Music greeted us as we wandered through the old city of Acre (Akko), on the Mediterranean coast in northern Israel. We found ourselves at the water’s edge on our first evening in the city listening to someone playing the bagpipes and another a drum, young men dancing and families clapping. It was a great atmosphere! The Old City of Acre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for its substantial preservation of Medieval Crusader buildings and the 18th and 19th century Muslim town which […]
Gardens
Arriving in Fiji
Nadi (said Nandy, rhymes with Andy) is home to Fiji’s only International airport, so travellers usually need to stay here for at least a night before their boat leaves to the islands the next morning or they head off for more beautiful spots on the mainland. There is plenty of accommodation available here with all the fancy hotel chains having beach side resorts in Denerau (where the marina is) and a few backpackers and hotels in Nadi itself. I opted for an air bnb […]
Yazd, Iran
Most places we went to in Iran were above amazing, all with their own delights and highlights, so it’s hard to pick a favourite. But if I had to, Yazd would certainly be vying for the prize! For starters there was the hotel we stayed in. It was cheap; $20 USD per night for a private room, with 3 toilet shower rooms shared with one other couple and a decent free breakfast. Ok the room was not soundproof at all but we are good […]
Mystics, Sand Castles & Citadels.
Together with our couchsurf host Amir and the two German couchsurfers also staying with him, George & Leonie, we went on a fantastic day trip to three famous places in Kerman province: Mahan, Rayen & The Kaluts (desert). The first was Mahan, to see the Bagh-e Shahzde Gardens, built in 1873. Descriptions in the Lonely Planet say arriving here ‘is like being beamed onto a different planet… all flowing qanat water and tall green trees.’ We were, however, completely underwhelmed. The fountains which lead […]
Rather Nice (North Island 1 of 3)
Dunedin born and bred, I am a ‘mainlander’ through and through. In my teenage years I developed a staunch, rather naive belief in the superiority of the South Island and Otago in particular. Imagine my delight to then discover in my 30s that the North Island too has much to rave about! These wonderful islands both make Aotearoa the amazing place it is and I have grown to realise there is no need for competition. Antony and I planned to see some of the […]