Untitled

[wanderfinds]

lourdes

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

A taste of Mongolia

A taste of Mongolia

Ulan-Bator was the first of the stops during our Trans-Mongolian, Trans-Siberian journey. It would have been ideal if we had at least a week to explore more of Mongolia, but we only had three days and we wanted to make the most of it. On top of our list,  was of course to stay in a Ger even for a night. A Ger is a portable round tent covered with felt or skin used as dwelling by nomads. We knew…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

My Epic railway journey- Part 2

My Epic railway journey- Part 2

The unintentional illegal passage to Russia We were on the move again after a brief but enjoyable stay in Mongolia. Our next stop was Irkutsk along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Excited about what’s in store for us in the next few days, my friend Choi and I were also a little anxious about our passage to Russia. On the way to the 8:20 PM train to Irkutsk at the Ulan-Bator station. The night before,…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

My Epic rail journey - Part 1

My Epic rail journey – Part 1

After years of pondering and months of preparation, a friend and I finally hopped on the train from Beijing to Moscow and traveled a total of 129 hours, 7,300 kilometers across 3 different time zones. “Why take the train when you can fly?” It puzzled many, even some of the locals we met thought we were insane, but the longest continuous railway line across Russia has that mysterious allure and we…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Bukhara a living museum

Bukhara a living museum

It got more and more interesting as we travel west to the smaller but equally historically rich cities in the Silk Route.

After Samarkand, our next destination was Bukhara. It is 2000 years old and is a perfect example of a typical medieval Central Asian city that has remained largely intact. Like the other cities, there is a new part of town and an old part of town. But unlike the others where…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Samarkand

After a day in Tashkent, it was on to Samarkand the mysterious and exotic sounding place with grand turquoise domed structures that inspired me to travel all the way to Uzbekistan. Its history dates back to 2700 years ago. It is the oldest in Central Asia and has experienced rule by the Persians, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur, the Arabs, The Turks and Russians.

The Greeks called it…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Discovering Wanderfinds

Wanderfinds gets introduced

I’ve just been nominated for The Liebster Award by Natalie and Dean of http://thesmartwayround.com. Do check out the intrepid duo’s blog, as they’ve got very interesting stories and helpful tips from their adventures.

The Liebster Award is awarded to bloggers by other bloggers. It is passed from person to person to encourage connection and support within the blogging community, most especially…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Tashkent, our doorway to Uzbekistan

Tashkent, our doorway to Uzbekistan

I was captivated by Samarkand’s majestic azure Registan Square the first time I saw a picture of it as a teenager many years ago. Soon after, I added Uzbekistan to my travel bucket list. Located in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is rich in history.

It was there where Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC and where he met and married Roxana a daughter of a local…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Enthralling Wadi Rum

“No man can live this life and emerge unchanged. He will carry.. the imprint of the desert… and he will have within him the yearning to return…. For this cruel land can cast a spell which no temperate clime can match.’” T.E. Lawrence

Still ecstatic after my Petra experience, I thought there was no other place in Jordan that was magnificent.

I was wrong.

The stirking landscape with towering…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Enthralling Wadi Rum

I had just ended a two-day visit to Petra and was still in seventh heaven. I never thought there was any other place in Jordan that was impressive. I was wrong.

Entering Wadi Rum was like entering another world.

The landscape was dramatic with rich colors and towering Sandstone and Granite Mountains and wide sandy valleys.

Wadi rum was made famous by T.E. Lawrence ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ who made…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Ignorance is bliss - Sailing the Saronic

Ignorance is bliss – Sailing the Saronic

I think the boldest travel decision my friends and I have ever made was to charter a yacht, something average budget travelers like us wouldn’t normally consider as an option.

We wanted enjoy Greece by sailing its islands and originally set to go on a small and intimate cruise on a motorsailer, but the schedules didn’t work out so the idea of a yacht charter came up. The thought of having control…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Once upon a drive to beautiful Cagayan

I enjoy road trips up northeast to Cagayan valley even if it means being behind the wheel for long hours. The valley has a wealth of natural and breathtaking landscapes on and around its misty mountains to its dramatic coastlines and unspoiled white beaches. I have traveled there several times before but have been to only a very small part of it.

I especially love mornings there, that’s why I…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Neighbourhood of the Gods

Neighbourhood of the Gods

I had to walk a little slower at first. I found it slippery walking on the marble streets of Plaka, the oldest section of Athens and known as the neighborhood of the Gods probably because of its close proximity to the Acropolis. So close, it’s just right below it.

Athens was our stopover between trips to the islands and with very limited time of three days, Plaka made for the perfect base to…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Pretty shades of Blue

Pretty shades of Blue

One of the many things I love about Morocco is that it’s so eye filling; She is never short of charming towns and cities. Hours spent on the road to get to one, to me is worth the journey. Just like how it was worth the four-hour trip by bus from Fez to the Blue city of Chefchaouen. From afar, it looked just like any other town, but the moment we got nearer, I started to see some splashes of blue.

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

A favorite stay: Dar Mounir

A favorite stay: Dar Mounir

Parts of what made my trips to Morocco interesting are stays in real homes or riads or little inns in the medina. Each place had its own character and appeal that add to a memorable experience in a particular place. One such place is Dar Mounir in Chefchaouen.

The charming inn is located very near the town square. After a couple of turns and a short walk along colourful shops, we were greeted by…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Mont Saint Michel

mont saint michel

Legend has it that St. Michael the Archangel appeared to the bishop of Avaranches and instructed him to build a chapel on the rocky islet in his honor.

Since the 8th century it has been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its name. A community of Benedictines lived in isolation in Mont Saint-Michel and when the abbey was developing, a village grew from the middle ages and flourished on…

View On WordPress

[wanderfinds]

Santorini. Once is not enough

thira

It’s such a popular destination, and I’m sure many are familiar with the blue domed white washed structures that line its cliff tops. I certainly had images of the island tucked in the corner of my imagination way before I even set foot on it.

Classically known as Thera, Santorini is the largest of the Cyclades group of islands. It is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions recorded…

View On WordPress