New Zealand: The Charm of Christchurch

I feel a legitimate excuse for me not having visited New Zealand sooner, despite hearing consistently good things about it, is how ridiculously far away it is from anything. Even from Hong Kong, it was a 12 hour flight to Auckland, followed by another hour to get me to Christchurch on the South Island. It

Hong Kong: Leaving the 852

The word 'unprecedented' is banded about a lot at the moment and, certainly, the world feels like a pretty topsy-turvy place as COVID-19 continues to completely disrupt lives. However, in many ways the residents of Hong Kong got an early taste of what 'unprecedented' really meant in 2019, back when the word 'coronavirus' was unknown

20 Brilliant Hong Kong Hikes (Part 3)

A while back, I wrote two posts (Part 1) (Part 2) about my favourite hikes in Hong Kong. Surprisingly, two posts is not enough to do justice to Hong Kong's wealth of walks, so here's the third and final part detailing the territories most spectacular hiking trails. Tai Mo Shan || Duration: 5-6 hours ||

United Kingdom: Hey Dune

It's becoming increasingly likely that 2020 will be the year of the staycation. Whilst some countries are beginning to lay out plans for a gradual reopening following the peak of COVID-19, international travel is going to be one of the last things to return to normal. That can be a bit of a depressing thought,

Istanbul: Frolicking in the Forest

One of the main draws of Istanbul is its charismatic chaos - just crossing the road can be an adventure and there's always some sort of sight, sound or smell to scintillate the senses. However, especially if you're staying in the city for a while, it's sometimes necessary to escape that madness. Luckily, it's also

Istanbul: Touchdown in Turkey

I always find it pretty exciting when I leave the airport of a city I've previously only transited through, I'm not quite sure why. My excitement was through the roof for Istanbul then - this was my fourth time landing in the city but only my first time passing through immigration and entering Turkey properly.

Canada: Chilling in Vancouver

After enjoying the tropical Caribbean weather for two months, it was quite a shock to the system to touch down in Vancouver in January at around 11 at night. I had stocked up on warm clothes in Mexico but it was definitely very bracing - Vancouver was cold. My opinion on it would vary. Sometimes

Caye Caulker: Go Slow, Keep Moving

After a fantastic time in Mexico, it was time for me to head south for a couple of weeks to the tiny country of Belize. English-speaking and with a much more Caribbean vibe than its Central American neighbours, Belize would be an interesting change from quintessentially Spanish Mexico. My aim was to arrive on New

Mexico: Chicken Pizza

Even though there are so many 'Wonder of the World' lists now, it's hard to keep up, I tend to use the 7 New Wonders of the World as my reference point so, as I arrived in the Yucatan town of Valladolid, I had only one thing on my mind - Chichen Itza. The ancient

Mexico: Christmas in Holbox

It's always nice to be somewhere nice for Christmas Day. Over the years I've spent December 25th on a beach in the Philippines; visiting waterfalls in Laos and hiking in one of the deepest canyons in the world. Last Christmas, I decided to return to the beach. I initially thought about going to Cozumel, just