The Blue Lagoon

Only 20kms from Keflavik airport, it is possible to visit the Blue Lagoon during a trans-Atlantic stopover. This is Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction and also a swimming centre for locals too. Enjoy the day spa, saunas or any of the restaurants and bars with a view over the many thermal pools. Be sure to reach down and scoop a handful of silica for a cleansing facial mask. Don’t worry about looking silly, you’re certainly not the only one applying this smelly mud on your face in the name of beauty.

Photo courtesy Peta Rake

Stykkishólmur

Only 2 hours northwest of Reykjavik, Stykkishólmur is home to an amazing installation by American artist, Roni Horn.

Known as the ‘Library of Water’, this unique place features 24 tubes of glacial ice, cored from all over Iceland, which has melted to produce pure luminescent samples of water. Light is reflected and refracted through these cylinders to produce beautiful images of the village outside. The drive up takes you past many farms and amazing scenery, so it is worth the detour.

Photo courtesy Peta Rake

Vik

This tiny little town of only 300 people, has been ripped from the pages of a fairytale. Only 280kms from Reykjavik, you could be forgiven for driving right past along the national highway; but you’d certainly kick yourself for doing so. There may not be much to hold your interest for too long, but this is an essential photo opportunity at the very least. A quaint church on top of the hill or to the south, towering basalt sea stacks, thought to be petrified trolls caught out at sea, according to local folklore.

Vik, Icelandic for harbour, is the wettest place in Iceland and one most travelers never manage to see for themselves. This tiny place lies in the shadow of Katla, a volcano located underneath a nearby glacier which last erupted in 1918.

Photo courtesy Peta Rake

Gullfoss

Niagara Falls may be the world’s most famous waterfall, but Gullfoss offers as much intensity without the masses of tacky tourist shops and fast-food restaurants to spoil the experience. The falls are spectacular and nestled in a valley that makes you feel like you are lost in the wilderness. The mist sprays a rainbow curtain offering a truly wonderful sight. On your walk back to the car park, be sure to stop by the visitor’s centre for lunch – try the Icelandic lamb soup.

Photo courtesy Peta Rake

Hvergardi

Only a 45 minute drive from Reykjavik, this town is a stopover point for tourists heading up to Gullfoss. Geyser, situated in the same geothermal field, also attracts visitors looking to witness it spurt boiling water into the air several times an hour. After a long day of sightseeing (and in the summertime, the days can be very long), you can unwind in your hotel or cabin’s hot tub with an ice-cold beer in hand.

Skaftafell National Park

The second largest National Park in Europe, Skaftafell comprises 4,807 square kilometres. It also includes half of Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. Skaftafell is located along the southeastern coast of Iceland and includes many outdoor attractions for adventurous travelers.

Photo courtesy Peta Rake

Svartifoss (Black Falls), is a short walk from the visitor’s centre and features black, hexagonal basalt columns resembling church organ pipes. Also nearby is Jokulsarlon, a lagoon at the edge of the glacier. This amazing place will have you staring in awe as huge chunks of glacial ice crash down into the still water below. You may be able to reach into the lagoon and grab a piece of thousand-year old ice to drink from as it melts away.

Iceland is truly a unique and breathtaking country. Small, pristine, remote and unspoiled…well, at least until the next volcanic eruption forces you to change your travel plans.

Not all of us are able to indulge ourselves in luxury when we go on holidays. The term ‘cheap and cheerful’ is often applied to travelers who are looking to simply relax and unwind by the beach, but does this mean you will be able to? Bali is the perfect location where you do not have to spend too much to enjoy pure indulgence.

Komaneka Resorts offer three properties located in Ubud; Komaneka Bisma; Monkey Forest and Tanggayuda. The newest of these locations, Bisma, is the most exclusive. The property features 34 suites and 10 pool villas. You can walk minutes to the heart of Ubud’s art galleries or take the air-conditioned courtesy car to one of the region’s impeccable dining choices. Komaneka Resorts offer value for money and, if located in the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean, would cost three times as much.

2. Stay in your Resort

This is not a warning for anyone wishing to venture too far from their resort, but if you are paying for luxury and need to relax and unwind, why go outside at all? The thought of being imprisoned in your pool villa may seem like a waste of your precious holiday time, but what if you had everything you needed? In your own private infinity pool, you can cool off when the humidity becomes too much to bear. Order in room service when you feel peckish and help yourself to a well-stocked fridge of beer, juice and soft drinks. Take a day tour for some variety and definitely take advantage of a new restaurant every night. Be sure to eat early, so you can return to your villa and choose from a range of in-room movies on Apple TV. Don’t forget to change into your Pajamas and read your bedtime story before nodding off under your four-poster bed.
3. Eat well

Breakfast can often be the most uninspiring of meals. Buffet style may seem like a great idea, but by the third day, you’re probably over the crispy bacon and dry scrambled eggs. Komaneka offers a range of breakfast options you can order from the menu. Try the Balinese-style, American or the excellent banana bread, made onsite. Sample the tropical fruit and juices. Eat enough to make it to afternoon tea, served in your villa before venturing out in the evening for some local specialties. Ubud is famous for its suckling pig and ribs dishes. One highly-recommended choice, however, is Mosaic restaurant for a six-course degustation in the restaurant gardens. Fresh and local produce combine to produce tantalizing flavors that you will only find in Bali. The real treat is matching, local wines and then discovering your bill is only a fraction of what you would spend at home.

4. Indulge your senses

The quality of Balinese resorts is not measured by the landscaping or the architecture, but by the highest standard of service and amenities you will find. Komaneka offers Spa treatments to completely rejuvenate your senses and enable you to forget the world you left behind. The resort caters for couples, where you can lie side by side while receiving aromatic, Balinese-style massages before ending your 3 hour treatment with a couples herbal bath, covered with flower petals and relax in your private tub while listening to the waterfall, only meters away.

5. Cut off the world completely

Leave your watch, mobile phone and laptop behind. This may sound like a totally absurd idea, but try it. You will feel totally cut off from the world. You will eat when you are hungry and not because it is lunchtime. You can go to sleep whenever you feel tired. If you remove the conventions of your modern world behind, you will be guaranteed a truly unique experience. Remember, if anyone needs to find you they can always call your resort! Let’s hope they don’t.

After completing our Inca trek, we journeyed from Cusco to the backpacker-filled town of Copacabana, on the shore of the world’s highest lake. Located on the Peruvian border, Lake Titicaca is so picturesque, even the world’s worst photographer could take snaps that would look absolutely Lebowitz.

Buses were leaving for La Paz, packed with Gringos ready to experience the world’s highest capital city. We were in no hurry and instead, would enjoy a few quiet nights here before we headed over to nearby Isla del Sol. Upon our return, we realised La Paz (and indeed the rest of Bolivia) was in the midst of major, civil unrest. Otherwise known as a Coup d’etat, I was blasé as to the actual extent of what was going on. Who honestly takes these things seriously?

What initially seemed like a minor distraction to our travels, quickly escalated. It seems the Campesinos (peasant class) were angry with the government, in particular El Presidente, about selling natural gas reserves wholesale to overseas interests. Poor Bolivia was, once again, being exploited by a neighbouring country. Long ago, they even had a Pacific coastline until this was whittled away from them by Chile.

After returning from Isla del Sol, “Copa” had become a ghost town. Only a few pockets of Gringos remained. Like a scene from “High Noon”, with eddies of dust rolling down the main street. Roadblocks set up by the Campesinos ensured No-one could enter the country. A handful of people had escaped from La Paz with disturbing stories of having been in the firing line of tear gas and harrowing taxi rides from the capital through roadblocks, reminiscent of a Jerry Bruckheimer production.

We had the entire town, normally bustling with Gringos, to ourselves. How did we manage to escape? Well, we didn’t steal a motorbike and jump over a fence. Nor did we stage a concert and sneak out by the exit door. We certainly didn’t chisel through the wall of our hotel room, covering up the passageway with a poster of Rita Hayworth. Nothing like that I’m afraid.

Instead we met another stranded couple and decided to make our way by boat for the eight kilometres to the border. I strolled down to the lake shore and awaited “The Boy” to approach. It was like a drug deal going down. I waited by the lake shore, observing the view, when The Boy came over and asked me if I was looking to “get off the island”. “When”? I asked. “How much?” and “what time”? Deal was done. For 200 Bolivianos (less than $22), we hired a rowboat, an oarsman and space for four of us and our heavy packs to the Peruvian border.

It was still dark at 7am, extremely cold, and the thought of being in a very small boat on a very large lake, did not inspire much confidence amongst the four of us, but we had no choice. Either escape or apply for Bolivian residence. Our oarsman was our saviour. This poor guy was probably 65 years old and must’ve only had six teeth. He was so strong and focused, even pointing out some sights on the lake as he rowed by. Think, “Groundskeeper Willie” from “The Simpsons”. I’m sure that if this guy had ripped off his three layers of clothing, a six-pack and shoulders like tree trunks would have been revealed. Narrowly avoiding rocks hurtled by some Campesinos witnessing our escape efforts at the helm of a traitor, we safely rounded the point. Our freedom came into view in the distance. Suddenly, the old guy paddled the boat to shore and disappeared into the bushes, turning his back on us out of humility. A swell had developed and waves splashed into the boat. Still our hero persevered, and after more agonising moments of rough paddling (well, not for us), we finally arrived at the border.

Fearing a Campesino ambush, we quickly disembarked, negotiated a bog and made our way through a furrowed field full of cud-chewing cows and local farmers with bemused looks on their faces. Carrying a heavy backpack, over rock walls at 3,800 metres above sea level is great for improving your fitness at sea level, but at altitude, you feel like a weight belt is on your chest. Then we caught sight of it. The border control post. Cries of relief were heard, we made it. We had escaped Bolivia during a coup. It was sad to leave Copacabana behind, I was slowly getting used to the “music and passion, being the
fashion”, but it was great to be back in Peru.

It was a shame that we did not make it to La Paz. We had heard such great things about it
At least we were safe and now have a story to tell our Grandchildren.

Have you got a story about a “great escape” from your travels? We’d love to hear about your own narrow escapes from danger whilst on holidays, whether they be escaping a coup or simply getting away from an annoying travel partner, send us your story in a comment.

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