TRIPOLOGY Podcast: Travel, Backpacking, Digital Nomadism & Expat Life

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 concerned his driving isn’t being appreciated. Alun’s Miscellaneous Travel Item returns, involving Adam’s detailed review of Alun’s driving so far. And things get too close for comfort, as we encounter a late-night mystery beast. We’re almost certain it was an enormous wolf. Or a donkey. Probably a wolf, though. Check out the images on the video version of the podcast and send us an email with your thoughts! What did you think of the episode? Send your emails to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please rate the show and help us grow! Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 advice. One thing we do know is recording a podcast in the back of a car comes with its challenges and the Middle Eastern heat is one of them. Adam’s phone melted and the video was unusable; we hope you enjoy the carousel of psychedelic images. Send your travel stories to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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-Wagah border ceremony, performed by the Indian and Pakistani security forces. Imagine extraordinarily tall men, in uniform, kicking their legs to patriotic music. But which country’s army can get their legs the highest? Rice for Breakfast returns with a Pakistan special: 5 Must-try Foods in Pakistan. Come hungry, and please let us know if you spot a vegetable! Send your travel stories to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please rate the show and help us grow! Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 further your career whilst travelling? Tune in to find out! Do you have travel stories to share? Send your messages to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our website: https://tinyurl.com/tripologywebsite Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 the summit but neither altitude sickness nor the local wildlife could stop us! Let us know what you think of the show! Send your messages to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out SafetyWing's fantastic travel cover here! https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador Hunza Mountain Tours & Homestay - Connect with Ali, Rehman & Sitara on Instagram: @hunzamountaintours @explore.with.umair Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 also test Alun on his wildlife knowledge, in the return of everyone's favourite travel quiz: Tripping Point. Play along, with a can of bear spray at the ready! Send your messages to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 Bargain Hunters, the electricity shortages, insects, and strong smell of smoke couldn't prevent us snagging a deal! How cheap are you? Send your messages to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 experienced security like this whilst travelling? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 population of around 4000, they traditionally practice a form of ancient Hinduism. The women are known for wearing incredibly bright and decorative handmade garments, which you may have already seen on a documentary or two! Thought to be the descendants of Alexander the Great's warriors, some Kalash people have fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. Have you encountered an ancient civilization? Send your stories and messages to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Pocketcasts: https://pocketcasts.com/tripologypodcast Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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. Travelling in a convoy towards the Khyber Pass and accompanied by a team of heavily armed policemen, we arrived at Jamrud Fort- built in 1836 by Hari Singh Nalwa, Commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire. Keep a low profile and listen from a safe space! What did you think of the episode? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Pocketcasts: https://pocketcasts.com/tripologypodcast Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 for a tour around Pakistan. We also play a game of Tripological Reasoning and bus rides are the theme. Make sure you've eaten your breakfast before listening! Have you travelled Pakistan? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

Alun’s quest to see wild tigers continues as we head to Sundarbans mangrove forest in the Bay of Bengal. Rickshaws, taxis, trains and many boats took us to the largest mangrove forest on planet earth. Wildlife enthusiasts travel from all over the world to spot tigers here. Did we get lucky? Tune in to find out! The Sundarbans, located in the south-west of Bangladesh and eastern India, is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world; 60% of the property lies in Bangladesh and 40% in India. The site supports exceptional biodiversity in its terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats, and is considered a core breeding area for a number of endangered species: the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin. Have you seen an endangered species in the wild? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

We’ve left India! Live from Dubai airport, and thwarted by a 14-hour delay, we recorded our first ever airport special. Spoiler alert: we’re on our way to Pakistan, but not before enjoying everything Dubai airport has to offer. Tired, drunk, and duty-free, this episode is sure to spark your wanderlust. What’s wrong with taking advantage of the perfume testers? Would a fly be able to board a plane and settle in a new destination? And does landing in an airport mean you’ve visited the country? Tune in to hear all this and more! What's your favourite airport? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Listen on Castbox: tinyurl.com/tripologycastbox Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

We’re in high spirits and back together again, but this time in the east Indian city of Kolkata! Alun’s been on a pilgrimage of sorts, following in the footsteps of Buddha himself. Tune in to hear Alun’s tales of visiting three very important Buddhist sites- Bodh Gaya: Buddha’s place of enlightenment, Sarnath: where Buddha taught his first sermon, and Kushinagar: Buddha’s final resting place. Stay tuned for the second half of the episode, as Alun shares an unfortunate event in which both him and his phone go swimming in some rather dirty waters! Have you embarked on a pilgrimage? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Check out our profile on Castbox: tinyurl.com/tripologycastbox Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

This week we disclose our most embarrassing travel moments! Expect plenty of nudity, vomiting, and an intimate encounter with a Bolivian squirrel monkey- A literal eargasm, if you will. We also discuss how 10 years of travel has changed us, and share the advice we give to new travellers. This episode is not to be missed! What's your most embarrassing travel moment? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast⁠ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

'Hostel Common Room' returns with a fantastic question from a fellow Tripologist. We discuss the moral dilemma of owning pets and travelling for extended periods. Is there a right answer? We also recount a recent hiking adventure, involving diverse landscapes, wrong turns, and a chocolate brownie induced panic attack! This episode was filmed at Himtrek Stays, Katagla. Check them out if you're looking for accommodation in the Kasol area! @himtrek_stays What's your view on travel & pets? Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

Taxi scams and dangerous mountain roads a plenty, in this hellish episode that covers a journey we don’t want to repeat in a hurry! Cab drivers falling asleep whilst listening to a live performance of TRIPOLOGY? How rude! Travelling in a group has its perks, and one of those is splitting costs to help extend the ol’ travel budget. However, private vehicles and taxis aren’t always safe and stress-free, as we found out on our journey from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. Stay tuned for the second half of the episode, where Alun introduces a cheeky and potentially unhygienic edition of ‘Tripological Reasoning’ that we're sure will resonate with many of you! This episode was filmed at Himtrek Stays, Katagla. Check them out if you're looking for accommodation in the Kasol area! @himtrek_stays We'd love to hear from you! Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

Who knew it was so difficult to book a hotel room in Ahmedabad? Sleeping in the outdoor food court of a hospital wasn’t exactly what we had in mind but it felt safer than the streets! Little did we know the 26-hour bus journey we were about to embark on was going to see Adam embarrass himself in front of a bus load of Indians. An honest mistake or poor judgement? You decide! We'd love to hear from you! Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcsast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

After an incredibly turbulent 12-hour bus ride from Mumbai, we arrived in Jamnagar shaken but not stirred. Continuing the mission to learn as much as possible about Alun’s Polish grandparents, we headed to a school in Balachadi, just outside Jamnagar, where they studied back in the 1940s. ‘Rice 4 Breakfast’ makes a comeback with the best Pav Bhaji we’ve had in India- and in the state of Gujarat no less! Tune in to hear all about our whirlwind 48 hours in Gujarat! We'd love to hear from you! Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our PATREON: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

It's party time! Alun turned 30 this week and we celebrated his birthday in style! Presented with a birthday gift live on air, Alun looks back on a decade of travel and offers insights into how it feels to be travelling at 30. We also reflect on what's been an incredible two months in Mumbai. Mumbai will, for many reasons, always hold a special place in our hearts; a true turning point in the TRIPOLOGY story. Recorded live from a hotel with a no-star rating, we're travelling through Gujurat and heading north to the mountains. Now is a great time to join the adventure! Are you a seasoned traveller? We'd love to hear from you! Send a message to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Feel free to recommend the show to family & friends (all of them). Please rate the show and help us grow! It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.