Das Alte Gefängnis, Braunau Am Inn, Austria: Spending A Night in a Converted Prison in Hitler’s Town

Posted on October 19, 2019October 19, 2019 by Jonny Blair

“Escape from our history, history” – Manic Street Preachers. I headed back to Austria recently with two main places to be visited – the Republic of Kugel Mugel (a micronation in a sphere in Prater Park, Vienna) and the town of Braunau Am Inn. Braunau Am Inn is not exactly a backpacker’s paradise and is Read more about Das Alte Gefängnis, Braunau Am Inn, Austria: Spending A Night in a Converted Prison in Hitler’s Town[…]

Staying at the Quirky Randomic “Willy Wonka” Honiara Hotel in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Posted on August 28, 2019March 7, 2023 by Jonny Blair

“Pack up your troubles now, take all you can carry” – Mark Morris (Solomon Bites The Worm). From a radio room in weight puncher Belfast (The Northern Irish capital city) to a bar in worm biter Honiara (Solomon Islands capital city), and a gap of 22 years…I should explain how Willy Wonka, The Bluetones and Read more about Staying at the Quirky Randomic “Willy Wonka” Honiara Hotel in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands[…]

Backpacking in Burundi: Our Wonderful Stay at Urban Lodge in Bujumbura

Posted on April 19, 2019March 7, 2023 by Jonny Blair

Burundi’s former capital city, Bujumbura threw up yet another oddball on our 2019 East African adventure. This country was less than obvious addition to the schedule. A tough visa process, a country bereft of tourists and indeed a country which prompted a good friend of mine to comment “I’ve never even heard of that country”. Read more about Backpacking in Burundi: Our Wonderful Stay at Urban Lodge in Bujumbura[…]

Staying in Paradise at the Coco Beach Hotel, Togo

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jonny Blair

“We sat and watched the sun go down. We picked a star before we lost the moon. Youth is wasted on the young; before you know it’s been and gone too soon ” – Robbie Williams. Togo is for sure one of the world’s hidden gems. It’s a country which inexplicably loses visiting numbers to Read more about Staying in Paradise at the Coco Beach Hotel, Togo[…]

Backpacking in Turkmenistan: Staying at the Swanky Bagt Koshgi Hotel and Wedding Palace in Ashgabat

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Jonny Blair

“Don’t kill your dreams” – Adam Topolski. The sea air eased my corporate soul back in 2007 as I smoothed my way for eternity out of daily office work, nothing against the wonderful Bite Communications company I worked for at the time, but I’d barely backpacked the globe and life was as stale as Turkmenistanian Read more about Backpacking in Turkmenistan: Staying at the Swanky Bagt Koshgi Hotel and Wedding Palace in Ashgabat[…]

Backpacking in Oman: Staying At the Naseem Hotel in Mutrah

Posted on April 23, 2018March 7, 2023 by Jonny Blair

After my time backpacking in Saudi Arabia, I hung around on the peninsula for a while longer, by taking a flight from Jeddah to Muscat in Oman. Oman has changed its visa laws as of March 2018. This meant I needed to fork out $53 US for an online Oman visa in advance. Oman was Read more about Backpacking in Oman: Staying At the Naseem Hotel in Mutrah[…]

Backpacking in Saudi Arabia: Staying at the Hotel Mercure in Al Hamra, Jeddah

Posted on April 21, 2018March 7, 2023 by Jonny Blair

After arrival into Jeddah for the Saudi Arabia Hotel Show in April 2018, I got a taxi to my hotel from the main international airport. It was my first time in Saudi Arabia and was a business trip on a 10 day adventure. We were staying in the Al Hamra district which is pretty close Read more about Backpacking in Saudi Arabia: Staying at the Hotel Mercure in Al Hamra, Jeddah[…]

Staying at the Ibis Plateau in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Posted on February 13, 2018February 18, 2018 by Jonny Blair

Since 2015, I have been using Ibis Hotels as one of my consistent brands to stay in. I have so far stayed in their hotels in Poland, Kaliningrad, Kuwait, France and Bahrain. Next it was the turn of the Cote d’Ivoire or the Ivory Coast. I was backpacking in Abidjan and Grand Bassam after getting Read more about Staying at the Ibis Plateau in Abidjan, Ivory Coast[…]