All posts filed under: Tips + Tricks

Almost Time to Go? Get Your Affairs in Order

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So you’ve booked your flights, paid them off, saved some cash and waited what seems like a lifetime. Suddenly the time is almost upon you and you’ve got a couple of weeks to get your shit in order. This can be pretty overwhelming, realising you actually have quite a few things to sort out before your trip, so here is a list of things you need to do so you can chill once you’re at your destination. PACK This might sound obvy but pack EVERYTHING in good time, you can always unpack if there are things you’ll need to use but pack up everything you plan to take in your backpack or suitcase to see if it fits. Also to see if you can carry it. If you can’t then at least you have time to edit. Also launder any clothes that need to laundered and purchase anything on your list that you don’t have yet. Read my packing list>>> GROOM Give yourself an epic grooming session before you leave so you can chill out …

The Best Travel Budgeting App – Review

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If you’re going backpacking for a few weeks or months then keeping on top of your budget is paramount, I know boring… but if you accidentally blow all your dineros in the first few days your trip will be cut short. Obviously while you do want to be careful with your cash you do not want to spend hours each day faffing around with receipts, spreadsheets and paper. There’s an app for everything and I thought I’d road-test some of the best money travel apps available. Which I did, and as soon as I started looking into it, it became abundantly clear that TRAIL WALLET is head and shoulders above the rest. So I’ll just tell you about that one… *Please note this in no way sponsored or affiliated with Trail Wallet, I just genuinely think it’s a cool and useful app. In a Nutshell “Trail Wallet is an easy travel expense tracker for iPhone and iPad. Designed to be fast, it takes the headache out of expense tracking so you can focus on the …

My Packing List Pt. 2

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Read My Packing List Pt. 1 This is the second part of my packing list, the one with all the lady stuff. When you think about it, it takes a helluva lot of grooming to even look half presentable. If it were up to me, I’d let myself go to seed and not bother with shaving or plucking… but it’s not, I would be shunned by society for sure if I took a more relaxed approach to beautifying. That said, there’s no point going OTT while you’re backpacking. So leave the straighteners, foundation and fake tan at home.

Pre-Travel Health Check for Girls

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What a yawn-a-thon life can be at times, even planning a RTW, once in a lifetime, trip comes with its fair share of boring tasks. One thing you should never neglect is your health, no matter how dull a trip to the doctors may seem. Here’s your checklist of things you need to do before you set foot on that plane: Sort out your contraception The last thing you want while you’re travelling is to fall preggers… literal nightmare. Hot, sweaty, with child. Not the ideal scenario. I mean OF COURSE you’ll be using condoms during any sexual encounter but accidents do happen. So if you’re taking the pill, stock up, if you have an injection, you’ll need to switch to something else for long term travel. Personally I favour the implant as it just stays in there, and requires zero effort from moi. Also it stops me menstruating which is BRILLIANT! I hate periods, especially on holiday. Not having them saves me money and room in my luggage bar the emergency tampon or two. …

What That Coffee Can Buy You Around The World

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Let me first level with you by saying that I have never, ever bought a coffee in my entire life. This is because I hate coffee – seriously, I’ve tried it about three times and the last time I had a sip it made me feel violently ill for DAYS. No exaggeration. It’s yukky. BUT I do buy tea, wine, cakes, all sorts of sh*t, so the coffee is a symbol for our mindless consumerism, okay? Now, a lot of people like to tell you that by skipping your weekly Starbucks you can save X amount in a year… blah, blah, blah. But we are the generation of instant gratification, we can’t sacrifice the little things for some unknown future reward.We need them! So with that in mind I’ve taken the liberty of showing you EXACTLY what the price of a Cappuccino (let’s average it out at £3) will you get you around the world. THAILAND £3 = 160 Thai Baht Your Frappuccino will get you a night in a hostel dorm in Thailand – …

4 Tips to Make Long-Haul Flights Less Boring

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If you’re going to be travelling, backpacking or just taking a trip to some far an distant land (lucky you) chances are you’ll be going by plane… I dread to think how long it would take to visit somewhere tropical by water, road or train. While long-haul flights ain’t everyone’s cup of tea, (unless you’re travelling in business or first class, in which case let me know how it is) they can be made way more enjoyable with these four fun tips… The Mile High ‘Club’ NOT THAT ONE, you dirty-minded thing you, no! Turn your seat into an oh-so-exclusive club (capacity: one) with a banging playlist of the latest tunes. Whether you use an iPod, a walkman… maybe not, or your phone, just make sure you get some great quality over-ear headphones. The in-ear ones are useless. Big headphones cancel out noise too. I use Spotify, but remember to download your favourite playlists so you can listen to them offline. Shop headphones>>> Check out my Travel Playlist>>> You Better Werk A lot of travellers …

How To Travel in Luxury… On a Backpacker’s Budget

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If you’re looking for spa and five star hotel recommendations here, then sorry, you’re in the wrong place. I may be fashionable, but I’m still a backpacker – and there’s no shame in that. Some of the most beautiful and fun things you can do in this world a free. Even back home in the UK a £5 Nandos was pretty much my favourite activity (Gosh I miss Nandos). I’m very inventive though and I’ve come up with some tips to make your budget trip that little bit chicer – and remember, luxury is a state of mind.* 1. Take a little luxury with you Whether it’s a Bella Freud top, your favourite beauty product or even a mini Diptyque candle – put it in your backpack and take it with you. A little item that won’t take up much space can give you a taste of the creature comforts you’re used to and make you feel that bit more glam. 2. Hunt for online deals Want to visit that hotel, restaurant, spa or gallery? …

How To Cope With Being a Lone Traveller

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As a lone traveller you will sometimes, or a lot of the time, be alone. The amount of time you spend alone is up to you… you don’t have to spend any time alone if you don’t want to (well, hardly any). But if the thought of flying solo terrifies you that much then you probably wouldn’t be embarking on a round the world trip by yourself anyway, right? I am the oldest of three kids (hi Marcus and Sophie) and as such learned from a young age that I relish time to myself. It’s not that I’m antisocial, far from it, I love meeting new people and socialising. I’m very outgoing and really enjoy the company of others… but I have never yearned for companionship. LEARN TO LOVE YOUR OWN COMPANY I know some people can’t stand to be in their own company and have to be surrounded by people constantly, that’s not me, genuinely. I’m so thankful for that because I’m always happy and I’m not held back from doing things because of …

best solo female travel blogs

The 6 Female Travel Blogs You Need to Follow

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As a newbie traveller and a round the world trip planner, I’m pretty into my travel blogs. They’re such a great source of inspiration and information – written from a personal perspective. Let’s face it, the travel supplements in glossy magazine’s are wonderful but unless a hitherto unknown multi-millionaire uncle dies and leaves me a large sum of money, they’re trips out of my league. I like a travel blogger who can tell me how to live it up in Laos for a few dollars, or where the best club is in Kabul. With that in mind I want to share with you some blogs that will really whet your appetite for world travel.  Best For Inspirational Quotes GREASE & GLAMOUR Stylish travel blogger Jenna started travelling after the death of her beloved father, instead of mourning in the traditional way, she got a life size cut-out of her Dad and took him to all the places he never got to see. Her images are dreamy and she’s the master of the inspirational quote. Definitely one …

solo female travel blog

8 Reasons to Travel in Your Twenties

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This is an article written for those of us dedicated to long-term travel who are a little bit tired of the same old questions. “Why are you leaving everything behind?”, “What about your job?”, “Aren’t you scared?”. It gets tiresome, so maybe print out this page and hand it to anyone who asks you travel-related questions. Of course the short answer is “because I bloody well want to!” You’re young, hot and living by the laws of YOLO baby… 1. If not now, when? You’re not getting any younger, so make hay while the sun is shining and head out into the big wide world. Seriously though, the older you get, the harder it is to drop everything on a whim. 2. Everything will still be there if you go back The career you left, your friends and family, they’ll all be waiting for you if and when you choose to go back home. Taking a year or two out of your life is a drop in the ocean – You’re not Rihanna, no one minds …