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About Just Go Exploring
Just Go Exploring is your trusty guide to the world’s best off-the-beaten-path destinations.
It’s an adventure travel blog, with comprehensive guides to hidden gems, offbeat wonders, secret locations, and alternative travel destinations worldwide.
I created it to inspire you to get outside and see more of the beautiful planet that we call home.
To take risks and visit new places. To explore new parts of the world.
It’s a truly huge and amazing place, yet most people see very little of it.
I want to help you travel more, see more, feel more, and live more.
Whether that’s a weekend spent an hour from where you live, or a multi-month adventure in far-flung lands.
It doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that you never stop exploring!
Planning a trip can be a daunting task. That’s why I work hard to make every single post on this blog as helpful, detailed, and informative as possible.
Think of it as an ultimate guide to adventure. Everything you need to start your journey.
Here you’ll find a wealth of practical hints and tips, personal anecdotes, suggested itineraries, in-depth “how-to” guides, advice for staying safe, and much more.
Just Go Exploring specialises in unique, off-the-beaten-track destinations around the world. You’ll also find guides and itineraries for more familiar places, too.
My readers are a diverse bunch too.
Most are adventurous, mid-budget 25-45-year-olds who enjoy outdoor activities, exploring new places, and value quality and authentic experiences.
I only write guides to places that I’ve actually visited and explored myself.
My mission is to provide you with authentic, useful, reliable, and firsthand insights to help you plan your adventures.
Whether you’re a first-time traveller or a seasoned pro, I hope you enjoy what you find here.
About me: Alex Tiffany
I’m Alex Tiffany.
I’m originally from the UK and spent most of my 20s living and working as a lawyer in London.
I quit my law job in 2021 to set up my own business.
Now, I spend most of the year travelling and working remotely.
When I’m not blogging, I work as a ghostwriter and brand strategy consultant.
I’ve lived in many different countries, including the UK, the U.S., France, Albania, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and Chile.
People describe me as:
- Spontaneous
- Nonconformist
- An optimist
- Idealist realist (?)
- Strategist
- Violinist
I love being outdoors in nature. Hiking and camping are two of my favourite things.
I can ski and surf (in each case, badly).
I’ve independently travelled to over 70 countries around the world. I’ve been travelling on and off for 13 years, and full-time travelling for the last 3 years.
I’m something of an expert in offbeat travel and discovering lesser-known destinations, as well as hiking, and camping.
I love exploring relatively unknown, off-the-beaten-track countries (read: Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Somaliland, Georgia).
However, I’m also a firm believer that you don’t need to travel half way across the globe to find adventure.
A week of wild camping in the remote parts of the Scottish Highlands, or the Pacific Northwest, can feel every bit as adventurous as exploring the Central Asian steppe, or the African savannah.
It’s also a lot cheaper (depending on where you live)!
Adventure is everywhere.
I’ve been featured in
My travel writing and travel advice has been featured in many leading travel publications.
These include:
- Goats On The Road (I’m one of their regular writers)
- The Daily Express
- y Travel Blog
- Adventurous Kate
- Turkey Travel Planner
- The Travel Bunny
- Glory Of The Snow
- The Bushwalking Blog
- Where In The World Is Nina?
- Claire’s Itchy Feet
- The Backpacking Site
- Backpackr
- Offbeat France
- KOA (Kampgrounds of America)
- Best Life
- GOBankingRates
- Sleepopolis
- Gone With The Family
- Mini Travellers
Other places I’ve been featured:
Just Go Exploring was also recently recognised as one of the 30 Best Slow Travel Blogs by FeedSpot.
I’m always grateful for the opportunity to share my passion and insights with a broader audience. I love helping fellow adventurers to discover the incredible beauty that our world has to offer.
If you’d like me to write for your publication, or collaborate in any other way, please get in touch!
Why I prefer slow travel
I’m a big believer in slow travel. Rather than simply ticking off countries, I prefer to move more slowly, spending a month or more in each destination whenever possible.
It’s the best way to immerse yourself in the local culture, connect with the people who live there, and dig below the surface to truly understand a place.
Slow travel helps you appreciate the rhythms of daily life, become part of that rhythm, make local friends, and discover those hidden gems you only find with time.
Where I’ve travelled (and/or lived)
This isn’t a list of all the countries I’ve ever visited. It’s a selection of my favourite places and the destinations I know particularly well.
Europe
📍United Kingdom – I’m from the UK and have explored most corners of the country!
📍France – Paris, Bordeaux, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, Provence, Savoie/Haute-Savoie, Normandy (my grandparents used to live in southwest France, I’ve spent so much time there it feels like a second home)
📍Portugal – Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Viseu, São Pedro do Sul, Douro Valley
📍Spain – Madrid, Barcelona, Cádiz, Seville, Conil de la Frontera, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra, Rías Baixas (Galicia)
📍Italy – Venice, Milan, Franciacorta, Verona, Como, Bologna, Sardinia, Sicily, Siena, San Gimignano, Tivoli, Naples, Sorrento, Matera, Bari, Monopoli (+ lots of other places in Puglia)
📍Albania – Tirana, Saranda, Himara, Dhermi, Ksamil, Gjirokaster, Shkodër
📍Romania – Bucharest, Vama Veche, Timisoara, Sighișoara, Brașov, Transylvania
📍Croatia – Zagreb, Split, Zadar, Dalmatian Coast, Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik
📍Montenegro – Kotor, Perast
📍Bosnia & Herzegovina – Sarajevo, Mostar, Blagaj, Blidinje National Park, Jayce
📍Georgia – Tbilisi, Mestia, Svaneti, Batumi, Gori
📍Austria – Vienna, Salzburg, Obertraun/Krippenstein
📍Greece – Athens, Rhodes, Paros, Naxos, Koufonisia
North America
📍USA – California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (I have family living in WY and NY)
📍Mexico – Mexico City, Oaxaca, Mazunte, Puerto Escondido, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Tuxtla Gutiérres, Palenque, Chiapas coast, Yucatán, Tulum
📍Costa Rica – San Jose, Sámara
📍Cuba – Havana, Viñales, Cayo Levisa, Trinidad
South America
📍Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, Ubatuba
📍Chile – Santiago, Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, San Pedro de Atacama
📍Argentina – Buenos Aires, Mendoza, San Rafael
📍Colombia – Medellín
Asia
📍India – Kolkata, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Varanasi, Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala
📍Sri Lanka – Colombo, Weligama, Ahangama, Galle, Mirissa, Hiriketiya, Ella, Kandy, Knuckles Forest Range, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Wilpattu, Yala, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kalpitiya, Arugam Bay (basically the whole island!)
📍Japan – Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Itsukushima, Kobe, Takamatsu, Naoshima, Sapporo, Otaru, Daisetsuzan National Park, Beppu, Aso-Kuju NP, Takachiho
📍Taiwan – Taipei, Hualien, Keelung, Yangminshan, Taroko National Park, Tainan, Alishan, Sun Moon Lake
📍China – Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau
📍Indonesia – Bali, Lombok, Flores, Komodo Islands
📍Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek, Issyk Kul, Karakol, Jeti Oguz, Altyn Arashan, Kaji-Say, Fairytale Canyon
📍Kazakhstan – Almaty, Shymbulak, Ile-Alatau
📍Thailand – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi
📍Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, Penang
📍Singapore – Singapore
📍Cambodia – Siem Reap/Angkor
📍Laos – Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Mekong River
Africa
📍Ethiopia – Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Harar
📍Kenya – Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Tsavo, Marsabit
📍Namibia – Spitzkoppe, Sossusvlei, Skeleton Coast, Fish River Canyon, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Etosha National Park
📍Tanzania – Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
📍Uganda – Kampala, Entebbe, Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi
📍Rwanda – Kigale, Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, Volcanoes National Park
📍South Africa – Cape Town, Stellenbosch
📍Botswana – Maun, Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park
📍Zimbabwe – Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Masvingo, Chimanimani
📍Malawi – Lilongwe, Lake Malawi
📍Egypt – Cairo, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser
📍Somaliland – Hargeisa, Berbera, Laas Geel, Sheikh
📍Sudan – Khartoum, Omdurman, Meroe, Wadi Halfa, Al Qadarif
Middle East
📍Turkey – Istanbul, Bursa, Antalya, Marmaris, Bartin, Amasra, Sinop, Trabzon, Kars, Ani, Cappadocia
📍UAE – Dubai, Al Ain
📍Oman – Muscat, Sur, Wahiba Sands (Empty Quarter), Nizwa
📍Israel – Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Dead Sea
Oceania
📍Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Flinders Ranges, Blue Mountains, Perth, Tasmania
📍New Zealand – Wellington, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Napier, Tongariro National Park, Kaikōura, Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Wānaka, Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Fiordland
The world is such a huge, amazing place. Get out there and see more of it!
I hope Just Go Exploring helps you do it.
Want to connect?
Or check out my Contact Me page.