Sarawak is a state in north-west Borneo, part of Malaysia. The Malay part of Borneo is sometimes called Eastern Malaysia. Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan are the three Malaysian states and federal territories in Borneo, the rest of Borneo belongs to Indonesia and Brunei. In times gone by Sarawak changed hands regularly before becoming a part of Malaysia in the 1960s, its history is … [Read more...]
Wildlife Travel
Ways to Be a More Eco Friendly Traveller
Our lives on this planet are changing. We are at a point in time where we all have to do more to help our world survive, fast. We have just 11 years left to totally change the world. Many of us are on-board with this and the army of eco-conscious citizens swells daily, but what about those of us who travel? Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly traveller ? I'm not going to … [Read more...]
Manta Ray Bali Tour- A Snorkel, Swimming or Dive Trip
The day we went swimming with manta rays off Bali Indonesia, was one of my favorite days of our six years of full-time travel. The famous Manta Bay is actually off Nusa Penida and we were staying in Ubud Bali. Were we even close enough to take this epic snorkeling trip? It turned out that we were. We booked a tour from Bali to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan in one … [Read more...]
Chitwan National Park Nepal
Before I start I want to say that we like Sauraha a lot and we're glad we came. Chitwan National Park Nepal is doing some superb conservation work and animal numbers are increasing impressively. We just want to warn you that you're quite likely to not see any large wildlife on your jeep safari or other expensive day in the park, but the tame rhino in Sauraha, he should be … [Read more...]
Daintree Tours From Port Douglas & Exploring the Daintree Rainforest
To the north of Cairns and Port Douglas you will find the oldest rainforest in the world. Daintree Village, Daintree River, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation are areas you will most certainly want to see during your time in Far North Queensland. A look at everything the Daintree has to offer and how to get there from Port Douglas ( or Cairns) by private car or by tour. … [Read more...]
Things to Do in Brasov Romania & Around Brasov.
Chef, after 2 cans of good Romanian beer, decided last weekend to enter the Brasov Marathon ( Braşov ). Normal people give themselves a year or so to train for these things, he gave himself a week. So not only did we have to organise a long weekend in Brasov Romania, he also had to be marathon ready by Sunday morning. OK, so that part was easy, he's super fit. But … [Read more...]
Elephants World Kanchanaburi ( A Day Trip From Bangkok!)
Ethical elephant attractions in Thailand are a bit of a hot potato so over the years we've decided to just not get involved. We haven't done anything involving elephants since back in the days when we were all OK to ride them. Then suddenly it wasn't OK and a huge publicity campaign made elephants something I just didn't want to touch on this blog. We finally decided to break … [Read more...]
How to Use Less Plastic When You Travel
One of the things that really bugs me about travelling, which has been particularly noticeable in South East Asia and Egypt, is the vast amount of plastic trash that we, the population generate. We, as travellers, are in danger of making the plastic problem even worse. That is not OK. I think by modelling better behaviours maybe we can get other travellers and locals … [Read more...]
The Brasov Bear Sanctuary. Heartbreaking.
Romania has plenty of bears. Half of the European brown bear population lives on the forested hills of this beautiful country. When we talk about saving bears, we're not talking so much about the wild Romanian bears, as the ones who have had a terrible existence, held captive by private owners and in small Eastern European zoo enclosures until fairly recently. This is where the … [Read more...]
There’s a Bear in There! Walking in Transylvania
We just got back from a 2 day roadtrip in Northern Transylvania, Romania. It was a lovely couple of days and totally impromptu, that's how we roll. I published a post about Dracula in Romania a day or so ago and we got inspired to go visit one of Romania's Dracula themed hotels, around 3-4 hours from our base here in Northern Maramures County. The hotel, sadly, wasn't great, so … [Read more...]
The Horse & Animal Market at Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania
This isn't a post for vegans. Animals are vital for human survival in this part of the world and market day can be brutal. Living here, seeing lambs and kids born to be eaten within weeks at Easter has pushed me to veganism already, but it's just the way it is. People have to survive and that means meat and farming. For the villagers of northern Romania it also means horses. … [Read more...]
Peregrine Falcons in London
On the days we venture out into London to see a new attraction, or just wander and explore, we usually end up outside The Tate Modern on the South Bank of the Thames. No, not for the art, but we will make it inside soon ( it's free), instead we take advantage of an amazing opportunity to see Peregrine Falcons in London. It was a chance find for us, one that has drawn us back … [Read more...]