This paddle day happened on Saturday the 15th of June, 2024. We kayaked down the Bulgarian side of the Danube from Vidin to Lom, with Romania to our left. Leaving Vidin + Saying Goodbye to Nimi Our alarm went off at 5:30. That’s 30 minutes earlier than normal for a kayak day, but we’re anticipating to paddle a little less than 50 kilometers today. The sun rises at 5:45 in Vidin and we need about one hour and 15 minutes to drink coffee, finish packing, and walk out the door these days. But today is still a little special, becauseContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 69: Calafat to Vidin – Border Crossing from Romania to Bulgaria by River
This kayak day happened on Sunday the 9th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Calafat in Romania to Vidin in Bulgaria on the Danube River. Though both countries are in the EU, they weren’t completely part of Schengen at the time. That’s why we needed to deal with bureaucracy and get a new ship manifest for Zucchini. Leaving Romania by Boat: Lazy Saturday in Calafat The day after we kayaked more than 70 kilometers down the Danube, we wanted to see if we can leave Romania via the Danube. Calafat also has a road-rail bridge to Vidin, but the border controlsContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 68: Iron Gate II Dam to Wildcamping Calafat – 74 Kilometers by Kayak
This kayak day happened on Friday the 7th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Comoara Istrului on the Gogoșu Branch of the Danube past the Iron Gate II hydroelectric power plant to Calafat. The Iron Gate II (Romanian: Porțile de Fier II – Serbian: Đerdap II) dam is the last (mandatory) Dam on the Danube before the Delta. Though we intended to go camping for one night and then kayak to the Romanian city of Calafat the next day, we ended up doing the whole distance in one go. This was a whopping 74.4 kilometers. Our previous distance record wasContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 67: Crivina to Comoara Istrului – Iron Gate II Dam + Danube Gogoșu Branch
This kayak day happened on Wednesday the 5th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Crivina to the touristic complex of Comoara Istrului nearby the Gogoșu branch of the Danube at the Iron Gate II dam (Romanian: Porțile de Fier II – Serbian: Đerdap II). Why Bypass the Iron Gate II Locks? Short reason: I don’t think we can get lucky twice. We might have to wait hours in our kayak without shadow for a companion ship to arrive to go through the lock and descend the ~12 meters. Or we might arrive there and the lock operators aren’t fond ofContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 66: Drobeta-Turnu Severin to Crivina – Șimian Island + Strong Currents
On the 3rd of June, 2024, we kayaked down the Danube from Drobeta-Turnu Severin to Crivina on the Romanian side. We also made a quick stop on Șimian island. Departing Drobeta-Turnu Severin + Șimian Island Stopover Without our usual morning coffee, we departed the Airbnb in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. I’d hoped we’d be ready and out the door 35 minutes after the alarm, but it all took a bit longer. We were walking past the unvisited Severin Fortress a little before 7:00 and crossed the train tracks to the launch spot next to restaurant Marinaru. We didn’t see Mafia the cat,Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 65: Orșova to Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Iron Gate I Locks Unlocked!
This kayak trip happened on Monday the 27th of May, 2024. We paddled from Orșova to Drobeta-Turnu Severin on the Romanian side of the Danube in the border area shared with Serbia. We also had to pass through the Iron Gates I dam (Romanian: Porțile de Fier I – Serbian: Đerdap I). Portaging is not feasible, so we had to go through the lock with the big ships! Kayaking Through Locks: Research + Stress The Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station is the 53rd obstacle on the Danube for us since 2019, but it’s the first one in 2024. SoContinue reading
AMA: Can’t portage my ocean rowing boat! How to go through the locks downstream of Ulm on the Danube?
This question was sent to me by email. These rowers wrote me the following message about traveling the Danube in a boat that’s too big and heavy for portaging around the dams. Theirs is an ocean rowing boat, which I later found out are almost as big as a small sailing yacht, with indoor sleeping spaces and all. When writing the response, I thought of turning it into a mini blog post to help fellow Danube travelers. Their message: Are the locks downstream of Ulm operational? Hi , We are curious about the locks downstream of Ulm on the Danube.Continue reading
How to Stay Online in Andorra: eSIM, Roaming, or Andorran SIM Card?
Jonas and I visited Andorra for 12 days in June 2025. To stay online and work remotely, we needed mobile data for our phones. Andorra is NOT in the EU roaming agreement, so there’s a real chance of getting hit with a high bill at the end of your trip. Jonas went the eSIM route and I bought an Andorran SIM card Andorra: European, But No ‘Roam Like At Home’ The Principality of Andorra is a bit of a special case with regards to the European Union, Schengen, and the Eurozone. Short version: Andorra is not an EU member, notContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Guinea-Bissau
We traveled in Guinea-Bissau for 12 days in March/April 2025. This is how we got a SIM card in Guinea-Bissau to stay connected and work online from Cacheu, Bissau, and Bubaque Which SIM Card in Guinea-Bissau is Best? Orange. In Guinea-Bissau, the telecom infrastructure is still in its infancy. Orange has the best coverage in the country, but it’s still not reliably great, even in towns. However, when it’s good, it’s great, with 4G or 4G+. However, SIM card shops might not be open when you arrive on a weekend or a holiday, so it’s more important that you takeContinue reading
Mpak – São Domingos Border Crossing by Taxi, Motorbike and Canoa
This article is about the land border between Mpak (Mpack) in Senegal and São Domingos in Guinea-Bissau. On the 22nd of March, 2025, we traveled from Ziguinchor in Senegal to Cacheu in one day. We took a taxi, crossed the border on foot, tried to hitchhike, and eventually took two mototaxis to the port, where we boarded a pirogue/canoa. Read on to find out how we did it. Zichuinchor to Cacheu instead of Bissau While writing a page about Guinea-Bissau to aid our travels in West Africa, I stumbled upon the small village of Cacheu by the river of theContinue reading
Getting the Guinea-Bissau Visa in Ziguinchor, Senegal
It’s possible to get your Guinea-Bissau visa in Senegal near the border in Ziguinchor. We acquired ours on the 21st of March, 2025. Research into the Guinea-Bissau Visa My original digging I did into the visa for Guinea-Bissau led me to believe we could get a visa on arrival (VOA) for 90 days, at a cost of €85 per person. Or an eVisa, but no official website link to get it. Once we were on the ground in West Africa, the stories from fellow travelers were wildly different. Some said it was necessary to get it at the embassy inContinue reading
10-day trek in the Hornstrandir nature reserve (Iceland)
Hornstrandir is a nature reserve in northwest Iceland. It is an isolated peninsula once inhabited by humans. Now deserted, it has become a paradise for experienced hikers and the kingdom of Icelandic Arctic foxes. I discovered this nature reserve when I started taking an interest in one of the smallest canids in the world, the Arctic fox. I’m a wildlife photographer. For several years, I’ve been working in the Hornstrandir reserve as a hiking and photo guide. Every year, I organize an Arctic Fox Photo Workshop for wildlife photographers, biologists, and enthusiasts with a small team. But the story I willContinue reading
Almadies Point, Dakar, Senegal: The Westernmost Point of Africa
We visited Almadies Point (French: Pointe des Almadies) on Friday the 28th of February, 2025. We took a shared taxi and used the tips a fellow traveler gave us to dodge ‘security’ and visit the westernmost point of Africa without bribing anyone. Here’s how we did it without paying a bribe. Click here to scroll down to the interactive map Research into Africa’s Westernmost Point A quick look at the reviews of the westernmost point of Africa tells you it’s not that easy. The area is surrounded by hotels in a state of decay. There are apparently security guys forContinue reading
How to Get a Senegalese SIM Card
We entered Senegal in February 2025 and traveled around, with a side quest to the Gambia. Here you’ll find which Senegalese SIM card to buy, how to get one at a shop or from an authorized street vendor, and how to set up an eSIM before you arrive so you’re never offline or lost. Which Senegalese SIM Card is Best? Orange. It has the best coverage in Senegal, with 4G or 4G+ almost everywhere and 5G in the bigger cities, such as Saint-Louis and Dakar. It’s also very easy to obtain this SIM card. Senegalese eSIM Before Arrival When departingContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Mauritania
We traveled a bit around the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in February 2025. To work remotely and stay online while traveling, we got local SIMs. Here’s the process to get your own SIM card in Mauritania. Which SIM Card in Mauritania is the Best? First things first: you might not get a choice in SIM card, even if you try really hard. Mauritania is a country where one might have to lower one’s expectations a few times a day. Also, the rules for everything in Mauritania change very quickly for some reason. If you can, buy Moov by Mauritel. EvenContinue reading