Travel
Follow me across the world and the seven seas
Co-working spaces for digital nomads: great idea or scam?
I discovered the world of co-working spaces in Asia for digital nomads in 2015. At the time, I just came back from one year and a half of travel and I was struggling to adapt to my new Milanese city life. For Google, it was just too easy to cross my travel searches...
How to keep your parents chill while travelling solo
For most parents, accepting that their little kiddo is going to travel the world alone can be scary. Especially if they aren't experienced travellers themselves or -even worse!- if you are a girl. This is exactly my case and I promise you that with a few precautions...
10 things to do in Milan during Christmas time
raditionally, Milan’s festive season kicks off in the second week of December. Last weekend, aka Il Ponte, marked its start. That is because that week boasts two religious holidays: Sant’Ambrogio (patron saint of Milan) on December 7th, and the...
Long term travelling: How to deal with worried parents
ne of my favourite motivational quotes is “don’t let other people’s fears scare you.” Which applies to life in general but is particularly relevant if you are a girl travelling solo. I am an only child with anxiety issues creeping down the family...
13 bad-ass South East Asia backpacking tips for ladies
ave you ever wanted to go on a challenging trip into the wilderness or to test yourself on a long adventure to remote lands? I know that limited access to western comforts (such as a hot shower or –just saying- a room with a window) might seem...
8 Backpackers’ paradises for the outdoor lovers
his week I wanted to make a selection of my favourite playgrounds around Asia and Australia. Some of them are really mainstream while others are still a bit out of the backpackers' trail. But that's the point, I love to travel out of the beaten...
8 things to do in North Queensland besides the great barrier reef
Here the rainforest dips into the ocean with its enveloping mangroves and crocodile infested estuaries. Discover things to do in North Queensland
That addictive mix of hope, excitement, anticipation and fear
n a frisky morning of 2009, around this time of the year, I was standing alone in a half empty airport, holding a one-way ticket to Paris. I was moving out of my hometown and of my parents’ place, on my way to my Erasmus semester. It was the...
Travel back in time in this 8 wicked locations around the world
ne of the things that really thrills me when it comes to travel, is the feeling of going back in time. I love the poetry of places that have kept strong customs and tradition for centuries. Those which stay true to their culture, either because of...
Is Ayers Rock and the red center of Australia really worth the trip?
s Ayers Rock worth it? Many people have asked me this question during the years. I still remember the day I discovered Uluru's existence. I was eight or nine years old and I was watching a documentary on TV. I remember being puzzled at the idea of...
Ninja Packing: how to travel with a 6kg carry on
inja Packing is a fine art that you can master with time and experience. As a former long-term traveller, I learned the hard way that the less the better, even if travelling for shorter trips. Travelling with a carry on can be more than sufficient...
Roots
don’t come back here often. Since I left 10 years ago, my comebacks have been mostly in-betweens. In between jobs, partners, travels. Sometimes I come here to heal, like last June, but I never stay too long. This is the land where I grew up. My...
Dealing with injuries: 8 hacks for surviving long recovery without going mad
Dealing with injuries and physical pain has been one of my biggest struggles last year. I went through a quite long recovery after a bad motorbike accident. Some of its consequences are still bothering me today. During the long recovery process, I learned a lot about...
Beauty and awareness. Why backpacking in developing countries is not just about saving money
M ost of my longest journeys have been through South East Asia and in the Indian sub-continent. South America is just next on my bucket list. In the backpackers’ world, these two maxi regions are a destination of choice for many. An interesting aspect that they have...
Things I’ve learned from life on the road during my Australian Working Holiday
Twenty-four thousand kilometres of road tripping Twenty nationalities encountered on the road Nine months of work Five States Four climatic zones Three oceans Two lovers One van Oh-man, my Australian year was intense! We mostly spent it travelling. In every way that a...
13 things I learned from breaking a leg (and a wrist)
C'MON IT'S NOT SO BAD! WELL, IT ACTUALLY IS. n November 2015 I had a bad road accident. Nothing really special, a random guy didn’t give me way, which resulted in a crash. The problem was that he was driving a car while I was on a Vespa....
Life-saving tips to travel in South East Asia by motorbike
his is not a post for people that have never driven a scooter in their lives and decide to give it a try in Ko Phangan to reach the Full Moon Party. Which, by the way, it’s something that I don’t recommend considering that Ko Phangan has probably...
Are you ready for India? Most common fears and how to overcome them
would love to go to India, but I think I’m not ready yet”. I heard this from many fellow travellers over the years. Some of them were quite experienced travellers as well, who may have crossed all South America on their own, but for some reason,...
Bali and beyond. A quick Indonesian getaway.
Indonesia holds a very special place in my heart, to the point that I’m even considering moving there for a while. Still, it’s not the easiest place to travel in. Java has wonderful temples but it’s the typical crowded, dirty, overpopulated and freaked out Asian...
On splitting up, fear, and solo travelling as a woman
often make this metaphor: for me splitting with my long-time partner has been like losing a leg. Suddenly I stumbled at every step. Loosing him didn’t just meant to lose the man I loved, the engine of my adventurous life and the closest person I...
Moving to Australia: 5 steps to nail your gap year in Kangarooland
pending a gap year in Australia is something very popular for people in their twenties. But with an increasing horde of backpackers getting there every year, tasks like finding a job or finding farm work in order to apply for a second year Visa are...
Where to go in Thailand? Discover the backpacker trail
This article originally appeared on my old blog, Downunderpirates, in June 2014. oday I’m finally taking you to amazing Thailand, a place that everyone has to see at least once in its life. Thailand it’s an extremely easy country to travel...
This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about
Disclaimer: This post has been written in 2014, when the country just stared to open up. Since then, things have changed A LOT. Friends that visited last year told me stories of cheap sim cards and 3G everywhere; online accommodation booking and no more Chinese trucks...
That time when I was a Cowboy in Australia
ell, I have to admit that the title might be slightly misleading. My boyfriend was the cowboy, I was the station cook and this is the story of our jobs in a cattle station in Australia. It was the boiling July of 2013 and we were in rural...
Setting paddocks on fire. My farming nightmare in Australia
This article was written in 2013 about my farm work experience in Australia. I was working in Bedford Harbour Station in Western Australia. 14,000 Acres – The extent of the wheat and canola farm we work in (the property stretches for 20km and is 10km wide) 5km – The...
Getting a (decent) vehicle in Australia
his step of course depends on the type of experience you want to get. My personal suggestion is to get a car or -even better- a van as soon as you can if you’re planning to move around the country. Having your own vehicle will allow you to look for...
Top 3 tasks to complete as soon as you land in Australia
fter landing Downunder and having exchanged your warm clothes with shorts, singlet and flip flops (this may be optional: many Aussies go barefoot), you’ll better fix a few things on day one. Here are my tips for moving to Australia with no worries....
How to find a job or farm work in Australia
ow to find farm work in Australia? This is still the most asked question that I get even 4 years after I came back. The answer varies depending if you’re looking for a job in the city (say bartending or waitressing) or if you’re looking for...
Easiest VISA to move to Australia
Applying for a Working Holiday Visa The first thing before even try to move to Oz is to check if you meet the Visa requirements. In this post I will mostly refer to the Working Holiday Visa (aka 417). This Visa allows you to work and travel in Australia for one year...
Getting your paperwork together before you leave for Australia
o one loves paperwork, but don't worry, you wont need much in Australia. Compared to Europe (I'm thinking of you, Italy and France) Australia is super organized and digitalized when it comes to documents, permits and general paper work. Thus said,...