We headed out of Cappadocia the next day, and headed towards Konya. We made a stop along the way at the Sulthanhani caravanserai, a reminder that my Silk Road journey didn’t really end in the Stans. It is a beautifully preserved caravanserai and we had about 45 minutes exploring, and enjoying a cup of tea at the cafe.
Sultanhani caravanserai
We arrived into Konya around lunchtime. Konya is one of the more conservative areas of Türkiye that we would be visiting, and we were going to the Mevlana Mausoleum, so legs, shoulders and hair (for women) needed to be covered. The Mevlana Mausoleum itself was overrun with tour groups, but there were smaller rooms in the complex explaining the history of dervishes which was pretty interesting, especially having now seen the Whirling Dervishes ceremony in Cappadocia.
Mevlana mausoleum
After lunch in Konya, we continued towards our next overnight destination, a homestay in the small village of Gunirseyer. On the way we stopped at Çatalhöyük, a neolithic settlement – possibly the first city in the world – dated to around 7500 BC. The houses are basically all joined together with no roads or alleys between them, and it’s believed they moved around on the roofs of the houses. It’s absolutely incredible to think about the age of this settlement and that people were here over 9000 years ago!
Çatalhöyük
We arrived at the homestay in the early evening. One of the things I really like about G Adventures trips is that they really embrace local living and community tourism. We had a delicious dinner (the best food I’d had so far in Türkiye) and then spent the evening with the family. I spent quite a lot of time entertaining their 5 year old grandson playing with toy cars!
We continued heading south towards the coast the next day. A beautiful drive through the Taurus mountains. We arrived in Antalya in the afternoon. A surprisingly (to me) large city. We spent most of the afternoon wandering in the old town, which I really enjoyed. Narrow, higgledy-piggledy streets, little alleyways, lots of bars, restaurants and little shops. We watched the sunset near the harbour and then had dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the water. Bliss.
Antalya
The next day we had an afternoon boat trip along the Mediterranean coast, with a couple of swimming stops and a delicious lunch of barbecued sea bream. An afternoon aboard a boat with a glass of vino in the (very) late summer is a pretty good way to spend the day.
We ended the day in the small coastal town of Kaş, where we would be staying for 2 nights. We had a free day the next day and I spent the morning wandering the narrow streets of the small town. A baklava lunch before a relaxing afternoon in the hotel – a bit of needed downtime after being on the go for a while. In the evening we watched the sunset (unfortunately covered by cloud) from the amphitheatre before dinner and drinks at a seafood restaurant.
Bukhara, possibly my favourite city in Uzbekistan. I can’t quite put my finger on why, perhaps it’s the atmosphere here, the buildings and old town are more concentrated than in Samarkand and it doesn’t feel quite as Disney-fied as Khiva.
We arrived at our hotel, about a 20 minute walk from the old town, in the early afternoon, and after lunch we had a free afternoon until we were meeting in the early evening for an orientation walk and dinner. Because we were staying a little way out from the main sites, I decided to have a chilled afternoon at the hotel, which wasn’t a bad idea considering I was almost 3 weeks into this trip with not a lot of free time so far.
In the evening we were bussed into the old town and had a brief orientation around Labi Hovuz square and a couple of handcraft shops before dinner.
We had a much more thorough city tour the next day which again differed slightly from my previous trip here.
It did start off the same at the Ismail Somani mausoleum, a truly incredible building from the 9th century that has been extremely well preserved. We also visited Bola House mosque before a new inclusion this time, the Ark of Bukhara. The Ark looms over one side of the city, and only about a quarter of the original site has been reconstructed though you can walk through the archeological remains of the remaining site.
Ismail Somani mausoleum Bola House mosqueView from the ArkThe Ark of Bukhara
I’d planned to go to the Ark anyway this time so was pleased it was included.
We then went to the Kalyan mosque and minaret. The minaret really dominates the old town at about 150 feet tall.
Kalyan mosque
We then traipsed through a carpet workshop where the staff did their best to sell us some very expensive carpets, and finally to a blacksmith’s workshop. Afterwards we had some free time and after a tea and baklava break I went in search of a miniature painting which Bukhara is famous for.
Dinner for one in the evening and a chilled night before a long drive to Khiva the next day.
It’s about 7 hours on the road and includes getting within spitting distance of Turkmenistan, just the other side of the river. So near and yet so far!
The journey was mostly through desert which did change from hard rocks to softer sand and eventually to something more green as we approached Khiva and Urgench.
We rolled into Khiva in the late afternoon and to our accommodation in a converted madrassa in the heart of the old town, ichan kala.
A short orientation walk in the evening before an early dinner at a terrace restaurant with great sunset views. I had the local speciality of shivit oshi, green noodles – definitely a must-try when in Khiva.
The following day we had a tour around the old town, starting at the Kalta Minor minaret, which is an iconic view in Khiva. We also went to the Toshhovli Palace which has lots of beautiful blue tilework, the Juma mosque which has around 200 wooden pillars holding up the building, some dating back centuries, and also to the Masjid-I-Ark where there was a performance ongoing depicting a parade and crowning.
Kalta minor minaretMasjid-I-ArkToshhovli palaceJuma mosqueTilework in Toshhovli Palace
Afterwards we had free time for the rest of the day and I enjoyed wandering around the old town, in some of the shops, and an old caravanserai which had been turned into a market. I bought a blue silk scarf and a suzani cushion cover. Suzani is the traditional embroidery from Uzbekistan which often depicts pomegranates.
Not the style I bought but this was a suzani embroidered cushion in the hotel in Khiva
I said earlier that Khiva is a bit Disney-fied. What I mean by this is that it has been very well preserved and reconstructed, and that most of the old mosques, madrassas and caravanserais have been converted into hotels, restaurants and shops. It’s pretty but somehow lacks some of the authenticity (to me) of Bukhara.
Another rooftop dinner and another cracking sunset before an early start for the flight back to Tashkent. After going back to a restaurant we’d gone to on the first night which served the most delicious ginger and mint tea, we had a brief tour in Tashkent in the afternoon before our final dinner at a Georgian restaurant close to Amir Temur square. It was very interesting to revisit Uzbekistan. Certainly from my point of view, the country in the Stans with the most Silk Road culture. Definitely more touristy than Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, and much more city based. A really fascinating place and I would recommend anyone with even a vague interest in the Silk Road to go.
Now, back to Istanbul airport and, at my 6th visit, I’m actually going to leave it and see what Türkiye is like.
We arrived in Revelstoke in the late afternoon. We stayed in a Best Western on the outskirts of town which had, to me, a bit of a typical North American motel style to it. The breakfast room was diner style with these really cool stained glass windows.
We had dinner in the town centre, which was surprisingly bustling for the mid week. There was live music being played in the square and lots of people around and about. We had a nice dinner and then, as was becoming traditional on this group trip, we had ice cream for dessert.
The next morning we set off to Lake Louise. Still very smoky, and if I’m completely honest, I was slightly underwhelmed when we got there. As expected, it was very busy on the lake front with lots of people trying to get photos, and trying not to get other people in their photos. And the lake didn’t look as blue as I’d expected it to be.
A smoky Lake Louise
We all did a hike to Lake Agnes teahouse, which was a more strenuous walk than I was strictly prepared for, and the most strenuous hiking I’ve done since hiking in the Grand Canyon and Zion in 2019. It was quite a humid day and certainly the first part of the hike, up through the wooded sides of the lake, was quite hard work. Eventually I got into a rhythm. One of the best things about this hike was the glimpse of the lake from above, which showed it to be very blue, turquoise really, so I’m really glad I ended up doing this hike. This was much more like I’d imagined the colour of the lake to be.
A more turquoise Lake Louise from the Lake Agnes hike
It probably took me about an hour and a half to reach the teahouse, which had an enormous queue that I didn’t bother joining. I sat by the lake and ate my snacks and watched the chipmunks darting around. A few in the group carried on to do the ‘Big Beehive’ hike, which I decided against as I was almost out of water and couldn’t face any more uphills!! After a short rest I headed back down with the rest of the group and as it was late afternoon by now, the crowds had thinned so it was a good opportunity to take more photos while we waited for the others.
Still smoky Lake Louise
Our overnight stop in Banff was only a 45 minute drive away and we arrived in the early evening. We had dinner at a Japanese karaoke bar where, for once on my travels this year, I did not subject my fellow travellers to my terrible singing voice!! Though I did join in from the sidelines sans microphone! This restaurant served food and drinks in the karaoke rooms which made for a very enjoyable evening.
We had a free morning in Banff the next day so I had a leisurely breakfast and enjoyed wandering around the small town of Banff. It is surrounded by peaks, and has amazing views from almost every angle. I walked all the way down the main street, to the Cascades of Time gardens just over the river. There are some lovely views of Banff and its surroundings from here as it’s slightly elevated. After buying some more unnecessary souvenirs, I headed back to the hotel and we set off for Calgary in the early afternoon.
Banff
We made a stop at Canmore, about 40 minutes from Banff. Another very pretty Rockies town with lots of independent gift and souvenir shops where I bought yet more things I don’t really need! It had got really hot by the mid afternoon, which was quite a contrast from the morning when it was raining and cool in Banff as I went for breakfast!!
Canmore
We continued our way to Calgary and suddenly the mountains gave way to fields with neat hay bales dotted around. And then in the distance, the tall buildings of the city. We arrived late afternoon and had our final dinner together in a lovely Italian restaurant. I had just about enough time the next morning for a quick walk around the downtown area before getting an Uber to the airport. I’m sure Calgary is nice but it just felt like a built up city centre, and so I didn’t feel too bad about spending less than 24 hours there…
Calgary
Home time, and no issues from Westjet this time. A couple of weeks rest in my own bed before the final leg of this year of travelling kicks off…
Crossing the border from Namibia into Botswana was relatively straightforward – unlike most of the countries I’m visiting on this trip, I don’t need a visa.
We had quite a long driving day on a fairly terrible road to the town of Maun which is a gateway town for the Okavango Delta.
An early start the next morning for a scenic flight over the delta which was very picturesque, even if it was quite difficult to spot the animals!
In the late morning we then set off into the delta in an open 4×4 down a long, dusty and bumpy dirt road. After a couple of hours, our driver slowed down a bit as he had spotted lion footprints in the sand on the road. And then just a little further up, we saw 2 lions feasting on a very dead giraffe. At once both the most incredible and gruesome sight I’ve seen.
It felt like it was staring right into my soul
We continued into the delta and after a short game drive we arrived at our tented accommodation for the next 2 nights. I am not much of a camper but I could get on board with these tents, very roomy with actual beds and en suite facilities consisting of a chemical toilet and a bucket shower.
After a delicious dinner and warming up around the campfire (I have misjudged the evening and night time temperatures – it is cold!!) it was an early night before a 5.30am wake up call for a full day of activities the following day. We all got bush babies (hot water bottles) to take to bed which were definitely needed!!
We had a morning game drive the next day, lots of elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, and fluffy and colourful birds. We also had 2 flat tyres in the space of 10 minutes which was quite exciting considering you’re not meant to get out of the vehicle when on game drives!! Thankfully no animals nearby and our driver was very adept at changing the tyre.
After lunch and a short rest back at the camp, we embarked on a mokoro trip along the waterways. Mokoros are traditional canoes which were carved out of wood, though the ones we used were made from fibreglass. They are propelled by one guy with a long pole, almost like gondolas. It was a supremely peaceful way to spend a couple of hours, meandering up and down the river, watching the flies and insects darting in and out of the water, a few hippos and the occasional bird in a distant tree.
On the way back we saw an awesome sunset, with all the trees silhouetted against the orangey pink sky, just stunning.
Dinner that evening followed by another bush baby. I’d also doubled up on the duvet and blankets and was, frankly, a bit too warm that night!!
Another early start the next day to drive the 5 hours back to Maun to be reunited with our overland truck before continuing on for another nearly 7 hours to our next lodge near Nata. Such a long day. This lodge was called Elephant Sands and had a watering hole. As we were eating dinner in the evening, an elephant came for a drink which was so cool to see.
Back on the road early the next morning as we headed to our last stop on this brief visit to Botswana, in Chobe. This was a relatively short driving day and we were at our accommodation in Kasane by lunchtime.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a river cruise where we saw lots of elephants walking and bathing along the river, a few crocodiles and hippos. This was the first time I’d seen the hippos out of the water. Lots more bird life and we also caught an awesome sunset before returning to shore.
This was such a brief visit to Botswana, only 5 nights in total but so much great wildlife viewing, and some incredible sunsets.
Next up, an overnight in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe before onwards to Zambia.
After barely 24 hours in Singapore (I’ll be back in a few weeks to explore properly), I took the short flight over to Jakarta, on the island of Java in Indonesia. Having managed to pay for my e-visa online in advance after filling out the online arrival card prior to departure, it was a straightforward entry into the country through the e-gates, though sadly no stamp in my passport! It’s also possible to get a visa on arrival at the airport for 500,000 rupiah (£22).
My arrival transfer to the hotel in Jakarta was a little hairy. I was fairly sure the driver was nodding off on the way, a well timed cough on my part seemed to wake him up!
This trip, through both Java and Bali, is also with Intrepid Travel. We started that evening with the usual welcome spiel and then dinner at a restaurant next door. I went straight in with the Nasi Goreng (fried rice), one of the dishes Indonesia is known for.
The next day we had a tour around some sights in Jakarta, including the Istiqlal Mosque which can hold 200,000 people, and is also across the road from Jakarta’s cathedral; an old Chinese Mansion House, a wander around Chinatown, the port area and finally in Fatahillah Square before lunch (more nasi goreng) at Cafe Batavia. You could certainly see the Dutch influence in the architecture here.
Jakarta cathedralInside the Istiqlal mosqueChinese mansion house, Chandra NayaAt Fatahillah SquareNasi goreng at Cafe Batavia
The following day we started our journey across Java with a very comfortable train journey, approximately 4 hours to Bandung. The scenery was spectacular once we got out of Jakarta, with lush green fields, rice terraces and soaring volcanic peaks.
When we arrived in Bandung, we went to a local restaurant for lunch – I am travelling during Ramadan, a lot of restaurants are closed during the day – before having a walking tour of Bandung. Quite a lot of art deco buildings here.
Rice terracesIn Bandung Statue of Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia View from the hotel in Bandung
The next day we went to Tangkuban Perahu, the largest volcano in West Java which also has the great advantage of being able to drive right up to the rim! Some pockets in the crater were gently bubbling away as a reminder that we are on the Ring of Fire. Long time readers may recall my love of plate tectonics and volcanoes from prior travels and I really enjoyed this excursion.
Tangkuban Perahu volcano
We also visited a tea plantation and some hot springs, both of which were deserted through a combination of Ramadan and it being low season.
We went for dinner on Braga Street in downtown Bandung in the evening where we were served our alcohol in teapots, nominally due to Ramadan, though this hasn’t happened anywhere else in Indonesia.
The next day we were back on the train and heading to Yogyakarta. The travel took most of the day with the train journey being 7 hours through more beautiful scenery. Not as many volcanoes in Central Java but still plenty of rice terraces, and more lush greenery.
Yogyakarta was the first place in Indonesia that I’d seen Westerners. Definitely a sign of low season. We stayed in a lush (both literally and in the Welsh sense of the word) hotel which was covered in greenery, very close to Prawirotaman Street where there are lots of restaurants and bars. This area of Jogja (as the locals call it) also has lots of street art in the narrow alleyways.
Greenhost hotel, Jogja
We were staying 3 nights in Jogja and on the first full day we had a trip out to Borobudur temple, the largest Buddhist structure on earth (I do feel I’ve heard variants on this at various temples throughout Southeast Asia…). A very interesting-looking structure and different to other temples I’ve seen recently. It poured it down throughout this trip but it did mean I finally got to use the plastic poncho I brought with me!!
Borobudur temple
The following morning we had a bike ride out into the countryside, learning about local activities including making tempeh and brick-making from mud, pigeon racing, and batik printing. We all agreed that this was one of the highlights of the trip so far.
The wheels Mud bricks dryingBatikBatik
A chilled afternoon for me as the heavens opened again.
We left the following morning to continue our journey eastwards, again on the train. We stayed this evening at Seloliman Nature Reserve. It’s an educational centre which teaches the locals about plants and nature, and they grow a lot of their own food. We had a delicious dinner and a peaceful evening.
We enjoyed a walk around the nature reserve and local village in the morning. The village sits at the slopes of a volcano, and the fertile soil means that rice terraces are abundant. We had lunch at the reserve and a delicious herbal tea made with herbs and spices from their gardens. At the last moment, secang wood is added which turned the tea a vibrant red colour.
SelolimanVolcanoes and rice terracesI’m fascinated by the terracesLunch at SelolimanHerbal tea with secang wood
In the afternoon we headed towards our next stop close to Mount Bromo, as we would have a very early start the next day. Mount Bromo is the most active volcano in East Java, and it seems that tourists generally get up in the middle of the night (2.30am in our case) to drive up to a viewpoint in time for sunrise. As we were at altitude (around 7,000 feet), it was much cooler – the coldest I’ve been since I left the UK nearly 4 months since – and I can finally say I’ve worn everything I’ve brought with me!! We were in 4 wheel drive jeeps which were very necessary up the winding mountain roads and across the sand in the caldera.
We arrived at the viewpoint in plenty of time and there was already a sliver of red sky in between the clouds. However, about 10 minutes before sunrise, we were cloaked in cloud, so sunrise was sadly something of a non-event…
Afterwards a few of us took the opportunity to do the 30 minute or so climb up to the rim of Mount Bromo, which remained shrouded in a combination of cloud and steam from the volcano itself. It’s a bit of a scramble up some loose volcanic soil to start with but then there is a staircase of around 200 steps up to the crater. I didn’t hang around too long as the cloud was a bit wet, and a got a couple of burning lungfuls of sulphur.
By the time we’d climbed back down, the cloud over its neighbour, Mount Batok, was clearing. This volcano last erupted over 400 years ago so its slopes are covered in green vegetation, unlike Bromo which erupted 10 years ago and so its slopes are covered in the lava flow. The visual contrast between Batok and Bromo is cool to see.
Just be for sunrise Sunrise The crater of Mt BromoMt BatokBromo behind on the left, Batok on the right
We then drove back to the hotel for breakfast. On the way back, we could see what we couldn’t see on our way to the volcano in the morning…all the terraces for rice and vegetable growing. Some of the terraces were so steep into the hillsides that it was quite incredible to me that they could be farmed at all! Whilst they are clearly important agriculturally to this area, they are also so beautiful to look at. I have become a little bit obsessed with the terraces as we’ve travelled across Java.
After breakfast we got on our last train of this trip, further east to Kalibaru, which puts us in a good position for the ferry to Bali the next day.
After a slightly shaky start (I didn’t love Jakarta, it’s a massive city and where we stayed wasn’t great for wandering around), I’ve really enjoyed Java. I think the scenery here, with all the lush green vegetation, rice terraces and volcanoes, is my favourite from my winter of travelling. The Javanese people are all very friendly and welcoming, and despite the rain (it is the rainy season after all), it has been a very enjoyable place to visit.
My second side trip from Perth, and this time I headed north. This was a 4 day / 3 night trip with Autopia Tours (found through tourradar), and there were 10 of us in total on this trip, including 1 other Brit over here for the Ashes!
A slightly later start (8.15am pickup) compared to the Margaret River trip, I was the last pickup and then we headed north out of Perth. We stopped at Jurian Bay for an early lunch and a very windy (I was soon to learn that wind is very normal in these parts) walk along the front.
Then we carried on to the highlight of the first day, a visit to Hutt Lagoon which is naturally pink because of algae in the water. I’ve not altered the photo, it really is that colour!! It takes your breath away the first time you see it.
I have a vague recollection of perhaps seeing another pink lake in my previous Aussie travels, somewhere in the outback in South Australia. However I can find no photographic evidence of this, and if it is when I was thinking, I was incredibly hungover that day so could well have been seeing things. If anyone else from that G Adventures trip in January 2016 is reading this, did we see a pink lake? After the William Creek stop? Or have I made it up?!
Hutt Lagoon aka Pink Lake
We then continued to our overnight stop in Kalbarri. As it was a Saturday night, we struggled to find anywhere with space to accommodate us for food so after a drink in the local tavern ($15 / £7.50 for a pint of cider!!) we ended up with takeaway pizza.
We started the next day with a visit to nearby Kalbarri National Park, to see Nature’s Window and the Kalbarri Skywalk views. Both of these overlook the Murchison River Gorge and have some amazing views. Unfortunately they also have a lot of flies so we were all very glad to have bought fly nets in the morning!! The flies will be a recurring theme…
Nature’s WindowViews from the Kalbarri Skywalk viewing platform
The landscape here reminded me a little bit of Zion in the southwest USA. Perhaps not the scale, but certainly the colours.
We continued to head north and had a lunch stop at the Billabong Roadhouse where it was a cool 38C. With the wind, it felt like standing in front of a hairdryer!! And yet more flies…
After lunch we continued north and arrived at Shell Beach. The shells all come from cockles which live in the waters and, as with every other beach I’ve seen in WA, the water is an incredible shade of blue
Shell Beach. On the right, you can see the tiny cockle shells
We then continued towards our overnight destination of Monkey Mia (pronounced my-a) with a stop at Eagle Bluff for another opportunity to be blown away. I had no idea that it would be so windy here, though I suppose the wind has the whole of the Indian Ocean to build up a head of steam, and it certainly does.
Eagle BluffHotel room view at Monkey Mia
The main draw at Monkey Mia is the wildlife, and each morning from around 7.45am, the dolphins that live in these waters come into the bay to see all the tourists (I think that’s the right way round…!). Until very recently I’ve never really been an animal person, but there’s something about seeing them in the wild that really changed my mind. We also saw turtles swimming in the bay too
Dolphins at Monkey Mia
Some of the group went on a boat cruise in the morning but I opted to stay on dry land and had a relaxed morning in some shade which was welcome after several days on the go (this trip started the day after my Margaret River trip ended). We set off back south after lunch and this was essentially an exercise in getting to Geraldton, some 4 and a half hours away, before sunset. We had another pit stop at a roadhouse where the flies were perhaps the worst they’d been. Just absolutely everywhere. The only positive thing I can say is at least they don’t bite!
Monday evening in Geraldton isn’t the most lively place in the world. We ate at The Murchison Tavern and were pretty much the only punters in there.
On our final day we started with a visit to the HMAS Sydney II memorial in Geraldton which remembers the 645 men who lost their lives when the HMAS Sydney II was sunk in 1941, which was the greatest single tragedy in the Australian navy. Actually the anniversary of the sinking was the day after our visit. Not something I was previously aware of but I found the memorial very moving.
We then continued to head south back towards Perth. Our next stop was at the 3 Bays Walk at Green Bay, for some more ridiculously beautiful WA beaches. Fly net still a necessity though.
Beautiful beaches at 3 Bays Walk, Green Bay
Our lunch stop was at the Lobster Shack in Cervantes where we had some Australian Rock Lobster for lunch, absolutely delicious
Our final stop on this trip was at The Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. Possibly one of the weirdest landscapes I’ve ever seen. With yet more flies and a few hailstones for good measure
The Pinnacles
We then headed back to Perth and arrived around 6pm. This tour was a really good way to see this region. I think it would be pretty difficult to do independently as a solo traveller without my own car. We covered some pretty large distances – around 500km drives on some days – and there isn’t a whole heap of public transport in these parts. I would definitely recommend this trip, and route, to anyone coming to Western Australia!
