Monica

  If you’ve ever heard Budapest being described as a ‘fairytale city’ it’s because of this place; Fisherman’s Bastion. Fisherman’s Bastion is in Budapest’s Castle District located next to Matthias Church on the Buda side of the city. This gorgeous, neo-Gothic viewing platform is dramatically medieval looking and provides one of the best viewing spots …

Did you see my last posts about why I think Valencia is the perfect destination for a weekend escape? If you didn’t, check that out first! I fell head over heels in love with Valencia, Spain’s third city. I had a little longer than a weekend in Valencia but it's the perfect city for a …

You might already know that I’m currently a Lumix 4k photo ambassador. I’ve been trying out Lumix’s range of 4k cameras and I’ve been sharing some of the photos across my social media channels and blog. I’ve been having so much fun with these cameras and I’ve been surprised to find that taking photos with …

  This week’s weekender of the week is a little different as we take to the waves for a more active and adventurous trip. We usually talk about city breaks for a weekend away but what about heading to the beach and brushing up on your surfing skills? A weekend of sun, sea, sand, surf, …

Like all things in life, there isn’t a quick and easy way to grow your social media following. I know, I know; it’s the 21st century and we want quick and instant results. We’re used to seeing blog posts with flashy, jazzy titles like, ‘How to instantly grow your blog by millions of followers without …

  Before I begin, I’ve got to tell you that I’m not a perfect traveller in any way. I often overpack. Sometimes I cave and order a room service burger instead of going out. I’ve turned up in new cities and known nothing about the local culture or the things to see and do. I've …

It took me almost 22 hours to reach Florida Keys. It began at 6.30am on Sunday morning with a drive to Manchester Airport, a quick flight to Heathrow, an 10-hour flight to Miami and finally another quick flight to Key West. Whoever said travelling is glamorous had clearly never spent 12 hours in economy and a …

I’ve just returned from a weekend in Valencia and I’m still buzzing from the trip. It had everything I could possibly want from a weekend away; culture, history, art, shopping, great food and drink, affordable prices and easy flights. Everything about it was absolutely perfect and Valencia makes such a great city for a weekend …

Since uploading the post on Wednesday about the ‘What vacationer are you?’ I’ve been thinking a lot about my travel style. It took me a long time to figure out what my travel style is because I so often followed guides and ‘top 10 lists’ and recommendations from other people. When I was taking blog trips …

I’ve stayed in more than my fair share of airport hotels. They’re usually pretty depressing with views out to brick walls, overpriced mini bars and the same bland décor across the world. The staff are usually rude, the breakfasts are inedible and I usually have a terrible nights sleep before catching an early morning flight. …

Is anyone planning a holiday and feeling a bit overwhelmed? There are so many places to go, so many things to see, so many things to do. If you’re anything like me, your bucket list is just getting longer and longer and holiday planning can be tough when you just want to go everywhere! To …

If you're looking to plan a 5 day trip to Spain’s third-largest city then read on for my guide to Valencia. In today's Valencia guide, you'll find my full five-day itinerary and suggestions on places to eat, see and stay while you're in the city. If you saw Sunday's post then you will already know …

Driving into the village of Downham is like driving through a portal and emerging into a world that existed 100 years ago. If I were to describe it as ‘quaint’ it wouldn’t quite do it justice, as it’s so much more than quaint. Downham is beautiful and charming and cosy. It has an old fashioned …

  “Why have I not been here before!?” This was a genuine question I kept asking myself just a few hours after I’d landed in Valencia. This city is gorgeous. It’s warm and it’s beautiful and it’s interesting. It’s historical and filled with culture but also modern and filled with young creativity. It feels a …

Packing for a skiing trip can be difficult because you pretty much want to take every single warm item of clothing you own. You’ll want to be rugged up during the day but stylish in the evening and still warm enough to walk around in the snow. I’ve been skiing a few times now and …

I find that searching for accommodation and finding ways to save money when booking hotels to be the hardest part of holiday planning. There are so many gorgeous hotels, so many websites to book them on and lots of confusing reviews. The hotel is often the most expensive part of the trip so it’s really …

Welcome to the first Weekend Reads of 2016! It’s been a big and busy week in the blogosphere. The first week of the year sees bloggers sticking to their New Year’s resolutions and posting more so there’s a lot for us to read! And please tell me I’m not the only one who has spent …

Welcome to the new feature on The Travel Hack called Weekender of the Week! Each week I’ll be bringing you a quick weekender idea to inspire your next weekend escape. This week it's all about a weekend in the Algarve, Portugal. Most of us think of the Algarve as being a week-long destination. Of course, it’s a …

I feel like New Years resolutions aren’t the cool thing to do this year. Everyone is talking about celebrating your achievements rather than setting yourself unrealistic challenges. Other people are talking about small ‘goals’ and other people have ditched them all together but they never stick to them anyway so what’s the point? But I …

  Are you travelling to London in 2016? Here are the London apps you need to download to make your trip to the Big Smoke a breeze. Do you remember a time when we used to travel with heavy guidebooks and paper maps? When you had to go into internet cafes to check your emails …

One of my favourite rooms in our whole house to decorate has been George’s room. It made me weirdly sad that I wasn’t able to decorate a nursery while I was pregnant as we were living with my parents while we renovated our own house. I guess it was that nesting instinct kicking in but …

  Do you know what ‘Shiok’ means? No, I didn’t either until I watched this video by the Singapore Tourism Board. It’s a word mostly used in Singapore and is used to express pleasure or the highest quality. It means ‘amazing’ or ‘awesome’ but it’s shorter, snappier and all together cooler. Shiok is a good …

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’re well and enjoyed the Christmas festivities. It feels strange for it all to be over so suddenly. One minute we’re knee deep in mince pies, fairy lights and panic buying presents. The next minute we’re all detoxing and dieting, saving money and digging out our running shoes. I’m …

  I was absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people who responded to my reader survey. Thank you all so much! At first I was nervous about getting people’s honest and brutal opinions. The Travel Hack is my baby, I’ve worked so hard on this blog for the past 6 years so the thought of …

I love weekend escapes. Come on, who doesn’t!? There’s nothing better than leaving the office early, pulling a little suitcase behind you and strutting out with that happy, ‘I’m taking a weekender’, swagger. This swagger is a real thing. Embrace it and get your Weekender Swagger on. It’s a swagger that lets everyone know you …

  I’ve been very lucky to spend Christmas in some amazing and exotic destinations. I’ve spent Christmas Day on the beach in Sydney, one Christmas scuba diving with manta rays in Bali and even one year I was cruising around the Canaries. But, do you know what? My favourite place in the world to spend …

If you've been following along with The Travel Hack you'll know that I’ve partnered with Lumix and I’m a Lumix 4K photo ambassador. Many of you have been asking exactly what 4K photography is, how it works and if it’s something everyday photographers might be interested in? My big, fat answers to this is YES! …

There is only one thing that really cures the itch to travel, and unsurprisingly, it’s to travel. It’s easy to make excuses and put blocks in the way, but if you put it off for too long, it's never going to happen. We all want to go right now, who wouldn’t? But usually it isn’t …

As a blogger I’m always looking to improve and grow because I want The Travel Hack to be best it possibly can be. I have a million and one ideas about how I’d like to improve the blog in 2016. I’m one of those people who wants to do everything. I want to learn to …

What to pack for a baby in the Maldives…or anywhere beachy and exotic and gorgeous! I usually like to travel light – yes, even when I’m travelling with a baby! I’ll buy baby food, nappies and wipes once I reach my destination and usually stay somewhere with a washing machine so I don’t need to …

Finding the best foreign exchange rate might not be the sexiest blog topic, but it’s something we all have to do when we travel. I’m pretty sure I’ve been ripped off many times when I’ve been exchanging currency – but I never know what to do about it. I could visit every single foreign currency …

  This is a guest post from James Greener who tells us all about Roomer, the hotel booking site that allows you to save money on hotel bookings thanks to other people's cancellations. For years, I made good use of a sort of time sharing. My uncle owns some holiday homes around America, and he …

  I’d love to fly first class every time I travel but, the sad reality is, I turn right almost every time I get on a plane. I tell myself I’d rather save my precious pennies and spend them a gorgeous hotel and amazing experiences once I reach my destination. This is true, but I …

Flying long-haul with a baby can be a bit daunting. Most people actually thought that we were crazy for flying with a baby but, while they can be difficult, they aren't impossible! Today's post is full of all of my tips for flying with a baby and will, hopefully, help to put your mind at …

I asked The Travel Hack team to share the #1 thing on their Christmas wish list to Santa. You can tell we're a bunch of travelling geeks by looking at this list of travel experiences and blogging tech! Amy says: An Arctic Expedition When I dream, I dream big! Top of my Christmas wish-list this …

  Welcome to the second post in our series of Christmas gift guides. Last year, I put together a Christmas gift guide for travel lovers so this year there are going to be lots of guides for different types of travellers and travel lovers. First up, we’ve got the Christmas gift guide for bloggers.   My Passport …

I was getting really nervous about visiting the Maldives with a baby. When I told other people we were coming here with a six-month-old they all had one of two responses. It went like this… “Are you crazy!? It’s such a long flight and it isn’t very baby friendly.” Or “You’re brave. It’s such a …

Packing for winter travel is a little more difficult than summer travel. You need so much more stuff to stay warm and cozy and packing light is no easy feat. You could be faced with wind, rain, snow and hail. Or you could get lucky and have gorgeous sunshine and crisp, blue skies. You just …

  Thailand is one of my favourite counties in the world. It’s a bold statement to make when there are so many incredible places but there aren’t many that could beat Thailand to the top of the list. I know it’s an old cliché but Thailand really does have everything. Bangkok is a chaotic but exciting …

I was reading a feature in Glamour magazine yesterday. It was the issue with Tanya Burr on the cover and it was all about the super-vlogger taking over the world – I thought it might cast some light on how to be a super-vlogger but it basically just tells you that Tanya is lovely and …