Singapore The smallest nation in south-east Asia, Singapore is an island country located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Less than 140km north of the equator, Singapore's climate tropical rainforest climate has no distinctive seasons. Singapore is a lively, multi-ethnic city-state where east amalgamates with the west and tradition merges with modernity. The population of all of Singapore is just under 5 million - or about two thirds of Greater London. Though Singapore is highly cosmopolitan and diverse, ethnic Chinese form the majority of the population. English is th [View Full Entry]

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Paris Both long daylight and a lot of sun made the 2008 summer solstice an ideal opportunity to explore one world's most beautiful cities: Paris. I stayed for three days which was barely long enough to see the main sights only. Although a bit pricey St. Christopher's Hostel was in fact one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at (dormitory B&B for EUR 35). Plus, it is located near the Gare de l'Est which is convenient if you arrive there by train as I did. On the first day I got up early, had my free breakfast and headed to [View Full Entry]

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Over the Atlas mountains I left Marrakesh airport on one of the frequent airport shuttle buses that connect the airport with the city (20dh). I got out at the central bus station and was lucky enough to catch a bus towards Ouarzazate (80dh) straight away. The 5 hour bus ride across the High Atlas was impressive - it never got boring due to the ever-changing landscape with its barren mountains, wild rivers, small villages, high passes and snow-capped peaks. Some 30km before we reached Ouarzazate I asked the bus driver to drop me off at the turn-off to the village of [View Full Entry]

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Start spreadin' the news, I'm leaving today I want to be a part of it: New York, New York. Frank Sinatra, Theme from New York, New York With over 8.2 million residents within an area of 830 km² New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. It has been the largest city in the US since 1790 and comprises five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and of course Manhattan where I spent my 2008 Easter weekend. Manhattan One of my first stops was at the sunny and lively Pier 17. I had the [View Full Entry]

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Jerusalem Jerusalem is the capital and largest city of Israel. Its history goes back as far as the 4th millennium BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual centre of the Jewish people since the 10th century BC. The city contains a number of significant ancient Christian sites and is widely considered the third-holiest city in Islam. Jerusalem is a festival and a lamentation. Its song is a sigh across the ages, a delicate, robust, mournful psalm at [View Full Entry]

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My first visit to Dahab was back in 1996. Back then, it was even cheaper than today - actually a bit too cheap and rather dirty. The accommodation was limited to basic camps with shared bathrooms (with both other people and cockroaches). Living cost next to nothing and diving was excellent. I returned in 2005 and at least once every year since. A lot of things have improved: the dusty road along the beach has been transformed into a nice pedestrian area, spreading out for some 3km from the Laguna south of Dahab to Eel Garden in the north. Numerous restaurants [View Full Entry]

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A visit to the pyramids is definitely one of the highlights of a trip to Egypt. However, there is much more to see than only the well-known Pyramids of Giza. There is a number of other sites where pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom. Besides Giza, the most famous sites are Saqqara - which features the first pyramid ever - and Dahshur with its unique Bent Pyramid. Whilst it is possible to visit all three sites on one single day I wouldn't recommend it. Access to the Giza pyramids is easily possible on public transport hence there is no need [View Full Entry]

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The Pyramids of Giza at the edge of the Western Desert and the great Mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer) in the east ... between these two monuments sprawls a vast city, the largest in Africa and the Middle East: Cairo. Its population is estimated at around 18 million and is swollen by a thousand new migrants every day. Unlike London, the amount of green space per citizen has been calculated at 13 square centimetres only. The polluted air makes you cough on a good day and is throat-rasping on others. However, it is impossible not to find yourself carried [View Full Entry]

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The above panoramic photo shows the funerary procession in Ramose's tomb My other Egypt blog entries Diving in Dahab Egyptian pyramids - Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur Cairo Sinai Mountains and Saint Catherine's Monastery [url=http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Abu-Si [View Full Entry]

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The above panoramic photo shows the Ramses colossi at Abu Simbel I arrived in Aswan just after lunch on the morning train from Luxor (1st class LE41). Despite the fact that I had already spent 4 days in Luxor and Thebes I was keen on visiting some more ancient Pharaonic sites - both Abu Simbel and Philae Temple were on my agenda. When I travelled back to Luxor I was even able to visit the temples in Edfu and Kom Ombo as well. Aswan Aswan has been a favourite winter resort since the beginning of the [View Full Entry]

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