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Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot,” is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline. Capital Bari is a vibrant port and university town, while Lecce is known as “Florence of the South” for its baroque architecture. Alberobello and the Itria Valley are home to “trulli,” stone huts with distinctive conical roofs.

​Matera is a city on a rocky outcrop in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It includes the Sassi area, a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside. Evacuated in 1952 due to poor living conditions, the Sassi now houses museums like the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, with period furniture and artisan tools. Nearby rock churches include St. Lucia alle Malve, with 13th-century.

We visited this southern Italian paradise in June 2024 and in total visited over 14 different towns on our visit. Below are a few films showing just some of this stunning region. 
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It has always been a dream of mine to be stuck on a remote island just to get away from the real world and experience pure tranquillity with my cameras to capture it all.

Well every year I try and book something a little different for Lisa's birthday which falls at the end of January. It however normally involves walking miles in some city in the world and I knew this trip would be no different.

Now as its freezing cold in the UK in January a remote island in the Maldives would probably come into most peoples minds for such a break away but I really wanted to do another road trip to a place we fell in love the last time we ventured towards the north, however this time I really wanted to go out of our comfort zone of normality, I also wanted to take Sulley our dog along for the ride as he loves to walk like his mother!

So.....

It took hours of research to put a plan into place that started in the summer of 2023 but we were finally all ready and packed and set of on Thursday 25th January. Our first stop as we headed north was Tebay services, its got a really good meat counter, so I ensured we had a couple of good Sirloin steaks and a big lump of beef for our Sunday roast, if you like beef get yourself some corner cut of your local farm counter, it is the best beef you will find.

We then continued the journey north heading towards Loch Lomond where we stayed for the first night, just before we got to the hotel I had been told to pop into another farm shop called the Auchentullich Farm Shop, as we pulled in we were welcomed by a gorgeous Highland Cow, when you see these close up you have to admire how elegent they are, most farms in the Highlands will have them as pets! we went into the lovely welcoming shop and got a few items, the main reason for the visit was to get one of their homemade steak pies, I had seen some comments on some forums on how good they were, I have never tasted anything like it, the meat just melted in your mouth, it was so good I will be stopping off on the way back south to get another couple. Check them out if you are even in this part of Scotland.
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Lisa had told me about this pub she had visited when she came up to see my son who was working in Scotland a year or so ago, its called the Drovers Inn, it is a unique hotel set at the very top of Loch Lomond, so when I was doing my research for the trip I noticed you could also stay there, so I booked a room that allowed pets, perfect I thought, well when I told Lisa her face went white, little did I know as much as she enjoyed the meal she had there some year before,  the hotel is from the 1700's and is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in Britain, it also has a number of stuffed animals which wherever you look they are looking at you as well! the stay however was unreal, the friendly welcome, great food and cozy log fire made it a real nice evening, we slept really well and Sulley enjoyed the bowls of water and treats he was given by the staff. We never heard the ghost in room 8 either! again a must see pub but if your brave book to stay there as well. The link is here. The Drovers Inn, Loch Lomond Hotel, Restaurant and Atmospheric Bar.

We had a great breakfast then started our epic adventure driving as far West as possible by land and boat towards the Outer Hebrides, to a place called The Ardnamurchan Peninsular, we stayed In a house on a Loch called Tigh Na Mara which does mean house by the sea in Gaelic, it had a lovely roaring log fire which Sulley loved to just lay in front of at every opportunity and the views were to die for. The house and area has to be seen to believe but it gave us the perfect week of relaxation after a very busy period leading up to Christmas. If you were interested in staying here check out Tigh Na Mara | Lochaber & Ardnamurchan | on the Unique Cottages (unique-cottages.co.uk) website.

What is so fascinating living somewhere so remote is how people live here vs what we have living in towns and city's, a 16 mile journey on the Peninsula takes a good hour due to its amazing winding roads that cut through the amazing landscapes and Pine Forests, this part of the world is home to the Red Deer which we were so lucky to see when we went on our adventures and lazy slow drives, They are the largest land mammal in the UK and are found throughout the Scottish Highlands. They are typically found in woodland and moorland habitats, but can also be spotted in grassland and heathland areas which surround this area along with the pine forest.

We visited Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, the setting for the famous children’s programme "What’s the story in Balamory" and even on a quite January day it had a real charm about the place, it was a 30 minute boat trip accross from Kilchoan on a ride on ride off car ferry. Well worth seeing and good experience traveling there.

Another trip out was to a place called Sanna Bay which lies at the most westerly point in mainland Britain. Most of the journey to Sanna Bay is made on single track roads. Sanna  is dominated by beautiful white shell sand and turquoise sea. The bay lies between Sanna Point to the north and Ardnamurchan point to the south, On a good day you can often see whales and dolphins, but the sand is something you would normally only see in the Maldives not the West Coast of Scotland unless you knew it was just here waiting, the small pools of water with the golden sand in January looked as good as they would on any summers day, we were also spoilt with blue skies and sun for the visit!

On the way back if you ever visit this area pop over to the Lighthouse, The 35 metre granite tower soars 55 metres above the rocks, and was built in 1849 using granite from the Isle of Mull. The lighthouse and Keepers’ Cottages are designed in an “Egyptian” style, with a number of attractive decorative details. Like all other lighthouses in Scotland, Ardnamurchan now operates automatically, but the tower remains fully functional and still plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of ships navigating the waters off Scotland’s west coast.

We have enjoyed every moment of this epic journey, relaxing days reading in front of log fires, with lots of food and drink as well as adventures out to see this amazing place on earth, I am someone who could easily live in this slow paced environment as there is still so much to see and do just at a more relaxed pace than the madness we live in today but for now its back to the fast pace work life until the next adventure..

Below are a few pictures and a short film of the trip.

​Thank you ARDNAMURCHAN you were everything and more I hoped you would be.

So as some of you may have followed we have just been for a weeks break to Devon.

The trip was a bucket list request of my mother in-law to have all her family together for her 75th birthday in a place we call home which is Morthoe and Woolacombe.

We hired a house we have stayed at before called Hillcrest in Morthoe that just gives the best views you could imagine whatever the weather. Talking about the weather it was a mix of wind, sun and rain but we all had a great time relaxing in this beautiful location.

Here is a short film to help saviour the memories.
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We love Italy and had a week free free to travel so we set about looking for a few days break along the Amalfi coast and it did not disappoint.

We flew out of London Stanstead on a 7am flight, its to 2 hour 45 minutes to reach Naples with Jet 2 and we booked a late flight back with Ryanair to fully get the most out of our trip.  On arrival we were picked up by our hotel and taken on a trip never to be forgotten along the stunning cliff top edge of the Amalfi coast down into Praiano which was our base for the week, a gorgeous fishing town, Praiano is a town in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southwest Italy. It is situated on the Amalfi Coast, between the towns of Amalfi and Positano, just 2000 people live here.

Hotel Bella Vista:
Is located in the picturesque village on the Amalfi Coast, Praiano: an ancient fishing village, a few minutes walk from the center, among lemon and olive groves, the hotel overlooks a picturesque bay, facing the Faraglioni and the island of Capri, creating a breathtaking spectacle at sunset.

The hotel has 18 sunny rooms with private bathroom, terrace / balcony and sea view looking out to the Island of Capri. Each room, painted like a watercolor, recalls the colors of the flowers that embrace the terraces: bougainvillea, hibiscus and geraniums, In the restaurant you can enjoy local dishes of Campania cuisine, flavors and delicacies served on the beautiful terrace-garden overlooking the cobalt blue bay.

From the terrace you can admire, in the bay below, Torre di Grado: a Saracen tower to defend the country during the era of the Republic of Amalfi. Here guests can dive into the crystal clear waters and snorkel.

In addition to relaxing and sunbathing in the warm sun when it did come out it is possible to discover and visit the many villages of the Coast, such as Amalfi, an ancient maritime republic, with its limoncello shops, Ravello with its flower gardens and the famous concerts at Villa Rufolo, Positano with its colorful houses arranged one above the other, like bunches of grapes, Sorrento, a town full of craft shops, Pompeii with its excavations......

Trekking lovers can, instead, walk through narrow and long paths that climb through vineyards overlooking the sea in search of suggestive views and sunsets: one of them is the Path of the Gods, which begins right in Praiano, near the hotel.

Before we travelled I did a bit of research and actually did not know much about Pompei so we watched the film to get an understanding of what happened to this amazing historical place and took a trip to the city from our hotel, Pompei is a in southern Italy’s Campania region overlooked by the active volcano at Vesuvius. It’s known for its ancient city, Pompeii, which was buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Ruins here include the frescoed Villa of the Mysteries and the city's amphitheater. In town, the Catholic pilgrimage site of the Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Rosary has mosaics and a grand cupola, after watching the film it was quite strange standing in the grounds, especially the theatre where those gladiators went to battle.

The Amalfi coast is a stunning place to visit if you do not mind heights with some hair raising cliff top views, we were going to hire a car before we left for Italy but the roads are so narrow and busy and parking is a nightmare so we used the public bus and did a lot of walking, however on the last day we did something impulsive and well out of our comfort zone and hired a Vesper, oh my god I loved it but Lisa hated it, taking on the bending roads and cliff top edges as well as 50 seat busses with crazy Italian drivers was an experience I will never forget.  well worth the 55 euro to hire one for the day!

There is so much to see in this part of Italy and it is a bucket list adventure we really enjoyed. As football fans it was great to experience the city who's home town team is Napoli, they have just won the Italian league, Napoli fans are one of the most hostile in the world to visiting fans but there passion for the team is unrivalled, the local authorities have decked the city out in flags, banners and are having a 4 week party that will end in a huge firework display and street party when they parade the trophy through the streets of Naples in a few weeks time.

I have always wanted to do a travel Vlog of a football match, I have been watching live football for over 40 years but have never taken my camera to a game.

So when my son (who works for Glasgow Rangers FC) asked if I wanted to join him at the Scottish cup final I started to do some planning, this is also not a normal Cup Final its the old firm Derby Rangers V Celtic which is a bucket list game I have also wanted to do.

However this is where the planning took a twist, I decided to travel to Glasgow by train from Peterborough which goes direct to Edinburgh then one change to get into Glasgow.  its about 5 and half hours in total but actually quite a relaxing journey. I was travelling up on the Saturday before the cup final on the Sunday so thought I would see what else I could do as part of the trip.. well what a fantastic decision that turned out to be as I found one of Scotland's if not the worlds most historical abandoned football stadiums,

Cathkin Park.

Glasgow’s Cathkin Park was one of the most famous football stadiums in Scotland, albeit with a slightly rocky history. It’s most well-known as the home of football club, Third Lanark.

The stadium was built and opened in 1884 as the home for Queens Park F.C who had now been forced to move out of their previous stadium since a railway track was being built. When it was first built, the stadium was named Hampden Park, and the first match at the stadium was a 0-0 draw between Queens Park & Dumbarton. This match saw a crowd of up to 6000.

Not long after, the stadium became too small for Queens Park, and they set about moving somewhere else. Cathkin Park became home to Third Lanark, a team who totally rebuilt the stadium; changing the name from Hampden Park to New Cathkin-Park (as they had already played at a Cathkin Park not far away). With the rebuild, the stadium could seat up to 50,000 fans.

Trouble for Third Lanark what started great didn’t end well for the team, and in the 1960s they ran into trouble. Mismanagement as well as financial difficulty caused the club to enter liquidation. The last match played by Third Lanark at Cathkin Park was on the 25th April 1967. The team drew 3-3 against Queen-of-the-South, with this match containing the last ever senior football goal at Cathkin Park.

On May 13th 1967, a Junior game was played. It was the Cambuslang Rangers versus the Rutherglen Glencairn. This match is notable because it marks the last match that was played at the park before the home team, Third Lanark A.C went bankrupt later that year.

These days, the football stadium is thought of as totally abandoned by some people, although it still provides fond memories for a few old enough to have taken a game in here. While it used to be a bustling stadium for fairly popular team, the stadium has now become a part of Scottish Football history. The remains of its terraces can still be seen and the pitch is still visible to those who wish to visit this historical landmark.

Children in the park still play football on what used to be the pitch, with the stands still surrounding them – possibly seating just a few proud parents, instead of thousands of football fans. A reformed Third Lanark team currently play in the park, as well as Hampden AFC. The reformed Third Lanark team still wear the same bright red stripes of the previous Third Lanark team.

Cathkin Park has also been used by the film industry. The old ground has been used to film TV shows and news items over the past decades, including Peter Mullan’s NEDs.

Take a look at out video below for an insight into what this amazing place in history looks like today.

So our latest trip took us to Paris for a long weekend break to celebrate my wifes latest birthday, it was also another Bucket list adventure as I wanted to try the Eurostar from London St Pancras, so a 6am trip to London to catch the 10.26 train, it was a great experience, it takes just over 2 hours to reach The Gare du Nord station in the heart of the city once you leave the amazing St Pancras Champagne bar which is a must for us on every visit to the famous London station (hence the 6am start) to get a glass or two in early before departure.

On arrival in Paris we checked into our hotel, I booked the comfortable 25hours Hotel Paris, Step out of the station onto Parisian soil and there it is –  It is a declaration of love for the vibrant spirit of the 10th arrondissement and its inhabitants. Glossy, modern and with a location you can’t beat, you’ll be in the heart of the hustle and bustle with the entire city at your feet

Not long after checking in we headed to the metro (right outside our hotel) to take a train to the amazing Ritz Hotel for afternoon tea, we have had many afternoon teas around the world (see our afternoon tea blog) and this one did not disappoint, full of charm and elegance as you would expect from this elegant 5 star hotel. 

We finished our first evening in Paris with a visit to Tour Maine-Montparnasse, also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, it is a 210-metre skyscraper located in the Montparnasse area of Paris, Constructed from 1969 to 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, the view was spectacular with a view of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Les Invalides, the Sacré-Cœur and Notre-Dame.

Our second day was magical and a bit of fun as well, we took a trip over to the Latin Quarter of the city, also known as the 5th arrondissement, the quaint Latin Quarter is home to the Sorbonne University and student-filled cafes. It's also famed for its bookshops, including the landmark Shakespeare & Company. However our trip there was to do a Wine and Cheese tasting experience, I have recently found Red wine! (dont judge me) so where better in the world to learn about some of the amazing wines of France. This class is an excellent opportunity for people who want to have a light introduction to French wines and discover how they pair perfectly with French cheeses. What more could you ask for on a Saturday lunchtime, however an hour drinking wine at midday is not a good idea with Lisa! if your interested in more details about all the different wine and cheese classes experiences take a look at this website, wine-tasting-in-paris.com.  Thierry Givone is a great host.

Later In the evening we visited the spectacular Moulin Rouge Paris We had just seen the Broadway hit show in New York so I had to now see how the real Moulin Rouge was done in its rightful home of Paris, I booked a VIP table with an incredible view that included plenty of champagne and a lovely meal before the dancing girls took to the stage, an amazing show that has to been seen if your ever in Paris, it is also a great chance to dress up in black tie attire for the amazing Parisian cabaret. 

THE SHOW: LA REVUE FÉERIE
The Moulin Rouge is the spectacular world where all the emotions, surprises and effervescence of the Parisian festival since 1889 are lived, invented and shared.
Through the magazine "Féerie" composed of a troupe of 80 artists recruited from all over the world, 1,000 costumes of feathers, rhinestones and sequins that sublimate the body of the artists, attractions with exceptional numbers that punctuate the show, and the inevitable dance of the French Cancan, the emblematic cabaret of Paris invites you to live an unforgettable magical experience in the heart of Montmartre.

After a bit of a lie in following the evening before, we took the metro over to the most famous landmark in Paris, The Eiffel tower, I had booked lunch at Madame Brasserie which is on the first floor of the tower, a lovely restaurant with a window table that had a great view of the city, the food was excellent and we highly recommend a visit if your ever in the city. To end the evening I had booked a romantic trip down the river, The Seine is France's third-longest river, extending 485 miles from Dijon to the English Channel. The river has been the subject of many famous impressionist paintings, including Monet's Bathers at La Grenouillere and Renoir's Seine River at Asnieres. The Seine still supplies about half of the water used in Paris, some beautiful sights including the tower lit up at night.

A fun packed lovely weekend in the Parisian city which only being 2 hours away by Eurostar is a great weekend adventure not to be missed.

A few pics and video below.
 

Fancy seeing a show! then look no further than the amazing Moulin Rouge, we were very lucky to see the show on Broadway but the show is also on in London's West End and is a must see!

A young Englishman in Paris of 1899, becomes infatuated with Satine, a singer at the Moulin Rouge. However, she has been promised by the manager to a Duke in return for funding his next production. As the young lovers meet in secret, Satine's wedding day draws closer but she hides a fatal secret from both Christian and the Duke.

The music is what made this show for me, a very modern twist with plenty of humour thrown in for good measure, as the story is told by a cast in stunning outfits with a stage setting that has to be seen to be believed you are gripped to every scene being played out in front of you, a truly magical performance with singing and acting that has you on the edge of your seat wanting more the minute the show has finished.

One of the most magical performances I have ever seen by a very talented cast.

So we have just returned home from a lovely weekend away to a place we call home, Mortehoe and Woolacombe in Devon, as an extended family we have been coming to this part of the world for years but this weekend we managed to get away for a short weekend break alone, the weather was warm and it felt like we had been away a lot longer than 2 nights, as there was just the two of us we managed to get a lovely double room at the gorgeous Town Farmhouse in Mortehoe, this Grade II listed building is a perfect location to spend a weekend, with its amazing cream teas and eco friendly breakfast this is no better place to stay, even with  sound of the church bell clock that chimes on every hour through the night, it was still perfect and actually made it quite an experience as that’s the only sound you do here until the seagulls wake up at sunrise.
 
We decided to spend day 1 on the beach as the sun was shining brightly so we hired two deck chairs and just watched people on there family holidays having fun, the beach at Woolacombe is something you have to see, its 2 miles long full of golden sand with a backdrop of sand dunes and the village of Mortehoe up on the cliff top, a picture postcard.
 
Day 2 and for the first time for me we set out on the very well-known coastal walk.
 
Bull Point Walk
  
Once notorious for smugglers and wreckers, this stretch of coastline is now a great place to get away from the crowds and enjoy the dramatic scenery of cliffs, rocky headlands and sandy bays. Look out for seals as you walk from Morte Point towards Bull Point and enjoy the coastal heathland and maritime grasslands, which are great habitats for birds and other wildlife. The secluded coves of Rockham Bay and Bennett's Mouth are worth a peek too.
 
 
A very up and down cliff top walk but the sights are to die for, well if you take one foot wrong to die for becomes a bit more of a reality as some of the walk is very close to the cliff edge and it’s a long way down! With the sun shining the sea was sparkling and swimming in the blue sea was the famous Seals of Woolacombe, for a first walk I was lucky to see them! My legs and feet were hurting but to see the views it was very well worth the pain.
 
Day 3 we decided before heading home on the 5 hour drive to head further south to visit a stunning place called Clovelly.
 
Clovelly is a privately-owned harbour village in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The settlement and surrounding land belongs to John Rous who inherited it from his mother in 1983. He belongs to the Hamlyn family who have managed the village since 1738, if you ever get chance you have to visit the amazing place, Clinging to a 400 foot cliff, it has no vehicular traffic, just donkeys and sledges. Its steep, cobbled street tumbles its way down to the ancient fishing harbour and C14th quay. It is a descent through flower-strewn cottages broken only by little passageways and winding lanes that lead off to offer the prospect of further picturesque.
 
The 400 or so people that live here do not own the houses but do live here, they can open small gift shops and business as a way of making a living from the many tourists who flock to see this hidden treasure. The steep climb up and down makes it a very difficult place to live for older or less mobile people but the community come together to help those that need it. When there time and the outside world seems very remote, such a chilled out vibe but I would imagine it was a tough life for the fishermen back in the day when out at sea to earn a living, the old fisherman's house that is now a museum is well worth a look to give you a feel of how life would have been.
 
A truly special visit and place to see.  We have booked a house called Hillcrest in Mortehoe for July 2023 and there will be 12 of us in the house with 6 more in a caravan at Twitchen, the count down is on to return to the place we call home.

One of the most amazing parts of our trip to Thailand was Snorkeling with Sharks, Turtles and Nemo and friends.

We hired a speedboat for the day and headed for Maya Bay famous for the film "The Beach" the crystal blue water with the backdrop of Maya Bay was a sight to see, take a look at the film we made of what life under the sea looked like in this stunning location.

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With awards for its conservation and a hit on TripAdvisor, Elephant Hills is a two-night wildlife adventure taking you into the heart of rural Thailand set in the stunning location of Khao Sok National Park.There’s something about elephants. Ginormous but gentle, full of personality, a strong family connection and eyes that seem to stare deep into your soul. On a recent trip to Thailand, I was lucky enough to delve into the rural side of the country for a three-day jungle – and elephant – adventure in Khao Sok National Park, which I combined with a city stay in Bangkok and a beach escape in Khao Lak.

Elephant Hills has won awards for its conservation work and animal welfare. All the elephants here have come from the logging or a darker side of the tourism industry, where they have been worked hard in a captive environment. But at Elephant Hills there is no elephant riding, no performing and no chains. The aim is for them to live out the rest of their days in the huge, free-roaming enclosure where open space and kindness prevail and they can do what they do best – be elephants. The human-elephant interaction is limited to a few hours per day, so you may get to feed them, bathe them or watch them splash around in the mud pools; but after that they are left to their own devices in a stunning national park of deep forest and towering mountain ranges.


To get there, we were picked up from Surat Thani airport and passed tiny villages and rubber plantations on the way to the jungle camp. During the safari, you stay at two camps – one in the jungle and another floating camp on a lake. The tents are simple, with the luxury of an en-suite bathroom, and the electrics are powered by solar energy at the floating camp, so you feel off-grid. What really stood out for me was walking down the pontoon to my floating tent and seeing that it had its own kayaks, so I could venture out onto the lake and explore.

There is a set itinerary that you can opt in and out of. You can canoe along the Sok River with a guide, trek through the jungle in search of gibbons and macaques, or explore the inlets of Cheow-Lan Lake on a guided canoe safari. Alternatively, you can just relax by the pool at the main camp listening to the sounds of the monkeys in the trees; or, at the lake camp, jump in the water for a swim straight from your tent’s decking.

Elephant Hills works closely with the local community and a school often comes in to do a performance at the camp in the evening. If you want to take school supplies such as pens with you, they are very happy to take them and pass them on to the local children. The buffet is cooked fresh on site and the bar-tenders also know how to make a mean cocktail after a day discovering the jungle. If you love nature and wildlife, and want to add something utterly unforgettable to your Thailand holiday, I would highly recommend Elephant Hills Jungle Lake Safari.

Take a look at our video below of the experience with the Elephants.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is a floating market in Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. It has become primarily a tourist attraction, attracting domestic and foreign tourists. It is often considered the most famous floating market.

The sad thing about this market right now is the Covid pandemic has destroyed the market as tourist numbers are so low, we were the only people on the river! this as you can imagine has really hit the local traders very hard but they are all hopeful the next few months/year may see the tourists return to high numbers, at its peak the river was packed with boats, you see in the video just how empty it was on the day we visited.

Maeklong Railway Market is a traditional Thai market selling fresh vegetables, food and fruit in the province of Samut Songkhram, southwest of Bangkok. What makes the market special is that it occupies part of a train line. A few times a day, a train runs directly through the market.

You have to see it to believe it but below is a video we captured of the moment the train passes through, take a look as the wheels pass by the lovely fruit and veg.

Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay that's sheltered by 100-metre high cliffs on three sides. Inside the bay there are several beaches, most are small and some only exist at low tide. The main one is around 200 metres long with silky soft white sand, underwater colourful coral and exotic fish in exceptionally clear water; the whole bay is one big reef.
Maya Bay has become the main tourist attraction of Phi Phi since The Beach was filmed here in 1999. It was always very popular before the film but now people around the world who haven't even heard of Phi Phi have certainly heard of Maya Bay.
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Take a look at our video below on just how stunning this location is. a massive bucket list location completed.
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So way back in 2021 we started to plan an adventure of a lifetime to celebrate two 50th birthdays and a well over due 25th wedding anniversary. After looking at a few destinations we set out on planning a trip to Thailand, somewhere we had never thought of going to before and somewhere even up to the day of flying we did not think we may make due to the impact of the pandemic in Asia and the UK. I wont bore you with what paperwork was involved just to enter the place they call the Kingdom but after two negative PCR tests and a mountain of paperwork we finally were arrived in the city of madness called Bangkok.

The Journey.

On the 22nd January we took the first of what would be 4 incredible first class flight's with Qatar Airways, our first flight took us on a 6hr 50 minute flight from London Heathrow to Doha in Qatar then after a short stop over we then flew down to the far East arriving at our first destination Bangkok after a further 6hr 20 minutes of pure luxury,  if ever you get the chance to fly with Qatar Airways then I highly recommend there club suites. They call it First in club and it really is!

Our first 3 days of the trip we stayed at the Landmark Hotel on the famous ​Sukhumvit Rd in the heart of Bangkok, a five star hotel with a 5 star feel. Bangkok was starting to get back to some kind of normality but the tourist numbers were still only at about 30% so for our first visit it was nice to be able to see all the tourist spots without the need to queue.

From Bangkok we traveled on a short 50 minute internal flight to Surat Thani to stay at Elephants Hills, a luxury tented camp set in the jungle, this was a breathtaking experience which gave us the opportunity to get close and personal with the amazing Asian Elephants, we also stayed on the Khao Sok Lake which has to be seen to be believed with its Emerald green lakes and lush jungle forest with lime stone rocks finishing this spectacular setting,  Monkeys can be seen swinging from tree to tree with a few large snakes basking in the humid conditions of the jungle. We also encountered a few large spiders on a jungle trek we took through the jungle.

After spending 3 days in the jungle we took a 90 minute drive to stay in Khao Lak the hardest hit in the Tsunami in December 2004, with its golden sandy beaches it was a perfect location for some rest and relaxation after a busy few days in Bangkok and the jungle. 

Take a look at our Film below capturing the adventure of our incredible stay in Thailand.
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Just some of the stunning drives you get in the Highlands.

Plodda Falls,  One of Scotland’s hidden treasures, with a spectacular waterfall cascading past towering trees. it was a magical experience first standing on a cliff top viewing point followed by a steep climb down to see the waterfall from the bottom, you will see how amazing this place is from the film we have created of the Highlands.

We visited the stunning Dunnottar Castle, a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries. When we arrived the sun was shining and its hard to describe such a magnificent site than a medieval castle glistening against the north sea backdrop. we captured some amazing pictures and video footage and really enjoyed our visit to this Castle, another must see location.
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So we decided we wanted to do a road trip to the Scottish Highlands and what a decision it was. The journey started on Saturday 7th August 2021, we had planed a few stops on the way up to our first main stop over point of Culloden, a very famous location (more on that later.)

We started the long drive from Northamptonshire in our luxury mini van we had hired  for the trip reaching the Lake district in just 3 hours 45 minutes, a short stop for lunch at a highly recommended Farm Shop located at Tebay Services called Westmorland Farm Shop and we were soon on our way heading further North to our next stop which was the Kelpies,The Kelpies are 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures located between Falkirk and Grangemouth, an interesting sight but also spectacular in there own right, we are told even more so at night when lit up.

We then drove to Stirling Castle which is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally, we were a little disappointed as we felt the Castle had all the historical glamour in its setting but the way it had been restored left us feeling like it was a little fake in its interior appearance, far to modern looking for a Castle so old.

We stopped overnight in a hotel in Perth which is a city beside the River Tay in central Scotland, we took in a lovely meal at the Glover Arms Public House, another highly recommended stop of point. Bright and early the following morning we set of on what was to be a epic start to our Highlands experience.

We visited the stunning Dunnottar Castle, a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries. When we arrived the sun was shining and its hard to describe such a magnificent site than a medieval castle glistening against the north sea backdrop. we captured some amazing pictures and video footage and really enjoyed our visit to this Castle, another must see location.

We then continued our journey north driving through torrential rain followed by bright sun shine, our route took us through the Glen Shee Ski resort and the views were insane, I could only imagine what it look like in the snow season. it was an amazing journey that started to give us an early taste of how stunning the Highlands really are. We even got an early viewing of the famous Highland Cows, you can see my new friend Gerrard in the pictures below who was just at the foot of a luxury hotel having an afternoon snack.

We arrived at our house in Culloden and set in for the evening. The following morning we visited Fort George which is the largest 18th-century fortress near Ardersier, to the north-east of Inverness. we were not overwhelmed by this visit as again whist a historical location with a story there was not to much to write home about.

The following morning we took a short drive from our house here in the highlands to visit the amazing location of The Battle of Culloden, the location of the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince William Augustus.

To stand in the same fields surrounded by graves of the fallen was a very surreal moment, it was very hard to see how it could of happened with such a large landscape but the visitors center displayed some amazing artifacts from this historical time as well as a film that really brought the moment to life when we were standing in the field a few moments later. A must see location, I have since found out that the Outlander series on Amazon Prime features this Battle.

In the afternoon we visited Inverness, mainly as it was so close to our base location, a pleasant city and walk along the Nessie river with a great view of the famous Inverness Castle looing down from the higher levels of the city.

Another relaxing evening at the house before we took a 90 minute drive to Fort Auguster.  Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646. The journey down was set in picture postcode scenery with mountain top views along the Loch with Stags, Highland cows and sheep lining the pine tree roads .

We took a boat ride along the South-West edge of Loch Ness and the scenery was magical, we had cloudy skies most of the day before a heavy down pour arrived just as it was time for lunch, we went in the Loch Inn pub which is right next to a lovely canal that leads to the mouth of Loch Ness. A really pleasant day out on the river was had by all.

On Day 6 we travelled to visit Urquhart Castle, In the 1300s, the Castle featured prominently in the Scots' struggle for independence. The castle came under the control of Robert the Bruce after he became King of Scots in 1306. It is a spectacular Castle ruin surrounded by mountain hillside overlooking the Loch Ness river. From there we took an hours drive to one of the most epic parts of the first weeks adventures, the stunning Plodda Falls,  One of Scotland’s hidden treasures, with a spectacular waterfall cascading past towering trees. it was a magical experience first standing on a cliff top viewing point followed by a steep climb down to see the waterfall from the bottom, you will see how amazing this place is from the film we have created of the Highlands.

When then took a couple of hours drive down to our second destination where we were staying in a log cabin in a place called Lochaber Lodges, with uninterrupted views off Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis, this location was perfect with Fort William being close by as my wife had wanted to climb Nevis for a long time, she was accompanied by my two daughters and one of there boyfriends and her Brother and his two daughters as well as my sister in-law and niece, a proper family outing!

They set of at 7am and took the challenge head on, they always knew it was going to be a tough walk but they conquered it with times of 7 hours for a couple of the party and 8 hours 30 minutes for the others, a monumental achievement. 

Once I had dropped them off I took the camera for a drive to Glenfinnan a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard on the shores of Loch Shiel.

I was first in search of The Catholic Church of St Mary and St Finnan which stands in a magnificent raised location in Glenfinnan which offers stupendous views down Loch Shiel and across to the mountains which line the loch's south eastern shore. It is difficult to think of a more beautifully located church anywhere in the world.

I then took a 3 minute drive from here to find what I had really come to the Highlands for, The Jacobite train or as most call it the Harry Potter train, Described as the greatest railway journey in the world, this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes. Starting near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, it visits Britain's most westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain, Loch Morar and the shortest river in Britain, River Morar, finally arriving next to the deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis!

It is hard to describe how impressive the Glenfinnan Viaduct is, it stands above natural running water streams surrounded by miles of mountain range, I had done some research on where best to stand to see the Hogwarts Express come over the bridge and wow I was in for a real treat, the driver blasted the trains horn and then it just appears from the arch of the bridge with its steam filling the Highlands air. A magical 60 second of action as if I was watching the scene in the film where the Hogwarts express departs from platform nine and three quarters in King’s Cross station to Hogsmeade station where the students disembark for Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry.

One of our agenda items was to visit a working distillery, we chose Ben Nevis distillery as it was local, a distillery in Scotland that distills Ben Nevis 10 Years Old and Ben Nevis 21 Years Old whisky. It is at Lochy Bridge in Fort William and sits just at the base of Ben Nevis, it was a very good tour showing how Whisky is made from start to finish, I do not drink Whisky but for those that did in our group certainly seemed to enjoy it judging by the after effects!

Our last drive out was to visit the stunning Glencoe,  a village in western Scotland. It lies in steep-sided Glencoe valley, in the Scottish Highlands. The area is known for waterfalls and trails that climb peaks such as Buachaille Etive Mor and Bidean nam Bian. In the village, Glencoe Folk Museum occupies 18th-century thatched cottages, with displays on local heritage and the Glencoe massacre of 1692. Wildlife in the area includes red deer and golden eagles.

It was also the setting for the James Bond Film Skyfall, If you can’t remember – it’s when James Bond (Daniel Craig) and M are compromised and take shelter in the depths of wild Scotland from the crazed ex-MI6 agent/arch Bond villain Silva. Here you can imagine a young Bond growing up while mystery and pain lingering in the air.

We have spent the most amazing 10 days in the Highlands covering over 1000 miles seeing places that are hard to describe in words, even pictures and the video still cant display some of the natural beauty Scotland has to offer. If you ever have the chance to come to the Highlands do it, we have certainly ticked of a massive bucket list holiday.

Below is the Highlands film I have made of the trip as well as a number of images taken as we drove around the region. I hope you enjoyed the blogs I was doing on my Facebook page as well as this complete review.

So we were very lucky to have the pleasure to stay at the magnificent Savoy hotel recently, we were meant to be traveling to Dubai for a few days well-earned rest although the cameras were all set to capture the amazing UAE while we were there.

When the travel ban first confirmed  we were unable to travel to Antigua and then Dubai which we had booked to celebrate our 25th wedding milestone, I decided to booked a stay at this magnificent hotel, I was also in London to finish of my Lockdown In London film capturing how times were during the first lockdown and after lockdown.

The hotel proved to be a perfect location but before I started filming we spent a full day experiencing luxury and service that is hard to describe, I had made contact with the managing director of the Savoy, a charming man called Francks Arnold, I wanted the anniversary to be very special experience as well as capture some magical moments of London back to some kind of normality, Francks and his team were fantastic in helping me plan the stay, we first booked a table at the new Solas bar that was placed at the main entrance to the hotel right on the famous courtyard roundabout where luxury cars previously dropped of the VIPs and guests using the hotels 5* facilities.

Francks met us for a drink and I ask how the idea come about for the new pop up bar, he explained that when during lockdown the government agreed to allow venues to open outdoor eating and drinking areas Francks went home frustrated after the announcement as the Savoy did not have an outside area, but how wrong Francks was! 

When he arrived home he began to explain to his wife  that he could not open anything but his clever wife said  use the entrance area.. the rest is history as the bar has been sold out everyday since bringing in much needed revenue when the hotel itself was closed. We can vouch the cocktails and champagne were delicious. 

After a couple of drinks and a large bar bill we then proceeded to enter the hotels Afternoon Tea area named Thames Foyer, a gorgeous room with a bespoke glass cupola letting in lots of natural daylight (even on the gloomiest of London days) and a centrepiece ‘winter garden’ gazebo for that added wow factor. With a pianist tinkling away in the background. Again the champagne flowed with an afternoon tea full of flavour and luxurious delights.

Once we had finished we then checked into our room, I had booked standard double room but to our delight the Savoy upgraded us to a River Thames suite costing the rich and famous a mere £1200 a night! you could imagine our faces, the views of the Thames and the 5* luxury in the room made it very easy for us to stay in the room all night, we had drunk far to much and we were very full from the Afternoon tea after all! I didn't let the moment and view go to waste though as when it got dark I filmed a stunning time-lapse of the London sky line we had, (check out our London In Lockdown film)

Its was a once in a lifetime experience unless I win the lottery but if ever you get chance to visit the hotel for either a cocktail in Solas or an afternoon tea in the Thames Foyer then you will not be disappointed, the standard of service the staff provide is world class.
 
Below are a few pictures of the stay, to watch the full London In Lockdown film scroll through this page.

So in 2020 our lives changed forever or at least what we have all been through will never be forgot.
As a passionate Videographer I set out to capture what Lockdown was like in the capital of this great country before we were no longer allowed to travel, the footage has been on my hard drives for over a year, the empty streets, businesses closed, it was like nothing we could ever imagine.

When I started filming what I saw it was more for a historical log thinking it really would not last that long so had to be caught on film, how wrong I was!

So this weekend while not only being able to celebrate our long over due 25th Wedding anniversary, I wanted to capture what London was looking like some 15 month later.
This short film with the help of some painstaking editing from the daily news broadcasts we heard, I hope I have capture not only what it was like in those dark days but also how London is slowly coming back to "normal".

The streets were certainly a lot busier this weekend but it was so noticeable that we are missing the international travelers that so help the finances of this country, so we have a long way to go yet and we need those boarders opening soon in my opinion.

I have loved capturing the story even though we have had some real hard times over the last year or so but history needs to be remembered and what better way than on film.
I hope you enjoy the footage and story.
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