Catching up with my cross stitch map

Every day when I am at my desk I sit underneath my cross stitch map. I purchased this map some time ago so I'm not sure if it's still available, but it's made by Suck UK and it's the larger size. It's basically a large piece of stiff cross stitch fabric printed with a world map. The intention is that that you can fill in the places that you've visited by filling them in with cross stitch or other embroidery.

Of course, with 70% or so of the Earth being covered by water, this does leave quite a lot of blank space. There are also some very large countries that I'm unlikely to visit (Russia, Antarctica, quite a lot of Africa) so when you start to fill it out you soon realise that it's going to look rather empty. 

I decided to take a creative approach to the cross stitch, so as well as filling in the countries that I've travelled to I also wanted to fill in the blank spaces with a montage of travel related images along with areas of blue for the sea. I added a large title to the top as well. 

Some of the motifs I've designed myself, others I've found online or in my cross stitch pattern books.

The trouble is that I've not updated the map in some time. There are some countries that I've not yet filled in (including China - that will take up a bit of space!). I've also decided to completely fill out the US and Canada instead of just the states that I've visited, just to add a bit more green to the map. I'd like to fill out lots more of the background too, even if I just mark out some space for boxes to be filled in at a later date.

I'm thinking about creating a stronger outline for the countries so that they are more distinct from the background. I have some metallic thread, so that may work for this. I also have a multitude of beads and sequins in my stash that I could use to add a bit of extra interest.

So that's going to be my next long-term crafting project. The photo above is my starting point, let's see how much better I can make it look!

Sharing some of my Japan junk journal pages, and some travel junk journal tips

I've always enjoyed documenting my travels. Even when I was a child I would fill notebooks with things that I collected on holiday - tickets, postcards, food labels and pictures cut out from tourist leaflets. Over the last few years I've sadly fallen out of the habit, but I was determined to make an effort on our holiday this summer to Japan, and I'm so glad that I did! 

Here is a look at the Japan junk journal that I put together with ephemera and notes from our trip. 

Some people like to make their own journals from scrap materials. But to make things easier I used a really simple sketchbook as the base for my travel junk journal, one from a pack of three from Hobbycraft. I removed the centre two pages so that I had enough room to add some extra bulk, and I glued everything in using a glue stick. In total my junk journal has a title page, back page, and fifteen double page spreads. 

I chose to work on my journal when I returned home rather than try and find time while I was away. I took with me a couple of plastic wallets so that I could collect things as I went along, and I did pack a small pair of scissors so that I could cut up leaflets and magazines while I was away to save on luggage space.

I'm quite a neat person, and so I have quite a tidy junk journal compared to others that I've seen online! Most of the items that I've glued in are completely flat. One exception is this paper crane which I folded as part of my Hiroshima page. Paper cranes are such a huge part of the Hiroshima memorials, and I wanted to reflect that, as well as the experience of folding my own crane for the journal. The crane and background are made from some lovely origami papers which I picked up in one of the stationery shops.

Sometimes I had a larger leaflet that I wanted to include so I added some fold out elements, like on this page from Osaka. I'm so glad that Japan still has printed tickets for many attractions, I really miss having a physical ticket to remind me of somewhere that I've been now that everything is done with QR codes!

One of my Kyoto pages features the wonderful Arashiyama Monkey Park. I also added the packaging from the fan that I bought, which barely left my hand during our visit during a heatwave, and a small folded paper fortune that I bought from a box by the side of the road. I didn't even unfold it because I was worried I wouldn't be able to put it back together, so I hope that it's a lucky one!

We spent two days at Tokyo Disneyland, which was amazing. My Disneyland pages have a little more journalling because I wanted to make some notes about the rides which are exclusive to the Tokyo parks. I found a couple of postcards that I could take from the hotel room, and I had a roll of stickers to decorate with featuring the most popular Japanese Disney characters, which I received once as a gift on a Disney cruise ship.

My page from our visit to Mount Fuji features some of the tourist souvenir stamps which are everywhere in Japan. A regret from our holiday is that I didn't bring a separate notebook to collect these stamps, although I think that I would have become obsessive about collecting them so it's probably a good thing that I didn't - we might have missed some trains while I was hunting for a station stamp!

Finally, I couldn't resist a page dedicated to cats, as they are so popular in Japan. I used the leaflet from the Cat Café that we visited, added some of the many cat stickers that I bought, and stuck in some of the little leaflets from inside the gachapon vending machines, where we spent far too much money and I was specifically hunting for cat themed items. 

I'm so glad that I invested a little bit of time and effort into putting together this travel junk journal. It's a really simple way to remember a trip and to have a home for all the little bits of paper and other ephemera that you collect when travelling.

Here are some (mostly free!) items which are perfect to collect and add to your travel junk journal:

Postcards

Tourist leaflets, maps

Stickers, washi tape, patterned papers, tissue paper

Food packaging, tea bag tags

Train tickets, attraction tickets, receipts (be aware that anything printed on thermal paper may fade)

Business cards from hotels, restaurants etc.

Napkins, straw holders, paper coasters, tray liners from fast food restaurants

Newspaper and magazine cuttings, especially if anything newsworthy happened while you were visiting

Hotel amenity packaging, key card holders, hotel postcards, writing paper and envelopes

And some things in my journal which are specific to Japan - souvenir tourist stamps (carry some sheets of blank paper with you if you don't have a dedicated notebook!), fortune papers from shrines, gachapon toy leaflets (look for machines with items local to the place that you are visiting), origami paper, newspaper cuttings

Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto, Japan

When we were planning our visit to Kyoto this summer I found one place that I knew we had to visit. Arashiyama Monkey Park is located on the outskirts of Kyoto and is easily accessible by train with a short walk from the station, or a lovely air-conditioned taxi if you are visiting on an unbearably hot day like we did!

To visit the Monkey Park, you buy your ticket at the entrance and then you need to climb up the hill to get to the monkeys. It only takes about 30 minutes, but when we visited in July during a heatwave it was a long, hot walk and it was quite tough. There are benches along the way as well as fans, and it's quite shaded, but you definitely need to be careful in the heat. We had cooling towels and fans which really helped, as well as plenty of water. At the top there was a lightly air-conditioned indoor rest area, and there were also vending machines for drinks at the top and bottom.

On the way up there are plenty of signs in English to remind you how to behave around the monkeys. Both warning signs, like not carrying loose articles that they might grab, and reminders not to feed them your own food, not to approach them too closely, and not to stare into their eyes as that may make them aggressive.

When you reach the top there is a wide, open area with some wonderful views over the surrounding area. And of course you are surrounded by monkeys! They walk around you and can be seen in the forested areas nearby, some even with tiny babies. There are staff to make sure that they are kept safe, but all the visitors were being really respectful to them and keeping a good distance.

In the middle there is an enclosed hut with wire windows. You can buy some food (peanuts and fruit) for a very reasonable price, and then feed it to the monkeys through the windows. This was an amazing experience! The monkeys were so polite, they came up and reached through with their sweet little fingers to take the food. 

This was definitely the highlight of the visit. There's no pressure, if you don't want to actually feed the monkeys yourself you can just stand there, watch other visitors, and enjoy being so close to the monkeys. It's fascinating to watch their behaviours, and very strange to be the ones in the cage while the monkeys roam free!

We had a lovely visit here and I'd really recommend it. It felt completely safe and I definitely had the impression that the owners of the attraction really care about the monkeys and making sure that they are in an environment where they feel comfortable. 

After visiting the Monkey Park there are some other great places in the local area to enjoy. We visited the popular Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and the walk there takes you down a lovely touristy road filled with pretty souvenir shops and lots of fun themed character cafés which my daughter recognised from social media. We also visited the beautiful Tenryuji Temple, where there were some shaded benches with wonderful views across the gardens and pond. You could easily spend a whole day here exploring and seeing some really unique sights.

Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba in Tokyo, Japan

Last year we had a brilliant visit to a cat café in Seoul, and so on our trip to Japan this summer we knew that we definitely wanted to visit another.

This was our first visit to Japan, and there weren't as many cat cafés around as I was expecting. I think that animal welfare regulations have been tightened over the last few years, and many businesses have closed. We chose to visit the Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba which is part of a chain of cat cafés. It's situated inside the Yodobashi Camera store in Akiba, which is also a great place to visit as well as being somewhere for people that aren't as interested in the cats to spend some time browsing!

The café has large windows which look out onto the street, so you can have a look inside before visiting to check how busy it is and to get a sense of what it's like inside. To spend time in the cafe cost us 2000 yen each for an hour, with additional 10 minutes charged at 250 yen thereafter. There are a couple of vending machines supplying unlimited hot and cold drinks, and you can pay a little extra to buy treats to feed the cats. No reservation was necessary, and it's easy to reach by public transport.

We visited late afternoon which was the perfect time. We arrived just before feeding time, and then after that the space emptied out quickly, with only a few people remaining when it was time for us to leave. Feeding time was really sweet, all the cats lined up in front of their food bowls and they were introduced in turn.

There was a really friendly lady working there who interacted with both guests and cats, telling people about them by using a speaking translator app which worked really well. She clearly loved all the cats. We bought some cat treats and jelly to feed to the cats which was really fun. Everyone was respectful to the cats, no one was chasing them around or bothering them. If they wanted to keep out of the way there were plenty of places for them to retreat where they could remain undisturbed.

If you just sat down quietly then a cat would often approach which was lovely! It was a really calm and peaceful atmosphere. Each table had a handy identification guide with pictures of the cats and their names, and they were all pretty cats from a range of different breeds. We were given stickers so that we could vote for our favourite cat on a wall chart but I felt that was a bit unfair so I put my sticker by the cat that had the fewest votes!

Many of the cats were happy to just sit in a basket while you sat quietly stroked them. We stayed for an hour and it passed so quickly - we could have stayed all day! If you love cats and have the chance to visit a cat café I would definitely recommend it, just make sure to check out a few recent reviews first.

If you are interested in a visit, you can find more information here - Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba

And if cats aren't your thing, we also saw advertisements in Tokyo for several capybara cafés, puppy cafés, a hedgehog café and an exotic animal café featuring kangaroos and snakes!

Five excellent long-form Everest documentaries on YouTube

As I've mentioned before, recently I have become very interested in learning more about Mount Everest. I believe the modern term is 'deep dive', and I've been indulging myself with lots of buying and reading books, listening to podcasts and watching long documentary videos.

I've discovered that the amount of content on YouTube in particular can be quite overwhelming, and far too much of it is either shorts or clickbait videos that lack depth. A much better source of information are long-form documentaries, and luckily there are a wealth of excellent ones available to choose from. 

I'm going to share a few of my favourites, in what may well be part one of a series!

Everest 1998: IMAX (1998)

This film contains the first IMAX images from the summit. It makes it all look easy - if you want a behind the scenes description you can read No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs which really goes into the practicalities of making the film! The film covers the preparations for the climb, the trek to the summit and the return to Base Camp. The footage is beautiful, even when watched on a small screen. The film crew was on the mountain during the 1996 disaster and so shares some of the stories from that day (see the next video to find out more about that event).

The 1996 Disaster - Storm over Everest (2008)

This is a documentary and dramatisation of the events of the 1996 climbing season, when a storm trapped climbers high up in the mountains, leading to eight deaths including two experienced expedition leaders. It features interviews with many of the climbers that were there that day, along with  reconstructions of events. It's not that deep in terms of insight, but it's a good introduction to what happened and introduces you to some of the key players and timelines that you can then go and research further.

Summit Fever (1996)

This is the second Everest film featuring Brian Blessed (the first is Galahad of Everest which is also available on YouTube) and his exuberant enthusiasm for reaching the summit of Everest. This is his third and final attempt, and even though (spoiler alert) he doesn't actually make it to the top himself the film is very entertaining to watch. This team was also on the mountain during the 1996 disaster, and so you can see some footage of that event. The making of this film is chronicled in the book The Other Side of Everest by Matt Dickenson, director.

A Deadly Ascent (2019)

In two parts, this is the story of the 2019 Everest season, when 11 people died. It focuses on the problems of overcrowding on the mountain, and the issues of inexperienced people attempting to climb. It features interviews with Sherpa guides, climbers, and those who lost loved ones. It's a critical look at how people can buy their way to a summit attempt, and the impossibility of trying to help when something goes wrong at high altitude.

The Wildest Dream - Mallory and Everest (2010)

In 1999, Conrad Anker discovered George Mallory's body on the slopes of Everest. It's unknown whether or not Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine reached the summit in 1924 before they died, and Anker attempts to prove that they could have made it. He returns with climber Leo Holding and they recreate parts of the climb, wearing clothing from Mallory's time and attempting the Second Step, the trickiest part of the climb, without using the ladder that has been in place for almost all other attempts via that route. There's a clever mirroring of the historical story of Mallory and Irvine with the modern ascent story, and a poignant dramatisation imagining what it could have looked like if they had made it to the top.

Do let me know if you've found any others that I should watch!

Boarding the Railway 200 Inspiration train - a free and fascinating exhibition train celebrating 200 years of the modern railway

2025 marked the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, inspired by the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. Under the banner of Railway 200 there have been nationwide celebrations throughout the year and beyond, to celebrate how the railway shaped Britain and the world.

Inspiration is a free, family-friendly exhibition train which has been travelling all over the country, and last weekend it made it's way down to Worthing in West Sussex. Tickets were free, although due to limited availability they had to be booked in advance, and I knew that it would be something that would appeal to our family.

The Inspiration train was parked at Worthing station for two days. The exhibition is spread out over several themed carriages, showcasing some of the groundbreaking innovations in railway history, a Wonderlab which offers hands-on exhibits, and information for people that might consider a career in rail.

I found the information about the history of the railway really interesting, and there were plenty of models and displays that really brought everything to life. There were games to play, like trying to prioritise train schedules to fit in with special events, and balancing and construction toys.

My favourite part of the train was definitely the interactive exhibits. Perhaps they were aimed at a slightly younger crowd than mine, but they were still a lot of fun for adults! We enjoyed trying to work out the best configuration for train wheels to roll along a curved track, and I loved a sandpit table which had train tracks and roads projected on it - you could move the sand around to create safe routes and then watch little trains and cars move around them!

There were plenty of friendly staff on board to help with any questions, and we really enjoyed our visit!

While the train has now departed from Worthing there are plenty more stops scheduled across the country. Have a look at the timetable here to book your free tickets - Upcoming 2026 Inspiration tour dates and destinations.

A weekend away in Bath

I've been wanting to visit Bath for many years, and last weekend we were able to make it happen! My husband and I managed a night away, with my Mum staying overnight to watch the teenagers. 

We chose to travel by train because Bath is very walkable and our hotel was close to the station. My son loves trains and was jealous of our journey so I took a photo of each train that we travelled on for him! We only needed to change once and it was a smooth journey, it took us about three hours and I spent most of the journey just looking out of the window. I love train journeys too!

 

Bath is such a lovely city, all the architecture is so beautiful. I loved how even on the main shopping streets all the shops were in keeping with the setting, there weren't any garish shop signs and they were all tucked away behind decorative pillars. It felt as though a lot of effort has gone into making it an attractive place to visit and spend time.

The one thing that I definitely wanted to visit in Bath was The Roman Baths. I've heard of them of course, but I had no idea that the baths were actually fed by a hot spring! There was also a lot more to see than just the main bath area which was familiar to me from photographs. The whole museum was fascinating. I was particularly taken with the Bath curse tablets which are small sheets of metal inscribed with curses against a specific person, usually for something like a theft, and thrown into the spring for the attention of the goddess Sulis so that she could identify the culprit and punish accordingly.

There is an enormous bath complex to explore and it's brought to life really well with projections and large screens. The audioguide was also very good with lots of really interesting information.

We stayed in a very nice spa hotel, which came with some extra benefits because we booked using our credit card. We had use of the spa all day, which was lovely, and we also received a generous credit towards a treatment. I had an upper body massage and facial treatment which was amazing, the massage was very firm and left tears in my eyes but I felt so good afterwards and my skin was really soft. The spa area had warm and hot pools with a sauna and steam room, and the waters in the hotel spa are supplied by one of the hot springs.

Our rate included a cooked breakfast and so in addition to the continental breakfast offerings I opted for pancakes with thick cream and strawberries. Delicious!

We had a lovely weekend away, it was so nice not to have to worry too much about the children (my Mum didn't stay for the whole weekend and I'm not sure they really saw her even when she was there!) My husband is already eyeing up the next weekend away!

Our year of concerts

This year truly was a year of concerts. Many of our favourite groups and singers were touring this year, and we were lucky enough to secure tickets to some great shows.

It all kicked off with Jason Donovan at Worthing Assembly Hall just down the road. This was such a fun concert, we were only a few rows back so we had a great view, and I had a fantastic time singing along and waving my arms. It was such a good atmosphere!

We followed that with a trip to see his contemporary Kylie Minogue at the O2 in London. Quite a contrast! The audience for Kylie was fantastic, really well-mannered and there was lots of effort put in to outfits. Kylie has a great back catalogue from over the years so there were plenty of songs to sing and dance along to, with some fantastic backup singers and dancers.

Then it was back to the O2 for my favourite group of all - Pulp and the You Deserve More tour. I've seen them several times over the years and they always put on a great show. We had really good seats and I loved the structure of the show - two neat halves with an interval in the middle. Pulp showcased songs from their brilliant new album More, and I'm sure that Jarvis Cocker looked directly at me and asked me to meet him by the fountain down the road.

Over the summer we found ourselves at Wembley several times. Getting tickets for most of our concerts was not in any way easy, and tickets for Oasis were the most difficult. We spent a whole morning queueing and the whole experience was stressful, but worth it. We were seated right up at the back and the audience was a little rowdy but it was an amazing night. An intimate venue can be nice to feel a connection with the group, but nothing beats being part of an enormous crowd all singing along together to a classic song like Wonderwall. 

You may be unfamiliar with Blackpink as a group but I'm sure that you will have heard of the very popular song Apt. performed by Rosé, one of their members. My daughter is a huge fan of Blackpink, and so when the tickets went on sale we rushed to buy decent tickets for her, me and my husband. Then they announced another date for the following evening, and just before the concerts we discovered that we could buy tickets for all four of us for the same price as just one of our original tickets! So we went along for a second night running, this time with my son in tow.

I made a big effort before these concerts. I downloaded the setlist and made sure that I knew at least the chorus to all the songs. One of their songs, Shutdown, was my second most played song of the year on Spotify because I had it on repeat while learning the rap. We made bracelets and took along Blackpink light sticks. 

The first night we had great seats down the front to one side and had a fantastic view. The second night we were in the cheaper seats at the top, but we had a great view of the stadium as a whole and could really appreciate the way that it lit up with all the pink light sticks. I had a great time dancing and singing along, and I hope that my daughter enjoyed the concerts too much to be embarrassed!

Our final trip to Wembley this year saw Chris Martin thanking us all for coming out on a Wednesday night to see Coldplay - as if we'd had any choice on the day in another mad rush for tickets! When we booked the tickets early in the year this was intended to be our first concert with both teenagers, as having seen them live a few times we knew that it would be a fun, colourful show. We weren't wrong, they loved the light up wristbands and confetti, bouncy balls and special glasses.

Our amazing year of concerts came to an end right where it began, at Worthing Assembly Hall, with The Lightning Seeds. We were standing for this one, but because it's a small venue we were still close to the front. Maybe a bit of a comedown from the last time I saw them back at Glastonbury as a teenager, but I do love their music. It's so boppy, and some of their lyrics really resonate with me. And so nice to be safely back home just twenty minutes after the concert finished!

Finally there's the one that got away. We would have loved to have seen Radiohead this autumn as we've never seen them live, but despite our best efforts we weren't able to secure tickets. 

Never mind, even though next year doesn't look to be quite as busy we did manage to get tickets to see Take That (or I think three of them at least) in Southampton next spring! I missed out on their last tour because I'd just had a baby, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Did you get to any concerts this year?

Some Autumn sunshine in the Dominican Republic

Over half term we were lucky enough to get away for some sunshine and warmth in the Dominican Republic. We booked our holiday as a package with Tui, staying at Dreams La Romana Resort & Spa. The hotel is located in Bayahibe, about an hour transfer from Punta Cana and the airport. We chose this resort because the beach is on the Caribbean Sea rather than the Atlantic, so we were hoping that the water would be a little warmer and calmer.

Unfortunately our holiday did coincide with Hurricane Melissa, and although we were well away from the direct path I do think that it made the sea conditions a little rougher, especially at the beginning of the week. The sea was also quite cloudy, fine for swimming but unfortunately no good for snorkelling. The water temperature was really warm, it was lovely to float out there bobbing up and down and it felt very safe.

We had two rooms which each had two double beds. The rooms were next door so we felt comfortable letting the teenagers share a room, and they loved the independence. 

My favourite part about the room was the balcony. I absolutely love a balcony, especially one that is high enough to be tucked away from the world and with plenty to look at. I spent hours out there every day reading on my Kindle, enjoying the warmth and watching the birds and the people going past. Even when it rained I sat out there until the wind picked up and turned horizontal!

There was a brilliant cafe in the lobby which was always open and served drinks and delicious cakes as part of the all inclusive. Every afternoon I went down to fetch a fruity tea and a couple of cakes to take back to my balcony to enjoy.

The holiday did involve speaking a little more Spanish than I was expecting. Spanish isn't one of my languages although both children can do pretty well. I managed to learn the words to order cheese (there wasn't a huge selection of veggie food) and bottled water as well as a few bonus words like watermelon and butter!

The resort also has a water park which was excellent and not too busy. There was a lazy river with plenty of rubber rings, and although it featured several instances of unavoidable waterfalls they were spaced very well to let you get nice and hot before you were swept underneath to cool down!

On our last morning we were floating happily along when my husband spotted what he thought was a dead crab in the water. A lady by the side of the pool came over and fished it out with her flip flop - it was actually a dead tarantula! I had no idea there were freely roaming tarantulas in the Dominican Republic, I'd been walking around every evening through grassy areas in my sandals!

We had a lovely holiday, and it was a great chance to relax and enjoy some last warmth before heading for cooler temperatures and dark evenings. 

The books that I read while on holiday:

American Sky by Carolin Dasher - an Amazon First Reads selection that was excellent, much better than many of them that I've struggled through, a historical novel that follows three generations of women and in particular their connections to aviation.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - a sequel to the The Maid, I enjoyed this very much.

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes - ticked a lot of my boxes - an overgrown garden, secrets to uncover, a time jump between WWII and present day narratives.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey - a simple plot but with the lovely idea of choosing and collecting books for others and explaining their special meanings.

Very, Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse - fairly predictable but a fun easy read.

The Women at Ocean's End by Faith Hogan - a group of women with compelling stories connected by life on a remote island.

How to pack light for a longer holiday

We have been lucky enough to enjoy some longer holidays over the years, but as the children have grown so has our need for suitcases! 

Before children we managed a two week trip around Europe with just hand luggage, we also survived nearly six weeks away with a suitcase and a holdall. I even lived in Germany for a year with mainly just the contents of a 22kg suitcase. So I like to think that I'm quite good at planning my packing to be as minimal as possible. 

Travelling light isn't just about saving on your weight allowance, it's also much easier when it comes to moving around airports and stations with a suitcase, and with less to keep track of it takes away some of the worries.

Here are some tips!

Try to wash clothes while you are away

If you can, book accommodation with laundry facilities. This is the reason that we usually book a villa stay when we travel to Florida - I'm able to keep up with washing as we go and we only need to pack clothes for a few days. It can be a pain taking time out of your holiday to faff with the washing, but it makes such a difference with the packing and it's so nice to come home with a suitcase of clean clothes! On our recent trip to Seoul we stayed in a hotel with a coin laundry which was fantastic, I would never pay for a hotel laundry service so it's definitely worth looking for self-service facilities.

If there aren't any washing facilities you can always wash by hand in the sink or bath, especially underwear that will dry quickly. You can either take some hand washing liquid with you, or in the past I've just used shower gel! Take clothes made from lightweight materials like sportswear and they will dry more quickly if you wash by hand.

Plan your clothes packing carefully

Unless you are an Instagram influencer then you really don't need a fresh outfit each day. Obviously underwear needs to be changed, but outer layers like trousers and jumpers can be worn a few times. 

Make sure that everything you pack goes well together, with neutral colours that can be mixed and matched.

Pack lightweight clothing that can be layered depending on the temperature or your activities.

Choose items that can be worn in different ways. For example I might wear a summer dress during the day, then add leggings and a cardigan for the evening. 

Bring the clothes that you enjoy wearing at home, don't bring clothes that you will avoid wearing and will turn out to be a waste of space.

Don't pack extra 'just in case' clothes - you will always be able to make do with what you have even if it means washing a few things out after unexpected accidents.

Photo credit Nick Fewings via Unsplash

Check what is included in your accommodation

Don't pack towels unless you are absolutely certain that you will need them. If you are going self-catered you can shop for essentials like toilet rolls, tissues, bin bags or dishwasher tablets when you arrive. 

Remember weight rather than size

If you are flying, it will usually be the weight that limits what you can take with you. I find that the heaviest things are usually shoes, so try to pack pairs that can go with all of your outfits. I try to limit myself to a pair of trainers for walking and some comfortable sandals if we are going somewhere hot. Depending on the type of holiday you might also want a pair of dressier shoes.

Books also add to the weight, so if you are an avid reader consider using an e-reader. When we went on our long holiday in the days before Kindles I chose one nice thick book - Anna Karenina - which kept me occupied for the entire trip!

Another way to save weight is to decant toiletries into smaller bottles, or do what I do and plan to use toiletries provided by your accommodation. If you arrive and there aren't any supplied then you can always just buy some when you arrive.

If you are packing heavy clothes like boots or winter coats then try and wear them for travel days.

A luggage scale is a great investment if you are worried about going over a weight limit - we have a simple strap one that you hang the suitcase from and it's very accurate. You can keep track while you are packing, and it helps you to think more carefully about what's going in.

Modern suitcases are much lighter than older ones, so it might be worth upgrading if you are wasting some of your weight allowance on bulky luggage.

Look for travel sized items

If you travel regularly it's definitely worth investing in some lightweight accessories. For example a small, light umbrella or a device charger with multiple USB ports. Thin, foldable ponchos are a great alternative to a bulky raincoat if you aren't sure whether you'll need one.

Remember that other places have shops too

Most of what you need can always be purchased while you are away. Even if you are staying in a remote resort there will always be a shop for essentials.

I always consider the things that absolutely couldn't be replaced, and anything other than that is a bonus. Apart from travel documents, for us that is our glasses as we are glasses wearers (and a spare pair is essential too!) and medication that would be difficult to replace or find an alternative.

Do you have any tips to add?

How I survive long haul flights

I've been lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful holidays to far flung destinations, and I like to think I'm a pretty seasoned traveller when it comes to flying long haul. So I thought I'd share some tips for things that have helped me survive a long haul flight and emerge at the end ready for a new adventure, or prepared to get back into the swing of things at home!

Before flying

We try to pre-book seats or check in on time to choose seats together. I like an aisle seat, so I usually have the children next to me by the window. Bulkhead seats are nice for extra legroom, but I'm short and I'm personally not a fan - hand luggage has to go in the overhead compartment, the table and screen are awkwardly positioned, the toilet queue is right beside you, and it's where they keep the noisy babies! 

As soon as I sit in my seat I change my phone clock to the new timezone and sync my watch. I try to get myself in the mindset for the new time, so if it's suddenly evening I imagine being ready to go to sleep.

Finally when packing for peace of mind I always make everyone pop spare underwear and a clean top into hand luggage. You never know when you'll spill a drink down yourself, or whether your suitcase may end up in a different place. 

Daytime flights

I find long daytime flights the hardest. I keep the flight map up on the screen and sometimes it can just go so slowly! 

I download plenty of entertainment to my phone. I only found out recently that you can download videos from YouTube to watch offline! I choose light, easy to watch videos that normally I pass over for something more substantial. There's usually something that I want to watch on the entertainment system, maybe an old film that I've not watched in years or some episodes of a sitcom that I enjoy.

I take plenty of reading material. Mostly it's on my Kindle, but I always make sure to take at least one physical book in case of a Kindle mishap. I'll choose a book that I've been looking forward to reading (making sure that I've read the first few pages and know it's one I'm going to enjoy). A few days before we go away I have a good browse of the Prime Reading Library and free Kindle books to make sure that I've got plenty of options, and I have lots of old favourites in my Kindle library.

I like to take a notepad and pen too, useful if anyone needs to be entertained with some pen and paper games and it's somewhere to jot down random thoughts that come into my head when I'm bored and staring into space!

I pack plenty of snacks, and I try to include things that I don't eat often and are a bit of a treat. Minstrels are good because they don't melt if it's hot, and I like savoury snacks like the little packs from Graze. 

I also try to nap even on a daytime flight. It's not easy when people are going up and down the aisle or the children need something, but it does make the time pass more quickly.

Photo credit Suhyeon Choi via Unsplash

Night flights

For me night flights are all about sleeping, as much as possible. Whether it's because I want to make the most of our first day in a new location or so that I can arrive home and not need to fall straight into bed and make the jet lag worse.

I have an unusual neck pillow which is called a trtl pillow. I'm not sure it's much more comfortable than a classic neck pillow, but it packs down small in my hand luggage and it has a long fleecy scarf which I wrap around almost my whole face. I use it with a black sleep mask and ear plugs, and that combination really does help me to get some sleep.

Before a night flight we try to eat dinner at the airport. For a longer flight I'll wait for the meal on the plane, but for a shorter long haul flight I'll just make sure that the children are comfortable and then I'll tuck myself up for sleep straight away. I don't have an alcoholic drink, it's tempting because I know it would make me feel dozy, but I think I would wake up during the flight feeling worse.

Even if I can't sleep during the flight I try to avoid turning on the screen or a reading light. Luckily night flights on planes are set up for sleeping with disturbances kept to a minimum so I can usually at least doze. It's such a nice feeling to wake up from a sleep on the plane and check the map to see that you are nearly at your destination.

After landing

I make sure that I'm mentally in the new time zone immediately. Even if it feels like the middle of the night I try to stay awake as long as I can, and eat meals at the correct times - sunlight, fresh air and exercise can help to stay awake. If we've landed early morning and I know that I can't manage the whole day awake then I will have a nap early afternoon, but I'll set an alarm and force myself to get up and keep going!

Using ChatGPT to plan a holiday - what's the best way to use it?

I'm currently in the process of planning a big holiday - a several week trip to Japan which will involve travelling around the country to visit many places of interest - and for the first time I'm experimenting with using ChatGPT to help me come up with places to visit and to plan an itinerary. 

I've been having a really positive experience, so I thought I'd share some of the pros and cons, as well as a few tips for anyone thinking of using AI to plan a holiday. 

Advantages of using AI to plan a holiday

ChatGPT is constantly evolving, and is constantly being updated. ChatGPT now has an excellent memory, so even in a separate query it will remember the ages and interests of family members or information like the fact that you are a vegetarian family. So you don't need to keep repeating yourself with each prompt.  

It's perfect for finding a small piece of information quickly, for example the opening times of a particular attraction, without having to trawl through Google search results. Just remember to ask it for for a link that you can use to check the information!

It's brilliant if you are searching for information online which may be in a different language, for example a small local attraction which may not have an English website. 

I found it very helpful for putting together an itinerary based on attractions which are close together geographically without having to hunt everything down on a map. It's also great for suggesting day trips or other places to visit nearby.

The AI can pick out some less well known information, for example more niche attractions, that wouldn't come up in the first few pages of search engine results. It finds even the most obscure information incredibly quickly.

Some negatives to using ChatGPT to plan a holiday

If you've asked for an itinerary make sure that all the days are included - I had an attempt that missed out an entire day. 

The AI may draw to your attention to the fact that an attraction is closed on a certain day, yet still plan for you to visit on the day when it's closed.

Opening hours or ticket prices may be incorrect, and it may suggest visiting places such as restaurants that have now closed down.

Restaurant suggestions in particular can be a bit random and it's difficult to see why a particular venue has been suggested over others that are just as good or more suitable.

Depending on how you phrase your initial prompt, the AI may pick out something small and run with it. For example, I mentioned shopping as a possible interest among several others and was presented with a three day itinerary which included only shops, rather than any famous sights.

Photo credit Finn Mund via Unsplash

Some tips for using ChatGPT to plan your travels

In your initial prompt, enter as much detail as possible. For example - ages of travellers, interests (history, art, nature, transport...), the type of place that you want to visit (museums, shops, landmarks, places to take a good selfie, ways to experience local cuisine...), attractions that you definitely want to visit and the sights that you aren't bothered about, whether you will have a car or will be using public transport.

Make sure to add in your travel plans, for example flight or train details, and whether any of the dates in your itinerary are fixed, for example if you have booked tickets to an event. Ask the AI to suggest quieter days or times to visit large attractions, and ask whether there are any public holidays or local events to be aware of.

When the AI comes back with suggestions you can keep a thread going and all the information you've received so far will be stored in the chat. For example further prompts like 'do you have any other suggestions that are more suitable for teenagers', 'how about some places with historical significance' or 'what else could I do while I'm in this area'.

You can ask for summary reviews, like 'what do people think of this attraction' or 'is this a popular place to visit with teenagers'.

Finally, check every detail before you leave. In particular opening times, transport links, admission costs, process for purchasing tickets and so on. I've found ChatGPT to be generally accurate, but you can't rely on it entirely! You can also always ask the AI for a link to an official website where you can verify the information.

I hope that this article is helpful - next time you are planning a holiday see whether ChatGPT can help you out!

A tour into the DMZ from Seoul - the border between North and South Korea

In July this year we had an amazing holiday in Seoul, and one of the highlights was an organised tour from Seoul into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The DMZ is the buffer zone which marks the border between the two countries. It's about 4km wide and is a site of ongoing tension, with a significant military presence on both sides. 

We booked our tour with Get Your Guide and the tour was operated by PLK Travel. We chose the Seoul:DMZ, 3rd Tunnel and Optional Suspension Bridge Tour including the suspension bridge, and paid £213 total for four adults. 

Travelling with an organised tour is really the only way to see many of these sights. You can visit Imjingak Park without a tour, but you can only enter the DMZ on a guided tour in an official tour bus. It is possible to make your way to Imjingak independently and transfer to an official tour bus but this would require some extra planning and research and I'm not sure how easy it would be. 

Our tour departed from and returned to Myeongdong Station which was very convenient for us as our hotel was located close by. It was a full day tour, we left early in the morning and arrived back mid-afternoon, and it's about an hour's drive from Seoul to the DMZ without stopping. 

Our tour guide was Paul and he was fantastic. While driving between the sights, as well as telling us about what we were seeing he also shared a lot of information about his own personal history relating to North and South Korea. It was fascinating, and gave us a huge amount of background information to help us understand the history of the two countries.

There was also the opportunity to buy some North Korean currency on the bus which we took advantage of, a great souvenir to take home!

Gamaksan Suspension Bridge

Our first stop was the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge (I've read that these extra stops offered as part of tours are a way of spreading out the tourists a bit to avoid congestion at the DMZ sights). It's quite a steep hike up to the suspension bridge, but we were left to do this independently so we could take our time and stop along the way to admire the views. It was a fun hike and the bridge was very impressive. At the bottom of the hill there are toilets and a convenience shop for snacks. 

Imjingak Peace Park

Then we returned to the coach to drive to Imjingak. Imjingak Park symbolises the hope of a reunification between South and North Korea, and there are many sights monuments, memorials, and other interesting things to see here. We started with a guided walking tour which highlighted the main sights, for example the Freedom Bridge which was temporarily built to exchange prisoners of war in 1953. The Mangbaedan Altar, below, is a place for South Koreans to remember their loved ones that remain in North Korea. Our guide told us many stories about his own family's escape from North Korea, along with the possibility that he has cousins living in North Korea that he knows nothing about.

You can also see an old steam locomotive which was the last train to cross the Korean border. It was rescued from the DMZ and is filled with bullet holes. You can pay a little extra to walk a short way down the partially finished train track towards North Korea which has been built in the hope of one day connecting the two countries.

The Statues of Peace can also be seen here in Imjingak Park. These statues are memorials to 'comfort women', women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during WWII. There are a number of these identical statues located across South Korea, and here in the park there are two side by side. The idea is that after reunification, one of these statues will be relocated to North Korea, and the statue intended for North Korea has a blank tablet ready for a future engraving. 

We had plenty of time to spend here in the park, and there was lots to see. Some tours include a ride on the Imjingak Peace Gondola, and you can climb up to the gondola station and see the view. There is also a Dunkin' Donuts here and a few other food options, so it was a good place to grab some lunch. There's a really good article here with 15 Interesting Things to do at Imjingak Park near the DMZ which is worth a read if you are visiting and don't want to miss anything.

Dora Observatory

The drive to the Dora Observatory is when you enter the military checkpoint which is very strictly controlled. It's essential that you bring your passport on the tour with you, as soldiers enter the bus and check everyone. One of the many interesting sights along the way is the old toll gate on the road into North Korea, which is no longer operational.

There are also lots of signs warning of landmines, and signage to make sure that you know you are entering a military area.

Inside the observatory there are large windows which look out over North Korea, and lots of information about what you can see. This model shows the area, the big building is the observatory and the blue lines mark the edges of the DMZ. You used to be able to go outside up to the roof but this is not currently permitted, however the windows on the top floor offer a similar view.

At the current time you are not allowed to take photographs into North Korea from the Observatory, and this is very strictly enforced. Our guide had a selection of photos which he had taken before this rule, and he shared them with anyone interested. There was also a video playing which showed the same scenery that you can see from the windows, and the photograph below is taken from the video. 

Our guide gave us lots of really interesting information about what you can see from the observatory, including the flags of North and South Korea, the speaker system in South Korea which broadcast K-pop and news reports (the speakers were recently demolished), guard towers, housing tower blocks and industrial buildings). 

The Third Invasion Tunnel

Then we drove to the The Third Invasion Tunnel. This is one of four (known!) tunnels built by North Korea underneath the DMZ with the purpose of invading South Korea. It was discovered in 1978 and is an incomplete 1.6km long tunnel. The tunnel has been blocked and turned into a tourist attraction where you are able to walk down a section of the tunnel.

Before entering the tunnel you must leave all your belongings in a locker (so there is no photography), and don a hard hat. One tip - be quick with the locker and get ahead of the tour group. We spent too long faffing and ended up at the back, meaning that we got caught in a long queue at the end of the tunnel before the turn around point. The entrance to the tunnel is a wide, smooth pathway but the actual tunnel is very narrow and low, so it can be quite claustrophobic if you are there with a lot of other people not moving. It's also quite a tough climb, so you do need to be physically fit. If you don't fancy it you can just wait for your group at the top, there is plenty to see to keep you busy.

There is an illustration of the tunnel outside which is quite misleading - it's not to scale and the tunnel that you walk down on the left is much longer than it looks in the picture! There is an old monorail to the tunnel entrance, but I don't think it's operational at the moment.

Outside there is a reconstruction of the end of the tunnel so that you can take pictures, and also lots of other photo opportunities, including the large DMZ sign. Even though we were last out of the tunnel we still had plenty of time to look around the area.

Unification Village

Our final stop was The Unification Village. This is a small farming village located within the southern area of the DMZ. We didn't stop here for very long, just time for a quick visit to the gift shop which sells various DMZ souvenirs. There is also a stand selling vegan ice cream which was very popular!

Historically, DMZ tours have also included a stop at the JSA (Joint Security Area) but it is currently closed to the public after a US soldier crossed the border in 2023 during a tour which triggered increased tensions. It's unclear whether the JSA tours will resume in the future. 

Although I was a little apprehensive about taking this tour because of the ongoing tensions in the area, I'm really glad that we did it, and it was definitely a highlight of our entire trip. We never felt at all unsafe at any point, and it really was fascinating. 

It was very interesting to learn about the history between the two countries, and to realise that the people of South Korea are genuinely longing for a reconciliation with North Korea. 

If you are visiting South Korea I would absolutely recommend taking a tour to the DMZ, it will really enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of a trip to the country.