Things to do

While the south of Bolivia is located in the Andes mountain range with peaks up to 6000m and cities at high altitudes, the north is a flat land covered by pampas and jungle, a few hundred meters above sea level. The town of Rurrenabaque is the starting point of many tours in this region. It is the gate to the famous Madidi National Park, although I didn't have time to visit this one. My ... read more »

Visited: April 2014 Posted: 12/05/2014 Bolivia

Not far from La Paz exists an infamous road which killed hundreds of people before being replaced by a brand new one. People are still driving like maniacs on the latter but at least there are two lanes and a fence between the road and the hundred meters drop! Click here to watch on Youtube "El Camino de la Muerte" (officially known as Yungas Road) is still in use but nowadays its... read more »

Visited: March 2014 Posted: 09/05/2014 Bolivia

There are a few ways to go to Bolivia from San Pedro de Atacama by bus. The less terrible would be through Argentina but it is a massive detour. Fortunately there's also a much more beautiful and impressive path: a three days jeep ride through the mountains and the Salar de Uyuni. The trip leaves early morning with a bus ride through Chilean immigration and to the Bolivian border which i... read more »

Visited: March 2014 Posted: 30/04/2014 Bolivia

The best way to see Rio de Janeiro is from above as the city's setting is amazing with 300m high peaks, beaches all along the coast and surrounded by rainforest. There is two ways to get a breathtaking view of the city without leaving the ground from the top of the Sugar Loaf (*Pao de Açucar*) and from the top of the Corcovado (where the Christ Redeemer is) and few options involving flying... read more »

Visited: January 2014 Posted: 17/01/2014 Brazil

The south of Argentina is famous for its numerous trekking options. Ushuaia is the gate to Tierra Del Fuego National Park and El Calafate is at the center of Patagonia and the gate to Los Glaciares National Park.  *Tierra Del Fuego* After my trip to Antarctica, I stayed a few days in Ushua... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 28/12/2013 Argentina

The way back through the Drake Passage was much rougher than the first time. The boat was rolling a lot, a few glasses and plates flew away. In the biggest swells, chairs would slide from one side to another while we were sitting on them. The crew still insisted that it was nothing but a lot of people stayed in their cabin... These ten days were perfect on all aspects. We were more than l... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 17/12/2013 Antarctica

With two days left on the schedule, we had plenty of time to explore the South Shetland Islands. Our first stop was at the horse-shoe shaped Deception Island, a sleeping volcano with an opening on the side. Whalers were using it as their base when this activity was at its peak but an eruption a few decades ago stopped any permanent human presence. ![Deception Island](http://travelingcode... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 15/12/2013 Antarctica

As we continue our cruise down south along the peninsula, the landscape changes and becomes truly breathtaking. It is Antarctica as I pictured it and the one you've seen in so many photos and documentaries: huge mountains covered with a thick layer of snow, icebergs drifting around, glaciers ending in 10-storey high walls of ice and an overall grandiosity. ![Landscape](http://travelingco... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 13/12/2013 Antarctica

As our luck continued on our expedition to Antarctica, the ship reached the South Shetland Islands on our third day with enough time to make a landing, a rare occurrence according to the crew. The views are already breathtaking. We are still at the tip of the peninsula and the landscape is not yet what I pictured Antarctica to be. While islands are well covered in snow, there are still v... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 11/12/2013 Antarctica

When arriving in Buenos Aires at the end of October, I was reminded that cruises to Antarctica actually existed. I've known for a long time that it was possible but had always heard how expensive it was and thus never gave a serious thought about it. Now being in South America and Ushuaia, the main tourist gate to Antarctica, being on my route, my curiosity pushed me to check if it was an ... read more »

Visited: December 2013 Posted: 09/12/2013 Antarctica

While at the hostel in Buenos Aires, someone recommended a friend and I to go to a show called Fuerza Bruta. I had never heard of it before and bought the ticket without really knowing what I was going to watch. Click here to watch on Youtube It was an awesome show and an incredible experience. The performance takes place in the middle of the crowd and guests actively participate. ... read more »

Visited: November 2013 Posted: 02/12/2013 Argentina

There is no doubt that Tango is part of Argentinean culture. I can actually feel why it originated from Buenos Aires as this place as the vibe, the rhythm and the passion that goes into the dance. Dancing Tango in Buenos Aires seems to be the perfect match. With this feeling in mind, what better place than the Argentine capital to watch a Tango show. There are legions available, most of ... read more »

Visited: November 2013 Posted: 18/11/2013 Argentina

Byron Bay is the backpacker town *par excellence*. Laid back and turned toward alternative lifestyles, Byron is also a good surf spot. I signed up for a four hours lesson with Mojosurf. Starting early we were dropped off a beach near town. Luckily we were a small group so the instructor had more time for each of us. The lesson starts on the beach with some basic knowledge about waves and... read more »

Visited: August 2013 Posted: 21/08/2013 Australia

The Whitsunday Islands is a group of islands of the coast of Queensland which are best explored via sailing trips. The most common starting point is Airlie Beach, a really nice seaside town. From there, every shop and hostel will be happy to sell you a sailing tour. I chose a reconverted racing boat on a two days, one night trip. Named Siska, the boat had a very interesting history and i... read more »

Visited: August 2013 Posted: 11/08/2013 Australia

Coming from Indonesia, Darwin was the closest entry point to Australia, a short two hours flight. As it is located in the far north, Darwin enjoys a tropical weather and July and August are perfect months to visit this region. Darwin is a good starting point to explore Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park. Unfortunately I didn't have much time as my plan in Australia is mo... read more »

Visited: July 2013 Posted: 03/08/2013 Australia

Phong Nha Cave is one of the biggest in the world and features an underground river and impressive heights. The inside of the cave is reached from the town of Phong Nga by boat. After a short ride 1km deep, you get to walk for a few hundred meters in one of the biggest grotto. Although this is a big tourist spot (at least for Vietnamese people, not many western tourists) and the cave i... read more »

Visited: May 2013 Posted: 23/06/2013 Vietnam

Short stop in Nha Trang between two night buses to try out diving in Vietnam. The place is famous for its beaches and is a very big touristic location. I had heard good things about the diving there and after more than 2 months without going underwater, I wanted to do some dives. I booked a 3 dives trip with Rainbow Divers for 90$. I would happily recommend them as the equipment was new... read more »

Visited: May 2013 Posted: 07/06/2013 Vietnam

First stop in Cambodia after four weeks in Laos. Even if crossing the border is seamless, you can feel that you're in a different country. I stopped for two nights in Kratie in Northern Cambodia which is a small town with not much to offer apart from dolphin watching. The Mekong host a rare species of Dolphin called the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Kratie is one of the best place to spot it in So... read more »

Visited: April 2013 Posted: 07/05/2013 Cambodia

The Bolaven Plateau is a coffee growing region in the south of Laos also famous for all of its beautiful waterfalls. A popular way of discovering it is renting a motorbike from Pakse and doing "The Loop", a circular road around the plateau. While you can explore the plateau through many other roads, the loop is the easiest option. There are two variants: the "small loop" which takes two... read more »

Visited: April 2013 Posted: 03/05/2013 Laos

Tubing in Vang Vieng is like the rite of passage of every backpackers in Laos. It's the crazy thing to do, the thing everybody will ask you if you've done it and you'd better not miss it. Unfortunately, tubing is far from what is used to be. Because of all the accidents and the exhaustion of the locals, the party is living its final moments. Tubing means renting big tubes and going down ... read more »

Visited: April 2013 Posted: 20/04/2013 Laos

If you want to feel like a real traveler, the 3 days journey between Chiang Mai in Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos is a must do. You'll need some patience but the trip is worth doing the slow way to enjoy the beautiful landscapes along the Mighty Mekong. The first day is spent on the bus to Chiang Khong, a town on the border with Laos, the main crossing in the northern provinces. If yo... read more »

Visited: April 2013 Posted: 08/04/2013 Laos

Chiang Mai is activity paradise in Thailand. You can do many, many things, from small treks to extreme stuff. One of the most popular is spending some time with tigers. I couldn't miss that! Tiger Kingdom is located 20 minutes from Chiang Mai. You have to buy a ticket for each tiger sizes (from baby to adult) you want to spend 15 minutes with. Prices go from 420B for an adult to 620B fo... read more »

Visited: March 2013 Posted: 04/04/2013 Thailand

Leaving Bangkok on my way to Chiang Mai, I decided to stop in Sukhothai for a few nights. The city is almost empty of tourists at this time of the year and it I had a very relaxing two days. The best way to visit the Old City is by renting bikes and cycling around. The roads traversing the ruins are pretty good and it's a very easy ride. It's also super cheap at 30B/day (less than 1€). ... read more »

Visited: March 2013 Posted: 02/04/2013 Thailand

Up to Jaisalmer we were always lucky. None of us became sick, the weather was always nice, we didn't get scammed, we haven't missed any flights, buses or trains or any other travel annoyances. Things got a little less fun for me in the *Golden City*. Jaisalmer is located in the Thar Desert, 100km from the Pakistan border. It is famous for its fort, a still inhabited sandstone castle. You reac... read more »

Visited: Febuary 2013 Posted: 07/02/2013 India

Mehrangarh is the famous fort of Jodhpur, the blue city and the gate to the Thar desert. The Fort is an imposing and beautiful structure built on top of a hill. The museum inside has some interesting pieces. The work that has been put in some rooms and in carving the stones of outside walls is quite impressive. The city in itself is a maze of (dirty) narrow streets with blue houses and shops ... read more »

Visited: Febuary 2013 Posted: 05/02/2013 India

Kerala is famous for its backwaters, a network of lakes and canals along the coast of the state. Cruising the canals on houseboats is one of the biggest tourist attraction in Kerala and is a unique experience. The main starting point for houseboat cruises is from Alappuzha (Allepey). We reached this city using the public ferry from Kottayam. While being very noisy, this boat ride is by itself ... read more »

Visited: January 2013 Posted: 27/01/2013 India

As my brother was studying for one semester in Istanbul, I took the opportunity to visit him on two occasions. The first trip was only 4 days long in march to visit Istanbul. My second trip lasted a little bit longer and we visited the coast around Antalya and Cappadocia. ## Istanbul I went there in mid march and unfortunately it was exceptionally cold for the season. It even snowed for a few... read more »

Visited: March and June 2012 Posted: 18/07/2012 Turkey