Machu Picchu: The Face

There is no doubt Machu Picchu is a mystical place. You may have come across the Machu Picchu Face before, but I hadn’t and I found it quite interesting.
Whether the image has been altering using …

Read the full story »
Travel Planning

Are you planning to travel the world and you need to start some planning? This is the area with some great travel hints and tips.

Backpacking Technology

Should I take my mobile phone or my laptop when I go backpacking? Travel technology advice and articles are here.

World Travel Ideas

Looking for world travel ideas and inspiration? Need help deciding where to travel and what activities to do? This is the section for you!

Travel Saving

Most planning for world travel starts with some gathering of funds. This is the place to find helpful hints and tips on saving for that world trip of a life time.

Travel The World Tips

Be travel savvy and read our travel tips. Here you’ll find helpful articles on backpacking and traveling the world.

Home » Archive by Author

Articles by TravMonkey

Paul Dow is an English, optimistic, late sleeper, green tea drinker, writer, web developer, soccer fan and editor of TravMonkey. Currently recovering in London after traveling solo for 22 months through Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America.
Machu Picchu: The Face Machu Picchu: The Face

There is no doubt Machu Picchu is a mystical place. You may have come across the Machu Picchu Face before, but I hadn’t and I found it quite interesting.
Whether the image has been altering using …

Asia Video – South East Asia Asia Video – South East Asia

I find one of the best ways to get inspiration for a trip is to check out other peoples travel experience. This is a video from Ivan Vania’s 2009 South East Asia trip through Thailand, …

Lonely Planet Thorn Tree™ – Travel Planning Lonely Planet Thorn Tree™ – Travel Planning

Photo by Matt Murf
If you’re in the midst of planning your around the world trip it’s likely that you’ve probably already stumbled across the Lonely Planet’s forum, the thorn tree™.
If you haven’t well you are …

Lonely Planet Book: Motivation to Travel Lonely Planet Book: Motivation to Travel

Sometimes I feel like I’m part of a exclusive cult, a cult of travel. Where the only people who relate are those that have also travelled for long periods of time.
So much so that I …

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Round The World? How Much Does It Cost To Travel Round The World?

One question friends who want to travel usually ask me is, “how much it will cost to travel?”.
I usually reply by telling them it really depends where you’re planning on going. A good daily budget …

Local Travel For The First Time Traveller Local Travel For The First Time Traveller

Back in June I posted a topic on the Local Travel Movement’s forum looking for some basic advice for first time travellers from a local perspective.
If you haven’t come across the Local Travel Movement before it’s …

Sandboarding South America Sandboarding South America

Travelling the world opens up the possibility at trying your hand at very exciting and often extreme sports and activities. One such increasingly popular sport is sandboarding.
You can experience the exhilarating sport of sandboarding in many locations …

TravMonkey’s Round Up TravMonkey’s Round Up

HostelBookers Competition
HostelBookers this week launched their competition to celebrate that they are 8.7% cheaper than Hostelworld according to a recent study by Reed Business Insight.
Read the report on Eye for Travel

Am I Too Old To Travel The World? Am I Too Old To Travel The World?

A question that I often stumble across on traveling forums is whether someone is too old to travel. To most the answer is pretty straight forward but for many it is something that they do …

Tokyo Capsule Hotel Experience Tokyo Capsule Hotel Experience

If you are planning an around the world trip or even just planning a trip to Japan, it’s well worth booking a stay in a Japanese capsule hotel. Not only is it a unique experience …

The Local Travel Movement Launches The Local Travel Movement Launches

Local travel seems to be an up and coming trend this year, and why not? With benefits for both travellers and locals it seems like a win-win scenario.
Travellers gain from some real expert knowledge on …

10 Must Read Tips For Traveling With Your DSLR camera 10 Must Read Tips For Traveling With Your DSLR camera

With an increasing number of people using digital SLR cameras there are more people wondering if they should take theirs traveling.
If you’ve decided to take your digital SLR camera you’ll probably be wondering how …

Fiji Trip – Mobile Journalists

A few days ago I arrived back in Sydney, Australia after a trip to Fiji. Whilst in Fiji I bumped into Roberto Rocha, a mobile journalist who left his job as a journalist in Canada …

Winner of The Pair of Salomon Walking Boots from Fitness Footwear Winner of The Pair of Salomon Walking Boots from Fitness Footwear

Those of you who are off travelling soon this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!
Check out the prize at FitnessFootwear.com - Salomon Elios Mid GTX hiking boots
One lucky winner has been picked at random and will …

Hiking Boots For Backpacking Around The World Hiking Boots For Backpacking Around The World

Before setting off around the world you might be pondering what items to pack for your  ambitious journey. You maybe thinking of hiking boots. If you are intending to travel light then choosing the right …

Win a Pair of Salomon Walking Boots with Fitness Footwear Win a Pair of Salomon Walking Boots with Fitness Footwear

Win a Pair of Salomon Walking Boots with Fitness Footwear
What better way to gear up for you travels by winning a pair of great hiking boots?
To promote Fitness Footwear’s huge range of walking boots, they’re …

Traveling Culture Shock: Re-entry Traveling Culture Shock: Re-entry

Even before you set off on a lengthy trip around the world it is worth recognising that it will be a challenge to return back home. In many cases it can be a bigger culture …

Should I Take A Guide Book Traveling? Should I Take A Guide Book Traveling?

There are plenty of guide books on offer for those looking to travel the world.
From backpacker favourites such as the Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Footprints to more middle of the road guides such as …

When is a Backpackers Hostel Not A Hostel? When is a Backpackers Hostel Not A Hostel?

Recently I had a comment left on the article 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hostel by Josh from HostelManagement.com.
The article suggested:
They take up a huge portion of the current travel industry – It is …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Round Up 12/10/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Round Up 12/10/09

This week I caused a bit of a stir on the BootsnAll website with my article on Is Flashpacking Killing The Art Of Backpacking. My intention was to open a debate on whether or how …

Backpacking Itinerary, Plan For Burnout Backpacking Itinerary, Plan For Burnout

Traveling is a great experience and most of the time you will be having fun, but this isn’t always the case every single step of the journey.
When traveling the world there always comes a time …

Backpacking Around The World: Accommodation Backpacking Around The World: Accommodation

It often takes a little bit of time to get used to staying in budget accommodation when backpacking around the world. At first it may seem a little bit daunting but hostels actually offer a …

Great Ideas For Backpacking Across The World Great Ideas For Backpacking Across The World

So you know you want to travel around the world and you know roughly how long you want to go for. You have one or two places you’d love to go, but where else are …

Should I Buy A Ticket Round The World? Should I Buy A Ticket Round The World?

“Should I buy a RTW ticket?”
It’s a question that faces every backpacker intending to travel around the world.
RTW tickets tend to be relatively complicated and I’d recommend visiting a travel agent to discuss your plans …

Backpacking With Point and Shoot or Digital SLR Camera? Backpacking With Point and Shoot or Digital SLR Camera?

My real interest in photography began on my first trip to travel the world. At the time I had packed a small pocket point and shoot digital camera. It was only after a couple of …

£100 Blacks Voucher Competition Result £100 Blacks Voucher Competition Result

For anyone who’s entered the competition and planning to travel round the world, this is the moment they’ve been waiting for!
The competition has closed and we have picked our random winner of the  Black’s voucher …

How To Travel Around The World How To Travel Around The World

If you are looking to go backpacking or even to travel around the world, sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. In reality planning to travel around the world isn’t as complicated as many …

Interview With Christoph Rehage – The Longest Way

The Longest Way – one year walk/beard grow time lapse.
Christoph Rehage travelled for a whole year by walking roughly 4500km, passed the desert of Gobi. During the year he walked from Beijing to Ürümqi soley …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Round Up 21/09/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Round Up 21/09/09

Fashionably late this week with our world travel round up, but here it is non the less!
Boston.com has a great visual article on the Oktoberfest in Munich. The article displays some insightful photographs from all …

Beginner’s Guide: The Munich Beer Festival (Oktoberfest) Beginner’s Guide: The Munich Beer Festival (Oktoberfest)

Every year millions of beer fans travel to the Munich Beer Festival (often known as “Oktoberfest” or “the Bavarian Beer Festival“) to sample the Bavarian beer.
It’s the world’s biggest fare with approximately six million visitors …

Booking Hostels With Your IPhone: Hostel Hero

If you are lucky enough to have a Apple iphone or ipod touch you can download Hostel Hero for free. Hostel Hero is a app for booking hostels and they currently have hostels listed from …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 13/09/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 13/09/09

It’s that time of the week again where we give you the low down on our favourite world travel links and resources from around the web.

Lifehacker has a great article for those gadget travelers – …

Travel The World: Identify Your Fellow Traveler Travel The World: Identify Your Fellow Traveler

When you travel the world you’ll often find other travelers dropping names of places they’ve visited into the conversation.
Have you ever had someone cling onto you whilst traveling?
Have you ever had a traveller moaning about …

How To Find The Best Hostels How To Find The Best Hostels

There are many ways to find a great hostel whilst traveling the world. Although some ways can be more successful than others.
The likelihood is that when traveling you’ll use various different resources to finda hostel …

How Long Should I Travel For? How Long Should I Travel For?

There are many common around the world travel questions that come up time and time again. When preparing to travel the world there is a lot of information to take in and also a lot …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 06/09/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 06/09/09

It’s the end of the week again in the travel world and we’ve been reading as well as watching some very entertaining travel articles and videos. Here’s a selection of our favourite:
Hostel Bookers blog has …

Should I Go Traveling On My Own? Should I Go Traveling On My Own?

Traveling with friends can be a real test of friendship

To go traveling on your own or with a friend or friends is one of the most common questions asked before embarking on a long world …

Pilot Captain John’s VBlog in Amman, Jordan

Watch more Amman videos at tripfilms.com
We’ve teamed up with TripFilms.com in order to bring you some insightful travel videos from all over the world. TripFilms is a site that has inspiring, informative travel videos from …

8 Things To Hate About Hostels 8 Things To Hate About Hostels

Have you ever stayed in a hostel dormitory before?
If not, you’re in for a unique experience.
At some point during your travels you’re likely to have to stay at least once in a hostel dorm, especially …

Have Hostel Booking Sites Changed The Travel Experience? Have Hostel Booking Sites Changed The Travel Experience?

After reading a comment about hostel booking websites left by Ian – a hostel owner in London (Top Hostel Reservation Sites For The Budget Traveler), I began to wonder about the impact these sites have …

UPDATE: Win £100 The Outdoor Store Black’s Voucher! UPDATE: Win £100 The Outdoor Store Black’s Voucher!

Just a reminder that you have until 23rd September 2009 at midnight GMT to enter the £100 Black’s voucher competition.

The £100 voucher could go towards that new rucksack, hiking boots, mozzie net or even a …

5 Signs You Have Been Traveling For Too Long 5 Signs You Have Been Traveling For Too Long

Have you ever been traveling for so long that you´ve started to miss all the little cultural differences that amazed you so much when you first set out?
Maybe you´ve been traveling for too long.
Here are …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 31/08/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 31/08/09

This week I’ve been reading lots of random world travel related material. One intriguing article I stumbled across was “the worlds most extraordinary swimming pools”. Swimming pools in every conceivable form you’d think of.
Always a …

Why Travel? Why Travel?

Why go traveling? This is often a question I hear from people who have never traveled for any lengthy period of time. Some people have no desire to leave home and travel the world. Many …

7 Travel Books Not To Read Before You Travel 7 Travel Books Not To Read Before You Travel

Travel books are often fascinating, easy to read and definitely hard to put down. This is certainly true of our list of harrowing true stories of travel, drugs and imprisonment.
I remember reading The Damage Done: …

TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 23/08/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly World Travel Roundup 23/08/09

How time flys when you’re having fun in the travel world. It’s time for our weekly round up of cool travel links from around the web this week.

Vagabondish has a great article from Paul Davis …

Web Booking Sites For World Travel Web Booking Sites For World Travel

When you travel the world it’s a good idea to have a list of booking sites at hand so that you can find  flights, places to sleep or tours with minimum fuss.
We decided to put …

101 Things To Do Around The World 101 Things To Do Around The World

This is a post from a while ago, but I thought it was worth re-posting as many people haven’t seen it and it’s buried in the archives.
Have you ever needed a little inspiration in order …

Why Travel, Life Is A Treadmill Why Travel, Life Is A Treadmill

I’ve just jumped on the tube. Rather hazily, I found myself occupying the “stand-up” seat at the end of the carriage on the London Underground . Two guys in their early 20′s, one dressed in …

Win £100 Black’s Voucher Win £100 Black’s Voucher

It’s time for a competition here at TravMonkey.com. What better way to prepare for your world travel than winning a £100 voucher at the outdoor store, Black’s. It’s free to enter.

The £100 voucher could go …

10 Weird Things To Eat Around The World 10 Weird Things To Eat Around The World

When you travel the world, you’ll find many weird and wonderful things to eat. Some of you will be up to the challenge whilst others would rather just find a cheap alternative.
On your trip around …

TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 16/08/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 16/08/09

It’s the end of the week or the beginning, depending on which way you look at it! It’s time to roundup those interesting travel sites and resources from around the web:

Adventure Rob has a great …

5 Reasons Not To Backpack Round The World 5 Reasons Not To Backpack Round The World

Traveling round the world often sounds like a romantic adventure of exploration and discovery into the unknown. Often it is, but there are some people who are just not cut out for spending long periods …

Travel The World With Extreme Sports Travel The World With Extreme Sports

When planning to travel the world you’ll be looking to do some once in a life time activities or just looking for the chance to do them in an idyllic location. Some extreme sporting activities …

Nevis Highwire Bungee Jump 134 metres – New Zealand

To follow up our article on The Highest Bungee Jump In The World, we thought we’d show you a little bit of the action from the Nevis Highwire in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Way back in 2007 …

TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 09/08/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 09/08/09

They say time flies when you are having fun and it’s been a busy week! As usual here at TravMonkey.com we’ve been reading allsorts of interesting travel related material and resources.
Here are just a selection …

25 Inspirational Travel Quotes 25 Inspirational Travel Quotes

Sometimes you’ll read something that really strikes a chord with your own thoughts or beliefs.
Travel quotes can provide great motivation for travelers. Great quotes can enlighten, entertain and often inspire.
If you are preparing or if …

5 Reasons Backpackers Should Travel Light 5 Reasons Backpackers Should Travel Light

It’s easy to get carried away with excitement as you plan your next big trip away. You find yourself obsessed with travel items and gadgets to fill the huge shiny new backpack you’ve just bought. …

5 Classic Movies Not To See Before You Travel 5 Classic Movies Not To See Before You Travel

Before I left home for my last 22 months traveling stint I remember a lot of talk about the film “Hostel”, knowing that it was a horror flick and that I’d be frequenting many hostels …

How To Sleep In Cheap Hostels How To Sleep In Cheap Hostels

We’ve all been there, desperately trying to get a good nights sleep because you have an early start in the morning but no matter how hard you try you just can’t sleep.
In backpacker hostels it …

5 Reasons To Quit Your Job and Go Traveling 5 Reasons To Quit Your Job and Go Traveling

It’s is well worth traveling to experience such mind blowing sights.
For many people quiting a job and heading of round the globe can seem like a very scary thing.
It needn’t be a scary experience, but …

TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 02/08/09 TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup 02/08/09

Time has flown this week and it’s at an end once again. We thought it was time to share our latest favourite travel articles and resources from around the net:

Highest Bungee Jump In The World Highest Bungee Jump In The World

Feel the fear! With the highest bungee jump in the world.
Are you looking to conquer a fear or looking for a challenge on your next big trip?
Strap a bungee chord to your ankles, battle the …

TravMonkey’s Top 10 Pointless Items To Take Backpacking TravMonkey’s Top 10 Pointless Items To Take Backpacking

In a follow up to a article I read on nomad4ever – What NOT to Bring Backpacking: 10 Things To Leave At Home I thought I’d deliver our on twist on this subject.
Our own previous …

Top 7 Football Stadiums Around The World Top 7 Football Stadiums Around The World

If you are a huge football fan or even if you’re not you may want to visit a football stadium on your travels.
There are some mind blowing stadiums around the world that are a testament …

TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup TravMonkey’s Weekly Roundup

It’s the end of the week and I thought it was time to share our favourite weird and wonderful travel articles from around the net.

Cage Diving With Great White Shark – Chris at Dive Happy …

5 Reasons Not To Trust Your Guide Book 5 Reasons Not To Trust Your Guide Book

Have you ever been away traveling and noticed how different a place is in person when compared to the description in the guide book?
I couldn’t help but notice…
“…I consulted my map and headed to the …

5 Must Know Travel Blog Writing Tips 5 Must Know Travel Blog Writing Tips

We’ve all read them before… long emails filled with huge chunks of text. As you skim read these emails you read about places you’ve never been to, people you’ve never met.
You simply can’t relate to …

5 Reasons To Take Your Laptop Traveling 5 Reasons To Take Your Laptop Traveling

Way back on October 9, 2008 I published an article – Should I Take My Laptop Traveling.
I got a quite a few comments in favour of my view that you should leave your laptop at …

Top 4 Travel Blogging Sites Top 4 Travel Blogging Sites

Want to keep a diary whilst travelling? Want your friends and family to be able to access it at will instead of bombarding them with lengthy emails?
An online travel blogging site is what you are …

Top Sites To Book Your Hostel For Budget Travel Top Sites To Book Your Hostel For Budget Travel

Whilst I usually like to travel without booking accommodation, there are occasions when it’s best to book before you arrive. It can be a good idea to book your accommodation prior to a long flight …

How To Survive Traveling With Your Girlfriend or Boyfriend How To Survive Traveling With Your Girlfriend or Boyfriend

Are you planning on going backpacking with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you worried about the effects and strain that travel might have on your relationship?
Travel can put a lot of pressure on a relationship, …

5 Key Tips For Writing Your Travel Journal 5 Key Tips For Writing Your Travel Journal

Are you preparing to head off on your travels knowing you will want to keep your own personal record of the meaningful events on the road?
It’s easy to get carried away with the excitement of …

5 Reasons To Use Twitter Whilst Traveling 5 Reasons To Use Twitter Whilst Traveling

For many people Twitter is still a new technology and it isn’t always clear why they should consider using it.
Twitter is a very effect way to keep up to date with all your favourite …

Blonde Parade To Beat Recession In Latvia Blonde Parade To Beat Recession In Latvia

I happened to be in Latvia for a long weekend when I heard the news that a blonde parade was due on the Sunday. The idea behind the parade was to lift the spirits of …

How To Give Up Alcohol When Traveling How To Give Up Alcohol When Traveling

How many times have you wanted to cut down on alcohol?
Maybe you’ve just wanted to have a detox period?
Or perhaps you wanted to cut out the alcohol altogether?
I know I’ve wanted to cut down for …

12 Stupid Mistakes Of The First Time Traveler 12 Stupid Mistakes Of The First Time Traveler

Have you ever taken items around the world with you that you really didn’t need?
Perhaps you’re planning your first trip around the world and are unsure if you really need to be taking so much …

Should I Take My Laptop Traveling? Should I Take My Laptop Traveling?

In a word, “no”.
I can actually feel myself boiling up with anger when thinking about this issue. It amazes me that anyone can actually sit down and consider taking a laptop around the world. I’m …

10 Top Job Hunting Sites For Australia 10 Top Job Hunting Sites For Australia

In Australia I’ve been using a few helpful job hunting sites that could be of use to anyone else out there looking for work in Australia.
Here they are:
1. Travellers @ Work – This is a …

How To Meet People When Traveling How To Meet People When Traveling

For experienced travelers reading this you’ll probably be thinking that you don’t need advice on how to meet people because it is pretty easy and kind of just happens. For first time travelers it is …

How To Plan A World Trip – Basics How To Plan A World Trip – Basics

Book your flights early, it gives you something to aim for
It always seems like a daunting task, organising a long trip or a trip around the world.
In many ways it can be but usually only …

How To Ditch Your Travel Mate How To Ditch Your Travel Mate

Not everyone will turn out to be a great travel buddy
OK, so you meet someone whilst traveling and your both heading in the same direction so you decided that you’ll go together. For a few …

What You Should Know About Hostel Kitchens What You Should Know About Hostel Kitchens

Have you ever lived in shared accommodation where numerous people use the same cooking space?

If you have, like me you’ll be familiar with what kind of a state these places can be left in. The …

How To Share A Single Dorm Bed How To Share A Single Dorm Bed

I recently got into a heated discussion on a travel forum. The discussion was about whether it was acceptable to sleep in the same single bed as your girlfriend/boyfriend within a shared dormitory (With no …

Should I Take My Mp3 Player Traveling? Should I Take My Mp3 Player Traveling?

One of the best things to take traveling with you is an mp3 player. Some people will argue that you should be listening to the sights and sounds of the country you’re in.

That argument is …

5 Reasons Why I Travel 5 Reasons Why I Travel

Riding in the back of a tuk-tuk is not the “norm” at home.
Mike at Vagabondish tagged me as well as a couple of others to give our 5 reasons for traveling.
For me, I wanted to …

The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin Lives On The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin Lives On

Myself and Steve Irwin
A few months back I paid a visit to Australia zoo after a two week road trip down the East Coast of Australia. I’d heard good things about Australia zoo and thought …

Chilled Out Travel In The Caribbean Chilled Out Travel In The Caribbean

Take time out from a hectic life and chill out in the Caribbean.
Like most travelers, once you get the “travel bug” you want to go everywhere you can.
I’m no different, since spending a lot …