Where to go in winter: 6 countries, where you do not need a visa
plan a vacation always a pleasure, but sometimes you have to leave unexpectedly, convulsively deciding how to manage the resulting time. The absence of a visa is not an obstacle: if you wish, you can go at least to the sea, at least to the historical architecture, at least to the untouched nature.
We chose six interesting countries: many of them have additional restrictions on entry (limited period of free stay, need a return ticket, hotel reservation or a certain amount of money in stock, etc.), but you do not need to issue a visa in advance. Look at the routes we have developed - and perhaps on your next vacation (not necessarily unexpected) you will want to spend there.
Now the Philippines is an independent state, but in the long history these islands have managed to visit both the Spanish and American colonies, and Manila fully reflects this. Southeast Asia is a colorful region, but in the Philippine capital so many cultures and styles have become stratified at once that it is difficult to describe the city. Here you can find traditional Asian buildings, and cozy colonial mansions, and art Nouveau neighborhoods, and skyscrapers. The oldest part of the city is the Intramuros, fenced with a wall built in the sixteenth century; here is the oldest church of the city - St. Augustine, founded in 1607.
Rice terraces on the island of Luzon are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are five of them, and they are all concentrated in one region - the province of Ifugao. This is not much like: harsh mountains, and on them - unexpectedly bright green terraces-levels, which smoothly go down, repeating the shape of the slope. It is believed that rice was grown on Luzon more than two thousand years ago. They built the terraces by hand, but their form is still preserved, and the slope is equipped with the same ancient irrigation system, which also still functions properly.
The National Park of the underground river Puerto Princesa is an underground cave in which the river is more than eight kilometers long. It is good not only because there is a part of the Asian jungle around, where there are a lot of wild animals and exotic birds, but also because, unlike many other underground rivers, it can be seen without having the skills of a speleologist. Puerto-Princesa River flows directly into the sea, so if you wish, you can swim there with a tour on a boat, admire the walls of the cave and the incredible color of the water.
The Peruvian capital Lima was founded by the Spaniards at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and the buildings of those times are preserved here: residential buildings, palaces, the sixteenth century cathedral church of the foundation, several old churches decorated in the spirit of Spanish Baroque, and much more. Historical buildings in Lima so much that its Old City is entirely under the protection of UNESCO. In addition to the "big" attractions, in its tourist part there are so many flowers, calm streets, pleasant squares and good restaurants, that just walking there is a pleasure.
Machu Picchu - the ruins of the Inca citadel, built high in the mountains. Getting to the "lost city" is difficult (it is believed that the Spanish conquistadors, for example, have not managed to do this), but this is something that is really worth seeing in Peru. The city was built in the fifteenth century, there is a royal palace, apartment blocks, sanctuaries and administrative buildings - only about two hundred buildings (for example, the Temple of the Sun, and a ritual stone survived). The surviving structures rise along the slopes, so that besides the citadel itself, you can just see the mountains - the views from above are amazing.
Cusco is the historical capital of the pre-Hispanic Empire of the Incas, it is also very well preserved and includes monuments from different eras. Her "old city" is inscribed on the World Heritage List in full: the streets here were laid even before the arrival of the Spaniards, there are many unusual churches, wonderful monasteries, several palaces and a sea of old residential houses with flat roofs. Part of the buildings erected by the Spaniards on the basis of older buildings created by the Incas. If colonial architecture is not enough for you, you can look at the pre-colonial one - for example, another Inca stronghold called Saksayuaman.
Like all metropolitan areas, Seoul can offer entertainment for every taste and many options for exploring the city. He attracts history lovers with famous royal palaces built between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, and lovers of modern architecture with an abundance of new buildings designed by the leading architects of the world. If you wish, you can go shopping, visit museums (the National Museum of Korea, for example, one of the largest and most visited museums in Asia) or just take a walk - there are many parks in the city and a pleasant atmosphere. The unity of tradition and modern technology makes Seoul unique and very convenient.
The region of Cholla is divided into two provinces - North and South, and it is worth going here for dolmens. Dolmens - prehistoric ritual buildings - are associated with the British Stonehenge, but they exist in many other countries, including South Korea. There are two main locations: Kochkhan and Hvasun. In Kochkhan, there are about five hundred dolmens available for inspection of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In Hwasun about six hundred dolmens, scattered over a ten-kilometer mountain valley. Dolmens of the provinces of Jeolla belong to the beginning of the first millennium BC.
The island of Jeju is of volcanic origin (that's exactly why there is full of excellent local cosmetics, which you definitely need to buy). Its main attraction is still Hallasan - an extinct volcano and the highest mountain peak in Korea. A lake was formed in the crater of the volcano, and the foot of the mountain is surrounded by a national park where fancy plants grow and many rare animals live, including very beautiful wild cats. You can also look at marine life - blue and gray whales, sea lions and many more live around the island. Together with the volcano, the lava tunnels enter the national park — caves and corridors made in the rock with red-hot lava. Some of them can descend, and the walls and ceilings of such caves have a very complex shape, as if they were created by a sculptor.
Kotor is located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in a picturesque bay, and it is fully endowed with all that is rich in the Mediterranean, including ancient history and excellent cuisine. The old town is still surrounded by the ancient city walls of the ninth century bookmarks, and behind them lurk old narrow streets, many churches and palaces from the times of the Venetian Republic. Kotor was part of its structure for quite a long time - from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, so that besides the palaces from Venice there remained a lot of other buildings.
Then you can visit Budva, which is famous for its beaches and historical architecture at the same time, which makes it convenient for holidays in any season. In the summer tourists are attracted by the sea, in the fall - the holidays of grapes, chestnuts, wine and olives, in the winter - Christmas markets. They are complemented by a well-preserved historic center (there are still city walls, a citadel over the sea and ancient churches, and you can also find traces of the Republic of Venice) and an active nightlife with lots of restaurants, clubs and other things.
If you love nature, you can go to Lake Skadar - the largest in the Balkan Peninsula. It is located in a picturesque place, it is surrounded by mountains, rising from the water of the bizarre form of the island. The most pleasant thing is that the shores of Skadar are not yet spoiled by mass tourism, and there are many living things in the forests. Fans of ecotourism, which is popular now, usually travel here. On the islands are old churches and monasteries (the oldest - the fourteenth century), many of them can go on a tour.
Fly too far is also not necessary. Without a visa, you can go to Azerbaijan - a beautiful and ancient country. The oldest part of Baku is the Icheri-Shekher quarter, which consists almost entirely of old buildings. You can see the palace of the twelfth century Shirvanshahs, and medieval caravanserais, and mosques, as well as residential buildings - some of them are over three hundred years old. Once there lived artisans and traders, but now it is a residential area, which gives it an additional flavor. In addition to the medieval alleys, there are entire streets of the buildings of the Art Deco era, and modern skyscrapers. The brightness of Baku does not hold - on the back streets of Icheri Sheher you can wander endlessly. And in this city they cook very well.
Sheki is the ancient capital of the Sheki khans, so the Khan's palace is located here. He must be studied from the inside out, because he is famous for wall paintings of the eighteenth century. The remains of defensive fortresses, old residential buildings, caravanserais and quite a lot of mosques, mostly built in the nineteenth century, some very unusual, have survived. The city is located in the foothills, so not too many tourists and the opportunity to look at the Greater Caucasus are attached to the historical architecture.
Gobustan reserve is another item from the UNESCO World Heritage List. This territory was declared a reserve for a long time, back in Soviet times - it is a mountainous area, where you can see ancient sites of people and rock paintings of the Stone Age. The second ones are especially interesting: there are many of them, about six thousand - plants, animals and people carved on the walls of caves and stones. Parking is also curious - here and a primitive housing, and ancient residential caves.
In the winter in Morocco is not so hot as in the summer - but due to this, it will be much more comfortable to see the sights. Colorful Marrakesh boasts not only the famous Jamaa el Fna Square, which is round the clock and full of noise, and one of the largest markets in Morocco. It is worth paying attention to the well-preserved medina in general - the old part of the city. In Medina, you can see at once three palaces (the oldest erected in the twelfth century), several mosques and ancient houses with flat roofs and quiet courtyards. The city amazes with the splendor of parks, unexpected for such arid zone, deafening cheerful noise at any time of the day or night and an abundance of ancient buildings.
The walls of the Meknes Medina are mostly younger than the seventeenth century, but they are unusually and complexly decorated: they combine traditional Moroccan and Spanish elements. Inside the medina there are many buildings in the same expressive and bright style, built in the eleventh century the Grand Mosque, the unchanging palaces and the Royal stables. The ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis are located a little to the side.
The “clay” city of Ait Ben Haddou was built sometime to stop caravans on its way to Marrakesh from the Sahara. Houses, caravanserais and external protective walls in it are made of clay and molded one to another on the side of a hill. The oldest design, according to experts from UNESCO, dates back to the seventeenth century, but in general the Berbers have used such technology since ancient times. Now the village is confidently turning into a tourist center, but has not yet lost authenticity, which makes it especially interesting.
In fact, there are much more visa-free countries for Russians. Cuba and Jamaica, the paradise Maldives, Seychelles or the Dominican Republic and restless Brazil, overflowing with historical architecture, Israel and modernist Hong Kong are all open to a spontaneous trip and can bring as many impressions as "visa" countries, or even more.
Illustration: Dasha Chertanova Photo:aldarinho - stock.adobe.com, Dan Breckwoldt - stock.adobe.com, jakartatravel - stock.adobe.com, TravelPhotography - stock.adobe.com, Ramil - stock.adobe.com, saiko3p - stock.adobe.com