One hundred and one flights in 2025, bringing me to 1782 lifetime flights. Flew to or from twenty-seven countries. Five continents. From the midnight sun grazing Helsinki’s summer sky to the crisp air of Hobart’s harbour, 2025 took me 213,054 kilometres (132,386 miles) around our planet. Roughly five times over. My lifetime total? 102 full circumnavigations of the earth. The only continent I missed in 2025? Antarctica. Next time, penguins. Next time! This year earned a 93% of flights I was happy with. This is my highest score since 2001. Not because I’ve gone soft…
Thailand
Tag Archives for Thailand.
Rating a city: From First Crush to Favourites
How do you rate a city? A good memory? The food? Its beauty? The first time I landed in Paris, I fell hard. I loved the art, the tree‑lined streets, the river, the metro, the food and markets, and even the people (yes, I mean Parisians). Twenty‑three visits later, I still love Paris. Barcelona was the same. Since then, there have been many other cities I’ve been smitten with, a small number of places that bored me, and a very small number I couldn’t wait to leave. Most sit somewhere in the middle, with moments…
8 Fantastic Train Trips That Made My 2025 Unforgettable
Trains, for me, are one of the most interesting, practical and romantic ways to get around the planet, and I love them more than I love planes (and I love planes a lot). I have ridden railways now on every inhabited continent, and in 202,5 I added these eight beauties: #1. Flåm Railway, Norway “the best train ride in the world” (Lonely Planet) I captured 161 photos on one of the most beautiful train journeys I have ever taken. The line climbs 864 metres from the Fjord to the mountain, twisting through 20 tunnels, including…
Mind-blowing Experience on Thailand’s most Perilous Rail Route
I have always had a passion for trains and train travel. Over the years, I’ve ridden trains in 76 of the 90 countries I’ve visited, from Finland to Morocco to the USA, Chile, and New Zealand. A few years ago, I made it my mission to ride every rail line in Thailand, leading to incredible adventures—from bustling Bangkok to cities like Chiang Mai, and serene rural stations. However, the southernmost railway line had eluded me for a long time. This line connects the border town of Sungai Kolok to one of the most isolated cities…
Crossing a Border Few Dare to Walk—What Happened Next
“Bpai nai krub?” The immigration officer asked robotically as I handed over my passport. (Where are you going?) “Klap bahn krub,” I replied. “Bpai tee Krung Thep.” (I am going home, sir. To Bangkok.) My accent, coupled with my Australian passport, caught his attention. He looked up at me, momentarily surprised. Clearly, I was an anomaly—utterly different from the usual processing of Thai and Malaysian passports or border passes. I was the only non-Thai or non-Malay in the immigration hall. “Klap bahn, bpai tee Krung Thep?” he repeated, flipping through my passport.“Yes,” I confirmed in…
Being Captured by Captivating Krabi: Thailand’s Cultural and Natural Paradise
I just had to share some photos from my recent trip to the southern Thailand province of Krabi, where I spent a few days. Located along the Andaman Sea coast, Krabi offers visitors picturesque islands such as Phi Phi Islands, Railay Beach, and Ao Nang. The province is known for its stunning natural beauty, including rugged mountains, lush forests, limestone cliffs, clear waters, sandy beaches, and abundant marine life. Over the years, Krabi has gained international popularity due to these natural attractions. The province’s history dates back centuries, and its culture is influenced by Thai…
Flying Around the World for “Free”: A Frequent Flyer Adventure
Flying around the globe is the holy grail of travel. In August and September 2024, I flew 29,099 miles (46,622 km) around the world, mainly in Business Class. My aiming was to use frequent flyer points to cover most of the journey. Many people have been curious about how I managed it, so here we go… My journey started and finished in Sydney, Australia and took me to: Paying outright for a similar round-the-world itinerary in Business Class would have cost between $14,986 and $16,545 USD, not including taxes and fees. For Business Class tickets,…
One Amazing Travel Year: Countless Stories across 23 Countries, 60 Cities
Two main themes explain my 2023 travel adventures. The first was a massively serious checking-off bucket list of places and activities including a first visit to the Isle of Man and Malta, the White Cliffs of Dover, Canterbury Cathedral, Michalenegos’ Last Supper, and multiple museums. riding several heritage railways, seeing my Irish ancestors’ hometowns, watching several amazing shows across the world and visiting Concordes on display in three countries! I have now visited 87 countries (out of an ultimate goal of 99 )and reached 578 cities! The second theme was revisiting favourite haunts including Abu…
I have now travelled to 84 countries!
In 2020 and 2021, I added no new countries to my “collection”. In 2022, I did a little catching up, visiting Timor Leste, Morocco, Qatar and Gibraltar! I had previously been to Doha Airport, but never gp off the plane. Check this link for a comprehensive look at the places I have visited. My overall goal is 99 countries, and I had hoped to add two new places each year until I get there. This means that goal is about nine years away! Between my flights and boat trips I have looped the earth around…
A Year of Walking Thailand
In 2021, my goal was to walk or run 2,400KM (1,440 miles) which is kind of a lot in a year! With lockdowns in Thailand (where I am based) shutting down pubs, clubs, restaurants, pools, gyms, beaches, parks and shops for most of the year there was little else to do but walk in 34 to 37 degrees Celsius (93 to 94 Fahrenheit). The result was I actually reached a record for me of 3212 kilometres Yes, I should have pushed to get to that magic 2000 miles! This is almost the same distance as…
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