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Adventure

My Love of Extraordinary Elephants

Posted on August 5, 2015

I know it’s a bit of a throwback post, but I believe it’s ALWAYS worth mentioning these beautiful creatures…

Thailand is a magical place, full of tropical escapes, hidden beaches and islands teeming with wildlife, culture and sunsets you can only dream of. I’ve visited Thailand many times, on a variety of trips, be it bar-hopping down Bangla Road, floating markets in Bangkok or Island escapes for a touch of paradise. Some of my favourite memories come from a place that’s very special to my heart in the north of the country in Chang Mai.

The Elephant Nature Park is without doubt a wondrous place, where Ele’s roam free, eating organically and swim without fear in the rivers that run through the plantation. Volunteers help with everything from washing and preparing the food, to applying the medicine that some of the Ele’s need, to building the tree-houses that visitors stay in. It’s a very hands on society and you’ll never hear a grumble out of anyone there.

The truth here about the Ele’s and their trapped-in-tourism futures is that they aren’t well fed, free or happy. Elephants are fierce creatures by nature, but in Thailand there’s a lot to be said about their lack of spirit. Taken through very specific ‘treatments’ as infants, these nellies are removed of their ‘wild spirits’ and taught to comply with human handlers. Not a detail I want to describe here, but trust me when I say it’s heartbreaking to see. Most of those at the park will have started life as domesticated elephants begging on the streets.

The elephant rides you see advertised everywhere have all put their beauties through this treatment, it’s horrid to see them tied up to a pole next to the road, without shade or water. You may recall see them swinging their heads from side to side too – perhaps it’s an early sign of the elephants going slightly mad, perhaps it’s boredom – either way, wouldn’t you rather see them as a family swimming, drinking, trumpeting as you float down the river enjoying the tropical sights instead?

The Elephant Nature Park is a wonderful place to volunteer in like I did… learn about Lek and her incredible voyage of kindness as she buys these elephants back from their handlers (mahouts) and helps those still stuck in captivity. Releasing them into her sanctuary where they are looked after by mahouts who care for them without sticks, nails, electricity…

There are other hotspots in Thailand who are helping to preserve these giants too, like at Thailand’s Golden Triangle Anantara resort where they have a ‘walking with giants’ experience as apposed to trekking with them.

I look forward to the days where Thailand is animal tourism free… but there’s a long way still to go. The biggest thing to take away from all that I’ve written, is not to support the animal tourism trade in Thailand at all… walk with them, don’t ride them!

Road Tripping Through South Africa… Part 1

Posted on July 8, 2015

Its a hot muggy 4am in Dubai, and a cool clear Johannesburg 8 hours later. I land in a sleepy blur; long arms, long legs, a beaming smile await in the Arrivals lounge – my university friend and I have embarked on the longest road trip of my life; Johannesburg to Cape Town, following the coastline.

Johannesburg – North Drakensberg

Day 1 starts with 9 days on the clock, in a gold VW Polo, with a very hungover co-pilot, and over 2000km to drive. The ground is brown, bone dry, almost apocalyptic. People appear to just exist, if only at a slow pace, their skin cracked like the ground beneath their feet. They’re waiting, sitting, waiting, for what? Desolate with the occasional brown roofed hut breaking up the yellow grass. We drive for miles, miles ahead of us towards the Drakensberg Mountains, so-named because of their dragon-back peaks. Yet they don’t seem to arise; and the apocalypse-bared earth shows no sign of abating.

Our hostel is perched on the edge of a hill, with panoramic views of dry moorland. The cold creeps in early – South African sunsets happen around 5.30 every evening, turning into impossibly long nights. And it is cold. Turns out you can take the girl out of Dubai…

North Drakensberg – Durban

We head deeper and darker into the Drakensberg, on to Cathedral Peak, yet still searching for landscape that resembles actual mountains. And then suddenly they appear, majestic, imposing and exactly like their namesake. Somewhere, in those crevices up high, is the dragon’s head, its fire the beating sun on our backs. We walk, blackened earth crunching underfoot, past dried tree fruits, and following the sound of water. A baboon family are up ahead, and we disturb their weekend amble. The air is so fresh up here, it almost hurts these Dubai-dust clogged lungs. The map says we are walking to find Doreen Falls – how do they name waterfalls? Did Doreen fall? Water like glass pours from a rock face up ahead, ice ice cold. He decides to go for a swim; the echoing shrills tell of this error. We can’t stay here, and with the impending sunset, we push on to Durban. This apocalyptic landscape continues for miles, until the roads begin to drop down into the city, traffic pushing either side, racing towards the shore. The sea! We lock the doors – aware of the Durban crime stories. Tucked into a table overlooking a large aquarium home to three types of shark, we eat the best steak of my life, guzzle South African red wine, and reminisce of university days gone by.

Durban

Day 3 is our beach day. An expanse of dark beige sand, black rock, glistened feet. The sea so clear and inviting, yet hints of dangers lurking deep. We walk. South Sands, Addington, the city’s accumulation of architecture climbs and dips as a backdrop. Walking through town is not quite as peaceful or comfortable – our presence encourages lingering looks, watching, conversations and laughter shared as we pass. We don’t wander for much longer, but catch a cab to the shore, our cab driver astounded that why we would be walking; his accent thick with humour, and to my ears, incomprehensible words. He ventures into the sea, swimming out further before the fear of below kicks in. I walk down the beach alone, sunlight glistens, a gold glow, and grey haze creeps over the city. The people fade away, and I’m on my own, my footsteps washed away at each step. Tonight we drive to the rugby stadium, to watch the Sharks take on, and beat, the Cape Town’s Stormers. The air is electric, the fireworks ablaze, the crowd geared up on giant cups of beer, bags of chips and fresh doughnuts.

Doreen Falls

I have a rule when driving that co-pilots shouldn’t sleep. Today our spedometer says we have reached the 1000km mark, and I break said rule. The landscape takes on a new face to the ones we have seen before. We drive through plantations, banana and coconut palms, the road falling away to rolling terraces either side. The sea becomes more angry, juxtaposed against the peaceful shoreline; we are at the start of the Wild Coast. Trees, rows and rows of trees in perfect alignment run for miles, as the road meanders through timber land. We try to hold onto the evergreen, but as our journey takes us further from the sea, the dry brown ground swallows us up. This is Zulu country, the Transkei, known for its bustling industrial towns, and coloured rondevaals pinpointed along the horizon and hill tops. I was told only to drive through the Transkei during daylight hours, and we head on to Coffee Bay, navigating the pot-holed road back towards the sea. So-named because a ship carrying coffee was wrecked on the rocks and spilled its wares on the village, this place is quaint, quiet and life passes by slowly here. We watch the sunset with beers in hand, high on top of a hill, a pink glow creeping in as dolphins dance on the surface below.

Part 2 to continue….

Adventure travel

A Tour of Vietnam: Episode 1

Posted on June 5, 2015

The first thing that hits you landing in Vietnam is the noise; the incessant beeping of horns; car horns, motorbike horns, truck horns. Second is the light; strip lighting, headlights, fairy lights, lanterns. And third is the rows upon rows of trees, towering above the smoggy sprawling city, hoping to at least offer some redemption from the exhaust fumes below.

Saigon was our first port of call when travelling to Vietnam early April. We arrived in the dark, and a hair-raising taxi ride from the airport threw us into abyss that is a city torn between communism ideals and American consumerism. They say that Cairo, London, New York are the cities that never sleep. I wonder if they have ever been to Saigon, because the place is pulsing.

A day walking its streets, and a night frequenting its bars leaves you feeling as if you’ve been on high spin in a washing machine.

Our hotel was a stone’s throw from Ben Thanh Market, which can only be described as a kaleidoscope of colours, sights, and goods of varying quality and quantity, accompanied by not-too pushy saleswomen. The phrase ‘American quality’ is often heard, which we were later told means ‘of the highest quality’ because the Vietnamese ironically perceive all things-American as the best. Ben Thanh was also our introduction to Vietnamese street food; large open barbecue grills lined with fish, shrimp, pork, and frog, often with the live animals in pots below looking up at their impending fate.

A beer is a dollar, and a dollar can get you very good Saigon Green beer. Drunk on the pace, lights and headiness of our surroundings, we ventured on to Biu Vien, a street lined with bars, and tables and clientele spewing out onto the road. With its waiters accosting would-be customers as they pass, villagers selling dried squid on carts, bikes laden with sugar beet and bamboo canes, young children trying to sell chewing gum and dancing on the street, and sunburnt backpackers nervously navigating their way around armed with maps and guidebooks, this part of Saigon is an onslaught of all the senses.

The next day we moved further south with a day tour of the Mekong Delta – an area shrouded in mystery, and tales of war. This is where life slows down, as we sat on a bright green boat crossing the churning brown Delta waters. Due to its history, Vietnam isn’t quite open to visitors just making it on their own; tours are required to explore this area, and so we joined a small group of eclectic travellers on a trip around three islands, lovingly called Phoenix, Turtle and Unicorn.

You know that feeling you get when you travel, of experiencing something really special to regale to others? Sadly this isn’t where you’ll get it. With tours intended to generate as much money as possible from tourists, there is a slight lack of charm to the locals singing, plates of shocking pink dragonfruit proffered, coconut sweets and jars of snakes marinaded in alcohol you don’t ever want to drink. However, there is a magic to being rowed through the undergrowth in a turquoise boat, spotting water coconuts sprouting either side, lulled by a crooning guide and the occasional greeting from the mysterious green depths.

Wrenched back from the peace and quiet of Mekong’s lapping shores, we were back in Saigon for an obligatory Communism history lesson. I like to put museums in the same category as reading a newspaper: come out in the end knowing both sides of a story. The War Remnants Museum is not one known for its objectivity (its name perhaps gives it away), and can certainly not be featured in my newspaper-category. If you are (like I was) unlearned about the Vietnam War, you could be forgiven for completing the first exhibition floor, still without a clue about what happened.

Perhaps as an eternal reminder of the atrocities inflicted, the museum walls are painted orange and lit up by orange watt lights. The graphic images decking the walls are certainly not for the faint-hearted. Feeling slightly drained and shell-shocked, we left the museum to continue wandering Saigon’s streets, ticking off monuments such as the Reunification Palace on the way. Saigon’s colonial era is very apparent, with the huge French influence on building structure and design. Perhaps Parisian ghosts from years passed haunt these places, drinking coffee out of Vietnamese china and fanning themselves against the haze of humidity.

Before planning our Vietnam trip, I was advised to avoid Saigon, but I’m glad I chose to ignore it. The city sucks you in, violently hurtles you around, and ungraciously spits you out on the side of the road. But don’t any of that put you off. Overwhelmed, exhausted but buzzing on seriously excellent Vietnamese coffee, it was time to salute Saigon, and board a plane to Hanoi.

To be continued….

Adventure Recommended travel

A Weekend in… Santorini

Posted on June 3, 2015

A lot of people say “you are ALWAYS off on holiday” and I guess that’s kind of true… There’s just so many places in the world that are begging to be visited, and rather than staying for one week or more and totally exhausting that country/city/island, hopping across for just a long weekend is a great way of discovering the best bits, whilst still leaving enough places undiscovered for any future work trips/weddings etc. Dubai is the centre of the world travel wise, and especially for Europe, Asia and Africa, there’s plenty of weekend-long excursions just begging to be booked!

Santorini

What constitutes a long weekend destination? For normal people – I believe it’s max 4 hours away by plane? But I have been known to take the odd 9 hour vacay to Cape Town and Jo’burg… I think the key here is to make sure you’re not crossing too many time zones – that way you won’t lose a day and won’t be too groggy when you get back for work the next morning.

My latest travel adventure was to the sunny white isle of Santorini, Greece. Well, at least it was supposed to be sunny…I have to say, it was a total toss-up between Mykonos and Santorini when we were booking this trip, but a very helpful blog gave us exactly the advice we needed – Santorini has more than you think it does, it isn’t all couples and there are enough bars to keep any singles happy 🙂

Landing in Athens, it was a quick 45 min transfer on Aegean Air to the island, where we were met at the airport by a private chauffeur. A mere 20 mins from the airport is the beautiful capital of Thira – (Fira). We stayed at THE most incredible hotel – The Tsitouras Collection. Seriously – I can see why it’s booked up already for most of the summer – it’s a 5 bedroom ex-mansion on the side of Firostefani (a seriously scenic and beautiful) walking distance from Fira. Each room is dedicated to a different collection of arts. Ours was the room of porcelain. Next door had a Picasso above the bed!

Our hotel!

What started off as slightly wet weather – the odd little drizzle, quickly became a brilliant storm! We had just finished our sunset drinks on the balcony as the sight of two water spouts off the coast sent us back to the room to grab warmer clothing (of which I packed none!). Within 5 mins of heading back in, it hit, and it was brilliant! I’m a big fan of a glass of wine and a game or two of cards whilst a storm lashes outside, but this was so dramatic thanks to the white walls and beautifully clean terraces.

Once the storm faded, we headed out for dinner to a lovely local fish restaurant (the oldest on the island). George, who was the son-in-law of the owner of our hotel is the most fantastic guide. He literally had our trip organised for us, which may seem off-putting to people who like the spontentaity of travel, but trust me, he knows best! Everywhere he sent us, we wouldn’t have found without him, and we would want to head back to again. One of the most awesome places we visited was the black volcanic beaches of Perivolos. There was an awesome bar/restaurant called Sea Side that you must visit if you are Santorini bound… Although during the summer, book ahead as the sun beds book up 4x days in advance!

We rented a car (fiat 500 convertible) while we were there (again on George’s advice) which really was a godsend – never mind the rain intervals, we had to get away from all the (license-less) tourists driving around on ATV’s. It also gave us the opportunity to visit Oia for dinner, where there was a cliff side tavern that was another of George’s expert recommendations.

Breakfast

If you’re visiting Santorini, i’d recommend you stay in Firostefani (Fira), shop local (gorgeous jewellery and leather shoes galore) and eat Greek – I’m craving some Tzatziki! A couple of things I don’t reeeeally recommend are 1) The boat trip around the Volcano – it’s long and unless it’s BOILING outside – it will be cold. Also the hot springs – not hot, but the sulphur is supposed to be good for your hair… 2) Greek red wine – bring your own favourites in through duty free… you are likely to be disappointed in the local varieties 😛 or just enjoy the sunset cocktails instead!

Adventure travel

Safari Sunsets

Posted on May 24, 2015

Travelling leaves you speechless but turns you into a storyteller… this particular holiday was actually the tipping point for starting this site. People ask “how was your trip” but there just isn’t enough time to detail my most recent international adventure. I’ve only recently ventured to South Africa and it has quickly become my favourite escape – with Cape Town reigning as the future home of my dreams.

My second trip to Jo’burg has since become my most memorable vacation EVER! We ventured up to Madikwe, just on the Botswana border – only a 4 hours drive with plenty to see on the way. We arrived at the Tuningi Safari Lodge just in time for the first afternoon game drive…

Mind-blowing scenery, incredible close encounters and serene sunsets. Words can’t quite describe just how beautiful these animals are up-close, without cages, without constriction, it’s the only way animals should be seen… wild.

And yes, we saw all of the big 5 too! Elephants in abundance, rhinos (with horns!), lions, lionesses and even a quick hunt, wildebeest everywhere and yes, even a leopard. Not to mention a black hyena, wild dogs (incredibly rare) and lots of gorgeous little warthog babies!

Our watering hole (actual one – not our bar) at the lodge was particularly fruitful one evening when a leopard popped her head in for a drink, only to be surprised by a lioness who stood staring, just 5 meters away from her, not moving, not flinching and not even fighting (surprising as they are natural enemies). An unbelievably incredible sighting, even by our guide’s experiences…

I can’t wait to go back! There’s nothing more beautiful than an African sunset on safari, surrounded by nature at it’s finest…

Adventure

The Amazing Race

Posted on May 12, 2015

There’s an awesome new adventure playground in the capital! If you don’t know about it already, make sure you head to Abu Dhabi’s Al Forsan complex near Yas. We ventured down last weekend to compete in their inter-media competition called ‘The Amazing Race’. An entire afternoon of ‘friendly’ games, but everyone knows just how competitive I can be, so I definitely came prepared to win!

The twitter chat set the tone… we were hungry for a victory already! With agency vs. agency, magazine vs. blogger, PR vs. media, we were put into 3 teams of 8 (Team Green all the way).

Round 1) Paintballing! (a great way to relieve any couples tension too FYI)

Round 2) Equestrian (so it turns out… i’m extremely allergic to horses!) but they were just SO beautiful I couldn’t NOT get a snap 🙂

Round 3) Go-Karting! For anyone that knows me… you know why we won!

Round 4) Wakeboarding! (my first time ever and not the most glamorous pose I admit…)

We didn’t get to hang around for the final activity, missing out on the shooting element (where we would have DOMINATED fyi) and after such an amazing day, we came second overall (and got in a great workout)!

*All photos by the incredibly talented Hyku!

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