Featured
Finding the Best Uzbek Plov in Berlin (2026)
Last updated on Aug. 30, 2026
Even if Uzbek restaurants in Berlin aren't exactly springing up like mushrooms right now, it's noticeable that there are more and more of them. No matter which neighborhood I walk through, I come across some …
How to Get to the Abandoned Village Houtouwan and Gouqi Island from Shanghai?
Last updated on Aug. 29, 2026
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 …
Houtouwan, Gouqi, Shengshan: A Stroll Through China's Abandoned Fisherman Village
Last updated on Aug. 29, 2026
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 …
Arab world
Not Just Hassan II: Casablanca's Best Hidden Places From Art to Food
Published on Nov. 30, 2024
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 …
Central Asia
Best Tanks in Afghanistan: Urbex Guide to Soviet War Remains in Central Asia
Last updated on Aug. 24, 2026
40 years of war and foreign intervention have shaped Afghanistan and continue to cause problems, repression, and violence to this day. The traces of the devastating Soviet invasion in the 1980s are still visible everywhere, …
East Asia
How to Get to the Abandoned Village Houtouwan and Gouqi Island from Shanghai?
Last updated on Aug. 29, 2026
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 …
Houtouwan, Gouqi, Shengshan: A Stroll Through China's Abandoned Fisherman Village
Last updated on Aug. 29, 2026
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 …
Stay Connected in China: VPN + Chinese SIM, eSIM, or Roaming SIM from HK and Macao (2026)
Published on Aug. 10, 2026
Since in China many international services and apps like Google, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram are blocked by what is known as the Great Firewall of China, travelers who want to stay connected in …
Chungking Mansions: Hong Kong's Infamous Melting Pot
Last updated on Aug. 4, 2026
Before I came to Hong Kong for the first time, I thought I had never heard of the Chungking Mansions. The large building complex, in which I reserved the tiniest Airbnb possible to get an …
Visiting Xi'an's Terracotta Army: All You Need To Know (2026)
Last updated on April 3, 2026
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 …
How to Get From Hong Kong to Macau by Speedboat
Last updated on Feb. 3, 2026
Hong Kong and Macau, both former colonies and now special territories of the People's Republic of China, are worth visiting in one go. Most travelers will stay in Hong Kong since prices are lower and …
Visiting Beijings Forbidden City: All You Need To Know (2026)
Published on Feb. 2, 2026
One of the main reasons to visit Beijing is the Forbidden City. The area hosting the palaces of the imperial era holds many secrets behind its massive walls. One of those secrets might be how …
China's Big Heritage Sites: Booking Tickets for the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors in Advance Using WeChat (2026)
Published on May 13, 2025
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 …
My Journey to Sa Pa: Staying With Vietnam's Hmong People in 2010
Published on Sept. 28, 2024
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 …
Xijiang Miao Ethnic Village (西江镇) in Guizhou: Authentic Experience or Disneyland
Published on Sept. 26, 2024
On our last 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 …
Europe
Finding the Best Uzbek Plov in Berlin (2026)
Last updated on Aug. 30, 2026
Even if Uzbek restaurants in Berlin aren't exactly springing up like mushrooms right now, it's noticeable that there are more and more of them. No matter which neighborhood I walk through, I come across some …
11 Best Bars in Kraków: from Kazimierz to Rynek Główny
Last updated on Aug. 23, 2026
Over the years traveling to Poland, I stumbled in to many of the best bars in Kraków. It all started more than 20 years ago, on a rainy NYE, when we somehow ended up in …
7 Districts in Granada You Shouldn't Miss
Last updated on June 15, 2026
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 …
Urbex Albania: Visiting Sazan Island, Enver Hoxha’s Former Military Outpost
Last updated on June 8, 2026
Sazan Island is currently big in the news because of Ivanka Trump's ambition to buy the Albanian island and turn it into a luxury resort for the rich. But Sazan is not just any small …
The 13 Best Food Places and Restaurants in Kraków
Last updated on March 26, 2026
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 …
Urbex Armenia: Yerevan's Northern Bus Station and Its Surprising Brutalist Beauty
Published on Feb. 13, 2026
It was mere coincidence that I stumbled into this bus station. First of all, we need to say that the Soviet Union was keen on representing its ideology even in the smallest details. This is …
Urbex Bosnia: Visit Sarajevo's 1984 Olympic Bobsleigh Track
Published on July 13, 2025
Bosnia and Sarajevo in particular are prime destinations for those who love to discover abandoned places. Just a decade before the war started, the capital city hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1984. Many of …
Urbex Albania: Industrial Heritage of Fier
Published on Aug. 19, 2024
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 in a Tirana …
Latin America
Travelling Venezuela in 2026: How is the Situation after the Kidnapping of Maduro?
Last updated on Aug. 10, 2026
After the abduction of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife on January 3, 2026, many travelers are wondering: Is it still possible to visit the country? Is it safe, and how do authorities react when …
Pablo Escobar in Medellín: Which Museums and Places Are Really Worth Visiting in 2026?
Published on May 5, 2026
To put it bluntly right from the start: visiting the Pablo Escobar museums in Medellín run by the family of the former drug lord is not worth it. The so-called experiences come with an outrageously …
Hitchhiking Venezuela in 2026: From Toll Station to Toll Station
Published on April 16, 2026
Even if it might seem a bit crazy, I try to hitchhike in almost every country - from Syria and Afghanistan all the way to Venezuela. On my trip to Venezuela shortly after Maduro’s abduction …
Sightseeing in Venezuela 2026: Personal Top 10
Published on April 14, 2026
In the spring of 2026, I visited Venezuela after the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro. Despite the events a few months earlier, things were largely calm, life felt safe, and aside from some difficulties with …
How to Enter Venezuela After Maduro: Entry Via Paraguachón (2026)
Published on April 12, 2026
Many people think that entering Venezuela has become more difficult after the kidnapping of President Maduro on January 3, 2026. For U.S. citizens, that may (still) be true, although some changes are currently emerging. For …
Visiting Barrio 23 de Enero in Caracas: Discovering the Stronghold of Chávez and Maduro
Last updated on April 7, 2026
23 de Enero probably isn’t the first attraction that comes to mind when you think of Caracas. On the contrary, this mix of towering housing blocks and rundown neighborhoods is better known for its rough …
South Asia
Urbex Pakistan: Ship Breaking Yards Gadani Beach in Balochistan - Worth the Visit?
Last updated on April 1, 2026
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 …
10 Reasons to Visit Kashmir: Lake Dal, Wazwaan Food, and Mughal History
Published on Jan. 6, 2026
Kashmir Valley is, because of its unstable history and the Indian government's continuous framing of it, considered to be an unsafe place and not suitable for tourists. Going there, of course, will show you a …
Visiting Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat: All You Need to Know (2026)
Published on Jan. 1, 2026
Fairy Meadows is one of the best-known attractions in Pakistan's Himalaya. The track up to the forest area near the 8,126 m high Nanga Parbat is notorious, and many describe it as one of the …
Searching for Shangri-La? The 11 Best Places to Find It in Pakistan's Hunza Valley (maybe)!!
Published on Nov. 6, 2024
What to expect of the Hunza Valley? 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 …