1. Alexandra’s Travel Profile
SouthAfrica (2016)
Cape Town, The Mother Land, and the city I fell in love with. I first situated myself in a
penthouse suite on Long Street with a panoramic view of the whole city and Table Mountain.
Having lost a bag of clothes and my trainers in Australia, I begrudgingly chose to take the
cable cart up the mountain, although this turned out to be a great experience as the cable
cart spun to give a 360-degree view of Cape Town. I spent 3 weeks in Cape Town got to see
some incredible things. My favourites were Boulders Beach where around 1000 African
penguins were taking cover on the sand, my trip to Cape Point (the most south-western
point of the African continent), Camps Bay beach, one of the biggest and most incredible
beaches I’ve ever seen, and the beautiful V&A Waterfront where I spotted wild sea lions. I
went to some amazing organic food markets, visited (and stayed in) the multicoloured
homes of Bo-Kaap, bought handmade souvenirs and paintings from local markets and
watched amazing street performances from local children. I stayed in Sea Point where they
had 4 neighboring beaches, one for the rich and good looking, one for the nudists, one for
families and one for the gay community. I also visited Langa Township where I learnt all
about apartheid and experienced the extreme poverty in South Africa. On Valentines day I
took a safari trip to Aquila where I stayed over night, went on 2 game drives as well as a
quad bike drive through the nature reserve where I got surrounded by zebras. I ate dinner
and breakfast on a table next to Desmond Tutu which I will never forget. The whole safari
experience was beyond words. My last few days I rented a car and drove through the
mountains surrounding Cape Town and settled in the famous wine lands of Stellenbosch
with a local family who had a fridge full of wine and no milk for a cup of tea.
Maldives (2016)
I spent a day in Hulhumale, the man-made island where the airport is situated to get my
bearings and plan my full week in the Maldives. I was so surprised as to how beautiful this
beach was having not yet seen any of the famous island beaches yet. The next day I took the
public ferry to a local island called Rasdhoo where I spent my time in a newly built
guesthouse getting to know the local people, of which there were 850, and everyone knew
each other by name. I chose this island because of the closeness to Hulhumale. It was only
around 3 hours by public ferry, 1 hour by speedboat so it was good not to waste a whole day
travelling with so little time in the Maldives. I also went there because of the option of bikini
beach where I could sunbathe with no worries about having to cover up. I took day trips to

2. Picnic Island (around a 5-10 minute speedboat away from Rasdhoo), as well as the
sandbanks. These were small, uninhabited islands of which I had all to myself the whole
day. It was absolute paradise. I went snorkeling with sharks and turtles on one of the days,
which I found easy to arrange with any of the guesthouses on Rasdhoo. On my last day I
caught a boat over to the nearest resort island to experience the ‘beach hut life’ where a
couple on their honeymoon showed me around their amazing stilted hut before I took my
place on the private beach and sunbathed the day away. After the most relaxed week of my
life, on the way back to the airport, my boat was accompanied by over 20 dolphins (an
experience that apparently happens nearly every day).
Australia (2016)
I travelled all down the East Coast of Australia, flying into Brisbane and meeting up with
family friends to take me around all the sights. I then posted on a forum online to catch a lift
up to Hervey Bay where I had been booked to be collected for a trip to Fraser Island. I
spent 3 days on Fraser Island driving a 4x4, floating down natural rivers, swimming in
lagoons, and meeting an incredible group of people who I have since met up with back home.
I then caught the Greyhound bus to Byron Bay where I spent a week mainly shopping, lazing
on the beach and indulging in healthy foods (much needed)! I continued South catching a lift
with new friends and stopping overnight in a beautiful little town called Port Macquarie
before arriving in Sydney where I stayed at a friends house on Bondi Junction. I stayed in
Sydney for 2 weeks, visiting Taronga Zoo, climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge and celebrating
Australia day on Bondi beach, which was incredible.
Fiji (2015 – 2016)
Bringing in the New Year Fiji style was something I will never forget. When I first arrived in
Fiji, I stayed with a local family (mum, dad, 3 children and 4 cousins) in Nadi. I stayed here
for 2 days learning how to cook traditional dishes and teaching the children all about

3. England and what snow feels like. The family was then kind enough to drive me to my next
stay at a luxury resort on Bedarra Beach in Sigatoka, where we went fishing off the rocks.
Here, I spent 5 days simply lying in the sun on my own private bit of beach and getting
through a tonne of books. I then arranged a stay on a Permaculture Farm up in the hills of
Fiji run by an American family who were growing their own food to feed the locals for free. I
helped baby chickens hatch, make chocolate candy from their cocoa trees for local children,
feasted on nothing but home grown organic food, and this is also where I celebrated
Christmas, on a hammock by the swimming pool I had helped paint. Having now chilled out
for a long time, I chose to stay at a luxury backpackers in Korolevu to bring in the New Year,
knowing it would be the best place for a party. Celebrating on the beach, and a few times in
the ocean until the sun came up on New Years Day will probably be the best New Years I will
ever have. Another homestay with an international Fijian surf instructor was my last stop
where I had my first full day surf lesson and a celebratory English breakfast on my birthday
(January 4th).
Bali (2015)
I spent an incredible few weeks beach hopping around the most beautifully cultural island of
Bali. I was so surprised that I could move around to different places so easily and quickly and
how different each place was each time. My first stop was Ubud, not for a beach stop, as it is
centrally located, but I was recommended that this be my first stop to really get a feel for the
Balinese culture and lifestyle. I stayed in a yoga and meditation retreat right in the heart of
Ubud. When I think back to my time spent in this beautiful town, I honestly think I have
never been happier than I was when I was there. Not wanting to leave, I booked into a
guesthouse run by a local family across the road from where I was staying, which for £10 a
night, including breakfast, actually turned out to be one of my favourite places of my entire
trip. I climbed Mount Batur (in flip flops because I couldn’t get my trainers back from the
launderette in time). The climb started at 3am so that we could make it to the top for sunrise
and breakfast, which annoyingly was stolen by monkeys. I relaxed in Toya Devasya hot
springs, visited family-run coffee plantations where I tasted the famous Luwak coffee (made
by the droppings of a Luwak,) and also attended a funeral of a local man where celebrations
took place all day and night in the streets of Ubud. Having made friends with a few local
people, I then took their advice to go to a local town on the coast called Amed which is not
very well known to tourists. It was here that I experienced the most incredible snorkeling
just a few metres off Jemeluk beach, and also a scubadive around the USAT Liberty
shipwreck. Next stop was Sanur, which was home to an incredibly long stretch of beautiful
beach where you could always find a secluded spot. I then travelled to Nusa Dusa (all of
these places accessible by cheap taxi or moped) home to the most luxurious hotels, golf
resorts, fine dining and more incredible beaches. My last stop was Uluwatu, the surfer’s

4. paradise. I hired a moped and visited Uluwatu Temple and a number of beaches including
Padang-Padang beach, Thomas beach, Suluban beach and Uluwatu beach which had great
bars set high up in the cliffs to watch the surfers.
Borneo (2015)
My orangutan mission! One of the most important items on my bucket list! Something I have
always wanted to experience since being a little girl was to see wild orangutans in Borneo. I
was the most excited on my flight over to Sarawak. I’d researched a lot into many of the
nature reserves that allow you to view the orangutans but was slightly worried after reading
that I wasn’t arriving at the right time to have the best chance of seeing them. Unfortunately
I did take a trip to Semenggoh Nature Reserve where I stood on a viewing platform waiting
an hour to see the orangutans with no luck, and then forced to leave feeling very
disappointed. The reason for this was because of fruiting season, so because the orangutans
were able to feed in the wild, it wasn’t necessary for them to come and feed at the feeding
platform where we were. Never the less, after a day of sightseeing and a visit to Bako
National Park where I got to see wild Proboscis monkeys (my time was not wasted), I
boarded a plane to Sabah in Borneo where I had heard my chances would be much higher.
Sure enough at Shangri-La I met 3 orangutans including 2 babies, and had the most
emotional hour of my life watching them play. I then retired to a remote beach and decided
that this was the most perfect day so far on my trip.
Malaysia (2015)
I took an unplanned trip to Kuala Lumpur because I had a spare few days and was really
glad I did. I visited the world famous Aquarium, went to the top of the Petronas Towers, ate
some of the most amazing street food, including stingray, and in the lead up to Christmas
enjoyed visiting some huge shopping malls covered in Christmas decorations. I also went to
the cinema when I saw that tickets were a ridiculous £2.30.

5. Cambodia (2015)
Cambodia was a very heartbreaking place for me. In Phnom Penh, my first day took me
straight to the Genocide Museum where I learnt all about what it was like living under the
power of the Khmer Rouge, even meeting one of the survivors. Day two, I visited the killing
fields and took a walk around the city where I saw some very poverty-ridden areas. Day 3 I
wanted to visit as many places that had been set up to help the people of Cambodia and
managed to see a handful of these such as the Daughters of Cambodia and the Friends
Restaurant which helped victims of the sex industry and street children. I then took a 7-hour
public bus to Siem Reap so that I could get there in time to celebrate the Water Festival (to
mark the end of the rainy season). It was incredible to see the celebrations here, especially
along the river. I took guided tours to Angkor Wat, and Ta Promh Temple (where Lara Croft
was set). I also ate silk worms and crickets at a bug’s café, which I plan on never doing again.
Laos (2015)
I arrived in the capital city Vientiane where I planned to stay for just a few days. It was so
laid back in comparison to every other city I had visited, and I really enjoyed seeing some of
the famous sights including Pha That Luang, Patuxai (the smaller scale version of the Arc De
Triumph), and the morning markets where I would buy bags of iced coffee. I caught a cheap,
but very bumpy 4-hour bus ride to Vang Vieng. Here I stayed in the most romantic
bungalow for a couple of nights with not much surrounding me but cows that constantly
blocked the road out front. I hired a bike and rode around for hoursevery day just admiring
the amazing mountain views and visiting the famous blue lagoon. Another 5-hour bus
journey took me to Luang Prabang where I kept extending my stay because I loved it so
much. Here I watched sunsets along the Mekong River, visited numerous night markets,
Kung Si Falls (the most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen), ate Laos fondue and visited the

6. moon bears at the Kung Si rescue centre. I had a flight back out of Vientiane so I took the
same journey back stopping 1 more night in Vang Vieng to break up the long journey.
Vietnam (2015)
Along with South Africa and Bali, Vietnam was one of my favourite places to visit, and it has
given me the most unforgettable memories. My trip didn’t get off to a great start as I was so
overwhelmed by the city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) and how busy it was. It didn’t take long
for me to learn to love dodging traffic and eating on the side of busy roads however, and the
trips I organized took me to places where I could get away from this whenever I needed to. I
took private boats down the Mekong River, learnt how to make rice paper, coconut candy,
and visited bee farms where I sampled honey tea and bought a huge supply of royal bee jelly
(great for the skin, and VERY expensive in England.) I learnt all about the Vietnam War,
worked on a farm with a couple that were over a hundred years old and still farming. I took
cooking classes and visited Marble Mountain. I then stayed in Da Nang and spent a few days
on the largest beach in Vietnam (also described as one of the worlds best) My Khe beach.
The next few weeks were to be the most amazing. It started in Hoi An ancient town, one of
the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. It was a huge contrast to Saigon, enough so that I
got around on a bicycle the whole time and felt more than safe on the empty roads. Next was
my 3-day trip to Sapa. I spent 2 days hiking in the most postcard-perfect mountains and rice
paddies with local women, some carrying week old babies on their back. I visited local
villages, and stayed in a beautiful boutique hotel with the best views I’m sure I will ever
experience. I then went straight onto a 2-night luxury cruise to Halong Bay, the World
Heritage Site, for good reason. I went pearl farming, shrimp fishing, kayaking around floating
villages, and lay on the top deck at night watching numerous shooting stars (which I had
never seen up until now). My last stop was the capital city, Hanoi, where I have a lasting
memory of enjoying a famous egg coffee (so delicious) at the very first cafe and reminiscing
on my time in Vietnam.

7. Thailand (2015)
My first stop was Bangkok like most travellers. I spent 2 nights in the city, sampling as much
street food as possible, admiring many temples and enjoying plenty of Thai massages, before
catching the overnight bus and ferry to Koh Tao. It was here that I became a certified Open
Water diver and explored some of the most incredible beaches such as Sairee, Sharks Bay
and those on the island of Koh Nang Yuan. I then travelled to Krabi, Ao Nang where I spent
days exploring more beaches, sometimes up to 4 a day, all accessed by long boat and
climbing over rocks and through caves. I took tours to Monkey Bay, Maya Beach (where The
Beach with Leonardo Dicaprio was shot), and the Phi Phi Islands. My nest stop was Khao
Lak where I visited the Tsunami museum, Khao Lak National Park, climbed waterfalls and
lay on many more stunning beaches. A few days shopping in Phuket, and then I settled in
Chiang Mai for a few weeks where I visited the long neck tribes, swam in a mud bath with
rescued elephants, photographed beautiful temples and met many Buddah statues.
Morocco (2015)
I decided to celebrate my birthday with a long weekend in Marrakech, as it was unlike
anywhere I’d been before. We stayed in a beautiful Riad where I gained a huge liking for
mint tea and a hatred for cous cous. My birthday was spent at a Moroccan spa having a
hammam scrub and a full body massage followed by a romantic meal and a belly dance. I
climbed Atlas Mountains, ate lunch on a table in the middle of a river, visited the YSL
gardens, rode camels and spent a lot of time shopping in the souks.
Mexico (2015)
An all-inclusive family holiday to Playacar, at the Riu Tequila which was built around a
forest home to a few species of monkey that guests could help feed in the mornings. Not
content in staying in one place for 2 weeks, we took trips to visit the Cenote Caves, went

8. snorkeling with turtles in Tulum and diving with whale sharks in Cancun. I also went
parasailing and hired a jet ski during days we spent on our own private beach.
Cuba (2012)
My time in Cuba was another all-inclusive family holiday with my mum, dad and brother. We
stayed in Varadero at a hotel called Blau, but of course visited and stayed a few nights in the
beautiful ‘time-stood-still’ Havana. My highlight being numerous bars selling non-alcoholic
Pina Coladas with a bottle of rum on each table so you could add as little or as much as you
wanted, as well as Club Tropicana to watch the famous cabaret.
New York(2010)
I was lucky enough to be surprised with a 5-day trip to New York where I spent 3 days
shopping (like any woman would), 1 day visiting Central Park, Time Square, The Statue of
Liberty and the Empire State Building. Then my last day was spent on a film and movie tour
before falling asleep for a very long time.
Europe
Spain, France (Paris), Greece, Italy (Rome), Denmark (Copenhagen), Germany
(Berlin), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Turkey, Portugal, Czech Republic (Prague),
Belgium (Bruges), Cyprus.
I have spent a lot of weekends/long weekends away in Europe recently and plan on
continuing to do so until I have visited them all.
To Come

9. March 29th - I am off to the Philippines for just over 2 weeks, which I am in the midst of
organizing at the moment. I am working with a charity in Manilla supporting street children
for a lot of the time, with scheduled ‘breaks’ to some of the surrounding islands and beaches
such as Palawan. I definitely plan on visiting Puerto-Princesa River National Park as I am
hugely interested in visiting as many UNESCO World Heritage Sights as possible after
visiting such places as Halong Bay and Table Mountain. I also have a few days stop over in
China on the way back where I have already booked my Great Wall of China Tour.
I also plan on visiting South America soon as it has always been a dream of mine.