Friday Travel Photo: Cappadocia, Turkey

Today’s Friday Travel Photo brings you to Cappadocia in central Turkey. Thanks to Verity (@verty) from With Sparkles for submitting the photo. The rocks of this area of Turkey have been whipped into shockingly smooth curves – this volcanic terrain, with rock formations known as ‘fairy chimneys’ has been shaped by Mother Nature over thousands [...]

Continue reading...

Reaching 25 Countries By the Age of 25: Experiences Along The Way (Part 2)

Last week, Cat Gaa shared the background behind her deeply personal goal of visiting 25 countries by the time she turned twenty-five. It’s a goal she recently met. You can imagine that traveling to 25 countries would bring about some excellent stories – both of personal growth and exploration. This series documents Cat’s 25 most [...]

Continue reading...

7 Reasons You Should Write a Travel Blog

Are you planning a trip around the world? Or perhaps you’re already living overseas and considering starting a travel blog? Maybe you’re stuck in an office somewhere, considering a trip backpacking around the world – saving, and one day soon you’ll make it happen? If you fall into one of these categories, you should be [...]

Continue reading...

Reaching 25 Countries By the Age of 25: Experiences Along The Way (Part 1)

I’m excited to publish the first in a five part series by one of my good friends and fellow expat, Cat Gaa. Cat is one of a few people who graduated from the University of Iowa with me and decided that the 9 – 5 route wasn’t the only option. We’ve gone different directions around [...]

Continue reading...

The Ledge Bungy in Queenstown, New Zealand (Travel Video)

A trip to New Zealand isn’t complete without a bungy jump – a topic that has been written about often on Backpackingmatt. I’ve reviewed my experiences at the Lake Taupo Bungy and on the Nevis Highwire Bungy. I put together a quick travel video which outlines the workup to my recent jump here in Queenstown. [...]

Continue reading...

Puffin Watching: Isle of Staffa, Scotland

A trip to Scotland’s West Coast should include a visit to the beautiful Isle of Mull – a peaceful island home to the Tobermory Distillery. Tobermory itself is a quaint little village situated on a fishing harbor that is lined with brightly colored buildings. It’s a terrific village where you could very easily waste away [...]

Continue reading...

Friday Travel Photo: Helicopter in the Southern Alps

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you high into the Southern Alps of New Zealand. While you have a number of different options for seeing the mountain range of the South Island, a helicopter ride is certainly one of the most epic ways to take them in. Would you like to see more of the Southern [...]

Continue reading...

A Budget Option in Queenstown – Hiking to Queenstown Hill (Photo Essay)

Queenstown bills itself as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World.’ You can experience a number of heart-dropping activities here from jet-boating, to bungy jumping, to white water river sledging (yes, really). Needless to say, a trip to Queenstown, New Zealand, can very easily break your budget. Yet it doesn’t have to. There are many budget [...]

Continue reading...

Friday Travel Photo: Sydney, Australia

Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you to the Sydney Harbor in Sydney, Australia, on New Years Eve. Sydney is home to one of the world’s greatest fireworks shows on New Years Eve with two displays – one at 9pm and one at midnight.  This photo was taken from Bradley’s Head and was submitted by Nancy [...]

Continue reading...