A Simple Life of Luxury | Weblog

Cake for Anna 2

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Back to Manila and the Journey Home

My attempts at eating again yesterday had backfired, and I was feeling a little unwell once more this morning — not quite what was needed on a long journey home, but it was what it was. The holiday had been a Much Better Adventures trip, so all transfers and internal flights had been arranged for us. The...

Coron 1

Island Hopping in the Phillpines – Days 8 & 9 – Coron

Christmas Days and Karst Adventures in Coron Merry Christmas! It was Christmas Day, and we were in the Philippines, staying at the very plush Bacau Bay Hotel in Coron, on the island of Busuanga. The staff wore Santa hats, Christmas carols played softly in the background, and the grounds and restaurants were strung with festive...

Ynyslas Sunset Colours 0

Ynyslas Sunset and Snowy Sunrise

I took these sunset and snowy sunrise photos just over twelve hours apart, on the same stretch of beach here at Ynsylas. Last night’s sunset was one of those understated ones. No big colours or drama, just a steady fading of light and a calm sea. The sort of evening where nothing much seems to...

0

Crunching the Numbers: 2025 Sets a New Solar Record

The figures are in, the numbers have been crunched and… trumpets and fanfares… ta-da! 2025 was our best year of solar energy yield yet. It was a close-run thing, and I genuinely didn’t think we’d beat the 2022 record. However, a few good solar days between Christmas and the New Year tipped the balance. Our...

1

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Day 6 & 7: A Castaway Cruise

My upset stomach and headache really made themselves known today. Full-blown diarrhoea, a pounding head, nausea, and the beginnings of flu-like aches and pains all over — great. Just what I needed on the day we were heading off for an overnight, off-grid camp on a remote island with no facilities as part of an...

Lagoons 3

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Day 5: El Nido

Today started with breakfast at the Nacpan Beach Resort, just north of El Nido. Or rather, it did for Anna — I wasn’t feeling great, so I managed only half a piece of toast. We did at least take a look at the early morning beach from the restaurant before getting ready for another day...

Our Bangka Boat 0

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Days 3 & 4 – Port Barton

After a long drive to Port Barton the previous day, we were glad of a decent night’s sleep in a comfortable room at Holiday Suites and were looking forward to spending some time in the water. We’d also be staying for a second night, which meant we could unpack a little and not immediately be...

New Year's Dinner 2

Jetlagged into 2026

Happy New Year everyone — let’s hope 2026 is a good one. Anna and I were still a little jet-lagged from our journey home from the Philippines, and our digestive systems hadn’t quite recovered either. However, before going on holiday we’d booked a table at Libanus 1877 in Borth for a New Year’s Eve meal,...

The Hotel Pool 1

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Day 2: Manila to Port Barton

Day two of our island-hopping trip in the Philippines ended up feeling more like another travel day than a proper day of adventure. After breakfast at the Henry Hotel, we piled into minibuses with our luggage and headed once more into Intramuros — literally meaning “within the walls.” This was the same area of the...

A Dip in Dubai 1

Island Hopping in the Philippines – Getting There

Borth to Dubai Often, the journey to a destination is as much of an adventure as the destination itself. Even short trips to places such as the Isle of Man sometimes warrant a full blog post. When the destination is halfway across the world, crossing several time zones and taking a couple of days to...