I created the “Travellers’ Tales” section to give other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels. Today I would like to introduce you to Fiona, a travel blogger based in London. She blogs at Passport and Piano .
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales” , fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Hi, I’m Fiona a forty-something year old, who’s lucky enough to have a job that takes her across the world. I work for Trinity College in London as a music examiner, examining instrumentalists at all levels. In the past year, I’ve worked in Australia, India, Thailand and South Africa.
We travelled a lot when I was young. We had a boathouse in the lake district in the North of England so most weekends we would go up there and have fun water skiing. My first independent trip was to Australia, and I was only 15. I went to stay with family and still have fond memories of this trip.
I spent 2 months working in Thailand in December. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to visit any of the Islands as I was based in Bangkok, but I did get to know the city really well. I didn’t like it initially as it was too big and busy, but it grew on me over the months I was there.
The three days I spent in the Kanchanaburi province was fantastic. I stayed on a raft house on the River Kwai, and the scenery was simply stunning. Learning about the terrible atrocities of the second world war was of particular interest to me as my grandfather was based in Burma at that time. I also visited the Erawan waterfalls which I can highly recommend visiting.
This is a hard choice and but I’m going to say Botswana. Botswana was incredible, going on safari every day and seeing the magnificent elephants and other animals was really special. The country as a whole took me by surprise, it was far more civilized than I’d envisaged and the people were so friendly.
Australia has to be my favourite, I think I’ve been 5 times now, and I can’t wait to go again. There's so much to see. I particularly love northern Queensland and spending time at the Great Barrier Reef. When I was working there last year, I visited the Whitsunday Islands, which was on my bucket list. Whitehaven Beach is just breathtaking.
Myself, I’ve got to admit I’m rather selfish when it comes to travel. I like to do and see everything possible and compromise isn’t something that enters into the equation. I think the only country that this doesn’t apply to is India. When I’m working there, sightseeing is much more enjoyable with my colleagues. In certain parts of India, you just don’t feel comfortable as a single female.
My mobile phone. Knowing that I can call someone and my family can track me brings a great sense of comfort. I had an unlucky experience in Qatar when a taxi driver headed into the desert. I was able to call my head office, and they tracked my location from my iPhone. They then contacted the police who came to my rescue.
Always tell someone where you are going. Keeping yourself safe for me is the most important thing while travelling.
I have a lot, but the Grand Canyon and Antarctica are at the top of the list.
I’ve been to South Africa several times and very much looking forward to working there again later this year. Cape Town has to be my favourite place. It’s a beautiful part of the country, and you feel safe. If I had to be more specific, then Stellenbosch is a must for anyone visiting the region. I love the quirky shops and restaurants there, and there are some fantastic farmers markets and vineyards to visit over the weekend.
How can people connect with you?
Blog: Passport and Piano
Facebook: Passport and Piano
Pinterest: Passport and Piano
Thank you, Fiona , for sharing your fascinating adventures with us!
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales”, fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
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