February.

Oman: The year started off with a visit to a country new to us. We only had 8 full days in Oman, yet we managed quite well: We spent a few days in Muscat and then we were off on a 4×4 road trip through Jebel Akhdar. Our travel here made such an impression that we’ll return again in February 2015.

Sabres in Muscat, Oman.

Australia: Australia is my second home. I don’t know how many times I’ve been Down Under, but two hands are definitely not enough to count. Part of our family lives in the most amazing city Sydney, which makes things a lot easier. It’s been almost 5 years since my last visit, so it was long overdue. Plus it was my starting point for my two months time-out.

Sydney, Wellington and Vienna – my three favourite cities (to live in), with Sydney on top.

March.

United Arab Emirates: Due to a personal matter, I had to interrupt my time-out for a few days and fly back home. After only 48 hours in Vienna, my journey started again with a 3 day stop-over in Dubai.

The Dubai Marina is is an artificial canal city, built along a stretch of the Persian Gulf shoreline.

New Zealand: A visit to New Zealand has been a dream of mine since I listened to my uncle’s stories. He travelled through NZ for more than 4 months many years ago. And ever since I saw the first part of the LOTR trilogy, it was clear that I had to see this beautiful country for myself. It only took 12 years for me to finally do so. And it was the most amazing one-month road trip I could ever imagine…

Every single stop on my New Zealand road trip was a highlight, yet Milford Track – with a cruise at Milford Sound at the end – was an adventure I will never forget.

May.

Italy: Trapani in Sicily is an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Aegadian Islands. And it was our travel destination last May.

Much of Trapani’s economy still depends on the sea. Fishing and canning are the main local industries.

June.

Italy: Austria lies in the Central Europe, which is very convenient – especially if you’re a travel addict and have 4 days to spare. South Tyrol (the area around Antholzer Lake to be exact) was on our agenda for a long weekend. This meant that we’d go on a road trip through the Austrian Alps, which was something we’ve wanted to do for a long time as well.

The landscape around Austria’s highest mountain – the Grossglockner – even blew us Austrians away…

July.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh is definitely one of the most intriguing places one could ever visit. And also one of the most adventurous! It was our second trip within three years and we can honestly say that Bangladesh has become one of our favourite travel destinations, with Dhaka as an exciting city as a gateway.

Our human hands are unique. Only we can grasp, hold, move, and manipulate objects with them. Hands are essential for any kind of work. Here you can see the hands of a blind woman begging in the streets of Dhaka. It almost feels like she knows how much money has just been given her…

Thailand: Bangkok was just a stop-over point, but if it’s on the list, then we spend at least a couple of days here. Thailand’s capital city is one of our favourite for exploring markets … and as you know, markets are our favourite shooting place, therefore it was a real paradise.

Khlong Toei Market is Bangkok’s biggest fresh market and you will find almost anything you need here.

August.

China: Good old China is a must at least once every year. Visiting the Honghe Hani rice terraces in Yunnan and the Guoliang Tunnel Road in Henan were two travel highlights of the year.

A local Chinese smoking a pipe in the old town of Xinjie, Henan Province.

The Netherlands: Travelling to Amsterdam for the Canal Pride was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And therefore, it was yet another first in 2014. The spirit and energy you could feel in the city – not only during Pride week – is something I’ll think about for many years to come.

The Prinsengracht in Amsterdam is one of the most well-known Gracht’s and the heart of the Canal Pride Parade.

October.

Hong Kong: Futuristic architecture, a breathtaking skyline, amazing cuisine combined with traditional Chinese culture is what describes Hong Kong best. To name just a few of the things we did here: By accident stepping into the centre of the Umbrella Movement, drinking a few cocktails at one of Hong Kong’s most well-known rooftop bars, exploring the several wet markets around the city and finding the balance between tradition and modernity. Loved it!

Hong Kong is a colourful city full of culture, tradition and trendiness.

China: Three days in Guangzhou are definitely not enough, since we’re talking about the third largest city in China, yet time was limited and therefore we made the most out of it.

Chinese men playing a game of Mahjong in the streets of Guangzhou.

December.

France: It was yet again a long weekend that brought us to Paris at the beginning of December. One might think that 36 hours is not a long time, but if you’re on a mission and know where to go, you’ll see more than you thought you could.

Paris is a city for every season. Here with its landmark the Eiffel Tower.

Starting Point.

My starting point this year will be Bangkok, not because I love Bangkok that much, but rather because a friend of mine is a flight attendant and I can accompany her for a mere fraction of what a ticket would normally cost. These kind of friends are the best, aren’t they? All together I’ll have 6 to 7 weeks until I meet my friend (the flight attendant) in Beijing again to fly back home.

Second Stop.

The idea is to fly to Dhaka from Bangkok, where you get your visa arrival for 25 US$ – means no hassle with embassy visits. After a couple of days here, I’ll continue to Chittagong by train for another visit to the ship breaking yard. We’ve been here two years ago already and it’s one of the most interesting places you could ever travel to. After Chittagong I’ll continue to the Rangamati hills. Visiting the tribal people are on my priority list, as well as a bit of trekking, cruising on Kaptai Lake, visiting local markets and relaxing in harmony with nature.

The way back to Dhaka will be on a cruise on the Buriganga river, while watching the life along the river banks, followed by a visit to the local wet markets in Dhaka (missed out on this last time).

Always Indo.

After Bangladesh I really think I deserve a bit of beach & sunshine I found out that in Raja Ampat, West Papua, an initiative has been set up where local families build rooms and bungalows for visitors, providing them with 3 meals a day when no other option is available. we’ve been to Raja Ampat before, it’s an amazing area, still very unspoilt and very tranquil with the most stunning underwater life you could ever imagine! I’ll stay for about two weeks for a real beach vacation – including a bit of boat and jungle adventure…

Last Stop.

After Indonesia and fully relaxed, it will take a couple of flights until I arrive in Kunming, China. This will be my stepping off point for a visit to the Honghe Hani Rice terraces, a newly added UNESCO World heritage site, which has 1.200 years of history. I’ve read about this area since some years and I’m really looking forward to tick it off my bucket list. And if there’s still time, I will try to visit the Guoliang Tunnel Road in the Henan Province as well.

Well and then, after almost 7 weeks on the road, travelling time is coming to an end. But there’s always time for a little bit of shopping in Guangzhou before taking the high speed train to Beijing, where my journey comes to an end with the flight back to Vienna.

Suggestions.

What do you think? Good route? Should I change something? Does anyone have a more exciting option for my summer holidays? I’m open and happy for some other suggestions and still have a bit of time to change my itinerary…

My summer travel plans will take me to four countries in Southeast Asia.

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

I’m a freelance journalist and social media consultant. I have my own travel blog in German and English www.escape-town.com and I’m part of an awesome group of people the Reiseblogger-Kollektiv.com. Besides traveling a lot and writing, I also do video and commissioned work for tourism destinations, as well as consulting for blogger relations in the tourism industry.

2.) Where is home?

My new home has been Innsbruck for almost a year now.

3.) How did you get there? Have you lived there all your life, moved there because of College or just fell in love with the city/town on one of your trips?

I was born and raised in Vienna and lived there most of my life. At the end of last summer I packed my bags and moved to Innsbruck, a choice I feel was perfect for me. I love being close to the mountains and the small city has made me feel mostly welcome over the last months. I’ve met some great people and I just feel like life won’t ever get boring living there. I do travel a lot for work, so being in Innsbruck means both catching up on work behind my desk and enjoying life at home.

4.) What does your living situation look like? Give us a brief description (city or countryside, apartment or house, messy or neat-freak, roomies, pets, plants etc.)

I live in a great apartment in an old villa just at the bottom of the Nordkette mountain range. I share it with two roommates and it’s the first time I’m living with people I didn’t know before. It’s working out great, definitely an experience everyone should consider.

5.) What’s your favorite spot in your apartment or house & why?

It’s the small garden just in front of our house. We have a picnic table and it’s overlooking the city and the river. Whenever it’s warm I take all my meals outside and enjoy the view.

6.) Do you prefer books or movies (plus what’s your favorite one)?

Movies lately, since I’ve gotten a bit lacy with reading. I like old movies with Lauren Bacall, just as much as girl flics and love dramas, that play in far away places, eg. The Constant Gardener.

7.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

That always depends on the story. Usually when I already have a story in mind I start with the photo editing and then get started on the story.

On the plane back from Mauritius.

8.) What does a perfect day in your hometown look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Do you hang out with friends or family?

Definite ly outdoors. Breakfast at home, a hiking tour (or if it’s winter a snowboarding trip to one of the surrounding mountains) in the Alps and a barbeque in our garden at night, followed by a night out in the city.

Last Sunday at Seegrube – Flying fox at 2000 metres just above Innsbruck.

9.) Name three spots in your hometown, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

1. The “Flüsterbogen” – the door arch on Hofgasse 12 can be used to transport a message from one side to the other. Very romantic ;)
2. One of the events that have recently popped up in Innsbruck: Going Deep, Bonanza or everything that takes place on Birdie – a pop-up stage that was build by students just in front of the Stadtcafe.
3. Apfelstangerl at Bäckerei Ruetz, it’s Innsbruck best hidden secret, that those apple pastries are the best.

I’m also using a hashtag on Twitter and mainly Instagram to show things that are typical for Innsbruck: #onlyinibk – everyone is invited to contribute!

10.) What’s your favorite local dish (if you have one in your country/town, please tell us which one)? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

Recently I really got the hang out of “Graukäse”, it’s an old dry type of cheese and you can eat it with fresh onion rings, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Or you make cheese dumplings out of it. The Graukäse cheese gives them a very soft and light texture.

11.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

The local milk I buy cost 89cents and petrol I hardly ever get to buy because I don’t own a car. It’s around 1,40 though.

12.) Where are you right now, on which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture)?

I’m on a plane back to Frankfurt coming from Mauritius and I’m typing this on my much beloved Macbook.

13.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

When I first read this question before I started to answer the questionnaire this song “Home is when ever I’m with you…” by Edward and the Magnet Zeros came to my mind and it’s been stuck there since. I guess home is a place where I have my friends around and my family is at least within phone reach. It’s also a place where I can truly relax and adapt the surroundings to my likings, eg. I love to put stuff up on the walls, memories, ideas, etc.

Home is where my friends are crazy enough to go snowboarding with me in summer.

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Frankie Thompson
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio
#16: Lea Hajner

I was born on April 27th, 1986. My parents were travel enthusiasts and one would think that a baby would settle them down a little. Well, not the kind of parents I have. And thank God for that, because my journey began straight out of the maternity ward…

Africa – How It All Started.

My parents were fixing up their Unimog to convert it into a mini-apartment for one of their long-term African adventure – this time with me in tow. The truck would become our home for the next year (or so), so things needed to be in place for the journey to start. I quickly adjusted to the fact that my sandpit would become the Sahara desert, that my toys came out of the toolbox and that I would take my first steps between jerry cans, spare parts and sand sheets.

So we set off to Africa on a truly remarkable journey, and I was right in the middle all the time – not only because my place was mainly in the baby capsule in the middle front seat but also because I opened a lot of doors with my baby smile; even the grimmest custom officers, check-point soldiers or police chiefs couldn’t resist me :D It was always “baby first“.

I never got sick and mum had 800 nappies packed in the trunk. Actually, we had all the fun in the sun, 24 hours together with both parents – a rare privilege for a child.

By the age of one, I had 15 countries under my wings.

Those were the good times…

Back To Civilisation – but not for long.

Back in civilisation, the longing for travelling prevailed and it didn’t take long until we flew to Malaysia. This was the time when walkmans just conquered the market – omg how cool was that?! Now, even the longest, roughest bus rides through Sarawak didn’t bother me at all. It was “Bibi Blocksberg” or “Fünf Freunde” all day long. Mum also bought my first bike there – not only to speed things up (after all I was only four years old) but also to make me happy because I hated walking for hours. I was certainly the first Western kid cycling through Kota Kinabalu. We had a couple of rules like “Always stop in front of a street” or “Don’t run anyone over (not even a chicken)” and this worked really well for both of us.

Mum Knowns Best.

Yup, mum’s definitely do know best. She knew how to handle every situation, or how to keep me busy…

Giddyup Down Under.

We continued to Australia. And since Down Under is cattle country, I was on a horse by the age of five. It was mum’s idea to become a Jillaroo, so living on a farm in N.S.W. was not a problem any more. We adjusted well and blended in like all the others.

Busy Bangkok.

Bangkok train station was hot, humid and busy and we had to get tickets. While mum disappeared through the crowds, I stayed put with (or better on) our luggage. She told me that I had to ‘protect’ the bags and made a game out of it so that I would really watch out. In case someone wanted to grab them – or me – I should just start screaming. I looked pretty grim and nobody tried to steal anything after all.

Bangkok held another incident for us. I once got lost in the toy section of a shopping centre. I didn’t notice it at all, but in the meantime my mother frantically alerted the entire staff and they announced through speakers that a little blond girl was missing. After one hour they found me; I was happily playing in a changing room & mum almost had a heart attack.

At a market in Bangkok.

Sri Lanka.

We climbed Adam’s Peak and stayed at Brown’s Beach Hotel in Yala for a while. All the local kids listened to my command :D Sand, waves and sun – perfect!

Back in the days, a “white” kid was still a real attraction…

Indonesia, my second home.

School stopped travelling for a while, but mum decided it was time to learn some proper English. So she simply took me our of elementary school and decided to hit the road again. Down Under is was once more. Getting there took quite a few of months, because Indonesia was en route. All my friends where going to school back home, and I was studying on a remote island; cycling for PE lesson, Maths in the hammock and German under the stars – not too bad if you ask me :) And of course, the island kids where curiously watching as always. Oh and I’ll tell you, mum was definitely a tough teacher!

Beside the day to day school work, I learned how to fish and how to survive in a remote place, without modern gadgets of any kind. While my friends at home teased their pets, I targeted the Komodo Dragons with a slingshot … yeah, those where the good times for sure!

In Togean Islands, I had my first diving experience when dad went down to 20m depth with me in tow (just one octopus and one bottle of oxygen). Fun for me, but mum on the surface simply freaked out and tried to harpoon dad after getting me out of the water. Imagine all the Indonesian gloating over our family dispute :)

When leaving Togean Islands, we hired one seaworthy looking vessel. What we didn’t know was, that it was the captain’s first journey to the mainland, so he missed our destination by far, and we steamed along the coast to find a landing point. Right before sunset we arrived in a small fishing village, in a beautiful bay with stilt houses. When we came closer, many little canoes started paddling toward us and we got stuck between sea and shore. Everybody was screaming and welcoming us. We felt like Lady Di on Australia tour…crazy I tell you! They told us no tourists ever had been to this village before. This warm welcome preceded a week’s stay at the mayor’s house. Luckily he had just acquired a new TV with satellite connection, so I got in charge of the remote control immediately, plus the best and only chair on the veranda. Me in the chair and all the villagers on the floor around me, sitting in front of the TV watching “Cartoon Network” was a pretty funny sight for my parents. Honestly, this was actually my most memorable travel experience until today. Ever since that trip, we came back to Indo at least once a year and today I call it my second home.

On a ferry to some remote island…

In Timor with a lot of school kids.

Having fun with kids in Sulawesi…

The travelling never stopped and today, I feel very grateful for having seen so many different places of our beautiful planet.

What about you? How did you catch the travel bug?

This time, our destination is Southeast Asia; Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia to be exact. 4 weeks on the road. From temple running in Angkor, to shopping sprees in Kuala Lumpur, from a 10-hour-volcano-jungle-trek near Bukittingi to a quite beach holiday on the Mentawai Islands – we’ve got it all planned. We’re leaving today, so our bags are packed and now it’s all down to business!

And here are our travel essentials for a 4-week trip through Southeast Asia.

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

I was fortunate enough to live some abroad experiences before becoming an adult. From then on, I started to travel as much as I could, almost every month. Once again lucky, I lived the glorious days of European low-cost airlines that allowed me to travel as much as I could in between jobs and studies. Today, I am pretty much always on the move.

2.) Where is home?

Home is and always will be Galicia, a beautiful region in the north west of Spain, featuring more than 1000km of rough coast and a not so developed tourism industry yet. I would like to keep it like that.

3.) How did you get there? Have you lived there all your life, moved there because of College or just fell in love with the city/town on one of your trips?

I was born in Ribadeo, a lively coastal town and try to come back as much as I can to visit friends and family.

4.) What does your living situation look like? Give us a brief description (city or countryside, apartment or house, messy or neat-freak, roomies, pets, plants etc.)

At the moment, my life is spread among different places in the region although I would like to get rid of some stuff to be able to travel without any attachments. When I am home, I live between my boyfriend’s and my family’s.

5.) What’s your favorite spot in your apartment or house & why?

Neither I rent or owe a house but I guess the living room is where all the social action takes place. I love to have guests and friends over.

6.) Do you prefer books or movies (plus what’s your favorite one)?

Movies. I can’t live without a daily one. Anything clever, with a good photography or OST would do. Just forget about comedies, terror, cheesy, teen or B-movies. I am more into drama, history and biographies.

7.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

It’s been just three months since I started writing at A World to Travel so I am still trying to figure out how to proceed. Anyway, I write whenever I have some spare time. Balance between travelling and writing is not easy.

Many times inspiration comes while having some tapas or right before going to sleep. An always present little notebook keeps track of those ideas waiting to become articles.

8.) What does a perfect day in your hometown look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Do you hang out with friends or family?

Getting up as early as I can (not a morning person), it would involve some outdoor activities in the afternoon before heading for some social time at the local tapas bars. Beach life is big in summer and there are endless hiking opportunities as well.

At the moment, I’ve just arrived from a Balkans trip and my bags need to be unpacked before my friends come over for dinner.

9.) Name three spots in your hometown, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

Since my hometown is tiny, I will consider the whole region.

Loving the great nature by the Atlantic; I would recommend to pay a visit to Cies islands and Baroña ruins as well as Cathedral’s beach facing the Cantabric sea.

10.) What’s your favorite local dish (if you have one in your country/town, please tell us which one)? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

Unluckily without mastering the art at all; I could still try to prepare some seafood and empanada, a tasty dish consisting in a cooked pastry filled with anything you can imagine!

11.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

Milk can be priced as low as 0,50€ and petrol would be 1,40€ per liter.

12.) Where are you right now, on which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture)?

At the moment I am at my boyfriend’s, writing on my laptop and barefoot. Smart phone, though, is not far away and keeps distracting me more than it should.

13.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

Not having to pack and unpack every day; the awkward necessity of cooking sometimes and a warm welcome from friends and family whenever I come back!

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Bird
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio

Yes, the world is a crazy place with bombings happening at the Boston Marathon; an event where sport, fun, action and happiness are in the foreground. There’s no doubt that this is a real tragedy. BUT (and this is a big but), bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and many other countries are the daily business and no one seems to really care any more.

If you go through the terrorist incidents of 2013 alone, you’ll see, that almost all of them didn’t occur in western countries, and you’ll also realize that you haven’t even heard of 95% of them. You might have heard of the other 5%, but their headlines – “32 killed through bomb blast in Iraq” or “42 people killed through suicide bombings in Damascus” or “40 killed through US bombs at a wedding in Afghanistan” – don’t seem to bother us any more. It’s the daily business and therefore “nothing” special. These bombings also hit innocent people in places you’d never expect a bomb to go off – markets, buses, public buildings and even churches … As soon as the Western world is hit by something like this (even if the number of casualties is little to none), times seems to stand still.

I do care about this! In my opinion, there’s definitely something wrong with this picture!

Destruction left behind after an attack on Sigili village, North Darfur. Photo: UNAMID/Albert González Farran

Associated Press – A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic Church during Mass in Nigeria, killing at least 10 people.

Associated Press/Arshad Butt – Pakistani Shiite Muslims sit in protest next to the dead bodies of their family members killed in a bombing.

Iraq Suicide Bombings. Photo credit unknown.

Afghan policemen and NATO troops inspect the site of a suicide attack in Faryab province, Afghanistan. Photo: REUTERS

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

Hi! I’m Ashley. I’m 22-year old American originally from Michigan. The first time I traveled without my parents was on a month-long trip to Ecuador when I was 15. We hiked the Andes, roasted guinea pigs on a stick and built a house from the ground up for Habitat for Humanity… after that I was addicted to travel!

2.) When did you decide to hit the road? Was it hard to take that step? What preparations and arrangements did you have to make during the planning period?

After graduating from university last May I immediately left to spend the summer in Paris with the French family I work for every summer. A few days before my departure back to the U.S., an opportunity to stay in France with another family arose, so I went home, sorted out visa issues and returned to France as possible.

3.) Where & how do you celebrate Christmas?

Even though I travel quite a bit these days, I have somehow made it home for Christmas every year (though I rarely make it back for Thanksgiving, unfortunately!) Back in Michigan our Christmas’ are quite traditional; they involve a roaring fire, lots of food and wine and if we’re lucky a blanket of snow outside.

4.) How do you stay in touch with family and friends? Do you write postcards?

I love to email and I Skype with my family a few times a week.

5.) Are you planning on traveling for the rest of your life or would you like to settle down sometime (by settling down we mean finding a place to come home to)?

Someday I would ideally like to have a homebase but a job that allowed me to travel frequently… fingers crossed!

6.) If you could choose one city/country for living, which one would it be? Please give us a little explanation (weather, people, etc.).

I’ve spent two summers in Spain and it’s definitely my happy place: kind, good-humored people, balmy weather, delicious tapas and ham, miles and miles of sea coast, Moorish architecture and a language I can actually speak… for me it’s perfect!

7.) Where are you right now and how did you get there?

I’m at home in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where I live with a French family and work as their English tutor and au pair.

8.) Travelling is expensive … so how do you get from A to B?

My flight costs are almost always covered because most of my trips have been work-related. But when I do have to book a flight, I religiously check flight websites until I can find a good deal and fly lots of budget airlines like Ryanair and Easy Jet.

9.) Do you use a travel guide (Lonely Planet, etc.)? If so, please tell us which one … if not, why?

I do use travel guides- at the moment I have Lonely Planet Europe, Frommer’s France and Knopf Mapguide: Paris. I like travel guides in order to brief myself on a country’s history, customs and major sites before venturing there; I find I get more out of a trip if I’m already somewhat aware of the culture. I build a loose skeleton of an itinerary before leaving, but often completely change my plans once I’m there- you never know who you’ll meet or what will happen!

10.) What does a perfect day on your trip look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Are you in a city or in the middle of nowhere?

My perfect day would involve waking up, doing something active like skiing or hiking, enjoying some really delicious local food and then chilling out for a few hours before going out to a bar, pub or restaurant- in my eyes the nightlife is an essential part of any travel experience.

11.) Name three spots from your last adventure, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

My last trip was to Istanbul, Turkey, where I stayed with my cousin who lives there. Here are a few great local places on the Asian side of the city:

1. Çınaraltı – Turkish food served in the style of Korean barbecue. Lively atmosphere, strong drinks, delicious meat and reasonable prices.

2. Namli – One of the city’s best delicatessen’s and a great spot to grab brunch.

3. Monc – A laid-back, live-music rock bar with lots of incredible local bands.

12.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

I write rough drafts and then let them ferment for a few days or preferably weeks. Then I come back and overhaul them with edits.

13.) What’s your favorite local dish? Where does it come from? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

My favorite local dish in France is boudin noir, which is the French equivalent of black pudding. It’s easy to cook- just buy it at the butcher and fry it like a normal sausage.

14.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

I’m not honestly sure because I don’t buy either… but everything is pricey in France!

15.) On which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture )?

I’m writing this on my brand-new Macbook Pro (my first Mac, I love it!) and I’m actually not wearing any shoes.

16.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

Home is wherever my family is! I miss them a lot when I’m gone but I always know they will be there when I come back.

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Frankie Thompson
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio

For a lazy couch-potato it might be the right thing to browse through some “let’s flyaway” websites, on which the right destination will be found soon for sure; of course all inclusive, paid via the internet, with the invoice printed in the same moment. Now you only have to wait until the departure day arrives, pack up a few things and that’s it. There’s nothing more to do. Once you’re at the airport, you can start scanning your fellow travel buddies at the departure gate and start choosing some possible holiday flings as well.

That can’t be all, can it?!

But luckily there are other ways to start a vacation as a travel photographer: Scanning the atlas is a good start, because after all, there are many places yet to be discovered. For example the Austral Islands. We came across these tiny islands somewhere South of French Polynesia. But actually getting there took more than a few evenings of checking relevant websites (all in French, so we could prove our high school French skills at the same time). No sooner said than done, we started our 48 hour journey to French Polynesia…. And only one day after arriving in Papeete, we continued to the Austral islands. Since we were up for an adventure, instead of waiting for the next passenger ferry, we hopped onto the cargo ship, which provides these islands with all the goods the people need every couple of weeks. It was a smooth trip but turns out, we were quite lucky. Just a couple of days earlier, the ship had to conquer giant monster waves that crushed its hull. Must have been one hell of a trip…

Something like this would definitely never ever happen on a package tour. These “normal” tours are on the safe side most of the times … unless of course you’re captain thinks he’s a big shot and wants to impress some cute blonde waitress for example – then you’re relaxing honeymoon vacation can turn into a real nightmare. Still, in most cases, the greatest excitement comes along when you find a cockroach in the shower, and then the booking company can fasten their seatbelts, because heavy complaining will come up… Come to think of it, are package tours any fun at all?

We’ve had our share of horrible package tours.

A really strange (and that’s actually a nice word here) experience that we encounter was during a booked trip to the Great Wall of China from Beijing. We stayed in one of these hotel chains and due to limited time, we thought it might be better to book a tour, instead of getting there ourselves (plus it was also our first visit to China). Big mistake, as we already found out an hour later when the bus turned into a huge shopping centre full of Jade shops. It was an unwanted stop for half an hour, yet still most people actually bought something?! The guy in charge wanted us to go inside as well, but Jade simply doesn’t do it for us…

So after about 30 minutes, the bus continued to the Great Wall and just as we arrived, we were told to be back in one hour because lunch was provided somewhere else. No idea why but we didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. So after walking around a little bit, we returned to the bus as the last ones of course, which didn’t help in bonding with our fellow travellers. Anyway, the drive only took about 10 minutes until we turned into a gigantic (it really was gigantic) complex. We got out and were led into a waiting room, not the slightest idea what was going to happen next…

Well, turns out that before we could have lunch, we got a doctor’s consultation. 3 men in white robes entered the room with an interpreter explaining that we can get a medical check now and further more, get a prescription for Chinese medicine. Wft?! The doctors stated asking people if they had any bone aching, stomach problems, high blood, diabetes, sleeplessness or any other general sicknesses. And, believe it or not, most of the tourist admitted some problems and were happy that these doctors had solutions for everything. Heck, if I would have told these “Gods in White” that I had a brain tumour, I’m sure they would have given me some magical snake slime mixed with horse hair to make things better. So anyway, they started selling all kind of herbs and this was the time when we escaped again, with the excuse (we didn’t want to offend anyone) that we were healthy as a child … but instead of being happy for us, the tour leader gave us a grim look.

Anyway, the food was a bit dreadful as well. We sat at round tables and a huge pot was placed in the middle, which caught our attention. We opened the lid and an entire boiled rooster stuck out … that must have been the Chinese version of chicken soup, It might not have been so bad, but we mostly stuck to rice.

After arriving back in our hotel, we said never ever again … yet we did come across another package tour in Vietnam once (Ha Long Bay), but that’s another horror story I want to spare you of.

What about you? Any experiences with package tours?

The idea behind it.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to take a walk on the Great Wall of China? Or listening to your own heartbeat while watching the stars in the Sahara desert? And what about conquering the rough seas between Cape Horn and Antarctica? Well, I have. Thousands of times. I believe that a single traveller can‘t live to see it all.

We all know that life is not handed to us on a silver plate. I believe that inspiration is what keeps us going, it’s what makes us want to travel & strive for more. I’d love to give you the opportunity to visit the greatest places on our planet. Whether you’re a globetrotter, a couchsurfer or stuck in a 9 to 5 job. Hopefully the stories and photos on Let’s Travel Somewhere inspire you to do great things.

How the project started.

It wasn’t going to be an easy task. My friend Ines, who already did the design of Cookiesound is Travelling, was my first contact point when I had the idea of creating a travel photography website. But not just any travel photography site…

Even before the design phase started, I needed to find photographers, who were willing to contribute, even though there was no reference on how their photos would be presented. After all, I couldn’t have launched a travel photography site without any travel photographs to show…

So my goal for the next couple of weeks (or better months) was to start collecting and sharing inspiring photojourneys by striking travel photographers. And I was lucky to have some of the best contribute. Thank you so very much Ronnie Dankelman, Dario Endara, Vladimir Nardin, Anoop Negi, Mauro Paganelli and Ingetje Tadros! Without you, it would have been way more difficult to get things going!

The Goal.

I want to capture the essence of every country on the planet through stunning photographs and gripping stories. Your help is needed to reach this goal, so if you want to contribute, or know a photographer who’s photos inspire you, please get in touch with me.

And here it is.

Let’s Travel Somewhere