Left: Eric, preparing to write his next book about trekking in Thailand

by Peter Barnett

Intrepid explorers Eric and Mary Bartholomew celebrated Christmas in the heart of Thailand on a fact-finding mission for their latest travel book.

The Ramsgate couple have been globe-trotting for around 25 years and have recorded their adventures on a DVD called Our Travels Across The East and in Eric's book, Distant Horizons.

The next chapter in their voyage of discovery will take around three months and will see the couple wandering far off the beaten track exploring villages and communities.

Eric said: "It really is an adventure as we let the road take us where we are going. It is a great way to travel and see a country. The people in villages that we have come across over the years are so welcoming and we love to observe their local customs and really get a feel for the places we end up at."

The results will be published in 2010 in a book with the working title Serendipity And Beyond.

*More news of Eric and Mary's adventures will be featured in the Thanet Extra and on this website.