Travel Insurance is an essential and important part of travel expenses, yet some people will just ignore it thinking “problems only happen to others”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Leaving on an international trip will require planning and traveling safely is crucial to keep a peace of mind in any event. I have always had travel insurance for pretty much 95% of all my 10+ years on the road, and do not regret it one minute! Most people are lost when dealing with insurance so I will clear things up in this article in details, covering essentially what you need to know to be prepared and see your options of insurance. In This Article…1 Why do I consider myself a good resource to talk about insurance?2 What exactly is travel insurance?3 Why exactly MUST you get yourself insurance?4 My Personal experience.5 How does the Excess (or Premium) work?6 What to Look For in a Good Travel insurance7 Adventure sports exceptions8 Important note about […]
Read More...Tag Archives: backpacking
How to Choose the Best Gear and What to Pack for your Travels
Packing the perfect gear for traveling is such big subject with travelers that I had to bring up a post about my personal tips and tricks I learned while on the road all those years to reach all the countries in the world. The general consensus is that most people bring way too much than they really need… Most interrogations are always the same: What type of Luggage should you leave with? what size? Rolling suitcases vs backpack vs hybrid? Carry-on only or check-in luggage? What are the essential things to bring? In this article, I will go through all the options available in details to clear out any doubts you may have and get you ready for your next trip. In This Article…1 My Personal Evolution through the Years2 What types of luggage should you use?3 Size does matter – The 2 Dimension Rules.4 My Current Setup: Minimalism5 Should you bring a daypack?6 Traveling with expensive gear7 Toiletries8 Layering concept9 What Cloth do I bring?10 […]
Read More...
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 […]
Read More...
How to Save Money For Your Travels
Questions about Saving Money to fund our travels is always a big one I get often. Actually, it can be divided into several topics such as how to fund a short trip, how to fund your life on the road for long-term travels or even how to fund sustainable traveling making money while you travel. I cover this in other articles but for now, I want to concentrate on how to save money to start traveling. This is always one of the first that comes to peoples mind and I am covering in this article all the necessary steps I could think of to help you get your finances straight and ready for your dream trip. One important thing to note is that you won’t need as much money as you think. Remember that traveling is about discovering new places and living new experiences, not about staying in every expensive 5-star resorts. Travelers like me have developed habits and strategies to travel on low budgets, […]
Read More...
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 […]
Read More...
Visiting Valletta, Malta: World Capital of Balconies
Malta is one of those European countries that “awe’s” me as soon as I set foot on its streets. The proof that a city doesn’t need any fancy activities to make it a great one. A short walk around Valletta, Malta’s tiny capital of less than 10000 people, will convince anybody that preserving its authenticity and showcasing its historical traits is the secret to making any city a great one! I’ve been in Malta for the first time in 10 years ago, and it hasn’t changed that much since then, except for the obvious restorations of the walls. At the time I had the opportunity to dig deeper into the suburbs of Valletta and all around the Island, which is definitely worth it! Mdina is the other highlight that I wish I had time to visit again, but this time I was on a short visit to the country and I would concentrate on the Capital only. Beautiful view of Valletta from the Mediterranean Sea […]
Read More...
Tangier: The Moroccan Doors to Africa
Tangier used to be an important gateway to Europe (or to Africa) and seems to have caught up on its lack of interest for travelers which traditionally valued more others cities in the country such as Marrakech, Fes, Tetouan or Essaouira. This was the case when I first came to Tanger back in 2003. The city was known for high crime and was not recommended by most book guides out there, considering it a port of arrival rather than a touristic destination. That was the case for me at the time, having spent only 2 days in the cities before rushing south to more “attractive” destinations. However, this year’s visit surprised me. 15 years later, the Medina definitely has been pumped up with restorations to make it more appealing to the touristic eye. Most of the highlights will be around the Medina (historic old town) so it won’t be necessary to venture too far. However the Medina is set up on a cliff, with the […]
Read More...
Anchoring in Madeira Island, Portugal
Madeira, this Portugues island in the Atlantic received a lot of attention when Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born on the island, came to fame. Its a popular stop for cruise ships and sailboats doing the crossing between Europe and the Americas all the way back to the 15th century due to its strategic location. And it is considered nowadays one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal! Its the second time I’ve been to Funchal the Capital of Madeira. Easy to visit on foot in a single afternoon, it’s a refreshing city that reminds colonial cities of the Canary Islands, but with a Portuguese flavor. when I come here I like to skip commercial streets and head straight to the old town (Zona Velha) and this is exactly what I did on this trip. I actually discovered through foursquare a very nice cafe, the most highly rated on the island is called Barreirinha Bar Cafe. Its located on an amazing viewpoint at the very end […]
Read More...
4 Months in South-East Asia; The Most Comfortable Lifestyle in the World
I stopped counting how many times I went to South-East Asia ever since I first came, back in 2007. It’s been love at first sight, a tropical land full of culture and traditions, encrusted with a mix of people all so kind and respectful. There’s definitely something for everybody, from the partygoers to the virgin beaches seekers. I truly love south-east Asia and it has become one of my favorite place to hang out as a digital nomad, especially for the comfort it offers. After a rough ride throughout 2017 to countries in the middle east such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as my extended travels throughout 14 of the most notoriously dangerous countries of Africa (such as South Sudan, Somalia and the Congo DRC), it was a relief to finally arrive in that part of the world. I arrived just on time for December 2017 to attend some conferences I wanted to take part in Bangkok related to my work. Thailand is one of […]
Read More...
7 Tricks I Used to Fly Cheaply to every Country in the World
“Ian, which website do you use to book flights”? “How long before flying should I book to get the best deals”? “How do you find cheap deals on those expensive African of South Pacific flights”? “Is it worth making 1 or 2 extra stops in order to pay less”? Those are the questions I most often get from travelers to improve their search for improving their skills in the art of flight deals research. I keep on saying it over and over: It’s getting easier to travel. Flights are now going almost everywhere in the world and they are getting cheaper every year. Just ask Australians who, just a few years back, would need to throw away around 2000 USD just to get to North America or Europe! Now they can get away with 500-700$ per flights! And with all these cheap airlines flooding the market, it’s getting even trickier to choose the good one. With over 1000 flights done (I never counted, but it’s definitely […]
Read More...