Category: Scotland

  • 9 Day Trips you should Never Take

    9 Day Trips you should Never Take

    … Because they should be overnight trips!

     

    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, Nepal, momuments
    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.

    Bhaktapur, Nepal

    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.

    Bhaktapur, Nepal, offerings
    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
    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 capture the town during sunset
    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…

    wall-with-watch-tower
    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.

     West bank, Palestine Tourism
    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, Turkey, cotton castle
    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.

    Pamukkale, Turkey, cotton castle
    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
    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.

    Scottish highlands
    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
    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
    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)
    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.

    Berat Albania
    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.

    coffee, Berat, Albania
    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.

    monkey forest Ubud Bali
    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.

    Bali hot springs
    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
    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 people Petra Jordan
    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?

    The post “9 day trips you should never take“, first appeared on Travel Cake.

     

  • New Year’s Eve abroad: Hogmanay Street party, Edinburgh

    New Year’s Eve abroad: Hogmanay Street party, Edinburgh

    As the end of the year approaches, that question starts popping up again… “So… What are you doing on New Years’s Eve?” Then start the discussions, the dilemma’s and the decision making process.

    Two years ago, a few of my friends and I decided to welcome the new year abroad. Instead of spending our money on brand new flashy party outfits and tickets to some overpriced party, we booked cheap flights to Scotland. That year we celebrated by joining the Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh.

    A very wise decision as Hogmanay, turned out to be an incredible way to start off the new year with a BANG! Literally… I don’t know how many tonnes of fireworks were rocketed to the sky, but I’d definitely had my dose of fireworks for the following 2 years!

    All through the night, the streets of Edinburgh were filled with laughter, singing, skipping, drinking, dancing, eating, twirling, hugging…

     

    So what exactly goes on during Hogmanay in Edinburgh?

    There are many street concerts entertaining the crowds. Dance, sing along, make friends… Do as you please. The entire event takes place outdoors, in the city centre, so you’re are free to roam around or move from one performance to the next, keeping in mind that there are around 80 000 attendees to navigate through.

    ...people... lots of them
    …people… and lots of them

     

     As the night progresses, the mass grows, the streets fill up and the atmosphere heats up. When midnight approaches; the bands stop playing and the crowd flocks toward the main square.

    Countdown begins!

    At 00:00, impressive fireworks light up the sky. The Scots then proudly sign “Auld lang syne”. Tens of thousands of people sing (more or less) simultaneously… Heart warming! Hugs, kisses and best wishes are exchanged between friends and random by-standers, it’s magical!

    fireworks and camera's, edinburgh
    fireworks and camera’s

     

    After the remarkable moment, a couple of dj’s play some tunes and you can dance on the square. Once the music dies down, a challenge awaits; getting off the square! As all the participants try to leave at the same time, you can imagine there is a lot of pushing and shoving. All you can do is go with the flow and let it happen.

     fireworks, new year's eve
    so many fireworks you don’t know which side to look

     

    That can be the end of the evening or you can step into one of the bars to continue the party.  

    "Sin", a club/bar in a church
    “Sin”, a club/bar in a church

     

    Some tips for an awesome Hogmanay street party

    Protect yourself against the cold weather the best you can. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the event is outdoors and, well, it’s winter! Be prepared for rain as well!

    Most people bring their own drinks in plastic bottles. It’s too hard to get a drink from a bar or a stand when you’re gathered before and after the countdown. It will save you a lot of trouble and a few pennies. 

    faux fur, home mixed drinks and plastic cups
    faux fur, home mixed drinks and plastic cups

     

    – If you hate the masses and drunk people, you might want to reconsider Hogmanay… OR challenge yourself to try it anyway!

    It’s well worth staying a few extra days to explore the city. Edinburgh is a beautiful gothic city with a strong personality. There is much to see, to do and to taste!

    haggis
    haggis
    Scotch Whisky tasting
    Scotch Whisky tasting

    – There are plenty of other activities going on around New Year’s Eve. You can participate in a torchlit procession through town or ride the ferris wheel. Let your inner child go nuts in the ‘winter wonderland’ attractions. For the real daredevils, why not start the new year fresh by taking a splash in the river -for charity. Find out more about Hogmanay and the other events here

    – If you’re on a budget, you’ll find lots of cheap food in town, admittedly not the most healthy food, but hey, you’re on holiday… I’d also recommend you stay as far away from the shops as you possibly can! There are sales during this period and you could easily be tempted!

     

    Spending New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh, was an unforgettable experience. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Not only is the event well organised, but the Scots are warm, welcoming and know how to throw a party! 

     

    Have you already made plans for New Year’s Eve? 

    The post “New Year’s Eve abroad: Hogmanay Street party, Edinburgh” first appeared on Travel Cake.