Greetings travellers.
During the past year, I've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of countries. Maybe even a bit too many, if I'm being honest. I've been trying to settle down and find a home base, but it seems like the world has other plans for me.
Here's the full list: Portugal, Greece (4 times), Turkey (4 times), North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Egypt (twice), Saudi Arabia (twice), Seychelles, Mauritius, La Reunion, South Africa, Kenya.
I spent a couple of months in Portugal, Turkey, and South Africa and a month in several other countries. While it's not the best for getting things done and can be a bit hard on your health, I can't deny that these adventures have left a lasting impact on me. They're the kind of experiences you'll never forget.
Highlights:
🇿🇦 South Africa - an absolute gem. You can hike until your legs fall off, play on some of the world's best beaches (watch out for the sharks), and enjoy some of the best wine on the planet. South Africans are friendly, funny, and fun to hang around with.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia - a fascinating, welcoming culture, well-educated and smart people, and incredible scenery. The friendly locals that have a deep sense of pride in their heritage and are curious about the opinions of visitors.
There are few visitors here, as tourism really only opened up in the past three years. Despite the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that many people have about Saudi Arabia, I found it to be a welcoming and friendly country with a rich and fascinating culture, and it has made a lasting impression on me.
Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, I know the difference between South Africa and Saudi Arabia. I even visited Saudi Arabia twice. Call me an expert. Would you visit Saudi Arabia? Have you been already?
Here's a photo from my Instagram:
Another country that surpassed my expectations was the Seychelles 🇸🇨.
I can report that the beaches are as good as they say they are.
However, not everybody thinks the beaches are all that great, and quite a few people told me that there was nothing to see here. But from first-hand experience, let me just say that the beaches are excellent and uncrowded, there's forest canopy everywhere, and there are plenty of good hiking opportunities and ways to get lost in nature.
A photo from the Seychelles:
The Emotional Benefits of Wandering
Studies by Catherine Hartley of New York University and colleagues show that wandering through unknown urban places is good for people’s well-being, especially for adolescents. The studies used GPS data and happiness ratings, indicating that the more varied and unexpected the locations, the more well-being was predicted. Wandering also led people into different types of neighborhoods, which was found to be the greatest predictor of happiness.
The second experiment indicated that late adolescence is the peak wander time, with 18 to 20-year-olds roaming the most. However, younger teenagers were found to correlate risk-taking with roaming, suggesting that parents may be curtailing exploration for younger teenagers.
🪣 Bucket List Begone - Embrace a More Free-Spirited Vacation Mentality
The concept of having a "bucket list" of must-do travel plans is outdated and ruining vacations.
This article suggests six ways to rediscover genuine wander lust and how travel should be a transformative experience, not just a list of places to visit. The pressure of checking off items from a list can lead to stress and disappointment - agreed, and that's precisely why I don't do it.
I've been to Egypt 3 times and haven't seen the pyramids. I've travelled to Peru several times and don't know what it's like to step foot in Machu Pichu.
I've spent probably 6 years in Argentina and never saw the Perrito Moreno glacier.
Traveling with an open mind, seeking out local experiences, and prioritizing personal growth over checking off tourist attractions can lead to more fulfilling and transformative travel experiences.
Instagram bio: "Capturing the beauty of the world through my lens."
Reality: "Has never left automatic mode on their camera and relies heavily on filters."
🛫 Why flight paths are curved on maps
Flight paths appear curved on maps and flight trackers because the earth is a sphere, and when routes over a globe are projected on a flat piece of paper in 2D, certain inaccuracies occur.
The shortest distance between two points on the earth's surface is the shortest arc of a great circle, joining the two points. However, rhumb lines are straight lines that cut all meridians at the same angle and were used by early sailors and navigators because they made navigation simpler.
Today, aircraft navigation is done primarily by computers that can quickly calculate minute differences in bearing as an aircraft crosses different meridians to remain on the most efficient great circle route
🇦🇱 Albania's: High-End Ecotourism Takes Center Stage
Albania has plans to shift its tourism focus away from mass tourism and towards alternative, high-end markets. This change is being driven by the country's recent rebound in popularity, which officials hope will help diversify the sector and drive long-term economic growth.
I spent a few weeks in Albania last year and really enjoyed it. Here's a post I wrote (that nobody has read) about the country. Just don't expect a "Top things to do in Albania" article. :-)
🇹🇭 Thailand's Dual Pricing
It goes without saying that Thailand has been, and possibly still is, ground zero for digital nomads, backpackers, and tourists in Southeast Asia.
This video discusses the implications of introducing a dual pricing system in Thailand.
Here's the gist of it:
Dual pricing is contentious in Thailand because it is often applied based on nationality, with foreigners being charged significantly higher prices than Thai citizens.
In this video, the host argues that dual pricing can perpetuate negative stereotypes and biases and can create a sense of resentment and unfairness among those who are charged more, particularly if they were not aware of the pricing differential beforehand.
Agreed.
Another point: It is important to promote fairness and equality by treating people as individuals with unique needs and circumstances, rather than as members of a certain nationality or group.
Can't agree more.
Dual pricing is unethical. Discuss!
Richard Barrow, one of the OG Twitter personalities in Thailand, even built a website to highlight businesses that are actively (ripping off foreigners) displaying two different prices.
✈️ Flying - we love to hate it
Aviation experts and industry groups say the decline in air travel service is due to decades of decisions that prioritized efficiency and price cuts over quality and comfort. The pandemic has exacerbated this issue, resulting in a headache-inducing, feet-numbing experience for travelers.
And if you thought this was a bit of a downer, but you are keen to know more, listen to this series of episodes of the excellent Freakonomics podcast
Check Airbnb, Booking, Hotels for the cheapest price
Heard of HiChee.com?
It's a website that helps you compare vacation rental prices across different booking sites like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.
If you're looking for a more direct approach, HiChee also provides estimated direct prices and alerts when hosts add their own booking websites so you save some extra cash by booking directly with the host.
The Magic Search feature finds you the direct booking link.
I'm not quite sure how the site makes money but I've been running all of my upcoming rentals through it to get an idea of the lowest possible price on a rental.
📸 Travel in the age of influencers
According to Belén Fernández, an Al Jazeera columnist, travel in the age of influencers has become an exercise in self-conceit, as it has turned existence into a marketing competition to see whose life looks better on screen.
Fernández points out that contemporary travel advice only calls into question the very point of travel in the first place, especially when it comes to going to another country to take the same selfie as everyone else.
The article criticizes the travel influencer industry that has arisen, from nano influencers to mega influencers, that boasts their own brands and hashtags, and who tell you what outfits to buy for the perfect selfie in Santorini.
Instead of the spontaneous and organic images that travel influencers claim to produce, the reality is that they invest a lot of time, resources, and photo-editing tools to make their images enchanting.
A digital industry has arisen to accommodate influencers who have amassed followers that boast their own brands and hashtags, selling triteness as the ultimate way to not waste a minute of one’s life.
The pursuit of an ever more narrow-minded, insular, and trivial worldview is the outcome of this exercise in self-conceit.
Discuss 😁
Argentina diary: ‘Come armed with $100 bills’
[possible paywall]
"Argentina's inflation hits a three-decade high of 95%. Holding local currency in an economy experiencing rapid inflation is rather like trying to descend an ascending escalator, " says Harriet Agnew, highlighting the importance of carrying $100 bills.
Argentines' national pastime of hoarding dollars shows how ingrained inflation is in daily life, where prices increase by an average of 4-6% a month. Inflation has become a part of their culture, where citizens talk about it like the English talk about the weather.
The Hilarious Need for Adequate AI-Powered Travel Search
Despite what the AI bros say, ChatGPT is not ready to give us travel advice.
@Rob_Reid talks about "how thoroughly broken the travel info web has become"
Reid points out that Google has been polluted by SEO slums and click farms which have made it difficult to find independent, voice-y travel blogs and posts.
He then turns to ChatGPT in search of authentic travel recommendations, which results in a sort of sad and sobering look at the AI chatbot's hilariously incompetent abilities.
🇬🇪 Exploring the Authentic Beauty and Flavor of Georgia
Georgia is one of my favourite destinations.
"Georgia is a country in Europe that is only now starting to be known for its amazing food, scenery, and hospitality. Peter Howarth explores the wild beauty of the Caucasus Mountains and finds that there are surprises around every corner. From the historic caves of Uplistsikhe to the modern chic of Tbilisi, Howarth marvels at the varied landscape and culture of Georgia."
If you want to know more about this fascinating country, check out some of my articles:
Travels in Georgia – Notes on the Jewel of the Caucasus
Photos Of Georgia That Will Make You Fall In Love With The Country
10 Fascinating Facts About Georgia You Didn’t Know
Georgian Wine - Culture & Travel In The Birthplace Of Viticulture
🇧🇯 Lost city of Benin
I first heard of the lost city of Benin in Tim Marshall's book "The Age of Walls: How Barriers Between Nations Are Changing Our World"
"This is the story of a lost medieval city you’ve probably never heard about. Benin City, originally known as Edo, was once the capital of a pre-colonial African empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. The Benin empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in west Africa, dating back to the 11th century."
Story of cities #5: Benin City, the mighty medieval capital now lost without trace
By the way, I recommend reading anything this author publishes. Every book is a revelation and will teach you more about geopolitics, geography and why the world is the way it is, than the news or possibly even a college education.
Marshall was a reporter for Sky. He's not an academic. The overall voice in his books is less about citing other authors and academics and more about getting to the facts, the human factor.
Another city that suffered from European attribution of its history is the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe. Despite being a testament to African engineering and knowledge, Europeans in the late-19th and early-20th centuries attributed its construction to outsiders and explorers, rather than the Africans who built it.
It wasn't until 1980, when Zimbabwe achieved independence, that the truth was finally recognized. Today, Great Zimbabwe remains an important site that offers insight into African history and traditions. In this article, we will delve into the history of Great Zimbabwe and explore what it means for modern-day Zimbabweans.
The ancient remains of Great Zimbabwe
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