Now this is super exciting - Cutting Loose has partnered with booking.com!!
A stepping stone in the right direction to hopefully start earning little bits of commission here and there with this blog!

What this means - click any of the booking.com links on this website, and you will automatically be brought to the normal booking.com website with my logo at the top! For you everything stays the same, the prices are the same, your discounts are the same, everything! The only difference is - if you complete a booking, I can earn a little bit of commission from that booking - at no additional cost or inconvenience to you!

So why not try it out with your future bookings - just click here or any of the other booking.com links on this website and try it out!!

Every booking is truly appreciated, thanks for considering this for your future travel plans! If you have any questions get in touch!

So excited to share this (and MY FIRST) podcast interview with you all! I had an amazing time meeting and getting to know the wonderful Xena Jones from Solo Women Travel Tribe and recording this podcast together!

If you are interested to know how I afford to travel for over 16 Months, what it is like to travel full time, and to be inspired to pack your bags and do the same - listen to this podcast and get in touch with me!

Would love to hear your comments and feedback and meet any fellow travellers along the way.

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To listen to the podcast on Soundcloud click here

Or listen to it on Itunes click here


Follow Cutting Loose on facebook and keep posted about where I go and what the best things are to do in those places on a budget. Tips on how to travel cheaply and so much more!

For 26 years the mind has been conditioned to solve problems, to figure things out, and to THINK. Breaking that habit pattern is not easy, but exactly what this journey and course is all about. The mind will rebel, it will become agitated and annoyed, you will feel like running away and questioning why the heck you are doing this - but in the end you will realize it is all part of that journey, going deeper into your body and starting to peel off layer for layer, going deeper and deeper into the mind and soul. Making you realize the important things in your life, making it easier to make decisions, and knowing what is right and wrong (not in a sense of morality, but in a sense of what is right for you in that moment), and gaining so much clarity on your past, the present, and even the future.

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I have been on Langkawi for almost three months now and would say I know my way around. Even though the days have gone by in a breeze and the weeks have turned into months, looking back at it, I saw a lot.
​I tried out most of the restaurants along Cenang Road, found my few favourites I keep going back to; dared to get back on a scooter and cruise around the island after such a big and traumatizing accident; and have made many friends, both local and fellow travellers. Basically, I unpacked my bags, spread out, and started creating a small home here to settle into for those three months.

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After a few days in Singapore guess where I ended up - yup back in Malaysia! A country I travelled through for 2,5 months, I just somehow fell in love with it. The food, soooo delicious and extremely easy for vegetarians; the culture, which is such a big mix of so many religions and traditions that even the western travellers feel welcome and integrated; and the people, who are some of the friendliest and kindest people I have met, always there to help you out if you need it (and randomly spend you food or tea without even talking to them). It is a country I feel welcomed in, comfortable and safe (this is especially important for us solo female travellers! To read more on which places are particularly safe and which you maybe should avoid click here).

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Singapore is not as crazy expensive and futuristic as you might think. Yes, everything (or at least most things are) is Man Made, like the 'a bit too fake island' of Santosa, or the Marina Bay Sands Towers with a Ship (yes a SHIP!) built onto the top, but it is actually quite a nice and calm city to be in.
After travelling through Malaysia for 2,5 months, exploring all the different islands and mainland mountains, jungles and cities, Singapore was a nice change without being too different.
It is a bit upper class, with a huge business district in the downtown area, close to Chinatown, with all the huge skyscrapers and fancy banking buildings, and it reminds me a lot of a big city in Europe. Maybe a reason why I started to feel a bit homesick (let me tell you, this has been the first time I actually thought of getting on a plane back home), after a whole year of travelling.

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​Since I stayed in Malaysia for 2,5 months, I have a lot of places to recommend and things I saw and did while there, which is why I chose to split this article into two parts. Otherwise it would have gotten too long! Continue reading to find out what my absolute favourite place in Malaysia is and where the best places are to stay and eat at!

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​As you all know, this was the first destination after my huge scooter accident and spending two weeks in the hospital in Bangkok recovering. I wanted to go somewhere I could relax, take it easy and fully recover (I wasn't allowed to and also physically couldn't walk very much) for a while. And Malaysia was just the perfect place for me to do so.

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​First of all, Malaysia is a great country to go to even when, or maybe especially when, you aren't feeling so great...

It is a very developed country where everyone, and I mean EVERYONE speaks english! Wow what a relief. As much fun as it is to communicate with hands and feet and learning bits of different languages to make yourself better understood in Southeast Asian countries, it is also very nice to be able to ask for something in your own language and people to actually understand and reply to you.

The people here are extremely friendly, and yes I know I have been saying that so far about every country I have been to so far in Asia, but Malaysia takes friendliness to the next level.

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​Unfortunately my trip through Laos ended very abruptly, after a pretty bad Scooter accident on one of the very bad, rough and dirty roads in Laos, with a lot of wholes and puddles.
This post is not about the accident itself, but more about what to do if you are ever in a situation like this.
Let me tell you - it is NOT EASY! Especially travelling alone (this is the part where you wish a loved one or family member was with you, to not only help you figure things out, but for emotional support as well). Hope that the accident is not in the outback, far away from any civilization, in the middle of nowhere, because then you are screwed...

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​Somehow I personally had a bit of a rough time in Laos, but that does not change the fact that it is still a beautiful country and worth the visit if you are up for an adventure!

First stop for me was Luang Prabang after a two day Slow Boat Trip across the Thai Border and down the Mekong River on Lao side (read my article Crossing the Border into Laos if you are interested in this - I can only recommend doing it, I loved this way of travelling!). Luang Prabang, a beautiful old city, with French Colonial architecture (a lovely area to stroll trough and enjoy the views over the river) and a hill in the middle of town, Phou Si Mountain. It is worth the small entrance fee and the walk up to the top - an absolutely spectacular view over the city, the Mekong river and the surrounding area! The Night Market on the main road every evening is also worth checking out. A nice market where all the backpackers come together for cheap food and the many gifts, clothes, and hand made goods they sell - so many beautiful things! I wouldn't recommend eating there though, I got food poisoning from the food there and was feeling horrible for four days straight. I was also not the only one, a friend of mine and everyone else I spoke to afterwards had the same problem.... So stay away from the food there, as tempting as it is!

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​Even though Laos is right next to Thailand, and I must say I somehow expected them to be very similar, there are definitely also a lot of differences.

The first thing I noticed is that the people and the country are a lot poorer! Thailand seems to be quite well off with all the tourists and the boom it had in the last few years, but Laos isn't quite like that. There aren't that many tourists here yet (which on the one hand is also very nice and makes it a lot easier to get in touch with locals and actually be part of the community and their way of life! But also means it can get quite lonely at times) and the country is still very poor. Saying that though, I also never had the feeling that they tried to rip me off, be it in local markets buying food and fruit or for bus rides - you pay what the locals pay.

Life is slightly more expensive in Laos than in Thailand. Thailand is super cheap, but expect to pay about double the price here in Laos (which is still cheap compared to other countries like Europe or the US) for food, drinks, and transport. A meal is roughly between 25,000-40,000 Kip, water has a set price of 5,000 Kip, and transport depends on where you go and how far you travel.

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​After going to Chiang Rai from Pai for a few days (changing buses at Chiang Mai, since there is no direct route to Chiang Rai), I did one more stop further up North before heading over to Laos.

Mae Salong is a great little mountain town with the most spectacular views you will see! I am not even joking! It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! It is a bit out of the way and other than the spectacular views there is not much the place has to offer, but if you want to go to a very local place on the top of the mountains this is the place for you.
To get there from Chiang Rai, take a bus to Mae Chan (about one hour for 25 Baht) and change into a tuk tuk bus for 60 Baht, another hour into the mountains. If you don't get car sick you will love the ride, it is a huge build up with all the great mountains and valleys and tea plantations until you arrive at Mae Salong. It's not a backpacker town so don't expect a hostel or even a cheap room. Luckily I was travelling with someone at the time and we shared a room at 'My Place' a great Guesthouse/Hotel with an amazing view to wake up to in the morning. We found this to be the cheapest with best value, 400 Baht per night for a twin bed room, bathroom and (hot!) shower.
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