Travel by cargo boat in the Mekong Delta is something I’ve been meaning to do ever since I first read about it. One trip I wanted to do was from Ben Tre to Tra Vinh. I’ve seen this way of travel mentioned in forums, and I’ve had a reader email me how he did the […]
I’m done with visiting “traditional villages”
It was on a tour around Bajawa in Indonesia where I came down with traditional village fatigue. I had hired a bike driver to take me to the sites in what was a well-worn itinerary. The tour included a walk to a volcanic lake, a waterfall, hot springs, and visiting traditional villages. The traditional village […]
The first meal I will eat when I get back is…
“What’s the first thing you are going to eat when you get back?” I asked Dan while we waited for our flight to Hanoi. “Fried eel soup.” Dan said this without missing a beat. He said it like he had already thought of this, and I asked him because I knew he would be the […]
10 years as a digital nomad
In April, 2003, I left my job in Dublin and began my life as a digital nomad. At the time I didn’t know that I had just become a digital nomad, or that I would be doing it for ten years. My previous employment record was three years and three months, and that was three […]
My life as a non-drinking traveller
It was 20 years ago today March 14, 2013 marks an important milestone in my life: I have been sober for 20 years. This means I haven’t had a drink or mind altering substance in that time, and to top that off I gave up smoking on the same day as well. Being a non-drinker […]
Travel Habits, Rituals and Superstitions I Have Acquired Over The Years
I first went overseas in 1995 (to Hawaii) and I got the travel bug immediately. Over this time I have acquired numerous travel habits and superstitions that follow me around the world, and even dictate my travels. I Travel To London Every Year Visiting London at least once a year is something that I make […]
The world’s best airport names
Nepal have announced plans to name an airport after Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay. Lukla airport will become Tenzing-Hillary airport. It is a common tradition worldwide to name an airport after a local hero. Here is a list of some of the best airport names in the world. UK – Liverpool […]
When can you say you’ve been to a country?
When can you say you’ve been to a country? Can you say you have been to a country if you only spent a few hours in one of its cities? Changing planes at international airports doesn’t count (of course), but what about a weekend or day trip to one place? Technically you can, but do […]
Holland or the Netherlands?
[Map of the Netherlands with Holland highlighted] It seems that some people and media institutions still don’t understand the Holland/Netherlands relationship. Technically Holland is a region within the Netherlands made up of the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. Saying Holland when you mean the Netherlands is like saying England when you mean Great Britain. […]
New Country Day – the sensation of visiting a country for the first time
On October 23 2009, I arrived in Serbia for the first time via train from Hungary. It occurred to me when my passport was getting stamped that I can never arrive in Serbia for the first time again. I call this New Country Day. Being in a country for the first time can only officially […]
