Milos, Greece: The Best Kept Secret Of The Cyclades

May 5, 2019 by · 2 Comments

It’s been a minute since my last post because work and life got in the way.  But, I am back!  And, just in time for your summer vacation plans, I am sharing with you the best kept secret of the Cyclades Islands: Milos.

For most people, a trip to the Greek islands means stops in Santorini and/or Mykonos.  And, as of late, maybe Naxos or Paros.  But, almost nobody goes to Milos.  Quite frankly, I don’t get it.

Unlike its more popular neighbors, Milos feels almost undiscovered.  It has over 70 beaches.

It has the cutest little fishing villages.

It has one of the most dramatic coastlines of any Greek island.

It is where the Venus de Milo was discovered.

Plan Your Visit

Getting There

There are two ways to get to Milos: by plane or by ferry. There are direct flights from Athens on Aegean Airlines. This is the fastest and recommended way to get there.  But, if you are coming from another island, and do not want to route through Athens, then the ferry may be a better option. I think three to four full days is the perfect amount of time to spend on the island.

Where To Stay

There are over 15 villages in Milos.  The most popular are Adamas, Plaka, Trypiti, Klima, Pollonia, and Mandrakia. All are worth a visit, but some are better for staying.

Adamas is one of the biggest villages in Milos, and it is where I recommend you stay.  If you come by ferry, you will likely land in Adamas.  It is also close to the airport. All the sailing tours leave from here as well.  It also has a lot of dining options. This is where we stayed, and we found it be a very convenient base to explore the island.

Another central village with plenty of options for dining and accommodations is Pollonia.

The most picturesque village of Milos is Plaka.  It is also the capital of Milos. It is a walking village, so you won’t find any cars in its center. It is full of restaurants and shops. It also has the iconic cobblestone streets, the colorful doors that most Greek islands are famous for, and an amazing sunset spot.

Klima is where you will find the famous fisherman houses.  If you have your heart set on staying in one of them, then this is where you should stay. Since there are so few, this is probably a pricier option and will require advanced planning.

Getting Around

Milos is larger than you think. I highly recommend renting a car for at least part of your stay.  It is very easy to drive in Milos, and they have automatic options. You can also rent ATVs.  There are plenty of rental shops in Adamas and Pollonia.  Your hotel can likely also arrange a rental for you. Keep in mind that Greece recently started requiring international drivers licenses for car rentals.  We found enforcement to be very sporadic, but it is easy to get the license in the states, so you might as well.  We rented a car for a day, and we are very glad we did.  It gave us the option to visit spots our private tour did not hit and also to revisit spots we really enjoyed.

 

There is a local bus service that is pretty cheap, but the routes are seasonal.  Also, while they hit the major spots, they will not take you off the beaten path.

Taxis are an option, but there are only about 15 total on the island.  As a result, during peak times, there could be quite a wait for a cab.

If you don’t want to rent a car, then consider a private, chauffeured day tour. We used Travel Me To Milos to give us a private day tour on one of the days.  They were fantastic.  They have English speaking guides, and they cover the entire island in an day. We saw beaches, all the villages, and historical spots as well.  They are a full service operation, so they can arrange your accommodations, boat tours, and car rentals, too.

What To Do

If you have three full days on the island, I would spend them as follows: one full day private tour of the island to orient you, one full day sailing tour to give you a different perspective, and one day of exploration on your own with a rental car.

During our private tour, we visited all the archaeological sites, the villages, and most of the beaches.

Visit The Beaches

With over 70 beaches to visit, the possibilities are endless. However, there are at least three that you absolutely cannot miss.

The first is Sarakiniko Beach. It’s the moon beach!  If there was a beach on the moon, it would look just like this. It is the most photographed beach in the Aegean Sea.

You can reach this beach by car or by bus.  There is a gravel parking lot to leave the car and one bus stop.  The beach doesn’t look like much on arrival.  You will have to walk about 10 minutes before you reach the lunar landscape.

Once on the lunar landscape, you have to walk straight for a bit before you almost U-turn left to reach the part on the rocks that allow you access into the ocean.

This is not a typical beach in that there is no sandy area.  There is a small gravel surface at the end of an inlet that acts as the beach part, i.e., the place where you can leave your stuff and head into the water.  Most people just find an area on the smooth white rock and dive in.  If it is shade you are after, you will find old, but dark mining tunnels.  This will serve as the only respite from the sun that beats down on the stark white rock.

A word of caution: the waters on the other side of the inlet are VERY deep.  Also, the Aegean Sea can be very choppy, especially on windy days.  There are NO lifeguards here, so swimming is at your own risk.

We visited this beach twice (once with our private tour and once on our own).  On both days, we saw groups of people jumping off the moon rock and into the deep part of the ocean.  As shown below, there is a small cave you  swim under and reach the rocks to climb back out.

On the first day, the group that jumped had no problem.  On the second day, another group jumped, but did so before planning their exit strategy.  On this day, the sea was particularly rough, and the cave inlet looked like a swirling drain with strong crashing waves onto the jagged rocks.  Despite that they were strong swimmers, it took a group of people (Chad included) to literally rescue these people out of the water before they drowned.

Here’s a little secret that I wish I knew while I was in Milos: because of its location, Sarakiniko has both amazing sunrises and sunsets. I would make it a point to see both.  You can even stargaze at this beach.

The second beach that you cannot miss is Papafragras Beach.  I am sure you have seen this beach on Instagram.

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If you are a reader of this blog and of my Greece posts, you know that all of Greece’s best beaches take some work to reach. Papafragras is no exception.

You can get to the beach by car (there is gravel parking lot) or by bus, although I never saw a bus stop here either of the two times we visited. But the fun begins if you actually want to get into the water.  You have to climb down a very narrow and slippery path to get down to the water.  You have to climb back up to get out.

The last beach that you cannot miss is Kleftiko Bay.  There are two ways to get here, but really only one.  You could technically hike almost two hours each way to reach this beach.  Or, you can sail to it.  I suggest the sail.

Once there, you will get to swim through a network of caves and rock formations.

For a great resource and guide to all of Milos’s beaches, click here.

Visit The Villages

Each little village offers its own unique exploration. In my opinion, there are three villages that you should not miss.

The first is Plaka. Here you will find the most charming cobblestone streets and adorable colorful houses. There are tons of cute little cafes and shops to explore.

For photography, it is best to go in the afternoon while the villagers sleep and the tourists hit the beach. But don’t forget to come back in the evening for sunset and dinner.

The best place to see the sun is either from the church or from Utopia Cafe.

While you are in Plaka, you can visit four of the seven museums on the island, including the Archaeological Museum where you can see a copy of the Aphrodite of Milos statue which was found close to the Ancient Theater of Milos, but now resides in the Louvre. There is a campaign to bring the Venus de Milo home by 2020, which you can learn more about here.

Plaka is about a five minute drive away from the Ancient Theater of Milos and the nearby catacombs.  Both are worth a visit.

No visit to Milos would be complete without a visit to the colorful littler fisherman houses that this island is famous for.  There are two villages that deliver on that front: Klima and Mandrakia.

The more famous of the two is Klima. Here you will find two long rows of traditional multi-colored houses.  This is really just a photo stop, as there is nothing else to really do here. You can catch a pretty nice sunset here as well.

Mandrakia is the other place to see these pretty, colorful houses.  There is also a charming seaside church here that has great views.

Unlike Klima, Mandrakia has more to offer.  There are some fantastic views.

A pretty nice beach area.

And a fresh and delicious seaside tavernas to enjoy.

Spend A Day At Sea

One of the most memorable things you will do in Milos is a day cruise around the island.  That is because there are many places in Milos that are only accessible by boat. We chose to do a private tour with Aquatta Yachting.  It was hands-down the best thing we did on the island.

We boarded the boat early from the port in Adamas.

Our route took us past the fishing villages of Skinopi, Klima, Areti, and Fourkovouni, from where we could see the colorful little houses from the sea.

Our next stop was at Arkoudes, which are two rock formations in the middle of the water. One of them resembles a bear while the other, a rabbit.

We sailed past Firopotamos Beach, Sarakiniko Beach, and Glaronisia, and made our first stop at Polyegos island.  It is here that Chad dove off the boat and right into the water for a swim and some snorkeling.

Up next was Thiorichio and Paliochori, where we passed by the ruins of an old abandoned sulfur mine.

Lunch was prepared for us on-board and was combined with a stop at Gerakas Beach.

After lunch, we headed to Tsigrado Beach on our way to Kleftiko Bay via Gerontas Beach. We finally made it to Kleftiko Bay, where Chad once again jumped off for a snorkel. Here, you are able to swim through various caves.

Our last stop was at Sykia Cave.

On the way back to Adamas, we enjoyed a home cooked dessert and an incredible sunset!

Between our private day tour, our private yacht tour, and the day we spent driving the island on our own, I feel like we saw almost all of beautiful Milos Island. I am not one for crowds, so if you are looking to have a stunning Greek island almost all to your self, come to Milos and come during off season.

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The Kingdom Of Cambodia: Temple Hopping And Beyond In Siem Reap

August 13, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

The hottest I have ever been in my entire life was the few days I spent in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was November, mind you. November is supposedly one of Siem Reap’s cooler and drier months.  But, you could’ve fooled me. It was hotter and more humid than Miami in the dead of summer. It was the kind of humidity that made it hard to breathe.  It was so hot you could feel yourself swelling in the heavy wet heat. It felt like I was doing hot yoga on the surface of the sun or in the fiery pits of hell. But, we were on a mission. We came to see the Angkor Wat complex, and a little heat (okay, A LOT of heat) was not going to deter us. Warning: in most of these pictures, we will be a HOT mess.

The temples of Angkor are actually located in an archaeological park which is made up of more than 45 temples. It is open from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day.  Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (made famous by the movie Laura Croft: Tomb Raider), and Ta Prohm are the three most popular temples that people come to Siem Reap to visit.

Angkor Wat is so popular that it is featured on the Cambodian flag, and after seeing for myself, I understand why:  It is utterly amazing. It deserves a spot on your bucket list. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world.  The site is 402 acres.  It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple. It was dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire. It later became a Buddhist temple.

To get into Angkor Wat you have to climb some very old and VERY steep stairs.  They are so small that your entire foot will likely not fit onto the stair. There is a wooden guardrail or sometimes a rope that you can hold on to. Sometimes there is a line of people going up or down the stairs causing a bit of a delay mid climb.  Just breathe.  If you are scared of heights just concentrate on your feet and get up there.  I am not scared of heights, and it was a little overwhelming at times.  But, fear not. Going inside is well worth the minor panic attack. I was too scared to start snapping pics of the steepest staircases, so here’s one that is a little less worse.

While Angkor Wat gets all the glory, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm are also pretty phenomenal.  Angkor Thom means Great City. A series of statues lines the entrance gates. Inside Angkor Thom, you can visit the Baphuon Temple, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King.

Second to Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm was probably my favorite.  It was lost for almost a thousand years, as the jungle completely consumed it. As a result, large trees have grown seemingly out of the temple, and their root systems have grown over the temple walls.  It makes for some pretty awesome pictures.

But, there are some smaller, lesser known temples that are just as worthy of your time.  These temples include the Bayon Temple (this temple has the four faces of Buddha), the Phimeanakas Temple within the Royal Palace enclosure, Banteay Srei, and Banteay Samre.

Know Before You Go

If you are not Cambodian or related to a Cambodian, you are going to need a permit to visit. Fun fact, Cambodia uses the U.S.  dollar, so no need to change money here. Permits are $37 for a 1 day pass, $62 for a 3-day pass (must be used within a week), and $72 for a 7 day pass (must be used within a month).  Buy the 3 day pass.

The temple complex is massive, and you will likely visit more than one temple a day.  They are NOT walking distance. Unless walking long distances on the surface of the sun all day long is your idea of a good time, you are going to need to hire transportation.  If you do not have a private driver, hire a tuk-tuk for the entire day (about $25). Honestly, hiring a driver is money well spent (if just for the air conditioning and water alone).  It saves a lot of time allowing you to cover more ground. I would also recommend hiring a private guide. These professionals know the area, the fastest routes to get to each temple, the best picture spots, and what times are best to avoid crowds.

Here’s a little tip:  if you buy your permit after 5:00 p.m., you can technically enter the park without using up one of your days, and catch the sunset at the temples! If you want to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, you must be at the complex by 5:00 a.m. Otherwise, start your day as early as possible at Angkor Wat.  It is a large temple, and it gets VERY hot during the day.  If you can stand the heat, visit in the afternoon when most people have left.
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Also, you can enter Angkor Wat from behind.  Literally nobody does this.  When we went, we were the only people that came in from this rear entry.

Remember, the temples are open air and in the middle of nature. So, wear cool, comfortable clothes, comfortable and closed walking shoes, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a hat, and bring lots of bottled of water (and snacks!).

At each temple you will inevitably encounter children trying to sell you everything under the sun: post cards, magnets, t-shirts, trinkets. They are VERY persistent.  They will walk with you and along side your car or tuk-tuk knocking on the windows.  Just ignore them.  It sounds mean, but it’s not. They literally will not leave you alone if you don’t. The minute you succumb and buy something, 100 more will come out of the woodwork. Trust me on this one.

Beyond The Temples

In my experience, people either like Siem Reap or don’t really care for it.  Our group was split down the middle.  Other than the temples, we spent some time in a cool little artsy neighborhood that had some good local food spots and shops.

We visited Wat Thmey, which are Siem Reap’s killing fields.  The killing fields are basically a mass grave of Cambodians killed during the 1970s as part of a state-sponsored genocide. If you are not familiar with Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, read about it here. Basically, he was a Cambodian communist dictator in the 1970s.  He was so mistrusting that he initiated a state-sponsored genocide. He killed all the smart people, all the professionals, and all the artists.  If you wore glasses, you were killed.  He was directly responsible for the deaths of more than one million innocent Cambodians; murders carried out in the most cruel and diabolic ways imaginable.  This genocide effectively caused, for lack of a better term, a brain drain in Cambodia. This was a sad, but incredibly moving experience.  And, it was certainly different from our temple experience.

We also traveled along Lake Tonle Sap and had a sunrise blessing with the monks at a local temple.

You travel through many remote villages, so you get to see a lot of locals going about their day.

Other things to do include shopping the night market, especially the Old Market or visiting Pub Street for a night cap.

If you like museums, there is a Landmine Museum.  This museum was started by a young man who began to clear landmines with a stick, collecting the explosive, and charging people a dollar to see his collection. The personal exhibition was shut down and later relocated and reopened. The new museum has four galleries and is home to 27 children. There is also the Angkor National Museum, which is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of artifacts from Angkor.

Siem Reap is an easy “add on” to any trip to Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat alone makes it worth the trip, as it is one of the most spiritually exhilarating and awe-inspirng places on Earth. But, aside from that, once you’re there, I think you will find there is more to this quirky little city than just Angkor Wat.  Just remember, you will need a visa to enter Cambodia, which can be purchased at any port of entry (or prior to arrival). To obtain the visa, your passport must have six months of validity and one empty page. The visa is good for one month.

I hope this post has inspired you to visit the Kingdom of Wonder. If it has, please leave a comment or share this post with your friends!

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Ireland: The Southwest Countryside

July 15, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Dublin is a great city. But, let’s be honest, the Irish countryside is where it’s at. You have two options for visiting the southwest of Ireland.  You can take very long day tours from Dublin.  Or, you can just base yourself in the country side and move around from there.  We chose the latter option.

We spent three days in the southwest of Ireland, using Killarney as our base. Killarney is located in County Kerry. We stayed at the Great Southern Killarney, which is a charming luxury manor close to all the dining and shopping options in the town of Killarney. To really see the countryside, you are going to need transportation.  Sure, you can rent a car where the steering wheel is on the right side of the car and drive on the left side of mountain roads. But, Chad and I value our time and our marriage.  We did not want to spend our short vacation figuring out where we were going and arguing about it. So, we left the driving to the pros! We hired a local tour guide and driver from GanTours. They were excellent and the most reasonably priced of the options that I researched!  They picked us up (and dropped us off) at the airport in Dublin. And served as our tour guide and transportation through the countryside. After collecting us at the airport right on time, we headed straight to the Burren in County Clare. En route, we visited our first of many castles. Our goals was to get to the Cliffs of Moher in the afternoon, after all the tour buses had already left. So, we leisurely drove through the Burren.  We visited the cutest little cafe that was part of Hazel Mount Chocolates. It is a quirky little cafe set in a 1950s cottage.  It has been voted one of Ireland’s top 10 food attractions. 

The menu is simple: a hot soup of the day, and All.The.Cakes, which by the way, are gluten free!

After our quick little pick me up, we headed to the factory and shop, where we got some treats for the road!

Our next stop was to the Burren Perfumery, located within the Burren National Park.

In addition to being just plain lovely, all of their products use natural ingredients and are made by hand, on-site. They also have a lovely cafe that has a small menu of local dishes and luscious cakes and desserts. It was finally time to step onto the edge of the world, and visit what is probably Ireland’s most famous tourist attraction: the Cliffs of Moher.

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The next morning, we were up bright and early to drive the Ring of Kerry.  It’s not so much a destination, as it is an experience. It is a 111 mile circular route that is part of the Wild Atlantic Way.  It is a scenic drive through pastoral landscapes and coastlines that allows you to appreciate the natural beauty of Ireland.  For a list of major attractions along the ring, click here.

You can also visit small towns along the way, like the town of Killorglin, where every year a wild mountain goat is captured and crowned as king during Puck Fair, a festival that lasts several days.  Or, Waterville, a place where Charlie Chaplin spent a lot of his time.

Another highlight along the Ring of Kerry is the Gap of Dunloe. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and the Purple Mountain.

We ended our day with a visit to Ross Castle.

On our final day in the countryside, we headed to Adare village in County Limerick en route to Dublin. It is known as one of Ireland’s prettiest towns.  It has traditional thatched roofed cottages that date back to the 1820s!  It is also home to Adare Manor, probably the most opulent hotel in the entire region.  Maybe even the whole country.

If you like nature, scenery, and outdoor activities, then the put the southwest country side on your Irish itinerary!

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Ireland: 24 hours in Dublin

July 8, 2018 by · 1 Comment

There is a lot to do in Dublin.  There is a lot that you can do in a day in Dublin.  And, not all alcohol related.

If ever you find yourself in Dublin for the day or on a long layover, consider this your definitive guide on how to spend your time there.

To fit it all in, you will need to do a bit of planning. The five biggest attractions in Dublin are the Guinness Storehouse, the Book of Kells and the Library of Trinity College Dublin, the Little Museum of Dublin, Jameson Distillery, and Glasnevin Cemetery.  Luckily, you can (and should) pre-buy tickets to all of these attractions online.

Books of Kells and the Library at Trinity College

After a hearty breakfast, start your day here.  Check here for opening and closing hours by season and day and for ticket prices.  We were able to buy our tickets online, day of. There is a separate entrance line for pre-bought tickets, which saves time at this popular attraction. I would buy the first ticket and be there as soon as it opens. Expect to spend about an hour here.

So, what is the Book of Kells? And, why should you visit? The Book of Kells is Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure.  It is also considered the world’s most famous medieval manuscript. It is a very ornate 9th century book of the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ written in Latin. The lavish decoration and artistry of the book is what makes it so famous. You are not allowed to photograph it, so here is a picture of the exhibition courtesy of Mr. Google:

You will enter into an exhibit that explains the Book of Kells first.  You can then enter the room where the actual Book of Kells is stored. You then enter the Library, which, honestly was my most favorite part, and exit through the gift shop. If you are the first one in, I would visit in reverse order.  So, come in, skip the exhibition, go to the Book of Kells and/or the Library first and then back track to the exhibition. This way you can have the Library and the Book of Kells all to yourself!

The added bonus is that you get to stroll through the charming Trinity College.

The Little Museum of Dublin

We actually did not get a chance to visit this little gem because we got into Dublin late, and Chad really wanted to visit Glasnevin. But, you are planning ahead, the cemetery doesn’t open until 10:00 a.m., and this is pretty close to Trinity College, so make this your next stop.  The tickets are only 10 euro. You can only visit by guided tour, which starts on the hour, every hour and is included in the price of your ticket. The museum tells the story of Dublin and is considered Dublin’s best museum, so you kind of have to go. These photos of the museum are from Lovin Dublin:

Glasnevin Cemetery

Because this is a bit out of the way of central Dublin, this should be your next stop.

I’m not huge on cemetery tours.  This is probably because (fun fact) part of my law practice is funeral and cemetery law (I defend funeral homes and cemeteries against civil lawsuits).  As a result, I spend a lot of time in cemeteries and dealing with cemeteries. So whenever I am in a cemetery, I go into work mode, which is not ideal for vacation mode. BUT, this is actually a pretty cool cemetery and well worth a visit.

First, it is massive.  It is also immaculately maintained. Glasnevin is the largest provider of funeral services in Ireland.  There are about 2.5 million burials in the cemetery.  They also perform about 2,500 burials a year.

You can walk around on your own, but I recommend that you take one of their tours.  Otherwise, you  don’t really have an appreciation for the what and where the significant burials in the are.  There is a museum, admission to which is included in the price of your tour ticket, and you can buy a separate ticket (reduced price when you buy a tour ticket) to climb the large tower at the front entrance.  The tower is actually a HUGE mausoleum built to commemorate the life of one of Ireland’s greatest political figures, Daniel O’Connell.  He is actually buried at the base of the tower.
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If you do just the tour, plan to spend at least 90 minutes here.  If you do the tour and either the tower or the museum, plan to spend two hours.  If you do all three, plan for at least 2.5 hours.  After the tour, head back into central Dublin for lunch.  I recommend you go to a local fish and chips eatery for a quick bite.

Guinness Storehouse

After lunch, you’ll probably be ready for a beer. So why not make it the beer that Ireland is known for? And, why not get it from the place that it’s made? A visit to the Guinness Storehouse should be next on your list. The tour is self-guided and takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes.  On the fourth floor, you can learn how to pull the perfect pint. If you REALLY love Guinness, there is also a one-hour connoisseur’s experience that you can book.  You will end at Gravity Bar on the 7th floor, which has 360 degree views of the city.

Jameson Distillery

Once you’ve had your fill of beer, it’s time to move on to liquor, so head on over to Jameson for a little whiskey.  Once at the distillery, you can take their tour (20 Euro per person), which is about 40 minutes, or book one of their three tasting experiences.

There is a reserve bottle of Jameson that is only sold here.  You can purchase it and have your name engraved on the bottle. These are great gifts.

Merrion Square

Walk off that buzz in Merrion Square where you can see the childhood home of the famous Irish poet and writer Oscar Wilde and the park just across the street that has a statue of Oscar Wilde.

In this neighborhood you will find beautiful Georgian architecture.  If you have a thing for beautiful colored doors, then make sure you make your way here.  This is also Dublin’s museum district.

If you want to hear some traditional live Irish music, make your way to the historical O’Donoghue’s Pub. This was the birthplace of  the Irish folk band The Dubliners.  This pub is just a short walk from St. Stephens Green, Ireland’s best known Victorian public park.

The Winding Stair

It’s dinnertime, so head over to the cutest little restaurant/bookshop on the river, The Winding Stair (photo below from: http://winding-stair.com/about-us/). The bookshop is one of the oldest surviving independent bookshops in Dublin. The cafe serves traditional Irish cuisine.

Cross over the bridge for your night cap.

The Temple Bar

End your night with a visit to the Temple Bar. It is super touristy, but it offers great people watching, live music, and has one of Ireland’s largest whiskey collections.

So, there you have it — an action packed non-stop day in Dublin that hits all the highlights! There is a little history,  a little culture, and a little fun. If you follow our itinerary, I’d love to hear your feedback.  If you’ve visited Dublin and have something to add, let me know! Otherwise, Sláinte!

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Barcelona, Spain: A Girls’ Weekend In Catalonia

June 24, 2018 by · 1 Comment

In May of last year, I was sitting at a cafe in the Old Venetian Harbor of Chania, Crete when my cousin from Greece announced that she had booked a solo trip to Barcelona to practice her Spanish. One thing led to another, and, the next thing you know, 6 girls from 3 different countries (and 2 U.S. States) descended upon Barcelona for an epic girls’ weekend. We packed a lot of activity into those three days, but I am not sure how much Spanish got practiced!

Barcelona is the capitol and the largest city of Catalonia, a province of Spain.  If you and your tribe are #ISO food, culture, and art, look no further. This city has it all. But first, BRUNCH!

Despite that we were literally coming in from all over, we all managed to arrive within an hour of each other.  Our first order of business was brunch (obviously), and so we headed to the very cute Brunch and Cake. So cute. SO Instagramable!

After we ate everything in sight, we made our way to the Picasso Museum. This little museum resides in five adjoining medieval palaces, so the exhibition space is just as cool as the art. It is one of the most extensive permanent collections of Picasso’s work at 4,251 works of art.

We spent the afternoon admiring the architecture of the city, including the Barcelona Cathedral;

Barcelona’s version of the Arc del Triomf; and

Palau de la Musica Catalana.

Side note here: You have probably seen these gorgeous pillars and wondered, where in Barcelona are these beauties?!?

They are in this amazing concert hall. BUT, if you want to see them, you HAVE to take the tour. The tour is about an hour and only 20- 25 Euro, so I recommend it, but we didn’t get to take it because we arrived 5 minutes after the last tour of the day.  BOO!

That’s okay.  We left a little something for next time.  Plus, there is no disappointment that a little retail therapy can’t cure, so we headed off to La Manual Alpargatera, the first workshop that made ​​fashion espadrilles! I mean, the Pope (and several other celebrities) gets his espadrilles from here (the Pope wears espadrilles?!?), so it’s legit.

Here is my advice: get there early. Either early in the morning when they open, or right after they re-open in the afternoon after siesta.  We were the first ones there after siesta and were able to get in and out.  It is a small store, so people often line up to get in.  As we were leaving it was starting to get pretty packed in there and the services tends to be lacking as it gets more chaotic. Also, don’t forget to get your VAT tax forms when you buy your shoes! In my Paris post, I teach you all about tax-free shopping in Europe (all over the world really), so you are welcome!

We topped off our first day with the probably the best tour we took while we were in Barcelona: the Tasting Barcelona Tour that we did with Spanish Trails, which we did on a private basis. Our guide was excellent.  Not only did he take us to great local spots, he also gave us great recommendations for dinner places during our stay and even made the reservations for us!

On the tour, we got to stroll through the city at night while tasting a variety of local tapas, cava, Vermouth, and, of course, dessert! It was a great introduction to Barcelona.

The next day was devoted (mostly) to Antoni Gaudi as we explored Barcelona’s essential points of interest with Spanish Trails on a private tour. If you don’t know who Gaudi is, you will quickly learn once you are in Barcelona.  You literally cannot spit in this city without hitting something Gaudi.

Guadi was a Spanish architect from Catalonia. Most of his works are located in Barcelona. You will know them when you see them: mosaic, colorful, ornate, and almost Dali like.

We started with Park Guell. While it is now  public park, the original idea is that it would be a housing development that would combine nature and art. The entrance of the park showcases more of the natural elements with stone columned structures.

The heart of park features the artistic elements with beautiful mosaic structures and sculptures. It is a fantastic park. Probably my favorite in the world.

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His most famous work is the Sagrada Familia, which is the most visited monument in all of Spain!

It began construction in 1882, and it is still not done.  That’s right. NOT done.  Longest construction project ever. 136 years later, and they are still building. But, to be fair, it is in its final phase of construction and should be completed by 2026!

The inside is just magnificent. A kaleidoscope of color, really.

Also, go back at night to see it all lit up and with hardly no other people!

We took a Gaudi time out to explore the Gothic Quarter. Not only is the oldest and probably most charming part of the city, it also has some of the city’s best eats!

The Gothic quarter is also home to the Jewish quarter.  Inside the Gothic quarter is a beautiful old synagogue.

We ended at Casa Batllo, considered one of Gaudi’s masterpieces.

On our last full day in Barcelona, we embarked on a private day trip with Spanish Trails to explore the medieval town of Girona and the Dali Museum in Figueres.

Figueres is the birthplace of Salvador Dali, so it is only fitting that his museum is located here. He is actually buried in the museum!

The Dali Museum is certainly interesting both inside and out. But, I have to say, the more I learned about Dali, the less I liked him. He was severely disturbed, and that is a polite way to put it.

There is a jewelry museum that has a separate entrance (but is included in your ticket), and that is worth a visit.  Actually, I think it was my favorite part. Dali put all that crazy to work and made some stunning pieces of jewelry!

After a tour through surrealism we headed to Girona.

Girona Cathedral was used in season 6 of Game of Thrones. Actually, a lot of GOT was filmed in Girona, so if you are a GOT fan, you may want to stop here just for that reason alone.

Girona’s Jewish Quarter is one of the best preserved in the world. There is a a great Jewish Museum in the center of the town.

There are also a ton of cute little cafes and shops to explore.

We returned to Barcelona for one last fantastic meal before our girls’ trip came to an end!

I feel like there was so much me of this city to explore! If you have been to Barcelona, I’d love to hear about your favorite spots. Leave a comment or send me an email! Until then, adios!

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Oaxaca, Mexico: The Coolest Mexican Town You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

June 3, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Long weekends are my new jam.  I love finding cities to explore over a long weekend.  It is a great way to visit a lot of places throughout the year and get a taste for a place or a culture.

One of the best parts of living in South Florida is that the entire Caribbean and basically all of Latin America is within reach for long weekend escapes.  The flights are plentiful, inexpensive, and relatively short.  And, the destinations are within the same time zone, making for a most epic weekend without all the adjusting when you get back.  This is especially true during our tourist season, during the long hot summer months, or during South Florida events that clog up the entire city (I’m looking at you, boat show, Ultra, Art Basel, and South Beach Wine and Food Festival).

I was always kind of put off by Mexico.  I considered it a touristy spring break place. Don’t get me wrong, it is partly still that in some places.  But, in my hunt for weekend escapes, I started to become more open about traveling to Mexico.  And, I have found that there are some gems that offer culture, ruins, gastronomical experiences, and outdoor activities. Gems like Mexico City, Merida, Tulum, San Miguel de Allende, and Oaxaca!

Oh What Ah?!? Oh-Ha-Kah. If you are a major foodie, you have probably heard about this place. If not, then allow me to introduce you to Oaxaca, located in Southern Mexico.

It is known for its incredible food (it claims to be the origin of mole sauce; apparently there are seven different kinds!), mezcal (a spirit that is kind of like tequila distilled from agave), crafts, and its epic Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.

Day of the Dead is kind of like Mexican Halloween, except much more fascinating and colorful. It is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Mexican people, and the celebrations take place over several days from October 31 to November 2. The hallmarks of the holiday are millions of colorful flowers and all those cute little colorful skulls with flowers adorning them!

But the Mexican people save up some celebration for other holidays, too.  Like Easter, which is when we traveled to Oaxaca.  We had a limited amount of time and A LOT of things on our to do list, so we hired Anotnio from Travel To Oaxaca Day Tours. Best. Decision. Ever. He was responsive during the trip planning process, helping to tailor our itinerary.  He was punctual, had a clean and comfortable car with A/C, spoke great English, and was a wealth of information.  He never said “No,” and made sure we got to see everything we wanted to, and even added in some gems for us.  He was also very reasonably priced.  I highly recommend him. Seriously.  Tell him I sent you!

On our first day, we visited the archaeological site of Mitla. Mitla is the second most important archaeological site in Oaxaca.  It is also the most important of the Zapotec culture.

It was surprisingly empty, and it was beautiful.

The geometric carvings on the walls were incredible.

Our next stop as to Santa Maria de Tule.

Tule is home to a tree so massive that it is on the list of pending UNESCO World Heritage Sites!  El Arbol de Tule has the largest tree trunk in the world.  It is seriously a massive tree!

We made our way to Teotitlán del Valle, a little village known for its textiles.  The village is renowned for its intricately patterned hand-woven rugs made from hand-spun, naturally dyed wool. Here we visited the home of a traditional weaving family.

And then, they put us to work!

After all that work, it was time for a drink and some of that famous Oaxacan cuisine.  So, we hit up a local Mezcal factory to learn about mezcal production.

We visited Don Agave for our mezcal tasting.

And that, my friends, is where Chad began his gastronomical experience with grasshoppers. As in the insect. He. Ate. Grasshoppers. They were in a taco, but still. I was horrified. I mean, I tried it because, you know, when in Rome; but honestly, I could not get passed the idea of eating bugs.  Not Chad. He housed the grasshopper tacos.  I’d like to blame all the mezcal that he drank, but I can’t. It was not the first, nor the last, time that Chad would consume the grasshopper in Oaxaca, which, by the way, is a totally normal part of the Oaxacan people’s everyday diet. We learned a valuable lesson.  When the menu says grasshopper sauce or grasshopper taco, that is not a cute name for some kind of green sauce.  It means that there are actual grasshopper all up in that dish.

After that experience, we needed Jesus.  So, we headed to the most beautifully painted church I have ever seen.  The San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya church doesn’t look like much from the outside.

But inside, it’s like WHOA!

For dinner, we visited the Casa Oaxaca, arguably the best restaurant in Oaxaca. Book a terrace table and get ready to enjoy.

Also, if you like chocolate, then you cannot miss the drinkable chocolate that is readily available all over Oaxaca.  The best one I had was here.  It was SO creamy and rich.  The locals drink it with water.  I prefer milk because it makes it SO smooth!

Once you drink this magic, you are going to want to buy some and bring it home.  This is the place to do that:

And don’t forget to buy the tool to help you make this mind-blowing chocolate dream:

The next day promised to be as action packed as the first.  We started our day off with a visit to Monte Alban, the most important archaeological site in Oaxaca.

The complex is  large, well preserved, and not as packed as I expected.

There is also a small museum at the entrance that is worth a peak.
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Next we headed back into the city to visit Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca.  This used to be the monastic grounds behind the Templo de Santo Domingo.  Now it is its own botanical garden with an impressive collection of cacti, including a cactus forest that I simply could NOT resist.

Here’s the thing though: you cannot independently visit this garden.  You MUST take the two hour tour.  The people who run this operation take it very seriously, and they should.  But, the tour could be an hour long.  It literally dragged on and on.  So, Chad and I skipped out on it about half way through, and made our way through the gardens alone, which you are not supposed to do.  But, we are rebels. Well, I’m a rebel.  Chad was literally dying of embarrassment; but, I needed to get into this cactus forest without a bunch of people, so Chad dealt with it!

Our afternoon was spent visiting several artisans villages, like San Martín Tilcajete, where we visited local wood carvers who painted their carvings with Zapotex designs:

San Bartolo Coyotepec, a town best known for its black pottery:

And Santo Tomás Jalieza, a town whose artisans are known for making exquisitely woven cotton goods on back-strap looms:

For lunch, we traveled to a local market/food hall in Ocotlan.

That is where we met Frida Kahlo (incarnate) and ate her amazing home cooking.

Okay, so she’s not the real Frida Kahlo, who is actually no longer with us, but you could’ve fooled me.  She looks just like Frida and her cooking is art. Her stall is called La Cocina de Frida, and it was the best damn mole sauce we ate!

For dinner, we tried the tasting menu at El Destilado, for a contemporary take on Oaxacan classics.

We dedicated our final day to exploring the colorful streets of Oaxaca City and its markets.

We admired the street art.

We shopped in the local boutiques.

We ate tacos (duh!).

We stopped by the church.

And we visited the Sunday market.

Side note: the indigenous locals do not like to be photographed.  They believe that you are stealing their soul when you photograph them.  If you whip out a camera, they all hide their faces.  However, there are some that are more evolved, so you are better off asking if you want to photograph indigenous people in Oaxaca.  And, unlike other places, they don’t expect to be paid to photos. So, I would avoid offering because I think payment for photos is a tourist created phenomenon.

The markets in Oaxaca are organized by section: meats, veggies, breads, etc.

But, they are also kind of like a food hall. So, you buy your meat from here:

Then get your tortillas from here:

And then you use the public grills inside the market to grill your own meat and make your lunch:

We saw a bunch of families running from stall to stall gathering their supplies and then having a full on family bar-b-q right in the market.  It was interesting and kind of sweet. However, I question the sanitary conditions of those grills.

And, don’t forget to load up on your chilies and grasshoppers!

It was Easter, so you know there was an Easter parade right in the middle of town!

We boarded our flight home with happy hearts and full bellies.

Oaxaca really is a gem.  Life is such a celebration there.  There is so much culture and so much art.  And the food, SO Freaking Good…minus the grasshoppers. If you are looking for different kind of long weekend getaway, I highly recommend you check it out. Chad and I are already planning our return for the Day of the Dead celebration!

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Harbour Island, Bahamas: Pink Sand Paradise

May 20, 2018 by · 2 Comments

I am constantly on the hunt for long-weekend destinations.  And, with Memorial Day just around the corner, I thought I’d share with you the perfect little hideaway. It’s called Harbour Island, known locally as Briland, and it has pink sand.  Need I say more?

Harbour Island lies just northwest of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. It’s famous for its pink sand beaches and cute little pastel cottages.

To get to Harbour Island, you must first get to Eleuthera. Luckily, there is non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale to Eleuthera on both commercial and chartered airlines.  You can also fly to Eleuthera from Nassau.

Once you make it to Eleuthera, you have to hop a cab ($5 per person) from the small airport to the dock and take the ferry over to Harbour Island (another $5 per person).

As soon as you get onto Harbour Island, you need to rent a golf cart (around $50 per day), as this will be your mode of transportation for the weekend.  And, you need to get comfortable with driving on the other side of the street! Dunmore Town, the only town on Harbour Island, is full of golf carts zipping all around town.

When it comes to choosing lodging, you have two options: either rent one of the cute little cottage homes or take up residence in one of the many hotels on the island.  If you are a family or a large group, the cottage homes are the way to go.  While many of them are not beachfront, they have views of the bay.  If being on the beach is your goal, then there are really only three options: The Dunmore, Coral Sands, or Pink Sands.

The Dunmore is hands down the most luxurious of the three, but it is also the most popular, and the property stays pretty full. While they are oceanfront, it is located on a busier part of the beach, so there are a lot of people around.

We stayed at Pinks Sands, and honestly, I am glad we did.  Pink Sand’s is an historic property.  But, it’s location is what makes this property a gem.  It is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Dunmore Town and right on the ocean.  The property is large, with 20 acres of gardens. There are 25 British Colonial cottages, so there are only a limited number of guests sharing this paradise with you and there are not many, if any, non-guests on the property. The best part is the private stretch of beach reserved for guests, with powdery pink sand and crystal clear turquoise water.

There are other hotels, like The Landing (owned by Prince Charles’s goddaughter, India Hicks), Bahamas House, and  Valentine’s Resort and Marina, but these are located in town.

Harbour Island definitely runs on island time.  The pace is just a little slower. The atmosphere is relaxed, but there is a hint of casual elegance.  In fact, it’s a bit bougie. It is the type of place that unassuming billionaires go to relax; where people are casually, but expensively, dressed. There are a lot of regulars who return to the island year after year, and the marina is full of yachts. This is not a budget getaway.  Food, lodging, and activities are pretty pricey on the island. Fortunately, the American dollar and Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted.

We spent our mornings on the beach, but by afternoon, we were out and about in the town.  Our first mission was to grab lunch.  Our go to spot was Sip Sip (the local slang for gossip). It is only open from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  It overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, and it is packed every single day.

There is one thing that you absolutely MUST order at Sip Sip: the lobster quesadilla. I dream about this quesadilla.  It is one of the most delicious things I have eaten in my life.  At $45, it is also the most expensive quesadilla you will ever eat. IT is worth every penny. It is generously filled with juicy chunks of fresh caught lobster. I am a food snob (just ask Chad).  I am underwhelmed and unimpressed with most restaurants/meals. So, I don’t just throw around this kind of praise for dishes.

Another “must visit” eatery is Queen Conch.  This place also gets super busy and is cash only.  Their conch fritters are amazing (and, I am really not a huge fan of the conch fritter because they tend to be more fritter than conch), but the real star is the exotic conch salad.


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We would take ours to go and have a picnic on the sandbar.

After lunch, we explored the town, stopping in at all the fab (but pricey) retail shops.

We headed over to Arthur’s Bakery for cookies and key lime tarts and to the Sweet Spot Cafe for smoothies.

On some days, we would just ride around the town exploring all the local streets and the cute cottages.

We visited the straw market.

And, on one of the days, we chartered a boat to go snorkeling.

You can even ride horses on the beach!

In the afternoons, we would post up on our pre-reserved beach chairs and wait for the sun to set or take a ride out to the sandbar.

On one such afternoon, I had the great fortune of discovering this amazing young Asian couple who brought a giant sherbet colored unicorn raft onto the beach.  This had Instagram written all over it.  The little Asian girl posed for what seemed like an hour on the raft while yelling at her husband as he snapped away.  Once she tired of the raft, she simply left it behind on the beach.

Not being one to pass up a gram-able moment (or a unicorn), I jumped on that bad boy and made like the Asian girl, while Chad died of embarrassment and took these photos! #BlogLife #BlogHusband

For dinner, there are two must try places, and neither of them are cheap.  The first is the restaurant at The Landing, which requires a reservation.

The second is the Rock House, where a table on the terrace at sunset guarantees a magnificent view.

Before you know it, your long weekend will come to an end, and you will have to leave behind this little island paradise and return to real life. Hopefully, you will return a little tanned and well-rested, which is almost guaranteed after a few days on this little jewel of the Caribbean.

 

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South African Safari vs. East African Safari

April 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

African safaris are my all-time favorite travel experience. I love every minute of being out in the wild surrounded by nature and animals in their natural habitats. Any time I get a chance to go on safari, I am there.

So far, Chad and I have been on two safaris: one in South Africa and one in East Africa. And, I am here to tell you that not all the safaris are created equally. Indeed, they are each very unique and different experiences. In South Africa we stayed at Lion Sands and visited the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, which is adjacent to Kruger National Park.  In East Africa (Kenya) we stayed at &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, and visited the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

So which safari is right for you? Well, that depends on what you are looking for. Don’t get me wrong, both are amazing, so there is no wrong choice. But…

If You Want Luxury

If you are looking for a five-star luxury experience, then I would recommend South Africa. Both safari experiences offer luxurious accommodations with all of your meals included and an assigned “butler” for the duration of your stay.  However, in South Africa, all of our beverages, including alcohol both on property and during the game drives were included as well.  While in East Africa, we had to pay extra for alcohol and some non-alcoholic beverages.

Also, in my opinion, the food at Lion Sands was better than at Kichwa Tembo.  Lion Sands offered table service for every meal, whereas all meals at Kichwa Tembo were buffet style.  Also, menus and selections were more inventive at Lion Sands.  The food at Lion Sands was cooked perfectly every time and was always delicious.  The food at Kichwa Tembo was also good, but it did not compare to Lion Sands. However, Kichwa Tembo delivered tea, hot chocolate, coffee, and biscuits directly to your room every day before breakfast via the butler hatch.  At Lion Sands, everyone met in the common area for tea and coffee before the first game drive. It was self service, and there were several different selections of biscuits and cakes that were also self-served.

Another difference between the two was that the lodge we stayed at in South Africa was an adults only camp.  The lodge in Kenya was family friendly, so there were children there.  We did not know this when we booked.  Had we known, we would have probably requested an adults only camp.

The reason I say this is because your game drives are usually shared with other guests in both South Africa and East Africa. Specifically, the lodge assigns you to a group, and that is your group for the duration of the stay.  So, if you are on a game drive with children, your schedule is dictated by them.

As you will see below, that really only becomes an issue on East African safari because of the format.  But, I will say that the lodge does do a good job of putting similarly situated groups together so that a couple without children doesn’t get stuck with a family with small children.

At Lion Sands, we were a group of 8 adults.  At Kichwa Tembo, we were only 5: Chad and I and, thankfully, a British woman with two very well behaved pre-teens who were troopers and wanted to be out as much as we did. They were a delight.  We got very lucky because there were some other guests with children that I literally prayed weren’t in our group! The only other time you notice this distinction is at meal times when the dining area is filled with obnoxiously loud kids and/or teenagers.

If You Want Flexibility

One of the key differences between South African and East African safaris is the flexibility. While the South African safari camps have scheduled game drives, in East Africa, you can free style safari.  There are no rules in East Africa!

Let me explain.  In South Africa, you are limited to two game drives per day.  The first happens in the very early morning before sunrise.  You are woken up by your butler at around 5:00 a.m. After tea and coffee, you load into the jeeps and begin your drive.  Each drive lasts about three to four hours. As the sun rises, they stop the jeeps and set up tables out in the bush and serve you more tea, coffee, juices, and snacks. After refueling, you continue on your drive. When you get back to the camp, a delicious breakfast is waiting for you.  Then, your afternoons are free.  During this time you can lay by the pool, take a guided nature walk, get a massage, and have lunch. At around 5:00 p.m., you load up for your next game drive.  This time, as the sun sets, they break out the tables, a full bar with wine, spirits, and snacks, and you enjoy the sunset before finishing your game drive.  When you return to the lodge, a fantastic dinner under the stars awaits you. Everyone follows the same schedule; like it or not.

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But What About The Animals

Because of the freestyle format, and also because the Mara is smaller than Kruger Park, you get to see A LOT more animals with a lot less effort in East Africa. Kruger Park is 7,523 square miles, whereas Maasai Mara is only 583 square miles.  So, in South Africa, the animals have a lot of land to travel over, whereas in East Africa, they are more condensed. Also, because you can stay out all day in East Africa, you increase your chances of animal viewing. And, since all the jeeps are not out at the same time, there are times in East Africa where you feel like the only ones around for miles.

As far as animal viewing, in South Africa, we saw more black rhino and more leopard.

In East Africa, we saw cheetah and more lions.

Both were pretty even when it came to giraffe, buffalo, elephants, and zebra.

Finally, if it is the Great Migration you are after, then you only have one choice: East Africa. This phenomena is specific to East Africa so it is the only place you can see it.

The Great Migration happens every year.  During the migration, millions of zebra, wildebeest, and antelope migrate across East Africa from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The migration runs in a clockwise circle and covers about 1,800 miles.  It is notoriously fraught with peril, especially when the herds cross the Mara River. Every year, an estimated 250,000 wildebeest die en route.

Just the spectacle of watching millions of animals cross the plains is worth the price of admission.  It is probably one of the largest animal gatherings on earth.  And, you can be sure that the prey (read: lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs) aren’t too far behind! The best time to catch the migration is during the dry season, between July and early October. It is the ultimate in animal viewing.  You can find more details here.

If you still can’t decide between the two (and trust me, I understand your struggle and it’s a good problem to have), do them both! Three days is a perfect amount of time for each safari, and it is not unusual for travelers to combine two safari experiences in one trip. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

 

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Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya: East African Safari

April 15, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

If you had to choose just one travel experience before you die; one trip of a lifetime; the ultimate bucket-list experience; that choice should, without a doubt, be an African safari.

Chad and I have been lucky enough to have been on safari in Africa twice.  The first time was our honeymoon when we went on safari in South Africa in the private concessions of Kruger National Park.  The second time was this past December when we visited the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.  Having done two, I can tell you that it never gets old.  And, I think that is because the experiences are so different. More on that later.

After spending a couple of days in Nairobi, which I certainly recommend if you want to have a slumber party with giraffes and spend time with baby elephants, we boarded a small, regional propeller plane and headed to the Rift Valley Province.

We landed on the private airstrip of our home for the next three days: &Beyone Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp. Our guide for the next three days was waiting to greet us with a smile, cool towels, refreshing cold drinks, and snacks!

Once we were done munching, we loaded into our safari vehicle and began the short drive through the Maasai Mara to our camp grounds. What we didn’t expect was that our safari would begin right then and there.  As we crossed the Mara, we were greeted by a pride of lions, several elephants, and a large hippo.

On arrival, we got a tour of the camp grounds and were shown to our room.

We would be spending the next few days “glamping” in a luxury tent that overlooked the Mara.

Our meals would be served outdoors, shared with the resident warthogs and monkeys.

And, if you so choose, you could spend your afternoons lounging by the pool while elephants, zebra, giraffe and the occasional lion sauntered by.

But, Chad and I were here for the wildlife viewing, so we chose to spend our days on game drives. We were glad we did, because we got to see SO MANY animals!

Of course, the goal on safari is to see the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. We saw the Big Five on our first safari, so we were determined to see them again. And, successful we were!

Buffalo and elephants are pretty common on both South African and East African safaris.  Even though there is a lot of elephant poaching going on, you still see a fair amount of elephants. One difference we noticed in Kenya versus our experience in South Africa – due primarily to the much flatter topography of the Maasai Mara plateau – is that we saw a lot more animals and with a lot less effort.

cialis pills wholesale http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/01/07/mountain-memories-how-to-make-snow-cream/ This drug is immensely popular among the masses because of its reasonable prices. It can occur due to physical and discount viagra psychological conditions, such as anxiety, stress, surgery and depression. Needless to say, at viagra pills wholesale times it even leads to a decline in testosterone, which is a critical problem and put male sexual health on greater risks. The cause of erectile dysfunction is often generic levitra online physical in nature. By far, the cats are the most exciting viewing.  We got to see a lot of lions with their baby cubs.  We even saw a lioness on the prowl, but thankfully, we didn’t have to witness a kill. That was due mostly to her terrible hunting skills.  I mean, it was  so bad that  it was almost comical. This female lion was stalking and even gave chase to a pack of warthogs, who are notoriously stupid.  Their stupidity is due to their lack of memory, specifically, short-term memory.  They are so forgetful that in the middle of running away from a predator, they forget why they are running and just stop. It would stand to reason that the lion should have easily been able to catch at least one dumb warthog.  But, no such luck.

We also got to see cheetahs, which was a first! This was probably my most favorite viewing because they were so chill and curious of us. they were also SO stinking cute! Our guide told us that it was not unusual for them to jump right on the hood of the jeep for a closer look.

There are more cheetah in Tanzania than in Kenya, so to see these two, we had to drive to the Tanzanian border.  And, since we came all that way, we sneaked into the Serengeti National Park.

The most difficult and sought after viewings are the rhinos and cheetah. Rhinos are difficult because, tragically, they have almost been hunted into extinction. If you are lucky enough to see a rhino, it will probably be a black rhino.  While black rhinos are still critically endangered, they are more numerous than the white rhino. We were lucky to spot just one black rhino.

The white rhino is more rare. There are two subspecies of white rhinos: the southern white rhinoceros, which are found in South Africa, and the the northern white rhinoceros, which were formally found in East Africa, but which are now functionally extinct. There are only two females left in the whole world, and they are guarded by around the clock security.

Most people miss the Big Five because they never get to see the leopard. Being the fastest land animal on earth, they are so elusive! They are also excellent hiders! While we saw three in South Africa, we only saw one in East Africa.

We spent so much time out on our game drives that we got to have picnic lunches out in Mara surrounded by nature.  We also stopped in the evenings for sundowners and to enjoy the sunset with cocktails and snacks!

Back at the camp in the evenings, members of the Maasai Tribe would come and visit us to perform traditional dances and to sell their handicrafts.

I love cultural immersion, so I asked out guide to take us to the local Maasai village.  The head tribesman took us on a tour of his village and of his personal home, which was a single room mud-hut with no electricity.  We also met the women of the tribe who greeted us with a welcome song, dressed in their beautiful and colorful traditional garb.  The Maasai tribe is well-known for its traditional and colorful handmade beaded jewelry.

We knew we would be visiting the tribe, so we packed with a purpose.  We brought educational supplies, crayons, coloring books, and toys for the village children.  They were so ecstatic to receive even the smallest gifts, and proudly raised their pencils in the air.

And so ended our second African safari adventure.  It was so nice to truly disconnect and be immersed in nature and in wildlife.  The experience really gives you a new perspective and a true appreciation for wildlife and for our environment. I can’t wait to go back to my favorite continent and go on another amazing safari adventure!

Seriously, if you ever get the chance to go on safari. Just go. It is pricey, but it is well-worth the money spent.  It really is an experience of a lifetime.

 

 

 

 

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Nairobi, Kenya: A Visit To The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

March 25, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Have you ever wanted a pet elephant? Just imagine if you could spend an evening with your baby elephant, petting it, feeding it a bottle, and tucking it in to bed. If ever you find yourself in Nairobi, you can! You can “adopt” your very own orphaned elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (“DWST”)!

DWST was founded in 1977 and is the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world! To date, they have successfully hand-raised over 150 infant elephants and have reintegrated these orphan elephants back into the wild.

There are many threats to the elephant population in Africa.  But, the biggest of these threats are people.  Elephants face the loss of habitat due to human population pressures and conflict, deforestation and drought, as well as the threat of poaching of the elephant for their ivory tusks. It is for these very reasons that baby elephants become orphaned.

To add to the dangers that elephants face, in November 2017 Trump announced that he would be lifting the ban on importing elephant (and lion) trophies (i.e., heads and body parts) into the U.S., which will likely increase the number of people who will travel to Africa for the sole purpose of hunting elephants. Why anybody would want to kill any creatures, let alone such beautiful and majestic creatures, is beyond my understanding.

Luckily, organizations like DSWT exist to help in education and conservation efforts and to help combat some of the threats that face the elephant. In addition to the Orphans’ Project, DSWT has an anti-poaching project  which uses mobile desnaring units to free elephants caught in a poacher’s trap and patrol popular poaching grounds, an aerial surveillance unit that scans the region for poachers, traps, or injured animals, the saving habitats project, a mobile veterinary project and Sky Vets,  which deploy teams of vets to areas where injured animals are discovered for onsite care and/or transport, and community initiative projects, which educate local communities on the importance of conservation.

Needless to say, we were very eager to visit DSWT!  Everyday, DSWT offers visitors a chance to attend their public feeding from 11:00 a.m. until noon. During this time, the public watches as the baby elephants run in from the bush for their midday mud bath and feeding.  It costs $7 US dollars per person ages 4 and above, and payment must be in cash. Be sure to arrive early as there are A LOT of people who attend the public feeding.

Also, just so you don’t have your dreams crushed, you don’t actually get to do the feeding.  Instead, you stand around a large roped off mud pit, and watch as the babies splash around in the mud and get fed by their handlers from giant bottles.  It is so stinking cute.  Sometimes they run by and shake mud all over you or stop to be pet, so be sure to wear something you don’t mind getting dirty. Also, that mud soaks in deep, and is VERY hard to get out of your clothing, even after washing.

You can foster a baby elephant while you are there or before you come by visiting their foster page online where you can see all the elephants and read about their stories of rescue. By the way, a fostered elephant makes a GREAT gift for the animal lover in your life. It costs $50.00 a year per foster.  Chad and I selected two cuties that we fostered on the spot: Maisha and Luggard.


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As a foster parent you can also visit the nursery by appointment at 5:00 p.m. when the elephants return to the stockades for the night. The evening visit is for foster parents only, and it must be booked in advance of your intended visit by contacting DSWT directly. While there are quite a few people who attend, it is A LOT less than the public feeding.  During this visit, you will watch them run in from the bush again, except this time, they run right into their assigned pens.

Somehow they know where they are supposed to go and know that their handlers are waiting to feed them from the giant bottles again.  Some are so talented that they hold their own bottles.  I literally couldn’t contain myself.  It was cuteness overload.

Once they have eaten, it’s time for them to get ready for bed. They lay in their hay beds next to their handlers who sleep right in the pens with them and wait to be covered with their blankets! I mean, c’mon! How can you even resist such cuteness?!?!

Some like to play with toys before bed. While others want to suck on their handlers fingers and cuddle!

As a visitor, you can walk around to all the pens and visit the elephants or just visit your fosters. The handlers are there to answer questions, let you pet your elephant, and take photos for you.

DSWT doesn’t just save elephants.  They help all creatures! On property there is also a giraffe and a blind black rhino.

This really was a unique and special experience, and I HIGHLY recommend it.  In fact, this and our stay at Giraffe Manor were the reasons for our visit to Kenya!

If you can’t make it to Kenya to see the elephants in person, you can still support DSWT by fostering an elephant or donating to their efforts.  When you foster, you get a monthly email about the progress of your foster with photos. You can foster baby elephants , adolescent elephants, adult elephants, giraffes, and rhinos!  It really is a great cause, and, after visiting and following them on social media for a few years, it seems like they run a great program that really supports the precious wildlife for which Africa is so famous. #BeKindToElephants

 

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