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These maps show some of the more adventurous countries we have visited over the years (excluding popular European resorts) in between our more numerous East African safaris. Click your mouse on the balloons for a quick summary of the trips.
For more details and slideshows visit the links in the left panel which will be populated over the coming months.
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Australia June 2014: When I started planning the first trip to Australia Alison wasn't particularly interested. But when her mother died and she started going through her parents' paperwork that all changed and she just had to visit their old haunts. So the holiday was extended to accommodate this. Then we needed to see 'The Dish' because we love the film. The best part though was the Ghan railway.
May 2017: We enjoyed the first trip so much we returned the following year to take the Indian Pacific railway between Perth and Sydney, with a week's break in Adelaide. We timed the trip to co-incide with the Vivid Sydney festival.
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Botswana June 2006: We visited the Tuli Block, in Botswana as part of our first safari to South Africa. Our Kenya friends had applied to manage the Tuli Safari Lodge and we were sent to assess it from a customers' point of view.
June 2018: We returned to Botswana for 3 days safari in Chobe National Park, staying at the luxurious Ngoma Safari Lodge at the end of our trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls.
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Cyprus Jul 2015: We wanted to go to Tunisia but this was the era of Arab Spring, and so we went to the Greek side of Cyprus.
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Egypt 1982-83: I did a 12 month stint running the seismic office in Egypt.
May 1997: We returned on holiday - I should have known better travelling there at that time of the year - it was roasting!
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Hong Kong May 2017: We tagged a two night stop-over in Hong Kong on to the end of our 2nd trip to Australia.
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Libya 1981-82: I was sent out to Libya as a punishment in the hope I would leave, shortly after joining a seismic company - as I got married between the interview and joining the company. They thought it was a punishment, but as a good Boy Scout I relished the challenges. I ended up doing 4 three month tours and it took them over 3 years to get rid of me - twice as long as their normal employment period.
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Marakesh, Mo Sept 2010: I surprised Alison with a trip to Marrakesh on her x0th birthday. She'd always wanted to go and I'd always said I wouldn't take her. I planned the whole trip as a surprise - she didn't know until the day before departure. I'd prepared an 'Eye-Spy' booklet, booked a few excursions and even bought her a couple of 'shrugs' as Ramadan was finishing while we were there!
June 2014: We returned for a second trip.
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Namibia Dec 2008: After two cold safaris to South Africa in June we slipped this trip to Dec in the hope it was a bit warmer. Then I raised the stakes by deciding to safari in Namibia - a country I wanted to visit after reading so many Wilbur Smith books. On the face of it it was doubling up as far as the temperature stakes were concerned - but then we didn't know about the Benguala Current drawing cooling air from the Antarctic. We had an excellent safari flying between Etosha, Damaraland and Sossusvlei.
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South Africa June 2006: We first visited South Africa to visit our friends who had emigrated there. After doing the Johanesburg trips we flew to Sabi Sand, just outside The Kruger and then drove up to Tuli just over the Botswana border.
July 2007: We returned to Sabi Sand the following year and flew on to Cape Town where our friends had moved to.
Dec 2008: Our third visit was after our Namibian safari and we took the opportunity to travel along the Garden Route before driving up to Citrusdal to celebrate New Year. After this we toured the Cape.
May 2018: On this trip we wanted to experience the Rovos Rail journey from Cape Town to Pretoria, staying 4 nights in Cape Town, followed by a visit to Victoria Falls and 3 nights safari in Botswana.
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United States Sept 2008: We tagged on a week's holiday to a business trip I made to California. We spent a few days in San Fransisco before driving ourselves to Los Angeles via Yosemite National Park and Death Valley. The whole trip (including accommodation) was planned via Google Earth. This was the first time I'd used the 3D drive-through feature and only realised I had the vertical scale set too high as Alison saw the fall from the sharp bends in the road!
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Zimbabwe June 2018: We travelled to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria falls, staying at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.
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European Cruise Oct 2017: We did our first cruise to test out Columbus ready for the world cruise in 2019. It took us to: Amsterdam; La Rochelle in France; Getxo for Bilbao in Spain; Lisbon; Gibraltar; and, La Carona in Spain.
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Baltic Cruise Sept 2018: After our fist cruise Alison couldn't wait until 2019 and fitted in Baltic cruise, again on Columbus. It took us to: Copenhagen; Rostock in Germany; Tallinn in Estonia; the main port of call was St. Petersburg in Russia; Helsinki in Finland; Stockholm in Sweden; and, Aarhuus in Denmark.
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World Cruise Spring 2019: The world cruise took us to: Amsterdam; Ponta Delgarda in Azores; Bridgetown in Barbados; Oranjestad in Aruba; the Panama Canel; Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala; Acapulco in Mexico; Nuku Hiva, Pape'eta & Bora Bora in French Polynesia; Bay of Isles, Aukland, Roturua, Christchurch & Picton in New Zealand; Sydney & Cairns in Australia; Rabual in Papua New Guinea; Yokohama & Kagoshima in Japan; The Great Wall of China & Shanghai in China; Hong Kong; Halong Bay & Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam; Ko Samui & Bangkok in Thailand; Singapore; Kuala Lumpur & Penang in Malaysia; Phuket in Thailand; Cochin & Mumbai in India; Salalah in Oman; Safaga in Egypt; Petra in Jordan; through the Suez Canal; Jerusalem in Israel, Valetta in Malta; Gibraltar and Lisbon In Portugal.
Take a look at our photo album of the trip.
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