Tag Archives: traveling

Spain, travel

Exploring the Beauty of Malaga: A guide to the city’s best places

Malaga is a beautiful city located on the southern coast of Spain. With its Mediterranean climate, stunning beaches, and vibrant culture, it’s no wonder Malaga is a popular destination for travelers from around the world. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach getaway or an exciting nightlife, Malaga has something to offer everyone. Here’s a look at some of the top attractions and activities you can enjoy while visiting this amazing city.

How to travel from airport to city center

To get from the airport to the city of Malga, the easiest way would be to take a taxi or a ride-sharing service (cost cca 55€). If you’re on a budget, you could also take the public bus or train. The bus stop and train stop are located just outside the airport and the ride takes approximately 30 minutes. It’s important to remember that you will need to purchase a ticket before boarding.. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter or from the automated vending machines.

The cost of the train from the airport to the center of the city or the bus terminal (Maria Zambrano station) is 1.80 €. You can take a look on timetable of Airport trains to make sure you catch one.

WHAT TO DO IN MALAGA

Malaga is a beautiful city  with plenty of attractions and activities for travelers of all ages. Here are some of the top things to do in Malaga.

Take a hike up Mount Gibralfaro for picturesque views

Mount Gibralfaro is a stunning mountain located on the top of the hill near the city center. It stands at an impressive 771 meters above sea level and is an iconic part of the city’s skyline. It has a rich history and is the site of the ancient Gibralfaro Castle, built in the 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the region. The castle is a popular tourist attraction, with many visitors making the trek up the mountain to see its impressive views of the city below. The mountain is also home to a large park, which is perfect for a leisurely stroll or a picnic. Mount Gibralfaro is a beautiful part of Malaga and a must-see for any visitor to the city.

 

Be prepared that the road to the castle is really slippery. Road is made by stones, which were walked so many times that it became really slippery during the years.

Visit the Alcazaba, an 11th century Moorish fortress

The Alcazaba of Malaga is one of the most stunning landmarks in the city. It is a hilltop fortress that was built in the 11th century as a military stronghold in order to protect the city from possible invasions. It is an impressive sight, with almost 3 km of walls, towers and palaces, which are all made of red brick, and stand out against the blue sky. Inside the walls, there are several gardens, courtyards and a cistern, as well as the remains of the old palace. Visitors can also explore the archaeological site, which includes the remains of the old Roman theater and the old Moorish bathhouse. The fortress is a great place to explore, with its stunning views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. It is also one of the most important historical sites in Malaga, and a great place to learn about the city’s past.

Take a look on tickets, because you can save some money by purchasing ticket for both The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro entrance instead of paying twice.

 

 

 

 

Take a look on another interesting places we visited

Weekend in Budapest – what to do for two days in the capital of Hungary

Via ferrata in Slovak Paradise. Adventure you will never forget.

 

Spend a day at the beach, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean Sea

Spending a day at the beach in Malaga is always a treat. The sun is shining, the water is sparkling, and the sand is soft and inviting. There are plenty of activities to do, such as swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and jet skiing. Or, if you just want to relax, take a stroll along the shoreline and soak up the Mediterranean atmosphere. There are plenty of beach bars and restaurants along the waterfront, so you can enjoy some delicious tapas and a drink while you take in the stunning views. Once you’ve had your fill of beach lounging, don’t forget to explore the old town of Malaga, with its winding streets and Moorish architecture. It’s a great way to end a perfect day at the beach!

 

Mediterrian Sea in Malaga is not as warm as you would expect. Water during August was still quite cold, but we still enjoyed the sun.
Beautifull day at the beach

Visit Mercado Central de Atarazanas – market with delicious local food

Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Malaga is a beautiful market located in the heart of the city. It is a vibrant, bustling place full of life, culture, and tradition. This market has been in operation since the 13th century and offers an array of fresh produce, seafood, meats, spices, and more. The market is a great place to go to buy the freshest ingredients, while also experiencing the culture of Malaga. The market also features a variety of traditional products, such as pottery, leather goods, and handmade jewelry. Visitors can also find a variety of restaurants and cafés in the market, offering tasty regional specialties. With its vibrant atmosphere, Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Malaga is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting the city.

 

Fall in love with local cousine

Malaga  is known for its flavorful and delicious cuisine. From classic tapas dishes like patatas bravas and croquetas to fresh seafood like paella and espetos de sardinas, Malaga has a wide variety of options to offer. Whether you’re looking for a casual lunch spot or a formal dining experience, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your taste buds. Be sure to try some of the typical dishes like gazpacho, salmorejo, and boquerones for an unforgettable culinary experience. With its abundance of fresh produce, Malaga also has a great selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes to choose from. From its traditional flamenco to its vibrant nightlife, Malaga is a city that offers something for everyone, including its flavorful and delicious food

 

Tina

 
 
Our recommendations for the great culinary experience in Malaga:

Malaga offers something for everyone. Whether you are looking for a relaxing beach holiday or a cultural experience, Malaga has it all. With its year-round mild climate and stunning scenery, it is no wonder Malaga is becoming an increasingly popular destination for tourists from all over the world. So why not take the opportunity to explore this wonderful city and make some unforgettable memories?

travel, Uncategorized

Weekend in Budapest – what to do for two days in the capital of Hungary

On the first weekend of March, we went to the capital of Hungary to celebrate birthday. Budapest is an excellent place for a weekend trip, its center extends over the two former cities of Buda (west of the Danube) and Pest (east of the Danube). Most of the sights are within walking distance, but count on the fact that you will find your way around. Can’t decide which places to visit? Here’s our guide to spending a weekend in Budapest.

Friday evening in Budapest

We started our trip exploring the nightlife and having a drink in the famous VI. area, which is also called “Budapest party district”. Király Street is the busiest nightlife district in the city. There are dozens of cafes, pubs, nightclubs and bars in this area. In addition to Király street, there are also wonderful places on Wesselényi, Akácfa and Kazinczy streets. For dinner, we immediately tasted Hungarian langosz at the Karaván yard, where there are food trucks with food from all over the world. We also recommend trying the langosz burger, which was surprisingly low in fat and very tasty. You can choose from different types of meat and they also put their Hungarian bryndza in the burger, which was much weaker than our Slovak one.

Saturday

For such a short trip, we chose a hotel with breakfast so that we wouldn’t leave the hotel hungry, as we like to start our exploration of the city early in the morning.

Fisherman’s Bastion

We started our journey from the Elizabeth bridge, from which you have a view of both sides of the city. Go to the Buda area and take a walk along the river to the Fisherman’s Bastion. Along the way, you can stop at the Hungarian National Gallery, which shows the history of Hungarian art from Renaissance stonework to remarkable sculptures from the 20th century. You can get to the Fisherman’s Bastion through the winding streets on your own, or you can take the cable car, which is one of the oldest land railways in the world, for only 1400 forints (3.8 e).

The fishing bastion is open 24/7 and offers a wonderful view of the other part of the city – Pest. It is one of the busiest monuments in Budapest and very “insta friendly”. People wake up early in the morning just so that it is empty and they can take beautiful photos. But you can enjoy the view from here during the day, but also in the evening when the whole city is lit up.

Buda Castle

We continued along the top of the hill on which the Fisherman’s Bastion stands to the presidential palace, near which is the exit from the cable car. From there we continued to Buda Castle. During the entire walk, you will be accompanied by the view of the other side of the river.

Gellért Spa

From the Buda Castle, we returned to the river again and walked to the Gellért Baths, which are the most famous thermal baths in Budapest. They were opened already in 1918, so a piece of history breathed on us. We tried all 10 pools of different sizes and temperatures and during the winter it was a nice variety of the trip. The spa is open every day from 9:00 to 20:00 and you can spend the whole day here. Tickets can be bought online, but also on the spot.

Liberty Bridge

The Gellért baths are located right across from the famous Liberty Bridge. The Liberty Bridge connects both parts of Budapest – Buda and Pest, and at the same time connects two sought-after places – Gellért Baths and the Market Square. This bridge is the shortest bridge in the center of Budapest. It was originally built as part of the Millennium World Exhibition in the 19th century and is still in use today. The bridge is one of the “instagram friendly” places in Budapest, you will find many people trying to take the best shot.

The Great Market

We walked across the bridge to our favorite part of any trip, the market. The Great Market (Nagyvásárcsarnok in Hungarian) is an experience for all food lovers. It is divided into three floors. Most of the stalls on the ground floor offer local produce, meats, pastries, candies, spices and spirits. Here you will find paprika, Tokaj wine and sausage. On the second mezzanine there are restaurants and tourist souvenirs. In the basement there are fish shops and stalls with canned vegetables. Be sure to visit the basement and take a look at the smiling canned peppers.

The Great Market is open from Monday to Saturday from 6:00 AM. It closes at 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays, and at 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

We were so tired after swimming that we didn’t continue sightseeing, but ended our day with a good meal. If you find a specific restaurant where you want to have dinner on the weekend, we recommend that you make a reservation, because the good places are usually full. On the way to the hotel, we couldn’t do it and had to try a Hungarian street food called Tölcsibe. The food caught our attention mainly because of its unconventional serving – in a salty cone. It looked like we bought a large ice cream cone filled with lettuce. They have different meat versions, but the Tölcsibe version with jackfruit caught our attention. We didn’t have time to take a proper photo of anything, so take a look at their Instagram, maybe this streed food novelty will interest you. 🙂

Where to go next:

Tip for weekend trip: Moving sand dunes in Poland

Via ferrata in Slovak Paradise. Adventure you will never forget.

Sunday

A walk along the Danube and the parliament building

We kept a part of the city of Pest for Sunday exploring. We started with a walk along the Danube river, which led us to the parliament building, which we had only been looking at from a distance the whole previous day. It is a really huge building, approximately 40 million bricks were used for its construction. The red carpet inside is almost 3 kilometers long and you can enter the building through up to 27 doors.

You can look at it from the outside and find out if there really are as many towers as there are days of the year, but also from the inside. Tickets can be purchased online.

Monument with shoes

Right next to the parliament building is an inconspicuous monument with shoes. The monument on the bank of the Danube commemorates the inhabitants of Budapest who were murdered during the Second World War. The victims were shot on the bank of the river so that their bodies would fall into the water and be washed away by the water there. Before they were shot, they had to take off their clothes and shoes, this is what the monument reminds of.

Basilica of St. Stefan

We continued walking in Kossuth Lajos square, where we were surrounded by other magnificent buildings – the Museum of Ethnography or the building of the Ministry of Agriculture. We reached the Basilica of St. Stephen (Saint Stephen’s Basilica). It is the largest Roman Catholic temple in Budapest and its monumental dome can be seen from a great distance.

Our stomachs had other plans, so we stopped for some delicious pho bo at Oriental Soup House. This is the end of our trip in Budapest, but we still have some tips for you from friends that we didn’t use.

  • Driving around Margit Island, which is in the middle of the Danube, in small cars
  • Visit the pinball museum and play old school games
  • See Budapest from a boat that travels along the Danube
  • Visit one of the ruin bars in the center, which have a very specific vibe

When visiting Budapest, don’t hesitate to buy a ticket for public transport, because otherwise you’ll be walking around a lot. Enjoy your trip and fill your belly with Hungarian specialties. 🙂

Tina

Austria, travel

Hiking with dog in Austria. Rax mountain in Vienna Alps is the perfect place for dog-friendly trip.

We traditionally celebrated my birthdays in another country. I dreamed of mountains, a fireplace and nature, and so we went to Austria with our four-legged partner Balu.
Lower Austria is an ideal destination if you want to spend time in dense forests and mountains, but don’t want to travel too far from Vienna. Only an hour from Vienna you will find the Vienna Alps, which are nicknamed the “Paradise of views” due to their wonderful alpine panorama and are a popular skiing destination in winter. We went here in autumn, but we will definitely come back here at another time of the year.

The Vienna Alps

Only a two-hour drive from Bratislava, vineyards disappear and high hills begin, offering beautiful views and alpine terrain. The Viennese Alps in Lower Austria are visited by tourists all year round. In winter, skiing or cross-country skiing is mainly done here on the 100 kilometer long Wechsel – Semmering panoramic track. In the summer, you can go on many hiking or cycling routes. We went in the fall, when the music festival season is over and we can enjoy the weekend together.

In the Viennese Alps, get ready for hills, roads full of twists and turns, but also for beautiful views and lots of grazing with animals. The most famous tourist spot is Semmering, but you can also find accommodation in small villages and towns in the vicinity. We stayed in the village of Trattenbach with very nice people who even baked us a welcome cake.

Tip for dog friendly accomodation

We stayed in the Ferienhaus Bauer in the village of Trattenbach, under the forest and next to a gurgling stream. If you are looking for peace, a fireplace, a terrace with a view of the mountains and good internet, this is the right place. We loved it there, we even had a small yard where the dog could run in the morning while we enjoyed breakfast on the terrace. To welcome us, the lady of the house baked a cake and lit a fire in the fireplace.

There are also many other places where you can stay with your dog and these are our top pick:

Rax Mountains

The Rax mountain range is a popular excursion destination near Semmering. Raxalpe with its highest peak Heukuppe (2,007 m) is located approximately 150-180 km from Bratislava. The peak provides beautiful views of the rest of the Viennese Alps, the peaks of Schneealpe, Hochschwab and Schneeberg can be seen in the distance. A cable car will take you to the top of the Rax mountain range.

How to travel to Rax

How do you get to Rax?
The Rax cable car leaves from the Hirschwang district in Reichenau an der Rax and takes you to the mountain station at an altitude of 1600 m in just 8 minutes. A number of diverse hikes with unique views lead from here. There is a parking lot right next to the cable car station where you can park your car for free.

If you decide to travel by train, you will have to change trains. From Vienna, the train goes to the station Payerbach-Reichenau and from there the regional bus 341 takes about 15 minutes to the Hirschwang Raxseilbahn stop. The journey from Vienna takes about 2 hours.

Cable Car

The journey on the oldest cable car in Austria will take you only 8 minutes and you will reach a height of 1600m. The cable car runs every day, you can go here for both summer and winter hiking. Take a look on the current timetable before your trip.

You may be surprised by the price of this short ride, but you will be driving very quickly to a great height. In September 2022, we paid 29€ for the cable car for a return trip. You can choose just one route and go to the top on your own. Tickets can be bought online so you know exactly when the cable car will take you up. During the summer/winter season, this will ensure that you get to the cable car, as it is quite a busy place.

If you decide to walk to Rax and not use the cable car, park at the Preiner Gscheid parking lot and the route leads to the top from there.

If you buy cable car tickets online, don’t forget to exchange them for physical tickets at the checkout. You will not be allowed in the cable car without tickets from the ticket office.

Cable car to Rax with a dog

If we go out into nature, we almost always take our dog with us. Dogs are welcome on the Rax cable car and in the national park.

The dog also needs a ticket. We paid 9€ for the ride, it doesn’t matter how big your dog is. Every dog must be muzzled and on a lead. If you forgot your muzzle, they have many sizes to rent right in the building from where the cable car departs. The spaces of the cable car are quite cramped, you all stand there together and the dog will not have much space for himself. Rax is a popular trip for many dog walkers, so think about whether your dog can handle this side of the trip.

Take a look on our trips around Europe

Moving sand Dunes in Poland. The best weekend trip.

Via ferrata in Slovak Paradise. Adventure you will never forget.

Routes on the Rax mountain range

After arriving at the top, snowy or green alpine meadows, magical views and healthy mountain air will await you. The interesting thing about this trip to Rax is, that the road leads from past the mountain huts. In the cottages there are restaurants with traditional Austrian food, they tap you beer, have a toilet and you can also sleep there. They even have buffets for dogs with water and small snacks (free).

Along with the ticket, you will also receive a map on which all the huts and the routes to them are marked. You can choose which way to go and how far. The Ottohaus Hut is the first hut right after the mountain station. You can enjoy the view of the Schneeberg mountain all the way.
Next, you can determine your own route. You can choose just an easy 10 km walk, or you can go all the way to the top to the Karl Ludwig Haus. Don’t forget that the weather here changes very quickly, one moment we were here in t-shirts and the next in a winter jacket.

If you want to end your trip before you have a cable car ticket, you can simply rebook it at the machine at the mountain station. If there are no free seats, just simply wait, the cable car employees announce before each boarding how many free seats there are, so you can get down earlier.

All routes are clearly marked. You can use a paper map or the Am Wiener Alpenbogen app. or Mapy.cz also works here, just don’t forget the offline version, because we didn’t have a signal on the hills almost the entire time.

With the dog on top of the hill

Most of the routes are completely manageable even with a dog. You will mostly walk along gravel roads or meadows. But there are also sections with chains, or those that are very close to the cliff. Our dog Baloo is not scared of heights and is really curios , so we avoid such sections.

On the way from one mountain hut to another, we found almost no trash cans. In national parks, it is forbidden to leave dog excrement in nature, so you have to take it with you. Don’t forget to pack a box in addition to dog excrement bags, so that your whole backpack doesn’t stink. When you get to the cottage, you can throw it there.

It is also forbidden to walk in national park with an unleashed dog. The fine is up to 5 thousand Euros, if the dog is not on a leash. Therefore, don’t forget a leash with which you and your four-legged friend can go comfortably.

The trip with the dog to Rax was a very good idea and we really enjoyed it here. We will definitely return to the area, there are many beautiful places. You can follow this and many other trips on my Instagram.

I hope we have inspired you to choose to explore the Viennese Alps with your four-legged companion. See you somewhere on the roads.

Tina

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camping, Slovakia, travel

Slovakia: Traveling with campervan

During the two years since we started writing a blog, but also during those when we didn’t even own a smartphone, we slept in all sorts of places. In the tent, in the open air, in hostels but also in more luxurious hotels, in the car and on the train… but we have always wanted to try what it’s like to travel and sleep in a motorhome. We watched all sorts of videos on YouTube and thought about how these people live there and how they work in such a small space. During our last weeks since returning to Slovakia, it was not so amazing as we imagined, so we decided to “turn off” a bit and try something new and unconventional.

WHAT IS A CAMPERVAN

A campervan is a self-propelled vehicle that provides space for transport and sleeping. Campervans are divided into several types, but in this article I will write only about the built-up van that we used. Such a van differs from a caravan mainly in that it was not originally manufactured for the purpose of accommodation. It is a normal van that is converted into a motor home.

We have been following a community of people for a very long time, who work on various trips, travel and live in them. When we learned that there is couple with this kind of camper van in Hlohovec and it is possible to rent it, we did not hesitate and tried such travel and life in a small space. We borrowed a BeVan for a few days and based on our experience, this article was created.

WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN A CAMPER VAN

Each self-remodeled van is different and you will find a different layout and equipment. It depends mainly on the owners, their lifestyle and what they need for life and is the most comfortable for them. And that’s why each of these cars is unique and we also like them. You can also find more about how to live in such a van life community in the documentary on Youtube – Portrait of an Alternative Lifestyle.

The basis of this style of travel and life is minimalism, ie that you will not overcrowd the car with unnecessary things and focus on what you need as much as possible. A comfortable place to sleep and a full stomach is a priority for most people. Therefore, in the camper van you will find a bed and a place for cooking. In a small kitchen you can cook everything you can do on the stove.

Storage space is also important. Everything must have its place in the motorhome and be properly secured so that things do not fly over the entire van when traveling. You will definitely find drawers, crates, hangers and all sorts of handles in all motorhomes.

A chemical toilet is also included in most residential vans. These toilets usually differ only in location. Some cars have a built-in toilet, others have the opportunity to carry them (you can sit comfortably in the toilet on a meadow or in the woods ?)

On the other hand, you will not find an internal shower (as we have it at home) in campervans, just because of the lack of space. We used an outdoor shower (which was also with a view) where you shower outside in front of / behind the van. Unfortunately, during our trip to Orava region, it was quite cold in the spring and we did not enjoy such a shower very much.

HOW TO FIND A PLACE TO PARK OVERNIGHT

For the first time, we tried sleeping in the car a bit “wildly” in our Octavia and with the seats folded down in Slovenia. You can find more about how camping works in the article Camping in Europe step by step.

The fact that you can stop almost anywhere and immediately go to bed is a great advantage of a camper van. Its disadvantage (compared to a tent or car) is that it is not inconspicuous.

If you are planning a trip to Slovakia or abroad, we wrote down a few of our experiences that could help you plan your trip more easily and make it easier to find a place to camp.

6 apps that will make it easier for you to find a place to sleep

1. Park4night

If you don’t want to invest in camps and just want to park your car and sleep, I recommend the Park4night app, in which like-minded people like you add places where they have managed to sleep, stop, or even spend a few days. You will find rest areas, parking lots, forest paths, but also places with great views. And if you find nice places, you can add them there as well and join this community.

2. Vanlifelocation

 The Vanlifelocation application works very similarly to Park4night. It has a more beautiful design, so you can try one that will suit you better. We didn’t use it much, because there were no added places in the area where we were looking for a parking space.

3. Ioverloader

Another application that works similarly is ioverloader, in which you will find more places that are more difficult to access and where you will probably need 4 × 4.

4. Google Maps

Google Maps is the best companion for finding a place and viewing locations before you travel. You can plan your route and see on the map all sorts of side paths that could lead you to a nice place to camp. Planning a route ahead is important, because you can see what the terrain will look like and what to expect.

5. Booking.com

If you are the type of traveler who likes things planned in advance, you can also find and book campsites on the Booking.com. While searching you can filter the type of accommodation for camps.

Don’t despair if the first place fails. It’s not always easy and it happens that the place you searched for in the app or found on the map will be completely different in reality. We did not manage to park for 2 hours near the Orava dam, because it is a protected area with rare birds and you cannot drive there by car other than by road. In the end, we found a place, but precisely because we didn’t quarrel and blame ourselves for something that none of us knew before. With vanlife, it is clear that patience is a key. ?

5. Camping.info

If you don’t like sleeping “in the wild” somewhere in the woods, in a parking lot or on a meadow, camps are a great option. The camps are equipped with sanitary facilities, you can leave your car parked there without any worries for several days. Small and larger camps are scattered throughout Slovakia. You can use Google to search, or you may come across one along the way. Another great option is the camping.info application where you can search for campsites that are closest to your location.

6. Compass

The compass is an invaluable travel companion. I hate winter and love the sun, so we always tried to choose a place to sleep on the east so that we woke up in the morning in the morning and the sun shone on us from the morning. So we could enjoy the morning coffee with the warm rays of the rising sun.

How to sleep safely in a car outside the campsite

Starting a fire

In Slovakia, there is a  forests law, which generally states that setting up a fire and camping outside the designated areas is prohibited in the forest. You can not start a fire anywhere from the car if you are not in camps or campgrounds, but we think it is best not to put it on the car at all.

Protected areas and their rules

Do not forget that we also have nature protection zones in Slovakia, which are different. They are often very inconspicuously marked with signs and you may find yourself navigating a dirt road to the forest and just in front of the forest you will find an indication of which zone it is and whether you can stop here or not. Nature protection zones are divided into:

  • Zone 1 – the whole territory of Slovakia
  • Zone 2 – Protected Landscape Area (PLA)
  • 3rd-5th zone – forbidden camping and bivouacs, movement only from sunrise to sunset (for example, in TANAP in the parking lot you should not even sleep in the car – you risk a fine)
  • National reservation and monuments – the strictest prohibitions for protection

Invisible and inaudible

The best thing to do is to find a place to sleep during the day, but do not park your car immediately. During the sunset (or just after) you park your car at your night spot and it is very likely that you will not run into anyone there during the night. Remember the invisible and unheard rule. ?

Private land

In Slovakia you will find many meadows, fields and pastures, which do not have the designation “private land”, but this does not mean that they do not belong to anyone. What may seem like grass to us can be pastures for sheep, what looks like overgrown weeds can be planted herbs. Therefore, be careful where you move the car – use the paved field roads instead of crossing the field.

Wiring

The lines, which we usually don’t notice, leads through fields or forest roads, which you will probably look for when sleeping in a car. Be careful not to stop under it.

Trust your instincts

Never park on site if in doubt. Always trust your inner feeling – whether it’s a bad feeling from the place, you feel like someone is watching you, or someone is hanging around you too often. It is better not to risk anything and move elsewhere.

HOME OFFICE or NOMADS IN THE CAMPER VAN

Working every day in a different place and with beautiful views sounds like a dream. We tried it for only a few days, but we managed an interview in a van, for example, or even write this article. If you only need a computer for your work, you will usually find a table and chairs in your campervan, or you can work straight from the bed.

The van we borrowed also had a solar panel that produced electricity, so we didn’t have to worry about our laptop running out of power unexpectedly. It was enough to park in a sunny place and we had energy for the whole day.

WHAT WE LIKED IN THE CAMPER VAN

We always wanted to try how we could handle such a trip and whether we could fit there. As everything is high for me and everything is small for my boyfriend. Such travel is a great experience, because now we know that if we started to make such a car, what would we do differently and what we need.

We really liked that we can look at the beautiful views or the sunrise from the bed. After hiking, we just went to the parking lot and we could immediately relax with fresh tea or cook food. This way we also managed to save money on food in restaurants, because we could cook “at home”. This also suits me very well because for food intolerances I can’t eat everything and I don’t have to bother with preparing food for the whole day.

If you are attracted to the reconstruction of a car or such a nomadic life, we definitely recommend trying it for a few days, maybe just like us with BeVan. Marek and Veronika (owners of this van) are really nice and helpful. And you will see if you are ready for it and you will experience a new adventure. ?

If you are interested in anything, or have more questions about how it works in such a campervan, let us know, we will be happy to add it here.

Tina & Matej
Twovelers

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Slovakia, travel

Via ferrata in Slovak Paradise. Adventure you will never forget.

I put my foot slowly on a piece of iron that is in a rock and I hold onto a metal rope with my hand. I know I’m locked in with two rigid carabiners, but even the loud waterfall failed to drown out my thoughts on what would happen if I fell. A little in front of me awaits my dad one and behind my back I am encouraged by Matej and my mother. I will climb to the next step, which is also the last one on this rock and realize that, despite fear of heights, I enjoy this adventure in the Slovak mountains.

Adrenaline called via ferrata

What does via ferrata mean? It is a protected road in difficult mountain terrain. Secured means that there are iron steps, fixed ropes, or ladders on this route to help you cross difficult terrain, even though you have never climbed a climbing route.

If you do not know whether you dare to such a climb, then via ferratas are divided into different degrees of difficulty. This is done using the Schall scale, where difficulty is indicated by the letters A (easy), B (medium), C (complicated), D (difficult), E (extremely difficult).

But even if you are assisted by footrests and ropes on your way through the via ferrata, you will not pass the via ferrata in flip flops. You need equipment to help you with safety.

Via ferrata equipment

As you climb the  via ferrata, a gear is rented to help you physically pass the via ferrata safely. So this equipment also helped me mentally, because I’m afraid of heights, helped me to calm down at the highest points, because I knew that nothing would happen to me.

The base is a helmet, because there are many rocks around you. It is very easy to see where you put your foot and at the same time bang your head on the protruding rock.
Other helpers are a harness and a ferrata set with a shock absorber. The via ferrata set has two ropes that end with carabiners. You can hook these carabiners onto metal belay ropes that run along the steps in the rocks.

Being afraid of heights, the equipment helped me calm down at the highest points that nothing would happen to me.

This equipment will be borrowed for a fee on entering the via ferrata, but you must bring the other part of your gear. Solid hiking shoes are a very important companion when climbing. I also recommend long pants, because it is very easy to scrub your legs off the rock. Also, the rocks in the forest are not exactly the hottest, and shaking on the rocks because you are cold will not help you very much during ascent. We said after the climb that we would also use gloves, because you are constantly holding the wet metal  rope.



Booking.com

My mom with Matej ready for adventure


I hook one carabiner on a metal rope, which I hold with one hand. I feel my knees tremble because I let my fear go further than I wanted. I take a deep breath and hook the second rope. I have a long way to go around the damp rock. This rope safety helps me more than I thought. I can still hear the snap of the metal carabiner on the metal rope that I hold, and that somehow calms me down. Two strong metals…

Via ferrata in Slovak Paradise

Since 2016, a via ferrata Kyseľ has been accessible in the Slovak Paradise National Park. You can visit it from 15 June to 31 October, the rest of the year is closed. This via ferrata Kyseľ in Slovak Paradise belongs to the group C in difficulty.

Remember that the via ferrata route goes one direction, you can only go up, so you can’t change your mind in halfway.

Beginning of the tour on via ferrata Kyseľ we started in the parking lot Čingov, where we also borrowed equipment. Entrance to the national park is 5 € and for equipment rental fee you will pay 10 €. You can borrow it from 8:00 am and must return it by 6:00 pm at the latest.

You do not have to wear the borrowed equipment immediately, because part of the via ferrata nature trail does not start in Čingov. You will have to walk through the forest for about one hour until you reach the footrest section ( Kyseľ, ústie nad Kyseľom). In the first hour you will have to cross a few wooden ladders over the brook, it is such a warm up until a real adventure comes. ?

Between climbing rocks and ladders I jump like a roe deer. The water in the stream is quite high, so we have to look for the most convenient and at the same time the driest path. I jump from stone to stone, walk on fallen stumps and hope not to drop into cold water.

Hiking really near a stream

We went on hiking early in the morning, because we wanted to avoid having to go too fast or too slow, because of the many people there. We got up early enough and by 8:00 we were ready to go.
Our hiking was planned for the whole day, because we wanted to see the Tomášovský výhľad (Tomášovský view)  in addition to the via ferrata. Our route was:

Čingov-Ďurkovec – Čingov, centrum – Biely potok, ústie – Kyseľ, ústie – Nad Kyseľom – Kláštorisko – Kláštorská roklina, ústie – Letanovský mlyn – Tomášovský výhľad – Čingov-Ďurkovec

Waterfalls and clean nature this is Slovak paradise

During the whole climb to Kláštorisko we were looking forward to cold tap Kofola and good lunch. This was all the more disappointing when we found the restaurant closed and there was an overpriced kiosk. We were very surprised and disappointed, not only the restaurant, but also dilapidated cottages in the area. Now that we live in Poland we travel quite a lot in the mountains and the surrounding area and we can feel the difference in services in Slovakia and abroad which makes us very upset. But this was the only negative side of our entire hike.

Read also other articles from our trips to nature:

Crooked forest in Poland. It this forest really so magical?

Tip for weekend trip: Moving sand dunes in Poland

The highest ascent during hike in Slovakia

Our last stop was Tomášovský view, which really warms up at the heart.

In the middle of the climb, I was grateful for strengthening my hands in the gym and I thought I was quite tired. But when we finished and stripped the gear I was sorry. I would like to continue…

Let me tell you honestly, it was quite a long hike and at the end our feet really hurt. We returned the equipment just before the office closed and immediately sat down in the nearest restaurant where we ate, a real Slovak traditional meal.

Accommodation

Many of the locals in the surrounding villages rent accommodation. Sometimes it’s just one room, or even the whole part of the house, where the whole family or group of friends can fit. Finding such accommodation is not at all difficult and at the same time you support people who live there and they can recommend many things, that are not mentioned on the Internet. ?I recommend to look for accommodation on Booking.com or Megaubytovanie.sk websites.

Happy family on the end of this adventure

Ferrata Kyseľ in Slovak Paradise was a real adventure for me. Thanks to the support of my loved ones, I overcome the fear of heights while spending good time together. Such an adventure is in my opinion a great team building activity in nature. And now I look forward to next year when we try other via ferratas in Slovakia.

Tina

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Poland, travel

Tip for weekend trip: Moving sand dunes in Poland

Sometimes in primary school I learned that they have a desert in Poland. I wasn’t really interested in it, but somehow it miraculously kept this information in my mind, and a few years later, when we moved to Krakow, we began to think about how to get to the desert and whether it really exists.

In the article you will find where to find the Polish Sahara and why not underestimate the clothes when you visit it there.

Where is the Polish desert?

Because of the desert you do not have to travel thousands of kilometers to Africa at all, you only need a hundred, because at our neighbors in the north in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, where the Baltic Sea inhabits the country you will find a truly natural unique moving sand dunes. This remarkable area is located in Slowinski National Park, which is only a two-hour drive from Gdańsk.

Slowinský national park

The National Park was founded in 1967 and twelve strictly protected nature reserves have been created in the park, as there are about 260 species of birds, rare butterflies and beetles. Interestingly, you can see here lots of elk, seals or occasionally dolphins. The park has a very confusing name, thanks to which you would probably think it is  in Slovenia. But it got its name from Slavic people who were called Slovenes in past.

The park is located along the Łebski Lake, the third largest lake in Poland. You will find swamps, meadows, forests and moving sand dunes, moving east towards Leba at a speed of 3-10 m per year. Dunes are among the largest in Europe and the highest moving dune, Wydmy lack, is the main attraction of the park, because you can “climb” it and observe the surroundings. Wydmy lack is 40 meters above sea level and scraping up a sand hill was not easy at all.

Slovenian National Park is divided into several smaller parts. Wydma Czołpińską is the longest stretch of moving dune belt. In the park you will find several hiking trails and cycling is also very popular. For example, the blue tourist sign will lead you to the lighthouse in Czołpinie, which stands on the highest wooded dune Człpinka (55-56 m above sea level) and to the former missile base. At the base, the Germans tested missile weapons during World War II.

The dunes literally buried a few villages and are still moving south. More and more inflated sand is rising from the sea and the dunes rise. In order to slow the shift of these dunes, pine trees are planted in the park .

The park is open from 1 May to 30 September, at which time entrance fees are collected. All-day admission costs 6,00 PLN, discounted 3,00 PLN – multi-day tickets are cheaper.

 

When walking on the dunes you don’t feel like in Poland. Even in Europe.

We went to the park at the end of April 2019, when the entrance fee was not collected, but several of the places that could be visited there were closed (eg. Museum, restaurant, lookout).

Why dress something warm?

What really surprised us was the weather. The park is only a few kilometers from Gdańsk, where it was warm and sunny, but when we got to Slowinski National Park, it was very cold, windy and humid because of its location. The cold wind blew both from the Baltic Sea and from the lake, and we underestimated our clothing.Therefore, if you go to the dunes, take your clothes on every occasion and certainly something that will protect you from the strong cold wind.

Articles you may also like:

What to see in Poland, from sea to mountains
48 hours in Poznan. What to do in polish city you will fall in love with.

 

Walk on the dunes

Walking on moving dunes was an incredible experience. Stepping on the sand hills from where there was a view of the wide surroundings, legs bogging in the cold sand, and a strong wind that blew sand all around, creating a very strong atmosphere. I didn’t feel like Poland at all, it was very strange. The dunes drag into the distance and you feel that if you stop paying attention, you can easily get lost. The sand hills smoothly recede towards the sea, where they overgrow high, wind-blown grass and end with a pebble-sand beach.

 

You can easily reach the dunes from Leba. In addition to the route to the largest sand dune, you can choose from a number of other routes that lead through the park. The sand dunes lead through a forest, which you can walk, by bike (yours or you can rent a bike before entering the park), or on an electric car that drives people back and forth for 20 PLN.

Where to stay

If you are going to travel by car it is great to see, in addition to moving dunes also one, in my opinion, of the most romantic places in Poland – Gdańsk. There are many hotels, hostels and rooms you can use and you can reach the sand dunes in two hours.

The town of Leba is very popular with tourists thanks to Slowinski National Park, so it is not at all difficult to find accommodation here and enjoy a longer weekend.



Take a look on some special accomodation options:

Add exceptional accommodation at the castle to the perfect experience of the sand dunes Zamek Łeba Resort & Spa.

Or try this budget friendly option Apartamenty i Pokoje Piaskowy Mak.

To the nearest desert in Africa is quite far and moving dunes are in Europe, so pack your backpack and go check it out. It’s really worth it. 🙂

Tina

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Tasting the world

We tried durian the World’s smelliest fruit. How was it?

Durian special fruit from Southeast Asia, which is in many places forbidden to consume, transport, or own.  Certain hotels, airplanes, or restaurants will not let you go in with this fruit. The reason is simple – durian smells.  And the more smelly and disgusting the food, the greater the challenge to try it!

 The durian fruit has an oval shape and is covered with a hard skin with coarse pyramid spines.  Its weight is about 1 to 3 kilograms and can be as big as 50 centimeters. You open it so that you find a weak point in your skin where you cut a knife and cut a durian.  The scent of this exotic fruit is different. Rotten onion, yeast, and a trash can probably be the best explanation for me. The mix you really don’t need to smell when you’re going to eat.

 And as the Czechs have their smelly Olomouc cheeses, in Asia this smelly fruit is considered a great delicacy.  People add it to a lot of dishes, makes ice cream from it, or makes it as a sauce. 

 But is it is really so disgusting?

New York’s Chinatown is characterized not only by a number of Chinese products from the world, but also by a large number of foods you can not buy anywhere around.  Fishes, spices, herbs, restaurants and especially exotic fruits. So you can be sure that  find a durian will be easy here.

We were looking for it and we found it.  The whole fruit is either in the shops displayed outside on the counter or hidden in the freezer.  Because it is a delicacy, nobody wants to infest the store with a sting of durian.

In one street shop, the man sold it in a plastic closed box.  One piece of a durian about $ 15. Yes, you read well. Nothing stopped my boyfriend, so we stood with a durian in hand on the first corner, all our group of Slovaks, ready to feel the terrible smell.

 

One point of interest before you decide to read the whole story.  It is said that durian must not be combined with alcohol. And that the person who ate it, should not drink alcohol at least 24 hours after was eating  this delicacy from Asia.  This information comes from Asian stories, but you will also find scientific studies that say that the high content of sulfur compounds contained in durian is not good to combine with alcohol.  What can happen to you is not so clear. But usually this stories have some reason, I would certainly not drink it with some alcoholic drink.

 

Did we eat that durian finally?

 After opening the box with the yellow fruit I tell you that he smelled of the wind.  But it didn’t smell as we all expected. It was definitely not pleasant. It didn’t smell like something I would like to smell again in my life.  It smelled like rotten onions, garbage mixed with mildew cheese.

Its consistency was much less inviting.  Fleshy, or as rigid as a pudding with a hard fruit inside.  Anyway, it was nothing pleasant to look at. But we pulled a teaspoon and finally we all, at the corner of the Chinatown, tried peace of this delicious Asian fruit.

It wasn’t bad.  It was a bit uncomfortable, but whoever was eating Olomouc cheese would not mind it.  This fruit was but surprisingly heavy on the stomach. We tasted a maximum of one, two teaspoons of this fruit, but the most unpleasant part was when we burped after.  Indeed, when you feel like a trash can get away from your mouth, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Because durian fruit, which has not been heat-treated or drowned somewhere long time to become a perfect delicacy, but we could eat it fresh, I can say it is one of the less disgusting things I have seen people eat and I tried it too. But I recommend eat after some other food that will definitely not burp to you (do not drink sparkling water after eating durian).

One beer didn’t kill us in the evening

 Although we knew we couldn’t drink alcohol after we ate durian, we were drinking.  We had a beer in the evening, and no sign of durian. (understand burping the garbage) And the next morning we woke up, fine.  But I can’t say what would happen, if we eat the whole piece and drink vodka in the evening.

 

 If you want to try durian, boldly, it’s really not that disgusting as you might expect.  Or have you already tasted it? Let us know if you like it. 🙂 

 

With love Tina

 

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travel

How to become responsible traveler?

Responsible traveling is becoming increasingly popular because travel is more affordable and cheaper than ever. We are all #travellovers, looking for cheap air tickets, we can eat in restaurants, swim with dolphins, rent a car. We can travel our own way.

But with these options, I think the responsibility of learning comes as well. We live in an information time, when we can find and verify information with just a few clicks. We can find information about any place, organization, company, people from multiple sources. The use of these options before the trip is, I think, MUST HAVE every traveler, tourist, hiker, because we are going to visit a place we don’t live in, we don’t know how it works there and what we should know about culture, traditions or life.

At the same time, we decide to spend our earned and sometimes hard-to-save money in the country. What do we want to spend the money on and whom do we want to support?

Responsible traveling

Responsible travel does not mean that you will be zero waste, you will only travel on foot. This means that the way we choose to travel, the countries that we choose to visit, or the choices we make on the road can create a positive or negative impact.

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? It is, but it is not very difficult. Even though we know what responsible travel means, we try to make the right decisions, but we’re not always 100%. Some things we managed already, some not so completely, but also reason why we want to share them. Maybe during the next trip you will have a little more positive impact on the place you are in. 🙂

The plastic problem

The problem with the plastic waste we all create is probably already known to everyone. Your own bottle, cutlery, straw that you can have in your bag while you are traveling and don’t need to use plastic is such a small base. And you do not have to travel to another country, just a trip to another city or a Friday night when you are planning to drink a lot of drinks and need a straw 🙂 More about it in an article about plastics.( for now only in Slovak language)

Transportation

This part of travel is a dispute over the quarrels of travelers on forums. If we do not want to leave the ecological footprint, we should not travel at all. But you without sin throw the first stone, right?

But we can do something to reduce the environmental impact.

Public transport

In the big cities there is mostly a public transport that takes you to where you need it. It is often faster than a car, because you don’t have to stuck in traffic. In some places it is also a great experience, as we had with dala dala  in Tanzania, where two more people would hang on one bus than they should 🙂

The train

The train is one of the most environmentally friendly way of transport, although it is often more expensive than a bus. For example, the train is really expensive when traveling between Poland and Slovakia. But we use Flixbus, where you can pay a few cents to help compensate for the Co2 that you created with your ride.

Airplane

Flying mainly on short distances is very unecological, because the most fuel is consumed when taking off and landing. The problem is that airplanes fly often, but their capacity is not always full. Another aircraft problem is plastic waste that is produced in one flight. Plastic cutlery, glasses, bottles, plates … some airlines have already begun to work to limit plastics, but it’s still not perfect.
We try to bring our own food or empty water bottle so we don’t have to use plastic cups from the plane. It is just small change we can do, but every small step counts.

Shared ride

When we travel by car, we often share our trip on Facebook pages where someone can join us. We will help those people who don’t have connection with bus or train and we also do not have a half-empty car. You can share or find your ride on  BlaBlaCar, or the good old way of hitch hiking. 🙂

Respect culture

Every country has its own culture and the way you travel further away from your country may seem to be different. Different culture and traditions do not always mean they are wrong. Before traveling, we always find out what the habits and religions of the country we are going to be, so that we do not offend anyone unnecessarily, mock somebody or ourselves, it was not an unpleasant faux paux.

So we were in Zanzibar during the Ramadan period, when we could not eat in public and we can not show shoulders and knees. We cover them and people appreciated how we behaved to their culture and traditions. We would also appreciate if someone will do it for us in our country.

Animal exploitation

None of us likes animal violence, their abuse. What many people do not realize is that it concern many animals we can meet during traveling abroad.

Swimming with dolphins in an aquarium, elephant riding in Thailand, cuddling with a tiger, monkeys in a dress on the beach. Many of these activities are offered officially and harm to animals is not clear at first sight. But where is demand there is also an offer.
Travelers are looking for these activities, so someone will always sell them.


Elephants with chains on their legs, tiger tiger like a kitten, dolphin living in an aquarium … just enough common sense to realize there’s something fishy.

Search for information on the internet, social networks, forums from people who have already been there. There are also rescue centres, where you can see these animals, for example, you can wash an elephant who has been saved and could not survive in the wild. But there are also many fraudsters, who pretend to protect animals, but they are not. So find informations, read reviews, ask questions. If it is honest rescue centre, I think they will be happy to answer all your questions.

You can also read more about elephants in Asia in article from Charli Moore.

Souvenirs

Finding such a “responsible souvenir” in a number of souvenir shops is not easy at all. After a few minutes, you feel like everything looks same and after turning the item you will find it was made in China, even if you are in Greece.

How to bring home a souvenir to support someone with your money  to do the right thing?

  • Food – something that the recipient has not tasted yet, or is not sold in your country. For example, we have brought home lemon homemade alcohol from Corsica, fig jam and feta from the local market, coconut and fair trade coffee from Africa. Bringing a “world taste” home is always a good idea.
  • Handmade – handmade earrings, bags, clothes, statuettes … anything you buy directly from the artist. You support his/her work and you have something you know where it comes from and maybe an interesting story to say.
  • Shells, animal parts (ivory, fur) should be left where they are. We can never be sure how they were obtained and whether or not you help the extinction of some kind of animal.
  • Watch for photos. Take pictures of people around you. For example, in Africa, people believe that if you take a picture of them, you will steal their soul. Always ask if you are going to shoot someone to not make someone’s live life without a soul.

Support local people

Guest house accommodation or shopping at the market. You take small steps to support a small business or family. You invest your money in people who live in the community and do not support a wealthy CEO who is drinking his drink on the Caribbean beach.


It is not always possible to travel in a perfectly responsible way, but “sharing is caring”, so it is why this article has also been created. Maybe next time, when you think about your travels, you will choose a different path than before. Maybe you just found out that you are a very responsible traveler. If you have any other tips on how to travel responsibly I’ll be happy if you share.

Tina Twovelers