Believe it or not, there’s more to France than Paris, in the same way that there’s more to England than London. Chances are, like us, you’ve been missing out on a huge chunk of a beautiful country with so much to offer. On one end of the spectrum there are Mediterranean beaches and on the other the snowy French Alps. The Dordogne Valley fills the gap into between these two parallels with wondrous landscapes, quaint villages and esteemed French cuisine. Sit back and enjoy the view Through The Lens once again as we capture the beauty of Brive-la-Gaillarde.

While at heart I am a backpacker, my adventure comes with a twist. The modern metropolitan cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur aren’t quite so suited to the budgeting traveler exploring backpacker routes. Instead they can provide a buzzing city break or for many a place of business; and if you look in the right places, you can still find heaps of character, culture and history infused within the streets, the food and the people that make these cities what they are. With three incredible and very different hotels as bases, I was free to wander and wonder within the city streets.

Arriving in Hanoi was a shock to say the least. Far from a negative however, it was instead just different, unfamiliar and far from what any Westerner is used to seeing on a day to day basis. Nothing could have prepared me for the wild roads, the constant noise, the humidity or the motorbikes piled high with large furniture items casually being transported across town. While for the first day this was daunting and crossing the road or even just walking down it terrifying (have a look at a Hyperlapse video I made), I quickly absorbed the city and tried to become one with its madness. Like anywhere in the world, if you can’t do this then your lack of connection and confidence with the environment will soon lead you to trouble.

Have you ever done indoor skydiving on a ship? Or have you ever used high speed internet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? No, wait, have you ever been served a drink by a robot? Your answer to all of these is probably no. Well, it’s definitely no, unless you were on board Royal Caribbean‘s brand new futuristic cruise ship Quantum of the Seas with Dan and I back in October. The lovely people at Royal Caribbean invited us to experience their new ship, that will completely transform the way we view cruises, forever. There’s setting the bar high, then there’s this. A change in perception. A change in the industry. This was our first experience on board a cruise ship, and boy did we have a blast. Read on to see what we got up to, and whether Royal Caribbean have given us a fresh perspective on cruises.

Last Month I ventured out to the French speaking city of Switzerland, Lausanne courtesy of the Swiss Tourist Board. During my two day stint, I explored the city, got to meet the locals and drank plenty (but sensibly) of Swiss wine. Read all about it below.

Problem: two guys in need of a short getaway and an urge to take some photos in unknown territory. Answer: Berlin. A city rich in history, art, culture, food, clubs and the capital of a nation with a mighty good football team. I had been itching to explore Berlin for quite some time. I wanted longer than two days (and later discovered I needed longer than two days), but Aaron and I decided to venture to Berlin for a weekend to take it all in, have a drink (or twelve) and enjoy a weekend out of our comfort zone. Glad to say we accomplished all of the above with a stay made even more pleasant by the brilliant Generator Hostels. Despite my usual complaints (about everything possible), and not having enough time to do anywhere near as much as we would have liked, Berlin was amazing. Check out some snaps, read our thoughts, and press play below to enjoy our documentation of 48 hours in Berlin.