Luca Oliveri

Armenian’s road trip on a Lada Niva 4×4

Posted on 1 September 20211 September 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Armenia is a fascinating and culturally rich country. Outside the classic itineraries proposed by tour operators there are splendid places of indescribable beauty. I traveled on a 4×4 Lada Niva which allowed me to reach all the stops that I had set for myself.

Lada Niva Legend

LADA 4х4 is a legendary vehicle which live with strong emotions. It stormed the North Pole and Everest, participated in rally Paris-Dakar, domesticated the Antarctic. It is known and loved by everyone who drive it. Its vocation is off-road conditions,and Armenia is its perfect landscape setting to enhance its nature.

In Armenia they say “You have a Lada Niva, you can go anywhere!”

It’s certainly original to undertake a journey through the Armenian roads, as a tourist, deciding to drive this type of car which, especially if engaged in the chaotic city traffic of the capital Yerevan, certainly does not turn out to be the most comfortable car: no air conditioning, no power steering, manual gearbox not even that simple to insert, spartan seats and instruments. All this, however, is amply rewarded by its indescribable off-road performance, its strongness and the feeling to be able to go everywhere.

To understand what it means to travel through Armenia on a Lada Niva imagine this: an extremely bumpy steep mountain road, with holes, stones, cobbles, slopes and the Niva that climbs that path without showing fatigue. In Armenia they say “You have a Lada Niva, you can go anywhere!”

Lada Niva

My Armenian 4 wheel drive trip

The flights to Yerevan from Europe arrive very early in the morning. We landed and, after completing the formalities and collecting the car, we headed towards the city center where we had booked the hotel. Although it was now almost 3 in the morning it was hot and the Lada Niva snorted heat from the engine that invaded the cabin.

The traffic in Yerevan is, at times, exhausting and the heat in the central hours of the day, in August, becomes unbearable. Cars overtake from every direction, intrude on your lane without warning, don’t care in the least about your presence. The chaotic concrete jungle, with the imposing constructions that recall the once dominant Russian architecture, slowly gives way to the suburbs and to much less busy, but also quite bumpy, streets and in some places unpaved roads. We have to get used to it, this is the road system in Armenia. You find yourself stuck in traffic and to travel 1 km it takes up to half an hour and, shortly after, you are arguing with the holes and stones in a peripheral road bouncing on the seat continuously.

Yerevan is definitely the perfect base for visiting the northern part of Armenia and its most popular and touristic attractions. We stayed there 5 nights, allowing ourselves the luxury of the splendid Alexander Hotel which is part of the renowned Luxury Hotels of the World chain.

Khor Virap monastery and the Ararat Mountain

Khor Virap is easily reached in 1 hour drive from Yerevan and it’s the Armenia’s most sacred monastery and with the breathtaking Mount Ararat backdrop is the most spiritual place in the country. You can only imagine my excitement when I rounded the corner and, then, this energetic landscape finally came into focus cuddled by the sunset light.

The Azat Reservoir

I suggest you to spend some time at the Azat Reservoir, a fantastic place where the unique and surreal formations of the mountains and hills are reflected in the water with pastel shades. There
you will live the beauty of being outdoors enjoying every moment of the day until the last when the light of the day, gently, gives way to the low darkness of the night, illuminated by the rising moon and, then, the mirror of the lake becomes more like alabaster.

Azat Reservoir

The Azhdahak Mountain

After visiting the canyon of Garni, its Greco-Roman temple and the nearby monastery of Geghard, if you are intrepid enough, the Gegham mountains region offers scenery of indescribable beauty. The Azhdahak mountain, the “dragon’s volcano”, is the symbol of the region. You can go on a multi-day trek or you can reach it in a day trip from Yerevan driving along the first part of the path with a Jeep or, as in our case, with the Lada Niva. The road that leads to the base of the Azhdahak volcano is really impervious and quite difficult and dangerous to travel, therefore recommended only for an experienced off-road driver. From there the climb to the summit of the volcano is 5 km one way, with 600 meters of gain and will take about 1h and half. From the summit the landscape is unbelivable.

Going to the South – The Mount Khustup

We have planned to climb Mount Khustup which lies to the south on the border with Nagorno Karabakh. To get there, from Yerevan, it takes at least 6 hours because, the route is mostly an ups and downs in the mountains. We arrived at 9 pm in Kapan, the city that stay at the base of the mountain. On the road we had a stop at the Tatev monastery, a must to see along the way. There, we took some photos at sunset before continuing to Kapan. To climb the Mount Khustup you need to plan at least 2 days because the trek is quite long, almost 30 kilometers with a gain of 2200 meters. We slept in a tent halfway under a sky full of stars in Navcha Base Camp and then set off for the summit the following morning at 4. Mount Khustup is a pilgrimage site and is considered sacred. If the day is clear, at the top, you can see 5 states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh and Turkey

The 3 most fascinating places in Lanzarote

Posted on 3 August 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Is it too simplistic to make a ranking that contains only the 3 most magical places on the island? Which are the places you can’t miss if you have only 3 days?

Volcan el Cuervo

Lanzarote is the northernmost and easternmost island of the Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin. There are more than 300 dormant volcanoes scattered across the island.

We are a hundred kilometers from the coast of Morocco. The landscape is lunar and so fascinating that it requires a great effort not to travel uninterruptedly its streets, even without a specific destination but just for the satisfying pleasure of experiencing the island in its majesty.

The island is almost entirely covered with solidified lava, which, depending on the sunlight, takes on various colors: from black to pink, from purple to ocher.

Which are the 3 most fascinating places on the island?

Perhaps, it is too simplistic to make a ranking that contains only the 3 most magical places on the island. There are undoubtedly many ideas where to experience the magnetic energy of volcanoes and many picturesque beaches where you can relax in the sun. But if we only have a few days available, here are my tips to ensure you to get the best of the island’s energy: the surfers’ beach, the volcanoes road, trekking in the Risco de Famara area.

Are you more of an adventurous person who loves hiking or a beach person?

If you are more of a beach type, then you will love “Playa de Famara” because it is incredibly wild, big, with constant waves making it the ideal beach for surfers. The surrounding mountains embrace it and guard it as in a temple. This is the place where I felt most the Hawaiian beaches sensation.

It’s a pale golden sand beach that stretches out for over five kilometers located within the Natural Park of the Chinijo Archipelago, between the fishing village of La Caleta de Famara and the base of the impressive cliffs of Famara. The best moment to enjoy it is when the water forms a thin film on the sand, reflecting the sky and the cliffs like a gigantic mirror.

There I spent some time on the sand relaxing, I witnessed the sunset light that colored everything, even if that day the sky was overcast, I took pictures of the dunes that fall on the beach and then into the roaring sea.

Playa de Famara

If, on the other hand, you are more of a hiking type…

…then you can’t miss the “Cueva de las Cabras” and the “Risco de Famara”.

The cliff is impressive, the view from that incredible height of 672mt is both on the sea and beach, and on the surrounding volcanoes and, if the sky is clear enough, you can clearly see the Timanfaya National Park with its volcanoes.

“Cueva de las Cabras” is a little bit dangerous short hike that leads you into this cave from where the view is spectacular. And if you’re brave enough, you can try to climb the rock that guards the cave, like in my photo, and enjoy the majestic scenery under your feet.

Cueva de las Cabras

The most magical place in Lanzarote is undoubtedly the road of the volcanoes

In a primordial world, life is born from the lava of volcanoes. We are born from the ground, we are molded land. I find myself in the contemplation of the ancient breath of creation.

And if photography is to wait for the perfect light and then paint with it the picture, this road is undoubtedly the ideal spot where the light is simply astonishing. Here I was captured, barefoot, at sunset, while I was trying to take away that stunning magnetic moment with me.

Timanfaya – volcanoes road

I felt like I had landed on the moon amid the color of the sunset and the black of the lava.

I felt tiny in front of such an extraordinary landscape.

I felt the need to return several times, simply to cross this road, attracted by an energy born from the ground and feeling absolutely connected with that place. The experience was the most wonderful lived in Lanzarote.

Vang Vieng – The best hiking trails

Posted on 30 July 20213 August 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Vang Vieng is a little town in the middle of nowhere in Laos, once a crazy town dominated by wild backpackers, now an eco-adventure destination, attracting the usual backpackers and adventurers and thrill-seekers alike.

This place has never been more attractive than now, with boutique hotels and high-end restaurants replacing some of the party-laden backpacker bars that used to pack the waterfront. It’s now a calm oasis for enjoying nature, jungle hikes, and lazy days cooling off in the river.

How to get to Vang Vieng

The best way to get here is to fly into Vientiane, where you can buy a bus ticket at any travel agency or guesthouses and they will pick you up at the place you are staying at a specified time. It will take you around 4 – 6 hrs to get to Vang Vieng, depending on the road condition.

The trip is challenging, the road condition is usually bad with so many holes and I’m pretty sure you will end the journey with a bothersome back pain.

But it’s worth it!

How to Get Around Vang Vieng

The best way to get around in Vang Vieng and have the opportunity to explore the city center and the majestic landscape beauties of the area is to rent a motorbike. Comfortable, easy to drive, economical: it will take you anywhere.

Luca Oliveri walking around Vang Vieng

Where to sleep in Vang Vieng

I absolutely suggest you to stay at Villa Tara in Vang Vieng. This place is stunning. Set among rice fields and overlooking the Nam Song River, your villa will have views of the rice fields and the river. This place is famous for its rice fields and the walkway photographed in many ways that run through them. The idyllic picture is completed by mountains and a blue sky in pastel shades.

The villas are rustic, so don’t expect 5 stars luxury. The restaurant has traditional but straightforward receipts. The staff is welcoming. The atmosphere is sublime, the sunrise and the sunsets are something extraordinary and living those moments from the patio of your villa in the mid of the rice fields is something special you will remember for a long time.

Luca Oliveri at Villa Tara – Vang Vieng

Best hiking trails

You can walk in the rice fields and enjoy nature, you can go in the country for a bike tour and you will be surrounded by those cliffs and palms and reach the natural pools. And these are the best ways for chilling and enjoy nature during a calm day if you want just to relax. But…

Hiking in Vang Vieng is impressive, as the surrounding scenery is absolutely breathtaking. I love hiking, being outside all day to enjoy nature beats.

For example, both the Pha Ngern Viewpoint and the Nam Xay Viewpoint are hikes that offer fantastic vistas at the top. But you have to work hard for that reward; both trails are incredibly steep and the hikes are challenging and made even more complex by the heat in the middle of the day.

Pha Ngern Viewpoint

This is not an easy hike, but you can definitely manage it with good shoes, and most of the time, there are wooden handrails to help you climb up. The view from the top is great.

If you are unfit or a little worried about rock climbing or not suitable for steep hikes, then this is not for you.

It is pretty well maintained with ropes, handrails and “stairs” until the first viewpoint and a little less to the second and higher one. Ther is small “shop” at the first viewpoint where you can buy something to drink and sit on the wooden bench.

The whole route took me about 4 hours with some rest and descent.

Nam Xay Viewpoint

It’s the best spot for one of Laos’s most breathtaking views. You will get unbeatable views of jagged limestone cliffs, lush forests, and rice fields from the top.

Up there peace and quiet are almost guaranteed because you won’t find lots of people. This hike is famous most of all for its amazing photo opportunity with a motorbike, which was mysteriously placed there by the locals.

The best time to visit Pha Ngern Viewpointand Nam Xay Viewpoint is an hour or two before sunset. The heat isn’t as intense anymore and you will see beautiful colors from the top.

Make sure you don’t stay after the sun goes down though the hike down is scarier and more dangerous in the dark.

The whole route took me about 3 hours with enough time to take pictures with the motorbike and a drone video.

Pha Poak climb and Lusi cave

This is more a climb than a hike and is not for the faint-hearted. It’s more an adventure with a good reward on the top.

It is a dangerous climb with old ladders and sharp rocks to climb onto most of the way up.

If you plan on visiting, please be careful. There is no path and it is very easy to fall at any point if you’re not confident in climbing up or down steep rocks. And make sure you stick to the path, not that there really is one.

While a little challenging, the views from the top are definitely worthwhile, with a 360° degrees view of the surrounding, feeling to be so small in the middle of those fantastic limestone cliffs.

Pha Poak climb

The Wanderlust Syndrome

Posted on 23 July 202123 July 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Ever heard about the Wanderlust Syndrome?

It’s a strong impulse to self-development through experiencing the unknown, facing unforeseen challenges, understanding different cultures, lifestyles and behaviors.

Wanderlust syndrome is much more than just wanting to go on vacation, though. We all have that. It’s more that desire that comes from a “need” to go beyond our comfort zone, a strong passion for discovery and travel.

The word “wanderlust” comes from the German words wandern (to hike) and lust (a strong desire).

These hardened travelers spend most of their time reading travel guides and looking for flights and hotels on the internet. They love watching documentaries about exotic or unknown places and spend a lot of their money on travel.

Is Wanderlust Syndrome about genetics?

According to some experts, this adventurous spirit isn’t just a trend. It is said that it’s actually in our genes. Scientists have even pinned down a specific one: DRD4-7r, a receptor for dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Here it is: “the travel gene.”

David Dobbs, a researcher for National Geographic, thinks that this gene “makes people more likely to take risks, explore new places, ideas, foods, relationships; and generally embrace movement, change, and adventure.”

In addition to the frequent need to travel, people with this gene are also bold and creative. They are the kind of people who try to understand other cultures and lifestyles. They can do almost anything conducive to personal growth.

There’s a whole world waiting to be explored

We know what’s out there waiting to be discovered. We’ve read all the travel blogs, watched the nature shows, drooled over Instagram photos. The worst thing is to understand and to know that there is something out there we haven’t seen yet and not being able to explore it.

Traveling is a necessary part of life

Traveling is a necessary part of life, and it is the best way to relax after a long day. It all comes down to having a diverse range of life experiences. Traveling is an excellent way to alleviate tiredness, anxiety, and depression. It also positively impacts one’s mental and physical health, most of all in this post covid period.

We don’t have a house full of things; instead, we have a passport to fill with stamps. Let’s use this to build memories all over the world

What’s Wanderlust Syndrome for me?

It’s the feeling of being alive. It’s to explore unique places near and far. I can’t stop searching for these magical, even unknown places around the world. Sometimes I have the eyes of a five-year-old kid, and this is impressive.

I’m inspired to travel by “a compromise”. What I mean is that we live frenetic lives with frantic schedules most of the time. This is a significant source of anxiety for me! So everyone should find a way to lower the bar and break the monotony: I discovered my way through travel.

Hunting of emotions

Traveling entails attempting to get ourselves outside of our comfort zones!

Think about spending seven days without the internet in the middle of the wilderness, facing such a narrow and dangerous road, only to arrive at the most beautiful beach on the planet, to spend New Year’s Eve around a fire with old and new friends.

Think about a trail of 3922 steps rising on the ridge of a mountain in the wilderness of Hawaiian mountains.

Think about being on a small island on a small lake in the middle of nowhere for 48 hours and living the essential moments of your life.

Think about the Namib desert and the chance to sleep there under a sky full of stars.

Think about the opportunity to live your own holiday, spending your time at your own pace.

These beautiful feelings should inspire us not to be fearful of new opportunities while also assisting us in finding a commitment that will undoubtedly surprise us in learning something new and unique about ourselves.

Travel Bucket list for summer 2021

Posted on 12 June 202112 June 2021 by Luca Oliveri

There is no cure for wanderlust. However, no matter how many places you explore, there are always some experiences waiting for you.

Will the way of traveling change in the post-covid period?

The restrictions caused by the pandemic have created new expectations in people for summer 2021. Therefore, we will look for something out of the ordinary to face personal challenges and, also, to avoid crowds and to live life experiences. So which will be the bucket list for this summer?

Here’s my top 5 Summer 2021 travel bucket list

You don’t have to travel across the globe to experience a magical adventure. So now is the time to let loose and make sure you work on the little things that keep yourself happy.

1. Go on a road trip

From the safety and comfort of your own ride, you can see so many incredible places and experience your road trip at your own pace.

Whether you decide to take a trip across the United States by car, stopping in a motel stage by stage, or you prefer to drive a campervan and stop for the night only where your instincts tell you, a road trip will undoubtedly take you through incredible adventures.

I drove my vintage Volkswagen campervan out of the ordinary and found my personal gateway on the Algarve coast for one of the most romantic sunsets. And, at the end of your journey and discovery, it changes you!

Algarve – Vintage Camper – Siesta Campers

2. Go camping

Planning a camping trip begins with the desire to get outdoors. Pick a date, find the right place, prepare your gear and head out.

We’re more connected through the power of social networks than ever, also in this post pandemic period. No matter where you are, you can make a difference. Have you ever spent one or more days entirely in touch with Nature listening to its sounds? You should try this experience camping into the wilderness, enjoying life and its simple moments like building a tent spending the night under a sky full of stars.

Spitzkoppe – Namibia

3. Go hiking

Which has been your fearless challenge?

Hardergrat trail is not just a trail, it’s a thrilling journey where you will have mental ups and downs, especially when you see all that stretches out ahead of you. It looks impossible, but it’s not, it’s just very, very long. There, at first stop on the ridge, I rested with that amazing view over the mirror lake. Is there a better way to experience life in the post covid period?

Hiking is freedom, effort, conquest. Summer is undoubtedly the best time to enjoy the spectacle of nature by climbing mountain ridges, in the green, in the silence.

Hardergrat Trail

4. Sleep on the summit of a volcano

Do volcanic islands have an energetic imprint? At the summit of Haleakalā it’s easy to forget where you came from as you look out onto what feels like another world. At dawn, I was suspended in a soft sea of clouds in one of the most magical moments of my life, full of freedom and peace.

Sleeping on top of a volcano is not easy because it is freezing at night. I remember I was wearing 3 sweaters. But I also remember that the sky was flooded with glittering stars and the Milky Way gave meaning to the word “magic”.

Haleakala volcano – Maui

5. Freeze your time and go to experience a 48hours ”detox” on a private island

A small cabin on a small island in the middle of nowhere. Here is good to be alone and contemplate things and have time to think about life, choices and what you’re here for. It’s where the time is longer and life is deeper.

Think about being in the middle of nowhere with someone so precious for you. All this is so special and unforgettable! I experienced one of the best things of my life just here, in Sweden, and I miss these moments so much now. Freedom, Beauty, the Craziness of being alone in the wilderness…This is why I love life!

Kabin Sweden – 48 hours detox

One of the best and wildest Spanish road

Posted on 8 June 20218 June 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Among the thousands and thousands of Spanish roads, one of the most beautiful and wildest stretches is probably found in Tenerife.

Teide National Park

The road is in the middle of the national park

Starting from the tourist area of the Costa Adeje, it took me about 1 hour to get close to the Teide volcano, the highest point in Spain and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic.

Two main aspects have made the island road reach the top of the ranking.

First of all, the road in the middle of the national park, showing on both sides the landscape of volcanic lava flows, the endemic vegetation and the view of different geographical layers that are a sight to behold.

On the other hand, the imposing aspect of Teide itself, the Volcano that crowns the road with its 3,715 meters in height, generates even more impact and arouses reverence among visitors.

Lava rocks

What Teide means? The legend of the Guanches

The word “Teide” derives from “Echeyde” which meant hell in the language of the Guanches, an ancient people living in the area.

According to a legend, Guayota, god of evil, kidnapped Magec, god of the sun and light, taking him inside the great mountain and, after the prayers of the Guanches to the supreme god Achaman, he was freed and the Volcano was covered with sugar loaf, trapping the devil inside.

It is the only road in the Canaries that has managed to enter the ranking and in the first place!

The shortest and most suggestive way to reach the top of Teide is through the cities of Arona and Villaflor. However, be careful, especially before the highest point, as there are many hairpin bends and the road narrows.

On the way to the highest point on the island of Tenerife, you will see the landscape change considerably. There are several points of interest and mirador.

Then, the landscape will become more and more lunar until you reach the entrance to the Teide National Park and it’s at that point that the show begins

3 days in the Trulli region

Posted on 7 June 20218 June 2021 by Luca Oliveri

In this post-Covid pandemic period, you will enjoy your private and exclusive holiday, away from crowds with your partner, your family or your friends.

Luca Oliveri at Incanto d’Itria Resort – Drone view

A Corner of paradise in the Trulli Apulian region

A few kilometers from Locorotondo and Alberobello, Incanto d’Itria Resort is a unique and suggestive location. It’s a corner of paradise surrounded by wonderful olive trees and Mediterranean scents where you can rediscover your intimate contact with nature.

To get to the trulli you need to reach central Apulia, a magnificent area nestled between the Murge plateau and Salento, in a triangle of beauty between the provinces of Bari to the north, and Taranto and Brindisi further south. The so-called “Valley of the Trulli” or “Riviera dei Trulli”, the beautiful Itria Valley, which gushes with sun-kissed villages, golden beaches, fragrant scrub and centuries-old olive trees.

Sunset, garden, fruits

I took an early morning flight to enjoy the day wholly

My flight from Milan landed at Bari airport early in the morning and the procedures to exit from the airport and rent the car has been quick.

From Bari, I spent 1-hour driving across the apulian country and arrived at the resort just before luch time. We were welcomed by the owner, Giuseppe, we got an espresso seated in the main veranda and started talking about the surroundings and the story of the resort.

The Trulli have been restored and now they revive once again

In 2017, Giuseppe and his brother Francesco were literally fascinated by a group of ruined Trulli and bought them. With great sacrifices and a lot of work, they brought them back to life, taking advantage of the experience of the trullari masters. Two years later they made this wonderful place revive once again opening the doors of the houses to suggestive experiences, where you can share the smells of spring, the sounds of summer, the colors of autumn and the silence of winter, in a personal way that can only happen there.

There are 3 trulli in the resort: “Trullo Magnifico”, “Trullo Incanto” and “Trullo Divino”. Each one has its own private kitchen and living room, bathroom and bedroom. Two of them are connected and are ideal for a family. Instead, Trullo Divino, which is like a fancy sweet-box, is separated by the other two trulli.

Luca Oliveri – Trullo

Incanto d’Itria is your private and exclusive resort

You can share the resort with your partner or your family or your friends. The resort will be at your exclusive use.

Between the brightly reflecting sun and the ocher of the ground, I had the sensation of reflecting myself in the clear water of the pool in complete relaxation and welcomed by the lush greenery of the grove and gardens surrounding the resort.

If I could relax reading or indulge in the pleasure of tranquility during the day, when it was time for sunset, the feeling of peace enjoying a fresh aperitif was priceless.

At that moment, the color of the sky, wisely painted as the sun dipped behind the horizon, created vibrant shades of pink and cobalt

The swimming pool in a sunny day

One week of relaxation, food, unique places to visit away from crowds in this post-Covid period

I suggest you to spend at least 1 week in the region and enjoy your holiday chilling at Incanto d’Itria the whole day, maybe, drinking a glass of Chardonnay white wine at the pool at sunset or simply by visiting the numerous surrounding touristic or seaside areas. Most of all in this post-Covid pandemic period you will enjoy your private and exclusive holiday, away from crowds with your partner, your family or your friends.

Ostuni – the blue door

Traveling in the post COVID period

Posted on 25 May 202125 May 2021 by Luca Oliveri

The restrictions caused by the pandemic have created new expectations and new priorities in people for 2021. What does not change is the desire for holidays, for travel. The desire to leave never sets!

How we will travel

But will the way of traveling change?

Will we be looking for something more intimate and less crowded?

In this period of recovery, in the post covid, by booking their first vacation, people want something out of the ordinary to face personal challenges and, also, to avoid crowds and to live life experiences.

Here are the destinations to live unforgettable experiences

In my Instagram guides and in the blog we often speak about this new concept of travel:

It’s not only luxury hotels or trips of a thousand and one nights.

These types of “life experiences” I’m talking about are those that will be experienced once in a lifetime.

They will leave unforgettable moments and memories, though sometimes we need a little bit of spirit of adaptation.

We are talking about experiences that offer alternative tourism, such as living 48 hours with your partner in a cabin on a small otherwise deserted island in the middle of a lake in Sweden. Or sleeping in a tent under the starry sky of the Namibian desert or of the summit of Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui.

Or, again, face a dangerous multi-day trek in the virgin Kauai, to reach one of the wildest and most fascinating beaches in the world

Over the clouds – Haleakala summit

Post covid holidays: when the tourist becomes the protagonist of the trip

It no longer matters to choose a famous destination.

These experiences can be found everywhere, you just need to live them with your heart.

It is the intimate contact with nature or, sometimes, with ourselves, the protagonist of the travel.

For example, I had my most intense experience climbing the 3922 steps of the Haiku Stairs, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. There I found that I did not climb the ridge to the summit just to enjoy the magnificent scenery, but gradually I saw myself reflected into nature and I experienced a great feeling of well-being.

Haiku Stairs – Stairway to Heaven

Traveling to rediscover yourself

A compromise inspires me to travel; what I mean is that we live frenetic lives with frantic schedules most of the time. This is a significant source of anxiety for me! Every one should find a way to lower the bar and break the monotony: I discovered my personal way through travel.

Traveling also means leaving your ‘comfort zone’!

Haiku Stairs

Posted on 14 April 2021 by Luca Oliveri

Stairway to Heaven – the most magical place on Earth

CHAPTER 1 – OCTOBER 2017

We arrived in front of the main gate.

Closed! Bolts and padlocks. Peremptory prohibition messages: ‘Private property. Government property. Don’t cross. Violators will be punished according to the law.’

Disappointed, we couldn’t understand.

CHAPTER 2

A gentleman in his seventies was watching us from afar. He parked slowly as if he wanted to slow down the time. He got out and approached with a stentorian step disguising his previous, apparent, clumsiness. He asked us what we were doing there.

The story of the Haiku Stairs began at that moment.

He didn’t know the real reason for the prohibitions. He only knew that it’s impossible to go through that gate. Nobody could go any further! Someone ignored the prohibitions and went on anyway. Someone else desisted. He couldn’t tell us if there was another way to overcome the ban. It was vague but, in our opinion, he knew it.

We walked back to the gate.

‘What do we do?’ The temptation was strong. After all, it’s only a trek. Why not to get past the gate? Someone does it. ‘

The temptation was strong, the temptation was very strong.

It was three o’clock in the afternoon and, all in all, we were still on time.

If it had taken two hours to reach the summit, we would have been at the top for sunset. The sky was clear and the light fantastic. No clouds in the Sky.

The sunset was surely beautiful up there.

CHAPTER 3

Sometimes, a myth born by chance, without having looked for it.

That first time, we went back to the hotel in silence, dazed. What was previously a stage of the journey, a tourist attraction, had now suddenly become the meaning of the whole journey.

The Haiku Stairs was the archetype of existence. Perhaps, in the world, there were other places that meant the same thing, the archetype of existence, to other people.

CHAPTER 4 – MAY 2018

“When I go, I am respectful and full of peace, completely immersed in the experience, perhaps because you are in it for 3922 times. The activity confuses the senses and opens the spirit. We rise from civilization to magic. At the top you can savor hot food and you can calmly reflect, letting all this become part of the memories before civilization erases the traces of this lived magic and makes us plunge back into the harsh reality. People think they go there for the epic view but, along the way, they recognize themselves reflected into Nature. They share a majestic energetic imprint with the Earth and appreciate it through their soul. They discover that they have climbed a mountain to discover themselves in a new light and the new dawn becomes the best part of their day. They always say ‘I didn’t think it was so beautiful’, sometimes smiling, other times in tears. Every time I walk along it I lose myself in him “

We thought these words were perfect.

‘Matt Kievlan‘

We met Matt one morning in early May. At that moment we didn’t know anything about him, but his words about Haiku Stairs, recorded in a travel blog, reflected our most intimate feelings. His description was vivid and full of color and sounds.

Again, a shock seemed to paralyze our bodies. There was someone in the world who had managed to climb the stairs.

We wrote him and, a few days later, we were friends. Being able to share our emotions made everything more real. Haiku really existed and Matt knew it well. It would help us make our dream come true.

CHAPTER 5 – AUGUST 2018

We skirt the road, ready to flee into the woods if Matt would have told us to do. Then, as we begin to climb up, Matt tells us to go into the forest and go up from there.

The ground is wet and slippery, we help ourselves with the bamboo and with the roots of the damp and viscous plants. Above us, the cars whiz by on the H3.

A few moments later we go around the fence.

Nature has ingenious methods for finding our weak spots when it forces us to live in the center of our magical Universe.

Suddenly it is as if we were naked and with the heart of a child walking the path of our life. We are happy.

The climb begins on the first of the 3922 steps that we will not count.

Matt understood that we feel what he himself has tried for more than two hundred and eighty times, so many times he has climbed. And he knows that we can no longer live without the stairs, like him.

CHAPTER 6

Shortly after, going up, we have emerged from the impalpable haze of the clouds and now we can see everything around us. It’s like getting rid of a burden and the show, even from here, is magnificent. Fatigue gives way to vigor.

At times the sky is leaden, at times is blue disappearing into the sea. You can hear the cackles of some birds and the Amakihi of Hawaii, and then nothing else except of us gasping with increasing fatigue when, again, the mountain rests.

When we are about to reach the top, we slow down. A few more meters and we will see the radio station which, in a few minutes, was shrouded in clouds, perhaps to move us away one last time, perhaps as a last, extreme attempt for protection.

We are close. We slow down again, in our hearts we would not want our climb to end so quickly. Without realizing it, the legs tremble, for the pain and for the fear of finding out what awaits us up there, the eyes turn and, closing, sigh. The neck’s muscles, tense, screech like ropes when the wind hits them. The chest also contracts just after inhaling, exhaling with the restlessness of repeated frictions the breathlessness loaded with fatigue. The light is now palpable and at times, however, rarefied.

Four hours are too few and at the same time interminable to finish everything.

We are on the verge of unreasonableness, so high up.

CHAPTER 7

We are at the horizontal walkway that precedes the radio station, here the iron boards are well positioned and well preserved by the nature of the mountain that has made them his own, as a part of himself that it can no longer do without. Here, we feel the strong call of God, free from everything. We see neither Kaneohe nor the horizon. We perceive with our senses every truth that surrounds us. The gods of Hawaii are everywhere.

Mana, the vital energy.

The stairs no longer belong to man, but, now, they are the mountain’s son.

For a moment, the Haiku Stairs is there only for us. Now, I understand why 300 days ago, in October, we went back to the hotel and desperately threw the backpack on the carpet. I understand everything now, and my eyesight is sharper than ever. Now, memories can finally merge and find peace. I will never be able to go home, ever again.

Mana, the life energy is everywhere and makes the heart explode with joy.

Aurora Igloo

Posted on 20 March 20216 May 2021 by Luca Oliveri

A solitary glass igloo in the middle of the lake

Think about this: A solitary place in the middle of a frozen lake during the Lappish winter, plus 21 degrees celsius inside that let you stay lazy in your glass igloo, minus 26 degrees celsius outside, a spectacular view from your bed of the wild nature just some meters from you. And when the polar night comes the Northern Lights spectacle begins just in front of you. At least this was my hope.

Driving through Lapland, the first day

In February I spent 2 nights at the Aurora Igloo Hotel in Jokkmokk.

From Lulea airport it’s about a 200kms drive in a snowy and peaceful landscape. Jokkmokk is the crossroads between the airport and Kiruna, a famous Swedish place for winter holidays.

I met Bjorn, the Aurora Igloo host, some minutes after midday on monday and shortly after the presentations he brings me to the private parking lot. The igloo is nearby after a short walk through the frozen forest. This short walk is amazing, cold, dreamy.

Then the igloo appears: around only the icy lake, the white forest trees, the coldest temperature I’ve ever lived, the crackling of my feet on the snow and the sparkling frosty air trough the nose and the mouth. I closed my eyes and I felt a sense of freedom and serenity that I thought I had left somewhere.

Probably you can feel to be in the space or in a different planet because everything is white. Snow snow snow like you had never seen. I loved it.

Intimate moments inside the igloo, a life experience

Inside there’s a kitchen, a toilet and the main room with a double comfortable bed. And on the bed a complimentary basket with Chardonnay Wine and a spiced one.

“Drink this hot, you’ll love it” said Bjorn

We tried hot that evening and it seemed like the italian “Vin Brulé”. So good!

May you imagine the beauty you can see from the room?

It’s extraordinary better than each other Lappish Igloo hotel I’ve ever seen because, there, you are alone and you don’t have to share your Northern Lights emotions with other guests. Your Aurora polar experience will be exclusive. The lake in front of your eyes is only for you and your dreaming soul.

I lighted a campfire, I have been sit down on the snow, I spent the late afternoon there waiting for the sun falling behind the horizon with the roaring sparks of the flames jumping on the icy snow.

Can you ever imagine about a better intimate moment?

Northern Lights SHOW at Aurora Igloo

When the night came the Northern Lights appears in the clear sky.

It’s Mother Nature’s greatest spectacle, a mesmerizing and spellbinding light show upon you eyes into the infinte night sky.

This lightshow originates 93 million miles away on the surface of the Sun and travels across the frozen wastes of spaces.

There are lots of myths about Norther Lights: cultures across the north understood them through imagery that ranges from poetic to somber to horrifying; for the Sámi people, for example, the lights were energy from the souls of deceased ancestors. When the lights appeared, people were to behave solemnly. Disrespecting them could result in sickness or even death.

What I did, it was simply to lay down on the icy snow looking at the sky when the lights appears strong in a way I had never seen, neither in Finland nor in Iceland. My heart was trembling when the green Aurora Borealis lights were dancing above my head. It has been the first time I could see its waves clear with the naked eye. Exciting and unforgivable.

During the day you can take part at some activities like snowmobile tour in the surroundings or icebath in the frozen lake in front of your igloo. I took part at both activities but the icebath is something special: you will take your body out of its normal state of equilibrium and it feels regenerating! After the initial fear I loved that moment.

One night at the Aurora Igloo Hotel is ok but if you want to enjoy completely the adventure I suggest you to spend at least 2 nights. Your time, there, will be rewarded with an exclusive personal and intimate experience.