The Globetrotting Turtle
The Globetrotting Turtle is a blog offering travel tips and advice aimed at backpackers who want to see a lot and spend a little
Prancing around Prague in my skii attire 🐻❄️
And just in case anyone didn't notice, I got a new bow 🎀
🇨🇿
3 days of hiking through the second deepest canyon in the world complete ⛰️ 🥾 🎒
Sand boarding down 400 metre high dunes, clambering up impossibly high sand dunes, and screaming at the top of my lungs in a crazy dune buggy.
Somehow I survived all that 😂
Driving sand go karts through the Peruvian desert at 35 mph, dancing on the beach, and feeling the wind tangle my hair.
What a beautiful memory from Paracas, Peru 🇵🇪
Would you believe that this red national park isn’t the USA?
It’s Quebrada de las Conchas in Northern Argentina 🤩 🇦🇷 😍
Hiking from a small village to a tiny village in the north of Argentina 🇦🇷 🌵 ⛰️
Featuring wild donkeys, empanadas, barefoot walking in the river, and lots and lots of gorgeous red mountain views 🤩
Snippets of life in Argentina’s alien town 👽
1. Hiking in Los Terrones 🥾
2. Leaving our beautiful vineyard hostel 🍇
3. Rocky lookout points ⛰️
4. Our first take on an Argentinian asado 😋 🥩
Befriending goats, eating cheese and feeling sophisticated drinking wine 🧀 🍷
We even got to see goats that had literally just been born 🐐 😍
Celebrating turning 24 up a mountain in Rio with my bestie 🇧🇷
Just hanging with Jesus here in Brasil 🇧🇷
The gruelling hike was worth it 😍
Is there any lookout spot in Rio that doesn’t have showstopping views? I don’t think so 😍
My favourite pics from a beach day on the tropical paradise Ilha Grande 🇧🇷 ❤️
1. Post water fight make up
2. Walking the length of the beach
3. Bachata practice (not advised on a bumpy, sandy beach 😂)
Holbox, you were just as cool as I imagined. Here are some snippets of my favourite moments on the island…🦅🐠🐙✨🌅 🏝️
1. Funky birds perching on random posts in the sea
2. Our boat captain preparing fresh ceviche for us
3. The tail end of one of Holbox’s epic sunsets
4. A free Pepsi advert
5. The best taco I ate in Mexico
6. Driving a golf buggy on Holbox’s dirt roads
If backpacker beach vibes, are your kind of thing, you’d love Isla Holbox in Mexico 🇲🇽
On the outside it looks like everything is perfect. But what I'm really thinking is how I'm going to deknot my hair after 6 hours on a windy speed boat.
Everyday life in Cuba 🇨🇺
You say Cenote I say CenoYAY
It's been super fun exploring the Yucatán Peninsula's iconic and unique cenotes, but at the same time, I kinda feel cenoteyed out.
Visiting a cenote is cool and all. Some of them are spectacular. It's like you've walked into a scene of an underground fairytale.
But there's something weird about just paying for entry to one, walking down some steps, swimming there, and then leaving.
There's something about a challenge you have to endure and overcome before seeing a great view or a cenote that makes it all feel more worth it.
Put it this way, when you're hiking, coming across an insane view at the top is magical, but just paying to walk onto a viewing platform with no tough hike to get there wouldn't make it feel as special.
And I feel the same way about cenotes.
Ancient. Mystical. Unearthly.
There's no doubt about that.
But now it's time to move onto the next challenging adventure.
After having watched the Cuba Libre documentary series on Netflix countless times, it felt surreal to be in Cuba, seeing the first and second hand effects of the Cuban Revolution on the way the country has been shaped.
The west seems to have a negative image of Fidel Castro, and while a lot of Cubans share this sentiment, I also met a lot who could only look at the positives this leader brought.
My opinion isn't valid here, but regardless, I was still surprised at the number of Castro-praising and legacy murals Cuba seems to be filled with (even if the government is paying for them to be painted).
We saw this mural on our cycle to Playa Ancón, one of the most beautiful beaches in Cuba (and if you saw my stories, also the one where Kyle got stung by a jellyfish 🪼).
It was a sweaty ride there through dry desert lanes, roads with passing 1940s cars (I felt like I was in a top gear episode!) and a whole load of screeching crickets filling the air.
I was more than ready to gallop into the sea after that!
Smoking a hand rolled cigar in Cuba 🚬
Not something I ever had in mind, but hey, travel makes you do things you never thought you'd do.
Let's TACO bout how much I love Mexico
Swipe to see my distinct taco eating faces 🌮🇲🇽🌮
'Aguacate aguacate aguacate' 🥑
My favourite way to stay healthy while travelling is to buy fruit and veg from local markets or street vendors.
Plus, when you're in Cuba's 35° C heat, it's way more refreshing that a big meal 😋
LA HABANA, CUBA: Day 1 🇨🇺
Trying to find a local SIM card but realising there isn't a big enough supply on them so having no luck.
Seeing big bright fancy old style cars on every corner and insisting on stopping to get a photo of each and every one.
Walking up a random staircase to find a cool viewing platform and a salsa school in someone's house.
Drinking cocktails in La Floridita, Ernest Hemingway's favourite spot in La Habana.
Trying to figure out how life works in Cuba with broken internet signals.
That's a quick summary of my first 6 hours in the city 🇨🇺
An excited pose because it's sunny and it's summer and we're in Cornwall here and my next big adventure is about to begin...🌍
Did you really go to Cambridge if your punting guide didn't punt you into a tree 🇬🇧
As her first day as a punting guru, I did feel really bad for her, but that didn't stop the situation being absolutely hilarious 🤣
I also realised that although I didn't celebrate the King's coronation per se, in hindsight, going punting in Cambridge is a very English thing to do. So I guess I did celebrate in style (kind of) 🎉
That post ocean swim power that makes you feel like you're on an altar 🌊 💪
Top tips to visit Lake Como...
🌊 If you're visiting on a day trip from Milan, start EARLY
🏫 You can't visit every town. Pick one or a few at max and enjoy your time in them
⛴️ Go on a ferry boat to see the lake from a different angle. And wear layers!
🏡 Don't stay in the most famous villages like Bellagio or Varenna. Accommodation there is ridiculously expensive and most of the people you'll meet will be tourists. Stay in less touristy villages and transfer by ferry or train.
SAVE for you trip to Lake Como 🇮🇹
Most travelers heading to Jordan head straight to Petra or Wadi Rum and miss Amman. But they're missing out on the cultural heart of the country.
Here are 9 fun things to do in Jordan's capital to convince you to visit this energetic city at least once!
9 Fun Things to Do in Amman, Jordan - The Globetrotting Turtle This comprehensive list covers my favourite fun things to do in Amman, Jordan. Use this post to help you plan your Amman itinerary!
Here are 3 facts about comuna 13 in Medellín that you probably didn't know...
🇨🇴 It used to be one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Medellín. The narrow alleys and steep stairs to the top of the mountain made it difficult for police to patrol it. It would take at least 20 minutes to get to the top! If police did enter the neighbourhood, by the time they'd reached the top, any criminals would be long gone (they have a great vantage point and the best little informers (kids!)).
🇨🇴 It's one of only 2 neighbourhoods that had great access to a highway perfect for the exportation of drugs. The other neighbourhood was rich and heavily policed. Comuna 13 is/was poor, with little police presence and has a high population density. This made Comuna 13 a perfect place for the exportation of drugs out of Medellín.
🇨🇴 It suffered a lot of criminal violence, but a police movement, called Operación Orión in 2002 brought this to an end. Police came in with helicopters and dropped tanks but killed lots of innocent civilians in the process.
Comuna 13 is now a thriving community of local street dancers, artists, and people trying to make a living. Think street food, reggaeton being blasted everywhere, and the some of the funkiest Street art you've seen.
I loved the vibes there so much, I had to visit twice!
Fancy watching a show in an outdoor theatre overlooking the sea? Look no further. The Minack Theatre in Cornwall is your answer.
Visit the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, England - The Globetrotting Turtle A trip to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall must be on every Cornwall road trip itinerary. Use this comprehensive guide to plan your visit!
Cornwall is ranked as the third favourite county in the UK. With wild turquoise waters, rugged clifftops, and quintessential British fishing harbours, it's easy to see why. And let's not forget Cornish pasties!
Here are my favourite things to do in Cornwall.
30 Best Things to Do in Cornwall, England - The Globetrotting Turtle The best places to visit in Cornwall to the best things to do in Cornwall. This guide will be your best friend when planning your trip there!