Now that I’ve moved out of London I see it in a whole new light. I’m still in London once or twice a week so it’s enough to not feel like a stranger but not enough to get bugged down with city life. It’s as though a magical pair of rose tinted glasses are stuck …
Monica
You probably all know by now that my luggage addiction is getting a bit ridiculous. While most women dream about designer handbags, I’m drooling over suitcases and backpacks with hidden storage pockets and handy compartments. I love packing for holidays and travelling to airports so I must project a lot of this excitement onto suitcases …
Camping and glamping are two of my favourite summer activities. Of course, I love jetting off to exotic beaches (who doesn’t!?) but you can’t beat a weekend camping with all your friends. I know a lot of people have hideous memories from family camping trips where it rained all week so you’re damp and miserable …
Scotland is one of those places where, with the right weather, it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful. You can’t believe you’re just a few hours from home (if you live in the UK that is) and I had the overwhelming feeling the whole of Scotland has been keeping this incredible secret from me. Why did they not tell …
Introducing Girl Tweets World {Girl Tweets World} Eeek, this is very exciting. My friend and blogging buddy, Jayne Gorman, has revamped her blog, 40 Before 30, and given it a whole new look, feel and name. Jayne was on a mission to visit 40 countries before she was 30 but when she reached this number …
Does anyone else find packing your hand luggage can be just as tough as packing your main case? I begin with just a couple of things, maybe a magazine and my phone, and before I know it my bag is overflowing with stuff. Cosmetics and gadgets and entertainment and food are spilling out of my bag …
Each year we spend the entire winter dreaming about beach holidays. White sands, blue seas, bright sunshine and golden tans. Arrhh, this is what dreams are made of. Just after Christmas we re-join the gym and spend hours finding the right skin care regimen, hoping that it will have us looking as beautiful as Beyonce …
Do you ever want to escape from the world and feel like you’re a million miles from anywhere? At the risk of sounding middle aged, I do. I’m only 26, I should want to spend my time in stylish bars and clubs but sometimes I’m just searching for somewhere to chill out. Sometimes I want …
This summer, World Duty free is hosting a #SummerDrinksFestival to get us all recreating our favourite holiday cocktails at home. They asked me to get involved and do my best at making some tasty cocktails. This came at the perfect time because one of my best friends is home from Australia for a couple of …
Admittedly, that is not your average title for a blog post. A day in Barbados. Who on earth spends a day in Barbados? If you’re travelling to a Caribbean island, such as Dominica, you might just do that. Many travellers flying to the smaller Caribbean islands will first need to stop at a larger island …
Hiking in Yosemite National Park was another of the incredible highlights from my time in the US. I know I’ve said this about virtually every place I visited with Trek America but it’s true! I love hiking so I was so excited to visit Yosemite. Yosemite is the second oldest national park in the US …
It was this time last year I was busily planning my trip to Iceland which I took in October. Early October was the perfect time to visit Iceland thanks to the blue skies, chilly but bearable temperatures and a light scattering of snow that dusted the ground. Iceland immediately became one of my favourite places …
I’ve spent the last few weeks telling everyone that they just HAVE to take a weekend away or a short holiday to Ljubljana. If you’re not convinced, take a look at my post 10 reasons to love Ljubljana. So, for all those people who are starting to get the message, this is for you… How …
In this series of blogging posts I’m attempting to answer some of the questions I’m asked as a full-time blogger and freelancer. I’m often approached by people who have begun to earn a small side income through blogging and freelance work and want to know how to make the leap and do this full time. …
I'm pretty sure you've already guessed that I loved Ljubljana. This list could go on into the 100's but here are 10 reasons why I loved Ljubjlana and why I think you'll love it too! #1. The castle Each time you look up in Ljubljana you’re greeted by the castle, a medieval fortress with a …
If you're looking for an affordable and unique weekend away then glamping in a yurt might be the perfect option.... I remember a time when camping holidays in the UK were something to be dreaded. Cold, wet nights were spent eating burnt BBQ food while huddling under a canopy to stay dry. I always ended …
Hi there and welcome to another Weekend Reads where I share everything I've been reading and writing around the web this week. I've had another week at home while I've been doing my best to begin training for my Ironman challenge and catching up on blog writing. Here's what I've been writing: I'm doing an …
Some travellers get snobby about taking tours. I understand why. No one wants to spend their holidays being bused around a city in a 53-seater coach with someone makes jokes on the microphone. But a tour is one of the best ways to see and learn more than you ever would on your own. I …
One of my favourite things about travelling is discovering a place that truly surprises me. I thought I’d hate Marrakech but I loved the exotic hustle. I didn’t know Iceland would be so beautiful but I was blown away. I hadn’t expected to fall head over heels in love with Slovenia but it quickly became …
This time last year I was training for the Virgin Active Triathlon in London and this year I’m training for the run section of an Ironman in Austria. Argh! I may only be doing the run but I was originally doing the entire thing so I’m still training as though it’s a full Ironman. This …
From the shore, Alcatraz Island doesn’t look too far away. I squinted into the distance and could just about see the tiny island 1.5 miles from mainland San Francisco. A low cloud hung over ‘The Rock’ giving it an eerily ominous appearance. Despite the creepy air of mystery surrounding Alcatraz, I still thought I could …
I realise that The Travel Hack can get a tad girly from time to time so I thought it was about time I posted a review for the guys. I was recently sent the Track Jack Board Case from Crumpler but as soon as it arrived I knew it was one for my guy. He …
Update: Unfortunately I was unable to take part in the Ironman as I'm having a baby. ******* You know when you agree to do something and then a few months later you think, ‘What the hell was I thinking? I can't do that!’ Yea, that’s what happened with the Ironman. I was invited to take …
This week has been one of my very rare chilled out weeks and I've loved every second of it. I've been having dinner with friends, drinking wine in the garden, walking my pooch and I had a couple of days in London working on exciting new projects - news on that coming soon! Here's what …
This week’s App of the Week comes from Switzerland but this is an app with a difference. Swiss Mag, as the name suggests, feels much more like a magazine than a regular app. This app is only available on iPad, which is frustrating for anyone who doesn’t own one, but you do need to see …
As I slipped between the crisp white sheets of my king sized bed I couldn’t help but think, ‘This is the kind of place I’d like to live’. I’m setting my standards pretty high here, I know, but I’m all about aiming high. Reach for the stars and all that. Cannizaro House in Wimbledon is …
When staying in a city for more than a few days I like to have my own space. I like to set up a temporary home where I can laze around and not worry about making a mess. I also like to make myself snacks and stock up my fridge with booze and local produce. …
I found this post hidden amongst the chaos of my documents folder. I wrote it months ago after a particularly long flight delay. I was tired and naggy and was pissed off about everything and everyone around me. Paul Theroux once said: ‘Travelling is only glamorous in retrospect,” and I couldn’t agree more. I usually …
Remember me telling you about the Autographer camera I tested last December? It’s a cool little camera that you wear around you neck and it captures an image every time it senses movement. I thought it was great for capturing your travels in a way that you can’t with a bulky camera as it snaps …
The term ‘hidden gem’ gets thrown around a lot when talking about Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It’s partly because we all like to think we have a secret place that few people know about but it’s mainly because, well, barely anyone knows about it. I fell head over heals in love with Slovenia and …
This week has been busy but incredible as I travelled to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I'm going to be writing all about it next week but I will say now that I LOVED it. Ljubljana is such a beautiful hidden gem and the small city makes a perfect weekend escape. I was there all week …
My dream road trip vehicle Summer is officially here and that can only mean one thing...it's road trip season! As much as I love planes and trains, you can't beat the feeling of whizzing through the countryside in your own car. You have to have the windows down, the wind in your hair, you favourite tunes on …
If you do a Google image search for Slovenia then the first thing to pop up will undoubtedly be Lake Bled. Lake Bled is one of the most popular places to visit in Slovenia and is arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the whole country. And in a country this breathtakingly beautiful, that …
“You may well return from your holiday thinking Slovenia is the prettiest country you’ve ever seen.” I read this in the Lonely Planet on my flight out here and I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to first impressions, Slovenia has well and truly blown me away. It’s picked me up and spun me …
How are you liking the sexy new makeover on The Travel Hack? I’ve updated the design of the blog to make space for bigger and better images. We all love a good travel story but it’s the images that grab your attention and make you fall in love with a new destination. As part of …
This is my review from Zening Resorts in Latchi, Cyprus. I visited for a healthy holiday package which included daily yoga and fitness and lots of time and space to relax. It was incredible! Looking at the latest updates from Zening Resorts in Cyprus, it looks like the resort has been modernised and is now …
If you want to be a 'proper tourist' in San Francisco you can't miss a catamaran cruise at sunset. I wasn't keen at first and thought it was just a slightly classier version of a booze cruise. OK, I'm not going to lie, it was a classier version of a booze cruise and I loved …
It's been a while since I've written a Blog Reads post with some of my favourite posts, videos and competitions I've stumbled across in the blogosphere. Like always, life gets busy and once you're out of a habit it's hard to get back into it. These little updates on what I'm reading have somehow turned …
I don’t know about you but one of my favourite things about travelling is trying new food and eating in gorgeous restaurants. The only problem is that it doesn’t take long before I’m feeling the affects of 3-course meals and boozy lunches around my middle. Cue massive sad face. I’m not even going to pretend …
Since I returned from Dominica I haven’t stopped telling people how gorgeous the island is. I’ve been cornering people and forcing them to scroll through the photos on my phone because I want them to see it for themselves. ‘Look at how clear the sea is,’ I’ve been swooning. ‘And look at this waterfall. Oh, …