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Travel Blogger Interview with Monica Stott of The Travel Hack

“As part of our aim to keep you inspired and to keep your wanderlust ignited, we at Explore by Expedia wanted to showcase some of our favourite travellers. First up is Monica Stott from the travel blog The Travel Hack ! Based in North Wales, Monica lives with her partner and their three children, and her blog focuses on weekend holidays and affordable adventures. We asked Monica about her favourite destinations, her earliest travel memories, and why she decided to become a professional travel blogger.

Travel Blogger Interview with Monica Stott of The Travel Hack =============================================================

### What is your first memory of travelling?

My first memory of travelling isn’t actually me travelling, it was watching other people travel. My mum travelled weekly for work and I’d always go with my dad to pick her up from the airport. It was the highlight of my week. I was excited to see my mum but I just loved being in the airport. That sense of possibility and jetting off to anywhere in the world! I loved watching people coming and going, people with enormous suitcases or tiny backpacks, people greeting loved ones and saying goodbye. I’d patiently wait for my mum and wonder where all these people were coming from or going to. It all seemed so exciting and I couldn’t wait to be one of those people jetting off somewhere new.

### When did you realise you wanted to make travel a large part of your life?

When I was 16 I was ‘studying’ for my GCSE’s and I was using the internet to help with my revision. I put ‘studying’ in inverted commas because I didn’t do a lot of it once I discovered a few websites about travelling, gap years, and backpacking. I didn’t do any revision (and have some mediocre exam results to prove it!) but spent three months pawing over these websites!

This was when I realised that normal people like me could pack a backpack and travel the world. These websites opened up a whole world of possibility that I had no idea existed to me before. It was all I could think about and it was all I wanted to do.

It was actually a great moment because it gave me such clarity and focus. Over the next few years I realised I wanted to be a travel writer so it helped me to focus on English and Media Studies at college and I had two part time jobs to help me save.

### Explain your journey to becoming a travel blogger. Was there a particular turning point when you realised you could do this professionally?

I wanted to be a travel writer or a travel journalist so I did an internship at my local newspaper while I was saving to travel to Australia. When I left the newspaper they asked me to write a blog for their website. The newspaper had a section on their site with blogs by local people in the community; there was a local teacher, a councilor, a shopkeeper and other people within the community with something interesting to say.

I set up a blog to document my travels and I put a bit of extra effort into it because I knew it was going to be featured on the newspaper’s website. I saw it as a portfolio that could help me get journalism work in the future so I took it really seriously. I uploaded 2-3 posts a week and got involved with the online travel blogging community via Twitter. I LOVED it and continued to blog during my two year backpacking trip.

When I came home I moved to London to study journalism. I studied part time so I could also work at a travel website where I learned more about websites and social media.

Living in London is very expensive so I also worked as a copywriter in the evenings. I was paid for each article I wrote so I soon learnt to write very quickly and I could write two to three 1,000 word articles each evening.

While I was in London I socialised a lot with the travel blogging community. I attended a lot of events and was soon invited to travel journalist events organised by travel PRs. It was a great opportunity to network and this was definitely the turning point in my career. I got to know PRs who invited me on press trips and brands who would pay me to produce content. I also met other bloggers and we formed strong communities and friendships and encouraged each other to become more professional.

Since then I’ve grown my blog and it’s become something my family can live on. I have three children and they’re lucky enough to travel the world with me. I have a range of luggage, an online course and work with some incredible brands. I’m so, so thankful I started my blog all those years ago!

### What is one of your favourite travel memories?

My favourite travel memory isn’t just one moment but a whole year when I was in Australia. I was there with my now fiance and we were travelling around the entire country in a campervan. We had an old VW and drove around the whole coast in it.

It was such an incredible time and I don’t think I’ll ever feel that free again. We’d drive for an hour or two a day and stop when we found somewhere nice. We’d go fishing, swim in the sea, camp in the most beautiful spots, cook on a BBQ and spend every evening under the stars. We made some great friends and had the most amazing adventures and it helped me realise that you don’t need ‘stuff’ to have a great time. We had nothing but a van, some clothes, a few books, some snorkelling gear and a fishing rod and I’ve never been happier.

### What is your favourite holiday destination in the UK?

Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsula in Wales. It’s gorgeous! We have a caravan there and go most weekends. It’s just a two hour drive from our house but it feels like a million miles away. Abersoch seems to have it’s own little microclimate and it’s much warmer and sunnier than other parts of the UK.

I always get up early and go for a run along the beach while the water is perfectly still and calm. We spend our days swimming, snorkelling, and paddleboarding, and evenings are for BBQs on the beach and watching the stars in the sky. It’s so peaceful and a lovely place to be able to escape to.

### What are your essential items to pack when you travel?

I like to travel light so I keep my clothes pretty minimal and pack a simple, capsule wardrobe. A pair of comfy white trainers is a must and I’m currently wearing the FatFace Organic Cotton Sustainable Sneaks as they go with everything.

My real essential items are my phone and my camera. I use a Lumix G80 with a 25mm lens and an iPhone XS Max with Sandmarc lenses to capture my content. I make short videos using my phone and I just love that technology has advanced so much over the past few years that I can create my content using such tiny devices.

### What would you say has been your biggest lesson learned while travelling?

There’s no place like home.

While I love travelling, being away from my home definitely gives me a new appreciation of where I come from.

### How do you balance travelling for fun and travelling for work? Is there a difference for you?

Oh yes, there’s a massive difference and it is hard to find the balance. When I’m travelling for work I have deliverables and I have a certain amount of blog posts, videos, photos and social media uploads I need to produce. I love creating this content but it definitely puts some pressure on to ensure I deliver what I’ve promised and that brings a level of stress I don’t want when I’m travelling for fun. There are times when I know I need to capture a certain image but maybe the lighting isn’t perfect or there are too many people around or it’s just not working. This can be really stressful and definitely isn’t a holiday!

But it’s hard to switch off this travel blogger mentality. If I go for a weekend away with my family I do find it hard not to photograph everything and make videos and take notes. If I’m in a beautiful location then I want to capture it and share it with my followers! There’s just a lot less pressure and it might take me a few days to edit and share the content.

### What are some of your most recommended destinations?

Here are some of my favourites:

– Montenegro – for the great outdoors – Japan – to experience a very different kind of culture – Thailand – for an amazingly varied holiday with beaches and culture, parties and great food – North Wales – for an active holiday in the UK – Romania – because it’s cheap and completely underrated – Menorca – for family holidays – Morocco – for an exciting weekend break

### Where would you love to travel in the future?

New Zealand. My absolute dream trip would be to spend a month or two travelling around New Zealand in a campervan. I’m waiting for my youngest child to get to around 5 or 6 so we can handle the long flight out there!

Thank you so much to Monica for her insightful interview. Make sure to check out her blog The Travel Hack , or you can follow her on Instagram or follow on Facebook .

Also be sure to check out more inspiring content from Explore by Expedia !”

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The Travel Hack: How it all began

By: Author Monica

Categories Welcome

Hi and thank you for stopping by The Travel Hack!

My name is Monica, I’m 33 and I live in North Wales with my partner, Sam, and our three kids, George (5), Joseph (4) and Alba (1).

I’ve been blogging for 12 years and I’ve been doing this full time for eight years! The thing I’m always asked is, ‘How did this all begin!? And how did you keep blogging after so long?’ 

So here is my blogging timeline to show what I’ve been up to for the past 12 years and to show some highlights from each year….

If you’d like to keep up to date with the blog, you can sign up to my newsletter where I send out weekly updates.

Here’s my blogging timeline…

2009 – In 2009, I finished university, where I’d studied English Language and Literature at The University of Liverpool. I then set out on a two-year backpacking trip with Sam. I started the blog as a way to document the journey – partly because I’d always loved to write a journal and partly because I was hoping to pursue a career in journalism so I saw the blog as work experience (little did I know that the blog would soon become my career!)

Back in 2009 we booked one-way tickets to Australia with a 3-month stop in Hong Kong. From Hong Kong we flew to other places in South East Asia.

We visited:

And then flew to Sydney to work for a few months and spend Christmas and New Year there.

Read more: How and why I started travel blogging

2010 – We bought an old VW camper van in Melbourne and drove around the entire coast of Australia.

We stopped to work on a scuba diving and fishing island on the west coast of Australia and gained our second-year visa so we could stay a little longer on our Working Holiday Visas.

Read more: How to survive living in a campervan…for a year…with a boy

2011 – We left Australia and travelled through South East Asia again on the way home.

I then moved to London to complete an NCTJ in journalism and I started working for travel site called Gap Daemon. I was also doing a lot of travel copywriting at this time to help with the living costs in London!

Read more: What my journalism course taught me about blogging.

^ One of my favourite trips was to Sun Peaks in Canada

2012 – This is when I started to really get into travel blogging and I realised a career in blogging would be much more exciting than a career in journalism!

I started working as the UK social media manager for Flight Centre and began attending lots of press trips for my blog.

My travel highlights from 2012

^During a dream trip to South Africa

2013 – I quit my full time job to travel blog full time – this is when the fun really started and I was travelling 2-3 times a month.

Read more: I’m going freelance!

My travel highlights from 2013

^ Taken during an epic trip to Miami

2014 – I moved from London back to North Wales and Louie, our gorgeous fur baby, came into our lives. Oh, and I continued to travel a lot!

Read more: The real reason I got a dog

My travel highlights from 2014

2015 – Sam and I had our first son, George, and bought our first house which we renovated over a year.

Read more: The house renovation project: 8 months on

Introducing Baby George

2016 – We travelled a lot with George and then had our second son, Joseph.

My travel highlights from 2016

An Introduction to Joseph

2017 – I released a Travel Hack Cabin Case!

My travel highlights from 2017

2018 – 2018 was the year of finding the balance between travelling, family life and running an online business. There was a lot of travel and a lot of fun, but also a lot of time spent at home in the UK and discovering some gorgeous places on my doorstep. We bought a caravan on the Llyn Peninsula in Wales too so we spent a lot of time on the coast!

Read: My travel highlights from 2018

How I’m managing the work/life/blogging/babies/travelling balance

Buying a static caravan

2019 began as a very busy year with trips to Morocco, Montenegro, Menorca, Switzerland and lots of UK trips. I also launched The Travel Hack Backpack! The second half of the year was busy in a very different way as we built an extension on our house and our baby girl, Alba, joined our family!

Our first three months with our baby girl

What’s it like to have three children?

The Travel Hack Backpack

2020, wow, what a year. It’s fair to say that 2020 has turned the world on it’s head, chewed us all up, spat us all out and we’re currently wiping ourselves down and hoping it doesn’t happen again.

Despite the global pandemic, I have actually been very lucky and all of my loved ones are safe and well. I’ve missed travelling this year but COVID-19 and lockdown did make me rethink a few things and use the downtime as an opportunity to rethink my career and introduce more family lifestyle content to the blog.

I really hope you enjoy reading The Travel Hack and please do follow me on Instagram for daily updates!

Jessica Friend

Monday 5th of October 2020

This felt like the Monica's 'Greatest Hits' in a lovely feel-good way! And I've loved revisiting all your milestones again - avid follower from 2010! :-)

Hehe, I should have made a cheesy album cover for the greatest hits!

Thursday 19th of December 2019

In all photos you look so joyful such a great photography and i am appreciating your blog. Perfect Travel blog.

Thursday 6th of June 2019

I really enjoyed seeing your travel timeline and having a little roundup! I’ve only started to follow you recently and I’ve only started traveling out of the UK in the past few years. Thanks for sharing ?

Danica Watson

Wednesday 10th of April 2019

Thank you so much for sharing!!

sumit saini

Saturday 23rd of February 2019

I truly appreciated seeing your movement course of events and having a little gathering! I've just begun to tail you as of late and I've just begun going out of the UK in the previous couple of years. I've as of late been to North Sweden and gracious my I cherished it to such an extent! I'm eager to perceive what 2019 has in store for you

About Monica Stott

Monica Stott

• Follow Monica:

Interview: Monica from The Travel Hack

Monica is the founder and editor of The Travel Hack , a blog that she has been running since 2009, relating her adventures and sharing travel hacks/tips to get the best of your holidays & weekend breaks. The Travel Hack has now grown to a team of 10 contributors and has been named as one of UK’s top 10 travel blogs by Cision. We interviewed Monica to understand her story, her favorite destinations as well as her best travel tips.

Hi Monica, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. You’ve been travelling and running your blog for more than 6 years now, how did it all started? Initially, why did you decided to create your blog?

I created my first blog in 2009. I wanted to be a journalist so I was interning with my local newspaper. I worked there for a summer before leaving to go travelling. The newspaper had a section on the website for blogs written by local members of the community and they asked me to contribute a blog to the site during my travels.

At the time I didn’t know what a blog was but I set it up and instantly fell in love with blogging. I travelled for almost two years and kept my blog on the newspaper website for that whole time. When I returned home I set up The Travel Hack. How many countries have you visited so far and what has been the most inspiring travel destinations?

I have no idea how many I’ve visited. I’m not very good at keeping track! The most inspiring place I’ve visited is Iceland . It’s such a rugged and beautiful country and a gorgeous place to escape from modern day stresses and feel like you’ve slipped back in time.

Discover the wonders of Iceland, Gopili helps you find the best price for your flight.

It’s tough! I have a very supportive family and my partner really encourages me in my work so that definitely helps. Working for myself makes it easier to balance work and family life as I can set my own hours and I often work well into the night.

I also give myself plenty of time off to relax – I’m no good to anyone if I’m over-tired! I still manage to travel but I usually take shorter trips or bring my little boy with me and travel slowly. One of your New Years Resolutions was to take as many weekend trips as you can, can you share with our users your favorite City Breaks in UK and why? & in Europe?

When I’m travelling in the UK I prefer to visit the countryside. We have so many beautiful areas in the UK! My favourite place is the Scilly Isles which are off the coast of Cornwall. It’s so beautiful down there and if you have great weather you can feel like you’re in the Caribbean. The beaches are powdery soft and pure white and the sea is crystal clear. My favourite city in Europe is London because there’s just so much to do!

If like Monica you wish to visit London, find the best travel option on Gopili .

You’re providing a lot of travel tips on your blog , what will be the top 3 travel tips that you’ll suggest to make the most of your city break?

1 – Be organised and make yourself a rough itinerary so you don’t miss the things you really want to do.

2 – Use an app like Spotted By Locals to find unusual places to eat and drink so you can avoid the tourist traps.

3 – Travel in the shoulder season when it’s quieter but you’ll still have good weather. Let’s talk about transport, which mode of transport do you tend to use when travelling?

All modes really, I’ll drive my own car to the airport, then fly on a plane, then take a taxi to my hotel, then use public transport like buses and trams around a city and maybe take a train to a nearby city. When I’m in a city I’ll often hire a bike too. So I use all modes of transport depending on what I’m doing. What is for you, the biggest source of improvements of the European Transport Market?

The internet and mobile apps. Being able to check schedules online and times of trains, buses and trams makes it so much easier – especially when you’re in a country with a different language and you can’t figure it out by looking at local signs. What’s on your list for 2016?

I have lots of trips in the planning stage but nothing 100% confirmed yet so I’m keeping hush. I do have a lot of weekend breaks in the UK, some glamping trips and countryside escapes that I’m really looking forward to.

Looking to explore a new destination? Get inspired by the destinations visited by The Travel Hack and find cheap tickets on Gopili !

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Career Inspiration: Monica – Travel Blogger, The Travel Hack

This is my second Career Inspiration interview of 2015. I’m so pleased that you’re all enjoying this new series and I can’t wait to share many more inspiring people with you throughout the year. Over the last few weeks I’ve spent my weekends interviewing and having a natter with hard-working people. For those of you who’re new to Career Inspiration, the aim of these interviews is to help people looking for career inspiration, a career change or simply an insight into what others do.

It’s very hard to know what you want to do in life and I’ve always loved finding out about what others do and the journey they took to get there. So, I hope you enjoy today’s inspirational interview with Moncia, a professional travel blogger over at  The Travel Hack .

How long have you been blogging for and why did you start?

I’ve been blogging since 2009. I began when I left the UK to travel around Asia and Australia for 2 years as I blogged for my local newspaper. I’d been interning with them the summer before I left because I knew I wanted to pursue a career in journalism when I returned.

This began as a way to build up a portfolio of written work but I soon fell in love with blogging and began my own site, The Travel Hack. It was a way for me to record my travels, keep my family updated and also a way to benefit my career long-term.

How did you turn blogging into your career, was it a natural progression?

My blog and my career have always been entwined, probably because I started blogging straight after uni so it was before I had a ‘proper career’.

The jobs I had when I returned from Australia were all related to travel blogging and everything I did was linked. I worked as an editorial assistant on a travel website and I got the job because of my experience with blogging. I then worked for Travel Blogger’s Unite as the Community Manager and then worked as the Social Media Manager at Flight Centre (a large travel agency).

My blog and my career were so tightly connected that one was always benefiting the other. When I got a promotion at work it meant I could travel more and therefore had more content for my blog. When my blog grew I was able to connect with more people and trial campaigns with my own social media following.

How did you know the time was right to make the switch from your day job to full time blogging?

It came down to money for me. There was one month where I earned more from my blog than I did from my full time job and I knew it was time to make the switch. I knew I couldn’t balance the two forever and I knew I wanted to work on my blog full time eventually.

I made the switch at a time when my expenses were low and I had no responsibilities. I knew this was a great situation to be in and probably the best time to make the leap because no one else was relying on my income. It must be harder if you have a mortgage and children to support.

Do you do any other work alongside blogging, if so does your blog play a role in this?

Yes, I also work as a copywriter and I blog for brand websites. Copywriting is something I can fit easily around my travels as I’m set a deadline and I can work on it whenever I please.

My blog definitely helps me to find the writing opportunities and many of my clients stumble across me through my blog. I see my blog as an online portfolio so my clients have lots of examples of the kind of work I can do.

My social media following also helps with any writing work I do because I often share the articles I write with my followers. This sends new readers to my client’s site and provides an extra benefit for them and another reason to use me again in the future.

What has been your biggest challenge since becoming self-employed?

The biggest challenge for me is working alone. I miss the atmosphere of an office environment and miss having work colleagues. It’s difficult when you don’t have people to share ideas and problems with or just have a good rant at the end of the day. Staying motivated and inspired is more difficult when you’re working alone.

What do you enjoy most about being self-employed?

I love the fact that I can see a direct correlation between hard work and success. The harder I work, the more successful I am. If I work hard my blog grows, I have more clients and ultimately earn more money.

I also love that if I want to take a month off I can. It will mean there’s little blog growth and very little income that month but it’s well worth it for a month of travelling!

What is a typical workday like?

When I’m travelling my workday is all over the place. I usually find myself working on planes and buses, replying to emails during breakfast and working late into the night. I don’t mind this because I’m a night owl and get most of my work done very late at night. I like working in airports and love the fact that something that is usually a total waste of time for other people (like a 5 hour flight delay) can actually be a really productive time for me.

When I’m at home I work in my office and do my best to stick to a regular 9-5 routine. If I don’t stick to a routine I find myself working 12 hour days so I need this routine to know when to switch off. I usually reply to emails and write a blog post in the morning and then work on client projects in the afternoon. Sometimes I do sneak back to my desk at midnight and find myself absorbed in a project until 3am.

I get asked this question a lot so I wrote the post A week in the life of a travel blogger  for a little insight.

What are your favourite tools to promote your content?

I’m loving Pinterest at the moment. I was featured as one of their recommended people to follow so I’ve recently had a heap of new followers and I’ve seen a huge increase in traffic. The thing I really like about Pinterest is that the people who click on your pins are really interested in your content. They stick around for a long time and read a few different posts.

I hate sites like Stumbleupon or Reddit which might bring in lots of traffic but no one stays around for very long.

What advice would you give to bloggers thinking of making the leap to full time blogging? Do it, it’s the best thing ever!

No, not really, that’s terrible advice. My number one piece of advice would be to have multiple income streams. Blogging is a fast-paced industry and things change quickly. One month you may earn a ton through affiliate links and the next month it may be direct advertising and the following month you may earn very little from either. Diversify your income and you will always have a back-up plan.

I actually have heaps more advice in this post: Tips to leave your job and become a full time freelancer .

What keeps you motivated? Readers of The Travel Hack are a huge source of motivation. Each time I receive an email from someone telling me they travelled to a certain place because of my post it’s a big boost of motivation. I love inspiring people to travel!

How do you plan to grow The Travel Hack in 2015?

2015 is going to be a strange year for The Travel Hack because I’m having a baby. I’m super excited but I have no idea how I’m going to balance a new baby and travelling!

The baby is due in March so I’m currently focusing on creating lots of content for the blog that I can schedule during my ‘blogging maternity leave’. I have lots of guides and blog posts with a motivational edge to encourage people to travel more. So far they’re doing well!

Towards the end of the summer I’d like to be travelling again and I’ll be bringing the new addition along with me. I’m determined to keep having adventures, whether they’re in the UK or abroad and I’d like to encourage other people to do the same. The Travel Hack has been evolving with me over the past few years and this is another stage along the journey. I don’t want to be a mummy blogger but I do want to prove that having a baby shouldn’t stop you from travelling. (Although I’m yet to test this theory so watch this space!)

I’m also accepting guest posts to cover my maternity leave. It’s the first time I’ve done this and I’m really excited to start sharing all the awesome posts people are sending me.

I want to say a big thank you to Monica for taking part in Career Inspiration. I’m looking forward to seeing how The Travel Hack evolves with the arrival of her little one. It sounds like 2015 is going to be an exciting year for Monica’s personal life and career. I hope you all enjoyed the interview and you can find Monica over on The Travel Hack , Twitter , Pinterest , Instagram , Facebook and Google+ .

If you would like to take part in my Career Inspiration series then drop me a message on Twitter. 

Unearth Women

How ‘The Travel Hack’ Balances Adventure and Motherhood

By: Rachel Gould

Meet Monica Stott of The Travel Hack : a popular Britain-based blog with a trove of tips for maximizing the far-flung luxury vacations we live for, and supplementing our busy lives with accessible weekend breaks. But Stott isn’t your typical travel blogger—she’s also a mother of two. Below, Stott speaks to Unearth Women about maintaining a healthy balance between life and work, juggling a family and a career, and how to keep on traveling even after you’ve had kids.

UNEARTH WOMEN (UW): TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF! WHAT WERE YOU UP TO BEFORE THE TRAVEL HACK?

Monica Stott (MS): I’m a UK-based travel blogger and I run The Travel Hack. I live in North Wales [with my] two little boys. I’ve been traveling and blogging for about 10 years, and I now focus on weekend breaks.

Before The Travel Hack I was a student. I was studying English and literature and always thought I’d be a journalist. I started the blog when I was 21, and I was leaving the UK to go backpacking around Asia and Australia for two years. The blog documented my whole adventure. I then came home and moved to London while I studied journalism, and I stayed in London for a few years before moving back home to Wales. I travel once or twice a month [now], and when I’m not travelling , I run an e-course for bloggers.

UW: WHAT’S YOUR SPECIALITY IN THE TRAVEL SPACE?

MS: The Travel Hack is one of the UK’s leading travel blogs and it’s mostly about weekend breaks. The blog has followed me and my journey as my life has evolved and I’ve gotten older. It all began with the days of budget backpacking and then my time as a student in London taking little trips around Europe, then my days as a professional in London, and now, many of my blogs are with my children and we often focus on family travel. Many of my trips now are three to four days, so I tend to focus on weekend breaks for a UK audience.

UW: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST POPULAR TRAVEL HACKS?

MS: People always want to know about packing tips to travel lighter so they don’t need to pay for hold luggage. My main tip is always to [outline] a rough itinerary, and then plan outfits for everything you’ll be doing so you don’t pack any items you won’t be using. Capsule wardrobes are the best—you can mix and match your [garments for] lots of outfits with fewer items.

UW: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A TRAVEL BLOGGER BALANCING MOTHERHOOD?

MS: It is unusual because I’m often away without my kids, but my job is also like any other job—many people need to travel for work. My partner and I always knew this would happen and I’m really lucky that he’s 100 percent supportive. It mostly seems unusual because I’m a woman and I’m the one going away for work. When men travel for work it seems normal, but it’s less normal for women to do it. Traveling pays our mortgage so it is a necessity, but it can be hard to find a balance between work and family life.

Blogging gives me so much freedom as a parent and I love it. I can choose when I want to work, so I can [decide] to stay at home for the duration of the summer or Christmas holidays to make life easier. I’m at home with my kids for the majority of the time, and for three weeks every month, I’m like a normal stay-at-home-mum. But then for one week every month I’ll be away traveling the world. It often feels like I’m living a double life, but I love both lives and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

UW: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER MOMS WITH THE TRAVEL BUG?

MS: I had my children very close together so we were basically traveling with two babies, and this was really difficult. So we stuck to family-friendly destinations or places where we could rent a big house and a car, and do everything at our own pace.

I’ve traveled loads with my kids and we always have a great time, but it’s hard. Traveling slowly helps, as it gives your kids time to adjust to a new place and then you can enjoy it [too]. Whistle-stop trips never work for us because it’s time to go home as soon as we get settled. I [also] often travel without my kids, and if you have babysitters available for a long weekend, or you can take a trip with your friends, then do it. I genuinely feel like I’m a better parent when I’ve had a little break!

UW: WHAT ARE A FEW DESTINATIONS THAT YOU’RE RECOMMEND FOR PARENTS TRAVELING WITH THEIR KIDS?

MS: The Maldives was surprisingly amazing as it’s so safe, quiet, and relaxed. We travelled there with my son when he was nine months old. The flight was tough but the holiday more than made up for it.

Tropical islands are great, but destinations where you can rent a house and a car are the best. You can keep your kids in the same routine as at home, you can go to the supermarket and get their favorite foods, and you have more space to spread out.

UW: CAN YOU SHARE A FEW TIPS FOR MASTERING REGIONAL TRAVEL? WHY SHOULD WE TAKE MORE WEEKEND BREAKS?

MS: It’s all about the accommodation when you’re traveling somewhere close to home. I really love glamping, so I book lots of glamping staycations for the summer. They’re affordable, unusual, and always really memorable. You might be close to home, but when you’re sleeping in a tree house or a converted barn or a safari tent near the sea, you’ll feel a million miles from home. I prefer having multiple weekend breaks rather than one big annual trip as it gives you something to look forward to throughout the year.

UW: ANY NEW HACKS FOR 2019?

MS: I’m going to be working on a new piece of luggage for 2019 that will be in line with many of the budget airlines new rules on cabin baggage. I designed The Travel Hack Cabin Case in 2016 [to be] the perfect cabin case, but I’ll now be working on something smaller for that ‘under the seat’ bag you get with Ryanair and other [budget] airlines.

UW: WHERE TO NEXT?

MS: I’m going to Hamburg at the end of February to attend a video conference, but I don’t have a lot booked at the moment. This month I’ve been to Marrakech and Romania, so I’m looking forward to spending a bit of time at home!

About Rachel Gould

Rachel is Executive Editor at Unearth Women. As Executive, Rachel is tasked with capturing the compelling narratives of formidable ladies from around the world as well as editing stories for the print publication. Formerly Art & Design Editor at Culture Trip, where she was an original member of the core editorial team that collaboratively established the digital publication’s voice, Rachel lives in pursuit of the social, cultural, and political power of visual art.

Rachel is living in her hometown of New York City, where she currently works as a freelance journalist and hosts art vlog Several Circles, which delves into the human interest stories of pioneering artists from history to the contemporary day.

January 31, 2019 at 8:20 am

Thanks for this inspiring interview with Monica Stott. I love her blog. It’s great to see travel bloggers continue travelling after they’ve had kids. Putting the Maldives on my family travel bucket list!

January 31, 2019 at 12:01 pm

Thanks for reading! 🙂

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monica travel hack

The Travel Hack started in 2009 to document my two-year backpacking adventure around Asia and Australia. The blog has evolved over time and followed my travels and adventures around the world. I'm currently in Wales with my three children and I blog about our Welsh adventures, weekend breaks and family life.

I'm Monica, otherwise known as The Travel Hack. I'm a travel blogger with a love for adventure and stylish travels. Here's you'll find our vlogs, trips around the world, adventures at home and ...

Monica here. I share travel hacks and packing tips to help you save money and get the most out of your weekend breaks. Mum of three based in North Wales. Loves glamping and spontaneous weekends away (with and without the kids!) Travel Hack Luggage is below. The Travel Hack Backpack.

Monica Stott. Monica is the founder of The Travel Hack, a travel and lifestyle blog featuring stylish adventures and worldwide travel. The travel bug hit Monica at the age of 19 when she hitchhiked around Jamaica, staying in eco resorts, tree houses and beach cottages. She began travelling full time in 2009 when she bought a campervan in ...

Disney+ introduces alien talk show Earth To Ned in new trailer (The Travel Hack) Disney+ today unveiled an official trailer for EARTH TO NED, an upcoming unscripted puppet talk show that's out of this world! Produced by The Jim Henson Company and Marwar Junction Productions, Earth. Monica.

In this week's episode, I chat with Monica Stott who runs the blog The Travel Hack (https://thetravelhack.com) and amazing course The Blogger Course (who sp...

Monica Stott has been ranked once again with her blog The Travel Hack in the top 10 travel blogs. Originally started while camper vanning her way around Asia and New Zealand in 2009, The Travel Hack is now based in the UK but includes global adventures with Monica and her family. Here, Monica tells us all about her use of different social media ...

28K Followers, 1,590 Following, 2,350 Posts. Check out the latest photos and videos from thetravelhack on Instagram after you follow them.

There's an issue and the page could not be loaded. Reload page. 28K Followers, 1,620 Following, 2,362 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Monica | Travel Blogger (@thetravelhack)

Monica is the founder and editor of The Travel Hack, a blog that she has been running since 2009, relating her adventures and sharing travel hacks/tips to get the best of your holidays & weekend breaks. The Travel Hack has now grown to a team of 10 contributors and has been named as one of UK's top 10 travel blogs by Cision.

Monica is one of my biggest career inspirations and I think when you all hear about how she's mastered the work life balance she'll be one of yours too. Connect with Monica: Website - The Travel Hack. Instagram - @thetravelhack. Twitter - @thetravelhack. Monica's Blogging Course - The Blogger Course . Monica's blogging office

27K Followers, 1,531 Following, 2,324 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Monica | Travel Blogger (@thetravelhack)

Leave some room to play things by ear as you build your dream itinerary, especially if your plans require you to brave LA traffic. For a car-free vacation use the Metro Expo Light Rail which can take you to Downtown Los Angeles in under 50 minutes, or rent a bike at Santa Monica Beach Bicycle Rentals for $15 per day. View this post on Instagram.

But there's an easy way to get real-time updates about your flight right from your phone ― no ticket or airport TV required. On TikTok, former airline employee Darby Maloney said that her ...

Monica Stott, who writes the Travel Hack blog, says that she thinks it's worth spending $30 to buy a day pass at an airport lounge. "The lounges have great food, wifi, magazines and newspapers ...

11 Travel Hacks To Avoid in 2024. When it comes to traveling, frequent and casual travelers alike often look for ways to save money and time, or make the trip the best it can be. Common travel ...

Apr 4, 2024, 7:14 PM PDT. Apple CEO Tim Cook has backed down from two big projects, leading to staff cuts. Richard Drew/AP. Apple has cut more than 600 employees in California as it pulls back ...

Santa Monica (; Spanish: Santa Mónica) is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to its climate, beaches, and hospitality industry.

A particularly popular attraction for bird watchers, it features a number of well-marked nature trails dotted with interpretive signs. 3. Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival. Californians take their art and wine seriously, and there's no better way to combine the two than by visiting the Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, incidentals - Separate amounts for meals and incidentals. M&IE Total = Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Incidentals. Sometimes meal amounts must be deducted from trip voucher. See More Information. First & last day of travel - amount received on the first and last day of travel and equals 75% of total M&IE. Show entries.

Meals & Incidentals (M&IE) rates and breakdown. Use this table to find the following information for federal employee travel: M&IE Total - the full daily amount received for a single calendar day of travel when that day is neither the first nor last day of travel. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, incidentals - Separate amounts for meals and incidentals.

Insider Today: 'Stopover' travel hack

• This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here .

Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Wait — don't put down that yummy dessert. One 38-year-old woman told Business Insider that instead of skipping treats, she lost 140 pounds in two years by eating more high-protein foods.

That's great news for foodies like myself. Keep reading for more good news to kick-start your weekend.

On the agenda:

"Stopover" programs let travelers explore between connecting flights .

What it's like to work with a life coach who charges $400 a month .

"Challengers" turned Zendaya and the cast into tennis stars .

Two lifestyle adjustments helped one woman lose 55 pounds .

But first: Power lunches are back, baby.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here . Download Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

Power hungry (literally).

It's no secret that many deals are made outside of the boardroom.

In 2013, Jeff Bezos famously secured The Washington Post for $250 million while traipsing around Hailey, Idaho during the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. That's where billionaires and other business types strike deals while competing in tennis matches, going on guided hikes, and yes, eating lunch.

You don't have to be a billionaire to capitalize on a midday meeting, though. Enter: the power lunch. (Or should I say "remember the power lunch"?)

As the call to return to the office slowly drags on, many are taking advantage of what can happen over a nice meal.

One BI reporter went to Cecconi's in West Hollywood to find out why the Soho House-owned restaurant has been a mainstay for power-lunchers for 15 years. Her review is the first of many stories that will dig into some of the hottest power-lunch spots across the country.

Although she had a mixed review of the menu, what remains true is that productivity isn't just reserved for the office.

Score a "stopover" flight

Need a vacation within your vacation? Some travelers make it happen by booking long layovers. That gives them time to leave the airport and explore for a few hours — or days — before the next flight.

Known as "stopover" programs, airlines benefit from this hack, too. Plus, the layovers can sometimes come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination.

How to book the long layovers .

You'll soon be able to get an automatic refund when your flight is delayed or canceled

It's time to invest in yourself

BI's investing correspondent finally took the advice she's written so much about and invested in herself. She spends $400 a month on a life coach, a splurge she said is some of the best money she's ever spent.

She and her coach have met weekly for the past nine months. The coach has helped her write speeches, navigate cross-country moves, and held her accountable for the things she wants to accomplish.

What it's like to hire a life coach .

From movie star to tennis star

"Challengers," a steamy new drama that premiered Friday, stars 27-year-old Zendaya, who transformed into a tennis pro for the film.

Tennis coach Brad Gilbert served as a consultant on the film, training Zendaya and her costars. He told BI what the cast endured — from spending hours playing tennis to packing on muscle — to play the part.

Everything it takes to become an on-screen tennis pro .

Easy lifestyle changes for weight loss

Megan Tjelle, a 29-year-old from Chicago, was athletic as a kid, but became less active after starting nursing school. Throughout her 20s, she said, her weight increased and her confidence sank.

In 2022, she made two small changes: eating a balanced diet in a calorie deficit, and gradually moving more. Over six months, through diet and walking alone, Tjelle lost 55 pounds.

How small changes can have big results .

I hate cottage cheese but I tried stirring it into my meals for an extra dose of protein. I felt my gym performance improve.

What we're watching this weekend

"MILF Manor": The second season of the controversial show — wherein moms date each other's sons — is even messier than the first. It's streaming on Hulu.

"The Doomsday Cult of Antares de la Luz": Former members of a Chilean cult speak out about their experiences in the new Netflix series.

"We're Here": In this wholesome Max series, famous drag queens travel to small-town America where they give out makeovers.

See the full list .

More of this week's top reads:

A billionaire's son shares how wealth affected how he dated and made friends .

The hottest hotel rooms right now are tents and RVs .

Differences between parenting in the US and Germany, according to an American mom .

A student studying abroad is shocked by how many lavish trips her peers take .

Following his brother's death, he decided to live a life of adventure .

Meet Tree Paine, the PR mastermind helping steer the massive Taylor Swift machine .

Cathay Pacific's first-class lounge will make you forget you're in an airport .

Traveling full-time isn't worth it, according to a woman who did it for nine months .

The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie , editor-in-chief, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb , editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco , deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan , executive editor, in New York.

Watch: Marriott International's Tina Edmundson tells Insider that the travel mindset has changed since the pandemic

• Main content

• Courts & Law

Monica Smit: Reignite Democracy Australia director’s legal defence fundraiser court fight

A prominent anti-lockdown identity is challenging allegations her fundraiser to fight Covid charges broke fundraising laws.

A prominent anti-lockdown identity is fighting allegations she broke fundraising laws while raising more than $60,000 to support her legal defence.

Monica Smit, 35, and her company, Reignite Democracy Australia, are facing a contested hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court after a financial backer complained he thought the fundraiser was a “scam”.

Both Ms Smit and the company have pleaded not guilty to operating an unregistered fundraiser and failing to comply with a notice demanding information.

More than a dozen people joined a weblink to watch the case, including one named “vaccine scam”, after Ms Smit shared a link on social media, but the webcast was cut by Magistrate Brett Sonnet because all parties were present physically.

“Ms Smit, I run my own court,” he said.

Retiree Damien Hutchinson told the court he donated $5 to a fundraiser for “Monica’s legal defence support” in September 2021.

He said he later made a complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria, who is bringing the allegations, after receiving a follow up email saying leftover funds would be used to protect the liberties of other Australians.

“I thought the raising of the funds was potentially a scam,” he said.

A Consumer Affairs Victoria prosecutor alleged the fundraiser raised $66,544.98 but neither Ms Smit nor Reignite Democracy Australia had registered as required by the Fundraising Act.

She said it was further alleged communication was sent to the company requiring details about the fundraiser, however Ms Smit “only answered some of the questions”.

Defence lawyer Gareth Rogers said his focus would be on the definition of fundraising under the act, arguing there was no requirement to register because the fundraiser was “on behalf of an employee who was arrested conducting Reignite Democracy Australia activities”.

In response to the alleged failure to respond to the notice, Mr Rogers said they had “invited” Consumer Affairs to explain why they needed the information but had not received a response.

The court was told the fundraiser was set up in September 2021 while Ms Smit was in custody on unrelated criminal charges alleging she breached Covid-19 mandates and inciting others to attend protests.

The incitement charges were later dropped by prosecutors, and Ms Smit was found guilty without conviction of failing to comply with health regulations despite arguing she was attending as a journalist.

Called to give evidence, Ms Smit said the fundraiser was set up without her knowledge while she was in solitary confinement but that she continued to promote it after she was released due to mounting legal challenges.

She told the court all funds obtained were used to pay legal bills, including a High Court challenge to the validity of a warrant for her phone data that cost about $80,000.

Ms Smit said she had received legal advice from Mr Rogers, who was employed in-house at Reignite Democracy Australia, and believed she was cooperating with the investigation “as much as we thought we had to”.

The case was adjourned until Tuesday by Mr Sonnet, where the parties will make their final submissions.

Kaiser Permanente notifies 13.4 million members of data breach. City of Hope also reported breach

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Health insurance giant Kaiser Permanente apologized to 13.4 million of its members that some of their search information may have been inadvertently transmitted to Google, other search engines and media platforms.

The Oakland-based company reported that “certain online technologies” that were previously installed on Kaiser Permanente websites and apps were transmitting information such as medical terms that members searched on the company website to Google, Microsoft Bing, and X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the company said in a statement to its members on April 12 and shared with The Times on Friday.

Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest private nonprofit healthcare organization with 40 hospitals, 618 medical offices, more than 24,000 physicians and 73,000 nurses, according to the company’s website.

There were no usernames, passwords, Social Security numbers, financial account information, or credit card numbers shared with those platforms, the company said.

Information that may have been shared includes the unique internet address that identifies a person’s computer on a network, commonly referred to as an IP address. Users names could also have been transmitted and “information that could indicate a member or patient was signed into a Kaiser Permanente account or service, information showing how a member or patient interacted with and navigated through the website and mobile applications, and search terms used in the health encyclopedia,” according to the statement.

The company said the “online technologies” that caused the unauthorized transmission were removed from their websites and mobile apps.

“Kaiser Permanente is not aware of any misuse of any member’s or patient’s personal information,” the company said in its statement. “Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, we are informing approximately 13.4 million current and former members and patients who accessed our websites and mobile applications. We apologize that this incident occurred.”

Blue Shield of California customer data stolen in cyberattack

Blue Shield of California members may have had their personal data, including Social Security numbers, stolen during a cybersecurity breach this spring.

Dec. 1, 2023

The company said it has “implemented additional measures with the guidance of experts designed to safeguard against recurrence of this type of incident.”

Another healthcare provider also notified its members this month about a data breach.

City of Hope, which includes medical facilities in California, Arizona, Illinois and Georgia, informed its members that somebody accessed their information and obtained copies of some files between Sept. 19 and Oct. 12 in 2023, the company announced in an advisory on April 2 .

The type of information stolen from City of Hope varies among members, but includes email addresses, phone numbers, date of birth, Social Security and driver’s license numbers along with other government identification and financial details, like bank account numbers and credit card details, according to City of Hope. Health insurance information, medical records and information about medical history and associated conditions, could also have been stolen, along with unique identifiers to associate individuals with City of Hope, like their medical record numbers, the company said.

“Upon discovery of this incident, City of Hope immediately instituted mitigation measures,” the company said. “We then promptly implemented additional and enhanced safeguards and enlisted the support of a leading cybersecurity firm to enhance the security of our network, systems, and data.”

The company is offering free identity monitoring services for two years for its members. They also notified law enforcement and regulatory bodies about the data breach while also launching their own internal investigation, the company said.

More to Read

Glendale teachers surprised to find their taxes already filed -- fraudulently

April 26, 2024

Union accuses Kaiser of violations months after state fine on mental health care

April 9, 2024

UnitedHealth blames a ‘nation-state’ for a hack disrupting pharmacy orders

Feb. 23, 2024

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Nathan Solis is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked for Courthouse News Service, where he wrote both breaking news and enterprise stories ranging from criminal justice to homelessness and politics. Before that, Solis was at the Redding Record Searchlight as a multimedia journalist, where he anchored coverage of the destructive 2017 fires in Northern California. Earlier in his career, he worked for Eastsider L.A.

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Science & Medicine

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Noah Cyrus claps back at comment about alleged love triangle with mom Tish, Dominic Purcell

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Noah Cyrus has entered the chat.

Nearly two months after reports surfaced that the 24-year-old was seeing Dominic Purcell before the actor began dating — and eventually married — her mom, Tish Cyrus, Noah acknowledged the alleged love triangle for the first time.

The singer clapped back at an Instagram troll after posting Coachella photos captioned with Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” lyrics.

“Dear Lord, when I get [to] heaven please let me bring my man,” Noah wrote.

One of her followers referenced the Cyrus family’s alleged drama in a comment, asking, “Like that guy u and ur mom both have sexy time with?”

Noah replied, “I’m so sorry but will you pleeeeeass [sic] just choke on the fattest c–k. Just for a lil bit. Great thanks.”

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Want celebrity news as it breaks? Hooked on Housewives?

The Grammy nominee’s social media upload included PDA pictures with her fiancé, Pinkus.

Noah announced her engagement to the fashion designer in June 2023, gushing in a since-deleted Instagram post that “the greatest moment of [her] entire life was saying ‘yes’ to spending the rest of [theirs] together.”

The reveal came nearly two months after Tish, 56, told her Instagram followers that Purcell, 54, had proposed .

When the couple got married in August 2023, Noah and her brother Braison Cyrus skipped out on the ceremony to shop at Walmart .

Sisters Miley Cyrus and Brandi Cyrus attended the nuptials, with the former acting as Tish’s maid of honor .

While the family members have all refrained from commenting on People’s March report about Noah and Purcell allegedly “seeing each other in a friends with benefits way, off and on” before he dated Tish, Brandi praised her “unapologetic” mom in an E! News interview earlier this month.

“She’s really the backbone of the family,” the 36-year-old told the outlet of the “supportive” matriarch.

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