I don’t mind admitting I’ve been dreading writing this post, not because I didn’t enjoy Petra or because I had nothing to write about, but because it’s such an extraordinary, unique place, it’s almost impossible to do it justice in a blog post. How do you succinctly sum up one of the great wonders of the world in less than a thousand words? There are so many captivating parts to the ancient city, it’s hard to know where to begin, what to include and what to leave out. But here goes… The ancient Nabatean capital of Petra lay undiscovered for…

Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that I really, really love a castle and so it goes without saying I was very excited at the prospect of visiting Kerak Castle during my week in Jordan. The Crusader castle at Kerak is an enormous white limestone fortress, perched high on a hill overlooking its modern-day namesake town. It was built during the Crusades, in 1142, by Pagan the Butler, lord of Outrejourdain – one of a number of castles built by the Crusaders across the Levant. The castle’s extensive walls extend across the hill top, dominating the town, and I couldn’t help…

At 431 m below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. A slither of receding water between Jordan and Israel, the Dead Sea is actually a large lake, part of the Jordan Rift Valley, and it’s where I spent a late afternoon relaxing during my week-long sojourn in Jordan. As we approached the Dead Sea, the super-salty body of water looked enchanting as it glistened in the late-afternoon sunshine. With a salinity level of 33.7 per cent, the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth and is almost 10 times saltier than…

With spectacular scenery, countless archaeological gems and one of the seven wonders of the world, Jordan is an extraordinary country. Almost entirely landlocked, bar a slither of coastline along the Red Sea, the country is flanked by Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, and Israel and Palestine to the west. Given the catastrophes playing out in its northern neighbours and the uneasy, violent tensions among its western neighbours, it’s amazing that Jordan has so far emerged relatively unscathed amid the turbulent chaos of the Middle East. That’s not to say the…

If I had to guess, I’d wager that Petra is the reason most people visit Jordan and it was certainly why I booked my trip. I’d long been keen to visit the ancient Nabatean city, but little did I realise it’s just one of a number of incredible places to see in this fascinating country. Jordan is home to wonderfully preserved Roman ruins, the lowest and saltiest point on Earth and Moses’s alleged burial site, as well as cracking Crusader castles, spectacular deserts and relaxing beach resorts. It’s also one of the most beautiful countries I’ve seen and boasts breathtaking…

Japan’s capital is a fascinating, fun and fast-paced megacity. The first time I visited I was with friends so we spent out time racing around the city’s districts, such as Shinjuku, Harajuku and Akihabara, as well as a 5.30am trip to the famed Tsukiji fish market, taking in as much as we could in the few days we had. But this time around I was with my parents and we only had one day to look around the capital before flying back to the UK. So instead of running around, trying to fit in as much as we could, we opted for…

To me, Kyoto will always be the “temple” city. The first time I visited 10 years ago I was awestruck by the many beautiful temples in the city. So on my second trip, I made sure to revisit a few old favourites, such as the Golden Pavilion (above), as well as new sights, such as the Kiyomizu Dera Temple. There’s so much traditional Japanese architecture in Kyoto, I love wandering around and stumbling unexpectedly upon yet another stunning temple or tea house. On my first visit to the city, my friend and I visited the Silver Pavilion (which oddly enough doesn’t feature any silver)…

Japan’s ancient capital (pre-Tokyo, pre-Kyoto) Nara was memorable for two things – its abundance of beautiful temples, and the deer that roam Nara Park and the surrounding streets. The city, which is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, lies to the east of Osaka and is only an hour away by train. On my sister’s recommendation, we spent a day there – and it proved to be a fantastic trip! On arriving in Nara, we set off for Heijo Palace on the outskirts of the city. The imperial site was built at the turn of the 8th century to house the emperor and his…

One of my favourite parts about travelling is the food. I love trying new foods and seeking out regional specialities – and my trips to Japan have been no exception. The first time I went to Japan 10 years ago, my friend and I decided in our wisdom to eat nothing but Japanese food, morning, noon and night. I lasted three days. On the fourth day, we visited Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market at the break of dawn where I was given raw tuna and crab to try, and then I cracked. I was desperately craving western foods and ended up demolishing an entire tub of Pringles-like…

Osaka Castle is enormous and one of the most impressive castles I’ve ever seen. Even the walk up to the castle is grand as it sits in a large park enclosed within giant stone walls and surrounded by a huge moat. My brother and sister had been talking non-stop about the castle in the run-up to our trip to Osaka and so I was really looking forward to seeing it for myself. My first glimpse of the castle came at night, when we decided to take a night-time stroll over to the castle park, which was around the corner from our hotel.…