I spent roughly the entire month of October and the beginning of November 2023 travelling around Afghanistan. Was it worth visiting? Absolutely! Was it stress-free? Certainly not. While I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for a family holiday, Afghanistan is possible to visit, and for the adventurous, it’s likely to be one of your most rewarding […]
How to Visit Nuristan, Afghanistan.
After spending an entire month travelling across Afghanistan, Nuristan was easily one of my favourite places to visit. This mountainous province is not only a natural gem, but it is also home to people of a unique culture and ethnicity. Many of the local residents have blonde hair and blue eyes, and the pine forest […]
Visiting Iran? Essential apps you MUST download.
Iran has apps for everything! When it comes to booking domestic trains, flights, buses, hotels and more, almost everything can be done online in Iran. For travelling in Iran, I believe these apps are essential. Yet unfortunately, they don’t tend to be tourist friendly, with payment methods only accepting Iranian cards due to sanctions, and […]
History of Arba’een – the world’s LARGEST annual pilgrimage
Many people know that the Arba’een pilgrimage to Iraq, is the world’s largest annual public gathering. In some years, the city of Karbala hosts more than 20 million visitors, such as in 2022, as reported by Al Jazeera. But this was not always the case. In fact, during the rule of deposed President Saddam Hussein, […]
Is Tourism in Syria Ethical?
In the last year or so, several news agencies have written articles about the recent post-war “tourism boom” in Syria. Many of them claim that tourism in Syria is not ethical, seeing as tourist visits, especially those of influencers, amount to “whitewashing” the Syrian government, as claimed by The Washington Post. But, as someone who […]
Guide to Southern Lebanon 2023
How does visiting one of the most tense international borders sound? Well, to most, it sounds quite frightening. Who knows when a war between Israel and it’s neighbours might set the region on fire. Although such a war could break out at any point, until it does, Southern Lebanon is actually very safe to visit, […]
Who are the Mandeans of Iraq?
Among Iraq’s religious minorities, the Mandeans are some of the least known. In fact, many Iraqis haven’t even heard of them, and if they have, they have very little ideas about what they actually believe in. I was fortunate enough to meet the head of the Mandean sect (similar to the Pope in Christianity), where […]
How to get a Syrian tourist visa 2023
Since 2019, it has become fairly difficult for citizens of most countries to get a Syrian tourist visa that allows them to visit the country independently. That does not mean, however, that it is difficult to visit if you book a guided tour. In fact, in that case, it is super easy. This article highlights […]
Top 4 Boutique Hotels in Damascus 2023
By Xavier Raychell Blancharde The old city of Damascus, Syria, is filled with some of the world’s most charming hotels. Many traditional Arabic houses across the old city, some of them dating back to the 1600s, have been converted into hotels in Damascus, giving you the opportunity to live as old aristochratic families did in […]
Syrian Railways: History and Current Situation
By Xavier Raychell Blancharde Although the situation of the Syrian railways is currently quite dire, that hasn’t always been the case. Since 2011, however, Syria has been affeced by a brutal war, with much damage sustained to many of the rail lines, as well as the inoperability of the routes due to them having to […]