Recently I was invited to take part in a campaign/challenge to explore Manchester for a day… but it wouldn’t be a challenge without a catch: I have to do it all on a £50 budget – and make the most of it!
For a blogger who’s lived in Manchester for nearly six years I have never blogged much about my adopted hometown, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to showcase more of the city I now call home so here it goes… Continue Reading
(This one is coming to you a little bit later than I would’ve liked but better late than never, right? Right.)
About 10 days before D and I took off to Asia, we went on a little Bank Holiday trip with two of our dear friends, Asma and Mo of Jet Set Chick fame. We went to Norway, stayed in a beautiful Airbnb on the island of Tjøme, and had a brilliant time.
Now we rarely ever go on holidays with friends. We might have gone on holidays ‘to see friends’ but not often ‘with friends’, and from this trip, I picked up a few tips and tricks to organising a getaway with a group of people – and here they are. Continue Reading
If you’ve been following my activities on Instagram, you’d know that since my previous blog I’ve left the UK and travelled to five different countries; Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia where I am now… and like all my other homecoming trips, I had to make a pit-stop in Penang – after all, I’m half a Penangite!
Before I embarked on this (yet another) very eye-opening trip, a few people started asking me questions about my experience as a person living far away from their family… so I’ll be sharing all my answers this #TravelTuesday! Continue Reading
So this came as a bit of a random opportunity but a few weeks ago, I was invited to the launch night at Juniper’s new restaurant in Hale… and to be completely honest, I wasn’t too impressed with my experience then – with both their food and their service – but I put that down to a number of factors: 1) perhaps a new team of staff; 2) maybe a new menu; 3) possibly the number of attendees; and 4) definitely the rush.
Not long after the launch, I decided to give it another try (largely because we were gifted vouchers to spend on another meal) and I was pleasantly surprised – so let me walk you through why…
If you know me in person… Heck, if you’re even a little bit familiar with my blog, you’d know that I’m addicted to travel. And when you’re a travel addict, people have questions.
Whenever I share my travel plans with people IRL or over the internet, I almost always get asked the standard questions so I figured why not put all of these frequently-asked questions together in a blog post and answer them once and for all!
one “So… Do you work?”
I think this and “How do you afford it?” probably tie for the question I get asked the most.
The short answer is yes, I do work, and that’s how I afford it. Actually that’s a lie, while I do have a full-time job, I can afford all my travels because I’m very careful with my expenses (for the most part anyway) and the only luxuries in life that I really splurge on are clothes and travels. I don’t drink, smoke, or go on nights-out so that saves me a lot of money… because why get a hangover when you can have post-vacay blues instead, right?
two “Where are you staying?”
I’d say more than half the time I stay at Airbnbs. If you’ve never stayed at one before, you’re missing out. Big. Time.
Part of the reason why I can afford to go away so frequently is all thanks to Airbnb #nonspon — it’s seriously the best thing that’s ever happened to modern-day travelling. If you’re into meeting people, staying at places that reflect the locals’ way of life, truly ‘living’ in a foreign city even if it’s only a long weekend then I’d highly recommend it. On the other hand, if you just want all-inclusive, easy, hassle-free accommodation then I’d suggest you stick with traditional hotels… but I know which one I’d rather choose!
(You can use my Airbnb promo code now and get £25 off your first stay!)
three “You happy to be back?”
Of course! That sounded more sarcastic than I intended, but I am.
… the truth is : I’m one of those people who live to travel and travel to live. In order for me to keep exploring the world, I need to get my backside into work every day! Luckily I do enjoy what I do professionally, which makes life so much easier. So in short, I am always happy to come home after spending a little time away — because then I can start looking forward to the next trip!
By now you may be wondering “When is your next holiday?”… Well, the honest answer is I don’t know — do you count a family visit to Dublin as a holiday? If so, then Dublin later this month, otherwise Oslo in late-August with some of my fave people, including my fellow jet-setter and all-round cool chick Asma, from Jet Set Chick!
Do you also get asked a lot of repeated questions about your travels? Do you have any questions for me? Let me know down below!!
Oliver ❤
![#Throwback to that Aug Bank Holiday weekend we spent in Norway 🇳🇴☁️
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At this point I don’t think there’s even a number for how many Airbnbs we’ve stayed at ... So far we’ve been very lucky with our choices, touch wood, but this one in T J Ø M E still stands out to me as the best one yet! [ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]](http://scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/ebf4c8dceed6de2ae779ce27d28e72ea/5CEBB477/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/45445552_197419244476076_9130217571952009395_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com "#Throwback to that Aug Bank Holiday weekend we spent in Norway 🇳🇴☁️
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At this point I don’t think there’s even a number for how many Airbnbs we’ve stayed at ... So far we’ve been very lucky with our choices, touch wood, but this one in T J Ø M E still stands out to me as the best one yet! [ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]")
![Break out the overcoat; it’s officially transitional season!! ☁️
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SWIPE FOR MORE // or check the #linkinprofile for the full look. [ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]](http://scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/5f8df5da3ccf7837a78cb7c291575417/5D0B7C04/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/44777165_596671254109189_45570367817354030_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com "Break out the overcoat; it’s officially transitional season!! ☁️
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SWIPE FOR MORE // or check the #linkinprofile for the full look. [ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]")
![⏱ Two weeks ago we were travelling in Norway ... Fast-forward to the present : I’m sitting here at Dubai Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok, and onwards ... ☁️ Did my feet even touch the ground? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
[ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]](http://scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/ae1b75f74aa1cbb82e4a5ec132225c46/5D024F66/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/40108680_2175852912630755_4744127860019748758_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com "⏱ Two weeks ago we were travelling in Norway ... Fast-forward to the present : I’m sitting here at Dubai Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok, and onwards ... ☁️ Did my feet even touch the ground? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
[ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]")
![🍃 B L O O M : This is officially my new fave timepiece _ courtesy of @icewatch
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[ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]](http://scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/e410d2f91a7bd6c2b55776fe63b68276/5D2704EE/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/40265260_2197543787196939_132790957044137984_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-cdg2-1.cdninstagram.com "🍃 B L O O M : This is officially my new fave timepiece _ courtesy of @icewatch
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[ 📷 : @dktravelpix ]")
