10 April 2026 to now

The journey

51 stops, 12 countries and days, Shanghai to Jakarta.

Tried to minimise flights, only taking one short hop across Sumatra

Scroll, and the map follows.

Issue 1 · April 2026

16 Days in China...

The first JOAJ blog, start here to see the journey unfold!

Shanghai · Dali · Shangri-La · Chengdu · Emeishan

Read issue 1

Issue 2 · May 2026

To the capital!

I head up towards Beijing, exploring the iconic sites

Chongqing · Fenghuang · Zhangjiajie · Xi'An · Beijing

Read issue 2

Issue 3 · May 2026

The next steppe

Even further north, into uncharted territories...

Beijing · Hohhot · Ulaanbaatar · Karakorum

Read issue 3

Issue 4 · June 2026

Down South!

The start of the solo leg, heading back down to explore southern China

Nanjing · Hangzhou · Xiamen · Shenzhen · Hong Kong · Macao · Guangzhou

Read issue 4

Issue 5 · June 2026 · the family detour

Family time

I meet the family

Tashkent · Khiva · Darvaza · Ashgabat · Mary · Istanbul

Read issue 5

Issue 6 · July 2026 · the family detour

The Hangover

Some friends arrive and we head down south, shenanigans occur...

Bangkok · Koh Phi Phi

Read issue 6

Issue 7 · July 2026 · the family detour

Thoughts from a balcony

Settling into Bangkok life - Muay Thai, hidden coffee shops, and parom

Bangkok

Read issue 7

Issue 8 · July 2026 · the family detour

2569 BE

Settling into Ari, learning to sabai sabai, and the war with Bangkok traffic

Bangkok

Read issue 8

Issue 9 · July 2026 · the family detour

One hundred days

Hitting triple digits on the road: budgets, boat flags, and Bangkok after dark

Bangkok

Read issue 9

Issue 10 · August 2026

Straight Outta BKK

The visa run begins, back into China for temples, suppliers and that familiar smell

Guangzhou

Back to Guangzhou, to pick the line up where I left it.

Read issue 10

Issue 11 · August 2026

Chi-town

back in China, dodging people and weather...

Guangzhou · Changsha · Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village · Kunming

Read issue 11

Issue 12 · August 2026

Lao it

Meeting up with friends, old and new

Kunming · Luang Prabang · Pakbeng · Chiang Khong · Chiang Rai

Read issue 12

Issue 13 · September 2026

Chiang Chiang Kok

Three colours of temple in Chiang Rai, a brutal night at the Muay Thai, and a week in Bangkok with Big Chig

Bangkok · Chiang Rai · Chiang Mai

Read issue 13

Issue 14 · October 2026

Silence of the mans

It's harder than it sounds - 7 days, no speaking

Wat Suan Mokkh · Surat Thani · Koh Tao · Hat Yai

Read issue 14

Coming up

Not written up yet

11 stops I've been through but haven't put in an issue yet. Right now I'm in Jakarta.

George Town · Cameron Highlands · Kuala Lumpur · Singapore · Batam · Parapat · Samosir · Medan · Bukit Lawang · Bukittinggi · Jakarta

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So far

37,453 km of line

As the crow flies, stop to stop, which is a lot less than the buses, trains and boats actually covered. Everything after Mongolia was on the ground, bar the detour.

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