The Adventures of Tony Giles, the blind solo traveller

Listen to this Article

Tony Giles is a 46-year-old who lives in the Southwest of England, in a small beach town near the cities of Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth. He was born blind with a rare eye condition: Cone Dystrophy and Photophobia. He had light sensitivity until about the age of 12 or so and then it faded. Around age four or five, he became slightly deaf in both ears which had digressed slowly to this date. Tony wears a powerful digital hearing aid in each ear but his speech is unaffected and he hears reasonably well in one-to-one conversations and in small groups.

What inspired you to start travelling the world despite being totally blind and partially deaf?

My dad was in the merchant navy before I was born. He told me stories about travelling across Australia from coast to coast by steam train. He also described travelling along the St. Lawrence River with icebergs floating past the ship’s sides. As a seven or eight-year-old, I found these adventures exciting. I became interested in the world. However, it was visiting Boston in the USA with my school when aged 16 that really sparked my interest in travel. Everything was different and exciting. Traffic went in the opposite direction from in England, and the pavements were huge compared to those in the UK. I found Americans more direct. America had a different atmosphere compared to England and I found it exciting and desired to return, which I did.

What are some of the most difficult obstacles you’ve encountered while exploring new places?

The language barrier in several countries. Being partially/severely deaf makes learning foreign languages very difficult for me and not being able to read print means it is doubly hard to learn languages. I also find thick or strong accents difficult to understand. I can’t lipread or sign. This means I have to try and learn a few basic words like ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, ‘toilet’, ‘water’, etc.

When I visited Russia in 1998, I realised that no staff in the train stations would speak much, if any, English, so I needed to plan my trip more carefully and book train tickets in advance. Once at the train station, I would simply show the ticket, say my destination and the station staff helped me to the correct train. Fortunately, this worked. On the long train journeys across Russia, when I became hungry, I’d go to the canteen and rub my stomach with my hand, and when thirsty, say, “coffee” or “Chai” and make a drinking motion with my hand. Most times this worked. I found the Russian people I met very helpful and kind, despite the language barrier.

Using foreign money is also a challenge. British Pounds and Euros have different size notes and I can use my fingers to identify the different denominations. Canadian notes have had Braille dots on them for a long time. British Pounds also now have Braille dot symbols on them, making it easier to identify the various notes. British and Euro coins are different shapes and sizes. However, US Dollar notes are all the same size and difficult to identify. I have to continuously count my money and ask people I trust what each note is and put them in separate compartments in my wallet. I usually fold the $1 bills. Finding someone I can trust is also not always easy. I have to listen to people in the accommodation I’m staying at, hear what they say and how they say it and decide if I feel I can trust him or her. I will often ask the reception staff in a hotel or hostel where I’m staying, to help me with the foreign currency. I also ask fellow travellers I’ve become friends with. But countries like Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where inflation is out of control and the notes are too numerous to count, I simply guess, offer a bunch of notes, and hope for the best. Fortunately, I’ve only been ripped-off a couple of times and only for a small amount of money.

Likewise, using cash machines outside of the UK is difficult. In the UK, I can put headphones into many cash machines and listen to the information on how to operate the machine and obtain money myself. But when abroad, I have to find someone to help me do this. Often, I ask a fellow traveller I’ve become friends with to help me use a cash machine. Or I might visit a bank and ask the bank staff to assist me with the machine. This is the safest option.

Eating can also be a challenge. I mean knowing what to eat and what options are available, especially in Asian or African countries where I’m less familiar with the local foods. I research the country I visit and try to learn the names of the local dishes. I can’t read a menu and in many countries, the local people don’t speak enough English and I don’t speak enough of their language to ask people to read the menu. So, requesting the national food or dish often makes things easier.

Some restaurants in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. do offer Braille menus, but they are often not updated and reading a Braille menu is time-consuming.

How do you navigate unfamiliar environments, such as bustling cities or remote locations, where relying on sight or hearing might be crucial for safety?

I received fantastic mobility training at the specialist school for blind and visually impaired kids when a child. I learned how to use a long white cane to get about, how to crossroads safely without using audible traffic lights and go up and down stairs. I also learnt how to approach and ask people for help when on the street. I use these tactics when travelling. I usually travel alone, so I need to have some idea of where I am going, how to get to and from my accommodation, what places I wish to visit and how to get to them.

I research the country or city I plan to visit, discover what public transport is available, or if I need to take a taxi to my hotel/hostel. I also learn about a particular city’s attractions and the best way to visit them.

Once I’ve booked a flight (with help from family or friends), I book ‘free’ special assistance through the chosen air company. I go to the check-in desk and staff escort me through the busy airport, customs, immigration, security and onto the plane. The same occurs upon landing. Although, the assistance often takes a long time to arrive after the flight has landed!

Arriving at my accommodation, which I can book online, I ask the staff for directions to the nearest café, restaurant, bar, etc. I will say, “Please tell me how to find the nearest café/restaurant? Do I turn right after exiting the main door, or left?” I get the accommodation staff to write down the name of the café/restaurant or tourist attraction I wish to visit in the local language, ask for specific walking directions, go onto the street and continuously show the paper with the information to people on the street or in shops, cafes, bars, until I reach my destination. This is an excellent way to meet local people and get a feel of the place or area I’m travelling around. Frequently, the many people I meet when asking for directions, will often help me find the place I’m searching for. I’ve even made friends by this method.

Being blind and partially deaf can make crossing roads in foreign countries more difficult at times, especially in a country like Vietnam, where five thousand bicycles are moving at once! I will walk along a pavement, sweeping with my cane for obstacles and at the same time follow the sound of the traffic. When I come to a road I need to cross, I will listen for any audio crossing sound, such as a rapid clicking or beeping, like in the U.K. If no such audio crossing exists, I will listen for the traffic in front of me and, when it sounds quiet, I will cross. Often, I listen for other people’s voices or their footfall and follow them. However, if it is very windy or there’s construction in the vicinity or heavy vehicles passing by, this can make crossing roads and walking around unfamiliar areas more difficult. Strong wind can affect the microphone on my hearing aids, leaving me disoriented. If this happens, I stop, stand with my cane and wait until a kind stranger comes to my aid. I always carry an address card from my accommodation, so if I become stuck or lost, I can simply ask for a taxi, show the card and return to my accommodation.

Can you share a memorable travel experience?

I recently visited the Black Sea coast region of Bulgaria, East Europe. I spent 3 days, 2 nights in a beach resort town called Burgas. I booked Guest House Elit on booking.com and had a nice, first floor room with 3 single beds. It cost UK£70, roughly 75 Euros, approximately Canadian $125, USD93 for 2 nights, no breakfast. The guest house is on an old narrow street, a few minutes’ walk from a large lively pedestrian avenue lined with outdoor bars, restaurants and cafes. The long pedestrian street descends to the town centre with the port, bus-train stations and the tourist information Centre. Whilst, in the other direction, the street climbs to the delightful Sea Garden (See Park), with its fountains, trails, trees and plants. From the Sea Garden’s entrance, several flights of steep stone steps lead down to the long, wide sandy beach with its crashing waves. On my first evening, after obtaining directions from the lovely local lady at the guest house who speaks reasonably good English, I exited the building, turned left until I reached the vibrant pedestrian street (Bogoridi), took another left and eventually found a busy outdoor restaurant. Waving my hands finally caught a waiter’s attention. After establishing he spoke some English, I asked what meat dishes were available and their prices. This led to me order delicious cheese balls for a starter, followed by beef steak and chips and two balls of chocolate ice cream for dessert. I paid in Lev, Bulgaria’s national currency. 1 Lev is divided into 100 Stotinki. If paying with more than 1 Lev, then the money is called Leva.

The next day, I descended the stairs inside the guest house, found the main door, ascended two steps and exited the building. I found the pedestrian avenue again, had a light breakfast in a small outdoor café and asked the waiter for directions to the port to take a boat to St. Anastasia Island – a half hour ride from Burgas Port. I followed the directions given, descended the pedestrian street all the way until it was intercepted by a main road with busy traffic. Someone helped me over the road and I then asked the location of the Armenian Orthodox church and Bulgaria Hotel. I’d been told to turn left at these landmark buildings which were beside each other. Eventually, I met a local who told me where to go. I found the gates to the church and then met a lovely elderly couple from Russia, who were visiting on holiday. They spoke good English and I told them my destination. They showed me to the port area and tried to help me find the place to buy tickets. Eventually, they found the correct road that would lead me to the ticket office for the boat to St Anastasia Island. I followed the roads edge until I came to a large building, I knew it was big because I followed its wall with my cane. Thinking it was the ticket office, I entered and asked a staff member. However, it was a hotel near the port and not the boat ticket office. She asked one of her colleagues to take me to the place to buy tickets and, 15 minutes later, with the hotel staff member’s help, I had my return ticket and boarded the boat to the island.

A crew member helped me up a ladder to the open-top deck and I sat in a seat and enjoyed the warm sun and cool breeze. After 30 minutes bumping up and down over the rough waves, the boat docked at the small rocky volcanic island. St. Anastasia is noted for being Bulgaria’s only accessible island and for also having an old convent, built in the Middle Ages. However, the convent has been abandoned since 1923 when the island was turned into a prison and known as ‘Bolshevik Island’. The convent’s upper levels house is a museum on the island’s history, Black Sea marine life and models of historic shipwrecks that have been discovered by divers. Near the monastery is an old orthodox church and a lighthouse, which was built by a French company in the 1880s. It’s now operated automatically and can’t be entered. There’s also a restaurant, a small quay, a conference hall and two guesthouses with a total of five rooms available to tourists. Walking from the tiny jetty up to the monastery/convent, I met a friendly Bulgarian guy named Pablin. He works at both the museum and nearby restaurant. He speaks good English and showed me around. That’s how I learnt the above information. He also showed me some information boards as we walked along the trail. The information panels have some information in Braille and also a few tactile shapes of the island and its buildings. Unfortunately, the Braille is only in Bulgarian. After climbing the three lots of wooden steps, Pablin took me inside the museum, taking the elevator to the first floor. The models of the shipwrecks and fish found off the coast were fascinating; I was able to touch them. After a walk around the museum, I had a pot of herbal tea and chatted with Pablin about life on the island and in Bulgaria in general. He kindly drove me to the quay where I took the return boat to Burgas. Back in the port, I ask for directions to the centre, was pointed in the general direction and began walking. Naturally, I got lost, but I met a young English guy with his Bulgarian grandma. They were going in the same general direction and helped me back to the main pedestrian street and we headed to the big beach together. I had an ice cream then sat on the soft sand and listened to the crashing surf. Later, I retraced my steps across the beach, located the steps and began climbing. This took me into the Sea Garden where an hour or so was spent wandering the trails, walking into bushes and trees and enjoying the delightful sound of several fountains as I explored. After asking numerous people, I managed to relocate the long, pedestrian Bogoridi Street. Upon finding another lively restaurant, I sampled Tarator—Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup, which tasted slightly bitter, but the cucumber gave it flavour. This was followed by a delicious pork steak and finished with a Lava cake—a messy chocolate goo.

I’d highly recommend Burgas, St. Anastasia Island and Guest House Elit to many travellers, disabled or not. Even though Guest House Elit may not be suitable for people in wheelchairs, and not every individual will want to bother ascending and descending the awkward stairs to the rooms, I found it a nice, comfy, quiet guest house and would stay here again. Many of the Burgas streets are reasonably accessible for people with most physical disabilities. Bogoridi Street, the one with lively restaurants and cafes is step-free, reasonably smooth and pedestrianized apart from the occasional crossroad with traffic. There’s another large pedestrian area near the main bus-train stations. Most traffic light crosswalks seem flat and some pavements/sidewalks have drop-down curbs, but not all. The only access onto the beach is found is via several flights of steps. Many of the restaurants and cafes I visited are also disabled accessible, at least the outdoor tables. The bathrooms, however, are often up steps or downstairs! But, it is Eastern Europe! I found the locals friendly and helpful and quite a few spoke some level of English. The town has many different attractions for all interests; a couple of museums, cafes, good outdoor/indoor dining with tasty food, shopping, beaches, etc.

Can you share a challenging travel experience

I was travelling in Northern Canada in 2004 and ended up in Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory. I’d been travelling on a Greyhound bus for many hours and had become friends with the few other foreign passengers. We arrived in Whitehorse around 4 am, unfortunately, all the hostels were, apparently, full. A group of us waited in a Tim Horton’s until around 8 am. Some of them decided to share a hotel room for a night, but since I had my small, one-man tent with me, I chose to camp. One guy helped me erect my tent in a field behind the bus station and near a gravel path, so I could find the path with my cane upon my return. I placed my sleeping bag and backpack inside, padlocked the tent and headed in the direction of the sound of traffic. I followed the road into the city centre, located the hotel where the guys were staying after asking a couple of people, and met up with a few of them for breakfast and to explore the city. After a full day wandering around Whitehorse, a taxi dropped me back at the Tim Horton’s by the bus station that evening. Upon finishing a light dinner in the café, I crossed the road and began searching for the rough trail with my cane and my feet. Finding the trail, I walked along it, swinging my cane to my left, hoping I’d hit the tent. 30 minutes later, having not found anything, I went to the road and tried to flag down a vehicle to ask someone to help me locate the tent. Eventually, a young guy, delivering pizzas, stopped and asked me what I was doing. He couldn’t understand why a blind guy from the U.K. was camping alone in Whitehorse! I told him I was travelling! He grabbed a torch and had a quick search for the tent, but found nothing. He kindly dropped me at a Salvation Army hostel and offered to return in the morning and help me find my gear. I was given a bed and a strong cup of tea. They even found me some waterproofs as I’d lost mine. The following morning, the young guy returned and we searched for my tent and backpack together. We did find another tent, but it wasn’t mine. It was much bigger and hidden in bushes. Everything was gone: tent, sleeping bag, backpack, with all my clothes and travel stuff, including my spare cane. Fortunately, I was wearing warm trousers, a jumper and comfortable walking boots. I also had my passport and wallet, the most important items. I was in shock and felt a little stupid for camping in a field in such an exposed spot. When I told the police what had occurred, one officer said maybe people had stolen the items to sell them for money to buy drugs. Who knows, but it was an upsetting experience. I wasn’t really sure what to do at first, as I’d lost my travel Greyhound bus pass as well. Fortunately, I had a friend in Haines, Southern Alaska, who I’d met earlier on my global trip. Upon phoning him and explaining the problem, he told me to come and stay. Luckily, Skagway, the Alaskan port town opposite Haines, is only about a 5-hour bus journey from Whitehorse, international border crossing included. The following day, with help from some of the friends I’d made, I purchased a ticket for a bus to Skagway. Upon arrival in the tiny port town, I asked a local to show me to the nearby ferry terminal and took the 30-minute boat ride to Haines. As I stepped off the ferry, my friend’s mum yelled my name, ran over, hugged me and drove me up to her large wooden house on the edge of a large cliff. My problems were solved.

What role does technology play in your travels?

I learned to touch type at the specialist school for blind-visually impaired children by locating the F and J keys on a computer keyboard. These two keys have small tactile lines on them. From finding these two keys, I was taught how to use my fingers and memory to locate the other keys and learned to touch type. This was before the days of speech screen-reading software for computers and laptops. At present I travel with a standard laptop, which has JAWS screen-reading speech software on it. Each time I press a key, the software announces what I’ve pressed. The speech software announces every letter, word or sentence as I type and I’m able to listen back to what I’ve typed using the arrow keys.

I’m able to access the internet for the most part, research my trips, check and respond to emails and even blog on social media. I can book accommodation online using certain websites like booking.com. Although I still need help booking flights and tickets to concerts and activities, like walking tours, etc. I often use couchsurfing.com, a website where travellers can find people to stay with for free all over the world. Each individual has a profile with their photo and some basic personal details, age, gender, employment, education, etc. You can see how many people they’ve hosted and read the comments of their guests. It’s a wonderful way to meet local, like-minded people and experience some real culture. When staying with a host, I often bring them a small gift and offer to pay for tea/coffee or take them for a meal on my last evening.

Unlike most people, I don’t use a Smart Phone or iPhone! I don’t like swiping with my fingers to find a random button on the screen. I also struggle to understand the voice on the speech software because of my deafness. I carry a basic phone with tactile buttons to make calls. As I journey, I simply change the phone’s SIM card in each country I visit. This is so I can contact my local host when in their city/town.

I also use a Victor Stream Reader, a smallish hand-held device, similar in size to a mobile/cell phone. It too has tactile buttons and audio speech software. Once I’ve gathered all the research for my trip to a city/town/country, this info goes onto a Word or Notepad document and is then transferred onto the Victor. I can listen to this info through headphones as I travel. The Victor Stream Reader has a large memory card and a long battery life. I can copy videos, podcasts, MP3 and MP4 audio and music files on it and record messages. It’s a handy and useful device, but expensive!

How do you prepare for a trip?

When I began travelling, I was in my late teens to early twenties. I didn’t undertake much research or planning; I didn’t have access to the internet back then. I visited the U.S. and Australia, countries I knew a lot about and travelled around them with help from local people on the ground in the cities and towns. I also was helped by staff in hostels and hotels. Australia was especially easy to travel as a blind person. Staff in the hostels booked my onward transport and accommodation and any activities I wished to do, like bungy jumping, sky diving, etc. However, now I’m visiting more remote and complex destinations, like in West and Central Africa, where there’s less infrastructure, particularly for disabled people. I undertake more research and planning but in general, I think as an independent traveller rather than like a blind person. I use my laptop to research each country and major city. I discover the local currency, each country’s national dish, transportation in each destination, the general weather; is it extremely hot in such a month or extremely wet. Then I research the various attractions in each destination. Historical sites interest me and also religious buildings of all faiths. I love visiting waterfalls to hear their wonderful sound. I try to find free guided walking tours in various cities and gain knowledge of a place’s history and culture that way. I often email museums or other notable attractions to ask if they have audio guides with tactile buttons that I can use to learn about their historical collection or the architecture of a particular building or monument. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England has such an audio guide, one of the best.

I’ve never really worried about my safety when travelling. I’ve found so many kind and lovely people, all over the world, who simply want to take care of me and feed me! I do often take a spare white cane with me and spare hearing aid batteries and parts, as these are often more difficult to find in developing nations.

My main strategy is, be open-minded, meet and interact with people and have an idea of where you want to go and what you want to experience.

However, I suggest not to book every flight ticket or all your accommodation in advance. Plans can changes, things happen, buses break down, especially in Africa. It’s good to be flexible. Often when travelling, the best information is gained by word of mouth. Someone has just visited an amazing waterfall and recommends going. Sometimes you meet someone on the road, a stranger whose company you find interesting. This can interrupt carefully made plans.

When I visited the so-called, Bridge on the River Kwai, part of a World Warr II heritage sight in Kanchanaburi, Thailand with a group, I unexpectedly discovered a tactile model with Braille, marking the entire area of the river, ‘Burma Railway Bridge’ and location of the various prisoner of war camps. The main cemetery of prisoners who died during the railway’s construction is nearby and is called the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. A wonderful, unexpected find, especially in a developing country. It enhanced my experienced immensely.

What advice would you give to other blind or deaf individuals who dream of travelling but may feel that their disabilities could limit their ability to explore the world?

Research your chosen destination. Start small and local. Maybe visit a town or city in your own country or province or state. Go for a weekend to begin with, and discover if you like that experience. Maybe go with a friend or family member who has travel or other interests in common. Do some planning, but don’t book everything or stick to a set itinerary. Be flexible and experience things, especially foods. Remember to have fun! That’s what travelling should be about.

How have different cultures around the world responded to your disabilities?

I’ve visited 134 countries so far, all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 7 of the world’s continents.

People react to my disabilities in different ways. Many people tell me what I’m doing is amazing but can’t understand why a blind person would travel alone and what they can enjoy about it if they can’t see. I explain travelling is about meeting people and experiencing their country’s culture, eating the food, hearing different music, etc. The majority of people I meet from all cultures, backgrounds, race and genders, simply want to help me and protect me. Occasionally, some people have attempted to take advantage of the fact I’m blind and severely deaf, but usually, I’m able to remove myself from any potential danger. I’ve had items stolen, just like any other traveller, but I put it down to experience and move on. Some of the friendliest people I’ve met are in New Zealand, Turkey, Australia, Ireland, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Russia and Chile. Canadians and Syrians are very friendly. The people from these countries have usually responded positively to my blindness and once I’ve explained what I can and cannot do, and expressed what help I need, most people are more than willing to help and usually relax.

I’ve had some negative responses to my blindness. A lady in a museum in Verona, Italy, told me that I can’t possibly climb those stairs to visit the house museum alone. But mostly, people are simply curious. They can’t understand how a blind person can get about, go from one place to another alone, cross a busy street without being run over, etc.

How has travelling shaped your perspective on life?

Travelling to different countries, the people I’ve encountered, the various cultures I’ve been exposed too, rich and poor, has educated me in so many ways and made me become very open-minded in life. Through travel, I’ve become a more caring and humbler person, kind to myself and others. Meeting people in developing countries, who have little in terms of possessions, but seem happy, have taught me so much.

You’re not just a traveller but also an author. What do you hope your audience takes away from your stories?

I hope anyone who reads any of my three, slightly different, travel eBooks gains some insight into how a blind person can travel around the world alone and have fun doing it. I also hope readers can learn and realize that having a disability or two doesn’t mean that an individual can’t do things and achieve their own dreams. My books and stories demonstrate they can—we all can, disabled or not.

Finally, I hope that anyone who reads my three eBooks, gets a laugh from them. I certainly did!

Tell us one fun thing about yourself

My favourite food is the British sausage!

Finally, live life, follow your travel dreams, whatever they are, and have a go.