Our motto: “The world is our playground!”
Travel is our passion! Although, we don’t get to do it as much as we would like with our full-time jobs at the moment, we travel whenever we get the opportunity. We are neither budget or luxury travellers – we like to consider ourselves as comfortable and modest travellers, just doing what we love.
Our love of travel began in 2005, when we went on our first overseas trip together as 23 year olds. That trip sealed the deal – we would spend the rest of our days exploring the world. This same trip made us realise how much we enjoyed spending time together and we became inseparable.
When we first began travelling, we knew we had contracted the “travel bug” and thought that with time and a few overseas trips, we would be cured. But this was not to be…
Symptoms include: hours of daydreaming of holidays, gravitational pulls to travel agencies to flick through brochures, salivating over Facebook friends’ holiday photos, probing everyone about their last holiday. So one day, we woke up and succumbed to the travel bug and accepted that we would have it chronically! The only treatment we could prescribe was to keep travelling! Until we can give up our day jobs, we will fit in our travels around full-time work!
Planning the next holiday is our way of life!
Our travel style is exploring and getting “lost” in the destination. Having been born and bred in Australia, we accept that travelling will generally mean flying at least 3 hours to go anywhere internationally. So with every trip overseas, we tend to focus in on the one country and make the most of our time there.
We’ve always recorded our adventures in a diary: one for each continent that we visit – scribbled inside at the end of each day what we had done. The good reliable pen and paper are still items that go on our “to-pack” list before every holiday. Through our travels, we have come to learn a lot about ourselves and the places we have seen and we would like to share our experiences and photos. There may also be occasional pieces of “wise” trivia, reviews or tips.
When COVID hit in 2020, all of our international travels had to come to a screeching halt. We spent most of 2020, 2021 and 2022 doing road trips within our home state of New South Wales. All these mini getaways kept us sated.
Why “Wise Monkeys Abroad”?
Along with our love for travelling, we also enjoy collecting three wise monkeys, particularly if we find them overseas. Hence where our blog name came from!
Thank you so much for swinging by our blog 🙂
We hope you will connect, stay in touch and come back often,
Le and David
(Please note: all our posts including photos are our own and are not sponsored, unless specified. Where the photos are not ours, we identify where they have come from)
wise monkeys abroad 
April 12, 2014 at 9:35 am
Hello! I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and have nominated you for the Liebster award: http://ellisgoesonholiday.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/sie-sind-mein-liebster-blog/
Happy Blogging!
April 12, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Thank you kindly for the nomination – we greatly appreciate you giving us this mention. We, however, have accepted this award previously and so this time will not be passing it on. Again, thank you ever so much! Congrats to you on receiving the award.
April 13, 2014 at 8:12 am
Thank you 🙂 You are very welcome- congrats on getting the award so many times!!
April 6, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I like yours. The travel bug symptoms are dead on. I also like the three wise monkeys , it reminds me of my childhood as two of my best friends and myself took a photo pretending to be the wise monkeys, we were like 7 years old. 🙂 Happy travels!
April 6, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Hello Mani – thank you so much for returning the visit and following our blog 🙂
PS – so which monkey were you in that photo? 😉
April 6, 2014 at 4:19 pm
You know, as soon as I posted the comment I started to wonder. It has been a while since I’ve seen the photo, but I remember it! I just don’t remember which one I was, I think it may have been “speak no evil” 🙂 Now I gotta ask my mom to go find it haha.
April 6, 2014 at 4:23 pm
That would be kind of ironic now seeing as you are a blogger 😉
Have a lovely Sunday! And stay in touch!
April 6, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Haha yeah, but I don’t blog about evil so… it’s all good 😉 Have a great Sunday as well.
April 6, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Hi there!
I have nominated you for the Liebster Award. Should you wish to accept the award, do check out the link 🙂
http://katpegimana.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/nominated-for-the-liebster-award-2/
Kat.
April 6, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Thank you so much, Kat!
We are so honoured and appreciative that you are nominating us 🙂
We have been awarded this several times before and will graciously not be passing it on.
Congrats on receiving the Liebster and for considering us!!
We will definitely read the post to learn more about you though!
April 6, 2014 at 6:25 pm
No worries 🙂
April 6, 2014 at 8:21 am
Hey there! You started following my blog so I wanted to check out your blog and say, “Hi!” I enjoy traveling too, but don’t get to do as much of it as I’d like (like you guys, the bills have to get paid!). My husband and I are planning to go to Italy next year, it will be my first time to Europe. That’s pretty cool that you collect three wise monkeys – such a unique thing to collect! Hope you’re having a great weekend. Celeste 🙂
April 6, 2014 at 8:32 am
G’day Celeste! What a lovely comment you have left for us 🙂 Thank you ever so much for returning the visit and the follow!
Hope you do enjoy Italy when you go which we are sure you will!
Your blog is fabulous – we eat meat but know that for many reasons (from health to environmental) we probably shouldn’t, so we are trying to cut back so websites such as yours gives us meal ideas!
April 6, 2014 at 3:00 am
Visiting all the UNESCO sites is a great goal. And hopefully your list will keep growing as more UNESCO sites are added.
April 6, 2014 at 6:20 am
We hope so 🙂 – thank you so much for visiting & for following our blog!
April 4, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Thank you visiting my blog,wisemonkeys. The world is indeed your playground. Am going through your travels and loving what I am reading. Thank you for sharing such wonderful places. Look forward to more of your stories.
April 4, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Ditto – we look forward to your stories too!
We appreciate your pleasant words just before we head to bed! We are simply delighted to have you following us 🙂
Please do stay in touch!
April 4, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Thanks for visiting. Great blog! Looking forward to reading more of your stories. 🙂
April 4, 2014 at 11:03 pm
Welcome aboard 🙂 We are thrilled to have you join us! You had us intrigued as to what your own business will be all about!!
Thank you for following our blog and hope our posts don’t disappoint!
March 30, 2014 at 10:19 am
Y’all are just TOO cute!
March 30, 2014 at 10:24 am
Awww – thank you for saying that 🙂 Thanks for following our blog – very appreciative to have you on board!
March 30, 2014 at 10:27 am
I’m looking forward to the adventure.
March 30, 2014 at 1:06 am
Hello! I love your blog and started following it. I, too, contracted that serious case of wanderlust and I know the itchy feeling of having to travel! It’s indeed catchy and addicting! Keep traveling and writing about it! I am loving this world of blog because of folks like you! And I sincerely appreciate your visit to my blog…. thank you!
March 30, 2014 at 8:40 am
Hello bellabelle1! We are so appreciative for your sincere & pleasant comment. It means so much to us when we hear that people love our blog – like you, we too love the world of blogging so that we can connect with people around the world 🙂
Thank you again 🙂
March 29, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Out of all the bugs to get, the travel bug is the best. We love to travel as well and try to as much as possible. Even exploring our own city opens our eyes to new things. Best of luck to you!
March 29, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Absolutely! When we are not travelling, we like playing “tourist” in our home city – amazing how things look so differently.
Thanks for visiting our blog 🙂
March 23, 2014 at 3:23 am
Thanks for stopping by my blog! 😀 I love yours already, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your adventures around the world! *clicks follow*
March 23, 2014 at 6:57 am
Thank you Alissa – so glad to have you join us!! Glad to be connected and please do stay in touch 🙂
March 22, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Hi, thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I’m glad you did as it introduced me to yours, which is great! So many good stories and so much inspiration… Thanks!
March 22, 2014 at 7:38 pm
Thank you for returning the visit and for following our blog! We are glad you like what you see here 🙂 – Great to be connected and look forward to your stories!
March 22, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Awesome blog 😀 😀
March 22, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Thanks 🙂
March 22, 2014 at 11:05 am
Looking forward to enjoying your travel adventures. Linda
March 22, 2014 at 11:27 am
Thanks Linda! So excited to have you on board 🙂
March 16, 2014 at 1:31 am
Hi guys, nice to meet you. I’ve travelling around your blog and your enthusiasm for travelling is quite infectious. Not that I need to be infected any further 🙂
As a fellow Aussie it was nice to see those pics of Sydney foreshores. (I’m also Canadian having lived there for 30 yrs).
Happy travels, Alison
March 16, 2014 at 7:25 am
Thanks guys for visiting our blog!! Yep, that travel bug gets in and just doesn’t leave, as you know 😉 – we love meeting fellow Aussies out there in the blogging world!
Happy travels to you both too 🙂
March 15, 2014 at 7:15 pm
After contracting the travel bug, then you will have the travel disease 🙂 Totally understand – travel at every opportunity we can get due to our full-time jobs – looking forward to see more of your posts, HAPPY TRAVELLING!
Kat.
March 15, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Thanks so much for visiting and for following 🙂
Full-time work gets in the way, right? LOL!
March 15, 2014 at 3:38 am
Beautiful and rocking!! I loved your motto… Loved your posts and following to travel the world through your blog…
March 15, 2014 at 7:10 am
Thank you much for following & for your lovely words. We are so happy to have you on board 🙂
March 11, 2014 at 2:07 pm
And I said…’ooh,ooh!’ another Aussie blog, and your walk on Sydney Harbour… We were just there, probably motoring past you, on the weekend! (We just spent the weekend in Sydney, with a lunch cruise on the harbour!)
Thanks so much for your likes, comments and follows on Daytripper Sippers! Now I have to post this so I can wander around your blog some more. Great stuff! Cheers, CC
March 11, 2014 at 4:40 pm
CC, Thank you so much for swinging by our blog!! Wasn’t the weather simply gorgeous on Sunday? Hope you had a lovely weekend in Sydney 🙂
March 11, 2014 at 5:02 pm
Coincidences! Not only were we on and around Sydney Harbour on the weekend but we went into the Friendship Garden at Darling Harbour! I’ve just read that you married there. Simply beautiful.
I lived in Sydney when it was started in 1988/89 and have always wanted to go back and see it ‘grown up’. CC
March 11, 2014 at 5:10 pm
Wow – coincidences!! So guess we were meant to connect this week of all weeks! 🙂
March 10, 2014 at 3:42 am
Great that you both share a passion for travel and discovered it early in life. I have three wise monkeys sitting on my shelf…they are a daily reminder that help to keep me on the positive path. I have been off line for a while, so if I did not thank you before for following my blog, I send you a big monkey salute!
March 10, 2014 at 5:51 am
Wow – thanks for swinging by 🙂 Very excited to hear that you have a set of monkeys *monkey salute back* Do stay in touch and happy to be following your blog 🙂
March 3, 2014 at 4:26 am
Love the new logo!
March 3, 2014 at 6:08 am
Thanks Jaspa 🙂
So happy to hear that!
March 1, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Hello!
Thank you for following my blog. I know how many interesting blogs are out there and feel honored that you picked mine to follow. I hope my stories entertain and inform and my photos bring you joy and wonderment.
I travel mostly local but try to always find interesting places. I have lived in several different places and dig through my archives of photos to bring glimpses into places I have been. Sometimes I post a recipe because food tells a lot about culture.
I am not a professional photographer, so my photos are sometimes a little fuzzy and there are telephone poles and wires and other things along with what I was photographing. The older photos are 35mm, the newer are point and shoot digital and a few are Samsung Smartphone.
I am new to blogging so if you have any advice or critique please drop me a comment.
Thank you again for following and to quote Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
Iris the Wanderer
March 1, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Hi Iris – welcome to the blogging world! We’ve only been publicly doing it for about 7 months or so…. We too are on such a big learning curve! If you have any tips or comments for us, we too would appreciate hearing it. Keep up the great work on the photography and blogging & hope you will stay in touch!
March 1, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Thank you. You have a very interesting blog and I look forward to reading more of it.
March 1, 2014 at 9:48 pm
Thank you! We greatly appreciate your kind words 🙂
March 1, 2014 at 4:56 am
What a beautiful blog you have. I love the name of it as well 🙂 I look forward to seeing more of it.
March 1, 2014 at 6:58 am
Thank you so much! We appreciate you stopping by. Blogging is a wonderful thing: bringing people together 🙂 Glad to have met you!
March 1, 2014 at 4:47 am
We really are kindred spirits…. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
March 1, 2014 at 6:52 am
Thank you for visiting our blog!! That’s the wonderful thing about blogging – that it brings kindred spirits together. We look forward to your adventures too, please do stay in touch!
February 28, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Though I’ve only scratched of the surface of your blog’s content, I already know I’m going to like it here. Travel is a passion of mine, but beyond that, and maybe even more so than that, I really enjoy and admire those who live their lives following the things they love.
March 1, 2014 at 6:47 am
Thank you so very much for visiting & for your kind words! We are so pleased to have connected with you – please do stay in touch 🙂
February 26, 2014 at 8:10 pm
So let’s play together 😀 :D.
Thank you for being friend with me (blog). 🙂
February 26, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Best thing about blogging is meeting all the great people from around the world – thank you for following us 🙂
If you are ever in Sydney – let us know 🙂
February 26, 2014 at 8:47 pm
Indeed, that’s what i feel about blogging too :).
I’ve been in Sydney and Canberra once (at October 2012), that was a great experience, and i hope i could make another travel to Sydney, i even wish to live there someday :).
Same here, if you are ever in Indonesia, let me know 😀 😀
February 26, 2014 at 8:16 am
Thanks for dropping by “Honey” and the follow. By the way if you are looking for the original “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” you better put Japan on your bucket list! 🙂 They originate from a Japanese temple.
February 26, 2014 at 8:23 am
Hi – so glad to have you visit our blog! Yes, we went to Japan for our honeymoon & visited the 3 wise monkeys in Nikko 🙂
Thanks again for stopping by!
February 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
I mentioned you in this post: http://turquoisecompass.com/2014/02/20/360-degree-view-of-turquoise-in-sydney/
Jessica, Turquoise Compass
February 20, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Thanks Jess! Great photos in that post 🙂
February 20, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Thanks!
February 18, 2014 at 1:39 am
it looks like i have another wonderful blog to check often! awesome photography and such beautiful places you ahve been! there’s no travel for me at the moment so i will view the world vicariously through your posts!
February 18, 2014 at 6:09 am
We appreciate your kind words and are so glad to hear that you like what you see!
February 17, 2014 at 3:09 am
Oh what an exciting life you’re leading! My husband and I have just put three kids through college, so my travels, for the time being, are vicariously through all the friends I make through blogging! I can’t wait to explore your blog and read about your adventures! 🙂
February 17, 2014 at 6:14 am
Thank you for following our blog! What an amazing achievement putting 3 kids through college – though from your blog it sounds like you will be empty nesters in the near future! So travel could be on the cards??
February 10, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Hello wise monkeys! Thank you for swinging by my site, http://fivedownunder.com. Love your site and am enjoying exploring it- you have been to so many places!
February 10, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Hi!! Thank you so much for the return visit 🙂 – lovely to meet you!!
So glad you are enjoying our blog and grateful for your kind words.
February 9, 2014 at 10:52 am
Hello! Thanks for following A Journey of Wonders, one of the best sources for travel and inspiration. Here’s the index in order to help you navigate my site: http://journeywonders.com/index/.
Enjoy and safe travels!
February 9, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Thank you for returning the visit and for following us 🙂 Your website and content is very engaging! Happy travels to you too!
February 9, 2014 at 1:08 am
Thanks for following.
You have a wonderful blog. 😀 I am also planning to visit UNESCO Heritage sites but only those found in my country first. It seems like impossible for me to go out of my country that often. hahaha
I know envy is bad but… I really envy you guys. I hope I could travel like you.
I am glad to meet you here. 😀 I love your pictures. 🙂
Cheers! 😀
February 9, 2014 at 7:15 am
Welcome Jasper! Thank you so much for visiting & for following our blog! Your kind words are appreciated! May you continue to travel & appreciate one UNESCO site at a time – we might see each other at one of them one day 🙂
Stay in touch & a pleasure to meet you!
February 5, 2014 at 4:42 pm
Hello Wise Monkeys Abroad-
I appreciate your blog and enjoy reading your posts. Your ideas and photographs help me to learn new perspectives and to expand my understanding of the world.
I am happy to nominate you for the Leibster Award. Please feel free to participate and join in the fun. (Although I do understand it if you life just doesn’t allow for it.)
Find out the details by clicking on this link-
http://justanothernatureenthusiast.org/2014/02/05/what-a-lovely-surprise-nomination-for-the-liebster-award/
With kind regards-
Jane
February 5, 2014 at 4:46 pm
Wow! We are very honoured to be nominated! Thank you so very much -we have participated in a couple of these awards things before, in fact a Leibster too from memory, so will gracious accept the nomination but not keep it going!
Congratulations to you for being nominated and again we are very appreciative that you thought about us 🙂
February 5, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Awesome- I’m glad to hear you’ve received awards! All well deserving.
This plan make perfect sense!
Jane
January 28, 2014 at 1:34 am
A lovely blog! Thanks for the follow. I appreciate it.
January 28, 2014 at 5:49 am
Thank you for the follow back & your kind words! Your blog is very unique & caught our attention 🙂
January 27, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Thank you for your visit to my blog and kind words. Wonderful attitude and blog you have!
January 27, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Thanking you for returning the visit! Thank you too for your kind words!
January 22, 2014 at 10:19 am
Hi! Thanks for visiting our blog. Kudos for finding and following your passion for traveling now rather than waiting for the elusive “someday”. Like you, we don’t have a bucket list but we always try to focus in on the Unesco world heritage sites, too. They’re always fascinating! Anita
January 26, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Hi Anita and Richard, Thanks for returning the visit. You are so right in saying the UNESCO world heritage sites are fascinating. We always learn something new or are “wow-ed” by just being there. Happy travels, guys! Stay in touch!
December 29, 2013 at 8:06 pm
I recognize something here…my boyfriend and I started travelling when we met, we were then 16 and 22 years old. We’ve never stopped travelling… Now my husband is 62 and you understand where that leaves me. I’m still working hard, fulltime, but he goes on travelling while I’m working…I have to stick to my holidays for travelling. Maybe it sounds weird, but about ten years ago I felt a bit tired of it. There was nothing more to long for. But after about five years with only a few trips abroad, the longing for going away was there again…So, now I’m looking forward to my retirement. Hope to stay in good health, because I would like to go back to the highlights of the past and maybe there are some new places left I would like to go too.
I wish you All the best for your travels and your life together! It warms my heart that you still use pencil and paper too! Good old things that will make it easier to remember your feelings about the day.
Happy New Year and Happy Travels!
December 29, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Thank you so much for your lovely words! We hope that you do get to enjoy many more travels when you retire (if not sooner)!
Your words inspire us to believe that we will keep on travelling 🙂
Happy New Year and may 2014 bring you plenty of exciting moments whether it be travel or not!
December 21, 2013 at 1:06 pm
I predict you will never look back to say, “I wish we had ….”
Good for you to discover a passion you both share while you are young!
May all your travels bring you closer together. I’m looking forward to living a little vicariously through your travel posts!!
December 21, 2013 at 1:10 pm
Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind words. The world has so much beauty we wish we could see it all.
December 20, 2013 at 4:38 am
Great blog you have!!!! Thanks for stopping by and following my blog too! You have a great travel bucket list! Hope to hear it from your next trip soon!!! : )
Cristina
December 20, 2013 at 6:07 am
Thanks for stopping by and following us. We are counting down to our next trip… Couldn’t come soon enough 🙂
December 17, 2013 at 12:40 am
thank you for following my blog! happy that you like it 🙂 what an interesting blog you have! for sure will be back here ! have a nice day 🙂
December 17, 2013 at 5:57 am
Thank you for stopping by! Your blog is interesting too. Hope to see you around more often here 🙂
November 23, 2013 at 4:53 pm
Thanks for visiting, liking and following WoollyMuses.
November 23, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Likewise – look forward to your posts! Thank you!
November 23, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Gahh. That’s my way of saying “hey, I know what you mean about wanting to travel everywhere after only having traveled a few times and only thinking in past and future adventures.” It’s so exciting to see others embracing the unknown. Happy travels
November 23, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Thanks!! Travel certainly teaches us so much! We love visiting the unknown – makes the experience ‘unexpected’ 😉 Appreciate you stopping by and commenting!
November 16, 2013 at 9:03 am
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting. I’m looking forward to reading about your travels. Maybe I’ll get some ideas and motivation of my own! 🙂
November 16, 2013 at 9:26 am
🙂 thanks for the follow back! Hope we do inspire you to travel as you will inspire us to explore our ancestry 🙂
October 29, 2013 at 4:38 pm
Good luck on your continuing journeys! I believe I may be in the beginning stages of contracting the “travel bug.” I’m excited to see where it takes us!
October 29, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Thanks! Look forward to sharing stories & adventures 🙂
October 27, 2013 at 4:47 pm
Hi there… glad to connect and interact with you… 😀
Thanks for “follow” and dropping by my blog.
Best wishes to you and yours.. !!
October 27, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Likewise! It’s always great to connect to fellow bloggers! Welcome to our blog – we hope you enjoy what we write about!!
October 20, 2013 at 8:08 am
So you guys decided to join the small clan of Uncle Spike followers Rita…. That makes me a happy blogger now – I really appreciate you making that special mouse click.
Hope you like my upcoming posts and if you get bored one day, maybe you’ll enjoy trawling through some of my older stuff too.
If you have any likes, dislikes or suggestions about my blog, just let me know, either through ‘comments’ or via email. Always welcome reader input 🙂
Have a great old day…
UNCLE SPIKE
uncle.spikes.adventures1@gmail.com
October 7, 2013 at 5:45 am
Great blog guys! We relate to you…a love for travel whilst holding full-time jobs, hence limited adventures for now! But, planning gets me (I’m the organiser) through the months in the lead up. Enjoy your time down in Tassie 🙂
October 7, 2013 at 8:48 am
Thanks for stopping by! It is tough managing full-time work & travel but at least we have funds to travel, just not the time. Just got back from Turkey and Dubai so am very much looking forward to Tassie. Post-holiday blues 😉 – planning holidays keeps us going too!
October 6, 2013 at 5:29 pm
Lovely blog! Glad to have found you on Twitter.
October 6, 2013 at 9:31 pm
Thx for stopping by & commenting! Glad to be connected 🙂
August 11, 2013 at 1:10 am
I am very excited to let you know that I have nominated you for “The Most Versatile Blogger Award!” You can check out the post on my blog here:
http://turquoisecompass.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Best, Jessica- Turquoise Compass
August 11, 2013 at 7:11 am
Thanks for the nomination. Am going to take a closer look at your post to see what’s involved!
August 10, 2013 at 1:21 am
Awesome stories and teachings, Le and David, thanks for sharing. When are you writing that book? or am I too old fashion for the bloggers’ era?
August 10, 2013 at 1:28 am
Thanks MCM – we will write that book one day 🙂