Budget Bliss!

Three Star Luxury in Mauritius! (source - MikeW)

Three stars!  That is all it takes to please me.  I write this blog post (in my Moleskine) as I lounge by the infinity pool in my three star hotel in Mauritius.  Up to this point, I have apologised four times already for a number of things I need not apologise for; namely the numerous attentive staff just doing their job.  As a regular user of hostels and other types of budget accommodation, this three star palace is the height of luxury for me.  To be fussed over with hot towels, served drinks at my sun lounger and to be treated with some degree of deference is something of a novelty.  And, to be honest with you, it is a little embarrassing!  I am eternally thankful to be blessed with with a cheap taste for travel; so to have an army of hotel staff tempting me with a host of foods and drinks, clearing away my litter and lifting heavy bags, all with a cheery smile, is completely unfamiliar to me.  I am no Diana Ross.  I have no diva-ish tendencies that might suggest I have delusions of grandeur when it comes to travel.  I am a dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshireman who firmly believes that you should not make others do what you would not do yourself.  So, to have a retinue of staff to do your bidding just seems a bit silly!  But, I forget.  This holiday is a momentous one; where I am celebrating, with my family, a number of special occasions.  I am not backpacking through Eastern Europe on a budget of £10 per day or trying to negotiate the lowest price for a room in Croatia.  I am in this Indian Ocean paradise to relax.  I have certainly paid a fair whack for this and should certainly let the staff here take the load.  This is a treat!  I have a fairly stressful job where I think constantly about the welfare of others; so to have someone make my bed and clean my room for me each day, as well as bring me drinks and cook me sumptuous meals is an unadulterated joy...and, one I should savour!  Sure...I am only here for 10 days, but how lovely it feels to let those stresses ebb from your body as you sink into that sun lounger, pick up your book, dip into the pool, back to your book, dip into the coral filled tropical ocean, read more of that book...

MikeW 'Slumming It'! (source - MikeW)

So, you may feel out of your depth; a little above your financial station, but my advice to the budget conscious traveller out there - give it a try!  Throw yourself into the lap of luxury for a week or two!  Besides, you save so much on your other trips, why not live it up for a while; even if it does mean 'slumming it' in a three star!

Safe travels!

Bizarre Bumps!

Do you know that moment when you go shopping or to a bar in your hometown and you bump into a member of your family or one of your friends?  It is a nice surprise, isn't it!  Exaggerate that feeling a hundred times and add a 'WOW' moment; because that is what it is like when you meet those people on your journeys around the world.  Over the course of my travels, I have had the strangely serendipitous pleasure of bumping into a variety of people that have connected me to some point in my past.

Only last year, I opened the gate to the apartment I was staying at, in the gorgeous Croatian town of Hvar,  to hear a woman's voice (tinged with a hint of shock) shout my name.  I turned round to find Heather; the person I used to sit next to in History lessons at sixth form college!  This is someone I had, probably, not seen for about fifteen years!  And, bear in mind the road on which the apartment was situated was a quiet one, a walk away from the centre of the town.  Both surprised, we had a quick catch up, swapped Croatia tips and went on our way open mouthed at what had just happened.  I then turned to my friend, who I was travelling with, and reminded him of the conversation we had the day before, as the ferry pulled into the dock, when I said that I had a strange feeling that I was going to meet someone I knew on the island!  Odd, eh?!

My Croatian 'bump' in Hvar - Heather from school! (source - MikeW)

This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened.  In Brisbane, Australia, I was checking out the leaflets in a backpacker travel agent, when I looked up on hearing a Yorkshire accent; spotting a guy I went to university with.  On that very same trip, I spent a couple of days travelling with a guy who had gone to agricultural college with a mutual friend and his younger brother, whom I attended primary school with.  And, a week previous to that encounter, I walked into the common room of a hostel in Port Macquarie in New South Wales where I got chatting to a girl from my home city, Hull; whom I later discovered when showing her mum photos of her year in Australia, instantly recognised me as the student who had worked with her as part of a work experience module for my degree course four years previously!

The strangest random meet, however, came when travelling with Irish friends I had met in New Zealand, around the south west of Ireland.  We were in a hotel in the Kerry town of Dingle, when I spotted a face I recognised.  I stopped the guy and, yup...he confirmed that he was indeed one of the Irish guys from the 3 day boat trip I took round the Whitsunday Islands, 3 years before.  So, whilst travelling to one country to meet friends I had met in another, I bumped into a random acquaintance, I had met in another country.  Weird, but I enjoy these meets.  These random encounters make me realise how small the world really is and, though probably in part down to my 'Terminator-like' ability for facial recognition, I am always surprised how often this happens.

So, keep your eyes peeled and listen out for your name.  You never know what old school friend, ex-partner or former travel buddy you may encounter as you make your way through life!

If you have already had some similar experiences to me why not share them in the comments box below.  I would love to hear about them!

Zadar - The Light and Sound City!

Zadar, the Croatian city located in northern Dalmatia; was a place that I knew very little about before I arrived in its industrial heartlands, but this was one I was keen to visit on my trip last summer, around this beautiful Balkan country.  I really had no idea what to expect from Zadar, but something about the place was just brilliant!  Granted...Zadar is not the most beautiful place I have ever visited, nor does it have many stellar attractions, but the city had a real positive impact on me.  This is not a rarefied, daintily preserved museum-filled city like Dubrovnik; more a living, breathing city filled with Croatians going about their daily business.  And, I think I enjoyed this place more for that.

Zadar's Old Town (source - croatia.hr)

Most of the action takes place in the Romanesque Old Town; and, here is where you will find, what I think are, Zadar's two best attractions: The Sea Organ and The Sun Salutation.  These two art installations both designed by local architect Nikola Basic, act as a popular focal point for tourists and lounging Zadranis.  Found to the north-west of the Old Town, the Sea Organ is a series of marble steps that lead into the sea, under which a series of 35 tubes have been installed to allow the motion of the waves to create an instrument that plays music all day long.  It is such a great concept and just like the adjacent Sun Salutation, difficult to tear yourself away from.  The Sun Salutation itself comes to life at night; after a day absorbing the bright Croatian sunlight into its photo-voltaic cells; what follows come darkness is what can only be described as a multi-coloured dance floor that would not look out of place in the movie 'Saturday Night Fever'!  It is just fantastic!

The Sea Organ (source - MikeW)

The Sun Salutation (source - connexdiving.cz)

The Sun Salutation up close (source - MikeW)

Other must sees are a peek inside St Donat's Church, an ancient Roman building with a distinctive high roof.  Next to which you will find the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, attached to which is a bell tower that rewards the hardy climber with some amazing views over the city and out to the islands of Ugljan and Pasman.

The Bell Tower at the Cathedral of St Anastasia.  Go climb it! (source - MikeW) 

The view from the top! (source - MikeW)

For beach lovers, you could take a trip to Kolovare, which though not the most glamorous place to take a dip, it does have a real local feel about it and has some lovely views from the cafes found above the pebbles.  My recommendation would be to throw caution to the wind and hurl yourself off the promenade near the Sun Salutation or down the steps of the Sea Organ for a much needed cooling dip in the beautiful clear waters of the Adriatic, followed by my favourite Croatian treat...sladoled (creamy Croatian ice cream).  Now, people will say, "you must try Italian gelato; it's the best in the world!"  Do not believe a word these people say.  They have clearly not tried sladoled and enjoyed the silky delights of a scoop of the finest ice cream the world truly has to offer.  If that is not enough to tempt you to Zadar, I do not know what is!  And, while we are on the subject of food.  Some of the best food I have eaten in Croatia...yup, you guessed it...was in Zadar!  The Trattoria Canzona restaurant (http://www.canzona.hr/canzona_zd/indexZD.html) was so good, I went back the following night!  And, from staring at the plates of diners as I chose where to eat, I can say with some authority, that this city has some mighty fine food on offer!  All this can be rounded off by spending time strolling the ancient squares, listening to the street performers and enjoying the chilled vibe on offer at what must be Zadar's most laid back bar - The Garden (http://www.watchthegardengrow.eu/the-garden-zadar).

 Jump in! (source - MikeW)

Sladoled! (source - MikeW)

The sunsets in Zadar deserve a post of their own!  British film director, Alfred Hitchcock, once wrote, "Zadar has the most beautiful sunsets in the world".  I will let my photos do the talking...

Sunset in Zadar (source - MikeW)

Aside from the wonders that Zadar itself has to offer; outside of the city, you have easy access by boat to the Kornati Islands National Park (http://www.kornati.hr/index.php/en).  The absolutely stunning lakes and waterfalls at Plitvice (http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/) are a 2 hour car journey north from Zadar.  Even closer (about an hour's drive) is the beautiful Krka National Park (http://www.npkrka.hr/) where you will find the incredible, thundering Skradinski Buk waterfall, which you can swim in front of...along with many hundreds of other visitors!  Nevertheless, it is an amazing place to be and a great experience!  And, finally for the party animals, the island of Pag with its internationally renowned dance/house music scene at Zrce Beach, are within a short distance of Zadar.

Plitvice (source - MikeW)

The Skradinski Buk waterfall at the Krka National Park (source - MikeW)

Zrce Beach - Home to Croatia's house music scene (source - MikeW)

All in all, Zadar is one of the places you might not have heard of, or if you have, one of those cities you really do not know much about.  I say now is the time to get there and enjoy this Dalmatian jewel and all of its historical, gourmet, musical and light-fantastic pleasures.

Hvala Puna!

Inspiration - That Photo...(Part 2)

Last September, I posted a number of photos from my travels as a way of inspiring my readers to grab their backpacks and travel...even if this does mean going solo!  I thought I would do this again with a new batch of, what I hope you will find are, pictures that make you want to get out there in the big wide world too!

All photos were taken on my travels in the past year.  I hope you like them!

The view from the Vogel Cable Car above Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

Amsterdam street scene, Netherlands

The Tatras Mountains near Zakopane, Poland

The Jewish Quarter in Krakow, Poland

The Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden

A panoramic view of Positano, Italy

Temples at Paestum, Italy

Wooden sculpture in Tallinn, Estonia

Green space near the Parliament in Tallinn, Estonia

Yinka Shonibare sculpture at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, United Kingdom

The Plitvice National Park, Croatia

Sunset at Zadar, Croatia 

 Dusk at the Louvre in Paris, France

The Tuileries in Paris, France

Questions, Questions, Questions...

Travel Questions! 

(source - runawayguide.com)

As I have mentioned previously on this mighty fine blog, travel provides you with a great number of learning experiences.  But, as I have journeyed around I find that travel presents me with a whole host of questions that remain unanswered.  So, below are a series of questions* I need your help with answering.  Please feel free to help me out in answering these tricky questions with the associated question number in the comment box below.
(* - Some more serious than others, but all asked with a fair bit of tongue in cheek)

1. Why do I see so many old women with carrier bags full of plastic bottles?

Fill me with plastic bottles!

(source - mycarrierbag.co.uk)

On recent trips to Continental Europe, I have been baffled by the sheer number of (usually) elderly women, clutching a battered old Lidl carrier bag, steadily filling it with plastic drinks bottles, often from rubbish bins, peoples' hands and skips.  A friend of mine (who lives in an Eastern European country) once told me of his work colleague returning from a trip to Northern Europe proclaiming with delight that, "it's so nice to visit somewhere where people put rubbish in the bin and leave it there!"  Now, I know the comment neglects to consider issues of homelessness for example, but the point remains...what are these women doing rifling through bins for old Coke and Sprite bottles?!  Perhaps these women are an army of recycling fiends - receiving cash incentives, I assume, for their troubles?!  I would love to know!  Answers in the comment box below, please!

2. Do people on the continent of Europe just smoke and drink coffee all day?

Croatian Coffee! (source - author)

On a recent visit to Croatia, my friend and I were stunned to see not only a high proportion of smokers; coming from the UK and the Netherlands where the amount of people that smoke is relatively low, but also a thriving coffee culture where much of the activity is focused on lazy days in the shade lounging with friends (cigarette in hand), putting the world to rights.  The British cafe experience is somewhat different...buy coffee, sit down, clear table of the previous customer's detritus, have a heart attack when you realise what you have just paid for a coffee, have a quick chat with your friend and then leave.  I know unemployment rates are, unfortunately, high in Croatia, but this kind of leisurely activity is not confined to just one country.  It seems a very European thing to do and is something I have witnessed in several countries across the Continent.  Is this because the pace of life is slower, more laid back?  Does the manana attitude dominate?  Your thoughts below, please.

3. Do Italian women ever say to the men in their lives, "darling, aren't you a little old for Speedos?"

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli rocks his Speedos!

(source - mavrixonline.com)

Travel brings with it some real cultural shockers.  And as shockers go some of the most horrific  sights are those paraded on the beaches frequented by our European cousins, the Italians.  I am not even going to touch upon the issue of sun protection amongst the Italian travelling community; having gasped open mouthed at a group of Italianos lather themselves in baby oil as their sole deterrent from the scorching Croatian sun and UV rays!  No...this question relates to the fashion choices made by Italian men.  These are usually men of a certain age, who seem to think they can carry off a tight trunk when current trends...wait, trends ad infinitum, suggest otherwise.  But, I'm confused.  Italy and Italians are famed for being supremely fashion conscious.  The country is home to many globally successful famous designer brands and the country has the most stylish looking police force in the World!

Lookin' Fly!

(source - onlyinitaly.com)

I think we must lay blame not with the men.  When guys get to a certain age, they think they are capable of anything.  This leads to the mid-life crisis purchase of a motorcycle or a convertible sports car.  These men are not capable of reason!  I think we need to turn our attention towards the wives and girlfriends of these men.  They are the ones who can offer sartorial support and fashion guidance, steering them towards the correct kind of beach attire or swim short.  So, what do you think - is it 'i ragazzi o le ragazze'?  Are you an Italian wife who is finding hard to tear those Speedos from your husband (Oo-er!)?!  Please comment in the box below!  You can view this as therapy, if you wish!

4. Why, when I travel, does my diet consist mostly of bread, cheese and ham?

Mmm!  Guess what these are filled with!

(source - author)

Being a budget traveller, I try to keep costs low, particularly when I'm eating my three square meals each day.  To save those cents or Euros, I find myself inadvertently eating copious amounts of bread, cheese and ham.  For example, one of the best value meals a traveller can concoct is the supermarket/market lunch.  This involves buying a loaf of bread, cheese (I prefer brie) and some sliced ham.  This is then all put together to form a beautiful ham and cheese sandwich that will see you through til your late 'Continental Europe' style late evening meal.  Now, they say variety is the spice of life.  Well, why the hell do I always end up ordering a pizza or pasta dish that are filled with...yup, you guessed it...cheese and ham?!  Last week in France, I even saw crisps that were cheese and ham flavoured!  Comments, thoughts and assistance below!

That will do for now!  I look forward to reading your responses!  I am sure that future travel will only yield further questions.  Also, if you have any questions that we need to put out here, please feel free to leave them below.

We're Slammin'!

Tim Tams - Food of the Gods!

I fell in love on my first solo trip to Australia and New Zealand.  I encountered a love that held no boundaries, a love that came in a number of tempting flavours and, most importantly of all, a love that gave me an immense amount of pleasure!  That love came in the form of the chocolate covered biscuity goodness of Arnott's Tim Tams.  Being a vain, self-obsessed health freak, I try not to indulge too often, but for me it is not the taste of the product itself that amazes me these days, but the fantastic memories that they bring flooding back that makes me want to eat these Aussie delights.  That bite of the chocolate coating to the biscuit, cream-filled centre takes me back to munching these on the beach at Byron Bay where the sea kayaking tour guide showed us how to perform the 'Tim Tam Slam'.  They remind me of the snacking I did on the long bus journeys between my stopping points on the Australian east coast and how sharing my Tim Tams with newly made friends, over freshly opened bottles of Tooheys and VB, brought our group all that bit closer on Fraser Island.

It is funny how foods you have tasted on your holidays can act as a powerfully vivid reminder of a place you have visited, a kind of sensory time machine to events and experiences that occurred many years previously.  And, ultimately, a reminder that makes you smile and look back with great fondness.  It is not just the Aussies that elicit this reaction; as I could easily say the same about the Dutch stroopwaffel or the par Thai cooked on the street stalls of the Khao San Road in Bangkok.  One taste of these foods and I am back there - the smells, sounds and sights come rushing back.

Now I have new associations to these glorious biscuits, though.  This particular packet (pictured above) came to me as a birthday gift, from my awesome Aussie friend, Erin, who I have mentioned before at TRGTALP.  I met her in a hostel in the summer of 2010 in Dubrovnik.  We hit it off and have kept in touch ever since.  I think it is just great that an Aussie woman I met in Croatia has sent me something I discovered back in 2005, when I was roaming around her country.  I just need to save up that money to invest in a return trip to Australia to hand deliver some British treats Erin misses from her time living here in the UK.  I will keep quiet about my real reason for visiting.  I will just say that the spare case I have with me is for all the Sydney Opera House magnets, cuddly koala toys and kangaroo key rings I want to buy as gifts for people back home (and not the hundreds of packets of TimTams I will be aiming to smuggle out of the country)!  Keep schtum and I might let you have one of them...

Inspiration - That Photo...

When I'm deciding on where I want to travel, I take a lot of inspiration from photos I have seen in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet; via my day-dreaming browsing on Google and friends' Facebook photos of their travels. What grabs me is 'that photo'...the one picture where you look in awe at a place or scene that looks so magical, so unreal that you feel that you have to see it for yourself to confirm it exists. Spotting a photo of Lake Bled, in Slovenia, via Facebook, was one of the driving forces for my trip to Slovenia this year. Seeing the place for myself and swimming in the warm waters of the lake was just phenomenal.

My photo from the Ozujsko viewpoint at Lake Bled

These places are often, for me, the stand out element of any trip. So, below (as a departure from my usual ramblings) are a few of my photographs of my favourite amazing places that I hope inspire you. Please feel free to suggest some of your favourites in the comment box below.


The tiled rooftops of Dubrovnik, Croatia


Trakai, Lithuania


The beautiful Chrysler Building, New York


Budapest, Hungary

The view across to Rangitoto in Auckland, New Zealand


Dusk at Milford Sound, New Zealand
The sun setting on The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Australia


The Reichstag in Berlin, Germany


The soft sands and clear blue waters of Makriamos Beach, near Thassos Town, Greece


Angkor Wat, Cambodia


The incredible Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia


Le Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris, France.

Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya, Thailand