By the time, we left Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia at 4.14 pm on that Thursday afternoon on Train 001MA and boarded carriage 10 for another 48 hours in the train, Siberia had us both so intrigued, but why? There is just something about this beautiful landscape. Ulan Ude and Irkutsk were both as towns so different. UlanContinue reading “TEN INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY”
Category Archives: Travel Blog
PARIS OF SIBERIA
There are endless reasons to visit “Paris of Siberia” : it is a city lined with cobblestone streets, wide boulevards, a cultural city, some of the best food in Russia, very walkable with great sights, including one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox Churches in Russia, even if it only gets to daily high ofContinue reading “PARIS OF SIBERIA”
“THE PEARL OF SIBERIA”
Exploring Siberia’s epic lake – Ozero Baikal is one of the many reasons to visit Siberia, Russia. Irkutsk happens to be the halfway point on the Trans Siberian railway and the closest stop to Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal is the largest, deepest, and oldest freshwater lake in the world, so for two adventurous history buffs,Continue reading ““THE PEARL OF SIBERIA””
POST SOVIET ULAN UDE – “GATEWAY TO EASTERN RUSSIA”
Ulan Ude is the “Gateway to Eastern Russia”, it is a “city with a Mongolian soul” or “the Buddhist capital of Russia”. These are some of the terms used to describe the Russian city of Ulan Ude. Our first stop in Russia on the Trans- Siberian railway. Ulan-Ude is the capital of the province Buryatia inContinue reading “POST SOVIET ULAN UDE – “GATEWAY TO EASTERN RUSSIA””
TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY BORDER CROSSINGS
Our aim was to travel overland by any means of transport from New Zealand back to the Netherlands. I had always wanted to travel overland, so one day the seed got planted over dinner with friends in Perth, Australia in 2017 to do the Trans Siberian railway. It had been such a bucket-list item forContinue reading “TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY BORDER CROSSINGS”
ANCIENT CITY OF GENGHIS KHAN- KARAKORUM
Imagine walking into the ruins of a historical center in the upper Orkhon River of north-central Mongolia in the beginning of winter. It was once the ancient city of the famous Mongolian warrior-ruler, Genghis Khan, one of the most famous conquerors of history, who consolidated tribes into a unified Mongolia and then extended into Asia andContinue reading “ANCIENT CITY OF GENGHIS KHAN- KARAKORUM”
LAND OF EXTREMES – MONGOLIA
Mongolia should be the adventure capital of the world, so beautiful rugged and remote. The winters of Mongolia are legendary, but don’t let it stop you. It is the most amazing time to visit this beautiful country. The steppe grassland will be covered in snow and ice. It is the most incredible landscape together withContinue reading “LAND OF EXTREMES – MONGOLIA”
ULAANBATAAR, MONGOLIA MEANING “RED HERO CITY”
Rugged Mongolia is an adventure destination where travelers can experience nomadic culture and vast, untouched landscapes. It is this wilderness about Mongolia, that is so unique. Not to be found anywhere in the world, expect the remote outback deserts of Australia and in Siberia, Russia Mongolia had been on my bucket list for a longContinue reading “ULAANBATAAR, MONGOLIA MEANING “RED HERO CITY””
ANCIENT TEA CARAVAN ROUTE OF MONGOLIA
THE HISTORY OF TRANS MONGOLIAN RAILWAY It is unbelievable to think that the Trans–Mongolian Railway follows an ancient tea camel route from China to Russia and connects Beijing, China with Ulan-Ude, on Trans–Siberian railway in Russia. The ancient Tea Road, which dates back to the 17th century, was a network of ancient trade routes that came into being after the Silk Road. StartingContinue reading “ANCIENT TEA CARAVAN ROUTE OF MONGOLIA”
EPIC TRANS- MONGOLIAN TRAIN 033
The ultimate railway journeys for lovers of epic train journeys are Trans Mongolian and Trans Siberian train trips. It is a trip like no other. TRAIN BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS Measuring 2,080 kilometers, and situated between the borders of Russia’s far east and China’s North, the Trans-Mongolian railway is journey steeped in the history of great powers.Continue reading “EPIC TRANS- MONGOLIAN TRAIN 033”
THE WALL OF WALLS
Great Wall of China is titled one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Medieval World’ and it is also included in the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World’. Both of the two honors indicate how the monument has influenced greatly human civilization and world history. It deserved the name ” Great Wall of China”, howeverContinue reading “THE WALL OF WALLS”
BALM FOR THE SOUL – LAMA TEMPLE, BEIJING, CHINA
A peaceful oasis in the heart of the city, the Lama temple is a centre of Tibetan Buddhism dating back to 1694. As you wander the streets of northeast Central Beijing you will find the biggest temple of Tibetan Buddhism nestled in between the grey houses of the Hutong neighborhood. The temple is known byContinue reading “BALM FOR THE SOUL – LAMA TEMPLE, BEIJING, CHINA”
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN – MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE
The Temple of Heaven is one of the most brilliant ancient architectures in China. It is an outstanding masterpiece of classic imperial buildings of Chinese history. The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 by Emperor Yongle, then expanded by the subsequent emperors of both the Ming and Qing Dynasty, and had served as the holy place forContinue reading “TEMPLE OF HEAVEN – MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE”
THE MING DYNASTY CONCUBINES
The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. The Ming Dynasty would be known for its trade expansion to establish ties with the West. Equally the Ming Dynasty is also remembered for its drama, literature, and world-renowned white and blue porcelain. We were told by our guide on that winter’s day in Beijing, ChinaContinue reading “THE MING DYNASTY CONCUBINES”
THE DARK HISTORY OF MING DYNASTY TOMBS
Off the beaten tourist path in Beijing are the Ming Dynasty Tombs. The tombs have such a fascinating history, but also a dark part of ancient Chinese history as we were about to discover on this winter’s day on our overland travel from Hong Kong to the Netherlands. The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums builtContinue reading “THE DARK HISTORY OF MING DYNASTY TOMBS”
HOW TO TELL THE TIME IN ANCIENT CHINA
All of a sudden, we were 14,500km away from Brisbane, Australia after leaving our beloved Overlanding truck “the Nest”, and we were in the middle of the ancient inner city of Beijing. We had been on the road by now for six weeks. It was some days overwhelming what we were seeing and experiencing. OnContinue reading “HOW TO TELL THE TIME IN ANCIENT CHINA”
AN IMPRESSIVE PALACE OR PRISON – FORBIDDEN CITY
After 24 hours on the train from Hong Kong, we were finally in Beijing, China. We came to Beijing to see two bucket list items both UNESCO World Heritage listed: The Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. We had six days in this city to wander, explore and discover. According to the LonelyContinue reading “AN IMPRESSIVE PALACE OR PRISON – FORBIDDEN CITY”
GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL TRAIN Z98: HONG KONG – BEIJING, CHINA
We really wanted to be able to travel overland as much as possible without catching a plane, but that is not possible from Australia or New Zealand. The only overland option is to catch a cruise boat from Sydney to Hong Kong. All cruise boats leave the Pacific by end of the season in MarchContinue reading “GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL TRAIN Z98: HONG KONG – BEIJING, CHINA”
INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG (PART TWO)
Let’s face it, we all know that Hong Kong is notoriously expensive, to stay. In 2019, it tied for first place with Singapore and Paris as the most expensive city in the world. … But just because the city can be expensive for residents and travellers alike, doesn’t mean you have to empty your wallet on a trip to Hong Kong.Continue reading “INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG (PART TWO)”
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG
At the Big Buddha on Lantau Island, Hong Kong
HOW DOES ONE COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO DRIVE AND TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD FULL TIME?
My love for travel has been there for a long time. By the time I was 21, I had spent half of my life living in Europe and half living down under in NZ, but my love for 4WD comes from the days of driving over some of greatest sand dunes in Oman. My fatherContinue reading “HOW DOES ONE COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO DRIVE AND TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD FULL TIME?”
Traveller's Nest Overland 