Hello! Hi! Hola! Bout ye! Dzień Dobry! Ciao! Bom Dia! Jo San la (早晨)! Salam Alaykum! привет! Privet!
Welcome and thanks for visiting my website Don’t Stop Living – a lifestyle of travel. This is a website and blog of my personal journey around the world.
Who Am I?
I’m Jonny Blair, your host for this journey. I’m a travelling Northern Irishmanand I have an absolute passion for people, places, travel, history, culture, beer and football. Sometimes all at the same time…
A Lifestyle of Travel – Relaxing at Eluanbi – the south east tip of Taiwan, the Beacon of South East Asia
Where am I based?
I currently live in Olsztyn, in the lake district of Poland (and before that, gorgeous Gdańsk and wacaday Warszawa) but have been around the world, a few times over. I grew up in the seaside city of Bangor in Northern Ireland but since leaving in 2003, I have managed to travel, work and live around the world, visiting all 7 continents and over 200 countries in the process, featuring some of the most obscure destinations on the planet including Bruny Island, Ladonia, Uzupis, Karakalpakstan, Podjistan and Krolestwo Dreamlandu. I have written about such places along the way on this travel blog, as well as in my 2020 – 2021 book series, Backpacking Centurion, the 2022 release, I Went To Gdańsk With Somebody and my This Is The Next Century series in 2024.
Backpacking in the Republic of Uzupis
These journeys are what makes me tick. Every day should be different. Life is an adventure. I live a lifestyle of travel and want to encourage you to do it too! Which, you can, easily! Hopefully my stories and tips on this website can inspire you to get out there and see the world too. After my first ever trip abroad on my own back in 1991, I developed a keen passion in exploring the world, which eventually led to this website being started back in 2007 and becoming a professional travel blogger by 2012. The website you are now reading is now my business, this has been my platform for arranging all my tours, my transport and my accommodation as I wandered aimlessly yet purposefully around the world. Intentionally oxymoronic in the wake of nasty liars and GuruGods intent on making me depressed.
A Lifestyle of Travel – Working on the England to France Ferries
In the past I have worked in bars, boats, offices, farms, theatres, shops and schools, and for companies such as Apple, Delaney’s Irish Pub, Tesco and Tiger Beer. I have also studied in England, Poland, China, Australia and Uruguay. I have a degree in Public Relations and am a Published Author. My travel timeline is a useful page on where I have travelled, lived, worked and studied in the last 15 years. I have also listed all the places I have been on a page of flags.
A Lifestyle of Travel – Backpacking in Venice, Italy
I want to see the whole world, and I want YOU to join me on my journey if not in person, at least through this website. I write about places I go, people I meet, jobs I’ve had, buses I’ve missed, beers I’ve drank, adventures I’ve experienced, football stories and anything else that takes my fancy. A lifestyle of travel meant I was always on the move, even when I had a settled job, I was always taking side trips.
At the top of Cuverville Island in Antarctica
I hope to provide important travel tips, essential advice, endless stories and light hearted humour based on my experiences on this sphere we find ourselves on. I will give you a first hand account, an honest guide to travelling the world, backpacking through endless towns, cities, villages and mud huts. I will show the highs and lows of long term travel and will also be writing about death, suicide and war to ensure this story stays true to my heart and can be read by others.
Backpacking in the Philippines: Touring Chocolate Hills, Bohol Island
Don’t Stop Living is a REAL travel blog. It’s not fake like most of the others. I have been backpacking for years on end and I still don’t own a car, flat, mortgage, wardrobe or anything bigger than my backpack or more expensive than my laptop.
A Lifestyle of Travel – Backpacking in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Although I am now based in Poland (and in the past was mostly located in Hong Kong, Bournemouth, Parramatta or Bishkek), I continue to write about my travels and pump up my back catalogue to make this the best travel blog in the world. I have been self employed since December 2012 as a professional travel blogger. I still treat this blog as my hobby and passion and the money of course helped my journey.
Hang on for a bumpy ride: whackpacking in Guatemala, Xela
I’ve already covered places such as Azerbaijan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Antarctica, Transnistria, Afghanistan and El Salvador on my journeys. You can contact me through this website, by e mail at jonny at dontstopliving dot net jonnyscottblair at hot mail dot com or like DSL on facebook and keep connected. Any advice, ideas and comments you have please get in touch! I reply personally to every e-mail.
Come join the ride and Don’t Stop Living!
Jonny Blair
Tourist, Travel Writer, Itinerary Planner, Author, Long-term Backpacker
Ulster Cherry, Globetrotting Glenman, Travelling Northern Irishman
Like DSL on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/donotstopliving
Follow DSL on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonnyblair
Follow DSL on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jonnydontstopliving
Follow DSL on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ulsterczyk
Follow DSL on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonnyblair.bsky.social
Don’t Stop Living – A lifestyle of travel. I’m a travelling Northern Irishman.
Buy my Backpacking Centurion book series –
Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back In Bangor
Volume 2 – Lands Down Under
Volume 3 – Taints And Honours
Volume 4 – The Black Volume
Buy my This Is The Next Century Series –
Volume 1 – Aftershot
Volume 2 – Starogard Girl
Volume 3 – Fool Circle
Volume 4 – The Darker Volume
By my book on Supporting The Northern Ireland International Football Team – Champian Stewartnova
Buy my story on How A Northern Irishman Ended Up In Poland – I Went To Gdansk With Somebody
Buy my First Ever Travel Blog
Buy my Guide to Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru
My travelling Northern Ireland flag website – http://www.travellingnorthernirelandflag.com/
Hey Jonny,
Quick one for you. I applied for my second year whilst in Bali. Hoping it would be granted within 4 weeks. It’s now been 7 weeks and I can’t wait any longer to return. Can I withdraw my application and return on a holiday visa and then reapply while there on the holiday visa?
Cheers.
Hi Stephen, thanks for the comment and sorry for the delay here. I hope you got sorted. As you might have guessed, I am just a tourist like you with not much authority on the subject, in fact it was 9 years since I did my first Working Holiday there. If it wasn’t confirmed within 7 weeks back in 2009 – 2010, it means it was unsuccessful or that they didn’t receive it. I have no idea if this is still the case. Again, if that happened, I wouldn’t have flown to Australia even on a tourist visa – I’d have found a job in a different country first. I hope things worked out for you. Safe travels. Jonny
Hello! Jonny
I am Mohammad zubair from afghanistan
I have an iran visa and now i am in iran tehran city i want to visite turkey .
Please sir if you have some time to tell me how can i get turkey visa in iran.
Perfect Blog for travel lovers! I loved it so much.
Thanks lot!!
Regards
https://www.getzdestinations.com/
My name is Bobby Jacob and I am 75 years old. It will be highly appreciated if you can help me by providing some tips to my following doubts. Can I get a transit visa to visit Israel from Jordan after my visit to Jordan and in the same way to Egypt from Israel and to fly back to India from Cairo. My last visit to places of biblical importances in these countries were very short. I hope to have a trip of my own plans.spending time as I like. I am not sure how much money I would require, or would there be any age restrictions etc. Will you be kind enough to provide me some valuable advice. Please do not direct me to some agencies
Hello
wish to know your travel experience in Bangladesh.will be happy if you can send me an email along with some photos in Bangladesh.
thanks
Ashrafuzzaman Uzzal
http://www.globetrotteruzzal.com
Hi Jonny,
Thank you for writing your blog. I got great inspiration in your experience about non-alcohol drink in Arab countries which is such an eye-opener. I don’t know if you are still travelling or not. but if so, i would love to provide you a place to stay for a short period of time for free or even travelling with you if we could work the time out. but anyways. wish you all the best.
Hey Jonny, ever seen the Republic of Vevcani? It’s a village in western Macedonia and they had their currency printed. There’s history about that according to what they, dating back to the Turkish invasion. However nice place and a new entry in the list of unknown countries.
Hi Massimo, wow this sounds amazing!! Have you been? I would love to visit it one day!! Jonny
Hola Amigo!,
I like your haircut. your arms are bigger than my future, your ears really get me going 😉 your face makes me really hard and i want to share it with you 😉
how about meeting up for a cuppa anytime you are in the UK, would love to meet up with you and go to see the sights of London 😉 (if you know what I mean ;)) you can even see my sights.
I would like to see more of your and your sexy biceps,
Yours faithfully,
St. Henry Diaz
It’s awesome for me to have a web page, which is helpful for my knowledge.
thanks admin
Hi Yoga Pants! Great name and thanks for the comment. Safe travels. Jonny
It’s awesome for me to have a web page, which is helpful for my knowledge.
thanks for sharing information..
Whats good Jonny? next time you come to Santa Ana, El Salvador aka ciudad morena, you need to go to El Chapultepec. It’s a sports bar, with good food and cheap beer. Hope to see you around here in Santa Ana and have a brew.
Hi Wilson, thanks for the comment. I’d love to come there if I am ever back in Santa Ana, but I have no plans for El Salvador again in the meantime. Safe travels. Jonny
Hi , I hope you are well, J,o,h,n,n,y. fellow Irish citizen here(Republic). I am concerned because I really feel the need to cover Asia I too have travelled since age 19 sola and I am currently in Panajachel, Guatemala. It’s my home base. I don’t own anything wither that cannot be held in my backpack but my friend has two paintings I bought in San Pedro. I don’t own a house or a car or have a mortgage etc… I have visited 70 countries in my travels but had a bad experience with the filth in india so I avoided Asia but I know there are some clean places too so I found a great flight 200 bucks from the US to Shanghai. Problem is I want to see the Great Wall, the Taoist monasteries and the pandas in Cheng du so I need a visa longer than 72/144 hours I was wondering if i could apply for one in country during my transit stay. If not what is likely the cheapest flight out of china. Will a bus ticket to vietnam work as a ticket out of the country because I want to go to sapaa and buy textiles?!! Please tell me the most economic option I am working with a limited budget and so I need to conserve money. Thank you for answering my question. I would like to buy my tickets as soon as possible but i don’t want to have any problems because i have no visa. I would be flying form the US to SHanghai.
Thank you so much for being here dispensing such helpful information.
Hi Jonny I love you
Hi I read your travel experience in Chongqing and it was great! Looks like you enjoyed! I just happen to notice there is a little mistake when you great people in Mandarin. I guess you meant to say hello but 早晨 means the morning time , you should instead say 你好 which means hello in mandarin. Or if you want to say good morning, use 早安 instead.
Hi Mohammad, Thanks for the email – I did things the opposite way – I got the Iran visa in Turkey and the Afghanistan visa in Kyrgyzstan so I cannot help you – head to the Turkish Embassy in Iran and good luck! Jonny
Hi Shipra, thanks for following the blog. Stay safe, Jonny
Hi Lu, Thanks for the comment and sorry for the delay – I have been in depression a lot of the last 4 years and not been checking messages or emails. I appreciate you taking time to read my stories and support me. Stay safe. Jonny
Hi Bobby, thanks for the comment and apologies for the delay. I have been suffering from long term depression and not checking comments. I travelled there to Israel, Palestine and Jordan in 2013 on Irish and British passports and didn’t need a visa at all. Because entering Israle limits further travel to other countries, I asked for my stamps out of Jordan and into Israel to be placed on a piece of paper, not attached to the passport at all. This makes things easier. If your country requires a visa, my advice is to make sure you don’t get any stamps on your passports and perhaps change passports depending on where you visit next. When you say “please don’t direct me to some agencies”, I’m afraid that is what I would have to do as I am only a tourist like you – I have no authority on it. So I would also use agencies if the embassies couldn’t help me. But start with the embassies. Stay safe. Jonny
Hi Mohammed, Thanks for the comment and I am extremely sorry for the huge delay in replying to you. I have been going through problems with depression and wasn’t checking the comments or messages that much. I enjoyed Bangladesh. Stay safe. Jonny
Hi Henry, Thanks for the comment and I am extremely sorry for the huge delay in replying to you. I have been going through problems with depression and wasn’t checking the comments or messages that much. Stay safe. Jonny
Hi Vishaw, thanks for the comment and apologies for the delayed response. I have been suffering from long term depression caused by liars. I am glad you enjoyed my website. Stay safe. Jonny
Haha thanks for the comment Daniel and safe travels. Jonny
Dear Tatiana, Thanks for your comment and apologies for the delay in response. I have been suffering from long term depression caused by a serial liar. Due to this, I haven’t been checking emails, comments or messages as regularly, and in some cases, not replying. I was in Guatemala in 2014 so for sure things will have changed now. I think your travels sound good and I wish you all the best with them but make sure to put mental health first and don’t trust anyone you meet out there. It can be a harsh world. I wish I hadn’t met many of the people I did. One serial liar in particular ruined my life forever. Stay safe. Best wishes. Jonny
Hi CQ Advisor, Thanks for the comment and for following my story. Yes amazing time in Chongqing and my Chinese always has mistakes – tahnks for corrections. Stay safe! Jonny
Randomly saw your post from 2007 when you visited the UnderGround bar (Besties). I was just there last night for dinner and drinks. The night club is no longer. They have turned it into a nice restaurant called the Fox and Farrow. The link below is for a local business owned by a passionate soccer fan. He also frequents the bar and in honor of Besties he has a t-shirt.
https://ultras.com/products/ultras-george-best-besties-bar-hermosa-beach-soccer-t-shirt-4?variant=511367020550
Hi Matt, that’s a great update thanks! Even with the new name of The Fox and Farrow it is still a great piece of history to visit and enjoy! Safe travels. Jonny
You’re living so many people’s dreams – keep up the good work!
I get my fix walking & camping in the UK, but maybe I might extend that to abroad one day?
All the best.
Coalville.
Hi Coalville, thanks for the comment – enjoy your camping and keep whackpacking the globe. Safe travels. Jonny