Add
Private Notes
Ian Wright treks to a travel haven, exploring backpacker life and floating markets in Bangkok through to village life and outstanding festivals.
Neil Gibson travels to Central America, where he visits two contrasting countries; Costa Rica, one of the most affluent lands in Latin America, and Nicaragua, better known for it’s volatile politics.
The Indonesian archipelago stretches from the Asian mainland all the way to Australia. Our traveller, Shilpa Mehta explores just two contrasting islands of the thirteen thousand that make up Indonesia – Bali and Sulawes.
Starting in Bali, Shilpa arrives in Kuta. She meets an Australian who came to visit in 1974 and never went home. She then checks out Kuta’s beautiful beach, and has a go at surfing, before relaxing with a massage from Kutas’ world famous massage ladies.
From Kuta, Shilpa travels by bus to the artists’ village, Ubud, where she has a meal in a warung, an Indonesian café. She also visits the rice fields. Bali is renowned for it’s extraordinary rice terraces and the ones around Ubud are among its most spectacular. Shilpa tries her hand at mask making and learns how important masks are to Hindu sacred stories.
Not far from Ubud is the volcano of Gunung Batur. Shilpa climbs Gunung Batur with a guide, cooking breakfast in a volcanic geyser on the way. They catch an amazing sunrise. Heading onto Lovina on the North coast, Shilpa joins tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of dolphins swimming.
Before leaving Bali, Shilpa attends the New Year festival. She helps with preparations for the festival where the bad spirits from the old year are scared away, and good luck is ushered in with the new.
From Bali, Shilpa catches a cheap flight to the strangely shaped island of Sulawesi. She explores the southern province starting in the capital city of Ujung Pandang, which is the gateway to the Spice Islands. After the tranquillity of Bali, Sulawesi is rather different and there are many reminders that this is a Muslim country. At the port Shilpa works up an appetite shifting flour before hooking up with some local girls who guide her through the bewildering choice of food on offer at the sea front.
Shilpa takes a bus to Rantepao in the region of Torajaland, following an inland route that reveals some spectacular scenery along the way. After
Ian Wright makes an expedition to a country which, though not on a regular travellers ‘must visit’ list, proves to be alive with warm people, stunning architecture and history, and even posh nosh…
Ian Wright begins his Nordic journey high on a cliff in Stavanger, where he witnesses the extreme sport of Base Jumping. He journeys from Staveanger to Bergen by ferry, which takes him along just 150 of Norway’s 21,000 miles of coastline. Ian enjoys a night out with locals and travellers in Bergen and discovers that drinking in Norway requires a small mortgage.
The next stage of the journey is from Bergen to Voss by train. The usually highly reliable train breaks down and Ian has to complete his journey by taxi. He arrives in Voss before nightfall and camps out at the edge of a clear lake – not a very comfortable option but next morning aches and pains are soon forgotten as Ian takes on nature with a lesson in river boarding.
Ian travels onwards to Stryn, one of Norway’s three summer ski resorts. The journey takes two days by coach and Ian has the opportunity to see Norway’s mountainscapes at their best, as well as take a short trip in a replica Viking boat. Ian has a go at a telemart skiing – a traditional form of skiing that combines downhill and cross country styles. To help him recover, he takes a quick sauna.
Three hundred miles further north by bus to Trondheim, Ian rents a bike and takes a whistle stop tour of the town. He then travels by train and plane to Lapland, the land of the Midnight Sun.
Lapland is also known as Samiland and it covers parts of Sweden , Russia and Finland. Ian thumbs a lift from a Sami Reindeer farmer and soon finds himself erecting a Norwegian Labu or tent. Dinner that night is dried reindeer meat, which seems to be a staple of the Sami diet.
Before leaving Lapland Ian is invited to a colourful Sami wedding. After the ceremony the guests enjoy a lavish feast of, not surprisingly, reindeer meat!
Ian dons his wellies, hat and white overalls and spends three days gutting fish to earn enough money for a helicopter flight to Spitzbergen, the Northern most point of Norway. With a greater population of polar bear
Ian Wright travels through the grasslands, mountains and deserts of Mongolia. He begins his journey in Beijing, once the ancient capital of the Mongolian Empire, and catches the train to the present day capital – Ulaan Baatar.
Jonathan Atherton finds himself among snap-happy tourists on the trail of famous landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and Soho, then explores the alternative London of Gay Pride and Bangladeshi Brick Lane.
Justine Shapiro begins her journey in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and a great starting point for a journey through Eastern Europe. Since the collapse of Communism in 1989, Prague has become an incredibly popular destination for travellers.
Jonathan Atherton explores the rivers, mountains, and towns of Papua New Guinea and uncover vibrant tribes, wily wildlife and stunning nature and crafts.
Traveller Ian Wright starts his journey in the bustling and expanding modern day capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. He visits the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple and the home of the young princess goddess.
Whilst in Kathmandu Ian takes the opportunity to sample some Nepalese food, and has a night out Kathmandu style. He then hitches south to the Royal Badia National Park where he goes looking for Bengal tigers with a local guide, astride an Indian Elephant. Unfortunately the rare and reclusive tiger is not spotted that day by anybody. Ian spends the evening in a small village nearby where he is introduced to some of the local families and witnesses a local celebration.
From the Terai region Ian flies to the Lukla, in the eastern Himalayas. Here he plans to make his way to the popular bazaar at Namche, before trekking along a section of the Everest highway. At Pangboche monastery Ian also catches a glimpse of what is alleged to be a Yeti skull. Avoiding the Yaks on the pathways, Ian continues his trek to Tengpoche Monastery where he witnesses a traditional Buddhist celebration.
Ian joins up with a sherpa guide who has been up Everest twice, and can offer Ian some insight into the nature of trekking in the heights of the Himalayas. Together they make a simple offering to the gods that are said to protect trekkers and climbers.
On the last leg of his journey Ian flies to Humla. This town is well off the trekkers track, and his four hour horse ride takes him even further into an area of Nepal seldom visited by tourists. Ian's last night is spent at a local wedding celebration. To Ian's surprise the wedding involves five grooms and one bride. Ian enjoys the ensuing party, which involves a fair bit of barley wine.
Justine Shapiro spends a week in Paris, the capital of France and one of the most cultural and romantic cities in Europe.
Justine’s first night in Paris is spent with an old American friend, who now lives in Paris. He takes her to a traditional café, where they enjoy copious amounts of traditional French fare and a few glasses of vin rouge before they join the other customers in their songs that go on till the early hours of the morning.
The following day Justine attends a cookery class at the Ecole Cordon Bleu. Cooks from all over the world come here to learn a little about French haute cuisine. In the evening she takes part in an event that reflects a different side of Paris: she joins over 3,000 roller-bladers and their police escorts in their weekly night-time skate through and around the city centre.
The architecture of Paris provides some fabulous views, and after her trip to the Arc de Triomphe in the morning, Justine spends the afternoon visiting and climbing some of the more contemporary buildings that Paris is renowned for, such as La Grande Arch de la Defence, L’Opera Bastille, and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. She also rides the the number 73 bus, which offers some of the best views of Paris for a fraction of the prices charged by official sight seeing buses. Later, Justine attends one of Paris’ most famous shows, the cabaret at the Lido.
Justine goes shopping in the markets which cater for Paris’ ethnically diverse population. Here she is shown around by a Ghanaian gentleman, who explains the uses and properties of various African foods. Later, she shops for the goods that Paris is more famous for: with a professional designer she is taken to some of the designer boutiques, although in the end she save her francs and picks up some bargains in the popular store, ‘Tati’.
Paris is famous for its galleries and museums that represent both the traditional artistic movements of France, as well as some of its more avant-gar
Justine Shapiro begins her journey in Rome, the capital of Italy and the gateway to the south. She rents a scooter to get around and goes first to the Colosseum. This was the scene of some of the Roman Empire's bloodiest excesses. The first games were held here in 80 AD and lasted for 100 days and nights - enough time for 5000 animals to be slaughtered and 9000 gladiators to fight to the death.
Jonathan Atherton arrives in Amsterdam, a city notorious for its liberal attitudes to drugs, sex, and hedonism. Although he is intent on discovering the less infamous sides of Amsterdam, its museums, its canals, and its architecture, Jonathan is not going to let the alternative Amsterdam pass him by. His first night is spent in the Hemp Hotel, a hotel pioneering the use of Hemp in the construction of fabrics, food, and cocktails.
