I had been waiting for years to figure out a way to reach Saudi Arabia on my quest to travel to every country of the world. Being one of the closest countries in the world, Saudi Arabia recently made a 180-degree shift of policy to open its doors in a bid to kick-start tourism in the country. Not only did they start issuing tourist visas for special events starting late 2018, but it also has plans to build a touristic city a little bit in the style of Qatar and Dubai in the middle of the desert, and is already starting to invite several countries to come since 2018. I took advantage of a recent event called Jeddah Seasons to finally being able to explore the Kingdom after years investigating all the possible ways to come. This marked my 193rd country visited out of the 196 in the world. In This Article…1 A long due trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia2 Jeddah and the […]
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Exploring Niamey in Niger – An Example for African Development – (My 192nd of 195 Country Visited)
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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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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Exploring Bangui in Central African Republic – My 190th of 195 Country
“Welcome to the Country of Wars” was I told, by my taxi driver taking me from the International Airport to my Hotel downtown Bangui, Capital of Central African Republic. There was definitely something deep about what he said, as from my personal knowledge, this is all I knew about the country prior to coming! Probably this was a reason why I had taken so long to travel here, making it my 51st country visited in Africa, out of the 54 that make the African continent. He then gladly replied: “But finally peace is coming to us”! Among all the United Nations armoured Vehicles and soldiers I could see on the way to the hotel, this positive note was exactly what I needed to hear, as I was ready to begin exploring Bangui. At the time of writing, the government of Central African Republic had just signed, only a few weeks back, a very promising peace deal with the 14 different armed groups who have been […]
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Exploring N’Djamena in Chad – My 189th Country Visited, 50th in Africa
It was a night I will always remember… I arrived in a heavily guarded airport, where the plane was escorted to the front of the airport by military guards armed with Kalashnikovs. It was an evening of the hottest month of the year in N’Djamena, Capital of Chad, a landlocked country in the very heart of Africa. 41 degrees at nighttime, with pretty much 0% of humidity, and absolutely no breeze… I’ve travelled extensively in Africa but rarely have I been hit in the face with such heat! Simply hard to breath… But still, I was extremely excited to arrive once more in a new country on this beautiful continent that I hadn’t been before. And to make it even more special, I was celebrating my 50th country in Africa which counts a total of 54! So here I am in N’Djamena to learn more about Chad, its history, its culture, in the middle of the Saharan desert! This is actually the first new country […]
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Rovinj Wins the Title of my Favorite City in Croatia
I’ve travelled extensively throughout Croatia over the years as it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. I keep coming back because I never get tired of the blue Adriatic Sea, Venetian fortified towns along the coast, the food, the people, etc… And to win the title of the most beautiful city in Croatia is a hard one to designate. Rovinj is just a masterpiece, like few there are in Europe! I can imagine Dubrovnik being this nice before tourism destroyed it, so be quick to come and experience it before Hollywood comes before you, followed by the masses! In This Article…1 All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Rovinj3 Top 10 Things to do in Rovinj4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Rovinj5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Rovinj6 Rovinj In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town Istria has been under Italian […]
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3 days in Pula, Epicenter of Istria in Croatia
So many people rush to Rome to see the Romain Arena without knowing that such constructions can be found in so many other places, and such places include tiny little Pula, a city in the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia of only 90 000 people. Apart from the beachgoers coming for the Croatian sun every summer, the impressive Romain arena gets little attention to what it deserves. It is actually one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world. In This Article…1 A Romain Capital with “Italian influenced” Croatia2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Pula3 Top 10 Things to do in Pula4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Pula5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Pula6 Pula In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest A Romain Capital with “Italian influenced” Croatia Arriving in Istria from Dalmatia or the Zagreb Area will be somewhat of a shock. Pula, the biggest city in Istria and eighth in the country, definitely has an Italian flavour left from its past. In […]
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Visiting Split in Croatia – Yacht Capital of the World
Probably the most liveable city in Croatia in my opinion, along with the Capital Zagreb, Split is a highlight on the Adriatic sea which never stops to amaze me! I have come here many times over the past few summers, and it truly feels like one of the trendiest place to be in the summer with most hotels booked out all summer long! Split is just one of my favorite place to be in the hot summer months! In This Article…1 Enjoying its years of fame2 Sailing a Yacht in Split3 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Split4 Top 10 Things to do in Split5 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Split6 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Split7 Split In Pictures8 Pin to Pinterest9 Enjoying its years of fame Everybody is talking about holidaying in Croatia these last few years, and this usually means flying directly to Split or Dubrovnik. The airport is constantly upgrading its infrastructure each time I fly in and enjoys a […]
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Dubrovnik – Still King of the Adriatic Sea
There is no need for a presentation to Dubrovnik, especially since Games of Thrones catapulted the city’s tourism industry out of logical proportions. The city is constantly bombarded with tourism from cruise ships to buses fully loaded of tourists to admire its beautiful old town all year round! Is it still worth a visit? In This Article…1 An Overcrowded Tourist Experience2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Dubrovnik3 Top 10 Things to do in Dubrovnik4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Dubrovnik5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Dubrovnik6 Dubrovnik In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest An Overcrowded Tourist Experience Definitely! Dubrovnik is definitely worth a visit! Even though I wrote an article a few years back detailing “How Games of Thrones Destroyed Dubvrovnik“, I still feel it is a worthwhile city to visit. The problem is that is is a little small to fill that vast amount of tourist that come just to walk through the few streets surrounded by the walls. The result is one of a cramped experience, […]
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