by Matthew Allison | Jan 23, 2007 | Mexico
July 2007: The Yucatan Peninsula is one of my favorite regions of Mexico because of its Mayan ruins, jungles, freshwater cenotes with underground cave diving and it is also a great place to swim with whale sharks in La Isla Holbox. My brother Jesse and I flew to...
by Matthew Allison | Jan 17, 2007 | Europe
A Long Weekend in Ireland: Castles, Cliffs, and a Pint with Fishermen January 2007: For the most part, my travels during this era were focused on the developing world—places where adventure was raw and unfiltered. But the lure of Ireland, with its rolling green hills,...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 22, 2006 | Asia
One Week in Rajasthan: Tigers, Desert Forts, and an Unforgettable Journey In November 2006, as part of a two-week trip that also included Iran and Belarus, I spent a week in Rajasthan, India. My main goals were to see a wild tiger in Ranthambore National Park and...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 22, 2006 | Asia, Middle East
Iran 2006: Seeking Truth Beyond the Headlines November 2006: In 2006, not long after my visit to North Korea, I set my sights on Iran—a country branded as part of the “Axis of Evil” by President George W. Bush and often demonized by Western media. But I...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 18, 2006 | Europe
Three Days in Belarus: A Glimpse into an Authoritarian State November 2006: As part of a larger journey through Iran, Moscow, and Rajasthan, India, I spent three days in Belarus, traveling en route from Iran to India. I had long been curious about Belarus—a country...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 11, 2006 | Africa
September 2006: As part of a 10-day adventure that included cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa-Cage Diving with Great White Sharks in Guadalupe Island, Mexico & South Africa | Venture The Planet and a canoe safari down the Zambezi River in...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 8, 2006 | Africa
September 2006: My friend Matt and I backpacked across Zambia-White Water Rafting in the Category Five Rapids of the Zambezi River Beneath the Worlds Longest Waterfalls-Victoria Falls,Zambia | Venture The Planet and crossed the remote Chirundu border into Zimbabwe....
by Matthew Allison | May 19, 2006 | South America & Antarctica
May 2006: As part of a two-week trip that also included Colombia-Colombian Cocaine Labs, Indians and Hiking to the Paramilitary Controlled Lost City of Tayrona | Venture The Planet, I visited Venezuela for a week with two of my friends, Sterling and Holly. The goal of...
by Matthew Allison | May 5, 2006 | South America & Antarctica
May 2006: In 2006, Colombia was just beginning to open to tourism after decades of war and conflict. Peace agreements between paramilitaries, guerrillas, and the government were in place, but crime remained high, and lawlessness persisted in areas still controlled by...
by Matthew Allison | Apr 1, 2006 | Caribbean, North America
April 2006: Cuba is one of the last remaining Marxist-communist countries in the world and the only one left in the Western Hemisphere. It is also an island that, at the time of my trip, I was forbidden to visit by my own government. These reasons alone made me want...
