Muscat, Oman. Visited 16-17, January 2025. I flew into Muscat, the capital of Oman, on January 16. Unlike many of its GCC neighbors, Oman is relatively unknown and seldom makes the headlines. When was the last time you heard about…
Baghdad, Iraq. Visited on 28 – 29 January 2025. After spending 10 days in Oman, I made a last-minute swerve and flew from Muscat to Baghdad, Iraq. While in Oman, I heard from some Chinese that it is safe to…
Tunis, Tunisia. Visited on 7-9 February 2025 – Stop 1. Sousse, Tunisia. Visited on 10-11 February 2025 – Stop 2 After 10 days in Iraq, I was relieved to leave – the security checks throughout the journey suggest the country,…
Kairouan, Tunisia. Visited on 12 February 2025 – Stop 3. Monastir, Tunisia. Visited on 13 February 2025 – Stop 4 From Sousse, I made a day trip to Kairouan, less than 60 km away in a louage, a local pooled…
Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Visited on 19-21 February 2025. So I started in Oman in the Middle East and then made an abrupt turn to Iraq. From there, I flew to Tunisia in North Africa. Since Sicily is just across the…
Valletta and St. Julian’s, Malta. Visited on 1- 5 March 2025. Stop 1. Medina and Rabat, Malta. Visited on 6 March 2025. Stop 2. After spending 9 days in Sicily, I flew to Malta. Yes, Malta, a small country only…
Gozo, Malta. Visited on 7 March 2025. Stop 3. Marsaxlokk, Malta. Visited on 9 March 2025. Stop 4. I had an exciting plan to explore Gozo the night before. But in the morning, I was not woken by the usual…
Madrid, Spain. Visited on 12 – 17 March 2025. I flew into Madrid, Spain, on the 12th of March, after spending 11 days in Malta. I sailed through the gates and doors without passport control because this is another EU…
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the Caribbean. Visited on 19 March 2025. Stop 1. From the wintry chill of Madrid, I flew into the tropics at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I started this trip from Kuala Lumpur on 16…
San Juan, Puerto Rico. Visited on 28 March – 1 April 2025. Part 1. I left Santo Domingo and flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital, on the 27th of March – never been, often heard about, yet always wondering:…
Miami, Florida, United States. Visited on 3 – 5 April 2025. From San Juan, Puerto Rico, I flew to Miami in Florida, USA, drawn by its sun, style, and sea. I walked a short distance from where I stayed to…