Quixoticguide

Hi, I’m Maarten Van Den Driessche, a curious human, aviation enthusiast, vexillophile, world traveler, and food lover with over 14,000 days of life experience.

  • Just Let Them

    Inspired by: Victoria Horsley’s Instagram Story on the “Let Them” mindset. Thank you for the inspiration. Every so often, a simple idea captures the internet because it resonates with something many of us have experienced. The “Let Them” Theory, popularised by Mel Robbins, is one of those ideas. At first glance, it sounds almost too…

  • What Makes a Civilization

    When people hear the terms “First World” and “Third World,” they usually think of rich versus poor, developed versus underdeveloped, or even civilized versus uncivilized. But history tells a very different story. The terms were never meant to rank civilizations. They were born during the Cold War. The First World referred to countries aligned with…

  • Exploring the 8 Regions of Niger

    Despite being one of the largest countries in West Africa, Niger remains one of its least-visited destinations. Covering vast stretches of the Sahara Desert and the Sahel, the country is divided into seven regions and the capital district of Niamey. Each region offers its own landscapes, cultures, and traditions—from ancient caravan cities to fertile river…

  • Australia Is Wider Than the Moon

    It sounds impossible at first. The Moon hangs enormous in our night sky. Australia is just one country on Earth. Surely the Moon must be much larger? Yet when you compare them side by side, Australia is actually wider than the Moon. The Moon has a diameter of approximately 3,474 kilometres. Australia, measured from its…

  • What If Every Human on Earth Stood Side by Side?

    A thought experiment that will change the way you look at the world It started with a conversation in Turkey. My friend Alex Tsaplev, traveller, thinker, the kind of person who asks questions nobody else thinks to ask, turned to me one evening and said: “Do you know that every human being on Earth could…

  • Oman and Norway: Two Countries, One Population, Worlds Apart

    At first glance, Oman and Norway seem to have little in common. One is a desert kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula, the other a Scandinavian nation famous for its fjords and snowy landscapes. Yet these two countries share a surprising statistic: both have a population of around 5.5 million people. This unexpected similarity often leads…

Where Curiosity Leads

Travel is more than ticking countries off a map. It’s about discovering the stories behind places, understanding the people who call them home, and seeing the world through new perspectives.

Quixotic Guide is a collection of destinations, cultures, history, aviation, food, and ideas, created for curious travellers who want to go beyond the guidebook. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or simply exploring from home, every article is designed to help you understand the world a little better.

Explore Beyond the Tourist Trail

  • 🌍 Discover fascinating destinations
  • 🏛️ Understand history and cultures
  • 🍽️ Explore national dishes and traditions
  • ✈️ Travel smarter with practical guides
  • 💡 Gain context behind the headlines
  • 📖 See the world through curiosity

“The more you understand a place, the more meaningful your journey becomes.”

ed-Deir (“The Monastery”) in Petra, Jordan

My Travel guides

  • Not instructions, but orientation.
  • These guides explain how places work — so you don’t just visit, you arrive.

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” –

Ibn Battuta

Maghrebi traveller