South Island, New Zealand

January 10, 2020Leave a comment

CITY: Picton

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Piwaka Lodge and Backpackers. At first, I was a little underwhelmed by the facilities, but I ended up loving this little spot because of the hospitality by it’s owner, Nicci. When I was cold at night, she provided extra blankets and a hot water bottle (this my favorite invention btw- not sure why we don’t have these in California). She also provided breakfast and dinner each night (FOR FREE). It was also one of the more deluxe free hostel breakfasts I have had, complete with toast, cereal, and a delicious homemade porridge with fruit in it. Delicious! Nicci was also very helpful in planning my time in Picton. At her recommendation I did a day trip to an island sanctuary and did a hike through part of the Queen Charlotte track. Overall, I would highly recommend staying her.

Where to Eat:

Given Nicci provided breakfast and dinner, and I packed a lunch for my hike, no recommendations for where to eat here.

What to Do:

Like a lot of New Zealand, the best things to do here involve hiking or boats. The afternoon I arrived I did a 2 hour hike to the Snout. It was a great way to stretch my legs after the 4 hour ferry from Wellington.

The best thing to do here is the Queen Charlotte Trail through the Marlborough Sounds. Given I did not have my backpacking gear or 5 days to spare, I obviously couldn’t complete the whole track. However, Nicci recommended a day trip that allowed me to do about 15km of the trek, which was perfect! This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand. The views were unbelievable and there weren’t too many people around. It was peaceful to meander through the Marlborough Sounds and I met three Irish women who I became friends with (and met up with twice more in the South Island).

Overall Thoughts:

Picton was such a fun stop for me! I ran into a girl I met at the hostel I stayed at in Auckland and we grabbed a drink. I met the three Irish ladies who I couldn’t wait to hang out with again. The day hike was magical. I loved my hostel and the cute town of Picton. Also, because the Kiwi Experience doesn’t stop here for a night it provided a break from the experience which was nice. Definitely recommend a stop here to spend time in the Marlborough Sounds!

CITY: Kaiteriteri (Abel Tasman)

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Kaiteri Lodge and it was not the worst, but not the best. You have to pay for wifi and you have to put a deposit down for silverware (which you get back when you check out). It just didn’t give the place warm, fuzzy vibes. However, there was a restaurant/bar and a smoothie food truck in the same lot so access to food was great. Kaiteriteri is small so there aren’t too many options for accommodation. As such, this isn’t a bad choice.

Where to Eat:

My favorite meal here was my smoothie bowl from The Mermaid’s Beach House (next to the hostel). So yummy and nice to have something healthy!

I also got a burger from Gone Burgers, which was pretty delicious and fairly reasonably priced.

What to do:

The two great things to do here is hike through Abel Tasman National Park and kayak around the outskirt of the national park.

The kayaking brought us to two different islands where we saw waterfalls, sea lions, black sand beaches, and had a picnic lunch (which you need to bring, unless you pre-pay for a lunch with them). It was beautiful to get a taste of the national park.

Overall Thoughts:

This was a cool, low-key stop along the Kiwi Experience route. Very small town with a few restaurants, but I enjoyed this lazy spot. The kayaking was stunning and definitely a highlight. This is also where I met a whole new group of people on my bus, which I would become good friends with and travel the rest of New Zealand with 🙂

CITY: Westport

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Bazil’s hostel, which was a quirky, homey hostel. We only stayed one night so we didn’t get too acquainted with the hostel, but the kitchen was well equipped and they had a nice common room with a large tv that some people used for a movie night. If for some reason you end up in Westport, don’t hesitate to book here.

Where to eat:

We were literally here for less than 18 hours so we only cooked in the hostel and did not eat out.

What to do:

Westport seemed like a bit of a random stop along the west coast so there is not necessarily a reason to stop here, other than potentially to break up the drive along the west coast (?). The one activity offered to us on the Kiwi Experience was a surf lesson. I opted out as I wanted to save surf lessons for an area with warm water (Australia, Bali, etc).

CITY: Lake Mahinapua

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

As legend has it, the Kiwi Experience bus broke down and got stranded about 20 years ago near the Lake Mahinapua Hotel. The hotel was nice enough to take them in and now the bus stops here on every route. Once again, I think this is just another spot to break up the time down the west coast to Franz Josef glacier, but it’s a nice spot. The beach is about a 5 min walk and there is a pretty lake about a 10 min walk away. There is no wifi, but there are hot tubs! It’s a flat $55, but that included dinner, breakfast, and your room as there is no kitchen.

Where to eat:

You are treated to a yummy dinner and a lovely breakfast buffet in the morning at the hotel.

What to do:

The main activity is a fancy dress/costume party the night we stay here. The theme when I went was dressing up as something that started with the first letter of your name. As such, I went as a marathon runner (aka wore what I wear everyday while traveling haha). It was a fun night, but I would have loved for there to be more drinking games so it was more social and you got to know everyone. Instead it was just very loud music so all you could do was dance.

The morning after I did go for a lovely run near the lake through some trails so that was great!

Also, I did not participate in this, but you could carve your own piece of jade jewelry here.

Overall thoughts:

There is no reason to stop here unless you are on Kiwi Experience, and this definitely wasn’t my favorite stop, but I did enjoy the hot tub and walking to the lake.

CITY: Franz Josef

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTs

Accommodation:

Rainforest Retreat was one of my favorite places we stayed in New Zealand. The whole place felt like a rustic lodge. There’s a hot tub and sauna. The restaurant had fireplaces and it felt like the perfect place to cozy up for some hot chocolate or ciders. The kitchen was very functional and the wifi worked fairly well (for NZ standards). While we stayed in dorm-style rooms, they also have private rooms and bungalows as well as camping spots. If you plan on stopping in Franz Josef to see the glacier, then definitely stay here.

The restaurant where we had all you can eat pizzas

Where to eat:

We ate at the restaurant at the retreat as they offered an all you can eat pizza night and who can turn that down? There were some cool looking restaurants around town so have a wander and see what tickles your fancy!

What to do:

Almost everything around this town centers on the glacier. You can walk on it, take a helicopter over it, ride snowmobiles, climb it. In the interest of budgeting my money, I chose to just do a hike to the foot of the glacier for a small peek of it. I wish I had the money to do the heli tour, but alas we can’t get everything we want 🙂 Side note: It’s pretty devastating to see how much the glacier has melted in the past 100 years #climatechangeisreal

Overall thoughts:

I could have stayed here one more day. I enjoyed the hike and the lodge and the pretty valley it was located in.

CITY: Wanaka

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTs

Accommodation:

We stayed at Base and unless you are on Kiwi Experience, I would recommend staying elsewhere. The wifi was bad, the kitchen was gross, and there are definitely better places to stay. It’s also a dry hostel. The location was close to the water though so that’s a plus.

Where to eat:

My favorite place to eat was the crepe shack, Charlie Brown Crepes, right next to the Base hostel. I went twice I liked it so much. I also had a delicious hot chocolate from them.

I had a decadent ice cream from Patagonia chocolate after hiking all morning.

What to do:

One of the most famous spots in Wanaka is the Wanaka Tree, which is a tree that is growing out of the lake. It’s about a 15 min walk from town around the lake. The lake was a bit flooded while we were there so my friends and I agreed it didn’t look particularly cool, but normally it’s beautiful.

The highlight in Wanaka for me was the hike to Roy’s Peak. While some of my friends did it for sunrise, I am not a morning person, but they said it was amazing. I left with some other friends at around 8am to beat the afternoon sun. It took us about 2.75 hours to get to the top and about 2.25 hours to get down, including some breaks for water, rest and food. There aren’t restrooms once you leave the bottom so keep that in mind. Don’t forget snacks, water and sunscreen! This was definitely a hard hike as it’s mostly straight up to the peak and the obviously straight down to the bottom.

Another fun thing to do here is go for a ride on a boat on Lake Wanaka. I chose not to go for budget reasons, but my friends who went really enjoyed it!

Overall thoughts:

This is a beautiful, sleepy, relaxing spot in New Zealand. I love a cute town on a lake! I easily could have stayed here longer.

CITY: Queenstown

HOW LONG: 12 NIGHTs

Accommodation:

We stayed at Nomads in Queenstown. It is in a great location, right in the middle of town so close to all the bars and next to the lake. You can’t beat the location. The kitchen was most everything you needed, but it could get crowded at peak cooking times. The “free breakfast” consisted of toast and jam so I wouldn’t rely on that. The wifi is quite unreliable and kicks you off constantly. Plenty of showers and bathrooms, which is good as it’s a decently sized hostel, but it wasn’t always super clean. Rooms didn’t have lockers so make sure to have a lock for your bag itself. I would recommend staying at one of the other cool hostels in town (and there are many), however, if you are on a tight budget, this hostel will do the trick.

Where to eat:

Queenstown has so many fun spots to try. A few highlights were:

Fergberger– If you are traveling in New Zealand and haven’t heard of Fergberger then you must not have spoken to one other traveler. There is always a line out the door and once you have a burger, you understand why. My advice: don’t be afraid to go a couple of times, whether you take it to go and sit by the water at sunset or if you go late at night after a night out and try a few different burgers (they are all good). I didn’t love the fries, but that might just be personal preference as I like shoestring fries.

Ferbakery– This is right next to the famed Fergburger and has delicious sandwiches and ice cream!

Cookietime– What a dream for me: mixing cookie dough and ice cream! I went a few times to try different menu items and ultimately tried the cookie dough milkshake, chocolate chip cookies and the double chocolate vanilla milkshake. My favorite was definitely the cookie dough milkshake but they were all delicious!

Cannot have too many cookie dough milkshakes 🙂

World Bar– This is a great bar for bar hopping in the evening, but I also really, really liked the burger and fries I got here!

The Boat Shed– While biking around the lake we stopped here for a quick snack. It’s a really quaint spot and cutely decorated.

Vudu Cafe & Larder– This is the cutest spot for some delicious, healthy, inventive meals. I went twice!

Devil Burger– Another great burger stop and as a bonus the line is shorter than at Fergburger.

The Bathhouse– This is a cute little spot for some pastries and a coffee in the morning. Grab a spot outside and just enjoy the view of the lake. I had a great banana bread and hot chocolate here.

Little Blackwood– This is a slightly nicer bar right on the water. A bit on the smaller size, but it had delicious drinks.

What to do:

MM OH MY there is a lot to do in Queenstown so it really comes down to the time you have, the $$$ you can blow, and what you enjoy doing.

For the hikers, there is Queenstown hill and Ben Lomond. There are plenty of other hikes if you have a car and get yourself out of Queenstown itself.

You can take a day trip to Milford Sound.

For the adrenalie junkies, there are no shortage of options for bungy jumping, catapolts, swings, and skydiving. You can also canyon down a river and speed along a river in a speedboat. You can mountain bike and race around the lake in a tiny shark-like contraption.

You can enjoy a leaisurely walk through the gardens or the path around the lake. You can take a cruise through the lake or enjoy a glass of wine at one the many bars right on the water.

For the partiers, you better believe every night feels like a Saturday night here and the bars are happening. Every 20 feet there is a cool bar to check out that probably has a happy hour going on, including an ice bar.

If you are here during the winter, then ski at one of the 5 ski resorts nearby.

It is very easy to fill your time with activities and empty your pcokets while in Queenstown. ENJOY!

Overall thoughts:

Queenstown was by far my favorite place in New Zealand. I could spend a month here; in fact, I could spend a year here working on a working holiday visa.

Please allot appropriate time here in Queenstown on your trip to the South Island. It is such a fun spot to hang for a few days.

North Island, New Zealand

December 3, 2019Leave a comment

Given I am traveling New Zealand solo, I decided that buying or renting a car would not work that well for me for a couple of reasons:

They drive on the left side of the road (and I did not want to navigate that while on my own.
It’s expensive if you can’t split the costs
If I was driving alone and sleeping in the car it would be more difficult to meet people.

This left me with two options: I could buy a pass on one of those hop off/ hop on busses that have a set path or I could try to use the public bus system and buy one ways around the country. After talking to the people at my hostel in Auckland I decided to try my hand at the organized bus trip through Kiwi Experience. I also looked at Stray, but Kiwi Experience had a route that was perfect for me and I was able to get it on sale so it was cheaper! I will write up my thoughts of the Kiwi Experience once I complete my trip in NZ and link it here. The following outlines the route that my pass on Kiwi Experience took me on. If you are driving by car, you wouldn’t necessarily stop at the same stops, but I had no control over my route 🙂

CITY: Auckland

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Oaklands Lodge in the Mt. Eden area of Auckland. When I left California, the only two things I had planned was my flight to Auckland and 3 nights at this hostel. I figured I would land at the hostel, deal with jet lag, and then figure out how best to explore NZ by talking with people. I loved this hostel the minute I walked through the doors. It was homey, warm and inviting. While it is not in downtown Auckland (it’s about a 20 minute bus ride or 50 min walk), the Mt. Eden area is so cute and quaint. I really enjoyed walking around the area, hiking up to Mt Eden for the incredible views and exploring the cute restaurants. The hostel itself has personal lockers in the room, a great industrial sized kitchen, a great common area and nice backyard with hammocks. The folks at the front desk were also very helpful and knowledgable about the area. Would absolutely stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

My favorite restaurant that I ate at in Mt Eden was Circus Circus, a fun, circus themed cafe around the corner from the hostel. I had a delicious burger while my friend had a yummy looking plate of pasta.

On a day trip to Waiheke Island with some friends from the hostel, we ate at Too Fat Buns. This was a great (cheapish) option that had great burgers and milkshakes!

The highlight of my meals in Auckland was an ice cream experience like no other. Giapo thinks of ice cream as art and as such, when you walk in the door you are taken to a ice cream tasting where a sommelier of sorts takes you through each flavor. You then choose your ice cream (+ corresponding toppings) and the type of cone (often wearable). Next you must instagram the concoction 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

I was recovering from the 20 hours of traveling so I used my time in Auckland to lay lie and get oriented. However the highlights of my time in Auckland were:

A day trip to Waiheke Island (and easy ferry ride away)

German friends testing the water temperature

Running to the Domain, a park containing museums and memorials

Walking and reading in Cornwall Park

Climbing Mt Eden at Sunset for the incredible views

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Auckland, but was glad to stay in the Mt Eden Village rather than downtown. Mt Eden was quaint and reminded me of a mix of the US and the UK. It felt very safe. Auckland sometimes get the reputation of just being a bland city and that you should get out into other parts of NZ as soon as you can, but I actually really enjoyed being here for 5 days. My number one recommendation is to take a day trip to Waiheke Island as that was the highlight for me!

CITY: Hot Water Beach

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

There are not many options for accommodation here so I recommend staying at Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, where we stayed on the Kiwi Experience. The bunk rooms were basic but did the job. They have all sorts of different types of accommodation- camping spots, RV Hookups, private rooms, bunk rooms, etc. The kitchen is fairly basic and didn’t seem to have cutlery, pans etc. so I am not sure how one is supposed to use it. Luckily there is a food stall with breakfast and dinner options so plan to eat that while you are there.

WHERE TO EAT:

As mentioned above, there is not much going on in this “town” and we were only here for a night so the only place ate was at the Holiday Park.

WHAT TO DO:

They are two main reasons to make a stop here: the Hot Water Beach and the walk to Cathedral Cove. Both were fun activities!

At low tide, visitors can dig down in the sand and hot water from underground springs filters to the surface, creating hot pools of water. The water can be as hot as 147 °F (64 °C) AKA HOT. When we were there, there were a lot of pools that had already been dug up so we sat in those instead of digging our own. While the water was certainly WARM, it was definitely not hot. I’m sure if we had dug a little deeper we might have gotten the pool hotter, but we couldn’t be bothered.

After sitting in the pools we changed into walking gear and we bussed over to the start of the Cathedral Cove trail. The walk is not too far (60 min return; roughly 3 miles). This is a must do! Beautiful walk and you end at the famed Cathedral Cove (Macklemore shot a music video here and the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe shot here as well).

Overall Thoughts:

This was a fun stop on the Kiwi Experience. I enjoyed the walk to Cathedral Cove more than the Hot Water Beach, but maybe if you had more time to enjoy the beach (we only had about 45 min) then it would be better. If you are tight on time while in NZ, I am not sure this is worth going out of your way for, but if you are doing the Kiwi Experience, this is a fun first stop!

CITY: Waitomo

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park. Once again there are not too many options around here as the main thing to do here is caving and there is not major town. That being said, this Holiday Park was set in a beautiful little valley and it was so peaceful. Kitchen was not great so don’t rely on it.

Where to Eat:

There are a few small restaurants within walking distance of this spot. Check them out on trip advisor and see what appeals and works for your budget!

What to do:

The only reason really to stop here is to go caving, but what a great reason! I went on a 5 hr adventure in the caves with The Legendary Black Water Company. We abseiled into the caves, zip lined, tubed, and free climbed two water falls. Talk about an heart racing day. Definitely one of my favorite activities of the trip!

Overall Thoughts:

This is a can’t miss while in New Zealand. I absolutely loved my time in both Waitomo and the caves!

CITY: Rotorua

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTs

ACCOMMODATION:

The Kiwi Experience bus stays at Base Hostel, but someone had told me about another hostel (Funky Green Voyager Backpackers) to stay at so I booked there. If you are on Kiwi Experience I recommend staying at the hostel they stay at because I regret not staying with my friends while here. Inevitably you just end up hanging with your friends the whole time in their room and it was annoying to have to walk back to the other hostel late at night. I literally spent no time at the hostel other than to sleep. That being said the Funky Green Voyager seemed like a great hostel. Great kitchen facilities and very homey feeling. I would recommend staying here if you aren’t with Kiwi Experience.

Where to Eat:

Social club was my favorite spot to eat in Rotorua. I had the most delicious pancakes and it was decorated beautifully.

I love a good ice cream and Lady Jane’s delivered. It’s located at the end of Eat Street, which is a fun walking street with a bunch of fun restaurants and bars.

What to do:

There are a lot of things you can do in Rotorua! I did not get to try everything due to time constraints as well as budget. However, my highlight was zip lining in the native forest nearby. We chose to do the Ultimate Canopy Tour, which included a total of 1200m of zip lines, swing bridges and a snack while sitting on a cliff above the tree canopy. We learned about the conservation efforts in New Zealand, heard the chirps of rare birds coming off the brink of extinction and raced down a 400 meter long zipline. An afternoon well spent!

Hobbiton is a must while in the North Island. I have never been a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, but this was a blast. So fun to learn more about the behind the scenes of this crazy series.

The North Island of New Zealand is where most of the native Maori lived historically and in current times, which is why there is a large cultural presence today. We were incredibly lucky to learn more about this important culture while attending a traditional hangi, which means “all you can eat” at the Tamakaki Maori Village. I highly recommend stopping here for either an overnight or just the dinner.

Rotorua is known for the geothermal activity (hence the noticeable smell of sulfur floating around the town). While the smell is a downside, the hot springs available around town is the silver lining. I enjoyed a relaxing morning at the Polynesian Spa, which was walking distance from my hostel. $32 nzd got me access to 8 pools of varying temperatures (all above 38C).

We also spent an afternoon luging in Rotorua. You take a gondola up the mountain and then race down in a luge cart!

Lastly, on our way out of Rotorua, we stopped at Te Puia, the center for New Zealand’s Maori culture and geothermal wonders.

Overall Thoughts:

There is a lot to do in the surrounding areas of Rotorua so definitely make a stop here. There’s a cute park and nice downtown area. I liked Rotorua and could have stayed a day or two longer.

CITY: Taupo

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Base Taupo. This is not where I would stay if I was traveling on my own, but because all my friends from Kiwi Experience were staying here, so was I. There was a basic kitchen, but there is definitely room for improvement

Where to eat:

I mostly cooked in the kitchen here, but a friend and I had a lovely lunch at Piccolo. Also, don’t skip a stop at Luna’s Gelateria!

What to do:

Through Kiwi Experience, we hopped onto a sailing trip the day we arrived at Taupo. It was fairly cheap and included some pizza for dinner! We set off on the sunny afternoon and headed around the lake. We stopped at some carvings on the rocks (famous in Taupo) and a quick dip in the water (mostly Dutch people who weren’t afraid of the freezing water), before heading back at sunset.

The main thing to do in Taupo is the Tongariro Crossing. This was one of my highlights of the North Island. It’s a 19.4km trek that is rated one of the best day hikes in New Zealand. It can be fairly dangerous due to weather conditions certain parts of the year so be sure to check online before you head out. Also, make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, lunch, some layers, and a rain jacket. We were lucky that the weather held up fairly well for us. Blue skies and no rain. All we had to deal with was some heavy wind at the top of the passing. Highly recommend completely this trek while in Taupo.

Overall Thoughts:

I enjoyed Taupo, but it wasn’t my favorite. It’s worth a stop here to enjoy the lake and take a day for the Tongariro Crossing, but other than that, move on to other spots.

CITY: River Valley

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

River Valley Lodge is a magical, magical place. This was one of my favorite stops on the Kiwi Experience because there’s no wifi so everyone just sits downstairs in the lodge common room and plays cards and drinks cider. It was so comfy and homey. The room is a 32 person bunk room, which was unique and cozy (good thing you are already friends with everyone on the bus by this point). This was such a picturesque spot, located right on a river.

Where to Eat:

This lodge is in the middle of nowhere so you should partake in their roast dinner offering and just plan to buy breakfast from them in the morning. Both were delicious.

What to do:

I would say there are three main activities: white water rafting, horseback riding, and sitting by the river and reading a book.

I chose to splurge on white water rafting and it was a blast! The guides were great and it was fun splashing around as we went down the river. The best part? You end right in front of the lodge with just enough time to take a quick shower and then hop on the bus.

Overall Thoughts:

I really liked staying at The River Valley Lodge. What a magical place. While there isn’t a ton to do outside horseback riding or white water rafting, it’s a beautiful place to relax and read a book for a day. I wish I had spent a second night here.

CITY: Wellington

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Base the first two nights because that’s where the bus stays and my friends were going to be here their two nights. However, once they were gone and I couldn’t run faster to The Marion! I literally cannot say enough good things about The Marion! The best way I could describe it is it’s as if they asked a group of backpackers what they each would want in their dream hostel and The Marion incorporated EVERY SINGLE SUGGESTION. Free towel? Check. Beautiful kitchen with every cooking apparatus you would want? Check. Beds with an individual shelf, plug, light, and curtain? Check. Fun activities each day/night? Check. Movie room with comfy couches and Netflix already hooked up? Check. Anyway, it’s a no brainer that you should stay here while in Wellington. Like don’t even spend time researching anything else.

Where to Eat:

Because most of my friends left before me in Wellington, I took advantage of cooking at the hostel to save money, rather than eating out.

The two spots I enjoyed were Fidels for a reasonably priced lunch and Zelati for a delicious ice cream. Both are easy to find on/near Cuba St.

What to do:

It rained most of the time I was in Wellington, unfortunately, so I did not do many activities. The Te Papa museum was really fun (and easy to do on a rainy day). They had a great animal exhibit where we learned all about the native and extinct wildlife in New Zealand, but my favorite was their earthquake simulator. None of my friends had been in an earthquake before and it was fun to hear their thoughts. Being from California, I am fairly familiar with earthquakes 🙂

Whenever there was a quick break in the rain, I would quickly throw my shoes on and go for a walk around Cuba St. It’s one of the main streets in Wellington and there are tons of fun shops and restaurants to meander through.

Overall Thoughts:

Wellington was a pretty cool city. It definitely has a more hipster, cool vibe when compared to Auckland. Even though it was raining, I liked walking around and window shopping. If I ever did a working holiday in the North Island, this is where I would want to be!

Packing List: 6 months in Oceania & Southeast Asia (2019)

October 24, 2019November 17, 20252 Comments

It’s been 2.5 years since my gap year in Europe, and after 2 years of working at a startup in Silicon Valley, I decided the travel bug was too strong to ignore so here we are! I am taking off for 6 months traveling through New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. Luckily it will be warm while in most of these destinations so my clothes skew towards summer clothes and I don’t have to bring as many layers. I absolutely loved my 44L Tortuga backpack that I used on my last 12 month trip, but decided I wanted to challenge myself to take even less on this trip. Given my love for Tortuga, I immediately researched a few of the backpacks from their newest lines and ultimately chose the 35L Women’s Setout. I am thrilled with the size and new shape. It holds a ton of stuff for only 35L. I also bought the corresponding packing cubes because DUH. Lastly, given that this trip is more outdoorsy and adventure focused than the European trip, I knew I wanted to bring a daypack with me as taking my cross body purse (personal item) was not a feasible option for long hikes. Luckily for me, Tortuga thinks of everything! I bought their Setout Packable Daypack. It’s 19L so it’s big enough to hold a water bottle, swimsuit, and a towel, but it’s unstructured so can pack completely flat or in a ball stuff in a corner of my bag. I can’t wait to try it out!

On to the packing list:

Clothes

1 pair of crop Lululemon’s
1 pair of regular length Lululemon’s
1 pair of jean shorts
2 light-weight dresses
5 Cute shirts (4 everyday shirts, 1 going out shirt)
3 sports bras
2 athletic shirts (1 to sleep in)
Nike Booty shorts (to sleep in)
1 pair of running shorts
5 pairs of underwear
5 pairs of socks, 1 pair of compression socks for travel days
one nude bra, one black bralette
2 pairs of shoes (running shoes, Birkenstocks)
Patagonia (for cold airplanes)
1 Swimsuit
Sunglasses
Rain coat
Running band

Electronics

Computer + Charger
iPad
iPhone + Charger
GoPro + Charger
Headphones (Apple)
Headphones (Bose)
Plug adapter
Portable charger
Fitbit + Fitbit charger
Backup hardrive (in case computer is stolen)

Toiletries

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Flosser
Any medication you take
Retainer
Deodorant
Makeup
Eye makeup remover
Face wash
Moisturizer
Razor
Conditioner
Shampoo
Brush
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Ibuprofen
Hair ties and bobby pins
Moleskin
Bandaids
Cough drops
Topical steroid cream for bed bug bites or regular bug bites to help with itchiness
Deet (for Southeast Asia)
Malaria Pills (for Southeast Asia)
Pills for travelers diarrhea (in case)

Miscellaneous

Passport
International Certificate of Vaccination (I needed this to show that I have received the Yellow Fever vaccination)
Credit card with no foreign transaction fees (I prefer the Chase Sapphire Reserve)
Backup credit card with no foreign transaction fees (I am bringing a Chase Hyatt card)
Charles Schwab debit card (they refund all ATM fees anywhere in the world!)
License (as an extra form of ID when I don’t want to take my passport)
Inflatable neck pillow
Extra Passport photos
Thumb drive with all documentation
Handbag (for personal item on planes as well as day-to-day use)
Tortuga Setout Packable Daypack
Travel Towel
Grayl Water Bottle + extra cartridge (Amazing water bottle that filters water so you can drink from anywhere)
Ear Plug
Eye Mask
Lock (for staying in hostels)
Pack of cards

Here is everything spread out on a table!

All packed up and ready to go. Pictured: 35L Tortuga Setout Backpack + Purse from Target + airport outfit.

And I’m off!

Super compact, easy to carry, and mobile

The Bahamas

April 15, 2019Leave a comment

CITY: NASSAU

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

My sister and I stayed at two very different locations while in the Bahamas, one a hostel, the other a resort!

The first: BahaSea Backpackers Hostel This place was great! I’ve never stayed at a hostel that was beachfront before 🙂 It’s literally on the water and there are two pools. We stayed in a 10 person all female dorm, which had a en-suite bathroom and lockers under the bunk beds to lock up out stuff. My sister and I had a great time meeting other travelers. We met two lovely German gals who we played cards with each night. Overall this was an awesome hostel and to stay in the Bahamas for $50 per night is nothing to complain about.

BahaSea

View from our room!

Lounging around at the hostel

The second: Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Normally I wouldn’t stay at a resort like this because I would choose being able to travel for longer by staying at hostels, than traveling for shorter, but staying at more luxurious hotels. However, this trip was part of a Christmas gift from my parents, so hello Grand Hyatt! This place is magical. It’s right on Cable Beach, has 7 pools and 20 dining options! My sister and I felt like it was an adult Disneyland. We spent each day getting up to workout at the gym, going to a lovely breakfast, then heading to the pool for some sun, reading time and a drink. It doesn’t get much better. Each day we had fun deciding which pool we would make our home base for the next 6 hours. Our two German friends came to the hotel to spend two days by the pool/beach with us, and it was fun to share the resort with them. If you’re not on a budget, then this is definitely the place to stay in Nassau.

Looking out at Baha Mar

Bahamas

Exploring

Enjoying the pool

Our beautiful German friends

Soaking up the sun

Janni

Exploring the aquariums via the pool

Waterfalls

Supermodel much?

Our last night at sunset

WHERE TO EAT:

While at the hostel, there were two main restaurants in walking distance: News Cafe, which we went to for breakfast twice, and Spritz Restaurant & Bar, which we went to for dinner twice. Both were fine, but nothing to write home about. Spritz had a nice view though, so points for that.

View at Spritz Bar

At the Hyatt, you can’t really go wrong, but our favorites for breakfast were 3 Tides Fish House for their Breakfast Sandwich and Stuffed Brioche French Toast, & The Palms Cafe for their Acai Bowl and Banana Bread French Toast. For lunch/dinner (we would often do linner at around 4:30/5pm) our favorites were Umami Burger for it’s Impossible Burger & The Swimming Pig for their Truffle Pizza, Truffle Fries, and the best Spinach Caesar Salad you have ever had! The food at the Hyatt, while not cheap, was delicious.

Umami Burger

The Palms Cafe

3 Tides Fish House

Our favorite spinach salad

Pancakes at The Palms Cafe

WHAT TO DO:

Honestly, if you are in the Bahamas, your plans for what to do should center upon spending time at the beach and at the pool. BUT if you want to leave the relaxation of being by the water, there are many options for you! First, you can go to another island and sit by the water there 🙂 My sister and I did a day trip through Sandy Toes. It was about a 30 min boat ride to another island and once there you can swim with pigs, go snorkeling, or just lay back in a chaise lounge by the turquoise water.

Wind in our hair as we take the boat to Rose Island

Approaching the island

Rose Island!

Meeting the pigs

What a good boy!

No complaints here

Lounging around

Unbelievable water!

Look at this water!

The private beach

Ellie

The other must-do is to take a walk around the downtown area. Visit Graycliff to see a whimsical street, the chocolate factory, and the cigar factory. After Graycliff, just walk along Bay Street for some window shopping and some ice cream.

Ellie’s new date

The pretty street where Graycliff can be found

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

The Bahamas were the perfect spot to relax, catch up on reading, and sleep in. The water is unbelievable beautiful and we had the best time soaking up the sun. In the weeks leading up to our trip, I had read some travel advisories warning of some safety issues, however, my sister and I never felt unsafe, either at the hotel or when we were walking around in the downtown area. We even took the public busses and taxis, and not once did we have issues. Overall I would highly recommend a trip down the Bahamas!

Machu Picchu

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018Leave a comment

HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

While you can find tours that are cheaper than booking with Salkantay Trekking, you won’t be sorry to spend the extra money. You get to sleep under the stars in glass domes, in tents, and in a hotel, as opposed to sleeping outside in the cold or on the ground, like other tours. Additionally, you will be served some of the most amazing food by a chef who is dedicated to your tour group (up to 12 people). I can’t recommend booking with this company enough!

WHERE WE STAYED:

The first night was my favorite accommodation. We stayed in glass domes with views of the stars above. Despite the cold outside, the sleeping bags and blankets were more than enough to create a cozy, warm environment inside. The second night we spent in a tent under a thatched roof. Unfortunately it rained a decent amount before and while we were there so the tent was slightly damp, which tainted the experience a bit. However, it was still better than sleeping on the ground- which is what many other tours offer. Our last night we stayed in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the mountain which Maccu Picchu is perched upon.

Accommodation Night 1

Accommodation Night 2

Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

One of the main reasons to chose Salkantay Trekking over the many other tour companies is the food quality. IT IS JUST SO GOOD (and I am a very picky eater). We also had one vegetarian, one one nut allergy, and someone who was gluten-free. Despite all the diets to balance, each meal was a full spread filled with delicious options. A personal chef travels with our group the first 3 days and prepare hot, fresh food for each meal. For the amount of money we spent on the tour, this was an incredible feature. I can’t explain enough how this really made the trip so special.

Night one dinner spot

Lunch spread

Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Each of the four days on the trek was unique. Day 1 was fairly easy. After being picked up around 4am from each our hostels, we drove for a few hours before we stopped for a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant somewhere in the countryside outside of Cusco. After fueling up we walked about 2 hours to the location of our first campsite. Such a magical spot. It would become my favorite spot of the whole trip. After eating lunch, we set off up a mountain up to Humantay Lake. It was surreal walking around the huge valley completed surrounded by nature. This is one of my parts about backpacking- escaping the human world and immersing myself in the natural world. Overall we walked around 7.5 miles (12km) and gained 5,000 feet (1,250m) of elevation.

Where it all began

The group!

The long road ahead

The Incan aqueducts

Base camp for night on1

The hike up to Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

The group at Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

New friend

Day 2 was the hardest day. We would reach our highest elevation (aka no oxygen) and walk the farthest. After an early wakeup call (~5am) we got our day started with a delicious breakfast spread including coca tea. Unfortunately it was drizzling the entire morning, which was when we had the most difficult hiking of the day. The morning would entail a 4 mile hike straight up to the Salkantay Pass. It would be a 3,000 foot elevation gain and would take 3 hours to complete. Despite the mist and rain that we faced, I couldn’t help but not care as the views definitely made up for it. As we left our glass domed campsite nestled in the beautiful valley, we slowly traded green, grassy mountainsides for snow-capped peaks. By the time we reached the pass, snow was all you could see- under my feet and all the mountains surrounding us.

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

After pausing for a snack at the peak, we began our descent to our next campsite. The further we got away from the peak, the warmer it became. Immediately our group began to peel off our many layers, including our rain gear. 3 miles later we stopped for lunch and a quick rest. After lunch, we quickly entered what is known as the “cloud forrest”, the upper part of the Amazon jungle. We finished the last 6 miles in this climate. We were rewarded with many birds and beautiful plants and trees during this part of the trek. Finally we arrived at the Chauflay Village, where we camped for the night. There was wifi and electricity at this camp, so the peak of luxury 🙂

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

We were offered two options for day 3: either hike 16.1 miles to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu or visit a coffee plantation and natural hot springs and finish with about a 5 mile hike to Aguas Calientes. Naturally I convinced our group to choose the latter. It was interesting to see how coffee was made at a local plantation and it was glorious to sooth our aching muscles in the hot springs. After the morning activities and lunch at the hot springs, we drove a bit towards Aguas Calientes. However, since there are no cars allowed, tourists have two options of getting there: walking or taking the famous train. Given we had already skipped the morning part of the trek, we threw on our hiking gear and began our walk along the train tracks. Luckily it was fairly flat so it wasn’t too tough on our already sore bodies. 3 hours later we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town where everyone stays the night before they go to Machu Picchu. As I mentioned there are no cars, but the train runs right through town. That night we were put up in a (very basic) hotel room and went to dinner at a local restaurant. Fairly quickly after dinner we rushed home to get into bed because tomorrow would bring an early 4am wake up call in order to be first in line to take the bus up to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

On our way to the coffee plantation

Coffee beans we collected right off the trees

Processing the beans

After roasting the beans

Coffee

Gathering the beans

Roasting the beans

The Hot Springs

Enjoying the rest

Walking along the train tracks

High jungle

Aguas Calientes appears

Day 4: Machu Picchu. You can either hike 90 min up the mountain or take a 45 min bus (and after all the walking we did, we happily voted for the bus). By 4:30am we were standing in line for the bus. Once the busses start running around 5:30am, we were on the second bus up. It is so worth it to be on the first couple of busses up. In the first hour or so, it feels like you have Machu Picchu all to yourself.

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

Machu Picchu

So beautiful

My favorite photo

The valley

Machu Picchu from afar

SO CUTE

Can’t handle the cuteness!!!

Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

Lima + Cusco

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018Leave a comment

I spent a total of 10 days in Peru, but I wish I could spend a month! Peru is just lovely. Felt completely safe as a solo female traveler. English is fairly widely spoken in the places I went, although I speak Spanish so I would be fine anywhere. Peru definitely is set up for international travelers, which makes it great as a first trip to South America.

CITY: LIMA

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Pariwana hostel located in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. This is a pretty common area for travelers to stay in and there are tons of hostels to choose from. This hostel has a hot shower, lockers for your bags, and a great (free) breakfast. It was easy to meet people in the dorm rooms as well as upstairs on the roof top hangout spot. Tons of comfy lounge chairs and couches in the shade. Overall I really liked this hostel and would stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

Lima has some of the best food… but between my day tours and being jet legged I honestly didn’t eat anywhere noteworthy other than for some churros at Manolo. I had churros with some warm chocolate sauce for dipping. Delicioso! Definitely do your research and find some of the yummy gems in Lima.

The famous churros

WHAT TO DO:

My time in Lima was filled with two main activities: the free walking tour and a day trip to Paracas + Huacachina.

After landing in Lima at 8am, I knew I couldn’t immediately go to sleep even though I was dead-tired from my red-eye from California so I chose to drop my stuff at the hostel, grab a quick bite of the free breakfast and jump on the free waking tour. So glad I did because I met some fun people I ended up spending the rest of the day with.

The main park near my hostel

The park is famous for its many cats

The highlight of my time in Lima was the day trip to Paracas + Huacachina. I was picked up straight from my hostel at around 5:30am and was pleasantly surprised to find there were blankets and comfy chairs awaiting on the bus for us. After a few more pickups we were on our way to Paracas, the small seaside town where you can take a boat out to the Ballestas Islands. Once we arrived, we all climbed onto a large speedboat to head out to the uninhabited islands home to sea lions, penguins, and blue-footed booby. It was fabulous to see so many animals up close from the boat.

Sea Lions

After returning to Paracas and grabbing a bite to eat, we climbed back onto the bus to head to Huacachina, the famed desert oasis in Peru. It’s super cool! I wish I had spent the night here instead of only having a few hours, but alas a two week trip doesn’t allow for this. We had about an hour to walk around before hiking up the sand dunes to get in a dune buggy. We zoomed over the large sand dunes for 10 or 15 minutes before arriving to some large dunes primed for sand boarding. Our group quickly began sliding down headfirst on the the boards! This was only the beginning of the adventure that awaited for me in Peru!

The Oasis

Dunebuggy

Strapped in!

Let’s go!

The desert

The oasis

Ready for some sand boarding

Sunset

Sunset

Huacachina bathed in the sunset

CITY: CUSCO

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Given the activities ahead of me in Cusco I did not want to stay in a party hostel. Sleep was key to fully taking advantage of all Cusco had to offer, however I still wanted to be able to meet people. Dragonfly Hostel was the perfect solution. I met tons of great people, but the rooms were fairly quiet. My 8 person room had it’s own bathroom and each bed had an assigned locker that fit my 44L backpack. There was a laundry-mat next to the hostel, which was great after finishing my 4-day trek. Also, the hostel had a kitchen and free breakfast every morning. Overall I would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

For some reason the theme of food in Cusco for me was pizza. I ended up eating pizza three nights out of the five I was there. The first place I ate was Incanto Pizza. It felt like a treat. Peru was so cheap that while this felt like an upscale restaurant, my budget wasn’t compromised. After long day trips (often up at 4am), by the time I was back, picking up a pizza was about all the energy I could expend. Twice I went to the pizza place around the corner from my hostel and picked up a cheese pizza with bacon & no sauce (my favorite). A common option in many Peruvian restaurants is a “Set Menu” where for about ~10 soles (~$3 USD), you can get a starter, main course, dessert and drink. I experienced this at the restaurant directly next to my hostel, but you can find this all over town.

Incanto Pizza!

Despite my lack of creativity, Cusco is filled with amazing, cool, diverse restaurants. Tons of great local Peruvian cuisine as well as a large amount of vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

WHAT TO DO:

To start, Cusco is at a very high elevation so take it easy and drink some Coca tea. Then go explore Cusco! It looked like no other city I had been to. I loved the architecture and all the tiny streets and alleys. Spend at least one day meandering through all the shops and view points as it’s nestled in a little valley.

The main square

View from one of the many hills

Cusco

The main square

The old walls

After meeting a British couple in my hostel one late night, I was convinced to join them on a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain (also known as Vinicunca also known as Montaña de Siete Colores). At first I was skeptical since I had read it can be slightly dangerous to go up if it’s muddy and that the colors aren’t as bright as you have seen on Instagram, but I liked Kade and Megan so I decided to join them. I learned on my year abroad that life is more about who you are with than about what you are doing. So the next morning at 4am the three of us sleepily got on the bus and we were on our way. When we arrived to the base of the hike, it doesn’t look that far, however it’s not the distance that’s killer- it’s the elevation. It’s about a 2 hour hike up, but you start at 14,600 feet and end at 16,520 feet. For perspective, basecamp Everest is 17,590 feet. Boy, did I feel the elevation. It was so strange to walk about 10 steps and need to take a break. You can feel your heart beating what feels like 10x faster than normal. However, despite the many breaks, Kade, Megan and I successfully made it to the top. It was definitely worth the early morning and the slight altitude sickness. Just take a look for yourself!

On our way to Rainbow Mountain

My favorite horse

Half way up

Beautiful day

Megan + Kade

Traditional clothing

New friends

We made it!

The main event was my four day trek to Maccu Picchu, but see below for that. However, after my trek I had one more day in Cusco and I spent it at Qoya Spa at the Casa Cartagena Hotel because my muscles were screaming at me! It was an absolutely lovely day. I floated in the spa, breathed deeply in the steam room, and fell half asleep in my 90 min hot stone massage. The massage was ~120 USD and with it came the use of the spa for the entire day so after spending about 6 hours in the facility it felt like a great deal. Also, the hotel is gorgeous and if a day comes where I can afford to stay there, I plan to.

The hotel!

The most picturesque spot I could imagine

Where I lounged half the day

HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

WHERE WE STAYED:

Accommodation Night 1

Accommodation Night 2

Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

Night one dinner spot

Lunch spread

Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Where it all began

The group!

The long road ahead

The Incan aqueducts

Base camp for night on1

The hike up to Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

The group at Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake

New friend

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

On our way to the coffee plantation

Coffee beans we collected right off the trees

Processing the beans

After roasting the beans

Coffee

Gathering the beans

Roasting the beans

The Hot Springs

Enjoying the rest

Walking along the train tracks

High jungle

Aguas Calientes appears

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

Machu Picchu

So beautiful

My favorite photo

The valley

Machu Picchu from afar

SO CUTE

Can’t handle the cuteness!!!

Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

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Where I have been (Cities)

March 13, 2018September 28, 20251 Comment

This is a list of all the cities I have been to (not including the US). If you are visiting any of these, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Cities I’ve been to in

Total: 347 cities

North America (excluding the US) (10 Countries)

Belize (1)

Belize City
Caye Caulker
San Ignacio

Canada (2)

Vancouver
Whistler

Costa Rica (6)

San Jose
Santa Teresa
Nosara
Monteverde
La Fortuna
Manuel Antonio

El Salvador (8)

San Salvador
Santa Ana
Chalchuapa
Juayua
Ataca
El Tunco
El Zonte
La Unión

Guatemala (8)

Flores
Semuc Champey
Antigua
San Pedro
San Marcos
San Juan
Chichicastenango
Guatemala City

Honduras (2)

Utila
Roatan

Mexico (4)

Puerta Vallarta
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico City
Oaxaca

Nicaragua (5)

Ometepe
Granada
Managua
Corn Islands
Leon

Panamá (5)

Panama City
Valle de Antón
Santa Catalina
Boquete
Bocas del Toro

The Bahamas (1)

Nassau

Europe (42 Countries)

Albania (1)

Shkodër

Austria (2)

Salzburg
Vienna

Belgium (7)

Brussels
Waterloo
Bruges
Knokke Beach
Leuven
Sint-Eloois-Winkel
Ghent

Bosnia (3)

Mostar
Blagaj
Pochitelj

Bulgaria (5)

Sofía
Plovdiv
Burgas
Nessebar
Sveti Vlas

Croatia (6)

Zagreb
Plitvice National Park
Zadar
Split
Supertar
Dubrovnik

Cyprus (1)

Larnaca

Czech Republic (1)

Prague

Denmark (1)

Copenhagen

England (29)

London
Milton Keynes
Salisbury
Worcester
Stratford-on-Avon
London Southend On Sea
Reigate
Brighton
Bath
Bradford-on-Avon
Cambridge
Ardingly
Lewes
Ditchling
Haywards Heath
Lindfield
Aylesbury
Sheffield
Castleton
Holmes Chapel
East Croyden
Twickenham
Croyde
Lynton
Lynmouth
Clovelly
Bristol
Red Hill
Manchester

Estonia (1)

Tallinn

Finland (2)

Helsinki
Porvoo

France (12)

L’isle sur la Sorgue, Provence
Chamonix
Paris
Loire valley
Versailles
St. Malo
Eauze
Nogaro
Aire-del-l’Adour
Arcachon
St Emillion
Bordeaux

Germany (5)

Munich
Hamburg
Bad Oldesloe
Berlin
Stuttgart

Greece (5)

Mykonos Town
Fira
OÍa
Kamira
Athens

Hungary (1)

Budapest

Iceland (1)

Reykjavik

Ireland (5)

Dublin
Galway
Tralee
Dingle
Killarney

Italy (14)

Lake Garda
Sestri Levante
Santa Margherita
Cinque Terre
Lake Como
San Gimignano
Siena
Florence
Naples
Ischia
Rome
Menori
Amalfi
Positano

Kosovo (2)

Prístina
Prizren

Latvia (2)

Riga
Sigulda

Liechtenstein (5)

Vaduz
Triesenberg
Malbun
Stausse Steg
Balzers

Lithuania (3)

Vilnius
Trakai
Kaunas

Luxembourg (1)

Luxembourg City

Montenegro (4)

Kotor
Cetinje
Budva
Ulcinj

North Macedonia (2)

Skopje
Ohrid

Northern Ireland (2)

Belfast
Derry

Norway (2)

Oslo
Bergen

Poland (2)

Warsaw
Krakow

Portugal (3)

Porto
Lisbon
Sintra

Romania (6)

Cluj-Napoca
Sighișoara
Alba Lulia
Sibiu
Brasov
Bucharest

Scotland (2)

Edinburgh
Loch Ness

Serbia (3)

Belgrade
Novi Sad
Bajina Basta

Slovakia (1)

Bratislava

Slovenia (5)

Ljubljana
Škofja Loka
Piran
Bled
Lake Bohinj

Spain (22)

Barcelona
Madrid
San Sebastián
Sitges
Montserrat
Mallorca
Seville
Valencia
Granada
Alicante
Cadaqués
Villanova de Arousa
Villagarcia de Arousa
Pontevedra
Vilassar de Dalt
Vilassar de Mar
Cábrils
Mátaro
Girona
Vidreres
Viladrau
Santa Coloma de Farners

Sweden (2)

Stockholm
Värmdö

Switzerland (11)

Geneva
Verbier
Le Chable
Lausanne
Lutry
Brienz
Grindelwald
Lauterbrunnen
Mürren
Gimmelwald
Kandersteg

The Netherlands (2)

Amsterdam
Utrecht

The Vatican (1)

The Vatican

Wales (1)

Cardiff

Africa (2 countries)

Egypt (3)

Cairo
Aswan
Hurghada

Morocco (3)

Chefchouan
Tangier
Tetouan

South America (6 countries)

Argentina (5)

Buenos Aires
Mendoza
El Chalten
El Calafate
Ushuaia

Bolivia (2)

La Paz
Uyuni

Chile (6)

Santiago
San Jose de Maipo
Valparaiso
San Pedro de Atacama
Easter Island
Puerto Natales

Colombia (6)

Bogotá
Medellín
Guatapé
Minca
Tayrona National Park
Cartagena

Peru (5)

Lima
Paracas
Ica
Cusco
Aguas Calientes

Uruguay (3)

Montevideo
Punta del Este
Colonia

Oceania (4 countries)

Australia (15)

Melbourne
Sydney
Yamba
Byron bay
Brisbane
Noosa
Rainbow beach
Fraser Island
Airlie beach
Whitsundays
Magnetic island
Cairns
Port Douglas
Cronella
Gymea Bay
Shoal Bay
Palm Beach

Fiji (2)

Nadi
Matagi Island

New Zealand (14)

Auckland
Hot water beach
Waitomo
Rotarua
Taupo
Wellington
Picton
Kaiteriteri
Westport
Franz Josef
Wanaka
Queenstown
Christchurch
Mount Cook

Vanuatu (1)

Port Vila

Asia (14 countries)

Armenia (1)

Yerevan

Azerbaijan (2)

Baku
Sheki

Cambodia (1)

Siem Reap

Georgia (1)

Sighnaghi

Indonesia (6)

Canggu
Ubud
Gili T
Nusa Penida
Uluwatu
Seminyak

Japan (3)

Tokyo
Kyoto
Hakone

Laos (3)

Vientiane
Vang Vieng
Luang Prabang

Malaysia (7)

Kota Kinabalu
Sepilok
Mabul
Sipadan
George Town
Cameron Highlands
Langkawi

Qatar (1)

Doha

Singapore (1)

Singapore

Thailand (8)

Koh Lipe
Koh Lanta
Khao Sok
Koh Tao
Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Pai
Chiang Rai

The Philippines (6)

Coron
El Nido
Bohol
Siquijor
Moalboal
Malapascua

Turkey (4)

Istanbul
Goreme/Cappadocia
Antalya
Arnavutköy

Vietnam (6)

Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Cat Ba City
Ninh Binh
Ha Giang
Hoi An

Austin, Texas

March 10, 2018Leave a comment

Austin was my first solo trip since getting back from Europe, and it was awesome! What a cool city.

CITY: AUSTIN

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at my first hostel in the States! Drifter Jack’s was located near UT Austin and about a 10 min bus ride to downtown Austin, which was perfect. The hostel, while not my favorite, was overall pretty good. It was fairly easy to meet people in kitchen, common room, or the pool table outside. There was no free breakfast, but there were lockers in the room (although mine was hard to reach because I had the one on top unfortunately). The rooms were spacious and clean. Overall would stay here again.

One of the walls within the hostel

WHERE TO EAT:

WOWOWOW Austin has some amazing places to eat. I was here for four days and felt like four weeks wouldn’t be enough time to try all the places I wanted to try. I started with Waltons Fancy and Staple, a yummy, clearly popular, brunch spot. I tried a biscuit sandwich, which had eggs, smoked cheddar, bacon, and an aioli. It was delicious.

My biscuit sandwich

I couldn’t go to Texas without trying BBQ so with the group of British guys I met at my hostel, we visited Freedmen’s Bar. I ordered a barbecue benedict and was not disappointed. Meanwhile the guys ordered one pound of meat each and ate every last bite.

The Brits enjoying the BBQ

BBQ Benedict

Voodoo Doughnuts, made famous in Portland, OR, also has a location on 6th street in Austin. In my time in Austin, I tried 3 doughnuts: Maple Bacon Bar (Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top), Old Dirty Bastard (Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreo cookies, and peanut butter), and Blueberry Cake (Blueberry cake doughnut with a glaze). Hands down the best one is the Maple Bacon Bar. After the pub crawl we can came here and the Brits were asking which one to get and I told them to get the Maple Bacon Bar. They were skeptical going in, but after trying it they couldn’t stop talking about how unbelievably good it was. ALSO it’s a great spot for pictures!

Inside Voodoo

The long line for DOUGHNUTS

Maple Bacon Bar

Old Dirty Bastard

For a quick and easy breakfast, Blenders and Bowls is perfect. I ended up eating there twice it was so good. Both times I had the O.G. acai bowl and added spinach.

O.G. Acari Bowl

I was delighted to spot a Modern Market while in Austin as I used to eat there probably 3 times a week when I lived in Boulder! They have great, healthy, fresh food with plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. I ate a yummy truffle potato pizza and side of sweet potato mash.

Last, but not least, was The Grove Bar and Kitchen. The reason I went was to try the Impossible Burger, but I ended up having the best bruschetta I’ve ever had (outside of Italy of course!). But honestly it was so good!!

The Impossible Burger!

I tried three: Heirloom tomato, garlic, basil, & mozzarella. Avocado, bacon, tomato, arugula, & aged balsamic. Apple, fig chutney, & brie. I can’t even pick a favorite because they were all delicious in different ways.

WHAT TO DO:

Austin has so much to do! You definitely need more than 4 days to do it all. The first day I was there I spent the day walking around the city. I probably walked for over 8 miles. Highlights include walking along the Colorado River, which runs through Austin. I would walk for a bit then stop at a bench and read my book. I also ended up walking through the capital building which was a highlight.

Walking along the Colorado River

View of Austin

Capital building

Hinges in the Capital building

View of looking up at the dome

Underneath the Capital building

Austin

View from the Congress bridge

6th street is famous for its great bars and nightlife and it didn’t let us down. I went on the pub crawl through the hostel and was headed straight for this spot on Saturday night. Among our crew was four Americans, one Australian, and five Brits so I knew it would be a fun group. Essentially 6th street becomes a city sponsored block party every weekend starting at 11pm as they shut down access to pedestrians only. Such a cool idea and it ends up being one big party in downtown Austin. We had a great time going from bar to bar.

6th Street

Enjoying the live music

Friday night

Rainey Street is one of the coolest spots in Austin. Each building houses a different and unique bar with cool food options (some restaurants and some food trucks). It definitely has a more laid back vibe compared to 6th street, which houses more club-like bars. I was here with the Brits and we spent our night at a bar that a grassy, backyard space with giant jenga, picnic tables, and cornhole. They had never played cornhole before so it was a blast teaching them!

Backyard at one of the bars on Rainey Street

Anther great activity is watching the bats at dusk. Over 1.5 million bats roost under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. This makes it the largest urban bat colony in the world. Crazy right?!

Waiting for the bats to come out

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Austin! There were so many cool things to do, and I can’t wait to come back when it’s a little warmer to explore all the water activities Austin has to offer between the lake and the river! There is such a young, hip vibe to Austin and I think it’s only going to get cooler. Other than the blistering heat during the summer, Austin seems like an amazing place to visit and live. No wonder so many start-ups have started to move to this incredible city!

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Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

July 22, 2017July 28, 2017Leave a comment

My time in Mostar 🙂

The famous bridge in Mostar

Walking around Mostar

City: Mostar

How Long: 3 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Miran and it was incredible!! The host, Miran, was an incredibly nice man who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region, as he had grown up there and actually lived through and fought in the Bosnian War. I learned so much from him. The hostel had small lockers in each room to store valuables but not big enough to store your whole bag, but I found everyone at the hostel to be very friendly and nice so I wasn’t worried about anyone stealing stuff from my bag. There was free breakfast and often at night Miran would BBQ so there was a free dinner sometimes. They also offered a great tour of the region. Highly recommend this place!!

Where to eat:

This place had free breakfast and sometimes free dinner so I mostly utilized that, BUT the hostel did recommend Hindin Han and I ended up going twice! Once just with Sam, and then once with Sam and three Germans we met on Miran’s tour (more on that in the next section!). Hindin Han was in the middle of the city center overlooking a small stream and was very cheap! Awesome food and alcohol selection.

Accidentally ordered Rakia, which is a rum made in the Balkans. Ranges from 40% alcohol to 90% alcohol. It was quite strong!

SO MUCH FOOD

What to do:

Number one thing you should do is go on Miran’s tour! (even if you don’t stay at his hostel I’m pretty sure you can still go on it!) Miran lived through and fought during the Bosnian War and had some incredible stories for us. The tour took us to an abandoned aircraft hanger utilized during communist occupation in Bosnia, two quaint cities (Blagaj & Pochitelj) and lastly, Kravice waterfalls. Each was uniquely beautiful, but the waterfalls were my favorite because we got to swim!! As we made our way back to Mostar, we were told many stories about the realities of living in Mostar during the Bosnian War. The damage from the war is still very visible in Mostar today.

Entering the abandoned airport hangar

From the inside

Blagaj

Blagaj

Drinking the fresh water

Where two rivers meet

View from the fort of Pochitelj

Up in the old fort

Pochitelj

Kravica Waterfalls

Our new German friend smoked his pipe and read while the rest of us swam in the water 🙂

The aftermath of the Bosnian War

Buildings still in disarray

The other thing that is fun to see while in Mostar is someone jump off the famous Stari Most bridge which is 24 meters (~78 feet) tall! The professional divers will jump once they have collected enough money from tourists 🙂 If you are a tourist, you pay around 20 euros for an hour-long lesson from the professionals and then you can jump! Only around 2,300 people have done it and Miran said they were mostly Aussie or Kiwi.

Someone about to jump!

Overall thoughts:

Mostar was such a pleasant surprise. I honestly had such little knowledge about this region and was thrilled to learn all that I did. Highly recommend visiting this richly historic, beautiful city.

Nighttime views of the bridge

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Vienna (+ Bratislava)

July 22, 20171 Comment

City: Vienna

How Long: 4 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna while I was here. The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit.

Where to Eat:

I ate a delicious traditional Polish dish at a restaurant called Mozart’s Restaurant. It was almost like pasta/dumpling combo with scrambled eggs. Sounds weird, but it was awesome. Otherwise, I chose to buy groceries and cook in the community kitchen with some friends I made.

While I didn’t eat here, Mozart + Beethoven did! In fact, Mozart’s last performance was here. This place has been opened for over 200 years. Pretty incredible.

What to do:

I visited the Easter markets here as well, but they weren’t as fun as the ones in Krakow I found. I also did a free walking tour with some friends, where we saw some of the old government buildings and some cool churches. I also met two other Americans staying at my hostel and ended up going out on a pub crawl with them which was fun!

Painted eggs at the Easter Markets!

Unfortunately the next day it rained and even hailed a bit. I chose to spend the day inside and catch up on reading, writing, and editing some videos. While it was nice to have a relaxing day, it meant that I did not get to see the palace or the gardens which I have heard are amazing.

On my last day in Vienna I did a day trip to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. I took a 5 euro bus ride there in the morning, early enough to catch the free walking tour. I really enjoyed learning about this tiny country that most American’s probably don’t know much about if they have even heard of it. Bratislava looks like it was torn out of the pages of a fairytale. In fact, the famous fairytale writer from Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen, spent time here. He famously said to the citizens of Bratislava, “If you want a fairy tale, look at your city.”

View of Bratislava from the Castle

We walked around most of the city in about 2.5 hours, as the city is fairly small. We saw the grand castle (although technically a fortress), a blue Church, and adorable cobblestone streets. I learned that Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in all of Europe, at just 34 miles apart. After spending just 5 hours in this city, I wish I had spent a few days here instead of staying in Vienna. Definitely don’t skip visiting Bratislava, even if it just for a day from Vienna or Budapest.

Main square in Bratislava

The Blue Church!

Bratislava Castle

Overall Thoughts:

Vienna did not wow me. I am not exactly sure why, but overall it was not my favorite. The city is huge and I have learned that I tend to prefer more manageable cities. It’s also more expensive than some of the other cities I am visiting right now. I wish I had stayed in Bratislava and done a day trip to Vienna, instead of the other way around. I can certainly see why so many people love Vienna (amazing food, beautiful architecture, top-notch museums) but I just don’t think it’s for me.