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.
Initially, Sibiu wasn't included in our itinerary of the places to see in Romania. We visited it by pure coincidence. We stopped there while traveling from Brasov through Sighisoara to Bucharest. And what a nice surprise it was! Without zero expectations, this Transylvanian town turned out to be so charming that we decided to spend there a whole day. What’s surprising is the fact that there's one unique touch that defines Sibiu - the old town houses there seem to have eyes!
The Bran castle is probably Romania's most popular tourist attraction as its associated with the main character of the famous vampire story - Dracula. Located in the forested region of Transylvania, it's easy to reach and visited by hordes of tourists and organised groups. But what is the castle really like? Is it unique and worth seeing? Or is it yet another overrated tourist attraction?
Bucharest was the last place on our itinerary in Romania, before heading more east - to the mysterious and least visited capital in Europe - Chisinau (soon I'll write a post about it). Unfortunately, this time we didn't have a chance to make it to the Romania's Black Sea coast resort city - Constanta.
After visiting somehow fairy tale-like scenery and medieval towns of Transylvania, Bucharest seemed a lot different. More rough, grey and heavy. Hundreds of concrete blocks everywhere, landscape filled with brutalist architecture. But there is one place in Bucharest that lets you escape the gloomy, communist atmosphere - the Old Town. Many cities have been called the "Paris of the East" - Warsaw, Beirut or Budapest. However, Bucharest Old Town is the one that truly resembles the French capital the most, in my opinion.
