About

Making a travel blog is something I have talked about for a long time, just never got around to, but now it's a reality.

I plan to visit every single UN recognised country in the world, and try much as possible to avoid tourist hotspots, although sometimes it is necessary!

Digital Nomadism is something that has increased a lot in recent years, with people seeking to ditch the shackles of a 9-5 corporate life and be able to work from anywhere with a laptop and an internet connection.

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Countries I have been to - 33

I have more detailed blogs on each location, this is just a general overview of the places I have been

My criteria for having visited a country is to have spent at least 24 hours in it and that it is a UN officially recognised country, for example the UK is one sovereign country so for the purpose of this list I do not count the 4 constituent parts separately.

Australia

Almost a rite of passage for young British people , the Working Holiday Visa allows people under the age of 35 to live and work in Australia for up to two years. I took the opportunity to go here after a redundancy following the 2007 financial crash. I lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane as well as some lesser known places like Sealake VIC and Surat QLD whilst I was doing the farming work.

New Zealand

When in the Southern Hemisphere it would be rude not to go toNew Zealand, a lot of people head here when their visa in Australia is running out and they can't face the prospect of going back to the UK just yet, again the WHV gives the opportunity to live and work like a Kiwi for up to 2 years.

Thailand

A staple of Digital Nomads, first time travelers, holidaymakers, honeymooners and Ex-Pats alike , I first went here in 2007 on my first major trip outside of Europe , and have back multiple times, most recently taking up a position of English Teacher in Pathumthani in 2021.

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Technically the United Kingdom is made up of 4 constituent parts, but I will treat is as only one country as I am basing my count of countries visited based on UN regcognised sovereign states, not parts of them. As such I have been to all 4 parts, Northern Ireland, Scotland , Wales and last but not least England. Of course Northern Ireland is my country of birth and where I spent my childhood and youth so will be the most visited place for me over my lifetime.

Home of Hardcore music and all of the Harder Styles, Netherlands (often incorrectly referred to as Holland) is one of my favourite places on earth. Not only is it very easy to get around on public transport and bicycle, it's also super close to Northern Ireland via air. I have been here many times, the first being as a young 18 year old venturing on his first weekend away with the lads outside of the UK.

Albania

I visited more as an add on to a trip more than anything else, when I was on the Greek Island of Corfu, I took a short trip on the 'Flying Dolpin' over to the coastal resort of Sarande in southern Albania. When I visited it was just out of season so the perfect place to escape the crowds, and also cheaper than Corfu. I plan to go back and spend a bit more time in the country, as I've heard the capital , Tirana is a popular hangout for Digital Nomads.

Belgium

Colombia

Home of the European Parliament and an extraordinary selection of beer, this politically divided country gave us the type of proportional representation that we have in Northern Ireland, the D'hondt system.

I plan to return here again and check out Ghent and Bruges, as well as the battlefields at Ypres.

A country very popular with Digital Nomads due to it's low cost, it's a fascinating place as only a number of years ago it was in turmoil due to the grip of drugs kingpin Pablo Escobar. I just spent a week here in Medellin and visited the Communidad 13, one of Escobar's former patches, which has been transformed into a tourist destination.

Croatia

A very popular country on the Balkan Peninsula that is home to many music festivals in the summer months, amongst them Drop Zone and Hard Island, taking place at Zrce beach, also known as the 'Croatian Ibiza' . For those seeking to take in nature, the Plitvice National Park is a must see in the country, as well as the cities of Dubrovnik , Split and Zadar for those seeking city breaks and to see some of the Game of Thrones filming locations.

Cyprus

De - facto it is one country, all part of the European Union, but De-Jure is split into two, with the capital Nicosia being the only remaining politically divided capital in the world. Situated closer to the Middle East than Europe, it is actually comprised of four separate territories, that of the Republic of Cyprus (Greek) , The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish) , the UN Buffer Zone and the UK sovereign bases of Dhekelia and Akrotiri.

France

Being the host country for the Euros in 2016 enabled me to travel there during the tournament and explore the country by camper van, and visiting all of the locations that my home country of Northern Ireland were playing in. I actually studied A - level French and this was the first time that I was able to visit the country, some 15 years later.

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Said to be the birthplace of wine, and also home to the picturesque Svaneti region, Georgia is a popular destination for trekkers and adventure lovers as well as Digital Nomad types wishing to take advantage of the relatively low cost of living compared to Western Europe.

Being a lover of beer, it is an absolute necessity to visit the country which was the first to introduce a law relating to the purity of it's beer. Host country of the world famous Octoberfest ( which isn't actually in October) and also home to good old Currywurst.

Known for it's many holiday islands popular with British holidaymakers, my first visit here was made to the island of Crete and the resort of Malia, made famous by the TV show the Inbetweeners . The capital Athens is a must see place of Europe, containing the hilltop Acropolis and Parnethon, instantly recognizable buildings of Ancient Greece.

Guatemala

I visited here in 2021 as soon as the borders were open from Mexico, probably one of the best times to travel as it was devoid of mass tourism and flights and accommodation were super cheap. One of the definite highlights was climbing the Volcano Achetenango, and being able to watch the eruptions of nearby Volcan Fuego (Fire) .

Hungary

I actually visited here as part of a Stag party weekend so not very cultural, although we did get to travel on a party boat on the Danube as well as visit the Szechenyi baths which is heated naturally by springs and is open all year round .

Indonesia

This was another add on trip, when I was visiting Australia as part of competition that I won through my work. As Bali is closer to Perth than Sydney is, I thought it was well worth it. It's another place popular with digital nomads and backpackers given it's low cost and warm climate.

Republic of Ireland

Our nearest neighbours just over the border, I have visited every county in Ireland, both when working and for pleasure, and driven along the 'Wild Atlantic Way' which is the longest coastal touring route in the world.

Isle of Man

The isle of man is a Crown Dependency and is reliant on the UK for defences but has it's own government the Tynwald. It has never been part of the UK but it's currency is tied with it therefore coins and notes that are valid in the rest of the UK are valid there.

Italy

I visited here in 2022 as part of a city trip around Europe, the birthplace of pizza , pasta and espresso. Rome is also the site of a 'country within a country' the smallest one in the world, the Vatican City.

Latvia

As Northern Ireland were playing Latvia in 2007, what a chance to check out the capital city of Riga on an international football trip.

Asides from getting beaten by Latvia, we were able to check out the Riga Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mexico

I ended up here unexpectedly in 2020 as a result of losing my job after the coronavirus, it is now up there as one of if not my favourite country in the world. Everything from the people , the culture , the weather down to the beaches is absolutely perfect. Very different to the image that is portrayed on the media.

Morocco

The only African country I have been to , I was lucky enough to get here in January 2020 before all of the madness was to ensue that year with countries shutting borders etc. At the time Easyjet were offering a direct flight from Belfast International which cost less than the taxi to the airport, meaning that it cost more to go from Belfast to the Airport , than from Aldergrove Airport to North Africa!

Norway

Peru

I was unsure as to whether or not to include this one , as normally my criteria for having visited a country is that I have spent at least 24 hours in the country, in this case it was altogether less than 12, I will go into more detail as to exactly what happened in a separate blog post.

Travelling during 2020 and 2021 was a unique experience , as many countries were just opening up to tourism and free from mass tourist groups. We were fortunate to be part of a group of 4 to make the 5 day Salkantay Trek to Macchu Piccu, while no other tourists were present. Again I will have a separate blog post on what it was like to travel at this time.

Poland

Taking advantage of the services of a well known Irish budget airline , I visited Warsaw a few years ago and celebrated St Patrick's Day at an Irish bar there along with Travel Blogger Jonny Blair of Don't Stop Living.

Portugal

I visited here as part of the only foreign holiday that I went on as a child, It certainly made a change from the same caravan holiday we used to go on every year to the north coast, and would have been my first

Spain

Probably the most visited destination by British and Irish people , I spent my early 20's frequenting the holiday hotspots of Ibiza, Majorca and Gran Canaria. As a raver and fan of Makina music (which has it's origins in the Valencian region of the country. I was also lucky enough to visit the Pont Aeri Nightclub in Valgourguina before it closed down, separate blog post to come.

Turkey

Straddling East and West, Turkey is known as the gateway to Asia, and it's largest city Istanbul straddles Asia and Europe. It is also Europe's most populous city with over 15 million residents! I visited here as part of a tour of the region in 2022.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates is a popular hub airport and is a necessary stop off when transiting across the globe. Home to the tallest building in the world and also the largest shopping mall in the world , I decided to extend my stop off for a few days in 2018 to take in the sights and sounds of the city.

United States of America

The good ole U S of A, my most memorable trip here was on a bus tour of the South, entitled the Musical tour of the South. I normally don't do tours like this and prefer to do my own thing but was travelling with my brother and this is his travelling style and actually rather enjoyed it albeit a little bit pricey.

Vatican City

Totally located within the city of Rome and not having any actual passport check or physical border, it is the home of the Pope and even has it's own postal service. It is a country in it's own right and is the smallest in the world. Needless to say the day I visited, Francis was out so i'll have to call back another time!

Vietnam

I visited here when I was on the way to Australia back in 2012, and was fascinated by the history of the conflict that happened here during the Vietnam war and visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels where used as headquarters for the Viet Cong during the war.