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

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 fly to Scotland to be with him at Christmas. One thing's for certain: a sponsorship deal from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is out the window. The Huandao, meaning 'around the island' in Chinese, is a legendary cycle route around Taiwan, and should be at the top of your list if you enjoy travelling by bicycle; although, many people also walk the route! If you have any questions about cycling in Taiwan, please send us a message at tripologypodcast@gmail.com Looking for travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing⁠⁠Need an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Check out our website: ⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠ Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 encountered! How can one solo traveller cause so much chaos? Send us a message if you’d like information on backpacking around Armenia: tripologypodcast@gmail.com Looking for travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing⁠ Need an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠ 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! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 midnight, in the middle of nowhere, and with the staff refusing to help, Adam had to think fast. Looking for travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing Need an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast Searching for accommodation in Jaisalmer? Stay here! https://openroadadventures.in/open-road-hostel-and-cafe-jaisalmer-hostel If you'd like travel tips or travel advice for India, please send us an email at tripologypodcast@gmail.com Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 tour. Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing If you're interested in experiencing life in the Thar Desert, check this out: ⁠https://salawashomestay.com/⁠ We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at ⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠ Check out our website: ⁠⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠ 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! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 tripologypodcast@gmail.com Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! 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 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 like a King, Adam's racked up large bills on private drivers, tourist attractions, and cow conservation taxes... Yep, you read that right. We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at tripologypodcast@gmail.com Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

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 transport options, or the encounters with creepy-crawlies, travelling Azerbaijan presents some challenges. Alun shares the highlight of his trip: visiting Gobustan, where he viewed the famous petroglyphs and rock art; carvings which are an incredible 40,000 years old! He also tells of a nightmare taxi ride involving a collapsed bridge and an intense altercation with the taxi driver which resulted in Alun receiving a bottle to the head! We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our website: tripologypodcast.com Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast Follow us on Instagram: instragram.com/tripologypodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast Please rate the show and help us grow! 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 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 your 30s. Existential crisis, here we come! We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tripologypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/ Join our Patreon: patreon.com/tripologypodcast TripSavvy article: https://www.tripsavvy.com/backpacking-as-a-40-something-5069435 Please rate the show and help us grow! 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 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.