Porth Wen

Porth Wen is one of the best wild swimming spots in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. This place used to be a Victorian brickworks, and its crumbling moss-covered harbour spills into the sparkling rock pools below. The water is refreshing, and the views are simply magnificent. If you’re looking for unique photo ops along with a refreshing dip, Porth Wen is definitely the place to go.

Black Moss Pott

Black Moss Pott is one of the most popular wild swimming spots in the lakes, and it’s easy to see why. The water is crystal clear, and the rocks around it are perfect for jumping into the water. There are also some lovely pubs around, to reward yourself after a day of swimming.

Watkins Pools

Watkins Pools is one of the most underrated and overlooked wild swimming spots in the UK. Situated in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, just a little way from one of the hiking trails, you may have walked past these majestic pools on your way to Snowdon’s summit. This series of pools and waterfalls that cascade down the valley provide the perfect place for a day of wild swimming. The Watkins Pools are a hidden gem and should not be missed.

Tellisford

Tellisford is a real bucolic haven, and one of the few wild-swimming spots that’s deep enough for jumping into. The best launch pad is from a nearby tree stump, as the local kids have discovered. The pool by the sloping field and the large weir is a great place to cool off on a hot summer day, and it’s also a beautiful spot for a picnic. Whether you’re looking for a place to take a dip or just want to enjoy the scenic view, Tellisford is definitely worth a visit.

Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere is the undisputed king of outdoor swimming in the Lake District, but there are plenty of other great lakes to take a dip in. Lake Buttermere is a great option for wild swimmers looking for a challenge. The water is usually quite cold, but the views are stunning. If you’re feeling brave, why not dive in and see for yourself? You won’t be disappointed!

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Read

One of the best ways to pass time while on a flight is by reading something. Reading is a very engaging activity, allowing time to pass by quite quickly. Getting engrossed in a good novel or story is a fantastic way to distract yourself, no matter what you’re doing. Additionally, you can engross yourself in many types of literature. You don’t necessarily have to read a thrilling novel on a flight, as you could instead read some issues of your favorite magazines to pass the time. No matter what you prefer to read, reading while on a flight is a fantastic way to make the flight seem like it goes by faster.

Watch a Show or Movie

Another classic way to distract yourself on a flight is by watching a T.V. show or movie. Many airlines have a selection of shows and movies to choose from. Additionally, many popular streaming services allow you to download shows and movies for later use, allowing you to watch them even when you don’t have wifi access. Shows and movies are just as engrossing as reading a book, making them a great way to stay occupied on a flight. If you get really into a thrilling show, time will fly by while you’re on your flight. Finally, movies usually last around two hours, making them perfect for shorter flights.

Play a Game

It’s usually only an option when you’re flying with friends and family, but playing a game is a great way to pass the time while on a flight. Simple games like tic tac toe can provide quick fun and don’t require any equipment besides a pen and paper.

However, with newer technology like smartphones and tablets becoming mainstream in the last decade, playing complex games has become extremely easy. Classic board games like chess can be played on these electronic devices, as well as brand new exciting mobile games. Many of these games can be played solo vs. the A.I., or with a friend. Once you start playing these games, you’ll be so engrossed that you likely won’t realize how much time has passed by on your flight.

Listen to a Podcast or Album

A relaxing way to pass the time on a flight is by listening to a new episode of a podcast or by turning on your favorite album. While these activities may not be as engaging as some of the other options, they are still great at helping you pass the time on a flight. Another great thing about these activities is that they are conducive to sleep. On long flights or overnight flights, listening to a podcast or music is a great way to occupy your mind and block out other noises. This means you can use what you’re listening to as a way to fall asleep easier, helping you to further pass the time on your flight.

Last Minute Trip Planning

One of the more productive ways to occupy your time on your flight is by doing some last-minute trip planning. By doing this, you can finalize all of the plans you’ve made for your trip, ensuring that you have everything you need for your trip to go smoothly.

This may entail going over the itinerary of your trip or brushing up on the local language of the place that you’re visiting. Doing all of this requires you to be focused and engrossed, meaning time will go by quite quickly. On top of all that, you’re not just simply filling time, but rather doing something extremely productive on your flight.

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The Internet Has Changed Everything

The average person today has a lot more freedom to just pack up their things and start exploring the world compared to anyone in history. And much of that is owed to the internet and its tight integration into our lives. It’s easy to find good deals for pretty much any destination around the world. Companies like Porter Airlines cover a large number of places across the USA and Canada. From flights to Toronto, New York, and many other major destinations (and some not so major ones), you can get a pretty good deal without having to spend a lot of money. Porter Airlines in particular is a favorite among experienced travellers, as they tend to offer some great seasonal promotions.

The same applies to things like accommodation, eating out, and many other aspects of your trip. You no longer have to limit yourself to what your travel agent recommends, or risk falling into common tourist traps by exploring on your own. With a smartphone in your pocket, you have all the information about your local area that you may ever need right at your fingertips.

People Are More Open Than Ever

There’s also something to be said about the openness of people as a whole. You’ll find a very welcoming attitude from the locals in many parts of the world, even some that are not traditionally associated with major tourist destinations. It’s hard to say where exactly this is coming from. Perhaps it’s another consequence of the way the internet has brought everyone together, or perhaps people have always been that prone to goodness towards each other, and we’re just seeing that more clearly in recent years.

But in any case, you have lots of options that can help you bridge any gaps in your finances with the help of others. From couch surfing, to ride sharing and more, you can enjoy a lot of services that have been made possible through the pooling of communal resources. And even if you don’t have anything to contribute right now, don’t worry. That’s not the point.

Getting the Most Out of Each Place You Visit

Exploring the world isn’t just about checking locations off a list and moving on to the next one. You should try to maximise what you get out of each place you visit, as that’s the true point of going around the planet in the first place. To this end, you can get a lot out of your travels even if you’re on a smaller budget, as long as you make it a point to actually dig into each place you go through, and learn something new about it.

In fact, it might be beneficial to have limited funds when you’re starting out in your travels, because this can force you to take a more careful look around the places that you’re exploring, and to ensure that you’re truly getting everything that they have to offer.

Supplementing Your Income on a Longer Trip

Another great thing about travelling around the world today, compared to a couple of decades or so ago, is that you are no longer so heavily bound to your place of residence in terms of income. You live in the age of the digital nomad, and you should take full advantage of that. If you have any skills that can be sold online, you can turn this into a freelancing gig without too much effort. And with just a small laptop in your backpack, you can keep working on the go wherever you are, and supplement your trips with a nice stream of extra income.

In fact, some people have taken the aforementioned concept of the “digital nomad” to some extreme levels, operating entirely on the move, and never settling down. It might sound stressful to you, but some consider it a very liberating feeling to know that they can just pack up and move to a completely different location at any time, and their income situation won’t be affected in the slightest.

It’s a Skill Like any Other

Don’t feel down if your trips don’t turn out completely flawless the first few times. Travelling – especially on a global scale – is a skill, and you’ll need to take some time to polish it if you want to see good results consistently. Make sure that you learn something from each trip, even if it goes through smoothly. There is always something that you could have done better, and paying attention to those factors will make it a lot easier to organise even more complex trips for the future.

It Will Only Get Better

And the more you do this, the easier it will become. Not just because you’ll gain experience as we described above, but also because the world is constantly changing and moving even further in a direction of improvement. As we said earlier, it’s easier than ever to travel around the world on a more restricted budget and still get a lot out of the experience. And if you think that’s true now, just wait and see how things will evolve in the next decade. There are many reasons to believe that travelling is going to be one of the most heavily impacted sectors in the near future, and we’re already seeing the first signs of that progress on the horizon through the rise of services like Airbnb and Uber.

Always Have a List – But Keep It Flexible

Choosing where to go next can be part of the fun, but it can also be a daunting experience if you don’t approach it in an organised manner. Keep a list of places that you want to visit, and do your best to tick them off, but make sure that the list is as flexible as possible as well. Sometimes your plans aren’t going to come together exactly as you were hoping, and you may not be able to make your next target destination. Having alternatives is a good way to keep things fresh without breaking the bank in those cases.

The sooner you get started with this, the better. There is so much to gain from exploring the world, and we don’t mean pictures for Instagram either. The kinds of experiences you’ll have once you make this a regular part of your life will be truly eye-opening, and it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money to get them either. All you need is a planned, organised approach, and the patience to scout out the best deals on a regular basis. The rest comes down to gathering enough experience about the way the process works and putting it to good use.

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