Exploring Vibrant Venice in peak tourist season

I sat on the window side chair and took a sip of my molten hot cup of tea. I had been back in England for 3 weeks now, an extremely long time for a wanderer like me. The thrill of ‘normal life’ was fast wearing off. Part of me enjoyed the easiness of life back…

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Trying out fast travel in the Balkans

In 2013 when I travelled solo across Asia and Oceania I travelled extremely slow. I’d bought into the idea that slow travel was the only real way to travel. The only way to fully immerse yourself in another land and culture. I had a great time and visited many places off the beaten path. I…

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My epic summer travel plans

One of the highlights of working as a teacher isn’t playing with paint or toys everyday, It’s having an amazingly long summer holiday each year! This summer I will have 2 whole months off. At first I planned an epic trip to China and North Korea but I changed my mind after Trump’s threats. I…

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Testing the Travel bra: Keeping valubles safe when travelling

Security is one of my top priorities when travelling solo. One of the downsides of travelling solo is that you have no-one to look after your bags when you most need it . A travellers most treasured possessions are their passport and bank card. Without them life can get extremely hard and complicated. But how…

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Lasting impressions of Dubai

Dubai was the first country that I visited on my big RTW trip so understandably it has a special place in my heart. Dubai is a city of contrasts. Expats drink pints of beer beneath the impressive architecture, women in burkhas obediently follow men wearing the traditional Arabic clothes and head-dress, Westerners prowl the metro…

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Ask Stephanie Anything: 6 Cheap things to do in Singapore

  I get many emails from readers asking advice about where to stay and what to do in destinations that I’ve visited. Just email me at stephanie@pearlsandpassports.com if you have a question and I will answer it. My question today was recieved from Caroline, a grad student who will be working in Singapore for the…

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The first 24 Hours after returning Home

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while but for some reason I’ve been putting it off. Maybe because after the initial 24 hours my thoughts and feelings changed so often that really I did not know what I was thinking. Travel really does change you and coming home is a shock to…

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First Impressions of Malaysia

Before my big trip I always had such a romantic view of Malaysia, the name itself conjured up images of an exotic country, the pearl of Asia and one where I would feel like I was a million miles away from the Western world. I couldn’t have been more wrong if I tried….   As…

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