Go to any bookstore and head for the travel section, there you will find numerous tomes offering advice on where to go, what to see, how to travel and of course things to do before you die. I don’t know about you, but for me I would rather look at a list of things to do while I am alive and kicking; my preferred way of looking at things....Read Article

When the Moroccan heat is almost too much to bear and the hassle of the souks becomes a short fuse to homicide it is time to take a break, a pause from the guide book driven madness and cocoon oneself in the familiar. Off to the beach then? Long established as a refuge for weary travellers Essaouira comes as a pleasant relief for the first timer and as a bolthole for the veteran. Its cool alleyways and bracing Atlantic winds offer calm and refreshment with a dose of magical Moorish culture effused with a European twist. ....Read Article

As travellers we are exposed to many disease risks and quite often there is not much that we can do about it. Whether you are off backpacking through India or struggling through mosquito infested jungles you can only do so much to keep the bad guys away and often the prevention is nasty in itself with clothing rotting chemicals and mind bending pills. ...Read Article

After several days in the mountains of northern Vietnam at the lovely town of Sapa, it was time to turn my attention to Laos. The options were limited; I could head back to Hanoi on the night train and fly or bus it from there, expensive, or I could go directly into Laos by bus from Dien Bien Phu a day’s drive away. I knew the route was arduous and long but I thought it would be just another day in paradise.....if only I knew....Read Article

Hanoi had been on my radar for a very long time, I knew that it did not have many great sights but it had such a history in the struggle of the Vietnamese people it was a destination I was looking forward to seeing. I flew into Hanoi’s airport in the company of Mark, the manager at the Hanoi backpackers, whom I had met during my short stay in Hue in central Vietnam. He was courteous enough to let me bum a ride with his pickup at the airport so the usual two hours plus ride in on the bus was shortened to a mere hour...Read Article

We love to fly, take bullet trains and jet boats; that is half the fun of travelling for some. The problem with this modality is that we see only snapshots of the lands we pass through or over and never really appreciate the slow change in the environment as the bus climbs higher and higher across a pass or as a boat floats gently from village to village....welcome to Laos...Read Article

The sixties and seventies were arguably the golden age of travel for backpacking vagabonds, hippies and soul searchers. I can remember stories about the overland trail to Kathmandu that fascinated me with their richness and mystery. Istanbul was spoken of in hushed tones by the knowledgeable and the Magic Bus seemed truly ......well magic...Read Article

I will bet you have seen, at some point in your travels or even at home, weary backpackers stumbling along with huge packs on their backs, and possibly at times, large daypacks on the front too. Balanced like an unsteady turtle, ready to fall over and lie incapable on the ground, these poor folk need some help. I am not suggesting you help to carry their luggage, but relieve them of some, in the nicest possible way of course...Read Article

The driver raced at breakneck speeds along winding roads packed with other coaches, cars and trucks, this was not for the fainthearted and I recommend a good book or nerves of steel. The conductor, called a cobrador in the DR, leant out at intervals calling out the bus destination and drumming up business as we sped along. All the while ear splitting Meringue music blasted from the speakers and we seemed to be one big party bus tearing through the countryside...Read Article