Plastic Free & Zero Waste Travel Toiletries You Need to Know About

Different Zero Waste and Plastic Free Toiletries and Cosmetics

I don’t know about you, but I’m so, so, SO done with plastic. I know my life isn’t going to become plastic-free overnight, but I’m learning to make small, sustainable changes over time, including a switch to plastic free and zero waste toiletries (particularly zero waste travel toiletries because I travel so often) and I’ve discovered it’s actually a lot easier than you might think… Read more

Ultimate Trip Planner | How to Get the Most Out of Your Backpacking Budget

Two budget backpackers staring out into the distance at Teotihuacan, Mexico

I’m a firm believer that travel does not have to be expensive. In fact, there’s something freeing about stuffing a handful of ragged clothes into a backpack, sleeping in hammocks and eating street food. Therefore, I want to share my backpacking trip planner and show how I make the most of my backpacking budget, so that all you like-minded budget backpackers out there can save on travel costs and take your adventures even further. Read more

The Big Fat Travel Questionnaire 2018, The Results

Big Fat Travel Questionnaire 2018

Which is the most popular country to visit in the world right now? What about the most recommended European city? Or the bucket list destination people want to tick off most? Well, I’ve asked the great travelly people of the internets to take part in the Big Fat Travel Questionnaire 2018, to discover the answers to all these questions and more!

The Big Fat Travel Questionnaire 2018 is now closed for entries, but the results are in! The votes have been counted and verified (by my boyfriend, who works in market research and shook his head when he saw the awful pie charts in my first draft of this post) and Dermot O’Leary may even make an appearance to announce who won the Amazon voucher (that’s a lie, he won’t, sorry). Read more

What Does it Mean to be an Expat? | A Few Thoughts on Living Overseas

Orange sunset on the beach in Asia

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 experience that is living overseas.

You can listen to the Expatriate Act – Episode 9 – Amy Poulton (Hong Kong/Italy/Mexico) on SoundCloud or download it from iTunes.

I highly recommend that you give it a listen, even though it’s pretty long (maybe save it for a long car journey?). However, I warn you the language is strong (read: lots of swearing, sorry Mom) and the discussion touches on some rather controversial topics. Read more

The Best Buddha Quotes About Life

Buddha Statue

Who else loves a good Buddha quote? *Raises hand* Yup, sometimes I just need a little pick-me-up from the B. Man. So, if you’re like me, then please enjoy this little compilation of the best Buddha quotes about life that have finally pulled me out of my blog slump.

After #40days40blogs I kinda burnt out on blog writing. My week off turned into two… or maybe three… and then four. I’ve still been working on here behind the scenes, polishing up content and improving the site in general. But, I’ll admit that I’ve been putting off the actual writing for a while.

Then, last week was the ole Buddha’s Birthday, a public holiday in Hong Kong, though sadly not back here in the UK (Corbyn, add it to the list?). I found myself getting sucked down the rabbit hole of Pinterest ‘Buddha Quote’ pins with equal amounts of procrastination and (p)inspiration…

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

Buddha Quote Peace- Young Buddhist Monk With Umbrella Read more

What Are Beg-Packers & Are They Really That Bad?

Beg-packers - backpacks

Beg-packers are everywhere in the media at the moment. They’ve been around for a while, but a rise in numbers (and a rise in blatant insensitivity) are getting people really mad. So, what are beg-packers, why are they asking for money and are they wrong to do so?

Here are a few answers to those questions and my own personal opinion, which argues that beg-packing is pretty ridiculous, but it isn’t all bad (read first before you get angry at me too).

What are beg-packers?

Beg-packers - begging
By @Joop_nl via Twitter

Beg-packers are Western (majority white) tourists who are asking others to fund their travelling. Beg-packers are raising this money through crowdfunding websites such as fundmytravel.com, hawking postcards or busking on the street, and in some cases, just begging for money. Read more

How I Make Friends in a New City (In the UK & in Other Countries)

How to make friends in a new city - cover

Making friends in a new place is always hard, whether it’s in the next town over or in a new country. Trust me, I’ve moved around a lot, but I’ve found the key thing when it comes to how to make friends in a new city is perseverance.

That’s right. You don’t need to be a social butterfly, you don’t need to know the local language and there is no magical secret to getting people to like you. You just need to persevere and hold strong to the fact that you will find your people. Everything takes time. Read more

Two Months in Southeast Asia Itinerary | Backpacking on a Shoestring Budget

Two Month Itinerary in Southeast Asia - Travelling Asia on a Backpacker's Shoestring Budget

Does the idea of travelling around Southeast Asia for two months sound a bit daunting? I felt the same when I came to plan my own itinerary, especially as I knew I would be backpacking on a shoestring budget. Two months in Southeast Asia sounds like a long time, but with so much to see and do, you need to make sure you’re not spreading yourself (or your budget!) too thinly.

Therefore, I have compiled this detailed post as a comprehensive travel guide to all the places I managed to squeeze into my two months in Southeast Asia, travelling solo and backpacking on a cheap shoestring budget, including:

  • Things to know before you go
  • How to plan a detailed itinerary on a budget
  • My personal budget travel hacks
  • Individual country guides that will help you choose where to go in Southeast Asia and inform how much things cost in each destination.

This is a long post because I wanted to provide as much information as possible (you can never do too much research!), so I advise you take it in in bite-size chunks, print it out or save it to return to when you need it. Also, if you’re more interested in general budget travelling advice, I have a separate post – The Ultimate Trip Planner: How to Make the Most of Your Backpacking Budget.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Before You Go

Before you set off on your Southeast Asia tour, there are a few things you need to know and get sorted before you go. Naturally, I left my planning to a few weeks before I went off backpacking Asia and then had to run around like a headless chicken sorting all of it out. So basically, don’t be an idiot like me. Read more

Bedtime Stories | The Best Hostels in the World (And Some of the Worst)!

Best Hostels in the World - Cover

“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, the comfiest of pillows and… some of the worst places I have ever ‘slept’.

After five years of living in Asia, I have pretty much perfected the ability to sleep anywhere. But, there are still a few standout beds that (bed)spring to mind. Here are, in my humble opinion, some of the best hostels in the world and the places I’ve most enjoyed resting my head.

Oh, and a few of the worst, too. Read more

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 ever experienced something similar. Here’s what Megan Roughley of Where My Travels Takes Me and Rosie Fluskey of Flying Fluskey had to say about the dreaded post-travel blues: Read more

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