Travel is all about experiences, it may be a slow boat down the Mekong River, sleeping in a village hut on top of a mountain or shopping in a stunning market. These are my top ten travel experiences, in no order. These change depending on where I’ve been and what I have experienced.

Travel on a Slow Boat Mekong River Laos

The trip between Huay Xai and Luang Pra Bang has become popular on the backpacker trail. We loved it so much the first time we did it again two years later. An amazing way to see northern Laos although hurry as that part or the world is changing very quickly. Read more about the Mekong slow boat here

Sleep In A Hut

Throughout our travels we have slept in some weird and wonderful (and not so wonderful) places and while its not always comfortable and one may not be used to sharing a house with chickens it is always an experience and always worth doing. Read about the place we have stayed here

Stay with the Locals

Homestays are a great way to give you just a little insight of how other people live. We’ve stayed in a few different homestay or small guests houses in our travels and it has always been an enriching experience. Read about mixing with the locals here

Shop in an Ancient Market

As a passionate foodie and cook there is nothing I like more than wandering around food markets in different parts of the world, although a word to the wise some markets out there are vastly different to the shiny supermarkets us westerners are used to.

 Cook Like a Local

We have had so much fun at the various cooking classes we have attending in different parts of the world. Not only is interesting cooking other cuisines we enjoy it as we get to meet some locals who are proud to show off their countries food.

 Walk the Sentiero Azzurro Cinque Terre Italy

Yes it can be crowded and yes it is full of tourists but I’ve done this walk 3 times over the years and the old Sentiero Azzurro still takes my breathe away. It boasts stunning scenery and the walk is fairly easy if you have moderate fitness. Read about the Cinque Terre here.

 Hike Through Minority Villages Sa Pa Vietnam

Sa Pa which sits high in the northern Viet Nam hills is the home to a number of minority tribes. Spend a couple of days hiking through the valley’s and staying at a home stay. We found the Vietnamese people to be both friendly and welcoming. Sapa Travel Guide

 Visit Historic Towns France

France has a plethora of quaint villages which are like stepping back in time. The Dordogne boasts the most listed ‘beautiful village of France’  (le Plus Villages de France) and wandering around them is like stepping back in time. Beautiful Villages France