The Bumbling Bug

Box Hill lends its name from Buxus sempervirens , or more commonly, the Boxwood tree, a species whose members shade the western slopes of this Surrey summit. When venturing up by car you climb these very slopes, taking the appropriately named ‘zig-zag road’ from base to peak, in a slalom of single-track hairpin bends cocooned by both the aforementioned Boxwoods, and numerous gnarled Yew trees, a common sight around the area. It was at the top of this twisted road that I found myself at lunch time on a sticky summer’s day. Upon leaving the carpark and picking up a (free!) map from the National Trust café, I made my way toward the first viewpoint, where I could fuel up on pac ked lunch before my adventure began.  I rounded the corner, and the hill dropped off ahead revealing the viewpoint as promised. It did not disappoint. What felt like the entirety of this beautiful home county was staring up at me, the river Mole flowing below, the railway line running alongside. As I ...

Abbotsbury Swannery As someone who tends to travel away at the weekends, I often miss opportunities to explore what is right on my doorstep. So a couple of weekends ago, me and a friend headed to the village next door for a little local adventure, and were met with a welcome surprise. Here are some of the delights the sleepy village of Abbotsbury has to offer: Chesil Beach Reaching from Portland down past Abbotsbury and onwards, Chesil beach is 29km of shingle, and a sight you’re unlikely to see anywhere else! Easily accessible from Abbotsbury, it is a prime fishing location, and thanks to the steep shoreline, home to some spectacular crashing waves that just encapsulate the vastness of the ocean. Swannery Abbotsbury Swannery is home to hundreds of swans, all of whom have chosen to make the swannery their home. This beautiful sanctuary is designed for the swans to leave should they choose, and yet every year the population grows and grows, homage to the majesty this bea...

Last week I went on a day trip to Liverpool, a city I had never visited before, a city of culture (as of 2008), and a city I am now very fond of. We hopped off the train (an easy £5 return journey from Manchester) to immediately be welcomed by the stunning st Georges Hall towering across the road, an unexpected glimpse into a Liverpool of the past. Unfortunately the hall was closed for Easter Sunday, however, without having to walk more than a few seconds from the station we were bombarded with enough delights that it was clear why Liverpool was crowned European Capital of Culture in 2008. We began our day wandering around the Walker Art Gallery, a classic art gallery full of works dating back to the 1300's, before heading next door to the Central Library. If you ever find yourself in Liverpool, make sure to put this high up on your to-do list, Central Library is one of the most magical buildings to grace this country. Once you wander up through the ultra modern entrance and on...

I have now returned from my adventures in Oslo, and I can confidently say that it is possibly the most beautiful country I have ever visited. Stunning pine woods thick with snow lie above a clean and charismatic city in a medley of nature and human creation. I stayed just outside the city, up in the hills near Holmenkollen, and I could easily spend hours talking about the breathtaking views and the crisp mountain air, but instead I present to you a survival guide - my top tips on how to make the most of the city. KEY FACTS Language: Norwegian Currency: Nordic Krona Cost: $$$ Best way to get around: The city itself is very easy to explore by foot, but to reach just outside the city to areas such as Holmenkollen you are best taking the metro which costs around £3 for a single ticket - which is valid for one hour to any destination.  When to go: Pretty much any time of the year would be worth it, but you will get very different experiences. December-February if you love t...

Ryugyong Hotel - Pyongyang, North Korea  by  markpanama , on Flickr For around £2000 you can get an all-inclusive 8 day trip, where you will visit museums, art studios, water parks and zoos. You'll get to see mass games and mass street dancing, and visit some incredible sites such as waterfalls and palaces. Sounds pretty good? What if I told you this was all in North Korea? Would you still be interested? Well, every day more and more people are visiting the country, with North Korea aiming to get their annual tourist numbers up to 1 million within the next decade. My question to you is this. Should we be fuelling the North Korean tourism industry or not? In order to answer this question you should first know a few things about the country itself. (DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on this topic. To the best of my knowledge this information is correct, but I cannot claim that there will be no inaccuracies.) North Korea: 1860-Today Since the 1860's North Korean his...

First of all I'd like to say - welcome to my blog! I want to invite you on my adventures as I document my travels and discoveries. I recently went on a spontaneous weekend trip to Copenhagen with one of my good friends. Now before I go further, Copenhagen is a beautiful city and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. BUT... I was firmly reminded of some of the limitations of travelling. As I set off at 7:15am, I was buzzed to be venturing abroad for the first time in over a year, and as we flew over the English Channel I felt so at peace. I had a moment of realisation that for me, being above the clouds, being free, is the most important thing in life. All I want to do is see the world. And then we arrived. Whilst everything I just said remained true for the entire trip, I did lose a little of that starry eyed wonder as I remembered that I am a human, who can't quite handle getting up at 3am after 24 hours trying to take in a whole city without feeling exceptionally rough. Not to...