twi wodneorfi vists here loffocually my favorute xciy in clonmia, lanscapr,e peoel, culture, drive, food and more llacolodie in a organsed coae Location and Orientation Medellín, known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” is the capital of the Antioquia department in Colombia. Nestled in the Aburrá Valley, at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level, Medellín enjoys a temperate climate with spring-like weather year-round. Founded in 1616, Medellín has grown from a small colonial settlement into Colombia’s second-largest city and one of its most innovative. The city is surrounded by mountains,…
Ode to Paris: My Favourite Things. With tips!
Paris does something to me that no other city quite manages. The city moves me every time I arrive (and I have been here 30 times). The smells, the tower, the croissants, the hot chocolate, the coffee, the Seine, the packed brasseries, the art galleries, the markets, the parks. The transport. All beautiful. That’s the thing about the best cities. Paris has been perfecting itself for centuries. 1 The Architecture: Those magnificent, organised avenues: the tree-lined boulevards that glow at night. Throw in the consistent height limits that keep the city human, and the hidden…
Cities I Love
A series for travellers, dreamers, and anyone who has ever fallen for a place. It’s a crazy time right now, isn’t it? In the midst of everything, I’ve been reminiscing about how lucky I’ve been to spend time in some of the most extraordinary cities on earth. Not just passing through but really being in them. Walking their streets at odd hours, eating where the locals eat, getting lost on purpose, and coming back again and again until a place starts to feel like a second home. I have been doing some more reminiscing. This…
Explore Asia’s best city with me!
If you’ve never been, let me tell you why Taipei should be next on your list. This city offers so much to love. The food is extraordinary, the transport is amazing, the streets are safe, and the people are genuinely kind. There is enough history, culture, and night market chaos to keep one busy for weeks. It is also, for a city of its size and quality, remarkably affordable. “Taipei” literally means “North Taiwan,” indicating its location on the island. The city sits in a low-lying basin where three rivers meet. It’s dense urban neighbourhoods…
Surviving Sakura Cherry Blossom – 12 Practical Tips
I always said I’d never visit Japan in peak sakura season.Too busy, too expensive, too intense.And then I did. I described my 12 marvellous days yesterday. It was beautiful.It was also crowded, overloaded, and at times exhausting.Here are a few things I did that helped, and that I’d do again. 1. Book way ahead: Sakura season is the busiest time of year in Japan, and flights and hotels fill up quickly. I started searching as soon as I had decided on dates. I found and snapped up an amazing ANA business-class ticket from Australia to…
Twelve Marvellous Days in Japan with Travel Tips and Tasty Things
It is a bit of a grim world right now, so I thought I would share a positive, beautiful, and delicious 1000-mile journey through one of my favourite countries in Sakura (Cherry blossom). Despite it being insanely busy, I enjoyed the landscapes, food, museums, shopping, temples, parks, and, of course, for this train nerd: railways! Tomorrow I will give some tips on travelling in busy Japan, and I have also included some general Japan tips garnered over multiple trips to the country. In the meantime, some adventures… Started in Yokohama, one of Japan’s most underrated…
Gulf Aviation After the Ceasefire: What Travellers Need to Know Now
A two-week ceasefire for Iran was announced on 7th April. On 9th April, several Gulf governments reported a full day without any new missiles or drones. The UAE’s defence ministry said the country was “free of any air threats” that day, after weeks of intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles and thousands of drones. Talks between US and Iranian officials are due to continue in Islamabad this weekend, and the durability of the ceasefire will depend heavily on what is agreed there. Parts of the region’s airspace are slowly reopening under very tight controls. In March,…
Sendai: The City of Trees
A 90-minute hop from Tokyo on Japan’s fastest train, the Hayabusa Shinkansen, brings you to Sendai, the city of trees! My critique of many Japanese cities is that they have a lot of concrete and asphalt, and not much green space. In the 19th century, Sendai’s local ruler encouraged tree planting, and in the 1950s, the city doubled down on this. So Sendai appears to have more greenery than places like Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto or Tokyo. Introducing Sendai Sendai was founded in 1600 by the ruthless one-eyed warlord Date Masamune, the “One-Eyed Dragon”, as a…
Crystal Balling the Gulf Crisis: How This War Could Reshape Air Travel
I should have learnt from 2020. In that year, I booked airfares in advance and, of course, could not use them. Some were refunded in cash, some were given to me as credits and some I never saw again. I was feeling very pleased with myself in 2026 because, thanks to my global schedule, I locked in excellent airfares until February 2027. Who would have predicted that March 2026 would change the world as much as March 2020?? The United States and Israel are carrying out major airstrikes on Iran, and Iran has responded with…
The Gulf in Crisis: What Every Traveller Needs to Know Now
On 1 March, I shared a post called “Flying via the Middle East right now.” At that time, we were dealing with sudden airspace closures, missile threats, flight suspensions, and travelers stuck in airport terminals. Since then, things have only become more complicated and difficult as the conflict has worsened. Do Not Travel to or through the Gulf Most countries have issued warnings or advisories against travelling to the Gulf region. For some, such as the USA, the advice is to leave. For others, such as Australia, the advice is to avoid travelling to or…
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