Articles written by Darren Hawkins

Advanced Search

What is Helium

About me - Darren Hawkins

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Travel > Travel Diaries & Adventures (Other) The most beautiful places you've traveled to: 1 of 76
We left the Sun Gate ahead of the masses - one of the benefits of being a small group - just as the mist cleared to give us the first proper view of Machu Picchu. Two months ago the most famous thing I knew about Peru was Paddington Bear. I'd heard of Machu Picchu of course, but had no real idea what it was, but having walked... More..
Travel > North & South America Adventures in Chile: 2 of 4
As I'm not quite fat or old enough - no jokes please! - to feel comfortable on a proper cruise I've never been on an boat trip longer than it takes to get kicking and screaming to France so I was rather looking forward to the next four days. The ferry MV Puerto Eden is basically a small freighter with a few cabins thrown in. ... More..
Travel > Asia Travel destinations: Pakistan: 2 of 4
If it existed, I reckon the hardest job in Faisalabad - along with street sweeper and civil rights lawyer - would be the manager of the Abused Donkey Refuge. In Lahore however there is a better class of poor who can afford horses and even the occasional ox to transport their goods. I think it was an ox that the bus nearly hit... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice A guide to walking in Colca Canyon, Peru: 1 of 1
If he was still alive I would tell that Dr Atkins bloke to take a hike - into the Colca Canyon in Peru. When I left the States I was a "healthy" 13 stone (or 182lbs in American money), which is positively Biafran by US standards. I don't know what I weigh now, but after less than two weeks in South America it's a good few pou... More..
Travel > Asia Archaeological destinations: Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia: 1 of 1
I decided to get to Siem Reap by taking the express boat up the Tonle Sap lake from Phnom Penh. Five hours of sitting on the roof of the boat getting roasted like a pig on a spit doesn't seem like fun, but it certainly beats the bus.When the boat got to the dock at Siem Reap we were met by the usual throng of taxi drivers pus... More..
Travel > North & South America Travel experiences: Alaska: 4 of 7
Alaska is not for tarts, even in June. It's big, rugged, and a long way away. If you go and look at a map of the U.S. it won't be on there because it doesn't fit. Probably. If it is on there, it's likely to be on a different scale so compared to the lower 48 states it appears small. In fact, it is over 586,000 square miles - ... More..
Travel > Africa & Middle East Travel experiences: Tanzania: 3 of 5
Though some people do it (see Paul Theroux's excellent 'Dark Star Safari' and various confused Japanese looking forlorn and bewildered in campsites) Africa is not the easiest or safest place to travel independently. The best way to see as much as you can is to join an organised overland expedition and jump in a big ol'truck w... More..
Travel > South & Central America Travel destinations: Argentina: 3 of 5
It might be hard to imagine as you read this after being stuck in a tube train or traffic for two hours following an arduous day at work but this travelling lark can be quite stressful and exhausting at times. There have been several days when I've said to myself "What the hell am I doing?" (Day 5 of the Test match at Adelaid... More..
Travel > Australia & South Pacific Travel experiences: Australia: 18 of 24
Sunday January 11thWorld Survivor, Day 1It's one thing to look at the Outback through the window of a train, but it's something altogether different to drive and camp in it for a week. My sense on adventure once again got the better of me and I signed up for a seven day Adventure Tour to Alice Springs, taking in all the sight... More..
Travel > South & Central America Travel destinations: Bolivia: 3 of 4
I think I must have been the only person in La Paz not to know that September 21st was the first day of spring. Certainly the hundreds and hundreds of schoolkids did, dressed as bees and flowers parading down the main road which otherwise would have been full of eager taxis willing to rip me off. After pushing my way through ... More..