Author: bristolianbackpacker

Is Vang Vieng Worth Visiting?

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Where is Vang Vieng? Apart from its location, I literally knew nothing about Laos before going there. After deciding it was on our itinerary while in South East Asia, I started reading up on the country. A place which soon appeared on my radar was Vang Vieng. Located near the capital of Vientiane, over the years, Vang Vieng has earnt a reputation for being an alcohol-drinking, drug-taking, Friends-watching, river-tubing town for foreign tourists. The whole situation got out of hand a few years ago as numerous tourists drowned due to excessive drinking while tubing. Many locals feel like the original culture …

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How Travelling Has Increased My Environmental Awareness

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Global warming and climate change are two things we keep hearing about frequently. Unlike some high authority figures, it’s not something we should be ignoring. However, it’s always been difficult to really grasp the effect global warming is having. It’s easy to get caught up in our day to day lives of finances, work, and personal relationships. My most recent travels have opened up to my eyes to the impact our livelihood is having and has increased my environmental awareness. Air Pollution in China Since being home, the question I often get asked is “How was China?” By now, I’ll admit that I …

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Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2017

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Since being home in Bristol I’ve met up with a lot of friends and the number one question is “When are you off again?” or equally as popular, “Where are you going in 2017?” Truth be told, I have no current plans to travel in 2017, yet. In fact, 2017 is a total blank at the moment. There is a possibility of staying in Bristol, or moving elsewhere; I really don’t know. Whatever happens, there are certainly some travel destinations that I would love to visit in 2017. Lonely Plant has compiled their top list of travel destinations for 2017 and so here is my …

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56 Photos of Our USA Travels

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For those who enjoy visuals, here is a selection of photos of our two month USA trip. Thanks to Mitch for many of the great photos. Seattle, Washington Portland, Oregon San Fransisco, California Los Angeles, California     Incredible sunset in LA Phoenix, Arizona Grand Canyon and Sedona El Paso, Texas San Antonio, Texas Austin, Texas Houston, Texas Dallas & Fort Worth, Texas     Memphis, Tennessee Nashville, Tennesse Brief Stop in Kentucky Atlanta, Georgia Miami, Floria   Washington DC New York, New York                            

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Being Back Home in Bristol

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On Friday 25th November, Mitch and I touched down in the UK after being away for fifteen months. We lived in China for ten months and travelled for another five. We had the luxury of visiting Vietnam, Laos, South Korea, Canada (albeit briefly) and the USA.  However, now I’m back in my hometown of Bristol. To be honest, I was looking forward to coming home. That’s not to say I haven’t adored where we’ve been and what we’ve done. I’m so happy and am so grateful to been able to have our lifestyle. But fifteen months is a long time to …

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Visiting Texas: Not What I Expected

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Our route across the USA involved heading down the West Coast and then along the South to make our way to Miami. Texas seemed like a good route to take and we ended up staying there for quite a while, mainly because the state is so friggin’ big, but also because there’s lots to see. Prior to arriving, if someone had said Texas, I would have thought of BBQ, a Southern US accent, and cowboys. My experience, however, has been a lot different. Here are some things I’ve learnt about Texas. Texas is Huge Texas is bigger than the UK. …

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