tRAVEL RESOURCES

Travel planning and preparation can be almost as fun as your actual travels – but only if you know which resources to look at. There are so many different agencies, booking websites and travel products. But which are the best?

On this page I explain my go-to resources and tips to ensure you have a safe, cost-effective and the most stress-free trip you could possibly have.

You may wish to use this page as a checklist to ensure you have everything before you set off on your travels.

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Flight Search & Booking Services:

SKYSCANNER

Skyscanner is hands down the best flight search website out there. I absolutely love their ‘to everywhere’ destination search feature. You can also search for any flights in a whole month or even the cheapest month in the year. If you have flexible travel dates, an ‘everywhere’ search for the cheapest month is guaranteed to fill you with joy and help you to find an absolute bargain!

If you don’t have flexible dates, it’ll scour the all routes and airlines to to bring up the best flight options for you.

Search Flights

Accommodation Booking

BOOKING.COM

The industry leader when it comes to searching and comparing good value accommodation from across the world is by far Booking.com. 

The search function is simple and user-friendly and best of all, they have some of the best prices around. The fact that you can often ‘book now and pay later’ with relaxed cancellation terms is ideal for the non-committal traveller or for when things change, as they often do.

From unique properties to glamping, hostels, city hotels and cute cottages, there are just so many different options to choose from, all conveniently in one place.

Search ACCOMMODATION

Tours and Activities:

VIATOR (BY TRIPADVISOR)

If you like to organise your activities, especially if you travel solo, I would absolutely recommend that you use Viator to search and compare different group and private tours. Bringing top-rated tour companies together in one place, Viator covers all name of activities, across all seven continents. 

Search TOURS

Travel Card & International Transfers:

WISE (APP)

For spending money abroad, the best multi-currency card I have ever used is Wise (formerly Transferwise). With a simple App on your phone you can top up and spend in international currencies, with low conversion rates and minimal transaction fees.

I also love the fact you can set up ‘virtual’ bank accounts in a few clicks. So if you need to get paid in a currency that you don’t have a bank account in, you can easily set one up. You can also send money to overseas accounts without any hassle and at a reasonable, low fee. It really has been an absolute game changer for me.

Everyone who I’ve recommended Wise to, absolutely loves it and has found it saves them a lot of money compared normal bank credit/debit cards.

Check out the wise app

Eco-friendly Travel Gear

When I’m travelling – be it backpacking or staying in a luxury resort, I try and travel as sustainably as I can so I minimise my impact on the planet. I’m no expert, but a few of my favourite eco-friendly travel products can be found below:

                                   

My Travel Gear Essentials

There are some items that I’ve learnt over the years are absolute essentials to travel with. This list contains all the staple products that can be found in my backpack, no matter where I go:

  • Universal travel adaptor  –  this product gives absolute peace of mind and saves you researching what the power outlet is in the country you are visiting – it has them all! There are even FOUR USB slots so you can charge multiple devices at once. 
  •  A sarong  –  there are so many uses for a sarong; for modesty when you’re visiting a place of worship, to make some shade, to use as a makeshift towel, lie out as a beach towel, use as a laundry bag and so on. It takes up hardly any space and I find I use it in one way or another, basically every trip.
  • Shampoo and conditioner bars  –  solid toiletries save heaps of space and weight in your luggage. Best of all, you can pack them into your hand luggage and take them on your flight – ideal for hand luggage only travellers!
  • Hand sanitiser  –  just in case there’s no soap and water or just to stay hygienic on the road, I will always carry a travel-sized bottle of alcohol-based hand gel!
  • A fold-up day bag  –  whether I just want to grab some things from a market or need to pack a small bag for a day trip, a small, splash-proof bag is a really convenient and useful item to pack. I use the lightweight ZOMAKE brand. 
  • A reusable filtered water bottle – as someone who is always outdoors, I love carrying a filtered water bottle suitable to drink water right from streams and waterfalls. It’s also amazing to drink water from the tap in countries where it is typically unsafe. I have both a Lifestraw Go and a Australian brand which is similar, called AquaVik which kill 99.99% of bacteria in the water.

Guide Books 

LONELY PLANET

You either love or hate a guide book. However in my opinion, even if you don’t want to lug a book in your backpack everyday, they make a perfect resource to help plan your travels either from home before you go, or as a reference document to leave in your hotel room. Yes, there’s loads of fun to be had stumbling upon something cool that isn’t in a guidebook, but you don’t want to miss the highlights, right?

I have stacks of guide books and if anything, I find them incredibly inspiring to read even when I’m not travelling (or planning).

At home I have the Lonely Planet’s Guide to the World (yes, I go through and ‘tick’ destinations off – don’t judge!). It also makes an especially good gift for a travel-lover.

You can shop the top picks for Lonely Planet guide books here: