I’ve been in Port au Prince for five days now, it’s time for a change of pace. I climb into the rinky-dink turboprop to Cap Haitien, a mid-size town on the northern coast of Haiti. It’s a bumpy 30-minute flight but it sure beats the 7-hour bus drive over rough terrain and potholed roads. Usually, I always opt for ground transport because it allows me to see the country up close. Circumstances force me to choose the plane this time - to good … [Read more...]
Five days in Port au Prince, Haiti
“Excuse me, you’re going where??!” she gasps while simultaneously taking an irritated stride back, crossing her arms and dishing out that look that husbands the world over dread. “Um. Haiti,” I whimper back. And how can I blame her surprise? Just think of the things that come to mind when you hear the name Haiti: crime, armed violence, political instability, UN soldiers, endemic corruption, hurricanes, earthquakes, Zika virus, poverty, famine, … [Read more...]
River of gold: a personal voyage through Africa’s lagers
When Spain made claim to a small corner of North Africa and christened it Río de Oro – River of Gold – the country’s colonial ambitions for what amounted to a patch of sand in the western extreme of the Sahara Desert were clear. With the third glass of mint tea broiling my insides as I looked across the same area of sand, I considered that perhaps my own intentions in Africa were equally unrealistic. I was a week into seeking as much cold lager – … [Read more...]
Dolphin Encounters, Ponta do Ouro – Mozambique- March 2014
Dolphin Encounters is located in Ponta do Ouro in southern Mozambique just across from Kosi Bay in South Africa. There are several companies here that offer swims with the Dolphins but Dolphin Encounters is the oldest in the area and also the only non profit and dolphin research organization here. They were Africa's first Dolphin Interaction and Research Center. The organization was co founded by Angie Gullan in 1994 after she experienced seeing … [Read more...]
The Mozambique of my youth, happening now
I'm walking on Maputo Beach, a beautiful, litter-strewn stretch of coastline to the north-east of Mozambique's capital city. It's overcast, so most of the tourists have stayed away. I am among a group of ex-pat stragglers, making their way to the ubiquitous piri piri chicken stands dotted all along the coastline. We feast on the chicken, sitting on plastic chairs on the beach. After we finish, a group of four children between the ages of six … [Read more...]
Jarvis Bay – Kangaroo Valley – Dolphin Cruise
Today we drove out to Jarvis Bay - about 190 clicks south of Sydney. We were expecting summer time temperatures and clear skies but upon arrival were greeted with heavy fog showers, wind and unseasonably cold temperatures. Needless to say, this made for a miserable picnic lunch (from the awesome Husky Bakery & Cafe in Huskisson Beach) and even more miserable swimming for those brave enough souls in the water. We swam with dolphins in … [Read more...]
Charles Duncombe: Founder, Holidaysplease
Recently we had a chance to ask Charles about some of his travels (he has been all over the world) and what went into starting his successful travel company, Holidaysplease. Q. What is your background and when did you first become interested in International travel? Despite being brought up in a small village in the UK I managed to experience international travel from an early age. I used to get driven down to the south of France with my … [Read more...]
The Power & Beauty of Sub Saharan Africa
Upon finalizing my flights to South Africa from Bangkok, I told a good friend who has traveled extensively in Africa that I would kiss the African soil for him. He replied, "Kiss Africa's ground for me, but remember: Africa always wins. No matter how much you try to make sense of all the nonsense, it'll never make sense. Thus Africa wins." Winning or not, the unpredictability of adventure travel in Sub Saharan Africa has always appealed to me … [Read more...]
Swaziland
The Kingdom of Swaziland is small and you can easily see the major attractions within 4-5 days or longer if you prefer spreading the driving out over a longer period of time. The oldest mine in the world is here and dates back 43,000 years!! Its an iron ore mine and ancient people's use to get hematite and other iron ore for making tools, and coloring for painting in caves. We drove in just after the the visitor center had closed for the day but … [Read more...]
Southern Mozambique
We arrived in Kosi Bay after about 10 hours of at times stressful driving - from near the Lesotho Border in the Free State of South Africa. We arrived here in the dark of night and promptly made a beeline for the beach on the sandy roads in our 2wd Honda Jaz- looking for lodging - big mistake. There were no lights - and signs indicating hotels located just down the road were misleading as we later found out we were many kilometers from the beach. … [Read more...]