Cultural Travel & Inspiration

Are you the kind of traveler who likes to get close to the local culture and have a more authentic travel experience? This section is for you. Whether it’s learning about the history of Shakespeare in England or learning some fun facts about Washingto D.C. before you go, there are many ways to immerse yourself in a destination more fully.

Food is a great way to get to the roots of a country and I’ve got several food themed guides including for Greece, Jamaica, Sardinia, Japan and Ireland. I’ve also written about Why Chain Are Restaurants Bad.

Or maybe you’re looking for inspiration for the kind of travel experiences everyone should have in their lifetime (and I don’t mean things like skydiving in Hawaii, but really seeing the world as a local).

Sometimes tourism goes bad, like the female sex tourism industry in Gambia and The Gambia’s “Roots”: When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Tourism. Or sometimes the cultural norm is so very different to our own, like Bullfighting in Spain.

I’ve got some handy guides to help you get around like How To Visit Pearl Harbor, How to Use the Tube in London (Without Pissing off the Locals), and How to Visit The Statue of Liberty. As well as some general inspiration like:

Want to prepare yourself for your cultural adventure? Here are my 50 Biggest Culture Shock Experiences (I’ve even had reverse culture shock). It may sound scary but getting out of your comfort zone can be a life enhancing experience. I know travel has certainly changed me. I hope it changes you too (for the better, of course).

Cultural Travel & Inspiration Guides

17 Best Things To Do In Stratford-upon-Avon – England

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Born in 1564, William Shakespeare wrote just shy of 1 million words during his relatively short (52 year) life, yet amongst them are some of the most well known and often quoted words in the world. Some 500 hundred years after his death, his work is still performed both at The Globe Theatre in London and around the globe. Want to know more about this famous writer? There’s no better place to do it than in the place of his birth, Stratford-upon-Avon. Located in the county of Warwickshire, just over 100 miles from London, the beautiful and well-preserved Tudor town … Read more

25 Fascinating Facts About Washington DC

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statue of abraham lincoln at the lincoln memorial

Most people know that Washington DC is home to the White House but what else do you know about the Capital of the USA? If you’re not from the USA (or maybe even if you are), did you know that Washington DC is the capital of the United States or did you, like many people, think it was New York? In this article I’ll share with you some fun and interesting facts about this small but fascinating city. 1. Washington DC is not actually located in any of the 50 states of the USA. It was originally located in the … Read more

Inside The Statue of Liberty – Are Crown Access Tickets Worth It?

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close up of the statue of liberty crown

I’ve already written about how to visit the Statue of Liberty including ticket types, tours, cruises, how to see the Statue of Liberty for free and how to get to the Statue of Liberty. In this article, I’ll cover something very specific – are Crown Access tickets worth it. I’ll then give a little info on what you can see and do at Liberty Island (where the Statue of Liberty lives). You can then decide which type of Statue of Liberty ticket to hunt down – and I say hunt because it can feel like that if you don’t book … Read more

101 Travel Themed Things To Do When You’re Bored At Home

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Bored? Read on for 101 things to do when you’re bored. They’re all travel themed so you can scratch your travel itch and satisfy your wanderlust all without leaving home. If you are stuck at home for a prolonged period, unable to travel, it’s very likely you’re bored. Here’s my suggestions for 101 travel themed things to do when you’re bored. In the order that they came out of my head:  1. Make a list of the favourite foods you’ve tasted on your travels – okonomiyaki and guacamole are on my list. Look up the recipes, track down the ingredients and cook … Read more

How To Do Your Own Panda Tour in Chengdu (And Why You Should)

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Want to find out how to do your own panda tour in Chengdu, China and why you absolutely should do your own panda tour, read on… This story started on the Great Wall of China. Stick with me. I was showing my dad around China in a whirlwind two week trip that involved moving location every other day. So, it’s fair to say, we did several guided tours in China. And I planned to do the same thing in Chengdu – take a panda tour. Because, with limited time and running out of steam, having someone pick you up, show … Read more

10 Best Cities with Beaches

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I recently got told that I have a vitamin D deficiency – I know, right? How on earth can that happen to someone who travels as much as I do. Well, moving to the UK after years of chasing the sun is one possibility. Being a bit too proficient with the factor 50 sun cream is another. Either way, I feel like I’ve had my passport stamped for 10 ‘doctor prescribed’ trips to the beach. Normally, I can spend several consecutive days lying prone on a beach, flipping only with the shifting of the sun (being an avid reader helps). … Read more

101 Things to Do When It’s Raining on Holiday

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101 Things To Do When it Rains on Holiday

I travelled thousands of miles to escape England’s winter weather, yet the rain followed me. When you arrive in a country expecting sun (and the contents of your suitcase reflect exactly that), it can throw you off course. My intended itinerary had been a few weeks travelling up South Africa’s coastline along the famous Garden Route, hitting as many beaches as possible. And in January, all my weather apps predicted it was peak sunshine season. The real weather – the one that exists outside my phone – however, had other ideas. For days I chased the sun up the coast, … Read more

Italy’s Prosecco Region is Just One Hour from Venice

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Wine tour from Venice Prosecco Region Visit Prosecco Italy Views

I conducted an entirely unscientific survey over the festive fizz period of December – I asked everybody with a glass of Prosecco in their hand if they knew that the Prosecco region was just one hour from Venice in Italy. Results: 10o/10o people didn’t know (or some number like that). The ensuing conversations went a little something like this: Prosecco drinker: You can take a Prosecco wine tour from Venice? Me: Yep Prosecco drinker: It’s only an hour away? Me: Yep Prosecco drinker: So, I didn’t need to go on that bl%$dy day trip from Venice to Murano to look … Read more

Where is the Best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago?

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Where is the Best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago

To say I was jet-lagged when I stepped off the plane at O’Hare airport would be a vast understatement. I’d zig-zagged across the Atlantic twice in two weeks with stops in London, Istanbul, Bologna and New York. Not sure which way was up, I arrived in Chicago on a crisp October morning, craving a week in bed during the only week I had to explore the city. Cracking open the cloud and searching for the glorious silver-lining, I remembered that jet-lag leaves me craving carbs and Italy had provided a residual hankering for pizza.  And the solution to both of these … Read more

25 Cultural Things To Do In Sardinia Italy

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Where to go in Sardinia - castelsardo

Want to know the best things to do in Sardinia? Read on… I’d always thought Sardinia would be a beach-based trip for me – after all, isn’t that why most people fly into what is Italy’s largest island? However, there’s not much you can do to talk me into sitting on a beach in November (even in Italy), so I ended up driving through the island instead. From Cagliari in the south to Olbia in the north, I cut a path through the very interior of Sardinia and what I found there surprised me: a craggy topography dotted with hilltop settlements, … Read more