Destinations, Turkey

Visiting Gallipoli: Two Sides To A Story

When I landed in Istanbul, it hadn’t even really crossed my mind to visit Gallipoli until I saw the “Gallipoli Tour” flyer on the noticeboard. I’d actually forgotten the place was even in Turkey. My initial plan had been to see Istanbul for a few days and jump west, but I decided, as a Kiwi, …

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Australia, Destinations, Stories

Better Luck Next Time, Sydney Airport

The plane hits the pavement. I look at the clock. 10:51. Check-in for my next flight closes at 11:45. I do the math slowly in my head. 54 minutes to get through customs, collect my bags, and make it upstairs to check-in. Easy peasy. Well, it should be easy peasy, except for one problem – …

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Destinations, Japan

Tell Me Your Secrets, Okinawa

I’m not sure what brought me to Okinawa. I’d heard it was kind of cheap, sunny, laid back, and just a little bit different to the rest of Japan. But we hadn’t really planned things. We just kind of ended up there. Of course, I’d done a bit of pre-arrival research, and in doing so learned …

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Destinations, Japan

Dinner At A Maid Cafe In Tokyo, Japan

As we walked around Tokyo’s Akihabara district, wandering through video arcades, toy stores, and a rather popular six-storey sex shop, my friend turns and says to me, “Oh, and we should definitely have dinner at a maid cafe!” A maid cafe? Sure, whatever that is. What followed was undoubtedly the most bizarre dining experience I …

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Destinations, Japan

Tokyo: Just A Little Bit Overrated

About 15 years ago, I visited Tokyo with my mother for a two week trip. At the time I was about 12 or 13 years old, and the first thing I noticed were the lights; big colourful lights towering over me, as if I was walking through some kind of human pinball machine. Next was …

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Destinations, Ecuador

Is It Worth Visiting The Galapagos Islands?

Before my salsa stint in Quito, I was lucky enough to join my family on a seven day cruise of Ecuador’s famous Galapagos Islands. I’d heard countless tales of this place, especially back in 2011 during my first trip to South America, and was eager to see if they lived up to the hype. A …

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Destinations, The Philippines

An Afternoon Biking Through Manila With Smokey Tours

After my slum tour with Smokey Tours, I was kindly offered to join them on one of their bike tours through Manila. At the time, I hadn’t ridden a bike in over a year, so I jumped at the chance. I used to live in the Philippines, so I’d already seen quite a bit of …

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Destinations, Stories, The Philippines

Inside Manila: A Walk Through The Slums Of The Philippine Capital

The mud is black. There’s trash everywhere. And the smell is…well…the smell is like a mixture of wet clothes and rotten wood. It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but definitely distinct. I look around at the kids running through the alleys, the women selling ‘useful trash’ such as plastic bags and recycled paper, and the elderly lounging …

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