After years of full-time travel, I’ve come to realise that most people (me included) only think about health and safety AFTER something’s gone wrong. And that’s typically a bit late.
Get ahead of the game by doing your research. In this section you’ll find posts about the times travel made me sick, what it’s like to have dengue fever and rupturing my ACL overseas.
I’ve got some preventative posts too – lots about travel insurance, being prepared in advance for getting robbed as well as tips for the best mosquito repellent.
Get your trip safety covered in advance and then you can sit back and relax. Prosecco anyone?
Want to know why Medellin is the best place to learn Spanish in Colombia? Read on… As usual, I didn’t do much research abosiut Colombia before landing in the country, but I did know that I was in desperate need of some more Spanish classes. My first stop in Colombia was Cartagena and a quick search on … Read more
I have a missing brain cell…actually, there’s discussion between my family and friends that I might be missing more than one, but there’s a particular brain cell I’d like to talk about – the one that covers learning a language. Ever since I first set foot in Spain, then Latin America, I’ve been trying, painfully … Read more
What does travel insurance cover? It’s a good question that many people don’t ask; a fact that’s surprising when you think about the cost and importance of buying travel insurance. As a former-lawyer, I’ll guide you through what is covered by travel insurance, what is not covered, what level of cover is typically good enough and … Read more
The Travel-Drinking Lifestyle Do you drink alcohol more than usual when you travel? I certainly do. The problem is I have FOMO (fear of missing out) – a few beers at the hostel bar, sunset cocktails, free pasta and wine nights, checking out a new club, ladies’ night (a.k.a. free alcohol), rum around a bonfire … Read more
A couple of weekends ago I spent a day in London catching up with my old college room-mate, co-conspirator and long-term best friend. Of course, we see each other when we can but between her adorable children and my flighty nature, getting a full 24-hours together free of laptops and nappies is near impossible. So, … Read more
Beyond stupid in Naples yet strangely safe It was 3 a.m. and I was wandering the streets of Naples, lost, alone, under the influence of alcohol and with little choice but to check my location on my iPhone. I was breaking every rule on my travel safety list and a few besides. I was stupid … Read more
Fresh from my third encounter with bedbugs in as many days (three out of my last five beds had the critters – a bad ratio by any standards), it seemed an appropriate time to share my tips on dealing with bed bugs when you travel. Some facts about bed bugs Most people have heard of … Read more
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2015 After more than five years of full-time travel, often visiting mosquito ridden countries, I’ve finally found of what is the best mosquito repellent. When I first wrote this post in 2013, I was about to travel to Africa and planned to put some repellents to the test. I trialling a DEET based product, Repel 55, … Read more
Is it safe for women to travel alone? As a girl who wanders the world by herself I get asked this question a lot. However, the subject has received even more attention in recent weeks following media coverage of the rape and death of a young woman in India, the tragic murder last month of … Read more
As I pack my backpack for the last time this year, wondering why I’ve bought so much fresh coffee to take home, and what on earth I need to throw away in order to fit it into my bag, it occurs to me that after two years of travelling, there is very little … Read more