Sharing global travel experiences, tips and stories from our respectful customers.

My husband and I went to Hurgada to celebrate our 1st anniversary. That was our first time traveling abroad. So we went, having no idea what is the country all about. Of course we were not TOTALLY oblivious, we are both well educated people, at least we feel much better thinking that we are. Nevertheless, we didn't research on the country before the trip???

Here is one of my travel stories. Hope it entertains you! In March this year, I went on a trip to Mexico with my flatmate, to meet one of our friends who was renewing her visa. The three of us (all girls) made our way down to Cancun in a rented car, by ourselves. Thank goodness we had our Mexican friend with us to speak spanish and ask for directions!

A few years ago I was working for a software company in the UK that had customers worldwide. Naturally we had consultants who spent a large amount of time travelling and with so many stories we had a competition about our experiences.

We have bought Travel Insurance policy from Globelink International Travel Insurance and start our trip. After travelling along the Trans-Siberian railway for three weeks already our next destination was Irkutsk in Russia, home to the deepest in the world.

As we sit on the white sands of Victory Beach in the quiet seaside town of Sihanoukville in Cambodia, my girlfriend and I are lazing in the hot afternoon sun in front of a tin shack that serves not much more than beer. We are soon aware of a lone policeman walking towards us with his AK-47 rifle stapped to his shoulder.

I write to you from Chiang Mai in Sunny Thailand! I believe the last place I wrote to you from was Vientiane (Capital of Laos) from where we were going to grab a ride in a pick-up truck to the travellers haven of Vang Vieng. First of all we buy Travel Insurance Policy from Globelink International Travel Insurance.

Well in the end we did not get a pick up truck but instead got a local bus (1 pound for a 6 hour journey is not bad!!). There was that awkward moment of getting on the bus and realizing that there was no seats but a sweet smile at the bus ticket guy prompted some shouting in Lao and the locals sharing three to a seat so we could sit down. Did I feel guilty? Yeah right-I was not going to pay the same as everyone else and then stand up for 6.5 hours!

Several years ago Carmen and I decided we should have an adventure to tell our grandchildren about, so what better than to drive from Delhi to London in an Indian three wheeler.

We made contact with the factory in Madras, and began our preparations, but then unaccountably the factory broke off contact. The Pakistan border was then closed. Then we heard a rumour that Iran would not allow a diesel trike into the country, and the idea was placed in the rejected drawer.

So then we thought of Peking to Paris, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care, but in/on what? We eventually came up with an offer of two new 650 cc Yamaha trail bikes, at half price, and I began the task of sorting visas, travel insurance, freight, vehicle  insurance and the like, in the hope of starting the trip in May 2004.

I knew it was possible, but I didn't expect to find it right on my doorstep. As I ambled from the dense bush onto a golden sand beach beside turquoise water, I caught myself for a second, there was definitely something missing; throngs of tourists. In fact the beach was completely empty bar the odd seagull. As a frequent traveller I have become used to battling it out with other like-minded individuals for the best spot on the beach, or trying to aim the camera above people's heads to capture the most picturesque sunset.  This for me was a breath of fresh air and I was baffled as to why I had not made the visit before now.

They said it couldn't be done and we'd be foolish to try. We did it any way. They said it would take 10 days, we did it in 8. They said it would be cheaper, easier and quicker to take the bus, and on that I have to say they may have been right.

We were in Phongsali in Northern Laos, just off the Nam Ou River, about 30 clicks from the Chinese boarder. Yes, that’s right my friends; clicks.

This is deep in Heart of Darkness territory, the lands of Kurtz, where rogue CIA agents smuggle opium, the birthplace of Pathet Lao the Laos Communist party. If I don't get to use the word clicks here then I just don't know when I get to use it.
Getting there had taken 5 days on slow boats, sitting on wooden planks for 6 hours a day, chugging upstream watching jungle and water buffalo slide by. Each day fewer travelers joined us in our journey north, until on the 5th day Ben and I made up two thirds of the landing crew at Hat Sa. The final third being a mellow bearded Californian who said he was Tim.

Two weeks into our China trip, we decided we needed a challenge, something beyond the everyday challenges of not getting hit by a bicycle, inadvertently eating dog or the flesh of an endangered animal, or slipping in a pool of spit.

We needed something that would challenge us both physically and psychologically, something epic that would remain in our minds long after the memories of crowded trains and instant noodles had faded.

So we decided to climb a mountain. Not just any mountain, we chose Hua Shan, one of 5 sacred Taoist mountains, rising jaggedly above the plains. Just getting to the "village" at the base of the mountain was challenge enough, but the next morning we set off at 8am, determined to clamber to the highest point, 2160 meters. Not deterred by a sign at the entrance stating "No walking and sightseeing. No sightseeing and walking", we decided we'd try to get away with doing both. So we started walking. Up. And up. And up. The first few hours of steep pat!

I'm a software consultant by profession. I started “serious” travelling for professional reasons at the age of 23 (in 1994) when I went to Hong Kong South Korea for a business visit for one month. I did not speak Korean and did not know anyone else who spoke Korean. Being a vegetarian compounded the problem as I struggled to get the message across in hotels.

But it amazes me how human mind works. On my second visit to the restaurant, I again faced the problem of what to eat. I took the paper tissue kept on the table and drew a chicken on it. Then I put a BIG cross on it. Then I drew a four legged animal and again drew a cross across it. Then it was turn of the fish and again a big cross.

Hey, I am killing time in the internet cafe and so I thought I would send a group email to tell what I have been doing since I left England.

I flew to Sri Lanka for 1 month and it is a very interesting place to visit and I would certainly recommend it to anyone. Its cheap and theress much to see. Its also quite small and so its easy to travel around. At this moment it is not the peak season and so that could be a reason for the low cost. Peak season is December to March and I noticed the prices for flights then were triple what I paid. There wasn't many other tourists there and those I did see where usually on package holidays and so stayed in different hotels then me. Usually I was the only white face on any transport I took, the only guest in the guesthouse and I ate alone apart from 1 occassion. The locals were friendly but its good to meet other travellers to share experiences and exchange tips on where to go and where not to go.

When I arrived I went immediately to a beach town called Negombo instead of going to the capital Colombo. This is because it was actually closer to the airport than Colombo. I thought it would quieter and easier for me to acclimatise to being away on my own. It was nice but not much to do.