Travel Blog
Kunming – Our Final Stop in China Kunming – Our Final Stop in China Trains, Noodles, Roast Duck and Rather Strong Cocktails Our lovely host in Shangri-La drove us to the railway station, where we were catching the 10.03 train to Kunming, the final stop on our month-long journey through […]
How to Enter China: Visa & Entry Requirements 2026 How to Enter China: Visa & Entry Requirements China has dramatically changed its entry requirements in recent years, making it easier than ever for many international visitors to explore the country independently. Travellers from numerous countries can now enter mainland China […]
China Visa & Entry Guide 2026
Shangri-La – A Little Less Paradise, A Lot More Altitude Shangri-La – A Little Less Paradise, A Lot More Altitude Our Adventures in China’s Tibetan Highlands We boarded the late-morning train from Lijiang bound for Shangri-La, a journey of just a couple of hours into the mountains of northwestern Yunnan. […]
Shangri-La: A Story of Altitude and Adventure Recently updated!
Lijiang – Ancient Streets, Snow-Capped Mountains and a Very Good Coffee Lijiang – Ancient Streets, Snow-Capped Mountains and a Very Good Coffee We decided to take a taxi the very short distance from our accommodation to Chengdu South Railway Station, at the enormous expense of about $4. As it turned […]
Lijiang Stories – Ancient Streets and Excellent Coffee Recently updated!
Chengdu & Huanglongxi – Sichuan Adventures Chengdu & Huanglongxi – Sichuan Adventures Spicy Food, Ancient Streets and a Swiss Army Knife We landed at Chengdu Tianfu Airport at about 3pm on a Monday afternoon, feeling reasonably pleased with ourselves. Having visited China before, we knew what to expect on arrival […]
Chengdu & Huanglongxi – Sichuan Adventures Recently updated!
Cornwall – A Reunion with Old Friends Cornwall – A Reunion with Old Friends Thirty Years of Friendship, Cornish Villages and a Journey East We arrived in the United Kingdom on a cool Monday morning, and it was lovely to feel the temperature drop after a long, hot summer in […]
A Week in Cornwall Recently updated!
Leaving France – Bergerac Leaving France – Bergerac The First Stop on Our Journey East Finally, it was time to leave France. We left the house on a warm sunny morning and headed for Sarlat station to catch the train to Bergerac, the first stop on what was going to […]
The Journey South 2026 – Bergerac Travel Stories Recently updated!
France to Australia – The Scenic Route THREE MONTHS OF TRAVEL • 2026 Three months, six countries, five flights, nine long-distance trains, three buses, one minivan and around 22,700 kilometres. Clearly, taking the direct route was never going to happen! Our adventure began in the beautiful Dordogne in France, took […]
France to Australia – The Scenic Route Recently updated!
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Athens 2026: A City We Love
Beijing – The Detour We Didn’t Plan Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China We landed back in Kuala Lumpur and slipped immediately into the familiar routine. Train to KL Sentral. Grab to the apartment. Done. By now we could probably manage the entire journey on autopilot. There was really only one […]
Beijing – The Detour We Didn’t Plan
The Gobi Diaries Four Backpackers. One Ancient Soviet Van. Across Mongolia and Beyond. Four travellers, one battered Soviet van, and two unforgettable weeks crossing Mongolia. From sleeping in traditional gers and sharing meals with nomadic families to exploring the Flaming Cliffs and Yolyn Am, The Gobi Diaries follows a journey […]
Books & Stories | Travel, Adventure & Life Around the ...
A Month in Bangkok – Markets, Movies and a Change of Plan Back to Bangkok, Thailand And so, rather sooner than expected, we found ourselves back in Bangkok. Back at Mo Chit New Bus Terminal. Still apparently new. We ordered a Grab. This should have been simple. It wasn’t. We […]
A Month in Bangkok – Another Change of Plan
Prachuap Khiri Khan – And a Change of Plan Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand Bangkok’s Mo Chit New Bus Terminal was exactly what you would expect from a major city bus station. Chaos. Organised chaos, perhaps, but chaos nonetheless. I am not entirely sure why it still has the […]
Prachuap Khiri Khan – And a Change of Plan
Back on Familiar Ground – Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and onward to Prachuap Khiri Khan After a quick stopover in Sydney to see friends and family, it was time to get moving again. Our long, slow journey north was about to begin. Although, technically, our […]
Malaysia: Returning to Kuala Lumpur
We left Australia with an itinerary. Asia took one look at it and made other arrangements. The following posts tell the story as it actually happened, beginning in Kuala Lumpur and following the journey from there. Start with the first post and follow the trip through Asia 2026. Next →
Asia Stories 2026
Two Weeks in Lovely Northern Spain Two Weeks in Lovely Northern Spain Pyrenees mountains, medieval towns, incredible tapas, and the slower rhythm of village life With two spare weeks and a serious craving for Spanish food, we packed the car and headed south from France in search of sunshine, tapas, […]
Two Weeks In Spain: A Gourmet Road Trip
Athens – A Gentle Return to Europe Athens – A Gentle Return to Europe After months travelling through Southeast Asia, we had finally reached the European leg of our journey home. There was, however, one important decision to make. How to get back to France without going through Paris Charles […]
Amazing Days in Athens – Returning to One of Our ...
The Journey Home – Bangkok, Doha and Athens The Journey Home – Bangkok, Doha and Athens Eventually, every journey has to come to an end. After months travelling through Southeast Asia, it was time to begin the long journey back to France. Not that we were rushing. That has never […]
We Travel Back To Bangkok: The Last Days In Thailand
Prachuap Khiri Khan: A Wonderful Town – Our New Favorite Place in Thailand Prachuap Khiri Khan: A Wonderful Town – Our New Favorite Place in Thailand A Journey Through South East Asia Prachuap Khiri Khan quickly became our favorite town in Thailand. Arriving by minivan, we settled into a centrally […]
Prachuap Khiri Khan: A Wonderful Thai Town
Chumphon – The Place We Almost Missed Chumphon – The Place We Almost Missed Leaving Koh Samui came with no great sadness. Some places capture your imagination and quietly become part of your travel story. Others simply become a place you passed through. For us, Samui was the latter. After […]
The Magic House: Chumphon Thailand
Koh Samui – The Island That Wasn’t For Us Koh Samui – The Island That Wasn’t For Us Leaving Koh Yao Noi was always going to be difficult. Not because we were heading somewhere unknown, but because we were leaving exactly the kind of place we love. A place where […]
Koh Samui: Is This The Most Over Touristed Place In ...
Koh Yao Noi – Returning to a Place We Loved Koh Yao Noi – Returning to a Place We Loved There are places you visit once and enjoy, places you remember fondly, and then there are places that somehow stay with you long after you have left. The kind of […]
Koh Yai Noi: A Tranquil Escape in Thailand’s Andaman Sea
Ao Nang – An Airport, A Tourist Circus and a Ferry to the Past Ao Nang – An Airport, A Tourist Circus and a Ferry to the Past Over the years I have travelled through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport more times than I care to remember, and I have […]
Ao Nang Beach Thailand Stories: A Quick Stop In Ao ...
Kuala Lumpur – The Detour We Never Planned Kuala Lumpur – The Detour We Never Planned We arrived at Kuala Lumpur’s BTS bus station somewhere out in the far-flung suburbs of this vast, sprawling city. Like most large Asian transport hubs, it seemed to exist in a parallel universe where […]
Kuala Lumpur Stories: Tales From A Month In K.L
Melaka – Sunsets, Spritzes and the Beginning of a Dental Saga Melaka – Sunsets, Spritzes and the Beginning of a Dental Saga Melaka sits on the Strait of Melaka. Conveniently enough, that’s how it got its name. Once the greatest maritime trading port in the region, ships from China, India, […]
Melaka Diaries: A Month of History, Flavors, and Relaxation
The Start Of A Journey Through Southeast Asia | Singapore & Malaysia Heading North Again – Singapore to Melaka Singapore to Melaka, Malaysia The time had come to start heading north again. Our eventual destination was France, but there was no rush to get there. We had an extended four-month […]
South East Asia 2024 – 25
The Final Leg Of The Summer 2024 Journey | Bordeaux to Sarlat The Final Leg Of The Summer 2024 Journey Bordeaux to Sarlat, France On the final leg of our journey, we explored Bordeaux, navigated its bustling station, and admired scenic vineyards, reflecting on the contrasts across Europe. We arrived […]
The Final Leg Of The Summer 2024 Journey – The ...
A Wonderful Week in Athens A Wonderful Week in Athens Athens, Greece Our week in Athens: exploring the Acropolis, savoring local and international cuisine, uncovering ancient history, and navigating an unexpected travel hiccup that led to new adventures! We were up bright and early, heading to the Thessaloniki train station […]
A Wonderful Week In Athens: Travel Stories From Greece
Ohrid To Athens: North Macedonia Stories Ohrid To Athens: North Macedonia Stories Two Days Crossing Borders from North Macedonia to Greece Join us on a scenic two-day journey from Ohrid to Athens via Bitola, Florina, and Thessaloniki — full of charming towns, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant city life. Getting from […]
Ohrid To Athens -A Two-Day Scenic Journey – The Ultimate ...
Ohrid: North Macedonia Stories Ohrid: North Macedonia Stories A Relaxing Month on the Shores of Lake Ohrid We had a wonderful time in Kavala, Greece, but after a month it was time to move on. We decided to head to Ohrid, a small town on the shores of Lake Ohrid […]
Ohrid North Macedonia Stories – The Ultimate Travel Stories
A Month In Kavala Greece A Month In Kavala Greece Living Like Locals by the Sea in Northern Greece The next stop on our adventure was the port town of Kavala in Northern Greece, roughly midway between Thessaloniki and Turkey. We left Thessaloniki on the midday bus. The journey was […]
A Month In Kavala Greece – Travel Stories
Beautiful Thessaloniki: Two Days and Three Nights Beautiful Thessaloniki Two Days and Three Nights in This Lovely Northern Greek City Our next stop on our journey through Eastern and Southern Europe was the vibrant northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. Although our final destination was Kavala, border crossings and multiple bus […]
