Travelling in Times of Geopolitical Chaos
How to travel the world in 2026? Belgium is always an answer, but you can also board a booze boat or watch a lot of films.
Welcome to 2026! The year everything seems to be at stake. Larger than before (or back to some old days1) and bigger than we can comprehend. Or something like that. I guess there are other writers who can dive into that with a lot more context, depth and analysis. I’m just here trying to find a traveller’s perspective; because where can we go nowadays? 🌍
PS. Don’t skip the footnotes.
Belgium (or Pluto)
Let’s go back to the early 1980s. The oil crisis, conflicts all over the world (the Cold War, The Troubles, Iraq/Iran, the Pinochet regime in Chile to name a few), people were starving of hunger, and America was seen as a kind of utopia, thanks to mass media and mass brands.
In 1982, a Dutch band released a song wondering where one could possibly go and live in times like these. They even asked if there was life on Pluto (when Pluto was still considered a planet).
Their answer? Belgium!
Here’s the English translation of the lyrics:
Where can I go?
I can’t go to Germany.
I can’t go to Germany, they’re far too strict.Where can I go?
I can’t go to Chile.
I don’t want to go to Chile, it all feels too unsettling.I don’t want to live in Kuwait,
because Kuwait is simply too hot.And as for America, that country doesn’t really exist.
Where can I go?
I can’t go to Northern Ireland.
Not Northern Ireland — everything’s falling apart there.Where can I go?
I can’t go to China.
I’m not going to China, it would all be too crowded.I don’t want to live in Scotland,
because Scotland is far too wet.And the U.S.S.R.,
that goes a step too far.Is there life on Pluto?
Can you dance on the moon?
Is there a place somewhere between the stars
where I could go?Where can I go?
I can’t go to Cuba.
I don’t want to go to Cuba, it’s all a bit too sweet.Where can I go?
I can’t go to Poland.
I’m not going to Poland, things are going too well there.I don’t want to live in Lapland,
because Lapland is far too cold.And I want to leave the Netherlands,
because here I’m starting to feel trapped.I hesitated over Belgium,
because everyone there is smiling.I hesitated over Belgium,
because the language sounds so soft.I was even in two minds, but I took no risks at all.
I hesitated over Belgium.
Belgium.
Belgium.
Belgium.
Belgium.
Did they actually move to Belgium? No they unfortunately didn’t2.
For your itinerary: 📍fashion city Antwerp
Belgian city Antwerp is world-famous for fashion, especially because of the Antwerp Six: Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee. From 28 March 2026 until 17 January 2027, the MoMu (the fashion museum3) will host a major exhibition dedicated to them.
If you’re into vintage, the city has plenty of second-hand stores that feature Belgian designers, local brands and more affordable treasures. Try Labels Inc, Rebelle, Rosier41, Pardaf, Think Twice, Enso, Winckel and Melting Pot Kilo Antwerpen.
Show your stylish side at the table of Le Pristine or The Jane, both restaurants run by Dutch chef Sergio Herman.
Another Scandinavian island
With the ‘Belgium’ song in mind, the question is: can you travel to Greenland4 right now? Maybe you could go there, but perhaps you’re a bit hesitant about it. (I would really love to, by the way.)
Luckily, there are the so-called destination dupes! Because Greenland is a huge Scandinavian island after all, you just have to look for another Scandinavian island.
Iceland is probably a well-considered option, but for a more polar vibe you could also opt for Svalbard. But in my opinion, there is only one answer to this utterly weird situation:
(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞__The booze boat to the Åland islands⋆˚࿔
You’ll find this archipelago in the Baltic Sea. There is a ferry from Stockholm – which I refer to as the booze boat – with a stop on the main island, and after it returns to Sweden. Or you can stay on Åland (quiet and pleasant off-season, I must say) and continue to Finland by another ferry (a somewhat more decent one).
The ferry to Åland isn’t really meant to get people from A to B. It’s meant for drinking. A lot. On board, passengers pass the time in bars, greasy restaurants, live music of questionable quality, a tacky disco, and, above all, an enormous tax-free shop. Hence the foldable trolleys everywhere.
As we board, the previous group of passengers disembarks. Slightly wobbly, glassy-eyed, bags full of alcohol and tobacco, they head home. After a short stop in Åland, the ferry turns around and sails straight back to Sweden. Almost everyone stays on board. Glasses are refilled, cleavage is adjusted, slot machines roar. The party continues.
For your itinerary: 🇦🇽 travel the Åland Islands
The archipelago is situated between Sweden and Finland. Åland is an autonomous region of Finland, although they speak Swedish. A bit confusing, yes. Luckily, everyone in Scandinavia speaks English.
You can reach the islands by ferry from Finland, Sweden, and even Estonia (Tallinn). The main ports are Mariehamn and Eckerö. Book the booze boat at eckerolinjen.se.
Cycling is highly recommended on the islands; the roads are perfect, and the scenery is beautiful. There are several rental options available.
Escape the Chaos
Every day and everywhere. Opinions, more opinions, and even more assumptions. Thrown at us from behind computer screens, from another oh-so-safe bubble, or simply because people like talking a lot and very loudly, rather than listening or asking questions.
We travellers know better (yes, here comes the 2026 humble brag 🙃). We prefer to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and to keep our eyes open to the world. People have more things in common with others than they realise, because those things are just so f*cking normal.
Food, family and friends, nature, music, and even sports (and I don’t mention this only because the Winter Olympics are coming up).
It is easy to connect over trivial stuff like the weather, whether good, bad or whatever. But also over a badass grandma (including yours), that silly cat or crazy bird, or the beautiful tree you just saw. What about kids learning things (and being kids), the best local bakery, or the mountains (compared to the flatlands in your own country). An in-depth discussion about the best football players ever, music (the songs from your childhood), or something on a stove that smells delicious.
I know, it may be naïve to think we can change the world, but we can give the chaos and cynicism some colour. Let’s inspire others to leave their opinions at home, to be curious and simply ask questions.
Here is a recipe I learnt from a cook in a shelter for Ukrainian refugees in Amsterdam5.
Watch, Read & Listen
I will start with a lot of movie tips6. I can’t help it. For me, it’s an accessible way to get to know the world, dive into other cultures, and find inspiration.
When it comes to films, it’s almost unbearable to recommend The Voice of Hind Rajab, because it is heartbreakingly horrible (everybody was crying in the movie theatre). But I can warmly recommend the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, about a teacher raising his voice in Russia.
The popularity of post-apocalyptic dystopian movies and series is inevitable. Sometimes it is Civil War all over the place. There are so much more titles you can check out. May the Lord open..
Iran is one of the friendliest countries I’ve ever been to. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the people, their hospitality, their curiosity, and the emotions some older women showed when they approached me (one was in tears and kept hugging me).
There is so much going on right now, and so much we don’t know. The brave people on the streets deserve that we keep talking about Iran. Iranian cinema is worth checking out and is helpful for understanding the context. Some films I can recommend are The Seed of a Sacred Fig, A Separation, Persepolis, There Is No Evil, My Favourite Cake, Holy Spider, Hit the Road, and this year’s Oscar nominee It Was Just an Accident.
On Substack, there are some fine reads in the ‘genre’ I’d like to recommend:
A Tale of Two Unions and a New World Order (Europe should explore new partnerships - with the African Union, for instance) by Daaf Borren
The End of the Danish Fairytale, Seen From Copenhagen (Hygge, geopolitics, and Denmark’s reluctant awakening to the world) by N.V. Foxes
If you’re an American worried about travelling abroad: don’t by Souvenirs
On the US Immigration Crisis ( How did we get here?) by Ashleigh at Travel Bugg
Where Shouldn’t You Go? (The traveler’s dilemma) by Brad Yonaka
Travel influencers need to stop hanging with the Taliban by Brandon Berkson // HAP
The Age of Disquiet - Why Story Matters Now by Laura McVeigh
And then some music 👯♀️
The Cold War was part of pop culture as well. As proven by this playlist:
Next up
It took me a while to write this. Many reasons, distractions, and a lot of procrastination. Mainly just blabla. So here’s a small nudge to get myself going.
Trains and Markets in East Turkestan
Direct Dutch: Hagelslag and Other Dutch Food Habits
Nothing today is the same as the Cold War. But as I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, it was The War we were all talking about. It was the one of Russian villains in Western action movies, the Iron Curtain, Reagan and Gorbachev, grey concrete buildings versus shiny skyscrapers, capitalism versus communism, NATO against the Warsaw Pact, the USSR, Berlin with the Wall, nuclear weapons, secret services, and a lot of unknowns.
Travelling was different back then. I did some research and found this very interesting article about it: Unpacking Tourism in the Cold War
The lead singer, the one with the questionable dance moves (and the slightly lazy voice), became a well-known Dutch personality. For a while, it was even hard to avoid him. He had his own radio show (Think About Henk) and regularly popped up on TV as an all-purpose expert.
Mentioning Greenland in 2026, I couldn’t help but associate it with the Thule trilogy by the Dutch writer Thea Beckman. In the trilogy Thule became the name of Greenland after the Third World War, and the books cover an almost classic clash between utopia and dystopia following a nuclear apocalypse. Sadly, they were never translated into English. Thank god there is a wonderful blogpost covering the trilogy very well.
For many reasons, I’m glad I travelled in Ukraine and got to know the people, the culture, the food and the drinks. More on this in An Egg from Ukraine 🇺🇦
Currently, I am at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, a place where international filmmakers can share their films and ideas, and raise their voices through cinema.
Nice list and I do understand the underlying question: Where on Earth can we live safely and happily?
My wife and I regularly agree that in today's uncertain world, where it sometimes feels as if WW3 has already started, you could do MUCH worse than staying in an African country like Zambia. Where I've been for just over 11 years now. I could live in South Africa, and in the Netherlands, due to citizenship and family/friends/connections in both those countries. And we have lived there, for many years. But now we choose Zambia, even if there are some non-ideal certainties: Potholed roads, unreliable electricity supply, etc. But also that it's peaceful, safe and friendly!
Lovely list and read, thanks for sharing.