Asia

Reunited in Turkey – Love Overcomes the Pandemic

I gripped my fiancé's hand tightly as we took our first tentative steps across the smooth wet crystallised rock. Our bare feet on the carbonate mineral generated by thermal spring water, and the scorching September sunshine in the aesthetically-aethereal Aegean area...

England to Iraq Overland

Returning to England in 2021 after six years in China was a bit of a shock to the system. After spending one year catching up with friends and family, working on various projects and securing a couple of permanent freelance writing gigs it was time to hit the road...

The Famous Hanoi Train Street

I visited the energetic city of Hanoi, one of the most popular holiday destinations, last summer. Hanoi Train Street is one place that will never disappear from my travel memories. I had put Train Street at the top of the list of to-do attractions while planning the...

A White Christmas in North Korea

I had first visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in October 2016 as a day trip from Dandong in China. I've always liked to explore places where few others dare to go, so I was very excited about my first trip (not to mention a little...

Following the Beatles in India

Back in 1968, music sensation "The Beatles" visited an ashram in Rishikesh, India. During their time there, they wrote over 50 songs and brought Eastern influences to the mainstream like never before. Fifty years later, in September, I had the chance to...

Thailand’s Koh Chang

Bang! Bang! Bang! After an interval of 5 seconds, I caught it again -- the brief and strange metal banging noise that sounded like two pieces of sheet metal hitting each other. I could hear nothing else than that. It was peacefully quiet and hot like in the middle of...

Traversing Neverland: Ha Giang Loop

I've had an out-of-body experience or two in my life. At the very least, a brief spiritual awakening. My first was being front row to a Red Hot Chili Peppers show. A feat I accomplished by staying glued to the railing for six hours prior to those first few...

Antalya day trips – Duden Waterfalls and Phaselis

After many visits to Istanbul, I intentionally planned my next Turkey trip to a different region and I was recommended several times over the southwest coastline. Antalya was my first stop, and in the afternoon after I arrived, I had my mind set on checking out the...

Climbing Mt. Fuji: An Unforgettable Experience

Since I moved to Japan over a year ago, climbing Mt. Fuji was on the top of my travel bucket list. Fuji-san, as it’s called by locals, is Japan’s tallest peak. It’s an active volcano 3,776 meters high that can be spotted up to 300 km (186 miles) away. (Source). Making...

The Monkey Temple of Kathmandu

It didn’t take long for me to lose track of how many people had asked me, “What are you going to do in Nepal if you’re not planning to go trekking?” I was determined, however, to prove that there was plenty to do. After landing in Kathmandu and a meal of fried buffalo...

The Hidden Cave of Thakhek, Laos

A Hidden Cave, Thakhek, Laos Near Thakhek, Loas The area around Thakhek, Laos, is notorious for it's limestone karst mountains and beautiful caves. There is the Buddha Cave; a small cave halfway up a cliff face that was full of more than 200 Buddha statues when it...

Florentime in a Tel Aviv Neighborhood

Florentine, the Neighborhood The rooftop where I currently reside is of a shop that I walk past nearly every day, a woodwork shop which, like all of Florentine's numerous manufacturing outlets, is small, covered in graffiti, and open for viewing of these artisans...