First Taste – Istanbul (Turkey)

Istanbul is a seriously impressive city. I don’t know if, considering the troubles the country is having right now, it’s getting its usual flow of tourists – I suspect it is not. But for me it was my first taste of Turkey before heading south. Which is a little odd in a way considering I …

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SCOOT Scourge – Once Bitten, How Many Times Shy OR Will I Never learn the Lesson of Budget Airlines?

Howdy all. Yeah, a bit of a rant today. My travel plans temporarily thrown up in the air with the news that SCOOT cancelled their flights from Singapore to Jaipur. My flight was booked for the 12th of March, which by a less than happy coincidence is the date from which going forward they will …

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Pensive in Peshawar

Have you ever been to a place and you never quite felt settled? I’m talking in travelling terms here – where you spent your few days there somewhat unsure about the place and the people you met? And the experiences you had? Well, that was how I felt in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Now …

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Frequent Flyer Fun – Using Points

So after last week’s post about my frustrations with Qantas’s Frequent Flyer programme, I thought I’d write a post about earning and using frequent flyer points, because I do love to collect and use the points, even if sometimes there are headaches associated with the programs. Here in Australia Qantas probably is the program with …

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Sunday Spotlight – Rouen

Hello and welcome to another 'Sunday Spotlight'! This time I go back to June this year, so not far back at all really! To France, to Normandy, to a small city with a past tied up with perhaps France's most revered woman - Joan D'Arc. If you want to learn about Joan of Arc, well …

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Accommodation Review – Marins Park Hotel Ekanterinburg, Russia

After a couple of hostels and a yurt, I found myself in the rather wonderful business hotel 'Marins Park Hotel' in Ekanterinburg. Okay, it wasn't the most amazing stay I've ever had, but it ticked all the main boxes and I left feeling pretty satisfied with my stay and choice. I had a basic double …

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The Air BnB Experience – Homestays

Hi all. It's taken an age but finally I'm getting around to writing about Air Bnb. In the last two trips I've used Air BnB five times, twice for homestays and three times to rent apartments. They have been quite different experiences. I'm not sure what took me so long to finally use Air BnB. …

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Accommodation Review – Green House Hostel, Bariloche

Doing another review this week as I’m trying to get them all done before I leave. Bariloche is a gorgeous spot in Northern Patagonia, with unsealed roads and a Bavarian feel. I stayed in the Green House Hostel, in a single room with shared bathroom. It was a great choice, there was a lot to …

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