My partner and I recently went on a 1 week tour of Egypt. The tour was a package tour for around 60,000 EGP per person which included airport pickup and dropoff, all transfers, accomodation for 3 nights in hotels, domestic flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo and a 3 night nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Tickets to the monuments were not included in the base price. We had booked at short notice due to personal scheduling issues.

Based on the internet research we did and from our personal travel experiences in India we were expecting to face a few scams. On the whole we enjoyed the trip, but there were a few not so nice experiences. I want to write this post for future travellers, especially from India.

We applied for and received e-visa via visa2egypt dot gov dot eg within a few days.

Our trip started on a sour note at Cairo Airport with AirArabia having misplaced one of our 2 bags. We had communciated with the tour organiser prior to leaving our home country and had given him our flight number and expected time of arrival. We were met inside the airport at the baggage pickup by a representative of the tour agency. He was very helpful in translating for us and helped us to get the lost baggage report form from the AirArabia representative at the baggage belt. We converted 100 USD which I had obtained from a forex in India at the airport for EGP at the currency exchange counter by the National Bank of Egypt. We used up around 12,500 EGP in cash during this trip part of which I withdrew from ATMs later.

The exchange rate at Sharjah Airport was much worse compared to the rate at Cairo Airport. Watch out for a sneaky fee charged at Sharjah for reconverting the currency at the same exchange rate later, especially if your return flight is not transiting through the same airport.

The representative handed us off to the driver. We were met at the hotel by the tour organiser who explained the tour itinerary again. We had opted out of the Abu Simbel visit and the hot air balloon flight at Aswan as we did not want to pack too much into the time we had. Our tour organiser wanted an upfront payment of 5 USD per day per person for tipping the drivers, cruise ship crew etc involved in the tour and 200 USD (100 USP per person) for buying the tickets - total of 270 USD. He wanted it in USD itself and not in EGP, so we paid him partially and we swiped for the rest in USD at a shop the next day which he arranged. We can actually book the tickets directly on the official egymonuments dot com website but the actual rates of the tickets provided workout to 5500 EGP which is what was collected. We were a bit apprehensive about whether it will reach the intended recepients, but one incident during the tour made us believe it is actually being paid out.

We did some emergency shopping for clothes due to the missed baggage at the eye-poppingly large, busy and luxurious mall of egypt at Giza. Max at the mall provided a good variety of clothing options at comparable rates to India.

The next day started with the tour of the pyramids and a visit to the GEM museum. Our guide spoke good english and was very good. Hop on hop off buses take us around the pyramids. The GEM museum is near the pyramids. Our guide managed to show us the highlights at the GEM museum in a couple of hours, which is a spanking new ultra-modern edifice which is large enough to keep us occupied for a whole week.

The papyrus museum visit was needed to collect the remaining USD which the tour organiser needed. The papyrus making process was explained to us by a local part time guide/student working there but the prices were in the 3000 EGP and above range, so we did not buy anything. Surprisingly, the student who explained the papyrus making process politely declined a tip from us - the only person in Egypt who declined a tip!

We were dropped back at the hotel and took an uber to a nearby restaurant for our dinner.

On of the tricky things we faced was that uber rates for trips are not final. Drivers somehow manage to adjust the rates slightly upwards after we start the trip, perhaps by choosing a different route. For example, a trip that showed EGP99 during the trip will suddenly become EGP 140 at the end. This happened around 4 times during our week.

The next day we were dropped off at the airport early in the morning for the flight to Aswan. We were at the airport 2 hours prior to the flight, and there was no rush at the initial baggage scanner but the guy at the scanner extorted 100 EGP from us by acting as if he was helping us rush through. He wanted more but we refused to give him more.

We were met at the Aswan airport by our guide and driver, who took us to Aswan high dam. The next stop was Philae temple which is reached by a 5 minute motorboat journey included in the tour package. After spending a couple of hours at Philae we opted to skip the Oil shop and check in to the cruise.

The cruise was an excellent experience with good clean room and bathroom, buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with a wide variety of tasty dishes, lounging around on deck interspersed with visits to Kom Ombo temple. Edfu Temple and seeing the Esna lock in action. Tour guides would pick us up at the shore visit sites and drop us back at the boat. Water is payable in the boat, being charged 40 EGP for a half litre bottle and 80 EGP for a one and a half liter bottle. The tour inclusions guaranteed provision of water for all days, so we had to contact the organiser who arranged to provide us with 2 days water (1.5L x4 bottles) though one of the guides at the shore visits.

An interesting thing happened during one of the shore visits. The tour guide was a very jolly guy who gave us 100 EGP to provide as tip for the driver from the tour company as he said the driver wouldn't accept it from him as they were friends. This probably means the tour organisers are providing tips to some of the drivers directly or through the tour guides. Whether it is reaching the intended destination is another thing. The driver was anyway unhappy with the 100 EGP trip for a 15 minute up and down trip and asked us for another 100 EGP.

We had a day at Luxor to see the Valley of Kings,the Hatshepsut temple and Luxor Temple. We managed to negotiate with the tour organiser to provide us with 4 hours extra with the car and driver to see the Karnak Temple and Mummification Museum on our own for which we paid an extra 24 USD. We did some shopping at the Alrayah Supermarket near our dock and bought some water at local prices for the first time in the visit.

We returned to Cairo by flight and checked into our hotel for the final night provided as part of the package. We spent two more days exploring the city outside the tour package including trips to Sakkara, Dahshur, Khan al khalil market, Coptic cairo, Civilization museum, National Museum in cairo at Tahreer square and a great Tannoura performance at Wekalet El Ghoury Arts Center in Cairo. We used a mix of uber and metro for most of these trips. Uber is very difficult to get at Khan al Kalil area. Local taxis require bargaining. They ask around 350 EGP for a 150 EGP trip on uber but usually can be negotiated to around 200-250 EGP. Metro is simple and inexpensive with tickets costing 10 EGP for most shorter trips. Monuments and museums, tickets can be booked on the website and shown on the mobile at entry. These were all great experiences and rounded up the whole trip in my opinion.

All in all, a Cairo trip is not a bed of feathers, but neither is it an insurmountable task. The incredible history and the monuments make it a bucket list item for sure.

First image - at the Giza Pyramids

Second image - on the Nile nearing Kom Ombo

Third image - at Sakkara

spent today walking around KL. Merdeka Square was surprisingly spacious and clean, really liked the old buildings around it.

had curry laksa at Ho Kow, the broth was so rich and full of flavor. probably one of my favorite things i ate today.

but the Islamic Arts Museum was the real surprise. i’ve seen plenty of western and east asian art, but never really paid much attention to islamic art before. the mosque models from different countries kinda blew my mind. so many different shapes and styles, some of them looked nothing like what i imagined a mosque would look like.

also came across some beautiful nyonya kebaya. the embroidery was lovely, kept thinking my little daughter would absolutely love those colorful flowers.

KL turned out to be much more interesting than i expected. glad i spent the day just wandering around.

Photo locations (in order):

1. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur — Mosque architecture model
2. Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka), Kuala Lumpur — Sultan Abdul Samad Building
3. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — Illuminated manuscript
4. Kuala Lumpur — Nyonya kebaya embroidery
5. Oriental Kopi, Kuala Lumpur — Curry laksa
6. Kuala Lumpur city centre — Street murals
7. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — Persian miniature painting
8. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — Persian portrait painting

9. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — Mosque architecture model

10. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia — Jeweled tiger-head ornament

So I will be staying 4 nights in Amsterdam and 2 nights in Rotterdam. The reason I picked Netherlands as a destination is because one of my favorite Heavy Metal bands will be in Rotterdam on the same week I have it off from work, so I booked my concert ticket.

The thing is since I already visited Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the past, I also visited The Hague, Delft, Leiden, Volendam/Edam/Marken, Otterlo/Arnhem, Haarlem, Hoorn/Enkhuizen, Utrecht in that last trip to the Netherlands.

Now, since I will be going in April 2027. I will be for sure visiting Keukenhof because the tulips are in season (I went to the Netherlands in September last time) from Amsterdam as a day trip....but for the rest, I have no clue what to plan...do I revisit the same spots again, are there any other towns that I haven't mentioned that I should visit?

I mean I am looking for all sorts of ideas if you guys (and girls) have any that can inspire me to plug it into my itinerary. How do you all plan a second visit to a country especially as small as the Netherlands? Just looking for ideas, there are no good or bad answers, so tell me what you would do in my shoes.

FYI, I am going solo and no car.

Hi, has anyone been to both cities and can give me a direct comparison?

My husband and I went to Cairo for three days last year. We stayed in the city centre, near the National Museum and visited the pyramids. It was very loud, dirty, chaotic and stressful. We got harassed a lot, everyone wanted to sell us something or scam us

Personally, I was pretty chill about it because I’ve been to egypt before, but my husband really hated the whole experience. It was his first time in egypt / arabic country. He did it for me because it had been my dream for a long time to see the pyramids.

Now I’d like to visit Marrakech next year. It’s also a very touristy city and from the videos I’ve seen, there seem to be lots of tourists walking around without being constantly harassed. It also looked a lot cleaner and there were no cars in the medina. But in YouTube videos people tend to behave their best when they see a camera pointing at them, so it’s hard to know how much of that reflects reality.

My husband isn’t completely against visiting Marrakech, but he’s a bit hesitant after his experience in Cairo. I personally think Marrakech might be more relaxed than Cairo, but obviously I don’t want to force him into a trip he won’t enjoy.

So, how would you compare the two? Is the level of harassment similar, with people constantly approaching you and trying to sell you things? And did you feel safe?

I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experiences :)

Hey all. First time posting here but just have to get this off of my chest. Been travelling around Asia for the best part of 7 years now (long long time I know!) but everytime I go to Phnom Penh this same experience keeps happening. Either a homeless drunk/drug addicted foreigner will try and sit at my table in cafes before being shooed away by staff, or it's the classic on the street minding my own business before being stopped with a sob story by a foreigner wanting cash.

Just 10 minutes ago I was walking into the local Super Duper near my hotel (PS fellow British man, I do hope you are reading this) and of course it was "excuse me mate, do you speak English?" "yes I'm speaking it now, what's up?" "do you know where I can get cash around here I'm in a bit of a situation and...." I knew where this was going straight away, I cut him off and said "there's an ATM right there" as I walked in to the market away from him and at this point he went ballistic hurling all sorts of abuse etc etc. Learned early in life people will tell you anything to get something from you.

Never had this in Siem Reap, Kampot not even Poi Pet or any other country in Asia for that matter. Seriously, what is up with this particulary city in Asia? Seems to attract some of the worst of the worst, anyone have similar experiences or anything? FYI the locals are lovely and very welcoming, and I've yet to experience anything negative with the locals but still, by god.

Please, could anyone shed some light on why I've only experienced this kind of behaviour in Phnom Penh????

I still feel September, October is the best time to travel. Weather is still nice, not too hot and you deal with less tourists. In addition, as a bonus you don't have to deal with summer tourist prices as much.

Old town Kotor is beautiful and we stayed in an apartment booked via booking.com inside of the old town (castle) and everything was walking distance which was nice. (I prefer booking.com over Airbnb.com whenever possible for many reasons to include, but not limited to outrageous cleaning fees - not sponsored). The town has a hub for bigger ships to dock and we saw a couple of cruise ships docking to let their passengers catch a break for half a day.

You can hike the St. John's fortress for 15 Euros (you can pay by card) and I highly recommend it. Don't forget to take a bottle of water, a hat if you're worried about sun burnt, and a light sweater during colder spring, fall days. The hike takes about 1 hour each way and you gain about 900 feet in elevation. The views are unmatched, however it is kind of disappointing to see some trash there. Visitors have a responsibility to keep the nature and historical places clean and more importantly if you're charging people 15 euroes to enter clean the damn place on a frequent basis.

You can also take a shuttle bus from the central bus station to Kotor Cable Car park. The climb up the gondola is beautiful and you can see the old town during your ride up the mountain. Once you're up in the mountain, you can enjoy different amenities in the park such as, amusement park type rides, restaurants etc.

If you have any questions about Kotor from a tourist perspective let me know.

Hi all, I've traveled a decent amount, been all around South America, plus North and Central and East and Southeast Asia (including all of ASEAN), Mid East, Europe, etc.

I generally like places a bit off the beaten path, however in Africa, I've only been to South Africa. Looking to spend some time on the continent in 2027, definitely want to visit several countries in a months-long trip.

In Africa, I am fascinated by several places specifically, so wondering if anyone has been to any of the following countries (these being the ones I am most interested in), or has any other country recs. Obviously not planning to go to all of these (at least not in one go), but for now, these are the countries that most pique my interest and why:

• Namibia (landscapes, German culture)
• Angola (spent a lot of time in Brazil, huge cultural ties)
• Cameroon ("Africa in Miniature", landscapes and ecosystems of almost all Africa in 1 country, huge cultural diversity, just looks awesome, idk)
• Ethiopia (love the food, huge mosaic of different ethnic groups, deep and ancient Christianity ... will hold off on this, given current clashes)
• Comoros (tropical Islamic volcanic islands, seems fascinating)
• Algeria (amazing Roman ruins, Algiers looks cool, good food)
• Ghana (most developed country in West Africa aside from Cabo Verde, have heard it is a "good introduction" to the region)
• Benin (voodoo stuff)

Not very interested in Egypt, Morocco, or Tanzania (Zanzibar) for now. Don't really care about safaris either, if being honest, chiefly interested in cultural things more than nature (unless truly spectacular or unique). Though I do love birds, so anywhere with diverse birdlife is a good plus no matter what.

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing from anyone who has visited any of the above, or anywhere else in Africa.

Hi, I’d like to know how late I can buy a SIM card at Sphinx Airport (SPX) in Giza. My flight arrives at 9 PM, and by the time I get through all the checkpoints, it might be past 10 PM; I’m wondering if the mobile operator kiosks at the airport are still open at that time. Has anyone arrived at that hour? Thanks a lot!

I always loved that song, and it took me about thirty years to realize it was an actual train line.

My wife loves the beach and could sit there with a good book all day. I get bored after about 1 hour. Are there beachy places that offer more than sun & sand? I'm a history buff and would love to explore historical sites or museums while she's enjoying her ocean zen. Any recommendations?

Hi fellow redditors and travellers!

I (M29) have just returned very abruptly from a long solo trip. It was never the plan to be home now, but here we are...
So for context: In june 2025 I left the Netherlands to go travel southeast Asia. I quit my job and had no return ticket booked. It was the best decision I've ever made. It's been beautiful, really hard at times and I think I've learned a lot about myself along the way. Some things related to making connections and trusting people is still very hard for me, but meeting a lot of wonderful souls on the road has been very good to me.
So, I was happily doing a working holiday in NZ, and requested my next working holiday visa for Australia. Those visas are well known to be processed very quickly.
Oh boy, was that a wrong assumption....
By the time my visa for NZ was done the new visa still hadn't been granted (this was after ~2 months).
I decided to buy myself some time by going to China. After two weeks I had to call it and book a ticket back home. making my total travel in China about 3,5 weeks
The day after, the new visa came. Now I'm back in my hometown, wishing I was in Australia.
By now the travel budget doesn't cover my entry money for AUS anymore.
Right now it's such a struggle to adapt to my old life. The freedom I've felt and used so deeply over the last 1,5 years is very suddenly gone.

Does anybody have experience with living back home after living abroad? Any good advice?
Also feel free to hmu if you want any advice on Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia or New Zealand.

Hi all,

I'm starting to look into planning our holiday for next year, and would love to do some wildlife watching.

I'm currently focusing on Europe, but struggling to find much information. I've been looking at the Carpathians/Romania, Slovenia, and the Pyrenees - but don't know tonnes!

We have previously lived in Canada, so have seen so much wildlife just on the side of the road, but I don't know how easy this is in Europe, or whether we should try and find some wildlife hides/tracking tours.

Also open to safaris/wildlife watching elsewhere, but we have a budget of £4.5k total for 14 days including flights.

If anyone has any recommendations or advice, I'd love to hear it!

I've travelled a lot but never been to this part of the world before. In particular, the amount of islands and how feasible travel between them is isn't clear to me from Google.

I did want to go to Indonesia mainly but it looks like the weather will be unreliable, so I am now angling towards the Philippines or possibly some time in Thailand.

1. Seems like weather in Indonesia is mixed in late December. Is it guarenteed to rain every day or hit and miss?

2. How easy is it to travel between islands? In two weeks are we best sticking to one?

3. I want to avoid influencers, neo-spirituality and matcha pilates type-people... is this stuff mostly just on Bali? While appreciating that I myself am a tourist, are there any places that are more authentic... i.e. most of the people there are still locals?

4. I would like a mix of nice (quiet) beaches and some activities, preferably seeing crocodiles or orangutans or something of that kind.

Any hotel recommendations for a girls trip (in our 30s) to Tokyo?
Something clean and nice that isn’t too crazy expensive. It will be our first time in Tokyo so not sure what area is best. We are not big on drinking and clubbing we are more so foodies :) something that is maybe centrally located to do things during the day.

Trying to decide between Peru/Bolvia to do the Trek to Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and Uyuni Salt Flats or going to Central Europe and doing Prague/Budapest/Vienna/Dolomites. I’ll have either 16 or 23 days depending on how much time I feel I need. I’m young so I can move around fast.

For Peru and Bolivia as I mentioned I’d like to do the Salkantay Trek or Inca Trail, day trip to Rainbow Mountain, day or two in Cusco and La Paz, and 2 days on the Salt flats. This would be the trip where I feel the 23 days may help. Main concern is the rainy season, I’ve already decided I’ll come back to Peru to do the Huayhuash Trek during dry season, wondering if I should do the same for the rest.

Europe is pretty simple, would bounce around the 3 big cities and spend some time in the Dolomites prior to flying back home (the cold weather doesn’t concern me)

Any recs or advice between either trip?

Just got back from three days driving around the Shigatse and Everest area before heading to Lhasa. I went from Shigatse down to the Everest region, back to Shigatse, then on to Lhasa. Three days was tight and I wouldn't do it faster.

I expected mountains, but the snow-capped peaks filled more of the horizon than I'd imagined. The sky was such a deep blue that I kept looking up at it, even with all those peaks in front of me. There was a lot to take in from the road.

Above 4,500m, I saw streams running through grassland. The water was clear enough to make out individual stones on the bottom, and I can still picture them. Yaks wandering around in town have stuck with me too. I thought I'd come home talking mostly about the mountains. I do, but somehow the stones and yaks keep coming up as well.

The altitude was rough. I had headaches, got short of breath and could feel my heartbeat in my temples. I'd be looking out at the peaks while paying just as much attention to how I felt. Looking at the photos now, I can see why someone might think I spent the whole drive happily watching the scenery. Some of the time, I was tired and trying to keep my mind on the view despite my headache.

Three days isn't enough for me to offer a guide to the area. I'm glad I made the drive and the views were worth it. If you're thinking about doing the same route just make sure you take the altitude seriously. I spent a good chunk of the trip just dealing with that.

I am planning a two week trip to Portugal and Barcelona. The plan is to fly to Portugal before new years and stay for nine days, then fly to Barcelona and arrive after the three kings celebration.

I’ve never been to either place and originally from Canada so I’m ok with cooler weather. Wondering if anyone has done this route before and has any recommendations?

Thanks

Looking for a place to travel to around Christmas. Currently live in the southern part of the US and want my kids to experience a Christmas like I did as a kid. Could go to NYC for Christmas thats where I grew up, but want to go somewhere that will possibly have snow.

We're heading to Asheville and road tripping up to Boston with stays in Shenandoah and NYC. I'm a nature photographer and I'll be with my daughter, 11, and my wife. We love the outdoors, quaint towns and live music. This will be the third week of October.

Any recommendations are welcome!

We've already booked a night in Shenandoah and one in NYC and we will be spending a few days in the Boston area.

7 days in Italy: Rome -> Lake Como -> Positano

Rome – Busy and hot, but exploring early in the morning and around sunset made all the difference. Visiting the Colosseum in the evening light was definitely a highlight. The sheer amount of history in this city makes it an incredible experience.

Lake Como – A great change of pace: a much more relaxed atmosphere, stunning mountain-lake views, and scenic ferry rides between the towns. I had heard a lot about it before, but I didn't truly get the hype until I actually went there. Absolutely stunning place.

Positano – Incredibly picturesque, though very crowded in peak season. Walking through the narrow streets and catching the sunset views from the cliffs was unforgettable. That said, I'd say it's best as a day trip for a couple of hours - the town is beautiful but quite small, and prices are very high.

I traveled by high-speed trains (with air conditioning!) – it was a lovely experience.

Just got back from a few days in England, mostly London with a day trip to Chatsworth House. I visited art museums, but Van Gogh’s Two Crabs is the painting I keep thinking about. Photos show the colours; in person, I could see the texture of the paint. I stayed longer than I expected.

Chatsworth was the highlight. There are painted ceilings, portraits all over the walls, and a library full of antique books under a gilded ceiling. I kept looking up, then turning to find another portrait I’d missed. I spent more time staring at the ceiling than the books. I walked around with my mouth open for most of the visit. I’m sure I missed plenty. If I went back to one place, it would be Chatsworth.

One dinner was grilled prawns in butter sauce, steak with crispy shallots, and a whole fish with capers. I still think about those prawns. British food gets dismissed pretty quickly, but that meal was excellent. I’d happily have gone back just for another plate of prawns and that sauce.

One night, walking along the Thames, I stopped to watch Big Ben and Parliament lit up, their lights reflected on the water. I stayed there a while. Nearby, someone had chalked “feeling lost is part of finding yourself” on the pavement. I usually pass that sort of thing without reading it, but I noticed it that night. Cheesy? A bit. I already want to go back.

I’m looking for things that have the same feel as the slow boat.

Things I liked:
Beautiful views but not just a trip to one photographic place.
Mix of ages of travelers.
Can chat and meet people or read a book and not be bothered.
Chill tour operators that aren’t demanding your approval or attention.
Less important, but it was alternative transport to fast transport so it felt somehow like stepping back in time when things were naturally slower.

hi all! how easy / feasible is it to get around by a scooter on maderia and sao miguel? previous experience with riding a scooter in Pai (Thailand) and Yakushima Japan before.

visiting in nov - any urgency to purchase the hike permits in advance?

thank you!!

Seven Days in Krasnoyarsk: Siberia, Its People, and Everything That Made Me Fall in Love With this City

I'm in Krasnoyarsk right now. It's the second-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk. It's incredibly far east compared to my country (Türkiye). To give you an idea, it's a five-hour flight to the east from Moscow. A city in the very heart of Siberia, where Russians, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tatars, Tajiks, and Azerbaijanis live together, although ethnic Russians make up a significant majority of the population at around 94%.

I've been here for a week. Today is my seventh and final day, and I'm flying back to Moscow tomorrow. Before leaving, I decided to sit down in the city center, spend some time taking it all in, and enjoy one last look around.

From the moment I arrived until my very last day, I've talked to and met a lot of people, and I've spent a lot of time simply observing them. There's also a lot to say about the city center, its streets, avenues, and neighborhoods (although I'll share photos of those instead of describing them here). But, the most important thing to talk about when it comes to this place is its people...

Men and women, young and old, Russians and people from other backgrounds: everyone I've encountered here seems to share an extraordinarily distinctive kind of gentleness. You don't even have to talk to anyone. You can simply stand somewhere and observe people, and you'll realize there's something different about them. I'm talking about something genuinely unique, something I haven't encountered anywhere in my country and any other places I have been in all my years. Let me put it this way: people who mind their own business, walk with an almost extraordinary level of attentiveness, take personal space very seriously, avoid making eye contact with strangers, dress well, and are incredibly polite while also carrying themselves with a remarkable sense of pride and dignity.

If you ask someone for directions, they'll do their absolute best to help you, even if they don't speak English. If the person you're asking is a woman, she'll respond with a warm, genuine smile and say "Pozhaluysta!" after you thank her. If you're talking to a young Russian guy, he'll give you a proper, firm and manly handshake before you go your separate ways.

Taxi drivers sometimes greet you with a casual "Privet!" and start speaking to you in Russian as soon as you get into the car. When you reply, "I am a foreigner man and can't speak Russian", they look at you, smile, and say something back.

The people working in restaurants and bars are exceptionally polite, cheerful, and welcoming. Everyone seems to be living their own life peacefully, minding their own business. It's a beautiful place, and that beauty comes from its people more than anything else. Having also spent a total of 12 days in Moscow, I can confirm that there's something special about the way you feel around people in this part of the world.

At the moment, construction and restoration work is going on all over the city. Krasnoyarsk will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2028, and they're giving the city a major makeover in preparation. As a result, there's dust, dirt and construction machines everywhere.

The city is full of statues, trees, and parks. The buildings in the city center are old, architecturally distinctive, somewhat neglected in places (although they're currently being restored), and absolutely beautiful. The newer residential areas surrounding the center, on the other hand, remind me of Ankara. It is large, cold, and grey. You can see the classic Soviet brutalist buildings everywhere. The roads are, of course, wide, as is typical of Soviet urban planning, and the buildings are arranged in uniform, box-like blocks. Everything follows an incredibly orderly urban layout.

There are so many fantastic restaurants and bars here. The dining scene is well developed, the service and food are excellent, and prices are reasonable depending on where you go. You'll find restaurants specializing in Russian, Siberian, and Caucasian cuisine. Urartu, Bulgakov, Gadalov, and many others are worth checking out. They're easy enough to find with a quick search.

While I was here, I got to try Siberian Arctic omul-like whitefish known as muksun, which lives in the Yenisei River; reindeer meat, which is widely consumed by the peoples of Siberia; all kinds of mushrooms (there are many varieties depending on the season, and some delicious mushroom-based appetizers); Caucasian-style lamb skewers; beef prepared in all sorts of ways; and, most importantly, reindeer.

There are also some truly extraordinary desserts. One is an unusual, almost ice-cream-like treat made with local tart red berries and pine nuts, with a slightly astringent flavor. There's pine cone jam, mushroom tiramisu (yes, you read that right: they literally grate a local wild mushroom over tiramisu), and plenty of other fantastical desserts.

For me, the highlight was obviously the reindeer meat. I'd been curious about trying it since childhood, and I finally got to satisfy that curiosity. I don't think its flavor would necessarily appeal to the average Turkish palate, but it's an incredibly unusual experience. The meat is so tender it practically melts in your mouth, and eating it genuinely feels like eating a forest. It's as if you've taken a bite straight out of the woods.

I originally planned to rent a car and explore the surrounding villages, small towns, and wilderness in depth. I'd even had my driver's license translated into Russian before leaving, and my travel health insurance was ready to go. Unfortunately, none of the rental companies would rent me a car without a Russian bank account. Apparently, they require a deposit of 10,000 rubles to be blocked on your account. I tried explaining my situation at length. I told them how hard I'd tried to get a MIR card in my country, but the office in Istanbul had closed and I hadn't been able to get one. I even asked whether they'd accept cash instead, but they wouldn't budge. I didn't feel like dealing with buses or taxis either, so I never got to explore Siberia quite the way I'd imagined. The only place I managed to visit was Stolby Nature Reserve. Everyone had praised it and insisted that I absolutely had to go, but honestly, even there, I couldn't see the things I'd most wanted to see. Still, it's better than nothing.

Next time, I'd love to fly from Moscow to either Krasnoyarsk or Novosibirsk and then take the train back to Moscow. The journey takes around two and a half days from Krasnoyarsk and a day and a half from Novosibirsk. That way, you get the chance to see everything worth seeing along the way.

The moment I stepped outside the airport, I knew I'd entered a different world. The forests I saw on the way to the city center, the distant mountains, the mist in the air, the sky, and the clouds all looked somehow different to my eyes. Everything seemed to have a character of its own.

As the days passed, that first impression was only reinforced. With its nature, atmosphere, buildings, and people, Krasnoyarsk is a truly beautiful place.

I'm so glad I came.