San Cristobal de las Casas
A very pleasant Spanish colonial era city in Southern Mexico, San Cristobal de las Casas is an understandably popular place, for it’s local history and architecture, and nearby natural beauty.…
Category: Travel
Uxmal and Kabáh
Probably my favourite Mayan sites in Mexico, Uxmal and Kabáh were certainly the least busy, which helped considerably, but were also home to some of the most elaborate facades and…
Merida
The capital and largest city in the Yucatan, Mérida dates back to the Spanish Colonial era, with many buildings from then remaining. Laid out on a grid system, like Antigua…
Chichen Itza and Palenque
Two of the largest, best known, and most popular Mayan sites in Mexico, Chichen Itza and Palenque offer quite different experiences. Voted one of the ‘Seven New Wonders of the…
Cobá, cenotes and Playa del Carmen
A varied couple of days exploring more Mayan ruins, my first cenotes, and as little time in Playa del Carmen as possible. A couple of things made Cobá a little…
Tulum
Home to the third most popular archeological site in Mexico (after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza), Tulum is an increasingly popular spot on the Mayan Riveria, though far less developed than…
Caye Caulker and San Pedro
A wonderfully compact and laid back place, Caye Caulker is a Caribbean gem. An hour from Belize City by regular ferry it feels a world away from the mainland (and…
Tikal
One of the largest and best known Mayan sites, Tikal was once one of the most powerful Mayan city states, occupied for over a thousand years until declining after 900AD,…
Yaxhá and Flores
The first Mayan site I visited, Yaxhá was a great half day trip from Flores, and introduction before visiting larger sites. It wasn’t small though, being home to nine plazas…
Rio Dulce and Livingstone
Where Guatemala meets the Caribbean, with the Rio Dulce flowing to the sea at Livingston, providing shelter on Lago de Izabal for boats to avoid hurricanes. It’s an interesting part…
Antigua
The capital of Guatemala for over two hundred years until 1176, Antigua is one of the best preserved Spanish colonial cities in the world. Ironically this is thanks to the…
Antwerp
Back in 2006 work took me to Antwerp for six months, commuting from near London early Monday morning, returning home Friday evening. I did this for a few weeks before…
Brussels
Brussels may not have a great reputation but I rather enjoyed it when I visited a dozen years ago, particularly for it’s wonderful architecture and some great museums. There are…
Frankfurt & Cologne
One of my early travels, courtesy of a project based on Antwerp in 2006, allowing me to spend every other weekend exploring a new part of Europe rather than heading…
HMS Belfast
One of the last surviving ships from WW2, HMS Belfast is a fascinating piece of history moored on the River Thames near Tower Bridge, it’s easy to spend several hours…
Things learnt about Peru and Bolivia
One of my reasons for travelling is to try and understand a little about other cultures and societies, through spending time with locals and reading as much as I can…
Sucre
Sucre was by far the most pleasant city I visited in the Bolivian Highlands, and the lowest at only 2,500m above sea level. The city centre in particular is relatively…
Los Lípez
Visited directly after the epic salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Los Lípez unbelievably matched them for spectacular and surreal landscapes. Los Lípez pretty much neighbours Salar de Uyuni so you…
Salar de Uyuni
Possibly the most surreal place I’ve ever visited, and am ever likely to visit, Salar de Uyuni are the largest salt flats in the world, larger than Lake Titicaca, the…
La Paz
A grungy, vibrant city in a spectacular natural setting, Bolivia’s main city of La Paz is an experience to explore. Thankfully I’d already spent a week at altitude but at…