Category: Asia

By bus, train, car, boat, feet. No flights.

I am travelling from my home in Singapore to Türkiye by land and sea. Alone as a solo female traveller, because this seems to be an important fact to highlight.

That’s the plan, at least. And at the time of publishing this first post, I am about midway through my journey. Currently typing this on my iPad in a hotel room in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China.

Why am I doing this? 

A few factors – I’m currently on a self-inflicted career break, I’ve spent my adult working life exercising financial prudence and thus have the funds, and perhaps most importantly, I like to travel (lol ok but who doesn’t?). 

I also have this potentially hare-brained idea of hiking the Lycian Way in Türkiye – a 500km thru-hike through the ancient Lycian ruins in southwest Türkiye. 

As someone who grew up in Singapore – a city-state with no mountains, hiking trails or rugged terrain to speak of – and who has never taken it upon herself to do any kind of hiking (except for that one time I trekked 4 hours in Malaysia’s Taman Negara jungle and almost died of exhaustion), hare-brained might be the kindest way to describe this lofty goal. 

I still have a ways away from reaching Türkiye, so plenty of time to re-evaluate the sanity of my ambition. But then again, given the geopolitical tensions in that region of late, will I even make it to Türkiye?

I invite you to follow along as we uncover the answers to the questions of whether 1. I’ll make it to Türkiye and 2. Whether I’ll actually hike and complete The Lycian Way.

Till the next entry!