Around the world in 800 days

Utila: Today we’ve been travelling for 800 days in an adventure that easily rivals Phileas Fogg’s (and on considerably less money!). In the past 26 months we’ve visited 36 countries in 5 continents. Been to mountains and valleys, dived in caves, rivers and oceans, trekked islands and deserts, jungles and alpine forest.

Recording gelada chatterings in the highlands of Ethiopia

Why not browse the journey so far through Nick’s photos, view a selection of Nick’s pictures in the SLIDESHOW below, or pick and choose among posts by date or category in the ‘Browse a Topic’ on the right-hand column. To give you a start, I’ve inserted some links below.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile

We’ve met remarkable people including a man who is connecting remote Himalayan villages using WiFi, to a woman who has built a school library from plastic bags. We’ve met a man who’s creating artificial glaciers and a woman who is protecting large swathes of Amazon.

Turkana woman, northern Kenya

We’ve visited The Hobbit and Lucy, tagged whale sharks in the Maldives, tracked Asian rhino and tigers, gorillas and chimps, African and Asian elephants, watched tapirs and macaws, sloths, koalas and ocelots.

In the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia

We’ve taken an incredible journey to visit warring tribes at the Lake Turkana on the borderlands of Kenya and Ethiopia with a fearless Catholic priest, and followed blue whales through the fjords of Patagonia.

Char survivor, West Bengal, India

We’ve looked at how sustainable living is made vulnerable by development, and disease is spread through poor urban planning, attended climate change conferences, seen examples of sustainable design in houses and entire villages, looked at char burial and ancient and new agricultural solutions, and seen how guinea pigs can power a home.

Monks, Laos

I’ve spouted off on carbon caps and lack of government action, on scepticism and racism, on African democracy and hunger, the problems with development, overpopulation, climate insurance and revolutionaries.

A humpback whale breaches off Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula

We’ve met villagers finding new ways to deal with the drought and floods, salination, rising sea levels, glacial melt and monsoon failures associated with climate change.

Rescued baby spider monkey, Bolivia

This journey has been about the amazing people we’ve met, the animals and plants we’ve seen and the landscapes we’ve enjoyed.

Baby chimp looks down at us, Uganda

So far, it’s been a wonderful, if sometimes difficult and exhausting journey for us. Along the way we have been supported with the kindness of strangers and the love of our friends and family back home. And we’ve met you, too, our lovely blog-friends.

Leaping above a volcanic crater, Galapagos Islands

If you’ve got a few minutes, why not watch some of Nick’s lovely photos in this slideshow:

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We’re on the final stretch now, travelling from Utila (Honduras) up to Mexico. Hope you’ll come with us. Cheers! xx

85 thoughts

  1. Absolutely fantastic stuff. A combination of a selection of your pieces and Nick’s photos would make a wonderful coffee table book. I for one would definitely buy it and I’m sure thousands of others would too.

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  5. To experience the world like that would be an incredible journey to life. I envy you guys.

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  24. MMM!
    So delicious are the memories provoked in my minds eye from places I’ve seen as you have, and the dreams of what’s to come in my travelling life. Thank you for sharing! And Safe travels on the last leg of your journey!

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    1. Hi Andreas,

      We are working our way around the world (I am a journalist), plus we are renting our house and getting a little extra money that way. We are travelling on a tight budget, which means staying in cheap places, using public transport and eating in local places.

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  30. Oh my goodness! One of the coolest blog posts I’ve seen in a great while. Unfortunately I don’t have time to back track at this very moment and see all your other posts and find out more background info on this trip across the world. I will definitely check it out later. I would love to know how and why this whole trip started. Sounds like a dream come true. The pictures are lovely – my favorite is that first one of you in Ethiopia, so cool!

    I agree with the commenter above, you’ve got to make a little book out of this, at least so that you and Nick can have it for memories. Although – you do have this blog! Something physical is always nice still..

    Take care and I will have to check out the rest of your blog sometime later this evening or further down the week!

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  31. beautiful photos, I am teaching that novel “around the world in 80 day” and its amazing to see that someone is tracing Mr.Fogg’s foot print. You should have post a small map route too.
    Thanks for sharing 🙂

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  33. What a fantastic adventure! Everyone, at some point in their life, should travel out of their native country. There is so much culture to experience. You are very blessed!

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  35. What an amazing achievement! I really like the descriptions of the great individuals doing great things you have described particularly. The photos just add that extra appeal.

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  37. Wow, what a lot of very lovely comments! Thanks all. We’ve just got off the boat from Honduras to Belize and the internet connection is a bit tricky here, but as soon as it’s better, I’ll answer your questions. Thanks again!

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  40. i have always wanted such the similar journey. where do i begin i now ask myself and has it been too long? both questions i know the true depth of meaning to, but there is this one tiny tiny itsybitsy, let’s say leech, sucking at my drive and ambition and strength and intellect, i call it fear. i’m still pushing though, especially when i find or am led to (this time by FreshlyPressed) these little reminders and i remember that i can do whatever my heart is in. thank you two for such beautiful (<understatement) photos and freedom, and endurance.

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  42. Great pics and great journey.
    This is one of the best blogs I have ever seen simply because you have almost done what I always wanted to do – TRAVEL.
    And not ordinary travel but travel like the way you are doing.
    I will keep in touch with you for want of more information.

    Reply

    1. Hi Hope,

      We are working our way around the world (I am a journalist), plus we are renting our house and getting a little extra money that way. We are travelling on a tight budget, which means staying in cheap places, using public transport and eating in local places.

      Reply

  54. Loved it!! Just brilliant… Thanks for sharing.. I wish I could travel the world like that… And if I do, I know whom to ask for travel advice.. 🙂

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  55. Beautiful pictures ! They are breathtaking and unique . Just seeing different cultures all over the world and animals in nature are just beautiful . Takes me away from the problems and reminds me of just how beautiful the world is

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  56. OP and I are completely blown away by what you have both seen and done. Although looking through the photos has made us feel slightly ashamed of our hideously boring suburban life, at the risk of sounding a bit sentimental, it was also genuinely inspiring. We think we might dump Sam and Oscar off in an orphanage somewhere and copy you on a small scale for a week or two.

    Well done to both of you … amazing stuff.

    Nicola x

    ‘Dave Kidbrooke’ sounds both interesting and sexy. Do you have his contact details?

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      1. @Andreas Moser Hello, you mustn’t have joined the protesters.What are the affairs of my country to you that you joined the protest.It was not related to you.. the protesters did n’t have the permit to protest.Anderas Moser you will end up to prison if you go to any country and do against the law.
        If any body wants to travel any country,They must follow the rules of that country.
        .Am I true?
        Many many people have come to my country and enjoyed.

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        1. What about the Iranians who protested? Why were they beaten, arrested, tortured, imprisoned and shot in the streets? (For just one example, see this film: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/tv-documentary-for-neda/)

          And in other countries, if I am arrested, I will at least be allowed to have contact with my country’s consulate. Not so in Iran. The Iranian Intelligence Service refused me any contact with my consulate or a lawyer for the whole time of my detention.

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  64. This journey you had is actually my dream. Right now I have visited or lived in merely 8 countries. Still far to catch up with your accomplishment, but this blog of yours surely keeps the spirit alive in me.
    Thanks!
    Cheers,
    Bama

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  66. Hi,
    Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. Everyone has a different take on what they like to click ….I liked your Miss Crab, your parrots and your butterflies the bestest.

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  68. Well written Write-up. Glad i am able yo locate a site with some knowledge plus a great writing style.
    You keep publishing and i will continue to Keep browsing

    Thanks Again

    Reply

  69. Hi Gaia,

    First of all congratulations!!! you are doing a amazing trip. My name is Rodrigo, I am from Brazil and as ou guys I gonna start my rwt in July 2011 with my girlfriend, we are going to travel during 1 year and 6 month, planning to do in 80 weeks all over the world. I am a biologist that love surf and my girlfriend is inside disgner. I saw some of your pictures and decided to write you to let you know that I got fascinated. I hope to have suck a nice trip as yours.

    I am preparing also a blog, is all written in portugues, is getting realy good and will be a pleasure if you checked.

    Congratulations again.

    Rodrigo

    Reply

  71. Great write-up. You are an inspiration to travel more! I love travelling and have visited 5 countries till now and lived in 4 of them, and hope to explore more places and travel more soon. I bet it must be amazing to see the different cultures and people of different languages and different ways of living…etc. Plus I love all the photos too!

    Reply
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