Travel makes us smarter and sexier

According to a new Lonely Planet article travel makes us smarter and sexier. I always knew that there were more reasons to travel than just to see new places and have fun and now it has been proven by scientific research.

I have always learnt so much on my travels, from the terrible history of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia to the life of Picasso in Barcelona and all about whales in Argentina. I truly believe that travel is one of the best educations you can get.

The article claims that travel also makes you younger, well this may not be entirely true, but life does slow down the more you travel. Everyone always says how fast life goes and it does when you are doing the same things day in and day out, but have you noticed that a two week holiday seems to last a lot longer because you are experiencing new things everyday.  Two years ago I travelled around South America for five months, when I look back on all the places I went to and all the things I did during those five months, it seems like I was there more than a year. In comparison these last two years back in London have flown by.

The third thing that this article claims, is that travel makes you more productive. Now this I do agree with. When I come back from travelling I always have new ideas for articles, new art ideas I want to try out and new dishes to cook. Travel definitely inspires me to do more things that I would never have even thought of before.

Lastly, the article claims that travel makes us more sexy, I'm not entirely convinced by this one. It might make us more intelligent and therefore the opposite sex might find us more interesting - making us appear sexier, however other than getting a tan, I not sure it makes us physically sexier. Sorry guys. But, let me know if you have found this one to be true too. Suffice to say, we definitely make conversations more interesting and if that makes us attractive then great!

Any way you look at though travel is good for us. Click here to read the article and the scientific research for yourself.

My Top Five Most Romantic Travel Destinations

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Since today is the day of love and romance, I thought I would share with you some of the most romantic places I have been to on my travels.

…and before you ask – no Paris and Rome are not listed in my top five. I can’t think of anything more unromantic than my time spent in Paris amid a riot, trying to escape tear gas and police, only to run into a guy taking a dump behind his car.  And, although Rome has some gorgeous places, it is too stressful trying not to get run over every 5 minutes to be romantic. Take my advice and stick to these places for a little romance and you can always save Paris and Rome for when you want a bit more of an adventure.  

1) Siem Reap, Cambodia – Travelling around some of the world’s most beautiful temples in a tuk tuk made for two could be one of the most romantic trips you ever take. Explore these ancient wonders together and loose yourselves in a place that time forgot. 

2) The Beach, The Philippines – Any beach will do, they are all stunningly beautiful and the Philippines is home to over 1,500 islands, so you are never short of one. Think paradise – are you picturing white sandy beaches and sea the colour of bright aqua marine, filled with tropical fish and dolphins jumping through the waves?  Yep – well that’s not just in your imagination; those places do really exist in the Philippines.

3) Barcelona, Spain – I can’t think of a city I’d rather be in for a romantic weekend than Barcelona. Barcelona has everything, the beach, great food, stunning architecture, relaxing parks and cosy bars. Hold hands while you explore mazes of tiny winding streets and sip wine in secret bars tucked away in the labyrinth of El Borne.  

4) Cordoba, Argentina – Here, you wander the streets hand in hand beneath cathedrals and churches while from a distance you can hear the faint sound of the accordion playing soft passionate tango music. As you approach the main square you come across couples, young, old and new tangoing in their own styles beneath the starry sky.

5) Sevilla, Spain – Take a horse and carriage ride through this sun-drenched city, eat dinner outdoors by candle light, watch a heart pumping flamenco show or sit by a fountain listening to the sounds of the Spanish guitar all under the spires of this amazing city bathed in golden light. It is so indescribably beautiful you will have to go there to appreciate how romantic it really can be.

Photos: Copyright of Dan Convey