“Whatever you do, don’t put your hands through the bars. Don’t even rest them on the outside of the cage.’ These were the words of wisdom we were offered just as we lowered ourselves into the worryingly small cage. I must admit, I was expecting a bigger cage. Perhaps something so big I could hide …
Monica
Table Mountain, the most iconic landmark in South Africa, dominates the skyline of Cape Town and looks over the entire city like an older brother. It’s impossible not to be captivated by the strange, flat-topped mountain that seems to be so out of place in the city. It isn’t until you get to the top …
When going on safari, the thing that everyone is itching to see is the big 5. These are: Lions Leopards Elephants Buffalos Rhinos They’re named ‘the big five’ because early hunters regarded them as the most dangerous animals to hunt. While I was in South Africa I spent three days staying at Thornhill Safari Lodge …
I’ve been banging on about my trip to South Africa for long enough now, it’s time to tell you what I’ll be up to while I’m there… I’ll be following in the footsteps of Charley Boorman and if anyone has been watching his African Adventure on Channel 5 then you’ll already know that it’s going …
The Hotel Du Vin is one of those places where you instantly feel at home…and seriously wish it was your home. According to Wikipedia (aka, the font of all knowledge), ‘This is where the stars stay when in Brighton’, so it has an understandable air of subtle exclusivity without being too flashy. It’s grand, elegant …
Just before Christmas I had what can only be described as the best early Christmas present possible. It wasn’t that big bottle of Coco Mademoiselle or those leather boots that I’ve been hinting for (although I must have been a good girl because Santa brought me those too), it was a 10 day trip to …
I’ve been away from the blogosphere for a few weeks now. Here’s why… Like all things in life, there are highs and lows, and blogging is no exception. For a few months at a time I’ll be living the dream when it comes to my travel blog. I’ll be filled with passion and inspiration and …
Borneo and Sumatra are the only places in the world that still have Orang-utans, a name which means Man of the Forest in Malay, so getting to see them in the wild was an unforgettable experience. We visited the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo. The centre is a great example of active conservation as they re-introduce …
After a few days relaxing on Ko Phi Phi Don, the largest of the Phi Phi islands in southern Thailand, we decided to get adventurous and visit some of the uninhabited islands that surround. Koh Phi Phi Leh, the film location from The Beach, was the place we all wanted to see most but the surrounding …
We left the Cliff and River Jungle Resort and headed to Arts River Lodge in Khao Sok National Park for another amazingly unique but completely different experience. Arts River Lodge is further into the lush national park and we were staying in a tree house in the midst of the dense forest. I used to beg …
Cliff and River Jungle Resort is located in the heart of the rainforest in Khao Sok National Park, Southern Thailand. It’s surrounded by limestone cliffs that tower so high it’s a genuine strain on your neck and there is nothing but lush greenness all around. There are gorgeous little huts dotted around the immaculately kept …
Living in a campervan in Australia is either your idea of heaven or your idea of hell. If you’re on the heaven side of the camp you’ll be thinking about the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. You’ll be imagining camping on beaches and gathering around a campfire while drinking beers under …
Khao Sok National Park is one of my favourite places in Thailand and that’s saying something when you consider the fact that Thailand is my favourite country in the world. It’s a reserve in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, and has some of the country’s best preserved jungles and wildlife. A huge artificial lake was created …
If you’ve never heard of Mr Brainwash before, think of him as Banksy’s younger, Frencher brother.
I love riding a bike. It’s virtually impossible to be unhappy on a bike (unless you’re going uphill) as you breeze along with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face and without a care in the world. It reminds me of being a kid when my bike was my primary source …
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of all kinds of planes, trains and automobiles. I love the speed, the excitement of going somewhere new and the chance to sit back, relax and stare idly out the window and watch the world pass me by. I was more than a little excited to catch …
I am one of the few travel bloggers who will not claim to ‘love’ budget travel. I know it’s the sensible option if you want to travel long term but if I had the money I would be lapping up the 5* luxury everywhere I went.
I’m a self-confessed bookaholic and this is the reason I love the travel part of travelling. Give me a 10- hour journey and you’ll find me on a bus/train/plane/boat completely absorbed in a good book.
Monica’s Mini Guide to Packing for a Weekend Away (and what I’d never leave home without) I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes while I’ve been travelling but I’m pleased to say that there is one thing that I do pretty well and that thing is packing (except that time I forgot my …
Visiting a new city can be completely overwhelming, especially if you’re only there for a long weekend. You want to visit all the must-see sights and then squeeze in a few ‘off the beaten track’ places that make you feel like you’ve discovered something new.
Everyone makes mistakes when they travel and I’ve made so many it would be impossible to recall them all. I do my best not to dwell on things or regret anything. I think as long as you learn from your mistakes it makes you a better traveller in the long run. Here are a few …
“What time is it?” I instinctively glanced down at my watch yet again while my boyfriend grinned from ear to ear. Got me again. Yes, we were staying in a hotel room with possibly the biggest clock in the world and I was still using my little wrist watch to tell the time. The hotel …
What is art? There was a time when, to me, art was a pretty picture. It was someone being good with a paintbrush and making something beautiful. They’d then put it in a frame and hang in on the wall and, bish bash bosh, that was art. I’ve always found art galleries to feel forced …
Street art is everywhere and you can just about make out some trainers hanging from the wires. These were part of the TRACK exhibition which saw artwork placed all around the city.
As you may already know, I’ve begun work full-time work as TBU’s Social Media Manager and on behalf of TBU I’m off the Ghent on Friday for a very exciting weekend. I’ll be writing about my trip here on TBU, on my own blog and also for World Travel Market. Here’s what I’ll be up …
I’ll admit it; when I flew business class with bmi I was like an excitable school girl. I felt like I should have been doing my best to remain cool, calm and composed and blend in with the sleek and stylish travellers that surrounded me but I was far too excited for that kind of sophistication.
Have you ever thought that being a travel writer is quite possibly the most glamorous and exciting job you could possibly do? A life filled with adventure, excitement and discovery and the chance to travel the world and write about it for some of the best publications would be a dream come true, right?
It isn’t very often that you find a book you love so much you buy a copy for your friends before you’ve even finished it. You’re not buying an extra copy because you’re Little Miss Moneybags or flashy like that, it’s because you don’t want to share the copy you have and risk never seeing …
Russia is an amazing country to visit but, let’s be honest, it isn’t the easiest. Before you even get there you’ve got the hassle of getting a Russian visa. Yes, if you didn’t know, you need a tourist visa to visit Russia. Don’t let this put you off visiting Russia. Getting a Russian visa is …
The best way to see Australia is to hit the great open road with the freedom of a campervan. Forget the Greyhound or organised bus tours, a real Aussie roadtrip is the only way to do it.
Bilbao’s Guggenheim is undoubtedly the most extraordinary structure I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s the kind of building you can walk around and around all day and still stare up in amazement and insist that you take a few more photos. I came home Bilbao with over 150 photos of the Guggenheim alone so …
Driving around Australia in a campervan sounds like a romantic dream come true doesn’t it? Well it pretty much was which is why I’ve finally got round to sharing my experience. I spent nearly 18 months in Australia with my then boyfriend. We worked for 8 of those months and travelled in a campervan for …
‘The Peak’ is one of Hong Kong’s biggest tourist attractions. You ride a worryingly old tram up a worryingly steep mountain 552m high. The tram was built in 1888 and has barely been altered since; apparently this is meant to be part of the attraction to riding it. It felt as though the tram was almost vertical at times …
The worst thing that happened while I was travelling I spent nearly 2 years travelling through SE Asia and Australia and I was actually really lucky – barely anything went wrong. I was never disastrously ill or mugged. I never ran out of money or had to spend a night sleeping on the streets. I …
Last week I wrote about how Christmas in Sydney was a total let down and I was really disappointed. Thankfully, New Year’s Eve in the city was a million times better and possibly even the best night of my life! That’s a bold statement I know but it really was amazing. There are a couple …