My recent trip with an old travel friend to Crete, Greece was an amazing adventure! We spent 8 nights indulging in great food, hikes, beaches, ruins, and lots of history.
I anticipated that costs would be high for this trip right on the cusp of peak season and with inflation going up. But I managed to keep costs down while spoiling myself with a few luxuries.
The trip ended up costing me less than $1200 including all expenses (flights, car rental, accommodation, food, activities, and more). In this post I describe how much I spent so you can best estimate the costs of travel to Crete, Greece.
Hello everyone! I am writing to you very briefly from Greece. I have been here for about a week now and I cannot wait to share with you all of my adventures so far.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and there is much unrest in Eastern Europe and the rest of the world, I felt it was important to take advantage of this small window in which things are relatively stable. At least, they are stable enough for me to feel I could manage within my personal comfort zone.
But what made me travel? Where am I? Who am I traveling with? And where I am going next?
This week, I am bringing attention to the recent underwater volcanic eruption off the coast of Tonga. On January 14, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted suddenly and loudly, causing a tsunami that impacted Tonga—and coastlines around the world.
Why am I discussing this? Back in 2015, I visited nearby island country, Niue, while on a year-long working holiday visa in New Zealand. In Niue, I met the Tongia family who are originally from Tonga. They gave me one of my most cherished memories from my long-term trip around the world.
In this post, I reflect on my time with the Tongia family and how easy it is for us to forget how connected we all are on this fragile rock we call Earth.
Two weekends ago, I took a trip out to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. While out there, I couldn’t help but reflect on the time I spent in the Otago Region of New Zealand. The area is most famous for its mountain ranges such as the Southern Alps and the Remarkables.
I’ve decided to share some scenic memories of my time there before I get into sharing my latest spontaneous trip out in Colorado. Specifically, I am sharing some photos I never posted here from the gorgeous Queenstown area—the central destination for tourists visiting New Zealand’s South island.
This is a memory post. A nostalgia post. A comparison post for what’s to come in my reflections on Rocky Mountain State Park. Perhaps this post is also anticipatory of a time when I can travel internationally to see mountains again!
My friend recently asked me this question. I decided to create a post around my answer.
This is one of those “into my brain” posts. It’s different from my posts on How to Decide Where to Travel—The Practical Deviation and How to Decide Where to Travel—The Personal Deviation. This one is more process-based, where you get to see how my brain works when I start planning for travel. It’s also based on what I do now as a short-term travel soloist.
My process now is budget-based and interest-based with a final look at safety. I have to admit, it’s something I’ve been doing a lot throughout the pandemic. I look up destinations and plan trips I can’t go on yet. Sounds a bit sad writing it like that but this has actually helped me get through this long period of no travel. Now I have several trips in mind, ready to be booked when the time feels right!
Two years ago, I visited Cape Town, South Africa. While there, I made sure to take a tour of Robben Island. This is where Rolihlahla “Nelson” Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years following his armed rebellion against the oppressive white nationalist British government.
I decided to write about this tour now as an intentional juxtaposition to the coup attempt by white supremacists at the United States Capitol building last week. I felt covering this experience is particularly timely in the week before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as the historic second impeachment of Trump is underway, and the inauguration of Biden is next week.
I never wrote about this experience but I find myself thinking about Mandela and this tour often, especially since George Floyd’s murder in May 2020. I find myself thinking about racism and its history both at home and abroad. Read on to learn all about my experience touring Robben Island and to hear my reflections on current events.
There is so much to see and do, mostly for free or low cost, in any big European city. London is no different.
I spent about 4 weekends exploring London during my visit to England in 2012. On those visits, I wandered the streets of London and found incredible history, architecture, art, shopping, food, parks, and more.
I share in this post all of the highlights from my mostly self-guided experience around London.
Years ago, I wrote about my experience couchsurfing all over the world. I never talked about how exactly I got into couchsurfing. The story dates back to 2012 when I spent a summer doing research in England.
I took the train into London on the weekends. On my first weekend there, I met a friendly local who decided to take me in on the weekends. In addition to showing me around all over London, he gave me a place to stay with his roommates so I didn't have to travel back and forth.
I did not expect to learn about couchsurfing and become a huge advocate within the couchsurfing community!
We’re going to the archives this week! Back in 2012, I traveled to London to conduct research as part of my social psychology PhD. I had a split life between being an academic all week studying at the University of Surrey and then taking the train to explore on weekends in London.
I initially stayed with one of my friends from California who showed me around some fun nightlife spots in London. But I also explored quite a bit on my own.
One of the first places I went was to watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Little did I know, it was a very special day to see this daily ritual event. This day happened to be the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee!
The reality is that travel just isn't accessible to all. There are so many unfair social and economic structures that prevent people who deserve to travel from doing it.
Working out the two most expensive costs of travel—flights and accommodation—is difficult. I've written about how to accrue frequent flier miles and lower the cost of flights and accommodation. Both were challenging for my trip to Grand Cayman during peak season. But I also had to find things to do that are both fulfilling and low-cost.
The activities you choose when you get to your destination can break your budget if you're nor careful. When traveling to Grand Cayman is in the cards for you, this post includes some ways you can have a great time and still save.
I've decided to post something a little different this week in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. It feels a bit tone deaf during this time to post about past travels of mine—a privilege I have as a White, middle class person.
Instead, I've decided to use this platform to raise awareness. I share some reflections on my observations of race globally, from Germany to South Africa. Mainly, I pause now to discuss anti-Blackness and racism. I also take this post to describe what you can do as an ally to racially marginalized groups within your own country, whether in the US or outside the US.
I love when my travel destinations present awesome diving experiences. I chose to visit Grand Cayman for many reasons, a major one being that it has world class diving with more dive sites than anywhere I have been before
Despite high season prices and low availability, I managed to find a company that took me to 2 unique dive sites. I thoroughly enjoyed both. There are plenty of other options for exploring the reef as someone who doesn’t dive, too. I was able to snorkel a popular dive site right off the shore in George Town.
Overall, whether diving or snorkeling, Grand Cayman's warm, clear waters did not disappoint!
So many beaches, so little time. That may be what you're thinking as you consider the 15 beach access points I will describe in this post. But, honestly, all the beaches are easily accessed across 2 days in Grand Cayman.
The 7-Mile beaches are the most accessible and typically frequented by tourists visiting Grand Cayman. You can hit these up in a day with ease. But I encourage you to branch out. There are 4 additional parts of Grand Cayman to explore (West Bay, South Shore, Gun Bay, and North Side), all possible to see in a day's drive.
Every beach is unique from the other. Spoiler alert—all of them cost nothing to enjoy!
We are all still stuck in quarantine, probably getting tired of our own cooking. But that doesn't mean you can't daydream about delicious Caribbean cuisine, am I right?!
I ate my way through Grand Cayman when I visited the island for New Years. You may remember how much I love Island-style food from my post about the food in Niue, Curaçao, and other island countries. This post is a similar take on those foodie experiences. But it's Grand Cayman-style!
From coconut water to rum cake, Grand Cayman cuisine is similar to other island countries I've visited but it also has its own unique treats. So as you make your way through your non-perishables at home, make your way through this in-depth look at what I consumed over 5 days in Grand Cayman.
I planned my trip to Grand Cayman with Ivana for Peak travel season in late December. If you go during off-peak times, you will likely do much better than I did on prices.
After splitting costs with Ivana, my total cost for 4 nights and 5 days in Grand Cayman was just over $1200. This includes flights, accommodation, car rental, gas, public transportation, food, drinks, SCUBA diving, and other fun activities.
In this post, I break down all the prices and share everything we did to stay on a budget while ensuring we had a fun and comfortable time together.
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!
