Nick n Lizzis Blog on RealTravel

Tarawa journal: No we don't have that....

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:16:51 GMT

One of the 2 best hotels on the island and conviently located for Betio the main town and our wedding.

Tarawa journal: Kiribati rules time, time does not rule Kiribati....

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:16:50 GMT

The reason for us visiting Tarawa was for the wedding of Paul and Taoata, they actually live on a much prettier island called Abaiang but Taoata's family live in Betio the main town on Tarawa. This although extremely remote is not paradise, imagine walking along a beach covered in rubbish and the odd turd. Do not expect any kind of punctuality, if a meeting time is given expect it to happen about an hour or 2 maybe later.

We arrived on the Friday before the wedding and after a long sleep from the early morning flight, visited a handicraft centre run by the nuns, and also went to meet ...

Nadi journal: Nadi

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:04:16 GMT

There is not much to write here as we arrived quite late into Fiji, as we ended up flying over the east coast of Australia instead, Melbourne to Sydney then Sydney to Brisbane to pick up passengers whose flight had been cancelled before flying to Fiji, 4 hours sleep later we were up again to fly to Tarawa and met Paul's friends at the airport.

Melbourne journal: Every time is wine o'clock 'Down-under'!

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:27:54 GMT

Arriving with no concept of time in Melbourne, Australian customs was the strictest customs we had ever come across, and by declaring our sweets from the plane got us through quicker than those people with nothing to declare who all had to have their suitcases scanned. A 13 hour sleep later we were ready to hit the city. We were staying with our friend Brooke who has made us really welcome and shown us around.

Brooke's first stop was one of Lizzi's highlights, Chapel Street, full of trendy, designer and alternative shops and great cafes. The size of Nick's chocolate mousse cake was ...

Melbourne journal: Everybody needs good Neighbours

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:27:20 GMT

A pilgrimage for many Brits

Melbourne journal: Excellent homemade food, excellent wine, excellent view, need I say more?!

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:31:41 GMT

The title says it all

Melbourne journal: The tallest tower in the southern hemisphere.

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:30:01 GMT

We went up after dark and got an excellent view of the city at night from the 88th floor. Its a bit of a sensory overload after the lift shoots you up, the walls are floor to ceiling glass, the floor uneven and slanted and neon signs display information about Melbourne and Melbourians across the floors and walls. Well worth it for the view and to help you get your bearings onthe city.

Melbourne journal: Wine tasting at De Bortolli and Shantell wineries

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:29:33 GMT

We picked 2 wineries to sample as there are many in a short region, De Bortolli offers cheaper wine and is slightly more commercial, Shantell is a boutique winery with exceptional wines. Both offer food, cheese tasting or homemade tasting platters and good quality wines. We had the advantage of a car so this was an inexpensive activity and we got to chat to the wine makers. However, if you are staying in the city and don't have your own transport then this could be a slightly pricy day trip tour.

The World journal: A photographer and his assistant perform salsa dancing in micronesia

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:19:42 GMT

Why are we off again this time, is it just to escape the hectic world of moving house and having a job after 1 year of working in England?

Nope, this time its a celebration, Lizzi's brother Paul is marrying Taoata and they live in Kiribati.

Where's that you may ask?.... Well its in Micronesia, find the Pacific ocean on your globe, find Fiji and Hawaii and somewhere inbetween there surrounded by the Marshall islands, Christmas island, Samoa and the Solomon islands lies Kiribati, formally known as the Gilbert and Ellice islands when once a British colony. The wedding will take ...

Bangkok journal: Where did JT go?

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 08:37:48 GMT

Bangkok journal: Like a fish in a tank

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 08:37:47 GMT

We had, had some problems with our internet bookings and on arrival knew where abouts we wanted to stay but had nothing booked, so out of curiousity inquired a price at an airport stand offering hotel bookings at 20-50% off. It was about 10.30pm and we weren't in a position to go wondering around the streets at night or to do much bargaining and unfortunately got sucked in, believing that certain hotels were fully booked. We booked another hotel in a different area through the agent which we were promised had a pool and gymnasium he even showed us pictures, then he rang to book and told us ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Return to Saigon

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 08:25:44 GMT

The bus journey back to HCMC, was long, boring and made us travel sick, we were lucky however to quickly find a great hotel with a massive room (read our review if you're looking for a place to stay). That night we ate with the Vietnamese in the market and had fun trying some new dishes. We planned to spend the next day at a big water park outside of the centre and caught a taxi for the long ride there, only to find on arrival that it was closed for repairs! A long ride and large fare later we were dropped off at Dam Sen park, however, we were dropped at the theme park next door to the ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Very friendly, family run, very big rooms!

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 08:10:19 GMT

This is one of our favourite places that we stayed in Asia because it was so friendly and the room was so big. It had 2 double beds, 2 double wardrobes, air-con, a big TV, fridge/freezer, ensuite bathroom and balcony with double glazed windows to block out the noise of the street!

A family run business, when we stayed there it had only been open 5 months, we payed slightly less to have a room on a higher floor and felt that we had good value for money, although I'm not sure about all the prices for different rooms and I think we had a cheap deal so I won't say how much we paid. Its ...

Dalat journal: Feel happily tired, and see some amazing scenery with good trustworthy guides.

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:01:00 GMT

Dalat journal: Extremely informative and fun. Would like to travel further around Vietnam this way.

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:01:00 GMT

Our guides were called Thiet and Wing, they were both lovely and good drivers and will take you all around Vietnam, but are based in Dalat.

Thiet's contact e-mail: thietchau@yahoo.com

phone: (7pm-11pm please) 063.834157, mobile 0914.031620.

All the easy riders will find you in Dalat, its easy to book a ride, there's about 70 of them, but Thiet took extra care of us and others we met along the way, for example, at the waterfall he went along to make sure no-one would fall on the slippery surfaces, where other riders would stay at the top and wait.

Dalat journal: Can only drink here, but fun to explore and an unique bohemian atmosphere

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:01:00 GMT

Dalat journal: Dalat, honeymoon capital of Vietnam.

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:00:59 GMT

On the way to Dalat, the English passengers tried to stage a protest against the driver, but it didn't work too well. We weren't happy that in blatant trying to get commission style, we stopped for 1 hour at 10am which wasn't greatly needed so that only 30mins later he could stop again for 'lunch' we all just wanted to get to Dalat and knew that if the driver didn't keep continuing this stop, start game we could have got there by lunchtime. Knowing that that is the way things are often done here in order to get more money out of the tourists doesn't help much, needless to say none of us ate ...

Dalat journal: Excellent

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 05:54:24 GMT

Recommended in the Lonely Planet, and gives very good, friendly service. Staff all speak English and also some speak French fluently. Our room was $10/night inc. b'fast, larger rooms $12. All very clean and of high standard compared to other cheap hotels with ensuite, hotwater, fridge and TV. B'fast is very good, lots of fresh fruit, bread, eggs, cheese, local jam, yogurt, drinks and best of all MARMITE, vegemite and peanut butter!!!! Staff are exceptionally helpful, e.g. will fetch you, lend you big umbrellas, post your mail, reconfirm your bus etc, also there is a reasonable laundry ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Friendly waiting staff, relaxing decor and good food. (ok not strictly Vietnamese!)

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 06:15:48 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Join a fascinating free tour, of what was the presidential palce before 30/04/1975.

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:59:26 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Be prepared for some excellent photography of some grusome sights. Shows the true horror of war.

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:56:58 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: This is set in a magnificent yellow and white classical building and has an interesting range of Vietnamese works.

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:54:58 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: Phnom Penh

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:48:09 GMT

1st day, well the National Museum is so-so without a guide, scores of broken idols and pottery.

In the evening we dined at friends cafe, an institution dedicated to the improvement of prospects of street kids and very tasty.

2nd day went to the killing fields. We paid for a guide, surly and quick, he marched us over the graveyard assuring us that he saw the horror first hand. A place like that requires time and space to allow your imagination to speculate. fragments of bone, cloth and tooth litter the ground.

S.21 the school turned prison turned museum, we saw later, ...

Siem Reap journal: Ankhors away!!

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 05:40:57 GMT

Unlike the stories we had heard we had no hassles on arrival in Cambodia. We had prearranged a hotel and guide so that we'd be picked up at the airport and we started our tour on Ankhor Wat on the first day we arrived!

Nick- I could you give a list of all the temples but I think yur eyes would glaze over. So instead I give you some Ideas. Ankhor was the old seat of power in the Khmer empire, and was subject to some changes in policies. First everyone was Hindu and so were the temples, Preah Ko, (temple of the ox), lots of ornate carvings depicting the ramayana;

(Epic poem where ...

Mui Ne journal: Jeep tour of lotus lake, white and yellow sanddunes, red canyon and fishing village. Sledging down the white sanddunes with the local kids is great fun!

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:47:03 GMT

Mui Ne journal: Family run beachside restaurant with the best prices in Mui Ne beach. The 16 year old girl waitress has excellent English, and is absolutely lovely as are all the staff and the food is good too.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:47:02 GMT

Mui Ne journal: Relaxation at the Kite surfing capital of Asia.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:47:02 GMT

What was it like in Mui Ne? At times very rainy, but also very relaxing. What did we do? We went for cycle rides, we swam in the hotel pool, we walked on the beach dipping our feet in the south china sea and ate extremely fresh seafood. Nick got to meet and weigh his live crab one night before it was steamed for him!

We went on only one tour whilst here and that was to visit the famous sanddunes. We took a jeep and guide and unfortunately the afternoon we went was very rainy. Luckily by the time we reached our first stop the rain had eased off and some kids led us off to the ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Staff are disadvantaged or former street children, service is excellent as is their english and the food

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:27:55 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Very interesting and good guide, crawl through a replica tunnel. Where the people of Cu Chi resisted against the americans with their system of underground tunnels.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:27:55 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Very cheap and tasty with friendly staff, who don't always understand but do it with a smile! Sales of their artwork benefit disadvantaged and street children.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:27:54 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: Marvel at the brightly coloured temple and watch a Cao Dai ceremony from the balcony of this religion founded in 1926.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:27:54 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: Horrific, if you only visit one tourist site in P.P. make it this one. Only 6 inmates survived, one an artist painted pictures of the torture, also too some of the photos are very sickening and the cells scary.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:41:48 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: Don't bother with a guide, ours was brusque and spoilt the experience for us. Use your imagination and literally see bits of clothing and bones sticking up out the ground as you walk over a mass grave.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:24:52 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: Excellent menu, all proceeds go to helping street children, not the only one of its kind in Phnom Penh we visited another one also on the river front.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:21:18 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: I had a good Japanese style massage at a reasonable price.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:18:27 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: I include this as unlike many places this won't give you any b******t if you want to book onward travel. Located on the riverfront

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:15:07 GMT

Phnom Penh journal: This was run by a friend of our driver from Siem Reap, alright but nothing special.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:13:52 GMT

Siem Reap journal: Cheap, tasty and BIG portions

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:00:56 GMT

Siem Reap journal: An essential part of your visit to Siem Reap, it runs purely on donations, which also helps Aki Ra support those children disabled by landmines he has adopted. Truely educational on the serious problem of landmines and their devastating effects.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:53:28 GMT

Siem Reap journal: We had buffet Cambodian food whilst watching the dancing from which Thai dance originates.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:50:49 GMT

Siem Reap journal: Everything looked tasty, and the icecream was delicious!

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:47:42 GMT

Siem Reap journal: comfortable, and had banana and museli on its breakfast menu!!

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:46:51 GMT

Siem Reap journal: We knelt on cusions at a low table the food was excellent and reasonable and service good.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:45:53 GMT

Siem Reap journal: Brightly coloured rooms, friendly staff and good location make this good value and hassle free.

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:45:05 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Luang Prabang and Phonsaven for Plain of Jars

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:28:58 GMT

First a few facts about Laos:

Known also as the ancient kingdom of the million elephants.

It is the least populated country in SE Asia with a population of only 6 000 000.

The republic democratic popular party of Laos came to power in 1975. It is a regime of popular democracy controlled by the president who is elected for a 5 year period by the national assembly. He is helped by the prime minister, who is in charge of the ministry council, and the national assembly is made up of 85 representatives all elected by the people for a term of 5 years.

Agriculture provides a ...

Pakse journal: Si Phan Don, Champasak and Pakse

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 04:46:02 GMT

Arriving at Pakse 6am we figured we may just as well get on the bus to Si Phan Don that was waiting to leave and by mid morning we were at the southernmost portion of Laos, Si Phan Don, which translated means 4 thousand islands, an area in the Mekong Delta suited to relaxing and not much else as generally the waters are not safe for swimming or kayaking. We stayed in a building that once had been the French hospital but was now probably the nicest accomodation on Don Khon, the island we had chosen to stay on for its lack of tourism. The room was lovely and airy but the promised hot water was ...

Don Khon journal: Romantic bed with mosquito net, large spacious rooms, electricity between 6-10pm only.

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 03:55:40 GMT

Vientiane journal: Vang Vieng and Vientiane

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 07:44:49 GMT

Straight off the bus in Vang Vieng we headed for the main activity, tubing! This is splashdown on a river in Laos, however not nearly so fast. You sit in a large rubber ring and float slowly down the river amid stunning backdrops and waterholes to stop for a beer Lao!

The next day we hired bikes again heading in the direction of the organic farm at the start of the tubing run for a drink, and acquired a taste for hot mulberry tea and tempura mulberry leaves, very healthy and very tasty! We bumped into some friends and got chatting with the falangs in the cafe and decided from looking ...

Vientiane journal: Surreal, a long bus ride to get there, this park on the river, is cock full of various buddha and religious statues. Including a massive recling buddha and a 'hell's mouth' which if you're brave you can climb to the top of, but its not easy!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:58:11 GMT

Vang Vieng journal: Try the tempura mulberry leaves. This is a great farm and initiative he has set up here. Food is also great and healthy. Do try it!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:58:11 GMT

Vientiane journal: This was the only place to eat lunch in the area, but for just over US$6 we had 3 course gourmet posh French meal including tea/coffee. The wine was also very good!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:58:11 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Excellent food, and runs the most informative tours.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:36:32 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Brand new, clean and quiet, but close to a travel office where they will keep hassling you to take their tour.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:35:00 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Get a good understanding of Lao food and cooking techniques and the skills to cook a range of typical Laos dishes back home.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:32:46 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Every tour company or tuktuk driver will want to take you here, but it is worth it. See rescued bears and a tiger, walk to the top or swim in one of the many clear pools along the way. Alternatively take a book and soak in the surroundings.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:32:46 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Set in beautiful grounds, the former residance for the Lao royal family.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:32:46 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: A bookshop with an area for recling and reading on floor cushions upstairs, shows free films every night and serves good Lao and western food and big selection of teas.

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:32:45 GMT

Luang Prabang journal: Away from the main expensive more touristy area, well run, clean with aircon, hot shower and TV

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 02:32:45 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Same Same but Different

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:52:14 GMT

Arriving in Chiang Mai we were greeted at the station by our guide for the trek and then had the day to explore, it was pretty hot so we opted for the option of a museum and tried to discover a little about the area we were visiting. We also had to suss out where Lizzi was going to learn her massage and find somewhere nicer to stay. We chatted to some people already at the school and found a good very local guesthouse around the corner, popular with those on massage courses! After an evening at the night market, which was very touristy we got an early night in preparation for our trek....

Chiang Mai journal: Excellent, don't eat breakfast! Teacher excellent cook we will use this food as a benchmark for good Thai food in the future now. Cook 6 dishes, be taken on a tour of the market to learn about the foods and learn about making curry paste and maybe vegetable carving.

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:24:45 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Cafe/restaurant, serves Thai and western food, run by friendly bilingual family, good drinks selection, tasty and healthy organic food.

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:24:45 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Live bands every night (however the same ones each time we went) extensive menu but expect tourist prices.

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:24:44 GMT

Chiang Mai journal: Very tasty inexpensive Thai food, recommended by the locals.

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:24:43 GMT

San Francisco journal: Lizzi and Nick circumcise the globe

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 07:06:37 GMT

nick and lizzi let their flat and quit their jobs in search of adventure

Bangkok journal: A city of Mayhem

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 23:19:52 GMT

Allow plenty of time if you want to get anywhere in Bangkok, everyone wants to tell you where to go, what to do and sometimes its difficult to tell if they're being genuinely friendly or trying to scam you, most of the time it was the later! To avoid the constant interuptions as we walked down the street with our backpacks we retreated instead into the TAT (tourist information) office for a bit of peace and quiet to book ourselves into a hotel and organise our onward travel plans! Once done the next job was to sort Nick out with a custom made suit, and we were lucky to have a very good ...

Cameron Highlands journal: Teman Negara and Cameron Highlands

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 05:02:18 GMT

To reach the Teman Negara from KL takes 1 day by coach and longboat. The Teman Negara is actually the oldest rainforest in the world, meaning that some of the flora is quite unique. It boasts 2 canopy walkways one of which is the longest in the world. We were staying in the south entrance of the park, which was the main entry point for tourists, this actually spoilt it a little bit for us as it felt a little too commercial and not really as if we were in the middle of the rainforest, also this meant that we were able to see less wildlife. Fine if you want a choice of restaurants and a ...

Kuala Lumpur journal: A spot of the good life

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 05:01:29 GMT

On arrival at the smelly bus station with no Ringitts, it was Nick's idea to walk across the centre of KL with our big backpacks, rather than catch the train. This meant, it was two very sweaty people who stumbled into the exquisite 5 star Mandarin Oriental, they let us carry our own bags through the door, so the porters probably hadn't thought we were staying there. We stayed at this hotel on our honeymoon and it was to be a treat to ourselves to return for 2 nights, almost 2 years to the day when we had stayed there previously. The hotel seemed to think we were on honeymoon again (we had ...

Singapore City journal: An interconnected warren of shopping malls

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 04:58:20 GMT

There isn't a lot to do in Singapore except shop and eat, most of the shops are located along Orchard road. The first day we walked there and had a very tiring day among the shops and only managed to scratch the surface. Tired already of the shopping malls, the second day we only did a little bit of shopping but instead explored Chinatown, and met a poet who was the son of a famous photographer, we very much liked his work and we later viewed his exhibition displayed at the library. In the evening we caught the bus to the night safari the idea being to see the nocturnal animals upclose, ...

Auckland journal: Car troubles

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 04:51:08 GMT

Leaving Taupo we drove via Hamilton, which incidently has a very good museum of art history and selection of cafes onto Auckland. We mistakingly booked into a very cheap hostel with a low rating in the BBH book under the impression that 2 TV rooms and recent renovations wouldn't make it that bad, but we were very, very wrong! The place was actually up for sale, our room was such a bright orange it hurt your eyes, the bathroom was under a centimetre of water and the loo doors didn't offer privacy. The curtain was so sticky it stayed screwed up even after we unknotted it and it had a rather ...

Bangkok journal: Crowded, big in fact very very big.

Wed, 31 May 2006 22:42:51 GMT

Penang journal: The Rainy season does not make for good beach weather

Fri, 26 May 2006 02:13:58 GMT

We knew that it was the rainy season on the west coast of south Thailand and wanted to get to Chang Mai pretty quickly so went instead to Penang to get a cheap flight into Bangkok. I would say that Penang is not as nice an island as the islands of Langkawi which we are particularly fond of coz we went there on honeymoon, we could see them in the distance. Walking around Georgetown some of the architecture was quite interesting, but it was never a particularly relaxing affair. The island is quite big and navigatable by taxi or bus. Trying to find out about how the new bus system worked ...

Sydney journal: Five o'clock is wine o'clock!

Wed, 24 May 2006 02:34:54 GMT

Our first job in Sydney was actually a trip to the doctor in the airport. No we weren't carrying any infectious diseases but we had to pay to see him in order to buy malaria tablets for the rest of our trip, he also gave us paperwork to prove it was all legal we had so many between us that it looked as if we were dealing in them. When we arrived at our hostel, there was a free wine and cheese night, after tasting such quality wines in New Zealand Nick's face was a picture when he tried the cheap wine and we couldn't drink it!

The next morning Lizzi was up early to swim in the olympic ...

Cameron Highlands journal: Friendly, plenty of travel advice and well respected in the Cameron Highlands area.

Sat, 20 May 2006 07:54:48 GMT

Kuala Lumpur journal: One of Nick's favourite restaurants, good value, healthy, tasty food, good as an introduction to proper Malaysian/Asian food

Sat, 20 May 2006 06:26:02 GMT

Steer away from all the touristy restaurants in chinatown and head round a quiet corner to this place. Many locals come here and seem to bring overseas guests here too. Inexpensive, the food is very tasty and they will explain what to order and give advice on spicyness etc. Situated in a quiet road opposite a car park, not far from both the Maharajalela monorail station and Pasar Seni LRT station. We first came here on our honeymoon, and were pleased to find it again when we returned 2 years later, in fact we ate here 2 nights in a row.

Kuala Lumpur journal: Top notch, all the little extras like free pre-starter mousse, after dinner chocs/sweet-bits/ bread etc. Portions sizes not big but rich and very tasty.

Sat, 20 May 2006 06:26:02 GMT

Kuala Lumpur journal: Magnificent, probably our favourite hotel

Sat, 20 May 2006 06:26:02 GMT

We splurged on this hotel, as we had stayed here on our honeymoon 2 years before. We booked a cheaper room over the internet, but also informed the hotel that it was our 2 year wedding anniversary. They treated us as honeymooners again, they presented the lady with roses on arrival, we had a room upgrade to one identical to that which we had on honeymoon with a view over KLCC park, fruit, posh chocolates, even chocolates taken to the room when we filled out a survey for them! We didn't have the massive breakfast this time around but instead feasted on the free fruit also available in the ...

Singapore City journal: Tasty, healthy, well priced restaurant food for when you want a break from hawker stalls and shopping malls, situated near Raffles hotel.

Sat, 13 May 2006 06:53:50 GMT

Singapore City journal: We shared a Singapore Sling cocktail that cost more than our meal that night.

Thu, 04 May 2006 02:43:06 GMT

Singapore City journal: Arrive early, you'll see more on the safari tour than by walking, keep away from the crowds when walking in order to see more animals

Thu, 04 May 2006 02:43:05 GMT

Auckland journal: Good selection of beers and excellent food, but beers obviously pricey

Thu, 04 May 2006 01:56:23 GMT

Auckland journal: Chocolate heaven without being too sweet

Thu, 04 May 2006 01:56:23 GMT

Takapau journal: Into wine country, geothermal activity and Maori land

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 14:04:43 GMT

After a long drive via a couple of towns to the Tongariro national park we really appreciated the privacy of a double room with ensuite!!!! Luckily recovered from Belmont, the next day we managed a fantastic hike in a good time. The Tongariro Crossing is one of the best walks in New Zealand. Its just 16km long, but with a 750m steep ascent. A very harsh wind at the top prevented us from doing an extra detour up Mount Ngauruhoe. So we finished with a few hours to spare and had luckily followed advice to pack our books! The scenery is fantastic, through alpine scrub, old lava flows, ...

Wellington journal: Time to wwoof!

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 13:43:46 GMT

There is so much to see and do in Wellington that we could only sample it in one day before we started our first wwoofing job, we then kept on returning in our time off to explore it some more and for the arts festival. The coolest place in Wellington is definitely Cuba street, there's loads of trendy shops and inexpensive tasty places to eat and drink. The art gallery has some interesting displays and the Te Papa museum has some good displays, particularly the one on volcanoes and earthquakes, and plenty of Maori stuff.

It took us 2 hours to find the first house we would be ...

Christchurch journal: Aotearoa, 'Land of the long white cloud', Narnia, and Lord of the Rings tours.

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 13:19:24 GMT

After a frantic run, avec luggage, from one end of Auckland airport to the other, as some clever spark decided to give us 30mins from landing to departure of our flight to Christchurch, we appeared to have arrived home! Christchurch seems to be quintessentially English with the River Avon running through the centre of it punting trips and a large English population.

That said we both really liked Christchurch and spent our time there busy with setting up bank accounts, shopping and buying our beast of a car for a bargain at auction. This baby has a 2.7 litre engine, leather seats, AC ...

Christchurch journal: Beautiful clear waters, golden sands and bush. Watch wildlife, explore on foot, by water taxi or in kayaks.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:41:48 GMT

Christchurch journal: A pretty town with good access for mountain biking, walking or other activities, but famous for its natural hot pools for bathing in.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:39:44 GMT

Christchurch journal: Some excellent exhibitions in an interesting building set in the heart of the art distrit of Christchurch.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:37:36 GMT

Tauranga journal: Friendly, personnal hostel in Tauranga, will also help you find work.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:29:31 GMT

Takapau journal: Good fun body flying, simulates a skydive essentially

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:29:31 GMT

Takapau journal: Cheesy, good fun. Watch an interactive show on sheep and sheep shearing, you may even milk a cow or bottle feed a lamb.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:29:30 GMT

Takapau journal: Run by Maori and not a hotel, a smaller crowd ensures a more intimate show and there is plenty of food, leave room in your stomach!

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:29:30 GMT

Oahu journal: Aloha

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 17:25:08 GMT

We had a surprise Lei welcome from Paul (Lizzi's brother) when we arrived at the airport, a Lei is a tradition necklace of flowers presented as a gretting or worn at feasts or special occasions. And a very welcome dinner cooked for us too which saved cooking with jet lag! Our first hostel was right by the university where Taoata (our sister-in-law) is studying unforunately our first few days greeted us with a lot of rain! Due to the mountains it can be dry and hot in one area and wet only a few streets away in Hawaii.

First to excape the rain we explored Diamond head an ...

Wellington journal: Clean, well located, helpful, en suite rooms and plenty of facilities.

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:29:53 GMT

Wellington journal: A better selection of Mexican dishes than you'd get at your average Mexican. We tried Puerco pibil and the tequila samplers.

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:29:53 GMT

Wellington journal: Spend a whole day here and you won't get to see it all, so pick your exhibition wisely so that you don't get overkill. Arguably the best museum in New Zealand.

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:29:53 GMT

Wellington journal: Cool! Good food, good coffee and after sampling many coffe shops our favourite in Wellington

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:29:52 GMT

Wellington journal: Calorie overload!!!! Yummy!! This is where the stars of Lord of the Rings apparently hung out. Big portions of cake and also choclate fish with your drinks make this not one for the weight conscious!

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:29:52 GMT