Stephanie Barry Woods

Sometimes planning trips means spreadsheets, guide books, and tons of research Sometimes you plan your itinerary on the Notes app the night before you fly 🥹
As someone who loves a good planning session for a trip, I have had some incredible travels when very little planned, mostly because there are a few things I’ll never leave for a trip without knowing:
Get your seasons right: a surefire way to have a bad trip is to have no idea what weather you’re turning up to Make sure you find out!
Pin pin pin: Open the Google maps app, zoom into the middle of the cities or towns you’re off to, and start pinning (Watch my ‘sit star see’ highlight for how to do this) I click attractions -> top rated and pin what I like the look of Then restaurants -> top rated Then parks, then bars it takes about 30 mins to create a basic list of the main sights and eats You will fine tune this list later The main thing is that with this list you can see the pockets of the city where lots of things are happening As I gear up to the trip, I pin any recs I get or see so I don’t forget them
Get free guides: Free, downloadable walking tours have been our go-to for trips where we didn’t have a ton of time to plan Google any city and you’ll find free walking tour maps that you can follow Pick a route and add your own stops with your pins
Make a mood itinerary: Chances are the reason you’ve not had time to plan is cause you’re *busy* and you don’t just need a cool trip but a chance to chill out That was the case for this video, so we mapped out our trip loosely with slow days, busy days, evenings out and evenings where we’d just come home and sleep We set the pace with this mood itinerary, and on that trip we slotted our meals and activities into it You’d be surprised how hard it can be to allow yourself to relax when you go on a trip after being super busy
If I know the weather, have a list of pins, some walking tour guides and a mood itinerary I am so happy to get on that plane and figure the rest out!
Anything you’d add?
#tripplanning #travelplanning #laostravel #travelblogger #travelguide

One of my favourite budget-friendly gems in Italy is this gorgeous little Airbnb I found when I was travelling down the Amalfi Coast I know this is going to get booked out now, but it’s too good not to share!
Nestled down 700 steps of the beautiful town of Conca Dei Marini I found this yellow Airbnb and paid £68 per night in May with this beautiful view on my doorstep This wasn’t a town I’ve ever heard of before, I was drawn to stay here by this Airbnb (and the fact that I had a micro budget on the Amalfi Coast!) But I love this place so much!
Prices remain pretty low during peak months, just £50 per person per night, and the best thing about staying here is that it’s not just the accommodation that’s cheap!
There are three little restaurants on the beach here, two of which are quite reasonably priced - super cheap if you compare them to Positano
There are boats that will take you to Amalfi and Positano for under €10 each way (you get the WhatsApp of the boat driver and let him know when you want to return!)These boat rides take you along some beautifully scenic parts of the coast, past views that you would pay hundreds of euro for a private boat trip – and it was just me on the boat so the driver gave me a guided tour 🫶🏻
Availability is tight for this Airbnb! But I would recommend it wholeheartedly as a place to go to chill and not spend a ton of money on the amount of Coast
I have a full guide to Amalfi Coast on my blog, link is in my bio Pop over if you want to know how to spend your time there And if you want any more budget accommodation recommendations then just drop a common blow because they are my favourite things to find 👀
#amalficoast #amalfi #italysummer #italytravel #travelital6y #amalficoastitaly #amalficoastlovers #italytraveltips #budgettravel #airbnbhomes #budgethotel

Reminiscing on my first Italy tour 🇮🇹 I feel so grateful that I got to show such a wonderful group around the part of Italy we call home 🫶🏻
Of all the tours I’ve done so far, this one has definitely been the most personal We hosted the welcome at our home, took everyone to our favourite local restaurants, and shared the spots we love to visit Most of the girls had been on past tours with me, and gave a warm welcome to the new faces who were nervous about their first group tour! It felt like we had a group of old friends with us 🫶🏻
If you want to travel and don’t want to do it solo, please please please consider signing up for a group tour! I know it’s nerve wracking, but you’ll make memories you can’t even imagine There are so many options out there now, so you can find the perfect fit for you depending on how you like to travel and what you like to do! ❤️ the friendships that have come from these tours have made me feel so warm and happy, and I just wish I wasn’t too nervous to sign up to them when we started to travel!! It would have made making travelling friends so much easier!
If you want to see the places we visited on the tour, the itinerary is on my site! And if you’d be interested in a September tour then let me know!
#abruzzo #italy #italytravel #italytraveltips #abruzzotravelguide #pescara #winetasting #irishblogger #travelblogger

Going to Bangkok and short on time? @elleeexploring and I decided to find out how much you can fit into just one day of exploring in the city 🇹🇭
Do I think you need to just 24/48 hours in Bangkok? Definitely not, there’s so much to see and do here BUT so many visitors to the country are in tight timelines and want to see the islands, national parks, and the north so they opt for a whistlestop visit to Bangkok
We’ve spent a lot of time in Bangkok, I lived there for the past 8 months and I wanted to see how you could fit all of the different aspects of the city into one day Markets, temples, parks, great restaurants, local food, and tuktuks - all on a reasonable budget
Our full day itinerary is in the video, and I have a highlight with costs / steps and timings for the whole day so you can follow along!
There are some spots I love in Bangkok that we couldn’t fit into the day You could definitely go to a night market like Jodd Fairs instead of a restaurant for dinner, or go out for rooftop cocktails or clubbing after dinner
If you haven’t been to Bangkok, this might help you plan your trip And if you have, would you add anything?
#bangkoktravelguide #bangkoktravel #24hoursinbangkok #travelbangkok #thailandguide #thailand #travel #seatravel #bangkokthailand

When you live away you’re always asked the people & things you miss from home But what I miss most is the special moments that we’ve not been there for 🫶🏻 The engagements, weddings, kids, promotions, new homes and all the big and small events in your family and friends lives that you miss out on being there for There’s only so much you can really share on calls and voice notes, and sometimes it feels worse to call because you’re reminded of how far away you are The world feels a lot bigger when you’re missing something back home 😓
So when we’re close enough to be able to go to these events it feels even more special!🫶🏻 the last two weekends I’ve been able to go to a hen and a wedding - and sure, I need about two weeks to recover from those 5am flights 😂 but it was so worth it to spend time with some of our favourite people!
Here’s a couple of tips I’ve picked up travelling in Europe for the last few weeks:
• Shop around for train fares in Italy, and set your currency to Euro on the site / app you’re booking on We saved £85 on train tickets by switching apps, and changing the currency We were using Omio and they were charging us the Euro price in sterling
• Same for buses, find the route you want on the app that’s easiest to use & then put the route into Google to shop around for prices The difference in price between sites can be a lot, use Chrome to handle different languages
• Italy is a dream to travel around compared with many other European countries I’ve been to Train & bus travel is 👌🏼
• Europcar at Dublin airport are so lovely and if you want to rent a car there I highly recommend them
• I ❤️ Aer Lingus and need them to fly to Pescara pls pls
• Backpacks > Suitcases (even 4 wheel ones)
• If you want to sit with your travel buddies on your flight, *dont* pay for everyone’s seats when you book You’re wasting money Choose free random seat allocation, then go back into the booking pay to move one person next to the other 9 times outta 10 the seat next to one of you is empty
Anything you’d add?
#travel #europetravel #traintravel #bristol #wedding #weddingwear #ireland #abruzzo #traveltips

Looking for places to go in Bali without all the tourists? An hours drive from Ubud, set on a big lake with two volcanoes either side, you’ll find tranquil and beautiful Kintamani It’s got the serene nature and beauty you’d expect, but rarely find, in Ubud
Drive here by scooter, rental car or private driver The journey is about 1-1 5 hours from the airport & popular towns in the south of Bali Don’t take a taxi as transport is quite limited here, so you’ll need your own wheels
What to do
• Climb Mount Batur or the lesser climbed Mt Agung, or do the easier Batur Crater
• Drive to Pinggan Village This stunning scenic area is a lovely spot to watch sunrise
• Head to the coffee shops overlooking Mount Batur @akasa_specialtycoffee and @montanacafebali have epic views
• Head to Pura Segara Ulun, which is a temple on Lake Batur which you can visit by crossing a small bridge
• Toya Bungkah Hot Spring is popular here but unlike many other sites, this is on many tour group itineraries so it can get really busy Go here during 12-2 when the tours are at lunch It’s less of a recommendation and more of a suggestion
• Canoe on Lake Batur
• Hire a Jeep to ride over the lava fields
• Rent a scooter or even just a mountain bike to explore the area This is one of my favorite parts of Bali to ride around, you’ll see epic views of rice fields and the lakes Stop of cheap great local food, and likely meet a lot of cute dogs (Just don’t come home with one like we did!😂)
Who’s this area for?
If you want to see local life in Bali, and get away from the touristy spots without being too isolated - this is perfect It’s got a bit of tourism due to Mount Batur, but most tourists come and go in just a few hours so the area is empty in the afternoon
There is no nightlife here, you eat and sleep early & rise early which I love! It’s also perfect for those who like to stay active when they travel
It’s one of my fave areas! Drop any questions below if you want to go!
Tomorrow I’ll share a little island off Bali that not many people go to!👀
#bali #baliguide #balitravelguide #visitbali #kintamani #ubud

Going to Bali and want to find lesser known spots to go? I’ve got you! (This is my second post in the series, check my first for an Ubud alternative!)
On the north coast of Bali you’ll find Lovina and Menjangan island, two spots I would definitely recommend taking a few days of your trip to visit
Lovina (pics 1, 8 and 9) is a beach town on the north coast of Bali with very reasonably priced accommodation options and a much more chilled out vibe than down south We stayed at Puri Bagus Lovina (9th video), I’ll link it in my stories You get your own villa, right by the beach and with a pool and spa The nightlife is less clubby than Canggu & Seminyak, but there’s still fun to be had - it’s not as sleepy as Kintamani (read about this place in my last post)
Sunsets are gorgeous, vibes are chilled, and you can do some great adventures from here which is the reason I like to go Waterfall hopping, canyoning, boat tripping, and to visit the stunning Menjangan island, which is my second recommendation for you!
A snorkelling trip to Menjangan has to be on any water babies Bali itinerary - we have done many snorkel trips over the years and this was one of my favourites
These islands are home to wild deer who swim over to the islands every spring from west Bali national park Menjangan can’t be compared with the Nusa and Gili islands, there’s no parties no crowds - they are a protected natural sanctuary so you come for day trips to see life above and below the water Because they are so far from the airport and main towns in Bali, they’re super quiet, which makes them perfect for nature lovers who want to see real Bali
Most Menjangan snorkelling tours will pick you up from Lovina for a day on the water @bluecornerdive @menjanganwestbalitours are some companies that offer snorkelling tours! BUT if you don’t want to stay in Lovina, @sumberkimahill is a fancy little resort you could stay in which is close to the island 👌🏼 check it out!
#bali #balirecommendations #balitrips #lovina #menjanganisland #visitbali #travel #traveltips

Let’s do an introduction for everyone who has joined us recently ✨
I’m Steph & I’m married to the lovely @timjamwoo for the past 6 years - and we have spent most of that time travelling the world 🌍
We met at work and always wanted to quit our jobs and go backpacking - so we saved for a couple of years, quit our jobs, sold our stuff, and in 2016 hopped on a one-way flight to Bangkok!✈️
2016-2017 we spent a full year backpacking around Asia, seeing everything we could I think we stopped for a maximum of like 3 nights in that time 😂😅
2017 we left SEA for Oz, to build back up our savings on working holiday visas We got jobs & a little flat and stayed in Melbourne for a year - but the settled life wasn’t for us 🏚
In 2018 we left for Bali ✈️ with a goal to start working online so that we could travel full time & keep earning We started freelancing & I started working on a blog which changed my life ❤️
2018-2019 we had the most incredible year living in Bali, while hopping on flights to travel around Asia ✈️ We fostered a dog, and met the most awesome people 👯 My instagram account grew, and so did my blog - so I was working online and loving it so much!!
In 2019 we decided to leave Bali and backpack around Asia for another 6 months But the night before we were due to move out we hit a bit of a bump
We were driving home & we were hit by a motorbike Tim ended up with some injuries and needed surgery, which unfortunately meant we lost all of our money due to the cost (We had insurance, long story)
So instead of backpacking, we headed back to ireland for a few months, with no money, a concussion, and a little PTSD (thank you therapy for helping with that!)

For the rest of 2019 we worked hard to build back up our savings, and ourselves - and then headed back to SEA! ✈️✈️
We were feeling like ourselves again, and started out on another backpacking trip - our first stop was Vietnam, in January 2020…when a mysterious flu-like illness started spreading through the country 🙃
*I’ve run out of space - stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where I’ll fill you in on what’s happened since & how one Google search changed our path completely!

It’s finally OURS!!❤️
So thankful for that day I sat at my desk, typed ‘the cheapest place in the world to buy a house’, and a little place called Abruzzo popped up!
So much has lead us to this point, and I am just so grateful to be here right now ❤️ the past two years have been a rollercoaster, but I’m really glad to finally have a safe place to call our own!
Chase your dreams, work as hard as you can, and never ever stop appreciating everything you have in life ❤️❤️

Did you know that you can do a pub crawl inside Bangkok‘s highest building?
And it is so freaking cool!
Watch the real to see the details, and the price! If you do go on this crawl, I recommend doing it in the opposite order than we did – starting in oh, Joe at sunset and working your way down through the bars to parlour It was only after we finished that we realised we should’ve done things this way!
In terms of the bars I would rate @ojobangkok the highest, the vibe, the views, the drinks the snacks are all amazing!
@mott32bk was probably my favourite for a date night It has such a chilled out and relaxed vibe I wanted to stay all night chatting and drinking whiskey cocktails
@thestandardbangkok Double standard Bar is more low key and best for catching up with a few friends It’s super casual and a place you could chill out with a group
The Parlour is described as a social hub, and it’s again a casual cocktail vibe It would be a good place to meet friends or grab a drink with a date
Tickets cost 1980 thai baht (currency conversions are in the reel) Make sure you buy your tickets directly from the Standard hotel website, or they’ll cost more on third-party websites This is a common thing in Bangkok, there are a lot of third-party ticket sellers that charge a big mark up for tickets to most events and occasions – something to be careful of when you’re in the city!
Save this post and try this pub crawl when you’re in the city! Honestly, it’s such good value that I doubt it will be around for too long Tag me if you go and let me know what you thought!
#thingstodobangkok #themahanakon #bangkokguide #bangkokthingstodo #bangkokitinerary #thailandtravel #traveltipsthailand #bangkok #thailand #nightlifebangkok #bangkokhiddengem