Travel | UK Lifestyle Blog

Bucket List of Places to Visit in Your Lifetime

Last year my husband and I decided to write a bucket list of all the places we want to visit (🌏) in the world when we were trying to choose where to go on our honeymoon. Our list is getting longer and longer, so I thought I’d share it incase you need some inspiration for your wanderlust list.

The aim was to keep my list as specific as possible, so when we’re traveling we can make sure we go to all the best places. If anybody has any recommendations on where I should or shouldn’t go then that would be SO useful. Feel free to message about anywhere, too. Our list is always growing ❤️

Yesterday I had my fortune told at the oldest temple in Japan ⛩ Turns out my future looks bleak – apparently I’m headed for a failed marriage and career 🙈 As you can see, I still had a pretty good day. Today we are off to Kamakura to hopefully catch a glimpse of a giant Buddha and Mount Fuji! 🗻 #japan #travel #shrine #temple #travelblogger #blonde #girl #selfie #holiday #vacation #scenery #instgo #traveldiaries #traveler

A post shared by Sam Charles 🌺🥥 (@samcharleseuk) on Nov 28, 2017 at 6:30pm PST

🌏 El Nido, Philippines
🌏 Manarola, Italy
🌏 Riomaggiore, Italy
✅ Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
✅ Hopfen Am See, Germany
✅ Hollywood, Los Angeles
🌏 Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
✅ Eifel National Park, Germany
🌏 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
✅ Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
✅ Verona, Italy
🌏 Hong Kong, China
✅ Täsch, Switzerland
✅ Triglav National Park, Slovenia
✅ Mount Agung, Bali
🌏 Mù Cang Chải District, Vietnam
🌏 Ko Samui, Thailand
✅ Whitsundays, Australia
✅ Sirmione, Italy
✅ Plansee, Austria
✅ Nørrebro, Copenhagen
✅ Vahrn, Italy
✅ Hallstatt, Austria
🌏 Thermal Spa, Budapest
🌏 Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
✅ Elephant Safari Park Lodge, Bali
🌏 Jägala waterfall, Estonia
🌏 Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway
🌏 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
✅ Key West, Florida
🌏 Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
✅ Lake Bled, Slovenia
🌏 Mt Garibaldi, Canada
✅ Dunn’s River Falls and Luminous Lagoon, Jamaica
✅ Dartmoor National Park, United Kingdom
✅ Lake Bled, Slovenia
✅ Alicante, Spain
✅ Chamonix, France
✅ Rundetaarn, Copenhagen
✅ Innsbruck, Austria
✅ The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen
✅ Haiti, Caribbean
✅ Celuk village, Bali
🌏 Nuuk, Greenland
✅ Everglades National Park, Miami
🌏 Goa, India
✅ Achen Lake, Austria
✅ Königssee, Germany
🌏 Seville, Spain
🌏 Geirangerfjord, Norway
✅ Kamakura, Japan
✅ Atomium, Brussels
🌏 Porto Katsiki, Greece
🌏 Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
✅ Las Vegas, Nevada
✅ Varenna, Italy
✅ Main Beach, Queensland Australia
✅ Monkey Temple, Bali
🌏 Reine, Norway
🌏 Ko Chang District, Thailand
🌏 Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
✅ Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
✅ Byron Bay, Australia
🌏 Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria
🌏 The Palace Museum, Beijing
🌏 State Hermitage Museum, Russia
🌏 Merzouga, Morocco
✅ Zwölferkopf, Austria
✅ Stratosphere Casino, Las Vegas
🌏 Stockholm, Sweden
🌏 Brač, Croatia
✅ Western Sahara, Morocco
🌏 O‘ahu, Hawaii, United States
✅ Lake Como, Italy
🌏 Havasu Falls, Arizona
🌏 Alberta, Canada
🌏 Washington Monument, United States
✅ Maria Am See, Austria
🌏 Dubrovnik, Croatia
✅ Loch Lomond, Scotland
🌏 Giza Necropolis, Egypt
✅ Glasgow, Scotland
✅ Dunkirk, France
✅ Wadi Musa, Jordan
✅ Hängeseilbrücke, Germany
🌏 Grand Prismatic Spring, United States
✅ Auckland, New Zealand
🌏 Batu Caves, Malaysia
🌏 Moraine Lake, Canada
🌏 Grand Teton National Park, United States
✅ Krabi, Thailand
✅ Tirta Empul, Bali
🌏 Meteora, Greece
🌏 Ronda, Spain
🌏 Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
✅ Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Thailand
🌏 Ko Lanta District, Thailand
🌏 Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam
🌏 Sossusvlei, Namibia
✅ Red Light District, Amsterdam
✅ Zermatt, Switzerland
🌏 Great Ocean Rd, Australia
🌏 Sutherland Falls, New Zealand
🌏 Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
✅ Tabanan rice fields, Bali
✅ Angkor Wat, Cambodia
🌏 Kuang Si Waterfall, Laos
✅ Bristol, United Kingdom
🌏 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
✅ Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
🌏 Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
✅ Windermere, United Kingdom
✅ Bath, United Kingdom
✅ Cambridge, United Kingdom
✅ Jamacia Beach, Italy
✅ Peak District National Park, United Kingdom
✅ The Bahamas, Caribbean
✅ Nyhavn, Copenhagen
✅ Blue Lagoon, Iceland
🌏 Tianzi Mountain, China
🌏 Monkey Temples of Lopburi, Thailand
🌏 Statue of Liberty, New York
🌏 Vancouver, Canada
✅ Dead Sea, Jordan
✅ Cardiff, Wales
✅ Inverness, Scotland
🌏 Fes, Morocco
🌏 Pamukkale, Turkey
🌏 Kjerag, Norway
✅ Tre Cime Di Lavaredo, Italy
✅ Berchtesgaden, Germany
✅ Surfers Paradise, Australia
✅ Epcot, Floria
✅ Lichtenstein Castle, Germany
✅ Nurburgring, Germany
✅ Miami, United States
🌏 Arashiyama, Japan
✅ Brunico, Italy
🌏 Xcaret Park, Cancún
✅ Zagora, Morocco
🌏 Palawan, Philippines
✅ Maastricht, Netherlands
✅ Tampa, United States
🌏 New York, New York, United States
✅ Grandvalira Canillo, Andorra
✅ Hohenzollern Castle, Germany
✅ Pragser Wildsee, Italy
🌏 Denizli, Turkey
🌏 Shanghai, China
✅ Oslo, Norway
🌏 Keukenhof, Netherlands
🌏 Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
✅ Bournemouth, United Kingdom
🌏 Cappadocia Balloon, Turkey
✅ St Paul’s Cathedral, London
🌏 Pego do Inferno, Portugal
✅ Lassen National Forest, California
🌏 Blue Grotto, Italy
🌏 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
✅ Lake District National Park, United Kingdom
🌏 Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
🌏 Milford Sound, New Zealand
🌏 Faro District, Portugal
✅ New South Wales, Australia
🌏 Nærøyfjord, Norway
🌏 Washington, United States
✅ Brighton, United Kingdom
✅ Tenerife, Spain
✅ Exmoor National Park, United Kingdom
✅ Blindsee Lake, Austria
🌏 Scoresby Sound, Greenland
✅ Hamilton Island, Australia
✅ Milan, Italy
✅ St Lucia, Caribbean
✅ Denpasar, Bali
🌏 Carvoeiro Algarve, Portugal
🌏 Niagara Falls, Canada
✅ Manchester, United Kingdom
✅ West Palm Beach, Florida
✅ Paris, Disneyland Paris, France
🌏 Pantheon, Rome

✅ Douro River, Spain
🌏 Easter Island, Chile
🌏 Myanmar, Burma
🌏 Acropolis of Athens, Greece
🌏 Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China
✅ Stonehenge, United Kingdom
✅ Annecy, France
✅ Gornergrat, Switzerland
🌏 Lake Baikal, Russia
✅ Mer de Glace, Chamonix
🌏 Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia
🌏 Pompeii, Naples, Italy
🌏 Laguna Verde, Bolivia
🌏 Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
🌏 Antelope Canyon, Arizona
🌏 Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
🌏 Tigers Nest, Bhutan
🌏 Aphrodite’s Rock, Cyprus
✅ Los Angeles, California
🌏 Patagonia, Argentina
✅ Cocoa Beach, Florida
✅ Mona Lisa Gallery, Paris
🌏 Cape Town, South Africa
✅ Kōtoku-in, Japan
🌏 New Valley Governorate, Egypt
✅ Pattaya, Thailand
✅ Lake Lugano, Switzerland, Italy
🌏 Florence, Italy
🌏 Burj Al Arab, Dubai
✅ Dorset AONB, United Kingdom
✅ Lingenfeld, Germany
🌏 Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka
🌏 Étretat, France
🌏 Farafra, Egypt
✅ Atlas Mountains, Morocco
✅ Shibuya, Tokyo
🌏 Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
✅ Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy
🌏 Hawa Mahal, India
✅ Siem Reap, Cambodia
🌏 Sydney Opera House, Australia
✅ Ghent, Belgium
🌏 Amalfi Coast, Italy
🌏 Melbourne, Australia
✅ Berlin, Germany
🌏 Maly Semyachik, Russia
🌏 Alaska, United States (Currently planning!!)
✅ Shinagawa, Tokyo
✅ Alcatraz Island, San Fransico
🌏 Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand
✅ Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen
✅ Sandefjord, Norway
✅ Louvre Museum, Paris
🌏 Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota
✅ Vatican City, Italy
✅ Koh Sok, Thailand
🌏 Lake Louise, Canada
🌏 Luxor Temple, Egypt
🌏 Charles Bridge, Prague
✅ Ballachulish, Scotland
🌏 Preikestolen, Norway
✅ Bumpass Hell, California
✅ Eiffel Tower, Paris
🌏 Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
✅ Ouarzazate, Morocco
✅ Dolomites, Italy
🌏 Colosseum, Rome
🌏 Fox Glacier, New Zealand
🌏 Yên Bái, Vietnam
🌏 Banff, Canada
🌏 Ontario, Canada
✅ Venice, Italy
🌏 Naqsh-e Rustam, Iran
🌏 Machu Picchu, Peru
✅ Brussels, Belgium
🌏 Siwa Oasis, Egypt
✅ Petra, Jordan
✅ Mermaid Beach, Queensland Australia
✅ Gold Coast, Queensland Australia
🌏 Sydney, Australia
🌏 Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
✅ St. Ives, Cornwall
🌏 Salvation Mountain, California
✅ Broadbeach, Gold Coast
✅ Agadir, Morocco
✅ London, United Kingdom
🌏 Trango Towers, Pakistan
✅ Montserrat, Caribbean
🌏 Lake Hillier, Australia
🌏 El Castillo, Spain
🌏 British Columbia, Canada
🌏 Old Bagan, Myanmar
✅ Moulin Rouge, Paris
✅ Reykjavík, Iceland
✅ Phuket Province, Thailand
🌏 Tasiilaq, Greenland
🌏 Park Güell, Spain
🌏 Mikonos, Greece
✅ Lake Bohinj, Slovenia
✅ Diest, Belgium
🌏 Málaga, Spain
🚐 Hallstatt, Austria
✅ Snowdonia National Park, Wales
🌏 Yosemite Valley, United States
✅ Glencoe, Scotland
🌏 Hai Phong, Vietnam
🌏 Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
✅ Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
🌏 Zion National Park, Utah
🌏 Naples, Italy
🌏 Chiang Rai White Temple, Thailand
✅ Pettnau, Austria
🌏 St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow
🌏 Cotswolds AONB, United Kingdom
🌏 Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand
✅ San Francisco, United States
🌏 Mt Everest, Nepal
🌏 Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt
✅ Lake Garda, Italy
🌏 Isfahan, Iran
🌏 Great Wall of China, China
🌏 Ik Kil, Mexico
✅ The Rhine, Germany
🌏 Iguazu Falls, Argentina
🌏 Sognefjord, Norway
✅ Lyon, France
✅ Scafell Pike, United Kingdom
🌏 Navagio, Greece
✅ Orlando, Florida
✅ Cape Byron Lighthouse, Queensland
✅ Benidorm, Spain
🌏 Faroe Islands, Denmark
✅ Brisbane, Australia
🌏 Uluru, Australia
✅ The Alps, Switzerland
🌏 Al Farafrah, Egypt
🌏 Danxia National Geopark, China
✅ Biberwier, Austria
🌏 Bora Bora, French Polynesia
✅ White Cliffs of Dover, United Kingdom
🌏 Mount Rinjani, Indonesia
🌏 Maldives
🌏 Tiger Kingdom, Thailand, Thailand
🌏 Kathmandu, Nepal
🌏 Taj Mahal, India
🌏 Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia
🌏 Oia, Greece
🌏 Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar
✅ Badung Regency, Bali
🌏 Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
✅ Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
🌏 Milos, Crete
🌏 Himalayas, Nepal
🌏 Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales
✅ Tweed Heads, Australia
✅ Ben Nevis, Scotland
🌏 Krka National Park, Croatia
🌏 Chittorgarh Fort, India
✅ Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
✅ Fort Lauderdale, Miami
✅ Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom
✅ Kuta, Bali
✅ Tintagel, Cornwall
🌏 Agerola, Italy
✅ Eltz Castle, Germany
✅ Arc de Triomphe, Paris
🌏 Istanbul, Turkey
🌏 Mt Elbrus, Russia
🌏 Red Square, Russia
✅ Lac D’Emosson, Switzerland
🌏 Special Nature Reserve Uvac, Serbia
🌏 Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca, Mexico
✅ Matterhorn Glacier, Switzerland
🌏 Lapland, Finland
✅ Marrakesh, Morocco
✅ Dublin, Ireland
✅ Coolangatta, Queensland
🌏 Verdon Gorge, France
✅ Burleigh Heads, Australia
🌏 Yellowstone National Park, United States

Sam Charles 2019-08-03T22:51:36+00:00 August 12, 2019|Travel|

Self-Care Weekends: 5 Lovely Things to Do This Weekend

The weekend is finally on the horizon and it’s been a pretty busy and very tough week. You might have been chasing after the kids, working hard at your 9-5 or maybe somehow juggling both! Well, now a well-deserved break is on the way, you’re going to need to fill your weekend with plenty of fun but will also leave you feeling rested, rejuvenated and ready for the week ahead.

Sure a mini break to watch the opera in Florence over the weekend sounds like the perfect way to get some much needed R&R but it might not be logistically or financially possible. So instead I’ve rounded up 5 lovely things to do this weekend when a mini-break it out of reach.

Head out for a family walk

There’s nothing better than feeling the fresh air in your lungs. And although the kids might kick and scream at the idea of it, a family walk is actually lots of fun. Choose a nice walk through woodland, along the beach, around an area of natural beauty or even a ramblers favourite.

It gives everyone an opportunity to move their bodies, reduce stress, lower blood pressure and spend some quality time together. It’s also a great opportunity for the kids to burn off some energy and you not have to worry about them getting into too much trouble!

Have a date night

Many couples worry that they don’t get to spend as much time together as they would like, So, put the kids to bed early and rustle up a romantic meal together. Or order it from your favourite place and enjoy each other’s company.

Catch up on a good book

If the weather isn’t great then don’t worry! If you’re on your own and find yourself at a loose end then pick up that novel you’ve been meaning to finish. Get cosy on the sofa, pull up a blanket and get plenty of snacks. If you have little ones to entertain then let them choose a short story and cuddle up together. Nothing beats family time.

Give yourself a little TLC

When was the last time you had a nice relaxing bath? Well, wait until the kids have gone to bed if you need to, and run yourself a nice hot bath. Drop in a bath bomb or some Epsom salts to help with those aching muscles and make it feel fancy with a candle or two. Pour yourself a glass of something cold and bring a book if you want or put on a relaxing playlist. Shave, exfoliate and buff your skin, then when you’re dry apply lots of moisturisers and a bit of fake tan if you want. Spoil yourself!

Pack a picnic

Wondering what to do for lunch? Why not pack up a bag of all your favourite treats and goodies and head out on a picnic? The kids will love doing something ordinary – a little differently! Don’t worry if it’s raining (it’s forecasted to be rainy in Cornwall), sometimes a picnic in the car is just as fun!

Sam Charles 2019-04-23T16:25:10+00:00 April 23, 2019|Travel|

How to Safely Get Parcels Home When on Holiday or Travelling

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve just got home from Marrakech. I went over there with 11 of my nearest and dearest to celebrate my hen (blog post coming VERY soon!). I love everything about Morocco and I couldn’t wait to get back there with my friends and family and show them why I’m infatuated with this place. If you’ve been, you’ll know one of the great things about this place is the souks. Markets overflowing with gorgeous homewares and handmade leather goods.

Of course, we filled our bags with rugs, slippers and trinkets, then tried to shove them in our suitcases to get them back to the UK. Checking luggage is expensive, and if you’re buying a large rug, even a large suitcase won’t save you. We’re going to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam for our honeymoon and we don’t want to be stuck in that situation again, so we’ve looked into some options for shipping goods home.

Six years ago when moving back from Australia I sent a large parcel back to the UK. I can’t remember exactly how much I spent, but it was a couple hundred bucks! I was kicking myself for going through to the Australian postal service, instead of looking at options online. Alas! I won’t make the same mistake twice… Here are some tips for if you’re thinking of doing the same.

Perfect Packaging

Parcels get home safely when they’re packaged properly. Particularly if you’re transporting fragile and expensive items, it can be a good idea to wrap them up in polystyrene and plastic wrappings before they’re encased in their boxes. This bolsters their protection against things like knocks and bumps during transit and ensures the item remains intact.

Why put up with the risk? Ensure that there’s the best packaging possible with your items, and your parcel should make it home just fine. By going the extra mile here, you ensure that nothing goes wrong – it’s really that simple!

Tracking Technologies

Of course, even with the best packaging, parcels can be lost or misplaced. This can cause a lot of anxiety and fretfulness, especially when the arrival of the package was highly anticipated and important. Therefore, there needs to be a way of ensuring your parcel gets home not just safely but gets there at all!

Is there any need to put yourself through all that stress and worry? Consequently, companies like Parcel2Go can help here; their parcel tracking services mean that you can keep tabs on your order wherever it may be. You’ll thereby remove the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that come with transit complications, and always have immediate access to the status of your delivery.

Neighbour Negotiations

Even when a parcel does make it home, if there’s no one to look after it, worry can set in again all the same. It’s unattended if you’re living alone, or it could be that it’s so big it won’t fit through the letterbox and there’s no one there to receive it. What can you do here?

Well, for all the bells and whistles technology affords, not many devices can beat a trusting neighbour. If you’re concerned that your parcel won’t make it home, perhaps ask your neighbour to receive it on your behalf. It’s the next best thing! This way, you know your package is in good, caring hands, which may just give you some comfort.

Sam Charles 2019-03-15T17:41:59+00:00 March 15, 2019|Travel|