Hostel Etiquette: 19 things you need to know before you go
Before you stay in a hostel it’s important to know what to expect and what you should (and shouldn’t) do. Here is everything you need to know about hostel etiquette.
The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Torres Del Paine
The ultimate of Patagonia highlights, hiking in Torres del Paine is not to be missed. Here is everything you need to know for the best Torres del Paine hikes.
Camping in Torres Del Paine: The ultimate preparation guide
Before camping in Torres del Paine you'll need to make sure you are fully prepared.
Christmas in Thailand
A couple of years ago I was travelling for three and a half months, taking in Australia, New Zealand and my first real experience of Asia. I left at the end of October and wouldn’t be back until around mid-January. This meant I would be away for Christmas for the first time, which is the time I spend most with my friends and family. To be away from the traditional Christmas experience would be a massive difference. But I figured if I was going to be away from the ‘normal’ Christmas, then I might as well go for as big a change as I could get. (more…)
My Worst Hostel
Despite what I’ve said before about hostels, and they will always be my first choice while I’m travelling, there are exceptions. I have a list of things I look for when searching for a hostel, but sometimes you just don’t have many options to choose from. Either there’s not so many hostels in the town you want to visit or the only decent places are too expensive and you’re left with the bottom end on the quality scale. Sometimes it works out well or at the very least you get an interesting story out of the experience.
I’ve stayed in a whole host of different hostel types; from the top floor of a 15 story building in Ljubljana, a shack on the beach in an isolated Uruguayan community, remote islands and one of my favourite stops was a prison in Canada. You can end up staying in some interesting places, but not always in a good way. (more…)
The ‘Horror’ of Hostels
A lot of people have preconceived ideas about staying in a hostel, especially dorm rooms (some of which are justified). However, I’ve spent most of my travelling life sleeping in hostels and they’re the prefect place to stay. People have a lot of different concerns about using hostels. It usually centres around their stuff getting stolen, being used to the comfort of hotels or panicking about having to share with four or five strangers. Having slept in a 20 bed dorm I can tell you it’s not as bad as you’d think. (more…)
Trials and train travel
I've done a lot of travelling around the world over the last few years but I can still clearly remember the first time I left the country. Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan.