5 Districts in Granada You Shouldn't Miss
Granada is a city known for its cultural diversity. Once the last Muslim Emirate on the Iberian Peninsula, it's been home to Arabic and Jewish people, Tamazight tribes from North Africa, Roma families, and eventually the Catholics from Castile and Aragon. Their heritage is still visible in Granada, making it …
China's Big Heritage Sites: Booking Tickets for the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors in Advance Using WeChat
For those traveling to China for the first time, getting along with the local apps and booking pages can be a bit challenging. Downloading the programs, and especially WeChat/Weixin, will make your life easier. With the app, you can pay your daily bills, communicate with friends, and reserve tickets for …
Visiting Xi'an's Terracotta Army: All You Need To Know (2025)
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xi’an is one of China's most significant heritage sites. While 15 years ago, visiting required taking a bus, the opening of the extensive metro system has made things much easier. However, there are several ways to get to the Terracotta Army, and a …
Urbex China: How to Get to the Abandoned Village Houtouwan and Gouqi Island?
The abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan has already become a major trend on TikTok, Instagram, and Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram. While some content creators claim that Gouqi Island and the neighbouring Shengshan are hidden gems, there is, in fact, significant infrastructure supporting visits to the ghost town.
Houtouwan, Gouqi, Shengshan: A Stroll Through China's Abandoned Fisherman Village
When I saw the first pictures of Houtouwan with its overgrown houses, I immediately wanted to go there. While planning a larger China trip, this ghost town and abandoned fishing village was at the top of my list. Being located not too far from Shanghai, it wasn't too hard to …
Ship Breaking Yards Gadani Beach in Pakistan's Balochistan - Worth the Visit?
When staying in Karachi – whether for an extended period or just on a stopover – a little trip to Gadani Beach might come to mind. First of all, it's a bit less crowded than the local Karachi beaches. Secondly, with a little bit of research you will likely discover …
Not Just Hassan II: Casablanca's Best Hidden Places From Art to Food
Hassan II, Casablanca's famous mosque, is one of the main reasons to visit Morocco's biggest city. Apart from that? Endless lines of white buildings, a few slums, and busy medinas - not at all like in the romantic 1940s classic film. Many people feel disappointed by Casablanca after having visited …
Architecture in Casablanca: Exploring the Laboratory of Modernism
For many people a visit to Casablanca is more of a disappointment. Where is all that romantic flair from the 1940s movie? Where's the ambiance of a cute little harbor town? Nowhere! In fact, Casablanca was only founded a bit more than 100 years ago by the French and is …
Searching for Shangri-La? The Best Places to Find It in Pakistan's Hunza Valley (maybe)!!
What to expect of Hunza? Of course, I was intrigued by the fact that James Hilton used this lush green valley as inspiration for his utopian place Shangri-La in Lost Horizon. When you travel the Karakorum Highway (KKH) though, the horizon is anything else than lost anymore. China has invested …
Auf der Suche nach Shangri-La? An diesen Orten in Hunza findest du es (vielleicht)!
Nun, was soll man also von Hunza erwarten? Ich persönlich war natürlich fasziniert von dem Gedanken, den Ort zu besuchen, der James Hilton zu seinem fiktiven Shangri-La im Buch Der verlorene Horizont inspirierte. So verloren, verträumt und verschlafen ist der Horizont hier aber leider nicht mehr, seit China Abermillionen in …
My Journey to Sa Pa: Staying With Vietnam's Hmong People in 2010
Back in 2010, I went on a longer journey to Asia. The first month in China was rather exhausting. Being a bit inexperienced, it was hard to find anything interesting outside of those huge cities - Xi'an, Guangzhou, Kunming - they all seemed to be the same: huge, crowded, polluted, …
Xijiang Miao Ethnic Village (西江镇): A Rather Unauthentic Experience
On our recent visit to Chengdu, I planned to combine this trip with some exploration of the ethnic minority villages in Sichuan and neighbouring Guizhou. Particularly interesting in the region are the Tibetan settlements in the mountains to the west, namely Kangding (Garzê) and its surroundings. To explore Miao (or …
How to Get From Hong Kong to Macau by Speedboat
Hong Kong and Macau, both former colonies and now special territories of China, are worth visiting in one go. Most travelers will stay in Hong Kong, since prices are lower and accomodation more affordable. To get from Hong Kong to Macau, you can take a speedboat, which brings you to …
Urbex Albania: Industrial Heritage of Fier
Albania has a long history of socialism and forced industrialization. Under its ruler Enver Hoxha, the state became a cruel dictatorship, where dissidents disappeared and wealth was concentrated among a small elite.One of the industrial centers of Albania was Fier, a town and „Qark“ (district) located at the heart of …
All You Need to Know Before Visiting Al Ula in Saudi Arabia
Originally, I felt like writing a negative article about Al Ula, the new most reputable tourist destination of Saudi Arabia. When you arrive at the airport or any border or go to the Visit Saudi website, you’ll see it written everywhere: Come to Al Ula.I didn’t quite follow this call. …
Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow: Highlights and Tips
One of the best events to attend in Krakow is the Jewish Culture Festival, which usually takes place at the end of June or beginning of July. It is held in the former Jewish quarter Kazimierz, which has been revitalized to preserve its historical heritage since the late years of …
The 13 Best Food Places and Restaurants in Kraków
Polish cuisine is mostly hearty and heavy. Dishes like pierogi and bigos, kotlet schabowy, golonka and gołąbki are classics that are typically served at home or in one of the legendary Socialist milk bars (Bary mleczne). The milk bar cantines became very popular with its affordable food in the Polish …
Kraków discoveries: Nightlife, culture, and more
For more than 20 years, Kraków has been one of the premium destinations for everyone who likes to stay out late and explore the vibrant nightlife. The city is particularly famous for its basement bars that are mostly located around the Main Square (Rynek Główny) and on the streets leading …
Best Bars in Kraków: from Kazimierz to Rynek Główny
The nightlife and bar scene was obviously one of the first things I sought out in Kraków. Those atmospheric vaulted basements made a big impression on me, and after my first visit on a drunken NYE I always wanted to come back.During my multiple visits to Kraków, I have devel