Travel Mermaid

Travel & Expat Blog

Destinations, Portugal

A summer’s stay amongst the Douro Valley vineyards

22nd November 2025
A woman in a blue cap and patterned shirt stands on a balcony overlooking lush green vineyards and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky, with a river and mountains in the distance.

Escaping here is good for the soul.

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Destinations, Portugal

Epic Portugal Road Trip Itinerary (2025)

22nd November 2025
A panoramic view of a curving coastline at Portinho da Arrabida in Portugal, with turquoise water, sandy beaches, green hills, scattered boats in the bay, and clear blue skies overhead.

Your friendly drive-guide through the staring face of Europe.

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Australia, Destinations

Walkabout Cultural Adventures Review: Aboriginal culture, stories and crabbing near Cairns

9th November 2025
Spearfishing for mud crabs at Cooya Beach with Walkabout Cultural Adventures // Travel Mermaid

Learning about the world’s oldest culture in the world’s oldest rainforest.

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Vietnam

Hiding Away at Phu Quoc’s Dreamiest Beach Stay

1st September 2025
A drone shot of idyllic Casa D'Elysea beach villa in Phu Quoc, Vietnam

The kind of place that makes you want to never leave.

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Meet Travel Mermaid

I am Travel Mermaid // TravelMermaid.com

Ahoy! I’m Shezz, a London-born School Teacher who left Blighty behind 13 years ago with my Sailor. After stints in Prague, Thailand, Malaysia, and three Australian states, we're now Aussie citizens 🐨 based in Saigon, Vietnam.

On the blog, I write about travel & expat life, with a passion for adventure, good food, and wild spaces. Through my travel stories and destination guides, I hope to inspire your next journey in SE Asia and Australia.

Find out more about me here, or stalk my social media channels below. x

Featured in

Full 6-page feature in
Port Douglas Magazine
Quoted in
The Sun Magazine UK

Stalk me on Instagram

  • Does it get much better than this? 🐠⁠.⁠Some places are just exactly what you need when you need it. ⁠We stayed here last May, and it was one of the most relaxing getaways I've had in a long time. ⁠⁠.⁠Voted as one of the most idyllic islands by Travel & Leisure readers last year, it's incredible spots like this which keep visitors coming back to Phu Quoc. Fortunately for fellow Saigonese, it’s only a quick 45-minute flight away, and it's still one of the most value-for-money islands in the Gulf of Thailand. ⁠⁠We stayed on this secluded beach, which is an hour away from the main town centre and closer to Cambodia by sea, so it almost felt like its own little island. After yet another crazy year, in one of Southeast Asia's most chaotic cities, this place was just what the doctor ordered. We loved it so much that I've already booked our return visit for my birthday in a few weeks.⁠⁠If you want to read up on this amazing stay, head to the blog for all the juice.x⁠⁠#phuquoc #beachresort #vietnam #islandlife #southeastasiatravel
  • A little slice of Sri Lankan magic, where the lagoon meets the ocean 🌊⁠.⁠⁠Thanks for an awesome time you little rascals 💙 @rascalskiteresort.kalpitiya ⁠#kalpitiya #srilanka #kitesurfingasia
  • I couldn't think of a better way to get acquainted with the real Ho Chi Minh City than bouncing around on the back of a scooter and being whipped to delicious local eateries with some cool lasses.⁠⁠A month after moving here, we went out with XO Food Tour, a 100% female-owned and run tour group. They took us well away from our expat bubble and off the tourist trail to experience the real Saigon. ⁠🛵⁠We visited 5 different eateries in separate districts that are known for a particular specialty. All I can say is, wow. Vietnamese food continues to blow my mind with flavour combos, textures, and their amazing ability to elevate a dish with a banging condiment!⁠⁠But at the heart of all food is people. This was more than just a food tour, it was an insight into Vietnamese culture. The highlight of the night was visiting a local's house, Mr Ti, the Uncle of one of the guides. His stories really humbled us all. 💛⁠⁠Cảm ơn ladies, and Mr Ti you legend! 🙏🏼⁠⁠@xotours #vietnamtravel #saigon #foodtour #vietnamtrip #hochimincity #saigontravel ⁠#xotours
  • When an impromptu first visit to @elgin.sgn has a surprise Aussie chef helming the kitchen, Aldwin Hidajat—aka Wok Boi— it's fate.⁠⁠Fresh and exciting modern Aus tukka with locally sourced Vietnamese produce and aromatic Indonesian flavours, paired with a carefully curated selection of wines from around Straya.⁠⁠We're lucky to have you in town from Sydney for 6 months! ⁠🥳⁠...⁠⁠⁠Pictured ~⁠~ Half local chook 'Ayam Taliwang' w toum, and homemade garlic sambal (don't be stingy with it)⁠~ Beautifully textured and fresh cucumber and fungus salad w pickled daikon, white & black fungus (so good), and mandarin dressing⁠⁠Not pictured ~ but must be tried⁠~ Kingfish ceviche, thai basic, pomelo, coconut oil⁠~ Fried spud cake w whipped bottarga⁠⁠⁠@wok.boi #saigonfood #hochimincity
  • Six tasty weeks in Saigon 🍜⁠.⁠Hard to believe that this time last year I was living in a small village in one of the most remote coastlines in the world in Western Australia (population 244.. now 242). And now I’m back in a bustling city in Southeast Asia, population 10 million! Life has taken a 360-degree change and my feet have barely touched the ground yet. ⁠⁠. Saigon so far has been fun, exciting, steamy, intriguing and delicious with endless fascinating quirks. I’ve been really lucky to have an extremely welcoming community at my new school and the locals have been so genuinely lovely. I’ve been blown away many times already by their selfless acts of kindness .. it really is the people that make the difference, anywhere. ⁠⁠Have you been to Vietnam before? 🇻🇳 How did you find it?⁠⁠Shezz.x⁠⁠#saigon #hochiminhcity #vietnam #internationalschoolteacher #expatlife #livinginsaigon #travelvietnam
  • With over 12’000 species of blooms, Western Australia has one of the largest collections in the world 🌼⁠⁠When we ran The Glass House in WA, two Scottish botanists stayed with us for a week during wildflower season. They worked at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and were holidaying in the Midwest to view the blooms that sprout in abundance during winter. ⁠.⁠The inland route from my old house is known as 'Wildflower Country' 🌼 ⁠ and it's a tourist trail with some of the state's most diverse array of flowers. ⁠⁠In my latest Perth to Exmouth article, I've added my favourite wildflower hotspots along the Coral Coast, including a walk the botanists recommended, and believe me, these guys know their stuff!⁠⁠#flowerpower #fieldsofgold #wildflowercountry #pompomflowers #wildflowerswa #wildflowerseason #coalseam #mingenew #kalbarri #mullewa #coalseamconservationpark #perthtodo #westernaustralia

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