by Matthew Allison | Nov 20, 2018 | Africa
November 2018: The time had finally come for me to visit Algeria, a country notorious for its visa and access difficulties, much like Libya, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia. I had postponed the trip for years, having already explored the Sahara in Libya, and I wasn’t eager...
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...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 10, 2018 | Africa
November 2018: Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, is a city long synonymous with war. It conjures images of terrorism, kidnappings, piracy, and the brutal urban combat depicted in Black Hawk Down. On paper, it’s hardly a compelling list of reasons to visit. Yet, for...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 9, 2018 | Africa
November 2018: Sometimes I visit a region simply because I’m in the area, and it would feel like a shame not to at least pop over for a visit—just in case I never have the chance to return. That was exactly the case with Western Sahara. I was in Mauritania to ride the...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 3, 2018 | Africa
November 2018: My friend and I were on a cross-country, multi-nation journey across North Africa-North Africa | Venture The Planet, aiming to explore new countries neither of us had been to before. With only three days in Mauritania, I wanted to make the most of our...
by Matthew Allison | Oct 23, 2018 | Africa, Middle East
I can never be bored with Egypt. There is always something new to be discovered besides the main tourist attractions like the Giza Pyramids, which I am also happy to visit every time I am in Egypt. If I have time I always try and either visit the Giza Pyramids because...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 23, 2018 | Asia, Europe
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...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 23, 2018 | Asia
September 2018: Hiking China’s Wild Great Wall The Great Wall of China—a staggering ancient structure built by emperors and warriors, stretching thousands of miles across deserts, mountains, and valleys until finally reaching the sea—is unquestionably one of the...
by Matthew Allison | Jul 15, 2018 | Asia
Istanbul: A City That Never Loses Its Magic I’ve visited Istanbul multiple times over the years, and no matter how often I return, the city never ceases to fascinate me. It has become one of my favorite cities in the world, a place where history feels alive in every...
by Matthew Allison | May 10, 2018 | Europe
May 2018: The Faroe Islands is one of those special places on Earth that is just too good to be true. It has the green lush scenery of Ireland but the desolation of Iceland. It is technically a territory of Denmark and is closer to the Arctic than Europe. The people...
