So we’ve resorted to explaining that we’re heading to “Portugal, Lisbon, maybe Porto… we’ll go up the coast…” or to make it even easier, “er Portugal.”.

It’s not a total lie but we could end up in Spain or anywhere else that works. This jumbled explanation isn’t that confusing when you’re talking to travel bloggers or people who already live this lifestyle, but it can be quite baffling to others that are removed from those circles.

“You must have a base?”. People ask. Well maybe we will, I’m sure we’ll work that out as we go. I managed to travel for two years without a base so I’m not sure you do need one…  it would certainly be easier to find a place to return to ever so often to recharge.

I guess all these questions from well meaning friends and acquaintances make you question what you’re doing yourself… There’s always a degree of fear from taking a new step, a fear of change.

How much planning do you really need?

The thing is, I managed to travel from place to place with minimal planning way back in 2006, many places in Asia and South America you could just turn up and ask for a room for the night. Simple. This was a time before a massive explosion in technology, fuelled by smartphones and tourists with giant iPads… sure you could book via Hostel World and a few other websites but there was no Airbnb at your figure tips. You’d have to hunt down a stable internet connection, back then that meant finding the nearest internet cafe. I remember trawling all over Kowloon, Hong Kong looking for a cyber cafe that was in the Lonely Planet only to find out it was boarded up and had shut down some months before.

“trawling all over Kowloon, Hong Kong looking for a cyber cafe that was in the Lonely Planet only to find out it was boarded up and had shut down some months before.”

I also remember sitting on a grubby plastic chair in a internet cafe in Cambodia for over an hour waiting for hotmail to load. I gave up after only half the page rendered, walking out handing the cafe owner a fist full of notes.

There was a time where I’d take a flight, land and then worry about where I was staying for the night. With no smartphone, no internet. When I landed in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 I figured they’d be a book shop at the airport where I could hunt down a copy of the Lonely Planet to see where all the hostels were based. As I reached the baggage carousel I realised there were no shops at all but after scanning the airport I spotted a couple of backpackers with guide book in hand. I asked they if I could take a quick look… and took note of the main area for hostels and jumped in a cab straight there.

Nowadays you can just get on your hostel or hotel’s WiFi (or use your data) to book your next stay. Technology has moved on. Of course that’s not saying there aren’t those destinations that still don’t have reliable internet speeds etc, but much of the world has made pretty big strides.

Thankfully for someone who doesn’t like planning like myself, we should (fingers crossed) be able to “wing it” to some extent.

A Healthy Dose of Fear

I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t have that much fear with our next move. Or maybe I’m trying to convince myself of the arguments. For me, traveling requires far less in the way of planning these days (unless you’re trying to snag a bargain flight of course) so why even bother… I guess for a lot people it’s to allay those lingering fears.

“we may just end up with a whole bunch of regrets once you hit your death bed. You can always make more money, but you can’t get your time back.”

Sure, I’ve got a little bit of fear. The odd occasion when you think “what the hell are we doing?”, but then I remind myself that we have to do the things we want in life and make the most of our time… as time is extremely short and if we don’t use it wisely we may just end up with a whole bunch of regrets once you hit your death bed. You can always make more money, but you can’t get your time back.

But then fear really does stop many people in their tracks… I think what I’ve learnt from taking a few calculated risks here and there in my life is that on the other side of risk is where the real rewards are.

If you never embrace the fear and take a risk, you may succeed in avoiding mistakes but you’ll certainly have regrets for a life less lived.

The truth is, I’ve been taking a bit of break… and that’s fine. It’s good for your own sanity to take a break sometimes. I’ve been busy, still doing some travel, but I’ve mostly been pretty hard at work on some of my other projects.

Where have I been?

So why haven’t I posted for a while?

Well in all honesty I felt like I’d lost my way a little with this blog. I originally started the it as an experiment whilst traveling way back in 2006 (see the photos below). I gathered as much useful information as I could find scattered around forums and websites, to put in one place… to help anyone looking to backpack around the world for themselves. It was a pretty useful resource at the time, but over the years topics such as “How to travel light” or “The best things to do in…” have been done to death as more and more bloggers came online looking to make money, get sponsored trips or even just to do it for a hobby.

After a couple of years being away from home traveling, I landed in London where I transitioned the blog into a magazine type format with some talented guest writers. For all the years being in London I’ve found it more difficult to write about travel from various trips away during the year. I guess the blog lost a focus, it was no longer about backpacking but more about solo adventure travel… the problem was I was only experiencing the adventure on random occasions throughout the year, I felt a bit like a fraud… writing about it without a real mission or overarching purpose.

So, after a bit of a break. I’m back, blogging about travel because I’m actually going to be traveling. Maybe not as far or as fast as previously but with more focus. After years of slowly putting a plan into action I’m finally joining the digital nomad/remote working crowd. I won’t be swapping countries every other week, but slow traveling, getting to know places better, learning to surf and hopefully experiencing a much more healthy lifestyle than that of the this crazy capital. You could say we’re escaping the city.

New Projects

So I’ve had a good think about what I want to write about and be focused on. Whilst I’ll still be writing about general independent travel here on TravMonkey I’ve also started a new project that will be focus on what I’m actually doing in life. I’ve challenged myself to learn to surf properly at 40 (yes I’m nearly 40) as well as experiencing more of healthy lifestyle. I’m hoping to improve my flexibility in trying more yoga and finding more calm in meditation. I’m basically escaping the city to find a more healthy lifestyle along with my extremely tolerant girlfriend, Milene. I’ll be writing about all the great surf spots, cool littles towns and villages with yoga, meditation and healthy eating… it’ll all be on our new website Surf & Unwind.

So I know what you’re thinking, “how you gonna go surfing in the UK?” Well, we’re heading to Portugal as a base for some of the year, with trips to other far flung destinations as well as spending some time in the UK. We’ve just booked some flights to the Philippines (with a couple days in Hong Kong) to seek out the beaches for relaxation and surfing,  if you have any recommendations or tips we’d love to hear them as we’ve never been!

The press trip that broke me

With the new direction and new project I’m really looking to travel on my own terms. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not longer taking generic press trips paid or unpaid. I’ve been turning down extremely good opportunities because I know that some of the trips aren’t a fit for the blog, there are too many places and activities on these trips that I’m not interested in writing about. That’s not to say if an opportunity came along that was a really good fit I wouldn’t take it but for now most press trips just aren’t covering the type of travel I want to write about.

If there is anyone out there looking for someone to cover surf retreats, camps, yoga, meditation or healthy eating whilst traveling I’d be more than interested, because my new website focus specifically on those subjects (drop us a line at info@surfandunwind.com).

I’m not even quite sure where this change of heart came from, maybe I’ve just had my quota of press trips. I found my last campaign quite stressful. On paper it looked fantastic but there was so much squeezed into so little time that I just could appreciate or enjoy it. I realise that it’s time to travel, experience and write about things in-depth and on my on terms.

What have I been busy with?

I’ve not just been building Surf & Unwind, those of you who know me will know I’m also the co-founder of Traverse. We run a epic events for learning digital content creation skills, think of it as more of a festival than a stuffy conference. Our main event has been hosted in some awesome venues such as football stadiums, universities, quirky warehouses to mention a few… going forward we’re always looking to innovate and surprise. Check out our Facebook group for updates and announcements. On top of our main conference we host events all over London for destinations and brands such as The Philippines, Madeira, Samsung & Three and Grenada to mention a few. Throughout the year we also create some epic events both in the uK and abroad including our inspiring and productive Elite Conference in Antigua.

So as you can see, I’ve got a fair bit on my plate… but it’s also empowering to be able to make your own decisions and put your own ideas into practice. Traverse is a great believer in encouraging people to develop their craft and enable a lifestyle that gives people more freedom and independence. It’s only right that we eat our own dog food, right?

So, going forward I’m going to be remote working whilst slow traveling, if there are any other remote workers (digital nomads, yeh I hate that term too) out there do get in touch it’d be great to find a community. I’m looking forward to taking a break from the rush and stress of London after around ten years here. We’ve just had all our booster jabs and finally booked some flights.

The countdown to the next chapter begins…

If you’re looking for more Czech related inspiration take a look at some of the best places to visit in the Czech Republic.

After a very short two hour flight from Manchester to Prague with Jet2.com airlines I arrived at the modern Barcelo Praha Five Hotel (find it on the map here) which would prove a relaxing and comfortable base for my city break. I love modern design, so this hotel was the perfect fit with minimalist stylish furniture, a super comfy king sized bed and free WiFi. The hotel’s reception and bar has a lovely seating area as well as outdoor tables and chairs that came in handy with the heat wave. After a long day of exploring the city the hotel’s bar provided a much needed chilled glass of Pilsner and a resting place to plan my next stop with the beer guide book to Prague.

Tip: Check out a great article by the world in my pocket if you’re looking for the best food tours in Prague.

Braving the late hot summer heat wave in Prague I put on my trainers and hit streets, heading out beyond the East side of Letná Park to Holešovice. A tram would have been a sensible idea in the sweltering conditions but I decided to take up the challenge on foot. There’s so much to stumble across walking around Prague that it’s my preferred choice of transport even if it’s sweltering weather.

Prague A City Of Quirks, Cobbles & History

Prague is a city steeped in history, full of quirks, cobbles, culture and charm without even trying. Some cities try too hard but not Prague, it’s got so much going on that you’ll find yourself swamped in culture, history and architecture even if you weren’t looking for it. Wander through leafy parks, stumble across intriguing post-communist monuments, look out points, cafes and chilled out beer gardens, it’s the perfect way to explore Prague by day before seeking out the city’s beer scene and nightlife.

The Czech’s have a fair few claims to fame, the invention of contact lenses, the mighty sugar cube, Semtex and finger prints, but surely their greatest gift to the world is the first ever blond lager Pilsner Urquell? Created in Pilsen and named after the city way back in 1842 this lager paved the way for well-known beer brands like Staropramen, Budvar and Kozel. Fast forward to the present day and you’ll find a thriving micro-brewery scene in pubs and restaurants dotted across the city, all fuelled by a passion for traditional brewing techniques.

It’s not just all about the pubs and micro-breweries though, here’s my highlights of the best spots to head to for a few beers, a bite to eat and a spot of nightlife.

Beer gardens with a view

The best way to see Prague is on foot, especially as you can stop off at one of the many beer gardens in the city. If you’re keen to see some of the sights in and around the castle without getting stuck in a scrum full of tourists then grab a copy of self guided Prague walking tours from the tourism office.

Holešovice

I started off wandering around Holešovice, an area that’s begrudgingly becoming a little bit hip and arty. In total contrast to Old Town Prague and the infuriating crowds of tourists, this area is edging its way to becoming a place to explore and you won’t find a single Segway in sight! It’s worth checking out the indoor/outdoor market, Holešovická Tržnice (http://www.prazska-trznice.cz/), especially on Saturday when the farmers market is on. It’s also known for its superb Vietnamese food stalls.

Letná Beer Garden

To the east of Holešovice you’ll find Letná Beer Garden and a great little spot in Letná Park to relax, rest your feet, to grab a beer and admire the beautiful views over Prague. Visit one of the stalls for a take-away beer and find a picnic table in the garden, there’s sausage stalls here too and a terrace area just outside Letenský Zámeček, (Letna Chateu) that’s opposite the beer garden.

You can get to Letná Beer Garden by tram with Letenské Náměstí or Strossmayerovo Náměstí the nearest stops.

Metronom

If you venture further to the west of Letná Park you’ll find the giant Metronom overlooking the Vltava River. It was here on Letná Hill that a huge statue of Joseph Stalin (An article with photos of the original statue) watched over the people of Prague for seven years before it was blown to pieces in 1962. Today, locals and tourist visit for the panoramic views across Prague and for a bit skate boarding in the park just beyond.

Prague Castle

A visit to Prague isn’t complete without taking a stroll around the castle. If you’re already up on the hill at the Metronom it’s worth the extra walk to the castle, just consider going later on in the afternoon or evening to avoid the crowds.

Petřín Gardens & Tower

If you’re feeling full of energy you can trek on to Petřín Tower, along the way you’ll get great views over Prague with the castle in the foreground. From the top of the tower you’ll be able to see right across the city, on a clear day you can see nearly all of Bohemia.

Thankfully, if you are worn out from all the walking there is a funicular to take you back down to street level. Alternatively you can stroll through the beautiful and tranquil Petřín Gardens on your way back down to the city.

Zahrádky a restaurace Riegrovy sady – Park Café

This is a great beer garden in Riegrovy Sady (park) that’s open till 2am on some weekends, they show football on a big screen (and have free WiFi) and have a decent selection of beer and food. You can also grab a takeaway beer, walk through the park to the hill where locals admire the sunset over the city.

Website: Zahrádky a restaurace Riegrovy sady – Park Café

Pubs, Micro-Breweries And A Spot Of Food

After a morning or afternoon exploring you’ll be ready for a beer! Thankfully Prague is certainly not short on options.

It says something about the city when the most popular guide book the tourism board has is the beer guide to Prague (there’s a PDF version of the beer guide to Prague here), so if you can get your hands on a copy it’s a great reference point for most of the beer spots in town. Do expect to pay a little more for micro-brewery beer in Prague, it’s not just because you’re a tourist but it’s more expensive to brew than pouring someone a glass of mass produced lager.

Pivovarský dům

This tradition Czech restaurant brews it’s beer on site and if you’re feeling adventurous you can order a nettle or banana beer. It’s worth going for the beer tasting option that comes in a wooden wheel of different beers including cherry, coffee stout, banana and nettle along with light and dark samples. Apparently, historically nettle beer and beers brewed using herbs were quite common due to the bitter flavours they give off.

Website: Pivovarský dům

U Fleků

This place can be a bit of a tourist trap but it’s worth giving a go for the tasty dark Czech beer, the only beer they actually serve in this historic venue and dining halls. Try the beer garden in the courtyard. Expect tourist prices though and the staff will attempt to sell you shots but it can be a fun place if you take it for what it is.

Website: U Fleků Website

Pivovar U Dobřenských

This micro-brewery is fairly new and has a modern interior with exposed brickwork, it’s a popular little spot with locals and tourists. It has an interesting selection of herbal beers on offer too, I tested out a Sage Stout that like most Czech beers had a decent head on it. The other herbal options are the Tribulus Ale and Seabuckhorn Ale.

Website: Pivovar U Dobřenských

U Medvídků

U Medvídků brews its own range of beer in its brewery down in the basement but it’s also a hotel and restaurant. They have some strong beers on offer, especially X BEER 33, a lager with high alcohol content of 12.6%. I opted the Valentýn beer that has a honey like flavour and is a more sensible 5% alcohol.

Website: U Medvídků Website

U Zlateho Tygra (“The Golden Tiger”) Beerhall

On a street called Husova this classic Prague beer hall has been here since 1816 but don’t expect a friendly face here, even though it’s situated in the Old Town they’re not too keen on tourists. Or at least that’s the vibe they want to give off. It’s half the fun, don’t be intimidated by the bar staff or locals, but do be respectful and you’ll be find yourself with a freshly poured pint of Pilsner before you know it. Try not to block the waiter’s path or you might get a frown or two, you also don’t need to ask for another beer but do need to tell them when don’t want another. The Czech novelist Bohumil Hrabal was a regular at the Golden Tiger and in 1994 he famously drank here with Bill Clinton.

Website: U Zlateho Tygra Website

Naše maso (food)

Locals who want to be seen as in the know about the food scene in Prague come here, but also judging by how busy it was, some tourists have found their way too. There’s good reason, Naše maso is a butcher’s shop were you can choose your meat and they’ll grill it right there and then. They have top quality meat from Czech farms, aged “Fleckveih” beef, Přeštice pork and sausages. The place is small and you may find yourself standing if you don’t bag one of four small table but it’s definitely worth it. Great concept and perfect place for a spot of lunch or a bite to eat.

Website: Naše maso website

Nightlife on the Vltava Riverside

I don’t know how I missed this area at night the last time I visited Prague, but apparently the Vltava Riverside area first came to life after dark in 2012 during the summer. It’s a superb place to visit with a huge strip along the river full of small bars, boats and picnic tables full of crowds of people socialising or sitting looking out over the river. See where the Vltava Riverside is on the map.

You’ll find a variety of music and bars along the riverside, I wandered past a death metal band mid set on one boat before finding a club in full swing in the bow of another. It’s a great place to grab a beer and wander, to see what’s happening and to socialise.

Alternative Sights

Jalta hotel secret nuclear bunker

Discover the vast nuclear fallout bunker beneath the streets of Wenceslas Square and under the boutique Prague Hotel Jalta. Between the 1950’s till 1989 the bunker remained a secret spot for spying on important hotel guests. Check out the article I wrote all about Prague’s nuclear bunker.

Booking a city break to Prague

For two nights stay at the lovely Barceló Praha Five and flights to and from Manchester airport to Prague cost a total of £345 per person with Jet2CityBreaks, which is great value if you ask me. A package Jet2CityBreaks takes a lot of the hassle out of planning and worrying about transfers, hotels and flight times, meaning your free to enjoy the ride with all aspects of your break already sorted.

Jet2Holidays pride themselves on their low fares whilst at the same time offering allocated seating, great flight times, a 22kg baggage allowance and no fees for using your credit card. Jet2Holidays and Jet2.com fly from airports based in the Midlands, the north of England as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland. They serve a wide range of popular European destinations, there’s plenty more information on their website too.

This post was brought to you as a result of the #Jet2Europe blog trip, created and managed by iambassador in partnership with Jet2Holidays. TravMonkey.com maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.

I’ve always found this historic old university town fairly underrated in the grand scheme of things. Thankfully it means fewer tourists (although there’s still a fair few) and more local experiences on offer. If the lure of great Belgium beer and the emerging craft beer scene isn’t enough, there’s a whole host of architectural and cultural gems to discover in Ghent.

A Quick Note About This Itinerary

A quick note about how to use this page.

The map at the top of the page shows the places I checked into on our trip in order, starting with “25.” as the first check in. You can also click on place names on the itinerary below to view where they are on the map.

Please note, this is only a sample itinerary to give you an idea based on what I did on my trip. I only really scratched the surface, but hopefully this gives you a taste of what is possible.

Kantien

Food & Drink
Towards Ghent University and just outside of the city centre you’ll find Kantien, a lovely place to stop for lunch or a drink. It has a large terrace overlooking the water, an amazing selection of beers and plenty of food options. We met the owner and brewer, Dimitri who kindly let us sample some of the local beers that have emerged on the fledgling craft beer scene in Ghent. This included his own craft beer called “13”, a lovely full-bodied pure 4% pilsner that uses 100% artisan skirt and is unfiltered, unpasteurised and made from Belgian hops and barley. The stories goes, that the 13th brew of the the beer was the perfect tasting beer so they settled on the name “13”.

13 Website: 13 Beer Website
Website: Kantien Website

St Bavo’s Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal)

Sights
You can’t possibly visit Ghent without marvelling at its spectacular architecture. If you find yourself at Sint-Baafsplein you’ll be able to see the Belfry at one end of the square and St Bavo’s Cathedral at the other. The Cathedral is a 89 metre tall Gothic building that is as spectacular outside as it is inside including the 15th century painting, The Mystic Lamb. You’ll also get a aerial view of Sint-Baafsplein square and St Bavo’s Cathedral from the top of the Belfry.

Website: Sint-Baafskathedraal Website

Belfry (Belfort)

Sights
A visit to Ghent wouldn’t be the same without a climb up the spiral staircase to the top of the Belfry. One of three medieval towers in the city, the belfry towers over the square below at 91 metres tall. Discover the impressive gilded copper Dragon on top of the Genth tower before heading to the top of the Belfry for superb 360 degree views over the city.

Website: Belfry (Belfort) Website

Vooruit Terras

Eat & Drink
The University of Ghent and the City of Ghent worked together to build this beautiful art summer terrace back in 2013s. It’s a one of those places where you can while away the hours drinking cocktails in the sun. The terrace features modern architecture and colourful chairs, next door is and arts venue playing host to a range of concerts and plays.

Website: Vooruit Terras Website

Kaffee De Planck

Eat & Drink
Another way of getting yourself on one of Ghent’s beautiful waterways is with a visit to Kaffee De Planck, a large barge turned cafe bar. It’s a lovely place to stop off, with an extensive menu of beers (with over 200) including its own traditionally brewed beer called “Planckske”.

Website: Kaffee De Planck Website

Holy Food Market

Eat & Drink
If you’re looking for a spot of street food and a bit of variety then a visit to the Holy Food Market might be in order! It’s a fairly recent addition to Ghent’s food scene and offers a variety of different choices including Turkish wraps, wood fire pizza, waffles, Prosecco and cocktails. The building itself is a lovely 16th century Baudelo Chapel that’s been transformed to host the various different stalls. Would a visit for the variety and option to eat as much or as little as your want.

Website: Holy Food Market Website

Barrazza

Eat & Drink
We first spotted Barrazza walking along the canal, on the opposite side, overlooking the water. This place has a lovely terrace, the perfect spot for a drink whilst watching the boats cruise by down the river. Like many places in Ghent you’ll be please to hear Barrazza has a superb selection of beers!

Website: Barrazza Website

Castor & Pollux

Eat
Castor & Pollux named after identical twins from the Roman Empire and serves up a creative and ever changing menu that reflects the seasons. It’s a cosy restaurant with fresh produce and is veggie friendly to boot.

Website: Castor & Pollux Website

Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen)

Sights
You can’t really miss Gravensteen whilst you’re wandering the Ghent’s cobbled streets as it’s just a short walk from the Old Town Square. You’ll also get a unique angle of the outside if you take a boat trip down the river. The castle dates back to the Middle Ages and is named “castle of the counts” in Dutch. Although it was never used in war and was rebuilt in the early 20th century it does have a fairy tale kind of feel to it with its steep spiral staircases, hidden rooms and panoramic views over the city. As you explore the dark gloominess of the castles interior you’re likely to stumble across one room packed full of ancient torture devices and creepy looking models simulating how they were once used. You’ll find a large guillotine with its original blade, iron collars, axes, stretching devices and small metal thumb clamps. It’s a gory but fascinating look into just how savage things were in the Middle Ages. You can read more about Gravensteen’s fascinating Torture Museum on Travel Darkly.

Gruut Brewery

Drink
This city brewery is definitely worth visiting if you want to do a spot of beer tasting. Instead of using hops to brew their beer they use a spice mixture (known as gruut) that creates a surprisingly tasty beer, it’s a technique that dates back to the middle ages. I sampled five different beers off their tasting menu and all of them were very drinkable, their amber beer was my favourite. There’s food options available at the brewery and also a 3-hour beer walking tour where you get to discover a bit of Ghent whilst sampling five local beers.

Website: gruut.be

Ghent River Hotel

Sleep
I stayed at Ghent River Hotel, a elegant 4 star hotel with an industrial history. With rooms overlooking the river and exposed brick work walls this hotel blends history with a modern approach. The hotel has its own sauna, gym, free Wi-Fi but my favourite feature was their beer of the week displayed next to the bar.

Website: Ghent River Hotel Website

Getting There

Getting to Ghent from London is pretty easy with Eurostar trains leaving from St Pancras International to Brussels. Once in Brussels you need to change to get a local train to Ghent. The total journey takes just under three hours.

Getting Around

Ghent city centre is a car-free zone that’s perfect for walking or cycling. If you want to rest your legs or take a longer journey the city’s trams and buses run frequently.

There you have it!

There you have it, my brief itinerary from a weekend in lovely Ghent if you need more inspiration and information you can find more on the Ghent Tourism’s website.

I spent five days driving around the South East and taking in some breathtaking sights, scenery and ticking of a some epic bucket list worthy experiences along the way!

Picking up my rental car in London (thanks to Hertz for supplying!), I drove up the M4 to the historic town of Bath before heading onward to learn about the modern history of street art in Bristol. The trip took me deep into the Devonian countryside, down narrow lush green winding roads over hills with views of rolling patchwork fields and out to picture postcard coastal fishing towns and villages.

A Quick Note About This Itinerary

A quick note about how to use this page.

The map at the top of the page shows the places I checked into on our trip in order, starting with “25.” as the first check in. You can also click on place names on the itinerary below to view where they are on the map.

Please note, this is only a sample itinerary to give you an idea based on what I did on my road trip. I only really scratched the surface, but hopefully this gives you a taste of what is possible.

The trip was brought to you as part of the #lovegreatbritain campaign, created and managed by iambassador in partnership with Visit Britain and Visit England. As always, TravMonkey retains all editorial control of what is published.

For more adventures and inspiration take a look at Visit Britain’s Join The World website.

Tip: Here’s a great list of Road Trip packing essentials to help you with preparing for your trip.

London

Starting in London I picked up my hire car at Marble Arch, courtesy of Hertz car rental and headed out of London to the west onto the M4. After roughly two and a half hours I arrived in Bath.

Bath

The very first thing you’ll notice driving into Bath is the beautiful honey-coloured buildings made from local stone which gives the city an elegance that you’ll find difficult to match anywhere else. The city has such historic and architectural significance that it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

There’s so much to see in Bath that spending a couple of days here would be advisable. I’m a big believer that the best way to get your bearings in a place is by walking around before hitting up any of the local attractions. Thankfully Bath have their own self guided walking tours, complete with maps and audio guide to get you on your way!

There’s far too many attractions in Bath to list or for me to discover on my brief stop but make sure you visit The Circus, The Royal Crescent and of course the ancient Roman Baths. You can read all about my experience visiting the Roman Baths by torchlight right here.

The Royal Crescent and The Circus are spectacular examples of Georgian architecture that you can visit on the walking tour, The Royal Crescent park is also a perfect spot to for a picnic if the weather is good.

Where I Ate

Bath’s most famous attraction, The Roman Baths are a must see and I was lucky enough to experience the evening torchlit tour as well as dinner at The Roman Baths Kitchen just opposite the Baths. They do a superb special torchlit menu to go with the whole experience, the service was excellent and the dishes had great complimenting flavours. I loved the Pan Fried Chicken Breast and the Guinness infused brownie rounded the meal off perfectly, even if it left me a little sluggish getting out of my seat and ready for the tour!

I won’t go into masses of detail about the Torchlit Roman Baths tour because I wrote a whole article about it if you want to get a better idea of what it’s all about. I can tell you that it’s one of the best roman sights in Britain and will take you at least good couple of hours to wander around. The torchlit tour gives the baths more atmosphere as the sun goes down and the torches flickering in the breeze, you can really imagine the Romans milling around the baths and socialising. The audio guides are also worth listening to as they lead you around the museum plus the hot and cold baths whilst giving you an insight into the way the Romans lived and the role the baths played.

Where I Stayed

I was hosted by Henrietta House, a beautiful Georgian townhouse. Just the kind of place you want to stay in when you’re surrounded by Georgian architecture and honey-coloured stone buildings. It well located pretty much in the centre of Bath, just a two minute walk from Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths themselves. They also do an excellent breakfast, I went for the eggs Benedict. The perfect way to set you up for a day walking the city’s cobbled streets.

Bristol

From Bath, Bristol is just around a 40 minutes drive up the A4.

Being the largest city in the South West, there’s plenty to do in Bristol. Take a tour high up on the world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge or time your visit for the Bristol Balloon Fiesta in August, the largest annual meeting of hot air balloons in Europe (over 130 Hot Air Balloons from across the world). Another “must-visit” is SS Great Britain the award-winning visitor attraction and museum ship anchored in Bristol Harbour, back between 1845 to 1854 the ship was the longest passenger ship in the world.

On my fleeting visit I hit up the city’s most famous export, its street art scene! Starting at the M-Shed, I met up with Rob from Where The Wall who run the longest running street art tours around Bristol. What was different about this street art tour to any other I’ve been on before is that it really focused on how the history of street art is intertwined with the city itself. It actually gave you an insight into the city culture, how it’s grown and developed alongside the street art and ultimately how the city has come to embrace its street art culture.

The best thing about taking a street art tour with Where The Wall is that it’s clear they have a real passion for the history of street art, how it’s shaped the city and the part it plays in the future. What I found interesting was learning all about Banksy’s local influences and how he first got a major breakthrough with media coverage in Bristol.

After getting an awesome lesson in the street art history of Bristol and marveling over some of the best artwork in and around the centre, I headed down to the south end of Bristol’s inner city to Southville. It’s this area that’s home to UpFest, Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival that attracts over 300 artists and 35,000 visitors to the city each year. Upfest turns the area into a canvas for street artists to create on, you’ll find artwork peaking around the corners of houses, on shop fronts, above cafes, on the pavement, basically everywhere you can think of. Each year street artists come to Upfest from all over the world to create their works along with live music and art workshops all spread out around Southville.

One interesting aspect of Upfest that I really liked was the regenerating effect the street art was having to this once neglected part of town. It was interesting to see how they were finding new and creative places to push the street art to such as areas that otherwise visitors to the city wouldn’t visit. Its an interesting way of regenerating an area with the help of graffiti/street art tourism.

You can check out a map of the festival and street art on their website.

Where I Ate

If you’re looking for the new places in town, CARGO next to M Shed (a museum all about the City) at Wapping Wharf is made up of converted shipping containers and hosts independent restaurants, cafes and shops. It’s part of a regeneration project of this part of the city that’s aiming to create a vibrant new quarter to the city. It’s well worth a visit even just for a quick coffee and a stroll around the wharf.

Brixham

Heading south towards the coast, Brixham is a 2 hour and 10 minutes drive down the M5 but do allow for traffic, especially around the bank holidays.

I arrived in the beautifully colourful and quaint fishing town, where charming little cottages are squeezed in next to one another on the hills overlooking the harbour. The town is one of the busiest fishing ports in the UK and the focus of life here is, and has always been the harbour. I slowly drove into Brixham along winding narrow roads and up the hill looking down upon the harbour with stunning views out to Torbay. I’d only just arrived but was already out taking snaps with my camera before I’d even had chance to check into my hotel.

Where I Stayed

I was so lucky to stay in the wonderful Quayside Hotel as it has rooms (it’s worth paying extra for one) with spectacular sea views. It’s one of those jaw dropping moments when you first walk into a hotel room and just stare and say “wow!”.

Where I Ate

After freshening up and a quick change of clothes at the hotel I headed out around the harbour and to The Rockfish Restaurant. If you’re looking for fresh fish, then this is the place to be. Situated above the bustling Brixham fish market and right on the harbour, the Rockfish has superb views. It overlooks the boats that bring in their daily catch before it heads to the market and then onto your plate in the restaurant.

The Rockfish has a menu packed with different fresh fish options and the day’s fish specials are described by the friendly waiting staff. The menu is actually on the paper tablecloth and there were so many options that like on most occasions on my travels, I thought the best idea would be to ask the staff for their recommendations. I opted for the plaice which was fresh, tasty and particularly juicy. If the weathers good it’s worth booking a table on the balcony overlooking the sea and do book ahead because it can get busy in the evening during summers months.

If you can’t resist the lure of a beautiful morning sunrise then you might want to set that early alarm clock for the early hours and head out with your camera at the ready. I crept out of the Quayside Hotel and wandered down to Breakwater Beach, without a single person around I setup my camera to capture a time lapse of the sunrise.

Just as the sun was seeping over the horizon with my camera rolling, suddenly out of nowhere appeared a woman walking down the beach. I was puzzled, who would up at 5am to see the sunrise in a tiny fishing town? She walked all the way along the beach put a bag down and calmly walked into the sea for a sunrise swim. I was slightly jealous that hadn’t brought my only swimming gear as the prospect of a calm morning swim didn’t actually seem like a bad idea. I later found out from my kayaking guide that she goes for a morning swim every day at Breakwater Beach.

If you’re not quite brave enough to get up at 4am to experience the sunrise you can still get up a little early for a fascinating 6am tour of Brixham Fish Market, the largest fish market in the UK outside of Scotland. A huge £28 million pounds of fish is landed at Brixham Fish Market, it’s catch is sold on to top restaurants, supermarkets, fishmongers as well as being sold worldwide and particular Europe.

I met my tour guide and the manager of the market, Barry. He’s a super friendly character, clearly extremely proud and passionate about educating visitors to the market about the industry and how things work at the market. It’s this positivity to show transparency of the fishing industry that makes a visit to Brixham Fish Market so interesting, insightful and particularly welcoming. I was kitted out in a long white protective jacket, Brixham Market branded hat and shoe protectors before heading into the market.

The tour puts you in the middle of the action with live auctions for the freshly caught fish going on right in front of you. It’s intriguing to watch the auctioneers at work, their hand signals and gestures whilst attempting to work out just what is actually going on! It’s quite refreshing that although you’re on a tour, this is a working fish market… there’s nothing staged or put on just for the tourists. At the same time the market is welcoming… after all, this a place of work for many people and I was tip toeing over crates pointing my camera around and didn’t get so much as a frown.

I wandered around the market, taking plenty of photos of the sole, turbot, monkfish, plaice as well as getting a peek into the chilly cuttlefish store where the crates of cuttlefish covered in black ink were stacked high. Apparently they’re quite a money maker and sold all over the world and in particular to Europe.

As I was on a private tour of the market I also had the chance to have a look around one of the fishing boat docked in the harbour. It was a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the fishermen and a working fishing boat. I was able to get a quick glance at the living quarters, engine room and up on the bridge with all the controls and the all important captains seat. What was surprising was just how well kept and clean the boat was, not at all what you expect from a working fishing boat.

With the tour of Brixham Fish Market over, I said my thanks to Barry for showing me round and walked back to check out of the Quayside Hotel. Next stop on my road trip was Dartmouth for a spot of epic kayaking!

Dartmouth

Dartmouth is roughly a 40 minute drive from Brixham, including a quick trip on on the ferry. I took the Higher Ferry (there’s a Lower Ferry too) and drove into Dartmouth. Unfortunately for me the Dartmouth Regatta was on so I had to park further out of the town and catch the park and ride bus back into town.

After picking up a bit breakfast on the run, I wandered back towards the Higher Ferry to meet the owner of Sea Kayak Devon and my guide for the day, Elisabeth. After running through the kayaking basics we carried our kayaks out onto the water for a relaxed and calm paddle through Dartmouth harbour. We paddled past waterfront mansions and houses and out towards the sea. As well as being incredibly experienced at kayaking, Elisabeth had a real passion for the local area. As we paddled the harbour she told colourful stories of the history of the town and local landmarks, it was the perfect way to get a grasp on the history of the area whilst also viewing the town from the best possible angle.

Further out from the harbour towards the sea the kayaking got a little more adventurous, with narrow rocky channels to navigate as we passed beneath Dartmouth castle perched high up on the hill. We paddled out towards Deadmans Cove to check a lobster pot, to our surprise… or maybe just mine, it contained a couple of lively lobsters, Elisabeth set them free before we paddled against the tide back into town.

Elisabeth was a great guide, very patient, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour had just the right balance of exercise, fun and information, plus seabirds, caves and if you’re lucky, seals. I often forget how much fun kayaking is and how it gives you a different perspective on an area. I enjoyed getting to know Elisabeth and sharing a few stories… I also found out that she’s a sculptor and actually produced the bronze statue piece, “Man & Boy” in Brixham.

With my feet back on dry land and feeling just about returning back to my legs, it was time to get back in the car and drive to my accommodation for the evening. If you’re not used to driving in this part of the world (like me) then you’re in for quite an adventure. You’ll find yourself flanked by tall lush green hedges as you drive down the narrow winding country lanes in Devon. If you not aware of the driving etiquette on these country lanes you’ll soon learn! The narrow lanes have passing places every so often that you can pull into to allow other drivers to pass. After driving these lanes for a while you get used to pulling over and giving way, or having to reverse a little to let drivers pass.

I was relying totally on Google Maps and my cars built in Sat Nav to navigate to Upcott Roundhouse. Thankfully the instructions on how to get there were pretty detailed and the postcode seemed to bring me just to the right spot, just outside the gate.

Dartmoor – Upcott Roundhouse

I wasn’t staying at just any old accommodation, this was the ultimate “escape the city”, “get off the grid” getaway nestled in the middle of the Devonian countryside.

Upcott Roundhouse, is an iron aged inspired and traditionally built roundhouse with thatched roof and open fire. The perfect setting to get away from it all and an amazing spot for stargazing. Walking up the winding path approaching the roundhouse you get a glimpse of the beautiful thatched roof and doorway, it’s like stepping back in time into another world.

Opening the giant wooden doors, the roundhouse is lit with candles and the mesmerising centrepiece of the building, the roaring open fire (called a hearth). Forget the cold and damp you get with camping, you can still leave all the modern distractions at home and experience comfort in the great outdoors.

Where I Ate

As darkness fell, I jumped in the car and drove back down the country lanes to a lovely old country boozer, The Lamb Inn. The pub is a 16th century former coaching house with low ceilings, exposed beams and open fires. Just my kind of place, friendly staff, great service, plenty of character and a great range of local real ales. For dinner I had the rump steak and it was perfectly cooked and served with a lovely peppercorn sauce. There’s plenty of choice on the menu just make sure you book ahead as they get quite busy and have a limited number of tables available.

Back at the roundhouse I stoked up the open fire and picked up my notebook and pen. It was quite liberating to not have any gadgets and screens to fidget with and for some reason seemed like I had much more time on my hands. I filled the kettle, boiled it Iron Age style over the open fire and made a cup of tea before heading outside into the darkness to stargaze.

When traveling there’s always those special moments when you finally get out into the countryside, away from the city’s light pollution. where you can see the planets, moons and stars. Upcott Roundhouse is one of those places, in complete darkness with only the sounds of insects for company I gazed up to try to pick out the constellations in the sky. Unfortunately my astrology knowledge isn’t that great but it was an experience just to sit and wonder at the night’s sky without a single distraction, message, notification or phone call.

Inspired by my morning sunrise at Breakwater Beach, I set my alarm for an early start. I dragged myself out of bed, bleary eyed but just about awake and trekked up onto the hillside behind the roundhouse for a view over the valley. I’m glad I made the effort, the mist in the valleys and the sun over the hill was an epic sight and one I managed to capture a few video clips of.

I really loved my stay at the Upcott Roundhouse and could have spent at least two or three nights there, taking a digital detox, getting offline for a while. It’s the perfect spot that gives you more luxury than camping in a tent but really feels like it connects you back with nature and the environment around you. Sadly it was time for me to pack up and more on, having ticked off something of a bucket list item.

More Information: Upcott Roundhouse – Canopy and Stars

Cornwall

Where I Stayed

From Upcott Roundhouse near Cheriton, it was about a 2 hour drive down to Cornwall and my stop for the night at The Mount Haven Hotel. Checking into my room I knew this was my kind of hotel, newly renovated and modern, the decor reminded me of my own new flat. The room was spacious with a terrace area outside and a huge bathroom complete with excellent power shower. For me, two things really matter when it comes to a good hotel room, the first is having a comfortable and clean bed and also how good the shower is. The Mount Haven Hotel excelled at both and topped it with an excellent breakfast… when I eventually managed to get myself out of my slumber! The hotel also has a lovely view over the ocean and Mount’s Bay from it’s cafe/bar terrace.

Where I Ate

A short work from The Mount Haven Hotel with a stunning view of St Michael’s Mount is the Godolphin Arms. Well presented, spotlessly clean and also fairly recently refurbished, the Godolphin Arms really is a great place to stop off at.

The restaurant has tables right in the window, offering superb views out to sea and of St Michael’s Mount. The staff are professional, friendly and attentive. Everything you’d want from a restaurant. As I was by the sea I thought the best option would be to try the fish and chips. The batter was crisp, light and the fish as fresh as you’d expect from the area. Fish and chips is really a true British art form and The Godolphin didn’t disappoint! Unfortunately I didn’t get to try any of the local ales on tap because I had to drive later on, but there was a pretty good selection.

The Godolphin Arms also has a terrace along with it’s two dining floors with views of the mount. It’s well worth a visit for a spot of lunch or dinner but do book ahead just in case.

More Information: https://www.godolphinarms.co.uk

The Minack Theatre

With a belly full of fish and chips I waddled back to Mount Haven Hotel, jumped in the car to drive down the winding roads and back out to a coastal outlook where the Minack Theatre is situated. This is no ordinary theatre, it’s made it onto many people’s bucket list because of it’s beautiful unique location. Perched high up on a rocky outcrop, carved into the granite cliff and overlooking Porthcurno Bay.

I was extremely lucky to tick this experience off my own bucket list. The Minack has the perfect setting for theatre, you can hear the waves crashing into the rocks as the play goes on, superbly atmospheric and is worth a visit for the view and to marvel at the theatre… even if there’s no play on. I had the chance to experience Twelfth Night by the Winchester Players. An excellent engaging performance and great all round experience at the theatre.

After an amazing night at the theatre I woke up refreshed and ready for the drive back to London. I had just enough time to explore the beach in front of the Mount Haven Hotel to grab a few shots of St Michael’s Mount before hitting the road.

The drive back to London took around 7 hours in total so if you do have time to plan in a stop off on your way back it would be advisable. I had such an amazing time on this trip and the experiences were so varied that each one of them had their own “wow” factor. I ticked off some truly epic once-in-a-lifetime experiences along the way whilst it also left me wanting to come back for more!

Useful Information

If you’re looking for more information and inspiration for travel around Britain, take a look at Visit Britain’s Join The World website.

Car Rental

Hertz supplied me with my lovely red Renault to explore the south west of England. Hiring the car gave me plenty of freedom to get around the south west of England that I wouldn’t have been possible on a train.

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This post was brought to you as part of the #lovegreatbritain campaign, created and managed by iambassador in partnership with Visit Britain and Visit England. As always, TravMonkey retains all editorial control of what is published.

Well it seems to happen to me quite often. For example, I had never ever been to Bath before even though it’s only about about two and half hours by car from London (one and a half hours on the train). I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to explore the ancient Roman Baths in Bath, England by torchlight.

I took a four day road trip packed full of epic experiences and unique sights all around the south west of England. I’d been supplied with a lovely red Renault rental from Hertz for my week long road trip and my first stop was Bath, to experience the ancient Roman Baths by torch light.

I’m not quite sure why Bath has alluded me for such a long time, it’s a town steeped in history with stories hidden around every street corner. I’m a big fan of traveling and learning about history so having the opportunity to wander around the Roman Baths was an experience I was really excited about. I was lucky enough to visit when the Roman Baths are open later in the evening, during the summer months visitors can explore the baths by torchlight.

Day 1 : Torchlit Visit to the Roman Baths

The Roman Baths were constructed way back in around 70 AD for bathing and socialising and today there’s a impressive amount of genuine building still remaining as well as much of the original Great Bath. It’s one of the best preserved Roman remains in the entire world and definitley a “must visit” on a trip to Bath

It was a strangely humid evening wandering around the square outside the Roman Baths and under the shadow Bath Abbey, peaking over the top of the Bath walls you can get a glimpse of a number of victorian statues on the terrace of the Great Bath. It gives you a little hint of what awaits within.

The Roman Baths are found alongside the historic Grade I listed Grand Pump Room and beneath today’s street level, the complex of rooms and baths are much larger than you’d imagine standing on the outside.

Armed with an audio guide I found myself strolling along the terrace looking down upon the Romain Baths, with flames from the torches beneath flicking. Overlooking the Great Bath it’s easy to imagine the romans bathing and socialising around the waters edge. Statues of Roman emperors including Julius Caesar and governors of Britain line the edge of the terrace over looking the baths, they date back to 1894 and were carved for the opening of the Roman Baths to the public back in 1897.

From the terrace the audio tour takes you on a winding path through various different rooms featuring museum displays and exhibits about the baths and life in roman times. The museum tells the story of Aquae Sulis, the roman town that became Bath and includes incredibly well preserved artefacts including the remains of what’s thought to be a Syrian trader that was found in Walcot, Bath and an impressive collection of roman coins. You can tell that there’s been a lot of planning put into the way exhibits, models and artefacts are woven into the story. It leads you down a path to understand the lives of those who lived in roman times and what role the Roman Baths played in people’s lives.

The Roman Baths had lay undiscovered for many years. In 1727 a life-sized head, the remains of a statue of the goddess Minerva was uncovered whilst sewer workers were digging. It wasn’t until 1755 when excavations were happening on the site that the baths were found when workers hit the lead flooring laid by the romans. Once cleared, the site unveiled the baths in surprisingly good condition as if they had been preserved for well over a thousand years. Even today the walls of the baths are still lined with the original lead installed by the romans themselves.

“…with flickering torches hung up on the six of the pillars surrounding the waters edge it’s easy to imagine the romans relaxing, bathing and catching up on the local gossip.”

After learning all about roman life and marvelling at the ancient artefacts on display in the museum I found myself at the centrepiece of the complex, the Great Bath. It’s definitely the highlight of a visit to the Roman Baths, with flickering torches hung up on the six of the pillars surrounding the waters edge it’s easy to imagine the romans relaxing, bathing and catching up on the local gossip. The complex even retains the dampness and smells that can transport you back to an era where the rooms were full of streaming hot saunas and ice cold pools. Even if your imagination doesn’t stretch that far there are actors dressed from roman times on hand to immerse you in the experience. There’s also the option of taking a guided tour around the baths every hour.

To the east of the Great Bath you have changing room, swimming pool and sauna areas that include useful displays and reconstructions depicting how the rooms were originally used, it really helps you to appreciate and understand the ruins. The west side of the Great Bath you’ll find a circular cold plunge pool that looks like a particularly chilly experience. The general idea for the romans was a practice of moving from different heated rooms and ending with the cold plunge pool.

What I did find at the Roman Baths is that you actually need a fair amount of time in order to take in all the whole experience. I’d definitely allocate at least one and a half hours if not two, so that you can take in the museum, explore the various different rooms and the Great bath itself.

By the time I’d finished exploring it was close to the 10pm closing time, but I just had time to finish off the tour with a cup of free spa water that apparently contains 43 different minerals. For some reason I was expecting a chilled cup of water but no, a warm cup of spa water is served up! Thankfully the spa water is safe and clean as a new bore-hole was sunk in 1983 to supply spa drinking water for the Pump Room.

There is little doubt that the Roman Baths are one of the most remarkable Roman ruins outside of Rome itself and are certainly up there with a visit to Hadrians wall if you’re traveling around England.

The Roman Baths Kitchen

Prior to visiting the Roman Baths, I was lucky enough to have a three course meal at the Roman Baths Kitchen directly opposite. They have a special menu for the torchlit tour of the baths that is definitely worth booking, the service is excellent, the food really exceeded expectations (especially the pan friend chicken breast) and its proximity to the Roman Baths means you only have to wander across the road before you’re at the entrance of the baths. You can either time your meal for before or after your tour of the Roman Baths, for me the dinner at the Roman Baths Kitchen was worth savouring.

Key Information

The Roman Baths are open until 10pm every July and August, but do allow at least one and a half hours for a visit (I’d say at least 2 hours).

Roman Baths Tickets

Tickets for the Roman Baths from September – December 2017 are £15.50 for adults (more ticket information here), The Roman Baths Torchlit Visit and Dinner Package is £42.50 per person (Senior / Student £40.75, Child £36.80).

Henrietta House

Whilst in Bath the lovely Henrietta House provided me with my room for the night. It’s a double fronted Georgian townhouse located just a short walk from the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and the Pump Room. My double room had elegant decor that goes with the Georgian style of the terraced building and surrounding area. It’s situated in a great location and serves up a superb breakfast, I would definitely recommend the eggs Benedict!

Car Rental

Hertz supplied me with my lovely red Renault to explore the south west of England. Hiring the car gave me plenty of freedom to get around the south west of England that I wouldn’t have been possible on a train.

Bath is around two hours and thirty minutes from London by car.

This post was brought to you as part of the #lovegreatbritain campaign, created and managed by iambassador in partnership with Visit Britain and Visit England. As always, TravMonkey retains all editorial control of what is published.

These were all familiar questions back in 2012.

Blogging has changed since the days of 2006 when I was halfway round the world publishing what I thought at the time were helpful articles on how to travel the world on TravMonkey.com. Those were the days, no agenda, no free products, no trips or paid projects and campaigns. Just people experimenting, being creative for the fun of it. A time where we all had a Nokia (playing snake?) with tiny monochrome screens no fancy touch screen iPhone! Facebook was only just emerging and Google’s logo looked horrendous. Social media was still in its infancy and most engagement happened on blogs, in the comment section and through your email inbox. There was genuine real interaction.

I landed back in the UK after two years away traveling and blogging, things were changing rapidly. The release of the iPhone in 2007 brought an amazing touch screen smartphone to the masses. No longer we people consuming the internet solely on a huge metal box of a desktop computer, but eyeballs were moving to mobile screens and with it, massive innovations in apps and social media. Twitter had already been launched back in 2006 but like Facebook hadn’t taken off until years later until the smartphone became the must have device.

Along with adopting a smartphone (HTC Desire!? Remember those?) I joined Twitter in 2008, not quite knowing what the point was and how to use it… Although I wasn’t the only one…. Chris Messina who created the concept of the hashtag on twitter in August 23, 2007 (as a way of tagging messages) didn’t seem too sure either:

“I’m more interested in simply having a better eavesdropping experience on Twitter.”

In 2010 the Twitter party was in full swing, bloggers were mingling online and off. I attended my first blogging event (Blogcamp) at a pub in London. I remember wandering around outside checking my phone and pondering if it was still really weird to meet people you knew online. It turned out to be a fun and eye opening event… even some faces (avatars) that I recognised smiled and walked up to me shouting my username. It felt quite exciting to be making new connections with people that you shared the same creative passions as. At the event, the now familiar question of how much many anyone was making from blogging cropped up, with just one person raising their hand to say they made more than £1000 a month by blogging.

Swimming in Money

Blogging changed fairly quickly as more and more bloggers proclaimed to be making Scrooge McDuck amounts of money from traveling and writing. Press trips were followed by products to reviews and people started blogging for money rather for creativity alone. At events people would network and ask “do you do this full time?”, “how do you make money from it”. To be honest, it pissed me off that all people seemed to want to know was whether they could make a ton of money from it, rather than being interested in writing, photography or doing something interesting online.

It became a bit of a gold rush, groups sprang up on Facebook all about how to make money from blogging. Topics included how to drive traffic to your blog, approach PR’s for trips and products along with comment pods to artificially boost the look of engagement on each others blogs. Even at our Traverse conferences today, any topic featuring claims of making bucket loads of money are always oversubscribed, whilst other more creative and perhaps more interesting ones don’t always max out.

Instagram Blows Up

If blogging seemed like a gold rush in those days, what was bubbling up with Instagram was to be even worse.

It started out in 2010 as a platform famed for its awesome filters that made your crappy mobile photos look better and for the speed of getting your images online and out to your audience. Sadly the platform has morphed into a strange unwieldy mega advertising behemoth where Instagram wannabe influencers like photos to get a like, follow people to get a follow or comment to get comments.. that’s not real engagement.

It’s evolved and swallowed Snapchat’s functionality in the process, growing with up to 700 million active monthly users. Follow and unfollow to get huge numbers in a world where teenagers want to grow up to be a famous influencer, the desperate rush to be a Instagram super star means gaming the figures in anyway you can… and some naive brands are paying for it.

It’s a world where someone’s trademarked “Comment Pods”, where groups of 15 Instagrammers that will like and comment on each others photos that are shared with the group. Then there’s Quick Likes, Quick Comments, Daily Likes, Daily Comments and Weekend Follow. It’s a game… and not a particularly fun one.

There’s been a few recent articles exposing the practices on Instagram such as Peta Pixel’s and also an agency who gamed their way into making money on the platform.

Pushing Buttons Like Zombies

So here we are, 2017 with people staring at their phones like zombies, liking photos and commenting not because they like the content or enjoy doing it, but because it builds their own profile. It gives them more chance of making more money. If the truth be told, these zombies are either spending a hell of a lot of time manually playing this game or outsourcing it to virtual assistants, bots and shady Instagram groups and practices.

But the money is there, in the rush to use influencers… Instagram is big business, but it’s a murky business and not all is what it seems. Until the time that it’s near impossible to manipulate your way to the top there will always be those willing to take huge shortcuts for a quick buck. The problem with Instagram is the barrier to entry is so low and the number of people willing to cheat, extremely high.

I never got into creating content online to spend a huge amount of my time frantically gaming, chasing and mindlessly, robotically jumping through hoops.

I did it because I enjoyed being creative… not liking, commenting, befriending and manipulating an app like a zombie… that’s the least creative thing in the world.

iPhones have quality cameras and with each iteration the technology takes a step up, giving you a reason to want to part with your hard earned cash to keep up with the quality of travel photos being posted online.

But one area where smartphones haven’t been able to compete with the classic DSLR camera is in terms of flexibility. The ability to be able to switch lenses, take a close up photo with a macro lens, use a wide angle or telephoto lens to catch the action. Smartphones just don’t have the ability to do this (or at least well enough with zoom)… well unless you have some Pixter lenses that is!

What is Pixter?

Pixter create quality clip on lenses for smartphones which give the user much more flexibility. Their pro collection offer a Macro, Telephoto, Super Fisheye and Wide Angle Pro for £49.90 each. I was sent one of their Wide Angle Pro lens to test out and my trip to the Big Apple was the perfect place to put it through its paces. With towering skyscrapers and dramatic city landscapes, New York City is a great place to see the benefit of using a wide angle lens.

The Pixter Wide Angle Pro lens is really designed to take landscapes and indoor shots where you need to squeeze more into the shot without getting distortion. As the lens is their Pro version you can really feel the quality of the device in your hand and it actually looks like a mini Canon DSLR lens. It’s made of steel and contains five maximum clarity polarized lenses that are anti-reflective and scratch resistant to boot.

The Pixter Clip has a silicon grip to fix the lens in place whilst at the same time protecting the surface of your smartphone. The advanced optical design of the Wide Angle Pro allows the lens to capture a field twice as large without any line distortion.

How does it work?

The Pixter Clip is super easy to use, simply remove the lens cap and clip it onto your smartphone. Make sure the lens is aligned with your smartphone lens to prevent any overlap and you’re good to go! It’s designed for use with the front or rear cameras, just make sure that your smartphone lens is clean before clipping on.

Shooting New York City

In New York City we hopped on the subway down to the World Trade Centre Memorial to take some photos of One World Trade Centre and the quirky white Oculus building. Usually it’d be tricky to get the sheer height of a building in the shot but not with the wide angle lens. It also gives you the ability to pull in surrounding skyscrapers to give more of a dramatic “bottom up” angle of the city’s skyscrapers.

I found the Pixter Wide Angle Pro especially useful for capturing architecture but, like most wide angles, it comes unstuck when taking close up portraits due to distortion on the edges of the lens. This is to be expected from wide angle lens however.

The standard iPhone lenses have a focus length at ~28mm, by adding the Pixter Wide Angle Pro lens the focal length becomes the equivalent of 16mm. It gives you the ability to capture a lot more of the shot but like any wide angle you have to keep an eye on the edges of your shot to make sure you don’t get those unwanted passers by or lampposts in by accident.

Attaching the lens is really simple, just clip it onto the phone and line up the lens over your lens. Be careful to make sure the the iPhone lens is right in the middle or you may get some dark edges in your shot.

What I Liked About It

If you’ve used a clip on lens before I’d suggest that you to reserve judgement until you’ve tried a Pixter lens, as they are very impressive. The build quality is good and they give you much more flexibility than using the standard smartphone lens.

• Pixter lenses are compatible with most smartphones
• The price point is very appealing, especially for the quality of the product (£49.90)
• Easy to attach to phone
• Comes with a cleaning cloth, bag and lens cover
• I loved the extra wide angle and ability to create interesting angles

Few Things To Consider

The Pixter Wide Angle Pro lens is a very good little package but there were a couple of things that I noticed whilst road testing in New York.

• As the device clips on to your smartphone, you have to be careful when putting it in your pocket as it can often get caught and fall off
• You have to ensure that both the Pixter and smartphone lenses are clean and clear before taking shots
• It’s vital to ensure you’ve lined up the lens over your smartphone lens to prevent getting any unwanted black edges in your shot

Bottom Line

If you’re looking to get more creative with your smartphone photography then Pixter Pro lenses are a great and affordable option. Not only do they have superb build quality but there’s also a range of fun and practical lenses to keep your shots interesting. They’re extremely portable and add an extra dimension to your standard smartphone lens.

Spain has so much to offer a visitor that it’s impossible to cover the full diversity of the place in just my set of photos but I like to think I’ve covered a range of scenes including rugged windswept coastlines, bustling cities, pristine beaches and blue seas and a little bit of adventure.

Spanish Tourism tasked me with finding and sharing my favourite photos of Spain as part of the their #SpaininMYheart campaign, if you were expecting a similar looking bunch of photos you’d be well wide of the mark. Spain offers so much more than most people expect.

Spanish Tourism is looking for you to show of your favourite parts of the country with it’s #SpaininMYheart campaign and you could have the chance of winning the excellent new Canon G7 X digital camera. Details of the competition are below, but firstly let me give you some inspiration with my favourite Spain photos and experiences!

Road tripping the Galicia coastline

When most tourist think of Spain they don’t tend to have the image of the rugged cliffs, dramatic coastal views, unspoilt beaches and shoreline lighthouses that are scattered across the northern coastline of Galicia. This region has so much to explore, with landscapes carved out of the sea and itsdelicious fresh seafood cuisine with plenty of barnacles, clams and Polbo á feira (octopus) to devour. Not to mention my favourite green peppers (pimientos de Padrón), churros (of course!) and the brown, heavy, crusty brown from the region.

Carving up the snow in Catalonia?

When most people think of Spain they don’t think of snow and mountains, but the Catalonian Pyrenees offers both in abundance. It’s a great alternative place to ski with many family orientated resorts such as Port Ainé Ski Resort and quiet resorts like Boí Taüll Ski with some great red runs both. Both ski resorts are around one and half hour drive from Toulouse or Pau airports or three hours from Barcelona.

Seeking Adventure in Sleepy Menorca

I spent a lot of time in Menorca last year, the low season on this Balearic island is the perfect time to relax on one of many peaceful beaches or wander the cobbles of the colourful town of Ciutadella to the west of the island. The capital of the island, Mahon is a historic port with some delightful old buildings overlooking the water. It’s a great place for a spot of fresh seafood and a lazy afternoon exploring the Mercat des Peix – Fish Market.

It’s not all about taking it easy though, the Cami de Cavalls is a historic coastal path stretching 186km long around the island that offers great opportunities for hiking, walking, horse riding and generally exploring. One of the best ways to reach many of Menorca’s stunning beach coves is also by kayak.

Markets and Museums in Madrid & Barcelona

Madrid is the kind of city that you only really have to scratch just beneath the surface to find the amazing array of characterful neighbourhoods, buzzing nightlife, tapas and tavernas and that Spanish culture that never seems to sleep. From modern night markets like San Ildefonso to Platea and a cinema that’s now been converted into a food market complete with some swinging jazz, Madrid has plenty to keep you occupied. For an intriguing look into great architecture and engineering, take a tour of Madrid’s Teatro Real.

The capital of the Catalonia region, Barcelona is known for it’s architecture, Gothic quarter and its arty vibe. The city is blessed with a multitude of markets from fascinating flea and art markets to food markets, there’s no shortage of options. Its Cava bars (Can Paixano is worth a visit) are a great place to experience a traditional tapas bar whilst whiling away a few hours drinking Cava and sampling some local dishes. Do note that they’re usually packed out at peak hours and may find yourself surprised to find it’s still light outside when you stumble out onto the cobbled streets hours later.

So there you have it, my favourite photos and experiences in Spain. Now, we want to know your favourite areas in Spain? Here’s your chance to show the off!

You can submit your images via the competition below and also during our Twitter chat on Thursday 6th April at 3:30pm (UK). So join in, show off your Spanish travels and ask any questions you have about the country!

#SpaininMYheart competition

You could have the chance to win a amazing compact Canon G7 X digital camera that’s worth around £500 by sharing your favourite photos of Spain before April 30th 2017 on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the #SpaininMYheart hashtag.

Each unique photo you share counts as an entry into the competition, so the more you share of your Spain experience the better your chance of winning is!

So get sharing!

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II digital camera: Terms & Conditions
The promoter of this competition is the Spanish Tourist Office whose registered office is at 64 North Row – 6th Floor London, W1K 7DE. Users will need to post their images of Spain and use the hashtag #SpaininMYheart to enter the competition. Entrants must be 18 or over and be based in the UK to be eligible to win. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition. Closing date for entry is 23:59, 30 April 2017. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. The winner will be chosen by a panel appointed by the Spanish Tourist Office. The winner will be informed via DM on Social Media by the Spanish Tourist Office by Friday 19th May 2017. If a winner does not accept the prize within 14 days of being notified of winning, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and Spanish Tourist Office shall be entitled to select another winner. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current [UK] data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent . No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.

Being greeted with a fizzing flute of champagne isn’t the first thing you expect on a visit to a subterranean nuclear bunker. At the reception of Hotel Jalta I stood sipping a glass of champagne wondering if they’d mistaken myself for a VIP hotel guest.

Half a glass down, the lift door opens and out walks a proud looking security police officer in full dark green uniform. Thankfully he has a smile on his face as he directs me towards the lift.

Fumbling for a spot to place my champagne flute down the office says, “Don’t worry, you can bring that with you”. It seems a little bizarre to be taking a glass of champagne down to a bunker that could have been the last place of shelter in a nuclear attack, even if it hasn’t been used for thirty years.

“there isn’t a single visible clue inside or outside of the hotel of the bunkers existence”

Top Secret Bunker

So top secret was Hotel Jalta’s nuclear fallout bunker that even the hotel’s own cleaning staff had no idea of its existence, or perhaps it was best for all concerned to turn a blind eye. Either way it won’t come as a surprise if you wander into the hotels reception area, there isn’t a single visible clue inside or outside of the hotel of the bunkers existence. I found myself double checking my phone to make sure I’d walked into the right place. It all becomes clearer and more sinister when my guide informs me that the hotel itself was purposefully built as a disguise to hide the bunker.

The bunker was previous owned by the Ministry of Defence up until 1997 but now is owned by the hotel. Spanning three floors the bunker was originally built to hold 150 people including prominent communist officials, important individuals and officers during war where they had supplies for a period of up to two months. The bunker would have been the headquarters for the Warsaw Pact countries if war had broken out. War never materialised and over time the bunker was used by the Secret Police to spy on hotel guests and foreign dignitaries.

The Bunker Today

Today the underground rooms serve as a museum to the cold war era. After passing through an iron gate and down steep solid concrete stairs we wandered from room to room starting in the medical facility of the bunker. Although it resembles something out of Saw the horror movie, complete with operating table and terrifying looking medical tools it would have been fairly well equipped for the period. Beside the operating table is a metal door that reveals an escape tunnel out under the Hotel Jalta into Wenceslas Square. For anyone willing to crawl on all fours you can make your way to the end of the tunnel and look up towards the exit into Wenceslas Square.

The bunker facility had its own power supply, clean water and was protected by two meter thick concrete walls with steel to protect against radiation.

“secret police would sit for hours monitoring and eavesdropping into unassuming hotel guests conversions”

The bunkers rooms have been setup to show how they may have been used during the cold war, with the inspection room depicting a member of security searching a suitcase and a planning room with communication systems and a huge map on one wall. I was invited to test out some of the wire-and-plug telephones and hold some of the replica guns in the armoury room and it adds to the experience. Although the rooms feel quite staged, if the bunker was simply a number of empty rooms rather than a museum of the era it’d be much less interesting.

The Secret Police

Saving the best till last the tour ends with a top secret eavesdropping room that you can only enter by dialing in the passcode and unlocking the door. On a table in the room is a collection of what looks like old fashioned telephone exchanges that were used to tap into various different bugs placed in and around the rooms of the Hotel Jalta. Above the table on the wall is a floor plan of the hotel rooms with a VIP rooms and various types of guest rooms marked in different colours.

Members of the secret police would sit for hours monitoring and eavesdropping into unassuming hotel guests conversions via bugs in the walls, on lamp shades, under shoe brushes, on bedside tables and draws. The polices main focus was on foreign dignitaries and high profile VIP’s.

Sat in the chair facing the wires and switchboards of bugging equipment, with a hotel floor plan complete with detailed notes hanging on the wall above…

I took a final sip of my VIP champagne still wondering if it really was just a clever part of whole experience.

Useful Information

Website: Fallout Shelter, Hotel Jalta
Guided tours in English and German language:
Friday to Sunday 14:00–19:00

Entry fee:
General: CZK 120
Students (15–26): CZK 90
Senior citizens (65 and above): CZK 90
Children (6–15 yrs): CZK 60

For hotel guests entry is free.

Booking a city break to Prague

In Prague I had a two nights stay at the lovely Barceló Praha Five and flights to and from Manchester airport to Prague cost a total of £345 per person with Jet2CityBreaks, which is great value if you ask me. A package Jet2CityBreaks takes a lot of the hassle out of planning and worrying about transfers, hotels and flight times, meaning your free to enjoy the ride with all aspects of your break already sorted.

Jet2Holidays pride themselves on their low fares whilst at the same time offering allocated seating, great flight times, a 22kg baggage allowance and no fees for using your credit card. Jet2Holidays and Jet2.com fly from airports based in the Midlands, the north of England as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland. They serve a wide range of popular European destinations, there’s plenty more information on their website too.

This post was brought to you as a result of the #Jet2Europe blog trip, created and managed by iambassador in partnership with Jet2Holidays. TravMonkey.com maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.