Magical Murals - Shinhwa Art Village

In honor of my blog's one year anniversary I am ready to share with you one of my most randomly spectacular adventures. This is what I love about traveling, I love experiencing different cultures with all of my senses and seeing what makes a place unique in person with my own eyes. Stumbling  upon something as fantastic and unknown as Shinwha Art Village and being able to share it with the world in the hopes that more people may be able to enjoy it is priceless. This is why I travel and this is why I blog. The world is such a spectacular place and instead of collecting things I am out to collect memories and experience each and every part of our amazing planet Earth.

Shinwha Art Village

Hidden away in the large industrial city of Ulsan, South Korea, there sits a quaint little local village which has been enveloped by the growing city. More than just a simple village, it is unique to any I have yet seen on my travels. An art village, decorated with stunning murals of everything from pop culture to folk lore it completely took my breath away.

Shinhwa Art Village is comprised of several cobblestone roads and walkways which wind through the various dwellings and shops. Almost every wall is ordained with a mural of a different theme and style. Though most revolve around whales and the sea, due to the villages close proximity to the ocean, there are also murals featuring pop culture icons, cartoons, and politics.

One could easily view the whole village in half an hour but as I had the time I took advantage of it. I felt at peace wandering the colorful pathways and spent several hours admiring the art and engaging with the locals. I was quite obviously the only non local in the village. Wandering around in my bright blue ski jacket taking photos of every square inch of art I stood out like a sore thumb and had a few people wave at me and say hello. There is no charge to view the art as it is just a part of where they live and it was obvious that although it is sign posted from the road as an art village it doesn't get all that many visitors. I made a point to buy a drink and a snack from the two local shops and bought a fabulous photo of the village buried in snow from a sweet lady in her photography studio.

Unlisted on the top tourist sights such as Trip Advisor, Shinhwa is an under-appreciated local gem that should be on the top of any tourists to do list. Most people probably stumble across it as I did and wonder why in a town with so little for tourists to do it wasn't listed anywhere. Hopefully this will soon change but until then you will just have to take my advice and head there yourself.

(Show your taxi driver the pictures of the street signs below and they can get you there!)

Hope You Enjoy the Photos!

Thanks for reading and Cheers to another year of blogging!

Top 5 Tips for Exploring London (Affordably)

As a Brit, I know I am biased, but London truly is my favorite of the large metropolitan cities (with Paris following in at a very close second). London is so rich in history and culture I could happily just wander the streets with a smile on my face the whole time as I take it all in.

When convincing someone to visit London, one of my biggest selling points is that the public transportation is so good and the roads are so well signposted that it is a safe and easy city for anyone capable of reading a map to navigate.

Whether you have never traveled before or you have circumnavigated the globe countless times over, London needs to be on your tourist destination checklist.  Yet with that being said, there is no denying that while London has an endless possibility of things to do and see it is not renowned for being the world's most inexpensive city. So I have written for you this list of my top 5 tips for exploring London affordably to help you visit this glorious city within whatever budget you may be able to afford. (For tips on getting to London on a budget check out my tips for traveling without  breaking the bank)

Travel Using Either Big Bus Tours or the London Underground

• London in deceptively large and with everything there is to see it is easy to "over walk" yourself and end up exhausted, so do yourself a favor and take advantage of the public transportation!
• Hop on & hop off: A Big Bus Tour is a fantastic way to be a tourist in London because not only do you get interesting information along the way but one ticket will get you around the whole city as you can hop on & off the bus as often as you please.
• Looking for a fast way to get across the city? Grab a tube map and buy a day travel card and navigate the Underground lines for a fast and efficient way to get around the city.

Take Advantage of the Free Public Attractions!

• London offers countless free museum exhibitions across the city with fascinating things to see. Visit the National Gallery which boasts a stunning display of priceless works of art or head over to the British Museum and view a snapshot of our world's history through the astonishing artifacts housed there.
• London is a city with many old traditions which you can witness during your adventures. If you wander through Green Park to Buckingham Palace you may be able to witness my favorite age old tradition, the changing of the guard.
• For a full list of free attractions check out VisitLondon.com 

Get Up Early and Book Your Tickets in Advance!

• If you want to visit a popular museum that charges a fee, such as the Tower of London or the National Maritime Museum (which are both well worth the visit), book your tickets in advance! The lines grow long quickly and you can end up spending more time in line then at your destination. Skip the queue and beat the crowds for an overall improved experience.
• Hoping to see one of the many fabulous London productions in or around the West End? Book your tickets as early as possible, look on LastMinute.com or Timeout.com for some great last minute deals on theater tickets. 

Make a Plan...

• It would be easy to spend a week in London and still not see and do everything on your list. So make a loose plan to decide what you want to see and when so you can book whatever tickets you need to in advance.
• Some attractions need a whole day and others you can group together. The Tower of London or the National Maritime Museum really are full day excursions. The Victoria & Albert Museum on the other hand, is right next to the Natural History and the Science museum (all of which are free admissions), so if you are interested in visiting them all, you could plan to visit them on the same day or stay close by and spend a full day in each one. 

Dedicate some Time to Relaxation and Enjoy one of the Many Parks!

• When the weather is nice take the time to relax in one of London's beautiful parks. Stop in a Tesco Express,  M&S Simply Food or a corner-shop Waitrose to buy some lunch, and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. Sit back, relax, and enjoy people watching in one of the world's busiest cities. 

Let's Get Packing... A Guide to Travelling with Only Carry On Luggage

 I have recently been getting lots of requests for a video blog, so I have decided to give in and what better topic to present in a video than a guide to packing only carry on luggage! Before my last month long trip to New Zealand and Japan I made this video and have decided to share it with you today!

My goal is to help you keep calm and carry on! The video will teach you how to pack for one month in two climates without checking a bag. By travelling light you not only save time but you avoid the risk of waiting in the line at lost luggage.

Most major airlines allow you to travel with:

One Piece of Carry On Luggage (Suitcase)
Mine is usually the backpack (shown top right) or a small rolling bag (on left)

One Personal Item (Backpack or Handbag)
Mine is always my DSLR camera handbag (shown top left) as it holds my camera equipment and my laptop. (shown right)

I hope you enjoy this video, complete with tips & tricks to decide what to bring & how to pack it!

If the video does not appear above click here!