We hear so much of China as they dominate power in the world today. I found the Walking in China tour was a way to get off the beaten track, to see the real China and to gain some understandingMore…

Tibet is a fascinating country, and its capital, Lhasa, all of 3,650 metres above sea level, is a fascinating city. It is dominated by the Potala Palace, situated in a commanding position on a hilltop overlooking the city. The hugeMore…

While some countries have strict rules regulating taxis, Peru doesn’t, at least it didn’t when I was there a few years ago. Anybody who has a car, no matter how old or dilapidated can be a taxi. All you needMore…

Nuwara Eliya is known as “Little England”. It’s near here that tea was first grown in Sri Lanka and the early tea barons not only left a legacy of very English-looking buildings, but also introduced English vegetables and flowers. TheMore…

I was fortunate to be able to travel to Slovenia and Croatia in 2010. These are two countries in which historical monuments mingle and compete with spectacular landscape. A good example of the interplay of history and nature is PredjamaMore…

It sounds like a cliché, but no visit to the Netherlands is complete without visiting its famous Keukenhof. Spring time is approaching in Holland and most of the Zuid Holland provinces are a beautiful tapestry of colours. Flying into HollandMore…

 It was really early – about 6am, but we were assured that it would be worth the sacrifice and provide a memorable experience to get up early to give alms to the monks in Luang Prabang, Laos. After purchasing theMore…

Our guide explained “our body is the motor which takes our spirit” – “Our spirit or soul is what we feel and experience – the excitement, the exhilaration!” And so it was as the twenty of us set out forMore…

Even if we take in settlement by Maori, New Zealand’s human history is a mere blink on the calendar. Being brought up in New Zealand gives us huge advantages, but it also deprives us of a historical perspective, that essentialMore…

It’s was one of those clear sparkling Himalayan days with the huge mountains close enough to touch. We are up at 3500 meters at the Sir Edmond Hillary-built Thame School in Nepal where the children are lined up in frontMore…

Having a cup of tea in someone’s lounge is nothing unusual. Having a cup of tea in a lounge in an underground house in Cappadocia is very unusual. Centuries ago thousands lived underground in Cappadocia, Turkey, however today there areMore…

Arriving in Cairo to the chaos of 7 million people running about their business in a city smaller than Dunedin hits you like a ton of bricks and lets you know that you are not in Kansas anymore Toto. NotMore…