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List of Countries We’ve been to
“How many countries have you been to?” is a question that often comes up when we talk about traveling. Already, I hate this expression of “making” a country, it doesn’t mean anything. And above all, travel isn’t a contest of countries to be checked off. Does someone who is going to stay 6 months in a country to soak it up has less merits than someone who is going to cross 10 countries in a gust of wind over the same period of time? Not at all, I even tend to think the opposite. One lends itself nevertheless to the game of the list by noting all the countries where…
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Tax refund: How to get the VAT reduction (duty free) in Japan?
Good news: you don’t need to be at the airport to benefit from duty free. All stores with a “tax free” sticker will allow you to save the 8% tax. Be careful, you have to spend at least 5000yen/purchase to be eligible for tax free. For this, you just have to show your passport. Be aware that in Japan, prices are all displayed tax free (including in restaurants) so don’t be surprised if the displayed price of the product you buy is 10,000yen and after the tax reduction, you still pay 10,000yen. All purchases will be put in a sealed transparent bag (like at the airport – as you aren’t…
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Prepaid 4G SIM card in Nicaragua: How much does it cost? Where to buy it? What speed? Speedtest (2020)
As usual, as soon as we land in Nicaragua, we start looking for a local SIM card to be able to have internet on our smartphone. Note that if you travel to several Central American countries, your SIM card will work in all countries: Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador. Buying a SIM card at the Managua airport We arrived one Sunday evening in the evening (20h), a small Claro kiosk was open at the exit (I forgot to take a picture). Two employees were present to answer questions and sell SIM cards. The rates offered are more or less the same as in town, they aren’t overpriced…
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2 days in Panama City (Panama)
After 2 months in Colombia, it is already time to leave – with regrets – this beautiful country for Nicaragua. We decide to divide the trip in two, because it is the opportunity to spend 2.5 days in Panama City and to realize my childhood dream: to cross the Panama Canal by boat. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Bogotá => Panama City At the check-in, we are asked for the exit ticket (which we fortunately have). JB having forgotten to ask for a Priority Pass card for me (he thought the card was valid for two people), I find myself on uncomfortable chairs while…
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Crossing the Panama Canal by Boat – A childhood dream come true
On the way to Nicaragua, we landed 3 days in Panama City to realize one of my childhood dreams: Crossing the Panama Canal by boat. Unlike the Suez Canal which is at sea level, the Panama Canal has several locks. The Panama Canal is 77 km long and crosses the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The French thought they could apply the same techniques used in the Suez Canal but failed miserably because of the technical difficulties (the excavation of the Culebra cut is too difficult for the means of the time) and the loss of human life (malaria, yellow fever)…. The project was then…
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[Travel Guide] Visit the Panama Canal by Boat, Car or Public Transport – Miraflores, Agua Clara, Gatun, Pedro Miguel (Panama)
The Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, since I learned about them at school, have always been a dream come true. I wanted to take advantage of our passage in Central America to make one of my dreams come true: crossing the Panama Canal by boat. By typing “Panama Canal Cruises”, my researches lead only to luxury 2/3 weeks cruises between Colon (in Panama) and the United States ! Even a round-the-world cruise (4 to 6 months) ! You might as well say that finances do not follow 😀 Fortunately, there are options that are much more affordable when you dig a little bit, and that take less time: with…
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Prepaid 4G SIM card in Panama: How much does it cost? Where to buy it? What speed? Speedtest
With a quick passage through Panama (only 3 days), we could have been satisfied with our international prepaid SIM card to have internet on our mobile. However, the MB of data is quite expensive (0.05 €) and as we are used to study the local SIM cards in each country, we thought it would interest the reader that you are 🙂 The rates indicated in the article are in US Dollars (USD) which is the currency used in Panama. There is also a currency called the Panamanian Balboa (PAB) but it is much less used (and there are no bills, only coins). The conversion is anyway not very complicated: 1…
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Being Digital Nomad in Bogotá (Colombia)
We spent about ten days in Bogotá, between two planes. The city is much less cool than Medellín but it is a very convenient transportation hub, to visit Cano Cristales or the Colombian Amazon. If you hesitate to come to South America, don’t hesitate any more because Colombia is very well adapted to digital nomads. Where to stay in Bogotá? We did not bother much, we booked a room in the hotel Vilar America(link Booking), which I highly recommend. It offers spacious rooms at 30€/night. Since we stay a long time, we were even upgraded in a huge room (50m ² ?) with kitchen. Luxury! With daily cleaning + buffet…
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Bogotá (Colombia): Flower Market & the Emerald Museum
We came one day to Bogota to visit the city with JB’s father. Here we are again, because it makes it easier for us to travel to the Colombian Amazon. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary This time, instead of taking the plane, we endured 11 hours by bus between Medellín and Bogotá. We are no longer staying in the middle of the candeleria (historical city center) but in the Chapinero business district, very safe, with lots of banks, coworking areas and trendy restaurants. We are delighted with our hotel Vilar America(Booking link) with a good internet connection, a huge room (with kitchen) (we have…
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4,5 days 3 nights in Colombian Amazonia with Amazonas Jungle Tours: Reviews, Budget & Activities
We take advantage of our stay in Colombia to go to the Amazon. The Colombian Amazon is less known than the Brazilian or Peruvian Amazon, but it still occupies 1/3 of the Colombian territory, and the Colombian government seems to do much more than its neighbors to preserve it. Here’s a little practical guide to help you explore this part, as we do 😀 Why the Colombian Amazon? Firstly for a practical reason: we are already in Colombia.The Colombian Amazon also has the advantage of being humid and warm all year round, which is very pleasant. The Colombian Amazon is well preserved because it is too far from everything, even…
