Destinations Archives - Bren on The Road

Running Port Vila: Ten Days In Vanuatu’s Capital

I’m allergic to cold weather. That’s what’s brought me here. Stuck in Auckland for a few months, I had to get away to some warmth. Just for a little while. I landed in Port Vila late. Did the standard airport haggle with the taxi drivers. 2,600 vatu to get to town. Ripping me off? Probably. Too tired to care. We settle on 2,000. I am …

Destinations

A Night At The Gallery

I park the car. Look out the window. At the crowd. A jolt of anxiety. I hate these things. No, I don’t. Yes, I do. I really don’t. Yes, I really do. Well, what are you going to do? Just drive back home and read all night? Again? Live a little. Besides, you told Mike …

Destinations

I Wrote A Book

Well, where do I start. It feels strange writing this post. Partly because I haven’t written here in so long, partly because I have big news and don’t quite now how to share it. If you’ve been wondering what I’ve been doing for the last two years, I’m about to tell you, but getting to …

Destinations, New Zealand

Where To Stay In Auckland: An Insider’s Guide

Updated April 2023. So you’re coming to Auckland! Auckland’s an interesting city. It’s a cosmopolitan metropolis of 1.4 million people, and it has everything, but on a small scale. Designer shops, shopping malls, beaches, concerts, all cuisines, festivals – it’s all here – just not everywhere and just not all the time. Each part of …

Destinations

Redesigning Bren On The Road (a rebuild from scratch)

Welcome to Bren On The Road 3.0! You might notice things look a little different around here. This is the second redesign I’ve done since launch, and the first in 4 years. It’s a big change from how things started! When I first started this site in 2013 I knew nothing about websites. I knew nothing about …

Destinations, New Zealand, Popular

The Ultimate Guide To New Zealand Slang

It happens to me everywhere I go. I’ll be having a conversation with some mates at the hostel and, forgetting I’m not in New Zealand, I’ll say something like… “Yeah nah bro, I reckon that’s all good, cheap as for a mean as feed like that!” And they’ll all stare at me in silence, as …

Destinations, Japan

Running Yokohama: The Day Kobe Died

It’s been almost three weeks since Kobe died. I still think about him every day. It’s starting to feel real, but still doesn’t feel right and probably never will. When I first heard the news I had just woken up and was checking my phone with crusts still in my eyes. I was in Yokohama, …

Destinations, Thailand

Laps and Miles in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a place talked about often in my circles. Fellow bloggers and readers just assume I’ve been there, being the hotspot for anyone who works on a laptop. But somehow I’ve managed to miss Chiang Mai for an entire decade of globetrotting. In December I finally had some free time in Asia and …

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