Hotel Review, mini break, Travel, UK, Uncategorized, weekend break

Hotel Review: 5* Hotel Du Vin, 1 Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow

Staycations are here to stay! As, with the vast majority of UK holidaymakers this last summer, we opted to stay closer to home and embarked on a Scottish staycation. This year we prepped early, not wanting to fall into the trap of waiting, only to find that everywhere was booked solid. So, armed with the idea of touring the West Coast of Scotland by train (thanks for the inspiration, Great British Railway Journey’s) I set about planning some ideas for a week-long adventure…more to come on the full itinerary!

As our trip started and finished in Glasgow, we opted for the 5* Hotel Du Vin in Glasgow’s West End as a base for our final few days in bonnie Scotland.

Getting to Hotel Du Vin

 Hotel Du Vin is situated in Glasgow’s fashionable West End. It’s not far from the Botanical Gardens, Kelvin Grove Park and Kelvin Grove Art Gallery and Museum. Hotel Du Vin is also situated only 30 minutes from Loch Lomond.

If you are arriving by train at Glasgow Central Station, there is a plentiful supply of taxis from the station. The ride is approximately 10 minutes and should cost around £10. If you arrive at Glasgow Queen Street train station the journey is about 10-15 minutes and should cost between £12-£15. Taxis are an easy option particularly if you have luggage.

If you’re not weighed down with baggage, the walk from either main train station is just under an hour. Or you can jump on the number 15 bus from West Nile Street only a 4-minute walk from Glasgow Queen Street Station. The bus route will take you about 22 minutes to Glasgow Nuffield Hospital which is a 1-minute walk to Hotel Du Vin.

Finally, if you are flying into Glasgow Airport your easiest option is a taxi from the airport. The journey should take around 15 minutes and cost in the region of £20-£25.

First Impressions

As Scotland was still a few weeks behind England, in its relaxing of COVID restrictions it was the familiar routine of, hand sanitiser on entry, masks and a 1 person check-in. However, once the COVID formalities were taken care of, Hotel Du Vin makes quite the first impression. Stretching five Victorian townhouses the hotel certainly delivers classical grandeur with a modern interior twist.

Original Victorian tiles still welcome you on entry. Original doors, staircases, stained glass windows cornicing and ceiling roses made a striking impression as we found our way through the stately labyrinth to our room.

Which Room

Spanning five Victorian townhouses Glasgow’s Hotel Du Vin has forty-nine rooms and suites to all suit a range of budgets. The rooms all boast Egyptian Cotton linen, sumptuous deep baths, hand sprung mattresses, a Nespresso machine complete with pods, L’Occitane toiletries and a plasma TV. Each room is furnished and decorated in the signature Hotel Du Vin style. Stylish contemporary furniture, a beautiful fusion of Scandi/Art Deco, colourful accents, quirky art and wallpaper.

 Based on these credentials it’s not possible to make a poor room choice here.

We were travelling with my parents, who happen to have a membership with Hotel Du Vin. Cue an unexpected room upgrade for one of the rooms on our arrival. My husband and I took the Classic Room, and my parents had a Junior Suite.

Classic Room
Classic Room

The Classic Room treated us to a king-sized bed, free-standing bath and excellent shower. Our room was situated at the very top of house 5. As we were right at the top of house 5 our room didn’t have the most interesting of outlooks, simply a view over the back courtyards of the surrounding properties. However, as the hotel was merely a kicking off point, we weren’t too fussed about the outlook.

The Junior Suite was located in house 3. The room boasted a super king–sized bed, bath with a monsoon shower over the bath. Separate showers are available in some of the Junior Suites. If this is your preference then it would be worth checking when you book. The Junior Suite also had a lounge area with a lovely view out over the front of the hotel.

Junior Suite

Food & Drink

Unfortunately, our schedule didn’t allow for much dining in the hotel as I opted instead to book and explore some of Glasgow’s other fine restaurants. However, we did secure a table for lunch on arrival and spent some time in the bar before we headed out for an evening. Our booking also included breakfast.

Breakfast: The range of breakfast options was excellent. Cooked breakfast, toast, cereal, croissants, eggs, porridge. You name it the kitchen was happy to oblige. I can thoroughly recommend the porridge with red berry compote, the perfect start to a long day exploring.

Lunch/Dinner: Lunch options were many and various. Soups, sandwiches, scones, light bites or a full Sunday roast. The dinner menus are carefully crafted by Head, Chef Gary Townsend. The dishes are a classic mix of seasonal ingredients and local produce. There was something to suit all tastes, levels of hunger and dietary requirements.

Drinks: Hotel Du Vin offers a wide range of beverage choices. There is an extensive cocktail and wine list with enough choice to warrant more than 1 pre-dinner drink! I can thoroughly recommend the Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin Goblet…delicious! So much more than a standard G ‘n’ T.

COVID 19 Response

As with all travel in the current climate, it is important to outline what the hotel has put in place to ensure the safety and comfort of its guests. It is important to note the wearing of face coverings in Scotland is currently necessary unless you have a medical exemption. As such, face coverings were required in all communal parts of the hotel. Once you were sat down with drinks or food of course these could be removed.

Sanitising & Social Distancing:Throughout the hotel, there were sanitising stations and signage encouraging you to use them and reminding guests of the importance of maintaining social distancing. After the checking in the staff talked us through the one-way system in operation throughout the communal areas of the hotel. As a Grade Two listed series of Victorian terraces, the hotel had plenty of space to achieve social distancing. Despite the hotel being fairly full, it was comforting to find everyone was respectful and mindful of each other.

Your room: Aside from no turndown service there wasn’t any great change to how your room was cared for or your use of it. In the room, there was a comprehensive two-sided document outlining everything the hotel is doing to ensure the safety of the guests. The main thing you needed to do as a guest was to ensure you hung the green service sign on your door each morning. Without the sign, the cleaning staff would not enter your room. Again, this measure ensures a minimal number of people accessing your room, thus reducing risk.

Final Thoughts

As a base for city exploration and kicking off point for easy access to the West Coast, Glasgow’s Hotel Du Vin was a brilliant option. We thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious comfort it offered at the end of a long day of exploring. I can safely say that if I find myself north of the border in the future, I will certainly consider Hotel Du Vin as an option.

Travel within the UK and supporting our hospitality sector continues to be incredibly important. With the Omicron variant rampaging across the country, we must strive to do all we can within the restrictions to support our local travel agents, business, hotels, guesthouses and b n b’s. It is only with our trust and investment that the hospitality and travel sector can emerge from under the COVID cloud and look to a brighter future.

Stay safe & happy travels

Jess

History, mini break, top tips, Travel, UK, Uncategorized, weekend break

Top 15 UK adventures to have post lockdown 3.0

At the moment I feel as though I am channeling my inner Bilbo Baggins. This long-term literary hero of mine springs to mind when I consider our current emergence from lockdown. I find myself stuck in a perpetual cycle of longing for travel and adventure. I know freedom is waiting just outside my front gate, particularly with Boris’ road map out of lockdown tantalisingly close to full fruition, bring on the 17th of May; but I am simultaneously desperate for a semi-permanent state of Hobbit approved hibernation. So, in the spirit of looking forward to travelling freedom here are fifteen must-visit UK destinations for your summer staycation.

  • Munro bagging

The Scottish Munros are a list of mountains named after Sir Hugh T Munro who set about cataloguing them in the late 1800s. The mountains were classified as Munros if they were over 3000 feet high. Munro bagging is the challenge to climb as many of the peaks as possible. The Munros are scattered across Scotland and are a great way for you to see Scotland’s fabulous scenery or for the more spirited adventurer, Munro bagging will push you to explore some of the more far-flung reaches of the Scottish mainland and Islands. So why not plan a Scottish walking break and bag some of these majestic peaks. If you’re up for a challenge why not snag all 282 in 39 days 9 hours and 6 minutes, the current record – can you beat it?

https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/active/walking/munro-bagging/

  • Literary Love in Oxford

In my opinion, few English cities can compete with the splendid tapestry of history and literary genius that is Oxford. Some of my favourite stories, worlds and characters have been crafted from this magnificent city. Why not explore the city on foot with a literary walking tour, tours run by Oxford Walking Tours depart 6 days a week from Carfax Tower. Booking is needed. Therefore, whether you want to dive into Chaucer, Tolkien or even the mystical world of the All Souls trilogy; I would get your spot secured for an afternoon of fictional wonder.

https://www.oxfordwalkingtours.com/literary-tour

A walking tour is the start of the bookish delights on offer in Oxford. If your schedule allows I would recommend a tour of the Bodleian Libraries. For a £12 fee, you can secure a private 60-minute tour of the Divinity School (location used in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone & The Goblet of Fire), Convocation House, Chancellor’s Court and Duke Humfrey’s Library.

After all of that walking, why not drop into Blackwell’s Book shop on Broad Street. The smell and calm of a bookshop are a feeling like nothing else. Take a stroll into the Norrington Room, Europe’s largest room devoted to selling books… Not a bad claim to fame!

Finally, top off your day in Oxford with a cold beverage at the Eagle and Child on St Giles Street. This infamous watering hole was home to the Inklings Literary Group who met here from 1933 to the 1960s. Amongst their many esteemed members were Tolkien & C.S Lewis. So, grab a pint and your pen and let this inspirational city work its magic.

  • Yorkshire 3 peaks

Most walking enthusiasts will have heard of the Three Peaks challenge but like most things Yorkshire has its version and any Northerner will probably inform you it’s a far more superior challenge. The Yorkshire three peaks comprise of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside & Ingleborough. The challenge is to navigate and summit all three peaks in under 12 hours. A gruelling task and not one for the complete novice walker, that being said it is a significant physical and mental test and an excellent warm-up for the main Three Peaks Challenge. The entire route is 24 miles and walkers typically start with Pen-y-Ghent before tackling Whernside and finishing with Ingleborough.

Even if the 12-hour marker isn’t on your bucket list tackling these three peaks is well worth it, as individually they are accessible for all regardless of hiking experience. From the cavernous depths of the Hunt and Hull pots on the descent from Pen-y-Ghent to the highest point in Yorkshire on the Whernside summit and the gorgeous limestone scenery and caves of Ingleborough the Yorkshire three peaks are spectacular, however, you choose to conquer them.

  • West coast of Ireland road trip

Having family from the west coast of Ireland and seeing snippets of the Wild Atlantic Way on the TV recently I have a burgeoning desire to jump in the car and discover Ireland’s infamous west coast for myself.  

The Wild Atlantic Way stretches from County Donegal in the North through to County Cork in the South. The vast 2,600km route encapsulates rugged peninsulas, gently rolling countryside and wind-battered cliffs. With the untameable Atlantic and spectacular views in all directions, it’s not hard to see why this stretch of the Irish coast is getting a lot of attention.

It’s worth considering when to visit as the Irish weather can be unpredictable. Any time between June and September, even early October should give you the optimal chance of experiencing this coastline at its best.

Although Ireland is a small island, it’s worth taking your time on this epic road trip to get the full experience. However, if time is limited then check out these fifteen discovery points for the abbreviated highlights of the journey.

  • Giants Causeway

Created in a time of myth and legend by the giant Finn McCool, who tore the Antrim coast to bits to create a path to Scotland to deal with the pesky Scottish giant Benadonner; the Giants causeway is a breath-taking natural basalt rock formation. Over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns litter the coastal path, piercing the foamy sea.

The Giants Causeway visitor experience is run by the National Trust. There are three trails that you can take, each providing a different perspective of the causeway. In addition to the famous pavement, there are some other key sights to take in on your visit. Be sure to check out the Giants Boot, the Wishing Chair, the Camel, Clifftop trails and the visitor centre.

When this fabulous landmark re-opens to the public booking will be essential. Adult tickets are £13, children £6.50 and a family ticket £32.

Full information regarding opening, booking and tickets can be found by following the link below.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway

  • Vikings & Victoria sponge

If you like your day trips historically bloodthirsty with a side of tea and cake then the city of York does both of these things splendidly. Following a long period of Roman occupation York became Jorvik. York was the capital of Viking territory, and the city truly is a window to the past. I would recommend a trip to the Jorvik centre which provides an unprecedented look at the Viking society which thrived in the city from 866AD.

York is a city firmly rooted in its history, after sampling the Viking delights I would recommend a walk down the shambles and around the castle to soak up the city’s medieval and Roman offerings. After all that history, I would say it’s time to experience the Yorkshire institution that is Bettys tea room.

Located on St Helens Square the York Bettys has been dazzling the patrons with superior hot beverages and delectable patisserie since 1936. However, Betty’s is no secret and there is often a queue for the unprepared visitor. If like me a brew and cake is the highlight of your day trip I would make a reservation. Alternatively, you can check out the smaller Bettys tea room around the corner at 46 Stonegate.

https://www.bettys.co.uk/cafe-tea-rooms/our-locations/bettys-york

  • End of the line – west highland line

Like many Harry Potter enthusiasts, I go a little bit doe-eyed at the infamous sight of the Glen Finnian viaduct. This stunning stretch of the railway is part of the West Highland Line, Glasgow to Mallaig. The line also runs from Glasgow to Oban or Glasgow to Fort William.

Considered by many to be one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world a trip down these tracks is assuredly a UK bucket list must. As the trains depart Glasgow you are whisked away from the city and carried north along the coast. On your journey, you’ll take in deep loch’s, heather strewn moorland, mountains and the expansive wilderness of the highlands.

To experience this remarkable train journey to its full I would be tempted to initially take the line to Oban, spend a few days exploring the islands of Mull and Iona before heading back to Glasgow to take on the remote and wild route to Mallaig.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotland-by-rail/great-scenic-rail-journeys/west-highland-line-glasgow-oban-and-fort-williammallaig

  • Go wild swimming

This is something I’m so keen to try, despite all my feelings about being immersed in cold water, I’m very much of the opinion that ‘it’s alright once you’re in.’ Across the UK there are some fabulous secluded wild swimming spots from the lake district to Wales and Cornwall.

If wild swimming is going to make an appearance on your summer staycation to-do list then make sure to check the current, depth, temperature and always swim with a companion, just in case of trouble.

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

For inspiration on where to swim check out the Outdoor Swimming Society https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/

  • Burgh Island

Burgh Island, where all your murder mystery, art deco dreams come true. Burgh Island not only hosts a beacon of Art deco design with its hotel but it was the inspirational location of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ & ‘Evil Under the Sun.’  If you fancy a weekend that casts you back to the gloriously glamorous 1930s then Burgh Island is a must.

Situated on a tidal island and accessed by sea tractor Burgh Island Hotel hosts a myriad of chilled weekend activities. From a dip in the Mermaid pool to tennis and paddle boarding, there are even fishing experiences to be had at this truly one-off hotel. Whatever takes your fancy during the day, your evening should start with donning your black tie and tassels and sipping cocktails at the Palm Court before tucking into some exquisite fine dining in the ballroom.

  • Britain’s favourite walk: Helvellyn

Like many people during lockdown, my weekend mornings have been accompanied by Julia Bradbury and her wonderful walking programmes. Whilst I was cooped up at home Julia has been filling my head with possibilities and a taste for the great outdoors. Walking has never been so popular! As a permitted activity for exercise, many of us have taken to our local footpaths to explore our surroundings in a new way. So, what better way to develop a newfound love of walking than with Britain’s favourite walk as voted for by the Great British Public.

Helvellyn in Cumbria is the Lake District’s third-highest peak. There are various routes to conquer the summit including the infamous Striding Edge, involving a narrow ridge scramble to the top. Other slightly less daring routes to the summit are available too with the easiest route beginning from Thirlmere. The average hike up Helvellyn should take around three hours for someone with a good level of fitness.

As with any hike make sure you are prepared; check the weather forecast and pack water, snacks, map, compass and appropriate footwear. The scree in some parts of the route will require a sufficient amount of grip!

  • Subterranean London

Beneath the well-trodden pavements of London lies an entire network of subterranean gems. The available history beneath the capital’s streets is staggering. From the well-known Churchill War Rooms to the slightly more well-guarded secrets of the Vaults Waterloo or the Chancery Lane silver vaults.

I would set aside a whole weekend to explore subterranean London. I’d kick off proceedings with a few G n’ Ts at the Viaduct Tavern, Holborn. Lurking in the Gin Palace cellars are the former cells of Newgate Prison.  If it’s a quiet evening staff are happy to give you a sneak peek. https://www.viaducttavern.co.uk/

Saturday morning, I would head to the Churchill War Rooms. Located near St James’ Park and Westminster tube station the war rooms remained a London secret until the 1980s. Now a glorious step back in time to wartime London you can see the Cabinet War Rooms: Map Room, Churchill’s bedroom & Cabinet Room, Churchill’s Bunker and the Churchill Museum. Upon reopening in May 2021, booking will be essential.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

After a morning steeped in wartime history, I would slow things down and take a step back, back to Roman Britain. Nestled deep in the ground beneath the Bloomberg building is the Roman temple of Mithras. The temple and artefacts date back to an intriguing and mystical Roman cult from AD 240.   https://www.londonmithraeum.com/temple-of-mithras/

Finally, I would top off your foray into subterranean London with a trip down the Mail Rail. The Mail Rail takes you back beneath London’s streets through the original platforms and stations revealing the unseen 100-year-old story of our post.

  • St Michaels Mount

Emerging from the sea, this tidal island on the Cornish coast sits proudly as a beacon for adventure. St Michaels Mount is steeped in myth and legend, from Cormoran the giant to the irresistible lure of mermaids. From an ancient monastery to a battle-torn castle there is something to interest all enquiring minds. Now in the custody of the National Trust, the island day trips to the island are easily planned.

If you time your trip with the tide, it is possible to walk across the causeway from the mainland. If you don’t fancy the walk, you can always travel by amphibious vehicle…which I imagine is as fun to travel by as the word is to say.

  • Fish & Chips with Dracula

The Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby has always been hauntingly beautiful. Perched on the cliffs overlooking the North Sea is the infamous Whitby Abbey. The gothic abbey, the inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula. Nowadays the Abby ruins, cobbled coastal streets and quirky shops are a lure for lovers of the gothic culture. This is particularly celebrated at the Whitby Goth Weekend, hosted annually at the end of October.

Photo by Barry Jones on Pexels.com

Fear not, if the gothic subculture isn’t your cup of tea then Whitby has a lot more to offer. Whitby has been a fresh fish hot spot for decades so if freshly caught cod and chips with mushy peas sounds like more you’re thing then Whitby’s’ got you covered. Grab a Yorkshire meal deal (Cod, chips, one side and a drink) for £7.75 from Hadley’s on Bridge street find a bench with gorgeous sea views and tuck in.

https://www.hadleysfishandchips.co.uk/take-away/

  • Llechwedd Caverns trampoline park

This one is not for the faint-hearted! Deep in the depths of the abandoned Llechwedd Slate Caverns lurks an enormous subterranean neon playground. Bounce Below consists of over 10,000 square feet of nets with three ginormous trampolines suspended on three different levels. The trampolines are connected by suspended walkways, tunnels and slides. If that’s not enough to fill your adrenaline junkie bucket list then the only way down is on the old mine train culminating a 60 -foot slide straight onto the first trampoline. I can’t wait to check this place out… I might need to summon up my brave first!

https://www.zipworld.co.uk/adventure/bounce-below

  1. Dark Sky Discovery

The pandemic has inspired many a new activity from baking to home workouts, but it’s stargazing that’s captured my imagination. Across the UK there are dark sky discovery sites where you can drink in the glittering canvas of the night sky minus the light pollution. On a clear night our UK skies offer up over a thousand stars, it’s even possible to marvel at our galaxy, the Milky Way. So, take a walk, pack a picnic dinner and your comfiest rug and lie back for a truly extraordinary show.

https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dark-sky-discovery-sites/map.html

Whatever the next few months have in store, let’s keep positive, keep following the rules and get planning some fabulous adventures in and around the UK.  As always, I’d love to hear from you about your top UK destinations and day trips.

Photo by Cliford Mervil on Pexels.com

Stay safe & happy travels

Jess

Hotel Review, mini break, Travel, Travel inspiration, UK, Uncategorized, weekend break

Sheffield: A stay at the Psalter Hotel and how to get around during the pandemic

It’s pretty clear that we’ve moved into a new phase of bizarre normality. We have found ourselves once again in a national lock down. With the rule of 6, hands, face, space dominating the news a few weeks ago and a tiered system set to continue dividing our communities after the 2nd of December; it’s hard to fast forward to a time when things will be ‘normal’ again. But, we have to hold on to hope that these restrictions to our lives, no matter how difficult, will at some point fade away. Until that time, we must support our communities, small businesses and the hospitality sector where we can particularly in this run up to Christmas.

For the first time I have teamed up with guest writers, Kate Boddy from Hydracreative and Harriet Dolphin from the Psalter Hotel, Sheffield. They have written a brilliant guest post on vising the Northern city of Sheffield, focusing on getting around this Northern powerhouse and a stay at the gorgeously boutique hotel, the Psalter.

Sheffield City Centre re-opened its streets and shops in June following the national lockdown, and since then the city has been working hard to make sure it is COVID-19 safe. The city is set to do the same again come the end of lockdown two. With new signage, socially distanced shop queues and pedestrian systems, and new hand sanitiser stations installed in places with high footfall, Sheffield is ensuring it remains a safe city for both its residents and visitors.

Sheffield has many great places to stay: here we’ll look at how hotels are handling the ongoing changes, and what they are doing to remain welcoming and above all, safe, places to stay.

With so many great sights to see when visiting Sheffield and the surrounding areas, it’s useful to be aware of the best ways to get around. Here are some of our top tips on how best to get around in Sheffield to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Hotels

Government guidelines on COVID-19 have required hotels to adhere to certain precautions to make sure they are keeping their guests and staff safe during the pandemic. Over the past few months, many of Sheffield’s hotels have reopened their doors and have followed guidelines set by AA’s COVID Confident and Visit Britain’s Good To Go standards and have gained accreditation.

The Psalter is a boutique hotel tucked away in Nether Edge, a well-connected area of Sheffield. They have re-opened their doors in adherence to the strict government guidelines. The hotel offers its visitors contemporary, luxury accommodation which is in no way compromised by the restrictions in place. Offering en-suite shower rooms and a café bursting with local produce, as well as a modern bar offering cocktails, wines and beers, it is a home away from home for anyone wishing for a relaxing stay.

Here in more detail, are a few ways in which the Psalter and Sheffield hotels are staying COVID-19 safe.

Social Distancing

Social distancing measures have been put in place to help reduce the amount of contact between staff and guests. Reception desks have transparent screens to separate staff and guests, with guests now required by law to wear a face mask in public areas. Check-in and check-out processes have been made as contactless as possible, with some hotels asking guests to prepay. Keep an eye out for signage informing you of social distancing, as some hotels may have a one-way system or queue points for you to follow.

Cleaning procedures

Hotels are employing further cleaning measures to ensure all areas of the hotel are sanitised to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. Deep cleaning now involves using a high-grade disinfectant at more regular intervals. This includes rooms, public areas, door handles and communal bathrooms. Many hotels will have hand sanitising stations located at various points, and staff in public areas will be wearing some form of PPE, whether this be gloves, a mask or a visor. Some items that you would usually find in a hotel room might have been removed, such as pens and pads, as these are viewed as non-essential. Measures have also been put in place for any external deliveries to ensure they are handled safely and in accordance with the safety guidelines.

Guests with COVID-19 symptoms

Hotels have identified procedures for guests that have symptoms of COVID-19. Many of these include the guests self-isolating, and staff will assist them to the best of their ability, providing them with food and drink, fresh linen and any other items they may need. However, these will be left outside their door, and when guests retrieve these, they are asked to wear a face covering.

Flexible Cancellation Policies

Many hotels have introduced a flexible cancellation policy so that if you can’t make your visit, you can cancel at shorter notice. The time period will vary from hotel to hotel, so make sure to check before booking.

Other changes to look out for

Depending on the hotel, there may be some other changes to look out for and check before booking. Some of the food and beverage options will have changed as buffets are no longer permitted, and table service is required by law. Other measures to look out for relate to gyms, pools or spas. Some hotels have kept these facilities closed, but others have re-opened them but with some limitations.

Travelling around Sheffield

Public Transport

With Sheffield being a green city, it benefits from excellent public transport routes. Before travelling, plan your journey to make sure your trip runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Visit Travel South Yorkshire to see which mode of public transport will work best for your trip, plan your journey, and find out about ticket pricing. If using public transport, remember to take a mask with you as this is required by law.

Bus

Sheffield benefits from a variety of bus services, getting people around the city and surrounding areas. With the main bus station right by the train station and lots of stops situated around and about, it is an easy option to get you from A to B. Fancy a trip to the Peak District? No problem; Sheffield has plenty of buses that can take you there, whether you’re looking for a scenic walk or to explore one of the local villages, such as Bakewell, where the Bakewell Tart was invented!

Scenic walks in the peak district…

Tram

Sheffield’s tram system extends all over the city and surrounding areas, linking to some key attractions. Connected by the yellow route tram are Sheffield Arena and Centertainment, which has a cinema, bowling alley and children’s soft play, as well as an abundance of restaurants. It is within walking distance (or short tram ride) of Meadowhall, a shopping centre with around 290 stores and a vast food hall – a must-visit for anyone who loves to shop. To check out which tram lines get you where, visit StageCoach Supertram.

Train

Sheffield is on many direct train lines and the train station is located right in the city centre. As a major city, Sheffield has many links to nearby towns and cities, including Rotherham, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Wakefield and York. So, if you fancy a day trip to a surrounding town or city, the train links make it an easy, direct journey.

Other ways to get around Sheffield

Although the public transport links in and around Sheffield are excellent, there are other ways for you to get around with ease. These include:

Walking

Sheffield is a beautiful, green city with many attractions within walking distance from the city centre. Whether you want to do a spot of shopping or enjoy one of the many parks, everything is within a doable walking distance. In high footfall areas, such as The Moor or West Street, it is recommended to wear a mask as social distancing is harder to keep in place.

The Botanical Gardens is a stunning collection of gardens situated near Ecclesall road. It’s easy to get to on foot from the city centre and if you’d rather just walk around the gardens it is well connected to by bus. The glass pavilions are currently closed due to restrictions but are just as impressive from the outside. There is no parking at the gardens which is why walking or public transport is advisable – if driving it is best to park on the surrounding roads, but be aware they may be busy. Disabled parking spaces are available at the top of the drive of the Thompson Road entrance.

Cycling

Many of Sheffield’s main roads have cycle lanes so it feels a safe way to get around. Cycling is a great way to see the sights around the city and helps beat the traffic in rush hour, though just to make you aware – Sheffield has a lot of hills!

Taxi

Need to get somewhere quickly? Although not the cheapest option, there are a lot of taxi services around Sheffield, such as City Taxis or Uber. If you do choose to get around in a taxi or Uber, remember to take your mask with you, otherwise, you might be refused service.

It is recommended to check visiting times and transport times before setting off to avoid any delays in your day.

Stay safe & happy travels!

Written by Kate Boddy & Harriet Dolphin

adventure travel, Travel, Travel inspiration, Uncategorized

Exploring the world of extreme bikepacking, white water canoeing and adventure hiking…

I spoke to Doug McIntyre about his adventurous travels through mountain ranges, down rivers and everything in between. He is a true inspiration for the wild at heart and those seeking a more authentic adventurous travel experience.

What’s the day job?

At heart, I’m a lawyer. I work at Canada’s National Nuclear Laboratory; in charge of Legal, Insurance and a bunch of other things that nobody else wants to do. 

What’s always in your suitcase?

Well, I guess that would include a headlamp, a spoon, just in case you run across something to eat and an eye mask so that you’re able to sleep anywhere you might need.

Necessary travel extravagance?

I would say that would be a silk sheet. I often camp out when I travel so a silk sheet just gives you just that little bit of extra extravagance.

Favourite city break?

Well, that’s hard to say –  it would be anywhere that there’s good ice-cream. Of the big cities in the world, I’ve really enjoyed Sydney and I’d like to get back there. London as well, I’ve only been to London sort of four or five times and I have a twisted impression of it because every time I’ve been the weather’s always been great!

Mountains or Beach?

I would have to say mountains. If I had a choice between mountains or rivers it would be a bit more difficult but often you get rivers in mountains.

Biggest adventure?

Probably a solo canoe trip down the Moise River, which is in eastern Quebec. It was a 400km white water canoe trip and there was nobody else around for hundreds of kilometres. I had planned to do the trip in about eighteen days and packed all the food, gear, etc. for that time but I ended up doing it in six! I had nobody else around, so I just kept moving all day; it’s much more efficient but, not as much fun to travel on your own.

What destination tops your bucket list?

The big trip that I’m looking at is a bikepacking trip in Kyrgyzstan.

Where does your love for adventure and extreme challenge come from?

It probably started in high school. We had an outers club, and did things like hiking and white-water canoeing. When I was about sixteen the club took a trip to Alaska and the Yukon. We went to Skagway, Alaska, then hiked over the Chilkoot pass which is a famous pass from the gold rush of the late 1800s. We entered British Columbia and got into canoes and we paddled for another three weeks down to Dawson City in the Yukon.

That’s big a big trip for just sixteen!

Yeah, it was a real…it was a wonderful trip and I think that’s where it hooked me.

Is that type of thing a standard as part of the Canadian school system, are these types of club par for the course?

It was something specific to our high school. They are getting less common now as people like me as lawyers get involved. There have been some trips where people have been hurt so school boards have shut down the clubs.

What is your most memorable travel experience or adventure and why?

My best value vacation ever was a loop that we did in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. We drove to the top of the Taseko River which is on the east side of the Coast Mountains then we kayaked down the Taseko, the Chilko, the Chilkoten and the Fraser rivers covering about 400k over four days; the water was really moving! There were two of us kayaking, and we met another friend at the end of the river and we drove about 100km with bicycles and then we biked back over the Coast Mountains back to our car. This was many years ago before bikepacking was a bigger thing than it is now and the information we had from the trip was from a coffee table book, ‘The Best Mountain Biking Trips in the World”.  When we got on the trail, we realised that most people did it the other way. We couldn’t actually bike up much of what I guess most other people would have biked down! So that was the first challenge. We were also travelling very light so one of the first nights that we camped at about 8-10 thousand feet we forgot it’s a lot colder at that level! We were able to get to sleep, but I woke up at about 3 am and had to make a great big fire just to keep us warm. Then on the final day, as we were coming down the other side, the biking was actually quite fast as we were on an old fire road. A Jack Pine tree was sticking out into the trail, and it punctured my left arm at the elbow and when I regained consciousness, we realised I would need stitches. I had to bike the last 35 km out to the car with just one arm. It took about twelve or thirteen hours between my puncture and getting to a hospital. When I finally got to the hospital the emergency room doctor said “that’s better than a knife fight in Williams Lake on a Saturday night”

You have huge amounts of experience with these epically long trips with multiple parts, can you talk us through the process of planning an adventure?

There are a couple of us at the core, although three or four of us often travel together. We identify a good place to go and then, especially now, we scour Google Maps. It’s amazing, with the maps in Google Earth, you’re able to look at what sort of terrain you’re going to go on. You then map it out day by day as to how far you think you can go, where you might be able to camp. Then you have to figure out…. one of the big things is food on these sorts of trips. You don’t want to carry more than you have to, but you want to carry enough. You spend a lot of time just making sure that you’ve got everything you need, but not more. Especially so on bikepacking trips more than say wilderness canoe trips. On bike trips you find out where all the small restaurants are so you can feed yourself. Food is a big focus of these trips.

You must burn through so many calories with the physical nature of these trips how do you make sure that you fuel yourself well enough to meet the demands of the trip?

Planning, and you bring lots of things that aren’t necessarily good for you. But I guess it doesn’t matter when you are burning through them.

So, being out in the Canadian wilderness, you’re likely to come into contact with some wildlife. Are there any specific planning or preparations you take to deal with any wildlife encounters?

You always stay away from your food at night. If possible, you put your food into something and hang it in a tree, over a branch. This makes sure the animals can’t get at it. It has to be far enough away from the trunk of the tree, so it hangs out. If you are canoeing, you can float your canoe out into the water with your food aboard so the animals are less likely to get at it. If all else fails you put it under your canoe on the beach and put your pots on top so at least you can hear when animals are getting at it!

Have you travelled somewhere which turned out to be a completely different experience from the one you were expecting?

I don’t know that it was completely different, one trip that we did was the Tour De Mont Blanc, it was a walking tour around Mont Blanc in France. The tour goes through Switzerland, France and Italy and back into France. It’s typically done as a walking tour but we did it on mountain bikes and we learned why people tend to walk it, rather than do it on bikes! It was still lots of fun but certainly some of the parts were better suited for walking than mountain biking. 

Have you got any travel/adventure horror stories?

I realise I am being very food-obsessed, in February we did a trip to Argentina and Chile. We flew into Chile and biked over the Andes into Argentina and then biked back again. Chile is a big agricultural producer and they have very strict quarantine requirements, particularly with what kind of food you can bring in. We knew that to be the case but when we came in originally, they weren’t terribly strict so we got a bit lackadaisical. When we were coming back in the second time, we had to have some food so we thought we’d just bring some dried fruit, some nuts and some dried meats. We got to the border post, which was actually about 30km from the actual border so there’s not a lot of people there. We were already well inside Chile before we got to the border post. We were asked about food and not wanting to spend time in a Chilean jail we said ok, this is what we’ve got! What we thought was they’d look at it and either say ‘ok it’s fine, there’s no risk’ or they’d say ‘you have to throw it out.’ What they actually said was…. ‘You have to eat it’. They said ‘you have to go and sit other there and eat all your food’ and we had a fair few calories! We had to sit there for about an hour finishing all this food, it was a bit of a challenge. That was a real surprise; we never anticipated we would have to gorge ourselves to get into a country.

What is your best comedy moment whilst travelling?

We did a bikepacking trip in Mongolia. We identified a route through the mountains, and we plotted our route and realised that we needed some local help. We were able to find the perfect help; it was a combination of bike rental place and bakery right at the start. We biked through the steppes of Mongolia. It wasn’t remote by Mongolian standards because you’re biking through areas where the Mongolian nomads live. We went by yurts and all sorts of animals. We came out of the mountains and were going into a small town on our sixth day. There was one stretch of pavement the whole 1500km. As we came out of the mountains, we saw there was a huge storm coming behind us. We wanted to bike into this town as quickly as we could and luckily the wind was behind us.. We were doing almost 50km/hr on flat ground, on fully loaded bikes, which is really something! Just as we hit a small aggregation of buildings outside the town, it started to rain and hail. We stopped our bikes and found a building that didn’t seem like anyone was there. We hopped over a fence and put our tarps around us and huddled in, thinking we were going to get really wet. Suddenly, a Mongolian woman came up to us and stuck her head over the fence, beckoning us over. She brought us to the house next door, we went in and it was nice and warm and got dried off. As quickly as she’d appeared, she got in her car and drove away. It wasn’t actually her house that she’d let us into. There was a family in the room next door who were wondering what are these people doing here? But they didn’t kick us out, and we stayed for another half hour till the storm passed.

How did you narrow down on Mongolia, of all the remote places to go, what drew you there?

It was reading articles on places where you can do bikepacking. My friend David read an article that seemed very positive about a section of what we did. We started to do more research, and expanded it beyond what we had read about.

What’s next post COVID?

The plan had actually been to go and do a trip to Switzerland. There are a number of bikepacking trips there, it’s an ideal place for bikepacking on the very civilized end of the range. There are places to stay, places to camp and there are bakeries everywhere. So, that’s a possibility. The other possibility if we can’t travel, probably a bikepacking trip in British Columbia.

I guess living in Canada you’ve got access to lots of different things, you’re not too limited with your choices.

We’re extremely lucky where we live. I live on the edge of nowhere, so I can go out on a day trip on my bike and can easily socially distance from other people by about 10km.

What are your top three tips for adventure travellers and thrill-seekers?

  1. To borrow from Crowded House, always take the weather. You never know what it’s going to be like, actually like. You just need to take the right attitude and be happy with whatever nature deals you.
  2. I find that’s it’s best to go with people who don’t know the meaning of the word whine. And that’s the W-H-I-N-E version.
  3. To take as little as you can to the extent that it overlaps with everything that you need.

I hope you’ve found just as much inspiration as I have from my conversation with Doug. Whilst I might not be tackling a four day white water canoe trip I’ve certainly got some grand plans post COVID!

Stay safe & happy travels

Jess

Hotel Review, mini break, Travel, Travel inspiration, UK, Uncategorized

Hotel Review: Storrs Hall Hotel, Lake Windermere, Lake District

After five months of lock-down and having to put our more adventurous travel plans on hold, we decided a change of scenery was needed. Both my husband and I have been lucky enough to continue working throughout the pandemic. Whilst we have loved having the time together and the time to be at home, it’s been exhausting and work has been intense. When there is no defining boundary between work and home, we fell into the trap of working 24/7. So, like many people this summer we set about a booking a UK staycation.

We formed a bubble with my parents at the end of July and began looking for a break close to their home in North Yorkshire. Cue, a furiously busy morning with my mum calling hotels across the north and finally finding the gem that is Storrs Hall in the Lake District. Luckily, they had two rooms available for the dates we were after. Booking confirmed we were all systems go.

Getting to Storrs Hall

We travelled over to the Lake District from Harrogate, North Yorkshire by car. We set off on Friday morning, and the journey took around two hours. The journey by road is relatively simple although there were very limited places to stop. I would suggest stocking up your car snacks and having a wee before you go. I noticed a number of the petrol stations had closed their toilet facilities due to the pandemic, this is something to bear in mind as you move away from the main roads and larger rest stops.

If you plan to travel by train, the nearest station is Windermere which is five miles from the hotel. There are direct trains to Windermere from Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Kendal. Windermere can also be easily reached with one to two changes from Birmingham New Street, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Newcastle and London Euston.

First Impressions

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the Lakes and do know it is a hugely popular UK destination. But I have to say my levels of anxiety skyrocketed as we drove into Windermere. It was heaving. There were people everywhere and social distancing and the wearing of face coverings didn’t seem to have quite permeated the psyche of these British holidaymakers. However, as we drove out of Windermere towards the hotel, we were wrapped up with country and lakeside views. Not a tourist in sight.

Storrs Hall occupies a lakeside spot about ten minutes outside of Windermere. Close enough if you want to venture in, but far enough away to offer you some space and quiet. The Grade two listed family-owned Georgian manor house crept into view as we swept round the long-curved drive. Nestled in seventeen acres and wrapped on two sides by Lake Windermere, Storrs Hall certainly packs a punch on the first view. With the sun shining and lake glistening we were keen to get checked in and settle down for lunch with a view.

Which Room?

For a relatively small hotel, Storrs Hall has an impressive range of room options.  In the main part of the manor, you have the choice of a Classic room, Classic with a lake view, Superior, Superior with a lake view, Feature lake view, Deluxe, Deluxe with a lake view and a Master lake view bedroom. These thirty rooms have recently been refurbished and had a modern contemporary feel whilst remaining sympathetic to the grandeur and history of the building. The original architecture has been carefully preserved, so each room has a unique character and feel. This helps make your stay a truly exclusive experience for you.

In addition to the rooms in the main manor, Storrs Hall offers six lakeside suites and a boathouse. The lakeside suites are set in woodland just metres from the main building and are incredibly luxurious. With lounge space, hot tubs and sophisticated sumptuous design, these lakeside suites are the perfect hideaway. 

Finally, at the pinnacle of luxury is the boathouse. Set over two floors, the boathouse is an exclusive retreat with a hot tub, fire pit, steam room and lounge.

For our stay, we were able to secure a Classic Lake View, which my husband and I stayed in and a Deluxe room which my parents stayed in.

Classic Lake View (Room 35): What a view! South facing towards the lake and the fells was utter perfection. Even better, our bath was plinth mounted allowing some significant post-hike marinating taking it all in. Our luxurious bathroom was also furnished with a large rainfall shower. Finally, on the topic of luxurious bathrooms, Storrs Hall generously provides a gorgeous range of toiletries courtesy of Molten Brown.

Our room was well appointed with a comfortable king-size bed, tv, wifi, desk and tea and coffee facilities, robes and slippers.  

Deluxe (Room 8 & 9): In the deluxe room you sacrifice the lakeside view for a separate sitting room. The sofa in the sitting room can also be used as a sofa-bed to accommodate small children if you are travelling as a family. The room was stylishly decorated and had all the amenities of the classic lake view. The only drawback of room 8/9 was the lack of a bath. This room, however, is the only Deluxe room without a bath so it might be something worth checking when you make your booking.

Food & Drink

Our stay at Storrs Hall was a bed and breakfast deal but we opted to eat at the hotel for two of our four nights. Lunches and afternoon tea also made an appearance in our schedule. The food was incredible. Locally sourced ingredients, seasonal produce and exquisite presentation made for some sensational meals.

Due to the pandemic, the hotel is offering a reduced menu. However, there is still plenty of choices, and the carefully selected menu should provide something for all tastes and dietary requirements.  

Breakfast: The range of breakfast options on offer was brilliant. Cooked breakfast, toast, cereal, croissants, eggs, whatever your preference nothing was too much trouble. I can thoroughly recommend the vegetarian breakfast; it was the perfect set up for a day hiking through the fells.

Lunch/ Light Bites: Despite a reduced menu due to the pandemic there was plenty on offer for lunch. Sandwiches, salmon plate, burger or just a bowl of chips. Nothing was too much trouble and the service was fabulous.

Dinner: Every dish looked spectacular but my recommendation goes to the Heritage Beetroot starter (There’s a gooey ball of fried goats’ cheese…job done) The pan-fried sea bass and the chocolate slice with sticky honeycomb and cherry sorbet. Whilst the menu is subject to seasonal and producer change it is clear that the quality of kitchen staff will remain. The food was flawlessly prepared and beautifully presented. Dinner at Storrs Hall was perfection.

Afternoon tea: What’s not to love about a hot beverage and cake? The only way to make that combo better is to add finger sandwiches and warm fluffy scones. Coupled with a magnificent view and you’re on to a belter of an afternoon. The Storrs Hall afternoon tea is a must if you are visiting, just make sure you book in advance.

COVID 19 Response

It stands to reason that in the current climate I should outline everything the hotel has put in place to ensure that safety and comfort of the guests. From the moment of my booking, the staff were in contact every couple of days with updates following the latest advice. The main essential of further  information was the requirement for face coverings in all communal parts of the hotel. Once you were sat down with drinks or food of course these could be removed. This open communication from the outset put my mind at ease before we even checked in.

Check-in & check-out: The hotel requested that only one person from the group check-in for each room. This minimised the number of guests in the reception area at any one time. Before check-out, I was emailed a copy of my invoice for checking. Again, this reduced the need to spend additional time in the reception area. In terms of your luggage, the reception staff are happy to help you to your room. However, they will leave the luggage at the door to minimise the number of people coming into contact with the freshly cleaned room.

Sanitising & Social Distancing: Throughout the hotel, there were sanitising stations and signage encouraging you to use them and reminding guests of the two-metre distance requirement. After the checking in the staff talked us through the one-way system in operation throughout the communal areas of the hotel. As a Grade Two listed Georgian manor house, the hotel has space in abundance and social distancing was easily accomplished with the support and planning of the staff. Although the hotel was at maximum occupancy when we checked out, we never felt anxious about running into other guests. Even in corridors and on the stairs, guests and staff were conscious of each other and always moved aside or waited until you had moved on.

Dining: Like many places, the hotel was enforcing a prior booking policy concerning mealtimes. It was no great hardship to pre-book dinner and breakfast. The hotel has a brilliant service system in place. Having reduced the number of tables in the dining room each table was equipped with a ‘service’ table. The restaurant staff would serve the dishes and drinks to the service table and you help yourself from the service table. Once you were finished, you returned your dishes to the service table from which they were collected. This system ensured the staff could stick to the two-metre social distancing guidelines. This new system of dining genuinely didn’t detract from the experience or the high level of service.  

Your room: Aside from no turn-down service there wasn’t any great change to how your room was looked after or your use of it. In the room, there was a comprehensive two-sided document outlining everything the hotel is doing to ensure the safety of the guests. The main thing you needed to do as a guest was to ensure you hung the green service sign on your door each morning. Without the sign, the cleaning staff would not enter your room. Again, this measure ensures a minimal number of people accessing your room, thus reducing risk.

Final Thoughts

Our stay at Storrs Hall felt like a little slice of luxury and calm in what has been a very turbulent time. We felt safe throughout our stay, and the service was impeccable. We really couldn’t have asked for more. If you are considering getting away in the next couple of months, I can’t extol the virtues of Storrs Hall enough. Our short trip has left me planning a return, and I’m looking forward to a more walking focused trip to the Lakes in the future.

Travelling at home and putting money back into our economy has never been more important. So, let’s support local business, private hotels, guesthouses and b n b’s. Everyone is doing all they can to comply with government guidelines to keep us safe. If we want our hospitality and tourism sector to recover then we must invest in it’s future now.

Stay safe & happy travels

Jess

life lessons, Travel, Travel inspiration, Uncategorized

10 Life Lessons to be Learnt from Independent Travel as a Young Adult

Without a doubt, travel has shaped who I am as a person and given me so many hugely treasured experiences. I am completely intoxicated by the whole process of travel. From planning to those first giddy moments of arrival in a new place. I love it. As a teacher by trade, I take such joy from immersing myself in a new culture or the history of a place, but I strongly believe that my travel experiences go deeper than my appreciation of a new place. The independent journeys and opportunities I sought out, particularly in my early twenties have truly formed the adult I am now. So, here are some of the most important life lessons travel has taught me.

1. Budgeting & the value of money

As a young adult or university student, you don’t tend to have huge reserves of disposable cash. Therefore, if you want to travel you’ll need to budget and work for it. I remember taking bar jobs in university and working as a nanny and nursery assistant to earn some extra cash to fund my trips.

Travel is brilliant for helping you to budget. If you’re travelling for four weeks, you’ll need money set aside for food, transport, excursions, tips, accommodation and always, always, always keep some cash for emergencies.

Remote travel is equally perfect for encouraging you to stick to your budget. If you know there will be no access to a cash point or bank then you’ll have to carefully consider spending limits each day.

Travel, in addition, gives you an unprecedented understanding of the value of money. Think how far your money goes in places like Thailand compared to Iceland. The cost of living varies hugely across the world. So, when you are haggling with a street seller over two hundred rupees think to yourself how much that is in UK Sterling. Is it worth haggling over £1? Particularly if that money would make a big difference for that individual.

Travel and money can also come with a few nasty surprises, which most young travelers will only fall foul of once. Bank charges for using your UK bank card, astronomical mobile-phone bills, medical charges if you’ve not bothered with insurance can all be a financial wake-up call. Make sure you do your research and speak to your bank before you travel if you have any concerns.

2. Get out of your comfort zone

Travel will undoubtedly put you in situations you never thought you’d find yourself in. Whether that is standing atop a cliff, digging deep for the courage to jump into frigid waters or desperately holding it together whilst rescuing a seven-year-old from notoriously big kayak spiders, seriously they are huge. Or a personal favourite closing your eyes and hoping nothing bites you as you try to pee in a hole in the ground in Kenya.

There will always be something new or unknown when you’re travelling. The best thing you can do is embrace it. When you approach a situation with an open mind and a positive attitude there will always be something encouraging to take from the experience.

Travel is about broadening your experiences. How can you say you don’t like a thing if you’ve never tried it? How can you say its not your type of thing if you haven’t given it a go? My husband’s response to white water rafting is the perfect example. He was sceptical, a little moany and very much like this is not my thing. I will not enjoy it. Cue fifteen minutes into paddling; he’s right at the font, bossing every rapid and living his best life.

What have you got to lose?

3. Working & interacting with new people

You can’t avoid it, whether you’re a people person or not you will spend your whole life working with and having to interact with people. Travel is one of those things that makes you strike up a conversation. Group travel particularly is brilliant. The one thing you all have in common is your choice to travel; that’s a pretty good starting point.

Travel also gives you the ideal opportunity to test out your language skills. I am always ashamed by my poor linguistical skills. So many people across the globe possess a phenomenal grasp of English and I can just about muster ‘hello’ and mime my way through ordering a meal. But these interactions are priceless.

Photo by Belle Co on Pexels.com

One of the steepest learning curves I found was work in a different country. Nothing prepares you better for the working world than throwing yourself into a job in another country. I landed in Canada five days before I was due to start work at a summer camp teaching outdoor sport. Three of my five days were taken up with a first aid course to gain the appropriately recognised qualification, and two days were devoted to travelling. Suddenly I was working with a team of strangers, welcoming children from the age of seven to sixteen and taking full responsibility for my group 24/7. In those situations, you bond quickly, forge strong relationships and you get your head down and do the job in front of you.

4. Perseverance

As a teacher, one of my biggest niggles is that students give up so easily and seem to lack a deeper layer of resilience. Don’t give up. Whatever you are doing see it through to the end. The sense of accomplishment you feel at the end will completely outweigh any negative sections of the journey. The parts of our journey we find the hardest are often the parts we look back on most fondly. Language will be a barrier, you will have setbacks and plans will get changed, but stick with it.

I remember taking a group of eleven-year-olds on a kayak trip in Canada. As one of two adults in charge, I felt such a weight of responsibility for the children’s safety and well-being. So, despite the choppy water and toeing one of the less confident paddlers, I pushed through. The combination of responsibility and the physical challenge was a real test of my perseverance.

Challenge yourself, set ambitious goals and reflect on your success. You might surprise yourself with grit you didn’t even know you had.

5. Confidence & self-belief

Travel presents you with so many opportunities to learn and grow. Only when you stop can, you reflect on all the things you got right, or how you were able to learn from a particular situation. Making your flights, planning excursions, ordering in a different language, sharing your shower with local reptiles or even your Imodium lasting you an eight-hour bus ride across Rajasthan. Take confidence from the small wins.  Whether it was your careful planning or your mental attitude, you did those things. You made them happen and came out on top.  

6. Organisational skills

I remember sitting on my bedroom floor in 2008 and again in 2009 carefully laying out every item I would need for four weeks in India and seven weeks working in Canada. I wrote lists, researched and added more things to my list. My trip to India was my first big independent adventure without my parents, so I wanted to prove that I could do it. I wanted to get it right. Being gifted the opportunity to go and explore this fabulous country with my best friend was incredible. As newly turned twenty-year-olds we were so naïve but with naivety comes enthusiasm, we certainly weren’t short of that. Throughout the planning process, packing and even when we were away, the organisation played such a key part to the success of our trip. Clothing, money, visa’s, transport and connections from our group tour to the second part of the trip all had to be carefully thought about.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Without the opportunity to take responsibility I would never have unearthed my love for a planning spreadsheet or colour coded budgeting.

7. Adapt. Change. Go with the flow

Change is inevitable and perfectly laid plans are great. But travel doesn’t always fit into your carefully crafted schedule or itinerary. Flights get cancelled, transport is delayed, miserable weather scuppers your outdoor adventures or the world goes into lockdown forcing you to move your adventures closer to home or indulge your wanderlust via Instagram.

 I can honestly say, I struggle with big changes but I love spontaneity when I travel. An odd mix, I know. However, when I do make plans, I like sticking to them. But for every situation that hasn’t gone as I’d hoped, I’ve learnt, grown and ultimately, it’s all turned out ok, if not better.

 The ability to adapt and change your plans at a moments notice is a crucial life lesson. Being flexible will not only improve your travel experiences, but it’s vital in the wider world. Embracing the unknown when travelling truly is part of the whole experience, so don’t sweat the small stuff, think on your feet and roll with it.

8. Appreciation

Travel will leave you with a newfound appreciation of different cultures, cuisine and the natural environment. Standing at the bottom of Victoria falls in Zambia listening to the water pound the rocks or sitting in the sunshine on the shores of Lake Windermere listening to nothing but bird song it’s hard not to be in awe of mother nature.

During my time in India, we stayed with a local family in Bellary. The family were so welcoming and generous with the little they had. Despite three generations living in the house, we were offered a whole room and use of the bathroom to ourselves. Everything in that family was shared but they were the most joyful people who appreciated everything. I left their home after two weeks feeling humble and buoyantly thankful for their kindness.

9. Experiences out-weigh possessions

What is more valuable? Is the photograph taken straight after your first exhilarating cliff dive? Or a small tourist souvenir that will be destined for a cupboard before making its way to the charity shop? Travel has taught me that experiences outweigh stuff, every time. Experiences and memories will stay with you so much longer than a tourist souvenir bought for the sake of it.

Meaningful experiences help you get under the skin of a place and its culture. I remember visiting a wood carving workshop in rural Bali. Whilst my parents bought the most fabulous carved elephant from the roots of a mahogany tree.  I remember wandering around the back. Air thick with smoke. Men and women hunched on bamboo mats completely engrossed in their work. I was transfixed on their dexterous and skillful working of the wood. Animals, Gods and Goddesses materialised before my eyes. So, although the elephant is a gorgeous and beguiling thing, it is the memory of the place and the people that have stayed with me.

10. Unforgettable experiences and interactions

My travels have taken me to some incredible places, and I hold those experiences close. Travel is inspirational, the more you do the more you yearn for more.

Some of the best experiences are those which cannot be repeated or recreated. The magic of adventure is in the culmination of circumstances. Combine sheer exhaustion with sitting on the banks of the Zambezi watching elephants drink from the other side and a moderately strong mojito and you’ve got a perfect moment.

Transient relationships and interactions with people from all walks of life are special nuggets that enrich your journeys. I remember taking a local train India with my ginger best friend. With gorgeous Scottish milky skin and fiery red hair, she was an absolute novelty and the brilliant catalyst for conversation.

I would love to know your travel stories and how travel has impacted you.

Stay safe & Happy travels.

Jess