Motorbiking around the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam: Busting common myths and a review of Flipside Adventures
Following the death of Orla Wates earlier this year, concerns have been raised about the safety of the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam, especially for tourists, writes Travel News Blitz’s Chloe Willis.
As such, it is important to understand both the realities of undertaking the loop, as well as where media speculation and exaggeration can take concerns too far.
Travel analysis: Why volunteering abroad widens your worldly perspective
Make a meaningful impact by changing the world one volunteer trip at a time.
Holidays are great when you want drinks by the pool and dinner by the beach. You get to feel relaxed, calm, and worry-free.
But have you ever thought that holidays can seem repetitive? Maybe even boring?
Imagine this: You’re on a two-week-long family holiday, and the only bearable thing to do is read a book by the pool, while drinking ice-cold water.
You’re stuck listening to the same kids playing all day, every day, and not even your headphones can drown them out.
So, in the hope that you get time alone, you return to the hotel room, and then your family shows up and tells you it’s time to go on a hike on the hottest day there.
That is why you should consider volunteering abroad, writes Travel News Blitz’s Madi Chantry.
Travel analysis: The great conflict - An environmental traveller
Travel’s allure is undeniable, but our mark can be deadly; here’s how to travel without opening Pandora’s box, writes Travel News Blitz’s Abbie Latymer.
Summer is fast approaching, meaning hotels are booked, suitcases are packed, and the promise of rest sits on the horizon.
Whether you are hiking the Inca Trail, tasting pizza in Naples, or sunbathing in your own back garden, the luxury of a break is something we all look forward to.
But what actually makes a good holiday?
While low prices and value for money often shape people’s choices, it is the aesthetic landscapes, good weather, and unique experiences that make trips memorable.
Yet tourism, for all its beauty, has a darker side.
Travel analysis: How has the BBC show Race Across The World influenced how we travel?
Travel is continuously evolving and reaching wider audiences, through the content boom of ‘travel influencers’ and the ever-easier methods of reaching further afield destinations.
But, shows like Race Across The World bring travel on a global scale back to its more simplistic roots, encouraging generations of people to adapt the way they experience the world around them.
Race Across The World first aired on the BBC in 2019, and is now on its sixth series, writes Travel News Blitz’s Chloe Willis.
Memory vs Reality: The elegant twist of travel
There’s always that moment of reflection after a trip, reminiscing over the amazing time you’ve just had away and how reality feels so mundane in comparison.
Travel lives twice: once in reality and the other in our memories.
Here, Travel News Blitz’s Freya Leather chronicles the philosophical element travel brings.
Travel analysis: The price of peace - The rise of silent retreats
From the hustle and bustle of Manchester airport, frantic airport dads hurrying their families to the correct gate, blaring announcements that seem to compete with one another, and a sea of people positioned inconveniently in the way, to the tranquillity of a forest monastery deep in Northern Thailand, the contrast could not be more dramatic.
Here, the only noise is that of birds, wind rustling through the trees, and the crunching of leaves beneath your feet. No talking, no phones, no distractions, just quiet.
For travellers exhausted by modern-day connectivity, silent retreats are becoming a sought-after escape, writes Travel News Blitz’s Freya Leather.