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 …
Monica
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, …
Hiking in the Grand Canyon was the highlight of my Trek America journey. Taking a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon was amazing but being inside the canyon, touching the rocks and seeing it transform as we hiked lower was incredible. It’s that moment when you’re exhausted and sweating, your heart is pumping so hard …
If you were following any of my social media updates this weekend you will have seen that I was speaking at Food Blogger Connect. Food Blogger Connect, or FBC, is the world’s leading international food blogging conference and brings together bloggers and people from the foodie industry. I’m a huge fan of blogging conferences as …
Hello and welcome to my Bruges Weekend Itinerary with lots of things to do in Bruges. In this travel blog post I’ve documented our whole Bruges itinerary so you can replicate it or use it for inspiration for your weekend in Bruges! Bruges had been on my ‘Dream Weekend Away’ list for years. I’ve …
Packing for Trek America can be tough because you feel like you need so much stuff – but you also need to keep your luggage light because you travel around so much. Predictably, I overpacked but learned a few Trek America packing lessons during my Westerner 2 trip. Hopefully this will make your Trek America …
Before snorkelling in Champagne Reef in Dominica I couldn’t get the image of myself snorkelling in an actual pool of champagne out of my head. I was imagining that first sip of champers where the bubbles hit your nose before they hit your lips and you smell that fruity, spicy, alcoholic tang. And then the …
“Relax in barefoot luxury on Dominica, the ‘Nature Island’ of the Caribbean” Jungle Bay is a place where grown-up dreams come true. It was a place that captured my heart and my imagination like no other place has for years and it’s a place that I’m 100% sure I’ll be going back to. I rarely …