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How to Plan a Safari in Tanzania
Planning for a safari can be an overwhelming task, as there are many moving parts – accommodation, type of tour, number of days, route, etc. Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start, which is why you’re reading this. There are two ways to do a safari in Tanzania – through a tour operator or by yourself; however, 99% of people opt for a tour, which I recommend. Tour guides handle all administrative tasks and most importantly, are knowledgeable about the landscape, animals, and culture. Now the hard part, selecting a tour! There are several tools you can use such as Trip Advisor, Viator, Safari Bookings, etc. First, you’ll…
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How to Spend a Week in Egypt
Egypt is Africa’s most visited country and after spending 9 days here, it is no surprise why. Egypt is easily accessible for most travelers and hosts so many historical sites that you’d think that the country was one large open-air museum. I decided to make the quick trip to Egypt from Sudan for the holidays, which was only a 2.5 hour flight from Khartoum. I spent 9 days here, but if you’re short on time you can definitely see all the major sites in less time; however, this will likely make your trip more costly, as you’ll be paying for domestic flights between cities to save time rather than taking trains…
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Backpacking the Albanian Alps: Europe’s Hidden Gem
“Albania?!” That’s pretty much the response I got from my friends and family when I told them I’d be making my way through this Balkan nation. And I’ll admit, prior to my trip, I knew nothing about Albania; I had no preconceived notion about the country and had no idea what to expect. Why Albania? Well, I was in North Macedonia on vacation and saw Albania was just a few hours’ drive from the city I was in, so I figured I’d make my way through. Not to mention, Albania, along with North Macedonia, are two of the few countries that accept American tourists during this Covid pandemic. After a…
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Backpacking through North Macedonia
Although my goal is to travel to each country on earth, I never could’ve imagined I’d be in North Macedonia this early in my journey. So, how did I end up here? Well, due to Covid, American citizens are severely limited from visiting much of the world, except North Macedonia and a few other countries. It didn’t take much to convince me to head over to the Balkans again, especially since my first experience in Bulgaria wasn’t too great. I decided to give the region another shot. You may be wondering, “What is there to even see or do in North Macedonia?” It obviously isn’t as jam packed as its…
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El Chaltén: Argentina’s Trekking Capital
El Chaltén is small backpacker town located in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and your gateway to some of the best hiking in the country. Despite it being named the trekking capital of Argentina, not much is known about El Chalten, in fact, most locals have never even heard of it. Regardless of its popularity, El Chaltén is a must see for any traveler coming to Argentina and arguably one of the best backpacker towns in all of South America. Although many say El Chaltén was founded in the 1980’s, its history extends much further than that. Prior to European colonization, this area was occupied by the Aónikenk people, also…
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Three Days in Uruguay
I’ll admit, before coming to Uruguay, I knew nothing about this country other than the fact that it was more European-like than the other South American countries. While planning for my trip to Argentina, I saw that Uruguay was fairly close to Buenos Aries, just an hour away by ferry, to be exact. Just an hour away? New stamp in the passport? I was sold. Getting to Uruguay from Buenos Aries You’ll need to purchase a ferry ticket. This can be done online ahead of time or at the terminal (Av. Antártida Argentina 821, Buenos Aires). I’m one of those guys that likes to pre-plan everything, so I went ahead…
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Things To Do in Luang Prabang
Let me start off by saying, I love Luang Prabang! I’ll admit, heading into LP, I was a bit nervous. It seemed unanimous online that everyone enjoyed this small, former capital city in the north. I couldn’t find much criticism; it just seemed too good to be true. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only to be disappointed. Fortunately, LP lived up to the hype. Delicious restaurants everywhere, cheap massages, beautiful sites, easy to get around, you name it. While LP isn’t as live as Ho Chi Minh or as action packed as a Bangkok, this quiet city has its own unique charm to it that makes you…
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Why You Must Visit Nong Khiaw
Not much is known about Nong Khiaw, in fact, most tourists don’t know it exists. This small town located 3 hours north of Luang Prabang is one of Laos’ hidden gems. Nong Khiaw is a quiet and scenic town jam-packed with adventure. Nong Khiaw is what you imagine backpacking in Southeast Asia to have been like in the past. Although the tourism industry is a bit overly commercialized with signs for tours pasted around the town, it still maintains its “Off the beaten track” essence as a sleepy backpacker town. How to Get There? Take a van from Luang Prabang, tickets cost 80,000 kip and the trip takes 4 hours,…
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Trekking Jyrgalan: Boz Uchuk Lakes
Jyrgalan is a town most people traveling to Kyrgyzstan have never heard of, even the locals in Kyrgyzstan! Jyrgalan was once a prosperous mining town during the Soviet era, but suffered financially in the 90s and 2000s. Years ago, Jyrgalan had absolutely 0 tourism, but in 2016, six families came together to form the Jyrgalan Destination Management Organization (DMO). Their mission, according to Jyrgalan.com is to: Build a tourism industry that would bring economic opportunities to the local community, create jobs, and increase the quality of life for local residents. Together, with the assistance of USAID (United States Agency for International Development), Jyrgalan has turned into an off the beaten track…
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A Day Trip to Burana Tower
Burana Tower is a large minaret in the Chuy Valley, which lies very close to the city of Tokmok. Built in the 11th century, Burana is one of the last remaining pieces of the ancient city of Balasagun, which was established at the end of the 9th century. Legend says Burana was constructed to protect the local king who was told his newly-born daughter would die once she reached the age of eighteen. To protect her, he had a tower built where his daughter could live alone, only allowing a servant to bring her food. The daughter grew up and became a beautiful young lady. At the age of eighteen, a poisonous spider…
