This blog post is kindly supported by Tujuh as they give away a product. I haven't been paid to write this article.

* press trip / invitation 

* I was invited to stay at Puri Santrian Resort.

[AD / cooperation]

This summer, in July, we had the pleasure to stay at the wonderful Puri Santrian Resort in Sanur, Bali. A huge post about our Bali trip will follow shortly, but in the meantime I will let the pictures speak. Grab yourself a tea or coffee, lean back, and enjoy your virtual stay at Puri Santrian in Sanur. 

We were kindly invited to stay at hotel Walliserhof. 

Once a year, you'll find that many famous places turn off their lights. Thousands of attractions, buildings, schools, and organizations around the globe go dark. The pyramids of Gizeh, the Eiffel tower and the Empire State Building... just to name a few. Why? It's the WWF EARTH HOUR - a simple idea for the largest worldwide climate protection campaign. 

But why through Instagram? Quite often I share a picture on this platform and a story but the story doesn't tell it all. So I want to share a bit more details to each picture, so you get the behind-the-picture story. Some of you might not even follow me yet on Instagram and I am sure you find it interesting to see what I share there. Also, Instagram is a good platform to look back and see what happened throughout the year.

Okay, it's time to tell you something. I have never done solo travel before. I mean I booked a trip somewhere and flew there by myself. But I usually went somewhere to visit friends or to meet up with friends in a new city. I always thought I couldn't do solo traveling and ticked it off in my head. At other times I traveled to a new continent, all by myself, but I moved there temporarily. That's also a challenge, but it's a different one (at least in my eyes). 

Lisbon is a vibrant city with authentic history, lesser tourists and it's Europe's sunniest capital. Those are enough reasons to make it a very attractive destination. 

I love to stay at sustainable hotels and I believe we can all contribute to a better world with our everyday choices. So when Inspira Santa Marta, listed on Green Pearls, invited me to stay with them, I took the chance and booked the next flight for the end of October. A perfect fall break with warm temperatures was exactly what we needed.

* this blog post was written by myself and POTENTIALe supported me financially.

Feldkirch, a town located in the west of Austria, is hosting a few events and festivals throughout the year, but there's only one festival where so many different kinds of people come to Feldkirch and where it's possible to see and experience Feldkirch from a slightly different angle. The 3rd Potentiale Feldkirch festival opened their doors on October 25th and within 3 weekends there was enough time to see Feldkirch through the eyes of POTENTIALe. 

Big Island, Hawaii is all about the outdoors, with its vast and varied terrain and landscape. There are oceans, mountains, cliffs and secluded locales that cater to the whims and fancies of every kind of tourist. One can swim, snorkel, hike, body surf, or just laze around and enjoy picnics. Just go well prepared as to what kind of activity you are interested in and plan accordingly. After all, the island is loaded with endless choices that will leave you spoilt. The best part is that there are plenty of Big Island homes for rent and at amazing prices thus lodging at affordable rates will never be a problem in Hawaii.

Written by guest blogger Sydney Calhoun from Simply Sidney. 

written by guest blogger Rohit Agarwal from Trans India Travels 

In India getting married is quite hectic and a lot of time and energy goes into the planning of a wedding. A honeymoon is a welcoming cutoff from all the emotional roller coaster rides one has recently felt. And it's also time for a reality check, you will realize after a while, yes, you're married now.  

In India couples usually do not live together before they get married. Thus, they will share from the wedding onwards their things and their time. Before the regular work life begins again, the purpose of a honeymoon and a romantic getaway is to give each other enough time to understand and well, negotiate the terms of coexistence. You might have been lovers but staying with someone for 24/7 is a different thing altogether. It’s also a training session in some ways; you try and test different things on the menu and see where you stand. With these things in mind, here goes the list of 7 most popular honeymoon destinations in India.

Popular with yoga buffs and luxury travel enthusiasts alike, the island of the Gods is a spiritual place well-known for its vibrant arts scene. These days, we want and expect more from travel. Beyond the realm of private pools and guided tours, we expect every last one of our senses to be awoken. Fortunately, Bali can supply. 

By guest blogger Jyotsna Ramani 

A popular location in Indonesia among tourists is Bandung. After all, the beautiful locations have many attractions to see, and there are endless options to enjoy shopping and food. Those who want get away from the noisy scene of Jakarta, head for Bandung that works as a popular weekend destination. There is a huge variety of attractions, plus the food is cheap and delicious. Get your hotel booking done by an expert tour operator and look for some great deals to holiday in Bandung. Grha Ciumbuleuit Guest House is immensely popular among the travelers because of the luxury service it provides on a budgeted holiday.

A range of mountains surrounds Bandung highland, and there are many activities to be enjoyed within the city and outside. There are loads of adventure activities, mountain resorts, and outdoor sports. Here are some fun-filled activities to explore while in the city.

The story is simple. We met, fell in love and decided to travel around the world. I can understand why some people prefer to travel solo, but I prefer to share a journey and all experiences with my boyfriend Michael. A photographer and a blogger traveling around the world in flashpacker style creating beautiful memories. Here are our personal highlights on Instagram from each month, including our time when we were preparing for our big trip. The pictures are not selected by likes, they are selected because we loved that specific experience. Enjoy! 

Canggu is the place where surfers, hipsters, yogis and some other pretty cool people with their online business live or come to visit. Canggu is for sure a place on its own. What can you expect if you arrive in Canggu? Well, you better read this. Having stayed there for a yoga teacher training myself, I wanted to get some work done once the course was over. In between my yoga sessions, beach meditations and some tanning and swimming at the beach, I did a lot of café hopping. Here you find my favorites. 

If someone would have told me a year ago that I would attend a yoga teacher training during our trip around the world, I probably would have been very surprised. I don't  remember at what stage during our travels I came up with the idea to do a yoga teacher training. Was it Sri Lanka or Malaysia? Once the idea settled, I couldn't get it out of my head. As I looked through some yoga teacher trainings online in Bali, I figured out that most of them had to be paid in advance. With an anxious and uneasy feeling I just clicked on BOOK and paid for something, not knowing what to expect or what I would really be learning. But it was decided, no more pulling back: I was scheduled to become a yoga teacher in Canggu, BALI with Santosha in October. 

Quite a long time ago, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Cess, a Norwegian girl who's based in London. She blogs about travel, animals, food, fitness, and enviroment. 

This award exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. It is a way to be discovered but also to connect and support the blogging community. 

It's for sure one of the islands you should add to your Must Visit list when in Malaysia. But, there are also other activities to enjoy. If you aren't looking for a party place and prefer rather a relaxed atmosphere where it's still not over-crowded, choose Tioman island. After a few days, I couldn't leave without admitting that I fell in love with this place. If I get the chance, I would love to return one day. 

So, how did we hear about the island? Friends of ours told us about about Tioman a few months before we left for our round the world trip and we decided to visit it. Here are 10 reasons why I fell in love with Tioman island and why you probably will too. 

After the Kinabatangan river, we decided to spend three days in Sepilok. From Bilit, it's around a 115 km drive away. In Sepilok you have the opportunity to walk through the jungle, see sun bears, orangutans and proboscis monkeys. All in all, it's a place worth visiting. 

The east coast of Borneo, Sabah, is known for its orangutans, wildlife and marine life. In fact, it has some of the richest wildlife of Souteast Asia. We started our journey in Sandakan where we spent one night. The next morning we were picked up from our hotel by our lovely tour guide Rey from Sandakan Wildlife Adventure Tours.

During our travels in India we wanted to enjoy some beach time in Goa. After visiting Arambol beach, we decided to see Candolim; mainly because Michael found in during a quick online search. When he showed me the pictures of the hotel, I was immediately in! We wanted to have a place for three days where we could purely relax before we headed out on our next trip to Hampi. Casa da Praia seemed to be the perfect place. We were lucky and there was one room left, so we booked. 

Rishikesh – famous as the world capital of yoga, and to some also known as the birthplace of yoga. The town lies next to the Ganges river (Ganga) and is one of the famous spiritual places for Hindus. If you plan to come to Rishikesh for vacation purposes or to practise yoga, here are four things you should know before you travel there. If you speak German, don't miss my short story about Rishikesh. 

a guest post by Hannah Stark from Traveling Banana 

India is supposed to be one of the countries where traveling is very cheap. But, before listening to others, do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you arrive in a city like Delhi and it has 45 °C every day, all you wish for is a room with AC and that's ok. You can save somewhere else. Or in Goa we felt like we should really enjoy our time there and we booked such a nice hotel with pool. Traveling can be really exhausting, especially in India. Don't forget to treat yourself well. After a long day of traveling, all you want to do is relax? That's fine. 

We traveled quite a lot through India and that's the reason why we spent more money than others. Also, if we would have stayed longer in one place we would have probably spend less as well. 

So, what did it cost us to travel for 35 days through India? 

It's been 3 weeks since we left India and we enjoy this lovely surfer paradise town called Arugam Bay so much. All restaurants are located on main street which is around 2 km long and they're worth exploring! There are quite a lot and it's hard to choose from, especially when you're only here for a few days.

Before heading off to our around the world trip, people were shocked to hear that we wanted to see India. „What? After all that's happened?“ Everytime I read or saw the news about India, I was shocked. And I am still. But I have wanted to see this country for such a long time that I tried to make the best of it. I was happy that my boyfriend was willing to give it a try.

To start with, traveling within India is not easy. There were quite a lot of obstacles we had to deal with: the heat, trash piles, pollution, bad smells, homeless people, the amount of people at one place, stray dogs, etc.

It's quite important to expect that you will have a difficult time. Especially if you're backpacking. Here are some tricks and tips that may help you for your next trip. 

Seychelles sounded like an exotic dream to me, too good to be true. That was the case until my boyfriend showed me a cheap multi stop flight with the following stops: Cape Town – Mahé (Seychelles) – Abu Dhabi – Bombay.

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the United Arab Emirates and also the capital. The founder's name was Sheik Zayed. So, if you're happen to land in Abu Dhabi (translated as father of gazelle) as a layover stop or for vacation, you should have the Grand Mosque  on your to do list.

If you want to experience Kruger Park in South Africa a bit differently, Marloth Park is the right way to go. It is a private and independent nature reserve in the province Mpumalanga, South Africa. It's located at the southern edge of Kruger. In Marloth Park, there are many lodges, hotels, guest houses and private houses; right in the middle of the African Bush.

Mozambique is still an unknown place on the map for most of us. Back in 2011, I spent 6 months in the capital Maputo where I worked as a volunteer with neglected children and aids orphans in a village called Massaca. It was a wonderful experience that taught me a lot. For our round the world trip, Michael and I decided to make Mozambique our first stop as we brought two suitcases full with toys, school supplies, clothes and games for the kids in the daycare center.

Summer vacation in Europe can be quite expensive; especially in peak season somewhere at a beach. But with a few tricks, you can save lots of money in Portugal. 

I admire people who have organized all their Christmas gifts already. Are you one of them? Well, I am definitely not. And Christmas is just around the corner. If you have friends or someone in your family who loves to travel, it's quite difficult to find out what they need. Let's be honest. You don't need any nice accessories, vouchers or decorations before you're about to leave the country. But what kind of gift would be perfect for a traveler? 

First, decide on your budget. Here you find a few things what every traveler is going to be happy about: 

Have you ever thought of visiting Newfoundland? No? Neither did I. On my trip to Nova Scotia, Canada in October 2013 my dad and I thought it would be great to explore Newfoundland by car. What a wonderful island! 

What is Newfoundland like? It's purity, nature, ocean, forests, wilderness, good music, warm-hearted people, breathtaking views, fresh air, moose (obviously), long roads, small towns and villages, lots of lakes, beautiful sunsets, hills and loving encounters day by day. 

Lots of people in Nova Scotia told me: "Newfoundlanders are the friendliest and nicest Canadians. You're going to like them." To be honest, they were right. There was not one day when Newfies didn't talk to us and we had a good conversation. 

For now, enough: Sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy: 

Halifax: the city with the most bars and pubs per capita in North America. A young, artistic city....a vibrant city. A city where everybody buys locally and support local companies. That's the reason why the city also has so many breweries. It's a city where all these young people do whatever they like to do. They are artists, poets, write plays, work in cafés, and/or rent out appartments. It's a city that is different and that's why I fell in love with Halifax.

I came to Lisbon almost by chance. I was finished with my first period of studies in general psychology at Madeira Island (where I am originally from) and decided to go to the Portuguese mainland to complete a master degree in work psychology. I submitted my application to Lisbon because it's the capital, but in fact I didn’t know much about it. But the destiny had a little surprise for me...