Is Svalbard the “budget” polar alternative to Antarctica? You wouldn't expect to see Svalbard (or anything related to Norway) in the same sentence, but compared to Antarctica, it definitely is the more budget friendly of the two! Disclaimer - this article contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you decide to book/purchase via the link, at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend services, tours and operators that we have personally used and c

Because Svalbard is so far north, it has its own rules when it comes to daylight and weather there are 3 distinct seasons and picking which one to visit in can hugely impact your trip. It all comes down to what you want to do and see - you could definitely visit at different times of year and have wildly different experiences. We opted to visit in May, but was it the right choice? Read on to find out more on the seasons and my recommendation. Polar Summer Mid May to Septemb

While all of us want to spend longer in many places that we visit, sometimes that's just not possible. Here, we explore the options for a 1 week itinerary in Kyrgyzstan, based on our own experiences. We really feel that you need at least 2 weeks to make the most of your visit to Kyrgyzstan and truly immerse yourself in the mountains and nature (see our free guide for our exact itinerary) - 1 week would be a bit tight to get a taste of everything, especially with the limited t

When visiting Kyrgyzstan, a multi-day horse riding trek is a must - immerse yourself in nomadic culture, stay in traditional yurts and experience mountains and landscapes unreachable by road. We did two horse riding trips, both lasting three days each and loved both (definitely the best thing we did in Kyrgyzstan). But what if you’re limited by time and can only choose one? Here, we compare the two trips so you can decide which is the best for you (or be persuaded to do both

Almaty is a great place to base yourself for local day trips, but it is a stunning city in its own right too - beautiful, safe and cosmopolitan. Dedicate a couple of days to the city itself, then take excursions to explore further afield for some of Kazakhstan’s highlights. We really loved our time here and would realistically recommend setting aside 3-5 days in your itinerary for this area. Disclaimer - this article contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commissi

Everything you need to know about the Kegen border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: how to get from Karakol to Almaty. Sith limited information online, we're sharing our experience of how to do this crossing cost-effectively.

Whenever we go on a city break or visit a city on holiday, the first thing we do is a “free” walking tour. If you've never done one of these, they are technically free, but operate on a tip-based basis, with the idea that you pay what you think the tour is worth. Our attitude has been that we also consider what we could afford at the time - as broke students, we would usually put in about £5, but now we have a better income, we give more. Either way, they end up being an aff

You'll need the obvious essentials that you'd pack for any adventurous or backpacking trip, but there are a few specifics to consider when it comes to packing for your trip to Kyrgyzstan. If you've never experience high altitude before, and you're planning to visit Song Kul and Ala Kul lakes (both over 3000m), then you'll need to be prepared. The best way to experience a taste of the Kyrgyz nomadic culture is by horseback - although beginners don't need any technical kit for

Bishkek is a seriously underrated city - incredibly clean, relatively walkable (depending on where you stay) and friendly. It also has a huge coffee scene and a lot of great restaurants. Keep reading for the top things to do in Bishkek, accommodation and food recommendations. Disclaimer - this article contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you decide to book/purchase via the link, at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend services, tours a

One of the airline points currencies is Virgin points, used by Virgin Atlantic. They are currently running a huge points boost, by connecting your Virgin account with Tesco Clubcard. Read on to find out more.... If you haven’t already read our points overview, find it here. Just to clarify - this is not financial advice, this is just our opinion, and what we’ve done to maximise the introductory points bonuses. Which airlines can I use Virgin points on? Virgin is part of the

If you haven’t already read our points overview, find it here . Just to clarify - this is not financial advice, this is just our opinion, and what we’ve done to maximise the introductory points bonuses. Make sure you check the terms for any card before you apply, and ALWAYS pay it off in full every month. Step 1 - Jordan’s Amex Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card This card is free to hold for 1 year, and after that, has an annual fee of £195. Jordan took this card out first, u

Want to get into points/airmiles but don’t know where to start? I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit of a minefield, and we’re still working it out. There are entire blogs dedicated JUST to points, so we don’t claim to be experts, but just want to share how we gained 250,000 points in 2 years. This is not financial advice, this is just our opinion, and what we’ve done. How do you earn points? Through spending on a points credit card. Transfer other points schemes such as Nectar (

These 5 apps will make your trip to Kyrgyzstan seamless

In a nutshell - yes! This very quickly became one of our favourite countries. Read more for FAQ's: Is it safe? We found it an incredibly safe and hospitable country - even with limited language, the locals were generally very friendly and helpful. We even hitchhiked a couple of times - not something I would recommend in many countries, but here there is a big hitchhiking culture. Take normal precautions as you would in any city at night but honestly, we felt very safe. When t