Coral Reefs and Biblical Deserts-Camping on the Red Sea in the Desert Paradise of Ras Mahammad National Park

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...

River Rafting Among Grizzly Bears, Chasing Killer Whales and Volcano Hopping in a Soviet Era Military Helicopter  

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...

Climbing Wild Parts of the Great Wall of China

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...

Istanbul, Turkey: Admiring the Once Center of the Byzantine Roman Empire-Hagia Sophia-One of My Favorite Structures of the Old World,

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...

Ghost City of Ani in the Far East of Turkey

by Matthew Allison | Mar 15, 2018 | Asia

Journey to the Ghost City of Ani March 2018: My friends Jimmie, Frank, and I set off on a 12-day journey through Romania, Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Georgia. The primary goal of this leg of the trip was to explore Armenia, but there was one place I couldn’t...

Spending Easter in the World’s First Christian Nation. With It’s Mountains, Rich History, Old Villages and Churches, Friendly People, I Found Armenia to be One of My Favorite Countries in the Caucasus Mountains, Armenia

by Matthew Allison | Mar 13, 2018 | Asia

March 2018: As part of a 10-day trip that also included Romania, Turkey and Nagorno Karabakh, my friends Jimmie and I spent 3 days traveling across Armenia.  I hired an Armenian driver with an old Mercedes Benz to drive us across the country and the driver served...