Comments Off on The street food taste in 2019 – will you travel to try it?Dobs Totev
“No, I wouldn’t” – probably said no one ever. Tasting street food around the world has been my “not so secret” guilty pleasure (for those who follow my Instagram) every time when I travel and when at home.
Food and culture go hand in hand
Street food and culture go together – to get to know your travel destination, eating at the local markets is a must experience that everyone should do. The feelings of food invoke a sense of community and belonging.
The taste of this year
Starting in Spain, you just can’t go without the traditional tapas and sangria…
Tapas & Sangria – Origin Spain
When you dive into the food markets, you end discovering different food not just from your destination but food typical for the home country of the people making it.
Choripan (Pan filled with Argentinian steak meat) – Origin Argentina
Veggie Burger, Palo Alto, Barcelona
Salmon Pancake, El Mercantin, Barcelona
and then, of course, there are the healthy stuff too…
Comments Off on Staying healthy while traveling – the tips of an experienced travellerDobs Totev
If you have the health & wellbeing as a life priority, then staying healthy while traveling is a very important part of your life. Getting on a trip to an unknown destination is always creating a little bit of anxiety about what kind of food you will be able to find, where you’ll be able to train, how you’re going to maintain staying healthy and fit.
When I travel, I feel the same and there are a few things that one can do to have a good level of fitness while on a trip.
Keep a healthy diet
It might be a holiday, but it’s good to always have in mind to keep eating fresh, healthy food.
The North Beach of Gili T Island, Lombok
Even though, it might not be always easy to find – with a little bit of advanced planning and research about your destination you can bookmark grocery shops, food markets, and well-rated restaurants around the place you are staying at.
One of my favorite type of food while traveling is the fresh tuna/salmon bowl – full of protein, gives you a lot of energy and keeps you light.
Poke bowl, salmon salad and a smoothie in Gili T Island, Lombok
It’s widely available at coastal destinations where access to fresh fish is much easier.
Junk food is everywhere and it can tempt you easily, but putting a little bit of effort to find or prepare something good to eat would be well rewarded by your body. Not feeling tired would give you more hours to have fun on your trip.
Plan out your wellbeing activities before traveling
Based on where you are going, what the climate will be like and what landscape the destination would offer you can easily decide what type of workout you could do.
The easiest and most common thing to do is to find a gym nearby (if you are in a city) and do a normal workout there. A lot of cities offer outdoor gyms too. But what if you are out and about in nature?
Activities in water
In many destinations, there are always some water activities available that one can do. One of my favorite things is paddleboarding
Paddleboarding in Lake Erie, Canada
In some beaches, there are paddleboards for rent, or if you get organized enough, you could bring your own.
Another exciting sports activity that you could do is snorkeling.
Snorkeling in the Bali Sea
You’ll get to be active while enjoying spectacular views of the seafloor. Of course, if you’d like to keep it standard – swimming could be a great option too.
In the outdoors
Well, needless to say, that there are so many things that one can do to keep himself active regardless of where you are.
Cycling, running, mountain climbing, yoga, these are just some of the variety of options that can be done.
To do a workout all you need is your body weight. In a 2×2 space on solid ground in a park, garden or patio you can do a good functional training workout.
There is no need to say how important water is for your body. While on the go you could sometimes forget that your body needs it and you end up going on until once starts to feel dizzy and with a headache. Staying healthy while traveling on long haul flights is tricky but hydration surely helps.
It’s important not to forget your water bottle. At many airports, you can refill it for FREE after you pass security and have at least a liter of water available to you at all times.
Contiki’s Reusable Waterbottle
Pack in your vitamin supplements
Taking vitamins is very important to staying healthy while traveling, especially when going to a destination with a climate different from the one you are used to. As the older people would say, “there isn’t something that a Vitamin C can’t fix”, making sure you get enough of it on the go is essential.
Comments Off on Digital nomad lifestyle in Barcelona – The Guide we all needDobs Totev
Plane, car, bus, next place – as people working remotely we always end up in new exciting destinations. Half a year ago I moved to live in Barcelona to enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle. When I came, didn’t know almost any good places in the city to eat, drink, work or just hang out and network with like-minded people.
While building my network of people, in a new city, I took the time to explore and try out different places and things to do.
The digital nomad lifestyle in Barcelona
In one word – it’s pretty great! Many people work remotely and have chosen to live in Barcelona for various reasons. The great climate, awesome activities, creative people and delicious food are among the top ten.
Moving to Barcelona has made me eat less at home, just because the food that can be found out and about is delicious.
Eixampeling brunch café & bar
Starting the day with breakfast and a smoothie is never a bad idea!
Poké Maoli
Fresh, healthy, high in protein, super delicious!
Favorite places to work
Being a digital nomad would almost certainly mean that you would need to do some work while you are either visiting a place or long-term living in it.
When I look at workspaces, I don’t look only at the great WiFi connection, which is a must (duh)! Also, the ambient and the atmosphere are really important.
In Barcelona, there are many people working remotely and therefore many workspaces and coworking places. With some, you can end up paying up to 300 euros per month to be a member and have just a hot desk. Why pay so much when you can go to really good spaces for FREE?
Federal Cafe Barcelona
Nike Box Barcelona
It’s nice, it’s FREE! You only need to download the Nike app and make an account and you get to enjoy the nice views:
Favorite places for socials and networking
Soho House Barcelona
Although this is a members-only club, if you become local to Barcelona you should apply to join. They often host cool events on their rooftop where I ended up meeting cool, creative and artistic people who also live in the city.
The complete digital nomad lifestyle guide
For my complete guide that is regularly updated with my latest favorite places and activities, you can read the Barcelona Guide for Digital Nomads
Comments Off on Ibiza in 3 days – Sun, sea and beachDobs Totev
As a first time visitor to this island of Spain, I was really excited to discover what the nature of Ibiza has to offer. We all know that this place is famous for its iconic clubs and nightlife, but behind all of that lays a beautiful island, with history, local culture, gorgeous sunsets, and crystal clear waters.
I didn’t have much time to do an in-depth exploration, but I managed to see enough in Ibiza in 3 days to want to come back.
The beautiful coastline of Ibiza
One of my favorite spots on the island has been to enjoy beachfront clubs. I enjoyed music, good food, and free WiFi during the day.
Melia Ibiza Beach Club
Even though you could find such crystal clear and clean spots around the coastline of Ibiza, probably the best beaches are located at a ferry ride away. From Ibiza, I took a ferry to Formentera and I discovered absolutely incredible beaches.
Gecko Hotel & Beach Club Formentera
These were also the perfect spots to actually do some work.
The amazing sunsets
For the chaser of the golden hour, there are just the rights spots in Ibiza and Formentera that would just stop your breath.
The Port of Formentera
And to discover all the best spots, just rent a motorbike and go …
The Port of Formentera
The west side of both islands is full of beautiful little beaches (Calas) wherein different locations the color of the sky has different colors.
Despite the island being at least 300% more expensive to eat out than Barcelona and Madrid, there were some really delicious healthy eats that can be found
Comments Off on Heart of Europe project – an all year European summer and beach weatherDobs Totev
If you live in Europe, probably your dream might have always been to have summer weather all year round! What if we tell you that in a few years you can have it? As part of Dubai’s new mindblowing property developing projects comes The Heart of Europe.
It’s the latest ambitious project of Dubai for property development and infrastructure. It consists in a $5 billion construction of six man-made islands just off the coast of Dubai. They are styled after a mix of European countries and cities and are able to accommodate 16,000 tourists in the height of travel luxury.
In this “New Europe”, the sun is always shining and is beach weather and is planned to have 13 hotels for visitors.
Apart of being able to go there for holidays, people are also able to purchase properties and live in a man-build version of Germany, Sweden, Central “Main” Europe, St Petersburg, Switzerland, and The Floating Venice.
Does it really exist?
Indeed it does. The islands are already completed and can be seen even on Google Maps:
Since the project is planning to open in 2020, the first available islands will be Germany, Sweden, Main Europe, St Petersburg, Switzerland, and The Floating Venice according to Kleindienst – the property estate agents.
Main Europe will be the vibrant hub of the Heart of Europe. It’s the largest island of “The World” and it will offer will offer an exciting choice of luxury hotels, beautiful marinas, pristine white sandy beaches, cafes, restaurants, boutiques and entertainment facilities.
One of the most unique features on the island will be the ground-breaking climate control technology. This will convert narrow cobbled streets and picturesque plazas into a beautiful winter wonderland!
Sweden Island
This island will host authentic Swedish themed events and celebrations such as Midsummer, National Day, St Martin’s Day, Walpurgis Eve, Saint Lucia and crayfish parties. What’s more, the island will celebrate the best of Swedish film, music, and arts.
It will feature 10 luxury properties and will offer the ultimate privacy and tranquility. Sweden Island will be home to 10 premium quality majestic waterfront villas which boast seven bedrooms, an exterior pool deck, a private beach, and a stunning tropical landscape.
Switzerland Island will be home to a luxury six-star hotel. The island will offer a climate controlled elevated plaza, a permanent circus, a unique entertainment calendar, a mountain spa, indoor climbing facilities and more.
This island will embrace the rich cultural heritage and diversity which Germany and its people are renowned for. Themed events on the island will include traditional carnivals, Christmas markets, Schützenfest, wine festivals and the internationally acclaimed Oktoberfest.
Designed in the shape of a heart, St Petersburg Island will be a charming vacation retreat, home to white sandy beaches, a large infinity pool, shallow lagoons, lush tropical gardens, and an exclusive restaurant and bar.
The design of the island has been inspired by The Maldives, where it will be surrounded by Floating Seahorses which will be connected to the island and its exclusive facilities via floating jetties.
Each of these will be available to book or purchase individually for your holiday or stay on the island and it will be equipped to the highest luxury and customizable to your taste.
Venice will offer underwater luxury living and experience the extraordinary as The Floating Venice exquisitely delivers the best of Venice to the Middle East.
Comments Off on 5 winter sun destinations in Europe where you wouldn’t freezeDobs Totev
It’s already January and you are already craving that winter sun escape! Hoping for the winter to be over soon? Sadly, it will take a couple of months before spring arrives in Europe. Maybe even longer for the fellows living in the UK. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered!
The good thing about living in Europe is that on a 3-hour affordable flight, you can get to winter sun destinations where you wouldn’t freeze to death.
Maspalomas is a city in the south part of Gran Canaria. As one of the Canary Islands, it’s by far the warmest place in Europe. The islands are located just off the coast of Morroco and the average temperatures are between 16°C (60°F) to 26°C (78°F) degrees depending on which island you go.
The reason I would suggest you go to Maspalomas is for the all year round stable climate – 23-26°C (73-78°F) degrees. And if you want a more rocky, volcanic scenery you can find that in Lanzarote.
How to get there?
To get there you can fly to Las Palmas and then take a shuttle bus to Maspalomas. It’s about a 4 hours long flight from London or if you live in Spain its 2 hours only! (Lucky you!). The cost in the winter (excluding Christmas & New Years periods) is about £120 return.
2. Cyprus – a winter sun escape
With a stunning 17 degrees in the winter months, Cyprus has the potential to be an incredible winter sun destination. Limassol, Larnaca, and Kyrenia are probably one of the best cities to enjoy delicious food and coffee near the mediterranean sea. It’s cheap and affordable and the food is delicious.
When the winter sun goes down, you could enjoy one of the most stunning views that would make your stay even more magical.
You can fly to Larnaca from London and it takes about 4,5 – 5 hours on a plane, or from Eastern Europe is about 2 hours away. The cost of flights are usually at about £250 and even though it might seem a lot for Europeans, the cost of your stay there will compensate for the amount you paid for your flights.
From the amazing architecture, great food, and delicious pastries how can you not want to go to Lisbon? In January the average temperatures are around 15-18°C (59-64°F) degrees.
You get to do walks near the European “Golden Gate” bridge
With a January average of 15°C (59°F)degrees comes Palermo in Italy. It’s a city that represents the ancient beauty of Sicily – the land of sun and oranges. The island is small enough to explore it by car, because of that, edge to edge is probably a 3-hour drive in which you would enjoy the gorgeous coastlines and scenery in this beautiful island.
You can fly to Palermo, Sicily from London and it takes about 2 hour and 30 minutes on a plane. The cost of flights is usually at about £100-£120 return.
With a beautiful 17°C (62°F) degrees comes the beautiful coast of Madeira, Portugal.
How to get there?
From London, there are some direct flights but the most common route will be via Lisbon. If you plan it well you can do Madeira and Lisbon’s winter sun all together on a 4-day weekend trip. The total cost of your ticket would end up being at around £130 or so.
Comments Off on Is Plovdiv, Bulgaria good for digital nomads and expats?Dobs Totev
Plovdiv has a growing number of expats and digital nomads, and for good reason! Originally I am from Plovdiv, Bulgaria and have never seen the city as a place for working remotely until recent years. I have been living abroad for a while and every time I come back I have always been surprised that there are new things to do.
If you are into quirky, alternative, hipster, creative and tech people, Plovdiv would be a great fit for you. Weekly there are networking events that are hosted in different cafes or co-working spaces. People tend to go out every night for drinks and some nights for dinner and then Fridays & Saturdays the nightlife goes on until the morning light. The must go place is the Kapana neighborhood also famous as the Creative District.
Cost of Living & quality of life in Plovdiv
According to Nomadlist the cost of living in Plovdiv is about €1,100 per month, but in my opinion, you could live with a bit less in the city and still the lifestyle would feel great. You are able to find apartments to rent for about €300-€400 per month and your weekly grocery shopping would be about €100 (if you would like to eat well and make your own food)
The city has a great relaxing vibe with many places to relax outdoors like the central park or the parks on the hills.
“Palm Square in Plovdiv”
Co-working Spaces & Cafes
Bulgaria is famous for being in the top 30 countries with the fastest broadband in the world. Plovdiv doesn’t fall behind. You can find great places to work for free such as cafes and bars with a great internet connection.
The options for co-working spaces are also available. Although not yet ideal, in recent years we hope that there would be new places that can satisfy the demands and requests of young remote workers. A few that I have tried and like are BizLabs and Cat And Mouse Coworking. In both the average price for a desk a day is about €7.
“Cat and mouse coworking”
Ancient Architecture
Not only that you would get a great, relaxing lifestyle living in Plovdiv but you would also get to live in one of the oldest cities in Europe. It has kept its ancient architecture in the old town that is located on a hill above the city center.
If you get stuck in the city in the summer there are plenty of outdoor pool options that you can go to sunbathe and swim. The best pools are usually always outside of town. I personally drive to get to those places but taking a taxi from the city is also an option and it wouldn’t cost you more than €10.
In/near Plovdiv, you are able to find about 10 different outdoor pools which are open from May till November (sometimes).
Food & Restaurants
The city center is full of places to eat out. It’s not a problem finding something that a person would like. In some of the most popular places to eat for Fridays and Saturdays, you would definitely need a reservation. The variety of food is big.
Turkish cuisine experience
Brunch and afternoon snack experience
Cocktails by the pool
Fig salad
Italian antipasti
Climate
The best time to be in the city is the spring and the autumn where the temperatures are at about 25ºC (77ºF). Summers can get quite hot – sometimes 35-40ºC (95-113ºF) where winters can be sometimes quite cold. The city is generally dry, it is not humid and the rainfall is very moderate.
Overall Plovdiv is great for a relaxing and quiet lifestyle. With a moderate level of partying happening in the city and plenty of sunshine, I think a 3 month experience living in the city is totally worth it. The best times would be either from the Spring through mid-summer or from mid-summer till the end of Autumn.
Comments Off on Mars on Earth, a breathtaking sceneryDobs Totev
Rocks, cliffs, mountains, extreme winds and red sand are what form the majority of the island of Lanzarote, Spain. This creates an incredible landscape scenery that would almost make you feel that you have found Mars on Earth.
Have you ever wondered what would it feel like walking on the surface of Mars? Well, you can actually have a taste of it at this remote place on the Canary Islands. It mimics landscape similar to the surface of Mars, but then at other parts of the island, the landscape was different.
The landscape of Mars
The island of Lanzarote, with its extreme winds, red and black sand and volcanic cliffs form a breathtaking scenery.
For our exploration of the island, we rented a car as we found out that this is the best way to get around. The public transport is not good. There is probably only 1 bus that connects some of the villages with the main city on the island and despite we never saw it, we saw it’s bus stops.
Taking a road trip through the island takes you through some incredible scenery that is worth to stop and take a moment to enjoy it.
The “green” landscape
Most of the beaches are formed of dark yellow sand. On it, people use volcanic rocks to build wind shelters. That protects them from the high-velocity winds while being at the beach as they can reach 50-60 km/h.
Black sand beaches
Because of the volcanic nature of the islands, you would also see the unique coastline formed of black sand.
Caves and volcanic rocks
You would also encounter cave formations around the coastline which once have been lava tunnels that lead to the water.
And the last thing that you would remember are the volcanic rocks that are everywhere around the island. They are very sharp and covered with moss which makes them slippery to walk on.
Despite the fact that there aren’t many things to do on the island, the few that you can do are totally worth the trip. I certainly had my favorite 5 things to do.
Comments Off on 5 things to see in Lanzarote, the volcanic beauty of the CanariasDobs Totev
Caves, rocks and national parks. If that is your thing, then you would love to visit this volcanic beauty of Spain. Despite the fact that it is a very small island, it’s totally worth your. I’d recommend coming for a weekend and explore a landscape unseen anywhere else in Europe. The best thing is that it’s just 3-4 hours away (if you reside in Europe).
Often we get bored of visiting mainstream destinations or doing all the traditional touristic things while there. In some places like this island is totally worth it. You would experience and see a landscape that is quite unique to the Canary Islands.
The last volcanic activity in Lanzarote took place in 1824 and has left behind all of these natural places that now are turned into proud landmarks of the island.
1. El Mirador del Rio
Situated at the north edge of the island, this viewpoint reveals the scenery of rocks and mountains meeting the blue waters of the ocean. There is an entrance fee to go inside, but if you own a drone (like we did), you can simply fly over it and see what’s behind the cliff.
2. Los Jameos del Agua
Also located on the same side of the island, Los Jameos del Agua is an underground cave opening with a natural pool formed inside it that the locals have converted into a restaurant/venue. There is an entrance fee of about 10 euros to get in and is totally worth it.
The moment you enter, the path takes you down towards the caves. At the bottom of the stairs is the cave opening where the natural pool is located. What was completely unique is that the water inside the small lake is completely transparent.
In that water, the little white dots are actually something that looked like a mini crab, but I couldn’t tell for sure. It was also extremely difficult to capture on photo due to their size. That probably would remain as one of the mysteries of the volcanic beauty.
3. Timanfaya National Park
This place is where the biggest volcanic formations are found on the island.
You can do a bus tour around the volcanos for about 20 euros and you also get to learn the history of the volcanic beauty from the locals.
4. La Cueva de Los Verdes
This volcanic landmark is another one of the cave’s formations where hot burning lava reaching over 800°C has created underground tunnels.
The scenery inside the caves is breathtaking and full of optical illusions. The water ponds inside do not have any ripples so they recreate a perfect reflection of what’s above it. It makes it look like there is another opening in the caves beneath you.
5. Black “sand” beaches
The island is full of black “sand” beaches – well technically it’s not really sand, but small oval stones. Since they are not sharp, they are quite comfortable to walk on or sit on for a rest.
Although the island is mostly formed of volcanic rocks, the island almost makes you feel like you are walking on Mars but you are on Earth.
Apart from that, the coastline is composed mostly of volcanic rocks where the waves crash with the shore.
Comments Off on Isla Mujeres, an island to fall in love withDobs Totev
Have you ever wondered what paradise might look like? Look at these stunning scenes from this little island in the Carribean sea. Isla Mujeres might not be famous (or at least I didn’t know of it before) but it definitely made an impression.
Isla Mujeres
A 1000 square kilometers of an island with a few hotels, beautiful houses, and stunning beaches.
This island is also one of the very few places where you can rent a golf cart. It is allowed to drive it around the island, on the streets. You can even use it to go to the beach!
Playa Norte
The north side of the island has probably one of the most spectacular beaches that I have ever seen. Palm trees, sand, turquoise waters and yachts, beach huts and restaurants – it has it all!
On top of that, since I am a big fan of working out and the healthy lifestyle, I could even attend a yoga class at the beach and exercise.
Sitting under the palm trees was probably the most relaxing thing I have done for ages.
I was really amazed by the service I received while resting on the beach. Locals who live in Isla Mujeres or in Cancun take care that all visitors are kept safe and provide them with an outstanding service of food, drinks, sunbeds, etc. Of course, in exchange for a payment, but is absolutely worth it. You can feel safe to go swimming while your stuff is left at the shore.
I was welcomed very kindly in local shops, bars, and restaurants. I noticed that everything is made in favor of the visitors and the locals are always willing to do business with you. Everyone finds a way to earn money – working in tourist areas or simply selling what they craft on the streets and the beach.
Even the restaurants that are located on the coastline offer to set up a table at the beach for a customer, so that you can enjoy a dinner at sunset feeling the warm evening breeze.
Near the coastline, there are a few bars that would make you want to take the next flight and be there for an evening cocktail. I had the opportunity to have my birthday drinks celebration at such bar.
While the north side has an amazing beach, the south side keeps the ancient history of the island. There a person can find a very old statue of the goddess Ixchel.
People have turned the remains of her temple into a museum and a viewpoint into the sea.
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