Climbing Mount Nyiragongo: A Hike to the World’s Largest Lava Lake

2024 Update: Please note that Virunga National Park is closed for the foreseeable future and so the volcano experience detailed in this article is not currently available to book. Keep an eye on the Virunga National Park website in case this changes but given the extent of fighting in the region, I don’t expect it to be anytime soon. I couldn’t believe it: a monkey had shat in my breakfast. It was the morning of my hike up Mount Nyiragongo,…

Is Chefchaouen the Prettiest City in the World?

After having such a stressful time in Essaouira, I was drained from the hassle involved in travelling solo around Morocco. The men were incessant and followed me everywhere, the touts were out in full force and wouldn’t leave me alone, and stares had me on my constant guard. Honestly, guys, I wanted to leave the country. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was book a flight out of Morocco and back to Europe. I had been in the country…

How to Spend Three Days in Phoenix, Arizona

…the chance to spot animals from Africa and Southeast Asia. Downtown Tempe, Arizona. Kevin Ruck/Shutterstock After a big day exploring life in the desert, refresh and recenter for a night on the town. A great area to go for nightlife while in Phoenix is nearby downtown Tempe. The chic and youthful vibe offers an outstanding balance between a vibrant happening evening and a laid-back Arizona experience. Come here for a great selection of craft breweries, including Fate Brewing and Four…

Lauren with her backpack

Why I Will Always Travel With an Osprey Backpack

…can find international distributors in Australia, Canada, China, all over Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Additionally, I dropped Osprey an email to see if I’d be screwed if my backpack broke in a country without an international distributor. Obviously they operate on a case-by-case basis, but the guy I spoke to said that it’s likely you could…

28 Incredible Things to Do in Porto, Portugal

…covers over 35 acres with a number of spacious habitats home to rare species, including snow leopards. You could spend all afternoon roaming from one section to another, from North America, to Africa and onto Asia. Highlights not to be missed, however, are the daily feeding of the resident penguins, educational talks for the young ones and the Asian Lion Tunnel. Ride the Cable Car See it all from above as you travel along the Douro River on the Vila…

What to Take On the Camino Primitivo: My Detailed Packing List

I can’t believe I did it. Several weeks ago, I strapped on a backpack, picked up a hiking pole, and spent the next two weeks walking 320 kilometres through Spain. It was a challenging experience. The Primitivo was the original Camino route — the very first trek that the very first pilgrim made to Santiago de Compostela, way back in 814 AD. Have no idea what the Camino even is? Basically, there’s a huge network of pilgrimages in Europe and Africa leading…

Zanzibar packing list

Why I’m Now a Carry-On Traveler

…I returned to Portugal, I went full carry-on. I bought the Osprey Farpoint 40l backpack and haven’t looked back. I love this backpack. I took it on a six-week country-hopping adventure around Europe. I took it on a month-long trip across Southern Africa. I took it on my recent road trip in the US. I have a fairly extensive travel adventure coming up in a month’s time; a long-term stint on the road that will take me from snow-capped mountains…

The Cost of Travel in Israel: A 2023 Travel Budget Breakdown

…certainly Middle Eastern in nature, it is made unique by the international influences that have helped to shape it into what you taste today. With a large portion of residents from Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, and even America, these global influences have created a world-class cuisine.  Some of my favorite dishes here include sabich (pita filled with aubergine, boiled eggs, and tahini), Sfeni (a local Moroccan-inspired doughnut), chatzilim/babaganoush (an eggplant salad), and burika (a North African savory and deep fried…

20 Thrilling Things to Do in Gibraltar (The 2024 Edition)

…bats, tortoises, parrots, cockatoos and iguanas. Entry is £5 for the main Alameda Gardens, with a further £6 for the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park. Europa Point Lighthouse, with the mountains of Morocco in the distance Glimpse Africa from Europa Point At the southern tip of Gibraltar is Europa Point. While it’s located pretty far from everything else in the territory, on a clear day, it’s worth making the trip to try and catch a glimpse of Morocco (and the other…

rowing boats lake bled

How to Pack for Slovenia: My In-Depth Packing List

…with you guys today. Let’s get stuck in. My Luggage Recommendations for Slovenia I’m a huge fan of travelling with a carry-on-sized backpack, as I appreciate the lack of back pain, the added ease of moving through the crowds, and not having to worry about lost luggage. For Slovenia, I recommend the Osprey Farpoint 40l backpack, which I take on all of my vacations, whether I’m spending two weeks in Mexico or six months in Africa. It’s super-comfortable to wear, easy…

Should You Go to a Hedgehog Cafe? My Experience in Japan

…Unlike the European hedgehogs of my childhood, which were wild, large and covered with darker brown spines, the ones at Harry are African pygmy hedgehogs. That means that outside of Africa, they’re bred to be domesticated, and they’re also smaller with lighter-coloured spines, and an adorable pink snout. I went first, donning my gloves and scooping the active hedgehog from its tank. I held it carefully in my hands and after three minutes of breathlessly letting it walk across my…