Lonely Planet Secret Wonders of the World – book

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Based on the premise of The Seven Wonders of the World, the Secret Wonders of the World book by Lonely Planet delves deeper into the hidden treasures that are out there, ready to explore. There are 385 places featured in this book, complete with photographs, which give an insight into lands unknown.  

For example, there are the Yamal Permafrost craters in Russia, Fantasy Coffins in Ghana and the Winchester Mystery House in California. There’s also sections on specific topics like Tremendous Trees, London’s Oddest Sights and Nerve-Racking Rocks. As you flick through the countries, there are more and more places to visit that are off the beaten track, or are unknown to most travellers.  The photos are gorgeous and really give a sense of how amazing some places are which you’ve probably never heard of before and countries you wouldn’t normally think of visiting.

Divided up by geographical region, you can use this book in various ways. It can either be a coffee table book which you pick up and put down at will, or children will love this to discover more about the world.  If you’re a traveller, you might like to find out if your next destination is near any of the places mentioned but I think this book is brilliant for travellers who want lots of inspiration. Some of the countries are quite far-flung, so if you like planning for unusual places, this book is for you. There is a mixture of geography, history and nature in this book, plus some really interesting cultural ideas. 

The more I flick through this book, the more ideas I get and the more involved in the stories. Some of them I’ve had to go and look up to learn more about them. It’s a fascinating read, and would make a great gift for anyone, but especially children who are interested in the world.

Available from £22.99 at: https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/secret-wonders-of-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOoqQB2sdJLY_UT-V79luc1FoETwo_kAaQ_fv9fTVw6Tdtxj6O1iz

CUKTECH 15 Power Bank Air

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I love a gadget, and this power bank is perfect for a Father’s Day gift!  

The CUKTECH 15 Power Bank Air holds enough power to recharge your iPhone 17 by 1.6 times or a Samsung S25 Ultra about 2.2 times over. That’s only for phones, it can power laptops too with 65W Fast Charging, which is enough to power a Mac Book Air from zero to 48%. 

The slim design is deceptively heavy though! It’s enough to carry all that power but is about the size of a phone just fatter. It does mean that it fits into a pocket or hand luggage, and it would comfortably fit into a handbag too but it comes with a cosy bag to keep it in, along with the USB-C cable. The front of the power bank has a display which tells you the percentage charge already on the power bank, plus how long it will take to charge  fully or how much charge it has left through each of the ports. Speaking of which, you can charge to and from the CUKTECH 15 with a Type-C2, Type-C2 and USB-A1 ports. The screen goes dark when not in use but the button at the side lights it up again so you can see the stats as it charges. The three different ports mean you can power up to three appliances all at once too.

You can charge up the CUKTECH with the provided cable. To change the direction of charge, click the side button twice and the display changes. Keep clicking and it allows you to change the display and setting so that the screen stays on and it shows you which port is being used to charge in or out of the power bank, and how long it takes to charge and the percentage. You can even change the display to be upside down so that you use it on the go or if it’s in a pocket!

At around £50, it’s not a bad price for a power bank on the market, as there are a lot out there which aren’t as compact or as useful, and having the ability to charge 3 appliances at once is definitely a benefit.  The cable is a bit short though, especially if you have the charger in your pocket and you’re trying to walk and text at the same time, and you would have to source other cables for the other ports if your appliance didn’t already come with one, but they can all be poppled in the supplied bag so that you can carry them with you.  Although it’s heavy too, it’s not any heavier than other power banks, and that’s because of the nature of the battery it contains.

The CUKTECH 15 Power Bank is a really useful gift and a great surprise for Father’s Day as something that is actually helpful to everyday life. 

Available from £49.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FNQK3VHZ?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP&social_share=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_P8ESV8CN44BP0FR26YKP

Tessan PD20W Universal Power Adaptor

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

For the Dads who travel for work, or just those Dads who are always prepared, the Tessan PD20W is a travel adapter for almost everywhere in the world, allowing him to plug in to a socket and use any appliance he’s taken with him.

The small, palm sized adaptor has 3 plugs to fix into a wall socket throughout the world; the sockets included are for the USA or Japan, Australia and the UK, meaning you can use it in Britain too if you have sockets or cables from elsewhere in the world. The front of the adaptor has 4 sockets in total. The first one is the AC socket which is commonly used in the US. Underneath, you have the USB-A, USB-C2 and USB-C1 sockets for cables. This is usually for charging phones and small appliances such as cameras and tablets. The three different sizes means it works on most modern appliances so there’s no need to bring anything else when you’re abroad.

The small, lightweight design has retractable plugs which pack away nicely, and can be turned out when ready to use. They are designed so that when one plug is being used, no others can be utilised so as not to interfere with the supply. They’re a bit clunky and all open in different ways but once you work out that one them slides, one of them flips and other one has to be prised out, you get the gist of it!

Charging is fairly quick on the Tessan PD20W Power adapter, given that it’s not a charger just an adapter. I could plug in my phone and it gives about 10% charge in 30 minutes, but that isn’t what the adapter is for. It’s mainly for being about use foreign sockets and plug in USB plugs but if you do need to charge a phone or appliance, you can charge overnight.

The Tessan PD20W is small enough that it can be packed away in your luggage or hand luggage and used anywhere abroad. For going on holiday or for the Dads in your life, it’s a nifty gadget that will be used again and again but will benefit everyone. 

Currently available for £17.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0C1NRTR81/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=b0b68efcc7ecaa3dbd3e6bcea53d4618&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1770721697&sr=1-2-e0fa1fdd-d857-4087-adda-5bd576b25987&aref=pJEjmdvY48&ref_=sbx_s_sparkle_sbtcd_asin_1_title&pd_rd_w=E5nIF&content-id=amzn1.sym.7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f%3Aamzn1.sym.7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f&pf_rd_p=7d8787df-7d4c-460d-ab31-21b0ba272b2f&pf_rd_r=MTEFXKDHG0PHPCRVZ25S&pd_rd_wg=TbzsW&pd_rd_r=9ab1dc17-2e36-4d8a-b08f-50f8737b3f5c&th=1