“Do you know the story of why the Torajan people have houses with roofs shaped like boats? It’s said that our ancestors arrived from the north in a fierce storm and their boats were badly damaged, so much so that they couldn’t take to sea again. So instead they used the boats as shelter.” Tana…
Tag: Travel
10 best views of Sorrento, Vesuvius and the Amalfi Coast
Italy is one of my favourite places and yet, until last week, I’d only been there twice. So another visit, this time to Sorrento on the Bay of Naples, was long overdue. Somehow being surrounded by orange and lemon groves, walking around in sandals in April, surrounded by the bluest of seas really gave…
La Palma, the Canary Island with a unique link to Venezuela
It’s a small place, La Palma. Not only on a map; I was sure I’d heard this tale of growing up in Venezuela and moving back home to La Palma to avoid military service before. Maybe this guy was a relative of the driver from the previous night. La Palma, one of the smallest and…
Travel inspiration: An Evening with Levison Wood
Did you know that there’s a ‘wanderlust’ gene (DRD4-7R), commonly found in explorers, risk takers and people who love to travel, but only 20% of us have it? Levison Wood is definitely a man whose genetic makeup may go some way to explaining that insatiable desire to get up, head out and get as far…
Whale-watching in the Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi
The limpid waters of the Lembeh Straits lapped the black sands of Tangkoko as our outrigger canoe pushed out in search of pilot whales. The fuzzy edges of the nearby volcano slowly sharpened into view as dawn broke over this little-visited corner of Indonesia’s 17,000 or so islands. The hot roti hurriedly collected from a…
A Sulawesi state of mind (tips for where to visit in Sulawesi)
What image does the word Sulawesi conjure up for you? Have you even heard of it? Maybe if you’re older you might know it by the names of Celebes. Sulawesi is one of the largest islands in the Indonesian archipelago, oddly shaped like an octopus or spider. Its northern tip and southern province welcome some tourists…
4 places to walk on the wild side in Brazil – a post for Backpack South America
A little while ago I wrote a post for Backpack South America about 4 of the best places to walk on the wild side and experience nature in Brazil. ‘Brazil has an incredible variety of landscapes; from table mountains and red rocks to watery wonderlands. Epic sweeping views, on a scale we don’t get…
A dream fulfilled at Borobudur
It’s been a long-time dream of mine to visit Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in Central Java and a few weeks ago my dream was finally fulfilled. I couldn’t quite believe I was there, just 12 hours after arriving in Yogyakarta after a very long journey from the UK. Borobudur is one of Java’s…
2 weeks in Java and Sulawesi – trip highlights in photos
The stupas of Borobudur, central Java The incredible Hindu temple of Prambanan, central Java The keraton (sultan’s palace) in Yogyakarta Javanese dance in Surakarta An amazing sunrise boat ride spotting pilot whales, Tangkoko national park, North Sulawesi Relaxing in paradise a.k.a. Bunaken island, North Sulawesi The fascinating cliff burials of Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Torajan…
All aboard – behind the scenes on the Emerald Princess
A few weeks ago, before my Indonesian trip (more on that soon), I was invited on a tour of a cruise ship by Princess Cruises. This was quite exciting as a) it’s the only blog-related thing I’ve ever been invited to and b) I love boats and the sea generally (this site is named Saltwater…