Under the Sea in Tioman

I have barely any pictures of my time on Tioman Island. The sea was turquoise and the creamy sand beaches swept along it, perfectly smooth and dotted with shells and sun bleached coral fragments. The low waves didn’t so much break on the shore as nudge it tenderly. The Jurassic Park jungle rose dramatically from…

Florianópolis to Rio: A Slice of Brazil

And so onto Brazil. I gave myself three weeks to head from the see-and-be-seen beach mecca of Florianópolis up to the inimitable city of Rio de Janeiro. In real terms, I saw a tiny fragment of what the country has to offer. In reality, my agenda was jam-packed… Is it cheating to use bullet points? I…

Going along for the ride: Punta del Diablo

And so onto my second totally unexpected but completely unforgettable experience of Uruguay: Punta del Diablo and its wild-beach strewn national park. I’ve learned that it’s best viewed from atop a horse, at dusk, after swigging red wine from the bottle and ignoring all nagging fears for your own safety. Before I reached there, I…

A realisation whilst chilling in Chile’s chilly Chiloé

If you want to test your definition of ‘bleak’, head to Puerto Montt in Southern Chile. Stand on the harbour where a pallid sea leaks into an insipid sky. Eat your tepid empanada as a three legged dog watches you through its one good eye. Search for words to describe the place, and realise that…