About Me

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Hi, I’m Tristan and I love an adventure

Hi, I’m Tristan – a New Zealander who has spent the better part of the last decade abroad, chasing the kind of travel that doesn’t fit neatly on a postcard. I’m a travel-bug, a wanderluster, or whatever you call someone who’d rather be halfway up a mountain in Nepal than sitting in a cubicle.

It started, as these things tend to, with one trip that was only ever meant to last a few months. Forty-seven countries and six continents later, I’m still going. I’ve walked ancient pilgrimage trails in Japan, summited Kilimanjaro, run on kava time in Vanuatu, and made a genuinely impressive number of mistakes along the way – missed flights, a lost passport, a scooter I should never have rented, and one memorable rabies scare in India.

This blog is where I write it all down properly. Not the highlight-reel version, but the useful stuff: where to actually stay, what things really cost, which hike is worth the early start, and what I wish I’d known before I went. I’d rather cover a handful of places deeply than the whole world thinly, so you’ll find far more Vanuatu, Kumano Kodo and Kilimanjaro here than you will Paris.

When I’m not writing I’m usually behind a camera, on a trail, or plotting the next trip from home base in Tauranga, New Zealand. If that sounds like your kind of travel, stick around – I write these guides so you can get lost, and have the adventure of a lifetime (or a lifetime of adventure).


Happy Travels, Tristan 

Where I’ve Been

47 countries, 6 continents, and counting

Ten years of chasing the good stuff – remote trails, island villages, food markets and the odd rabies scare. Here’s the map so far.

47Countries
6Continents
10+Years travelling
AfghanistanAngolaAlbaniaUnited Arab EmiratesArgentinaArmeniaFrench Southern and Antarctic LandsAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBurundiBelgiumBeninBurkina FasoBangladeshBulgariaThe BahamasBosnia and HerzegovinaBelarusBelizeBermudaBoliviaBrazilBruneiBhutanBotswanaCentral African RepublicCanadaSwitzerlandChileChinaIvory CoastCameroonDemocratic Republic of the CongoRepublic of the CongoColombiaCosta RicaCubaNorthern CyprusCyprusCzech RepublicGermanyDjiboutiDenmarkDominican RepublicAlgeriaEcuadorEgyptEritreaSpainEstoniaEthiopiaFinlandFijiFalkland IslandsFranceGabonUnited KingdomGeorgiaGhanaGuineaGambiaGuinea BissauEquatorial GuineaGreeceGreenlandGuatemalaFrench GuianaGuyanaHondurasCroatiaHaitiHungaryIndonesiaIndiaIrelandIranIraqIcelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJordanJapanKazakhstanKenyaKyrgyzstanCambodiaSouth KoreaKosovoKuwaitLaosLebanonLiberiaLibyaSri LankaLesothoLithuaniaLuxembourgLatviaMoroccoMoldovaMadagascarMexicoMacedoniaMaliMaltaMyanmarMontenegroMongoliaMozambiqueMauritaniaMalawiMalaysiaNamibiaNew CaledoniaNigerNigeriaNicaraguaNetherlandsNorwayNepalNew ZealandOmanPakistanPanamaPeruPhilippinesPapua New GuineaPolandPuerto RicoNorth KoreaPortugalParaguayQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaWestern SaharaSaudi ArabiaSudanSouth SudanSenegalSolomon IslandsSierra LeoneEl SalvadorSomalilandSomaliaRepublic of SerbiaSurinameSlovakiaSloveniaSwedenSwazilandSyriaChadTogoThailandTajikistanTurkmenistanEast TimorTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTaiwanUnited Republic of TanzaniaUgandaUkraineUruguayUnited States of AmericaUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnamVanuatuWest BankYemenSouth AfricaZambiaZimbabwe
Countries I’ve visited Still on the list

Where I’ve been featured.

My writing and photography has been featured in other well known publications including the following;
Lonely PlanetNew Zealand’s Best Wild Swimming Spots, The Benefits of Camping
New Zealand HeraldTravelling Through New Zealand History, Tauranga Spring Adventures
Otago Daily Times (Photo Credit)Victoria To Build 800k Homes
Huffington PostSunday Table
Best Bits (NZ Jane)Mount Tauhara Hike

Tristan Balme As Seen In Banner

On foot

Some of my favourite hikes

From New Zealand’s Great Walks to volcano summits and jungle pilgrimages – I’ve pulled every walk worth doing into one place, each with a full guide and a photo to prove I actually did it.

See all my hikes ›

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