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Conversant Traveller - Adventure by day, Luxury by night Adventure by day, Luxury by night
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Peter Cole

Hi, I'm Peter, and you'll usually find me hiding behind the camera whilst her ladyship steals the limelight. I have a bit of a thing for wildlife and the great outdoors, and used to be an adventure activity instructor here in the Lake District. These days I concentrate on the blog photography and gear reviews, and generally leave the trip organisation to Heather. As long as it involves orangutans and steers clear of raw fish dishes then I'm happy. I once got my head stuck through the railings of Buckingham Palace and have vowed never to ride a camel again.

Man standing by car outside an airport terminal
Conversations, England, UK

PremiAir – Manchester’s Luxury Airport Lounge

I like cake and I like carrots (I have fond childhood memories of eating freshly dug up carrots from dad’s veggie patch) yet put…

Aerial view of banana shaped beach with rainforest to the left and ocean to the right
Sao Tome & Principe

What they don’t tell you about São Tomé and Príncipe

We chose São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) as a destination purely by flicking through the pages of the ‘Lonely Planet Guide to the World’…

Conversations, Tenerife

Is travel insurance worth it?

Travel insurance. One of those ‘must haves’ that you pay for hoping that you’ll never have to actually use it. You trawl through the…

Bracelet with coordinates on perched on a purple flower
Gear & Giveaways, Guatemala

Travel Co-ordinates Bracelets – Giveaway with Life Less Ordinary

It’s been a little while since we’ve done a giveaway, so to celebrate our six year blogging anniversary, we’re delighted to be partnering with…

lake district glamping pod on a farm will hills in the background
England, Rural Luxe

Lake District Glamping – hot tubs, pods & yurts

Glamping in the Lake District is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You get to enjoy the great outdoors, live a rural lifestyle and explore…

Sao Tome & Principe

São Tomé and Príncipe Holiday – things to do, where to stay

We’re about to head off on a São Tomé and Príncipe holiday, an adventure to tropical islands off the coast of west Africa, visited…

Hiking the Pico Viejo route 12 trail on Mount Teide in Tenerife
Conversations, Tenerife

Tenerife didn’t steal our hearts, just our passports!

“They’re gone!” Two simple words, said in a fraction of a second. Two words that caused me so much pain. Okay, possibly not the…

Tipping in Morocco
Morocco

Tipping in Morocco – how much to tip who, and when

Tipping in Morocco is a headache, as it is all over the world for those of us who don’t come from a tipping culture….

Tagines in the Marrakech souks - how to navigate
Morocco

Marrakech souks: Top Tips for Navigating Your Way Around

Marrakech. A heaving, bustling, vibrant city where the honeycomb alleys of the old walled medina have changed little since the 11th century. We didn’t…

Scams in Marrakech - how to avoid them
Morocco

Top 10 Scams in Marrakech, and how to avoid them

Wherever you go on holiday, there will always be someone willing to scam you. Whether it’s traffic officers in South Africa trying to fine…

Columbia clothing review - Mens Alpine Traverse Jacket
Gear & Giveaways

A Summer Columbia Sportswear review and giveaway

We think it’s safe to say that the typically short British summer has finally arrived. For a change the Lake District (have we mentioned…

Vrsic Pass drive, Triglav National Park, Slovenia
Conversations

Top tips for planning a road trip

One of our most precious commodities when travelling is our independence. Readers of Conversant Traveller will know that Heather doesn’t like being told what…

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After a 2-month flight ban, Morocco has announced After a 2-month flight ban, Morocco has announced that the air borders will be back open on 7th Feb!!! 🥳 So it's time to start planning your next trip and finally allowing yourself to get excited again at the prospect of Imperial cities, snow-capped mountains, and endless palm oases punctuated by crumbling kasbahs. And maybe a few camels if you really must. 🐪 #casablanca #mosquehassan2 #visitmorocco #lovemoroco #simplymorocco #dreamymorocco #beinthemoment #suitcasetravels #traveldiaries #iamatraveler #sheisnotlost #beautifildestinations #voyaged #exploreobserveshare #traveldeeper #cntraveler #chasing_facades #travelcommunity #mytinyatlas #passportcollective #adventureculture #cornersofmyworld #wheretofindme #worldtravelscapes
Dundee might not be the first place you think of w Dundee might not be the first place you think of when planning a visit to Scotland, but certainly for those who have 'done' the Highlands, Islands, and Edinburgh, and want to see somewhere different it makes a great base for exploring the lesser-known eastern coast. We particularly loved the regenerated waterfront area, with its maritime heritage trail and associated attractions. Not usually museum fans, we were super impressed by the V&A, with its designer building which was inspired by the eastern cliffs of Scotland. It looks like it's floating too, which is pretty incredible considering how big it is. Next door to the V&A is the RRS Discovery, the very ship that took Scott and Shackleton to Antarctica in 1901. Kind of sends shivers down your spine, being able to set foot on the very vessel from all the stories. Dundee's shipyards have a long and fascinating past, and the Discovery was the last 3-masted wooden ship built here in the UK. #dundee #visitdundee #visitscotland #eastcoastscotland #RRSDiscovery #dundeecity #dundeescotland #scotlandtravel #scotlandshot #explorescotland #instascotland #scotlandroadtrip #scotlandexplore #ngtuk #travelstoke
Continuing on our NE Scotland road trip we explore Continuing on our NE Scotland road trip we explored the ancient fishing village of Gourdon, which has an 1820s working harbour. There are some great coastal walks from here, and a maritime museum too. It's well known for its fish chips so we tucked into some fresh cod whilst watching the boats bobbing up and down. This is what Scotland is all about! Then we stopped off in Arbroath (pictured), had a wander around the marina and harbour (it's a lot bigger than the others we visited), and wished it was warm enough for ice-cream. There's an old medieval abbey right in the centre of town too (which was closed during our visit). If you're passing by, it's well worth a slight detour. #gourdonscotland #arbroath #visitarbroath #fishingharbour #Scotlandeastcoast #visitscotland #scotlandtravel #scotlandshots #scotlandexplore #scotlandlover #scotlandtrip #explorescotland #natgeoyourshot #ngtuk #travelstoke
We visited a few fishing towns and villages up in We visited a few fishing towns and villages up in north eastern Scotland, on the hunt for the perfect fish and chip munching spot. Taking the scenic coastal trail between Stonehaven and Dundee (which to be honest wasn't 'that' scenic as it didn't run particularly close to the sea!) we came across a few gems: ⛵️ First up was Stonehaven, which has a wild and windswept beach as well as a sheltered harbour and of course the obligatory seagulls. The boardwalk made for a pleasant stroll - it's lined with incredible steel sculptures that have been magically appearing over the last 15 years. Until recently, the identify of the artist remained enshrouded in mystery, and they were known as "Stonehaven's Banksy". There's everything from Viking ships, fishing boats, and biplanes. We rather liked them. #stonehavenscotland #stonehavenbeach #Scotlandeastcoast #visitscotland #scotlandtravel #scotlandshots #scotlandexplore #scotlandlover #scotlandtrip #explorescotland #natgeoyourshot #ngtuk #travelstoke #stonehavenbanksy #stonehavensculpures #shipsculpture
We're just back from a wee trip up to Scotland's e We're just back from a wee trip up to Scotland's east coast, where neither of us has ventured before. The countryside here is more rolling than rugged, and it doesn't have the same wild feel as the west coast, but along the shores there were pockets of amazingness, with the star of the show being Dunnottar Castle. 📌 The castle perches precariously, and dramatically, on a rocky headland just south of the harbour town of Stonehaven. There's a free car park for patrons, and it's a short walk across the clifftops to the entrance. The rock is surrounded on three sides by sea and on a clear day is a great place for dolphin spotting. Or even orcas if you're really lucky! 🏰 This medieval fortress has stood its ground here for over 1000 years, and has hosted everyone from William Wallace to Mary Queen of Scots. There was even a pet lion who called the castle home in the 16th century! You can still see the 'lion's den' today. Minus the former occupant. 👣There's a lovely walk along the clifftops to Stonehaven (it's about 3 miles) and the views are pretty special. But we think the best vantage point for castle photos is actually south along the headland...just walk to the castle entrance and turn right. It takes less than 10 minutes to reach the perfect picnic spot with a rather grand backdrop! @dunnottar_castle_official #dunnottarcastle #Scotlandeastcoast #visitscotland #stonehavenscotland #dunnottarcastlescotland #scotlandtravel #scotlandshots #scotlandexplore #scotlandlover #scotlandtrip #explorescotland #natgeoyourshot #ngtuk #travelstoke #scotlandcastle #scottishcastle
HAPPY CHRISTMAS from the Lakes!! We'd like to drag HAPPY CHRISTMAS from the Lakes!! We'd like to drag you out of your mince pie stupor just for a moment, not to put a positive spin on this mixed bag of a year, or to wish you health and happiness for 2022 (although we do!). No, we want to discuss Sun Dogs. Known as a 'parhelion' by meteorologists and those who like fancy words, a 'sun dog' is when the atmospheric conditions create one, or even two 'mock suns' either side of the actual sun. It's caused by the refraction of ice crystals, and is most often seen during winter when the sun is close to the horizon. We saw this rare phenomenon on a wintery local walk earlier this month - you can see the two sun dogs either side of the trees, with the real sun behind the left hand tree. Eerie, but beautiful. Have you ever seen one? No idea where the 'dog' bit comes from, but we think it's pretty cool. Science lesson over. Back to your mince pies! #sundog #parhelion #icecrystals #refraction #winterlandscape #lakedistrictwalks #visitcumbria #visitengland #edenvalley #snowylandscape #travelblogger #lakedistrictwinter #cumbriawinter
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