Tips for the female backpacker

I shouldn't have to write a blog post separately just for the ladies, but unfortunately, there are differences between the two genders in the vast majority of cases. This is a short and sweet list of things I found that were especially helpful for me while I was travelling Asia.

Keep toilet roll with you at all times. If you're travelling in rural Asia, chances are you’re going to need to pop a squat over a squat toilet, and these places don't come with toilet roll. Ladies here seem to operate the drip dry method instead. I took plastic sandwich bags everywhere I went, and in one of them was a roll of toilet roll with the cardboard removed from the middle. If you’re unsure how to use a squat toilet, I'd advise looking up a how-to guide before leaving. For similar reasons, take some hand sanitiser.

Get yourself some Tiger balm. It's a great, multi-use product. Use it rubbed into temples to soothe a headache, muscles to ease those sore legs after a day of hiking, or on mosquito bites to stop the itching. Use to repel insects (an absolute life saver for me!). It'll help to relieve a blocked nose if you're feeling under the weather, and best of all – the menthol smell covers the odour in the not so clean bathrooms in Asia when you pop a small dab of it under your nose. Be aware, that Tiger Balm used to be known for animal cruelty as it used to contain tiger bone dust – this is not a modern practice, and it's perfectly alright to buy now.

Take several pairs of sunnies. Some cheap ones will do. You will lose some, you'll break some, and you'll loan some out to friends who weren't as smart as you. You'll need them to fight the glare of the sun, and hide makeup-less or hungover eyes.

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Take tampons. Feminine hygiene is different in Asia. You CAN get things, but they won’t be the standard or type that you’re used to. Depending on the length of your trip, either pack as many tampons as you can or speak to your doctor about a better solution. You DON’T want to get caught out in the middle of a jungle trek because even 7-11 won’t save you there.

Shorts, vests and bikinis all seem like great ideas when you are going to hot countries. They aren't. Be aware that a lot of south Asian countries are quite reserved and wearing these clothes can not only cause offence but can also mean that you’re refused entry to some places. Most temples will allow you to use a long sarong wrapped around your waist to cover your legs, but I’ve seen a few that won’t allow that. Although it was a popular tactic among female travellers to wear a scarf over their shoulders, even more places will not accept that either. Bear this in mind when you pack, and think about how much time you’re going to spend in places that might be stricter. Pack some loose trousers and tops that cover your shoulders and stomach – you’ll appreciate those clothes when you see how sunburnt other people manage to get, too!

Make makeup work for you. For the love of god, take waterproof mascara. A number of girls I saw with panda eyes from sweating their makeup off was insane! If you're going to take makeup, think about what makes sense first. If you want a brow pencil, take a shade that can double as a lip liner. If you want a foundation, take something light, that isn't greasy, and that has an SPF protection in it. Remember, if you're going in a sunny season, you’re probably going to tan, so don't choose a shade that's too light. A bold shade of lipstick can really make the need for other makeup minimal and takes up very little space too. If you want to take a bronzer or blusher, take a shade that works as a shadow too.

Mix n' match bikinis. There's no point in taking a hot pink one, a green one and blue one if they don't go together. Every single female traveller I met in Asia wore their bikinis as underwear at some points, so make sure if part of it needs washing, you've got something to wear the other part with. Think about taking several shades of the same colour, or complimentary colours.

A sarong is the most useful thing I took with me. At nights, I could use it as a bed sheet when it was too hot to sleep with covers. When it was cooler in the evenings I could combine with bed covers to make it warmer, or wrap it around me when we were sat outside. In the day, it shielded my shoulders or legs from the sun. On the beach it was something to sit on. It gave me something to lie under on the lengthy buses from place to place, or sometimes it was used as a pillow. Once, I even used it as a bag when mine split in a busy Thai market place. It was invaluable and I recommend it!

Don't bother with electronics like hair straighteners. The heat and humidity will dry your hair (eliminating the need for a hairdryer) and it will just curl up all your straightening efforts. Not to mention the space and weight they'll take up, as we'll as the effort you'll have to make to find a space to plug it in. Chances are, if you really, absolutely must do your hair, there will be someone in the hostel who made the decision to bring some with them.

Razors, like tampons, can be hard to find in Asia. You can get them, but they won't be very good quality. If you're going to want to give yourself a trim, take a good quality razor and some disposable heads and you'll be sorted. Try using conditioner instead of shaving cream before you leave. If it works for you, as it does for some others, then that's one less thing to pack before you go.

If you've got any tips, I'd love to hear them! Pop them into the comments and they may even make it into the article!

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Free things to do in Melbourne

How much do you know about Melbourne? Did you know that it is consistently voted as the worlds most livable city? Or perhaps that it is the only city to have FIVE international standard sporting venues? (Hisense Arena, Docklands Stadium, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and Olympic Park in Melbourne Park. There's also Albert Park Racecourse, which hosts the Australian Gran Prix!).

Enough of that. Let's look at the stuff that’s free! Because nothing says a good day out than having enough spare change at the end of it to buy yourself a few bevvies.

Go penguin hunting! Melbournes beaches are known for the wild and native penguins that paddle about there. As surprising as it is to non-Aussies that the little critters are actually from here, there are no shortage of the penguins that call Melbourne home. They roll in at around sunset to go to their homes for the night, waddling their way up the beach! The best time of year to see them will be summer, but you'll be able to catch a few in winter.

Victoria is home to these lovely little penguins!

Want to learn? If you're here for a while – or indeed if you live here, and want to try something new – then check out the Melbourne Free University! Join a 6 week course and learn a bit more about a topic that interests you. They also hold talks on a wide variety of subjects in cafes and bars all over the city at random intervals, so check out the MFU website for more information.

Check out the galleries. Give it a go, even if you think you're not "into" art. You might surprise yourself by how much fun you have. If you discover something new that you like, then it was totally worth it! Art galleries have such a diverse selection in them that it would be surprising if you didn't see something interesting.

Take a wander around Melbourne's Royal Botanical Gardens. While you're there you can visit the Shrine of Remembrance - originally a tribute to those who died in WWI, but now stands as a memorial to all Australians who have lost their lives to war. Alternatively, spend a little money to join in the Aboriginal Heritage Walk (though, booking is required in advance).

Visit the Dandenongs. Not to be confused with the town of Dandenong, which is over an hour away. The Dandenongs are a range of mountains set in the Dandenongs Ranges National Park (makes sense, right?). There are quite a few of picnic grounds to hike to and beautiful views to see while you're there, as well as bush walk tours or horse riding for a fee.

1,000 steps is another way that people get out and about. Known for being popular with fitness buffs, the 1000 steps are located not far from the Dandenongs and well known for it's beauty. Make your way up 1.5km to see what it's all about.

Take a wander down to the beach. St Kilda is well known to backpackers and native inhabitants of Melbourne alike, with the beachside suburb being full of shops, bars and restaurants. Limit your spending by bringing your own grub, or just spend an afternoon there soaking up the rays. If you want to spend a little money, there are a some places there with some great grub. Try out the Abbey Road Café for huge portion sizes and a décor akin to the Hard Rock Café.

Geocaching is a great thing to do, wherever you are. Nowadays, geocaching is rarely missed from free lists of things to do because of it's widespread popularity and the sheer scale of the worldwide phenomenon. There are hidden caches all over the place, just waiting for you to find them. The thrill is in the seeking and discovery of the cache – but unless there are gifts hidden in it, the idea is that you sign it, and carefully put it back where it came from. All you need is a fully charged phone and the Geocaching app – though bear in mind, some caches have a 'premium' status, meaning that you will need to pay for the app if you want to find them. Don't worry though - it doesn't apply to many, and you can have a great day without paying for it! If you haven't tried it out before, there's loads to choose from. If you want a beautiful day out, there are lots in the Botanic Gardens, or try out the series called "Crawlspace" along the beach starting at St Kilda West.

Try out the markets. You can have loads of fun wandering without spending the dollars in your pocket. Check out South Melbourne Market fot DimSum or food shopping, PAM Lane for arts and crafts, and the Queen Victoria market for everything else. At Prahan Market you can snag bags of fruit and veggies for just $1 each if you are at the right place on a Saturday at 3pm, too!

Must do activities in New Zealand

Next year, I'm travelling to New Zealand! I know – yawn – loads of people before me have done the same thing. But did they pull together a list of things they want to do while they're there and share it with you? No?! Well, good job I'm here then.

This is my living list of things I want to do in New Zealand.

First things first. Get a Stray bus pass. They've got loads of different options, but I'm looking to travel the whole country, so I'm going to go with the Max pass. It's going to allow me to travel over most of the country and see some sights that I didn't even know existed!

My pass will depart from Auckland, so before I go cavorting around the Islands, I'll be checking out what it has to offer. As New Zealands largest city, there's a lot to do there. I'm going to check out the Auckland Bridge Climb, and the SkyJump - which is essentially jumping from the top of a tall building. Although I want to try bungy jumping elsewhere, I feel like this is going to have a different quality to it because of the setting.

On a wetter note, there are two other things on the itinerary in Auckland. Whale and dolphin watching is something I've been waiting to do in the right place, and New Zealand feels like it. The other is the Adventure Jet. Who wouldn’t want to try out what is effectively a rollercoaster on water?

Next is something that has been on my bucket list for years! Waikato on the North Island is home to the Waitomo glow worm caves. The caves are an absolutely beautiful example of nature, and you can go on an adventure down in their depths. Abseiling and exploring while taking in the beauty of the caves sounds like a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Legend has it that Tom Cruise went four times!

Checking out Roturua for things like the Tamaki Maori Village is pretty high on the list too. I feel like it would be fascinating to be treated to a tour, cultural experience, and a traditional Maori feast! A friend told me about this some time ago, and it's something that I definitely won't forget to add my trip when I go.

The Tamaki Maori Village looks amazing. It's going to be one of the highlights of my trip!

I'm also going to visit the bizarre Wai-O-Tapu Thermal wonderland in Rotorua. According to Trip Advisor, it's one of the top 20 mist surreal places, in part thanks to the Lady Knox Geyser that erupts everyday at 10.15am. There are coloured pools, including a bubbling mud pool, as well as steaming vents and volcanic craters.

After Rotorua, comes Taupo. Taupo is beautiful, and situated on Lake Taupo. For me, it's the perfect place to tick off another bucket list item – skydiving! For some, it's the ultimate adrenalin buzz, and for others it's an absolute no-no. I had a look around, and I've found the perfect skydive for me – and it comes as a deal with a bungy jump and the Cliff Hanger Swing (where instead of plunging downwards, you sweep in an arc at speeds of up to 70kph!). Goal accomplished, I think.

Tongariro National Park is the next stop on my tour of New Zealand. For me, the Lord of the Rings Scenery, volcanoes, and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing would be good enough. It's also home to some amazing white water rafting (with free hot Kai). I've never been rafting, unless you count bobbing sedately along on a raft made of inner tyres and bamboo in Thailand. To me, this looks like a good way to start in style!

On some of the calmer parts of the rafting trip.

If you want, you can go on the Stray bus pass without hopping off for any length of time. If that's the case, you might feel that a free day on the South Island in Franz Josef is a welcome break. You could spend it hiking and exploring. Or, like me, you could rip around on quad bikes and take in the views that way.

Of course, we can't forget the Queenstown! There's a few things on the list for here, but the first one is to relax, and let my hair down with something else I've never tried – an ice bar! Minus 5 Ice Bar in Queenstown has a selection of cocktails and the whole place is decked out with ice sculptures – you'll even receive your drink in a glass made of ice!

The Minus 5 Ice Bar looks like the place to be!

Once I've done that, I want to take in the views at Cromwell basin with a helicopter flight – and this one even has a snow landing on the mountain! I love being in the air, and the helicopter gives me the opportunity to be able to take in the scenery properly and really see what's around me. Unlike the thrill of the skydive, I want to do this to experience a bit of tranquilty.

I can't wait to see New Zealand from one of these helicopters!

My Stray pass will also take me to places like Milford Sound, Stewarts Island, Mt Cook (New Zealands highest mountain), and Rangitata. I might even take a little detour here and there myself – as an example, there's no chance I'm travelling New Zealand and missing out on visiting Hobbiton! Luckily, it's pretty much in the middle of Rotorua and Auckland – so I'll just "hop off" my bus pass for a little while and swing by to check it out on.

If you've got any suggestions for anything else I should really try out before I head off to visit the great NZ – let me know in the comments!

What I wish I’d known Backpacking in Asia

Here are 12 things I wish I’d known before backpacking in Asia. But the most important thing I learnt was to RELAX.

Your mosquito repellent won’t be as good as the one you can buy in country. Leave it at home and grab some that’s formulated for where you’re going. I bought some highly praised spray from Boots, and ended up with 46 bites on one leg alone, swelling, and the need for antibiotics. I was a severe case, but either way, ditch the stuff from home and get it while you’re there.

The same goes for other medications apart from diarrhea tablets. Immodium was the single most requested tablet while I was travelling. At some point, everyone gets hit by a bad stomach, and I wouldn’t go back to Asia without them. You can get them from most pharmacies in country, but be aware that medication is mostly sold without the boxes meaning that you can’t see whether it’s actually in date. Although this is rarely a problem, it can reduce the potency of what you’re taking. Take your essential medications and everything else can be bought while you’re there.

You don't need your own mini laundry. I got told to bring all the necessary items to do my own laundry – travel detergent, a washing line and a sink plug for hostels that don’t want you filling the basin for some reason. I diligently carried them for 3 months, and all I used was the travel wash a couple of times when I’d been too lazy to use the laundry. Most places you go will have a laundry facility, or there will be places nearby. And if you DO have to wear something a little more than usual – well, you’re a backpacker, and no one cares. If I were to go again, I’d keep my little tube of travel detergent but ditch the washing line and sink plug.

You’ll need an umbrella or waterproof jacket with a hood in the rainy season. Not a little, a lot. You will get soaked. Repeatedly. You might even begin to wonder if you ever truly knew what it was to be dry. With the humidity in countries like Thailand and Cambodia, you’ll find that although it’s not cold, your clothes still won’t dry properly unless you wait for days – which will make them stink. Just put them in a tumble dryer and relish the cosy warmth afterwards. Also make sure to pack some large resealable plastic bags (I’m a fan of the large IKEA sandwich bags, but get what works for you). Stick any paper, electronics, or food in these bags to save them from the downpour.

After replacing my backpack with a suitcase, this happened. Choose carefully!

Take more than one bank card with money in each account. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve seen so many people have their bank cards swallowed by the machines over there and seen the horror of what has just happened spread across their face. Have more than one, and keep them in different places. If you lose your wallet, you can still access money. Don’t rely on transferring cash between accounts or to your mate, either. What if you can’t get on the wifi? What if it takes a few days to get into their account? Be sensible and keep a backup source of money or you'll have a miserable few days.

Take scans of your important documents. Make several copies of your passport, bank cards, driving licence, insurance, flight details and anything else important. Store one in your hand luggage, one in your luggage, and if you have any other luggage, stow a copy in there too. This way, you'll still be able to access all that important info if your bags have been sent to Kuwait instead of Bangkok or if you drop your passport down the squat toilet. Plus, some hostels ask for your passport on arrival. Keep yourself from being separated from one of your most important documents by handing over a copy instead. Although it doesn't work everywhere, its good to limit the time apart from it.

Shoes are important. They will vary on who you are and what you’re doing. Are you going to be going to tourist places and the beach? Take some flip flops, covered shoes for walking, and something for if you want to go on a night out. Can you make any of your shoes multipurpose? Even better. Shoes take up space and weigh a lot in your backpack.

Luggage is important. I could write a whole post on this one. In fact, I will, later. But the main points are - think about what kind of traveller you are. Will you be changing places quickly, or stopping for extended periods of time? A suitcase might be easier if you’re not moving about a lot. Are you the type of person who forgets they needed something and will have to unpack everything again just to grab the suncream? Look into backpacks that unzip fully, like a suitcase. Scratch that. Get a backpack that will unzip fully anyway. I can’t stress enough how useful it is when you’re in a rush.

Don’t fill your bag. When you leave home, make sure there’s spare space in it. YOU WILL ACCUMULATE MORE THINGS. You don’t want to be in a position where you’re having to choose between your favourite shoes, and the slingshot shaped like a penis that you bought as a gift for your brother.

Take extra headphones. Seriously. If you lose yours or break them, you’ll need another pair. That is of course, unless you want to listen to that couple three seats behind you on the overnight bus having a massive argument over who lost their deposit (actually happened to me), the old lady snoring on your shoulder (also actually happened), or the chickens clucking and squawking every time the bus goes over a bump or in a pothole (actually happened A LOT). Pop a pair of in-ear headphones into a pocket in your day bag so you can lull yourself to sleep with the dulcet tones of Gabrielle Aplin in an emergency. You can thank me later.

Buy a sim card with data. The first thing I’ve done in every country I’ve visited is to buy a local sim card. You’ll be super popular if you can work out the way to the temple, book a hostel online, or check the weather report for the day, plus, you can get in contact with loved ones at home with a lot more ease. Word to the wise though. Don’t spend all your time with your phone in your hand. Put it out of the way when you don’t need it and actually experience the new country you’re visiting.

Finally – relax. Don’t worry about things too much. So long as you are even a teeny tiny little bit as organised as I was, you’ll be fine. Enjoy your trip. If something goes wrong (things will), take it in your stride and carry on. Remember where you are and how excited you were to go there. Have fun.