How to Get the 1-Year Mauritian Premium Visa – Digital Nomad Special!

This article is about the (elusive) Mauritian Premium Visa, also known as the ‘Digital Nomad Visa’. It is valid for 1 year. You can apply for it before you travel to Mauritius or while you’re already in the country. You can only apply for this visa if you work online—this is not a tourist visa. To read about how to get the maximum days on your Mauritian tourist visa and how to get the 90-day tourist visa extension in Mauritius, visit the dedicated article. Contents1 What is the Premium Visa?2 I’m Sold. How Do I Apply?2.1 1. Apply before comingContinue reading

6 Stories from Hosts + Guests in Lockdown: Hospitality in the Time of Corona

Our world has shrunk a great deal since the globe went on lockdown for the coronavirus. Blindsided by the sudden changes, travelers had to make some tough decisions mid-adventure. Amidst the chaos, I knew there would be some people out there who remained kind and trusting of virtual strangers. People who would keep their doors open when they were told to keep it shut. I’d been thinking about the people showing or experiencing hospitality under such extraordinary circumstances. So I asked around looking for stories from both hosts and guests to share their experiences. Many people responded with their stories,Continue reading

Urban Exploring at the Abandoned Airport of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

We stayed in Cholpon-Ata in late May, 2021. Watch the vlog to see me do some urban exploring at the abandoned airport of this town with fantastic vistas of Issyk-Kul Lake. This post contains additional information regarding the questions I had while walking around the abandoned terminal. Cholpon-Ata Airport’s History (Post-)Soviet Airport: Glory Times, Abandonment, Replacement (As any good article starts:) According to Wikipedia, Cholpon-Ata Airport was built somewhere in the 1930s. But it was even less glamorous then than how it was during my visit because it was merely a landing strip. The terminal building and other auxiliary buildingsContinue reading

Hello, Dubai?! Leaving Malaysia for the UAE After 339 Days (Semi-Live Blog)

You know I’ve been ruminating on it. But after 339 days, it’s finally time to leave Malaysia. We’re traveling to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is a semi-live blog that I’ll update throughout the journey. I’ll edit in photos once I’m back on my laptop. Contents1 The Weeks Before Departure to Dubai2 The Stupidest Problem3 The Problem Increasing Its Stupidity (Anticipated, Yet Unanticipated Fuckery)4 Packing, Planning, Preparing for Dubai5 The Last of Johor Bahru5.1 The COVID-19 PCR Test5.2 Obtaining The Interstate Travel Permit at Balai Polis Sentral6 Final Prep for Dubai7 Travel Day is Here7.1 The BusContinue reading

Archive Your Blog

Over the years, I've seen many adventure blogs come and go. Some have moved on from their adventures, others have lost interest in writing them. Some might have been hacked, while others simply want to stop paying for a domain. Not publishing new content is one thing, but that content going away forever is a whole different situation. It's a situation that makes me very sad when I can't find a great adventure story again. That's why I'm offering people who want to quit blogging but want to keep their stories alive to archive their blog onto this website. As long as you have a blog full of adventure travel stories, they're welcome to find a new home on Mind of a Hitchhiker. As long as your stories are mostly about hitchhiking, hiking, kayaking, sailing, cycling, backpacking, or other adventurous modes of travel, your content is welcome here. Just shoot me an email via this contact form and put the… Read more >

Collaborations

Please note that Mind of a Hitchhiker is a largely ad-free space. I'm not doing sponsored posts, paid links, or other advertising. If I can genuinely recommend a product or service that offers an affiliate program, I might join that program to earn a small commission of every sale via my links. I will only join affiliate programs that have a benefit to my readers. If you have a travel blog and would like to work with me, send me a message via the contact form below. I'm always open to doing collaborations in the form of guest posts, collaborative posts, freelance writing, and more. Please note that I'm not a travel agent and will not organize your trip for you. However, I can offer consultation calls if you are looking for some personalized travel advice for a planned trip. Who Reads Mind of a Hitchhiker? Mind of a Hitchhiker has a unique set of readers interested in adventures around the… Read more >

Interview Me

Whether you're a news agency or a fellow blogger, this is the page where you can find information about arranging an interview with me. Why You Should Contact Me before You Write Years ago I did a few interviews. Everything that's been written about me or my blog ever since has been based on pretty much a single article. In other situations, someone took a quick glance on my about page and wrote a few words about me and wrote to me about it after the fact. My situation changes a bit each year and my about does not always reflect my current situation. My priorities have often changed rapidly, which is usually reflected in my most recent blog posts and not my about page. I'd love to receive a message from you if you plan on writing anything about me or my blog. Things I Need to Know from You Before I can accept an interview, I'd need to… Read more >

Guest Posts

Hey fellow blogger! Yes, I accept guest posts on my website[note]Domain Authority (DA) 34, as of the 8th of May, 2020.[/note]. Please read the following paragraphs to see if we're a match! If you want to share your own hitchhiking story on my site and don't have your own blog, check out the Strangers page. What Kind of Guest Post Topics Do You Accept? Since this blog is mostly about adventurous travel, I'm mostly looking for stories about your lived experience while on the road. As long as it's a self-organized trip. You may take a very detailed moment of your trip (a conversation, a single day of your journey), or take the big view and write about an entire itinerary. Here's a (non-exhaustive) list of topics I'd love to welcome: Hitchhiking journeys Kayaking trips Long-distance/day hikes Long-distance cycling trips (e.g. the Danube Cycleway) Sailing/crewing a boat Journeys by donkey/horse Overlanding Freecamping/wildcamping Housesitting Accessibility travel Stargazing/amateur astronomy/visiting observatories/solar eclipses Travel/nature photography Cultural… Read more >

Strangers

I’ve been thinking about opening a section for other travelers to write in for a while. Lots of adventurers begin writing about their experience, but then don’t have a space to put their stories. Sharing it on Facebook can give you a lot of likes for a few days, but after those days nobody will see your post ever again. Starting a blog can be a real hassle and too much responsibility when you don’t even know yet if you like blogging. That’s why I’d like to invite fellow nomads I’ve never met to immortalize their stories in the formatContinue reading