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Kyall & Jemma | Travel Couple • Travel Stories

@paperbacksandpassports

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here for the places & the bit
🌍✈️ travel • books • unserious vibes
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nothing says ‘love’ more than a kiss in front of shrimp 🥰

we were fortunate enough to stumble upon this magnificent piece of architecture whilst trying to get to the eiffel tower. with the blue skies, the tower in the background, and the shrimpy nature… what could be more romantic??

apparently, according to the sign that accompanies this statue, the ‘crevettes de Paris’ was designed as a tribute to pairsian tourists. it offers the opportunity to tell ‘tailor-made stories’ (not sure how) or is simply a place to ‘take selfies and laugh together.’

and laugh we did.

and take selfies. the shrimp heart accomplished what it set out to do 💚💚

📍location:
there is no specific location i can find on google maps, but it was on port de la bourdonnais, near pontoon no.3

💡 what do you think? is this the most romantic spot in paris???

👉🏽 don’t forget to SAVE this reel so you can have your most romantic kiss whilst in paris and follow @paperbacksandpassports for more travel humour

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#travel #romanticmoment #romanticspotsofparis #paris #parisfrance #romanticparis #travelhumor #travelcouple #funnytravelmoments taken in Paris, France by @paperbacksandpassports

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2 years ago

sometimes you just need a lazy beach day 😴😅🏖️

as i mentioned in a previous post, we travelled pretty fast through laos and cambodia and i was flagging by the end of it 😅 since we have been to vietnam before, and done most of the touristy things, we decided to go somewhere new where we could just recoup and relax for a couple of days. nha trang seemed the perfect option for this.

the hotels here were super cheap so we were able to find somewhere a bit more luxury to stay that was within our budget, and spent our time relaxing on the beach. it was so great to catch up on some reading, sleep, and most importantly… tanning.

(i will admit that we went a bit too hard on the tanning side and i slightly burned and kyall ended up looking like a lobster man. psa: the uv here is insane so make sure you are reapplying that sunscreen as much as possible. don’t be like us)

i wouldn’t say we’re necessarily massive ‘beach’ people but we’ve definitely come to appreciate these days where we can do absolutely nothing and not feel bad about it. it would also be a crime to not enjoy the beaches when they are as beautiful as this! beaches back in the uk could never 😂😅

do you love a beach day?? what’s your favourite beach to relax at? let us know in the comments!

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#travelcouple #beachday #travel #lazyday #travelling #backpackingasia #nhatrang #nhatrangbeach #vietnam #travelvietnam #vietnamtravel taken in Nha Trang, Vietnam by @paperbacksandpassports

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3 years ago

okay sometimes i may let my anxiousness get the better of me haha 🙈

things that make me anxious on travel days:
1) the thought of being late. I’ve always been a person that’s early for being early so the mere idea of being late puts me an edge haha 🫠
2) needing a wee when we’re on the bus and are no where near a rest stop 😰 do I need to say more?
3) not being alert for when the bus comes. now, this one may seem silly but we almost missed a bus in vietnam a few years back because the bus station workers made everyone stay seated and we couldn’t see our bus show up. this has now put me on edge for all future buses.
4) our booking being wrong. just like passport checking, I have to check the booking to make sure it’s still there and is correct!

i think this trip is teaching me to be a more chilled traveller. I am trying to live by my new mantra of ‘it is what it is’ and it seems to be somewhat working (although I’m still arriving to that bus stop early, dehydrating myself and checking that booking but, ya know, in a more ✨easy breezy✨ kind of way).

do you ever get anxious on travel days?? let me know if you relate to anything I have to do!!

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#travelcouple #travellover #travelling #travel #traveldeeper #travelanxiety #travelawesome #instatravel #travelingram #traveltheworld #travelblogger #traveladdict #travelblog #travellife #travelbug taken in Cameron Highlands Malaysia by @paperbacksandpassports

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3 years ago

kyall calls me a “slow woman” 🥺

when he was ready in 0.5 seconds and stood waiting for me at the door for an age, I was ready to clap back with “you’re just unusually quick at getting ready”.

so we decided to time it.

and when we got the six minute mark, I realised he might be right.

I hate it when that happens.

but what this video doesn’t show is the time it also took me to put on my thermals, normal clothes, jumper, make-up, and mentally prepare to leave.

I fear I am a slow woman.

this is why I thrive in the summer. no layers, no coat, no scarf. just pure vibes carry you out the door and then you’re able to bask in the warm summer heat.

do you hate how long it takes to get ready to leave the house for winter? taken in Riga, Latvia by @paperbacksandpassports

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4 months ago

GUYS did you know rivers freeze in cold weather?! 😂🤭

and, yes, I feel like a big old dumb dumb for assuming there would be river cruises running in the Baltic winter 😂

you should’ve seen my face when I realised it was going to be -10oC 😂😂

have you ever been confused about something before your trip only to get to the location and realise why? taken in Riga, Latvia by @paperbacksandpassports

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4 months ago

if you thought Greece was the home of the cat, you’d be wrong 🙅🏾‍♀️😵

(well not entirely 🤭)

but riga does have one up on Greece for cat appreciation. yes, my friends, the unofficial symbol of Riga is the cat!! 🐱

which isn’t great when you’re trying to forget the fact you left your furry daughter at home abandoned (in the hands of a very capable cat sitter).

but what is great is ✨learning✨ about why there’s so many cat symbols in riga (yay to learning on holiday!!).

the cat house in the old town is a very iconic building, with the cat displayed oh so proudly on top of the building’s turrets. the story goes that the person who owned the building had been rejected from the great guild. to give the guild a big f*ck you, he constructed the building to have the cats sticking them butts up at the guild.

oh to be so petty. 😂😂

after a lengthy battle, the tradesman was invited to join the great guild and he consequently turned the cats around.

however, more recently, the cat cemented itself as the absolute icon it is through the film ‘flow’. this animated latvian film about a cat was released in 2024 and went on to win the country’s first ever Oscar!! there was soo much merch around the city for flow and you could really feel the pride in the fact this film won an Oscar!

and when we were falling in love with riga, these two facts made us fall head over heels. we love cats. riga loves cat. we love riga. 💚

and charlie (our cat) was very confused when we came home with a pin that looked exactly like her 😂

👇🏽do you have a favourite cat fact? let us know in the comments!! taken in Cat House, Riga by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

see how we spent a weekend in riga 🇱🇻🤭

oh my goodness we started our 2026 travels STRONG with riga!! we absolutely adored our time here and fell in love with the city!

the city was so pretty, the history was so interesting to learn about, the cross country skiing (!!), the trip to Lithuania… it was all so perfect!!

and what’s more, we got to see it in the snow!! although the -12 degree temperature made it hard to stay outside for long, it made everything so beautiful! i’ll honestly be so grateful for going to see the hill of the crosses in winter (more on that later).

highlights of the trip included:
🐱 learning that the “symbol” of riga is the cat because of the cat house (it was installed as a protest to the guild house)
✝️ going to the hill of the crosses and seeing such an awe-inspiring hill! (more to come on this later too)
⛷️ trying out cross country skiing! it honestly had such a community vibe and it was so nice seeing all the families out and about teaching their kids how to ski 🥹
🍴 LIDO!! honestly such a good food option! super cheap, loads of food, and so many options to choose from!
🇱🇻 learning about all the history. from learning about the blackheads who were unmarried merchants hanging out with their bros, to the soviet occupation, riga has so much interesting (and sad!) history. I would really recommend going to the corner house to learn all about how the kgb operated in the city.

all in all, we absolutely LOVED riga and are now desperate to explore more of the balkans!!

what activity would you like to do the most from this list? taken in Riga, Latvia by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

our travel bucket list ✈️🪣📋

it’s hard when making a travel bucket list not to say “go everywhere” bc it really do feel like that sometimes. but, when we boiled it down to actionable things, this is what we got. (I fully think we missed some and this is an ever evolving list but here ya go)

1. complete 30 countries before 30! honestly, during covid, i basically thought this was going to be impossible with travel being restricted but our 13 countries round asia really saved the day with this one! and i have one more country to go!

2. visit all seven wonders of the world! we have both seen the taj mahal and the colosseum, and kyall has one more than me with the great wall of china, so we have made a start but would LOVE to see them all!

3. we are big foodies and kyall is determined to find his favourite national dish. so far it’s pho, but there’s so much more to explore!!

4. step foot in all seven continents. am i scared to do antarctica after freezing my bootie off in riga? yes i am but i still want to go.

5. go to all the tennis grand slams! I’m a big tennis fan and would love to go to all the grand slams, mainly so I can see if the others are just as hard to get tickets for!

6. go to all the disney parks! I am one away from completing this… shanghai, im coming for u.

8. go on a ski holiday! we’ve never been skiiing and the 30 min experience in riga was fun so why not?

9. road trips!! now i’m a bit less of an anxious driver, i can see us attempting this! our dream is to rent a campervan for the ring road in iceland!

10. and last, always say yes to more adventures! a bit of a cop out one bc I didn’t know how to end the post but I love just having the attitude of f*ck it why not when we’re planning travels and want to hold onto this with all my might!

do you have a travel bucket list? how far through are you for yours? let us know in the comments! by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

does falling in love with a supermarket mean i’ve officially reached adulthood? 😬

listen, this might be the adultiest thing i’ve ever said but kaufland in bulgaria is the BEST supermarket out there. and, as a 29 year old woman of culture, i’ve seen my fair share of supermarkets. but here is why i think kaufland is the best:

🏪 this supermarket has revived the once historic market hall in sofia. according to my research, the market hall (built in 1909) served as the country’s first covered market in the country. when kaufland bought the building, they worked with european restoration experts to conserve and restore the metal roof work and the neoclassical facade.

🔍 the market hall was also built on top of roman ruins so kaufland worked with sofia national museum to preserve the remains of the roman fortress wall.

🕰️ the tower clock (seen in this video) is over 110 years old and was restored by kaufland to working order!

but, honestly, i didn’t actually know any of that until now 😂 I remember we both walked into that supermarket and had our minds truly blown. so much so, we went back every day to marvel at it and get some snacky snacks for our hungry tum.

❓would a supermarket make it to your “must dos” for sofia? taken in Sofia, Bulgaria by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

i have discovered the 8th wonder of the world 😲🤯

and it is in bulgaria.

yes, my friends, look no further. the world’s best feat of architecture has been found.

introducing… the snail house.

no other words can describe how it felt to stumble upon this beauty. i felt overwhelmed, euphoric, absolutely outstanded at humanity’s ingenuity.

just a short drive away from the city centre of sofia, the snail house stands proudly and boldly. an artistic endeavour, this house uses bright colours and clever craftsmanship to send the message “you can do whatever the f*ck you want when you buy a house.”

that’s right, the snail house is literally someone’s house 😂😂 imagine being the neighbour of this person and asking them what renovations they were doing to their house and it being this 😂😂

what i wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

but, seriously, the snail house may be one of the best things I have ever come across in my years of travel and i would encourage anyone visiting sofia to take a trip from the city to see it 😂😂

does the snail house deserve to be a wonder of the world? taken in Sofia, Bulgaria by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

one thing about me is that i refuse to pay for baggage on a weekend trip 🙅🏾‍♀️

and that sometimes bites me on the bum 😂😂

like when we were in riga the other weekend. having to pack multiple layers for the -12oC temp meant space in my rucksack was v limited so i only packed one pair of jeans (the ones i was wearing on our travel day).

and i managed get to those jeans dirty within approximately half an hour of being in the country.

no exaggeration. we hopped on the bus and i put my bag and the floor. what i failed to remember was that we had all just got on board from the snowy street and all that snow had melted on the warm bus’ floor. so when i moved and put my now wet bag on my lap… i got covered in dirty floor water 🤦🏾‍♀️

and remained that way for the rest of the weekend.

and because of my limited outfit changes, i was also kinda stinky. apologies to everyone on the plane 🙈

isn’t travel life just v glamorous 😆

#travellife #relatabletravelcontent by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago

the wall: 👁️🫦👁️

when we visited the salt mine in krakow, we were awed by how big and beautiful it was. but you know what was really hard? not giving in to the intrusive thoughts whispering in our ear to lick the wall.

just to see if they were as salty as we thought they would be 🤷🏾‍♀️

but then we thought better of it seeing how many people were touching the walls as they went past 😂

have you been to the salt mine in krakow? were you awed by it or were you like us and fighting in an inner battle to not lick the wall?

let us know in the comments! taken in Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow by @paperbacksandpassports

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5 months ago