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 …
Monica
“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 …
I was going to name this article something along the lines of ‘Oh em gee, I’ve found paradise’, but no one ever really believes in a paradise island until they’ve seen it for themselves. I also didn’t want to be one of those travellers who throw around the ‘P’ word like it’s no big deal …
Whenever I tell people I’m a full-time travel blogger I’m inevitably met by a quizzical frown and the question, ‘So…errrr…what do you actually do?’ I don’t mind the questions because it is such a new profession and sometimes I feel like I don’t quite understand it myself. Each travel blogger works in a completely different …
Flying over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter has to be on almost every travel lover’s bucket list. Not only do you have the incredible experience of seeing the Grand Canyon from the skies but you also get to ride in the most fun form of transport possible, a helicopter! I’d been in …
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I love to travel. I get ridiculously excited by even the smallest trips, even if it’s a quick city break or camping trip an hour from my home. But tomorrow I’m leaving on an adventure that is making me so excited that I just had to share my itinerary …
When travelling, I often find that you don’t fully appreciate how incredible a moment is until it’s passed. It’s usually a few weeks later when you’re looking through your photos and reminiscing about the good times when you realise what a magical moment it was. I’ve been doing this a lot recently with my Trek …
As much as I love to travel abroad you really can’t beat a staycation, particularly when you have gorgeous weather like we did this weekend. On Friday evening my boyfriend and I travelled from our home in Chester to Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel. I know what you’re thinking as you phonetically sound out that strange assortment …
After spending an incredible three days in Barbados my journey got even better as I travelled to the island of St Kitts. I’d been told that St Kitts is much more chilled out and less developed than Barbados. I had no idea what to expect because Barbados is one of the most chilled out places …
There’s no place on earth that can inspire your sense of adventure quite like the Grand Canyon. It makes you feel tiny and insignificant in comparison to the sheer vastness of the canyon. But it also makes you feel strong and in awe of our incredible world. After my trip to the US I found …
The observant readers among you may have noticed that I’ve changed this feature from Weekend Reads to Blog Reads. I should have realised that no one would read a post entitled ‘Weekend Reads’ on a Monday. Silly me. Anyways, this weeks Blog Reads are all about hacks. With a blog name like ‘The Travel Hack’ …
I receive lots of travel related questions from readers of The Travel Hack but I was sent one last week that stumped me and it’s a question that I should really know the answer to: “What’s the best way to look after your money while you’re travelling?” I travel all the time, I should know …
I know that you wouldn’t put flying economy class and stylish travel together but The Travel Hack is all about affordable luxury and little tips to give even budget travel a stylish twist. I, like most people, would love to fly upper class on every flight. I’d love to sip expensive champagne, stretch out my …
One of my favourite things about flying into a hot country is that moment when you step off the plane. It’s like walking into a heavy fog of glorious heat that instantly warms you all the way to your bones. You take a second before you begin your descent down the wobbily plane steps to …
Update: I’ve owned the Caribee Fast Track Wheeled Backpack for over a year now and I still love it. I test out a lot of backpacks and suitcases and this is still my favourite. I can’t recommend it enough for long journeys, backpacking or any trip where you need a large case! ********** For my last …
If you’ve ever seen the film Into the Wild then these photos may be familiar to you because Salvation Mountain is featured in the film. If you haven’t seen the film or read the book then I strongly recommend you add it to your list because both are brilliant, especially if you have a nomadic, adventurous …
As a travel blogger I’m so lucky that I get to visit lots of different countries but one of my favourite things is to re-visit a place that I’ve already been and loved. On my first visit I’m like a rabbit in the headlights with wide eyes and a slack jaw as I try to …
There are some things you can be taught; things like reading and writing, how to drive a car and how to bake a cake. (Well, in theory anyway. I’ve never mastered the art of baking a cake!) But there are other things that no amount of coaching can ever help you become an expert at. …
Today I’m sharing my First Luggage Review. First Luggage is a global luggage delivery service. They will collect your luggage from your home and deliver it to your accommodation anywhere in the world. I used them from a trip to the USA. My suitcases were collected from my home in Chester and delivered to my …
If I had to describe my perfect day at the beach it would include soaring temperatures, a cloudless blue sky and a golden beach. I’d want some gentle waves to splash around in and a refreshing breeze to keep me cool. This sounds idyllic but, let’s me honest, this gets boring pretty quickly so I’d …
There’s a reason they call it La-La Land and that is, quite simply, because Los Angeles is crazy. Of course, I mean crazy in a good way but it’s crazy all the same. From the botoxed wannabes that strut along Holly Boulevard to the genuine celebs that hide in the hills, LA has always attracted …
The Wynwood Art District in Miami is a neighbourhood dedicated to art. There are over 70 art galleries and collections in the area and every street is colourfully decorated with amazing street art. Wynwood was once a run down area of Miami but was recently regenerated to revive the art scene and attract visitors. In …
Before visiting Miami I asked around for some tips and ideas for things to see and do. As always, my fellow travel bloggers and Miami locals were amazing and came back to me with some great suggestions. As the suggestions starting coming in I noticed a common theme here, nearly all of them were recommendations …
You can party in the city where the heat is on and all night on the beach till the break of dawn. Everyday is like mardi gras and everybody parties all day, no work all play, okay. There’s all ages and races, real sweet faces. Every different nation, Spanish, Hatian, Indian, Jamaican, black, white, Cuban …
When stepping inside a luxury hotel it’s always the smell that I notice first. Fresh, clean and perfumed scents wash over me as the automatic doors swing open into a brightly lit lobby. A breeze sweeps through the hotel from the ocean and mingles with the flowers and expensive perfume that lingers in the air. …
On Wednesday I flew out to Miami and I’ve been loving this whirlwind of gorgeous beaches, amazing food, swanky bars, shopping and sight-seeing. I haven’t had chance to catch up on my favourite blogs so I’m going to skip Weekend Reads this week and share some of the books I’ve downloaded for my trip. (If …
It wasn’t that long ago that airport lounges were reserved for business travellers or the rich and famous. It was only the people flying at the front of the plane who had access to these bars of tranquillity within the airport while the rest of us were herded into a pen like cattle. Thankfully, times …
After a few years of travelling I’ve finally realised that you can pack light AND pack stylishly. The first thing I have to remind myself is that no one looks stylish when they’re hot, sweaty and stressed from heaving heavy luggage. It’s all about breezing through the airport, not being weighed down and having a …
When most people think of India, they think of the Taj Mahal and rightly so, it is India’s most recognised monument. If you’re planning to visit India soon, then you’ll want to have a read of today’s post and it is full of my tips for visiting the Taj Mahal while you’re in the South …
Last week I shared with you some of my favourite travel vloggers. Since then I’ve been chatting to them to find out what if they have any vlogging tips to share with us. They’ve come back with some brilliant advice with practical tips and insider secrets that you can only gain through years of travel …