Two Sides of Tokyo in One Day: Visiting Yanaka and Akihabara
By the time we arrived in Tokyo, I was exhausted. My trip to Japan had a jam-packed itinerary, but with only stolen naps on bullet trains to make up for the onslaught of temple-seeking early mornings and sparkling sake-drinking evenings,…
A Room With A View of the Runway at Bloc Hotel, Gatwick
There are people I know who love airports, claiming them to be like giant service stations full of food and entertainment. I couldn’t agree less. I power my way through them, earphones in (even if I’m travelling with somebody else), despairing…
Exploring The Crystal Ship: Europe’s Biggest Street Art Festival
Stepping out of my hotel on my first morning in Ostend, Belgium’s largest coastal town, my eyes eagerly scanned every wall, window and plant pot, knowing I was in the epicentre of one of Europe’s biggest street art festivals. Far…
A Self-Guided Cycling Tour of the Marlborough Wine Region, New Zealand
After swearing off white wine for life, thanks to indulging heavily in cheap, vinegar-y plonk as a student, it took me a few years to take some tentative sips of the stuff again. Even now, I’m still wary, but I…
Is Long Term Solo Travel Just ‘Running Away From Your Problems’?
I remember sitting in a hostel bar in New Zealand near the end of my three-month solo trip and talking to a fellow backpacker, when they asked me a question that made me jolt: ‘So, what are you running away…
The Beer Spa, Budapest: An Alternative Thermal Bath Experience
I’ve inadvertently ended up in a couple of geothermal areas of the world in the last six months, from the sulphur pools of Rotorua in New Zealand to the outdoor hot pools of Iceland, so a trip to…
Why You Don’t Need to Plan Where to Eat in Japan
It was the food that drew me to Japan in the first place. Ramen, sushi, katsu, yakisoba, teriyaki, tempura; a plethora of dishes I was desperate to try in their place of origin, but when I tried to plan where…
How to Bring Hotel Luxury to Your Bank Holiday at Home
Oh, Bank Holiday! Every time one rolls around, I’m more thankful than ever for the respite from the daily grind of office life. What have we done to deserve this random day off?! Yet, it surprises people to hear that…
Driving Iceland’s Golden Circle in Winter: What to Know Before You …
Planning our winter trip to Iceland, I knew there was a ton of natural phenomena outside of our base in Reykjavik that I wanted to see, but on a long weekend, our time was limited. As we started totalling up…