Fatehpur Sikri If you have your own wheels or, more likely, a car with a driver, you can plan a few stops on the very long journey from Agra to Jaipur. The first of these should be Fatehpur Sikri: An ancient fortified city, built in the sixteenth century by the Mughal emperor Akbar and short-lived…
Taj Mahal: The Wonders of This World Vrindavan, Agra, and the Taj Mahal, India
A Must See? A visit to northern India is somehow incomplete without a visit to the world-famous Taj Mahal. This iconic building regularly appears on lists of “must-see places” but it’s also frequently listed as one of the “most overrated travel destinations”, and in my opinion deservedly so. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong,…
Delhi: The City That Never Sleeps India
Whether you like Delhi or not, you have to admit it’s a fascinating place. It’s chaotic, crazy, and one of those places you will never forget no matter how short the time you’ve spent there. Everyone who’s been there has an opinion about Delhi. Mine is not a particularly good one though I must admit,…
Murchison Falls: On the White Nile Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Murchison Falls National Park lies in north-western Uganda around the White Nile and east of Lake Albert and is the country’s biggest national park. Over a hundred years ago, the area’s inhabitants had to leave because of the sleeping sickness spread by tse-tse flies. In the 1950s, the area was declared a national park and in…
Sipi Falls: Waterfalls and Views Uganda
There are travelers who like buses, there are travelers who take buses to save money, and then there’s us. We’d love to save money but after more than a year of traveling, we just don’t have the stamina and patience for long bus rides anymore. How to Get to Sipi Falls The nice lady at our…
Lake Natron: Harsh Beauty Lake Natron Area, Tanzania
A few hours drive north of the town of Mto wa Mbu, near the border to Kenya, lies Lake Natron. Away from the safari- and therefore main tourist trail, this was supposed to be a relatively cheap adventure (compared to the safaris). Pictures on Google showed a red colored salt lake, thousands of flamingos, and…
Tarangire & Ngorongoro: Going on Safari Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater National Parks, Northern Tanzania
Arusha is the place to organize a safari to the northern circuit-parks from. Tons of tour operators, some better, some worse, offer all kinds of tours to the parks. How the Safari Finds You Our hotel was located one or two kilometers west of Arusha city center, where most of the tour operators are located….
Zanzibar: White Sand, Blue Water, and a Cool Breeze Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Stone Town is wonderful but it’s not a place to relax. For that, you best go to Zanzibar’s east coast, to Jambiani, for example. The beaches are endless, the sand whiter than anywhere else, and the water shades of blue and turquoise you can’t even imagine. In short, it looks a lot like paradise. Finding…
Zanzibar: Stone Town Tanzania
Traders used to travel the route by ship, we took the plane: From Muscat to Zanzibar. Coming from Oman, we really noticed Omani influence in Zanzibar. The archipelago of Zanzibar is made up of the big islands of Unguja, commonly known as Zanzibar, and Pemba, as well as many small islands. In 1698, the archipelago…
Oman: Through Deserts and Wadis Getting around in Oman
Oman is a great country to visit. It’s safe and people are very friendly and helpful and open to foreign cultures. The country has a long history of trade and for thousands of years has been an important trading port and a meeting point of cultures. Nevertheless, tradition is still very strong and important in…
Jebel Shams: Mountain of the Sun Oman
Jebel Shams, the “mountain of the sun” is, with over 3000 meters above sea level, Oman’s highest mountain. Right next to it, cutting through the mountains, is Wadi Ghul, creating what is known as the Grand Canyon of Oman. Up the Mountain The highest peak is military area and access is therefore restricted. It’s possible…
Sur, Wadi Tiwi, Wadi Shab, Qalhat: Ocher & Blue Oman
For the next two days, we based ourselves in Sur, which is a convenient location from where to explore the coast. In Sur itself there’s not a lot to do except maybe for taking a walk across the suspension bridge to the lighthouse or to one of the watchtowers that look out over the city…