Author: Anja

Our Turkey Road Trip Part 2:  Aegean Turkey from Kusadasi to Akyaka

Our Turkey Road Trip Part 2: Aegean Turkey from Kusadasi to Akyaka

After two nights in Kusadasi, and some mightily sweaty sightseeing at Ephesus, it was time to move south. We hired a car out of Izmir Airport for ten days and set off on our drive through Aegean Turkey  to Antalya. We would then return inland 

A Day in Amman: Walk, Eat, Shop!

A Day in Amman: Walk, Eat, Shop!

Although Amman is the capital of Jordan, and most visitors arrive at its international airport, most go straight to Petra and Wadi Rum. If you have a little time, Amman is a great Middle Eastern city to stroll, eat great meals, and do a bit 

Review: Pera Palace Hotel , Istanbul

Review: Pera Palace Hotel , Istanbul

It took several weeks of umm-ing and ahh-ing  to finally  steer away from our usual accommodation budget and to book  the Pera Palace Hotel. As much as holidays sometimes means to stretch out on huge comfy beds with the whitest, softest linen and sleeping in 

Is it safe to visit the Mount of Olives?

Is it safe to visit the Mount of Olives?

In peaceful times, a trip up the Mount of Olives is part of every itinerary of Jerusalem.  The views over the Old City and the Temple Mount are stunning . Wonderful vistas aside, the Mount of Olives is also one of the sites where Jesus 

What can you realistically expect from a Day Trip to Wadi Rum?

What can you realistically expect from a Day Trip to Wadi Rum?

When I planned my little winter sun trip to Jordan, I didn’t plan on visiting Wadi Rum.  My priorities were on Petra, catching some sun in Aqaba and viewing the Desert Castles east of Amman. So I simply ran out of time. However, after seeing 

Where to go in Greece if you love animals

Where to go in Greece if you love animals

Some  destination in Greece are more suitable for animal lovers than others. This post is about  Where to go in Greece if you love animals. However, some of the information on this site applies to most travel destinations. Having travelled to Greece quite a few 

A Day Trip to Abu Simbel – tricky but possible!

A Day Trip to Abu Simbel – tricky but possible!

Who isn’t interested in ancient Egypt? Or, should I ask, monumental, mind-blowing Egyptian temples? It’s just a shame one of them is so deep in the desert of southern Egypt. There’s not much around it, and  it takes real effort to visit. I’m talking about 

Jordan in winter: a tale of adventure and incredible hospitality

Jordan in winter: a tale of adventure and incredible hospitality

Apologies for staying unusually quiet these last few weeks! After producing a few new blog posts over the quiet period of the holidays, work was unusually busy, and then I went on my much-awaited winter sun holiday. Or so I thought… Do you wonder what 

West Bank Banksies, Walls and Sweet Child Jesus: a Day in Bethlehem

West Bank Banksies, Walls and Sweet Child Jesus: a Day in Bethlehem

Bethlehem: I looked everywhere in my 2011 Bradt Guide, but couldn’t find it. What’s going on with Bethlehem? No wonder… Bethlehem is in the West Bank, one of the three Palestine Territories in Israel. It took me  a little to figure that out – being ignorant, 

My decade of travel in pictures

My decade of travel in pictures

Hallo and Happy New Year to you! May 2020 bring you health, happiness and prosperity! How was your start into 2020? And have you thought about your decade of travel? Honestly, I am kind of glad it’s over now. Too much reflection can be a 

Our Turkey Road Trip: Kusadasi and Ephesus

Our Turkey Road Trip: Kusadasi and Ephesus

We leave home in a downpour,  me pulling my flimsy travelling coat around me as I pull my little case to the train station. A train and a flight later, we are greeted by golden evening light in Istanbul and fly into the sunset to 

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Restaurant

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Restaurant

The Atlanta Hotel is a special case. So, after writing my ode about that one, I felt serving up a huge extra portion about the equally special  restaurant in the same post would be a bit too much. Especially since I appear to have eaten 

The other side of the Wall: A journey to Rachel’s Tomb

The other side of the Wall: A journey to Rachel’s Tomb

To be honest with you: I first heard of the existence of Rachel’s Tomb when seeing the Destination Boards of Bethlehem-bound buses: Rachels’ Tomb/Checkpoint 300. It is not without irony that the place where the Hebrew Matriarch Rachel is buried now signifies a checkpoint between 

First Time Israel: Finally Arriving in the Holy Land

First Time Israel: Finally Arriving in the Holy Land

Jerusalem – Holy City of three faiths and contested for millennia. It has long been on my list of places I wish to visit in my lifetime. And this is my report on my first time Israel trip. For many years, the Second Intifada put 

My 2019 Travel Review

My 2019 Travel Review

The end of the year is near. Time for my 2019 travel review, a year full of work and a moderate amount of travelling within the limits of three jobs. However… we Germans are lucky to get a generous annual leave allowance, so I have