Month: May 2015

Aesop- London Travel case review

The Aesop London Travel Case

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Aesop is the Australian skincare brand that is most coveted by, well, me. And they have created the perfect travel companion – ideal for an inflight kit or to put in your backpack.. The fabric travel case houses 8 miniature products from the coveted Aesop Parsley Seed range including a shampoo and conditioner, body wash, body balm, face wash, toner, facial moisturiser and the cult Aesop mouthwash. All these lovely products come in the signature apothecary-style brown glass bottles, which are the ideal size for travellers and as a bonus can be refilled (hello siphoning off hotel shower gel). The beauty of Aesop products is that they contain no nasties and lots of natural botanicals to soothe skin that’s frazzled from the jet-set lifestyle. Buy The Aesop London Travel Case HERE

The Worst Things About Planning a Round The World Trip

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I’m going to, in this article, try to cover everything I wish I’d known when I started planning my Round the World trip. Full disclosure, there’s a lot of admin and crazy amounts of planning that go into travelling for an extended period of time… which probably doesn’t come as a shock. I think that a lot of travellers like to perpetuate the ‘pack your bags and go’ myth, but there are quite a few loose ends you’ll need to tie up before you leave. Everyone’s got an opinion You will have to deal with your friends, family and colleagues questioning your decision, constantly. And until you fly away from home, this will probably be your sole topic of conversation. Which is sometimes nice but when your Dad just won’t quit giving you murder stats for female travellers and your mates are talking about how you’re so ‘brave’ (read mental) for giving up your WHOLE LIFE… it gets a bit old. My suggestion is to memorise a small speech about why you’re going on a …

Backpacker Fashion: Teva Sandals

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I never in a million years thought my Grandad would be lauded as a fashion icon, but in recent years exactly that has happened, from his raw denim straight-leg jeans to the New Balance he has rocked so faithfully over the decades. His Birks’ ‘n’ socks signature is one I’ve adopted of late and I’m pretty sure the man invented ‘normcore’. The latest trend to be pillaged from his sartorial sack of goodies are these Geography field trip-worthy Teva sandals. They’re everything you could want in a travelling shoe; sturdy, orthopaedic, comfy and… well, fugly. Plus they won’t fall off at that Full Moon Party and they look absolutely fantastic with a sock (should your feet start to rub or blister from epic hikes). On a real though, these sandals are this year’s Birkenstocks, and at less than £35, they are waaaay more pocket-friendly. Grab ’em while they’re haute. Get yours here, here and here.

Tips For Eating Healthily While Travelling

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Eating healthily is hard enough most of the time, but what if you don’t have a fridge, an oven or *gasp* a Nutribullet to whip up something nutritious? As a backpacker, you’ll probably be eating on-the-go and be at the mercy of whatever the local cuisine is. Don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to stay true to the #eatclean movement while on the move. Forget Western Food Why anyone would want a Burger King in Thailand is beyond me, fast food chains are now sadly a completely global thing. That means whether you’re in Cambodia, Argentina or Cape Town you’ll be able to grab a McDonalds easily. Chance are that the local version of ‘fast food’ will not only be cheaper but way healthier. If you’re a fussy eater just GET OVER IT, try something new and you won’t regret it. An authentic dish like a Pad Thai in Thailand will taste immeasurably better that any western fast food. Besides, you can grab a pizza back home. The best fast food from around the …

India – My First Impressions

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So I’ve spent my first 24 hours in India and I feel like I have been here a week already! A lot has happened, but I’m glad I dived right in. On the flight here there was a man being deported back to India and he was not happy about it – so there wasn’t much sleep to be had due to all his screaming. Ah well! It’s not too long a trip. e-Visa At New Delhi airport, if you’re from the UK, you’ll have to get your e-Visa… which takes ages. They take your fingerprints and retina scan you but either the machinery wasn’t working or some people have very faint fingerprints as it was taking up to 15 minutes for some people thus making the queue about an hour long. When it came to my turn it took 2 minutes… I have very pronounced fingerprints. The Metro I decided to get the Delhi Metro to where I was staying instead of a taxi as I prefer public transport when travelling alone, it feels safer, also …

8 Reasons To Visit Istanbul, Like Now

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 One of my favourite cities in the world is crazy, vibrant Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, formerly hub of the Ottoman Empire and oh so many other things. It’s where East meets West –  the only city in the world to straddle (ooh, er) two continents. Half is in Europe and the other bit is in Asia – which is pretty damn cool. There’s so much more so I’ll break it down list-form for ya…  1. Shopping I’m very into my ethnic jewellery and bags, and I also like things to be cheap; if this sounds like you too, Istanbul is the one! There are also lots of designer stores, high-street chains and a fab Sephora – it’s shopping heaven basically. 2. The famous Grand Bazaar This is the biggest market I’ve ever been to, it kind of looks like something out of Arabian Nights, and sells everything from rings, hookahs and ceramics to spices and knock-off designer handbags. Plus, if you’re willing to haggle (it’s fun, trust me. Start at 10% of the asking price and go no higher than 50%) it’s …

The Fashionable Backpacker Manifesto

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To travel the world. To do so in style! Before I was a world traveller I was a London-based fashionista… I had an award-winning fashion blog, had worked with numerous fashion magazines, had a job creating content for a huge UK high street fashion brand. Plus I was a regular at all those fashion-type parties and London Fashion Week. So you can see how it might be hard for me to reconcile a lightweight life on the road with my innate need to be sartorially spectacular! That’s how The Fashion Backpacker was born. While I was researching my round the world trip I searched high and low for travel tips that had a little bit of extra cool. Just because I’m going to be a backpacker it doesn’t mean I’m giving up who I am. I still want to look and feel great and if I have to wear hiking shoes and a money belt they will damn-well be the most stylish you can get your hand on!

hoxton holborn hotel blog review

The Hoxton Hotel, Holborn London

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Smack bang in the centre of London Town, this is hotel full of character that you probably won’t want to check out of… What’s the hotel vibe? The Hoxton Holborn, much like it’s big sister in East London, is a creative’s dream. The foyer-cum-meeting area-cum-bar is an attractive New York-style large open plan space. It features ample comfortable seating, a mish-mash of sleek mid century furniture, modern armchairs and magazine-laden coffee tables. There’s original artwork adorning the walls and a well-stocked Vogue archive for us fashion types. If you want to get a bit of work done, there are Mac computers to use and free wi-fi if a laptop is more your thing. The beautiful bar is reasonably priced and does a wide range of beers and cocktails. If you want to eat, there’s Hubbard & Bell who also do the room service, plus a branch of Soho House Group’s Chicken Shop downstairs. There’s even a beauty parlour, Cheeky, which alongside beauty treatments, nails and makeup services sell amazing products should you want a bit …

blog review ace hotel shoreditch

The Ace Hotel, Shoreditch London, UK

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There are Ace Hotels the world over (well, the Western world) but this is a review of just one – I’m told they all have their own personality so I hope to visit the rest someday. What’s the hotel vibe? The Ace is a New York-style hotel that attracts creatives and artists (Skepta checked in right after me) with it’s laid-back atmosphere, great music and plenty of space to whip out your Macbook and do some work. The decor is quite masculine and industrial but very, very cool with lots of little touches, like a lot of greenery, a photobooth and fantastic juice bar, Lovage. The bar sells lots of local craft beers, the restaurant Hoi Polloi is fantastically good and you can rent a dreamy Tokyo bike during your stay too. It’s hard not to like Ace Hotel, especially at night when guests and civillians alike swarm to the foyer for drinks while listening to whoever happens to be on the decks that night. What are the rooms like? I stayed in a deluxe …

Why Travelling In Your Twenties Is Never A Bad Idea

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As someone who has already made this monumental decision, I can fully vouch for the old clichés about travelling like; ‘If not now, when?’ ‘Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.’ The one about the world being a book and if you don’t travel you’re always on the same page… or something to that effect. They’re true, so true, but you might sound like a tit when you start spouting off quotes from carefully curated Pinterest boards. For me, the travelling began the moment I decided that I wanted to go. Even though I was still in cold and rainy London. Making that choice put everything into perspective. As a twenty-something you have literally NO responsibilities, none at all. No partner, no kids, no house – I realise a select few twenty-something’s might have some of these things (yay for them) but for a lot of us they’re so far out of reach. This used to feel like a bummer but actually it’s incredibly freeing – we’re free as birds, not tied …