Tripology: Travel Podcast

It's a little tense this week, as Adam describes life on the North Korean border. Popular as a tourist attraction, visiting the DMZ isn't as dangerous as it may sound, unless you have someone in your tour group who insists on taking photographs! The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a heavily militarized area that runs between North and South Korea, dividing the peninsula in half. Established i...

Alun made it home for Christmas but not before squeezing Greece & Italy into his already packed itinerary! Tune in to hear all about his escapades in the ancient city of Athens, and the chic fashion mecca Milan. The trip might not have made sense but at least it was expensive. Highlights include the charming ancient ruins of Athens, a brilliant free walking tour of Milan, almost seeing Jesus C...

Reunited, once again, for an episode filled with ancient mysteries! Alun's in his element, reliving his travels in Turkey, in particular the neolithic archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe. Created between 9600 and 8200 BCE, along with neighbouring Karahan Tepe, Göbekli Tepe is one of the oldest permanent human settlements ever discovered, resulting in the megalithic structures being dubbed the...

Alun relives his two months spent in the increasingly popular Georgia. After visiting Sesikeli Winery and getting drunk the ancient way, he describes the staggering 8000 year-old winemaking techniques and gives Adam a run for his money! Alun also explored the town of Gori, located in central Georgia. Infamous for being the birthplace of the locally celebrated Joseph Stalin, the experience was as s...

The last episode of 2024 rounds off Adam's cycling trip around Taiwan. Having cycled 1000kms over 3 weeks, Adam explains the challenges of bikepacking and shares his travel advice for anyone interested in travelling Taiwan. Rice For Breakfast returns with the most delicious edition yet! Adam claims he's found the world's best street snack. How can one island produce such a diverse range of incredi...

Adam's fulfilled his boyhood dream of bike-packing in Asia but, true to form, he's bitten off more than he can chew. 'Fresh' from hospital, Adam shares stories of his cycling trip around Taiwan, including a spectacular crash, followed by an intimate moment with a car mechanic. Tripping Point returns with a Taiwanese edition and the stakes are higher than ever. If Alun scores 4/5, Adam's agreed to...

It’s Alun’s turn this week and he’s travelling Armenia! Part of the Caucasus region and wedged between Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran, this alternative tourist destination is steeped in history. Using the capital Yerevan as a base, he’s conceded that joining a tour group is sometimes the best option. Stay tuned for the second half, as Alun describes the worst hostel guest he’s ever encounte...

Ethics go out the window this week, as Adam's not only riding camels but he's doing it without underwear! Continuing his road trip around Rajasthan, Adam arrives in the 'Golden City' of Jaisalmer, where he embarked on a camel safari that both he and the camel will never forget. We also hear of a treacherous journey involving some of the rudest hotel staff Adam's ever encountered. Stranded at midni...

Visiting historic forts, temples and palaces, as one tends to do in Rajasthan, can get a bit 'samey'... so why not head out into the desert and attend an opium ceremony? The Bishnoi community of northern India, known for their love and respect for nature and wildlife, practice a ceremony involving the consumption of opium. Adam describes meeting the Bishnoi people as part of a rather interactive t...

Alun's been travelling for 12 months and was in need of a travel reset, so decided to rent an apartment in the trendy city of Tbilisi, Georgia. Routine and relaxation turned into chaos when Alun's Airbnb flooded during the night. High pressure jets of water spraying all over the house at 3am? Just the authentic Georgian experience he was hoping for! We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at...

Fancy a surprise vacation? Click the Journee link: https://journee1.pro.typeform.com/to/ASLAjq#source=tripology Historical forts and palaces but the world's most advanced food-delivery service? Rajasthan, The Land of Kings, once consisted of more than 20 states and boasts a rich, colourful history. Where better to begin a road trip around India's largest state than its pink capital, Jaipur? Living...

It's the first episode of a new era, as we part ways and the podcast goes remote, again! The recording was fraught with technical issues and poor wifi connections, hence the creative video work! Alun's exploring Azerbaijan and discovering firsthand that not every country is backpacker-friendly. Whether it’s the lack of backpacking infrastructure for solo travellers, the limited and expensive trans...

Fancy a surprise vacation? Click the Journee link: https://journee1.pro.typeform.com/to/ASLAjq#source=tripology Prepare to resonate... Inspired by the blunt advice of a drunk man in Lisbon, this episode contains soundbites which might make you reflect. Adam turns 35 but the celebrations are cut short. Is he too old to travel? Are you too old to travel? We discuss the challenges of backpacking in y...

Fancy a surprise vacation? Click the Journee link: https://journee1.pro.typeform.com/to/ASLAjq#source=tripology The ever-unsuspecting Alun was set upon by a swarm of deadly wasps! Suffering intense pain and completely blacking out, we managed to record this episode just hours after Alun coming round- his commitment to the podcast is unparalleled! As the road trip around Oman continues, Alun’s conc...

Nature lovers and coffee addicts! After a few days in Muscat, Oman’s capital city, we hit the road to begin our wild camping road trip. Bucket-lists in hand, we set up camp at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve. Watching the endangered green turtles make their nests and lay their eggs was a National Geographic documentary brought to life! Is budget travel possible in Oman? We share our travel tips and adv...

Fancy a surprise vacation? Click the Journee link: https://journee1.pro.typeform.com/to/ASLAjq#source=tripology We ended our Pakistan adventure in one of Asia’s great food cities: Lahore. Welcomed by a flash flood that turned the streets into rivers, we swam upstream to taste the city’s delights. Have you ever eaten so much food you’ve vomited? No? Just Adam, then. We also attended the Attari-Waga...

An 8-hour drive quickly turned into 18 on this rollercoaster of a hitchhiking journey! Travelling from Fairy Meadows in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, all the way to Islamabad, we were lucky to be picked up by an enormous truck. No amount of road blocks, traffic police, or exploding tires could stop us! Hostel Common Room is back with some very useful travel advice. How can you earn money and furthe...

Dangerous jeep rides, night trekking, and perhaps the shortest shorts in Pakistan! Fairy Meadows is a popular tourist destination for travellers in Pakistan but is it worth the hype? Hitchhiking through the Hunza Valley, all the way to Fairy Meadows, we were excited to discover what all the fuss was about. What we discovered was a nonsensical transport system and a distinct lack of unicorns! Let u...

We’re in high spirits this week, at 4300m! We hiked to Patundas Meadows and lived to tell the tale… just! Jaw-dropping scenery and a few near-death experiences ensured this was a trek we’ll never forget. Touted as Pakistan’s most beautiful hike, this stunning route crosses the unpredictable Passu glacier, before ascending to the serene and expansive Patundas Meadows. It’s a real challenge reaching...

Adventurous, risky, and a little bit stupid; we tried crossing a glacier with no guide and no daylight. Tune in to find out what happens if you descend onto a moving glacier with nothing but a rough idea! Pakistan contains significant amounts of glacial ice and some of the world’s most beautiful glaciers, and hiking these glaciers is a highlight of any trip to Pakistan. The stakes are high as we a...

You get what you pay for! This week, we jumped aboard the NATCO bus service travelling from Mastuj to Gilgit, via the Shandur Pass and the world's highest polo ground. Breakdowns, landslides, and multiple flat tires ensured we arrived 8 hours later than scheduled. Continuing the theme, we checked ourselves into what is almost certainly the worst hotel in Pakistan. Like a pair of Backpacking Ba...

This week we received hospitality and kindness like never before! Taken in by a Pakistani local, treated like family and sent on our way, Pakistani people really are special. However, the Pakistan Police Force showing a keen interest in a foreigner's whereabouts is also to be expected when travelling Pakistan, even if that means deploying armed officers to sleep in the room next door! Have you...

After a brief tea break where we almost converted to Islam, we made our way to Kalash Valley, to stay with the indigenous Kalash people: an ancient tribe residing in the area for thousands of years. Kalash Valley is both beautiful and peaceful, and if you stay there long enough, you may just get invited to a wedding! The Kalash people are considered unique among the people of Pakistan; with a popu...

Surreal and excessive! This week we were escorted to the Pakistan/Afghanistan border by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police. Leaving Islamabad and heading west, we spent 3 days in Peshawar: a great city just 50kms from the Afghanistan border. We tried our best to blend in and move around with some degree of freedom; however, we were informed by our hotel staff that armed security was essential. Travelli...

It's farewell to India and hello to Pakistan! After an exceptional 6 months travelling India, we reflect on our time there, discuss what we've learnt, and get all excited about landing in Islamabad: Pakistan's modern capital. Islamabad is a city that’s really taken us by surprise! Peaceful, calm, and extremely clean, Islamabad is a breath of fresh air; the city’s a great starting point...