Msambweni - Samawati House

In 2010 we were lucky enough to go out to Kenya as a family of four. We chose Samawati House for obvious reasons, the photos sold it as well as the recommendations. It has a pool with a 12m infinity edge dropping into the surrounding jungle, Amazing! The BEach is only 3 minutes walk from the garden and stretches for miles. It really did do everything it said in the description with fantastic staff and luxury bedrooms.

The Ferry to Mudeford

Every twelve minutes there's a ferry across the little channel that takes only a few minutes.

Hengitsbury head beach huts

What to do for the day. I love these pics taken using hipstomatic they evoke a sixties beach scene. The huts here are so surreal. It's almost impossible to find an identical design. Today we caught the land train to the Bournemouth side of Hengitsbury. It's cheap and fun for the kids with a big iced cream at the end.
We thought we'd check out the beach and a gentle stroll turned into a full fossil hunt. Every stone became a dinosaur tooth which was fun until your hands dry out. It's quite a way round following the sea shore but a very rewarding hour as the IOW provides stunning views of the Needles.
Rounding off the day with dinner in the restaraunt did produce a £205 bill for burgers and chips. Quite a shocker really but then it was £25 a bottle of decent vino planco. Time for bed now what a great day in the wild.

Mudeford mornings

The sun has got his hat on and the children are out to play. This is what it's all about on the south coast of the uk.

Muddeford beach huts in April !!!

We've booked into a beachhut in mudeford south Dorset. This is great when we had 20degrees in march but mid April its 0degrees at night which is pretty chilly for a glorified garden shed. Add to that a little rain and the need to BBQ. More to come.

The Thames - a different point of view

Last year we decided to celebrate my fathers 70th Birthday in style. Luckily one brother owns a big rib so the 6 of us descended on central London at Tower Bridge. We then proceeded to copy Jeremy Clarkson's run up the Thames. It really brings out the fact that London has so much charachter. Having flown over the top in my capacity as an aerial photographer going down the river was just as beautiful. 

Does anyone else think the barriers look like the bad guys in Lord of The Rings. The Nazgull with their hoods on???

Our favorite view of the day.  + it if you like it don't forget.

Rock and Polzeath - a view to the sea

I've always loved this area of Cornwall, call me a snob whatever you like it still makes me smile. I started visiting as a teenager camping in someone's hedge behind the bakery when we were 15. We had one tent between five and had forgotten the poles. A friend had invited me and said we could bike from Bodmin Parkway station. Its not that far he said and no its not only about 20 miles which isn't too bad but if you take the route we took it does up and over the hills straight up and down (when I say up I mean vertical). We arrived at 11pm and luckily were put up by a friend of his. For the rest of the time we literally camped in a hedge off the main road, convenient for the Mariners when it accepted teenagers.  Mind you i'll never drink Martini straight again I tried to down a whole bottle and can still taste it now as it came back up. The best news was discovering the camel trail which is a disused railway line that runs straight and flat most of the way, well worth the extra ££ to cross the estuary. We now go with the kids and cycle for hours its fantastic.

Anyway back to Rock always fun and as I have got older the accommodation has got better. Believe it or not thanks largely to my wonderful mother-in-law. We now stay every year in a house between Rock and Polzeath just above Daymer Bay. It has great views as you can see each photo is taken from the balcony. You are within walking distance of both villages/towns (not sure which they are to be honest). The Mariners is still within stumbling distance and the ferry to Padstow is only 15 minutes walk. Great news if your a fan of Rick Stein who seems to have branded most of the shops and restaurants. 

I think this part of Cornwall has it all surfing in Polzeath, shopping and eating in Padstow and bars and restaurants in Rock (ok not that many but enough). Its hard not to understand why the prices of houses are so high because its so private in its own Cornish slightly backward way. 

One of my favorite spots overlooking the golf course which has the church of St.Enedoc where Sir John Betjamin is buried. I've played the course and I can honestly say it challenged me greatly, I probably lost about 15 balls but then thats me. If your not into round ball games they always show the Lions rugby at the clubhouse. Now that ladies and gentlemen is a really useful fact.

What's the best thing to come out of Rock over the years for me? Sadly its not the memories of my children learning to surf or of the first snog on the beach back in the early 90s its the beer that follows me around everywhere I go. One more pint of Doom please landlord.

Sunset, its about time I said goodnight. Looking forward to our visit this summer and just praying the rain stays away. Don't forget to + the page if you liked it. Or ask me any questions if you want!

Dorset in the Snow

You don't have to go far to enjoy the great outdoors. This is taken from Hambledon Hill on the edge of Child Okeford in North Dorset. Funnily enough this is where I live and it rarely ever snows here. We run a bed and breakfast on the edge of the village where we like to welcome people from all over the world. Its such a nice way of meeting people, entertaining them and ensuring they feel at home. I have to say the other reason is purely selfish, its the only chance I get to have a cooked breakfast. I always make sure I buy too many sausages and bacon so my wife cooks the extra. Of course that is all great if the children don't get there first, they become bottomless pits when it comes to greasy breakfasts. Most of our guests are either here for weddings or on a long walk that passes through these parts from Weymouth to Kings Lynn. The whole way you are never further than 10 miles from an ancient burial site. Should be renamed the Skeleton way if you ask me. Occasionally people stay to check out the iron age hill forts and the roman fort on Hod Hill another steep climb but well worth it for the views.
If you want to check out our website feel free to click this link.

Moroccan Beaches

This beach just below the cliffs of our hotel was at least 1 mile long with only 2/3 people on it. Big waves, no seaweed and loads and loads of pure white sand. What more could you wish for. Check out the hotel at one off places a website we use for all our holidays. If you don't want to stay in the usual hotel or villa try this for something a little "one off".

Video of the shops on the Trek to Toubkal

Shopping on Mt Toubkal, I thought I would share this with you all. There are a few little shops along the trek up towards the refuge. If you are short on liquids then have no fear they have the coolest sprinkler system to keep the bottles cold. Food is in short supply however there are endless packs of Pringles if thats your bag.

Kasbah Tabelkoukt south of Mirleft on the west coast of Morocco. Having climbed into the Atlas mountains for a couple of days we headed off to our final destination on the coast. After the noise and shopping of Marrakech and the beauty and snow of the mountians we didn't think it could get much better than that. After a 6 hour drive from Imlil to Mirleft we were just hoping for a good nights sleep and comfortable couple of days before we flew home to the UK from Agadir.

We arrived at the Kasbah Tabelkoukt at 11pm having descended from the refuge in the Atlas at 6am. We were warmly greeted by the staff and informed that the fire in our room had been lit and dinner was awaiting us. What a fantastic relief from the junk we had eaten at the side of the road service stations consisting mainly of Haribo. We had an impromptu 3 course meal of fish and then a lamb tagine, the standard of which topped everything we had come to expect. The room was huge with its own fireplace which glowed with the warmth from the recently lit fire.

We could only glimpse the swimming pool in the dark but looked forward to slaving to the sun in the morning. Above is a sample of the views available from the edge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean below.

Shopping in Marrakech

Slippers everywhere, the colours are amazing and if you have small children (especially girls) you could loose yourself forever.

Beautiful materials abound in the backstreets and bazaars. Layer upon layer of different colour, clothing and especially the odd pouff.

Enough to make any wife happy, scarves by the bucket load.

One of the busiest squares in the world let alone Africa. The Djemaa el Fna is in central Marakech and spreads quite far. It is surrounded by 3 storey building each of which have   restaurants  and bars on top from where you can survey the ogranised chaos below. In the distance on the left you can see the towering mosque Koutoubia one of the largest in the world. In the foreground are the orange sellers and beyond the alleyways that lead into the Medina.

Always carry a map or take a guide when you enter the labyrinth that is the Medina. Its quite simple to find your way as long as you keep an eye on the dierection you are going and just retrace your steps once you've seen enough. We took http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shopping-Marrakech-Susan-Simon/dp/1892145782 this amazing book has a series of walks in that will guide you to the best of the best as far as handbags and slippers goes. The maps are simple and very accurate although some of the shops have since disappeared.