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Extensive Travels in 105 countries

Updated November 28, 2022

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Updated November 28, 2022
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How do you define 'extensive'? It is a relative term.

I get pissed off when people sometimes say that they saw the 'real Thailand' or the 'real India' but I ask you, what is fake about a Bangkok? or Goa?

Bangkok is still Thailand. Goa is still India. Bangkok may not be rural Thailand and Goa may not be a representation of most of the country. But neither destinations are fake. They are real enough.

Fake would be the Star Bucks in China or the Cola-Cola you bought in Osh Bazaar in Bishkek.

How long do you have to visit a country to say you've seen it? 1 week, 2 weeks, half a lifetime? How many places in Laos do you have to visit before you can safely say that you 'did' Laos? (This also pisses me off. You 'do' people, not countries).

I have no answers. Maybe there are no answers. But the longer you stay in a country and the more places you visit, the more you can have a feel for a country. You can't get a feel for a country if you spend a week in a resort in Kuta.


Take a night train across India, or a chicken bus on the Trans Flores highway and spend a week in Varanasi with your head down the loo and come out smiling.

But it depends on your point of view. Me personally, I eat local restaurants, I eat with my right hand, I prefer squat toilets, I wash my butt with water and my left hand and enjoy cold water bucket showers. Like the locals do in most places I visit.
Long Term Traveller Nomadic Traveller
Latin America: 

Belize: San Ignacio, Hopkins, Orange Walk

Honduras: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula

Panama: Bocas del Toro, Panama City, David, Santiago

Costa Rica: La Fortuna, San Jose, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Quepos, Liberia

Nicaragua: Jiquilillo, León, Esteli, Jinotega, Matagalpa, San Carlos, Rivas, Granada, Ocotal

​El Salvador: San Salvador, Suchitoto, Santa Ana, Lago de Coatepeque, San Miguel, Perquin, La Union

​Guatemala: Xela, San Pedro, Panajachel, Antigua, Livingston, Rio Dulce, Flores

​Mexico: Mexico City, Oaxaca, Zipolite, San Cristobal, Palenque, Campeche, Mérida, Real del Monte, Bacalar, Veracruz

8 Countries, 48 different towns and cities
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Africa:

Egypt: 2 visits. Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Port Suez, Port Said, Alexandria, Siwa, Dahab, St Katherines-Sinai

Sudan: Wadi Halfa, Dongola, Khartoum, Meroe, Port Sudan, Kassala

​Ethiopia: Metema, Shedi, Gondar, Gorgora, Konzula, Bahir Dar, Addis, Awasa, Konso

Kenya: 2 visits. Moyale, Isiolo, Nanyuki, Nairobi, Mombasa, Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, Mtwapa, Naivasha

Tanzania: Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Stone Town (Zanzibar), Mbeya, Matema

Malawi: Mzuzu, Nakhata Bay, Likoma

Mozambique: Cobue, Lichinga, Cuamba, Nampula, Ilha da Mocambique, Inchope, Chimoio

Zimbabwe: Matare, Chimanimani, Great Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls

Lesotho: Sani Top, Oxbow

South Africa: Pretoria, Pietermaritzburg, Sani Lodge, Sedgefield, Knysna, Cape Town.

Tunisia: Tunis, Kairouan, Sfax, Douz, Tozeur, El Kef

​Morocco: 3 visits. Tangier, Fes, Meknes, Oujda, Figuig, Eroud, Merzouga, Zagorora, Erachidia, Imilchil, Todra, Dadas Gorge, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Imlil, Rabat, El Jadida, Essaouria

Western Sahara: Dakhla

Mauritania: Nouadhibou, Chinguetti, Atar, Nouakchott

Senegal: 2 visits. St Louis, Dakar, Tambakounda, Ziginchor, Cap Skiring, Kachouraine

Gambia: Banjul, Brindara

Guinea Bissau: Bissau, Gabu

​Guinea: Koundara, Labe, Dalaba

Sierra Leone: Freetown, Bo, Kenema

Liberia: Monrovia

Mali: Kayes, Bamako

Cote d'Ivoire: Ferkessedougou, Kong, Yamousoukra, San Pedro, Sassandra, Grand Bassam, Abidjan

22 countries in Africa, overnights in 116 cities/towns/villages, 2 mountain huts, Toubkal and Chimanimani. 3 nights on boats, River Nile cruise, Aswan-Wadi Halfa ferry, Lake Malawi. 4 night trains - Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritania, 4 nights on a camel safari. Night buses: 11 +/-
​
Europe:

France: Dieppe, Paris, Lille, Etretat, Mont St Michel, Rennes, Bordeaux, Perigueux, Mont de Marsan, Pau, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Biarritz, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Bastia plus 3 or 4 more on Corsica

Portugal: Lisbon

Spain: 4 times. San Sebastian, Pamplona, Barcelona, Malaga, Granada, Algeciras, Madrid, Seville, Palma

Germany: 4 times. Leverküssen, Berlin, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dresden, Lübeck, Munich

Belgium: 2 times. Leuven, Brussels

Holland: Amsterdam, Maastricht, Groningen, Vlissingen

Norway: Oslo, Bergen, Fläm, Ålesund, Andlesness, Trondheim, Stamsund, Å, Geiranger

Sweden: Gothenburg, Stockholm

Finland: Helsinki

Denmark: 2 times. Copenhagen

Estonia: Tallinn, Narva, Tartu

Latvia: Riga, Liepaja

Lithuania: Vilnius, Klaipeda

Ireland: Cork, Lisdoonvarna

Poland: 2 times. Gdansk, Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow, Wroclaw, Zakopane

Slovakia: Liptovsky Hradock, Bratislava

Hungary: Budapest. Night train

Romania: 2 times. Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest

Bulgaria: Sophia, Plovdiv, Veliky Turnova, Varna, Cape Kaliakra

Luxembourg: Luxembourg city

Switzerland: Bern, Uetliggen, Kirchlindach, Grindelwald, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen, Sustenpass, Grimselpass, Zürich, Basel, Kirchberg, Lausanne, Geneva, Aigle, Grimentz, Zermatt, St Moritz, Val Fex, Samedan, Winterthur, Luzern, Davos, Bellizona?, notable day trips: Neuchatel, Locarno, Engelberg, Biel, Shaufausen, St Gallen.

Austria: Salzberg, Graz, mountain hiking using huts.

Slovenia: Ljubljana
​
Italy: Milan, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Bellagio, Venice, Tirano, mountain hiking using huts.

Serbia: Nis, Belgrade

Bosnia: Sarajevo, Mostar

Albania: Tirana, Shkodra, Durres, Berat, Gjirokaster, Saranda, Elbasan, Pogradec, Theth, Valbona

North Macedonia: Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep, Skopje

Kosovo: Pristina, Peja, Prizren

Montenegro: Kotor

Croatia: 2 times. Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka

Czech Republic: 2 times. Prague

Ukraine: 2 times. Lviv, Kyiv, Odesa, Chernivtsi. Night trains.

Moldova: 2 times. Chisinau

Transnistria: Tiraspol, Bender

Belarus: Minsk

Russia: Moscow, Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Vladimir, Kazan, Irkutsk, Vladivostok lots of nights on trains. Ferry to Korea.

Georgia: 4 times. Tbilisi, Batumi, Mestia, Zugdidi, Kazbegi, Sighnaria, Alkhaltsikie, Alvani, Omolo, Dartlo. Night trains.

Armenia: 2 times. Yerevan, Dilijan, Goris, Sissian

Nagorno Karabakh: 2 times. Stepanakert

Abkhazia: Sokhumi

Azerbaijan: Baku, Sheki, Ilisu, Zaqatala

Turkey: 4 times Istanbul, Capadoccia, Trabzon, Ardahan, Canakkale, Fethiye, Kas, Olympus, Ezerun, Kars, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa. Numerous night buses.

Greece: Athens, Crete, Santorini, Akaria, Naxos, Samos. Night boats.

I worked 16 seasons in Switzerland, volunteered in Georgia. Too many places I can't even recall if I spent the night or just as a day trip
​

Asia
:


South Korea: Seoul (volunteered 8 weeks), Busan, Jeju, Sokcho, Gyeongju, Samcheok, Gwangju

Taiwan: Taipei, Kaoshiung, Kenting, Tainan

Singapore: 6 times. Singapore

Malaysia:

Sabah 6 times: Kota Kinabalu. Bundu Tuhan, mountain hut 3 times. Sepilok, Uncle Tan Jungle camp 4x, 

Sarawak: Miri, Gunung Mulu NP, Batu Niah, Belaga, Bintulu, Sibu, Kuching, Bako NP

Malaysia: 10 times. Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Penang, Jerantut, Taman Negara 5 times, Cameron Highlands 6 times, Kota Bharu, Cherating, Kuala Terrungenu, Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kangsar

Brunei: BSB

Thailand: 4 times. Hat Yai, Ko Jam, Ko Lanta, Krabi, Rannong, Chumphon, Phuket, Prachuap Kiri Khan, Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi, Phitsanulok, Sukothai, Mae Sot, Mae Sarian, Mae Hong Song, Pai, Tam Lod, Chang Mai, Chang Rai, Tha Ton, Mae Salong, Chiang Saen, Chiang Kong, Nong Khai, Khon Kaen

Cambodia: 2 times. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang, Anlong Veng, Samraong, Banteay Chhmar, Sihianukville, Sra Em, Kampong Cham, Kratie, Strung Treng, Monorom, Ban Lung

Vietnam: 2 times. Hanoi, Sapa, Dalat, Saigon, Na Trang, Dan Nang, Hue, Hoi an, Vinh, Ninh Binh, Cat ba Island

Burma: Yangon, Mandalay, Myitkyina, Bhamo, Katha

Laos: 2 times. Vientianne, Don Det, Champasak, Pakse, Konglo, Lak Sao, Sam Neua, Vieng Xie, Nong Khiau, Nam Nuen, Phonsavanh, Muong Ngoi, Muang Khua, Oudon Xai, Vang Vieng.

Philippines: 3 times. Manila, Cebu, Malapascua, Baguio, Banaue, Bontoc, Sagada, Kalinga, Bohol

Indonesia: Bali: 2 times. Kuta, Ubud, Toyah Bunkha, Kintamani, Lovina, Amed, Turta Ganga
Indonesia: Lombok: 2 times. Sengiggi, Gili Tarawangan, Senaru, Sembalum, Padangbai
Indonesia: Sumbawa Besar: Sumbawa, Sape
Indonesia: Flores: Labuanbajo, Ruteng, Rio, Ende, Moni, Bajawa
Indonesia: Java: Dieng Plateau, Borobudur
Indonesia: Sumatra: Padang, Bukittinggi, Lake Toba, Berastaggi, Bukit Lawang, Banda Aceh

Kazakhstan: 3 times. Almaty, Turkistan

Kyrgyzstan: 3 times. Bishkek, Karakol, Jeti Oguz, Ala Kul hot springs, Song Kul, Osh, Sary Tash

Tajikistan: Karakul, Murghab, Khorog, Khaskhorog, Bibi Fatima, Langar, Ishkashim, Dushanbe, Panjikent, 7 lakes

Uzbekistan: Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara, Munak, Nuxus, Tashkent

UAE: Ras al Khaimah

Syria: Aleppo, Homs, Damascus, Palmira

Lebanon: Beirut, Tripoli, Bcharre, Baalbek

Jordan: Amman

Israel: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat

China: 2 times. Jinghong, Luchun, Xinjie, Xijiang, Ronjiang, Taitouzhou, Guilin, Yangshou, Guangzhou Shenzen, Yongding, Xiamen, Dengfeng, Luoyang, Xiahe, Tongren Xining, Zhangye, Turfan, Kashgar, Urumchi, Dali, Shangri La, Deqin, Yubeng, Kumming, Shanghai, Tai an, Bejing, Xian Dunhuang, 

Hong Kong. 2 times. Stayed for 2 months.

India: 2 times. Mumbai, Benaulim, Patnem, Palolem, Gokarna, Hampi, Ooty, Varkala, Kochi, Mysore, Munnar, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Kodai Kanal, Mamlapurnam, Arambol, Mandrem, Chapora, Anjuna, Aurangabad, Omkaraswhar, Indore, Udaipur, Mt Abu, Pushkar, Jaisalmer, Agra, Varanasi, Calcutta, Darjeeling, Pelling, Gangtok, Checupari Lake

Nepal: Kathmandu, Pokhara, ABC Trek 8 nights

Pakistan: Sost, Pasau, Karimabad, Gilgit, Rawalpindi

Sri Lanka: Kandy, Colombo, Jaffna, ​Galle, Ella, Adams Peak, Haputale, Matara

Probably missing a few places, especially from 2000/2001 in SE Asia

North America:

Vancouver, Jasper, Banff, Victoria, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, 1000 islands, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
​​
Oceania:

​New Zealand: Auckland, Paihia, Thames, Great Barrier Island, Rotorua, Taupo, National Park, Wellington, Opunake, Nelson, Picton, Motueka, Abel Tasman, Queen Charlotte, Punnakikie, Greymouth, Arthurs Pass, Christchurch, Napier, Kaikoura, Akaroa, Dunedin, Invercargill, Caitlins, Queenstown, Wanaka, Glenorchy, Te Anau, Haast, Fox Glacier

Australia: 3 times. Perth, Albany, Bunberry, Rotness island, Augusta, Kalbarri, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Broome, Kununarra, Darwin, Katherine, Alice, Ayres Rock, Adelaide, Glenelg, Melbourne, Thredbo, Katoomba, Canberra, Sydney, Great Ocean Road, Tamworth, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Brisbane, Fraser Island, Cairns, Kurunda, Devonport, Deloraine, Launceston, Stanley, Cradle Mountain, Queenstown Strahan, Lake St Clair, Hobart, Brunny Island, Freycinet, Bicheno, St Helens, Oatlands, Maria Island, Triabunna


This is a comprehensive as I can make it, list of villages, towns, cities that I have visited in 105 countries across the globe. There might be a few places that I have forgotten about but I have done my best as I have no diaries, pre-2013 with me.

This is not including England Wales, Scotland. I have travelled across most parts of England and Wales, less so in Scotland. In 1990, I walked 1071 miles from South West England to North East Scotland, in 58 days with 4 rest days. Have hiked extensively in North, Mid and South Wales. Cycled and hiked through most of central England.
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  • HOME
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    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Mexico
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    • Turkey
    • The Balkans
​