OUR TRAVEL blogs - page seven

Exploring new countries and getting underneath their skin helps build our knowledge of these destinations so we can share our experiences and insights with you, not only when discussing a potential journey but also through our blog entries. See below for the latest from our returning travellers...

PERU - CHARLIE LOCKWOOD, TRAVEL CONSULTANT (JUN 10)
Not a second went by on board the M/V Aqua without a sense of action and adventure. The weather, ranging from brilliant sunshine to tropical thunder storms, certainly had a way of showing us who was boss..


CROATIA - CLARE WATKINS, TRAVEL CONSULTANT (MAY 10)
I was surprised by how few beaches Croatia has, but not being a beach destination does not detract at all from the fantastic waterfronts along its miles of rugged coastline, especially that of Dubrovnik's old walled city. Dubrovnik is an amazing city looking out over the islands...


OMAN - KATIE SIMS, TRAVEL CONSULTANT - EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST (MAY 10)
Flying over Oman I was surprised by how different a small country can be from its Indian Ocean coast to inland Saudi Arabian border. Mountains, deserts, beaches, tropical villages… every landscape you could think of. But even more than that, when I set foot I Oman I was surprised by the eclectic mix of cultures which is a world away from its neighbour Dubai.

DUBAI - SARAH QUIGLEY, TRAVEL CONSULTANT & AILINE FISCHER, SALES SUPPORT (MAY 10)
Dubai is a place that epitomises the phrase "what's big is best". The desert has changed into a modern, cosmopolitan city that is constantly expanding. We were told that many projects have been planned but flying over Dubai in a sea plane gave us a great bird's-eye perspective , surprising us with how large and how spread out the city actually is.

OMAN - SARA HUGHES, COMMERCIAL MANAGER (MAY 10)
Oman is gentle and extremely civilised. Everywhere I went - from the Muscat coast and the beaches at Al Bustan and Shangri La, to the interior desert - I was greeted with smiles and courtesy. What struck me was the way the Omanis respect and revere their Sultan, who has done wonders for the country and its people.

BOTSWANA - BEN HARRISON, TRAVEL CONSULTANT (MAY 10)
We had picked up the trail a few minutes earlier, the huge pad prints in the soft sand a dead giveaway. "Big male" said Ishmael, "very recent". Other 'fresh' signs we passed suggested that our guide was indeed correct. Somewhere up ahead, like static on a two way radio, Impala barked their warning to all in the area.

VENICE-SIMPLON ORIENT EXPRESS - MARK RENSHAW, TRAVEL CONSULTANT (MAY 10)
I think it would be fair to say that what our guide Rosanna did not know about Venice is not worth knowing. After being shown the 'real Venice', a highlight of which was gaining immediate access into St Mark's Cathedral past 500 queuing cruise ship day-trippers, the perfect return journey to London was on the beautifully restored wagons-lits of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.

DUBAI - JANINE STAFFORD, PRODUCT MANAGER - MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA (MAY 10)
Many would say a holiday begins when you step outside the airport, but my journey began as I stepped into the airport. The Dubai terminal is an amazing architectural building that epitomises the modern, cosmopolitan city itself.


GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - RACHAEL TALLENTS, TRAVEL CONSULTANT (MAY 10)
Swimming slowly into the cave, I glanced to my left and was suddenly face-to-face with a very mischievous looking sea lion pup. But just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. Swiftly looking to my right, I entered further into the cave and out of nowhere there he was again, nose to nose, and then again … gone.

UDAIPUR - KAY DURDEN, REGIONAL MANAGER (MAY 10)
Mopeds, tuk tuks, cows, donkeys laden with building bricks. I didn't know which way to look; from the rainbow colours of the flower seller's saris to the store offering "faster than fastest" internet connections.