- road trip
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I arrived in Varna from Istanbul, where after a long journey I attempted to use my Lonely Planet to find the great youth hostel promised in the centre of town.
Maybe it was the map, maybe it was the late hour, maybe it was the fact that it was dark, raining and not an English speaking soul was to be found. After 10 minutes walking around I gave up, checking in to a concrete monstrosity of a hotel frequented by many a Bulgarian lady of the night. Expensive and shoddy as it was I woke to a new day and found the hostel in about five minutes.
My tip? Find two french guys with a car and head north up the coast stopping in fishing villages, stopping at small rural shops to pick up some home made yoghurt, and soak up the glorious rock coastline of northern Bulgaria. In fact French guys with a car are optional.
Varna, Bulgaria
When I started chatting travel and general nonsense to three Dutch girls in Khayelitsha, I never expected they would adopt me for an adventure road-trip on their last weekend in the country.
Even as I studiously concentrated on the guide book to South Africa, I struggled to get my head around the mammoth journey we were about to embark on; our first sleep was supposed to be Jeffrey’s Bay (JBay) = 765km away.
Following the picturesque N2 road from Khayelitsha we passed through the almost non existent Swellendam, avoided Mossel Bay with its reputation of being rather ugly and headed onwards for what seemed like forever in the cooking-pot car showing 35•C.
In our haste to reach JBay, our day was being melted away inside the vehicle as opposed to being out discovering idyllic beaches, jumping in the pounding white surf and chilling in a retro café in town. JBay is a surfers paradise; there is little point going unless you are planning on surfing, like watching it or have a few days to spend talking it, drinking it and learning it … we had none of the above and time was not on our side. We ended up falling short of our intended destination by some 200km, so by 6pm we began telephoning hostels in the surrounding areas … in the height of South Africa’s summer holiday season. Imagine heading to the beach on a bank holiday weekend …
Plettenberg Bay is one of the Garden Route’s major destinations. Backed by majestic mountains, it overlooks miles of sandy beaches and the moody tidal Keurbooms lagoon whose crystal waters say “snap” back at the sky. Our guide book warned us not to “judge a hostel by its looks” but we were just grateful to the four travellers who had cancelled their booking allowing us to seek refuge at such short notice.
With a patio overlooking the entire stretch of beach – all the way to St Francis Bay on a clear day, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to view the sunrise over the ocean at 05:10 the next morning, even after a deafening night of brain bashing, nightmare inducing dance music from the club opposite.
The hippy-esq market is small yet quaint, selling every type of souvenir or tasty morsel you might desire -perfectly representing the trendy and popular town.
Stopping at Knysna and taking a stroll in and around the Quays of Thesen’s Island, we really should have tickled our taste buds with the ocean-fresh Knysna oysters, however it was just long enough to break up our comparatively short journey through to Wilderness.
Set in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, Wilderness NP has birds, snakes, deer and other wildlife a plenty … as our trundle down the decked Pied Kingfisher Route to a waterfall proved; one Mole Snake, a little grey snake and a spiders nest the size of my head was enough to keep us on our toes.
An evening of indulging in the delights of lasagne and chocolate waffles at the Friday night market was in order before sleeping it off amongst the ants, dragonflies and mosquitoes which were quite apt for staying in ‘the wilderness’.
All too quickly it was over and we were starting our 485km journey back to the township taking a minor detour to the Cango Wildlife Park – a glorified zoo where you get to pay lots to stroke a cheetah, hold a snake, have pictures with a tiger and generally support the unnecessary caging of animals which don’t even belong in this country … needless to say I would suggest bypassing this and visiting Cango Caves instead!
What little we saw of the Garden Route acted as a wonderful break for me, but its towns and parks have been massively developed – not always for the best, and so I would agree with Lonely Planet when it states “so if you leave South Africa without having seen the Garden Route it isn’t a disaster. If you leave having only seen the Garden Route, it might be.”
Top Tips:
• Be reasonable in your assumption with how far you can travel in one day
• Do not skimp on time in unusual places – this is not traveling, this is just ticking towns/countries off a list
• Check out whether it is the holiday season and how far in advance you may have to book
• If in doubt, stop and investigate – take a wander, say yes to the locals, live a little and make it an adventure
The Garden Route starts from Mossel Bay and continues for 200km on to Storms River Mouth. Plenty of accommodation on all levels throughout.
Julian, just a couple of hours' drive from San Diego is a gem, small and unspoilt and a great place to spend a night or two. The Julian Hotel on the Main Street was originally opened as Robinson's Hotel in 1897 by a former slave and is warm, comfortable and super friendly with great breakfasts. Afternoon tea is an American take on English tea learnt from films of the 30s - indulgent.
The town has plenty of small, independent stores and places to eat and enough to occupy a lazy day, either en route over the mountains to San Diego or heading west to the Joshua Tree National Park and other wonders in Arizona.
www.julianhotel.com
2032 Main Street, Julian, CA, United States
+1 760 765 0201
Google map: bit.ly/RbAe5f
Situated on Highway 50, midway between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, an ideal stopping off point if en route from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and its associated ski resorts. There is the archetypal Main Street, complete with Bell Tower, canopies, bars, restaurants and a host of independent stores, including an amazing hardware store, the oldest West of the Mississipi. For breakfast dine outside at Sweetie Pie's, blueberry pancakes and maple syrup. For lunch and dinner, try Cascada, Mexican favourites plus an amazing selection of margeritas, freshly prepared using top quality tequilas and lime juice. Just outside of town, and heading NE is Apple Hill, a wine producing area with several tasting rooms, and for the beer drinker, try the Jack Russell micro brewery. Gold was discovered not far away in 1848 at Coloma, and for aquatic adventures go rafting with one of the commercial companies on the South fork of the American River. A great stopping off point before hitting the slopes at Tahoe, or in summer, lounging by the lake.
Sweetie PIes:
www.sweetiepies.biz/
577 Main Street Placerville, CA 95667, United States
+1 (530) 642 0128
Cascada:
www.cascadaonmainstreet.com/
384 Main Street Placerville, CA 95667, United States
+1 (530) 344 7757
Google map: bit.ly/UKTE7L
Between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon,Prescott is a perfect place for a break. It's charming and historic, with antique shops, good museums, a brewery/restaurant, and the saloons of old Whisky Row. Try to book the comfortable Tom Mix room at the Hotel Vendome, where the cowboy movie star stayed while making his many silent films featuring Tony, The Wonder Horse. Nearby are lakes and trails galore - we wished we'd had longer to explore it all.
www.vendomehotel.com/
Hotel Vendome, 230 South Cortez St., Prescott, Az 86303
+1 928 776 0900
www.visit-prescott.com/
Google map: bit.ly/TioAFu
The small town of Clarksdale, lies along the Mississippi blues trail and is the former home of the mysterious and legendary blues pioneer Robert Johnson, as well as John Lee Hoooker, Muddy Waters and various others (including Ike Turner). Two miles south of town, the Shack Up Inn offers accommodation in quirky, makeshift cabins among the flat fields of the Hopson cotton plantation. Each cabin is decked out according to a theme, with vintage fridges and appliances, scruffy antique furniture and "reclaimed" objet d'art. It costs just $80 a night per cabin, and the price includes coffee and greasy donuts in the morning. Also, upon checking in, guests are loaned a guitar which they are then obliged to strum as they watch the sun set over the cotton fields from a rocking chair on their cabin porch. All the buildings on the complex are made of rusty corrugated iron and the grounds are littered with old trucks, pumps, tanks and other defunct farming machinery, rusting and overgrown with vines. The staff at reception are also well-informed about which of the towns diners and bars have live music - all blues, of course - on any given night.
www.shackupinn.com
1 Commissary Circle, Clarksdale, MS, United States
+1 662 624 8329
Google map: bit.ly/R6wt0P
This Victorian town, a short drive north of San Francisco, is so quintessentially small town USA that it's been used as the backdrop for nostalgic films like American Graffiti and Pleasantville. The historic town centre, full of buildings which survived the 1906 earthquake that destroyed most of San Francisco, is small and easily walkable, with boutique shops, cafes, antique stores, a Carnegie library (now the town museum) and beautiful 1933 post office. Don't miss Volpi's, a grocery store in business since 1925 with a Prohibition-era "speakeasy" in back, the riverfront and 150 year old mill, and the old bank building now selling heirloom vegetable seeds.
www.visitpetaluma.com/
Volpi's:
124 Washington Street, Petaluma, CA, United States
+1 707 762 2371
Google map: bit.ly/TkwVhc
The little town of Volcano, sits in a bowl-shaped valley, in the heart of California's Gold Country, at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the mid-1800's, when the town was established, gold miners thought it was the remnant of a volcanic crater. It wasn't, but the colourful name stuck.
Volcano is registered as a California Historical Landmark, with a population of around 115 people. One of the town's most popular attractions is the four acre farm of Daffodil Hill. Every spring 300 varieties of daffodils carpet the farm's rolling hills. People come from miles around to picnic and stroll through hundreds-of-thousands of golden blooms. Though privately owned by the McLaughlin family, there is no charge to visitors.
This part of the world is popular with outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs and wine lovers.
www.suttercreek.org
Google map: bit.ly/QON7Fk
Jerome is a small town some 20 miles out of Sedona between Prescott and Flagstaff, and a real hidden gem. The town is what is left of the 4th largest city in Arizona, now there are only about 450 people living here, many of them artists and musicians. It is known as "Americas Most Vertical City" as well as "the largest ghost town in America". We didn't happen to see any ghosts but can vouch for the fact that there are some steep hills. We ate the best burger we had ever had at a place called the Haunted Hamburger, which is so much more than a burger joint and had us grinning with delight!
thehauntedhamburger.com/
410 Clarke Street, Jerome, Arizona
+1 (928) 634 0554
Google map: bit.ly/RKY6Q0
www.azjerome.com/
Fort Peck is a small town in north east Montana which is the best place for a relaxing summertime break in 'real' America.
You can take a boat out on the beautiful lake, watch the breattaking sunsets that "Big Sky Country" is known for then see a show at the incredibly famous (and extremely stunning) Fort Peck Theatre, which is sold out every night during the summer.
Great people, great atmosphere, great way to spend a few days.
www.fortpecktheatre.org/
110 5th St S # 102 Glasgow, MT 59230, United States
+1 (406) 228 9216
Google map: bit.ly/QLe5fA
Cooperstown is a picture perfect small town in upstate New York. A world away from Manhattan but only a couple of hours by car. Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame - you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the displays. The main street is like something from a Norman Rockwell painting, especially in the fall (autumn) with the leaves turning orange, red and gold and pumpkins in front of the clapboard houses. Other nearby attractions include Glimmerlgass, with its summer music festival, and the Fenimore Art Museum, for American folk and decorative art.
www.thisiscooperstown.com/
Google map: bit.ly/VE8MmP
Take a budget flight to Valladolid, pick up a hire car and head off on a 90 mile drive through Castilla y Leon, Spain’s largest (and my favourite) province, to the venerable old university town of Salamanca. You’ll have long empty roads through orchards and vineyards, flower-strewn verges in spring, and storks clacking their bills from bell towers as you pass.
After a night exploring city squares, restaurants and bars that come alive at 11pm, continue another 70 miles to the hilltop towns, forests and orchards of the Sierras de Francia. At the medieval village of La Alberca there are half-timbered houses, washing draped over balconies, donkeys, pastel shutters and window boxes. From here return direct to Valladolid and enjoy a last night with a stroll among the peacocks and statures of Campo Grande Park before flying home.
Look out for the plentiful “Miradors” where you can pull over to picnic or admire the views at your leisure. Fuel is cheaper than the UK and attendants do the filling. But watch your speed: on-the-spot fines of €150 are a nice little earner for Spanish traffic cops when for a few hundred yards signs change inexplicably from 90 to 50 kph.
Google map: bit.ly/mtsWaO
Travelling through the Mont-Blanc tunnel and emerging in the Aosta valley brings you en route for the classic Italian cities. First of all, you pass through Turin before experiencing the Levantine Riviera as you travel along side the Mediterranean. From here you can continue further down to visit the famous leaning tower of Pisa or head back up to Milan. The majestic city of Venice is on a direct road from here and on the way you can stop by historic Verona and get in touch with your romantic side by leaving a letter to Juliet.
Google map: bit.ly/iRuNcu
The most stunning road trip in Europe is found in the centre of Romania, stretching from the flat meadows of Cartisoara, across the snow-capped Fagaras mountain peaks, through a spooky 887-metre tunnel, past gushing waterfalls, mountain lakes and that's all before you get to the best bit: the unbelievable snaking descent with more u-turns, corners, cambers, twists and turns than seems humanly possible. The grand finale passes Poenari, the ruined castle on a crag belonging to Vlad the Impaler, the 13th century inspiration for Dracula. The road was constructed by the Romanian army who took five years to complete Nicolae Ceausescu's demonic plan. The Transfagarasan Highway, the second highest in Europe, opened in 1974 and is legendary among bikers for being the best route on the Continent, if not Planet Earth! Ceausescu must be spinning in his grave!
Route 7C
Turn off the E68 Sibiu to Brasov main road just after Scoreiu. The turning is marked for the village of Cartisoara.
The road stretches from Cartisoara in the north to Curtea de Arges and is only open June to October.
Google map: bit.ly/kTU7Wn
If you're planning to drive in France, consider avoiding the toll roads and taking the local roads instead. Toll roads are quick but they are deadly boring and expensive - they add a lot of euros to the price of your holiday. Local roads are more interesting to drive and allow you to discover France's best hidden gems: ancient churches, vineyards and olive groves, winding rivers and fantastic bakeries. Be careful though: exploring the backroads could be so much fun that you don't leave time to reach your final destination!
Tip 1: Get drunk with friends in pub, decide it is a good idea.
Tip 2: Book three weeks off work.
Tip 3: Use internet auction site to buy a cheap diesel estate.
Tip 4: Buy ferry crossing.
Tip 5: Pack car, include a tent.
Tip 6: Set off and plan where to go when you get on the ferry.
Tip 7: Don't make the first leg of your journey Leeds to Berlin - it's too far.
Tip 8: Head as far east as you can, if a country's not in the Euro then it will be cheaper.
Tip 9: Going to the various major cities along the danube is a good idea, Prague, Krakow and Budapest all have camp sites reasonably close to the city centre.
Tip 10: make sure you've got an extra couple of days off work when you get back, you'll need a break after the driving.
C a m p s i t e i n B u d a p e s t :
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The Costiera Amalfitani has to be one of the most spectacular and dramatic coastlines in Europe. That said, it is a road trip where the driving is best left to others, whether on the service bus from Sorrento or a dedicated coach trip. The road is a wonder of engineering in itself, as it winds its way 500 metres above the sparkling azure sea, revealing jaw-dropping vistas around every bend. Sandy coves and tempting lemon groves remain tantalisingly out of reach as you head down the coast to Positano, with its pretty pastel villas tumbling down the mountainside.
Check out the spectacular Cathedral of Santa Monica in Amalfi and the famous views from the gardens of Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo in Ravello.
But however lovely the stops are, this is one road trip where it's all about the journey itself - where travelling hopefully is almost better than arriving.
Google map: bit.ly/kByfcU
Oman is the land of the muscle car, and in a tired and emotional state I agreed to go on a thousand kilometer-plus drive down to the Dhofari capital Salalah from Muscat one Thursday morning. You pass through the most extreme, silent, brutally hot, lunar landscape for eight hours, occasionally filling up at petrol stations manned by lonely South Indian attendants. Then (if you go during the Khareef, or monsoon season), you all of a sudden hit a thin film of rain, fog and brilliantly green hills. You battle for tarmac with camels in scenery that more resembles Switzerland than Arabia. It is a surreal, and demanding drive expedition, but well worth it.
Rent a car in Muscat and just drive south - there are plenty of affordable seaside hostels to stay in in Salalah.
Google map: bit.ly/ciyj8k
The United Arab Emirates is probably best know for the sliver of excess known as Dubai that lounges on the western coast 100 kilometres north of its hyper-wealthy neighbour Abu Dhabi. Forget about billion dollar hotels and dazzling grand prix circuits, the UAE is virtually all desert and Abu Dhabi monitors the Empty Quarter from a tiny offshore archipelago held together by the unimaginable wealth and a cheap labour force. The Rub al Khali, to give it its proper name, is the largest sand desert on earth, 1000 miles of dune big enough to lose France in. The ride, Harley's are a favourite over there, will take you on a triangular circuit from the oasis town of Al Ain down to Abu Dhabi and then Liwa. The drive, on virtually unused high-quality black-top, snakes through 300 metre high dunes and vast, mesmerizingly beautiful desert plains. Set off early and the air is cold and still, alone in this ocean of sand and you'll feel like you're flying. This is what motorcycling would feel like if you were the last person on Earth.
You have a choice of two great routes, either a NW loop taking in Dien Bien Phu and Sa Pa or a NE loop taking in Lang Son and Cao Bang, or you can just do your own thing! Minsks are as simple a machine as you can get and help for the mechanically-challenged is never far away in this very populous and friendly country. When you turn up on a 'local' bike caked in dust you get a great welcome.
Starting point is still the Minsk Club in Ha Noi - www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.htm.
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