I’ve never really been the kind of guy to go to all inclusive hotels. Once in a while on a cruise ship is fine, but it’s not because I happened to be in Cancun for a month that I had to go that route. There are other options around that aren’t the most common, but much more appealing to me. And living on an anchored boat off a dock in a rich neighborhood just next to the Hotel zone was the perfect change I needed. The boat It’s definitely not the usual plan, but why not! People tend to go the easy way and book their accomodation off those shiny postcard pictures of the latest five star hotels on booking platforms. That’s because it’s the way it’s always been done in Cancun. Now with services like airbnb, it becomes much easier to rent a condo […]
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Piran, the Slovenian Jewel of the Adriatic Sea
Piran, also known as Pirano, it’s Italian name, shines as one of my favorite and most beautiful city on the Adriatic coast! After visiting Rovinj and choosing it as the most beautiful city of Croatia in a previous article, Piran is toe to toe with Rovinj, probably even more beautiful! No wonder Slovenia kept this tiny opening coast to the sea where Piran is located as part of their territory. An example of Italian Gothic Architecture Piran is actually very small, just about 5000 inhabitants, but definitely boosts that amount to several thousand more during the peak summer season when all the tourists are around. Its reputation is quickly gaining some momentum and soon this tiny little town will be on everybody’s itinerary as it boasts some impressive character. Chinese tourist groups are already on the lookout as I’ve seen tons of them during […]
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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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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. 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 fact, it was part of Italy for so long that most people will speak Italian as a second language after Croatian. The City […]
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Visiting Zadar in Croatia – The New Dalmatian Coast Hot Spot
The third biggest city in Croatia and quickly developing as an alternative for Split as a holiday base, Zadar really surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Enjoying the same quality of the Dalmatian coast as its southern brothers, Zadar has plenty to offer for the seasonal tourist looking for sun, beach and culture. Trying to cash in on Tourism With Tourism in mind, Zadar is aiming big nowadays with its cruise port which can receive the biggest fleet of cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Many of the biggest cruise companies have chosen Zadar as a regular stop to explore the Adriatic sea route, along with Venice, Split and Dubrovnik, as it is strategically located as an easy stop to explore other beautiful cities in the region, such as Sibenik. With the advent of Cheap airlines now connecting Zadar directly to major European cities, its popularity […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Menorca: The Baleares Islands Best Kept Secret
You know the feeling when you go to the cinema to see a movie you have hardly heard of and see it with little expectations? And When you finally leave you are amazed by it? Well that’s what happened to me when I visited Mao, the capital of Menorca, the lesser known island of the 3 Baleares island. If you haven’t heard of Menorca you probably have of its bigger brothers who will surely ring a bell. Mallorca’s beaches and Ibiza’s Party have stolen the show for many years, but Menorca definitely deserves some credit as an amazing destination. My guess is the more people end up going, the more it will gather attention in the next few years which will help it grow exponentially, at the expense of its “little town” charm. Already, the mainstream cloth shops such as Zara, Mango, and Stradivarius have found […]
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