I wrote previously about hiking to Bled Castle to get some amazing views of Lake Bled from up high, but as well as doing that I spent my first day in Bled walking around the entire circumference of the lake. The lake itself is two kilometers all the way round, but it took me about five hours to walk the whole distance. I just couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. I found myself stopping to take... 
After placing Slovenia in my planned itinerary for this trip, I knew immediately that as well as the capital Ljubljana, I would have to visit Lake Bled during my stay too. Lake Bled is a glacial lake in the alps of Northwestern Slovenia. It is famous for looking like it is straight out of a fairytale with it’s small island in the middle of the lake and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. I... 
The first two countries where I had spent time on my trip didn’t require me to get out of my comfort zone and speak anything other than English the whole time I was there. Even if the people didn’t speak much, they could usually help with directions or know enough for me to be able to order food in a restaurant. Hungary changed all that. I was staying in Ljubljana and needed to be in Budapest... 
As soon as I had decided on Croatia as the first stop on my trip, I instantly put Plitvice Lakes National Park at the very top of my list of things to do whilst there. I’d seen hundreds of articles online, all with stunning photos and beautiful descriptions of the National Park. I couldn’t wait to get there and experience it for myself. It was amazing. Consisting of sixteen lakes in total,... 
I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown. It’s crazy to think that this time just over one month ago, I had landed in Dubrovnik for the very first day of my trip. In some respects it feels like I’ve only been away for a few days, but in others it feels like I’ve been doing this for years. Backpacking for the last month has been a big change for me. I used to spend my previous... 
Wherever you go in Ljubljana, you can’t help but notice Ljubljana Castle atop of Castle Hill looking down upon the town. This medieval castle, built in the 15th century has been used over the years as a military base, a prison, as well as a site for cult practices in the Roman times. It is now used as a museum and lookout point. After spending a few days wandering around and photographing this... 
Lauren Vs. Food is my attempt at correcting my terrible eating habits and unwillingness to eat anything that looks strange or foreign by forcing myself to eat new and scary foods on my trip. After having spent my first week in Croatia avoiding any kind of food that looked freaky or foreign, I met up with Michael, and I was finally forced to try something new… Fried Calamari. Shudder. And so,... 
Alfred Hitchcock once claimed that the sunsets in Zadar are the most beautiful in the world. After spending a few days there I have to say I completely agree with him, as all the sunsets I’ve been able to witness have been nothing short of amazing. Zadar has definitely had the best sunsets of my trip so far. Where’s your favourite place to watch the... 
Two of Zadar’s most popular attractions are the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation – two artistic installations, which utilise the power of nature to create beautiful sounds and sights for the citizens and visitors of Zadar. In the Second World War most of Zadar’s sea front was destroyed – and then quickly repaired as a boring, monotonous concrete wall. In order to bring some life and... 
No visit to Dubrovnik would be complete without a visit to the famous Old Town – a town which is entirely surrounded by a medieval wall and various different forts. The wall was built in the 10th century to protect the city from attack from Serbia and it extends 2km around the edge of the city. It takes about 2 hours to walk all the way round, so make sure you do this walk in the morning or early... 
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.
