My 15 Favourite Travel Moments of 2016

Well its safe to say 2016 wasn't everyone's favourite year.
Dubbed as 'one of the worst years in history' because of the amount of shit that went down I think most of us are pretty happy to be putting 2016 to bed and try to turn it around in 2017.
Not gonna lie, when Alan Rickman (a.k.a Snape) died within the first 2 weeks of Jan I already had written off the year.
& then Britain when to shit with the whole Brexit thing & then the USA literally 'trumped' us by electing him as president.
A gorilla was killed for gods sake & then to top it all off Princess Leia died in the last week. 
But enough about the negatives ...

View Post

The Rock Tour | Uluru, Kata Tjuta & Kings Canyon Video

View Post

Uluru, Kings Canyon & Kata Tjuta with The Rock Tour

I don't know about you but Uluru (Ayers Rock) is one of the first things I think of when I think of Australia, maybe along with the kangaroo, Sydney Opera house, koalas & the Great Barrier Reef of course!

I was planning on leaving a visit to Uluru until later in the year but I was too eager and whilst I was in the area (just a mere 20 hour bus ride away from Alice Springs), it seemed silly not to go.

So off I went!

I arrived in Alice Springs and spent my time staying at the YHA.

As with most attractions there are loads of companies offering you 'the best deal' so it can often be overwhelming with who to go with.

I ended up choosing The Rock Tour and booked onto a 3 day / 2 night tour with our fabulous guide Ashleigh.

The trip is $350 +$25 Uluru park fee and includes all your meals on the trip.

View Post

WA & NT; Broome to Darwin with Intrepid Travel + Video

Welcome to part 2 of my Perth to Darwin adventure!

After a few days of freedom &freshly pedicured feet in Broome it was time to say goodbye to some friends we'd made along the way, and great new comers who we'd be travelling up to Darwin with.

This part of the trip didn't quite go to planned, with unexpected flooding while we were in Manning Gorge we got stranded there for 4-5 days so had to miss out places like The Bungle Bungles & Lake Argyle so if you have time, add them to your itinerary they look good!

Our home away from home at Mt Barnett

View Post

Karijini National Park; WA Video

Out of the very little people who I've met who had already done Western Australia, everyone of them mentioned Karijini & I can understand why.

It is incredible. 

Karijini National Park is within the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region in WA.

The geology is this area is spectacular; all the colours of the banded rock are so vivid.

Karijini is definitely notable for its abundance of gorges, waterfalls and swimming water holes; each as beautiful and fun as the last!

View Post

Whale Sharks; Exmouth with Kings Ningaloo Reef Video

The best experience I've had in my life ... so far. 

If you've not read my previous posts on my trip up the West Coast then you might not be aware with how in love I am with that part of Australia. 

& you might not be aware of all the awesome activities I got up to

including this. 

View Post

West Coast Trip; Perth to Broome with Intrepid Travel + Video

In April I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks travelling up the coast in Western Australia from Perth, up through the Kimberlys and ending in Darwin in the Northern Territory.

I. Had. A. Blast! 

 I booked the trip through Intrepid Travel / Adventure Travel Australia and they were brilliant.

The tour was split into 2 sections, Perth to Broome and Broome to Darwin. You can choose to do the whole tour as one, or just do a section of it. 

Shout out to Damo for being the best tour guide! 

& everyone I met on the trip was fantastic! I made some great friends! 

If you want to know any particular details about the trip or if you're debating about going & want more info then feel free to comment below or drop me an email & I can tell you all you need to know ;)

View Post

Pictures To Make you want to visit WA

I LOVE Western Australia

I could go on and on and on for dayssss about how much I fell in love with that part of Australia. 

No but srsly its amazing. 

So many of the people i've met along my travels have just spoken about the East Coast and all the same spots errrrrybody else does (including myself, yep, I did them too - no shame). 

But I hardly ever hear anyone raving about the Pinnacles or Karijini or Coral Bay

..... like why does no one go to WA??!

I ALWAYS go on about them tbh & feel that instead of ranting at you about how much you need to go there (you do!) I will just share some of my very own pictures and you can see for yourself why you need to book your flight (or bus if cheaper ;)) over to WA like asap! 

.... & you're welcome in advance for helping you choose where you're going to next ;) 

Perth & Rottnest Island 

View Post

10 ways to save money whilst backpacking through Australia

Australia is probably one of the most expensive travel-destinations to choose from for a backpacker on a budget. But I urge you not to let this put you off from visiting this truly beautiful country. 

I have been living in Australia for 7 months now & would like to share some of my money-saving tips that I've picked up along the way. 

View Post

Cottesloe Beach - Stand Up Paddleboarding | Video

Hello, its me.

Not Adele, but me like.
I'm back
I may have accidentally neglected blogging for like 6-7 months but i'm back now and with ALOT to share!
Instead of blogging (mainly because I hate working off an iPad, which FYI has now been stolen, Wifi is hard to come by and I've been a busy bee) I turned to making GoPro videos of my adventures so people could see, instead of read my waffle of what ive been up to.

So apologies for my absence & hopefully I will start updating soon.

So, back to Perth ..... 6 months ago.

View Post

First impressions of Perth | Western Australia

I have been in Perth for 3 weeks & am in love 

View Post

How to (probably not) pack for 12 months in Australia

I always pack too much. 

& so for this trip I spent a fair amount of time trying to find packing lists people have published online or packing guides on YouTube that I could base my list off for trips of a similar length / climate. 

My main issue with these lists are that the majority are surviving on 2 pairs of shorts, 3 tops & 5 pairs of knickers pretty much. Im all for washing on trips but I don't want to have to be doing it every single day! 
 I did get in touch with the great PyschoTraveller - she has amazing YouTube videos & blog about her world-wide adventures and she has a great packing video for Aus which you can check out here, but if you're like me & can't pack light to save your life no matter how hard you try then stick around here ;)  

↠

View Post

2 weeks until Australia

I have officially left work *yaaaay* 

& now I have 2 weeks to get my shit together. 

This may come as a huge surprise to everyone, but I've not actually packed yet. 

Like not once. Not even a small test-pack,

Nothing.

Wtf is wrong with me.?

Im far too relaxed & its kind of scary.

I honestly don't think my brain has processed that I'm leaving yet so its just all chill & happy & going with the flow. 

I will do a post on what I'm actually taking, but since I've not packed yet I honestly couldn't tell you & it'd be all lies. 

I will say that I am ok, if not over-prepared, in terms of research. 

I am confident in saying that I could move to Perth today and I would be able to navigate myself around the city without the use of maps or phones and know exactly where I was and where I needed to go. I could locate a specific restaurant or cafe, know exactly what I'm going to eat without looking at the menu & know how much its going to cost me. 

Im sad I know. 

Its all Pinterest & Instagram's fault. 

It all started I was looking at pretty pictures on there of Western Australia & Perth and I found a picture of an awesome milkshake & it led to hours or finding out where it was from and then stalking & following that cafe on Instagram and reviewing their online menu & now i'm good to turn up and know what I want to order. 

So whats the plan?

Well I would have loved to plan every single day for 12 months but I felt I should leave myself some options for spontaneity so i've settled for the first 2 months.

No, not every single day, but a rough idea of what i'll be up to! 

I am flying from Manchester airport to Doha & then Doha to Perth 2 weeks on Monday!

I will be staying in Perth for 5 weeks & staying @ Billabong Backpackers Resort

Ive booked my accommodation for the whole month, but if I don't actually end up liking the place I can cancel free of charge and go somewhere else. 

Some of the things I'm most looking forward to seeing in Perth are ...

THE QUOKAS; i.e the happiest critters on Earth & its like a craze or something to get a #quokaselfie 

They are only found on Rottnest Island so that'll be an exciting day trip! 

COTTESLOE BEACH; apparently one of the best places to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean

FREMANTLE; great markets & home to so many foods I discovered on Instagram.

PERTH ZOO & AQWA; I love a good zoo & aquarium 

After 1 month in Perth I will be taking to the road with 
'Adventure Tours Australia / Intrepid Travel' 
& going on a 3 week trip from Perth up to Darwin. 
The trip travels up the coast of Western Australia & visits some incredible places...

↠

View Post

Top Tips to Save Money for Travel

If you want something bad enough, you'll make it happen. 

Fact.

& its the same with travelling.

Its all well & good looking through Pinterest or Instagram of peoples travel photos and thinking I want to go there ... actually make it happen. 

With a few lifestyle-change choices and conscious actions to save, anyone can go travelling to that dream city or country. 

View Post

My Favourite Travel Apps

These days its unfortunately uncommon to see someone without a phone glued to their hand. 

Gone are the days of actually spending quality time with people and talking for hours because the likelihood is either one or all of you will be glued to your phones, ignoring each other and posting selfies on snapchat about what a great time you're apparently having. 

So its pretty easy to understand why theres a huge focus on developing apps. 

Not just for Facebook or to post your photos on Instagram but to do, well ... EVERYTHING!

You can book flights, hotels, even entire holidays all on apps on your phone without having to get up off the sofa. 

You can track flights, meet & talk to travel buddies, learn a language. 

Anything is possible these days. 

↠

So here is a list of a few of my favourite travel apps that i've found useful on trips in the past, or handy for the planning stages! 

Skyscanner

SkyScanner is a great tool for travellers looking for the perfect deal on domestic and international flights. SkyScanner works its magic by comparing prices across millions of flights and hundreds of airlines, from prestigious flag carriers to charter flights and budget airlines. From there, users can even book flights directly from the app with provided links to travel agents or airlines.

CityMaps2Go

CityMaps2Go is one of the most useful travel apps I have on my phone. CityMaps2Go lets you search worldwide for your upcoming travel adventures and download the maps so when you arrive to your destination you can use the app offline. It even points out where you are on the map without using any data! This has come in handy when roaming a new city and i've gotten lost. 

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a crowd-sourced guide to hotels, restaurants and attractions worldwide. It allows you to browse through millions of reviews and images to see if helps sway you or steer-clear of certain places and activities. You can add your own knowledge by posting your own reviews and images of the places you visit. This is my go-to app when deciding what sorts of attractions I should see or if I'm thinking of booking a tour, which company has the best reviews etc. 

XE Currency

Most useful for the simple fact that it’s able to convert every world currency. It also functions offline by saving the last updated rates, which is great if you’re in a place with limited connectivity or trying to save on data.

Booking.com

My No.1 app & website for booking accommodation. Booking.com compares prices of different website and gives you the cheapest price. You can search for accommodation from campsites, hostels, hotels and select your search whether you want to be closet to the city centre, or nearby a certain attraction and it finds the best choices for you. It gives you the option to cancel FREE OF CHARGE up until the day before you are due to check-in should your plans change. 

Airbnb

Airbnb is a marketplace app that allows you to search for and find unique accommodations across the world, from B&Bs for a night, to a small apartment for a week, or even a castle for a month, there's no shortage of weird and wonderful establishments.  Airbnb covers a range of prices in more than 34,000 cities and across almost 200 countries, which means the adventurous or flexible traveler has some interesting choices for accommodations for their next vacation.

PackTheBag

I love packing so its only right I have a dedicated packing app. This app literally things of everything from what you need to pack to what you need to do before leaving your house on the day you leave. Its all those littles things you know you need to do but its nice to have an app keep track of what you've done and remind you to pull the plugs out of sockets in the house. It splits everything into nice neat categories and lists so its easy to view if you're anal about everything being organised into groups like me. 

Wifi Finder

Wifi Finder helps travellers avoid those horrible roaming charges by sharing nearby wifi-hotspots. Best of all the offline mode means that you can download maps before you go, therefore dodging massive bills. 

↠

What are your favourite travel apps? 

Thanks for reading :) 

♡ G

Come and join me on Instagram @gemwills

& Twitter @G_GoesGlobal

& follow my upcoming Australia Adventure! ☀

View Post

My Favourite Travel Moments of 2015 + Giveaway

Give-away you say?? Read on to find out more ;) 

I have an abundance of incredible memories from 2015 & my favourite travel ones are all from my USA cross-country did I did back in July with G Adventures. 

It was the Coast to Coast Eastbound USA Roadtrip and I would 100% recommend anyone who's thinking about doing a USA trip to consider that one; it was brilliant!

You can read the full day to day story here (if you have a spare month or two ;)) 

So here are my top 10 favourite travel moments from my USA trip from 2015 ... 

↠

1. Cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge; San Francisco 

We cycled from Fisherman's Wharf, along the coast to Fort Point, up to the viewing point the the picture, across the bridge and then down and into Sausalito and caught a ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf. It was a great experience & you can really appreciate how big the bridge is once you're cycling along it. The views of the Pacific Ocean are amazing too!

Read the full story here

2. Helicopter Ride over The Grand Canyon

This was a dream come true! An early start but well worth it when you spend an hour flying from the South to the North Rim and back again. You can really appreciate why its called the GRAND Canyon! 

Read the full story here

3. Jeep Tour through Monument Valley & watching the sunrise through the Totem Poles

So much fun on the jeep ride & got some great photo opportunities; the Navajo guides were all so informative and treacly was a once in a lifetime moment when we got to share dinner with them while they performed Navajo tribe dances around the fire at night and then sleeping under the stars & getting to wake up at 5am to watch the sunrise through the Totem Poles was incredible. 

Read the full story here

4. Hiking the Panorama & Mist Trails in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is heaven on Earth quite literally. It is the most beautiful place i've ever been. 

Read the full story here

5. Party Bus & Adventure Day in Las Vegas

Read the full story here

6. Bayou Tour & holding an alligator in New Orleans 

Read the full story here

7. The View from the top of the Empire State Building; New York City

Read the full story here

8. Learning to use a firearm on a shooting range; Nashville 

Read the full story here

9. Visiting all the beautiful Memorial Buildings in Washington DC

Read the full story here

10. Eating a real Philly Cheese Steak in Philadelphia 

Read the full story here

What are your favourite travel memories from 2015? 

I've teamed up with GPSmyCity and we want to give away some goodies to you beautiful people. 
GPSmyCity is available on IOS devices (iPhone & iPad only)  & features self-guided city walks in over 470 cities around the world. 
A really useful app to have when travelling you'll agree!
We want to give away 20 FREE versions of the city of your choice.
So if you've got a trip planned for 2016 & looking for a good city-guide look no further!

All you have to do is comment below & tell me...

 What your favourite travel memory of 2015 is
AND where you would want your city guide to be if you're a winner! 

Good luck!! 

Thanks for reading :) 

♡ G

Join me on Instagram @gemwills 

& Twitter @Gem_Wills 

View Post