Sunday Spotlight – Yokohama

Welcome to Yokohama, Japan’s ‘Bay City’, a place with a hellovalot going on to keep you entertained and interested for days. Yes, the spotlight is shining Japan way and Yokohama is in the centre! The visitor to Yokohama might be justifiably overwhelmed when first arriving. In some ways, though far bigger, nearby Tokyo is easier …

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Train Journeys – Pyin Oo Lwin to Nawngpeng

Welcome back to Myanmar, where the train rides are bumpy and adventuresome! I love a little train ride with a good reputation for adventure, and here is one such ride, from Pyin Oo Lwin to Kyaukme (pronounced Chow-mei). This is only part of the journey as the train goes further on to Hsipaw and Lashio, …

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Sunday Spotlight – Chiang Mai

Most people who visit Chiang Mai seem to love it. Why is that? Is it the chance to get away from Bangkok where the weather is just too hot and sticky for most people? Perhaps. Chiang Mai also isn’t half or a quarter the size of Bangkok, but it’s been a backpacker Mecca for nearly …

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Foto Friday – Thailand, the Elephant and I

Many moons ago - 1999. My first trip to Thailand, and my first trip to Chiang Mai. I took the ye olde patented now elephant trek into the 'jungle' as they like to call it. Very few photos taken of the trek by me, however my friend on the elephant's back - Ian, bought this …

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City Rumble – Dubai versus Astana

Boom! The City Rumble is on again and today the contestants are two cities with an eye to the future and some of the world’s most ambitious architecture. In the red corner, from the UAE in the Middle East, weighing in at a population of 2.1 million is the glitzy Dubai reaching high for the …

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Bishkek – Culture and Character

As Central Asia week continues, I bring you a little photo journey though he capital of Kyrgyzstan, little Bishkek. Not as big as the other regional capitals, Bishkek has a charm of its own and is actually a quite attractive city with some beautiful parks, lots of theatre, a strange museum which suggests that Kyrgyzstan …

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Travel Video – Kazakhstan

Come with me on this little (well, 17 minutes) video of my time in Kazakhstan, entitled ‘Curious Kazakhstan’. It’s been a while since I posted on Central Asia, but I still look at it very fondly. It’s one of the most rewarding places a solo backpacker can head in my opinion. In this city you’ll …

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