Face to face with calm turtles, gentle rays and curious sharks, the surface sending shimmering rays of vibrant sunlight through the water, casting a magical glow over you. A turtle sees you and soars closer, curious about the strange creature in their home. Dazzling colours and glorious, rippling surface patterns scatter, reflecting off the bottom of the shallows. It's breathtaking, and yet you've never been able to breathe easier.
The climbing vines clinging to the trees, the countless waterfalls among the trees, the barrelling glacier-fed rapids that lined the road in sections. It was all so mesmerising. It is no wonder why the Maori people hold Milford Sound so close to their hearts and their culture.
And that was truly just the start...the colours just exploded around us...colourful fish surrounded us as we swam further into this underwater oasis, magic sparkling around us as the sunlight shimmered down from the water's surface. And I had no idea that being here with our friends could possibly get any better.
The national park is an entire island and is the natural home and only place on Earth today where the Komodo dragon lives and breathes in its natural habitat. The Komodo dragon is practically a living dinosaur and it plays an important role in how scientists continue to form their understanding of evolution.
The ride to the rice terraces from our villa is bright and vibrant - just like everything in Bali. From Ubud, it only takes around fifteen to twenty minutes to ride to Tegallalang Rice Terrace.
In My Son, there are over 70 architectural temples and structures of the Champa civilisation. These structures were brought up from the fourth to the thirteenth century, and were built in sequelae, a durable material that ultimately has allowed for the preservation of these incredible buildings and structures, the likes of which are remarkable to see for yourself.
The full moon lantern festival happens once a month, and it is essentially a celebration of the moon. As the sun goes down, the streets of Hoi An's old city light up with thousands of lanterns, people come out to celebrate and the moon casts a calm glow over everything. It is magical.
A dizzying array of colour literally surrounds you as the fish swim with you. The Great Barrier Reef is renowned for a very good reason…and I promise that there is nothing like it. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and it more than earns its place.
The drive into Milford Sound is a scenic one, with extraordinary blue lakes and emerald trees, and mountains capped with snow white crests. There is nowhere on Earth quite like Milford Sound.
