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A long weekend in spring is the perfect excuse to take off along the Coast & Castles cycle route. 200 miles from Newcastle to Edinburgh (the direction for more favourable winds), the route uses sections of National Routes 1 and 76 and cyclists can expect a mixture of traffic free tracks and quiet minor roads, all well marked and at gradients accessible to most abilities.
True to its name the route certainly doesn’t disappoint, skimming the impressive North East coastline and offering beautiful beaches alongside lush countryside. Views to savour from the saddle include Holy Island, Tynemouth Priory, Chathill Station and Alnmouth with its colourful houses hugging the shoreline. Keep an eye out for The Ducket, the explanation of such an interesting building is worth stopping to read.
The route isn’t short of castles and spotting them keeps the ride interesting. The most impressive being Bamburgh, standing proud on the beach. A personal favourite is Warkworth, best experienced when the Daffodils are in full bloom.
To kick start the holiday feeling begin with lunch on Newbiggin beach while examining the Sean Henry statue of a couple in the sea. Make sure that feeling lasts until the final afternoon with lunch on the village green at East Linton.
Start and finish accessible by train (book cycle spaces to avoid disappointment).
Cheap and unique accommodation along the route at the Hideaway Hostel, Berwick and Bells Bothy Bunkhouse.
www.coast-and-castles.co.uk/
We hired a car in Hammamet, and drove south, via Kairouan, to stay in the desert town of Douz on the edge of the Sahara.
The Tunisian Sahara is known as the Grand Erg Oriental – and erg translates as ‘field of dunes’.
Our journey took us across the Chott El Jerid, the largest salt pan of the Sahara, where temperatures can soar to 50° C. Halfway across, we parked at the edge of the sun-baked road and tentatively stepped out onto the salt crust. Mirages of castles and spaceships shimmered in the distance, as elusive as rainbow-ends.
Eventually we reached Douz, where minarets and blue-shuttered houses appeared ghostly in the half-light of dusk, and the pale dunes, as fine as icing sugar, rolled into the seeming infinity of the Sahara.
Google map: bit.ly/RNbhjJ
After visiting Dubrovnik it was hard to remember we were in a foreign country, that was until we reached the seaside town of Omis, not somewhere popularized in the guide books just yet but a hidden gem on the road to Zadar.We were dropped off in the middle of the night and were lucky enough to find a tourist office still open and a euro campsite right where the bus dropped us. We explored the 'open till late' town which was swarming with locals, pubs and youngsters. A vibrant town buzzing with youth and laughter not loud American accents and the pitta patter of Birkenstocks. We had been offered to do white water rafting which was an activity neither of us had considered before and I wasn't to keen especially with the early morning start. We started our journey through the mountains to reach a decent point to start our decline. We were welcomed by the organizers and were made to instantly feel safe and part of the team (no patronizing talks or telling off). We got put into a team with two others and a guide, a well spoken Croatian who was also part of the Olympic rafting team. On my whole journey I had never felt so content and at one with nature as we weaved down the Centina river through waterfalls, trees, lagoons, fish and caves. Of course there was the thrilling rapids in between all of this which resulted in the entire boat laughing with joy after the thrill. We were closely followed by other teams who had plenty of banter and splash fights to give (you're never too old). The best experience of this was our trip into the caves when on the command of 'go English' I was told to follow the torch light in to a dark pit of a below zero water across to slippery rocks and led up barefoot following the sunlight out through the mouth of a waterfall. The shrill squeak of my boyfriend closely following me is what kept me laughing the whole way. Afterwards we got to chill in the river, jump off rocks and free float (no boat) down a rapid. After I felt exhilarated and free. An experience of mixed emotions I will never forget and recommend all to do, if not even the town alone is worth a visit for a real taste of Croatia.
Omis is a town on the coastal rad between Dubrovnik and Zadar which is reachable by bus.
Google map: bit.ly/IVco9F
Fantastic setting high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Southern Spain, lovely accommodation, excellent food and superb guided mountain biking. We have been twice now and intend to come back as much as possible.
www.puremountains.com/
Cortijo Márcula,, 18451 Bérchules, Granada, Spain
+34(0) 958 064 052
Google map: bit.ly/HuhrTz
You need tenacity to get to the ancient Indus Valley city of Dholavira. Villages in the eastern badlands of Kutch are so remote you are required to obtain a permit to travel. You have to apply in person in Gandhidam, so expect to spend a day getting it organised if you have made Bhuj your base. Then it's a 250 kilometre hike along an increasingly lonely road from Bhuj towards the sensitive border with Pakistan. A bus will take seven hours to get you there, but with your own car and driver you can stop off along the way at any of the frontier villages, or bird-filled shallow lakes and really enjoy the journey. There is a long bridge from the mainland to the island over a scorched white desert of salt in the dry season, and the sea in the monsoon.
The 5000-year-old Harappan city of Dholavira lies in the northernmost reaches of the Great Rann of Kutch, on the floodplain island of Khadir. The Harappans were part of the spectacularly successful Indus Valley Civilization and possessed the same high intelligence as their better-known western counterparts in Egypt and Greece. Dholavira is one of the five most notable Indus Valley settlements, the best known being Mohenjodaro, a Unesco-listed site in Pakistan. Many of Dholavira's unique artefacts are in showcases at the National Museum in Delhi, but a few ancient seals, beads and other small items are on display in the small circular visitor centre and museum on site.
The excavation stretches over 100 hectares, most of it within a hillside fortification. Visitors are left without supervision to scramble through the citadel, cemetery, two stadia, many dwellings, several monumental gateways (including one with the first 'sign board' in the world above its entrance) and sturdy walls. To get to this unique city, which has stood for thousands of years, you must walk across a concrete bridge over one of the two rivers which flow round the hill in the monsoon. Built in the 1990s, the bridge is already crumbling.
The settlement was hewn from the rocky hill on which it sits and is unique among Harappan cities for its innovative engineering methods in collecting and conserving water: the site is dotted with dams, covered channels, perfectly preserved (and still working) reservoirs and storm water management systems. There are no guides, no touts and no-one there to sell you trinkets. If you persist you might be given a small pamphlet about the site, but it would be wise to bring your own information.
During my one-on-one tour with the caretaker, I asked him how many people he saw a year, “about 200” was the reply.
“What about foreign tourists?” I said.
He laughed, and indicated with a shrug that we were the first he had seen in a long time.
This is a shame, because the drive from Bhuj alone is an adventure, and worth a two day detour from the honeypot textile villages around Kutch's capital. The area is a naturalist's paradise. We saw flocks of demoiselle cranes and three species of ibis, as well as harriers, spoonbills, pelicans, storks, kites and countless other birds in the shallow waters which sprinkle the plain. This startling and unique habitat is also home to the nilgai, the largest antelope in Asia, of which we saw plenty.
www.gujarattourism.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=36
North western Khadir, Great Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat.
7 hours by bus from Bhuj.
Modest Hotel Toran on site.
No entrance fee.
Google map: bit.ly/HDPaGd
Great diving in south west Ireland - wrecks, dramatic underwater scenery, loads of sea life, rocks carpeted with sponges, Fastnet Rock, U260, Kowloon Bridge, etc. All of this and also welcoming locals, great food and drink. You can either spend a week here (I do two sometimes) or a couple of days.
Contact Jerry and Rianne at Aqua Ventures in advance whatever your plans to check on what boat dives they are running / can arrange. Accommodation can also be sorted out. Excellent if you want to arrange a week of diving for experienced divers, but not so great if you want to pop in for a day while on holiday and lack experience in the conditions (even in August it may be rough and only 13 degrees in the water).
www.aquaventures.ie/index.htm
Baltimore Rd, Baltimore, Co. Cork, Ireland
+353 28 20511
Interesting day trip from Reykjavik, although I went for a long weekend just for the diving. You get to scuba dive along the volcanic cracks where the European and North American plates meet. Utterly fantastic visibility of 100m or so underwater. You get guided through and can hire all equipment. The more experience you have beforehand the better to enjoy it rather than fight a hired drysuit for the first time. If you show you know enough they may take you to the lower levels, which are up to 40m deep and totally enclosed - great fun, but not for everybody. Go in wintertime as it is quietest then.
Several dive operations in Reykjavik - I used these guys: www.dive.is/Diving_Iceland.php?page=Silfra
Hólmaslóð 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+(354) 663 2858
Google map: bit.ly/GV8OjN
One of the top diving spots in the world - exploring the four WW2 cargo ships torpedoed off Bell Island. Expect excellent visibility (30m on a bad day) and collossal intact shipwrecks festooned with cold water corals / marine growth. Yes it is cold (8 degrees maximum in Sept-Oct) and the water will be below zero even at the start of summer, but it is spectacular and the dive centre staff are the nicest I have ever met. It is a long way to go just for diving, so if you do best get used to drysuits and hone your skills first. Hire a car for your visit to explore Newfoundland as well.
I went with Ocean Quest Adventures, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland www.oceanquestadventures.com/
17 Stanley's Road, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada A1W 5H9
+1 866 623 2664
Google map: bit.ly/HgIcYb
If you want to get off the beaten track a bit in the Cairo area then Casual Cairo Detours will help you do exactly that.
The tours they organise give a unique insight into Egypt as they use local guides and drivers along with their expat English-speaking guide who accompanies each trip.
Their tours allow you to see and experience parts of Egypt that most travellers would find very difficult to access on their own.
They are really friendly and offer the perfect way of seeing more of Cairo and the delta area.
www.casualcairodetours.com/
+2(02) 2415 2726
Alip is our Been there local for Cairo. Her homepage is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/cairo-local-alice-allsop.jsp and you can follow her tips directly here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/alip
Siwa Oasis is the place to go in Egypt if you really want to get away from it all. It can be 10 hours by road from Cairo and when you arrive in the unique culture of this oasis you will be far far away from Egypt's capital in more ways than one.
Somewhere Different is a family-run villa in the heart of Siwa Oasis. The villa has four bedrooms and is set up for self catering (including breakfast supplies replenished each morning with fresh supplies) but traditional food and the centre of Siwa is just five minutes walk away.
When booking the villa, Somewhere Different can also arrange your transport between Siwa and Cairo and arrange tours with local guides for when you are there.
I would recommend the tour of the local sites by donkey and cart (a.k.a Siwa Taxi) and the day in a 4x4 on the dunes.
The best thing about Somewhere Different is a beautiful villa and excellent trips that I could not have organised myself. I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
www.somewheredifferent.com/siwa/siwa.html
Market Sq, Siwa, Matrouh, Egypt
+20 (0) 46 921 0111
Google map: bit.ly/w9r6su
Have you ever wanted to be surrounded by snow-capped mountains? To face a challenge where the only path is a 5416 metre mountain pass? To smell the purest fresh air and eat the most delicious apple crumble? The Annapurna Circuit is an absolutely stunning trek through the Nepalese Himalayas. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the beauty of a landscape. It is a challenge; a physically and mentally exhausting 21 days but it was worth every blister and every tear shed along the way.
I went to Nepal, a lone 26-year-old female, with one goal in mind - the circuit. I was on a limited budget, so decided against a tour company, guide or porter. It was just me and my backpack at the start of my adventure but at the end I was surrounded by close friends and many happy smiling faces.
I am not recommending doing what I did; I was extremely lucky to find a group of travellers and a guide on the bus to the drop off point, Besisahar. Without these people I would not have made it, I owe my entire experience and possibly my life to those friends and Amore, a local guide from Pokhara. Amore had one client on the trek but took us all under his wing. Having many years of experience on the trail he took us to the best tea houses with the cheapest rates, he held our hands and led us down slippery ‘extremely icy downs’, he always had a smile on his face and a tune to dance to and by knowing the mountains he had every confidence that we would make the pass. Making the pass became more and more important each day we walked. Fellow trekkers were returning from the higher altitude with news that snow had closed the pass, making it too dangerous to cross. With this in mind, the group was scared, it seemed impossible to turn around on this path after we had got so far. Amore had no doubt. The pass day included a huge ascent up fresh snow and an early start in the pitch black freezing hours of the morning. Without Amore, if I had got this far on my own, I would have had no idea of what to do or where to go. That day was one of my best and worst days of my life. It was like the weather held out until that very moment when we reached 5416 metres, the beauty of sunlight glistening on the perfect white snow with a clear blue sky and incredible mountain scenery vanished. The descent was greeted by a blizzard and the snow became muddy slush, an absolute nightmare. However, this is not a story of my adventures on the trail. It is a recommendation for you to have your own adventures on the Annapurna Circuit. If you start like I did, then I send you the best of luck but if you want to be a little bit more prepared and make the most of your trek, send Amore a Facebook message- he might even invite you round for some ‘garlic buttered chicken curry!’
Annapurna Circuit, Nepal. Catch a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Here you can chill out, learn Buddhism, paraglide or meet up with Amore for a Rakshi while you sort out trekking permits and snacks for the journey. Then it's a bus ride to Besisahar to start your adventure.
Amore: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000376132034&sk=wall#!/profile.php?id=100000376132034&sk=wall
Google map: bit.ly/wOQ4wB
Have you ever wanted to be surrounded by snow-capped mountains? To face a challenge where the only path is a 5416 metre mountain pass? To smell the purest fresh air and eat the most delicious apple crumble? The Annapurna Circuit is an absolutely stunning trek through the Nepalese Himalayas. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the beauty of a landscape. It is a challenge; a physically and mentally exhausting twenty-one days but it was worth every blister and every tear shed along the way. I went to Nepal, a lone 26-year-old female, with one goal in mind - the circuit. I was on a limited budget, so decided against a tour company, guide or porter. It was just me and my backpack at the start of my adventure but at the end I was surrounded by close friends and many happy smiling faces.
I am not recommending doing what I did; I was extremely lucky to find a group of travellers and a guide on the bus to the drop off point, Besisahar. Without these people I would not have made it, I owe my entire experience and possibly my life to those friends and Amore, a local guide from Pokhara. Amore had one client on the trek but took us all under his wing. Having many years of experience on the trail; he took us to the best tea houses with the cheapest rates; he held our hands and led us down slippery ‘extremely icy downs’; he always had a smile on his face and a tune to dance to; and by knowing the mountains he had every confidence that we would make the pass. Making the pass became more and more important each day we walked. Fellow trekkers were returning from the higher altitude with news that snow had closed the pass, making it too dangerous to cross. With this in mind, the group was scared, it seemed impossible to turn around on this path after we had got so far. Amore had no doubt. The pass day included a huge ascent up fresh snow and an early start in the pitch black freezing hours of the morning. Without Amore, if I had got this far on my own, I would have had no idea of what to do or where to go. That day was one of my best and worst days of my life. It was like the weather held out until that very moment when we reached 5416 metres, the beauty of sunlight glistening on the perfect white snow with a clear blue sky and incredible mountain scenery vanished. The descent was greeted by a blizzard and the snow became muddy slush, an absolute nightmare. However, this is not a story of my adventures on the trail; this is a recommendation for you to have your own adventures on the Annapurna Circuit. If you start like I did, then I send you the best of luck but if you want to be a little bit more prepared and make the most of your trek, send Amore a Facebook message- he might even invite you round for some ‘garlic buttered chicken curry!’
Annapurna Circuit, Nepal. Catch a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Here you can chill out, learn Buddhism, paraglide or meet up with Amore for a Rakshi while you sort out trekking permits and snacks for the journey. Then it's a bus ride to Besisahar to start your adventure.
Amore: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000376132034&sk=wall#!/profile.php?id=100000376132034&sk=wall
Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in the British Isles – you cannot be serious?! For a not so experienced walker it’s a truly terrifying prospect. But it can be done. Tackling it with an experienced and fully qualified mountain leader and first aider, my fears were quelled. The guide, Gary, was reassuring and patient, and the sheer joy of reaching the summit is as incredible as the surrounding landscape. Knowing that you are with a professional who has done this many times before is invaluable. I won’t lie; it is hard and scary at times, but worth every penny, digestive biscuit and blister. It will rain, the sun will shine, you will be cold and you will get boiling hot. But when you reach the top, around seven or eight hours later, you will feel literally on top of the world.
www.serenventures.com/BenNevis.htm
Adventure Centre, Vicarage Road, Betws-y-Coed, LL24 0AD
+44(0)1690 710754
Google map: bit.ly/GVw1mM
The One-Horned Rhinos of Kaziranga National Park.
This Unesco World Heritage Site is set in spectacular scenery and is professionally run, without any fuss. Please believe the hype and take an elephant safari. It's a humbling experience to ride these stoical and patient relics from prehistory. You'll see plenty of rhinos as you pass through the elephant grass swampland, and if you're very lucky you may see some of the fifteen species of India's most threatened mammals. We saw wild elephants, several dear species and fantastic birds, but you could see fish eagles, hornbills, King Cobras, tigers, bears, leopards, or more.
We stayed in pristine huts with new kids on the block, the Nature Hunt Eco Camp. Superb.
www.worldheritagekaziranga.com
naturehunttours.com
Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve
Bokakhat – 785 612
Golaghat
Assam, India
Telephone: +91-3776-268095
Google map: bit.ly/z8MT8D
Cross the Hardanger Vidda plateau on telemark skis before Easter, travelling hut to hut. Take a guide or experienced friend(s) as there is the risk of severe weather (shovel for snow hole essential).
Info: bit.ly/yGe4tO
www.turistforeningen.no/english/
Google map: bit.ly/zUMHNE
Learn the basics at Poiana Brasov ski-school. Situated deep within the Carpathian mountains. There’s plenty of scope for intermediates too. Bargain breaks are available throughout the season. Enjoy authentic Rumanian food. Apres includes cosy bars with gypsy music, attractive restaurants, massages, sauna, skating, swimming or night skiing.
Venture further afield and explore traditional villages taking in Dracula’s home Bran castle on the way. An enchanting horse-drawn sleigh ride through spectacular scenery remains a treasured memory.
www.poiana-brasov.com/
Google map: bit.ly/wxS4Un
Widely considered the toughest trek in Europe the GR20 follows the spine of the Corsican mountains from the north west to south east of the island. The trek, mountains and views are spectacular. The hut infrastructure is good and the people are very friendly.
Some people go out and do as much as they can of the route in a week. It can be completed in less than 2 weeks but give yourself 1 week more and you can take the 'alpine variations' and a few side trips. Treat yourself to some time in Corsica at the end of trek to enjoy beaches, good food and powerful cheese.
While travelling in Thailand, my wife and I cajoled each other into embarking on a retreat in a Buddhist monastery. The overnight train from Bangkok took us Suan Mokkh Hermitage where, after registration of £30, we entered into ten days of practising yoga (never done before); meditation (never attempted); receiving instructions in Buddhist philosophy (never chased spiritual guidance) and in mindfulness (ask my wife!) All in total silence. It was truly the most challenging, thought-provoking, difficult, weird and ultimately rewarding experience I've had and I came out the most balanced, relaxed and healthy-looking I can recall - but nonetheless dying for a beer. A very small step on the road to enlightenment. Two years on and I'm still carrying a large chunk of that time around with me.
www.suanmokkh-idh.org
Suan Mokkh International Dhamma Hermitage, Chaiya, near Surat Thani, Thailand. Retreats commence the first Sunday of every month.
Google map: bit.ly/yiGZTi
The West Bank – May 2011. We drove along the road until our path was blocked by huge boulders and we could go no further. Clambering over boulders we continued uphill by foot. On arrival, we were greeted warmly and shown into a brightly coloured cave by Daoud, our host, who told us of the history of the farm.
Situated on a hill-top south of Bethlehem, Daher’s vineyard has been in the same family since 1916, when it was purchased by Daher Nassar, grandfather of the family who now run it.
In 1991 the Israeli government declared the area including the Nassar’s land, to be Israeli state land. The family’s challenge has meant ongoing litigation. Despite this, the Tent of Nations was founded in 2000 as an educational and environmental organic farm “seeking to build bridges between different people, and between people and the land”
They have no mains electricity or running water. Solar panels have been installed and their water is collected via rainfall. Visitors and volunteers arrive from all over the world, and support groups are based in the UK and North America. They also run a number of other projects locally including projects for young people.
Our visit was part of a Holy Land Pilgrimage, when we met with local people and learn about organizations – of both Palestinians and Israelis - working for peace in the West Bank. Despite their difficult circumstances, I left with a feeling of optimism and hope for the future. A visit is a truly awe inspiring, unforgettable experience.
www.tentofnations.org/
Atan Street 17, PO Box 28, Bethlehem, Palestine
+972(2)2743071
Currently spending a year in Buenos Aires, as the new year kicked in I decided to explore. My curiosity led me to the north-west province of Córdoba, home to many of the Argentine clichés, and being a similar if not slightly less hectic version of Buenos Aires, my attention was drawn to the surrounding areas.
This is where I discovered Capilla del Monte, a couple of hours drive to the north. This place is like nowhere I have ever been, nor ever will! On the surface it could be the Peak District (despite the 40 degree January sun), but as soon as the nature of the town captured me, I realised that there was something quite different going on here. And nature is the right word; the town is immensely eco-friendly and its people on the whole are rather spiritual. With the Cerro Uritorco acting as a back drop, this particular mountain is a focal point for the lifestyle of the townspeople.
Firstly I found a bed in a hostel. I was greeted by the smell of incense and a group of very relaxed travellers lying on the floor reading books on the development of the soul. On top of the hostel was a very prominent glass dome, in case of alien contact. This is the point in which I remembered seeing this town on the news last November. In recognition of the 11th November 2011 (11.11.11) at 11.11am (11.11.11.11.11) there was a pilgrimage to the Cerro Uritorco, where thousands of people attempted a huge spiritual connection in the expectation of a greater force making itself present at this exact moment. In fact, later that day I came across three travellers from Buenos Aires going around in a beautiful old VW, who had arrived on the 11.11.11 and had stayed there ever since.
And so, with this as an introduction, the atmosphere of the town seemed to fit this entirely. With many healing places, health food shops and almost all the hotels including the word 'natural' in some way, this place was unique.
What had initially drawn me to the town was the countryside around it, so the next day I went for a stroll by the river. This in fact turned into a seven hour hike up the Cerro Uritorco, which claims (and is fully believed) to be home to an energetic epicentre serving as a portal to the first intergalactic cosmic communication centre on Earth. Now there's something you don't get in the Peak District. The presence of aliens in the region is completely believed and accepted, and many sightings have been reported.
Spending a few days in this town certainly made me leave with a sense of wonderment - perhaps due to the amazement of such a strong sense of belief and spirituality, or perhaps due to my own resulting questions of the cosmos! This place is one of a kind, and everybody is most welcome here. Forming a part of my entire Latin America journey so far, this has been one of the highlights, and was certainly an interesting start to 2012!
www.capilladelmonte.com.ar/
Accessible from Cordoba mini-bus station (mercado sur), through the company Sarmiento. Journey costs around 30-40 pesos and takes 2-3 hours.
Google map: bit.ly/wR1yIp
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