Take unique adventures around the world with minimal organisation
Great bursts of wind rattle the straps on my rucksack. Rain pelts against the clean sleeves of my shell jacket and drips over the front of my hood. It's cold, contrary to the heat wave of the last few months, so my hands withdraw from the freezing chill to the lukewarm conditions inside my pockets. ... This is only day one.
Kite-surfers dance across the horizon at Portland's entrance like they are swinging colourful flags of post-lockdown freedom. This is a giant adventure playground - but not everything is open. This was Portland, Dorset, in summer 2020, between the lockdowns.
I’m standing in a rusting playground. There is an intact Ferris wheel to my right. I half expect to hear children shriek for their parents as their carriage climbs higher – then I remember where I am.
This is an Adventures, Planned itinerary for 5 days of kayaking and wild camping in the Saint Anna archipelago, which is aptly nicknamed, 'Kayak Paradise.' The itinerary includes a day for arrival and transport to the starting location, and an optional 2-3 days of exploration in Stockholm at the end of the trip.
Portland in Dorset, UK, is a tied island at the southernmost tip of the Jurassic Coast. It's a haven for outdoor activity that's surrounded by striking cliffs and beautiful but often rough seas. As the COVID-19 lockdown eases, let's take a look at what's open this month.
Cameron Highlands, 2010. I've made an unlikely friendship with the gardener at the hotel. What happens next challenges the culture I have grown up in, and I learn a new skill - eating with my hands. 'No, you're not doing it right. Here, I'll show you.' He grabs a handful and shoves it in my face, pushing his thumb towards my mouth. 'That's how you do it.'
It looks like it might be a while before we are allowed to travel abroad. However, all signs are pointing towards the lockdown coming to a gradual end. When it is safe to do so, here's a guide to help you explore a little more locally.
Warning enclosed. Beer and saunas are at the forefront of the Finnish lifestyle, but what might seem laid back comes with a hilarious culture shock for the British. It’s also wildly different, bordering dangerous, for any divers following the rule of an early night. ‘Want Finnish breakfast?’
I'm wide eyed, nervous, and alone for six weeks in a remote jungle village where only two tribal inhabitants speak fluent English. I stand opposite Rickson Richard. Between us are two upright sticks and a pile of leaves, which Rickson organises in a 'V' shape as diligently as if this is an arrangement of flowers. He points at the layout. 'We've gone that way. You wait here,' he says. He touches a small twig which rests horizontally on one of the sticks. 'It means they're coming back.' I'm shocked but intrigued, and if the word tribe didn't conjure in my mind an expectation for mystique and unexpected discoveries, perhaps I wouldn't have believed it: this simple layout of wood and plants translates into a sentence. I've just been taught an ancient, fading language known as Oroo'.
I tap my thumb with my mitts - I'm losing sensation. The weather in Bansko has taken a dramatic overnight turn from 'too hot,' as the hotel staff agree, to -2 and snowing.