You’ve seen Avatar right? Zhangjiajie is the inspiration for the landscape of the distant planet in the movie, and that’s exactly what the 3000 or so karst pinnacles rising up from the subtropical forest feel like. Its a bit of a bugger to get to because you need to find flights to the local Zhangjiajie Hehua airport, or take the 5 hour drive from Changsha. It can also get quite crowded because . . . well . . . this is China. But, overall it is well worth the trip, especially because by making some very basic changes you can avoid the crowds and get to hike some beautiful sections of what, arguably, should be one of the natural wonders of the world
Length of time: 3-4 days
Skiing in Kitzbuhel
Kitzbuhel is one of Europe’s premier ski resorts and boasts, alongside its 185km / 115miles of ski runs, the legendary Kaiser run which is a staggering 8.3km / 5.2miles long, one of the world’s longest continuous runs from a chairlift and is part of the renowned Hahnenkamm-Rennen annual downhill race. For sure enjoy the slopes, but its also a very pleasant place to be for non-skiers. For example, I went with my family all of whom are are non skiers, and they loved the town which is a wonderful combination of pretty and sophisticated (the Austrians, of course, do this effortlessly). You also have the options of heading up on some of the cable cars for the experience of the restaurants at the top and the views across the mountains. I would in particular recommend the Kitzbuheler Hornbahn Cable Car which has sensational panoramic views from the 1996m / 6550ft Kitzbuheler Horn
A few days in Penang for George Town and beaches
Penang is definitely worth a visit as it has one of the best combinations of Chinese, Indian and Western legacies in the world. If you throw in the cute UNESCO World Heritage listed Old Town of George Town and the beautiful beaches along the north of the island, you’ve got a great mini break and worth the inclusion on a South East Asian travel itinerary (see here for the full-blown 8 week itinerary – 7/8 week itinerary for the highlights of South East Asia)
On a personal level, I wish I’d given Penang’s National Park more time to explore their jungle walks as they looked cool
Diving and relaxing around Ko Phi Phi
I remember when returning from my first long trip around South East Asia, the place that most stuck in my mind as meeting the expectations of island paradise was Ko Phi Phi. It had white sand beaches, stunning jungle interiors, coral reefs just off the beach and tall jagged karst hills jutting throughout. In the middle of all that you had the wonderful Thai people and Thai food, the ease of travelling, plenty of options nearby for world-class diving and, of course, THAT world-famous beach
That experience is still there to be had, but you just need to plan it a bit more to avoid what, unfortunately, has become a bit of a mess in various parts of the town as the development has been allowed to run riot. The effect is that large parts of the islands won’t give you that island paradise vibe and, also unfortunately, THAT famous beach is sometimes closed to allow it to recover from what has been years of damage
(I decided, frustratingly, to lose most of my photos from my trip, so this is a very short travel entry)
So, my key tips for giving yourself the best chance of that paradise vibe:
- Aim for the east coast or Hat Yao area. It’ll take you longer to get there by speed boat, but once you’re there it’ll be worth it and, to be honest if you’ve chosen the right place, you’ll probably want to stay there and just enjoy for a few days
- Make sure to still take one of the day trips to Ko Phi Leh (Ko Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Lei are the 2 islands that make up Ko Phi Phi). Whilst THAT beach may be closed, the island itself is still beautiful and untouched by development
- Hike the 30mins up to the Phi Phi viewpoint as it will give you unbeatable views around the island and a chance to go for a bit of an explore
- Give yourself a day or two for scuba diving. There are beautiful reefs nearby and the chance for whale sharks in February and March
- Include Koh Phi Phi as the centre part of a trip between Phuket and Krabi – Phuket for its beaches and sophisticated restaurants, hotels and partying / lash; Krabi for the kayaking by the impossibly steep karst towers on the beach. Boats run super regularly from both spots and only take 1.5-2 hours
Puerto Galera, Mindoro
Puerto Galera has a lot of things going for it – in particular its beautiful tropical harbour with surrounding mountains and its ease of travel from Manila without flying (couple of hours drive and then 1 hour banka ferry from Batangas on Luzon). But it unfortunately just feels like sprawling tourist development done badly, which in the Philippines can be very bad. The main area of Sabang really encapsulated this with the trash on the beach and the sprawl of beach front restaurants only broken up by speakers designed to break your skull. To be fair, we had a good time, mainly because we were looked after so well by the staff of The Sunset at Aninuan Beach Resort, and we didn’t try the diving which many people recommend. But, my suggestion, would be to head out to see some of the rest of the Mindoro island, which is undeveloped and looks to be truly stunning in parts
Skiing in Niseko
Niseko has a strong shout for being the world’s best skiing destination. Yes, yes, I know the North American sites have vast slopes and every other room has a hot tub; the Alps are wonderful for their apres and interconnected communities; and I get that Queenstown has bungee jumping, but there are 3 killer reasons for why Niseko has to take the crown:
- It is the undisputed King of Powder, with 15m / 50ft of wonderful light powdery stuff on AVERAGE each year
- Its Japan. This means that everything works perfectly, people are 10/10 polite (no fighting over chair lifts), you finish your ski with an Onsen and the food . . . even the most basic of meals demands a quality zat wud mek even ze french jelos!
- The views. Think less endless mountain chains, and more looking at the perfect conical volcano of Yotei-zan, aka Hokkaido’s Mount Fuji
It can be expensive, especially around the holidays, but a must experience if you’re a skier
Boracay’s white sand beach
Boracay is the all-too-classic story of breathtakingly beautiful beach and great relaxed vibe gets taken over by mass tourism and development. If you’re up for a very busy party experience by a beach then you’ll have fun – the beach really is gorgeously white and with stunning sunsets to enjoy (although various spots in Thailand offer this at a better level). Also, if you’re keen on a similar busy vibe for a base for kitesurfing, then go for it as the beach on the opposite side of the island is very good
But, if you’re not, I think you’ll be disappointed. Half the beach venues in South East Asia offer comparable beaches, but without such overcrowding and with a more chilled out vibe. They’re also a lot easier to get to as Boracay often has limited flights with a couple of changes. The nicer hotels at the far ends of the beaches and over the headlands are an improvement, but you’re paying over the odds for what you’re getting. I wouldn’t recommend for scuba diving either – I did my PADI Open Water course there, which was fun, but again there are so many better dive spots around South East Asia
Not a fan!
Ultimate relaxing in Spring Bay on Bequia Island
If you’re looking for that perfect Caribbean Tropical Island experience, Spring Island on Bequia in the Grenadines must come very close to the dream place you have in mind. To quote the Lonely Planet for the Grenadines: “an island chain in the heart of the Caribbean, uncluttered by tourist exploitation, with white-sand beaches on desert islands, sky-blue water gently lapping shores and barely a sole around”; then for Bequia: “the most most perfect island in the whole Grenadines”; and then for Spring Bay: “on a quiet island, this is the quiet end” you get the idea
Its a fantastic experience exploring the island either by car / foot, or taking a boat around the island to check out some of the hidden beaches, which your hotel can easily arrange for you
To further deepen the perfect tropical beach vibe, I’d really recommend staying at The Sugar Reef Boutique Hotel. Half the rooms are on the beach surrounded by the palm trees and not needing aircon with the gorgeous sea breeze, and half up the hillside in the beautiful French House showing off stunning views of the bay and Baliceaux and Battowia Islands. Even if you don’t stay here, you can enjoy the superb Sugar Reef Cafe by the beach, sitting under the tall ceilings complete with driftwood chandeliers. Wonderful hotel . . . wonderful beach . . . wonderful island
Sampling whiskies and hiking around Speyside
Speyside sits in the northern part of the Cairngorm Mountains. The wildest, highest part of the UK and, with its mountain landscapes, crisp fresh air and sub-Arctic climate, quickly detaches you from any feeling of being in the rest of the UK. Firmly in the highlands of Scotland, you can enjoy the surrounding hikes to the lochs and sample the most famous single malt whiskies in the world. The old cliché is so true – the taste and enjoyment of the alcohol completely depends on the location and context that you’re experiencing it in – sipping Champagne in the rural vineyards of the Champagne region, drinking the menu of wheat beers in an abbey in Belgium, learning about Rum on an island in the Caribbean – being in a Speyside lodge sampling whiskies with the mountains in the background and a fire nearby is right up there and about as good an alcohol experience as you can get
Top tip #1 – Stay in a lodge ideally just outside of Aviemore and one that offers whisky tasting. The town of Aviemore itself is nice, but a little touristy. If you stay outside, you will avoid the (small) crowds and be able to enjoy that mountain view around you that little bit more. In particular, find one that offers a whisky tasting session (most do) – doing so will allow you to really learn about the different types rather than only those shared by the individual distilleries. Plus, it allows you to ask a heap of increasingly slurry questions into the evening
Top tip #2 – visit either the Glenfiddich or Macallan distilleries. They’re much larger than the others, but they run the experience very well and have a great sample at the end to try. Glenfiddich you can just rock up without a booking, Macallan you need to book ahead
Top tip #3 – you can visit all year round, but need summer for the hiking. I’ve visited in winter and, although it is bloody freezing and very very dark, its quite atmospheric to be there. Summer is busier with fellow tourists, but the long days and warmer weather allows you to head off for a day hike up to one of the many lochs that surround Aviemore
4WDing around Fraser Island
Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and, with practically no development, it is a truly maximum wow-factor ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ experience when you head off for 2-3 days in a 4 wheel-drive to explore the pristine creeks, freshwater lakes and lush rainforest. Its all interlinked by the magnificent eastern stretch of 75 mile beach that runs the near full length of the island and acts as the “highway”. Plus, Lake McKenzie, with its clean mesmerising colours, perfect white sand and backdrop of the rainforest, is worth the trip alone. The highlight experience of Queensland, if not all of Australia, and a must for an East Coast visit.
