Hello! My name is Jeff Bell, and welcome to the Planet Bell blog.
I have been traveling the world since 2001, visiting 50+ countries on 11 extended trips. From 2005 to 2018, I worked summers in Alaska which allowed me to save money and have time off for travel in the off-season. I currently live in Kaohsiung, Taiwan with my wife and travel partner, Kristi.
This blog is a mix of travel stories, photo essays, travel and photo tips, and the occasional cartoon.
Below are links to some of the most popular and useful posts and that will help you get started exploring this website. Free free to contact me at planetbell1@gmail.com if you have any questions about the places I’ve traveled or if you want to meet up in Taiwan.
Photography
- Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
- 21 Photos of Khiva, the Spectacular Walled City in Remote Uzbekistan
- The Surreal Shipyards of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- 25 Photos from the Streets of Dhaka
- 20 Photos of the Spectacular Schwedagon Pagoda
- 20 Photos of Morelia, Mexico
- Thailand Photo Gallery
Travel Stories and Commentary
- Trekking in Nong Khiaw, or An Unexpected New Year’s Party
- Trekking Rinjani Day 1: A Day of Suffering
- Life as an Expat in Bangkok Part 1: Food
- Why You Probably Hate Bangkok
- A Tale of Two Indian Touts
- 17 Things I Learned While Traveling in India
- 31 Things I Learned While Traveling in Mexico
Travel Comics and Cartoons
- Bear Spray Stories Part 1: The Golden Grizzly Award
- Bear Spray Stories Part 4: Marinated Meatballs
- Lattes and Violence
- The F-Bomb Heard Around the World Heritage Site
Planet Bell 
You guys are awesome! I’m glad I found your blog. Congrats on getting Freshly Pressed.
Thank Jessica. How long will you be traveling in India for?
I’ll be there a little over five weeks. I fly into Delhi and out of Chennai, so I have a lot of ground to cover in that time!
Well, what d’ ya’ know? I found this on Freshly Pressed as well. Congratulations all around!
nice couple. 🙂 enjoy the travel!
Yeah you look really happy in your environment. I would love to visit Alaska one day.
Now is a great time to visit Alaska. Don’t wait until you are too old to do it!
You guys are rock! …Good to visit your blog 🙂
lovely! im also a ‘girly girl’ so its encouraging to read Kristi can do it, maybe i can too with my husband! thank you for sharing!
People who know her are very surprised, but she is an excellent traveler.
Glad u are in India. Super 🙂
l I wanted you to know that I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
http://akateraka.wordpress.com/miscellaneous/
The link will lead you to the guidelines if you would like to participate. Thanks for being a great inspiration, not only to me, but I know, to many other people that visit this blog.
Hello Jeff ~
You have a wonderful travel blog! Your travel adventures, tips, and photos are both informative and fun. I have enjoyed your “joie de vivre” and reading about the “girly” perspective of your wife, Kristi. (Your exotic travels suit her well.) I see you have already been nominated for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award,” however, I would like to “second” this notion and also nominate you for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award.” The details associated with the nomination are at http://arabianmusings.wordpress.com/blogging-awards/ . Keep on traveling, and I’ll continue to enjoy reading about your adventures!
Michele
Michele, thank you very much, but I don’t think I am interested in participating. I have enjoyed reading your blog as well. It is very interesting.
No worries, Jeff. Thank you for the good words about my blog! Your last post was a hoot!
Hi Jeff and Kristi, What a fantastic life you are living! I love your intrepid spirits. And congrats on the FP – very well deserved! All the Best, Terri
I liked reading your blog and found it very interesting. As social customs demand, I would like to appreciate it through a formal gesture by nominating your for the LIEBSTER BLOG award. Please refer to – http://6dimensions.wordpress.com/about/awards/
Awaiting your comments 🙂
Thank you very much. I have enjoyed reading your blog also, but I don’t think I’d like to participate.
your welcome:)
The gist of these awards is that there is nothing like participation or event. The nomination is the award itself 🙂 So you have got one 🙂 🙂
You don’t need to do the whole thing, but do answer the questions which I have added recently. You may find the exercise worthy.
Love your blog! Great humor, photos and attitude! ~Sherry~
Such a lively blog you , created . . . . that you keep jumping all over . . 🙂 , just kidding . . Such a nicely described & pictured .
Nirav / India 🙂
You have a very nice blog! Looking forward to reading more of your adventures!
Hey, we love your blog so much we’ve gone and nominated it for an award! Visit to see what here I think?! Anyway – http://timandgemma.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=882&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2. Yeah, sorry for the massive link…
such a good trip planner and have a series of powerful and more attractive blogs.
Wow. . . Simply enjoyed ur blog
Thank you very much, and thank you for reading. I hope I can keep entertaining you.
I think it is awesome that you both are traveling the world at such young ages!! I love it!
Thanks for stopping by my blog…A month is Sicily sounds wonderful..I replied with some tips
Thanks for the tips. We actually only have about 7-10 days in Sicily, but a month in Italy total.
Thank you very much for following my blog 🙂 Happy that you like it!! what a nice blog you have !for sure will come back here:)
I am headed to Florence and I might visit Sienna, not sure yet. What advice would you give someone on a day trip to Sienna?
I get so many good ideas for new trip on here! You guys are so lucky to work and live in Alaska. We have a cabin up there and some land! Looking forward to upcoming adventures! Greetings!
Suze – thanks for checking out the blog. Alaska is amazing so if you get the chance you should come for a visit.
Wow! What is your life? So interesting and fun. I see that you’ve been to India. You liked it here?
I loved India. In many ways, it is my favorite country. It is dirty, chaotic, hectic – a real challenge to visit. But the people are exceedingly friendly, there is so much color and so many interesting things to visit. It is a place that is unforgettable.
There is so much to do, see and feel in India, I believe.
You lead an exciting life, Jeff 🙂
Thank you. It isn’t bad!
As we are travel addicts too, we are keen to see all your past and future travels 🙂 We wish we could do more of it but can only squeeze trips in and around trips when we can… You are very lucky to be working in an industry that allows you to flexibly work! Happy travels!
Yes, we are very lucky. It isn’t always easy though – I worked about 70 hours last week and we just got running water after a month without. But in 5 months when my contract is over it will be worth it!
I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog! My boyfriend and I were kayak guides in AK last summer, in Prince William Sound, although we were practically paid in rocks so we didn’t have the means to travel afterwards. What kind of work do you two do? I look forward to reading more of your posts!
I work as a manager at a hotel in Denali. It is possible to save money up here mainly due to the cheap housing and potential to get OT or pick up a 2nd job.
Someday I am going to write a post about it.
Thanks for commenting.
Hello,very nice Blog,keep going , Regards form Poland 😀
Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate it!
Bless
Awesome Jeff! I enjoy reading your blog post and beautiful pictures. Wishing you for more wonderful travels! 🙂
Thank you Indah!
You got one more fan and follower!! Incredible photo essays, stunning photography and awesome adventure!
Thanks Jithin, I look forward to checking out your blog too.
Thanks to you 🙂
Having a brilliant time exploring your blog! Discovered courtesy of Plus Ultra. 🙂
Thank you! I met James from Plus Ultra when I was in HK. He is a great guy with an interesting blog. I’m glad you are enjoying my blog.
Great blog Jeff! I am glad James directed me here. Look forward to reading more 🙂
Thank you Madhu for the follow!
Thanks for the follow, Jeff. And I have to thank Madhu for directing me to your blog. I’m really enjoying your travels and photography.
Thanks Angeline!
Just wrote to you on fb but I just read this and I love your story. Your wife sounds kind of like me, she loves her comforts but when it comes down to it she’ll embrace the adventure and adapt to it. At least that’s what I got, wine and pillow cases were a hint. 🙂 Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
-Mani
Hi Mani,
Yes, I must have accurately summed up Kristi because you hit the nail on the head. She likes comforts but will totally rough it without (much) complaint. I looked at your blog too and was impressed. I look forward to reading more of it. Thanks for the comments and follow.
not sure what it is with young people having to tell everyone how many countries
they’ve been to. ive been on the road for 35 years and make you look like a homebody.
guess what? there are a 1000 other people just like me.
one last thing,all the places you’ve been to are so mainstream its pathetic.
for fucks sake at least hike the Karakorum or tien shan.
fuckin a!
the only people youre impressing are hillbillys back in Oklahoma!
Kel,
Thanks for reading my blog. Hopefully I will be able to continue traveling and some day have 35 years of experience just like you. I appreciate the comments. Have a great day.
“Despite her girly nature, is a great traveler” Sounds exactly like me and my lady! Good stuff bro, you’re living the perfect life in my opinion. Truly doesn’t get much better.
Thank you very much. My wife is a lot tougher than she looks! Most people who know her in the real world have no idea that she is such an awesome traveler.
By the way, I appreciate your polite response to “Kel” but fuck that guy. No one who’s spent their life traveling and absorbing all different kinds of cultures speaks like that to, or about, people.
YAH! Fuck that guy! You are right that real travelers would never say stuff like that.
I only approved the comment because it was my first troll!!! It was so exciting!
Hahaha, I like the way you handled it.
Feeling much in the same boat as Kristi. I started really traveling with Adam when we went to Korea for a year, and never expected to get so into moving around and hiking and camping and squat-y potties (which still struggle with) But each new place is such a great learning experience about culture and myself. I’m Loving It! (Not McDonald’s)
Alaska will probably always feel most like home though.
Gabby
localnomads.com
That is awesome that you’ve found a way to travel and work at the same time. That is the best way in my opinion. Will you be back in Skagway this summer?
Jeff
…it would be very interesting to see a video of Kristi pantomiming pillow case and wine 😉 Thank you so much for the follow – I truly appreciate it!!!
Hey there Jeff! I do a blog following spree every once in a while, and this July I’m going 7 for 7: following 7 fun blogs a day, each day, for the seventh month. Yours is today’s #7. Feel free to come visit me at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com and if you like what you read, follow back! Thanks and have a great day!
Thanks for the follow!
Just come across your blog and I’m glad I did, it’s great! How amazing that you’ve been able to share all your awesome adventures with your wife. I would love to go travelling one day!
Thank you for reading and commenting. I have had a great life of travel so far. What is the one thing holding you back from traveling now?
Hmmm I’d say a combination of having the confidence to just go out there and explore, as well as more practical things like finding a travelling companion and money. One day though, one day!
Hi! I know You must be busy. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blogger Award, I’m not sure you’ve already done it, but I still sending it. I hope you find time to do it, and have fun doing it! Thanks, Mkaundal.
https://kaundalm.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/one-lovely-blogger-award/
Thank you.
Hi there!I love your writing and your photos are great. I am waiting to go travel New Zealand in january and reading about your travels got me very excited. I am so looking forward. I am very glad I found your blog Jeff. Enjoy the world! 😀
Thank you Jessica. Have a great time in New Zealand!
Visiting your blog via Sue Slaght at Travel Tales of Life. You had me at the Zombie Apocalypse 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed. Thank you for commenting.
Just stumbled across your blog as well. As a former expat, I particularly enjoyed reading about your travels through Mexico – a lovely and complicated country.
-Scott
gringopotpourri.com
Where did you live in Mexico? It is a great country – I loved every bit of it. Thanks for commenting and reading.
Loving the new look Jeff!!
Thank you. It only took me about 2 years looking through every theme to find one I was happy with 🙂
Hey better now than never 🙂
Pantomine is one of the skills you absolutely need in your backpack!
Agreed! It comes in very handy 🙂
Poor Kristi sounds like a younger version of me. I fancied a beach in Thailand, ended up with sand but no beach, the Sahara and Timbuktu to boot. He also dragged me up a mountain and that wasn’t on my list either. Have been skimming through lots of your posts. Your photos are great.Look forward to do more in depth reading over time. Louise
Thank you very much for reading. Timbuktu! That is quite the adventure!
Wonderful Site Jeff! Looking forward to your future adventures and photos!
Thank you Pat! I appreciate it.
Heey Brother I’m the one playing basket here in cebu I’m Christopher Catulpos We want to see our photos Jeff Bell brother By the way what is your facebook name?
Heey Brother Jeff Bell we are here to see our photos playing basketball By the way I’m Christopher Catulpos can you send me the all photos brother plss haha Add me on facebook Christopher Catulpos 🙂
Brother Jeff Bell Add me on facebook Christopher Catulpos tnx