A Modern Wayfarer

My Skincare Favourites: June

I have an unwavering love for skincare products that actually work and am always on the hunt for the cream of the proverbial beauty crop. I am forever devising lists of hero products and daily routines for friends that are tailored specifically to their skin and a number of them suggested I start publishing a monthly round-up of my skincare favourites. So here we go! Full disclosure: I am not an aesthetician or a dermatologist (duh) and none of this is sponsored, I just really enjoy trying out ... Read More

5 Reasons Why Travel in Albania is Weird

Travel Albanian Riviera Why Travel in Albania is Weird

Albania is basically the wild, wild west of Europe even though its east. Most Westerners don’t actually holiday there because, well, they’re not quite ready for “The Albanian Experience”.  Don’t get me wrong, many Albanian citizens, Russians and some Northern Grecians holiday in Albania because the water is that beautifully see-through shade of aqua only the Adriatic Sea provides, it’s bloody cheap and most Albanian people are SO accommodating and SO ready for western tourism. But I'll be so ... Read More

Singapore Airlines Business Class Review

I’m going to come out and say it. Singapore Airlines Business Class just might be the best biz. class by a (frequent flyer) mile. I hadn’t flown the airline for a few years until I was invited to review the new Singapore to Stockholm direct route last November. There was never a shortage of frequent flyers sparking pangs of jealousy while regaling the romanticisms of their own experiences with the airline, so to say I was only slightly eager to test-out the offering would be an ... Read More

My Beauty Routine – Ride of Die Face Products

I get a lot of questions asking about the products I use for my beauty routine. I'm certifiably OCD when it comes to face products. I don't wear a lot of make-up basically because I'm super lazy when it comes to getting ready, I hate the heavy feel of foundation and I’m dyslexic at applying eye shadow/liner properly, which means I have a bit more financial wiggle room to purchase quality face products, and I've coordinated my beauty routine accordingly! I was a cleansing balm/flannel and a ... Read More

How To Travel With Family (And Not Want To Strangle Them)

How To Travel With Family... Chances are a holiday with your inbreds had your vote to begin with. It may have even been your idea. But now that you’re in the thick of it things are getting prickly pretty quick, and between the sights and the spats it feels like your trapped in an episode of Family Guy: On Holiday. Travelling with your family is like downing a week-long cocktail of opinions, personalities and historic sibling angst. Someone’s bound to come along and set that rocket-fuel alight. ... Read More

The Truth About Halong Bay Junk Boats

A “Junk Boat” is still a Junk Boat, no matter how much you pay. Halong Bay Junk Boats are still Junk Boats even if the brochure the Vietnamese travel agent gave you makes it look like luxury incarnate. It is still a Junk Boat if, compared to other Junk Boats around you in the water, it looks like the veritable Sofitel of Junk Boats. Moral of the story? Junk Boats are in fact, rundown pieces of, well, junk. Granted, they’ve been given a lick of paint and a clean fit-out, but if you look closely ... Read More

12 Weird Foods in Europe: And What They Actually Taste Like

PROLOGUE: The escargot dish is the only member of this list of weird foods in Europe that is relatively palatable to the masses. As much as I wanted to choose a completely disgusting and unappealing delicacy for the feature image, I thought it best to work our way into the disgustingness. Happy reading. :)  ~~ Recently Webjet asked me what my most memorable overseas dining experience has been to date, which got me thinking. Naturally, I turned my mind to all the weird and wonderful (read: ... Read More

The Real India: Toxic and Exotic Agra

That fucking dog. If it's not the bells that do it, it's a cacophony of hounds, invariably led by this one who you can only assume to be the ring leader. It's a low howl at first, and then others join the cry, and eventually it almost resembles a concerto, albeit a concerto without any melody. Of course, this is not the end of it. Once the dogs start, you know you have approximately eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds until the sirens, horns, voices and even the singing follow suit. This is ... Read More

New Contributor: Travel Photographer Ben Cooke

This week on AMW, we’ve got ultimate vagabond and travel photographer Ben Cooke, sharing a few of his (very real) experiences traveling and living on the cusp of poverty in India. This talented gent has recently returned from a 10-year stint backpacking the world. Yes that's right - 10 years of flip-flops, hostels and passport stamps! In 2006, Ben finished an Engineering degree and promptly bailed on western society to experience the giant global wonderland that is Earth. For an entire decade ... Read More

Tips for Traveling as a Couple: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

tips for traveling as a couple

Okay so here’s the thing, I’ve never really done ‘couples travel’ superbly well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love traveling as a couple, in fact I really relish the relationship-strengthening experiences traveling as a duo can provide, but because I’ve traveled solo countless times in the past, I’ve kind-of-sort-of developed a camaraderie with… me, myself and I. And that, my dear Wayfarers, has been damn hard to break! After years of holidaying independently you understand your ... Read More

6 Weirdest Things People Do In Airports

People in transit turn sub-human at the best of times; but throw in the added bonus of sleep deprivation and flight-delays and we’ve got ourselves some weirdos folks! The following list of weirdest things I’ve seen in airports proves that some people may not be killing it in the intelligence stakes. Weirdest Things People Do In Airports 1 -Taking porn through security… You’d think perhaps people would check their penthouse magazine in with their luggage or take the batteries out of their ... Read More

Anti-Valentines Day: The Least Romantic Destinations in the World

There are a lot of places that are absolutely perfect for romantic getaways. But what if things aren’t going so swimmingly on the relationship front? What if the last thing you want to do is contribute to Hallmark’s world domination by purchasing a cutesy little love-heart card?  Well, dear readers, I promised you the world and I’ve delivered. Without further ado, here is a list of the most unromantic destinations in the world for those singletons that really couldn’t be bothered with ... Read More

Joshua Tree National Park At Night… Plus Astrophotography Tips

Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight... Joshua Tree National Park at night is a whole new world. Far, far from anywhere else in California, gazing up at the light-show painted in the sky is one of the more magical experiences on earth.  Lying on your back wrapped in a warm wooly throw, fire crackling in the distance, experiencing this fantasy land of galaxies and stars for the very first time is almost ... Read More

5 Reasons To Fly Cebu Pacific Airlines to the Philippines!

You've heard airlines described as elegant, classy, safe, and - on some frustrating occasions - cramped and delayed! But I'd be willing to bet you've never heard an airline described simply as 'fun'? Well, that's exactly how I'd define my experience as a passenger flying high in the sky with Cebu Pacific Airlines. Everybody knows the Filipino travel tagline "It's more fun in the Philippines", so  it's only fitting the countries' leading domestic carrier be as far from boring as humanly possible! ... Read More

6 Unconventional Tips for Long Haul Flights Only A Frequent Flyer Would Know

So a whole bunch of you want to know my top tips for long haul flights? Well, I'll start with a little story... I look back on my first long-haul flight many moons ago with equal amounts of pleasure and pain. It was the 15-hour leg from Brisbane to Los Angeles and I was about as prepared as a girl-scout on steroids. Or so I thought. I had my spotted travel pillow and my foam earplugs. I had every late-90s technological gadget you could think of packed away in my little Samsonite carry-on. ... Read More

Why Modern Cruises Are Actually Cool

I must admit I’ve never really been cruising's biggest fan. From midnight buffets to the whole love boat vibe, I didn’t think it would actually float my boat (pardon the pun). But that was until a couple of friends proudly declared to me one night over a few cheeky vinos that they were going on a Celebrity Cruise to Tahiti. What started out as shock, “really… you on a cruise… aren’t you going to be trapped in a generic time-warp with punters twice your age?” quickly turned to intrigue as my ... Read More

How It Feels To Have An Anxiety Disorder: The Face of Anxiety

I know this is a travel blog and all, but today I wanted to mix things up a little and write about something close to home: how it feels to have an anxiety disorder and depression. Yesterday my friend Amy from This Heart Fire posted a beautiful piece that perfectly encapsulates the emotional and physical journey of dealing with depression and anxiety – the ongoing battle that is very real and very confronting for so many. The piece 'My Anxious Heart' by Katie Joy Crawford, is a series of ... Read More

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  • My ride or die, Pinky the Vespa. Old pal, comrade, happy-monger. 🤘🏼
  • Who doesn’t love a good Pinot Noir, or 2, or 7? 🙊 My guide to everbody’s favourite Victorian Wine Region, the Yarra Valley, now up on @amodernwayfarer. Link in profile ~ @yarravalleywine
  • Probably eating something Vego but wishing it was steak. 🤷🏼‍♀️
  • A tribute to the island with impossibly beautiful sunsets... up on the blog now. Link in profile ✨ @intercontinentalphuquoc
  • This time, last year. 💕 @captainsrest
  • Yarrr animals pretty much run my life. #dictatorship
  • The Euro-spam has started and I’m here for it.
  • Soon. 🙌🏼 @mydubai
  • The boardwalk surrounding @sixsenseskrabey island is a beautiful spot to watch the sun setting behind mainland Cambodia.
  • I left my heart in India 🇮🇳. The nose-flare came back with me though. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 @tajlakepalace
  • Weekends 🙌🏼
  • Happiness is... somewhere deep, deep in the Cambodian jungle 🌴