Carly L. Mann

I know exactly what I need to bring to have a clean, comfortable, safe hostel stay, and I know exactly what I need to leave at home (either so that I can pack light, or so that I can have more room in my bag for shopping!). Let’s start with the things on your hostel packing list that you’ll need in a dorm room, whether it’s a cute little four-bed dorm with an attached bathroom, or a massive twenty-bed dorm with more people than you can count. Although many hostels are moving towards personal charging stations in each bed, this isn’t the standard yet (especially in cheap hostels, older hostels, or hostels in developing countries). If you’re traveling to a place where the electricity is unreliable, you might want to pack a travel headlamp so that you can find your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and so that you can come in late or leave early without disrupting other people by turning on the main overhead light.

There are at least seven important buildings adjacent to the Red Square, including the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the GUM department store, the State Historical Museum, the Kazan Cathedral and the Iberian Gate and Chapel. Old photos of people lined up around the Red Square to shop at the GUM are etched into many people’s memories, and those who remember those images are often surprised to see how Moscow’s GUM has now been transformed into a luxury shopping center with brands like Bulgari, Chanel and Gucci. With the city’s official Troika card, a single trip on the metro is only 40 rubles, and you can get on and off the train as many times as you want (just don’t leave the station!). The market area consists of the “Izmaylovo Kremlin”, a reproduction of a traditional Russian town that is packed with market-style souvenir stalls and shops, the “Izmaylovo Market” itself, which is an antique fair and flea market that is best visited on the weekend, Izmaylovo Park, which I didn’t visit, and Izmaylovo Hotel, which used to be the world’s largest hotel (and still draws bus loads of domestic tourists who come to shop the market).

Although the malai kofta I’ve shown above consist of two large kofta, it’s more common for the dish to consist of six or eight golf ball-sized kofta, which makes it a great dish to share along with something a bit lighter (perhaps a vegetable or lentil curry?). One of the quintessential south Indian breakfasts, you’ll find idli and sambar (also spelt idly sambar) all around south India, at simple Indian street food stalls, in homes, at local eateries and restaurants. It’s one of the most popular dishes in India with vegetarian travellers and can be found in countless restaurants in Pushkar, Delhi, Jaipur, Rishikesh and other north indian towns and cities. The easiest way to sample all of the most amazing vegetarian Indian dishes that you see above, plus literally hundreds more that I couldn’t squeeze into one post, is to order a vegetarian thali (sometimes abbreviated as “veg thali”) whenever you’ve got the opportunity… and the appetite!

I don’t walk around telling strangers about my period, but when I’m talking to other female travelers and the topic of periods comes up, I like to share my enthusiasm for menstrual cups. How to Use a Menstrual Cup for Travel Menstrual cups are simultaneously intuitive and confusing. Here’s what works for me when I use a menstrual cup for travel, but if it doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. The Disadvantages of Menstrual Cups for Travel Honestly, using a menstrual cup while traveling is the same as using one when you’re at home, whether you’re on your sofa, in the office, out for brunch or at the gym.