Browse for “Fascinating Facts” to discover all you need to know before you go. Why buy a guide book when you can read my blog for free?
Join me for 4 Days in Anglesey. Beautiful beaches, fabulous food with some history and heritage thrown in. Surely all you need for a copper bottomed great beach break?
Discover the Delicacies of Dijon in 1 Day. Dijon is a foodie destination not to be missed. Come & take a stroll through its quaint streets with me ...
Liverpool Day 2 of 3. Beatles Mania. Take a Magical Mystery Tour and relive the Beatles Story.
Liverpool The City with a Big Hug - Day 1 of 3. Visit the Liverpool Waterfront, Albert Dock, Beatles Statue and the Museum of Liverpool.
Trace your Ancestor's back in time. 3 Days in Wiltshire Itinerary - Days 2 and 3: Stourhead, Salisbury Magna Carta and a grand finale in Stonehenge.
Visit enigmatic Wiltshire. Travel 6000 years in 3 days visiting prehistoric World Heritage sites including Avebury, Silbury Hill, West Kennet, Stonehenge and Salisbury.
Visit the Lake District's Energy Coast and discover stunning Wastwater, Drigg and learn all about the fascinating Rum Story at Whitehaven.
Hiking the North Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Brace yourself for Dare Devil Coasteering, a Gritty Industrial Past and a Hidden Gem of a Beach.
4 days walking the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. 2 bases, 4 walks - lots to explore and enjoy ...
3 days in Northumberland based in Berwick upon Tweed. Explore Gossick, Lindisfarne, North Berwick, Seacliff Beach, Eyemouth, Cocklawburn, Embleton.
The day started early at 5am with a beautiful sunrise - doubled by its reflection in the Pacific Ocean. The first few minutes just before I wake up are usually like intermediate steps from light to shadow - my vision is dim and my mind not yet fully focussed. This morning, I was woken by the loud shrieks of howler monkies and the din of a million cicadas, then soothed by the sound of the ocean as the sun rose over it. It was the quickest move to sharp focus I can remember - the sunrise was absolutely spectacular - the outstanding highlight of this trip.
Leaving Nayara Springs for Bajos del Toro It was tough to leave Nayara Springs. Some of the best wildlife we saw was right in the hotel grounds and the hotel…
Cano Negro Rio Frio River We took another tour with Aventuras Arenal today to explore the Cano Negro River area. Learning the Lingo We were on La hora Tico (appointment times…
When you have had a shower outside in the rain and an open air bath on your balcony (safely concealed by the jungle!), it seems fairly pointless to wear an uncomfortable rain coat to go on a hike. Skin is waterproof after all? So today, I carried nothing except my camera and didn't let the rain bother me at all. I was feeling rather in harmony with Mother Nature (en Armenia con la Madre Naturaleza) and excited to explore Arenal Volcano National Park.
Our base in the Tortugero National Park is the Manatus Lodge. Access is via boat transfer only - and let's hope they keep it that way!
The transfer from Alajuela to Tortugero took all morning - but what a lovely way to spend it. We drove past banana plantations, fields of papaya, coconuts and plantains learning a little about the beautiful country that is Costa Rica (Rich Coast) as we travelled.
The road from Kalbarri to Cervantes is 378 kms (4 hrs 7 mins), but offers plenty to see on the way including two "Must Do" attractions: Pink Lake (Hutt Lagoon) and The Pinnacles.
Exmouth to Carnarvon Coral Reef, Wallabies and The Dish Our last day at Sal Salis started early as we had a 4 hour 38 minute drive from Exmouth to Carnarvon…
We made an early start today on our journey from Monkey Mia to Ningaloo Reef so we could take a pre-booked early morning scenic flight with Shark Bay Aviation. Their “bargain” flight is 40 minutes long and is a really great way to get a different perspective on this vast and largely inaccessible wilderness area. You get superb views of the huge salt works, lagoons, Dirk Hartog Island, Steep Point (the most Westerly point of mainland Australia), sea clliffs and the wondrous crystal clear blue spectrum of the Indian Ocean.
A great coffee is always a good way to start the day and Australia is truly expert at it. The flat white at the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort is particularly good and the ocean side restaurant is a lovely spot for breakfast. A pod of dolphins pops in reliably
Esperance to Kalgoorlie - #DriveYourselfWild It is a 4 and a half hours drive from Esperance to Kalgoorlie, which gives you limited time to explore once you get there, so…
The road from Bremer Bay to Esperance (home of Australia's best beaches) was long - very long - and straight. There were hardly any vehicles on it except the odd road train (shortish) which gave you a start as it rushed past. The road took us through interesting sounding places like Jerramingup, Munillinup and Nindilibillup. Up means "place of" around here - I wonder what these places we were passing through were places of ...? They didn't have enough interest to make us stop long enough to find out. We were keen to press on to Esperance and explore all those beautiful beaches. It took us around 4 hours in total to get here.
Breakfast at the Three Anchors Middleton Beach was generous and set us up well for a day's hiking, although the day started cool and damp, which took a while to clear. A short distance out of Albany brought us to the Gap and the Natural Bridge in Torndirru
It takes about 3 hours to drive straight from Pemberton to Albany, but we chose to break the journey at Walpole and visit the Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk. Walpole Visitor Centre gave us a very helpful map which helped us navigate our way there via the scenic route which gave good views of Walpole and the coast.
A short(ish) drive to the coast brought us to Salmon Bay in the d’Enrecasteaux National Park. The view from the lookout is truly stunning. From the headland, crystal clear deep blue water, rolling surf and miles of deserted, golden sand stretches out before your eyes, beckoning you to discover it at close hand.
Exploring the Margaret River Region. Kaya Wadandi Noongar Boodja - Aborigini for “Hallo and Welcome to Wadandi Noongar country. This morning, we took the short drive to Ambergate Reserve and Walk Trail and walked through the bush in search of wildflowers.
The road from Mandurah to Margaret River has one of the best places to see kangaroos in Western Australia - G'Day Skippy! Our journey south continued today via Dunsborough to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse in Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. The road from the lighthouse to Ngilgi Cave passes close to the Petra Olive Oil Estate where a quick detour to Sheoak Drive rewards you with easy sightings of kangaroos.
We pre-booked a day trip to "Rotto" (Rottnest Island) - the family holiday playground of choice for Perth locals - with Rottnest Fast Ferries. This car free island is an off-the-grid slice of paradise about 30kms into the sea off the coast of Perth. The trip includes a shuttle bus collection from your hotel, which makes things really easy.
A city full of surprises - here are 10 surprising facts about Amsterdam you might not know ...
Amsterdam Day 2: Anne Frank's House, Van Gough Museum, Vondelpark and - after dinner - an Evening Canal Cruise