The 7 Best Cenotes in Mexico: Cancun, Tulum, Playa & More
One essential thing to do when visiting Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Chichen Itza, or pretty much anywhere in the Yucatan region of Mexico, is to go cenote diving. Therefore, I’ve asked the travel bloggersphere for their recommendations on the best cenotes in Mexico, from the Gran Cenote in Tulum to the Ruta de los […]
The Best Birmingham Bookshops for New and Secondhand Books
Updated May 2024 My passport may be bursting at the seams, but I’m definitely guilty of ignoring what’s in my own back yard. So, since I’ve been back in Birmingham (UK, not US), I’m making it my mission to explore my home city a little more, starting with my favourite places to visit – bookstores! […]
Lake Bacalar | Things to do at Bacalar Lagoon, Mexico
Updated May 2024 Lake Bacalar, also known as the Lake of Seven Colours, is one of the most beautiful places I visited during my three months in Mexico (and maybe ever). From swimming with fishes in the Cenote Azul and taking part in watersports and activities, to lakeside hotels where you can relax and soak […]
HK Writers | The 5 Best Books About Hong Kong
Living in Hong Kong for five years, I explored the city, the islands and the mountainous New Territories. I also explored the SAR’s history through popular books set in Hong Kong, from romantic novels to informative works of non-fiction. So, I’ve decided to compile a list of the best books about Hong Kong and my […]
Netherlands New Year’s Eve: Dodging Fireworks in Den Haag
This year I literally saw in the New Year with a bang, as I celebrated New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands visiting a friend in Den Haag. She had warned me about a few odd Dutch traditions for New Year, but I was unprepared for the level of crazy my New Year celebrations in the […]
Scheveningen Beach | A New Year’s Dive in the Netherlands
After booking a last-minute flight to the Netherlands to spend New Year with a friend living in The Hague, I found myself being roped into the Nieuwjaarsduik Scheveningen. So, while you were nursing your New Year’s Eve hangover, I was taking a plunge into the North Sea as part of Den Haag’s New Year’s Day […]
16+ Unique Literary Gifts for Book Lovers Who Travel
Updated October 2025 To represent the page travellers there, here are the best literary gifts for book lovers who travel, which are practical, cute and – most importantly – kind to your baggage allowance. I love receiving candles as gifts. But, as a candle-loving, book-consuming backpacker, books and candles are sadly not the most practical […]
What is an Expat? & Other Thoughts on Living Overseas
In a strange turn of events that involved an exchange with a friend of a friend, this week I was a guest on Keith Petit’s Expatriate Act podcast. (Sorry, Keith, I mean internet-based-radio-show!). This somehow turned into a two-hour discussion over Skype on what it means to be an expat and the weird and wonderful […]
The Best Mexico City Bookstores for Books in English
I have an addiction. I arrive in a new city and plan to see the sights, but when I stumble across a bookshop en route, I can’t help but pop in “for five minutes”. Several hours later, I leave with my purse much lighter and my backpack significantly heavier. Yet, despite my lack of Spanish, […]
How to Spend One Week in Vancouver, City of Hipsters
This past July, I spent one week in Vancouver, getting a little taste of Canada and visiting fellow ACLE alumna/travel blogger The Global Shuffle. But, the city wasn’t quite what I expected. This is the story of how I learnt to put down my old faithful Lonely Planet, stopped sightseeing and starting experiencing what can only be described […]