2RAVEL
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Africa- South & East
  • Albania
  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada: Toronto
  • Canada: West Coast
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • El Salvador
  • Fiji
  • Guatemala
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kosovo
  • Laos
  • Liechtenstein
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico: Yucatan Peninsula
  • Mexico: Mexico City & Oaxaca
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Nicaragua
  • North Macedonia
  • Panama
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Scotland
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Switzerland- Around Zurich
  • Taiwan
  • Uruguay
  • USA: West Coast
  • Vietnam
  • Around The World In A Year
  • The Reality of Travel
  • 11 Travelling Tips & Tricks
  • Countries Visited
  • Contact Us

Welcome to our 2ravels

A Canadian girl and an Australian guy off to see the world & bringing you our top picks along the way
Read The Latest

Articles

Picture
6 Days in Hong Kong
Visited: March 2024

In March 2024, we headed overseas for the first time since the birth of our baby. Travelling with a 4 month old was a completely new experience, but we still managed to squeeze in 6 days to explore Hong Kong on our way to Japan. We didn't do as much as we normally would have done in 6 days, but still managed to see a lot. Here are our top 10 favourite experiences:​
READ MORE

Picture
11 Days in South Korea
Visited: April 2023

In April 2023, after visiting Taiwan, we flew into Daegu International Airport in South Korea's southeast and spent 11 days exploring the country (plus sneaking a peak over the border into North Korea). We travelled clockwise from Gyeongju to Seoul, making our way around the country but missing the northeast coast. 

​Here are our top 10 experiences from South Korea:
READ MORE

Picture
10 Days in Taiwan
Visited: March 2023

In March 2023, we headed to Taiwan for a 10 day adventure before continuing on to South Korea. We didn't know a lot about Taiwan before travelling there, but enjoyed the variation of large cities and the vibrant natural landscape.  One of the major highlights was the food- we thought we would enjoy South Korean food more, but the Taiwanese dishes actually won us over.

Taiwan might be considered a "riskier" travel destination for some people, but we never felt unsafe during our time there. We didn't make it everywhere (mostly we missed the far southwest of the island), but covered a lot of ground. Read more about our top 10 places we visited, with a special mention for the food dishes we enjoyed most. 
READ MORE

Picture
12 Days in Fiji
Visited: October 2022

​In October 2022, we took a short break to see some of Fiji's islands. We found a great balance between exploring local or lesser known areas and doing nothing on the beach. Taveuni was a highlight, and definitely worth visiting for anyone who wants to see a different side of Fiji. ​
READ MORE

Picture
Two Days Around Zurich
Visited: May 2022

At the end of a 6 week trip, in May 2022, we had a couple days to spare before our flight back to Australia left from Zurich. We used it as an opportunity to explore some of the smaller towns near Zurich and also did a day trip into Liechtenstein. 
READ MORE

Picture
A Day in ​Liechtenstein 
Visited: May 2022

While visiting Switzerland in May 2022, we took the opportunity to do a day trip into Liechtenstein. We first took the train an hour from Zurich to the Swiss border town of Sargans. From Sargans, we caught a bus that took us over the border of Liechtenstein. Read more here:
READ MORE

Picture
A Week In Scotland
Visited: May 2022

​In May 2022, we did a week-long road trip in Scotland with my  Mom. We started in Edinburgh and travelled through Inverness, Isle of Skye, and Tyndrum on our way to Glasgow. Thankfully the weather was (mostly) agreeable and we were able to admire the beauty of Scotland with blue skies. Here are our top 10 favourite places.
READ MORE

Picture
5 Days in Portugal
Visited: May 2022

In May 2022, as part of a longer trip, we spent 5 days in Portugal with my Mom. There is so much more to discover in this beautiful country, but we tried to do as much as we could in Lisbon and Porto before flying to Scotland. Here are our top 10 picks (from the places we saw).
READ MORE

Picture
Morocco
Visited: May 2022

​After two years of COVID and lockdowns, Morocco was our first new country since June 2019. It felt amazing (and somewhat strange) to board a plane and leave Australia for the first time. Morocco was a great way to stretch those hibernating travel muscles and to be exposed to some of the most beautiful landscapes and unique experiences. From coast, to mountain, to desert, Morocco has a bit of everything. Check out our top 12 picks.
READ MORE

Picture
Poland
Visited: June 2019

If we did nothing else in Poland but eat plate loads of pierogies, I would have been happy. While we did that in spades, we also discovered one of our favourite countries in Central Europe.
Read More

Picture
Crossing Slovakia in 5 Days
Visited: June 2019

Our route through Slovakia was a dictated by a route from Vienna to Kraków. The obvious first stop was the capital city of Bratislava, just across the Austrian border. Like many Central European main cities, a castle sits on a hill overlooking the old town centre. In Bratislava, the castle also overlooks the Danube River and the bridges connecting south to north. ​
READ MORE

Picture
Austria
Visited: June 2019

During our 2019 Eastern European trip, our time in Austria was in transit from Maribor, Slovenia to Bratislava, Slovakia. En route, we were able to stop in the two largest cities of Austria- Vienna and Graz. Austria is landlocked and shares a border with eight other countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. 
READ MORE

Picture
From West to East Slovenia
Visited:  June 2019
​
For a country we didn't know a lot about before visiting, Slovenia provided so many highlights. The Slovene Riviera stretches only 46.6km from Italy to Croatia. It was here, in the small town of Piran that we started our time in the country.
READ MORE

Picture
The North of Croatia
Visited: June 2019

Having both visited southern Croatia on separate trips, about 6 years earlier, Shane and I hadn't intended to revisit the country during our 2019 trip to Eastern Europe. However, needing to get from Serbia to Slovenia, the perfect opportunity presented itself to tackle "one that got away"- Plitvice Lakes National Park.
READ MORE

Picture
A Week in Serbia
Visited: June 2019

Serbia is landlocked by 8 countries: Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. With only a week to spend in Serbia, we started in the countryside and made our way to the bigger cities. We caught a ride with a local taxi driver from Višegrad across the border to Mokra Gora. We had booked a guesthouse beforehand, and were dropped on the side of a deserted highway. 
READ MORE

Picture
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Visited: May 2019

Bosnia and Herzegovina is full of some unique places- from the street corner in Sarajevo, where Gavrilo Princip fired the shot that started World War I when he killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, to the self-proclaimed pyramids in Visoko that are said to be larger and older than the pyramids of Egypt. It is full of understated natural beauty, breathtaking expansive views and a mix of architecture from the three main demographic groups- Bosniaks generally associated with Islam, Bosnian Croats with the Roman Catholic Church, and Bosnian Serbs with the Serbian Orthodox Church. Bosnia and Herzegovina is beautiful and safe to visit, but is sadly still recovering from the atrocities of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War. 
READ MORE

Picture
The Coast of Montenegro
Visited: May 2019

Montenegro is a hidden gem. It's coastal towns feel reminiscent of Croatia's Dubrovnik before the tourist boom happened around 7 years ago. While Kotor is busy with tourists while the cruise ships are in port, other towns feel untouched by the tourist trail.

READ MORE

Picture
10 Days in Albania
Visited: May 2019

As we drove into Albania, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful, green countryside. The second thing we noticed was an abundance of small, concrete domes dotted amongst the fields and roadside. We assumed these had been built by the locals for storage on their property, but after doing some research we learned these were actually bunkers built by the communist government between 1960 and 1980. It is estimated that over 170,000 bunkers were constructed around the country and that on average there are 5.7 bunkers for every square kilometer. Read more about our time in Albania below.
Read More

Picture
North Macedonia
Visited: April-May 2019

​
North Macedonia sits in the middle of the Balkans, surrounded by Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece to the south. ​It is a fairly new country, having declared independence ​from Yugoslavia in September 1991. Our first stop was the country's capital of Skopje in the north. Read more about our time in North Macedonia below.
Read More


Picture
The 3 "P"s of Kosovo
Visited: May 2019

Depending who you ask, Kosovo may or may not be considered a separate country. In 2008, Kosovo self-declared independence from Serbia. Many countries acknowledge this independence, but Serbia and Russia, along with a few others, refuse to accept this as true. Read more about our time in Kosovo below.
Read More

Picture
Two Weeks in Bulgaria
Visited: April 2019

Fortresses, monasteries, street cats, smoking. These five words pretty accurately describe our time in Bulgaria. Read more about our top 10 picks for Bulgaria here:
Read More

Picture
Southern Iceland
Visited: April 2019

Our trip to Iceland didn't exactly start as planned. Two days before we were meant to fly to Reykjavik, we checked our flight info online to see when we could check in. To our surprise, the WOW Air website simply had a message stating that the airline had gone our of business and all flights were cancelled. This meant having to book new flights (which were about 3x the original price since everyone flying with WOW was now frantically re-booking with Iceland Air) and submitting a claim through the credit card company, hoping to get a refund for the original flights. Thankfully, this is where the bad news ended. 
Read More

Picture
West Coast of Canada
Visited: December 2018-March 2019

Between December 2018 and March 2019, we spent most our time on the West Coast of Canada. We stayed in a number of different accommodations, from Airbnbs to housesits that we arranged through Trusted Housesitters. We got the chance to take care of some adorable pets and see some places that we wouldn't have visited otherwise. We also got the chance to show Shane's parents around the Rockies on a 3 week road trip. These are the places we stayed.
Read More

Picture
West Coast USA Roadtrip
Visited: November 2018

In November 2018, we flew into Las Vegas from Mexico. We rented a car and ducked into Utah before heading across Nevada and up the west coast of California, Oregon and Washington. Here are our top 10 places we visited.
READ MORE

Picture
Mexico City & Oaxaca
Visited: October-November 2018

In October 2018, we left Toronto and headed south to Mexico to experience Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca. We had almost two weeks before the festivities began, so we started out in Mexico City. 
Read More

Picture
Summer in Toronto
Visited: April-October 2018

​When we arrived in Toronto in April 2018, we only intended to stay for a few months to visit with friends and family close by in Ontario. We ended up staying for 6 months, mostly because we wanted to spend the summer with people we knew and we wanted to leave before the cold of winter set in. There are a lot of touristy things to do in Toronto, like the CN Tower, the aquarium, & the Hockey Hall of Fame. But if you want to get more of a local feel, here are 12 things we recommend when visiting the city in the summer.
Read More

Picture
11 Travelling Tips & Tricks (We Learned On Our One Year RTW Trip)
Written by: Shane
​

Travel's not all Instagram worthy sites and delicious meals. It's challenging, frustrating and fulfilling. If you're planning on taking a trip, these are a few small tips we wish we had known before we even started backing our bags.
Read More

Picture
The Reality of Travel
Written by: Becky
​

I have travelled a lot. I have been to 70 countries and lived in 12 cities, (in 8 different countries). 13 if you count moving to Toronto twice. I find immense joy in planning my next adventure, updating my travel map after a journey is complete, and have thousands (I mean thousands) of photos documenting each place. Travel is my passion and my addiction. It drives me and excites me in a way nothing else does. I know I will never be able to shake this feeling, this desire to go and venture into the unknown- to discover the next place. 

​But travel isn’t without its difficulties. People always say to me “I wish I could do that” without always understanding what “that” entails. It can be hard. It can be miserable. It can almost break you and have you wishing you had a nice little house with a steady job and a mortgage (if anyone ever really wishes they had a mortgage). So, I have tried to pull together the true lessons and realities of travelling that I have learned along the way. 
READ MORE

Picture
Cuba
Visited: April 18, 2018

​One of the first quotes we read describing Cuba was: "A country as frustrating as it is intriguing", which is the perfect way to describe this island nation. Communism can really deter one going the extra mile at work and this is visible across Cuba. From servers to bartenders, and doctors to cigar makers. When the the playing fields are always even and the government constantly has their sticky fingers in its peoples pockets, it obviously constricts a country's growth and forward advancement. When taxi drivers make more in a day than doctors do in a month alarm bells should be sounding.
Read More

Picture
10 Days on the Yucatan Peninsula
Visited: April 2018

Running short on time before we had to be in Canada, we made our way from Belize overland into Mexico at the Santa Elena border point. Our first stop was Bacalar, which we had heard about from several travellers on the route south. ​
Read More

Picture
9 Days in Guatemala
Visited: March 2018

​Want to hike volcano? Visit one of the largest Mayan archaeological sites in the world? Wander through Central America's largest indigenous market? Then Guatemala is the place for you. Bordering 4 countries (Mexico, Belize, El Salvador & Honduras), it is easy to access this amazing country and with 37 volcanoes, the views are pretty breathtaking no matter where you look.
Read More

Picture
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of El Salvador
Visited: March 2018

​
After a 1.5 hour boat ride across from Nicaragua, we arrived in La Union, where we began our 11 days in El Salvador. Commonly associated with gangs, violence and danger El Salvador is trying desperately to shake its dangerous reputation, which it no longer deserves. Overall the country is beautiful, safe, and one of the cheapest in Central America. So what were the highlights?
READ MORE

Picture
11 Days in Nicaragua
​Visited: February-March 2018

After a short 3 day city break in San Jose, Costa Rica, we continued our bus journey across the border of Nicaragua at Penas Blancas. Check out what we did in 11 days in Nicaragua. 
Read More

Picture
Panama
Visited: February 2018

​Panama- our first Central American country on the way north to Mexico. Only two months left before we need to get to Canada...we can't believe how quickly 10 months have gone. 
Read more

Picture
Colombia
Visited: January-February 2018

While travelling through South America, everyone we met had rave reviews about Colombia. It was the "best" and we were "going to love it". Usually when there is that much hype about something, your expectations get out of control so we tried to keep them in check. But we were not disappointed...Colombia really is the best and you will love it!
Read More

Picture
Peru
Visited: December 2017- January 2018
Read more

Picture
A Week In Bolivia
Visited: December 2017

With time running short to make it to Machu Picchu before the rainy season really set in, we had a limited amount of time to explore Bolivia. We opted for a quick week in the area around La Paz and Lake Titicaca before heading on to Cusco. Read more to see our highlights.
read more

Picture
A Month In Chile
Visited: November-December 2017
read more

Picture
.A Month In Central Argentina
Visited: October-November 2017

​Our journey through Argentina wasn't typical. Most people spend a bit of time in Buenos Aires and then head to the South to explore the amazing glaciers and hikes in Patagonia, or to the north to the equally impressive Lerma Valley. We had one month to get from Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile, so decided on the route less travelled through the centre of Argentina
READ MORE

Picture
A Week In Uruguay
Visited: October 2017
READ MORE

Picture
Brazil
Visited: August-October 2017

To state the obvious: Brazil is a huge country. After 2.5 months we managed to travel most of the coast from Fortaleza to Porto Alegre, with a 3.5 week stopover in Florianopolis (to reset after 6 months on the road) and two small trips inland to check out Chapada Diamantina & Iguacu Falls. The below are our top picks from the places we've seen, but by no means cover off all of Brazil. 
Read our top picks

Picture
South & East Africa
Visited: June 2014 & June-July 2017
​
Having visited South and East Africa on two occasions, we have pulled together a list of our top 10 travel picks. It wasn't an easy task, since there are so many amazing places to see, but we hope they give you the inspiration or final push you need to book that Africa trip. 
Read Our Top Picks

Picture
10 Things To Do In Romania
Visiting Romania? Check out our list of 10 things to do.
Visited: May 2017
Read more

Picture
A Week In Israel
Visited: May 2017
READ MORE

Picture
9 Days In Jordan
Some tips for getting around and what to see in Jordan
Visited: May 2017 
Read more

Picture
India
Top 5 things to do in India
Visited: April 2017
Read Our Top Picks

Picture
Getting Around India: Ground transportation tips to help navigate India by road and rail

When you are on a budget while travelling ground transportation is often the cheaper option to flying. We've pulled together a few bits of info that might help while getting around India.
Visited: April 2017
READ OUR TIPS

Around The World In A Year
​We're going travelling!
Picture
SEE OUR TRAVEL PLANS

Picture
24 Hours in Brunei
Visited: July 2016
Read More

Picture
Malaysia
Top 5 things to do in Kuala Lumpur & Malaysian Borneo
Visited: July 2016
Read our top picks

Picture
Sri Lanka
Top 5 things to do in Sri Lanka
​Visited: December 2015-January 2016
Read our top picks

Picture
Laos
Top 5 things to do in Laos
​Visited: May 2015
Read our top picks

Picture
Vietnam
Top 5 things to do in Vietnam
​Visited: May 2015
Read our top picks

    Stay Up-To-Date on Our 2RAVELS

Subscribe to Newsletter
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Africa- South & East
  • Albania
  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada: Toronto
  • Canada: West Coast
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • El Salvador
  • Fiji
  • Guatemala
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kosovo
  • Laos
  • Liechtenstein
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico: Yucatan Peninsula
  • Mexico: Mexico City & Oaxaca
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Nicaragua
  • North Macedonia
  • Panama
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Scotland
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Switzerland- Around Zurich
  • Taiwan
  • Uruguay
  • USA: West Coast
  • Vietnam
  • Around The World In A Year
  • The Reality of Travel
  • 11 Travelling Tips & Tricks
  • Countries Visited
  • Contact Us