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Day Trip from Hanoi: Tam Coc
Tam Coc is a great place for a day trip from Hanoi. From my hotel, I organized a day tour for $40, which included transportation, entrance fees, and lunch. Your bus will typically pick you up around 8:00 and the first stop is the old capital of Hoa Lu, a 2.5 hour drive from Hanoi. Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th century and today it is one of the most popular destinations in the Ninh Binh province. Hao Lu is rather boring (sorry for that disrespect Hoa Lu). You’ll stay here for an hour and continue by bus for another 30 minutes until you…
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Staying in a Cave Hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey
I often heard that no trip to Turkey was complete without staying in a cave hotel in Cappadocia. Being one to make the most of opportunities, I made sure to make this happen. When I first searched for cave hotels, I saw many of them were out of my price range, often hovering around $100 per night. Seeing how I was a broke graduate student at the time, I wondered if a budget cave hotel existed. I did further research and found out about Elif Star Cave Hotel in Goreme. For just $20 a night, I was amazed by the quality of the room; it was spacious, clean, had strong…
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Lamanai Tour From Orange Walk
If you’re in Orange Walk, you’re probably transiting to another city in Belize or Mexico, or you’re here to do the Lamanai tour. Outside of that, there isn’t much to see or do here. Orange Walk is perhaps the most laid back city in Belize, but a great place to kick back and relax. There isn’t much of a tourist industry, so you get the most authentic Belizean experience. I spent much of my time here relaxing and walking around this tiny town. My friend Kendrya and I came specifically to see the Lamanai (Mayan term for Submerged Crocodile) archaeological ruins. In order to visit these ruins you’ll need to book a…
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5 Reasons You Should Backpack Ethiopia
Little is known about Ethiopia despite being the origin of mankind and one of Africa’s oldest empires. For many, Ethiopia invokes images of crying hungry babies with swollen bellies shackled in huts. For others, Ethiopia is a proud symbol of defiance being one of the few nations to resist full on colonization by any European power. However you may look at Ethiopia, it is perhaps one of the most fascinating countries you can visit in my opinion. Here are 5 reasons you should visit Ethiopia. 1. Food Ethiopian food is delicious and distinct from anything you’ve probably ever had. Injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread made from teff flour, is the fundamental…
