Simon's JamJar

Volunteering Abroad: Tips & Advice For Helping Migrants & Refugees

2018-06-27T10:38:00.001+00:00

For many of us volunteering is a rite of passage when we travel abroad. It allows you to get under the skin of different cultures, and get to know the essence of each country through its people.

Whilst there are many positives to volunteering abroad, setting foot overseas to volunteer with migrants and refugees can also be challenging, regardless of how well you prepare yourself.

In the video below, I interviewed a friend of mine, Stephen, who was a refugee camp manager for a volunteering organisation called Lighthouse Relief, who are based on the small Greek island of Lesvos. Being only a stone's throw from Turkey, they are often helping to care for and process 300 new refugees and migrants every day.

If you are thinking about heading abroad to volunteer and help migrants and refugees, there are several things to bear in mind. I've wrapped up all the points raised by Stephen in the Q&A, and added a few others below.

VOLUNTEER THROUGH AN ESTABLISHED ORGANISATION

Although you may think charging into a refugee camp and helping with food, clothes and other essentials may be useful, you'll probably find one or more NGO's already on location, with processes in place to help as many people as possible, in priority order. As such, volunteering through an organisation means you’ll be able to more effectively assist the ones you gave up your time to help. The organisation is also on hand to provide emotional support, if certain experiences become too much for you whilst volunteering.

VOLUNTEERS CAN BE INFLUENTIAL TO MIGRANTS

There are often thousands of migrants and refugees in a particular camp. The majority will have come from war zones, or other unstable environments which they wanted to escape from. At the same time, they are desperate to reach their destination, and will often ask questions and take any advice as fact, and use that to get to where they need to be. As such, be aware that giving onward travel or asylum advice could have unintended consequences and be dangerous. Always check with your organisation for what you should and shouldn’t advise.

 MIGRANTS ARE VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION

As Stephen eluded to in the video, where migrant camps exist, so do organised criminals. Be aware that criminals could operate in the area you are volunteering, and report any suspicious activity to your organisation or camp manager. Finally, using social media responsibly - such as not taking photos or videos of migrants and refugees out of respect for their safety and privacy – could help keep migrants and their families secure.

VOLUNTEER FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS

If you only have a few days to spare, then the consensus from Stephen, and others, is that it may be better to help in other ways. Ideally you need two weeks on the ground to make an impact. Aside from getting to know your fellow volunteers, it also allows your organisation to divvy up specific tasks over that 2 week period. If you can volunteer for longer, great!

For more information about volunteering abroad, including tips, advice and videos, please check out the NCVO website, at www.ncvo.org.uk. The following link also gives advice about volunteering safely within a migrant camp - http://bit.ly/2GaN604.

If you have volunteered before and you have more tips or advice, or if you have any other questions about volunteering, feel free to add them below in the comments.

Disclaimer - this blog post and video were created in collaboration with the Government (HMG) and NCVO.

A GDPR Guide For Bloggers

2018-04-30T14:22:00.001+00:00

The new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) come into force starting 25th May 2018. The regulations are designed to be an update to the Data Protection Act laws from 1998, which - as you can imagine - are waaaaay out of date.

So are bloggers affected by GDPR? Yes indeed.

Whilst GDPR covers the EU area (any bloggers in Europe are affected), if you are a blogger in say the US or Australia, and you hold personal data on someone in Europe, then you are also affected.

Put simply, any organisation or individual entity that collects personal data, such as email addresses, falls under GDPR. That means pretty much every blogger and business operating online will be affected.

BIG DISCLAIMER before I go any further. I am not a legal or privacy expert. I work in digital marketing. Everything written below is my interpretation of GDPR from a bloggers point of view. As such, please get someone with a legal background to double check how you are affected, and the steps you need to take to become compliant. Thanks! Read on...

Whilst this is no means a full proof guide to becoming GDPR compliant, it should give you enough insight into what you need to change in terms of processes and compliance moving forwards.

From the end of May onwards, the consumer (or 'data subject') has more power and control than ever before. So the more transparent you make your reasons for collecting and processing data (such as email addresses), and the more control you give users over that data, the safer you'll be.

But will bloggers really be penalised for lack of compliance under GDPR? Surely the ICO should be going after the big businesses that process lots of data? Very true and a good point. The honest answer is I have no idea.

And I'm not sure any GDPR experts have a clue either.

Take the EU cookie law for example. This came into force back in 2011, making it mandatory for websites to be transparent about using cookies, with the idea that users could opt-out of cookies if they wanted. But there are hundreds of blogs and websites that don't have a cookie or privacy policy. And the tidal wave of clampdowns never arrived. Will GDPR be the same? Only time will tell.

GDPR WORDING

Let's start with decoding some of the overly complicated terminology used by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This is the UK's independent authority set up to uphold data privacy for individuals. The more you understand about the key wordings and rights set by the ICO, the easier it will be for you to comply.

The ICO talks about data controllers and data processors. A data controller determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. A data processor is responsible for processing personal data on behalf of a controller. And the two are intrinsically linked.

For example, let's take my friends blog, Vicky Flip Flop. Vicky kindly agreed to let me use her blog as an example - thanks Vic! So in her case, she is a data controller. She uses Google Analytics, Adsense and Mailchimp, which are her data processors.

HOW ARE BLOGGERS AFFECTED BY GDPR?

The new privacy regulations talk about 'personal data'. This means any online personal identifier: name, address, phone number, email address, National Insurance Number, IP address and other IDs.

As such, the areas where GDPR affects bloggers are as follows:

Email subscriptions and newsletters
Blog comments (Wordpress)
If you use any sort of tracking, such as Google Analytics
Contact forms
Plugins that might collect personal data
Competitions and giveaways

The crux behind each of the areas above is that you need to have a lawful basis for collecting and processing personal data. The simplest way to achieve that is for users to opt-in (and thus give you consent) when giving you their data.

Consent, in ICO terms, means you then have a lawful basis for processing their information. The best way to do that is to add a checkbox to your comments and contact forms, with a little legal text, such as the examples below:

There is a nice Wordpress plugin called WP GDPR Compliance, which adds the nice checkbox shown above.

NOTE - not adding a checkbox means that users are giving you their personal data without consent, which means that technically, you would be in breach of the GDPR laws.

If that wasn't enough, you also need a record of how someone opted in, and when they opted in. For those that use Wordpress or Blogger, you receive a time stamp from contact forms and comments, which is perfect.

The other option is to somehow switch off Wordpress from collecting the personal data in the first place...no data means no consent required. Although I'm not sure how to achieve this.

GDPR & BLOGGER EMAIL DATABASES

For email subscriptions and databases, there is good and bad news. The good news is that if you have email subscription forms on your site, all you need to do is add an opt-in mechanism, such as a checkbox. This shows the user has given you consent to add them to the database.

Getting users to simply hit subscribe will no longer be GDPR compliant. I would say most bloggers have a simple form, such as the ones below, taken from Vicky's blog, and Monica's blog (TheTravelHack.com):

I asked the ICO whether these would be compliant under GDPR. "Take my friend's blog, and note the 'subscribe to the newsletter' link towards the bottom of the page. In this case, this wouldn't be GDPR compliant moving forwards, right?"

This was their reply:

"Yes, everything needs to be very transparent"

The bad news is that GDPR doesn’t just affect personal data collected moving forwards...it also affects how you've requested and collected email addresses previously.

As per my comment above, if you can't prove a user opted in / consented to subscribing, AND when they opted in since you started collecting personal data, then you may need to remove them from your database.

Yes, really.

The option here is to send an email out to your subscribers, explaining that you're updating your database, and ask them to re-subscribe (essentially getting them to opt-in this time around). Those that re-subscribe using the new opt-in method can remain in the database.

Here was my question for the ICO, and what they said in reply. "GDPR applies to everyone that has signed up to their newsletters, prior to the 25th May, correct? In which case will they (bloggers) have to remove those people from their database and delete whatever data they have if they cannot prove those users explicitly opted in, and on what day? Or if they cannot get them to re-validate their subscription?"

The ICO:

"Their consent will need to be GDPR compliant, they may need to refresh the consent or have another legal basis for processing the data. If the subscribers don't refresh their consent, their data shouldn't be keep no longer than is necessary."

A vague response, but you get the idea.

The other saving grace (potentially) is that consent isn't the only legal basis you have for collecting an storing email addresses. The most flexible and loose terminology is around 'legitimate interests'. The ICO says digital and direct marketing may be a legitimate interest (helpful).

The ICO also says that: "...as long as the marketing is carried out in compliance with e-privacy laws and other legal and industry standards, in most cases it is likely that direct marketing is a legitimate interest".

To add a further twist, it seems that if you are a full time blogger, and rely on your subscriber database, it may be the case you don't need consent for previous sign ups, as the processing is minimal and provides a 'clear benefit' to you, AND 'there’s a limited privacy impact on the individual', which is true.

See how vague and complicated this all is?!

I know what you're thinking. If you have hundreds or thousands of email subscribers, you're probably going to lose a lot, if you don't want to risk reliance on 'legitimate interests'. But you're not alone - think of the huge companies operating in Europe that have thousands of email subscribers. If they can't prove opt-in type and time, they are also going to have to remove a large chunk of their subscriber base also, if they want to comply.

For those using Mailchimp, they are ahead of the game, and have published information about how they comply, and how they can help you comply - https://blog.mailchimp.com/gdpr-tools-from-mailchimp/.

COMPETITIONS & GIVEAWAYS

For most bloggers, you will have run a competition or giveaway in the past. For people to enter, they may have to tweet, send you an image, select an answer to a question...or various other ways. If you've used Rafflecopter or Gleam, the chances are that you have collected a lot of personal data on everyone that entered. That means GDPR comes into play.

The first thing to do is check whether the users opted-in to the competition or giveaway, and that there was a privacy policy or terms and conditions link somewhere near the entry mechanic that proves they consented to giving you information.

If you don't have the content (which is likely), then you will need to delete the data. Now, you might have passed names and email addresses to the brand you were running the competition or giveaway with. You guessed it - they also need to delete that data.

The only option for keeping the data is to get consent from those that entered, otherwise you a) have no lawful basis for using the data, and b) you're keeping the data for much longer than required.

Gleam have written a post on how their systems will comply - and help you comply - with GDPR. Please review their post here - https://gleam.io/docs/updates#gdpr. Hopefully Rafflecopter will do the same in the next few weeks.

GDPR & THIRD PARTY COOKIES

Next up, and where it gets a little more complicated, is with Google Analytics and adverts. In order to track users on your blog, the first time someone visits your site, Google Analytics will drop a few cookies to help them track users. Those cookies collect personal data in the form of identifiers.

As such, you need to make people aware of - and get them to opt-in to - cookies. Not only that. You need to tell users what cookies you are using, what data they collect, what you use those cookies and that data for, and how people can delete their cookies, if they don't want any data collected.

This includes using Google Analytics, Google AdSense and Facebook advertising (if you use the Pixel). In the case of running ads on your site, or retargeting through Facebook, the following will apply: "If your blog uses an analytics provider who uses cookies to capture aggregate demographic info about its readers, and a Facebook advertiser who installs the Facebook pixel on its website in order to measure ad conversions or retarget advertisements on Facebook" (more info here - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/privacy/)

For those using Blogger, Google has already made changes to this effect, and you'll notice a big pop up banner at the top of your site if you clear your cookies.

For those using Wordpress, there are a number of simple, free plugins you can use to set this up. These are:

Once you've got all the opt-in checkboxes set up, and the cookie banner loaded, the next thing you need to do is reference all the cookies, what they are used for, and what you use the data for, in a privacy policy.

If you have a privacy policy already, then that is a great start, but it will need updating to reflect the GDPR changes. If you don't have a privacy policy, then you can search online to find one. I found some excellent templates on SEQLegal, for example, although you have to pay to use their licence.

Just ensure every area mentioned above that is relevant to your blog is included in the privacy policy. Once you've got a privacy policy, updated it with all the data you collect, and stated how and why you process that data, you're all set. Well, you're compliant anyway.

SUBJECT ACCESS REQUESTS

Under the new GDPR laws, any user can request to see the information a blogger or organisation holds on them (known as 'Rights to Access').

That means diving into Wordpress or Blogger, looking back over comments and contact forms, checking your email marketing provider, and - most complicated of all - finding their session data within Google Analytics.

Thankfully Google has made several big changes over the last few weeks to help businesses and bloggers comply with GDPR, such as data retention. These can be viewed here for Google Analytics - https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196.

They have created a way for you to delete data that is no longer processed, and created a way for you to find and delete data on a particular user. This allows you to manage the deletion of all data associated with an individual user (e.g. site visitor) from your Google Analytics. Check back here under 'User Deletion API' - https://developers.google.com/analytics/#apis-for-reporting-and-configuration.

Once you have all the information on the data subject, you then need to share it with them in a secure way. This could be a password protected zip file, for example.

DATA BREACHES

Last but not least is arguably the most important part of GDPR: data breaches.

If, for example, your Mailchimp account or Wordpress account is hacked, there are certain steps you need to take to notify both your data subjects and the ICO, then do everything in your power to secure the data.

Interestingly, under GDPR, is there is a breach in, say Facebook, Mailchimp or Google, and it had nothing to do with you, technically your data subjects data is at risk. So not only are those third party providers liable, so are you.

Scary, right?!

As such, if you process a lot of user data, it's worth checking if you need some kind of insurance, and to what level. This is the main reason you'll have seen new privacy policies flying around your inbox over the last month or so from various email and software providers.

REGISTRATION WITH THE ICO

I've read in a couple of other posts, that bloggers need to register with the ICO. This will apply to some bloggers, and not to others. The ICO has a simple self assessment tool that you can use in order to work out whether you need to register - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/register/self-assessment/.

I've used the tool a couple of times, and have come up with the following summary:

If you don't decide how the personal data you collect is processed, then you don't have to register. But, in the majority of blogger cases, you decide to use Google Analytics and Mailchimp, so you do decide how the data is processed
If you process information for the use of advertising or marketing for others (for example, you put an affiliate ad or a discount code into your newsletter), then you have to register

Registration with the ICO costs £35. For more information, see the registration page here - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/register/.

Frustratingly, once you have registered, you are treated like a company, which means you're private information is on public display in a data register. That means if you're a blogger that works from home and you use your home address for registration, everyone can see it. Here's Facebook's entry for example - https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/ZA265194

Given we're trying to comply with all these new privacy laws, surely this is stupidly ironic and slightly dangerous to provide the ICO with details which are then put on public display?!

As such, my personal feeling and suggestion is that bloggers who think they need to register should contact the ICO directly and ask for advice before registering.

Hopefully this is one area that will become clearer over the next few weeks.

SUMMARY

Judging by the response on Twitter, and through chatting to other bloggers, it seems as though quite a few bloggers know what GDPR is, and know when it is coming, but aren't sure how they are affected. But the majority don't know about GDPR, and don't know what it affects them, which is incredibly worrying.

To add another layer of complication, cookies and email marketing also fall under the upcoming new ePrivacy Regulation (ePR), which will overlap with GDPR. This still requires consent, although I'm hoping any updates to this initiative will help bloggers, rather than hinder their progress.

Take time to make sure your blog is compliant, especially if you are a full time blogger. The penalties for non-compliance are financial, so the impact could be serious. Here are all the useful links again:

ICO links (for all the main GDPR information and advice) - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/
Google Analytics (data retention) - https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196
Google Analytics (general privacy) - https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/2919631
Google AdSense (blog post about how they are working with publishers to help compliance) - https://adwords.googleblog.com/2018/03/changes-to-our-ad-policies-to-comply-with-the-GDPR.html
Facebook (general privacy) - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/privacy/
Mailchimp (GDPR help) - https://blog.mailchimp.com/gdpr-tools-from-mailchimp/

As a summary, here are the steps bloggers need to take in order to be compliant with the GDPR laws coming into force:

Create and display a privacy policy for how and why personal data is collected
Create opt-in mechanisms for email subscribers and blog commenters
Be able to evidence and date stamp opt-in permissions
Reference which platforms you use to run adverts on your site, or through Facebook ad targeting, and again explain how and why personal data is collected and used
Check whether you need to register with the ICO
Create a process document for all the personal data that is collected, from which sources, who processes the data, and how you will comply with rights of access (and deletion if required) of that data (handy template from the ICO here)

To re-iterate again, I'm not a legal or data privacy expert, and can only give advice from my own personal learnings in digital marketing.

So why haven't you made the changes to your blog, Simon? Well, aside from cookie banners (which are covered by Google as this blog is powered by Blogger), I don't have an email subscriber database. I still need to cover blog comments and contact form requests though.

In addition, by the time you read this and by the time the 25th May comes around, you may well land on my new blog, which will be compliant....more to follow! Good luck with GDPR!

Simon

PIN IT

Eden Locke Review - My Favourite Hotel In Edinburgh

2018-03-17T13:05:00.000+00:00

I'm not particularly brand loyal when it comes to hotels. More often than not, I would choose to stay in an Airbnb property when I travel, whether that is for work or play.

But over the last few years I've been in a bit of accommodation limbo. The Airbnb's on offer haven't quite met the standards of previous stays, and the hotels I chose weren't great either.

Enter Eden Locke.

The design-focused apart-hotel opened in late 2017, and sits in the heart of Edinburgh, at the West end of George Street, amongst the bars, shops and restaurants of Edinburgh's New Town. A mere 15-minute walk from Waverley station, Eden Locke sits in a prime location.

SERVICE

I discovered it purely by chance, but I'm very glad I found it. The ground floor lobby is shared with the hip coffee shop Hyde & Son, with the aroma of fresh coffee greeting you every time you check in.

Speaking of checking in, I've now stayed at Eden Locke three times, and regardless of what time I've checked in (once as late as 11pm), I've always been greeted by someone smartly dressed, usually with a tweed waistcoat, and a big friendly smile. First impressions go a long way.

The hotel is new, so naturally most of the areas around the hotel look clean and unblemished. I might amend this review in a few years, but for the time being the hotel is squeaky clean.

THE ROOMS

After collecting your key card, you head to the either the front lift or the rear lift. Either way, you need your key card to activate the lift - important given anyone could grab a coffee from Hyde & Son and wander around the hotel otherwise.

Similarly, if you took the stairs, you would need your key card to exit the stairwell. Top marks for security...but it could get interesting if you were staying in the hotel, left your key card in your room and got stuck in the stairwell!

Most of the rooms at Eden Locke are an open studio style. The first thing that struck me is the amount of space you get compared to a regular hotel room. There is LOADS of space.

After dumping your bags inside the door and hanging up coats, you can either walk into the bedroom or the open lounge and kitchen. The size of bathroom is pretty considerable too.

All rooms have big comfy beds with room to walk around the bed at either side. There is also ample storage, and - this gets top marks - plenty of plug sockets around the bed, and those sockets have separate USB sockets.

In the age of smartphones, watches, iPads and more, the more sockets near the bed, the better. So Eden Locke have nailed that placement.

In the kitchen / lounge area you'll be greeted with a signature L-shaped sofa, a table, chairs and a Smart TV. You'll find tea and coffee, tubs of granola and porridge, fresh milk, and bottled water.

It also seems as if every room has it's own WiFi login too, which is superb and means that no-one else can hog the bandwidth of your own WiFi.

PRICE

You might be more alarmed by the price of the craft beers and quality wine downstairs at Hyde & Son than the price of the studio rooms. In the low season rooms are available from £79, rising up to and beyond £200 in high season. I've never paid more than £97 each time I've visited.

Eden Locke pitches itself as a calm refuge in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town. I would have to agree. Grab yourself a cup of tea after exploring this wonderful city, plonk yourself down in from of the TV, and then retire next door to the comfy bed to get some zzzz's.

Sounds like a good stay, am I right? :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Reviewed on 15th March by Simon Heyes
http://www.lockeliving.com/eden-locke/
Eden Locke offers studio-based hotel rooms in the centre of Edinburgh.
Eden Locke offers a calm refuge in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town. Every studio apartment has been meticulously designed to include everything you want - regardless of your length of stay.
Rating: 5

Osprey Transporter 95 - Review

2018-03-15T21:28:00.001+00:00

I've always been a fan of Osprey backpacks and holdalls. My 6 month round the world trip back in 2012/2013 was done with an older 55 litre backpack, and that saw everything from the heights of Bolivia to the smog-ridden cities of Eastern China.

In my opinion, Osprey are consistent in the rucksacks and holdalls they produce. They are always durable, reliable and comfortable, and the new Transporter 95 'adventureproof' holdall/rucksack hybrid continues this trend.

I put the Osprey Transporter 95 to the test during a long weekend to Coniston in the Lake District, in the North West of England, and didn't mess around when it came to throwing into onto the floor, into and out of the car, and around the rooms of the YHA Coniston.

Have a peek at the video below for the full unboxing. As you'll see in the video, the Osprey Transporter 95 packs down to a ridiculously small size when empty.

The first thing I noticed is how incredibly rugged and durable all the materials are, from strong zips, water-resistant materials and tough handles which almost encourage you to throw the holdall around.

It's probably a good thing then that Osprey say: "The construction patterns and materials of Transporter have been chosen to provide a high level of weather resistance and the ability to withstand a lot of punishment."

HOLDALL / BACKPACK HYBRID

The Transporter 95 has four large grab handles around the bag, and hidden away carry straps that convert it into a backpack.

The Transporter is pitched as an expedition-style duffel bag. When you think about your journey to that expedition, it takes on all forms - being chucked around on luggage carousels and baggage handlers at the airport, then you might give it to a coach driver who chucks it onto a pile of other bags in the diesel-fulled belly of his vehicle.

During your journey, your bag is on a journey of its own. Being tested for strength and durability, rips and strains.

In each corner of the Transporter 95 holdall, there are four clips, which pin down the corners of the bag. The backpack straps neatly fold away into a zipped compartment (clever), so the probability of straps, zips and loose material to get snagged is pretty low with the transporter.

Then, when you arrive and need to put the bag onto your bag, you get the straps out of the zipped compartment, and swing it round onto your back, and allow the standard Osprey straps to hug you comfortably, and for the pack to fit snug against your back.

TRANSPORTER 95 FEATURES

Backpack harness carry straps
Backpack harness stows in main cover pocket
Durable and water resistant fabric
External end pocket
ID card holder pocket
Internal mesh pockets
Internal mesh side pocket
4 grab handles
Lockable zips
Sternum strap with emergency whistle
Can fit a Springer Spaniel inside*

FINAL TIPS

As I was heading to the Lake District for a walking weekend, one trick I used was saving some of the space in the main compartment for a day sack. This means I only needed to lug around one holdall for the main parts of my journey, and use the day sack for walks. You could use the same trick for cabin and hold luggage at the airport.

Whilst my 55 litre old Osprey pack was ideal for backpacking, the 95 litre version of the Transporter isn't is a full-on 'travel round the world' or expedition backpack. It's ideal for carrying lots of luggage on long trips, but not the best solution if the pack is going to be on your back most of the time.

The Osprey Transporter 95 costs £130 and is a fantastic, versatile, well-built, rugged holdall, with the advantage of a converting into a usable large rucksack. You can buy it on Amazon, or directly from Osprey.

*The pack also gets the thumbs up from Pip :)

Reviewed on 13th March by Simon Heyes
Osprey Transporter 95 holdall
A versatile, durable, water-resistant, rugged option as a holdall / backpack hybrid.
The Transporter 95 is a brilliant all-round travel pack, offering the performance and durability of an expedition holdall, with the comfort, build quality and innovative features that Osprey is known for.
Rating: 5

Disclaimer - The Osprey Transporter 95 holdall was gifted to me by the Osprey team. Whilst I didn't pay for the pack, the views and opinions I present here are explicitly my own.

Kick Starting My Travel Inspiration For 2018

2018-02-05T13:13:00.000+00:00

Looking back at 2017, I did a lot of travelling. I visited the usual favourites of the Lake District, Cornwall, Scotland, I skied in France and Switzerland, and bagged three new countries in the form of Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Slovenia.

It was a busy old year!

So when people ask me: "What are your travel plans for 2018?", I have to stop and think. I've got a wedding in Italy planned, a trip to the Loire Valley in France...and that's about it. For a travel blogger, that is not good!

Then, out of the blue, American Express® got in touch and asked if I would like to pop a long to an event in London, in a collaboration with Shortlist Magazine and British Airways. January had been fairly quiet, so I said yes. And the fuse for my travel inspiration for 2018 was ignited.

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

The event was held at the swanky Ham Yard Hotel in Piccadilly Circus, London.

Together with around 150 Shortlist and Stylist magazine readers, I was invited to watch a screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel - a film I love - as well as mingle and chat about all things travel.

The hashtag for the event was #EscapeJanuary - I had escaped to central London, but my travel mind would soon begin to wander much further.

Interspersed between the glasses of wine and elderflower presses (dry January was in full swing!), helium filled balloons swayed between the minglers. The balloons were imprinted with the branding of the sponsors, as well as British Airways American Express® Credit Card.

Then I saw the card on the screen. And another screen. Then on the projected TV above the bar.

I had one of these BA AMEX cards previously, which - you'll have to read in a separate post - allowed me to fly First Class return to New York a few years ago. I also knew I had some Avios points in my BA account after the flights my wife and I took to Sri Lanka, so I logged on and checked - 6,500.

MOUNTAINS & SKIING

My excitement was paused as we were ushered through into the screening room.

The film only made my excitement worse. Although the Grand Budapest Hotel was set in the fictional country of Zubrowska, it was filmed entirely in Germany, with many scenes showing mountain ranges and skiing.

I've skied every year since 2002, but nothing has been booked for this year. And that, dear readers, was all I needed to kick my travel plans into gear for 2018.

I searched for return flights to Geneva. £105 with BA. Then with my 6,500 Avios I could get £40 off. £65 return. With BA. AMAZING.

Then I looked for return flights to Warsaw (I've been wanting to visit Poland for the last few years). £126 return. Again, I could get £40 off. This was awesome.

I helped myself to a beer at the bar and began making plans. Whilst I love to be spontaneous and book trips on the spot, I now have a wife and dog to think about, so my plans would need to include them :)

TRAVEL FOR 2018, BOOKED!

It's now been 48 hours since the event, and I confirm I now have THREE trips in the diary for 2018! In March I'll be heading to Coniston in the Lake District with some friends. In April I'll be heading out to Swaziland on a blogger trip, and in May I'll be heading to Poland!

So although it looks like skiing as escaped me this year, I'll still get my mountain fix in the shape of the Lake District.

I feel so much better for getting more trips booked in! :)

TURN TRAVEL PLANS INTO REALITY

January is a tough month. It's a long month following Christmas, it's the time when the tax man comes knocking, but it's also the time when airlines and other sites put on their January sales.

This is where the BA AMEX card comes in handy. Not only do you get 1 Avios point for every £1 you spend, but new Cardmembers can earn 5,000 Avios when they spend £1,000 in the first 3 months.

If I added that 5,000 Avios to my current 6,500, I would be able to afford return flights to a host of different destinations around Europe, such as Paris, Munich, Madrid or Berlin.

I hope you've got some trips booked for 2018! Let me know where you're heading in the comments below! :)

Disclaimer - this is a sponsored post in association with American Express. Whilst this is a collaboration with them, Shortlist and British Airways, all the thoughts, comments and travel plans are my own.

Promoter: American Express Services Europe Limited has its registered office at Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9AX, United Kingdom. It is registered in England and Wales with Company Number: 1833139 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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How To Go Skiing On A Budget

2018-01-31T12:04:00.001+00:00

In one of my last ski blog posts I said that if you go skiing for a week, it will cost you around £1000. I still stand by that statement..if you plan on skiing for a full week. BUT...if you do some research into travel options, sales and offers, you could get three full days skiing over a long weekend in the Alps for a budget of £350.

Don't believe me? Read on...

Skiing during a cheap weekend in Germany

Here's how the budget skiing scenario came about. Last year was a big blow out. We went big. We went luxury catered chalet for a week, and it was awesome. That was because all my close friends were having babies left, right and centre. We knew we wouldn't be able to ski this year. Unless it was cheap. And over a weekend.

So I started researching. And with the right offers, over the right dates, with the right number of people, you can get everything included from between £350 - £450, depending on when you ski, where you ski and who you go with.

Enough of the babble - here's a complete guide (and video) for how to go skiing on a budget.

GET PLANNING & BUDGETING

The most important thing for a ski holiday is to agree on the following, between the group of you who plan to go skiing:

Dates of when you want to ski
Places you want to ski
Budget for skiing for each person

A quick comment of each of those points above:

Dates - typically flights that leave on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday are going to be much more expensive than mid-week flights. A good tip is to travel Thurs - Mon, or Thurs - Tues to get the cheapest ski flights, and keep your budgets in check.

Places you want to ski - if you're skiing for a long weekend, you want a resort that is fairly close to the airport, so you can maximise your time on the slopes. Also bear in mind flights are also likely to be cheaper to bigger Alps airport hubs such as Geneva or Lyon. For this example, I've used Geneva. It's 1 hour 20 mins from Chamonix, 1 hour 40 mins from Flaine (used throughout this example) and 2.5 hours from Meribel.

Budget - this is important to everyone agrees to stick to the budget set.

Once you have that information, you can get your geek on and start looking at flights, accommodation and more.

In terms of budget, these are the elements you need to consider:

Return flights
Car hire
Accommodation
Ski lift pass
Ski hire

You'll also need budget for food and those all important apres ski beers of course, but for the purposes of this post, I've stuck to the list above.

Flights - you can use various sites to keep track of flights and prices. My personal favourite at the moment is Google Flights, but you can use Skyscanner or Kayak too.

With Google Flights, you simply put in the dates you want to travel and the airports you want to fly to, and set a tracker on the exact flight(s) you want. For this example, my ski dates were 22nd March - 26th/27th March.

Every time the flight changes, you get a notification to your inbox.

As you can see, flights were already cheap! Remember those are the base costs though - you may need to pay for hold luggage and sports equipment if you're choosing to take skis with you. However, as you'll see below, it's often cheaper (and less faff) to hire them in resort.

Car Hire - there are many budget transport options in the Alps, but if there's 3 or 4 of you going skiing, the most likely cheap option is to hire a car and share the costs. I use Argus Car Hire to view prices from different suppliers.

Accommodation - this is where the fun really begins. Probably the best option to find cheap ski accommodation, is to look through the options on Airbnb. There are loads of cheap properties, and if you find one close to the slopes, you're winning.

Did you also know there are hostels in the Alps? Check out this list from Hostelworld.

Also check sites such as Late Rooms and Booking.com for cheap deals.

Ski lift pass - lift pass prices vary depending on the ski area you want to explore. Typically the larger ski areas demand higher prices, and the more days you want to ski, the more it costs. I would suggest a 3 or 4 day ski pass for your long weekend, which gives you the balance between cost and time on the slopes.

Ski hire - there are deals to be had in lots of resorts for ski hire. Check Intersport or Ski Set for the best options, and then Google discount codes for Intersport and you're more than likely to come across one or two voucher codes which give you even more money off.

Food & drink - just a quick note on food and drink. For food, do a big supermarket shop on your way up to the slopes. Buy ingredients for meals that can be split between the group (chilli con carne, pasta, pizza) and also buy sandwiches and nibbles for the slopes in the supermarket too - you'll save a fortune. For beers - keep an eye on happy hour for different bars in your resort. Each will have slightly different happy hour times, so if you plan it correctly, you can bar hop on the cheap!

GO SKIING ON THE CHEAP!

So based on the research suggestions above, this is what I found:

Return flights from London to Geneva, with one hold bag, for £66.43...

....car hire for £215 (which, when split between 4 is £54)....

....accommodation for 5 nights in Flaine through Airbnb for £459 (£115 when split between 4 - that's £23 per night!!!), which is 2 minutes from the slopes...

....lift pass for the whole Grand Massif area for £165 each for 4 days skiing....

...and for ski hire, I've assumed you need skis, boots and helmet to keep your hold luggage light. £50 for 4 days.

Now if we add all those costs together, we get to £449 for the long ski weekend:

Bear in mind that this total includes 4 days skiing in the middle of the season. The best deal I've found is to fly out on the Thursday and back on the Monday, which takes a day off the costs for car hire, accommodation, ski pass and ski hire. Using the same method, that came to £353 for a weekend in Flaine in early April.

There you have it - skiing on a budget IS possible - you just need good research and planning skills, discount codes and a good eye for a bargain :)

You also have the option of skiing in smaller mountain regions, such as Bulgaria and Slovenia. Using the same method, this could be even cheaper than the main Alps region, but be aware the ski areas are smaller, and there will be less accommodation options.

Oh, and don't forget, you can always do a city break that is close to the Alps, and get away for one day skiing - like the skier in me did in Munich / the Zugspitze in Germany a few years ago :)

Let me know if you have any cheap, budget skiing tips in the comments below!

Age Is Just A Number

2017-12-28T18:34:00.001+00:00

"You shouldn't be dancing on tables at your age!", my grandma said after I'd told her the story.

It was my birthday. I was in a restaurant in Preston that encouraged dancing on tables, once the food had been cleared away. It was a brilliant night. Everyone danced, everyone got a little drunk, and everyone had a good time.

It was my 18th birthday.

Watch the full Age Is Just A Number video towards the bottom of this post! :)

Me and my grandma :)

That little flashback got me thinking. Who gets to dictate at what age you should, or shouldn't do something? At what age do you 'grow up'? Maybe it's a generational thing. My grandma would never have danced on tables when she was 18. In fact she would never have danced on tables, period.*

Or is it a societal thing? A couple of years ago I went to a fancy dress party as Aladdin. At 33, would society have deemed me too old to do such a thing? To imitate riding an imaginary carpet whilst been fed a shot of Jager?

I have no idea, and nor do I care. After all, age is just a number, right?

COMPLETE THAT BUCKET LIST

If like me, you couldn't care less about age, then read on fellow-age-stereotype smasher.

You've got one life. So live it. A great motto to live by. That motto becomes even more important if you have a bucket list. Because a bucket list doesn't have a specific time completion date. Not really. Once you make a bucket list, it's there to be completed until the day you die.

That means no matter what is on the bucket list, you can do it at any age.

Society, older generations, mood hoovers, naysayers...they can all GTF.

Skydiving was on my bucket list. I did it aged 31. I threw myself out of a perfectly good plane over the incredible town of Queenstown in New Zealand. Nzone - the people who helped me do my skydive - regularly help people of all ages do the same - every week they showcase their jumpers, and they range from age 7 to 77. The oldest person to ever do a skydive is 101 years old. 101 YEARS OLD.

YOU'VE NEVER TOO OLD

Whatever stereotypes exist about age and social class, smash them to pieces. You're only as old as you feel.

You're not too old to learn a new skill.
You're not too old to do something new.
You're not too old to dance on tables.

Life is short. Enjoy every minute.

*Sorry grandma!

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Disclaimer: This post and video was created in collaboration with Essilor, who are running the #ageisjustanumber campaign. Find out more at Ageisjustanumber.com.

A One Week Itinerary For Sri Lanka

2017-11-11T20:57:00.001+00:00

If you're thinking about visiting Sri Lanka, but aren't really sure where to start to see the main highlights the country has to offer, fear not, I've got the perfect one week itinerary for you.

Update! Check out the accompanying video at the bottom of this post!

I visited Sri Lanka on my honeymoon in 2017, and had a total of 8 days on the ground, covering all the popular food, historical, cultural and scenic sights of the Indian Ocean island.

A local offers a gift to the Buddha carving in Polonnaruwa

I've plotted the route on the map below, so hopefully that will help give you an idea of the route and itinerary I've chosen.

FLIGHTS TO SRI LANKA

Flights to Sri Lanka from the UK take around 12 hours, so it's worth bearing in mind those miles and hours will take their toll. We landed at Colombo airport and took a short drive North to Negombo, and checked into our hotel. Technically we lost a day, but I would recommend recuperating, rather than taking a 4 - 5 hour drive on the same day you land.

We stayed at the Jetwing Beach hotel in Negombo.

SRI LANKA'S CULTURAL TRIANGLE

The following morning we left the hotel after breakfast and heading North East, into Sri Lanka's 'cultural triangle'. The journey from Negombo to our base in Habarana took 3 hours, but can take longer if you travel around lunchtime.

Habarana is a fairly small town, but is a brilliant base for exploring the cultural triangle, as it's bang smack in the centre. We stayed at the Cinnamon Lodge Hotel in Habarana.

You can do any of the following tours in any order, but as a rough guide, climbing Sigiriya rock took us 4 hours in total, visiting the Dambulla cave temples took 2 hours in total, and I would suggest giving yourself a full morning or afternoon for a safari in Minneriya National Park.

We were on honeymoon, so gave ourselves 3-nights in Habarana, but you can easily cover all the main sights in 2 full days.

CLIMBING SIGIRIYA ROCK

One of the highlights of our one week trip to Sri Lanka was climbing the ancient rock fortress and water gardens of Sigiriya Rock. Aside from the stunning 360 degree views at the top, it is also great to learn about the history of Sigiriya, and the impressive underground water engineering - built hundreds of years ago, but still pumps water up to a lake onto the top of the rock - nearly 200m high.

The climb up the rock is quite simple, and you don't have to be super fit to reach the top. There are a series of simple staircases up to the top, with various places to stop and take a breather.

The view from the top of Sigiriya Rock

DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLES

Buddhism is a common theme of many of the historical sites in Sri Lanka, and no more so is this noticable than at the Dambulla cave temples in the centre of the country. Comprising three rooms filled with 153 Buddha statues and natural paint murals covering an area of almost 2,100 square metres, it is an impressive sight to behold, and one of the best preserved historical sites in Sri Lanka.

MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK SAFARI

A 30 minute drive from Habarana is the vast Minneriya National Park. Whilst it doesn't have the vast amount of wildlife as Yala National Park, there are still plenty of elephants, deer crocodiles and bird life to keep you happy.

LOCAL VILLAGE TOUR

One of my favourite parts of our Sri Lanka week trip was a trip to a local village near Dambulla, where we learnt about traditional cooking. As well as helping out in the kitchen, we watched local village women make different Sri Lankan foods, from spicy coconut sambal through to dhal curries.

I try and organise a village tour wherever I travel to in the world, as it gives you a fantastic glimpse of real life in the country, and some of the traditional ways of cooking, farming and family life. Definitely try and fit this in your itinerary, if you can.

ANCIENT POLONNARUWA

Polonnaruwa was the second capital city of Sri Lanka, and its main archaeological site is filled with hundreds of ancient structures – from tombs and temples, to stupas and statues. You can also explore the old Parliament building ruins.

BUSTLING KANDY

A further 3 hour drive South saw us arrive is the riverside city of Kandy, Sri Lanka's second largest city. We stayed at the impressive Cinammon Citadel Hotel in Kandy, which, perched by the riverside, provides striking views of the tropical forest over the river.

TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH

Perhaps Kandy's most famous building (and encompassing feature) is the Temple of the Tooth, which, as the name suggests is the current resting place of the Buddha's tooth relic. This tooth has quite the history, and has travelling more places around the country than some of Sri Lanka's local inhabitants. I won't go into too much detail, but the temple is well worth a visit. A grand structure from the outside, lit up at night, it is fascinating to look around, and learn about why people can queue for up to an hour to get a glimpse of the golden tooth casket.

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Royal Botanical Gardens are closer to Peradeniya than Kandy, but it's nice to drive around the city and see some of the markets and street stalls on the way to the botanical gardens. Once inside, give yourself a good 2 - 3 hours to look around, as the gardens are bigger than they seem.

It was incredibly hot the day we walked around, so make a note that there is a little shop which sells ice cream and lollies in the centre, perfect to help you cool down! Tickets cost around £5 for adults.

Posing in the bamboo in the Royal Botanic Gardens

THE TRAIN FROM KANDY TO NUWARA ELIYA

On our final day in Kandy, we headed to Peradeniya and boarded the train to Nuwara Eliya (the closest train station is Nanu Oya, 5 miles down the hill). Much has been written of this incredible train journey, and believe me when I tell you it is one of the most stunning train journeys in the world.

The train journey to Nuwara Eliya takes you deep into tea plantation country, and the train snakes around the tea fields and hillsides, as well as skirting lush green valleys and waterfalls. It is simply stunning.

Grab a seat in one of the train doorways for the best views

Most articles and guides will mention the train from Kandy to Ella. We didn't go that far, getting off at Nuwara Eliya, the town known as 'Little England' thanks to its colonial roots. The main reason for this is that the drive from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo is close to 5 hours, whereas Ella to Colombo could take 6 - 7 hours. For the purposes of a one week itinerary, it makes more sense to keep the drive time to a minimum.

EXPLORING COLONIAL NUWARA ELIYA

We stayed at the aptly-named Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. With a large billiards room, piano room and grand wooden fascias, you could have been in a large Scottish hunting lodge, not a small town in the middle of Sri Lanka.

Founded in the 19th century by the British, Nuwara Eliya has a colonial charm, typified by the local post office, and many of the private homes and gardens.

In the town there is a racecourse, a golf club, a market and several restaurants. We were only there for a little over 24 hours, but still managed to try an Indian restaurant and 9-holes on the golf course :)

BACK TO COLOMBO

The final leg of our trip was the 5-hour drive back to Colombo. Depending on flight times, you could set of early and fly the same day, or do we what did and arrive, stay the night in a local hotel (we were in the Cinnamon Lakeside hotel this time), and then fly out first thing in the morning.

EXTENDING THE ITINERARY TO 10 DAYS

For those looking for a 10-day itinerary, I would highly recommend incorporating Yala National Park, down in the South East corner of the country, and the old fort town of Galle. Sadly we ran out of time to visit both of these places, but if I ever went back, both of these would be on the hit list.

You would probably need two nights in Yala (simply because it takes 2.5 hours to reach Yala from Ella, and 4 hours from Yala to Galle), and probably one night in Galle, before the 2.5 hour drive back to the airport.

VOILA!

There you have it - the ideal one week itinerary for Sri Lanka! If you've never visited Sri Lanka, you won't be disappointed. The cricket-enthusiastic, curry-orientated, tuk-tuk-filled island gem is definitely worth a visit.

Arcido Faroe Backpack Review - The Best Hand Luggage Bag?

2017-11-04T12:33:00.004+00:00

I'm pretty picky when it comes to backpacks. Especially backpacks small enough to use as hand luggage for flights.

Let's count them up, from small to large: my Lowe Alpine Edge 18, perfect for small day trips. My TNF Angstrom 20 in black, ideal for commuting or short hikes. My Barbour Tarras bag. And last but not least, my big Eagle Creek Universal Traveller Backpack - the perfect size for my Phantom drone.

I know, I'm a bit of a backpack geek.

So when the guys at Arcido got in touch and asked if I wanted to try out one of their bags, initially I was reluctant. I didn't think there was anymore room in my already-packed hand luggage arsenal.

But I was wrong. There was room. There was room because the Arcido Faroe backpack added things the other bags couldn't. It filled a void I didn't know existed, and that's why I enjoyed carrying it around Sri Lanka with me.

THE ARCIDO FAROE BACKPACK

The first thing that struck me is that this is a good looking bag. The grey flecks and smooth material just make other bags look dull by comparison. It's the kind of backpack that if you got dirt on it, you would be annoyed. My other bags - not so much.

Then there's the big, fat handle on the top. Easy to grab, soft to hold, simple to move around.

The Faroe has two big zip compartments - I always separate my tech gear (laptop, iPad etc.) from my clothes, so this is ideal for me. And the clothes part zips all the way around, meaning it opens like a duffel bag, allowing you to reach items at the bottom, easily.

Then there's the two shallow zip pockets near the top - perfect for my passport and toiletries. Such a simple addition that makes a big difference. Those pockets alone make this bag ideal for hand luggage as you don't have to spend time rooting around in deeper zip pockets, fretting after two minutes that you've lost your passport (again).

The pouch pockets on the side are deeper than regular side backpack pouches which means bottles of water don't fall out, AND the bag itself is quite long, which is great for a 6ft 1inch person like myself, as it fits snug against my back.

Overall, the Arcido Faroe is a great backpack, and now my number one choice for hand luggage. It even looks good sat next to Pip.

It is available to buy direct from Arcido, and you can also check out their new waterproof backpack, which looks equally as good!

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Disclaimer: Arcido sent me the backpack as gift, but all the opinions above are my own. Some links in this post contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything through them, I make a little bit of money. Every little helps to keep the blog up and running! :)

11 Things You Didn't Know About Sri Lanka

2017-10-25T21:36:00.004+00:00

It's not every day you travel to a country where one of the main attractions for tourists and locals is a long, sacred Buddha tooth. But then again, Sri Lanka isn't like many other countries I've visited.

Friends asked me what Sri Lanka was like when I got back and the elevator pitch answer I gave them was this: A cross between India and Thailand, lush greenery, a rich Buddhist history and curry-orientated, tasty foods.

You'll read many articles about Sri Lanka, so to be a little different, I've compiled a list of things you might not know about Sri Lanka.

Hopefully these are useful for anyone visiting Sri Lanka, or those who simply want to be more competitive in the travel section of their local pub quiz :)

1) THE FISHERMEN SAT ON STICKS AREN’T NECESSARILY FISHERMEN OR FISHING

Call it entrepreneurialism, call it opportunism, call it greedy, but you have to take your hat off to them. One of the postcard images of Sri Lanka are fisherman sat on sticks in the sea, fishing with rods to capture fish near the shallows. Now, I don’t know what the fisherman make per day, but they soon realised they were quite the tourist attraction, and now team up with partners closer to the shore. Now anyone that wants a snap of their own of the fisherman in the sea has to cough up 500 - 1000 rupees. (£2.50 - £5). Imagine the rupee signs in their eyes when they see a coach load of Chinese tourists rock up.

So instead of fishing, these guys plant their poles in the sea during peak hours, wait for the tourists to arrive, collect the rupees and split the cash at the end of the day. Let’s say - conservatively - they collect 10,000 rupees per day. That’s £50. Not a bad days work!

2) VOLLEYBALL IS THE NATIONAL SPORT

You thought it was cricket, right? Me too. Not so - apparently volleyball in the national sport in Sri Lanka.

3) THE LOTUS TOWER

The not yet finished Lotus Tower in Colombo is set to be the tallest building in South East Asia. I got a pretty good view of it from my Cinnamon Lakeside hotel room.

4) BROKEN BUDDHAS

If you've read my post about Pablo Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles, then you'll remember Pablo hid lots of cash and treasure inside of statues and artefacts around his play park. When he was killed, these were smashed and ransacked by looters looking for a quick buck. The same thing happened with many of the old Buddha statues in the older towns of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa - people would break the Buddhas apart in the hope of finding jewels and cash, which is why many of the old Buddha statues have arms, legs and heads missing.

5) TUK TUKS GALORE

You'll see tuk tuks everywhere you go in Sri Lanka, whether you’re in the city or countryside. I got the chance to drive one in Dambulla, which was great fun! I thought to myself - how much would it be to buy a tuk tuk and travel round with it? My guide told me they used to cost 150,000 rupees new, and now there's a big second hand market for them.

6) TRAINS ARE CHEAPER THAN BUSES

Yep, trains are the cheapest form of transport in Sri Lanka. We got a first class ticket (no judgement please, we were on honeymoon!) between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya which cost £5 each, but the lower classes can cost as little as 80p. Sri Lanka also has an extensive bus network, with Government owned buses (all the old red ones) and private bus companies operating for around the same price (no higher than £1), and on the same routes.

7) THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR NOT LONG AGO

As recently as 2009 in fact. During this time there was actually a terror attack by a separatist militant group on the building that houses the sacred Buddha tooth relic in Kandy, killing 16 people.

8) THE GEM OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

Sri Lanka is known as the gem of the Indian Ocean, not only because of its size and beauty, but also because it's the only country around that mines gem stones, including the popular blue sapphire.

9) DAMBULLA CAVES WERE BUILT AROUND 500 BC

That is old. Like, really old. And yet the state of the statues and paintings on the walls and ceilings are still incredibly clear and distinct.

10 NATURAL PAINT LASTS A LOT LONGER THAN CHEMICAL PAINT

Forget your tin of Elephant Breath White paint, the Dambulla cave paintings and many other artefacts in Sri Lanka were painted using natural paint colours, created from trees, chalk (limestone) and other plants which help create different colours. It's no wonder the Dambulla cave paintings have lasted so well.

11) THERE ARE GREEN ARROWS IN ALL HOTEL ROOMS

Some are in the corner of the room. Some are in the bedside table. Some are in the wardrobe. These green arrows are from Islam, and point to the Qiblah - the direction of Mecca, so Muslims know which direction to face when they pray.

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There you have it! 11 things you possibly didn’t know about Sri Lanka. Have you been to Sri Lanka, and got any other facts you can add? Post them in the comments below! :)

Why The Blog Has Been So Quiet Lately

2017-08-22T20:13:00.000+00:00

Hi guys, hope you're keeping well! Apologies for the silent treatment of late. Since July I've had to step away from blogging and social media a little, for various reasons.

I guess my recent unenthusiastic approach to blogging and social media began at the Betsy Beer launch I attended back in March. The event itself was great, and the beer was excellent, but something happened at that event that really got my back up.

LET'S TALK ABOUT FOLLOWER NUMBERS & TRAVEL BLOGGING

There I was, checking out the hoppy ingredients that made up the beer, when an unknown female lifestyle blogger struck up a conversation with me. "Hey! So are you a blogger?". Standard intro at one of these events. "I am indeed", I replied. And then came the sentence that still rattles around in my head: "So how many followers do you have?", she asked, quickly followed by: "What's your best platform?".

Innocent enough questions. But you have to remember I work in digital marketing and influencer marketing for my main job, day in, day out. I'm sick and tired about all sides of the industry being all about follower numbers, but particularly about those who are cheating the system and being inauthentic.

The problem is many bloggers care about growing their follower numbers, and become anxious if their social media doesn't move the needle on a daily basis. That is the crux of the problem.

I don't have a huge following on any of my social channels. 4,000 or so on Twitter, less than 800 on Instagram. And I don't really care whatsoever whether that is considered big, small or average.

I do care about sharing stories, changing perceptions and inspiring people to visit places and experiencing adventures they would never normally experience. You don't need a big number of followers to do that.

Then came #Instafraud.

A select few influencers sat up, spoke out and forced action. Over Easter weekend, #instafraud kicked off, with people outing so called influencers who had generated fake followings. I wrote a post about it over on my work blog if you want to read more about it.

In summary, brands and PR folk have historically collaborated with bloggers and influencers with a bigger following, with the assumption they will reach more people. But if those influencers have built a false following buy using bots or buying followers, they won't reach more people, the engagement will be shite, and they will be taking important revenue away from full-time influencers who are working their arses off to make a living from blogging.

Fellow travel blogger Jess summed everything up in a great post - http://thetravelista.net/2017/04/19/an-open-letter-to-pr-professionals/.

Then came another couple of blog posts which really hit home with me, and bubbled more annoyance to the surface.

Before I share them, it's worth mentioning that blogging for me is part-time. It is a hobby. It's something I love doing, especially sharing stories and inspiration, and knowing people act on those stories and inspiration. Yes I make a little money from the blog, and yes I get a few trips a year, but I'm not in it for the money.

First up, Adventurous Kate posted this post about influencers, and the convergence of other types of bloggers into the travel blogging space, and how money could be ruining travel influence.

"By 2014 or so, people were starting travel blogs specifically for the money. When money is your biggest motivator, it affects everything — your travels, your content, and the industry as a whole."

Travel influencers don't make as much as fashion or lifestyle bloggers. The budgets are different. The ROI is different (and takes longer), but travelling to exotic places? There's the hook. Lifestyle bloggers and fashion bloggers have started diverging into travel, and this is where the problems become worse.

Some travel content posted by non-travel influencers is excellent - especially the photography. But in terms of sharing stories, providing inspiration and guidance content...that needs to be very accurately written. Kate's point:

"Picture this. A luxury hotel invites a fashion blogger to Cartagena, Colombia. She gets picked up at the airport by a chauffeur, does several photo shoots in and around the hotel, and has a great time exploring the old city but doesn't set foot outside it. Predictably, her followers start asking her, "Is it safe to go to Colombia?" And she replies, "Sure, it’s totally fine!"....a fashion blogger who waltzes in for a few days and doesn’t leave the old city of Cartagena doesn’t have the knowledge to advise her followers how to travel in Colombia safely."

Colombia is safe...it was for me. But that statement should come with a number of caveats, as Kate points out.

Then came another post, this time from Em Luxton, on why she has started to hate Instagram.

Instagram is quite possibly ruining all our lives a little bit. It's the unrealistic expectations. The perfection.........Fuck perfect. I just want to show off the beautiful world in all its messy, lived-in glory.

I have also started to hate Instagram. In fact, a cleanse of who I follow is long overdue. I've joked to other bloggers about the pristine outfits and overly large straw hat poses by pristine female bloggers at different remote locations around the world. That's fine for them, but not for me. I'm not fashionable. I'm not pristine. I don't have a great tan and perfect teeth. My Instagram photos aren't perfect. I'm not here for the followers. I'm just posting what's real and interesting.

That's partly why blogging and Instagram images have taken a back seat. I needed to be on the platforms less.

Here are the other reasons!

I'M GETTING MARRIED!

Many of you already know I'm getting married, but it is now less than 6 weeks until the big day. I'm incredibly lucky that my fiancee has taken the wedding admin (wedmin) by the reigns, but there has been a lot to sort, from photographers and groomsmen attire, to food, booze and gifts. This, a long with more church visits, has taken up quite a bit of time.......but it does mean we get an awesome honeymoon to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in October!

I GOT A SPRINGER SPANIEL PUPPY!

If getting married wasn't a big enough commitment for one year, many of you will know that we got a Springer Spaniel puppy in July! I'll introduce Pip in a separate post, but I can tell you my life is currently dominated by a small bundle of energetic white and brown fur!

JUST LIVING LIFE

I used to be the sort of person that said I needed to switch on to switch off. Not so anymore. I've played a lot of golf. I walk the puppy. If I take Pip for a walk in the mornings and evenings, I don't look at my phone once. Pip is real life, and fun to train, so social media and fake news can take a back seat.

WILL YOU BE POSTING MORE REGULARLY AGAIN?

Once I'm back from my honeymoon, and the pup is a little older, then yes, I will be posting more often. I've had some fantastic trips this year - to France, Switzerland, Cornwall, the Lake District, Amsterdam and Slovenia, and I've had some fantastic offers for other trips, most of which I've had to turn down because of time, budget or annual leave restrictions, but I aim to be back with a bang later in the year!

In the meantime, I'm still here, I'll post when I can, and you can always give me a holla on social media :)

Which Cities Around The World Serve Up The Cheapest Beer?

2017-08-01T17:54:00.000+00:00

I always remember my cheapest beers were in Bolivia, and deepest, darkest China. Both local beers, they cost me the equivalent of 85p and 75p respectively. They were pretty good beers too, which made their price even sweeter!

So where else around the world can you get a cheap beer? And which are the cities to avoid for expensive beer?

Well, research conducted by Honest Coffees shows that Dubai is the most expensive city for beer, coming in at £8.78. This is followed closely by Hong Kong (£6.31) and Paris (£6.14).

If you want a cheap beer, the cities that serve up amber nectar that save the pennies are Cairo (£1.96) and Cape Town (£1.95).

The study also looked at the price of coffee, Coke and water, and found that thrifty travellers would be well advised to head for Africa, with Cape Town coming in at less than a fiver for all four drinks and Cairo the best value at a measly £3.92.

The full list of cities and drink prices can be found below (click the table for the large, fandangled infographic version);

Pub Review: The Bricklayers Arms, Flaunden

2017-07-15T17:41:00.001+00:00

Hertfordshire is blessed with a plethora of cosy country pubs. From open fires to local ales, home-cooked pies to delicious desserts, I'm spoilt for choice when it comes to welcoming pubs.

After a few recent visits, I wanted to tell you about one of my new favourites. Located in the tiny village of Flaunden, just outside the M25 and on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, the Bricklayers Arms is an award-winning 18th century inn.

I've now been to the Bricklayers Arms several times, usually for a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday. Whether in the summer months or in dark winter, the pub has a warm, cosy feel, and the menu never disappoints.

Being a quintessential British pub, you would expect traditional home-cooked dishes...and you would be correct. They even smoke their own fish!

Earlier this summer I got stuck into a starter of fresh white crab with home smoked salmon, chive cream & blinis (tasty!).

Claire got stuck into a warm duck breast salad....

...and then I devoured the dish that Sunday afternoon's are made for: roast beef with all the trimmings, and lashings of gravy.

Back to the food in a minute.

Did I mention that the Bricklayers Arms also has a lovely, relaxed, child-friendly beer garden too? It catches the evening sun just nicely :)

It is possible to eat in the beer garden too. Just speak to the staff, and they will lay a table for you :)

The interior of the pub is very English, and incredibly comfortable, with friendly bar staff and helpful service, and awards that litter the sideboards and walls.

Back to the food. What did I have for dessert? Eton mess of course.

£33 for three-courses. Not bad at all!

If you're ever in the area, or even if you're going to visit the Warner Bros Studio tour (the Bricklayers Arms in Flaunden is a 15-minute drive away), I would definitely recommend it for lunch or dinner. Lots of food choice, lots of ale choice, plenty of parking and great service at a great price. Give it a go!

Reviewed on 7th July by Simon Heyes
Bricklayers Arms, Flaunden
Some of the best pub food around!
Multi-award winning, the Bricklayers Arms is a fantastic, quintessentially English pub with great food, ale and wine. It is located at Flaunden, Hertfordshire
Rating: 5

Rafting, Hiking & Car Trains In Triglav National Park

2017-06-17T13:39:00.001+00:00

One of the reasons I love travel is because just when you think you've seen the best mountain, the best lake, the best waterfall, the best countries in the world, travel throws up something new.

That something this time was Triglav National Park in Slovenia.

Located in the North West corner of the country, Triglav National Park forms part of the Julian Alps, with the highest peak - Mount Triglav - standing at 2,864m high.

Slovenia only has one national park, but boy does it give other National Park's around a world a run for their money. I can't count how many times I said 'unreal' and 'stunning' during our Slovenia trip in June.

Yep, Lake Bled and Triglav National Park well and truly took my breath away.

LAKE JASNA AND THE ZLATOROG

After a 25 minute drive from Lake Bled, our journey began at a golden-horned ram (zlatorog) statue on the edge of Lake Jasna.

Talk about jaw-dropping.

Lake Jasna is a stunning alpine lake, and the perfect stop for anyone wanting to sunbathe, swim or simply take in the breathtaking views.

After admiring the mountain range backdrop and taking some photos, we hopped in our minivans and made our way to the Vršič Pass.

VRŠIČ PASS & THE HEATHEN MAIDEN

The next event of our journey was to gain elevation. The minivans had to tackle the famously precarious Vršič Pass, the highest mountain pass in Slovenia. With about 50,000 switch backs, it snakes its way up and around the mountains. At its peak, it hits an elevation of 1,611m.

We jumped out at the top, and began our hike uphill, heading for the Prisank Mountain Window.

After a short hike, we'd reached our destination, on a peak looking directly towards Prisank Mountain. Facing us, the mountain showed us its huge North wall. There are two marked and secured climbing routes (via ferratas) which lead across the face for skilled mountaineers, but we were happy just to take in the views.

Our guide, Jaka, then pointed out an interesting feature on the North wall.

Known locally as Ajdovska Deklica (the Heathen Maiden), formed naturally in the rock is a formation that resembles a female face. The legend goes that the Heathen Maiden prophesied to the son of a hunter that he will shoot the Zlatorog. Other heathen women were upset by this, and turned the prophetess into a rock.

After a look around some of the mountain cabins nearby (and standing in awe of the views several times) we hiked back down to the minibus, and headed down the other side of the mountain (more hairpins), before stopping for our second hike.

SOCA RIVER SOURCE

The hike up to the Soca River source was steep and fairly technical. Not for the faint hearted, after skirting the edge of a forest next to the river, we climbed higher, towards some caves, and the source of this Emerald river.

A metal rope was now being used as our guide and support as the path narrowed. No risk, no reward, so we ploughed on, cautious step by cautious step.

Finally, we made it to the source, but the entrance was a short climb down, and required single file access.

The source itself is located inside a cave, with a huge drop beneath the rock, filled with crystal clear water. I had to watch my step, as I couldn't tell where the stony entrance finished and the water began.

This is the only picture I have of the source. Please excuse the blurring out, but this was my stag do / bachelor party trip, and the outfit is not at all suitable for public eyes!

RAFTING ON THE SOCA RIVER

After a spot of lunch in a local village and a short drive down the Soca River, our main activity of the day was here: rafting.

With the stunning backdrop of the Triglav mountain range, we hopped into our rafts and let the current take us down the river.

With a few twists and turns, falls and sitting positions, our briefing was complete and we bumped our way between boulders in the river.

The water may look amazing, but it was far from warm, with all the snow melt from the mountains making it decidedly cold!

With adrenaline pumping, and everyone safe and accounted for, we dried off in the sun, before heading off on our final hike of the day.

KOZJAK WATERFALL

The hike in itself to the Kozjak waterfall is pretty amazing. Skirting the edge of the Soca river then crossing over a suspension bridge, the scenery is incredible.

Photo credit: Adventurous Miriam

After crossing several bridges, and the walls of the gulley narrowing, we approached the entrance to the waterfall.

And then we made it. Again, much like the Soca source, the water was crystal clear. Perfect for a dip to cool off!

CAR TRAIN AT BOHINJ

If all the adventures of the day weren't enough, we still had one last treat to come. In the small town of Bohinj, on the Southern side of Triglav National Park, there is a train which carries cars through the countryside, back to the outskirts of Bled.

With the side door slid open, the country breeze was a welcome relief from the heat, as we rolled across viaducts and through tunnels, back to Bled.

The train journey takes around 30 minutes, but is well worth the trip, to see some of Slovenia's hidden countryside.

3 GLAV ADVENTURES

Our Emerald River Adventure trip was run by the awesome team at 3 Glav Adventures. These guys are based in Bled, so give them a shout if you would like a similar day experience of Triglav National Park. The whole day cost around 80 Euros - a bargain for the experiences you receive.

I would love to go back and explore Slovenia properly, maybe on a road trip, and to do more hiking. It's a country I would never had imagined would be so stunning, cradling so many hidden gems and places that blow your mind.

If Slovenia isn't on your to-do list, I hope it is now.

The Best Summer Sleeping Bags For The Camping & The Festival Season

2017-05-03T16:35:00.000+00:00

The other week I got my old Vango sleeping bag out of its stuff sack and noticed the zip was broken. After 6 years of camping use, I'd completely forgotten it broke during a Cornish camping trip, and I needed a new one.

Now the summer camping season has arrived, I thought I'd write a handy blog post around summer sleeping bags for those of you looking for a new addition to your camping kit. My new sleeping bag is a Vango Planet 150, which is comfortable for temperatures ranging from 4 - 15°C - perfect for British summer nights :)

The trick with finding a summer sleeping bag is to look at the comfortable temperature range, and match that to the location you are planning on sleeping / camping.

The Planet 150 for example might be the best summer sleeping bag for me as I camp a lot in Britain, but certain places outside of the UK, or on higher ground in the UK, may have much cooler nights, possibly as low as -4 degrees, even in summer. As such, plan correctly, follow the tips below, and hopefully you'll find the ideal summer sleeping bag option for your camping trip or festival.

Here are my picks of the best summer sleeping bags for 2017 (click the images to view on retailer site):

1. Vango Ultralite Pro 300

I must admit, Vango do make great sleeping bags. My last three sleeping bags have all been Vango, and they have all been excellent and lasted over five years each. This version is one designed for year round explorers who demand low weight and small pack size. It has a comfortable temperature range of between +7°C and -3°C. From £78.

2. Microlite 500 Square Sleeping Bag

This Mountain Warehouse Sleeping Bag is a great summer season choice. This sleeping bag is for much milder temperatures as it has a comfortable temperature range of between +5°C and +11°C. From £30.

3. Vango Sennen 250 Sleeping Bag

The Vango Sennen sleeping bag provides quality and affordability in a mummy-shaped bag. It provides warmth, and a pack size that is ideal for first time campers, festival goers and DofE groups. It has an approximate comfortable temperature range of between +6°C and 2°C. From £46.

4. Trespass 300GSM Single Envelope Sleeping Bag

Whilst it doesn't have the most inspiring design, the 300GSM is envelope shaped, allowing you to find that perfect sleeping position. It has an approximate comfortable temperature range of between +8°C and 0°C. From £35.

5. OMM Mountain Raid 1 Sleeping Bag

OMM are a great outdoors brand, with a superb range of backpacks and sleeping backs. Here I've gone for the 1.0 version, a lovely, snug, long sleeping bag with a temperature range of between +9°C and -1°C. From £150.

6. Sirius 200 Long Sleeping Bag

This Ayacucho sleeping bag is a great option for camping in milder conditions. It's comfortable temperature range is between +6°C and 0°C. This summer sleeping bag is extra long, so perfect for those over 6ft tall. From £65.

7. Outwell Campion Lux Sleeping Bag

This is a good option for those that don't like mummy shaped sleeping bags and want more space around the feet. This summer sleeping bag also provides a double option, for those who want to snuggle up during the night. Temperature range is around +6°C, and has a comfortable limit of -1°C. From £29 (single and double).

8. Karrimor Superlight 2 Sleeping Bag

The Karrimor Superlight 2 Sleeping Bag is ideal for spring and summer time camping. It is a two season sleeping bag that is comfortable around +7°C, and has a limit of +2°C. From £40.

And lastly - just for fun - I spotted this awesome Easy Camp festival sleeping bag online (£22). It also doubles as a coat using drawstrings at the bottom! :)

FROM SLEEPING BAGS TO LINERS

If you're not sure if the sleeping bag you have is not going to be warm enough, then you have a couple of options. Firstly, you could put a sleeping bag inside another bag, thus adding another layer of warmth.

Another option is to use a sleeping bag liner. If the conditions are simply too warm for any type of sleeping bag, then a liner is a great option. I used a liner when I was in Colombia and Brazil because the temperature never dropped below 18 degrees - even at night.

Sleeping bag liners are also useful for hygiene purposes, for example if you're not sure how clean your hotel/hostel/bunkhouse sheets are.

Sleeping bag liners come in cotton or silk, and pack down really small, so they are perfect for backpacking. Try one of these three options:

Cocoon Egyptian Cotton Travel Liner - £29.99 (or the same option but with insect shield for better protection from mosquitos and other creepy crawlies)

Lifeventure Silk Sleeping Bag Liner - £31.70

Lastly, don't forget. even though it's summer, you'll still need some insulation from the ground, so make sure you pack a roll mat or self inflating camping mat to keep you comfortable and warm from the ground!

Happy summer camping guys!

Disclosure - Some of the links above include affiliate links. This means when the links are clicked and a product is purchased, I make a little commission on each sale. Just letting you know. Carry on :)

14 Micro Adventure Ideas For Everyone To Try

2017-04-24T12:21:00.000+00:00

Adventure is a very subjective word. For one person, adventure might mean throwing themselves out of a plane in New Zealand. Yet for another, adventure might mean camping in the garden with the kids.

Adventures can be big and small, and this post is designed to raise a glass to all those who love the small, simple adventures in life.

As quoted by adventure evangelist Alastair Humphreys, microadventures are adventures that are short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.

But where do you begin with microadventures? Here are fourteen microadventure ideas to set you on your way.

MICROADVENTURE IDEAS

1) Swim In The Sea - this doesn't have to be in the summer on a packed beach. Often the best adventures in the UK are heading to a quiet part of the coast, stripping off to your bathers and taking a dip. Ridiculously refreshing and exciting!

2) Get Up Early To Watch The Sunrise - one of my favourite microadventures. No matter where you are in the world, there is something special about heading up a hill or to a good vantage point to watch the sunrise in the morning. I once climbed Arthur's Seat in Scotland to watch the sunrise - such an incredible experience! I've also watched the sunrise in Gisborne, New Zealand - the first place in the world to watch the sunrise each day :)

Sunrise over Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

3) Take A Different Route To Work - ah, the daily commute. Often so boring, mundane and uniform. But it doesn't have to be. Walk a different route, take an earlier train, drive down a different road - who knows where it will take you or what you will discover! Add a little microadventure to your everyday.

4) Spin The Globe - Not sure where to go on your next adventure? Find a spinning globe, give it a spin and stop it with your finger. Voila, your next adventure awaits!

via GIPHY

5) Take Up A New Sport - I'm an incredibly competitive guy. I always want to develop new skills and be the best I can be at everything I do. Last summer I took up golf, and am learning the craft slowly! But this is a sport I can do well into old age, and I can do it anywhere around the globe! So why not learn a new craft or sport? It's an adventure in itself :)

On the golf course in the sunshine!

6) Go Wild Camping - this is something incredibly rewarding and exciting about getting out into the wild and having to fend for yourself. When planned correctly, wild camping is the ultimate microadventure. It combines hiking, wilderness and nature in one big little adventure. If you're new to camping, do this in the Spring or late summer one of our National Parks. Have a peek at my wild camping tips post for advice on what to take.

Wild camping in the Lake District

7) Take A Surprise Trip - plan a weekend off. Head to the airport and speak to the airlines about spare seats. Pay for your seat and off you go! An Expedia spin-off called Surprise Trips specialises in exactly that :)

8) Be A Tourist In Your Own Town - did you know I lived in Edinburgh for 8-years, but never visited inside the castle? Shocking, I know. Quite often we miss the best adventures that are right on our doorstep, so why not plan time to explore your own town and visit those places you've never been. It's a microadventure that's right on your doorstep :)

9) Watch The Sunset On A Beach - It doesn't matter where you are in the world, but watching the sunset over the sea is pretty special. Especially if you combine it with wild camping, mentioned above.

Sunset over Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janiero, Brazil

10) Sleep In A Hammock - This is one for your next camping trip, or even a little garden adventure! I slept in a hammock in Colombia, and it was great fun!

11) Climb A Hill - there's something satisfying about setting off with the aim of reaching the peak. If you pick a clear days, the views alone will make it all the worthwhile. Get up high, get some fresh air and then enjoy a drink in the pub afterwards to celebrate. What's not to love?!

12) Cook Food On A Stove - when combined with camping, cooking a meal on a gas stove is very enjoying. Try porridge with honey, bacon, or even a chilli for everyone. Just remember to soak everything, as it makes washing up much easier ;)

13 ) Find A Local Cycling Trail - you don't need to be a professional cyclist to enjoy a good bike ride. There are cycling trails all over the UK, my favourite being the Camel trail down in Cornwall. Plan the cycle on a nice day and lunch in the pub - brilliant!

14) Go Geocaching - ever heard of geocaching? Time to download the app. This is the best treasure hunt on the planet, and the geocaches are hidden right under your nose. Have a peek at Geocaching.com and start hunting those treasures! This is the perfect mircoadventure to do with kids.

There you have it! Fourteen microadventure ideas for anyone to try :). Have a microadventure idea of your own? Add it to the comments below!

Introducing Betsy - The First Beer Designed To Be Drunk At 35,000ft

2017-03-28T08:04:00.000+00:00

A few years ago South African Airlines invited me to a swanky do in Claridge's to celebrate the launch of their new catering contract with DO & CO, and the launch of their new home in Heathrow T2.

Amidst sampling DO & CO's food from the SAA onboard menu, we were also given wines, paired with each course. "Wines on the flight are chosen for boldness of taste because at altitude our sense of taste is diluted by up to 30%," explained Melanie Melvill, of SA Wines Online, at the time.

It seemed after several wines, my brain and body were also affected, and I was only on the 7th floor of Claridge's, never mind 35,000ft in the air.

Fast-forward three years, and I was invited to a bar in London by Cathay Pacific to celebrate the launch of their new beer, called Betsy.

If some airlines had cracked food and wine at 35,000ft, why has it taken so long to develop a beer designed to be drunk high in the sky?

Cathay Pacific General Manager Marketing, Julian Lyden said: "We know that when you fly, your sense of taste changes. Airlines address this for food in certain ways. But nobody has ever tried to improve the taste of beer at altitude. That seemed like a great opportunity for us to help our beer-loving passengers travel well."

"It's a unique idea", says Devin Kimble, Director of the Hong Kong Beer Co, who I managed to have quite a long chat with. "We also wanted to make the beer locally, so whilst the hops are British, every other ingredient comes from Hong Kong".

"It's also about the experience", he continued. "Who wants a Heineken to quench their thirst?". Some people might, but not craft beer enthusiasts.

BRITISH HOPS. Now we're talking. The hop used in Betsy is called Fuggle, which is also one of the brewer's at BrewDog favourite hops. It's an ideal hop for creating wonderfully mild, middle of the road, 3.5% craft ales.

I tried the beer on the ground. Well, at 6ft. It is a actually a very good craft beer. Slightly sweet, full-bodied, with a lovely fruit flavour.

I just had two questions:

HOW DO THEY AMEND BETSY BEER TO TASTE GOOD AT 35,000FT?

It's no secret that cabin pressure and altitude affects passengers’ taste buds, as I found out at the boozy event at Claridge's.

For Betsy, it is a combination of science and traditional brewing methods. The hops and flavour need to be full-bodied. The aroma needs to be strong, and the beer needs a necessary carbonation to counteract the type of air found in the plane cabin.

The Fuggle hops provide the full bodied flavour, "Dragon Eye" fruit (or Loganberries to you and I) adds the aromatic and distinct fruity properties, and honey adds sweetness and floral notes.

WHY IS IT CALLED BETSY?

Betsy was the name of the first Cathay Pacific aircraft. It was a Douglas DC-3 which flew passengers around the Hong Kong region in the 1940s and 1950s.

Nicky was the name of Cathay Pacific's second aircraft...should you ever need that information for a pub quiz.

Disclosure - Whilst I was invited to the event in London by Cathay Pacific and given free Betsy beer, the opinions provided above are solely mine. All images above (apart from the blurry one in the bar) provided by Cathay Pacific.

Ski Lingo - All The Skiing Slang You Need To Know

2017-03-24T13:12:00.002+00:00

Whenever you learn a new activity or sport, you are classed as a beginner. For any beginner there is a large degree of learning, especially around the nuances of the language used within the activity or sport.

Skiing is no different. If you skied for the first time this season (the lingo begins already), you'll have come across ski slang and phrases that you would have probably no clue what they meant.

Fear not. Ever new skier has been there. I've been there. The ski lingo language evolves too, crafted by skiers and snowboarders who are far younger and cooler than me.

In February I went skiing in Meribel, and during the week we had several days when it was crisp white pistes and clear blue sky. 'Another bluebird day!', I posted. One of the responses, from a fellow travel blogger who had never skied, was: 'what's a bluebird day?'. It was a fair comment. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my ski slang bubble I forget that some of the phrases used in ski resorts simply don't make sense to the outside world.

"You should write a post about ski lingo", he said.

So here I am, writing a post about the different words and phrases you'll come across when embarking on a ski holiday. In no particular order, here goes:

Bluebird day - this phrase is typically shouted by excited skiers and snowboarders first thing in the morning when they open the curtains, and typically denotes a cloudless, blue sky day, often after a night of snowfall.

White out - pretty much the opposite of bluebird day. This is the period of time when the snow clouds roll in and you can barely see 10m in front of you. Best to sit this one out in the bar.

Gnarly - I think this is more of a snowboarders term (they have their own lingo), but is a word for something that is pretty dangerous, and/or awesome. For example, that black run was gnarly as f*ck.

Tracked out - when fresh snow has been skied or boarded to death and there are no fresh lines available.

Trek out - when you venture off piste but miscalculate the terrain, slow down, eventually stop, then have to take off your skis and hike out of the predicament you've got yourself in. "Yeah we hit some off piste off the back of the red run but it got pretty gnarly so we had to trek out".

Snow plough - the very first technique you'll learn on the slopes. This is where you point your toes inwards, which in turn points your skis inwards, making a pizza slice shape, and using your weight to turn left and right.

Magic carpet - often used by those learning to snow plough, a magic carpet is a essentially an uphill conveyor-belt to help beginner skiers up the slope.

Pow Pow - depicts the best conditions for skiing: fresh powder. Often combined with gnarly for use in a positive context. "That was some gnarly pow today!"

Backcountry - This is more of a Canadian / American word, as I heard it a lot in Whistler. It basically means any off-piste area outside of resort boundaries that is not patrolled or cleared of avalanche dangers, usually quite a way from the resort.

Edges - These are the sharpened metal strip on the sides of your skis, used for gaining control on the snow, and enabling a good, solid turn.

Crust / Crusty - this is when a frozen layer on top of, or just under a thin fresh layer of snow, makes the piste a little slippery under skis. They feel like little patches of ice, but use your edges and you'll breeze over them. Often found on pistes that are busy and where the sun doesn't hit the snow.

Parallel turn - the technique you learn once you've mastered the snow plough. This is where your legs turn in parallel, letting the skis do the work as you turn.

Carving - some might call it the ultimate ski technique. This is where you let your skis do the work, lean right over on your edges and create a series of clean turns, often in giant “S” shaped swoops.

Carving fresh tracks in the snow. Photo source: Diginfo.ru.

Dump - This means there has been a big snowfall of fresh powder.

Groomer - This is the term for pistes that have been barely skied, and you are one of the first to carve tracks in the snow.

Grooming - At the end of the day, the pistes need to be cut up and maintained for the next ski day. To spread new snow and smooth over bumps and icy patches, tractors known as piste bashers drag giant rakes over the snow.

Fresh Tracks - Skiing on pistes and through fresh snow before anyone else does, leaving behind your trail for all else to see. I did this in Whistler - we got an early lift up at 8am, had breakfast at the top of the mountain, then a siren sounded to indicate the pistes were safe, and we were the first to ride the piste all the way to the bottom. Bliss.

Getting ready for fresh tracks. Photo credit: Crystal Ski

Moguls - Bumps and mounds that form in the snow usually created by the turns of skiers, and often found on black runs and the side of red runs.

Twin Tips - skis that have both the tail and tip turned up at the end, enabling a skier to ski backwards with ease. I once tried this and the brake on my ski broke off.

Binding - this is the part of the ski that connects your ski boots to the actual skis. Ski bindings are designed to release from the ski during a fall, to ensure you don't injure yourself.

Wipe Out - a very un-poetic fall, either on or off-piste, often resulting in skis coming off.

Powder day - this depicts the conditions in resort after an epic snowfall, resulting in lots of fresh snow, both on and off-piste.

Corduroy piste - this was a new term for me this year! It means the same as a groomer - when the piste is freshly groomed, and when close to the ground it looks like a freshly ironed pair of corduroy trousers.

Example of a corduroy piste. Photo credit: Crystal Ski

Liftie - these are the guys that operate the ski lifts. They often have a dry wit and dark sense of humour, but are generally friendly.

Apres ski - skiing isn't just about being on skis and hurtling yourself down a mountain, oh no. It's also about the time spent in the bar at the end of the day, a.k.a. apres ski. This is about drinking beers and shots, swapping stories about the day and dancing on tables in your ski boots between the hours of 3pm and 10pm.

There you have it! All the ski lingo and slang you need to survive a ski holiday. Have I missed any words or phrases? Let me know in the comments below!

An Update On My Travel Plans For 2017

2017-03-19T16:07:00.003+00:00

Unusually for me, 2017 has been a pretty slow start in terms of travel. I normally have some winter sun booked, a week skiing and a weekend away.

Not this year.

I skied in Meribel back at the end of February, which was awesome, but i've found myself itching to get away again. But I can't. Not for a while anyway.

Here's why.

CHURCH PREREQUISITES

As many of you know I got engaged last September, and the wedding has been set for September this year (eeek!). Since October 2016 it's been full steam ahead, planning the wedding, finding the venue and getting the bigger things sorted.

Everything is going pretty well, but as we're getting married outside of our local parish, and having the wedding ceremony at the church next to the venue, we have to visit the church a certain number of times before we get married.

If any friends or family of yours have been through, or are going through something similar, you'll probably know that they have to visit 3 or 4 times. Not us. In order for us to be married by our vicar in our chosen church, we have to go 18 times.

That has meant that any weekend away plans have been mostly put on the back burner as we fulfil our wedding prerequisites.

True, I could go away Friday evening and come back Saturday evening, but then I wouldn't really get to explore as much of a city / place as I would like, and I would be falling asleep in church, which is probably frowned upon.

STAG DOS & WEDDINGS

2017 will be a pretty big year for weddings and stag dos. As well as my own wedding and stag do, I have four others (one down already), which takes up more of those precious weekends.

ANNUAL LEAVE RESTRICTIONS

Travel blogging is only part-time for me. For my main job I work for a digital marketing agency, and as such, I'm limited to the amount of annual leave I can take in a year (28 days). So whilst I can get away during the week, I'm restricted because I need a certain amount of holiday time for the stag dos, and my own honeymoon.Which brings me nicely onto...

MY HONEYMOON

The deposit is down! VERY EXCITING!! A few days after the wedding we'll be hopping on a plane and heading to.....Sri Lanka and the Maldives!

Our honeymoon resort in the Maldives...

Sri Lanka and the Maldives are two new countries for me, and I've been wanting to explore Sri Lanka for a long time, so I cannot wait! The honeymoon will take up 13 days of annual leave, and with 9 already taken with skiing, weddings and weekend aways, there's only a few holiday days left.

ANYTHING ELSE ON THE HORIZON?

It doesn't take a genius to work out I still have 6 days of annual leave remaining. So is there any travel planned to maximise the days of annual leave? Yes there is. I'll be heading to Verbier for a long weekend in the first week of April, and I'm hoping to go to Poland for a Friday to Sunday weekend at some point in May, and then...I may have a very exciting hiking project to share with you soon that will take place in July. I can't share anything until it's all confirmed, but it's a journey I can't wait to document here on the blog, and on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

It's going to be a busy year with lots of celebrations, but I'm still trying to squeeze in as much travel as I can!

A Slice Of Chalet Luxury In Meribel Village With Fish & Pips

2017-02-27T20:40:00.002+00:00

I've lost count of the number of ski slopes I've hurtled down in my lifetime. I will always remember my first slope, though.

Without having had any lessons, and with the upmost stupidity and bravado, I chucked my 18-year old self down a sleep slope that connected our hotel to the green slopes in the high resort of Val Thorens.

Once I'd untangled myself from the netting that saved a few bruises, I began to enjoy skiing, and never looked back.

Every year since, I've managed to get at least one week of skiing into the calendar. At the peak of my skiing powers I managed two weeks in a season.

Unlike the other trips, our 2017 ski holiday was set up to be extra special. The combination of impending weddings and babies on the horizon meant that our week in Meribel could be our last as a group for a few years. One final blow out.

As such, we wanted it to be extra special. More luxury. More gastronomic. More relaxing.

And we nailed it.

The living area in Chalet Le Koissou (formely Chalet Braye), Meribel Village

THE PART WHERE I DISCOVERED FISH & PIPS

This story starts back in June last year, when I began searching beyond the usual ski operators to find something a little different. As this post explains, I found Fish & Pips, found Chalet Le Koissou (Braye), and booked the whole chalet for ourselves.

Unlike the other ski operators, Fish & Pips had a nice booking system which allowed you to add notes and details for each traveller (such as dietary requirements, ski lessons etc.) and most importantly, allowed you to pay in installments. Having booked so far in advance (8 months to be exact) this made the financial burden of a ski holiday much easier to digest.

THE PART WHERE WE WALK PAST THE BIG UNCOMFORTABLE COACHES

For any of you that have flown into Geneva or especially Grenoble airport, you quickly become accustomed to what a sheep feels like when being herded. Queue for immigration, queue for luggage, then queue for your coach.

Except this time around we booked a private transfer with Fish & Pips. We met our driver, walked past the uncomfortably cramped, busy coaches, and hopped into our very own minibus. Aside from stopping only once, this knocked approximately 45 mins off our transfer to Meribel. #winning.

THE PART WHERE WE EXPLORE CHALET LE KOISSOU

Chalet Braye (now Chalet Le Kouissou) was newly refurbished for the 2016/17 season and boy did we get a treat. A typical wood-clad, Savoyard-style chalet, this place had everything.

An outdoor hot tub. A games room. A spacious lounge area with views of the Tougnette mountain. Wood-burning fire. Boot warmers. Netflix TV. Cards Against Humanity. Comfortable rooms. The list goes on.

The cosy pre-dinner scene in Chalet Braye (Le Koissou)

Bookshelves on the stairs at Chalet Braye (Le Koissou)

The branded lip balm came in very handy...and was a nice touch!

The outdoor hub tub at Chalet Le Koissou - where we spent most of our early evenings!

Some of the photos don't do the chalet justice, so have a peek at the video that I filmed when we arrived.

...and then came the food.

THE PART ABOUT THE GASTRONOMY

One of the main reasons we chose Fish & Pips was their attention to the food. As it says on their website, they try to provide the best dining experiences the Alps has to offer by carefully hand-picking restaurant chefs and allowing them free rein when it comes to choosing menus.

How's this for service - our fantastic chalet chef, Jeremy, called me the Thursday before we departed to double check on dietary requirements, and to see if there were any specific dishes we did or didn't want.

Fast-forward to our first evening meal. Canapes - sun-dried tomatoes and warm goats cheese served on small bread toasts. Starter - creamy butternut squash soup served with fresh, warm bread (below),

Main course - Slow-cooked beef cheek served vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes

SLOW-COOKED BEEF CHEEK PEOPLE.

Dessert - apple tart with ice cream.

To finish - Savoyard cheese board with bread and/or crackers.

5-courses, every night, with fresh, different dishes. Such as monkfish risotto with bacon and peas....

...and slow-cooked duck leg with puy lentils;

The food was absolutely incredible. I had to be rolled out of the chalet at the end of the week. I tip my hat to our chef, Jeremy.

If that wasn't enough, there were also plenty of surprises when it came to the beverages too...

THE PART WHERE THE ALCOHOL FLOWED...TO MATCH DINNER

Unlike other chalets, there was free beer and free champagne on offer with Fish & Pips in Chalet Braye. We knew this when we booked, but to actually have free beer and champagne on tap, as well as a yummy afternoon cake everyday, it was.....well, it was heaven.

See all the pictures of the amazing food above? Well, our chalet host also chose wines to match the food that Jeremy cooked. We got a different wine for starter and another glass of wine for our main course. Occasionally if we were well behaved we got a dessert wine too.

Red wine warming by the fire

How good is that?! A far cry from the gulp and shudder wine you usually receive (and have to dilute with cordial) in other chalets.

THE PART WHERE SKIS AND BOOTS WERE BROUGHT TO THE DOOR

Usually if you book ski hire in resort, you have to take a stroll to the hire shop to get your boots fitted. More annoyingly you have to then drop your skis and boots off at the end of the week when all you want to do is relax.

Not so on this occasion.

Fish & Pips have a partnership with Meribel-based ski hire company Slide Candy who deliver the skis and boots to your door, and do the fitting in the chalet. You don't have to walk more than 10ft.

At the end of the week, they were waiting at our chalet to collect the boots and skis back. Amazing.

THE PART WHERE I WRAP UP THIS POST

In 15 years of ski holidays, Chalet Braye (Le Koissou) - and the experience from Fish & Pips - is by far the best chalet holiday I've had. Their service is excellent and cater for everything you need to make the holiday effortless and relaxing.

A luxury ski chalet holiday may be more expensive than your standard ski holiday, but as you can see above, it is worth every penny :)

What's been your favourite ski holiday? Can you beat chalet Le Koissou? :)

6 Of The Best Ski Runs In Meribel

2017-02-13T12:08:00.000+00:00

What a week of skiing that was! I pretty much covered the entire Three Valleys ski area, including the 'fourth valley' Orelle.

With so many runs and pistes under my belt, I thought I'd pick out my best red and blue runs in the Meribel valley for you to find and enjoy :)

Combe de Vallon - this red run needs snow good conditions, but it is one of the longest runs in the Meribel valley. Starting at Meribel’s highest skiing point, the Mont Vallon (2952m), it begins steep and narrow, and then twists and turns, widens, and then keeps on going for a total 1000m drop down into Meribel Motteret. Bliss.

Roc De Fer - my favourite Meribel blue run that starts at the top of the Olympic ski lift, on the Tougnete side of the mountain. This East facing run gets the sun in the morning, and the panoramic views at the top of Roc De Fer are some of the best in the Meribel valley.

Check out the video below to see the views of the run off Roc De Fer:

Biche - Starting at the top of the Saulire Express, this a lovely blue which winds its way down past the La Folie Douce. Take a left onto Marmotte and you hit a lovely wide, rolling blue which turns into a nice green run through the trees and lands you back into the showdown (Meribel centre). This run is best just after lunch once the sun has started to hit the slope.

Niverolle - this lovely red starts slow, but turns into a beauty of a run. Once you navigate its entrance, you are presented with amazing views of the West side of the Meribel valley. Wide and narrow, gentle and steep, with lovely views all the way down. At the mid station of the Pas du Lac lift, this red run turns into Aigle, but don't let that put you off - it's a great run all the way down to Meribel Mottaret.

Boulevard De La Loze - probably the least technical blue you'll experience in Meribel. Starting at the top of Col De La Loze, Boulevard de la loze is a narrow blue run where you can put your hands and poles by your side and simply take in the views. Barely any turns needed here, just soak up the views of the Meribel valley :)

A panoramic shot of Boulevard de la Loze in Meribel

Lagopede - only a short red run, but a great one to get your turns in. With stunning views of the East side of the Meribel valley, this ski run starts at the top of the Roc De Tougne lift, and allows you to choose various red and blue run routes down into Meribel Mottaret.

Do you have a favourite ski run in Meribel? Let me know in the comments below! :)

The Ultimate Ski Chalet Holiday Booking Guide

2017-01-08T18:01:00.002+00:00

In my opinion, a catered ski chalet represents the best value for money when booking a week long ski holiday to the Alps.

I've booked our ski chalet holiday for the last 12 years, so thought it was about time I wrote some tips and produced a little guide for you to find and book the best chalets, and the best deals.

This post is designed for those booking from the UK, and travelling to France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, or further afield, the US or Canada. If you're a seasoned veteran when it comes to booking ski chalets, then I hope this post hit all the key points. If you're a newbie to booking ski chalets, then I hope you find this guide useful.

Oh, and put the kettle on, there's quite a bit of information to digest!

I've broken the ski chalet guide into different sections to ensure you have all the information you need.

First up, it's time to work out your priorities, and what you want from your ski holiday.

WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET, DATES AND PRIORITIES

If you're booking on behalf of a group of people, it's important to work out their preferences. For example, do they have a preference on location? Chalet size? Close to the slopes? Close to town? Hot tub? Apres ski scene?

If you're not sure where to start, check out Welove2ski. This is a useful site with loads of information on all the major resorts, including plus and minus points for each.

Your choice of location may also depend on the snow levels of the different resorts. For first timers, have a read of my top snow sure resorts post, which covers some of the best locations in France, and where you are pretty much guaranteed snow between December and April.

The biggest and best choice of chalets are in France, so I would recommend starting there, unless you want to ski in Austria, Switzerland or Italy.

Once you have the preference choices, it's then time to decide on the dates you want to go, and your budget. This will help you narrow down your ski chalet search. Typically a catered chalet for a week will range somewhere between £400 and £900 per person, depending on the deals available, and the type of chalet you go for.

Also bear in mind you may have to pay for ski hire (if you're not taking your own), which is usually around £120 for the week, and your lift pass, which varies depending on the ski area, but is usually £200 - £300 for the week. With money for apres ski and souvenirs, a catered chalet ski holiday is generally around the £1000 mark.

WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU PAY FOR A CATERED CHALET HOLIDAY

A catered chalet really is good value. Let's compare it to a night in a nice hotel in London. That might cost you £140 per night, right? Well, given you'll be paying somewhere between £350 and £900 you usually get the following:

Return flights from the airport of your choice
Return transfers from the airport to your ski chalet
Six nights accommodation in a ski chalet, usually in a twin or double room
Breakfast, afternoon tea/coffee & cake, and a three-course meal for 5 nights
White and red wine during dinner

So all in all, it's a pretty good deal.

THE MAIN SKI CHALET HOLIDAY OPERATORS

The table below shows most of the main ski chalet holiday tour operators from the UK. I've split them into two columns - the main block of ski chalet holiday providers, and a selection of luxury ski chalet holiday providers. Those that have an * next to them indicate ones I have used previously to book a catered chalet.

Each of these companies have their own site search function, so feel free to browse through them to get a feel for the different type of chalets and packages that they offer.

Main Operators	Luxury
Inghams*	YSE Ski
Skiworld*	Scott Dunn
Ski Total*	Fish & Pips*
Ski Olympic*	Ali Kats
Alpine Elements*	TG Ski
Ski Beat	Morgan Jupe
Ski Line	VIP Chalets
Ski Val
Crystal Ski
Espirit Ski

There are also operators such as Neilson and Mark Warner, but I've always found these a little more expensive than the main operators, but they are always worth checking out also. I believe Neilson now offer free ski guiding and coaching, which is an added bonus.

Now, I wouldn't expect you to trawl through each of these sites if you didn't have a significant amount of time on your hands, and/or you really like looking at ski chalets.

So, if you want a simple solution for finding a ski holiday, then I would suggest either looking at Iglu Ski, or phone Snowfinders, who I booked through last year. Both trawl through most of the sites above, and can provide you with a shortlist based on your preferences and budgets.

LOOK OUT FOR THE SKI DEALS

Most of the sites listed above have a deals page, which show the best offers by month, by resort, and by chalet type. If you are a group of 2 - 4 people it's often worth taking the risk and waiting until 2 weeks before you are due to leave to see what accommodation is remaining, and grab the best deal. Risky, I know, but it can often save you over £100 per person!

For example, I am writing this post on 8th January 2017, and Skiworld for example have several beds remaining in a few chalets (including the one I stayed in last year) for £279 per person. Bargain!

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A CHALET?

Many of the ski chalet holiday providers will show you very similar looking chalets, and it can be difficult to make a final choice. It's important to note that each operator has small differences, and you should pick the ones that are most relevant to you. For example:

Skiworld and Ski Total are probably the two biggest European chalet providers in the UK, but Ski Total usually operate Sunday to Sunday, rather than Saturday to Saturday, so if flight days are important, bear this in mind.
Ski Beat and Espirit Ski are known for good childcare, if you are skiing with children
Alpine Elements often do deals that include ski hire and/or a ski lift pass, which saves you a lot of cash. See their All Inclusive page (some are £650 all in!)

THE EMERGENCE OF LUXURY CHALET PROVIDERS

Over the last few years, there are a number of smaller companies that have sprung up, targeting the luxury ski chalet market. Whilst they don't have the volume, these smaller companies have created a market niche, and are mopping up the chalet company awards.

As shown in the right hand column of the table above, these companies often make your ski chalet holiday even more comfortable, with top quality food, hot tubs and other little homely gems.

This year we have booked with Fish&Pips, a company I'd never heard of until last year. Whilst Fish&Pips and the some others in the luxury column don't include flights or transfers within their price, they add other 'above and beyond' touches that make them stand out.

Fish&Pips for instance focus on gastronomic food from award-winning chefs, and shout about how each of their chalets are just metres from the slopes. They also provide a choice of red and white wines during dinner (the main operators offer one type of each), a pool table (!), a chauffeur service around town, an in-chalet ski collection service, and provide free beer (the main operators do not). For these reasons (as well as the outdoor hot tub), we decided to get a chalet of 8 to ourselves, spend a little more and try them out this year (review to follow!).

The living area in Chalet Braye (Fish&Pips)

YSE Ski also focus on gastronomy, but only operate out of Val d'Isere.

TG Ski focus on the intimacy of being a small operator, and have an incredible selection of chalets in Morzine and Meribel.

Ali Kats only operate out of Morzine, but have four amazing, luxurious chalets to choose from, including Riverwood Lodge, shown below. They were also shortlisted for Best Chalet Company at the Telegraph's World Snow Awards for the 2nd year running last year.

Riverwood Lodge lounge area, Morzine

A family room at Riverwood Lodge ski chalet

Morgan Jupe are another award-winner, having won Best UK Specialist Tour Operator & Best UK Chalet Company the Telegraph's World Snow Awards. They only operate out of Morzine, and also focus on gastronomic food, luxury chalets and an extensive wine list. The best bit? Their Chalet Des Amis has a balcony that looks out onto the hot tub, which is on the level below, and has a beverage basket, which is used to lower drinks to those in the tub.

If you fancy a little bit of added luxury, and can spend a little more, I would definitely go with one of these guys.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Hopefully by now, you'll have managed to get a good feel for the type of chalet and location available to you, and hopefully you'll have a few shortlisted.

There are one or two final considerations which may sway your choice though, so hold off booking until you've read them.

Currency Conversion - the strength of the pound plays a big part in the price of a catered chalet ski holiday. Sometimes the Euro is weak, which makes France, Italy and Austria appealing. Sometimes the Euro is up against the pound, which often means you might want to look at other currencies, such as the Swiss Franc. I skied in Verbier in 2010 for that very reason. Also don't rule out the USA and Canada. If the pound is strong against the dollar, the best value for money could be found across the pond.

Transfer Times - whilst snow sure ski resorts are high up and have plenty of the white stuff, they also take longer to reach. Tignes and Val Thorens for example take 3 - 3.5 hours to reach from the airport. As such, if you don't like sitting on a coach, those resorts probably aren't for you. Chamonix (65 mins from Geneva) or Les Deux Alpes (1 hour 45 mins from Grenoble) may be better options. Check out this useful list of transfer times for reference.

GET PACKING!

That's it! You should now have all the information you need to find a really good deal, and find the perfect chalet for you and your friends and family.

Next thing is to start packing, and if you're not sure where to start, check out my ski packing list post (for the boys) or fellow blogger The Travel Hack's packing list post (for the girls).

Enjoy your holiday, and feel free to comment below if you would like to add any other tips :)

12 Hours In Singapore - 7 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Layover

2016-12-31T11:22:00.001+00:00

Singapore is one of the gateways to South East Asia and Australasia. As one of the main airport hubs for transfers to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines, you will undoubtedly experience a layover in Singapore sooner or later.

Last year I had a 12-hour layover in Singapore, en route to Papua New Guinea. I wanted to make the most of my time in the city. With a little pre-planning you can do and see a lot in a short space of time!

Throw in the world's best airport, and you've got plenty of options for a comfortable layover. Here are my top tips for maximising your time in Singapore:

Grab A Day Room - many of the hotels around Changi airport are geared specifically to look after layover passengers. If you land in the morning (and if budget allows), grab a day room, dump your stuff, and head into the city. I stayed at the Capri By Fraser hotel, located next to the Expo stop on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which is just one stop from Changi airport. A day room also allows you to catch up on some sleep, if you need it!

Get A Singapore Tourist Pass - this allows you to ride public buses, the LRT and the MRT metro system all over the city, for one day, until the last train hits the final station. It costs $10, and is your ticket to the city. Check out the info here.

Book A Singapore Walking Tour - this was the best thing I planned in advance for my layover. It allows you to see the best parts of downtown Singapore in a short space of time. I booked mine with Indie Singapore, and did the 'Riverfront Thursdays' tour, which took in a walk along the Singapore River and through the Civic District of the city. It finished at the Fullerton Heritage Promenade, which provided great views of the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Walking by the riverside, Singapore

The old Singapore police station

Check Out The Marina Bay Sands Hotel - this 5-star hotel looks like a surfboard balancing on three pillars. By all accounts, this hotel is epic and is well worth checking out. I even read a story that if you're sneaky - and I mean really sneaky - you can even swim in their incredible infinity pool...

Photo source: Adventures & Sunsets

Check Out The Singapore Light Trees - how awesome do these look? My layover was during the day in Singapore, so I decided against visiting Supertree Grove, but if your layover is during the evening or night, put this at the top of your list! It's free admission too!

Try Some Local Food - this is a must. Even in 12-hours you need to eat, so why not eat local? You'll find hawker food stations and shopping malls all over the city, so stop by and choose a dish. I would suggest trying a laksa and most definitely a kaya toast :)

Eggs mixed with soy sauce

Have A Singapore Sling - last but not least, you must have a Singapore Sling. If you are going to do this properly, you have to go to the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. It is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, set in a colonial hotel. If that doesn't take your fancy, here are a few other places to try :)

There you have it - seven ways to make the most of your layover in Singapore. Enjoy!

The Best Airbnb House In The UK?

2016-12-18T11:42:00.002+00:00

With a heated indoor swimming pool, spacious living areas, beds for 15 people and a large outdoor hot tub, could this be one of the best Airbnb houses in the UK.

Introducing The Cornhouse.

When travelling solo, Airbnb's are generally my accommodation of preference, after hostels. But when it comes to finding group accommodation, Airbnb has some of the best - and most varied - options.

Back in July I began hunting for a house that slept 15 people, and had the space and options needed for a fun weekend away. It would be for my fiancees 30th birthday, so whilst space was important, it also needed a few added highlights to make it extra special.

After hunting around the UK for best locations and the best properties, I finally found the Cornhouse, a 15-bed house located in the picturesque village of Norton St. Philip, around 7 miles South of Bath. It was perfect.

It was the right price (and cheaper than many other group accommodation options).

It was in the right location (a country village with a couple of lovely pubs)

Spacious kitchen and living areas (who doesn’t love cooking on an Aga?)

Small games room (added bonus number one)

Heated indoor swimming pool (added bonus number two)

Large outdoor hot tub (this features list is getting ridiculous).

Does that make The Cornhouse one of the best Airbnb houses in the UK? I think so. AND it has parking for six cars. AND there are lovely country walks to pubs, ranging from 3 to 6 miles. AND it was one of the best weekend’s my fiancee has ever had (Of course it was).

On the Friday night I made a big pot of chilli for everyone, then on the Saturday we walked to a quintessential British country pub called the Fox & Badger in Wellow - great ales and even better food. We then headed into Bath for dinner, and arrived back at the house for prosecco and a hot tub. PROSECCO AND A HOT TUB. It was ideal.

I’ve stayed in many Airbnb's around the world, but this takes the crown…so far. We even left a couple of pots behind, and the property managers organised a pick up so we could get them back. Top work!

Where Is It? Norton St. Philip, near Bath
Sleeps? 15. All double rooms, with one twin room and one triple room.
Cost? It worked out around £125 per person, for two nights
Rating? 4.5 out of 5 (it’s an old house, so is missing a few modern touches, but otherwise brilliant). Any downsides? The house doesn't take dogs. That's pretty much it.
Want to book the Cornhouse? Info here - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/8864427

WATCH THE VLOG!

8 Winter Weekend Break Destinations With Flights Under £60

2016-11-12T13:24:00.000+00:00

With the Brexit fallout and Trump's impending election as the 45th US President, the Pound is going up and down and round and round more times than the Colossus roller coaster at Thorpe Park.

The latest news is the pound is soaring against the Euro, and whilst UK staycations have taken off this year, it could now be prime time to book your winter weekend break and get the best deal possible.

Usually when I travel I try and find the cheapest possible, and then source accommodation afterwards. As such, I've been keeping an eye on Skyscanner, Google Flights, easyJet and Ryanair and sourced 8 of the best winter weekend break destinations for December, January and February.

Last year I headed to Iceland and Budapest and earlier this year I went on a weekend break to Tallinn in Estonia, which kicks off my winter weekend break list :)

1. TALLINN

Located out near the Eastern block, temperatures can plummet to -6 degrees in December, January and February. But don't let that put you off. Tallinn is well equipped with loads of cosy hotels and cafes that stock gallons of mulled wine. Explore the old town's hidden streets and amazing restaurants.

Return flights with Skyscanner currently range from £56 return in January.

2. BUDAPEST

With temperatures hovering around 1 degree in December, January and February, Budapest can often be found covered with a blanket of white snow. There is plenty to do and see in Budapest, and some of the best restaurants and cafes to try across all of Eastern Europe.

Return flights with Skyscanner currently range from £46 return in January.

The Széchenyi Thermal Spa Baths, Budapest

3. COPENHAGEN

Copenhagen is one of my favourite cities in Europe. Incredibly clean, friendly with some amazing city sights and a vibrant restaurant scene. The city was designed for bikes, not cars, so it's no surprise that there are more bikes than people living in the city! In fact over 50% of the population commutes by bike every single day.

Return flights with Ryanair are currently selling for £26 return in January(!!)

4. WARSAW

Warsaw is a city I've always wanted to visit. This is possibly fuelled by fellow travel blogger posts (read this and this), and the fact the pictures of the city look amazing. Poland's capital city is ideal for a winter weekend break - not only are flights cheap, but accommodation and meals are cheap too!

Return flights according to Google Flights are around £40 - £46 return with Ryanair or Wizz Air in February.

5. BERLIN

Berlin was another city I re-visited in 2015. As well as being rich in history, the city itself is thriving, with a great food scene, Christmas markets and a vibrant nightlife. Last time I visited, I went to watch a Bundesliga football match at the Olympic stadium - what an experience!

Return flights on Skyscanner are currently coming in around the £54 return mark.

6. DUBLIN

I love Dublin. Full of character, full of Guinness and plenty of things to see and do around the city. I've already booked Dublin for my short winter weekend break in December, and with Ryanair flying there regularly, flights are always cheap.

Return flights to Dublin in December, January and February are currently around the £30 return mark with Ryanair.

7. RIGA

Riga in Latvia is another city I'd love to explore. With a 3 hour flight from London, the city is prime for a Thursday- Sunday long weekend. Latvia's capital city is known for it's medieval Old Town and sights around the River Daugava.

According to Google Flights, return flights to Riga in January are currently around the £45 return mark with Wizz Air.

Is there anywhere else on your winter weekend break list? Let me know in the comments below!