travel

I’ve been on the look out for a new backpack for some time, so it was good news when Trendhim got in touch about their rucksack range.  I picked out the Lemont Blue Limited Edition Foldable Lazy Bear Rucksack which is a lovely shade of blue.  I’m not sure my pictures have the colour quite true.  It’s closer to navy than I think I’ve captured.

It’s a lightweight backpack from Lazy Bear is which folds up into its own pocket.  This makes it a great choice for packing inside a larger bag, so you can use it as a daysack when you get to your travel destination.  It could come in handy if you end up coming back with more stuff than when you went.  Whilst this is a nice touch, I think I’ll mostly use it as a bag for a short break.  It should meet airline requirements as hand luggage and I prefer to carry my luggage in a rucksack on that sort of trip as it’s easier than a case.

This water-resistant backpack for men features adjustable straps, a large main compartment and a deep front pocket. Secure zippers keep your stuff safe while life happens. There are also open side pockets.

Inside the main compartment there is large zipped pocket which is full width and about half depth.  This is great for a bit of organisation or some added security.  The large spacious main compartment can fit in a lot of kit.  I prefer a larger main area for luggage rather than too much organisation as I think that way you can fit more in.  I prefer to add my own organisation in terms of packing cubes.  On the outside there is a large full width, half depth, zipped pocket which would be great for travel documents or anything you needed quickly.  The side pockets would fit a slim water bottle or an umbrella.  If I’m being picky I’d say it would be nice for these to be slightly bigger, with a bit of elastication, to hold bigger water bottles, but it’s only a small point.

The straps are comfortably padded and adjustable to fit your body.  They are perfect for carrying the sort of weights, you tend to carry for a weekend away.  At the top of the bag there’s a grab handle, which is great for quick pick ups.  There’s also a detachable tag with a D looped fastening.  You could easily hang something from this if you wanted.

Despite being lightweight, the bag does still feel very sturdy and good quality.  I love the bright flash of orange from the covered zip pulls which added a touch of class.  It’s a rugged, good looking rucksack which looks very good after a few weeks of use and I think I’ll get a good long life out of this rucksack.  It’s good to know it’s water resistant too.  I’ve not tried this out, but I’m confident it would be fine in a shower, but might get wet in a downpour.

Overall I’m loving this Trendhim backpack and I think I’ll get plenty of use of it because it’s such a good size and so practically designed.

Disclosure: I was sent a rucksack by Trendhim for the purposes of this review.

Known as one of the most livable cities on earth, Melbourne’s multicultural charm sees it attracting over 10.4 million visitors every single year thanks to a host of activities and locations fit to suit every taste and travel requirement. In fact, there’s so much going on here that even a long-term stay is unlikely to see you fitting everything in. That’s why you’ll likely want to do whatever you can to make the most of every hour that you have. 

We aren’t going to lie to you, whether you’re visiting for a week or more, that can be a struggle, but we’ve got some top tips to help you make every hour of your Melbourne trip count.

Get your head around how to get around

Regardless of what you intend to do when you’re in Melbourne, making the most of your time means always factoring for transport when you’re planning your trip. After all, the more time you spend trying to navigate the city, the less time you’ll have for the fantastic activities on offer. Before you head off, it’s therefore vital that you suss out the most viable forms of Victoria transport, including the iconic train and tram lines which will require you to purchase a Myki Card so that you can hop on and off without wasting a second. 

Choose an element of Melbourne to focus on

As is the case with any bustling city, even your best intentions aren’t going to see you finding time for every single Melbourne site worth visiting, and trying to do so is only going to hinder your trip. Making the most of your time here therefore largely means finding the elements on which you would most like to focus. For instance, individuals centring their trips around Melbourne’s more cultural side will likely want to prioritise sites like the National Gallery of Victoria, ArtVo, and Melbourne’s iconic graffiti-strewn laneways. Meanwhile, someone more interested in the natural sites would likely do better focusing on options like Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Dandenong Ranges National Park, and so on. Simply choose a ‘theme’ for your trip, if you will, and don’t be afraid to run with it.

Don’t stop once the sun goes down

If you head back to your hotel as soon as the sun goes down, then not only will you limit what you can do in a day, but you’ll also miss out on a large part of Melbourne’s charm. From top Melbourne restaurants like Attica and Embla to the best bars and nightclubs Melbourne has to offer, including Spice Market and The Black Rabbit, Melbourne really can be your oyster once the sun goes down. Even for those who don’t quite fancy a night on the town, evening events like the Winter Night Market and the Neon Tour are sure to see you marvelling at this destination for all hours.

Melbourne has a lot to offer, and you can make the most of that fact by simply savouring your time in the city with these tips at hand. 

 

Getting away to the seaside really makes you feel like you are jumping away from winter and stepping into spring and summer.  So the lure of Devon coast at this time of year proved very strong when Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park invited me down to stay.  There’s really nothing like a trip to the seaside to raise your spirits.

The park is easy to fine and check in was quick and efficient.  Our gold caravan had a great location on the edge of the site.  It had a great view of the surrounding countryside, including the sea, but also wasn’t too far from the main site facilities.  We had our own parking spot right alongside and there were additional spaces nearby (handy if you are part of a group that are driving separately).

As a group of adults sharing the accommodation, we loved that there were proper sofas to sit on and plenty of lounging space. There’s all you need there for a cosy evening in: a TV, connected up to the internet for streaming things on iPlayer, and a electric fire if you need an extra burst of heat or a cosier atmosphere. The heating was really efficient, although we didn’t need it on that much as we were fairly lucky with the weather.

 

The kitchen is well equipped with all you need for a break away.  We didn’t want to cook too much as we wanted to get away from all that.  There was everything we needed to heat up the chilli I brought with us and pop some rice on.  All the things we needed to prepare breakfasts and snacks were there too. The kitchen table comes with 4 seats, but you can easily bring the pouffes in from the lounge area or eat outside on the picnic table, if there are 6 of you eating at the same time.  There were thoughtful touches too like a washing up pack with washing up liquid, scourer and cloth.

The main bedroom is compact, but has everything you’d expect. There are bedside units with a shelf and a power point for charging your phone.  There’s a wardrobe (with extra pillows in case you need them) and a shelf with a mirror which makes a good dressing table.

There are also two twin rooms which are a bit smaller, but the beds are still a good size for an adult.  Again there’s wardrobe space, a shelf by the bed and one on the wall.

There’s a shower room with toilet and wash hand basin.  A pretty powerful, hot shower provided a good start to each day.  We loved that there was an additional separate toilet too, as that gives you a bit more flexibility when there’s a group sharing.

The caravan, lovely though it was, acted very much as a home base for our adventures.  We had an evening out in nearby Mortehoe village visiting the local pubs, which are full of character.  A day and an evening out in Woolacombe (an easy walk down and a way of working off any pasties/ice creams/beers on the way back up – it’s quite a steep hill).  On the Sunday though the weather was less good, so we sought out some indoor attractions.  Woolacombe Bay has a lot of things you can do even on wet days.

We decided to head for the pool.  We did find it a bit tricky to book using the app – it was a bit confusing, but the friendly lady on reception managed to sort it all out for us very quickly.  There are basically two parts to the pool area: a family orientated area with the pirate ship and lots of fun features.  As adults though we stuck to the main pool.  It’s quite a generous pool and very pleasant to swim in.  Numbers are controlled, as you need to book in, and you have an slot for swimming, so that everyone gets a chance.  You’ll need a pound coin for the lockers, but you get it back at the end.

 

One of the highlights of our stay was a visit to the spa.  Again you book in via the app for a session there.  There’s quite a lot to do in the spa.

My favourite was the jacuzzi as that was very relaxing, but there’s also steam rooms, saunas and a cold plunge pool.  Make sure you arrive on time for your slot as the session’s are limited in time – I could have stayed there all day!

There was plenty to do in the evening too.  One evening we stayed onsite to eat and to enjoy the entertainment.  There are plenty of options for eating and drinking.  For daytime or warm evenings there’s the sea view terrace, with fabulous views of the sea and the surrounding countryside. Under cover, but on the same level as the terrace is the Bait Ball Bar and Restaurant.  Upstairs, with grandstand views of the sea at the one end, is the OceanBar.  This serves food and drink, but is also the live entertainment venue. There’s something to enjoy each evening.  Generally, it starts with some children’s entertainment, moves onto bingo and finishes up with some live performances.  The main act were really enjoyable and good to watch.

We decided to eat in the OceanBar, enjoying the views and the sunset until the evening entertainment geared up.  The only downside to eating up in the OceanBar is that whilst it’s the same food as downstairs, it doesn’t come on proper crockery.  The wings though were delicious and we didn’t miss the plates at all.  You can order from the bar or use the app to get your food and drinks in.

Wet day options include the cinema – they had four films showing when we were there and they were a good mix with something for all the family.  Other facilities include a gym, well stocked shop and a launderette.  Plus there are lots of additional activities you can take part in from pottery painting to segway safaris, bungee trampolining to foot golf.

Woolacombe Bay is great if you’re looking for holiday parks in Devon.  It’s got everything you need to make your holiday a good one, even if the weather isn’t on your side.

Disclosure: I was provided with free accommodation for the purposes of this review.