The Trip is Over - Route Map

From July 2013 to July 2014, I set out on a journey with no fixed plan and no end date, just some ideas, a lot of curiosity, a love of travel, and a desire to see some more of the world before I get tied down by life. 

I ended up visiting 17 countries - some well known and visited, and quite a few less so since I tried to get off the tourist trail where possible. I wrote this blog along the way for the benefit of my friends and family and to help me remember the various experiences, but have managed to attract a wider audience since then possibly including you. Some blogs are pretty exciting whilst others are just a record, but I hope you enjoy the tales regardless.

Steve

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Here's the complete route:

 Interactive map here

The trip - a quick summary:

England – 3 days – cycling along the hilly south coast to Portsmouth to get the ferry

France – 4 days - cycling to the Tour de France final 

Belgium – 2 days - lovely cycling beside canals and a day in Antwerp

Holland – 1 day - my longest day of cycling ever on the best cycle paths at 128 miles 

Germany – 1 month - visiting car factories, modern cities and one of the world's biggest beer festivals

Denmark – 2 days - cycling through nice scenery and a cool capital city

Sweden – 2 months - experiencing Swedish life with friends, seeing the northern lights and spotting President Barack Obama

Norway – ½ day - a six hour day trip on my bike through stunningly beautiful mountains

Czech Republic – 3 days - enjoying one of Europe’s most beautiful cities

Poland – 4 days - visiting the deeply moving historical site of Auschwitz

Jordan – 2 weeks - exploring Wadi Rum desert, trying scuba diving, being wowed by the ancient city of Petra

India – 4.5 months - being constantly overwhelmed by the chaos, colour and majesty - it's another planet

Singapore – 4 days - recovering from India and exploring whilst hanging out with an old friend

Malaysia – 1 month - caving, scuba diving and travelling through jungle and city in a gang of four

Brunei – 2 days - hitchhiking to a six star hotel, and trying to understand this oil rich nation

Indonesia – 2 months - being wowed by tropical islands, kind people, jungle, culture and volcanoes

Dubai – 2 days - getting sweaty and confused by a big, fake oasis of concrete

Georgia – 2 ½ weeks - visiting old monasteries, cave cities and huge beautiful rocky mountains

I cycled the first leg to Sweden, left my bike at my friend's house, and then continued on mostly by planes, trains and buses.