The Determined Traveller

No BS solo female travel

  • Travel
    • Asia
      • India
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Caribbean
      • Cuba
    • Europe
      • England
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      • Ukraine
    • Middle East
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Chile
      • Uruguay
  • Food and drink
  • About Me
  • Need an editor or writer?
  • Privacy Policy
  • Travel
    • Asia
      • India
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Caribbean
      • Cuba
    • Europe
      • England
      • Italy
      • Poland
      • Ukraine
    • Middle East
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Chile
      • Uruguay
  • Food and drink
  • About Me
  • Need an editor or writer?
  • Privacy Policy

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  • W15 Escape: A Sri Lankan escape from the rat race

    May 14, 2018 /

      Sri Lanka was the first country I visited after I quit my job, my house and my life in London, and I’m sad to say that I probably didn’t do it justice. A two week dash through half of the country while trying to get my head around what the hell I had done was not exactly conducive to a fun time. But when we arrived on Sri Lanka’s sleepy, surfy south coast and checked into the gorgeous W15 Escape for a few days, I finally felt like things might just be ok. As a backpacker, you don’t often get to stay in luxurious hotels. Of course, there’s the…

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    September 10, 2019

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    April 26, 2018

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    August 22, 2019
  • Monk chat and the pursuit of happiness in Chiang Mai

    April 26, 2018 /

      “I’m not religious but if I were, I would be Buddhist”. If I had a pound for every time I heard someone saying this then…well…let’s just say it would be one way to fund my travels! I do get where people are coming from though. Buddhism enjoys a rare position of privilege among world religions; a belief system that seems to be both inoffensive and, in some ways, desirable to a lot of people. For me, however, the interest in Buddhism comes less from a “spiritual” perspective and more from one that relates to my health. As someone who is so often immersed in a fug of depression and…

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    Six unmissable bars in Kuala Lumpur

    November 13, 2017

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    April 11, 2018

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    August 22, 2019
  • Three historic bars in Ho Chi Minh City

    April 11, 2018 /

      I really didn’t love Ho Chi Minh City. It was my first experience of Vietnam, a country I’d heard was a slow burner, so maybe I should have started somewhere that was less of a brick to the face. But I was sucked in by my romantic ideas of Saigon…a town full of history with a seedy, decadent underbelly. The reality was the polar opposite. Obviously things have moved on and the name change isn’t all that’s different about Saigon these days. Ho Chi Minh City is a sweaty, traffic-choked, ostensibly unwelcoming, modern metropolis. It’s deeply pedestrian-unfriendly which, for someone who likes to walk, was often frustrating to the…

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    Monk chat and the pursuit of happiness in Chiang Mai

    April 26, 2018

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    February 16, 2020

    What to do in Sri Lanka: A two week itinerary

    October 28, 2019
  • Searching for wild elephants in Munnar

    November 19, 2017 /

      Tea and elephants. That’s quite a combination. Throw some extremely uncooperative weather into the mix and you have my trip to Munnar, in the Indian state of Kerala. If you’re visiting Cochin and want to do some sightseeing out of town, Munnar will likely be one of the options available to you. It’s definitely worth doing, even if the weather is somewhat unreliable. For a start, the landscape is completely different to Cochin. Based high in the Western Ghats, close to the border with Tamil Nadu, Munnar is surrounded by tessellated tea plantations, waterfalls and thickly forested mountains. Secondly, you have the opportunity to see something quite special: wild…

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    Three historic bars in Ho Chi Minh City

    April 11, 2018

    Primates and pirates in Borneo

    July 17, 2019

    Teaching English in Laos with Big Brother Mouse

    November 4, 2019
  • Six unmissable bars in Kuala Lumpur

    November 13, 2017 /

      To be honest, Kuala Lumpur was never on my extremely rough itinerary. But a combination of circumstances led to me spending an inordinate amount of time there. My first impressions were not favourable. I thought the city was ugly, traffic-choked, smoggy and sweaty. Over time, however, I grew to love it. It may not be an obviously lovely place, unlike other capital cities, but it has a vibe about it that keeps tugging at your sleeve saying “there’s more to me than meets the eye”. It helps that the bar scene is excellent, especially if you’re a total boozehound like me. From glitzy roof top establishments in among the…

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    Primates and pirates in Borneo

    July 17, 2019

    Travelling around northern Laos on the ‘vomit bus’

    February 7, 2021

    Five great things to do in Melaka

    August 22, 2019
  • Travelling and leaving home: How not to do it

    October 23, 2017 /

      I’m not generally a disorganised sort of person. I worked as a personal assistant for a good many years; a job where your organisation skills have to be top notch. And when it comes to travelling, I’ve always been borderline paranoid; making sure I have everything I need, leaving for the airport/train station super early just in case, triple checking that I’ve locked all the doors and windows…. Yet for some reason, when I planned my biggest travel adventure yet, organisation went right out of the unlocked window. Here’s how NOT to start your trip. Decide to move out and fly on the same day Because there’s nothing more…

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    Dreams of exploration in Punta Arenas

    January 5, 2020

    Welsh Patagonia: The pampas grass of home?

    March 26, 2019

    The prettiest streets in west London

    April 13, 2017
  • 10 colourful photos that’ll make you want to visit Panaji

    October 12, 2017 /

      Chances are you’ll be visiting Goa for the beautiful beaches but what if you fancy a change from all that sun, sand and surf? Goa’s capital, Panaji (also known as Panjim), is a brilliant way to spend a day away from the coast. The Portuguese influence is still strong in the crumbling old town; evident in the azejuelo tiles, the language on the street signs and the wonderfully distinctive cuisine. Visit certain restaurants and you could almost be forgiven for thinking that you’ve somehow teleported to the other side of the world. There aren’t any major sights in Panaji but the pleasure is in simply wandering through the sleepy,…

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    Monk chat and the pursuit of happiness in Chiang Mai

    April 26, 2018

    A houseboat in Kerala: How to relax like a pro

    September 27, 2017

    Six unmissable bars in Kuala Lumpur

    November 13, 2017
  • A houseboat in Kerala: How to relax like a pro

    September 27, 2017 /

      I don’t know about you guys but I’m not great at switching off. Living in London does it to you; the constant thrum of the capital means you’re pretty much always on the go. Even when I was vegging out in front of Netflix, my brain would still be processing the sensory overload of the city; thinking about what to do and where to go next. And I’m the same now I’ve left London. Contrary to my belief that giving up my full-time job would free up some time, I’m actually busier than ever, just in a different way. How would I cope staying on a houseboat in Kerala…

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  • Where to eat great food in Fort Kochi

    September 2, 2017 /

      Fort Kochi is the perfect introduction to India. If you’re a first time visitor to the sub-continent, the chilled out state of Kerala, with its palm trees, fishing nets and spice gardens, will gently welcome you with just enough Indian verve to make you feel like you’re somewhere truly exotic, yet with minimal hustle and hassle. If you’re an old hand when it comes to the chaos of India then Fort Kochi will seem like a a long cool drink of water. This historic, bohemian town – shaped over time by the Portuguese, the Dutch, Catholics, Hindus, Jains, Jews and so many more – is a hub of local…

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    10 colourful photos that’ll make you want to visit Panaji

    October 12, 2017

    Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka: what you need to know

    August 13, 2017

    Three historic bars in Ho Chi Minh City

    April 11, 2018
  • The Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

    August 26, 2017 /

    To say that we were a bit wet is an understatement. Our hike through the verdant tea plantations of the Sri Lankan highlands was cut soggily short with the arrival of the downpour to end all downpours. As we waited for our tuk-tuk driver in a nearby cafe, the thought of returning to our chilly and damp guest house did not fill us with excitement. We were desperate to get out of our sodden clothes and have a hot shower, but we knew that nothing was going to dry at our current abode. A cheeky thought occurred to us…why not treat ourselves to a night at The Grand Hotel. The…

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    W15 Escape: A Sri Lankan escape from the rat race

    May 14, 2018

    Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka: what you need to know

    August 13, 2017

    Lanna food: the flavours of northern Thailand

    January 19, 2021
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Recent Posts

  • Chiloe: witchcraft, mermaids and saltwater
  • Travelling around northern Laos on the ‘vomit bus’
  • Lanna food: the flavours of northern Thailand
  • Steak, sunsets and the magic of Montevideo
  • 14 Ton That Dam Street: Ho Chi Minh City’s hidden cafes
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