It has always been my dream to see komodo dragons, and also to swim up close with manta rays. Bizarrely, I got to cross off two from the bucket list on the same day while visiting the Komodo islands, never mind the fact this once in a lifetime tour also included spectacular elevated scenery of the magnificent islands, and an idyllic visit to pink beach. What a day, what an island, what an experience! Flores is just an hour or so flight time out of Denpasar airport, and travellers quickly discover they have arrived in another world. There seems to be some kind of obsession (on Flores in particular) for locals, both male and female, to want to be photographed…

A fortnight in Lombok has been quite the surprise packet, after the all too familiar chaos and charm of a return visit to Bali. A long drive out to Padang Bai is required to board the fast ferry across the Lombok strait, and it can be quite a precarious trip as the strait is very deep and prone to inclement weather. Our fast boat navigated the choppy seas without drama, and within two hours arrived at Bangsal, the main port in the northwest of the island. The differences are stark on arrival, with gojek riders nowhere to be seen, nor for that matter the prodigious traffic that is the only downside of visiting Bali. I hooked up with a driver…

The rich and powerful have descended with much fanfare on beautiful Bali for the G20 summit, which is being hosted by Indonesia for the year 2022. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, as your humble travel correspondent has embarked on a five week adventure to this wonderful part of the world at the same time. Mind you, the massive carbon emitting convoys I bear witness to on the streets every day as the elites shuttle from the G20 venue to their five star accommodation in Nusa Dua is something to behold, and doing wonders for local traffic conditions at the same time! I'm sure it comes about at the conclusion of another exhausting day emitting copious carbon from their lying mouths,…

Koh Tao is a diving mecca famed throughout the world, and also known locally as Turtle Island. It's been a long held dream to visit this magical little island, and finally I have the opportunity to add Tao to my ever expanding list of places visited. There's a daily high speed ferry (and also a catamaran) that both zoom across to the island from Koh Phangan, with the sea journey completed in just an hour. The arrival at the pier proved to be a typically effortless Thai travel experience, where the resort had organised free transportation and I wasn't even aware I had booked the service! It's all part of travelling in this wonderful country, as the Thais really are…

It's astonishing to realise just how much I missed all that is learnt from travelling the world. It's one thing to immerse yourself in a book, but nothing compares to the life experience and knowledge gained from travel, where there is the opportunity to interact daily with so many fascinating people living in this wonderful world we share. Actually It doesn't take too long to get back in to the swing of a traveller's life, even after an extended break. At the conclusion of a wonderful time in Koh Samui I decided to branch out for a bit of island hopping in the region, and the boat journey is just thirty minutes on the fast ferry - akin to a…

Throughout the course of human history free men have always resisted the authoritarian dictates of overbearing rulers. To be honest, dear reader, the last few years have collectively taught us a great deal about human nature, with almost none of it being good. Nevertheless, I believe mankind must continue the eternal quest to emerge from the darkness and head towards the light. The ideals we have cherished for a lifetime cannot be frivolously cast aside, regardless of any health emergency. Of course I bear witness to the struggle for freedom, for liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I hold as a lifelong dream the ideals of peace and love, and the search for our better angels; to acknowledge on a…

The Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia is rugged, beautiful, and stunningly remote. The population is sparse and the distances are vast, but there is an option to explore the East Kimberley region from a gorgeous little base, and that is the town of Kununurra. For most of my adult life I have been intrigued by this remote town close to the border of Northern Territory, and it's great to have the chance to revisit after a long absence of 20 years. Travellers in Katherine are able to reach the town of 5,000 residents by jumping on the greyhound west across the border on the Savannah Highway, a three thousand kilometrre adventure journey across the top of…

It has been quite some period of time since Australians have had the opportunity to board a plane for a bit of adventure. Of course international travel is still off the agenda for the foreseeable future, but the respective States are starting to open up their borders to domestic tourists, and importantly to the money they spend. So I thought after 18 months without a break here's a chance to visit the iconic Northern Territory of my own country, after 20 long years having not even stopped in to say g'day! I have great memories of my last visit, and with a good deal of excitement masked up and boarded a Qantas flight from Sydney to Darwin to commence a…

From the moment the plane touches down on a small outer island that plays host to the airport of Bora Bora, travellers know they've arrived at a special destination. This place is famous throughout the world, and the first glimpse of the magic of Bora Bora after exiting the airport building is completely off the charts. In order to get to the settlement of Vaitape on the main island, we were required to take a shuttle, but in this case the airport transfer certainly doesn't have the usual connotations. In fact, passengers on arrival are treated to a stunning ferry ride through brilliant blue waters with tropical fish swimming right up to the jetty. This is a one of a…

I would never have imagined there's a backpacker trail of sorts through the islands of French Polynesia, but the multi-island flight packages offered by Air Tahiti ensure travellers continue to bump in to each other. For me this has always encapsulated the magic of travel, and to see friends you have a genuine connection with in multiple locations helps solidify the special bond that only comes from getting out and exploring the world. I have to admit it was with a degree of sadness I prepared to bid goodbye to my travel friends in Moorea after our unforgettable adventures together, however after some preliminary discussions we began to realise this is a special crew. So it was off to Air…