While I was travelling the Silk Road, one of the countries that surprised me the most was Kyrgyzstan. Central Asia is not exactly one of the most popular destinations, and Kyrgyzstan is, for most people, just one of those far away “-stan” countries. However, it has so much to offer! From its incredible natural beauty to the fascinating culture of the Kyrgyz people, these are the reasons why Kyrgyzstan should be next on your bucket list.…
Looking back on 2019, it was one of the most turbulent years I’ve had recently. 2017 was a year of excitement and adventure, as I quit my job, gave up my apartment and left Germany to travel for a year. 2018 was a year of coming home in which I settled down in Frankfurt. Both of those years were exciting. But 2019 was turbulent in ways that I had never expected. Turns out you don’t have to go travelling around the world for a whole year to experience lots of surprises – for better and for worse.
2019 was also a year of learning. First of all, I switched jobs so there was a lot of training involved. But I also learned a lot of travel lessons.…
Unexpectedly, I really enjoyed Bogota.
It didn’t look like it at first. When I arrive in a new city, I use a combination of my guidebook and google to find out what things to do there and it didn’t look like there was much in Bogota. But then, the city ended up surprising me. Maybe it was the young and uplifting vibe. Or it was all the amazing things we ended up doing.
Or maybe it’s something else. I think one of the main reasons why I loved Bogota so much is because my boyfriend surprised me and came to see me. I was travelling with my friend Christina and one day, without ever having said anything, Daniel knocked at my door.…
It’s Christmas! Well, almost. It’s not far away anymore and when I went to the Christmas market with my co-workers last week, I felt inspired to write about the experience.
As I’m German, I grew up with Christmas markets. When I was a child, I found it strange that our English relatives would come especially for the Christmas markets. Why would they get so excited about such a normal thing?. Then, I grew up and realised that in many countries around the world, there either are no Christmas markets or they’re very different.
If you’re visiting Germany in December, you should visit at least one of them. That’s easy to do as every big city will have one Christmas market (or more).…
San Gil is the adrenalin capital of Colombia. You can go white-water rafting, caving, abseiling down waterfalls and paragliding. If you are looking for an adrenalin rush, this is the place to go to. Most blogs have a long list of suggestions on how to spend your time doing as many adventure activities as you can.
While that is great for some people, it’s not for everyone. I don’t mind a good rush of adrenaline from time to time but those activities are expensive! Plus, the friend I travelled with despises them. And after she hiked to the Ciudad Perdida with me because it was a place I really wanted to see, it was only fair that now we did something she actually enjoyed.…
Sometimes, when travelling, you end up coming back to the most unexpected places. For me, one of these places was Santa Marta – not because I loved this Colombian city so much but because it is a convenient transport hub and gives access to a lot of tourist attractions in the surrounding area.
At first, we had no idea what to do here. Santa Marta is not a very beautiful city and it doesn’t have many tourist attractions. Sure, there was a beach close to our hotel, but that was about it. But after having come back three times, we had, despite everything, found a couple of things to do. So if you end up in Santa Marta, let me give you some inspiration on what to do in the city itself and in the surrounding area.…
When I reached Cartagena after almost half a year of travelling through South America, I was tired of meat, rice and french fries. It didn’t matter where we went on this continent, it seemed as if half of the restaurants would only let you choose which kind of meat you wanted to have with your dry rice and your soggy french fries. And it didn’t matter which one we went for, the meat seemed to taste the same everywhere.
I am not saying that we didn’t have amazing food along the way. I remember that Patagonian lamb, for example. Or the delicious sopa de mani in Bolivia, a soup rich in flavours and spices. But there had also been parts where we hadn’t been able to afford anything other than the cheapest and most tasteless dishes, particularly in expensive regions like Patagonia or Galapagos.…
Located less than an hour away from Santa Marta, Minca is a little paradise. Up here in the mountains, a fresh breeze offers relief from the heat. You can hike through bamboo groves and swim in rivers and waterfalls. And at the end of the day, hammocks invite you to relax.
Not too long ago, this tiny village used to be a refuge for extremists who used to hide in the mountains. These days, instead of soldiers with machine guns, backpackers stroll through the streets.
And while Minca can be seen as a day trip from Santa Marta, you should consider staying the night. Let me show you why:…
This year, when travelling through Colombia, I was lucky and got to see the Cocora Valley. Located close to Salento, in the south of the country, it is a valley of green pastures, cows, hummingbirds and wax palm trees. Those palm trees are the national tree of Colombia and the tallest ones in the world. Walking in between them makes you realise how beautiful nature can be and also how small we are.
The Valle de Cocora is not just worth a visit because of the palm trees. Along the way, you will get great views of lush green valleys and you have the chance to spot hummingbirds and other wildlife at the Casa de las Colibris. Plus, the Cocora Valley is easily accessible from Salento.…
Salento was my first proper stop in Colombia. I won’t count Ipiales, the border town where we had to stay for a night, or Cali, where we only stayed for around 12 hours as well. Salento was the first place that I properly explored in Colombia and I couldn’t have gotten a better introduction to the country.
With its colourful houses and red-tiled roofs, Salento is a beautiful town. Add to that the coffee farms in the surrounding hills and the nearby Cocora Valley and you have found a little paradise. I recommend staying for at least two days so you can enjoy the region as much as I did. There are plenty of things to do in the area, and when you’re done, you can always relax in a hammock in your hostel.…