Auckland War Memorial Museum
An imposing classical building on the hill in Auckland Domain, Auckland War Memorial Museum is the second largest in New Zealand after Wellington’s Te Papa. Like Te Papa it has…
Things I learnt about Morocco
I spent sixteen days travelling around Morocco from Casablanca to Marrakech via the edge of the Sahara Desert and through the Atlas Mountains, visiting seven of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World…
Marrakech
I had a mixed time in Marrakech, there were some wonderful things to see, but I also got more hassle than anywhere else in Morocco. Founded in the 11th century,…
Essaouira
One of the most pleasant places in Morocco, Essaouira is a coastal town with a lovely medina (old town). The first settlement here was by the Phoenicians in 7th century…
Toubkal National Park
Home to the highest mountain in the Arab world, the 4,167m high Toubkal, the surrounding national park gave a good taster of the High Atlas Mountain Range. I didn’t have…
Ait Benhaddou and Atlas Movie Studios
A particularly scenic fortified cluster of kasbahs, Ait Benhaddou is now a prime location for film crews. Productions include Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones, Kingdom of Heaven, Alexander,…
Todra Gorge and El Khorbat
Carved by the Todgha and Dades Rivers, Todra Gorge cuts through the High Atlas Mountains with walls up to 400m high in places. It was a great place to both…
Erg Chebbi
Although not quite in the Sahara Desert, the sand dunes at Erg Chebbi are what most people would have in mind. Many films including The Mummy, Prince of Persia and…
Middle Atlas
A couple of days spent travelling across the Middle Atlas region of Morocco, from Fes to Midelt, passing through some wonderful scenery. First stop though was the slightly surreal Ifran,…
Fes
One of the best preserved historic cities in the Arab-Muslim world, Fes is home to an incredible Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A millennium ago this was among the…
Volubilis
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Volubilis is home to the best Roman remains in Morocco. The town was founded in 3rd century BC, and was the capital of the…
Meknes
Meknes was the capital of Morocco during the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century. He was a ruthless but successful ruler, preventing Morocco from becoming part of…
Rabat
Morocco’s capital was an attractive place to explore for a few hours, even on a rather wet day. Although there is generally a fresh breeze from the sea the humidity…
Casablanca
Casablanca was a mostly underwhelming introduction to Morocco, with a few interesting sights but nothing significant other than the enormous Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest city in Morocco,…
Highlights of the Snowman Trek
Regarded as one of the longest and hardest hikes in the Himalayas, the Snowman Trek runs for ~350km through some of the highest and most remote parts of Bhutan. Here…
Things I learnt on the Snowman Trek
The Snowman Trek has a reputation as one of the longest and hardest hikes in the Himalayas. It takes around 24-28 days to walk ~350km, crossing eleven passes over 4,500m,…
Things I learnt about Bhutan
A fascinating Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan is unlike anywhere else. I spent 34 days there, 28 days walking the Snowman Trek, and the remainder visiting towns, monasteries, temples, fortresses, and doing…
The Himalayas from the air
The flight between Delhi and Paro in Bhutan is regarded as one of the most scenic in the world, spending most of the journey flying over the Himalayas. When I…
Thimphu and Punakha
I didn’t have long in the current and former capitals of Bhutan but got a taster at the end of my journey by road from Bumthang to Paro after completing…
Bumthang, Jakar, Trongsa, and Wangdue Phodrang
After completing the month long Snowman Trek, walking around 350km between Paro and Bumthang, I spent three days travelling back the more direct 250km by road. We started in the…