First impressions of Cyprus

The plane landed smoothly on the tarmac at Larnaca airport, but the plane of Russians started clapping vigorously and smiling at their loved ones like they had survived a near miss. Larnaca airport seemed fresh, clean and relaxed after the chaos of Moscow Domodevodo. I picked up my luggage, bought a sim card and a…

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First impressions of Laos from the Slowboat

I rolled out of bed onto the slippy, bright blue tiled floor and quickly started getting ready. My back was aching due to multiple springs from the mattress assaulting it through the night and my eyes squinted in the morning sun peeking through the grey, dusty curtains. I was staying in a dirty motel in a…

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First Impressions of Japan

  I waited in line at immigration at Haneda airport, my shoulders aching with the weight of my backpack and feeling sweat dripping down my back due the the 5 layers of clothes I was wearing. When it was my turn I shuffled to the desk, sorted out the formalities and was handed a residents…

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First impressions of Thailand

‘Miss Stephanie, Miss Stephanie. Border time. Get off!’. I woke up from my deep sleep, still tired from the 5am wake up call. Dazed I made my way to the back of the mini bus and heaved my heavy backpack on to my shoulders. The border was swarming with people selling strong smelling food and…

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First Impressions of Malaysia

Before my big trip I always had such a romantic view of Malaysia, the name itself conjured up images of an exotic country, the pearl of Asia and one where I would feel like I was a million miles away from the Western world. I couldn’t have been more wrong if I tried….   As…

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First impressions of Singapore

When I arrived in Singapore I was a little bit burnt out from travelling around Sri Lanka. Although I loved the country it was not an easy country to travel in as a newbie traveller and I was frequently overwhelmed by the sighs, sounds and different cultural practices. I breathed a sigh of relief as…

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First impressions of Dubai

As I stepped off the plane after a long night flight I was transported in to another world. What fascinated me most was the men wearing kanduras and kaffiyehs . The long white robes and head-dresses that Emirati men wear. I knew then that I was in a place with a completely different culture than…

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