We arrived in Bahrain from Kuwait on the 7th of January, 2026 and stayed for 11 days. We chose to opt for a Bahraini visa on arrival (VOA) instead of an eVisa. Here’s what the process is like, what documents you need to bring, and whether you should choose an eVisa or the VOA. In early 2026, the tourist visa costs between 5 BHD and 25 BHD, depending on your length of stay Bahrain Visa Online Research For most nationalities, Bahrain has two options to enter as a tourist: the eVisa or the visa on arrival (VOA). The eVisa hasContinue reading
Caucasus + Western Asia
Here you’ll find all the articles and short posts I’ve published about hitchhiking and hospitality in the Caucasus + Western Asia. I traveled in countries such as Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and Turkey mostly in 2014.
- Georgia: my best friend whom I met at university comes from Georgia, so I visited there for the first time for New Year’s in 2012/2013. Then in summer 2014, I hitchhiked from the Netherlands to Tbilisi in five days to attend her wedding. After that, I traveled back and forth to Georgia from Armenia and Abkhazia, living in Tbilisi’s Vake Park with a band of cool people and absolute weirdos.
- Armenia: I visited Armenia twice in 2014. Once with a Polish friend on a short trip, and once on my way to Iran.
- Abkhazia: I visited this disputed territory after getting travel permission in Zugdidi. It was a strange place, but also incredibly beautiful. I had a lot of fun at Stalin’s Dacha and in Gagra.
- Iran: after picking up my visa in Armenia, I hitchhiked around Iran for 28 days in October/November 2014. These were some excellent times!
- Turkey: I’ve been to Turkey four times, of which twice with my family. The last two times I was there speed hitchhiking through to get to that wedding on time. The second time, after Iran, I had more time to explore between Van, Batman, Hatay, Mersin, Northern Cyprus, Ankara, Eskişehir, and İstanbul.
Because of the top-tier hospitality in the Caucasus + Western Asia, I’m longing to return pretty much every day I’m feeling a little uninspired.
Accommodation in Bahrain: Airbnb in Al Fateh + Manama City Hotels
Congratulations! You are in the minority of travelers considering a visit to Bahrain for more than a day trip. Here’s where we stayed for 10 nights in the capital city Manama, alternative hotels under €100 per night, and what to expect of accommodation in Bahrain as a digital nomad Al Fateh: Airbnb Close to Food Truck Heaven Duration: 11 nights (12 paid) at about €60 per night Our final choice was a spacious Airbnb in the Al-Fateh neighborhood of Manama in Bahrain. Bahrain had far more suitable Airbnb options than Kuwait. So we chose this one based on its goodContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Bahrain: eSIM Options + Batelco, Zain, and STC
We traveled to Bahrain for about 10 days in January 2026. To stay online as a tourist, Jonas used his Global eSIM and I bought a physical SIM card in Bahrain at the airport. Here’s what your options are, starting with the cheapest First Choice: Global eSIM or Bahraini eSIM Just like in nearby Kuwait and the UAE, getting a physical SIM card in Bahrain is on the expensive side. Luckily, eSIM technology has come a long way. If your phone is eSIM compatible, this should be your first choice. Within eSIMs, there’s still two ways to go about it:Continue reading
Tourist Visa on Arrival in Kuwait: Our Experience + Advice (Get the eVisa)
We entered Kuwait a couple of days before New Year’s 2025–2026. On December 22nd 2025, the government of Kuwait increased its visa fees from 3 KWD to 10 KWD. This applies to both visa on arrival (VOA) and the Kuwaiti eVisa. Here’s our experience getting the visa on arrival in Kuwait Late 2025 Visa Costs Increase in Kuwait When Jonas and I reunited in the Netherlands after Christmas on the 26th of December, we rechecked the visa situation in Kuwait. I’d written down the cost of the Kuwaiti eVisa and VOA in our spreadsheet as roughly €10 per person. JonasContinue reading
Accommodation in Kuwait: Al Salmiya Apartment + City Hotels
I visited Kuwait for 10 days in late 2025 and early 2026. This is what to expect of accommodation in Kuwait as a digital nomad + some hotel recommendations in Kuwait City Al Salmiya: Lavan One Serviced Apartment We chose this condo in Al Salmiya neighborhood close to the coast and one of the places where the ferry to Failaka goes. There was one other contender, but that apartment was next to Winter Wonderland Kuwait. The reviews said that place was noisy into the night. Also, this apartment didn’t say it required proof of marriage for people to stay here.Continue reading
Staying Online in Kuwait: eSIM Options + Kuwaiti SIM Card
Going to Kuwait for more than a few days and don’t have the option to have an eSIM? Here’s what Kuwaiti SIM card to get, where to get it, and what to expect. First Choice: Get a Kuwaiti eSIM! For some reason, getting a real SIM card in Kuwait is quite expensive. That’s why your first option should be to get an eSIM. If you’ve never used this technology before, now is the time to try. Within the world of eSIMs, there are two approaches: the Global eSIM and a Kuwaiti eSIM. If you don’t use much data, are onlyContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Georgia (The Country, Sakartvelo)
This Caucasus country is becoming quite popular with travelers and digital nomads. Here’s a handy how-to guide for getting a SIM card in Georgia to stay online from Tbilisi to Omalo. Do You Need a SIM Card in Georgia? If you’re staying in the main cities only and/or for a couple of days – probably not, as free WiFi is pervasive and quite easy to come by – any cafe, restaurant will beam it, as will bus and metro stations in the capital “Tbilisi Loves You” network. However, it’s not always as smooth and reliable as one would wish, plusContinue reading
Bonzur, Mahébourg?! Traveling from Istanbul to Mauritius (Semi-Live Blog)
On the 3rd of December 2021, we’re hopefully flying from Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU aka Port Louis Airport) in Mauritius. I’m updating this post as we go. If you’re here for the documents checklist to enter Mauritius, click here. Booking Mauritius Before we even arrived in Turkey, I already knew I didn’t want to spend the full 90 days here. It would be too cold by the end of our visa. And Jonas wanted to spend at least one month in Istanbul, which would result in too little time toContinue reading
Things to Do in Edirne, Turkiye
We visited Edirne from the 24th of November till the 2nd of December, 2022. Here are some things to do in Edirne and our itinerary for the week we stayed there. Why Visit Edirne? Edirne is an old city in the west of Turkiye, in the ‘European’ part of the country on the Balkan Peninsula. The region is also known as Eastern Thrace. Today, the region of Thrace is subdivided into Northern Thrace in Bulgaria and Western Thrace in Greece. Thrace is an area where many cultures come together, with Muslims and Orthodox Christians sharing this historical land. That’s whatContinue reading