JHG

Madeira is an island off of the coast of Africa, belonging to Portugal. With generally warm temperatures year-round, it is a good go-to for some sunshine. Of course, not always guaranteed, and whilst there in November I did experience some rain myself! Escaping the single-digit degrees of winter though, I did not mind some rain. Longer than expected, it is a four hour flight to Funchal Airport, Madeira. Easyjet have flights from Stanstead direct to Madeira, making it a reasonably affordable holiday. Prior to arrival, I had booked a hire car (the cheapest one) and once at the rental centre, of course there was an up-sell - 'Madeira is very hilly, are you sure you want a one litre engine' was the question to me. My smart answer was - why do you rent out one ... read more

Four days and three nights like no other!I signed up to do the Classic Inca Trail with the Llama Path company in December for a March 9th start. It’s not possible to do the official Inca trail independently - you have to go with a guide/group - it is very regulated.As mentioned in my previous post, it’s worth doing your research on the Inca trail. Yes it’s physically demanding, but it’s also stunning! Llama path really looked after us, with 16 porters for a group of eight hikers. These ultra humans hiked ahead of us with giant backpacks, and then by the time we would arrive at the pit stop there was a tent set up with a table, and lunch or dinner prepared. There was no way we w... read more

Altitude is real! Jump on a plane to Cusco and you will step off at 3200m above sea level. That’s when it gets interesting! I’m a relatively fit person and I certainly felt it. I wondered if it would have made any difference if I'd have trained with an oxygen mask! To be honest, oxygen mask training is a bit extreme, but I was glad to have had some fitness about me for traveling at altitude. From the day I stepped off the plane in Cusco, I ended up spending twelve days above 3000 metres. Altitude can affect everyone, regardless of how fit you are - it's worth doing some research before you travel. Some people take medication (I didn't) and some people have no side effects. Others suffer from dreadful headaches and vomiting. It can ... read more

The Tao Experience ~ Nautical Paradise As often happens in the world of travel, you meet people with the best and most recent recommendations for the next stop! I really enjoyed having an unplanned trip earlier this year and it worked out well - I met a (now) friend at Tiger Muay Thai who told me about the Tao experience in Palawan, Philippines. Fairly soon I was booked on to a boat trip amongst deserted islands! In my last blog I mentioned that El Nido is quite touristy as well as being stunning. The Tao Experience gave me a real opportunity to see the beauty of Palawan without the acne of tourists! The day before the journey we met for a briefing and were introduced to our jolly crew! They informed us what to bring and ... read more

A place I called home I thought a year was a long time… turns out it isn’t! I spent eight and a half years living in Hong Kong, straight out of university and my first job was in Asia. I had a blast! I got to a point where I wanted to explore more of the world and left Hong Kong to give Sydney a try. Returning to Hong Kong after a year away was less emotional than I had thought! There’s something about routine and familiarity that we crave and appreciate as humans. For me Hong Kong felt so normal and I slotted right back in – a year didn’t make a whole lot of difference! I had a busy week catching up with all my friends there and celebrating being another year older! I ... read more