Monica

You’d be forgiven if you’d never heard of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. I did a poll on my Instagram stories and 95% of people said they didn’t know where it was and I have a sneaking suspicion that the 5% who did know about Miyazaki were the friends I told in the pub the night …

My trip to Finnish Lapland was every magical, snowy fairy tale stereotype you can imagine. It was 5-days of glistening mounds of fluffy white snow, blue skies and sunshine streaming through the forest. I had high hopes for my artic adventure as this was one of the most incredible bucket list trips I’ve ever taken …

Here's my review of Readly magazine app, a subscription app that allows you access to over 3,300 digital magazine titles! Calling all magazine lovers! I have a magazine app I want to tell you about and you’re going to love it. Before I begin I need to confess to an addiction. I’m a magazine addict. …

Cambridge local, Tilly-Jayne, is today's guest blogger as she shares a local's guide to Cambridge, one of the prettiest cities in the UK! You could say I’m incredibly lucky to have grown up with Cambridge as my local city. Cambridge is rich in history, great for an Instagram shot and a popular tourist destination, for …

I follow lots of bloggers who write monthly income reports for their blogs and I love seeing them. It’s partly nosiness but partly a great chance to learn from others and see where their blogging income is coming from. Blogging is so new and we all work so differently, but it’s really interesting to see …

When you think of bucket list train journeys you may start thinking of epic train trips like the Orient Express and the Trans-Siberian Railroad or the Rocky Mountaineer. I would love to take one of these train journeys but don’t forget we have some incredible train journeys right here in the UK! These British train …

Emily has recently returned from an incredible 7-day Mediterranean cruise with Princess Cruises. Here's how she got on... Laying back on my sun bed with a view of the ocean and a Pina Colada in hand, recovering from hiking the Rock of Gibraltar the day previously and looking forward to the next few days touring …

  Does anyone else struggle with all their online passwords? I remember being a child and the only password I needed was the one to get into my tree den. My older brother would guard the doorway with outstretched arms as though I were an intruder in disguise as a six year old girl. ‘Secret …

I love sharing my packing guides for different destinations but there are 10 things I never travel without, no matter where I’m going. Whether I’m travelling to Timbuktu or Timisoara, these things will always be in my suitcase. I’d love to know what you’d never travel without. I’ve been researching what other bloggers have said …

Here's my review of The East London Hotel in London. Affordable luxury at its best at the new east London hotel.   This is different. Walking through the slick doors into The East London Hotel and it just felt different. Good different. It’s more like walking into a stylish little café bar than a hotel …

 You'll find plenty of Michelin-star restaurants on the Amalfi Coast for that special blowout meal but which ones are best?  Here are some of the best Michelin-star restaurants on the Amalfi Coast, brought to you by travel writer Jessica Baldwin. The Amalfi coast's Michelin-starred restaurants perch on steep cliffs – but if you think the …

Last year I had a gorgeously festive city break to Warsaw in Poland visiting the Warsaw Christmas markets and other lovely wintry things. I think Warsaw is such a perfect and underrated city for a festive weekend away. The two main draws to visiting Warsaw at Christmas time are: Warsaw at Christmas is so pretty …

I've spent most of my weekend in wellies this week. Kicking up leaves, splashing in puddles, searching for conkers, making dens and squishing through mud. It's been the best and I'm loving that my boys are at this age (2 and 3) where going for a simple walk can be so much fun. After such …

Emily Tarrier from London City Calling believes cruise holidays are for everyone, even younger travellers in their 20s and 30s. There are many misconceptions about cruise holidays, the most common being that they are only for older travellers. Well as a 25 year old who recently headed on a 7 night Mediterranean Cruise with Princess …

Last month I was lucky enough to travel to Norway to experience some of the shore excursions available to P&O Cruises passengers visiting the Norwegian fjords. This was an absolute dream come true for me because I’ve always wanted to visit the fjords and I got to try out so many incredible activities in the …

The picturesque scenes of Whitby are guaranteed to entice every visitor to Yorkshire's beautiful seaside town, and today Chloe from Jandals and Sandals is sharing her Whitby travel guide.   Fish and chips, winding backstreets and crab fishing. These are just a few of the things that come to mind when I think of Whitby. …

We recently had a gorgeous family day out in North Wales which included a stop at Gwyrch Castle, yes the castle in Abergele made famous by I'm a Celebrity...! But we didn't just visit the castle in Abergele. Oh no, there's so much to see in this area so keep reading to find out how …

Here's my downloadable pre-holiday checklist to help you stay organised while booking and organising your holiday. Holidays are one of the most exciting times of the year. We book them months in advance and then spend weeks planning them while the excited flutter in your belly builds until you’re pinging off the walls with excitement. …

Do you remember that feeling of being a child and freewheeling your bike down a hill? It’s a giddy, carefree feeling. You’re flying but you’re in control as the wind soars through your hair and everything around you whizzes past in a blur. You grip your handlebars tightly as your heart leaps into your mouth …

Rosie Fluskey is sharing her insider guide to Brighton and Hove. As a Brighton local, Rosie is the perfect person to share a Brighton guide with all her favourite things to do in Brighton and amazing places to eat.   The city of Brighton and Hove is a fun in the sun city. It is …

It’s just over four years ago that I found out I was pregnant with George. Four years! Most people say time flies when you have kids, but I find the opposite. I don’t mean it drags but taking that pregnancy test four years ago feels like a different lifetime! I can’t even imagine my life …

Today I'm sharing my Canvas holiday review, an honest review from our family holiday in France staying in a Canvas Holiday mobile home. Canvas Holidays offer camping holidays in Italy, Spain, France, Croatia, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal. Their campsites over camping pitches, erected tents, mobile homes, bungalows, cottages and lodges. If you’re looking for …

Today’s post is a little bit different as I’d like to show you a really easy way to edit objects out of your photos using a very cheap app. Now before I begin, I’m not one of those bloggers who heavily edits photos. I don’t agree with changing photos so much that the place, person …

We peeped out from under our umbrellas like excited kids while our Troll Car to Briksdal Glacier bumped up the mountain. It was pouring down with rain but, unusually for me, I didn’t care. To my right a waterfall was tumbling majestically down the mountain, roaring with frightening force and power. To my left I …

I have a confession. Despite taking hundreds of flights in my lifetime, I still get really stressed about the airport. I’m fine with flying, flying doesn’t bother me in the least, but the airport turns me into an anxious, stressed wreck. I get stressed about printing my boarding pass vs using a mobile boarding pass, …

They say the best way to see the Norwegian fjords is to sail through them. Nothing can prepare you for that moment when you look up and see the towering mountains above and the emerald green waters all around. You feel so tiny. Your heart skips a beat as you pass a waterfall tumbling into …

Today's post is an insider's guide to the best places to eat and drink in Manchester by Manchester local, Ellie Wilson.   The unofficial capital of the North, Manchester is famous for its industrial history, music, football and Alan Turing. Manchester is the UK’s most visited city outside the capital and is also known for …

This post was created in collaboration with dealchecker   What’s your top travel hack? This is a question I’m asked all the time! With a blog name like The Travel Hack it’s a pretty obvious question so today I’d like to share some of my top general travel hacks for any trip abroad.   Don’t …

This post is sponsored by Make Holidays Greener and I’m here today to tell you about their competition to win a GoPro Hero 5 and share some of my top tips on using a GoPro to get awesome travel photos. To enter the competition to win a GoPro, head over to the Make Holidays Greener …

Should I buy a static caravan? It's a question we were asking ourselves again and again before taking the plunge! Is it a static caravan? Or is it the cheapest and easiest way to own a luxury holiday home? I’ll go for the latter. But yes, it’s still a caravan. If you follow me on …

When it comes to packing for a weekend break, it’s no secret that travelling with carry-on luggage (instead of - not as well as - a big suitcase that goes in the hold) has loads of advantages. It’s usually cheaper to travel with just a carry-on as many airlines charge a hefty fee for checked …

It’s been more than a year now since Sam finished my blogging office, a small cabin in the garden just for me and my work. When you live in a fairly small house with two children it can be difficult to find any space just for you. The boys come in to my office from …

The gorgeous city of York is a must-visit for a weekend break in the UK and today Annie from Tales of Annie Bean is sharing her travel guide to York. I'd visited York when I was a little girl, explored during my teens for school, had a few nights out during university, but finally had …

I travel to London for work a lot so I'm always looking for the best cheap hotels in London, which isn't always an easy task! It’s no surprise that some of the world’s most expensive hotels can be found in London. After all, it’s often considered to be the most expensive city in the world …

Not so long ago, Iceland was a relatively unheard of destination, with only the few most extreme adventurers choosing to travel there. Finding a guide to Iceland would have been a real challenge. These days, it's one of the world's most popular destinations, and there are so many Iceland travel guides out there that it's …

Over the past few years I've planned a couple of weekend trips to Jersey but, for one reason or another, they haven't happened. I've even booked to spend two weekends in Jersey but I've had to cancel at the last minute and it feels like I'll never get to Jersey! I was meant to have …

Do you want to know how to be present in the 21st century? How to stop checking your phone every minute. How to not be constantly scrolling through photos and videos and tweets and updates? How to have a conversation with a group of friends without someone constantly looking down, constantly taking a photo, constantly …

There are so many things to do in Bruges and it's such a gorgeous, magical city. It would be easy to spend your time just strolling around and marvelling at how quaint and beautiful everything is! In fact, this is exactly what I did during my first weekend in Bruges. I visited with Sam about …

Earlier this year we took our second Mark Warner holiday and we loved our second just as much as the first. Our first was a winter holiday to Tignes and our second was a summer holiday to Turkey. There were a lot of similarities between the holidays, with the obvious exception of swapping snow for …

I’ve got some exciting news today and I’m so happy to announce I’m going to be working with Admiral Travel Insurance as an ambassador! OK, I know, booking your travel insurance isn’t exactly the most exciting part of your holiday. I’d rather be researching hotels, things to do and places to eat and drink too! But …