Exploring Niamey in Niger – An Example for African Development – (My 192nd of 195 Country Visited)

Back to French-speaking Africa this time in a west-African nation. It was the peak summer season in Niamey, known to be one of the hottest cities in the world, situated in the middle of the Sahara desert! We landed at night and as soon as the airplane doors opened, we felt a wave of dry hot air invade the interior… Just a preview to what I could expect the next few days, with a thermometer over 47 degrees during the day! In General, my expectations for Niger were totally off target from what I had heard and read through my pre-travel research. It was much better than I had imagined. And here’s why… In This Article…1 One of the Poorest Nation in the world… Really?2 The 4th largest producer of Uranium in the world3 Was Wakanda in the movie Black Panther inspired by Niger?4 Enjoying Niamey with local friends5 Top 10 Things to do in Niamey & Niger6 In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest One of […]

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5 Days Traveling around SYRIA during War Times

As some of you read this article, it is important to time-stamp the events at the time of writing. As fighting is still raging in some areas, the war is coming to an end and the situation is changing rapidly. With the government now in control of the country once again, I expect the situation to improve very quickly through the next 2 years, and people reading this article 2 years from now might get a very different experience on their trip. But Make no mistake, as I was visiting in mid-may 2019, the country was still at war and heavy fighting was going on in the Idlib region and around Aleppo where I stayed 2 nights… Was it worth the risk? I Beleive it did, and here’s why… I decided to come to Syria as I believed it was the right time to come after a long 9 years wait. In my opinion, it marked the safest time to come in recent years, while […]

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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 signed, only a few weeks back, a very promising peace deal with the 14 different armed groups who have been […]

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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! In This Article…1 All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Rovinj3 Top 10 Things to do in Rovinj4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Rovinj5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Rovinj6 Rovinj In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town Istria has been under Italian […]

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Visiting Split in Croatia – Yacht Capital of the World

Probably the most liveable city in Croatia in my opinion, along with the Capital Zagreb, Split is a highlight on the Adriatic sea which never stops to amaze me! I have come here many times over the past few summers, and it truly feels like one of the trendiest place to be in the summer with most hotels booked out all summer long! Split is just one of my favorite place to be in the hot summer months! In This Article…1 Enjoying its years of fame2 Sailing a Yacht in Split3 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Split4 Top 10 Things to do in Split5 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Split6 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Split7 Split In Pictures8 Pin to Pinterest9 Enjoying its years of fame Everybody is talking about holidaying in Croatia these last few years, and this usually means flying directly to Split or Dubrovnik. The airport is constantly upgrading its infrastructure each time I fly in and enjoys a […]

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Dubrovnik – Still King of the Adriatic Sea

There is no need for a presentation to Dubrovnik, especially since Games of Thrones catapulted the city’s tourism industry out of logical proportions. The city is constantly bombarded with tourism from cruise ships to buses fully loaded of tourists to admire its beautiful old town all year round! Is it still worth a visit? In This Article…1 An  Overcrowded Tourist Experience2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Dubrovnik3 Top 10 Things to do in Dubrovnik4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Dubrovnik5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Dubrovnik6 Dubrovnik In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest An  Overcrowded Tourist Experience Definitely! Dubrovnik is definitely worth a visit! Even though I wrote an article a few years back detailing “How Games of Thrones Destroyed Dubvrovnik“, I still feel it is a worthwhile city to visit. The problem is that is is a little small to fill that vast amount of tourist that come just to walk through the few streets surrounded by the walls. The result is one of a cramped experience, […]

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What to do in 3 Days in Sibenik, Croatia – An Underrated city soon to be recognized internationally

Halfway between the two Damlatian Stars of Split and Zadar stands Sinebik, a well underated city that still attracts a quarter of the attention as the others. This also means it is a great time to visit Sibenik before it catches up on the higer prices on food and accomodation you will find in most popular cities. But this is likely to change very soon so I would hurry up to get there as soon as possible if I were you. In This Article…1 The City Surounded by Forts2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Sibenik3 Top 10 Things to do in Sibenik4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Sibenik5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Sibenik6 Sibenik In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The City Surounded by Forts Sibenik’s setup is beautiful and perfect for yachties. It is located inside a bay which is garded by many forts, and makes it ideal to dock stright off the peer or at the marina for it’s calm waters. But Sibenik’s definit highlight […]

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Trogir, a Tiny UNESCO Marvel in Croatia

Overshadowed by its big sister Split just 10km away, Trogir is often just a simple day tour for tour groups arriving by bus for a quick 1 hour guided walk. But for me Trogir is much more than this, somewhat of a secret destination of mine and this year I decided to go directly to Trogir after flying into the country, preferring it to Split for its charming UNESCO recognized medieval old town. In This Article…1 A Tiny Island that has a lot to offer2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Trogir3 Top 10 Things to do in Trogir4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Trogir5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Trogir6 Trogir In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest A Tiny Island that has a lot to offer Trogir is just a tiny island that can be walked around in less than 30 minutes. But doing so would ruin the experience that I adore in Trogir, which is to immerse myself in this small ancient town to feel Trogir, walk […]

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World Map of the Friendliest Countries to Travel to… in the Eyes of a Man Who Visited Them All

This Article is part of my series about comparing every country in the world between each other, from the perspective of a man who has traveled all of them, 188/196 to be precise. After creating the most beautiful countries map, the best food in the world map or even the best quality price countries, this article focuses on the most friendly countries to travel to. It must be understood that the context here when I say “friendly to the traveler” is how welcoming a country is to visitors at first sight, and not necessarily about the population in general. I also tried to be objective in my way to rate them, even though it also reflects a little bit my personal experiences. As a traveler with an open mind, I do not care about religion or race, I am an observer of humans in general and human behavior everywhere I go, and this map is meant to be taken as a grain of salt. Nevertheless, […]

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Dedicating a Few Days to Lodz in Poland

Not the typical city that will appear on travelers radar, Lodz is still worth a visit on an itinerary as its central location makes it logistically easy to include while traveling from Wroclaw to Warsaw or on the way north towards Gdansk. It doesn’t pack a lot to see compared to other polish cities, but I can expect its popularity will continue growing in the next few years. In This Article…1 The “One Street” City of Poland2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Łódź3 Top 10 Things to do in Łódź4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Łódź5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Łódź6 Łódź In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The “One Street” City of Poland As local people like to joke about it, if you get even one street away from Piotrkowska Street you are out of bounds. That is actually very close to the truth as Piotrkowska is definitely the highlight of Lodz and where most of the interesting sightseeing areas are located. If I ever come back to Lodz, I would […]

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