I gripped the handle a little tighter as our minibus bounced its way up the winding road. We had reached the most exciting part of the journey from the city of Shkodra to the mountain village of Theth, hidden high among the peaks of the Albanian Alps. Reaching Theth involves a classic journey through the … Read more
With the popularity of the UK’s national parks exploding during the pandemic, many of our favourite areas have struggled under the constant deluge of visitors and vehicles. The impacts of this – from lengthy traffic jams to wildly irresponsible parking – have been well-publicised. Exploring our national parks by public transport – whether rail or … Read more
Our train creaked and sighed as we approached Rakhiv station. We appreciated the sluggish pace as we bundled our belongings together. It had been a spectacular journey from Ivano-Frankivsk – one which we were reluctant to see come to an end. We completed our packing and glued ourselves once more to the window. For the … Read more
One of the joys of travel is discovering a place you had never of before. Ivano-Frankivsk was one such place. Situated just over 100 kilometres southwest of lively Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk is a city of just over 230,000 people that flies beneath the radar on most traveller’s itineraries. It is named after Ivan Franko, one of … Read more
Finally! Almost eighteen months to the day since our last overseas trip together (a lovely short weekend in Wroclaw, Poland), the time had come to jet off again. So, at long last, here’s our account of a whirlwind three nights in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The first dilemma – where to go?! It’s … Read more
Wild Boar Fell is one of the best hikes I’ve discovered this year. I headed there in May 2021, taking the direct train from Leeds and enjoying a completely car-free day out in the Yorkshire Dales. The following serves partly as an account of that day and partly as a rough guide for anybody looking … Read more
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a 4am alarm in Oslo, or a late summer’s evening in Tallinn. Regardless of the time of day, regular readers will know that we love seeking out special sunrises and spectacular sunsets. The lifting of the UK’s lockdown restrictions allowed us to head to the village of Salthouse on the … Read more
Thank you to our guest blogger – Neha from Dubai Wikia – for providing this comprehensive travel guide to Dubai for first-time visitors. Do check out her site for more Dubai travel inspiration! Are you gearing up for your first-ever Dubai trip? Dubai is a fast-paced city with endless amusement, leisure, and entertainment options. As … Read more
One positive to come out of the Covid lockdowns was the chance to explore more of Leeds, our home city. It didn’t take us long to discover that there’s a multitude of brilliant walks right on our doorstep in Leeds city centre. The Leeds Liverpool canal is a key feature of many of the routes. … Read more
Of all the cities in Central Asia, Samarkand barely needs an introduction. People have inhabited the place for millennia, and it grew to be one of the most important sites on the ancient Silk Road. Thanks to its position as a focal point for trade across Central Asia, Samarkand has long held a reputation as … Read more
Having just completed a fantastic trek up the spectacular Mount Kenya, my brother James and I found ourselves with a free day in Nairobi. Rather than sit around nursing our blistered feet, we decided to head off on a mini-adventure. As soon as I read about Nairobi National Park, I knew we had to check … Read more
“This is probably the most picturesque coffee break I’ve ever taken,” I declared to our driver, who returned a polite smile. He reached for his battered flask and poured out another generous helping of thick coffee into our plastic cups. As I took another sip, almost scalding my mouth, I stole another glance at the … Read more