Independent Travel, Thoughtfully Planned
Behind every destination there is a story that guidebooks rarely tell. They mainly cover the sights, the highlights, the must-sees. But beneath those sights are the stories that truly explain a place: how people live and think, the history that shaped them, the traditions they keep, the food and wine they take pride in, and the unspoken customs that guide their daily life.
This series is about that deeper layer. Here you’ll find stories about people and culture, history and identity, the etiquette worth knowing before you go, and the ways tourism is changing the places we love. You’ll also find culinary traditions and restaurant recommendations from our travels.
One of the first things you’ll wonder when planning a trip to Central Europe is whether you’ll be welcome in the countries you plan to visit. And if your eye is on Romania and Hungary, you have probably heard conflicting stories about the two countries; that one culture is warmer while the other is more …
Romania vs Hungary: Which Country Treats Tourists Better?Read More
Every traveler should have a good carry-on. Even if you only fly occasionally, having a reliable one on hand allows you to bypass the check-in and worry less about your baggage getting lost. But what makes a high-quality carry-on? As someone who hasn’t checked a bag in the past ten years of travel across the U.S. …
Level8 Creator Carry-on – the Best Luggage for Modern TravelRead More
Hungarian cuisine is definitely not for people on a diet! I realized that after my first trip to Budapest, when I returned home with 7 extra pounds! But even though I know I’ll pay the price, I can’t refrain from eating the fattening but delicious Hungarian dishes, every chance I have.
13 Hungarian Dishes for People Who Really Love to EatRead More
Family Christmas traditions create memories that seem to last the longest for most of us. We care about them because they define our culture and give us a sense of belonging. Christmas is a magical time of year filled with traditions like no other holiday! Although many Christmas traditions are common to the entire Christian world, …
10 Family Christmas Traditions That Make the Holidays SpecialRead More
One of the things that people traveling to Romania remember the most, is the country’s tasty food. Yes, Romania’s beautiful scenery, medieval towns and historic castles are unforgettable too, but the traditional Romanian dishes will linger in your memory much longer than the other attractions. That’s partly because food memories are more sensory than other …
13 Traditional Romanian Dishes Guaranteed to Make You DroolRead More
If you wonder where to eat well in Budapest, let me put your mind at rest: Hungarians take their food very seriously, so finding good food in Budapest it’s not a problem. Finding traditional Hungarian restaurants that are not overpriced tourist traps is the hard part. Especially if you try around Váci utca or Budapest …
Where to Eat in Budapest: Best Hungarian Restaurants & CafésRead More
The holidays come and go each year giving me that eerie sensation of déjà vu. As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, I find myself anticipating all the best things about Christmas and the many wonderful traditions that surround it. It’s that time of year when the wold seems entirely magical. Every other …
What I Like (and Don’t Like) about Christmas – The Good and the Bad About the SeasonRead More
Budapest has a reputation for being a party city, but few visitors know how complex and eccentric the city’s nightlife really is. From rooftop bars and decadent spa parties to jam-packed discos, Budapest has an abundance of venues where you can slam a drink or dance till dawn. On our latest visit to Budapest we stumbled upon …
I was born and raised in Communist Romania, but life under communism wasn’t all bad. Yes, I know Romania officially called itself a “socialist” country, but we actually lived in the purest form of communism. So calling it “Communist Romania” best fits my former country’s description, though you’ll see me use both terms throughout. Of …
Life in Communist Romania: the Bad, the Good, and the AbsurdRead More
