10 Restaurants in North Korea

I think I’m ready for my first trip to North Korea. I know this because I just spent the entire afternoon researching restaurants I’d like to “experience” when I’m there– not that I’d likely have much choice in the matter. Minor details. In a country where most of the population can’t afford a square meal, let…

Little do they know, that Rundown Motel is the Coolest Place in Town

One of these days, I’d like to open a “Messy Motel”; buy a mid-century modern fixer-upper and revive it to all its shabby chic glory. Kate Berry is right there with me– in fact, she’s two steps ahead of me. The Australian photographer and self-confessed “stupid adventurer/ compulsive ideas lady” who founded a successful indie magazine, Lunch Lady…

Forget Venice, Float over to its Technicolor Island Neighbour

It’s easy to forget that Venice isn’t the only magical, slightly weird water world around. The Venetian lagoon is home to more than 30 other inhabited islands, one of which is Burano. The stuff of dreams, prettier than a Greek island, ‘charming’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it. An hour’s boat ride on the public water…

The Playmobil Boat Sailing 3,000 Miles Across the World

Ollie and Harry Ferguson aren’t your average sea captains. They’ve only got one ship under their command, and a combined age of 15. They’ve never stepped behind the vessel’s helm, but they’ve been hawk-like trackers of its progress. Granted, their ship is barely two feet long and made by Playmobil. The boys released the toy…

The Hidden Hideaways of the Istanbul Grand Bazaar

Nobody visits Istanbul without going to the Grand Bazaar right? But if like Nessy, your aim is to stay off the beaten path, finding hidden secrets in such an almighty tourist hub might seem like a bit of a challenge. But that isn’t to say they don’t exist… Inside the Grand Bazaar, what you need…

Iceland’s Secret Swimming Pool in the Valley

This one wasn’t always in the guide books or on the tourist trail, but out there in the nowhere. Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, built into the mountainside in a narrow valley, has been gathering hot water trickling down from Eyjafjallajökull (I can’t pronounce it either) since it was constructed in 1923. Today it is abandoned and covered…

Through the Lens of Egypt’s Early Bird Tourists

Here at MessyNessyChic, I try to take you on a journey with me every time you visit our corner of the internet. And for today’s journey, I’ve decided we shall go to Egypt– a century back in time, that is. Picnicking in the temples of Luxor, clambering up the pyramids of Giza for afternoon tea…

TRAVEL P0RN: 10 Hard to Reach Places

1. Church on a Rock. In the Seventh Century, monks built a monastery on the top of a natural stone pillar outside of Chiatura, Georgia. It was used by the Stylites — Christian ascetics who lived on top of pillars to express their devotion. That sect is now extinct, but the monastery is still…

Oh, to Have Ridden England’s Forgotten Post Bus

I never knew the post bus existed. I grew up in England’s capital, but never in my 25 years of living there did I ever see or hear of these delightful red buses that both delivered mail and served as the only public transport in some of the UK’s most remote areas. Then again, until the…

Road Trip to Afghanistan: Snapshots From the Lost Hippie Trail

Before the trail grew cold, you could once catch a bus from London to Delhi with just $45, and for a little extra, you could take the scenic route into the Indian subcontinent via Turkey, Lebanon, Kashmir, Iran and Afghanistan, stopping at hotels, restaurants and cafés along the way that catered almost exclusively to cannabis-smoking Westerners. They…