All Destinations
24 Hours in Belgrade
24 Hours in Belgrade Belgrade is so underrated. Forgotten amongst other trendier European city destinations…
24 hours in Brasov
24 hours in Brașov Easily reachable by train or car from Bucharest, Brașov is nestled…
24 hours in Sarajevo: from tragedy to rebirth
24 hours in Sarajevo: from tragedy to rebirth Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina…
24h in Turin travel guide
24h in Turin travel guide Turin is a fascinating city with a rich history and…
A Charming Belgium Escape: Exploring Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent
A Charming Belgian Escape: Exploring Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent in a Long Weekend Belgium is…
A long weekend in Carcassonne
A long weekend in Carcassonne Carcassonne, a delightful medieval marvel in southern France, is a…
A long weekend in Nice
A long weekend in Nice Nice, the jewel of the French Riviera, offers a delightful…
A Peloponnese Odyssey: our 3 weeks driving itinerary
16/05/2025Ix MelEurope,Greece,Uncategorized
A Peloponnese Odyssey: our 3 weeks driving itinerary Our Peloponnese Odyssey began in Athens, where…
A review of Hotel El Cozumeleno, Cozumel
23/12/2024Ix MelCaribbean,Mexico,North America
A review of Hotel El Cozumeleno, Cozumel We weren’t sure whether to go to Cozumel…
Aegina, an easy island escape from Athens
Aegina, an easy island escape from Athens Aegina, a charming island in the Saronic Gulf…
Beijing Watertown Guide: A Scenic Escape to China’s Hidden Heritage
27/07/2025Ix MelAsia,China,Uncategorized
Beijing Watertown Guide: A Scenic Escape to China’s Hidden Heritage Tucked away from the capital’s…
Borgarnes and Beyond: A Journey Through Iceland’s Western Charms
Borgarnes and Beyond: A Journey Through Iceland’s Western Charms Iceland is an amazing country and…
Borgo Parrini: the most colourful Sicilian village
Borgo Parrini: the most colourful Sicilian village Borgo Parrini has recently become one of the…
Bucharest: the raw gem of the Balkans
Bucharest: the raw gem of the Balkans We fell in love with Bucharest. It was…
Budapest, beyond the usual: 10 things to do
Budapest, beyond the usual: 10 things to do Our Balkan adventure started in Budapest, to…
Chengde Travel Guide: Imperial Retreats and Sacred Temples
27/07/2025Ix MelAsia,China,Uncategorized
Chengde Travel Guide: Imperial Retreats and Sacred Temples Chengde is a treasure trove of imperial…
Cluj-Napoca: a Romanian secret not for long
Cluj-Napoca: a Romanian secret not for long Snuggled in the scenic region of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca…
Discover Newgrange: unlocking Ireland’s remote past
06/05/2025Ix MelEurope,Ireland,Uncategorized
Discover Newgrange: unlocking Ireland’s remote past Newgrange is one of Ireland’s most fascinating prehistoric sites…
Discover Syros: The Heartbeat of the Cyclades
Discover Syros: The Heartbeat of the Cyclades When one says Cyclades, the mind thinks of…
Discover the Magic of Glenveagh National Park and Castle
23/04/2025Ix MelIreland,Uncategorized
Discover the Magic of Glenveagh National Park and Castle Glenveagh National Park is one of…
Discovering Izamal: The Yellow City of Yucatán
23/12/2024Ix MelCaribbean,Mexico,North America
Izamal, a delightful colonial town all painted yellow. Find out why…
Exploring nature’s wonders: four less known cenotes in Yucatán
09/01/2025Ix MelMexico,North America
Exploring nature’s wonders: four less known cenotes in Yucatán We explored a few cenotes while…
Exploring the charm of Sibiu
Exploring the charm of Sibiu Nestled in the heart of Transylvania, Sibiu is a picturesque…
From Pandas to Pagodas: a China survival guide
02/11/2024Ix MelAsia,China,China guide
From Pandas to Pagodas: a China survival guide Our fascination with China started by watching…
Göreme: gateway to Cappadocia, 10 incredible things to do
19/11/2024Ix MelAsia,Cappadocia,Göreme,Turkey
Göreme: gateway to Cappadocia, 10 incredible things to do Located on the central Anatolia plateau…
Hidden Gems of Ireland: Discover Carlingford
Hidden Gems of Ireland: Discover Carlingford Nestled between the Mourne Mountains and the waters of…
Insider’s Guide to Trapani and Western Sicily
Insider’s Guide to Trapani and Western Sicily Western Sicily is very much overlooked, compared to…
Less explored Algarve: Ditch the Crowds- Eastern Algarve
24/10/2025Ix MelEurope,Portugal,Uncategorized
Less explored Algarve: Ditch the Crowds- Eastern Algarve The Eastern Algarve is Portugal’s gentler, more…
Less explored Algarve: Ditch the Crowds-Western Algarve
Less explored Algarve: Ditch the Crowds- Western Algarve The Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, is often…
Less explored Algarve: the 5 most charming towns in Northern Algarve.
24/10/2025Ix MelEurope,Portugal,Uncategorized
Escape the crowds and discover the real Algarve…
Madhia: the town of enchanting sunsets
Mahdia: the town of enchanting sunsets Mahdia is a charming coastal town in eastern Tunisia, located about 200 kilometers from Tunis. Founded in the 10th century as the…
Make it a Prague weekend: the most magical European capital
24/02/2025Ix MelCzech Republic,Europe
Make it a Prague weekend: the most magical European capital Prague is one of my…
Merida, the safest city in Mexico
30/12/2024Ix MelMexico,North America
Merida, the safest city in Mexico When one mentions Merida, the first thing they say…
Myths, Marble, and Moussaka: Athens in Two Days
12/03/2025Ix MelEurope,Greece,Uncategorized
Myths, Marble, and Moussaka: Athens in Two Days A weekend in Athens is perfect at…
On the Erhai lake: Shuanglangzhen
28/10/2024Ix MelAsia,China,Shuanglangzhen
On the Erhai lake: Shuanglangzhen We made a detour off the tourist trail and spent…
On the Star Wars trail: Matmata and Tataouine
On the Star Wars trail: Matmata and Tataouine Deep into Tamazight cultural land, this area…
Oscar, the best driver in Yucatan
Are you looking for a safe and reliable driver in Yucatan? You’ve found it…
Ouro Preto, the city of gold
08/11/2024Ix MelBrazil,South America
Ouro Preto, the city of gold Snuggled in the heart of the Minas Gerais state…
Paraty: the most charming Brazilian town
08/11/2024Ix MelBrazil,South America
Paraty: the most charming Brazilian town Paraty is a jewel. The whole Brazil trip started…
Rhodes Awaits: Secrets of the Island of Knights
Rhodes Awaits: Secrets of the Island of Knights Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese…
Rio de Janeiro: The Ultimate Travel Guide
07/11/2024Ix MelBrazil,South America
Rio de Janeiro: The Ultimate Travel Guide When it comes to breathtaking destinations that perfectly…
Romania by train: an itinerary
Romania by train: an itinerary Romania had been on the cards for a while and…
Savouring Yucatán: Top Five Restaurants You Must Visit
16/01/2025Ix MelMexico,North America
Savouring Yucatán: Top Five Restaurants You Must Visit The Yucatán Peninsula is a culinary paradise…
Sidi Bou Said: the white and blue town
Sidi Bou Said: the white and blue town Our first stop was the enchanting village…
Sinaia: more than Peleș Castle
Sinaia: more than Peleș Castle While most tourists stay in Brasov, we decided to hop…
Sousse, 8 great things to do
Sousse, 8 great things to do We left Sidi using a very cheap Bolt taxi…
South Iceland in 48 Hours: What We Saw and Loved
Explore Southern Iceland raw beauty off the beaten path…
Székesfehérvár: a Budapest day trip
Székesfehérvár: a Budapest day trip Only one hour by train from Budapest, Székesfehérvár is a…
Tamezret, in the heart of Tamazight Tunisia
Tamezret, in the heart of Tamazight Tunisia We hired the car at Monastir airport, that…
Thassos, the Greek Emerald Isle
Thassos, the Greek Emerald Isle Thassos, often called the “Emerald Isle,” is a gem in…
The best beaches on Brazil’s north-east coast
08/11/2024Ix MelBrazil,South America
The best beaches on Brazil’s north-east coast Brazil: so many beaches, so little time!! Arguably…
The four iconic Cyclades: Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini
The four iconic Cyclades: Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini Oh the Greek islands. Thousands of…
Tinos Island: an Authentic Greek Experience
Tinos Island: an Authentic Greek Experience Tinos is an underrated island in the Greek Cyclades…
Tunis: 24 hours city guide
Tunis: 24 hours city guide Our last stop was in the capital, Tunis, a vibrant blend of old and new, merging ancient history with modern living. It’s located in the northeastern part of the country on the Mediterranean coast and…
Tunisia travel guide: 9 amazing places to discover!
Tunisia travel guide: 9 amazing places to discover! Discover its raw beauty with this Tunisia…
Uayma-Ha cenote: discovering the most beautiful (and unknown) cenote
02/01/2025Ix MelMexico,North America
The most beautiful cenote I have seen!…
Uncrowded Mayan ruins, try these instead!
30/12/2024Ix MelMexico,North America
Go beyond Chichen Itza and discover the uncrowded gems of Uxmal, Ek Balam and Kabah…
Valladolid, Yucatan: the best pueblo magico!
23/12/2024Ix MelMexico,North America
Valladolid, Yucatan is a town full of colour, charm and adventure!…
Vegetarian/vegan China survival guide
02/11/2024Ix MelAsia,China,Vegetarian China
Where and what to eat as a vegetarian in China…
Venice Diaries: Ode to the Floating City
Venice Diaries: Ode to the Floating City Where do you even start when talking about…
Where Dynasties Linger: Walking Through Beijing’s Echoes
10/07/2025Ix MelChina,Uncategorized
Where Dynasties Linger: Walking Through Beijing’s Echoes After our first trip to China last year…
Whispers in Sandstone : Why Datong Should Be on Your China Itinerary
Whispers in Sandstone : Why Datong Should Be on Your China Itinerary Less than two…
Why Ilha Grande should be on your travel list
09/11/2024Ix MelBrazil,South America
Why Ilha Grande should be on your travel list On the stunning Costa Verde in…
Why Sighisoara is my favourite Transylvanian town
Why Sighisoara is my favourite Transylvanian town Nestled in the heart of Transylvania, Sighisoara is…
Why Symi is one of my favourite islands
Why Symi is one of my favourite islands Symi is a fascinating gem in the…
Zhujiajiao water town: a Venice of the East
02/11/2024Ix MelAsia,China,Zhujiajiao
One of the enchanting watertowns in China…
Mel’s biography
Ciao, my name is Mel, I am Italian but moved to Ireland several years ago, on a lovely odd summer month. Since that was a trick, and has rained ever since, to keep my sanity I travel as much as I can, because this world deserves to be seen. I have a degree in Languages and Ancient History, therefore I am passionate about learning new languages (5 and counting) and a very keen history buff, and I love photography and I am vegetarian. We like to carry around cat dry food, on our travels, to feed as many animals as we can.
37 countries visited so far, some even more than twice, but my bucket list is not getting any shorter!
Join me on the next adventure!
- Sinaia: more than Peleș Castleby Ix Mel
- Chendgu: 10 things not to miss!by Ix Mel
- On the Erhai lake: Shuanglangzhenby Ix Mel
- Vegetarian/vegan China survival guideby Ix Mel
- One day in Shanghaiby Ix Mel
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