Lifestyle and Travel Blog
I’d been meaning to drop by for a while now, sorry I took so long. It was quite something to be engulfed in your sweet spicy air and terracotta backdrop. I must say though, your medina in Marrakech was a bit scary as I span around in a whirlwind of music, animals, prayer chants, snake […]
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Should you believe all the hype about Morocco? People who have been to Morocco seem to have quite strong opinions about the place, I guess that’s because it’s such a distinct country and culturally rich experience (certainly not a predictable and run of the mill holiday destination). Here are a few of my ‘before and […]
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On our way to the Sahara desert we stopped off at Morocco’s well known High Atlas Mountain Hollywood territory, the Red Citadel of Morocco, Citadel of Ait Benhaddou in the town of Ouarzazate. Some of the many films made on this North African set include: Game of Thrones Asterix Jesus of Nazareth Lawrence of Arabia […]
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One guide expressed that in Casablanca and Marrakech, “people are always running, rushing around, they have everything the need but they’re never happy, they’re always wanting more” namely money. By contrast “Berber people live simple lives and make the most of the resources they have”. When we visited a Moroccan Berber home, the man of […]
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Another Moroccan tourist highlight is the quaint ‘Maison Tiskiwin’ which houses an impressive collection of Moroccan art work, and artefacts from Bert Flint’s art collection. There are strong Berber/African/Saharan themes running through the collection and the riad style house is built around small decorative courtyard.
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Yes, it’s one of the most commonly talked about tourist attractions in Marrakech and seems like absolutely everyone goes there, but I thought Bahai Palace was impressive and worth the whistle stop visit. Everywhere you look there are ornate arches, exquisite ceilings, handsome doors and colourful mosaics, just lovely! It’s a fairly new build, completed […]
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Hand made items and the opportunity to see local people making and producing them is always a real privilege to witness when visiting another country. Moroccan Argan oil takes a lot of nimble fingers and repetitive manual labour to extract for our use; seeing the process from start to finish was very interesting, whilst the […]
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More Morocco memories – including the endless servings of food at a riad in Marrakech. After around the fourth course I asked one of our lovely waiters ‘if that was it’ – are we done – he said yes. Two minutes later he’s back with more dishes and plates filled with food, and fresh knives […]
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I enjoyed walking through the souks, especially when we went through a section that was all lamps and lanterns beautifully lit up and glowing gold on every turn (I thought I was filming it but my camera wasn’t on record – so annoying). The alleyways and narrow turns seem to go on and on, and […]
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Camp with Moroccan nomads in the dunes of the Sahara desert, with camels for transport plus a camp fire and the stars to keep you entertained at night. Zagora blog.
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Dear Mauritius I had anticipated meeting you for a very long time, your beaches, cuisine and tropical beauty. I am truly grateful to have had that pleasure – you were just as beautiful as your pictures, no filters needed, you did not disappoint. I was mesmerised by your ebony forests, those trees take so long […]
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Imagine feeling like you’re on a deserted island, wading through shallow waters that sweep round a huge curve before leading into the most dazzling sapphire blue ocean….that’s what you’ll experience if you take a boat trip to Ile Aux Cerfs in Mauritius, it was truly stunning, with a beautiful contrast between the two waters. This […]
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A few more snapshots. Mont Choisy Beach A more low key version of Flic en Flac beach. Views from the highest point on the island… Just around the corner – a craft and specialist cashmere outlet.
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I’m not going to bore you with all the predictable information that you get in the guide books – nope. I’ll bore you with some of my random holiday chatter instead – over a cuppa’ of course, so lets get the kettle on. Shattered Yep, that’s how I felt when I finally landed in Mauritius […]
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What a fabulous place, a tropical hideaway. Even if you’re not interested in animals, you’ll enjoy the rainforest ambience, the walking trails through the lush fog of trees, and the music from various exotic bird calls. La Vanille Nature Park in Mauritius is home to some very old tortoises and various other animals, including farm […]
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In Mauritius, the south of the island hosts the protected ebony rainforest, which also happens to be in the Chamarel region, it’s incredible to think that almost all the island used to be covered with ebony trees, before the Dutch exploited it in the 17th century. It was a cloudy, rainy day, misty in places, […]
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Shopping, markets, museums, presidential buildings and places of worship – you’ll find it all in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, situated in the north of the island. All around, there seemed to be new buildings being constructed and a general sense that there is a lot of visible investment and regeneration underway. The fruit […]
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The Coin De Mire Attitude is a boutique hotel set in garden style plot, just a stones throw away from a beach that offers views of Coin De Mire Island. On arrival you’ll receive a very warm and personal welcome, which extends throughout the stay as it seems the staff can’t do enough to make […]
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Next, a quick visit to one of the best sugar factories I’ve see on my travels so far, (well actually it wasn’t quick, it was a pretty long visit given the size of the factory and outside grounds) an interesting tour at the L’Aventure du Sucre (Sugar Adventure), in Pamplemousse Mauritius. You’ll learn some of the history behind […]
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All this sightseeing works up quite an appetite, so it’s time for some lunch, followed by a bit of rum and jam tasting in Chamarel. The jam was more my thing, I couldn’t resist coming home with a few jars – the guava jam was really really good!
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More sightseeing in the south western region of Mauritius, enjoying the views from the popular Black River Gorges National Park, with it’s vast expanse of rainforest before taking in the wonder of the seven coloured earth, at Chamarel. Seven Coloured Earth, Chamarel. Black River Gorges National Park
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What a beautifully written story, a true story. The author uses such rich and vivid description that I felt like ‘I was there’ with the characters right from the opening chapter, absorbing the sounds, their sights, tastes, thoughts and feelings throughout. The book begins with some beautiful childhood memoirs from a little boy named PK, […]
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Well all the guide books, blogs, reviews and word of mouth echo the same thing really – ‘when in Mauritius, Flic en Flac is the beach of choice’, it’s on the west coast and rated as one of the best beaches in Mauritius and a must on your list of places to go whilst on […]
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First stop, first impressions – beautiful, and a welcome sight after an 18 hour haul. The Veranda Grand Baie in Mauritius is set amongst lush green surroundings and giant palm trees. Rooms look like little cottages (reminiscent of the Veranda Resort & Spa in Antigua). A huge selling point with this hotel is it’s proximity […]
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This small fish market on the mauritian sea front of Grand Baie caught my eye with the dazzling rainbow of colours laid out beautifully for sale, local fishermen gather here most afternoons to display and sell their day’s catch.
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So you’re thinking about a holiday to Mauritius? Who can blame you, it’s a little slice of irresistible paradise. Lets start with Grand Baie, probably one of the most talked about shopping hubs for tourists. Grand Baie is very touristy, yes that much is true but it still feels very down to earth with plenty […]
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On my last leg of exploring Wales, I paused to remember the fact that although Wales is part of the United Kingdom, Wales is still a separate country and not part of Great Britain, despite welsh land being joined to mainland Britain. Wales has a language of its own, along with a unique flag and […]
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Thirteenth century Laugharne Castle offers yet another snippet of historic Welsh ruins and somewhat sombre scenery. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave
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When in Wales, you never get tired of castles, so here’s another magnificent beauty, Carreg Cennen Castle, in Carmarthenshire near the River Cennen. Building began around the fourth century, yet it’s ruins are incredibly well preserved, and majestic. It’s a steep walk, great for the legs and the views are worth every step. “One of the […]
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Adventure junkies, beach bums, sun seekers….whoever you are, how do you cope with the lull when there’s no trip in sight?
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More insights from the beautiful island and people of Cuba. Cienfuegos actually means ‘one hundred fires’. Cienfuegos is where the revolutionary uprising against Fulgencio Batista took place.
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Join me for more random chatter over a cuppa tea!
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A few snapshots taken while wondering around the Santa Maria, the main tourist hub in Sal, Cape Verde. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave
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