Our Lonely Planet guide informs us that Bali hosts some of the most perfect, colourful and impressive sunsets in the whole of South East Asia. The book promises breathtaking views as you sit on the beach to watch the sun go down. Considering that we had not found the majority of Bali all that impressive during our 7-day stay, we were holding out hope that this would be a winner.
Our first experience came during a 
meal at a local restaurant. The waiters were desperate for us to sit upstairs, an open aired balcony, telling us that come sunset it would be all worth it, so we followed their orders. And low and behold, as the sun drifted away, the sky was filled with the most amazing colours that I've ever seen. It reminded me of the colourings of lava spewing from a volcano. Despite the meal being awful, the view was definitely worth every penny!
I also found that Thailand offered some spectacular sunsets. The kinds that cannot be ruined because there is not a cloud in the sky. In this particular moment, I'm thinking of Koh Tao, situated on the east coast o
f south Thailand. Imagine...We're sat on the beach and its 7pm at night. All we can see is the ocean which goes on forever. And then the sun slowly fades away, leaving the sky a magnificent burnt orange colour, and eventually disappears into the tip of the sea. Perfect.
It wasn't until we got to Fiji that we heard about Kava. I had always assumed it to be some expensive champagne, drank only on special occasions, but in Fiji it is something entirely different.
I guess it would be correct to say that Kava is Fiji's answer to alcohol. It's something taken in a social occasion, used as a celebration, and has slightly similar effects as alcohol. Kava is a root, gown locally and dried out for weeks for purity. It's then mixed in water in a huge 'kava' bowl and drank from a coconut shell. We were warned that whilst staying on the remote islands, we would most likely be offered kava as an act of generosity, and therefo
re it would be rude to turn it down or not finish the given amount. We'd also been told that Kava resembles muddy water and makes your mouth go all numb and tingly...another reason why I didn't really fancy it. BUT...I suppose it's like going to Ireland and never having a Guiness, or visiting Thailand and never trying a green curry. It's a tradition, and we had to try it!!
So there we were, sat around our camp on a small island with a handful of other tourists and some local Fijians. Tonight was a big celebratio
n...their village chief had recently died and as a mark of respect, Kava had been band for 3 months. Tonight was the first night of drinking again, and as a result, many of the local men had prepared a big bowl to share with us. The tradition is to be handed a coconut shell, clap 3 times and shout "bula" before drinking the serving. So off we went...
It wasn't as bad as I'd thought. In fact, it was just like drinking muddy water which numbed the throat. As displayed by the locals, drinking a lot relaxes you and they all seemed really chilled out as they drank, sang songs and played the guitar. It was really nice to be able to share an evening like this and get a real taste of the Fijian culture. Although we only had one drink, we relaxed in a huge group for most of the night and had a fantastic time.
At the age of 22, this Christmas was the first one that I would not be spending with my family. And not only that, but I would be half way across the world in Australia where instead of hoping for a white Christmas, I would be praying for hot sunshine so I could BBQ on the beach!!
And so at 8am Christmas day morning, we were woken by the local churches bells, ringing out for Christmas day. I must admit, this was probably the first time I'd heard such chimes which are traditional of our Christmas days. Armed with our picnic baskets, swim wear and towels, we boarded the bus and headed to Coogee Beach, a 30-minute journey from Central Sydney. Typically, most travellers will head to Bondi Beach on Christmas Day for a huge party...but at $80 per ticket we decided against it and headed to another beautiful beach to meet with our friends.
Our group seemed to have adopted on
e of the outdoor booths above the beach, equipped with a table and bench and right next to a communal BBQ. I love the outdoor living emphasis in Australia. Our booth was spruced up with balloons and Christmas decorations and we set out a huge feast of salad, nibbles and cake to accompany our mammoth BBQ. Not your traditional Christmas dinner, I must admit I really missed a turkey with all the trimmings, but a nice change all the same.
Sadly our summer Christmas was not to stay dry for long. After a short walk on the beach and quick dip in the sea, the rain came...and didn't stop! But it didn't dampen our spirits and we engaged in all the traditional festivities; playing lots of games, eating lots, and drinking too!!
This Christmas was definitely very different, if I'm honest, it didn't really feel like Christmas at all. We all had a fantastic day and it was great to 
experience Christmas 'the Aussie way.' However, as our day grew to an end, the realisation crept in that morning had arrived back in the UK. A short phone call to our families back home was emotional, and made us feel a little homesick. Although Christmas in the sun was a fab experience, I think I'll stick to a white Christmas at home next year.
Sydney Harbour bridge at New Years Eve...an iconic image. And seen as we were already in the beautiful city, we just had to be there to see in 2010. To ensure we
got the perfect pitch we arrived at Milsons point at midday and found a beautiful little cove called Lavender bay which had an amazing and close view of the bridge. Some of my friends arrived at the botanical gardens, seemingly the place to be, at 7am and were queuing for hours for a spot to sit. We took a huge picnic and drinks supply, enough to last us the 12 hours we were planning on staying there and set up camp surrounded by lots of other people with the same idea. Surprisingly, the day seemed to go quite fast and by 9pm we were watching the first round of family fireworks, set in Darling Harbour. There were also boat parades which were illuminated in an array of beautiful colours.
The atmosphere was electric by the time midnight approached. We met some very nice people, Australians and tourists who were all as excited to see the spectacular event. My only disappointment of the night was that there
was no countdown to the new year...we only realised that the clock had struck midnight when the firework show began. This quickly shook my disappointment and watching the 15-minute display led me and Gaz to shed a tear at our utter disbelief that we were actually stood at Sydney harbour bridge to welcome in the New Year. And the show was very impressive...never before have I seen such amazing fireworks. An amazing night, definitely my best New Years eve ever!!
We've all seen the film...
That somewhere special? The perfect beach? Paradise? Nobody else knows about it?
Ringing any bells?
It's 'The Beach' of course; the film which reveals a secret island set in the heart of Phi Phi Ley... a stunning cluster of islands in the middle of the Andaman sea.
It's the one place in Thailand's stunning coastline that I had to see. I must admit, prior to my visit to Maya Bay I'd never seen Danny Boyle's adaptation of 'The Beach,' but I had heard of this stunning island from other travellers past and present and seen their amazing pictures.
So there we were, standing on the white sands of Koh Phi Phi with Maya bay in touching distance. "How far is it? 1, 2 Kilometres?" I could almost hear Leo
nardo's estimation echoing in my mind. Fortunately for us, we were not planing on swimming over like him and his fellow travellers. We paid a local taxi boat 1,000bht (£20) for the hire of 3hours, ensuring a comfortable ride and speedy pace (neither of which they were!) And so off we sped through the turquoise infused sea to our first stop, Phi Phi Lagoon.
Despite the number of boats filled with eager tourists crowding this secret lagoon, it still felt like paradise. Our driver stopped the boat in the middle of the crystal clear water, the greenest and most appealing water I've ever seen, and asked us if we would like to swim. Immediately I dived straight in, and could have stayed there for hours. The water it's self was breathtaking, but the scenery that enclosed the lagoon was just amazing. The green cliffs housed beautiful flowers and branches and all of this surrounding the tropical water made it seem like I had my very own secret pool.
Next came the creme-de-la-creme...our entrance to Maya Bay. As we neared the opening mouth of the cliffs, I could almo
st hear the faint tune of All Saints, 'Pure Shores,' "Take me to my beach...." Maya Bay was everything I imagined and more. The deep sea was so blue and so clear, just leaning over the boat I could see at least 20ft below the ocean. And there was more... the sea was filled with all of the tropical and most colourful fish you could imagine. We dived into the water with our scuba diving gear and couldn't believe the tameness of the aqua life. Our boat driver threw fish food to us and immediately we were surrounding by hundreds of fish, big and small, suckling by our bodies, desperate to grab some grub. Thank goodness one narrative on the film was a myth...there are no man-eating sharks in the bay!
Our boat slowly headed towards the shore of the bay where the water become a much more crystal green colour. After watching the film on return from my travels, I can assure you that the sea really is that colour! There is no need for any photoshop!! Unfortunately we decided against stepping onto the actual beach; given that Maya Bay is a national park, all tourists must pay 400bht each (£8) just to walk on the beach. Personally, we thought the view from the boat was more than enough and decided to frolic in the water some more.
Throughout the whole of my trip I am adamant that one of my favourite days was visiting Maya Bay. It truly is one of the most beautiful and perfect places I have ever been and seen...definitely too special not too share.
The elephant...one of natures most largest and gentle giants. One of Asia's most prominent and symbolic animals...and one which we must see whilst visiting Thailand.
It seems a bargain that for just £30 each, we can spend a whole day with a herd of these amazing creatures. Its going to be such a treat to touch one, to feed one, to ride one, to wash one in the river. Treat? This is a once in a life-time opportunity...this is going to be a privilege.
We are picked up at 8.30am by Nong, our leader for the day. Our group consists of two English (us) four French, one Canadian and one Swiss. Immediately we all excitedly chat about the day ahead...What will it be like? Have we ever seen an elephant before? How will we get o
nto the elephant's back? Our conversation buzz turns to shock when we realise the roof is being loaded with over 500bht worth of bananas and potatoes (that's over £10...and considering fruit and veg is extremely cheap in Thailand, you can only imagine the amount of sacks piled onto the van!) We are told by Nong that this mountain of food is in fact only a snack for our four-legged friends...elephants eat 250kg every day and need feeding every 40 minutes!
As we pull into the elephant camp, we are told by Nong that its time for the elephants snack. Que Nong commanding "Bansung" (clearly a shortened version of "Open your mouth and lift your trunk up so I can feed you some bananas,") and the elephants trumpet in delight as she places whole bunches of bananas in their
mouths. When it come to our turn, I must admit, I'm a little intimidated. This enormous animal, stood freely, waving its trunk and trumpeting at me is hungry...and I'm supposed to be my arm into its mouth to feed it??!! Thank goodness they're Vegetarian!!
Our time is passing too quickly with these beautiful animals. If you look closely, they have the most amazing eyelashes and deep eyes and their colourings and markings are incredible. We seem to have adopted Christina, our elephant for the day, and typical of female South-East Asian elephants, she has pink colouring along her trunk and ears. After a few amazing photos (the ones that will make EVERYONE back home incredibly envious) we watch Christina and her two young friends dance and cuddle for us. Its unbelievably funny, in a way that could never be caught on camera.
Perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of the day came when we had to get onto the elephants. Now traditionally, with most elephant trekking, the rider gets on via a high platform and sits in a makeshift bench, attached to the elephants back. But we are shadowing a mahat
o (that's an elephant trainer to you and I) and that means that we are riding the elephant the traditional way...bare back. And so begins our brief Thai lesson of elephant commands... "Quar" (turn right) "Sai" (turn left) "By By" (Go, go) "Toy Toy" (reverse) and most importantly, "Yute!" (stop!!) But the first word we must master is "Yoka!" We shout this to the elephant whilst tapping its giant foot only to find the elephant bends its leg ready for us to climb up...that's right - no platforms in this game...we are using the elephants leg and ear as a Levy to climb up its body. And believe me, its nowhere NEAR as simple as the real mahatos make it look. You wouldn't believe the distance between the ground and the elephants back, and it seems even higher once your sat up there. Still, what an amazing experience. We not only have the privilege to ride these incredible animals, but to climb its body, sit on its neck and direct it where to go.
Our trek is just amazing
. We are so high up that we can see for miles over the beautiful jungle of Thailand. It's not all plain sailing though. Christina, our elephant, seems to be feeling a little naughty, and progresses to grab anything that looks remotely edible with her trunk. Pounding up those hills, albeit at a typical elephant's pace, is incredibly nervy. I feel almost vertical, like I could slide of her back at anytime and be crushed under those enormous feet. And when we venture downhill I pray that her clumsy footsteps will not result in a tumble. Her real mahtao is by our side throughout our journey and I trust completely in his assurance of our safety.
Our journey comes t
o an end when we reach the river, and with a quicker pace and a trumpet in delight from our little friend, I realise what time it is...bath time!!! We are instructed to climb down before Christina enters the water, as her excitement can sometimes take over and she could run to the water and immediately roll over. Elephants love the water, its a great chance for them to cool down and relax and they're bathed twice a day. It was such a fantastic experience to get into the water with them and be so close. We could wash the elephants and were given brushes to scrub their skin, which is incredibly soothing for them. Then we splashed Christina with water, throwing it all over her body and head only to be drenched back in a game where Christina clearly thought it was funny to spray us with water from her trunk. And it was funny. We just couldn't stop laughing at this unbelievable moment! What an amazing experience
A day which I will never forget.
meal at a local restaurant. The waiters were desperate for us to sit upstairs, an open aired balcony, telling us that come sunset it would be all worth it, so we followed their orders. And low and behold, as the sun drifted away, the sky was filled with the most amazing colours that I've ever seen. It reminded me of the colourings of lava spewing from a volcano. Despite the meal being awful, the view was definitely worth every penny!
f south Thailand. Imagine...We're sat on the beach and its 7pm at night. All we can see is the ocean which goes on forever. And then the sun slowly fades away, leaving the sky a magnificent burnt orange colour, and eventually disappears into the tip of the sea. Perfect.
