Putting my hand to my forehead, I knew I was burning up. After a long drink of cold water, I crawled under my net and into my sleeping bag, telling myself I was just overtired and needed nothing more than a good night’s sleep. Only a few hours later, I awoke to find myself drenched in sweat. Crying out in my sleep, the woman sharing my tent had woken up and switched on her torch, only to find me semi- delirious and running a fever of 40 degrees...
I’d trekked around the area, seen all kinds of unusual flora and fauna. and taken an early morning jeep drive, out in the bush, which had been spectacular. And, fearlessly, that morning, I’d canoed down the river, for over 2 hours, and found myself almost hysterical with delight when I spied a huge group of hippos not a few metres from my boat, lounging on the river banks and two or three 90% immersed in the water...
I'm asked again and again how I pack for a long trip. There's no easy answer – a lot depends on you personally, not to mention where you're going and for how long you're going. But over the years, there are five things I've learned never to leave home without:
Magilite Flashlight – When the electricity in your guest house conks out, don't assume the management is going to be able to fix it immediately...
The detective motioned to two of his men and without a word they grabbed me, one by each arm.
“You, madam, are going to a side room.”
Gripping me tightly, I was walked down a long, narrow corridor, at the bottom of which was a door with bars. Sick with anticipation, I willed them to keep walking on. They stopped, and one unlocked the door. With a rough shove, the other pushed me inside. It was a cell...
No-one said a word to me. I wondered how many times this had happened before, and cursed myself once more for having travelled alone. No-one knew where I was…I hadn’t used email for over a week, and hadn’t placed a single call to Europe in over a month and a half. My parents were used to these trips of mine, as were my friends. I’d chosen to travel incognito and now I was paying the price.
As I sat on the hard wooden bench, sticky and dehydrated from the heat and hot air blowing my way, I forced myself to face the unfortunate facts. However it had happened, I was in trouble. Zanzibar was semi-autonomous from Tanzania. There was no way – even if I could borrow the money for another boat ticket – that the authorities would let me leave without my passport. And all I had on me now was close to $20...
If you're planning on travelling for more than a couple of weeks, as a backpacker, then buying a pack that suits you and your specific travel needs is a critical decision. A well-made, sturdy backpack isn't going to be cheap but – and I can't emphasise this enough – it's going to be money well spent. When you invest in a decent piece of gear, it's going to be like a great friendship – it will hold up in good times and bad, and it won't disintegrate after the odd run-in...
As you walk through the door, the comforting aroma of brewing coffee combines with the enticing scent of fresh, crumbly chocolate-chip scones. The décor is homey and eclectic, beckoning you in. Behind the counter awaits a tantalizing array of muffins, bagels, cupcakes, buttermilk pancakes and biscuits. Welcome to NOLA Bakery, in the heart of Tel Aviv...
Vlad Bykanov admits he wasn't a kid who could sit still for more than five minutes. And when you watch a video of him racing round an ice rink, fast enough to make your head spin, you understand why. Because this is a man with a real passion for skating – a passion so great that by the age of 16 he was already competing on the world scene and in his mid-20s representing Israel at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics...
Asne Seirstad definitely makes the cut in my list, for "The Bookseller of Kabul", a tale of post-Taliban Afghanistan but with a “personal” twist. After befriending Sultan Khan (who, for years, had defied the authorities and kept open a bookstore in the capital), the author was invited to move into his home, where she subsequently spent several months living with him and his extended family (his mother, his aunts, Khan’s two wives and five children).
If there's one thing you can't leave home without, it's travel insurance and I can't emphasise this enough. One of the first pieces of advice I give to someone planning a trip is, don't even think of hitting the road without it. When you're on the road, you have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst – and, as I found out over the years, things can and will go wrong, just when you're least expecting it...
