Smart strategies and thoughtful travel budget planning can turn your travel dreams into affordable realities. Travelling doesn’t have to break the bank or leave you with regrets; it can be a fulfilling and enriching experience while staying within your budgetary limits. Looking at your options with a do-it-yourself attitude plays a big part. Understand your travel motivations and priorities to inform your travel budget planning. Whether it is stretching your funds for longer trips or indulging in specific experiences, aligning your spending with your values ensures a fulfilling travel experience. 

The Moroccan Hammam Wasn’t Relaxing. It Was Something Else Entirely. “I’m going to the Hammam Mouassine, anyone want to come?” I asked.

In the months before our trip, I floated the idea to the group of women travelling with me to Morocco. I made it clear there were two options: spa-style or public. Soft or real. Curated or cultural.

I chose public, real, cultural.

Third time’s the charm.
After two previously postponed attempts, I finally walked the Camino Francés from León to Santiago de Compostela.

About 350 kilometres later, I returned lighter, both in what I carried and what I thought I knew.

This wasn’t the Camino I first imagined.
And that’s exactly the point.

The morning began with cold toes and the soft shuffle of backpacks zipping open in the dark. I climbed from the top bunk down the rickety ladder, alert and grateful, ready for another day that would unfold one step, one hill, one small wonder at a time.

Looking to read books about the Camino de Santiago? Here are some of the memoirs I devoured before my first Camino journey. They will satisfy armchair travellers and Camino planners equally!

My journey of walking the Camino truly began when I turned 50, inspired to embark on a secular pilgrimage full of physical challenges and personal growth. But my milestone birthday happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I redirected my walking quest and prepared for a DIY experience closer to home instead.

Once the world opened up again, I still wrestled with the idea of a famous pilgrimage. I explored alternatives to the Camino and enjoyed several less "popular" thru-hiking experiences.

Food has a way of making a place unforgettable. Even long after your suitcase is unpacked, the taste of a dish or the scent of spice can evoke a special memory or bring back a sudden rush of emotion, even if the details are hazy. 

Ever wonder why the idea of some trips sparks a sense of excitement and energy while others feel underwhelming, even skippable? The secret lies in the travel motives or deeper reasons that drive how and why you explore the world.

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through social media, seeing other people's amazing travel photos, and suddenly questioning whether you're living life "right"? The unspoken message seems clear: to truly live, you must travel more. Yet for many of us, there's an equally strong but quieter yearning: the deep comfort and contentment of home.

One Day in Paris A Solo Adventure in the City of Lights. "Paris is always a good idea," they say, and for years, that sentiment danced around the edges of my travel daydreams.

The phase before you're ready to travel solo isn't about booking flights or packing bags. It's about nurturing that initial whisper, coaxing it from a tiny voice to an "oh-honey-I-hear-you-loud-and-clear" declaration. It's about acknowledging the fears without letting them take up every molecule of oxygen in the room. This pre-solo phase requires us to reconnect with our resilience. We've all lived lives that required tremendous courage, even when we don’t recognize it as such. Getting ready to go solo is about the small, internal shifts, not leaps into the unknown.

Discover the joy of micro-adventures with value added! Whether you're exploring your own neighbourhood or a new city while traveling, a SENSORY micro-adventure is a new twist on travel and is all about making the most of where you are. Try sensory exploration, an act of mindfulness that invites you to connect deeply with your surroundings to notice the colours, textures, sounds, scents, and flavours around you. Filled with examples and stories - choose your next micro-adventure with a “sense” of adventure!