Ebook. Travel. Guides

The North Coast 500 (NC500) is a scenic driving route that loops around the northern coast of Scotland, starting and ending in Inverness. But is it worth it? Check out these 5 factors to consider: 1. Stunning Scenery The NC500 offers breathtaking landscapes, including rugged coastlines, dramatic cliffs, picturesque lochs, and majestic mountains. If you enjoy scenic drives and outdoor activities like hiking, photography, and wildlife watching, you'll likely appreciate the beauty of the route. 2. Charming Villages and Historic Sites Along the NC500, you'll encounter charming villages, historic castles, ancient ruins, and cultural attractions. Highlights include the fishing villages of Ullapool and Dornoch, the ruins of Ardvreck Castle, and the prehistoric standing stones of the Black Isle. 3. Remote and Rural While the remote and rural nature of the NC500 adds to its charm, it also means limited amenities and services in some areas. Be prepared for long stretches of driving witho

Driving the Trans-Siberian The Raven Brothers drove Russia's new Trans-Siberian Highway eight years before it was completed. During the journey to Vladivostok, their beat-up saloon crashed through endless rivers and canyons. It has been quoted as the most epic Russia road trip adventure ever! Have you ever wanted to get into your car and just keep driving? To abandon routine and commitment in favor of adventure? That's precisely what The Raven Brothers decided to do while stacking boxes of frozen oven chips in a -30°C freezer. The UK travel writers, who were not petrol heads and knew nothing about internal combustion engines, started their rusted Ford Sierra Sapphire and headed east.  Not expecting to reach Poland, the pioneering brothers miraculously arrived in Vladivostok, Siberia, on the Sea of Japan. They had driven the entire length of the new Amur Highway before it was finished, which spans Russia and Siberia over a 6,200-mile stretch of cracked tarmac and potholes. They

photo © Samosir Books  Driving across Spain is an incredible experience! From the vibrant streets of Barcelona to the stunning views of Andalusia, there is so much to see. Don't miss Toledo's historic charm, the wild Extremadura or the Costa del Sol's 'soft sand between your toes' beaches.  Check out our suggestions for road trip itineraries in Spain. ¡Viva la aventura! Camino de Santiago:   Drive from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela along the popular Camino de Santiago. La Rioja Wine Route:  Explore Spain's well-known wine region, La Rioja, which is home to picturesque vineyards, quaint villages, and top-notch wineries. Costa del Sol Route: Road trip paradise on this scenic route along the southern coast that passes through Malaga, Marbella, and Nerja. Andalusian White Villages: Wander through the White Villages of Andalusia, including Ronda and Grazalema, where you can see breathtaking scenery and Moorish architecture. Pyrenees Mountain Loop: Set off fr

Family camping trips in France and Italy in the 1980s, gave The Raven Brothers their first real taste of freedom for the open road. This thirst for adventure continued  and inspired them to drive from the UK to Vladivostok in Siberia at the beginning of the new millennium. BLACK SEA CIRCUIT tells the story of the brothers' quest to drive around the entire Black Sea; passing through six fascinating countries at the heart of human civilization. Chris Raven at the cave fortress of Mangup Kale, Crimea. The brothers quit their jobs in London to live an adventurous lifestyle. From the road to Damascus and the notorious Trans-Oceanic Highway in South America, the two adventurers have spent over twenty years writing, documenting and photographing all over the world, including the Balkan Peninsula, tribal India and the deep south of China. Their most recent and fifth book Hike, Drive, Stayin' Alive! is out now.  The Monument to the Defenders of Adzhimushkay Quarry. Kerch, Crimea. The r

D uring an epic road trip driving full circle around the Black Sea, Chris Raven and Simon Raven, explore the high pasture village of Ayder in the Kackar mountains, in a region of Anatolian Turkey that is home to the Hemsin and the legend of the Laz Big foot. Turkey's Pontic Alps. The Kackar Mountains. Photo by Simon Raven Extract from the book:  BLACK SEA CIRCUIT By The Raven Brothers  Waving farewell to Georgia we enter ancient Anatolia. The land rises steeply into the lush green Pontic Alps, a mountain range that stretches parallel with the southern Black Sea coast for a thousand kilometres. Located directly south across this geological barrier is Mount Ararat on the Armenian border, and the predominantly Kurdish provinces in the southeast of the country bordering Iran, Iraq and Syria. Curious to explore these mysterious green mountains that are covered by alder, chestnuts and hornbeams, we continue west on the E70 highway to the small coastal town of Ardesen. Si turns sharply in