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.

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.

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

Back in the Old Days.

So, this first trip through lots of African countries happened without a single guide book, and my friends and I managed to find restaurants, petrol stations, hotels and directions all by ourselves. We even didn’t miss the villages on our way through the Sahara desert. And you have to keep in mind: Those days, modern electronics, like GPS, were also not invented; we simply relied on a compass and the only available map we had, the “Michelin Map” (nowadays still good for travelling through Africa).

Soon after we finished our trip, the travel guide book hype started … with Lonely Planet on the forefront. On one of our next trips, the LP book “Africa on a shoestring” was in our possession. It was all a lot easier now. Sure, we would have found restaurants and hotels, but why bother with the extra time when you had a reliable guide book at hand?

So on it went for a couple of trips and we (and many others) totally confided in these bibles. Until we met a person somewhere on the road without such books. “No, I don’t need any travel guide book” he said. At first we thought that he might have been travelling on such a low budget, that he couldn’t even buy a guide book, but he had absolutely no intentions looking at our copy…

Lost Edge.

After years of travelling by car/truck, we planned a trip by plane – of course with a guide book in tow. On the plane, it was useful as reading material and with the description of the place we were flying to, we already knew everything beforehand. But this was wrong… The desired hotel turned out to be a very noisy place with the nearby mosque as a wake up call at 3 am. Didn’t the author of the book stay there? Was he deaf? This should have been mentioned, or the hotel should have been skipped at all… But never mind. We checked out the next morning and found another place to stay at – better, nicer and quiet, and not even mentioned in the book!

And this is the thing with these guide books nowadays. Things change so fast; places close down, new ones open and therefore, keeping a guide book up to date can be very tricky. Especially when the author, who should update a new edition, is a bit of a bored fella, who’s rather up for drinking holes then checking on the changes. The guide book won’t be accurate any more, and with every new edition it will only get worse…

When we decided to drop (most) guide books.

The encounter that really made us realize that (most) guide books couldn’t be ‘trusted’ any more, was during a trip to North-East India. When travelling East beyond Kolkata, it seemed that the Lonely Planet India guide book hasn’t been updated since the colonial era. Except the maps with the cities and villages marked, almost nothing was up to date. We really had the impression that the authors didn’t visit the area at all since the first edition. The LP India guide book is pretty heavy, and as there was no valuable information in it, we disposed it at a train station on the way to Darjeeling.

And then we were ‘on our own’, without a guide book, and had to find a place for the night. Miraculously, after driving around for a bit with a tuk tuk driver, he brought us to a very nice hotel which had just opened a year ago. And even without 20 outdated restaurant suggestions, we didn’t starve because we found some really great local street vendors who sold nice and decent food. And we didn’t miss the bus station for our next destination either… Finding it the day before our intended departure, we bought the tickets, asked for the departure time and were on our way the next morning.

The point of this post is simple: if you’re a smart person, you better gather some general information via the internet before you start your trip or in the local community at sight. Ask around, get in touch with the people around you, buy a local newspaper and look for other travellers. Rather than sticking your face in an outdated guidebook, communicate.

When reading the local newspaper in India last year, I came across this article below. After this, I thought to myself that I’ll send Lonely Planet an e-mail asking them, why their guide books have become more and more inaccurate. Until today, I never even got a reply. Mistakes can happen and times are getting tougher and tougher – also in the guide book business -, but when one is altered by loyal readers, a statement shouldn’t be too hard…

Lonely Planet gives Assam a ‘makeover’ – Just a ‘minor’ mistake…

Of course, there are exceptions, because there are well researched guide books out there. It’s not all about quantity but much rather quality. Rather than having a bunch of unreliable guide books from every country on the planet, stick to a few accurate ones and start expanding slowly… but that’s just my opinion.

What about you? Any bad/good experiences when it comes to travel guide books?

We also love to sit down at hairdressers overseas because of a couple of reasons:

1. It’s a lot cheaper than in Europe
2. You get all the attention from the trainee to the general manager
3. It’s a good way to step on the breaks when one is overly exhausted from sightseeing trips or monster shopping tours
4. Nothing comes above a nice long head massage before a good night sleep

Therefore we always try to pick a hotel in the vicinity of a hairdresser … one really needs a little bit of luxury and pampering once in a while.

If you’re travelling through India, you’ll notice that the hairdressers you’ll pass along the streets are barbers for men only. Lady hairdressers are mostly hidden behind closed doors or curtains. If you insist enough though, even a local barber will give you a nice wash and blow dry … and if you’re really lucky (and you’re up for it) even a haircut. Don’t worry, hair grows again… after all, no risk, no fun.

In other South-East Asian countries like Laos, you will come across makeshift hairdresser, who can pop up their gear straight away – a chair, a comb and scissors will get the job done.

Honestly, even when it came to the remotest places and the weirdest looking equipment, we always left the hairdresser with full satisfaction.

How about you? Any interesting hairdresser/barber experiences? Would love to get your stories on this.

A typical barber in the side streets of Varanasi, India.

This barber in Varanasi is still waiting for customers…

A barber shop in Varanasi at night.

A barber shop in the streets of Kolkata, India.

A barber shop in the streets of Varanasi, India.

A barber shop in Varanasi, India.

A man getting a shave at a local barber shop in Varanasi, India.

A hairdresser at the bus station in Laos.

A – Age you went on your first international trip

Nisa: I’ve been on the road pretty much straight out of the maternity ward. My parents took me on an adventure trip through Africa before I was even a year old.

Ulli: My travelling started with reading the books that I got for my birthday, Christmas or any other important reason. For example Hans Hass and his stories, Herbert Tichy and his journeys to Tibet, Nepal and Himalayas, the conquering of the Himalayas by Sir Edmund Hillary. All this formed a vague desire of far away countries at a very early age. Far away in those days meant (for my parents at least) Italy or Greece. My first hitch-hike trip to Italy with was at the age of 16. It was a big thing for me because my parents thought that I was going to a friend in the Austrian Alps. There was no mobile phone and no connections for 4 weeks so it was easy to lie. I came back in one piece and after telling them about all my experiences … well, jaws dropped but they were proud as well. So that was just the beginning of a travel-love affair which lasted until today.

B – Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where

Neither of us drinks beer. What’s all the fuss about it anyway?

C – Cuisine (favourite)

Nisa: I LOVE food (healthy food of course – hate junk). Couldn’t say what food I like best but the Thai cuisine is pretty darn good.

Ulli: The Malaysian dish Laksa.

D – Destinations, favourite, least favourite and why

Nisa: Oh my, that’s a real tough one … but ok, I’ll try to narrow them down. Favourite: Indonesia – I call Indonesia my second home because I’ve been there so often. The people are super friendly, the landscape is stunning, the food is absolutely delicious, scuba diving is breathtaking, surfing amazing and you won’t find more beautiful beaches anywhere in the world! After Indonesia, I’d also have to say Austria – it’s my home country … and there’s no place like home :) And then of course my new favourite country: New Zealand. I went on a four-week road trip from the North all the way to the South and it was the most amazing trip I’ve had in the last years. Least favourite: Can’t say because I think there’s something exciting to explore in every country… but there are places that are not so high on my „to-visit“ list and these include: South America (except Argentina, Chile & Peru).

Ulli: Favourite is everywhere where it’s warm or hot. Least favourite I would say is Northern Siberia & Antarctica since I hate the cold.

E – Event you experienced abroad and made you say “wow”

Nisa: Can’t think of an event but there are two experiences which really made me say “wow”: 1. Watching surfers ride the waves at Teahupoo in Tahiti (holy f**king shit!). 2. Scuba diving in Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Ulli: Dancing of Sudanese tribes in the middle of nowhere for a good harvest season.

Perfect wave riding at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

F – Favourite mode of transportation

Nisa: I’d have to say trains, even though flying is much faster, I’m a big wuss when it comes to planes. What I like about trains is that you can save money when it comes to accommodation when travelling at night ;)

Ulli: Private car (though sometimes too expensive). After that, I’d also have to say the train.

G – Greatest feeling while travelling

Nisa: Being on the road. Exploring new places. Meeting new people. Having time. Doing what you love. And of course being your own boss.

Ulli: Coming to a village that is rarely visited by foreigners.

H – Hottest place you’ve travelled to

Nisa: India in the summer. After that trip, I knew what „hot“ really meant.

Ulli: The Sahara desert in summer. We travelled from Tunis to Lome in Togo with 58 °Celsius – you needed a towel to touch the steering wheel or the camera and had to wrap yourself in wet towels at night (but it was still darn hot).

The Sahara desert is one of the hottest places.

I – Incredible service you experienced and where

Nisa: Hmmm … I couldn’t really tell. I mean, I’ve had a lot of incredible services but I can’t think of one that would stand out. What I do know is that service is always good if you have the cash. Think of this: You arrive in front of the latest club in town, driving the newest Porsche. The bouncer would never ask you if you’re on the guest list because you must either be a.) rich, b.) very important or c.) both. Do the same without a Porsche, be a ‘normal’ person, don’t brag with material stuff and you can be sure not to get in. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is pretty shitty but very often it’s reality … I think that it always depends on how you act and behave. If you’re nice & friendly, you’ll (mostly) be rewarded with the same.

Ulli: On the way to the Gibbon Tree House in the jungle of Laos. Due to heavy rain, the Land Rover couldn’t pick us up and we had to walk through the jungle for 7 hours … Nisa just shouldered my backpack on top of hers and carried it all along the way without any complains … I was stunned and that was definitely a great service!

J – Journey that took the longest

Nisa: 6 months of travelling through Indonesia with my mum when I was 9 years old.

Ulli: Travelling through Africa with our own 4×4 truck for 12 months, just after finishing high school when I was only 19 years old.

Travelling through Africa in the late 70’s by 4×4 truck.

K – Keepsake from your travels

Nisa: I try to bring something home from every country that I visit. One thing that’s still on my mind was a bicycle my mum bought me while travelling through Malaysia. I was only 5 years old and not ready to walk such long distances, so I got this cute little red bike. Ulli always told me to wait for her at every street crossing, and so I did. That bike was the most important gadget for me (and my mum) when travelling.

Ulli: Memories, memories and memories. Plus every time loads of whatever – I really don’t want to count all the overweight costs or parcel shipping; every single piece in our house tells a story…

L – Let-down sight and where

Nisa: I don’t get what all the fuss is about the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Or the Empire State Building in New York … oh no wait, now I’ve got it! The most let-down sight was the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum – it’s tiny!

Ulli: The worst for me is animal cruelty (even if it’s only fish). Where I have seen this? Unfortunately in too many countries …

An Orang Utan in the zoo of Padang in Sumatra. Stop animal captivity!

M – Moment where you fell in love with travelling

Nisa: The moment I feel in love with travelling is when my mum and I travelled through Indonesia for 6 months in 1995. Back then, I knew that travelling was going to be the greatest passion I would ever have.

Ulli: At the age of 16 when a friend and I stood on at the outskirts of Vienna, trying to hitch a ride to Greece, It took us 4 days but we got there at last. Our parents thought we were visiting a friend in Lower Austria.

N – Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in

Nisa: I’m not a fan of big chains (I like to call them „sharks“). I actually hate big hotel chains! I prefer little guest houses, or boutique hotels. You’re much closer to the people, it’s so much more cozy and personal. I had a wonderful stay at „The Times Hotel“ in Amsterdam, „Hotel Josef“ in Prague and the beautiful Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap; beautiful rooms, wonderful service and the perfect location.

Ulli: I’ve been to many nice hotels, but a few stood out. Alka Hotel in Varanasi for the amazing view over the Ganges river and Allipore guest house in Kolkata, which is a small local place but with an overwhelming warm hospitality.

O – Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while travelling

Nisa: Markets from around the world.

Ulli: Odds bits and pieces … the daily life in the streets, food vendors, craftspeople, hairdressers, rubbish bins, workers, transport – whatever I zoom in is pictured forever.

Fresh fish at a wet market in Vientiane, Laos.

P – Passport stamps, how many and from where

Nisa: Seriously? Far too many to count. I have to get a new passport every couple of years.

Ulli: My passports are always full long before the expiry date, so I’m sorry but I couldn’t tell you how many stamps I’ve collected during my many years of travelling.

Q – Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where

Nisa: Angkor Forest Lodge in Sen Monorom, Cambodia. It’s like a little Cambodian Disneyland.

Ulli: Nothing really quirky comes to my mind at the moment but the Chuchi Tunnels outside of Ho Chi Minh City was a strange experience; imagining all these people living underground during the Vietnam War with only a few tiny exits so they wouldn’t be seen (where a middle fat Westerner would have no chance on fitting in).

R – Recommended sight, event or experience

Nisa: Seeing the Komodo Dragons (back in 1998) left quite an impression on me and I’d love to travel there again.

Ulli: Hmmm … the world is so beautiful and exciting, so this is really not that easy. Sleeping under the stars in the middle of the Sahara desert, knowing the next village is hundred miles away, is something that will stick in your mind for a lifetime.

S – Splurge; something you have no problem forking for over money while travelling

Nisa: Massages and hair appointments. If possible, I do one of these every day when on the road.

Ulli: After long and exhausting trip (the of local style), upgrading to a business seat on the flight home is the best.

T – Touristy thing you’ve done

Nisa: A pre-booked tour to Halong Bay in Vietnam. Not a fan of booked tours!

Ulli: A booked tour from Beijing to the Great Wall of China with my sister. A real horror trip! We were dragged into a jade selling factory, to a Chinese medicine facility/clinic,  where the doctor was more than upset when I told him that I had no back pain, no aching muscles and no stomach problem … therefore I didn’t need any of his remedies at all. The Great Wall itself was fabulous and good fun though. But never ever again would I do anything like that!

A bunch of happy officers at the Great Wall in China.

U – Unforgettable travel memory

Nisa: Not too long ago I wrote an article about my most memorable travel experience, which took place back in 1996 while travelling through Indonesia for six months.

Ulli: Unforgotten is every single trip but the most exciting and exotic adventure was the trip from Lisala to Kisangani on a Congo river ferry. The ferry transformed into a floating city while travelling: 2.000 people on barges tied together and we where “stuck” on there with friends and our two trucks for 6 days. We saw people giving birth, dying or slaughtering animals. Infections & drownings where the order of the day. This trip was truly one of a kind and I’d love to do it all again one day.

V – Visas, how many and for where

Nisa: Again, too many to count…sorry :S

Ulli: As an Austrian you need a lot of Visas and since I travel often, I need a new passport pretty much every year or so…

W – Wine, best glass of wine while travelling and where

Nisa: I’m not that big of a drinker. And I usually don’t drink wine when travelling (mostly because there is none at the places I travel to). So sorry, no answer for this question …

Ulli: Wine can be tricky to get sometimes so I rather buy a bottle of Whisky in the duty free. Mix it with some limes and you have good compromise for a nice sunset on a remote beach.

X – eXcellent view and from where

Nisa: The Peak in Hong Kong. One hell of a view of one of the most thrilling cities in the world.

Ulli: Adams Peak in Sri Lanka, with hundreds of worshippers around you. And the view out of the Alka Hotel in Varanasi – if you’re patient, the occasional body will float by…

The view from the Peak in Hong Kong.

Y – Years spent travelling

Nisa: I’m 26, so … 25 1/2.

Ulli: In my mind I’ve been travelling all my life. For real since I was 14 years old. And no, I’m not gonna tell how many years that is :)

Z – Zealous sports fans and where

Nisa: I’m a huge sport junkie. I’m a huge fan of skiing (of course) & snowboarding in winter. In summer I prefer my racing bike, running shoes and surfboard.

Ulli: I like trekking, horse riding and rafting. Sports without too much technical equipment is ok for me.

After this, I want to hear the full ABC’s of the following wonderful travel bloggers, who have always inspired me!

• Nate of Yomadic
• Rika of Veganmiam
• Shivya of The Shooting Star

Take-off at Kingsford Smith International Airport – Sydney.

My first flight was at the age of 20: it was with an African Airline (I can’t remember the name) from Lome (Togo) to Lagos (Nigeria). I was pretty afraid of flying and the fact that the pilot loaded the  luggage himself into the 20 seater didn’t help either. The short flight was smooth, but I was still scared until we landed. The next flights (which were a lot) were all without any sort of incidents and I almost forgot that something  could actually happen…

Incident #1 – Garuda Indonesia.

Our first flight incident was on a flight with Garuda Indonesia from Europe to Singapore. Flights those days used to stop for refuelling in the Middle East. When there was this big “bang” in mid-air, I knew something was very wrong; the plane shook a bit but continued flying – without any kind of announcement. Nisa (luckily) didn’t realize anything was wrong – she just continued watching TV. During the decent to Abu Dhabi, the pilot admitted a “little” problem: one of the engines blew up and there would be a delay until the engine was fixed. After 8 hours of waiting, we boarded again. The take-off was fine and the pilot announced that everything was fixed. But not for long: All over sudden, again a big loud “bang” frightened the passengers. The same engine gave up again (with a huge fireball) . One might think that we would have returned to Abu Dhabi. No, this didn’t hinder the pilots to continue to Singapore. The rest of the flight was ok, but just before arriving in Singapore he announced that passengers who were continuing to Jakarta would have to wait for a new aircraft. The plane was obviously very kaputt.

Incident #2 – Malaysia Airlines.

Another incident (which was not so bad but still a bit scary) happened during a flight with Malaysia Airline. We were flying from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur and a fellow passenger started to get really mad. At first he (just) shouted at his poor wife but the he punched the guy who was sitting in front of him and began running around the aircraft, shouting at everybody. He seemed to be in lack of drugs or on an overdose, no idea. The little Malaysian flight attendants had no chance against him, and everybody was dead quiet. When he went to the toilet, it was their chance to get him; so they locked him in. But this made him even more furious. He totally demolished the toilet and broke the door. Luckily by then two tall guys (looking like football players) had the courage to grab him and wrestle him down. They strained him onto the floor and chained him with seat belts – he looked like one of Steve Irwin’s captured crocodiles. There was a doctor on board who gave him some tranquillizer because he didn’t stop screaming. He spent the remaining 6 hours of the flight on the floor, guarded by the two brave guys who took care of the situation. After landing in Kuala Lumpur, everyone had to remain seated until some grim looking police officers arrived and guided him off the plane.

Incident #3 – Dragon Air.

Another incident happened during a flight with Dragon Air from Hong Kong to Shanghai. The weather was really bad and the plane was struck by turbulence, when all over sudden there was a great “bang” (like a huge explosion). I looked at my sister Andrea and we both knew something pretty shitty must have just happened. But there was no smoke or fire and the plane continued flying. It was dead silent for about 2-3 minutes until the pilot announced “Hello ladies and gentlemen, please don’t worry, the plane just was struck by lightning. This is quite common, everything is fine and we will soon land in Shanghai.” After the landing, I really had the feeling that I just escaped disaster.

Incident #4, #5, #6 & #7 – Merpati Nusantara Airlines.

Flying in Indonesia often comes with a surprise.

#4: We were flying from Kupang to Ruteng. After hours of waiting in Ruteng for the fog to lift up, we were able to depart. The flight itself was pretty scenic, but during the descend, we could see that the airstrip was still covered in fog. The pilot managed to land but he also tipped the wing into the grass. It didn’t rip off, but I wouldn’t have wanted to fly back with this plane…

#5: Next stop: Bima. With these small Merpati planes, delays are normal so we weren’t surprised that this was the case with this flight as well. After a few hours, we were finally ready to board the aircraft. We could already see the plane from far and well, we were not happy with it. Not only did the propeller plane look like it just came out of a deep sleep but as soon as we stepped out of the bus, we saw oil dripping out of one engine, lots of mechanics running around, arguing, still fixing & screwing on the engine while we climbed into the plane. Nisa almost didn’t board it and to be honest, I didn’t feel that comfortable either. Taking off was … well as expected: bumpy, noisy and uneasy. Nisa was sitting by the window and usually you can see right through the propellers but she nudges me and said that it started getting slower and slower. Up in the air (maybe after 10 minutes) the engine slowly gave up and the propeller stopped running. The steward ran up to the pilot, discussing the situation (and everyone could listen) when all over sudden the steward said: “We have a technical failure and have to return to Bali again.” He said it in a very strange way (not the usual happy flight attendant way), so we knew the situation was serious. But it was somehow clear right from the beginning that the plane was ready for a bigger repair. So we landed safely and I can’t tell you how relieved we were. We were then told that we would have to wait overnight until the machine got fixed … Since we didn’t want to set one more foot on that plane, we changed our destination.

#:6 Bali to Kupang with a Boeing 737. During boarding in time, everything was fine, but this plane was bound to not reach its destination. After about half an hour, we didn’t manage to get any higher than about 1.000 meters. At first I joked around that we must be on a scenic flight until the announcement: We were having troubles with the cabin pressure and we had to return to Bali…

#7: This time we wanted to explore the region of Raja Ampat in Irian Jaya.Getting there took us a couple of flight: Bali to Makassar and then Makassar to Sorong. The Merpati flight to Sorong was quite bumpy and you couldn’t see much because the sky was covered with thick clouds. No land could be seen during the descent, therefore the landing approach was going to be difficult (I might add at this point that Sorong Airport does not have landing lights – so if the pilot can’t see, he even won’t be guided by those lights). After circling for half an hour, everyone started getting a bit nervous (we all know that these little planes don’t carry that much petrol), when the pilot braced himself and went down through an air pocket that opened up – it was one hell of a hard landing, with screeching tires and smoke billowing from underneath!

Incident #8: Air France.

Once we encountered technical problems on an Air France flight from Paris to the United States. We were already 3 hours into our flight, when all over sudden a funny noise occurred. The pilot decided to abort the flight so we headed back to Paris. Nobody said a word or demanded anything until the planed touched down at Charles de Gaulle. We were never told what the problem was…

We’ve had a couple of other little incidents as well, but nothing worth mentioning here :) These were our most severe … and luckily everything always turned out fine.