Welcome to the ultimate packing list, your go-to guide for all your travel adventures! Whether you’re heading to a sunny beach destination, planning a camping trip in the great outdoors, or jetting off to explore a new country, this comprehensive list has got you covered. I’ve curated a selection of travel essentials categorized for your convenience, and the best part?
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is pretty high up there when it comes to favorite cities in the world amongst tourists. Seoul is very high-energy and is often compared to New York City and Tokyo. There is so much to see and do and is the perfect place for anyone to enjoy.
I wanted to head to the southern coast of South Korea for a short 5-day break. During my search, Namhae and Yeosu stood out the most. Officially called Namhaedo Island, Namhae in Gyeongsangnam-do is the fifth largest island in Korea and just one of the the 70-plus islands off the southern coast. A large section of the island is considered a national park and offers splendid landscapes where the mountains meet the sea. Yeosu is a port city on the East China Sea Coast to the west of Namhae. Both locations are definitely worth visiting!
Here is a compilation of the sights in South Korea that I have visited along with a brief description and some photos of each. I will be in South Korea for 3 years and want to see as much of it as possible. Keep checking back to see more locations and let me know if you have any suggestions that I haven’t been to yet.
My husband and I moved from RAF Lakenheath to Osan Air Base on September 29, 2021. Here is a brief summary of our PCS move. I hope this can be a helpful timeline for anyone else that is PCSing to Korea and is hoping to go Command Sponsored. Take everything as a rough estimate! You… Continue Reading →
North Coast 500 I set out on the ultimate Scotland roadtrip with my husband and two dogs to enjoy the freedom of the long open road in July of 2020. The NC500 starts in Inverness and circles all the way to the most northerly coastal point in John O’Groats. The total distance is 516 miles… Continue Reading →
Cornwall has been somewhere I have wanted to go for quite some time. I had heard nothing but great things about it, and I am so glad I finally got to plan a trip when the lockdown restrictions lifted. The southern coast is so beautiful that it didn’t even feel like I was still in… Continue Reading →
I was inspired to do an A to Z Travel Photo Challenge. I will post photos from my travels in alphabetical order as a way to look back at all of the amazing places I have been to. These are my favorite photos from each destination. A B C D E F G H I… Continue Reading →
“That’s on my bucket list!” is one of the most common phrases heard today for the desire of a new life experience sometime down the road. A bucket list is a list of goals to be accomplished and a way to see how much of your life has been spent living! Though more often than… Continue Reading →
Can you match the picture to where in Europe it was taken? Comment below with how many you got correct and which ones you didn’t know. All photos were taken by me and can be read about in my blog posts 🙂
How many countries are in the world? This is a tough question to get a definitive answer for. It depends who you ask and what you define as a country. There are 195 Sovereign States according to the United Nations, 201 States with at least partial recognition acknowledged by at least one UN member, 204-207… Continue Reading →
Rovaniemi is the official hometown of Santa Claus on the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland and the ultimate Winter getaway! There’s snow on the ground for approximately six months of the year, which makes this European city feel like Christmas even in the off-season. Although the Coronavirus forced us to go home early, we were… Continue Reading →
Malaga Malaga was the perfect European destination for a 3-day weekend in February. The weather was perfect the entire time, the food was great, and the sights were gorgeous. Malaga lies on the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometers east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km north of Africa…. Continue Reading →
I was not expecting to enjoy Lithuania as much as I did. I think it is another one of those underrated places. I’ll be honest, I originally chose Lithuania because it was a cheap plane ticket to a country that I haven’t been to yet. I didn’t know much about it – Lithuania isn’t a… Continue Reading →
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland. It is located in north-central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country. Accommodation Inside FIVE City Apartments I stayed at Inside Five City… Continue Reading →
How I Got There I travelled to Lucerne from San Marino with a few stops along the way. My first train was back to Bologna for 10 euros and took 1 hour. From Bologna I went to Milan for 43 euros. This train was also 1 hour. I stopped in Milan for lunch before purchasing… Continue Reading →
Travel San Marino is a perfect destination to visit from Bologna. A lot of people go just for a day trip, but I read that it is nice to be there for sunrise and sunset as well, so I decided to stay one night. I am so glad that I did! One day would have… Continue Reading →
Accomodation: Hotel Holiday I stayed at Hotel Holiday, which is pretty centrally located. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the Two Towers and Piazza Maggiore, and a 15 minute walk to the central train station. It offers a small complementary breakfast buffet. The bed was large and the shower was amazing! I think the… Continue Reading →
Expectation vs. Reality During my trip to Switzerland, I ventured out to the Kingdom of Liechtenstein. This tiny sovereign country is nestled between Switzerland and Austria. And by tiny, I truly mean tiny. Of course it’s bigger than Vatican City, but you can basically drive from top to bottom of the country in an hour…. Continue Reading →
Gdansk is a city on the Baltic coast of northern Poland that has so much history. At the end of WWII, Gdansk endured heavy air raids and then was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. Gdansk could be seen in one rushed day, but I think it is best for an extended weekend, especially if… Continue Reading →
My third cruise was with Norwegian Cruise Line again and this time was to visit cities on the Baltic Sea. I set sail on the Norwegian Getaway from Copenhagen on an exciting vacation that was filled with history, art, and culture. Click on the linked headings to read more about each city. St. Petersburg, Russia… Continue Reading →
Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia that is extremely photogenic with wonderful sights that include ancient churches, medieval streetscapes, and noble merchants’ houses. I really loved how walkable the Old Town is. On every single street, there was something beautiful to see. Tallinn definitely ranks very high on my list of European cities and… Continue Reading →
I was in St. Petersburg for one evening and one full day on my nine-day baltic cruise. Unless you apply for a tourist visa in advance (in which you have to mail your passport beforehand), then the only way you can exit the ship is with a guided tour. I wish that I had looked… Continue Reading →
Visby is the one stop on the cruise that pleasantly surprised me. Visby is Scandinavia’s best-preserved medieval town. It was a very photogenic destination with cobbled streets, pastel cottages, and historic buildings within the city walls. It has beautiful ruined Gothic churches. I visited during Medieval Week, which is definitely the week to go! I… Continue Reading →
Helsinki is the capital and most populous city of Finland located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. It is a vibrant seaside city of beautiful islands and great green parks. Since I only had one day in Helsinki, I tried to fit in as much as possible. I started the morning off by… Continue Reading →
I spent two lovely days in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. There is so much to see and do and I think I could’ve spent an entire week there without getting bored. If you are doing a baltic cruise, Copenhagen is a great place to start from. I stayed one night at the Annex Copenhagen… Continue Reading →
Sunset at the Crater International Volunteer HeadQuarters When researching volunteer abroad programs, I found IVHQ to be the best. Of course you can volunteer in countries at a lower cost, but I wanted to go through an organization to feel more safe traveling on my own, meet and live with other volunteers, and have the… Continue Reading →
One of the popular excursions from Arusha is a trip to Moshi. I went with a group of 10 other IVHQ volunteers on a 2-day Moshi trip. We booked through Tanzania Host Experience and each paid $95 USD. We left on Saturday morning at 6:30AM and arrived back in Arusha Sunday afternoon around 3PM. Michael… Continue Reading →
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 20 miles off the coast of the mainland. It consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island referred to as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City. Its historic center… Continue Reading →
When booking a safari in Tanzania, you should do your research in order to get the best price. Majority of the guides are offering the exact same packages, but will vary in prices. For example, Tanzania Host Experience (partners with IVHQ and Tanzania Volunteer Experience) charge a ton compared to other companies. They know that… Continue Reading →
After receiving a $500 airline voucher, I decided to fly to the West Coast and explore Los Angeles, California for the first time. My mom met me out there and we spent 7 days trying to fit in as many touristy things in a week as possible. LA has so much to see and do… Continue Reading →
On my way back home from the Lake District, I stopped in York for a few hours. York is a city in North Yorkshire, England located at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. Since I had my dog with me, I could only explore outside attractions besides the dog-friendly cafe that I ate… Continue Reading →
The Lake District is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests and mountains (or fells), and its associations with William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, and John Ruskin. The National Park was established in 1951 and covers an area of 2,362 square kilometres. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017…. Continue Reading →
Brugge (or Bruges) is a city full of canals, beer, fries, and of course the delicious waffles. It is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. It is described as “Venice of the North” and if you catch a… Continue Reading →
Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with around 800,000 inhabitants in the city center. The total population is around 1.6 million people. I flew into Valencia airport, which is approximately 30 minutes from the city center. There is a metro in the airport, which is the most convenient way I… Continue Reading →
I have been to London several times and each time I go, I discover something new. London has so much to offer and is a great place to go for any length of time. When I plan what I am going to do in London, I first decide what tourist attractions I would like to… Continue Reading →
I went to Kiev for two full days and I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed it. After visiting tons of European cities, I started to feel like they were all pretty similar. However, Kiev definitely has a different feel from most European cities and I think it is completely underrated. I wish… Continue Reading →
Fridge Magnets Polaroid Photo Map Admission Tickets Beer Steins/Mugs Beer Glasses Shot Glasses Currency
Travel quizzes and checklists for travel lovers!
This list includes travel websites and apps on figuring out where to stay, what to do, and how to get the best deals.
We had one day to explore the sights of Cairo and Giza as part of our five day tour. We started the day by heading to the Giza plateau. There we explored several monuments including the Great Pyramid of Cheops (the only remaining wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world dating back to… Continue Reading →
As part of our tour in Egypt, we visited Alexandria for a day. The drive from Cairo takes about 3 hours. Our first stop was a visit to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, which is one of the seven wonders of the Middle Ages dating back to the 1st century. It was complex with… Continue Reading →
We took a 5 AM flight to Luxor Airport from Cairo Airport. The flight is only an hour. Other options from Cairo include a Nile River cruise, bus, or train. When we arrived in Luxor, a private tour guide was waiting for us. First, we crossed the Nile River to the West Bank. We were… Continue Reading →
I typically don’t book tours because I’m a pretty good planner and it’s usually much cheaper to do everything yourself. However, after I made up my mind that I wanted to see Alexandria, Luxor, and Cairo all in one trip, it became much more convenient to just go through a tour company. I also tried… Continue Reading →
Day 1: Arrive Upon arrival we went to pick up our rental car. However, when getting to the Avis counter, we were rejected because we did not have an International Driver’s License. We were unaware of this because it was not mentioned in our booking. She said that we could try asking other companies but… Continue Reading →
Palace of Parliament Caju Restaurant Arcul de Triumf Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum Old Town
Black Sea Constanta Casino Marina Bay Museum of National History and Archeology Roman Catholic Church Acvariu Aquarium Church in Old Town Building with Vines Constanta Casino Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
Peles Castle Peles Castle Peles Castle Pelisor Castle Sinaia Monastery Bran Castle Secret Stairway – Bran Castle View From Club Vila Bran Club Vila Bran Bran Castle Center Bran Castle Windows Hiked up the hill across from Bran Castle Rasnov Fortress from Below Brasov City Hall Restaurant in Brasov Brasov Council Square
