The Best Hostels in the World (& Some of the Worst)!
“You’ve slept in a lot of beds,” one of my oldest and best friends said to me a few weeks ago. When I gasped in offence, he was quick to add, “I mean, travelling, of course!” That got me thinking about all the places I have stayed on my travels: some the best hostels in the world, […]
Post-Travel Blues: Two Travel Bloggers Share Their Stories
The post-travel blues. I’ve definitely been wrestling with them these past few months. However, that’s all a little tied up with moving back to the UK after half a decade living abroad. Plus, there’s a little reverse culture shock thrown in there for good measure! And so I asked the travel blogging community if they had […]
Two Weeks in Bali, A Series of Unfortunate Events
I’d witnessed Bagan sunsets in Myanmar, splashed around in the lagoons of Laos, buffed up on history in Cambodia and stuffed my face with Vietnamese delicacies in Saigon. I was, sadly, coming to the end of my big Southeast Asian backpacking trip, but at least I was going out on a high. It was time […]
Pico Iyer: Movement is Nothing Until You Stand Still
I’ve been back in the UK now for four months. I’m still reluctant to say ‘back home’, but I’ll admit that it’s slipped off my tongue more than once. Like travel writer Pico Iyer says in his TED talk, ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘Where is home?’ are more complex questions now than they once […]
What We Learnt From Living Abroad
Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel. I love to go on holiday and lie on a beach somewhere, I love to go backpacking on a shoestring budget and I love playing the tourist both at home and abroad. But, it’s all a whole other kettle of fish when you’re actually living abroad. The lessons […]
Planning a Trip: Are You a Planner or a PantSer?
There are lots of different ways to travel, but there are also some very different travelling styles, especially when it comes to planning a trip. Here are the two ends of the spectrum: the Planner (Stephanie Fox of Newcastle & Travel) and the Pantser (uhhh… yup, that would be me).
Guide to Bali: Budget Planning & Travel Tips
Updated May 2024 After lugging my backpack around Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, I had finally reached the last destination on my backpacking bucket list. I had finally arrived in Bali! So, after all my previous ‘travel advice’ posts, this is the final one: my guide to Bali, Indonesia. I couldn’t wait to go to […]
Sunsets & Skylines | The 10 Best Views in Hong Kong
In all my five years of living in Hong Kong I never got sick of that skyline. In fact, saying goodbye to that view was the very last thing I did before I left for the airport. And with so many incredible angles to see the city from, it’s hard to pick my favourite. Here are […]
Don’t Tell Your Mother | A Mother’s Day Special
Dear Mum, I have a confession or two. Sometimes when I travel or I relay an anecdote from an adventure somewhere, I may leave out a few choice details. But, especially for Mother’s Day, I thought it was time to share/scare you with a couple of revelations: I have travelled without insurance. Not a lot […]
The Great British Cake-Scoff: A Guide to British Food
So, I’ve put on a lot of weight since I’ve moved back to the UK and with very good reason. So, here I’m sharing my guide to British food: a cuisine perhaps only appreciated by those who have grown up with it. Let’s face it, British food is not an internationally beloved cuisine. In most large […]