The easiest way to save of money (and stay healthy) while travelling is to cook your own food, but between the fun of making friends and sightseeing, spending hours in a crowded community kitchen sounds like a daunting task. To help you out, we’ve come up with 10 delicious and super-cheap meal ideas you can whip-up in no time! Zero expert-level cooking skills necessary.
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We've written previously about beautiful design hostels, those which make a design-conscious effort to inject style and luxury, and often a bit of quirk, into the hostel experience with a bit of a homely vibe, too – be it industrial, art nouveau, old-world rustic, shabby-chic or Scandinavian modern (thanks IKEA), design gives the hostel a particular character and identity and adds a certain colour to your stay.
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Barcelona is a vibrant wonderland of colour, culture, sun, sea & sand and amazing nightlife. It is also a city of many fantastic hostels and the variety of types and styles of hostels to suit the traveller here is rich. Today we've brought you a quick look at just a few of the hostels which offer a homely, familial vibe with an element of tranquility and sense of sanctuary from the excitingly energetic madness of this wonderful city, all while maintaining a fun & social atmosphere. Enjoy.
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Whether you're planning your experience abroad or already on the road, there’s nothing like turning your phone into a daily dose of travel inspiration! The most popular mobile app for viewing stunning professional and amateur photography these days is Instagram. The online photo-sharing platform has become very popular for travellers to show off their adventures and share their travel experiences.
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Hostels have evolved big time over the past couple of decades. The no-frills, rough-'n'-ready domain of the old-school backpacker is a dying breed and today hostels often rival, indeed, surpass in many instances, 'hotel-standard' quality in terms of facilities and style. With this evolution from the traditional hostel, different types of hostels have emerged – be it Eco/sustainable hostels, party hostels, homely hostels, activity hostels, boutique/design hostels and so on. There are a few important things within a hostel owner's control that define the tone and character of their hostel.
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Budapest is a happening city, full of activity and home to a vibrant social scene. It's a city waiting to be explored & embraced and there's no better way to do that than with like-minded people. Hostels are, by their very nature, social spaces but some have better managed to nurture a social atmosphere than others. Here's our list of Budapest hostels where meeting fellow backpackers is easily done, and done in style!
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Prague has become a very attractive city for backpackers & budget travellers and an ideal destination for those seeking a unique city trip owing to it's charming fairy-tale-like medieval character, rich history & vibrant culture and, of course, an exceptional nightlife. Prague is relatively inexpensive to be in; beer, food and beds are pretty cheap compared to most other European cities while it's location, slap-bang in the centre of Europe, makes it an inviting stop enroute to or from other key cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Kraków and Berlin.
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Berlin. Two syllables which instantly paint a wonderful picture of bold, vibrant colours blending seamlessly with classic, harsh & gritty tones. It's a dramatic and mesmerising showpiece on a sprawling canvas, evoking intensity and calm in equal measure. This big picture of Berlin is indeed the sum of its parts; that is the numerous districts, each exuding their own individual character, style and appeal, which make the German capital a fascinating mix of trendy, classical, cultural, cool, alternative & atmospheric. Here's our intro to 5 of the most popular Berlin districts and, of course, our choice of the quality hostels you can call home in each.
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Isabel Leong is a young travel blogger who visited 55 cities in just under 6 months last year, an impressive feat for a young student. Isabel has garnered a lot of attention in media & the travel-blog sphere as well as amassing a significant number of budget-traveller followers to her insightful blog devoted to "the discovery of a world outside what you limit yourself to". Now in her final year of studies, we caught up with Isabel as she prepares for her next adventure to talk backpacking, beaches & nature, being bold and "unorthodox" money-saving techniques.
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I recently received a phone call here in Dublin from a mother in the United States who was trying to get in contact with her son. She sounded worried. She hadn't heard from him in five days. This wasn't like him and such a stint without contacting home was out of character.
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