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Praia, the capital of Cape Verde and the biggest city of the island of Santiago, is a vibrant city with approximately 130.000 people. It is somewhat tricky to find information online about what to do in Praia, Cape Verde, as the city (and, consequently, the entire island) is usually either totally skipped in favour of the most famous Sal and Boa Vista, or Praia airport is used as a stopover  towards other islands. Most tourists just visit Plateau during the day but prefer to stay around the beaches (if they decide to spend time here at all). I clarify that I am not talking about the entire island of Santiago, which is the biggest in the archipelago and of course it requires some extra time, but solely for the city of Praia!

You don’t have to arrange guided tours for every historical place you want to visit. In fact, since we couldn’t find cheap tickets from Beijing to Shanghai we were “forced” to add an extra stop on our China itinerary which turned out to be our favourite one – Hangzhou we are talking about you! You don’t have to agree with everything (undoubtedly, constructive and empathetic criticism is very important) but disrespectful attitudes and contempt expressions are universal and they won’t take you a long way. Picture this: you are asking for a smoothie and you are getting a plastic cup and a plastic straw (ok, still an enormous problem everywhere) with a plastic ring around it and then the cup is placed in a plastic package and then all together in plastic handles-type bag.

Unfortunately you can’t stay overnight in the Dead Sea on a tight budget as the bank is mostly occupied by 4 & 5 * hotels (or few cheaper with no direct access to the sea) but you can find an open area to swim by paying a small fee for a “parking” or… for a local’s fee (legally or illegally who knows?). The guides inside the ruins will explain you everything about the castle for free, its history and the people’s everyday life back then (thousands of people used to live in the castle which is hard to believe as the place is not big at all)- donations are welcome of course! Unlike the Dead sea which is… dead and pretty much “unswimmable” , the Red sea is totally opposite! Take a look at the Lot’s wife statue Since you are going to enjoy the above-mentioned sunset you can also plan to leave a bit earlier in order allow time to spot the Lot’s wife statue.

We also had a glass of wine as the prices were all right: at the bar the local wine costs 4€ per glass which is a bit pricey for Slovakian standards but not that much considering the prices that you have to pay for drinks when you visit the other skyscrapers of the family! If you are tired, consider riding a bike from here- the bike rental in Bratislava city centre costs only 6€ per day and there are a few station around the city, one located just at the outskirts of the park! It is a small chain (various locations in Slovakia) but at least 2 of their restaurants are around/in Bratislava city centre. –Ostiepok: Don’t leave the city without trying this local grilled smoked cheese made by sheep milk! -The locals say that the restaurants and the cafes around the main square are usually overpriced, I can’t comment myself as I didn’t visit any