Society has changed drastically in only a few short weeks. We all now need to reduce our contact with other people in order to “flatten the curve,” or lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this moment, I am focused on protecting my mental health and encouraging others to do the same. We can do this by eating healthy, going for walks, or socializing with friends and family over WhatsApp video. These are some of the things I have been doing recently to stay centered and healthy.
But I also realized early on that this situation is completely conducive to my solo travel lifestyle. Solo adventuring is not canceled! Nature is not canceled! And kayaking with manatees is definitely not canceled! In this post, I tell my story about hitting the water less than 2 weeks ago to socialize with manatees instead of people.
The first time I visited the Florida Everglades was an epic fail when it came to seeing any alligators. After moving to Miami in Summer 2019, I was determined to go using the right method during the right weather and finally see some gators.
I revisited the Shark Valley Visitor Center shortly after my move, this time ready to rent a bicycle and withstand inclement weather. I managed to spot a few alligators on my first couple of visits. But it wasn't until the winter that I saw so many I lost count!
Now as a local, I have all the secrets to maximizing your chances of seeing alligators in the Everglades.
I finally made it to Key West, Florida! I visited the Florida Keys back in summer 2016 and again in summer 2019. Both times, I didn’t make it as far as Key West, the last key in the coral cay archipelago off Southern Florida.
But on a long weekend in late September, Ivana and I made the drive there at the perfect time of day. We avoided all the traffic and spent 3 nights and 3 days exploring the area mainly by bicycle!
From planning the right snorkel trip to booking our accommodation near happening Duval Street, these are my recommendations for having the best time in Key West!
I am incredibly grateful for my friend, Dasha, who visited me immediately after I moved to Miami. She flew in from Denver and, as always, was ready to explore and go on adventures with me. So of course we had to take advantage of my proximity to the Florida Keys!
I visited the Florida Keys back in the summer of 2016 when my then-New Zealand boyfriend, Jono, and I traveled there via New Orleans. We had a great time exploring the food, kayaking the mangroves, and checking out beaches in the area. Dasha and I sort of mirrored this experience with a little slice of each of these experiences.
We kayaked a new section of the mangroves, revisited a beach I wanted to spend more time at, and ate a heaping pile of seafood! We did all this in about a half-day experience after a late start to our trip. All in all, I can't believe that day-trips to the Florida Keys are part of my life now! So awesome!
Curaçao has plenty of calm, clear water and beautiful, sandy beaches flanked by sheer cliff walls and sea caves.
But that's the southern side of the island. Travel to the north side and craggy, rocky shores, rough waters, and natural blowholes make up the scenery.
With all the snorkeling I did, I really appreciated mixing things up to see natural attractions at Watamula Hole and Shete Boka National park.
With my own snorkel gear in tow, I did so much snorkeling while in Curaçao. I have no regrets! The snorkeling, in some cases, was even better than my SCUBA diving trip.
This post is a guide to all of the locations I snorkeled while visiting the island. The best snorkeling is away from the major tourist/resort destinations down near Willemstad. Instead, I focused my attention on the upper, Westpunt region for all my snorkel needs.
There are tons of beaches to choose from, but this guide explains the details of each, my personal experiences with them, and what you can expect in terms of fees, crowds, and more!
This is a quick little story and video to share with you the most amazing snorkeling experience I have ever had.
While snorkeling in Curaçao, I was absolutely awestruck when a huge school of fish, known as a bait ball, came out of nowhere, surrounded me, and then shot back out to sea. It happened in less than 25 seconds but it gave me a natural high I’ve never experienced in my life!
At the time, I was traveling solo in Curaçao after a recent and difficult breakup. I was finally feeling like myself again, like I had made all the right decisions, and that my time in Curaçao was already proving that I am my best self when I trust my instincts.
That’s when the Caribbean sea sent me this gift.
The Blue Room is a major snorkel destination that was high on my list of must-do activities in Curacao. This cave is known for it’s beautiful, deep blue hue and school of fish that hover inside it.
Inside the cave, photographs can be epic beyond words! I had an amazing time on this tour, but not just for the photo opportunity. I heard getting there would be an adventure in itself—an adventure with Curacao legend, Captain Goodlife.
The unexpected parts of this experience are what made this tour absolutely priceless. It was such an awesome experience, I outline in this post all of the ways to get there and the details on why the Goodlife way is the best way!
A major reason why I chose to visit Curaçao is Mt. Christoffel. Curaçao is the only island in this part of the Caribbean that has a true mountain hiking experience.
Mt. Christoffel, also known as Christoffelberg, is a short but challenging hike with satisfying, 360-degree views from the top. I loved this hike and the views so much I spent a ton of time at the top taking it all in.
In this post, I give the complete breakdown of how to make this hike happen in the best way. From the best time to go to how long it'll take you, this is my hiking story and your guide to climbing the highest peak in Curaçao.
Almost 5 years ago, I earned my SCUBA diving license while diving off Koh Tao in Thailand. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Earth from beneath the ocean's surface.
My first exposure to diving the Caribbean set the bar high. Diving off the coast of the Dominican Republic was absolutely beautiful. The turquoise seas, the variety of coral and sea life, and the personalized experience I received was top notch.
Diving Curaçao was a very different experience but a truly unique one! With coral shaped like giant mushrooms and reef growing high like skyscrapers, I loved my dive experience in Curaçao!
When I visit new places, I rarely spend a lot of time in the main tourist areas. But the Otrobanda, Punda, and Pietermaai districts of Curaçao's capitol were unique and rich with history, art, culture, food, and fun. I am glad I spent time in this area both during the day and at night to discover the atmosphere in both settings.
I got stuck on a floating bridge, found a secret beach, uncovered unique historic landmarks, and posed with lots of street art. Everything I did I could easily experience in one full day of exploring Willemstad!
Back in January, I took a vacation for 9 nights to the beautiful, culturally rich Caribbean island country of Curaçao. Typically, a trip like this would cost at least $2,000 in hotel and airfare alone.
My trip cost me about $800 for everything. That included airfare, airbnb stay, car rental, trip insurance, car insurance, local SIM card, all food/meals, diving and snorkeling.
I made this happen through a combination of points, some careful budget planning, and a little luck. In this post, I share the breakdown of what I did to find these deals, including the breakdown of all the costs.
Call me crazy but I love change. I thrive on change. Lucky for me, I have come to understand that change is the only, reliable constant in life.
And so here comes my next big adventure…I am moving to Miami! I am moving for a new job. It’s my dream career, in fact. And I am so very excited about it.
Learn more about this move and my thoughts on it in this quick update post.
When friends invite you to travel across the border for a one night adventure—you take it! My friends Chelsea and Dayle headed to Montréal, CA last summer for a friend’s wedding. They offered to bring me along for an adventure of my own.
I couldn't pass up the chance! I decided to meet up with an old friend whom I met in my travels. It was an opportunity to catch up with her and see more of Montréal after visiting in summer 2017.
Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa. There is a ton of history and culture to explore and lots of adventures that will give you some epic coastal city views.
In this post, I share 11 highlights or things I experienced in Cape Town and the nearby areas. Perhaps this will inspire you to visit or revisit to see and do some of the things I did!
What happens when two solo travelers meet with no plans that evening? You get instantaneous travel companionship and spontaneous adventure—that's what!
My Polish dive buddy in Cape Town turned out to be a solo traveler looking to hang out. It started with me gladly accepting his offer to drive me into Cape Town. When he suggested we take the "scenic route," I gladly accepted again!
The route we took led us to epic coastline scenery, beach sunset views, and a lookout point over Cape Town at night. This perfect evening spent between two random, solo travel companions marks one of my favorite memories from this trip.
Trying to control what you will experience as a traveler is a fool's errand. Especially when it comes to diving and anything in nature, you cannot predict what you will see or not see. This was the major reminder I was given when diving False Bay in Cape Town, South Africa.
I decided to dive False Bay in South Africa because of its kelp forest, cow sharks, seals, and healthy coral reef. In the end, I only got to experience 3 out of 4 of these highlights. While I could have let this get me down for the remaining few days of my trip to Africa, I decided to stay positive about the experience.
In this post, I write about my dive experience in False Bay. While disappointing, I managed to find the positives in the experience anyway!
After a terrible experience witnessing unethical animal tourism, I was ready to finish up my safari tour on a better note. The rest of Day 4 for me could only get better—and it did!
I had a nice time getting a personal tour of the tree house lodging where I was staying. I even spotted some baby warthogs on this walking tour. Then I had a final game drive in a very special reserve. There, I saw cheetah, lion, and rounded out my Big 5 sightings with a white rhino!
On the ride back to the airport in Johannesburg, we stopped at Blyde River Canyon. I caught gorgeous views of mountains, forests, and the river below. It was a great final 24 hours on my 5-day safari tour in South Africa!
The 3rd day of my 5-day safari tour was spent inside Kruger National Park. On the other days, the tour took me to private game reserves on the outskirts of the main park. This time we would be going in for a full day of safari adventuring!
This post will be filled with photos and anecdotal stories to provide some context for various animal sightings throughout the day. The goal of the day was to see as many of the "Big 5" animals as possible. We missed spotting rhino but were lucky enough to see buffalo, elephant, lion, and leopard! I saw many more animals, too, such as wild dogs which are super rare!
Our safari vehicle encountered so much throughout the day, including a run-in with a very disgruntled (and aroused!) elephant. It was during that encounter I learned the meaning of "Elephants have 6 legs."
The second day of my safari tour in Balule Private Game Reserve marked the first full day I had on safari. The day before was devoted to driving half the day from Johannesburg to the edge of Kruger National Park.
On this second day, I saw tons of wildlife on a 4 hour walk through the bush, spotting some of the deadliest predators in Africa. I even tasted giraffe droppings! A late afternoon game drive proved extremely fruitful when I got to see some of the most quintessential African wildlife all at the same time—elephant, giraffe, and zebra! It was a dream come true!
The day came to a close with an unexpected performance by a local tribe. Then I slept out in the bush under the stars with nothing between me and the predators of the night!
