Category: Asia

Luang Prabang – a little Europe in Laos

From a dusty village to a gem of colonial architecture By slow boat down the Mekong – Arriving in Luang Prabang Yes, it takes two whole days and you have to travel without much comfort (unless you charter a whole long boat). Still the two-day slow boat ride down the Mekong river is the best…

By Viktor August 2, 2018 0

Slow boat down the Mekong

Slow boat ride on the Mekong from the Thai border to Luang Prabang in Laos Part 1 Compared to its neighbours, Laos is still relatively less visited. However, due to the shape and geography of the country, there is a tourist trail that most visitors follow. It features most of the must-see sights in Laos…

By Viktor July 23, 2018 1

Bangkok highlights for 2 days

Two relaxed days in Bangkok Krung Thep as the Thais themselves call it, Bangkok is a beehive of over 8 million people. It is famous for its awe-inspiring shrines and colourful night life, not to mention the bustling markets and other shopping opportunities. We spent only two whole days in the Thai capital this time…

By Viktor July 12, 2018 0

A glimpse of Doha, Qatar

20 hours in sizzling Doha, Qatar   It was just by accident that we spent (nearly) a day in Doha. I was desperately looking for reasonable flight tickets to any exciting destination all April and May and I almost gave it up. Then I found this special offer by Qatar Airlways (no, this is not…

By Viktor July 6, 2018 0

Java highlights

As I read the worrying news about the earthquake on Java, I remembered the first time we set foot on this magical island. It was our second visit to Indonesia. We were eager to discover a second island after Sumatra and so we spent around two weeks on volcanoes, beaches and in cities before we…

By Viktor December 16, 2017 0

Palmyra to Aleppo as we saw it

In the second part of this nostalgic throwback to the better days of Syria, I’ll talk about the experiences we had in the central and eastern part of the country back in 2002. We spent a few days in Palmyra and then an afternoon in Deir ez-Zor. Finally we took a train to Aleppo, although…

By Viktor December 15, 2017 0

Southern Syria before the war

My then pregnant wife and I spent a little more than two weeks in Syria back in 2002. I have been treasuring these photos and memories since then. In this and the upcoming posts I’ll try to show you how inviting and calm this country was before it fell prey to the greed of local…

By Viktor November 27, 2017 1