Travel Tips : How to Stay Safe While Traveling

June 17, 2014

Traveling the world is an amazing adventure but as travelers we must also be aware of how to keep ourselves safe. Unfortunately the world still has its fair share of issues and it’s important to change habits a bit when traveling to make sure that we are safe and protected from scams and other issues that arise while traveling.

This note particularly pertains to traveling outside of the West or to countries that have a lower quality of life than we’re used to, but can also just be a good rule of thumb while traveling. In Europe I don’t worry about this as much, but when we traveled through Asia in February, I left my wedding rings and any other expensive jewelry at home and wore sterling silver solid rings instead of my wedding bands. Not only did I not have to worry about losing my precious jewelry, it was just easier to not worry about it getting stolen or feel like I was showing off to the locals. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry in general, but I just didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.

Wherever we’re traveling, I generally know a basic layout of the city before we leave. I look through maps and reviews of areas so I know the “good” and “bad” areas. I say that lightly because of course everything is different once you’re there, but it’s good to have an idea. This tip is also really convenient when taking cabs or transport through the city as you should have a pretty good idea if the driver is going the wrong way and trying to rip you off, or worse, taking you somewhere you shouldn’t be going.

A huge part of staying safe while traveling is being aware of local rules and customs. If your head should be covered, then cover it. If you are supposed to walk on a particular side of the road to avoid being hit by traffic, then do it. Staying safe, both physically and in line with local governances, involves paying attention to your surroundings and respecting them as well.

I always watch road signs as we pass them when traveling. In taxis, I like doing it so that I know that we’re headed the right direction and that the driver is in fact taking us where we’re supposed to be headed. When we’re driving, it’s nice to make sure you’re on the right path and to see where you are at that moment. You can also see how far it is to the nearest town, so if you need to stop for some reason, you are aware of where you are.

5 Reasons to Visit Morocco

June 16, 2014

Morocco is such a unique destination, with so many amazing things to offer and experiences to enjoy. So here, in no particular order are 5 reasons why you should put Morocco on your travel list!

The food we enjoyed in Morocco was some of the best we’ve had while traveling. To be honest, we hardly ventured out for meals from our Riad because the food there was so amazing. Every morning, the cook would go to the markets and buy the food to make for dinner at the Riad that night, we had no choices, no menus, but at the end of the day, we never wanted to leave and the food was incredible. We did venture out for lunches though and had a chicken bastilla that we’re still thinking about to this day at a little cafe near the Koutubia Mosque. If you’ve never heard of chicken bastilla, you need to! It’s of those foods that really shouldn’t work, ground chicken inside a crisp thin dough shell mixed with nuts and other ingredients and then topped with cinnamon and sugar. It is one of the most amazing things we’ve ever tasted and in fact, we ate it for lunch that day and went back to get it again for dinner the same day, it was that good!

The Middle East is famed for its sweets and mint teas, but Morocco takes the cake on this one. The cookies (which I’m still thinking about) and the mint tea were truly out of this world. We made an effort to come back to the Riad every day during mid-afternoon just to have our tea time with Moroccan sweets.

Mint tea is also served everywhere you go. We wandered into a rug shop while out and about in the souks and immediately were offered mint tea upon walking in. It’s meant to show friendship and acceptance of guests and it’s really impolite to refuse. So take a glass and enjoy the moment!

One thing that Morocco is famous for are their Riads. These old world guest houses have been turned into bed and breakfast style inns for travelers. With gorgeous suites and home cooked meals, you just have to have this experience in Morocco. Our Riad, Riad 72, was fabulous and we felt like we were in a palace the whole time. Our room had Moroccan tile floors, wood beam ceilings and carved wooden doors. Our bathroom was all marble and Moroccan tile with a huge bathtub and Moroccan lanterns hanging at every corner. The Riad experience is fantastic and takes you back in time!

One of the famous things about Middle Eastern cultures are their souks. Morocco (while in Africa, tends to lean more Middle Eastern culturally) has a plenty of amazing souks to wander and lovely things to buy. We brought home a silver tea pot, jewelry and scarves but we still to this day wish we would have brought home some of these incredible lanterns we saw all over. Take an afternoon and just wander the souks, but be sure to have a map to be able to get back to where you started, as you’ll get disoriented and lost in the labyrinths of souks throughout the city. Bargain your way through and you’ll be sure to come home with some amazing finds.

Perhaps my favorite part of our trip through Marrakech was wandering the incredible spice markets. We brought home cinnamon and saffron. The cinnamon was so fragrant and I used it for months afterwards, offering everything such an exotic flavor. The aromas walking through these markets is pure intoxication, the smells of exotic flavors and spices is just divine and such a cool experience!

Traveling to Morocco?

See all of my posts on the country!

Where to Go for a Romantic Escape

June 13, 2014

When life gets busy, it’s often easy to forget to make time for spending time with your partner and as Nick and I have traveled around the world, there are definitely spots that feel more romantic than others. Generally the places that make you slow down and just spend quality time with the person you love are my favorites, but gorgeous scenery, beautiful hotels and romantic building-scapes also add to the equation of places that could be great romantic escapes. And while Paris and Rome are well known for being romantic cities, I’ve had the chance to spend time in some other spots around the world that have a romantic charm all their own as well. So here in no particular order are some of my favorite spots for a romantic escape with that person you love.

While Rome was a mixed bag for me on how I felt about the city, there is no denying the romantic charms at work in the Italian capital. From ancient buildings to fountains literally everywhere, from cobblestone streets to small winding alleys that end in romantic squares with music playing, Rome is a fantastic city to escape to for a romantic vacation. Italy is perhaps one of the romantic capitals in the world, so you’ll be sure to soak up all the charms in this ancient city.

This quaint ocean-side town in Rhode Island is the perfect coastal romantic escape. With cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, lighthouses all over and a lovely coastline, Newport mixes charm with rugged landscapes and a quaint city atmosphere. I’d love to schedule a week just to stay on the coast here, waking and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean outside and spending time wandering the beaches and the small charming town center.

You can’t really talk about romantic escapes and ignore the French Riviera. Along with Italy, this stretch of coast exudes romance, from the lovely little town square in Nice, to the rocky crescent coast for sunset walks, to the hillside views of the surrounding areas with the one you love. Nice is charming and sophisticated. Stay at Le Meridien here and enjoy sweeping scenic views from your balcony, morning till night.

Paris, ah Paris. There is no where more romantic in my opinion. Romance just seems to pour from the seams here from the innately romantic buildings to the French strolling with their lovers, to macarons and crepes and sweets all around. Paris is possibly the most romantic city in the world and it’s even better to be there with the person you love, strolling the streets hand in hand.

Little St. Andrews often gets overlooked when people talk about Scotland. And if you’re not a golfer, this little gem of a town could easily go unnoticed on a map of the country, but it shouldn’t. The little streets lined with colored stone buildings, small bakeries and coffee shops scattered along and ancient ruins with sweeping views of the coastline, St. Andrews is a quaint and charming town in its own right. It’s hard to imagine not feeling romantic as you stroll the tiny streets here with your love, bundled up against the chill of the wind and taking in the scenic Scottish coastline.

Nicknamed the “Venice of the East,” Udaipur is high in my book for romantic escapes. Stay at the Oberoi Udaivilas here and you’ll not only find extreme peace but you’ll fall more in love as you take in the gorgeous grounds of the hotel and the scenic landscape of the area. From lakes to mountains to hillside palaces, Udaipur is the romantic capital of India.

One of the most romantic spots I’ve found in the States is little Yountville, California in the Napa Valley. From vineyards abounding, to small streets lined with cafes and restaurants, Yountville is everything you expect from the Napa area but with more charm. Any time of year would be lovely here, but my favorite is in the Fall as the leaves are beginning to change on the vines and there is a chill in the air. It’s the perfect place to take long walks and admire the vineyards or enjoy an al fresco dinner with local wine.

Travel Tips : How to Get Around Asia

June 12, 2014

In the post I did a month or so ago about how to get around Europe, I loved hearing from everyone about their experiences with traveling around the continent. Many of you offered other options from I talked about too, which I love as well, getting to hear from other travelers what works for them. So today, we’re back with a similar post about options to get around Asia, which is a lot different than traveling around Europe.

First off, Asia is huge and incorporates so many large and small countries. It’s much further to travel between countries than it is in Europe and also has many more language barriers and cultural differences to traveling in the West. And while I know there are so many more options than what I’m outlining below, these are just my experiences while traveling around Asia, so I can’t wait to hear about more options from all of you guys that have traveled through the continent as well and what your experiences were!

Just like Europe, Asia has budget airline options as well that can be really affordable. We flew Air Asia between Bangkok and Cambodia and back again and loved it. It’s basically Asia’s Easy Jet, with clean and new planes, good food options for purchase and a modern approach to airlines. It was pretty cheap for us to fly to Siem Reap on Air Asia from Bangkok and we really enjoyed it as a great option to travel inexpensively between countries in SE Asia.

In certain spots in Asia, it’s often logistically realistic to hire a private car and driver. We did this in India between Delhi and Agra and I’m so glad we did. Overall, it wasn’t that expensive compared to other options and it made our trip that much easier. We didn’t have to fight crowds (except major traffic in Delhi) and it was a cool, air conditioned option for the 2.5 hour journey between the landmarks.

We hired our driver through our hotel in India and it was well worth it in my opinion. It made that part of our trip comfortable and convenient in a country that can often be daunting to travel around.

One of the famous ways of transport around cities in Asia is the tuk tuk. We used this option many times on our trip through Asia in India, Cambodia and Bangkok. Each area has a different variation on the theme, but overall, it’s basically just a motorcycle pulling a carriage that you sit in. It’s an exhilarating and cheap option to get around and turned out to be one of my favorite ways to travel around Asian cities. Be sure to negotiate a price before the ride though, as you can often get ripped off by inflated prices after the fact.

When You Can’t Go To the French Riviera…

June 11, 2014

There are places in the world that we are constantly longing to go, like the French Riviera or a castle in the middle of Italy, but what happens when for whatever reason you can’t quite make it half way around the world for your travels? It just so happens that there are many places, often much closer to home, that can give you a taste and remind you of those places within a few hours of your home.

I’ve found over the years places that remind me of far away places in my travels in my own area and closer to home without having to fly around the world. And while nothing might compare to the real destination, places that are similar can often cure that wanderlust just a little!

Sometimes when you can’t make it to the French Riviera, you can find someplace that might feel similar and here are my suggestions for close to home places that are easier to get to that leave you reminiscing for the feeling of some places farther away.

Italy is full of old castles dating back thousands of years and one of our favorites is the Castelvecchio in Verona, Italy so imagine our surprise when we were driving through the Napa Valley and came across the Castello di Amarosa. This winery, built to reminisce an Italian castle, is striking in how Italian it is. Add to that, it’s a winery and you’ve got yourself an afternoon in the “Italian countryside.”

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, isn’t that how the saying goes? Well the Prosser area of Eastern Washington, specifically the Desert Wind winery is reminiscent of the American South West. The landscape, the architecture, it takes its lead from the adobe style of New Mexico and does it well. For a touch of the South West in the Pacific North West, this is your place.

Sometimes you see a coastline that is so unique, that speaks to you in a way that the endless wave of beaches doesn’t. That’s happened to me a few times and 2 of those times were on opposite sides of the world, but the views, the feel, the scenery, are so similar in Newport, Rhode Island and St. Andrews, Scotland. Both are quaint sea-side towns with rocky coastlines and open views to the sea. So when you’re in the mood for a “Scottish-esque” coast, head to Newport.

The whole time we were in Santa Barbara, Nick and I kept remarking how European it felt and between the vegetation, the climate, the orange mission style roofs on all the buildings, we knew it felt familiar but it took us a while to figure out what it reminded us of. We drove up to the top of a hill and looked down on the city below and finally realized, it felt just like Nice. With the ocean at its edge, the red roofs, the view from above of the city and hills around it. Add to that the Mediterrean-esque trees and vegetation and Santa Barbara could be an American substitution for the French Riviera.

Travel Tips : How to Get to Europe (from the US) on a Budget

June 10, 2014

We are in the swing of looking into flight options for our Spring trip next year (yes we plan way in advance due to work and other commitments), which is shaping up to look like a whirlwind tour of Spain (more to come on that in the next few months!). And in the process of finding flights, I realized that I’ve never done a post on the cheapest flight options to get to Europe from the US, and more specifically, from the West Coast of the USA. So here today are some of my go-to airline options to get to Europe cheaply and directly from my side of the world, as I much prefer non-stops straight to Europe rather than stopping somewhere in between. Some of these I’ve flown, others I’m flying this year and others I’ve heard a lot about. Each option offers different pros and cons, but all are great options to get from the West Coast of the States to major European hubs on a budget.

(Note: Of course the cheapest deals on all these airlines will be found in the off-season, so high season might change each of the following observations.)

We flew Iceland Air for the first time a year and a half ago when we went to Iceland. Since then, it’s one of the first budget transatlantic airlines I look at when I’m looking for a good price. The airline flies out of multiple West Coast hubs, but for us, the Seattle – Europe option is a good one to look at. Iceland Air’s flights all go through Reykjavik and then connect on to whatever European hub you’re headed to. The airline also doesn’t charge more if you want to stop over in Iceland for a couple days on the way there or back, which can add a nice option to your trip.

The airline is efficient, clean and we’ve had no problems with it. We’re flying it home from Europe in October coming up in a few months, leaving from Paris, flying through Reykjavik for a quick 2 hour stop over and then headed on to Seattle. You can find some amazing prices on Iceland Air, like when we flew Seattle to Reykjavik for our Iceland trip for less than $400 per person round trip. They also allow you to do one ways for no extra charges and that can be a great option as well.

We haven’t flown Norwegian Air yet, but we’re trying it for the first time in October when we fly Los Angeles direct to Copenhagen. Everything I’m hearing about this airline though makes me so excited to fly it. The prices to start with are incomparable in the market right now, with one ways to Europe direct from the West Coast for as low as $200! Our tickets to Copenhagen one way were something crazy like $246 when we booked 6 months ago. The airline also flies the new Dreamliner planes on all of their long haul US routes, which is an added bonus. Our first experience with the Dreamliner on our way home from Asia on ANA (Tokyo to Seattle route) was incredible and I can’t wait to fly Norwegian Air’s version in just a few months. We’re also looking to fly Norwegian Air from Los Angeles direct to London’s Gatwick for our Spain trip next Spring and the fares are just ridiculously low!

For our Spain trip, the options for direct flights from the West Coast to Spain are like non existent, so I ended up searching other options that would get us direct to Europe for low cost and then we can jump on budget airlines for the rest of the way through Europe. Aer Lingus’ direct flight from San Francisco to Dublin was an attractive option for us as we started looking into the trip. This flight is relatively new and can offer a great advantage to get direct to Europe from Northern California. You can also use British Airways Avios points on this flight without the huge surcharges to fly through London so it can be an attractive option. You can also book one ways without getting charged more through Aer Lingus. My one complaint with this option, at least when trying to use Avios points, is that you have to call BA to book your flight and BA’s phone system is horrible, with wait times sometimes as long as over an hour before you even talk to someone. Then the availability is an issue when using Avios points, but if you’re flexible on dates, this can be a great option.

Air France offers a great option for West Coast direct to Paris with its service out of Los Angeles. We flew this last Spring when we headed to France with Nick’s family and thoroughly enjoyed it. I much prefer flying Internaional airlines when headed internationally as generally they end up being way better than the domestic ones, so while there is a direct Delta flight from Seattle (which would be easier for us from Portland) to Paris, I would always choose Air France over it even though we have to get to LA which ends up being farther for us to travel. But all in all, Air France is great and if you’re heading to Paris, it’s a great option. Another great option when flying Air France is that you can book with Alaska partner miles, which for those of us on the West Coast is one of our main airlines. That can be a nice option to cut the price of a ticket.

One of our favorites and most flown options from the West Coast to Europe is the Seattle to Heathrow option on British Airways. This option is the most convenient for us and let’s us rack up lots of Avios points (that we then can use on hotels and rental cars more easily than flights). The service is great, planes are nice and it’s so easy to leave Seattle in the evening and wake up a nice 9 hours later in London. The drawback to BA is the huge surcharges that add to your ticket when flying to Heathrow, but for ease of transport and location, this flight is easy and convenient.

FINAL NOTE

As a last regard, obviously all of these above leave from major hubs like LAX, SFO or SEA and it can often be expensive to get to these cities if you don’t live near by. My tip for that segment of the trip would be to use airline points on those. For example, when we fly out of any of these hubs, we use our Alaska miles to book the shorter flights to those airports. They don’t cost as many points as the big flights and you don’t have to save as long, as well as then you get to keep the travel miles from the larger flights instead of a bunch of short ones. Look into one of my favorite travel credit cards to rack up the miles to be able to cover the shorter segments and then you can save money on that part of your trip.

My Favorite Coastlines Around the World

June 9, 2014

As we just spent Memorial Day a couple weekends ago driving up the Southern California coast, it got me thinking of the other beautiful coastlines I’ve seen around the world and which I am drawn to more than others. Some people just seem drawn to the ocean, to stretches of white sandy beaches and hot temperatures. To be honest with you, I’ve never been that person. With my fair skin and natural dislike of hot weather, I’ve always preferred cooler climates with rocky coastlines over sandy white beaches and palm trees. While I’m not a huge fan of beach destinations usually, I’m still very much a fan of coastlines around the world, of being near the ocean and seeing how each coastline in each different place can be so different than somewhere else.

I find the layout of the way the ocean meets land to be really beautiful, how the rocks form, how the ocean filters into the land, the clouds coming in over the water as they meet land, the green mosses that grow on the shoreline rocks. Some of my favorite places in the world are on a coastline and while I have so many more to see as of yet, here are some of my favorite coastlines, some of the most beautiful, the most serene, the most intricate places I’ve seen.

Hawaii has a plenty of white sand beaches if that’s your thing, Personally, out of all the Islands, I like Oahu because of the diversity in its coastlines. Not only do you have the sandy, palm tree-lined beaches of Waikiki and the North Shore, you also have the rocky cliffs of the East side of the Island around the corner from Hawaii Kai and the giant seemingly fake green mountains rising out of the ridges of the Windward side of the Island. My favorite spots are the rocky beaches on the North Eastern side of Oahu, where the waves crash into lava rock, the colors of the sky float in over the open Ocean and you can just make out the edges of Moloka’i in the distance.

While some like the Riviera in the Summer time when it’s full of people sunbathing on the beaches, I actually like it in the cooler months before or after peak season. Our March visit was the perfect temperature, not cold but not quite warm either, that perfect mix in the middle. The rocky cliffs to the East of Nice jut out over the Mediterranean, seemingly suspended. The rocky beaches along the crescent shaped Promendade des Anglais are quiet that time of year, filled with the occasional local taking in the view of the water, young people biking along the walkway or the small groupings of tourists taking in the gorgeous views. The clouds and the water roll in over the rocky shores and bring new life, while the orange tinged town of Southern France offers a very unique colorful palette of blues and greens and oranges.

Still one of the most beautiful coastlines I’ve seen in my travels, the Oregon Coast (particularly in the stretch from Cannon Beach down to just South of Newport) is truly breathtaking. Ranging from stretches of open beach, to giant rock islands seemingly floating just off the coast, to rocky ridges and rocky tidepools, the Oregon Coast is a beautiful place. And while our beach towns leave something to be desired, the coastline itself is truly a beautiful sight.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing many of the coastlines on the East Coast of the United States, though our trip through New England last year including Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island did provide some gorgeous ocean-side places. My favorite and the most beautiful, in my opinion, were the rocky coastlines of Rhode Island, Newport in particular. I was particularly overwhelmed with the colors of this area of the coastline: deep grays in the ocean and clouds, light tan rocks and cliffsides covered in olive green moss and ground cover. The ocean seemed expansive in Rhode Island, inlets taking over parts of the land and bridges over the water abounding. The ocean seemed much more powerful here, like if it wanted, it could take out anything in its path. That is both the terrifying and beautiful power of the ocean.

I loved the town of St. Andrews for a number of reasons. I loved the tiny Scottish streets, the incredible Sticky Toffee Pudding, the colorful stone buildings, the cathedral ruins, but what I loved most about the town is its gorgeous and breathtaking coastlines. Whether you visit the beaches near the famous Old Course, the rocky tide pools and lookouts below the high street through town behind the University, or stare out over the endless views of cliffs and rocky coastline from the lookout above the cathedral ruins, each is stunning. The way the clouds seem to linger and be drawn in with the tide, the way the dark rocks hold contrast to the sky, St. Andrews is stunning for more reasons than one.

Exploring Southern California in LA and Santa Monica

June 4, 2014

Our last day in LA, we wanted to spend some time seeing areas of Los Angeles that we haven’t seen in previous trips, one place of which was Santa Monica. Though I went numerous times as a child, Nick and I have not been there together and we wanted to spend some time just wandering around the beach town of the area.

We started our day with breakfast at The Farm of Beverly Hills and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a lovely spot on Beverly Drive and was a cute interior as well. We also happened to sit right next to Hilary Duff, her husband Mike Comrie and their son throughout our breakfast which made it even better to add a celebrity sighting for the weekend.

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed to The Grove, an open air shopping center nearby that I like to make a stop at whenever I’m in LA to check out Topshop and Zara, both of which have locations there. After walking around The Grove for a bit, we headed down to Santa Monica. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering down the Santa Monica pier, taking in the ocean views and wandering down the 3rd street Promenade. We finished off our day with a mid afternoon lunch at La Sandia for our last dose of Mexican food before leaving California and then headed on our way to the airport.

This was one of our first trips to the LA area that I felt like we really got to see more of the city and enjoyed taking in the different neighborhoods and areas. We thoroughly enjoyed our quick weekend in Southern California and found some favorites spots we’ll for sure be returning to in the future!

Headed to Los Angeles?

See all my posts on the city!

Exploring Santa Barbara

June 3, 2014

Sometimes there are places that just exceed all of your expectations, that blow away everything you were expecting, that you end up loving without you really even foreseeing it happening. Santa Barbara was one of those places for me. To explain more why it’s such a novel thing that I loved this lovely Southern California city, for me, I’ve never liked California all that much to be honest. I’ve never liked LA for many reasons, I’ve never fallen for San Francisco’s Bay Area or fallen in love with Northern California’s wine country. And as much as I haven’t minded traveling to places throughout the state, I’ve just never loved it or felt like there was any place I had visited could be a place I could live.

That’s why Santa Barbara took me completely by surprise, because for the first time in all the places I’ve seen in California, it was the first one that I’ve really loved and could see myself living there in the future or at least spending more time there on holidays. The city itself is gorgeous with Spanish style buildings all around, ivy and colorful flowers growing all over and the overall feel of the French Riviera or the Mediterrean coasts of Europe. But climb above the hills surrounding the city, among the lovely Italian style villas that reside there and you’ll be in for a special treat. If you follow the hills up to the top, you come across a tiny little park with views of the entire city, the ocean at its edge and best of all, you’re surrounded by hills with stone walls and tiny curving streets reminiscent of Italy or the French Riviera.

We spent a while up there, just taking in the views, taking in the moment, a special one at that in a very special place. Sometimes there are places that just make you want to sit and take it all in, to savor those moments in places that are special to us, because in the end, it makes those places all the more special.

Exploring Malibu & Ventura

June 2, 2014

On a trip to Southern California for a quick weekend escape, we drove up the coast from LA to Santa Barbara, with stops along the way in Malibu and Ventura. I’d only ever been as far as Malibu and Nick had never made that drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, so we spent Saturday driving leisurely up the coast.

We headed out early from LA, knowing it was a holiday weekend and that the PCH gets super crowded, and we had no traffic at all because it was fairly early in the morning. We stopped for breakfast in Malibu at the Marmalade Cafe, then got back on the road and headed North, stopping every once in a while for views and photos.

We then stopped through Ventura and explored their pier and beach area and took in the ocean views. After spending some time there, we jumped back in the rental car and headed up to Santa Barbara, which we loved, but more to come on that tomorrow!

The drive up the Southern California coast really is beautiful and we really enjoyed taking our time and enjoying the scenic route, something I would highly recommend!