Don’t Stop Living – a lifestyle of travel brings you ongoing travel tips from all seven continents!
On this adventure through Central Asia, I have already written about my wonderful stay in Pamir Lodge and the spontaneous live article from Khorog. This is a region known as Gorno Badakhshan and you need a separate permit to visit, away from the main part of Tajikistan, so pick up your Gorno Badakhshan permit and Read more about Backpacking in Gorno Badakhshan🇹🇯: Top 22 Sights in Khorog, Capital of the Pamirs[…]
Well the year is only two months old but I’ve already done a fair whack of travelling through some ice cool zones in Central Asia such as Karakalpakstan, Afghanistan and Gorno Badakhshan with more lined up. Basing this list on a few spots I’ve already been to this year and a few that are lined Read more about My Five Top Travel Destinations For 2016[…]
I simply loved the pronunciation of this city. SHYMKENT! Wee shimmy. Ess Hym Kent. Shy m Kent. Shimkent. Chimkent. Spelt Shymkent, once called Chernayaev, currently housing 850,000 people, it’s a somewhat inspiring city with low promotion. Is it shy? Why are the first three letters spelling the word shy? I headed to find the answers. Read more about Backpacking in Kazakhstan: Top 7 Shy Sights in Shymkent[…]
“And I travelled round the world from year to year. But each one left me aimless; one more year the worse for wear.” – Jimmy Barnes I’m telling you how it really is with me. I’m telling a story on here, it’s not really a travel guide, it’s really a one man travel blog which Read more about Sundays Inspiration: The Aimless Diary of A Long Term Backpacker, Aged 35 and 3 Quarters[…]
I meandered my way back into the republic of Kazakhstan thanks to a clever visa free passport switch at the border (Irish for Uzbek visa, British for Kazak visa free entry). The toughest part of my Central Asian adventure was over and I’d escaped Uzbekistan. The countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgzstan were up next, both Read more about Staying at the Orbita Boutique Hotel in Shymkent, Kazakhstan🇰🇿[…]
While backpacking in Afghanistan, I was delighted to be offered the chance of a homestay with a local family in the city of Masar e Sharif. In the years I’ve been travelling, I’ve had homestays in places like Israel, Iran, Uruguay, Nagorno Karabakh, Hungary, Tunisia and Transnistria. However Afghanistan was a whole new experience. The Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan🇦🇫: My Homestay Experience in Masar e Sharif[…]
On my tour of Afghanistan, I had quite a few authentic local culinary experiences, in my homestay, at my hotel, in Haibak and in Masar e Sharif. I’ve already written about trying Mantoo in Masar e Sharif and the smoking Shisha on a Saturday night out with the lads. In Central Asia, Plov becomes part Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Pilov in Horam Restaurant Haibak, Samangan, Afghanistan🇦🇫[…]
After the madness of the wacaday adventure in the barely known republic of Karakalpakstan, it was time to get back to some textbook Uzbekistan sightseeing and the city of Khiva was on the agenda. I wanted to stay in the Ichan Kala (“Old walled town”) which is the typical tourist option but by far the Read more about Backpacking in Uzbekistan🇺🇿: My Stay at the Lovely Hotel Xiva Atabek in Khiva[…]
My final stop on my Uzbekistan overland trip was in the capital city. It was here that I finally felt at ease with the Uzbeks when I arrived in their glamorous, northern swanky hub of Tashkent. The capital seemed to like me and I liked it too. It was nice to finally find a really cool city Read more about Backpacking in Uzbekistan🇺🇿: Staying at Gulnara Guesthouse in Tashkent (the Capital)[…]
This is probably the first hotel review I ever do where I won’t mention the actual name of the hotel. There are security reasons for this of course and I was there on tour with a cool company and they sorted out my accommodation. I didn’t go online and book any hotels or hostels. In Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan🇦🇫: My Hotel Stay in Masar e Sharif[…]