Five dream countries for your travel wish list

February 28, 2021February 24, 2021 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Travelling abroad has been seriously impacted by the pandemic. Under current coronavirus restrictions here in the UK, overseas holidays are effectively banned.

But a long-term plan to ease lockdown holds a glimmer of hope that the travel ban could be lifted by mid-May at the earliest.

The announcement of a ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown saw a huge spike in holiday bookings despite no firm decision being taken on international travel.

I’ll be pleased to enjoy a day trip to the seaside but still dream of exotic, thrilling destinations. Hopefully these five adventurous country ideas will fuel your wanderlust and at some point become reality.

ALBANIA

This Balkan nation is very close to tourism hotspots Greece and Italy, but remains more or less unknown. Albania has all the landscape you could possibly want to explore, from the rugged mountains of Valbona to a relatively unspoilt Adriatic coastline. Its towns and cities are a wealth of architecture and history to keep you enthralled.

Unique selling point: Albania was an isolationist communist country from 1945-91. This fascinating legacy is still very much there to be explored. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ALBANIA

Sunset at Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania

Sunset on Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square

ETHIOPIA

A fascinating African country that prides itself for never having become a European colony. Ethiopia has wonderfully rugged and carefully cultivated landscapes alike, and ancient monuments built on its Coptic heritage. There is wildlife to spot and bustling towns to explore and experience.

Unique selling point: Ethiopia’s people. Proud, resourceful and curious. It’s impossible to visit without meeting several along the way. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ETHIOPIA

Two Ethiopian men take in the view over countryside near Lalibela

Ethiopian men take in the view near Lalibela

CHILE

This is your long haul option to a South America which is less samba and tropical rain forest, but a vast country studded with staggering scenery and a people who made their mark on some extreme terrain. Chile is a place to indulge in some pretty full-on landscape photography while air travel is like hopping on a local bus.

Unique selling point: Chile’s geography gives it everything, from searing red desert, magnificent mountains and tundra, and even a Pacific Ocean idyll. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON CHILE

The Torres del Paine mountains of southern Chile

OMAN

This corner of the Arabian Peninsula is arid and mountainous in equal measure. Oman is a more traditional society than its neighbours, studded with forts, sandstone-coloured towns and the low-level whitewash of the capital Muscat. With a long, beautiful coastline, you can also relax at a number of stylish resorts.

Unique selling point: It’s not Dubai and is pleasingly restrained. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MIDDLE EAST TRAVEL IDEAS

Oman is rich in traditional Islamic architecture

ARMENIA

This small nation in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains has had a very long and at times troubled history which you will begin to understand when you’re there. The landscape is stunning and peppered with ancient churches and monasteries which are haunting and mystical. Armenia’s capital Yerevan doesn’t feel like any other European city.

Unique selling point: The old is very much alive and kicking here and the hospitality will delight. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ARMENIA

Light coming through a church dome in Armenia

Armenia is a country of ancient spirituality

UK travellers can find up-to-date travel information for all countries on the Foreign Office website.

Five capital cities to explore and enjoy

October 11, 2020November 26, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Your first port of call in a new country is often the capital city. It’s the national hub, showpiece and population centre. It’s easy to pick world class cities such as London, Paris and Berlin. But I’m sharing five less obvious choices to add to your travel goals. As always, please share your favourite capitals!

HAVANA, CUBA

An exciting yet languid capital city showcasing decades of Fidel Castro’s communism in a tropical Caribbean climate. Havana is less about stately edifices but the shabby chic pastels of its elegantly crumbling buildings. A photographer’s wet dream. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF CUBA

You must: Stroll around the back streets and take it all in.

Elegant crumbling Havana street corner, Cuba

Havana’s battered look is its greatest asset

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

The world’s most northerly capital city is a place of compact size and immense cool, with some unexpectedly dazzling architecture. It’s also a city where the magnificent Icelandic landscape is never far away. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: Take a trip up to the Perla Dome for some wonderful views.

Reykyavik: Small but beautifully formed

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

This Arabian Gulf capital seems to sit in the shadow of its more famous, glitzy neighbour Dubai. But it feels more like a real, working city with all the benefits – a very pleasant seaside corniche, some modern high rises – and warm winter sunshine. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: See the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Go at sunset and after dark.

Skyline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The UAE capital has an ultra-modern skyline

TBILISI, GEORGIA

This undulating Caucasian capital sits in a spectacular spot and has an array of architecture and attractions. What I liked about it most was its energetic vibe and nighttime liveliness. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF GEORGIA

You must: Ride the Soviet era metro and take the cable car for sunset views

Mother Georgia has a great view of Tbilisi

TOKYO, JAPAN

This five of the best is the largest capital city. Tokyo prefecture is home to a staggering 38 million people. If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, it’s a baptism of fire with its complex transport system, unfamiliar cultural norms and frenetic vibe. Just go with the flow and you’ll come to love it. Even I managed not to get lost. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF URBAN JAPAN

You must: Visit bewildering Shibuya and walk in the other direction – you’ll hear birds sing.

Shibuya is an intensely urbanised area of Tokyo

Essaouira: Morocco’s seaside gem

May 24, 2020September 10, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

I was lucky enough to visit Morocco in February, before the coronavirus pandemic brought international travel to an abrupt halt.

My trip took me to the country’s Atlantic coastline with its warm winter sunshine. I spent a day in the town of Essaouira, which I can strongly recommend.

The old town’s ramparts are perched next to the lively ocean, and it’s full of colourful, rustic little streets to explore. Essaouira is very blue, including the boats of the bustling fishing port (pungent but well worth a look). Hungry gulls circle in clusters looking for morsels. There’s also a broad strip of beach away from the medina.

I came here in 2011 as part of a grand tour of Morocco and was charmed by it then. My opinion hasn’t altered and I could have spent several days there, watching people and taking more photographs. Read more beneath the gallery

Tap/click first image to see gallery

I thought long and hard about publishing a travel blog in a world where tourism has been severely curtailed.

Morocco is in lockdown until at least June 10th, while some European countries and airlines are planning to restart for the summer.

The UK’s ban on all but essential travel remains in place and a great deal remains uncertain. Essaouria and Morocco may be a consideration for your travel bucket list, whenever that may be possible.

Kosovo: Europe’s newest nation

December 1, 2019January 13, 2025 / mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

Kosovo is a small, landlocked state in the Balkans that declared its independence in 2008, making it the most recent addition to the European family of nations. But it’s an area with a long and tangled history, and some countries have refused to recognise it.

Kosovo is still considered an unlikely tourist destination, but I visited in the summer along with Albania and North Macedonia.

I found it the most fascinating of the trio. It feels like a country still being built, while there is a sharp divide between the majority Albanian population and a number of Serb enclaves.

What is there to see? The old city of Prizren is a gem, while Kosovo’s capital Pristina bristles with stark modern architecture. Peja bustles with life on a summer’s evening. Kosovo also has treasured Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries which have to be visited. And fancy a woodland hike with a beautiful mirror lake at the end of it?

So here’s what I saw. It might be worth adding this new nation to your travel bucket list.