Bleisure trip to Istanbul
It’s not a popular thing to say, but my first visit to Istanbul didn’t leave me raving about the city like many other people do. I finished a tour there, with 1,5 days to explore the main sights. Although Hagia Sophia and the Blue mosque were impressive, I had felt…
Hiking through Armenia’s Dilijan National Park
At 6.30AM I walked through the empty streets of Yerevan on a Sunday morning. There were only a few joggers and the odd cyclist. Everyone else was still asleep. But today I had plans: a group hiking trip to the Dilijan National Park. When I reached the meeting point I…
3 short hikes in the Dilijan National Park
I loved spending some time in the Dilijan National Park. The views were just incredible, whether it was from the town of Dilijan, from the drives around there or from the hikes I did. Although there are many day trips from Yerevan, this place deserves a bit more time, especially…
Mysterious medicines in Myanmar
When I take out travel insurance, I always assume “I won’t need it anyway”, but buy it “just in case”. Luckily I haven’t been in any major accidents that racked up hospital bills, but I do have some interesting doctor experiences abroad. I once spent a night in a hospital…
A water-filled weekend in Thailand
Venturing into the Khao Sok national park My boat sped up on the big lake of Khao Sok national park in Thailand. Water splashed in my face since I was at the very edge of the boat. I tried to protect my camera and bag, while looking around me mesmerized…
Mystery and secrets in Laos
Even on my way to Phonsavan I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the trip. But that’s the thing about traveling, if you take a chance, at times you’re rewarded with unique experiences you never expected to have. Phonsavan is the capital of the most bombarded province in the…
Two days as Jane in Laos
Our guide Lo started awkwardly introducing himself on the ride to Paksong. He sounded a bit like a robot, coming through in pieces, as if I had a bad Skype connection. As it turned out, this was just his style of talking and had nothing to do with nerves. He…
The oldest hostel I’ve stayed in
In Europe we are quite used to history being intertwined with our present and future. We shop in heritage buildings, visit towns with ancient city walls and don’t always take the time to appreciate it. It isn’t until we visit a place that’s missing this history that we realise what…
An extraordinary traffic jam
After a beautiful morning exploring the ruins of Persepolis, we were filling our bellies and processing all the beauty at local buffet restaurant. We had just finished our after-lunch tea when our tour leader said it was time to go. Whereas we were usually pretty relaxed since we had a…
Persepolis still manages to impress
Around 550BC Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire. He first defeated the Medes and from there the empire grew conquest by conquest. It became larger than any empire had been before. Cyrus himself built a palace at Pasargadae. His successors preferred other locations. Darius I founded a new capital…