The Journal
Adventures, Guides & Stories
Real guides from real trips — destination breakdowns, packing lists and honest stories from Barbados to Patagonia.
Budget Travel
13 posts
budget-travel
Rotorua: From Wai-O-Tapu to Tamaki Village
Rotorua smells like sulphur — the geothermal activity that makes this North Island city one of the most extraordinary places in New Zealand. Two days of colourful geothermal parks and Māori culture.
budget-travel
Wellington — One Day in New Zealand's Coolest Little Capital
Twelve hours in Wellington with zero research done and a bag on my back — how one of the best unplanned days of my New Zealand trip came together, and how to do it properly with more time.
budget-travel
Toronto Like a Local: Off the Beaten Path
Toronto is Canada's biggest city and unofficial cultural capital, but away from the CN Tower and the well-known attractions, the real heart of the city lies waiting to be discovered.
budget-travel
20 Things to Do in Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is New Zealand's adventure capital — bungy jumping, jet boating, world-class hikes and a lake town setting that is beautiful even before you do anything adventurous at all.
budget-travel
20 Things to Do in Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is the City of Sails — an isthmus city dotted with volcanic cones, ringed by beaches and 35 minutes from a vineyard island. Here are the best things to do, from a Kiwi first-timer's perspective.
budget-travel
Visiting Hobbiton: The Complete Guide to the Movie Set
The Hobbiton Movie Set is the only Lord of the Rings filming location preserved in its entirety. 44 hobbit holes, Bag End, the Green Dragon Inn — here is everything you need to know before you go.
budget-travel
The Nevis Bungy Jump Experience in New Zealand
134 metres above a gorge outside Queenstown, deathly afraid of heights, and about to jump. Here is the honest, minute-by-minute account of doing the Nevis Bungy — the highest jump in New Zealand.
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.
budget-travel
6 Epic Days in Cape Town, South Africa
After two weeks exploring Johannesburg, six days in Cape Town delivered Table Mountain, penguins at Boulder's Beach, wine country in Franschhoek and one of the most beautiful cities we've visited.
budget-travel
South Africa: Top 5 Activities in Johannesburg
A random, last-minute booking to South Africa with zero research and no plan beyond visiting a friend's family. Here's what ended up being the top 5 activities from two unplanned weeks in Johannesburg.
budget-travel
One Day in London: How to Make the Most of 24 Hours
After two rainy weeks in Iceland, one day in London was all we had before flying home. Here's how we packed the essentials — Big Ben, Covent Garden, a proper English breakfast — into 24 hours.