Traveling along the wild Albanian coast, after visiting tropical looking, white sand beaches at Ksamil, old town Himare and the surrounding seaside, I thought it just couldn't get better. Then, we went to see the two beaches a few miles north from Himare - Jala and Gjipe, hidden in picturesque coves and surrounded by the spectacular canyon. The color of water was so unusually clear and the scenery so exotic that this spot could easily pass off as tropical heaven. Why is such a place still virtually unknown despite being right in the middle of Europe, is a mystery to me. But it's a good thing! You can feel as if it's your own, private paradise. And, if you want to still see it this way, hurry up, as unfortunately there has been some new development around - soon it may become as crowded as Albania's famous neighbors - Croatia, Italy and Greece.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - How To Have A Fun And Safe Trip
There’s no other place like Rio de Janeiro in the world. It’s stunning sunset and ‘samba’ ambiance until dawn are exactly why travellers worldwide keep visiting it year after year. The Rio Carnival itself attracts millions of tourists worldwide, just to experience this one-of-a-kind street party. In fact, the 2015 Rio Carnival was able to welcome as much as 977,000 tourists, while ‘blocos’ or free street parties had a combined attendance of more than 4.7 million last year.
On The Island of Zakynthos, Greece - Beyond The Paradise Beaches
Although Zakynthos villages don't have the spectacular architecture of Santorini or Mykonos (I'll describe them soon), it is quite nice if you want to explore the off the beaten path, local sites. In this article, I'll describe all the places to see on the island of Zakynthos, besides the coast and beaches. To get a bit deeper inland, you'll need to either drive around or take a tour. A tour is a good and cheap option as you'll also find out about the history of the island and its people.
We took a tour called "Back to the roots", however, to be honest, our primary goal was not the interior of the island but to be able to see the view of the most beautiful beach in the world (at least among the beaches I've seen) - the Shipwreck beach from the top of the cliff. Only this tour offered a stop at the viewing platform, all the others went straight to the beach by boat where there's no way to admire that exceptional bird's eye panorama.
Johannesburg - Safety, Crime And Contrast In South Africa's Largest City
Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa has its share of bad reputation and, comparing to the extremely famous and attractive Cape Town, receives relatively low numbers of tourists. We would have probably skipped it too if it hadn't been for the super cheap last-minute flights from Europe (500 EUR return!). Johannesburg is nothing like Cape Town (take a look at my post about it) - there's no beach, no mountains, no architecture that could stand out, it's a very new city (a bit over a century old) and only looks nice seen from afar. If you come closer, the filth, poverty and chaos prevail in the streets. On the other hand, Johannesburg is an interesting point in the turbulent, recent history. It's the city of gold and the birthday place of Nelson Mandela. And, what most of the visitors come here for - it's a great gateway to the beautiful wild game reserves, natural wonders and... Lesotho - the little, forgotten country completely surrounded by South Africa.
Istanbul, Turkey - Beautiful but disappointing (and is it safe to visit?)
Some cities are so famous and we expect so much from them that when we finally arrive, after the initial moment of joy, the other, less pleasant phase of disappointment comes over us. Yes, the monuments are stunning, the food is good, the weather is perfect, but there is something missing. And it's hard to explain what. On the other hand, there are places pretty ugly, chaotic or completely unknown - we don't even know what to think - and we fall in love with them. That was the case for me with Tbilisi in Georgia, Prishtina in Kosovo or Kiev in Ukraine - although virtually non existent on the tourist world map, they enchanted me beyond imagination. Istanbul, in turn, was the place I had always dreamed of visiting and in the end, although I enjoyed it, I felt that thing that there's something missing. You will surely find the photos in this post absolutely stunning and you might think that what I say is silly. But I'll try my best to explain my point of view below.
Chernobyl, Ukraine - 30 Years After The Disaster
Chernobyl in Eastern Ukraine is one of the most infamous places on Earth. It used to be a normal, ordinary town, no different from thousands of others in the Soviet Union. It was quiet, peaceful, had its own theater, cinema and amusement park. People lived their life according to a daily routine until the 26th of April, 1986. In the middle of the night, a disastrous explosion shook Chernobyl. Reactor number 4 failed and ejected radioactive particles high up into the atmosphere. With the clouds and wind, the fallout was subsequently spread all over Europe, reaching as far as Scandinavia. Chernobyl and the surrounding area were evacuated virtually overnight. Only recently more and more people have started to return to their old homes. Three decades after the disaster, I visited Chernobyl and in this post I'll show you the way it is now.
One Day In Monaco - Is It Really Worth A Visit?
If one excludes the Vatican City, Monaco is the smallest country in the world. It's a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the French Riviera and tax free status. It's also the place where the rich and famous come - full of luxurious hotels, resorts and casinos. It could be compared to Las Vegas or Dubai, however, on a much smaller scale - the whole area of Monaco is only 2 square km (less than 1 mile)!
Monaco was never a destination I dreamed to visit. Nevertheless, we got a great deal - extremely cheap flights to Nice in winter, so why not also see the surrounding towns (and a completely different country)? On the way from Nice, we stopped in a spectacularly beautiful, although lesser known town of Eze perched on a steep, rocky cliff overlooking the incredible coast, then we continued on to Monaco itself.
Ljubljana - Why The Capital City Was The Most Disappointing Place in Slovenia
The title of this post is a bit tricky - it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy my time in Ljubljana or that it's an ugly city. I chose this title to be somewhat controversial because this is what attracts people nowadays. In reality, it's the opposite - Ljubljana isn't too big, it's pretty, with little winding streets and for me, has the same charm as Bratislava or Riga. However, Ljubljana was our last stop in Slovenia and after visiting such wonders as Piran and Koper with red roofs and Mediterranean coast, Soca river (which was so clear that it seemed just unreal) flowing through white gorges, spectacular Slovenian Alps, magnificent lake Bled with the famous island in the middle, nearby Vintgar Gorge, lake Bohinj - shores of which resembled tropical seas, the medieval Predjama castle built into the cave and Postojna cave - one of Europe's largest, Ljubljana appeared so bleak and ordinary.
Pompeii, Italy - World's Best Preserved Ancient Site
Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It's been featured in numerous Hollywood productions and is a symbol of the sophisticated life in ancient Rome. The tragic fate following the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD made this beautiful seaside town cease to exist overnight. The ashes of the volcano sealed and protected the streets with houses of Pompeii from invaders and atmospheric conditions for centuries to come. Excaveted as late as in the 18th century, the perfectly well preserved statues, frescoes, shops and streets have revealed how advanced the ancient Romans were. Pompeii became a literal time capsule.
10 Things To Do At Night While Traveling In Europe
Europe is one of the most diverse and truly inspiring continents on our planet. The number of cultures and languages that collided and mixed with one another is astonishing. What's more, different climate zones allow you to experience various natural landscapes within relatively close distances. Additionally, after the sunset the old continent is getting even more exciting! In this article, I want to present 10 things you can do and see while traveling in Europe at night. Apart from those obvious ones (like enjoying beer in pubs and clubbing), I would also like to open the door for you to the unknown parts of Europe which you can rarely find in tourist guides - head a little more to the East, and a different, colorful, exciting and undiscovered world will unveil itself in front of you!