Welcome to Notes on Traveling!

My name is Carola and I travel solo and full-time. Sometimes I stay in a place for just a few days; often I will explore regions in depth for a few months. Why fly when you can take buses, trains, and boats?

This blog is my digital travel brain — part diary but mostly a collection of comprehensive guides on destinations I have visited and travel know-how I have acquired in years of traveling on and off the beaten path.

Happy reading & even happier travels!

 

Greetings from the road,

C.

I'm Currently In

South Africa

Next Destinations

Probably Southern & East Africa

Destination Posts In The Works

Bali views, Sri Lanka in-depth

Country Guides

Travel Tips & Journeys

Thailand

Read all about my travels in the #1 Southeast Asian destination: Bangkok, Ayutthaya,…

Montenegro

Read all about my travels in tiny but mighty Montenegro: Kotor, Budva, Durmitor NP…

Israel + Palestine

Read all about my travels in the Holy Land: Bethlehem, Hebron, the coast, the desert, Dead Sea,…

Croatia

Read my travel guides for Balkan classic Croatia: Pula, Klis Fortress, public transport…

Jordan

Read all about my travels in Petra and beyond…

Italy

Travel to Italy with me: Milan, Bologna, Cinque Terre, Rome, Puglia,…

France

Look back at some of my adventure in La Grande Nation, France: walking, oysters, Paris,…

Latest Posts

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Are you planning your once-in-a-lifetime Petra trip and are wondering where to stay in Jordan? Accommodation between Amman and Aqaba covers everything from hostels in Amman over Bedouin tents in Wadi Rum to exclusive Petra hotels. Prices for hotels in

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Traveling and even more so backpacking East Timor is more challenging than you’ll find it in most other destinations in Southeast Asia. Information is scarce. So is local transport. And to boot things are constantly changing. This travel/backpacking guide for

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Oecusse (or Oecussi or Okusi or Oe-Cusse or Oecussi-Ambeno) is an East Timorese enclave on Indonesian West Timor with a population of about 70,000 on 814 km². It seems surprising that through the centuries it has remained part of Timor-Leste rather

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The border region in the West of East Timor is one of the most remote areas of the country. The one main road is hard to navigate, narrow, and full of potholes as soon you turn left from the northern

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The coast West of the capital offers East Timor favorite must-sees: uncrowded beaches, cliffs, colonial history. Thanks to solid minibus coverage, the stretch between Tasi Tolu, Liquica, and Maubara Fort lends itself to one or several day trips from Dili. Tasi

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One of the best-kept secrets about Timor Leste is her distinction as a producer of some of the world’s best coffee. East Timor coffee might only account for 1% of the global coffee production but I loved the smooth, slightly

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If you’re using the Southern border crossing with West Timor, Suai is the first city you’ll get to, 30 km into East Timor. At first glance, the largest city on East Timor’s Southern coast offers more of the same as the

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As you set out from Taibissi bus station and make your way along the road from Dili into the mountains, you’ll notice motorcycles and anggunas proudly decorated with the red/black/yellow Timor-Leste flags pass you by. Those vehicles are most likely

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Jaco is a sacred island in the far East of Timor Leste. Along with East Timor’s largest lake, Ila Lalaro, it is part of the country’s first conservation area, Nino Konis Santana National Park. Beyond the remote island off Valu Sere

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Explore East Timor's Northeastern coast along a stunning coastal road that runs right along uncrowded beaches, rice fields, and bushland. Visit the country's second city, Baucau, and beach resort Com with a quick stop at the Lautem Fort. Baucau Baucau is East

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After Dili, Pulau Atauro is the second most visited region of East Timor. The island sits just off the coast of Dili and offers prime diving plus off the grid hiking. Diving on Atauro The main reason why people visit East Timor

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Dili, East Timor’s capital at the Northern coast is without a doubt the most-visited part of the country. It’s a great place for diving and to explore the country’s history, as well as a hub for travel into all the

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Is there any backpacking in Southeast Asia off the beaten path left? Yes! Travel East Timor, a destination full of gems that few backpackers have explored!

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So you are planning on backpacking Brunei, the small kingdom with more than 600 years of history on the island of Borneo, East of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and Southwest of the Philippines? Let's adjust our expectations, shall we: Brunei-Darussalam

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The official Brunei tourism logo sports the slogan “The Green Heart of Borneo.” That pretty much sums up the main draw of the country. As I laid out in my post on backpacking Brunei, it’s never going to be a

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If you google “Things to do in Brunei” one of the top results is bound to be the Ulu Temburong National Park and its Belalong Canopy Walk. So when my friend Gabriela and I visited the tiny Asian nation during our short

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For years, I had been booking my accommodation strictly via hostel websites (directly via links I found on Google maps and via the portals hostelbookers, hostelworld, and Hostelling International's own hihostels.com). Then, I was approached by Booking.com to write about their

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Whether it’s your first backpacking trip during a gap year or you’re a seasoned solo traveler - staying in a hostel is not just a way to save money while traveling but also an opportunity to meet people and get local

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Malaysia is a rising star in the traveling scene: From bustling metropolis to quaint old towns, endless sandy beaches to impenetrable jungles, action & adventure to exquisite culture - Malaysia has it all. Add to that great food, an efficient

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The most extensive and versatile toolset any traveler has at their disposition, which also happens to be free, is their behavior. In this post, I am going to introduce you to the in my experience three most important facial expressions

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