Western Australia

Perth

Perth reminded me a lot of Sydney because of its location on the bank of the Swan River and its attractive parks. The highlight for me was King’s Park, from which there are great views over the city and the Swan River. Apart from the views, the park has many attractive walking trails. There are also a number of gardens with historic buildings on the waterfront in the downtown area. I highly recommend the boat trip with Captain Cook Cruises down the Swan River to Fremantle. This takes about an hour and the captain’s commentary on the different sights along the river is very interesting. You might even see dolphins if you’re lucky. www.captaincookcruises.com.au/cruises/perth-cruises
 

Perth from King's Park

(Click on the photos if you want to enlarge them.)

 

Fremantle

Fremantle is a good option if you’re looking for somewhere to stay in the Perth area but outside the city itself, as it has lots of accommodation and dining-out options as well as a number of interesting historic places to visit. I did the guided “Doing Time” tour at the Fremantle Prison, which gives you a real insight into what life was like back in the early days of the colony. The Bathers’ Beach area is a pleasant place to stroll around. Don’t miss the Fremantle Markets, where there are lots of souvenir and food stalls. From Fremantle you can take the scenic Captain Cook Cruise up the Swan River to Perth, which includes an interesting commentary by the captain. Staying in Fremantle also means that you can take the earliest morning departure of the Rottnest Express ferry to Rottnest Island, which gives you more time on the island.
 

Fremantle Prison

Rydges Esplanade Hotel

Very well situated in the centre of Fremantle within walking distance of most sights and restaurants, this hotel has large and well-appointed rooms and offers a good breakfast in the attractive lobby area. www.hotelesplanadefremantle.com/

Little Creatures

This brewery-cum-restaurant is a great place for a cheap meal in original surroundings. The food is good and the service fast and friendly. https://littlecreatures.com.au/
 

Quokkas on Rottnest Island

Bread in Common

This restaurant serves excellent dishes in a large heritage-listed building which has been tastefully renovated. www.breadincommon.com.au/

Bathers Beach House

Right on the seafront next to the eponymous beach, this restaurant has an extensive seafood menu and the dishes I chose were very well prepared and presented. www.bathersbeachhouse.com.au/

Rottnest Island

A visit to “Rotto” is a great day’s excursion from the mainland. It only takes about half an hour to get there from Fremantle on the Rottnest Express ferry and there are a number of easy walking trails around the island. I particularly liked Geordie and Longreach bays and of course the quokkas are very tame and cute. www.rottnestexpress.com.au/

Longreach Bay, Rottnest Island

Pinnacles Desert

This is an incredible place. Rocks of all shapes and sizes protrude from the sand and the visual effect is stunning. Apparently nobody knows how these pinnacles were formed, although the informative visitor centre explains the theories. https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/pinnacles-desert-discovery-centre
 

Pinnacles Desert

Cervantes

A small seaside community which is a convenient place to stay if you’re visiting the Pinnacles Desert. I stayed at the Pinnacles Edge Resort. www.pinnaclesedgeresort.com.au/ The room they offered me when I checked in was very small, but I got an immediate upgrade to a large apartment for no extra charge as soon as I asked for a bigger room, so no complaints there. They serve a good cooked breakfast too. I also recommend the nearby Cervantes Bar & Bistro restaurant for dinner. www.pinnaclesedgeresort.com.au/   http://cervantesbarandbistro.com.au/

New Norcia

This monastery is a good place to while away an hour or two if you are in the area as there are some curious buildings to wander around and a museum with some interesting historical exhibits. However, I would definitely avoid staying at the New Norcia Hotel. The rooms are small, dark and don’t seem to have been  redecorated in decades. The whole place is a bit run down and depressing. Its only saving grace is its restaurant, which turns out well prepared dishes and has a spacious sundeck outside.

 

Swan & Avon Valleys

Toodyay

Formerly known as Newcastle, Toodyay’s main street has some well-preserved colonial buildings and the Newcastle Gaol Museum Precinct is worth a visit as it has some interesting exhibits about life in colonial times, including the story of Moondyne Joe, WA’s most famous bushranger. www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/Community-Visitors/Museums/Newcastle-Gaol-Museum
 

Kookaburra at Caversham Wildlife Park

York

WA’s first inland town has an attractive setting in the Avon Valley and its centre has a number of historic buildings. It’s also a good base from which to explore other places of interest in the area. I stayed at the excellent Faversham House, a beautifully restored colonial mansion with great views over the valley. The managers are a charming and attentive Italian couple who make you feel very welcome and they serve an excellent breakfast in the hotel’s grand dining room. www.favershamhouse.com.au/home

Northam

Not as quaint as Toodyay or York, but it has a very good visitor centre and it’s pleasant to take a stroll along the river bank.
 

Koala at Caversham Wildlife Park

Guildford

A good place to base yourself while visiting the Swan Valley. It’s only 15 minutes’ drive from the Caversham Wildlife Park, where you can see lots of Australian animals and birds. The nearby Houghton and Sandalford wineries are set in attractive grounds, but only the latter organises tours. Accommodation-wise, I strongly recommend the Rose and Crown Hotel. The rooms in the motel-style block are modern and comfortable and the restaurant is very good - it was full of local people the two nights I dined there. It prides itself on being the oldest operating hotel in WA and occupies a heritage building that dates back to 1841. www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/    www.rosecrown.com.au/

Broome & the Kimberley

 

Broome

After visiting Perth and some of the sights around it, I took a 2½ hour flight north to Broome. Established originally as a centre for the pearling industry, nowadays the town’s economy is based on tourism. That said, it doesn’t feel very touristy at all, perhaps because many of the hotels are 6km away at Cable Beach. It’s very pleasant to wander around the town centre. If you’re into books, don’t forget to drop in at the Kimberley Bookshop, which has a good selection of titles on Broome and the Kimberley. On the subject of books, those interested in history should read the excellent “A Pirate of Exquisite Mind” about the life of William Dampier, after whom the peninsula north of the town is named and which is available there. The Broome Museum has some interesting exhibits.

The very helpful visitor centre can provide you with information and brochures on all aspects of Broome and the Kimberley. I stayed at the boutique McAlpine House hotel, which is where the construction tycoon Lord Alistair McAlpine lived when he was promoting the Broome tourism industry. The staff are very pleasant and my room, although a bit on the small side, had a large private lounge area outside. Breakfast is served at a large communal table and is fine except for the fact that for some unknown reason they refuse to serve orange juice, or any other kind of juice for that matter! http://mcalpinehouse.com.au/
 

Broome

I had dinner at Matso’s and 18 Degrees, both of which are a 10-minute walk from the McAlpine House and I would recommend both. I hired a 4WD camper through Apollo, who are very well represented in Broome by the friendly and efficient owners of the Broome Hire Centre in Blackman St. www.matsos.com.au/restaurant/   

Derby

My next stop was 200 km away at Derby, which is the western gateway to the Kimberley. This is the place to stock up on supplies before starting along the Gibb River Road. I recommend the Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park, which is conveniently located within walking distance of supermarkets and restaurants and is run by a very friendly couple. The nearby Jila Gallery restaurant, which also displays artworks created by local artists, serves excellent pizzas. Another good place to see, and maybe buy, art by Aboriginal artists is the Norval Gallery on the outskirts of town. Some of the paintings are very good and quite reasonably priced compared with other Aboriginal art galleries I’ve visited. https://kimberleyentrancecaravanpark.com.au/     www.jilacafe.com.au/   
 

Sign at start of Gibb River Road

Gibb River Road

I must admit to having felt excited and daunted in equal measure by the idea of venturing into the outback along the Gibb River Road (GRR). Much of the literature I had read about it beforehand, in addition to highlighting the beauty and the opportunities for adventure available in the Kimberley, also stressed the remoteness and potential dangers of travelling in this part of Australia. So it was with some trepidation that I turned off the main highway just south of Derby and pointed my 4WD campervan east. Now, after having spent nearly a week in the area and having covered around 1000 km on mainly unsealed roads, I realise that my fears were largely unfounded.

During the dry season there are many other vehicles on the GRR and on the tracks that radiate from it, so you never feel like you’re alone in the middle of nowhere. Having said that, it is obviously essential to drive carefully and carry enough food and water in case something unexpected occurs, but if you follow the safety advice available and behave sensibly nothing untoward should happen to you. One aspect that worried me was the possibility of running out of fuel as there are very few places where you can fill up along the GRR. So having a 4WD with two tanks holding 180 litres of diesel altogether greatly allayed my fears in this respect. I found that just one of the two 90 litre tanks lasted for around 600 km, so there was never any danger of running out and being stranded miles from anywhere.

A lot is made of the roughness of the unsealed roads, but while some sections had quite deep corrugations most of the GRR and the tracks leading off it that I travelled on were in pretty good condition. Many people recommend that you lower your tyre pressures, but I found I was able to drive at between 60 and 70 kph most of the time with very little discomfort while maintaining them at the normal pressure.

So I would encourage anyone who might be thinking of visiting the area to go ahead and do so as I’m sure they will enjoy it as much as I did. If you need any more encouragement, check out Birgit Bradtke’s excellent website and publications as it was she who convinced me to organise my trip to the Kimberley despite my initial misgivings. www.kimberleyaustralia.com/
 

Campground at Mornington

Mornington Wilderness Camp

Run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), this camp is a long way (90km) off the Gibb River Road. The approach track is not as scenic as the guidebooks suggest and I didn’t see much wildlife there either. The two gorges that lie within the property (Sir John Gorge and Dimond Gorge) are worth visiting, but to my mind are not as beautiful as Bell Gorge and Windjana Gorge, which don’t require such a lengthy detour off the GRR. So I’m not sure I would have made the nearly 200km round trip if I’d known what it was really like beforehand. That said, the AWC do excellent conservation work that deserves public support and the camp is in a picturesque setting and is well run, so if, unlike me, you have plenty of time it might be a good option. www.australianwildlife.org/mornington-wilderness-camp.aspx
 

Sir John Gorge

Bell Gorge

Whatever you do, don’t miss this gorge! It’s easily accessed via the Silent Grove campground and a 20-minute walk from the carpark. The gorge is very beautiful with a waterfall that falls in tiers between two large pools. The highlight of the Kimberley for me, although I only visited the western part. https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/bell-gorge
 

Bell Gorge

Imintji Store

Run by a very helpful couple who sell a few basic supplies plus diesel. http://imintji.com.au/comunity-store

March Fly Glen

Between the turn off to Mt Hart Homestead and the one to Bell Gorge, this picnic area is a very pretty place to pull over and take a break from driving for an hour or so.
 

March Fly Glen

Mt Hart Homestead

The approach road is more scenic and in better condition than the one to Mornington. However, while the staff make a big effort to make you feel welcome, the homestead itself and the campground are a bit run down . I didn’t do any of the recommended excursions, so I can’t say if they’re worthwhile or not. http://mounthart.com.au/
 

Creek on track to Mt Hart Homestead

Windjana Gorge

It’s definitely worth spending an hour or two at this atmospheric gorge. The scenery is attractive and there are many birds and freshies (freshwater crocodiles) there too. https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/windjana-gorge
 

Windjana Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thailand

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Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya Historical Park

I only spent a day in Ayutthaya Historical Park, but managed to see quite a lot as the most interesting places are close to each other. Highlights were the Wat Mahathat temple with its Buddha head trapped in the roots of a bodhi tree, a beautiful sitting Buddha close to it and the Wat Phra Si Sanphet complex with its three chedis (stupas). A pleasant and convenient way to access the Wat Chai Wattanaram temple complex is by taking a river trip right round the Park, as the boatman will drop you off right next to it and you can wander around before re-embarking for the rest of the trip. The Park’s Tourist Centre has a modern, informative exhibition on the second floor.

Sitting Buddha in Wat Mahathat

Baan Thai House

This small hotel is a real gem. It’s set in a beautiful tropical garden and includes a small lake and a medium-sized swimming pool. The staff are very friendly and efficient. Many of the rooms are in traditional Thai houses and are simply but tastefully decorated. There is an attractive lounge-cum-dining area that is open to the garden, where you can relax or have something to eat. It’s not really necessary to look for restaurants in Ayutthaya as the hotel kitchen offers a number of tasty Thai dishes for dinner. The breakfast and lunchtime snacks are very good too. It’s located a short walk and ferry ride from the main sights of Ayutthaya, or the hotel will call you a tuk-tuk. They can also arrange economical shared minivan transfers to other places like Kanchanaburi and tours in and around Ayutthaya. I cannot recommend this hotel enough. http://www.baanthaihouse.com/

Baan Thai House, Ayutthaya

Kanchanaburi

The town

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, which contains the remains of nearly 7000 POWs, is a beautifully maintained memorial to the POWs who suffered and died while building the Death Railway between Thailand and Burma during WW2. Their memory is also kept alive at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, which overlooks the cemetery and contains an excellent museum explaining the tragic story of the construction of the Railway as well as a good selection of books related to this terrible chapter of history. The Centre also organizes very informative all-day and half-day visits to some of the sites linked to the Railway. However, most people seem to come to Kanchanaburi to photograph and walk across the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. The prisoners actually built two bridges, the other a wooden one a few metres further downriver, but this has since been demolished and only the metal and concrete one remains. It is still used to carry passengers (mostly tourists) to what is now the end of the line, about 100km from Kanchanaburi at a station called Nam Tok. It’s a nice trip and allows you to see the incredible riverside viaduct the prisoners built at Tam Krasae. Finally, back in town, there is the Heritage Walking Street, which has a lot of restored shops and houses including the business premises of Boon Pong, the man who risked his life to bring medicine and food to the allied soldiers living in the railway construction camps between 1942 and 1945. http://www.tbrconline.com/

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Hellfire Pass Memorial

A bit further up the line from Nam Tok station, although the rails and sleepers have long disappeared, is a centre which was set up to commemorate the, mainly Australian, POWs who were forced to carve out a series of deep cuttings through solid rock at this point of the Death Railway. The name comes from the infamous “Speedo” period in 1943, when the prisoners were made to work day and night to complete the railway within the crazy timeframe established by the Japanese. The nightmarish scenes of skeletal men slaving away at the rock face while illuminated by the flickering light of candles gave the cutting its name. In addition to looking at the excellent displays in the centre, you can walk quite a long way along where the railway originally ran on the side of a hill with panoramic views down to the River Kwai below – views I’m sure the prisoners slaving on the railway were never able to enjoy. http://hellfire-pass.commemoration.gov.au/remembering-the-railway/hellfire-pass-memorial-museum.php



Hellfire Pass

Sabai@Kan Hotel

Situated halfway between, but within walking distance of, the Bridge on the River Kwai and downtown Kanchanaburi, this simple but comfortable hotel is an excellent place to stay. All the rooms look onto the attractive tropical garden, although the ground floor rooms are a better option as they have a small sitting area outside and give you direct access to the garden and the pool area. Breakfast is good value and they will prepare other meals if asked. Directly opposite is the Meat and Cheese restaurant, which has a wide variety of mainly European dishes on offer. A short tuk-tuk ride away over a bridge is the Blue Rice restaurant, which has a nice riverside location and serves modern versions of traditional Thai dishes.

 

Garden at Sabai at Kan

River Kwai Resotel

This hotel has a wonderful setting on the banks of the River Kwai Noi, not far from Nam Tok station, so a good way to get there is to take the train to the end of the line and then hire a taxi for the short drive to the pier, from where motorboats await to transfer you a few kilometres upriver to the hotel. The hotel has beautifully kept and very extensive grounds and the rooms are in well-appointed bungalows. I was lucky enough to stay in Room 21, which has good views of the river. There is an attractive wooden main building which overlooks a good-sized pool. Within easy walking distance is Lawa Cave and a pretty Mon village. You can also walk to the hotel’s sister establishment, the Floathouse, which consists of around thirty luxury rooms that are actually floating on pontoons in the river – an original place to stay!
 

Shrine inside Lawa Cave

Erewan National Park

This park is about an hour’s drive from the Resotel pier. The highlight is most definitely the waterfall or, to be more accurate, the series of waterfalls that form seven tiers as the river descends through the jungle. It took me two hours to climb to the seventh tier as I had to stop constantly to admire the water cascading over rocks and forming beautiful azure pools, all set against the backdrop of the jungle. It’s a good idea to get there as early as possible because it’s an extremely popular excursion for foreigners and locals alike.

Erewan waterfall

Phuket

Katathani Phuket Beach Resort

This pricey upmarket resort occupies virtually all the beachfront of Hat Kata Noi beach. The beach itself is long, wide and covered with soft white sand. The hotel grounds are very extensive and include five large swimming pools that are rarely crowded as most people seem to prefer to spend time on the beach or just lying on sunbeds. The “deluxe” room I stayed in was comfortable and spacious, although it might be better to pay a bit more and book one of the rooms with a pool or ocean view because many of the so-called deluxe “garden-view” ones look onto a narrow strip of grass between two buildings. There are six restaurants: I would particularly recommend the Chanadda, which turns out excellent traditional Thai dishes; second best in my opinion is the Fisherman’s Wharf, which serves seafood in a pleasant setting close to the beach. The Coconut Bar is the best option for an after-dinner drink as its tables are right next to the beach. The hotel breakfast is excellent. This is by no means a cheap hotel and the rooms are not really luxurious, but its position and grounds justify to some extent the high rates they charge. http://www.katathani.com/

Pool at Katathani Phuket Beach Resort

Phang Nga Bay excursion

If you get tired of lying on the beach, the resort can arrange a day-trip to Phang Nga Bay with a company called Andaman Leisure Phuket (ALP). This involves an early pick-up from the hotel and transfer to the Royal Phuket Marina on the other side of the island, from where a speedboat takes you on a forty-minute trip north to the islands in the bay. The most famous and spectacular of these limestone karst formations is the so-called James Bond “Island” which, although you may have seen it a hundred times in photos, is worth making the effort to see “in the flesh”. The excursion I took included two short but interesting kayak trips around other islands, a good lunch on the sea-gypsy island of Koh Panyee and an hour and a half to swim and relax on a nice beach before returning to Phuket. All in all the excursion is good value for money and very professionally run. http://www.andamanleisurephuket.com/




James Bond "Island"

 

South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming

South Dakota

The south-western corner of this state has a number of places that are well worth visiting and relatively close to each other. If you prefer to stay outside the main towns a very good option is Custer State Park, from which all the sights mentioned below can be visited on day trips.

Custer State Park

This is a relatively unknown park outside the USA judging from the small number of foreign visitors I encountered during the week I spent there. This may be because it lacks the spectacular sights that draw thousands of people to other, more famous, destinations like Yellowstone or Yosemite. But if you’re not looking for majestic peaks or towering waterfalls, there is much to see in Custer SP. For me, the standout feature are the three very different scenic drives. If you take the Wildlife Loop Road, you are almost certain to see the park’s magnificent herd of bison.




Bison herd on Wildlife Loop Road
(click on images to enlarge them)

The Iron Mountain Road is an excellent approach route to Mt. Rushmore as it takes you through beautiful scenery, tunnels hewn through solid rock and over wooden bridges, all the while offering glimpses of the famous landmark in the distance. Finally, the Needles Highway winds its way through dramatic rock formations before arriving at picturesque Sylvan Lake, where you can stroll, swim or hire a canoe. Another highlight is the State Game Lodge, highly recommendable for the quality of its accommodation and restaurant, which serves excellent bison and elk dishes. All in all, this park is a little gem which exceeded all my expectations.

Link: https://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/custer/
Link: http://custerresorts.com/lodges-and-cabins/state-game-lodge/

Mt. Rushmore

View from the Presidential Trail

Even though you’ve probably seen hundreds of photos of this iconic site, it still has the power to impress due to the size and quality of the sculpted heads of ptesidents Washington, Jefferson, (Theodore) Roosevelt and Lincoln. Take the Presidential Trail for a closer look (https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm).

Crazy Horse Memorial

Just off Highway 385, north of Custer, is the granite memorial to the famous Teton Sioux warrior Crazy Horse. Only his face has so far been completed and judging from the scale and detail of the model of the finished product, which is on display in the visitors centre, it will be many years before it’s completed. Definitely worth a visit (https://crazyhorsememorial.org/).

Badlands National Park

Turnout in Badlands NP

Another good day trip from Custer SP is to Badlands NP. Take Highway 79 to Rapid City and then Highway 44 to the Sage Creek Road turn off. Despite being unpaved, this road is perfectly drivable in a normal saloon car. It takes you past farms and fields until you enter Badlands NP, where the first thing you encounter is the Roberts Prairie Dog Town, a community of cute rodents that you won’t be able to resist photographing. You then turn right onto Highway 240, which takes you through the spectacular Badlands landscape with plenty of turnouts where you can park and take a closer look at the colourful rock formations (https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm).

As you approach Interstate 90, take half an hour to visit the Prairie Homestead, an interesting site featuring the original home of a pioneering settler family (http://www.prairiehomestead.com/).

Finally, on your way back to Custer SP, stop off at Wall Drug, a huge store which sells “trinkets, art, clothing, Christmas ornaments, leather goods, jewelry, and everything in between!”, as their website boasts (http://www.walldrug.com/).

Deadwood and Lead

Street in Deadwood

The last day trip I did from Custer SP was to these two gold-rush-era towns. I was expecting them to be more evocative of the 1870s when they were founded, but there are many modern buildings among the older restored ones. That said, it’s pleasant to stroll around and visit some of the stores and saloons that endeavour to recreate the frontier-town atmosphere, when the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane lived here (https://www.deadwood.com/).

Nearby is Lead, with its enormous open-cut mine (http://sanfordlabhomestake.com/).

The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is also close:(http://www.spearfishcanyon.com/scenicbyway).

 

Montana

Little Bighorn Battlefield

Before arriving at this site I’d been reading a book about this legendary battle (“The Last Stand” by Nathaniel Philbrick) and trying to imagine the terrain over which the different phases of the encounter unfolded. Visiting the site really brought the story to life and made it much easier to envisage where and how the engagement developed. I strongly recommend anyone interested in the Indian Wars and this battle in particular to visit this national monument and take a guided visit with Apsalooke Tours. The park rangers also make a great effort to help visitors relive the skirmishes that took place here over the two days (June 25-26, 1876) that the battle raged, including how some of the soldiers were wounded with all the gory details. One girl fainted while listening to one of these accounts, although I’m not sure if this was due to the graphic nature of the descriptions or because of the intense heat! The visitor centre shows an interesting video about the battle (https://www.nps.gov/libi/).

Last Stand Hill

The nearby Custer Battlefield Trading Post has a café and sells a wide variety of Native American products (http://laststand.com/pages.php?pageid=6).

Wyoming

Devil’s Tower

This impressive geological feature is a must-see if you’re driving between South Dakota and the national parks of Wyoming. Geologists agree that the tower was formed through a process called “igneous intrusion”, although there are different opinions about what happened after that. These theories are explained on interpretative signs found on the Tower Trail, a 1.3 mile paved path that takes you all the way round the tower. It also has great views of the surrounding countryside. There is a prairie dog town near the entrance to the park (https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm).

Sheridan

I used this as a base from which to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield, which is an easy 90-minute drive north from here on Interstate 90.

Other places in and around the town that are worth a visit are the Sheridan County Museum (http://www.sheridanmuseum.org/); the Historic Sheridan Inn (https://sheridaninn.com/), which has a good restaurant; Trail End Historic Site, the mansion home of cattle baron and politician John Kendrick (http://www.trailend.co/kendrick-mansion.html); the Brinton Museum and adjoining house (http://thebrintonmuseum.org/); and the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site, near where the Fetterman Massacre occurred in 1866 (http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Site/SiteInfo.aspx?siteID=21).

A good place to have dinner in Sheridan is Frackleton’s, on Main Street (http://www.frackeltons.com/).

Cody

Entrance to Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Several hours’ drive over the Bighorn Mountains brings you to Cody and its Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This superb complex has five excellent museums all under one roof (https://centerofthewest.org/).

A good place to stay is the Irma Hotel, which was built by Buffalo Bill himself and named after his daughter. The restaurant is decorated to evoke how it must have been in Buffalo Bill’s day and the food is very good. It was full on both nights I was there. Outside there’s a large porch where you can listen to live music and every evening there’s a re-enactment of a wild west gunfight right outside the hotel (http://www.irmahotel.com/).

Yellowstone National Park

The world’s very first national park is vast and full of spectacular sights. Be prepared to do a lot of driving to get to the main attractions, especially if you’re staying outside the park – West Yellowstone has lots of motel-style accommodation options (https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm). Top of my list is the Lower Falls and the canyon below it. There are many excellent viewpoints from which to see the falls, but the view from Artists Point is the most impressive.

Lower Falls from Artists Point

My second favourite spot is the Mammoth Hot Springs, where a series of boardwalks lead to terraces that mineral-rich waters have covered with a brilliant white substance called travertine. Other highlights are Lamar Valley, where you can see a herd of bison, the Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful Geyser and the nearby Inn. If you have a bit more time, other interesting sights include Gibbon Falls, Tower Fall, the Upper Falls and the Hayden Valley. The approach road from Cody is also very scenic.

Mammoth Hot Springs

I stayed in West Yellowstone at the Three Bear Lodge, which I highly recommend for both the accommodation and the restaurant (http://www.threebearlodge.com/).

Grand Teton National Park

This park, with its impressive range of mountains, is due south of Yellowstone. I spent two whole days there, so I was able to visit all the viewpoints, but if you have only one day the best viewpoints, in my opinion, are the Oxbow Bend Turnout, the Mount Moran Turnout and the Jenny Lake Overlook. The impressive Jackson Lake Lodge is worth a visit with its panoramic views.

Bison herd and Grand Teton peaks

A good base for visiting the park is the town of Jackson to the south. Don’t miss the Museum of Wildlife Art, just outside town (https://www.wildlifeart.org/).

A good place to stay is Buckrail Lodge, which is only a few blocks from the downtown area (https://www.buckraillodge.com/).

The Snake River Grill is an excellent place to have a gourmet meal (http://snakerivergrill.com/).



Jackson Lake and Grand Teton peaks from Jackson Lake Lodge