Life is in the detail

Avoid the crowds that congregate at Angkor Wat at sunrise, and instead head to the ruins of Preah Khan which is almost deserted and incredibly atmospheric at first light.

Jacqui - Original Traveller

Jacqui Brooks

Original Travel Expert

I have extensive travel experience throughout The Far East, Australasia, North America, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

My travels

Travel Things I Want To Do Before I Die

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Return to New Zealand in summer time so that I can tackle the Tongariro Crossing and spend a few days kayaking and camping in Abel Tasman
Spend a week diving in Raja Ampat
Learn the Argentine Tango in Buenos Aires
Explore the Galapagos Islands, and snorkel with sea lions

Best Moments

Staying with the Iban Tribe in their traditional wooden Longhouse in Malaysian Borneo. The food, dancing, and rice wine (!) made for a very memorable evening
Riding pillion on a vespa through the city streets of Ho Chi Minh, visiting local restaurants and bars, and sampling some delicacies
Sky diving over Lake Wanaka in New Zealand, on a crisp winter morning!
My favourite place on the planet is Pink Beach in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Last time I was there I had been sailing aboard Tiger Blue and the crew brought across bean bags, drinks and a guitar for a good old fashioned beach party

Toughest Travel Moment

Sampling the Vietnamese delicacy of Duck Embryo from a lovely street vendor in Hanoi - and pretending to enjoy it so as not to offend her

Weirdest Travel Moment

The near final leg of a 24 hour overland journey from Lombok to the Komodo Islands, using public transport. Arriving in the town of Bima in Sumbawa, we were transferred to a smaller 'bus' for the journey on to the ferry port. Our bus was missing half a windscreen - the driver's side - and so he wore a motorbike helmet for the drive. Needless to say, I avoided that side of the bus.

Explore my blog posts

Top Honeymoon Destinations in Asia

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Summer 2017: The Best Holiday Destinations

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Great Global Bake Off

We're a (healthily) competitive lot here at Original Travel and all this recent chat about the new hosts of The Great British Bake Off got us thinking. Why just Britain? And why just baking? Cue the drawing of continental battle lines and each team putting forward their region's finest…

The Best Hotels in Turks and Caicos

Boasting immaculate beaches, bath-warm tropical seas, ultra-luxurious hotels, the least rainfall of any Caribbean island nation and a lobster season that lasts from August to April, the Turks and Caicos Islands should definitely be at the top of the Caribbean holiday hit list.

Five of our Favourite Cool Combos

Question: what do the following have in common? Gin & tonic, Rodney & Del Boy, Andy Murray & Wimbledon (and while we're on the subject, strawberries & cream), bacon & eggs and finally, a nice strong wind & Donald Trump's hair. Yes, you got it; they're all cool combos,…

Find your Happy Place

Those lovely folks at the United Nations have again presented us all with the World Happiness Index, letting us know where we should live to constantly be feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. The good news for us at Original Travel, is that the top five are all spots that we know inside out,…

Top Five Luxury Family Resorts for this Summer

The perfect family holiday needs to get the balance just right; that precious time to spend together away from the demands of daily life and work, coupled with a little R&R for the parents, safe in the knowledge that their little ones are well cared for, and having buckets of fun.…