Scotland is home to some stunning scenic drives – many of which can also be accessed partly by public transport. Although I don’t drive, I’m lucky enough to usually visit with family members who do. Here are some of my favourite drives on the west coast of Scotland. Glen Fruin across to Garelochead Photo credit-…
Author: Claire
Explore the Lakshadweep Islands – camping on your own desert island
I never had the Robinson Crusoe fantasy, until I laid eyes on Thinnakara, a tiny coral island in the Lakshadweep islands, 200 kms off the Keralan coast. The Lakshadweep islands are the Maldives without the intensive tourism. They form the northern tip of the same chain of coral islands and atolls and were known as…
How to uncover Cochin’s secrets (and shop where Prince Charles did)
Cochin is fascinating, if you have time to do more than scratch the surface. Intriguing stories hide behind every door, in overgrown graveyards and Hindu temples, old lighthouses that are now hotels, fishermen’s shacks and tiny art galleries. Sitting in the garden of a hotel way over my budget (some fresh grilled fish in the…
Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India
India is not an easy place to get a grasp on in a few days. From the crowded southermost tip at Kanyakumari to the relatively chilled-out streets of Fort Cochin, it’s a puzzle and not a place I find easy to write about. And if the south is supposedly India’s laidback cousin, I can’t even…
10 Kerala photos to tide you over
It’s nearly two months since I came back from Kerala, and I haven’t written anything about it. Well, that’s not strictly true. I’ve started a couple of drafts, I’ve though about the places I’d like to share, but somehow it’s just not flowing…yet. So, in the meantime, I’m sharing ten of my favourite Kerala photos…
Travel wishlist *updated for 2015*
Photo credit – Midorisyu – Creative Commons I’m not sure exactly when Japan started seeping into my consciousness, but suddenly it’s there. I’m trying to branch out a bit more from just travelling in South America (much as I love it). Japan intrigues me and is definitely somewhere I hope to visit; mountains, megacities…
Kerala-bound
Image source: Amit Rawat- Flickr Creative Commons It’s not been the easiest year. Travel is an escape, although not one that everyone can afford. Right now I need that change of scenery. It’s been a dark, dreary November without much sunlight (although we’re doing better than Stockholm with only 1.8 hrs!). Light, colour and warmth…
Culture on a shoestring: a night at the opera in Budapest
Tosca is a drama queen – that was my first impression. Creating problems where there were none, imagining illicit affairs. What would happen if she had a real issue to deal with? Everyone has their comfort zone and maybe places they think aren’t for them. An opera house was the last place I thought I’d…
An unexpected love for Budapest (and 5 tips to make your visit shine)
I’m a contrary type. Tell me I’ll love something and I’ll think, really? Love for a place is so personal, one person’s favourite leaves another cold. I was curious about Budapest, but I didn’t expect to love it. It’s in a land-locked country, the buildings I searched Google images for looked solid but uninspiring, a…
On the trail of Operation Market Garden: 70 years on
It’s 70 years since Operation Market Garden came to an unexpected end in Arnhem; the infamous Bridge Too Far. The events of that time have left a deep impression on the area, commemorated recently with memorial services and reenactments to mark the 70th anniversary. The plan was to take a number of bridges from Eindhoven up…