Jammin' in Jamaica

I know, I know, once again I've been off the radar. Apologies to you all, life has gotten in the way and I still have loads of content to finish in my draft folder, but in the spirit of new year, new me, in 2020 The Basic Traveller is going to be one of my number on priorities.

I'm definitely not doing these posts in order - I owe you all one on South Africa, Iceland, DC and Bologna from 2019, so keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks as I get myself back on track, and then open it up to you guys as well as some more travel tips and tricks and looking ahead to what 2020 might have in store. So, let's dive straight in...Jamaica 🇯🇲

Let me just say as a disclaimer, this was a family holiday so I'm not going to mention budget and prices but share the highs and lows of the island over new years of 2019.

While many people might instantly think of Kingston (and yeh...something else too) when first thinking of Jamaica, there is actually so much more to this island, and flying into Montego Bay on the north-west, just a 9hr flight from Gatwick, it is much bigger than first expected.
Our hotel, the Jamaica Inn, was a 2hr drive in Ocho Rios towards the north-east. This all-inclusive family-run resort was to be our home for the next week and the place where we would first see in 2020. This hotel has been home to some of the super famous back in the day; Winston Churchill, Marlyn Monroe, Kathryn Hepburn and Ian Fleming, just to name a few, and on our trip we weren't disappointed, catching a glimpse of ex-Prime Minister John Major the last before we left, to my father's delight.

With rooms on the beach, breakfast overlooking the sea and a spa that was the pure definition of tranquillity, as you can guess I barely left the hotel, but still somehow managed to catch a cold that I am battling over a week later.

However, when I was eventually dragged off the beach into Ochos Rios and out onto the island, specifically to Noel Coward's house Firefly, I wasn't disappointed. The views from Firefly were incredible, and I completely understand why Sir Noel built his own house about half a mile from his guest house!

Amongst the other places we visited, the Seville Great House was another standout moment, learning Jamaican Patios from our guide, you have to be aware and remember the dark slave-trade history that runs through Jamaica and is ever-present in the remaining Great (Plantation) Houses.

Back on the beach, however, 5 hours behind the UK we saw in 2020 in Great Gatsby style with the most incredible buffet and party on the beach.

Jamaica is not a place for doing things, although there is plenty available if you want to, but is a place for just being, relaxing, and enjoying the wonderfully chilled pace of life.

Have a good week my loves!

Kate xxx

Sleeping in South Korea and Jet-Set in Japan

Today's post is a 2-4-1 and comes express from Japan as I landed back in London less than 24 hours ago! This trip was my second solo trip this year (See Sri Lanka) and has reinvigorated my love for solo travel even more.

Using my coveted Avios points to book the flights with BA and their partner Cathay Pacific (transit through Hong Kong) meant that along with my flight from Seoul to Tokyo with AirSeoul (10/10 airline by the way) came to around £450 which is not bad considering I coincidentally ended up in Japan at the same time as the Rugby World Cup.

As I was doing this solo but still on a bit of a budget, while in Seoul I stayed at Hostel Haru (contact me for discount code) in the Insa-dong area of Seoul which made getting around the city really easy as it was right in the centre but also next to the Jonggak metro station and the tranquil Cheonggyecheon urban river. Although I had two full days in Seoul as my flight landed at 07:35, the 8-hour ahead jet lag made the first day a complete right off.

Seoul, South Korea

However, day 2 was more eventful as I had booked a tour to go to the DMZ - De-Militarised Zone, the buffer zone between the South Korean and North Korean. Just my luck meant that due to African swine fever fears the actual tours to the DMZ were cancelled but I persevered on an 'alternative DMZ' tour and at least got to visit an observatory from which I could see North Korea and learned about the troubles that still exist there as well as going to the Korean war memorial museum. As I knew next to nothing about the Korean war (as shameful as that is) I really relished the opportunity to learn - as well as try as many Koran sweet buns with red bean paste as possible!

North Korea!

(Note: Korea is not a veggie or vegan-friendly place so you will have limited options, but much cheaper than expected)

Hopping over to Japan, I flew into Tokyo and spent two days in the bright lights of the city at the beginning of my tour, visiting Shinjuku crossing, Harajuku, Asaka with its temple and markets along with a hedgehog cafe. Yes, apparently animal cafes (as well as maid cafes - google it) are a big thing in Japan.
I also made sure to catch the England vs OZ and Ireland vs NZ game whilst I was there at a British pub (typical) but what an atmosphere!

Bullet train to Takayama, a small town in the mountains of central Japan, unlocked the traditional side of the country as we stayed in a traditional Japanese inn, sampled ramen and visited an onsen (traditional hot spring baths...naked). I had never considered visiting this part of Japan before but it held so much history and beautiful scenery I would highly recommend it.

Last stop (again via bullet train) was to the old capital, Kyoto. Unlike Tokyo with its mad modern-ness, Kyoto is the capital with culture. Here I got to try spending a few nights in a capsule hotel (pretty good except for the lack of windows so you have no idea what time of day it is), visited Nijo-Castle, the Silver Pavillion (which is not actually silver), a bamboo forest and had a sushi lesson from a sensai.  Three days in Kyoto could have easily been 3 weeks as there is so much to do there!

The long flight back via Hong Kong was totally worth it too - Japan is in its heyday for tourism with the Rugby World Cup/Olympics and South Korea has so much to offer I'll just have to go back. I had no idea what to expect visiting these countries and unlike me did very little planning beforehand so I went in pretty blind but was blown away at how great these places are and I would completely recommend your next trip to be to Japan and South Korea!

Catch you next week for a post on South Africa (due from March!)

Have a good week my lovelies!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Serenity in Sri Lanka

So, I know I promised to start writing again probably about 2 months ago but - as always - life has gotten in the way! Back by no demand whatsoever, here is a very delayed post (which should have been done in January) all about Sri Lanka.

**Disclaimer: This trip was taken before the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka of Easter 2019**

Landing in Colombo after a 14-hour flight with a brief stopover in Qatar (Qatar Airways 5* airline, by the way, 10/10 would recommend),  and leaving the freezing cold January blues behind in rainy old England, the heat hit me like a wall.

For my exploration of the Lonely Planet's top place to visit in 2019, I was spending just over 10 days starting with one night in Colombo, then to Siguria with it's famous rock fortress and Dambulla cave temple and opportunity to do a jungle safari and see elephants (!) then all the way through the centre of Sri Lanka's hilly tea plantation region down to the coast at Hikkaduwa.

Temple of the Tooth, Kandy

Being in this wonderful country you could certainly feel that it was in its element and was on the cusp of exploding with tourists (unfortunately I think this will have been affected by the horrific terrorist attacks this year). Having mostly recovered from the civil war that raged on with the Tamil Tigers until 2009 and rebuilt its coastline after the devastating boxing day tsunami in 2004, Sri Lanka has been due its day and for good reason, I think the Sri Lankan people are some of the kindest I have ever met.

After a couple of days of relaxing in the countryside of Siguria, I moved on to Kandy - Sri Lanka's cultural capital - to the Temple of the Tooth which, as legend says, is the site of the last tooth of Buddha and brings hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. This place was beautifully calm and crazily busy with the number of people coming to worship at the same time. Be sure to get there at just before the time of the prayer ceremony to get a glimpse of the tooth!

The next stop was one of the most beautiful places on earth, the homestay at Tamarind Farm Gardens, a working farm that has many wonderful initiatives to support the local village to give the women a place to work away from the local dolomite mine. This beautiful place is incredibly peaceful and sits on the side of the hills, away from the madness of the city and is run by a Sri Lankan couple who returned to Sri Lanka from the UK and developed the land into a farm and enterprise.

Tamarind Farm Gardens, Digana

After this, I continued into the tea plantation hills of Nuwara Eliya which strangely might have been one of my favourite places (only partly due to the huge change in temperature, mainly because of the tea) but it is a town that time seems to have forgotten as very little has structurally changed since its colonial occupation with its original 1930s post office still in working order.

Ella Station, Ella

Moving on to Ella, I took the infamous train 🚂 that leaves when it likes and takes as long as it likes to get to this hilly town, not before pulling across the picture-postcard nine arch bridge. Here you can take a hike or a scramble up Little Adam's Peak or enjoy a cooking class to learn to make some traditional Sri Lankan curries - you can guess what I picked to do!

Train from Nuwara Eilyah to Ella

The last place on my visit was down to Galle/Hikkaduwa (via a stop at an elephant orphanage to see them at feeding time) to see the Dutch colonial town of Galle that has rebuilt itself after the tsunami and it's old town was the only part of the town that survived the force of the water due to its fortified walls.
As well as the colonial history and story of destruction, Sri Lanka's southern coast also has some of the most glorious beaches and opportunities for diving (although don't forget the suncream like I did!).

Mamas, Hikkaduwa Beach

All in all, a wonderful, amazing trip to one of my new favourite places in the world. I'm sure the attacks at Easter of this year will have had an effect on the number of visitors to Sri Lanka this year, but if you are considering a holiday don't cross this small but incredible islands off your list.

So that's it! I'm officially back - I'm not making any promises but I know I owe you all some more posts very soon - and next week I'm off to South Korea and Japan so I will be sure to keep you all updated.

Have a good week my lovelies!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Edinburgh on the map

Right, last week I had my first whole week off since....since I can't actually remember the last time I had a full week off...maybe it was when I just moved back from Paris, I think it was. Anyway, I digress, as I was saying, last week I finally had a full week off, coinciding with a lot of half terms so my housemate and very good friend Emma could go away for a few days as cheaply as possible as we were both feeling painfully skint. So, after much haggling and lowering of expectations, we both realised that as much as we had travelled globally, we hadn't really explored our own backyard that much, and thus we settled on a 3 day trip to Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Royal Mile

Scotland is somewhere I've had on my bucket list for aaaaggessss, partly due to my obsession with Outlander, partly because I love the Scottish accent, and partly because everyone who goes there always comes back with tales about how great it was, and as it is so close, I knew I had to go and see it for myself.

We had it all booked, a cheap Ryanair (boo) early morning flight from Stanstead to Edinburgh, returning two days later and staying in a budget Airbnb room, all costing about £80 each...not bad for a city break. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, no romantic reasoning except the fact that Emma seems to actually enjoy working with children who manage to make her ill at the most inconvenient times, so she actually didn't make it up to the highlands with me. In the end, I called on my mother who jumped on the train and came to join me.

Staying in our Airbnb on Albany Street meant that we were within walking distance to most of the sights of Edinburgh.

Wandering down the Royal Mile, past the sound of bagpipes and further into the heart of the city to the George IV bright, in true tourist fashion, we headed to The Elephant House Cafe for breakfast - this cafe was supposedly the place where JK Rowling first wrote Harry Potter - whether this tale is true or not is neither here nor there, but one thing about The Elephant House is its breathtaking view of Edinburgh Castle.

From here, we headed to the Dovecot Gallery, an old swimming baths-turned-gallery, which is currently housing an exhibition of Liberty fabrics - very niche for those who like fashion and textiles, but even a complete novice like me can appreciate the beautifully patterned fabrics and dresses from 1920/30s all the way through to modern-day.

Following this, no touristy visit to Edinburgh could be complete without a trip to the castle, so braving the biting winds, up to the castle we went. Seeing the Scottish Crown jewels were cool enough, but the best part was definitely the Victoria sponge cake and royal tea in the tea rooms - 10/10 would eat again!

View from Edinburgh Castle

For those on a budget, a great place to go in Edinburgh that I ended up in twice was the Scottish National Gallery, free to enter, it has some pretty cool paintings, and for someone like me who struggles to enjoy galleries to say it, means it must be good.

Great restaurants to check out in Edinburgh that we tried were:

- Chaophraya: a Thai restaurant on George Street, averagely priced, good portions, busy so worth booking - even on a Wednesday night in October, but the selling point of this place is deffo the city views over Edinburgh, and on a good day you can see all the way to Fife!

 - The Magnum: serving traditional Scottish food with a modern uplift, located on Albany Street, I would recommend the Fish and Chips, and the Cullen Skink - classic Scottish creamy fish chowder.

 - The White Witch; an Italian/Scottish Bistro on Broughton Street, this place seems to be open all hours, the lunch and dinner menu looked mouthwatering, but I had the veggie breakfast, served with fresh tomatoes and classic Italian balsamic vinegar which was utterly delicious!

If you do decide to take a city break in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Playhouse is worth checking out as they have some great off-London performances for half the price, especially for under-25s midweek. We saw a great rendition of Saturday Night Fever that had me singing all the way home!

What's your favourite part of Edinburgh? Let me know?!

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Airbnb vs. Hotels

As I may have mentioned just a few times before, I have a love of Airbnb just a little bit. So it was suggested to me by my contact at STA for me to write a comparison piece, and while STA are getting something else, I thought it was a good idea anyway.

So, enough rambling!

Airbnb:

Let’s start with Airbnb, a phenomenon that took off about 10 years ago now, Airbnb works on the premise of a kind of house sharing community vibe. You can rent whole apartments to yourself or just a room in someone’s house – and there are options to stay on boats, in castles, in yurts, up treehouses, etc. wherever you could sleep, Airbnb has it in some shape or form. They have also recently launched into providing Airbnb experiences in which local people or freelancers can advertise their services. While I haven’t yet tried the experiences side yet, I have used Airbnb for the last 2 years, staying in many different properties, from riads to city apartments to holiday villas, and I have never had a bad experience. Personally, I think Airbnbs are great because they give you the flexibility of cooking for yourself and most come with a kitchen or at least kitchen access, although I have only ever rented the whole apartment.

The down side to Airbnb, like a hotel, is that sometimes you can end up with some dodgy places that actually aren’t anything like the photos, so make sure you read the reviews and trawl through the options before you settle on your dream holiday accommodation. Another negative is that Airbnb is running the more independent hotels and B&Bs out of business which I don’t appreciate, although I see I am part of the problem and don’t profess to have the answer to this quite yet. Also, many places, like Barcelona, are imposing fines on Airbnb for setting up in their area.

As I’ve mentioned before Airbnb did save my ass in Calais once when I was left without accommodation so I would definitely rate it on that alone, within an hour of booking it we were in the apartment, couldn’t ask for any more than that!

Say what you will about Airbnb but it is defiantly changing the face of the way we travel.

Don't forget to sign up to Airbnb through my link here and save yourself some dolla on your first trip!

Hotels:

As much as I love Airbnb, I do love a good hotel. For me, this is the difference between a holiday (where I might go for a hotel) and travelling (more likely to use an Airbnb or hostel – apart from city breaks).

If I’m going to book a hotel it means one of two things for me – either I have cash to burn and want to be pampered in a luxurious hotel, or I’m going for the all-inclusive beach type holiday. I love that I can have dinner from my bed, that there’s a pool, a bar, a terrace, etc. all the things in life you would want to relax – this is my idea of a hotel and a holiday. 

Hotels are brilliant, all service venues, but I would say that their downside is the lack of ability to cook for yourself – but then if I am picking a hotel, I would know I would be eating out every day and account for that. Also, generally they are more expensive than Airbnbs, although obviously you usually get more provided for this. And finally, I wouldn’t book a hotel if I was going away as part of a big group due to the lack of private communal areas.

Verdict: As always, depends on your budget, for me, I truly can’t decide unhelpfully! Let me know what you prefer!!

Have a good week my loves,

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Slapping on the Sunscreen in St Ives

It is coming to the end of the summer and supposedly the end of the nice weather (?) but with climate change who knows anymore!

Surprisingly, I can’t believe I have never done a post on St Ives. It's crazy to me because ever since I was probably about 5 years old my family has gone down to St Ives in Cornwall every summer for the school holidays without fail. They love it so much that we actually have a house there – how very middle class!

Anyway, I would like to share with you lovely people the wonder that is St Ives. For all my non-UK readers, St Ives is located in the English county of Cornwall, the bit in the south that sticks out right at the bottom, so it is on the coast which means miles of beautiful sandy beaches!

During the school summer holidays, St Ives is always absolutely rammed with holidaymakers who decided not to go abroad but wanted a UK holiday all the same. With its 4 large beaches, St Ives is very popular with surfers, home to the St Ives Surf School, but all other water sports are available too. Although it is still the Atlantic in the UK so a wetsuit is definitely advised!

If you wander the streets of St Ives, you will find the embodiment of all English beach holidays, from the oversized ice creams (look out for the seagulls), the traditional Cornish pasties and cream teas to the fish and chips and smell of sea salt in the air, it is a joy to behold (better when there are fewer people there of course!)

Having spent every summer there when I was younger, I like to think I am somewhat an expert on St Ives, so my top restaurant recommendations would be:

-          Porthmister Beach Café

-          Blas Burgerworks

-          The Seafood Café

-          Harbour Fish & Chips

-          Porthmeor Beach Café (for breakfast and tapas)

But there are over 50 restaurants tucked away in the few tiny cobbled streets of St Ives so there is something for everyone.

What often brings the crowds to St Ives is The Tate Gallery, one of three in the country, the others being the Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, the Tate St Ives is an imposing building overlooking Porthmeor beach, and while worth a visit, there is so much more to St Ives than this.

If you are looking for some evening entertainment for all the family then be sure to check out performances from the amateur company, Kids R Us, who can be found opposite the old cinema. They are a registered charity but the standard of performance will make you feel like you are in the West End!

If you want to know any more about St Ives  just get in touch, I can tell you where to stay, etc.

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Top 5 European destinations for students

This week's blog features a special guest post from the lovely people at STA Education talking about all things student breaks in Europe! Let me know how you like it, and if anyone else fancies writing something, just get in touch!

Cheese for breakfast, casual cobbled streets and fists full of inspiration, we’ve got to be talking about Europe. Just a stone’s throw away and as diverse as it is beautiful, we spoke to self-confessed student travel experts STA Travel Education about what Europe has that nowhere else does!

Barcelona

Known for its intricate architecture, rich history and claiming football fans from around the globe. This city is the perfect blend of ‘La Playa’ and all things educational. Aside from the obvious tourist attractions: La Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter and Camp Nou. The Garrotxa Volcanic Park will pull in geography students. While ordering tapas and local breakfasts will be a challenge for any language students.

Paris

Students will say ‘bonjour’ to the effortlessly chic Pari. ‘Oui’ can’t recommend Paris enough for inspiring the next generation. Littered with iconic monuments and tiny bakeries where diets go to die, what’s not to love? In the Palais Garnier & Théâtre de Paris, students will find their voice. The Foundation Claude Monet, Lourve and Mussee d’Orsay should keep creative students going for a while. Trying out language skills on the locals will be a test of wits for your students.

London

It’s the very essence of all things British! Call us patriotic, but there is little that can’t be done in our capital. The very royal architecture and the ever changing science is just the starter. Geography students should head to the Thames or the pioneering eco-community BedZed for some applied learning. Art students will get lost in Shoreditch, spotting street corners splattered with little known names, yet to line the walls of galleries.

Rome

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and by the looks of the architecture, they weren’t kidding! Steeped in mythology & history, students can walk amongst fearless gladiators, make a wish at the famous Di Trevi Fountain, trudge the Spanish Steps and see the highlights of St Peter’s. If that didn’t sell it to you, they have more Gelato then you can shake a stick at! 

Berlin

Fast becoming an educational hotspot, this is where famous history sites double as educational opportunities; the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial and the Brandenburg Gate. One of the most immersive ways to experience the city is a Religious tour. If you’re looking for something a little outside of the city head to Potsdam, for beautiful gardens and historical buildings.

Fun Fact: The highest toilet in Europe is on Mont Blanc at over 4,200 meters!

Like what you see? The fun doesn’t have to end, enjoy more blogs from STA Travel Education here.

Socials

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STATravelEducation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sta_education

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statraveleducation

My 5 Top Travel Apps

So we all now live in a scarily connected age of technology and the way we travel has certainly changed over the years, and therefore I thought I might share with all you lovely people my favourite and most used travel apps. (And before you ask, no, this post is not sponsored, just my honest thoughts and feelings). While there are definitely more (SkyScanner, HostelWorld, Uber etc. these are my favourites)

1.       Airbnb

Now as you are all very aware I am a massive fan of Airbnb as I probably don’t stop talking about it and recommending it enough in all of my travel posts (more on this to follow). However, the Airbnb app has been a lifesaver for me as it has helped me get out of many a sticky situation with no accommodation. The interface is really easy to use, the messaging system is great, the only downside I have found is that obviously you need WiFi or a data connection to be able to use it which is fine when you are at home or in the city, not so great when you are stuck in a field in Calais in the middle of January with nowhere to sleep for the night… (See my Calais post for reference).  Also, if you use my link on the Links and Discounts page here you’ll get money off your first stay!

2.       Touch Note

This app is definitely less commonly heard of, I have had it on my phone for a couple of years now after I saw it recommended on Channel 4’s Travel Man, although the other week I did see it advertised on TV, so hopefully it is going to pick up soon.

The basic premise of this app is that it turns your holiday photos into a postcard, allows you to write a message and will send it to your recipient all from the app. While the app itself is free, you do have to buy credits to be able to send each card. However, I think it is great, especially in world where we are always on our phones and are often in places where it is hard to find a stamp, this app solves the problem. Also, the cards are really professional and make great holiday souvenirs. I always send them to my grandma and friend Sophie who love getting postcards!

3.       Gratitude Tipping

This app is relatively new to me as I was contacted on Twitter about this, but after playing around with it I would definitely rate it. Gratitude Tipping works both online and offline (bonus when you are in those hard-to-reach-WiFi places) and will tell you from your location, bill amount, service and people shared, how much the average tip should be for your bill. It has a wide range of countries and is essential for a Brit like me who almost never tips in the UK (we just don’t really do it here). Saves the embarrassment of under-tipping someone and saves you money from over-tipping too!

4.       TripSoSo

While TripSoSo may not be the most streamlined or stylish app, it is quite good in providing you a jumping off point for finding things to do in your travel destination. Allowing you to use it online and download location guides for offline use, this app also has in-app purchases allowing you to book tours and excursions through them. While it certainly doesn’t have everything you can do, it is a good place to start and often has some less-thought of ideas that aren’t always in the Lonely Planets (A post on this will also follow soon!).

5.       CityMapper

My final top-rated app is CityMapper. If you haven’t heard of CityMapper, what rock have you been hiding under the last few years? CityMapper is fairly self explanatory, only working in major cities (although they are always adding more locations), it provides you a map of the city and shows the quickest ways of getting from A to B. It also provides price, how many calories you will burn, and live updates on public transport arrivals. In some locations is has also launched its own bus service. If you haven’t got it already, download it now!

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx