Travel Mermaid

Travel & Expat Blog

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Meet Travel Mermaid

I am Travel Mermaid // TravelMermaid.com

Ahoy! Iโ€™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 ๐Ÿจ 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
Featured in
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia Magazine
Quoted in
The Sun Magazine UK

Stalk me on Instagram

  • Slow mornings, wellness classes, and a touch of luxury on Koh Samui's quieter west coast โœจโ  .โ  The Sailor and I returned to Koh Samui after 14 years last February. While the island has changed considerably since we last visited, with mass development now engulfing about half the coast, it was refreshing to see this corner is still as peaceful as we remember.โ  โ  Surrounding us were rugged coconut plantations, meditation centres, farmland, other laid-back stays, and a taste of local life that's hard to find elsewhere on the island.โ  โ  If you're heading here and looking to truly relax, we stayed at a new wellness resort (adults only .. no funny business) that absolutely hit the spot. Each villa is spacious, beautifully styled, and comes with a private pool, plus daily wellness classes included.โ  โ  Full review on the blog, link in bio.xโ  โ  #slowtravel #kohsamui #adultonlyresort #wellnessretreat โ #thailandtravel โ 
  • Our humble home for a month, in a peaceful schist village in Central Portugal ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น (population 13). . Such a stunning part of the country with endless hiking trails, quiet river beaches and the friendliest locals. There are 27 of these enchanting villages scattered throughout the valleys, and they're like a living museum. A great quiet alternative to the busy summer beaches, and to feel your weary city soul return to life ๐ŸŒฟ #portugal #schistvillages
  • 20 days in sunny June โ˜€๏ธ . Farewells, steamy walks and a tonne of banh mi. #schoolsout #saigon #vietnam
  • Does it get much better than this? ๐Ÿ โ  .โ  Some places are just exactly what you need when you need it. โ We stayed here last May, and it was one of the most relaxing getaways I've had in a long time. โ  โ .โ  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, itโ€™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. โ  โ  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.โ  โ  If you want to read up on this amazing stay, head to the blog for all the juice.xโ  โ  #phuquoc #beachresort #vietnam #islandlife #southeastasiatravel
  • A little slice of Sri Lankan magic, where the lagoon meets the ocean ๐ŸŒŠโ  .โ  โ  Thanks for an awesome time you little rascals ๐Ÿ’™ @rascalskiteresort.kalpitiya โ  #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.โ  โ  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. โ ๐Ÿ›ต โ  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!โ  โ  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. ๐Ÿ’›โ  โ  Cแบฃm ฦกn ladies, and Mr Ti you legend! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผโ  โ  @xotours #vietnamtravel #saigon #foodtour #vietnamtrip #hochimincity #saigontravel โ #xotours

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