Mandy has taken to various adventures across these countries, ticking off her bucket list.

She shares her explorations on her travel blog where she writes amazing experiences on places visited, her blog also features amazing pictures as well as videos to keep you entertained.

On this interview, she shares her best adventures, funny moments as well as travel tips for anticipating traveller, lets meet Mandy Watson.

Meet Mandy Watson

In a nutshell, I’m an Aussie mum who has had a sense of adventure since I can remember. Leaving our shores for a 6 month adventure halfway around the world at the age of 18, and scraping home with a dollar bill, sure taught me a lot about what can be accomplished!

Now that our kids have finished school, (and are able to house sit and feed our pets…bonus), my husband and I have become somewhat obsessed about travelling.

Keen to always explore new places, rather than revisiting old favourites, has been fabulous, as there is ALWAYS a new favourite place just around the corner.

Having cancer come unwelcomely knocking at our door 4 years ago, expedited our need to ‘live life now’!We are super healthy now, well, not bad, but it was a scare that woke us up to the important things in life.

We are determined to do as many adventurous trips as possible whilst we can. Tackling the high altitude of the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro to swimming with sharks etc…yep, done both!

I have started a fun travel blog/website, aptly named ‘Spending Kids Inheritance’, where all my stories, photos and videos are.

The Passion as a Traveller

I had a sports coach when I was a teenager, who enthralled me with his stories from when he traversed Africa, overland, from Capetown to Cairo back in the 1970’s.

He even went hunting with the Pygmies of the Congo! Also, he attempted climbing Kilimanjaro, but was forced down before submitting, when the effects of high altitude caused all the capillaries in his face to burst.

From that day on I promised myself I would complete that journey for him. Although he doesn’t know, I took a part of him with me in my heart to the top.

My brother also was quite adventurous in his youth…He slept on the sand in front of the Treasury building at Petra, in the early ’80’s – before the tourists, and shared tea with the nomadic Bedouins, before waking up to the sun’s rays hitting the carved cliff face.

Holy moly, how cool would that have been?! (Nobody told him about the scorpions in the sand though…) I think adventure in the blood.

I also love trying new languages and new cuisine. I barely shop for souvenirs… My motto has increasingly become to ‘Just say yes!’

Countries Visited

Whoa, how long have you got?

55 countries and all 7 continents by the end of 2019, sadly, nothing added this ‘year of the virus’. Aside from the obvious favourites, let me explain how I felt about visiting Antarctica.

Leaving the tip of South America…the infamous ‘Cape Horn’, and spending 2.5 days crossing the Drake Passage, in itself, is a journey right there.

At night, feeling the ship soar up a wave, get ‘air’, and come thumping down, hour after hour, made me think we were experiencing a cross between ‘The Perfect Storm’, and ‘The Poseiden Adventure’. As it stood apparently, on a scale between 1 -10, we were only at a 2.5.
After a couple of days, seeing the horizon glimmer in white was one of the most profound sights I had ever witnessed. There she was. The bottom of the Earth, and we were almost there.

Stepping onto continental Antarctica, made me feel like we were witnessing life on Earth – before humans.

A primordial existence. Just ice, birds, mammals and fish. Barely a human to be seen. No architecture to marvel over, no roads, no cities, no native cuisine to taste or music to hear. Life. Without humans. And it was breathtaking.

Best Destinations

When we meet fellow travellers, I always ask them their favourite 3 places…It’s not fair to just give one. So this is my answer to that:

Favourite City? Paris. By a country mile.

Favourite Country? Italy. Hands down.

Favourite experience? That’s a tie. Antarctica, and safari in Africa.

Fun Experiences

I think the most varied fun I have had was in Africa.

From camping on the Serengeti, where we witnessed the Persaids Meteor Shower whilst listening to lions and hyenas right near our tents, was something I’ll never forget…

Staying at The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, and feeding these beauties at dawn from our balcony, and one giraffe taking pellets from my lips.

Getting into a shark cage off shore in ‘Shark Alley’ south of Capetown, South Africa, and witnessing the sharks all around us was sensational.

Standing on the roof of Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t say it was fun, as summit night almost took the life of one of our team, but it was a hell of an experience!

Horse riding in one of the few inhabited live volcanoes in the world, in Ecuador… and no one knew where we were…

Swimming in the Devil’s Swimming Pool at the top of Victoria Falls in Zambia, fulfilled a life long dream. It was utterly exhilarating!!!!

I’ll stop there, the rest is in my travel blog.

Tips for Anticipating Travellers

Research where you are going and whether you need vaccinations for it. You may not want them, but sometimes coming back into your own country, they require proof that you have had them.
Keep your little yellow medical/vaccination passport, with you passport.

Use a travel agent. Winging it in Africa, nope, as sometimes an overland border crossing is a kilometre of no man’s land – you want to make sure you have the correct visa.

Get yourself a Go Pro if you want action/underwater footage. You can grab great screen shots from them.

Say YES!

Funny Moments

Oh blimey, can I give you two?

Camping on the Serengetti, after watching the meteor shower with 2 friends, we walked over to the toilet room, on the edge of the camp ground.

Luxury actually, it was a concrete bench with a lid over a long drop – normally they are just a squat hole in the floor.

Anyway, two of us stood sentry outside as one went in first. As it was still dark, and we were warned strictly to not leave the unfenced campsite, we were watching many, many sets of eyes, watching eyes, dancing from side to side, getting closer

Suddenly our friend came out running out, almost with her pants around her ankles, screaming ‘BATS BATS BATS!’….as it happened, she had lifted the lid to the long drop, and was about to sit down, when a whole colony of microbats flew out of the cesspit, all of which were now flying around our head torches….rabies anyone?

It was extraordinary!

Also, in Africa, when my hubby and I were getting kitted up with our wetsuits for our shark cage dive…and my very reluctant hubby, who was quietly panicking, was asked his shoe size for his wetsuit boots.

“Sir, what’s your shoe size?”

Hubby ” Good.”

Um,… I think he was a little preoccupied.

“Its a 9,” I answered, and to this day, we use this analogy when you don’t have an answer. “Good.”

Destinations on Bucketlist

We had the Northern Lights booked for March this year but had to postpone.
Looking forward to that one…Staying in a glass igloo, Ice hotel, reindeer sleighing, snowmobiling, floating in dry suits amongst icebergs – you can tell we live in a hot climate to find these exciting!
It will be epic.

Also, scenic rail trips around Switzerland, ending in a Halloween party at Dracula’s Castle in Romania. How much fun would that be?

Next year, hopefully, we get to travel again, and the first stop is driving the UK from bottom to top, visiting friends, staying in pubs, and doing some barging.

WHY? Because these will be great fun!

General Travel Tips

• Try to be as healthy as possible. Maybe even lose a bit of weight first – hehe, particularly if you’re going on a cruise!
• Get out all your stuff you want to pack, then halve it.
• Upload your images to the cloud, or at least social media as you go, incase your phone breaks or is stolen or lost.
• ALWAYS have small denominations of US dollars.
• If you a flying halfway around the world to pick up a tour or ship…give yourself a couple of days at your departure spot, to look around and to acclimatise. Nice to start your journey without jet lag. That obviously said as I’m an Australian, and we seem to travel 30 hours to get anywhere!

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The views expressed in the above article are of Mandy Watson

Website: www.spendingkidsinheritance.com

Interviewed By: Dave [Tourist Checklist Editorials]

The post Ticking off that Bucket List, one Holiday at a time! – Mandy Watson appeared first on The Tourist Checklist.

Amongst many adventure seekers is Stephen Peel who took to exploring 12 countries on a bicycle, this adventure covered countries between England and southern Thailand and lasted for 16 months.

Meeting many wonderful sights and amazing people, he recommends this style of exploration through his book “A highly unlikely bicycle tourist”.

Stephen has also taken to other adventures such as driving through the United States. Currently residing in England, he still has an adventure in him.

Meet Stephen Peel

Born in Manchester, England in a concrete jungle of highrise council flats, I emigrated to Australia with my family when I was just five years old. I was instantly in love with the wide-open spaces and wildlife of the Australian bush.

I’d often pretend to go to school and then make my way to the bush or river nearby to look for snakes and other critters. I couldn’t get enough of being around wildlife and out in the open air. I feel the same way today at 57.

I had backpacked, driven, cruised and been on many package holidays. For my last adventure, I chose to travel on a bicycle. I loaded it up with everything I thought I might need, including a tent.

I then spent 16 months cycling in 12 countries between England and southern Thailand, and I couldn’t recommend that style of travel enough.

I experienced things I would never have had the chance to experience if I had travelled any other way.

Best Destinations

Some of my favourite destinations include: USA, Brazil, Cambodia, Greece

I have been lucky enough to visit just shy of 40 countries on six continents.

USA

The USA is vast with so much to see and do. I had spent 11 weeks driving a car 10,000 miles in the USA, and I barely scratched the surface. I highly recommend a fly-drive. There are no shortages of hotels, and fuel is exceptionally cheap. At least compared to fuel in England.

Brazil

On my 40^th birthday, I trekked in the Brazilian Amazon for a few weeks. I was lucky enough to spend some time in small villages where I enjoyed the interaction with locals as we followed jaguar tracks in the forest and hunted for tarantulas.

Cambodia

My favourite county and, one that came as a big surprise to me in so many ways, is Cambodia.

On my recent 7000-mile 12 country cycling adventure, I cycled down from Thailand into Cambodia and to Siem Reap, where I spent a couple of days exploring Angkor Wat and the temple complex.

The Cambodian people had genuine smiles, and many tried to communicate with me in English. As I was travelling solo, I was thrilled about that.

Greece

As I cycled through northwest Greece, the scenery was stunning. Turquoise waters and green hills.

Villages brimmed with friendly locals who couldn’t seem to do enough for me. The food was also out of this world, with lamb and potatoes being my favorite.

That area of Greece seemed a holiday destination for the people of Greece, not so many international tourists, which made my short stay more memorable.

Tips for Anticipating Travellers

• It’s nice to chill on a beach or hang around a town, but get out and about and see more to get a real feel for a country, even for just a few hours. Big cities are generally cosmopolitan and don’t reflect a country as a whole.

• Most countries are safe to travel. To help minimize risks, keep a mobile phone with an active SIM card. Let your hotel or other people know where you’re going and roughly what time you expect to be there and back, or which day. Don’t wander around alone late at night in unfamiliar places.

Destinations on my Bucket List

Much more of South America. Peru and Argentine.

Return to the Philippines to explore remote islands.

Another big multi-country solo bicycle tour would be excellent too.

General Travel Tips

If travelling solo, pack what you can carry easily, not what you might need others to help you with.

Take a couple of credit cards and let the card providers know which countries you plan to travel. It will help to prevent your cards from being flagged as being used suspiciously and blocked from use.

Don’t wear expensive jewellery on show. Better still, leave it at home.

Enjoy every minute, record every detail, and take as many high-resolution photographs as you can.

Funny Moment

I had so many hilarious moments, but one that I still find myself laughing about was when I was in a cheap room in northeast Thailand.

As soon as I turned the lights out, there was a loud, croaking sound. Not like a frog, but sort of a cross between a frog and cricket. I thought it was a bird or critter outside.

But each time I switched the light on while going to the window, the sound went off. I’d switch the light off, and it started again.

I soon realized that my room had geckos on the walls. They were so flat, and I could just make them out as they kept so still. I learned to sleep with the light on, only to shut them up.

Book Recommendations

I could recommend my book: A highly unlikely bicycle tourist, but that wouldn’t be quite fair. I will, however, recommend Janapar, Love on a Bike by Tom Allen.

It was the book that had me thinking about a bicycle touring holiday. Although Tom was less than half my age, his story was super helpful, packed with great advice and suggestions on how to get started.

Gallery

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The views expressed in the above article are of Stephen Peel

Website: stephenpeel.co.uk

Facebook Event’s Page: Facebook.com/MrStephenJohnPeel

Interviewed By: Dave [Tourist Checklist Editorials]

The post The World on Two Pedal-Powered Wheels – Stephen Peel appeared first on The Tourist Checklist.

An important part which should not be left out is keeping an archive of your exploits, here in this article, we have a passionate traveler as well as a travel blogger, Alan Atkinson.

Travelling the world, Alan is also passionate about sharing his experience through his blog, he has visited 5 out of the 7 continents, and currently reside in the United Kingdom.

You can take to exploring his blog to learn more of his adventures.

Travelers & Locals with Alan Atkinson

Meet Alan Atkinson

I’m Alan, 36 years old, and living in the United Kingdom.

A once avid traveler who has traveled to 5 of the 7 continents I’ve now taken on a new adventure with my daughter and family life; however, the desire for travel very much remains and now planning on future plans.

The Passion as a Traveller and Travel Blogger

I’ve always loved being an outdoors person and exploring new places. As I’ve got older, I’ve discovered a love for learning about different cultures.

Before my first big travel trip, I wanted to make sure I kept in touch with friends and family so I could let them know what I was doing each day but I started to get more out of the blogs, they became a bit of a diary to remind me what I did each day, what feelings I felt.

I then started to find people following me and I then also took an interest to follow like-minded travellers as it’s great to hear other people’s stories and learn their experiences as well as learn about locations I’ve not been to that could possibly be the next adventure.

Best Destinations Visited

I have been to Peru, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Italy, I have also visited Greece

Fun Attractions and Activities in these Destinations.

In Peru, I enjoyed the Sunrise at Machu Pichu as well as Swimming with 10,000 sea lions

China Enjoying the Great Wall all to myself, Eating so much Chinese food (tastes so much better than back home)

Mexico, the Stunning Tulum views as well as Sleeping in a wooden hut in Palenque jungle

Costa Rica, Seeing so much wildlife and White water rafting down the Sarapiquí river

Belize: Swimming with Nurse Sharks and stingrays and Floating in a rubber dinghy down a lazy river going in and out of caves

Italy: The colosseum is just spectacular as well as the Amazing ancient ruins .

Greece is Just perfect for a chilled vacation and guaranteed good weather also enjoyed trying out delicious Greek food

Tips for Anticipating Travellers

• Do some research, make sure you’ve planned your itinerary as some places book up quickly or open at certain times
• If travelling solo and country not familiar or slightly unsafe, think about booking through a tour operator as it’s a great way to meet other travellers, you get security of being in a large group, you have a local knowledgable tour guide and your accommodation and transportation is all sorted
• Always take enough cash with you

Destinations on your Bucketlist

Iceland – just looks beautiful and I’d love to see the green lights

Japan – stunning country and beautiful culture

General Travel Tips for Travellers

Create your own blogs whilst you’re away so you can go back and revisit your adventures or at least keep a diary so you can remember your feelings and experiences.

You’ll be surprised how quickly after your trip has ended that you start to forget moments of what happened, by having it written down helps replay the adventure.

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The views expressed in the above article are of Alan Atkinson.

Website: TravelBlog

Photography: Facebook.com/siralanphotography

Interviewed By: Dave [Tourist Checklist Editorials]

The post “Keep a Diary so you can Remember your Experiences” – Alan Atkinson appeared first on The Tourist Checklist.