Quick travel guides for nomads
Fast breakdowns and travel tips for countries and cities that I’ve already been to. All the good stuff, with no fluff.
The JR Pass most likely WON’T save you MONEY or TIME.
Then you’ll probably save money and time by NOT buying the pass. I mean it! Please do not be fooled by endless blogs and affiliate links encouraging you to buy the pass. It is not the safe option!
Swedish capital city sprawling across 14 islands, with many different vibes.
Surrounded by water and spread across multiple islands, Stockholm is also called “the Venice of the north” or “the Venice of Sweden”. Somewhat similar to Amsterdam (the other “Venice of the north) but whereas Amsterdam is much more compact and dense and with much narrower weblike waterways, Stockholm feels like larger islands with larger bodies of water between them. Stockholm is also cheaper than other Nordic country capital cities.
3 days would be enough to enjoy the main sights. Visiting different islands to check out squares, restaurants, museums, and city views across the water. Also experience varying lifestyles between the busier islands and the quieter ones. Enjoying some nature and landscape. See some interesting architecture in the buildings and metros, perhaps take a boat ride.
2nd biggest South Korean city with beaches and vibrant neighborhoods.
I don’t know why I thought Busan would be a small town but nope, it’s a big enough city of 3 million people. Has many many things to do and also carries a different vibe from Seoul. Although most people put only 2-3 days here, it’s easily a week’s worth of activities if not more. Touristically, it is NOT smaller than Seoul.
Seoul vs Busan ultimately comes down to what you prefer….bigger city with more nightlife (vibrant every night) vs coastal city with beaches. I would also add that Seoul has bigger historic sites (palaces & temples) and is colder (therefore more winter sports). And Busan feels less touristy than Seoul, less extreme weather (no freezing winters), better seafood, and friendlier people. I won’t say which is better. Both are worth visiting, but I’d ultimately stay longer in Seoul.
3 days to get a taste, 5-7 is more ideal to feel the vibe. Busan is bigger than you think and with more activities than you think.
Small beach city 3 hours drive northeast of Seoul.
Small city with a handful of tourist things to do and a see. At the very least, it’s a nice beach break from the usual city bustle of Seoul.
Underrated small country but well-developed, chill, English-friendly, and affordable.
A self-governing island country that was formerly a province of China but as of very recently (several decades ago) gained its independence. Taiwan is mostly recognized today as its own country, although not by all countries…for example some countries (such as Georgia) do not recognize the Taiwanese passport and don’t allow Taiwanese to enter their country.
In terms of tourism, Taiwan hasn’t marketed itself well on this part…which is great since it keeps costs down and authenticity high. The locals tell me the image of Taiwan is temples and night markets, to which I agree. It’s also an Asian island country that doesn’t have many beaches. Again…I think this feature has helped it stay lowkey and out of the tourism limelight.
I generally see Taiwan as a well developed island with smallish cities surrounded by lots of nature. Unlike other well-developed cities in Asia, Taiwan cities are not so big. A short 20 min drive and you’re back in nature, with mountains and coastline. It’s a great balance of modern urban life but also chill and lowkey.
Taiwan is also full of nice food, nice people, nice vibes. Without having been to China, I couldn’t help but see Taiwanese people as a generally more-friendly version of Chinese people. While Taiwanese and Chinese may be culturally and geographically similar, they most definitely see themselves as different and do have enough distinctions between each other.
As an American, I would also say that Taiwanese have a less favorable attitude towards mainland China and more favorable attitude towards America. (That’s for when comparing attitudes between Taiwanese and Chinese people.)
Driving from the top to the bottom of Taiwan takes 5-6 hours. The whole island is small, roughly the size of the Netherlands. You could see the capital city of Taipei in 3-4 days. Make it 7 days to visit 2-3 cities, 2 weeks for a more comprehensive highlight tour. If only as a short stay on your Asia tour, 5 days is a good amount of time to see Taipei and highlights of something else. But you could also stay 2 months and not get bored.
Taiwan’s capital city, full of food and city sights, with nature only a short drive away.
Awesome underrated city for travelers and expats. Very developed and English-friendly, yet cost of everything still low. Has everything you want (all big city conveniences), yet still small and cozy (easy to get around). Easy to get around the rest of the island country. Easy to fly to other Asia.
Also a nice cultural mix of Chinese, Japanese, British, and other international influences. I see Taipei as a great Western-friendly introduction to China (even though it’s not mainland China).
Great city that deserves a solid 5-7 days to explore.
Superficial fancy flashy city of 90% foreigners with ultra-modern architecture, luxury lifestyle, and lively nightlife.
As an American from Los Angeles, Dubai has never appealed to me. If anything the thought of superficial glam and surface-level glam has grossed me out. We already have superficial rich people in LA. We already have a luxury city of hotels and pretty commercial areas in a desert…it’s called Las Vegas.
“No thanks!” – was my immediate response.
But I couldn’t notice that I did have a handful of interesting friends who lived in Dubai. Ones that kept inviting me to stay at their place in Dubai. Since they were traveling often (as many people who live in Dubai are) and didn’t mind sharing their vacant apartment.
Once I finally arrived, I realized a few extra things:
Most locals would say Dubai is not so big. That you can see most tourist-things within 3 days. But others may suggest 5 days to really enjoy the lifestyle and check out the nice restaurants, arts, and nightlife.
Huge country somewhat similar to America (with English-speaking and lots of nature)…but friendlier people, cheaper costs, many things to do, French culture on the east coast, and its own unique vibe!
Canada may not seem high on your tourism list, and many see it as America’s less cool little brother…it does have several places worth visiting and offers its own cool vibe. A highly desirable country to live and visit. I did both…visiting there as a tourist but also living there for 3 months.
What stands out to me about Canada is that it seems very similar to America. But with friendlier people, slight differences on their English (on the east coast), much colder winters, and the French province of Quebec. The French part alone is super cool. If you’re in America, Montreal will feel like a super fast trip to Europe. Also Canada’s main sport is hockey, unlike America with football and basketball. Sports is a big thing in North America and seems like the only culture those countries have (hahaha)…since they aren’t old enough to have their own culture, and also since those countries were taken from the original native Americans (indigenous people) who actually came from there.
You can do a short tour on the east coast covering 2 nearby powerhouses, Montreal and Toronto within 1 week. Can add 1-2 extra days for Quebec City (which is more than just “tiny Montreal”). And another 3-4 days for Vancouver if you want to venture into the west coast. Then add more days to that if you want to visit national parks and nature stuff.
Most vibrant city in the Caucasus region, a favorite hip spot for diehard expats.
Georgia is a mountainous country in the Caucasus region, right between southern Europe and the Middle East. Such a distinct culture (with their own cool-looking alphabet), amazing food and a really nice vibe.
Although Tbilisi itself is pretty flat. I do recommend you do at least a few day tours out of the city to get a feel for the amazing mountain terrain. Georgia is so much more than Tbilisi! I really enjoyed wandering around town with local friends and also meeting other foreigners. I met many Russians, Ukrainians and Kazakh people here.
Stay 3-5 days to visit the main sights, neighborhoods, food, and nearby daytrips. But you could also stay longer to soak in the vibe. It’s cheap here! You can get a huge apartment for very little, cheap food, cheap massages, etc.
A nice medium-size city. Feels small and walkable yet also big enough to have everything, and also several areas for you to explore.
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The famous country of ancient mythical gods and present-day picturesque beaches.
Greece to me is a mix between Italy and Turkey. And in so many ways. Culturally, historically, architecturally, ethnically…it’s a mix of the Italian Mediterranean vibes of Turkish Arabian influences. Personalities of the people are also a bit similar to me…something between Italian warmth and Turkish fire/sassiness. Pricewise, it’s also in the middle of those 2.
I haven’t spent enough time to really know all about Greece but can suggest you look carefully at why you’re going. I think back in the days, Greece was considered as a cheaper beach alternative to Italy. Today…if you’re really looking for a cheap beach destination, maybe Montenegro or Albania is for you. Greece is indeed still cheaper than Italy in general but not like it used to be. But if you know that what you really seek is specifically Greek culture and greek things, then yes of course…go to Greece.
Greece needs a minimum of 5-7 days. So you can do a couple days in Athens (seeing historic stuff), then check out the beach life on some islands. If you wanted to do more, 10-15 days should be solid to see a variety of places.
Learn about the most romantic country in the world. It’s sights and culture.
France reminds me a lot about Italy. In that it’s a place many people already know about, long before they get there. French culture is everywhere in pop culture and media. It’s repeatedly romanticized (and for good reason) and imitated, and inspired by.
Beautiful island country (over 200,000), blending modern minimalist technology with old fashion homesteading lifestyle.
To someone who isn’t familiar with Sweden or Nordic European countries…Sweden is ultra-modern and minimalist. In architecture, general design of how all Swedish things look. The culture is somewhat like a more futuristic Germany (as I would say is typical with nordic countries). Landscape-wise, the country is made of many little islands all connected to each other. Imagine like a mix of a more minimalist Germany and Netherlands put together.
The lifestyle is very much homesteading. If you ever wanted to have big city comforts but still be in touch with nature, growing your own food, biking everywhere, and being surrounded with trees and green, Sweden is the spot for you. I think outsiders imagine Sweden as a country of technology and minimalism, but it’s very much a nature place as well.
You could easily see a couple main cities in Sweden within 10 days. 5 days is minimum to get a vibe. Stay longer to enjoy different towns. I would say Swedish cities are not so drastically different from each other like in other countries (Rome vs Venice).
Deciding between these 2 popular capital cities?
I don’t blame you. Both have many to offer, and also share many similarities. However, there are still many distinctions that can set them apart.
Of course…I recommend you to visit both and see for yourself, but I’ll still make this guide in case you want to hear more opinions beforehand.
One of Georgia’s many beautiful mountain towns.
Is it Kazbegi or Stepantsminda? Stepantsminda is the town, Kazbegi is the mountain. But people just call the whole area Kazbegi (its old name). It’s not just the mountains that are beautiful but also the ride on the way here (from Tbilisi).
The big question is should you stay here or just do a 1-day tour from Tbilisi. I will absolutely recommend staying here. It’s beautiful and you need to see the sunrise and sunset for the full experience. Also being able to go around and take your time to take in the views. Instead of being rushed to take photos and jump back on the bus.
Weekend stay would be perfect. 2 nights for sure. I usually stay 3 and could do even more.
Beautiful modern country…clean, safe, high quality of life, and with wide range of cultures.
The German vibe as best described to me as clean and polite. Perhaps Germans and German culture is not so extroverted and outwardly charmy as say the Spanish or Italians, but indeed it has a lot of its own charms. Look past the stereotypes of beer-drinking polite people, and you’ll find so much more to explore.
I would say Germany is the most multi-cultural country in Europe. Does it have more ethnic groups than say England? Probably not. But it feels in Germany, there are more cultural groups staying true to their culture (and not assimilating so much into German culture). Depending on who you talk to, this can be a good or a bad thing. As a tourist, I’d say it’s a good thing since you get to see many flavors of people in one place.
Germany is known for having great economic power and quality of life, making it an ideal place for immigrants and visitors to be. It’s beautiful, charmy. Has old school way of things, but also modern way of things. Well-functioning infrastructure in every way.
As for the cities themselves. Germany is definitely a big country in that there are many cities worth visiting. 1 week is enough to say you saw Germany, 2 weeks is better to get some range, and 3-4 weeks if you really like it and want to explore more of what Germany has to offer.
The world’s greatest pop culture powerhouse. The land of the infamous “American dream”. Everything you’ve seen in TV and movies.
This is a country of many big cities, big space, big cars, big companies, big celebrities. Many things you’ve always heard of, and heard about this place, they’re all here.
Why come to America?
Beautiful cute all-white tourist mountain town, with endless terraces.
Is like a terrace in a terrace in a terrace. like the inception of terraces
Probably my favorite Romanian chill city. Beautiful, good mid-size.
Cluj is a beautiful small-mid city, and I definitely prefer it over Bucharest (which is also cool and vibey). Cluj just seems more convenient and properly sized, it’s also a university town with lots of young folks and affordable housing. Bucharest offers much more nightlife options and more areas to hang out, also more upscale style type of places.
But overall, there’s very little tourist value here. And if you’re looking for fun exciting unique things to do and see, Cluj may seem boring or not having any unique quality.
2 days would be enough to see all tourist things and live the chill life of eating and hanging outdoors.
A cute, colorful, small Romanian city…that’s beautiful and not too small. (But it is small).
Enjoy the nice vibes, eating and drinking outside. Walking around the beautiful old town. 2 days would be the right amount to enjoy it.