Unfortunately, the year 2020 has been the worst of all for all those who loved or had to travel. Many airlines went bankrupt as well as other travel companies. It was the first year when we didn’t travel at all until now. Recently, some flights have resumed and some restrictions eased. However, we can never be sure if that doesn’t change in the near future. In this post I will describe what it’s like to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. I also want to add that the flight I took was not for leisure or vacation.
Ever wanted to visit the magnificent National Parks of the western USA? That might be complicated if you can't drive or don't have too much time. However, there is one solution - we have visited 8 of the most important National Parks in 9 days - yes it was rushed and exhausting, but the experience was unreal. Here's how we did it with all the pros and cons.
It was always my dream to see the Grand Canyon and the other exceptionally magnificent National Parks and canyons in Utah and Arizona, such as: Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Arches and Monument Valley. Finally, having had visited nearly 70 countries, I planned a trip to the USA. We didn’t have too much time - only 9 days and we couldn’t drive. So, the only option was, as a last resort, an organized tour. Something we always try to avoid. How did it go? How much did it cost? Was it efficient? What were the downsides and upsides of such a journey?
Slovenia is mostly known for the amazing lake Bled. Few actually know what this tiny country hides one of the most spectacular Alpine valleys - the Triglav Lakes valley. The purest rivers and mountainous lakes surrounded by silver rocky peaks and karst formations can be found here. Don’t miss this incredible hiking trail - stay a few days more in Slovenia and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer. Contrary to similar places of this sort in neighboring countries (Italy, Austria, Croatia), you won’t find crowds here - therefore the whole area seems even more enjoyable. In this post I’ll describe the trail and how we got here from lake Bled and continued onwards to the Soca River valley.
Are you wondering if it's safe to travel to Egypt? Besides the amazing ancient monuments and great fun, these are the not so great things you must be aware of before traveling to Egypt. It's better to be prepared rather than disappointed.
I traveled to nearly 70 countries before Egypt, therefore I’d had some expectations and thought I had prepared myself mentally before visiting the lands of pharaoh. Nevertheless, many things still managed to surprise me in Egypt. The following part is based on my subjective experiences and may differ from what others experienced. However, I would like to share what it was like to follow the trail of ancient Egyptians - from Cairo down to the Sudanese border. I haven’t been to the resorts, so I can’t comment on that.
A couple of years back, we visited the Serbian capital - Belgrade. And to be honest, it wasn't my favorite city in the Balkans - you can read my post here. This year, we decided to go back and rediscover Serbia again. Not only did we give Balgrade another chance but also wanted to see some other places in this little Balkan country. One of them was the beautiful Uvac River Canyon - a place that can be tricky to get to and is virtually unknown among tourists outside of Serbia. In this article I'll focus mainly on how to reach the Uvac River Canyon by public transport (if you cannot drive). I will also show the exact points of the maps where to start the hike if you have your own car and where the best viewpoints are.
Chapada Diamantina National Park in Brazil turned out to be an amazing and unique off the beaten path destination - it offers what nature's got best! Caves, waterfalls, jungle and incredibly picturesque Table Mountains. It's everything that an adventurous person would love. In this post I'll focus on the mountains - I'll show you what they are like and what's the easiest way to get there.
Chapada Diamantina National Park is perfect for those who love wild, untouched nature and off the beaten path places with virtually no tourists. Besides the world's class wonders such as spectacular caves with clear blue waters where you can swim as well as table mountains covered with cactuses and succulents, Chapada Diamantina offers in no way less impressive rivers and waterfalls. During our 3-day stay in this beautiful National Park, we had a chance to explore quite a lot, however, there's so much more to see and in this post you'll see only a fraction of what you can expect. Nevertheless, those 3 days were more than enough to fall in love with Chapada Diamantina!
Lençóis is a little, charming town in the middle of a large Natural Reserve - Chapada Diamantina National Park in the northern part of Brazil. Usually not visited by western tourists (in contrast to Rio de Janeiro), Chapada Diamantina is a proof that Brazil has much more to offer than Copacabana Beach. To get there, it is easy to catch a bus from the beautiful city of Salvador in Bahia. And then, Lençóis is usually the first step to visiting the vast swathes of The National Park. This cozy, quiet town with cobblestone streets and colonial architecture is as enjoyable as the spectacular highlights of the area: Blue Caves, waterfalls and magnificent table mountains. Especially after dark, when you can sit down in one of the restaurants or bars when you're back from the adventurous trips in the area.
Chapada Diamantina (literally "Diamond Plateau") National Park is not nearly as famous as the coastal parts of Brazil. However, it's not less impressive. Deep inland, surrounded by table mountains, semi-deserts, canyons, gorges and ravines, the region hides one of the most beautiful caves in the world. Two of them - "Blue Pool" and "Enchanted Pool" - are filled with crystal clear, intensively blue waters. The other, "Torrinha Cave", one of the biggest and most impressive in Brazil boasts with huge chambers full of cave formations and to walk it through takes around 2 hours.
