“Do you have anything that is banned?” said an Uzbek security guard, poking his head around my train cabin’s door as I sat waiting, one of the only people on the train who was travelling all the way to Tashkent. “Nothing banned” I said. He gave my case a cursory glance over, and nodded. “Thankyou”. [...]| Claire's Footsteps
When I first told people of my plans to travel as a solo female in Kazakhstan (or more specifically, to solo travel across the world, but we’ll just talk about Kazakhstan here!), a LOT of people were sceptical. Sadly, the only thing that a lot of people know about the place is that it was [...]| Claire's Footsteps
This year, Sri Lanka travel is being mentioned more and more in the news. “Everyone I Know Is Heading To Sri Lanka” Suitcase Mag says. “The winter sun island luring back visitors with heritage wildlife and low prices” iNews proclaims. Tourism in the south of Sri Lanka is booming. But in the north, in areas [...] The post 9 things to do in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka (travel guide) appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
From the top of Sigiriya, a sea of green forest stretches for miles. “This area’s all protected”, our guide told us. “You can see how lush Sri Lanka’s nature is”. Clouds gathered on the horizon, and the sun started to set. After an arduous climb up 1,200 steps to the top, taking a breather here [...]| Claire's Footsteps
I’ve always loved travelling the world by rail, road and boat. I find that seeing the world from a ground level perspective helps me to experience cultures in a way that I wouldn’t otherwise and have truly local experiences. In this blog, I want to inspire you to travel overland. From taking trains through Thailand to sailing across the Caspain Sea, I’ve got lots of travel stories and tips to share!| Claire's Footsteps
“We were divided for many years. Our country’s not perfect. But we are uniting, and tourism can help with this” our guide Dhanoushka told us as we drove to Sri Lanka’s once war-torn north. The South Asian island nation, often known as the “teardrop of Asia” is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of [...] The post Sri Lanka travel guide appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
Few countries have had to contend with situations like Sri Lanka’s last 40 years. First came the civil war, a brutal 26 year conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (otherwise known as “Tamil Tigers”). Of course, the victims in it were innocent civilians – on both sides, but [...] The post Not flying is best for the environment. But the cost of not visiting could be greater. appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
We hadn’t even made it to the national park, when we saw an elephant making its way through the roadside trees. “We see them a lot here” our guide Dhanoushka told us. “But this can cause problems. Humans and elephants are still learning to live together in Sri Lanka”. I was on a ten-day trip [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Everyone kept telling me this was the best ferry in Europe. “It’s basically a cruise,” they said. Some even claimed it beat Silja Line. Naturally, I booked it. This was Color Magic, sailing overnight from Oslo to Kiel, and at €289, it was the most expensive ferry ticket I’ve ever bought. I’ve crossed Europe by [...] The post Is Europe’s best ferry worth the hype? appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
London to Tangier. On a map, it’s 1,500 miles. Flight time, around 3.5 hours. Without flying? I was about to find out. It was raining in London St Pancras and the crowds were surging. Gripping my coffee like my trip depended on it, the current of people took me as I shuffled through Eurostar baggage [...] The post I did a “Race Across the World” trip in real life 🚝 appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
On the approach to Sweden’s capital, my ferry rolled past islands dotted with log cabins, leading out to the occasional town or village. The Stockholm archipelago consists of 30,000 islands, breaking away from the mainland as they reach eastwards. This means that, when taking the ferry from Helsinki or Aland (an archipelago of autonomous Swedish-speaking [...] The post Stockholm: the summer destination nobody talks about appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
This is Åland: a Swedish-speaking, demilitarised archipelago that’s part of Finland. I’d wanted to visit for ages — mostly because I had so many questions. Why is it Swedish-speaking? How autonomous is it really? And why can’t any country have a military presence here? I travelled here by overnight ferry from Helsinki, and a couple [...]| Claire's Footsteps
From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin Wall physically and ideologically divided Germany’s capital. For 28 years, a fortified barrier ran through the city, separating families, splitting transport networks, and symbolising the Cold War divide between East and West. Today, remnants of the wall and the infrastructure around it are preserved in museums, parks, and restored [...] The post Berlin Wall guide: how to see Berlin Wall sights appeared first on Claire's Footsteps.| Claire's Footsteps
Thinking of skipping the plane and taking the sleeper train from Paris to Berlin? Here’s what it’s actually like to travel overnight on the ÖBB Nightjet. The Paris to Berlin Nightjet: route overview The sleeper train departs Paris Gare de l’Est at 19:12 and arrives at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 08:26 the next morning. It operates [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Paris has been at the centre of European politics, revolution, and resistance for over two centuries. This post highlights six key days that reshaped not just France, but the world – and shows you exactly where to go if you want to follow the story on foot (like I did in this YouTube video). It [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Is Georgia safe? Let’s go into it in this post! Georgia, a nation sitting in Eastern Europe, is somewhere that’s just starting to appear on mainstream tourist’s radar. However, as it’s only just becoming well known on the tourist scene, some travellers wonder about the safety in Georgia before visiting. I’ve been to Georgia twice: [...]| Claire's Footsteps
I recently spent two weeks in Jordan, and I have so much to share! Is Jordan worth visiting? I think yes, absolutely – I absolutely loved my time there. There are a few things to think about as well, so let’s dig into the reasons to visit Jordan AND considerations when planning a trip. Reasons [...]| Claire's Footsteps
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is one of the most welcoming and fascinating countries I’ve ever visited. It’s super safe, the locals are among the friendliest people in the world, the food is delicious, the history is fascinating and the landscapes are wonderfully diverse. While it’s a relatively easy country to travel in, here’s a [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Louages in Tunisia are probably the most efficient way to explore the North African country. There’s not much information about taking them online, so I thought If’d write this blog post explaining how to take shared taxis in Tunisia! You can use louages to travel between cities in Tunisia; this post is based on my [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Is Everest Base Camp dangerous? Or is Everest Base Camp safe? Let's take a look at Everest Base Camp trek safety.| Claire's Footsteps
Is Georgia worth visiting? Yes! “Georgia is a country for life” I was told on the first day of my second visit to the country. I’ve been to Georgia twice now and both times, I’ve been struck by how welcoming the country is, along with the diversity of attractions and activities on offer. Located in [...]| Claire's Footsteps
Is Tunisia safe for travel? We’ll go into it in this article! It may be the smallest country in North Africa, but Tunisia’s packed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites and thousands of years of history. Not to mention the beaches – Tunisia boasts a stunning Mediterranean coastline, and that coupled with warm weather and cheaper [...]| Claire's Footsteps
