bit of seaweed but on the shore rather than everywhere in the water so it was no problem at all to us. The beach was stunning. Also there’s a big choice of bars and restaurant. We’ve had a really nice Italian lunch there ( I really missed pasta after eating tacos and burritos for days haha!) I think if you’re looking for a beach not far from Tulum, Puerto Aventuras is a great option as it’s only around 40 mins drive. It wasn’t super crowded either ( we visited in mid May). Here’s some photos from this incredible place :

Bacalar

Another place recommended to us by locals- Bacalar- a small town in southeastern Mexico. It’s on a Lake Bacalar, also called Laguna De Los Sietes Colores – lagoon of seven colours. When we got there we understood why. The shades of blues were absolutely incredible. No wonder why this place is called the Maldives of Mexico! What’s also very special about this lagoon is high conceration of rare rock formations that are among the earliest life forms on earth. However sadly, I have been reading that Bacalar’s recent tourism’s growth is a real threat to both- lagoon and the stromatolites. Tourists are advised to only use organic sunscreens when swimming, avoid single-use plastics and use kayaks rather than motorboats .What you need to know aswell before travelling here is that there’s no beach. Most of the people are tanning on the long wooden docks. I found it super fun! Well, I have spent more time on the swings in the water anyway, haha!

Cenote de Los Ojos

Ok so you can’t leave Mexico without visiting cenotes! Our time was quite limited as we’ve spent 2 days super sick from the food poisoning but we made it our priority to visit at least one cenote before flying back home. Cenote de Los Ojos was a perfect choice as it wasn’t far from where we were staying in Tulum. The ticket price was about £18 per person ( they offer different options at the desk but as our time was limited we went for snokerling and swimming option in two cenotes without the guide). It was honestly one of the most magical experiences of my life, even though the water was soooo cold. It took me like 15 mins to make a decision if I can survive this cold or not- I really hate the cold water but seeing this beautiful cave, hearing the sounds of the bats and being there completely on our own was just an insane experience I will never ever forget! You should definitely visit when in Tulum. I know there’s plenty of choice in cenotes but I could truly recommend Dos Ojos. PS. Excuse these weird poses but this is how I seriously look when I swim hahaha! I did not shoot a typical blogger content here with flowy dresses. I wanted to really enjoy this place and admire the nature around me rather than run around with a camera!

Las Coloradas

And my favourite part of the whole guide- Las Coloradas. This place was the main reason I wanted to visit Mexico- of course I am talking about the pink lake and possibility of seeing the flamingos! I’ve read so many blog posts about this place before and honestly they didn’t really make me feel like it’s worth going. But my heart was telling me I have to see it with my own eyes. You know the famous quote „ Don’t listen to what they say, go see?” Well, here I go! Las Coloradas town was about 4 hours drive from Tulum one way. Was it worth it? O M G yes! First thing I saw was a sign with flamingos- this is where I knew I am going the right direction.

When we got to Las Coloradas Town I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was a real flamigo town!

Of course I fall in love with this place straight away! Then we’ve headed to see the pink lake first. Was it pink? HELL YES. And it had a magical purple reflection from the blue sky! I had a tears in my eyes already. But I didn’t know what I am going to see half an hour later. After we’ve seen the town and the pink lake we continued driving along the coast. It was so wild, empty and beautiful. We’ve literally passed one car on our way- that’s it. We’ve had a pink lake on one side of the road and the baby blue ocean and white sandy beach on another. It was just incredible. And then suddenly – I have spotted a flamingo. I cried. Got off the car and cried. I start running towards him without even realising I was running on the mud rather than a sand so I went into the mud and lost my shoes haha. But I didn’t care. I was speechless. Seeing a flamingo in its natural environment was my biggest dream. I was so emotional and said „thank you” to my boyfriend milion times who drove me all the way there despite still feeling ill. I wish to say that was it, but it wasn’t. I got back to the car and few minutes later my boyfriend pointed something out of the car’s window. I couldn’t deal. I was screaming, shouting and crying. It was a flamingo float. I have seen hundreds of flamingos. I just couldnt deal! Those of you who follow me on Instagram probably remember the Instagram story of me screaming and crying haha. Ok that was the most beautiful day of my life. I felt like I walked into a National Geograpic movie set! Seeing flamingos and enjoying the little flamingo town was my favourite experiences in Mexico. Some people written on their blogs there’s nothing to do in Las Coloradas, but in my opinion it depends what you’re looking for. As a busy Londonder what I truly need and look for is the contact with nature, pureness, wildness, authentic experiences and this place had it all. Two little local restaurants, tiny grocery store with the sweetest Mexican grandma, the most beautiful local beach- it was only us and local fisherman! I mean what else do you need? To me it was all I could ask for and the most beautiful day of my trip! As I lost my shoes there I truly believe I will be back one day!

I hope that this little guide will inspire you to visit these places! Mexico is not just Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. There’s so much beauty in this country and I honestly hope I will have an opportunity to explore more in the future!

Let me know if you have any questions about these places!

Love,

The Blonde Flamingo