The best places to visit

When I first went travelling I was a little nervous. I would be travelling by myself, and in the back of my mind I pictured myself as an outcast- while everyone else made friends and enjoyed themselves, I would be sitting alone or crying into my dorm room pillow. Of course, this couldn’t have been more wrong. The first hostel I ever stayed in by myself was in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and I was immediately welcomed by many other solo travellers, and as we went out for dinner that night we all told each other our stories- why we were travelling and where we were going next. Most hostels go out of their way to make solo travellers feel welcome, ensuring that everyone has a good experience. You’ll find that some of them have food tours, cooking classes and games nights, while others take you out on bar crawls or have a bar inside the hostel so everyone can socialise together. When people hear that I travel solo, they often think that I must be constantly lonely. However, singles holidays a...

Probably one of the hardest parts of being a digital nomad is finding a place to call home for a few months, in a new city. I have spent the entire October last year in Italy, in a remote village in Tuscany. My first question when I took the decision to live in Italy for a month was where do I look for accommodation? A quick search on AirBnB discouraged me, the prices for renting a room in a house for 30 days were all over £1000, even for the most modest room in the countryside. Google didn’t really help either, as most of the renting websites are in Italian and not in English. I did find a room in the end, but it was due to my Facebook friends that I’ve made while traveling. You know, a friend of a friend of a friend… But what if you decide to move in a new place for a few months and don’t have any friends in that city? How do you find a mid-term accommodation solution that won’t break the bank? And how can you trust that when you will arrive in a country where you don’t speak the l...

  If you haven’t yet seen the great new video by Club Med starring a family of flip-flops, you really should. The video was made with an airport security scanner, and the luxury travel company managed to discover a great new art form which offers plenty of room for experimentation. The video is based on a family who is going on a summer holiday, only they’re a family a flip-flops, so the company had to get a little creative. An airport scanner is obviously a rather unusual medium to use as far as art projects go, which meant that the team needed a large amount of patience, since simply getting the security scanner into their office was a production in itself. The scanner weighed 450kg and since the x-ray strength can be adjusted, the objects could appear darker or lighter, which prevented them from looking flat. The team used three different flip-flops, along with many objects which people would usually take on holiday, and which were used to used to bring the video to life. A bottl...

I love traveling so much but I always end up with a bad back and a stiff neck after each flight. Long haul flights tend to be a very painful nightmare and that is because I can never find a good sleeping position. And to be honest, who can say that they can sleep comfortably while sitting? During my latest long haul flight to India, which was just a couple of days ago, I tried out a new concept of travel pillow: JetComfy. At first I didn’t believe that it can be much different from any other travel pillow. I mean, how can you get a good sleep on the plane? I know I never had one! JetComfy is a travel pillow that attaches to the armrest of the chair through a strap and it takes about 5% of the space, so you don’t have to worry that you will bother your neighbors, especially if you are unlucky and get the middle seat. Because it is lined with a non-skid rubber to keep it from moving around, it won’t damage the armrest either. The pillow is fully adjustable to anyone...

While I absolutely love travelling, the airport is usually a real struggle.  From checking in to airport security to boarding the plane, something is bound to go wrong.  However, after hundreds (if not thousands) of flights, I’ve come up with a list of small little tips to get through the airport hassle-free.

Editor’s note: This guest post aims to increase awareness of the environmental footprint of travel, so that we may make more sustainble and eco-friendly decisions. A confession is in order first – I don’t follow some of the sustainability tips outlined in the article myself. But like the author says, “Being a conscientious traveller is no longer a choice today.” And even if we try and take a few steps to travel more responsibly and keep attempting to do more, that’s an effort in the right direction. Fragile ecosystems need to be protected. Travel is an amazing way to expand one’s horizons and to see some of the greatest natural wonders on our beautiful planet. Travel, unfortunately, can also have a massive ecological footprint that is slowly destroying the very things we want to see. Flying halfway across the world to see the Great Barrier Reef contributes to the bleaching of the Reef due to carbon emissions. Being a responsible traveller is no l...

Sometimes when you come back home from a trip (or, in my case, a year of study abroad), your hometown may seem a little boring. What happened to the adventure every day? Seeing new sites? Eating weird foods? Talking to cool people? It seems like all of that is gone.  Since I’ve been back, I’ve tried to keep that spirit of adventure alive. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find new, adventurous things to do, and here are the best ways to find some.  Hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be able to explore your home too!

I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, since I was a little girl. I spent most of my childhood researching it, but alas, the high prices of transport in Japan and accommodation costs have scared me away. I am hoping this year will be the year I finally visit Japan, so I asked a friend who taught English there to share some tips for things to do in Okinawa, where she was based teaching English. The main island of the Okinawan chain has pristine beaches, great snorkeling and diving, historic castles—not to mention the fabulous food. Don’t miss out on these five amazing opportunities while visiting Okinawa. Snorkel at Cape Maeda Cape Maeda is a beautiful, if out of the way, snorkel and dive site. There’s no beach, no barbecues, and no clean bathrooms—although they do flush, so be grateful for that—but if you like tropical fish, you’ll want to spend all day here. The fish are accustomed to being hand-fed, but be careful, because they might get a little too hungry and bit your fingers. There’...

There are two types of couples in this world: those who have travelled together and those who haven’t. My relationship falls into the former and by what I can only assume is divine intervention we’re still an item. I broke every rule in the book. Several times. Occasionally for my own amusement. But mostly because I really was naïve enough to think sunsets, dolphins, starry skies – and whatever other travel clichés you care to mention – would inject a sufficient dose of romance without me having to lift a slightly overgrown finger nail. And this, fellas, brings us to the first commandment on how to survive travelling with a girl. Thou shall groom Maintaining a visible distinction from your primitive ancestry is important. Allowing your body to sprout forth unchecked – be it hair, nails, miscellaneous fungi – will not result in animalistic passion from your other half, rather a notable coldness once the lights are out. For weeks I was confused at the lack of enthusiasm fo...

The learning doesn’t stop when you go on a gap year; it just gets a lot more fun. Whether you’ve chosen to take a gap year between studying or working, or you’re forced to thanks to unemployment or failing your exams, now’s the time to really get to learn about the world and your place in it. Don’t see your gap year as a chance to beach it by day and bar it by night, although obviously they’ll be plenty of that. Going to ‘Gap Year School’ is your chance to work out who you are and maybe even get inspiration for who you want to be. If only all schools could teach art via Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, drama with the Moulin Rouge in Paris and home ec via a class in Vietnam, hey? Art and history You’re sure to see more art galleries and museums on your gap year than you’d ever care to look round at home. All those lessons with your harassed art teacher will come back to you as you enjoy The Scream in Oslo, or the Mona Lisa in Paris. If that’s not your sort of thing, check out the street ...

So, after the months of dreaming and saving up, you’re finally ready to take the plunge and book your round the world ticket. For the first timer especially, the seemingly baffling array of combinations of routes and flights can be pretty daunting. However, in reality, they’re really simple, and we’re going to show you exactly what a round the world ticket is and how it works. A round the world ticket does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s a series of flights that take you round the world (although contrary to popular belief you don’t have to travel in a full circle – more on that later!) A Guide to Booking a RTW Ticket Round the World tickets are a series of flights booked with an individual airline or group of airlines which work out significantly cheaper than booking individual one way flights. They are usually valid for up to 12 months. You can travel into one airport and out of another (so you can make your own way overland). Th...

“It’s the journey, not the destination.” – Albert Camus (The Stranger) Hitchhiking comes under many names. Thumbing, tramping, hitching, or thumbing up a ride. It’s a very different way to get from A to B. It’s a very different way to have an adventure. Hitchhiking is one of those activities that’s associated with travelling. I mean, who hitchhikes in their own country? It’s cheap way to travel, fun, and a great way to meet people, but it can be dangerous too. This is a comprehensive guide to hitchhiking, the dos and don’ts, and how to get the most enjoyment out of it. People hitch for all sorts of reasons. Because they have no money. Because they want to meet someone. Because it’s an adventure. Whatever your reason, it’s great fun. There are now sponsored hikes, charity events, and people plan entire trips away with just hitchhiking. Check out ‘Choose a Challenge‘ for more information on what’s possible through hitchhikin...

1. Sign Up for Email Alerts Prices change…a lot. How much? Sometimes as much as 3 times per day. Sign up to newsletters and deals from your favourite airlines to find out about sales in advance. Also consider signing up for price alerts to monitor a particular flight route and see when the price fluctuates to ensure you book at the cheapest price. 2. Know the best time to buy 6-8 weeks out of the fly date is usually the best time to buy (with an exception for flash sales and deals). 3. …Except for Holiday Travel Planning to travel at peak holiday season? Plan no more. Act now. Book those tickets ASAP. Seriously, run to the checkout with those tickets. There’s no time to spare. Are you booking yet? You should be. 4. Travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays Flying mid-week is usually the cheapest time of the week to fly. And the most expensive? Sundays. Don’t travel on Sundays if money is a consideration as this is usually the most expensive day to fly....

Right! Round the World (RTW) tickets are awesome. They’re one of the cheapest ways to see the world and perfect for first time backpackers. They may look complicated, but they’re really not. Here’s a quick run-down… A round the world ticket can literally take you around the world, but more generally it means any longhaul multistop ticket. Longhaul is usually taken to mean a flight journey of 7 hours or more. RTW Travel and Multi-Stop Flight Advice for Newbie Travellers All you have to do is: Choose all the places you want to stop-off at and see e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Thailand etc… Work out how long you want to stop there e.g. Three months in Australia, one month in New Zealand, one month in Thailand etc… Go and have the time of your life… Come back, brag to your mates and make them jealous with the photos! The round the world ticket is basically a series of pre-booked single flights that take you to wherever you want to go, over ...

Updated : 2/2/2020 | February 2nd, 2020 In the decade that I’ve been traveling, the Internet has revolutionized travel. While not always for the better, there is no question that it has allowed people to share, connect, and collaborate in ways that haven’t been possible. For budget travelers, this change has led to a plethora of new money-saving and community-building apps and platforms that have made travel even more affordable and accessible. It’s never been easier to connect with locals, get off the tourist travel, and experience the local pace of life. To help you save money and connect with locals and travelers alike, here are the best sharing economy platforms for travelers.   Hospitality Networks Hospitality networks have been around for decades but they didn’t get popular until the creation of Couchsurfing. Founded in 2004, this was one of the first sharing economy platforms to change the way people travel. Couchsurfing connects travelers with loc...

Dreaming of working in hostels abroad? Wondering HOW to work in a hostel? This post is for you. Finding hostel jobs is a great alternative for travelers. If you want to travel further and longer, you work in a hostel for free accommodation. Some hostels can give you allocations too, but these are harder to find. Generally speaking, you get a free bed in a dorm in exchange for your work. In this article, you’ll find information on what it’s like to work in a hostel, how to find a hostel that allows you to work in exchange for accommodation and what are the benefits of doing so.   What it’s like to work in a hostel?   Over the years, I worked in a few hostels. It was the perfect way for me to travel longer without spending a lot of money.  I’ve always been a fan of slow travel so this option just made perfect sense. I wanted to travel longer, meat lots of other travelers and more importantly, I wanted to save money. I had three different experiences with hostels. ...