In early May this year I was lucky enough to take a group of clients to visit the Silk Road, comprising of visiting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. I had been lucky enough to visit this region in 2007 and so was looking forward to seeing how things had changed in the intervening years. […]
Category Archives: Destination
Marvellous Mexico in May
The most wonderful and unexpected part of our two week trip through Mexico was the people! Kind, welcoming and friendly with a gentle approach to life, it made every interaction a pleasure. Being Kiwis may have helped, a visible sigh of relief from some that we weren’t American and in awe that we’d travelled just to […]
A week of Moorish discovery in Andalusia
After Portugal, we took a short flight with TAP from Lisbon to Seville to begin a week of travelling around Andalusia by train. This part of Spain is all about its Moorish history as ‘Al Andalus’ under Islamic rule from the early 8th century until Granada finally fell to the Spanish Reconquista by it’s Catholic […]
A late summer stroll through Portugal’s cities
Bom Dia! 2024 has certainly been Portugal’s year in the travel limelight, with a record number of visitors to this relatively small country of just 10m people. A lot of Discover Travel clients have visited in the last couple of years, and it’s easy to see why; for Europe, it’s still surprisingly affordable, prices are […]
Get through US customs quicker
Ian and Peter have both travelled to the US recently and they recommend using the US’s Mobile Passport Control (MPC) program which allows returning Visa Waiver passengers the chance to bypass the main immigration queues at a growing number of US entry points. The free MPC app allows eligible travellers to securely submit their travel […]
Hawaii with the family…again!
My first visit to Hawaii was in 1988, it felt like a different world to this boy from Salford, I loved the place but it took me 30 years to get back there, and now I have been back 4 times in the last 8 years, so what is it that keeps taking me back? […]
Summertime luxury in Japan with a Hong Kong stopover
My last visit to Hong Kong was almost 25 years ago and I couldn’t wait to revisit this buzzing city as a two-night stopover on the way up to Japan from Auckland. Hong Kong is an easy and interesting stopover with both Cathay Pacific and Air NZ on your way to or from Asia and […]
Explore the Charm of Buenos Aires: A 4-Day Adventure
Buenos Aires is a fantastic city to spend a few days. The cosmopolitan capital of Argentina is rich in history and culture, displays an eclectic mix of architectural styles, and is home to several iconic neighbourhoods just waiting to be explored. Getting There With Air New Zealand offers direct flights between Auckland and Buenos Aires […]
Discovering Turkey: A Journey Through History, Culture, and Scenic Beauty
Istanbul to Konya I had only been to Istanbul before, so I was excited to explore more of Turkey. Was everything I read about as amazing as it sounded? It took two weeks to find out, and yes, it certainly was. When I arrived at SAW airport, immigration was quick, but I had to print […]
A whirlwind 3 week family adventure in the US
It had been a longtime since I had visited New York so I was excited to head back and show New York to my kids Saturday The kids were good on the direct flight from Auckland and we all managed quite a bit of sleep so on arrival it was straight off to Times Sq. […]