This is India… TII

I have recently returned from a holiday or some may call it more of a ‘travelling experience’ from India. The advice I was given before we went was “nothing will prepare you for what you will see and smell there”, and this statement couldn’t have been more accurate.

So we could see as much as ‘real’ India as possible, alongside having some chill out time in Goa we packed as much into our two week adventure as we could. Flying straight into Delhi we drove straight to Agra to visit to Taj Mahal, then visited Ranthambore National Park for a safari, and on our third day we traveled to the Holy village of Pushka for a three day stay. After our blessing in the Holy Lake and a vast amount of purchasing of elephant themed presents we took a taxi up to Jaipur to stay with our friend who owns a hotel in the city. He become our guide for our three day stay and took us around all the top sites and underground clubs. Jaipur flew by and our next destination was back up to Delhi on an India train (we had to choose 1st class!), to prepare for our flight down to South India’s hot spot – Goa. It was defiantly a well needed destination after all the action in North India – so chilling by the beach, pool and exploring the bays on our £1.50 per day scooter was a bliss.

Any who is interested in going to India – I would recommend it, but you need to be prepared for what awaits you before you go. If you are after an eye-opening adventure and a chance to increase your understanding of different cultures, places and people then this will be for you. One thing you notice immediately is the vast range between the very rich and the very poor. Their laid back culture means that somethings can’t always go to plan, so the best advice I can give is to chill out and think ‘TII – This is India’ and expect no more. It’s certainly a different experience to a normal holiday but one which I am glad to have added to my list of places I have visited.  Here are a few photos from our trip – TII – This is India!!

The turth about Thailand

I recently watched an interesting documentary called ‘BIG TROUBLE IN THAILAND‘ which showed behind-the-scenes action with the Thai Police, including the tourist issues they have to deal with everyday in their country. The documentary showed the Thai constitute’s hash reasoning with drug dealings, drunken and disorderly tourists, crime from Thai Lady-Boys and the renowned sex trade industry.

Watch a preview here.

I have visited Thailand for several different reasons over previous years; holidays, volunteering and working. Each time I visit I saw a new side to the country. Over 1 million British tourists visit the country each year, but for what reason? Thailand has proven to be popular for cheap living, drinks, food, easy sex culture, live shows and full-moon parties… alongside their great beaches. In this documentary the British culture shows that they take full advantage of these things, without thinking or respecting the consequences!

The British have always been known for their heavy drinking and party culture, which has been seen in European holiday destinations such as Greece, Spain, Ibiza alongside many others, but this culture is now reaching the other side of the world. The problem is that these cultures are very different and need to be understood before entering the country. The Thai constitute is very different and extremely harsh in comparison to the UK’s – for example the documentary saw a young British girl been punished by their legal system for having cannabis in her procession whilst in Thailand. The results of this illegal activity, meant she was not allowed to leave the country throughout the legal proceedings and was looking at a sentence of around 5 years in prison.

Thailand has recently exploded into the holiday market for not only the affluent but also a more mainstream holiday destination too – mainly due to cheaper flights. The country has done much work on promoting their country to tourists through their ‘Amazing Thailand‘ campaign and publicity and visits to the country have increased.

See one of their campaign videos – and see how they don’t even mention the ‘nightlife’ of Thailand which was showcased in the documentary.

However, after programmes which show the scary side of travelling to different cultures and the trouble visitors can accidentally find themselves in may question how long the tourism boom will last.

I see Thailand’s tourism going one way or the other – There will either be an increase in a ‘Malia’ style party holiday resulting in the country catering for a reckless party atmosphere that the ‘quality’ and ‘luxury holiday’ will disappear – or – tourists will realise the dangers and land themselves elsewhere within the world where cheap flights and hectic nightlife can be found. We can only watch and see – but I know that if I return, I will be searching for a remote and untouched part of Thailand where party-goers and teenagers have not yet explored!

Day in the Life of Sir Richard Branson

My day with … Sir Richard Branson, when he paid a visit to the Miami ePrix on the 14th March 2015 and spent the day cheering on the Virgin Racing team.

Welcome to Miami

Before the race in Miami, we headed to South Beach to explore the top sites and reflect on the race ahead… #VirginRacing

Furuasiyya FEI Nations Cup 2014

British Pilot wins Red Bull Air Race