The Journal
Adventures, Guides & Stories
Real guides from real trips — destination breakdowns, packing lists and honest stories from Barbados to Patagonia.
gear-guides
Osprey Sirrus 36 Review: A Traveller's Honest Breakdown
The Osprey Sirrus 36 carried me through the Inca Trail, four weeks in New Zealand and the Lost City trek in Colombia. Here's every compartment, what works, and whether it's still the right bag today.
barbados
The Best Off The Beaten Path Beaches You Must Visit in Barbados
Some Barbados beaches are great for swimming, some for surfing, and some are simply so beautiful you need to see them yourself. Here are our favourite off the beaten path beaches on the island.
packing-lists
The Ultimate Sandals Resort Packing List
From fancy dinners to lazy beach days, here is everything to pack for a Sandals Resort vacation — the honest list, built from our own trips to Sandals in Jamaica and Barbados.
barbados
Top 5 Spots for a Delicious Barbados Rum Punch
The Bajan rum punch is a fruity cocktail and everyone has their own signature recipe. Here are the five best spots on the island to try one, plus the classic recipe to make your own.
barbados
Five Off-Beat Barbados Excursions Worth Your Time
Most cruise visitors spend their day on the beach near port and go home thinking they have seen Barbados. Here are five much better ways to spend a day on the island — whether you have six hours or the whole day.
budget-travel
Our Luxury All-Inclusive Vacation in Jamaica
A long weekend at Sandals Jamaica — overwater bungalows, heart-shaped villas, sundowners at a bar suspended over the water, and our first real taste of proper all-inclusive luxury.
budget-travel
Our First Taste of Southeast Asia: One Week in Vietnam
Travelling to Southeast Asia from Barbados is a proper long haul. One week in Vietnam took us from the hustle of Hanoi to the Hai Van Pass on the back of a motorbike to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An.
barbados
Most Instagrammable Spots in Barbados
Barbados is genuinely beautiful — and full of secluded beaches and hidden sites most visitors never find. Here are our favourite spots for the perfect Barbados Instagram shot.
barbados
A Barbadian Girl's Guide to Crop Over Festival
Trinidad Carnival is the biggest festival in the Caribbean, but Barbados' Crop Over comes in a close second. Starting in June and culminating in Grand Kadooment — here's everything you need to know.
road-trips
Is Iceland's Blue Lagoon Overrated?
We visited Iceland's Blue Lagoon on the last morning of our 12-day road trip. Spectacular setting, expensive, very busy. Here is our honest verdict — and the alternatives that are genuinely better.
barbados
Mount Gay Rum Tour: Barbados Must Do
Mount Gay is the world's oldest rum brand, founded in Barbados in 1703. If you are going to spend money on one tour during your trip, make it this one. Here is exactly what to expect.
barbados
Where to Swim with Sea Turtles in Barbados
You do not need to book a catamaran cruise to swim with sea turtles in Barbados. Here are the best spots on the west coast to find them independently — and the safety rules you need to know first.