It’s been quiet on Travel Cake these past few months. Some of you have been asking me where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Well, I can tell you this much: I haven’t been slacking!
I’ve moved from Ecuador to Belgium where I have been slaving away at a 9 to 5 desk job. Being back in my hometown has been wonderful in terms of reconnecting with friends, family and the city. You may have read the mini luxury guide to Ghent I wrote for travel blog “Hippie in Heels”. You may also have read what I had to say about travel photography in an article for “Voyager for life“.
saying my goodbyes to Ecuador
But most importantly, I’ve been preparing for the trip of a lifetime. A new adventure, greater than any I’ve ever been on before.
Destination?
Motherhood.
That’s right,I said motherhood.
The journey began 10 months ago in Iran and continued in Ecuador and Colombia. It took a turn in the US and passed by the Netherlands. It then continued to Belgium where our daughter was born. Our ‘Mini Travel Cake’ is a sweet and funny baby with a traveller’s spirit. How could it be any different, she is only a month old and has already been to 6 countries!
Does this mean Travel Cake is turning into a mommy blog?
No. Plain and simple. It’s just not my cup of tea. However, I’ll probably publish an article related to kids and travel every once in a while. But in general I plan on publishing the same kind of content as I have so far.
As my pregnancy came to an end, I was stuck indoors with a swollen face hiding from the summer heat. Knowing that my life will never be exactly the same again, I thought about my passed travels. Motherhood is probably the most intense and life changing adventure of them all and I’m THRILLED not to have rushed into it. Thrilled to have taken time to see and experience as much of the world as possible while being relatively carefree. That’s why, as a tribute to carefree travelling, I will be posting a countdown of my 100 most memorable, essential travel experiences.
Here goes part 1, in no particular order:
100. Driving miles and miles on the rooftops of Nepali busses.
A drink, music blasting from your headphones and wind running through your hair… the best seats are in between the luggage on the roof of the bus!
Morocco’s riads are so romantic, so sophisticated and worth the occational splurge. I tried looking the part sippin’ on an overpriced martini in one of Morocco’s fancy riads. Click on the title to read about my weekend in Fez, Morocco.
98. Floating through life on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala
Waking up on the deck of our houseboat, having breakfast while we glide over the waterways, sigh…
Water party in a pop-up day clubThis is a common street scene in Yangon during the water festival. Click on the title to read about our experiences during Thingyan.
Our first and very ill prepared trek at 4300m altitude. Click on the title to read a post related to trekking.
95. Rum cocktails in Castro’s Cuba
Cuba during Castro’s reign was such a bizarre yet unique and enchanting place. At least for visitors. Things may have changed but I’m sure the rum cocktails are still just as delicious!
After a breathtaking hike, I reached the cabin of an Albanian family who welcomed me for tea and burek. Instant adoption. Click on the title to read about my hike in the Albanian Alps.
93. Spending the night in the garden of Eden in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Watching the sun set after a long walk in what seemed like the garden of Eden. DRC has fantastic nature, I wish I could say the same for the political situation.
A childhood dream came true when we spotted these cuties in the jungle of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Click on the title to read more about our time in Sulawesi.
91. Fishing, sunbathing and drinking on a catamaran in Los Roques, Venezuela
My first time on a caribbean beach, I was overwhelmed by the high tropical factor
90. Traveling by train in Russia
I got to know my cabin mates by communicating with signs on a 40 hour train ride to the Russian Arctic
Camping on a deserted beach in southern Oman.We stumbled upon some sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand. Click on the title to read about my road trip to Oman.
86. Learning to scuba dive
Wreck diving in the Philippines, a new world opening up…My first open water dive in Zanzibar, one of many more to come.
The more I talked to local people on both sides of the conflict, the more confused I was on the issues. No matter how much I hung out in the old streets of Jerusalem. Read more about my trip to Israel.Crossing the horrendous border to Palestine. Click on the title to read more about my findings in Palestine.
Tucked away in the cloud forest, on the slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes lies the sleepy town of Mindo: the perfect spot for a range of adrenaline sports. Whether it’s tubing, canyoning, mountain biking, canopy flying or hiking, you can do it all in Mindo.
Because I was physically unable to partake in any of these activities, I had a far more mellow “Mindo experience” than most visitors. And yet, Mindo was my favourite place in Ecuador. There is something magical in the air in Mindo.
our cabin in the cloud forest
Since adventure sports were not an option for me, I created what I would call a “Mindo for the broke”-itinerary. Though we weren’t actually broke, I figured this is exactly how I would spend my time if I had run out of money: skipping all the pricier adrenaline activities. Despite that they’re relatively cheap in Ecuador, they’ll still eat away at your budget.
My pseudo ‘Mindo for the broke’ itinerary mainly consisted of…
Eating.
Broke or not, a woman’s got to eat, right?!
The restaurants in Mindo serve excellent food! I had a meal in almost every restaurant and café in town -not very hard considering the small size of Mindo. Every single dish I tried blew my socks off. Admittedly, that might have something to do with the fact that we arrived in Mindo after having lived almost two months in a small isolated beach town with limited food options.
Some of the most impressive dishes were the steak in coffee sauce in El Quetzal, and the Mindo burger slathered in chocolate barbecue sauce in Inti Killa. Incredible!
German inspired plate of finger food in ‘the beehive’delicious veggie burger. Not the best looking plate of food we’ve had but we attacked the best dishes with such haste, it was impossible to photograph them before eating.
Coffee and cakes.
This is where you can see this is a pseudo budget itinerary. Because let’s face it, coffee and sweets breaks aren’t really a necessity in life… (or are they?)
But I figured, if I can’t have the adrenaline rush, why not indulge in a sugar and caffeine rush?! As it rains quite often in the cloud forest, what better way to wait for the rain to blow away with a warm drink and some carbs? El Quetzal served the best brownie I’ve ever eaten. EVER! I would go back to Mindo just for that brownie!
on a quest to find Mindo’s best brownie. This wasn’t it. But that view though…carrot cake and a latte while we wait for the rain to stop
Joining a chocolate tour.
From bean to chocolate bar to best brownie ever. After having eaten that amazing brownie, I noticed El Quetzal also offers 6$ chocolate tours. It sounds like a cheesy touristy thing to do -and in a way it was- but I was curious to find out all about the chocolate making process. So I caved and joined an elderly group of tourists on the tour.
raw, fermented cacao beans
Hiking to the waterfalls.
Just outside of town, there’s a series of alluring waterfalls surrounded by lush forest foliage. The hike was mild enough that we were able to really take in the crisp mountain air, chase butterflies and splash our faces with cool spring water. To get to the waterfall trails, we took a ride in a cable car soaring high above the canopy, side by side with the wild toucans. The ride could be considered an adrenaline inducing activity by an acrophobe but to everyone else, it can only be described as a pleasant and stunning short jaunt. The hike is free, the cable car ride costs just a few bucks.
the cable car to get to the waterfallsan easy trail to followdense cloud forestchasing waterfalls in Mindo
Hummingbird gazing.
My favourite activity in Mindo was relaxing in the hummingbird garden. We paid a dollar or so to enter the garden and had a drink surrounded by hundreds of hungry hummingbirds. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like this before. The buzzing sound of their wings flapping at incredible speed, left me tantalised. I could have easily sat there all day just marvelling at nature…
To find the hummingbird garden, walk into any tourist office in town and tell them you want to see the birds. They’ll point you in the right direction.
hungry hummingbirds
And thus ended our 4 relaxing days in Mindo lindo. Full stomachs, no adrenaline, lungs filled with fresh air and a warm and fuzzy feeling when thinking about Magical Mindo.
I was never a big hiker until I undertook a multi-day trek in Nepal a few years ago. While I still can’t really claim to be a hardcore hiker, I do take time for hikes a lot more often now. The distances, the physical challenge and the long hours don’t scare me anymore… In fact, it’s now what I’m drawn to!
Ten years ago, when I visited Colombia, I spent the little time I had in the country visiting my local friends instead of visiting the country. Though I never regretted that decision, I was bummed to have missed out on what seemed like one of Colombia’s highlights: the Cocora valley. “I’ll just have to come back one day” I said…
And come back I did! Ten years later, I finally had the chance to visit the Cocora valley in Colombia! What was even better, this time around I was actually into hiking!
This hike was not only a highlight in Colombia for me, it was one of my favourites of all times. Not too long, not too strenuous and full of gorgeous and unique views.
We headed to the town of Salento, the hub for hikes in the valley. I found the town itself to be very touristy but extremely charming. We spent our first day in Salento wandering around, walking in and out of little boutiques, eating tasty dishes and drinking incredible coffee, straight from the source.
Colombian coffee on the side of the roadtaking multiple food breaks a day…
The next day we woke up shortly after dawn to start our hike. From the town square, a bunch of jeeps were waiting to bring hikers to the valley. The ride to the valley in itself was absolutely stunning! I would have loved to walk there like some people did, but I figured walking those extra kilometres would be pushing it. Besides, a ride hanging from the back of a willy jeep seemed so much cooler!
the jeep to Cocora
Because it had been raining the days before our arrival, we rented some rubber boots from a kiosk at the beginning of the trail. They turned out not to be necessary but I was happy I could walk freely, jump into mud pools and cross small creeks without a second thought.
getting the most out of my rubber boots
The scenery kept changing as our hike progressed. From farms, to jungle, over hanging bridges, through flower fields…
farmer on his way to his fincafarmsmud puddles in the morning lightin the woods…over the bridgeshigh altitude flowers
Finally we arrived in an exotic fairy tale setting…
hello wax palms!enjoying the unique view
The tall wax palms skyline. Just incredible!
I could have stayed for hours!
I never really understood how it was possible that we didn’t see any of the other hiker during our whole time in the valley. Especially because we started out with so many. We did the somewhat shorter version of the hike, skipping the hummingbird station, Acaime. No regrets here as we saw lots of humming birds on the way.
a dream come true
A word of advice for anyone thinking about doing this hike, leave as early in the morning as possible. You’ll have magical morning light to start your hike with, you’ll be less likely to get caught in the rain (it often comes down pouring the afternoon) and you’ll avoid the crowds. Just check when the first jeeps leave and make sure you catch one. It’s a half day hike so don’t forget to bring water and some snacks!
Did you know about the Cocora Valley? Would you put it on your bucket list?
As I previously mentioned in my post on backpacking in Africa, travelling in that part of the world can add up to be quite pricey. But with a little imagination and a sense of adventure you can travel/backpack in Africa on a relatively low budget. Of course, it will never be as low as India, Nepal or South East Asia but still cheap enough that anyone could afford it.
One of the African destinations that lends itself perfectly for an interesting, budget friendly Africa vacation is Uganda. I’ve visited the country twice, both times as a backpacker using public transportation.
This is what our budget backpack trip in Uganda looked like:
COUCHSURFING IN KAMPALA
I’ve quite often used Couch Surfing in my “travelling career”; both as the guest and as the host. When I Couch Surf, I usually do so in big cities as they can be quite overwhelming when you first arrive and I prefer experiencing sprawling urban area’s through the eyes of a local or expat instead of following a guide book.
As it usually goes with CS, you don’t always know where you will end up. We were in luck in Kampala and stayed with an awesome expat in one of the city’s fanciest areas, Kololo. Our host took us to his favourite spots in town where we chatted and laughed over some cool beers and fresh tilapia.
spending the night in a stylish loft with a view over Kampalaweekend at one of Kampala’s lake side beaches with beers and new friends
On the second trip, I stayed in a quaint hostel (ICU guesthouse, dorm 15$) on the edge of town where many semi-long term volunteers reside. Alternatively you could stay at Red Chili Hideway, it’s also outside of town but with a swimming pool and a free daily shuttle to the city centre. Red Chili offers a good deal on trips to Murchison Falls as well.
EATING ROLEX AND OTHER STREET FOOD
When on a budget, street food is the way to go. In Uganda, you’ll find grilled kebabs and barbecued bananas/corn -to name a few- sizzling on every street corner. The most popular (and in my opinion most tasty) street side snack are rolex (comes from ‘roll eggs’): a tomato-onion-paprika omelette rolled onto a freshly baked chapati. One would really have to have two left hands to mess this snack up! We’d eat rolex from the street almost every day for lunch and it never disappointed.
getting rolex by the lake, a shocking sight for Ugandans as rolex is considered a snack for the poor. Some find it hard to understand why a “rich” tourist would choose to eat rolex.the smell of the grilling meat is often much better than the quality of the pieces on your stick, unless you like bouncy, chewy meat …I know these deep fried grasshoppers don’t look particularly appealing, but they’re delicious! Like a cross between salted nuts and potato crisps. Anyways, they’re much cheaper than the ones you get in trendy restaurants in the West nowadays!
SAFARI’S AND HIKES IN QUEEN ELISABETH NATIONAL PARK
Just having just crossed the border form DRC (that’s a story for another post) we were in desperate need for some luxury and internet. So we threw our budget out of the window (for a day) and checked into a higher end lodge. Considering most lodges in and around the African national parks often have rates starting at €250 per night, this lodge – Kingfisher Lodge Kichwamba- was a bargain at €160 a night, breakfast and dinner included for both of us!
Disclaimer: these were the rates in 2011, converted with an interesting currency exchange from US Dollar to Euro. Today’s rates in Kingfisher Kichwamba start at 205$ for a double room, half board.
R&R in paradise after roughing it in DRC.
It was exactly what we needed: relaxing by the pool, a western meal á la carte, getting some work done, a much needed wifi fix and a view to die for.
infinity pool with endless views over Queen Elisabeth National Parkspotted some elephants from our room’s porchnot a bad way to get some work done!
After soaking in as much as possible from our splurge, we returned to our backpacker’s reality the next day. We hitchhiked to Simba Safari Camp where we stayed in a dorm, talk about contrasts! It’s a great budget place to stay, they also offer private rooms.
hitchhiking on the equator
From there we arranged a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, bringing along a cold beer to enjoy with the scenery. You don’t need to book a package tour, you can easily arrange transport to the departure point and buy a ticket for the boat trip once you are there. Though I can’t recall the exact price, I can tell you it was definitely less than 30$ per person.
crusing down the channel, spotting wild life and having a cold one… What a chilled out way to spend an afternoon!
Instead of booking a multi-day safari package, we hired a car with driver to take us on a game drive in the national park. Though Queen Elisabeth NP may be far from the most impressive safari I’ve been on, it very well is the cheapest. Perfect for animal lovers on a budget!
crown birds at dawncrater lakegetting close to some lazy lions
There’s plenty to do in QE National Park like chimp tracking or looking for tree climbing lions but we opted for a more economical activity: hiking in ‘Maramagambo Forest’. Since we already had a car and driver for the day, the only cost left was that of the entrance fee to the forest and a tip for the guide taking you along the trails, pointing out various species of primates, birds and medicinal plants.
Our main reason to hit the forest, was to see the massive python living in a bat cave. Apparently, it doesn’t hunt, it just opens its mouth and waits for one of the thousands of bats to fly in. This is all the python does, all day long. Therefore it has gotten so fat, it can hardly move. We were keen on seeing the spectacle. Unfortunately we missed the freak show as the python had already returned deep inside the cave after its daily suntanning moment, when it drags itself out of the cave.
a beautiful walk through the forest in search of the fat lazy pythonnow that’s what I call a bat cave!
TOTAL RELAXATION BY LAKE BUNYONYI
Next we headed to Lake Bunyonyi, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might have read my post on Lake Bunyonyi, my favourite spot in Africa so far.
Lake Bunyonyi
Both times we stayed in a magical place called Byoona Amagara, definitely the best value lodge I’ve stayed in. For just 15$ per person per night, we had a small geodome with private bathroom and a stunning view over the Ugandan lake. They also provide dorms (7$) if you’re really tight on cash but the beauty of staying here is undoubtedly the geodome experience. There are plenty of other places to stay on Lake Bunyonyi, I haven’t tried any of them as I’m totally hooked on Byoona Amagara…
(clockwise) typical Bunyonyi flowery tree, stretching with my sister on our geodome’s sun deck, boating on the lake, view from the bed in the large geodomethe small geodome, no doors. Just a mosquito net between nature and yourself.eco-shower with a view
The entire trip in Uganda took us about 10 days, travelling quite slowly, spending enough time at each destination. You could backpack the same trip in fewer days but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. If you have more time, why not add a stop in Jinja and/or a jaunt to Murchison falls to see more animals and a stunning waterfall.
Have you been to Uganda? Would you consider going?
While Nepal is not particularly reputed for its “haute cuisine”, it does offer a few dishes that can tickle the taste buds.
Finding a tasty meal in Kathmandu is easy; there are foreign and local restaurants in abundance around the city. I had some authentic tasting Mexican food in a back ally somewhere in town, spent days ordering heavenly platters of goodness in a psychedelic vegetarian Israeli joint and savoured the best chocolate cake of Asia in a quaint road side café. All without much of a search. In Pokhara as well, there are enough great restaurants to make you gain the weight back you lost on a trek.
pancakes for breakfast in Kathmandu
The quest for a tasty meal becomes quite a bit harder once you leave the big cities. There is relatively little variation in the dishes and whether they’ll be bland or not, is always a gamble. These are the most common options you will find in Nepal.
Momo’s
This your surest option if you want to have a descent quick meal. A succulent ball of meat wrapped in a blanket of glutinous dough; momo’s are sold at every street corner. Though usually steamed, the less popular fried variation is also available. They are comparable to dim sum but with a filling packed with spices and herbs. You would never guess from the way they look but they’re often incredibly juicy and fragrant. The best place to eat them is at a food stall on the street. They’re steamed right in front of you; as fresh as can get. Every now and then you can coma across momo’s with fillings other than meat- Snickers for example…
fresh street momo’sdeep fried snicker momo’s, not a winner combination
King Curd
Juju dhau a.k.a “the King of all curds” is a speciality from Bhaktapur. It’s made with naturally sweet buffalo milk infused with cardamom, cloves, coconut or ginger, depending on the manufacturer. The added spices are almost unnoticeable while still making a world of difference. It is then stored in clay bowls in a naturally cool place.With no added sugar, the king curd serves as an excellent refreshing snack or breakfast food.
You can find Juju dhau all over town; just look for a (cardboard) sign with a drawing of a pot of clay or order it in a restaurant. Inform yourself so you get the real deal instead of the watered down version made with powdered milk.
incredible breakfast curd on a Bhaktapur rooftop
Dal Bhat
This dish is on every menu, no matter where you are in Nepal. I’ve tried it on several occasions but I was never convinced. I found it bland and unappetizing. Then again I’m not a fan of lentils in the first place and with it being the main ingredient of the dish… The only people I’ve heard say they really liked Dal Bhat were the Nepali, vegetarians and vegans. So who knows, you might enjoy it.
dal bhat, looking tastier than it is
Trekking Food
Learn to love ramen noodles and/or eggs, because unless you’re bringing your own food, that’s pretty much what you’ll live off during a tea house trek. Also on the menu are fried rice, soups and a pricey dal baht. Any dish containing rice or fresh ingredients will pricey in the mountains because they have to be transported all the way up to the villages.
I like a bowl of Shakpa soup, a Newari comfort food. It’s exactly what you need to warm up in the chilly (ice cold) evenings. That being said, I loved trekking food in general, not because of the taste, I mean let’s face it, ramen noodles and egg twice a day is not the most exciting dish. But I loved it because of the gorgeous views it would come with, made everything taste so much better.
simple food with a viewspicy buffalo meat
Masala Lassi
Just like in India, the Newari lassi is sort of a natural, watered down yoghurt drink. It’s all natural and you can add fruits or honey to sweeten the drink. Or even better, go for the masala lassi. Masala is a mix of spices, in this case it’s often black pepper. Black pepper in your yoghurt? YES! It’s a fantastic combination!
lassi any time of the day
Yak Cheese
Who would have guessed there is incredible local cheese in Asia? None of us European cheese snobs, that’s for sure! Yak cheese grew to become one of my favourites. It’s a yellow cheese with lots character, which doesn’t seem to melt. Ideal to bring along on hikes. A definite must try.
The food may not be the country’s highlight but Nepal makes up for what it may be lacking in the kitchen with mind blowing nature, beautiful people, fascinating culture, great art and so much more. You won’t be worrying about the food much.
Almost every time I excitedly announced I was headed to Iran, the most puzzled looks thrown my way. Reactions ranging from “Are you nuts?! You’re gonna get yourself killed!” to a calmer “Iran? What’s in Iran?”. No one ever asks you that when you say you’re going to Thailand or France… It seems like “war, nuclear bombs, danger, terror and veiled women” are what spring to most people’s mind when they think of Iran.
Since so little people know about Iran as a tourist destination, I’ve decided to help chase this incorrect image of Iran out of the world. The way popular media is portraying the country at the moment, is far from the reality I have seen and experienced. It’s time to bust the misconception.
not so scary
So what’s in Iran worth travelling for?
Divine architecture
No matter which city or town you go to, you’ll surely find yourself facing a building in total awe at some point. Palaces, mosques, mansions… They’ll draw your attention with their ornate facades and colourful domes. This was the original reason why I wanted to travel to Iran even though I’m not particularly an architecture buff.
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahanjust a few examples of Iran’s divine architecture (click to enlarge)
Tea and delicious treats
We stopped for tea breaks at least twice a day, every day. Alcohol is not officially available so instead of having a beer or a glass of wine on a terrace, in Iran you’ll sip on tea -usually served in beautiful cups and accompanied by an assortment of sweets typical of the region. A simple tea break then turns into such a treat, especially if held in one of the many pretty tea gardens or courtyards.
tea with saffron sugarin a tea garden with fresh dates on the sidetea with regional sweets
Warm and welcoming people
I was recently asked where I found the friendliest people during my travels. It’s a hard question to answer as I’ve encountered so many friendly nations but I must say, Iran is definitely in my top 3. Not only were the people genuinely friendly and interested in the visitor, they’d invite us to have dinner at their house, they’d talk to us on the street- just to say welcome, they’d pay for our bus rides- just because. No hidden agenda, just out of hospitality. Iranians did everything in their power to make us feel at home in their country. Seldom have I seen a nation as giving and as enthusiastic about welcoming visitors. For meeting the people alone, Iran is worth a trip; you wouldn’t even need to visit anything.
women taking time off work to welcome us to their countryso much love…
Cool rooftops
One of my favourite things to do in Iran was to climb up to the roof of a building. Unlike any of the roofs I have seen before, I often imagined I had landed on another planet. The interesting part is that the unusual constructions on the roofs all have a well thought purpose for you to find out. The rooftops are ideal places to watch the sun set over the city.
rooftop, free tourist attraction… (click to enlarge)
Lively bazars where you can shop in peace
I’m a big fan of browsing bazars and I generally accept the hassle that often comes with it. Every town in Iran boasts at least one bazar featuring some top notch goods. The best part however, is that they are pretty much hassle free! You can browse the stands in peace without feeling pressure from the salesman to buy every item you glance at. The shopkeeper will take his time to explain things if you ask, to show you other options if you’re interested and to give you a taste if you seem puzzled. All the while giving you a genuine smiling nod if you walk away. This is bazar shopping at its best!
bazar shopping (click to enlarge)
A great variety of landscapes
You can’t put Iran in a box when it comes to landscapes: snowy mountains (where you can ski in winter!), flower clad hills, arid desert plains, moon landscapes, palm fringed islands, woodlands… You’ll find it all within the borders of the country. If you enjoy the outdoors, you’ll probably have a tough time deciding where to go.
sandduneswoodlands and waterfalls, yes this too is Iran! (source)dried up salt lake
UNESCO heritage sites
There are 17 UNESCO heritage site in Iran at the moment and you’ll probably have an opinion on which sites should be added to the list once you start visiting the country. I’m not a UNESCO site hunter but the list is usually a great indicator of how impressive/valuable a site is. The most renowned one must be Persepolis, the name alone would have you dreaming. Walking through it and listening to the tales of ancient Persia only continues to bring your imagination in overdrive.
gates of PersepolisPersepolis
An exciting food adventure
The Persian cuisine is unlike any of the cuisines I have tasted so far. The ingredients are relatively standard but the way they are put together results in flavours that were entirely new to my tastebuds. I tried finding significant similarities with other cuisines but failed to do so. If you’re not too lazy to look beyond the widely available fast food (pizza, hamburger, kebab and Turkish dürüm) there is a huge array of local dishes that will take you through an exciting food adventure.
a culinary discovery with every meal (click to enlarge)
3000+ year old mud castles to explore
Yes, that’s 3000, no typo here. That’s how old some of the Persian mud castles are. Some are still in a good enough state for you to enter, wander around and get lost. No guards, no ropes, Indiana Jones style minus the booby traps. You’ll probably be the only one there which make the experience even more fascinating.
one of the many mud castles we played instill in good state
A refined and interesting culture
Persian culture is very elegant and refined. Poetry, fine music, great literature… It has a very distinct identity which, contrary to what many people believe, is nothing like the Arab or Ottoman culture. As a regular tourist, you’ll just be scrapping of the surface, but it’s enough to get a taste or to get hooked and start digging deeper.
The people of Iran are very aware of the bad reputation their country is receiving abroad and they try everything they can to show travellers that Iran is not a bloodthirsty, dangerous nation full of criminals or terrorists. We were often asked what people back home thought of Iran. Unfortunately we had to confirm their fear and admit most people didn’t have a great image of the country. They asked us to tell our story, to tell people the truth about Iran and its people since they can’t. I hope this post convinces even just one person, that Iran is a beautiful, interesting and safe place to travel to.
Day trips… they’re convenient when you want to see as much of a region as possible in a short amount of time. However, there are quite a lot of these convenient trips that really don’t do the place justice. You find yourself with hundreds if not thousands of day trippers, packed in the same shops and highlighted areas, you miss the perfect lighting for incredible photo’s at dusk or dawn and most importantly, you by-pass the soul of that place.
It happened to me a few times while other on other occasions I saw it happening to others. I’ve put together a list of places where I’ve either been bummed out not to have spent the night or have been extremely happy not to be part of the day tripper groups visiting the town.
1. Bhaktapur, Nepal
Often done as quick side trip from Kathmandu, most visitors only get a glimpse of the cultural gem of Bhaktapur. A day trip here will allow you to spend a few hours in the central area, have lunch in a reputed restaurants’ and shop in one of the many little kiosks surrounding the main square. It’s a small city swarming with monuments, religious shrines, gilded roofs and palaces with elaborate carvings which you could explore in just a day. However…
Bhaktapur is like and open air museum only it’s not staged
What you miss by making it a day trip
The essence of Bhaktapur is only to be experienced at sunrise. That’s when the people change Bhaktapur into a magical place. Women and children step out of their houses with platters full of offerings and start their rounds for the gods. They stop at every shrine and every corner of spiritual importance to bring an offering, say a prayer and conduct complex rituals which you, as an outsider, couldn’t possibly wrap your mind around. The smell of incense fills up the crisp morning air while the weak sun rays highlight some of Bhaktapur’s finest art.
As I mentioned before, Bhaktapur is one of my 12 favourite destinations of all times and the mornings are exactly what made this place more memorable and alluring than others. Coming here on a day trip would mean missing the morning’s enchantment, when the tourists are still in bed in Kathmandu and the town is the playground of the people and their gods.
morning offerings
2. Guatape, Colombia
I visited Guatape as a day trip from Medellin by public transport. About halfway through the day, I kicked myself in the head for not being able to spend the night in this extremely colourful town.
Guatape
What you miss by making it a day trip
Though Guatape is very small and you definitely could see everything in just a few hours, what I missed was the great lighting you would find early in the morning and in the evenings. Even if you’re not into photography, you’ll probably want to extensively photograph Guatape. It might be the cutest, most colourful town I’ve ever seen. The bright sunlight during the day makes it tough to capture all the details without harsh shadows overcasting the scenes. We noticed the town turning even more stunning as the late afternoon sun set in. Unfortunately, that was also our cue to head back since we didn’t want to arrive at the Medellin bus terminal at night. Dinner and a cool beer at sunset would have been the way to end the day in Guatape.
wishing we could captured the town during sunset
3. Bethlehem, West Bank
Busloads of tourists coming from Jerusalem,Israel swarm the central square of Bethlehem in Palestine every day. The tours take care of the border crossing, a visit to the historical/religious sanctuaries and safely return the tourists back to Israel after having visited the supposed birthplace of Jezus Christ. Although I understand the importance for many to visit a place of such significance, there is much more to Bethlem/Palestine…
the wall separating Israel and West-Bank
What you miss by making it a day trip
By staying in Bethlehem we were able to visit (and spent a few nights in) a refugee camp, talk to the people of Palestine, get into the current culture, broaden our knowledge on the complex situation… Missing these experiences is missing the point of going to Bethlehem. If you want to see where Jezus was born, shouldn’t you see and experience the place it is today as well? My stay in Palestine was eye-opening on so many levels, I could only feel regret for the people who were missing out on the enrichment by only being exposed to a particular church and shrines. If you want to know more about travel in West Bank, read my post to find out what’s in Palestine.
kids at school in refugee camp, the market, Douglas getting a shave, Palestinian specialties, having mint tea on the street in Bethlehem (click to enlarge)
4. Pamukkale, Turkey
The cotton castle of Turkey, usually visited as part of a day trip from resorts on the Turkish Riviera. I was surprised to see hundreds of tourists on the site but only a handful of hotels in the town; hello day trippers.
Pamukkale
What you miss by making it a day trip
Stay the night in the town of Pamukkale and you’ll have the otherwise overrun by tourist cotton castle all to yourself at the crack of dawn. I was the first person to enter the site that day and had teary eyes when I was confronted with the natural beauty and serenity of Pamukkale. I hopped barefooted from one white rock formation to the next, laughing like a child. It was as though I had found a hidden treasure.
arriving at the cotton castle at sunrise
Half an hour after my treasure discovery came the first round of day trippers: the Koreans. While they were very respectful of the site and taking their time to look around, I could already feel a change in atmosphere. By the time the buses of Russians took the relay, the serenity was over. People were more interested in snapping themselves looking sexy than in the site. Beers were consumed, hamburgers and ice creams were spilt and what was a place of wonder just a few hours before, turned into a what resembled a crowed outdoors public swimming pool on a hot summer weekend.
I stayed until closing time but the serenity never returned. I understood it could only be there after the site had spent a night recovering from the assault of mass tourism. When I overheard some day trippers complaining about what a tourist trap Pamukkale is, I knew I had made the right move by spending the night and being the first visitor in the morning.
Photo shooting… Quite amusing to watch, but happy that was not ALL I got to see of Pamukkale (click to enlarge)
5. Scottish Highlands, Scotland
What was I thinking, booking a day trip from Edinburgh to The Scottish Highlands?! It seemed to be the only way to visit this area during my short stay in Scotland. Boy, did I regret that decision.
landscape that calls for a hike
What you miss by making it a day trip
As we were driving by the hills that changed colours as the clouds shifted, all I wanted to do was to get out of the van and start walking amongst them. But I couldn’t, we were on a tight schedule. Damn these day trips. So what you miss is basically everything. Yes, I saw Loch Ness and yes, I had a delicious meal (haggis, what else) in one of those typical Scottish pubs but I didn’t get to spend the night in a rustic B&B or a local sheep farm. Nor was I getting my hiking boots dirty or drinking whisky with Scotsmen. By trying to see too much too fast, I missed most of what the Scottish highlands have to offer.
Loch Ness in the rain, in a hurry
6. Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Most travellers wanting to visit the Mekong Delta book a day trip from Saigon. It usually consists of a boat ride down the Mekong (while wearing conical hats) with a few stops along the river banks showcasing “real life” around the Mekong. Sometimes the tours also provide bicycles which you ride along the river following your guide and the 20 other members of your group. After lunch and perhaps a few shots of snake-scorpion liquor, visitors are returned to the big city.
Mekong Delta (click to enlarge)
What you miss by making it a day trip
Making it an overnight trip gives you the freedom to do the same thing minus the groups and the tight schedule. Because guess what? “Real life” along the Mekong doesn’t run on a tight schedule.
We took a public bus to one of the towns by the Mekong then locally booked a boat in the morning -specifically asking for the conical hats. Since no other tourist had apparently spent the night in this town, we had the boat to ourselves. In the afternoon we rented bicycles and randomly started biking. No plan, just me, my friend, the Mekong and its inhabitants. We stopped whenever we wanted, spent an hour hiding from the the rain with a cup of white coffee in a local farmer’s house and headed back when the sun started setting. We drank beer and ordered the old “we’ll have whatever they’re having”. With no tourists in town we were (sort of) part of the Mekong community for two days. That’s something you can’t say if you’re passing by on a touristy day trip.
getting lost around the Mekong (click to enlarge)
7. Berat, Albania
As Berat is listed as a UNESCO hertige site, people tend to just want to tick it off their ‘to do list’ and move on. For some, Berat is mere a day trip from Durres on the coast or from the capital Tirana.
city of a thousand windows
What you miss by making it a day trip
If you’ve been reading this blog, you already know Berat’s beauty made me weep and that it was one of my highlights in Albania. Spending the night in the city of a thousand windows allowed me to take it easy in this gorgeous town and savour its charm.
I met a traveller who had been to Berat right before me and told me she wasn’t impressed. Immediately whereafter she admitted only having spent two hours there and not have made it to the beautiful parts. Because it’s such a slow paced town, it’s best visited at a slow pace. Spending the night allows you to do just that and get in sync with the spirit of Berat.
having time to have a cup of coffee in this nice Albanian lady’s home
8. Ubud, Bali
Don’t be fooled by Ubud’s popularity for long and semi long stays, the town get a lot of day trippers. Big buses clog up the main streets and the day trippers come pouring in. The typical day trip consists of hitting the Monkey Forest, doing some shopping in the main street, having an ice cream or perhaps lunch, then heading to a surrounding temple or viewpoint before returning to the coast.
the ‘oh so popular’ Monkey Forest
What you miss by making it a day trip
You’ll miss the plethora of incredible little restaurants tucked away in surrounding streets and the calm in the rice fields you find just outside the city centre… On a day trip, you’ll only have enough time to hit the main street which is not Ubud’s best asset. For that reason most the day trippers I have spoken with, found Ubud to be too crowded, too commercial and not authentic at all. Yes, that’s because they were in the wrong area during day tripper peak moment (between 10AM and 4PM). Spend the night -or even better, several nights- and you’ll see a completely different face of the town. A much prettier, more genuine and serener one. And please, forget about the Monkey Forest.
you will not find the cool, tranquil spots when coming to Ubud for the day
9. Petra, Jordan
Either from Amman in Jordan or Eilat in Israel, day trippers drive to Petra, spend a few hours exploring the main passageways then return to their hubs or set their journeys onwards.
entering Petra
What you miss by making it a day trip
After spending an entire day exploring Petra, getting lost in majestic caves and climbing the pink rock formations we were happy to casually hang around the site and spend some time with bedouins who had their tents set up near Petra. They offered us tea, played music around a small fire while the sun was disappearing behind the horizon. They shared tales about their families who have been living in the area for centuries. Later, a dinner fit for kings was prepared for us, just down the road from Petra.
On some nights, Petra opens its doors to present a candlelit version of itself. You may not want to dish up the extra cash for the candlelight show, but sleeping in the arid desert area surrounding Petra and meeting the inhabitants is an experience you don’t want to miss out on.
meeting the people, sharing food (click to enlarge)
Have you ever regretted a day trip because it should have been an overnight trip? Where was it?
One of the photography goals I’ve recently set for myself, is to focus more on themes: to capture recurring colours, patterns or situation. I find most of the themes I’ve been working around so far, quite average. I usually collect pictures of exotic drinks, dishes, mistranslations, strange signs and a couple of funny ones I’ll be sharing in future posts. That’s why it was quite a challenge to find suitable photographs to enter the “Explore the elements” contest organised by Thomas Cook.
Fellow travel blogger Colleen of “Colleen Brynn Travels“ nominated me to join the competition and it took me quite some time to browse through thousands of pictures, looking for shots that reflect the four elements, a theme that never really crossed my mind before. Since I love a good challenge, I kept searching and came up with these:
EARTH
After the rain (click to enlarge)
I took this picture in a small village in the hills of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of the children in this village spend their days exploring this earth shoeless. Visitors often wonder how these children are so full of laughter and happiness when they can’t even afford to buy shoes. My theory: being connected with nature and having the freedom to play unrestrictedly outside, brings greater joy than any material thing could ever.
WATER
Water brings life (click to enlarge)
A man in Myanmar teaches his 7 year old son how to catch dinner. Presence of lakes, seas and oceans make us feel happy and calm because we know that where there is water, there is life.
FIRE
Burmese woman and her guilty pleasure (click to enlarge)
I met this lady near a temple in Myanmar. We didn’t speak each other’s language but we shared laughter and exchanged sunscreens- traditional natural Burmese sun protection for a squirt of western SPF20. We didn’t connect through words but through spirit and energy. When she lit up her big cigar, I just sat next to her and together we watched the smoke dance around us.
AIR
Clothes above the clouds (click to enlarge)
This shot comes from the Himalayas in Nepal. As a visitor, covered head to toe in (expensive?) hiking gear, you pass by small places like these… Reminding you that what is a physical adventure and a vacation to you, is someone else’s daily life with quotidian routines and chores just like yours but in a different setting.
So as it turns out, I did find a secondary theme while “exploring the elements”… That of daily life. These are all travel pictures, but they’re not of tourist attractions or cultural festivals… They all reflect life in local communities which is exactly what the elements do: they are part of our lives, we deal with them on a day to day basis, we need them. Such great power!
Though I’m posting this rather close to the deadline, I’ll still nominate a few bloggers to enter the competition. -All very cool travel blogs, if you want to check them out
