FAQ

Why Faraway Dispatches?

My lovely (and very clever) friend R deserves much credit for the hours she patiently spent reviewing travel-related phrases and names!

When I was younger I wanted to be a foreign correspondent, sending back reports from exotic locations on big international issues. Whilst not quite as grand, I like the idea that this blog will allow you to get beyond a simple travel guide, and discover new places. Therefore, in addition to guides I hope to share with you experiences and insights that allow you to get a real sense for a place.  

How do you travel all the time?

I wish I did! I am lucky enough to live in the wonderful country of Oman, so spend my weekends exploring this lovely country. Oman is also a great gateway to much of the Arabian region so it is also easy for us to spend long weekends in some pretty awesome places! Beyond that, we work hard to save up our rials and plan trips further afield when we can take leave from work. 

Do you make money blogging?

No. At present this blog is more a creative outlet than a business, although over time I hope it shall develop into something more. Some posts do include affiliate links which cost you nothing – you can find out more in my privacy policy – and over time I hope they might cover the costs of running this website. Or perhaps more realistically, allow me to buy a small espresso once every few months…! 

What blogging tools do you use?

Faraway Dispatches is hosted on BlueHost and uses WordPress.org (not WordPress.com – check out this article to understand the difference). Although there are plenty of great free themes, I love the beautiful creations from 17th Avenue. This website is designed around the gorgeous Vivienne theme.

I use Canva for all my graphics – they are completely free to use, and have a huge range of templates to chose from. My sweet little favicon – the icon in the address bar – is from Flaticon.

Which camera do you use?

My Nikon D5600 is my trusty travel companion, almost always with the 18-55mm lens. I also have an old, very well travelled and very well loved Sony Cybershot RX100 which takes great video and is useful for places I don’t want to carry a larger camera to. All underwater shots are taken on a Go Pro Hero 7. I also use my iPhone for instagram photos – and frequently when a meal looks too tasty to wait to get my camera out! 

Where have you travelled?

I have had the opportunity to visit so many amazing places, and not all of them are covered my blog posts. Sometimes this is because I have a post planned but haven’t yet published it. But also, I tend to only write a guide if I know a place well enough, or have been there for enough time, to feel qualified to advise you on where to go and what to see.

But I am always happy to share tips and ideas from the places I have visited. The map below shows you all the places I have been. Send me a message if you want to know more about anywhere not covered by my guides.

You can check out all the places I am most keen to visit on my bucket list.