Train Journeys – Jodphur to Delhi

The final train journey in India for me this time round was the 611 kilometre, 11 hour journey from Rajasthan’s blue city Jodphur to the Indian capital, Delhi. I took the Salasar Super Fast, Train number 22422 in 1AC, a class I didn’t remember booking and one I had never taken before. This was the …

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The Incredible Churches of Lalibela

Somewhere in the mountains, north of the capital Addis Ababa, is a very special town called Lalibela. As a traveller to Ethiopia, you’re probably going to put this town on your itinerary. Why? Because it has 11 of the most amazing churches you are likely to see, built/created/carved in the late 12th and 13th centuries. …

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Border Crossings – the Bad

Last week I wrote about some of the better border crossings I’ve experienced. Today I’m going to talk about the less good experiences. So, I need to start with a caveat – I’ve never really been stuck with a really bad border crossing. What would that be? Well, probably one where I didn’t even get …

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Border Crossing Experiences – the Good

One part of travelling still gets me a little excited is crossing borders. Although you know that an imaginary line on the ground that divides two countries really can’t bring that much difference, somehow it’s all pretty exciting stuff – especially when you are going into new territory -  country you have never been to …

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In Search of Stalin’s Seven Sisters

Ever since I visited Russia earlier this year, and to be more precise Moscow, I wanted to do a post on ‘Stalin’s Seven Sisters’. It’s the sort of thing that appeals to me I guess – something to see, to hunt out in a city and say you saw them all. What are Stalin’s Seven …

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Matsuo Kouzan – Abandoned Town in Japan

The idea of exploring an abandoned town, I must admit, is kinda of exciting. Here in Australia abandoned towns are often cordoned off – certainly abandoned buildings in Melbourne are barricaded and people are forbidden from entering, but in Japan there are apparently a few places you can visit. I was inspired to write this …

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Cities on Sunday – Cairo

Egypt. It’s been a heck of a long time since I visited there, but one things for sure, I still have good memories of the places I went. It’s the sort of place that is genuinely unforgettable with incredible history, the Nile River, the desert and the people. Its capital Cairo has seen its share …

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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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Small Places – Djenne, Mali

Djenne is a pretty special place. A small town on the less-populated side of the Niger River. As I wrote in my recent post on Mopti (Sunday Spotlight – Mopti) I visited on a longish day-trip from Mopti. Actually, half the fun of the day was the amazing journey from Mopti to Djenne and back, …

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Little Places – Ganvie, Benin

One of Benin’s most visited attractions is the stilted-village of Ganvie. It really is a bit of a tourist trap in some respects I guess, it’s on the Lake of Nokoue, and that is a short ride from Benin’s main (but not capital) city of Cotonou. If you are visiting this West African nation, well, …

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