mad4travel's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hi
My name is Mel, I'm slightly mad and I love to travel.

Once travel gets under your skin it never goes away.

Travel broadens the mind, educates the soul and gives food for thought.

My experiences have taught me that we live on a very small planet. we all have the same basic needs, hopes and desires. We are all endangering the planet in one way or another and we can all individually do our own little bits to save it, don't sit back and rely on any Government.

Coming from a prosperous first world nation it is humbling to see the desperate poverty that some people live in and yet they are more generous, friendly and outgoing than many people I encounter in my own country.

Ooh, enough of the deep philosophical stuff. I've used this site for a couple of years to clue myself up on my travels so now I've decide to give something back.

If you find what you see useful , please write, rate or comment
Please don't steal my photos. I wouldn't dream of stealing yours!

I've popped in a couple of my most favourite places ever below......

OK I'm cheating - it's a couple of places actually:

Big Island Hawaii - Kilauea Volcano.
Its big, its erupting its pouring into the sea. Just plain spectacular - you can't beat Mother Nature.

Mount St Helens , Washington State
With a 40 mile blast zone of fallen trees this must have been amazing when it blew. Are you getting the picture here that I am a volcano freak? Damned right I am!

White Island, New Zealand (Photo)
OK another Volcano- this one in the ocean off the North Island New Zealand. An exciting boat ride to get there, a precarious landing, the need for a gas mask once you are there - great fun!

New Zealand Pages

Machu Picchu
I'm also going to have to put Machu Picchu in here - one of very few places in the world that is better than the photos and the hype!

Machu Picchu Pages
Cuzco Pages

Nepal
Wonderful Scenery, Lovely People, Great Food and amazing cities such as Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. A country steeped in history and culture and is an enchanting place. I've been twice and would go again deffo.

Nepal Pages

Canyonlands National Park Utah
Be alone, watch the sunset from the top of a Mesa, be humbled.
Utah USA

Tulum Beach, Mexico
White sand blue sea, mexican food and beer - heaven!
Mexico Pages

Kauai, Hawaii
The most unspoiled of the islands , beautiful and laid back, the tru aloha spirit.

Airport security
Plane delays
6 hour stopovers in airports in the middle of the night
Paying extortionate fees for visas
Getting lost
Getting sick
Getting hassled by the locals- "You buy postcards one dollar!"
Getting back home!

Guatamala and Cambodia are 2 of the most interesting places I've visited. probably because of their turbulent history and terrible recent past.

Both countries have beautiful landscapes and very friendly people and there is always something interesting and different to see and do.

I recommend both!

Guatamala Pages

Cambodia Pages

Of course this tourist business can be quite strenuous and tiring so its nice to see the locals in Vietnam like to take it easy.....

Vietnam
....Hanoi Pages
....Hue Pages

The Great British Summer as seen from the London Eye on 26th August (mid summer!!)

OTHER TRAVELS:
Checkout my pages (in no particular order of enjoyment!) :

Easter Island
Chile
Hong Kong
Iceland
Tibet
India
South Africa
Namibia
China
Costa Rica
Laos
.... Luang Prabang pages
....Vientiane pages
Egypt
Jordan
Japan
Australia
Turkey
Peru
Arizona USA
Utah USA
NewMexico USA
California USA

**NEXT STOP: THE SILK ROAD IN MAY**

No matter how much you travel there are still places to go. And even when you've done all that there are places to revisit. Travel is never ending!

So the wish list for my next travels has got to be:

The Silk Road
Indonesia
Bhutan
Cook Islands
Yunnan, China
Morocco

Then I will be well and truly broke, but hey, what an experience.
Live your dream or die regretting it!