Featured Archives - Tinytrekkers travel the world with kids.

Practical Information

Scams

Avoid Being Ripped Off This guide covers many of the most common scams you will likely encounter whilst travelling/backpacking. Everyone who travels gets scammed in one way or another. But it is important to note that a scam doesn’t necessarily carry the same intent as it does in the UK. In impoverished countries some people are literally at the wire, they have nothing and no means and so born through desperation they turn to wealthy tourists to feed their families. Whilst this is true for many scamsters it isn’t for all, some are aggressively dishonest to the point that they would take your last breath and then kick you for more. I mean really nasty, devious people, the sort who know they are leaving you vulnerable and with nothing and couldn’t care less if they tried. It goes without saying that some scams are more common than others and some…

South Asia

Crazy Nepali woman attacks British family on Annapurna Circuit, Nepal; My Response by Gemma Wilson

During summer 2017 I was hiking with my stepson in the Annapurna region of Nepal. On that hike I called at a tea shop and there was an incident which I filmed which then went viral around the world. The video can be found here: Crazy Nepali Woman attacks British Family on Annapurna Circuit Until now I have remained silent at the hate which I have received, the death threats and the disgraceful side of humanity that has been laid bare and aimed at me. Nepal was, and still is one of my favourite places in the world. Rugged mountain ranges, lush green valleys, immense culture, and some of the softest, most gentle human beings that I have ever met who despite a tumultuous history still find goodness in their hearts. Every day is filled with the welcome of genuine individuals who offer hope, warmth and generosity. Hiking in Nepal is…

Oceania

Sydney to Darwin – Part one; The Great Ocean Rd

Australia, home to stunning coastal cities, gorgeous beaches, the outback, kangaroos and koalas. A land so vast it spans five-time zones, three climatic regions and is home to some of the most diverse wildlife on earth. For many Australia is a place to retire, or somewhere to visit long migrated family, for us, it was a continent of adventure, of exploration and of driving one of the worlds most epic journeys. Sydney to Darwin via the great ocean road, and the outback. You can drive directly from Sydney to Darwin up across Queensland, but we decided to go via Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Uluru and Alice Springs with lots of other places thrown in for good measure, and, just over the region of 3000 miles. Sydney We rocked up into Sydney off a red eye from Singapore. Car hire was a breeze, just £750 for a Toyota Camry hybrid for the…

North America

A Texas road trip with kids

Texas. The second biggest state in the US, a land mass so vast it is almost a thousand miles abreast and home to some 27.5 million people. With vast landscapes, some of the country’s richest history and a perfect fusion of Mexican-US culture it is no surprise that Texas sits firmly as the countries 6th most visited state by foreigners. Yet few foreigners hit up Texan roads beyond the major cities. Size is the obvious reason, with 600 miles between Houston and El Paso most opt to save the road tripping to the western states. However, with a little bit of patience, a touch of planning and a lot of caffeine, a road trip through Texas is memorable, enjoyable and most of all a fantastic experience. Starting out in Houston you really are spoilt for choice for what to do, where to stay and places to eat. A visit to…

Far East

1 day in Tokyo

Let’s be straight, Tokyo is a world class city that would take months to fully appreciate. For the tourist it is often overlooked as culture seekers head into central and western Japan on the hunt for temples, shrines and anything Shinto. The sprawling megalopolis is home to about 13 million people and has the most complex yet beautifully efficient suburban railway system on earth. Don’t try and understand it, stations have multiple sub stations, different train operators and even multiple, completely differently named stations in the same place. Just appreciate that the reality is, that wherever you in Tokyo you are probably never more than 10 minutes away from some train that will take you anywhere else in the city. The single first thing anyone coming to not just Tokyo, but Japan should do is download the Hyperdia app and google maps. Wherever you are google maps will tell you…

South Asia

Top 5 things to do with kids in Kathmandu

The bus rolled into Kathmandu from Pokhara after a long, 7-hour trundle through spectacular scenery. As we struggled along the pot holed road devastation surrounded us. It was in many ways like pulling into a war zone, construction was everywhere, and when I say construction I mean people using wooden scaffolding and repairing collapsed buildings with nothing but hope and homemade cement. Bricks lay piled by streets amongst rubble, coiled metal and dirt. In 2015 Kathmandu was devastated by an earthquake so immense, it is one of the largest ever recorded. 8000 people were killed and 21,000 were injured. As a result of the earthquake, avalanches ploughed down Mt Everest making it the deadliest day ever on the mountain as 21 people perished. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless as entire villages were flattened, the country was taken to the brink. Throughout history the Nepalese have faced civil…

North America

Washington DC in a day, for free

Washington DC is a lot like London in that you can nip in and do what you need to in a couple of days, or you can linger there for weeks and still find things to do. As the capitol city of the United States it has the obvious governmental and political sites worth seeing, but offers a whole lot more besides. And, best of all, most of the things you will likely want to do in the city are completely free. With 800,000 people making their way into Washington DC every day for work, the city is at a standstill during rush hour. City car parks fill by 7am and by 9am your chances of a short stay on street spot is slim. With that in mind it makes sense to either arrive early and shell out around $25 – $40 for a day’s parking, or park out of…

North America

Hoh Rain-forest Hall of Mosses Trail, Olympic National Park

Hoh Rainforest – Hall of Mosses Trail Hoh Rainforest has more water dumped on it per year than anywhere else on the mainland USA. With up to 170 inches (14ft) that’s an awful lot of precipitation which means it rains pretty much every day. All day. About 2 hours from Port Angeles, on the western side of the Olympic National park, it is easily accessible and perfectly tied in for Twilight fans that will love the series location, Forks, less than an hour (en route from Port Angeles). If you have never watched Twilight (like me) then it’s a great little town with an eerie feel, particularly in the morning when it is draped in mist. Actually my daughter said as we drove through “dad, please don’t break down here, there are definitely vampires”… Probably not. Start: Hoh rainforest car park End: Hoh rainforest car park Distance: 0.8 miles…