A Lovely Island

This time last year, I was in San Antonio, Ibiza. It was my ninth visit, and I was happy to be back :) So, I figured now was as good a time as any to post this piece that I found in the depths of my parents' computer, which I wrote way back in 2008...

My most recent, and indeed my most frequent holiday destination is San Antonio in the Balearic Isle of Ibiza. I’ve been to San An, as it is affectionately known, several times now and as such feel suitably qualified to comment on the town! Not normally someone to return to the same place twice I usually take a “been there, seen that” attitude to picking a holiday spot, preferring to try new countries and experiences and tick as many places off my “yet to visit” list as possible. San Antonio changed that for me, and I will continue to go back there as long as they’ll have me! My most recent visit, in June this year, was no different to my previous six holidays there, and I enjoyed a fantastic, memorable break.

Before I talk about the many positive factors that make Ibiza such a great holiday destination, I feel I should address the negative reputation associated with San Antonio, which has built up since the 1990’s thanks mainly to the cable television series Ibiza Uncovered. This programme saw hordes of drunken teenagers staggering around the West End area of the town downing cheap, day-glow cocktails, taking drugs, having sex and generally behaving in a manner that certainly did not paint them in a positive light! While I am in no way suggesting that this sort of thing doesn’t happen, I am at pains to point out that certainly not everyone who visits San Antonio is looking for this kind of holiday.

Personally, I enjoy the more relaxed side of San Antonio. The Sunset Strip, a long stretch of bars and restaurants on the coast of San Antonio, offers an unmissable chance to watch a beautiful sunset while sipping a champagne cocktail and listening to chill out music. The people who frequent these bars are not interested in free vodka shot offers or cheesy chat-up lines; they’re there to enjoy a nice drink and good conversation in a picturesque setting. There is no better start to an evening than watching the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea before slowly wandering down to a livelier bar on the town’s main front. My personal favourite is Bar M, the pre-party venue of the famous club night Manumission**. Bar M is a glass-walled bar boasting a stage which has played host to some of the world’s top bands and DJ’s. The upstairs balcony has fantastic views of the bay and is a welcome alternative to the sweaty, beer soaked West End bars just a few hundred yards away.

Another misconception about Ibiza is that it only caters for fans of dance and house music. While I will admit that this genre is the more prevalent, it is by no means the only option. As a self-confessed “rock chick” I could direct you to some fantastic venues playing rock and indie music, where I can all but guarantee a fantastic night. There are also venues catering for fans of R ‘n’ B, hip-hop, seventies, country and many more. Even the major “Super clubs” have started offering a wider range of music, with different events held throughout each week.

I also feel that it’s important for me to mention how safe I feel in San Antonio. The majority of my visits to Ibiza have been with a female friend, and as a duo of young women we have never felt intimidated or threatened in any way. The streets of San Antonio are well lit and easy to navigate, and there is always a police presence to put you at ease. Everyone working in the bars, clubs and hotels is friendly and helpful and behaves in a professional manner. In the six years I’ve been visiting San Antonio I can only recall one incident in which the police had to intervene, and have never been subjected to anything more than harmless banter from anyone I’ve encountered. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of my nights out in the UK!

As well as being a fantastic town in it’s own right, San Antonio is the perfect base for exploring Ibiza and all this unique island has to offer. From the hippy markets of Las Dalias and Puntra Arabi and the celebrity haunt and beautiful beaches of Formentera Island during the day, to the world famous Super clubs Pacha and Space at night, there really is something for everybody here.

 I would recommend Ibiza to my best friend, my boss or my grandmother and be confident they could all find something to love about it. I have been going since the age of twenty, and hope to still be going at 90. I had an amazing time this June and can’t wait to get out there again next year. Ibiza, and San Antonio in particular, will always have a special place in my heart.

**2012 update: Bar M is now known as the Ibiza Rocks Bar. It's still awesome.

Sunset from Bar Mambo. Never gets old.

South Africa: Big 5, Big Fun!

So... I went to South Africa in March! I haven't blogged about it on here yet, but I will most definitely be doing so a lot from now on... and here's part one :)


My first few days in South Africa were spent at a game reserve near Port Elizabeth where Real Gap Experience sends travellers for their South Africa Experience and Big 5 Wildlife and Community programmes. My friends and I were guests of the owner Shakir, and he very generously ensured we had an amazing time!

We arrived around 3pm and after settling into our rooms we headed straight off to the Predator Camp, where we were to be shown around by ranger Patrick. The Predator Camp is home to younger cats, who live there until they are big enough and old enough to be released into the wild reserve. Patrick was very friendly and knowledgeable, and told us all about the animals as he showed us around. First stop was the Bengal Tiger enclosure, which I was surprised about as tigers are not native to Africa. However, Patrick explained that the first tigers to come to the project were rescued from an illegal and cruel owner in Johannesburg and since then the staff at the project have built up a breeding programme with the tigers, to help preserve this rare and beautiful species. So far, two tigers have been sent to live safely in their native India already, and more will hopefully follow them soon. Also living in the Predator Camp are cheetahs, African lions and the very rare (and stunningly beautiful!) Namibian White Lions.

 Awww, tiger kisses!

That evening we were visited by Simon, who looks after the museum at the reserve. As well as information about the history of the reserve and the village it’s in, the museum is home to several snakes and spiders, and Simon is very enthusiastic about them! He brought one of his favourite (and one of the biggest!) snakes along, and I was able to hold her. Not so much fun for my friend Honor who is terrified of snakes, but it was cool to learn about them, and Simon also spoke to us about the plight of rhinos in South Africa, and the challenges facing environmentalists as poaching for their valuable horns is unfortunately rife.


The next morning I got up early and along with my friend Jen, headed to the herb garden and “Touch Farm” where we were able to play with the rabbits and guinea pigs who live there. As well as the small furries, there are also some ostriches, a wildebeest (who trod on my toe – ouch!) and some impala living on site, and also some horses which volunteers can take for rides if they wish.

 Some of the many rabbits who live at the Touch Farm

Next up it was the part of our stay that me and my friends had been looking forward to the most – game drive time! Patrick picked us up in one of the reserve four-by-fours and we were off... driving through the reserve trying to spot the Big 5 with expert help from Patrick. It was a great experience and we were lucky enough to see loads of animals, including zebra, elephants, buffalo, springbok, giraffes, antelopes, numerous species of birds and more. We also stumbled upon some volunteers working hard removing alien vegetation, and they told us what a great time they were having at the project, which was lovely to hear.

There's an elephant in the background of this pic, honest!

That afternoon, I was shown around the whole project site, and got to see the luxury hotel and lodge accommodation as well as the two volunteer quarters, which were amazing! The volunteers have lovely shared areas with comfortable sofas, television and DVD players and kitchen facilities where they can make drinks and store snacks. They also have their own lockable storage space near their beds in the dorm rooms, and the bathrooms are sparkling clean with modern facilities. Shakir also showed me the “cinema room” where films are sometimes shown on a big screen for volunteers in the evenings, the swimming pool, tennis courts, cricket field, playground and gym (all of which are available for volunteers to use as well as the hotel guests) and the dining area where meals are served. The volunteers have their own catering team and I can personally vouch for how delicious the food is! They cater fantastically for vegetarians (my friend Honor doesn’t eat meat and thoroughly enjoyed all her meals) and all meat is Halal.

After a good night’s sleep we were up early and excited to head to the elephant camp, which is around a five minute drive from the main reserve. The camp is home to four female elephants who were all rescued from being culled in the Kruger Park, and welcomes visitors who come along to learn about elephants and get up close and personal with these beautiful girls! The elephants have been trained to put on shows for visitors, but they are trained in a caring and non-violent way (they learn using a reward based method) and only “work” for a few hours a day, being free to roam as they please for the remainder of their time.

As the elephants came out of their wooden shelter, they were accompanied by their handlers, who were riding on their backs. They then showed us their skills – walking together in a circle, lining up, kneeling down in unison and raising their trunks. Next up, we were allowed a ride! I hopped on and joined handler Cuthbert, who introduced me to his elephant Mujamba, and we strolled around the camp, walking past grazing zebra and impala. Cuthbert was really enthusiastic and informative about elephants, and you could tell he really loved Mujamba! After our ride we were able to help feed the elephants their vegetable pellets, which are a treat for them and act as a thank you for the ride. I gave Mujamba pellets into her trunk and also into her mouth (which was a bit messy and gross if I’m honest, but fun too!)

 Feeding Mujamba

My time at the Big 5 reserve was all too brief, but it was great to get a taster of the project and it’s work, and see firsthand what Real Gap volunteers get up to. My friends and I all had a fantastic time, and would recommend a stay to anyone :)

www.realgap.com

Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa is a quiet mountain town in Northern Vietnam, and is home to many a diverse range of ethnic minorities, most of who work as farmers on the sloping mountain fields. I visited Sapa on a 3 night tour as part of my stay in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city.

I met the rest of my group at 8pm on Thursday - Emma, Alison, Matthew, Natalie and Jen. Apart from Emma (who's Canadian) they were all American so I was the sole English representative! We got the night train to Lao Cai, which was much nicer than I had been expecting - quite roomy and plush, with quaint little lampshades and frilly curtains. I didn't get much sleep however - lots of chatting and a very bumpy ride - and was woken at 4:30am by a lady walking up and down the corridor shouting "good morning - coffee!" We got to Sapa from the train station on a very small, cramped bus which was clearly not designed for long tall Westerners such as ourselves! After 2 hours we were relived to get off the bus and were greeted by a very welcome a breakfast of bread and eggs - foodstuff which was to become quite a theme of the weekend!

After breakfast everyone bought ponchos, as the slight drizzle that had started was worrying us. I already had a rain jacket I’d borrowed from my roommate Rosie but decided to get the poncho to put over the top and keep my rucksack dry, and it turned out to be a wise decision! We met up with our tour guide Zao and he told us that the first day of the trek would be about 7km, stopping for lunch on the way before heading to our accommodation for the night. This was in a traditional mountainside village where a local family from the Red Dao tribe would put us up for the night in their home. Despite not being an experienced hiker I was as enthusiastic about the weekend as the rest of the group and we all set off in high spirits despite the slight drizzling rain.

 Looking sexy in my poncho!

Only about five minutes into our trek it started to absolutely pour with rain and we were all quickly soaked! I was wearing trainers, but they were Velcro fastening and open at the top so certainly NOT footwear appropriate for awful weather. Of course, it was very muddy too and my ridiculous shoes were soon ruined. To make matters worse they also cut my ankles (unprotected by socks – what a fool I am!) to shreds. Basically, I was cold, wet, in pain and I was trekking. All things I am not renowned for handling well. For about 2 hours the only words that came out of my mouth were four letter ones, normally in a long stream of expletives and accompanied by wails of dismay or screams of frustration. I was the stereotypical moaning English woman and I HATED Sapa. I did not want to admire the amazingly beautiful scenery, or take any photos. I wanted to go back to my room in Hanoi and get dry, and clean. I was a bitch - I was THE bitch. I couldn't even raise a smile at Matthew and Zao chucking massive rocks in an attempt at male bonding and to create stepping stones over a river that looked much better suited to white water rafting than trekking through. Then (and this could only happen to me) I took a fatally ill-advised route (which had seemed to me to be a short cut, but was actually being avoided by the others for an excellent reason) and ended up knee deep - literally - in goat poo. I even lost one of my shoes in the stuff and had to fish it out. I was swearing, wearing the least flattering poncho known to man, and covered in poo up to my knees. Everyone laughed at me, and I had to join in. It broke the ice, and my mood!

 Some of the gang with local ladies

Over lunch it stopped raining, and after more bread and eggs plus two cans of full calorie coke (or soda, as the Americans called it) I was feeling a little better and we set off for the home stay after a toilet stop in a small shack with a hole in the ground. The walk wasn't anywhere near as bad as the morning trek, and by now we were all well used to wading through deep waterfalls and muddy puddles no problem, and were able to enjoy the spectacular views of rice fields being tended by farmers and their animals, tall cloud covered mountains and waterfalls full to bursting and streaming down the mountainside. We soon arrived at the home stay and met our hosts, who provided us with green tea and the most delicious french fries known to man, as well as the use of their shower (bliss!). It was also an opportunity for the local women to sell their wares - as a total sucker completely unable to haggle I spent more than anyone else and now have many, many Sapa souvenirs.

 Matthew and Alison check out the souvinirs on offer

The traditional Vietnamese dinner prepared that night by our hostess was amazing. We all ate plenty, washed down with "happy water" - locally produced rice wine, which was lethal stuff. We laughed long and hard about the days events, particularly the rocks in the river and me in the poo incidents, as well as Zao regularly performing the splits and calling out cheerful warnings of "be careful - the man, he carry a tree" and "it's slippery" (both of which were painfully obvious) and Matthew and Emma's rice field conversation which resulted in Matt having to remind Emma that "actually, I'm NOT a rice farmer." There are many more “in jokes” - I guess you had to be there!

After a great nights sleep in amazing, mosquito net covered loft beds, and a yummy pancake breakfast (plus more bread and eggs!) we set off for the final leg of our trek. We were accompanied by several local women wearing traditional dress and bearing souvenirs. These women - all tiny - basically carried us along the slippery, treacherous 5km route and there is no doubt that we would all have fallen to our deaths without them. They were all lovely ladies, happily telling us about their lives and pointing out interesting sights. It goes without saying that we all bought plenty more Sapa "goodies" from them when we stopped for lunch - I paid Cooh (who had walked with me, saving my life on many occasions) a small Vietnamese fortune for two purses.

 Me with Cooh

Our return to Sapa town was a relief - trekking (or any sort of physical exercise!) is not something I get involved with very often and I was glad to see somewhere to rest and take a shower! The rest of the group and I swapped email addresses and thanked Zao for being such an excellent guide and keeping our spirits up during the terrible weather and then it was back onto the night train for another bumpy night back home to Hanoi.

Sapa is hard to explain in words. The scenery is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen on my travels, and the local people are all welcoming and friendly, and keen to help you in any way they can. It was totally different to anything I've ever experienced - awful and amazing in equal measures, but I wouldn’t change a second of it and will treasure my memories of this picturesque and fascinating town for a lifetime.

 Stunning

I booked my trek with Hanoi Backpackers. Check them out here: http://www.hanoibackpackershostel.com/tours