Back to French-speaking Africa this time in a west-African nation. It was the peak summer season in Niamey, known to be one of the hottest cities in the world, situated in the middle of the Sahara desert! We landed at night and as soon as the airplane doors opened, we felt a wave of dry hot air invade the interior… Just a preview to what I could expect the next few days, with a thermometer over 47 degrees during the day! In General, my expectations for Niger were totally off target from what I had heard and read through my pre-travel research. It was much better than I had imagined. And here’s why… In This Article…1 One of the Poorest Nation in the world… Really?2 The 4th largest producer of Uranium in the world3 Was Wakanda in the movie Black Panther inspired by Niger?4 Enjoying Niamey with local friends5 Top 10 Things to do in Niamey & Niger6 In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest One of […]
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WarTime Aleppo in Pictures – Captured with a Huawei P30 Pro
I usually add pictures of my travels directly in my photo studio or inside my articles about each destination. But my Photographic experience in Syria and Specially Aleppo was so breathtaking and troubling that it deserved to be published in a separate article of its own. After posting on my private facebook some of these pictures taken with the Leica Camera on my Pro 30 Pro, the reception was so impressive from public and private messages that I decided to share them to the world. The photos in this article were all taken in May 2019 during my visit around Syria which is summarized in my article: 5 Days Traveling around SYRIA during War Times. Being one of the first traveler in the country since 2011, I wanted to express the situation that Syrians have endured through those difficult years. Extensive details have been provided about my experience around the country, and for the purpose of clarity, I will only provide a few explanations about […]
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5 Days Traveling around SYRIA during War Times
As some of you read this article, it is important to time-stamp the events at the time of writing. As fighting is still raging in some areas, the war is coming to an end and the situation is changing rapidly. With the government now in control of the country once again, I expect the situation to improve very quickly through the next 2 years, and people reading this article 2 years from now might get a very different experience on their trip. But Make no mistake, as I was visiting in mid-may 2019, the country was still at war and heavy fighting was going on in the Idlib region and around Aleppo where I stayed 2 nights… Was it worth the risk? I Beleive it did, and here’s why… I decided to come to Syria as I believed it was the right time to come after a long 9 years wait. In my opinion, it marked the safest time to come in recent years, while […]
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Exploring Syria During War Times… (My 191st of 195 Country Visited)
“You’re traveling to Syria in mid-2019… Are you Crazy???” would I mostly hear when mentioning my intention to explore the country while working on my plan to visit every country of the world… The truth is, there are many more countries which I have been that are in a similar situation but have not received as much media coverage as Syria. Pretty much everybody even from a young age knows that terrible things that happened over there, and even at the time of writing, are still happening as the war is still ongoing. My researches prior to travel had given me enough assurance that I felt it was finally possible to go with enough guarantee of a secure experience with less risk. Overall it was a 5 day expedition from A-Wadi, Homs, Aleppo and Damascus. Being one of the first tourists in Syria since 2011, this was a bet I was willing to take… In This Article…1 Why travel to Syria?2 Is it ethical to […]
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Canadian Newspaper LaPresse Publishes my Travel Recommendations for 2019
Back in January, I was contacted by a Journalist from Canadian Newspaper LaPresse named Mrs Ballivy, concerning an article about experts recommendations for Canadian tourists to travel in 2019. Flattered by the trust and confidence giving by such a reputable newspaper, I accepted with pride! My recommendations appeared in two articles published by the newspaper, where out of my 9 recommendations, 3 were selected. You can find the link to these two articles, but I also thought I could share the remainder of my other recommendations with my loyal readers right here in this article. In This Article…1 Two articles published by La Presse2 My 9 Original Recommendations for 20193 Countries or Regions to Visit in 20194 Cities to Visit 20195 City to Visit in Canada6 Pin to Pinterest Two articles published by La Presse The two articles published by LaPresse were quite interesting and can be found in French at the following links. The first was published on the 12th February 2019 under the […]
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Visiting Krakow, the Most Beautiful City in Poland
For some reason, cities that have gone through traumatic experiences and intense stress will tend to rebuild in a more creative and imaginative way, resulting in a “special city”. Think about cities like Athens or Istanbul who have had their share of invasion through the past 3000 years. Or more recently how Berlin has become a center for subculture after all it went through during the cold war. Krakow is part of this victim group, and after all the horrific events it lived during world war 2 with the Nazi camps and massive destruction, it is now flourishing in a very interesting and special way. In This Article…1 The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Krakow3 Top 10 Things to do in Krakow4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Krakow5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Krakow6 Krakow In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter Krakow is a must visit for anyone and a historical paradise for those passioned by […]
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World Map of the Friendliest Countries to Travel to… in the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
This Article is part of my series about comparing every country in the world between each other, from the perspective of a man who has traveled all of them, 188/196 to be precise. After creating the most beautiful countries map, the best food in the world map or even the best quality price countries, this article focuses on the most friendly countries to travel to. It must be understood that the context here when I say “friendly to the traveler” is how welcoming a country is to visitors at first sight, and not necessarily about the population in general. I also tried to be objective in my way to rate them, even though it also reflects a little bit my personal experiences. As a traveler with an open mind, I do not care about religion or race, I am an observer of humans in general and human behavior everywhere I go, and this map is meant to be taken as a grain of salt. Nevertheless, […]
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World Map of the Hardest Countries to Travel – in the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
This map is part of my series about mapping different countries and comparing them with each other against different aspects, from the perspective of a person who has visited them all (188/196 to be precise). After creating the most beautiful countries map, the best food in the world map or even the best quality price countries, this map focuses on the easiest and hardest countries to travel to and to explore as a regular or a budget backpacker. This is a question that I often get from travelers and comparing them to each other will give you valuable information about what to expect. In This Article…1 The Map of the Hardest Countries to Travel to2 The Top Tiers: The Easiest3 The Middle Tiers4 The Hardest Countries5 Conclusion6 Pin to Pinterest The Map of the Hardest Countries to Travel to So from dark red (the most difficult to travel) to dark green (the easiest to travel), here is the map in question. I provide details on my choices […]
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How to Find and Book the Best & Cheapest Accommodation for your Travels
As I keep saying all the time, traveling is not as expensive as people think. Even though accommodation is usually the most expensive chunk of money you will spend out of your daily budget, it will turn out as expensive as you want it to be. There are so many options out there nowadays that you can easily sleep under 30$ a day very comfortably. I’ve been in these types of accommodation non-stop for over 10 years now, which helped me visit 95% of the world’s countries, so I know what I’m talking about. In this article, I rounded up all the tips and tricks out there for you to see the options available and understand you can use them too! I also share valuable tips on how to save money on the biggest websites and how to use them. In This Article…1 Hotel Rooms2 Private Apartments3 Guesthouses & Rooms in Shared Apartments4 Hostels and shared rooms5 Community Hosting6 Overnight Transport7 Sleeping in airports8 Camping9 Which are the […]
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Sochi: The New Pearl of the Black Sea
Sochi is the Biggest resort City in Russia. In fact, it has grown so quickly and well in the past few years that it is a great city in itself and in my opinion only second to St-Petersburg for the most beautiful city in Russia. Sochi was settled by Stalin where he had his private summer house (dacha). But Thanks to the constant efforts by Putin to host big events in the city like the Olympics Games of 2014, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the FIFA world cup, it is easy to see how the city is important in the eyes of Russians. And you can definitely expect to hear more and more about Sochi as it transforms towards an international holiday destination. In This Article…1 The Miami of Russia2 A 3 Days Itinerary to Sochi3 Top 10 Things to do in Sochi4 Top 5 Restaurants in Sochi5 Top 5 Cafes in Sochi6 Sochi in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Miami of Russia Sochi […]
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