Luka

About Luka

I'm a budget traveler and backpacker. I hope to share tips, recommendations, and stories about my experiences.

Posts by Luka Ingram:

October 24 2025

Cities of the UK: Cambridge vs Manchester

Today we have two cities, the rich southern University Town of Cambridge and the northern former industrial city of Manchester. They are competing for the title of which is best to visit between the two. I’ve decided to combine these two cities in this post because honestly both were not as interesting as other cities in the UK to me and I have less to say about them.

Cambridge is relatively easy to reach from London by train. As I’ve mentioned before, trains have gotten ridiculously expensive due to rail union protests, though I can’t imagine that trains cost as much as they do just because workers want a raise. Cambridge is definitely very posh and has many old buildings with interesting architecture. You can stop and see the famous cricket clock or view one of the many colleges that make up Cambridge University.

A great way to see the city is actually by punting, which is a ride on a boat where the driver sticks a wooden rod down into the river bed to push the boat along. He also gave some interesting facts about the various colleges and talked about different pranks that students have played over the years. The boat ride also provides a totally different view of the town, than from its streets.

Possibly my favorite part of Cambridge was the central Green area, which is half Park and half field with cows roaming freely. They like to wallow in the mud and often cross paths with visitors.

After seeing the main sights, sadly I found Cambridge as a whole pretty uninteresting. The people were uptight and even rude and Cambridge is definitely lower on my list of cities in the UK worth visiting. Accommodations are also quite expensive and there are few cheap options. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to give Cambridge a five out of 10 on my cities of the UK scoring. It is definitely suitable for a day trip if you are in the area, but not worth a longer stay in my opinion.

Keeping things close in this competition, Manchester was not all that much more interesting than Cambridge, possibly even less so. There aren’t many historical sights to see in the city except for one major highlight: the old library that is pictured below.

It had some really interesting interior architecture that made it feel like a Hogwarts type castle in real life. I also enjoyed examining the statues that line the former reading room and seeing which of the names I could recognize. Manchester has lots of shops, but they really weren’t all that interesting to me since many are just chain establishments. There are definitely hidden gems if you go looking. For me this was “Habesha Restaurant” serving Ethiopian food. To reach it you must go up a spiral staircase through an abandoned deli on the ground floor before reaching the actual restaurant upstairs. It was very hot inside and I wasn’t sure about it at first, but the food and service were fantastic. It is located near a nice area by the “hip” river area, which is worth walking around as well. Another positive of Manchester were the various neighborhoods. Some felt old and others are brand new, making different parts of the city feel unique. Obviously all cities have this to some extent but it was noticeable in Manchester. Maybe I only noticed because I was struggling to find other positives :).

On the plus side it has many cheap accommodations, which is nice and it is very well connected within the UK with trains as well as budget airline flights from other cities. I think easy jet flights from London especially are super cheap at around $50 or less. I wouldn’t say Manchester is necessarily totally worth visiting, but I think a short trip and possibly having it serve as a connecting point to another city you are interested in visiting is a good idea. For example, taking a cheap flight to Manchester before taking the train to Edinburgh could make sense. Now for the score: due to Manchester’s better accommodation and travel options in addition to friendlier and more down to earth people, I’m going to give Manchester a six out of 10. This means that it just beat out Cambridge by a little bit as a better destination (depending on what you’re into of course).

I think the final post in this series will be about London, and I’m interested to see where it stacks up in comparison to the other UK cities that I’ve talked about so far. London will be the final city that I have visited in England and any more posts in the series will have to wait until I return to the UK and visit some new ones. I am thinking about continuing this series in a different form for cities I visited in Italy and possibly for cities I plan to visit in Southeast Asia during upcoming travels.

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October 17 2025

Dream Trips: Horseback Riding on the Mongolian Steppe

Luka Dream Trips 0

Welcome back to the series of posts where I talk about some of my dream trips in the hopes of learning more about them and deciding if they are feasible or not. My past posts were about journeying on the old path of the Japanese Tokaido road and visiting the remote island of Socotra. Something that I’ve also always wanted to do is go horseback riding in Mongolia. Of course the image of Mongolian warriors comes to mind, but I have seen that tours on horses are fairly common for visitors to Mongolia and an important part of their tourist industry.

There are a ton of interesting locations and landscapes in Mongolia to visit for horseback riding. When you think of Mongolia, the first type of landscape that comes to mind are the endless rolling grassy hills of the steppe. Mongolia also has the Gobi desert, more arid grasslands as well as forests (though these are few and far between). Looking into popular areas further, the Orkhon valley jumped out at me. It features the classic hills that come to mind when one thinks of Mongolia, but it is even more strikingly beautiful with large hills that are more jagged and look more like mountains as well as many ponds and waterfalls. The Orkhon Valley National Landscape is a UNESCO world heritage site, another testament to the uniqueness of this area. Another reason that I am interested in visiting the Orkhon valley is because it is located just 360 miles southwest of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city. This makes the journey there much easier than other places located further across the vast expanses of Mongolia. Something I hadn’t realized until just now looking more closely into the Orkhon valley is that Karakorum is located there. This was the capital of the Mongol empire. Other interesting sites include monasteries and the Orkhon waterfall.

Thanks to the Orkhon valley’s status as a national park, there are many guesthouses and Airbnbs located there. As I’m sure you’re aware Airbnb’s can be hit or miss when it comes to pricing, but I found one in the area that costs $750 for a month long stay with the option of paying an extra $250 for a four day guided ride on horseback to a waterfall and $500 for a different weeklong trip. This may seem expensive but I really don’t think it’s too bad for a month-long stay and a week and a half of guided horseback riding. I’m sure costs can be brought down significantly by staying at a cheaper guesthouse and arranging horseback rides directly with locals. For the purpose of this post, and my own knowledge, this seems like an approachable cost for a trip to Mongolia and less than I would have expected.

Mongolians love to eat a ton of meat and milk including horses, which I respect but am a little apprehensive about. One thing I definitely want to try if I go is airag, which is a fermented horse milk drink that is slightly alcoholic.

Since the prices for this trip would not be as insanely expensive as I thought, maybe I will try to make a Mongolian adventure happen soon, so look out for posts about it in a year or so.

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October 10 2025

English Beach Culture

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Today I will be exploring two unique examples of English beach culture at two locations I visited on the Norfolk coast: Cromer Beach and Great Yarmouth.

Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth was a popular holiday destination of the working and middle classes of England before places further away became more accessible. It’s difficult to describe the vibe you get when arriving in Great Yarmouth. It’s a bit shabby and rundown, but there are many stores still open and a palpable sense of history. It kind of reminded me of the Jersey shore in the United States, a bit trashy in that way. Walking down the main walking road towards the beach, the shops included Candy stores where you can buy something called rock which I hadn’t heard of before. There are also many souvenir shops but I’m not sure I would necessarily want to commemorate a trip to Great Yarmouth. Now it definitely seems to be a holiday destination for the poor people in England, who can’t go to more popular destinations, but this even emphasizes the strange culture that has formed in this place. Be careful not to stay out too late though because the drunks come out as well as some even freakier characters such like one guy waving his Willy around. I enjoyed the beach, but it had a few more rocks than I expected. There are many rundown buildings that remind you of Great Yarmouth’s heyday like some 19th century hotels. There is also evidence that Great Yarmouth continues to be a family destination for some with a rundown aquarium and many arcades and places offering fried food lining the road along the beach. (Apologies for the bad internet photo, I guess I was so enthralled by Great Yarmouth when I went that I didn’t take any pictures).

Cromer

Cromer was totally different and had an even older feel to it. It was a bit easier to get to since it had its own train station, though the main town felt much quieter than the bustling main Boulevard of Great Yarmouth. I like this laid-back feel and it seemed more like a quaint, seaside village, then a touristy place. I would definitely recommend taking a walk down the beach in the direction of Overstrand, the next town over. At one point you can go up a long set of stairs onto the top of the cliff that is near the beach. It is worth noting that this is a pebble beach and not sand. The top of this cliff was really cool and offered great views of the ocean as well as the blooming shrubbery and homes at the top of this ridge. Along the trail, one can find signs discussing the native wildlife, and signs of a more posh way of life than in Great Yarmouth. Part of the trail passes through a golf course, which seemed like a really great place to play. The town of Overstrand was not all that interesting as a destination, but the journey itself was more than worth it. There was a small crab shack restaurant, but it was closed for the day.

Of course this post has not taken into account other English beach cultures throughout the country and one can imagine that in Cornwall, for example, tourism is still much more vibrant and that it would have a totally different vibe from Norfolk beaches. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend traveling to either of these locations since there are so many nicer beaches in the world, but it was definitely interesting experiencing the destinations that the English in the area have frequented for decades.

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October 3 2025

Day Trip to Antwerp

Luka Recommendations 0

Antwerp is a great little city to take a day trip to from other more popular cities. It can easily be reached in a day from Amsterdam or Brussels.

There doesn’t seem to be a huge selection of hostels if you are planning on staying in Antwerp for longer than just a day. As usual Hostelworld is a good place to start and offers some decent budget options.

Train Station

Since you are most likely arriving by train, the first thing you will notice is the beauty and scale of the train station. The Antwerp train station was the first time that I’ve seen trains practically stacked on top of each other on different levels of tracks (apparently 4 levels even though it felt like more) instead of having the tracks arranged side by side. There is a large modern addition to the beautiful historical building that has many nice shops and even a fancy restaurant or two. Definitely a place worth walking around for a bit before heading out into the city.

Grote Markt

The most memorable part of my visit was the Grote Markt which is the central area in the old town. The town hall is especially beautiful and seemingly free to explore the inside of. There are a few restaurants where you can sit outside and admire the old architecture.

Het Steen Fortress

Walking along the river is also pleasant. Eventually you will reach the oldest structure in Antwerp, the Het Steen fortress. This is a pretty cool looking castle and is interesting to explore. Making it to the top gives you a good view of the river and nearby Ferris wheel.

Tintin

As a Tintin fan it was a lot of fun to go into the shops with Tintin merchandise and collectibles. If you are a Tintin fan and staying in Antwerp (or Brussels) for longer than a day, don’t forget that the Herge museum is in reach! It is located to the southeast of Brussels.

Other Stuff

Antwerp is home to an old and fairly large zoo that I unfortunately did not have the time to visit. Other activities include going to the Rubenshuis museum, the Cathedral of Our Lady, and the museum on printing, the “Plantin-Moretus Museum”, in one of the oldest buildings in Antwerp.

Antwerp was a lot of fun, especially in the old town. I feel like it is often skipped over for Brussels or Ghent, and I don’t think it should be. I would have like to have one extra day here, so if you were planning on a day trip consider staying for a night.

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September 26 2025

Cities of the UK: Edinburgh

Luka Recommendations 0

Edinburgh can be pricey but it was probably my favorite city that I visited during my time in the UK. As usual I will briefly discuss transport and accommodation before giving some tips on stuff to do.

Transportation

In terms of transportation, Edinburgh is well connected by rail to cities in England and other Scottish cities. Easyjet is probably the best budget airline to fly into Edinburgh. Direct international flights can be pretty expensive though so I would recommend booking a long haul flight from a hub in your home country to London or Manchester and then taking a budget flight or train to Edinburgh on a completely separate booking. I found the bus system in Edinburgh to be efficient and easy to use.

Accommodation

Luckily, hostels are easy to come by in Edinburgh with many dorm options around $20 available on sites like Hostelworld.

Things to do

Edinburgh Castle

The most central and striking part of the city is Edinburgh castle which sits high up on what is called castle rock. Apparently this hill is actually a “volcanic plug” which I didn’t know until googling just now. Edinburgh castle is expansive and worth exploring, but it can get very crowded especially while waiting in line to see the crown jewels. Honestly if you’ve seen the crown jewels in the Tower of London or in Copenhagen (see my Copenhagen post), these aren’t super impressive and not worth the line in my opinion.

The Royal Mile

Extending a long way down from the castle (maybe even a mile) is the Royal Mile which has a beautiful cobbled street and many interesting shops. Most of these are selling souvenirs or very expensive woollen goods, but it’s definitely cool to stop in and look at some kilts with all of the various accessories. Judging by the prices it must be really expensive being a Scotsman.

Some shops on/near the Royal Mile that I liked:

“The Piemaker” has many savory pies for cheap. I had the haggis pie which was delicious and only around 3 pounds. I would say this is a great place to try haggis, the Scottish specialty.

“Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop” has been around for centuries and is a unique place to peruse or purchase a bottle of Scotch. Apparently they source and bottle the Whisky themselves. I snagged a small bottle of 21 year sherry finished whisky which was definitely one of my favorites I’ve ever had for just around 24 pounds. Not a bad price at all considering the location and usual scotch prices.

“Tempting Taddie” provided a yummy and very filling dinner with their classic baked potatoes. I don’t know if you’ve seen those videos of the English food truck that serves baked potatoes, but many in the UK seem to love them. First, the large jovial gentleman added some butter and then heaped on chili, cheese, sourcream, and jalapenos. I got two large taddies and was barely able to finish them, and they were very tasty. The restaurant felt like a classic place from the 80s or 90s where people have headed after their long shift at work for decades. Definitely an atmosphere I wasn’t expecting to find so close to the throngs of tourists on the Royal Mile.

Arthur’s Seat

At the base of the royal mile is the Scottish parliament building and the start of my favorite activity that I did while in Edinburgh. This is the hike up Arthur’s seat and it is especially nice in the summer months. I was surprised at the length of the hike and height of the hill, but this simply meant that the views at the top were better. The day I went, there were some insane winds like I’ve never felt before. It was to the point that it was difficult to walk and you could fully lean into the gusts.

The Royal Yacht

Another sight worth checking out is the Royal Yacht Britannia. It’s especially interesting if you’ve seen a show about the royals like the crown where quite a few episodes feature the yacht, or have storylines about its retirement. The audio guide was a bit lengthy for my taste, and I would recommend only listening when you find something you’d really like to hear more about. It’s crazy to stand in the luxury that the royals are surrounded with their entire lives. From the bedrooms, to the dining room with gifts from various colonies, to the large outdoor deck.

Leith

The Leith area which includes the old docks in Edinburgh is quite different from other parts of the city and worth exploring as well. It’s calmer here and feels like you can get a sense of local life. There’s also a lighthouse that offers a great place to watch the sunset over the water and some solid fish and chips spots.

I hope I was able to give you some good ideas about places to check out if you end up in Edinburgh. Like any city there’s tons more to see including lots of monuments, statues, museums, shops, activities, etc. I’ve heard the botanical gardens of Edinburgh are really nice as well. Even though Edinburgh isn’t a major travel hub (nor do I think it should be) and isn’t the easiest city in the UK to reach, it was definitely my favorite, perhaps by far. I’m going to give it a 9/10.

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September 20 2025

Who is GeoWizard?

Luka Youtuber Review 0

The straight-line missions and nostalgic feel of the adventures that the Youtuber GeoWizard undertakes have been something I’ve started to look forward to in my Youtube subscription box.

The first of his series that I watched was his straight line mission across Norway. It is exactly what it sounds like: GeoWizard attempts to cross the country in a perfectly straight line while following his GPS and climbing over whatever obstacles he encounters. He has done Wales and England as well, and a community of straight line missioners have been formed to see who can get the straightest line.

Another iconic series on GeoWizard’s channel are the no road missions when he attempts to cross English cities without walking down (crossing is allowed) a single road. This sounds impossible at first but somehow he is able to plot routes that make it possible by utilizing parks, shopping malls, and parking lots. It seems the secret to his success though is using urban rivers and tunnel systems that seem pretty harrowing. I imagine he is often up to his knees in city muck and trash flowing through these polluted waterways. He just finished a no roads mission across greater London where he had to duck down in a cramped tunnel to complete the mission.

My favorite series of his are definitely the “Tenner in my Pocket” videos. He’s only done a couple so far, but has just announced that he will be going to Austria in order to film a new entry in the series. Here he sees how long he can stretch 10 pounds (I guess euros in Austria) while also living off the land and the kindness of strangers. His series along the coast in Cornwall was incredible and it’s great to see the kindness of all the people he runs into. Of course with just ten pounds he must find places outdoors to sleep which contributes to the sense of adventure.

GeoWizard also does one off videos like hitchhiking from England to Germany in order to get to the final of the Euros.

Due to the significant amount of planning that goes into his adventures, GeoWizard often does videos of Geoguessr, or finding the location of various images that subscribers send him in order to have a more consistent schedule of content.

I have to say he also does a pretty good job with sponsorships and only accepting those where he really believes in the product. Possibly in order to offset this loss in potential revenue, he has an extensive number of adventures that are exclusive to his Patreon page which is a bit disappointing since I’m sure they would generate quite a bit of revenue in all the views they would get on Youtube.

Overall, GeoWizard seems like a really down to earth guy and one of those cases where the sense is that the right person made it. It’s wonderful to see that he’s started a family, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts slowing down on content. Definitely check out his channel if you’re into little adventures and geography.

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September 12 2025

Cities of the UK: York

Luka Recommendations 0

This post will be the first of a series of posts about various cities I visited in the UK. I’ve already made a post about Norwich where I lived during a semester studying abroad, but I figured I would separate these other cities that I did not get to know as well and review them for their “visitability”. Just for fun I will include a rating out of ten for each city that I review. I’ill be looking at accommodation options, transit to the city, and a particular focus on what it’s like actually being there.

York was never on my radar as a notable city to visit in the UK, but it definitely should be for those looking to explore more than just London. Cheap accommodations are sparse but the couple options for hostels that do exist are great at around $20. Hotels are on par with other parts of the UK from about $120-180 per night.

The sheer age of the central areas can be felt clearly and if it wasn’t so commercialized one would certainly feel transported back in time to the 14th or 15th century. The narrow and winding medieval streets contain interesting shops offering everything from cheesecakes, potions (teas), souvenirs, and many jewelry stores. These streets in York are called “The Shambles”.

Near The Shambles is Shambles Market where you can find some food vendors for a quick lunch. They were a bit pricier than I would have liked but offered some solid grub. I also had to try the warm custard from the custard truck which was very yummy.

The most impressive sight in York is definitely York Minster, the Cathedral. Construction began in 1220 and it wasn’t completed until 1472. Unfortunately there is an entrance fee of 20 pounds which is pretty hefty. The interior is very expansive for a church and has many areas to explore, including a crypt with remains from the ancient roman fort that once stood on the same site. Unfortunately the roof was closed on the day of my visit, but this is another great part of visiting York Minster since usually you aren’t allowed off the ground floor in cathedrals. As you can imagine, the stained glass and statuary are also really interesting. If you take a walk around the outside of York Minster you may also see stone masons chipping away at some new gargoyle status as part of ongoing renovations to the cathedral. Pretty cool to see such an old craft being done nearly the same way 800 years later.

So what else can you do in York?

A free activity I enjoyed was walking around York on the city walls. This is free and gives you a good sense of the city as a whole, and the locations of various landmarks. I would recommend doing this when you arrive, but it’s also a picturesque way to stretch your legs anytime. There is an ugly bit at one point where you need to walk by a main road and pass by a Morrison’s to reach the next section of wall, but that modern interference is luckily pretty short.

York is home to the National Railway Museum which I also really enjoyed. Of course it is super popular with families and there are children running around all over the place, but this brought back memories of visiting the Natural History museum as a child and being astounded by the dinosaur skeletons. You also don’t have to be a kid to be astounded by the massive hunks of engineering that are the various trains and engines.

Three things I did during my visit that you should probably avoid:

Clifford’s Tower is part of a fortress from medieval times that you can visit. Unfortunately in many ways the interior is less interesting than the view of the fortress from the outside. Just an old stone structure. The best parts were seeing the old toilet (hole jutting out past the wall so excrement would fall outside the fort) and the views of the city and York Minster from the roof. The entrance fee was a bit pricey at 11 pounds and probably a way to recoup some of the money spent on the recent renovations including some walkways and new placards. Unless you’re super into castles I think paying to go into Clifford’s tower can be passed up. I’m adding a picture of the interior here to help you decide if you’re actually interested.

I still don’t know why, but one evening I felt the need to see what the inside of one of those British gambling shops is like. Unfortunately it was pretty much empty and the games I played were really lame and took my money too quickly. I was out on the street after about 15 minutes and lost 20 pounds 🙁

Won’t be doing that again.

You’ll see a couple restaurants with good looking roasts in their windows beckoning you inside. The roasts look to have crispy skin and are displayed along with Yorkshire puddings. I went to one of these for dinner and was pretty disappointed. The veggies had been frozen, the meat was dry, and the potatoes were grainy, so I’d say you’re better off avoiding these spots.

Final Thoughts

York offers some pretty sweet sights for such a small city, but it also feels quaint and intimate, especially if you find a nice spot not directly in The Shambles. The biggest problem is getting to York, with the cheapest option being a flixbus or national express, or you could go with the UK’s overpriced trains. Somehow it all feels like a bit of a hassle, even though I’m not sure why. Without taking transport into account I would’ve given York a 7/10 but I’m going to knock it down to a final score of 6/10 for visitability. Let’s see how that stacks up against other UK cities. I’ll return to look at a new city in the UK in a couple weeks after some other posts.

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September 5 2025

Dream Trips: Socotra

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Have you ever heard of Socotra? There was a period last year where I was getting videos recommended to me by travel influencers who visited Socotra, which got me really fascinated with the place. It is an island that is part of the country of Yemen, but located to the East of Djibouti around the entrance to the gulf of Aden.

People have described the landscapes and plants there as alien and other worldly which I can’t help but agree with. I mean look at that tree I put in the thumbnail, it’s so cool! It’s called a dragon’s blood tree.

Unlike mainland Yemen which has been dangerous to visit due to their civil war, Socotra is so far away from the mainland and of such little strategic value that it has been left largely unaffected by the conflict. As a result it is fairly safe to visit the island of Socotra. However, due to the Houthi strikes on shipping vessels in the area and regional tensions it may be best to hold off on a visit for a while. There are weekly flights from Abu Dhabi and a visa is required. Unfortunately you need to book with a tour company which is pretty expensive. For this reason, Socotra is definitely not a budget destination and will be staying on my list of dream trips for a while yet.

Arabic is spoken on Socotra, but so is Socotri, a language totally unique to the islands of the archipelago, which is really interesting. Nearly 40% of Socotra’s plant species and an even higher percentage of the island’s animals are endemic to Socotra, meaning that they only exist there and nowhere else.

Here are some of the places I’d like to visit in Socotra:

Dragon blood forest

This area has the most dense growth of dragon blood trees. The Diksam Plateau offers a birdseye view of the dragon blood trees and the surrounding landscape. Tour groups often set up a camp so that you can spend the night in the dragonblood forest. Imagine watching the sunset among these alien plants and watching the stars come out, totally free from any light pollution.

Hoq Cave

Seems to have some amazing stalactites and stalagmites.

Dihamri Marine Reserve

Looks like a great place to go snorkeling and enjoy the clear blue water. I wonder what kinds of marine wildlife one could spot while swimming here.

Arher Beach

This beach also has incredibly blue water and a white sand beach. There are also white sand dunes that surround the area.

Hike to Skand Peak

The granite mountains of Socotra offer yet another type of natural environment to explore. Everything seems a bit greener at this higher altitude, and it would be amazing to have the opportunity to hike up the Skand Peak, the highest point on the island.

Meeting Local People

It would be really interesting to meet the local people who call Socotra home. From videos I have seen these people seem to have a difficult life, with many fishing to make an income. At the same time I am sure they realize how amazing the place they live is and I’d love to learn more about life on Socotra. I would hope that at least some of the money spent with the travel agencies is going to benefit the people of Socotra.

Trips to Nearby Islands

Darsa island has an amazing beach and other nearby islands have some insane looking rock formations.

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August 29 2025

Things to do in Copenhagen

Luka Recommendations 0

This post is about various places I recommend seeing during a visit to Copenhagen. I am also including a recommendation for a trip to the wonderful countryside location of Mols Bjerge National Park. More than any city I’ve talked about, my mantra that walking around is the best way to explore a city is especially true for Copenhagen. If you are staying in a central location any direction you choose to walk will bring you across tons of interesting sights.

Nyhavn Canal

The first place to get out of the way is the Nyhavn Canal which is the image most people have in their mind when they think of Copenhagen. The colorful buildings truly are beautiful in person and it is worth walking around this tourist hot spot.

Amalienborg

Another place you may come across is the Amalienborg “Slotsplads”, an open plaza with an equestrian statue at the center. Surrounding this plaza are various palaces. Amalienborg is home to the Danish royal family today. I believe it’s possible to take tours of some of these palaces, but I continued on towards the domed church down the street.

Frederikskirke

The Frederikskirke was totally unexpected (thumbnail image) and even more impressive on the inside. Even better is that it is free to enter.

Central Market

The central market is also worth a visit, but beware that food is fairly pricey here. There are a bunch of options, with my favorite being the fish stands that offer anything from fish and chips to fresh raw oysters and various salads. I pulled the trigger on the open faced sandwiches called “smorrebrod” with a bunch of little crabs. Honestly it was a bit disappointing. I had also done the conversion from Kroner to USD wrong and didn’t realize that I had just spent nearly $20.

Rosenborg

A place certainly worth the price of admission is Rosenborg. It was the former seat of the Danish crown. It has a really unique exterior which can be enjoyed by hanging out in the extensive park-like gardens in front of it. There is also a lovely flower garden closer to the castle. We got some of the last tickets for the day and headed inside, though I would definitely recommend booking in advance especially if you are planning on visiting in the summer months. There are a lot of rooms, some with mirrors, some cordoned off and filled with glassware, and china. The most impressive room that I really was not expecting for some reason was the throne room, which I won’t spoil. It has the thrones and intricate ceiling and marble floors. There are a bunch of lion statues and tapestries on the walls as well that really take it over the top.

The second area the ticket gets you access to are the crown jewels. These are super impressive, though don’t expect the gemstones to be on the same level as at the Tower of London. The ivory and amber objects are especially intricate and unique. Check out this ship made of ivory. Since we were the last group of the day the security guards kept giving us time warnings that they would be closing soon. Everyone started to leave which left us alone with the crown jewels for a few minutes which was amazing. The cramped vault went from being stuffed with people to having it all to ourselves.

Botanical Gardens

Just beside Rosenborg are the botanical gardens that you should visit, especially on a nice Summer day. The exterior areas are free to explore, but if you want to go into any of the greenhouses you’ll need a ticket. The butterfly house was especially cool.

Mermaid & Kastellet

The mermaid statue was kind of dumb in my opinion and not worth the walk. Nearby were some Swan families with their cygnets (apparently that’s the name for baby swans?) which cheered me up again. Nearby you will find the Kastellet which is a fortress with a moat that you can walk around the top of and enter into. Inside there are some soldiers patrolling and doing drills.

Carlsberg Brewery

Something I found interesting were a pair of elephants near a portal at the Carlsberg brewery with swastikas on them. Naturally these have the traditional meaning of the symbol and pre-date the period of National Socialism. Just something that I was not expecting to see near a beer factory. Just to be careful I’m putting a picture of the building here and not the elephants.

Mols Bjerge National Park

A priority for me with my trip to Denmark was to make sure I saw some nature in addition to the capital city. I spent some time researching national parks and came across Mols Bjerge. Unfortunately it was quite a journey from Copenhagen by train because it was significantly further north near Aarhus. Luckily a round trip flight was only $80 which felt worthwhile. Additional costs include paying for a taxi from Aarhus airport to the place you are staying in the Mols. We had a fantastic airbnb for under $100 per night on a farm within the national park. The Mols Bjerge landscape is made up of many small hills with grasslands and heather. On a hike towards a beach, the roads were lined with delicious cherries ready to be eaten. I love when there are wild fruit trees/ bushes around. Of course if you aren’t totally sure what plant you are looking at and what fruit is hanging from it, never eat it. The national park was not busy at all and I would highly recommend it to nature lovers. The middle of July is a great time to visit for the fruit and to see some baby animals.

There’s so much more to do in Copenhagen from night life to fine dining, browsing shops, and visiting art museums. Hopefully I was able to give you a few ideas of what was worth it for me and what you might be interested in seeing.

Thanks for Reading!

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August 22 2025

Greece on a Budget

Luka Trip Planning 0

Today I wanted to give some ideas for a cheap itinerary for a trip to Greece. I went a few years back and will incorporate some of the locations I visited that were especially nice. Unfortunately I can’t find many of the pictures from the trip, so words will have to suffice.

Like other posts where I discuss travel plans I’m not going into the cost of flights to Greece because these will vary wildly depending on where you are coming from. If you are flying from within Europe be sure to take advantage of budget airlines. If you are travelling to Greece from further away consider using miles and points to pay for your long haul flight rather than using cash.

I recommend going to Greece in May or even late April before the full Summer heat arrives. Places to stay will also be more affordable during this time prior to the more popular Summer months.

Athens

Let’s start in Athens. There are many cheap hostels, such as “Baloo Hostel” for example that starts at $25 per night. There is a ton of stuff to do and see in Athens, but since we have other places in Greece to see, let’s give ourselves 3 nights here. Of course the most famous thing to see is the Parthenon. To avoid the heat and tour groups it might be best to go as early or late in the day as possible. Having great light isn’t necessarily critical because the artworks of the Parthenon have been removed. Part of the frieze is located in the nearby Acropolis Museum. The entrance fee for the Parthenon and Acropolis Museum are 30 and 20 euros respectively. Famously, if you want to see the other portion of the frieze you will have to head to the British Museum in London.

A cool free activity to do is to walk up the Pnyx hill that still has many olive trees and is considered the birthplace of democracy. The top offers amazing views of the city and the acropolis. I would recommend going up around sunset (or sunrise if you’re that kind of person). Socrates’ prison cell is also here.

Be sure to visit the many bakeries and have some yummy Greek salads.

Hydra

Next we’ll be taking a ferry ride to the lesser known island of Hydra for 28 euros on the transportation app, Omio. I had a great time here and it has a much more relaxed vibe and lower prices compared to other popular islands like Santorini. It can still be pricey though, but one great thing about Hydra is that there aren’t any cars. You can pretty easily stick to grocery store food and enjoy the nature rather than the commercial aspects of the island. I found a little restaurant by the water that had a fantastic octopus salad for like 10 euros. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name. There were quite a few sea urchins in the water so beware of those. I think it would be easy to get a hammock or mat and sleep on a secluded hill somewhere. If you want to stay above the law though, splitting an airbnb with friends or staying at a guesthouse might be better options. “Ippocampus” looks fairly nice and would cost $123 a night, for example.

Nafplio

After two or three nights on the Island of Hydra we are going to return to the mainland with a ferry to the town of Nafplio for 12 euros. Nafplio’s most imposing feature is the former military fort atop a rugged hill. The fortress can be seen from all around the town and has some interesting Greek vs. Ottoman history. Beautiful orange trees line the streets of the town. Nafplio is also a great place to use as a base for day trips. A visit to Mystras is definitely worth it, located in the hills near Sparta. In some ways it feels like a lost city that has been covered in trees, but many of the buildings you enter have ornate byzantine frescoes dating to the 1400s. After a few days here it is a simple bus ride to return to Athens.

I enjoyed this trip thanks to the variety of historic sites you can see and the fact that it kind of makes a circle back to the starting point in Athens. I also liked that I got to experience a city, island/nature, and a town. I think this weeklong trip I have outlined here is doable for around $650 or so. The island accommodation added quite a bit, so maybe opting for a cheaper island with some cars could be a better option for some.

Thanks for Reading!

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