Dumb-ass tourists are nothing new, but I have a feeling that their number is painfully increasing. When I was a teenager, traveling was mostly a privilege of the so-called developed, First World countries. Going abroad was expensive, flying overseas a luxury thing, budget options were very limited, and road-trips in nearby areas or countries used …
On Terrorism, Fear and Why We Should Not Stop Traveling
We are living in troubled times and acts of terrorism across the world sadly make the news more and more frequently. Every new attack increases people’s fear, perhaps also because for most of us born in first world countries after 1945, war is part of our past and somehow abstract. Sure, since the end of World …
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Responsible Trekking in Los Glaciares National Park
“We need your help to keep Los Glaciares National Park pristine“, says the ranger. “If we all work together, we’ll be able to preserve Los Glaciares as it is for the future generations“. Most morning and early afternoon buses arriving from El Calafate stop at the Visitors Centre before reaching El Chaltèn. Passengers are split …
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Independent Travel vs Organized Tours? The Pros and Cons
When it comes to travel, there’s no “right or wrong”. Travel is personal: it depends on our education, environment, and personality. Not to speak about how much our travel decisions are driven by our budget and how much time we have. Our travel style tells a lot about us. A lot of people ask me …
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Travel and Dangerous Places: Is it all a Matter of Perception?
Protests in Egypt, violence and criminality in Venezuela, nuclear contamination in Japan, sexual assaults in India and Brazil, conflicts in many Muslim countries, war in Syria, Iraq and so on. And then kidnapping, mugging, snatching, food poisoning and who knows what else. Some days, when I read the media and learn about the warnings issued …
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Getting Older Changed My Travel Perspective
Traveling is interesting, exciting, eye-opening, entertaining, enriching and lots more. To me, however, travel is also an experience that enables me to uncover and realize important things about myself. Yes, I’m getting older, and I started realizing that the time ahead of me is shorter than the one behind me. How could this possibly not …
Hiking Alone, A Wonderful Intimate Experience
I don’t like hiking in groups. I like hiking alone or, at most, with a good friend. I walk slowly, and the thought of people waiting for me makes me feel uncomfortable. Still, the main reason I like solo hiking is because to me it’s a wonderful intimate experience, a way to rediscover harmony and …
Falling in Love with Beautiful Europe… Again
I started traveling when I was a teenager, many years ago. Back at that time, traveling as a European student meant exploring Europe. The world of travel was so different from what it has become in the last 20 years. Back in the ’80s, for an Italian student traveling through Europe was the only option …
As the Southeast Asia Journey is Coming to an End…
My Southeast Asia journey is coming to an end and while I’m enjoying the last days relaxing in Pulau Perhentian, a cool island in North-Eastern Malaysia, I started thinking over the experiences of the last few weeks. There have been highs and there have been lows. Moments when I was feeling really well, and others …