Our lives on this planet are changing. We are at a point in time where we all have to do more to help our world survive, fast. We have just 11 years left to totally change the world. Many of us are on-board with this and the army of eco-conscious citizens swells daily, but what about those of us who travel? Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly traveller ?I'm not going to stop … [Read Blog...]
Featured : Sri Lanka Guide
Sri Lanka Travel Blog & Guide
Sri Lanka travel blog, for single, couple and family travellers. All our Sri Lanka blog posts, tips, advice, essentials and recommendations in one blog page. This page ties information together, easier for you to find for your Sri Lanka holiday.Costs of travelling in Sri Lanka. Ideas on where to go in Sri Lanka, beaches and cultural. What are the big, must-see attractions and how … read the blog...
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A Tibet Travel Blog – Our Experiences
I honestly don't know where to start with Tibet. We've just spent 8 incredible days travelling through Tibet from Kathmandu and those 8 days were some of the most mesmerising of our last 6 years of full-time travel. I now need to create a Tibet travel blog to record our memories before they fade and to give you the low-down on this beautiful and inspiring place. I'll start today with an overview because every place we visited in Tibet, every experience, deserves its own post.Our journey from Kathmandu, to the Chinese border and onward to Lhasa was immense.So few people visit, I want you all to know about Tibet but I need to tread carefully. You can do more research …
Trekking Watches. Best Choices for Your Trek
Trekking watches have made huge advances in the last 5 years. With the invention and continued improvement of GPS based watches they are now more accessible to more people. You can still get great trekking watches without GPS capabilities and I've listed a few favourites below but for me the best trekking watchs should have GPS capabilities along with the usual features for rugged outdoors use.Some of the minimum features to include in a trekking watch are compass, barometer, altimeter, temperature and of course world time and date. The watches listed below include these details and most have many more extras. The limit really is down to your wallet and needs. Phone messages can even be …
Favourite and Recommended Hotels, Hostels and Guest Houses in Southeast Asia
It's time for us to write a post on our favourite and recommended hotels, hostels and guest houses in Southeast Asia. We've been travelling the world for 5 years now and a lot of that time has been spent in Southeast Asia, some of these places we've used multiple times, others we've used once and really loved them. All are at the lower cost end of the price spectrum but not necessarily ultra budget. They do however, we think, offer good value. We're about to visit Thailand for the 24 th time and will probably pick one of the 2 properties listed below. We return to the same hotels or hostels time and time again. They are 2nd homes to us with good wifi, good food and comfortable accommodation …
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 Vietnam. Vietnam …
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 …
SunGod Sunglasses Review. PaceBreakers, Renegades & Sierras Tested
SunGod Sunglasses offer high performance, high quality, customisable sunglasses that you can order online and have in your hands through mail order delivery. Their glasses are extremely good looking, outstandingly so, they are perfect for adventure use and they come with a lifetime guarantee.What other sunglasses company offers that? We've thoroughly tested 3 models of SunGod sunglasses, the sports PaceBreakers, the timeless Renegades and the new Sierras. All 3 have models have come with us to Everest Base Camp. The PaceBreakers even made it to Island Peak. we've also used them for adventure and luxury travel for well over a year.We like the brand and we're happy …
Anti Theft Travel Bags & Devices. Some of the Best
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 …
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 …
How to Travel the World?
You want to know how to travel the world, right? We've done it, so can you. It could be a 2 week vacation to an exotic, far-away place that just puts you a little outside your comfort zone, or you could be wanting to travel for a year, maybe more, as a family, as a single or as a couple. Whatever it is you'd like to do, however you'd like to live your dreams, our new section, how to travel the world, will answer your questions and show you how to plan and execute your own travel adventure.So, if you want to travel the world solo, with a baby, with a child, as a family, on a low budget or in luxury and style, the basics are the same, we can help you.You can click links on this page …
Getting a Traditional Thai Tattoo in Bangkok
I've got my traditional Thai tatto, 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, 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 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 young. …
Best Family Hotels in Bangkok. Reviews and Recommendations
It's hard to know where to stay in Bangkok and finding family accommodation in Thailand's vibrant capital is harder still. We're hunting for the best family hotels in Bangkok at every price point, budget guest house, hostel, mid range hotel and luxury resort because we travel all ways. Many hotels cater for singles and couples, but we've searched for the best hotels with family rooms or suites, tried many and can share our reviews and recommendations here with you. We've found the hotels with the family facilities and the family-friendly establishments from budget to luxury. We list family-friendly hostels that have private family rooms here too, they are often a good choice and there are a …
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 carry on only travel 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 carry on …
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 has been removed from its databases. So go ahead and download the Free Skyscanner App right here. 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 at how to use Skyscanner to …
Port Douglas Accommodation. Best Hotels, Resorts, Rentals and Hostels
As a former long-term Port Douglas residents turned professional traveller, we know the local accommodation from hotels to hostels very well indeed. Readers often ask where to stay, which is the best hotel in Port Douglas, what hostel is most affordable and what accommodation is best for families? They need recommendations for backpackers, family holidays, for budget trips, and for luxury romantic breaks, the complete cross-section of travel styles. We've put together a few suggestions at multiple price points to get you started. But first, lets talk about Port Douglas as a destination.[cmtoc_table_of_contents]Port Douglas is a small, beautifully located, resort town around …
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.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 follow.My kids are in the video below, …
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.Buying travel gifts for kids on the move is tricky, will they take their gift with them, or leave it at home through lack of space?We know what gifts have worked for our kids and which we've gladly received as a family, from expensive main presents to stocking fillers, from toddlers to tweens and …
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.[cmtoc_table_of_contents]We were travelling without my husband for …
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 become more affordable lately, download the Free Skyscanner App here and take a look. 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, a returned expat and a full time professional traveller.We returned to live …
Food in Tibet
It was great to get the chance to try Tibetan dishes, in Tibet. We's skirted around the edges of Tibetan culture in the Sherpa villages of the Everest region and dined in Tibetan restaurants in Kathmandu and Pokhara, often run by Tibetan refugees, but what of food in Tibet ? How would that be. We had an amazing chance to find out during our Tibet tour. Some Tibetan food was amazing, truly delicious, much of it, less so, but on a short tour or trip to a new destination it's always difficult to know where to eat. A look at traditional Tibetan dishes, Tibetan food and what we ate in Tibet because not all of it was Tibetan. Food in TibetThere are many influences in Tibet, Chinese, Nepali, …
Swimming with Whales
Swimming with whales or any large marine creatures is a breathtaking experience as we'd already discovered with the mantas in Bali. I recently had the chance to go swimming with the minke whales off the coast of Australia. There was no way I was saying no to that! We couldn't make this a family trip and justify the expense, particularly as open, blue water swimming in rough seas, with whales, may be a little challenging for my wife and kids, so I went solo on this minke whale liveaboard, unlike our previous liveaboard from Cairns, the whole family enjoyed that one tremendously.Dwarf minke whales migrate each year from cold Antarctic waters up to the warm waters off Australia's …
Lhasa Tour – 2 Days in Lhasa
Our Lhasa tour was part of a longer 8 day tour of Tibet. We travelled overland from Kathmandu and returned by air from Lhasa airport. Lhasa itself was an incredible highlight not just of this Tibet tour, but of a lifetime of travel. I knew a lot, feared disappointment and was ready for the worst but Lhasa did not disappoint in any way, we were blown away by our two days in Lhasa and would return in a heartbeat. We hope you enjoy learning more about Lhasa, Tibet below, watch our short video, save to Pinterest and make it to Tibet yourselves one day. From here on in, this post is written by D, my elder son. We have several other posts on our time in Tibet, just check the …
Do I Need Onward Flight Tickets to Fly into Thailand?
This is the question I'm asked most in our Facebook group - Living Differently. Do I need onward flight tickets, or other proof of onward travel, to fly into Thailand. It's not always Thailand, sometimes it's Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but we'll address Thailand in this post. First I'd like to say that I've flown into Thailand maybe 25 times and never been asked for proof of onward travel, but that doesn't mean it can't happen, it does, but it's not common.I'm writing this post today just so that I can give people an instant response and stop repeating myself but this post does have some useful information on Thai visas and onward travel from Thailand too. It was correct at the time …
Day Trips From Barcelona
Let's face it. Barcelona is an amazing city. The astounding architecture, coupled with a special European charm makes it one of the continent's most beguiling cities. But, once you have had your fill of the magnificent Sagrada Familia, and the other city sights, you can enjoy some wonderful day trips from Barcelona too. Join us as we take you outside of the art capital of Spain. Time to explore the exciting world just outside Barcelona's city walls.This post contains our personal opinion only and you must double check all information for yourself. Opening times, prices and availability do change from time to time. This post contains affiliate …
16 Hidden Gems of Sydney
Sydney is Australia's most famous city. It contains such exciting and famous landmarks as The Sydney Opera House and The Sydney Harbour Bridge. But anyone can tell you the regular things to see in this vibrant and spirited capital city. Taronga Zoo, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Manly, Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour, and Circular Quay are all impressive things to see, for sure. A trip to Sydney would not be complete without setting your eyes on our illustrious landmarks that are synonymous with Sydney, and Australia. But peel back a layer of city tourism and you may discover some hidden gems of Sydney. It's a great city and one where exploration will be …
Northern Territory Australia – 10 Must See Destinations
The Northern Territory is Australia’s spiritual heart. From the green lush spectacle that is the Kakadu wilderness right through the red centre of the country and the enduring Uluru, the Northern Territory covers many types of magnificent landscapes. The pulse of Australian Indigenous culture is palpable in the Northern Territory. You can find the best examples of aboriginal cave art here and learn so much about Australia's intriguing original inhabitants at Cultural Centres across the state. There are epic wildlife viewing opportunities, picture-perfect desert vistas and even a cosmopolitan city. We do our best to keep all information current but please check and double check …