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Showing posts with the label Travel stories

Visiting Andorra, The Last Country in Europe For Us

Andorra Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Andorra was the last country in Europe for us to visit. The only way to get there is either through Spain or France. A 3-4-hour bus trip on a serpentine road was not tempting, nor travelling in Spain. We did it through Toulouse, France using Andbus. Now we can proudly say that we have been in all European countries and it took less than 20 years on the road!

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Finding the Best Cruises | Cruise Guide with Tips & Tricks

Caribbean Thursday, December 28, 2023

This cruise guide is crafted for value-conscious travelers seeking affordable ways to explore and visit new countries. It is not intended for those seeking to show off or celebrate anniversaries lavishly on their cruise vacation.

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Visiting An Ecolodge in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Sansok Ecolodge, San Andres, Ruta Nacional 1, Semetabaj 07009, Guatemala Sunday, June 18, 2023

Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is among the most impressive natural sights in the world. It is surrounded by mountains that offer stunning views on the lake. We were privileged to stay there for a month helping our friend Hyung who founded Sansok Ecolodge in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in the beginning of this year.

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Revisiting Laos, Thailand, And Malaysia In Southeast Asia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday, April 28, 2023

We found ourselves back in Southeast Asia (SEA) seeking refuge from the evils of the world after mugging in Panama City . The borders had just re-opened and we started from Malaysia where many things had changed since our previous visits in 2006 , 2011 , 2016 , and 2017 .

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No Longer Going Boldly Where No Man Has Gone Before

Panama City, Panama Sunday, April 16, 2023

We left Finland to travel the world with the goal of seeing countries and immersing ourselves in their cultures. This changed three months ago in Panama City and there is no going back. We regret to inform you that we are no longer boldly going where no man has gone before.

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Long-Stay in The Dominican Republic and Public Transportation to Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) by Bus

Las Américas Int'l Airport, Dominican Republic Saturday, December 03, 2022

The Dominican Republic is a laid-back destination for those looking for a long-stay. When overstaying, you don't need to deal with the immigration office and apply for an extension. You simply pay according to the time you have spent in the country when leaving.

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Low Value Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean Islands

Guadeloupe Monday, October 17, 2022

We had been hoping to go to Guadeloupe for years but the island was closed during the recent flu hysteria. When France finally reopened it, we rushed immediately in.

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War & Peace in Fascinating Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Thursday, October 13, 2022

What can one say about Sarajevo? It is charming yet brutalist; there are ruins of an old Ottoman caravanserais but also dilapidated Soviet style housing blocks; the streets feel safe, yet the memorials and remnants of war abound, everywhere.

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Off-the-Beaten Track in Serbia: Kalna Hippie Village

Kalna, Serbia Wednesday, October 05, 2022

We wanted to escape the high season in the coastal Mediterranean Balkan states and so were asking around for suggestions where to go. Upon this mission, we got into contact with Portuguese Vicente on BeWelcome hospitality exchange, which is a free alternative for couchsurfing , and got interested in the place where he had been staying on and off for some years. The place is Kalna in Stara Planina Mountains that run from Serbia to Bulgaria.

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A second chance for Skopje, North Macedonia

Skopje, North Macedonia Monday, August 15, 2022

Our visit to Skopje had a mission: we wanted to be positively impressed. The previous time we were in the city — ten years ago — we only changed buses at the main bus station and had a somewhat a miserable time. We were waiting for our connecting bus to Serbia in the late hours of a Friday evening. All seats in the waiting area were taken by local hooligans, and we didn't have a single Macedonian dinar to pay a visit to the toilet. Nobody wanted Euro at that time and the only currency exchange booth was closed. When our connecting bus finally arrived, we were happy to leave.

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Mediterranean Albania Would Be Wonderful For Long-stay

Sarandë, Albania Saturday, August 06, 2022

This wasn't our first visit to Albania. We had crossed the country on our previous Balkan tour ten years earlier but didn't get a very good impression then. Now everything was different. We stayed longer, tried different parts of the country from north to south, and fell in love with the Mediterranean coast. We ended up staying in Saranda close to the Greek border, a 30-minute ferry ride from Corfu. Saranda is a small former fishing village with approximately 15 000 inhabitants. It is big enough to have different kind of supermarkets and services and small enough for it being laid-back.

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A day on the beach with our street dog friends

Batumi, Georgia Sunday, March 21, 2021

A video of friendly street dogs playing with us on the beach in Batumi, Georgia.

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San Marino and Malta, Visiting Microstates

San Marino Thursday, November 21, 2019

We were missing three microstates in Europe on our travel bucketlist and decided to fix the situation by visiting two of them: San Marino and Malta.

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15 years on the road and our 100th country: Azerbaidjan

Baku, Azerbaijan Saturday, November 02, 2019

It's been 15 years since we left Finland to wander the world. Azerbaidjan became our 100th country as we visited Baku, which is within a short train trip from Georgia.

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