Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas

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  • Africa 2017-2018 Trip

    My work has provisionally approved my leave for next year between November 2017 and January. This means the planning for my trip to Africa can now advance. Part of this trip is also visiting Dubai (UAE) while flying to Nairobi, Kenya. 

    So the plan is that over 63 days I will visit 10 countries during this trip; UAE, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.

    The Dubai Experience

    I’m hoping to book a first class award seat on Emirates A380 flight from Melbourne to Dubai. This first class ticket would include a chauffeur limo pickup to the airport, first class lounge access and shower access on board the plane (read a Review here).  This is definitely a bucket list experience; just once I want to see what the 1% live like, even if I need to use award points to experience it! 

    I’ll likely spend a few days in Dubai, maybe experience falcon hunting while there. 

    The Africa Experience

    I’ve been to both Egypt and South Africa before but that leaves a lot of countries and experience in between on this amazing continent. I’ll be travelling with On The Go Tours and undertaking their Great African Expedition 57 Day Nairobi to Cape Town. This is mostly camping in very remote areas, out there with nature.

    Despite this being a tour there are lots of options to consider but I definitely know I’m going hiking to find Gorillas in Uganda and a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. I think I’ll undertake almost all game drives and hikes, and any cultural experiences available. Visiting the ‘cradle of life’ during a three day excursion in the Serengeti region is also high on my list.

    Since this is a camping and hiking trip I’ll need to get my fitness levels up considerably. I’ll be so remote that I can forgot about internet access for long periods of time (oh no!!) and even finding electricity to charge my digital camera will be a challenge especially during the first few weeks.
    Very exciting. Now it’s time to save money, research countries and options, and get fitter.

  • The Southeast Asia Adventure

    If you have had an enjoyable time on the road one of the tougher questions on returning is what did you enjoy the most?  It’s a question I’m now in the fortunate position to consider after being back in Australia now for over a week.

    This trip was made up of two different tours between 9 July and 12 August 2016:

    1. Discover Southeast Asia (G Adventures)
    2. Best of Sri Lanka and Test Cricket (On The Go Tours)

    I also had four days private tour between these two tours and two free days posts the last tour.  

    I planned this trip around the Sri Lanka vs Australia Test Match as this is part of one of my Bucket List items (See Test Match Cricket in Six Countries).  On that measure while I did see the match it was disappointing as the Australian cricket team lost before the half way mark of the match.  But this trip was a lot more than that.

    The highlight had to be seeing elephants, in particular hand feeding and bathing elephants at Chang Mai, watching elephants having fun at a river at Pinnawala, and watching orphan baby elephants being hand feed at Udawalawe.  These are amazing gentle creatures which are a risk in several of the countries I visited with the reduction in forests and hunting.

    Pinnawala
    I loved the night our tour group sleep on a boat under the stars at Halong Bay.  The hundreds of small islands with greenery covering them with the sound of the water washing up against the shores.  The Sigiriya ‘Lion Rock’ Fortress is a stunning natural fortress well worth the hike to view the surrounding landscape.  The Anuradhapura temples are probably the highlights of all the Buddhist temples and stupas I visited, with taking part in the alms giving ceremony at at Luang Prabang the best Buddhist experience of the trip. 

    However for history and beauty Angkor Wat was the best religious sight, technically a Hindu / Buddhist hybrid sight having started out as Hindu temples.  I got to witness a Buddhist monk blessing different visitors including fellow tour member Sarah.

    Angkor Wat
    On the other side I got to see the dark side of history in particular the visit to the Tuol Sleng Prison (aka S-21)  and Choeung Ek memorial (the “killing fields”) in Cambodia and seeing the impact of the Vietnam War still on display in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.  Experiencing the Cu Chi tunnels gave me a great insight into the sacrifices the Vietnamese people had to make in order to defeat the USA miltary forces. 

    Udawalawe
    The peoples of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka are very different.  Thais seem to be very interested in having fun (attend a Mauy Thai fight or a Ladyboy show and who’d understand), the people of Laos are quiet and reserved, in Vietnam I’ll recall the crazy traffic and motorbike riding locals, in Cambodia the population seemed to all be under 40 and in Sri Lanka how friendly everyone seemed to be.

    The Sigiriya Rock Fortress
    I feel I have a better understanding of this part of the world and in particular the impact of former colonial powers (English and French) and the USA miltary adventures in these areas then I had before.  I’m very glad I experience these countries, as is usual it is the unexpected events or the events and locations I didn’t do much research that turned out to be the most enjoyable. It was 35 days well spent, the world is so much bigger than what we allow ourselves to perceive when living our day to day lives.

    Now time to think about the next adventure.  Africa maybe?

  • World Trip 2016: Best of Sri Lanka and Test Cricket Tour Review

    Tour Title: Best of Sri Lanka and Test Cricket
    Tour Company: On The Go Tours
    Tour Leader: Manoj (Private Tour guide – Jehan)
    Cities Visited: Negombo, Anuradhapura, Giritale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Udawalawe National Park, Colombo, Galle, Hikkaduwa
    Countries Visited: Sri Lanka
    Dates: 30 July 2016 to 9 August 2016 (Duration 11 days)

    Note: I did a four day private tour 27 July to 30 July and two day post tour accommodation for this trip.

    Tour Type
    This tour we stayed in very comfortable hotels and resorts and had all transport in an air conditioned bus. There was little free time for optional activities until the Test Match ended two days early.

    Tour Members
    This tour had 18 tour members; Carolyn, Graham, Dale, Jared, Andrew, Roger, Nicholas, Danny, Jolanda, Nicole, Isabel, Sarah, Mark, Sandy, Thomas, Stephen, Stewart and myself. 11 tour members stayed on for the Test Match cricket tour extension all Australians (and males), the other 7 tour members came from Europe and Canada.

    Included Activities

    • Arrival transfer
    • Sigiriya ‘Lion Rock’ Fortress
    • Polonnaruwa Ruins
    • Dambulla Rock Temple
    • Kayanwala village (including canoe trip)
    • Herbs and Spices Garden Visit (including free back massage)
    • Geragama Tea Factory
    • Temple of the Tooth
    • Cultural Dance Show (Kandy)
    • Scenic Train Trip to Nuwara Eliya
    • Udawalawe National Park Safari
    • Gangaramaya Temple (Colombo)
    • Exploring a working gem mine
    • Cricket Test Match Transfer
    • Departure Transfer

    Private Tour Activities

    • Anuradhapura Stupas
    • Mihintale
    • Rock Fortress of Yapahuwa
    • Dalada Maligawa Temple
    • Kelaniya Temple
    • Dehiwala Zoological Gardens

    Optional Activities
    Manoj (Tour Leader) offered the following optional activities that I undertook (prices listed if I recall them):

    Negombo

    • Canal Tour (7,000 Rupee)

    Kandy

    • Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (1,500 Rupee)

    Mirissa

    • Whale and Turtle Watching (9,000 Rupee)

    Hikkaduwa

    • Mangrove Safari (4,000 Rupee)
    • Sri Lanka Massage (2,200 Rupee)

    Galle

    • Test Match Ticket (1,500 Rupee)

    Udawalawe

    • Baby Elephant Sanctuary (1,500 Rupee)

    Accommodation
    Jetwing Sea – Negombo, Sri Lanka
    A peaceful hotel along the beach and near the canals. Wifi in room include (reasonable speed). USA & Europe power outlets. Two bottles of water included (restocked each day). A small convenience store next door. Reasonable included breakfast highlight being chef who will make omelettes / scrambled eggs.

    Palm Garden Village – Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
    A remote hotel meaning you are stuck there during the night. Reasonable dinner options. Wifi only works in dinning & bar area but might as well not exist. Amazing pool area. Rooms are spread out across the property giving a country feel to them including chairs outside to watch the stars. Mini bar is expensive drinks and nuts so if you want a snack buy in in advance.

    Deer Park Hotel – Giritale, Sri Lanka
    Magnificent lakeside views. Only use Indian / Sri Lanka power points. Remote so all food is at hotels restaurant. Good dinner buffet option, music players walking round. Two free water pools. Good pool. Wifi only at reception. They spray your room around 8 pm to keep bugs away. Courteous staff.

    Ozo Hotel – Kandy, Sri Lanka
    Situated close to the centre of Kandy near the major lake of the city (although an uphill walk to get there, easier with a tuk tuk or mini bus) Kandy Ozo hotel offers great views of the city. Free wifi (ask for user id and password), two free bottles of water. Mini Bar on request. Takes almost all power adapters and even has a USB power port. Good dinning option at the Hotel. Breakfast included and for no extra cost also includes monkeys trying to take left over food for those sitting in the outside dining area.

    Grand Hotel – Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
    Nuwara Eliya is also know as ‘Little England’ for good reason and the hotel has an English feel including a billiards room, fireplaces and Victorian settings. No wifi or mini bar options. A lot of onsite restaurants but also very close to city centre (10 minute walk) plus there is an English Pub in the same street as the hotel worth checking out. Two free bottles of water included. Breakfast included, biggest spread and options so far. Power outlets are Sri Lankan only except for shaver outlet.

    Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort – Udawalawe, Sri Lanka
    A remote resort so dinning is at resort but luckily good range of buffet or ‘a la carte’ for dinner, buffet only for breakfast (which is included). Good swimming pool. Amazing sized rooms with scented flower petals. Wifi included but extremely slow and basically useless. Range of organised activities available from reception. Two free water bottles included. US, Western Europe and Sri Lankan power outlets in room.

    Ozo Hotel – Colombo, Sri Lanka
    Hotel situated on the coast. ATM nearby as well as a supermarket and Pizza Hut (didn’t use ever of them). Fast free wifi. Stunning views from my room. Pool on roof top of this high rise hotel. Great a la carte dinner menu. Reasonable included buffet range. Two free water bottles included (seems to be standard in Sri Lanka but you need them in the heat and humidity).

    Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon – Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
    Spacious rooms, situated right on the beach with three pools and a beach volleyball court. Free wifi (password needed), two free bottles of water. Stocked mini bar. Huge breakfast buffet (included). Turn down service offered around 6 pm each night. Onsite three restaurants (expensive) and spa treatment. Hotel is situated near local shops and large array of good restaurants both on the shore and opposite the road. Breakfast pack was provided when I checked out early on the last day.

    Tour Leader
    Manoj is an experienced Tour Leader working for Antiquity Travels the company representing On The Go in Sri Lanka.

    Manoj did a lot of little things that made the trip easier in particular bulk purchasing water bottles that were freely available to the entire trip, a couple of times organised coconut water, fruits and nice creams, this really helps in the heat and humidity of Sri Lanka.

    Additionally Manoj organised replacement activities when the Sri Lankan v Australia Cricket Test Match ended early and created an additional activity after the tour had ended for Isabel, Sarah and myself (whale and turtle watching) which was surprising and very welcomed.

    Highlights
    This was an amazing trip covering a range of activities from landscapes, wildlife, temples, and locals. The real highlight was observing elephants in particular at watching them enjoy themselves at Pinnawala in a river, the baby elephants being hand fed at Udawalawe and roaming in the National Park.

    Being a Buddhist nation ancient Temples and Stupas are going to be highlights on any visit to Sri Lanka which I thoroughly enjoyed in particular the Anuradhapura temples. But you will also find that a lot of these temples and stupas are on mountains or hills which offer great views in particular Dambulla Rock Temple and the Sigiriya ‘Lion Rock’ Fortress.

    I would strongly recommend this trip, Sri Lankans are a very friendly people and as a tourist you are treated well without too much harassment. The the hotels and resorts used by this company are first rate and the experiences will stay with you long after leaving. You might struggle with the heat and humidity, I did, you might also struggle walking bare footed at the various temples, but in the end a trip to Sri Lanka is a great experience and On The Go did an excellent job.

    Insights
    It can be hot and humid in Sri Lanka so light clothes are necessary. In Sri Lanka if you are planning on visiting Temples you will need to cover your legs, this is strictly enforced even more than any other Asian country I have visited, it’s worth purchasing a sarong. A small towel for helping with the sweat after hikes is also a good idea.

    Photos and Videos.

    Blog Entries

  • World Trip 2016: Day 34-35 – Hikkaduwa to Melbourne, Australia

    Thursday 11 August and Friday 12 August
    Highlights: Sri Lankan Airlines Lounge, Qantas flight home

    The long trip home included a 3 hour car from Hikkaduwa to Colombo, a 3 hour 10 minute flight from Colombo to Singapore and finally a 7 hour 25 minute flight from Singapore to Melbourne.

    I had organised a private transfer from the hotel to the airport with On The Go who scheduled this for 6 am and they also arranged for the hotel to make me a small breakfast pack.

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  • World Trip 2016: Day 33 – Hikkaduwa and Mirissa, Sri Lanka

    Wednesday 10 August 2016.  Photos and Videos.
    Highlights: Whale and Turtle Watching, Exploring the Galle Fort.

    Today was my last full day in Sri Lanka before I begin the long journey home tomorrow and I wanted to make the most of it.  Late yesterday my tour guide Manoj suggested that the remaining members of the tour group; Isabel, Sarah and myself go on a whale watching safari which I was very happy to undertake.

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