Goats On The Road Posts

From The Leafy Streets Of Almaty: Are We In Kazakhstan?

From The Leafy Streets Of Almaty: Are We In Kazakhstan?

After a quick peek at Kazakhstan’s new capital, Astana, we arrived in the gorgeous, former capital of Almaty. We decided to take the train from Astana to Almaty. After the sheer beauty of the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian trains, this train didn’t compare. When we arrived at the train station at 4:30 in the morning, we ...
true travel bad days

The Truth About Travel: Dealing With The Low Days

As we continue on our journey through Central Asia, we’re finding that we’re not our usual upbeat selves. Usually when we’re travelling and have our backpacks on, we’re ecstatic. But for some reason, this trip has been filled with many highs and lows…and we’ve only been on the road for 48 days! When we set ...
Astana – The Dubai Of Central Asia

Astana – The Dubai Of Central Asia

We left Omsk, heading to Astana, on the last day of our visa in Russia and that was a big mistake. Our bus (Click Here For Details)  was to arrive at the border at 11:20pm, giving us 40 minutes leeway before our time in Russia had expired and we were officially illegal immigrants in the ...
Rushing Through Russia – An 8 Day Round-Up

Rushing Through Russia – An 8 Day Round-Up

Even though Russia is an amazing country to backpack through, and the largest country in the world, not many people travel here partly due to the bureaucratic nightmare of getting a visa. Luckily, we were able to get our visa in Shanghai without any issues and are so glad we made the effort! Russia is a country ...

What’s a Banya? Our Experience in Russia

(Video At The Bottom) If you’ve ever travelled to Russia, you’ll know exactly what a Banya is. A Banya (баня) is the traditional Russian bathhouse and over the years it has become a significant part of day-to-day life in Russia. Similar to a Hammam in Turkey, a Banya is a nice hot sauna/bathhouse mixed into one. ...

Backpacking As A Couple: Embracing The Dorm Room

During our previous trips to SE Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, we always stayed in a private double room. There were a few reasons for this, the most obvious one being that backpacking couples need their privacy (for cuddling, arguing, and other things…) The other reasons being that we like to have our ...