It's a privilege having the opportunity to revisit Europe after a long six-year hiatus. I had almost given up on the thought of coming again to explore the old continent, with all that has transpired in recent years. But here I am, flying with China Eastern via a stopover in Shanghai, and then catching an onward flight to legendary Madrid. I jumped on the subway and with one change of lines was close to my hostel, and as soon as I reached street level the scene hit me like a thunderbolt. The elegant street pavements and classical architecture of the old buildings in Central Madrid are so beautiful it nearly makes one's heart fit to burst. Wow, was all I…

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…

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…

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…