We arrived in Vancouver having taken a 7-day cruise through the Inside Passage. With just one day in Vancouver we got an early start, as there was much to do!
We rented a car from Hertz, located in the car park under the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel – a few minutes walk from the cruise terminal.
A quick stop at the nearby Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre gave us some invaluable tips on how to spend our day.
At 20,310 feet, Mount Denali is North America’s highest peak and the national park is a spectacular wilderness area of just over 6 million acres.
A visit to Denali is a highlight of a trip to Alaska – don’t miss it!
Take a look at our Denali National Park photos.
We drove to Denali from Anchorage with a lunch stop at Talkeetna – a quaint town with some interesting shops and good places to eat.
Another stop not to miss on the way to Denali National Park is the McKinley South Lookout – wonderful views of the Alaska Range. Not far beyond the Lookout, the George Parks Highway traverses Broad Pass around Mile 195 and the scenery is spectacular.
Colombo/Negombo – Anuradhapura – Sigiriya – Polonnaruwa – Kaudulla National Park – Dambulla Cave Temple – Kandy – Nuwera Eliya – Ella – Thalpe/Galle Fort (South Coast) – Colombo
Sri Lanka is an island of contrasts – ancient ruins, bustling market towns, tea plantations, wildlife, mist covered mountains and a beautiful coastline.
Travelling through Sri Lanka is a wonderful experience enhanced by the exceptional hospitality of the local people and the delicious food!
For our 2-week trip in Sri Lanka we fly into Colombo, then drive up to the Cultural Triangle to see ruins of ancient monastries, temples and palaces (Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla), drive down through the tea plantations (Kandy, Nuwera Eliya, Ella) and finally to the South Coast (Thalpe, Unawatuna, Galle Fort), before flying out of Colombo.
Chao Phraya River Bangkok
Bangkok is a perfect stopover on a trip from Sydney to Sri Lanka, flying Thai Airlines. We stayed for four fantastic days – highly recommended.
Photos of Four Days in Bangkok
Day 1: Bangkok
Breakfast at Oriental Hotel
We began our first day with a treat – breakfast on the terrace of the beautiful Oriental Hotel, overlooking the Chao Phraya River. Not only was the food delicious, it was a great place to watch life on the river.
Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
From the Oriental Hotel we caught a ferry to the beautiful Wat Arun temple. Located on the west bank of the river, it is a relatively small temple precinct. The steep spire is decorated with colourful pieces of porcelain and glass. We were able to climb the spire and were rewarded with lovely views. The Ordination Hall is also worth a visit.
We are big fans of Eastern Europe. After a trip in 2015 through Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, we were inspired to return to see a little more of this beautiful part of Europe in 2017.
Our latest Eastern Europe itinerary took in Poland, the Baltic States and Russia. It was a 5-week trip flying to Europe via South Korea, with a few added highlights (including Prague and Berlin). We can highly recommend this trip.
Photos of 2017 Trip to Prague, Berlin, Poland, Baltic States, Russia and Seoul
The headlines on the TCMF website say that the Tamworth Country Music Festival is “Australia’s Largest Music Festival – 10 Days – 700 Artists – More Than 2800 Events”.
We headed to Tamworth to find out what people have been raving about!
Tamworth is about a five-hour drive from Sydney – it’s an easy drive passing through pretty countryside and charming towns – particularly Murrurundi and Willow Tree. In fact if you leave Sydney in the morning, the Willow Tree Inn is a great place to stop for lunch. Their award-winning Graze Restaurant and Bistro serves one of the best steaks you will ever have. Across the road is The Plains Pantry – another great place for good coffee, home baked meals, cakes and gourmet groceries.
The following is a summary of a trip to see the Fall colours between New York City and Stowe, then returning to New York City via Boston, Plymouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport (Rhode Island) and the Hamptons. We recommend a much slower pace to take in all there is to see – and perhaps leave out Bridport and Montreal to concentrate on New England.
Our overnight stops were NYC at the beginning of the trip then Hancock, Stowe, Bridport, Montreal, North Conway, Boston, Edgartown, Newport, Montauk and NYC at the end of the trip.
Photos of New England Fall – October 2016
The following is a summary of a trip to see the Fall colours between New York City and Stowe, then returning to New York City via Boston, Plymouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport (Rhode Island) and the Hamptons. We recommend a much slower pace to take in all there is to see – and perhaps leave out Bridport and Montreal to concentrate on New England.
Our overnight stops were NYC at the beginning of the trip then Hancock, Stowe, Bridport, Montreal, North Conway, Boston, Edgartown, Newport, Montauk and NYC at the end of the trip.
Photos of New England Fall – October 2016
Iceland Itinerary – October 2016
Iceland is an incredibly beautiful country. The landscapes are dramatic. The volcanoes, the waterfalls, the fjords and the glaciers are awe-inspiring.
We visited Iceland for 10 days and that included a self-drive tour on the Ring Road (Route 1), the main road that runs around the entire island.
We had one day in Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital) at the beginning of our trip and one day at the end of our trip, so just 8 days on the Ring Road, stopping one night in each place. It was a little rushed at times, however in October it is cold and wet – not conducive for walking.
Also, in October the mountain roads are closed so we did not need a 4×4 vehicle, as we did not venture off the Ring Road. We rented a Town & Country vehicle on arrival in Iceland through Iceland 4×4 Car Rental – located near Keflavik International Airport, about a 40-minute drive from Reyjavik.
We took a month to do this amazing trip. There was a party of eight people in four vehicles (Toyota Safari Landcruisers 4WD rented from Britz).
Itinerary: Cairns to Darwin, Darwin to Kakadu, Kadaku to Katherine, Katherine to Bungle Bungles, Bungle Bungles to Gibb River Road to Broome.
Cairns
Fly Qantas from Sydney to Cairns and collect a Britz 4WD with rooftop tent – a very well equipped vehicle. We drive to Port Douglas via Palm Cove.
