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A two day itinerary for Sofia
Sofia is the perfect weekend destination. It’s not a big city and all the best sites are within walking distance. Wondering what the best itinerary is? Don’t worry, in this article I will give you the best two day itinerary for Sofia. Let’s start with some practical information. How many days in Sofia? Personally, I think that two days is the perfect amount of days. It gives you enough time to experience the best of what Sofia has to offer. You can spread this itinerary out but I’m a bit of a restless soul, so if you want to spend more than 2 days in the Sofia area, I recommend…
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What to do in Plovdiv for a day
Plovdic was the highlight of my last trip to Bulgaria. The Old Town, the atmosphere in the Kopana district and the food. Wow, it exceeded all my expectation. Truly a must in my opinion How to get to Plovdiv: If you are on a road trip in Bulgaria, there aren’t any challenges getting there by car. If you are just visiting Sofia and would like to make Plovdiv a day trip, the bus is your best option or get on a guided tour if preferred. The bus takes about two hours, which is faster than the train. Get to Plovdiv by bus: We really enjoyed the bus ride. We chose…
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The best 5 day itinerary for Bhutan
Bhutan’s travel policy for 30 years has been ‘High Value, Low Volume’, founded on the principle of sustainability. The country didn’t open up for tourists until the 1970’s and when it did, a mandatory organized tour was introduced to preserve their well-protected cultural heritage and natural environment. When the world closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhutan started to rethink its tourism policy. “What does ‘high value, low volume’ truly means?”, “Are we on the right track on the path of sustainability?”, “What can we do to prevent Bhutan from suffering from overtourism?”. These questions were heavily discussed within the Kingdom these last two years. Thus, on June 24, the National…
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Skopje
Skopje is the capital and the biggest city of the newly named North Macedonia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, divided into two parts by the river Vardar. Interestingly, it’s called “the city of statues” and believe me, its gotten its nick name for a reason. There are statues literally everywhere. In fact, there are almost 300 statues all around the city. Do you want to make that the goal of your trip, trying to see them all? It for sure would have been fun to try! How to get to Skopje Skopje is well connected to the rest of Europe, making it quite easy…
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Two days in Hoi An
Hoi An is a charming Vietnamese town located approximately 850 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s well preserved and the architecture reflects the history of a former port city, with a mix of French colonial buildings, Chinese shophouses, temples and the iconic Japanese Bridge. Walk along the river, pass the mustard yellow buildings with the Chinese lanterns hanging from the roofs and visit the local market. This is my favorite place in Vietnam so far. How to get to Hoi An Hoi An is easily accessible. It doesn’t have a train stop but it’s easy to get there by bus, car or plane. I chose to fly from…
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How and when to visit Bhutan
Bhutan is a small Himalayan country, bordering Tibet in the north and India in south. Bhutan was closed off for tourists until 1971 but due to the desire of increasing revenue and promote their unique culture and traditions they decided to welcome the outside world. The first tourists didn’t arrive until 1974 with 287 visitors. The numbers of tourists have just increased ever since and I understand why. However, not just anyone can apply for a visa, get on a plane and explore the country. The country has decided on the strategy “low volume, high quality” when in comes to tourism. Even though they are open to foreigners, they are…
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What to do in Mandalay for a day
If you’re on your way to Bagan but want to make a stop in Mandalay for 24 hours, this is my recommendation for you: Mingun Pagoda Mingun – My favorite place in the Mandalay area Start the day by taking the ferry from Mingun Jetty. Remember to bring your passport for this! If you want to beat the tourist crowd and try to get the stunning Hsinbyume Pagoda all to yourself, hurry down and do the Mingun pagoda and the bell on your way back. The Hsinbyume Pagoda is truly majestic. My favorite pagoda in Mandalay! Hsinbyume Pagoda U Bein Bridge Arriving back in Mandalay, use Grab for transportation down to…
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Two days in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh is the biggest and most popular city in Vietnam. It’s vibrant and busy and has the coolest traffic I’ve ever experienced in a big city so far. Yes, there’s too many vehicles producing way too much CO2, but I imagined a chaos before going. I did see a chaos, but I saw an organized chaos. The city has millions of cars and motorbikes and they manage to make this work by having a system to their madness. The city and surrounding area are packed with history and culture, giving you experiences you’ll never forget. Wondering if your wallet can handle it? It can. This big city offers…
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A historical visit to Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Duoc
When I started my research on what to do in the Ho Chi Minh area, they all had this one in common: The Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were dug by the Communist forces during the Vietnam War and were used to transport supplies, communication, hiding and housing troops. They dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels, with several floors and several branches reaching out in every direction. These tunnels are now one of the most popular attractions in the Ho Chi Minh area. While researching, you’ll find that there are two possible sites to visit: The Ben Dinh or the Ben Duoc. I chose to visit the latter,…
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A 27 day itinerary in Asia
This trip was the most demanding trip I’ve planned so far. This trip included a country with extremely low number of tourists and a country with regulated tourism. This meant months of researching, trying to plan an itinerary that allowed us to visit six countries in 27 days. That is why I was so pleased when I figured out that my research was spot on. I wouldn’t have spent my days in any other way. If you have an extra day or two, sure, add a day here and there but I got to see all the things I wanted in 27 days. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going…
