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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The Republic of Abkhazia: An Unrecognized Country That Has a Lot to Offer
Considered by many to be the most beautiful region of the Caucasus with its beautiful semi-tropical sunshine coast and some of the highest mountains in Europe, all packed in a tiny country, Abkhazia has had its share of drama in the past 20 years. No doubt that the beauty and strategic location of this land have played an important role in the long-lasting disputes with Georgia, which led to one of the bloodiest conflicts in the post-soviet area. Nowadays, the country still feels like it’s freshly out of war with destroyed houses everywhere, bullet holes still visible on building facades and very little rebuilt infrastructure. But its Natural beauty definitely compensates for the ruins left behind for the Visitor. In This Article…1 A bit of history2 Ruins and Luxury Cars3 How to get an Abkhazian Visa4 Wines of Abkhazia5 One Week Itinerary around Abkhazia6 My Opinion on Abkhazia7 Top 10 Things to do in Abkhazia8 Top 5 Restaurant in Abkhazia9 Top 5 Cafes in Abkhazia10 […]
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3 Days in North Ossetia – Visiting Vladikavkaz
I knew very little about Ossetia and Ossetians before coming here, except for what international media has been talking about in the past 15 years, which can be summarized as conflicts and unrest. But it turns out they have a very interesting past and history around the Caucasus. This time around my journey brought me from Georgia through the Caucasus mountains to reach North Ossetia, the big brother of South Ossetia which received a lot of media attention in the past years. In This Article…1 The Difficult Past of Ossetia2 Visiting Vladikavkaz3 3 days itinerary of Vladikavkaz4 Top 10 things to do in Vladikavkaz5 Top 5 Restaurants in Vladikavkaz6 Top 5 Cafes in Vladikavkaz7 Ossetia in Pictures8 Pin to Pinterest The Difficult Past of Ossetia The past few years haven’t been easy for their cousins in the south Ossetian part of Georgia, which resulted in a bloody war that Russia supported and resulted in a unilateral declaration of independence of the South Ossetian Republic that […]
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Visiting Georgia: A Paradise for Mountains, Culture, History and Wine Lovers
While it was hidden behind the soviet curtains, very little was known about Georgia, being mostly a destination reserved for other other Soviet countries. But since the fall of the Soviet Union and since its government has taken western-aligned politics, Georgia has risen to fame, and its success is just barely starting. It’s pretty easy for a country to gain popularity as a tourist destination when you already have it all… Georgia is one of those countries that impresses me every time I come! On my first visit 5 years ago, I described it as the smallest country with the widest range of scenery a country can hold. Think mountains, beaches, valleys all in one place. Add to this a culture-packed country and thousands of years of history and you have a recipe for success! On top of this, Georgian people are known to be warm compared to other ex-soviet nations which help to get accustomized easily for first-time visitors expecting western style courtesy. In This Article…1 A […]
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Naxos: What To Do in the Biggest Island of the Cyclades
My next stop on this Greece trip was Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands where I settled in a nice little apartment in Hora the Capital. The city is similar to those of Mykonos or Paros as it is filled with white and blue little streets everywhere. However, Hora is built on a little hill where its streets lead all the way to a Venetian era castle. Much cheaper than the other islands around like Mykonos, Santorini, and Paros, it felt like a relief for the wallet as even restaurants on the main sea strip were reasonably priced, as well as accommodation that can be found for under 20 euros. To my eyes, Naxos is nice but doesn’t pack the quality and mindblowing aspect of the other Cyclades islands. What can be found on Naxos can be found in better somewhere else in the Cyclades. Hence, I wouldn’t call Naxos a “must visit destination” on a holiday in Greece, yet travelers will converge to […]
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Visiting Paros in Greece: One of My Favorite Island in the World
The title of this article was chosen carefully. I wrote “island” as the capital, Paraika, isn’t anything that special. And “one of my favorite”, because Bora Bora or Tuvalu would take the crown, as “nothing can be greater than paradise”. But as far as the whole island goes, this is very close to perfection! Too many travelers make the mistake to rent a place in Paraika and stay there their whole stay. The best option on Paros is to rent a vehicle at arrival (there are hundreds of companies and many will fish you down at disembarkation of your ferry) and stay at various locations on the way. This island is incredible! I could imagine myself staying here and build one of those little White and Blue house around Naousa and live happy forever. For me, Paros is the perfect example of the “white and blue” towns of the Cyclades, much more than on other islands like Syros, Mykonos or Naxos. The closest comparison I can […]
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Top Things To Do in Syros – a 2 to 3 days Itinerary in a Greek Paradise
This year in Greece I wanted to try something different, a bit off the beaten track so I chose an island in the Cyclades which was not the usual stop for most travelers. Usually, tourists chose the usual 5 to 10 islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, or Ios for example. That was risky, because being there in springtime, it could end up being very quiet and most things shut down. But I happen to arrive on Labor day weekend, so I arrived in Syros with all the Athenians leaving the Capital to reach one of their favorite islands. Syros is in fact one of the smallest of the Cyclades, but has the biggest population of all, making it the capital of the Cyclades. I haven’t found much information online about Syros but the little I found stated a little paradise which is unspoiled by international tourists, mostly frequented by Greeks. And what a surprise. This place is stunning! The Capital, Ermoupoli is a […]
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Visiting Piraeus: Unfairly Eclipsed Under the Fame of Athens
Piraeus is like a Porsche standing next to an F1… It wouldn’t stand a chance! Athens is such a behemoth of a city that anything placed next to it would be eclipsed into the shade… and this is a shame because Piraeus would be a great city to spend a few days in when in Athens! Instead, it is considered a little neighborhood that very few tourists will make it to. Or in most cases, it is single arrival/departure port to the Greek Islands. I really enjoyed Piraeus, especially the area around Mikrolimano, this small marina packed with stylish cafes and restaurants overlooking the yachts in the marina. This port has a lot of history in itself when it was made the official port for the Athens fleet back 500 B.C. Just walking around the area you can see archeological searches being done in the middle of busy streets (see photo below). There’s a nice little beach south of Mikrolimano where you can enjoy a swim with […]
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Top Things to do in Nafplio, the Ancient Capital of Greece
Known as a best-kept secret by nearby Athenians coming on Weekends, Nafplio, which used to be the capital of Greece one point after the independence, is one heck of a beautiful city. It is such a strategic point that it has 3 fortresses stretched on hills around the area. The Palamidi fortress is the biggest and makes a nice hike going up a set of stairs all the way to the top, where there are stunning views down to Nafplio, the Argolic Golf and the other fortress, the Akronafplia Fortress. the town of Nafplio itself provides a very nice walk around its incredibly beautiful streets lined up with little Greek restaurants, with nice Balconies along Amalias street and Vasileos Konstantinou Street. I really enjoyed going around the Akronafplia Fortress, a nice walk of about 1km that passes by Arvanitia Beach, a little stretch of pebble beach with crystal blue waters, providing an excellent base for a quick swim on a hot afternoon. The walk continues around the Akronafplia Fortress […]
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Visit Crete: 2 to 3 Days Itinerary in Chania
Ever since I came to Chania 15 years ago as a novice traveler, I’ve been bragging about it as my favorite city in Greece. So being here again after such a long time definitely brought excitement to rediscover it. Chania offers a different feeling of the typical islands of the Cyclades with their white and blue architecture. Chania has a Phoenician, Venetian and Ottoman background where many remnants are still visible today. But its history goes even further with traces that are harder to see, such as its Minoan roots that date over 3500 years. Some open-air Minoan Archaeological sites can be found in the center of the old town. The most scenic part is concentrated around the Venetian port, which ads an interesting taste of Ottoman occupation, especially with the mosque of Kioustsouk Hasan situated right on the port on the eastern side. For me, the Venetian port makes it the most pittoresque port of all Greece and one of my favorite of Europe! sitting […]
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