I couldn’t help but giggle as I sat on the Eurostar with a glass of champagne in one hand and over €3,800 in cash in the other. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have been selected for this ‘challenge’. In case you missed it, I …
Monica
This week's Insider's Guide is by Samantha from SamanthaAngell.com. She's taking us across to Stockholm to tell us about the best things to see and do in the city and a little introduction to my favourite Swedish speciality, fika! 1. Can you begin by telling how/why you’re a Stockholm expert? I moved to Sweden two …
As I drove down the stony road that led to Penvale Lakes Lodges I instantly felt like I was driving into somewhere special. I'd just passed through the pretty Welsh town of Llangollen, driven alongside the river and canal, seen tourists queuing for homemade ice creams and saw people sat outside pubs as they drank …
Today’s post is a very special post as it’s George’s first guest post. Hopefully it will be the first of many as we travel and explore together. This weekend I took my first holiday to Llangollen in North Wales. It was my first time away so I was a little nervous but I had …
It’s time for another #TravelBookChat! This month we’re going to be chatting about Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, a book that is sure to be on every ‘Beach Holiday Reading List’ this summer. You may recognize Liane Moriarty as the author of The Husband’s Secret which has sold well over a million copies and has …
Update: The votes are in and I'm going to Paris for the day. If you have any suggestions for things to see and do in Paris with a big budget, please do let me know! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to share this post. This is so surreal and …
It's the weekend! Get the kettle on or pour yourself a cold one while you dig in to some of my favourite posts from around the blogosphere. Warning: Most of these posts will cause serious wanderlust. The Jungalow It’s not very often I recommend an entire website but I’ve just discovered this site and …
I discovered the Lalabu Soothe Shirt on Instagram when I was just a few weeks pregnant. At the time I thought it looked like a cute and simple way to care for a little baby. What I didn't realise was that this top would become a lifesaver for the first 7 weeks (so far!) of George's …
Today’s post comes from Lucy, a journalist, blogger and adopted Brixtonite. Here she presents the insider’s guide to her neighbourhood in Brixton… 1. Can you begin by telling us how/why you're a Brixton expert? I’ve lived in Brixton for two years and either spend time in Brixton or travel through the area every day. I’ll …
Today's Insider's Guide is from Sophie, the travel blogger behind Luggage Tags and Ticket Stumps. Sophie lives in China and has put together an Insider's Guide to Xi'an. If you'd like to visit Xi'an but could do with the help and guidance of a tour then check out ChinaXianTour for tailor made, package and group …
Love travel? Love Twitter? Love the chance to win flights to Paris? Yes, me too! Read on to combine all three… On Tuesday (April 28th) I’ll be joining Air France UK and my fellow travel blogger, Victoria from Pommie Travels, to host a Twitter party, #AirFranceTravel. We’re going to be chatting about all the places we want to travel with …
It’s been such a long time since I’ve put together a Weekend Reads post and I thought it was time to revive it. Since having George I’ve spent A LOT of time reading blogs and it’s turned out to the perfect way to keep me entertained during those long night feeds. Here’s what I’ve been …
I visited Dominica last year and I feel like I haven't shown this gorgeous little island enough love. Seriously, I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved my time there. It's a Caribbean island for adventurous people, what's not to love about that!? So today I'm going to tell you about all …
Today's post is all about Boston with an Insider's Guide to Boston from Kristina from Kristina Gemella Travel. Let's start with an little introduction to Boston... Located in leafy New England, Boston is one of the wealthiest, oldest and most influential cities in the whole of the United States. Founded in 1630, there’s plenty …
New York is one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Fact. Not only is it crammed full of cultural and historical attractions, has a delectable culinary scene and is home to some of the United States’ most eclectic neighbourhoods, The Big Apple is also one of the best places in the world for …
Since becoming a mum my favourite hobby is taking photos of George. George in the bath, George sleeping, George feeding, George aimlessly staring into space. George pretty much doing anything! Rather than let all these photos float away into the cloud, never to be seen again, I've decided to do something with them a create …
Fancy getting your hands on a Milestone Gravitate Activity Tracker? Enter now via the app below. All you need to do follow The Travel Hack on Facebook. You can gain extra entries by sharing the competition on Twitter, Facebook or via email. You can find out more about the Milestone Gravitate Activity Tracker in my full review. a Rafflecopter …
For the past 10 months, fitness has been the last thing on my mind. I tired my best to stay fit during my pregnancy but it really wasn’t easy when I was constantly exhausted and felt like a heffalump. Now that George is a month old I’m getting back into the swing of things with …
Today's post is by Lizze Benton as she gives us an insider's guide to the gorgeous village of Chatel in the French Alps. I don't know about you but this really makes me want to grab my skis and spend a week feasting on cheesy fondues! 1. Can you tell us how you came to …
Now that I’ve had a baby I feel like I’m allowed to say the following: Sometimes I hate kids. Don’t get me wrong, I usually love kids. Their chubby little faces and adorable giggles are just too cute for words, but there’s a time and a place for this cuteness and sometimes I don’t want …
Last October I went to Egypt for a good old fashioned relaxing beach holiday. We spent long, lazy days swimming, sunbathing, reading and munching our way through the extensive buffet. It was amazing but I could only do this for a few days before I started to get itchy feet. We were in Egypt and …
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is along the lines of how and why I began blogging. Everyone has a different story as to why they started blogging and we’re all nosy by nature! So without further a do, here goes… I began blogging in 2009. It was a time when ‘professional …
Massive thanks to Marie for today's post, An Insider's Guide to Hong Kong. Hong Kong was the first place I visited in Asia so I can relate to her feeling about needing more eyes and ears to take it all in. Maybe a second stomach for all the amazing food too! Marie is an illustrator …
I know what you’re thinking. You can’t possibly charter a private jet without breaking the bank. Private jets cost tens of thousands of pounds making them strictly out of bounds for anyone but the uber rich and famous. But what if I were to tell you that there is a way for normal people to …
If you're anything like me you'll agree that travel and music go hand in hand. I can't imagine a long journey without a great soundtrack and I love it went songs remind me of awesome travel memories. I can't listen to the Of Monsters and Men album without thinking of snowy road trips through …
There was a time when hotels or villas were pretty much your only option while on holiday or travelling. We all accepted this and didn’t question if there were any other options available. If you were travelling on a budget you have to stay in a hideous budget hotel and there was very little flexibility. …
Massive thanks to Jessica from The Belle Voyage for today's post about immersing yourself into a new culture while you travel. It’s so easy to make the mistake of visiting a foreign country without ever leaving your own world. While there’s something to be said for crossing tourist attractions off your proverbial list, I think …
Backpacking is a style of travelling where you travel on a budget, usually for a couple of months or longer, with a very loose itinerary but often without any fixed plans or schedules. Backpacking is awesome. I’m more of a flashpacker these days but my heart still lies in this carefree travel style. But I …
This is a post I've been excited about sharing for about 9 months now. I'd like to introduce you to the new little man in my life. This is George! He was born on March 11th weighing a perfectly tiny 6 lb 11. He's less than two weeks old and already he's stolen our hearts …
Today's post is from Paula from Through the Looking Glass and is her survival guide to Songkran Festival in Thailand. Get this festival on your bucket list because it sounds amazing! Songkran festival in Thailand is the Buddhist equivalent of our New Year celebrations, and officially takes place over the 3 days from 13th-15th April. …
Climbing Mount Kinabalu was the highlight of my trip to Borneo. It was tough but it was worth each and every step towards the summit. I loved the way the scenery changed every few hundred meters and the sense of achievement when we reached the top was unbelievable. Watching the sunrise from above the clouds …
It’s been a couple of years now since I completed my NCTJ journalism course and I still get lots of emails from readers who ask me if I think it was worth it. One question I’m regularly asked is if it’s worth doing for someone who would like to become a professional blogger. It's hard …
Today's guest post is a fabulous guide to San Diego by Jessica over at The Belle Voyage. Keep reading to find out more about Jessica and about the best things to see, do and eat in San Diego. 1. How would you describe San Diego in 5 words? Laid-back, beachy, vibrant, diverse, and beautiful. 2. …
With just a few days until my due date all of my thoughts are baby, baby, baby. I’ve been desperate to decorate a nursery but we’ve been living with my parents for the past few months as we’re renovating our new. It’s a massive project and seems to get bigger every month as we add …
The USA is massive, and there is more to explore than you could ever fit into one trip. But there are a few more obvious items that you might already know you want to do and if you're reading this post then I'll assume that the iconic road trip is one of them. Taking a …
If you're visiting a hot beach destination it's easy to find free things to do. Swimming, sunbathing, reading and strolling can keep you entertained for days. But when you're in a city it isn't so easy and your budget can quickly spiral out of control. There's just so much to spend your money on in …
Today's post comes from Hannah, the fabulous blogger behind That Adventurer. Hannah has shared some of her top tips to bring adventure into the everyday. This is the perfect read if you're in between trips and you need a bit of excitement and adventure in your life! Adventure. It means something different to everyone. Often, …
Do you remember me telling you last month about the Corinthia Hotel sale? They have some great offers with 50% off many of their gorgeous European properties. And do you know what, the sale has been extended until the end of March! So today I wanted to tell you about one of their properties in …
Starting a blog from scratch can be a daunting process. Where do you even begin? There’s so much to do, so much to learn and so many people offering conflicting advice. When I first began blogging there weren’t as many bloggers on the block so I didn’t have as many people to compare myself to. …
Photo credit: Red bicycle Everyone thinks they know what Amsterdam is going to be like before they visit and I’ve spoken to lots of people who love Amsterdam and lots who hate it with equal measure. Personally, I love it and I think it’s a great city for a long weekend break. Parts of Amsterdam …