Intrepid Cities and Cultural locations

The Backpacking Mecca of Bangkok
Bangkok is an enormous modern city that is alive with nightlife and energy. It is Thailand's spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre. Many intrepid travellers may initially be …
Brilliant Barcelona’s Best Attractions
The following are some pictures from a brief trip to Barcelona I made before boarding the Hanjin Brussels, hopefully they may offer you some ideals or inspiration to visit yourself!
Shiraz and the Timeless Persepolis
If you are travelling around Iran, no doubt with Esfahan somewhere on your itinerary (at some point) then make use of Iran’s ultra modern line of intercity buses and travel …
Overland to Oman’s Capital Muscat and Interesting Day Trips
On the penultimate day in Dubai, I opened Derrek’s Arabian Lonely Planet and started to read about Oman. Towards the bottom of the first page it read:"Oman is not the …
Fishing with friends in Bergen
With my week in Oslo behind me and the journey over the Hardangervidda plateau via the Bergen Line complete, I was met in Bergen by our family friend Reagan; I …
The Walled Ancient City of Xian & the Terracotta Warriors
Xi’an in Central China is a city of some eight million souls and one of the oldest cities in China. Xi’an is the former home to 73 former emperors including …
A Guide for your Trip to the Munich Oktoberfest – Hints, Tips and Advice
The Munich Oktoberfest is held over 16 to 18 days in the final weeks of September and early October and is regarded as the largest beer fest in the world, …
Downtown Dubai; Sights, Sounds and Getting Around
Several decades ago Dubai’s Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, realizing that oil reserves would one day be exhausted, began a process to diversify the economy to relieve it of …
A Day in the Capital of Saxony, the Historical Dresden
When travelling through Germany you’ll likely visit Berlin at some point, if you do consider making an overnight trip to Dresden which is the capital of the state of Saxony …
Visiting Osaka and the Historic Hiroshima
As part of a long weekend stopover after a work trip to South Korea from New Zealand, I took the opportunity to explore Osaka and Hiroshima. I would not spend …
Partying in Ibiza, Where to Stay, Clubs and What to do
What comes to mind when you hear Ibiza? Sunny summer days, golden beaches and turquoise waters? Partying, super clubs and drugs? Or both? Ibiza is certainly world famous for all …
Packing for Pakistan’s Lahore
Pakistan created in 1947 from the bloody partition with India, Pakistan became a state for Muslims lead by the much revered (in most parts) Mohammed Ali Jinnah. That word Pakistan …
What not to Miss in Belgium and Netherlands
These pictures are some of the highlights from my time exploring Benelux. Hopefully they might give some ideas or inspire you to visit for yourself!
The World Famous Wagah Border Closing Ceremony (Between Pakistan and India)
A 45 minute drive by shared taxi from Amritsar (the most convenient way of getting to the border), is the Wagah border between India and Pakistan; site of the world …
Advice for Viewing the Queens Birthday Celebration – Trooping the Colour, Royal Balcony Appearance & RAF Flyby
Trooping the Colour is a traditional ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies with a long history that originates on the battlefield where a regiment slowly marches their …
Attending the Stonehenge Summer Solstice Festival
For a number of years I’d been wanting to not only explore the Stonehenge complex, but also to witness the summer solstice at the world famous prehistoric monument located 13 …
Lao’s Vang Vieng River Tubing and the Capital Vientiane
The next destination on my travels through Laos was Vang Vieng. The bus ride through the mountains of central Lao’s from Luang Prabang proved to be the worse of the …
Singapore and Bintan your own way
Once my time in Penang had come to an end, I left on an overnight bus bound for Singapore the island city-state off southern Malaysia which is a regional global …
Iran’s Must See City – The Eternal Esfahan
No trip to Iran is complete without venturing to Esfahan; Iran’s most scenic city. The central city is awash with beautifully maintained parks delightful hand-painted tiling and a magnificent public …
Paris and the Louvre Museum
I have visited the cosmopolitan capital of France on a number of occasions and am always struck by its beauty and monuments. It truly is one of the world’s great …
Jordan’s Amman and its Best Day Trips to Jeresh and the Dead Sea
I began my trip through Jordan by arriving overland from Damascus, Syrian’s capital, to Amman, Jordan’s Capital. Officially known as The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan is a relatively small …
Visiting the World Famous Champagne Houses in Reims and Epernay
While living in London it is popular to made regular trips to and around Europe, so when I was invited to join a group of 12 others (10 of them …
Marrakech on a Budget
Little and lasting is better than much and passing. -- Moroccan Proverb
How to Visit the World Famous Petra, Jordan’s Best Attraction
Jordan’s most popular attraction is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, located in the southwest corner of the Hashemite Kingdom. Petra was once the thriving trading hub and capital …
Sweden’s Jokkmokk Winter Market
Held for three days from the first Thursday in February, every year since 1605, the Jokkmokk market (Jokkmokks Marknad) is a fascinating and unique cultural experience. The town of Jokkmokk …
Experiencing Sweden – The Year I Lived in Gothenberg
Gothenburg (known in Swedish as Göteborg) city, located on the west coast of Sweden and on the mouth of the Göta älv (Göta river) is the second-largest city in Sweden …
Overland from Bangkok to Singapore via Malaysia’s Penang
After a busy few days in Bangkok, I headed south, straight past the lures of Southern Thailand's beaches (they’d have to wait for a future trip), directly to an island …
Party in Medieval Prague, Delightful Český Krumlov
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and one of the largest cities in Central Europe which has been the center of the historic region of Bohemia for centuries. …
Mumbai and India’s West Coast
India is approximately 11 times the size of New Zealand (my home country) and as of 2008 has 270 times the population. If New Zealand had the population density of …
Israel’s Cultural Heart, Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Near-by Dead Sea
Jerusalem is the capital and largest city in Israel and is holy to three of the world’s great religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) and is considered as one of the …