Six train carriages derail in Canadian Rockies!

I was just watching the news and 6 train cars on the Rocky Mountaineer jumped track as it was going through Rogers Pass on its way from Calgary to Vancouver.

All 563 passengers that were onboard are safe as the cars remained upright and they stayed in Golden, BC last night. The passengers are due to continue their journey today.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations say that this is the first time that it has happened in 17 years and they have launched an inquiry into why it happened.

It will be interesting to hear what the passengers say happened and how they were treated. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything…

Top 10 things to do in Bangkok, Thailand

I was in Bangkok, Thailand a few years ago now and I loved it…the people were so friendly and even thought it was super hot and I got sick, I still enjoyed my time there. Here are some of the things that I did or wish I did when I was travelling in Bangkok.

1. Attend the Thai Village Show & Rose Garden - You will get a glimpse into the traditions of Thai Culture by seeing examples of a Buddhist Ordination Ceremony, the Fingernail Dance, Hill Tribe Dance, Thai Sword Fighting, Folk Dance and a Traditional wedding ceremony. I arranged this tour through my hotel and it cost approx 600 Baht per person.
2. Visit the Emerald Buddah & Wat Traimit (gold Buddha weighing 5.5 tonnes)
3. Take a day tour to the Bridge Over the River Kwai and the Jeath War Museum. This museum is not for the faint hearted as there are a lot of pictures that are 'shocking'. If you take a day tour, you will also visit the cemetary of the Allied Prisoners of WW2 and take a train ride along the unforgettable death railway.
4. Chinatown - even though you are in Thailand, it is always interesting to see Chinatown.
5. Get a traditional thai massage (but make sure you don't get a full body on body massage by accident)
6. Go to the weekend market - it is huge and you will be able to find everything from souvenirs, to dried squid and a whole lot more!
7. Go to the floating market - an experience not to miss…you will see traders doing business on the canal system, but be carefull and try not to get ripped off if you do buy something.
8. Go on a day trip to the Ancient City of Ayutthaya - it is absolutely worth the trip. It is also named as a UNESCO world heritage site.
9. Go shopping - the quality is good and it is cheap. The various markets around the city are also good fun.
10. Sit back at a restaurant or cafe and watch the world go by. You never know what you might see.

Feel free to add a comment or suggestion if you have other things that you think should be included in the top 10 list!

Funicular Railways aka ‘cable railways’ - a must for rail enthusiasts!

I know not everyone is into Funicular Railways but not knowing what they were I decided to look into it a little further and came across a 'top 5' list of the best ones in the world and to my surprise I have actually been on one. A Funicular Railway is defined as 'a cable railway on a steep incline, especially such a railway with simutaneously ascending and descending cars counterbalancing one another'.

I'm sure all you rail buffs would know that! Then I thought, people that love trains must go on tours of railways around the world? Maybe the travel industry should look into organising big train trips for train buffs to places such as The Ghan (Australia), The Rocky Mountaineer (Canada) and the China Orient Express (China). I'm sure there must be people out there that would love to do a trip to these destinations??

Anway, here is the 'top 5' list of Funicular Railways around the world:

1. Gelmerbahn, Switzerland
2. Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
3. Wellington, New Zealand
4. Salzbergbahn, Austria
5. Scenic Railway, Australia

For more information check out…SMH.com.au - they ran a great article and it has detailed information on each one and also prices and booking agents!

I have been on the Scenic Railway in Katoomba, Australia (2.5 hours west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains) and I thought that it was one of the scariest things I have ever done but I definately recommend it!