Oct 8, 2023

Romania

Romania is not among the top vacation destinations for many visitors to Europe, but it is severely underrated. It is so large in size compared to other countries in the Balkans that it effectively guarantees beautiful nature somewhere in the country. And conveniently for nature-lovers, the Carpathian mountains stretch throughout nearly the entire country. While the harsh communist rule in the 1980's still leaves its mark on the country in a wide variety of ways, the country has been improving quickly in recent years thanks to money flowing in from the EU. On the other hand, a large number of younger Romanians have fled to richer EU countries for higher paid jobs.

Sep 25, 2023

London

London needs no introduction. I got a few days in the city during a long layover.

Mar 25, 2023

Hungary

Budapest is one of the top 10 largest cities in Europe, and certainly is one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. The historic architecture and facades are mostly well maintained. The public transit in the downtown area is amazing, with metro lines crossing trolley lines crossing bus lines. Margaret Island in the Danube is a very popular park and workout space, with a running track around the island's perimeter, roads for cycling, and multiple fitness stations making gym memberships unnecessary when the weather is good.

Feb 15, 2023

Malaysia

Malaysia is often overshadowed by its neighbor Singapore in the international news, but Malaysia has seen a lot of growth and modern construction in the recent decades too. In fact, Kuala Lumpur is home to the former world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers, and is in the process of completing the world's second tallest building, the Merdeka 118. Looking at the history of the world's tallest buildings over time, the Petronas Towers brought the title to Asia for the first time in modern times, where it has remained ever since (and looks unlikely to leave). On the other hand, the Chinese condo construction boom has had some influence in Malaysia, where there is an oversupply of apartments, often in modern buildings with amenities that include an in-building pool and gym.