Month: July 2019

I’ve long wanted to try island hopping in the Caribbean. When I started researching my trip there I was happy to see that it is possible to get a ferry between St Lucia, Dominica and Guadeloupe. However, I also wanted to see Barbados and so managed to find a cheap flight from Ecuador, via Florida and then another flight between Barbados and St Lucia.

These islands all felt very different. Barbados was relatively flat and had a plethora of incredible beaches. St Lucia had more variety; a few amazing beaches, mountains and rainforest. Dominica wasn’t great for beaches but offered a magnificent, verdant interior, as well as whale watching opportunities. Guadeloupe had good and easy hikes in the mountains, a large choice of beaches and a distinct French flair.

I knew that it would be easy to create a Luxury version of the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, the Mid-Range version was also pretty simple to put together. The Budget version was, however, more of a challenge, but it is entirely possible to see this part of the world without spending a fortune (partly thanks to the low cost airlines which fly there from the US).

We stayed in a range of accommodation, my favourite being the luxurious hotel on the side of a hill overlooking St Lucia’s dramatic pitons. The lowlight? Dominica’s incredibly disorganised border at the ferry port. It was so bad I nearly dropped this island from the itinerary, but its an amazing place and so worth going through immigration pain.

In 2008 we set out to travel from London to Nepal without taking any flights. We celebrated reaching that goal atop Poon Hill, 3200 metres high and with a view of several 7000+ metre-high mountains. What a stupendous country Nepal is.

Of course, if hiking isn’t really your thing then there are other ways to view those magnificent Himalaya; on a white water rafting expedition (which I can also highly recommend), from an aeroplane, from an infinity pool in your luxurious hotel… Then there’s the fascinating city of Kathmandu, friendly hill-top villages and the wonderful wildlife of Chitwan National Park.

The Nepal itinerary was one of those few where Luxury, Mid-range and Budget travellers all, at one point, stay in the same accommodation. When you’re on a remote trek there isn’t much choice but to stay in a teahouse and they’re all pretty basic. But they’re also an enjoyable part of the trekking experience and, after a day of hiking up steep hills, any bed is welcome!

I chose to include a trek in the Annapurna region rather than nearer to Everest. This is because I have direct experience of this trek and know that it’s one of the best you’ll ever do. Plus, if you’re short of time, you can still see Everest on a special flight. If you do have more time then I would absolutely recommend trekking up to Everest Base Camp – flying between Kathmandu and Pokhara is the best way to make up that time.

Travelling through Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria was one of the first holidays I took with my girlfriend (who became my wife). It’s therefore been a while since I was there but, having done a lot of research, it seems as though (thankfully) the sights you have to see haven’t changed. Not surprising, considering many of these sights are centuries old.

Budapest is a destination in its own right, as evidenced by the many tourists who come here for a weekend break, but it’s also a great place to start this itinerary and enjoy an overnight train to Romania. Waking up in Transylvania is a special treat – fortunately the only things which seem immortal around here are the remote, well-preserved castles, which are especially atmospheric.

Although taking the train can be a comfortable way of travelling, it isn’t necessarily the fastest and this is true in Romania. This itinerary therefore incorporates a bus journey to speed luxury, mid-range and budget travellers to Sofia in Bulgaria.

My abiding memories of Sofia are the golden dome of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the military artifacts on sale at Bitaka Flea Market (hand grenade anyone?) and the astonishingly delicious ice cream. I have tried to pack in as many amazing, unforgettable sights into this 11-day Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria itinerary. My only challenge was trying not to mention Dracula too much…

One of my most amusing and abiding travel memories comes from when a friend and I travelled through Central America. We were in Monteverde, Costa Rica and decided to take the aerial tramway, which turned out to be an incredibly sedate ride through the canopy – so sedate that we were given blankets to put over our knees and the ride stopped at a little window for tea. Not quite the adrenaline rush two young lads were looking for.

I’m very happy to see that the tramway is still there, as are most of the amazing things we saw and did in Costa Rica. I wanted to pack in as many of these sights as possible in the two-week itinerary and to ensure that the luxury, mid-range and budget versions got to see everything. This isn’t a cheap country and, with shuttle buses being the easiest way to get between places, it was a challenge to get public transport info.

Finding the perfect, most convenient beaches at the end of the itinerary was key. It would be a shame, after all, to visit Costa Rica and not relax on some of the most scenic sand along the Pacific Rim.

We entered Costa Rica from Panama and departed into Nicaragua. When I get around to building itineraries for those countries I’m going to have to link them to this one, because an extended journey through Central America is highly recommended. However, if you had to pick just one country to see here then Costa Rica – with all its beaches, forests, wildlife and volcanoes – is an excellent choice.