Unfortunately, the year 2020 has been the worst of all for all those who loved or had to travel. Many airlines went bankrupt as well as other travel companies. It was the first year when we didn’t travel at all until now. Recently, some flights have resumed and some restrictions eased. However, we can never be sure if that doesn’t change in the near future. In this post I will describe what it’s like to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. I also want to add that the flight I took was not for leisure or vacation.
Ever wanted to visit the magnificent National Parks of the western USA? That might be complicated if you can't drive or don't have too much time. However, there is one solution - we have visited 8 of the most important National Parks in 9 days - yes it was rushed and exhausting, but the experience was unreal. Here's how we did it with all the pros and cons.
It was always my dream to see the Grand Canyon and the other exceptionally magnificent National Parks and canyons in Utah and Arizona, such as: Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Arches and Monument Valley. Finally, having had visited nearly 70 countries, I planned a trip to the USA. We didn’t have too much time - only 9 days and we couldn’t drive. So, the only option was, as a last resort, an organized tour. Something we always try to avoid. How did it go? How much did it cost? Was it efficient? What were the downsides and upsides of such a journey?
Slovenia is mostly known for the amazing lake Bled. Few actually know what this tiny country hides one of the most spectacular Alpine valleys - the Triglav Lakes valley. The purest rivers and mountainous lakes surrounded by silver rocky peaks and karst formations can be found here. Don’t miss this incredible hiking trail - stay a few days more in Slovenia and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer. Contrary to similar places of this sort in neighboring countries (Italy, Austria, Croatia), you won’t find crowds here - therefore the whole area seems even more enjoyable. In this post I’ll describe the trail and how we got here from lake Bled and continued onwards to the Soca River valley.
Are you wondering if it's safe to travel to Egypt? Besides the amazing ancient monuments and great fun, these are the not so great things you must be aware of before traveling to Egypt. It's better to be prepared rather than disappointed.
I traveled to nearly 70 countries before Egypt, therefore I’d had some expectations and thought I had prepared myself mentally before visiting the lands of pharaoh. Nevertheless, many things still managed to surprise me in Egypt. The following part is based on my subjective experiences and may differ from what others experienced. However, I would like to share what it was like to follow the trail of ancient Egyptians - from Cairo down to the Sudanese border. I haven’t been to the resorts, so I can’t comment on that.
A couple of years back, we visited the Serbian capital - Belgrade. And to be honest, it wasn't my favorite city in the Balkans - you can read my post here. This year, we decided to go back and rediscover Serbia again. Not only did we give Balgrade another chance but also wanted to see some other places in this little Balkan country. One of them was the beautiful Uvac River Canyon - a place that can be tricky to get to and is virtually unknown among tourists outside of Serbia. In this article I'll focus mainly on how to reach the Uvac River Canyon by public transport (if you cannot drive). I will also show the exact points of the maps where to start the hike if you have your own car and where the best viewpoints are.
You might have been to Philippines in the past, but it’s quite likely that you have missed on a paradise! Zambales, from the outside might look just like any other average island in the Philippines but most of its treasures are well kept secrets. Zambales is in fact, one of the most picturesque tourist destinations in the Philippines. Let’s talk about where you need to go and the things to do in Zambales.
Lake Bled is Slovenia's most popular tourist attraction and although it's getting more and more famous, it's still relatively unknown comparing to other European landmarks. And, in contrast to other places flooded by masses of visitors, the beautiful Bled is not overrated at all. In fact, it is way better in real life than in the photos. The images cannot really convey the clear, deep blue color of water, pristine natural surroundings and charming architecture, all combined together.
The town of Bled is best visited in the summer when you can swim, kayak, hike and use it as a base to explore the amazing, hidden treasures of Slovenian Julian Alps.
Before exploring Skopje deeper, we caught a glimpse of this city while on the way from Belgrade to the beautiful Ohrid – a lakeside town boasting unique architecture, clear waters and nice, calm beaches. It was such a pleasure to be there on a sunny, summer day.
Skopje was a different story. It wasn’t very welcoming at first. The grey, gloomy facade that consisted of communist era blocks defined its borders. At first, I thought the two days we had there were going to be a waste of time. However, I couldn’t be more mistaken. Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t say that Skopje is the most beautiful city in Europe, because it isn’t. But its charm was hidden in the fact that I have never seen such a diverse, crazy and chaotic city anywhere else in Europe.
Serbia’s candidacy for European Union membership has created added interest in the numerous attractions of this geographically diverse country and is expected to lead to increased tourism in the area. Visitors to this scenic region will enjoy the picturesque villages and resorts located in the mountainous areas of Serbia, the beautiful Danube River and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the capital city of Belgrade. From cycling tours along the Danube Bike Trail to the picturesque wine routes in rural Serbia, destination holidays in Serbia are an ideal way to explore this historic area.
Ireland is best known for spectacular cliffs, endless green meadows, hundreds of sheep, ubiquitous pubs and of course, above all - Guinness. A beach is something that never comes to mind when you think about things to see in the Emerald Island. However, it’s good to know some nice place where you can relax and enjoy your time when the sun actually appears and chases away the gray cloud cover. During such a rare event, when you visit Dublin, you'll probably notice the masses escaping to Howth, Bray or the city beaches such as Portmarnock. They are all nice locations, however there are no sandy beaches in Howth and Bray and the ones in the north of the capital are long and endless with unimaginable crowds and murky water.
But what if we told you that we discovered a hidden little beach that is mostly known only among locals and it’s not worse than the beaches surrounded by cliffs in countries like Portugal?
Charyn Canyon, although completely unknown in the west, is probably the biggest attraction of Almaty region and maybe the whole country of Kazakhstan. It is way smaller than its famous counterpart – the Grand Canyon, however this fact doesn’t make it a less exciting place to visit. The canyon is located where two huge climate zones clash - between the barren Altyn Emel desert and the massive, lush green Tien Shan mountain range. From the red rocky cliffs of the canyon, you can spot the snow-covered peaks in the distance.
Scotland is the second largest country in the United Kingdom coalition formed in 1707 and is located north of England. Scotland is endowed with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, making it a very popular tourist destination. It is known for friendly and lively cities and millions of people world wide have Scottish roots as their ancestors migrated from Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries due to conflicts. The famous game of golf was created by Scots and Scotland boasts of owning some world class golf courses.Scotland has three different types of terrain, the highlands, the lowlands and the flat lands.
Everyone comes to Pisa to see one of the world's most famous attractions - the Leaning Tower. While it's an extremely popular destination, we didn't choose Pisa because we wanted to visit the tower. We went there because it turned out to be the best (and cheapest) gateway to the beautiful region of Italy - Tuscany, where you can find: Cinque Terre, Florence and other, less known destinations like Siena and a charming medieval town built on a steep cliff - Pitigliano. But as we already were in Pisa, we decided to give it a go and find out if this little town had anything else in its offer.
Dhermi and Llogara Pass all the way to the town of Vlora were the last points on our itinerary along the Albanian riviera. Going North, we left behind Ksamil, Blue Eye Spring, Himare and my favorite, hidden beaches in Albania - Jala and Ghipe. We already knew Albania is a paradise for those who love unspoiled nature and we just wanted to relax for the last part of the journey. And once more, this little unknown country had another surprise for us - the unbelievable mountainous views all the way to the turquoise, tropical looking Ionian Sea.
Salvador city is the capital of the Bahia state in the North East of Brazil. While it's nothing less attractive than Rio, it gets way fewer tourists and thanks to that, it's easier to feel the local, Brazilian mixed with African influences way of life there. It's one of the oldest colonial cities in South America, founded by the Portuguese in he 16th century. With the spectacular carnivals, it's also believed to be the birthplace of Brazilian culture. You can experience that while strolling down the beautiful, charming streets of the old historical center - Salvador, no doubt has one of the most beautiful old historical centers in Brazil!
