All posts filed under: Wandering

Lagos, Portugal: The Best Activities

Published by

Coming to the best spot in the Algarve and wondering how you’re going to spend your time? I’ve got you covered with the absolute best activities you can do in Lagos! Go Wild on the West Coast with TJ It’s the Algarve but not as you know it. Join TJ on his West Coast Adventure tour and you’ll explore the real Algarve – wilder and more rugged than the picture perfect beaches you’re used to! You need to be reasonably fit for this walk/hike/climb but it’s an amazing experience. TJ is such a knowledgable guide and the tour includes a sunset picnic (with wine, obvs) of delicious local produce. An absolute must do. Walk to Luz for Lunch There’s so many lovely walks you can do along by the coastline here but my favourite is walking from Porto De Mos beach to the pretty whitewashed village of Luz. Though slightly steep in places, this walk is suitable for pretty much all fitness levels- just make sure you bring plenty of water. The whole walk there …

Lagos, Portugal: The Best Beaches

Published by

Lagos is known for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve but with so many to choose from, you don’t want to waste any precious holiday days at the wrong one. Here are my top picks to make the very most of your beach days, whatever you’re looking for. Most Photogenic: Praia Dona Ana Really, all Lagos beaches are photogenic but Praia Dona Ana is a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike due to its unique rock formations. Although recently extended by adding dredged sands, which has covered some of the rock formations, it’s still a beautiful and popular beach. Best Small Beach: Praia do Camilo Famous for its 200 wooden steps leading down to a sheltered sandy cove,though Camilo is beautiful, it can become overcrowded during the high season. If you’re visiting off peak months, it’s a lovely beach, quite close to town and very picturesque. But if you’re visiting in season, it’s more of a ‘stop and admire its beauty’ than spend the whole day there kinda of beach. …

Berlin for Cool Seekers

Published by

Before visiting Berlin, I was expecting it to be hipster central; Dalston with a post Socialist edge. And more street art. But I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there’s hipsters aplenty but what Berlin’s buzziest area Mitte does well is easy going cool with a complete lack of pretentiousness (take note, East London). Affordable rents and a low cost of living mean young families mingle with the tech entrepreneurs and floating ‘creatives’, which all mixes together to produce a welcoming, relaxed area of co-working spaces, gin bars and local Italian restaurants.   Mitte is the most central Berlin district and is the historical heart of the city. Mitte was once the centre of East Berlin but in the reunified city, the boroughs were redrawn and it’s now a larger, sprawling neighbourhood. Most Berliners use Mitte only in reference to the original smaller locality and not the wider borough. If you’re looking for the must see tourist sights, visit Tripadvisor. But if you want to know where to go for the best flat white or hummus or …

My 5 Favourite things about Cambodia

Published by

Cambodia is often overlooked in favour of its heavy hitting neighbours Thailand and Vietnam, but the Khmer Kingdom is an amazing holiday destination. I spent almost a month exploring the country and I can’t think of one thing I didn’t enjoy! With gorgeous beaches, delicious cuisine, a burgeoning economy and genuinely friendly people eager to welcome tourists, Cambodia should be your next Asian holiday destination! Awe Inspiring Temples The iconic, sprawling complex of Angkor temples was voted the world’s No. 1 site by Lonely Planet and it’s not hard to see why. Exploring the world’s largest religious site is an otherworldly experience but be prepared to battle the crowds; last year over 2 million tourists visited the 1,000 year old temples!  Don’t miss Ta Prohm, aka the Tomb Raider temple, or Bayum (below). Chilled out Siem Reap The nearest town to the Angkor Temples, Siem Reap is a laid back traveller’s hub. Skip tacky pub street and spend your time scouring the markets for souvenirs, exploring the meandering streets and sampling Cambodian cuisine. For an …

Bored of the usual European City Breaks? Try these 5 instead!

Published by

So you’ve done London, Paris and Rome; Barcelona, Amsterdam and Dublin too. You’re looking for a cool European city break and wondering where to go next? Here are my top picks for some less obvious European city breaks, including some of my favourite cities in Europe and one city I can’t wait to get to! Marseille, France One for. . .seafood lovers, maritime buffs and urban cool seekers. Marseille has an urban, gritty cool that will appeal to lovers of port cities. I’m a big fan of its multicultural vibe and maritime history. Try down by the Marina for some classic south of France cool and amazing seafood, then venture further into the city for some culture, history and atmosphere. Marseilles had a long held reputation for being more than a little unseemly but being European City of Culture in 2013 inspired a big clean up and a huge architectural makeover; there’s no need to be more cautious here than you would in any other European city. There’s some great museums to visit, innovative new architecture …

My Favourite Things About Rwanda

Published by

Perfect for tech buffs, digital nomads, wildlife lovers, caffeine fiends and outdoors-y types!   For me, Rwanda is perfect for every visitor to Africa, whether first-timers or seasoned travelers. My 2012 trip to the Central African country rates extremely high on my ‘Top Holidays’ list and from what I hear, things have only gotten better since! Here’s why you should visit this beautiful, innovative country! It’s Safe Rwanda is one of the safest and most economically prosperous countries in East and Central Africa. Forget about its history, the streets of Kigali are much, much safer than Nairobi or Kampala. I don’t want to get into the political reasons why (lets just say President Kagame runs a tight ship) or the implications of this, but for visitors, there’s no doubting Rwanda is ridiculously safe. Kigali is an efficient, well serviced city with a good road network. Even the motos (motorbike taxis) are incredibly regulated, registered with the proper authorities and always carrying helmets for passengers. It has a Vibrant Capital The capital Kigali is a beautiful …

Flashpacker Weekend Edition: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Published by

KLis one of my all time favourite cities. I love absolutely everything about the place- the vibe, the food, the people, the architecture, the markets! The city is big enough to feel buzzy but compact enough to get around easily. Public transport is excellent too and taxis are cheap- if you know how to haggle. It’s a popular stop off route for Europe/Middle East-Asia flights or vice versa so why not book a long layover? Just 36 hours is enough to experience the very best of KL! I had a quick trip en route to Bali but I managed to fit in a lot! Here’s my top tips: Travelling Solo? Stay Here Back Home is everything a hostel should be these days. Cool, welcoming, functional and stylish. It’s a bit hipster with industrial chic styling but it’s got a great location, helpful staff and an excellent cafe, Lokl Coffee Co. attached. The free breakfast is a bit miserable but I loved having the pancakes from Lokl in the beautiful courtyard!   Must See? Thean Hou …

Visiting Vietnam: Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh?

Published by

For a lot of people hoping to visit Vietnam, an epic end to end  journey encompassing the whole country is the dream. But sometimes money, time  and simple geography are not on our side. Ideally, you should try to fit both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) into any Vietnam trip but if that’s impossible and you really must choose one, which do you go for? For me, it has to be Hanoi! Here are the reasons why.  The Atmosphere Hanoi is the perfect introduction to Vietnam. It’s busy and hectic, with an old city full of tree lined narrow streets, Chinese temples, Catholic cathedrals and cool shops. There’s tonnes of cafes, great street food and the chilled out Hoan Kiem lake for when you need a break. I adore how the city is equal parts crazy and calm. At night, there’s lights and noise and buzz and scooters and people walking everywhere. By day . . . well actually it’s pretty much the same until suddenly you turn a corner and there’s a …

Foodie Flashpacker Top 5: Southeast Asia

Published by

If you’re heading to Southeast Asia, the food is likely to be a major highlight of your trip! In 2015, I visited Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand; the year before I went to Sri Lanka. So although I’m hardly an expert, I picked up a few things along the way! So if you’re a foodie flashpacker, here are my top 5 must do! Bangkok Food Tour I did the Best Eats Midnight Tuk Tuk Tour with Bangkok Food Tours and I highly recommend it! Our guide was friendly and extremely knowlegdable about Bangkok, its food and its history; the food we had was even better than I had expected. There was a real variety shown and choosing to get around by Tuk Tuk rather than on foot meant we could scoot around the city and experience the best all over. We made at least four restaurants stops, a late night temple visit, a market stroll and a rooftop beer overlooking the river. My favourite dish? Probably Khao Moo Daeng, a rich, sticky barbecued pork dish. …

High Tea @ Giraffe Manor, Nairobi Kenya

Published by

One of my favourite ever travel memories is having high tea at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi with one of my best friends Catherine. And it happened by complete fluke. I’m usually an excellent travel planner. But when I went to Nairobi in July 2014, I was visiting my university friend Roisin who lives there. I skipped my usual meticulous travel planning, knowing that as a Nai resident, Roisin would tell me what to skip and what not to miss. And she did. On a day out in Karen, a legendary expat enclave suburb, to visit a giraffe sanctuary and the Out of Africa musuem, Roisin spotted the beautiful Giraffe Manor. ‘Ye should really try to do high tea there,’ she confided. ‘Everyone raves about it,’ We strolled over to the house (well, the front gate actually) but high tea must be booked in advance so we returned a few days later. So what’s the deal? $50 gets you afternoon tea at the Manor which entails a selection of sandwiches, cakes and pastries, tea or coffee and …