Finding the best foreign exchange rate might not be the sexiest blog topic, but it’s something we all have to do when we travel. I’m pretty sure I’ve been ripped off many times when I’ve been exchanging currency – but I never know what to do about it. I could visit every single foreign currency …
A gourmet start The ocean was holding its breath. The water as thick and shiny as caramelised sugar, and as flat as glass; without a fold, a crease or a curl, only the soft churn of blue by the white edge of the ship. On the horizon, the sun softly kissed the edge of the sea, …
I’m wandering along a sandy, white beach backed with heather covered cliffsides, with rolling green countryside in the distance. There’s barely a soul to be seen, and the crash of waves on the beach is hypnotising. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Well it is, but there’s just one problem. It is bucketing it down, and I …
This is a guest post from James Greener who tells us all about Roomer, the hotel booking site that allows you to save money on hotel bookings thanks to other people’s cancellations. For years, I made good use of a sort of time sharing. My uncle owns some holiday homes around America, and he …
“But how can you afford to travel the world?” That’s the question I get asked most often when I tell people I’m going travelling. I think it’s also what holds most people back from doing the same thing; they’re so worried about the money, that they almost don’t even let themselves think about the incredible …
I’d love to fly first class every time I travel but, the sad reality is, I turn right almost every time I get on a plane. I tell myself I’d rather save my precious pennies and spend them a gorgeous hotel and amazing experiences once I reach my destination. This is true, but I …
You probably already know that I’m an ambassador for Lumix and their range of 4k cameras. Over on my announcement post I gave you a brief introduction to 4k photography but today I’d like to tell you a little more about it – and explain why it’s so flipping fantastic. The main advantage of …
I’ve just return from India, one of my favourite countries; home to yoga, meditation and my hippie alter-ego! I’ve been dipping my toes in the Indian Ocean, unrolling my grumbling back onto my yoga mat, and been massaged into blissful oblivion. It takes roughly 24 hours of travelling from the winding, moody Pennines to Manchester, via …
Before I hit the slopes I didn’t think there was much of a different between skiing and snowboarding. Obviously, I know the physical differences but they both seemed to be ways to get you down a snowy mountain, right? Oh no, so wrong. Skiing and snowboarding are both exhilarating winter sports but the attitudes …
Now that the leaves have started to turn those gorgeous shades of gold and deep red, it’s time to get planning! Soon those leaves will be frosty, which means winter is coming, which means….it’s time for your winter city break. Obviously. Need some inspiration? These are my top five stylish weekend breaks for the upcoming season… #1 …
No matter how old I get, I will always be a big fan of celebrating birthdays. Your birthday is the one day of the year when it’s all about you and celebrating your very existence. And if that’s not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is. I’ve been very lucky and I’ve celebrated …
Here at The Travel Hack we like to think we’re great at digging out unusual destinations to add to your travel wish list. We love cities like Paris, Barcelona and London but there’s nothing like visiting a quieter and less known destination for a more authentic and much more affordable option! Today we’d like to …
We all love a good sunset photo. They’re beautiful, vibrant and gorgeously exotic. These days, it’s really easy to snap a great sunset photo thanks to all the apps that make the colours really pop. Here are some of my favourite sunset shots. If you’re a fellow blogger and a fellow sunset enthusiast then …
Our travel hacking expert, Anne, has embarked on a different type of journey as she heads to India to restore her mind, body and soul with Ayurveda. The Ultimate Stress Head It’s been a stressful year. Hassles at work, step-mom anxieties, and a long suffering back injury which limits running (my usual stress antidote!) My …
Packing light in autumn becomes inherently more difficult than packing in the summer because warmer clothing tends to be heavier and bulkier. Below are my best tips for packing chilly weather clothing without overpacking. Wear your boots, coat, and hat on the plane. These are often the heaviest items you will bring with you, so …
When we arrived at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu we were told there was a turtle nest on the island and asked if we’d like a phone call if the baby turtles hatched. ‘Yes!!’ we nodded enthusiastically at the thought of seeing baby turtles hatching but were told it was unlikely to happen during our …
It’s time for another #TravelBookChat! This month we’re going to be chatting about Marching Powder, by Rusty Young. This is the true story of Thomas McFadden, an English drug smuggler who was arrested in Bolivia and thrown inside the notorious San Pedro prison. He found himself in a bizarre world, the prison reflecting all that is …
One of the most common emails to ping into my inbox is from girls who really want to travel but have no one to go with. Their friends either aren’t interested or can’t afford it and the thought of travelling solo is really scary. But it doesn’t need to be! Read on to find out …
I’ve just returned from an incredible holiday to Coco Palm Dhuni Kholu in the Maldives. It was one of those dream holidays with beaches that looked like they’d been ripped out of a holiday brochure. White sands, turquoise seas, swaying palms, fresh coconuts, idyllic beach villas and endless sunshine. It had every cliché you could …
If you’re anything like me, you left school, graduated uni, got a job, and started to settle down into what the rest of your life might look like. Only, you’re not quite sure if you’re ready for that yet. You’re getting itchy feet. You dream of far-flung beaches and nameless mountains. Of long-haul flights and …
It’s not often you find somewhere quiet in a city as loud and brash as Bangkok, but stepping behind the grassy wall to the Maduzi Hotel, you could be forgiven for forgetting that you’re in the second largest metropolis in Southeast Asia. But here I am after a 22 hour stretch from my door in West …
Have you noticed all the recent hype around 4k photos? I hope so because I’m about to add to it with a very exciting announcement. I’m working with Panasonic Lumix and their 4k cameras as a 4k ambassador! You guys probably know that I love photography and travel and photography go hand in hand. …
Contrary to every one else’s thoughts, this breakfast at the Crimson Hotel was my favourite on the trip so far. Freshly scrambled eggs, some diced potatoes, and a light fluffy pancake with a couple of strips of well cooked bacon drizzled maple syrup! YUM… At 7.45am we were fed and ready to leave Jasper town …
Our Wednesday began at 8.30am where we met our fellow adventurers in the lobby and together, we headed on a 15 minute drive to Downtown Edmonton. To all of our delights, we were welcomed with a cup of coffee from Nomad Espresso and a selection of breakfast dishes from Northlands Truck 1879… Breakfast poutine (UNREAL), …
I recently managed to bag two business class flights to Stockholm for just £85. How you might scream? AVIOS Upgrade Voucher Well on this occasion, I was using the Lloyds Bank AVIOS Rewards Credit Card, which rewards you with a AVIOS upgrade voucher when you spend £7,000. The voucher allows two people to upgrade one class …
As we pulled into Mazan, located in the valleys of the Vaucluse region, we quickly spotted Chateau de Mazan, a charming hotel towering high above the rest of town. Mazan was laid out with a circled wall of buildings that dated back to the 14th century. The “portes” along the wall open to narrow streets …
Day 3 in Canada had us venturing out of Edmonton and onto Jasper. We left our hotel at 7.45am to get a head start on the 4.5 hour journey through Jasper National Park to our first activity of the day – the Sulphur Skyline Hike. As you can see it’s a STUNNING drive, with some …
If exploring a brand new country, as beautiful as Canada, wasn’t enough, I was surprised by the smiley check in lady with an upgrade to Business Class. She actually looked as surprised as I did considering I was dressed in pretty much my pyjamas with the intent of optimising my comfort in economy class for …
I have wanted to visit Provence in the South of France for some time now. The vineyards, the stone farm houses, the colorful shutters, the hilly countryside, and the amazing food have been calling my name for years. When my husband and I decided to take a holiday for our first wedding anniversary, I knew …
I first flew with Singapore Airlines when I was about six. I don’t remember much about the flight, but I vividly recall my parents raving about the airline to their friends and family after we returned home. A few years ago I experienced the airline for the first time as an adult. Since then, I’ve …
This competition has been extended until October 8th! Who hasn’t dreamt about a luxury holiday in the Maldives? A real tropical paradise style holiday with white sand and turquoise sea. The kind of place with luxurious villas on stilts over the lagoon, cocktails sipped under palm trees and dinner eaten under the stars. I don’t know about …
For our last stop in the South of France we made our way through the narrow roads east of Avignon, climbing higher and higher until we came across a fairy tale-like village, Crillon le Brave. Hotel Crillon-le-brave is situated high above town with eight buildings providing breathtaking views of vineyards and olive groves. We checked …
Having spent a few days in the countryside we were ready for the bustling of a bigger city. We arrived in Aix-en-Provence and instantly felt as though we’d found a Mediterranean Paris. In fact, Aix is known as the 21st arrondissement of Paris because of its cultural scene. What it lacks in historical sites, it …
If like me you’re a vegetarian you’ll share my pain of struggling to find good restaurants and cafes to try. Not necessarily dedicated vegetarian places as I don’t think you need to segregate different food preferences and I’m certainly not a preaching vegetarian – each to their own. However, somewhere that offers more than one vegetarian option …
Before I begin, let’s just take a couple of minutes and look how gorgeous Jersey is. Even their cows and potatoes look gorgeous! Don’t even get me started on the beaches… I was blown away when I first saw these pictures. We Brits don’t know how lucky we are to have such …
Everyone has a couple of dirty little secrets so it’s time to air them out and let you in on a few of my travel secrets. My travel secrets might not be as juicy as you’re expecting. Actually, some of them are kind of gross. But being a little bit gross makes travelling so much …
Southeast Asia is one of the most affordable places in the world to grab a little luxury at a reasonable price. Five star hotels which you would pay hundreds of dollars a night for in cities such as London, Sydney or New York sell for a fraction of the price in cities in S.E. Asia. …
Earlier this summer, LateRooms.com launched a memorable moments competition whereby they asked us to share our memorable photographs. Entrants were asked to send them in via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the #LateRoomsMoment hashtag. There were so many amazing moments entered with gorgeous photos that captured your summer perfectly. These are the photos you want …
I had just spent 5 weeks at a fitness camp in Phuket, Thailand. My body was aching and I was in dire need of a rest, so I booked myself in for a few days of R&R at Layana Resort & Spa, Ko Lanta. Ko Lanta is one of the last remaining quiet spots in the Andaman …
Do you want to know what goes on behind the scenes in the life of a travel blogger? I’d love to tell you that it’s all sunset selfies, exotic holidays and brunches in beautiful places. Some of the time it is, but most of the time it isn’t! This is why I’ve decided to finally …