tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791069643476821212026-03-14T05:06:17.708+00:00The adventures of one New Zealander in the big wide worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2351300tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-39354926619174241452013-07-25T22:52:00.001+01:002014-07-18T04:14:54.908+01:00

While motivation levels are still relatively high I thought I might as well write about my recent trip to Australia. The main reason for my visit was to celebrate a friends wedding. I met Paul while living in London and hadn't caught up with him, or any of our mutual friends, since. So it was a perfect opportunity to catch up with him and the whole London crew all at once. And while I was at it

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-36008376232662983002013-07-23T01:10:00.003+01:002013-07-23T01:11:10.756+01:00

In March of this year (yes, I know it's taken me six months to post this!) I joined a group of family and friends on a six day trip in the untouched and wild Fiordland. The occasion? My brothers 40th birthday. The location? the deep South West Coast of New Zealand. One of the most remote and untouched places in the country. The transport? A massive boat. The crew? A randomly connected bunch of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-8704991893295699142012-04-18T09:15:00.000+01:002012-04-19T00:33:11.773+01:00

Mount Cook is a fairly straight shot from Queenstown, so we decided we would save the gas and hitch-hike. Thankfully getting a ride was easy, and we were cruising north in style after only after a few minutes waiting. The journey was pretty spectacular through the Lindis Pass, but as soon as we got near Mount Cook the weather turned to crap. Our ride dropped us at the turn-off to the national

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-13813170065826499122012-04-07T02:40:00.001+01:002012-04-07T02:40:29.626+01:00

After Milford we drove back to Queenstown, again to stay with Jamie and Maree. It was so handy having relatives living in Queenstown! It meant we could base ourselves there, then go off and do little side trips, but always have a comfy bed to come back to. One short trip we did was to drive in to Skipper Canyon. The ride in is kinda scary; a narrow, winding dirt road. On one side a massive

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-17302382753155615332012-04-04T08:40:00.000+01:002012-04-04T08:40:38.385+01:00

Contrary to popular belief, the southern most point of New Zealand's South Island is not Bluff, but a place called 'Slope Point', which is a deserted stretch of beach. Other than being the southern most point, it really has nothing going for it. So instead we decided to check out the imposter that is Bluff. Unfortunately Bluff doesn't have much more going for it. It was so windy that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-82362420243673683962012-03-29T22:24:00.000+01:002012-03-29T22:24:23.498+01:00

"The Catlins is a major highlight of the Southern Scenic Route. Situated off the beaten track, the Catlins encompasses the area between Kaka Point and Fortrose. You will journey through rural heartland and podocarp forests, past rugged coastlines, hidden lakes and stunning waterfalls. The natural landscapes are enthralling and the wildlife is extraordinary"... so says the Official website of the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-83394349034179733302012-03-20T08:49:00.000+00:002012-03-20T08:49:40.707+00:00

After a quick grocery stop, we jumped in Jamies truck and headed out for our week-long adventure around the Southern Scenic Route. This route runs from Queenstown to Dunedin, along the south coast of the Southern Island, passing some of the most amazing scenery in the country. We kind of did it backwards, heading first for the east coast; Oamaru, but s'all good. The journey to the coast was

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-15045647629133138462012-03-18T03:10:00.000+00:002012-03-18T03:10:16.296+00:00

Queenstown is the adventure tourism capital of New Zealand, but it requires one thing we don't have a lot of; money. It seems literally everything in this small town bears extremely over-inflated prices. Lucky I have a super-awesome family that gives me a free bed, feeds me and even lets me borrow their vehicles to tiki-tour around in. So we went out for a day to explore the area. First stop

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-16687814034071763552012-03-16T02:22:00.001+00:002012-03-16T02:30:45.251+00:00

Another early start, and another day on the side of the road with our thumb out. Destination: the Franz-Joseph and Fox glaciers. There is one small spot to hitch from heading south out of Hokitika, and unfortunately we were beaten there by a guy heading in the same direction. Hitching etiquette dictated that he take the first ride, which took a good 30 minutes. After he was finally out of the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-39969881169535339642012-03-14T07:40:00.000+00:002012-03-16T02:27:33.250+00:00

Up early, Julia and I said goodbye to Robbie and set out to find a good spot to hitch. We didn't have to wait long before being picked up by a guy in a Merc. Which was a little strange... you get to know the type of vehicles, therefore the type of people, that pick you up. And a Mercedes is not on that list. But we weren't going to complain, so we jumped on in. The driver was, uhhh, weird.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-13083736795929796002012-03-12T21:14:00.001+00:002012-03-12T21:22:59.347+00:00

The West Coast of New Zealand is famous for its rainfall, and while we were visiting it did not disappoint. We had four days of solid rain, and had it not been for our Couch Surfing hosts I think Julia and I would have gone a little loopy! No one likes camping in the rain. From Motueka Julia and I were picked up by a German guy in his van. He asked us to share the cost of petrol, which didn't

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-24160952950081573192012-03-08T02:47:00.001+00:002012-03-15T00:47:23.786+00:00

Off the Cook Strait ferry into Picton, Julia and I didn't muck around; heading straight out toward Nelson. Wandering across a small park just outside the town center we got a ride without even trying! Someone saw our backpacks and guessed we might need a lift. If this continues, getting around New Zealand is going to be too easy. Only problem was that they were only going a short distance, and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-72013258230485947542012-03-05T00:57:00.000+00:002012-03-15T03:09:30.089+00:00

After almost a solid year of travelling across the world you might think the last thing I would want to do is pick up my backpack and hit the road again. But that is exactly what I did do; this time to discover my own country. I had told Julia how beautiful New Zealand was, now I just had to prove it. After a wet Christmas and New Year in my home town of Gisborne, we set out for

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-3409968784821097232012-02-21T04:04:00.015+00:002012-05-17T22:39:34.192+01:00

Having spent over ten months on the road, I thought I had better do a bit of a  recap. So for all of those lame-asses who haven't been reading my blog, this is your chance to catch up. The idea was to travel from England to New Zealand without taking any flights. About 40,000 kms overland (or water). I had a very limited budget, and wanted to be as flexible as possible; basically travel

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-21638848587493409742012-01-04T04:38:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:31:30.299+01:00

Everyone has heard of Bali, and it seems most people want to go there. Paradise on earth, apparently. Well, our experience shattered a few expectations; both good and bad. While I had never expected to find amazing temples and beautiful highland villages, we found just that. But the flipside; the beaches we visited were either not all that nice or full of rubbish and way over touristed. Kuta is

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-31895785667067831222011-12-30T22:14:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:31:38.991+01:00

The Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is a completely unique part of Indonesia. I'm struggling to think of words to describe it, so bear with me. Imagine a massive basin (10kms wide) surrounded on all sides by steep cliff faces. The bottom is a flat, desolate area of sand and volcanic rock. Rising from the basin are two huge, smoking volcano's sitting side by side. The volcanic rock and the way

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-79023512888822149922011-12-27T22:02:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:31:46.982+01:00

Yogyakarta is a city full of squawking birds, intense heat and lazy cyclo drivers. An interesting mix; well worth a couple of days to check out. Red eyed and sleep deprived, we departed our uncomfortable (to put it nicely) overnight train journey from Jakarta. The first thing we did in Yogyakarta was to find somewhere to stay. Everything was really expensive, but we did manage to find a very

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-52869890533999121442011-12-22T10:30:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:31:51.190+01:00

Jakarta is one of the most warm and friendly capital cities I have ever visited. For me, getting over the concrete sprawl and seeing the real city is easy; it is right there in the smiling faces of every person you see. While there is not many 'tourist attractions', I enjoyed every second in the city. We arrived to the capital late, off our flight down from Medan. Even still we wandered the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-80688635114102798902011-12-11T03:42:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:31:57.499+01:00

Bukit Lawang is famous for one thing - orangutan. It is a small town that is home to an orangutan rehabilitation center. Any sick animals are nursed back to health at the center, while displaced animals are released into the forest surrounding. Twice a day the rangers go into the forest and feed the semi-wild orangutan. As a tourist, you can go and watch the feeding, but there is no guarantee

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-1989569496019977932011-12-10T11:54:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:32:03.274+01:00

There is only one reason to visit the town of Berastagi in Northern Indonesia; the proximity of Mount Sibiyak; a pretty sizable volcano. There are actually two volcanoes in the area, but Sibayak is the closest and easiest to climb. That is not to say it is easy, many people have lost their lives on Sibayak. In fact there is a big list of all the people that have died in the information center,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-18227711453763294042011-12-08T10:17:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:06.954+01:00

I just spent 2 days hanging out on an island. Nothing special, right? WRONG! This island is in a lake which formed in the crater of an extinct VOLCANO! I picked up a brochure on the place, and it stated that Lake Toba is probably the highest lake in the world! Probably is good enough for me; I'll claim it. The lake is bright blue in colour and crystal clear. And the island is like a tropical

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-34171391287637128462011-12-06T00:17:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:32:11.791+01:00

The first thing we did after arriving in Penang was try to find information about the ferry across to Indonesia; times, prices etc. But the first guy we asked said that the ferry was no longer running. A quick check on the internet confirmed. The reason? Cheap flights had eaten up all their business. The closest port that had services to Indonesia was south of Kuala Lumpur! Not ideal. So the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-79347856844151590822011-12-05T09:21:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:32:18.926+01:00

The Cameron Highlands are a unique part of Malaysia. Sitting at around... well, I cant find out how high, but it is pretty high... so the climate is much cooler than most of the country. This allows plants to grow here which otherwise would not, in particular tea and strawberries. In true Malaysian style, the area is thick with lush forest, but in between the hills are covered in rows of green

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-69099103606779655462011-11-30T09:19:00.119+00:002012-05-16T22:32:24.064+01:00

Kuala Lumpur is one of the coolest capital cities I have ever visited. Friendly and relaxed, large green spaces, amazing archetecture... If you want to shop 'till your feet fall off, KL has everything from small street markets to massive malls. Get back to nature? KL is covered in greenery, and has a huge park not far from the center of town. After a bit of culture? You will find a fusion of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-86692534391214893812011-11-29T15:54:00.015+00:002012-05-16T22:32:28.405+01:00

In my first post I mentioned that I had not really seen the Malaysian countryside, so could not comment on whether it was beautiful or not. Well I can confirm; this country is spectacular. The landscape is one colour; a thousand shades of green. With thick green forests filled with wild animals, countless kinds of vegetation, rivers and streams, all under massive towering trees. The forest just

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-10867067692291612992011-11-29T07:48:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:33.251+01:00

Malaysia was like a breath of fresh air after coming from Thailand. Relaxed, the locals smile at you genuinely and are not all out to take your money, there are hardly any tourists around, and the food; amazing! I can't really comment on the nature yet, as we have not seen a lot, but I am sure that is awesome too. Let's back up a bit. In my last blog we were just leaving Krabi heading South

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-63355347116239485242011-11-28T17:18:00.003+00:002012-05-16T22:32:37.126+01:00

Krabi reminded me a lot of the mind-blowing Halong Bay in Vietnam, except I think even more beautiful. The spotless beaches, massive limestone mountains rising from the sea, caves, stalactites, crazy monkeys... It really was one of the most spectacular places I have visited on this trip. We arrived in Krabi early evening, off our overly expensive ferry/bus combination ticket. It actually cost

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-49064150929274425422011-11-28T16:36:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:42.461+01:00

What do you get when you mix white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, fluro paint, pumping house music, and way too much alcohol (served to you in your own colourful bucket). Ko Phangan! The ferry across to the small island was a perfect introduction. Cruising through smooth turquoise water under beautiful blue skies, looking out over the hundreds of tiny islands that dotted the horizon. It

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-476024220391930172011-11-28T15:28:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:47.502+01:00

And you learn really quickly that the devil probably is walking next to you; you cannot trust anyone. Especially the tuk-tuk drivers, who will lie, cheat and steal just to make a buck. But if you can get past that, this is a freakin' amazing city. With temples around every corner, crazy night markets, neon signs which fill the streets and more pubs and bars than downtown Dublin. We arrived to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-44999391352591512122011-11-24T16:49:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:51.285+01:00

Just personal opinion, but Vientaine is more of a pit stop than a tourist destination. While it is a nice city, there is just not many reasons to stick around. So we didn't, only staying one night. Excuse me if this post is a little short. Julia and I spent some time wandering around the city, and it is really... ummm, pleasant. Nice enough, but nothing exceptional. The best part is the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-49955452668202169182011-11-24T16:11:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:32:57.118+01:00

One of the most well known activities in South East Asia, and probably the most hyped; TUBING! For those not in the know, tubing entails grabbing an inner tube and peacefully floating down a nice river. Oh, and stopping off at many of the makeshift riverside bars, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, those more adventurous souls downing a magic-mushroom shake or two, then jumping from massive

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-55446599397175758992011-11-20T14:17:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:33:01.665+01:00

The trip from Chiang Rai to the Laos border was quick and easy. Crossing the border, including a two minute ride across the Mekong river, was one of the most painless border crossings I have ever made, fun even. But getting from the small border town of Huay Xai to Luang Prabang was anything but quick and painless. We arrived in Huay Xai mid morning, and rather than pay a huge

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-21136631321124976982011-11-14T15:07:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:33:08.203+01:00

One thing that kinda irritates me is when a place really does not have a lot going for it, but someone decides they are going to make it into a tourist attraction. They look for a weak reason to make it famous, cheese it up a bit, put up a few statues, bang up a couple of tourist shops and voila! You have The Golden Triangle. We arrived back in Chiang Mai late afternoon, too late to get a seat

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-35436546870965496072011-11-08T11:28:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:33:12.800+01:00

Pai did not disappoint. A tiny town located among mountains, forests and rivers. It is a haven for hippies and rastas, and people who like to relax in the beautiful wilderness, while possibly using a variety of mind altering substances. We set off from our guesthouse in Chiang Mai to catch the advertised 4pm local bus (for B60). We opted not to take the guest house recommended tuk-tuk

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-35835881438799942182011-11-08T06:40:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:34:12.982+01:00

I can't remember the last time I spent 24 hours straight in transit, so a big trip was overdue. The aim was to get from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Chiang Mai in Thailand; an international border crossing and 1,100kms separated the two. We had hoped to head north without transiting through Bangkok. Mainly because of the flooding; we had heard conflicting reports about what transport was working and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-38603492778729653612011-11-07T09:26:00.002+00:002012-05-16T22:34:18.489+01:00

The temples of Angkor are universally famous, and probably for good reason. These impressive, huge, amazingly detailed structures have been standing for thousands of years. They are beyond impressive; they are breath-taking. And my photos really do not do them justice. The city of Siem Reap is about 7kms from Angkor, and the place where people go to sleep, eat, drink, party etc when visiting the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-46012345204583061462011-11-04T09:09:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:34:23.525+01:00

We arrived in Battambang early afternoon with no real idea where to go or what to do. Luckily we bumper into a really nice tuk-tuk driver who helped us out. He actually even took us to a hostel for free! Sure, he was after our business, but he seemed really genuine. I felt really bad when we didn't actually use him to go anywhere. The 'sights' in Battambang are all located outside the city.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-50911375554546883192011-11-03T14:27:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:34:28.764+01:00

Koh Kong is a beautiful area of natural wilderness, right up against the Thai border. Yes, I am planning to go to Thailand, but not for a couple of weeks yet... The massive national parks, waterfalls, animal sanctuaries and mangrove forests were the reason for travelling five hours on a ridiculously uncomfortable bus... The bus ride really was an experience. We left Sihanoukville on a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-39920748002548881482011-10-31T14:24:00.001+00:002012-05-16T22:34:33.750+01:00

Sihanoukville is a perfect beach destination. With white sand, crystal clear water and small islands dotted around the bay, you can't help but feel relaxed. Especially when the whole place (or at least the beach we visited) seems to be designed with backpackers in mind. Basically a great atmosphere, good music, cheap food and cheap beer. We decided to only stay the one day, even though I could

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-83787558439102459082011-10-29T16:54:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:34:40.233+01:00

I'm wondering how best to describe Phnom Penh, but only one word comes to mind; chaos! But a cool, friendly kind of chaos. It has a rich history and culture that covers the city in almost every direction you look. It is full of smiling faces and friendly people. Street markets and old woman with small stalls fill the side-streets; the smells and sounds of locals going about their daily lives

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-14131132214681756972011-10-28T14:17:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:34:45.694+01:00

The Mekong Delta. The giver of life... or so the tourists agents like to tell you. It is an interesting part of the world, full of all kinds of people, different cultures, and massive boats fully laden with goods. The locals here have a unique lifestyle, and experiencing it is a nice way to spend couple of days while in Vietnam. Especially if you have a nice boat to relax on. As I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-63208026570800517592011-10-26T14:39:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:34:51.810+01:00

Saigon (or Ho Chi Mihn City as it is less commonly known) is like Hanoi on steroids. Think huge buildings, millions of people, cars, trucks and more scooters I have ever seen (all with horns blaring!). The lights, sounds and smells all fight for your attention (along with the hundreds of motorbike taxi drivers that litter the streets); it is a sensory overload. There is only one word that can

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-84963168437262583142011-10-22T14:43:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:34:57.945+01:00

I ended up staying in Mui Ne a lot longer than I probably should have. The reason; This place is heaven on earth. It has its own micro-climate, so while the weather in the rest of Vietnam has been very hit-and-miss, Mui Ne has constant sunny blue skies. The coastline is a huge expanse of beautiful white sand and (mostly) clear waters, and is a world-famous location for wind-surfing and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-91571411031452749152011-10-20T03:26:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:03.082+01:00

The weather patterns in Dalat leave an even shorter opening for sunshine than Nha Trang! At least there you had the morning to enjoy before the thunder clouds roll in. In Dalat it rains in the morning, there is a couple of hours of early afternoon sunshine, then back to rain. But the rain didn't put me off. A lot of travelers I have met put Dalat up there on the Vietnam to-do

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-52878036061739025572011-10-18T17:09:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:35:06.695+01:00

Nha Trang; a big city with a nice-ish beach. On the whole, a bit of a disappointment. Nha Trang is known as the beach resort town in Vietnam, and one of the top beach destinations in the world. I'm not sure how it got that reputation. To be honest I thought Hoi An was nicer... But I did enjoy spending a couple of days relaxing in the sun, so it's not all bad. In Hoi An I parted ways with Simon

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-86676325711599132712011-10-15T12:03:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:11.053+01:00

Continuing south with Yona and Simon, we hit Hoi An. A nice beach-side city with a beautiful old town. The first day was one of the best days I have had in a while. The weather was absolutely perfect; hot and hardly a cloud in the sky. We grabbed a bicycle and rode down to the beach. The place was deserted, just us, a couple of Vietnamese fishing boats, and kilometers of beautiful coastline. We

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-62068024121501553462011-10-14T03:04:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:15.269+01:00

A bus swerving all over the road, and a driver sitting on the horn are two conditions which generally do not encourage restful sleep. So when I arrived in Hue all I wanted to do was get a couple of hours of decent shut-eye. But my first mission was to meet up with Yona and Simon, who were coming off an overnight bus also. They had picked up a German girl named Esther, so our threesome became four

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-90238734421322523382011-10-13T10:34:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:35:20.551+01:00

Sitting on the side of the road at 5am in the Old District of Hanoi (off the overnight bus from Sapa), a couple of travelers and I were approached by a man trying to sell tours to Halong Bay. I was open to the idea, as I had been told that it costs about the same and is less hassle than doing it solo. But he obviously didn't know his audience; trying to sell luxury tours to backpackers. In

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-11014669880015800192011-10-12T10:27:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:24.755+01:00

Vietnam, Baby! After the shitty bus ride down from China, I crossed the border with no problems. Immediate observations: the English is much better, and the touts are much more persistent. I constantly had people coming up and trying to sell me bus tickets, taxis etc. And all seemed to be at heavily inflated prices. Hmmm... The border town in Vietnam is Lao Cai. There is nothing special in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-35957262327887742262011-10-10T00:38:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:30.376+01:00

Having spent the last six weeks in the country, I decided I would write a final post on China. This is just me having a rant, giving you my opinion, observations etc, so feel free to skip it. The Good - First up, China is a BEAUTIFUL country. There are some breathtaking spots, especially in the South. My top picks: Yangshuo, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La. - The food. Eating local Chinese

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-81924376015439700842011-10-09T03:00:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:35.545+01:00

24 hours straight travel is not something that really phases me any more. So when the opportunity came up to get to the south of Yunnan in one shot I took it. First an overnight bus from Shangri-La to Kunming, followed by 2.5 hours on public transport between bus stations (not a fan of the Kunming transport system BTW), then (just making it with 5 minutes to spare) on another 6 hour bus

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-44024584714870686842011-10-08T10:25:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:41.362+01:00

How would you feel if the Government decided to change the name of your home town, in a cheap effort to drum up some tourism. That is what happened to Shangri-La, or ZhongDian as it was known up until 10 years ago. The powers that be decided to rename it after a place mentioned in an British novelists book (Lost Horizon). The thing is; it worked! Tourists flock here. If someone did that to little

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-26757063739878645672011-10-08T02:45:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:46.193+01:00

Tiger Leaping Gorge has gone from an old goat track that only the most 'off the beaten path' travelers attempt, to a top five on most peoples China 'to do' list. Surprisingly though, the Chinese Government have not yet over tourist-ified it. Well, they have built a big highway from start to end, but in places you actually still walk on grass/dirt/rock, rather than stone and concrete

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-62526709428354806372011-10-05T06:38:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:35:50.927+01:00

The cobble streets of the Lijiang old town form a narrow maze, containing cute shops selling everything your tourist heart desires. Yak meat, hand made shawls, jewellery and other local food. These are separated by thin canals which divide the old town, skirted by weeping willows and bright flowers. I'm doing my best to paint a picture here, and not really sure how well I'm doing... How about a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-88299282102853685432011-10-04T05:01:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:35:57.089+01:00

Dali was my first real Yunnan experience. Colourfully dressed people belonging to minority religions are all over, old guys smoking MASSIVE pipes, the city small and intimate, small canals, overhanging tress, surrounded by massive mountains and a beautiful lake. Although I got the feeling that a lot of the people were dressed up for the tourists, it was still quite cool. Slowly climbing from

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-84762033187073915342011-09-30T10:10:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:36:02.341+01:00

From Nanning I once again subjected myself to 14 hours on a hard train seat. Sleeper carridges are for the weak! But if you are wondering - no, it doesn't get any easier. I think I managed a solid 2 hours shut-eye during the entire journey. Kunming is the largest city, and 'hub' of Yunnan provence. Ask any backpacker the highlight of their travels in China and they will no doubt mention

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-9619476875572706562011-09-21T07:21:00.005+01:002012-05-16T22:36:07.119+01:00

Yangshuo is near the top of most peoples hit list when visiting China. But none of the guide books I have read can accurately describe how unbelievable this place is. And if they can't, what makes me think I can? If I thought Guilin was unique, Yangshou is a more extreme version. Smaller town, bigger, more dramatic mountains. But there is also the not so good bit; it is extremely touristy. One

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-12915353150942161352011-09-18T14:32:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:12.274+01:00

Picture a normal city; roads, buildings, people, cars etc... Then throw in some insane mountains right in the middle. But not normal mountains, these are more dramatic. With a small diameter, they rise steeply from the ground, randomly rocketing skyward from the flat ground. Stir well and what have you got? Guilin... These mountains are littered throughout the city. The reaction I had when I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-13088688405569014812011-09-18T01:53:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:17.318+01:00

A Portuguese colony? In China? That is just like Vegas? I know what you are thinking... Bullshit! But it is true, I promise. Macau, like Hong Kong, is a special administrative region of China. It is most famous as the Vegas of Asia, as gambling is legal here. Jennifer (who I met in Shenzhen) was heading there too, so we decided to go together. From Hong Kong it is a quick one hour ferry

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-4752318474627288772011-09-17T02:27:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:22.877+01:00

I seem to be progressively testing my body. Taking things to the next level. What sort of torturous situation can I put myself in next? How about 20 hours on a hard train seat from Shanghai to Shenzhen? By the end of it ass was beyond sore, I could no longer feel anything below my waist. But hey, it is all in the name of my budget. I was lucky enough to be sitting across from a nice Chinese girl

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-36262161131590513012011-09-15T04:54:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:27.739+01:00

It is the little things, like having a seat on a train, that you come to appreciate while travelling in China. But even with a seat things can get a little uncomfortable. On the train to Shanghai, in true Chinese style, the train was packed full of people standing. It is actually crazy how many people they get on a train. I have heard people say it is because there are just so many people in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-46384342096980103242011-09-15T03:57:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:32.561+01:00

After my experience on the train from Beijing, the very first thing I did when I got into Xian was to buy my onward train ticket to Shanghai. The only place available was a hard seat (no sleepers) for the day after I wanted. All I could say was "BOOK IT! BOOK IT!". I didn't have time to look for a host in Xi'an so I ended up staying at the Seven Sages Hostel - a very cool hostel near the train

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-63649093693298542182011-09-07T13:52:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:36:39.473+01:00

As soon as I crossed that border in to China everything changed. The difference between Mongolia is like night and day. Coming from crammed jeeps and vans with no room, driving over deserts with no roads... I jumped on an air-conditioned sleeper bus, with a lay-down bed, driving over roads that felt as smooth as silk. While Mongolia was a lot of fun, I think I was ready for the change. I arrived

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-56909231703592633672011-09-02T10:11:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:36:44.949+01:00

After a harrowing journey, I arrived back in UB. Yes, you counted right, the third time on this trip. I was determined to get out of the capital as soon as possible, but I ended up spending a couple of days as I was waiting to hear about a Gobi tour (which unfortunately never eventuated). But it was nice to spend two days with comforts like power, flushing toilets, running water and a shower. Of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-85570473892397788872011-08-09T04:28:00.001+01:002012-10-04T22:24:38.444+01:00

I am learning that nothing in Mongolia happens quickly. If you want to travel independently, you better have some time up your sleeve. Getting from place to place can take not just hours, but days! Paved roads and spacious buses are few and far between. These are replaced with bumpy dirt tracks and crammed, unreliable mini-buses. One thing is for sure - I am getting a truly authentic Mongolian

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-80729994567328506582011-08-05T04:27:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:38:02.820+01:00

The journey down from Ulan-Ude in Russia gave me a short and sweet introduction to Mongolia. It seemed that as soon as we crossed the border from Russia, the landscape changed. Suddenly there were huge, wide open green fields, surrounded by rolling green hills. The odd flock of sheep or herd of cattle grazing, wild horses running across the plains, herders and their gers (traditional house)

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-47896982475330936892011-07-27T13:02:00.002+01:002012-10-04T22:23:23.057+01:00

This is my entry for the Selective Asia “An Asian Experience to remember” competition. ___________________________________________________________________ There are a lot of facts and statistics thrown around about Lake Baikal. Something about it being the oldest (30 million years), deepest (1,600m) and one of the most clear lakes in the world! It contains 20% of the world's unfrozen fresh

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-29923090578241602692011-07-17T13:11:00.005+01:002012-05-16T22:38:11.280+01:00

I'm not sure if you are aware, but Russia is a f'n BIG country... Yeah, I have seen a map of the world before, but it doesn't really sink in until you spend days on end inside a train, and afterward only arrive somewhere near half way across. For simplicities sake (OK, I'm just lazy) I am going to group these last couple of weeks travelling across Russia togethor in one post... My first step

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-91780118046799559912011-07-11T08:06:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:38:16.996+01:00

Tourist? ...What'? Moscow has NO idea. One of the most confusing Metro systems I have ever experienced, no metro maps, no city maps, no English ANYWHERE, no tourist office (I'm not kidding! The largest city in all of Europe has no tourist information office). While I enjoy the less touristed, more Eastern, some may call 'backwards' cities, Moscow is... extreme. OK, now I have got that off my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-85971795152296485742011-07-09T12:20:00.003+01:002012-05-16T22:38:20.025+01:00

St Petersburg; a city with a reputation; one of the most beautiful in the world. Generally I don't like to listen to the rumours. Setting expectations is generally a bad thing. But I could have had my eyes closed and fingers in my ears and still been aware of the beauty awaiting in St Petersburg. I experienced a bit of culture shock after arriving in St. Petersburg; it took some... adjusting to.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-78443867477623730142011-06-30T06:16:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:38:22.625+01:00

It seems fitting to leave Europe with a bit of a bang. Even though I will still be on the European Continent for the next couple of thousand kilometres, Estonia is the last European country I will be visiting for a long, long time. I am heading east to Russia this evening on an overnight bus, fingers crossed everything runs smoothly with my visa at the border (I did get the visa with fake

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-23812004615808702632011-06-27T07:01:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:38:28.232+01:00

Wandering through the old cobbled streets of Riga, what are the chances of coming across a place called 'Kiwi Bar', filled with awesome New Zealand memorabilia and even more awesome staff (even though they weren't kiwis)? ... slim to none? Yeah I thought so too... OK, lets calm down and start at the beginning... I arrived in Riga around two hours late as the bus broke down just

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-54972495779333241572011-06-25T22:16:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:38:32.579+01:00

Being back in the EU was a bit of a shock. The main station was clean and filled with nice looking, modern trains. People could speak English. The streets were clean. The public transport ran on time. Things seem to make sense... I am not sure that I liked it. Don't get me wrong, Lithuania is a cool country. Unfortunately I could not do a lot of exploring as I was on a bit of a time restriction.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-33479647078891244862011-06-23T16:30:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:38:37.857+01:00

I was watching the clock... having only 48 hours to travel through the entire length of Belarus. The Transit Visa I obtained allowed me to enter the country at 00:01 on the 16th, and required me to be out of the country by 23:59 on the 17th. With such a short window, I decided to take an overnight train, leaving Kiev at 10:00pm on the 15th. The problem was that Kiev is quite close to the border,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-22640825563807046832011-06-21T22:52:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:38:43.163+01:00

The distances between main cities in Ukraine is not overly large, but even still the main means of transport is overnight train (they run hardly any services during the day). I was a little reluctant to take a lot of overnight trains at the beginning of this trip, as generally the facilities are not great (as in it is more comfortable to sleep on a pile of sharp rocks). Besides that, I had heard

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-10265552905554198492011-06-15T09:50:00.001+01:002012-05-16T22:38:47.645+01:00

As my loyal readers know, the Ukrainian visa was a B*TCH to get... expensive and time consuming. And even though I didn't want to, I had this 'it better be worth it' mentality. After spending a day here, the thought never again entered my mind. So let's start at the beginning... The journey from Brasov in Romania to L'viv in Ukraine was only about 700kms in length, but it took me close to 22

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-31831232282479264112011-06-09T08:49:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:38:57.126+01:00

TRANSYLVANIA! The name generally gets the reaction 'is that place really real?' Well, my faithful readers, it is real... really real. And really freakin' beautiful! While the Dracula legend is part of this regions attraction, it is only a small part. There is much more to it... As I mentioned in my last post, I arrived in Timisoara (just over the border from Serbia) after 10pm. My most

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-21218497649175072042011-06-04T08:09:00.007+01:002012-05-16T22:39:02.094+01:00

The overnight train from Zagreb to Belgrade was possibly one of the worst trains journeys I have ever been on. The train itself was fine, but I was woken up literally every hour by someone checking tickets or passports or people getting on and off. It was also not the height of comfort, so needless to say, I was pretty wrecked when I got into Belgrade. My first mission was to find my host, Marco

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-11564513146922775662011-05-31T08:37:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:09.894+01:00

After my few days in Bosnia I trundled back into Croatia for the second time on this trip. The plan was to hook up with Mike and Andrea, two crazy cats I met on the sailing trip. I got a bus from Bihac to Grabovac, a small town just over the Croatian border. From there I could have either waited 40 minutes for a bus, or hitched the 10kms to Plitvice. I chose the latter. I was picked up after only

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-48554579142064280552011-05-28T13:45:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:19.902+01:00

Every time I think I have seen the most beautiful place in the world, I visit somewhere new that takes my breath away. This part of the world is truly amazing. But with the good always comes the bad - my camera is broken! I am not sure exactly how it happened - maybe it got wet or something on the boat? So I am travelling through this unbelievably beautiful part of the world and not

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-4300640552752375222011-05-24T08:16:00.004+01:002012-05-16T22:39:27.862+01:00

CROATIA! For some the name still brings back memories of horrific news reports depicting the ugly war for independence. For me, all I see is crystal clear waters and golden sands. The trip up from Montenegro took much longer than the 100kms should have, finally arriving in Dubrovnik somewhere around 11am. I met up with my friend Jax and we headed out to discover the old town. Dubrovnik is a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-33605426919448949272011-05-21T23:40:00.003+01:002012-05-16T22:39:30.994+01:00

To continue on from the last post - Montenegro is unbelievably beautiful. Kotor is set at the end of the gulf of Kotor (surprisingly)... A small, mid-evil village surrounded by towering mountains. There is a large fortress that extends up into the hills, providing amazing views right out over the bay. I have no idea why this place is not more popular; it should be on the main tourist circuit! It

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-62229438587137645802011-05-13T23:06:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:35.164+01:00

The crossing from Macedonia to Albania is a little difficult, at least in the south where I was. So my new friend David (a Canadian guy I met in Ohrid) and I got an early start. We first made our way to the bus stop where we would catch a bus to the border. While at the bus stop we were getting hassled by these taxi drivers. They were only wanting LEK 300 (about €5) to take us both to the border,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-35671712418603155402011-05-11T16:28:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:39.693+01:00

I have been officially blown away. Macedonia is one of the most naturally beautiful countries I have ever visited. Massive snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and rivers, rolling green hills... almost as beautiful as New Zealand! ;) I didn't have a host for Skopje, but was saved at the last minute by Tomas - a guy originally from Slovakia. Him, his flatmates and friends were an amazing

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-41026893300556144022011-05-02T23:02:00.003+01:002012-05-16T22:39:44.348+01:00

The bus ride to Plovdiv was long and uncomfortable. The seats were awkward and cramped, I was hungover, had a flu coming on, and despite being extremely tired, could not get any sleep. To top it off I was held aside at the border crossing from Turkey to Bulgaria at 3am in the morning, and told to wait by the interview room... I think once the guy had processed the whole bus load he couldn't

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-88912468037092081702011-05-02T07:48:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:50.143+01:00

I arrived into Istanbul on a bright Saturday morning and set about finding my accommodation for the evening. The hostel was crazily busy, full of Aussi's and New Zealander's, so I couldn't check in until 2pm. I took a walk out into the city and see what I could find. First impressions - this city is AWESOME! There are nice green spaces surrounded by beautiful gardens, spectacular

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-28070050604777446382011-04-28T21:36:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:39:56.060+01:00

I arrived in the city of Goreme fairly early. I don't remember exactly what time as I had travelled about 1000kms in the previous 24 hours... But it was definitely early! Thankfully I was able to check into the hostel, so I had a shower, chilled out for a couple of hours and recharged. Cappadokia generously spreads out before visitors an extraordinary and lavish bouquet of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-63605983274816657712011-04-23T08:08:00.002+01:002012-05-16T22:40:01.225+01:00

Leaving Pamukkale I had my first positive bus experience. Well, I cannot complain about the frequency and punctuality, but my travelling companions have been less than ideal. The bus from Pamukkale to Selcuk was slick - leather seats, TV screens in the headrests... they even had a guy bring around snacks and coffee! And no huge smelly dude sitting beside me... win! I had been recommended&

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-40453484693115968432011-04-19T23:05:00.004+01:002012-05-16T22:40:05.804+01:00

I have arrived in Turkey! As the ferry got close I felt as though I had arrived in Jurassic Park. Huge mountains covered in massive, green trees. It looked untouched, pristine. Beautiful even. I arrived in Marmaris about an hour later than I thought I would due to a slow ferry. I didn't even really want to be in Marmaris! I had planned my first stop in Turkey to be Bodrum, but because Peter and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279106964347682121.post-72487571441989399722011-04-15T07:58:00.009+01:002012-05-16T22:40:10.533+01:00

You may have noticed my lack of posts over the last week or two. Want to know why? I have been chilling the f*** out! Want to go somewhere warm? Somewhere spectacularly beautiful? Somewhere where there is nothing much to do other than drink beer and lye on a beach? The Greek Islands are the answer. My journey started in Paros, the hub of the Cyclades - the group of islands in the Aegean sea -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3