Dive into a week-long itinerary in Cebu, Philippines. From the lively streets of Cebu City to the beaches of Moalboal, immerse yourself in the adventures and experiences—canyoneering at Kawasan Falls, swimming with whale sharks, snorkeling with sea turtles, and relaxing by the beach. Your guide to a week of adventure, culture, and coastal bliss awaits!
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 know how the military is 😉 Please especially take the information related to Covid with a grain of salt – everything is changing daily. Months Before Departure 9 Months Prior November 4 – Given Overseas Assignment Listing Overseas assignment listings are based on the availability for my husband’s rank and job title. Our Overseas Assignment Listing: Kunsan, Korea – 5 spots, Lajes, Portugal – 1 Spot, Osan – 12 spots This was a huge bummer of a listing. We were not happy to receive all short tour options, but thankfully we learned that I could go with Phillip to Osan so that is what we were aiming for. We definitely didn’t want to go back to the states. Phillip changed his “Dream Sheet” to the following order: Lajes, Osan (He left Kunsan off the list completely) November 28 – Received Assignment Notification for Osan 8 Months Prior December 5 – Applied for CSP (Command Sponsorship) – Do this as soon as possible! The only reason we didn’t do it immediately is because the application asked for receiving squadron information that Phillip was unsure of so he had to get some assistance on filling out the application correctly. Most people get a tentative offer pretty quickly (if you are being accepted). However, it shouldn’t take more than 21 days. In our case, the 21 business days passed so Phillip called Korea and apparently they switched people in charge of the applications and the new guy hadn’t been given our application so we had to re-apply and wait another 21 business days. This has since become a trend with Osan. They seem to be very unorganized so make sure you contact them if it’s been longer than 21 days! In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to check the status of your application sooner than that. 6 Months Prior February 12 – We received tentative CSP notification Medical Clearance – Once you receive the tentative offer, you will need to get a medical clearance from your current base and fill out some paperwork before you can receive your official CSP notification To get the Medical Clearance, you will need to have the doctor and dentist at your current base signing off on a form stating that you are up-to-date. I had to have a dental exam and a health checkup before they signed off on the form. You (the spouse) will also need to meet with EFMP. Due to Covid, they were only doing this via phone call. The Medical Review Board at Lakenheath only did these once a week from 1-2PM. It only ended up being a 5-minute phone call, but it was difficult to schedule since I worked during that time. 5 Months Prior March 15 – We submitted EFMP paperwork and required documents March 19 – Received official CSP approval Shipping Dogs – We have 2 dogs that we knew we’d be bringing with us. As soon as we got the CSP Approval, we started looking around for pet shippers. Because we were going from England to Korea, we knew the rotator wasn’t going to be an option. We also started to plan for taking leave-en-route so knew our dogs would remain in England while we were in the states and then they would follow us to Korea. I think hiring a pet shipper is necessary if you don’t plan on taking the rotator (Patriot Express). I recommend contacting numerous pet shippers to get various quotes and see who is the best at communication. You want someone that is quick to respond and shows that they care about your animals!! We decided to go with Fetchapet in England and Shindogs Air in Korea. For more information on shipping dogs overseas you can check out: Shipping Pets To/From UK, Flying Pets Korea, and Military PCS with Pets Extending DEROS – Our original DEROS was July 2021, but our RNLTD to Korea was September 2021. We heard that you must leave no later than the last day of your DEROS month (July 31) and arrive no earlier than the first day of your RNLTD month (September 1). Because we originally only planned to take leave-en-route for 2 weeks, we thought the gap was going to be a problem so Phillip extended our DEROS in England to August 2021 DEROS. Turns out, the information was incorrect and changing our DEROS actually bumped our RNLTD to Oct 2021. Looking back, it’s a good thing we did this anyways, because I highly doubt we would’ve received our hard orders in time and would’ve ended up having to extend anyways. 4 Months Prior Vaccinations – To be stationed in Korea, the active duty member will need to get multiple country-specific vaccinations (ex: Japanese Encephalitis, Typhoid, Anthrax, Smallpox, etc.). The vaccinations are required for AD and optional for dependents, depending on availability. June 24 – No-Fee Passport Appointment. I did not have to have hard orders to apply for the government-issued passport, which dependents will need to obtain. I’ve heard this will vary from base to base – some bases may make you wait until you have hard orders, and it may depend on if you’re already overseas or not. Start this application sooner rather than later, as it will be less stressful. Make sure you take all required documents to your appointment or they will turn you away. Don’t worry if you don’t have it before you depart though, as it is only required to BEGIN the process to get into the country. If you don’t receive it in time, the passport office will provide you with a memo that you will need to carry with you instead. 3 Months Prior
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 in total, which is where the name comes from. The Highland scenery was as beautiful as one would imagine. The driving challenge along the single-track country roads and hairpin beds were quite the adventure (I drove the entire way since Phillip had a broken ankle and couldn’t drive in a cast). From the picturesque beaches and lakeside town to the stunning castles and hillsides, there is so much history to take in at every turn of the journey. If you want to experience Scotland at its best, then the North Coast 500 has got to be on your list! From Inverness, travelers have the option to head west towards the Applecross peninsula before taking the long winding roads up north, or you can travel north-east through the coastal landscapes of the Black Isle towards Wick and John O’Groats. We decided to travel anti-clockwise after reading about how the driving would be more downhill in the trickier parts of the route going this direction. We completed the trip in two weeks, with a few detours off path including the Isle of Skye. At least 5-7 days is needed, but the more time you have, the more time you’ll have to enjoy the beauty of all your stunning surroundings. Campervan There is no better method of transportation for this roadtrip than a campervan. With a campervan, you don’t have to worry about booking hotels in advance and having to get to a certain spot by a certain time. Campervans allow you to travel at your own pace and pull over when you’re ready to sleep. I rented from Capricorn Campers in Norwich, which was the closest location to my house that I found. I chose to rent closer to home so that we could go back home and load it up with all our necessities, as well as the dogs, before heading to Scotland. We hired the Star Campervan, which seats and sleeps 2-4 people. It came equipped with an elevating roof, gas, solar panels, electric hook up cable, mini fridge, 2 burners, oven, fresh and waste water containers, sink, and a mini-grill. The back seats reclined to a bed to sleep in at night and the top had a bed, although it was too tight to sleep adults comfortably. The main feature it did not come with was a toilet and shower, but we were comfortable enough to get cozy with nature. However, we decided that when we build our own campervan, these are things that we will want to include. The owners of Capricorn Campers were extremely friendly and communicated with us really well. We definitely recommend checking them out if you are planning to rend a campervan in England or Scotland. Wild Camping I’m sure you’re wondering where we went to the bathroom and took our showers. Let’s just say we got really close with nature and used a lot of baby wipes to freshen up with. We had the option to book campsites with these amenities, but honestly we preferred wild camping to get a real sense of nature. If you don’t mind sacrificing the usual day-to-day comforts and conveniences and want to explore more areas of Scotland, then wild camping is for you. We felt that it was a great way to discover remote parts of the stunning landscapes and get really close to nature. Wild camping is legal in Scotland and basically just follows a “leave-no-trace” rule. Here are some things to consider when wild camping: Tips Overview Day One – Leeds Before setting off on our journey, we picked up our campervan from Capricorn Campers in Norwich. We headed back home to load it up with our luggage, bed linens, kitchen supplies, and of course our dogs. We then drove toward Scotland. The drive time from our house in Thetford to the start of the NC500 in Inverness is 9 hours and 15 minutes, so we knew we were definitely going to break it up and stop somewhere on the way. Leeds Our first stop was in Leeds, which is the largest city in the county of West Yorkshire in England. It was a nice area to get out and stretch our legs and have some dinner. We ate at a pizza restaurant by Leeds Town Hall. After visiting Leeds, we drove a bit further and then found a place to sleep for the night. The welcome centers are extremely expensive to park at overnight, so we just drove on a backroad near the Scotland border and parked at a layby on a farm road. Day Two – Glasgow & Stirling Glasgow We took one more day to get to Inverness, stopping at Glasgow and Stirling on the way. Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. It’s famed for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture, a rich legacy of the city’s 18th-20th century prosperity due to trade and shipbuilding. Today it’s a national cultural hub, home to institutions including the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, and National Theatre of Scotland. Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis Glasgow Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and is the oldest building in Glasgow. Get a stellar view by going behind the Glasgow Cathedral and walking up to the Glasgow Necropolis, a Victorian cemetery where 50,000 individuals have been buried. Stirling Another city worth visiting on the way to Inverness is Stirling, which is 26 miles north-east of Glasgow. Stirling Castle At the heart of the old town, medieval Stirling Castle sits on volcanic rock. You get to the castle by walking up Stirling town’s cobbled main street with spectacular views over the Stirlingshire countryside. Close to the
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 England. Since the drive to Land’s End from my house in Thetford is 7+ hours, I decided to break up my trip and stop in Dorset for two days on the way there and Bristol for one night on the way back. I also stopped in Oxford on my last day to break up the drive even more. This was such a fabulous decision since all of this driving can get so tiring. I didn’t realize how spread out the Cornwall region was until planning out the trip. One of the first things I had to figure out is where to make my Cornwall “home base.” A lot of people recommend St. Ives or Newquay, but I decided to go with the Land’s End area since it was closest to my most looked forward to attractions: Minack Theatre and St. Michael’s Mount. I do not regret this decision! I thought it was a great location 🙂 My trip lasted 7 nights/8 days, but if you want more time to relax and see all the sights, you could easily stay longer. You could also do Cornwall in around 4-5 days if you don’t stay anywhere else on the way there or back. Tips Bring lots of coins for parking. I probably spent about £30 or more in change on parking throughout the trip. I was very thankful that I brought my coin cup with me. Some parking lots accept card, but most do not. They do not take bills or return change. Book attractions in advance. Since I went during the Covid-19 pandemic, all attractions were online pre-bookings only. You cannot show up to any of the ticketed sights and expect to get in. You will need to look at their website in advance, select the day and time you wish to visit, and pay in advance. This will force you to plan out your trip in advance since the tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. I even decided to purchase two tickets to Minack Theatre since the first time I went it was super foggy. They are only accepting a limited amount of people per time slot, so make sure to book as soon as you know your schedule! Bring your dog. Cornwall is extremely dog friendly! My husky, Mila, absolutely loved every minute of our trip…if it isn’t obvious from all of the pictures 😉 Be a confident driver. The roads in the Cornwall region can be quite terrifying! You will experience a lot of narrow roads that are only wide enough for one vehicle. You will need to be comfortable with reversing in order to get to a passing point. I think I did fairly well considering I was by myself, but reversing down a steep incline on a curvy road was not ideal. Pack for all types of weather. The weather in Cornwall, well England in general, can be very bipolar. It can be super rainy in the morning and blue skies can come out by the afternoon. Be sure to bring a rain jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, and clothing for all types of weather. You should also bring a day backpack for hiking the many trails filled with a water bottle, snacks, and portable batteries. Get some Cornish ice cream and fudge. Seriously…I can’t wait to go back and get some more. It’s so good! Plan out your trip in advance. Cornwall is such a big region, which will require lots of driving between sights. Plan out the route in advance so you’re not going back and forth too much. I also suggest finding areas of interest along the way and the way back to stop at for the night or a couple days to break up the trip like I did. Day One: Thetford to Dorset Seven Sisters Cliffs The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel. The cliffs are known as the “Seven Sisters” due to the seven distinct hilltops. There is a parking lot with a visitor’s center and toilet where you can get great views. From here, you can walk down to the beach or along the trails up to the lighthouse. Brighton Palace Pier The Brighton Palace Pier has been around since 1899 and was built as an entertainment venue. The theater that once stood on the pier was damaged in 1973. It was then that the pier added an amusement park, with various fairground rides and roller coasters. There are several rides and attractions, along with places to eat & drink. I was not able to walk on the pier since I had Mila with me, but it would definitely be somewhere I could spend a lot of time feeling like a kid again! You can visit the website HERE to find out more. Brighton Central Beach This shingle beach isn’t the best if you’re looking for a sandy beach, but it is nice to walk along the seafront. I had lunch here and it was a nice place to sit outside and enjoy the weather. The area can get very crowded, but still a nice location for a day trip. Old Harry Rocks These chalk formations are popularly known as Old Harry Rocks, but the name Old Harry actually refers to the single stack of chalk standing furthest out to sea. Until 1896, there was another stack known as Old Harry’s Wife, but erosion caused her to tumble into sea, leaving just a stump. There are a number of theories about where Old Harry got its name. It is reputedly named after either a famous local pirate (Harry Paye) or the devil. The top of the cliff nearby is known
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 After 2 days at sea, we reached St. Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, it was the imperial capital for 2 centuries. It remains the country’s cultural center with venues like the historic Mariinsky Theatre hosting opera and ballet. Also the Russian Museum showcasing Russian art, from Orthodox icon paintings to abstract works by Kandinsky. St. Petersburg is also home to numerous parks and gardens. While in St. Petersburg, I witnessed the amazing Swan Lake ballet and also took a guided tour of the most iconic cathedrals of the city. Helsinki, Finland The next port was Helsinki, Finland’s southern capital that sits on a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland. Its central artery, Mannerheimintie, is flanked by institutions including the National Museum (tracing Finnish history from the Stone Age to the present), imposing Parliament House and Kiasma contemporary art museum. On busy Senate Square, you’ll find the neoclassical Helsinki Cathedral which stands in contrast with the Uspenski Cathedral and its cupolas. Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn, Estonia was my favorite port of call and is now my favorite Eastern European city. Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea is the country’s cultural hub. It retains its walled, cobblestoned Old Town, home to cafes and shops, as well as Kiek in de Kok, a 15th-century defensive tower. Its Estonian History Museum is dedicated to the country’s 20th-century history and its Gothic, towering Town Hall is among the Baltic region’s oldest. Stockholm, Sweden The only city that I had previously been to was Stockholm, Sweden. Laced by an ingenious network of waterways and bridges strung between a freshwater lake and the sea, Stockholm is easily seen on foot or by waterway cruise. Its gabled old townhouses peer over cobblestone streets, while its magnificent 17th-century palace sits watching over the harbor. The city is spread across a total of 17 islands and was founded in 1252 by a Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. Visby, Sweden The last stop on the cruise was Visby, Sweden. I had never heard of Visby before so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. The first thing that catches your eye when arriving at the Port of Visby, is the impressive cathedral and all the rooftops of the stone buildings in the town, surrounded by the mighty medieval town wall with its towers. Centrally placed, Visby was for a long time the natural meeting point for sailors and merchants from all over the Baltic region. Still today, you can enjoy the majestic merchants’ houses from 17th and 18th century along with almost 200 stone buildings – some of them dating back from the 12th century. Copenhagen, Denmark After one more day at sea, we arrived back at Copenhagen where I spent two days before heading back home. It is one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and is also one of Europe’s busiest hubs. On just about every street you will spot something beautiful.
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 is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site. I stayed in Stone Town at Stonetown View Inn. If you wish to stay in a hostel, Lost and Found is the popular hostel that most volunteers stay at in Stone Town. Another popular area to stay is on the East coast at Jambiani Beach. Although this is a more picturesque beach, I preferred to stay in Stone Town because there were more accessible restaurants, markets, and nightlife. I took 2 day trips to the East Coast for very cheap so I think I made the right decision. Stone Town is also close to the airport making it nice on your arrival and departure days. Stone Town in Swahili means “Old Town” and is the old part of Zanzibar City. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng’ambo, Swahili for “the other side”. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja. Day 1 : Stone Town On my first day in Zanzibar, I explored Stone Town by walking along the waterfront, strolling on the beach, and exploring the main market. Darajani Market has everything- from spices, fresh fish, meat and chickens to shoes, household goods, and electronics. It is all set out in a series of covered halls and overflows into the surrounding streets. If you’re buying food, come in the morning when everything is fresh, although it’s much busier then. After the main market, I explored more of the town by walking through the maze of streets filled with various souvenir shops. Be sure to bargain!! I also took a visit to the Old Fort (free of charge). The Old Fort overlooks Forodhani Gardens and the ocean. It was built by Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the Portuguese in 1698, and over the centuries it’s had various uses, from a prison to a tennis club. There is a line of souvenir shops and a nice cafe/bar here. I walked past the Old Dispensary historical building. It is located on the seafront, halfway between the Palace Museum and the harbor. It served as a dispensary in the first half of the 20th century. It now has a small museum about the history of Zanzibar. One thing that I did not get around to doing in Stone Town was visiting Sultan’s Place. I did, however walk by it. It is a 3-story building located on the seafront. The palace was built in the late 19th century to serve was a residence for the Sultan’s family. After the Zanzibar Revolution, in 1964 it was formally renamed to People’s Palace and used as a government seat. In 1994, it became a museum about the Zanzibari royal family and history. For dinner, I ate at the local street market in Forodhani Park where several food vendors prepare food along the waterfront. Each evening as the sun sets, Forodhani Gardens transforms into an open-air food market. You can eat while you watch the locals dive into the water during high tide. Another restaurant option that you can consider is the Floating Restaurant. I also went to Tatu night club to dance and have a drink. Tatu means three in Swahili and this place has three floors: a well-stocked bar on the 1st floor, a pub-style restaurant on the 2nd floor, and a rooftop cocktail lounge on the 3rd floor where you can soak up the ocean views and dance the night away. Day 2: Prison Island and Nakupenda Beach The next day, I took a private tour of Prison Island and Nakupenda Beach. I got contact information from reading reviews on Trip Advisor. You can contact Ali on WhatsApp at +255 773 518 781 or Mohamed on at +255 777 576 383. At first Ali wanted to charge me $120, but I told him that it was mentioned on Trip Advisor for $50 so he agreed to that cost. You seriously have to bargain with EVERYONE in Tanzania. They want your business and know that other companies are doing it for next-to-nothing so are willing to go pretty low. The $50 included hotel pick-up, entrance fee to Prison Island, the boat ride, snorkel gear, and a delicious seafood lunch. Changuu Island, also known as Prison Island, lies about 30 minutes by boat from Stone Town. The island was formerly owned by an Arab and saw use for confinement of slaves. It also became a quarantine station for yellow fever epidemics. Prisoners were never actually held here though. The island was bought by General Lloyd Mathews and his goal was to make it into a jail. The jail was built in 1893 and is still there today and hence the name “Prison Island”. In 1919, the British governor of Seychelles sent a gift in the form of four Aldabra giant tortoises to Changuu. Presently the species is considered vulnerable and has been placed on the IUCN Red List. There is a dedicated foundation on the island which looks after the tortoises’ welfare. The oldest tortoise at the sanctuary is 192 years old. The average weight of the tortoises is 200kg. While on the island you will be able to observe and feed the tortoises, swim, sunbathe, and snorkel. After two hours walking around and taking some time to relax, I got back in the boat where the two co-captains/guides took me to Nakupenda Beach. Nakupenda in Swahili means “I love you” and is the name of an amazing sandbank located just off of Stone Town. After another 30-minute boat ride, I took a walk in the sand and went snorkeling as the guys cooked lunch. For lunch, they cooked lobster, squid, octopus, fish, and
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 they have incoming volunteers every two weeks so know they can profit a lot by marketing at the orientation. I did a 3-day (2 night) safari that had the same inclusions for about $400 cheaper than what they would charge for 4 people. Instead of paying $970, we paid $580 per person. It was unfortunate that we weren’t in the big group with the rest of the volunteers going that weekend, but $400 is a huge difference! The price included park fees to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, campsite fees, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow), a professional driver/guide, transportation in a 4-person safari jeep, cook, and all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner – which I may add were delicious!). We contacted Aron on WhatsApp at +255 757 522 522 and setup a meeting on the Tuesday before we went. Our tour guide was Moses and you can contact him on WhatsApp at +255 764 688 005. We also met him the Friday before we went. The company is currently working on a website. However, they have been safari tour guides for about 10 years. We read good reviews of Aron online and also heard about him from volunteers from another organization in Arusha. I recommend contacting them in advance to discuss itinerary and prices and then booking after you arrive and compare other local companies. Although I wasn’t with the large group of volunteers that went through THE, I enjoyed having a small group for this experience. It certainly had its benefits. For one, the car ride was much more spacious. We also could make more requests to the guide with a smaller group instead of trying to please 15+ people. However, if you do go in a large group, most of the vehicles will end up splitting off anyways so it will still be enjoyable. Day 1: Arusha to Serengeti On the first morning, we were picked up at our accommodation in Arusha and headed straight for Serengeti National Park. On the way, we stopped to pick up our cook, camping supplies, and food and then at African Galleria in Manyara for a quick bathroom and coffee break. This is a professional gallery that deals in antiques, art, Tanzanite and other gems, clothing, custom made jewelry, and additional souvenirs that you can purchase. The total drive to the Serengeti park entrance took about 7 hours. Once we arrived, we had lunch at the park entrance while our guide got our park entrance pass. While eating lunch, you will see lots of beautiful birds and amphibians. You will also realize how many rats scurry around scavenging for food. After you are finished eating, you can take a 5-minute hike uphill to get a great view of the Serengeti plains. The Serengeti is one of the most famous parks in Africa and is synonymous with wildlife and classic African scenery. It is Tanzania’s oldest park and a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is home to the spectacular wildebeest migration and offers top-class wildlife viewing throughout the year. After lunch, we put the jeep roof up and departed on our first afternoon game drive! We spent several hours getting excited by each and every animal that we came across. Be warned that you will get very very sandy/dusty! I recommend bringing sunglasses, a safari hat, or anything else to shield your eyes and face from the sand. As the sun was setting, we arrived at our campsite and set up the tents while dinner was being prepared. The dinner was phenomenal! Our cook, Kagere, made some delicious meals! Our meals included popcorn or peanuts to start, followed by soup and bread. Our main courses included meat, salad, pasta, quiche, and French fries. For dessert was a platter of fruit. The meals that I had this weekend were the best I had during the entire month I was in Tanzania. Shout out to Kagere!! I was pretty impressed by the campsite facilities. There is one building where the chefs do the cooking and another building for visitors to eat. Table and chairs will be provided by your tour guide. There are also western toilets and shower facilities available, which I was not expecting. However, you will need to bring your own toilet paper (this goes for pretty much everywhere in Tanzania). There are also mirrors in the bathrooms. Camping in the Serengeti is an incredible experience! After dinner, two of my friends saw a leopard not far from the bathroom facility. A guide was shining a torch on it. Be sure to take a few moments to look up at the sky and admire the starry night sky. In the middle of the night, we heard hyenas and lions. Don’t worry too much because there is always someone on patrol throughout the night. Day 2: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Breakfast is served at 6:30AM so that you can set out on your morning game drive right away and watch the sun rise over the Serengeti. We drove around for several more hours seeing different animals than we had on our first game drive. Anytime that you wish to stop, you can just let your guide know. If you didn’t see any big animals yet, their goal will be to find them for you. This is the morning that I got my favorite shot of a male lion walking up on a hill with a hot air balloon rising up behind him in the background. It was a magical moment! After the morning game drive, we went back to the campsite to have lunch and load up the car with all of our camping equipment. After
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 that you could live there for years, and still not have done it all. I bought the 5-day Go Los Angeles city card pass that gave me admission to 35+ Los Angeles attractions and experiences. The pass is also available in 1,2, 3, and 7 days, although Universal Studios is only included in the 3+ day options. The pass comes with an easy-to-use app with a guide of the city. This helped me plan out our days. I used the pass for 5 days on days 2 through 6 of my trip. I also made an itinerary on Sygic Travel that you can view. Day 1 Miracle Mile After traveling for 24 hours, I was exhausted so the first day of the trip was a day to relax. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel close to the airport on the first night before transferring to our AirBnB the following day. After getting settled in, I walked to the La Brea Tar Pits, which are a group of tar pits around Hancock Park. Natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. Over many centuries, the tar preserved the bones of trapped animals. You can walk around and see the tar pits without paying for the museum. The George C. Page Museum is dedicated to researching the tar pits and displaying specimens from the animals that died there, including several animals from the Ice Age. The price to enter the museum is $12 or can be used with the Go Los Angeles card. However, I did not start my 5-day pass until the following day. Directly beside the Tar Pits, is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This art museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity. It is the largest art museum in the western United States and holds more than 150,000 works spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present. In addition to art exhibits, the museum features film and concert series. The admission price is $25. Here, you can also find “Urban Light“. Let there be light – is definitely the thing that will come to your mind when you see the 202 street lamps arranged into one sculpture by Chris Burden. Even though the lamps are of the same color, they differ in heights and types so it is not a totally uniform sculpture. Right down the road from these two attractions is the Peterson Automotive Museum. Tickets cost $25. I did not go in, but it is something to consider if you are in the area. The night I arrived, I went out to two bars in Venice. One was The Lincoln and the other was Roosterfish. Day 2 Santa Monica, Malibu, and Venice Beach Today was the first day that I used my Go Los Angeles pass. I started off by catching an Uber to the Santa Monica Pier. On this popular pier, you will find many attractions like an amusement park, aquarium, arcade, shops, an iconic carousel, and many places to get food. I arrived right at 9AM and went straight to the Starline office to ask if there was room on the 9:30AM celebrity homes tour. I was in luck! This is free with the Go Card on a standby basis so as long as they still have room on the bus, then you can go. There were only about 9 people on the tour and the bus could fit roughly 20. On the tour, I enjoyed the bus ride from Santa Monica to Malibu along the pacific Coast Highway, where I admired elite beachfront communities. Homes I saw on the tour included: Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Willis, Cher, Adam Chandler, Jennifer Anniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, Ellen, David Beckham, Paris Hilton, Jim Carrey, and more. These are there summer/vacation homes, so don’t be expecting anything overly extravagant. My favorite homes were actually the ones on the hills, like Cher, Ellen, and David Beckhams, versus the beachfront homes. The tour lasted about 2 hours and ended back at the Santa Monica Pier. Our tour guide, Leo, recommended a few places to eat at for lunch. I ended up eating at an authentic Italian restaurant called Bruno’s. It was very good. After lunch, I headed back onto the Santa Monica Pier. I took photos with the Route 66 sign. This was cool seeing because I just taught my students about it when learning about the Westward Expansion. U.S. Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America, or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. US 66 was established on November 11, 1926. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, covering a total of 2,448 miles. US 66 served as a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. I next used my Los Angeles Go Card to redeem my unlimited ride wristband at Pacific Park. This normally costs $35. This park looks directly out on the Pacific Ocean, in the direction of Catalina Island. It is the only amusement park on the West Coast of the United States located on a pier and LA’s only admission-free park. There are a total of twelve rides in Pacific Park, including the world’s first and only solar powered Ferris wheel that provides a view of the Pacific Ocean and a roller coaster that circles the majority of the park. It has appeared in over 500 movies and television shows, so was definitely
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. The Lake District is located entirely within the county of Cumnbria. All the land in England higher than 3,000 feet (914 m) above sea level lies within the National Park, including Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. It also contains the deepest and largest natural lakes in England, Wast Water and Windermere respectively. Hotel I stayed at the Damson Dene Hotel in Kendal, which is closely located to Windermere Lake. I chose this hotel because it is dog-friendly, has a restaurant and spa, and provides a free breakfast. The hotel was very nice, but I would have liked to be within walking distance to a town or lake. However, those hotels came at a much steeper price. I was still happy overall with the location. If I were to go back, I would probably stay in Keswick or Windermere. Day 1 My first day consisted of visiting a castle on top of Windermere Lake, taking a hike up to Loughrigg Fell that had a great view of a few lakes, and seeing a waterfall. Wray Castle Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building in Cumbria. The grounds, which include part of the shoreline of Windermere Lake, are open for free all year round. Between March and October, Windermere Lake Cruises operate a passenger boat service from Ambleside and the Brockhole National Park Visitor Center to Wray Castle. Parking at the castle is 7.50GBP for the day and entrance to the castle is 10GBP. Dogs are allowed on the castle grounds and also in the cafe, but not inside the castle. Loughrigg Fell Loughrigg Fell, just on the outskirts of the popular town of Ambleside, is a beautiful vantage point of the surrounding mountains. I downloaded the hiking path from Walk Lakes, which takes you over the top of Loughrigg Fell, along the airy Loughrigg Terrace overlooking Rydal Lake, and a path to Rydal Cave and Grasmere Lake. Rydal Cave is a man-made quarry, which produced high quality roofing slates in the 19th century. My dog loved swimming in the water here to cool off from our hike. The total length of the hike is 6.43 miles and took me 4 hours, with a few stops for snacks and pictures. You can also do this hike from Rydal, which I think would have been much quicker. Stock Ghyll Force Waterfall A short walk from the center of Ambleside is Stock Ghyll Force Waterfall. You can get to this 70 foot waterfall from Stockghyll Lane. After passing the public bathrooms, turn left and pass the sign that says “To the Waterfalls”. You will head uphill with Stockghyll on the left before seeing the red signs for the waterfall path. It is a circular path where you can view the falls from a railed viewpoint. I was unfortunately disappointed by the waterfall, although it was still a nice walk for my dog. Day 2 On my second day, I saw a waterfall in the morning, spent the afternoon hopping around from castle to castle, and finished the evening at Windermere Lake. Aira Force Waterfall A network of trails weaves its way from Ullswater lakeshore to Gowbarrow summit. Probably the most famous of the Lake District waterfalls, Aira Force falls 70 feet from below a stone footbridge and is on land owned by the National Trust. At the main Aira Force car park there is a tea room and an information kiosk and shop which sells snacks and gifts. Be sure to look at the map on the wall to see all the different possibilities of trails. I ended up taking the High Force Trail, which took about 1 hour to walk the 1.4 mile trail. Penrith Castle Penrith is a nice market town in Cumbria 3 miles outside the boundaries of the Lake District National park. I ate at the Narrowbar Cafe, which is a cute dog-friendly place. I then headed to Penrith Castle, which is a now-ruined medieval castle that was build between 1399 and 1470 as a defense against Scottish raids. Brougham Castle In a picturesque setting beside the crossing of the River Eamont in Cumbria, Brougham Castle was founded in the early 13th century. The top of the keep provides panoramic views over the Eden Valley. The castle costs 5.70GBP. Lowther Castle Built at the turn of the 19th century, on the site of two previous houses, Lowther Castle was a grand affair boasting a room for every day of the year. Its gardens were the envy of the north. But in 1957 the castle was demolished. Just the facade and outer walls remained. The castle ruins, exhibition, gardens, adventure playground, cafe, and shop are open every day from 10am to 4pm in winter and 10am to 5pm in summer. The parking and grounds are free. The castle entrance is 11GBP. If you only have time to see one of the castles mentioned on this day, this is the one to see. Appleby Castle Appleby Castle is situated just 15 miles from the English Lake District and deep in the heart of the Eden Valley. You may climb to the roof, from where there are impressive views in all directions. The best way to experience the castle is to stay overnight. The next best way is a guided tour of the castle and grounds. Tours are 12.50GBP and should be pre-booked. I played dumb and walked in the gates when no one was there to snag some quick pictures, before being asked to leave. Brough Castle Brough Castle stands on a ridge by Stainmore Pass, on the site of a Roman fort. Frequently the target of Scots raids, its towering keep dates from about 1200. More comfortable
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 looking up flights and trains to the cities outside of Cairo and compared them to the tour price, and I found that I actually saved money. It was also nice not planning for hours on end for a change. We booked the 5 day/4 night Cairo, Luxor, and Alexandria tour on TourRadar.com. The tour operator was Go Discovery Travel. The tour code is #110679. This tour is perfect if you have limited time and are interested in seeing as much as possible. That’s how I like to travel! We had private tour guides and drivers the entire tour, this was so nice so that we could take as much or as little time as we needed and alter the itinerary when we wanted to. We explored churches, mosques, museums and old markets in Cairo. We of course saw the incredible Giza pyramids. Additionally, we went to Alexandria to get a glimpse of the Greek and Roman era in Egypt. We also flew to Luxor and visited the biggest open air museum in the world. https://www.tourradar.com/t/110679 Day 1:On arrival, a representative from Go Discovery Travel was waiting for us at the Cairo airport. He helped us with visa procedures, customs, and luggage claim. The visa costs $25 and is purchased before border control and baggage claim. Bring USD. It is a very easy process and nothing needs to be done beforehand. The representative then had his colleague, Medo, transfer us to our hotel for check in. We stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel in Giza. It had an awesome view of the pyramids! Because we arrived in Cairo a day before our tour started, we booked an extra night. This gave us the opportunity to see Giza the first day of our trip on our own. The options they suggested for the day included a sound and light show, a dinner cruise, a camel ride during sunset/sunrise, or a quad bike for one hour around the pyramids. We decided to do a quad bike around the pyramids. The tour company quoted us $50 for it but I told them I saw it on Viator for $15 so they gave us that price instead. Medo picked us up and took us to lunch at Abou Shakra right outside of the pyramids. The restaurant provided an excellent view. After the tour, we went back to the hotel to relax and have a drink by the pool while gazing at the pyramids for a couple hours. Then, we were picked up for our pre-booked Sound and Light Show. I didn’t read about what this show would be like but to be honest, I expected a bunch of people to be standing around looking at a strobe light show that lit up the pyramids. I was not expecting a 50-minute long Egyptian story and background about the pyramids. It was very informational and a good introduction to our day in Giza, although a little boring. After the show, we went back to the hotel and ate dinner at the hotel restaurant. They had excellent food! This concluded our first day. Day 2: LuxorAfter going to bed around 10PM, we got a call 30 minutes later saying that our itinerary had changed an that we would be heading to Cairo airport at 2AM to do our day tour in Luxor. This was supposed to be the following day but they said they had problems with plane tickets. This was very frustrating to hear that we would only have a couple hours of sleep. Because we were leaving so early, the hotel provided us with a breakfast box to go. 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 mezmerized by the Valley of the Kings that had more than 60 royal rock cut tombs dating back to 1450-900 B.C. We were allowed to explore 3 tombs of our choice. Note that you must purchase an extra photo ticket if you wish to take pictures. We decided not too, but regretted our decision. We were able to sneak a couple pictures but people were getting thrown out and forced to delete all their pictures. After the Valley of the Kings, we were taken to a local shop where a guide showed us how carvings made out of different materials are done. After some demonstrations, we were given free time to explore the family shop. We ended up purchasing a very cool Egyptian carving. Next, we headed to the beautiful, unique terrraced Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple. We were also amazed by the colossi of Memnon. We then took a lunch break at a restaurant before continuing our tour on the East Bank. We had time to explore the Karnak temple, which is the biggest temple on earth. After, we were taken to a Papyras museum where a local guide showed us how papyaras paper is made. We had the option of purchasing paintings on papyras paper. We also saw the Luxor Temple at sunset. At the end of the tour, we hung out at a café across from Luxor Temple to kill time before we were transferred back to Luxor airport to catch our flight to Cairo airport where our representative took us back to our hotel. Day 3: Cairo and GizaThis day was dedicated to the highlights of Giza and Cairo. We started our morning with a free buffet breakfast in the hotel. Shaimma, our egyptologist tour guide, picked us up in the hotel lobby. She was an excellent tour guide! We began our tour by heading to the Giza plateau. There we explored several monuments
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 if we were to get stopped by the police, they would potentially cut up our driving license. We took the risk when EuropeCar agreed to give us a rental with our normal stateside license. We arrived late so only had time to check-in to our hotel and then eat dinner. We walked around the city for a little bit before eating at Caju, which came recommended by a friend. It was delicious! Day 2: Bucharest https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2018/11/25/bucharest-romania/ We purchased a day travel card on the metro to get us around the city. We started by seeing the Palace of Parliament. Entry is by guided tour only. The tours start about every hour. We had just missed a tour and didn’t feel like waiting around for an hour so we decided not to go in since we weren’t really that interested. We went to a nearby restaurant to have an early lunch. After lunch, we took the metro to Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum. This open air museum is adjacent to Herastrau Park and the Arch of Triumph. We finished our day by going to Old Town where we had a few drinks. We then made our way to dinner at Caru’cu Bere. This came highly recommended on Trip Advisor. It has a nice interior and dance performers while you eat. Be sure to make a reservation in advance as they are usually fully booked. Day 3: Transylvania https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2018/11/25/transylvania-romania/ We left Bucharest around 8AM. We drove through the Carpathian Mountains to our first stop at Peles Castle (Sinaia Castle) which is The Royal Family’s Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Europe. The Castle is closed in November for cleaning so we just walked around the outside. We went in Pelisor Caslte instead. It is right next to it and is just a smaller version. After this, we drove toward the main touristic sight in Transylvania, Dracula’s Castle (Bran Castle). Before arriving, we took a break to eat lunch at Club Vila Bran. This provided a great view of the castle from afar. After going in the castle we took a hike up the mountain across from the castle to get a better view of the outside. We then went to Rasnov Fortress, the best well-preserved medieval stronghold in Romania. Lastly, we headed to Brasov where we walked around the city center and had dinner. After dinner, we drove back to Bucharest. Day 4: Black Sea https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2018/11/25/black-sea-romania/ Constanta was a 3-hour drive from Bucharest. The drive is very boring since there is nothing to look at. Be aware that there is a toll on the way so bring cash. Once we got to the sea, we parked our car and walked along the water where we looked at the old Casino. After taking some pictures, we continued along the walkway and stopped at the fishing pier to eat lunch. We then went up to walk around the main center square. There is not a whole lot to see or do. We did end up going into the aquarium before we left but it was very small and not at all worth it. After, we headed back to Bucharest and had dinner in the city. Day 5: Depart
Day 1: Arrive at Keflavik International Airport Bridge between the Continents Blue Lagoon Church of Hallgrimur Sun Voyager Hotel: The Capital-Inn Day 2: Thingvallavatn Thingvellir Silfra Diving Location Bruarfoss Waterfall Stokkur Geysir Gullfoss Falls Bruarhloo Vatnsleysufoss Skalholt Cathedral Kerid Crater Hotel: Riverside Guesthouse Day 3: Seljalandsfoss Gljufurarfoss Seljavallalaug Skogafoss Wrecked DC-3 Plane Dyrholaey Lighthouse Welcome Hotel Lambafell Day 4: Reynisfjara Beach/Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach Fjaorarglijufur Skaftafell Black Waterfall Glacier Lagoon Hotel: Hafnarbraut Hofn Day 5: Glacier Lagoon – Glacier Ice Cave Tour Diamond Beach Stokksnes Bulandstindur Hengifoss Laufas Guesthouse Day 6: Dettifoss Selfoss Krafla Caldera Namaskaro Hverir – Boiling Mud Namafjall Myvatn Nature Baths Pseudo-craters Godafoss Waterfall Church of Akureyri Hotel: Hafnarstaeti Day 7: Godafoss Waterfall Hvitserkur Grabrokargigar Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring Hraunfossar Barnafoss Viogelmir Cave Surtshellir Cave Hotel: Fosshotel Reykholt Day 8: Glymur Lake Medalfellsvatn Botanical Garden of Reykjavik Day 9: Depart
Our first cruise was to the Greek Isles on Norwegian Cruise Line. On the ship, I played several games of Bingo and Deal or No Deal and collected tickets for playing. At the end of the cruise, there was a raffle drawing for a free cruise. My ticket was drawn so I won a free Caribbean Cruise for two! http://www.ncl.com We chose the 7-Day Wester Caribbean from Miami on the same ship (the Jade). The port stops included Harvest Caye, Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel. We booked an excursion at each port except for Belize on Norwegian’s website. We swam with dolphins in Cozumel, rode on a glass bottom boat and snorkeled in Costa Maya, and went to Tabyana Beach & Gumbalimba preserve in Roatan. The total price of the excursions was $330 per person. Harvest Caye, Belize https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/12/11/harvest-caye-belize/ Costa Maya, Mexico https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/12/12/costa-maya-mexico/ Roatan, Honduras https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/12/12/roatan-honduras/ Cozumel, Mexico https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/12/13/cozumel-mexico/
Day 1: Marrakesh We arrived at our riad (hotel) where we were greeted with tea and bread. We then started our day at the Majorelle Gardens. This garden was created over the course of forty years by French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962). The park is one of the top attractions of Marrakesh; it has many shady paths meandering between tall trees and passed exotic plants. There are water features, streams and pools of water lilies and lotus flowers. At the entrance there is a beautiful fountain, other features of the garden include a cacti garden, a blue square fountain, the Café Bousafsaf, exotic plant garden, Yves Saint Laurent Memorial, a bamboo garden, pavilion and a collection of buildings including Boutique Majorelle, Galerie Love and the Berber Museum and bookshop. After the gardens, we headed to see Koutoubia Mosque. Marrakesh’s largest mosque is located near Djemaa el-Fna square. It is considered one of the most beautiful and proportioned mosques in existance. The mosque was named Koutoub which means “book” as a book market once stood not far from the mosque. We then walked around Djema el-Fna which is the central square and market place in Marrakesh’s Medina quarter. Back in 1050 it was the site of public executions (hence the name which means assembly of death) but today it is a hive of activity 24/7. This huge square is a bustle of activity with color, aromas, sounds and ever changing scenes. During the day the large square is frequented by snake charmers, men with Barbary apes, medicine men, water vendors, tooth pullers and vendors. But the square really comes to life when the sun goes down. Stalls are set up across the square with strings of lights adding to the atmosphere. In addition to the stalls there are storytellers, the Hoopla and halqa street theatre, water sellers, side-show attractions, fortune tellers, horse drawn carriages, henna tattoo painters, musicians, acrobats and entertainers. You will also find your fair share of pickpockets, scam artists and beggars. As the evening progresses the market turns into a large open-air restaurant with stalls serving up grilled meat and other delicacies. Impressive buildings surround the square including hotels, gardens, cafes and on one side by the souk, a traditional North African market. If you want to feel the heart beat of Marrakesh then visit one of the markets or souks especially those in the Old City (Medina). Just go to the central Square (el-Fnaa) and walk into the side streets to reach the markets. The markets are an attack on the senses with aromas, sounds, music, bright colors and plenty of people-watching opportunities. Here you can see fresh produce piled high, nuts, figs, dried fruit, spices, halva, olives, carpets, clothing, household goods, toys, candy, baked goods, brass ware, leather items, accessories, and the list could go on. This is the place to haggle over prices and find authentic and unique souvenirs. Of course it goes without saying that there are pickpockets who take advantage of the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Many of the markets focus on one type of goods like the Carpet souk where you can see a variety of rugs and carpets including Berber carpets. At the Slipper Market you can find …slippers – row after row of colorful traditional Moroccan slippers (babouches) in leather, cloth and embroidery. The Metal ware Souk is where you’ll find lanterns and metal ornaments made from a range of different types of metal. The Spice Souk is the most colorful of the markets. The spices are displayed in huge sacks or in towering pyramids. There is also a Silk Souk, Crystal Souk, the tannery and other designated souks but really they all just flow one into the other. In all there are about 3,000 stalls. Just remember to hang on to your bag; bargain hard and learn to say no. After lunch, we went to Medresa Ben Youssef which was an Islamic college constructed during the Almoravid era (14th century). The building ceased to function as an Islamic college in 1960 and underwent extensive refurbishing before being opened to the public in 1982. The Medresa is known for its beautiful ceramic tiles, carved plaster work, and typical 15th century design. It is possible to explore the dormitory cells. Next we headed to the Bahia Palace and gardens. The palace has a harem with a large courtyard featuring a central basin and rooms around the courtyard that open up to the central area. There are pavilions, walled gardens and buildings. The oldest part of the palace is Dar Si Moussa with a courtyard, central garden, fountains and many varieties of trees. There are decorative rooms with ceramic tiles covering the walls. One of the greatest parts of the newer section of the palace is the marble courtyard measuring 30 meters by 50 meters. It is divided into quadrants by white marble pathways with colorful tiles and glazed earthenware in a checkerboard pattern and fountains where the paths meet. The palace is still used by the royal family and is sometimes closed when the royals are using the palace. Our next stop was the El Badi Palace. It has not survived in its entirety but it is still possible to see the ruined remains. The palace was commissioned by Saadian ruler Ahmad al-Mansur in the 16 th century. The palace complex once had more than 350 rooms, courtyards, walled gardens, fountains and a pool. The palace was unfortunately destroyed by Moulay Ismail but there is still plenty to see including the sunken gardens, dungeon prison cells, subterranean passages and the main hall with 50 columns. The palace ruins are used for festivals and special events including weekend dance parties. Close to the palace is the Kasbah Mosque (El Mansouria) which is located in the old fortified city. It is easy to confuse the Kasbah Mosque with the Koutoubia Mosque because of the similarity between their square minarets. Like other mosques non-Muslims cannot visit inside the building. Day 2: Atlas Mountains We took
My husband and I went on the 8-Day 8-Day Greek Isles Cruise from Venice on Norwegian Cruise Line. Our ship was called the Jade. We booked through Military Cruise Deals to get the best deal for being affiliated with the military. Out itinerary included Venice, Corfu, Thira/Santorini, Mykonos, Athens/Piraeus, Split, and back to Venice. The cruise cost around $900 per person including government fees but excluding excursions. We did not know that NCL has frequent deals like free drink packages and half off the second guest so we could’ve saved a lot of money if we had waited for a deal. https://www.militarycruisedeals.com/ We booked a shore excursion for each port through NCL directly. We went horseback riding in Corfu, did a volcano hike in Santorini, went on a 4×4 adventure in Mykonos, visited the Krka Waterfalls from Split, and got a full city tour in Athens. The total price for excursions was around $700 per person. https://www.ncl.com/ Venice https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/venice-italy/ Corfu https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/corfu-greece/ Santorini https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/santorini-greece/ Mykonos https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/mykonos-greece/ Athens https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/athens-greece/ Split https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/29/split-croatia/
The first thing you want to do when planning for a EuroTrip is to decide which countries you would like to visit. I wanted to see as much as possible in two weeks. After knowing I had two weeks to travel, I purchased the 15 day continuous global rail pass on eurail.com (interrail.com if you are an EU citizen) and got 2 extra days for free since they were having a sale. https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/global-pass This pass allows you the freedom to explore all your dream European destinations using the Eurail Global Pass. This convenient train pass gives you access to rail networks in 28 fascinating countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, although be aware that you will have to pay a reservation fee in specific countries or for night trains. Once I knew which cities I wanted to visit, I downloaded the Rail Planner app to see how long it was from each city and which cities would not be direct trains. I took notes beforehand and had a general idea of when I would be traveling but still had the flexibility to plan as I went if I needed more time in a specific location. The great thing about Eurail passes is you don’t have to worry about missing a train. You can hop on whatever train you’d like without a timed ticket. You can download the apps here – IOS, Android. Rail planner shows you all the available times, type of train and possible connections for the city of your choice. The application is done by Eurail and the cool thing about it is that it is available offline! I used the app the entire time during my travels and was fully satisfied with it! There are some cases when you will need to reserve a seat on your trip and pay a reservation fee. This can be done at the train station. For example, it is mandatory to book your seat on a night train. We did this a few times. The average cost of a bed on a night train is around 20-40 Euros. We had time to sleep while traveling, which was awesome to wake up in our next location! One example of when we did this was from Madrid to Lisbon. You will also usually need to book your seat when using a fast train that is marked with an R on the Rail Planner App. This can be as low as 3 Euros or as much as 30 Euros. Sometimes you will have the option to take the same route on a slow-speed train but I think it is worth it to just pay the fee in some instances. High-speed trains are common in France, Italy, and Spain. Additionally, you will need to reserve your seat on popular routes that may not have free seats. Stop 1: Amsterdam https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/20/amsterdam-netherlands/ Stop 2: Berlin https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/20/bamberg-germany/ Stop 3: Prague https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/22/prague-czech-republic/ Stop 4: Vienna https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/22/vienna-austria/ Stop 5: Bratislava https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/23/bratislava-slovakia/ Stop 6: Budapest https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/24/budapest-hungary/ Stop 7: Lake Bled https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/25/bled-slovenia/ Stop 8: Florence https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/27/florence-and-pisa-italy/ Stop 9: Nice https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/30/nice-france/ Stop 10: Marseille https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/06/30/marseille-france/ Stop 11: Barcelona https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/03/barcelona-and-montserrat-spain/ Stop 12: Madrid https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/01/madrid-spain/ Stop 13: Lisbon https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/03/lisbon-portugal/ Stop 14: Porto https://mandytravelstheworld.news.blog/2016/07/03/porto-portugal/ Check out the links to each city’s blog for more information on the specific places. If you have any more questions about the Eurail pass or planning a EuroTrip, please comment below!
The first time my husband (boyfriend before the trip and proposed in Paris) and I travelled to Europe, we visited his twin brother, who was stationed in England, where we are actually now stationed. The planner that I am, made a complete itinerary full of activities for us to do and the destinations I wanted to visit. I will go into more detail on another blog post about the specifics but I will give you the general idea of where we went and a few things to do in each country. We flew round trip from RDU (Raleigh, NC) to LHR (London) round trip for $900 a person from Tuesday, December 17th to Thursday, January 2nd and had a budget of $1,000 per person for additional expenses (we bought all of our Christmas gifts while we were there). This trip can definitely be done for a lot cheaper, but we thought we would never be travelling back to Europe so we splurged a lot! Day 1: Stateside to EnglandTravel Day Day 2: EnglandRelax Day 3: GermanyLeft England and drove to Germany. We planned to stop in Cologne on the way to Frankfurt but I got sick in the car so we decided to drive straight to Frankfurt. It ended up being about an 8 hour drive but we stopped a lot. When we arrived in Frankfurt, we checked into our hotel and ate dinnerHotel Alleenhof in Frankfurt, Germany Day 4: GermanyMain attractions: City Hall, Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Main Tower, Christmas Markets Day 5: Germany to BelgiumWe checked out of our hotel and drove to Brussels, Belgium. We got to drive on the autobahn! It was definitely a terrifying situation. When we got to Brussels after the 4-hour car ride, we ate dinner and went to the Christmas Markets and walked around the City Centre.Brussels City Centre Apartments Day 6: BelgiumMain attractions: Musee Royal del’armee, Autoworld, Town Hall, Medieval Square Day 7: Belgium to EnglandThe drive from Brussels back to England took about 5 hours and we were able to stop at the Cliffs of Dover on the way back. Day 8: England (Christmas Eve)During the next 3 days, we just spent time visiting with family and friends and exploring the town we were in. Day 9: England (Christmas) Day 10: England – Day in Cambridge Day 11: England to FranceWe took a 3-hour train ride from London St Pancreas to Pairs Gare Du Nord. We got the Paris Pass for the four days we would be there. We went to Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens, Pantheon, Latin Quarter, the Love Bridge, and Saint-Chappelle all in this day. It was very easy getting around.De La Vallee Hotel in Paris, France Day 12: FranceMain attractions: Notre Dame, Orsay Museum, Opera, Grand Palais/Petit Palais, Alexander Bridge, Invalides, Rodin Museum.We also had dinner reservations on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower which was magnificent! I highly recommend it. The food was absolutely amazing! Day 13: FranceMain attractions: Palais of Versailles, Eiffel Tower (we wanted to see it during the day), Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge Day 14: FranceMain attractions: Le Louvre, Palais Royal, Camps-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Christmas Market Day 15: France to EnglandTook the train back to London St Pancras and went to Winter Wonderland (open from mid-December to a few days after New Years), London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey.We were right next to Big Ben for the New Year’s Eve fireworks and that is definitely something I will never forget. I plan to go back again! Day 16: EnglandNew Year’s Day Parade, St. Pauls Cathedral, Tower of London, Buckingham PalaceThe Master Robert Hotel in Hounslow, England Day 17: England back to the States This was our first big vacation that taught us a lot about travelling. There are definitely better routes, but because of the holidays, we wanted to be in England for Christmas and New Years. Ask me anything about my trip and check back to see more in-depth travel blogs that will also include Italy, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, as well as the many other countries I plan to go to this year!
