Also known as immersion travel and one of the most enriching forms of tourism, experiential travel has been a trend since 2010.
In our experiential travel we always dig deep to learn about the cultures, history, traditions and the way of local lives. Preferring experiential travel rather than superficial jaunts from a country to another has always helped us understand our travel destinations and their people better. This is why we strive to enrich our articles with details, color and bits of daily life to make our readers “feel”, “smell”, “see”, “hear” and “sense” the place we visited before them.
A deeper information about the culture and history of the place you are going on your next holiday is important because it helps you better encounter with the locals and understand their culture.
It also helps you avoid embarrassing moments and prevents you from risking to disrespect someone’s culture and traditions.
Despite hearing about the explosion in Parwan Province the day before, our minds were set to travel to the Panjshir Valley. To get to the valley of the Five Lions (apt transliteration from the Persian “panjshir”, پنجشیر), Parwan was a mandatory step and it did look a bit shaky, but once past that, we were good. …
One of the best things I suggest doing in Sardinia is visiting the open-air lab-museum of the late sculptor Pinuccio Sciola. I was lucky enough to meet him and interview him. “What is the first word that comes to your mind when you think of a stone?” Asked Pinuccio Sciola as he welcomed me to …
Solo female travel in Iran, is it a good idea? Is it safe for women to travel to Iran? I decided to plan my Iran trip together with my friend Madi, an Iranian woman traveller. Her family had no problems in letting her travel around Iran with the only company of another woman. So we …
After Seville and Cadiz, the third stop of my trip to Andalucía was the beautiful Córdoba. My 3-day stay was mainly focused on the Jewish quarter of Cordoba, the charming and historic neighborhood of La Judería. If Granada boasts a style that mixes Moorish and Christian influences, Córdoba combines these two approaches to art, society …
“Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the creator.” – Antoni Gaudi. This is possibly the quote that best represents the work and philosophy of this unconventional architect and one that made me want to discover and explore Gaudi’s buildings in Barcelona. My decision to go …
Orgosolo is a small, apparently sleepy, town of central-eastern Sardinia located in the Barbagia region of the Nuoro province. It’s very well-known both on the island and in the rest of the country for its stormy past. This was, in fact, the place where misunderstandings would be solved with blood feuds involving entire families for …
As I walked across the Forbidden City’s entrance gate in Beijing I was overwhelmed with expectations. I had read a lot about it and seen many pictures, and yet I was lured in by curiosity. Definitely one of the first things I wanted to visit in China. I decided to visit Beijing’s Forbidden City on …
S’Ardia, the wild horse race in Sedilo that takes places every 6th and 7th of July, never fails to attract thousands of visitors from Sardinia, Italy, and Europe. Sedilo, a quiet village of some 2000 people in Oristano province in central Sardinia, holds every year one of the island’s most reckless festivals. While I’m not …
Travelling to Afghanistan is hard, but living there is much harder. It’s a daily struggle for the locals who grow up there and are more used to hardships than foreigners, so it’s only natural that for me it proved a real challenge. If you want to visit Afghanistan, you might want to keep in mind …
“Khosh amadid be Afghanistan, welcome to Afghanistan”, a smiling and polite immigration officer at Kabul airport waved me in beyond the immigration border. We had just got off the plane, that I saw my first burqa-clad woman. “Do many still wear it?” I asked my husband, almost fearing his answer. “It’s a long story,” he …
Where to find the real Iran? is a question I’m often asked. As Iran can be hardly compared to any other country, here I try to give an honest answer.
In Rome shops displaying the latest fashion trends, the smell of fresh bread and ragù and loud car horns make clear to tourists that they are not only visiting the Italian capital, but they are also experiencing it. Because walking in Rome is an all-encompassing experience in itself and a great destination to honeymoon in …
For years Italy has been one of the most popular travel destinations for tourists from the world over. Culture, beauty, food, history, this small European country has it all and the reasons to visit Italy are endless. Thanks to its huge cultural heritage, the places to visit in Italy can keep you busy for a lifetime. …
There is a place in Iran that, in my opinion, is not capturing the attention it should. Nestled in the very heart of Persia’s segment of the ancient Silk Road, Izadkhast caravanserai is worth stopping, visiting and photographing at any time of the day, with the highlights being early morning and just before sunset. Located in Fars province on …
If there was one way to describe Catania, it wouldn’t be too far from sensory overloaded. Coming from Agrigento, I considered myself already well into the Sicilian mode to soon found out that our next stop was just in for new surprises and revelations. Noisy, smelly and proudly displaying a seductive state of decay, Catania, even though …
It was only a coincidence that we happened in Agrigento minutes before the parade for the saint patron Calogero started, but even if we were there in a different time than mid-June, I’m ready to bet that the spirituality that permeated the air would have been just about as thick and inescapable. The balconies framing the …
Many are the things you can’t afford to miss if you go to Sicily for the first time, and one of these certainly is Agrigento Valle dei Templi, in English, Valley of the Temples. Declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, whether you are a history buff, a photography lover or simply a passionate traveler, the …
“Abacaxi, óleo de coco, camarão, lagosta!” Pineapple, coconut oil, grilled shrimps, lobster. These the main products offered by the noisy and familiar street vendors populating Brazilian beaches and exploring Fortaleza you are bound to experience that. Everything about them seemed to shout, their colorful hat, their dancing-like allure under the unforgiving sun and their broad …
Fascinating, controversial and enchanting corner of the Mediterranean, despite its small size, there are countless things to do in Lebanon. Explore its ancient history in the perfectly kept archaeological sites, experience the life of the capital, Beirut, get a sensory overload in Sidon’s souqs and enjoy the Lebanese exquisite cuisine. As a marigold sun prepared …
Between palaces, gardens and mansions, Iran’s capital is as glamorous as it gets, but if you ask me, the most fascinating bits are right in the back alleys, the old Tehran, the narrow streets that so much reveal of the city’s daily life. Often overshadowed by the more touristy Shiraz, Isfahan, and Yazd, the Iranian capital offers …
The beginning of 1394 according to the Persian calendar, still haftsin (Nowruz-set tables) enlivening restaurants and hotel halls all over the country marked my third trip to the Islamic Republic. The first few days of this recent trip I stayed in Tehran to finally tour around the capital, and my wanderings brought me to the …
Many are the posts I’ve already written about the capital of Iran’s Fars province, describing the romance Shiraz never fails to evoke and the colours and reflections of the enchanted Nasir al-Mulk mosque from inside and outside. However, I realized I was yet to write one about one of my very favorite experiences in Iran, a visit to Persepolis, the incredible …
You live in a developed wealthy country, surrounded by all sorts of comforts, you can afford traveling when on holiday, you feel lucky and accomplished and all you want to do is helping the poor you see in Cambodia in any way you can, be it giving to beggars or doing volontourism. Stop for one minute and …
In case Hindu gods and sacred images scattered all over Angkor Wat temples are not enough to remind you of India, head to Rolous village and take a stroll around its local market. “It’s in proper Cambodian style”, warned me our tour guide Borey, style that turned out to be pretty much like the one …
Whether it’s a historical or a living temple, in Cambodia, spirituality seems untethered to time. Probably like anyone traveling to Siem Reap, and most people traveling to Cambodia in general, my first experience has been a two-day all-temples-tour, a full immersion in the Angkor Wat archaeological park, with Angkor Wat itself left on the second …
I’m just coming back from Cambodia, the country mainly known for its 3-year-8-month-20-day Khmer Rouge period, its always smiling population and for its poverty. In all honesty, when I booked my flight to ancient Kambuja I thought I knew what to expect, but as it turned out, my pre-trip research little did prepare me to the sights …
Even though I’m not the biggest fan of very touristy spots, while delving into medieval Europe in Romania, I decided to visit also the Bran Castle, famous for being Dracula’s castle, which has actually nothing, or little to do with Dracula himself. But first things first. Who’s Dracula? A vampire. Do vampires exist? Of course, they …
It was the year 1516, to be precise March 29th, when the Senate of the Serenissima Maritime Republic of Venice declared official the institution of the city’s Jewish Quarter, known also as Venice Ghetto, Europe’s first neighbourhood of its kind. This is how I roughly translate the Renaissance Italian words issued by former Venetian rulers …
For as much as I enjoyed the Pettah district, there are many other places to visit in Colombo. One of the most important and culture-rich destinations in Sri Lanka, Colombo is a vibrant capital packed with landmarks to explore, great restaurants, luxury hotels, fantastic Ayurveda spas, and charming temples. I spent a few days in Colombo so …
On my very second day in Brazil I was mugged in Fortaleza while strolling along one of my favorite beaches, Beira Mar. Before you think “You should have known Brazil is dangerous”, let me tell you that yes, I know many Brazilian cities bear a very sad record when it comes to street crime, but …
At first glance, Chiang Mai doesn’t exactly leap to mind as an exciting Asian hub, especially if compared to the vibrant Thai capital, Bangkok, barely an hour plane away. The best way I found to start experiencing the city? Learning how to meditating in Chiang Mai with Buddhist monks. As you might have gathered from …
One of the things I liked less in Bangkok and Phuket was locals’ attitude of focusing everything around the tourism industry. Obviously Thailand devotes a lot of money, energies and resources in the tourism advertising, but often what they offer to foreigners is simply that, a tourist experience, rather than an authentic involvement with Thai …
The first time I went to Dubai, two years ago, I wasn’t impressed. To the extent that when my parents and I booked our trip to Abu Dhabi last December, I wasn’t particularly excited to go back. Now, I’m glad I did go again to experience some sightseeing in Dubai. Unlike the first time, when …
A trip to India is a cluster of emotions. I’m not alone in saying this, you can ask anybody you know who has been to this colorful Southeastern Asian country, and the answers will all sound similar. I had heard so many times the sentence “When you come back from India, you will not be …
Even though I had no idea where I was going, I felt lucky enough to be invited to a traditional Indian wedding. I repeatedly asked the locals I was with, but none of them seemed very sure about it, so I just gave up and accepted the fact that in the Garhwali region of Uttarakhand, India, …
One of the prettiest cities I’ve visited in Uttarakhand is Nainital, in the Kumaon region, famous for its beautiful lakes and picturesque surroundings. Blessed by the presence of nine lakes that make for a truly breathtaking natural landscape, Nainital is one of the most touristy places in this Himalayan region in northern India. As I …
One of the most offbeat places to visit in Uttarakhand is Manila, unknown by most travellers and still off-topic on most travel guidebooks. Of great natural beauty and rich spirituality, here is where travellers can learn about age-old Hindu traditions and religion. A small village in Uttarakhand India is a very colourful country, and the definition …
After visiting the state of Rajasthan, I looked for some less “touristy” destination and found it in a tiny village in the Kumaon region of the Uttarakhand in India, close to the Himalayas, confusedly named Manila, like Philippines’ capital city. Visiting Manila in Uttarakhand We drove to Manila from Delhi, all in one go, leaving …