Getting to Donsol

You can fly to nearby Legazpi city from Manila in just 1 hour but we prefer to go overland whenever possible. There are some great ‘Deluxe’ buses from Manila that cost around 1100 pesos (£17) and takes 10 – 12 hours. It’s an early start and a fairly late arrival unless you take the night bus but they day bus takes you through the heart of Manila and the countryside, passing through towns, villages, beautiful landscapes and stopping for lunch in a quiet town too. If you have the time it’s worth the journey. It’s air-conditioned and has a working toilet! Very comfortable way to travel.

Donsol is a small town about 90 minutes from Legazpi City so overnight there and check out the Cagsawa ruins the next day with the impressive backdrop of the ever active ‘Mayon Volcano’. Well worth a visit. Then hop in a local van at the bus station and head to Donsol for just 70 Pesos.

Where to stay in Donsol

We stayed at the comfortable and friendly ‘Giddy’s Place’ which seems to be the only hotel in the town.

There are a number of resorts right next to the dive and Snorkelling centre but they lack the local atmosphere that friendly Filipinos will gladly offer you in town.

Whale shark interaction centre

Its just a 7 minute tricycle ride from Giddy’s Place to the ‘whale shark interaction centre’ where you’ll need to register in order to dive or snorkel. This is to keep track of visitor numbers as the whale sharks are a protected species. Registration is 150 pesos and you can hire snorkel gear including flippers right there for 300 pesos.

Local fishermen run the boats which can take a total of 6 tourists. Total price of the boat is 3500 pesos so if you want to save money be sure to share with others. The price includes a ‘BIO’ guide who will snorkel with you and help you get the best experience. They’re friendly and experts In whale shark behaviour too.

Once out on the boat you don’t need to travel far off shore. Just 5 – 10 minutes and you’ll be with the other boats, all with spotters looking for a whale shark to follow. The idea is to jump in and snorkel just ahead to either side of the whale shark but as there are usually 10 boats, with around 40 – 50 snorkelers it can get quite busy in the water. Once your BIO spots the shark and actions for your group to jump in you immediately swim towards the other snorkelers and start looking beneath you hoping to catch a glimpse.

More about Whale Sharks

Whale sharks can grow up to 9 metres in length and have distinctive dark blue skin with light yellow spots on them. They come close to the surface to feed on krill, an abundant plankton in this area. They have no teeth and their size means they have no predatory powers against larger fix. In fact the whale shark is the largest fish in the world. Weighing up to 34 tonnes.

Our whale shark experience

Our first snorkel was a failure. No sighting as we swam about. Back on the boat for another go. The captain and crew soon spotted another and we were off to investigate. You’re constantly on edge, ready to dive in. Our second snorkel was better. The glimpse of a tail as it swam away. Climbing back on to the boat takes some energy. 3rd snorkel we saw its entire tail, waving back and doth as it swam. It was so large it looked like a plane underwater with its tail fin protruding.

Our 4th snorkel was even better. Seeing its back and tail before it swam off faster than I could keep up. The best 2 sessions were undoubtably the last 2. Jumping in along side it I was able to see the entire length of it from head to tail. Such a surreal sight compared to our land based life.

The last snorkel was the best. Jumping in at just the right point to be able to swim along side the head of this giant whale shark for over 2 minutes! Ample time to analyse every part of it and take in the full impact of what we were doing this day. A truly amazing experience.

If you’re coming to the Philippines then swimming with whale sharks is a must. It’s easy to do as long as you can swim. Be prepared to have to contend with 10 – 20 other people in the water all trying to get the best view too. 6 snorkels is probably as many as you may have the stamina for as getting in and out it the boat and also keeping up with the shark can take more energy than you think.

Our video

Check out our awesome video of our Whale Shark experience. Enjoy! Watch the HD version for best quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNws4B7QWDM

More information

• Hotel: Giddy’s Place, Donsol – 2500 Pesos (£36) per night. 600 pesos for Backpacker room.
• Transport to dive centre: Tricycle 100 pesos
• Registration: 300 pesos per person
• Snorkel hire: 300 pesos per person
• Boat: between 585 pesos and 3500 pesos depending on the number of people in your boat.
• Best time of year: late January to May
• Best time of day: between 7:30am and 12pm

Why did you go to South Korea?

After finishing university and working in our respective fields for a couple of years, (Arienne in TV production and Tristan in stage production) we knew we wanted to see more of the world. We figured teaching abroad would be a great opportunity to travel and make money at the same time. We originally considered China and Japan as well as Korea, but in the end settled on Korea due to its better work standards (when compared with China) and lower cost of living (when compared with Japan). This meant we’d be able to save more money, which would allow us to travel for an extended period of time when we were finished our contracts.

What were your first impressions and did they change?

Obviously, arriving in Korea meant a blast of culture shock. The unity of Korean culture and society seemed like an impenetrable fortress that, as foreigners, we were only allowed to look at, but never enter. This initial feeling of exclusion was further compounded when we moved to the small city where we were assigned to live and work. Jecheon had only 140,000 people, packed into an area the size of a town (in Canada), with only one movie theatre, a bowling alley, and a ton of bars and restaurants with next to no English, anywhere! For both of us, being a miniscule minority in a small city was a polar opposite to living in the culturally diverse metropolis of Toronto. In the beginning, we couldn’t order food, read any signs, or even talk to the many people who gawked and stared at us. Essentially, our first impressions were ones of isolation, frustration, and feeling like a child with adult problems.

But as we settled into the daily routines of the job and felt more comfortable in our city, we really began to enjoy our time in Korea. Regularly we would travel around the country on the weekends to learn more about the culture and people, but we would always be happy when we’d return back to our small, country city, that began to feel like home.

What was the food like?

In one word: incredible!  We’re not picky eaters to begin with, so we were up to trying anything and everything Korea had to offer. The cuisine is filled with many spicy dishes, and soon enough we were able to handle the spice like the locals. Kimchi (fermented cabbage in a red, spicy paste) is a staple at every meal, including breakfast, and we found ourselves enjoying it almost right from the start. Since we’ve been on the road we find that we occasionally get hit with a craving for kimchi! Luckily there are a few Korean grocery stores in Toronto that’ll satisfy our cravings. Korean BBQ is probably one of the most recognizable dishes outside of the country (and it’s delicious), but there’s more to the cuisine than grilled meat. Some of our favourite dishes include kimchi jjiggae (a soup made with kimchi and pork or tuna), pajeon (a large potato pancake filled with green onions and seafood), dalk galbi (spicy chicken and cabbage grilled in a large iron skillet), and nang myeon (a cold noodle soup perfect in the summer months). If you’re into adventurous meals, Korea’s got plenty of those too, including intestines, live octopus tentacles, and even dog meat!

What was the toughest thing about living there?

For us, the toughest thing about living in Korea was some of the nuances related to Korean culture. There are a number of things in Korean society we found really hard to accept, even though for Koreans it was normal run-of-the-mill stuff. For example, seeing students going to school from 8am to 5pm, and then going to special after-school academies at night was frustrating to see. Especially when the kids roll into our class and can’t get their heads off the table because they’ve barely slept. The long days at school are just part of the issues faced by students in an increasingly competitive education system.

The language barrier played a daily roll in our lives in Korea and unfortunately the Korean mentality of ‘saving face’ often meant that people who could speak English, wouldn’t, because they were too afraid of embarrassment. This led to numerous games of charades in public, with numerous Koreans standing thinking, “why is this foreigner dancing around like a drunken fool?” Even when we learned basic Korean, there were still things we couldn’t do, like go to a walk-in clinic, deal with household bills over the phone, or order delivery food from any place that didn’t know “the foreigner apartment”. This made us heavily reliant on our ‘co-teachers’, who lucky for us were wonderfully supportive and always willing to help.

Was South Korea an expensive place to live?

Of course, ‘expensive’ is a relative term, but in general we would say no, Korea is not an expensive place to live. On the other hand, it isn’t cheap either. Most people coming to Korea to teach will have their housing paid for them, so there is a huge savings right off the bat there. However, for most everyday products, you will pay pretty much the exact same price in Korea as you will in North America. For those living in Seoul or other large cities, you will find yourself probably finding it a little harder to save money than those living in less populated areas, simply due to the larger supply of forms of entertainment. Restaurants are generally pretty cheap compared with the west. A couple can dine for roughly $15 with a drink each. Bars on the other hand are not as cheap, with most drinks costing between $4-6. If you’re like us and want to save a bunch of cash, it can be pretty cheap to drink at home, especially if you’ve developed a taste for soju ($1/bottle). You can also expect your monthly utilities (hydro, gas, internet, phone) to be slightly cheaper than they are back home.

What were the highlights of your 2 years there?

Experiencing Korean hospitality: Being welcomed into a Korean household is a really special thing. If you arrive as a guest, you’ll leave as a friend. If you come as a friend, you’ll leave as a member of the family. There is almost no end to the generosity and care the Koreans show to their guests. It truly is amazing.
Making a good lesson plan, and then having it succeed: We both worked really hard on making our classes as fun and educational as possible for our students. For both of us, there were some really big road blocks in the classroom, but it made it that much sweeter when we learned how to avoid the pitfalls and really get a message across to a group of learners. Seeing the ‘light bulb’ go off in a student’s head is a really special feeling.

Traveling and learning about Korea: Being nestled between the economic and cultural giants; China and Japan, Korea is often an afterthought for travelers looking to come to Asia. For us, seeing what the country had to offer really opened our eyes to how dynamic Korea really is. It seems that almost every week there is a festival happening somewhere in the country, and with a relatively cheap and incredibly comprehensive transportation system, it’s really easy to get from one place to another with little to no stress at all.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to go to Korea to teach?

Learn to read Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and speak a little Korean. Hangeul is nothing like Chinese or Japanese characters. It’s very simple to read and write, and the sounds associated with each character are very similar to sounds in English. The Korean language is a little more difficult than the alphabet, however learning how to greet someone, order food, and general courtesies really isn’t too hard to do. Accomplishing both of these things will really open you up to more possibilities, instead of just going to the same old places and eating the same food because you know they understand a little English there. Believe us, learning even a little Korean was a really liberating experience, and it also showed the Koreans we were serious about being a positive addition to their society.

Don’t expect Korea to adapt to you. This is pretty much the one thing most people have difficulty accepting. The amount of times we both thought, “well back home this would never happen,” or “why don’t they just do it like this” was really frustrating, simply because it didn’t make a lick of difference what we thought. The reality is, you can’t change the country, and even if you could, is that really the right thing to do? What you can change however is yourself or your mindset. There may be some things that won’t mesh with who you are, but do your best to go with the flow, and if you are going to reject an idea, do it quietly. However, there are some really great ideas in Korea, and you may just find yourself doing things the Korean way when you get home.

Got any questions about life in South Korea?

Post your comments and questions below and we’ll get Arienne and Tristan to reply! Check out their video of leaving Canada and arriving in Korea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL80hlITFsY

Follow Arienne and Tristan

• You can follow their travels at their blog www.seeyousoon.ca
• Follow them on Twitter at @seeusoontravel
• Like them on their Facebook fan page.
• Read about their South Korea Expat life here.

If you would like to be interviewed about your travel experiences please contact us.

In order to get there, you have a few options. You can drive yourself, catch the Greyhound or tour bus, or you can fly.

Coming from Perth, I would recommend driving.  There are plenty of amazing sights to see along the way and even though it’s a long drive (Shark Bay is around 800 km from Perth) it’s worth it.

Shell Beach

Once in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, one stop you can make is at Shell Beach. This beach is exactly as you expect.  Over thousands of years billions of cockle shells have accumulated on the beach making a shell beach which is 10 metres wide in places. You can swim in the hyper-saline water or merely walk for miles along the pristinely white sun-bleached shells.  One must-do, though, is to set up your camera with a timer, pick up handfuls of shells and throw them into the air as your camera snaps a photo.  The resulting picture makes it look like it is snowing in a tropical landscape!

Sailing

Monkey Mia is the main destination in Shark Bay and there are two commercial sailing operators here.  The Shotover offers sailing wildlife viewing tours as well as sunset cruises. The Aristocat 2 offers wildlife tours as well but has the advantage of being the only operator with the licence to be within the “exclusion zone”.  This means that the Shotover has to be at least 6 km from Monkey Mia before it can interact with animals whereas the Aristocat 2 can do that anywhere.  I worked on the Aristocat 2 for almost three months and can tell you a lot is seen within that 6 km from Monkey Mia.

Keep in mind that both the Shotover and Aristocat 2 are very different cruises.  The Shotover is a former racing catamaran and is more of an operational sailboat.  The Aristocat 2, on the other hand, is a purpose built tour boat with wheelchair access and an inner cabin where you can escape from the wind/spray/sun if you want to.  It is also a licensed boat meaning you can have a few drinks while enjoying the sunshine and sea life!  Whichever boat you choose to go on, you’ll have an awesome experience and have the chance to see dolphins, dugongs, turtles and sometimes even sharks and whales!

Fishing

The Mac Attack is a fishing charter operating out of Monkey Mia.  With pink and black snapper, cod, trout, spanish mackerel, tuna and other massive fish in the bay, you will really enjoy this fishing experience.  There is always a chance to see some migrating whales and spot (or even catch) some sharks that call Shark Bay home.

Pearl Farm

Once home to four pearl farm operations, Monkey Mia is now home to just one.  Blue Lagoon Pearls is a family-run operation and pearling has been in the family for over 90 years.  If you’re travelling around Australia, volunteering on the pearl farm qualifies as “specified regional work” that you can apply towards extending your visa for another year.  Just keep in mind that the work is messy at times but the days are short: from about 8:30 am till 3:00 pm.  This gives you plenty of time to pick up some extra work in Denham to help pay the bills.

Whether working on the pearl farm or merely stopping by for a tour, you’ll get to learn all about how cultured pearls are produced.  Having spent six months on the pearl farm, I was lucky enough to have close encounters with dolphins, turtles, rays, dugongs, whales, a few sharks and most fun of all, the pet pink snapper that live under the floating farm and are fed daily.

Sunsets

The sunsets in Monkey Mia are spectacular!  As the sun disappears on the horizon in the west, colours appear in the east.  The colour eventually fades to black as the darkness chases the colours across the horizon.
Most days, any wind that was present during the day fades to nothing.  The water goes glassy and produces incredible reflections of not only the sky but of anything on the water.  Quite often, the local dolphins can be seen swimming just off shore as they fish for their dinners.  Sitting on the deck of the Monkey Bar is a favourite place to view the sunsets, with drink in hand of course!

Dolphins

You can’t forget about the dolphins!  In fact, the daily dolphin feeding is probably what Monkey Mia is most famous for.  There are five female dolphins which are part of the feeding program and can be fed up to three times a day (depending on whether these wild dolphins show up or not).  Many of the female dolphins have recently had calves which definitely add to the entertainment factor while swimming around with their teenaged relatives.  If you’re interested, you can even sign up to volunteer with the dolphins and help out with the feedings.  If you love dolphins, this is most definitely for you!

Ocean Park Aquarium

Choose your taxi wisely

Solo women in India shouldn’t get a taxi off the street – go to a taxi office and have them call one in for you: that way you can see for yourself that they’re running a legitimate operation. Agree on a fare before you get in so the driver doesn’t opportunistically adjust the meter, and once you’re inside make a call on your mobile to a friend to say you’re on your way. This can be a fake call – it’s just to let the taxi driver know you’re expected somewhere. Expect to share the cab with other passengers. If you’re not happy with this, you can pay a bit more for an ‘exclusive’ ride – but there’s no real necessity for it if you’d rather save the money.

Dress modestly

For optimum blending-in, buy a shalwar kameez and change in to it as soon as you reach your destination. These loose, light tunic-and-trouser combos are worn by both men and women across India and provide the conservative coverage of the body that’s expected. They’re also the most comfortable thing to wear in hot and humid conditions. If you want to wear the clothes you own already, dress modestly to avoid unwanted attention and carry a light scarf so you can cover your head to enter temples – you won’t be accepted inside otherwise.

Another thing to remember with dress is to keep jewellery to a minimum: flashier pieces are likely to make you a target to thieves. Advice usually states that solo women should wear a fake wedding ring to ward off male attention – in India, avoiding this can actually keep you on the safer side. If there’s no expensive-looking wedding ring, you can’t get mugged for it!

Don’t give money to beggars

Be prepared to be confronted by beggars including children on the street, at temples and in train stations. Your first reaction will be to give money, but displaying wealth will only make you a target for more aggressive haranguing. Becoming flustered or indecisive will also incite more attention: walk on purposefully or offer food instead.

Ignore aggressive vendors

At markets and on the streets, catcalls from vendors will become a familiar sound ringing in your ears: rather than reacting, take some headphones and listen to music through your phone or iPod – this totally cuts off the harassment and stops some people from even bothering to even try and get your attention.

Charge your phone

Some places in India have unreliable electricity, so use all opportunities to keep your phone topped up and see that it’s always properly charged before leaving your hotel. This keeps you on the safe side if you need to make an emergency call.

Drink bottled water

Make sure you always have a bottle of water handy so you have a safe source of hydration: either store-bought water from well-known brands or water you’ve boiled yourself at the hotel.

Pack light

Struggling along solo with a heavy bag makes you a vulnerable target – even worse if you’re flapping around with a massive map. Pack light, carry a backpack rather than a suitcase on wheels (extra mobility) and have a clear idea of your route: before leaving point A, you should have an idea of how to get to point B clear in your mind.

Remember: India is a richly cultural, exciting and exhilarating place to visit for women travel. Enjoy your trip!

Of course there are many restaurants, cafes and hawker centres to get your Malaysian food fix but you can always do one better than that in Penang. We were invited to Tropical Spice Garden, not only a cooking school but, as the name suggests a beautiful haven of pretty gardens, ponds, woodlands and walks to explore, filled with lots of educational information about the spices found in Asia.

Spice garden tours

We were first met at reception of the Tropical Spice Garden and given a guided tour by our very knowledgable guide. It was a very interesting lesson in why spices are used in foods, the medicinal properties and the history of spice trading in Penang. Just the tour of the gardens alone is worth a visit as there’s lots to learn.

Meeting Pearly Kee

Our tour ended at the cooking school building. A perfectly clean and well organised environment for up to 20 people to cook. Our teacher and local celebrity Pearly Kee greeted us with a warm smile and a friendly chat as we donned our aprons. Today we were to prepare two dishes, both known as Nyonya food. The “Baba Nyonya” were 15th century Chinese immigrants who moved to Malaysia, bringing with them their culture, traditions and amazing food. In fact I’d have to say Nyonya food is by far my favourite in Malaysia.

Pearly soon set us to work, preparing our vegetables and talking us through the recipe sheet we all had. Everything we needed was easily to hand, the work space was bright and clean and Pearly circulated the room helping each of us. We were cooking Nyonya Tau Ewe Bak, also known as “Dark Sauce Pork”. A thick syrup like sweet and tasty sauce, today we’d actually be replacing the pork with chicken but either work very well. We’d also be creating Nyonya Fried Rice which includes large prawns, shallots, garlic and Sambal Belacan, a tasty chilli and shrimp paste used in a lot of Nyonya food.

Cooking school fun

Our tour of the spice gardens gave me a new found perspective on the ingredients I was cooking with, understanding what they add to each dish. The fun part of Asian cuisine is always using the Wok. We each had a very large Wok on our gas hobs in front of us and mixing the ingredients, curry pastes and rice was entertaining. I also discovered the fine art of cooking at the right temperature. Too low and flavours don’t fuse together, too high and you can dry out your food too much, losing essential oils from the ingredients. Pearly had staff members constantly nearby to help clear up the mess we were all making, keeping our work areas very tidy and presentable. Usually when I’ve been in the kitchen it looks like somebody’s broken in to your house and thrown food around, so it was a treat to work in such clean surroundings!

I could have listened for hours to Pearly Kee’s cooking tips, anecdotes of previous students and her favourite recipes. Our group of around 8 people had a great time and everybody’s meals looked delicious. We left the kitchen with our 2 plates each and sat at a table outside. Pearly had also prepared an amazing mango salad to go with our dishes and gave us homemade lemonade drinks to go with our meal. I have to say I was very pleased with my culinary efforts, mostly thanks to Pearly’s great instructions and one of the tastiest recipes you’ll ever eat. Also an enjoyable group to chat with over lunch and a great experience that’ll I’ll remember fondly.

If you’re looking to experience the best of Penang’s food and do something a little different during your stay in Malaysia I can recommend the Tropical Spice Garden cooking school.

More information

• Visit the Tropical Spice Garden website
• Telephone: 604 – 881 1797
• Address: Lone Crag Villa, Lot 595 Mukim 2, Jalan Teluk Bahang, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
• Email : info@tropicalspicegarden.com

When I heard that Pamela MacNaughtan from Spunky Girl Monologues was planning to do the Mongol Rally this year I had a whole host of questions I wanted to ask her. Pamela is a solo female traveler from Canada who decided to quit her job in 2010 to pursue her love of travel, she says “It was by far the best decision of my life”.

We caught up with her to find out more about her love of travel and why she’s taking part in the 2012 Mongol Rally.

Pamela, what made you want to do the Mongol Rally?

The Video! I watched this video once and I was hooked! Seriously, watch it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VwacRktz2c

I love that the Mongol Rally is an unsupported adventure and that it has a charitable focus. I also loved the fact that I was joining an all females team as the rally is a fairly male-dominated adventure. The Mongol Rally is an adventure that will stretch me in ways that I cannot fathom and I love the idea of that.

Who will be going with you/be your team mates?

My teammates are equally fierce and adventurous women. Charlie Grosso is a professional photographer in New York, and Deej Forza is a Kiva Fellow from Seattle. It’s a great combination for a team. I’m the travel blogger, Charlie is the photographer and Deej is the volunteer guru. As a team our talents compliment each other and each of us will bring something a little different to the experience as a whole.

What equipment will you need to do the rally?

Equipment is a huge part of the rally. Charlie, DJ and I will be camping along the way once we leave Eastern Europe, so we’re looking into camping gear, as well as things like compact camp chairs, headlamps, a camp stove etc. However camping equipment is not the only equipment we need. We also need things like spare tires and small car parts, camera gear, video gear and so on. It’s kind of a daunting task to list all of our equipment needs, but I’m working on it and will have it posted on our team website www.smstowaway.com in the next week or so.

Can you tell us how are you able to pay for it all?

Sponsors! Our goals is find enough sponsors to offset the cost of the rally. There are a lot of expenses involved with the Mongol Rally. We need to buy a car, have it registered and insured. We need to buy visas and book hostel beds. We need gas and repair money. We need bribe money. In other words, we need a lot of things.

We’re slowly bringing in sponsors. We’re also going to give our family, friends and readers the option of donating towards the charity we’re supporting, donating money towards our team costs, or buying us gear through our team Amazon wishlist.

What vehicle do you expect to be driving?

OMG we have no idea! I’m told the Nissan Almera is a great car and does really well at the auction which takes place after the rally.

At the moment we may have a sponsor for our car.We’re waiting for the final word to come in before we start shopping in Europe for our it.

What advice would you give to people thinking of doing the rally?

Planning for the Mongol Rally is really involved. Pick teammates who compliment you and are willing to share the workload. Communication is huge when planning for something like this. Think big and go for ‘the impossible’ in terms of sponsors and goals, you never know what will happen and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results!

What locations and countries are you looking forward to visiting most along the way?

Honestly, I’m really excited about Eastern Europe, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

I’ll be visiting 12 new countries on this trip, I’m planning an extended trip back through Central Asia where I’ll be doing more exploring, so 3 or 4 of those countries will be explored more slowly at that time.

Thanks Pamela!

Many thanks to Pamela for giving us an insight into her preparations for the 2012 Mongol Rally. We wish her and her team the very best of luck.

To follow her progress on getting sponsorship and on the rally itself go to her website Spunky Girl Monologues. If you have any questions for Pamela please post a comment below. If you would like us to interview you about your current or future travel plans please contact us.

Forming

My travels took my through NYC, to islands of the Caribbean, to watch the Aussie cricket team play against the West Indies. I included a side trip to Cuba, and then returned home via London. That’s 13 flights in 5 weeks, given that these islands are not the easiest to get to. Let alone the complicated flight paths to get to Cuba!

Looking back, post-diagnosis, I remember having a cramp in my calf in Cuba, which I assumed was dehydration as we couldn’t drink the water. But maybe that had nothing to do with it. I had a bit of Barbados-belly for a week, and maybe this too had something to do with the clot formation. Who knows! I definitely had leg cramps in London, and was limping. But I didn’t really think much of it. I had places to see and people to catch up with!

So, so tired at the end of this amazing trip, I slept on the flights home, which is a rarity for me. I also had my legs crossed. This definitely was a factor in my DVT. I barely got up and walked around the whole last flight, and clearly the blood was pooling.

Diagnosis

Once I was home I needed to get on and back to work. I actually walked the almost hour to get into the office, which I had been doing in the lead up to my trip. Thinking I was stretching out the awful cramp, I pushed through. But as the day progressed, the calf cramp, and distinct unusual hardness of my left calf, bothered me more and more.
With the advice of colleagues around me, I sought out a consult with the nearby Travel Doctor. Sadly unhelpful, my insistence for an ultrasound however saved my life. Atypical presentation, the Travel Doctor defended his inaction, stating that without heat or discolouration in my calf, he could not detect. But the Doppler ultrasound showed that I had a 10cm clot in my calf and a 15cm segment just above my knee. Further scans in the ER found a “fleck” on my lung, suggesting the clot was breaking up and starting to travel making it very dangerous.

The incidence of DVT in my age group at the time was 1 in 3000, without genetic factors present, which I do not have. The travel was the main contributor, along with the contraceptive pill. Being sedentary for my flights, the number of flights, and the dehydration, all possible factors. And just dumb luck!

Treatment of DVT

Once diagnosed, and the presence of that “fleck”, or pulmonary embolism, I was injected with Clexane immediately to thin my blood and further over the coming days, as Warfarin was introduced as the medication regime for the next 6 months. This medication is made from the same stuff as RatSack, and requires close monitoring of therapeutic levels with blood tests, fortnightly eventually. Compression stockings, thigh high due to the segment above the knee, were also given, and a week as an in-patient, and then life resumed. Blood tests and trying to be consistent with my diet, avoiding things high in Vitamin K in large quantities and also careful about food and alcohol with blood thinning properties.

Prevention

So after my six months of treatment, I was good to go. I just need to give myself an injection of Clexane before and after every long haul flight from now on – this has not cured the travel bug! I mean, what ever it takes!

Prevention is the key now, so I impart this message to every traveller, as a lesson learnt: walk regularly during a flight, every couple of hours; keep hydrated; don’t cross your legs or allow any circulation issues when trying to get comfortable; red wine has thinning properties; maybe wear these ugly stockings that I now have to with every flight. But more importantly, if you have an inkling, or gut feeling, there is something wrong, get it checked out. Better than the scary alternative!

On more than one occasion my wife and I have actually done the complete opposite, instead of trying to turn up as late as possible and get the hell out of whatever country we’re in, we’ve slowed things down and made enjoying the hotel and it’s features as much a part of the holiday as the destination we’re off to.

Airport Hotels

Once the domain of the jet setting businessman with no inclination to sight see, I’ve actually spent the night at a number of airport hotels for a few different reasons.  First and foremost I like to enjoy flying, something that all the rushing around at the airport can often destroy. We all like to save money on flights but leaving your house at 4am just to fly at 8am and save a few bucks can be a real drain on your first day off in a while!

Taxis and trains to airports can also be seriously overpriced at that time of day so I’ve found it more cost effective and far move comfortable to leave the night before. Check in to a nice hotel near your airport terminal and relax! Holidays are, after all, supposed to be about enjoying yourself. Pretty much all airport hotels will have a regular shuttle service to the terminals and you can put your feet up knowing you won’t be late to the terminal the next day. If you’re more the active type there’s always the hotel gym or pool. Definitely more fun than setting an alarm for some ridiculous hour.

Check out the Holiday Extras website for deals on airport hotels.

Champagne breakfasts

So you’re up after a good night’s sleep in your airport hotel, it’s not 4am! hooray! You’ve checked in and you’ve got bags of time to spare. What now? Time for some breakfast! I’m a firm believer that when you leave your house, your holiday starts. So why eat nasty fast food at an airport when you can treat yourself (and your loved one) to a champagne breakfast. It’s pretty much a tradition of ours now to visit the “Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar” in Heathrow airport terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5A. What better way to wait for your flight than with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and a glass of champagne! It’s reasonably priced too and well worth celebrating the first day of your trip. They’re also at Gatwick and a number of airports around the UK and US.

Shopping at airports

I used to think the shops at an airport were a last ditch attempt to empty your pockets of money before you left the country. Something to rush through and try to avoid before boarding your plane. These days the shops have improved somewhat and I prefer to view a terminal as part shopping mall, part airport. With many international airports duty free or at least matching duty free prices, you can usually find a few bargains compared to high street or online prices. I’ve bought video cameras, iPods, sunglasses and those essentials I completely forgot to pack, all thanks to having a little extra time to browse before a flight. Rushing around isn’t much fun, neither is sitting, bored of waiting for your departure gate to be announced.

Treat yourself

Whether at the airport hotel or in the terminal itself you could put your time to good use and treat yourself to a massage. It’s pretty much the norm these days to have some sort of spa treatments available. Perfect for the night before a flight to help aid sleep or while you’re waiting for your plane. I highly recommend head massages to sooth any pre-flight nerves and back massages to help feel more comfortable before that 12 hour flight to the other side of the world. Arriving last minute at an airport will only stress you out and add tension to a flight that should be enjoyable and relaxing. There’s even an entire spa full of treatments at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Check out the Elemis website for more details on that.

If like me you find the whole airport experience quite stressful at times, take a fresh look at how you travel. Make the journey part of your holiday and find ways to enjoy the airport experience. Relax in a hotel the night before so there’s no early alarms, have a tasty (and cheeky) champagne breakfast, indulge in some shopping and treat yourself to a massage to make the flight all the more enjoyable.

If you have any other reasons to spend more time at an airport we’d love to hear them. What traditions and rituals do you have before you fly? What advice would you give to nervous flyers?

Surfing at El Confital Beach

For sports fans, a trip to the incredible El Confital beach in Las Palmas, the main city of Gran Canaria, is simply a must. The annual host of the Ocean & Earth Pro WQS international surf championships every October, the bay boasts one of the best right wave breaks in the world and is the perfect destination for thrill seeking surfers. The waves break over a reef of lava rocks and entrance to the surf can be risky so experience and skill, not to mention confidence, are required.

Surfing spots in Gran Canaria

Further surfing hotspots lie nearby in Playa del Hombre and Derecha del alto. Here, the entry to the sea is enough of an adventure in itself.

Furthermore, the paddle out time is significantly shorter than you might be used to, so act fast to enjoy the adrenalin rush catching a big one brings. The drive to Playa del Hombre from Las Palmas is just 30 minutes and well worth the trip.

Get a private Villa instead of a hotel room

After a hard day in the surf, you’ll probably want nothing more than being able to relax in your own space which can be hard to do in a hotel. I’d recommend Villa rentals so you can create your own home from home while you’re away. A private, personal haven that also acts as a convenient and practical vacation base. You get your own pool, lounge and place to chill out after a fun day of surfing and sight seeing.

With Villa holidays you can plan the itinerary of your holiday exactly as you wish, right down to the minute: while a stay in a hotel can prove to be somewhat limiting in terms of restricted meal times and constraints on times when you can both leave and return.

This is particularly prevalent if you choose to go all-inclusive, as you must be up by a certain hour for breakfast and restaurant choice can be limited.

Other things to do in Gran Canaria

Surfing aside, the beaches are the perfect place to relax and get some much needed Vitamin D, while inland, the activities on offer are sure to cater for all tastes. Bustling marketplaces such as those in Vecindario, Arguineguín and San Fernand are worth a visit during the day while the dazzling array of bars and restaurants will entice during the night.

Camel safaris and adventurous treks are two of the best ways to explore Gran Canaria, likewise snorkelling in the crystal clear ocean. Golf, deep sea fishing and horse riding are also on hand for sports fanatics, while classic family attractions such as water parks and zoos never get old.

Villas in Spain can be found for some extremely reasonable prices these days. If you’re looking for some fantastic beaches, surf action and great array of entertainment then a trip to the island of Gran Canaria is well worth a visit.

Check out some of the Surfing action at the Ocean & Earth Pro WQS international surf championships in Gran Canaria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIASwiobm8k

Australian Open

Combining my interest of sport and travel is a serious addiction of mine, and I completely blame my mother, who started and continues the tradition of taking my sisters and me to the Open every year. Day 1 and 2 is our standard, and these first days allow you to get a look at all the big and not-so-big names, on the spread of Melbourne Park’s big and smaller courts.

Fairly easy to get tickets from the online official seller, there is also a cheaper twilight price for entry after 5.30pm, where there is at least one guaranteed match on, and a live band in the bar area. It’s always such a great day, and so close to the city and accessible by transport.

Visit the Australian Open website for more information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpKEkYtnQRo

French Open

Booking French Open tickets almost blind on the French-language website, I took a gamble and grabbed tickets on 2 of the main courts for our 2 days at Roland Garros. A little more complicated, with names assigned to each ticket, our group loved our sample of the French Slam and all Paris had to offer for a couple of days.

Many of the Australian players were out on the smaller courts, which allowed us to be very patriotic and get into the spirit of these games. But having a higher ranked Aussie player at the time, one Hewitt, it was a treat to see our countryman on the main court!

Visit the Roland Garros website for more information.

Wimbledon

Whilst I was completing my UK Working Holiday, I managed to get to the hallowed Wimbledon twice. So easy to go, both years it was just simply a matter of lining up, and getting a Ground Pass. Not too expensive from memory, I am also aware that you can line up for spare tickets for the bigger, main courts each day, including Finals.

Like the Aussie Open, with a Ground Pass you are free to roam to all of the outside courts which mean loads of matches, and usually plenty of name players to watch. The players are often wondering around the grounds too, those first days, between practice courts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2w5Dhprz8Y

Visit the Wimbledon Open Tennis website for more information.

US Open

I just have the US Open to go, and every year as I watch live from home in the wee hours of the night, I have wanderlust ideas of getting to Arthur Ashe and that massive bowl-like stadium. Soon, Flushing Meadows, soon!

Visit the US Open website for more information.

If you have experience of purchasing tickets and any advice on travel to the US Open add your comments below. We will update this post with your help.