Here are my personal travel stories from a lifetime of nomadic living and exploring the world. Some are more informative, typical-blog-style; others are meant to be more entertaining with an emphasis on creative writing. You can browse them by country or subject via the secondary menu above. Or you can check out the most popular or recent ones below.
Kurile Lake, Kamchatka: 30 Humans & 300 Bears at the End of the World
Downhearted, I regarded the scenery behind the drawn-aside curtain. The Orwellian, drab, concrete human containers the Soviets named Khrushchyovkas seemed even drearier behind the veil of the haze. The dense mass of black clouds that covered them did not allow ...
Mosul: An Iraqi City Recovering after 4 Years of Islamic-State Rule
Mosul has never been your typical travel bucket-list inclusion. More recently, it may have rather topped the list of your most sure-to-get-killed places on the planet—by murder, or suicide if by any chance you are a jihadi. But since it ...
A Solar Eclipse, a Rave Party, and a Bunch of Terrorists on Sulawesi
It was winter in the Northern Hemisphere. But as always, it was summer near the Equator. I was overwintering in the tropical latitudes of Southeast Asia. A good German friend had told me that he was about to head that ...
That Hippo Who Almost Killed Me in the Okavango Delta of Botswana
I don’t usually partake in contests of any kind. Never had that habit. But when I saw the latest writing prompt from the Globetrotters traveling publication on Medium, I couldn’t resist it. Wild: that’s exactly how I’d intuitively describe most ...
Two Lone Tourists In Baghdad
We were very lucky it was overcast over the city of Erbil. That’s not a common occurrence. And it happened on the perfect day: the day we had to spend in its entirety dawdling outside. Erbil isn’t a city with ...
When I Climbed that Pyramid in Giza
Under no circumstances could I let this opportunity pass without paying a visit to Giza and its pyramids. So, very early one morning, having started at dawn to avoid the traffic, I was passing beside the welcoming Sphinx and I ...
Ruta De Las Flores Road Trip
Ruta de las Flores (literally the flower route) is famed as one of El Salvador's most scenic traveling itineraries. It runs for about 50 km between the town of Sonsonate and Ahuachapan, going through a diversity of lush landscapes and ...
An Independent, 3-day Island-Hopping Kayaking Tour in Port Barton Bay
Port Barton on Palawan Island, Philippines, is famous for one thing: island-hopping tours. There is a multitude of pristine, heavenly little islands popping out from Port Barton Bay’s clear, blue waters. There are literally hundreds of boats stationed at Port ...
Sailing Evia Island, Greece: Marmari, Almyropotamos
Late summer 2020, Sophie and I were sojourning in my hometown, Chalkida, capital city of Evia, Greece’s second-largest island. On a mellow evening, I received an unexpected call from my old pal, Dimosthenis. To my excitement, he let me know ...
Getting Visited by a Brown Bear, that Night in the Carpathian Mountains
It was an exceptionally hot summer afternoon. Many hours had withered away since I had left my last night's refuge in that cornfield somewhere near Bacau, by dawn that day. Through many towns and villages, and immense extents of fields, I ...
Attending a Senegalese Wrestling (Njom) Contest in Joal
It was that other night. Quite an advanced night it was. Deep darkness had befallen over the west African coast since a few hours ago. And me with a friend we were striding along the lonely road from the town of Joal towards ...
Pompei, an Ancient City Preserved in its Entirety
The advent of this new day found me at a hostel in the town of Pompei, Campania, South Italy. The reason I had ended up there; plus the reason that pretty much anyone ever ends up over there; plus the ...
The Gem Scam in India – How I Scammed those Indian Scammers
It all began that late afternoon. I sat alone at that Sikh-family-owned restaurant I used to go to during my sojourn in Pushkar, one of India's holiest cities, sipping a cup of coffee and waiting for my dinner. Then I ...
Camel Safari in Thar Desert: the Great Indian Desert
Notwithstanding the subtle mantle of high-hovering cirrus clouds that webbed the east, it was a brilliant morning. A soft quietude and a caressing breeze prevailed in the air. A fat grey ox with erected horns was walking lazily along the ...
Tambacounda and Niokolo-Koba National Park – A Travel Story from Senegal
It was a long and uncomfortable journey. Me, a friend of mine, and six more locals together with the driver, squashed inside that wrecked old car, we drove throughout an entire day amidst great portions of flat, arid land till ...
What to see in Moscow in 2 days
Moscow, home to well over 10 million people, is the largest city in Europe. The city is so vast that one would always have the potential to discover new things in it, even after having lived there for an entire ...
Giri Giri: The Magical West African Talisman that Protects against Bullets and Demons
I remember the first time I got introduced to that object known as Giri Giri... It was in that seaside Senegalese town named Joal. By some random circumstances, I and a friend had ended up there, attending a big event ...
A Road Trip in Primorsky Krai
Day #1: Tokarevsky Lighthouse & Land of the Leopard National Park After some really epic adventuring in Kamchatka for a month and a half, we met again the Russian mainland in Vladivostok. We had to get back to Europe soon, ...
Kayaking to Koh Libong Island
Day #8 (27/6/2020) Distance travelled: 0 km (but 32 km kayaked!) More on YouTube Conditions overnight were uneventful; no storm, no heat, not even a barking dog. No sooner than we blinked our eyes open, we made our way down ...
3 Winter Days in Gjirokaster: Travel Guide
Overwhelmed with awe we regarded our new surroundings as we ambled through the timeworn city of Gjirokaster. We had just arrived there after a 2-day hike from Delvina over Mount Gjere. It was one of the last days of 2020 ...
Tham Krasae Bridge Railway Station: Day Trip from Kanchanaburi
After a motorbike trip to Erawan Waterfalls, as a second destination for a day trip from Kanchanaburi, we chose Tham Krasae Bridge Railway Station. That is part of the Siam-Burma historic railway built by the Japanese army during the WW2 ...
Cycling in Malta – Guide & 2-day Trip Report
Upon arriving on the island of Malta, one of the first things I noted was its tiny size. Of course, I knew from before that it is a very small country, but I expected it somewhat bigger. Peering at the ...
Things to see and do in Minsk, Belarus
Belarus recently changed its visa policy, allowing for the first time EU citizens to enter the country without a visa. Given this opportunity to remove one more of the very few remaining European countries from my bucket list, a chilly autumn ...
From Kandy to Sigiriya day trip by scooter
While traveling in Sri Lanka with a friend, we eventually wound up in Kandy. We had a few days to spare there, before moving onwards to Ella, and there wasn't much to do in such a bustling and rowdy city ...
Saxon Switzerland Trip day #2 – Bastei Bridge, Zschirnstein, Königstein
One who's been used to be sleeping in no other place than a soft bed would probably not describe a car as an ideal, cozy night shelter. As I though, have been used to be resting my body in pretty ...
A Day Trip to Florina City, Greece
Florina is a town in northwestern Greece, close to the borders with North Macedonia and Albania, and serves as the capital of the Florina regional unit in Western Macedonia. Set against a mountainous backdrop and surrounded by lakes, the area ...
Nymfaio & Arcturos Bear and Wolf Sanctuaries in Florina, Greece
Nymfaio is a mountain village in the Florina regional unit of northern Greece, nestled at an altitude of about 1,350 meters on the slopes of Mount Verno. Once a prosperous Vlach settlement known for its silversmithing during the Ottoman era, ...
Grevena: a Visit to Northern Greece’s Hidden Highlands
The town of Grevena is the capital of the Grevena regional unit in Western Macedonia, Greece, and sits at an elevation of about 530 meters above sea level. Despite being the administrative center, it retains a small-town atmosphere, with a ...
Mount Tymfi, Greece: A Hike in the Majestic Pindus Mountains
Mount Tymfi is a massif in the Pindus Mountains of northwestern Greece, located within the Zagori region of Epirus. It forms part of the Vikos–Aoös National Park and is known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, alpine meadows, and deep gorges—including ...
Zagorochoria Mountain Villages: One-Day Road Trip Itinerary
Zagorochoria, often simply called Zagori, is a cluster of 46 stone villages spread across the Pindus mountains in Epirus, northwestern Greece. The villages are linked by an old network of stone paths and arch bridges, many built by local stonemasons ...
Antigua Guatemala Travel Guide: What to See, Do, and Expect
Antigua Guatemala is one of those towns that feels instantly familiar, even if you’ve never been. Laid out in a neat colonial grid beneath hulking volcanoes, it mixes crumbling churches, lively plazas, and pastel-colored streets where everyday life moves at ...
Tzoumerka Villages: Our One-Day Road Trip Itinerary
The villages of Tzoumerka are scattered across the slopes and valleys of the Athamanika Mountains, blending naturally into the dramatic terrain of Epirus. Built mostly from local stone and timber, these settlements retain a strong sense of tradition, with architecture ...
Elliniko & Tsouka Monastery: More Than Just a Stop in Tzoumerka
Elliniko is a mountain village in the Tzoumerka region of Epirus, nestled on the western slopes of the Pindus range. Built at an altitude of about 750 meters, it is a traditional settlement with stone houses, narrow lanes, and views ...
Ioannina: One Day in Northern Greece’s Lakeside Gem
Ioannina is the capital of the Epirus region in northwestern Greece, set on the shores of Lake Pamvotida and surrounded by the Pindus mountains. The city has a layered history shaped by Byzantine rulers, Ottoman governors, and local benefactors, which ...
From Lake Atitlán (San Pedro) to Antigua Guatemala by Public Transport
Two weeks of memorable adventures passed on the misty shores of Lake Atitlán. It was time to continue our journey toward Guatemala’s former capital and arguably most beautiful city, Antigua. The easy way would’ve been to travel directly in a ...
Best things to do in San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlán
San Pedro is the main backpacker hub on Lake Atitlán and the place where nightlife, cheap hostels, and long stays naturally concentrate. It has a reputation for parties and late nights, but the picture is more layered than that. Indigenous ...
Aoos Springs Lake: A Camper’s Hideaway in Northern Greece
Aoos Lake, also known as Lake Aoos or the Aoos Springs Reservoir, is an artificial lake situated in the Pindus mountains of northwestern Greece, near the border between the regions of Epirus and Western Macedonia. Created in the 1980s as ...
