Happiness Is Just Around The Bend

The Adelaide to Cairns drive is not your obvious Australian road trip. When I told people that I’d decided to drive 3,000 kilometres through the Australian outback on my own, 98% of them thought, to put it politely, that I’d lost the plot. I thought I’d lost it a long time ago, but admittedly driving from Adelaide to Cairns alone was certainly one of my more hairbrained schemes. The main reason for my Adelaide to Cairns drive was to do the staple ‘backpacker in Australia’ thing – chase the sun. Arriving in temperamental Adelaide after so long in the tropics was a shock, and rather than travel to Melbourne and up the east coast, ending my Australia trip in Cairns, I wanted to fast track straight to the heat and drive straight up to Tropical North Queensland. The world’s most pointless traffic light – there were no crossroads or roadworks, and at this point I hadn’t seen a car for about 2 hours. The things you find in the outback… Then I started researching t...

Reading Time: 3 minutes Rio de Janeiro. Is it a city? Beach? Jungle? … Luxury? Poverty? This cultural and geographical fusion is a headlining destination. If there was a destination based Hollywood “A” List, Rio would be on it. Rio de Janeiro is an undisputed favorite amongst travelers because it makes your spirit dance. It takes you by the hips or collar and keeps you up all day and night. It sways your heart and challenges everything you thought you knew about people and places. Before you know it, your spirit is dancing. It’s the people. It’s the activities. The landscape. The blatant socioeconomic segregation that we often ignore in our own cities. The music. The food. The nightlife.  The richness in art. It’s Rio. I recently collaborated with Brazilian photographer and personality Paulo del Valle on an article “No World Cup? Why You Should Still Visit Brazil.”  He is a local expert of things to do in Rio whose taste I trust. ...

Despite castles being found all over the world, there is something about the typical medieval fortifications that always seems to hark back to British culture and heritage. The first castles were constructed in Norman times to protect Britain from naval invaders – built as defensive points along the coastline. Later, they were also constructed further inland, where they served as both protection and regal homes. Castles were an integral part of British culture for centuries, and their construction was one of the many factors that enabled Britain to develop at such a pace in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, castles are an awe-inspiring must-visit for all who are interested in English heritage and history. There are lots of medieval castles all over Great Britain, but  plenty near London that you can visit on a day trip from the capital. Here’s my six favourite: Hever Castle Just an hour from London lies this glorious double moated seven-century old castle. It was built in 1270 as a m...