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South Asia

Delhi

When in India people will always ask “do you like India”, and my response is always the same “yes, I love India”, and it is genuine. I know India is a tough place to like at times, the dirt, chaos, horns and complete nonsensical rules that make even the smallest things difficult to do. A lot of people vow never to return, and most probably never do. Yet India has a real draw, natural beauty, an amazing blend of cultures, foods, and people. India really is incredible. Except for Delhi. Delhi is awful. Most tourists roll up into New Delhi and before even leaving the train will begin to get a flavour of what is in store. The stench of faeces, especially on a hot day will hit you like a sledgehammer. If it has been raining, a mosquito will assert its place on your leg and begin the sucking…

Practical Information

Health

Staying Healthy The information contained within this article is purely for information purposes only. I am not a health care professional and I write purely based on my own experiences and research. I urge anyone who is looking to travel to seek the advice from a qualified health care professional prior to departure. That said, the following information should give you a good idea of the potential health issues you may encounter whilst traveling. They are not listed in any particular order, though the risks of certain illnesses/ailments vary considerably throughout different countries and climates. A health care professional will be able to give you tailored advice according to where/when you are travelling. The NHS provides travel information here: Travel Health The World Health Organization provides travel information here I strongly advise anyone looking to go travelling, no matter where to or for how long to obtain comprehensive travel insurance.…

SE Asia

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Most tourists heading to SE Asia have one thing in mind: Thailand. They associate Thailand with some utopian paradise of ivory white sand beaches licked with crystal clear waters and fringed with coconut trees. That’s not actually too far from the truth, but what the brochure photographs don’t show is the thousands of other tourists who all had the same idea of hitting up the tropics. And for many people that is fine, more tourists bring more infrastructure, higher class hotels and McDonalds. But what about those people who want a hammock strung from a palm tree, reggae playing in the background, no one else around and a warm bottler of Saigon import in their hand. Well, this urge has pushed tourists to satellite out of Thailand and head for far strung islands in the Philippines, Indonesia and even Timor. The problem with Phu Quoc is that it is in…

North America

The Narrows, Zion NP

The Narrows hike in Zion National Park is the crème de le crème of hikes in Utah, it might not be the most spectacular, offer the best vistas or indeed hold anywhere near the same adrenaline rush of precariously stepping out onto Angels Landing after a torturous number of switch backs. But what the Narrows does offer, is a somewhat unique, highly fun and beautifully brilliant hike that requires little effort and is as long, or short as you intend it to be. People flock from all corners of the world to step into the Virgin river and hike between the narrow canyon walls, around corners where every turn offers up a different view, often a different footing, usually a different depth. Without doubt, hiking the Narrows is one of the best hikes we have ever done and is a firm favourite with both Jack and Abi. Trailhead: Riverside walk…

North America

Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks

You have to understand the American mentality in order to grasp the kind of apprehension you have when travelling the States. Bull shitting is the norm and no one seems to care. Hotels will label themselves the best in the State, parks will claim to be the cleanest on earth, beaches will award themselves world class status and McDonalds offers free burgers by means of a survey which never actually materialize. In the UK we call it false advertising, in the US they call it normal. So when I read about how spectacular Yellowstone National park was many years ago, and how it was so amazing it was practically dripping off my page and booking me a flight out there, I was understandable skeptical. Way back in 1804 Thomas Jefferson, then President of the United States, dispatched an expedition to the Western United States so that it could be…

North America

The Loneliest Road in America

Back in 1986 whilst scraping the barrel for a story, Life magazine published an article about Interstate 50, a long, desolate road stretching right the way across Nevada with seemingly nothing but a sprinkle of towns some 100 miles apart. The article was scathing, and ultimately dubbed the 400mile road the ‘Loneliest road in America’. Suddenly, I-50 was brought to national attention and the State of Nevada was not about to miss a marketing opportunity. The thing is, most of the I-50 follows a historic corridor that was (amongst other things) once the Pony Express Trail, which was a trail used in the 1800’s to deliver mail across the United States. Once Interstates came about, the I-50 was incorporated and cut right across the north of Nevada. Generally, the road runs through a basin, then over a pass then through another basin, taking in a total of 17 mountain passes…