Riga & and Traveling Around the Latvian Countryside by Train-Latvia

by Matthew Allison | Sep 4, 2011 | Europe

September 2011: As part of a longer two-week adventure that includes Afghanistan and Tajikistan, I visited Latvia on 3 days stop over since I was flying to Tajikistan via Riga Air, which disembarks from Riga, the capitol of Latvia. Prior to visiting Latvia, I had...

Vanuatu-Erupting Volcanoes, Running From Lava Bombs And Kastom Villages Where Traditions Are Still Strongly Upheld

by Matthew Allison | May 30, 2011 | Australia & Pacific

Journey to Tanna, Vanuatu: A Real-Life Joe vs. the Volcano A Movie That Inspired My Imagination I often connect my travels to films, and for my trip to Vanuatu, one of my all-time favorites immediately came to mind: Joe vs. the Volcano. In this quirky, fairytale-like...

Being a Cast-Away on the Fijian Island Where Tom Hanks Filmed the Movie Cast-Away

by Matthew Allison | May 12, 2011 | Australia & Pacific

 Monuriki Island in Fiji, The island Where Tom Hanks Filmed Castaway Cast Away in Fiji A Short but Sweet Island Escape This was my second trip to Fiji, and although I only had a few days, I was determined to make the most of it. One adventure I couldn’t pass up was...

Wandering the World War II Battlefields of Guadalcanal Where I Died Playing an American Soldier in the Movie “The Thin Red Line, “Solomon Islands

by Matthew Allison | May 3, 2011 | Australia & Pacific

May 2011: Journey to Guadalcanal From Reel to Real After working as an extra in The Thin Red Line—a film about the World War II battle of Guadalcanal—I knew that someday I had to visit the real island. At just 20 years old, standing in front of the cameras in...

New Years Eve on the Tibetan Side of Mt. Everest Base Camp

by Matthew Allison | Dec 31, 2010 | Asia

December 2010: On a 8-day trip, my friends Tim, Eric and I traveled to Tibet-roof the world-a high mountain plateau that historically has been one of the most isolated and unknown places to the outside world. We traveled to Tibet to learn about its endangered culture,...

Camping Among the Lesser Known Nubian Pyramids in the Country of Sudan Where You Are More Likely to Encounter a Desert Nomad than another Tourist

by Matthew Allison | Nov 24, 2010 | Africa

Exploring Sudan’s Ancient Wonders Amidst Political Turmoil November 2010: At the time of my journey, and for many years prior, Sudan was frequently portrayed as a villain in international headlines. Sudanese President Omar Bashir had been publicly condemned by...

Visiting Libya Under Muammar Qaddafi, Climbing Mountains Haunted by Evil Genies, Traveling Across the Magical Saharan Desert and Having an Entire Ruined Roman City to Myself

by Matthew Allison | Nov 21, 2010 | Africa

November 2010: For years, I was obsessed with visiting Libya—a country ruled by the eccentric and notorious dictator, Mad Dog Muammar Qaddafi. For decades, he had controlled this oil-rich expanse of the Sahara Desert in North Africa, becoming an arch-nemesis of Ronald...

Visiting Hezbollah Mosques and Roman Ruins in the Baaka Valley While Being Shown Around this Amazing Country by the Lebanese Family of a Good Friend, Lebanon

by Matthew Allison | Nov 10, 2010 | Asia, Middle East

Exploring Lebanon Through the Eyes of Locals November 2010: As part of a longer two-week journey that included Libya—where I explored Roman ruins under Muammar Gaddafi’s rule—and Sudan, where I camped among the Nubian pyramids, I spent three unforgettable days in...

Day trip to the Roman Coliseum and Vatican Sistine Chapel

by Matthew Allison | Nov 7, 2010 | Europe

A Lightning Layover in Rome and Vatican City November 2010: Making Every Minute Count Planning a Mini Adventure During an 8-hour layover en route to Libya, I carefully mapped out a quick escape to visit two must-see landmarks: the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel....

Bizarre Turkmenistan and Camping Next to the So-Called Doorway to Hell-Darvaza Gas Crater

by Matthew Allison | Sep 7, 2010 | Asia

Turkmenistan: A Journey into One of the World’s Most Isolated Countries In September 2010, I set out to visit one of the most unusual and secretive nations on Earth—Turkmenistan. Often called the North Korea of Central Asia, Turkmenistan remains politically and...