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The first place I ever set foot in the Arctic was Kiruna, Sweden. It was a crisp February day that practically shimmered with cold, and I instantly fell in love. This quirky little Arctic city surprised me with its liveliness and I swore I’d come back someday. And ten years later, I finally did, curious…
Dream of seeing the Northern Lights? Offbeat Abisko in the far north in Sweden’s Arctic Circle won’t disappoint.
In Tromso, by day, you can dog sled through frozen landscapes, explore a bustling city, take a cable car up a mountain, or meet Sámi reindeer herders. When darkness falls, you have a chance to see the flashing aurora in brilliant hues of green and possibly even purple swirling overhead at night. I’m ready to…
Big Almaty Lake used to be one of the easiest mountain escapes from Almaty. Sitting at 2,557 meters meters above sea level in the Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains, the lake’s surreal colors — ranging from milky blue to deep teal depending on the time of year — and dramatic mountain backdrop make it one of Kazakhstan’s…
When people think of day trips from Almaty, places like Big Almaty Lake, Kaindy Lake, and Charyn Canyon usually get all the love. But if you’re willing to endure an extremely early wake-up call, Altyn-Emel National Park offers some of the most unusual landscapes in Kazakhstan… with a tiny fraction of the crowds. I joined…
Visiting the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is a great addition to Uzbekistan itineraries for travelers who want to get off the typical Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva route. If you make it to Khiva, I definitely think it’s worth it to continue onwards to Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan and the beginning and end point of most Aral Sea…
An eerily beautiful forest of submerged spruce rises out of electric turquoise and teal waters, making it hard to believe your eyes. This is Kaindy Lake, one of the most otherworldly sights in Kazakhstan: a country filled with natural wonders that look straight from another planet. Part of the Kolsay Lakes National Park, this beautiful…
Normally, I like to see a country as in-depth as my time allows; I don’t visit countries just to say that I’ve “been there, done that.” However, my Central Asia trip was already quite long by my standards, which unfortunately meant that Tajikistan was going to be out of the cards… until I realized there…
Trang An is one of those places you see and immediately imagine yourself there amongst the quiet, glassy water, jungle-covered karsts, all with a misty, otherworldy feel to the atmosphere. And in a way, yes, Trang An is just like it’s photographed. But with that beauty comes its popularity, and therefore, you won’t be alone….