Category: Culture

A Beginner’s Guide To Visiting Suriname

by Anil Polat | Oct 19, 2023 | Advice, Culture, Food, Health and Fitness | 0

Suriname is a country that sees roughly 250,000 visitors per year putting it in the bottom half of all countries in terms of tourism. (Compare that to Chile’s 2 million in 2022.) The relatively small number of tourists to Suriname is not because there isn’t much to see, do, and eat here – it’s just that not a lot of people have found out about it.

Consider this short guide your introduction and invitation to South America’s diverse northern nation whose capital city might be one of the best foodie destinations worldwide.

Starting In Paramaribo

Suriname tends to be a warm, humid place most of the year, with a rainy season between April and September. Arriving around those months should keep you less wet (Suriname is 95% rain forest). Otherwise the weather is warm (30C+ highs) throughout the year due to its equatorial location. Most people arrive in Paramaribo by air and note that if you’re coming from a country with a risk of yellow fever, you will need a completed vaccination card.

There are some good hotels in Paramaribo and they’ll run you about $75 a night. That gets you a large room and breakfast, not to mention central location.

Please Eat Here

Paramaribo might be one of the best cities in the world to eat. To get started, try some of the local roti – a flat lentil patty topped with a variety of vegetarian and meat options to your liking. For the ultra-local, make your way to Carili’s Roti Shop located in a quiet neighborhood in the center of town. Nearby there’s Jairoop and Roopram both competing roti shops if you can’t get enough of the dish.

Another local favorite for breakfast (the smallest meal in Suriname) are the sausage and sandwiches from De Gadri. For dinner, there’s Martin House of Indian Food, and Lee’s Korean Restaurant which might be the best you’ll find outside of the Korean Peninsula. Mirosso for Indonesia flavors which might have you wondering: why am I pointing out Asian foods? The answer is these are not so much international restaurants as they are local restaurants run by generations of populations from Southeast Asia who arrived over 100 years ago.

Markets And More Street Food

Sunday is market day in Paramaribo and there’s plenty to choose from. The Chinese market is a good place to get produce and located close to De Gadri. Another, nearby market is the Kwatta Indonesian market, with more street food than you could ask for. There are also refreshing drinks like dawet, a cold coconut-based juice that’s loaded with sugar and tapioca. When you’re planning a visit to Paramaribo, try to plan your trip over at least one Sunday so you don’t miss the markets.

To get out of the city, there’s New Amsterdam, about a 45 minute drive outside of town. There you’ll see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Suriname River, where old fort canons over look the horizon. Take a boat out on to the river to catch a glimpse of the local pink dolphins and tour the plantations to learn about Suriname’s colonial past.

This is just the beginning of all the things there are to see and do in Suriname. This short guide is more of an introduction to the country rather than a complete to do list. Remember, food, nature, and off the beaten path, Suriname has a lot to offer travelers.

The Best Places To Eat In Georgetown, Guyana

by Anil Polat | Oct 5, 2023 | Culture, Food | 0

The capital of Guyana is known to be one of those places tourists need spend little time in. Although Georgetown doesn’t have the big sites of places like London or Berlin, what it does offer is a quiet culinary experience. The quality of the food in Georgetown is exceptional with a variety of creole, southeast Asian, and Caribbean flavors.

Here are some of the best places to eat in Georgetown, Guyana in no particular order.

1. Bettencourt

A local place serving up traditional Guyanese cuisine. The lines start forming during the busy lunch hour where you can order pepperpot (a cassava-based beef stew) and another local favorite, cook-up. Rice mashed with vegetables in coconut milk, topped typically with chicken or fish, service is fast even during the rush. Keep in mind there are few places to sit, it’s mostly takeout. Prices are average for Georgetown.

2. Fireside Grill

Part of the Fireside Suites, one of the best places to stay in Guyana, there’s good seafood on the barbecue and a daily menu that varies with common home foods. Swing by the early evening hours and take a look at all the hot pots, deserts, and stay for the atmosphere. Prices are above average for Georgetown.

3. Aagman

This is one of the first Indian restaurants in Guyana (which has a large local diaspora) and the preparation of the dishes are exceptional. The broths, stews, spices, and bases for the foods are made right before your meal and you can taste it. Flavors you may have only tastes hints of show their true textures at Aagman. Prices are above average for Georgetown.

4. Shanta’s Puri Shop

You don’t have to look further than the simple but staple dish, roti. Brought over from southeast Asia, there’s a little bit of a twist in the Guyanese version with no better place to try it than Shanta’s. A local favorite, it will be one of yours as well. Prices below average for Georgetown.

Just A Taste

I’ve left out other places like Oasis, a more Western cafe with good breakfast options as well as Backyard Cafe. What Georgetown lacks in things to see, it more than makes up for with street food, barbecue, and a mashup or two.

Where To Find Istanbul’s Best Non-Touristy Photo Spots

by Anil Polat | Aug 24, 2023 | Advice, Culture, Pictures and Video | 0

Istanbul is one of the world’s most photogenic cities but because it’s hard to find a bad angle, many people end up shooting from the same one. You see a lot of pictures from the same rooftop restaurant in Sultanahmet (seagulls optional), Galata Bridge, and in front of the Blue Mosque. Not that these are bad pictures but if you want to explore Turkey’s largest city like a local while photographing its lesser seen sides, here are three places to head to.

You can see all the spots shown below, with directions on getting to them, in the video here.

1. Parking Roof in Besiktas (Best At Night)

I’m not going to spoil this one but here’s a day time look from this parking lot next to an apartment between Taksim Square and Besiktas. Around a 10-15 minute walk from the square, at night you’ll get some of the best photos of the Bosporus Bridges lit up.

2. Boat Dock Near Ortakoy Mosque

A lot of people get obstructed views from this vantage point because the cafes, mosque, and people create limited shooting angles. You’ll get a better picture from the small docks for tour and ferry boats a few minutes walk down (through a easy-to-miss) pedestrian tunnel.

3. Turn Right Here

Find this mosque (directions in the video above) and look right where you can see an unobstructed, close view of Galata Tower, with enough perspective to capture the seagulls circling above. I’m not spoiling you though – I want to see the pictures you get. Feel free to link them in the comments below.

4. Walk Down Uskudar

Considering how easy Uskudar is to reach with one of Istanbul’s famous ferries and how many amazing views it gives you of the European side of the city, not as many people as you would expect ever make it out here. Maiden’s Tower at sunset makes for iconic photos and all along the coast there are fantastic shots of Istanbul’s famous skyline.

All of these spots and the best photos you’ll take (I’m not showing you mine because the surprises are worth the wait) are walk-able with a ferry or two included. You can though take a taxi in Istanbul if that’s easier but by foot, you’ll get many more unique photo opportunities along the way.

The Fluentalk T1 Mini Translator May Solve All Your Language Problems When Traveling

by Anil Polat | Jul 27, 2023 | Culture, Tech | 0

We all dream of a future shown Star Trek where a tiny device called a universal translator helps alien species all communicate with one another. You speak in your language, they hear in their and vice versa. The T1 Mini isn’t quite that but a solid step in the right direction.

Pocket-Sized

The T1 Mini Translator is a small, rectangular device that comes in white measuring 91 × 55 × 13 mm and weighing 86 grams. Powering the internals are a gigabyte of ram with 8GB of storage and a QuadCore ARM 1.28 Ghz chip. Around the back there’s a 5 megapixel camera used for translating text on things like menus, plus a few buttons for power, volume, and a single translate button. The hardware layout is simple and straightforward and while the software experience isn’t quite as smooth, it works well once you get past the short learning curve.

Fluentalk by Timekettle, T1 Mini Translator Device No WiFi...

The specs aren’t anything that will blow you away but you’re not using this screen to watch videos and boot up time is almost painfully slow. Once it does fire up though the T1 Mini has a singular focus, and that is to translate.

Talking Translations

Downloaded on to the device for offline use are 13 languages pairs, including English to Chinese, French, and Spanish. You can download a few more languages like Korean, Japanese, and German for additional offline use.

When the T1 mini is connected to WiFi however, that gives you access to 36 languages with 88 dialects, from Bulgarian to Turkish to Swedish. Embedded in the T1 mini is also a non-removable SIM card and when you buy one of these, you get a year’s worth of free mobile data to support translating, meaning across 84 countries, the T1 Mini will work with build-in cellular connection. When that connection period ends, you can top off for another year through Timekettle for about $45 dollars a year or simply use the device with WiFi only.

Push Of A Button

Setting your two languages, say, English and Spanish, the T1 Mini will automatically detect the language being spoken when you push the translate button. You speak in English and it will spit out Spanish. The other person speaks in Spanish and you get English. The T1 mini does a good job of translating too and from English, which is one of it’s “core” languages. I’m going to guess it’s good translating to and from Chinese as well, between French, Japanese, and German, one of these 13 language pairs it stores offline.

But when it comes to translating two non-core languages, like Swedish to Turkish, it falters fairly often. It seems to have trouble translating between Arabic and say, Korean, in my testing, so there is work to be done there.

When it comes to translating languages with the camera, it’s pretty good, even across less common fonts, the kind you’ll find on menus, and cafe signs. The translation is pretty quick, almost always less than a second, both with the visual and written text, so the experience is a smooth one, even if the translation isn’t always perfect.

Alternatives To The T1

You could use your phone and download languages offline using Google Translate or a similar app, but this translator is a lot less expensive than your phone which you might not want to take out everywhere. In a office setup where you’re traveling for business the T1 Mini could come in handy or if your in-laws are visiting from another country, for example. It’s a device you could leave in a room without having to commit your physical smartphone.

Overall, the T1 Mini is a useful tool if you’re traveling somewhere and don’t know the local lingo, so this device can help you bridge the language gap, in some languages better than others. It’s definitely a big jump forward in translating hardware and software which will only get better from here.

Duolingo Is A Good Start To Learning Language But Not The Final Step

by Anil Polat | Feb 2, 2023 | Culture, Tech | 0

Duolingo is a popular language learning site and app that comes with the very good price of free, unless you don’t count time. You might be thinking of learning a new language in the new year or want to learn a few words before an international trip. There are a lot of good reasons to learn a new language and Duolingo is a good start for some of them in some ways.

Back To Basics

Duolingo has a really low barrier to entry, all you have to do is hop on their website or download the free Duolingo app, answer a few questions about the language you want to learn, your current skill level. You can start anywhere from a complete novice to advanced and also specify your language lesson concentration – it could be cultural, for travel, or just because you want to learn something new.

It’s a very easy, quick set of questions before you’re off to learning. Duolingo is based on what they call XP points. XP points are basically a weighted point system for various language lessons and you can set a daily goal, with 30 XP being roughly equivalent to about 15 minutes per day.

Gamifying Language Learning

You get notifications daily to make sure you’re practicing everyday and Duolingo keeps track of your daily streak. Expect an automated reminder email if it looks like you might miss a day. To keep track of all those stats you have to create a free account. Then you can track your daily progress and see where you’re ranked against other language learners in the same language. Even if you’re not particularly competitive, it does work to motivate you not to miss lessons.

The layout of Duolingo’s language lessons itself are like a game. There are bright colors, buttons, and all you have to do is hit start to being. Depending on the language level your entered in the beginning, you’ll go through lessons which use a few different methods to teach.

How Duolingo Teaches

One obvious focus is vocabulary. You’re shown some words then click what they mean with audio prompts throughout. As you advance will have to pick out the correct word among a few others. The words are also read out to you, which is helpful so you’re exposed to pronunciation and accents. Duolingo doesn’t prompt you to repeat back what you’re hearing but I’ve found for me personally, repeating back those words is very effective with memorization. The way Duolingo is set up is it’s as easy or as difficult as you want to make it but that part isn’t gamified and really takes self motivation.

When you’re given a lesson where a sentence is read to you and you have to write it back, Duolingo defaults to letting you click the words you’ve heard. It will correct any mistakes and if you keep fumbling on a certain set of words or parts of a sentence like pronouns, it will focus on those for you.

To Be Free Or Not To Be

Duolingo’s free version shows ads in between lessons and prevents you from going back to see specific mistakes you may have made. Basically if you miss a day your streak starts over. But with Duolingo’s paid plan, called Super Duolingo, you can maintain your streak if you miss a day (in exchange for “Lingots”, which are points you accumulate with each completed lesson. Super Duolingo also lets you review past mistakes and get lessons focused on strengthening your weakest areas in a given language.

Duolingo is a good start or supplement but isn’t your one stop shop to learning a new language or even getting down some quick conversational lingo. I would suggest you pair Duolingo with some other online language service or classes because it’s short lessons are ideal for mental exercise to keep that new language fresh in your mind. Duolingo is the beginning of the journey to fluency but won’t take you all the way there.

How Americans Can Visit Cuba (And Why You Should!)

by Anil Polat | Jan 12, 2023 | Advice, Culture, Guest Post, Security, Travel | 0

This is a guest post by Hege Jacobsen, a Norwegian Army officer, social scientist, and traveler who writes about Cuba on her travel blog, The World By Hege.

Many people are unaware Cuba is still open for travelers and is still destination you can visit legally – including Americans – despite recent tightening of sanctions. It’s not always the most straightforward travel plan but well worth considering Cuba as your next destination. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Cuba now, and why you should.

What you need to know about visiting Cuba now

The most important thing you need to do to travel to Cuba is to buy a ticket. Then, you buy your Cuban tourist card, book your hotel or casa particular, and that’s it. There are no complicated extra steps to it unless you are American, then you need to check out just a couple of more things (listed below).

Here is a simple checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything!

Not all search engines provide flights to Cuba due to ongoing sanctions. This does not mean you can not travel to Cuba, just that you need to find another search engine to book your flight. (Upon arrival, make sure you follow this advice at the airport.)
Buy your Cuban tourist card (also called a tourist visa) from the Cuban embassy, from selected airlines, or from an online provider. You buy it, you do not apply for for a Cuban tourist visa, it is a formality.
There are two versions of the tourist card, green and pink. For most travelers, what you need is a green tourist card. If you are a U.S. citizen or your flight has the last stopover at a U.S. airport before arriving in Cuba, you need the pink tourist card.
When you book your accommodation in Cuba, a great option is to stay at a casa particular. This is a private rental holiday home, where your rental fee will go to the Cuban owner. This way you will put your money somewhere helpful, have the opportunity to connect with locals, and learn a bit about Cuban culture and life. There are casa particulares all over Cuba, some modest and some luxurious, in all shapes and sizes.
Note: if you are a foreigner with an ESTA visa for the U.S., you need to know after President Trump put Cuba on the “list of countries that support terrorism”, visiting Cuba might create problems for your ESTA.

How can Americans travel to Cuba?

As a U.S. citizen, you absolutely can travel to Cuba despite the rocky relationship between the two countries. You just need to follow the regulations set by the U.S. government, and they are not as difficult as you might think.

Here is how Americans can travel to Cuba hassle-free, within the current rules and regulations.

Remember to buy the pink version of the Cuban tourist card.
As Americans can not travel to Cuba as regular tourists, you need to choose one of the 11 U.S. pre-approved reasons for visiting. There is no paperwork connected to this, you just state your reason if anyone asks. The most common reason used by Americans visiting Cuba is “helping the Cuban people”. You can find the official list here.
Make a simple itinerary for your journey, showing that your planned activities are not in opposition to the U.S. regulations for travel in Cuba (if anyone asks).
Book your stay in a hotel or casa particular that is not on the U.S. restricted list (most are not). You can check what accommodation is on the U.S. restricted list here to avoid any mistakes.
If you book any organized tours and activities, make sure the company you choose is not on the restricted list.
Note: U.S. credit cards are not accepted in Cuba. Bring enough cash in euros or Canadian dollars to pay for your planned activities, and change it to Cuban currency when needed in Cuba.

Amazing destinations to explore when visiting Cuba

The largest island nation in the Caribbean, Cuba is an archipelago with 4000 islands, endless beaches, and intriguing history. There is quite a distance between the east part of the island where you find Santiago de Cuba and Holguin, and the west, where you find Havana, Vinales, Varadero, and Trinidad. So if your holiday schedule is not unlimited, you probably need to prioritize your time.

Here are the highlights of the most popular destinations visiting Cuba.

Havana

The Cuban capital Havana is a fascinating city, with around two million inhabitants, 500 years of motley history, and a complicated current situation. The city was founded in the 16^th Century by Spanish colonialists, stayed a colony until 1898, and has remnants of five centuries worth of more or less planned incidents.

You will notice this in architecture, old fortifications, and a vast variety of regional influences in the tiniest details. The revolutionary ambiance is also very present, although more in the social space and art, than city architecture. This makes for an amazing melting pot of people, cultures, and a mix of religions that you meet today.

Havana will feel different now from only a few years ago. Wifi in Havana is easily available and people are online. There are lots of interesting things to do, great restaurants, bars, and clubs, and you can get most things you need apart from pharmacy items. You will also find many modern casa particulares, some even with wifi. But rest assured, there is still a myriad of Classic Old American cars, run-down colonial mansions, rum, and salsa around.

The nearest airport to Havana is Jose Marti International Airport.

Varadero

A few hours east of Havana is the famous Varadero, a thin peninsula of beaches with high-end all-inclusive hotels, casa particulares, bars, and restaurants. Varadero is the biggest resort area in the Caribbean, with infinite water activities, and Varadero Beach was voted the world’s second most beautiful beach on TripAdvisor in 2019.

You can book flights to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport.

Vinales Valley

Around three hours west of Havana is Vinales Valley, one of the most fertile and lush green places in Cuba and home to the production of the famous Cuban cigars. What you might not know, is that you can also go rock climbing here, swim in underground cave waters, horseback riding, and even take a day trip to the beach a couple of hours away.

Trinidad

On the southern shores of Cuba, you find the colonial city of Trinidad, where the historic center is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Trinidad was once the wealthiest town in Cuba due to its sugar production (and slavery), but as it fell off the hype it was collectively forgotten. Because of this, Trinidad’s old city is almost the same as centuries ago.

Ten minutes outside Trinidad is a paradisaical beach called Playa Ancon, and close by you find the national park Topes de Collantes. Go here for hiking and swimming in incredible freshwater pools under little waterfalls, and a few hours away is also the infamous Bay of Pigs.

The Cuban Keys

Visiting the Cuban Keys you will spend time in truly paradisiacal surroundings and pampered luxury, but there is no ounce of “the real Cuba” here. The most popular keys are Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Coco on the northern side, and off the southern coast is Cayo Largo.

Go here to relax completely for a beach holiday (it is amazing), but just remember you have not really been visiting Cuba.

Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in Cuba and an 18-20 hours bus trip from Havana, with a more relaxed ambiance. The city was the capital of Cuba at one point, and also where Fidel Castro stayed during the decisive battle of the revolution in 1958.

The highest-rated Cuban rum is produced in Santiago, the Extra Añejo 25 Años, coveted across the world by rum lovers. A few hours outside Santiago, you also find the vast Sierra Nevada mountain range where you can visit the old revolutionary headquarters of Fidel Castro.

Commercial flights fly to Antonio Maceo Airport.

Holguin

Lastly, Holguin is a small northeastern city known as the cradle of Cuban music and is a great destination if you love dancing, art, and history. It is around two and a half hours from Santiago, and one of the places Pope Frances visited in Cuba in 2015.

If you do the one-hour drive from Holguin town up to the coast and Guardalavaca or Playa Blanca, you will find a myriad of resorts and crispy white beaches. It is said that when Christopher Columbus first laid eyes on these parts, he said “The goodliest land that eye ever saw, the sweetest thing in the world.” Maybe you will feel the same?

Holguin has a small international airport called Frank Pais.

3 Smart travel tips for Cuba

Pack a water bottle with a filter. Water can be hard to find, and this way, you can drink water from anywhere.
Bring the amount of cash you plan to spend in euro or Canadian dollars, and change it in Cuba.
Download an offline Google map, a Spanish app, and a VPN before you go, to keep you connected on all levels.

Thank you Hege for sharing why and how to visit Cuba! You can follow Hege on her site, The World By Hege and on Facebook, Instagram, and Pintrest. All photos in this post are courtesy Hege Jacobsen.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More