Safety First!

So now with just under 2 weeks to go, the packing is under way and I'm focusing on the little details at the moment. An essential part of my bag is going to be the first aid kit. Sensible and boring as it may sound, i think its important to get this right. Get it wrong and it could equal big trouble. Diarrhoea on a Thai beach - fun times! So after much research and input from my chemist friend, here's my list! Concise and compact I reckon!

Malaria tablets
Diarrhoea tablets
Plasters
Aloe Vera
Eye drops
Tea tree oil
Neurofeon
Deet
Sting relief cream
Antiseptic wipes
Antihistamine tablets
Blister plasters
Insect repellent

HX

The Great Packing Debate

Well with only 3 weeks and 3 days to go (!!!!!!!) it's the time to start thinking about what to take and what to put it all in. I must say I've had a few sleepless nights over this so far. I think it's so difficult to think what you'll need over a period of 7 months in 3 different continents! You also want to be prepared for emergencies and surprises (especially being so far from home). I've also found so many different opinions on how much to take, what to take and what to leave behind. Lucky for me then that I've found a website that covers everything and you can really edit the information to tailor your own trip. Check it out here - http://travelindependent.info/whattopack.htm

The three important questions to ask yourself when packing are -

1. Would I cry if it got stolen/lost?
2. Will I be able to buy it locally?
3. Can I live without it?

Thanks to the website that's another thing ticked off the list, only about a 1,000 more things to go!! HX

Competition Time!

I've just entered the Just back competition on the Telegraph's website, so thought I'd share it with you! It's a great competition and fun to read all the entrys on there. So fingers crossed!! Here's the website - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-writing-competition/

Just back – The Journey

For me getting ready to go out is half the fun. So for me the journey, I.e. going to the airport and being on the plane is half the fun of going on holiday I love completely loosing myself in the world of airports and planes. For example spraying 10 perfumes on me at duty free and not buying one. Watching loads of films in a row and not feeling guilty while drinking some free Chardonnay. I love it. So an 18 hour flight from London to Hawaii wasn't a scary prospect for me. 18 hours of watching films and sleeping and I'd be leaving grey London behind for tropical and far away Hawaii – what wasn't to love? The best part – someone else was getting me there and preparing food for me. What I did not factor into the mix is that a holiday never goes exactly as they're suppose to. Boarding the flight I was dreaming of making lei's and sipping mojitos in 18 hours, in reality 7 hours after getting on the plane, I wasn't half way over the Atlantic I was in Heathrow. Where I had started. By now the mojitos of Hawaii were a distant dream and I was in nightmare reality – not allowed of the plane, not moving and surrounded by equally annoyed travellers. If there was ever anything to put me off planes and holidays abroad that was the moment. If there was ever anything to put me off living in England and it's terrible changeable weather that was the moment. However what made me and the other passengers hopeful was the incredible air hostesses and pilot. In true British style they were completely apologetic but most of all hopeful that we would get off the ground, when everything was against us. Dangerous weather, security and technology and the pilot was hanging on still. It paid off. We did eventually take off, and landed in L.A with a hotel voucher and promise for a flight to Hawaii the next day. Yes we were tired, yes nothing had gone to plan and yes we had missed out on a night in Hawaii for night in a questionable Mexican themed hotel near LAX. But we had a story to tell, a new found respect for the job of air hostess and pilots (not many people would fly 11 hours to L.A after being stuck on a plane for 7 hours not moving) and do you know what sipping the mojitos on the beach tasted 10 times better for it. I would never want to be stuck on a plane at Heathrow again but if I had never experienced that I wouldn't be able to write this and share my story. So the journey really is as important as the trip. HX

 

Bok

Bok - a.k.a hello in Croatian. It's just one of the reasons I've fallen in love with Croatia - such a great way to say hello! I've just recently returned from Dubrovnik and its one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Before I went we were told it's like a mixture Italy, Turkey, Greece and Spain. In my opinion it's not - Dubrovnik especially is unique and like nowhere else I've ever been. I love the contrast of the azure blue sea, the old town and its narrow streets and the amazing architecture. Some of my favourite things to do were sea kayaking, the cable car trip which gave a spectacular view of the old town and the walk around the city walls. Also we had brilliant meals with some of the best seafood. I'm mentioning this because travelling is about discovering new places, cuisine and cultures and Croatia is defiantly a place to do this and best of all it's just over 2 hours away from Gatwick. This just proves you don't always have to travel far to find more!

HX
p.s next post will be back to my impending trip - less than 7 weeks to go!

God Save America!

Blaine said 'The United States is the only country with a known birthday'. So as today is the 4th July (Independence day in America) I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate and recognise all the things that make the USA unique, awe-inspiring and must visit for all! If you hadn't noticed already it's a big country so there are a million amazing things that make it special, but here are some of my favourite! From chocolate bars to canyons, it's a diverse list but I think it shows how uniquely appealing America is. Happy 4th of July y'all!

1. The Grand Canyon - so amazingly vast and impressive - whether you choose to fly over it or drive by it, just do it!

2. Vegas - in any other country the place would have lasted 5 minutes, in America it gets more visitors every year. Why? Because it's Disney Land for grown ups.

3. Hershey's chocolate - people hate it or love it. I love it.

4. The Breakfasts - the Americans are best at breakfasts in the world in my opinion - personal favourite stacks of pancakes, maple syrup and bacon.

5. The contrast of iconic cities - New York, Miami, L.A, Boston, Chicago, Washington - how can one country have so many amazing cities?!

6. Sailing in Maine - such an amazing experience, you can learn to sail all while eating some of the best sea food.

7. Road tripping - one of the best countries to road trip in because there are so many places to visit and stop off and different routes to take. It feels like you are visiting loads of different countries in one.

8. Victoria's Secret - Underwear heaven. If it's good enough for Heidi Klum, it's good enough for me!

9. The Weather - America's got it all, year round sunshine of Hawaii, seasonal weather of New York and the breezy sunshine of California.

10. The Americans - people may put their noses up at the Americans but I think they are the kindest people and are especially welcoming and laid back. I always feel at home in America. Mostly though they are proud of their country, which is both rare and admirable.

I could go on forever, but instead of that choose a state and find out for yourself! HX

ROAD TRIP

The definition of a road trip is a 'journey on roads'. One of the earliest recorded road trips was in 1907, the Pecking to Paris road race. Today road trips are vastly popular and can take place almost anywhere. Whatever your route, all road trips result in a journey including stories for life, hilarious photos, too many sweets/alcohol and usually one of the most memorable times of your life. Every road trip is unique, but here are some that i have either done, will do or hope to do in the future!

AMERICA

When i was younger me and my parents did two very different road trips, New York to Boston and Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Both very different, but amazing in their own unique ways. New York to Boston included trying to navigate ourselves out of new york, boat trips in New England and using the pool of a posh hotel next door to our questionable motel! Las Vegas to LA saw us take in a vast expanse of desert that's magical and scary at the same time. Stopping off at Santa Barbra and San Luis Obispo brings you back to reality (well a high class reality!). DREAM ROUTE - route 66 of course! Check out this website for tips - http://www.roadtripusa.com/

AUSTRALIA

This September to December, we will be travelling between Cairns and Melbourne - although on a bus rather than a car i still think it counts as a road trip! I can't wait to visit the cities including Sydney and Brisbane but also the chilled out paradise of the islands and sunshine coast. The ultimate chilled out, sunshine and cosmopolitan road trip. This website is a great planner - http://www.australianroadtrips.com/

EUROPE

I've done a fair few french road trips in my time including lots of french bread, cheese and attempts at speaking french. While i think a french road trip is a must, it's so easy to explore the whole of Europe in a car - no need to stick to one country. A little closer to home, me and some friends have done a few summer road trips to wales which has also provided endless excitement and memories and a cheap alternative. DREAM ROUTE - Italy, South of France and Spain.

Go get a map and start planning your road trip now. The possibilities are endless! HX

The Travel Writer

Travel writing as a carer would be a dream for me. Getting to travel, write about about the travels and then paid for it - yes please! Although I'm sure there's a tad more hard work involved! Jane Egginton has had 20 years worth of experience writing and editing in the travelling field. Some of the travel guides she has edited and written in include Dorling Kindersley, Thomas Cook and Michelin. She also spent four years in house at Readers Digest. Suffice to say she has had a lot of travelling experience and knows her stuff! I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to ask her some questions, so here they are. Also check out her travel blog here (I love it!) - http://www.travelwriteruk.blogspot.com/ and follow her on twitter here - http://twitter.com/#!/janeegginton. Thank you Jane!

Holly - I've just arrived in Thailand what's the first thing I should do?

Jane Egginton - I would jump in a tuk tuk, whizzing round the traffic clogged streets, this always gives me a real buzz. Then, pull up at a street stall and tuck into some freshly cooked, delicious local food.


H - Thailand is known for it's food, what's good to eat there and any favourite meal you've had there?

JE - I love it all. The fresh fish, cooked in delicate spices, the chilli infused noodle soups, crunchy pad thai...


H - For you does Thailand mean party party or rest and relaxation (or both?!)?

JE - I was never one for those full moon parties, but I love to languish on the white sand beaches and usually find myself having a massage every night - they are a steal and some of the best in the world


H - How would you sum up Thailand in three words?

JE - Smiling, spicy, beautiful


H - What attracted you to South America?

JE - The language (I wanted to improve my Spanish, but couldn't communicate in Spain - Latin Americans are so much more patient), the landscapes - the variety - from beaches and desert to rainforest and mountains is astounding.


H - What are some of your favourite places, things to do or experiences in South America?

JE - I love the desert in Bolivia, which also has a fascinating indigenous population. Colombia is extraordinary and I got married on the beach on its Caribbean coast. My favourite is Brazil. The people are so open (they call us 'fechado' - closed).


H - What's unique about Brazil?

JE - Well, they speak Portuguese, unlike the rest of South America, but what really hits you is the personality of its population. Just go - you will understand what I mean.


H - What are your essentials when setting out on a new trip?

JE - I am not a great planner, but I always carry my iphone with me to be connected to the world.


H - Finally for you, what's the best thing about travelling?

JE - Meeting other people and learning about the world.


HX

Gordon's Great Food Inspiration

So it's been a while since my last post but that is partly because I've been indulging in catch up TV and one of the gems I've been watching is Gordon Ramsay's great escape to South East Asia. Firstly because i love food but secondly because he's in the part of the world that I'll be in this December. We will be staying in Thailand for a month so I was excited to see the food awaiting us there! The programme is great because Gordon gets stuck in, isn't afraid to try anything (beating snake heart anyone??!!) and he's honest about what he tastes, cooks and sees. Food allows a great insight into the culture of a country i think and you can essentially sum up what is great about a country in a dish. He also crushes any food stereotypes one may have of a country. Just as theres more to the UK than fish and chips, theres more to Thailand than green curry and pad Thai. I can not wait to try the food in Thailand but for now i shall be cooking up some of Gordon's recipes in south London!! One of my favourite looking one's is his tom yam recipe, check it out here - http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/gordonsgreatescaperecipes/gordons-tom-yam-recipe

HX

Will this prada fit in my rucksack?!

Clothes are certainly not everything....but they can be more than just a practicality! In my ideal world my travelling wardrobe would be boho, laid back and still put together. I like the idea of floating around a beach in Brazil in an amazing lace white dress or looking especially cool in cut offs and a tie dye top on bondi beach.....i some how think that in reality this will not be the case! i think i will most likely wear the same shorts everyday and throw a top away after wearing it a week. A practical rucksack and a waterproof all the accessorizing I'll need. But in the spirit of dreaming instead of being practical for a day, this is my ideal travelling wardrobe in a mood board! (as you can see I've now finished exams and have time to create such a thing!) Although i doubt any Dolce will be coming along with me, i hope i get a bit of style alongside the practical!

HX

Wishful Watching

Guide books, experts, travel agents, blogs and facts are all very useful when planning a trip or gap year. However I sometimes feel that while useful and essential they can sometimes take the fun and excitement out of the trip. It's easy to get lost in a world of penny counting, practicalities and lists. This is why films can bring back some of the romance of going travelling. They allow you to escape the facts and figures for an hour or two and take in the beauty of whats unfolding in front of you. There are films out there that speak volumes about a destinations culture, lifestyle and scenery. You might not be following in the foot steps of Muriel in Auz (Muriel's wedding) but the thing or things that drew you to going to certain places in the first place will bw highlighted. Here are some of my favourites, based on where we are going. So put down the book and sit back and enjoy!

Australia

1. Muriel's Wedding - perfect just to listen to the Aussie accent

2. Finding Nemo - you can see Nemo in Sydney's Aquarium!

3. Australia - Baz Luhrmann's ultimate epic on the country

Thailand

1. The Beach - might put you off unless Leo's there....

2. The Hangover part ii - Wolfpack hit Thailand!

3. The King and I - old school romance

Brazil and Argentina

1. City of God - complete work of art, in Portuguese too

2. Evita - passion, tragedy and perfect Argentina

Costa Rica

1. Jurassic Park - one of my childhood classics!

Miami

1. Some Like It Hot - Marilyn hits Miami

2. Miami Vice - Ultimate Miami

HX

Eu não falam português!!

Well with exactly four months to go until the adventure starts, I thought it would be good to introduce you to a new challange we're facing before we leave.....LEARN PORTUGUESE! as we are going to brazil for a considerable amount of time our travel adviser at STA told us plainly our school level french and spanish was not going to get us by. Actually he said that as two young girls travelling alone in brazil it would probably be wise to know some of the language. this not only scared us but made us think we had to learn portuguese fast!! gone are the days of textbooks and language tapes,  nowadays there are so many online portals that allow you to learn a language, as well as apps and podcasts. It's much quicker and easier, if a tad less fun in my opinion. Anyways i've been checking some out, here are the results! I'm no expert yet but I'll update with any progress made!!

1. http://www.easyportuguese.com/ - this is quite basic but no faffing around with joining up etc

2. http://www.101languages.net/portuguese/ - also basic but gets to the point quickly

3. http://www.portuguese-flashcards.com/ - a more fun one but you have to start paying for premium content

4. http://www.babelnation.com/portuguese/ - one of my favs

5. For all you iphone users out there this is suppose to be great - http://www.byki.com/iphone/iphone.html

I'm also going to start downloading podcasts onto my ipod and listen to them in the gym, kill two birds with one stone...I'll be Gisele Bundchen before you know it - amazing beach bod and perfect brazilain esc portuguese!!!

HX

The Interview

This week I got the chance to ask Boris and MuiMui (creators of one my favourite travel blogs) some questions! Thanks so much to them for the answers! To all of you reading this - check out the interview - it's honest, interesting and passionate! Also don't forget to check out their blog - http://www.meandfrenchie.com/!



Holly - What attracted you to travelling in the first place and how did it become a reality?

Boris - I grew up in France and have always been attracted to the US. I finally went there for an internship and loved it. Once I graduated, I immediately found a job in San Francisco. I loved the city so much that I was disappointed to have ended up there before seeing more of the world. One year before our world tour, I told MuiMui that I wanted to move abroad and experience life in a different country. She replied that if she had to leave everything, she wanted to see more of the world. We agreed to go on a world tour together.
MuiMui - My desire for travel grew from loving parents who worked all the time and basically from their lack of travel. In college, I snatched every chance I had to travel outside of the US. Then when I joined the corporate world, travel became my yearly escape. When I met my Boris, he would challenge me when I would say, "I wish I could ..." so here we are, circling the globe.

H - How is travelling different from taking a two week holiday?

B - Traveling has nothing to with going on holiday. First, you always have to look at your budget to make you can make it to the end of your travel and that you don’t have a bad impact on the populations. Second, traveling is, for us, more oriented towards meeting people and learning cultures than just sightseeing. Last, I would say that when you travel you have to give yourself time to rest and reenergize.
M - The two do not have to be so different but as a typical American, my short and infrequent holidays seem to dictate how I travelled initially, so I would automatically try to maximize my experience by seeing as much as I can and within the western comforts I am use to. It was when I went to Vietnam for the first time on holiday and explored the small villages and did away with my usual comforts that made me realize how much I was missing out on.

H - Imagine I have enough money to visit 5 places in the world where should I go?

B - Thailand, Colombia, the Galapagos, Norway, and Antarctica? ;)
M - This is always a difficult question for me, as I love every place I have seen. Since I have to choose only 5, it would be: being taken away by the remarkable temples at Angkor Wat, falling in love with the adorable animals in the Galapagos, hiking to the top of Wayna Picchu and enjoying the view of Machu Picchu below, walking through the rice fields and being greeted by the locals in the villages of Sapa in Vietnam, and having a gastronomy experience in the south of France.

H - What have been some of the best experiences you've had so far?

B - People in Colombia are amazing. A poor man was selling cheap pens in a local bus and he decided to give one to me so I can remember Colombia and its nice people. Renting a HUGE house in Koh Samui (Thailand) with MuiMui and 5 other friends. Seeing 3 landmarks appearing in front of our eyes: Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu and The Taj Mahal
M - When I think back on our 12 months of travel, what remains closest to my heart is: riding on scooters with our friends to find the best beach in Thailand, hiking in the mud and arriving in paradise at Tayrona National Park in Colombia, our homestay with a wonderful family in Peru, the kind locals that helped us without wanting any return, and meeting friends & family along our travels.

H- Any scary stories or low points?!

B - Nothing really scary as we never got robbed but if I have to choose low point, it would be our experience in Indonesia on the road to Mount Bromo: A driver tried to rip us off and then a group of youngsters on motorbikes “saved” us, which was all an organized scam. We were in the middle on nowhere with no other tourists or public transportation around. It took us 3 hours to get out of there.
M - When we arrived in Arequipa and was looking around for a hotel, we met a female traveler who just experienced an attempted taxi kidnapping the evening before. She was still trembling and emotional and that woke me up how we always have to be careful in any country and as much as we are, shit still happens when there are bad people.

H - What are your top three tips for anyone thinking about travelling?


Both - 1: Go. 2: Meet as many people as you can. 3: Be open-minded and never reject something because it is different from what you are used to. 4: Always be aware of your surroundings.

H - Any do's and don'ts?

Both - DO follow your instincts and change your plans. DO NOT leave your stuff unattended even for a second. When riding on trains or buses, make sure your things are attached to you at all times. It just takes one second of snoozing for your things to be stolen. DO learn the local language or at least use basic phrases or words. DO NOT dress up like you would at home when visiting India. Not only will you shock the people, you may encounter constant harassment. DO try local cuisine away from tourist areas if possible.

H - What's your next dream destination?

Boris - It is hard to say. I want to go back to South America very bad. I will probably visit Bolivia, more of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, maybe we’ll go back to Ecuador and Colombia and if money allows it, an Antarctica cruise leaving from Argentina. For a more “Dreamy” destination, relaxing and diving in Micronesia would be pretty awesome.
MuiMui - I would not call it a dream destination but I am eager to see: Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Africa. I asked Boris once that if he had to pick from buying a car of his dreams or going into space, which would he choose. Boris chose the car and I chose a space voyage.

H - Finally what's the best thing about travelling?

We always think that the best thing is to see beautiful and famous places. After coming back, I don’t think it is true anymore. Learning is the best thing that happens when you travel. Meeting people from different cultures will open your eyes on the world and your own life. This is in our opinion, an invaluable experience.

HX

Minogue on Auz

While taking a break from doing boring finals revision i stumbled across some lovely bits Dannii Minogue had written on Sydney and Miami (2 places we're going). She talks about interesting places to go, see and do. Really good to see an aussies take on Sydeny and there's place's she lists that I'll defo be going. Short but sweet Sunday research session!

SYDNEY - http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2011/03/25/dannii-minogue-travel-tips-sydney/

MIAMI - http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2011/04/22/dannii-minogue-travel-miami/

HX

Blog crazy

Websites the allow you to blog are usually free, easy and quick - which means there are tons of them out there! They're an amazing way to document something or share an experience with the world, which is perfect when it comes to travelling. This again means there is hundreds of travel blogs out there. I've been looking at a few to get inspiration and adivce for our trip but some of them are just a really good read! They also show what amazing things people are doing every day. It makes you want to shut down the computer, jump on the next plane and join them!

Here's my top 10 - (apart from mine obviously!)

1. http://www.meandfrenchie.com/ - love this, really simple but effective

2. http://www.tiredofit.ca/ - this guy is travelling by bike, really cool map follower and extras

3. http://roniweiss.com/roni-on-location/  - this is more commercial but still cool

4. http://curingwanderlust.com/ - this has really cool pictures and advice

5. travel-rants.com - raises important issues and makes you think about travelling differently

6. http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/blogs/perrinpost - loads of great advice on here

7. http://thecoolhunter.co.uk/travel - hotels waaaaay out of our price range, but it's nice to dream!

8. lonelyplanet.com/blogs/travel_blog - the ultimate backpackers blog

9. travelistic.com - so inventive - video travel blogs!

10. escapeblog.com - handy hints of the do's and don't's in countries

 HX

Working for a Bed

One of my latest challanges has been counting out the pennies (and it is pennies not pounds!) to work out how much money I have, how much I need and how I will get it.
As I was about to consider trying to be an exotic dancer ( no joke) in south london,  han came across this amazing website.....

http://www.helpx.net/index.asp

The basics of it mean that you pay 20 euros for a 2 year subscription which allows you to see a list of people and families willing to give you free accomadation and meals in return for work. usually at their home, 4 hours a day....it covers australia, new zealand, europe, canada and the USA. an amzing idea and also very practical.
There is a range of families, cities, types of accomadation and types of work. one of my personal favourites was helping a man (tanned and built if you must know in his picture) clean his boat in sydney harbour - i think i could stretch to cleaning a boat in the permenant sun and boat shoes!

A perfect way to save money and see the area from a local perspective and no sharing a youth hostel with 10 smelly gap year boys. time to put away the exotic dancer application i think.......

HX

The Book List

So as reseach for the trip ahead I've taken to sitting in the unusually warm sunshine and getting lost in books. Here's my favourites. There's a lot of travel books out there, but these have brilliant tips and are actually light hearted and funny to read -

1. Blue List - my ultimate favourite.

2. The Big Trip

3. First Time Around The World

4. The Gap Year Book

I'm looking foward to reading more books on the places we're actually going but these all have amazing helpful hints even if they don't go into too much detail.

HX

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step

5 months, 21 weeks, 149 days, 3,583 hours, 49 minutes and about 10 seconds until i get on a plane at heathrow to Australia with my travelling friend Han. That doesn't seem like a long time at all. 21 weeks!! CRAZY!
I have wanted to do this trip for as long as I can remember - before the youtube sensation that was 'Gap yah' and before taking a year off was seen as a clever addition to your CV. I don't want to go travelling in order to appear cool in freshers at uni (I've done uni and considering I did a law degree I don't think I was 'cool') and I don't need to add anything to my CV because I don't think I'll be applying for a job anytime soon.....
I want to travel to satify every romantic picture I have in my head about it. To feel completley free, adventerous and alive. And maybe fit some sunbathing in along the way!
There have been some great travllers - Christopher Colombus found the great USA, James Cook with New Zealand and interestingly Thomas Cook put together the concept of package holidays (joy) from his love of travelling and exploring for pleasure.
I hope to follow in some of these greats footsteps (although I'm sure I porbably won't discover a continent a long the way). Which leads to where my exploring takes me - Australia, Thailand, South America, Costa Rica, North America.....so far. I think that's enough to be getting on with at the moment!
Time for the checklist -

1. decide where to go - check
2. who to go with - check
3. book flights - check
4. boring essentials - insurance, jabs, equipment - nope
5. fun stuff - bikinis, hats, sunnies, tanning oil, cute travel wardrobe - mood board created. shopping to follow
6. buy case - to do
7. pack - will take a very long time.

Still soooo much to do and plan and really I like to think the adventure has already started. As with going out the getting ready is half the fun!

HX