Stories behind the stories. By Travel Writer, Amy McPherson
I have been questioned, time after time, trip after trip, how I pack so lightly. Do I have special lightweight clothing? Do I have secret compartments in my backpack? Is there a magical space at the bottom where things just disappear into without adding on dimensions and weight? (Like the Tardis, people think my backpack …
2017 is supposed to be the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, yet, tourism hasn’t been all that sustainable at all. We saw this first hand on our recent trip to Dubrovnik, on a walking holiday with On Foot Holidays where we stayed 2 nights with our apartment window looking out to this wonderfully …
It never occurred to me to travel otherwise. In Europe, where the option for rail travel is good and (mostly) reliable, it is my first choice of transport when I am roaming around the continent. However, it wasn’t until I was helping a friend about their European itinerary did I realise not many people know …
Lovers of Harry Potter and Pokemon Go can vouch for this: there is nothing more exciting than being able to find fantastic beasts or discover mythical creatures in our surroundings, even if it’s imagined. One of those things about travel is that sometimes, you can let you are imagination be carried away with you, and …
I am not biased, but having experienced Taipei as an adult and as a tourist, it really is an exciting city to visit. Here’s a little guide to Taipei on getting in, getting around and essential information about travelling in Taipei. Why you should visit Taipei (and the rest of Taiwan while you are at …
Taipei is getting ready to host this year’s Universiade, and earlier this year has launched a double-decker, hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing buses around the city. Although, personally, I’ve never really enjoyed these fixed destination tourist buses, and everywhere we go, we try to use local public transport to get around. Just like in London’s red …
I have always been a big advocate for public transport, whether at home, or on the road. Public transport to me, is a way to travel and to experience a place like those who live there. We are always complaining about being treated like tourists wherever we go, yet, many still book themselves onto tour …
Our annual festive season trip had gone way too fast! The trip was packed with relaxing soaks in the baths of Budapest, exploring the historic sights of Bratislava, going underground in Brno and discovering the quieter sides to Prague. These are some of the well trodden routes for the average tourist, however it surprises us …
I was in Prague 13 years ago, and I swear I could see the cobble stones that paved the way on Charles Bridge then. I could see where I was going. I didn’t have to push through thrones of bodies just to see the Astronomical Clock. I could walk normally, in my own strides, not …
I get a lot of questions about how to get around places and plan the itineraries for our trips. So I’ve decided to start sharing itineraries for you to use to plan your own trips! Starting with Slovenia. For our Slovenian journey we had specifically chosen the major sights to visit. While it is my …
With the International sanctions lifted in Iran, more and more people are considering a trip to explore this fascination country that has been shrouded in mystery and bad press. However, Iran has always been a tourist destination, being a part of the ‘hippie trail’ in the 60s, those who have been will tell you tales …
Are you making a move internationally? Got pets you want to take with? Many of you know that at the end of 2014 I made the big move from Australia to the UK. Prior to the move, planning and scheming aside – the biggest questions on both my husband and my lips were: “Shall we …
Last in my interview series about family travel is with well known travel blogger Lois Yasay. She co-founded the We Are Sole Sisters website sharing her travelling stories, recommendations and advice, as well as encouraging more women to make travel happen for themselves, and is now also e-book author and motivational speaker. Last year, Lois turned …
I’ve started a small interview series because there has been a surge of people having babies at the moment. I guess I am at the age where friends and family are going to be thinking about adding the extra numbers to their little gangs. It’s delightful, because parenthood does make one happy (so I can …
I met Nila during the 2013 Asian Womens Empowerment Conference in Kuala Lumpur. She is the founder of Travel Sparks Indonesia, and the all inspiring Taman Bacaan Pelangi (Rainbow Reading Gardens), a non-profit organization focuses on establishing children’s libraries in remote areas of Eastern Indonesia. Like me, she is a keen traveller and 32 countries later …
I thought I’d write a follow up post to pair up with what I wrote last week on In Defense of the ‘Tourist’. As I said, you can’t avoid being the tourist, but you can avoid being that tourist. Even the most touristy destinations have local areas that will give you an insight into the …
The curtain drew on this year’s Asian Women’s Empowerment Conference today. It had been a fantastic weekend in Kuala Lumpur, where I got to meet some of the bloggers I have been following for a while as well as inspirational women whose stories simply touched my heart. I had come here to network with like-minded …
I thought I’d counter yesterday’s charity ideas with a post about how to avoid ‘feel good’ charity, a phenomenon that is becoming increasing popular with the western world. What do I define as ‘feel good’ charity? These are activities that tourists can undertake to make them feel good about themselves, but not necessarily benefit the …
On my way to work this morning I was thinking about what else I can do with Footprints and Memories other than post news and stories about travel. I thought about the quote I’ve based the website on – “take only memories, leave nothing but footprints” – and really considered what it means to travellers. …
I uphold the belief that travel is the best education a person can get. I am not dismissing the importance of our formal educations at schools, colleges and universities, I am not saying that we don’t learn just as much from our elders and our peers. What I am saying is that there are things …
