Our day trip to the Benirrás Hippy Market turned out to be one of those spontaneous, sunsoaked adventures that just feel  like Ibiza. Tucked away on the island’s northern coast, just behind the iconic Benirrás Beach (where you'll find the best sunsets on the island btw - in our opinion - see why!), this little market is bursting with colour, creativity, and good vibes—and it’s the perfect complement to a day spent chasing sunsets and soaking up Balearic energy. And it's fair to say that Benirra's Beach market gets a spot on our Best Markets in Ibiza list too! 🧿 Getting There: The Journey North We set off mid-morning from the Santa Eulalia area, taking the scenic drive through Ibiza’s quiet countryside. The roads wind through pine forests and sleepy villages, and by the time we arrived at Benirrás, we already felt miles away from the buzz of the island’s south. Tip: Arrive early if you're going on a Sunday —it was the busiest day with sunset drumming and full market stalls. But the drumming has been stopped on a Sunday to help with congestion (but drumming is now on all days instead of just the Sunday). Parking usually always fills up fast, and traffic control may redirect you to park-and-ride shuttle services from nearby areas like San Miguel. 🛍️ The Market: Boho Vibes & Handmade Treasures Set up along the dusty paths just above the beach, the Hippy Market is a beautiful fusion of art, fashion, and soul. Think dreamcatchers swaying in the breeze, handwoven bags, chakra jewellery, essential oils, macramé, and up-cycled fashion—all handmade and many from local artisans. We met a few creators who shared their stories: one woman who crafts her own organic skincare, and another who’s been making gemstone jewellery on the island for over 20 years. It’s not just shopping—it’s connecting. There’s often live music too, giving the whole place a laid-back, festival-like feel. We grabbed fresh juices and local snacks while taking it all in, toes in the sand and sunshine on our faces. We all bought something at the market. I bought a beautiful silk dress, the kids bought bracelets and Si bought some mandala beads. 🏖️ Beach Break: Cooling Off at Benirrás After wandering the stalls, we headed down to Benirrás Beach —a crescent of pebbly sand hugged by hills and crystal-clear water. It’s a great place to swim, paddle, or just lounge under a parasol while soaking up the sound of chilled-out tunes from the nearby beach bar. The kids loved exploring the rocks and dipping into the calm sea, while we recharged with drinks at Elements Ibiza , the stylish beachfront restaurant just steps from the sand. And headed to the beach for a beach picnic with a view . 🥁 Sunset Magic: Drumming the Day Away As the day drifted into golden hour, the beach slowly filled with a buzz of anticipation. Locals and visitors alike gathered on the sand, to the left of the beach, musicians arrived with drums in hand, and the rhythm began to build. The sunset drumming ritual —a long-standing Ibiza tradition—transforms the end of the day into a shared, soulful celebration. With the sun setting behind the mystical rock of Cap Bernat  (the “Finger of God”), it’s an experience that’s hard to put into words. It’s communal. It’s grounding. It’s pure Ibiza. The collective energy generated during these gatherings resonates with the earth’s energies, further enhancing the spiritual experience. This is an absolute MUST SEE when in Ibiza. For all my spiritual folk, you'll understand this energy. For those new to energy or spirituality, you may have a moment of connection. Either way, there's no mistaking that something special happens on this beach. It's like nothing you'll have ever experienced. 🧳 Tips for Your Visit Best day to go : The Sundays (for the full market + drumming), but arrive early! Bring : Reusable water bottle, swimwear, cash for stalls (some accept cards), a blanket or sarong for the beach. Stay nearby : Great nearby accommodations include Agroturismo Can Maries , Hotel Rural Can Talaias , or Casa Naya —all offer a peaceful base to explore the north. Food options : Elements Ibiza (upmarket), food stalls, or pack a picnic like we did. 🚗 How to Get There By Car Benirrás is approximately a 30-minute drive from Ibiza Old Town, accessible via the town of San Miguel. The route offers scenic views of Ibiza’s northern countryside. However, parking can be busy, especially during peak times but you can quite ofetn get shuttle buses from nearby towns. By Public Transport Several bus routes serve Benirrás during the summer months: L23 from Ibiza Town L23A from San Antonio L23B from Santa Eulalia L23C from Portinatx All of these buses stop at Sa Plana, where a shuttle service operates to the beach. On Sundays from June to the end of September (busy season), a bus connects from the Sa Plana car park, in San Juan, to Benirràs cove. By Taxi or Scooter Taxis and scooters are the best alternatives, especially during busy periods. Scooters, in particular, offer easier parking options closer to the beach. 🗺️ A Benirra's Beach Tour If all this is a bit too much. You could join a tour that allows you to experience the sunset at Benirras where you can see the market as well as some other hidden Gems too ( Can Marca caves, and another famous Ibiza Market The Las Dalias Hippie Markets + Benirras)   Book Now at Get Your Guide. 🏨 Accommodation Nearby We hired a car and so drove from Potinax , but for those wishing to stay close to Benirrás, there are several options here . Our Top Picks Can Sastre  - A dults-only country house with swoon worthy decor Dreamy decor at Can Sastre Can Quince : A rustic retreat located in the northern hills, offering a peaceful atmosphere and traditional charm just 6km from Benirras.  💫 Final Thoughts Benirrás Hippy Market is so much more than just a market—it’s a snapshot of the Ibiza spirit. It’s where art, nature, music, and community all blend together. Whether you're traveling solo, as a couple, or with kids in tow, this day trip offers a perfect mix of culture and chill—ending, of course, with one of the best sunsets on the island . I really hope this blog inspires you to take a trip out to The Benirras Beach Hippy Market to buy some unique pieces and souvenirs. TIP: Stick around for the best sunset in Ibiza on all days (except Sunday). Let me know in the comments if you have visited Benirras? LOVED THIS? YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS>>> I hope you found this post helpful. Don't forget to keep up with our daily updates of our full time travel life below and use our handy travel planning tools below to get best prices for flights, hotels and more: On YouTube: 💡 HELPFUL PLANNING TOOLS FOR YOUR IBIZA TRIP WITH KIDS 💡 ✈️ - FLIGHTS WITH KIDS -  We use this flight checker  to search the best flight tickets fall or our Ibiza flights. 🚌🚆🚇 - TRAVEL WITH KIDS -  For Europe Train Travel   ⛴️ - FERRY TICKETS -  We use 12Go for all of our ferry tickets. You can get the Ferry from Barcelona  to Ibiza check out dates and best prices at 12Go here   🏨   - ACCOMMODATION WITH KIDS -  Check our Accommodation Planning Page for more   for best price hotels, hostels and longer term rentals for Barcelona 🧭🗺️👣   - IBIZA TOURS & GUIDES WITH KIDS -  We use Get Your Guide  for all trips. But we also  Klook sometimes. TIP: Use both to compare offerings as trips will be different. Trips in Ibiza This post includes affiliate links that we may receive a small commission from at no extra cost to you. Thank You for supporting our blog!

Everything you need to know about Vietnam for your trip — from best time to visit, visa tips to cultural etiquette, transportation, safety, budgeting, and more. With Free Haggle Guide The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Vietnam A Complete Travel Companion for First-Time Visitors and Curious Explorers Vietnam is a country that stirs the senses — where bustling cities meet serene rice paddies, street food competes with fine dining, and ancient traditions blend seamlessly with modern life. Whether you're trekking through the misty mountains of Sapa, cruising Ha Long Bay, or slurping pho in a roadside stall, this ultimate Vietnam travel guide  will give you everything you need to plan your journey with confidence. Quick Overview Capital : Hanoi not Ho Chi Minh! Major cities : Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue Currency : Vietnamese Dong (VND) Language : Vietnamese (English widely spoken in tourist areas) But take Google Translate as more than in any other country, the Vietnamese will whip out their phone an translate everything so don't be shy. It's a god send. Time Zone : GMT+7 Religion : Predominantly Buddhist with Taoist, Catholic, and animist influences Visa & Entry Requirements - Full Guide Here Visa-free : Many nationalities (like UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain) can enter visa-free for up to 15 days . E-visa : Available for 80+ countries. Valid for 30 days , single entry. Apply online via Vietnam Immigration: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn Visa on arrival : Only available for those with pre-approval letters (usually via travel agencies). Always check the latest entry rules , especially for longer stays or multi-entry needs. Best Time to Visit - Full Guide Here Vietnam’s climate varies by region, so timing depends on where you’re going: North (Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay) : Best from Oct–April  (cool, dry). Central (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An) : Best from Feb–May  (avoid typhoon season Sept–Nov). South (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc) : Best from Dec–April  (dry season). If you're traveling the whole country, March to April  and October to November  are ideal. Getting There & Around International airports : Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) Hanoi (HAN) Da Nang (DAD) Domestic flights : Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Bamboo Airways offer cheap, frequent flights. Trains : The Reunification Express runs from Hanoi to HCMC — a scenic (and slow) way to see the country. Buses : Sleeper buses are popular for budget travel — comfortable enough for long distances. Scooters : Rent one if you're experienced. Traffic is intense in cities but manageable in rural areas. Grab app : Like Uber — essential for safe, cheap rides in cities. Where to Stay Budget : Hostels from $5–10/night (especially in HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang) Mid-range : Boutique hotels and homestays $25–50/night Luxury : Resorts and 5-stars $100+ (Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long Bay) Top Places to Visit - Check out our Full Guide here Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) War Remnants Museum Cu Chi Tunnels Street food in District 1 Day trips to the Mekong Delta Hoi An Ancient Town (UNESCO) Lantern-lit river evenings Tailor-made clothing An Bang Beach Da Nang Golden Bridge (Ba Na Hills) Marble Mountains My Khe Beach Hue Imperial Citadel Tombs of Nguyen emperors Perfume River cruise Hanoi Old Quarter and street food Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Train Street Temple of Literature Sapa Rice terrace trekking Local hill tribes (Hmong, Dao) Fansipan Mountain (Vietnam’s highest peak) Ha Long Bay / Lan Ha Bay Overnight cruise Kayaking and limestone caves Floating fishing villages Phu Quoc Island Beach resorts and snorkeling Night markets Island hopping by boat Food & Drink Must-try dishes : Pho (noodle soup) Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette sandwich) Bun Cha (grilled pork with noodles) Cao Lau (Hoi An specialty) Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls) Drinks : Egg coffee (Hanoi specialty) Vietnamese iced coffee (Ca Phe Sua Da) Local beers: Bia Saigon, 333, Hanoi Beer Street food is safe  — just look for busy stalls and fresh-cooked items. Budgeting & Money Tips Currency : VND — 100,000 VND ≈ $4 USD Cash is king : Credit cards are accepted in hotels, but small shops, taxis, and food stalls use cash. ATMs  are everywhere — but withdraw in chunks to avoid multiple fees. Daily budget range : Budget: $25–35/day Mid-range: $50–100/day Luxury: $150+/day SIM Cards & Internet Buy a local SIM at the airport or convenience stores (Viettel, Vinaphone, or Mobifone). 4G is fast and widespread. WiFi is available in nearly all cafés, hotels, and even buses. What to Pack Lightweight, breathable clothes A rain jacket (especially in the north/monsoon season) Modest clothing for temples Reusable water bottle (many hostels offer refill stations) Sunscreen and mosquito repellent Cultural Tips & Etiquette Respect elders  and use two hands when giving/receiving items. Cover shoulders and knees  when visiting temples. Don’t point your feet at people or religious objects. Avoid touching heads — it’s considered sacred. Bargaining is normal in markets — do it politely. Safety & Scams Vietnam is generally safe for tourists , even solo travelers. That said: Watch your bags  in crowded areas (snatch theft happens). Use Grab  instead of unmetered taxis to avoid scams. Agree on prices upfront  for tours, bike taxis, or markets. Cross streets slowly  and confidently — traffic flows around you! Responsible Travel Tips Stay in eco-friendly homestays or hotels. Use refillable water bottles. Support local businesses and artisans. Don’t ride elephants or support animal shows. Vietnam is a country that stays with you. It’s bold, beautiful, flavourful, chaotic, and deeply soulful. Whether you're navigating the buzzing streets of Hanoi or enjoying a peaceful boat ride through Ninh Binh, each moment adds to an unforgettable journey. Free Quick Guide to Haggling in Vietnam Where haggling is expected: Street markets (e.g., Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Xuan in Hanoi) Souvenir shops Small clothing or accessory stalls Motorbike taxi rides (if not using Grab) Some local tours or transport if prices aren’t posted Where haggling is NOT appropriate: Supermarkets or convenience stores Chain stores and shopping malls Cafés, restaurants, or food stalls with fixed menus Ride-hailing apps like Grab or Gojek How to Haggle Like a Pro in Vietnam 1. Smile and stay polite Friendly, respectful conversation goes a long way. Start by asking: “Bao nhiêu?”  (How much?) 2. Counter with 50–70% of the asking price Vendors often quote high prices to tourists. Offer about half , then settle somewhere in the middle. 3. Use the walk-away technique If they say no to your price, thank them and politely walk away. Often, they’ll call you back with a lower offer. 4. Know when it’s not worth the battle Sometimes, we’re negotiating over a $1 difference. If you’re happy with the price, just go for it. 5. Cash is king Haggling works better when you’re paying in cash , especially in smaller denominations. Tip: Learn a few Vietnamese numbers or phrases — locals appreciate the effort and it often leads to better deals: Một trăm  (100) Rẻ hơn được không?  (Can you make it cheaper?) Đắt quá!  (Too expensive!) LOVE THIS? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: I hope you found this post of everything that's good to do when visiting Vietnam helpful. Let me know in the comments when you next go to Vietnam and if i've missed anything off this list that you think is an absolute gem. Also, Don't forget to keep up with our daily updates of our full time travel life below and use our handy travel planning tools below to get best prices for flights, hotels and more: On YouTube: 💡 HELPFUL PLANNING TOOLS FOR YOUR VIETNAM TRIP WITH KIDS 💡 ✈️ - FLIGHTS WITH KIDS -  We use this flight checker  to search the best flight tickets fall or our Vietnam flights. We used this flight checker to get flights from Bali to Ho Chi Minh and then internally from Ho Chi Minh (formally Saigon) to Danang. Then again from Da Nang to Phu Quoc with the best prices at the time. Overall we love Skyscanner and cam't fault it for offering the cheapest options. 🚌🚆🚇 - TRAVEL WITH KIDS -  We took the overnight sleeper train from HCMC to Da Nang  check out our vid of that experience here . Booked via 12Go .   🏨   - ACCOMMODATION WITH KIDS -   We Love to Stay at this hotel when in HCMC  but we also use this hotels checker  to search hotels and accommodation for our Vietnam trip. Use to check dates and costs to hotels and hostels in Vietnam now or go to our Accommodation Planning Page for more 🧭🗺️👣   - VIETNAM TOURS & GUIDES WITH KIDS -  We use Get Your Guide  for all of the trips in Vietnam. But we also love Klook  too. TIP: Use both to compare offerings as trips will be different. Trips in Ho Chi Minh This post includes affiliate links that we may receive a small commission from at no extra cost to you. Thank You for supporting our blog!

Wondering how long you should meditate for maximum benefits? Discover the perfect duration for your practice and unlock deeper relaxation, focus, and mindfulness—no matter your experience level! We break it down for beginners, intermediates and advanced meditators. People worry about the length of time that they are meditating for and how often they meditate for. But this goes against the whole point of meditation. For you are applying a fear based lack constraint of the thought of 'clock time' to something that requires no thoughts (no thoughts being the ideal point we aim to reach as we become more experienced. Just awareness). So please try not to worry about the clock time that you're putting in. Listen to your body an you'll get to know and feel whether you're getting enough time. The fact that you are approaching a daily meditation ritual is enough to allow your body to get used to the feelings of working on reaching pure awareness. This takes practice rather than clock time. The more you do meditation, the easier it will become for you to get into a meditative state from the off. And if you are still struggling with a racing mind and thoughts coming into your meditation, it's not because of the length of clock time that are putting in, but more that you may need to start some mindfulness practices to get that naughty mind in check. Start with the 3 Day Meditation Course if this is you to a T. You're not expected to be able to jump right in with meditation. Things like Yoga Nidra, a Guided Body Scan and Mindfullness Practices will help you gain an understanding of how the mind works. And more importantly how to tame it when it comes to beginning meditation. More on this another time. All of which are in the 3 Day Meditation Course for Beginners . Many people think that they should be meditating on top of a mountain for hours to be good at meditating. And that's incorrect too. Some of the most powerful meditations, for me, have been 5 minute 'power naps' as I call them. Just 5 minutes where I sit quietly, focus on my breathing, zone out, and completely go within. And just for those 5 minutes I am calm, serene and connected. And then I'm back in the room and because I'm short on time I'll end the meditation and go on about my day but living the day from the heart because I took those few mins out, connected to my intuition and source. Living from the heart is the best way for manifesting - which is my thing ;-). Your whole health gets a boost from taking these few minutes. So please time is not your worry here. The ideal meditation duration can vary based on your experience level and personal preference. Here are some general guidelines: Beginners 5 to 10 minutes:  Start with shorter sessions to build a habit without feeling overwhelmed. This allows you to focus on your breath and get comfortable with the practice. Intermediate Practitioners 10 to 20 minutes:  As you become more accustomed to meditation, gradually increase your sessions. This duration is often enough to deepen your practice and experience greater relaxation. We mostly do 15-20 mins because life is busy, we have 2 kids and that amount of time suits us. But please explore you. Advanced Practitioners 20 to 30 minutes or more:  Many experienced meditators find that longer sessions help them achieve a deeper state of mindfulness and insight. Some may even meditate for an hour or longer. When you get really advanced at meditating, it is a place where you want to spend as much time as possible being in. When you are able to, you do it because it feels beautiful and you can explore your gifts, connect to other beings/energies in different galaxies and realms if this is your intention. You can go as deep as you like with advanced meditation. Most of the worlds best inventions have happened in those meditative Eureka moments. And that's because everything already exists in different quantum fields - we just need to realise them into the physical density reality that we live on Earth. And this is why our minds are such powerful tools when we get out of them and learn the art of going within. Daily Consistency Regardless of duration, consistency is key. Aim for daily practice, even if it's just a few minutes. It’s more beneficial to meditate regularly than to have sporadic long sessions. Listen to Your Body and Mind Ultimately, the best duration is one that feels comfortable and sustainable for you. If you’re feeling restless, it’s okay to end your session early. If you’re deeply engaged, you can extend it. You should experiment with your practice and adjust your meditation time as you find what works best for you! In the meantime keep up with our daily updates on social media below. And let me know if there is anything specific you would like me to cover on the blog about our Bali life. Follow us on Instagram: On YouTube: And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you.  I only write and share stuff on the blog to help you. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx

We're an affiliate. We hope you love the products/services we recommend on Be Nothing Like! So you know, there is the possibility we will collect a commission should you make a purchase via any of our links. This will in no way affect the purchase price. Thank you for your support, we really appreciate it! The best beach towel for every member in the family. Travelling as a family of 4 sometimes 5 with towels is a pain. Kids rainbow ones here. Towels take up so much room in a bag, they are heavy and bulky and take up too much room. Especially if travelling light with limited space. You can click on the item picture to order via Amazon. Unless we are going to a resort where towels are included, which isn't always the case, we always travel with our beach towels anyway. We love our super light, super absorbent, neat packers, lightweight Dock & Bay beach towels for ourselves and the kids. And they look stylish too. We are never caught short without a towel for that impromptu beach find or a quick dip. We love our stylish little towels. These are not fluffy just out of the bath towels. So don't expect plush towels. They're not. They are perfect for the beach and pool though or a surface to sit on when picnicking etc. We use XL for all of our towels, even the kids, as we like them big. We like a nice big wrap around. From a mum perspective: they don't get sand stuck on them, they wash really well and have lasted us 5 years so far, and counting. In fact they look just like new and we won't be replacing them any time soon. The handy matching bag they come in is cute and sometimes is all Bertie carries with him down to the beach. I bought our beach towels from Amazon as it's often the best price. Click on this link to buy your Dock + Bay Beach Towels from Amazon

We're an affiliate. We hope you love the products/services we recommend on Be Nothing Like! So you know, there is the possibility we will collect a commission should you make a purchase via any of our links. This will in no way affect the purchase price. Thank you for your support, we really appreciate it! The best lightweight beach towel for kids is always going to be rainbow for my kids as they are rainbow mad. Travelling as a family of 4 sometimes 5 with big chunky cumbersome towels is a pain in the bum. Damp and heavy. Stuffed into bags with the straps ripping into sun touched shoulders. No thank you very much. This Rainbow beach towel is Bertie's because he loves RAINBOWS! It comes in a little bag too, which you can give your kid to carry his/her own flippin towels to the beach! They're so light & dinky that they won't moan you to death about this. At least in our case. Towels take up so much room in a backpack, suitcase or even the daily beach bag - they are heavy and bulky and take up too much room. Especially if travelling light with limited space. You can click on the item picture to order via Amazon. Unless we are going to a resort where towels are included, which isn't always the case, we always travel with our beach towels anyway. We love our super light, super absorbent, neat packers, lightweight Dock & Bay beach towels for ourselves and the kids. And they look stylish too. We are never caught short without a towel for that impromptu beach find or a quick dip. We love our stylish little towels. These are not fluffy just out of the bath towels. So don't expect plush towels. They're not. They are made out of a thin cotton. But don't be fooled it will dry you and hung out in the sun these towels dry super quickly like crisp freshly washed cotton sheets. They wash fast. Dry fast and are perfect for travelling to the beach and pool though or a surface to sit on when picnicking etc. We use XL for all of our towels, even the kids, as we like them big. We like a nice big wrap around us. From a total mum perspective: they don't get sand stuck on them, they wash really well and have lasted us 5 years so far, and counting. In fact they look just like new and we won't be replacing them any time soon. The handy matching bag they come in is cute and sometimes is all Bertie carries with him down to the beach with his lip protector and small beach necessities inside. I bought our beach towels from Amazon at the best price. Click on this link to buy your Dock + Bay Beach Towels from Amazon

Our Story is currently at this blog. Right here where you are reading. A travel blog that we put together to keep our family & friends updated when we start travelling around the world. We've always loved travel and adventure and have travelled a lot with the kids and we document it here. This time we're upping and travelling for a whole year and worldschooling as we go (that's the plan). We haven't set off yet, we're getting things in order. It's quite a big thing making things right so we can go. And that's where we're at right now. At this moment of writing. In brief: We've felt very tied down in the UK and we don't feel that our kids are getting the most / and best from life / education. We feel like all of our lives that we've been trying to squeeze ourselves into a round hole. When we are a different shape. We're now doing it to our kids and it feels wrong. Check out our post about world schooling: what it is? Why we want to world school our kids? Go back 5 years. When we decided to travel. Let's call this the 5 year plan. And we are at smelly stinky houses to do up & sell. We're not rich. We're not from a wealthy family. And we've ran our own businesses for around 12 years, with mixed success. I mean we're ok but we're not high earners. The work ethic has always been the same. High level, fast paced & unsustainable long term for our health and ourselves. We're determined and never give up. Sometimes to a fault. But this is us and together doubly so. So, go back 5 years, and we were starting to get tired. We were not really achieving. We realised that the life we were living was not the life for us. Even though we were happy together & in love with our little family. We have everything in that sense. But we needed to make changes. We needed a plan. This is where the 5 year plan came in. We needed a strategy that would get us to be able to travel more / hopefully full time. We love travelling and seeing new places. We're happiest by the beach, in the sunshine. We love the outdoor lifestyle. But we needed to set ourselves on the path of financial freedom & passive income that would allow us to get anywhere near our dreams or living our dream life. And this certainly wasn't going to come from slogging our guts out in our time demanding businesses that we had become slaves to. So 5 years ago, we decided to buy a house at auction with a plan to renovate it and sell for a profit. We had saved £50,000. See our post about how we scrimped and saved to save £50k (second jobs, investing in shares, day trading but all money in the pot). The savings part is not a magic pill post, you know I wish it was and that I could give you that & access it for myself too!. It was boring, long, saving. This money was everything we had and was saved as a deposit for a mortgage. BUT, it had taken us ages to save it, years in fact. We were falling behind friends, who already owned their own homes and because we were self employed directors, we couldn't get a mortgage and were repeatedly told that we were risky. It did nothing to help our distrust of the rules, the system, the way you are kept in your box, in your lane, despite everything. 2 very hard working people being told time after time that they couldn't do this and couldn't do that. If you're in this position now, we feel you. It's very frustrating. And you either give up or you fight harder. You fight until you cry, but then in your little cry-ey snot bubble, you get back up and you push on. And here's the secret, money makes money if you do the right things with it. Getting hold of the money in the first place is the difficult part (or at least it was for us). Once you have that money, you've got options. Choose them wisely or follow the herd to be mediocre. we get the kids involved in the house reno for free labour, tiny little hands to get in places ;-) we'll reward them with life enhancing travel & ice creams We could either use this £50k and give it to a bank, who would allow us (begrudgingly) a mortgage, where we would be in debt to them, and at their mercy and no further on in life really. I mean, we already had a roof over our heads, food to eat. We were ok. Our kids were happy, healthy, loved and ok. Would a mortgage change any of this? No, and we wouldn't have £50k to do anything with. We wouldn't be able to make that money work for us. It had taken us so long to save it, we didn't want to just give it away, just so we could have our own house. Now also go back 20 years or so. I had lived through a recession, parents losing their jobs, and parents splitting up plus a forced sale of our home or threat of repossession/ bailiffs etc. I had seen actual real life homelessness as a possibility within hours. That night. I knew first hand what owning your own home actually meant when the going got tough. And it didn't really count for jack shit. No one cares about you. You must build that security for yourself and truly own it. The aim is to be a sovereign individual. So we are back to 5 years ago, with some hard saved money in our bank and 2 options: use it as a deposit for our own home or use it and try to make it become a bigger pot. You know what we chose. And we chose this every time. Time & time again. We chose it then, we chose it now. We get any money we have working for us. See our blog post buying a house at auction. In short we bought a run down, 3 bed terrace house in a very cheap location around 50 miles from where we lived. And we worked tirelessly to do it up. You can still get a bargain at auction. If you are patient. It was horrible. The house/the reno process. We cleaned up other peoples shit (literally) read the post. We didn't even get any keys, we had to break in once we'd bought it as there were squatters. It was not for the faint hearted but we were determined to make this money GROW. And this was our modus. adding a loft bedroom in £10k cost should / could add £40k to our sale price. We knew what house prices where in that area so we pushed ourselves on. We knew what the house could be. This was the plan to make ourselves better than we were, and we were sticking to the plan. We did the house up evenings and weekends and it felt like it was never going to end. Did I mention that it was horrible ;-). No, we enjoyed it because of what it meant for our future. See the reno instagram page lotnumber21 (Give us a follow there if you like reno projects as our next one will be in a beautiful sunny place we promise you) to see that journey and the house reno progress. Before and after pics. We learnt everything from youtube and did everything ourselves to save money on trades. If we were going to do this we wanted every single penny for ourselves. Is this the best way? I'm not so sure as time is precious and your time costs money especially if your time could be put to better use / with more value. But it's how we did it. follow our instagram lotnumber21 (the lot number of our first ever auction house) for the house reno projects. It's not a pretty account but shows the reality of house renovations with no money. We sold for a healthy profit and repeated the process. It's really a rinse and repeat process once you have the formula. Buy in the best street that you can afford. It doesn't matter what state the house is in as that can be easily sorted. The best street / area that your budget allows. Then rinse and repeat. As fast as you can if you don't like it - I wouldn't say we 'liked' it. It was a means to getting to where we wanted to be. It's important to note here that you don't HAVE to be a cash buyer at auction. You can also get a mortgage, but it has to be a quick one and it helps if you have a large deposit. So don't worry if you can't access a huge savings pot, houses are generally cheaper at auction, so there are still options, if you don't have a large pot of cash. As the house was our only owned residence we were exempt from capital gains tax on the profits. We lived in a rental house whilst we did it up. And as it took us longer than 1 year, we were able to sell it without tax as it was classed as our home that we would one day move into. As circumstances weren't right with the house (wrong location for the kids schools etc, it was impractical to live there). We sold for good profit. And best of all this was all cash. The £50k starting point was no longer £50k. And because we knew the reno process worked. We repeated the process. We bought again. By this time we could buy our own house for cash, which then affords a bit more financial freedom. We didn't buy the dream house, we bought a tiny house in a great street, in an area close to schools and our life, but out of our beautiful area. And we planned to add real value to it. Like a loft bedroom & open plan modern living downstairs. This way, we knew house prices would increase in this area to a certain level & sell once done up to a good standard. We've lived in this last reno house. With our 2 kids. To save us the extra wasted rental money (with the house being so close to our life / area). And we still live in that reno house. We call it our reno house, because it never really feels like our home. Home is wherever we are together and it's not about the house. We're coming close to finishing our current reno house getting ready to sell it. I'll post some finishing projects soon, as we have this blog now and whilst housey stuff / home reno stuff isn't exactly in keeping with a travel and lifestyle blog - it feels important to the travel journey. finally getting the keys to our own house that we would live in whilst renovating. The last house in a plan to freedom. Now, doing a house up as a reno project is no easy task & it's not for everybody. To start you've got to have a whole load of 'can be arsed'. On top of your job or business, it takes a lot of motivation to bother doing it up. It takes a lot of weekends and evenings where you'd rather be resting, going out, travelling etc. But if you have to 'go' and the motivation. For us this motivation was so deep within us: we wanted better for our family. And even though we'd done the right things: setting up our businesses, growing them, taking risks etc. It felt like we were never going to achieve anything other than an ordinary life doing this that way. WE wanted more. With motivation & a lot of 'can be arsed' - doing a house up to sell for a profit can be a way to get onto the property ladder, or build up to start thinking about living the life you dreamed of. For us our dream life involves travelling, then one day settling in our favourite place with a view to building our own place. That's the actual dream. And 5 years to be living your dream is worth a shot in my book. We slogged and got to a place with options. And without our reno houses we'd be a million miles away. We'd be holding out for a lottery win! Instead, we had a dream, we actioned a plan, and we got cracking. We started. 5 years ago, it felt like an eternity away. But 5 years was not a long time & we still had fun along the way. The best time to start on your dream life was yesterday. The second best time to start is today. Read my post about time and starting something. Hopefully it will motivate & spur you on to just START whatever dream or plan you've got in mind. I hope you liked reading our story. And got something useful from it. It is my biggest wish with this blog & website that I can inspire someone to think differently and just follow their dreams. To just start. Whether that's get that dream life, that dream job, lose that weight. If you believe you can do it, you're half way there. Action a plan. Start today. And one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, slowly the thing is done! If you want to follow our travel journey, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list for latest posts, updates and inspo.

Dear blog friends. We thought it was overdue that we stop by and introduce ourselves properly around here. We've had lot's of new subscribers recently as the blog picks up steam and organic traffic and we wanted to say hi (waves) and thanks (waves) and and and (waves). Old friends, you know all this. We love you. You old timers know all of this already (as you've most probably at some point over the last few months - wiped our tears/snot bubbles and heard our rambles and just generally been there for us - as we make sense of our big decisions). We're about to embark on the biggest 'thing' we've probably ever done as a family and as this blog is our place of stillness and safety, in what is now becoming a very real and scary 'thing'. All be it exciting. Mega exciting. We're selling everything we own, to follow our dreams of travelling full time, with our kids as we explore and find our place. This blog feels like safety to us. We open up the macs and feel the safety net of familiar keyboard keys under the fingers. It's a place that we can let the words flow from a jumbled mess in our brains to some form of string. Emotions become thoughts. Thoughts become words. Words become sentences. Sentences become blog posts, of where we're at at this particular part of the journey. We plan to document our journey on the blog, our instagram and youtube channel. This was always the plan, but until the travelling 'thing' was really officially happening, we've not wanted to tempt fate by putting out blog posts, to have the house sale fall through and the whole travel thing stop dead in it's tracks before the dream even started. The kids haven't even really been able to tell friends until we knew that we could make the leap happen. There's a lot to plan and many chess pieces to fall in place before the final chess piece can be positioned. And we're still many moves away until check mate. Now things are moving in the right direction, it feels intuitively like the right time to start putting our feelings down on paper and writing more on the blog. And of course saying helloooooo. So hello, here we are. We are Si + Fletch , Fletch + Si... and our 2 kids Lilly + Bertie. A family from the UK that have sold everything we own to follow our dreams of living a more fulfilled life. A life that includes more sunshine. More outdoor living. Work that involves travelling and connecting with people. A life of world schooling. Less things. More memories. There's so much more as to why we decided to do this as a family. When your soul get's tired it let's you know. What you then do with that info is up to you. We'll write more about our journey on this blog and hope you'll come along for the journey. Follow us on Instagram: On YouTube: And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you.  I only write and share stuff on the blog to help. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx

Everything led us to where we are now. In 2007, way back when I - Fletch met Si, it began with an Aura. Little did we both know that 15 years later - (15 years filled with a soul level love, a busy material life, 2 babies, 3 businesses, and a spiritual journey running alongside) all of this would bring us back to the present moment. A career working with the very thing that started it all... The Aura! A little bit of context - We met way back in 2007. I'd got a temp job working in recruitment in an office in Manchester. This in itself was an unusual thing to have had me placed in the City, with people, doing work I never planned to be doing. I'd been running my own business, home based, for the last 3 years, that had me working solo, isolated and very busy. Trying to grow. Too busy to meet people. Too busy to be bothered about meeting anybody. Only focused on growth. And survival. Money was tight and I'd gone to Mcr to hand my CV into temp agencies. On the train into town, I met a guy who owned a recruitment company. We got chatting + he told me he was looking for a new member for the team and that I should go in to his office for a chat. I should point out at this time: he had a light of pastel rainbow colours radiating around him. He was hung over. And the light that I was seeing, somehow formed a magnetism that drew us together. This was the first 'proper' aura I had seen. I was so desperate for a job I put the colours and light to one side. I needed this job and couldn't let my weirdness stop this from happening. I started work there the next day. The Universe at this part of the story already had a plan. A few days working in this Manchester city centre office, I was sent to greet a new guy coming in for a job interview, this guy was Si. As I popped my head over the balcony and greeted him, I noticed something more than his shirt and tie. His physical body was there, eyes smiling, formality greetings - but there was a haze of light radiating from his whole body outwards in colours of mostly yellow, with slight tinges of reds and oranges. Not rainbow like the first time. This was quickly bypassed with the rush of reality and getting the new guy sat down, into the waiting room ready for his interview, as I went back to my desk etc. I took more notice of the light this time. This was the second 'proper' aura I had seen. I had seen waves + wiggles of light around people as a child. It was never strange and always felt comforting, safe and knowing. By this time, I'd already googled around and learnt that the body has it's own energetic field. And that this energetic field is made up of frequencies. Those frequencies created their own range of colours. This is the Aura. This led me down the rabbit hole on energies, frequencies and vibrations. I was honoured that I'd seen this with my own eyes. I've always been so practical and come at things from a place of logic + science. When you see something with your own eyes, it's a lot easier to understand it. But more so I had felt the magnetism of the aura. When you feel something, it changes the whole landscape completely. LOVE is a feeling that we can't explain nor see, but when we FEEL it we KNOW it. It was this magnetism that I'd felt and was drawn to + thus at that very moment I had met my soul partner. As he had in me. We moved in together after 2 weeks. Got sacked from the recruitment company (the Universe knew we didn't need it anymore, the bank balance not so). We started things. Businesses. Had babies. Did house renovations. Built a life together in the UK. All with an undercurrent of healthy living, self development + lifelong learning about the mysticism's of the universe, life and energy. Like many, having questions - wondering what it was all about. After years of working with energy flow through meditation, yoga, plant medicine, reiki (level ii trained) & my psychology degree. We as a duo have always been fascinated with both science and the mystical. Forces that can be explained through science and forces that exist but that we have yet to discover or explain with our current plane of understanding. Vibrational energy, frequency, quantum physics and the forces that we know to exist but that we cannot see or explain. But that we know are there. Our previous businesses in Photography (we've had our work featured in high end publications including vogue), product design (we've worked with some of the worlds leading global brands), product development (we've worked with VIP royalty, heads of state, influencers, sportspeople, the worlds leading Forbes entrepreneurs) have all equipped us to continue this journey in our real lives with work that feels more aligned to the people we are. BE NOTHING LIKE is an exploration of earth energies, fulfilling our hearts and souls desires of what we feel like we should be doing with our lives. Acting on intuition + heart rather than learnt logic and the head . We're living from the heart here onwards. We need each other - we need the suns energy - we need alignment with the heart - we need travel - we need connection with likeminded people . All of which has felt without from our UK lives. We've sold our house and are uprooting from our life in the UK to take our business on tour and find our place in the world. We are Fletch + Si . Be Nothing Like is an amalgamation of 16 years of us . Now following our true selves + the call of our souls to do something that we feel we should have always been doing. We realise that it was all a journey to get to this point. Everything led us to where we are now. Be Nothing Like is a study of energy + the energetic field of the human form. It's a way for us to give a glimpse to the world that we are all more than just what we see. A look into our unique colour. Perhaps more importantly it's to remind us all of just how mystical, magical + beautiful we really are in our world + the Universe. It's all a journey + we are all connected. We hope to connect with you for your next event . Interested in Aura Photography for your next event see more about what we do here. We're booking dates for UK > IBIZA > BALI in 2023. Get in touch to book us.

Our energy is often the first thing people feel or sense. If you are sensitive to energy, you may feel the energy of a room or somebody’s energy, whether that’s a good or bad experience. This energy is called an Aura. What is an Aura? An aura is an invisible (to most) electro magnetic field surrounding every living being. Including plants. Every person radiates their own unique aura around their body. The aura is the essence of you. There are 7 layers of an aura (known as Chakras) and when a Chakra is out of kilt, blocked it can manifest in physical and emotional symptoms. Everybody’s aura is different in colour, shape, size. The colours in a person's aura relate to different attributes and characteristics that can give us an idea of where our energy is at the time and a direction to go in to make positive changes in our lives. Some peoples auras are small and just above the skin and some peoples aura’s literally fill a room. This relates to the energy they are radiating or emitting. When we photograph a persons aura at our studio, it can provide insights into the true self of our energetic vibrational level. Aura Photography is a beautiful experience where the unique energy of you, that exists around all living things, in this case YOU is photographed through our awesome electromagnetic aura camera. A detailed aura reading after your portrait shoot is helpful as it allows you to gain an understanding of yourself on an emotional level. A reading may re-affirm what you already know about yourself and the person you are, but can also offer insights into a deeper + more spiritual you. On the surface we can present a side of us that we may want people to see. Our energy doesn't lie. With our Aura's often insightful truths can appear that help us live a better and more fulfilled life. Why cleanse an Aura? Since an aura is all about energy and it's around every living thing. As we go about our busy daily lives we pick up other peoples energy. This can leave us feeling unbalanced and a little off centre. Some days where you are not feeling yourself. This may because you have picked up somebody's energy - not necessarily bad energy - but not yours. And carrying others energy isn't healthy for your own energetic field. This is why we would cleanse our aura. Benefits of cleansing an Aura? If you're familiar with manifesting you'll know that how we feel affects how we think and thus our thoughts become things. When our energy is high, happy, clean and healthy - we are vibrating at a high frequency. When we are living life in a high vibrational frequency we will find that life flows and feels good. When our energy is feeling low, we are low in vibration and a low vibration attracts a similar key. Cleansing the aura keeps our vibration high. It's a useful tool in manifesting the life we want and living in flow. So the main benefit of cleansing my aura (or also my home / the energy of a space) for me, is to keep my energy feeling good, giving me the ability to attract more of what I want into my life. I regularly cleanse my aura in a number of ways and will do a series of how to's using the various ways. Trust me life flows better when you cleanse your aura. It's so easy to do and acts as an element of self care. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter if you would like to receive guides on how to's on how to cleanse your aura. Ways of cleansing an Aura? A great way to cleanse an aura is through meditation. Taking time every morning or evening for just 15 minutes doing a mindful meditation will help restore your auric energy. Doing things you love from the heart will help clear an aura. Taking a bath or being in natural water such as the ocean is a wonderful way to cleanse the aura. Fragrance, essential oils and crystals can cleanse an aura and help clear blockages in the chakras. Reiki is also another fabulous way to clear the aura. Fletch is level ii reiki trained but still goes to a practitioner once a month to have reiki because it's such a beautiful way to re-align the energy and clear the aura. Quick List of The Best + Fastest Ways to cleanse your Aura right now? - Daily Aura Cleanse Guided Meditation or vizualisation (Fletch will do a Guided Aura Cleanse meditation and link here soon) - Doing an activity that you love - Spending time in nature - Walking bare foot / grounding via Earthing (Fletch will do a Guided Aura Cleanse Grounding exercise meditation and link here soon) - Taking a bath or being in natural water - Essential oils (certain ones) in pulse point oils, Fragrance oils + Room Mists / Candles - Crystals (certain ones such as amethyst or Selenite) - Sage smudge cleanse / Palo Santo cleanse (Fletch will do an Aura Cleanse how to post + video for both and link here soon) - Breathwork - Yoga Looking after your aura can have huge benefits for our mental health. Improvements to physical health and spiritual health follows. The below are the best physical products that you can buy that will help cleanse an aura. These are our own products that we have formulated with natural ingredients and healing herbs / oils to have an effect on improving the auric health. You can click to read more about each product's benefits and click the Black button to add to cart to buy online via The Luxe Co. These products are all wonderful additions to the tools that you already have inside of you. Nature has given us many free tools to heal and clear. If you have enjoyed this post, don't forget to follow our instagram page and subscribe to our newsletter to receive free guides to clear the aura. The Best Products for Auric Clearing

What is an aura? An Aura is an energy field that surrounds all living things. The human body has it's own energetic field. And that this energetic field is made up of frequencies. Those frequencies create their own range of colours. Aura's vary in colour, intensity of colour, size and distance around each living thing. Various colours can be present in the Aura, and each colour takes on different meanings depending on where they appear. We see the Aura portrait as the 'true authentic self-selfie' A genuine portrait that shows the energy you are omitting to the world. How we capture an aura? A Be Nothing Like Aura Portrait Session uses specialised biofeedback camera equipment and hand sensors to capture an image of your aura. We then print out a physical polaroid of given to each client in a booklet detailing colours interpretations to allow you to read your own auras meanings. We can offer an aura reading afterwards interpreting the colours, the colours placement, and what these colours mean to you at this moment in your life. The experience is a fun and visually quite beautiful way to see your current energetic state. We offer various ways that you can have your aura photographed and ways that we can work together. Our various event packages allow a tailor made customised experience for your next personal shoot or larger event. What does your aura portrait mean? Aura's vary in colour, intensity of colour, size and distance around each living thing. Various colours can be present in the Aura, and each colour takes on different meanings depending on where they appear. The colours can appear all around the human body typically we break the areas down into 3 sections: above the head and left of the body / right of the body. The different areas relate to thought, what we are receiving and what we are omitting/giving out. Your aura portrait will reveal an insight into your aura colours and what they may mean to you. Why would I want to see my Aura? As well as receiving a rather beautiful tangible selfie photograph (These work well at music festivals, fashion events which have a focus on the very physical - The selfie) you will gain an insight into your current energetic state and helpful tips on how you can cleanse the aura and improve wellbeing. Adds a element of the mystical We are all on a journey and everybody is at different points of this journey called life. It's beautiful to be reminded of our true selves and to see ourself in this different light. We must point out though: we are not diagnosing illness/disease nor prescribing remedy/medicine. Your aura portrait is a reminder of just how mystical, magical + beautiful you really are . Where can I get my Aura Photographed? We offer various ways that you can have your aura photographed and ways that we can work together. Our various event packages allow a tailor made customised experience for your next event. We can travel to different countries / regions / locations. We typically group our bookings to one area for that month. Please get in touch to see when we are next in your country / city. For example our diary is as follows: May, June July UK + EUROPE. August IBIZA. September BALI. Corporate bookings mean that we will release new dates in different countries as we book them. POP UPS we pop up at your retail store, restaurant, festival, retreat, event, brand activation, back stage activations for musicians. Our Pop Up pod allows The Be Nothing Like brand to shoot at your next space to offer a unique offering to your guests / attendees / visitors. Or we can brand as your event. Or Collab. Having us at your space creates a unique energy which we know your customers/clients will love. That we capture in true tangible form. The true selfie. CORPORATE we come to your office or event space. Great for team building, ice breaking, or marketing activities, exploration into colour, perfect for music / fashion / brand events. PRIVATE PARTY we come to your wedding, anniversary party, birthday party, or any other private celebration / retreat. Where we come to your party venue and give your guests a unique unforgettable souvenir capturing their energy at your special party. INDIVIDUAL we offer individual aura portraits at our UK Studio. Where you can book a 1:1 shoot with us in our UK studio + city centre event space. We will soon be opening studios on Bali where we are permanently locating to - location to be announced! See the beauty of your own unique energy with an individual shoot. See the beauty of your energy synergy as a couple. We can now offer aura portraits of your beloved four legged friends. We love to shoot expectant mums, mother + baby and mother + child auras. See the beauty of your energy as you create new life. How is aura photography relevant to your brand? Benefits at an event include: - A unique offering to your guests - Captures the energy of the event - Acts as a great conversation starter / ice breaker having something unusual + intriguing - Opens up discussion of the etheric. Something more than the body. We are energy - A professional set up with no stress for you having to set up / conduct / close down - Packages with branding / add on products to align with your ethos / identity by a team that knows good products, good design, done well. - Reiki qualified to soothe + relax for anxious aura's / professional readings and equipment from a brand that you can trust. Service soul led given from the heart. At least one of us Fletch + Si present at all events. How to Book you for my next event? Email us at benothinglike@outlook.com or use the form on this page to connect / tell us more about you + your event / find out more from us. I hope you found this post informative / helpful. Drop us a comment below if you liked it / found it helpful / would like more info. We love to hear from you. Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to keep updated on our travels and blog. And follow all the socials below. We honestly really do a little dance when you do.

The Firehouse Manchester. A super stylish interior If there’s one thing I used to do a lot of, it is going out. In my younger days I loved clubbing. It was my life, but like most people, as you get older and “grow up”, those wild night outs grow less and they change in nature. It’s not about going out on Thursday, club, afterparty, same thing Friday, Same thing Saturday and back home for 2 hours kip on a Sunday night, before getting up for work on Monday. Those days were fun, but that’s not how you roll when you have a family and responsibilities. Now that’s not to say I don’t still love a good dance, I bloody do, but nights out now have more specific requirements, a good vibe, good people, nice toilets, good music, but somewhere you can sit down and still have a chat. We are suckers for a mirrorball ....And this ones surrounded by hot pink light ! Now, this is something that we have struggled with in our home town of Manchester. We have had lots of nights out and we’ve never found anywhere that was good to go. Our group of friends are a good group. Most of us have been friends for about 30 years, there’s been a few new partners and additions over the years, but overall there’s a lot of history there. We all grew close through clubbing, meeting up in the 90’s and hitting Manchester’s famous venues like The Hacienda, Sankeys and more. So the location, vibe and music in a place is important. I hate anywhere with a bad atmosphere, any kind of aggression, or the type of person that wants to kick off, look down their nose at you, or bring any kind of negative vibe is an instant no no for me. I’m not about that. I don’t need that in my life. Another must is good music, it matters to me. Luckily the same can be said for all my group, we’re on the same page. We have tried so many different places over the years and always been a little bit disappointed. So to finally find somewhere after all of these years was so good. That place is The Firehouse in Manchester. One of the runway performers It’s in what is one of Manchester’s coolest areas, the Northern Quarter, covering most of the Ancoat’s area, it used to be a run down, former industrial area, full of bombed out mills, dark back streets and unsavoury characters. Now it is full of indie bars, restaurants, shops etc and had it going on. The Northern Quarter area has grown and grown fast. The Firehouse venue is an old garage, and also houses a sister venue called Ramona, which specialises in Detroit style pizzas, which are pretty darn fit. The décor has been done well. The bones of the garage still remain, with high ceilings, corrugated iron roof, roller shutter, bare brick and some of the old features. It’s cool. It also has a giant mirror ball. I’m a firm believer that if you stick a giant mirror ball in any space, it instantly makes it a million times better. There’s a cool outside space, with lots of seating which makes this a great place to spend a lazy afternoon in the sun. During the day it’s bright and airy, everything is clean and super well presented. The menu is great and we’ve eaten here a lot. There’s a full post on the food side of things here. Read our daytime review of The Firehouse here But, we’re here to talk about the night time and how good it is for a night out. I had eaten at Ramona, then I saw on the socials that they were opening The Firehouse, the half price food and drink offer for their soft launch grabbed my attention, so I booked it for some food and a few afternoon beers with my Friend. We had a good time, such a good time that I booked again 2 days later for a full family meal. We all loved it. The daytime vibe feels almost holiday ish, it’s hard to explain, but it feels like you are not in the UK and in a good way. During my day visit I was checking out the DJ booth. Great setup, with full CDJ and a set of Technics and some nice big speakers all around, I find that this is usually a pretty good indication of good music, add in the giant mirrorball and I’m getting even more interested. So, the next time we had a babysitter, I booked us a night time table. As always I’d done a little research and found that the night looked interesting. An eclectic music policy and what are described as Live arthouse performances and a dance, freedom and movement ethos sounded pretty interesting and something a little different. We went for food first so landed in The Firehouse at about 11 ish. The party was in full swing. The vibe is cool, but not pretentious, by night it feels like a New York loft party type of vibe. The music is loud, but not too loud, so you can still have a chat when you’re sat at your table, which is good. There’s groups of people hanging around, some people having a dance, but all having a good time. The bar is busy, but you get served in good time as the bar staff are super efficient, even banging out cocktails, with no fuss or delay. More on the cocktails later. The runway shows are amazing to watch and a unique touch We had a table for drinks booked and were seated on a long table, running right across the full width of the venue, our server told us with a wink that in a few minutes we might be best holding our drinks, she left this with us. We soon found out why. At certain points of the night, the music changes tempo slightly, then on the balcony a character will appear, now this could a super glam, long legged blonde stunning lady in a sequin leotard, or a toned bronzed man, with a super toned body, squeezed into a catsuit. Whatever you see, it will be fabulous and super camp. They will parade down the stairs, to claps and cheers, the crowd will part as they groove their way through, and head towards the long table that we were sat on. The steps at the side were a bit of a clue. So, be warned the table is not actually a table, it’s a catwalk. We took the advice and moved our drinks as a pair of super high, black patent leather platform boots, swished past us in a super confident strut. These beauties parade up and down the catwalk, dancing and prancing to the music and putting a show that delights the eager crowd. They play of to this delight, blowing kisses, shaking booties to all and sundry, those who are super keen to be a part of the show and those that are a little more reserved. It works super well at getting the party started. It looks and feels good. It’s so camp and has an outrageous feel to it. The style of this is to reflect flamboyant queer parties and reflect it, it does, now if this was just scantily clad females doing this, or cheesy male stripper type blokes, it would attract a very different type of crowd, but it’s not. You have to accept that a man in a catsuit might stroke your chest as he walks by and blows you a kiss, some people just can not handle that type of outrageous campness. This addition is a very clever piece of promoting. Doing something like this is like it’s own door policy. This type of person that would be outraged by this type of queer showboating, is usually, let’s be honest a bit of a twat. They would hate The Firehouse and never come in, if they did, they wouldn’t come back. Good, I don’t want to share my night with you. So this type of natural selection, means that the crowd is already good. There’s a real mix of people male, female, queer, straight, people of all nationalities and backgrounds, but all there for a damn good night out and a lot of fun. That’s pretty much perfect if you ask me. We’ve been to The Firehouse a lot and we always end up chatting to people, we always find someone super interesting to talk to, creative types, fashionable types, but always fun and happy types. This says a lot about a venue as the people make the party. Beware... Things can get raunchy. No prudes allowed One other key part that makes the party is the music. Now, I know I always bang on about music, but it is important. The music in The Firehouse is good, it’s eclectic, it covers all bases and it covers them well. Being the boring DJ type that I am, I always go over and have a chat with the DJ. I’m what you might call a trainspotter, an anorak if you like. If the DJ plays a track that I like, I like to let them know. A little thumbs up, a cheeky wink and a point to the record, whilst mouthing “Tune” to the DJ, is my go to compliment. I was doing this a lot at The Firehouse, the mix of soul, funk, disco, house, with cheeky drops of speed garage and even some rock are just right. The addition of some cheeky classics such as New Order – Blue Monday, Daft Punk and even some classic Hacienda era piano anthems went down well and both Clare and I are not ashamed to say, we shook our stuff more than a little. Great music by fine selectors.... Perfect There’s a mix of DJ’s on, but Saturdays are hosted by the pretty awesome Jonjo, part of the Bad Fun DJ collective, check out the Bad Fun Instagram here – badfunmcr who was responsible for the fantastic tunes. He’s also a top bloke and put up with me wanging on about music and clubs for ages. One thing about being a DJ, is you just want to talk about music all of the time, but we had a good chinwag about the scene. Drinks wise, there’s a real focus on Tequila and Mezcal, this works for us. It works well, almost too well as the following mornings thick head proved. There’s a strong selection of all of the usuals, some good IPA’s which I like and a good wine list. But for us it’s all about the Margaritas. Either a standard, or if you’re feeling particularly hot, go for a Spicy Margarita. It’s a classic Margarita made with El Tequileno Blanco, Cointreau, jalapeno salsa, lime olea and tagine, traditional but with the addition of the spicy notes really hits the spot. And a chilli salt rim, they are fit. We always have a few of these, we recommend them too. Just remember to move them off the table when the queens come down those steps. We are so happy to have found The Firehouse and it has quickly become our go to venue in Manchester for nights out. The only negative is that it is only supposed to be temporary, I have to say, we were both pretty gutted when we found this out. The site on which both The Firehouse and Ramona stand, is actually owned by Capital & Centric and Kamani property, who have planning permission to build 200 aparthotel suites on the site. This work was due to start recently, but the owners of both venues, requested Happy Clare & Si. Tequila and music make us happy together An extension to their temporary permission to use the site, this was granted due to the success of them both. The owners of the venues are A Very Inc, a company founded by Joel Wilkinson, Dan Mullen and Adelaide Winter. Wilkinson and Mullen are both former directors of the Mission to Mars group, who are well known in the city as the founders of the awesome Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Alberts Schloss, so they have some fantastic experience. They have put plans in to redevelop a huge former factory a little further dow the other end of Great Ancoats st. This huge industrial space is set to house a beer hall, brewery and also stalls for independent traders and much, much more. It does sound as though the starting of this could dovetail nicely with any potential end for The Firehouse and Ramona, which would be sad and would leave a bit of a hole for us, hopefully one that the new venue, which is set to be known as The Foundry could fill. Fingers crossed. A kiss to end the night Let me know in the comments box about your fave place in Manchester. I love to hear all the best hotspots to sample when we're next in our home town. Don't forget to subscribe to our blog to hear all about our big travel plans. And follow our socials - all the links below.

There is so much information about meditation out there and so many different and conflicting info, that it's sometimes difficult to know where to begin. That's why I created this blog post to tackle some of the most frequently-asked questions that we get asked at our Aura studio on how to meditate, which will hopefully help you get started on your meditation journey. Most Common Questions How long should I meditate for? What is the best time of day to meditate? What if I can't clear my mind? Do I have to sit cross-legged? Should I follow a guided meditation? What should I do if I feel restless? Can I meditate while walking? Do I need special equipment? What are the benefits of meditation? How long should I meditate for? Making meditation a regular part of your day or week is actually more important than the length of time you meditate for. For that reason, don't get too hung up on a specific duration. See our full blog post all about 'clock time' and meditating. As long as it works for you, meditation should be simple. Studies indicate that the benefits of meditation begin to appear after about ten minutes, but if you're new to it, you can start with just five minutes daily until you get comfortable with the process. As meditation becomes a regular part of your schedule, you can gradually extend the duration of your sessions. What is the best time of day to meditate? We all work better at different times and all have different daily schedules. So you need to find the time of day that works for you, and that doesn't feel forced. Many people prefer to practice in the morning but consider these common times of the day for your meditation practice: Morning: By incorporating meditation into your morning schedule, whether it's in bed right after waking up or following a usual morning activity such as brushing your teeth or showering, you increase the likelihood of actually doing it (as some find it too difficult to meditate once the hectic day has started). Noon: By midday, you have completed some of our urgent tasks, allowing you to pause, slow down, and establish a gap between the external world's rhythm and your internal world's rhythm. Treat your meditation session with the same importance as any scheduled meeting. Feeling sluggish in the afternoon: Do you frequently experience tiredness, fatigue, or mood swings during the afternoon? This decrease in energy is typically attributed to your body's circadian rhythm. Engaging in meditation during this period of low energy is said to enhance brain function and boost energy levels, helping you stay more alert and focused for the remainder of your day. Evening: Taking a break in the middle of the day can sometimes be challenging. However, the evening presents a great opportunity to pause and contemplate. As the day comes to a close, we begin to relax. Engaging in meditation can establish a bridge between the day's busyness and the calm of the evening, leading to better sleep. Preparing for bedtime: At times, a soothing and calm voice can be beneficial in aiding sleep. Engaging in meditation can prompt the body to release stress and tension, promoting relaxation and diverting our focus from troubling and anxious thoughts. What if I can't clear my mind? It's completely normal for thoughts to arise during meditation, especially for beginners. Instead of trying to force your mind to be blank, acknowledge your thoughts and gently bring your focus back to your breath or meditation object. This is part of the practice! Even now, if i've been working hard and my mind is whirling I'll struggle to switch off. And that's completely normal. If this is the case I'll guide myself in with a body scan or similar to bring my awareness to my body and it's sensations and then I'm ready to begin the meditation. Do I have to sit cross-legged? No! Simply find a position that is comfortable for you, but not a slouchy posture which may cause discomfort and pain in your body that can end up distracting you. You can of course sit cross-legged, but sitting on a chair with a straight back or lying down can also work. Should I follow a guided meditation? Meditation is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced. Most people benefit from guidance and instruction. Often when we meditate, we notice our busy minds, and a meditation teacher can help to anchor us—guiding us step by step through the process and reassuring us that we are ‘doing it right’. Use apps like Headspace, Calm, or YouTube. What should I do if I feel restless? Restlessness is a common experience, especially when starting. If you feel uncomfortable, try focusing on your breath or doing a brief movement (like stretching) before settling back into meditation. Regular practice can help ease restlessness over time. Can I meditate while walking? Absolutely! Walking meditation is a great way to practice mindfulness. Focus on the sensation of your feet touching the ground and the movement of your body. This can be especially helpful if you find sitting still challenging. Any form of activity where you go within can be considered a form of meditation. For example, when you go to sleep and before you fall asleep, you're in that beautiful state where nothing matters and you hover between sleep and awake, not thinking of the day. This is a beautiful meditative state I try to be in for a while before letting myself fall asleep Do I need special equipment? No special equipment is required to meditate! A comfortable space and a quiet environment are all you need. However, you may find a meditation cushion or mat helpful for comfort. What are the benefits of meditation? Meditation has numerous benefits, including reduced stress, improved focus, enhanced emotional well-being, better sleep, and increased self-awareness. Regular practice can also help with anxiety and depression. Conclusion Meditation is a personal journey that can vary widely from one individual to another. By addressing these common questions, we hope to demystify the practice and encourage you to explore it further. Remember, the key is to find what works best for you and to approach your meditation practice with patience and curiosity. Happy meditating! And if you have ANY questions about meditating... and I mean any, please don't feel silly asking a question that you think you should know. We all start somewhere & I'm still on my own journey so don't have every answer, but we're in this together and I've created this blog to pass on my help to similar souls wherever I can. In the meantime keep up with our daily updates on social media below. And let me know if there is anything specific you would like me to cover on the blog about our Bali life. Follow us on Instagram: On YouTube: And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you. I only write and share stuff on the blog to help you. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx