Cambodia. "Killing fields". The immediate sequitur: the institutionalised killing perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s is one of my earliest memories of international news, and the association is still tremendously strong. Even my mother asked if the country was “safe” when I told her my travel plans for the first weeks of this year. When I reached Phnom Penh, I caught myself wondering if I actually wanted to go to the Genocide Museum at Tuol Sleng, otherwise known now as S-21, the former secondary school that, overnight, became an interrogation centre for anyone the Khmer Rouge deemed opposed to their regime and goals. Or to some of the "killing fields" outside Phnom Penh where almost 9,000 bodies have already been found, and where countless others, known still to be buried there, are being left ... read more

I decided to visit this southern Rajasthani city, aptly known as “the Venice of the East”, en route from Mumbai and Delhi, when I first heard of its picturesque-ness: its lakeside setting, surrounding mountains and panoply of palaces, which include the Lake Palace made famous in “Octopussy”. After two weeks relaxing in Goa, this was a return to Serious Travelling, back on my own, and I loved it. Travelling alone has its disadvantages, but, for me, these are largely superseded by its advantages. Not only is my time is absolutely my own - allowing me what a friend calls “no compromise tourism” - but I feel that I can soak up my surroundings to a much greater extent. A large part of this comes from the way that I can - and must - interact with ... read more

…of Bollywood glitz and burka-clad women…. of Louis Vuitton and the barefoot woman selling her few things from a cloth spread out on the pavement…. of businessmen and lepers…. of high rises and beaches…. of 500 AD cave temples and twenty-first century skyscrapers…. of McDonalds and street-vendors…. of posh cars and cows in the road…. of humidity-enhanced street smells and a welcome sea breeze. “In India, rich means too rich; poor means too poor”. This, the wisdom of “Mr Mac”, my first day’s guide, can be applied to Mumbai, a microcosm of India. I’d assumed it would be hard to leave the open spaces and wildlife of Namibia for the densely populated subcontinent, and, psychologically, it was indeed a wrench not least because the previous weeks had been so exhilarating. But it’s surprising quite how quickly ... read more

Job spec: ability to drive and to get on with people (including the boss) essential; knowledge of relevant data collection techniques valuable; knowledge of the local elephant population helpful; love affair with Africa optional, but preferred. Go figure. Yes, having slowly made my way up the ladder of the Namibian desert-dwelling elephant project from Earthwatch volunteer last August to assistant/part-time research assistant in May, I was now promoted to the level of full-time research assistant in order to help with the sixth and final Earthwatch project of the year. Keith Leggett, my esteemed now boss (I have to say “esteemed”: he may be reading this!), does not usually take Earthwatch volunteers in October as the research area can get pretty hot, but he had agreed to do so in response to a specific request this year. ... read more

We attracted a lot of attention wherever we went... thanks to The Truck. Work stopped, heads turned and eyes stared wherever we went. We became used to smiling, waving and calling hello's (which we'd mastered in each of the three main local languages, mainly thanks to Matt's diligence) to all and sundry. One of the biggest thrills was when a blank-faced stare suddenly cracked into a smile or an all-out grin in response to us and our smiles and waves. At best, an entire team of people working on the road would down tools, laughing and waving at us. You really can get a very long way in befriending - or at least, thawing - locals with knowing only "hello" and "thank you" in their language, and I think this is what I had missed on ... read more