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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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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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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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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