Kuala Lumpur

KL is possibly one of the most beguiling, fascinating and baffling cities I have been to. A city very much still in the stage of growth, deep in South East Asia, but filled with Western society influence.

I was incredibly excited about visiting this city before I began traveling, not least because of the draw of the spectacular Petronas towers. Sadly, it was not all I had imagined and more. I, and my girlfriend likewise, could not place our fingers on the exact reason why, but KL just seemed to lack the level of personality we had become accustomed to. Flying straight from the frankly insane Hoi An into the sanitised, developed Kuala Lumpur was as much of a culture shock as the first day landing in Bangkok a month or so prior.

We spent 3 days walking literally everywhere in the city, and whilst it was clean, pretty and the towers were very interesting - we still could find no real hint of character. In a determined quest to become a western metropolis, all individuality and 'Malaysian-ness' had been cleared up and thrown away. The Petronas towers were excellent, not as exciting (or as high) as the nearby Menora tower but stunning up close nonetheless. Underneath the towers is the real shock however, a massive shopping mall.

We walked around the sanitised marble flooring in genuine shock and a fair bit of confusion. Finding a Marks and Spencer after living of street-stall food and genuine asian cuisine for over a month in Malaysia seemed a pretty strange experience.

The hostel we stayed in was borderline terrible, but the staff were friendly enough and it was within walking distance of pretty much everything we wanted to see. The food was nice, the markets were expansive and full of all the cheap knock-offs you could ever want and the pollution was nowhere near the levels expected. B

ut (you could see this coming a mile off), we just didn't fall in love with the city, as we were prone to with most of the others visited.

3 days was enough, and the city was great. But compared to the others visited, I feel we may have been a bit spoilt. You can go to a western city anywhere in metropolitan Europe, why the need for another one the other side of world is something I don't understand.

What to take

It would seem that between September and October travelling is at its most popular. Not particularly surprising given the fact that whilst England is beginning to get greyer and greyer by the day - other far-flung countries are coming into that perfect 'holiday' climate. India is not too hot but just finished its monsoon season, South East Asia is wet but again not excruciatingly hot, and Australia is soon to be entering its summer.

Travelling is almost as iconic a student past-time as slacking off studying until the very last possible second and maintaining an unhealthy blood/alcohol level. Gap years are incredibly important in not only the opportunity of seeing new and amazing places, but also in maturity. Many young adults, myself included, have sought great benefits from the individuality and challenges found whilst travelling. It grants new perspectives and a far greater understanding of the world as a whole.

Of course, travelling is not only a student past-time - as many thousands of people of all ages pack up in search for something more than the European beach destination. And, no matter the age, there are some things that are vital for a successful and enjoyable trip.

It is very easy to get lost in the idealistic imaginings of a perfect trip, bouncing from one place to another, with nothing but your own imagination and bank balance holding you back, but the reality is once you have booked your flights, the real organisation happens.

Working at Blacks Outdoor Store it amazes me how often I have served customers as a last minute panic buy, hours before departure. And it is not simply little essentials, much of the time it could be bags, jackets, boots etc. It seems all to easy to forget the 'essentials' when the 'essentials' simply do not include the genuinely vital things in the minds of many.

So first off, you need a bag. Take into account how long you will be out there for, but remember one main factor, if you can pack for 3 weeks - you can pack for 3 months or more. Where ever you go in the world, there will be facilities to get your clothes cleaned within at most a 3 week period. And if not, get some travel wash. Easy to use and small to carry.

There are three main types of bag to consider when travelling: The giant holdal, the versatile single compartment bag, and the trekking bag. Depending on the kind of accomodation you will be staying in will decide on what you go for. If you are staying put in one place for your trip, take a holdall. If you are in hostels, hotels etc but moving around relatively often - take the single compartment bag, and if you are always on the move and need all your things on you all the time, take the trek bag. Always have a daysack to keep your valuables on you and nearby, most single-compartment bags have them attatched asextra storage space you can detach if needs be.

65L is pretty much the standard size for a good travel bag, only take a bigger size if you are staying in one place or confident in your ability to move it easily and quickly. You can fit everything you will need in that size of bag. Quote me on it. If all your clothes or things don't fit, you have something there you don't need.

Shoes: Are you going to be on your feet all day? Is it going to be hot? Chances are the answer to at least one of these questions will be yes, and to either one - you will need more than just your average pair of trainers. Get some comfy walking sandals or boots depending on circumstance. Yes, they are ugly and you look silly in them, but believe me when I say you will look far sillier complaining all day about your feet and then feel far sillier when you can't go out in the evening because your feet hurt so much. By no means do not stop taking a nice pair of shoes for a night out or just a few days, but remember you really don't need that many pairs of shoes. One pair of shoes, boots, heels etc. take up as much room as at least 3 pairs of underwear. I think we both know what would look worse (not to mention smell worse) between wearing the same pair of shoes for 3 days in a row or wearing the same pair of pants...

Mosquito spray: Take it. Get a plug in for your room at night and a bottle per month of your travelling. Don't bother with the weaker spray, the 100% DEET isn't nice but does no damage. Simply spray on your wrists, ankles and kneck in the evening and 90% of the time you will be fine. If you are anything like me and get bitten constantly, DEET is your best friend whilst travelling.

That about wraps it up for this week, although I'm sure there are thousands of other things I have forgotten to mention. Much like packing for a trip - the more you think about what you have forgotten the more likely it is you will never remember it until you set foot in your first hotel with no towel...

Luxor

This is it, the catalyst for my passion of travelling. Without my time in Egypt I may not have developed the appetite for seeing more than just the average European beach once a year. The poetic aspect to this story of course is the fact that even this trip was never originally planned.

Myself and Lauren decided we needed to book a summer holiday and fancied something different, but as a failed chairman of a desperately dull advertising firm may claim, we were not exactly 'thinking out of the box'. It was by chance that this trip to Luxor came up in relation to our rather limited available price-range. To continue the contrived cliches, a hypothetical lightbulb lit up above our heads. It sounded so exciting, interesting and above all - different. The hotel was perfectly situated on the Nile, we were no more than 20 minutes walk either way from both the Karnak temple to Luxor temple and plenty of other attractions in between.

So, a few weeks later we found ourselves in the sweltering heat of Luxor. It was both the first time I had ever experienced such incredible warmth and genuine poverty. Quite a culture shock to say the least. The second we got off the plane we encountered the culture of tipping for anything and the 'hassle'. Needless to say, running to and hiding in the hotel room seemed the safest option.

Once I had slightly adjusted, we braved the night of Luxor and immediately encountered the incredibly 'persuasive' locals intent on selling their wares to us. The guide books may have claimed us to be the typical tourists sucked into buying cheap goods and ripped off, but, frankly, we had a fantastic evening. One man on a horse-drawn cart took us around the entire centre of the city (even through the middle of the markets!) and it cost no more than £1. Oh, and some more on the shops we stopped at. And maybe more in the markets. And the tips.

But that really didn't matter, we experienced all the sights, sounds and smells of Luxor on an evening in Ramadan and it was absolutely brilliant. The sights were fantastic, but I genuinely believe that engaging with the local population - being right in the mix of it is truly the best was to develop an understanding of the culture and is what inspired me travel further and further afield.
My highlight of the trip however, has to be the Hot air balloon ride. Up at half 3 in the morning, and ready to see the sunrise over the Nile, Luxor, its temples and the Valley of the Kings. It was truly spectacular. Compared to the normal pricing of such things in other countries, the ride was very cheap, but that's not why we went on it. Money really does not matter in regards to an experience such as this. Yes, we didn't get to see the Pyramids - but what we did see was a fantastic piece of ancient civilisation bursting with ruins, history and personality. It was a certifiable jump into the deep end in regards to holiday-making but one that I will never regret for an instant.

Family holiday in the Dordogne

France is easily one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and it is easy to see why. Central to western Europe, it is accessible from all angles, has a great cultural history and one of the most iconic and idealised capital cities in the world. Its proximity makes it an affordable choice, especially given the Euro star train service which can get you to Calais faster than a train to London Victoria. Almost everyone one I have met can speak at least some french (a lot less than the English speaking in France, inevitably). It is easy to navigate with exception of central Paris, the weather anywhere south of central France is universally 'better than England' and the scenery superb.

And that is exactly why I never thought I would bother to return there.

As a child, my family went to France on the annual summer holiday no less than 6 times. Looking at the paragraph above, it is easily understandable why. But for me, growing up I decided that France was just a stale country, limited to old buildings and leaky tents. It seemed too easy, too cheap and not really any challenge. I wanted to go somewhere different.

My parents wanted to have one final, last hurrah type holiday for the family with all the trimmings (read: girlfriends and boyfriends). My siblings and I are all at the age of maturity that we no longer need the old folks and are easily mature enough to endure a week in another popular English tourist attraction. Looking for sun, fun and cheap alcohol, although in this case you replace local wine with whatever paint stripper spirit suits your preference. So, imagine my excitement at the fact that we would be, once again, visiting France. More specifically, the Dordogne region. There isn't even a beach!

I feel I need to establish something here, I am not in fact a stereotypical 'gap year student' who feels that nothing can possibly live up to my own lofty expectations of a 'proper' vacation; Where the word 'travelling' far outweighs the Luddite experiences found in such simple 'holidays'. That is simply not the case, it is just my last memories of a family holiday are of a time when I was trapped in that exact pubescent purgatory of hating where I was, who I was with and what I was doing - whatever situation or location that may entail. France was foul, family was 'fail' and holidays were hateful. How things change eh?

So, here we are. Seven of us crammed into a hired minivan only slightly reminiscent of a tin of sardines, with a twelve hour drive to endure. Wasn't so bad, apart from the endless A roads, once we got into the country a whole new realisation dawned on me. Southern France is actually beautiful. I tried to establish how I could never notice it before. Maybe I was just too young to appreciate the sweeping, rolling hills arcing off into the distance, the sandstone houses jutting out from the hillside - spreading out into perfect little hamlets. Maybe maturity and appreciation of the beauty of nature is slowly acquired like the taste of a fine wine. More than likely it was probably simply due to the fact that my eyes were planted firmly onto the tiny screen of my game boy.

The campsite we arrived at had everything you could need: toilets, sun, swimming pool and an overpriced shop. But that doesn't really need to be discussed - it is the local surroundings that are the talking point here. On two occasions we went kayaking down the river, flanked by beautiful scenery and towns. More than once we had to stop (not just because a 10km kayak ride is anything but easy!) just to admire the scenery. No where else in the world can do Chateaus, and place them so precariously, as the French. They are truly superb, the light yellow sandstone perfectly complimenting the natural surroundings. Even the normal houses look decadent and perfect - a far cry from the Cheshire mansions we are accustomed to here in the UK.

The french, well they are the typical french. Most encounters lived up to the typical stereotypical view we have albeit without the cap and wreath of garlic. But who are we to judge a country by its arrogance, when in England if someone begins talking to us in another language we generally respond with a look of utter confusion and mild disgust. Sarlat was the chosen olde worlde town of choice to visit on 'the day trip' this year, and we went on the market day. Sun dried tomatoes and superb strawberries the order of the day. Again, my memories of dragging feet and being bored out of mind seem to be totally inaccurate - perhaps if I spent more time looking up at the architecture instead of looking down at the cobbled street I would have had more fun?

A week goes very fast in a place like the Dordogne. There is so much to do you feel almost like you are fighting time as much as fighting the heat. One of the more enjoyable experiences was a lunch sat in the blistering mid-day sun, with a futile attempt at engineering some shade. I do love being an English tourist - we go on holiday to find the sun and once we do, we long for the cold embrace of a wet English summer.

So, this is less a comment on France, what to do and where to do it - more a rough round-up of an average British holiday in the south of France. No doubt most people have been to France and it hasn't changed a bit. No doubt one of the reasons from the first paragraph is why you may be going again. You know what you are going to get, so the most important thing is to know who you are going with. And in this case, a family holiday would not have been complete without my family. I think I may have acquired the taste of a French holiday, the thought of it no longer makes my face contort and want to spit it out. But then again maybe its just the cheap wine talking...

Xi'an

Whilst Bangkok, Rio etc. are pretty universally well known around the world for being top tourist destinations, Xi'an has to be one of the biggest surprises of my entire travels. The ancient capital of China, Xi'an is absolutely packed with things to do, places to see and a fantastic atmosphere to boot.

The only thing I knew about Xi'an before arriving was that it is the biggest city in the world currently enclosed by a surrounding wall. Whilst interesting and I would heartily recommend going for a walk/bike ride along it - there is much more to see and do there. Firstly, the bell and drum towers are just a block away from each other in the centre of town and great to climb up and get an overview of the centre of the city. Much like the Champs Elysee, all main roads seem to spread out and around from these centre points. And much like the rest of China's efficient and new road systems, almost all roads are dead straight, and as such you can see for as far as the inevitable smog allows.

Speaking of which, compared to many of the other main Chinese cities, it is relatively clean. I would suggest spending at least half a day walking around the Little Goose Pagoda and its surrounding area. There is a huge paved plateau containing statues of great Chinese heroes, philosophers and others, the whole ambiance of the place is superb. We were lucky in having a brilliant clear blue sky and simply sitting in the sun, watching as the world goes by is fantastic.

Xi'an is a city to really soak in and relish. At night make a trip to the Asian market just behind the Bell tower. Here you can haggle till you can haggle no more and buy up all things great and small, from foodstuffs to porcelain statues of the terracotta warriors.

It goes without saying really, the terracotta warriors are genuinely awe-inspiring. You can't really visit Xi'an and not make the trip out to one of the wonders of the ancient world. They occupy three huge aircraft hangar-like structures, the first and main of which is genuinely enormous. Absolutely incredible, well organised, and much like the city itself - full of understated grandeur.

The city is manages to be a place of both hectic surrounding but also serene tranquility. You can one hand be caught up in the hustle and bustle of the markets, being tugged from one monetary battle to the next with all your senses being bombarded with noise, smells and lights; and the next simply gazing out from the top of the Great Goose Pagoda, surveying the city as it moves as one peacefully in perfect organisation. I love Xi'an, it is so different to the extremes of the other main Chinese cities and almost seems as though the now defunct city walls still act as a barrier to the now standard excesses of the new cities. It is in its own microcosm that can be slightly difficult to navigate at times (here if anywhere is the place to learn some Chinese, English will get you nowhere, fast) but if you have the time, patience and willingness to explore - the rewards will be obvious and evident the second you leave your hotel doors and begin walking.

Oh, and be sure to check out the local dumpling banquet. 21 or so courses, incredible!

Rio De Janeiro

Rio is one of those cities that really can not be explained in mere words or pictures. I had heard so much in regards to the atmosphere, culture and crime before I even got off the coach that I felt like I already knew exactly what to expect. I was wrong. The second we got off the coach, we went for an orientation walk along the famous Copacabana beach. 4km of beautiful sandy, perfect beaches with great surf waves - just like the postcards. It was the atmosphere of the place that got me, it just so happened to be a national holiday (one of many apparently) and the whole place was buzzing with such warmth and energy I instantly fell in love with the place. As we walked along, there were live Carioca shows and a marching band playing the traditional steel drums. Whereas in England we get protesters, the Brazilian version seemed to have a theme of supporting all the singletons out there and celebrating.

First things first - the primary thing anyone tells you about the city is the crime, the favelas, and the fact that you WILL get killed, stabbed, robbed or all three. Rest assured none of those things happened to me or anyone we knew out there. Be sensible and stay out of the troublesome areas and you will be hard pressed to find anything regarding crime. Maybe I was lucky, but even when I was at a favela party I saw less fights than you would see on an average evening out in my home-town.

Sadly the Corcovado was covered in scaffolding when I was in Rio, but the view from the top was still something to behold. It is such a dynamic city and the shape, nestled in between mountains and sea perfectly mirrors this. My personal highlight, however, was ascending to the peak of Sugar Loaf mountain and seeing the city at night. Incredible.

The people are among the friendliest I have encountered in a major city. The trend does seem to be that when in a major city, rudeness increases ( look at London) but here the people are incredibly inviting and willing to assist you. Rio is a city of contrasts however. The well publicised favelas take up a vast quantity of the surrounding land, and are generally situated adjacent to the central houses. A central Rio apartment could cost you up to and over $1,000,000 - whereas abject poverty is literally just around the corner. Whilst all too keen to impress the tourists, it felt almost as if the favelas are slightly embarrassing to the locals. Twice I saw children barred from entering the centre. Although, it is hard to tell whether this was because of the past issues with crime etc. Rio is a city changing, and never before so much as now - what with the impending World Cup and Olympics. Brazilians are a fiercely nationalistic and proud people, and Rio is no different.

Rio is vibrant, brilliant, extraordinary and utterly exhilarating. One minute you could be sitting on the beach, the next you could be drinking all night and partying with the locals in the favelas until morning. It is a truly beautiful city in the most remarkable surroundings - but to counter the old phrase of 'every dark cloud', in this case the lining is anything but silver - with deep economical problems for a society that rapidly seems to be out of place with the ideal Brazil and Rio are trying to promote.

Cities: Bangkok

Of the cities that I have been to, three really stand out as my personal favourites. Bangkok, Xi'an and Rio De Janeiro. I have tried my best to narrow down to one but as each of these cities are just so different to each other its impossible. Looking back at the sentence I have just written I think it gives a good explanation as to why I loved each city - they each have a completely unique personality to them.

So many cities can fit into one of two categories and can almost be seen as pretty much one identi-kit building after another. One that springs to mind is Kuala Lumpur. Whilst I did enjoy the time I spent there, (the Petronas Towers are spectacular) I never got the feeling that the city had a personality. It seemed to me like a big patchwork consisting of influences from every culture that mixed together to create a clean, but not particularly engaging environment. Both myself and Lauren came away with the feeling that the city had lost all sense of being a Malaysian city, and tried far too hard to become a European metropolis, without any of the history.

One city that can in no way be described as soulless, however, is Bangkok. One one hand you have the incredible Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho, and on the other you have Khao San road - both the most touristy and intensely Thai area I have ever been to. The buildings and temples are brilliant, as the locals are keen to point out. Although keep an eye out, as most of the time a friendly passer-by informing you about the opening times of a certain attraction is most likely a scout for the main scam in the city. DO NOT get a tuk-tuk without first arranging a price, destination and agreement by the driver not to take you anywhere else. Generally they will try anyway though - if that's the case, get out and get a taxi on the meter. To be honest, unless you want to go out of town or head to the financial district - walk. None of the main central sights are further than a 20 minute walk.

It is a sad fact that tourists are the prime target for dodgy tuk-tuk drivers and people looking to make a quick buck out of you - but don't let that put you off for a second. Apart from the few looking for any opportunity to rip you off, the vast majority of people are there to be friendly, helpful and love sparking up a conversation (whether you want to or not!)

The food in Bangkok is amazing, as expected, but try to find places just off of Khao San. The food is generally better quality and cheaper literally 5 minutes walk from the centre. The local specialities never fail to impress, just watch out for the Thai yellow/red curry. They bring about a whole new meaning to the words: Hot food.