SUNKEN WORLD

Hip & Healthy: Five Top Dive Destinations to Visit in 2013

If you are looking for new ways to keep fit whilst discovering new and exciting destinations this year, then scuba-diving may just be your answer. Donning a mask, fins and a tank is an eye-opening and exhilarating sport that can unlock a completely different world to the adventurous and curious traveller.

Check out my top recommendations for scuba diving hot spots this year as well as how it really does give you a full-body workout, over on health and wellbeing magazine, Hip & Healthy.

Click here to read the full article.

Are you ready for the wetsuit?!

Five tips on how to scuba dive sustainably

1. Dive well

To avoid destroying the coral, it’s important to secure and streamline of all of your equipment - gauge, octopus, hoses, lights and camera. By kicking the coral, you destroy it. Sediment from sandy bottoms can also smother the coral, so always ensure to control your buoyancy.

2. Hands-0ff

Swim with your hands by your side, so to avoid any nasty encounters with camouflaged critters such as the venomous stone fish and lion fish, as well as protect the environment.

3. Get clued-up

The more you know about what lies below the ocean’s surface, the more you will want to protect it. For inspiration, check out Project Aware (www.projectaware.org) - a growing movement of divers acting in their communities to protect oceans and implement lasting change.

4. Be respectful

Coral reefs are an invaluable component of the entire marine ecosystem. Not only do they protect shorelines from erosion, but they also provide feeding grounds, nurseries and habitat for a third of all marine life. So always be aware of where your fins are, at all times. If you need to rest or re-adjust your equipment, lean backwards and float using your BCD (buoyancy control device).

5. Clean-up

There is nothing more frustrating or upsetting, than when on a dive you see litter among the coral reefs. Did you know, there are over 18,000 pieces of plastic litter floating on every square km of the ocean? This contributes to killing 100,000 turtles and marine mammals ever year. Next time you are on a dive and you do see any litter, be sure to collect and take it with you.

My Beach Tomato BEACH OF THE WEEK - Guludo Beach, Mozambique

Each week Beach Tomato - the travel & lifestyle specialists on all things beach related, brings its readers one of the best beaches in the world. Last week I contributed, sharing my BEACH OF THE WEEK as - Guludo & Guludo Beach Lodge in northern Mozambique.

BEACH: Guludo Beach

WHERE: Northern Mozambique, Quirimbas National Park

WHY: 12 kilometres of palm-fringed, white-powdery, deserted private beaches, pristine and un-touched coral reefs, superb scuba diving, sunset dhow sailings (the traditional Arab sailing vessel), a unique opportunity to see elephants during in the day in the National Park, as well as a glimpse into real African life – this could just be paradise.

HOW: Guludo is situated 80km north of Pemba as the crow flies – which is also where the nearest international airport is. There are daily internal flights from Maputo, Mozambique’s capital. A long drive along bumpy roads from Pemba awaits you, but once you arrive it makes it all that more special.

H2O TONE: Topaz blue

SAND TONE: Creamy white truffles

STAY: Guludo Beach Lodge offering nine bandas (bungalows) spread out along the empty white beach – each with panoramic views, palm-thatched roofs and alfresco marbled bathrooms, is the perfect tonic for a relaxing getaway. However, workaholics listen up – at Guludo, there is no electricity, though a generator is operated a few hours a day. So no televisions, laptops or mobile phones – bliss, non?

WHEN: Northern Mozambique offers a tropical climate all-year round with two seasons: the dry season from April to late December and the green season from late December to March. Though the good news is, it’s idyllic to visit all year round.

Sumatran Orangutans

Whilst trawling through my collection of images, I came across this shot taken four years ago whilst visiting the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Bukit Lawang, Sumatra.

My lodge was located across the river from the rehab centre, which we had to cross by boat every day. As you can see, it was definitely the vessel of choice!

Travelling as a war correspondent: interview with author Tim Butcher for LadyAdventurer.co.uk Finding the best local knowledge is important for all travellers but, in a war zone, it can be life saving. Here’s my interview with award winning author and ex Daily Telegraph Chief War Reporter, Tim Butcher for LadyAdventurer.co.uk - about his experience journeying across the Congo and the importance of avoiding “outsiders arrogance”. You can read the full interview, here. For further updates and travel inspiration, please do check out www.LadyAdventurer.co.uk and follow on twitter @L_ATravelMag.

Travelling as a war correspondent: interview with author Tim Butcher for LadyAdventurer.co.uk

Finding the best local knowledge is important for all travellers but, in a war zone, it can be life saving. Here’s my interview with award winning author and ex Daily Telegraph Chief War Reporter, Tim Butcher for LadyAdventurer.co.uk - about his experience journeying across the Congo and the importance of avoiding “outsiders arrogance”.

You can read the full interview, here.

For further updates and travel inspiration, please do check out www.LadyAdventurer.co.uk and follow on twitter @L_ATravelMag.

Hong-gazing around Phang Nga Bay

Imagine sitting in the middle of a lagoon, cloaked in darkness with not a whisper to be heard, as your kayak is paddled slowly in a circular motion. And as you look up, gazing at the stars, you catch glimpses of tall limestone formations lit by starlight. Phang Nga Bay’s limestone caves (also known as hongs) rise out of the water like imposing fortresses over south Thailand’s Andaman Sea.

The hongs are cave-like but roofless, round in shape but with vertical walls. Dense vegetation paints every surface green, with trees and their century-old roots sprouting from the cliffs.

With our silent sea kayaks, we glided through the caves and narrow passages that lead into the lagoons enclosed by these tall, cylindrical limestone cliffs. So peaceful and so humbling.  

The kayak tour was led by John Gray - an adventure kayaker extraordinaire who has been exploring these caves for over 20 years. He is a univeristy lecturer, National Geographic documentary maker and a passionate environmentalist.

For more information on John Gray’s ‘Hong by Starlight’ kayak tours, visit www.johngray-seacanoe.com.

The Tank Bangers rock out to ‘Our Blue’

Last January, The Tank Bangers - the world’s first and only underwater charity band and marine conservation group - decided to create a music video to inspire and educate others on how to better protect our oceans.

Over the course of ten months, with a team of 19 and over 1,800 dives, ‘Our Blue’ was created. To watch this amazing video, just click here -www.thetankbangers.org/home.

Debuting last December 2010, the group which consists of PADI scuba diving instructors and divemasters, performed several songs including Bohemian Rhapsody and Ticket to ‘Dive’, in a bid to raise awareness of diving in the Red Sea following the political unrest and shark attacks.

And now, in just over one year, The Tank Bangers has over 7,000 members worldwide and is collborating with a number of organisations - including Shark Project. The charity is ran by its trustees - Terry Nichols, Nick Stec and Rebecca Lain.

The five-minute track details the world’s love of the Big Blue, but also highlights the incredibly destructive actions of mankind on the oceans. ‘Our Blue’ is also available on iTunes and all proceeds are going to Project Aware, Sea Shepherd, Shark Project, Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna - the Mozambican charity founded and ran by Dr Andrea Marshall, the BBC’s Queen of Mantas.  

For more information check out www.thetankbangers.org and for regular updates follow its Facebook fan page and Twitter (@The_TankBangers). Oh, and be sure to buy a copy of ‘Our Blue’!

Is Scuba the new Yoga?

Scuba diving and yoga are the yin-yang of sports. One adrenaline fulled, the other relaxing. However, there is a growing consensus that the two complement each other, given the emphasis on quality of breath that is required. Indeed when divers learn how to control their breathing, it leads to better control of buoyancy in the water and a calmer mind. And of course, it also significantly helps increase the length of a dive.

With a number of dive resorts around the world now offering tailored scuba-yoga packages, it is no surprise they are proving to be very popular among the dive community. One in particular that has caught my attention is at LaSource - a holistic resort in Grenada.

Earlier this year it launched the Caribbean’s first Scuba-Yoga programme, which incorporates Pranayama yoga and meditation tuition desgined specifically to enhance the overall dive experience. The three-day programme consists of three dives on days chosen by guests over a seven night stay, balanced with Pranayama yoga techniques and meditation before or after each one.

As the resort’s resident holisitc programme director - Dr.Manoj Kutteri, says “Pranayama aids dive performance and gives beginners confidence. The specific techniques within the breathing exercises strengthen the lungs and help develop greater ability to breathe with continuity. They also de-stress and create openness of the mind to the quiet world underwater.”

Personally, I never feel more at peace than when I am scuba diving. It is such a fun, yet calming activity. When underwater, with no sound other than my own slow, deep breathe it really does induce a state that resembles meditation.

Another advocate of scuba diving and its many benefits, is Tina Gibbons - founder of The Mind Sanctuary and PADI Divemaster. “The sensation of being weightless installs a sense of freedom and your connection and intimacy with the beautiful underwater marine life stimulates a wonder of just how amazing nature is. It’s no wonder that the underwater world has become one of my greatest sanctuaries.”

Having only attempted yoga classes a handful of times, I will definitely be looking to improve my poses next year. Whether they will look elegant or not, is another matter…

To book a stay at LaSource:

Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk0844 332 9349) is offering seven nights on an all-inclusive basis at LaSource in Grenada from £1,839 per person . Valid for selected departures from 1-13 April 2012. The price includes flights from Gatwick with Monarch, accommodation in a luxury room, resort transfers, six spa treatments, three dives (PADI qualified divers), daily yoga, plates and Tai Chi, taxes and surcharges. /

For more information on Grenada and its dive offering, visit www.grenadagrenadines.com.

The underwater adventure continues - from PADI Open Water to Divemaster

It is now nearly four years since I completed my PADI Open Water with the lovely guys at Sandton Scuba in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. And there is no doubt about it, I have been hooked ever since.

From completing my Advanced Open Water course in the cold waters of Stoney Cove - a quarry in Leicestershire and the UK’s largest inland diving centre, to my Rescue Diver course in Thailand, I have continued to improve my diving skills over the years. I really am never happier than when underwater.

So, now the adventure continues and I will be completing my PADI Divemaster with the London-based dive club, Diving Leisure London. This is a very challenging course, and I can’t wait to get started. Over the coming months, I will be updating here on my progress. Wish me luck!

Sport Diver UK: Sipadan - the dive world’s Holy Grail

When it comes to diving, Sipadan has always been hailed as the Holy Grail for keen scuba divers and ocean lovers worldwide. So earlier this year, I travelled to Borneo’s Sabah to check out the underwater paradise for myself. With its abundance of marine life, I can now definitely see why it is ranked among one of the world’s best dive spots. Here is an extract from my article on Sport Diver UK:

”Three spurts of cold water at irregular intervals. That was it. A single, defiant offering from a shower that oozed remoteness and little else. I revelled in it, really. After flying all the way to Borneo, taking an internal flight, a one-hour car drive with a cavalier taxi driver and a 40km white knuckle boat ride across the Celebes Sea through a storm, somehow it wouldn’t have seemed right to arrive at a luxurious retreat. I was on Mabul Island, ready to experience a different kind of creature comforts - the underwater kind. Finally I was going to dive Sipadan, the Holy Grail for scuba divers.”.   Click here to read the full article.



Image provided by Jason Isley, Managing Director of Borneo based underwater production/publication company Scubazoo

URGENT APPEAL - Somalia’s famine crisis


Yesterday the United Nations declared an official famine across two regions of southern Somalia - in the districts of Bakool and Lower Shabelle.

With UNICEF being the largest presence of any aid organisation in Somalia, it continues to work with local Somali administrations, communities, as well as local and international NGOs to deliver services to women and families throughout the country.

Nearly half of the Somali population - 3.7 million people - are now in crisis, of whom an estimated 2.8 million people are in the south. Consecutive droughts have affected the country in the last few years while the ongoing conflict has made it extremely difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country.

Together with other charities and NGOs, the UNICEF Somalia team is working hard to bolster support to improve nutrition, access to safe water and health for the affected children. It’s estimated that approximately £37 million ($60million) will be required to meet the needs.

Today it was reported that the UK has been leading the way with donations, but more support is still desperately needed. I have just donated, please do the same and help UNICEF’s aid in East Africa.

For more information and donations, please visit www.unicef.org.uk/eastafrica.

Spark your Travelling Dream

 
Whilst diving in Borneo earlier this year, I met Candelaria and Herman Zapp. An Argentinian couple, who after growing up together, decided to follow their dream and jumped in to their 1920s wooden wheeled car in search of adventure. After 11 years on the road, having visited over 30 countries (and still counting) and four children later, it seems nothing is going to dampen their wanderlust.
 
 All their travelling tales were so fascinating; you really can’t beat finding serendipity on the road. Here’s to many more adventures.
For more information on the Zapp family and their trip, visit www.sparkyourdream.net.

Tufu dancing on Ilha de Mocambique

 
The former capital of the country, Mozambique Island (or as known in Portuguese - Ilha de Moçambique) is so spectacular that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. It’s an intriguing and enchanting anomaly.
 
Settled by the Portuguese and the Arabs from the 16th century as a trading port from where to export gold, ivory and slaves, the island nowadays has a very distinct character where its colonial influences are evident throughout. The fortifications on the island are a great example of an architecture in which local traditions and Portuguese and Arab influences are interwoven. Indeed, the tiny Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte is considered to be the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere.
 
 Extraordinarily nothing has changed in the last 500 years. Whilst meandering through the sleepy cobbled streets, it feels like time has frozen. The narrow alleyways echo with the sounds of playing children and squawking chickens, whilst fishermen sit on the sand repairing their long, brightly coloured nets.

Whilst visiting Ilha last year as a guest of the Mozambique High Commission, I had the pleasure of watching a group of ladies from the Estrela Vermella neighbourhood perform the traditional Tufu dance. Influenced by the Arabic heritage, this celebratory dance is now performed by six different groups on the island and is truly spectacular to watch.

Northern Mozambique – East Africa’s best kept secret

Earlier this year I was invited by the High Commission of the Republic of Mozambique on a whistle stop tour of the country to learn how, following the end of the civil war in 1992, Mozambique is slowly but surely rising from the ashes.

With sustainable tourism being key to the growth of the country’s economy as a whole, a series of projects are underway on both a national and local scale to help boost the tourism industry and ultimately benefit local communities.

Mozambique is a land of astounding diversity, with a distinct local style consisting of a blend of African, Arab and Portuguese influences, 2500 kilometres of long unspoilt coastline and 12 marine and land national parks.

To begin with, read here for my review in Style Bible of three stunning eco-lodges I visited in the northern region - Guludo, Ibo Island Lodge and Nuarro.

And here is my contribution to a destination feature on Mozambique that appeared in the Guardian’s travel pages last weekend (Saturday, 19 September). A very proud moment for me indeed.