After spending an incredible three days in Barbados my journey got even better as I travelled to the island of St Kitts. I’d been told that St Kitts is much more chilled out and less developed than Barbados. I had no idea what to expect because Barbados is one of the most chilled out places …
Monica
There’s no place on earth that can inspire your sense of adventure quite like the Grand Canyon. It makes you feel tiny and insignificant in comparison to the sheer vastness of the canyon. But it also makes you feel strong and in awe of our incredible world. After my trip to the US I found …
The observant readers among you may have noticed that I’ve changed this feature from Weekend Reads to Blog Reads. I should have realised that no one would read a post entitled ‘Weekend Reads’ on a Monday. Silly me. Anyways, this weeks Blog Reads are all about hacks. With a blog name like ‘The Travel Hack’ …
I receive lots of travel related questions from readers of The Travel Hack but I was sent one last week that stumped me and it’s a question that I should really know the answer to: “What’s the best way to look after your money while you’re travelling?” I travel all the time, I should know …
I know that you wouldn’t put flying economy class and stylish travel together but The Travel Hack is all about affordable luxury and little tips to give even budget travel a stylish twist. I, like most people, would love to fly upper class on every flight. I’d love to sip expensive champagne, stretch out my …
One of my favourite things about flying into a hot country is that moment when you step off the plane. It’s like walking into a heavy fog of glorious heat that instantly warms you all the way to your bones. You take a second before you begin your descent down the wobbily plane steps to …
Update: I’ve owned the Caribee Fast Track Wheeled Backpack for over a year now and I still love it. I test out a lot of backpacks and suitcases and this is still my favourite. I can’t recommend it enough for long journeys, backpacking or any trip where you need a large case! ********** For my last …
If you’ve ever seen the film Into the Wild then these photos may be familiar to you because Salvation Mountain is featured in the film. If you haven’t seen the film or read the book then I strongly recommend you add it to your list because both are brilliant, especially if you have a nomadic, adventurous …
As a travel blogger I’m so lucky that I get to visit lots of different countries but one of my favourite things is to re-visit a place that I’ve already been and loved. On my first visit I’m like a rabbit in the headlights with wide eyes and a slack jaw as I try to …
There are some things you can be taught; things like reading and writing, how to drive a car and how to bake a cake. (Well, in theory anyway. I’ve never mastered the art of baking a cake!) But there are other things that no amount of coaching can ever help you become an expert at. …
Today I’m sharing my First Luggage Review. First Luggage is a global luggage delivery service. They will collect your luggage from your home and deliver it to your accommodation anywhere in the world. I used them from a trip to the USA. My suitcases were collected from my home in Chester and delivered to my …
If I had to describe my perfect day at the beach it would include soaring temperatures, a cloudless blue sky and a golden beach. I’d want some gentle waves to splash around in and a refreshing breeze to keep me cool. This sounds idyllic but, let’s me honest, this gets boring pretty quickly so I’d …
There’s a reason they call it La-La Land and that is, quite simply, because Los Angeles is crazy. Of course, I mean crazy in a good way but it’s crazy all the same. From the botoxed wannabes that strut along Holly Boulevard to the genuine celebs that hide in the hills, LA has always attracted …
The Wynwood Art District in Miami is a neighbourhood dedicated to art. There are over 70 art galleries and collections in the area and every street is colourfully decorated with amazing street art. Wynwood was once a run down area of Miami but was recently regenerated to revive the art scene and attract visitors. In …
Before visiting Miami I asked around for some tips and ideas for things to see and do. As always, my fellow travel bloggers and Miami locals were amazing and came back to me with some great suggestions. As the suggestions starting coming in I noticed a common theme here, nearly all of them were recommendations …
You can party in the city where the heat is on and all night on the beach till the break of dawn. Everyday is like mardi gras and everybody parties all day, no work all play, okay. There’s all ages and races, real sweet faces. Every different nation, Spanish, Hatian, Indian, Jamaican, black, white, Cuban …
When stepping inside a luxury hotel it’s always the smell that I notice first. Fresh, clean and perfumed scents wash over me as the automatic doors swing open into a brightly lit lobby. A breeze sweeps through the hotel from the ocean and mingles with the flowers and expensive perfume that lingers in the air. …
On Wednesday I flew out to Miami and I’ve been loving this whirlwind of gorgeous beaches, amazing food, swanky bars, shopping and sight-seeing. I haven’t had chance to catch up on my favourite blogs so I’m going to skip Weekend Reads this week and share some of the books I’ve downloaded for my trip. (If …
It wasn’t that long ago that airport lounges were reserved for business travellers or the rich and famous. It was only the people flying at the front of the plane who had access to these bars of tranquillity within the airport while the rest of us were herded into a pen like cattle. Thankfully, times …
After a few years of travelling I’ve finally realised that you can pack light AND pack stylishly. The first thing I have to remind myself is that no one looks stylish when they’re hot, sweaty and stressed from heaving heavy luggage. It’s all about breezing through the airport, not being weighed down and having a …
When most people think of India, they think of the Taj Mahal and rightly so, it is India’s most recognised monument. If you’re planning to visit India soon, then you’ll want to have a read of today’s post and it is full of my tips for visiting the Taj Mahal while you’re in the South …
Last week I shared with you some of my favourite travel vloggers. Since then I’ve been chatting to them to find out what if they have any vlogging tips to share with us. They’ve come back with some brilliant advice with practical tips and insider secrets that you can only gain through years of travel …
Vlogging, or video blogging, has become my latest obsession. I’ve always loved being able to read about other people’s travel adventures but being able to watch their adventures is even better. The only problem with travel vlogging is that it’s hard, really hard, so there aren’t many great travel vloggers in comparison to the number …
We’ve all seen the photos of trains in India where the carriages are so packed that people are squished into tiny seats, spill out from the doors and take refuge on the roof. Just the thought of a train journey like this is enough to induce a claustrophobic panic attack and have many travellers wondering …
Style and hostels aren’t normally two things I’d put together but over the past few years a new breed of hostel has been born. You’ll find cool hostels popping up in most cities as the demand for stylish, sociable and affordable accommodation is rising. It’s thanks to a combination of people travelling more but also …
Loving the fact that it was warm enough to wear just my thermal top in Boí Taüll, Catalonia There is absolutely nothing worse than getting cold while you’re skiing. Well, maybe one thing and that’s getting hot. I often find that while I’m on the slopes I’ll be freezing one minute (usually on the lifts) and …
There is nowhere on earth quite so peaceful as an empty ski slope. The snow wraps itself around like the mountain like a thick layer of bubble wrap making everything softer, quieter, gentler and even more beautiful than you could possibly imagine. The snow takes away the sharp edges, the mismatch of colours, the dirt …
While I was travelling in Australia I spent six months working on a scuba diving island called Mackerel Island. Before this, I’d never intended to learn to scuba dive because: a) I’m a total wuss b) I’m not very good at swimming c) I’m scared of fish d) It’s expensive e) I hadn’t realised how …
On Monday I revealed one of my many travel confessions; I’m the most antisocial snowboarder that ever lived. I hate seeing other people on the slopes and will happily hog an entire run if it means I won’t knock anyone flying or go flying myself. If you ever see me snowboarding, stay away because I …
Over the past two weeks I’ve been sharing tips on travel blogging and explaining why I think everyone should have a travel blog. I’ve now received a few emails asking how you actually set up a blog so I’ve decided to go back to basics and share the first few technical steps on how to start …
Last week while snowboarding in Catalonia I discovered something about myself I don’t like; I’m an incredibly antisocial snowboarder. I like to think of myself as a friendly, sociable type but when it comes to snowboarding I like to be as far away from other people as I possibly can. As I see a flash …
If there’s one thing that stresses me out about travelling it’s getting to the airport on time. Anyone that knows me may find this hard to believe because I’m pretty much one of the most relaxed people in the world. But when I’m sat on the train at 5am, biting my nails nervously and imagining …
I am so excited to share my next big trip with you all. In my February review I mentioned that I had a big and exciting trip coming up and here it is….! On April 9th I’m flying out to Miami and then I’ll be flying out to LA to begin a tour with Trek …
On Thursday I’m going on a snowboarding trip to Catalonia. As I began packing I had flashbacks to my last skiing trip in Canada when I packed virtually every item of clothing I owned. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Well no, not always. My suitcase was so heavy I could barely even wheel …
When I tell people that I spent 18 months in Australia and I drove around the entire country in a campervan they automatically assume that I must be loaded. Australia is an expensive country for us Brits so, while I wish I was loaded, I had to work really hard to be able to do …
Did you know that short holidays and weekend escapes can make you just as happy as a longer holiday? With this in mind, I vowed to take more weekends away this year and decided to explore more of what I’ve got right on my doorstep. Here in the UK we have so many quirky, cool …
After looking at these photos you’d be forgiven for thinking that Portmeirion is a pretty Italian village. But is it…? Portmerion has the quaint and brightly coloured houses and narrow, winding streets of a traditional Italian village. There are some beautifully grand buildings with spires and domed roofs. There are ornate details in unexpected places …
Wondercool is Copenhagen’s answer to beating the winter blues; It’s February and we’re all tired of the cold and dark days, no one wants to go out, tourism is low and restaurants and bars are quiet. What better time of the year to lift our spirits than with an art and culture festival? Wondercool is …
Everyone has a routine when they travel somewhere new. I like to go straight to my hotel and get rid of my bags. I then head down to reception and ask the receptionist for a large map and for all their recommendations on places to go, see, eat, drink and things to do. I then …
Last week I was in Copenhagen for Wondercool winter festival and I just wanted to show you a quick peek at what I was up to. Despite the cold, Copenhagen turned out to be one of my favourite cities in Europe (bold statement I know!) and Wondercool was incredible so I’ll be writing all about …