On the blog...
Here on the blog you’ll find (at least some of) our stories from the road, plus itineraries and plenty of first-hand advice that we like to think is useful.
Obvious exceptions like Turkmenistan or Bhutan aside, we travel on our own, sorting out the details as we go. Which works most of the time. Story, guide, or trip-report-hybrid, I write about what really happens to us as a direct result of this kind of independent travel. What we do, the people we meet, and everything else that rolls up together to make a great trip (…or not. But mostly great).
Since we travel by road (or rail, or sea) most of the time, there’s a lot of exactly that here – getting around on local transport in one form or another. And for some of our best self-driving adventures, I’ve laid out our itineraries and how to plan a similar road trip for yourself.
This type of travel inevitably involves more than a few border-crossings. So you’ll find plenty of posts explaining the ins-and-outs of some of the more complicated borders we’ve come across.
If you’re irresistibly drawn to the endless adventures and challenges that come with overland travel, then have a look below. Happy travels:)
Extreme journeys: riding Mauritania’s iron ore train
I hauled myself up the ladder with a bit of extra momentum, and landed on a pile of scratchy black powder. Oyv climbed up too and we stood on top of the heap of iron ore in wagon six. The train rumbled to life underneath us and slowly pulled away. Gradually it picked up speed, and we chugged towards the coast. Sixteen hours overnight through the Sahara, all alone under the stars, on top of a train.
Tunisia: our eight day travel itinerary
Tunisia is a well-known tourist destination, mainly because of its beach resorts. But away from the coastal holiday zones, it’s also an easy country to travel around – no beach resorts required. We explored on our own as usual, and this post outlines what we saw and did in eight days, and how we got around from place to place.
Self-driving the Pamir Highway: planning eight days on the ‘Roof of the World’
Self-driving the Pamir Highway is one of the world’s ultimate roadtrips. This guide is our eight day itinerary, and the information you need to plan your trip.
How to cross the Shir Khan border from Tajikistan to Afghanistan
Here’s what you need to know to travel by road from Tajikistan (Panji Poyon) to Afghanistan (Shir Khan Bandar).
How to cross the Torkham border from Afghanistan to Pakistan
Here’s what you need to know to travel by road from Afghanistan to Pakistan, across the Torkham border.
Self-driving safari in southern Africa: itinerary and planning
A self-driving safari in southern Africa is definitely one of the world’s ultimate roadtrips. Thinking about taking it on? In this post I’ve outlined our twenty-one day self-driving itinerary from South Africa to Namibia and Botswana, and provided some information to help you plan your own ultimate African roadtrip.
Planning a tour in Turkmenistan: our 9 day itinerary
This post is the itinerary for our nine day tour in Turkmenistan. It’s about how we arrived at this plan, what we loved about it, and things we’d change in retrospect. Feel free to copy our itinerary directly, or borrow a few of the days you like best and use it as a base to kick off your own plans.
How to cross the Sonauli border between India and Nepal
Here’s what you need to know to travel by road between India and Nepal, across the Sonauli (Sunauli) border.
How to cross the Wagah Border between Pakistan and India
Here’s what you need to know to travel by land from Pakistan to India and vice versa.