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Voted "Best Travel Blog" by Forbes, Vagabonding is a round-the-world travelogue created by Mike P, a Renaissance man from Chicago.

Mike's solo, one-year quest through Asia and Africa is over, but you can relive the adventure in the video, travelogue, and photo archives.

Here's a map of Mike's route.




Video Archives

Scuba dive the magnificent waters below the beautiful island of Koh Tao, Thailand.

Explore this little jewel of paradise in the Gulf of Thailand.

Ride elephants, get soaked, and listen to some crazy insect calls... Check out one of Thailand's finest rainforest preserves.

St. Michael’s made me the finest suit I’ve ever had, and they did it for a song. Watch the process from start to finish.

Watch 1,200 monks at Kha Khat Wain Kyaung monastery in Myanmar gather for their second and final meal of the day (at 10:30am!).

The monks at Nga Phe Kyaung monastery on Inle Lake, Myanmar, taught a bunch of cats to jump through little hoops.

Myanmar's government is a mess, yet nobody's talking about it. Except this renegade monk who speaks candidly about the government, recent history, and the need for change. NOTE: I diffused the subject's face here to protect his identity.

Is the incredible balancing stupa of Kyaiktiyo a miracle? Pilgrims from all over the world think so. See for yourself.

During sunrise in Bagan, Myanmar, the magic of the city feels almost tangible.

Get waaaaaay off the map in a rural village outside of Luang Nam Tha, Laos, and meet some Hmong and Akha peeps. Read more about this experience.

This Canary Islander has traveled for much of the past three years. Here he speaks about losing fears and keeping an open mind.

Want to fire an AK47 or M16? Maybe throw a hand grenade? Then visit Phnom Penh, where shady entrepreneurs have turned Cambodia's huge military surplus into tourist dollars.

Take a tour around this ancient and mysterious temple complex outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. Read more about the magic of Angkor.

There are eight million people in Saigon, Vietnam, and nine million motorbikes. Traffic is absolutely bonkers.

You meet a lot of strange, beautiful, interesting people when you travel on your own for a year. Here's a smattering of peeps I met in Southeast Asia.

The photographs of the victims from the Cambodian genocide are what really haunt you. There's a huge discussion on this topic at the bottom of this entry.

It seems like there's a celebration happening every day in India, and everyone's eager to make you a part of it.

This temple in Bodhgaya, India sits on the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago.

You don't need sex, all you need is to pray. Or so says my new friend Tony who explains here why Varanasi, India is the door of heaven.

Squeamish about rats? Well then don't visit Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok, India, where Hindu devotees worship thousands of holy rats.

Join me and a few friends for a twenty day trek over 180 miles of the Nepalese Himalaya and across a 17,769 foot pass.

Who knew that there's an island in the Nile with a thriving Nubian village? Meet Abdallah Hussein Mohammod and take a look at his home on Elephantine Island, near Aswan, Egypt.

Check out the abundant and colorful marine life off the coast of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. I actually had a freaky equipment malfunction while diving here. Read all about it.

Check out the famous "lost" city of Petra, Jordan, where ancient buildings are carved into the rose-red sandstone. Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed here, and you can't help but feel like Indiana Jones as you explore it. Read more about this experience.

One of the Ssese Islands' more memorable characters, Mr. Andronico talks about his home in Uganda, the importance of travel, and makes an appeal to the world.

Ready for a big dose of heartwarming hope? Listen to these schoolkids on the Ssese Islands (Uganda, East Africa) belt out a traditional song.

Hike through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda with me and Park Ranger Steven and observe the Mubare group of mountain gorillas. Read more about this experience

Take a very quick look at one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.

Tingatinga paintings are an important part of Tanzania's cultural heritage, explains Castro, Director of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society in East Africa.

Join me, my mom, and our guide Alex on a tour of Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Parks in Tanzania, East Africa. You'll see elephant, giraffe, baboons, cheetah and more. Read more about this experience.

Watch this young man in the Bhekinkos chiefdom of Swaziland be crowned the village chief. Read more about this experience.

Allow my friend Mthunzi Matsebula tell you about his country, Swaziland, located between South Africa and Mozambique, and how the Swazi culture has persevered.

Ready for a ride? Well then saddle up, partner, because in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, they don't just eat these crazy beasts, they ride 'em.

An afternoon out at sea with a small boat, flimsy cage, and enormous predators. This dive was done off the coast of Hermanus, South Africa. Read more about the experience.

Check out the phone interview I did with WGN TV, Chicago while I was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

"What's Your Trip?" on the Travel Channel recently ran my ostrich ride segment! But what I'm really excited about is that host Andrew Zimmern pronounced my name correctly.

"What's Your Trip?" also ran my mountain gorilla video, shot in Bwindi National Park, Uganda. Hoooooo!

See these stunning Indian temples, famous for their sophisticated construction; bold artistic statements; and intricate carvings depicting group sex, 69s, and two men getting it on with a horse.

 

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