Travel Guides

Cambodia is the present remaining of the ancient rich khmere culture, which means also a lost world. But the contemporary Cambodia is also a modern tragedy, thinking to the massacres lead by the prince Norodom Sianouk and his red khmeres.

Some people are very elevated in Cambodia, and most of them, even very poor, have some aristocratic behaviours. They greet by smile and by sompiah( a bow with the hands in a prayer position). And every Cambodian can talk for hours about the rich history of his country. Which means first of all Angkor, the big temple, which is 900 years old.

I visited Angkor Wat, it is overwhelming. And overcrowded too. In my opinion, if this visiting program will last, the temples from Angkor will collapse within 20 years. There are many traces of vandalism. The modern people are obviously less educated than our ancestors, for sure!

To get there, I book a flight to Siam Reap International Airport( as big as a four room flat!) and stayed in the Amansara Hotel.

Amansara Hotel is not very big(twenty royal suites) , but is very modern and very luxurious. It was one of the residences of Norodom Sianuk, and still retains the majesty of its former occupants. You will be spoiled there, they try to treat you as a Royal Highness, exciting all your senses. And they start with the strong jasmine scent, followed by professional massages, spa and wellness. The perfect combination!

Wish you to have good times there! It is a strange mix between past and present!

Berlin is waiting for you, and I am sure this city worth your visit, you will not be disappointed. If you plan to visit Berlin, bear in mind these little things listed bellow!

1. Berlin Zoo (Berliner Tiergarten) is Europe’s biggest Zoo, and got very famous once again through the birth of Knut, a polar bear cube. Knut became a media star, and was very beloved.

2. East Side Gallery. These are nothing more than graffiti paintings on the remaining of the Berlin Wall (Berlinermauer), made by artists from 21 countries. It is a liberation cry!

3. The paintings Gallery (Gemaeldegallerie). Located in Potsdamer Platz, it offers the world’s Rembrandt’s biggest collection.

4. Potsdamer Platz. watch it, is a wonderful square. Take some shots, and think a little on its photo from 1945, after the fall of Berlin!

5. Checkpoint Charlie. Here you could pass officially from the East to the West Berlin during the cold war. Unofficially, you could climb the wall anywhere, jeopardizing your life. You could experience by yourself crossing the border, but today there is no danger anymore. You can also hear a lot of escape stories (some of them ended dramatically)

6. Reichstag, the symbol of democratic parliamentary power, which was rebuilt after the war, having a glass dome. From that dome, any visitor can watch the Parliament working.

6. Schloss Charlottenburg. A magnificent baroque Prussian royal palace. City biggest palace. Rebuild after the WWII.

7. Jewish Museum. The jews live in Germany since 2000 years. With the exception of the Adolf Hitler regime, the relations were peaceful. Visiting the museum, you will understand once again, that the Germans are not jewish killer, and that they are not guilty about the Holocaust.

8. Berlin hinterland, consisting on forests, lakes and beaches. There is a long tradition about swimming naked, so you must be very careful.

9. Pergammon Museum, one of the world’s best history museum. One of the most important pieces is the rebuilt Ishtar Gate from the ancient Babylon.

10. Berlin Radisson Hotel, with the world’s Biggest aquarium

I am sure you would like to visit Berlin, it is a magnetic city. I will introduce it to you , with your permission.

Berlin is attested since the XIIIth century, and is the german capital since 300 years. Nowadays, with its 3,5 millions inhabitants, it is the country’s biggest and most important city. It is a modern city with first class universities and research centre, modern industries like IT, vehicle manufacturation, traffic engineering, biotechnology etc.

Berlin is famous for its liberal way of life, zeitgeist and low costs of living. During the 70’s the big singer David Bowie said nice words about this extravagant city. And John Fitzgerald Kennedy declared in West Berlin, during the cold war: “Ich bin ein Berliner“. Marlene Dietrich was also eine Berlinerin!

Berlin is a major power pole in Europe, and has been playing this play since two centuries. And in modern times, if you remember the cold war, Berlin was world’s most important city. It must have been painful and traumatic for the Berliner seeing their city divided by a wall! The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a big symbol of ending the cold war and major motiv of joy.

You can still see the remainings of the wall as a graffitti, where artists from 21 countries painted (ask about the East Side Gallery). And you can see also the Checkpoint Charlie, where officials could pass from East Berlin to West Berlin. Here you can experience on yourself the crossing border, but now it is very easy; during cold war it was dead danger.

I will come back with some hot details about Berlin (e.g. Beate Uhse erotic museum, claiming to be the world’s biggest).

Maybe you visited already Asia and the ricksha are familiar to you. These picturesque and rustical way of tranportation is also very useful in big overcrowded cities and environmental friendly.

Supposing now you are a ricksha driver in the vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh( former Saigon) and you have a break between two clients. What would you do? You take the newspaper and read. You can even look for clients!

You must only order, asking no question!

On the Costa Brava there are a lot of resorts, and the best known is Lloret del Mar. If you want to know more about these magnificent places, read further.

During the 50 s the former spanish dictator Franco was looking for new sources of incomes. He had the brillant idea to build some resorts on the Costa Brava (the wild coast). The success was immediately, and still lasts today: the tourists came and continue to come!

Lloret del Mar is a small town with 40 000 inhabitants. In summer come other 200 000 tourists, as the offer is very wide and generous, for all ages and budgets! The all Costa Brava looks fabulous: you encounter very often little golfs with hidden beaches, and also wide cool forests.

In the daytime you can relax under the sun, preparing for the night wild parties. Do not miss:

-sailing on the Mediterranean Sea, snorkeling and bathing. It lasts 4 hours and costs 40 euros

-Barcelona, a wonderful city only 70 km away

-the Montserrat Monastery, which is isolated and impressive through its history (it was build deep in the mountains, where appeared a black statue of Mary with the baby)

-drink sangria, tastes delicious! my favorite was the orange and the strawberry sangria.

-eat paella with sea fruits

-the marineland from Pallafols for your children, as the sea Zoo. A ticket is 21 euros for adults and 15 euros for children up to 3 years

But Costa Brava does not mean only Lloret del Mar. It also means Callela and Santa Susana, some new locations. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time in Lloret del Mar.

But, there is another magic place on Costa Brava, if you are an artist: Cadaques, the favorite place of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. There is also a rich museum with paintings of these world master here.

Do not postpone your trip to Costa Brava. Leave now, you will never regret!

With Amsterdam being the capital city of the Netherlands, it is one of the most liberated and tolerant cities in the world. Coffee shops, the red light district and the overall open-minded people make Amsterdam a traveler’s dream. However, there is more to see in Amsterdam besides coffee shops and the famous red light district.

• The Anne Frank House. Anne Frank was one of the victims of the Nazi regime in the Second World War. The Anne frank House is the historic home where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Germans. The queues for the house can be enormous but it’s a impressive and worthy sight to visit. The best time to go is around 8 30 am when the museum is opening or at noon, because there are less people and you won’t have to wait too much in line. It would be ideal if you can get a ticket from your hotel which would put you in the front of the line.

• The Nemo Museum. When travelling with younger children the Nemo Museum is a great idea for a day of fun and culture. The museum offers exhibits which stimulate youngsters by including them in the collection of science and technology. Also check the Cafe from the top of the Nemo Museum if you can at night for a great view of the city.

• Rijksmuseum. If you haven’t been to the Rijksmuseum, you haven’t been to Amsterdam. This museum holds masterpieces, furniture and beautiful jewelery and other stunning items. If you visit this museum, make sure to see the Nightwatch by Rembrandt.

• The Royal palace. The Netherlands are a monarchy and the Royal Palace is the official Royal residence. However, the Royal family ( Queen Beatrix and prince Willem Alexander) live in the Hague. The Royal palace holds a large collection of royal furniture, chandeliers and other exclusive items.

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Think to Helsinki, and if you agree, read further!

In Helsinki sommer temperature never higher than 25 degrees Celsius. It is very pleasant and attractive. Add to that the simply fact, that finnish are the most friendly Scandinavian, as I personally checked, and you got the perfect mix.

First, the basics: Helsinki lies in the southern of Finland, on a peninsula and many islands. It was founded in the XVIth century, but it remained for hunfreds years only a small fishermen village. During the russian occupation from the XIXth century, the capital was moved here, as the ancient capital of Turku had too close ties to Sweden.

Then started the ascension of Helsinki. The russian builded the city, and even today it looks similar to Moscow or Sankt Petersburg. A citymark is the impressive Lutheran cathedral.

In Helsinki you may not miss the finnish National History Museum: the building is in a wonderful style, and the artefacts very interesting.

But you will also not miss the parties! The sun never goes sleep here, and the locals are very active, as they drink a lot of coffee and a lot of alcohol, specially vodka. Plenty of pubs and fancy restaurants here. It has been said that the best Russian restaurants are in Helsinki! Ask for moose, forrest strawberry confiture, salmon cooked in many ways, Stroganoff filet, etc.

Finland is much cheaper than other Scandinavian countries. So, another reason to enjoy your trip in Helsinki!