Travel DIARIES
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Sumbawa is the second (big) island to the right of Bali; surfers surely have it on their radar, but it’s a lesser-known destination for casual travellers. It’s been a dot on my map for years, but I’ve always made it to Lombok and never further. This time, I was determined enough to finally touch ground.…
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Don’t ask me about the best time to visit Morocco. I chose May (in my defense, I had some limitations), and that’s clearly questionable – nice in the North, but cold for the beaches. Pick another month or break your travels into parts, focusing on one region at a time. Either way, there are some…
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From Ziz Canyon, the vibe feels more relaxed compared to everything south of it. The canyons and the gradually greener landscapes are incredible. After Midelt (the apple town), the scenery shifts into a green steppe, almost like cruising somewhere in Europe.This is also where we found decent coffee (and some insightful convo with Berbers) at…
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Fuck it, I just drop it. My strongest recommendation, regardless of your destination, is to never visit a place with expectations. Or you can have them.. but then don’t be surprised when your delulu is destroyed, and all that’s left after you leave is a sour taste, a frown, and a hollow feeling in your…
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Trends come and go, new restaurants pop up every day, but Bali passed the tipping point years ago, where quantity steamrolled over quality. Prices are soaring to the heavens, while originality and character have sunk beneath the rice paddies (well.. at least underneath the remaining ones). What’s the hype in Canggu, Pererenan, and Munggu? No…
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In Thailand, the sightseeing options are overwhelming, and asking Google only makes it worse. So many tempting destinations.. Where to start? What to see first? How to get there? A bitter pill to swallow, but it may give you some ease: you can’t see everything in two weeks, not even in two months. So relax…
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Do you know that struggle when you arrive in a new country, need to find an ATM, exchange money, don’t know how much you will spend, then try to get rid of the coins (in the best case, giving them to the cleaning staff at the airport), not to mention all the additional bank fees?…
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Last visited in May 2025 Living on a tropical island can become monotonous and boring after a while and makes me miss the city vibes – and I don’t mean a small corner town here, but a real metropolis with asphalt, skyscrapers, and neon lights. To put this straight: Jakarta is not Bangkok. It has…
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Bandung is the third-largest city in Indonesia, and while it’s easy to get lost in a Google search rabbit hole, I’m hesitant to label it an unmissable destination. Some call it the Paris of Java (because of its colonial-era architecture), some hype the food culture, and some praise the creative spirit. But what I see…
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Most of my travel stories start with the same trigger feeling: I have to get out of Bali. Since my overseas plans didn’t give the vibe this time, I was poking around domestic flights. My first thought was Jakarta and take it from there, but for some reason, the tickets cost the same as Bangkok…
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Last visited in May 2024 East Sumba is the largest regency, with the most remote, most hidden, and most mind-blowing places.. and a road to heaven. WAINGAPU Waingapu is the capital and the transport hub between Flores and Timor. The city offers a broader range of hotels, and you have more options to rent a…
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Last visited in May 2024 They say Sumba is like Bali in the 80s, and it’s indeed not (yet) a fully explored and developed destination. From what I heard, there were only rocky dirt roads a few years ago; today, the asphalt network across the island is a driving heaven. Progress is definitely happening, and…
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Last visited in May 2024 The more I travel in Indonesia, the more I’m convinced that Bali is the overrated underbelly of the country. It’s good but not great, and since the big reopening, it’s gotten worse. Sumba caught my eye last year when I visited Rote and West Timor. I kept it in the…
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The short version: I had no idea what I was doing. The long version: Around June, Vipassana meditation came across more frequently and built up the calling in my mind. I’ve heard about it before, but my knowledge was limited to the fact that it is a 10-day silent retreat with some strict rules. At…
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This year is all about self-transformation for me. There have been so many events, breakthroughs, and healings that I can’t even keep track. Travelling to Java was not part of my short-term plans, but I learned (again) that everything happens when and how it has to. Many times, I do things just because why not.…
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I don’t have a strict or written-down bucket list. I usually go with the flow, find things of my interest (and forget about them), hunt them down (or change my mind), and then find something new (ADHD rulz). However, one thing has been on my imaginary list since 1999 – watching a total solar eclipse.…
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Let’s call this a teaser rather than a complete guide because Biak has more treasures than I first thought and definitely needs more than three days to explore the largest island of the small archipelago in Cenderawasih Bay. What I can tell for sure is that Papua is something else. And Biak takes this uniqueness…
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The good thing is that Khao Lak is only an hour’s drive from North Phuket. The bad thing is that I don’t know if I could feel lonelier anywhere else. In my personal journey, there is no other place so silently controversial: gorgeous and making me miserable AF. But before diving into the details, I…
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Last visited in December 2024 Chiang Rai is the overlooked sidekick of Chiang Mai, the forever second. I may be wrong, but is there anyone who has only visited C’Rai? This small city is pretty intriguing and will surprise you if you are willing to spend more than two days here (the average recommendation to…
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Chiang Mai is undoubtedly the hotspot of the north. But it’s not everything. People usually stay in C’Mai and go for day trips in a radius. However, let me give you some ideas about why it is worth spending a few days outside of the city and why Chiang Dao is an unknown but astonishing…
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Let me put this straight: I don’t think I got the best first impression of Pai. I spent two weeks there, not because it was so much fun, but because I was in no rush and hoped the rain would stop and I could do some adventures. Well, August is right in the middle of…
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Last visited in December 2024 Chiang Mai is the hotspot and the No. 1 reason to visit north Thailand. It’s the mecca of the Lanna Thai culture – pampers your eyes with beautiful designs, your soul with rich culture, and your belly with delicious cuisine. You can rush through the basics in 3 days (as…
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I could not live in Bangkok, but I’m always keen to visit for a week or two to feed my fix for city life, dress up, and – most importantly – culture (if you live an island life yourself, you can probably relate). And what makes Bangkok light years better than other Asian metropolises is…
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Ladies and gents: Koh Samui itself. Bo Phut is the heart and the underbelly of the island. Heavily populated, but therefore with the most options in terms of accommodation, food, and entertainment (well, whatever you call it). While the center of the central, Chaweng, is terrible (in my opinion), the district is luckily larger than…
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Mae Nam is the northern part of Koh Samui and a 100% chill zone. According to Google, it’s for backpackers and budget travellers. Maybe it used to be, but now it’s just like any other colonized part of the island. Mae Nam pier is the entry point from Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, so this…
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The population on Koh Samui is concentrated on the east side, leaving the wast West more remote and green. The main roads are perfect for driving, and the sights are easy to access.. it just feels far away from everything. West Samui is the zone for day trips and weekend getaways. Based on Google finds,…
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Koh Samui is clearly not my favourite place in Thailand. However, as a well-developed expat island, it offers everything you need for casual living, which is handy if you spend an extended time here. So when there’s no more sightseeing left, you can still eat a lot and grow a Buddha belly. Let me give…
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Koh Samui is the second largest island and one of the most boring places I have ever visited in Thailand. How can that be? Despite its size, there isn’t much to see and explore in terms of nature or culture. The internet is overflowing with blog posts about how exciting it is here, listing at…
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Koh Tao is one of those islands where people spend more time underwater than above. And when they are not in the deep blue, just talk about all the fish. If you are not deeply involved in this activity – again, diving – the island may feel a bit exclusive. It’s always challenging to find…
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So why Phuket? I didn’t know better, and I had an unfinished business here. I jumped blindfolded and kinda enjoyed the power of the unknown. I was so comfortable – like a domesticated cat – in my Bali life, and honestly, I wanted to have some absolutes. I was craving real excitement, a full-body experience,…
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I have amazing bad ideas, yet the most epic ones come from the Universe. No complaint, I asked for this. I am one of those who spent the last 2,5 years in the same country – although my leeway was significantly greater than others (Indonesia has plenty of islands, and domestic travel was not an…
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Nusa Lembongan. The home of evil spirits and paper straws that dissolve before you have the chance to finish your drink. Would this analogy be a coincidence? I don’t think so. Here’s a random raw thought to digest: Do you think the evil spirits are no longer present on an island where all the demons…
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After five beautifully shocking days on Rote, I had a week, a Honda Beat, and a mission to explore West Timor. I didn’t know what to expect, and to be honest, after the challenges of Rote, I set my expectations low – especially in terms of road conditions, the worthiness of the attractions, and food.…
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Indonesia is such a unique place on the map; it’s literally the land of islands, and the diversity of flora and fauna, people and languages, history and culture are outstanding (either in a good or bad way). But can you, and do you want to visit all the 17508 islands? People who come here usually…
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Manokwari – or Manos for short – is my favourite in Papua so far. It’s not too big, has direct access to beaches, the geography is dope, and people are friendly. I spent three weeks here, which can be a long time if you mostly just sit in a hotel room. Papua is for the…
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Frankly, an average person has no particular reason to come to this part of Papua. Jayapura Regency is heavily colonized (by Indonesians and missionaries), polluted, and not the most livable area. I wouldn’t say it’s extremely unsafe – not forgetting the ongoing conflict situation – but you better watch your back. So, why and how…
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For some reason, my biorhythm seems to be out of sync with the masses (at least since last year). I spend my days alone but also often feel lonely around people. I’m not content with this, and I’m still trying to figure out the whys. At the same time, this separateness, my instinct to choose…
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Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, is a real melting point of cultures but just another big Indonesian city with little to offer the average traveller. You’ll only come here because it’s the jump-off point to more amazing places. In Manado City, I can only recommend trying the best mie ayam and walking around Chinatown…
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The centrally located Makassar not only connects the islands in Indonesia but also serves as a perfect starting point for excursions within Sulawesi. Due to my travel schedule, I only had time for a day trip, but I’ve pinned my map with destination ideas, which gives me the perfect excuse to return. On this trip,…
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My very first visit to Bali (2017) left some imprints that stick with me no matter what. One of the most significant ones is that I spent my first few days in Ubud, and the first coffee shop I visited was Anomali. I remember trying all the different single-origin coffees from Aceh to Papua, inhaling…
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After surviving Ramadan on one of Indonesia’s most beautiful beaches, I felt ready to set off and shift from slow life to exploration mode. I only had a quick stopover in Sulawesi before, but I knew this land was calling me, and I had to immerse myself in it. My journey started in Makassar, and…
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The tinkle of wind chimes announcing the return of our fairy guests made us both look up. Our chance to be alone was going to be shorter than either of us had hoped. I sighed and brushed an errant dragon scale from Eadric’s tunic. “Someday when we have lots of time, remind me to tell…
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It was pure synchronicity to spend a week on the forgotten spice islands. After landing in Ambon, I put little effort into planning; I just went with the flow, and everything unfolded perfectly. This is how I ended up on Banda Neira. Wait, where? I guess not many of you know what it is, where…
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Leaving Raja Ampat gave me some headaches and struggles because my original plans didn’t want to flow. I let the Universe guide me, so I ended up in Maluku, with the entry point in Ambon. Ambon is a UNESCO city of music and is true to its name. You can hear music wherever you go;…
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Raja Ampat has been on my bucket list since I first arrived in Indonesia. I always imagined it as a honeymoon destination to visit with a special someone. Well, I am my special one. I don’t know what this year will bring and where I’ll be in the coming months, and with the season in…
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This won’t make me popular, but I do like 2020 a lot. While the rest of the world is mired in Covid misery, all this drama isn’t affecting my personal life. Instead, it’s providing great opportunities to visit and see places in a way we’ll never be able to experience again. The scenery may feel…
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Nusa Penida. The home of mantas, Jero Gede Mecaling, and black magic. This fascinating island is not only an enchanting destination – especially when Bali feels too overwhelming – but also has a juicy history. The spiritual legends of the former penal colony are said to have deterred even pirates from entering. Well.. believe the myths or not,…
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Driving in Bali for a while has made me rethink the average traffic rules. One of the many things I’ve learned here is that parallel traffic means 3 cars and 5 scooters in one row. So, for the sake of sanity, leaving the madness of the main roads behind is not only refreshing but a…
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Last visited in December 2024 After the necessary but too many months spent in my home country, it felt indescribably good to return to Asia. Besides my inner urge, the timing was perfect; the winter started to be too cold and dark in Europe, shops already overdosed on the Christmas horror, and I was annoyed…
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København, the merchant’s harbour, has always seemed to be a perfect getaway destination, and although I’m not into anything in Europe lately, it stayed somehow on my list. I have always been attracted to Nordic things (except the cold), Scandinavian design, and also men (the Viking blood is charming, or what?). The idea of a…
The Flux in PARADISE 