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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Visiting Ancient Olympia from Katakolo in the Greek Peloponnese
I’ve already rated Greece as the number one in my ranking Map of the most beautiful Countries, as well as one of the best in terms of Historically Rich destinations around the world. Ancient Olympia is one of those places that was on my list and this year it was time to pay it a visit. Birthplace of the Olympic games, Ancient Olympia was the chosen location to build the famous games which were hosted from 776 BC and have been played there for 1169 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake and later rediscovered by German archeologist. Since its opening to the public, it has become a popular touristic place to visit while in Greece, mostly for its significance more than what is left. In fact, very little is left. It seems more like a graveyard of stones laying everywhere than an actual Olympic site. Nevertheless, it is impressive to imagine that such an important sports traditions have been hosted here for so long. Several tours are […]
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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 […]
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Cadiz: Oldest City in Western Europe
Ever since I visited the Romain ruins in Cartagena where I was told there was an even older city than Cartagena in Spain, I have had my eye on coming back to Cadiz to explore it more profoundly. Some claim it is as old as 3000 years old, built by the Phoenicians at the 8th century B.C. there is a lot of history around the small city, set as a port town fortified with walls and forts on a small peninsula. It breaths Andalusia at every corner, with orange trees lining the narrow streets and balconies on houses built and stacked so close together it wins the title of the densest city in Spain. Even Cristopher Colombus came here as a starting point on two of his first voyages to the Americas! Plaza de la Cathedral is the heart of the city, but there are also 3 other squares which form the epicenter of Cadiz. The others are Plaza San Juan de Dios, plaza de […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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3 Best Russian Itineraries You Must Do On Your Next Trip
Following my series about Russia, I describe in this article the best itineraries to be done in this vast countries, from my own experience and personal researchers while on the field, and while talking with other travelers. Itinerary 1: Moscow and around Many people will only have a week to dedicate to visiting a country. And in a country as big as Russia, that means traveling very little distances. Limiting a visit that short will constrain to focus on Moscow and St-Petersburg. This is the itinerary that I have personally done in 2010, arriving by plane in Moscow and leaving the country on the western border into Estonia. Moscow deserves 2 to 3 days to visit all of its highlights, including the Kremlin, the Red Square, and the St-Basil Cathedral. Moscow Subway is also a must, and can easily be taken to go around the city. From there, you can decide to concentrate on the Golden Ring, ancient cities close to Moscow that can be […]
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World Map of the Best Quality/Price Destinations, Through the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All
Using leverage for your dollar in choosing your next holiday destination is super important. People sometimes focus too much on the hype from what they heard of some places without comparing them to others. An example of this is the typical holiday in Maldives or Seychelles as a beach destination. Having visited both a few years ago, I liked the islands but it definitely isn’t’ better than Thailand or beaches around Mexico and the Caribbean. Seems like all this publicity from Hollywood movies and advertisement in Forbes magazine worked out for them as people rank them as their “dream destination” while they can do a week to Punta Cana or the Riviera Maya for a fraction of the price. Same applies for Mountain destinations… why travel to the typical Swiss mountains or Western Canada, while you can get better quality mountains in Argentina and Chile for Cheaper and amazing ski! Or if you prefer hiking, why not choose to hike in the highest mountains in the world around […]
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Cities I’ve Been Map (188/195 Countries) – Update December 2017
Each year or so, I update my map with the app “Cities I’ve Been” app on Facebook, and have done so for the last 10 years. This was my way to track my way through the world when I was at the stage of going anywhere whenever I felt like it and wasn’t necessarily counting the countries I’ve been to. I’ve never really been a “Country Counter” until I was getting close to 150 and newspapers started asking for my current count, as well as I wanted to have a way to measure the distance I have traveled. As a world adventurer, my Travel Map is really what I am proud of, much more than my “countries Ive been” map. It is really not that really that hard anymore to travel the 196 countries as it once was with all the flights getting cheaper. There are more and more people reaching the count. There’s even an American girl who has done it in a year […]
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