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Muslim Albanian-American • Medical student (M2) married to a surgeon (ENT) • Traveling often • Practicing leading an intentional, balanced life • Ann Arbor, MI

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  • Afghanistan: Band-E Amir
  • Albania: Korca
    • Souvenirs
      • Bookmark and coin purse in traditional pattern
      • Christmas tree decorations
      • Faux bust
      • Flag
      • National costume
      • Rug
      • Silver necklace
  • Algeria: Largest country in Africa - Algiers (◇), Djemila (Roman ruins), Constantine (Phoneician ruins around a deep canyon with bridges),
    • Algiers: Casbah of Algiers (UNESCO), Ketchaoua Mosque (world's tallest minaret)
  • Antartica
  • Argentina:
    • Places
      • Buenos Aires
      • Iguazu Falls
    • Souvenirs:
      • Woven bird
  • Australia:
    • Places:
      • New South Wales
        • Sydney ◇
          • Bondi Beach
            • Icebergs Club Pool
          • Blue Mountains
            • Three Sisters
              • Echo Point lookout
        • Canberra ◇
        • Byron Bay
        • Newcastle
      • Northern Territory
        • Darwin ◇
        • Kata Tjuta
        • The Outback (NWSE Australia)
          • Alice Springs
            • Uluru (Ayers Rock): sacred site
          • Kakadu National Park
            • Aboriginal rock paintings
      • South Australia
        • Adelaide ◇
        • Gawler Ranges
        • Kangaroo Island: kangaroos, koalas, seals, pelicans, etc.
          • Birds of Prey rehabilitation center
          • Seal Bay Conservation Park
        • Lake Gairdner (salt lake)
        • Wilpena Pound
      • Queenland
        • Brisbane ◇
        • Gold Coast
        • Daintree Rainforest
        • Islands:
          • The Great Barrier Reef: snorkeling and scuba diving
          • Fraser Island
          • Whitsundays
      • Tasmania: activities - Tasmanian devil
        • Hobart ◇
        • Freycinet National Park
          • Maria Island
            • Wave Rocks
            • Painted Cliffs
          • Wineglass Bay
      • Victoria
        • Melbourne ◇
          • Luna Park (first of the five)
        • Great Ocean Road
          • Sites:
            • Twelve Apostles
          • Activities:
            • Great Ocean Walk
            • Helicopter ride
      • Western Australia
        • Perth ◇
        • Hamelin Bay
          • Stingrays
        • Karijini National Park
        • Nambung National Park: the pinnacles
        • Recherche Archipelago: Lake Hillier (pink)
        • Rottnest Island
    • Activities: hold a koala!
    • Souvenirs
      • Food: Tim Tam
      • Home:
        • Aboriginal art
        • Boomerang
  • Austria:
    • Places:
      • Graz: Kunsthaus Graz, Mur Island Bridge, Schloßberg tunnels and lift
      • Salzburg
        • Excursion: Hallstatt
      • Vienna: The Austrian National Library, Schoenbrunn Palace
  • Azerbaijan: Mud volcanoes
  • Bahamas:
    • Exuma: Big Major Cay (pigs), Compass Cay (nurse sharks), White Leaf Cay (iguanas), Musha Cay (sandbar), Dean's Blue Hole
  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium:
    • Events: "Flower Carpet"
  • Belize:
    • The Blue Hole: helicopter or airplane tour ($$$)
    • Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave
    • Caracol Mayan ruins
      • Excursion: Cross the border into Guatemala to visit Tikol Mayan ruins (2 hour drive)
  • Bolivia:
    • Places:
      • Amazon Rainforest
      • Lake Titicaca
      • La Paz: cable car system
      • Salar de Uyuni (or another salt flat)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina (*): Sarajevo, Mostar
  • Botswana: Chobe National Park - safari
  • Brazil:
    • Places:
      • Amazon Rainforest
      • Iguassu Falls
      • Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer
      • The Pantanal (rainforest): Refúgio Ecológico Caiman (jaguars)
  • Bulgaria: Sofia
    • Belogradchik: hoodoos and monoliths
    • Krushuna Waterfalls
    • Pobiti Kamani (Stone Desert)
    • Plovdiv: Oldest city in Europe
    • Prohodna Cave ("Gods Eyes")
    • Rila National Park: Seven Rila Lakes and Rica Monastery (UNESCO)
    • Rose Valley (May and June)
    • Thracians tombs: Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (UNESCO, near Rose Valley) and the

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (UNESCO)

    • Veliko Tarnovo: City of Tsars
  • Canada:
    • Places:
      • Alberta: Calgary (◇), Canadian Rockies - Banff National Park (Upper Hot Springs), Jasper National Park (Glacier Skywalk), Lake Louis (canoeing, gondola), Lake Moraine, Waterton Lakes National Park
      • British Columbia: Victoria (◇), Vancouver, Vancouver Island (salmon fishing) Whistler, Okanagan Valley, Osoyoos - Spotted Lake (Khiluk)
        • Victoria: Inner Harbour
        • Vancouver: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park seawall,
      • Manitoba: Winnipeg (◇), Churchill - Wapusk National Park (polar bears)
      • Nova Scotia: Halifax (◇), Peggy’s Cove, Cape Breton Island - Cabot Trail
      • New Brunswick: Fredericton (◇), Bay of Fundy (Hopewell Rocks), Cape Enrage (rappelling)
      • Newfoundland and Labrador: St. John's (◇) - Signal Hill, Gros Morne National Park (UNESCO, fjords), Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (puffins), Cape Spear (lighthouse), Iceberg Alley
      • Northwest Territories: Aurora Borealis, Yellowknife (dog sledding), Nahanni National Park (Virginia Fall)
      • Nunavut: Northwest Passage (connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans), Pond Inlet (narwhals), Baffin Island, Inuksuk Point
      • Ontario:
        • Toronto: CN Tower (LookOut and Glass Floor), Kensington Market (multicultural), St. Lawrence Market, Fluevog Shoes' Vog Vault
          • Restaurants: Tea and Bannock
        • Ottawa: Parliament Hill (Changing of the Guard), Rideau Canal (UNESCO, ice skating)
        • Sault Saint Marie: Agawa Canyon Tour Train
        • Haliburton Forest: wolves
        • Niagara Falls: ferry
      • Prince Edward Island: Charlottetown (◇), Red Sands Shore, Cavendish (Green Gables Heritage Place), Bottle Houses, Victoria (clam-digging)
      • Quebec: Quebec City (UNESCO), Mont-Tremblant (snowshoe), St. Lawrence River (whale-watching)
      • Saskatchewan: Regina (◇), Saskatoon, Athabasca Sand Dunes, Little Manitou Lake (Canada's Dead Sea), Grasslands National Park, Moose Jaw
      • Yukon: Kluane National Park and Reserve - Mount Logan (highest peak , largest ice field, and most diverse grizzly bear population), Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Yukon Wildlife Preserve
        • Whitehorse: aurora borealis (November to March)
    • Souvenir: Roots tee-shirt
  • Cambodia:*** Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap
  • Chile:
    • Patagonia!
    • Atacama Desert: Hand in the Desert
    • Easter Island
  • China:
    • Places:
      • Hunan Province: Tianzi Mountain
      • Jiuzhaigou Valley
      • Panjin: Red Beach (Sueda seaweed in autumn)
      • Sichuan: Wolong Nature Reserve - Dujiangyan Panda Base, Bifengxia Giant Panda Base and the Gengda Giant Panda Centre (giant pandas)
      • Xi’an: The Terracota Army
      • Yangshuo
    • Souvenirs:
      • Gong
      • Dragon sculpture
      • Jade screen
      • Replica of terracita warrior
  • Colombia:
    • Places:
      • Glass Spout
      • Guadalupe: The Quebrada las Gachas (natural plunge pools)
      • Guatapé
      • San Agustin (archeological park)
      • Tayrona National Park
      • Zona Cafetera
    • Cartagena: Walled Old City, Cerro de la Popa
      • El Totumo Mud Volcano
    • Isla Barú: Playa Blanca
    • Rosario Islands
  • Costa Rica: Las Tortugas Research Station, Tortuguero National Park, and the protected Osa Peninsula (sea turtles)
  • Croatia: Krka National Park, Plitviče Lakes National Park
  • Cuba: Havana
  • Cyprus: High season = July through September, but ocean warm in spring and winter
    • Roadtrip:
      • Nicosia (◇)
      • Coast:
        • Ayia Napa - sea caves (1:45)
        • Akamas - Blue Lagoon (1:15)
      • History:
        • Kourion
        • Paphos - Tomb of the Kings (UNESCO) and the House of Dionys
  • Czech Republic: Prague - Astronomical Clock
  • Denmark:
    • Copenhagen ◇
    • Skagen Sand Dunes
  • Ecuador:***
    • Places:
      • Baños: La Casa del Arbol swing
      • Galapagos Islands: animals (giant tortoises, marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins, albatrosses, blue-footed boobies, etc.)
    • Quito: Equator line
  • Egypt:
    • Places:
      • Cairo
      • Fayoum: oasis waterslide
      • Great Pyramids of Giza
      • Luxor Temple
        • Luxor Temple at night
        • Tour Tutankhamen’s mummy
      • Valley of the Kings
        • Tour inside
      • Red Sea
        • Snorkeling
    • Activities:
      • Felucca boat ride on the Nile
      • Traditional dinner in a Nubian home on the East Bank of Aswan
  • Ethiopia:
    • Places:
      • Erta Ale
      • Lalibela (rock-cut churches)
  • Faroe Islands
  • Finland
    • Helsinki (◇): SkyWheel Helsinki (sauna gondola)
      • Excursion: Suomenlinna (UNESCO): sea fortress
      • Activities: Allas Sea Pool and Löyly sauna (Finnish origin)
    • Turku: largest archipelago in the world
  • France: Colmar, Paris (Catacombs), Provence (Lavender Fields)
  • Germany:
    • Places
      • Bavaria: Bavaria Romantic Road
      • Berlin
        • Gablenz: Kromlau Park - Die Rakotzbrück bridge (Devil's bridge)
      • Black Forest
      • Heidelberg
      • Munich: surfing
        • Neuschwanstein Castle
      • Münster
      • Rothenburg
    • Events:
      • Almabtrieb: Annual cattle drive event in the alpine regions in Europe
  • Ghana:
    • Souvenirs:
      • Asanka bowls
      • African black soap
      • African beads
      • Ashanti stool
      • Ashanti Akuaba (fertility dolls)
      • Bolgatanga basket
      • Gonja clothe
      • Kente clothe
      • Traditional African mask
  • Greece:
    • Places
      • Athens
      • Delphi
      • Greek Islands: take mom, ride ATVs, eat grapes
    • Souvenir: Helmet replica
  • Guatemala: Lake Atitlan
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary: Budapest (Museum of Applied Arts)
  • Iceland:
    • Activities: ride an Icelandic horse
    • Attractions: Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Thrihnukagigur volcano
    • Events: Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
  • India:
    • Places
      • Bodh Gaya, Bihar: Mahabodhi Temple (Buddha's enlightenment, UNESCO)
      • Agra, Pradesh: Taj Mahal
      • Amristar, Punjab: Golden Temple
      • Jaipur, Rajasthan: City Palace
      • Ranthambore National Park: Bengal tigers
    • Souvenirs:
      • Cushion
      • Hanging bell
      • Himalayan salt lamp
      • Mala beads
      • Poof
  • Indonesia:
    • Bali
      • Pura Lempuyang Temple
      • Pura Tanah Lot Temple
      • Ubud
        • Campuhan Ridge Walk
        • Monkey Forest
        • Tegalalang Rice Terrace
        • Tirta Empul Temple: Purification ritual
    • Borneo
    • Java
      • Yogyakarta
        • Jomblang Cave
    • Lombok
      • Gili Islands: 3 islands off the coast
      • Tanjung Aan Beach
    • Sumatra
  • Iran: Badab-e-Surt (travertine terraces)
  • Ireland:
    • Places: Cliffs of Moher, Wexfield (Kelly's Resort)
    • Attractions: Blarney Castle
  • Israel: Haifa (The Terraces of the Bahá'í Faith)
  • Italy:
    • Places:
      • Amalfi Coast
      • Capri: Blue Grotto
      • Cinque Terre
      • Florence
      • Naples
      • Milan
      • Pisa: Leaning Tower of Pisa
      • Pompeii
      • Rome + Vatican
        • Biblioteca Angelica
        • St. Peter’s Basilica (inside)
      • Sicily
        • Palermo: Capuchin Catacombs with Rosalia Lomardo's corpse
      • Venice + the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello
  • Jamaica
  • Japan:
    • Places:
      • Himeji: Himeji Castle
      • Kawachi Fuji Garden and its Wisteria Tunnel
      • Kyoto: Sagano Bamboo Forest
      • Nara: Nara Park, Sika deer
      • Seki City: Monet's Pond
      • Tashirojima (Cat Island)
      • Tokyo: Shibuya Crossing, Book and Bed Hostel, Tsukiji Fish Market (tuna auction)
    • Souvenirs:
      • Ito waku kyoto (silk thread frame)
      • Stool
      • Wooden Utensils
      • Zen garden kit / staked stones
  • Kazakhstan: Lake Kaindy
  • Kenya:
    • Places:
      • Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Borana Ranch and Conservancy, and Lake Nakuru National Park: white and black rhinos
      • Masai Mara Park
      • Nairobi National Park
      • Ol Peseta Conservancy: last remaining Northern black rhinos
  • Kosovo
  • Lebanon
    • Beirut
      • Attractions:Pigeon rocks
      • Shopping: Souk of Beirut
      • Excursions:
        • Beqaa Valley
          • Anjar (UNESCO): Grand Palace, small palace, mosque, and a Roman thermal bath
          • Baalbek: Temples of Venus, Bacchus, and Jupiter
        • Jeitah Grotto: New 7 Wonders of Nature finalist, stalagmites and stalactites
    • Byblos (UNESCO)
  • Lesotho: Maletsunyane Falls
  • Madagascar: Parc National Mantadia and Parc National de l’Isalo (lemurs)
  • Maldives: Vaadho shores
  • Malaysia: Danum Valley
  • Mexico:
  • Montenegro
  • Mozambique: Tofo Beach - diving
  • Myanmar: Rangoon (Shwedagon Pagoda)
  • Namibia:
    • Places:
      • Namib Desert
      • Namib-Naukluft National Park
        • Quiver trees, camel thorn trees, etc.
      • Etosha National Park: cheetahs
      • Okonjima Nature Reserve: cheetahs
  • Nepal:
    • Souvenirs
      • Incense holder (leaf)
      • Bagh-Chai boardgame
      • Budda hands
      • Prayer wheel
      • Singing bowls
  • Netherlands:
    • Places
      • Amsterdam
        • Attractions: Kuekenhof Garden
        • Food: stroopwafels
      • Halstere: For De Roovere ("Moses Bridge")
  • New Zealand:
    • Places:
      • Auckland
        • Activities: Bridge jumping
      • North Island: Champagne Pool
      • Waitomo Glowworm Caves
    • Attractions: Hobbit caves
    • Souvenirs
      • Buzzy bee toe
      • Pascall Pineapple Lumps
  • Norway: Atlanterhavsveien, Trolltunga (ledge)
    • Places:
      • Oslo (◇): Akershus Castle & Fortress, Viking Ship Museum, National Gallery Museum ("The Scream")
        • Neighborhoods: Damstredet and Telthusbakken
        • Excursions:
          • Lake Mjøsa → Hamar, Gjøvik and Lillehammer
            • Lillehammer: 1994 Winter Olympics, ride the bobsled
          • Notodden: Heddal Stave Church (largest stave church)
      • Bergen: Bryggen (old city), Fløibanen Funicular
      • Geirangerfjord
      • Jostedalsbreen Glacier (largest in Europe): Nigardsbreen glacier
      • Lofoten (islands)
      • Lustrafjord: Urnes Stave Church
      • Lysefjord: Kjeragbolten (free hanging rock), Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
      • Naeroyfjord (UNESCO)
      • Svalbard (islands): Northernmost inhabited landfamous for Northern Lights and wildlife (walruses, reindeer, polar foxes, polar bears, etc.)
      • Skjeggedal: Trolltunga (classic picture)
      • Trollstigen Road
      • Tromsø: north of the Arctic Circle (midnight sun)
    • Activities:
      • Ride the Ride the Flam Railway to travel between Oslo and Bergen
      • Surf in the Arctic: Unstad Beach in Lofoten
      • Whale watching: humpback whales and killer whales (winter and spring) and sperm whales (all year) in Vesterålen
  • Palestine: Bethlehem
  • Panama: Panama Canal
    • San Blas Islands
  • Pan-Africa:
    • Souvenirs
      • Antelope skull
      • Beaded animal (rhino)
      • Carved giraffe
      • Ebony sculpture (head)
      • Elephant calendar
      • Mancala wooden board
      • Mask
      • Malachite stone
      • Painted ostrich egg
      • Rooibos tea
      • Yak skull
  • Pakistan
  • Peru:
    • Attractions:
      • Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
      • Nazca Lines
    • Souvenir: Fur alpaca figurines
  • Phillippines:
    • Places:
      • Chocolate Hills
      • Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park: underground river
      • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
      • Surigao Del Sur (Enchanted River)
      • Villa Escudero: Waterfalls Restaurant
  • Poland:
    • Attractions:
      • Auschwitz-Birkenau
    • Souvenir: Pisanka (painted eggs)
  • Portugal:
    • Places: Train trip = Lisbon-Sintra-Aveiro-Porto
      • Lisbon: Tram 28, Alfama neighborhood, Belem Tower (UNESCO), Pink Street, Sweet Art Museum, Jerónimos Monastery, Sanctuary of Christ the King, Santa Justa Lift, Feira da Ladra (flea market), Tagus River (sailboat)
      • Aveiro (between Lisbon and Porto): Venice of Portugal
      • Porto: Livraria Lello (bookstore), Ribeira Square, Igreja do Carmo, Sao Bento Railway Station, Chapel of Souls (blue and white tiles), Foz (lighthouse)
      • Sintra: Palacio Nacional da Pena (UNESCO), Quinta da Regaleira (UNESCO)
    • The Azores: Sao Miguel Island: Lagoa des Sete Cidades (Blue Lake and Green Lake), Lagoa de Fogo, Boca do Inferno, Ponta de Ferraria (hot springs by the ocean), Terra Nostra Garden (hot springs), Cha Gorreana Tea Plantation (oldest and only current tea plantation in Europe)
  • Russia:
    • Places:
      • St. Petersburg
        • Activities: watch the Nutcracker
        • Attractions: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
      • Yttygran Island (off coast of Alaska): Whale Bone Alley
    • Souvenir: Matryoshka doll (Russian nesting doll)
  • Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park (mountain gorillas)
  • Saudi Arabia: Mecca and Medina
  • Singapore
  • Slovenia: Lake Bled
  • South Africa: (+ Swaziland and Lesotho)
    • Places:
      • Cape Point
      • Cape Town
        • Coastal Road
        • Table Mountain
        • The Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness and Rehabilitation Centre (walk tigers)
      • Johannesburg: Apartheid Museum, Cradle of Humankind, Lion Park
      • Kruger National Park
      • Panorama Route: God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the Three Rondavels
  • South Korea:
    • Places:
      • Seoul: Hongdae (Trick Eye Museum), Dreamy Camera Cafe, Bukchon Hanock Village
        • Excursions: Gapyeong (Le Petite France, Namiseon Island, and Garden of Morning Calm), Asan (oldest and most famous hot springs)
      • Andong: Andong Hahoe Folk Village: traditional homes with straw roofs
      • Busan (water)
      • Jeju Island (Korean Hawaii): Mount Hallasan (Korea's highest peak), Manjanggul Cave (UNESCO, lava tunnel)
      • Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) or Paju (observatory)
    • Activities: jjimjilbang (scrub), skincare (snail mask), street food, norebang (karaoke), PPAP dance, K-pop concert, theme cafe (Poop Cafe, cats, dogs, sheep, snakes, etc.), photo booths, multi-bang (movies, games, etc.), traditional tea, baseball game, rent hanbok (traditional dress), Daiso
    • Accomodations: hanok, temple stay
    • Food and drink: bibimbap
  • Spain (again): Cordoba, Rio Tinto, etc.
  • Sri Lanka: Yala National Park (leopards); Water Garden Sigiriya
  • Sweden:
    • Stockholm: Drottningholm Palace (UNESCO) via Lake Malaren cruise
  • Switzerland:
    • Places:
      • Berner, Oberland
      • Interlaken
    • Souvenir: Cow bell
  • Tanzania:
    • Lake Natron (Petrifying Lake)
    • Mount Kilimanjaro
    • Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
    • Serengeti National Park (Great Wildebeest Migration)
    • Zanzibar: Nungwi Beach
  • Thailand:
    • Activities: Elephant sanctuary
    • Attractions: Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi, Thailand, Chiang Mai (Yi Peng Festival), Maeklong Railway
    • Chiang Rai:
      • Wat Huay Pla Kang
      • Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
    • Souvenirs:
      • Folding fans
      • Incense holder
      • Jade elephant figurine
      • Temple bell
  • Tropical paradises: Fiji, French Polynesia (Bora Bora + Tahiti), + the Maldives
  • Tunisia: Tunis (◇), Djerba, Sahara Desert, Carthage (UNESCO), Sousse (UNESCO), Dougga (UNESCO), El Djem amphitheater (UNESCO), Great Mosque of Kairouan (UNESCO), etc.
    • Mediterranean beaches: Cap Bon peninsula, Djerba (Sidi Mahrez and Seguia)
      • Sidi Bon Said (18km): blue and white village on the Bay of Tunis
  • Turkey:
    • Places
      • Antalya
      • Cappadocia
      • Istanbul
        • Attractions: Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Grand Bazaar
      • Gemerek, Sivas Province: scenic waterfall
      • Pamukkale: Cotton Palace - water cascades down white travertine terraces
    • Souvenirs:
      • Silver lanterns
      • Turkish towel
  • Turkmenistan: Door to Hell
  • Uganda: Virunga Mountains (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda; mountain gorillas)
    • Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest: mountain gorillas
  • Ukraine: Kleven (Tunnel of Love)
  • United Arab Emirates:
    • Abu Dhabi
    • Dubai
      • Activities: indoor skiing at Mall of the Emirates
  • United Kingdom:
    • Places:
      • England
        • Bath
        • London
          • Attractions: Big Ben, British Museum, Buckingham Palace (Changing of the Guards), Piccadilly Circus, the original Tardis, The Churchill Arms
          • Stores: Fortnum and Mason (candy store; try the macarons)
          • Activities: see a play at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, see a West End show
        • Oxford
          • Shopping: Objects of Use
        • Stonehenge
        • The Cotswolds: Chipping Campden
      • Northern Ireland: The Giant's Causeway
  • Uzbekistan: Samarkand
  • Zambia and Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls (Devil's Pool), Zimbabwe side more beautiful
  • Vatican City: Sistine Chapel
  • Venezuela: Roraima Mountain
  • Vietnam: Hạ Long Bay, Cao Dai Temple, Sapa (rice paddies), etc.

Other:

  • Beaches
    • Souvenirs
      • Driftwood
      • Shells
      • Sand
    • Rocks
aug 19 2016 ∞
oct 5 2022 +