aawAny trip to Laos will inevitably include time spent in Luang Prabang. While this city is not the capital of Laos, it once was. Today, it is a hub for travelers in the region and a great base to explore Northern Laos from.
more “Luang Prabang: Ancient Kingdom and UNESCO Heritage Site”
A little more than 40 years ago, a genocide was happening in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge had risen to power and were implementing their vision of a Maoist, communist society. This began with converting the country into an agrarian society, expelling people to the countryside. It also involved torturing and murdering the opposition, and as time went on anyone accused of conspiring against the party. Cambodia has made it point to preserve this history, to ensure it isn’t repeated.
For a while when I was younger, I thought that Kathmandu was just a made up place. Turns out, it’s the capital city of Nepal, nestled in a beautiful valley among the Himalayas. There’s plenty of things to do within Kathmandu, from Swayambhunath (the monkey temple) to Durbar Square. However there are some interesting and great places to visit as a day trip if you base yourself in the city.
The diversity of people in Ghana never ceases to amaze and inspire me. There are the proud Ashanti people whose great empire still echoes through today. Then there are the Ga who have shaped the culture around Accra. Up north, you can meet Fulani, a nomadic group of people who range across West Africa. In Western Region near the border with Ivory Coast, there is a small and unique village, Nzulezu, with its own people.
Chocolate is a special treat the world over, however the cocoa trees only grow in a limited geographical range. From that range, West Africa supplies about 70 percent of all the cocoa in the world. São Tomé used to be the top producer of cocoa, and it’s now home to some of the best chocolate in the world.
Visiting a cemetery while on a vacation may seem a bit morbid and morose to some. However, Paris’s Père Lachaise cemetery is the final resting place for some very influential artists and rich with its own history.
Budget an hour or two to stroll through the cemetery and pay your respects to these people.
If I told you that there is a historical site in Southeast Asia that dates to the time of Ancient Greece, but we know nothing concrete about, what would your reaction be? If you’re like me, you’ll want to at the very least know more about it and at the most visit.
That place exists and it’s known as the Plain of Jars near Phonsovan in Laos.
When it comes to flying between the African continent and any other there are a few major hub cities that you are likely to fly through. The two major African airlines are Ethiopian Airways, with its hub in Addis Ababa, and Kenyan Airways, with its hub in Nairobi. Should you find yourself with a long layover in Nairobi, you should know that there are a lot of really fun activities to do that are easily accessible throughout the city.
In 2016, I had an 18-hour layover in Nairobi, on my way from Ghana to Thailand, and here’s everything I did.
Of all the activities that I love to do when I’m traveling, hiking has to be near the top of the list. Getting to walk through the nature and natural beauty a destination has to offer can be a really special way to connect with a place. I try to incorporate hiking into all my travels.
When it comes to São Tomé and hiking, Obo National Park is the place to go. There are lot of different trails, all with varying degrees of difficulties and even an option for a multi-day trip.
Because of centuries of colonialism and the slave trade that came with it, Ghana has centuries of traumatic history. However, I believe that it is important to face that history and to learn about it, as a way to gain a fuller understanding of present situations and as a way to prevent atrocities in the future.
The former slave-trading castles in Ghana have all been declared UNESCO Heritage Sites. The two that are most frequented by visitors to Ghana are the Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle. Elmina Castle also has another interesting designation – it’s the first permanent European structure built in West Africa.