beach at neko harbour antarctica

Top 10 Beaches From My Travels

While I’m not a total beach freak, nor a sunseeker, I do love to be beside the seaside. Over the years I’ve lived in a load of places by the sea (Bangor, Northern Ireland; Ma Wan, Hong Kong; Sydney, Australia; Bournemouth, England etc.). I haven’t really written much about beaches on here though, so here Read more about Top 10 Beaches From My Travels[…]

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🇮🇱[…]

backpacking in kaesong

Backpacking in North Korea🇰🇵: Top 5 Things to Do in Kaesong

I’m on a serious mission to catch up on my latest travel stuff, so North Korea needs more posts on here. I didn’t just backpack the hell out of its charming capital city, Pyongyang, we also checked out the DMZ, the city of Kaesong and took the train north to Sinuiju on route back to Read more about Backpacking in North Korea🇰🇵: Top 5 Things to Do in Kaesong[…]

neil bishi bashi seoul korea

Losing to my Mate at “Bishi Bashi” in Seoul, South Korea

I’ve delved into the whole “Casino Travel” thing a few times. I’ve been to casinos in Macau, Singapore, Niagara, London and Sydney. You might remember I even once won in a Casino in Macau. A few parts of Asia offer alternative forms of gambling and I’ve managed to catch a few of them on my Read more about Losing to my Mate at “Bishi Bashi” in Seoul, South Korea[…]

amna suraka sulaymaniyah jonny blair

Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors🧟💀: My Trip to Amna Suraka Red Security Complex, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq🇮🇶

“Death camp palace” – Manic Street Preachers. OK get ready for this one please. It’s fresh from my backpacking adventures in Iraq. I’ll warn you that this story isn’t for the faint hearted. I’m guessing that if you’re reading, you might have an idea who Saddam Hussein is. Yes, he was the leader of the Read more about Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors🧟💀: My Trip to Amna Suraka Red Security Complex, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq🇮🇶[…]

likeng china

Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Tea in Little Likeng, Jiangxi Province, China

Little Likeng is a dreamy little ancient Chinese Village. Situated in a province that is not often visited by foreign backpacker s(Jiangxi), this gem of a place takes you to the China you really want to see. No skyscrapers, no factories, just a basic existence in a village by a river. Life stands still in Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Tea in Little Likeng, Jiangxi Province, China[…]

asia to europe border istanbul

World Borders: Europe to Asia in Istanbul, Turkey (Ferry Across the Bosphorus)

Ever crossed into a different continent by boat? I have, if you’ve read my Drake Passage journey post you’ll remember my trip on the Southern Ocean. That was back in 2010, South America to Antarctica and that one took me 2 days. Imagine a boat ride that takes you to a different continent in less Read more about World Borders: Europe to Asia in Istanbul, Turkey (Ferry Across the Bosphorus)[…]

malaysia sapi island jellyfish

The Day My Girlfriend Got Stung By A Jellyfish in Malaysia, at Sapi Island, Borneo

Not so much a crazy story here today but a reminder to be careful and remember that hazards are everywhere we go, whether minor or major. Getting stung by a jellyfish is something that can happen easily. So my girlfriend Panny Yu and I were on an island hopping tour off the coast of Kota Read more about The Day My Girlfriend Got Stung By A Jellyfish in Malaysia, at Sapi Island, Borneo[…]

jonny blair guinness border

Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Guinness at the North Korea🇰🇵To South Korea🇰🇷Border at Panmunjom, DMZ

Did you hear the one about the Northern Irishman and the Southern Irishman drinking Irish stout on the North Korea to South Korea border? Hands across the divide – two countries on one island, two countries on one peninsula. One love – Guinness. The black stuff. Through my time working in Irish pubs and backpacking Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Guinness at the North Korea🇰🇵To South Korea🇰🇷Border at Panmunjom, DMZ[…]