How Norway Made me Fall in Love with Winter

Hey Owlets,

For so many people, the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping is met with a feeling of dread. From as early as the end of August, I hear people talking about how they're not looking forward to the darker nights and shorter days. Honestly, I get it - the world just feels more alive in summer. There are festivals, weddings and social events every weekend, not to mention just feeling the sun on your skin is good for our mental health.

I think for a lot of people, the colder days and darker nights bring a feeling of loneliness, isolation, and maybe even a touch of cabin fever. I try to make the most of everyday, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't felt the same.

Until I went to Northern Norway in winter.

Meet the Sleepy Wiltshire Village that Instagram Destroyed

Castle Combe was a sleepy village in Wiltshire, until a few Instagrammers showed up

Hey Owlets,

After decades of marketing agencies vying for the attention of tourists across the globe, cheap flights and now the power of social media, the days of countries frantically advertising their homeland as a holiday destination are now over for many. In their place sit tourist taxes, “destination management” offices (the new-fangled term for marketing agencies that encourage tourists OUT of their city) and often unfriendly locals. While we’ve been hearing about over-tourism and the dangers around it for years, it feels even more prominent in the post-covid travel boom.

5 Must See European Destinations to Visit This Summer

European summer is just around the corner, parents are gearing up for sunny half term breaks, and with the long days and warm nights on the horizon, I've found myself looking ahead to sunny weekend city breaks or beach trips. 

Having just had to cancel our cruise this year, I've got absolutely nothing booked and a bit of "blank page" syndrome. There are so many places I would love to re-visit from previous cruises, because one day in port just isn't enough! At the same time, it's a big world out there with lots to explore! If you're in the same boat and looking to book some summer trips, allow me to share a few of my all time favourite destinations to inspire you.

What Went Wrong: Cruising Edition

Hey Owlets,

In my last instalment of “What Went Wrong While Travelling” I said I had a huge list of cruise related things to chat about, so I thought we’d make part three into a “What Went Wrong While Cruising”. As with the previous two instalments I’m not saying that what I did was necessarily the best option in that situation, and yes I was an idiot at times. If you’re a more experienced traveller than me then you’re probably thinking I’m an idiot for some of the experiences I’ve shared, but we all have to start somewhere and the only way to learn is by trying your best and making mistakes. Having said that, feel free to have a laugh at my expense!

In Search of the "Cruise Ship Sparkle" Post-Pandemic

Hey Owlets,

If you read my post a few weeks ago you’ll know that I’ve been really struggling to find the motivation with my blog in the last few months. While I started my blog in 2016, it was in 2017 after just one chance encounter and an unplanned cruise got me hooked on travel that The Owlet was really born. For three glorious years I got to travel, see more of what was on my doorstep and what was further afield and I could finally say that I was doing something I loved. So in 2020 when my wings were unexpectedly clipped and I found myself tethered to a two mile radius in a seaside town that no one has ever heard of, I lost my “why”. It’s understandable - when your whole personality revolves around a love of exploring and adventure, a 2 mile radius is never going to be enough to fulfil you - anyway, how do you write about travel if no one is allowed to do it anymore?

One of the things I found hardest was not being able to cruise, so when the opportunity finally came up to be able to get back to doing what I love most I was more than a little surprised to find myself apprehensive. I’ve long spoken about the magic of cruising where everything feels like it’s straight out of a fairytale and you’re the princess. I love being able to make friends with guests and crew and see new places knowing that at the end of the day I get to re-board my floating home and quite literally sail into the sunset for the next destination.

How I Fought the Comparison Cliche

Hey Owlets,

They say that comparison is the thief of joy. I have no idea who “they” are exactly but they’re right.

It’s such a cliche phrase that even as I’m writing this I’m desperately trying to come up with a title that doesn’t have people rolling their eyes and scrolling past - the internet is all about clicks after all. The thing is, that’s the problem.

For five years now I’ve called The Owlet my home on the internet. I’ve been lucky to meet incredible people from across the globe, create a life that gives me freedom and makes me truly happy. I open my phone to an inbox flooded with kind messages and happy anecdotes that people just wanted to share with me. I’ve created content that I’m truly proud of and worked with brands that I could only dream of knowing I exist. I am so lucky and I have worked so hard to have these things in my life and yet this week I lost sight of it all. 

How I Prep My Skin for Travel

*collaborative post

Hey Owlets,

I’ve you’ve followed me on Instagram for a while, you will probably have heard me mention that my body confidence is very much linked to how clear my skin is. I know that it shouldn’t matter but it does, and if my skin isn’t clear then I feel self conscious all day. I find that my skin breaks out after I’ve been travelling anyway but I try to keep my skin clear as much as I possibly can in the run up to travel so I can feel great while I’m exploring a new city. With this in mind, I thought it might be helpful to discuss some of the things I use to get my skin ready for my next adventure. To keep things simple I’ll split them into categories so you can skip straight to what you need.

My Honest Opinion of UK Cruising in 2021

Hey Owlets,

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the cruise industry starting to reawaken, and honestly I’m excited. You have no idea how much I miss having my morning coffee with a view of the sun rising over the ocean, meeting new people and out of nowhere making friends for life, getting to experience a new culture every day and revel in the amazing entertainment. The only issue is that I’m not sure how possible some of the things I mentioned are going to be - it’s almost definite that several of those things are out the window for the time being, but at least we can go on a cruise, right? I have several thoughts about these UK Staycation cruises launching so I wanted to share - if anything just because I’m hoping you can help me decide.

The Strange Story of Snowglobes in Hot Countries

Hey Owlets,

“Take only memories, leave only footprints”. If you’ve been anywhere on the internet before then you’ve probably read that hundreds of times, and you’ve probably ignored it just as many times. You only need to look at the main shopping street in any touristy area to realise that selling souvenirs is a HUGE business. You can get souvenirs of just about everything - if you go to Spain you’ll most likely come home with a fan or some castanets, visit Paris and you’ll probably have a mini Eiffel Tower on your keys for the next few months, or Big Ben or the London Eye, or maybe even a bulldog if your holiday of choice was London. I’ll admit, I do like to buy a fridge magnet from every country I visit, but my main souvenir of choice is something much more unusual - snow globes. Given that it’s both a very specific item and, for the most part, I only visit hot countries you’d think they would be nearly impossible to find, but they’re surprisingly common, and it’s all down to a story I heard by chance in Italy a few years ago.

My Potential Plans for 2021

*Update: this article was written in December 2020 when travel felt like a possibility in Spring/Summer 2021. Since then the number of cases of COVID and deaths have sadly spirallded out of control. Obviously these plans won't be going ahead unless entirely safe to do so but I wanted to leave it published for you to enjoy daydreaming with me.

Hey Owlets,

I almost don’t know if I want to write this article. As you can see from the title I’m discussing potential travel plans for this year, and after the mess of 2020 it almost feels like I’m tempting fate. However, despite being a travel blogger I’ve not travelled for a year and it is a part of my job that I need to get back to as soon as it’s safe. With that in mind I’ve made a few tentative plans, but nothing is set in stone and I don’t really have any dates- it’s more just a list of ideas and potential options, but maybe it will give you a little inspiration of where to go when things are safer. 

Good Things that Happened in 2020

Hey Owlets,

This year has been a whirlwind, not in terms of time going fast but in everything that’s happened. Recently I’ve noticed online that it’s become cool to hate this year, and yes this year has been pretty terrible, but I’m a firm believer of trying to find the positives in everything. Growing up with my Dad’s poor health I’ve always been taught to make the most of every day, and jumping on the “I hate this year” bandwagon totally goes against that. Instead, I wanted to spread a little positivity by discussing a few good things that have happened to me this year, and I hope that this will encourage you to look for some positives too.

Cruising at Christmas: My Experience

Hey Owlets,

If you haven’t been keeping up to date with my Instagram account then you might have missed the spam all about my trip on board Cruise and Maritime Voyages’ MV Columbus. This was a bit of a first for me - both being on board CMV’s flagship and cruising so close to the festive season, arriving back in the UK in the first week of December. It’s one of those times where you aren’t entirely sure whether or not it’s a Christmas trip so I wanted to give you a rundown of my trip to help you.

How Coronavirus Might Change Travel

Hey Owlets,

There’s no doubting that Coronavirus flipped the world upside down overnight and bulldozed everything we thought we knew about life. For most people it’s been a huge adjustment, but for anyone working in the travel industry it’s been the most horrific and stressful 6 months. In my personal experience I somehow found lockdown easier to navigate than this weird in between phase. Things feel almost normal and you start to relax, but then something reminds you that the world is still weird and you’re suddenly jolted back to being on edge again. With the world starting to return to open up again I wanted to chat to you about what I expect the future of travel to look like. This is a combination of my personal experiences and educated guesses from reading government advice and articles, so please take everything I say with a pinch of salt and form your own opinions.

Goodbye Cruise and Maritime Voyages

Hey Owlets,

Cruise and Maritime Voyages was a cruise line with a cult following - every cruise line has their fans, but only a few rise to the level of having online groups dedicated to the cruise line, with friends being made online and met on board, rather than the other way around. 

CMV were the ultimate impossible cruise line, offering a no-frills service on older cruise ships in an industry that was all about over the top decadence and indulging in experiences that were totally unnecessary on ships that overflow with state of the art technology. The ships were basic but beautiful and the entertainment schedule was limited, but somehow just lying on a sun bed watching the waves was enough on their ships. Rather than being handed a jam-packed schedule every day, trying desperately to cram everything in and needing a holiday after your holiday, CMV ships were the place that you learned to let go and relax, or make your own entertainment. 

How to Travel Solo Safely

Hey Owlets,

Travelling solo is absolutely one of the best things you can do to grow as a person and it's something you really should experience at least once. However, personal safety is one of the biggest factors that stops people from booking a trip alone - let’s face it, you’ve probably looked at a cheap flight, fancied the idea of a sneaky getaway then thought about the logistics and backed out. In case you hadn’t already worked this out, I’m a terrible influence and will absolutely be that friend that encourages you to say “sod it” and book the flight. With that being said, I don’t want you to worry about not being safe, so here’s a couple of simple ways to look after yourself when you’re travelling.

What Happens to old Cruise Ships?

Hey Owlets,

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve probably been following me on a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few months. There simply aren’t any words to describe the state of the cruise industry at the moment - the best you could do is just one giant question mark or “ask me again later”. We’ve seen three cruise lines go bust, multiple cruise lines start sailing again when the advice (at least from the UK government) is not to cruise under any circumstances and, most upsettingly in my opinion, we’ve watched cruise lines dumping ships from their fleet left, right and centre in a desperate bid to not only save money but make a bit of money while the rest of their business at the mercy of COVID. 

In July 2020 Cruise and Maritime Voyages declared bankruptcy, and having sailed on both Columbus and Marco Polo I felt my heart snap in two. CMV were known for buying up old-fashioned ships that would otherwise have gone unwanted, meaning they had a quirky little fleet of ships that all had their individual personalities. Now these ships have been orphaned, I’ve had a lot of messages asking what happens to ships that no one wants - it’s not a quick answer so it felt like a good topic for a blog post. It might take a bit of explaining but I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible in case you’re not a cruise nerd like me!

Visiting Devon: The Pandemic Guide

This post is in collaboration with Hotels.com but, as ever, all views remain my own

Hey Owlets,

It’s no secret that since the start of the pandemic I’ve been desperately craving travel, but as soon as it became a possibility again I was surprised to find myself hesitant. As much as I love travelling, the thought of getting on a plane with so much stress and uncertainty surrounding every aspect of the trip would ruin the entire point of taking a holiday in the first place. Because of this I’ve decided that, for now at least, I’m sticking to exploring the UK. I’ve written a guide to taking a road trip based on my previous experiences, but until last week I’d only gone to really quiet, non-touristy areas within the UK. However, that changed with a road trip to one of the largest cities in the South West, and one of the most touristy areas of the UK. So, with that in mind here’s a guide to how to have a great holiday in Devon during a pandemic.

5 Places on my Travel Bucket List

Hey Owlets,

As a travel lover, you become a walking contradiction. You say you want to go away to relax and rest but walk 20k steps per day and stay up until 4am, you say you're saving money but you pick the more expensive options in favour of convenience, and most commonly you go away to tick places off of your bucket list and come home with a list that's grown even longer while you were away. 

I will freely admit that I'm guilty of all of these, but especially the latter. The more I see of the world, the more I want to see, and currently these 5 places are at the top of my list!

How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip

Hey Owlets,

Holidaying abroad has almost returned back to 2019 levels,  and while that is a good thing for travel companies it's not so positive for UK travel and holiday provides.

With so much going on int the world at the moment, there are many of us in need of a good holiday on a budget, and a road trip could be the perfect answer!

A lot of people tend to instantly dismiss road trips - until recently it’s been considered one of the most uncool ways to travel, and it’s only in the last few years with millennials converting vans into hipster-friendly mobile homes that it’s become a sought after way to travel again.

Easy Ways to Save Money for Travelling

Hey Owlets,

One of the first questions I'm always asked when I mention I'm a travel blogger is how I manage to afford to travel so much. Obviously part of my job is visiting different destinations and being paid to share them with you, but I also like to take holidays with my family which requires a lot of willpower and a few sacrifices in order to save as much money as possible!