alja, Author at Elegant Cultural Tours

Morocco

What Really Happens in a Moroc...

What really happens inside a Moroccan hammam? In Morocco when you walk among the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the stones still remember the heat of the old Roman public and private baths. Romans carried their love for water, for cleansing and communal ritual, wherever their empire reached. Meaning even into the dust of North Africa. Centuries later, soon after the Arabs brought Islam, they brought the Arabic ritual of hammam with them. In a desert world where stubborn dust clings to...

by alja

Tours to Cuba

Unexpected Cuba: Crocodiles, C...

Cuba Is Not What You Think She’s jazz on a baroque square, a $450 Cohiba cigar that carries revolution in its smoke. She’s shaped like a crocodile—coiled, alert, ancient. And once, in a whisper of history, there was a plan to sell her to the United States for $120 million. Some even dreamed she would become a U.S. state. But Cuba said no. She chose poetry, contradiction, and pride. And somehow—despite everything—she chose hope, too. This is not a place that...

by alja

Tours to Cuba

5 Things To Know, Cuba Travel

Cuba isn’t only a destination—it’s a dance between past and present, rum and rhythm, beauty and mystery. Before you pack your linen shirts and dreams of mojitos, here are 5 important truths that can make you fall in love before you even land in Havana. 1. WiFi Isn’t Always a Given… and That’s a real Gift Let’s start with the truth: Cuba has its own rhythm. And it’s gloriously offline. While internet access exists, it’s limited, slow, and occasionally elusive. But...

by alja

Travel

Critically on the Spectacle of...

MORE AND MORE … ADVENTURES Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, trekking to Machu Picchu, discovering Taj Mahal, admiring the Great Pyramids of Giza, riding elephants in Sri Lanka, petting tigers in Thailand, swimming with the dolphins in the Caribbean,… there is no end to travel bucket-lists. And they seem to be growing even longer now in the times of no travel! Looking at Instagram, Facebook, travel forums and blogs, as well as working in a travel “industry” I got...

by alja

News

We are getting ready for trave...

It probably isn’t just time to travel yet as most of the World is still at hault. But… … we believe that it is a very good time to start planing and dreaming. At Elegant Cultural Tours we like you to have enough time to plan and enjoy in the whole process. This is why we invite you to contact us if you have any questions or ideas. You can do so via our Contact form. We will be happy to...

by alja

Fascinations

Discover the Colors of Morocco

Once a famous travel photographer of National Geographic magazine was asked about his favorite places for travel photography in the World. With a bright sparkle in his eyes, he exclaimed »Morocco, Cuba, and India! You discover so many colors!«. Traveling in those countries makes you feel like eating a big bowl of colorful ice-cream (if you like ice-cream). And you are enchanted by the presence of color on every step around the country. In Morocco, it is from Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Atlas...

by alja

About ECT

How we travel

How we travel WHAT TO EXPECT ON OUR TOURS WHAT IS THE FEEL On our tours, guests can expect a fresh experience, something away from mass-market tourism, and different from typical luxury tours. The feel on our tours is an elegant and well-prepared time spent with a good loving friend who is a little bit of quirky, full of knowledge, ideas, stories, inspiration, and wit. With our immersive cultural experiences, special cultural events, and a workshop or two, our guests connect...

by alja

Slovenia

Why Slovenia

Why Slovenia? UNKNOWN AND BOUTIQUE Many people abroad have never heard of Slovenia (written Slovenija in the native language). Sometimes even its neighboring countries’ inhabitants don’t know much about it, or it also might be mistaken for Slovakia. Many could argue, that being unknown is not good for tourism in a small country with its population slightly over 2 million. But in the case of Slovenia, it is different. Before the outbreak of the Coronavirus earlier this year, massive tourism had been flooding...

by alja

About ECT

Hands-on creative workshops on...

We have a big passion for creativity in real life and on travel. The creative connections that our guests and workshop masters form when feeling themselves and doing the things that inspire them are very deep and sometimes connect them for life. This is why we try to include at least one creative hands-on workshop into every tour we organize. In fact, there are two different things. One is the creative hands-on workshops we add to our (Grand Tours) programs, and the other are tours...

by alja

Experiences

A hands-on Moroccan workshop e...

THE YEARNING FOR LEARNING I had a dream. I was yearning to learn how to make leather fashionable things (mostly purses). And in my home town, there was no chance of learning the craft. Surprisingly the opportunity arose while I was guiding in Morocco. I had a chance to stay in the ancient city of Fes, Morocco for a week between two tours. I decided I wanted to do something different, where I would be able to meet local people in their...

by alja

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