Being a bit of a History geek one of my favourite things about travelling is encountering ancient cultures and histories, and where better to be than Scandinavia—home of the Viking?
Britons, in particular, will be very familiar with the …
How Important Is It to Use The Local Language When Travelling?
Whether or not you should try to learn a few phrases of the local language is a question often discussed among travellers. Some take phrasebooks with them and steadfastly learn a new phrase every day, while others lazily believe that …
Five Astounding Man-Made Wonders
Hot on the heels of my Natural Wonders post I thought it only right to share my top five man-made wonders.
Despite the crowds of modern-day tourists these places tell the story of ancient people and cultures.
They stand as …
Five Fabulous Natural Wonders (And three I’d Like To See)
There are so many different lists about the Seven Wonders of the World that it is pretty difficult to remember which ones are actually on the official lists, but this post is not about the official lists—it’s about my personal …
Five ESSENTIAL Items that You Shouldn’t Travel Without
When you’re packing for a long trip you have to be very selective about what goes into your backpack. Everything you carry is extra weight on your back; and those extra kilos soon add up.
A heavy backpack equals a …
How to Avoid Saigon’s Rip-Off Taxis: A Comprehensive Guide
Whenever anybody asks me for advice about an upcoming visit to Saigon I always start with the same tip: be careful which taxi you choose to get in.
[mks_boxquote align=”right” width=”200″ arrow=”0″]”Never take a taxi from directly outside a …
St Fagans: a Slice of Welsh Life
St Fagans National History Museum stands in the shadow of Cardiff’s Millennium stadium, and is only a stone’s throw from the uber-trendy Mermaid Quay bay area. It is a gem of a museum chronicling Welsh Life through the ages.
A Power Mighty As Omnipotence – Holy Places
This week’s #FriFotos theme is ‘Holy Places’, and I initially thought about putting together some pictures of the various churches and shrines that I have visited during my travels. But then it occurred to me that my photo collection is …
Coping With Reverse Culture Shock
Today is grey outside: it’s not raining, it’s not cold, but a leaden sky hangs heavily overhead. I’m feeling listless and apathetic. I’m hungry, but don’t know what to eat. I could go for a walk, but I don’t know …
What Happens When Plans Don’t Work Out?
You may remember a post not all that long ago when I revealed that after our travels around South America we would be relocating to Tenerife, with the aim of trying out a new life in the sun. Although …
Flowers: the Music of the Ground
What a great theme #FriFotos has chosen this week for who doesn’t love FLOWERS?
Flowers are the first welcome sign of spring following a hard winter and can brighten even the dullest of days. They have been written about …
Tenerife’s Top Days Out
As a visitor to the largest of the Canary Islands you will be inundated with choices of things to do and see while you are here. For an island that is small enough to drive around in less than 3 …
#FriFotos – Pools
As I generally travel on a strict budget staying somewhere with something as luxurious as a pool is pretty rare, but that’s not to say that I haven’t splashed out once in a while. The #FriFotos theme this week has …
What Makes Britain So Great?
I recently read Mallory on Travel’s brilliant article ‘What’s So Great About Britain?’ with a huge grin on my face because, all things considered, my homeland really is an amazing place, and what better day to celebrate this fact than …
I Didn’t Get Robbed in South America
This post is based on my experience of travelling in South America where I visited Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.
I travelled around South America for five months and I did not get mugged. None of my property …
To The Majestic Himalayan Kingdom Ladakh And Back
Trekking in Ladakh is an experience which cannot be penned down in a few words, because you have got to be there to know what I am talking about. It is a journey which could be at best described as …
Tenerife’s Good Friday Passion Play
Every year on Good Friday thousands gather at noon in Adeje to witness ‘La Pasion’, a 2-hour performance of the last few hours of the life of Christ.
Performed by local amateur actors, the play begins at the top of …
Relocating to Tenerife: Finding a Job
You might have already read about why I decided to relocate to Tenerife and how I managed to find an apartment within four days, but none of this is much good without a job.
For many people the idea of …
Five Mistakes I Made in South America (And How To Avoid Them)
Recently I posted Five Things I Did Right in South America to highlight my best decisions during my travels. In this post I intend to highlight some of the things that I didn’t know before I went to South America, …
Colours of Carnival, Tenerife
Everybody knows about the Rio Carnival, right?
Even people who have no intention of ever visiting Brazil can tell you that every spring the streets of Rio de Janeiro come alive to the seductive sounds of samba and the sashaying …