Twins that travel
Identical twins exploring the globe
Everyone’s idea of heaven?
Posted on August 17, 2014
Whereas Claire prefers an educated city-break, I (Laura) am obsessed with tropical holidays. Sand, blue skies and turquoise water makes me almost tearful with joy. So when I eventually arranged to visit the Maldives, I was manic.
As ever, I TripAdvised the hell out of where we were staying, assuming that everyone would conclude the Maldives is a little piece of heaven. I was wrong. I came across a review, which gave the resort just one star. The reviewer told the bizarre story of how this island was so small, so relaxed and so private, that his wife actually had a panic attack and was air lifted off the island. The place was so relaxing, it actually made someone anxious. Ironic.
So it turns out, not everyone loves island life.
The Maldives feels like nowhere else on earth. It also feels a very long way from anywhere else on earth. The capital, Malé, looks like something from ‘Sim City’ (hello childhood): a small island, with buildings and towers built to the very edge of its sandy beaches. From here, you hop on a tiny sea plane that flies over the islands and lands in the sea near your resort (a plane that floats, a massive plus for a flyer with a nervous disposition).
We stayed at the Grand Centara Resort and yes, it is tiny. You can walk around the island in just ten minutes and recognise everyone within a day. You also realise fairly quickly that there is no sight-seeing to be done, no museums and only three restaurants to visit. The only thing you can do is relax. Lie down. Be at one with your thoughts and all that.
Initially, maybe that is weird and a little unsettling. There’s very little to busy yourself with. But soon enough, you begin to find that what there is, is just enough.The sea is like a warm bath, filled with colourful little fish. The coral that surrounds the islands is beyond beautiful. The sunsets are incredible. You nap 5 times a day.
Going to somewhere like the Maldives forces you to relax. And it makes you realise how very unrelaxed you are during your everyday life. It’s a little like unclenching a bum cheek you didn’t realise you were tensing. So go visit!
If there’s one place you have to go in Venice…
Posted on August 17, 2014
I (Claire) would say this is more of a demand than a suggestion, but if you’re heading off to Venice soon, you must, must, must go to Burano island!
Forget standing in a long, sweaty queue with 3,000 school children waiting to see Basilica di San Marco or having that over-priced, slightly awkward gondola ride. If you’re in Venice, jump on a ferry and get yourself to Burano island, or as I see it: 
heaven.
Burano is a ridiculously colourful little place, full of buildings painted in bright pastels. It feels a million miles away from Venice and is a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon over a seafood lunch.
It’s known for its lace (I must admit I didn’t really look into this) and it’s buranelli, lemon scented biscuits (which I really did look into, several packets worth actually).
Don’t be put off by the 50 minute ferry journey, it’s worth it…I’m pretty sure I will retire here one day.
Side note: I wouldn’t bother with Murano island, unless you’re desperate for some overpriced glass.
What makes a traveller?
Posted on August 16, 2014
We like to travel. And we like travel blogs. We love to read about the adventures and experiences of these talented bloggers; people who have well and truly seized the day and are courageously wandering our globe, with just a Go-Pro and Instagram account.
These people are who we consider to be ‘real’ travellers. They haven’t been home in months; they have friends on every continent and they make travelling, and all the uncertainty that comes with it, look easy peasy, light and breezy.
We are not this sort of ‘real’ traveller. With a mild (strong) disposition towards worrying, a burning desire to prepare elaborate itineraries for every trip and a mounting unease about flying, we potentially, and maybe are, terrible travellers.
But yet we still love to travel. In fact, we love, love LOVE to travel!
We both work 9-5 and build travel into our lives as frequently as possible. Does this make us any less of a ‘traveller’? We don’t think so. We’ve seen a fair bit of the world so far and although we haven’t had any profound “life-changing” moments (aside from Laura’s encounter with Salmonella), we wanted to share our experiences of travel and where it takes us.
So, if you want to follow our thoughts on all things travel (and possibly sometimes the more mundane), keep with us! We hope this blog will encourage people to find a way to travel that suits them. We’re pretty sure anyone can see the world if they want to, it’s just a matter of working out how you want to do it.
C&L
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Twins that travel 