Join me as I travel the world and give regular insights into what it is really like being a solo backpacker and tips to help you plan your own adventures
We took a ferry to cross from the port at San Jorge to Ometepe Island. This place is pretty phenomenal; it's an island made of two volcanoes, Conception, an active volcano, and Maderas, a dormant one. Ometepe is the second largest freshwater lake in Latin America (after Lake Titicaca), and the lake is on average... Continue Reading →
The drive from Honduras to El Salvador goes via Guatemala due to road and border limitations. That made it a fairly big drive day to get from Copán Ruinas to Suchitoto next to Lake Suchitlan in the heart of El Salvador. With a reasonably smooth journey we made it to Suchitoto in time for lunch... Continue Reading →
The night train to Baku was great.It started off quite strangely when a woman wanted us to change cabins but we didn't understand she just wanted me in the cabin with her and her sons. I wasn't having any of it because I didn't know whether we would arrive suddenly in Baku with no idea... Continue Reading →
I joined the Minsk Free Walking Tour that meets at 11am at City Hall on Svabody Square. The tour lasts two hours and finishes at Victory Square right next to Dreamy Castle Hostel. My guide was Roma and he is Belarusian and has been living and working in Minsk for 8 years. He said something... Continue Reading →
Minsk is astoundingly beautiful at first sight. Maybe that's why they only gave me an 8-day visa. The night bus was totally lame and I didn't really sleep so I have arrived in Minsk so tired I could fall asleep standing up. The hostel reception doesn't open until 10am so when my bus arrived at... Continue Reading →
This week has been one of the best of my trip. Estonian countryside is gorgeous, particularly the lakes area.Day OnePicking up the car was easy; I decided to get a taxi using the Estonian start-up rival to Uber, Taxify and it was spot on.I saw some mad driving as I was leaving Tallinn, just insane... Continue Reading →
I've loved so many places that I've travelled to so far but Estonia stunned me. Right place at the right time I think, as it has been a blast since I arrived.Sunday 8 JulyMy flight landed later than scheduled but it was easy enough to catch the bus to Freedom Square at the edge of... Continue Reading →
This is it - my last post in South America (for now)! Next, join me in Europe. For me, Cartagena was a jewel in the crown of South America. I found the place enchanting. I stayed for 4 days and didn't leave the city for any excursions, I found that it was a great place... Continue Reading →
I had heard mixed reviews about the trip to the northernmost tip of south America, generally either five stars like at this blog or one star*, with few in between. So it was with a slight sense of defiance that our group of seven intrepid explorers set out on this journey to the end of the... Continue Reading →
I left Santa Marta with Tom and Lilly and we headed for a night at Costeño Beach Surf Camp. We caught a local bus along the main road past Tayrona and then hopped off at the entrance to Costeño.The walk is about 40 minutes down the sandy track but luckily we were able to hitch a... Continue Reading →
Minca was a cool place and worth a couple of days, it is super easy to get to from Santa Marta; you just hop on a collectivo or you can arrange for one to swing by and collect you from a hostel. We paid $10.000COP per person for the hair-raising ride along steep winding roads... Continue Reading →
I had heard such good things about Tayrona National Park that it was great to be able to explore it with a good group, so soon after I arrived at the Caribbean Coast. A short bus ride from Santa Marta lies Tayrona National Park, a tropical paradise where the jungle runs right down to meet... Continue Reading →
My first trip to the Amazon Rainforest will certainly not be the last. I loved it!! I can't believe I nearly skipped it. For this 4-day trip I was with Sharon and Paul from the Netherlands and Elaine from Ireland and we made a great bunch. We left Quito at 11pm on a nightbus transfer... Continue Reading →
After the Galapagos, I spent two weeks in a coastal town called Montañita, learning to surf and taking Spanish classes at Montañita Spanish School. It is a huge party scene as well, with parties on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, and you can easily stay out until sunrise dancing your feet off. I loved... Continue Reading →
This was one of the most memorable weeks of my life! Diving in the Galapagos is beyond compare and it is totally worth learning to dive somewhere else just so that you can safely dive here. The dive sites in the north (Wolf and Darwin) are challenging but the rewards are almost too amazing to... Continue Reading →
Corrientes is a great place to spend a few days! An unexpected gem when really all we needed was a stopover to break up a 1,400km drive. It's a chilled out place where you could easily get lost for two weeks unwinding. We spent our time walking along the huge Paraná River and going to... Continue Reading →
