Category: Travel Diary
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Costa Rica Day 10 – Farewell Jaco
Today was the day I departed Jaco to begin the long journey home. I’ll definitely miss both this place and the people I’ve met and been travelling with along the way, but at the same time I don’t recall the last time I felt so exhausted, pushed almost beyond my physical limit. One of the…
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Costa Rica Day 9 – Manuel Antonio National Park
No hangover was going to stop me from visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park on the penultimate day of my travels in Costa Rica. We entered along a wide track, where we spotted a gorgeous sloth hiding high in the trees and an unusual reptilian-looking creature right by the side of the path. The walk…
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Costa Rica Day 8 – Crocodiles and Karaoke
I awoke once more to the sounds of the rainforest. It’s something I think I’m going to miss when I leave. We got on the road pretty soon after breakfast, bound for our second and final beach destination, Jaco. A short drive away, we made our first stop – a tree planting activity – before…
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Costa Rica Day 7 – Back to Nature
I awoke to what sounded like thunder, but what in reality was just the wind. I also felt a little cold, something I almost wouldn’t have believed was possible whilst staying in Tamarindo. Welcome to Monteverde, I supposed. After a quick breakfast, it was time to set out for the first activity of the day.…
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Costa Rica Day 6 – The Road to the Cloud Forest
A slow morning re-sorting my luggage and relaxing by the pool with a book was exactly what the doctor ordered. The warmth of the sun in the crystal clear sky dulled slightly by a gentle cooler sea breeze, it was easy to relax, though a little energy would later be required for the first stop…
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Costa Rica Day 5 – Sea Turtles and Sunsets
Our first full day in the beach town of Tamarindo – and, thanks to the previous night’s antics, the one morning I didn’t wake up early… Even so, I still managed to fit in a little shopping, and was in plenty of time for the long-awaited catamaran cruise. The walk to the beach gave us…
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Costa Rica Day 4 – Chocolate and Chilling
Another early start saw us sadly bidding farewell to our beautiful La Fortuna hotel. But, with chocolate and beaches on the horizon, you couldn’t say it was all bad! The Rainforest Chocolate Tour was a fantastic experience – very informative, very funny, very hands-on, and led by a man who can only be described as…
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Costa Rica Day 3 – Facing a Fear
Despite a relatively heavy night, I awoke around 5.30am to the deafening sounds of nature. I remember being stirred in the night by what sounded like a short rainstorm, but these sounds are different – chirping, whooping, clicking. A reminder of just how in amongst nature we actually are. A light breakfast (with a brief…
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Costa Rica Day 2 – Chasing Waterfalls
What a jam packed event our first day as a group was! Setting off for La Fortuna, I couldn’t have quite known what marvels would be in store. First, we stopped off by the roadside at a pretty waterfall, and I also managed to slip in my first part of souvenir shopping at one of…
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Viva Costa Rica! A Day in San Jose
After a several-year involuntary hiatus, I’m back! Welcome to travel in my 30’s. Yes, I have finally arrived in the Central American land of Costa Rica for the very first time, starting my journey in the bustling city of San Jose. I’m not exaggerating when I say I have waited so long for this moment,…
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A Weekend in London
Oh London, how I’ve missed you… There’s always something to do or see in this iconic English capital, and this visit was no exception. I can’t count how many times I’ve stepped out of King’s Cross Station to the buzz of crowds, London buses, black cabs and the beautiful clock tower of St Pancras –…
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Hello Chester (Pt.2)
Chester Day 2… The day of the zoo. Hey, that rhymes! Just as with the city itself, I haven’t visited Chester Zoo for several years. Arriving this morning, I had high hopes I’d love it as much as I expected to – and it did not disappoint. Chester Zoo was born from one man’s dream…
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Hello Chester (Pt.1)
It isn’t quite Japan, but it will do. When plans get derailed, you have two choices. 1. Wallow and be miserable2. Try to consolidate and make the best of it I did the latter, which is how I found myself in the historic English city of Chester – a land known for its Roman roots…
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A Weekend in York
We said we wouldn’t do it, but deep down we both knew that wasn’t the truth. That’s how within minutes of checking in to our hotel for the weekend after a short drive from work, we ended up in none other than Wetherspoons – and with vodka… Oops! And thus began a weekend in the…
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Longleat Safari Park
Finally, the day has come – but also gone again in a flash. Longleat is somewhere I’ve wished to visit for many years after first seeing it featured on BBC documentary series “Animal Park”, but never got round to as it’s so far from home – by British standards, anyway. Unfortunately, due to the current…
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A Stop at Stonehenge
Some people come to England from overseas to see this iconic landmark, and yet in all my 28 years of living here, today marked my first ever visit to the mighty Stonehenge. As written on Wikipedia, the stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age…
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A Little Jaunt Around Southern England
Here I was at the beginning of the year, contemplating travel post-brexit. Who would ever have known back then that this would be the least of my issues? So far this year Covid has claimed Costa Rica, Africa and Portugal from me, and while I know I should probably just be grateful for mine and…
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Prague Day 4
It’s roughly 5am and I’m woken with a start. Bang! Bang! A whistling wind soars and screeches, whipping through the room. Bang, bang. The glass bedroom door is still banging against the glass wall its attached to, a dangerous game. I slip out of bed and wrestle with the now open balcony door to get…
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Prague Day 3
First on day 3’s agenda was crossing the river for a visit to Prague Castle – and finally, we actually got the tram successfully. Third time’s a charm, right? Prague Castle surprised me, having more free areas than I expected, with expansive paid-for areas too. There are a number of packages to choose from, and…
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Prague Day 2
Day 2 in Prague started out with waking to dazzling sunlight and clear skies – the perfect backdrop for a new day of adventures. Beginning in a museum that actually caught and retained my low attention span, we were transported into a world of wonderment. The Illusions Art Museum is rather inconspicuous if you’re not…
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Welcome to Prague
I’m in Prague! How exciting! But before all of that, I need to introduce you all to someone very special, so without further ado, meet Bunny. My traveller bunny and I used to go everywhere together when I was a kid, but as is often the case with growing up, he was eventually stored away,…
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A Weekend in Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle, home of the Geordie in a region of England particularly close to my heart. I’ve been trying to plan a trip to the North East for a while, ever since I bid farewell to my home in Sunderland back in 2013 actually, and finally I made it. Arriving late Friday night the plan was…
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A whole week down…
Ending yesterday’s adventure in Königswinter, I cleaned off a few vodkas and Jagers in a cool Irish bar I found whilst once again escaping the wrath of the Christmas market. My first “night out” – if you could call it that – was a nice way to round off this trip and all it has…
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A Dream Come True
Word of advice: Cologne on a Saturday night at Christmas is mental – and not in a good way. Surviving a mere hour before giving in, I retired at a record 7:30pm. On a Saturday. It may not have been very sporting and certainly not how I would have been a few years back, but…
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Welcome to Cologne
Cologne, a thriving German city with plenty to offer for Christmas. Arriving in Germany by train from Brussels Thursday afternoon I promptly attempted to locate my next hostel in an effort to find at least some temporary relief from the pouring rain. Thankfully, it was only around a 10 minute walk from the station. The…
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Brussels Round 2
I’ve bought a lot of it, but can I replicate it? Am I any good at making it myself? Well, it turns out the answer to that question is sadly a no, but I gave it a good crack, and it definitely could have been worse! Yes, back in Brussels, first on today’s agenda was…
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Belgian Frites???
Departing Brussels for the day, I took the train a short way north to the iconic Bruges, said to be especially beautiful and well known as a popular tourist destination. You can book a day trip with a tour company from the capital, but getting to Bruges on your own is actually very straightforward if…
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Bring it on Brussels
What do you do when you lose your job just before Christmas? Do you stay home, save money and look for a new job or do you embrace the freedom while you have it and do something fun and exciting? Given my love for travel, I obviously went for the second option, and now I…
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A Whirlwind Tour of Istanbul
Well, what can you say about the vibrant city of Istanbul? From the open green spaces showing off grand mosques to the tight and bustling shopping streets surrounding the Grand Bazaar, this isn’t the kind of city I’m used to seeing. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. And while it can feel slightly overwhelming,…
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From Cappadocia to Istanbul
The sunrise was pretty on Thursday morning. No balloons as they depart from further away, but a nice start to the day regardless. Sitting out watching the sun come up, scarf wrapped snuggly round my shoulders as sparrows flitted about and the local cats began to venture, was a peaceful feeling. No sound to be…
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My Cappadocian Adventure – Chapter 2
Well, what a day. Despite only being this morning, the hot air balloons seem to have passed ages ago. The amount of different sights and activities we’ve taken on in these short few hours is immense, so if you want inspiration, you’re in the right place.After breakfast, our first stop was the deepest of the…
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Cappadocia Calling
Yesterday was the day – the day I’d meet my new Intrepid travel crew and depart by bus to the magical land that is Cappadocia. As usual, I was a bundle of nerves as I got ready to head out to the meeting point, and had the biggest hole of dread when the meeting time…
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A day (and a bit) in Antalya
It’s my last international trip of 2019, and I hope to end on a high. So far this year I’ve partied at Fallas festival in Valencia, traversed the Norwegian fjords on a road trip across Scandinavia, and tried to dodge raging thunderstorms in Budapest. And now I’m in Turkey, for the first time since 2013.…
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Homeward Bound from Hungary
29/07/19 It was another dreary morning, but time was of the essence and let’s face it, we were used to it by now anyway. We headed first for the Great Market Hall for some last minute shopping. Located at the end of Vaci Utca, Budapest’s famous shopping street, the market hall is a beautiful building…
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Spa Day
29/07/19 When I booked to come to Budapest during summertime with an aim of visiting the thermal baths, a part of me thought I was crazy. Why would I want to bathe in warm waters when it’s supposed to be 30 degrees outside already? But they’ve turned out to be pleasant nonetheless. Szechenyi Spa is…
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City Explorations
28/07/19 We woke up yesterday after a very restful night to an included buffet breakfast, with a wonderful variety of fruits, breads, meats, cheeses and all the salad you could ever want. One night in and I could already recommend the Soho Hotel for it’s good vibes, stellar service and its location close to the…
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Back to Budapest
27/07/19 I’ve come full circle to where my grown up travelling all started. I’m back in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. After a long journey of cancelled trains due to the unusual heat hitting England this week (seriously though, as pathetic as we are as a nation, climate change is definitely a real thing) and…
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Whirlwind Stockholm
We’ve passed through Sweden a few times on this trip, but Stockholm is the first destination we’ve actually stopped at. It’s also the last leg of my adventure. Sad times indeed! Arriving in Sweden’s capital stuffed full of sweets because that’s apparently what Swedes do on Saturdays, so, culture!, we headed out for last night…
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Norway – A Nature Lover’s Paradise
Oh God, no, I don’t dare, can I do it? “Just do it!” And, with that I’m in, in and accomplished… Since departing Oslo on Wednesday, I’ve spent the last few days exploring more of Norway, and more specifically its vast countryside. It involved a hell of a lot of driving but this was thankfully…
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Oslo
Driving across Sweden, and following a typical Swedish lunch of meatballs in none other than IKEA, we finally arrived in Norway’s capital, Oslo. Despite being exhausted, I took the opportunity to explore our stop off before checking in – Vigeland Sculpture Park, a park in the city that’s home to hundreds of statues created by…
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Wonderful Copenhagen
Looking back on Saturday, we fitted a lot in considering we were still in Germany in the morning. It was pretty much the same procedure as the beginning of any Contiki tour – talking to lots of new people and remembering none of their names, as after a drive and ferry crossing we were dropped…
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The Road to Berlin
I don’t know why I still always get that lurching sickness feeling when heading off to a new country; you’d think I’d be used to it by now. But even so, getting on the train on Thursday morning I couldn’t help but wonder, what am I doing? What if something goes wrong? Am I ready…
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A day and a half in Barcelona
18/03/19 I’m not going to lie. Arriving in Barcelona yesterday I was shattered, shattered and sweating like mad. Before booking this trip, I had a full on itinerary of things I could do, and yet today all I wanted to do was chill out. After checking in and freshening up, I headed out for some…
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Valencia and Fallas Festivities
17/03/19 Snap, snap, crackle, bang, BANG. This is the sound of Valencia this weekend. As poppers pop and fireworks ignite down random side alleys, the smell of smoke sails through the air and crowds of people shuffle along like sardines, taking it all in whilst sipping on beers and mojitos. Live bands pop up seemingly…
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The Airport
15/03/19 People say that travel is about the journey, rather than the destination, and in a way I get that after the eventful morning I’ve had. As I sit writing this, I am passing the time on the metro from the airport to my hostel in Valencia, finally able to relax at least a little…
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Flight of the Gibbon and my time in Chiang Mai
I try not to let out a scream as I shoot over the Thai jungle, the wind rushing through the ends of my hair as I focus on when I need to raise my feet for landing. Flight of the Gibbon is a ziplining course you can take whilst visiting the city, consisting of a…
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Chiang Mai and the Night Market
My Contiki group have gone for a cooking class I didn’t want to be a part of, so instead I’ve just visited the beautiful madness that is the Chiang Mai weekend night market. The heat intensifies as you step into the vacuum of people shuffling along with tiny steps, the salespeople sitting and handcrafting their…
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Chasing Waterfalls to Chiang Mai
Erawan Falls was first on our list for today. It’s just a shame so many of us were feeling so hungover from our crazy night out at a funky little bar in Kanchanaburi. The falls are beautiful, but unless you want to climb all the way to the top level, you don’t need too long…
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The Elephant Sanctuary and Bridge Over River Kwai
Finally it was the day everyone had been waiting for, the day of the visit to the elephant sanctuary. After a relaxing morning on the river rafts, we took off to meet these wonderful creatures, and it did live up to expectation. A local guide repeated the words “no worry” over and over, until I’m…
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The Jungle Rafts – My night in the middle of nowhere
Driving down the winding rural track, my anticipation was building. I was about to spend the night stranded on a river with no electricity – No lights, no plug sockets, no nothing. Even the walls and roofs weren’t solid, meaning we truly would get to be at one with nature. It’s so peaceful out here…
Victoria's Voyage 