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Stepping Out Of Babylon

Travel & Photography

  • About me
    • Contact
  • Destinations
    • Africa and Middle East
      • Iran
      • Lebanon
      • Morocco
      • Turkey
    • East Asia
      • China
      • Japan
      • Taiwan
    • South Asia
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Sri Lanka
    • Southeast Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Lao
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
  • Itineraries & Maps
  • Travel tips
    • Visa
    • Hiking and Natural parks
    • Traveling as a vegetarian
    • Border crossing
  • Photography

About me

Hey there!

I’m Catarina, a wanderer from Lisbon, Portugal… or a backpack traveller with a camera!

My journey as a traveller started in 2013 and led me towards the Asian continent, after a few short trips to Vietnam, India, and Peru.

The first six months were spent in India which gave me the experience, knowledge, and strength to explore the diversity of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the southwestern region of China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. 

But it was India where I found myself visiting often and sticking around longer, exploring more remote areas like Ladakh, Kashmir, Nagaland, Rann of Kutch, Thar Desert and Cherrapunji.

In North Africa and the Middle East, I travelled through Iran, Morocco and Turkey.

Later, Sri Lanka and Nepal complemented the first four years of my journey.

Japan and Taiwan are the farthest East places that I have been so far.

After a two-year break during the pandemic, I hit the road again. This time, I focused on shorter trips and closer destinations. East Turkey and Lebanon are my recent passions with their rich history, cultural diversity, and delicious food.

But my recent biggest surprise was Bangladesh, a lesser-visited country without flashy sights, but which truly captured my heart through the kindness and friendliness of its people.

This blog is my travel notebook: here I share information and tips about accommodation, border crossings, visa arrangements, local transportation… all to help you travel safer, cheaper, and explore behind the beaten path.

I’m not exactly sure what keeps me travelling, but definitely photography keeps me pushing forward, food keeps me excited, and people keep me inspired.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope something here inspires you and inspires your next adventure!

Catarina

Love and Respect

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Categories

Recent Posts:

  • 3 months in India: Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and Kerala
  • Backpacking Turkey in 24 Days: itinerary & costs
  • Yilan… back to the hot springs
  • Jiufen… stepping into a postcard village
  • Arriving in Taiwan (Taoyuan Airport)
  • Short guide to the Taiwanese breakfast
  • English
  • Português

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