Ask someone in England to describe their vision of paradise. That place exists. It is in Thailand, and it is exactly where I spent a fortnight cycling, from Bangkok to Malaysia.“Hug the east coast, stay off the highways and have fun!” advised my Australian friend, Paul, as he watched me devour my first pizza in […]
adventure travel
The ferry from Singapore to Jakarta – What’s ‘Class F’ really like?
“Come back tomorrow. 4am” the ticket officer repeated for the 7th time. I had travelled in Asia long enough to know there was no way they would be open at 4 in the morning. Once again, I tried to explain that my boat left at 6am, and there was not another for a week. “Yes” […]
On a ferry named PELNI – Leaving Singapore!
In the niche world of ‘cycling around the world’, and overland travel in general, legend tells of a boat from Singapore to Australia, which ferries travellers from one continent to the next. The thing is, beyond speculation or rumour, no-one knows anything about this boat, or anyone who took it. There is certainly no passenger […]
The End of the Road – Reaching Singapore!
This morning I woke up and pointed my bike in the direction of Singapore. Just 70km to go. I allowed a goofy, big grin, that would startle anyone who saw it, and began to pedal. I was going to make it… I was actually going to make it! I smiled again, and then I laughed.Two years ago, […]
4 tales from Vietnam to Restore your Faith in Humanity!
This blog post is dedicated to sharing a handful of positive and uplifting stories from the two weeks I spent cycling in Vietnam. Unlike the news which seems to bombard us with negativity, I’m here to tell you what an awesome world we live in. So sit back, sip a cup of tea, and have […]
“I don’t even want to see another bike!” – Holiday in Thailand
Just like marathon runners might ‘hit the wall’, the same thing can happen to someone cycling around the world but rather than a physical wall, it is a mental one – indeed, most of the challenges cycling around the world are mental. By the time I entered Thailand I was tired of cycling; no matter […]
Culture Shock in Thailand: Where did the adventure go?!
For the third time of the trip I had a culture shock crossing into Thailand. The first was in Bosnia, where it became clear I was no longer in Western Europe. Heck, it didn’t even feel like Europe any more. The second was flying to India. India is India, nothing prepares you for that. But […]
Across Myanmar in 24 (mostly illegal) sleeps!
Wild Camping in Myanmar What I did in Myanmar… it was crazy. You may say stupid, and perhaps you’d be right. Foreigners must stay in a hotel every night, and it must be specially licenced to accept foreigners, i.e. very expensive. That is the law. But I didn’t want to stay in expensive hotels; it […]
Flying a Hot Air Balloon over Bagan and Inle Lake in Myanmar
You may have seen some awesome photos on my Facebook page (if you haven’t liked it already, why not!?) about a hot air balloon flight I did in Myanmar, and be wondering how I’d managed to fly in a hot air balloon. It’s true – It’s a little out of my $3 a day budget. […]
Adventure and Misadventure in East Nepal
My time in Kathmandu was frustrating. I had been lucky to stay with some fun, easy-going guys for 10 days, and enjoyed the wealth of attractions the city boasts (7 UNESCO heritage sites), but my time was consumed by near-daily trips to embassies chasing up visas for India and Myanmar, instead of the intrepid hiking […]