I started my trek from Tengboche, Nepal early on a chilly Himalayan morning. Visiting the monks at the monastery the day before had given me an even greater respect for this amazing place and its people. I had been awoken early by the ringing of the monk's gongs, which made me want to get up [...]
After spending a day in Namche Bazaar to acclimatize to the altitude, I was ready to continue my trek to Mount Everest. During my acclimatization day I had climbed up to a viewpoint above the village, where I got unobstructed views up the valley to Mount Everest in the Khumbu region of Nepal. In the [...]
After my scariest and most spectacular flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal, I was ready to begin the 100km trek to Mount Everest Base Camp and back. Despite the chaotic events getting to Lukla, my flight still gave me an early morning arrival. The first day of the trek would only be a short half [...]
Siena is an old medieval city in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. Although the history of Siena dates back to the Etruscan era at around 900-500BC, the city didn't gain importance until after Roman rule. Siena flourished when it became independent in the 12th century and the old centre has been well preserved since that time. [...]
The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii are located just south of Naples in Campania, Italy. Once a thriving city at the height of the Roman Empire, Pompeii was destroyed in the year 79AD by a catastrophic volcanic eruption from Mt Vesuvius, which towers above the city. The eruption sent huge waves of [...]
Beautiful coastline of the west coast of the South Island The west coast of the South Island of New Zealand has some spectacular and rugged coastline, with a thin strip of land between the sea and the stunning Southern Alps. The West side of the Southern Alps has two magnificent and easily accessible [...]
Rome, the Eternal City, a place full of history and culture. Everywhere you step you are walking through some point in the timeline of the last 2500 years. It is a city to be lived and loved by everyone through it's beautiful architecture, food, art and romance. Every world traveler has Rome on their list of [...]
My tour of the Vatican City was one of the highlights of my trip to Rome. The tour took us through the Vatican Museums, Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. All of which were breathtakingly beautiful. At the end of the tour we were free to explore St Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the [...]
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown Queenstown, New Zealand is well known as a top winter destination due to its proximity to several excellent ski fields. However it also makes an excellent stop for a few days during a summer tour of New Zealand's South Island. Queenstown sits on the edge of beautiful Lake Wakatipu, surrounded [...]
The start of my trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal began with a 4am wakeup call in my hotel in Kathmandu. In my half comatose state I managed to pack my bags and head down stairs to check out and catch a taxi to the airport. The streets of Kathmandu in the early [...]
