Blue Dot Travel - Travel Blog - A place to inspire you to travel

15 Oct

A Carpet Ride to Khiva

I liked to think I was well travelled but my recent visit to Uzbekistan made me realise that skiing four continents (even including sliding down a couple of runs in Kashmir in the 70s!) had left me a little culturally underdone. We always deliberately followed the path less travelled but exploring The Stans made our […]

8 Oct

Victoria Falls – The Smoke that Thunders

Mosi-oa-Tunya translates to The Smoke that Thunders. It describes the world’s greatest sheet of falling water aptly, where over 500 million litres of water each minute pours over the 1.5km wide gorge. At an average of about 90 metres high, the UNESCO-listed falls are not the highest in the world by any stretch, but they […]

1 Oct

The Okavango Delta, Botswana – one of Africa’s most incredible places

Even in the dry season, the Okavango Delta in Botswana’s north west, is an amazing sight. It’s the world’s largest inland delta, which, depending on the season, sprawls across some 15,000-22,000 square kilometres. For travellers, the delta starts and ends at Maun (pronounced “Mown”), a town of a few thousand people and many accommodation options, from camping to […]

24 Sep

Samarkand on the Silk Road – the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean

Samarkand – conjures up so much when you say the name. One of the oldest inhabited cities of Central Asia, Samarkand was a legendary stop along the Silk Road, being strategically situated between China and Europe, in modern day Uzbekistan. During the 14th century, Samarkand came under the rule of the conqueror Tamerlane who had a […]

17 Sep

Cape Town – Africa’s Most Beautiful City

It’s hard to argue about the beauty of this city, at the very bottom of the African continent. Cape Town points of interest including Table Mountain as a backdrop to the harbour, it’s difficult to take a bad photo. Not only does it have natural beauty, it’s packed with things to see and do for all […]

3 Sep

Travelling through Kyrgyzstan

With an average elevation of 3000 metres and over 90% of the country covered in mountains, you’re in for a treat when travelling throughout Kyrgyzstan. After being in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan the difference once you cross the border is almost instant as not only the terrain changes, but so too how the Kyrgyz live. Yes, there are […]

27 Aug

Naadam Festival in Mongolia – “The Three Games of Men”

Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival first ran in 1920 but has its roots in the centuries-old traditions of the great Khans. The “three manly sports” of wrestling, archery and horse racing — the three skills that Chingis Khan valued most for his Mongol warriors — are showcased each July as part of Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival. […]

20 Aug

Panama City – a cultural cocktail of contrasts

After a three-day visit to Panama City, I can confirm that Panama is not just about the Canal! Panama City is the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America where many worlds co-exist and create a dynamic anything goes attitude. While the city itself is unflinchingly urban with its gleaming Miami-esque skyline, escape is never far […]

13 Aug

Kolkata – India’s second biggest city

Kolkata is very loud and very busy and some parts (but not all) are dirty. It could be best described as chaotic, but its utterly fascinating and if opening your mind through travel is your thing, then it simply must been seen! Welcome to Kolkata! This is a city of around 15 million people … who […]

6 Aug

Ile Sainte-Marie or Nosy Borah, Madagascar

Off the north east coast of Madagascar lies the tropical island of Ile Sainte-Marie, a place where bragging rights are assured because you can almost certainly be sure nobody you know will have heard of let alone this majestic island. The word paradise simply doesn’t do it justice! This best way to reach this small island – barely 50km from top to bottom […]

30 Jul

Two of the best in Jordan

Often it’s a country’s capital city that offers a tourist the best things to see and do with the most important places of interest usually located there. This is not the case with Jordan. While Amman certainly provides an interesting day trip, there are far more impressive sights to see outside of the capital. Here […]

23 Jul

Sacred Ovoo’s of Mongolia

According to Wiktionary an Ovoo is a shamanistic cairn found in Mongolia, usually made from rocks or wood and found on or around mountains. These large piles are found on mountain passes, many built simply as markers for distances but most are repositories of offerings for local spirits – Shamans were the holy men of the ancient Mongols, credited with […]

16 Jul

Kaziranga National Park – Assam, North East India – UNESCO World Heritage Centre

The rays of the early morning sun bounced off the water drops on the giant elephant grass as our mahout steered his 37-year-old elephant on our 5.00am morning safari. The conga line of elephants in Kaziranga National Park fell in behind our lead mahout as their baby elephants complained loudly to their mothers about reluctantly […]

9 Jul

Bonifacio – Corsica – A wonder to behold

One of our best experiences was a day trip from St Teresa di Gallura on the northern tip of Sardinia on a ferry to Corsica. Bonifacio is a town on the southern tip of the French island of Corsica. It’s known for its lively marina and medieval clifftop citadel. This was our only foray into France, and […]

2 Jul

Sado Island – Japan’s most precious gem

Sado Island, one of Japan’s smaller islands, is rarely visited by the European Tourist. In fact, it’s very difficult to find anyone – even in the hotels – who speak anything other than Japanese. And this is one of the island’s charms – it’s unspoilt. Japan tourism is booming and this is one of the […]

25 Jun

Sri Lanka

It’s no wonder that Lonely Planet recently named this island-nation the “hottest destination on the planet to visit”. And they weren’t talking about the weather! There are so many reasons that it simply, must be on your bucket list. Pull up a map of Sri Lanka and start planning your next adventure. There’s the Sri Lankan wildlife. If you […]

18 Jun

The Tribes of the Omo Valley – Ethiopia

The Omo Valley, in the remote south-west of Ethiopia, is a vast river basin fringed in the far distance by mountains. Life here has largely stood still. No Ethiopia trip is complete without visiting the Omo Valley. There are a number of tribes in the region living a subsistence life with their cattle, goats and some […]

Botswana – It’s as good as it sounds

Just saying this country makes you feel like you are on an exotic safari! Recently I camped in Botswana with my teenage daughter. It was a never-to-be-repeated daddy/daughter experience. There were about 10 of us in the group including another family from Sweden and others from France and Germany. We all stayed in two safari […]

5 Jun

Croatia with its picture perfect coastal towns

Croatia could be described as the “new” Italy for Australian travellers. The people, the pace of life and the food are considered “similar but different”. If you haven’t visited Croatia, it’s time to do so. There are many things to see and do. Here are a few places to consider, excluding the more popular destinations […]

28 May

Trekking with the Gorillas in Uganda

There are just 880 mountain gorillas left in the wild. They exist in three countries; The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, has over 400 living in the mountains, almost half the entire population. We arrived into our accommodation around 4.30pm. We were wowed at first site. The rooms at Engagi Lodge are basic but nice. The staff are lovely and obliging. However, the main […]

21 May

House Boating on the backwaters of Kerala

The South of India around the Kerala Backwaters, could not be more of a contrast to the North. If your view of the North conjures up images of overcrowding, huge cities, poverty and grey skies, then the South is anything but! Think tropical, peaceful and clean with an abundance of wildlife. Our houseboat accommodation was […]

14 May

Why you simply must visit Israel

Israel has many unofficial names including The Jewish State, The Promised Land and the Land of Milk and Honey. But it could also be called Iswowl! There is so much packed into this small country – you really must visit Israel. Jerusalem’s Old City an ideal starting point for any and all Israel tours. The […]

7 May

Villa Romana del Casale – Wonders of Sicily

A major highlight of our visit to Sicily was Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman Villa built in the first quarter of the 4th century and located about 3km outside the town of Piazza Armerina Sicily, southern Italy. It contains the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world, and has been […]

30 Apr

Nuraghes from prehistoric Sardinian culture

No one can visit Sardinia without becoming aware of the island’s ancient Nuraghes, built between 1500-1200 BC. They are Bronze Age circular towers built with local rock without mortar of any form. We visited the Nuraghe Losa which contains a tall inner chamber that tapers like the bee hive tombs in ancient Greece. Originally it […]

23 Apr

Iran – Gem of the Middle East

Often when you mention to a friend or family member that you plan to tour Iran or have an interest to, it is often met with a question of “Why?” Unfortunately many people think of Iran as dangerous and part of the ‘Axis of Evil’ thanks to the media and frosty relations with the US […]

Paramaribo, Suriname

I’m on a research trip with my wife Kate, doing our homework for a tour to what is collectively knows as The Guianas. We travel from Guyana to Suriname, flying into the capital city on a small “caravan” flight, arriving at a small airstrip in the middle of town. Originally we thought we had landed at the world’s […]

Hornbill Festival, North East India

Located in north-east India and bordering Myanmar (Burma), the state of Nagaland is one of the last frontiers of India and is home to sixteen major Naga tribes – the Ao, Angami, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sumi, Chakhesang, Khiamniungan, Dimasa Kachari, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Kuki, Zeme-Liangmai and Pochury plus some smaller sub-tribes. Each tribe is […]

The Festival of Timkat in Ethiopia

The Timkat Festival is a highlight of any visit to Ethiopia. Celebrating the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, it is one of the most important religious events in the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar. It is celebrated throughout Ethiopia but the most special place to experience Timkat is in Lalibela with its ten 13th century rock carved churches. Each of […]

The Big Tsingy – Madagascar

The highlight for many of us on our Madagascar trip has been the trip to the Big Tsingy. Just getting there is an adventure! After passing through ancient baobab forests we finally reached the Tsiribihina River where we loaded our 4WD vehicles onto the flimsy rafts that we shared with the local Malagasy. We were on our […]

The wilds of Kamchatka in Far East Russia

Not many people know where Kamchatka is. And not many people can pronounce it, let alone spell it. For the record… it’s a peninsular at the southern end of Siberia, that’s shaped like a salmon – which is ironic because it’s the salmon capital of Russia! It’s a forgotten part of the world’s largest country. […]

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