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Built over a Roman necropolis (“a city of the dead”) and believed to be the epicentre of black magic with links to satanism, it’s creepiest part, if any, are the trees lining up the square, their weirdly twisted branches resembling an angrily clenched fist (mind you, that will not be the case in the spring, when the trees have leaves! ). Piazza Castello, home to two stunning palaces, Palazzo Reale  and Palazzo Madama, is believed to be the meeting point of black energy from Piazza Statuto and white energy from the church of Gran Madre. The baroque buildings of San Salvario adorned with meringue-like swirls, house some of city’s edgiest cafes and bars – think industrial meets eclectic. The traditional, Italian-style cafes are scattered in opulence across the city (all you need to do is take a stroll under the arcades of Via Pio or head to Galleria Subalpina), but if there’s one place in Italy where you should ditch the traditional mahogany bar for a more modern experience, it’s Turin!

After a great response to my January post about Must-have Websites and Apps for Digital Nomads, I figured, why not turn it into a monthly series? I love exploring news places through the eyes of the locals (in fact, ‘travelling like a local’ is becoming a fast-growing travel trend), and this site offers just that! The cities are ranked based on a number of factors such as the living costs, safety (divided into female and gay safety), aircon availability (trust me, that’s something you wanna know if you’re planning on moving to Asia), friendliness to foreigners and, wait for it, coffee places with wifi density! The website is free but for if you want to chat with the registered  nomads you need to pay a $50 joining fee through #Nomads.

It’s all in the approach – the way you budget for long-term travel or for frequent trips throughout the year is completely different to planning a few days’ vacation, which is when you usually splash out and overspend. * Book your flight in advance, especially if you’re planning to travel during the holiday season, in which case you should book it as fast as you can say “Christmas” – cheap flights will sell out fast! * Use price comparison sites such as Skyscanner or Expedia to easily look up flight deals, but don’t finish your research there. The websites you get redirected to through price comparison sites often add extra charges on top of the regular ticket price so you may be better off booking your flight directly with the airline, while using price comparison sites for research.

Watching Venice come to life as masked party goers fill the streets and confetti swirls in the air really is magical. The Carnival is slowly coming to an end but it’s not too late to join the fun! Here’s how to make the best of the final 3 days of Carnevale di Venezia, while spending next to nothing