It's that time of year again. Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and it's with very little surprise that I find myself still single 6 years and 3 months on from my last meaningful relationship - yes it really has been that long! But am I miserable? Far from it. The past few years have been the best of my life, and it's all because I made the … [Read more...]
How to Save Money for Travel
Planning your next trip overseas is exciting, but it can also be pretty stressful as the costs start to build up. You might find yourself with rapidly depleting funds as you fork out for flights, visas, vaccinations, new gear and insurance - and that's before you've even left home! The last thing you want is to arrive at your dream destination … [Read more...]
How to Stay Safe While Backpacking
From time to time, I receive correspondence from readers who are seeking advice, be it recommendations for a specific destination or tips on staying safe and saving money on the road. I've decided to start posting my responses to the most popular questions in the hope that they will be useful to anyone relatively new to the backpacking scene who is … [Read more...]
Moving to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa
Moving to Australia on a working holiday visa is not a walk in the park. It takes commitment and a lot of planning. Here's a run down of what you might need to consider before jetting off to the other side of the world. VISA APPLICATION It might seem obvious, but applying for the visa is a big first step, and one that some people leave until … [Read more...]
Renting a Car Abroad: What You Need to Know
I'm one of those people who has always shied away from renting a car overseas. This is, in part, due to the fact that I passed my test seven years ago, moved to London the next day and haven't sat behind the wheel since. On a recent trip to New Zealand, my sister and I took a road trip for a few days and she was very nervous before we pulled out … [Read more...]
How to Plan a Gap Year
Ok, so in my case, it was a gap 7 months and I chose to do it at the age of 29, but the principle’s the same for planning an extended trip no matter when you do it. In the run up to my South America trip, I remember being berated by fellow travellers when I asked specific questions about destinations I had on my itinerary. ‘Why do you have an … [Read more...]
Rio Carnival: Surviving the World’s Biggest Street Party
Ever been to a street party? Truth is, if someone had asked me that question a few months ago, I'd have reeled off a bunch of outdoor urban gatherings, from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations to Notting Hill Carnival. Hell, I might have even thrown in a couple of sleepovers from when I was a prepubescent and we used to roller blade up and … [Read more...]
Tips on Hiking the W Trek: All About the Paine
I couldn't find many tips on hiking the W trek before I set off. I'd heard there's a great, informative talk at the Erratic Rock hostel in Puerto Natales, daily at 3pm, but we arrived later than this the day before we were due to set off. I hope this post will help fill anyone short on time in on the essentials. CAMPING VS REFUGIOS For me, … [Read more...]
My South America Route: North to South
I first wrote this post when I had no idea about blogging. I was just about to set off on my first ever long-term solo backpacking trip and I wanted to share the South America Route I'd planned out. It took several months of planning to decide where to go, but eventually the map below began to materialise. I was adamant while planning my South … [Read more...]
How to Learn a Foreign Language
As a travel blogger, I meet a lot of people from different countries - sometimes on my travels and sometimes at events. I've been gradually learning Spanish on and off for a few years now, so I'm always fascinated to learn which techniques people rate the highest for learning a foreign language. The most common response by far is moving to a … [Read more...]
