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
Category: travelling
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
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
Travel tips for backpacking Russia – when you don’t speak a word of Russian
First-time in Russia? Travel survival tips for backpackers and travellers in Russia I have to admit to being a little apprehensive about travelling in Russia, despite having been to over seventy countries now. I did a lot more research than I would normally do, although admittedly most of that was about the weather and exactly…… Continue reading Travel tips for backpacking Russia – when you don’t speak a word of Russian
Tasting traditional Tartar snacks and admiring a beautiful blue and white Kremlin in Kazan – stop three on the Trans-Mongolia train
The hardest thing about travelling across Russia on the Trans-Mongolia train is deciding where to break the journey Top sights in Kazan, Russia I’ve always wanted to take the train across Russia to Mongolia. In fact the guidebook I’m using on this trip is from 2007 when I first started thinking about this epic journey.…… Continue reading Tasting traditional Tartar snacks and admiring a beautiful blue and white Kremlin in Kazan – stop three on the Trans-Mongolia train
Volunteer while travelling – my favourite Workaways, from making jam in Tasmania to helping in a guesthouse in El Salvador
How to volunteer while travelling with local families or communities Combining a backpacking trip with volunteering is a great way to extend the length of your trip without incurring any extra costs. It also allows backpackers to get more of a feel for what it’s like to live in that country and make a contribution…… Continue reading Volunteer while travelling – my favourite Workaways, from making jam in Tasmania to helping in a guesthouse in El Salvador
Street Art, Antique Markets and the legacy of Evita – first impressions of Buenos Aires
A Backpackers Guide to Three Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina Finally I’ve started my winter travels for 2019! I flew into Buenos Aires on Christmas Morning and I’ve an ambitious plan to visit four countries over the next two weeks with my friend Sarah. Then, once she’s left, I’ll head south to Bariloche, Argentina’s lake…… Continue reading Street Art, Antique Markets and the legacy of Evita – first impressions of Buenos Aires
Make travel a habit – how a minimalist lifestyle makes it possible
How to travel for six months every year Everyone should travel more. People often say to me ‘I wish I had your life’. Well, of course, my answer is ‘you can’! Even with a full-time job you can easily commit to making travel a habit, not a one-off. And the first step is to spend…… Continue reading Make travel a habit – how a minimalist lifestyle makes it possible
TOR GOES TRAVELLING AGAIN 