Five Reasons I Love London!

If there’s one city in Europe that I would go back to time and again, it must be London. It is without a doubt a city that is in my heart as much as my hometown of Melbourne. I wouldn’t plan a trip to Europe without going. From it’s amazing railway stations, to buildings, the …

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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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West African Memories – The Conclusion Part One

Hi folks. Well, today my series on my 2006 trip to West Africa begins to wrap up, this being the penultimate post. After leaving my readership hanging (never to happen again!) in Bobo Diolosso in mid-February 2006, I was home early March and yet didn’t post until the second half of May to tell the …

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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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Fast Food Around the World

Fast food – your typical American chains. Yes, I’m talking about McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Subway. As a traveller you might get very depressed when you’re at the entrance to the Terracotta Warriors and you see everyone going into KFC to eat, or perplexed at the presence of KFC and Pizza Hut by the …

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Sunday Spotlight – Samarkand

Welcome to the sunniest of Sunday Spotlights, concluding this week’s look at Central Asia. Samarkand is a city full of rich history and beautiful Islamic architecture. Bukhara has a more clear distinction between old and new cities, but Samarkand’s ancient treasures seem to be weaved into the modern city a lot more than the equally …

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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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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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Sunday Spotlight – Krakow

Poland has a number of great cities, but I think it’s pretty hard to go past Krakow in the country’s south as the best city going around. Which is why the Sunday Spotlight is shining straight at this lovely city, filled with alleyways and hills, with a stunning central city square where everyone congregates and …

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