Been Around The Globe – Top 5 Favorite Cities

Welcome to the month of May, as the saying in the film Star Wars says “May the 4th be with you”. For today we’ll be admiring another travel blogger as you know we love to discover new travel blogger as much as possible. For our featured blogger, today is Roobens of Been Around The Globe. 

We’ll know more about his Top 5 Favorite Cities from all over the world. Yes! as usual, all Bloggers who take part of our series has the to choose only 5 Cities out of all Cities from all over the globe that they have already visited. 

About Roobens – Been Around The Globe

Roobens is a Parisien who loves to travel, he eventually left France and have lived in the USA for months and came back to his Homeland after. Years have passed and finally, he decided to travel full-time. 

Believe it or not, he left his “employee” job to fulfill his dreams. He is now traveling around the Globe! Among the countries he has been are Haiti, Montenegro, Nepal, Tunisia, Bahamas, Ireland, Malta, Myanmar and many more. 

Roobens Blog is Been Around The Globe, he tackles more about his experiences whilst on his travels and especially good tips and guides including tips on how to avoid scams while traveling. 

Let’s find out more about Roobens Top 5 Favorite Cities! 

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Samarkand is a beautiful city located in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. This area is overlooked, however, it’s so beautiful! Samarkand is located on what was the Silk Road, that ancient network of trade routes connecting Europe and Asia.

Today, the legacy of the Silk Road is still here. There are markets and bazaars all over the city, the most famous being Siyob Bazaar. It’s interesting to see people bargaining at the bazaar, but there’s a lot more in Samarkand.

There are several mosques and mausoleums built hundreds of years ago, and still here today! The main reason Samarkand is one of my favorite cities is the locals. They are so kind and welcoming!

They’re not really used to see tourists (even less black tourists), therefore they’re very happy when they see one. They keep inviting tourists to their house to have tea, to introduce you to their family, to ask questions about you, your culture, your family.

It’s insane, never seen that somewhere else! It’s also probably the main reason I will never forget this city!

Recommendations

You cannot go to Samarkand, and not see Registan Square, the heart of the city of Samarkand. A public square framed by three madrasahs (Islamic schools). The best place in Samarkand!

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest is probably Eastern Europe’s best-kept secret! It’s getting more and more popular over the years, but still, it’s an overlooked European capital.
I love this city, it’s located in Eastern Europe but from a cultural and architectural perspective, it reminds me of a Latin city.

Visiting this city it reminds me more of Paris or Rome than Budapest or Belgrade. Moreover, Romanian is a Latin language and is very similar to Italian.

So if you speak Italian, or even French, Spanish or Portuguese, you can get some words or even small parts in a sentence. Oh and needless to say, life is very cheap in Bucharest.
It’s possible to eat for just a few euros, and accommodation is not expensive at all. Just like many Eastern Europe capitals, the locals love to party! I still remember the first day I arrived there. I went to a bar/club, and it was packed! It was on a Tuesday.

The next day, I went to Therme Bucuresti to relax, thermal baths in the north of the city with indoor and outdoor pools, spas, saunas, hammam, deckchairs.

Recommendations

But if there’s one place you have to visit in Bucharest, it’s the palace of the Parliament. This is the world’s second-largest administrative building, after the Pentagon, and inside the Palace is breathtaking! Huge building!

Pai, Thailand

Another overlooked city, Pai in the north of Thailand. Most people go to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or the islands in the south of Thailand. I just like the vibe of the city: not too big, not too small. Quiet and very relaxing. Some backpackers stay for weeks there, and I get it.

Not a village, but not the craziness of Chiang Mai either. Since more of the tourist spots are a bit further, you need to rent a scooter or a bicycle to get around, and it’s very enjoyable.

You can relax at the hot springs in the south of the city, stay active and hike to see a famous waterfall, walk on the memorial bridge, and visit Pai Canyon, the most popular tourist attraction in Pai.

There’s also the night market starting at 6:00 pm, where you can eat delicious Thai food, and needless to say, it’s very cheap! You can also buy traditional Thai clothes, cheap but the quality is good.

Honestly, I just liked the general atmosphere of this city. Didn’t plan to go but many backpackers told me I had to go. They were right! I won’t forget that night I ate a scorpion at the night market! Not bad.

Recommendations

If you go to Pai, you should definitely check the Canyon! Touristic, but breathtaking!

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is also one of those cities not too big, but not too small, and wonderful. And again I didn’t plan to go but listening to all the travelers I met on the road, I felt like I had to go. And I didn’t regret it at all.

The atmosphere there is great, tourists all look happy and relaxed, the beach is not too far, and there are many museums to visit, if you’re into culture.
Walking in the streets, you can see the architecture of the buildings from the 15th century has been preserved. And you will obviously notice all the lanterns beautifying the streets of Hoi An. No wonder Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walking along the river at night is probably the reason why Hoi An is one of my favorite cities. All the lanterns light up, and it’s impossible to describe with words how beautiful it is (lights, river, reflection on the water)

I’ll never forget how beautiful it was, and I also won’t forget all the locals greeting me in the street! It does feel good!

In case you didn’t know, Vietnam was part of Indochina, a former French Colony.

To this day, you can still feel the French influence. You expect a cultural difference since you’re in Southeast Asia, but actually, it reminded of France a bit (you can find croissants and baguettes). You have to see it!

Bagan, Myanmar

Bagan is unmissable if you ever go to Myanmar. This small city in Myanmar lives at the pace of the sunrise and the sunset. In case you didn’t know, Bagan is a city with more than 2,000 temples and almost every morning, all the tourists get up early to see the sunrise in Bagan.

Since it’s at more or less 6 in the morning, people get up around 5:00 am, go to the top of the temples, and admire the sunrise. But there’s something special about the sunrise there.

Almost every morning, hot-air balloons go up in the sky, and with the temples and the sunrise, the view is breathtaking! It was an unforgettable experience! Right after the sunrise, tourists go back to their hotel, and the city stays quiet most of the day.

Moreover, it’s really hot there. The city gets hectic again about one hour before the sunset. People go back to the temples to admire the sunrise. This time, there’s no hot-air balloons but the view is still really nice!

This is how Bagan usually lives daily, but you have to see it! Since there are long distances between the city and the temples, you have to rent a bicycle or an e-bike to get around. Enjoyable, really!

Guest Blogger

Let’s thank again Roobens for sharing all this wonderful experience during his travels. Uzbekistan’s Samarkand is truly an amazing city! It’s true that some Romanians words do resembles Italian, Spanish, and French. 

The bizarre food in Pai would be one of my “Bucket list Food to eat before I die” (haha) Let’s see if I could eat them all. Furthermore, Hoi An of Vietnam and Bagan are splendid cities! Undeniably these are beautiful cities to visit for all Travelers. 

To know more about Roobens and his other travel adventures check out his Blog: Been Around The Globe

Follow his accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. 

Been Around The Globe