The wonders of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
There is no straightforward overland route from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent in Uzbekistan. You have to go the long way ‘round – either all the way back down to Osh in the south and […]
Travel
The Circumnavigation of Issyk-Kul
Kyrgyzstan is just a little bit scruffy. Not in a sad, rundown, slummy, dirty kind of way but in an offhand, cool and slightly messy, ‘don’t care what the neighbours think’ kind of way. It’s […]
In Xinjiang
Even though it was only a few hours from Gansu on the fast train, Turpan feels like we’ve been transported to the Middle East. The Islamic influence is obvious – in the bread and food, […]
First steps on the old silk road
It was an adventurer called Zhang Qian, between 100-200 BC, who is said to have started off the old silk road trade route, from China to the west. He keeps appearing in lots of different […]
From culture shock to panda bears
Arriving in China felt like we’d landed on an entirely different planet. One where we didn’t know the customs, how things worked or how to behave, where we couldn’t even communicate or manage the basics […]
Into the wilds of Nam Ha
Even though we paid more than double the going price for tickets on the one-whole-seat-per-person fancy van, somehow we still ended up sitting in the aisle on the public bus to Oudomxay in northern Laos. […]
The perfect harmony of Luang Prabang
There’s something special about the town of Luang Prabang. Almost everybody says so and I have to agree. It has a kind of perfect harmony. It feels ancient and it is. Apparently it’s been here […]
Time out in Vientiane and Vang Vieng
Now I know why everyone who’s been here says ‘Oh, I love Laos!’. It’s because Laos is lovely. It seems to have a lot of the best parts of South East Asia without the madness […]
More than 4000 Islands
It was sad to say goodbye to the many people we love in Siem Reap but it’s wonderful to be on our way. My feet feel light, my heart is singing and I keep bursting […]
Fried insects and solar fans
We hadn’t been very far afield for the last few weeks but we had heard that the solar lights we installed in Lighting up a village are a big hit. In fact, they’ve been serving a […]
Adventurous Hermit 