For the past week and a half, I have been traveling through the Altai Region. Located near the meeting point of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China, this region is home to one of the most beautiful and remote mountain ranges in the world, as well as vast grasslands and nomadic people who have retained their cultural tradition of hunting with eagles. In this article I will cover my trip to the Russian and Mongolian sections of the Altai Region.
House of my host family in Deluun, Mongolia
It was a Thursday night, and I had just arrived into Oslo, Norway, by plane from Poland. I met my friend Bjørn in the city center and then we headed to his apartment to make plans- not just any plans, but a road trip. Robyn, another friend of mine who was studying in Oslo, came up with the idea, and Bjørn was able to take time off work last minute. All three of us were off to see Trolltunga, the rock formation made recently popular by Instagram photos and the like.
Trolltunga
The last few days I have been exploring Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. The largest city in Wallonia is Liège. (Brussels is also mostly French-speaking but is not considered part of Wallonia since it is administered separately as the capital, much like Washington, DC.)
Wallonia has many limestone caverns in the area south of Liège. The caves of Remouchamps, pictured here, have a river running through them.
Split between exploring caves and going to the beach? You can do both at the same time by going to Benagil Cave in southern Portugal, near Albufeira.
Albufeira is a lively town in southern Portugal and a popular vacation spot for Europeans.
London can be a fairly pricey city. Fortunately, it can also be seen on a budget if you know what you are doing. After spending last week in London, here are some tips that I can offer.
A traditional English breakfast does not have to break the bank. You can find one at a local cafe for only five to ten dollars.
Norwegian Air will begin to offer low-cost flights from Seattle and Denver to London beginning in mid-September. Beginning today, tickets are available for purchase on its website, Norwegian.com. The fares start at $199 for tickets from Seattle or Denver to London, and $279 for the return segment, for a total of $478 roundtrip. However, with a little bit of insider knowledge, you can actually cut down the fare a little bit more! I’ll let you know how.
If you’ve ever wanted to see Big Ben, now is the perfect time to book a ticket!
Enjoying sunset in Istanbul with Turkish tea
Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, spans both Europe and Asia and is a meeting point for Eastern and Western cultures.