The underwater adventure continues - from PADI Open Water to Divemaster

It is now nearly four years since I completed my PADI Open Water with the lovely guys at Sandton Scuba in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. And there is no doubt about it, I have been hooked ever since.

From completing my Advanced Open Water course in the cold waters of Stoney Cove - a quarry in Leicestershire and the UK's largest inland diving centre, to my Rescue Diver course in Thailand, I have continued to improve my diving skills over the years. I really am never happier than when underwater.

So, now the adventure continues and I will be completing my PADI Divemaster with the London-based dive club, Diving Leisure London. This is a very challenging course, and I can't wait to get started. Over the coming months, I will be updating here on my progress. Wish me luck!

Sport Diver UK: Sipadan - the dive world's Holy Grail

When it comes to diving, Sipadan has always been hailed as the Holy Grail for keen scuba divers and ocean lovers worldwide. So earlier this year, I travelled to Borneo's Sabah to check out the underwater paradise for myself. With its abundance of marine life, I can now definitely see why it is ranked among one of the world's best dive spots. Here is an extract from my article on Sport Diver UK:

"Three spurts of cold water at irregular intervals. That was it. A single, defiant offering from a shower that oozed remoteness and little else. I revelled in it, really. After flying all the way to Borneo, taking an internal flight, a one-hour car drive with a cavalier taxi driver and a 40km white knuckle boat ride across the Celebes Sea through a storm, somehow it wouldn’t have seemed right to arrive at a luxurious retreat. I was on Mabul Island, ready to experience a different kind of creature comforts - the underwater kind. Finally I was going to dive Sipadan, the Holy Grail for scuba divers.".   Click here to read the full article.



Image provided by Jason Isley, Managing Director of Borneo based underwater production/publication company Scubazoo

URGENT APPEAL - Somalia's famine crisis

Yesterday the United Nations declared an official famine across two regions of southern Somalia - in the districts of Bakool and Lower Shabelle.

With UNICEF being the largest presence of any aid organisation in Somalia, it continues to work with local Somali administrations, communities, as well as local and international NGOs to deliver services to women and families throughout the country.

Nearly half of the Somali population - 3.7 million people - are now in crisis, of whom an estimated 2.8 million people are in the south. Consecutive droughts have affected the country in the last few years while the ongoing conflict has made it extremely difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country.

Together with other charities and NGOs, the UNICEF Somalia team is working hard to bolster support to improve nutrition, access to safe water and health for the affected children. It's estimated that approximately £37 million ($60million) will be required to meet the needs.

Today it was reported that the UK has been leading the way with donations, but more support is still desperately needed. I have just donated, please do the same and help UNICEF's aid in East Africa.

For more information and donations, please visit www.unicef.org.uk/eastafrica.

Spark your Travelling Dream

Whilst diving in Borneo earlier this year, I met Candelaria and Herman Zapp. An Argentinian couple, who after growing up together, decided to follow their dream and jumped in to their 1920s wooden wheeled car in search of adventure. After 11 years on the road, having visited over 30 countries (and still counting) and four children later, it seems nothing is going to dampen their wanderlust.

All their travelling tales were so fascinating; you really can't beat finding serendipity on the road. Here's to many more adventures.

For more information on the Zapp family and their trip, visit http://www.sparkyourdream.net/

Tufu dancing on Ilha de Moçambique

The former capital of the country, Mozambique Island (or as known in Portuguese - Ilha de Mocambique) is so spectacular that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. It's an intriguing and enchanting anomaly.

Settled by the Portuguese and the Arabs from the 16th century as a trading port from where to export gold, ivory and slaves, the island nowadays has a very distinct character where its colonial influences are evident throughout. The fortifications on the island are a great example of an architecture in which local traditions and Portuguese and Arab influences are interwoven. Indeed, the tiny Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte is considered to be the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere.

Extraordinarily nothing has changed in the last 500 years. Whilst meandering through the sleepy cobbled streets, it feels like time has frozen. The narrow alleyways echo with the sounds of playing children and squawking chickens, whilst fishermen sit on the sand repairing their long, brightly coloured nets

Whilst visiting Ilha last year as a guest of the Mozambique High Commission, I had the pleasure of watching a group of ladies from the Estrela Vermella neighbourhood perform the traditional Tufu dance. Influenced by the Arabic heritage, this celebratory dance is now performed by six different groups on the island and is truly spectacular to watch.