After a somewhat challenging start to our trip to India, we needed a place that was going to help us unwind a little bit. Following some research, we decided that Rishikesh had the best prospects for our purpose. Situated on the banks of the river Ganges with its sacred water, it is considered a Holy City and has long been popular with tourists looking for a spiritual retreat. Would we be able to overcome the challenges on our path and connect with the holiness of Rishikesh?
Category: Food & traditions
How my overland travel mission almost ended in Kazakhstan
When I had planned out the bigger outlines of my itinerary to Southeast Asia and back, I decided I would not come back exactly via the same route as on the outward journey. One reason was that I didn’t feel like doing the Transsiberian twice on the same trip; the other was the idea of… Continue reading How my overland travel mission almost ended in Kazakhstan
How I travelled through alienating places in western China
I had given myself 11 days to make my way from Kunming in the south to the border with Kazakhstan in the northwest. Everything was planned out, as I had to in order to obtain the visa. My first stop in Yuanyang was already a bit off the beaten track as far as tourism in… Continue reading How I travelled through alienating places in western China
From Thailand to China: the unlikely overland route through Laos
On December 5, 2017, the time had come for me to start the journey back to Belgium. Departing from northern Thailand, my mission was to arrive back in Antwerp before New Year’s Eve. The easy part: from Thailand to Laos It was with teary eyes and a very heavy heart that I stepped into the… Continue reading From Thailand to China: the unlikely overland route through Laos
Travel friendships blooming in Southern Thailand
Leaving Laos was a painful affair, as it meant parting ways with my travel boyfriend after four amazing weeks of travelling together. As he was going back to Vietnam, I spent a melancholic day and night in Loei, an untouristic border town in Thailand, where I started planning out my way back to Belgium. I… Continue reading Travel friendships blooming in Southern Thailand
Laos: 5 weeks of highlights (a countdown)
Laos is the country I spent the longest uninterrupted time in: 5 weeks. (Even though the visa on arrival is only valid for one month - but I went to the consulate to add a week to it. That way, I could travel as long as possible with my American travel buddy, whom I met… Continue reading Laos: 5 weeks of highlights (a countdown)
From ecotourism to social restaurants: sustainable tourism in Cambodia
Having travelled exclusively overland all the way from Belgium for ecological reasons, I was naturally also trying to be more aware of touristic initiatives with a positive impact on the local environment and society. In and around Siem Reap I especially found the area in and around Siem Reap to be a haven of sustainable… Continue reading From ecotourism to social restaurants: sustainable tourism in Cambodia
5 reasons why Cambodia made me happy
It’s not that I hadn’t been feeling happy in the previous destinations that I visited, but somehow the month that I spent in Cambodia was really throwing one blessing after the other at me. And so it was that halfway through my trip, I really got the feeling that this way, I could keep up… Continue reading 5 reasons why Cambodia made me happy
Exploring Vietnam: solo trips and short-term travel buddies
When I was not going on some crazy adventure like the ones described in the previous post, I would be discovering Vietnam at a more leisurely pace. Sometimes by myself, sometimes alongside other travellers, I steadily worked my way south from Hanoi onwards. Cave visit with some usual suspects After the impressive jungle trek to… Continue reading Exploring Vietnam: solo trips and short-term travel buddies