All posts tagged: explore

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 …

How to Choose the Perfect Solo Adventure!

Published by

Making the decision to travel solo- even if it’s slightly scary at the time- is often the easy part. The harder part is figuring out the best place to go! Of course, you can go wherever you want in this big wide world on your own! But there are some places especially suited to solo travel- places you’ll have amazing adventures, unforgettable experiences and meet incredible new people (remember, travel friends are often life friends!) So, if you’ve made the decision to hit the road by yourself but you’re not quite sure where to go, I’ve got you covered. I’ve rounded up the best spots for solo travelers around the world, what ever your interests or travel preferences may be!   You’re a Nervous First Timer If you’re feeling nervous about going solo, try somewhere with a well developed tourist industry like Portugal or Thailand. Both offer amazing cultural experiences, great food and beautiful scenery as well as decent infrastructure and lots of other tourists/travelers to connect with! You’re a Reasonably Confident First Timer It may …

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 …

April: This Month I’m . . .

Published by

Backyard Travelling So my wanderlust-induced whinging will finish soon as I’m off to Berlin next weekend! This month, I went on a couple of mini-adventures to Galway and the Burren with work. If you’re in Clare, I so highly recommend visiting Kilshanny House! Their signature dish, the Burren Béilíní is an amazing selection of fresh, local sustainable produce that is absolutely delicious! With lots of events happening- music, walks, talks, singers clubs etc- and an unbelievably warm welcome from Mary and Aidan, I really couldn’t recommend a stop here highly enough! Eating Clean-ish I had a few off weeks where I was still working out 4-5 times a week but not being very careful with my diet. Predictably, I ended up feeling a bit sluggish, bloated and all round not very attractive. It’s also a frustrating way of training, feeling yourself getting stronger but not seeing the results as there’s a layer of carb bloat surrounding your new gains! Small goals always help get back on track so I set myself 5 weeks to up my training …

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 …

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 …