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Japan 2025 - Part 3 - Snow Monkeys

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We dropped off our bags at the hotel, grabbed a quick beer, and then jumped on the bus for the Snow Monkey tour. It took about 50 minutes to get there, with our guide pointing out landmarks along the way. We passed through apple and peach orchards, and rows of vines growing the famous Kyoho grapes — massive, super sweet, and apparently a big deal in Japan. We arrived at the monkey park entrance and started the 1.6km walk through the forest. It had finally stopped snowing, but it was still cold and icy underfoot. We couldn’t believe how many people were attempting it in completely inappropriate shoes and outfits — we were very glad we’d stuck with ski gear and snow boots. The path itself was fairly flat, apart from some steeper steps at the start and end, winding through dense forest with a sheer drop running alongside it. Not dangerous, but definitely one to take seriously in icy conditions. At the entrance, we handed over our tickets and headed into what can only be described as m...
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Japan 2025 - Part 2 - Nozawa Onsen

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Nozawa Onsen is a very different ski resort to Hakuba . It’s centred around a small, traditional village, with most of the bars, restaurants, and shops running along one main street. Everything feels more compact, more local, and a bit more authentic. We stayed at Tokiwaya Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn — and genuinely one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. Before even stepping inside, we were handed slippers and asked to leave our shoes at the entrance. From that point on, no outdoor shoes were allowed anywhere in the building. Our room was fully traditional, with tatami-matted floors, sliding doors, and a futon laid out on the floor for sleeping. There was a low table with legless chairs, and walking into the room felt like stepping back in time. It even had an old corded telephone, which added to the charm — although everything else was modern, spotless, and incredibly well maintained. The toilet, of course, was a classic high-tech Japanese one, with more features than you...
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Japan 2025 - Part 1 - Hakuba Valley

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We flew with British Airways to Tokyo Haneda Airport . The upgrade to premium economy made the long flight a little more bearable. On arrival, we were met by our driver and taken in a minivan on the five-hour journey to Hakuba . We stayed at the Double Black Hotel in the forest area of Wadano. The rooms were on the small side but comfortable. The toilet did every function imaginable, the sink was tiny, and there was a decent amount of storage. Shoes were strictly off — slippers or socks only both in the hotel and in your room. The staff were seasonaires from Australia, Japan, and a couple of Brits — all really friendly, helpful, and full of good advice. They helped with restaurant bookings (definitely recommended unless you’re happy turning up at 8pm and hoping for the best — which we did most nights and somehow got away with), and organised our ski hire pick-up and drop-off. Breakfast was fairly basic — a choice of vegetarian or meat full English, or a small continental selection....
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India 2024 - Sam's Solo Work Trip

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This trip was a little different - a solo work trip to India for me (Sam), combining long-haul travel, office time, and just enough exploring (and eating) to make it memorable. The journey started at Heathrow Airport , flying to Bangalore with Virgin Atlantic in an Economy Delight seat. And honestly… it was delightful. Still economy, but with just enough perks - priority check-in, early boarding, and extra legroom - to make it feel like a small upgrade without the premium economy class price tag. The food onboard was… not great. But luckily, I ended up sat next to a fellow gin lover. With the middle seat empty, we made the most of the extra space, good conversation, and a gin or three - which definitely improved the overall experience. I landed in the early hours and made my way from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 to catch a domestic flight. The transfer between terminals was surprisingly straightforward, with a regular shuttle bus running between them. After a couple of hours waiting ...
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Cyprus 2024 - Part 3

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Part 1 covered the start of our holiday to Cyprus, part 2 was our day out exploring, and part 3 wraps up the rest of the trip. This part can really be summed up in one video, as we mostly spent our time relaxing by the pool and enjoying restaurants and bars in the evenings. Hotel breakfast was epic. We loved sitting out on the balcony with a glass of champagne as the sun came up — the perfect way to start the day. Straight after our first breakfast, we headed to the pool hut to choose our allocated sunbeds for the week. This was hands down our favourite feature of the hotel. You get to choose your sunbed, it’s yours for the entire week, and you can change it if you’re not happy. No early alarms, no fighting for the best spot, and no passive-aggressive towel reserving at 5am. Every morning we’d nod to the pool attendant, who had already set up our sunbeds with fresh towels, chilled water bottles in a cooler, and — most importantly — a buzzer to summon pool bar service. On the first morn...
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Cyprus 2024 - Part 2

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Everywhere we looked in Cyprus, tourists were zooming around in hired buggies, so it felt only right that we joined in the fun and spent a day away from the pool exploring more of the surrounding area. Lee had forgotten his driving licence, so we started the day fully expecting it to be a Sam-only joyride. Luckily for both of us — and especially for Sam, who wasn’t overly keen on driving what felt like a glorified lawn mower all day — they accepted a photocopy of Lee’s licence. That said, we'd already psyched ourselves up for Sam to take the wheel, so she went first. We hired the buggy from one of the local shops just a short walk from our hotel. The process was really simple and, surprisingly, not that expensive at all. We didn’t have much of a plan, but with the help of Google Maps we managed to tick off a few tourist spots along the way, including: The Love Bridge — although we never quite worked out what was the actual  the Love Bridge. The Sculpture Garden , which we on...
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Cyprus 2024 - Part 1

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In September 2024, we decided we were in desperate need of some sun, so we booked a last-minute holiday to Cyprus. Because of Cyprus’s proximity to Israel and everything that was going on there at the time, we managed to get an incredibly cheap deal through BA for a one-week trip. We started our holiday with a much-needed flight upgrade. Sam was still recovering from broken ribs, while Lee was hobbling along after picking up a badminton injury in a match the day before we travelled — so a little extra comfort was very welcome. We stayed at the 5-star adults-only Amanti – MadeForTwo Hotel . As you’ll see from the video, the room was impressively high-tech, with more gadgets than I’ve ever seen in one place. The pool area looked beautiful at night, and best of all (aside from there being no kids!) the hotel was just a short walk from the main town. We arrived quite late on our first day, so we didn’t get to see much, but we did venture out for a gyro for dinner — the perfect low-key s...
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