Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg The world’s biggest model railway? As far as tourist sites in Hamburg go, the Miniatur Wunderland had my name written all over it! I went as a train geek – I will confess now, unashamedly, as having a Hornby model railway as...
Bako National Park Bako National Park is the oldest of Sarawak’s national parks, a verdant peninsula of accessible walking trails, beaches and wildlife. The draw is the walking opportunities, which range from easy strolls to more challenging hikes. The park is small but very varied,...
Amsterdam I had two days in Amsterdam, I hadn’t quite formulated my route and Amsterdam seemed a good place to decide which way to go. It was somewhere I’d never been, yet had wanted to, and probably not for a reason you’d expect! (Unless you’ve...
Rotterdam, the Netherlands I left Chris standing on a platform in Belgium waiting for a train to take him Brussels airport; from now on, I am solo travelling. We had both planned our last night together in Brussels but the Belgian rail workers had different...
Kuching, Malaysian Borneo Following on from the previous post, we had been in Kuching for a few days. Now it was time to try to hopefully see orang-utan. Semenggoh Wildlife Centre The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre has been rescuing orang-utans since the 1970’s, the centre rehabilitates...
Kuching. Sarawak, Borneo Borneo has to be high on any nature and wildlife lover’s travel list. The diversity of its wildlife, much of which is endemic (meaning it is found nowhere else), draws visitors here from all over the world. We arrived, by a short...
Antwerp Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city, its large port has meant it has been a wealthy, influential city for centuries. Today it is a thriving, fashionable city, the centre of the world diamond trade and, we were told , it is the second most...
Ghent Around a thousand years ago Ghent was the second largest city in Europe, second only to Paris. Its wealth built on textiles. It thrived for centuries until it rebelled against Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, over taxes, despite being born in the city he...
Borobudur Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world; this huge stone temple was constructed three hundred years before Angkor Wat in Cambodia and stands enigmatic under the shadow of smoking volcanoes in central Java. The construction began in AD 750, and...
Bruges in the Rain, Belgium. Board the Eurostar at St Pancras, London and in less than four hours you can be wandering the picture-perfect streets of Bruges. It’s a simple platform change at Brussels: a smooth, roomy Belgian train will transport you for the last hour across the...
Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, So the lure of Borobudur was too much, Java had been on my must-go list for a while, this huge temple just had to be seen with my own eyes. Yet Borobudur would have to wait, I would build up to it...
The Poppies at the Tower of London Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red 888,246 ceramic poppies, one for every British military fatality in World War I. When you first see the sea of red blooms you are overwhelmed by the vivid beauty, the extraordinary sight....
Kew Gardens in Autumn The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are a blissful, verdant escape from hectic London. The majestic trees and stunning Victorian hot houses are a heavenly experience as the year turns to vibrant Autumn. The gardens are a celebration of plant life and...
3 Free things to do in Singapore, Passing through Singapore on tight budget doesn’t mean you have to miss out, here are three free things to do in Singapore that would fill one full day in the city. Alternatively, if you are staying a bit...
Melaka Markets Melaka’s Jonker Street Night Market is by no means the only place to find Malaysian street food. In fact, after a little trip out to a local food market, Jonker Street was a bit of a let down! Jonker Street night market (Fridays...
Melaka (Malacca) This gorgeous town is just a few hours south of Kuala Lumpur, yet it feels a thousand miles away. Melaka is steeped in history and legend: founded by an exiled Sumatran prince, it was passed from one colonial ruler to the next –...
