There are few tourist campaign slogans that sum up a country so well as that for India. The place is truly incredible.

With our lovely children intervening temporarily in any earlier plans to travel India, we eventually got our first experience of this wonderful country. Grandma and Esther bravely took charge of the kids and we combined a very belated Honeymoon with a child-free, three-city, uber-luxury ‘taster’ of the sub continent.

First up was Delhi, the capital. A city of two halves with stately New Delhi hosting the tree-lined avenues of the original Colonial administration, now the grand center of the Republic. Old Delhi was much more in synch with our preconception of India with the chaos, crowds, colours and a cocktail of smells and sounds. The Red Fort was imposing and the Jama Masjid mosque was beautiful. What surprised us was the sheer number of historical monuments spread across the city – so much so that it felt like an Asian version of Rome or Athens with an ancient wonder around every second corner.

Soon we were off into the spiritual heart of India, and the ancient city of Varinasi tumbling down the steep banks to the holy river of the Ganges. This was an amazing experience – either quietly observing the daily rituals from the river at both dawn and dusk, or wandering through the medieval-like maze of the city itself. One of the most famous scenes from the city is the open cremation of the deceased on the Ghats of the river. We were fortunate enough to have an excellent guide whose quiet, theological description of the rituals playing out before us de-emphasized the sense of death that we might have experienced, and instead drew us into the more inspiring search for rebirth. Benares (one of the city’s other names) is also the home to The Deer Park, the site of Buddha’s first sermon and a scene that we had seen in countless paintings. It was amazing to experience two of the world’s most ancient religions intersecting in one place – and it was also brought home to us that the major faiths of the planet have more in common than they have in distinction. Our hotel in Varinasi was a beautiful small palace called Nasedar that was originally built by the East India Company but later owned by the Maharajah of the state. Over its life it has hosted many famous visitors including Queen Elizabeth II and the Dalai Lama to name but a few – we clearly did not add to this illustrious list!

Our last stop was again a complete contrast to the previous two with a visit to one of the lovely cities of Rajasthan. Jaipur – the Pink City – was both beautiful and aptly named. The Old City has nearly all of its facades painted a soft pink hue, with the Palace of the Winds the most impressive of these buildings. On a clear sunny morning we made our way out to Amber Fort, a spectacular castle perched high up on a hill. As with most visitors, we took one of the many elephants to the top, up old stone-lined pathways. The Palace within the walls was lovely, highly decorated and gave us a glimpse of life for this particular Maharajah. India is famous for its hand-crafted products and we bought up big with carpets and jewellery from this particular city (Jaipur is now one of the world’s largest gem cutting cities).

Our hotel in Jaipur deserves its own special mention. Rambagh Palace is the original home of the Maharajah of Jaipur. It is a massive, ornate and beautifully maintained grand home and the most impressive hotel we have seen or stayed in – anywhere. Apart from having the pleasure of observing the brilliantly coloured comings and goings during one of India’s society weddings, we were literally treated as though we were part of the royal family of the state. Because we were ‘on honeymoon’, every night someone had made a beautiful floral display out of jasmine and marigold, at least a meter wide in the entrance to our suite and our bath was filled with rose petals and surrounded by candles. Following the walking tour of the palace, the resident historian of the hotel gave us an insightful account of the hotel’s story, especially as he had grown up during the Maharajah era.

Our final night was a surprise romantic evening somewhere in the palace. Our personal butler collected us right on time, having brought the chef to our room earlier to prepare an individual menu. After a disorienting walk through many corridors of the palace, we ended up deep in the gardens at a single table looking back to the softly lit palace in the distance. Champagne glasses were surrounded by rose petals and there was a spectacular border of flowers and candles in a twenty foot square around us. Two young musicians serenaded the meal (and let Matt try his hand at the Sitar!) while a team of butlers to attended to our every need. To top off an amazing experience, the food was heavenly.

Whilst India is certainly a crazy kaleidoscope of humanity (…and there is an awful lot of it….!), we were pleasantly surprised at how gentle, polite and engaging the people were. Whether stuck in the inconceivable traffic of Delhi or the swamped in the throngs of both motor and foot traffic thrown together in Varinasi, we didn’t once feel threatened or overwhelmed during the visit.

And yes, the food was out of this world!

Time again for the Annual Bali Chillout.

Bali One was big, with a larger group and many of us travelling with just our first child in tow. Bali Two included two pregnant spouses, so the pace was slower but still quite manageable. With two kids a-piece, Bali Three seemed that little bit more hectic, although a Bali Villa holiday is pretty much as relaxed as a family trip is going to get. Tim braved the under-five onslaught and joined us for some R&R by the pool.

This time we stayed north of Sanur, and the villa was similar in a number of ways to Maridadi, if on a much smaller scale. The layout was pretty much a death-trap for crawling Ana…..so although she explored voraciously, it was very much under close supervision in what was probably at least 6 levels from top to bottom including sheer drops, pools and an unlimited amount of stairs. As a consolation, Esther taught her to how to back down the stairs safely and she also discovered that low coffee tables are excellent for climbing. Everyone enjoyed the fantastic pool.

Excited by the amazing beach from last year, we quickly sought a repeat experience but the black sand of Legian Beach didn’t quite match the secluded white crystals of our secret lagoon. However, it did provide some excellent body-surfing for Tott and Tim whilst Amelie and Sage had great fun digging, throwing, painting and (yes) even eating the dark sand. Amelie was a brave girl going both over and under the surf with Dad whilst Ana was slightly perturbed by the rough waves having only spent time in the calm waters around Hong Kong.

This year saw some unseasonable rain which gave us a good excuse to insert some culture into the regular itinerary of generally doing nothing. We spent a morning wandering through the beautiful Tampak Siring Temple which is at the source of an underground spring, believed to have healing powers. It was fitting that at this water temple the heavens decided to open up and we were caught in a spectacular deluge which turned the streets around the temple complex into a rushing stream. Unlike some of the other temples that we have visited, both the temples we saw this time around were either in the midst of preparation for, or actually holding a ceremony while we were there. It was interesting to see the ubiquitous offferings that you see everywhere in Bali being prepared by the local village woman.

As with all of our Bali trips, we managed to get outside the villa for a couple of evenings, with a great night out to Ku De Ta which Tott had been looking forward to for a long time. The bar cum restaurant cum beach cum pool had a great vibe, and we sat sipping cocktails overlooking the floodlit waves.

After a week in Hong Kong together, Amelie and Sage continued to hit it off and spent most of their time in some make-believe world wandering around the villa complex hand-in-hand. It was our first experience of having one of the kids pretty much oblivious to us, and although we enjoyed the quiet it was also a reminder that kids grow up so quickly!

Everyone has signed up to Bali Four and we think we might try Ubud next time around so we can explore the beautiful north!

Looking for a warm and relaxing destination after our cold and grey winter, we winged our way over to the island of Cebu in the the Phillippines. Beach holidays are not normally our forte – but now with two girls in tow (and one only five months), we decided that low stress was far more important than high culture.

We stayed at a nice but somewhat strange resort which was modeled with a definitive Caribbean feel. It was situated around a huge man-made lagoon with lovely filtered seawater. Even the sand was purpose built, created out of crushed rock so it looked and felt like sand but didn’t heat up in the hot sun! Bizarrely, the area has some of the most beautiful beaches and crystal clear water around.

Needless to say, we gave the man-made attractions a miss and took advantage of what nature had to offer. Only half an hour away was a stunning marine park and we were amazed by some spectacular snorkeling. The park sits on the edge of a 300m vertical drop-off and it was a bit of a rush as we wrapped up and swam over the edge of the ridge on our way back to the boat. Matt, who has a shark phobia, conjured up a number of improbable scenarios, not based on any factual knowledge of the local marine life. Amelie, oblivious to anything below the surface (either real or imagined) enjoyed her first swim (with lifejacket of course) in the open ocean.

On one of the days we chartered our own boat to take the girls (and Esther our helper who was with us) for a cruise around the area. Our captain dropped anchor at an amazing island that was literally a large sandbar in the middle of the ocean with incredibly clear water and beautiful clear sand. Amelie befriended some of the other kids…..Ana enjoyed a good nap after the vibrations of the boat put her fast asleep.

The trip achieved exactly what it was supposed to…..warmth, some family time and the bliss of doing nothing much but lazing around. Lovely friendly people, fresh food and perfect weather completed the picture.

Happy New Year to Everyone! Hope that you all had a wonderful 2009 and best wishes for 2010.

For us, the year has been an eventful and somewhat hectic one for us with a major change in job, new country and of course a new addition to the family! We have had Matthew’s parents here for a extended ‘meet Ana’, Christmas, New Year and Birthday stay which has been really enjoyable and definitely a bonus in the baby sitting stakes…..

Ana Patricia is settling in very well and is a very cute and particularly easy baby. She loves her big sister and will search the room in anticipation when she hears her chattering away. Although we were warned of potential problems, Amelie has proven to be very affectionate, only challenge is ensuring she doesn’t crush her little sibling with her many hugs and cuddles.!

Travel was more restrained in 2009 given pregnancy and move, but we still managed to get to Chiang Mai, Bali, Margaret River, Sydney and the Hunter Valley which were all good fun (although Vanessa’s view of Thailand differs slightly due to the combination of morning sickness, 30+ heat and also an unfortunate bout of gastro!). This year we hope to get to Australia a couple more times, and perhaps do some north Asia city breaks such as Beijing and Seoul. Of course, the now annual Bali trip is already in planning.

On the home front, ironically Hong Kong has turned out to be a really good match for both of us, despite nearly turning down the role here to avoid living in this city. We are really enjoying the more temperate weather and the vibrancy and unpredictability. We should be able to explore the place even better when Matt gets his new car in about 5 days! More about that below.

Amelie continues to be an angel, is talking away incessantly and seems to really love the new location as well. She is a big girl (nearly half her Dad’s height already at the 2 year mark). She goes to ‘school’ where she does Art, Singing, Dancing and some basic Mandarin (singing) which she loves. Her world centers around a host of characters, some imaginary and some real. There’s ‘The Guys’ (Froggie, Penny Penguin and Ducky), Teddy, Polar, Yap Yap Puppy and of course Mickey Mouse. Matthew put a book together to capture her second year, if you are interested then click on the this link. Since publication, the stories have got far more elaborate and far more dramatic. Lots of ‘don’t worry’, ‘uh oh’, ‘oh my goodness’, ‘hurry up’ and ‘watch out’ in the current episodes.

Some of our friends are somewhat bemused by our reluctance to explore our home cities any further than our feet can carry us. After experiencing all that London’s SW1 and SW3 postcodes could offer, we moved to New York. When the delights of the Upper West Side became a little too familiar, we moved to Singapore. Some would enquire whether it was really necessary to move countries to satisfy our urge for change, when a move across town might offer variety at a less traumatic price.

Well. After four years of traipsing up and down the Singapore river, it’s time for a new vista, and we are off to Hong Kong for a new chapter in our world tour.

Singapore has been a wonderful period for us. After the hectic pace of London and New York, it was nice to slow down a little and take advantage of the resort-like lifestyle on offer in this great city. It’s also where we started our family and as such will stand out as Amelie’s introduction to the world.

So what will we miss the most?

30C x 365. It has its downsides of course – doing any sort of outside exercise after 8am in the morning is ironically unhealthy, but there’s few places in the world that you can truly swim in an unheated pool and also eat out in the evening in your shorts and t-shirt….every single day of the year. The hot tropical weather also generates some fantastic electrical storms and one of our favourite activities is a Sunday afternoon with a glass of wine watching the thunder and lightning roll in.

Efficiency. When you can leave your house one hour before an international flight and the airport is 20km away, you know that the place has mastered the art of planning. There are occasional hiccups, but most cities in the world could learn a few things from this well oiled machine.

Travel. It’s our passion, so what can we say. Being based in one of the world’s travel hubs has its benefits and we have had a great time exploring Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bali, New Zealand and plenty of Australia. Amelie seems to thrive on it, so finger’s crossed that number two gets the bug as well.

Friends. We have really made some lovely friends here in Singapore, and will of course be sad to leave them behind. However, it’s a short flight to Hong Kong and we will be back and forth for work and play so expect to see everyone at least a few times a year. Besides, Hotel Tottler will re-open pretty quickly and the view is pretty amazing!

With sickness, relentless work and pregnancies taking their toll, our second Bali trip was eagerly awaited by everyone. The first Bali experience was pretty amazing and we did not want to risk disappointment by comparisons to last year, so we deliberately booked a different type of villa in a different part of the island. This time around we were located in the south of Bali, in the hills between Jimbaran Bay and Nusa Dua.

The weather was quite different to the heat and humidity of last year, with a steady cool breeze softening the hot days and making the evenings border on crisp outside. As such, the excursions away from the villa pool were a little more enjoyable, and we ventured out quite regularly. Ubud was a much more pleasant affair with the cooler days, and we took advantage buying some of the local products.

Tim dropped in for a few days, and the boys spent a day driving up to the mountains to Kintamani, followed by a sedate and cultural cycle down through the rice fields and local villages. The tour finished up with a delicious home-cooked feast in a traditional Balinese home.

As usual, food was a highlight and one of our best nights was a dinner on the beach at Jimbaran Bay Fish Huts at one of the many simple grilled fish restaurants with tables right out onto the beach. Sunset was followed by the marinated seafood cooked over coconut husks, a speciality of these particular establishments. The casual vibe was a good contrast to the previous night where we sat sipping cocktails in a gorgeous setting at the Four Seasons on the beach. Matt and Vanessa also sampled the spectacular cliffside setting at Karma Kandara for a romantic evening dinner.

For our last day, Welly the villa manager suggested a pretty, secluded lagoon sheltered by an offshore reef. It was a really beautiful last day, with crystal clear water for the kids to play in and warm sunny weather. For lunch we lounged around a Bale right on the beach to finish up the experience.

Overall, the trip delivered exactly what we wanted – rest, recuperation and a completely different Bali experience to the last.

With number two on the way, we decided to temporarily delay our long awaited Bhutan trip through the Himalayas and instead chose a visit to Perth and Margaret River as a safer and less physical alternative.  It was also a good opportunity to combined with a family visit.  Vanessa and Amelie headed down a couple of weeks earlier so Amelie could finally meet her uncle for the first time and to terrorize the relatives with 4am mornings (an unfortunate hangover of our previous trip to Chiang Mai and a bug she had picked up there).

The weather was absolutely perfect for us with cold crisp nights by the wood fire and warm sunny days in between.  Always appreciative of the wide open spaces, we spent the mornings doing some walking and some driving to take in the scenery, and then indulged in a reasonable amount of wine tasting (or at least Matthew did, with Vanessa being designated driver for a change!).  Top pick for us was Leeuwin Estate, one of Australia’s premier boutique winemakers, where we had a very relaxing and delicious lunch overlooking the beautiful scenery.  A case was duly dispatched back to Singapore for later.

One of the highlights was the wildlife with loads of birdlife, dolphins and some kangaroos. We took Amelie to a visitor ‘farm’ and she absolutely loved all the baby animals, especially the lambs, the chicks and the guinea pigs!

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second city, often outshone by its more brash and hedonistic sister, Bangkok, or the country’s seductive internationally famous beaches. However, we were very much taken with the more sedate and possibly more traditional allure of this ancient royal city in the north.

We knew that Songkran fell over our dates, but were surprised at how significant it was on the calendar. This is the Thai New Year festival which tradition might combine a visit to a Wat (temple) with family reunions. However, the most visible element of the festival is the riotous city-wide water fight.

Historically, water would be poured over a statue of a Buddha, collected and then gently poured over the shoulder or head of a family member, particularly the elderly. This tradition is definitely still alive and well in Chiang Mai with scores of Buddha’s being paraded down the main street for the city’s inhabitants to both pour (throw) and collect the water as required. However, modernity has inevitably taken its toll, and for many this is an opportunity to simply go crazy and throw water on anyone or anything that moves, using buckets or every available water-gun on the market. It’s not a bad change though, considering that April temperatures can reach a sizzling 40C and the cooling free-for-all is a welcome respite in many ways.

However, water-guns and parades aside, Chiang Mai has about the same number of temples as Bangkok, despite its considerably smaller size. There are beautiful Wats and Chedis every few blocks, or so it seems. One of the more famous is at the top of a nearby range with a stunning view over the city itself. The extra few thousand feet in elevation make an dramatic and pleasant escape from the heat of the city below.

The region is also one of Thailand’s main craft centers and we took advantage of the opportunity by visiting silk, paper umbrella, jewelry and pottery factories, and came away with a supply of beautiful local goods.

Given this trip was also a planned R&R break, we made good use of the spa at our tranquil oasis in the city. Of course, the food was spicy but delicious…. with a number of regional specialties thrown into the mix. We have learned to interpret “only little spicy” as a sweat inducing feverish chilly.

Matt’s first experience in New Zealand would hardly inspire repeat visits (**see footnote below). However, other veterans of that trip insisted that the 30-something experience there would definitely be more enjoyable. Vanessa was already convinced, and we booked in for a week around Queenstown with a trip up via Lake Tekapo to Christchurch.

We certainly were not disappointed. The scenery was abolutely stunning, giving South Africa and Switzerland a run for their money, if not taking the prize. Spectacular alpine mountain ranges, glacier fed lakes, lush green hills and brilliant wildflowers were literally at every turn. To make the most of the scenery we chartered a private flight in a four-seater over snow-capped ranges and Lake Wakatipu. Amelie was great (if not a little peturbed) with the experience.

We also did quite a bit of walking, eating (as you would expect) and wine tasting. But most of all, we lapped up the wide open spaces, beautiful vistas and simply being able to spend the whole day outside without wilting!

New Year’s Eve was at Lake Tekapo, a brilliant turquoise lake with the Mount Cook National Park mountains in the distance. As our first ‘family’ New Year there were no massive and dangerous crowds (Berlin), no schnapps competition with the local 18-year olds (Bad Hofgastein), no naked swimming in the Andaman Sea (Langkawi), no spectacular fireworks (Sydney) and no historic chimes at midnight (London). However, it was – pure and simply – nice. We managed to get to 10:30pm before deciding that sleep was far more important than the milestone….how life changes!

Final stop was Christchurch where we lounged around (mainly in the botanical gardens) before heading back to Singapore.

Amelie absolutely loved the trip – she had both parents for two full weeks, had just started walking (or falling) and so had plenty of new things to explore and something new to do on every day. She fought sleep on the plane (“too much to see and people to wave at”) and objected initially to driving (“this doesn’t look like a taxi, why is there no one in the back with me and why are we still moving, it’s been 10 minutes already?”) – but was really an angel and has now graduated from her first year of travel and can move onto bigger and better.

Amelie’s highlights of the trip appeared to be (in no particular order of preference): stairs, seatbelts, carpet, ducks and ducklings, aircraft lavatories and hotel toiletries.

** 14 years earlier……Matt’s NZ Experience

A ski trip without snow, five boys (and 1 girlfriend) shared the tight confines of a campervan for the extended week driving across the South Island of New Zealand. While the thought of five males in a confined space for ten days would intimidate most, the situation deteriorated rapidly by the end of the first night as inebriated members of the group managed to throw up copiously on every towel provided with the ridiculously small shower cubicle in the van. The somewhat unpleasant odour of this situation was gradually replaced by the daily growing smell of unwashed bodies that were unable to use the shower cubicle provided because 1) it stored 6 soiled towels and 2) those towels were deemed necessary to take a shower.

After almost dying learning to ski on ice (without any instruction and accidentally straying onto a black run just before dusk), Matt determined to leave New Zealand and managed to crash the campervan not just once, but twice before it needed to be replaced (the meter wide hole was too significant to be patched for either driving or protection from the sub-zero temperatures). Convinced to stay, the trip did have its occasional high points: bungy jumping, jetboating, white water rafting, Milford Sound and the very rare day of skiing.

It’s no secret in Singapore that the villa holiday in Bali is the ultimate for relaxation, and Vanessa and I had been keen to experience for some time. After a particularly generous recount from friends returning from their week there, we abruptly decided that Amelie was old enough to do some Asia travel and sent a broadcast invite to our Australian friends. Four families (8 parents, 5 kids) took up the offer, and we booked our slice of island paradise for a week.

A brief explanation. Bali seems to have cornered the market for the fully staffed villa experience. In our case this meant 12 staff (chef, driver, housekeepers, gardeners, guards, manager). Notwithstanding the considerable firepower available to support our every need, we also engaged the services of two nannies to help smooth the operation (thanks Madi and friend)!

The villa compound itself was gorgeous. Each of the couples had their own building with outside bathrooms set into the tropical gardens, and we also had a beautiful pool, a full snooker table, a tennis court and full sound system. The highlight though was the communal living area – called a “Bale Pavillion”. Bali is warm year round, so the pavillion is a completely open structure partitioned into three zones: eating, sitting and everyone’s favourite – lounging. Apart from the pool, the focal point for the entire week was a massive red daybed that could comfortably seat 5-6 adults plus assorted kids, or at one point – the full 13 of us!

The experience would certainly have to be the most relaxed that Vanessa and I had ever encountered. The most stressful activity was selecting which meal to be cooked for that day, or determining which cocktail to have the kitchen staff prepare for a spectacular sunset overlooking the ocean. The rest of the time was divided between eating, napping, massage, swimming and reading – with an occasional day-trip to snorkel, dive or shop in Ubud. We actually had to fight the nanny to spend quality time with Amelie, who adapted to the 24hr attention with ease – so much so that it was a tough couple of days when she got back to the realities of her busy parents in Singapore.

The people were characteristically lovely, the scenery beautiful and the weather gorgeous. Despite a tourist onslaught, Bali has done a remarkable job of preserving their unique culture which surrounds you in the rice fields, the temples and the villages omnipresent throughout the island.

What struck the group about the holiday was the complete relaxation that only this type of holiday can provide – with literally everything taken care of. We would highly recommend this for anyone with families, although the name of our villa is remaining a tightly held secret to preserve availability for what we expect will be an annual event!