The 5 most overrated products for backpacking

backpacks in pickup truck

Let me tell you what not to pack when going on a backpacking trip. Packing your backpack for a trip is different for everybody. Some take weeks to plan and use lists to make sure they don’t forget anything. Others, like me, start the evening before. We all have one thing in common though: we over pack. Heavily too. To make matters worse, there are some travel items that everybody seems to be recommending while they are really not that great. Or even useful. You pack them, drag them around your whole trip and unpack them back home. Never really used them at all. So in a probably futile attempt to rid the world of these overrated and useless travel products, and to give myself a nice opportunity for a rant, here are the 5 most overrated travel items for backpacking.

Continue reading “The 5 most overrated products for backpacking”

How to spend your days in misty metropolitan Lima

Of all places in Peru, its capital Lima is by far the most urban and sophisticated. Many travelers that visited told me that Lima was not really worth the time except that it had the convenience of one of the biggest international airports in South-America. I disagree. They simply didn’t know what to do in Lima. The city offers world-class cuisine, beautiful neighborhoods, an interesting colonial heritage and the best clubbing in the country. Staying a few days while eating delicious Ceviche and fighting off a jetlag after a long-haul flight is certainly not a bad idea!

Continue reading “How to spend your days in misty metropolitan Lima”

Why I hated the beautiful Uros Islands

As a child I once saw a Discovery-documentary from Jacques Cousteau where he explained about the weird frilled frogs that live in lake Titicaca. Ever since visiting this lake has been high on my list. On the shores of lake Titicaca lies Puno, the second most visited town in Peru. People flock here to see the floating Uros islands. Yes they are undeniably beautiful. Yes they are unlike any other islands you have ever seen. But man did I hate visiting them.  Continue reading “Why I hated the beautiful Uros Islands”

Vietnam’s Imperial Capital: Hue

Hue Vietnam, a medium-sized provincial city in central-Vietnam, is included in most itinerary’s  because of its history and location. It served as the capital of Vietnam from 1802-1945 and  is perfectly on route as a stop-over if you travel the country from North to South. The town itself is a dirty, busy and rather uninspiring place. The Royal Tombs in close vicinity however are a delight and definitely make your visit worth the extra stop.  Continue reading “Vietnam’s Imperial Capital: Hue”