ON-TREND
TRAVEL NEWSESTONIA
Scandinavia is notorious for being an
expensive region for travellers. However,
the small Baltic nation of Estonia might
provide a cheaper alternative. The capital
city of Estonia, Tallinn, is just a three hour
ferry ride away from Helsinki, Finland. Not
only will you feel Northern European vibes
here, you’ll also witness Russian-influenced
architecture and food as Estonia used to be
part of the Soviet Union. However, the best
thing for backpackers will be the affordable
rooms available in the charming old town of
Tallinn. The country is also well connected
through inter-city buses, allowing you to visit
other popular cities like Parnu and Tartu.
Connections with neighbouring Latvia also
provides a route into other Baltic nations and
into Central Europe.CAMBODIA
Backpackers can expect both a huge party
scene, and wondrously rich cultures and
traditions in Cambodia. It is a site of the
backpackers’ party trail of South East Asia
but also a nation with a complicated past,
waiting to be explored. The spirituality and
resilience of the country is also a huge pull
for backpackers, especially from Western
countries. The impressive Angkor Wat is a
testament to the powerful Khmer Empire,
but the recent history of Cambodia has
been unkind. Under the communist rule of
brutal dictator Pol Pot, over a million people
were executed in the 70s. The sites of these
executions are important travel trails, serving
as a reminder of humanity’s potential for
evilness, and the importance of a democratic
sovereign nation.
Angkor Wat, the spiritual hub of CambodiaA view of Tallinn’s old town and the stoic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral