easiest and safest 5 countries backpacking

The 5 Safest Countries I Have Backpacked In

I’ve been asked a few times about staying safe when you travel and it’s definitely something I need and want to write more about. I’ve written some articles about this before including mostly health safety and also personal safety in South America. But I haven’t really delved into which specific countries I have found the Read more about The 5 Safest Countries I Have Backpacked In[…]

jonny blair working in iran

Working Wednesdays: Helping out at Issa’s Allotment in Zarad Band, Iran

Anyone who has travelled in Iran will tell you that you always get offers to stay with families and live with them. This happened to us a load of times, and we ended up in three family houses over the course of a month and it could have been more. Two of our host families Read more about Working Wednesdays: Helping out at Issa’s Allotment in Zarad Band, Iran[…]

sulav iraqi kurdistan

The Mountain Village of Sulav, Kurdistan, Iraq

We ended up in the village of Sulav in the Kurdistan part of Iraq. It wasn’t the initial plan to visit Sulav, but we decided to hitch a ride there after exploring the amazing mountain village of Amadiya. We had enough time to have a look around Sulav, but we didn’t stay over. It seems Read more about The Mountain Village of Sulav, Kurdistan, Iraq[…]

christmas dinner in shiraz

Friday’s Featured Food: Dizi on Christmas Day in Shiraz, Iran

My “Christmas Dinner” in 2013 came in the form of local Iranian dish Dizi while I was backpacking in Iran. We were almost at the end of our month in Iran when we arrived in the city of Shiraz. We were there to see the city itself, as well as visiting Marvdasht, Persepolis and Naqsh-e Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Dizi on Christmas Day in Shiraz, Iran[…]

jerusalem pub crawl abraham hostels

Thirsty Thursdays: Abraham Hostel Pub Crawl in Jerusalem, Israel

It was time for another crazy pub crawl on my travel corridor! I’ve had some crazy ones down the years, notably Buenos Aires, New York, London and Christchurch. But how about a night on the town in Israel’s ice cool capital city. It had to be done and thanks to the awesome guys at the Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Abraham Hostel Pub Crawl in Jerusalem, Israel[…]

jonny blair dhow qatar doha bay

Backpacking In Qatar 🇶🇦: Top 5 Things to See and Do in Doha (In One Day)

I’ve touched on Qatar before on this blog, as I have passed through it a few times now, in 2011 and at the end of 2013, and again in 2016 and 2021. As the country prepares in advance for the World Cup of 2022, I checked out the city of Doha with my ex-girlfriend doing Read more about Backpacking In Qatar 🇶🇦: Top 5 Things to See and Do in Doha (In One Day)[…]

erbil iraqi kurdistan

Top 15 Things to See and Do in Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

These days, most backpackers that make the decision to visit Iraq will end up at some point in the city of Erbil. Erbil is the capital city of the Kurdistan region. It’s a thriving hub and this is where you get a real feel for Kurdish life and indeed the part of Iraq that you Read more about Top 15 Things to See and Do in Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq[…]

mahaneh yehuda market

Friday’s Featured Food: Browsing in the Mahaneh Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel

I spent just over 5 days backpacking in Jerusalem, Israel’s quite unique and cultured capital city. This place rocked, and as cheap backpackers we made a nosedive for the Mahaneh Yehuda Market every day on our visit to Jerusalem. It was that good a market, and you can pick up fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Browsing in the Mahaneh Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel[…]