Summaries
15.09.2011
3 weeks in Uganda - Summary
Our itinerary In August 2011, we visited the string of National Parks in western Uganda, starting with Lake Byunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elisabeth National Park including the Ishasha Sector, Kibale Rain Forest, Semliki National Park, Murchison Falls National Park including Budongo Forest and last but not least Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This journey can leisurely be done in two weeks. Kidepo National Park in the north east we skipped, too remote and too expensive. The third week, we crashed at the fabulous...[more] Category: Uganda, Summaries
14.09.2011
Rwanda - Summary
My passion for Rwanda stems from its tragic history. Not that I was aware of the horrifying dimension back in 1994, but I realized that this was different to the many civil wars that Africa has been plagued with. The film "Hotel Rwanda" left an inerasable imprint in my heart. This was further deepened, when in 2009 I had the privilege to meet and talk to Mr. Paul Rusesabagina in Vienna. What puzzled me now was the question “How does a small country like Rwanda cope with the murder of 10% of its population within 100 days?” Of course...[more] Category: Rwanda, Summaries
13.09.2011
Ethiopia - The Northern Historical Circuit
Our itinerary We have visited Ethiopia twice. The detailed account of our trip to the Lower Omo Valley and the Danakil Depression over the Christmas holidays 2010 - 2011 has been published on our website, on the website of the Lonely Planet & of the Bradt Guide and received a lot of attention. But we felt our Ethiopia experience was incomplete without exploring the great history of this country. So over Easter 2011, we followed what has become known as the “Northern Historical Circuit”. This term subsumes unparalleled highlights:...[more] Category: Ethiopia, Summaries
07.01.2011
Ethiopia - 6 days in the Danakil Depression
We had actually never heard of the Danakil Depression before we started reading the Lonely Planet, the Bradt Guide and the Thorn Tree Forum on Ethiopia. Either there was very little information (one single page in the Lonely Planet) or a focus on how expensive and difficult it was to travel there. The latter category was simply tempting us and off we went to the hottest place on earth. And believe us, it term is not some kind of marketing slogan! Hostile Climate Even during the “cold season” between November and February, we had...[more] Category: Ethiopia, Summaries
31.12.2010
Ethiopia - 8 days in the Omo Valley
There are not many places like this on this planet! Where do you find so many different cultures and ethnic groups in a relatively small area who still cling to their traditional way of life? This is absolutely unique, even the “Birr for Photo” business. The Omo Valley can only be travelled cheaply if you have lots of time and are willing to stay in very, very simple accommodations. Speaking Amharic helps if you expect more interaction than “eat - sleep - bus”. The bus service is still very infrequent and unreliable, and the few...[more] Category: Ethiopia, Summaries
16.08.2010
Bulgaria - Summary
In August 2010, we spent 17 days in Bulgaria. Our main destinations were: Melnik & Rozhen, Rila Monastery, Plovdiv & Bachkovo Monestary, Veliko Tarnovo, Kazanlak & Tryavna, Belogradchik & Vidin, and last but not least Sofia. Our most sensible advice: if you can, visit Bulgaria in spring or fall. The temperatures in August were just too much. We NEVER had a day with less than 34 degrees Celsius, and it was no comfort that locals told us that these were unusually high temperatures. In Plovdiv, the mercury scale even reached 41 degrees...[more] Category: Bulgaria, Summaries
02.09.2009
Colombia - Summary
During our Round The World, we travelled to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile & Uruguay but bypassed Colombia, since we were not sure about safety travelling overland. We deeply regretted it, when we listened to the first enthusiastic reports from travelers arriving from there. So we used the next possible opportunity to make up for that mistake and traveled Colombia intensively for 45 days in July and August 2009. Our main destinations were: Pereira & Salento - Popayan, Tierradentro & San Agustin - Neiva & the...[more] Category: Colombia, Summaries
17.07.2008
Bangkok - Summary
We spent the last week of our Round The World Trip in Bangkok, which we both enjoyed and disliked… When thinking about Bangkok, these aspects will always stay in our memories: Congestions: we stayed at Woraburi Hotel deep down in Soi 4 where it was very quiet, but the intersection Soi 4 with Sukhumvit Road is a nightmare. It is congested with taxis, Tuk Tuks, street vendors, street kitchens, beggars and pedestrians. The noise from all these activities is superseded by the music from the bars.The heat: during the day, it was even...[more] Category: Thailand, Summaries
10.07.2008
Cambodia - Summary
We only spent 16 days in Cambodia and thus decided to focus only on two places: Phnom Penh & the Angkor Area near Siem Reap. Heidi also spent two days in Battambang. There are many other places to see in Cambodia, but we had simply run out of time and had grown weary of changing place every other night after 11 months of traveling. Cambodia surely deserves more time to be discovered in depth. We stayed one week in Phnom Penh, although three days would be enough to see the major sights. The Angkor area deserves a good week if you...[more] Category: Cambodia, Summaries
24.06.2008
Laos - Summary
We traveled one month through Laos and truly enjoyed most of the places we visited. What immediately amazed us was how green this country is and that we could travel for hours without passing a village. But above all, it was the genuine friendliness of the Lao and their attitude towards their visitors that we found captivating. None of that pushy & constant “buy from me” business that you often see in other countries throughout the world! Among the younger backpackers, we repeatedly heard “Laos is what Thailand was 20 years ago”....[more] Category: Laos, Summaries
30.05.2008
China - Summary
We traveled the 30 days our visa permitted throughout China's southwestern provinces: Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan. This was definitely not enough! Nevertheless, we now know it can be easily done without a common language. This introduction to China also was an immense eye opener and some of the negative concepts we had of this country we corrected or simply vanished! What was so different from the image we had and from what we actually expected? When thinking about China, which aspects will stay in our memories? • Chinese people...[more] Category: China, Summaries
28.04.2008
Hong Kong & Macau - Summary & Budget
After we first arrived in Hong Kong and moved around for a few hours, we were worried that staying for four days might be too long. Well, we were so wrong, we loved every minute of our stay and this is equally true for Macau The only turn off was the difficulty and suspense involved in getting a visa for China. Looking back, it was quite funny, but being in thrown into a situation where all of a sudden all rules do not apply anymore was rather uncomfortable. We felt so very lucky to have this piece of paper in our passport,...[more] Category: Hong Kong, Budget, Summaries
21.04.2008
New Zealand - Summary
Of the 40 days in New Zealand, we spent 4 weeks on the South Island and a little less than two weeks on the North Island. Initially New Zealand was not one of our top 10 destinations, but since everyone was sooo enthusiastic about this country, we felt we should decide for ourselves. Our arrival was rather unpleasant as described in our first New Zealand entry on this website and it took almost a week until we caught the New Zealand fever. To be honest, it is almost impossible to resist the spectacular scenery: the green pastures...[more] Category: New Zealand, Summaries
13.03.2008
Cook Islands - Summary
We spent three weeks on the Cook Islands: altogether 9 days on Rarotonga, 7 on Aitutaki and 5 on Atiu. The Cook Islands were definitely a highlight in our trip and those Pacific Islands that matched our ideas of the South Seas. The highlights of this trip were definitely: (x) Riding our scooter around on Atiu on roads surrounded by thick lush primary rainforest and still hearing the waves breaking on the reef. (x) The many attractions on Atiu: to the different caves as well as the eco-tour with “Birdman George”, the historical...[more] Category: Cook Islands, Summaries
28.02.2008
Argentina - Summary
We spent 74 days in Argentina, Chile & Uruguay and 54 in Argentina alone: since major points of interests are in nearby places in Chile or Uruguay, travelling in Argentina most certainly means crossing the borders into these countries. In Argentina, we visited most of the classical tourist destinations: Buenos Aires, Misiones, Iguazu, the Andean Northwest, Mendoza, Peninsula Valdez, the Lake District, Southern Patagonia with El Calafate & El Chalten, and Tierra del Fuego. Add to this Chiloe, the cruise between Puerto Montt and...[more] Category: Argentina, Summaries
19.02.2008
French Polynesia - Budget & Summary
We only spent 6 days in French Polynesia, four of them diving in Fakarava and two stopovers in Papeete. So our summery has to be seen in this context. Diving in Fakarava is simply amazing, one of the most fascinating diving spots in the world. We marveled at the colorful fish and often felt as if swimming in the middle of an aquarium. However, what makes Fakarava so special are the many grey reef sharks that literally surround you at certain spots. The Te Ava Nui Diving Center was a good choice: really cool staff but highly...[more] Category: French Polynesia, Summaries, Budget
13.02.2008
Easter Island - Budget & Summary
This week on the Easter Islands was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We thought we would have lots of time to rest and do nothing spending a whole week on this island, but were very busy visiting the various events of the festival and the more famous sites of standing Moai. Besides, from midday to late afternoon, the sun is simply too strong for any major undertaking! Of course, the highlights of the island are the Moai, their history and the many mysteries around them. What really surprised us was that even in the high...[more] Category: Easter Islands, Summaries, Budget
21.12.2007
Chile - Summary
Since we “only” spent 16 days in southern Chile, we do not want to do this country any injustice, but except the spectacular scenery in Torres del Paine and the fjords on the way to Puerto Natales, we have not many unforgettable memories. There are many things that surprised us and at times even disturbed us. Firstly, the country is really expensive, especially accommodation and shopping for food. Secondly, the weather is rather unpleasant: it rains a lot and it is windy, even when the sun is out. Moreover, it tends to be chilly,...[more] Category: Chile, Summaries
26.11.2007
Bolivia - Summary
We simply fell in love with Bolivia … We planned to stay four weeks and spent almost seven there, which forced us to completely change the route for the rest of the trip! What did we like so much in Bolivia? (x) The immense diversity you find in a relatively small area (well, only twice as big as France): deserts, cold, wind-swept Altiplano, a hot and humid rainforest, Mediterranean-like cities, wine growing Tarija … The landscape is simply breathtaking! (x) It is surely the country in South America with the strongest and most...[more] Category: Bolivia, Summaries
11.10.2007
Peru: Summary
Peru is the third country we have visited in South America, after Venezuela and Brazil. These three countries on the same continent are actually three totally distinct worlds. Differences are huge! Those impressions will always stay in our mind when thinking of Peru: (x) Our disgust and anger about what the Catholic Church did in the name of god in South America in the time of Conquistadores, destroying systematically one of the greatest cultures in history! Considering the Pope’s comments during his last visit in South America,...[more] Category: Peru, Summaries
15.09.2007
Brazil: Summary
Those impressions will always stay in our mind when thinking of Brazil: (x) Its immense ethnic diversity: a Brazilian may look like somebody from Stockholm, from Spain, from Lagos, from Karachi, from Hanoi or from La Paz. Once we were riding the metro in Sao Paulo and looking around we decided nobody could just guess which country they were in! (x) The friendly and open-minded people of Brazil. (x) Some of the most incredible beaches. (x) Thumbs up or two thumbs up, without this Brazilians could not communicate agreement. (x)...[more] Category: Brazil, Summaries
21.08.2007
Venezuela: Summary
We spent 3 weeks in Venezuela in August 2007 and concentrated on the National Parks in the east of the country: the Orinoco Delta, Cainama & Angel Falls and Roraima. Of course like most tourists we were concerned about security but must say we never had any negative experience and never met anybody who had. Venezuela’s main assets are its national parks and its natural wonders. We would rank Roraima top even though physically highly challenging, then Canaima & Angel Falls, actually a must when visiting Venezuela, and the Orinoco...[more] Category: Venezuela, Summaries
|