Asia | Venture The Planet

Venturing into the Northern Jungles of Htamanthi Reserve, Myanmar as One of the First Tourists to Obtain a Permit to Visit the Region

by Matthew Allison | Mar 28, 2019 | Asia, Expeditions, Most Unique Travel Experiences, Rainforest, Tribes/Unique Cultures, Wildlife

March 2019: As part of a larger 10-day trip that involved visiting Afghanistan, I also visited Myanmar for 4 days, a country that couldn’t be any different on the cultural spectrum. This was my 3rd visit to Myanmar, one of my favorite countries in the...

Trip to Bamiyan, Afghanistan in Winter Two Years Before the Taliban Takeover

by Matthew Allison | Feb 26, 2019 | Asia

February 2019: On this trip, I visited Afghanistan as part of a 10 day round the world trip. I departed from Los Angelas and flew to Myanmar, Thailand and then Afghanistan before flying all the way home over the Atlantic completing around the world flight. This was my...

Entering the Kingdom as One of the First Foreigners to be Issued a Tourist Visa to Explore Desert Caves Only Known to Local Bedouin, Saudi Arabia

by Matthew Allison | Dec 30, 2018 | Caves/Tunnels, Asia, Middle East, Haunted Places, Most Unique Travel Experiences

December 2018: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was top of my list for years but virtually impossible to visit for tourists. Saudi Arabia the founding nation of Islam and home of the holiest city in Islam, Mecca was set on eliminating any foreign influence that could...

Coral Reefs and Biblical Deserts-Camping on the Red Sea in the Desert Paradise of Ras Mahammad National Park

by Matthew Allison | Nov 10, 2018 | Africa, Asia, Middle East

November 2018: As part of a larger North Africa trip, my friend Richard and I visited Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai is technically in Asia, even though it is part of Egypt, which is in North Africa. The Sinai is a vast mountainous desert where the Bible...

River Rafting Among Grizzly Bears, Chasing Killer Whales and Volcano Hopping in a Soviet Era Military Helicopter

by Matthew Allison | Sep 23, 2018 | Asia, Mountains, Europe, Wildlife, Volcanoes

A Week of Adventure in Russia’s Version of Alaska September 2018: For years I wanted to visit Russia’s answer to Alaska, Kamchatka but the price was just to cost prohibitive. Finally, I was tired of watching documentaries about the wildlife and volcanoes...

Climbing Wild Parts of the Great Wall of China

by Matthew Allison | Sep 23, 2018 | Asia, Mountains, Most Unique Travel Experiences

September 2018: The Great Wall of China, a series of towering stone walls and fortifications built by the Chinese Empire for protection against the northern barbarian hordes between the7th Century BC to the 1600s and draped over mountains, and deserts for thousands of...