Sam O'Leary
12 stories on farpacker
El Salvador in Ten Days: Surf, Volcanoes and the Ruta de las Flores
A ten-day El Salvador loop by chicken bus: El Tunco's surf, the Santa Ana volcano crater, coffee towns on the Ruta de las Flores, and colonial Suchitoto.
Estonia Beyond Tallinn: Bogs, University Towns and the Island of Saaremaa
A one-week Estonia route: Tallinn's old town, bog-walking in Lahemaa, student-city Tartu, seaside Pärnu, and ferries to windmill-dotted Saaremaa.
Malta Without a Car: Harbours, Mdina and a Dawn Swim at Comino
Five days on Malta by bus and ferry: Valletta's bastions, a dgħajsa across to Birgu, Marsaxlokk's fish market, silent Mdina, Gozo and Comino's Blue Lagoon.
Kyushu and the Onsen Trail: Japan's Steaming South Beyond the Golden Route
A ten-day Kyushu loop through Fukuoka, Nagasaki, the Aso caldera, Kurokawa Onsen and Beppu: volcanoes, hot springs and Japan without the crowds.
Oaxaca to Palenque: Mezcal, Mountains and the Chiapas Highlands
Southern Mexico by mountain van and night bus: Oaxaca's food and mezcal, San José del Pacífico, Puerto Escondido surf, San Cristóbal and Palenque's ruins.
Night Train North: Hiking the Kungsleden from Abisko under the Midnight Sun
Take the sleeper train from Stockholm above the Arctic Circle and hike the Kungsleden's classic Abisko to Nikkaluokta stretch: huts, costs and route notes.
Night Train to the Arctic: Helsinki to Lapland in Winter
Riding Finland's Santa Claus Express from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, then north to Saariselkä and Inari for auroras, saunas and husky trails on a budget.
The Ha Giang Loop: Four Days on a Motorbike in Vietnam's Far North
Riding the Ha Giang loop from Hanoi: renting bikes or easy riders, the Ma Pi Leng pass, homestays in Dong Van and Du Gia, costs and safety honestly.
Salta and the Quebradas: A Bus Loop Through Argentina's Painted Northwest
How to loop Argentina's northwest by bus from Salta: Cafayate's wine canyons, Cachi, and the Quebrada de Humahuaca, with 2026 costs and where to sleep.
Pepper Farms to Empty Beaches: Cambodia's South Coast and the Koh Rong Islands
Cambodia's south on a budget: Kampot river life, Kep crab market, and island-hopping Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem — ferries, bungalow costs and timing.
Kosovo by Bus: Pristina Cafes, Ottoman Prizren and the Rugova Mountains
A week across Europe's youngest country: Pristina's cafe scene, Prizren's Ottoman old town, Gjakova's bazaar and hiking the Rugova Valley from Peja.
Monasteries, Mountains and Old Towns: A Ten-Day Bulgaria Loop from Sofia
A budget Bulgaria route from Sofia to Rila Monastery, the Seven Rila Lakes, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo — bus costs, hiking logistics and when to go.
