First Taste – Istanbul (Turkey)

Istanbul is a seriously impressive city. I don’t know if, considering the troubles the country is having right now, it’s getting its usual flow of tourists – I suspect it is not. But for me it was my first taste of Turkey before heading south. Which is a little odd in a way considering I …

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Malaysia – Through My Lens

Happy 'Hump-Day' to all. Today's photographic presentation takes us to Malaysia. Now, I will be the first to admit that many of these photos are not particularly amazing, but Malaysia was the first time I started using a digital camera. An old Canon, can't remember the exact model, but it took photos in an amazing …

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Pensive in Peshawar

Have you ever been to a place and you never quite felt settled? I’m talking in travelling terms here – where you spent your few days there somewhat unsure about the place and the people you met? And the experiences you had? Well, that was how I felt in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Now …

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Sunday Spotlight – Yangshuo, China

In the south of China, a 90 minute bus ride from the city of Guilin, is the beautiful town of Yangshuo. I visited back in 2011 (which honestly feels like last year to me!) and I loved it. It’s a large town but not a city (certainly not by Chinese standards) that sits on the …

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Unreal Ueno

Tokyo is a massive city made up of many districts with their own feel and history. From Akihabara with its electronics and Maid Cafes, to Harajuku and its alternative culture,  to Roppongi with its bars, karaoke joints and slightly more dubious affects, there is so much in Tokyo that really you need a day per …

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A Visit to Terelj, Mongolia

Mongolia. Before going I had visions of well, steppe steppe and more steppe. Basically a flat, featureless country that was wild and yet exciting and fascinating at the same time. But that’s not the total sum of Mongolia – of course it was never going to be. From deserts to villages, the amazing Ulaan Baatar …

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Sunday Spotlight – Irkutsk

Today’s Sunday Spotlight is shone at the adorable city of Irkutsk, in Siberia, Russia, not too far from the beautiful Lake Baikal – the world’s biggest inland lake. On the train heading to Irkutsk from Ulaan Baatar I was chatting with several people, including one guy who reckoned that Irkutsk was one of the least …

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Ulaan Baatar – Mongolian Capital, Surprise and Charm

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I visited Ulaan Baatar, or if you prefer, ‘UB’, earlier this year. Would it be this large, over bearing Soviet megastructure, would it be more Chinese in style? What I found was neither. Yes, you will see remnants of Soviet times. Mongolia may have remained on the …

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