Travel

Budget European travel and adventure sports do not make a happy marriage. So what does one do when one feels the ‘need for speed’, a bit of ‘daring do’ whilst on the road in Europe? Well, one goes to Slovenia. Triglav National Park Commonly known for… absolutely nothing, it turns …

Wham, bam and thank you ma’am! Amsterdam can pick you up, throw you around like a rag doll and spit you out like yesterday’s old news in a heartbeat, never mind twenty four hours. I had come to the capital of the Netherlands for some good old fashioned rest and …

Bogota, the place could scar you forever! When you first get to a new country, town or city you often get a feeling inside, be it instinct or not, but the feeling usually gives you a vague idea of your surroundings, good or bad. The feelings are then rated in …

St Petersburg was my starting point in Russia. I’d arrived on an overnight train from Tallinn, Estonia, and was met at the railway station by my ‘guide’, because I did travel in Russia with a tour operator. (The tour was great, still allowed time for ‘free days’ to do as …

So what’s better for you on your study abroad trip (séjour linguistique) – home-stay family or living in a residence? You want to make the most of your time and money, and learn as much of the language as possible, but without losing freedom or being treated like a teenager …

Many people have visited nearby Chichen Itzá and walked away thinking the same thing: If only we could’ve climbed to the top. If you want to visit a ruin that is remarkably well preserved, still allows you to climb most of the structures, AND is much less visited by tourists, …

The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a symbol of Rio de Janeiro, and a trip to the top of the hill to visit it was a definite on our to-do list while in the city. We had the opportunity to go as part of an organised tour on the …

Your mum brought you up to have good manners, I’m sure, and expects you to do her proud while you’re travelling: clean up after yourself, eat with your mouth closed, say please and thank you. And she’s right, of course. But you’re going to have to forget some of the …

The Itaipu dam is one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant. It spans the river Paraná between Paraguay and Brazil, near the triple border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.  You can visit from either side; we chose the Paraguayan one – mostly …

Paraguay is one of the few South American countries that require New Zealanders to obtain a visa to enter, and at US$75 for a single entry or $100 for multiple, it’s not a cheap one. Last year, travelling through South America with a group of three other Kiwis on a …