I've become quite the celebrity on Instagram lately, don't you know! My account is so popular it's got to the stage I can message a girl from a destination I plan to visit, and an invitation to meet could well be on the cards. While planning this trip to Europe one girl has been corresponding regularly for several months. She has been unfailingly polite, positive, and enthusiastic about meeting up in Europe. She lives in Budapest, and it's been ten years since my last visit so I organised to fly in to meet her at the start of my adventure. My friends and family at home have been aghast at the idea of meeting a foreign girl from the internet, and there have been plenty of jokes flying around about being trussed up and gagged in ... read more

Seychelles is one of the most desirable couple destinations in the world. This beautiful pearl of the Indian Ocean is an international magnet for romantics, honeymooners, and families. The idea a solo traveller should be in their midst has thrown my fellow European holidaymakers into a spin, and some of the reactions I've received over the course of the last fortnight are hilarious. Couples walk along the beach and suddenly stop by my towel in deep conversation; European ladies face their bikini bodies towards me and preen themselves for minutes on end; and couples at restaurants simply race to sit next to me. Who is this strange person, where is his partner, and what on earth is he doing here? It's great fun and I've noticed many Russian comrades in bikinis at Beau Vallon beach, with ... read more

How can you visit the Mascarenes without stopping by to say hello to the inhabitants of Rodrigues. Although the island is technically part of Mauritius, it's a 600 kilometre flight east across the Indian Ocean before touching down at the airport. My host Jerry was there at 11:00pm to greet me, and drove me to the north of the island where his three bedroom house was on offer courtesy of AirBnb. Jerry showed me around the house, left the keys, and then headed home to his place around a kilometre away. This was the start of an unforgettable visit, as there are only a few neighbouring houses in this isolated area of the island. Jerry came to check on Tom first thing in the morning before heading off to Port Mathurin for work, and I later ... read more

Mauritius is a destination I've wanted to visit for over a decade, but always seemed to be on the back burner for some reason. I have friends in Sydney who were born on this beautiful island, and it's a thrill to finally have the chance to visit. The Mascarene Islands are my home base for the next five weeks island hopping, and it all begins on the west coast resort town of Flic en Flac. With ten nights booked at the gorgeous Villa Osumare right by the beach, it's time to get the ball rolling on a new set of travel adventures. I jetted with Air Mauritius from Sydney to Perth, and it's a further nine hours flying time direct to this tropical paradise. It's currently winter, and the temperature rises to around 26 degrees in ... read more

The lure of a flight over to American Samoa cast a powerful spell on me, and it didn't take long for the friendly staff in the Apia office of Polynesian Airlines to get my itinerary sorted. I always find it thrilling when a new travel itinerary has been finalised, and the chance to visit another country in this wonderful world becomes a real prospect. The airport to American Samoa is very close to Apia itself, only a ten minute drive in fact. The runway is only suitable for propellor planes, but the ride in the taxi entails just a few turns in an Apia neighbourhood, and suddenly the airstrip presents itself seemingly out of nowhere. I arrived at the airport a little over an hour prior to departure time, and there were a few taxis and ... read more