20 June 2025

I’ve been talking about Japan an awful lot lately. It’s intriguing how one country can conjure up so many different emotions and perceptions for different generations. My grandparents would most likely have had nothing positive to say. ‘Boomers’ would most likely remember the rise of their car industry. For me, Japan was the home of video games, ‘Sony’ (a brand that I still admire to this day) and a stock market that crashed in spectacular fashion in the 90’s. It’s a real mixed bag. Today though, the view is more nuanced. I have a family cruising around Japan because one of their daughters is in love with ’anime’ (think Pokémon art), another customer who wants to experience the speed and efficiency of bullet trains and another who, as a joiner, wants a busman’s holiday to experience Japanese woodwork, a respected process that omits the use of screws or nails to connect joints. Impressive. Couple this type of tourism with a healthy exchange rate for our Pound Stirling in recent years and a nation known for utter politeness, it’s almost an afterthought these days to mention the cultural significance and breathtaking scenery that this country has to offer. Tourism is booming. It’s a great time to visit but there are considerations. If you want to see Japan at its most beautiful then Cherry Blossom season (late March/early April) is for you. It also brings big crowds, higher hotel prices and no guarantee as to when the blossom will fall. Autumn leaves is another popular season, yet the crowds are less so and the weather milder. Many of the itineraries I create take in a wonderful mixture of culture, scenery and celebrated modernism…. • Tokyo – modern Japan and often the where the adventure begins • Mount Fuji – the most frequented national park in the world • Kyoto – the ancient capital with a spiritual heart • Hiroshima – Memorial park and the flame of peace • Yudanaka – Hot springs and snow monkeys …and many more With so much to see I would certainly recommend a tour that lasts between 2 to 3 weeks. What is most interesting is that the age demographic of those looking to visit is mixed. Young, old and all those in between (including me!) are desperate to explore this unique land. So, whatever your generation or early memories are, maybe it’s time to create a new impression…first hand. Naturally, I’d be delighted to help you with your plans.

20 June 2025

Back in the 90's a traveller was left in a rather precarious position after taking a short cut with their travelling budget in India. He set out to find a way to experience the wonders of the Thar Desert, an area of over 200,000km2 that stretches far into neighbouring Pakistan. Experiencing remote desert villages and a dramatic view of the Milky Way, was only ever going to be achieved by a camel excursion, which he purchased cheaply within a local town. That, sadly, was a mistake. After an incredible first night sleeping under the stars, his camel train stopped at a remote settlement close to a rare watering hole and he began taking photos. A small local boy was fascinated with his camera and gestured to try it out. Once in his possession, the boy ran off. The traveller followed in pursuit, but the boy merely wanted to show this marvel of technology to his family. A cup of 'chai' and multiple rounds of 'pass the parcel' later, the family finally handed the camera back. Sadly, by the time he got back to the waterhole, the entire camel train had gone without him. Stranded. In the middle of a desert. Alone. Naturally, excursions are best handled by a trusted organisation that has a track record of delivering in the most basic of areas, ie. not losing people. They had spare camels for the journey but lacked the responsibility of a trained guide who might have done well to have counted them before setting off without him! Cheap rarely means value and so I always use reputable companies to ensure my own clients get the experience they deserve. Always consider: • Safety: Are the guides trained and is the equipment well maintained? • Quality: Would the best guides be working at the bottom of the market? • Insurance & Liability: Does the operator have a clear policy when things go wrong? • Environment: Are standards in animal welfare, sustainability and protection of natural habitats being taken into consideration? But what of the young traveller? Did he survive? Is he now herding goats by the waterhole? Luckily, a fellow traveller eventually noticed he was missing, and he was finally picked back up. Over 4 hours later! Today, he's safe and well in Derby, booking amazing holidays, penning ramblings on all things travel and has never sat on a camel since.

20 June 2025

I love going on holiday. In fact, I've just come back from one. Its real medicine for the soul and I, like many, crave it. Towards the end of the last century, we turned an annual flight towards sunshine from a 'nice to have' to a 'must have' when we looked at our plans for the year ahead. Nothing would get in the way of our holiday...'the hamster will be fine with the next-door neighbour, I'm sure they won't mind'. I'm sure they did. So, we're a holiday loving nation and, to be perfectly honest, we are spoilt for choice on where to go next. Some of us love 'what we know' and will go back to the same place each year. There is something reassuring about being welcomed back by a familiar hotel manager or cocktail shaking bar attendant in a foreign land, which I totally get (especially if it gets you a slightly stronger mojito!). However, many of us just want to see more. The appeal of exploring different countries and regions gives us that feeling of a new experience, one that can't be compared too closely to previous travels, and I sit firmly in this category. The first world problem was always 'where?' and it was at one of these annual crossroads that I boldly booked my first cruise. Cruising had a reputation of black tie and cocktail dresses, verbatim. This changed in the mid 1990's though. Cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean International turned their marketing towards families, fun and a whole new cruising experience. The only thing that didn't change too much though was the extensive list of exciting destinations to visit. This appealed hugely to me. I always fancied taking the family to Italy, or maybe Croatia. I've always loved Greece, but which one of those islands? Cruising gave me a way out of this conundrum. Venice, Zadar, Split, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini & Rhodes all ticked off in an effortless 10-night trip. We've been enamoured by cruising as a family ever since. Even better, though was the ability to get a taste of places we wished to visit again. The following year, we went to Mykonos for a whole week. Same destination but a completely different experience. Our latest holiday was a cruise again. On one island a local taxi driver asked us 'Would you come again?'. "Oh, we love it here, but we'll decide that once we've seen all the other destinations" I responded. She smiled. "Round here we call it 'Island Shopping', I'm sure you'll be back". I couldn't have put it better myself.