Nicolas Tian, who appears in TVNZ 2's Travel Guides NZ, pictured in Portugal. Photo / Supplied
Nicolas Tian, who appears in TVNZ 2's Travel Guides NZ, pictured in Portugal. Photo / Supplied
Nicolas Tian will be travelling the country as part of new TV show Travel Guides NZ. Before borders closed, he travelled regularly around the world. Here are his memories from some of his favourite countries.
Morocco
My advice for visiting Morocco is to splash out on a hired driver or tour guide to be safe. It's such a mysterious country and I did lots of research before the trip. We hired an SUV and a driver so we could get around easily because not many Moroccan people speak English, and the price was affordable.
Highlights included visiting Rick's Cafe, where parts of Casablanca were filmed, a visit to Hassan II Mosque, which is built on the ocean and is spectacular, and Jardin Majorelle, one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. We also headed to Chefchaouen, which is located in the north of Morocco — God seems to have given all the shades of blue to this lovely town.
We started our Sahara Desert trip from Marrakech and went out to Fez. Riding camels is the only way to go through the desert instead of walking, and at times it felt wide and scary. You can hear the sound of silence - sand, wind, and the breath of camels.
We stayed in a tent during this journey and sitting outside, watching the night sky in the evening was breathtaking.
The last day of this Sahara Desert journey was awful because we were unexpectedly kidnapped — our captors did not restrain us, but they didn't give us food and water in 44C temperatures. We managed to negotiate with them and found a way out of the desert successfully. Even though we were kidnapped, Morocco was still an amazing adventure and I would go back. The natural beauty is one of a kind.
Travel Guides NZ's Nicolas Tian loved his visit to the Sahara Desert, despite getting kidnapped along the way. Photo / Nicolas Tian, Supplied
Belarus
Belarus took me by surprise when I first arrived. Most of the countries which separated and became independent from the Soviet Union, often don't have a thriving economy but Belarus has such a modern and tidy capital city, Minsk. Everything is convenient, and the local people are very friendly and helpful.
My accommodation was next to Troiz old town, with many Orthodox churches nearby. The Island of Tears is another nice place for sightseeing, as is Grodno, the border city between Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. The Mir Castle Complex is a world cultural heritage site, and the design is a beautiful mix of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance. I drove to Nesvizh Castle afterwards, which was built in the Radziwill Dynasty, and booked a room inside the castle. The price is unbelievably cheap, and I was lucky because they upgraded my room to the castle master room for free.
The capital city, Oslo, is creative with lots of remarkable design ideas, including Oslo Opera House beside the lake — the view is amazing.
I took a flight to Stavanger and then drove to Kjerag, where I climbed Kjeragbolten, a boulder wedged into a gap on the mountain. Some people are afraid of walking on the stone for photos because it's so high, but I jumped up and down on the stone, then got a well-earned massage after I climbed back down to the bottom.
The fish market in Bergen, the second-biggest city in Norway, is a good place to have delicious seafood at a reasonable price ... as long as you barter. Norway is an incredible place but can be very expensive for holidays.
Nicolas Tian jumps on Norway's Kjeragbolten, a boulder wedged into a gap on Kjerag mountain. Photo / Supplied
Portugal
Portugal is a riot of colours, but the roads are often a bit dicey. Make sure you try a pasteis de nata — a Portuguese egg tart. The most famous place to get them is Pasteis de Belem, a Lisbon bakery that has been operating since 1837. Other Portugal must-dos include a visit to Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe; Aveiro, a city located on a lagoon with canals and colourful boats which was one of the most tranquil towns I've seen; and Porto's Livaria Lello, one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and often voted one of the best in the world.
Greece
Santorini is a place I dreamed of seeing since I was a kid. I made a reservation for an Airbnb located on a cliff and my room even had a cave and an incredible view of the Aegean Sea. All of the buildings in Oia are white and blue coloured and it has such a relaxed and romantic atmosphere. I also loved visiting Athens and Meteora, with its six monasteries built into the cliff. I was travelling alone in Greece and although one day I want to go back to share those sweet moments with my future Mr Right, I would say Greece is still fabulous to visit solo.
Travel Guide NZ's Nicolas Tian fulfilled a lifelong dream when he visited Santorini, Greece. Photo / Nicolas Tian, Supplied
Romania
Brasov is the best place to visit in Romania. All of the heritage buildings are located in the town centre, including the Black Church, one of the most famous historic places in Brasov. It used to be white but was burned down in 1689 and turned black.
Bran Castle is 30km away from Brasov and well worth a trip for vampire fans. I also paid a visit to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, where I enjoyed the National History Museum, University of Bucharest, and Cismigiu Gardens. Romania is a big country, so I chose Sibiu, Timisoara, Reghin and Yasi as my road trip stops. I was invited to attend a local wedding when I was in Reghin because they saw I was alone on my trip. How friendly!
The Black Church in Brasov, Romania. Photo / Nicolas Tian, Supplied
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a heavily religious island nation located in the Indian Ocean. I hired a car with a local driver because the price was so cheap, and I also wanted to understand the indigenous culture as much as I could. While we were travelling, the driver prayed three times before every meal and he also stopped on the road and prayed every time he saw a temple.
I travelled by train from Colombo to Galle, and the journey takes you along a stretch of beautiful coastline. Galle was colonised by The Netherlands, Portugal and the UK before its independence in 1972, so the diversity of architecture and multiculturalism has made the city vibrant and attractive. I hope to one day go back to Sri Lanka — it's a great place for an adventure.
Nicolas Tian stars in Travel Guides NZ, premiering on Thursday February 18 at 8pm on TVNZ 2
