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
backpacking
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
Hitchhiking in Myanmar – Everything You Need to Know!
Jonas and I went hitchhiking in Myanmar between the 3rd and the 31st of January 2020. These tips are based on our experiences and the laws of Myanmar during that timeframe. Feel welcome to add your own hitchhiking in Myanmar experiences + adventures in the comments! Basic Tips Have the map of Myanmar downloaded onto your smartphone. I prefer Open Street Maps! Have the Google Translate app. Unlike Thai, Google doesn’t have an offline package for Myanmar language yet. Get a SIM card in Myanmar upon arrival. Always make a hitchhiking sign. Buy some black markers, preferably black markers withContinue reading
Cabo Verde Packing List – Prepare Well!
I’ve spent 88 days in Cabo Verde and visited 7 out of 9 islands. This makes me somewhat an expert on what stuff to pack before you go. On the distribution curve of travelers going to Cabo Verde, I’m a light packer. Here are the items that sparked the most joy on my hand luggage-only trip to the archipelago! Make sure to check things off on this packing list (automatically saved in your browser). Must Bring: These items I cannot stress enough. You need to bring them! Either because they’re unavailable in Cabo Verde, or because they’re very, very expensive.Continue reading
Old Interview for CatchAWish: Heute Mal Hitchhiking
This old interview about my hitchhiking trips originally appeared on the German website Catch A Wish back in January 2016. Saddia’s website has since gone offline, so I took my interview and republished it on my own blog for posterity. These words were true for me at the time and don’t necessarily reflect how I think about things today. I edited the spelling and formatting a bit to make this interview a little more readable. What were the reasons for you to decide to try hitchhiking? I was on a semester abroad in Aarhus, Denmark, and quite a few ofContinue reading
My Evolution of Packing: A History of My Baggage
I wasn’t always a backpacking traveler. Being from a tiny affluent country in Europe, it’s pretty normal to go on holidays abroad (privilege!) and I personally don’t know any of my fellow same-passport holders who haven’t been abroad. Travel has been a part of my life since birth. Normally, we’d travel by car, giving us plenty of room to bring Stuff™ and sometimes we’d go by airplane. Packing light or efficiently wasn’t a concern for the car trips Only for the plane, we’d have to really think about what to pack as there are limits to how much Stuff you can bring. 0. The Carry-A-Corpse Suitcase Amsterdam Schiphol Airport,Continue reading
Check, I Hitchhiked the Millau Viaduct (France)
A couple of days ago I was still in France completing one of my “Hitch Bucketlist Masterpieces of Human Engineering”: the Millau viaduct! One of these pillars that keeps it all standing is taller than the Eiffel Tower and it spans the entire valley. My French driver spoke good English as he had just been back from a five-month backpacking trip himself. He told me more stories of the bridge as there were loads of protests against it. A one-way voyage over the bridge costs a whopping €9.40, so I offered to contribute. My driver rejected the offer. This bridgeContinue reading
Benjë Hot Springs nearby Përmet, Albania (During a Storm)
Yesterday, Dongbum and I hitchhiked to the hot springs of Benjë (Llixhat e Bënjës). These are not far from Përmet and have been on my wishlist for Albania from day one. It’s past this amazingly cool Ottoman (?) bridge that’s in the same style as the one in Mostar, minus the crowds. But those clouds in the distance should have been a warning. We went for a much-needed warm soak in the hot spring and all was fun until the rain started. The benign rain quickly turned into heavy rain and subsequently into hail chunks from the sky that grewContinue reading
Waterproofing my Backpack Before the Next Trip
Waterproofing my backpack before the next trip. This is important maintenance work! I’m doing a lot of preparation works from my mom’s home before I head out again. I’ve been at my mom’s place for a few days since hitchhiking home for Christmas from Istanbul. Though I love catching up with my family here, I can’t stay for new years because I don’t like to be in this country during that time. The reason? They’ve got this insane fireworks culture in the Netherlands. Everyone can buy fireworks and light them up themselves, which wouldn’t be a problem if there weren’tContinue reading