Alphabet Travel

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Selby White
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by Selby White »

Leonickroberts wrote:
Z = A quick endorsement for Zion National Park. Of all the US NPs, this is the one that's blown me away the most. Truly amazing landscape, and some amazing hiking. Angel's Landing isn't technically, hard but has some pretty terrifying drops that are worth Googling. If you're in the area, Grand-Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a giant wilderness area nearby that's also stunning.

[
Had looked up Angels Landing and may have gone for that one if i could have persuaded Mrs SW :D .
Will get back there.
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Selby White
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Re: Alphabet Travel

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NottinghamWhite wrote:
Dallas - Always fancied spending some time in Texas. The TV programme drew me to this particular city.
Dallas is on my list (but mainly Fort Worth) as both go together but are very different.

Have actually been to Texas 4 times -
Houston - Just a big City could be anywhere.
Austin - Great music scene, lots of little bars/restaurants with decent acts and of course the state capitol.
Amarillo - Yep found it for one night when doing route 66.

San Antonio - Massive Mexican influence and of course home to the Alamo. Beautiful City especially along the riverwalk which is packed with places to eat.
My fav and want to go back to San Antonio.
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Leonickroberts
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by Leonickroberts »

Selby White wrote:
Leonickroberts wrote:
Z = A quick endorsement for Zion National Park. Of all the US NPs, this is the one that's blown me away the most. Truly amazing landscape, and some amazing hiking. Angel's Landing isn't technically, hard but has some pretty terrifying drops that are worth Googling. If you're in the area, Grand-Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a giant wilderness area nearby that's also stunning.

[
Had looked up Angels Landing and may have gone for that one if i could have persuaded Mrs SW :D .
Will get back there.
The trail is in really good condition (lots of it is paved), and mostly it's not too scary, but there's one 20 yard section which scared the bejasus out of me. :D Thoroughly recommend it.
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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by NottinghamWhite »

Leo

I traveled to Zululand ( South Africa ) the wife was working & I had some holiday to use. One night In Bonamanzi Reserve everyone left really early to go to there tents. Cold white wine was brought out & just as they were going to put the camp lights out Bruce ( our guide ) said to me come with me but very quietly & about 20 yards from where we were sitting was a Bush Baby. I thought nothing would beat that until the lights went out & the sky was amazing in fact truly awesome. The sky seemed full of stars & there was shooting stars as well. I was going to book the same holiday the following year so my wife could witness this incredible sight but they didn’t run the holiday again.
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Leonickroberts
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by Leonickroberts »

NottinghamWhite wrote:Leo

I traveled to Zululand ( South Africa ) the wife was working & I had some holiday to use. One night In Bonamanzi Reserve everyone left really early to go to there tents. Cold white wine was brought out & just as they were going to put the camp lights out Bruce ( our guide ) said to me come with me but very quietly & about 20 yards from where we were sitting was a Bush Baby. I thought nothing would beat that until the lights went out & the sky was amazing in fact truly awesome. The sky seemed full of stars & there was shooting stars as well. I was going to book the same holiday the following year so my wife could witness this incredible sight but they didn’t run the holiday again.
It's a hell of a country isn't it NW - that sounds like an amazing trip. I don't know Bonamanzi at all, but have heard really good stuff about it.

I lived in Cape Town for a while and I don't think I've ever loved anywhere as much as the Western Cape region - mountains, wine, surfing, remote wilderness, incredible food and culture, wildlife - it's got it all. Was meant to be off there for a couple of weeks in December to visit friends, but it's looking unlikely now.
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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by NottinghamWhite »

Leonickroberts wrote:
It's a hell of a country isn't it NW - that sounds like an amazing trip. I don't know Bonamanzi at all, but have heard really good stuff about it.

I lived in Cape Town for a while and I don't think I've ever loved anywhere as much as the Western Cape region - mountains, wine, surfing, remote wilderness, incredible food and culture, wildlife - it's got it all. Was meant to be off there for a couple of weeks in December to visit friends, but it's looking unlikely now.
Yes it’s amazing on the Bonamanzi trip we stayed in St Lucia which was a lovely place with deserted beaches. We were in Cape Town when T Bone steaks were a steak not allowed here but we pigged out there. We stayed at Stellenbosch & had some beautiful wines, remember there was 15 rand to the pound, lived like kings. On our Mozambique trip we visited Swaziland where at the time the king was looking for a new wife. The “ auditions “ were held at a football ground.
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by Leonickroberts »

NottinghamWhite wrote:On our Mozambique trip we visited Swaziland where at the time the king was looking for a new wife. The “ auditions “ were held at a football ground.
Presumably they included a game of murderball :lol:
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Re: Alphabet Travel

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Guyana - It’s capital on the coast is home to 95% of the population. This was another SAGA special offered at a really low price we also managed a week in St Lucia afterwards for another £400 each, absolute bargain as it was also all inclusive. Georgetown was very safe & we visited St George’s Anglican Cathedral which is built entirely out of wood.
We toured extensively but our favourite place was the Kaieteur Falls there was only our party there which made us feel special.

Gambia - Didn’t like it at all it was full of ladies of a certain age who were wrapped round a young local man.

Havana - One of our favourite cities.

Hurghada - Egypt isn’t a favourite venue of mine. We spent Christmas & New Year there a few years ago but constantly felt we were getting ripped off or folk wanted to given half the chance.

India - A magical country where there are extremes in wealth & poverty. The streets are an explosion of noise as vehicles toot there horns constantly. Loved the southern areas of Kerala & Ooty.

Iceland - We were disappointed on the whole with our visit. I hear of people going for a week what on earth do they find to do ?
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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Alphabet Travel

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Leonickroberts wrote:
NottinghamWhite wrote:On our Mozambique trip we visited Swaziland where at the time the king was looking for a new wife. The “ auditions “ were held at a football ground.
Presumably they included a game of murderball :lol:
Apparently once the girl is chosen a mansion is built for her family to live in. We went to see a local tribe doing some dancing in Swahili costumes which meant some of the females were bare chested. All very traditional until as I was returning from the loo I saw them in 4x4’s & on their iPhones which really spoilt the whole thing. What we saw of Swaziland we liked a lot.
I noticed you mentioned Ethiopia earlier where do you go ? We stayed in pretty basic accommodation & the staple diet was bony lamb stew served with Injera which is a sour fermented flatbread with looked like a bathroom sponge it was awful. We traveled the Rift Valley where we saw people heading to a market 10 or 12 miles away carrying goats & calves. We also whilst having lunch one day had a visit from 6 men from the Mursi tribe who we shared our picnic with.
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Re: Alphabet Travel

Post by Leonickroberts »

NottinghamWhite wrote:
Leonickroberts wrote:
NottinghamWhite wrote:On our Mozambique trip we visited Swaziland where at the time the king was looking for a new wife. The “ auditions “ were held at a football ground.
Presumably they included a game of murderball :lol:
I noticed you mentioned Ethiopia earlier where do you go ? We stayed in pretty basic accommodation & the staple diet was bony lamb stew served with Injera which is a sour fermented flatbread with looked like a bathroom sponge it was awful. We traveled the Rift Valley where we saw people heading to a market 10 or 12 miles away carrying goats & calves. We also whilst having lunch one day had a visit from 6 men from the Mursi tribe who we shared our picnic with.
I thought the same about injera, then ended up growing to love it! I've only really been in and around Addis, with work, but still very much enjoyed the culture. Really keen to get out and explore the mountains and the Rift Valley, particularly given your stories above - sounds incredible. I've been to the rift in northern Kenya, but not Ethiopia. Have also been to Mozambique briefly, which you mentioned - another great place - whereabouts did you go and what did you think?

If you enjoyed Ethiopia and South Africa, I'd highly recommend a trip to Namibia. The sand dunes and night skies are unbelievable - really does feel like the ends of the earth in the desert. There's also a weird little German enclave called Swakopmund where everyone speaks (or is) German, and you can get apfelstrudel and whipped cream, even though you're in a tiny little town sitting between a sea of sand and the wild south Atlantic.
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