Category Archives: International Features

Explore the islands of Hong Kong, wildlife safaris, hot air ballooning in Arizona, Mexico’s marvellous beaches, Great Barrier Reef diving, Caribbean cuisine, Guyana’s Rupununi rainforest, Byzantine monasteries in Meteora and temples of Korea. A few of the exotic video experiences in the months ahead. (Photo: Heidelberg Marketing GmbH)

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Israel: Jerusalem – City of Gold

Posted on May 25, 2015 by On Top Of The World


There are many reasons to visit Jerusalem – religion, history, architecture, cuisine, just to name a few. But it’s the City’s antiquity – layer upon layer of civilization – built and destroyed and built again, that renders Jerusalem so challenging and so fascinating. Our exploration of the City reveals its history from a Canaanite village over 5,000 years ago, to an important centre of the Jewish world, the impact of King Herod, the destruction by the Romans, the conquest by Muslim soldiers and its position today as a spiritual centre for Jews, Christians and Muslims. For more information: check out episode #163 in the International category.

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Cuba: Alicia Alonso – A National Treasure

Posted on April 22, 2015 by On Top Of The World


35 years ago I was filming a travel program in Cuba when I had the opportunity to interview prima ballerina Alicia Alonso. In this short feature from our archives Ms Alonso talks about the attitude to ballet when she was a child and the challenges she faced in creating the National Ballet School of Cuba before and after the revolution. An incredible dancer, choreographer and inspiration to students of ballet she continued to dance even though she was experiencing diminishing eyesight. For more information: check out episode #162 in the International category.

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Cuba: Memories of Havana & an Island Culture

Posted on April 22, 2015 by On Top Of The World


With Cuba in the news we look back 35 years to our first experiences of filming the island post revolution when it was caught up in the web of superpowers. Our travel experience started in Havana with a tale of two cities – the modern produced by the Revolution and the Colonial the remains of a time when Cuba was part of the Spanish Empire. From our archives we feature visits to La Bodeguita del Medio and La Floridita – restaurants each with their own distinctive cuisine and drinks made famous by Ernest Hemingway. We spent one evening enjoying the lavish entertainment at the Tropicana and another at an authentic Afro-Cuban folklore night. Our travels include the small town of Trinidad – an architectural gem and home to the House of Music. For more information: check out episode #161 in the International category.

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Israel: The Tastes of Israel

Posted on April 22, 2015 by On Top Of The World


Israeli is a mosaic of customs, traditions and people. With a population drawn from over one hundred countries on five continents, Israeli cuisine can be difficult to define. In this feature we set out to understand the culture of the country, travelling from Jerusalem to Tiberias and on to Akko visiting markets and kitchens and tasting spicy dishes that include smoked meats, St. Peter’s Fish, Kosher Thai and Chinese dishes, apple crepe flambé, falafel, Turkish coffee and fruit wines. For more information: check out episode #160 in the International category.

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Barbados: Age of Discovery – Historical Influences

Posted on April 10, 2015 by On Top Of The World


In the Age of Discovery, tobacco was king and indentured servants from Britain were amongst the first to toil the fields of Barbados but they soon fell victim to tropical diseases. When the bottom fell out of the tobacco market, sugar took over and a new source of labour was found – African slaves. From our archives: expert input of historian, Leroy Harewood, and Lt. Col. Stephen Cave, a descendant of a plantation family. In this feature we explore the interior of Barbados and its capital, Bridgetown, to discover the island’s early history. For more information: check out episode #154 in the International category.

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Barbados: Goods & Chattels

Posted on April 10, 2015 by On Top Of The World


It’s antiquated language but can still be found in wills and division of property. In Barbados we learn the origin of the expression “all my goods and chattels” and while Chattel houses are still being built, over the years the structure has changed to adapt to the Caribbean weather and particularly, hurricanes. For more information: check out episode #153 in the International category

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Jamaica: Port Royal, Pirates & Witches

Posted on April 9, 2015 by On Top Of The World


It’s the unknown Jamaica. More than beautiful beaches, the island has an intriguing history that includes Christopher Columbus, swashbuckling pirates, buccaneers and Horatio Nelson. We explore the “wicked city” of Port Royal, the architecture of Spanish Town, discover the origins of Kingston and travel across the island to learn about the White Witch of Rose Hall. For more information: check out episode #159 in the International category.

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Jamaica: In-Country Trek – A Farming Experience

Posted on April 9, 2015 by On Top Of The World


Chukka Cove in Jamaica has been a major equestrian centre in the Caribbean. We take a horse-riding trek into Country and visit the grand house of Lillyfield where the ingenuity of neighbouring farmers has overcome many of nature’s challenges. For more information: check out episode #158 in the International category.

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Jamaica: Errol & Patrice Flynn – a love story

Posted on March 31, 2015 by On Top Of The World


The late Patrice Wymore Flynn was a great ambassador for Jamaica. She and her husband, Errol Flynn, spent much of their married life together on board their boat and at their base on Navy Island. An actress in her own right, Patrice recounts her somewhat harrowing first experience of arriving in Kingston and travelling across the Blue Mountains to meet Flynn in Port Antonio. In this feature, we see another side of the swashbuckling idol of the movies and the impact he had on their surroundings and in the creation of a popular tourism attraction. For more information: check out episode #152 in the International category.

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Australia: The Didgeridoo

Posted on March 31, 2015 by On Top Of The World


It may look easy, but you try it! The Didgeridoo is an aboriginal wind instrument made from the hollowed out limbs of trees in northern Australia and requiring the musician to use a special circular breathing technique in order to produce and sustain a note. For more information: check out episode #149 in the International category.

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