I remember the first time that I went to Cuba. I remember flying in and landing and the weather was gorgeous, we sorted out our visas, collected our luggage and then boarded the coach for another hour in order to reach our hotel on the coast. The scenery was fantastic however this was when I first realised the extent of poverty that people live in here. It was really sad to see the kids with no shoes and barely any clothes but no matter what they were always smiling.

The hotel we stayed in was great, there was plenty of food to choose from and the hotel was minutes away from the beach. We were booked to stay in this particular hotel for a few days only so that we could enjoy lazing around and getting a tan.

After a good relaxation period and booking our hotels in advance we set of to Havana. For those who have never experienced Havana I will try to enlighten you in the best way that I can. Havana is like some lost city and I doubt there is any other place in the world quite like it. Many of the old colonial buildings are crumbling and look like they could collapse any second,there are many drunk people due to the rum.

Old Havana is one of the most amazing places I have visited. Old Havana is one of the oldest settlements in the America’s and it is full of charming buildings and narrow roadways. You don’t have to be an architecture buff to be instantly delighted by the atmosphere of the city. We also visited La Habana Vieja which contains more than 900 important building, which are now being restored to their former glory which is great it is also a recognised UNESCO site. The way of life here seems very out dated and many of the cars are the old vintage style American cars, what I did love though was watching the little old women smoke these huge massive cigars which were nearly as big as them.

When we went out for dinner in Havana we found many of the restaurants served local food a lot of rice and beans, fresh lobster which was relatively cheap and plenty of fresh fruit. We also managed to find an Italian restaurants and many Chinese restaurants and there is even a Chinatown in Cuba.

Whilst in Cuba you must visit Varadero which is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. A little bit about Varadero, it is not the real Cuba. It is located on a small peninsula that has been pretty much fenced off from the rest of the country and is purely for tourism. It is composed of many hotels and a businesses geared towards the tourism. However Varadero is beautiful and we spent nearly a week here soaking up the sun and just taking in the breath taking scenery of the area.

Varadero is very safe and I doubt that there is ever any crime here. From just sitting and chatting with the locals it appears that if you do get into any trouble, you are moved out of Varadero and into other areas of Cuba.

Whilst in Varadero we did venture out of our hotel and go and see what the nightlife was like. The nightlife consisted of a couple of night clubs which were full of tourists and some smaller local bars. Many of the restaurants appear to be closed however as soon as you go to try and enter you will be greeted at the door and then given a table where you will be provided with a real friendly service.

Whilst we were in Cuba we went to a small place called Vinales where we were lucky enough to go horse riding. It was great fun and we managed to see some of the lush green scenery of Cuba. This area is made up of orange and grapefruit trees, and is mainly for farmers which you can also see using their old fashioned wooden ploughs. Going to this area was extremely different than that of the more touristy parts and gave a feel of how life goes on away from the resorts.

I think I saw Cuba with two sets of eyes. One pair that fell in love with its amazing history that lives in it historical buildings and old culture that´s remained hardly unchanged for hundreds of years, the warm hearted people, the music, the rum and cigars. The other eyes see the poverty and the government communist policies. But hey at least they don´t have a Pizza Hut

Whenever you travel to Cuba you must go with an open mind. Cuba is still a Third World country and a lot of things don’t work properly. But travel with an open mind and you will discover a wonderful country.

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Montenegro is situated between the rump of Serbia to the north and east and to Albania to the south. What Montenegro is most well known for other than being a new nation is that when you are in Montenegro you are never more than a hundred kilometres from the beach.

Our destination was Budva, which is Montenegro’s top beach resort. First we flew to the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia which is 30 miles from the border and we then caught the bus which travels along the stunning coastal cliffs, and extremely close to the edges of the limestone ledges that are covered with palm trees. On the other side of the bus, the view is slightly different but equally beautiful you can see the underwater coral which is visible through the shallow crystal clear waters,

Halfway through the journey to Budva we stopped at Kotor, a small village situated at the very head of Kotor fjord, which is the deepest in southern Europe. The waters here are turquoise blue, and is surrounded by a looming circle of cliffs. Kotor lies at the end of the ford and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Modern Budva stretches out along a huge stretch of pebbly crescent beach set amongst the greenery of the mountains the surround the cove on three sides. Budva also has a lovely walled old town that is actually is not that old,as the original was destroyed in 1979 by an earthquake. The new walled town sits at one end of the beach on a jutting into the sea.

We strolled from one end of the beach, beginning on the south side, the beach here was wall to wall with tourist the sand was covered in human bodies and it was a struggle to get past them let alone try and get into the clear waters of the sea. There are plenty of bars and clubs located close to the beach and you can here the thumping bass beats blare out in the background.

The further north you go then the landscape changes the beaches are still packed but the scenery is different large gleaming white yachts line the piers, super sexy men and women dip their feet in the water , umbrelled tables crowd the beach, and super cool bartenders offer fruity cocktails.. This is where the rich and famous of Montenegro hang out and it was very plush but not my idea of fun.

Once we finally reached the walls of the “old town” it was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the beach. The interior of the town is cool and shaded by large honey coloured stone towers and turrets. The pretty narrow streets are lined with small cafes, all located in a quaint and quiet village. We stopped for a quick cup of tea and a snack before wandering to the turrets of the town fortifications, all at the ready with cannons ready to fire. We eventually made our way to the local Romanesque style Greek Orthodox Church, undergoing which had some brilliant religious murals. To finish of the night, we had dinner in a cafe on a broad square of the plaza, where we enjoyed some lovely pasta with seafood while watching the people finish their day off at the beach.

We also visited the monastery of Ostrog which is situated above the Bjelopavlic valley, the monastery is carved in the rocks and feels as though it is keeping century old secrets of this shrine. The Metropolitan Vasilije (Saint Basil) founded the monastery in the 17th century. The most amazing part of Ostrog is the Upper monastery. There are two churches, the upper church which is dedicated to Holy Cross and the lower church in the Upper monastery which is dedicated to the Vavedenje of Holy Mary.

If you every get a chance to visit the Skadar Lake then you really should. The lake is the largest lake in the Balkans. The Skadar Lake plays an important part for the habitat of water birds in the area. The rare curly pelican is the mark of the National park and we were lucky to catch a glimpse of the bird. The average depth of the Skadar Lake is 6m and some parts of the bottom are actually under sea level, it takes the depth up to 60m.The shore of the Skadar Lake is extremely picturesque and there are numerous species of flora and fauna. The Skadar Lake is rich with cultural and historic monuments which are spread out across this National park. We came across small abandoned fishing habitats located right on the water and other amazing things.

Montenegro is a beautiful country and the countryside is absolutely stunning with its amazing coast line and clear streams. For such a new country Montenegro is rich in history and there is plenty to do here.

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I had never done a cruise before and though this would be one of the nicest ways to see some more of Egypt and as we landed into Aswan I could visibly see the Nile river flowing through the landscape. From the air Egypt looks uninhabited until you get closer to land and then you can make out the villages and the trees that are located close to the water.

After landing and getting our luggage we met up with the others that would be travelling with us and boarded the bus together ready for our small adventure.

We stopped for a brief tour of the High Dam so we could have a look at this amazing construction. The High Dam was constructed in 1971 in a partnership between the Egyptian government and the Soviet Union. In 1971 the High Dam was the largest man made dam in the world, and toady plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety of Upper and Lower Egypt. The Dam has Lake Nasser on one side and the Nile River on the other, if the dam ever broke it would only take 8 hours for the flood of water to reach Cairo and drown everything which is why it is in such a strategic location and why the Egyptian Army guards and monitor the area so heavily. Also at the location dam is a monument which was put there to signify the importance of the dam, and the important partnership between the Egyptians and the Soviets. The monument is built in the shape of a lotus flower. It has five tall pillars with inscribed words and pictures showing life along the Nile River.

After the Dam we continued to the Nile and we drove through the city of Aswan which is a bustling city which runs along the Nile river. Once we reached the Nile we boarded our boat. We finally reached our boat and it was lovely. It was only small but the decor was really homely with oak panels, marble floors and plenty of windows giving us lots of natural light.

Once we were all settled and been given our cabins we were shown around the boat which had a sun deck, a lounge and a formal dining room all which were again beautifully decorated. Once we had our tour we all went to the top deck where we had a welcome drink of hibiscus and chatted to the other 100 or so passengers whilst taking in the breath taking view of the Nile We then had lunch which was amazing lots of great buffet style food. After lunch we were pretty tired so we went for a quick nap and we were soon woken by the sound of calls for afternoon tea which was served on the sun deck… So far we hadn’t left port and I had already consumed enough food to last me the rest of the cruise.

The next morning we went and visited the Nubian Museum in Aswan. I had heard a lot about the Nubian people and couldn’t wait to see the museum. The Nubian people were the very first Egyptian people and the ones from whom the civilisation was born. The outside of the museums building is fantastic. It is built of rose granite, which is all over this area of Egypt. The Museum is a beautiful architectural structure with an ancient yet modern look. The exhibits are equally beautiful and I can’t begin to explain how much history is in the museum.

After spending a good few hours at the museum we headed back to the boat and upon arrival were immediately served lunch !!!

After lunch we decided to go and see the spice market in Aswan which we had heard a lot about. Instead of walking there as we had intended to we were quickly accosted by a young gentleman who offered to take us there in his horse drawn carriage for a very small cost ( which was negotiated before leaving ) So we hopped into the carriage and went for a tour around this lovely city. As we drove through the city we rode through the market and through a little village with chickens and goats roaming about freely it was amazing how the local people survive on practically nothing but yet they always have a smile on their faces. We finally reached the Spice Market where some great smells of the different spices and hot food drifts through the air. The area is a lively place where you can hear live Nubian music and the vendors are located everywhere.

We wandered around the market and ended up spending over an hour in one shop sipping tea and haggling with the vendor for some fragrances and some spices we ended up buying some Cinnamon, Saffron and some Chamomile however I could have bought plenty more.

The following morning we set sail early and headed for the city of Edfu (Ed – foo) to visit a temple that I can not recall the name off however it was very interesting and after that we set sail for Luxor which is another large city along the Nile. The cruise was very relaxing as we drifted down the river we were able to to take in the wonderful sites and see how life really is along its banks.

That morning we headed out to visit another temple the Karnak Temple. This is the largest temple complex in the world. It is very impressive, with enormous columns and several secret passageways.

We then set sail to the nearby city of Qena (Keena). The city of Qena is quite clean apparently it is one of the three cleanest cities in the entire world. We decided to take a short bus tour around the city and the tour guide explained that this area is going to become a major stop for tourists within the next few years due to the change of attitude of the cities residents and how they’re becoming more accepting of tourists. We then headed back to the ship and lounged on the sun deck, had a few glass of wine before departing for a slow cruise back to Luxor.

Once we were back in Luxor we visited the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Situated in the dry hillside were over 80 holes in the ground designated as tombs for the ancient Egyptian kings. We only managed to visit three, and I was surprised at how detailed and colourful the markings were after so many years. The paint that they used to colour the hieroglyphs still looked as bright as if it was paintings were done only a few days ago. After seeing these ancient tombs we then made our way to the Valley of the Queens, a similar site devoted to other Egyptian rulers. Here we visited only two tombs which were both equally impressive

We spent another day just visiting local markets and doing some shopping before we boarded a flight that took us back to Cairo where we were staying for a few more days before heading home.

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It was great to see Southern Egypt and I cant wait to come back and visit some more of this amazing country.

So leaving flights and accommodation to my other half we boarded our flight from Heathrow and after a great flight landed safe and sound in Cairo. Flying into Egypt the landscape is amazing. I was surprised that the view from the plane showed lots of green area along with the massive expanse of desert. Once inside the airport we found our queue in order to obtain our tourists visas and then we got another stamp in our passports showing that we are entering Egypt a process that was pain free and really well organised.

We then met our transfer from the hotel and we were driven through the immense amount of traffic and after around 30 minutes we arrived at the hotel . What I didn’t know at this point was that we were booked into the Cairo Marriott hotel and once we arrived we were greeted to the beautiful entrance of this fantastic 5* hotel. The Marriott is a beautiful hotel with amazing marble tile floors inside and out, not only that the hotel has a number of great restaurants including a Japanese restaurant who would have though that I could eat Sushi in Egypt !!

So our first day in Cairo began earlier than we expected.. We were both woken woken to the sound of the prayers which can be heard all over the city from the loud speakers which are placed on many buildings through out the city it was amazing to hear the Islamic calls all over the city.

Once we were up and awake and after an amazing buffet breakfast we decided our first port of call would be the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities also known as Cairo Museum. We decided to join a tour group to avoid getting lost. The museum was awesome we were able to walk through the massive halls of the building and see thousands year-old artefacts from both Egyptian and Greek stone statues to ancient Egyptian coffins.

Ultimately the most amazing and breath taking pieces were the treasures of King Tutankhamen. These artefacts were amazing, and the stories behind the discoveries were equally amazing. We were able to see the actual chariots, gloves, jewellery and masks of King Tut, as well as his burial coffins, his royal bed and the golden throne on which he ruled plus many other items. After the Museum we took a walk down a street which lead to the Nile River. It was great to set eyes on one of the worlds most famous rivers. During our stroll we passed many street vendors selling all sorts of things it was great to see however they can be very persistent and can follow you for some time to try and get you to buy their goods.

During the evening we decided to head into what is known as Engineers District. This is the upper middle class neighbourhood and the area had plenty of shops along the streets and apartment buildings. We decided to have some dinner here rather than go back to the hotel and we stopped of in one of the restaurants which was beautifully decorated with blue and gold furniture, beautiful carpets and hand carved tables. We ate plenty of Egyptian delicacies, all of which were extremely delicious aubergine, chicken, meatballs, and seasoned rice wrapped in spinach plus plenty of other things. We also drank hibiscus juice for the first time and had dessert of coconut and honey served with hot tea. It was probably one of the best meals that I have every had.

The following morning we headed out to some of the more popular attractions. We set out early in the morning for Giza and to try and avoid the traffic which is busy most of the time and Cairo is extremely polluted and it felt as though we were covered in smog. However once we could view the wonderful sight of the Great Pyramid all was forgotten. The Pyramid has stood in the same place for the past 4,700 years and seeing it for the first time is truly jaw dropping.

The first stop was to the Solar Boat Museum where one of the royal boats discovered in 1954 is housed. It is said that the boat belonged to the person who supervised the building of the Great Pyramid. It was found buried in the desert and was later re constructed. We had to wear little canvas covers over our shoes as the Museum is so concerned about maintaining the authenticity of the site.

After the Museum we went back outside and the morning fog had lifted and we were able to see the Pyramids properly. It is amazing how big they are and you cant imagine how they could have been built so long ago.

After taking lots of photos we were then taken to the site of the Great Sphinx a massive carved figure that sits just in front of the Pyramids. What was shocking and some what not nice to see was that the Sphinx sits directly opposite a KFC and a Pizza Hut and it is amazing that these chains get everywhere.

We then walked over to the camel farm and decided to have a ride. The ride was only short, for about 10 minutes, but that was enough for me. Unfortunately Camels stink and the heat of the sun and the stink of the Camel was enough for me.

We then had a quick stop for lunch and headed over to the Saqqara which is the oldest known of Egypt’s 97 pyramids and the Step Pyramid, which changed the way pharaohs were buried in ancient Egypt. The complex that surrounds the pyramid is massive and first structure was built of stone by the early Egyptians. Our guide provided us with a information on the history of the place and we walked around and took more pictures. After that we departed and headed back to Cairo and after a long day I was glad to be getting back to the hotel where I could have a swim and chill out before out next long day out.

Our next stop was Alexandria, a great city located in Northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea, it was founded by Alexander the Great, who was the first and last foreign king to be titled Pharaoh. We travelled to Alexander by train and it was great to see the rural areas of Egypt. It took us about 2.5 hours to reach Alexander once there we boarded a bus and headed to our first stop which was the Alexandria National Museum which was a beautiful Museum. Here you can see thousands of ancient pieces that told the stories of Egypt’s ancient civilization from its old kingdom to the age of the pharaohs and it even has a tomb room. The pieces were amazing I loved the stone sculptures of the ancient scribes, they were fascinating. After we had some lunch and wandered around the city we knew it was time to head back unfortunately there were no trains so we embarked on a 3.5 hour bus ride back.

The next day after a lie in we decided to explore Cairo on foot and with out a guide so off we set. The streets of Cairo are extremely crowded and are quite dangerous due to the cars swerving in and out. However we managed to walk along the street taking a little look into the shops and managed to find the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. The bazaar was lots of fun and there were lots of cubby holes with men selling their products it was lots of fun..

So this was just a small part of some of the things I did when I was in Cairo.. The city maybe be crowded, polluted and noisy but it is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited and I am even thinking about pack backing around the rest of the country.

The following day, our next destination was Verona, a wonderful yet touristy city. The Arena and Juliet’s balcony were the most famous places there. While visiting Juliet’s balcony, I tried to visualize the incredible love between Juliet and Romeo, lovely!

Our next step was Florence, the most populous city in Tuscany. Florence is famous for its rich history. It really smells history, so impressing! We visited Santa Maria del Fiore. It was a huge cathedral and so beautiful. Then we went to Pisa that is famous with the Leaning Tower. After visiting the tower, we went to a few museums and cathedrals too. Moreover, we did some shopping from the stores in Pisa.

The next day  we set up for Rome and on the road of Rome, we stopped in Siena. There were historic narrow streets, cathedrals and a shell-shaped square, Piazza del Campo, where you can find many antique stores and cafes. One these cafes, I tasted the most delicious spaghetti I had ever eaten.

After this enjoyable break, we reached Rome. What a incredible city! Our first destination was Vatican city. St Pietro was the most famous cathedral there. It was really amazing! In the cathedral there were many historical monuments from the world-famous artists including Michelangelo. Then we visited the Coliseum where the famous historical fights of gladiators were taken place. The next stop was Trevi Fountain. We all had some wishes there J We also visited Spanish Steps. I was so tired to walk up but my mum and dad did. After this tiring trip we went to our hotel to get rest and the next day we turned our home with many lovely memories from Italy! I am looking forward to go back !

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I knew that to trek would be a bit tough, but I also knew that it would be worth it once I had finished.  This is one of the reasons that I wanted to travel in South America – to walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and to understand a little more about the Inca civilization.

I had a 7:00am pick up from the hostel to the start of the trail (kilometer 82) in the sacred valley of the Incas. Here I met other people of the group there were 8 of us trekking in total. We had a spot of lunch and started to get to know the other members of the group.

Our guide was called Elizabeth and along with our 10 porters (who carried all of the camping equipment, food, huge gas bottles for the cooker) I couldn’t have hoped for a better group to travel with. Everyone was good fun and up for a laugh.
 
The first day we walked for about five hours, covering around 16km. We followed the river bank and passed some small Inca ruins, Mount Veronica (5900m high) loomed over us throughout the whole day. That night we camped near the small village of Wayllabamba. The highlight was definitely seeing the ruins of Llaqtapata, which is Quechua for “town on hillside”. The ruin was made up of village and farming terraces, which are located on the banks of the Rio Cusichaca River. It was an amazing sight and really got us excited about seeing Machu Picchu.

Day two started at 05:30 with a hot drink for those who wanted one. They drink coca tea here which is made from the leaves of the coca plant (yes, the same plant that cocaine comes from!) It’s meant to be very good for altitude sickness! We then had breakfast before heading off to climb through the forest to the highest campsite on the Inca Trail at Paq’aymayuo. To get there we first had to get up the first mountain pass of the route at Warmiwanusqa which was tough!!

It took me just under five hours to reach the top of the pass. Even though it was a hard, it was very rewarding to get to the top. Unfortunately, due to it being the rainy season, the clouds had come over and we did not get to see the beautiful views that the pass is famous for. From the top it was a steep walk down to the campsite.

Day 3 started great. After a cold night sleep in tents up a mountain at 3600 everyone awoke to the most amazing views. From here we hiked up to the second pass towards Machu Picchu. Day three was not as hard as day two and we got to see a number of Inca ruins and the views were amazing. In the evening our campsite looked out on to Machu Picchu Mountain with the Machu Picchu site being on the far side of the mountain. This campsite had hot showers and a bar which was just what we needed after a few days of hard walking and the bar came in handy as well.
The final day of the Inca Trail started at 4am the early start was for 2 reasons, our porters had to get the local train at 6am and so that we could get to the final check point before it opened and then get to Machu Picchu before the day trippers arrived. Unfortunately every group gets up at the same time and everyone is queuing at the check point by 5am, we were about the 4th group along. At 5.30 it is a mad rush through the check point and, despite aching legs, a fast pace to get up to the Sun Gate to get the first view of Machu Picchu. Because everyone starts at the same time it is just a massive crowd of people walking single file. The walk is pretty easy but does include a set of almost vertical stairs which were tough.

The Sun Gate itself was a bit of a disappointment, the view is OK but the ruins look pretty small and, despite our group being pretty far forward in the queue and it being the quiet season, the area was still packed. We only stayed a few minutes before heading off a bit further down the trail for much better views and more peace. After the Sun Gate point the views just get better and better until you finally get the first view of Machu Picchu

Elizabeth guided us on our tour of the Machu Picchu. She took us to all the major temples (Condor, Moon, Water/Fertility, Pacha Mama/Mother Earth, and Sun) and Intihuatana (the hitching post of the sun) and explained the purpose of them all and why they were all important. The religion itself seemed to be very nature based and is actually still practiced by some people in the area. After the tour we had free time to explore the ruins on our own and, if we wanted to, climb Huayna Picchu (the Young Peak, Machu Picchu means the Old Peak). I decided against another hike and found a quiet spot where I had a little nap before looking around the more residential areas of the ruins.

I always find these bits interesting, I love looking at how people used to live and imagining how different their lives must have been. After a few hours we caught the bus to the nearest town Aguas Calientes (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo) for some food and to meet up with our group. We all caught the train back to Cusco changing to a bus in Ollantytambo, which is supposed to be quicker, but we still didn’t get back to Cusco until 7.30pm. It had been a very long but enjoyable few days and after thin roll mats for 3 nights and sleeping in tents it was great to sleep in a proper bed.

The Machu Picchu was great and very interesting and a brilliant way to end the trek, but the highlight was definitely the trek itself. It was difficult in parts, especially with the altitude but it was rewarding and the scenery is amazing.

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We started out early the next morning, we crossed the border marked by the Mekong River on a small motorised tail boat and arrived at the border control point in Houayxai.
The first taste of Laos was a chaotic and hectic visa and passport office, but after all our visas were stamped and monies paid we were on out way to Laos.

We had decided to get to Laos by boat and took a two day slow boat journey along the Mekong River for 600km until we reached Luang Prabang.  We stopped overnight at a small town called Pakbeng which was in the back and beyond with no hot water and the electric was switched off at 22:00, we were given candles to get ourselves around.

The boat journey was a lot of fun, the scenery was just stunning and what a great way to see the countryside. The following day we arrived in Luang Prabang and checked into a really nice place near the Thang Farang, luckily it had an amazing shower which was much needed after a 2 day boat journey.

We spent two days in Luang Prabang seeing the sights and enjoying the atmosphere, we took a trip across the river to see a ruined temple and a trip out to the Pac Ou caves which are like a nursing home for old and broken Buddha’s. The Buddha’s that are broken or old and no longer used in the temples have been put in the caves, and  are left there to see out there days! It was quite a funny sight to see.
 
 After our few days in Lunag Prabang we headed to Vang Vien. We traveled by bus which was not the best bus ride I have ever had. Due to the rain that had occurred half the roads had fallen down the side of the mountains and the driving skills are not like they are at home so the 6 hour ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vien was adventurous.

Vang Vien doesn’t look like not much and reminded me of somewhere out of the Wild West. The town is where all the backpackers head due to its laid back attitude and the main reason is to go tubing…

Everyone comes to Vang Vien to float down the river on a large inner tube, which is so much fun you pay a small amount for an 18-wheeler tire and a ride in a tuk tuk to the river. You get with your inner tube into river and float down about 45 meters to the first bar where they reel you in with a bamboo stick with a plastic bottle attached to the end. You then buy a beer and climb a bamboo tower contraption to enjoy a rope swing over the river. Then its time to set off through the rapids down to the next bar for a refill.
As the river progresses and the beers start to take their toll, the bars continue and the swings get higher and higher. Once you arrive at the third bar most people spend the bulk of their day swinging like Tarzan, across the river and enjoying the beer.. The beer is all good until you realize you have to get back on the river and get to the end, which was the funniest part of the day.. Luckily there are river patrols for anyone who’s lost their tube or just too drunk to continue.

Once you reach the bottom we were pretty cold from being soaked all day, so headed back to the hotel and luckily had a warm shower and then headed out for the night.. We had dinner at a great place and it included some kind of Whiskey with a snake in, I can’t remember what the purpose of this was but it was pretty gross but we drunk it anyway..

We spent the next day just chilling out and we met up with the people that we had traveled with on the boat; we had another go at tubing which is just so much fun. Vang Vien was the highlight of my time in Laos and what was meant to be 2 nights there turned into 5. Two days for tubing, and the rest for recovering and so on.

By day 5 it was time to head off we hopped on another local bus and headed for the capital city of Vientiane. Vientiane is the capital and to be honest there isn’t much really there, Vientiane is the capital of Lao but it feels like a small town and is incredibly quiet. We managed to see some of the temples and get something to eat. We were only staying here one night before heading to Thailand so we decided to get an early night.

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My brother and I are both massive Lord of the Ring fans so for my 30th Birthday we had decided to save to go to New Zealand for 3 weeks and embark on a full 14 day tour spending a little more time in Auckland and then finishing up in Christchurch.

For the next few days we explored the city discovering the fantastic Mission Bay 10 minutes out of the city and having coffee up on the café bar of the famous Auckland Sky Tower. There was so much to do here that 2 days just didn’t seem enough.

We then embarked on what we came for our Lord of the Rings Tour. We were picked up first thing and were taking to the movie set for a 2 hour fully guided tour home to Hobbition and set over 10 acres of beautiful gardens. We then headed to Rotorua this is known as the heartland of New Zealand where some of the worlds most incredibly forces still remain it has a number of sulphuric geysers and the clouds of steam just appear every now and again creating an eerie feel to this city you almost feel as if you are on another planet.

The following day we headed to what is officially called Tongarrio and was New Zealands first National Park and is also a World Heritage Site in the Lake Tapu but know to us Lord of the Ring fans this is Mount Doom and the Heart of Mordor and probably one of the best walks I have ever done in my life I was walking the same trial Frodo and Sam took on their journey..

From here we headed to Wellington where we visited the beautiful gardens of Lothlorien and we then drove to Picton where we visited the Gardens of Isengard we had lunch at Rivendell which was just amazing and the hobbition village of Bree plus many other places it was such a perfect day but there was more to come.

The next day we flew to Middle Earth otherwise known as Queenstown this must be the most beautiful area in New Zealand and was the backdrops in many of the scenes of all 3 films. This area is surrounded by snowcapped mountains and Lake Wakatipu over the next few days we took a jeep safari and the best way to see the scenery we took a helicopter ride from Queenstown airport the ride took us over some of the most famous scenes from the films and the first stop was to see the gate of the famous Khazad – Dum ( Moria ).

There was plenty more for us to do we did a horse ride where we passed through the woods of Lothlorien and passed through Amon Hen where the views were just spectacular. I would recommend this tour to anyone even if they are not just fans of the films. New Zealand is the most amazing country and the scenery really is out of this world.

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My partner and I had been in Thailand for about 9 months when he suggested going up to the North of the country to Chaing Mai to join a hiking tour. We flew to Thailand in the January and we were supposed to be touring the country, however this didn’t exactly happen after discovering the beaches of Koh Samui and Ko Phangan the most exercise we had done in 8 months has been trying to get in and out of the hammock each day!!!

However I reluctantly agreed to do this as it was now entering rainy season down in the south so there wasn’t much sun bathing to be done so we packed up the stuff from our little beach hut and headed back to Bangkok to book a tour. We arrived in Bangkok and decided to rest a few days before heading to Chaing Mai we managed to book a tour with a lot of battering for around $20 per person for 2 nights 3 days including all our meals what was I letting myself in for !!!

We caught the overnight bus to Chaing Mai arriving pretty exhausted but ready to meet the group which consisted mainly of Italians we had a quick briefing and off we headed… The trail winds through the dense jungle which the rain had made very slippery and the amount of bugs was insane I was covered in bites within minutes. The trail rises up and down, up and down and is completely exhausting. After about 8 hours of trekking we finally stopped and set up camp… After a hard day’s trek it was great to unwind and the meal of Som Tam, Tom Yam and various other delights the aches and pains of the day slowly drifted away.

The next 2 days followed in a blur not just from the exhaustion but from the breath taking scenery and then the 15 hour trek and then being told we were doing 10 miles of bamboo rafting which was a perfect way to glide down the river feeling like your floating on air..

The tour finished up and we headed back to the hostel not without having a Thai massage to help rejuvenate us and purchasing some plasters to seal up the many blisters that had evolved over my feet…

So the question is would I do it again… Indeed I would despite the pain the whole tour was fantastic the guides were brilliant and it was a great way to see a different side of Thailand the only thing is I would have done it at the start of my travels not after lazing around for so long…

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The hotel that we would stay was in Anjajavy. After a long long air travel of about 20 hours from New York, we finally arrived at Anjajavy. At the moment we stepped out of the plane, we understood that it would be worth it. We decided to go to our hotel and have a rest first. We rented a car, and so we didn’t have any difficulty in getting to our hotel, L’Hotel Anjajavy, which was on Anjajavy road. We liked our hotel very much; it was luxurious and comfortable.

The next day, we made a list of places where we wished to go. I must admit that the list was too long for a week, but there was so much that we wanted to see! So, we gave priority to those that we liked most. First, we went to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, which was a great wildlife exploration. We saw some different animals that we hadn’t seen before. Lemurs and geckos were just two of them. Even more various animals were waiting for us in the Tsimbazaza Zoo! It was awesome to be there. I felt myself a child again, running from one animal to another. After exploring wildlife that much, we decided to see some historical buildings. We went to the Queens Palace that was burned out. It was very interesting to see and Andy tool lots of photos in front of the building. I think he was very curious about the fire.

Now it was time to do some shopping! With my special request of course, we went to the Analakely market. It was very colourful and there were so many things to buy. Poor Andy got bored, as he didn’t like markets, but  thank God he let me do my shopping  
 
It was a great experience to be in Madagaskar. If I have the chance, I will certainly go there again. This time
I will induce Andy to make some shopping, too