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 […]
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Saudi Arabia Quietly Welcome Canadian Tourists to Visit the Kingdom for the First Time in History
With the recent political clashes between Canada and Saudi Arabia back in November 2018 over humans rights, with Saudi Arabia striking back by shutting down relations between the two countries, coming to the Kingdom was pretty much out of range for most Canadians. There has been no official warm up in the relations, but suddenly the government of Saudi Arabia quietly added Canada to its list of countries who can visit the country under its new “Sharek Tourist Visa”! This is great news for Canadian travelers and even for the relations between the two countries! At the time of writting, this has not yet been reported by news outlet or officially by neither govemenents. Actually I don’t even think the officials actually know about this prior to this article… and I pretty much found it by luck! So a new country is now available for […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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! All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town Istria has been under Italian rule for so long that it is still omnipresent everywhere on the peninsula. Rovinj, also officially known as Rovigno as it is a bilingual city (Italian/Croatian), […]
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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. The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter Krakow is a must visit for anyone and a historical paradise for those passioned by 20th-century history like me. Having more than 25% of Jewish population before world war 2, it is obvious that […]
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Visiting Helsinki: is it Overrated or Worth a Visit?
When asked by people what are my worst countries I’ve been to, I always get mind-blinded by the thought of having to choose even one. Sure there are countries I prefer to others, but places I hate? I don’t really have any. People think I am usually too positive on my outlook of most cities I go, but in the case of Helsinki, I must be honest with myself: I cannot see the hype. So why are tourists flooding the city? Recommended tours in Helsinki Is Helsinki Tourism Hype Justified? Don’t get me wrong, I love Finnish people, one of my favorite people in Europe! I love their humble mentality and their passion for hockey (hehe). But as a world traveler, arriving in Helsinki is always a plain experience. I’ve visited the city half a dozen times, and I just can’t find many reason to […]
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Back to Tallinn Once Again, One of my Favorite City in Europe
Ahhhh Tallinn, We meet once again! After visiting the city over 10 times and having lived here twice in the past, I really never get tired of Tallinn. The best way I can explain how it feels to walk around in the old town is to imagine shrinking yourself and walk into a gingerbread city. The feeling is a mix of a fairy tale and being transported in a time machine back in medieval times. This is why I rank Tallin as my favorite city in Europe! Tallinn the Medieval Town I first came to Tallinn 12 years ago, when it was still considered by many to be a no-go area! It had the reputation of a gray Soviet city and people called it dangerous and out of bounds. Still, I came and was enchanted by it, being one of the few tourists to take […]
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Visiting Krasnoyarsk, Siberian Nature at its Best
My last stop on this Siberian Month was Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia and a highlight on my last trip 4 years ago. I had been curious to spend more time here and for the occasion, I rented a 10-day apartment in the center to be close to the action. Looking back at it, it was definitely a good move. The beauty of Krasnoyarsk is in its nature, with its parks all over the city and especially the Stolby national park just a few kilometers away. What I especially like about this city compared to other Russian cities is its compact center, situated between 2 rivers, appearing like an island. It helps to concentrate the points of interest in the center and not spreading over a large distance, making it a great pedestrian city. The riverfronts are covered in green parks and seemed to constantly fill […]
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Siberian Style Summer White Storms in Tomsk, Russia
Probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Siberia is Snow. Some people even think its winter all year round, just like Antarctica. But that’s far from reality. Being here in the middle of the Summer with 30 degrees temperatures, seeing a white “pollen” storm was quite interesting and ironic considering Siberian’s “white” stereotype… White Fluffy Pollen Storms In June in Siberia, a special species of cotton-tree starts producing an impressive amount of white, thick pollen flying everywhere to what resembles a real snowstorm. The scene is beautiful to watch, but can also be an annoyance as these massive flying pieces make it hard to breathe as they can easily be breathed in the nose and mouth and cause itchiness and allergies. Once it rains, it leaves all the pollen in the air to the ground and literally covers the green grass […]
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