Reminiscence! London calling!

Old London Town stands of the banks of the River Thames and has been a major settlement for two millenia. It has an amazing history dating back to Roman times, who named it Londinium. From the Anglo-saxon era to the Viking invasions, to the battle of Hastings and the infamous Tudor period; London certainly is a history buffs paradise.

London today is a leading global city, adding quality arts, entertainment, fashion and tourism to the mix. Here are some useful tips.

1. Purchase an Oyster prepaid travel card  on line before hand. This card works in the same principal as Brisbane's Go card.  Certainly was great to just jump on the tube straight from Heathrow airport to the heart of London.

2. We also purchased a London pass on line before hand. This pass allows you free entry into over 60 top attractions and tours. 1,2,3 or 6 day passes available. A 3 day pass cost us 81 pounds each.Great savings when you consider the average entry fee is 18 pounds for each attraction.

3. Leicester Square "TKTS" theatre ticket booth sells  last minute, theatre show tickets at a discounted price. Just check out the board out front displaying what is shows are for sale. Tickets for that day or next day only. 

4. We stayed in an apartment just around the corner from Trafalagar Square. Very Central, could walk all around London easily and savour life in a big city. It was also lovely to have a bit of space after a couple of weeks of compounds and mountain climbing. We could wash our clothes and cook a simple meal.

5. Our top must dos!

Visit West Minister Abbey.

Climb to the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.

Cruise on the Thames.

See a West End Theatre show.

Spend an afternoon in a local pub.

Reminiscence! Safari - Serengeti. Review and Tips.

Acacia Africa – Safari- Serengeti.

Once again Acacia provided a sense of well-being and a high level of security.

Ensure that you have a local supplement ready to pay in post 2006 $US.  The supplement at the time of our tour was $US 400 per person.

It is recommended that you attempt to book your safari to coincide with the great migration of wildebeest and zebra.

Considerable distance is travelled and many hours are spent in the vehicle getting to key areas.  These many hours of travel are interspersed with short burst of excitement.

Recommend that you partake in an early morning sojourn to catch a kill or watch the main predators stalk their pray.  Unfortunately, most of the big 5 (Elephant, Lion, Water Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino) were comatose on our Safari.

Accommodation included 2 nights in Safari Tent.    Provided great photo opportunities with Giraffes roaming through the site; however, DO NOT leave your camp tent at night!

The best way to beat the mundane nature of driving for hours to try a catch a glimpse of a Leopard up a tree is to fall asleep in the 4WD whilst in motion and wake up when the it stops.   The 4WD only stops if there is something to look at.

It may be better to look at a place where the Big 5 are concentrated over a smaller area, for example Kenya.

Overall, for us non-fussed animal people the safari was struggle.

Reminiscence ! Mt Kilimanjaro - Tour Review and Tips.

It has been a year since we set off on our amazing adventure around the world. We conquered our challenges, witnessed the beauty of nature, learnt more about ancient history and met some wonderful people along the way. It is now time to reminisce and sum up the experience.

An excellent tour!  Acacia provided a sense of well-being and a high level of security.  A walled compound hotel for guests, accompanied by armed security.  Guides and porters are exceptional.  Knowledgeable guides set the pace, ‘Pole, Pole’, to get you to the top and provide you an insight into the secrets of the mountain.  No words do justice to this tour, only those who have joined the exclusive Kili club and conquered the ‘Rooftop of Africa’ can understand the true meaning of this experience.  A challenging tour that will test you mentally and physically!

See tips below:

1) Pay extra to fly from Nairobi to  Moshi , Mt Kilimanjaro.  Forty minute flight compared to 8-10 hour local bus trip.

2)  If wishing to explore Moshi, a guide is provided giving you a sense of security and a snapshot of the culture of the region.  No independent sightseeing to be tempted.  A tip of around $5 US and a can of coke is recommended.  You can walk from the compound to the city which is around 4 kms or catch the shuttle bus for $1 US each way.  Of course your guide will take you to a couple of mate’s shops on the way.

3) Need to bring plenty of $US with a date post 2006 and not torn/ripped for local payment.  As of Sept 2013 $US 750 per person required.

4)  The hike is both mentally and physically exhausting. Porters are exceptional.  If you need a Porta Loo porter, then this tour is NOT for you.

5)  You can hire everything for the hike from the compound, this includes sleeping bags, waterproof duffel bags, walking sticks.

6) Take altitude tablets.  ½ a tablet per day is recommended. Start the tablets two days before you start trekking.  

7) Ensure that you go ‘Pole, Pole’ (slowly, slowly)

8) Listen to your guide and drink 3-5 litres of water per day.  Water is the elixir that will get you to the top.

9) Recommend Marangu hut route aka Coke a cola route as the huts provide you protection from the cold and a space to hang your wet clothes.  The only downside is that you may have to share with other tired and wet hikers.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

10) Learn`to squat properly – you will need to get down and dirty.

11)  Buy a ‘She Wiz’, or ‘Go Girl’ (females) to provide the option of standing for a quick wee.

12)  If you make it to ‘Gilman’s Point’ you can make it to the very top.

13) When ascending make sure you blow back into your water pack to stop the water hose/tube freezing up. 

14) Don’t drink alcohol two days before the climb.  Drink the big-five on your return to celebrate.

15) Note ONLY 40% of those who attempt the climb make it to the top and unfortunately 10 people die per year attempting the climb.

16) A big word up to our guide, Joseph Edward, father of Edward Edward for getting us to the top.

17) Tipping Guide:  If there are two people in the group, like us, $450 US should see you through.  Tipping break down for our guides: Head Guide $150, Assistant Guide $75, Cook $60, Waiter $40, Porters $35 each.

18) Tipping ceremony compulsory – Need to buy beer for the guides and porters.

Remember, if you can’t climb it, drink it.