I have 2 teenagers now and we travel. We travel a lot, it’s our business and our joy and taking my teens to new places is my favourite thing to do. However, teens have a bad reputation in some circles as not the best travellers. We’ve not had any issues while travelling with teens so […]
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How to Make Money Travel Blogging ( From Someone Who Does)
I'm asked all the time so here are my best tips on how to make money travel blogging. Blogging funds our life, 2 adults, 2 kids now almost grown, full time travel. Travel blogging and running this travel blog allowed us to see the world. We're 100% legitimate and the money comes from the blog, not selling courses. We genuinely love travel and sharing the world with our readers, we're going to continue to be travel bloggers not course sellers. So here are some pointers and tips to help you make an income from your blog or website. These tips aren't in any particular order and not in huge detail because I'm not writing a book here, but I hope you find these useful. Our story is simple, … read full post...
Best Anti Theft Travel Bags – (2019 – 2020 new)
When choosing a bag ( a handbag, travel purse, daypack or backpack) for travel or city use most people will give some thought to security. It makes sense to buy a bag that makes a bag snatcher's or pickpocket's life as hard as possible. We've taken a look at the best anti theft travel bags for travellers, the ones designed to keep your passport, cash and other travel essentials attached to you but all of these anti theft bags work just as well for daily use, anywhere in the world. If you don't have time to read this full post, our top picks are below. One is an anti theft bag for travel, work or city, the other is an anti theft backpacks ideal for city life or travel days. Find full … read full post...
Best Places To Visit in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich places on the planet. It's one of my personal favourites of the 50+ countries we've visited and I can't recommend it highly enough for your long-term travel or holiday vacation. This post deals with best places to visit in Sri Lanka, the best attractions and historic sites. We have a Sri Lanka travel home page that can help you with all aspects of travel in Sri Lanka including health, visas, practicalities and so on ( click through on the link above) this post is just about places to see and to visit. One of you, our readers, asked me to write this post for them. I don't mind doing this at all, so if you have any questions … read full post...
London With Kids
Of all the cities in the world, London is my top pick for children because of the wealth of things to do in the UK's capital, many of them free. Of course London can be expensive too, be ready for that, but the devalued pound and good exchange rates could help foreign visitors a lot. Flights to London have also become more affordable lately. Some ideas, tips, reviews and guides on London with children, 2019 updated, some are my own childhood favourites, some are things and places my kids loved in London. Visiting London with children by a Londoner, a local mum, a returned expat and a full-time professional traveller. We returned to live in London for 8 months as part of our … read full post...
Travel Essentials I Couldn’t Travel Without 2019
It's been 6 years on the road now, what are our travel essentials and what should we have left at home? I spent 12 months thinking about what to pack for this, now epic, RTW trip. I wrote a few posts about travel gear and what I was probably going to pack as a way of getting it straight in my head and curing my terrible packing anxiety. When crunch time came I took a lot less stuff than I had planned. We were packing for world travel, but the same items are essential no matter what kind of travel you're planning. We hope our experiences learning what's essential, what's not, are helpful to you. We were travelling without my husband for the firsts 6 weeks of our … read full post...
Thailand With Kids. No Worries!
Are you worrying about travelling to Thailand with kids? We can help you with that. If you'd like to dip your toe in the water of Asian family travel, taking kids to Thailand would be my top recommendation. We have been to Thailand 20+ times, each trip has been fabulous and problems have been few. Hopefully we can help you get your family to Thailand. First let me say hi, my name is Alyson and I've taken my kids to amazing destinations on every continent bar Antarctica. Sometimes I write guides and how-to pieces, sometimes travel stories, sometimes I'm a travel consultant, sometimes just a mum. Have a look around our site when you're done with this Thailand with kids blog and sign up to … read full post...
Europe Travel Blog, Guide & Tips 2019
Europe travel tips, destinations and guides. Collected blog posts on travel in Europe, from living in London and Romania and driving the full length of Europe, often. Also from visiting the tourist hot-spots of Europe that we'd stop at along the way. What about you ? What are your Europe plans ? Are you just starting to consider a first time visit to Europe or will this be a return trip ? Do you live in Europe and want to see more of the continent of Europe ? We hope to be able to help you with any aspect of travel in Europe, from this page. You'll find Europe travel tips and ideas below as well as more detailed information on some of the best places in Europe for you to see. This … read full post...
Best Travel Drone. Which to Buy & Drone Travel Tips
When looking to buy a travel drone you'll soon realise that there are numerous choices ranging from $50 through to $2500. Obviously drones vary in quality and performance. Cheap drones are more like toys and maybe won't give travel photography results you could use professionally, on a travel blog or Instagram account. Likewise you may not need to get the full professional $2500 drone if you're not a professional photographer looking to sell your footage or use it for commercial purposes. We found that we needed to spend around $1000 to get a drone that would do what we wanted in terms of great photography and videography, was easy to operate and safe to fly. We look at choosing the … read full post...
Best Gifts for Homeschoolers
Homeschoolers are some of the easiest people to buy for because we ( the kids and the parents) just love anything educational. We call them homeschool resources but they can be in the form of books, toys, games, sets and kits. We've been homeschooling ( worldschooling and unschooling) a long time with great results, these are the best gifts for homeschooled kids or homeschooling families that I can recommend this year. Some we own and love, some are new on the market, all would make amazing additions to any home educating family's resources. We've got ideas from under $20 to big main presents, take your pick and find a great Christmas or birthday gift. We think all of these gifts are … read full post...
Vietnam Travel Blog and Guide
Vietnam is one of our favourite countries, packed with history, stunning landscapes, cultural highlights and amazing food. It's one of the most exciting destinations in South East Asia.We visited back in 1999 for the first time and recently we headed back there to create this Vietnam Travel Blog section for you. We had the luxury of time and 2 x 3 month visas to really get to know Vietnam and share it with you. In this post we'll look at places to go in Vietnam, itinerary ideas, where to stay and how to travel in Vietnam. Links here will take you to more detailed posts. We hope you find our Vietnam tips and guides useful in planning your travel, vacation or holiday in … read full post...
GetYourGuide Review. Why We Use GetYourGuide
We've been travelling and taking tours for over 5 years now and more and more we're using GetYourGuide to reliably get us to the places we want to go, on the day that fits with our schedule. We're savvy travellers and we like a bargain, so why, and when, do we use GetYourGuide to book the tours and experiences we need? Also, why is GetYourGuide often our first port of call when researching what to do in a new global location? We present you with a GetYourGuide review to help you decide if this is the reliable tour company you should use, information on Get Your Guide Dubai and Vietnam along with Get Your Guide Harry Potter Tours. Other tour companies and online providers exist, but … read full post...
Breb Maramures. Our Incredible Village in Romania
In the far north of Romania, nestled in a valley below a long-extinct volcano, lies the little village of Breb Maramures County. We first came to Romania, Maramures and Breb in May 2015 and fell in love. Today, we are still unable to fully call it home due to visas and officialdom, but to us, it feels like home. It's the place that after 50+ countries and 6 years of full-time travel, we really want to be. So here, a brief glimpse of life in Breb, 2 Easters, 2 Christmases, 2 harsh winters and 2 glorious summers, absorbing the stunning countryside, the way of life and the traditions of the village of Breb. Breb Maramures Maramures is a magical county, it's famously home to the "last … read full post...
5 Best Portable Battery Packs for Travel
With more and more travel essential gadgets requiring charging, it's little wonder that people are turning to portable battery packs to help fill the power gap when travelling. Be aware that not all battery packs are created equal in build, quality or price. Below I've listed 5 of the most common and widely regarded best chargers on the market at multiple price points. We carry several portable battery packs when we travel, including traditional and solar powered types. We use them for charging phones, Kindles, Nintendo DS, even laptops on the road. If your travel plans involve long journeys or locations and countries where power availability will be an issue, you should most certainly be … read full post...
Getting a Traditional Thai Tattoo in Bangkok
I've got my traditional Thai tattoo, it's hours old and I love it. It's about hand-sized, in the middle of my back and it holds a deep meaning. It was created by a master ajarn with a traditional metal spike. It hurt, only a little. Want to know more? There is a lot more to the experience than just turning up at a tattoo shop and picking your design. Sak Yant, the ancient tattoos of Thailand and nearby parts of South East Asia, should be a bit more special than that. This is how I got my traditional Thai tattoo in Bangkok, from a master, with a personal consultation, blessings and prayers, and how you can too. I'm a 50-year-old woman, a mum, this isn't just for men and it's not just for the … read full post...
Kids Travel Safety Tips. Child Safety Wrist Straps, Harnesses, Wristbands and Tattoos
Readers and Skype consult clients are forever asking me how to make sure kids are safe on the road. There are all sorts of fears in the minds of anxious parents, what if kids get lost? How will they find us again in a foreign country? Could the kids be kidnapped or snatched? What if they get diarrhoea, malaria, sunstroke or ebola? I can't offer all the answers, but I can tell you that my kids, at 12 and 10, are still with me and absolutely fine after almost 50 countries, often spending months in each. We take no extra precautions, but we do stay very vigilant and hold on tightly to them in crowds and around busy traffic or water just as we would at home. The only time I've been a little … read full post...
Best Travel Organisers
Travel organisers are lifesavers. I don't carry much gear for a professional full-time traveler, but I saw the Bubm organisers on Amazon and had to have one I've carried it every day since. When looking for the best travel organisers I picked the Bubm below from a competitive market. I was sick of passport, documents, leads, cables, plugs, adaptors, phones, power packs, memory sticks and electronics debris hanging around in my bag along with tiny crumbs of chocolate, crisp fragments and sticky sweet wrappers (let's mention too, the wet wipes, mosquito repellent, sand and hand gel) constantly threatening destruction. Travel organisers come in various types and styles, some are just for … read full post...
How to Travel With Carry On Only
If you've been following us right from the start, you'll know that I always said I'd never travel with carry on only. I even wrote a post about why we'd never travel light. We just had too much stuff as long-term travellers and the children were too small for their own, decent sized, packs. Well that was then, this is now and lately we've turned to flying carry on only and become quite proficient as our circumstances have changed. These days we're more like you, we're taking shorter trips and we have our home base in beautiful Romania to stash the toys and school books along with the all-weather travel gear. We no longer need to carry everything, everywhere and that's a relief as … read full post...
How to Travel the World for Free
Travel doesn't have to be expensive. We all know the old mantra, travel is cheaper than staying at home, and it's absolutely true, but who doesn't want to minimise travel expenses to get maximum mileage from their dollar? We've been doing just that for years, supporting our travels on very little cash. These days there are many ways to travel the world for free, or at least ultra cheap. We give you several ideas on how to travel the world for free in this post. Some you'll know about, some you won't. Lets take a look at working your way around the world and more, for free or super budget. Travel for Free Free here means, cash-free, of course, you're going to have to exchange … read full post...
How to Save Money on Flights with Skyscanner – But Should You?
Of all the tools we used for finding bargains in the travel world, Skyscanner was number 1, until the day we found ourselves at the check in desk with non-existent tickets. That update and scam warning is further down the page. Our tips on how to save money still stand and are here for you to use. Skyscanner is a great tool, but beware certain 3rd party ticket vendors - Skyscanner have contacted me and this vendor was removed from its databases. So go ahead and open Skyscanner right here, ( in a separate window) I'll give you some tips. Through using Skyscanner and the tips here we saved ourselves £100 per person, £300 total, on our flight to Sri Lanka. Let's take a look … read full post...
Christmas Gifts For Kids and Families Who Travel
If you are keen world travellers or you know a travelling family, you'll like our ideas for Christmas travel gifts for kids and families. In this post we include travel-related gifts, often educational, as well as small gifts to pack in a suitcase or backpack for children and families on the road. We have practical, fun and useful gifts for kids who travel or love to travel. I miss those long lazy lunches on Ko Phangan with our favourite book. If you find our book in Thailand, let us know, we left our name inside. See it, and others in the series, further down this page. Buying travel gifts for kids on the move is tricky, will they take their gift with them, or leave it at … read full post...
Dubai Travel Blog and Guide
It was love at first sight for us in Dubai. From the moment we left the airport, Dubai was one big wow. We posted about our fantastically fun camel-riding, belly-dancing, dune-jumping adventure in the desert. We've told you about the cultural heritage tour that took us beyond the glitz into the living heart of Old Dubai. I may have mentioned, more than once, what an incredible experience seeing the dancing fountains at the Burj Kalifa was. Now some tips, guides, things to do, places to stay and more on our Dubai travel round-up and blog page. Welcome to our Dubai travel blog and guide. We like Dubai a lot, it's different, interesting. We hope you enjoy it too. The problem … read full post...
Wireless EarBuds XFYRO XS2 Review
I was lucky enough recently to try a pair of xS2 XFyro wireless earbuds. As an ultra runner, swimmer, triathlete and traveller, I've really put these wireless, waterproof earbuds through their paces to review for you here. The XFryro Xs2 earbuds have so many features that are, honestly, amazing. The earbuds are more high tech than any device I've ever tried, they're a fantastic piece of equipment for sport, travel or daily use. I'll run through the features and how they performed for me below. These earbuds cost roughly $99 US, that's a ballpark figure, so they won't break the bank and make a great Christmas gift for the adventure lover in your life. XFryo has two wireless earbuds in their … read full post...
Anti Theft Daypack
When we travel, long or short term, vacation, cruise, backpacking, beach or city breaks, most of us carry a daypack. I know I do, I've carried a daypack every day more or less for the last 7 years on every continent bar Antarctica. With rising crime rates around the world, an anti theft daypack is a very good thing to have. We look at the best anti theft daypacks and talk about when, and why you'd need one as well as adding a few tips on avoiding theft from your daypack. What is a Daypack? A daypack is a small backpack that most travellers carry every day. If you're travelling with main luggage, a suitcase or large backpack, your daypack normally stays with you while your main … read full post...
Is It Worth Visiting Bhutan?
We recently spent 10 days touring Bhutan, including hiking, after years of dreaming of visiting this mystical Himalayan kingdom. This was my ultimate bucket list destination and I've finally been. You probably know that Bhutan costs $250 per day per person to visit ( ballpark figure - this can vary either way) so is it worth visiting Bhutan at this price? For me, no, it wasn't worth it, costs outweighed value and enjoyment. Let me explain why before you decide to pay that much money. for your Bhutan tour or trip. Is it worth visiting Bhutan? We hope we can help you make up your mind. The cost of Bhutan does vary with time of year, nationality and adult or child status, I'm using $250 a … read full post...
Problems of Travelling With Kids
Problems of travelling with kids, oh yes, there are a few. Some consider them major problems, others, tiny inconveniences outweighed by rainbow benefits. We are firmly in the second group or we wouldn't be doing this crazy non-stop travel thing. We did it for 6 years, full time, maybe we're nuts. A reader asked me to write this post a long time ago, thanks Kellie, sorry for the delay, I was busy travelling with kids, it's pretty full-on. I think the main problems of travelling with children are very similar to those of normal daily life with children. As parents we all have to get used to being on-call 24-7, we're used to that, we signed up for it. I don't think it's actually a … read full post...
World Schooling a 15 Year Old Teenager
Our kids were exclusively world schooled ( homeschooled or unschooled) from junior school to the teenager years. It worked out well for all of us and we want to help you find your own paths in alternative education. Every now and then I create a blog post on how world schooling changes with time and age. 15 years old was a good age for us, a lot changed for my young teens around that age, so I just wanted to show you what world schooling a 15 year old teenager looked like, for us. Hopefully it will give you confidence and ideas, maybe a push to try a world schooling lifestyle with teens. Kids hit maturity at different ages, that's just one reason the school system is such a farce. The … read full post...
Amphawa Floating Market Travel Guide and Review
Amphawa Floating Market is one of Thailand's best floating markets and is an easy distance from Bangkok for a day trip, weekend or overnight stay. It's in a lovely part of Thailand, Samut Songkhram and this area is worth your time. Amphawa Floating Markets are open on the weekends, Friday to Sunday and they are afternoon / evening markets. They officially open between 2pm and 8pm. They are also open on Thai holidays. (Check these opening times, things could change). Read more on the markets below, how to visit, tours, why you should visit and more information on other floating markets in Thailand. Everyone has heard of Thailand's floating markets and many visitors take an organised tour … read full post...