Why I fell in love with Fiji
Have you ever visited somewhere and absolutely fallen in love with it? I have been to many different countries and can count on one hand the number of places I have visited and instantly felt a connection with. I’m not sure if it is my familiarity with the Caribbean, or something else, but a recent trip to the south pacific promptly added Fiji to that list. Here’s why I fell in love with Fiji. Friendly Fijians I absolutely believe that it is the people that make the place and the Fijians are a genuinely friendly and lovely bunch. These days it can be easy to feel cynical when strangers are…
Why it is ok to be a Tourist
The travel community can be snobby about what defines travel, and in turn, travellers. Often, being described as a tourist seems derogatory. Of course it all comes down to perspective. Perhaps you get jealous when friends book a cruise or, if you’re a busy Londoner nipping to Oxford Street, getting stuck behind a group of tourists marvelling at everything may be frustrating. Tourists are regularly blamed when towns are busy and locals slightly inconvenienced, but how did you feel last time you were somewhere new? It was a conversation with a stranger in the supermarket last week that prompted me to write this post. Living in the most remote town…
Swim with Pigs in the Bahamas
Do you fancy doing something different on your next holiday? How about going on a trip to an island paradise in the Bahamas and, er, going swimming with pigs? I did say ‘different’! Contrary to tradition, it is not simply Hollywood’s elite that lives in luxury in the Bahamas. There is a gang of extremely lucky pigs that also call the island paradise ‘home’. A group of around 20 wild pigs live on Big Major Cay in the Exumas and welcome visitors. They are accustomed to guests and food coming hand in hand, so as soon as they hear the sound of visitors in the shallows the pigs come trotting…
Things to do on Norfolk Island
Remote Norfolk Island has an interesting, albeit somewhat brutal, history but what else is there to do on the island? Actually there is a lot to keep visitors occupied. Whether you’re fascinated by history and want to uncover the human stories of Norfolk Island, or want to enjoy outdoor activities in the unique Pacific scenery, there’s something for everyone. Here are a few things to start with. Kingston Historic Kingston was once the primary settlement on Norfolk Island and is home to the ruins of the second penal settlement that was on the island. You can wander around the ruins of the prison, hospital, crankmill and several stores. Seeing these…
Will Australia make an honest woman of me?
Australia swelled with even more national pride than normal last weekend in celebration of Australia Day. With January 26 being a Sunday, Monday was declared a public holiday and Australia basked (read ‘melted’) in the sunshine for a long weekend. Australia Day is widely promoted as an opportunity to appreciate the much-celebrated privilege of living in Australia, to understand and respect cultural differences and take pride in the country’s multicultural society. As a colleague put it however, it is also a chance to ‘get your bogan on’ and go around shouting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” while sculling beer. Australians are frequently accused of being racist and interestingly, a few weeks before…
Street Art in Melbourne
One of the things I love about Melbourne is the city’s art scene. Not only does Melbourne have over 100 art galleries but you don’t need to spend long in the city to notice the vibrant street art, one of the features that keeps Melbourne streets interesting and edgy. Don’t be mistaken and think that ‘street art’ is a yuppy term for graffiti. Graffiti is definitely part of Melbourne’s street art scene but it is not just random sprays and tags. There is much more to it than that. Mosaics, murals and pieces of art also bring the city’s streets to life, making the city feel friendly and definitely making…
Sun-chasing, Rooster attacks, writing and living local – an interview with travellers Adele and Dave Estes
Storytelling is a big part of travelling for me. I love the insight you get from hearing about the things others have done and the opportunity travel provides to help others by sharing your own experiences. It is for this reason that I have decided to publish interviews with other travellers that I hope you will find interesting and inspirational. Friends of mine, Adele and Dave, who are following the sun around the world at the moment as part of a two-year trip, kindly agreed to this first interview. I know they share my hope that reading about their experiences inspires you to make your travel dreams a reality. Before…
Scuba Diving in Boracay, Philippines
Part of what made diving from Boracay Island in the Philippines so exciting was that it was the off-season and tremendously windy (gusty really) on the side of the island most of the dive centres were on. With absolute faith in what I was being told about great diving being available somewhere else I signed up. Getting ready The first interesting point of the adventure was being given a men’s wetsuit to wear. When I asked for a women’s wetsuit I was told ‘this one will fit you’. As a suitably female-shaped diver I knew this was going to be one of those baggy wetsuit experiences. I donned the wetsuit…
Where will you go in 2014?
How much have you travelled in the past year? Have you achieved your travel dreams or do you feel like you have failed spectacularly? Don’t forget we choose to travel. If you prioritise travel over other spending it is surprising how far you can get. One method I use to work towards achieving my travel goals is to keep a bucketlist. There is some snootiness amongst travellers about keeping bucketlists but I don’t feel that way. Sure, some people mindlessly tick items off a list rather than being open to the interesting experiences that travel provides (often weird and wonderful in my experience), but that doesn’t mean having a reminder…
Escape to Lindos
The village of Lindos is nestled on the south east coast of the Greek island of Rhodes and combines atmospheric streets, history, art and amazing beaches. This is my guide to the best things to do in Lindos. St Pauls Bay Rhodes holidays provide an opportunity to explore this historic and interesting island. There is so much history that it is easy to forget the beach when you’re looking for the best things to do in Rhodes. The area around Lindos has some spectacular beaches but St Pauls Bay is the most popular. Boasting sheltered, clear blue water and a seafood restaurant the beach experience here provides everything you need.…
