World Borders: How to Visit the Border Entrance Between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at King Fahd Causeway

Posted on April 7, 2018April 26, 2018 by Jonny Blair

“That’s me in the corner. That’s me in the spotlight. Losing my religion” – Rapid Eye Movement. When I was backpacking Bahrain in 2015, I made a trip to the Saudi Arabia border and it was something I always meant to include in my World Borders series, yet always forgot about it. The reason I Read more about World Borders: How to Visit the Border Entrance Between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at King Fahd Causeway[…]

How to Get a Belarus Visa in Warsaw, Poland

Posted on April 5, 2018April 14, 2018 by Jonny Blair

I recently made a long awaited return to Belarus. It was originally one of the first 25 countries I ever visited, back in 2007 when I was attending the Belarus v. Northern Ireland women’s match. At the time I got my Belarus visa from the Embassy in London. On that trip I also backpacked through Read more about How to Get a Belarus Visa in Warsaw, Poland[…]

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

Posted on February 26, 2018February 27, 2018 by Jonny Blair

2018 meant a welcome return to Belarus after a gap of 11 years. While my 2007 adventure took me to Babruysk and Minsk, here in 2018 I backpacked Grodno after another gruelling visa struggle at the Belarus Embassy (in Warsaw this time). Grodno is a cool city in western Belarus. Its only about 20 minutes Read more about Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno[…]

Backpacking in the Middle East: Top 5 Memories

Posted on February 7, 2018February 10, 2018 by Jonny Blair

The Middle East holds so many tourist memories for me. While I personally love the region, I still don’t like (or understand) the term “middle east”, which should really include Mongolia right? It’s pretty middle! And pretty east!! Yet Mongolia escapes this moniker or bracket. But let’s call everything in the Middle, and East of Read more about Backpacking in the Middle East: Top 5 Memories[…]

How to Get A 72 Hour Kaliningrad Visa While Based in Gdańsk, Poland

Posted on January 23, 2018January 23, 2018 by Jonny Blair

There are always a few tough beasts to crack in the visa world as we backpack it hardcore. Russia is a tough enough one to get, and with the 2018 World Cup looming, many more people will be heading there come June. I have been to Russia years ago (2007) as well as two transits Read more about How to Get A 72 Hour Kaliningrad Visa While Based in Gdańsk, Poland[…]

My Stay At The Green Park Merter Five Star Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey

Posted on January 12, 2018March 7, 2023 by Jonny Blair

Istanbul is a city I wrote about a few times before and on my travels, it’s the only city outside the U.K. that I have visited in each of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. That;s five years in a row – ridiculous. Bizarre when the previous 33 years, I neglected it completely as I Read more about My Stay At The Green Park Merter Five Star Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey[…]

One of the Most Ridiculous Places I Have Slept In: The Eclectic Hotel in Vank, Nagorno Karabakh

Posted on January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 by Jonny Blair

“If Timmy Mallet made hotels, this would be it”. – Jonny Blair. A short intro first – I stayed here in 2013 (so five years ago and never finished this article) BUT this is far and away the most ridiculous hotel in my backpacking history. A hotel shaped like a boat in the middle of Read more about One of the Most Ridiculous Places I Have Slept In: The Eclectic Hotel in Vank, Nagorno Karabakh[…]

Friday’s Featured Food: Buffet Lunch at Mizra Kibbutz, Israel

Posted on December 13, 2017July 26, 2018 by Jonny Blair

I really can’t wait until I write properly about my time spent on an Israeli Kibbutz. It was such a cool, off the wall experience totally against what I expected and yet another travel memory that will last forever. I was staying with Caroline in Mizra Kibbutz, as we were attending my friend Haya’s wedding Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Buffet Lunch at Mizra Kibbutz, Israel[…]