Voyager
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Christmas at the Magical Lantern Festival
Every year we have a routine of visiting our favorite places in London to see Christmas lights. But there is one place that is very special – the Magical Lantern Festival. Traditionally held in January (read my January 2016 and 2017 reviews), this year we are lucky to have it in December right before the Christmas holidays. It’s been now our third year going to the festival and it doesn’t fail to impress us. Just see the photos for yourself! Held in the Chiswick House and Gardens, the Magical Lantern Festival is an impressive light display that takes you on an enchanting journey, following park’s trails. Depending on a theme,…
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In Bruges: Christmas
If you have noticed, I have been offline (or shall I say, off blogging) for a while. I have been busy with other things, like launching my brand, but that hasn’t stopped me traveling. In the fall alone, I have been to Dubrovnik, Kyiv, Barcelona, and Bruges. As some of you know, every year I always have few blog posts on Christmas in London and other European locations (like Berlin or Oslo). This time, I want to take you on a quick trip to Bruges, Belgium. So…if you have seen In Bruges movie, you probably already know that it’s a picturesque Belgian medieval town. It’s very pretty and around Christmas,…
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Luxury Travel With Qatar Airways
As you already might have read in my previous blog posts, earlier this summer I went to Bali to celebrate my 40th birthday. I decided to do in style – from business class flights to a private villa in Bali! While I have already well documented my Bali shenanigans in other posts, I wanted to dedicate this one to trip logistics and share my impressions of business class travel on the Qatar Airways. Let me start with the fact that I am a huge fan of Qatar Airways, having flown them before on business trips to South Asia. They were even nice enough to upgrade me once to a business…
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72-Hour Guide to Cambodia: Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Part I)
Cambodia is one of those Southeast Asian countries that I have been wanting to visit for a long time and last year I got to go there twice. I rarely mention my work in my blog but my international development career often takes me to various places around the world. For two years I was overseeing a big initiative in Asia and Cambodia, thankfully, was one of the countries in my portfolio. Cambodia is a beautiful combination of spirituality and soulfulness, and is still less touristy and commercialized than neighboring Thailand. But it has lots to offer to international vagabonds such as myself. If you don’t have much free time like me (I was…
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Cats: World Travels Through the Eyes of Feline Lover
Being a feline lover and amateur photographer means whenever I see a cat, I have to take a picture of it. Throughout my travels I have seen and taken photos of many cats. Some where shy and minded their own business, while others approached me, sometimes in the least expected manner. Like people, each of these felines had its own story to purr. And if you want to learn something about a country and its people, just look at the way they treat their animals (especially homeless cats and dogs). Cambodia If you read my blog on Cambodia, you would already know that I went there twice and absolutely loved the…
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And the Liebster Award Goes To…
This week I got my first Liebster Award! Even though there is no actual trophy involved, the Liebster Award is becoming popular in the blogging community as a way to introduce, support and promote smaller (under 200 followers) blogs by fellow bloggers. It’s a great way to be discovered and connect with other bloggers you may not have heard of before. I got nominated by a fellow blogger, Subhadrika Sen of the Trekkers of the East blog. Subhadrika and I collaborated recently serving as guest bloggers for each other’s sites – check out her great post on India’s off-beat holiday destinations. So, before I pass on the honor of nominating few other bloggers, let me…
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Growing Up in the USSR: 15 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Soviet Upbringing
Did you ever wonder what it was like growing up in the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain? With the Cold War still on, I was growing up in Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic, one of 15 republics that made up a Soviet Union. It was a different reality that taught me and my peers a certain way of thinking and behaving. Today, I am going to take you on a virtual historic tour to my Soviet upbringing and share top 15 features of what it was like to grow up and live in the Soviet Union. So, imagine: 1. From a very young age, you are used to the fact…
