Gondar, Ethiopia – Once a city of emperors and princesses
One of northern Ethiopia’s highlights is Gondar, a historical town that is home to some significant and truly unique sights. It is also a town where, depending on the time
One of northern Ethiopia’s highlights is Gondar, a historical town that is home to some significant and truly unique sights. It is also a town where, depending on the time
When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I watched the movie Papillon with my parents at the local drive-in theatre in North Ryde. The Steve McQueen/Dustin Hoffman classic left a
I arrived with Kate into cricket-mad Guyana from Panama City. The airport at Georgetown (named after King George III) is about an hour’s drive from the city. Our driver, Patrick, talks the entire
Along with my small group of 8, I crossed the border into Rwanda from Uganda with the typical level of bureaucracy expected in a developing African nation. After an hour
I still have my “L” plates on when it comes to parenting my teenage daughters. At 13 and 15 they are into stuff that, well, I simply will never understand.
Many tourists come to Cuba to seek out the gorgeous beaches on the north coast but for me, it was the unique vibrancy of the people that drew me to
You probably know them by sight if not by name – the Mursi is one of the most fascinating tribes in Africa, widely recognised for the clay plates the women
Many people who have travelled to Namibia’s Etosha National Park rate it as the best wildlife-spotting destination in Southern Africa. Having taken a trip to Namibia on one of our
India is a place that stays with you long after you have boarded your flight home. A place where the more you see, the more you realise there is to
Damaraland is a huge, untamed and ruggedly beautiful region in Namibia. We stayed at the Mowani Mountain Camp, hidden among some of the region’s massive red granite boulders. The scene
Sometimes described as Africa for beginners, Namibia unexpectedly assembles in one place many iconic experiences: the highest sand dunes in the world; the deepest canyon in Africa; one of Africa’s richest
In Surinamese (a combination of Dutch and local language), danpaati means “dam on the parting waters”. The eco-resort is in the middle of the Suriname River, surrounded by thick jungle and small villages mainly inhabited
Bucket lists were pretty much invented for places like Greenland. Perhaps it is because of the immense sense of magic and wonder is present in every moment of every single
Jordan had a little surprise in store for us: we came to tour Petra but it was Wadi Rum that blew us away with its special kind of magic. It
The Flaming Cliffs is an escarpment on the edge of the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia, by road some 660kms from the capital Ulaanbaatar. The cliffs became famous in 1923
Without a doubt, Cambodia is a poor country – probably the poorest of the region. Some of the rural areas face particular struggles, lacking in basic infrastructure. But regardless of
After three days enjoying Colombia tourism, I expected more tropical weather in Bogota but the first thing I notice on arrival is the temperature. No … it’s not blistering hot
All the documentaries I’d seen on the Galapagos Islands inferred that it’s one of the foremost wildlife experiences on the planet. Friends and family members who had travelled there only
I’d heard and read a lot about Cartagena, Colombia’s UNESCO-listed old capital on the Caribbean coast. My travel friends kept telling me I had to travel to Columbia and when
There are fish markets and then, there are fish markets! The Jagalchi Fish Markets in Busan fall into the latter category. Markets are not every traveller’s “thing” but I have
In the north of Poland on the Baltic Sea lies the beautiful city of Gdansk. Take at least a full day – more if you prefer to move at a
What an island of surprises Corsica proved to be. It may not have been on your radar as a destination but having visited, its many delights deserve to be shared.
One of my favourite Silk Road cities is the town of Bukhara, located a few hours west of Samarkand. Like Samarkand, Bukhara is also home to significant and stunning
Over 40 million people live in Odisha (pronounced Orisha) – one of India’s 29 states. Sitting in the northeast on the Bay of Bengal, it is generally regarded as India’s poorest state, but don’t let this
Allow at least a week to see the best of what Lithuania has to offer, including the following highlights.
Without a doubt, the capital city Vilnius, is a treasure. The
Since I was a small kid, I’d always wanted to visit Panama and see the Panama Canal. The notion of watching huge cargo ships glide through the nearly 80km of
Kolkata has a dark history from the days of it’s formation by the British East India company in the late 1600s to the early Bengal insurrections such as the Black
Latvia, part of the Baltic States (a term used by the locals), is a small country with a small population. But there’s much to see and do, around the capital
Arriving on the ferry from Helsinki, two things grabbed my immediate attention about this small, sophisticated, medieval capital city. First, it is one of the most charming and beautiful cities
Without a doubt, Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s immediately recognisable national icon but there is much more to this beautiful country. If you want to see the real regional Cambodia where
Years ago in the advertising industry, we used to joke that if a manager did a lousy job, they’d get a “promotion” to run the Seoul office. Well, things have
Malta is definitely the mouse that roared. It is tiny yet impressive enough for the country to be awarded the George Cross for bravery in World War II. Blue Dot
The story of Napoleon Bonaparte is known around the world. A successful military leader, born in Corsica and became emperor of France. But lesser known and more of a Corsican
There’s often confusion when Macedonia is discussed because – depending who you talk to – there are two Macedonias. There’s Macedonia, the small independent country on the Balkan Peninsula which was part of the
If you didn’t know that Montenegro was a country, don’t despair – you’re not on your own! While many travellers from Australia have discovered neighbouring Croatia as a fabulous destination, not so
The north east frontier of India has always been a remote outpost even during the rule of the British Raj. Whilst the famous Assam tea plantations saw early colonial interest
We all travel for different kinds of reasons. Some people like ancient history, others prefer more recent colonial history. Some folks love to photograph wildlife, while some would rather eat
Turkmenistan – Land of the Turkmen – could best be described as an odd country. The former Soviet state became independent in 1991 and was until 2006 ruled by Niyazov,
I am lucky to have travelled to Malta on quite a few occasions. The more I go, the more I love it. Area-wise it’s a tiny country with two main
I came to Sardinia with few preconceptions, except about its reputation for brigands and kidnappings. Our itinerary included a visit to the mountain village of Orgosolo, a headquarters for the
The Japanese are obsessed with the short-lived beauty of these fragile blossoms. They pay to reserve spots in the best parks where they can sit and appreciate their surroundings. The
We visited Iceland on a recce in 2013. The brief to ourselves was to develop an itinerary providing a “best of” and some lesser-known parts of the country for our
Day 2 of the Timkat Festival, we reach the special ground where the waters are blessed for the Baptism rites. The whole area was crowded, and locals waved lighted tapers as the priests
Our trip was all about the Arctic wildlife. The best opportunity to photograph a bear surely had to be the site where the remains of a sperm whale had been
It’s coldish up here in the Arctic, ranging from daily maximum of 1 degree celsius to an incredibly warm 10 degrees. On the warm days, we shed layers like reptile
Young men from many cultures must endure rituals to enter manhood. The young Hamar men of southern Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, prove their manhood by eventually succeeding at ‘cattle-jumping,’ a challenge
Take a tour named Japan in Spring and it’s perfectly reasonable to expect to see cherry blossom … and lots of it. What I didn’t expect was the fervour that came with
Iceland conjures up images of a remote island in the arctic, with freezing temperatures and a small population. After all, who could live on an island in the middle of
I cannot recall visiting any country in any part of the world where the people are more welcoming than in Iran. This might sound like a big statement but it’s true. Within my first 24
I’m fortunate enough to have visited the land of fire and ice on a few occasions. It’s a destination that few people can pronounce and even fewer know where to find. Kamchatka