There is only 3 km between the isle of Sicily and the mainland Italy but Sicily is nowhere near to the rest of the country. There are no well-maintained tourist attractions, no pristine streets here. Instead there is an exquisite cuisine, scorching sun, lively and chaotic street markets and people distinctly more relaxed than in any other part of Italy. There is something a bit raw, at times murky but so real and seductively beautiful that the only option you are given to is to succumb to its charms.
Of all of the walls built so far in the human history this is probably the Greatest. It is said that Great Wall of China can be even visible from the space. Do not read the next sentence. It might completely shatter your illusion and perception of the world. The Great Wall of China is NOT visible from the space.
It is said that Greenland got its name from Erick the Red – who was exiled from Iceland as a punishment for the committed murders. He searched for a land where he could settle and he found it. He called it “Greenland” and painted as a wonderful lush place in the hope that it would attract some more settlers.
Fresh grilled fish, a bottle of frosty San Miguel, the juicy sweetness of mangoes and pineapples, stunning gold beaches, virgin islands, limestone cliffs and happy to go lucky Filipinos. There is an island here (precisely 7641 islands to choose between) that suits everyone’s taste and there is something here everyone would love.
Chamonix is one of the most alluring places for mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders in the world. The dramatic mountains entice more and more to ride the steep faces, or simply get to the top and feel the liberating void. It is simply a winter wonderland but even outside of the snowy season you will find here plenty of activities/sights that can fill your itinerary with excitment and awe.
Of all of the walls built so far in the human history this is probably the Greatest. It is said that Great Wall of China can be even visible from the space. Do not read the next sentence. It might completely shatter your illusion and perception of the world. The Great Wall of China is NOT visible from the space.
Simply close your eyes, and listen to your inner voice. Your inner voice. If you hear any other voices, that other people do not, it is worrisome... Pick your dream destination. Somehow deep down there you already know where you want to go, don't you? Sound oversimplified? Life is damn simple. Only people make it complicated.
Listen! Book your flight tickets today. If you wait till tomorrow, your brain will find an excuse not to go on the adventure of your lifetime.
Desires shall be satisified immediately, especially the ones including adventures, overnight flights with free drinks, hot flight attendants and pilots, cramped toilets and exotic destinations.
Feeling fear is human. This might include diarrhoea, abdominal pains, stress overwhelming your body and the feeling of confusion and disorientation. But you know what? It is damn good. You are a human being, and you have a right to fear and piss/shit your pants or sometimes do both simultaneously. Do not feel ashamed of it. Feel ashamed when the fear stops you from living and experiencing.
I am a female solo traveler who visited over 34 countries and I still plan next trips. Am I fearless? I do suffer from stress and rarely panic attacks. One of my last trips included trekkig in the restricted district of Nepal at the border of Tibet - Upper Mustang. Only once I booked flights, I actually realized that this entails spending a few days in complete isolation from the whole world (no wifi, no phone signal) in Himalayas meeting just a handful of people on the route. I was completely alone accompanied by a Sherpa (male) guide as you are not allowed to enter the area otherwise, carrying a 12-14 kg backpack. There are no hotels in this area. The accommodation was poor and unheated despite the fact that in the night the temperature was reaching -11° C. It was not easy. I also cryed half of my flight from Doha (Qatar) to Kathamndu (Nepal) due to extreme stress but smiled the whole way back home swelled with pride and full of dozens of unique memories that will cherish forever. Face your fears, fight them and conquer. The only tip for female solo travelers is: just be smart. It is enough.
On a side note, do you think I would go anywhere if I waited for a companion? It is your life so live your dream. Do not wait for friends. They are busy with their own lives and dreams. What if your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend does not want to go? The studies show that couples who travel together have better, more fulfilling sex lives in general. But if a partner does not want to go? His/Her loss. Go on your own. Before you got married/together, you had seperate lives. Remember? There is nothing wrong if once in a while you spend a few days apart following your own dreams. Also, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Travel to unexplored lands. Meet and talk to locals. It is all pretty scary. I have been there but I guarantee you - totally worth it.
In Shanghai (China) in the legendary Peace Hotel Old Jazz Bar in October 2015, I ordered a glass of wine at sat at the bar. Have you ever gone to a bar alone (in China)? Do you know how awkward it feels especially for a highly introvertic person? This was my last day in China before my departure back home. I was backpacking solo for over two weeks. I actually just finished a 22h 33 m train ride from Zhangjiajie to Shanghai.
Despite this fact, wearing a Nike t-shirt “Just do it” - the only clean piece of clothing that I had, I did not want to miss the opportunity. The Old Jazz Band is made of 6 musicians and is the oldest jazz band in the world. Their average age is 82. Even Ronald Reagan was once among their audience.
Five minutes later, I was already talking with a German (Lufthansa) pilot who turned out to be piloting the airplane I was returning home the next day. How often do you meet a pilot/passenger of your airplane in a 24 million city? How dope is that?
On a side note, have I mentioned that I had been celebrating my birthday the following day? Not only by changing the time zones extended my birthday which lasted 32 h instead of regular 24 h, and I was invited to a pilot’s cabin, but my new friend sent me a bottle of champagne and roses. Some men just make promises, the others simply take you up to the sky, literally. So girl, next time ditch your friends and go to a bar alone!
After a sleepless night that spent at the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul (Turkey) as my flight was scheduled for a very early morning, landed in the country (Georgia - Tbilisi) that loves you and where the names of the streets make absolutely no sense. Have you ever seen Georgian scripts?
Worth to note, despite their friendliness, Georgians do not have a fluent command of English. My luck was that could understand a bit of Russian. My bad luck was that I have a very bad sense of direction (the names of streets in Georgian were not helping though) and did not have any data on my mobile so could use GPS. (The temperature was reaching 35 ° C)
In this case, had no alternative but to ask for assistance a man approx. 70 yrs old of age (I did the swift due risk assessment and followed my female intuition). The man agreed to take me to my hostel but he actually took me first to his home, where he and his wife, opened doors to their bedroom (with a king size bed) and offered me to be their guest.
In Turkey during a boarding of the Atlas Jet flight from Istanbul to Izmir, a man who had a seat allocated next to mine wanted to pass and take his seat.
- “Türkçe bilmiyorum” (I do not know Turkish) - I said
- “Funny that you can say it in Turkish actually” - He replied
The flight lasted approx. 50 minutes, enough to realise that met an exceptional wise and kind human being of a Turkish origin, married to Chinese and living in Toronto (Canada) with a daughter of my age and a dog named Meatball.
Guess who picked me up from the airport in Toronto two years later and took for dinner to the best Chinese restaurant & showed me around the city? Guess who was emailing me every few months sharing a piece of his life?
18th of Sep 2018 Bedi passed away. He caught a very aggressive type of lymphoma cancer.
Our time in this world is limited but what we can do in that time, is not. It is amazing that one travel can change so much, sometimes it can change everything.
Now it is hight time to be honest. If you have small kids, you are f*****. I really mean it. But you can still choose to show them the real world. Travel with kids. Do not postpone their education and do not put off your dreams.
Ok. But you will say, what about money? You are an adult. You have choices in your life. Choose wisely what you spend your money on. Invest in experiences (not things) and people that matter. Worried about their safety? I guarantee you, those little noisy creatures will be fine. Worry more about yourself.
If you have already endured years of torment and abuse of your sweet little kids, and all those long days filled with dirty diapers, sleepless nights are over & your offspring is now eligible to work under the law of you country, that is actually very good news. Now they can pay for their own adventures and yours.
The Tianmen Mountain (National Park) is located in Hunan Province in China. The mountains in this region are known for its steep peaks and spectacular rock formations covered in deep green vegetation.
Tianmen in Chinese literally means “sky gate” and this is due to its famous cave that looks like a way up to the heaven. It was formed naturally as a result of soil erosion. The mountain is best reached by cable car - the longest in the world (takes about 30 minutes to go up). To get to the cave you can either take an escalator or climb 999 steps (hence the name Stairway to Heaven).
In 2011 Jeb Corliss – the wingsuit pilot jumped out of a helicopter and glided through a 30 m wide Tianmen Cave. The video of his flight is simply jaw-dropping and quite inspirational so do recommend to watch. If you do not own a wingsuit, you can go down from the mountain by bus over the road “Avenue Leading to the Sky” with the famous 99 sharp bends. This is absolutelely spectacular and mystical experience especially in a foggy evening.
The red ribbons that are hung around the Mountain symbolizes wishes. It is believed that tying a red ribbon to the “wishing tree” will make the wish come true. The higher the ribbon is tied, the more likely it is that the wish will come true. Chinese dragons are powerful symbols too, they represent strenght and good luck. The Mountain in itself is believed to have magical powers, it is even called by the locals the “magic mountain of western Hunan.”
It is best to be visited between September and October when the temperatures are pleasant. The entrance fee 258 CNY, includes a single journey on the Tianmen Cableway, the shuttle bus, and the escalator to Tianmen Cave.
Located in the Longji Rice Terrace Scenic area of Guilin, Huangluo village is inhabited by Yao people. The Yao ethnic group has a history of over 1000 years. The village has become very popular during the last years and all this due to the women. The women here are characterized by their red embroidered dresses and their long hair that happen to reach the average length of 1,7m, just average. The women of Huangluo village can only cut their hair once, when they turn 18 as a part of a coming of age ceremony which means that the girl is ready to get married.
A woman from Huangluo village in China
Till 1987 only the man who would become a husband of the woman had the privilege to see her hair in all its beauty. If it happened that poor local or a foreigner stumbled upon a woman with her hair revealed, he was forced to spend 3 years with her family as a son-in-law. Nowadays, sadly (maybe not for everyone though), all those traditions are abandoned.
Some women in the village work as performers, putting on show what once was such a privilege to see, they sign and dance too and all for money and for tourists coming to the area. But still they cultivate some of the traditions. The hair is the most prized possession for them. Long hair stands for longevity and fortune.
The young unmarried women wear their hair bound and covered by a black scarf. A married woman who doesn’t have children wear her hair down in two braids, while a married woman who has children carry her hair wrapped around her head like a turban curled into a bun in the front.
The dozens of slanted eyes stare at you. The words are like the endless gibberish. You wonder, is that you who are in an advanced state of inebriation or them. You speak clearly and cohesively. It must be them. You get on a coach in Huaihua (West Bust Station), heading to a place you hope is Fenghuang (The ancient town of the Phoenix). You hope. You have no certainty. There is only one English speaking person in the coach (not even fluently) and that is actually you.
China is much more than Beijing, Shanghai & Xi’an. China is much more than being vast, overpopulated communist country, it is more than just “Made in China”, the Great Wall, and the Tiananmen Square. It deserves to be fully explored even at the cost of the constant feeling of confusion, disorientation & communication hurdles.
Fenghuang is situated on the western boundary of Hunan Province, is regarded as the most beautiful town in China. It is widely popular among Chinese but usually neglected by foreign tourists. The Tuo Jiang River is a life-force of the town. You can observe here women washing the clothes in its waters and men fishing with their nets. At the centre of the town there is two stepping stone bridge connecting the two sides of the river. Taking a boat is a good way to get closer to the local life so do not miss this chance. The ancient city is also a gathering place for Miao and Tujia ethnic minorities. They are easily recognized. The Miao women wear traditional blue garments sets, complex necklaces, bracelets, earnings and headdresses.
Fenghuang was built in 1704 and is still being kept in its original appearance despite the fact that more than 300 years passed. The sights of this riverside settlement, the rickety wooden houses on the stilts and narrow stone roads transport you back to the times of the Old China. This is a true gem that should be put on your list when travelling to China. Although, at nights the town transforms itself into the Chinese version of some sort of Las Vegas (due to illuminations), it does not stop to amaze anyone who sets foot here.
Coach from Huaihua West Bus Station (1h). Coaches set off every 2h from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm approx. 40 RMB.
Coach from Zhangjaijie Bus Station (near Zhangjaijie Train Station) There are only 2-3 coaches per day. The advance reservation is recommended. Ask your hotel for the assistance. Approx. 80 RMB.
Spring or Autumn. The period from April to June is the rainy season.
Southern Great Wall; East Gate Tower; Hong Bridge; Yang Family Ancestral Hall; Gucheng Museum; Queen of Heaven Temple.
You can stay in one of the many hotels in the Old Town. I stayed slightly outside in Yinji Inn = 2 nights in a double room with a common terrace with a view over the Ancient Town and Chinese breakfast (soup) = 476 RMB = approx. 60 EUR.
Since April 2016 the entrance fee to the Ancient Town (but including the entrance to 9 sites) of 148 RMB has been cancelled. You will only need to buy a ticket when visiting the scenic spots inside the town.
