Should I buy a newer model Canon DSLR, or go for one of the new bridge (superzoom) cameras? Having spent quite a bit of time considering the options, I decided to go with a bridge camera. But that takes me back to my original question – which one?!

The main contenders for me are the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V, the Nikon Coolpix P510, the Panasonic DMC-FZ150K, the Fuji HS30 EXR and the Canon PowerShot SX40.

Having studied the pros and cons of each model, I’ve decided to go with the Nikon P510 and have just ordered it from the States. It should be here in a few days and then I’ll post a review and some sample shots.

I chose Abisko in Sweden this time, due to its unusually dry micro-climate that helps produce cloudless skies and timed this trip to coincide with the new moon, to improve our chances. Nothing else was planned for this trip – we were going solely to try and see the aurora.

We flew with KLM to Stockholm via Amsterdam and then SAS to Kiruna. That was enough travelling for one day and we stopped the night there, also to give us an opportunity to buy some snow clothes for Amani. None of the ones he had from Iceland fitted him any more, so he needed some kitting out since true winter wear is pretty much impossible to find here in Muscat. Did some googling before we left and found there was an H&M right next to the hotel I’d booked – perfect! When we got there, being the end of winter they had a sale on, so we were able to get everything he needed at very reasonable prices. (usually everything in Scandinavia is very expensive.)

We caught the train to Abisko the next day – only about 1.5 hours. It was snowing quite a bit but the temperatures were relatively mild – only a little below zero. I’d pre-booked chairlift tickets to the Abisko Sky Station for our first evening, but unfortunately there was just solid cloud cover the whole evening. The wind was freezing up there… and all for nothing.

 The next day we went walking in the national park and spotted a moose. They’re much larger than I realized – pretty much the same size as a horse. Amani had a blast doing a bit of sledding as well.

We had a late dinner that evening as I planned to stay up as late as possible in case the aurora showed. Afterwards donned our jackets, gloves etc, grabbed my camera and tripod and we headed out into the wintery night again. As soon as we were outside, I could see stars in the sky. “That’s a good omen” I thought. Then, when we turned the corner of the building, the aurora was right in front of us!

It only lasted for 10 minutes or so, but I was ecstatic to have finally seen it. It was really beautiful. Then cloud cover set in, so even if the aurora returned, it wasn’t possible to see it. I kept going outside every hour or so until the wee hours, but nothing… Little did I know what was in store for us on our last night though!

 Amani spent much of the next day hooning down the slopes on a sled and we enjoyed some long walks in the park. That night there was solid cloud cover again, so no aurora. Seemed the micro-climate wasn’t working too well…

The following day we caught the train back to Kiruna where I’d book accommodation for us at Camp Ripan, a fun looking place on the outskirts of town. Again I’d chosen it for it’s location – in case there was any auroral activity I didn’t want it to be drowned out by the city lights. Cloudy skies again that night, but the following afternoon, the skies cleared. I waited anxiously for darkness to set in, which was not until after 8pm since this was our last in Swedish Lapland. We had a tasty dinner of Swedish meatballs in the restaurant and walking back to our cabin in the darkness, scanning the skies for any hint of the telltale green glow of the aurora. Nothing, but twilight hadn’t completely ended yet, so I wasn’t too disappointed.

We watched TV for a little while, waiting for the darkness to set in. Meanwhile, Amani dozed off. I kept glancing out the window by the bed, but couldn’t see any signs. But when I opened the cabin door, there was an aurora similar to what we’d seen at Abisko a few nights earlier. I rushed back in, put on all my layers of clothes, grabbed the camera and headed outside.

Over the next hour and a half, I was treated to one of the most amazing spectacles I’ve ever seen in my life. The aurora just got brighter and brighter. At times it moved directly overhead, dancing right above me. I managed to wake Amani and he saw a little of it before falling asleep in my arms complaining about the cold. I tucked the poor little guy back into bed and wandered of into the darkness, camera and tripod in hand, taking as many photos as I could. At times there was so much aurora all around, I didn’t know where to point the camera.

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So at last, I can cross the Aurora Borealis off my Bucket List :-)

[shashin type="photo" id="8675" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"] We travelled to Australia in October, starting our journey in Darwin. Dear old Darwin… still has a place in my heart, having lived there for almost 7 years. As usual, it didn’t disappoint, in the sense that we got drenched when the heavens opened whilst we were walking to feed the fish at Doctors Gully one afternoon. You can’t beat  Darwin thunderstorms!

We did a jumping croc cruise and the family enjoyed it, especially as the infamous beast Brutus put on a bit of a show for us after not having been seen for a few days so we were told. And he is a brute. I wouldn’t like to have a swim with him. [shashin type="photo" id="8668" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]

We had some good Aussie tucker at the Humpty Doo pub the same day and headed to Berry Springs for a swim later in the afternoon. Unfortunately the water was off limits and all roped off due to “seasonal conditions”. Translation? Salt water crocs had been spotted in the swimming hole. Bugger! So back to the hotel pool for a cool off instead.

[shashin type="photo" id="8681" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"] My birthday treat for 2011 was an overnight trip on The Ghan from Darwin to Alice Springs. The family and I enjoyed it immensely and I’d be only too happy to do it again sometime.

We only had time to stay one night in Alice, visiting a new reptile park (disappointing) then Simpson’s Gap (beautiful especially since for a while we were the only ones there). Fed the wallabies at our motel at Heavitree Gap and then rode camels into the sunset. All in all great fun. [shashin type="photo" id="10471" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]

The next day flew down to Adelaide to spend a few days visiting the family before heading on to Hobart for Jenny & David’s lovely wedding.

On the way home to Muscat we stopped over in Chiang Mai Thailand for a few days since it was the Thai New Year and the Loy Krathong Festival. It was quite spectacular and I will write more about that part of the trip soon.

Trip photos can be seen on my Picasa albums.

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The trip got off to a good start – we flew non-stop on Oman Air, leaving Muscat at about 10:30 in the morning and arriving into Bangkok at about 7:30 in the evening. No lengthy transits en-route and no night flights – how civilized! It cost more than going via Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, but it was money well spent.

We stayed in Bangkok just for 2 nights, at the Montien Riverside Hotel. I’ve stayed there before and chose it especially so that it would be convenient for us to enjoy their river Dinner Cruise on the Montienthip. Unfortunately it turned out to be the only disappointment of our whole trip, as they cancelled the cruise at short notice due to insufficient bookings. I wasn’t in the room when Zawadi answered the phone call, and not knowing any better, she asked the concierge to book us on something else. Big mistake! We ended up on some awful boat called the White Orchid (or something like that). Crappy buffet food instead of an a-la-carte menu, deafeningly loud music blaring from speakers right next to our table, a transvestite fashion parade… Oh dear. Not quite what I’d originally had in mind! Still, it could have been worse (e.g. the boat could have sunk).

[shashin type="photo" id="6364" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"]After that, things only got better though. We flew Air Asia down to Krabi to spend a few nights at one of my favourite places – Sunrise Tropical Resort in Railay. It was beautiful and relaxing as always. Skye flew in from Australia the same day that we arrived and spent the next week with us. We were waiting at the pool and Amani & Malaika were climbing up to suss out every long boat that came in to see if it was Skye. They were so excited to spot her cruising in on her own private long boat.

[shashin type="photo" id="6373" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]The next stop on our holiday was somewhere new for all of us – Khao Sok and the tree houses at the Baan Khao Sok Resort next to the National Park of the same name. The tree-houses were quite comfortable (and pretty high up the tree!) It rained non-stop almost the whole time we were there, which put a dampener on things a bit (pardon the pun). Nevertheless we jumped on to rubber tubes and floated down the river accompanied by a guide. Great fun!

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From there, another new location – the Hotspring Beach Resort at Phang Nga. The hotel was really nice and the thermal pools were excellent for soaking  aching muscles. [shashin type="photo" id="6388" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"]Lovely main (cool) pool as well. The beach was not as nice as the hotel’s photos showed it to be, but evidently they’d had some pretty bad flooding there recently, causing the damage. Still a very good choice for a stay though.

[shashin type="photo" id="6402" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"]Next stop was Kata Beach Phuket where we  indulged ourselves by splurging on a stay at the Baray Villas. It’s difficult to put into words just how beautiful the place is… a private plunge pool that extends into your living room… the biggest and most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. I could go on and on, but have a look at the photos and you’ll see what I mean. On top of everything else, the restaurant had fantastic food at very reasonable prices. The dinner menu is so comprehensive it’s the size of a table-top book! And then there was the spa that left both Zawadi and I in a state approaching nirvana. Seriously – since we came home Zawadi hasn’t stopped asking when can we go back again! The hotel really was that nice. The staff incredibly helpful and polite – the whole place is a credit to the management. They’ve done a fantastic job. Sure it costs a few bob to stay here, but I doubt you’ll find better value for money anywhere in the world.

[shashin type="photo" id="6421" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]When it was time to leave, we flew Thai Airways business class to Bangkok. (Thailand travel tip – business class fares on Thai Airways domestic flights are very reasonably priced, especially if you book well ahead.) In Bangkok, this time we stayed at the Lebua Hotel. It’s really nice too ;)  And for a real treat, have dinner at their roof-top restaurant, the Sirocco. [shashin type="photo" id="6431" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"]It’s on about the 63rd floor and is the highest alfresco restaurant in the world apparently. I think that of all the different hotels I’ve stayed in Bangkok over the years, Lebua is my favourite. We did some shopping at Siam Paragon, visited the surprisingly large and impressive aquarium in the basement there. The kids and I took a tuktuk to see the snakes at the Red Cross. [shashin type="photo" id="6436" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]On our last night we enjoyed browsing at Patpong and dined as usual at that crazy Mexican restaurant, Patty’s Fiesta.

[shashin type="photo" id="6438" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="left"]From Bangkok we travelled northeast by minivan for approximately 3 hours to Nakhorn Ratchsima, staying at The Greenery Resort for 3 nights. It was a really nice spot, with a children’s pool that Amani and Malaika just loved. One day they stayed in it for over 5 hours straight! Slides and water canons and a giant bucket on top that emptied out about every 10 minutes, drenching all the children. Next door was a fun park with assorted rides, swings etc. They loved that too. There’s a National Park where we went to watch one million bats pour out of a cave at sunset – an amazing sight to behold. Another day we rode an elephant through steams and jungles and then in the afternoon “visited” Italy! Somewhat bizarrely, there’s an Italian style shopping village plopped in the middle of the jungle! An interesting spot for a bit of shopping, a nice Italian food lunch and some gelati afterwards too.

[shashin type="photo" id="6458" size="small" columns="max" order="user" position="right"]The final stop on this holiday, about an hour’s drive from Nakhorn Ratchasima, was Muak Lek where we stayed at the beautiful Ndol Streamside Villas. A lovely peaceful spot with antique Thai style rooms. There’s not much to do there really except sit back, kick off your shoes and relax. Zawadi did manage to find out that there was a giant mall not too far away by car, but the kids and I elected to enjoy the pool while she went shopping.

From there it was only a couple of hours drive to Suvarnabhumi Airport, from where our early afternoon Oman Air flight had us back in Muscat at 5pm. Kudos to Oman Air for scheduling flights at “respectable” times of the day instead of only in the middle of the night!

When a pin is clicked on, a window should open showing the hotel name, star rating and a photo of the hotel. If you click on this it will take to to the hotel detail and booking page at MyHotelGuru.
I’ve only put a link to the Thailand file below, but now that the program is written, it’s quite a simple task to generate a KML file for another country – just takes a few minutes. Leave a comment if you have any particular requests.

Happy holiday planning!

Thailand Hotels KML

Naturally you will need to have Google Earth installed on you computer to use the file. Your browser should ask if you want to open the file with Google Earth when you click on it. If instead you see a page full of gobbledygook, just Right Click on the link above and save it to your computer, then open it by double clicking the saved file.

We met up in Bangkok at one of my long time favourite hotels, the Montien. Comfortable rooms, friendly and efficient staff, beautiful lobby bar with excellent live music, and of course its great  location – right at one end of Patpong road. Had just the next day at leisure in Bangkok and caught the sky train to the Siam Paragon shopping centre. Didi some shopping and enjoyed a movie in the Gold Cinema. Dinner that night at the awesome Patty’s Fiesta Mexican restaurant at the other end of Patpong. Some more shopping and then a quiet cocktail back at the Montien Lobby Bar.

[simage=2696,200,n,left,] Next morning we flew to Phuket, where our driver was waiting to take us to Ao Po pier for the long tail boat transfer to Koh Naka (Naka Island). We spent 4 truly relaxing nights staying at Tenta Nakara on the island. Only the sounds of nature, no pollution or vehicles, no electricity in the rooms, no hot water in the bathrooms! You didn’t need it actually. Didn’t need it though. It was quite warm and there was a hammock on the balcony. I just lay back, relaxed, read “The Girl Who Played With Fire” on my Kindle… and dozed. [simage=2697,200,y,center,] Long walks on the beach, delicious Thai food in the restaurant. Icy cold beers or margaritas in the evening :)

It was just what I needed and I think Hayley loved it too.

After that, we moved back to Phuket itslef and spent a couple of nights at the considerably more luxurious Sawasdee Village Resort at Kata Beach. A beautiful hotel – loved the rooms, the architecture, the pool – everything about it actually.[simage=2702,200,n,right,]

All in all, really enjoyed our short break. Am looking forward to heading back to Thailand in July with all the family.

(L to R) Rodney, Morris, Shirley, Kennedy, Joan & David

Many thanks to John Kakoschke for sending these photos:

(L to R) unknown, David, Rodney, Kennedy, Morris (children unknown)

Much appreciated.

If any readers happen to have more old photos, please contact me.

We flew KLM to Vienna, arriving at 9 in the morning to find sunny skies but a temperature of 0! Caught the airport bus into the city, where I’d booked us a rooms at Dan In ‘n Out, a somewhat funky and inexpensive hotel just a few hundred metres from Morzinplatz where the bus terminates. Vienna is a lovely city and we went for long walks, plus caught the subway to Schönbrunn Palace – magnificent. Stumbled upon some squirrels while there and Mika had great fun trying to take a photo of them. But she succeeded!
Next we caught the overnight train to Venice, which was not without some drama since the fire alarm went off shortly after leaving Hütteldorf station. I thought I could smell something odd when we boarded and it wasn’t my imagination. Evidently new brake pads had been fitted to our carriage that day. The train set off again once the “all clear” was given, but I had to keep the window open all night to let fresh air in and minimize the acrid smell. You can imagine how much sleep I got though as the train went in and out of tunnels through the Alps at 200kph. The noise and pressure changes were awful. Mika managed to sleep well though and at 8:30 the following morning we arrived at Venice St Lucia station.
The view of Venice and the canals as you walk out of the station is normally so beautiful, but unfortunately it was raining quite heavily when we arrived, so it all looked a bit gloomy. I’d booked a hotel within walking distance of the station – the Adriatico hotel. Unfortunately they’d been full the previous night and so couldn’t give us our room yet, so, what else to do but make use of our umbrella and walk around enjoying the scenery in spite of the weather and sit and have some cake and coffee until noon. Went to a nearby pizzeria for lunch – I’ve never seen Mika eat so much! She loved it. Had a lovely dinner too. The following morning we caught the water taxi to the Piazza San Marco, but unfortunately the rain just got heavier and heavier so I couldn’t take any nice photos.
That afternoon, looking a bit like drowned rats, we boarded the cruise ship the Costa Fortuna for a 7 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise. That evening we enjoyed a fantastic 5 course dinner – Italian style naturally. I do love Italian food 
The ship docked the next day at Bari, but we didn’t disembark due to the rain still coming down heavily. The day after though we docked at Katakolon in Greece and the clods finally went away and the sun began to shine. The temperature was nicer too – in the low 20’s. We rode a horse drawn cart around the town, has a delicious Gyros lunch and then caught a coach to Olympia where we wandered around the ruins of the place where the Olympic Games first began centuries ago.
Next stop was the island of Santorini – breathtakingly beautiful and just like in the photos you see. We rode a big old donkey from the dock up to the top of the cliff (it’s further than it looks!) Wandered around the many shops, Mika had her ice-cream and I my latte. Must go back there again for a longer stay one day.
We docked in Mykonos that evening, but a cold, howling wind had set in, so we dined in the comfort of our on-board restaurant – another delicious 5 course meal.
Rhodes was our next port of call. Had the whole day there and walked for hours around and within the old city walls. An place that is worth visiting again I think.
The following day was spent at sea, and then our final port of call was Dubrovnik in Croatia. The weather held out and the sun was still shining. Dubrovnik too is a beautiful city.
Next morning we were back in Venice, and back under rainy skies. Mika and I dragged our heavy suitcase up and over the stepped canal bridge singing “Rain, rain go away…”
Made it back to St Lucia station cold and a bit wet, but then on to a nice warm train to Milan. A couple of hours in transit there, then another train to the town of Brig in Switzerland. This second train journey was in darkness and I’d chosen Brig specifically so that we could continue the journey to Geneva in the morning and enjoy traveling through the Swiss Alps in the daylight. Glad we did, because the scenery was magnificent.
We didn’t have time to stop over in Geneva unfortunately and that afternoon we flew to Oslo, where old friends Bea & JJ met us. We stayed overnight as their guests, had a delicious dinner of roast wild moose while chatting about old times and catching up on the last 12 years or so (since I last saw them).
It began to snow overnight, which set the scene for the rest of the trip to come!
The next day we continued our journey northwards to Tromso, in the far north of Norway. Plenty of snow there! Temperature was around -6, so not too bad. We stayed in the centrally located AMI Hotel. The room had a single bed and they had put an extra foldaway bed in for Mika. But the room was so small it was impossible to open it! No worries – Mika and I “topped and tailed” and we slept well enough. Kings Park was across the road from the hotel and they provided complimentary sleds, so we had much fun doing a bit of sledding the next day.
Just 2 nights in Tromso to help us acclimatize for the final destination of the trip – Longyearbyen on the island of Svalbard, well north of the Arctic Circle. Svalbard is a destination I’ve long wanted to visit, because of its wild beauty and remoteness. Because of its high latitude, the place is in perpetual darkness from late October until March, so I knew we were going to be well and truly ready for some Muscat sunshine by the time we got home!
We flew with SAS – they are the only airline that flies to Longyearbyen. Exiting the plane on arrival, we were greeted by strong winds, blowing ice pellets and a temperature of -10. Brrr!!!
Here I’d booked the Basecamp Trappers Lodge for our stay. What a great choice it turned out to be. The hotel is totally unique – the photos will explain better than words can. We were here for 4 nights and hoped to see the Aurora Borealis on at least one of them. No such luck though. Clear skies on two of the nights, but no Aurora. To rub salt in the wound, they told me on the day we arrived “You came to see the Aurora? Oh, you should have been here yesterday – there was plenty!”. Nevertheless, Mika and I really enjoyed our time in Svalbard and I wouldn’t mind at all going back again one day in the hopes of seeing the Aurora “next time”.
Leaving Longyearbyen, we flew SAS to Tromso then Oslo, overnighted (well, until 3am only!) in an airport hotel, leaving early morning on KLM to Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi and then finally home.
Mika made me laugh as we disembarked in Muscat. She wanted to put her winter jacket on before we left the plane. When I told her she won’t need it, she asked “Daddy, there’s no snow?”