My Top 15 BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES – 2019

Posted on December 13, 2019December 13, 2019 by dev

I have traveled a lot over 7 years and visited 130 countries in that period of time, but in all fairness 2019 has been my most amazing travel year when it comes to unique travel experiences! This is my TOP 15!

15. Experiencing The Algerian Hospitality And Mountains

Breathing in the fresh Algerian mountain air at Bordj Zemoura, Algeria

Go to Morocco and you’ll meet a lot of tourists, go to Algeria and you’ll hardly meet any. I didn’t meet 1 tourist on my trip through Algeria, and to be fair the visa was one of the hardest I’ve ever tried to get. It was impossible for me to go on a tourist visa, so I had to go on a business visa. Thanks to my friend Djaber and my own creative skills we made it possible, and Algerians (the Amazigh people) has a sharing mentality and hospitality I’ve rarely seen anywhere else in the World. I was completely blown away by Algeria, the people, the mountains and the beauty. This is one of my favorite countries in Africa.

14. Driving All Around Namibia For 2 Weeks

Coming to Namibia with no plans, splashing out $500 on a rental car last minute, because it was IMPOSSIBLE to get around without a car in Namibia, forgetting my International Driver License which is necessary to have to rent a car, (thinking f*ck,) meeting two Namibian strangers by incident last minute, and David didn’t really have any plans for the next long time, so I asked if he wanted to join my trip for free. He did and so did Susan!⁣ Strangers who became friends and joined me on this EPIC trip around Namibia. You can watch the video from our crazy ride around Namibia below!

The World’s Most Empty Country! – YouTube Video – Gus1thego

13. Attending An Indian Wedding In London, England

When my parents got married 10 people attended, to this magnificent, fairy tale alike Indian wedding +400 attended and it gave me goosebumps being a part of. Furthermore the male spouse, my friend Hemal, whom I traveled Brazil with in 2016 gave me a shout-out in his wedding speech. Incredible day!

You can read all the details about this beautiful Indian wedding below in the link.

What Is It Like Attending An Indian Wedding?

12. Surfing In El Salvador And Costa Rica

I have surfed in a few countries before, but no place like Costa Rica or El Salvador. I like to learn things myself and even though I’m good at most sports, surfing has always been slightly difficult for me! I like to challenge myself (one of the reasons why I love to travel,) and I felt like both El Salvador and Costa Rica was a good chance to take some surf lessons and actually improve my technique a bit. I must say I had an amazing time exploring both countries and I still think back on a few perfect days hitting the waves on some super beautiful beaches there. “If you’re having a bad day, catch a wave.” Surfing is really something I want to do a bit more of and get better at, when I feel like having some more time! Amazing feeling!

11. Visiting The Great Wall Of China

I have technically visited China 4 times, two times Hong Kong and one time on a 48 hour transit, but this was my first visit to ‘The Great Wall of China’ and walking around here for hours was worth every second!
I went to one of the best preserved parts, called Mutianyu, and it was surprisingly quiet. I couldn’t imagine a better day at the wall with sunshine, a clear sight and almost zero people. One of the greatest sights in the World!

These are my visits to the New 7 Wonders of the World below. There’s only 1 of them I didn’t visit yet, check it out!

The 7 New Wonders Of The World

10. Visiting The Taj Mahal

I loved it so much that I went to see the sunrise in the morning and then spent all day to see the sunset. The most impressive thing about the Taj is the absolute perfect symmetry that around 20,000 people built in the 17th century. You can notice the perfection and small details, when the sun is low in the sky, and the shadows are perfectly cast on the marble stone. It surely is the one of the most perfect buildings in the World and it deserves its name as the “Monument of Love.”

The 7 New Wonders Of The World

9. Holding A Travel Speech In Iraq

Holding a travel speech for 40 people in Iraq

Iraq became my first place to hold a travel speech. I honestly couldn’t imagine a better destination to do it, breaking all stereotypes! I did it in front of 40 people in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, and Kurdistan completely blew my mind. Iraqi Kurdistan is NOT at all what you think, super friendly people and it felt really safe in this region everywhere I went. Holding a travel speech in Iraq was a perfect experience and the Iraqi people really enjoyed interacting with me, and asked me several questions about my travels. I can’t wait to come back to Kurdistan, and I’m also really excited to travel around mainland Iraq in the close future!

8. Volcano Boarding In Nicaragua

Volcano boarding in Nicaragua with speed up to 80 km/t

When Cerro Negro—Nicaragua’s youngest volcano—last erupted in 1999, boulders tumbled down the western slope, creating a rocky, ascendable path. On the opposite side, the wind deposited dark, smooth ash that is perfect for sliding. In 2004, this unique pairing of terrains sparked an outlandish idea: volcano boarding. This is the only place in the world I’ve heard of where you can sit upright on plywood, feet-first, and coast down a cindery flank of a still-active volcano! This is the only place to do Volcano boarding. Rated #2 on CNN’s “Thrill seekers bucket list” Volcano boarding is a must do before you die! So much fun!

7. Seeing The Komodo Dragons With My Own Eyes

The Komodo Dragons can get up to 4 meter long, the closest we get to dinosaurs nowadays

The wildlife is on another level in Indonesia. Here sitting with a Komodo dragon, which can only be found on a few Indonesian islands in the World. There are only around 5,000 komodo dragons left worldwide. Psychical features of a dinosaur, a deadly lethal venom and they can grow up to nearly 4 meter long with a top speed of 20 km/h. One of the craziest animals I’ve ever been close to!

7 Reasons Why I Love Indonesia (Pro Traveler-Tips!)

6. Feeding Wild Hyenas With My Mouth In Ethiopia

Feeding Hyenas happens in Harar, the oldest Islamic city in all of Africa. I don’t harbor some kind of death wish, although such a desire might explain why I decided to feed a wild hyena from my mouth, placing my face within easy striking distance of one of the fiercest, most dangerous predators on Earth. With its incredibly powerful jaws, a hyena can even crush and digest elephant bones. Read the full story below!

Feeding Wild Hyenas With My Mouth In Ethiopia

5. Visiting Saudi Arabia

In 2019, a number of Western travel influencers worked with the Saudi government to market inbound tourism due to the new E-Visa, which has now been introduced in Saudi Arabia. This triggered substantial controversy as the authenticity of their posts was questioned. Just to avoid all confusion: My trip to Saudi Arabia was NOT sponsored. My travel here was with my own funds and no state invitation.

I was very satisfied with my stay in Saudi Arabia, a country I’ve heard too much bad stuff about before coming here, and my 100% honest Saudi Arabia video went viral with more than 120,000 views. Check it out by clicking the link below.

Is Saudi Arabia Safe? – Gus1thego

4. On The Inside of North Korea

North Korea was a VERY SPECIAL experience for me! I was extremely lucky to go during May Celebrations, so I was allowed to walk freely on several occasions, and I’m one of few travelers who had several encounters with the North Korean people. A bizarre and surreal country to be on the inside of! You can check my Youtube Video about my visit to North Korea by clicking the link below.

On The Inside Of North Korea – My Daily Life Here – Gus1thego

3. Traveling Syria for 1 Week

Aleppo, Syria. Traveling all the day from the south to the north of Syria

I traveled Syria when ISIS-Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was still alive, so there were some serious tensions, especially in the north of Syria. The capital Damascus in the south feels even safer than most European capitals. But Syria left a mark on me and is honestly an amazing country! I hope it will soon be completely safe again! You can watch my video about my Syria trip by clicking the link below.

Is SYRIA Safe? (Denmark Guy) – Gus1thego

2. Experiencing Pakistan

Whenever I talk about Pakistan, I’m close to break down in tears. This country got totally under my skin. AMAZING people, AMAZING hospitality, one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. To all of my Pakistani friends, a big Pakistan Zindabad from your Danish friend 🇵🇰

Check out my 2 videos below about my visit to Pakistan to better understand why I love this country!

Is Pakistan Safe? (Denmark Guy)

Is Everything Really FREE in Pakistan?

1. Traveling West Africa Solo With No Car (And 0 Flights)

Experiences I will never forget in West Africa

Most of the few travelers who went to West Africa, will usually talk a lot of sh*t about the region, because it’s challenging as few others, but it’s a beautiful challenge. If you’re an adventure traveler like me, you’ll love West Africa, the good and the bad days on the road, and it was my most rewarding travel experience traveling from Senegal to Togo over several months solo, just me and my backpack and without taking any flights. I lost 7kg and it was one of my toughest travel ever, but I enjoyed it so much! If you want to read in details about my West Africa trip and how it went, click the link below.

What Is It Really Like To Travel West Africa Solo With No Car (0 Flights)

What a travel year! Only person at the Kambadaga Falls in Guinea’s jungle

Now you have some inspiration for your future travels. I’m btw going to the most dangerous country of them all (they say) to celebrate Christmas, I’m not sure any travelers have done that before, so if you want to follow my journey, you can follow me on Instagram: @gustavrosted, Subscribe on Youtube: gus1thego or follow me on Facebook: Gustav Rosted.

Feel free to share the article and safe travels everyone!

Gustav

gus1thego.com

7 Reasons Why I Love Indonesia (Pro Traveler-Tips!)

Posted on October 1, 2019October 2, 2019 by dev

I just spend 10 days traveling around Indonesia, my country number 125, and these are 7 reasons why I love Indonesia. A country I know I’ll return to sooner or later again!

1. The Friendly Locals

One of the biggest reasons why I love Indonesia is because they have such friendly locals, and I experienced that on all of the islands I visited in Indonesia, even in Bali, where I maybe thought it would be too overcrowded with tourists, so the locals maybe wouldn’t be that nice any longer. In fact, they were very friendly there too! I’ve traveled to over 125 countries, and I’ve only experienced very few countries, as friendly and welcoming as in Indonesia. The locals are genuine without wanting something in return. You feel welcomed wherever you go if you show respect towards the locals.

Even the staff at the border control were chatting with me and smiling. They were extremely helpful and always had a smile on their face, when I was entering Indonesia – something that’s very unusual at border controls.

Indonesia is definitely one of the friendliest and nicest countries I have visited in the world!

2- Nature

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Stunning view in Nusa Penida Island, Indonesia

The nature in Indonesia is incredible. The views are spectacular and the country is rich in both flora and fauna. Here live many species of animals and plants that are endemic – which is awesome!

Whether you’re looking for hiking among beautiful mountains, an amazing wildlife or just wants to relax on the beautiful, sandy beaches – Indonesia offers everything and much more, it’s so scenic, and one of my favorite places to visit was this picturesque beach in Nusa Penida Island, which was so visually perfect.

You can read My Awesome Way to Find the Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida From Bali Here!

3. Prices Are Cheap

Buying a $1,5 dragon fruit in Bali, Indonesia

Whether it is buying a $1,5 dragon fruit in a market in Bali, renting a $5 scooter for the whole day in Nusa Penida island or shopping in Jakarta, prices are relatively cheap in Indonesia. Indonesia is a friendly, beautiful and affordable destination with good value for your money. It’s cheap to take a taxi, go on guided tours, eat food, accommodation and much more! Remember to download Grab, which is the perfect transportation app for all over Indonesia. If you compare the standard to other destinations in Asia, you’ll understand what I mean by saying that Indonesia offers good value for the money you pay!

4. Wildlife

With a Komodo dragon in Komodo island, Indonesia

The fascinating Komodo dragon, the Sumatran tigers, the Javan rhinoceros, the Borneo elephant, the Sumatran orangutan, the exotic babirusa or the Black Macaques.. The list goes on! The wildlife is on another level in Indonesia. Here sitting with a Komodo dragon, which only can be found on a few Indonesian islands in the World. There are only 5,000 komodo dragons left worldwide. Psychical features of a dinosaur, a deadly lethal venom and they can grow up to nearly 4 meter long with a top speed of 20 km/h. One of the craziest animals I’ve ever been close to!

5. Relaxed Muslim Country

One of the largest mosques in the World, Istiqlal *Mosqu*e, Jakarta

Islam is the most adhered to religion in Indonesia, with 87.2% of Indonesian population identifying themselves as Muslim. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the World, with approximately 225 million Muslims all over the country. In fact, Indonesia is a very relaxed Muslim country and as long as you don’t do totally stupid stuff, it’s a very open-minded place to be, where you can still drink alcohol and have a bit of fun if you feel in a party-mode. Indonesia is relaxed, not super strict and I kind of like that!

6. Thousands Of Islands

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Bali, Komodo, and Gili islands are some of the most famous ones, but the fact is that Indonesia is almost entirely made up of islands in various sizes. Each island has its own charm and their own experiences to offer. There are total number of 17,508 islands of which about 6000 are inhabited in Indonesia, so there are plenty of adventures to take. Padar island was memorable to me for the incredible sights!

7. Everyone Is Family

No matter who you are and where you’ve been, you’ll find yourself a new family in Indonesia. Whether it’s friendly neighbors, hospitable coworkers or happy kids, everyone belongs to a community that takes care of each other. Sure, the archipelago has countless attractions to entice tourists, but it’s the warmth and sense of belonging that invites people to stay.

Thank you for this time Indonesia and I’m already excited to come again back here soon.

Gustav

gus1thego.com

The Perfect Way From Bali To Nusa Penida (Best And Cheapest)

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 by dev

I just did an amazing trip to Nusa Penida from Bali and I want to share the best (and cheapest) way to do it with you guys!

The Breathtaking Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Indonesia

How To Visit Nusa Penida From Bali

You’ll have two really good options. Head to Sanur Beach in DENPASAR first of all!

You can see that boats usually start early and finish early. Do not expect night boats.

TIMETABLE

Firms	Sanur-Nusa Penida	Nusa Penida-Sanur
Crown	08.15, 11.15, 15.15	09.45, 13.45, 16.45
Sugriwa	08.30, 13.30	11.30, 13.30
Merlin	09.30, 13.00	11.00, 15.00
Bali Eka Jaya	16.30	08.30
Gogun Express	08.15, 10.00	14,30, 17.00

Two Best Options To Reach Nusa Penida

1. The ultra-budget option or the 2. cheap timesaver option will make you go from A to B properly, and I chose the 2. option, because it wasn’t more than $10 difference in total. I was in a bit of a rush and I didn’t want to miss the incredible opportunity to go to Nusa Penida and explore the island, but at the same time I didn’t want to get wet in a speed boat, so I chose to go with Gogun Express from Sanur Beach in Denpasar. Super comfortable seats and the other providers all charged the double!

Perfect Travel Tip For Booking Your Ticket

With Gogun Express you can go for around to 150.000-200.000 Indonesian Rupiah ($10-15) with return ticket and it’s a fast boat. Secure your cheap ticket by getting a local person to book your ticket, because the ticket sellers usually put the price HIGHER for a tourist, so I just asked a random guy if he could book my ticket and he helped me without any problems. Most Indonesians are very friendly!

I used that trick a lot too when traveling in Africa: Read: How To Avoid Travel Scams In Africa here!

The option I took will take you 45 min to reach Nusa Penida with Gogun Express, or you can go ultra-budget with the public boat called ‘Jukung’. Jukung will cost you around IDR. 50.000 one-way and will take around 90 minutes. I wanted to maximize my day on the island, so I went with the fast option.

Keep In Mind’s

Jukung (Public) Boats: The ultra cheap tickets can be sold out if you’re not there early or are unlucky.

Fast Boat: Fast boat tickets to Nusa Penida sell out fast too. It’s very unlikely that you’ll find a ticket if you just show up 10 minutes before the morning boat.

Speed Boat: If you go with this super fast option, you can avoid being splashed on by sitting at the back.

Safety: If the weather is bad, don’t take the boat. The ocean can get vicious, and sunken fast boats aren’t unheard of.

With good weather, just go to Sanur Beach and get moving!

Getting a local to buy my ticket as usual. Or at least get them to ask the price first for you as a foreigner

Arriving in Nusa Penida – What To Do?

You can choose to go on a expensive tour with a Tour Company in a car, but the roads are narrow and bad for cars, so it’s not really enjoyable. My local friend in Denpasar told me it was some of the worst road he’d seen in Indonesia, so he wouldn’t recommend renting a scooter, but I don’t agree with him on this. He hasn’t traveled so much neither, haha.. You should definitely choose the cheaper, more adventurous, more fun, more free way to explore Nusa Penida – rent a scooter for a full day! Yes, the roads are not the best, but there’s not a lot of traffic, so if you have a little bit of experience on a scooter it won’t be a big problem, though the last part to the Kelingking Beach is a little challenging. You can do it though!

You can rent a scooter for a full day in Nusa Penida for IDR. 70.000 ($5) with fuel. Absolute bargain!

Car With A Driver

In Bali cars are too valuable to trust the tourists with so they will usually come with a driver. They are the slower and costlier way to travel in Nusa Penida but also safer. It costs around 500,000 IDR per day. You can ask your accommodation to fix you one or you will find drivers looking for costumers at the ports.

Scooter With A Driver

If you want a scooter’s affordability and practicality but you don’t trust your driving skills, you can ask the owner to drive you around. Prices are usually around 120,000-160,000 IDR per day, but you can’t be sure to find a driver always.

Beautiful driving around Nusa Penida island. Nice temples on the road

Best Things To Do In Nusa Penida

I drove around a lot of the island, and got lost several times, just finding myself ending up in cool places. I really enjoy driving out in the wild once in a while, without Google Maps set on a specific location, just see what happens, and Nusa Penida has so many hidden treasures. The best places to go in the island on the west are however Broken Beach, Angel’s Billabong (only 50 meter walk from Broken Beach) and the spectacular Kelingking Beach. If you have time take the stairs down and check out the beach from below.

Monkeys chilling on top of Kelingking Beach. Go down the stairs and see the beautiful beach from below too!

The Road To The Famous Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Indonesia

You’ll have to drive for around 50 minutes on your scooter on the West Coast of Nusa Penida to reach this fairy tale alike beach. There will be a few signs on the way, but not many and you can easily get confused on the way. If you have an Indonesian SimCard, I recommend using Google Maps and use your Airpods while driving for the perfect guidance to reach the destination.

The locals were also very friendly and helped me reach some other stunning places on the island, though it can get quite remote at certain places with few people. You can always ask them too!

Most boats arrive at Jungutbatu in Nusa Penida, close to Lembongan island. Here is the location of the famous beach

Enjoy Your Trip To Nusa Penida

Landscapes are really cool and changes all the time in Nusa Penida. A lovely and adventurous place to drive a scooter and it’s honestly just a lot of fun exploring the beauty of the island on a scooter, because you can hit all the interesting corners and small villages. I was back 4.30 pm and had a power nap on the beach, before my comfy boat with Gogun Express went back to Bali. What a nice day.. Get ready for adventure!

Enjoying the beach in Nusa Penida.. Still haven’t met anyone with more white hairs on their legs than me

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” There are experiences that open up not just your heart but also your mind, and traveling to Nusa Penida does that. So many amazing views, so get ready for adventure!

Goodbye Nusa Penida! Doesn’t get much prettier than this spot

Guys, definitely do Nusa Penida when doing Indonesia. Stunning sights here, honestly couldn’t imagine a better start for my country number 125. I bet you’ll love it too, if you didn’t go already of course.. It’s slowly getting more popular, so JUST GO!

Have you been to Indonesia?

Gustav

gus1thego.com

Follow me on Instagram @gustavrosted