No. 14 - Where Next - Memories of Australia

 A few years ago I spent nearly 6 months travelling around Australia, that may sound a lot but believe me, it only skimmed the surface of this vast continent.  

Map of Australia

The first thing that struck me about Australia was it's shear size, this was brought home to me one afternoon chatting to some fellow travellers in a Melbourne backpackers hostel.  I happened to mention that I was going to go to Adelaide the following afternoon, as to me it only looked a couple of hours away judging from the map I saw on the wall.  When everyone had picked themselves up off the floor from raucous laughter, I was informed that Adelaide was a 15 hour drive away.  So be warned, what looks like a couple of hours drive on a map in the UK is about 15 hours drive in Australia.  

Greyhound Coaches which tour around Australia

If you want to get a really good feel for the size of Oz I suggest you take a coach from Perth to Sydney.  I got on the bus in Perth at 8.00am on Friday morning and arrived in Sydney at 11.30pm on Monday night.  Bear in mind that the coach was driving non-stop except for odd refreshment breaks at road houses along the way.  

Rubber Plant Tree in Australia

The vast size of Oz often means that people tend to fly between resorts rather than take to the road, but I think this is a big mistake.  The real charm of Australia is often hidden in between the big cities, where you can drive for hours without seeing a house, telegraph pole or human being.  This is supplanted with trees and flowers that you don't see in England.  All plants that you do recognise are super-sized too, for example there was a time when every house in England would sport a rubber plant, and this would be kept in the bathroom and often consist of a single stork with a couple of leaves - in Australia they are trees its the same for umbrella plants too!  

Herd of Emu

You can also see amazing animals roaming freely where in England, you would only see them in a Zoo.  I clearly remember being amazed to see a green cloud fly overhead, to be told that they were budgerigars.  I also recall coming to a crossroads on the border between New South Wales and Victoria and finding a herd of Emu nibbling the shrubs by the side of the road.  

Crossing the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia is a whole new experience too, seeing amazing lizards basking on the road and kangaroos hanging out in the

The Nullarbor Plain

bush.  Sadly we also saw a great deal of road kill too, and the odd car wreck from a collision with a kangaroo. Apparently kangaroo's are so muscular that hitting one with a car can easily write it off.   I remember hearing people talk of it being essential to fit rhubarb to the front of your car, it wasn't until I went across the Nullarbor that I realised that they were actually saying 'roo bars'!  These are basically the same as bull bars on four wheel drive cars in England.  Oops!

There are so many great experiences to be had in Australia, one of which was when I went to Phillip Island with the Australian Conservation Volunteers.  I spent a long weekend, building hutches for the Fairy Penguins who parade up the beach each evening after swimming all day in the sea.  Apparently Fairy

Fairy Penguins parading up the beach

penguins build their nests into the sand along the beach and when it rains the nests can collapse and kill the baby penguins, so the volunteers build hutches, where the penguins have already built nests so that they can have a better chance of survival.  These little furry critters are super cute to look at but don't make the mistake of giving them a cuddle.  Their jaws, which spend all day catching and killing fish, can take a thumb off if you're not careful.

Another great place to visit if you are over towards Perth, is Wave Rock at

Wave Rock at Hyden

Hyden.  This is an amazing rock formation in the outback miles from the sea, that was formed by volcanic rock hitting cold sea water millions of years ago.  I have pictures of me surfing on a rock!

The Great Barrier Reef

You really shouldn’t go to Oz without visiting the Great Barrier Reef, this is firmly on the tourist trail but it is absolutely breath taking and in my opinion one of the most amazing places on earth, especially for diving enthusiasts.  But don’t worry if you’re not, you barely need to know how to snorkel to get in amongst an amazing array of fishes and coral.

If you are planning a trip, please try to make sure that your visit contributes to the economy of the indigenous Aborigines in some way.  The Aborigines have

Aborigine Art

been poorly treated by white immigrants over the years and this has had a serious impact upon the health, well being and prosperity of the indigenous people of Australia, who are part of one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world.  One way of doing this might be to support their thriving art industry.

Obviously I could go on for hours about the sights and experiences of Australia, but that would require a book, so instead I will leave you with my final recommendation which is a visit to the Daintree Forest and Cape Tribulation north of Port Douglas in Queensland.  Here you can take a night walk through the tropical rainforest at night in search of the red eyes of a crocodile.  Probably the most scariest thing I’ve ever done on holiday, but well worth the cobwebs in your face and the Cane toads landing on your feet.

Night Tour of the Daintree Rainforest

Finally, do heed the health advice of the Australian government and ‘Slip, slap, slop,’ to protect yourself from the very strong sun.  Do this by slipping on a shirt, slapping on a sun hat and slopping on the sunscreen.

Have fun and do tell us about your memories of Australia, we would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out  LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling. of the great items for sale on line 

Issue No.11 Country by Country - Thailand

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei, has ruled since 1950 making him the world’s longest reigning monarch.  He recently celebrated his 86th birthday on the 5^th December, when he called for unity amongst his people after days of violent protests in Bangkok.

Most of us are familiar with the key attractions of Thailand, particularly the beautiful beaches and fantastic tropical islands that surround the mainland.  But are there some things that we ought to know about this wonderful spot before we decide to go?  Well, in short the answer is yes.  Corruption is wide spread and civil unrest is currently on-going in Bangkok.  The Foreign Office is currently stating:

“A number of political demonstrations have taken place in parts of Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand since the start of November 2013.  Some of these were violent and resulted in casualties.  Further protests may take place with little warning.

On 25^th November the authorities in Thailand implemented the Internal Security Act in all districts in Bangkok and Nonthaburi as well as the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan and the Lat Lum Kaeo district of Pathum Thani, which will lead to an increased security presence and possible disruption to traffic.”

Recent protests in Bangkok

However, they are not restricting travel to most parts of the country (apart from the Malaysian border) but do suggest avoiding all political protests.

It is also worth knowing that of the 800,000 British travellers to Thailand last year, most visits were trouble free.

This all seems rather gloomy doesn’t it?  Well political instability is pretty standard for Thailand and whilst this does seem rather alarming, I have travelled there on numerous occasions and have never encountered anything but lovely, polite, charming people.

If all this has not put you off travelling to this beautiful country, and it really shouldn’t, then here are a few of my  top Thai travel secrets.

Don’t just head for the islands, whilst these are truly gorgeous, you would be missing out if you didn’t take a couple of days in Bangkok either on arrival or on departure.  We find that after 10 days lazing on the beach recovering from jet lag we're ready to hit the shops, sites and smells of Bangkok for a couple of days before coming home.  Here are some of the things I like to do in Bangkok.

Chatuchak

Shopping in Bangkok is amazing, and it's difficult to know where to go first.  My advice is to visit the vast Chatuchak weekend market.  I’m guessing that you should be able to find something you want at one of the 6000 stalls.  However, get there early before the crowds and the heat kick in and give yourself enough time to cool off with a nice swim back at the hotel in the afternoon.  Be warned though, it's very easy to get carried away here, everything is so cheap you end up buying 10 of everything and then having to buy another suitcase to get everything home!  Like many other places in Thailand don’t expect anything to be genuine though.

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park is a tranquil idyll in the middle of frenetic Bangkok and if the jet lag is still causing you to wake up at ridiculously early times of the morning, then a visit to Lumphini at around 7.00am can reward you with hundreds of locals doing their Tai Chi around the park.  You can take the morning air and look out for the 6 foot long monitor lizards lazing by the lake or watch the turtles playing on floating logs.  This all ends on the dot of 8.00am with the national anthem.  If you stand to observe the national anthem, you will be rewarded by the smiles of locals acknowledging your mark of respect.  Then in the evening take a walk through the park, pass the zoo to the night market where you can be fed and entertained, massaged and sold too all in one place, I love it.

Eating in Thailand is a bit of an adventure, it is one of the most diverse cuisine’s in the world, so you should find something to your taste.  My husband loves his chillies, so he is in absolute heaven here, whereas, I only like a little bit of spice in comparison.  I still manage to find something to eat, somewhere along the line and out in the islands, you can find everything from Thai, Chinese, Seafood, Brazilian, Italian, McDonalds and Starbucks so no one ever goes hungry.  My advice is to give something a try though, it is normally really cheap, so if you don’t like it, it’s no great shakes.

The Thai’s drive on the same side of the road as us Brits, so I really recommend hiring a car when you are visiting the beach resorts, as there are often hidden gems just around the corner.  We have come across deserted beaches, wonderful temples, authentic food and local markets that we would not have seen had we just stayed in the resort.  However, driving at night can be really hairy though, as street lights and road markings are not widespread.

Thai massage

Finally, find a good place to have a massage, going to Thailand and not having a massage is like going to Paris and not having crepes.  Don’t expect an easy ride though, a proper Thai massage is more like a sports massage than one you are likely to get down the local spa in England.  It may hurt a bit at the time but it will leave you feeling great.

If you’ve been to Thailand, let us know your favourite spots and travel tips.

Thanks for reading, see you next week, don't forget that you can get everything you need for your trip to Thailand online from: LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.

Issue No. 10 - Where Next? - Hull named the City of Culture 2017

  

The Iconic Humber Bridge

A couple of weeks ago saw Hull named as the UK’s next City of Culture 2017.  It did this by seeing off robust competition from Leicester, Dundee and Swansea Bay.  But just what is it that the judges saw that made them want to choose Hull, and why should we consider a weekend in this north eastern city next month?

Firstly, getting there couldn’t be easier, hop on a train from London Kings Cross and you can be there in around 3 hours, buy your tickets in advance from Hull Trains can mean that you can find yourself a bargain.  If you’re driving, take the M1, M18 and M62 East and it will take you right to the door.

Philip Larkin greets you at
Hull Paragon Train Station

There are hotels to suit just about all pockets ranging from the five star Village Hotel to the usual suspects of PremierInn, Holiday Inn Express, Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel and the Ibis to name just a few.

So what is Hull famous for?  Well, poet Philip Larkin (1922-1985) for one, he was Librarian at the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones library for 30 years and William Wilberforce the English politician who was the leader of the movement to abolish slavery originated from Hull.  Sadly he died before the Act could be passed through

William Wilberforce

parliament.  To explore the history of slavery, abolition and the legacy of slavery, you can visit the Wilberforce House Museum in Hull’s Museum Quarter.

Other notable but perhaps less worthy celebrities originating from Hull are Maureen Lipman, the Housemartins and the Fine Young Canibals’ Roland Gift. Not forgetting John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minster during the Blair administration.

Heres a shortlist of what to do on your weekend away:

The Hull Fish Trail

Walking the Fish Trail will help to get your bearings visit http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/publication/YS-EY/cms/pdf/Hull%20Map.pdf for the route.

You may also want to go in search of the cream telephone boxes unique to Hull

The Deep Aquarium

Along the Fish Trail you will find The Deep aquarium.  To find out more visit: http://www.thedeep.co.uk/

What about a premiership football match?  You can get your Hull City tickets from: http://www.hullcitytigers.com/tickets/

For a bit of culture prior to 2017 why not visit the Ferens Art Gallery. Recent exhibitions have included Andy Warhol, Leonardo Di Vinci and local artist David Hockney.  Visit http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/ferens to find out more.

In the evening try out Hull Truck Theatre http://www.hulltruck.co.uk/book-tickets/buy-online or the Hull New Theatre http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase or for something a little less cerebral, what about a pubcrawl?  There are heaps of inexpensive pubs in Hull, most of which do food.  For a suggested route, check out http://www.barcrawl.co.uk/pubcrawl.aspx?Crawl=2547 

What are your essentials for a weekend away?  Well, don’t forget your:

Weekender bag, Toiletry Bag, Book, Frock, Shoes, Towel and your 

Walking Shoes you can purchase these all from www.lotustravelessentials.co.uk

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, happy & safe travelling.

Issue No. 6 - Where Next? – Where to go in December

Wondering where to go in December?  Here are a few ideas for the holiday season.

Lapland - Finland

I guess the most obvious choice for somewhere to go in December is Lapland.  Everyone knows, Santa lives in Lapland – but where is Lapland and what is there to know about the spiritual home of the great man himself?  Well, Lapland which is the largest and most northerly region of what we know as Finland.  Lapland is now home to 3.4% of the Finnish population and is very sparsely populated.  In fact, its population is only around 169,000 and has been in decline since 1990.

Santa Claus Village is an amusement park near
Rovaniemi in the Lapland region of  Finland

But where exactly does Santa live?  Well, he lives in a town called Rovaniemi, where it is Christmas all year round. Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland and is located on the Northern Arctic Circle and from here you can go on safari to see the famous Northern Lights.

Located just two hours flight from London, it’s possible to take a day trip to see Santa and all his elves hard at work in Santa’s Village.  So this is a definite must do if you have children.

For more information about Lapland visit: http://www.visitfinland.com

Mexico

Next up is Mexico, sandwiched between the United States of America in the north and Guatemala and Belize to the South, Mexico is divided into temperate and tropical climates by the Tropic of Cancer which slices through it’s heart.  According to Wikipedia this gives Mexico one of the most diverse weather systems in the world.

Endangered Green Sea Turtle

If you’re into all things nature, Mexico is definitely the place to head, as it is the most bio-diverse country in the world for reptiles.  Apparently there are around 707 species of them hanging out.  I know, who knew?  Not only that, it is also home to between 10-12% of the whole world’s biodiversity, which is pretty impressive.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Mexico received 23.4 million international tourists in 2012 second only to the USA for the whole of the Americas.  Peak season is in December when people flock to the beach resorts on the Caribbean coast but there are plenty of cultural sites to visit for those of us who get fidgety sitting on the beach.

Mexico is also the largest Spanish speaking country in the world, so if you want to try out what you learnt at school, Mexico is definitely the place to visit, for those of you not so familiar with the lingo, there is always the trusty phrase book.

Chamonix - France

Mont Blanc

Finally, what about a bit of Skiing in Chamonix?  Skiing in December is generally a little early in the season but there are still a few places that can usually be relied upon to deliver the white stuff.  The advice is to generally opt for a ski resort that can offer a range of ski areas.  Chamonix is perfect for this as it has an impressive 11 separate ski areas.

Never Summer Proto HDX Snowboard

The Chamonix Valley stretches from Servoz to Barberine on the Swiss border.  Chamonix has 5 ski resorts and one off piste lift (the Aiguille du Midi) for more information go to: http://www.chamonix.net/english/chamonix

Whatever you are into; skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, cross country skiing, paragliding, dog sledging or ice climbing, it is all here, so you definitely won’t get bored.  You can even climb Mont Blanc if you’re feeling really energetic.  Just don’t break anything and keep warm!  For all your ski apparrel and equipment visit www.lotustravelessentials.co.uk

If you have some good ideas on where to go in December, please send me your comments, I would love to hear them.  Also if you have plans to visit somewhere in December please let me know, I am sure to get envious!

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.

Issue No. 4 Where Next?: Where to go in November

So the bag is packed, the passport is at the ready and the airport is calling you, but where to go?  November is a great month to go a little further afield, especially if you want beautiful beaches and tropical weather.  And frankly, who doesn’t want that when all we can see ahead of us is endless winter nights in front of the television.  Here’s some ideas if you want to shorten the winter a little this November.

How about bronzing in the Bahamas?

The Bahamas is the jewel at the top of the Caribbean scattered across 700 beautiful islands, and hopping from island to island couldn’t be easier, either hop in a fast boat, jump on a plane or sail it, but if that all sounds too much like hard work, why not just book a nice Caribbean cruise taking in an island or two?

November sees the end of the rainy season and you can expect temperatures of 27 degrees C° around this time of year too, so topping up the tan, shouldn’t be a problem, especially with over 300 days of sunshine each year.

Whether you’re golfing, diving, fishing, sunbathing on the beach, sailing or cruising, the Bahamas is sure to keep you occupied.

Check out www.bahamas.co.uk for more information about this fabulous, country.

Marvellous Malaysia

Set in the South China Sea, Malaysia is home to some spectacular sites, whether you prefer giant skyscrapers or tropical rainforests, blissful beaches or cloud topped mountains, everyone is likely to find something to discover here, as long as you don’t forget your suntan lotion and mosquito repellant

Surrounded by Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Papua New Guinea and relatively close to Australia, Malaysia is a great option for hopping around South East Asia and beyond.

For three completely different Malaysian experiences, start with the modern capital Kuala Lumpa and dare to venture up to the top of the Petronas Towers, then explore the delights of Borneo by trekking into the rainforest in search of the rafflesia the largest flower in the world.  When you’ve trekked through the rainforest enough, hop on an hour long flight to Langkawi for a bit of rest and relaxation.

Check out http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/uk for more information on this fascinating country.

Dive into Mauritius

If you’re looking for somewhere to dive this time of year, have you considered Mauritius, which is more or less totally surrounded by an amazing coral barrier reef? Key dive sites are located around Flic-en-Flac in the North and Trou aux Biches and the Northern Islands.

If you’re not a great diver, then there are still plenty of things to do, whether it is trekking through the forests or climbing the Mountains, Black River Gorge National Park is a good place to explore.

There are also plenty of cultural and historical sites to discover along the way so don’t forget your camera.  Mind you, the biggest challenge of all will be pulling yourself away from some of the most spectacular beaches in the world.

Check out http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/planatrip/destinations/africa/mauritius for plenty more ideas for things to do in Mauritus.

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.