Ben came to visit us from South Africa so we undertook a fantastic UK Roadtrip which went from John O Groats in the north to Lands End in the south and lots in between! He also enjoyed a trip to Northern Ireland ... we had Fun! Fun! Fun!
Bai Tu Long Bay is the name of an area located in the east of Halong Bay Vietnam. Although it shares many similar geological characters with Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay is considered as off the beaten tourist track with many deserted and pristine beaches, no less impressive karst mountains. The Bay has a rich biodiversity with two ecosystems: a tropical, moist, evergreen rainforest ecosystem; and a marine and coastal ecosystem. The area has scarcely seen any tourist development. A large number of guests, through online research, wish to visit the Bai Tu Long Bay because it is much less crowded than Halong Bay. The only disadvantage is that it does not have many grottos. The nearest place for a visit (Vung Vieng Fishing village) is at around 20 km from tourist port.
Arequipa is the colonial-era capital of Peru’s Arequipa Region. Framed by 3 volcanoes, it's filled with baroque buildings constructed from sillar, a white volcanic stone. Its historic center is anchored by the Plaza de Armas, a stately main square flanked on its north by the 17th-century neoclassical Basilica Cathedral, which houses a museum displaying religious objects and artwork.
Colca Canyon, a river canyon in southern Peru famed as one of the world's deepest, is a well-known trekking destination. It's a habitat for the giant Andean condor, on view from overlooks like Cruz del Condor. The canyon landscape comprises a green valley and remote traditional villages with terraced agriculture that predates the Incas.
The Nazca Lines in southern Peru are a group of pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into desert sands. Covering an area of nearly 1,000 sq. kilometers, there are about 300 different figures, including animals and plants. Composed of over 10,000 lines, some of which measure 30 meters wide and stretch more than 9 kilometers, the figures are most visible from the air.
Pronounced ‘kaus’, the lodge is a place to experience a unique desert environment, providing accommodation in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for eco-tourists and visitors to this wilderness area in the Kalahari. Set on the 91st dune off the Auob River Road, the lodge includes stand-alone accommodation units, with communal facilities accessed on a raised walkway. The setting is optimised for quiet contemplation of the desert, and magnificent star gazing at night.
Yorkshire is a historic county in northern England. It’s known for its Roman and Viking heritage, as well as its Norman castles, medieval abbeys, Industrial Revolution-era cities and 2 national parks. The county town of York, founded by the Romans, is home to 13th-century cathedral York Minster, Tudor houses and medieval walls. The interactive Jorvik Viking Centre recalls the area’s 9th-century Norse occupation.
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, The Broads National Park and nature reserves of international importance, north Norfolk is a haven for wildlife and birds, and great for walking. As Norfolk is the driest county in the UK, it's perfect to visit all year round.
Thousands of huge limestone pillars rise from a stark landscape of yellow sand to form one of Australia's most intriguing landscapes. Monkey Mia is a popular tourist destination located about 900 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The reserve is 25 km northeast of the town of Denham in the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage Site. The main attraction are the bottlenose dolphins that have been coming close to shore for more than fifty years.
Kings Canyon, also known as Watarrka, is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about 321 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 kilometres south of Darwin, within the Watarrka National Park. Kings Canyon is named after the creek which periodically flows within, called Kings Creek. Kings Creek was named by Ernest Giles (an explorer) in 1872 after his "kind, old friend", Mr Fielder King. The Mereenie Loop provides for an alternative scenic route fto/rom Alice Springs to Watarrka (Kings Caynon) and Uluru (Ayers Rock) via the Western Macs. The loop is recommended for 4x4 as weather conditions make the road conditions difficult for standard vehicles. Fuel is available at Glen Helen, Hermannsburg, Kings Creek Station, Ayers Rock Resort.
