The best way to explore an off-beat destination

Merry Christmas from Australia! Yes, this month I finally set foot in Australia — over a year later than originally planned! The past month has been action-packed, filled with far too much movement as usual, an incredible festival and several amazing road trips. My month began in Chiang Mai, my former home in Thailand and somewhere I will always be delighted to return to. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel this time around — it had been six months since my last visit, a lot of our friends have now moved on and left, we would be staying on the opposite side of the Old Town…  Would I regret leaving my beloved Cambodia? Fortunately, I needn’t have worried. Setting eyes on the moat, inhaling, and choking on, the familiar aroma of the night markets, glimpsing the shimmering gold of temples lining every street. It felt familiar and welcoming. It felt like home.   This time, I was back in Chiang Mai for one main reason. The Yi Peng lantern release. Ever ...

This time TWO months ago I was boarding a plane, absolutely terrified, seriously considering changing my mind, turning around and going back to the safety and security of my home. I wondered if I was making a huge mistake.  Today, I’ve just come back from spending the day sunbathing on a tropical beach in Southern Taiwan, thinking how incredibly lucky I am and how I’ve never felt happier. The second month of my trip has been a million times better than the first month. During the first month I was still finding my feet and freaked out about everything. Although I was having lots of fun, I didn’t realise how much more fun I could have been having until the second month. I’ve now settled into a routine and feel much more comfortable travelling and have learnt to relax and enjoy the ride. I spent the first half of this month finishing up the Europe part of my trip by visiting Hungary, Ukraine and Russia. It was at this point that I started having problems w...