There have been long periods of solitude during a month of island-hopping in the beautiful Maldives. Although I am a seasoned solo traveller, we all crave the company of fellow travellers when on the road. The weather has been prefect, the sea views sublime, and the marine life totally out of this world. Getting to know the local people has been a real treat, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to come on the final island visited during the trip. Kamadhoo is a beautiful island in Baa atoll and a highlight of the trip so far; the perfect destination to bring my trip to a close with a full week of downtime booked. The views from the…

It's been five long years since my last opportunity to add to the visited countries tally. After such a long time without a new travel experience, I got to thinking the chosen destination deserves to be somewhere special. So then, which country remains at the top of the bucket list? It proved to be a bit of a no brainer, and the winner is... the Maldives! From extensive experience flying here and there during my travels, it was a pleasure to fly out from Sydney with Singapore airlines again after so many years. I'm pleased to say that the service is still superb, this is without doubt one of the best airlines in the world. The flights took off on…

The travel journal continues, dear reader, from where we left off on the beautiful island of Maafushi. I'm now in the third week of my travels in this intriguing country. Maldives consists of a series of atolls just south of Sri Lanka and close to the equator. Of course the world knows the destination as a famed tropical paradise for the rich and famous. However, the country is opening up to local hosts on the islands who will benefit from the pristine marine environment that has attracted tourists over the years, and not just for the resort island operators. I'm here partly to investigate whether it is practical to visit the Maldives for an extended period of time and not…

Well, here I am in Palawan for an inaugural visit after all these years, it truly is a dream come true. This marvelous destination is one of the most sought-after places to visit in the world, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be here. Although it is considered a remote destination in the Philippines, Palawan is only 90 minutes flight time from Cebu with most flights going direct to Puerto Princesa. The capital of the province is in the south of the main island, and after arriving safely I advised some locals I needed transport to Port Barton, my first scheduled stop on the island. A local took me to a bus shelter, where I waited with a pair of Spanish…