We spent 89 days in Ukraine in 2021. These are the apps that proved most useful in Ukraine and helped us navigate the country. Click here to read which and how to get a SIM card in Ukraine. Contents1 1. Google Translate with Downloaded Ukrainian + Russian2 2. Open Street Maps (OSM)3 Communication Apps in Ukraine: 3. Telegram + 4. WhatsApp4 Taxi Apps in Ukraine: 5. Uklon + 6. Bolt (and Maybe Uber)5 7. Food Delivery Apps in Ukraine: Glovo, not Bolt!6 Accommodation Apps in Ukraine: 8. Airbnb + 9. Booking7 10. A VPN (Such as ExpressVPN)8 App Screenshots9 BonusContinue reading
Kyiv
My First Time Shooting Guns: Glock 19, AK-47, Sniper Rifle, and Shotgun (Kyiv, Ukraine)
These events happened on Tuesday, the 3rd of August, 2021. We had booked a shooting guns activity at a shooting range outside of Kyiv. This is what to expect from this activity and the four different guns we fired. Note that this was my first time shooting guns and that I do not know the correct terminology for a lot of actions/gun parts. If you have corrections/mansplanations, please drop them in the comments! Booking the Activity After booking our trip to Chornobyl, Jonas found out that you can also shoot Kalashnikovs in Kyiv. This is something he has wanted toContinue reading
Celebrating My Birthday in Kyiv, Again! (30th)
When booking Ukraine, I knew that I was gonna celebrate my 30th birthday in Kyiv. This happens to also be the same town where I celebrated my 22nd birthday back in 2013 during my first medium-sized hitchhiking trip. A few things have changed: I’m not a happy single anymore but a happy partnered individual. And as a partnered individual I am also not hyper-poor and on the brink of developing scurvy anymore. I believe they call this ‘progress’. Jokes aside, quite a lot has changed. My interests have changed. And though I think getting blind drunk, getting banged on theContinue reading
How (Not) to Get a SIM Card in Ukraine (Kyiv)
When traveling to Ukraine, it’s a great idea to get a SIM card for independent travel. Though we arrived at Boryspil International Airport (KBP), we didn’t buy one there because the shop was closed. Mobile data is neither expensive nor cheap in Ukraine. Here are our learnings from getting a SIM card in Ukraine on our first day in Kyiv, so you can avoid the mistakes we made. And ooh boy, we made a lot of mistakes! FYI, the country code for Ukraine is +380 Contents1 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Ukraine2 FAQ SIM Card in Ukraine +Continue reading
Well Hello, Kyiv?! Uzbekistan to Ukraine (Semi-Live Blog)
These events happened on Sunday, the 25th and Monday the 26th of July, 2021. We hoped to fly from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), Uzbekistan to Boryspil International Airport (KBP) nearby Kyiv, Ukraine. I’m trying to update this blog as a sort of semi-live blog while on the move. Quick update because I need to sleep. We arrived well in Kyiv but the long wait for check-in to our apartment was excruciating. Peace out I’m gonna catch some zzz’s before finishing this Contents1 Monday, 26th of July: Shattered in Kyiv1.1 Train to Kyiv, killing time1.2 Arriving at Kyiv Boryspil1.3Continue reading
Three Days in Kyiv, Ukraine – Celebrating my 22nd Birthday
After a nightly train ride from Lviv, I arrived in Kyiv (Київ) in the early morning. I looked up a hostel near the train station on Hostelworld aptly named ‘Kiev Central Station Hostel’. It was a short stroll indeed. I asked for a bed in a dorm, dropped my stuff, and connected with a few people. I asked the hostel staff for tips on how to get to Babyn Yar (Бабин яр) with public transport. Because the bus sounded too complicated, I opted for the metro. That walk took me past Kyiv’s Golden Gate (Золоті ворота) to go to the metro stationContinue reading