One thing I knew I wanted to do before I even got to Australia was visiting the set of my favourite TV soap, Home and Away. (And I don’t care what you Aussies say, Home and Away is great and so much better than the crappy soaps we get over here so shush 😛 )
After an exhausting 2 and a half weeks travelling around the busy, noisy and dusty cities of North India, arriving at Marari Villas was like stepping into a whole different world. A small resort in the quiet beach village of Mararikulam in Kerala, Marari Villas was exactly the bit of luxury and relaxation we needed to end our trip with.
While I plan all our trips and Alex just goes along with whatever I say (who says there’s no such thing as the perfect man?!), I had told Alex absolutely nothing about this place. I knew how good it was and I wanted to see his face when he realised this.
Safaris are just one of the many things that Africa is known best for, and for good reason. They are an amazing way to see the incredible wildlife up close in its natural environment, in a way that you just can’t at the zoo. No matter how many safaris I went on in my 4 months travelling around Africa, I was always overawed every single time.
This photo of a male and female lion relaxing together was taken in Etosha National Park in Namibia. Even though Etosha is not as well known as some of the other African national parks, it was one of our favourites as the animals were in abundance.
This weekend was Alex’s birthday and, me being me, I obviously liked to have a couple of exciting things planned to celebrate.
First off, seeing as I had a weekend of fun activities planned, I thought I should make his actual birthday a relaxing one after a long hard day at work. And what better way to relax than to put on some comfy pjs and just chill. So a onesie party it was!
After 3 months doing volunteer work and travelling overland through Africa, Alex and I were thrilled to finally get some time alone at the end of the tour when we planned on hiring a car and driving up the Garden Route. Having been on a set itinerary for the overland tour it was a huge relief to just have free time to be able to go where we wanted, when we wanted (well, as much as my plan-aholic self would allow!).
This week’s challenge is based on the three-picture story: a way to tell a story through images.
My three-picture story is about Jaisalmer Fort, one of the world’s largest forts and one of the biggest tourist attractions in Rajasthan, India, and also where we spent Christmas Day last year. Unlike most of the forts in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer Fort is still in use today and not just used as a museum or tourist attraction. Hundreds of people live inside in old fashioned havelis and the winding alleys are crammed full of shops, eateries and places of worship.
I eat out far too much to write a review on every restaurant I go to, but somewhere I tried for the first time recently was just too good not to write about.
My friend and I wanted to try somewhere different from the usual places we eat out so we took a drive around locally to see what we could find. We stumbled upon Flavours of Morocco, a little Moroccan restaurant a short 10 minutes away from my home; it’s twinkling lights and pretty Moroccan decor invited us in as well as a chance to try some proper Moroccan food for the first time.
One of my favourite parts of planning a trip is choosing the accommodation. It might only be somewhere to lay your head but in countries with a big culture shock or noisy streets, your room provides you with your own little bubble of privacy and calm and, for me at least, it’s somewhere I can retreat to and relax at the end of a long and tiring day of exploring, so the accommodation is an important part of travel for me.
I like to think I know what to pack when I go on trips. I do hours of research and make hundreds of lists, and travel experience also helps in knowing what to take. I’m proud to say I’ve never once forgotten anything and found myself desperately in need of it when away. (Okay so there was the time when I forgot my bra and had to turn back around when half way to the airport but that was totally Alex’s fault. And yes it was a much needed piece of underwear!)
But India is in a league of its own when it comes to what you need to take with you.
When I think of Christmas, white snow and twinkly fairy lights come to mind; Christmas crackers with ridiculous jokes; stuffing myself full with my nan and grandad’s yummy roast dinner; opening presents from under the Christmas tree; and getting into arguments over games with the family. But I had none of that this year.
This year Alex and I spent our Christmas in India. Instead of white snow we had hot sunshine, and the roast turkey was substituted with curry.
Mama Ayla's Adventures 