Welcome to the first edition of Friday 5. This is a new weekly feature on The Travel Hack (maybe it becomes a bi-weekly feature once the baby arrives!) Here are five things I loved this week.
I always come up with quick and easy things that I want to share on my blog, but that alone isn’t enough for a blog post, so this is a mini-post to share them. And on Friday afternoon, everyone wants something to distract them until they get home!
Expect everything from Wanderlust Wishes to my favorite recipes, new travel kits, books I’m reading, movies I’ve watched, and basically everything I’m obsessed with.
#1. Travel bucket list – Japan
sauce
Lately, I feel like the world and his wife are in Japan, and I’m so jealous!
Three of my favorite travel bloggers, Abi from Inside the Travel Lab, Alicia from Alicia Explores, and Kash from Budget Traveler, recently visited Japan and created some amazing videos of their travels on Lonely Planet. It’s worth a look!
Vicky Flip Flop has also been in Japan for a few weeks and has already written some great blog posts about this strange and wonderful country.
The bloggers behind Tea Was Here have created a Japan Wanderlist of all the things to do in Japan. I’m definitely stealing some of these for my own Japanese wish list.
#2. New toy
I was sent a Kitvision action camera to review. I probably shouldn’t say this, but it’s basically a cheaper version of a GoPro. As you can see, it looks and feels exactly like a GoPro, but at about 1/3 the price.
I’m often asked whether it’s worth spending a few hundred pounds on a GoPro. It’s a difficult question to answer because it depends on how often you actually use it. I’ll be testing this little camera over the next few weeks and will let you know how it goes. We hope it’s a good budget alternative to a GoPro for those who can’t quite justify the genuine cost. Watch this space!
#3. Inspiring women
Fempreneurs who built a business from their backpack
This is a wonderful and inspiring article about six women who built successful businesses while traveling.
The only thing that bothers me about this article is the term “female entrepreneur.” Who would have thought that word was a good idea? Why do female entrepreneurs need new names, especially ones that sound like feminine hygiene products…?
Anyway, forget about the title and read the article. Women are often asked if long-term travel can ruin their career ambitions and make employers think they’ve wasted their vacation time, but they prove the opposite is true!
#4. Wear knitwear
I somehow taught myself to knit using a combination of YouTube videos and my mom’s skills. After years of reading posts from crafty bloggers about knitting, I took the plunge and started making simple things like scarves and hats. There’s something really relaxing and soothing about knitting. You can relax and be more productive at the same time.
I’m a bit obsessed with Wool and the Gang and love their thick, brightly colored alpaca wool. Check out our Instagram for some serious knitting inspiration.
If you love knitting but don’t know where to start, buy some chunky yarn and giant knitting needles and watch some YouTube videos.
#5. Robin Davidson song
This week I’m reading Tracks by Robin Davidson. This book is about a woman who aims to cross the Australian outback with only a few camels. The main reason I’m reading this is because I restarted my Travel Book girlfriend chat. Oh all you lovers of travel and books, cheers and shouts and much excitement! Learn more about Travel Book Chat here. Download your book in time for our chat on February 24th.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Monica