Very few countries around the world are as rich as Colombia in terms of activities and culture. In South America, I believe it is one of the most complete of any country and definitely ranks top 2 with Brazil in my book. It is a pretty large country too and with so much to do and places to go, I have prepared a list of my ”top 5 everything” for Colombia so you can prepare your itinerary, in consequence, depending on the amount of time you plan to stay in the country. Whatever happens, make sure to plan a lot of time because transport is always slower in Latin America, especially in Colombia as it is very mountainous and that alone slows down transit times! Top 5 Favorite Cities Medellin Cartagena Cali Guatape Santa Marta Top 5 Best Nature Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona Cali Mountains Guatape San Andres Bogota Top 5 Parties and events Mundial de Salsa in Cali Carnival de Baranquilla Feria de las flores, […]
Read More...Tag Archives: backpacker
World Map of the Best Food per Country, Through the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
This is part of my series about maps of the world where I compare each country I have visited in different categories. The point of this analysis is that after having visited almost all the countries (173/196) I believe I have finally acquired the experience and the credibility to be able to put them side by side and give an honest comparison. Of course, many of them are personal views following my personal tastes and is only a generalization. But since I get so many questions all the time about “what are my favorite country, for this, for that, for everything… “ I decided to represent my results graphically for people to get a better understanding of my opinion. Eating is definitely one of the best parts of traveling! Local food is a great way to represent local culture and its creativity, in the form that is decodable only by our senses! It plays such an important role that it is, with accommodation, probably the […]
Read More...
Why Colombia Should Be Top of Your List to Settle as a Digital Nomad
With the recent increase in security in Colombia due to agreements between the Colombian Government and the long-term Guerilla named FARC, tourism in the country has enjoyed a decent increase in popularity. Also made famous by the Medellin Cartel leader Pablo Escobar in many films and T.V. Series, Medellin stands as the highlight of most people’s itinerary, together with Cartagena. Many people started asking me lately for tips about this beautiful country and where they should go while visiting. I have mentioned many times that my favorite country in South America was Brazil, but in the past few years, I have had a preference for Colombia and having stayed there several times, it is one of my top destinations for a great living place as a Digital Nomad. The Quality /Price ratio is super high in Colombia! You get an amazing lifestyle with great infrastructure and accommodation choice, at a very low cost. Transportation on the ground is very cheap too, with choices of taxis […]
Read More...
World Map of The Most Beautiful Countries, Through The Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
This is part of my series about maps of the world where I compare each country I have visited in different categories. The point of this analysis is that after having visited almost all the countries (173/196) I believe I have finally acquired the experience and the credibility to be able to put them side by side and give an honest comparison. Of course, many of them are personal views following my personal tastes and is only a generalization. But since I get so many questions all the time about “what is my favorite country, for this, for that, for everything… “ I decided to represent my results graphically for people to get a better understanding of my opinion. The world is truly a marvelous place! And humans are truly an amazing species! It is pretty incredible what human intelligence and creativity have been able to do in different places in the world, under different climates, different geography, and different beliefs. This creativity has resulted […]
Read More...
My Thailand “Top 5 lists” for Best Cities, Festivals, Friendliness, Nature and Beaches
Very few countries have as much to offer than Thailand in terms of activities and fun factor for your holiday. Adding to the fact that it is still a very cheap country, it is no wonder it ranks as my number one “Quality/Price” destination in the world. Nowadays, the country has adapted to satisfy the whole range of tourism, from backpackers to luxury tourism and is now one of the best places for digital nomads to head first to settle in their new life. I know many of them which never made it further than Thailand itself. Through my 10+ visits to Thailand, I have accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge about this wonderful country and continue to highly recommend it to anyone asking me for a nice place to spend their holiday. Many people usually just ask me my top 5s list… so to make it easy I have prepared my top 5 list of everything. Top 5 Favorite Cities • Koh Samui […]
Read More...
How the Story of Otto Warmbier in North Korea Could Have Been Mine, Yours, or Anyone of Us Present at the Wrong Time…
I’m usually the one saying to people “don’t believe too much what you see on the news, it’s not what it seems over there”… While I do believe that most people are definitely too paranoid as a result of all the negative news about some countries on TV, it’s true that for some destinations, extra caution is required… I was in North Korea in December 2015, exactly one month before Otto went on the same trip, with the same tour company, at the same hotel I was. He basically booked the same tour as I did from a company called Young Pioneers, which is one of the few tour companies that are licensed to organize such tours in North Korea. There are about 20 of them, but they all redirecting people to one single government-run company in North Korea. On arrival, all tourists are joined together in one tour bus and escorted to the same hotel in the middle of an island in the middle […]
Read More...
Thank You So Much to Everybody for all the Support
It’s been an incredible Weekend with the publishing of the Article about my travels in “ Le Journal de Montreal” and “Le Journal de Quebec”, Canada’s second most read newspaper. Thanks to Antoine Lacroix for the great interview, reserving a whole page on Page 5 of the Sunday issue! I couldn’t expect a better result, and sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful support you have sent me! I received hundreds of messages, comments, likes even pokes from people from all over the country who has been inspired by my story. I never expected this article to have such a great impact, but trust me, this is really what keeps me going, I really feel I’m not alone in this adventure! Thanks again!
Read More...
Top 3 Best Thailand Itineraries You Must Do On Your Next Trip
With over more than 10 visits to Thailand, I have pretty much visited most of the major destinations of the country, even though I’m sure I have much more to discover! I especially love the south of the country around Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, and the islands on the east coast of Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan and Koa Tao. That’s where I believe are the best destinations for those beach lovers looking to escape their frozen homeland during wintertime. For those coming to enjoy more of the fascinating Thai Culture, Bangkok is very rich in culture itself, but the highlight is definitely the north of the country, also be more appealing for nature lovers. Its main attraction will be the amazing city of Chiang Mai, where a large community of digital nomads has already formed over the past few years. The nature over there is just stunning; trekking, waterfalls and all those tourist activities (canopy, jungle walks, tiger kingdom, etc.)… you can find it all. […]
Read More...
Why Thailand Should Be Top of Your List to Settle as a Digital Nomad
There was a recent boom of interest in Thailand for the past 15 years and it rapidly converted into the top five destinations for tourism worldwide. Actually, Bangkok is now ranked first in the most visited city in the world in 2016 passing stronghold tourist cities like New York, London, and even Paris. And being the main hub for tourists to reach its beautiful beaches, it’s no surprise it gained that rank. I love Thailand, it’s just an amazing country for so many reasons, especially for its amazingly well-preserved traditions and culture, the kindness of its people, the receptivity of the Thai people and their openness to the world, Its amazing food and its stunning tropical land and impressive beaches. These are just the main characteristics of what comes out of my mind as I write this article, but it expands way more than only this. And just as if it wasn’t enough, you get all this at a bargain! To my eyes and compared […]
Read More...
Prague: as Grandiose as Paris or Rome
I just finished a really nice 2 weeks in the Czech Republic. Seems like Prague has been forgotten for too long on the list of the most beautiful cities in the world where cities like Paris, London, Rome or New York take most of the attention. I think Prague is pretty much heel to heel with Paris in terms of being a Grandiose Capital! Gone are those years where Prague was just a gray communist city, it now proudly stands as what I believe one of the most impressive old towns in Europe! Tourism has also picked up quite a bit since last time I was here in 2006 with a couple friends. Its just as packed as Paris with tons of tourist buses and guided groups of 50 walking all over the place, making it hard to navigate normally in the streets. One recommendation I would suggest doing is to visit the city by night. On the first day of my week in the […]
Read More...