The Galapagos is a truly magical place with stunning scenary, gorgeous beaches, great snorkling and the highlight is the incredible animals that let you come up really close!!! Its very expensive to get there from Quito but its worth every cent and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see the Islands which are probably most famous for Charles Darwin´s visit in 1835 which spurred him to formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection. The Islands were claimed by Ecuador in 1838 and are officially known as Archipielago de Colon and consist of 18 Islands. I booked a 5 day 4 night tour with GAP Adventures which took in the Islands of Santa Cruz, Seymour, Santiago and Bartolome, Santa Fe and Isla San Cristobal. As part of the tour you also stay ... read more

Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is high up in the Andes mountain range at 2800m. The altitude took my breath away when I arrived on 19th June feeling a bit dizzy for a few seconds when leaving the plane and for around three days the symptoms were shortness of breath when walking around or up stairs, feeling tired and a slight headache. The medical experts say to literally do nothing for a day which was not difficult and to avoid alcohol and take asprin if required. A taxi from the airport is USD 5 from the little taxi kiosk outside the terminal on the right and it takes about 20 minutes. Central Quito is divided into two distinct parts, the compact Old Town with lots of Squares, cobbled streets, Churches and Police, Security guards ... read more

Well New Zealand certainly exceeded my expectations! I wasn't sure what to expect as a few people had mentioned how amazing the place was but its the kind of country you have to visit to appreciate why. I hope the pictures I took do the place justice! As with the Oz blog I've done just one covering all the places I visited. Enjoy the piccies there are 105 of them to keep you occupied during those dull moments at work! Wellington - Windy and rainy Welly that´s how I'll remember this place. Its actually a really nice city with a harbour, mountainside, great RB's, brilliant museums but the weather was awful it rained everyday I was there and during the All Blacks v Ireland rugby game the temperature suddenly dropped 8 degrees and I got soaked ... read more

Hi everyone, Well here is the last of the SEA blogs, better late than never!!!. Siem Reap reminded me a bit of Chang Mai in Thailand when I first got there. It is supposed to be Cambodia's fastest growing city and serves as the gateway town to the world famous heritage the Angor temples. The town itself is really nice, small and easy to get around with the usual HRB's. I stayed at the Mandalay Inn which spookily was also the name of the guesthouse in Chang Mai!! For USD 17.00 a night it was pretty comfortable with fridge and cable TV and the staff as always in Cambodia were all smiles. I got there on a Sunday I think after another uncomfortable bus journey but at least the scenary was nice!. When the bus turns ... read more

I decided it was time for an upgrade when I reached Phnom Penh and after an uncomfortable two hour cramped bus journey from where the boat dropped us off I was away with my 35kg of luggage in a crazy tuck tuck to the Bouvillier 3 star hotel on the river front ( most of the tour group stayed in the dodgy guesthouse where the bus dropped us off). I'd booked 3 nights and wasn't sure where I was going after that, either Siam Reap or Sihanoukville. I'd heard reports from guide books and other travellers that Phnom Penh was a dangerous place so I was on guard the first night. It wasn't necessary though as the main tourist area by the river front, National Museum and Royal palace is fine but its worth getting a ... read more