Alli Talley

July 8, 2017

Indonesia, Asia

A Bali Hotel TUGU (too good...) to Be True

Alli Talley

July 8, 2017

Indonesia, Asia

Let's be real. 12 days in Bali = not enough time in Bali.

Our first trip to this magical island was SO much more than we both could’ve imagined. The people, the food, the surf... we were in heaven! For most of our trip, we stayed with some close friends and enjoyed exploring local spots that we never would’ve discovered. In the middle of our trip we gave them a little break from hosting us, and we spent two nights at Hotel Tugu in Canggu. Going into it, all we really knew about Tugu is that it had a traditional Balinese theme, and that it had some really cool art. Both were understatements.

Tugu hotels are a small, privately owned and designed luxury art hotels created from the founder’s passion for Indonesia’s romantic history. They're better classified as boutique museum hotels, all housing incredible art and antiques, and each designed with traditional Indonesian culture in mind. When we walked into our hotel, we were blown away by the massive statue in the lobby and all of the ornate decorations. But that was only the BEGINNING.

Heading to our room through the greenery!

We continued to be wowed by our room (coolest hotel bathroom we have ever had), the food (can we take our smoothie bowls back to America?!), and the overall vibe that forced us to unwind and relax during our time at Tugu. Read on for details…

Our Dedari Suite at Tugu was one of our favorite rooms ever. EVER. When you enter in the first door, you are in a small courtyard with a Koi pond and pathway up to the second door, which leads to your room. The room features a massive, oversized King bed (truly fit for a king), a private pool, a bathroom that ranks #1 all-time by the Traveling Newlyweds, and views of private gardens. It's like your own private sanctuary!

When perusing the room, as we always do when we first arrive, it was a bit confusing to see another locked door on one end of the room. We unlocked to find a bathroom PARADISE! An open-air bathroom with a lounging area, a sunken bathtub, amazing incense burning, and Koi fish swimming around you! We were here for 2 days, and Alli took 5 baths! How could you not?!

As for food, we hardly had time to enjoy all the Tugu had to offer. We started each morning with amazing smoothie bowls, as well as egg dishes and other small treats. Since we only had two nights here, we were mostly out on the town exploring cuisine options. Prior to going out, we would enjoy the complimentary afternoon tea and treats! Next time we will be sure to dine in Tugu’s famous dining room that is housed inside a 300-year-old Chinese temple. At the end of each evening we indulged in a nightcap on the rooftop of Ji, their Japanese Fusion & Sake Bar. Bobby loved the Kublai cocktail, and Alli the Coco Sexo. We CAN’T wait to be back here for the warm nights, the views, and these cocktails!

The overall Tugu vibe is what we will miss most, and what will bring us back quickly. As soon as you arrive at Tugu, the dim lights, the smell of incense, and the calming music instantly allow you to unwind and relax. Add the complimentary welcome massage (that's right - complimentary welcome massage - just in case you missed that the first time) and you will be in vacation mode in no time!

Whether it was the daily tea time, the spa treatments, or just relaxing in our room, Tugu has a feel the yields relaxation. We left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and we CAN'T WAIT to return!

Alli Talley

July 7, 2017

China, Asia

How We Spent a 26 Hour Layover in Guangzhou, China… and LOVED it!

Alli Talley

July 7, 2017

China, Asia

So if you are like us and you like to see the world as much as possible, you have to save money wherever you can (see our blog on traveling luxuriously without breaking the bank). If you are going by air, then plane tickets are normally a big chunk of your budget. When planning for our recent trip to Bali, Indonesia, we expected to pay around $1200 for a reasonable ticket. When skyscanning, we stumbled upon tickets for $840!!! The catch was that the trip took 51 hours. That may seem daunting, but the trip only had one stop… a 26 hours stop in Guangzhou, China. Guang-where? That’s what we said. But Guangzhou happens to be China’s third largest city, behind only Beijing and Shanghai. Whattttttt!?!?! We embraced this exciting adventure and had long layovers both to and from Bali. Here we are going to share how we spent our time, and a a few things you will need on your next trip that has a long layover.

You Need Enough Time

This is first because it is important. If you are flying somewhere, let’s say Thailand, and you have a 7 hour layover in Tokyo, it’s pretty risky to plan on sightseeing in Tokyo. If you are leaving the airport, through customs, and have to re-enter through security, we would recommend you have at least 8 hours to quickly explore a layover destination. Along with how much time you have, it matters what time it is. If you have a shorter amount of time, it’s ideal that your layover is during the day. If you have a stop closer to our length (26 hours), ideally you arrive at night, get to sleep, and then have part of the day to explore. It will be helpful if you have an idea of what you want to do so you can plan efficiently too. We used Visit China’s Instagram to guide our planning in Guangzhou, and it help us use our time effectively! Overall, just know that your time is limited… and use it wisely!

You Need to Sleep… Preferably Comfortably (SPLURGE)

If your layover is somewhere that your currency is strong, this may be a place to splurge! Splurge or not, if you have a really long layover, it is SUPER important that you get some good sleep. Most likely you are coming off of a long plane flight where sleeping is rough, and you will be getting on another, so you need to take any opportunity to get some uninterrupted shut-eye.

During our time in Guangzhou, we stayed at the Park Hyatt. This five-star gem is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Guangzhou, and has incredible views of the Canton Tower. Our room had amazing views with floor-to-ceiling windows, and our bed was so comfortable it was hard to ever get out. We had breakfast in the hotel and indulged in their buffet, which had traditional Cantonese food, healthy granola and fruit options, and even waffles! Consistent with the Park Hyatt brand, the food was phenomenal. Throughout the hotel was beautiful art, specifically wooden sculptures by world-renowned artist Tadashi Kawamata. The wooden pieces were inspired by Kawamata’s conception of the building as a dragon flying into the sky. Within the hotel you can find the dragon’s legs, body, nest, and other wooden interpretations.

We spent a good amount of time at the Park Hyatt in our amazing room, and the rest at the pool. We've stayed at a few Park Hyatt's in the past (TOKYO!), and they know how to design a pool. The pool in Guangzhou is overlooking the skyline, and the designs above the pool are similar to the architecture of the Canton Tower (which you see while you swim).

The Park Hyatt allowed us to feel refreshed and replenished, giving us the energy to explore Guangzhou and be ready for our next flight. We hope to stay here again soon!

You Need to Rally When You Get Tired

Since you are in between flights and your internal clock is out-of-whack, you’re just going to need to suck-it-up when you get tired. Your time is short, so drink a cappuccino and keep going. For us, this happened when we were perusing the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street. It is a long road of fun shopping, and right when we got there we both got a little sleepy. We shared a coffee, got a little snack, and pushed through. Shortly after that we saw some locals doing some really entertaining dancing and we visited the Chen Clan Academic Hall (a really cool temple), so it was definitely worth it!

You Need to Embrace the Culture

This really comes down to where you go, and what you eat. Don’t just do the most touristy things… try to find some locals and see what they are up to. After spending the night at the Park Hyatt, we got up early (to beat the other tourists) and headed to Shamian Island. This is a really popular tourist spot, but we heard that locals gather here in the mornings to exercise. Do they ever! Something really neat about the culture here is that tons of people workout together daily. Not what we imagine – at a 24-Hour Fitness, in nice workout clothes, wearing headphones and pumping iron. The locals here are dressed casual and are hanging out while practicing various exercises. It looked fun, refreshing, and healthy!

As for food, we really try to eat and experience as much as possible during our layover. We had some yummy dim sum, some delicious dumplings, delightful Cantonese fried rice, and some scary street food (we don’t even know what it was). Sadly, we did not have time for some of the truly Chinese delicacies, like shark fin soup or roasted duck. Next time!

If your travel plans allow it, we would highly recommend the long layover! Plan it efficiently, embrace the culture of wherever you are, and prepare to blitz through a destination. The goal is to see, do, and eat enough that it gives you a feel for the destination, and hopefully makes you want to come back. Thanks for the (quick) memories, Guangzhou! We’ll be back soon!

Alli Talley

July 6, 2017

South Dakota, USA

Dude, We Survived a Dude Ranch!

Alli Talley

July 6, 2017

South Dakota, USA

One of our favorite things about traveling is the random bucket-list experiences we get to share together. Sometimes we don't even know how bucket-list they are until we actually experience them!!

Anyway, a dude ranch is one of those experiences. We didn't really know what to expect or what we were in for, and man... was it epic. Have you seen the show, "Hey Dude" on Nickelodeon? It's pretty on point...

Ghost Canyon Ranch is in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota, minutes from Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The ranch was established in 1878, and recently was taken over by Trevor and Laura Bryan and their family. They are passionate about family, nature, and horses and will definitely show you a great time. Ghost Canyon Ranch is a PERFECT place for a group gathering (family reunions!), as it has a capacity for 20 and offers an all-inclusive Western experience. You'll enjoy refreshing mountain air, gorgeous evenings, horseback riding, fishing, and relaxing. All this to say, or stay at Ghost Canyon Ranch was far to short. We basically got a taste of what a vacation on the ranch could be, and we can't wait to be back.

We arrived in the afternoon and were greeted warmly by Trevor and Laura. We had a pretty long day of travel and we were tired, hungry, and pretty wiped out from the drive. They welcomed us with a big hug, showed us our room (more like a house!), and led us to the dining room where they had a full steak dinner waiting for us. And it was SO GOOD!

We shared stories of our travels, learned about how they met, and got the scoop on what a "Dude Ranch" really is - a working ranch that accepts guests. So you can come to relax, or get to work! These past few years since they took over Ghost Canyon Ranch has been really busy for them, as word has traveled about how amazing their ranch really is. We went to bed feeling full, excited, and really honored for the opportunity to be there.

The next morning we woke up to picture-perfect views of the ranch, and the smells of breakfast calling us to the dining room. Laura greeted us with another home cooked meal, and told us to get our sneakers on. It was time to feed the horses!!

Laura and Trevor told us all about each horse, where they came from, their temperament, and how they daily care for each of their animals - they even let us help brush them! Odie the goat was the highlight of our morning, as he followed us around and ate from our hands - of course we HAD to get a picture with him!

As we said above, our time at Ghost Canyon Ranch was too short. We had some amazing home cooked meals, got to enjoy a beautiful evening, a lazy morning, and the peaceful silence you can only find in nature. We didn't have time to go on a horseback riding trip through the mountains, watch the sunset from their jacuzzi, or get get to work as a couple of ranch-hands... but we'll be back.

We'll definitely be back.

Thank you to South Dakota Tourism for sponsoring this post!

Alli Talley

July 4, 2017

South Dakota, USA

South Dakota MUST-DO: SUNRISE Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour

Alli Talley

July 4, 2017

South Dakota, USA

For us "city folk", South Dakota is the ULTIMATE escape. It has gorgeous blue skies, majestic landscapes, and diverse wildlife (something we don't have in LA!!). It is here, away from the hustle and bustle, that you can enjoy silence, nature, and an epic bison burger (another thing we don't have!). While you may desire to avoid your alarm clock in favor of rest, we STRONGLY advise that you spend one of your mornings in Custer State Park on the Sunrise Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour. You can do this tour throughout the day, but the sunrise (or possibly sunset) tours are the best for seeing wildlife - and totally worth the 5am wake up call!

During our time in Custer State Park, we stayed at the Custer State Park Game Lodge. It is a beautiful stone and wood lodge built in 1920 that served as the “Summer White House” for President Calvin Coolidge! It's recently been updated and is a truly stunning property. (While we're at it - we highly recommend having a glass of wine on the porch before dinner!) The Jeep tours originate here at the lodge, and for the sunrise tour you have to get there quite early.

We found our guide waiting for us outside of an awesome open-air jeep. If you go at sunrise like we did, be sure to bring a jacket because it was definitely chilly until the sun came up. While the tour is called “Buffalo Safari”, we really were in search of a LARGE assortment of critters: buffalo, deer, elk, pronghorn, wild turkey, pronghorns, prairie dogs... and more!

When everyone arrived, we set off. The air was brisk, but our coffee in hand definitely helped. Within about two minutes we saw our first elk and deer, as well as a beautiful Mountain Bluebird.

Shortly after, as the sun was just peaking over the Black Hills, we saw our first herd of buffalo. You never know how many buffalo you are going to see, so every opportunity is a great time to take a photo... but little did we know, we were about to see a LOT of buffalo. The first herd we saw was a little farther away, and at our closest point we were maybe 50 feet from the nearest buffalo.

We continued on, and came upon another big herd of buffalo. This is where we want to pause and mention our #1 reason for taking this tour. The Buffalo Safari Jeeps ARE THE ONLY VEHICLES ALLOWED TO GO OFF THE MAIN ROADS. That being said, this next herd was maybe 300 feet off of the main road. There was a couple sitting in their truck looking at the buffalo, and we went right past them, off the road, and headed in for a closer look. We preceded to drive THROUGH the herd.... So close that we could have touched them! It was INCREDIBLE (and mildly terrifying)! At one point we just stopped the Jeep and sat in the middle of this herd. Many of the buffalo were staring at us, while others were just doing their thing, not bothered by us at all! This was probably one of the coolest moments of our trip. No joke.

Following this unforgettable buffalo encounter, we came upon our first prairie dog “town”, which we learned is what you call a prairie dog community. Apparently prairie dogs are highly social animals, and they live in towns full of extensive underground burrows, tunnels, and chambers. They’re cute little critters, but according to the locals, highly annoying!

Throughout the tour our guide shared tons of fun facts and details about the animals and parks. Like, how did the “Black Hills” get their name? The Lakota Sioux Native Americans named this area “Hills that are black” because of their dark appearance from a distance, since they are covered in trees.

The Sunrise Buffalo Safari was truly the highlight of our trip to South Dakota... it was a morning we'll never forget! (And we have about 2,000+ photos to make sure we never do!!) ;) So get over to South Dakota, sign up for the sunrise tour, and make sure to have a warm jacket and charged camera. It will be an epic adventure!

Thank you to South Dakota Tourism for sponsoring this post!

Alli Talley

June 30, 2017

USA, South Dakota

You're Going Where?!? Here's Why YOU Should Go to South Dakota!

Alli Talley

June 30, 2017

USA, South Dakota

We recently spent a long weekend in South Dakota, which raised a lot of questions from our followers. "Why South Dakota?" "What made you choose that state?" "What did you do there?"... We're here today to tell you about how underrated South Dakota is. We figure to best explain, we should break this thing down. Here's ten reasons (and a lot of photos!) to prove why you should make this beautiful state your next travel destination:

1. IT'S BEAUTIFUL

Starry skies, stunning cliffs, majestic rock formations, crystal clear water.. We could go on and on, but we'll let our photos do the talking:

2. IT'S FULL OF CUTE CRITTERS

The animals were, hands down, Alli's FAVORITE part of South Dakota. Both of us couldn't get over the wildlife, and really, we couldn't get away from it!

We drove through Bear Country USA, a park in which you literally drive around bears living in their natural habitat - UNREAL! We couldn't believe how close we were able to get to them, and we loved seeing them freely roam without a care in the world. It's always amazing to see animals so well cared for!

Right next door is Reptile Gardens, the largest reptile zoo in the country! It's incredible how many types of reptiles there are - and all shapes and sizes too! We conveniently arrived right at feeding time, and we'll save the photos of the snakes eating their dinner for another time. ;)

Another highlight of our trip was visiting the Wild Horse Sanctuary, where we met with Karla, who's been working there for over 13 years. She took us around the expansive property (Over 11,000 acres!) and told us the stories and names of just about every wild horse we came across. We only met a handful, considering there are HUNDREDS of wild mustangs roaming free here! It was a truly spiritual moment to see these beautiful creatures running together in the wild... We could have spent all day there!

We also did this amazing tour called the "Buffalo Safari" while we were in Custer State Park. It was so cool that we are posting a separate blog on it. Stay tuned!

3. IT'S AFFORDABLE

Us California kids couldn't get over how affordable everything was! From gas prices to restaurants to souvenir shopping, South Dakota is extremely reasonable! And when you're traveling on a budget like we are, this is a very attractive selling point!

4. IT'S EASY TO NAVIGATE

Getting around South Dakota was a piece of cake! While we did use our phones sometimes, we tried to stick to the old fashioned map the South Dakota tourism board gave us. But we really didn't even need that - everything is marked clearly, and there's never any traffic!!

5. IT'S UP-AND-COMING

Mark our words - South Dakota is on its way to becoming the new place to be! With new restaurants opening up left and right, gorgeous scenery, delicious food, top-notch coffee and friendly folks... word is bound to get out! You heard it here first!

6. IT'S FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Your kids are bound to love South Dakota, trust us. From all of the amazing wildlife to the hikes, caves, national parks (Mount Rushmore!), amusement parks, and even a quirky roadside destination called Wall Drug Store... there is endless entertainment for families young and old alike!

7. THE SUNSETS

The sunsets in South Dakota were some of the most beautiful we've ever seen. There's something about the crystal clear air and magnificent mountains that makes the sky come alive at night. But again, don't take our word for it...

8. THE FRIENDLY LOCALS

We could NOT get over how nice everyone is in South Dakota! We didn't meet one person we didn't like, and everyone was so helpful! There's something so beautiful about seeing people's pride for their hometown, and such was the case here. It's almost like they're all letting you in on their little secret - that their state is better than most... And we have to agree.

9. IT'S ROMANTIC

Yep, that's right. South Dakota is extremely romantic. Watching the sunrise in the Badlands was one of the most idyllic and picturesque things we can imagine - and we were the ONLY people there! Definitely a top-ten moment in our marriage thus far.

10. ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES!

And folks, that's just the beginning. In the few short days that we were in South Dakota we saw a lot... but there is SO much more! We have yet to explore Sioux Falls, see the famous Crazy Horse Memorial, or see the waterfalls in Spearfish! Which means it's time for us to book our next trip. STAT.

Thank you to South Dakota Tourism for sponsoring this post!