Pure Paradise. The natural beauty of the Phi Phi Islands is now public knowledge thanks to Leonardo Di Caprio and the film "The Beach"; but way before all the fuss my daughter watched "The making of Mysterious Girl" (a music video by Peter Andre) and told me that she wanted to go to Phi Phi Leh. I had absolutely no idea where it was but I soon found out. For four years I day-dreamed about taking her there until one day we did. Read the travelogue here.

During the 12th century the Khmer Empire built a city on a monumental scale, with Angkor Wat being the largest and most impressive structure of all. The region was later re-discovered, "ruined and lost to the jungle" by Henri Mouhot, a French Botanist, in 1860. To follow in the footsteps of such discoveries of ancient civilisations fascinates me more than any other reason to travel. Air-con hotel rooms and hordes of tourists may now make the experience a little different to Henri Mouhot's, but at least I got to see with my own eyes what he saw in Cambodia. Read the travelogue here.

Many journeys could be described as a 'once in a lifetime' experience but the privilege of meeting face to face one of the few remaining Silverback Mountain Gorilla communities of the Virunga National Park could possibly be the most unforgettable experience of them all. Rwanda of course is not just known for its Gorillas. It also came to the world's attention, and to the shame of the UN's lack of intervention, during 1994's descent into genocide. The country is now recovering from these attrocities and tourism is an important part of the process. See the Photos here

High in the Andean mountains is another destination that has captured my imagination. It seems quite breathtaking not only for its altitude of 8000ft, but for how the architecture and the landscape blend into each other. Built around 1470, it survived intact because it was never discovered by the invading Spanish conquistadors. It was however discovered by a Yale professor, Hiram Bingham in 1911. Whilst in Peru I would also have to visit Lake Titicaca, the mysterious Nazca Lines, and Iquitos in the Amazon basin.

Having held in my hands a first edition of "Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin my desire to visit the Galapagos has rocketed. The islands will always be associated with his visit in 1835 and his discovery of evolutionary changes in a variety of finches that changed everything. It must be an amazing experience to walk amongst blue footed boobies, long necked turtles, iguanas, penguins and so on, all accustomed and unafraid of human contact.

This city is an intensely spiritual place for all Hindus. The steps (or Ghats) that lead down to the river bussle with pilgrims bathing in the holy Ganges. Funeral pyres burn and their ashes scattered into the water. 10km away at Sarnath is the site of Buddha's first sermon. Read the travelogue here

After Julie and I recently committing to sponsor Nipuni, a child from Kurunegela district of Sri Lanka, my desire to visit the country has suddenly increased. The island has many ancient cities and Buddhist temples of interest such as at Anuradhapura, Sigirya and Kandy. It has suffered from internal conflict during the 90s, but at the moment a cease fire has lasted for some considerable time, giving the country its longest spell of stability. .

3700km away from mainalnd Chile and even further away from anywhere else this tiny remote island is famous for one thing, those massive Moai statues! These colossal monuments, built to worship ancestors, are one of the world's beautiful mysteries. The island only warrants a few days so it would have to be in conjuction with a visit to Chile with the red sands of the Atacama Desert to the north, its lively capital Santiago, and the stunning Patagonian south.

Known to the western world as Ayres Rock for over a century it was returned to the rightful ownership of the Anangu Aboriginals in 1985. As a result it reverted back to its original aboriginal name of Uluru. It is considered a sacred site and the location of an energy source called Tjukurpa or 'dream time'. The rock is huge and stands at 350m tall and 8km in circumference! Australia also is home to the Great Barrier Reef, another must see. I also would like to visit my many second cousins who live in New South Wales.

Few places in the world have an air of mystery as alluring as Timbuktu. The name of this city in the West African country of Mali is so wrapped in legend that many people think of Timbuktu as a mythical, timeless land rather than a city with a real history. Today, Timbuktu is threatened by the Sahara Desert. The desert, which for centuries brought wealth to the city, now brings only drifting sands, driven by the dry wind of the harmattan, that threaten to smother the city and its monuments. The country also offers the Grand Mosque of Djenne, the largest mud-brick building in the world.

The Bagan area has been called the Valley of a Thousand Temples, and it looks absolutely incredible! Other highlights may be a cruise up the Irriwaddy, and a journey along the 'Road to Mandalay'. Many organisations encourage a boycott of Burma in an attempt to force serious political reform. Aung San Suu Kyi, a famous opposition leader has been kept under house arrest for years. I don't know enough about the situation to make a personal descision but before I were to seriously consider visiting I would make it my priority to understand the problem, and base my descision from an informed viewpoint.

Sossusvlei's rich ochre sand dunes are one of the most wonderous sights in the world. They rise to an astonishing 300m, (100m higher than their nearest rivals in Arabia) and they just begged to be climbed barefoot. Geologists say that this supreme desert covering most of the Namib-Naukluft Park could be the oldest in the world. The older the dune, the brighter the colour from slow iron oxidisation. Visiting this remote region takes some perseverance as it is 300km from any main highway, but well worth the effort.

This mystical mountainous buddhist kingdom still holds a tight control over visitor numbers into its ancient and spiritual lands, which simply inceases the intrigue about this country. It's most sacred site and famous landmark, the cliff edge Taktshang Monastery, burned down in 1998 but will be re-built once an auspicious date has been decided upon. The capital Thimbu is the only national capital not to have any traffic control lights! The meeting of four valleys at Bumthang is said to be spectacular.

Tanzania is where I would consider as the top African "safari" destination. The Ngorongoro crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, and measures some 260 sq. km. It has created its own microcosm which is home to an rich abundance of wildlife. Tanzania also boasts the greatest safari show on earth with the mass migration from the Serengeti north towards the Masai Mara. Plus it is home to the most surreal sight in Africa with the snow capped mountain of Kilimanjaro. The fabulously named spice island of Zanzibar seems like the natural destination to end the trip with some rest and relaxation.

Japan, a country that sometimes appears to be from another planet! There's something fascinating in the way that it has blended a lifestyle of rich cultural heritage with a super-ultra modern outlook. A visit to Kyoto and Tokyo would be essential to see the two faces co-exist. Mount Fuji is also one of those elite top 10 mountains that you should visit. Throw onto the list a ride in a "Bullet" train and to watch a bout of Sumo wrestling!

Uzbekistan is currently suffering major civil unrest which makes the idea of visiting a little less tempting! However Samarkand can take you back to the Silk Road with its mosaic Registan and colourful bazaars in the historic centre. The rest of the city is just a drab Soviet style development. Other cities such as Khiva and Bukhara offer other ancient cities that are the best examples in Central Asia.

One of the Natural Wonders of the World. It's difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of the canyon. At its deepest it reaches over a mile down beneath the rim. I remember photographs of my father standing at the rim, wearing a cowboy hat, throwing snowballs! It's one of the few places in the USA that I wanted to see so when we visited Las Vegas recently to renew our vows a trip to the Grand Canyon was the only thing on my to-do list. Read the travelogue here.

With Tikal in North Guatemala, Chichen Itza in the Yucatan (province of Mexico), and Xanantunich in Belize this whole peninsula is full of examples of the Mayan civilisation. The archaelogical finds from the site of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlán, deep beneath Mexico City would also be interesting. I would also get a buzz from going to Mexico City, not only to drink copious amounts of tequilla and eat barrow loads of burritos but also to visit the museum of unorthodox artist Frida Kahlo.

Having twice previously visited Thailand, and seen the Reclinning Buddha, the beauty of the Phi Phi Island, the evocative Golden Triangle, and the World Heritage site of Ayutthaya; a visit to Sukhotai is high on my list of what to see during a return visit. Other locations include treking out of Chiang Mai, some bridge of the Kwai river, a troop of monkeys in Lopburi, the elephant round up of Surin, and many many more reasons to return.

Read the travelogue here.

Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, the river Jordania and the Dead Sea. Biblical names that take me back to my Sunday School days. I was fortunate enough to have visited, (if only for a day), during a period of relative calm in the region. Or was it ? Perhaps at the age of thirteen I was unaware of the tensions. Now, twenty five years later, it is probably the most tense time to visit in recent history. See some more photos here

Sabratha & Leptis Magna