2021- a year as pandemic as 2020, but with legal loopholes for those who wanted to travel. This is how I can describe the year that is just about to end. Preparing for each experience has become extremely stressful, entering certain countries has proven to be an ordeal, plane tickets were canceled or changed every day, endless lines at counters have become a habit anywhere in the world, budgets have been turned upside down by multiple tests, and the minuses can continue... But, none of these challenges have discouraged me/us from traveling. We are often looked at with envy (and not always in a good sense of the word) because we try to discover as much of this world as we can. It is our choice to travel and it is also ours to share with you the experiences we live. And if the lines I have written help you prepare for a trip, then I have achieved my goal.
Escape on road and water, in the paradise of the Danube Delta
In March, I discovered a different kind of tourism in the Danube Delta, one of the safest areas when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. The large expanse of water, the isolated localities and the reduced mobility kept this area safe. That is precisely why I turned my attention to this area again. And since the entire trip was calculated to be a new experience , I chose to enter the heart of the Delta aboard the first cruise ship dedicated solely to this green paradise.
Click on the photo below if you are interested in such an experience.
Egypt is not only all inclusive and pyramids
Spring and late autumn were dedicated to Egypt. I went there for the water sports, for the friendly April sun, but also because the moments lived with a surprising gang. This is what I wrote on April 17, 2021.
“ April 17, 4:30 a.m.! After more than a year, I checked in again at Otopeni Airport, this time to Egypt. The land of the pyramids became the main attraction for Romanian tourists immediately after the borders reopened. Among the hundreds of Romanians waiting to be comforted by the over 30 degrees Celsius temperatures, a group of 45 young people stood out thanks to their mummy-like luggage. This is the first time we are going on vacation with such a large group, and the active getaway that you will read about in the lines below is also a premiere.”
And if you are interested in another side of tourism in Egypt, click on the photo below.
An experience that made me see Turkey with different eyes
The end of May caught me at 32 degrees Celsius on a schooner built right in the Bodrum area. The Bodrum marina is packed with “ketches”, traditional wooden boats built locally, but also “schooners”, both known as “goulettes” or “gulets”, motorized sailboats characterized by the use of at least two masts. Boarding the schooner, in just an hour we reached the shelter of an island. Unchained, almost everyone in the group jumped into the unreal turquoise water, under the careful supervision of the boat crew. And after dinner, the moon put on a show. And as I kept posting images on Instagram and Facebook, sometimes without mentioning the place where I was, but only the country, I realized that many Romanian tourists avoided the Turkish coast precisely because of those who struggle with “full plates”. Now you can see Turkey with different eyes!
And if you are interested in another side of tourism in Turkey, click on the photo below.
Yes, there are also spectacular places on the Romanian coast
I usually spend my summers on the Romanian coast , which is the busiest time at work. This doesn't mean we spend our whole lives at the office, but we take advantage of every free hour to discover new places. If you click on the picture below you will read about some places we tested ourselves.
But there were also areas where I found not only pluses, but also minuses. Click on the photo!
Getting into Hawaii is by no means easy, but not impossible either
“ Honolulu, Hawaii , local time 08.33 We have been in Hawaii for a few days, and I can't seem to get comfortable in front of my tablet to share with you what I discovered here. I'll just let the images I upload to Instagram or Facebook do the talking . In private messaging, my friends keep writing to me and asking me about various aspects of the trip. Maybe you were the ones who helped me mobilize and write down on the virtual sheet the first things about the experience on this sensational island. ”
Autumn brought us what we had been planning since 2019 – a vacation on the west coast of the USA and Hawaii. In fact, the spectacular island was the end of our trip to the USA , but I can consider it the icing on the cake. I wrote about all the places I visited, good and bad, in the hope that someone will need these tips. I left active links to all the destinations I visited below.
Finally, I want to thank you for reading www.funkytravel.ro and I have a simple wish for 2022
"Let's have a year full of travels!"
