by Matthew Allison | Feb 4, 2018 | Caribbean
February 2018: Swimming and diving with the ocean’s greatest creatures has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I’ve scoured the world’s waters to encounter humpback whales, sperm whales, whale sharks, great white sharks, manatees, belugas, and more. Among them,...
by Matthew Allison | Jan 20, 2018 | Mexico
January 2018: In my quest to see as much of my favorite country as possible, I booked a long weekend trip to Copper Canyon, the largest canyon in North America, which is even larger than the Arizona Grand Canyon. Along with my girlfriend and her mom, our plan was to...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 22, 2017 | Africa
Three Days in Burkina Faso: An Underrated Gem of West Africa November 2017: As part of a larger two-week journey through South Sudan, Benin, and Togo, I spent three days in Burkina Faso with my friend Richard. We arranged for a 4WD vehicle with a driver/guide in...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 22, 2017 | Africa
Benin: The Beating Heart of West Africa Voodoo, Royalty, and a Journey from North to South November 2017 — When I think of West Africa, Benin instantly comes to mind. This small, unassuming country is the quintessential embodiment of West Africa—a land where ancient...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 5, 2017 | Africa
A Childhood Fascination Turned Reality: Visiting South Sudan’s Mundari Tribe November 2017: I first heard of South Sudan back in grade school, long before it became an independent country. Back then, it was still part of greater Sudan, a nation torn apart by civil...
by Matthew Allison | Oct 22, 2017 | Africa
A Journey to Togo: Discovering the Tammari People November 2017: My friend Richard and I traveled in our own vehicle with a driver through Togo as part of a larger West Africa adventure, which also took us through Benin, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan. Togo was one of...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 30, 2017 | Australia & Pacific
September 2017: As part of a two-week journey across the South Pacific, my wife and I spent two days in New Zealand with one goal: to explore a wild glowworm cave. Rather than visiting a commercial show cave, we sought an unmanaged one where we could venture at our...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 18, 2017 | Australia & Pacific
September 2017: Paula and I planned a trip to Samoa, also known as Independent Western Samoa. Although it lies just 500 miles from American Samoa, a U.S. territory, Independent Samoa is its own sovereign nation. The country is known for preserving its traditional...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 13, 2017 | Australia & Pacific
Swimming with Giants: Our Journey to Tonga In September 2017, my wife and I traveled to Tonga, the last Pacific kingdom still ruled by a king, for six days as part of a two-week journey that also included Samoa and New Zealand. Our main goal in Tonga was to swim with...
by Matthew Allison | May 5, 2017 | Default
May 2017: To celebrate my 40th birthday, I flew to Medellín, Colombia, with a few close friends—Johnny, Jimmie, Dan, and Frank. This was my second visit to Colombia- Colombian Cocaine Labs, Indians and Hiking to the Paramilitary Controlled Lost City of Tayrona |...
