AT PLAY

For the home enhancers, the foodies, the wanderers

Five travel blogs that make my heart sing…

Hello lovely readers! Yearning to scratch that travel itch? Me too! So many places to go, people to see, views to snap, exotic foods to consume, i simply can’t decide where to next.

You see, the silver fox, a Naval man with a story for every port in the world, primarily swaggering through posh hotels (aiming to attract women who can’t resist a sharp Richard Geresque white uniform I’m sure), is a tad meh! ‘Your choice Jano.’ So do I revisit existing highlights (all things European) to inspire and annoy in equal measure, or do we make new memories together? Research required stat!

Drawing inspo from my favourite travel blogs, I realised there’s a lot about travel that I’m not an expert on. Family destinations? No idea. Travelling solo? A little bit. Information on hotels? Only a little. Photography? My trusty iPhone. Food expert? Only to consume it. While researching I came across even more exciting blogs from people who CAN answer those questions; and as you might be after a little inspo as well, here are my top 5:

The Blonde Abroad

The minute you subscribe to The Blonde Abroad you’re greeted with Kiki’s favourite destinations with a focus on photography, food, culture and adventure. The safest cities to travel alone, top Safari destinations in Africa, best Scuba Dives, best Girlfriend getaways. Beautifully presented, inspirational, you can just feel Kiki’s passion pulling at your travel heart strings.

I Am Aileen

Aileen Adalid is behind the cool site I Am Aileen. Gorgeous design, ethereal photos, Aileen is the epitomy of a successful digital nomad with a mission to show us that no matter the odds, it is entirely possible to create a life of non-stop travel and establish financial independence with remote work. Check her site out for the destination guides, hints and tips and humble lessons.

Salt in Our Hair

Nick and Hannah are two creatives from The Netherlands, Salt in Our Hair is their baby, and if you’re looking for Asian, European, African, Central and South America and Middle Eastern inspiration, look no further. Their Instagram imagery so inspired I just had to subscribe! While garnering inspiration from their insightful recommendations, check their Insta out here:  #saltinourhair

12HRS

Have a destination in mind, a limited itinerary and unsure where to start? 12HRS provides you with 12hr long itineraries that encapsulate the best of the best to see in one handy schedule. Less sightseeing, more wandering. Cool stores instead of tourist traps. Luxury when you want it and bargains when you least expect them. You can just feel their love for fashion, design, great food and even better coffee.

Hand Luggage Only

Yaya and Lloyd upped their Facebook holiday snap share competitiveness while at Cambridge by collaborating their stories into this one spectacular site Hand Luggage Only. Just reading their bios makes you want to follow. And that’s what I did. Not unlike 12 hours, these guys give you 10 things to do when visiting… sometimes 11 because why not? Hints, tips, hacks, advice and a cracking good journalling comes with their destinations. Check them out here: Hand Luggage Only

Now you have a glorious feast of suggestions from which to draw a little inspiration. Me? I’m hovering between Spain (the Catalonian region), Portugal and Morocco, the nordic countries or the southern tip of Italy (thanks ‘The White Lotus’ season two!) 🙂 Drop us a line on where you’re planning to brave the 24 hour flight for a fabulous holiday…

 

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Beating the post holiday blues…

Hi, there lovely readers, let’s talk about post-holiday blues. I get them, don’t you? Seems my friends do too. Over a recent lazy lunch, the girls and I were hoping to enjoy a vicarious holiday via our ‘just returned from a three-week European break’ friend. Instead, she confessed ‘It all went so fast, I feel like I have permanent jetlag!’ As we toasted ‘jetlag’ (any excuse) we ruminated on the question – how can we hold onto the buzz of a holiday rather than succumb to post-hol malaise?    

A spot of research via fellow travellers, travel-loving bloggers and my own experiences resulted in three magic words. Nature. Detox. Ritual.

NATURE

Some years ago I took a six-month sabbatical; to mourn, rest, rejuvenate and to test my solo mettle. The Cinque Terra, the five old fishing villages perched high on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of Italy became my home, the locals my friends, nature my saviour. You see, the last words my husband, a passionate yachtie, shared with me before he sailed permanently over the horizon were “Think of me at sunset babe and know I’ll be thinking of you.” The Mediterranean sunsets were so spectacular, finding the best observation vantage point became an obsession. On some eves I’d share my day with him, fond memories too, on others I’d sit in quiet contemplation and simply marvel at the glorious hues of rose and magenta, cerulean blue and indigo as the sky and ocean became one. A calming, spiritually cleansing ritual and one I continue to this day.

Sneak away from your fellow travellers, immerse yourself in a spot of nature and notice how your mind and body feel as you begin to relax into your surroundings. The meditative sound of the surf tumbling pebbles along the shoreline; the subtle colour shifts as sky and ocean become one at sunset; the gentle luft of a lone yacht passing by. Sparkles on water, sunlight filtering through treetops, the scent of unfurling blossoms, cacophony of bird calls at dusk. All so obvious, yet how often do we give ourselves permission to truly absorb these moments?

Taking the time to do this can be equivalent to clearing our mental slate and eliminating the noise of “busyness” that often plagues us. Unlike the stimulation of a large, bustling city, it’s a chance to process your thoughts and allow new ideas to emerge. 

DETOX  

Possible to hide your devices and detox? Possible yes, but not always plausible, depending on your personal circumstances. I use my phone to document observations, take snaps, an offline map to find my way around and, at times, Spotify to add a soundtrack to my day.  But scroll my socials? No.

During a European trip with friends, our daily ritual was simple. Share the day’s photos over a G&T when we landed at our next digs. Discuss everyone’s favourite highlights over dinner. Document the best over a nightcap. Recap and refine the resulting blog post over breakfast. Post. Can we remember almost every aspect of that holiday – absolutely! Friends followed the blog, the blog auto-posted to the socials and anyone interested could follow the journey from either option. Those who have adopted the habit say they love the way this keeps them focused on their adventures rather than scrolling.

If writing isn’t your gig, a quick daily round-up of observations in a journal and curation of favourite images gives solo you, or you and your travel buddies, a chance to relive the day in glorious colour. 

Friends also say that if you’re self-employed and feel the need to check in with work, resist the urge. Instead empower your team to make decisions on your behalf and inform them that, bar the building burning down, they’ve got this!  If you feel you must check in, select a specific time frame and stick with it. Creating solid boundaries around technology can help you remain in the present and give your mind that much-needed break.

RITUAL

You needed that restorative holiday, you earned it and now you want to maintain that zen feeling after you step off the plane yes? It is possible to counteract return-to-work stress by being a little strategic and intentional beforehand.  

So many bloggers recommended creating a little ‘returning home’ ritual. While winging your way home, research where you’d like to travel next and pull together a list of options and rough dates. A cruise? A local holiday? Another overseas destination? You’ve now created something to look forward to before you’ve even landed. But what about your personal well-being post-landing? 

Design a strategy to keep that bliss long after you’ve logged back into life as you knew it. This might include putting plans in place to manage sleep hygiene and healthy eating habits, exercising, and remembering to take it easy on the first day back. A friend always adds Monday to her holidays to rest and recuperate. As you resume work, check in with yourself – still fulfilling the intention you had set for your holiday?  Still feeling joyful, energised, calm? Revisit that journal and photos and relive some of the best experiences. You may even wish to create a storyboard for that next trip! Just some of the many great ways to counteract stress and remind yourself that your batteries are recharged. 

Here’s to calmer and more mindful travels!

What are your strategies? Drop your thoughts in the chat 🙂

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Oh for the love of travel…

Lovely readers, travel is back on the agenda and I’m so excited! You see, I live to travel, I revel in writing, and Indulge Divulge, launched way back in 2013, has been the perfect platform for combining the two. Until COVID.

As we embraced lockdown I ‘pivoted’ (seriously, how could I not exploit the most overused word of that period huh?) to share hints and tips for living a life filled with elegance and passion via the blog’s additional topics; fuelled by your brilliant suggestions and feedback. From career inspiration to personal confessions, a sanity check during those dark days, and available via the menus should you wish to dive in.  But back to travel!

Indulge Divulge ignited the desire to jump off the tourist junket and explore and write about the lesser-known parts of the countries and cities I’ve had the privilege of visiting. Living with the locals in the fishing villages of Italy’s Cinque Terre; seeking the space invader tile montages tucked away in the back streets of Paris; marvelling at the soft hues of Florence; revelling in the Mediterranean sunsets on the Cote d’Azur; gasping in awe as Mt Fujiyama briefly peeked through her misty shroud; climbing the walls of Dubrovnik; singing wildly out of key with a Venetian gondolier… I could go on but that would be just too tossy. I’ll let my stories do the talking.

If you’ve been to those places yourself, a joyful reminder of your own experiences, potential inspiration if building your future travel agenda or simply a chance to vicariously enjoy my ramblings from the comfort of your sofas.

I’m already plotting the next journey and can’t wait to share and inspire again. Of course, my beloved Paris will again be on the agenda, accompanied by the silver fox; after all Paris – the city of lights – is also known as the city of love!

Stay tuned lovely readers, meanwhile enjoy a few blasts from the travel past…

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