I had an Interesting interview while I was in Peshawar, the city in northwestern Pakistan on the border of Afghanistan. I had the chance to do a road trip for a day and for the occasion, synchronized with Ali Sheikh, editor for The Frontier Post, a local newspaper in English to talk about my adventures around the world as a digital nomad, as well as my opinion on my trip in Pakistan so far. This region was previously known in the news as it was a gateway for the Americans during their invasion of Afghanistan. It has kept a different identity than the rest of the country as it is the capital of the Pashtun People. I even had the pleasure to try local food in a Peshawar Restaurant (second picture). Very interesting article in general. Pakistan is an amazing country and I was happy to be able to give my thoughts about it, especially about the friendliness and hospitability of its people. After the […]
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Visiting Pakistan: My Country #176/195
I arrived safely in Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province, after a transit in Dubai and Karachi. Immediately after exiting the airport terminal and roaming in my taxi it’s congested streets towards the center, I smell of deja-vu hit me with my previous adventures in India, Bangladesh, and Sri-Lanka. And with a reason. They used to be part the same British colonial Empire prior to the Indian Independence Act in 1947. Similar yet very different as the main religion here is Islam, which means dressing code is very different, food is much more reliant on meat and Islamic customs must be followed even though it doesn’t seem too conservative at first sight. Lahore was the perfect city to arrive! Eith 10 million inhabitants, it’s second to Karachi in size but much more livable and modern than its southern sister. The first thing that got me was the warm welcome of its citizens, being extremely helpful and kind to me. Lahore Fort Special thanks to Ahmad which […]
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Travel Guide to IRAQ: Visiting a Country During War Times
“Where are you going next” I was asked many times while traveling in Turkey. “I’m going to Iraq”… And quickly the blank look in their eyes would follow with the same interrogation! “But Why?” would usually follow? Why I came here is pretty simple. I had the same philosophy for the last 10 years. I go everywhere, and only once I am there I discover what there is to see, and usually, I am blown away that these things are not more “popular”… Most people dream to go to the same places… New York, Paris, Venice, London… While I do agree these places are nice, I believe most people have just been brainwashed to believe these are the nicest places to see and do not push further to seek what other destinations can give them. I am a professional marketer, I know how these things work. It’s not their fault, they hear about New York, Paris, and London in Music, Movies, TV, Magazines, Publicity, Social […]
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Visiting Iraq: My 175th Country Visited
Two years ago I was celebrating my 150th country visited in Iceland. That’s only 25 new ones in 2 years, as reaching new countries at this stage is getting increasingly difficult. Now I finally reached my next milestones: Iraq. So I arrived in Erbil, in the Kurdistan région of northern Iraq 2 days ago in one of the worst times of the year to visit, in mid-August. This means 45 degrees temperatures in the shade… But it I’ve seen this before and since it’s dry heat, it doesn’t seem that bad. I am sitting in its incredible 7000 years old citadel as I am writing this. It feels incredible to be here, as of all the countries I’ve visited, this is most probably the oldest historical site I have seen! Just 2 weeks ago I was stunned by the beauty of the ancient Romain city of Timgad in Algeria, which is about 1700 years old… And this place is more than 4 times older! It’s […]
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9 Days in Turkey… Is it the Next Big Thing for Western Tourism?
Seems like everybody is talking about Croatia these days… It’s just the everybody’s next holiday list, forgetting all the other beautiful beaches of Europe has to offer like in Spain, Malta, Italy, France, Portugal, etc… It’s just the new trend and everybody want’s a piece of it. With its beautiful coast, tons of festivals, amazing cities and the help of some extra marketing from joining the European Union and of course Games of Thrones, it was the perfect recipe to reach mass tourism! But just a decade ago when I first came to Croatia, it was still just a “post-war” country and still a “Best Kept Secret” to the few who had discovered it. But what will be the next big thing after Croatia’s hype fades away? I just spent a nice 10 days of peak summer season in Turkey and wanted to see why all the Russians chose it as their favorite holiday destination. And for a reason! Turkey is amazing! It’s a big country […]
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10 Days Crossing Algeria from West to East
I decide to come to Algeria this year because I was coming back to Canada and since they only allow visas to be obtained in our home country, it made sense to request it at the same time. So it took me 2 weeks and I had my 10 days Visa freshly printed in my passport. I then bought a multi-destination ticket to be able to arrive at the western extremity in Oran, and fly out from Constantine, third city and at the other eastern end of Algeria. This way I was able to travel through the whole country from west to east and see as much as possible of the northern Mediterranean coast, in 10 days. Oran was a great city to arrive in. It is a little more wealthy than the average city in Algeria and easier to set foot. With the help of my friend Ilyes who warmly received me for 3 days, we visited the most important places around Oran, including […]
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Crossing Panama from East to West: The New King of Central America
So I enjoyed being this summer in North America to spend some more time in Panama, one of my favorite countries in Latin America and where I spend more and more time these days. This time I teamed up with a good friend of mine Daniel to travel from Panama City all the way to the Western Volcano of Baru in the Chiriqui State. Panamá has evolved a lot since I first came here 11 years ago. At the time, most tourists were only talking about Costa Rica and Panama was hardly named even after Guatemala. With rapid expansion as a hub, impressive growth, and very welcoming laws for expats, the country is seen by many as the top interest in Central America and have been one of the main retirement hideouts for expats worldwide. Panama City which was not so long ago a fishing village with dangerous neighborhoods has transformed into a massive metropolis with it’s skyscrapers all over the coast, the “Dubai of […]
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Visiting Algeria – My Country #174/195
Just arrived in my 174th country worldwide, and 35th in Africa. I’ve waited a long time to come to this country because of the love I have for Morroco, which I expected many similarities. Expectations were met at arrival, but still many differences are obvious. It is definitely not as opened as Morocco and tourism seem reserved for Algerian expats. That said, it seems very welcoming thought! The city of Oran so far is really well developed, having a nice French Riviera style boardwalk, as well as a very modern tramway. My plan was to arrive in Oran, in the West of the country, considered the most lively city in North Africa, and to fly out from Constantine, in the other extremity on the East side of Algeria. This way I will cross the country, staying around the Mediterranean Coast and focus on the most populated areas. I would have loved to go down in the desert which is praised as one of the most […]
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Quebec City, One of the Most Photogenic City in North America
Many will say I might be biased to make this statement as I was born in Quebec City, and it does sound like a justified comment. But anyone who has visited the beautiful old town of Quebec City will testify of the beauty of its “New France” architecture and the European feel that its Fortified walls and narrow streets give. It has been 3 years that I haven’t been to my home Country while circling the worlds most beautiful cities, and every time I come back to Quebec I am always blown away by its beauty. Even though I have studied for years in the Old Quebec at high school at the Petit Seminaire de Quebec, the oldest French speaking seminary in the Americas, whenever I am back in the city, I try to put myself in the skin of a tourist and visit some corners of my beloved city as if I was a First comer or a tourist. This year, as it is the 150th […]
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Top 3 Best Colombia Itineraries You Must Do On Your Next Trip
With around 5 visits to the country, Colombia has quickly climbed the ranks of my top 5 favorite countries in the world. I love Latin culture myself and the authenticity of the Colombian culture is always amazing to me, it is very easy for me to feel at home there. I have favorite destinations, mostly in the mountainous area around Medellin, but I also love Colombia’s beach area around Santa Martha and the beautiful Cartagena is always a joy to visit! Since I always get many questions on Colombia, I have prepared my top 3 itineraries for you to better prepare your next trip! 1: The Layover: Bogota and Around For a quick stay or for people on short transits, it is common to arrive in Bogota and stay only in the capital for a couple days. It is actually a nice city, I’ve stayed here on a 4 days layover to catch my Brazilian visa back in 2005. The city is quite high in […]
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