As part of my travel to Sotogrande, Spain, we flew into Gibraltar and then walked for about 5 minutes to enter Spain.

Upon arrival, I saw the Rock of Gibraltar and immediately began to get excited, I literally wanted to get off the plane and go up the rock right away.

After sorting our luggage out, we decided to head up the Gibraltar Rock which is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.

There are three different ways you can visit the rock, you can hop on the Gibraltar cable car, go for a hike, or get a Taxi/Bus tour.

Of course, the hike is always great fun, but not everyone’s option.  We found the most cost effective and least time-consuming route was to get a taxi tour bus from Casemont square. It’s £25 (€30) per person and this covers your transport and all fees including the St Michael’s Cave ticket. They’ll also drop you off to where you need to go next depending on location.

St Michael’s Cave:

St Michael’s Cave has been a point of interest to all visitors to Gibraltar since the Romans. Many believe that St Michael’s Cave was originally linked to the continent of Africa by a subterranean passage believed to be over 15 miles long under the Strait of Gibraltar. Due to this, the very well known Rock of Gibraltar macaques was said to have come to rock via the undersea passage.

Believe it or not, during the Second World War, St Michael’s Cave was actually prepared as an emergency hospital but was never used in the end.

There is plenty to see in this cave and upon entrance, you’ll see various seats and enough space to fulfil a capacity of 600 people. The Cathedral Cave has been in use as a theatre for concerts, ballet and drama ever since the early sixties.

The home of Gibraltar macaques

The Rock of Gibraltar is the home to around 300 Barbary macaques, they are the only population outside of Northern Africa and the only population of wild monkeys in Europe. Being a monkey lover, I had taken a ridiculous amount of pictures of them.

The Gibraltar macaques can be found at the top of the rock and some halfway down the rock – but those aren’t as friendly and don’t get on too well with tourists.

You’ll have to be cautious of them as some are quite friendly but others can be quite aggressive and may attack if you get too close. I witnessed a father and his son edge forward to the below macaque and in return, it showed its teeth and moved forward as a way to warn them to back off.

Whilst these endangered monkeys are looked after and fed fresh fruit on a daily basis, they are known to approach and sometimes climb onto people, mainly as they are used to human interaction, but remember, they are still wild animals and may bite if frightened or annoyed. Be careful.

Whereas others, are quite friendly and don’t mind if you touch them.

The diets of these macaques mainly consist of plants and insects. The lifespan of a male is around 25 years, while females live up to 30 years. According to our tour guide, 50% of baby macaques don’t survive due to the parents fighting other macaques and animals with them on their back.

The only animal they are afraid of is snakes.

Gibraltarians that have purchased private property on the Rock of Gibraltar are said to have plastic snakes placed around their house to keep the macaques away.

Below are a few more pictures of the Gibraltar macaques.

This one is my favourite.

Monkeys are my absolute favourite animal. This one is so cute! Gibraltar Rock is full of them 🐒 – Did you know: Some Gibraltarians actually have private land on the rock. To keep monkeys away from their home, they need to surround their house with snakes – usually plastic ones.

A post shared by Gareth | Travel Blogger 🌎📸 (@garethgoesplaces) on Aug 9, 2017 at 12:00pm PDT

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As part of my goal to visit 25 countries before turning 25, Germany was one of many on my list.

I booked a trip to Germany with a friend of mine for a long weekend break to go for a few hikes and visit some interesting places.

One of which I have finally ticked off my bucket list.

That of course, is Germany’s longest suspension bridge. 100 metres high and 300 metres long, the experience of walking across this was amazing. The views were incredible.

Planning the Germany trip itinerary was a challenge. We had two full days to ourselves in order to visit as much as we could. There were so many places I’d have loved to go but due to the distances and how long we were there for, we had to decide on the main attractions local to where we wanted to go.

However, we managed to visit quite a few for the time we were there for.

Here’s what the itinerary looked like for our Germany trip.

Tip: When planning an itinerary, I always tend to use Google Maps and it’s suggested 
driving times, walking times and other various transport times, whilst taking into 
account breaks for lunch, drinks and photo opportunities. Sometimes it’s so much 
cheaper to walk to another location rather than using a Taxi or another means of 
transport. We walked an hour to get to another town rather than spending €20 on Taxi 
fares there and back, best thing of all, we came across plenty of spots for photos.

Day 1: Buch, Morz, Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay, Mörsdorf

After arriving at Frankfurt Hahn, early in the morning, arriving 20 minutes ahead of schedule thanks to Ryan Air, we managed to get off and hop in a taxi to our Airbnb destination, Beller Weg, Buch, Germany.

The location of our Airbnb had its ups and downs, it was an amazing location surrounded by various hiking routes, but with its positives, came a few negatives, one being the majority of the town’s shops were closed – thankfully, we had eaten at the airport before leaving.

After exploring our temporary home town, we began our trek out to Germany’s longest suspension bridge, Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay.

This was a nightmare at first.

We decided to follow the route displayed on my friend’s phone, taking us through a small forest and many fields only to come to several electric fences with overgrown fields and trees blocking our route.

Come to think of it, maybe the farmers didn’t appreciate it and decided to block it off!

So, after an hour or two of trying different routes to get over and around these obstacles, we decided to come back to the Airbnb and grab a glass of water and fill up some bottles. We didn’t think of taking any drinks with us! – Stupid, I know.

After downing several glasses of water, we set out again, for the second time, following a new route on my phone. We eventually got there passing through a few towns, saving us €40 to get to our destination. (Props to Google Maps!)

Although it took us 2 hours to get to this location via walking on the side of the roads, taking short cuts and passing through a farm we come across so many amazing photo opportunities which I couldn’t miss out on.

Morz: Time for a drink

During our walk, we had drunk almost all of our water.

We needed more.

I noticed on Google Maps there was a local hotel restaurant open in Morz, so we decided to stop there for a quick drink and a short rest – carrying a load of camera equipment and a tripod throughout the day was a little tough but it was totally worth it.

Morz is a beautiful small village and it’s the first one we came across that actually had a restaurant which was open. We timed our trip right and got some brilliant weather, this worked in our favour and gave us a bit of a base tan!

After stopping off for a quick refreshment, we began to set off again and continue our walk to the bridge.

An hour later, we arrived.

We could see the bridge from the road we walked along.

It was amazing, we literally couldn’t wait to get closer and step a foot on the bridge and walk across.

Thankfully, just before the short scenic walk to get on the bridge, there was a little food van, I decided to go for the currywurst and a bottle of beer. Very refreshing!

Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay: The Bridge!

The main reason we decided to come to Germany – the suspension bridge!

We arrived here shortly after 3pm, at that time, it was very busy!

Trying to get a clear shot of the bridge without people was impossible, so, we ended up exploring around the bridge and stayed till around six o’clock and at that time, we managed to get a load of shots with hardly anyone on the bridge!

The wait was worth it.

Believe it or not, we didn’t actually leave the bridge until around 8pm.

At that time, we were getting hungry but we didn’t plan it out too well and erm, let’s just say, we didn’t make it in time to a restaurant.

We just wanted to explore, explore and explore.

Thanks to our Airbnb host, Rebekkah, she saved us some Pizza in the oven.

Lifesaver.

After finding a quicker route home, through almost a pitch black highway, we got back and loaded up the oven with some delicious pizza slices.

Day 2: Burg Balduinseck, Mastershausen, Bell, Kastellaun

Although we got back very late and had a very early morning, we didn’t let that stop us from waking up early to make the most of our day.

We knew the bakery was closed the day before, but we decided to give it a shot and see if it’d be open.

We were very lucky.

The bakery was closed – but a mini bakery van had just turned up along the way.

Packed full of mouth-watering pastries, I had a hard time choosing what to pick! Eventually, I choose a few pastries and they were absolutely amazing. I couldn’t tell you how good they were, you’d have to try them yourself. Any pastry lover will understand what I mean.

After a breakfast, we began our short walk to Burg Balduinseck. A castle ruin just a short thirty-minute walk from Buch.

Burg Balduinseck

Once we arrived, I was straight up the steps and exploring, climbing some parts to get a better view and find out more about this Ruin in Buch, Rhein-Hunsrück.

Before castle Balduinseck was described as neglected in 1711 and in 1780 as decayed, it actually looked a quite nice! For those interested, the castle is 300 metres above sea level and was originally created around 1325.

Whilst there wasn’t too much to do at this location, it was quite interesting to explore the surrounding areas and read about the ruin and what had looked like beforehand.

The Forest Hike

Once we had taken enough pictures of the ruin and spent a while exploring the surrounding areas, we set off on a hike through the local forest heading towards Kastellaun – the main town which had shops, restaurants, bars, night clubs – literally everything Buch didn’t have!

It took us just over three hours, passing through various photo opportunities in the forest and some mysterious spots.

We also passed what seemed like a blocked off mine.

Still not entirely sure what the place was but it did look quite interesting and if it were possible to explore inside, I might have gone for a little wander.

Continuing our journey, we came across a nice little area to sit down and relax before adventuring up a very steep hill for quite some time to reach the top of the forest and walk along the fields towards Bell.

Such a small beautiful town, Bell, was just a very short distance from Kastellaun.

We knew we were very close.

30 minutes or so later…

We arrived!

As soon as we walked further into the town, we nipped in a burger place and got some very scrumptious chilli cheese burger with chips. Perfect timing.

Coming to the end of the afternoon, we had stopped off at Neto – because, why not?

We grabbed some food for dinner and a few drinks to keep us going.

Passing through Kastellaun, one thing we noticed was the very tall ruined medieval castle.

It wasn’t too long till we were already up at the top of the castle.

Overlooking the town sitting on the edge of the castle walls – such beautiful views.

Sadly, we couldn’t spend all evening there as we still had to get back and sort dinner, pack and get some sleep before waking up at 4 in the morning…

Once we arrived back at the Airbnb, had some dinner and finished packing, we stayed outside in the garden chilling to some music and taking in the countryside vibes.

Before we knew it, we were then off on the plane jetting back to England.

If you’re an adventurer like me, love heights and don’t mind a slight thrill-seeking trip then you’ll love this bridge in Germany.

That bridge is of-course, Germany’s longest suspension bridge, Geierlay.

This 360m long and 100m high bridge is located out in Germany’s beautiful countryside.

After an hour’s hike from Buch to Mörsdorf, passing through small beautiful towns we eventually arrived.

The paved walk towards the bridge was very nice, lots of scenery to take in and a great stroll. There’s also a little food van at the start of the paved walk way. They served very tasty warm food and had a variety of drinks available, at reasonable prices too.

I’d recommend the Curryverst sausage – that was lush!

After admiring the beautiful scenery, we were very excited to begin the walk across the bridge.

We arrived around three in the afternoon, at that time, it was very busy – although really enjoyed the experience walking across the bridge with the slight sways, we ended up staying until 8pm so we could capture some shots when it was less busy.

It was worth it.

The untouched surroundings of the bridge made it much more exciting and breath-taking.

It takes around six minutes to walk across the bridge, but for us, it was little longer due to taking pictures.

Come to think of it, we must have crossed the bridge at least 8 times… maybe more?

If you’re looking to travel to Germany any time soon, I’d highly recommend visiting this bridge.

Bridge Address:
Geierlay Visitor Center
Kastellaun Straße 23
56290 Mörsdorf

For our trip from London Stansted to Germany, Frankfurt Hahn with a return flight and an AirBnB , our total cost was £75. 

Crazy, right?

I think you would agree with me that travelling is so much fun, but it can also be quite a costly experience, right?

Especially when travelling to somewhere far away.

Plus the spending money…

Travelling the world is everyone’s dream.

Some prefer to do it all at once and give up their job, whereas others prefer to still keep their job and travel when possible.

In this article, I’ll be covering my tips on how you can travel the world whilst also having a full-time job.

Keep in mind, I’m only twenty at this point in time, so if I can travel whilst having a full-time job, you can too.

How To Travel Whilst You’ve Got A Full-Time Job

✈️ Tip #1: Travel during the cheapest times

As we all know, when it comes to being an adult, there are expenses we have to payout on a monthly basis.

To keep costs to a minimum, it’s always good to travel during the cheapest times. Using airlines like Skyscanner and searching for flights during the week on various months will help you identify which flights are the best and the cheapest.

I’ve found that when booking flights, flying out mid-week then coming back mid-week is sometimes a hell of a lot cheaper than flying out at the weekend.  To get an even cheaper flight, you could be looking at very early hour flights.

I’m heading off to Germany in a few weeks time, my flights are at 7:30 in the morning, arriving at the airport just shy of three hours will mean I’ll need to leave at least 2:30 in the morning. It’s crazy but due to that, I’ve managed to get a return flight for just under £50.

Thankfully, I won’t be driving at that time. I’ve opted for a BnB 10 minutes away from the airport. £25. Not bad.

✈️ Tip #2: Be open to travel anywhere

Whilst we’ve all got our dream list of places we want to go, our next location might not be the best option.

If you’re not too fussed where you want to go next, you could use Skyscanner’s search and just put the location as “Everywhere”, this will give you a list of places which you can then narrow down to fit your budget.

Pretty cheap right?

✈️ Tip #3: Travel light

This is pretty self-explanatory.

The lighter you travel the cheaper it will be. Kind of.

If you can pack all your clothing, gear and any other items you’ll need in a rucksack or luggage that can be taken on a plane as hand luggage, you’ll be saving yourself from paying for baggage costs.

Pretty obvious, but still not many people think of doing it.

✈️ Tip #4: Use AirBnB

Whilst we all love to stay at hotels, they can be quite expensive, especially if it’s in the city centre or somewhere that’s quite popular. Why not take a look at AirBnB for your accommodation.

For the Germany trip this month, I’ll be staying at an AirBnB for just £25.

I’ll have the house all to myself along with my mate. The location is very close to where we’ll be heading, 13-minute drive to the suspension bridge in Germany – Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay. It’s also very close to other hiking routes.

You can find a great bargain on there, go ahead and give it a search, you’ll even receive £30 off your first stay using my link.

✈️ Tip #5: Set-up a separate savings account

Just like you would for a house deposit, why not set-up savings account for your travels?

Transfer over a small amount each week or month, you’ll soon start to build up your travel money.

If you want to go a step further, why not think about additional side income opportunities, weekend work, or maybe offer a service on Fiverr to generate some extra income to add to your savings? It’s worth a shot!

Last thoughts…

By following the above tips, you’re bound to save money on travelling, which will help you travel to more countries around the world.

It is possible to travel when you’re in a full-time job.

You just need to prepare yourself and make sure you’ve got enough holiday allowance available.

P.S. in case you was wondering, the total cost of the Germany trip is £75. That’s without paying for the BnB the night before the flight.

Pretty damn cheap, eh?

If you enjoyed this article, it would be amazing if you shared it with others who may find it useful. Feel free to drop a comment below and share your tips. If you’d like to stay up-to-date with my travels and photography, don’t forget to drop a follow on my Instagram and Twitter.