by Matthew Allison | Mar 18, 2021 | South America & Antarctica
Paraguay-the Emptiness in Between the Places Tourists Want to Visit March 2021: I have always been intrigued by places that are seldom visited by foreign tourists, places where internet searches turn up mostly blank pages. Paraguay is no exception to this. Paraguay is...
by Matthew Allison | Jan 22, 2021 | Central America
Spending the Night Next to a 12,000′ Erupting Volcano During my travels, I have become obsessed with volcanoes and have been fortunate to visit dozens around the world, including those in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nicaragua, Vanuatu,...
by Matthew Allison | Jan 14, 2021 | Central America
January 2021: Nicaragua was one of my first international trips. I first went there when I was a 19 year old college student. My friend and I went to western Nicaragua as part of a church related humanitarian trip to assist doctors and dentists with their medical...
by Matthew Allison | Jan 1, 2021 | Central America
Walking Among Bones of Human Sacrifices in the Caves of the Mayan Underworld January 2021: Belize is more than its famous cayes and world-class diving—its jungles hide ancient Mayan ruins and vast cave networks. Most Mayan cities in western Belize were built near...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 27, 2020 | Africa
November 2020: After my Kilimanjaro climb was over, my friends and I stayed in Zanzibar Island for two nights of rest and relaxation at the Zuri 5 Star hotel on a white sand beach. Zanzibar is a large semi-autonomous tropical paradise island that is part of Tanzania...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 21, 2020 | Africa
Climbing to the Roof of Africa-Kilimanjaro When your goal is to travel to every country in Africa, it is inevitable that you will eventually feel a beckoning to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. For many years I wanted to climb the mountain but I was...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 18, 2020 | Africa
November 2020: Chad is a vast country, and aside from Zakouma National Park in the south, I believe its most fascinating regions lie in the northern Sahara Desert. As part of my quest to visit every country in the world, I had long looked forward to visiting Chad—but...
by Matthew Allison | Oct 4, 2020 | Australia & Pacific
Marquesas Islands-Polynesia Forgotten by Tourism The Marquesas Islands: A Remote and Untamed Paradise The Marquesas Islands, a sparsely populated volcanic archipelago, stand among the most isolated island chains in the world. Located in the far reaches of French...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 31, 2020 | Caribbean
Jamaica-Beyond the All Inclusive Resorts to the Caves and Jungles of Cockpit Country August 2020: Jamaica and the Roots of Rastafarianism Big Islands, Small Islands When I think of the Caribbean, I often divide the countries into two categories: the big islands and...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 21, 2020 | Caribbean
A Weekend of Exploring Caves Both Above and Under-Water in the Wild Cotubanamá National Park, Dominican Republic August 2020: On my way back from Jamaica, I decided to stop in the Dominican Republic for a few days to visit the Cotubanamá National Park. I often use...
