News

Bhutan (31st August 2026)

I'm on a guided tour of wonderful Bhutan. A small kingdom nessled in the Himalayan Mountains, mostly surrounded by India. 
I fly  back to the UK early Tuesday morning and should land sometime on Wednesday. Everyone, visit Bhutan, a wonderful country with lovely, friendly people. 
Cheers, Tony :).
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Tony Giles, blind solo traveller, author and public speaker.
Author of latest eBook:
Seeing a Slice of Southern Africa My Way
ISBN 9781839781544
Published 31 December 2020
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08RWLRC2F/
https://books.apple.com/gb/book/seeing-a-slice-of-southern-africa-my-way/id1547073772

I've partially completed my challenge: to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and raise money  for Galloways Society for Blind People , a charity based in the Northwest of England, UK, in order to enable them to continue their necessary work supporting blind-visually impaired people. Please continue to donate whatever you can to the charity. Thank you, Tony.
Galloways: https://galloways.org.uk

Author of eBooks:
*Seeing a Slice of Southern Africa My Way*
An enlightening journey
(The third eBook in the “Seeing The World “Book Trilogy)
By Tony Giles: blind, world, solo traveller and public Speaker.
ISBN 9781839781544
eBook Published 31 December 2020
Available from:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08RWLRC2F/
Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RWLRC2F/
Apple Books:https://books.apple.com/gb/book/seeing-a-slice-of-southern-africa-my-way/id1547073772

*Seeing The Americas My Way*
An emotional journey (September 2016)
ISBN 9781912022625
Available from
Amazon – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M14JY50
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/seeing-the-americas-my-way

*Seeing The World My Way*
A totally blind and partially deaf guy's global adventures (2010, repub as eBook only, 2016)
ISBN 9781912022861
The first eBook in the trilogy.
Second edition is available from all eBook sites.
Amazon –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01NAMEO2B

Website: www.tonythetraveller.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theblindbackpacker
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/TonyGilesTraveller

Tony’s Interview for Dave’s Travel Corner , August 2026 (11th August 2026)

Dear readers, travellers, fans and supporters. thanks for continuing to follow me. I've been out and about lately, travelling around part of England: Hampshire, Sussex, Essex and Suffolk.

Photos and blogs to follow soon. Check out my next post on here. An interview I did for a US travel magazine. Keep following. Safe travels everyone. Cheers, Tony :).

Videos in Iraq (8th December 2025)

Tony is listening to the sound of these ancient waterwheels in the city of Hit/Heet in Western Iraq. Traditional Iraqi waterwheels (Na’ouras) are large wooden structures, some up to 12 meters in diameter, historically used to lift water from rivers like the Euphrates for irrigation of farmland. These iconic wheels, once a common sight and sound in places like Hit in the Anbar province, largely disappeared by the mid-1970s with the introduction of electric pumps. However, the waterwheels in this video have been revived and are now a tourist attraction on the Euphrates River. It sounds like they are now motorised, but it’s hard to tell.
Tony again listening to the famous Iraqi waterwheels in Hit, Western Iraq. Taken from a different angle on a pontoon on the Euphrates River. The huge wooden wheels can clearly be seen pounding away – a magnificent sight and sound.

More videos here.

Tony and Tatiana riding the unique Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway (8th March 2025)

Tony and Tatiana, his blind Greek partner, are riding the unique Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway on a cool, damp and breezy February day in North Devon, southwest England. This cliff railway, powered by water, is one of only three railways of this type left in the world. Whilst many have been converted to electric power, the Lyndon-Lynmouth cliff Railway still operates by using water power and gravity to move its two coaches between the villages. It was opened on Easter Monday 1890 and has been in continuous use since.

Another InnoSearch Message (21st November 2024)

Hi dear friends and followers :). Some good and interesting news for those of you who like to travel and are blind-visually impaired.
InnoSearch, the US website company that uses AI to help visually impaired people shop more easily online, have  officially launched flights! You can take a look at
https://www.innosearch.ai/flights.
It should be now easier to search and compare flight prices over several sites. Go on, give it a go. I am. Many thanks. Have a great day/ evening.
Thank you, Tony :)

Another Trip Update (14th November 2024)

Tony is now in Guinea-Bissau. He's actually on the island of Bubaque, the main island of the Bijagos Archipelago, off Bissau's coast.

Iron Ore Train, Mauritania! (26th October 2024)

Tony has just return to Nouakchott, Mauritania's dusty capital, after riding the famous Iron Ore train, reputed to be the longest in the world!
18 hours sitting and lying on uncomfortable iron ore! An experience never to be forgotten.
Tony did it with a group of amazing travellers, but he was the only blind person, perhaps the first blind individual to ride the train?!

New Website For Blind Online Shoppers (16th October 2024)

Deer friends and followers,
I’m excited to share an amazing website I recently discovered: Innosearch AI! This platform is designed with blind and visually impaired individuals in mind, making it easier to browse the internet and shop with accessibility at the forefront.
Here are a few highlights:

$10 Free for You: Using my referral code, you’ll get $10 off your first purchase. Plus an additional $10 goes to support my travels as well. It’s a win-win!
Endless Choices: You can search and purchase millions of products across 500,000+ retailers, including big names like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Whether you’re looking for electronics, groceries, or clothing, there’s something for everyone.
Best Prices Online: Enjoy competitive prices, along with free shipping and free returns on all purchases—no need for Amazon Prime or Walmart Plus!
Innosearch AI truly makes online shopping enjoyable and straightforward for everyone. Try it out now with my referral link: https://innosearch.ai/r/0NFJ6S and experience the ease of accessible shopping!
There is a UK page as well.

Check it out and have fun exploring, shopping, and buying!
Thank you, have a wonderful day
Tony :).

Travel Update (15th October 2024)

Some Exciting news! . 
I'm about to head to Mauritania in northwest Africa for a 7-day group guided tour around the desert. I'm going to ride the famous Iron Ore train, arguably the longest train in the world! What fun! .
I'm also planning to travel overland to Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guinea, again, and visit Sierra Leone and Liberia – two countries I've not visited! 9 weeks of intense heat and exciting adventures! Wish me luck .
Cheers, Tony. .

Travel magazine article (11th October 2024)

I recently did an artilce for a magazine for disabled travellers. Here’s the link below. You can both read and also listen to the article. I hope everyone can access it. I could.

The Adventures of Tony Giles, the blind solo traveller

Tony in Damascus (19th May 2024)

Tony enjoying traditional live music in Damascus, Syria! Tony is on a group tour of Syria with other like-minded travellers. On their first evening in Damascus, Syria’s capital and lively city, Tony and his group heard this traditional dance and music by several local men. The sound and sight was amazing, as you are about to hear and see.

Tony feeding Llamas and Alpacas near Cuzco, Peru (25th October 2023)

Tony feeding a Llama, a four-legged, long-necked, hairy animal, native to Peru. They live in the Andes Mountains and are herbivorous, meaning they eat plant material, as seen in this video. They are related to Alpacas, who live in the same region and are also herbivorous. Tony met and fed these Llamas during his recent adventures near Cuzco, Peru, just before attempting to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, which he partly achieved between 17th-18th October 2023.
Tony having another go at feeding a Llama (or is it an Alpaca?) Llamas are generally taller and larger.

Tony in Sarajevo (18th September 2023)

Tony is on a cable car going up a mountain on the south side of Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on a lovely sunny day. The cable car ride is very peaceful. Tony is alone in the small windowed cabin. The scenery must be fantastic, but Tony can’t see it, so, he’s just enjoying the quiet ride!

Manneken Pis video (11th September 2023)

Tony at the Manneken Pis monument in Brussels, capital of Belgium, on a sunny evening in July. He is with his travel partner, Tatiana. They are enjoying the gentle sound of the little boy pissing!

Flowing water from the boy’s penis! A famous monument and statue in Brussels, it has been in Belgium’s capital from at least the 16th century and, possibly, before. Manneken Pis is so famous, people even make clothes for the little guy. There is now also a ‘Pissing girl’ monument. Mannekin Pis now is, unfortunately, surrounded by metal bars, to prevent him being stolen or damaged.

Go to Brussels and say hello to Mannekin Pis!

Videos in Cameroon (5th March 2023)

Tony admiring Lobé Falls.

Tony in a small wooden motorised boat on the Lobé River admiring Lobé Falls (Les Chutes de La Lobe), a large waterfall just south of Kribi, Cameroon.
Tara Beach, Kribi, Cameroon.

Tony is listening to the crashing waves roll in on Tara Beach in the seaside town of Kribi in south Cameroon on a warm evening. The wind is blowing and the sand under Tony’s feet is soft.

Tony and Tatiana at Kents Cavern prehistoric cave system (13th February 2023)

Tony and Tatiana on a paid guided tour of Kents Cavern, a prehistoric cave system near Torquay on the Devon Riviera, in the south-west of England. 7th February 2023.

As people can see and hear, the knowledgeable guide is giving details about the origin of the cavern system’s name as Tony and Tatiana, along with other tourists, wander through this remarkable ancient cave system. This cave system, with its many fascinating chambers, is part of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark.

Tony with Flamingos (17th December 2022)

Tony is just outside Walvis Bay on Namibia’s Atlantic coast and is surrounded by thousands of pink flamingos; large birds with long legs and necks. They seem to be eating small fish or insects in the mud of the lagoon. The voice heard on the video is Tony and his local taxi driver and friend, Max, who Tony met previously on his trip to the Cape Cross Seal Colony. Video taken on Thursday, 15 December 2022. A lovely sight of nature.

Quad biking in Namibia (12th December 2022)

Tony is on the back of a quad bike, being driven up and down the sand dunes of the mighty Namib Desert, just outside the small tourist town of Swakopmund, on the mid Atlantic coast of Namibia, Southern Africa. Taken on Saturday, 10th December 2022.

See the awesome sight of sand dunes in the background and sand flying everywhere. Tony is sat on the back, holding on for dear life as he is driven at high speed through these amazing sand hills. What great fun!!!

Go check it out then come to beautiful Namibia, with its diverse landscape and kind, wonderful, friendly people and tasty food. Cheers, Tony the Traveller :).

Tony standing at the Mouth of Hell (24th November 2022)

Tony is standing at the Mouth of Hell (Boca do Inferno) in the south part of São Tomé island. Sea waves enter an underwater cave on the south side of São Tomé island and, with nowhere to go, shoot straight up through a large natural hole in the volcanic rock. The sound and sight is tremendous, as this video clearly shows. One of many reasons to visit beautiful São Tomé.
A second great video of Tony standing at the ‘Mouth of Hell’ on the south-east side of the beautiful island of São Tomé. The sound of crashing, exploding waves under pressure is remarkable and spine-tingling!
Final video of Tony with Boca do Inferno (the mouth of hell)!

Tony in Yerevan (3rd November 2022)

Tony is with his lovely Armenian tour guide and friend, Hasmik Babalaryan, with a beautiful fountain in Republic Square (Hanrapetut′yan hraparak, known locally as Hraparak, “the square”), centre of Yerevan, capital of Armenia. This video was made on afternoon of 24th October 2022 – Tony’s last day in Armenia after he visited to attend and speak at the Extraordinary Travel Festival that occurred in Yerevan between 14th-16th October 2022.
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