Do you have something to celebrate? Take a look at my Bucket List trip

November 3, 2016

I don’t know about you, but I’m of the view that life is way too short not to celebrate every occasion. So, when Julian and I were approaching our 10th Wedding Anniversary, we decided we wanted to celebrate with a special trip; one that followed a similar pattern to our honeymoon – Cape Town, Kruger safari and Mozambique beach – but also ticked off a few things on our Travel Bucket List.

The question was: where to go? To be honest, I knew the beach section had to involve a stay on an island I’d wanted to visit for such a long time, Mnemba, which sits on the north-east coast of Zanzibar.

As for the safari, Julian and I had always wanted to experience a river crossing during the Great Migration. So, looking at the route of the Migration in September, our best chance of seeing this phenomenon was around the Mara Triangle in Kenya. So that was the safari sorted.

Finally, as we had to pass through Nairobi, I had the chance to tick a third item off my Bucket List, a stay at the legendary Giraffe Manor.

Here are the highlights of the first part of our trip, with Zanzibar and the beach section to follow next month.

Why you should consider ditching Dubai for Abu Dhabi

March 4, 2016

Forgive me for making a sweeping statement, but for guaranteed winter sun with a less than 8 hour direct flight from Manchester, don’t most people just press the Dubai default button? Of course, Dubai is great if you want a city that shouts at you 24 hours a day and has a sort of “look at me” feel about it. And of course it does have rather a lot of good hotel options. But that’s the thing about Dubai, there’s just a lot of everything – hotels, skyscrapers, people, bling. For something a lot calmer and with less crowds my preference is Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s less brash neighbour.

Here are some of the reasons why I think it’s time to consider ditching Dubai as the default for winter sun and maybe give Abu Dhabi a whirl instead:

Finding Paradise in Phuket

October 1, 2015

If I mention the Thai island of Phuket, what does it conjure up in your mind? For some it will be white sandy beaches backed by swaying palms and azure waters. For others it will be touristy resorts, boozy bars and lady boys! Yes, Phuket has certainly had its fair share of bad press thanks (mainly) to the seedy antics at its largest beach resort, Patong. And, to be honest, having travelled to the island on numerous occasions since the early 90s, I’ve certainly seen it change from an idyllic island retreat to one pandering to the “needs” of the tourist masses.

So, when I was invited to visit a new hotel on the largely undeveloped north east coast of the island, I jumped at the chance to see if I could discover a quieter Phuket, away from the crowds and the party atmosphere; one that resembled the Thai paradise I first stepped foot on 25 years ago. The question is, did I succeed?

Bowler hats and big vistas - On the road in Bolivia

September 11, 2015

Two hours after setting off from the wonderful Titilaka (read about it here), our very comfortable base on the shores of the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, we were at the border. Here, all that separated Peru from Bolivia was an archway and after a few stamps in our passports from surly looking men, we were in. Immediately the feeling was like we’d stepped back in time as a local peanut seller set up her stall next to me on the roadside.

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