Nomad is Beautiful

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Nomad is Beautiful We are Ivana and Gianni, a digital nomad couple. On our blog we talk about ecotourism, responsible travel and adventure. So we did.

The Dream

We are Ivana and Gianni, a digital nomad couple who broke their old habits to live a new, healthy lifestyle on the road. Since both of us have always felt happy and inspired while exploring new destinations, there were no doubts to start this adventure together. After we travelled extensively through Europe and went for a short trip to Morocco, we wished to know more about people and cu

lture on the other continents. Well, it was not that easy to get them know well in two weeks, and not that easy to take more than two weeks of holiday in a row in our previous jobs. The Plan

Moreover, at that time (2012) we needed definitely more finances to start up a long-term travel. All seemed as a vicious cycle, until we took a decision and set up a plan: if we are able to quit smoking and save money, we will do a round trip around the world. What helped and pushed us forward was the motivation of being free of addiction, and free to work on what we love, which is photography and nature. While being in the frame of mind of saving, travelling, keeping kind of discipline up on us, we also stopped drinking alcohol and changed our diet, as it just simply went hand in hand with previous decisions. The Outcome

After a successful “puff-free” period, in summer 2013 we quitted our jobs (in case of Gianni they made him redundant just in perfect timing and by doing this they just anticipated his decision), sold and gave away everything, packed our carry on luggage (8 kilos each) and bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok. For now we have started in Thailand, with the aim to move slowly around Southeast Asia. Regarding financing the travel, we will use the savings wisely, budget as much as we can and earn money using our skills of photography, passion for nature and yoga. The Mission

On our journey, we would like to show you places where you can replenish your spirit, take good care of your body, eat and drink decent local healthy food and beverages, and last but not least, we will try to inspire and develop your creative part. As we know that to open a new and unpredictable chapter of your life is not a simple step, we will give you some suggestions that worked for us. Please 'like us' and visit our travel blog

Train travel in Bulgaria might take you back in time, but also to the highest train station in the Balkans: Avramovo! A ...
14/10/2020

Train travel in Bulgaria might take you back in time, but also to the highest train station in the Balkans: Avramovo!

A lovely muslim village, hidden behind a hill of potato fields is a quintessential off the beaten path spot.

There are only a few hundred people living there at the moment, most of whom are older farmers as there's minimum chances to find a job in the area for the younger generation.

A great place for a day trip from Sofia or half-day trip from Bansko :)

A real hidden gem in Ukraine: the town of Kamianets-Podilskyi. Its Old Castle is enlisted in the 7 Wonders of Ukraine, a...
23/08/2020

A real hidden gem in Ukraine: the town of Kamianets-Podilskyi. Its Old Castle is enlisted in the 7 Wonders of Ukraine, and once you visit the place, you'll understand why :)

https://youtu.be/GuOOxOGA4-M

Looking for some hidden gem in Ukraine? Then we have a tip for you: visit the town of Kamianets-Podilskyi in Western Ukraine. Its Old Castle was enlisted amo...

What happens when a Bulgarian family decides to restore a few traditional houses in the mountains and turn them into gue...
16/08/2020

What happens when a Bulgarian family decides to restore a few traditional houses in the mountains and turn them into guesthouses?

Well, one of the outcomes might be saving the whole village, like in case of Kosovo village in Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria.

Currently there are only 25 official inhabitants, reducing to 9 in winter, and growing up to 100 in summer time due to influx of local and international tourists.

It's a perfect spot for a day trip inPlovdiv, the cultural hub in the country. Have you ever been in similar place?

https://youtu.be/s_sYOL-htnQ

Косовските Къщи

Planning a day trip from Plovdiv? Then check out this unique Kosovo village in Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. The village is a real hidden gem, secluded from...

BANSKO NOMAD FESTThat's where we spent a week last month, and we encourage you to come around for the next year edition!...
02/08/2020

BANSKO NOMAD FEST
That's where we spent a week last month, and we encourage you to come around for the next year edition!
Here's what you can expect from the event 😉

https://youtu.be/bPOy3kS6-as

If you like the video, don't forget to hit that "subscribe" button 🙂

Coworking Bansko

( ) Bansko Nomad Fest in Bansko, Bulgaria is an event designed for digital nomads who want to connect with...

A year ago, while staying in Oaxaca, Mexico for a month, we tried to eat something new at different street food stalls e...
13/04/2020

A year ago, while staying in Oaxaca, Mexico for a month, we tried to eat something new at different street food stalls every day so that we could sample various things in this foodie heaven.
Here's our latest video and some delish memories :p

https://youtu.be/Brmo2DPze-I

[Disclaimer: this video was made before the lockdown caused by COVID-19. Currently our travels are postponed as we're staying put in Bulgaria.] Welcome in Oa...

How are you holding up guys? Hope you're all safe, wherever in the world you are. We're currently in Sofia, Bulgaria, wh...
03/04/2020

How are you holding up guys?
Hope you're all safe, wherever in the world you are.

We're currently in Sofia, Bulgaria, where we've self-isolated after arriving from Italy almost a month ago.

As many other travelers, we cancelled all our travel plans and are staying put in Sofia for now. Working on older videos from the last year, and spending some time with friends and some followers who contacted us to help them with blogging, starting meditation, remote work or photography.

If you feel we can help you with anything regarding these topics, feel free to send us a message. We'll be happy to help out.

The photos below are from yesterday. Yes, it feels like Christmas here!!

Stay safe, and sending you much love

01/03/2020

One of the most famous food of Sicily is the CANNOLI. Usually filled with ricotta cheese. They are a delicacy.

When we were in Trapani, we heard about a little medieval town called Erice. Usually you can visit this town, going up the hill with a cable car, but in February it is closed for maintenance.

But if you love nature and long hikes there is a beautiful path with a magnificent view of the sea and of the city of Trapani.

The hike is long 7 km (4.3 miles) and is quite steep, but once you arrive on the top you will be rewarded with the most delicious cannoli in town.

In today's video, Gianni will take you to visit a place stopped in time. The village of LUKOMIR, just 50 km from Sarajev...
28/02/2020

In today's video, Gianni will take you to visit a place stopped in time. The village of LUKOMIR, just 50 km from Sarajevo.

This village is located on the Bjelašnica mountain at 1495 m. above sea level, and is the oldest and most isolated of the whole country.

This village already existed in the XV century and today is populated by fifty semi-nomadic people.

A place surrounded by unspoiled nature, where you can eat genuine and simple food.

If you are in Sarajevo and you want to visit Lukomir, we suggest you to contact Sarajevo Funky Tours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Jq10CRHFs

Today Gianni will take you to visit a place stopped in time. The village of LUKOMIR, just 50 km from Sarajevo. This village is located on the Bjelašnica moun...

23/02/2020

Who stands behind the vlog What a Shame Mary Jane?

We interviewed Mary Jane when visiting Milan, and asked her about her budget travel tips, why travelers should skip Rome, Venice, Florence and head to lesser known places instead, and what are her suggestions for wannabe vloggers.

13/02/2020

In this video Gianni is going to visit Puglia, the region where he was born and which they call the "heel of the boot".

In the heart of Puglia lies the beautiful Itria Valley, dotted with trulli - the traditional cone-shaped houses with mysterious origins.

He is traveling to the small town of Locorotondo to learn something new!

Clelia, a friendly woman and an expert cook and Gianni will show you how to prepare handmade 'orecchiette', fried vegetables and roasted lamb and potatoes.

These are some of the most delicious meals of the Puglia cooking tradition.

Happy New Year, friends! Wishing you to visit new places you've been dreaming of for some time and lots of love 💓
31/12/2019

Happy New Year, friends!
Wishing you to visit new places you've been dreaming of for some time and lots of love 💓

Kamianets-Podilskyi. What a lovely surprise! The town which main landmark -  the castle - made it into 7 wonders of Ukra...
16/10/2019

Kamianets-Podilskyi. What a lovely surprise!

The town which main landmark - the castle - made it into 7 wonders of Ukraine.

A town where you can definitely feel and see the mixture of various ethnicities that formed the place: Turkish (a minaret built right next to the church), Armenian, Polish, Russian, Jewish and Lithuanian.

There's even a monument dedicated to these ethnicities - an iron crown facing the valley of the canyon.

Four days were enough to have long strolls down the canyon, sampling different cuisines and check out all churches in Kamianets-Podilskyi.

A great stop when making your trip from Lviv to Kyiv or vice versa.

When in Lviv in Western Ukraine, make sure you spare some days and visit the villages in the Carpathian Mountains that a...
09/10/2019

When in Lviv in Western Ukraine, make sure you spare some days and visit the villages in the Carpathian Mountains that are only a few hours by bus from the city.

Not only they take you back in time, but you'll be able to soak in pure tranquility and raw village life of the countryside.
Images captured in: Dzembronya, Kryvorivna and Verkhovyna.

Cheers from Ukraine!While Gianni is visiting Italy (after 2 years!), I'm on a solo adventure around Ukraine. It's my 40+...
07/10/2019

Cheers from Ukraine!
While Gianni is visiting Italy (after 2 years!), I'm on a solo adventure around Ukraine.

It's my 40+ trip to the country, and only now I'm traveling to places I've always dreamt of but never got there.

For today, here are a few pics from Lviv - the city you shouldn't miss out when in Ukraine.

Apart from its immense coffee and chocolate culture, I suggest you stay longer so you have enough time to climb those towers and explore some hidden yards in the center, too.

Oh, and the food! Whatever you've heard about traditional Ukrainian dishes, you'll find them in Lviv in local restaurants or even in the fast food chain called Puzata Khata that serves very tasty food for very reasonable prices.

By the way, last week there was Tom Cruise visiting Lviv and other places of Ukraine while scouting locations for his next movie. So you better hurry up until the city gets too popular :D

New on the blog!A shortlist of the best sites where you can find a job and start working remotely ;)https://nomadisbeaut...
30/09/2019

New on the blog!

A shortlist of the best sites where you can find a job and start working remotely ;)

https://nomadisbeautiful.com/travel-blogs/digital-nomad-jobs/

A shortlist of the best job sites for remote workers of the digitally nomadic persuasion. Check out a great variety of digital nomad jobs on a wide range of categories.

15/09/2019

While in New York we decided to explore Chinatown and enjoy the best Asian food that we could find there.

It was really worth it. The food was delicious and the ingredients of great quality.

Chinatown in New York is a must visit food heaven.

The beautiful little town of   in  . When shooting from the   this small village in the Adriatic Sea reveals its size an...
10/09/2019

The beautiful little town of in . When shooting from the this small village in the Adriatic Sea reveals its size and beauty.

The sea is pristine, the seafood is fresh, the pace of life is slow. What can you ask more?







25/08/2019

Gianni met Jon Barr in Europe last year, and his videos have inspired us for a long time. They were also very helpful to plan our visit to NYC recently!

When visiting the city, we've had the chance to meet Jon again and have a chat about vlogging and NYC.

His channel HERE BE BARR is one of the most informative and popular channel about NYC. It's full of suggestions and pro tips on what to do, what to eat, what to visit when traveling to NEW YORK.

15/08/2019

In this video we attended an amazing second line in New Orleans, celebrating the birthday of the jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

Before the second line there was a special Jazz Mass in the oldest Afro-American church in the nation. We danced and enjoyed the music and the special vibe of New Orleans.

There is nothing like New Orleans!







A short manual for celebrating Louis Armstrong's birthday: 1. Stay in NOLA, his birthplace, on the 4th of August2. Atten...
05/08/2019

A short manual for celebrating Louis Armstrong's birthday:

1. Stay in NOLA, his birthplace, on the 4th of August
2. Attend an annual Jazz Mass on Sunday to honor the jazz legend
3. Dance and swing through the New Orleans streets in the Second Line Parade
4. Launch your YouTube channel
5. Celebrate it in the best Italian pastry shop with friends and fresh canolli, and continue the feast in a tavern munching on po-boy sandwiches and ale.

Happy birthday, Maestro!

And cheers to our brand new channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8tOfBspiLo&t=503s

In this video we bring you with us for a walk around Gunajuato, one of the most beautiful towns in Mexico. The Mexican street food in this place is so genuin...

11/07/2019

Quite a dramatic and unplanned morning in New Orleans. Just when we were about to take a bus to Texas, a tornado hit the city with flooded streets and suspended transportation afterwards.

We're all safe, our tickets were rebooked for tonight and we're headed to San Antonio in a night bus as writing this.
Feeling very sorry for all ppl whose houses and businesses were flooded, hopefully nobody was hurt.
Safe travels everyone!

Have you heard of Matera in Italy? The town was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2019 for a very good rea...
28/06/2019

Have you heard of Matera in Italy?
The town was selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2019 for a very good reason.

Matera is a unique stone town, the world's third oldest city, so they say, and it's a perfect option for adventure travelers and those who love discovering off the beaten path places.

We visited Matera in 2015, spend there 4 days, hiked, ate great food, slept in a fabulous cave hotel and were lucky enough to be there the same day when they announced it the Capital of Culture! 🍾

Would you go?

Ps: We've just updated our guide to Matera - you can find all info regarding things to do and see, where to eat, sleep, and hike, how to arrive there on the blog now:

https://nomadisbeautiful.com/travel-blogs/sassi-matera-lost-city-capital-culture/

Heading to Milan this summer and looking for travel tips from a local? Our writer Cristina has been living in the city f...
11/06/2019

Heading to Milan this summer and looking for travel tips from a local?

Our writer Cristina has been living in the city for 5 years and put together this awesome list.
Have you been to Milan yourself? What was your favorite neighborhood, place to eat or see art?

https://nomadisbeautiful.com/travel-blogs/things-to-do-in-milan/

Local tips on things to do in Milan: get inspired by great recommendations on food, art, culture, design, fashion and architecture.

WOO-HOOO!!!Brand new website, brand new Nomad is Beautiful.After months of working on new layout and re-branding, here i...
07/06/2019

WOO-HOOO!!!

Brand new website, brand new Nomad is Beautiful.
After months of working on new layout and re-branding, here it is 🎉

https://nomadisbeautiful.com/

It's a big milestone for us, our team, and maybe a surprise for our readers.

After countless of emails from newbies, people who were about to start working remotely or were already on the road but didn't know exactly how to monetize their skills and run a blog or other online project, we've decided to use our 6 years experience and help out those who ask for it.

While we'll still keep writing practical travel articles, the website is going to focus on digital nomad lifestyle, covering both travel and work part 🌏👨🏻‍💻

HUGE thanks to our AWESOME TEAM, lead editor EmilyRose King who's been with us for 5 years, writers Cristina Buonerba, Luisa Colón and Michael Hulleman, virtual assistant Rosanna Lim and new people on board: web designer Lukas Cech and graphic designer Gabriela Holcer! 😍

Check out Meet The Team page to find out more about them 😎

What do you think? Let us know how you like it ;)

What a life-changing experience!While staying in Medellín for some time, we've been incredibly lucky with meeting so man...
29/04/2019

What a life-changing experience!
While staying in Medellín for some time, we've been incredibly lucky with meeting so many amazing people here!

Last weekend we found out that there are some trainees for The Iceman (Wim Hof) method. Since we've been hooked on cold showers, walks in shorts in cold misty forests and outdoor meditations in some uncomfortable temperatures recently, we thought to give it a try... and had a cold bath.

Honestly, we haven't felt so much adrenaline rush not even while ziplining in the Philippines or zig-zagging the city center of Hanoi on the motorbikes.

The water temperature in a small natural pool was about 12°C/32°F. Can you guess how many minutes we remained in the pool?

That is to say, we'd have never been not able to accomplish this without massive group support of people, many of whom did the cold bath for the first time like us

Hola from Colombia! 🇨🇴We arrived to the country 2+ weeks ago and jumped into a house sitting gig right away 🏡Looking aft...
03/04/2019

Hola from Colombia! 🇨🇴
We arrived to the country 2+ weeks ago and jumped into a house sitting gig right away 🏡
Looking after 2 fluffy 🐈 and occasionally we walk a neighbor dog to the jungle in a remote community near Medellín, surrounded by avocado plantations :p

While we haven't seen much (well, nothing) of the city, we've hiked in the ⛰behind the house and managed to get lost once 🌳🌳🌳

Love house sittings in nature! The cats have joined us for yoga and meditation here, they are a great company!

One more week in the woods and we're back in urban jungle of Medellín for some time 🏙
Any suggestions where to eat and see the best local markets?

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