Welcome ... to the other side ! (Foto taken in Bhutan, the gross happiness dictatorship) - "Dark Tourist" is a deliberate propaganda word, to discredit those brighter travelers who refuse to be programmed by television and take an effort to see reality for themselves. "Dark Tourists" go to Miami, Mallorca, or the Military. Bright tourists … Continue reading Dark Tourist or Bright Traveler ?
Aleppo (Syria): perfidious ISIS-Battlefield, secret NATO-Bunker, destroyed Grand Bazaar + famous Baron Hotel
We want you to come to Syria - in peace ! Because of the Western sanctions, there are currently only 3 international flights to Damascus (from Baghdad, Moscow and Tehran), so most foreign visitors, journalists or NGO staff enter Syria overland from the Lebanese border, pictured here. After a night drive of 2.5 hours, directly … Continue reading Aleppo (Syria): perfidious ISIS-Battlefield, secret NATO-Bunker, destroyed Grand Bazaar + famous Baron Hotel
At the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad
There is a giant Ishtar Gate at the entrance to the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad. The original was built by King Nebukhadnezzar around 575 BC in ancient Babylon. The remains of the original are today at the Pergamon Museum Berlin. Other names for Ishtar are Astarte or Aphrodite or Isis (!). The Babylon Hotel is … Continue reading At the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad
Mleeta – the Hezbollah Stronghold in Lebanon
Visit to Mleeta in Lebanon Arrival scene at Beirut Airport The (pre-) Roman temple of Baalbek is Lebanon's most famous attraction Few visitors know about Mleeta - the Hezbollah's stronghold sitting high on a mountaintop in Lebanon's South in defence against Israeli attacks. The mountain dug out was not detected by Israel until after the … Continue reading Mleeta – the Hezbollah Stronghold in Lebanon
Krim: Night Wolves Bike Show + Donbass: Separatist Café
Our travel team of 4 German friends was invited to meet Alexander Saldostanov ("Chirurg") and his Night Wolves ... at their famous Bike Show near Sevastopol on Mount Gasforta. Nochni Volki = Night Wolves. - This video shows what we had to expect (in German). This is what the UK Foreign Office travel warning … Continue reading Krim: Night Wolves Bike Show + Donbass: Separatist Café
The ultimate “Gentleman Adventurer” trip: to all 3 Somalias
PG 18: Don't try this at home. You'll miss your flight. - A bit of romantic music? - Oh man The mysterious Mr. Masel Tov called and made the Gentleman Adventurer a generous offer he couldn't resist: a trip to the world's most dangerous country Somalia in private-jet comfort and with professional protection. From Oman … Continue reading The ultimate “Gentleman Adventurer” trip: to all 3 Somalias
Hot chicks, cold noodles and a rocket haircut in North Korea
Even after the US embargo forbidding it's own citizens from travelling to North Korea, there are currently three travel agencies that offer entry to North Korea: Koryo Group, Juche Tours and Young Pioneer Tours. Booking and visa procedures are simple. Entry is either by daily plane from Beijing, or two planes a week from Vladivostok, … Continue reading Hot chicks, cold noodles and a rocket haircut in North Korea
Best airport stopover: Ololo Lodge in Nairobi National Park
I'm surprised that Air Kenya does not market this world-unique opportunity at all, despite the graphic displays at Nairobi Airport. Ololo Lodge's friendly driver Sylvester picked me up punctually and in true Safari style at the airport gate. As usual in Nairobbery he couldn't keep such a beautiful car for long ... The drive … Continue reading Best airport stopover: Ololo Lodge in Nairobi National Park
Who is the world’s most traveled person?
29.10.2017 Extreme Travelers Charles Veley, Don Parrish, Harry Mitsidis (@ ETIC 2017 in Liberland) Essay: Who is the world’s most traveled person? And how did “country collecting” evolve to “systematic travel” by Kolja Spori, Founder of ETIC – Extreme Traveler International Congress As of 2017, more than 530 people have traveled to outer space, but less … Continue reading Who is the world’s most traveled person?
Road to Anabar. World’s Northernmost Dead-End !
Putin' on the Rocks. An epic ice-road-trip. Across Yakutia. To the top of the world. And the end of the road. @72°49'NORTH. 10.03.2016 -45 °C Three Lads and a Lada ... ... on the Road to Anabar. World's northernmost road end. "Holiday on ice": drove 4.000 km on official roads from Lake Baikal (Irkutsk) to … Continue reading Road to Anabar. World’s Northernmost Dead-End !
Manpupuner – at the Europe-Asia Border high in the Urals
01.04.2015 We rented a VW Tiguan 4x4 from Avis at Moscow Domodedovo Airport and drove on a slightly northern route 3.000 km towards the Ural ... ... crossing from the European to the Asian continent at this monument between Perm and Ivdel. The end of the road, Vizhay, is a ghost town, ever … Continue reading Manpupuner – at the Europe-Asia Border high in the Urals
North Pole (via Ice Camp Barneo)
12.04.2014 -30 °C - Ice Camp Barneo - - Each year in April, the Russian Geographical Society builds a spectacular tent camp for scientists, explorers and tourists. The Logistical effort to build Barneo is fascinating. They called it Barneo, because, ahem, well, it is not Borneo ! 🙂 Take off from Spitsbergen, Norway … Continue reading North Pole (via Ice Camp Barneo)
Roadtrip Russia (5) Road of Bones in Winter at -62°C
14.02.2013 Russia's M56: "Highway from Hell" and "Road of Bones" 4.200 km through the "Pole of Cold" ... 3 days and nights ... nonstop driving with temperatures never warmer than -30 °C ... ... even below -50° C for 2.000 km !!! (like on planet Mars) It was also the coldest winter in Russia … Continue reading Roadtrip Russia (5) Road of Bones in Winter at -62°C
Aid Drive to Dadaab, the Somali Refugee Camps
World's largest refugee camp 10.08.2011 We flew to Mombasa with private cash donations and stocks of medical equipment, destined for the drought struck refugee area of Dadaab. In a rented Toyota RAV4 we drove via Malindi and Lamu to Garissa in North-Eastern Kenya. The area is 95% Somali inhabited and looks and feels totally … Continue reading Aid Drive to Dadaab, the Somali Refugee Camps
Blitz Trip to Benghazi (Arab Spring)
We were probably the first "tourists" in this newly emerging Libyan capital 23.06.2011 Two Players in the Conflict Country <---> ==> Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Leader of the "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" since 1969 vs. Mustafa Abdul Jalil of the "Transitional National Council" leading the new "Libyan Republic" since 2011 (Source: Wikipedia) - Benghazi … Continue reading Blitz Trip to Benghazi (Arab Spring)
Chechnya, Ingushetia, etc
... North Ossetia-Alania, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachai-Cherkessia, Stavropol, Adygeya, Krasnodar, Abkhazia 24.04.2011 Early 2010. Invited by President Ramzan Kadirov. Flew Moscow to Grozny in Yak 40 by Grozny Avia. Very friendly reception. Totally rebuilt from war devastation. On the way to becoming a modern UAE-style emirate. Impressive leadership. Unique Nakh culture. Very macho. Many Rambos carrying big … Continue reading Chechnya, Ingushetia, etc
The UN-easy Way: Jeddah (Saudi) to Juba (South Sudan)
A rough overland drive of 4.000km - plus an UN-easy missionary flight - to attend the birth of a new nation: South Sudan 14.01.2011 - 25.01.2011 Our route: Saudi-Arabia View over Riyadh from Prince Al Waleed's Kingdom Tower The perfect GLOBE cigar lounge in the 31st floor of Al Faisaliyah Tower in Riyadh - Heavy … Continue reading The UN-easy Way: Jeddah (Saudi) to Juba (South Sudan)
Red Bull Hangar 7 in Salzburg
... been here so many times, finally found the energy for a well deserved blog entry: Hangar 7 is Didi Mateschitz' daring collection of big boys toys and tickles for culinary tongues, a private hangar at Salzburg's W. A. Mozart Airport, right off the highway border with Germany, at the bottom of mythical Untersberg, … Continue reading Red Bull Hangar 7 in Salzburg
A Traveller de luxe at Ernst Jünger’s house in Swabia
Under the spell of Jünger's private collection of literature, travel memorabilia and personally delivered bulletholes to the helmet of English soldiers (WW1). Ernst Jünger (1895-1998) is arguably Germany's most unerring writer, he was definitely the most manly, and - attaining age 102 - he was certainly the bravest. I became attracted to Jünger's lonely … Continue reading A Traveller de luxe at Ernst Jünger’s house in Swabia
Who is a sophisticated traveler?
The meaning of "sophistication" has its ancient roots in Greek: sophia = wisdom. In the days of classical beauty, wisdom was inherently linked to aesthetics, defined by rational order and harmonious proportions. This was in stark contrast to later medieval gothics (brought by Barbarians) or modern shard deconstructivism (by another tribe from the East), which has found its extreme … Continue reading Who is a sophisticated traveler?
ETIC – Principality of Sealand
On the occasion of the 7th ETIC - Extreme Traveler International Congress, an exclusive group of 25 of the world's most extreme travelers flew in, all the way from Japan, Thailand, Russia, the USA and Europe ... ... to meet at The Pier Hotel in Harwich - and to travel onward to one of the … Continue reading ETIC – Principality of Sealand
Meeting: Juliane Koepcke, Sole Survivor LANSA 508 Jungle Crash
I met with Juliane Koepcke (64) at the Bayerische Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich. Definitely the most amazing life story I ever heard of! Juliane Koepcke, is a German mammalogist. As a teenager in 1971, Koepcke was the lone survivor of the LANSA Flight 508 plane crash, and then survived 11 days alone in the Amazon … Continue reading Meeting: Juliane Koepcke, Sole Survivor LANSA 508 Jungle Crash
Frozen Italian Eye Candy in Eritrea
... with a shot of Cuba Libre ! A huge painting in the lobby of the Asmara Palace Hotel demonstrates modern Eritreans' long fight for freedom - from Ethiopia - and their affinity with communist Cuba. The EPLF fighters famously wore sandals which even received a 5 meter high monument at Shida (Sandal) Square. Now … Continue reading Frozen Italian Eye Candy in Eritrea
