I have always been a keen traveler…

I met my husband sailing off the coast of Zanzibar. We drove across the Sahara, partied in Marrakech, ski-toured British Columbia and sipped sundowners in Nicaragua – all the while swearing that having children wouldn’t change a thing.

Hey ho, a toddler (Small) and a baby (Boff) later and our prized collection of Bradt travel guides now form the walls of a den behind the sofa.

Like many parents of young children, I’m still adventurous. I had children, not a personality transplant. I don’t want an all-inclusive resort with crèche and nannies thanks very much, I want my children to see the world, taste it and touch it and get stuck in. However, given that the drive from Hampshire to London requires two loo breaks, a snack stop and almost incessant I-spy then the prospect of driving from East to West Africa in an old Landrover has miraculously lost its appeal.

Having a toddler in tow doesn’t negate adventure, you just have to think about the practicalities. Given the choice between a kids club in a chic hotel (plastic toys, kids menus, stuffy dining rooms) and a big game safari (animals, vehicles, campfires, tents…), I know which one Small would choose.

If you avoid malarial regions, consider time zones and pack with savvy, then adventure travel is far more rewarding than lying on a beach while someone sprays your Melissa Odabash bikini with wet sand.

Top five toddler adventures vetted by Small

Safari in South Africa

A healthy dose of parental instinct will probably put malarial regions off the map for now. With an overnight flight, no jet lag and crucially in a malaria free region, the Madikwe Game Reserve is a great safari destination for holidays with children. Big game means big fun for toddlers, with black rhino, lions, and elephants all guaranteed to delight.

Jamming Jamaica

Entertaining a busy toddler on a beach for an entire week is some kind of hell. Small loves a sandcastle but even that has its limitations. Add to that a donkey ride, reggae lesson and a boat ride along the Black River to explore mangrove swamps to see birds and crocodiles and you have one happy chap.

Festive Finland

If the dodgy beard on Hamley’s Santa just didn’t quite cut it with your inquisitive little one, consider a family fling in Lapland to meet the real Father Christmas. Complete with reindeer, elves, and a husky safaris through the snowbound forests, it is more than a bit magical seeing the awe and wonder on their faces (under a thermal balaclava of course).

Galapagos adventure

Future naturalists (and fans of Andy’s Wild Adventures) take note. The Galapagos Islands are a real life adventure playground full of curious creatures like swimming lizards, flightless birds and tropical penguins. Exploring on a ship, taking trips on a glass-bottomed boat and getting up close to the animals all add to the pirate adventure.

Oman for Baby Bedouins

Like most toddlers Small likes to get involved, so if the dolphin and whale watching doesn’t do the trick, meeting Arabian horses, taking camel rides across the dunes and spending a night in a tented camp will all enthrall. It doesn’t sound too shabby to me either.

Read more from Lydia on http://littleluxlifestyle.com

Timkat celebrates Ephiphany; Christ’s Baptism by St John in the River Jordan and falls on January 12th each year (or for us, January 19th by our calendar).

Celebrating Timkat in Gondar, Northern Ethiopia

I was lucky enough to experience this festival in the city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia and it left a lasting impression… Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilidas in 1635 and served as the imperial capital for about 250 years.  It is set in the most dramatic location surrounded by hills and mountains and is a high point on any tour of the historical north with its fairytale 17^th century castles and palaces.

There is a rather good hotel called The Landmark which takes advantage of these hills and is set high up overlooking the city in peace and quiet amongst leafy vegetation and fragrant flowers.  On my visit the very amiable President of Ethiopia – Mr Girme Wolde-Giorgis -  was taking tea on the terrace and quite bizarrely I then found myself sitting two seats down from him during the baptism ceremony….

Bombed with silver paper and grass

The festivities had started in the morning where we had prime position overlooking the main square in town as marching brass bands in smart military blue paraded around led by a feisty looking woman twirling a baton in a tiny skirt and fishnet tights.  Ethiopians have an inability to contain themselves and everyone gets involved; as the event unfolded the throngs grew larger and simultaneous lines of singing, dancing and clapping people threaded into the square.

Then the priests arrived, holding aloft replicas of the Arks of the Covenant on their heads.  They were dressed magnificently in heavily brocaded robes that sparkled in the sun.  Gleaming men tirelessly rolled out a red carpet for them to walk on which would then be rolled up and run around to the front of the procession to be unrolled again which meant the procession inched forward at a snails pace.  The air was heavy with incense and with a whirring drone, a tiny plane appeared overhead and dive bombed the crowds scattering us all with silver paper and grass.

The procession of priests, deacons, singers, dancers, children and hangers on made it’s way out of the town centre to the pool of Fasilides – about a 2kms journey and this is where the Covenants are kept for one night before the baptismal ceremony the next day.

80,000 people for the baptismal ceremony

We rose at 3am and joined a quietly murmuring mass of people heading towards the pool; everyone was dressed in white and held candles and the air was thick with anticipation.

The pool is enclosed by a tall stone wall with six turrets and we moved through the crowds to find wooden benches overlooking the water, and trees whose branches were laden with children keen to get a good view.  The sun rose, a beady eyed eagle perched on a turret and the priests arrived and made their way to the water’s edge to line up and start the ceremony with much chanting and swaying.  They looked wonderful in vivid blue velvet and yellow capes, white turbans and ornate necklaces.  Some leant on silver topped canes and had a doze whilst others broke into clapping and singing.

The ceremony ebbed and flowed, and then seemed to reach a crescendo and 80,000 people strained forward to see the head priest dip a huge gold cross into the river.  Young boys frantically stripped to their pants and leapt into the pool shouting and screaming and joyous mayhem broke out.  The President was whisked away as hundreds of people continued to throw themselves gleefully into the pool spraying us with holy water.

After a thorough soaking we made our way to a large arena close by where the three day fast is broken; people drink tej – a strong alcoholic brew made from mead, and eat Ambasha, special bread, and sheep are slaughtered (making a delectable breakfast of raw meat and firewater).

The experience left us all dazed and happy and still talking about it which is why I’m very much looking forward to Timkat next year…on January 12^th, 2006.

New Zealand

The term ‘Gods own country’ or ‘god zone’ initially came from the title of a poem about New Zealand written by Thomas Bracken and has since been used by the country to describe their homeland for over 100 years. We can see why; with its beautiful landscapes from large mountain ranges, huge lakes, active volcanoes, glacier-carved fjords, sweeping coastlines and pristine forests, New Zealand really is impressive.

Kerala, India

This beautiful Indian state located on the south-west coast of the country is one of the most charming and is quickly becoming the most fashionable locations in India. The Kerala tourist board certainly realised how special it was back in the 1980s when it incorporated the term ‘God’s own country’ into its marketing campaign for the region. Since then Kerala has become a real niche holiday destination and quite rightly so with its incredibly long shoreline, calm backwaters and tea plantation hill country. Kerala was named by National Geographic Traveler Magazine as one of ten paradises of the world, and take it from us it is one seriously inspiring place.

Zimbabwe

First described as ‘God’s own country’ back in the 1970s due to most people perceiving the country to be beautiful despite the ongoing and very aggressive bush war of the period, Zimbabwe is one amazing place. The landscape is simple breathtaking from the Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi cascades into the Lower Zambezi on the border with Zambia, to the serenity of Mana Pools further down the river and the game rich tracts of wilderness in Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, the place is extraordinary. A real once in a lifetime must see.

So all in all it seems that God’s own country really can be a little more exciting than Yorkshire tea and rolling moorland……..

Whether you have never discovered the joy of a safari or have been on many a trip there is one thing that I am sure plays on many people’s minds, is going on safari an environmentally responsible thing to do?

We say absolutely yes!

When done properly a safari can be as rewarding for the animals as it is for those seeing them, not least because it brings much needed tourism and therefore money into areas which really need it. This money can then be put towards things such as good and efficient reserve management AND censoring, capture and relocation of the wildlife where it is needed. And this is hugely beneficial to wildlife numbers as well as improving habitat conditions and combating against illegal poaching.

One such property going one step further, and actually involving its guests in this important cycle is the Ant Collection, a magnificent private game reserve located in the malaria-free Waterberg region of the Limpopo province in South Africa. Here guests are always invited to take part in the conservation for themselves and this could involve anything from helping to track a wounded Eland and administering it with antibiotics to tracking a young bull rhino which needs to be relocated. As well as this once a year Ant’s also organise what’s known as ‘Game Census and Capture week’ from September 9 to 16, which is guaranteed to give you the most hands on safari and wildlife experience ever.

Overview of the week:

Guests arrive at leisure and do an activity of their choice in the afternoon. You will then enjoy sun downers while listening to a brief presentation by one of the guides on the census and relocation of the game species, information on nature conservation and an overview of what you can expect from the week. The first day will be spent doing either game capture or relocation. During the course of the week there will be a number of special guest speakers including, Dr Philip Calcott, who will be conducting a night sky safari as well as a wine tasting evening with some of the most amazing South African wines and a themed bush dinner.

The days to follow will involve the game census with guests divided into about 8 groups with 2-3 guests and staff in each group. This will be done in either game drive vehicles or on horseback. Afternoons can be spent at leisure doing the activity of your choice, including game drives, walking, riding, mountain biking or just relaxing in the lovely gardens next to the pool. There will be additional activities such as a cultural farm tour as well as a big 5 game drive on offer for one of the leisure afternoons.

Contact Sarah to participate

Imagine the landscapes of New Zealand combined with the Spanish Pyrenees, the Alps, and a sprinkling of Pembrokeshire and you are coming close to what the Georgian countryside looks like.  At this time of year in mid-April, it is beautifully warm, very green, and covered in white and pink blossom.  It is more lush then Armenia and the green of the hills, pastures, meadows and fields is like a neon velvet that almost hurts your eyes it is so rich.  The mountain peaks are still wrinkled in snow and the rivers flow with the melt where frogs croak hysterically and cows loll about in the fields.  The air is pure, the water is sweet and it all seems impossibly beautiful – really when God created paradise he had the Georgian countryside in mind.

The Kakheti region….

I made for the eastern part of the country to the region of Kakheti renowned mostly for its wine, Monasteries, hill top villages and laid back people.  I passed people picnicking under huge walnut trees, pony and traps trotting down roads and fishermen catching fat spotted trout on the river.   The village of Sighnagi appears on a hilltop – a cluster of red roofs and a spire set amidst thick green forest which suddenly didn’t look unlike a village in Tuscany.  I visited the town’s museum that shows some of the paintings of Pirosmani, who died in obscurity and poverty in 1918 and only then were his paintings suddenly noticed.  He depicted labourers, farmers, beggars and the physical aspects of toil with a sort of bleak realism but there is something quite captivating about them.

Religion at the heart of everything….

We had lunch on a wooden table in the sunshine overlooking the valley and ancient fortified castle walls that surround the village. Religion plays a major role in people’s lives here and George, my shy and practically non-English speaking driver reads from a little bible each morning before getting into the car.  He crosses himself every time a church or Monastery hovers into view and once inside will kiss an icon.  I’m sure he thinks I’m a heathen and must be pretty horrified that I don’t back out of the church whilst facing the altar.  Young and old alike pour into the churches which are most full on Sundays with many weddings and christenings all happening at once.  Georgia was converted to Christianity not long after Armenia in AD337 and the Cathedral of Alaverdi was one of a few that firmly established the religion by the founding Syrian fathers of Antioch who arrived in the 6^th century.  This is a spectacular medieval church and one of the largest in the country as well as the highest.  The Cathedral is actually called St George, who is patron saint of Georgia as well as England and whom my driver George is named after and now pleased to find we have an International connection.

Imagine the landscapes of New Zealand combined with the Spanish Pyrenees, the Alps, and a sprinkling of Pembrokeshire and you are coming close to what the Georgian countryside looks like.

Tbilisi is a captivating city and I’ve already fallen under its spell.  The name Tbilisi is derived from Tbili meaning ‘warm’ and refers to the hot springs that pump out vast quantities of sulphuric water that go straight into the 12^oC bathhouses which are still used today.  The town is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the River Mtkvari meanders lazily through it, making it an easy city to navigate your way around.

The old town…

The old quarter is best done on foot and is made up of cobbled streets and alleyways, restaurants, bars, churches and cafes, a few synagogues, a mosque, antique and carpet shops and dilapidated old houses with elegant lattice work on shutter windows and balconies that appear to be slowly crumbling into the river.  In the early evening I wandered out to look for something to eat; it was a beautiful evening, lights twinkled on, bathing Sioni church in a pink glow whilst choral singing drifted out of the main door.  Blossom trees hung down in between the houses and the smell of street kebabs and hot bread hung on the air.  I found a seat on a bench in an old tram now converted into a cafe and sat watching people come and go.  Whilst the Armenians are big on glamour, the Georgians appear more bohemian and artistic with an effortless easy going attitude.  ‘We like our women with some flesh’ my driver George told me – ‘and besides there are more important things to do then all this running activity like in the west.’

Proposing a toast…

Heading back to my hotel in the dark I stumbled into a courtyard and a little art gallery where a glass of cognac was thrust into my hand.  I was made to sit and then eagerly pressed for my thoughts on Georgia, what Britain thought about Georgia, and what songs I could sing.  Mikael, bought out a 3 stringed panduri which he played and sang and endless toasts were made long into the night.  I had been told of the legendary hospitality, and lust for food and drink and the Georgians take it pretty seriously – yet instead of falling over and passing out (which they claim is more a Russian trait), they appear to maintain composure (just about) and just continue to sing eat and drink more. When someone proposes a toast, it will be pondered in reverential tones and everyone nods in agreement.  Then the drink is downed, glasses are filled, a song is sung and someone else must propose a toast and so it goes on…

Follow Amelia into the Georgian countryside

As I sped towards the border with Georgia I reflected upon everything I had seen and done in Armenia – a civilisation so rich in history, culture and religion it was impossible to do it justice in the time I had.  I’d driven through Kurdish settlements, who’d come here in the mid-19^th century as successful cattle breeders. Heard about the minority of Molokans, or milk drinkers, who had been exiled from Russia to Armenia by Catherine the Great in the mid-18^th Century for refusing to accept Orthodoxy by drinking milk on fasting days.  There are only now 4500 of them living near Lake Sevan and are much in demand for their cleaning skills and pickled cabbage!  I had never known about the devastating earthquake that had ripped apart the town of Spitak in 1988 killing about 30,000 people and leaving hundreds of orphans in its wake.  Or the perpetrations of Azerbaijan on the thousands of historical Kachjar monuments now wiped away for good…

My last night…

We dined on khorgin – or ‘shepherds backpack’ – thin crispy bread filled with melting beef and sweet onions.  Some folk musicians appeared and gave an impromptu concert; one man on the drums and one on the dukduk – a mournful sounding reed pipe made famous for some of the sound track to the film Gladiator.  I had heard the very piece played by a man at the 1^st C temple of Garni a few days previously which is an Armenian folk tune itself.  He explained how the pipe was made from the wood of the much beloved apricot tree found all over the country and used to make jam, as well as the grappa and sweet wine.  After our meal we were offered some Ararat cognac which Churchill had once taken rather a liking to and had requested 365 bottles from Stalin.  These he duly received whilst inadvertently setting the cognac producer free from a Siberian gulag.

Lasting thoughts…

I wandered back through Republic Square stopping at the singing fountains to watch the music dance in a vibrant techni-colour light show and was reminded by Irina our guide that Byron had once studied the Armenian language when in Venice in 1817 and written: ‘…Whatever may have been their destiny, their country must ever be one of the most interesting, on the globe…And perhaps their language only requires to be more studied to become more attractive.’

Follow Amelia across the border to Georgia…

This morning I stood in the shadow of the fourth century Monastery of Khor Virap on the lesser slopes of Mount Ararat holding a dove in my hand…It really wouldn’t have surprised me if Noah had suddenly stepped into the sunshine leading a trail of animals, and beckoned me towards the Ark.  This country has a distinctly biblical feel and an astonishing number of Monasteries, many dating back to the fourth century.  Khor Virap is perhaps one of the most picturesque given its location so close to Ararat and the border with Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan.  It is an easy 45 minute drive south of the capital Yerevan and into the vast and sparsely populated countryside where the Monastery sits atop a little hill, surrounded by green pastures that bloom with poppies and fig trees in the summer.  Storks perch in huge nests precariously balanced on telegraph poles and people plough the fields and maintain the upkeep of the church including one magnificently moustachioed man whom I managed to sneak a photo of.

Saint Gregory the Illuminator

Many pilgrims journey to this church which is well known for its most famous Saint: Gregory the Illuminator.  He was credited with converting Armenia from paganism to Christianity in 301AD but not before he was imprisoned in a dungeon for 13 years by King Tiridates III.  He survived on a meagre supply of bread and water and you can climb down the very steep steps that line the wall into this darkened chamber to get a feel of what it must have been like…Pretty grim.

Sweet apricot, cherry and pomegranate wine

Travelling further south east the road starts to climb and we passed stalls of wine being sold by elderly weather beaten women and men.  We stopped at a winery to taste sweet apricot, cherry and pomegranate wine before continuing the journey to where the road suddenly plunged into a narrow gorge with impressive redbrick mountains either side dotted with caves and the river Darichay gushing alongside us.  The road eventually winds its way up to yet another spectacular Monastery – that of Norovank from the 13^th Century.  The church is the masterpiece of a very talented Armenian sculptor and miniaturist called Momik and his delicate crosses are beautifully inscribed into the walls.  The surrounding hills are peppered with ‘khachkars’ or tombstones, which are designed with intricate and ornate patterns of crosses. Having explored the church we made our way back down the hill to a little cave, accessed by a tiny wooden bridge where some entrepreneurial Armenians had set up a restaurant.  We ate a hearty meal of dolmas (tightly wrapped meat, rice and tomatoes in vine leaves), curds, goats cheese, pickles and herbs with levansh all washed down with a noggin of apricot grappa or two.

Continue the journey through Armenia

Armenia is a surprising country of contrasts…I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but driving into the capital Yerevan from the airport it certainly wasn’t the many casinos, nightclubs and vodka factories that line the road.  Yerevan is glitzy, it’s glamorous and it’s great people watching.  The epicentre of the city is Republic Square which buzzes all day long but comes alive, especially at night with singing fountains where brightly coloured water moves to classical music and people sit to chat, laugh and flirt. There is plenty to do with the numerous art galleries and classical music venues, flower filled parks, tree-lined shopping avenues and smoky filled jazz bars and cafes. There is a central large and plentiful food market offering up enticing produce and in the evening you can find good restaurants offering up typical Armenian cuisine which will leave you deliciously replete.

My hotel – The Ani Plaza is one of many good, 4 star hotels with a huge lobby and piano bar buzzing with business men and all kinds of travellers.  The indoor pool is large and the views from my 6^th floor are spectacular as I look out onto the snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat.  It is a safe, easy city to wander about in especially in the evening.  The people are relaxed and friendly and this really seems a city full of people who come to enjoy it.

A spectacular countryside

In contrast the countryside is sparse and although obviously poor, is no less enticing with spectacular mountains, fields of cherry and apricot blossom and carpets of flowers and summer fruits. Infrastructure is good as are hotels outside the capital. The architecture and particularly the monuments inherit much from Russia and there is a certain solemnity in the landscapes which are brutally harsh and bleak in winter and where somehow people eke out a living.

The country is littered with Monasteries – sitting atop hills, hidden in secret valleys or overlooking the magnificent Lake Sevan where I tasted some of the best fish I’d ever had – trout lightly grilled in lemon and mountain herbs.  The wine that accompanied was equally as good – a chilled dry Armenian white not unlike a Riesling.  Meals generally consist of three courses starting with a mezze type array of dishes that include small balls of salty goats’ cheese with tarragon, all kinds of pickles and dried meats, delicately cooked spinach and vine leaves, eggplant and yogurt.  This is served with different varieties of bread known as levansh. The second course is either grilled fish or meat or perhaps thin slices of steak cooked in cognac with buttery rice, walnuts and dried fruit.  An Armenian thick dark coffee with a cinnamon cake or honey backlava completes the meal whereupon it’s then time for a lie down. It is clearly a much beloved past time of Armenians to eat and drink and trust me they do it very well.

Continue to part 2 “Khor Virap and Norovank”…

Top Tigers

India is far and away the best place to see tigers, although even here they are seriously endangered. Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is a particularly good place for sightings, with stretches of savannah plains, 1,300 square miles of lush forest and countless species of wildlife (read: prey for tigers), this is the area that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book.

Lion around

Duba Plains Camp in Botswana is one of the most remote camps in the Okavango Delta, and just happens to be one of the best places in Africa to see Lions. Rather unhelpfully these big beasts normally hunt by night but for some reason seem to hunt buffalo (their key prey) a lot by day at Duba.

Jaguar spotting

Jaguars are among the world’s most elusive big cats, but in the glorious wetland region of the Pantanal in Brazil we have unearthed (not literally, he lives above ground) a jaguar specialist who all but guarantees sightings.

Coyote Ugly Scenes

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase of puma sightings in Yosemite National Park in the USA. Sightings in the park are often of these elegant predators hunting coyotes. Road Runner will be pleased.

Spot the leopard

The South Luangwa Valley in Zambia is home to an impressive population of leopards, as the terrain and large amount of small game makes the park the perfect habitat – get up close to them on game drives or even on walks.