Author Profile: Nicole Inacio

Minato holds a special place in my heart – it was due to Sailor Moon, an anime I was completely passionate about as a child, that my fascination with Japan started. And Sailor Moon happens to take place in Minato City. I love how Japan really embraces their manga and anime traditions, and uses something as banal and often overlooked as manholes to showcase that...   view more

Some say time travel isn’t possible. I disagree. Time travel is real — and accessible. In books, yes, but also in the very streets we walk every day. And then there are places like Kraków — where the past isn’t just remembered, it’s still breathing. All you need is imagination… and maybe a good pair of shoes. You’re about to walk the streets that have been laid in medieval times and whose layout remained exactly the same. So that is where we are going. Medieval Krakow – let’s...   view more

Finally, on my last full day in Athens, I was going to explore the ancient sites of the city, starting with the one and only Acropolis. There is a reason I left it to the last day – it is free to visit the Acropolis and quite a lot of the other archaeological sites in the first Sundays of the month during low season, and I believe this was the last weekend before high season starts. This was a happy coincidence – but it definitely saved me some money, which I reinvested in food, of...   view more

Just a couple days before my trip to Ecuador, I got an offer, which was too good not to accept – in a reputable company, good salary, back in London, a place I was craving to return to – and whilst it was a fixed term contract of 12 months, I felt it was a great opportunity for someone who had just taken a career break. I felt so lucky and...   view more

Let’s start with the bad news. Similarly to what happened in Georgetown, I struggled to understand opening days and times. Actually, just don’t trust anything you see online – websites aren’t updated frequently and their schedules seem to change quite a lot. And if for some reason a gallery was temporarily closed, this wouldn’t be disclosed anywhere online – so you’d get there just to face a closed door. Perhaps this was just my luck – or lack of it – but it was frustrating,...   view more

After three weeks of beach destinations, and my poor experience in Langkawi, I was incredibly excited to get to Penang and explore its UNESCO-listed capital, Georgetown. Yet, when I got there, my excitement was quickly abated by the suffocating heat. The sun here seemed to shine differently, in an aggressive way I hadn’t experienced yet. It was hurting to walk outside in the sun, no matter how early I started to explore. I was...   view more

In my previous post, I wrote about the three main attractions that drive visitors to Chiang Rai – the Blue Temple, the White Temple and the Black House. None of these are in the town centre, but this is still the best place to stay as a base. The bus station has a central location, perfect for a seamless journey from and back to Chiang Mai. My first impression when I first got off the bus station was immediately one of quietness. After having spent time in Bangkok and Chaing Mai, both busy...   view more

Looking back at how few photos I took of Chiang Rai and its main attractions, I can truly appreciate how sick and tired I actually was. Makes sense – I had pushed myself quite a bit and I was suffering the consequences. I remember how hard it was for me to breathe, it hurt. How my back complained, as if I was carrying sacks of cement. And whilst I was hoping I’d slow down in Chiang Rai, I was painfully aware I was really not in the mood for sightseeing. Yet, I only had two nights there. And...   view more

On my first day, I walked around the city, and visited some of the main ones – but not all. Getting templed out is definitely a thing! Similarly to Luang Prabang, where you find architecture so deeply connected to the golden age of the Laotian Kingdom, in Chiang Mai, you will find unique examples of the Lanna Kingdom, which reigned over the Northern region of Thailand from the 13th to the 18th century. Chiang Mai was of course the capital of this kingdom, and therefore it retains an enviable...   view more

It was 11am and I was absolutely overwhelmed. I had arrived in Phnom Penh just the night before, and checked in a pretty poor hotel. My room was located just next to the reception, on the ground floor, it definitely hadn’t been properly cleaned, and there was music blasting from their bar/restaurant literally for the entire day and most of the night. The staff was incredibly unwelcoming and dismissive. I dropped my backpack on the floor feeling...   view more

The screeching voices from the driver’s mobile phone were making me regret my choice of transportation from the airport to my hotel. Voices in expressive and quick Vietnamese, that I couldn’t understand, tiring my brain, which still unconsciously tries to decipher any heard sounds. I didn’t need the additional energy depletion. I was sitting on the minibus, sweaty and sleep-deprived, with no information on when it would...   view more

Italy is beautiful. Glorious even. And each region is so different, as a tapestry made of different fabrics stitched together. Food, Art, History. Italy has a bit of everything for everyone. But you know what? It is also pricy. It can be expensive. Milan, for instance, is known for being one of the most expensive cities in Italy. Being the capital of Italian fashion, and one of the most recognisable fashion capitals in the world, home to designer fashion brands, of course, this isn’t a cheap...   view more

Milan Bergamo is an airport famous for those seeking to visit Milan with low-cost airlines. Just an hour away from the capital of the North of Italy, Bergamo is therefore missed as a place to also stop, sleep in, and explore, and more like a place of departures and arrivals from major European...   view more

As I sat on the train at Milan Central Station, I felt a wave of fatigue taking over my body. I could detect a small headache and my throat was complaining a little. My nose had started to run water. I cursed to myself. Was I really getting ill? I even almost fell asleep once the train started going, but I managed to keep myself awake. One of my favourite things about train rides is the chance to see the scenery of the country, and I didn’t want to miss the white peaks of the Alps contrasting...   view more

I knew Cairo was a big city, but I still managed to be impressed by it, and somehow caught by surprise by how spread apart different points of interest were. Since I was on an organised tour, I had barely researched the city – I knew I wanted to visit the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids in Giza. Turns out, we ended up having more days in Cairo than expected, due to a last-minute change in itinerary. This meant we had more time in Cairo than we thought, and looking back I see this was for the...   view more

When we landed in Amman it was past midnight. The roads were still heavy with traffic, which I came to see never ceased in the capital of Jordan. The noise of honking was a constant, a never-ending cacophony. As I looked through the car window, I could see run-down, dirty, and disorganised streets. Whilst most commerce was closed, there were still some shops open. Amman never goes to sleep either. They say this about New York, but New York does get sleepy. It naps for a while, like the dolphins,...   view more

Growing up, we acquired a book for the house shelves only I rummaged through titled 100 Great Cities of the World. This is where I first heard about Ljubljana and all I could think about was how I had to go there one day. I couldn’t quite remember why in my early teenage years those two pages in the book made such an impression on me. I recall reading there was a renowned University there and anything related to learning and knowledge sort of sticks with...   view more

verything that happens in Cannes has to be prestigious, including its famous annual Film Festival. The Oscars definitely attract the masses. The acclaimed Cannes Film Festival seems to be more distinguished and typically taken into much higher regard than the Oscars itself. Or perhaps I personally like it a lot more because it’s not so focused on the American Hollywood Industry, and tends to showcase films from all over the world, regardless of language, budget or...   view more

Brussels was my last stop, where I stayed for 2 nights, not really knowing what to expect from the capital of Belgium. When you think about Brussels, I believe that one of the first images coming to your head is politicians in suits and ties, shaking hands in yellow smiles, European Union, the Euro, the Commission. To be honest, this doesn’t even interests me that...   view more

Everytime I thought about Antwerp, my imagination would go wild. I imagined it as a stylish and cosmopolitan place, but at the same time keeping the essence of tradition. I imagined it beautiful and majestic. And I wasn’t wrong. As soon as I got to Antwerp I knew I was in a special place: the train station is magnificient, absolutely beautiful. Actually, one of the most beautiful buildings I saw in...   view more

I arrived yesterday from Edinburgh, and yet it seems like a dream. Looking back, it looks like I wasn’t there yesterday or last weekend, but in a faraway past. Perhaps because going to Edinburgh was much more than traveling in space; it was traveling in time. I’d say it was precisely this: a trip to the Past, a magical trick that took me to a different...   view more

Bank holiday weekend in England is not to be missed. We were all expecting it and unfortunately is has come to an end… next one only in August. But let’s not despair, most of us still have some nice holidays before that. At least, I...   view more

Florence is where all the big masters were at some point, creating some of the most disrupting pieces that would mark an Era and change the paradigms of a world once emerged in darkness. For me, stepping on the grounds where the great master had once been was surreal. As I mentioned on my previous Florence post, I traveled in time, I smelled the wet and dirty medieval streets, and imagined I was living at the same time as Lorenzo de Medici, Il Magnifico, the great patron of...   view more

I went on a flash trip to Dublin, leaving London very early on a Saturday morning and coming back Sunday night. I had never been in Ireland but had heard a few things about it. First of all, a friend had told me she absolutely disliked Dublin. The streets were full of strange people (gypsies), beggars, it was not at all like a city, but like a province. That was disappointing. You never like to hear a place you want to visit is actually not worth...   view more

I was afraid the spell would be broken. I thought all reasons for my liking rested upon how lucky I had been with the weather, it was just Edinburg, not the country. Or perhaps that tour I took to the Loch Ness with the best tour guide I could have ever asked for, who dazzled my mind and entertained my fertile imagination with stories of the clans in the...   view more

History wasn’t kind to this country. Its independence was recognised in 1918 (precisely 100 years ago, which makes this year very special), but this didn’t last for long. The 20th century was about to bring very bad news. We all know what happened. Two big World Wars. A Cold War. Terrible crimes committed against humanity. The Baltics suffered terribly, trapped between the German Nazis and the Soviets. I mean…between one or the other, we can hardly decide whose worst. The Lithuanians saw...   view more

After trotting through the Baltic capitals, I ended my trip in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. After walking in the narrow streets of some of the best preserved European old towns, stepping in cobblestone roads for about a week, Helsinki welcomed in its own metropolitan greatness. A modern city, with a hint of class and the true Scandinavian cold...   view more

When arriving in Estonia, I was feeling pretty exhausted. It was already late in the day and I had been travelling non-stop for five days already (not that I’m complaining). Plus, to make things a bit worse, the weather looked awful. I could see the heavy and dark clouds getting closer as we approached Tallin. It was a long bus ride from Riga, where the sun was shining. And once I stepped outside the coach, it started pouring...   view more

I knew I was going to like this city once I read it contains over 800 buildings in Art Nouveau style. The biggest metropolis of the Baltics has tradition and on-trend settings, memorable walks will make you want to stay. Riga is perhaps the only capital in the Baltics I could have stayed a bit longer. To be honest, my time there ended up being limited, as I went to Sigulda and also did a quick stop in Jurmala. Riga has plenty to do, beyond walks in beautiful medieval streets and standstills in...   view more

I knew I was going to like this city once I read it contains over 800 buildings in Art Nouveau style. The biggest metropolis of the Baltics has tradition and on-trend settings, memorable walks will make you want to stay. Riga is perhaps the only capital in the Baltics I could have stayed a bit longer. To be honest, my time there ended up being limited, as I went to Sigulda and also did a quick stop in Jurmala. Riga has plenty to do, beyond walks in beautiful medieval streets and standstills in...   view more

When people ask me what is one of my favourite things about London I will always mention the accessibility to culture. The reason is that I have yet to see somewhere else in the world that doesn’t charge you to visit and explore many of their museums. Many people may shy away from visiting London, as it is known to be such an expensive city. And it is. But for a tourist, especially the kind of tourist more interested in the cultural side of the city, it can actually be incredibly cheap if you...   view more