The A-Z of Hidden Travel Gems (Part 3 of 3)

Oct 1

9 min read

In the first two parts of my travel guide, countries from A to G and H to O were covered respectively.

As we reach the home stretch there is something that I value which has remained with me throughout my travelling experiences.

I feel that travelling, particularly when travelling alone, teaches a person a lot.

Much time can be spent in quiet reflection and even observing others; how they move around, what actions they take and their behaviour in certain situations.

The world is our oyster, they say, and that is so true. Whilst the earth is vast, on the face of it we are all living in a relatively small area and so learning from each other is a privilege that I am grateful for.

So without further ado, onto the final instalment for my A-Z of gems of places to visit or things to do in the countries I have had been fortunate enough to experience.

1. Portugal

If you want to taste some of the best barbecued seafood and the freshest, most tastiest (it surprised me) sardine pâté, head to the little fishing village of Alvor in the Algarve.

There, the cobbled streets are lined with laid back and casual restaurants (often the way) that serves up great hospitality, delicious food and a buzzy atmosphere.

The Cataplana is the next best thing to try in this traditional fishing village and it is doubtful you will find better.

Hiring a car in Portugal is the best way to be able to see a lot. Heading down the coast provides picture postcard scenery and on reaching Sagres, you might agree that a walk and a few windswept photos taken will prove the drive to be worthwhile.

Venturing a little further around the coast brings you to the most southwestern tip of mainland Europe and will find yourself at Cabo de São Vicente which I remember to be even windier and quite spectacularly felt like I was at the edge of the earth.

A city break in Portugal is equally as hospitable and we found ourselves in Lisbon to attend a wedding when our daughter was 9 weeks old (and her very first time on a plane).

It may not be easy pushing a buggy up (and keeping hold of it on the descents) of the hilly Lisbon cobbled pavements but the hard work in doing so was certainly made up by every local we met who went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

They seemed delighted we dined out in the evenings, baby in tow, as we placed the pushchair bassinet under our table so she could continue her slumber as we ate our evening meal.

2. Scotland

If there is one place I could spend the rest of my days it would be in Scotland.

From the friendly Scots (a smile is always returned and help is on offer whenever it’s needed) to the laidback efficiency the country provides (things get done with little drama even when problems arise), there is so much on offer in Scotland but most of all genuine kindness.

The two distinctly different cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh provide art, culture, shopping, good food and even great walks.

Travelling a little further out and breathing in the country air undoubtedly brings me a sense of peace and calm every time I am there. The breathtaking landscapes never get boring.

Aberdeenshire might be one of the most beautiful places in the UK I have seen with the awe it brings being comparable to the Lake District in parts.

Driving around and stopping off to just look is the best way to take it all in and the huge skies and never ending greenery provides a great canvas for some very pretty villages dotted in between.

The coastline north of Aberdeen is not to be missed from marvelling the incredible Bow Fiddle Rock in Portknockie to eating an original Cullen skink in Cullen.

Heading back down to Aberdeen, Bullers of Buchan didn’t display the puffins we went to see but plenty of common murres instead.

Newburgh Beach is worth a stop to see the colony of seals and to see so many in the wild is a real treat.

3. Singapore

Another place I have memories from as a young child is Singapore.

I only remember the compound in which we lived though and I guess I was about 3 or 4 years old.

It was green and lush if not a little clinical. The houses were dotted around a roundabout with a shared swimming pool on the other side.

I remember the ice-cream motorcycle (no vans here) stopping off for people to buy sweet treats and I got too close to the exhaust pipe and burnt my leg.

The other thing I remember is my sister leading me home by my hand as we looked up to the sky and her telling me the moon was following us, which seemingly it was.

The dark side of this story is that our residential compound had been built on a former prisoner-of-war camp and my sister would wake up with night terrors and afraid of what she saw. This wasn’t helped by the lady who looked after my sister being convinced our house was possessed. The tale goes on that the house was exorcised and the poor lady sectioned in one of Singapore’s mental health hospitals.

4. Spain

Having been to Spain a number of times at varying stages of my life, I can confirm it has much to offer at any age.

In my younger days, being more sociable than I might be now, drinking until dawn and beyond and sleeping in seems a distant memory.

As an adult and parent, the shops and beaches are a draw with a day trip to Barcelona offering the culture and buzz that appeals to city goers.

Stumbling into an art gallery when we last visited introduced us to the artwork of Joan Peris who we commissioned a piece of art from and I still love seeing new things in every day.

Wandering around the popular sights of La Rambla & La Boqueria which will prove to be tourist traps might feel underwhelming (taken from recent feedback) but Sagrada Família is worth at least a visit externally (and if an internal tour is on the cards, pre-purchasing tickets in advance for a tour is bound to be worthwhile).

The Spanish islands like Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Lanzarote may be touristy but also have places to see which are worth the journeys.

5. Sri Lanka

The Cultural Triangle Tour took us to places that were magical during our honeymoon, particularly because it was shortly after the Boxing Day Tsunami occurred and tourists did not choose to venture to this most wonderful country.

Unfortunately, we visited at a time when digital cameras didn’t exist and the humidity got into our camera with a whole roll of film being destroyed so this picture is credited to Unsplash but is very similar to the one we took.

Credit: Unsplash

Everything about it was special, from the people to the ancient sites to the food. Besides it being a special time in our lives, Tilak, our driver responsible for our itinerary and keeping us on track, was one of the kindest people I have had the fortune of meeting.

Tilak worked hard and so when he suggested he wanted to meet us after his working hours we were surprised. He introduced us to Ceylon’s infamous Arrack. This firewater might not be for the non-drinker but it was kind of him to share it with us.

I told Tilak of my close relationship with my late grandpa and how he and my Nannan had left me £1,000 in his Will. Grandpa had been stationed in Kandy in WWII and always spoke fondly of his time there (I have a recording of his story). I had hoped to use the money left to me to buy a pink sapphire in Sri Lanka.

Without hesitation, the next day Tilak advised us he could plan a trip to a gem factory within the Kandy area and shortly after he organised a visit to Kahandawela Gems which didn’t have a website in those days. In fact, it was a hole in a mountain with stairs leading down into it.

I picked my pink sapphire and designed the pendant it should sit in. It was ready to collect just a day or two later and it was perfect. It was later valued in Hatton Garden in London for insurance purposes and was valued at double the price I paid for it which was, I admit, a pleasant surprise.

We also bought wooden elephants which I had my eye on but little did we know how heavy they were (Tilak insisted he carried them to the car, into our hotel room and back to the car for our onward journey home) until we carried them as hand luggage which raised smiles throughout the airport terminals we travelled through.

The grand finale of hospitality from Tilak was taking us to his family home to meet his family. His wife prepared what can only be described as a feast for us and sent us on our way with authentic Ceylon spices which I used sparingly to try to create the many delicious curries we had while we were there in the months we returned home.

6. St Lucia

As a child I went to St Lucia and remember it being very green.

When I became a parent, I believed it would be a great place to holiday with a young child given the Caribbean hospitality that is on offer.

We weren’t wrong as the Kids’ Club staff St James’s Club at Morgan Bay, now revamped and rebranded as the adult only (a real shame!), all-inclusive Secrets St Lucia Resort & Spa, captivated our child so much that she didn’t want to spend time with us!

She was kept busy playing with people of a similar age, sandcastle building, painting, tie-dye, dancing, watching films past her bedtime and generally enjoying life in a lovely environment.

When we did manage to drag our daughter away from the Kids’ Club, we enjoyed spending time together on boat trips, including a trip to see the incredible Pitons, snorkelling, swimming, sandcastle and mermaid building and coconut eating.

The volcanic sand was acutely visible in places and some of the areas like Marigot Bay were interesting spots to visit with the houses of the rich and famous pointed out to us as we sailed past.

7. Taiwan

Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to travel outside Taipei and so my experience of the country is limited.

Most of the friends I made there (during the boarding school holidays) were western residents who went to the American School and had their own group of friends so I slotted in as and when I could.

I spent many days at the American Club Taipei and played a lot of tennis with my Mum and her friends, followed by lunch and was often a bowl of chickpea soup (much better than it sounds!) and a bread roll.

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is interesting and there are many other culturally rich places to see in Taiwan.

For expats, it is quite different from other countries. With a smaller community, friendships are formed through tighter social circles within the members’ clubs available.

When I finished my A Levels and before starting university, the summer spent in Taipei showed me a different side to the country.

The nightlife was abundant and it was during that summer that I really learned how Taipei woke up after dark.

8. Thailand

I have many fond memories of Thailand having been there a couple of times.

Diving the Similan Islands was an experience and we learned of a dive instructor having an unfortunate experience with a friendly and sociable moray eel which had been used to being fed by hand by divers and mistook the diver’s finger for a sausage. The story goes that the Boxing Day Tsunami made the eel (called Eric) go mad and become aggressive but any internet search refers to Emma simply wanting to be fed quicker.

The many Thai festivals are fascinating and provided you aren’t walking down the street to go for dinner in your glad rags during the Water Festival, known locally as ‘Songkran, (we were!) it should be a relatively undramatic evening.

You know you will always get a good (and cheap) meal wherever you go and one of the hotels we stayed in offered cake for breakfast which kept my husband very happy, along with the rather large monitor lizard that was being shooed away by restaurant staff.

Credit: Unsplash

The walking trails are great, being wary of spiders and snakes, albeit a very hot exercise and is an invigorating experience.

We visited an orphanage, in which many residents were as a result of the tsunami and they couldn’t have been more friendly. They performed a show for us, spoke with us and drew pictures for us as they were happy someone visited them.

It is not wrong to describe Thailand as the ‘Land of Smiles’ and there is so much to see and do and for any budget (once you get there!) that anyone can find something that interests them.

9. Wales

I have been to Wales a few times for specific reasons: the first was a weekend away as my then boyfriend (now husband) and his brother went white water rafting as my now sister-in-law got to know one another back in the day.

It was very cold and wet but the place we were staying was warm and comfortable.

For those who enjoy spending time outdoors, Wales offers many activities and places to visit.

That’s the end of the alphabetical list of places I have visited or lived in.

Travelling requires flexibility, adaptability and problem solving, often in equal measures.

There is plenty more for me to experience and Japan and South America feature high on my bucket list of countries to visit.

I have always enjoyed seeing new places, fitting in a combination of touristy things to do and others that are slightly less so.

I feel hugely fortunate to have done as much travelling as I have. I believe being able to experience different countries through living in them creates a completely different perspective than visiting them as a tourist.

They say travelling is the best classroom in life.

To be able to see and appreciate how others live is a privilege and often an eye opener.