Travel Blog

Despite the uniforms, the flight with Turkmenistan Airlines was highly acceptable. The trickiest bit was getting into the plastic cutlery. Others seemed to have no problem with access. I must have taken three minutes to figure it out, and I could just imagine my neighbours and the people in the…

UAE - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman Our third stop was Sir Bani Yas Island which I visited a few years ago. It’s basically a private island belonging to the UAE with beaches and a wildlife park. I had planned to get off with Simon and lie on the beach,…

Qatar, Saudi, Bahrain We all met at Heathrow and enjoyed the delights of the lounge, which mostly involved pre-flight alcohol. Before boarding I delivered the Paddy Holiday Quiz which Jimbo won. His prize was a $100 chip for Norwegian which fell out of my trousers when I returned from my…

After leaving Sri Lanka I flew to Abu Dhabi for a couple of days. I had booked the Marriott however the pool was closed so I rejected it and headed for the Beach Rotana hotel. It was a good move. It was located in a much better place and even…

Having said I wasn’t particularly taken with Kandy, I took an early morning stroll around the lake and the city redeemed itself. It was delightful watching the sunrise over the lake. The group left on foot to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, known locally as Sri Dalada…

After three easy days in Bangkok at the Skyview hotel, I flew to Sri Lanka, three hours away. I have to say the airport experience in Bangkok was shockingly efficient. From check in I was through in 16 minutes, and check in took ten of them. That was the least…

After a glorious sunrise over the Mekong, we crossed the border into Laos across the Friendship Bridge. There are currently four such friendship bridges linking the two countries with a fifth about to open in 2025. Laos means “Land of a Million Elephants”. Quite a lot for a small word.…

I’d paid for fast track through the airport because the lines at Suvarnabhumi can be somewhat challenging for my patience levels. Rinda was waiting with my name on a board. That’s not me making fun of the way Asians pronounce Linda. Her name was actually Rinda. It was a seamless…

We crossed over the border between India and Nepal on Saturdayand we all felt an immediate difference. Nepal is a country the size of England and Wales with a population of 31 million. I thought India was bizarre with a 30 minute time zone shift (UTC +5:30). Nepal takes things…

We arrived in Khajuraho somewhat traumatised. I’m not sure any of us were prepared for the overnight train in 3rd class. After dropping our bags off at the semi-rural Payal Hotel, we headed for an assortment of Hindu and Jain temples. They were reminiscent of Angkor Wat. Built over a…

I arrived at the hotel about 2 am and everything was closed. I had to wake up the night porter to gain access. My room was typical for an Indian three star. All the hotels are chosen by the tour company so it wasn’t like I could request the King…

I chose the public transport option to get to Heathrow during rush-hour, and I have to say, Bully was right about the overground Heathrow Express from Paddington. Clean and efficient - even the Germans would applaud. It was an overnight flight to Kuwait, and the airport was pleasingly absent of…

Another late blog that will be brief due to technical difficulties. This was my first time on a cruise over the festive season, and also the first where I was away from family and friends. The only new country visited was Tobago. I won’t be rushing back. Not nearly as…

Better late than never. After cruising across the Atlantic, I decided to do a 37 day road trip around 11 US states. Here are some photos of the trip.

We had a lovely sunny sea day after leaving Spain, heading for Madeira. In the evening, they held the Mariners Cocktail Party for 3, 4 and 5 star Mariners. It’s normally four and five star, but they allowed the riffraff in. Half the ship must’ve been there. Hardly an exclusive…

It took 2 1/2 hours to get to Heathrow, mid-morning, which severely disrupted my lounge time. I was picked up by a driver from Cameroon and this was the first time I had an all electric taxi to the airport. I could see the remaining range was only around 40…

We arrived in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with 15 million people, around 7pm for an overnight. It’s quite unusual to arrive at a cruise port in the evening. A number of people decided to get off and have a look around, but I stayed on board. I had developed a…

Next up was the Greek island of Kos which is only around 2.5 miles off the coast of Turkey. I stepped off alone and headed for the beach. Dimitra doesn’t do beaches. I walked through the Old Town which was bustling with tourists. Apparently English and Dutch tourists are the…

Next up was the Greek island of Kos which is only around 2.5 miles off the coast of Turkey. I stepped off alone and headed for the beach. Dimitra doesn’t do beaches. I walked through the Old Town which was bustling with tourists. Apparently English and Dutch tourists are the…

I was lucky enough to board Holland America’s Oosterdam early due to my loyalty status. I had not been on this ship and I liked it immediately. The capacity is just under 2000 which is the perfect size for me.  When I got to the casino in the evening, I…