Where I’ve Traveled

Travel Chronology

van life china meili snow mountain vista
Van life in China: staying opposite a sacred mountain in Yunnan on the road to Tibet in 2020.

> Jump back to the beginning in 1988

2023

Nepal – Kathmandu Valley + based in Pokhara

Malaysia

Indonesia (Sulawesi)

New Zealand (family visit)

China – Jiaxing

Thailand

Indonesia (islands of Bali, Gili Meno, Flores, Komodo, West Timor, Sumba, Bali)

Thailand

2022

Thailand

China – based in Linyi + Tancheng (= pandemic blues)

2021

China – Linyi; Promo trips to Moganshan; Litang and Tibetan Sichuan; Hainan Island; and continuing van life in the provinces of Yunnan & Sichuan

2020

China – van life in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai provinces + village house-sitting in Yunnan + van life of 7000 km across the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou

2019

China – van life begins: 10,000 km in Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong provinces + Tianjin & Beijing + based in Yunnan in Shaxi village for a long-stay

2018

China – Henan, Liaoning, Hebei provinces + mountain-stay in Mengshan

New Zealand (family visit).

China – based in Weihai

kim-leader-statues-north-korea
Pyongyang – North Korea, 2017.

2017

China – Beijing + provinces of Liaoning & Shandong

Europe trip: Ukraine, England, Georgia, Azerbaijan

China

North Korea

China – based in Shenyang

2016

China

New Zealand (family visit)

Asia trip: Indonesia, India, Kuala Lumpur, Cambodia, Thailand

2015

China – based in Linyi

Eastern Europe trip: Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Trans-Dniester Republic, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria

valbone-theth-hike-mountains-albania-panorama
Hiking the mountains of Albania (2015).

2014

China – Linyi + Shandong

New Zealand (family visit)

Thailand, Cambodia, Thailand

2013-2014

Africa trip: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt

China – based in Hangzhou

pyramids-of-sudan-in-sand-art-by-michael-robert-powell
Meroe Pyramids – Sudan, 2013.

2012

China – Hangzhou in Zhejiang province + Shanghai

Cambodia + Thailand

Armenia + Georgia

2011

Central Asia trip: China (Qinghai & Xinjiang provinces), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia, Georgia

China – Taian + Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong provinces

2010

China – based in Taian

South-East Asia trip: China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui provinces), Vietnam, Laos, Thailand

New Zealand (family visit)

Central America trip: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Honduras

Maya festival - Guatemala, 2009.
Maya festival – Guatemala, 2009.

2009

Central America trip: Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala (+ long stayed at Lake Atitlan), Mexico

Japan (Tokyo)

South Korea – based in Gwangyang

2008

Philippines + Hong Kong

South Korea + Gwangyang

Thailand

New Zealand (family visit)

Thailand, Cambodia, Laos (+ staying in Savannakeh), Thailand

Ghana, Togo, Benin, Togo

Painted houses of Ghana, 2007.

2007

West Africa trip: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco

South Korea – based in Seoul

New Zealand (sister’s wedding trip) + Thailand

2006

South Korea + Seoul

New Zealand (family visit)

Cambodia – based in Phnom Penh (+ Bangkok)

2005

Cambodia – based some months on Lakeside in Phnom Penh

Middle East trip: UAE, Oman, Yemen

Eurasia trip: England, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark (+ Malmo, Sweden), Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Mongolia, China

2004

Cambodia – based months at Victory Beach, Sihanoukville

India – based 6 months on Diu Island

Thailand – Koh Chang Island

2003

New Zealand (family visit)

South America trip: Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (based at Jeri), Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay

gloomy-deception-island-antarctica-art-by-michael-robert-powell
Deception Island – live volcano – Antarctica, 2003.

2002

Antarctica & South America trip: Argentina, Antarctica, Argentina, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Argentina (BsAs stay), Peru, Bolivia (stay in Sucre), Chile

Easter Island + Tahiti

New Zealand (family visit)

East Timor

2001-2000

East Timor life + travels working for the United Nations in different districts every 6 weeks for 2 years and based in Dili + ‘holiday leave’ travels to:

Australia (Darwin x8), Singapore, Bangkok (x6), Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka, Australia (Sydney), New Zealand (family visit), Philippines

sarong beach sunset papua indonesia
Staying at Sarong Beach, Papua, Indonesia 1999.

1999

Indonesia – drifting the islands of Alor, Flores, (based in Bali), Java, West Timor, Papua, Banda, Java – based in Jakarta

Singapore

Malaysia – Penang, and across to Indonesia – Sumatra + Java islands

1998

Bahrain – based in Manama + Ali

England (based in Bournemouth, staying in Folkestone, London) + Wales

Turkey + Greece

1997

New Zealand – down and out + based in Nelson, and hitchhiking trips around the South Island

1996–1995

New Zealand – based in Wellington, writing my 2nd travel book

1994-95

Asia trip: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet provinces), Nepal, India

East Africa trip: Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Israel

1993–1992

New Zealand – based in Wellington, writing my 1st travel book

1991

Africa trip: Nigeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Algeria – hitching the Sahara, Morocco, Spain, France

UK – based in London (Dulwich)

1991–1990

India trip: India, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia (North Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro), Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium

UK – based in London (Camden Town)

1990–1989

Middle East trip: Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Israel

UK – based in London.

Michael-Robert-Powell-traveler-Turkey-1989
Michael Robert Powell – Nemrut Dagi, Turkey 1989

1989

UK – based in London

France – Normandy + Brittany trip

UK – based in London (Streatham Common)

Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam trip

1988

UK – based in Edinburgh (Tollcross) + trips around Scotland

Amsterdam trip

Arrived in London from New Zealand, age 21

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