Six Tips For Eating Well When Backpacking

Travelling for a long period of time is exhausting. Lugging a rucksack from place to place, on every mode of transport you can imagine and then eventually hitching up at a hostel where there's zero food to chow down on. It's so easy to end up snacking on convenience food and getting takeaways, but really, if you're on a multi-month, multi-country trip, that is NOT the way to be saving money. Eating well on the road is easy, cheap and healthy with just a bit of preparation. Here's how I managed it on my trip from Malaysia to New Zealand:

The Beginner's Guide of Where to Shop in London's West End

I know the streets of the West End pretty well after almost seven years of living in London; so it is super rare that I actually spend a day in the area, rather than powering through it with my earphones in whilst I snarl at tourists. But as I've said so many times before, you don't have to go off the beaten track to have a great travel experience, so I set out to explore my own city, embracing the West End's 'London is Open' message, and had a full day of hitting actual shops rather than just adding to my never-ending ASOS order. 

If it's your first time to this area, here's where you should head to:

An Indulgent Brunch at Angelina, Paris

Finding the place to eat the famous foods of Paris is like finding a needle in a haystack. There's baguettes and macaroons and red wine on every corner, but that obviously doesn't mean it's good, which is why I insisted on returning to Angelina during my most recent visit to France.

Three Things to Do in Runaway Bay, Jamaica (That Go Beyond Your All-Inclusive Hotel)

The contrast between the rural area of Jamaica that my family are from compared to the shiny tourist resorts is staggering. I've said before that the tropical island paradise that is so frequently associated with the country was a stark contrast to what I first experienced when I went to St Elizabeth, but spending a couple of days in Runaway Bay, I saw the shiny, picture perfect hotels that draw people in from around the world.

Flying Business Class on British Airways

I've never turned left on a plane before. I've been lucky enough to not always be squidged up in Economy, by going one step up to Premium Economy, which I've loved every time for just a bit more space and the fact that you're allowed an actual glass to drink out of. But I've always been jealous of those in the front of the plane; the ones who get to actually lie down when the cabin lights are turned down.

A Weekend in Poole, Dorset

My childhood holidays were 99% UK based, which means I've seen a lot more this fair isle than most. But, as with some places I visited before I truly valued my travels (Berlin, I'm looking at you), I want to start going back and appreciating them as an adult. So, in the face of adversity (re. RAIN), I went adventuring in the Dorset town of Poole.

A Day Trip to Vianden Castle, Luxembourg (or, OMG That Looks Like Hogwarts)

It became clear pretty quickly, that as much as Luxembourg City was fascinating and beautiful, it was also very, very small. After a full Saturday there, we began to realise that, as in many places in Europe, it would be a ghost town on a Sunday. Our Luxembourg Cards allowed us transport out of the centre, so early the next day we got a rail replacement bus followed by a short train journey out to the tiny town of Vianden.

One Day in Paris: Where to Eat Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Gosh, we're lucky here in the UK. The fact that a casual day trip over to France is a) feasible and b) affordable, is a luxury that I certainly don't take advantage of enough. With Eurostar pinging you straight from St Pancras into the centre of Paris, you can get your culture on easy-peasy AND stuff your face with deliciousness at the same time. I walk everywhere in Paris, so I need the fuel; here's where I'd happily eat three meals a day, every day: