Hello Dear Reader, Matt here. I’m always on the look out for new DPRK-produced products or interesting little tid-bits while travelling in North Korea. While there’s a load of wonderful souvenirs from hand-painted propaganda posters to DPRK national sports team…
Read MoreMonth: November 2018
15 Best Things to Do in Valdez (AK)
Valdez is found at the head of Port Valdez which is a natural fjord that reaches inland for around 11 miles from Prince William Sound. Originally home to the Chugach and Ahtna native peoples the area was previously used for…
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15 Best Things to Do in Nome (AK)
Nome is one of the most remote communities in Alaska, the town access is even closed down for the winter due to the harsh road conditions. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to visit especially for adventure…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kotzebue (Alaska)
Kotzebue or Kikiktagruk in Iñupiaq meaning ‘almost an island’ can be found on the gravel spit at the Baldwin Peninsula. This three-mile stretch of town is located 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle and most of the population here…
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15 Best Things to Do in Dorchester (Dorset, England)
In the 19th and early 20th century Dorset’s county town was intertwined with the life of Thomas Hardy, one of England’s greatest writers. His two houses are both looked after by the National Trust, while the town itself is fictionalised…
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15 Best Things to Do in Stevenage (Hertfordshire, England)
The Second World War left the UK in desperate need of new housing, and this need gave rise to the 29 settlements known as New Towns. Stevenage in north Hertfordshire was designated the very first of these in 1946, and…
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15 Best Things to Do in Banbury (Oxfordshire, England)
The North Oxfordshire market town of Banbury is a prosperous manufacturing centre and the UK base of brands like Douwe Egberts. Banbury has always been a place where things get made, from plush fabrics hundreds of years ago to narrow…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose may be the central business district of the city and one of the biggest technological hubs in Silicon Valley, but that doesn’t mean it’s all work and no play there. The district has been through an era…
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15 Things to Do in South Tucson (AZ)
Considered a suburb of the much larger City of Tucson, South Tucson is a separate municipality with a population of slightly more than 5,000 residents. South Tucson and Tucson are in southern Pima County, and South Tucson is often referred…
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15 Best Things to Do in Globe (AZ)
The County Seat of Gila County, Arizona, Globe was founded as a mining camp in the 1870s. Initially, the inhabitants mined for silver but that ceased before the end of the 19th century, to be replaced by more profitable copper…
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15 Things to Do in Snowflake (AZ)
With its rich pioneer and Native American history, stunning scenery, and wonderful summer weather, the town of Snowflake is a popular destination for retirees, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts from all over the American southwest. Due to its relative remoteness…
Read MoreTop 5 Reasons to Visit Rason SEZ
Rason SEZ (Special Economic Zone) located in the very far North East of the DPRK, Is North Korea’s only special economic zone. Established in 1991 the cities status allows for easier foreign investment and is definitely much different than most peoples…
Read MoreThe Ghost Train of Dandong
If you’re heading to Dandong in Liaoning Province, China and have half a day to spare I’d strongly recommend checking out the Ghost Train of Dandong. Located on the side of the highway that leads to Tiger Mountain – the…
Read MoreTop 5 Things to do in Belarus
Ah Belarus, it is often described as the last Soviet state of Europe and is seldom visited, needless to say this country doesn’t get the love it deserves. Now that it relaxed its visa policy, we believe it is the next place to be! Don’t believe…
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15 Best Things to Do in Sedona (AZ)
Sedona is at the bottom end of Oak Creek Canyon, close to Flagstaff in Arizona. It is in a region where there has been human life for more than 10,000 years. In those days, the population was composed of hunter-gathers…
Read MoreFood reviews: North Korean Breakfast Cereal
So during 2018 I’ve been noticing a lot of new locally made North Korean products hitting the shelves of markets and selected department stores throughout Pyongyang. From cereals to home furnitures，some products can be a hit & miss while others…
Read More10 Crazy Facts about the Mass Games
This year, the Mass Games officially returned to North Korea, and wow did they come with a bang! The new theme “Glorious Country”, depending on how you translate it replaced the previous incarnation of “Arirang”. Arirang was good, but this…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kensington (London Boroughs, England)
As posh as it gets in London, Kensington is about staggering wealth, boutiques, rows of elegant townhouses, a royal palace and lots of European embassies. Kensington is also a cultural quarter extraordinaire, with three of the UK’s best museums on…
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15 Best Things to Do in Bury (Greater Manchester, England)
The home of black pudding, this town to the north of Manchester has a lot more going for it than sausage. Of course, meat-eaters have to sample that black pudding at Bury’s award-winning market as a priority. But there’s also…
Read MoreMade in the DPRK
Depite North Korea’s reputation for reclusiveness, or people’s assertion that it is in some ways backwards, North Korea/DPRK through necessity, priority, and the stated aim of the Juche idea produces a number of top level products over a number of…
Read MoreRolling with the Bidayuh Headhunters in Borneo
I’m not gonna lie, at times my job can be a pretty damned good one, particularly as I now have two main jobs, namely finding new destinations for YPT, and trying to buy an island. Every now and when the…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Tampa
If you’re going to Downtown Tampa, then you are in for a good time. The Downtown neighborhood of Tampa is one and a third square miles crammed full of fantastic things to do. Downtown Tampa is fronted on two sides…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin may have been founded on a six-hundred-acre plot and have consisted of no more than fourteen blocks, but two hundred years on things have certainly changed. Downtown Austin, flanked by a broad stretch of the Colorado River, now…
Read MoreWhy I Became a Tour Guide in North Korea
Since joining YPT in early 2018, no day has been the same for me, and every tour to North Korea has brought a new and fantastic adventure. Two of the first…
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15 Best Things to Do in Bicester (Oxfordshire, England)
A few short miles north of Oxford, Bicester is a market town with a pretty centre. People have been trading in the heart of the town for almost 800 years, but nowadays Bicester is associated with a more exclusive kind…
Read MoreLiving as an “expat” in Pyongyang
I just spent one month in Pyongyang. Totally off the grid, completely immersed in the country with a very small group of extremely like-minded, wonderful individuals I’ll never forget. This was YPT’s maiden “Pyongyang study tour,” made up of four…
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15 Best Things to Do in Utqiaġvik (AL)
Also known as Barrow, Utqiaġvik is the northern most settlement in US Alaska. The traditional name was voted back in 2016 to support the preservation of the Inupiaq language. A gateway to the Arctic ocean, the history in this part…
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15 Best Things to Do in Unalaska (AL)
At the centre of the Aleutian Islands, Unalaska has a long and interesting history. From the original inhabitants of nine thousand years ago. To the Russian fur traders who made this place their headquarters, the role in World War Two,…
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15 Things to Do in El Mirage (AZ)
Though once considered a remote cattle outpost, the quaint town of El Mirage, Arizona is now nearly a suburb of Phoenix – a city that is expanding at a previously unimaginable pace. Located in the Valley of the Sun’s northwest…
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15 Things to Do in Apache Junction (AZ)
Located about 35 minutes east of Phoenix in the remote Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction is close to many of the area’s most popular attractions. As an old mining town, it’s full of hard-luck stories and local legends, many of which…
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15 Things to Do in Kingman (AZ)
Route 66 has played a historic role in the USA. “Winding from Chicago to LA’’ – as the famous Bobby Troup song from 1946 goes – Kingman in North West Arizona is one of the cities you will pass through…
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15 Things to Do in Marana (AZ)
Located near the city of Tucson, Marana is a small town with a uniquely southwestern feel. Surrounded by hundreds of miles of Sonoran Desert that stretches well down into Mexico, the area is a huge draw for northern retirees looking…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is a compact urban nucleus in the Brooklyn suburb of New York City. Nestled between Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn is an area which is, in general, dedicated to commercial and financial purposes and ranks as…
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15 Things to Do in Queen Creek (AZ)
Though not all that far away from Phoenix and its millions of people, Queen Creek is pleasantly unique in many ways, and you’ll probably notice the difference immediately. With Arizona roots that run deep, Queen Creek is the kind of…
Read MoreThe Five Best Eastern European Countries You’ve Never Thought of Visiting
France, Italy, Germany, and their pearly, lavish capitals have been at the top of world travel itineraries for centuries. Of course, these destinations hold enough history, culture and overall beauty to satisfy even the most selective of travellers, there are…
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15 Best Day Trips from Palermo
Palermo is the capital of the Italian island and autonomous region of Sicily; an island which is not only the largest in the Mediterranean but which has played one of the most important roles in both the region’s history and…
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15 Best Day Trips from Harrisburg PA
Despite its small size and charming exposition, Harrisburg is one of the most historic and important cities in Pennsylvania. The seemingly unassuming city has a small population, but under the surface, Harrisburg has a lot waiting to be discovered –…
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15 Best Day Trips from Fresno
Fresno is located in California and the city’s location places it virtually in the middle of the state. Although the coast is a few hour’s drive away, it’s still easy to day trip out to some of the most spectacular…
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15 Things to Do in Bullhead City (AZ)
Located on the mighty Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, Bullhead City is an oasis of history, recreation, and modernity, lost amidst the vast desert that blankets much of the southwestern United States. Just a stone’s throw from the gambling…
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15 Things to do in Prescott Valley (AZ)
Located in central Arizona’s Verde Valley, the town of Prescott Valley is steeped in history, most of which revolves around the mining operations that were the bread-and-butter of the area’s economy in much of the 19th and early 20th centuries….
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15 Best Things to Do in Crawley (West Sussex, England)
A New Town in West Sussex, Crawley’s recent fortunes have been tied to Gatwick International Airport a few miles north. Before the middle of the 20th century Crawley was a small market town constellated by little villages that are now…
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15 Best Things to Do in Homer (AK)
Nestled on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, Homer is focussed around the central point of the Homer Spit. A long strip of land where you will find shops, art galleries, bars and restaurants and beaches. There are plenty of things to see…
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15 Best Things to Do in Ashbourne (Derbyshire, England)
An old market town of cobblestone streets and cultured Georgian townhouses, Ashbourne is just a mile shy of the south boundary of the Peak District National Park. You couldn’t be in a better position to see the best of the…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Rhode Island
The New England State of Rhode Island was established by Royal Charter in 1663. In contrast with much of the eastern seaboard of the USA, Rhode Island – the smallest US State – still has farmland and a coastline that…
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15 Best Lakes in New Mexico
The fifth largest state in the USA, New Mexico is an extremely diverse state, both in terms of culture and geography. Its landscape ranges from dry desert to snowy mountain peaks and everything in between, making it quite a stunning…
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15 Best Waterfalls in West Virginia:
During your trip to West Virginia, you may need some solitude or downtime in nature; what better way to find this than to visit a waterfall. Whether it is the simple act of a gentle (or vigorous, if you choose)…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Idaho
Idaho is a state you do not want to miss on your United States road trip or vacation. The ecological treasures are like no other place in this world (at least, according to the people of Idaho). This state is…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Vermont
Famous for its maple syrup, harsh winters, and unparalleled natural beauty, Vermont is a popular destination for Americans looking to escape their chaotic and stressful lives in east coast cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia. As a child, my…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state well known for its impressive stretches of wilderness, filled with incredible natural beauty and fascinating wildlife. White Mountain National Forest in the north, with the towering Mount Washington, draws people to visit for winter adventures,…
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15 Best Things to Do in Barnstaple (Devon, England)
An ancient town and port on the River Taw, Barnstaple received its charter from the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelstan in 930. The pedestrian streets and alleys of the town centre are brimming with old landmarks like almshouses, a Norman castle mound…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Dallas
Think of Downtown Dallas and several things will probably spring straight to mind. The historic moments marking DT Dallas’s past with sadness. The glitz and glamor associated with the city from its oil industry dollars and the eighties Dallas themed…
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15 Best Castles in Europe
European history would be unimaginable without the remarkable castles scattered across the continent. Castles seem full of magic and mystery, something straight out of a fairytale. Yet so many fairy tales and stories have drawn inspiration from real castles that…
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15 Best Day Trips from Christchurch
As the largest city in New Zealand’s South Island, Christchurch acts as a gateway to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Having suffered a major earthquake in 2009, the city is still regenerating. A lot of the…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Thailand
With its ancient gilded temples, chanting monks and wafting incense, Thailand is considered by many Westerners to be the pinnacle of exotic destinations. There’s no doubt about it, Thailand is rich in culture and history, not to mention friendly people,…
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15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta may have been founded way back in the early 1800’s but this city district, which covers around four square miles and includes nine neighborhoods, is as up to date and vivacious as if it were built yesterday. There’s…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Iceland
Iceland has been called the ‘’Land of Ice and Fire’’ because they co-exist equally in this country. In actual fact, ice covers just 10% of this Island of contrasts, yet it has Europe’s largest glaciers. The national population is a…
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15 Best Things to Do in Center Point (AL)
The area where Center Point now sits was once occupied by Native Americans back in the 1700s. In 1816, settlers began to arrive from North Carolina and used the area for agricultural purposes, growing the settlement into a small village…
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15 Best Things to Do in Mountain Brook (AL)
As a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Mountain Brook allows visitors easy access to all the city’s attractions. It’s one of the state’s most affluent suburbs, with an abundance of historic landmarks, parks, shops, bars and restaurants. Whether you wish to…
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15 Best Things to Do in Selma (AL)
Selma, Alabama has been inhabited for centuries, with Native Americans, European and American settlers all staking their claims in the city. But Selma is perhaps best known for its involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement. Prior to the movement,…
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15 Best Things to Do in Troy (AL)
Troy, Alabama has a rich history, and for centuries was home to Native American tribes who settled around the Conecuh River. For twenty years during the mid-1700s, Troy became part of the region known as British West Florida colony, until…
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15 Best Things to Do in Trussville (AL)
Trussville is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, located 15 miles northeast of the city. It is listed as one of the 100 best places to live in America, and one of the best towns in the state for young families….
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15 Best Day Trips from Erie, Pennsylvania
A small city located on Pennsylvania’s only coast with the Great Lakes, Erie has many great outdoor activities – both on the lake and in surrounding forests. These, combined with excellent museums and world-class restaurants, make Erie a great tourist…
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15 Best Day Trips from Mesa, AZ
Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona and is located in the wider Phoenix metropolitan area. A core region for the Mormon religion, it is an interesting place to learn more about the religion and its spread across Arizona….
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15 Best Day Trips from Malta
Malta is a small archipelago of beautiful islands found amongst the rolling waves of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a unique nation to visit because the country’s geographical location between North Africa and Italy has given the islands here a diversity…
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15 Best Day Trips from Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is one of the most iconic places in the small, independent city-state of Monaco on the Mediterranean Sea. This is the realm of the rich and the wealthy, the home of the Monte Carlo Casino, the Monaco Grand…
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15 Best Day Trips from Lexington Ky
Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky and arguably the most interesting and authentic city to visit in the state. Found just an hour to the west of Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, and just half an hour away from…
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15 Best Day Trips from Bangalore
Recently renamed Bengaluru, Bangalore in India is the third largest city in the country and is the main entry point into South India for many visitors. Bangalore is filled with beautiful gardens, unique restaurants, and monuments to the growing tech…
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15 Amazing Waterfalls in Arkansas
Arkansas is known as ‘The Natural State’ for good reason. Much of its land area is relatively untouched and is particularly noted for its fascinating geology which includes caverns, sinkholes, towers, and grottos near many of its waterfalls. Ironically, Arkansas…
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15 Best Day Trips from Moscow
Moscow, the sprawling Russian capital, is a city that’s both full of history and contemporary culture. This is the centre of the Russian world, a city that armies have invaded, where nations have clashed and where revolutions have played out…
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15 Best Day Trips from Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is one of the most historic and religiously important cities in Spain. This small city is the heart of Galicia, and it’s well known as the end point of the famous long-distance walking route, El Camino de…
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15 Best Day Trips from Mykonos
Mykonos is one of Greece’s most exciting and charming islands to visit. Aside from being known as a lively holiday destination with a vibrant, perhaps infamous nightlife in certain areas of the main town of Mykonos and along some of…
Read MoreAleksandr Lukashenko – The Last Soviet Leader of Europe?
“The last dictator in Europe” is what German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle called Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Don’t let the ex-Soviet statesman’s laconic response – “Well, I’d rather be a dictator than be gay” – distract you from the reality…
Read MoreAleksandr Lukashenko – The Last Dictator of Europe?
“The last dictator in Europe” is what German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle called Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Don’t let the ex-Soviet strongman’s laconic response – “Well, I’d rather be a dictator than be gay” – distract you from the reality…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kallithea (Greece)
One of the largest municipalities in Greece, Kallithea is in the south of Athens bordering the Saronic Gulf and Athens’ historic centre. In 2016 Kallithea got a shot in the arm when the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre was unveiled…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kalamaria (Greece)
South of Thessaloniki Kalamaria is a suburb established in the 1920s with the arrival of Anatolian and Georgian refugees from the Greco-Turkish War. In Greece Kalamaria is known for Palataki, a Neoclassical mansion on a headland, once favoured as a…
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15 Best Things to Do in Volos (Greece)
Affectionately known as the City of the Argonauts, in Greek mythology, Volos was where Jason boarded the Argo on a quest for the Golden Fleece at Colchis. As a nod to this ancient hero there’s a replica of an ancient…
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15 Best Things to Do in Glyfada (Greece)
A well-to-do resort on the Athens Riviera, Glyfada is where Greek tycoons, politicians and foreign oligarchs go for sun, sea and sand a short drive of the capital. To the uninitiated it’s a kind of Greek Marbella, with luxury boutiques,…
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15 Best Things to Do in Zografou (Greece)
In eastern Athens Zografou is a municipality with a big student population, where you’ll find the campus for the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as the National Technical University of Athens. The neighbourhood is bounded to the…
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15 Best Things to Do in Crete (Greece)
The Mediterranean’s fifth-largest island was the birthplace of the oldest civilisation in Europe, blossoming in 2700 BC. To get to know the Minoans you can venture through Bronze Age archaeological sites across the island, and call in at the phenomenal…
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15 Best Things to Do in Rhodes (Greece)
Villages infused with the scent of jasmine and bougainvillea, a magical Medieval UNESCO-listed old town, superlative beaches with glistening waters: There are hundreds of reasons to come to Rhodes, but we’ll try to condense the tally to just 15. The…
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15 Best Things to Do in Santorini (Greece)
The extraordinary island of Santorini in the Southern Aegean is on the eastern chunk of a collapsed caldera. Its villages have whitewashed cave houses with blue doors, carved in tiers at the top of menacing dark cliffs. These west facing…
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15 Best Things to Do in Corfu (Greece)
The second-largest Ionian Island has seen the Byzantines, Venetians, French and British come and go over the last 1,000 years, and all these cultures have left something behind. If you need a place to begin, try the World Heritage Old…
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15 Best Things to Do in Mykonos (Greece)
Mention Mykonos and a few images will spring to mind, whether it’s celebrities sunbathing on yachts, bright white Cycladic architecture or paradisiacal beaches. One of the most popular islands in the Aegean, Mykonos has a fun-loving, cosmopolitan atmosphere and is…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kalambaka (Greece)
In the Thessaly Valley, Kalambaka is a town watched by the surreal rock formations of Meteora. With wisps of greenery, these gigantic sandstone and conglomerate pillars are up to 400 metres high and topped with monasteries that make up a…
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15 Best Things to Do in Naxos (Greece)
The largest island in the Cyclades, Naxos is also the most fertile, growing olives, potatoes and citrus fruit on its hills. Mount Zas, the highest peak in the archipelago traps clouds, creating more rainfall for agriculture and is a satisfying…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kos (Greece)
Only four kilometres off the coast of Turkey, Kos is the third-largest island in the Dodecanese. As a key administrative centre from Classical Greece to Roman times, the island is littered with ancient ruins. Many are right on the edge…
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15 Best Things to Do in Paros (Greece)
Right at the centre of the Cyclades, the island of Paros is a holiday destination cherished for its phenomenal beaches and cute Cycladic villages of snow-white houses. Parikia, the main port is a knot of winding streets below a castle…
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15 Best Things to Do in Zakynthos (Greece)
On the Ionian Island of Zakynthos (Zante) there’s a world of difference between the mountainous north and west and the flatter south and east, where most of the beaches are found. The upper regions have bright white limestone cliffs plummeting…
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15 Best Things to Do in Kefalonia (Greece)
Most of the top attractions on the mountainous island of Kefalonia are natural, like the mythic Melissani Cave or the highest peak, Mount Aenos. Kefalonia’s coastline is as rugged as its hinterland and this contributes to the majestic beauty of…
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15 Best Things to Do in Lesbos (Greece)
In the North Aegean, Lesbos is the third-largest Greek island and known to many as the home of the Ancient Greek poet Sappho in the 6th century BC. Unlike a lot of the Aegean, Lesbos has stayed clear of heavy…
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15 Best Things to Do in Chalkidiki (Greece)
A three-fingered peninsula in Central Macedonia, Chalkidiki is mainland Greece’s sun and sand holiday paradise. The region has 72 Blue Flag beaches on 550 kilometres of coastline, and is sprinkled with archaeological sites like Stagira where the philosopher Aristotle was…
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15 Best Things to Do in Epirus (Greece)
Between the Pindus range and the Ionian Sea, the mountainous region of Epirus is in the northwest of Greece. The coast has the kind of warm climate and pine trimmed coves you’d expect from the Ionian Islands, but inland the…
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15 Best Things to Do in Lefkada (Greece)
In the Ionian Sea and joined to the Greek mainland by road, Lefkada (Lefkas) is an island with mountainous topography and beaches so immaculate you may have seen them before ‘in advertising. One, Porto Katsiki is even more beautiful than…
Read More5 reasons to go to Mauritania
Mauritania, which used to be a french colony, then became an Overseas Territory until its independence in the beginning of the 60s is one of the countries that are less often mentioned when people think of travelling to Northern Africa….
Read More5 raisons de visiter la Mauritanie
La Mauritanie, colonie française puis ancien territoire d’Outremer jusqu’à son indépendance dans les années 60, est l’un des pays du nord de l’Afrique que l’on mentionne moins. Bien que son industrie touristique en soit à ses premiers balbutiements, le pays,…
Read MoreThe Biggest Unrecognized Country in the World: Western Sahara
Few colonies have gotten their independence smoothly. For some, the process has been very messy, with demarcation lines put between families and governments left crumbling. Such was the case of Western Sahara, a vast yet sparsely populated piece of the…
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