Ditch the guide book — How to explore a city
While I feel the excitement when opening a Lonely Planet of Rough Guide -- leafing through the pages, envisioning yourself canvassing the night market in Marrakesh or exploring the Alhambra in Granada upon reading the little blurbs, whipping out a marker whenever you
Five years — Traveling in times of fear
Today five years ago I was sitting in a restaurant in Timbuktu waiting for lunch while across the city in our hotel Martin was shot dead and Steve, Johan, and Sjaak were kidnapped by a gang associated with the aQIM
The mountains have eyes & ice: Durmitor National Park
This breathtaking national park was formed by glaciers and is traversed by rivers and underground streams. Along the Tara river canyon, which has the deepest gorges in Europe, the dense pine forests are interspersed with clear lakes and harbour a
The best view of Skadar Lake
A visit to Skadar Lake is not complete without a visit to Nenad and his older twin Predrag. Their father happens to own most of the land across from one of the most beautiful spots along south-east Europe's lakes: the
Kotor & the Kotor Bay in a day
A comprehensive guide for 24 h (or more) in Kotor Bay: How to get there & around, what to see, where to eat, where to sleep.
Montenegro Explorer: Lovcen National Park (plus Cetinje and Njegusi)
Lovcen National Park is one of five National Parks in tiny Montenegro. On the summit of Mount Lovcen, the second highest if the mountain range, sits the Njegos National Monument, one of the most important places for the Montenegrin people. After much
Exploring Budva, Montenegro
The best way to enjoy Budva, Montenegro, is to find a place in or just outside the old town, spend most of your days outdoors - at the beaches or in the hinterland - and occasionally make use of the
Public Transport 101 – Croatia
Croatia's public transport is well adapted to the needs of almost any type of traveler. There are half a dozen international airports, roads to all major destinations have been massively improved in the past decade, buses move budget travelers efficiently
Klis Fortress
The imposing Klis Fortress - Tvrdava Klis in Croatian - caught my eye on the way from Zadar to Split. It thrones on top of one of the jagged rocks to the right of the highway. Of course, I knew nothing
Review: Hostel Underground Rooms, Pula (Istria, Croatia)
The Underground Rooms hostel is a great find if you are looking to stay comfortably while discovering Pula and its surroundings, made by people who understand backpackers. Location & Getting There I booked the Hostel Underground Rooms on booking.com for nominally €21/night.