by Matthew Allison | Dec 7, 2009 | Europe
December 2009: At some point in life, I believe it’s important to learn about your ancestors and discover your roots. By doing so, you gain a deeper understanding of the places and lives of those who shaped you—both genetically and culturally. Preserving this...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 28, 2009 | Asia
November 2009: I visited the Philippines as part of a larger 3-week trip across Southeast Asia. The Philippines is one of my most meaningful trips because it is where my wife was born and although she didn’t go with me on this trip, I did stay with some of her...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 27, 2009 | Asia
November 2009: I decided to return to Nepal for a week to visit Chitwan National Park and try finding a wild tiger and rhino after my failed attempt during my first visit to Western Nepal’s Bardia National Park in 1997. Chitwan was a back-up plan to visiting the...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 21, 2009 | Asia
November 2009: After years of attempting to organize a trip into the Hukawng Valley, the world’s largest tiger reserve in northern Myanmar, I was finally granted permission. A local fixer informed me that the Myanmar military government had approved my permit to...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 12, 2009 | Asia
Sri Lanka Wildlife Adventure November 2009 During a three-week adventure across Southeast Asia, I spent four memorable days exploring Sri Lanka, primarily to see Asian elephants in their natural habitat. Sri Lanka is world-famous for its national parks and dedicated...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 5, 2009 | Asia
November 2009: A Journey Through Laos, the Land of Lost Elephants A Hidden Paradise in Southeast Asia Among the countries of Southeast Asia, Laos stands uniquely blessed with extensive forests sprawling across its mountainous landscape. As one of the region’s least...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 25, 2009 | Asia
A Week Living with Nomads September 2009: I really believe that no one should live their life without sleeping in a yurt at least one night and if you can do so for a week like my friend Kent and I did, even better. Staying in yurts with Mongolian and Kazakh nomads...
by Matthew Allison | May 28, 2009 | Asia
One of My Greatest Trekking Adventures May 2009: I first learned about Papua and its tribes of penis gourded men from a documentary. The idea of a tribe of men wearing nothing but penis gourdes to be honest seemed absurd to me and I couldn’t believe that such a...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 31, 2009 | South America & Antarctica
March 2009/Day 1: I wanted to visit the Galápagos Islands, a remote archipelago of volcanic islands famed for their unique wildlife, which played a crucial role in Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. My goal was to experience the wildlife and raw...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 30, 2009 | South America & Antarctica
March 2009: On this trip to Ecuador, beyond exploring the Galápagos Islands-Independant Travel to the Galapagos Islands | Venture The Planet, my goal was to venture deep into the Amazon Rainforest and visit Yasuní National Park—a place that keeps drawing me back. I...