Becmo Travel Diary | Getting started in North Thailand

Hi guys, I'm back (with a not so short update on our trip so far...!) So it's now been 16 days since we left the UK on our little adventure. We've done so much since we've arrived, so it definitely feels like we've been away for longer! We've already learnt a lot and made countless memories with new friends that we've made along the way. 

We arrived in Bangkok on 18th July, then moved to Chiang Mai on 21st (via the sleeper train which was so fun) and onto Pai on 24th. On 27th we went on to Chiang Khong and crossed the boarder to Laos the following day where we got the slow boat to PekBang. I'm now writing this on our second slow boat, which will take us into Luang Prabang where we plan to stay for a couple of nights before moving on to Vang Vieng. 

It's been such a great experience so far and Pai has been my favourite place, followed by Chiang Mai. Pai was so chilled and it was great to hire a scooter and drive around for a day taking in all the beautiful scenery and visiting the sights - the Pam Bok waterfall had to be my favourite part, although the views from the Canyon were also a must see - unless you're not good with heights! Pai was a lot more chilled than Chiang Mai and we stayed in the Spicy Pai hostel which is almost like a glamping experience, basic but very cool. 

Spicy Pai Hostel - Pai, Thailand

In Chiang Mai it's more of a city feel but there is lots to see outside of the centre. We visited the Maeklang Elephant Conservation which was amazing, particularly when we got muddy with the elephants and got in the river to wash them off. We also went to the Wat Temple (a lot of steps) but it gives you a great view of the city (if you don't go on an overcast day like we did...). We also did a cooking class in the town at We Cook Thai Home Garden Cooking School - that has to be one of my best experiences so far, the lady that ran the course, Mam, was so passionate and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area. We also saw a Lady Boy show and I bloody loved it! It was absolutely hilarious and a great night out for our first night in Chiang Mai. We stayed in D-Well hostel in Chiang Mai and I can't recommend it enough. It's a bit on the pricey side at £11 per night but it was worth the extra cost. The facilities were great, with breakfast included as well as hot drinks/water and biscuits throughout the day. The staff were also absolutely wonderful, so helpful when it came to booking experiences/travel and always showed a genuine interest in what you'd been up to - smiles all round! 

Maeklang Elephant Conservation - Chaing Mai, Thailand

Maeklang Elephant Conservation - Chaing Mai, Thailand

We Cook Thai Home Garden Cooking School - Chaing Mai, Thailand

Bangkok was good, but it didn't take my breath away. We visited a number of sights such as the Golden Buddha, the Golden Mount and the Lucky Temple, as well as experiencing a tuk tuk and visiting the Floating Market, but it didn't amaze me. I've had mixed thoughts from the travellers that we've met along the way in regards to Bangkok, but it's definitely a place you should and probably would end up visiting should you travel to Thailand. We are due to return to Thailand and Bangkok in a couple of months, so we'll see if our views have changed next time. 

Bangkok, Thailand

Floating Market - Bangkok, Thailand

Here are my top tips so far: 

Bring a good waterproof jacket and carry it with you at all times as it will rain and when it eating it RAINS and can come out of nowhere 

Pack headphones, you're likely to be on long bus/train/boat journeys when travelling between locations - a portable charger is also useful!

Don't forget to top up the suncream! An obvious one but something I didn't do when we hired scooters for the day, leaving me with lovely burn lines 

Haggle, haggle and haggle more. This is something everyone plans to do when they arrive but as the prices are already so much cheaper than the UK it's easy to be happy with a price that you could drop further, so don't give in so easily! 

Don't forget sunglasses - despite bringing numerous pairs with me I managed to forget these on day 2 and it was so frustrating

Keep a journal, it might seem annoying to keep up with but it'll be worth it in the end when you can look back on everything! 

Don't be afraid to speak to new people. Everyone is so friendly and speaks to everyone, it's such a lovely, friendly vibe 

Carry anti bacteria gel with you at all times, as well as tissues - bathrooms can be interesting...

Bring more than one padlock - stupidly I only brought one but it's good to have two so you can lock both your big backpack and day bag 

Rent a scooter if you can, or find someone who can take you out on one as it's the best way to explore and you can go where you want when you want (just take it slow at first and wear a helmet!) - they're cheap too!

Don't be scared to try street food, it's really good and cheaper than eating out all the time - just make sure any meat is cooked fresh in front of you

Most importantly, try a pineapple shake, they're delicious! 

There are plenty more tips and I'll share more as we go - in the meantime feel free to comment any tips from your own experiences too!

I'm looking forward to see what Laos has to offer, as we plan on staying in the country over the next 7 days or so before moving onto Vietnam (which I cannot wait for!!)

Make sure you're following @top_floor_tour on Instagram for daily updates! 

Until next time,

Becmo

xo

Becmo | Travel Diary

Morning all! 

As some of you may know, today I am off on a little adventure to see some of the world for 8 months! Two friends and I decided that it was about time that we stop holding off leaving and just bite the bullet, otherwise we'd never get round to it and we don't wanna be living with regrets now do we?! 

Our first stop in Thailand, followed by Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, back to Thailand, Bali, Australia and ending with New Zealand - it's safe to say I'm pretty excited! 

We've booked the flights (bar Aus - New Zealand) through STA travel (which was really easy, just book an appointment and ask all the questions in the world), but we've not gone as far as booking hostels/activities, as we felt that this is best doing along the way rather than being tied into being in a specific place at a specific time. 

Over the next 8 months I plan to keep my travels documented on this little space on the internet, so stay tuned for further updates (and apologies in advance for the photo overload on my social channels...). We've setup a specific Instagram account whereby we plan to post 1 image per day, so feel free to go and follow @top_floor_tour for constant updates! 

Now I'd better get on and get myself ready as I'm leaving for the airport in an hour... 

Bangkok, we're coming for ya! 

Becmo xo 

When the Sun's Out | OOTD

Finally, the weekend is here! Although we had a shorter week this week with the Bank Holiday Monday, it's felt much longer than usual and I'm very much looking forward to the weekend!

Talking of weekends, a couple of weeks ago my parents and I went to London to visit my brother. It was the weekend we're now all missing, when the sun was out and it was bloody boiling!

On the Sunday we had a chilled day, went for lunch and sat in the sun with a beer. If you're ever in Ealing and in search of a pub garden I highly recommend that you go to The Rose and Crown. On such a hot day we weren't expecting to find anywhere with a beer garden that actually had space for us, but the Rose and Crown was so spacious and really nice! We grabs ourselves some drinks, soaked up the sun and ordered some food. I wasn't sure what to expect from the food but it was really good! I had the chickpea burger and fries and loved it. 

I thought I'd take advantage of the sun and get my legs out (because we don't get much chance for it here in the UK!). I love this dress from Urban Outfitters, it's so pretty and floaty, and it's in black so obviously I'm going to like it! I teamed it with my favourite shoes from Topshop (similar here) and bag from Marks and Spencer. The sunglasses are from H&M. I do love winter and wrapping up in jumpers, but now I've had a small taste on the sun I'm patiently waiting for the 'summer' weather. 

What is your go to summer outfit?

Becmo 

xo

P.S All these photos were taken on my brother's new iPhone and I literally cannot get over the quality of them - it's so bloody good! 

Studs and Khaki | OOTD

Recently I went for brunch in Cirencester with a couple of friends, so naturally roped one of them into taking a few snaps.  

I'm not usually one for wearing colour but I can stretch to a bit of khaki and blue denim from time to time. On this occasion I was wearing an oversized khaki shirt from Zara which I absolutely love! They don't do it anymore but there are a lot of similar ones out there. I went for the basic Joni Topshop jeans and a plain white tee from H&M (similar here). My boots are also from Topshop, as is the leather jacket. The studded bag is from Select, it's not somewhere I usually shop but a while back my friend informed me that they had this bag online so I had to get it! Finally the accessories; the necklace was a gift from my friend, from Accessorize and the sunnies are a recent purchase from Next. 

Becmo

xo 

Bottomless Brunchin' at New Street Grill | Lifestyle

What better way to spend a Saturday than drinking bottomless prosecco with some pretty cool people? Well that's exactly what I did a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting Sophie in London and I bloody loved it. 

In London there are SO many options for places to go for a bottomless brunch, but we ended up going to the New Street Grill in East London. For £15 you can get bottomless prosecco for two hours when you order any main meal; they also have a set menu for just £20 for 2 courses, which is what we chose. 

If you visit New Street Grill then DEFINITELY go for the rosemary bread, it was absolutely delicious and I mean ABSOLUTELY. I could eat a whole loaf of it, it was that good. 

To start I opted for the scotch egg, black pudding and tomato relish, I hadn't had black pudding before so I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but it was really nice! I almost went for the pancakes but I was definitely happy with my choice once I'd dug in. 

Both the Sophie's went for the pancakes with maple syrup, blueberry compote and vanilla cream - this also looked dreamy and the girls seemed to enjoy it! 

For my main I went for Josper grilled Chimichurri marinated Barnsley chop with garlic black cabbage. This was equally as good as the starter, although I wish I'd through to get some carbs to go with it! 

Both Sophie's (it must be something to do with the name) went for the salt cod fishcake with gem heart salad and Tzatzki which was also delicious!   

Once we'd finished eating we took our glasses into the bar area (which was really cool) and lounged about by the giant mirrored wall before making our way home. 

So if you're in London and lost for something to do I definitely recommend that you check this place out! There was also a really cool seating area outside, although you might want to wait a few more months before trying that out... 

That's all for today, so I'll leave you with a song by my latest man crush, Matt Corby. 

Becmo

xo

The 'Painter' Shirt | OOTD

Happy Hump Day! 

As I mentioned in my last post, the other weekend I went in search for 'the pastel wall' with my friend Sophie. Unfortunately we couldn't find it, so we settled for this backdrop instead (featuring some lovely cigarette butts on the floor for extra 'edge'...)

In today's OOTD I've opted for an oversized white shirt, with leather look skinnies and a faux leather jacket - a simple go-to outfit that I probably wear too frequently.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am very indecisive, which can make deciding what to wear a bit of a nightmare... However, when it comes to getting ready in the morning one thing is for certain, my outfit will be lacking in colour. Due to my indecisive nature I've chosen to show two slightly different ways to style this look, as I couldn't decide which I preferred on the day...

For the first look I went for an open oversized shirt over an off the shoulder top, teamed with a western style double buckle belt. I love the style of this belt, but my only frustration is how difficult it is to find trousers etc. that have large enough belt loops to fit the belt through - in this case I had to wear it over the belt loops, as they are too small (which I don't really like doing).

I'm usually a black boots kinda girl, but recently I've been loving these shoes that I picked up in Zara a while back. I love the shape of them, as well as the studded detail. I'm also absolutely in love with this bag - it's mildly similar to the Chloe bag that we are all lusting after (emphasis on the 'mildly'...)  

The second option was to keep the shirt buttoned up, with the added addition of a scarf (because lets face it, it's bloody freezing here at the moment!) This is definitely the more casual and more comfortable of the two options - very 'painter-esque'. For people who like to wear something more fitted, this is not for you, but personally I love wearing skinnies and something oversized on the top half.

The Details

Jacket - Topshop

Shirt - Tesco
Scarf - Accessorize

Top - H&M

Belt - Topshop

Trousers - Primark (similar here)

Bag - Marks and Spencer (similar here)

Shoes - Zara

That's all for today, until next time, 

Becmo

xo

#75 - Pretty Houses and A Cute Kitten | Lifestyle

Good evening! 

How is it Monday already? Even with an extra long weekend it feels like it flew by! 

I spent this weekend in London visiting my friends Sophie and Ted (and their new kitten - cute pic to follow). Both Sophie and I had Friday off, so we took advantage of the slightly quieter streets before the weekend hit and did some exploring. We had planned to go to 'the' pastel wall at Sugarhouse Studios, but we couldn't find it (I'm not sure that it's there anymore!?). After we'd given up we made our way to Portobello Road, had lunch, explored the market and took some pictures of the pretty houses (how can you not?). The weather wasn't in our favour but we weren't going to let that stop us!  

We went for lunch at Lisa's, a Swedish restaurant on Portobello Road. The food was delicious - I had an open chicken, avocado and bacon sandwich, whilst Sophie went for the more traditional “PYTT I PANNA” (a pork sausage, ham, potatoes, onion, pickled beetroot and fried egg dish) which looked really good! It was a bit pricy (£11 for the sandwich), but no more than you'd expect to pay in that area of London and the food was definitely worth it! It was quite quiet when we were in there, but I can imagine it gets quite busy on the weekend, so worth booking in advance if you know you're planning on going. 

That's all for this evening, so I'll leave you with a picture of Sprout (the cutest little kitten !!) and a band I haven't been able to stop listening to all day - Only Sun.  

Until next time,
Becmo 
xo