My final blog post on travel (for a while) is to sum up what travel means to me and how it’s changed my life. I think a world without travel would be like a world without people. There would be nothing to challenge you, inspire you or open your mind to. It’s really difficult not to be just another tourist when you’re visiting somewhere new and want to tick off those all important sites and excursions, but the way I’ve found to do it is simply to mingle. Get out there and talk to the locals, sample the food and explore your surroundings. My confidence has soared since I started travelling regularly and I love the way it’s brought the world to my doorstep. I have friends everywhere now and my network continues to grow.
I recommend travel to anyone - and I mean that seriously. Once bitten by the bug, you'll be smitten with the bug!

With only 5 days left of the day job (yes, really!) I'm about to dip my toes into the world of Freelance come the 1st January. Am I scared? Sure I am! Am I excited? Most definitely! Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be blogging tips, advice, bits and pieces I've picked up on, and some of the things I hope to achieve over the next 6 to 12 months as I prepare to take this mammoth and daunting step. We'll be covering everything from frame of mind to registering for self employment to finding markets for your work.
Stay tuned!

In case you missed some of the posts, here's a rundown of my 29 incredible travel experiences in celebration of my 29th year:

29: Family time in Albufeira, Portugal
28: Celebrating Songkran Festival in Bangkok, Thailand
27: Wild Dogs in Mikumi, Tanzania
26: Microlighting over Vic Falls, Livingstone, Zambia
25: Wild camping in Botswana
24: Sibling time in Brittany, France
23: Clubbing in Belgrade, Serbia
22: Entering a pyramid in Cairo, Egypt
21: Walking safari in Mlilwane Game Reserve, Swaziland
20: Camping on the Ngorongoro crater rim in Tanzania
19: Almost ballooning in the Mara, Kenya
18: Incredible Roman ruins in Libya
17: Exploring the delights of Jordan
16: Chilling with cocktails in Paphos, Cyprus
15: Snowball fights in Krakow, Poland
14: Spicing it up on Zanzibar Island
13: Playing with Gelada Baboons in the Simien mountains, Ethiopia
12: Sunset seaplane flight over Coal Harbour, Vancouver, Canada
11: Flying first class with Matt Goss to Vegas
10: Serrano ham capers in Andalucia
9: Rocky Mountaineering in Western Canada
8: Sahara, Toubkal and Marrakech
7: Walking on the Isle of Skye in Scotland
6: Minke whale watching and dolphins in Portugal
5: Celebrating Holi and the Taj Mahal in India
4: Big 5 game viewing in South Africa
3: Lapping in luxury and Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2: The delights of the Cape in Cape Town, South Africa
1: Needs no introduction in my book - fabulous Namibia

And I hope you feel as inspired as I felt when I was blogging about them!

So finally we get to Number 1 of my "29 of the Best' and dum dum dum... it goes to my favourite African country - Namibia!
On arrival in Windhoek, I dined at the famous Joe's Beerhouse in Nelson Mandela Avenue and sampled local delicacies such as Gemsbok fillet and Kudu loin steak. Have I told you how good these taste?! After that, Etosha National Park beckoned - and I was straight into safari mode. Joining a local safari company for 3 days, I travelled through Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni. I remember the black backed jackals joining us for dinner around our roaring camp fire and observing black rhinos around the watering holes at night. We also had the heaviest rain I've ever known whilst putting up our tents one afternoon. Now I know the true meaning of "being wet through"!
Whilst getting out of the vehicle is strictly prohibited in Etosha and most other National Parks in Africa, if the true wilderness safari experience is what you’re really after (as I was!), a visit to the Palmwag concession is certainly a must. On this journey through Damaraland to Palmwag Lodge, it was just me and my guide and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. The drive into the concession area was even more stunning with timid zebras and desert elephants giving the vehicle a wide berth as we made our way over rough tracks deeper and deeper into the wilds, heading for our mobile tented camp which ups sticks and moves every time the Game moves, so you’re always guaranteed sightings of these wary animals. That night, when I lay down to sleep in my luxury tent (recently occupied by Richard Branson's father), I felt as if I was the last person on earth. The remoteness engulfed me and thrilled me all at the same time. Sightings on the game drives were privileges and I needed a lot of patience... but rewarded tenfold when lions, leopards and cheetahs came out to hunt, or stalk, or simply to watch. There were no jostling vehicles, no strict rules and regulations to adhere to (only common sense of course), and the opportunities for quality wildlife photo shots were readily available. The constant change in lighting made for interesting backgrounds. Even going to the toilet was exhilarating and never a problem. I just found myself some shrubbery, took one last check over my shoulder - and away I went. And at the end of a satisfying day in the bush, my driver guide always knew the exact spot for that perfect sundowner.
Namibia has some great conservation ventures like Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) and the Okonjima project. Tracking the rare black rhino on foot is an experience that will stay with me forever, as will being able to get just a few feet away from cheetahs and leopards at Okonjima. I LOVED my gorgeous rondaval in Okonjima and I even visited the villa where Brad and Angelina stayed just days before! Talking to the staff who catered for them was a real insight...
There is no better way to reflect and ponder on your travels thus far then when you are driving down the Skeleton coast. We had the tunes on as we cruised through the lunar landscapes and complete barrenness. There’s a whole lot of nothing out there - but it’s beautiful. Stopping the 4WD, it’s worth a short walk over the dunes to the beaches which are studded with ship wrecks as the waves relentlessly crash in. You appreciate the physical force of mother nature when you look along that coastline!
The time for thinking was over as we drove into Swakopmund. Sitting on the edge of the Namib desert, this German colonised seaside resort has plenty of adventure and action on offer. We ate at a great restaurant situated in the jetty called the Tug. It’s an actual tug with excellent sea views and a nice way to unwind after a hectic day.
I stopped off in Okahandja for some last minute shopping as we headed east back to Windhoek. The hassled bartering is not for everyone but the markets sure were fun. I must have visited every shop - and there were quite a few!
I could post pics all day and night from this fabulous trip, but here are a small selection of my favourite wildlife shots...
WHAT A MAGICAL TRIP! TAKE ME BACK!

_Before I reveal my Number 1, here's a recap of 10 to 2...
10: Serrano ham capers in Andalucia
9: Rocky Mountaineering in Western Canada
8: Sahara, Toubkal and Marrakech
7: Walking on the Isle of Skye in Scotland
6: Minke whale watching and dolphins in Portugal
5: Celebrating Holi and the Taj Mahal in India
4: Big 5 game viewing in South Africa
3: Lapping in luxury and Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2: The delights of the Cape in Cape Town, South Africa

Back to South Africa for Number 2 of my "29 of the Best", this time to Cape Town and the surrounding area. Table Mountain really is as spectacular as they say. We didn't hike it because of time constraints (and fitness!) but the funicular was just as cool. I remember dining in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Ritz hotel (not the Ritz) and having an antelope feast - Impala, Kudu and Namibian Gemsbok. We also dined and shopped to our heart's content at V&A Waterfront, and stroked baby cheetahs at the Cheetah Outreach conservation centre. Of course, no trip is complete without visiting the ostrichs, seals and penguins - and we made sure to squeeze in a spot of wine tasting at Stellenbosch too!

To celebrate my quarter of a century, I opted for some luxury and booked a 5 star resort in Puerto Vallarta with my brother and cousin. Apart from going round and round in circles at Mexico City airport (where the hell is Gate 9?) and almost missing our flight to PV (mad dash across the runway anyone?), we had a fabulous time. Memories include a mega session of tequila poppers, pinching my brothers shorts and locking him out of the room in the early hours (we're so mean), trying my first ever Japanese food, the best full body massage I think I've ever had, the most gorgeous infinity pool I think I'll ever swim in looking out to the Pacific and ritual to watch the sun set every evening, pina coladas galore, riding a horse for the first time but I think they got the names mixed up - mine was called Planet which is quite a steady, placid sounding name, but my horse was anything but... whilst my cousin, Mel had Tequila - now that should have been the name of my horse! Anyway, watching Mel gallop across the beach on Tequila was amazing - but I wasn't going to try it. Believe it or not, it was marginally more uncomfortable than a camel and I definitely feel safer on an elephant!
So, what else? I don't recommend snorkelling when you're hungover. That's my top tip. Celebrating the Day of the Dead festival with the locals was awesome. We discoed and partied with them into the early hours... And body boarding was great fun. First time I've tried it properly and apparently the surf at our resort was one of the best of the coastline. When you hit a wave wrong, you feel like your time is up as you struggle to resurface and get bashed around by the sea and your board, but when you ride the wave just as it should be - OMG IT'S AMAZING!!! Mel and I timed a wave perfectly and ended up surfing up the sand together. It wasn't planned but worked out beautifully.

Because I've got Christmas brain, I'm forgetting important details, so I have a couple of footnotes for you - first for Number 10 of my "29 of the Best" - Colin had spent £70 on a knife specially designed to carve Serrano ham, which I thought was hilarious when we unveiled the moldy ham. Now it sits redundant in the wood block!
And second, for Number 5 I forgot to say that my love of safaris started in Sariska National Park in India when we came so close to seeing a tiger, it was unbelievable. Not just footprints, but a fresh carcass. We were probably 5-10 minutes too late. I've yet to see tigers in the wild, but I really really really hope to 1 day...

Sticking with big cats and game, we're going to South Africa for Number 4 where my mission was to see all of the Big Five with my mum and big sis - and we did! In case you're wondering, South Africa's Big Five are Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino (white). Granted the Leopard sightings were scarce and we only saw 1 at a great distance - but it still counts! Kruger came up trumps with 3 male elephants fighting and 2 male lions scrapping over a female (I have it all on film!), we saw Wild Dog from afar, God's Window was breathtaking, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi (try saying that after a few beers - pronounced Ssshhhloowe Humfolozi) Game Reserve was a real surprise, dancing with the Zulus was fun, seeing Springbox springing everywhere made me laugh and I did my first ever snorkelling at Cape Vidal. Whale watching in St Lucia was pretty special too once we got over the crazy surf and out to sea. We saw Southern Right and Humpbacks, along with some dolphins. Always humbling to be in the vicinity of such awesome creatures - and that particular day felt like it went on forever because we'd got up at the crack of dawn and did so much!

In March 2003 right before the second Gulf War kicked off, I was travelling around India doing the northern triangle of Moghul highlights. I was so lucky after Thailand the year before to be celebrating another festival whilst in-country. This time it was Holi, the Spring festival of colour associated with Krishna where Hindus dance, sing and throw coloured powder and water over each other. Eventually we had our own Holi party safely in the grounds of our hotel, but prior to that we'd been out in the thick of it in Agra, visiting the Taj Mahal and markets. We arrived around 5am, 1 of the only groups that day to watch the sun rise over this magnificent building. The pinkish hue and sparkling semi precious gems were mesmerising. In fact, for the whole 3 hours we were there, I remember quite clearly being totally and utterly mesmerised. Unfortunately we were warned to wear our crappiest clothes because it was the height of the festival, so all the iconic pics of me sitting on "Diana's seat" are horrible. Oh well, just an excuse to go back and do it all again! Leaving the Taj Mahal our bus got stormed by some over zealous hawkers and then later on we broke down and the bus got covered in paint inside and out - and so did some of the group (I ducked)! Tensions almost flared because our driver was Muslim and he wasn't happy about his bus being tarnished, but our Hindu tour leader tactfully calmed things down between him and the kids...
Ah yes, wonderful memories of being covered in pinks, yellows and greens. I think I still have the t-shirt I was wearing that day. I didn't want to ever wash it again!

2006 was the year where I visited 3 different places where oceans meet, but it was also the year where I saw lots of whales and dolphins. I didn't set out for 2006 to be like that, it just kind of happened that way.
So back to Portugal now where we chanced upon the cousin of Rick Hurvitz (Executive Producer and Co-Creator of MTV's Pimp My Ride hosted by the rapper Xzibit) running boat trips out of little Alvor harbour. So bizarre as to be unbelievable! After chatting to him about all things MTV, Pimp My Ride and music (yes, I was in my element!), we jumped in the boat and headed out to sea to try and spot dolphins and Minke whales.
Did we get lucky? Check out the pics...
Brill experience.