Arrived in Sofia. We got accommodation with a view over the beautiful historical center, which was very nice as we sat on the balcony gazing at the city every morning and evening.

Visited the city with its old buildings and churces. It feels very livable.

Rented a car and went in the mountains for a bit of fresh air! Spend the night there!

Took the gondola. It goes up at around 2500 altitude! It's the point of departure to the talles mountain in entire Balkan Peninsula, with 2925 m altitude. The hike takes a whole day (for the experienced ones).

From there we headed to our next destination.

Got here in the afternoon, we took a walk on the main street of the city.

Visited the old part of the town, situated on three hills and Fortress Tsarevets. Veliko is one of the most beautiful mediaval towns in the Balkans.

Visit the small city and the famous nearby caves and canyon!

Bulgarian Holiday

Arrived in Barcelona. Checked in and got out for a walk along La Rambla, the tree-lined pedestrian street, from Plaça de Catalunya to Port Vell.

Explored the city, visited La Sagrada Familia basilica, designed by famous Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi. Also Parc Guell. Spent half of the day there. Superb.

Went up, on Montjuic Hill, there are spectacular views over the see from up there, visited Montjuïc Castle. Spent the afternoon on the beach down in Barcelona. Aaand then had a delicious paella.

Explored the city, visited La Sagrada Familia basilica, designed by famous Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi. Also Parc Guell. Spent half of the day there. Superb 

Took the train to Girona, known for its medieval architecture in Barri Vell and the Roman remains of the Forca Vella fortress. Spent the day there.

Spent the day in Cadaqués, north of Barcelona, near the border with France, on the coast. It's a beautiful city on a bay. Visited Salvador Dali House there. 

Spent a nice relaxing day on the streets of the city and on the beach, as it was the last full day around.

Barcelona and Costa Brava

Booked a flight directly to Varna, city on the coast of beautiful Black Sea.

The first full day we spent around old town of Varna, at the zoo, near the coast and at the beach in the afternoon.

From Varna, we headed south on the coast, to Burgas, big city vibe but with some great beaches as well. For the first day, explored the nice streets of the town.

Today we totally enjoyed a full day at the beach.

Today we headed to Sozopol, we have heard about it and wanted to check if we were that close.  It's a pretty nice old town located on a peninsula and pretty nice beaches.

Headed to the capital. Spent the night here.

Summer on Bulgarian Coast

On our first full day, we checked the main attractions in Taipei.

Starting with Elephant Mountain. It's a popular hiking trail with walking paths and stairs. At the end of the short hike, it's a super nice panoramic view of Taipei from the peak.

Then we checked another famous spot on the city, Taipei 101. It's the fastest elevator in the world and it takes you to Taipei 101 Observatory - incredible views of Taipei, but totally different from the one from Elephant Mountain.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is the city’s most impressive historical landmark. It was built in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China.

Checked Liberty Square, public plaza, and the view from the Liberty Square Arch.

At the end of the day, we went to Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The museum is housed in public hot spring bath built during the Japanese colonial era.

Today we checked Taipei's cool neighborhoods and experiences.

Starting from Longshan Temple, Taipei’s most famous temple.

North Gate Square is a historic gate to Taipei City. Still looks like it did in the Qing Dynasty.

Then we took the Dihua Street, which is known as the oldest street in Taipei.

Ximen is a cool neighbourhood of Taipei, it's pedestrian-only and has a high concentration of hip, funky and weird things going on. It's a popular place to hangout for young people living in Taipei.

Taipei is known for its night markets with local food. Shilin Night Market is the biggest, but Raohe Night Market is more manageable.

Took the train to Shifen Waterfall. It'a a wonderful waterfall on Keelung River.

Took the bus to Jiufen. It's a beautiful mountain town. It's known for its former gold mining transformed into popular market street now.

Not far from Jiufen, Jinguashi is the site of one of the original gold mines in Japanese era. You can visit Museum of Gold here and Golden Waterfall, but beware that the water in the waterfall still carries remnants of harmful minerals.

Keelung Night Market is one of the best night markets in all of Taiwan.

Arrived at the beautiful Sun Moon Lake. There's a cable car that takes tourists up on the mountain, where you can witnessed  beautiful view over the lake.

We visited Wenwu Temple, on the north part of the lake. It's a Chinese-style Taoist temple.

Then went to Ita Thao Village, a village on the east part of the lake, home to the Thao aboriginal tribe.

Our final destination in Taiwan and most beautiful one was Alishan National Scenic Area. It's the country’s top mountain resort. It's here you can enjoy the cherry blosson at its best, beautiful cypress trees and admire the cloud-ringed peaks of Alishan Mountains.

a highlight of this region in Taiwan is a ride on Alishan Forest Railway

One Week in Taiwan

Begin your journey in Kathmandu with a visit to Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple, offering panoramic views of the city and a rich blend of Buddhist and Hindu culture.

Explore Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with ancient palaces, temples, and courtyards. Visit the Kumari Ghar, home to the living goddess Kumari.

End the day in Thamel, Kathmandu’s lively tourist district. Wander through its narrow alleys, shop for trekking gear, and enjoy a traditional Nepali dinner at a local restaurant.

Head to the ancient city of Patan, known for its beautiful Durbar Square, filled with intricate temples, statues, and the Patan Museum showcasing Nepalese art and architecture.

Continue to Bhaktapur, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore its medieval squares, pottery workshops, and the iconic Nyatapola Temple. Don’t miss a taste of Bhaktapur’s famous curd, known as "juju dhau."

Travel to Nagarkot in the late afternoon, a village known for its stunning views of the Himalayas. Spend the evening relaxing and enjoy the sunset over the mountains.

Wake up early to catch the sunrise from Nagarkot View Tower, where, on a clear day, you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, including Mount Everest.

On the way back to Kathmandu, visit the ancient Changu Narayan Temple, considered the oldest temple in Nepal and dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Return to Kathmandu and spend the rest of the day exploring more of the city or relaxing in the garden of your hotel.

Travel to Pokhara, the gateway to the Annapurna region. Start with a relaxing boat ride on Phewa Lake, and visit the Barahi Temple, located on an island in the middle of the lake.

Visit Davis Falls, a unique waterfall that flows directly into an underground tunnel, and then head to Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, a sacred cave complex with a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Spend the evening in the Lakeside area of Pokhara, known for its vibrant atmosphere with shops, cafes, and restaurants. Enjoy a lakeside dinner with views of the Annapurna range.

Wake up early to visit Sarangkot, a popular viewpoint for stunning sunrise views over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges.

Hike or drive to the World Peace Pagoda, a Buddhist stupa on a hilltop offering panoramic views of Pokhara, Phewa Lake, and the surrounding mountains.

Visit the Bindhyabasini Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Bhagwati, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and local rituals.

Spend the afternoon exploring the International Mountain Museum, learning about the history and culture of the Himalayas and mountaineering.

Embark on a day hike to Dhampus, a beautiful village offering close-up views of the Annapurna range. Enjoy the lush landscapes, terraced fields, and traditional Gurung culture.

Continue your trek to Australian Camp, a popular spot for panoramic views of the Annapurna and Machapuchare (Fishtail) mountains. Have lunch here, surrounded by the stunning Himalayan scenery.

Return to Pokhara in the evening, and relax after your day of trekking. Perhaps indulge in a spa treatment or enjoy a quiet evening by the lake.

Return to Kathmandu and visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and an important pilgrimage site. Spend time walking around the stupa and observing the prayer rituals.

Visit the Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal's most important Hindu temple, located on the banks of the Bagmati River. Explore the temple complex and observe the rituals and ceremonies performed by Hindu priests.

Spend your final afternoon in the Garden of Dreams, a beautifully restored neoclassical garden in the heart of Kathmandu. Reflect on your adventure while enjoying the serene surroundings.

Enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant, savoring local dishes like dal bhat, momos, and gundruk. End your trip with a cultural performance showcasing traditional Nepali music and dance.

Our 7-Day Nepal Himalayan Adventure

Arrived in Manila, known as the Pearl of the Orient. Took a Jeepney from the airport to Manila. It's Philippines’ most popular mean of public transport. Checked-in in Manila.

Explored Intramuros, the oldest district of Manila, by bike. Visited Manila Cathedral and Fort Santiago there. Also visited Museo Filipino.

Transfer to Sabang, best known for Subterranean River.

One Week in Philippines

Arrived in  Thessaloniki, Greece's second large city. 

Visited The White Tower, the most iconic monument of the city. Paid a visit to the top floor, there's a beautiful view of the city, the sea and even Mount Olympus.

Took a stroll alongThessaloniki Waterfront, one of the city's best places. You can take a walk along the 5 km long promenade on the seaside.

Headed to Alexandroupoli, spent the night there in wait of the ferry next morning. You best book in advance.

Took the boat to Samothraki Island. After we checked in, we visited Chora, the capital of Samothraki, traditional village at the foot of mount Saos with great view of the sea. Visited the castle here.

After late breakfast, we went sightseing.

Went to Therma. There are some cool baths here where people come for treatment, if you can stand the smell of sulfur.

On the northern part of the island there a few springs coming from the mountain and forming waterfalls. They form some beautiful natural pools. Several trails start by these springs where you can hike to the top of the mountain. Best to take a local guide.

Spent the day at Pachia Ammos, in the south of the island, a white long sand beach. There's also a beach bar there.

Today we went to Kipos Beach, a long beach with a lunar like landscape.

Thessaloniki to Samothraki Island

Slovenia is a small country but it's one of the most beautiful in Europe with extraordinary landcapes, fine cities, high mountians and seaside resorts.

We arrived in Ljubljana. Before we rented a car and started our road trip around the country, we visited the capital Ljubljana. It's a colourful vibrant city, full of pubs, nice cafes and nice sights, with a castle on top of it.

Our exploration of the city included Metelkova neighbourhood with its beautiful streett art

Colourful Preseren Square, which is a circular pedestrian square, where festivals and other gatherings take place.

We also admired the architecture of Triple Bridge built over Ljubljanica River. 

And the Dragon Bridge, the pedestrian bridge with its four dragons at the bridge's ends.

After spending the first night in Ljubljana, we rented a car and left the big city to discover rural Slovenia.

We arrived at stunning Lake Bled. What makes it special is the tiny island in the middle of the lake. You can actually take a boat trip to the island and visit the place, including the church standing in the middle of the island. We spent most of the day around here and spent the night somewhere near the lake.

Today we visited another beautiful lake, not very far from Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj. It's bigger and a bit wilder than Lake Bled, with the mountains mirroring on the water surface. There are plenty of fun activities you can do there, from water activities to hiking in the mountains 

We visited Savica Waterfall. It's a short hike from where we parked the car. We would reccommend the visit, it's a very beautiful waterfall and the walk there is refreshing.

In the afternoon, we visited Vintgar Gorge, took a hike along the beautiful boardwalks in the gorge.

Late in the evening, we reached Kranjska Gora, where we spent the night.

We visited the beautiful resort of Kranjska Gora. It's an alpine resort near Triglav National Park, home of Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Julian Alps. The place is very popular among winter sports fans, it's a hub for winter sports.

From Kranjska Gora we headed to Bovec, a smaller resort in those incredible mountains. It's known for its kayak activities on the rivers. We did try a bit of kayaking on Soca River and super enjoyed it. Spent the nigt in Bovec.

From Bovec we slowly made our way to Skocjan Caves. We visited the stunning cave with an underground river. The cave is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Then drove further to Piran, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. We spent the night in Piran.

As we spent the previous day mostly driving, we decided to stay still for a day. We fully enjoyed a day at the seaside on this tiny peninsula where Piran is. 

We took the time to visit beautiful Piran a bit before leaving. It is called the jewel of Slovenia’s Adriatic coastline. We visited beautiful marina, Tartini Square, and St. George’s Cathedral.

Then we returned to Ljbljana and ended our week around beautiful Slovenia.

Road Trip in Slovenia

We arrived in Malaga, where we rented a car and started a road trip in Andalucia region.

We stayed in Marbella for two nights and explored the beaches on Costa del Sol.

Marco Beach is a beautiful cove located in the town of Nerja, one of the most highly rated beaches in Andalucia. The its cliffs and rock formations, it's a dream destination in Andalucia

Torre del Mar Beach is a blue flag beach with good quality of the sand and waters

This corner of Costa del Sol is less explored by tourists. We relaxed on the beach and in the water and had a panoramic view over Costa del Sol.

On your way from Costa del Sol to Seville, we passed through the cliffside town Ronda. It's a unique place and very  very beautiful. The town is built above El Tajo gorge on a steep cliffside which creates a wonderful landscape. We spent half of the day here.

The most visited monument in the city. The first thing that impress when you enter the Cathedral is the sense of scale. It’s huge. It was built in 1400s on the foundations of an ancient Almohad mosque and it took 100 to get it done.

Visited La Giralda, Spanish Renaissance-style minaret topped by a Gothic and baroque bell tower. From the top of La Giralda there's a great panoramic view over the city of Seville

An important landmark of Seville, the Arab and Moorish palace is still a Royal Residence. It's in fact the oldest royal palace in Europe.

One of the most beautiful plazas, with canals, bridges , arcades and the famous 48 azulejos benches.

Visited the city of Cordoba, with its beautiful Jewish Quarter, Roman Bridge with 16 arches and the Great Mosque.

We woke up in beautiful Granada with the mountains on the background.

Started the exploration with Alhambra Palace, the most visited site in all Spain.

The Cathedral was built on top of Granada’s mosque at the start of the 16th century.

One of Granada's traditional neighbourhoods, Sacromonte sits the hills above Granada. It is known as the gypsy quarter, atracting visitors for music and dancing after dark. Hikin and bike trails lead off into the mountains.

Andalucia Road Trip

Flew to Athens. Went to Acropolis and then spent some time around Monastiraki, the historic neighbourhood bustles full of people and life at any time. Plenty of bars.

Took the ferry to Naxos! There are around 8 ferries a day between the cities in June.

Explored the island. Chora is the main city, a hillside settlement with  picturesque streets and backstreets and white beautiful buildings.

Took the ferry to Santorini. Enjoyed the evening on Kamari Beach.

Explore the island, with its main city Oia and its postcard like views, could not stop watching and admiring the beauty of it.

We discovered Akrotiri, ancient settlement that was buried under lava after volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC.

Summer Trip on Greek Islands

Started Morocco itinerary from the north, from Tangier. Explored the streets of the city center. Spent the night here.

Rented a car and headed to Hercules Cave, a beautiful archeological site west of Tangier.

Went to Cape Spartel. On a beautiful day, you can see where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Stopped at Cafe Hava, super nice views over the sea. It's actually one of the places where western writers used to hang out back in the 60s and 70s.

Drove to Chefchaouen through Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen is also called the Blue City because of the blue-washed buildings of its old town. Got lost in the beautiful narrow streets of the city, visited Grand Mosque.

Witnessed a gorgeous sunset from Spanish Mosque, uphill.

Explore this medieval town on foot, gazed at coluorful Moroccan people, houses, markets and doors.

Visited a cool spot in town, Chouara Tannery, we were able to see the traditional process of preparing and coloring leather. You should be aware that it stincks. :)

On the way to Sahara Desert we stopped in Zaida, ate the best Moroccan tagine.

Arrived in Merzouga, Sahara Desert. Towards the evening, we climbed on a hill, witnessed a magical sunset. Camped in the dunes. There was a magical night, with a wonderful sky in a magical place.

Then we drove towards Les gorges du todra. We explored the red rocks of the gorge.

Arrived in this marvelous place, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Road Trip in Morocco

September might be the ideal month to visit or have a holiday in Crete, Greece, as it's not that hot as in July or August, there are also less tourists than in summer, but still the weather is just fine for swimming and sunbathing. We landed in Heraklion in the evening.

On the first full day, we decided to explore some of the historic sites around. We had a nice breakfast and then headed to the bus station in Heraklion.

We took the bus to Minoan Palace of Knossos, the mythological home of King Minos and the Minotaur. We took our time to visit the restored Archaeological Palace of Knossos, that once was the center of a sophisticated civilization that lived on Crete thousands of years ago.

We got back to Heraklion towards the evening. It was not the perfect idea to visit Knossos in the middle of the day. It does not have any shade, so you better go there in the morning or later in the evening. Once back in the city, we had just enough energy to walk a bit on the streets of Heraklion city center. 

We stopped to eat at this wonderful restaurant. We knew about it and made reservations before. It's an authentic place with delicious Cretan cuisine dishes. The kind of food we'll remember for a long time. We do reccommend it.

Today we decided it was time to explore some of the most popular beaches on the island. For that we rented a car so we could move easily from one point to another.

Our first stop was at the blue flagged Matala beach. It's a beautiful beach and a former hippie hangout, with cliffs and rocky caves. There are also bars and you can also try some water activities.

From Matala, we decided to go on a hike and visit Red Beach as well. The Red Beach is over Hill Kastri from Matala. The hike isn't difficult and it led us through a path with beautiful views over the sea and the area. But there's no shade here as well, so do wear a hat and put plenty of sun cream on!

The hiking trail leads to this shoreline with red brown sand and towering rocks. It's a beautiful corner of the island, totally worth the hike. And there's also a bar there, you cand have something cold to drink. 

Towards the evening, we got back on the trail and back to Matala. We spent the night on Matala.

From Matala, we moved further. After the breakfast, we headed to Chania. 

We drove to Chania. When we arrived, just checked in in Chania and left the city towards a wonderful natural spot on the north coast.

We went to Seitan Limania, Crete's secret beach located in a marvelous scenery. It's a narrow bay with a small extraordinary beach where you arrive after a short hike down after first seeing the landscape from above. We spent the rest of the day there, we simply loved the place.

We headed back yo Chania at the end of the day.

For the first part of the day, we explored Chania a bit, with its narrow beautiful streets in the old town, its old port and the promenade along the water near the port. It's where we had some fresh seafood prepared for us.

Then jumped in the car and headed to another stunning spot of the island, the famous pink beach, Elafonissi Beach. I thought it is an exageration with the sand beaing actually pink, but it is so, due to shellfish red / pink shells that they leave on the beach forming this wonderful colour. It's a wide beautiful spot with perfect water and pink sandy beach. 

We returned to Chania when we had enough of sun, sea and the beach.

Today we explored some inland beauties. We went to Argiroupoli village, which is a mountain village of waterfalls. They are running through the entire village and even the restaurants are built around them and you even get served fresh water from the waterfalls.

We then moved to Lake Kournas, the only freshwater lake in Crete, it's a beautiful place to visit and you can even rent boats on the lake or simply relax at its rocky beaches.

Today was the last day on the island, but as our flight was late in the evening, we had just enough time to enjoy another gorgeous beach.

We went to Preveli Beach. It's a famous remote beach where the Kourtaliotis River meets the sea and the beautiful landscape is completed by palm groves.

Beautiful Crete Island

Arrived in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Explored the city by stolling on the streets of this beautiful city.

Took a taxi to Jambiani Beach. It's a small village on Zanzibar’s Southeastern coast. It's so beautiful and less touristic. We relaxed at the beach.

We liked the place so much that we spent another day here.

We had to check The Rock Restaurant. It's a small restaurant on a rock in Indian Ocean just 25 minutes nortf of Jambiani Beach.

We moved to Nungwi for the best beaches, miles and miles with turquoise waters and white sand.

Diving day. Mnemba Atoll is a reef with strong currents, it’s the perfect place to try diving.

Zanzibar

We were dreaming of Greece for the summer. Thinking where in Greece we would like to spend our holiday, we finally decided to try an island hopping in the Dodecanese Islands. We visited a different island each day.

Our first island was Rhodes. It's the largest of the Dodecanese Islands and it's full of history, plenty of nice beaches and nie valleys. 

The old town of Rhodes is a UNESCO Heritage site. We walked on the maze of cobbled streets in the beautiful old town with a medieval feel and visited the old castle.

In the afternoon we tranferred to Lindos. It's a beautiful town known for its clifftop Acropolis. We visited the historical site and took time to visit the white city of Lindos as well.

We returned to Rhodes Marina for the night.

After breakfast we headed to the port as we took the ferry away.

On the second day, we explored the small island of Symi. It's small, but it's maybe the prettiest. It's one hour way from Rhodes by ferry. We explored the nice streets with colourful houses on layers, the harbour, where we ate good seafood and the took time to relax at the beach in the afternoon. We spent the second night on the island.

From nice Symi we took the ferry to the next island.

Our next island was Kos. The ferry took us there in less than two hours. We explored Kos Town, the ancient site of Asklepieion and then took time to relax at Tigaki beach. We spent the night in Kos.

Today we took a day trip and returned to Kos in the evening.

We took the ferry to the volcanic island of Nysiros. We visited the volcanic crater of the island then headed to Mandraki, the capital of the island, for lunch and later visited the town and the amazing monastery of Panagia Spilia in the town.

Kalymnos is just 45 minutes away from Kos by ferry. It's a less known island, with just a few tourists, but it's very beautiful. We explored the colorful harbor town of Pothia and admired the wonderful lanscapes. It's also an island good for rock climbing, you can take some climbing lessens as well. We spent the night in Kalimnos.

In about two hours we arrived in Patmos. It's a fine island with great beaches and quiet villages and also hiking trails that cross the island. We visited the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, a place of pilgrimage built in 11th century and the port town of Skala, where we had dinner at a fish taverna there. We spent the night here.

This was our last day in the Dodecanese islnads.

We took the ferry to Leros, 50 minutes ride by ferry, and spent the day on the charming little island. The island has a relaxed atmosphere. We exploret the main town Lakki, we relaxed at the beach in beach of Agia Marina and had dinner at Mylos fish taverna. We left for Athens from here.

Dodecanese Islands Itinerary

Arrived in Cologne, Germany in the evening. Spent the night there.

First stop, Cochem. A beautiful town on the bank of the Moselle river with colourful buildings lining the riverfront and vineyards on the hillsides surrounding the town and an imposing castle sitting on a hill above the town. Spent the whole day here and also spent the night.

Würzburg is located in a beautiful landscape, on the banks of the River Main and surrounded by hills. Visited the city and Marienberg Fortress.

Well preserved medieval town, beautiful. Spent the night here.

We spent the day walking the city walls and gates of beautiful Rothenburg upon Tauber. Spend another night here.

another beautifully preserved medieval town.

We enjoyed the city and, of course, the beer halls.

Romantic Road

Arrived in Amman, Jordan's capital. Spent the afternoon in the city. 

And climbed up to the citadel just before sunset for a stunning view over the city rooftops

Visited Roman site of Jerash - temples, ruined buildings, columns, plazas and amphitheatres to explore.

Took the King’s Highway for a more scenic route towards Petra

Visited the beautiful archaeological site of Petra. Hiked up to the Monastery. Also did hikes up to the High Place of Sacrifice and the Al Khubtha trail.

Arrived in the desert landscape of Wadi Rum - a UNESCO World Heritage site - huge area of stunning golden rock and sand stretching in every direction. Spent the night in Bedouin camp.

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