~ Early Web Links ~

Mike's Thoughts is a personal blog chronicling everyday life in Cambodia and travels across Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the United States. Posts range from quiet daily observations to reflections on life abroad, making it an intimate window into expat wandering.

The Man in Seat 61 is a comprehensive train travel guide covering rail routes across the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond, with detailed advice on tickets, fares, passes, and booking tips. Created by Mark Smith, this award-winning site has won multiple Best Travel Website honors and is considered the definitive reference for anyone wanting to travel the world by train instead of flying.

Lee and Sachi LeFever chronicle their year-long trip around the world in 2006, sharing dispatches, photos, videos, and practical tips from destinations across Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, and beyond. The site includes a global map for browsing by location, member travel experiences from other adventurers, and candid advice about budget travel, gear, and staying connected abroad.

Drifting Clouds is the travel blog of Jani Patokal, featuring detailed trip reports and cultural comparisons from across Asia and beyond. This post offers a fascinating side-by-side comparison of Xiamen in mainland China and Taipei in Taiwan, written from the perspective of a seasoned traveler with Japanese and Chinese language experience.

Camp Wireless, built by Koos van den Hout, is a directory of campsites across Europe and North America that offer wireless Internet access, making it easy for connected campers to plan trips without going offline. The site includes articles, links, GPS waypoints, and Google Earth integration to help visitors locate and evaluate Wi-Fi-friendly camping spots.

Travel Independent Info is a comprehensive backpacking and independent travel guide covering countries across every continent, written by travelers for travelers with a focus on practical, budget-conscious advice. Visitors will find country summaries, packing lists, visa info, safety tips, immunization guidance, and route planning resources all in one ad-free site.

Created in 1995 by Stephen Grande out of a love for rail travel, SilverRails.net serves as a hub connecting TrainWeb.com and a constellation of related ventures including rail travelogues, a railroad directory, and regional interests like wineries and travel resources. The site chronicles Stephen and Barbara Cepinko's journey from aerospace software engineers to builders of one of the largest railroad-related web presences on the internet.

This site redirects to 'ConWanders', a blog hosted on Blogspot that appears to chronicle travels and wanderings. The minimal redirect page at dowler.net points visitors to the main content, suggesting an adventurous personal travel journal.

RailTicket.com appears to be a site focused on rail travel ticketing, likely offering information or resources related to train tickets and rail passes. The frames-based structure suggests an older web presence covering train travel booking or rail journey planning.

Balkanology, created by Alan Grant, is a comprehensive travel guide to Southeast Europe covering Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, and more, archived from its active years between 2006 and 2016. Visitors will find country-specific travel tips, recommended guidebooks, a FAQ, and an introduction to the remarkable cultural and geographic diversity of the Balkan region.