Thailand - March 2010

Two weeks in Thailand - such a big country that we decided to concentrate on the south. We started with a few days in Bangkok which was as noisy and vibrant as you would expect. Our hotel was on Sukumvit Road, right in the middle of it all, but the Park Plaza was a really good boutique hotel - highly recommended.

We caught a train - third class but pleasant enough and great fun - up to Ayuthaya, the ancient capital of Siam. The Kyymer ruins and temples were very impressive even if some of them were leaning at precarious angles after earthquake damage.

From Bangkok we hired a car to Kachanaburi, where we transferred to an hotel right next to the ridge on the River Kwai. Whilst the metal bridge has been rebuilt since the Second World War, much of the line has the original sleepers laid by Allied POWs.

After a trip to the Erawan waterfalls and some rafting, we headed back to Bangkok by minibus before catching the overnight sleeper train to Sanit Thuri. The sleeper was great fun, even if we didin't get much sleep.

After arriving at Sanit Thuri and 6 am we then caught a taxi to Khao Lak. This was to be our base for the remainder of our trip. We had a few nights at the Merlin, which was a luxurious hotel, but we also spent 4 days and nights on a dive boat. We headed out to the Similan Islands which are world renowned and also Richelieu Rock. 4 days of diving starting at 6.30 am each day and finishing after a night dive.

The diving was very good with the highlights being a couple of leopard sharks, seahorses and green turtles.

Getting back to the UK was a little fraught and it was a 13 hour flight from Bangkok. But, all in all, it was well worth it.

Panama Cruise November 2009 - Cruising? Isn't that for old people is what I'm often asked when I tell anyone who asks me where I've been for nearly three weeks. It is true that most of the passengers on the Holland AMerica Line Oosterdam were 10 to 15 years older than me. But the beauty of cruising is that you are free to 'do your own thing'.

From the knock on your cabin door when the cabin boy delivers your breakfast, through until the end of the late movie in the ship's cinema at midnight, I was never bored for a single minute. OK much of a cruise is based around the culinary delights, but I managed to burn off the calories by running almost 45 miles around the ship's promenade deck during the trip, much of it in 28 degree heat. If that sounds like hard work, it was. But the running was punctuated by occasional sightings of whales, dolphins, porpoises, doradas and turtles.

The ship's many restaurants were all of an excellent quality. Other on-board activities included trivia and culinary quizzes (with prizes!), bingo (yes, Renu loves bingo) and entertainment shows.

The ship had plenty of ports of call and I was able to swim and scuba dive in the Caribbean. But the most interesting part of the trip was the transit through the Panama Canal. Firstly, it is a wonderful feat of engineering - completed by the Americans after the French were forced to concede defeat as the result of engineering problems and the loss of many thousands of workers to tropical diseases. Secondly, to watch huge tankers and cargo vessels squeeze into the locks, sometimes with just 6 inches gap either side, is quite impressive. And with so much of world shipping trade passing through the canal, on the way to and from the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan and China, we saw so much interesting shipping.

Costa Rica (love that country, so lush), Guatemala and the Mexican Riviera were our other destinations. We arrived in San Diego on the final morning, before a long journey back via Chicago, wishing we could make the return trip.

TIP: vacationstogo.com is a good website for late offers on cruises. They habe a '90 day clicker' towards the bottom of their newsletters and you can get some real bargains there. It is certainly a starting point before you try to find the same deal for less elsewhere (which is what we did).

Prague September 2009 - Another long weekend, this time to the capital of the Czech Republic. We flew with SqueezyJet from Bristol. I don't mind SqueezyJet. they are cheap and cheerful but for a short haul flight their service is perfectly adequate.

We got a great deal on the Eurostars Hotel Thalis through Travelzoo. The hotel was centrally located and we made full use of the cheap and efficient tram system to get around the city. Did all the usual sights - Castle, King Charles Bridge.

The food was OK although I don't think cuisine is top of the list of reasons to visit the city. And the beer definitely wasn't up to the standards of Belgium but it was a lot better than many other countries. their dark beers arwe highly recommended.

Bruges June 2009 - A long weekend in Bruges. We drove to Folkestone and got the Eurotunnel and on to the medieval town of Bruges. What to do in Bruges? Enjoy the beautiful buildings; take a boat trip on the canals; visit the potato museum (I kid you not); shop for beer and chocolate.

The Belgians love chocolate and take great pride in producing the best chocolate from the finest ingredients. I have to confess that I am a chocoholic and we ended up by lots of boxes. But I don't intend sharing with anyone. My precious!

Almost as much pride is taken in the production of more than 700 (!!!) different beers. And these are real beers with an alcohol content up to 12%. We went into a bar where we were offered a selection of 400 beers. Not only were the beers served at exactly the right temperature, but each one was served in its own glass - tulip-shaped for some beers, chalice-shaped for those brewed by Trappist monks. Needless to say, the car returned to the UK stuffed full of bottles. And again, no sharing!)

I'd definitely recommend Belgium, not least because the people are always so friendly and helpful - much better than the French.

Paris May 2009 - A few shots from the second most beautiful city (after Venice) I've seen. Just a shame it is SO expensive. But getting there on Eorustar was fun.

India February 2009 - We flew to Delhi and spent a few days in Guargon before heading into the Punjab for the weddings of two of Renu's cousins. Indian weddings are big and brash. The groom travels to the wedding on the back of a white horse and is accompanied by a band, fireworks and dancing family members.

The receptions are usually lavish affairs with dozens of food stalls but, strangely, the ceremony starts after most people have had their fill of food and drink and have headed for home.

We then flew to the Andaman Islands for w week's diving. Our aim was twofold: to qualify as Advanced Open Water Divers and to see some big fish. Whilst we did qualify, we were a little disappointed with the fish - just the usual tropical fish. No sharks, no rays and no turtles. The coral was good and the wreck we dived was interesting. I think, in hindsight, we'd have been better flying west and diving in the Maldives. But the Andamans are totally undeveloped so it was a unique experience.

Our tour through Southern India took us to many of the large temple complexes on our way to Periyar National Park. I can recommend this even though we failed to see any leopards, tigers , elephants of even buffalo. The park is beautiful and we saw an amazing Giant Malabar Hornbill feeding in the trees. WHen he had had his fill of berries he flew off making such a loud swooshing. Quite a sight.

Tenerife December 2008 - Just a few shots from this short break. The northeast of the island is fairly grim, being exposed to the northeasterly trade winds. The southwest is pleasant with amazing cacti and aloe vera. The beaches are black volcanic sand and although they do not look particularly inviting, the water is clean and unpolluted. The volcanic scenery is amazing and not to be missed.

Kalamata, Greece, September 2008 - A few shots from out recent holiday to Club Mark Warner, Kalamata, Greece. Nice area and Mark Warner are very good if you like sailing, windsurfing and tennis. The diving isn't much to get excited about. We drove about 30 miles west of Kalamata to Pylos. Although there wasn't much to see in the water, the location was superb - an enormous flooded caldera.

China April 2008 - what do YOU think of? Ming pottery, Chairman Mao, the Red Army, poor grey people, human rights abuse? That's what I thought before I went. Well after two weeks there most of my preconceptions were well and truly shattered.

OK, Tibet was very much in the news when we were out there but the Chinese take on the whole issue is very different from ours. In any case is what China may be doing in Tibet and worse than what the USA and the UK have done in Iraq? Probably not.

The biggest shock upon arriving in Shanghai was how new everything was. Much of the land has been reclaimed from the sea and every square metre of land has been built on, usually with a hugely impressive skyscraper. This was a feature repeated across the country - massive development with apartment and office blocks appearing everywhere with road and rail links to match.

In Chonqing (reputedly the largest city in the world, with a population of 30 million) the city straddles the Yangtse Gorge. 15 years ago the 200 metre wide gorge was crossed by just two bridges. Today there are 15 and we are talking major constructions, similar to the Second Severn Crossing. As if that wasn't enough they are also on the verge of completing a monorail and a four-line subway!

Highlights of the tour:

The Yangtse River - fascinating to watch the commercial life of the river with huge ferries laden with vehicles going in both directions. Cargo ships piled high with lumber, coal and sand heading downstream.

The Three Gorges Dam - the project has virtually been completed. Next year the river level will be raised by up to 25 metres. To accommodate this 1.3 million people have had to be relocated. Surprisingly people we spoke to were happy with their new lives as the government spent as much on compensation as it did on the construction.

Xi'an - the Terracotta Warriors were amazing. Thousands of lifesized warriors, each individually sculpted, painted and decorated guarding the Emperor in the afterlife.

Beijing - a surprisingly attractive city. I was disappointed that the might of the Red Army and the old-style communist sculptures were noticeably absent, except in Tiananmen Square. But the Summer and Winter Palaces, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall were all remarkable testiments to the grand visions of the Emperors and the industriousness of the Chinese people.

This legacy lives on and the preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games are progressing on time. The Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium is very impressive, but so too is the attention to detail. When the Games are on private cars will be banned and every taxi in the city has been resprayed in the colours of the Olympic rings.

The people - the biggest highlight for me. The Chinese people went out of their way to be helpful and frindly, although there out-and-out curiousness could be a little disconcerting at times.

China is changing day-by-day. It will be well ahead of the West within a generation. The good thing about China is that whilst it races towards change and development, it is very conscious and proud of its great history and traditions.