Taking the Bucharest to Chisinau Train by Night

Mark Stewart Destinations 10 Comments

Nearing the end of our incredible two months in Romania, the time had arrived to move on. This time to neighbouring Moldova, a wonderful, though tiny, former Soviet nation. Seeing as our final days were spent in the bustling hub of Bucharest, we had several transport options to choose from. Though for the sake of adventure, and love for the rails, we opted for the Prietenia: the vintage Soviet sleeper train from Bucharest to Chisinau. Click here to jump straight …

Food being grilled over coals.

The Strangest Food We’ve Eaten Around the World

Mark Stewart Opinions 22 Comments

We like food. A lot. It’s one of the most exciting aspects of travel for us. Ever since our first trip to Tokyo back in 2007 when we first arrived in a blurry haze of jet lag. We soon found ourselves sitting in a small, dimly lit dive bar on a quiet backstreet. A lady behind the bar handed us two beer and a small plate of something fried that we hadn’t ordered. It was seafood of some kind and …

Driving the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania

Mark Stewart Destinations 36 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. We receive a small commission on any purchases you make, which really helps to keep this website running. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and we only ever recommend products and services that we stand behind. Read more in our Affiliate Disclosure We’ve been on some fantastic road trips and driven some really exciting roads over the years. The Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California, or the 99 from Whistler to Lilloett in British Colombia …

Looking at the coast of Spain from the ferry from Barcelona to Spain

Taking the Barcelona to Tangier Ferry: It was… Interesting

Mark Stewart Destinations 17 Comments

We don’t have a car. A cheap, one or two-hour flight would have sufficed. But we’re curious people, it’s why we travel. Considering we had the freedom of time on our side, we decided to continue on from Barcelona to Morocco, via the Barcelona to Tangier Ferry. It was interesting… For those of you adventurous road-trippers heading from Barcelona to Morocco, or simply those with the same curious streak as us, I’ll explain the practical details throughout. That was our …

Bristol was the Break we Didn’t Know we Needed

Mark Stewart Destinations 4 Comments

Monday. 01-07-19. London, England. We hadn’t stopped moving in four months. The longest we stayed in a single place, and slept in the same bed, was a stretch of eleven days in Moldova. The notion of an entire month in Bristol, with a whole house to ourselves, was terrific. Our bags could be completely unpacked, their contents stored in an actual closet. We could catch up on so much work! Our intentions, however, fell short of their mark. We didn’t …

Gravel road passing trees and a vineyard at a winery in Moldova

Experience a Moldova Wine Tour

Mark Stewart Destinations 2 Comments

It should come as no secret that Kylee and I are huge fans of wine. We’ve tasted wine all around the world, travelled to dozens of wine regions and have even worked in wineries. So during our time in Moldova, taking in some of the incredible wine the country is producing was a must. Moldova is a tiny, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. Wedged between Romania and Ukraine, it’s rarely on the radar of most travellers. But whether you’re a …

Statue of Vladimir Lenin in Tiraspol

Travel to Transnistria, a Country that Doesn’t Exist

Mark Stewart Destinations 11 Comments

In the far reaches of Eastern Europe, on the edge of Moldova, is Transnistria – a country that doesn’t exist. This peculiar destination, where the hammer and sickle still reigns supreme, gives visitors a glimpse into the past. While in Moldova recently, I decided to travel to Transnistria for a day and experience this mysterious land for myself. The Pridnestrian Moldovian Republic Transnistria is officially called the Pridnestrian Moldavian Republic. It’s a tiny strip of land wedged between the Dniester …

The Colors of Oaxaca Mexico

Mark Stewart Destinations 4 Comments

Yellow and Blue A pretty standard-issue paint job in central Oaxaca. The contrast of blue and yellow is one of my favourite combinations on earth. I can’t get enough of this building. Accidental Street Art North of the city centre, near the apartment we lived in, was this seemingly forgotten truck. We passed this scene almost daily whether we were heading to the grocery store, bakery, cafe, or our favourite taco stand. The truck never moved during our entire stay. …

A platter of chicken and rice surrounded by lettuce leaves

An Unexpected Jordanian Feast in Romania

Mark Stewart Destinations 4 Comments

For the first time in nearly a year, we could see our breath. The weather was changing quickly and it was a cold morning as we walked to the bus station in Targu Mures. Though we weren’t entirely prepared for it, autumn was upon us. We had just spent the past couple of weeks adjusting to city life once again after our road trip through Maramures, as well as basking in some proper hotel life during this time. However, it …

Looking Back at One Year on the Road

Mark Stewart Opinions 4 Comments

It’s that unmistakable time of year, the leaves are colouring, and exhaust fumes have that subtly different smell in the changing air. Our Australian friends are flooding social media with excitement for the coming months and everything is pumpkin-spiced. That can mean only one thing: We’ve been on the road for nearly an entire year already. With 36 buses, 11 flights, 4 trains, two boats, countless shuttles, cars and the back of a few pick-up trucks; we’ve travelled over 32,000 …