Dear Fellow Travelers:

As I am on the road with my "Eastern Discovery" group approaching Istanbul from the opposite direction, I want to extend a warm welcome as your Tour Director to all of you joining me for the E973 this coming Sunday. We are going to meet at the Barcelo Topkapi Eresin Hotel at 6:00pm local time, and I would kindly like to ask all of you to please fill out our "Fast Track" online registration on www.insightvacations.com prior to the beginning of the tour.

If you are curious about some of the destinations on this trip or our current whereabouts, feel free to follow my blog on www.twitter.com (Twitter name: BernhardINSIGHT).

Looking forward to meeting you in just a few days!

Bernhard

Just a quick update, live from Istanbul for those of you concerned about the recent flooding.

The weather has improved dramatically since last week, and we have conducted our city sightseeing tour this morning as well as the Bosphorus cruise without any restrictions. There are no traces of the floods in the city center or Old Town, and all roads are open. Only in the outskirts the clean-up crews are busy clearing away debris brought about by the water.

Please rest assured that everyone's safety is of our utmost concern, and my colleagues and I will not expose anyone to unnecessary risks should there be only the slightest concern.

I look forward to another great tour with all of you on the Golden Explorer!

Bernhard

That's good to hear. Hope the locals are coping with the clean-up.

Just a quick hello to everyone from the road. We are already in Zagreb, nearly approaching the end of our journey.

This has been a fantastic tour, with an outstanding group - Australians, Kiwis, Canadians, Americans, South Africans and even a couple from Malaysia. Everyone is enjoying themselves thoroughly, and already discussing future travel plans with Insight.

This itinerary is truly one of the most amazing ways to experience the ever-changing world of Balkan countries, and presents itself rich in contrasts, scenery and authentic locales. For all those avid travelers who have already seen most of Europe and are looking for something different, the "Eastern Discovery" and "Golden Explorer" is the way to go! And if you should have any questions specific to this tour, do not hesitate to ask me or one of my colleagues!

Thank you for the information.

I have a question for Bernhard. Is it safe for a solo traveler, non-white to visit those areas ? I will be travelling with Insight but will explore solo on free time.

Thank you.

Dear Sistine:

Thanks for your question, I believe this aspect might interest several of our readers.

All of the places we visit on our tours are perfectly safe for everyone including solo non-white travelers. You will find the ethnic mix in the Balkans is quite colorful and except in the event of provocative behavior transgressions are extremely rare. You may encounter curious stares by locals from time to time, but not because of any particular race or skin color, but mostly because to people in places like Albania foreign visitors of any kind are still a novelty. Your tour director will advise you of any precautions to take or areas to avoid, if any, as you go.

Happy travels!

Bernhard