Category

Asia

9 Sep

India: a country that keeps drawing you back

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 see. At first impression, this complex country can feel like chaos, an affront of your senses. But as you take a breath and relax into […]

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22 Jul

Discover Northern Cambodia

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 the hardship much of the population endures every day, one thing is evident – the locals appear happy, more often than not with a smile on […]

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17 Jun

There are fish markets and then, there are fish markets! Busan, South Korea

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 to confess to being a market tragic – especially when they are there for the locals, not the tourists. And even more so when they […]

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20 May

Odisha India – with it’s complex history, enticing tribal culture and natural beauty

 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 tag put you off visiting. It’s a hidden gem, not on westerner’s travel list. However, it should be because it has wonderful cultural sites, fabulous food, very friendly […]

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29 Apr

Kolkata and its street markets

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 Hole of Calcutta and the India freedom movement of Gandhi.  The very essence of India’s nationhood stems from Kolkata’s intellectual class and their sense of […]

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25 Mar

Kratie – The Real Cambodia

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 tourists are few and far apart, head to the northeast township of Kratie where you’ll find something special. Life in Kratie is very different from […]

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18 Mar

A few days in Seoul – South Korea

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 certainly changed. Seoul has come a long way and is now a great city with a great vibe. Having been there many times, here are […]

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4 Feb

Hornbill Festival of Nagaland North East India

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 in the north east, much of the hill tribes were left to their own devices, due partly to the ruggedness of their mountain homes on […]

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24 Dec

Spring time in Japan is synonymous with cherry blossoms

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 first few days on the tour: bare branches, with buds in various stages of development. Our cameras went berserk every time we found a tree […]

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12 Nov

Chasing cherry blossom in Japan

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 the pursuit – I can now identify with those crazy tornado chasers in the southern USA! We certainly didn’t put our lives at risk but […]

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22 Oct

Land of Fire and Ice – Kamchatka – Far Eastern Russia

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 is a peninsula in Russia’s Far East forming part of Southern Siberia. It lies between the Pacific Coast and the Sea of Okhotsk. Look on […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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13 Apr

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 […]

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3 Apr

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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