Things We Learnt In:

At some point, everyone has experienced a travel fail, whether it's a missed flight or a foreign language faux pas. We found that we were experiencing so many fails (luckily of the minor variety) that we started to keep a note of the things we learnt from them. Here is a small selection of the cleaner stories for you, to show that travel is not all glamour and Instagram shots! The time we tried to photograph parrots at Kennett River, Australia "Go to Kennett River" they said, "it'll be fun" they said, "the parrots are really friendly and you'll get great photos" they said...... The unfortunate thing about wildlife, as anyone who has tried to photograph it well knows, is that it does not work well under direction. We learnt quite quickly that parrots will happily have a row with each other whilst scrabbling all over you, and will bite your ears if they think you might be hiding something worth eating! Despite taking a parrot d...

Riga is a gem of a destination and Latvia is entirely ready to show you an amazing winter wonderland break. As part of that, dog sledding is on offer. That leads to an uncomfortable question- how can you tell if your dog sledding tour is ethical and responsible? The key here is research. Take your time to find out whether the animal attraction you want to give your money too is ethical. There are boundless resources online, but if you are still in doubt, ask questions. Contact the tour providers, the sled dogs kennels, check previous reviews from other travellers. If you are still unsure at that point, take your money elsewhere- better not to undertake the activity at all than to fund something harmful to animals, because we all know we are suckers for animals! Some things to consider when deciding on a tour operator for dog sledding are: How are the dogs kept? Dogs need to be kept in clean, dry and warm conditions. Avoid paying money to any attraction that has dirty kennels or...

Riga is the cosmopolitan capital of Latvia, a tiny Baltic state with less than 2 million residents. What Latvia may lack in size it makes up in beautiful architecture, incredible landscapes and a compact capital city which feels like it was made for budget friendly long weekend city breaks. We travelled to Latvia in December for the added bonus of Christmas markets and mulled black balsam to help keep out the chill! In order to cram as much into a limited time span as possible, we recommend this three day itinerary. Day One When you arrive in Riga the chances are you will jump on one of the shuttle buses from the airport and trundle into Riga. If you get off of the shuttle in the Old Town then you have the perfect start to your weekend. St Peters Church For 9 Euros per adult you can access the Church itself which holds exhibitions (a fabulous photography exhibition was on while we visited) and to the 72m tall tower. The viewing platform around the tower provide...

Kenya is an incredible country- beautifully diverse landscapes, breathtaking wildlife and fantastic people. With so much to cram in to your time in the country it can be hard to know where to start. To take the stress out of planning, here is a suggested 8 day itinerary to make sure the time poor can be the experience rich! Day 1 - arrive in Nairobi You've probably had a long and exhausting flight to reach Kenya, so when you arrive you might be keen to relax and take a nap. No time I'm afraid, because the first 24 hours of this suggested itinerary take you to Giraffe Manor. Enjoy being fully immersed in the conservation of the endangered Rothschild giraffes that make Giraffe Manor their home, and be ready to be enchanted when you see these long legged beasts galloping around the grounds. I could wax lyrical about Giraffe Manor all day, but to save you the time you can read the full review here . Day 2 - Lake Nakuru National Park An early start will see you leavi...