It’s dark, bleak and rainy outside. For the first time in nearly eight years, we’re back in the UK for autumn and winter. Wondering what we’re doing here when we could be on a tropical beach somewhere? Life has certainly changed for us over the past few months, so I thought it was time for an update post. Here’s the lowdown on what we’ve been...

A safari was top of our travel wish-list when we planned our summer trip to South Africa. However, while most people flock to famous Kruger, we decided to stick on the Eastern Cape and tack a visit to Addo Elephant National Park onto our Garden Route itinerary. Here’s the verdict on our self-drive safari experience at Addo Elephant Park South Africa, including which animals we...

Ever heard of the Garden Route? It’s South Africa’s most famous road trip, named for its lush landscapes. After falling in love with Cape Town, we set off in our rental car to explore this beautiful stretch of coastline over two weeks. Here’s our full Garden Route road trip itinerary and highlights, from trekking in national parks to cruising Knysna lagoon, exploring the epic Cango...

Elephants, coastal drives, epic forest walks and safaris: our trip to South Africa was a real beauty. The three-week adventure began and ended in Cape Town, a city that fast became one of our favourite metropolises. Here are some of our top activities in Cape Town South Africa, from climbing Lion’s Head for iconic views of Table Mountain to visiting botanical gardens and sailing over...

I can feel the familiar itch of excitement that only a new adventure brings. This weekend we’re saying 'Goodbye Portugal' and moving on. So where are we off to next? Here’s the lowdown on our plans for the rest of the year, which include a South Africa road trip, vegan campout, housesitting in London and possibly (fingers crossed!) a trip to India.After our Easter break...

Yosemite, La La Land, the Golden Gate Bridge – our California adventure was packed with iconic sights. During the 18-day trip we travelled from LA to Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and San Diego. Along the way, we walked among the world’s largest trees, rode rollercoasters, visited beaches and ate delicious vegan food. So, how much does a trip to California cost? Here’s...

The Douro river route: a 200-kilometre journey across northern Portugal to the Spanish border. Picture a wide river snaking through lush valleys lined with grape and olive bushes, the landscape dotted with traditional Port-wine quintas. During the Easter holidays we headed north from the Algarve to spend a couple of days driving the Douro Valley, one of Portugal’s UNESCO-listed wonders. Visiting from Porto Most people explore the...

Picture rolling hills, magical forest palaces, river beaches and hill-top windmills. That was our trip to Central Portugal in a nut-shell. We spent a few days wandering the steep streets of Coimbra, a historic city famed for its prestigious university, exploring the peaceful Bussaco Forest and marvelling at panoramic views in Penacova.The Holy Week holiday and Loule Carnival Being stuck in the Algarve while Andrew’s teaching...

Spring has finally arrived in the Algarve! In fact, it feels almost summer-like with temperatures topping 20 degrees. Today is the start of Andrew’s half-term break and the holy week carnival celebrations here in Portugal, as well as our six-year Travelversary. Six years ago, we were saying our final goodbyes to family and heading to Heathrow to start a new life abroad. Can you believe...

When we moved to the Algarve I was looking forward to blue skies, sunshine and pool days. That’s pretty much what we got in mid-September when we moved into our apartment with communal pool, just a 15-minute walk from the beach. Little did we know that our beach days were numbered and we’d soon be shivering in our freezing apartment. Wondering what the Algarve in...