Lights, Camera, Location!
It is all too easy to find yourself stuck in a routine and to slowly come to recognise that maybe there is more to life. If there are reasons that you can’t escape the routine just yet, then sit back and enjoy some armchair travel. Be inspired and plan your own adventure. These are some of the movies that have inspired me to travel. The Beach – Thailand This story follows a young backpacker who leaves Bangkok for Thailand’s beaches and discovers an island community where he realises he has a lot to learn. This is probably one of the first travel movies that ‘spoke’ to me. As an impressionable…
Queensland Roadtrip
It took five days, but we eventually arrived in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. Roadtrips are a great way to see large countries like Australia. I feel that you see and understand more exploring by road, than you ever will flying. We basically stuck to the M1, of the ‘Bruce Highway’ as it is known here, for most of the 1400km. It is one lane in each direction, which seems incredible to anyone with any familiarity of the UK’s M1, but works out here, since there is so much less traffic. We drove north up to Rockhampton which still has a huge bull in the centre of the roundabout where…
The Inexpensive way to use your iPhone Overseas
There is no debating it. iPhones (and smart phones generally) are fantastic. Gigantic phone bills because of data roaming charges overseas however, are definitely not. How are the best ways to avoid the nasty charges? Read on to discover the inexpensive way to use your iPhone overseas. What sort of trip have you planned? Firstly, it is important to recognise that there are differences in how you will use your iPhone overseas, depending on the type of trip you have planned. Holidaymakers Tourists on holiday and any other people on short trips are most likely to avoid all the hassle of getting a local SIM card and continue to use…
Jetlag swine!
I have never suffered badly with jetlag (or been badly ‘lagged’ as my brother used to say). In all my travels I think I’ve fallen asleep in my dinner once or twice around the world, but I have always got at least as far as dinner before collapsing with exhaustion. The trip from the UK to Australia is something else though. It really is the other side of the world you are travelling to. Calculating the time ‘over there’ (whichever way you’re working it out) is confusing enough; trying to get your body to adjust is truly difficult. I have long been teased about my ability to fall asleep almost…
The Hardest Goodbye
I have said a lot of goodbyes this week. Some people are very casual about it and in this day and age with the internet, email and the genius that is skype, that is understandable. Some people are very emotional. But one of the hardest goodbyes I have had to say so far was to my girls. My girls are my two cats Sultan and Saba. They have been a daily part of my life for years and already, I miss them. Sultan is seven and a half and has lived with me for seven of those years. She was a street cat in Turkey and I fell in love…
The Chaos of finishing a chapter of your life
My life has had many chapters so I am excited about starting a new one, but at the same time my current chapter is racing along at full speed. Rather than imagine I am keeping up, I feel like I am being hurled along with it. Deciding to let my property while I’m overseas was a good decision, but it has created SO much to do ahead of my departure. I am filtering through cupboards and trying to throw out as much as possible, taking down shelves, painting walls and fixing things I didn’t even know were broken. I have also had to talk to my mortgage provider, pick through…
How to keep low cost carrier costs low
Low cost carriers are everywhere these days but how low are their costs really? We’ve all seen the adverts for flights that cost less than getting to the airport. But have you ever actually managed to pull it off? Read on for my tips on how to keep travelling on low cost carriers as inexpensive as possible. Book as far ahead as possible The later you leave it before travelling, the more your seat is going to cost. Lower availability makes the remaining seats more desirable (I use the term loosely) so wherever possible book your seats as far ahead as you can. Understand the refund / change costs If…
The travel plan I’ve been keeping secret for so long
I have been keeping a secret for so long that it almost feels like it is not real and I have imagined the whole thing. I have had this plan squirreled away in the back of my mind for about a year now and I am very excited to reveal it. First though, I must point out that some of you already know about this. This is not another big secret (how many can a girl have?) but the one you already know. In fairness, this has been a pretty badly kept secret. My family have known about it for a while and a few close friends too. I have…
How to not get sick while travelling
Unfortunately a common side-effect of travelling is feeling ‘not quite right’. You may be very unlucky and actually get sick far from home. That means a trip to the doctor and is not what this post is about. This post is just my guide on how to avoid feeling a bit ropey on the road. Many things can cause this such as a change in climate or more commonly a change in diet. Here’s how to stay healthy while travelling. 1. Drink enough water We spend our lives being told that it is essential we drink enough water and nowhere is this more true than in warm climates. Getting dehydrated…
Let the Music take you away
The memories made on the road are one of the best things about travelling. Reminiscing over photos is great, but smells and sounds can transport us to other places too. Which music takes you back somewhere? Click the name of the song for a listen! Tarkan – Simarik As soon as I hear this song it takes me to Oludeniz in Turkey. My first trip to Turkey, as a 17yr old, involved lots of nights out dancing and this song was played in every restaurant and every bar without exception. You’d think I might not have heard it much outside Turkey, but then Holly Valance released an English version called…
