The south of Armenia is an elongated peninsula of territory sandwiched between Iran, Azerbaijan, and the disputed territory of Artsakh, formerly known as Nagorno-Karabakh. The area is one of the most mountainous in the country, with elevations ranging from 380 to 3,904 meters above sea level. It also contains one of the most iconic sights …
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How to Spend a Weekend in Baku
Baku is a bizarre place. A mash-up of fascinating historical architecture and Islamic influences combined with a modern and thriving city center that feels more like Western Europe make it a bit confusing to get used to — at least for me. But it’s an awesome city and well worth spending at least a few …
Hiking with Camping Azerbaijan
When Vasilii and Anna mentioned they were going on a hike with Camping Azerbaijan, I immediately perked up. I’d seen the company’s Facebook page and liked the thought of dipping my toes into the Azeri hiking scene with a guided tour.The trek for the coming day would cover 9 km with almost 700 meters of …
Tbilisi Hack Free Tour REVIEW
I love exploring cities on my own. Arriving in a new place, getting a map or guidebook, picking a direction to wander, and just… meandering through the city is one of my favorite things to do. But as fun as it can be to explore a destination by yourself, sometimes having an insider’s perspective can …
Best Visa-Free Countries for Americans to Visit
The Passport Index recently ranked the US Passport at Power Rank 5, along with Canada, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Ireland. This gives Americans plenty of options for visa-free travel, but most of those destinations allow Americans to stay for 30-90 days before requiring a visa of some sort. There are, however, a few countries which offer …
Five Attractions in Svalbard You Shouldn’t Miss
Norway has long been on my list of dream destinations for a whole host of reasons — not least among them my distant family still living there. So when Agness and Cez came to me about writing a guest post recommending attractions in Svalbard, I was excited to see what they’d come up with. Read …
Temple Stay at Golgulsa
The monk’s bones appeared to melt, turning him into a rag doll instead of an actual person. He wrapped his legs into a pretzel and pushed himself onto his fingertips. The crowd hooted and hollered as they took photo after photo, enthralled by the spectacle. I was at Golgulsa (골굴사) for the weekend, and we were …
Five Things to Do in Shangri-la
It’s a name which evokes a sense of wonderment: Shangri-la. In perhaps the most brazen ploy for tourism revenue in recorded history, the Chinese government renamed the town of Zhongdian in northern Yunnan to Shangri-la in 2001. While the name change was shameless and crass, Shangri-la isn’t entirely undeserving of the moniker. In fact, I’d …
Cruise in Doubtful Sound
The prow of the boat cut through the waters of Lake Manapouri like a knife through as much butter. Gusts of frigid, pre-dawn air buffeted us as we fought for balance on the viewing deck, and the sun broke over the hills in the East. It was a fine day, and my coworker Marketa and …
Nature Cruise in Milford Sound
Fiordland, a vast tract of mountainous terrain that occupies the south-west corner of South Island, New Zealand, is one of the most astounding pieces of land anywhere on God’s earth, and one’s first impulse, standing on a cliff top surveying it all, is simply to burst into spontaneous applause.” – Douglas Adams “Who here is …