Monica

We’ve all heard of Booking.com, the booking fabulous website for hotels. They’re now known for their cheeky adverts that make you do a double take and say, ‘Did he just say what I think he said!? Before the watershed…?’ But do you know about Villas.com, the equally fabulous website for (would you believe it) booking …

This competition has been extended until October 8th! Who hasn’t dreamt about a luxury holiday in the Maldives? A real tropical paradise style holiday with white sand and turquoise sea. The kind of place with luxurious villas on stilts over the lagoon, cocktails sipped under palm trees and dinner eaten under the stars. I don’t know about …

It’s been forever since I’ve written any kind of personal update and I’ve had a few lovely emails asking how I’m getting on with the epic renovation project. It was the end of last year when I told you about my house. Yes, we bought a house! But it’s not just a house, it’s the …

Check out my 12-week blogger e-course if you’re interested in becoming a full time blogger. ‘Niche’. Urgh, it’s a horrible word. But it’s a word I’ve been saying A LOT recently. I’ve been speaking at a few blogger events and conferences and the word ‘niche’ keeps coming up. Why? Because having a niche when blogging …

  It’s been all over the news recently about how expensive it is to use your phone when you’re abroad. Well duh, we all know this but it’s still easy to get sucked in to using your phone and wracking up a massive bill. A selfie a day on Instagram could add up to an …

When you tell someone you’re a travel blogger the first thing you’re asked is, ‘Where’s your favourite place?’ The second thing you’re ask is, ‘What’s your top travel tip?’ Its impossible to name your favourite place in the world but we can share our top travel tips! So here you have it, The Travel Hack’s …

If you’ve been following along on Instagram you will have seen that I’ve just returned from an incredible 3-day trip to Iceland. Actually, ‘incredible’ doesn’t do it justice. It was an unforgettable, once in a lifetime, ‘tell-it-to-the-grandchildren-in-50-years-time’ kind of incredible. I was away for a long weekend and it was actually only 36 hours spent …

It’s coming to the end of the summer holidays and many of us are heading back to work after an incredible holiday. We all love going on holiday but the comedown that inevitably follows can give us a real case of the post-holiday blues. So in order to help you readjust to life at home, we’ve compiled …

Today’s blog is a Forest Holidays Review from my gorgeous stay with Forest Holidays at their Sherwood Forest location. We have had two family holidays with Forest holidays, the first being to Sherwood Forest in the summer and the second was to Forest Holidays Ardgartan Argyll in Scotland in the winter. They were both very …

Sign up here to receive updates about my 12-week blogger e-course   One of the hardest things about travel blogging is that you’re so busy travelling you don’t have time to blog. You may notice a lot of the full time travel bloggers travel very slowly and will schedule in a couple of days each …

8 reasons why staying in a villa while you travel with a baby is awesome   I love hotels, but staying in a hotel with a baby or young kids can be difficult. You’re restricted to a small room and unless you have a suite you’re all stuck in there together. What do you do when …

  In theory, Iceland shouldn’t be this beautiful. Iceland is a harsh, lonely country. It’s volcanic and rugged with vast spaces of desolate land. There are very few trees and it can be hard to differentiate between the grey of the cloud and the grey of the earth. The land is flat for miles and …

  We all love travelling in the summer, especially in Europe when the weather is at its best and there’s an exciting vibe in the cities. Everyone is outdoors, soaking up the sun and making the most of the balmy evenings. American Express® has created Hello Europe, a hub dedicated to providing Card members with …

Last month I had an incredible 5-night stay at Tregarthens Hotel on St Mary’s island, the largest of the Isles of Scilly. I was travelling with Sam and our four-month old son, George. We’ve stayed in a few hotels with George already but Tregarthens was the best by a million, trillion miles. (Yes, it was …

Yesterday I had the pleasure of popping up to Leeds for a day of blogging and networking. Icelolly, the holiday price comparison site, invited a fabulous group of bloggers to their offices for a beach themed day. There were cocktails, palm trees, more cocktails, sun loungers and…yep…more cocktails. It was a lot of fun and …

  Now there’s a blog post title I never thought I’d type. You’re probably thinking I’m crazy. There are a million and one summer beauty products designed for fully-grown adults, why would you use baby beauty products? Since George was born I’ve actually found some baby products are not only cheaper but also much better …

I took this photo as I toasted my toes against a roaring log-burning fire.* I had a glass of red by my side and I was about to press play on a DVD. I’d just eaten an enormous Welsh oggie followed by homemade toffee cupcakes I’d picked up from the local bakery. We’d eaten on …

  Did anyone else have grand plans to start a fitness regime in preparation for their summer holiday? I’d planned to start mine in May…then I pushed it back to June…then July…and now my summer holiday is just six weeks away and I’m in desperate need of a kick up the bum. (I have a …

  I have a confession I need to share with you today. I am a magazine junkie. I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember. I thought I might grow out of the addiction as I grew older but, if anything, it’s getting worse. The addiction started with Girl Talk when I …

  A summer holiday is the perfect time to get stuck into a good book. Reading is the perfect way to pass the time during a long flight and the best thing to do while lazing in the sunshine. We’ve put together a list of our all-time favourite books to give you some reading inspiration for your …

This post is sponsored by British Red Cross I’ll never forget the first time I realised the importance of knowing first aid. I was in Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia and was lazily dozing on the beach. Nearby there was a dad and his three kids who were playing around in the …

I’m suffering from the post- Isles of Scilly holiday blues today. It’s a real thing; I checked and other people are suffering too. I’m missing that fresh, salty smell of the sea and icy blue waters where bright boats bob about. I’m missing the flamboyant flowers that line the wonky roads and decorate the windows …

  I love glamping. You get to enjoy the great outdoors and feel closer to nature but without the nasty side of camping. You know, the bit with cold, leaky tents and deflated airbeds. I love bell tents and teepees, pods and treehouses and now I have a new type of glamping to add to …

  The problem with luxury hotels is that old-fashioned, stuffy air they often have. They can be formal and uncomfortable with outdated routines and overly complicated menus. The décor might be fancy but it looks a hundred years old and I feel like I can’t relax. Why can’t luxury hotels be young and stylish? Why …

It’s the final day of our 7 Day Summer Giveaway and, wow, what a week it’s been! Make sure you check out the other prizes as you can still enter. Today’s prize needs little introduction as I’m sure you’re all well aware of the GoPro Hero4. This amazing little action camera is the perfect accessory …

  Welcome to the sixth day of the 7 Day Summer Giveaway! Make sure you check out all the competitions from the week because you can still enter! Today’s prize is for all the snappy happy travellers out there because I’ve teamed up with PhotoBox to give you the chance to get creative with your …

Today’s competition is for all the backpackers and budget travellers out there. If you’ve ever backpacked or stayed in a hostel you will have undoubtedly come across someone who has had something stolen. It’s a sad fact but when you’re in communal areas with lots of people coming and going, there’s a really high risk …

Welcome to the fourth day of our 7 Day Summer Giveaway. Today’s prize is one for the bloggers out there as we’re giving away a pair of tickets to Blogstock! What is Blogstock? Blogstock is the world’s only blogging festival. If you love blogging, you love festivals, you want to improve your blogging skills and …

Welcome to the 3rd day of our 7 Day Summer Giveaway! Monday’s prize was 2 x tickets to Festival Number 6 and Tuesday’s prize was a luxury travel kit from MUJI to Go. Make sure you enter those giveaways too as they’re open for 7 days. Today’s prize is for all the new parents and …

One of my favourite things about travelling is actually the part before the travels; it’s the travel planning. I love deciding where to go, what to do, where to stay and where to eat. I like to plan a rough itinerary and then I love that excitement just before you leave as you pack your …

  Welcome to the second day of our 7-Day Summer Giveaway! If you missed yesterday’s prize you can check it out here. Today’s prize comes from the Japanese lifestyle brand, MUJI – the experts in stylish but practical products for every day life. The range MUJI to Go is a selection of practical, lightweight and …

  Welcome to the first day of our 7 Day Summer Giveaway! This week we’ve got 7 amazing prizes to giveaway and we’ll have a new competition every single day. The 7 day giveaway is to celebrate our amazing new team here at The Travel Hack. And, of course, to giveaway some fantastic prizes to …

  For those wishing to inject a little vivacity into their holidays or weekend breaks, then we’ve got you covered with this list of the UK’s best adventure getaways! Jolly Days Glamping A luxury tents and huts camp site with beds, fires, hot showers, BBQs kitchens – and all in the middle of a wood …

I’m so excited to introduce you to the new Travel Hack Team! For nearly four years this blog has been a one-man-band and all of a sudden we’re a team of 10. I had over 280 applications to join the team. I was absolutely amazed that so many people were interested and I’d like to thank …

  I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be speaking at a travel blogger event in Leeds next month. The event will be hosted by icelolly.com, the UK’s leading holiday price comparison site. They’re holding #BlogAtTheBeach so they can get to know bloggers who they think could potentially be ambassadors for the brand. It will be taking place …

Today’s post is from Jess Signut and is all about the gorgeous island of Jamaica…   1. Can you tell us how you came to know Jamaica so well? Jamaica has been one of my favourite places since I was little. When I was younger, my uncle was married in Jamaica so my parents and …

What’s that? There’s a stroller that converts into a car seat? WHAAT!? Yes, if you’re looking for a stroller into car seat contraption then I’ve got just the thing for you. Let me introduce you to the Doona and keep reading for my Doona car seat stroller review. I’ve been putting off writing my review …

Wales is my favourite place for a short break or a weekend away. I’m always surprised by how beautiful this little country is and the small size makes it easy to discover a lot in a short space of time. Road tripping is the best way to discover Wales and I love nothing better than …

Here at The Travel Hack we’re all about luxury hotels without the luxury price tag so I’m excited to share with you a new hotel-booking platform. This new platform is called Dayuse.com and allows you to book hotels during the daytime for between 3 to 8 hours. OK, OK, the alarm bells are ringing already, …

Nothing can induce the jealousy in me like someone who lives in Thailand. Yes, actually lives in Thailand. And that includes all Thai people because Thailand is one of my favourite countries in the world. That’s why I’m really pleased to have an Insider’s Guide to Chiang Mai on the blog this week. Big thanks …