I’d never been to the east coast of Canada before I road-tripped through it. In fact, I’d never visited Canada at all – but I’d always wanted to. Up until a few weeks ago, Canada still existed in my mind as a maple-syrup-soaked land of giant moose and friendly locals: essentially, a stereotypical dream. And when the plan of road tripping along Canada’s east coast emerged, I envisioned a highway dotted with Tim Hortons, ice rinks and, again, giant moose.…
Have you ever heard of Valle di Cembra in northern Italy? If you say no, I wouldn’t be surprised. Valle di Cembra is a beautiful valley in the Italian province of Trentino which has plenty to offer a typical tourist – but it’s not particularly well known. It’s because places like Trentino find it a bit difficult to compete for attention when there’s such a huge focus on Italy’s ‘must-see’ destinations. For the last few years, over-tourism has hit Italy…
I did it! I ran a 5km Race For Life! This time last week I was standing in a south London park with a medal on pink ribbon around my neck. I’d achieved something I never thought I’d do: running 5km for the first time in my life. For the last few months I’ve been working my way through the Couch to 5k app, a running program based on interval training. It’s designed to get you running 5km over a…
Today I’m going fishing – for litter and plastic. It’s a sunny Saturday morning in East London, and I’m sitting on a stationary canal-boat-turned-cafe, sipping coffee (in a reusable cup!), and listening to a woman called Cal Major speak about plastic pollution. Cal Major is a champion stand up paddle-boarder from Devon, England, who’s founded an initiative called ‘Paddle Against Plastic’ which aims to get people caring about their environment through adventure. She’s been working with a variety of organisations –…
I’ve been to a lot of music festivals, but Wilderness Festival is undoubtedly the fanciest. Wilderness is a four-day boutique festival held in early August each year set in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire, England. It also has a reputation for being extremely middle-class. Say goodbye to dodgy food and watered-down beer – at Wilderness, there are lavish Long Table Banquets rustled up by big-name foodies like Yotam Ottolenghi and Deliciously Ella; a champagne garden sponsored by…
There’s a lot you don’t know about Svalbard. I didn’t know much about this little island in the Norwegian Arctic before I arrived either – but after spending a week in the midnight-sun-soaked Svalbard in summer, I can say it’s probably the most unique place I’ve ever travelled to. I arrived in Svalbard after two weeks spent sailing on an expedition ship from Scotland and up the coast of Norway, before we crossed over the Arctic Circle and into another world.…
I never, ever thought I’d call myself a runner. Even when I began to suffer increasingly with anxiety, I still couldn’t see the benefit of exercise on my mental health. I love long-distance walking, but I guess my relationship with real exercise has always been iffy. I hated PE at school; never found a team sport I particularly enjoyed; I’m perpetually terrified of cycling on London’s roads; and although I eventually discovered yoga, the benefits of my practice never quite resonated…
Ecuador was the first place I went backpacking in South America. As I flew into Quito airport with no return ticket, I felt nervously excited about what the country held in store for me – but luckily, Ecuador more than fulfilled my expectations. Over the course of six months I lived and worked in the springtime city of Cuenca, partied in Montañita, boarded boats in the Galapagos and ventured deep into the Amazon jungle. I slept in palm-thatch huts on the…
For most of the year, Hay-on-Wye is just a quiet Welsh village. But for ten days each spring, over 250,000 people descend on Hay-on-Wye. They fill the narrow streets, they book every available bed for miles around, and they spend a great deal of time wandering around a field on the hunt for intellectual stimulation. Why? Because they’re all obsessed with books – and Hay-on-Wye village is essentially the world’s biggest bookshop. For those who don’t know, the Hay Literary…
Welcome to the tiny Amazon town of Misahualli, Ecuador. Nestled in the Oriente region in eastern Ecuador, the tiny town of Misahaulli (pronounced miss-a-WHY-eee) sits between two major rivers, the Rio Napo and the Rio Misahualli, amidst a lush green landscape. Although it’s a sleepy place nowadays, Misahualli was once a bustling port for travellers and tourists arriving by boat from Coca – a transit route which eventually dried up after the construction of a new road. But why was…