Why the Norwegian fjords should be on your bucket list

It's hard to deny the allure and natural beauty of Scandinavia and it's a place I keep coming back to. Even if you are not someone who would normally consider a cruise, one down the Norwegian Fjord will never fail to be breathtaking as the fjords are truly a wonder of nature, especially in the Geirangerfjord which is over 60 miles and on the UNESCO World Heritage list for outstanding beautiful.  What makes the Norwegian Fjords so special ? While fjords can be found in other countries such as New Zealand and Canada, it's Norway that comes in at the top of the list with over 1000 fjords and several of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The fjords were created by glaciers in Earth's last ice age, which created deep carved valleys like the ones in Norway, some of which are thousands of meters deep.  What to see and do in the Fjords 1. Hiking The Norwegian fjords are a playground to those who love the outdoors and provide a great base for hiking enthusiasts. Going on hike......

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6 Outdoor date ideas in Cardiff

*AD Written in collaboration with Get Blogged I often feel that Cardiff is overlooked when it comes to places to visit or spend the day in the UK, but the Welsh capital has a lot to offer and is the perfect place for a coffee date with a friend, a romantic stroll with a partner or a refreshing solo date with yourself (I'm all about exploring on my own). No matter what kind of social plans you have, at the moment things are still hard and staying outdoors is the safest option especially when it comes to being able to socially distance and there are without doubt bonuses to that as you get to enjoy the fresh air, reconnect with nature and your friends or partner and discover some of the best places in Cardiff. We are all at different stages in how we are dealing with the pandemic and lifting of restrictions, some of us are still not ready to meet indoors or go to the pub so I hope this offers you a few more ideas for outdoor dates and socialising in the Welsh Capital. Meeting up with......

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Why you should try Stand Up Paddle boarding in 2021

*I have been working with Bluefin on a review of their SUP boards - my words and review are 100% my own As most of us can agree 2020 didn't exactly go to plan and learning how to adapt and hopefully thrive was key and as we move forward into 2021 we all have hope for normality but it appears to be a few months off at least. Saying that having goals and dreams are important and help to give us purpose and keep our moods up with something positive to look forward too. In fact, for a lot of us, our new found hobbies during lockdown helped to get us through the year. Last year I joined the Bluefin SUP community and had lots of plans for very exciting content, especially the charity SUP I had planned to help raise money for those struggling in South Africa (my home country) but due to Covid this simply wasn't possible and has now been replanned later in 2021. My BlueFin 10.8 Cruise board is a perfect all-round SUP board and suitable for most conditions as well as being very stable......

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Moments of Joy from 2020

I know 2020 was one of the most difficult years globally we have had to face in a very long time. No one could foresee it and very few were fully prepared, especially in the UK. We have learnt how to adapt and change our lives to hopefully keep others safe until the pandemic is fully resolved and while there were plenty of lows in 2020 there were also some amazing highs as well as a new appreciation for what we have on our doorstep. While 2020 was also hard for many not only health-wise but also financially, mentally, socially and affecting everyone in some way I also don't want to forget the moments of joy we had despite all of this because there really were some great times and I think it's easy to overlook these when we think back to 2020. So here are a few of our personal moments of happiness within the chaos of what was 2020 and I hope you had similar moments too.  Before Covid Hit There was a short period at the start of 2020 when we still (unknowingly) had it really good......

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Outdoor Apparel Guide for Women

This post contains affiliate links We all know that spending time outdoors is good for both our physical and mental wellbeing and the UK has amazing hikes and walks perfect for all levels as well as a variety of outdoor pursuits. Having the right clothing to do the job is important not only for practicality but to help keep you comfortable and safe. Finding the right gear and apparel can be a challenge and you're going to find a lot of brands make heavy assumptions about who is buying their products and why. The important thing is to do as much research as possible and don't be pressed to go for the most expensive option, while quality is really important you can often pick up excellent outdoor clothing one sale or at discount as a variety of outdoor shops or opt for second hand from places like ebay. I believe that getting outdoors is accessible for all and you shouldn't be put off through lack of budget and often we can make do with what we already have, so I thou......

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Standup Paddle-boarding in Cardiff Bay with Letzshare

I've done a fair bit of Paddleboarding before in some beautiful places such as the River Wye and River Avon but I've never actually done it in Cardiff so when Letzshare put an improvers day together, launching from Channel View and paddling a 6k round trip to the Millenium Stadium, I was like "hell yes" sign me up. For those who don't know Letzshare is a community that encourages women to get together and try new things or improve on the skills they already have. I have done a surfing session and dry board snowboarding session and well it speaks for itself that I keep rebooking with them. I love the supportive and encouraging atmosphere as well as having the chance to get outdoors and active with like-minded women. As this session was for those who had dome paddleboarding before and were already comfortable with standing, turning and stopping, it meant we could get on the water a little quicker after a brief safety check. It was also nice to tac......

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Paddleboarding on the River Wye with Inspire2Adventure

Having had my first taste of Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) earlier this year in Swansea and then again on the River Avon in Bath and enjoying both thoroughly I was super excited to come down and spend the day on the River Wye with Inspire2Adventure who plan an array of activities in the area from kayaking to mountain biking and everything in between. Over the past few years there has been a big rise in popularity of learning to SUP mainly do to how accessible it is, you don't need any real skills, it's suitable from children to grandparents and it's much easier than you think. Having grown up surfing I have always felt fairly comfortable in the water and on a board but even if your not I can assure you they are very buoyant and easy to balance on. What was especially exciting about our day on the river was having the chance to go on the mega sup with 3 other bloggers (and two children) which was so much fun! We met at a large field only a few minutes awa......

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Standup Paddleboarding and exploring Swansea Bay

If you follow me on instagram you may already know that we recently spent a fantastic weekend exploring Swansea Bay and the Gower and wow what a weekend it was. Even though technically we don't live that far from Swansea as Cardiff is only an hour away we didn't actually realise how much of the Swansea peninsular we hadn't seen, despite having visited Swansea city centre and Mumbles before there is just so much more to this part of South Wales. It was a long overdue trip especially as I am very keen on watersports having grown up surfing in South Africa and the first activity of the weekend was Standup Paddleboarding with Matt from SUP Gower on the beautiful Swansea Canal at the Cyldach Heritage Centre. Having not put my wetsuit on since before having my youngest 3yrs ago I was a little worried it was going to be on the tight side but luckily it was okay and I didnt even need to breath in too much to zip it up. Once all suited and booted Matt took me thro......

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