I started writing Tors Travel Tales last year, with the aim to eventually write one about every country I’ve been to. I’m not making much headway so far. I think I still have about seventy odd to go! Tors Travel Tales – an attempt to write a backpackers account of every country I’ve been to.…… Continue reading From Russia to Mongolia by train – Tors Travel Tales
Category: Backpacking Destinations
From backpacking the Maldives to hiking in Mongolia – a quick tour of the eighty one countries I’ve visited
A brief history of some of the countries I’ve visited during my nearly twenty years of backpacking Is country counting acceptable in the world of backpacking? There’s a lot of negativity around ‘country counting’ in the travel community, with some travellers being very disdainful of those who count. It’s not about the quantity, it’s the…… Continue reading From backpacking the Maldives to hiking in Mongolia – a quick tour of the eighty one countries I’ve visited
From where to sit in a ger to how to eat a buuz – travel tips for Mongolia backpackers
What’s it really like to travel in Mongolia? Some travel tips for first-time backpackers. I’ve just returned from a three week trip to Mongolia. It didn’t exactly go as planned but I had a fantastic time nonetheless. In fact, my seven day tour of the Gobi desert is going into my top ten travel experiences!…… Continue reading From where to sit in a ger to how to eat a buuz – travel tips for Mongolia backpackers
Exploring at home – how to be a backpacker in your own country
See your home country through new eyes. Be a stay at home backpacker! With the coronavirus discouraging people from travelling overseas and many countries closing their borders, perhaps for the forseeable future, exploring our home countries may the only option for travel hungry backpackers. Obviously it is important to follow government advice and like many…… Continue reading Exploring at home – how to be a backpacker in your own country
Frozen bananas, wild swimming and American school buses in Guatemala – Tors Travel Tales
Cooking lessons, hiking and volunteering as I backpack across Guatemala I travelled through Central America for five months in late 2018, doing a figure of eight route through five countries. I started and finished in El Salvador, taking in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Belize along the way. I have the luxury of travelling every winter…… Continue reading Frozen bananas, wild swimming and American school buses in Guatemala – Tors Travel Tales
Yaks, frozen rivers and a picnic lunch – enjoying a hike in the mountains above Tsetserleg in Mongolia
An energetic four hour hike from Fairfield Guesthouse in Tsetserleg, Arkhangai It’s no hardship being trapped for seven days in the beautiful surroundings of Tsetserleg in Arkhangai aimag in Mongolia. I’d managed to escape Ulaanbaatar just before a new seven day travel ban came into force, after the first confirmed coronovirus case in Mongolia was…… Continue reading Yaks, frozen rivers and a picnic lunch – enjoying a hike in the mountains above Tsetserleg in Mongolia
Ger homestays, dramatic sand dunes and ice canyons – a seven day Gobi desert tour in Mongolia
From Terelj National Park to the depths of the Gobi desert – what to expect from a Gobi desert van tour in the winter I was so excited to be out in the Mongolian countryside at last. I’d just experienced five days in Ulaanbaatar, a city on virtual lockdown due to government coronovirus precautions. So…… Continue reading Ger homestays, dramatic sand dunes and ice canyons – a seven day Gobi desert tour in Mongolia
Life on the Trans-Mongolia Express Train across Russia – travel tips, behaviour etiquette and instant noodles
What is it really like to take the train across Russia, from St Petersburg into Mongolia to Ulaanbaatar? The Trans Mongolia Express in Winter I’ve just arrived in Mongolia after experiencing a two week trip across Russia by train. The Trans Mongolian or Trans Siberian train is on many people’s bucket list and for good…… Continue reading Life on the Trans-Mongolia Express Train across Russia – travel tips, behaviour etiquette and instant noodles
Five days on coronavirus lockdown down in Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia – how to pass the time!
Sights and activities in Ulaanbaatar when everything is closed due to Mongolian government Covid 19 restrictions Well, I was not expecting to have five days trying to amuse myself in a city on lockdown. Arriving in Ulaanbaatar on the Trans Mongolia train I was so excited to cross the border from Russia to Mongolia on…… Continue reading Five days on coronavirus lockdown down in Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia – how to pass the time!
Exploring colourful Buddhist temples and finding a giant Lenin Head in Ulan Ude – sixth stop on the Trans Mongolia trains through Russia
The Buryat region is predominantly Buddhist and Ivolginsky is the largest datsun or temple complex in Russia A half-day trip from Ulan Ude to spin the prayer wheels, attend a hural or prayer ceremony and receive a blessing from a Buddhist monk at Ivolginsky temple Ulan Ude is 5,600km from Moscow and it’s taken us…… Continue reading Exploring colourful Buddhist temples and finding a giant Lenin Head in Ulan Ude – sixth stop on the Trans Mongolia trains through Russia
TOR GOES TRAVELLING AGAIN 