Kyiv overall is a great city with lots to see and do. It’s very accessible and easy to find your way around with the tourist information signs posted all over the city. That being said, I was happy to be there, but after my week was up, I was equally happy to leave.
After a good report from some friends who had taken an Egypt tour with Expat Explore, I decided to book one for myself. It was only the third time I had taken a tour like this. I chose the Best of Egypt tour (no longer available as of January 2017).
The Turks are the most hospitable, friendly, and helpful people I’ve ever encountered. They usually go well out of their way to make sure their guests feel welcome in their country or city. I’ve always met people curious of foreigners, many eager to ask questions about me and compliment my bad Turkish, and others who happily want to practice their English for a few minutes. When I rolled into Afyon, I was expecting the same, but Afyon is different. Afyon is a Turkish parallel universe.
Kütahya is not on the tourist trail but it’s an interesting city nonetheless. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It’s a pleasant city, the people are friendly, and there are plenty of things to see. I had busy day visiting restored Ottoman homes, historic mosques, museums, and a ruined castle.
Sharm el-Sheikh is an Egyptian resort town on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It’s very modern and has tons of restaurants and entertainment, several possibilities for tours and adventures, decent beaches, and all-inclusive resorts on the crystal clear Red Sea if you just want to relax.
Kadıköy is a neighborhood of the eponymous district on the Asian side of Istanbul. It surrounds one of the city’s busiest transportation hubs.
The Greek island of Kos (Κως) is a popular tourist destination in the Aegean Sea, just across from the Turkish resort town of Bodrum. Many tourists make day trips to and from Bodrum.
Bozcaada is a magical island in the northern Aegean Sea known for its natural beauty and its wine. The island, still commonly known by its Greek name, Tenedos (Τένεδος), was off limits to foreign tourists until the 1990s.
