[caption id="attachment_4791" align="aligncenter" width="304" caption="Image courtesy of Reza Vaziri"][/caption] Simply wandering around the world with just a bag on your back is top – or damn near the top – of many travel-fanatics’ wish lists. What could be better than feasting all of your senses on every weird and wonderful corner of this globe for weeks on end? Not much, if you ask me, but what many don’ ...

Backpacking holidays can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. Without the need to stay in a fixed location, your travels allow you to explore and discover areas that you may have never journeyed to before. Whilst you may stay in hotels now and then you can change your scene whenever you want by simply moving onto the next location. And, the exhilaration of not quite knowing where your journey will ...

[caption id="attachment_4774" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="photo credit: hoardedordinaries.wordpress.com"][/caption] Back in the day when I was in high school, I took a mini school trip to Boston. Though a long the way one of our stops was visiting Salem. Salem is a small city with only a population of 40,000 that is located in the state of Massachusetts. But what is so significant about this once ...

It’s 12am on Dec 26th, 2010. We’re 3 hikers and 2 guides at base camp getting ready to start our final hike to Uhuru peak, Kilimanjaro’s highest summit at 5,895m. The backstory seems irrelevant. I seem to have somehow ended up here with other hikers. Eurostar deals and last minute bargains aside, this was something that had crossed my mind a few months ago and I was finally going through with it. The hike s ...

Are people from warmer countries happier than those in cold countries? If you take a look at this interesting diagram below, you'll notice that more sun doesn't necessarily mean more happiness or a longer life expectancy. In fact, you may notice how people who live in some of the coldest countries in the world are both happy and live long. Go Canada go! :) Infographic brought to you by flythomascook.com ...

Everybody wants to do London, right? It’s on every true backpacker’s list. Even if you’re from England, your trip has got to either start or finish here. It’s a country within a city within a country. There are loads of free attractions like the National Science Museum and the Tate Art Museums and a hundred other sights and walks to see and do. You can have a picnic in Hyde Park one minute and weave your wa ...

A few years ago, when a major heat wave swept through Europe, many people were running around to find ways to stay cool. As for me, I was In England at the time, visiting a few family members. Even though I love the heat, the weather in England was getting to me. So as it turned out, my extended family would avoid using the oven and always cook chill meals for dinner and lunch. So below is a recipe that I f ...

Let’s face it – travelling can be quite expensive at times, especially if you have exotic tastes like me. Last year, I took a few months out and travelled Australia’s gorgeous Gold Coast. And what’s more, I did it with nothing in my suitcase but my passport, some backpacker travel insurance and a few clothes. Here are a few tips that might help you do the same:[caption id="attachment_4745" align="aligncente ...

Image courtesy of Ben Beiske After a few harshly-learnt lessons myself, I know the sheer importance of travel insurance. After being stranded in Paris over Christmas when the Eurostar broke down (worse than it sounds!), and getting stuck in the Algarve with no money when my purse was stolen; the few dollars I now shell out for insuring my travels is the most important purchase I make. Make sure you know wha ...

[caption id="attachment_4722" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Image courtesy of Spa Breaks"][/caption] When you are on a cheap backpacking holiday the last thing on your mind would be a spa break but actually they can be very relaxing and do not have to cost a lot. Cheap spa breaks, whether just a day at a spa hotel or a homemade spa break in the hostel you are staying in can be an essential unwind ...