Month: May 2015

How to Stay Fit & Healthy While Backpacking

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There’s nothing worse than travelling the world, visiting beautiful beaches and not feeling body confident. We’ve all done the emergency ‘beach body’ thing before a two-week holiday, which is mainly unsuccessful and usually way too last minute. But what if you’re always on holiday… like, for a year? Before I embarked on my travels I started a little fitness kick to make sure my body was prepared for the backpacker’s life. I didn’t want low fitness levels or lack of body confidence to hold me back from doing anything – whether that’s climbing a mountain or strutting my stuff on a beach. While I wasn’t striving for a Victoria’s Secret Angel bod, I did want to feel strong and capable. Getting fit and achieving a toned body without a gym, large budget or a well-stocked fridge is hard, I admit, but there are a few tips you can follow to keep your bod looking beach-ready while travelling. 1. Er, swim I’m always surprised by the amount of people who bake on a beach all day and never get in …

Hey Ladies, Don’t Forget Your Sports Bra!

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If this sound like the most random article ever then I’m sorry, but it’s not. This is me imparting some knowledge that will seriously improve the quality of your backpacking life. I’m totally alive with excited energy as I type this because I simply believe this is one of the greatest lessons I have learned in my, ahem, twenty-something years on this earth. Okay, a bit OTT, but read on for why you need to embrace the sports bra… THEY LOOK PRETTY GOOD THESE DAYS They’re an actual, legit fashion item now. Forget those grey elastic over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders, today’s sports bras come in myriad colours, patterns and designs and they’re really flattering on most people. This means you can wear it as a fashionable crop top as well as a bra. Score. I love a multi-tasking item. YOU CAN SWIM IN IT Speaking of multitasking, your sports bra will double as a bikini top, and you won’t look weird, I promise. In fact there are bikinis that specifically and truly double as sports bras these days …

Skin Safety 101

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If you’re travelling, chances are at some point or another (or most of the time in my case) you’ll be subject to some pretty epic heat. Sunshine and travel go hand in hand and while a dose of the yellow stuff is great, too much can be dangerous. So in the interests of health, happiness and comfort, here are some tips to keep you safe in the sun. Wear Sunscreen Baz Luhrman was right about this, wear sunscreen, every day. I am mixed race and have pretty dark skin that tans at the mere thought of sunlight but even I wear the highest factor I can at all times. It’s a common misconception that SPF stops you tanning, it doesn’t, it just increases the time you can spend in the sun. Use a good quality SPF on your face of factor 30 or higher. This will stop you burning and most importantly prevent your peachy skin wrinkling up like an old prune. A Few Sunscreen Tips… I’ve already told you to wear sunscreen but here’s …

How to Stay Hydrated in Hot Climates 

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Twice in my life I have thrown strops in airports because I was too thirsty. I may have done so many more times in a non-airport setting. I’m a chill person, but I have a massive fear of dehydration. If you’re dehydrated you feel sluggish, tired, weak, head achey and you look like sh*t too. Thirst is the last warning sign of dehydration, so if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. water filtration. At home it’s easy to have a routine and stay well-watered but if you’re o the road, how do you do it? A big concern is water-safety in foreign countries, mostly you’ll have to buy bottled water which can become very expensive, even if water is cheap. A 50p bottle of water, if you’re drinking 4 a day for a month, quickly amounts to £60 – not good for budget conscious travellers. Buy a Steripen You can buy sterilising tablets but I’m wary of any chemicals you ingest. A Steripen works like this: “UV light purifies water without harmful chemicals and without changing …

7 Amazing Tips For Staying in Hostels

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Let’s face it, staying in a hostel is no one’s dream situation. Ideally I’d be staying in 5 Star hotels every night… but until they become free, or I become rich, then it’s not going to happen. So hostels it is. These days there are actually some super cool, chic hostels that combine great design and great prices – admittedly most of these are in western Europe or more westernised places – but hostels can be seriously fun! Plus you’re way more likely to meet fellow young travellers in a hostel than the Four Seasons. Here are 7 golden rules for happy hostelling. 1. Take Earplugs My Dad runs a clubnight with a very loud soundsystem and a lot of people complain it’s to loud when they go, the obvious response would be ‘well, if you can’t stand the heat…’ but the staff dole out earplugs. And they work! Don’t be a moaner, just stick a plug in it. You can buy them mega cheap off eBay. 2. And a sleep mask I’m a great …

Check Out These Stunning Photos of Beaches by Massimo Vitali

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Massimo Vitali of Como, Italy began his career as a photo journalist in the 1970s and it wasn’t until 1995 that he began taking photos of the vast, detailed landscapes he is best known for. His evocative scenes of beaches, pools and other public spaces were captured from super-high podiums (sometimes 4 or 5 metres high, yikes), observing his subjects from a distance. This gives a glimpse into the behaviours of people in their leisure time, from all around the world – Vitali is something of a globe-trotter. It’s hard not to feel moved by the little figures and clean, bright colours. Especially if you’re a globe-trotter yourself! Massimo Vitali: Natural Habitats

6 Inspiring Books to Load on to Your Kindle Before a RTW Trip

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What would life be without books? Boring probably. What would an eight hour flight be without books? Unbearable! My Kindle is the only travel partner I need and my number one backpacking essential. Here are six inspiring books I read this year that you should definitely download… Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth This book is like the anti-Sex and The City, it’s gritty (ish) realness appealed massively to me as did the fact it’s set in Manchester and not London. It follows two twenty-something girls who are best friends and housemates. Despite being highly educated and savvy the two are still pretty juvenile and working dead-end jobs whilst navigating unfulfilling relationships. I like it for the fact it’s a truer depiction of twenty-something life than anything I’ve ever read and that the girl’s friendship, not the men in their lives is the strongest theme. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran If you’re anything like me then columnist, feminist and all-round super hero Caitlin Moran’s first book How to be a Woman is your …