How many different kinds of transportation can you think of? The obvious include bikes, cars, planes, trains, boats. Of course our own two feet are a means of transport. Then there are the animals pressed into service such as horses, camels and donkeys. All over the world people make different transport choices depending on local customs and resources.
For John’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge theme of ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ I thought I would simply compile a gallery of images from around the world to show the diversity of methods of getting from A to B. If anyone would like to play a little game here, try to guess which ones I actually travelled in and which I simply photographed.
I know there are far too many photos here but once I started searching my archives I found I couldn’t stop. So please scroll by all those that hold no interest for you; I promise I won’t be offended!
Evening on the Mekong in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
So-called ‘pirate’ ship used for tourist cruises on Lake Ashi, Japan
Traditional dhows moored at Sur, Oman
Traditional reed boat on Lake Titicaca in Peru
Father and son in their boat on the Kerala Backwaters
Pirogues, used to ferry people across the River Gambia
Locals collecting oysters near Mandina Lodge in Gambia
Ferry across the Gambia River in Banjul
On the road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia
Somewhere in Rajasthan
Tanker in Rajasthan
Tanker in Senegal
Old trolleybus in Chongjin, North Korea
A ‘chicken bus’ in Antigua Guatemala, where old US school buses are repurposed for public transport
Local bus in Fimela, Senegal
Tuk-tuks in Panajachel, Guatemala
In Havana, Cuba
Donkey carts and on foot in Marrakesh
Mopeds in Gubbio and Arpino, Italy
Bikers at a viewpoint in Washington State, USA
Transporting baskets in Delhi
Rickshaw drivers in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
Father and son in a Romanian village
In a market town somewhere in Senegal
Donkey with a load near Telouet in Morocco
Donkey transport for young children in Peru
Tourists on camels in the Kyzylkum desert in Uzbekistan
Hot air balloon in the sky near Marrakesh
Cable car near Hakone in Japan
Helicopter landing at a heliport near Victoria Falls
Prop plane and pilot taking visitors to the Okavango Delta in Botswana
Train crossing a bridge in Delhi
At a station in Rajasthan
Shinkansen (bullet trains) at Osaka station in Japan
52 Comments
Amy
Great selections, Sarah! Enjoy viewing various transportations around the world. Thank you for sharing your travel adventure, as always.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Amy 🙂 So glad you enjoyed these!
SoyBend
Wow, what a gallery! I liked the pirate ship photo, I bet it would look good in monochrome too. Also liked the gorgeous green car in Cuba and the kids on the donkey.
Sarah Wilkie
Now that’s an idea – I have several photos of those ships but haven’t tried any with a B&W edit – thanks for the suggestion 🙂
grandmisadventures
Impressive and wonderful collection of transportation of all shapes and kinds 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much 😊
Mike and Kellye Hefner
This was a fun post, Sarah. Your travels never cease to fascinate me.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I hope I can continue to fascinate you!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Undoubtedly, you will!
leightontravels
As others have said, a really wonderful collection of images. Ah, dear, dear Rajasthan. It almost seems unfair to pick out favourites from these shots, but the baskets on a bicycle in Delhi is just brilliant and the Romania shot had me absentmindedly humming the theme tune to Steptoe & Son.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leighton 😊 I always enjoy it when people pick out different favourites. I guess it justifies me in including so many!! And now you have me humming that theme tune too – thanks for the ear-worm 😂
Marie
An astonishing array of the most beautiful photos – I love them all. If I had to pick, I’d have to go for the Gambia river … or the full truck in Rajasthan….or the children in Peru … or the women in Senegal… 🤔 … No .. too hard!!!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Marie 😊 I confess I’m glad in a way you found it hard to pick a favourite! The Senegal one was a bit of serendipity, shot from a car when our driver stopped for petrol in a small village. And the Peru shot is an oldie (2005) but when I came across it while looking for the Lake Titicaca one I had to include it.
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
I hope the ones that you traveled in where the ones that look less dangerous! My hair stood on end occasionally.
Sarah Wilkie
Define dangerous?!! We took that ferry, for instance 😉 Also the cable car, balloon, helicopter, small plane, rikshaw, tuk-tuk, trolleybus, trains, camels … But no donkeys, motorbikes or pirogues, and definitely no riding on the roof of vans!!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Yeah, it was riding on the roof of vans or the bicycle with absolutely no view that worried me!
Sarah Wilkie
Those I can promise to avoid 😂
photobyjohnbo
What a collection of travel images, just the kind I imagined for this challenge. I especially like your opening photo, but all of the boats are fascinating in their traditional styles. Some day I’d like to ride on a modern train, unlike the older styles we have here in the United States. Great job, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank so much for the inspiration to post these John 🙂 Glad they lived up to your expectations! Conversely, I’d love to experience a train journey in the US one day. I wouldn’t have thought you lacked modern trains though, that surprises me!
rosalieann37
We have nothing like the French high speed trains here. It is all 19th century although the trains are no longer run on wood or coal. And the trains are not on time and the ticket machines may not work. We took a train from Miami to Baltimore and go off early in Richmond because Bob could not stand the jolting – he said it was as if the train was running on the ties rather than on the rails.
I was amused by the Gambia river photo. There’s more than just boats there. Someone was carrying another person on his back in the corner of that photo.
Sarah Wilkie
Trains not running on time sounds like here in the UK! And that man on the other man’s back is a paying passenger being taken to the waiting boat by one of its crew 🙂 I have lots of photos of the pirogues but I chose that one because of that detail – glad you spotted it!
Leela Gopinath
Great collection!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leela 🙂
margaret21
A fabulous gallery. Most of these are an advert for the delights – though not necessarily the comfort – of Slow Travel.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Margaret 😊 I do have quite a few plane photos too but I did a gallery of those a while back so didn’t focus on that side of travel here. Also I wanted to show how much of the world travelled, which is usually more slowly and locally. Flying is a luxury not many can afford (luckily for the planet).
margaret21
And indeed, most of those journeys wouldn’t benefit from a plan option.
restlessjo
A whole fistful of memories there, Sarah, and some great shots! I can’t imagine your life ever being boring.
Sarah Wilkie
Haha, thanks Jo 😘 Remember these were taken over a period of many years, and there were certainly long periods of work/home relative dullness in between. But no, I am rarely bored!
restlessjo
😂💕
restlessjo
That’s good to know 🤗💗
philosophy through photography
Beautiful examples!
Love the clarity of the images.
Thank you Sarah.
Love the contrast – the Delhi Bridge with dark arches, the colour of the train along with the colour of the bridge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the Delhi bridge shot – it was grabbed from the car so I was pleased it turned out OK.
philosophy through photography
You are welcome Sarah
philosophy through photography
You are welcome my friend.
Marilyn Armstrong
You have a really cool boat collection. The pirogue looks remarkably similar to what we call a “racing kayak” in New England. I bet they took the design from the pirogue.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marilyn (and good to see you’re able to comment OK!) Boats do seem to be especially photogenic – I had far more that I could have included. You could be right about the kayaks, I think many more modern boat designs have been inspired by traditional ones 🙂
VJ
Wow. So many different forms of transportation. Interesting collection
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks very much 🙂
VJ
Welcome
JohnRH
Great great selections. you touched all the bases! Excellent.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you John – I certainly tried!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Know what, Sarah…since we started our retirement travelling I’ve kept a log of every journey, including every mode of transport we’ve used. I must get round to listing and counting all the different types. We’ve added a few new ones this year. However you’ve surpassed by having such a cracking photo collection of these different styles.
Sarah Wilkie
That sounds like it would make a good blog post in its own right Phil – assuming Michaela took photos of some of them at least?! I’d certainly love to see your list 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
Ha….I’ll think about it!
Anonymous
Oh my Sarah! A+ for this one. My favorites are the guy on the other guy’s shoulder on the River Gambia, and of course transporting baskets. Terrific!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina 😊 I have no idea why this comment came through as anonymous but as always it’s great to get your feedback however it reaches me! The guy on the other guy’s shoulder is a paying passenger being taken to the waiting boat by one of its crew 🙂
Nemorino
I know you have ridden in hot air balloons. I remember feeling jealous when you first posted about them.
Sarah Wilkie
It’s such a special experience Don 🙂
Annie Berger
Definitely agree with Yvonne – loved the variety of modes of transportation and of places! Wouldn’t have thought of the hot air balloon initially so that was a good one. Also intrigued with the pirate ship and chicken buses and tuk tuks we’ll be seeing soon and possibly being passengers while in Guatemala, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Ah good, you’re going to Guatemala! Antigua of course? And also Lake Atitlan area I hope? You’ll love it!
Yvonne+Dumsday
Certainly not too many Sarah. A pleasure to see them all.
Sarah Wilkie
Aw, thanks Yvonne 😊