Peru
Peru is a fascinating country with spectacular landscapes and rich history - its most important attraction, the ruins of Machu Picchu are truly magnificent.
Traveling to Machu Picchu, do not take buses all the way from the base town - Aguas Calientes. If you like and are able to hike, do the hikes to Machu Picchu and around. It will help you appreciate the beauty of Peruvian Andes as well as the Machu Picchu site itself.
Getting to Machu Picchu may be quite difficult and confusing, that's why I've described in detail how to do it in a best way - from Cuzco to the very top of Machu Pucchu Mountain.
Have a look at the posts below:
Ollantaytambo, located at 2792 meters (9160 feet), lies in the picturesque Sacred Valley on the Patacancha river near the town of Urubamba, in between the capital city of the Incas - Cuzco and the Machu Picchu ruins. It's not as well known as the spectacular ancient city of Machu Picchu, but nonetheless worth visiting for those who want to learn more about the Inca Empire. The ruins, perched atop of nearby hills, give silent testimony of once advanced and highly organized civilization. Ollantaytambo is usually a stop for all tourists who come to see Machu Picchu, you should reserve at least one day for visiting, either on the way to Machu Picchu or while coming back to Cuzco.
Good weather didn't last long though, after 15 minutes clouds came back and, like milk, spilled all over the valley. Now we could only see the infinite whiteness. The way down was harder and more slippery, our legs were in pain. However, it was faster to go down than up and we were back at the ruins at around 3 pm. Because of lack of time, we hadn't prepared any food the previous day to take to Machu Picchu, so we didn't have a choice but to try the cuisine at the Sanctuary Logde Restaurant. The price for a meal was very expensive, 43 USD per person, but you could eat as much as you wanted and also, we were given a little badge with the drawing of the ruins, as consolation, I think, for paying that much. However, the food was excellent.
In the previous post "How to get to Machu Picchu", I mentioned about the few ways on how to get to the ruins. You can go straight from Cusco, or you can go to Ollantaytambo first, stay there overnight, and then take the morning train to Aguas Calientes. Many people recommend this stay in Ollantaytambo, because in Aguas Calientes (start point to Machu Picchu), there is not much too see, it is built mainly to accommodate and serve tourists.
However, if you have only one day to visit the Machu Picchu site, I would say it is better for you to be in Aguas Calientes the night before. This is because you really have to wake up and start climbing as early as possible, and if you decide to visit Wayna (or Huayna) Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain, you will need a lot of time for this.
Machu Picchu, located 2400 meters above sea level, is without any doubts one of the most breathtaking tourist destinations. However, it is not very easily accessible, but nonetheless, worth the effort! First, quite a long trip awaits you from Cusco to Aguas Calientes.
Then, if you are fit enough you can walk and then climb the mountain with the ruins (quite steep and difficult, for about 1,5 hours) from the village of Aguas Calientes, which is basically the base for tourists visiting Machu Picchu (with the exception of the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel right beside the ruins, the only hotel at the site - 'only' about 700 USD per night).
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Many of the visitors coming to southern Poland and Krakow region end up in Zakopane - the little town located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Some hike (or take a horse cart ride) up the easy and quite boring trail to the most famous landmark in Polish mountains - Morskie Oko lake which is undoubtedly picturesque and beautiful, but so overcrowded that it can get really irritating.
In this post, I'll try to encourage you to leave Morskie Oko behind and venture into the real, wild beauty of the area. As usual, the most attractive and stunning views are awaiting those who are brave enough to take a risk and explore something beyond the beaten path. I've already described the trek to Dolina Pieciu Stawow which is way nicer than the one to Morskie Oko and now it's time to write about my favorite trail in the Tatras - to Swinica peak via the less known Dolina Gasienicowa (Gasienicowa Valley) and Zawrat saddle. This trail features not one but several crystal clear lakes of different shapes and colors, spectacular views - incomparable with those on the way to Morskie Oko and it's perfect for those who love adventure and adrenaline rush!
On the second day of the extraordinarily beautiful trek to Poon Hill, we left the cozy village of Ulleri at sunrise and headed uphill towards another village - Ghorepani. Ghorepani is located at the elevation of 2750 meters and it differs from other towns with the distinctive blue roofs and houses. It is also a gateway to the most important point of the trek - Poon Hill (around 3200 meters above sea level) which offers a spectacular, 360 degree view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Especially stunning in March/April when all the wild rhododendrons blossom and cover the mountainous valleys in bright red colors.
Lake Kaindy in southern Kazakhstan is one of the newest and most unique natural wonders on our planet. Although literally unknown in the West, if it was located in any European country, it would be its best tourist attraction. Especially beautiful in the fall (autumn), Lake Kaindy boasts not only exceptionally attractive blue color of water and snowy rocky mountains surrounding it but also the unique, silver trunks of dead spruce sticking out of the lake's surface. The "flooded forest" is indeed one of the natural landmarks of Kazakhstan. It all creates a fairy-tale like scenery, not seen anywhere else.
You might have seen photos of the gargantuan hole in the middle of the desert spewing out flames and a beam of light out of its core high up into the night sky while watching National Geographic or some documentary on the weirdest places on Earth. Although the Darvaza Crater has got quite large exposure in the media, it still remains very rarely visited by ordinary tourists. Central Asia is an extremely interesting place both naturally and historically. However, travelers almost always skip it choosing the popular beaches in Southeast Asia. Come to Darvaza and you'll feel as if you were teleported to Mars - it's a unique, outlandish and eerie experience that cannot be compared to anything else you've seen before.
While watching one of the Hollywood apocalyptic films or playing computer games - have you ever thought that a real ghost town is closer than you think? It is actually located in the center of Europe - in Ukraine. 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the country's capital - Kiev, very close to the border with Belarus. A visit to Pripyat is an extraordinary experience - something you most probably have never seen and will never see. It is completely different from the usual sight seeing tours. In this post I am presenting a gallery of photos of this ghost town literally abandoned overnight thirty years ago.
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2015 was a year full of adventure, surprises and amazing opportunities to discover even more of great and off the beaten path places. Just like a year ago, based on my own experience (I've been to all the countries described below), I'd like to present my list of destinations to visit in 2016 (click here to see the post from 2015). As usual, it will be different than most of such lists released by meainstream travel magazines. Instead of repeating all the well known places, I'd like you to get inspired and explore new adventurous and exciting spots. It has probably never even come to your mind that you could visit some of them and you'll surely get shocked when you learn where those amazing wonders actually are located!
The Shipwreck Beach (also called Navagio) on the Greek island - Zakynthos is the most beautiful beach I have seen. It's claimed to be the most beautiful - and I agree. After visiting numerous beaches in other, also way more exotic destinations (like Brazil, Thailand, Italy, Mauritius, Georgia, India, Croatia, Albania, Spain, Portugal), I have yet to discover a place that would enchant me as much as Navagio Beach. But there is a flaw in this perfection. The beach is indeed the most beautiful in the world, granted that it's viewed from the edge of the cliff that surrounds it. Looked at from the sea level, it looses its charm. However, most of the tour agencies offering a trip to the beach arrive there by boat and in this case you will not see it as it is on the postcards or leaflets - from above. It's also impossible to climb the steep rocky cliff from the beach. So what's the solution if you want to admire the famous view from the top?
One of the most important religious sites in Myanmar, seemingly defying the law of gravity - Golden Rock Temple (Kyaiktio or Kyaikhteeyoe Pagoda), although quite famous, is surprisingly not as touristy as the other destinations in the country - Bagan, Mandalay or Yangon. There are good and bad sides to it. The good thing is that the authenticity of the place is still preserved (unlike the temples in Thailand) and you'll see many more locals than foreigners around. The bad thing - to get there without an expensive, privately run tour or a taxi is pretty complicated, the bus schedules are not clear and the level of English among the Burmese is very low. And... to be honest, the site is one of those that look absolutely spectacular in the photos, a bit less so in real life. Having said that, the whole journey was a great adventure, definitely worth the effort and it left some priceless memories in my mind.
It might be a bit strange to see a post about a spa on a blog that describes mainly an active way of traveling and discovering some forgotten and unknown places where few even think of visiting. But Blue Lagoon in Iceland is different. It's an amazing proof how human engineering and nature can cooperate perfectly. It's not an ordinary, boring spa with swimming pools and massages. The Blue Lagoon is one of those experiences that, I think, everyone should try at least once in life. Especially after exploring some of the marvelous sites of Iceland - an outlandish island on the periphery of Europe.
The very south corner of Albania - the country which is still a black spot on the touristic map of Europe offers, in my opinion, the best beaches in the entire old continent: white sand, tropical color of the clearest possible seas, the exoticism of the area and most friendly locals. Most of the very few individual foreign tourists who get to the beach village of Ksamil arrive by ferry from the neighboring, overcrowded by tourists Greek island - Corfu. I followed the same route. And, I really thought that Corfu is amazing until I set foot in Albania's shore. My jaw literally dropped. I immediately felt as if I was transferred to one of the tropical, paradise-like postcard spots. It's a mystery to me how this exceptionally beautiful piece of land lacks any recognition among foreigners. But maybe it's better this way!
Cuzco, Cusco or Quscu (in Quechua) is one of the most popular cities i Peru. It was the capital of The Inca Empire and some traces if its grandeur are still visible - both in Cuzco and in the surrounding areas. The city can boast a significant indigenous population and is a perfect gateway to one of the most famous sites of the ancient world - Machu Picchu. Surrounded by green mountains, located at over 3,400m (11,155 ft.) above the sea level, Cuzco has a very specific and original climate. Although most of the visitors head straight towards Machu Picchu, at least one full day spent in The Inca Empire capital is really worth it!