Travel Lightbulb

Parlatuvier is a beautiful part of Tobago, about 50 minutes drive from the islands capital, Scarborough. As you drive along the coast, coming from the neighbouring village of Castara the views are simply spectacular. Once you're down in Parlatuvier, you'll find the beach is sheltered, and the sea is calm - the perfect place to take a dip and cool down! The village itself is tiny - just a cluster of little shops and houses, and a school, but it's well worth visiting for the view as you approach Parlatuvier, and for the lovely sandy beach.

I'm posing the above question today to get you all thinking about why you love travelling! It's something that is so important to me....one of the things I live for - just booking a flight, and getting away from it all. Discovering somewhere new, and recharging the batteries.  One of my favourite song lyrics is like my travel mantra - "wherever I lay my hat that's my home". That really sums up how I feel about travelling. Home may be where the heart is, but that doesn't mean it's bricks and mortar that makes somewhere 'home'.  I have visited several countries that I know I could live in quite happily, and that to me is what travel is all about - experiencing new places, and finding somewhere that you're more than happy to lay your hat. I'd love you to take a look back to a blog post I wrote when Travel Lightbulb was just a mere month old - click  here to read more.

After a long spell of working without travelling, I'm delighted to say.....my summer has finally begun! I'm starting my travels in one of my favourite parts of the world - the Caribbean. Just waking up to the blue sky and the birdsong everyday is perfection and the greatest way to get my summer off to a good start. While recharging the batteries is important, I'm also going to be discovering new places to feature on my blog, and not only that, but I'll be taking my photography seriously, so I have plenty of great shots to show you in the months to come.  Life is short, and it should always be about trying to enjoy every moment. So even if you aren't lucky enough to be able to afford to travel - get out and about and make the most of where you live. No matter where you are in the world, do what one smart journalist once said - "Don't exist. Live. Get out, explore. Thrive." Happy summer everyone.

Today's photo was taken in the beautiful horseshoe harbour of Port De Soller, in Majorca. Surrounded by the Tramuntana mountains, the town not only has stunning scenery, but it also has a perfect sea view. It has a great beach, and is the perfect base for touring around the island. There are enough restaurants on the harbour to spend two weeks here and not get around them all! It is busy enough to keep you entertained, but quiet enough to enable you to relax. In my opinion, the perfect spot on Majorca.

When you think of Sydney, I'm guessing the lush photo below is probably not the first image that came into your mind! The Lane Cove National Park is a stunning pocket of bushland, but an easy reach for so-called Sydneysiders.  While it's a great day out for the family, with lots of picnic areas to choose from,and great walking and cycling tracks,  it's also home to Tandara - the ultimate in luxury camping experience.  If you fancy staying getting away from it all, then read more about it, by visiting my original post,  Sydney Under Canvas .

When I came across photos of Antelope Canyon, it made me think how amazing mother nature is. It's located in Arizona, and is a hugely popular place for photographers - from the shots below, you can see why! It's the most celebrated slot canyon (meaning its confines are narrow, with high, twisting walls) in the American Southwest, and while the photos look as though they've been doctored...I can assure you, they haven't! The canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, due to flash flooding. During the monsoon season water runs into the basin and over time the passageways eroded, making the flowing shapes you see in the rocks. Flooding still happens in the canyon - in fact in 2006, Lower Antelope Canyon had to be closed for five months due to a flash flood that lasted an incredible a 36 hours. The sunlight penetrates the canyon in mid-March, and disappears in early October, so the spring and summer months are the best time to visit, as that's when t...

If you get a little bit car sick, then today's photo might be enough to push you over the edge! I haven't suffered from travel sickness since I was a child, but after undertaking this road in Majorca....I have to admit I was a little queasy! Its official name is Col de Cal Reis, but it's widely know as Sa Calobra, or the Cobra....for obvious reasons! It's a marvel of engineering, and drops just over 2,000 feet over the course of six miles, but it's the series of never-ending hairpins that make for a hairy journey! At the bottom, there are a couple of restaurants (only open in spring and summer) and a tiny cove, but if you ride a bike, then this is on the hit list of any cyclist who visits the island. In fact it has long been considered the toughest climb in Majorca. If you're doing it by car, and are feeling a bit green around the gills, then make sure you make time to stop for a rest a the bottom. Once you're down there, yes you guessed it....the o...

If you want peace and quiet in the Caribbean, then there's no better place to go that to head to The Grenadines. The photo below was taken at Tobago Cays, on a day trip several years ago. I visited several islands on the trip, and it really takes you back to what the Caribbean was like years ago - no jet skis - just you, the waves lapping up on the shore, and the turtles.....lots of them, who just love to swim around with you when you're snorkelling! It's one of the most idyllic places I've been to, and would gladly go back for a holiday, never mind a day trip. We are flashing back today, so if you'd like to read my original post, then click to  Cast off the anchors in the Grenadines .