My forehead rattled violently against the cool pane of the scratched and dusty bus window. I stared blankly out at the passing landscape in silence. Ominous-looking storm clouds clung to the distant mountains, occasional breaks illuminating the volcanic ash on the ground. I rummaged through my bag for the twentieth time that morning, checking off all the items I’d need for the day ahead of me... 
After spending some time in Raglan, on the west coast of the North Island, and falling in love with it within seconds of arriving, I couldn’t wait to explore more of New Zealand’s beach towns. Mount Maunganui, located in the Bay of Plenty on the east coast of the country, looked absolutely gorgeous from the photos I’d seen online — I couldn’t wait to relax on the white sand... 
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Huka Falls Jetboat ride thanks to my partnership with Tourism New Zealand. All opinions expressed in this article are my own. When I agreed to join Dave and Dustin on a half-hour jetboat ride, I genuinely had no idea what this would entail. I mean, I had never even heard of a jetboat. … And after being told it was just a reasonably fast boat that... 
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary walk and boat cruise of Waimangu Volcanic Valley through my partnership with the New Zealand tourism board. All opinions expressed in this article are my own. “Ughhh… seriously, Lauren? You really want to go there?” Dave groaned loudly from the bed below mine, sounding like it was the last thing he wanted to do. “You know it’s... 
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Ruakuri Cave Walk and Glowworm Boat Tour thanks to my partnership with Tourism New Zealand. All opinions expressed in this article are my own. Before coming to New Zealand, the one thing that was right at the top of my list was seeing the glowworms in Waitomo. I had seen hundreds of incredible photos online showing people surrounded by magical-looking, glowing... 
Of the 40 places I visited in New Zealand, Raglan was by far my favourite. After thoroughly exhausting myself with my hike in Paihia, I needed somewhere to recuperate and this was the perfect place to do so. Raglan is a chilled-out surf town on the west coast of the North Island and is one of those places where, within seconds of arriving, I felt the most relaxed I have in weeks — and promptly began... 
If you’ve been reading my recent posts about Australia, you’ll know that I’m currently trying to rebrand myself as a hiker. As I recalled in an earlier post: Back in July, Dave and I were strolling through the streets of Prague when, ten minutes into our walk, I had to stop. I was out of breath, I had a stitch and I felt like I was about to vomit. I couldn’t bring myself to walk any... 
I bought an iPhone 5 with a broken camera while I was in Australia. I didn’t realise the camera was broken until I got to New Zealand. New Zealand does not have an Apple Store. A week into my two months in New Zealand, I dropped my camera: And that was how I found myself in one of the most beautiful countries in the world with very limited options for taking photos of it. I did manage to find ways... 
I could sense it within seconds of us reaching the outskirts of Hobart. That feeling I get when I arrive in a brand new place and instantly feel at home. I don’t know what causes it and it doesn’t seem to follow any logic. It’s happened with Ljubljana, Marrakech, Boracay, Koh Yao Noi, Kampot and Saigon… six of my favourite places that actually have very little in common with each... 
Tasmania is probably my new favourite place in the world. I fell for it harder than I have anywhere else. More than I did Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines or Slovenia. It is just so ridiculously gorgeous. Before I write about my time in Tasmania in detail, I’d first like to share a few of my favourite photos from my week spent on the island. Hopefully they’ll convince you to visit one day,... 
When I arrived in Sydney, I had only two things on my agenda: 1. Buy myself an iPhone. 2. To visit as many famous landmarks as possible in 48 hours. Getting the iPhone was easy. Sydney’s Apple Store was close to where we were staying so five minutes after we arrived I found myself reconnected to the online world. By this point I had been travelling for 18 months without a phone and whilst... 
“Is there anywhere you’re really desperate to visit in Australia?” Dave was busy planning out the route for our month in Australia and I had done no research. Racking my brain for a few minutes, I desperately tried to remember friends’ Australia photo albums on Facebook I had once enviously pored over. “Ooh! Yes! That, erm… the, um… you know? Those rocks sticking... 
I spent almost a month in Cambodia in November and chose to spend most of my time on the coast, checking out some beautiful, underrated beaches. I thought I’d put together a post of all my favourite Cambodia photos, hopefully they’ll convince you to check it out if you decide to head to Southeast Asia! Otres Beach became my home for the majority of my time on Cambodia’s coast and there... 
It had been a long time coming. I left England back in 2011 with a Working Holiday Visa for Australia and a plan to fly to Sydney within the first six months of my travels. I’d spend a year working and exploring, building up my travel fund and enjoying being an expat with a stable life and fixed routine. That, as you know, did not happen. I instead decided to head to ridiculously cheap Chiang Mai,... 
I recently spent ten days on a scooter road trip around the Mekong Delta with Dave and Stuart, similar to the one we did in Northern Thailand last year. Our time in the Delta was filled with rice paddies, river ferries, bad roads and, well, people carrying strange things on the back of their bikes. It began just outside of Saigon. As I was happily snapping photos of the changing scenery from the back of... Posted by .
In July 2011 I left England for what was supposed to be a one year trip around the world. Within a few months of leaving I knew that a year would never be enough. I now work online and travel permanently, seeking misadventures in unique, beautiful and fascinating places. Read more.
I'm here to show you how not to travel. Since I've been on the road I've been "poked" during a massage in Bangkok, punched a scammer in Shanghai, been attacked by monkeys in Bali, sat next to a dead woman on a boat in Laos and so much more. I call these The Incidents and you can see a full list of them here.
