Getting Out of the Bubble

When my American friend, Alex, came to visit the UK, I wanted to show him a little bit of another side of Europe as well. Somewhere different to London, and not too touristy. I didn’t want to go to Paris, or Rome, some places were too similar to England, and others too far afield for a couple days. Eventually we set on Lisbon, but weeks of procrastinating led to the flight prices rising to astronomical prices – one again it was back to the drawing board. Finally I went rogue and just booked Budapest. Budapest is somewhere that people have always raved about to me, my sister described it as her favourite place in Europe, and it has a reputation as being a pretty cool and vibrant city. It seemed like a good choice. Budapest may not be on everyone’s radar, but it is firmly entrenched as one of the must see cities of Eastern Europe (although the Hungarians don’t appreciate being called part of Eastern Europe). The city has a long and varied history and a lot of this is reflected in ...

Put down the fortune cookies, throw out the beef in black bean sauce - this is the real food of China as I know it. One of the things I loved the most about China was the food. The first words I learnt to say revolved around ordering my dinner in little restaurants, and travelling in China was always accompanied by new dishes and enticing smells. Of everything I learnt about China as a country, one of the things I learnt the best was how it has such a huge mix of different cuisines and how it's really impossible to define Chinese food by one dish or one style, but what shocked me the most about the food in China was how little it resembled any of the Chinese food I had eaten in the UK. There weren't any prawn crackers, the food wasn't covered in sticky sauces, and even the food that had the names of foods I recognised didn't taste anything like what I'd eaten and enjoyed at home. It was nothing like the local Chinese takeaway, no, it was a million times better. Si...

Essaouria Essaouria is somewhere that people might not think to go when in Morocco but, if you have the time, it is absolutely worth a visit. It is definitely more touristy than somewhere like Fez, and it doesn't quite have the charm of Marrakech; but it has a completely unique atmosphere that brings a Morocco trip into perfect balance. It also doesn't hurt that it is one of the most photogenic places I have ever been, the whole time there was like one long Instagram photoshoot! At it's heart, Essaouria is a beach town, and it shows. It has that laid back vibe that beach towns tend to have, and the sea air seems to make everyone a little bit more relaxed. There isn't a huge amount to do , but days could be spent wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere, although I've also been told that it's one of the best places in the world for wind-reliant water sports. Essaouria, in very simple terms, is made up of the beach promenade area, and the walled...

Agafay Desert If you have read my previous bucket list post , you would have seen that spending a night in the desert is on my bucket list. So, when planning my trip to Morocco the desert was very firmly on the agenda. At first I had wanted to go to the Sahara desert, but after seeing the six hour drive it became less appealing and I started to look at something slightly closer to Marrakesh. This search led me to the Agafay Luxury Desert Camp , or it led Fiona who actually found the place! Unlike the Sahara desert, the desert just outside of Marrakesh doesn’t have the huge sand dunes that might come to mind when you think of a typical desert experience. What it does have is an almost Mars-like, expansive surface with the beautiful Atlas Mountains in the background. It doesn’t quite have the drama of the Sahara desert, but it does have all of the charm, and when the people at the camp are so nice you’ll be glad that you didn’t take that six hour journey. The drive to the camp was ...

Marrakech If Fez is the historical heart of Morocco, then Marrakesh is definitely the beating modern heart of the country. It still has the old Riads tucked into the streets of the buzzing Medina, but it also has the modern new city which is less traditional and popular with the younger generation. Since we were only in Marrakesh for a short period of time we stuck to the old city in our explorations, and there is plenty to keep you amused there for weeks. The Marrakech medina is definitely more touristy than the Fez Medina, and I would say a bit grottier. Don't be surprised if the shop owners are shouting lewd comments as you walk down the street. Some people hate this, but for me it was all part of the fun and the experience. Despite the words that are said (which are never really that bad), everything is in good humour and I never was made to feel uncomfortable - even when one kind shop owner offered to take me up to the back room to make a baby after admiring the ti...