The best way to explore an off-beat destination

Bidding farewell to a dystopian vision of oppressive British storm-clouds, I was greeted in Alvor in early October by welcoming, sunny skies to enjoy a week of sun, sea, sand, swimming, sangria, senhoritas , steaks, spaghetti and seafood. Beautiful, friendly, accessible, affordable and rich in cultural heritage, it is easy to see the draw of the Algarve. The region of Portugal is one of Europe’s best-known travel destinations. Famous for its clean, warm waters, stunning beaches and long summers, in recent years it has become very popular with sun seekers from more northerly European countries, particularly those travelling from Britain, Ireland, France and Germany. As one of those European travellers, I have been twice in the last three years. After two amazing trips to the Algarve, I would highly recommend it, however during my most recent trip I found myself increasingly aware of a dichotomy at the heart of the Algarve which too many travellers sadly seem blinkered to. The old an...

The health sections of guidebooks for anywhere faintly exotic can be absolutely terrifying. Once you’ve dealt with the usual suspects – malaria, dengue fever, rabies, tetanus – you’re treated to an increasingly harrowing host of parasitic possibilities. It’s a small wonder that unseasoned travellers don’t show up in tropical environs wearing astronaut suits fastened with padlocks. It should be noted that the chances of you falling victim to one these gruesome invaders are incredibly slim. The people most at risk are those for whom poor sanitation and a lack of medical resources is a fact of daily life, and for whom we should definitely spare a thought. Naegleria fowleri This microscopic horror, which lives in warm freshwater, is the only parasite in our list that has been known to strike the world over, including the UK. It begins its journey of destruction in your nose and soon makes its way deep into your head. At this point it unveils a sucking apparatus which it uses to devour ...

A Journey to West Papua; Walking in My Grandfather’s Footsteps An acid green and yellow snake was the first image to appear when I Googled ‘Biak Island’. Rainforest dominates this tiny coral island embedded in Indonesian Papua, where, among hidden villages seemingly untouched for a century, the tropical Biak python found its fame as one of the most beautiful colour-changing reptiles in the world. Few have heard of Biak; even fewer would consider it as a holiday destination. Amidst the colourful serpents and buried deep in the jungle lies a dark and gruesome history, and the reason for my visit. Biak, strategically positioned among millions of similar-looking spits of land across the western Pacific, witnessed American victory in a crucial battle in the summer of 1944 – at the price of two thousand Japanese burning alive in their cave hideout after American planes poured aviation fuel inside. One of the American lieutenants present happened to be my grandfather....