After exploring one of the biggest cities in Morocco, Fes, I was happy to head to a smaller town to get a feel of the small-city local culture for a few days. Plus, our tour guide promised that the hotel in Chefchaouen was one of the nicest that we would stay in, so I couldn’t wait to fit some R&R into my 3-week backpacking adventure through (the very hot) Morocco. Chefchaouen, also called “The Blue Pearl”, has become Instagram famous recently, and for…
I spent a day taking myself on a one-day tour of Prague while behind the wheel of the official Czech tourism Instagram account: Visit Czech Republic. I like to go on these adventures in my “home city” every once in a while to remind myself how truly incredible Prague is- and this was a great excuse to do it! I decided that I wanted to give the followers of the Visit Czech Republic account a 1-day tour of Prague. Specifically, I wanted…
After leaving Meknes, we headed on our way via a short train journey to the city of Fes- our 5th city of this whirlwind adventure through the Kingdom of Morocco! Fes is one of the four imperial cities in Morocco, and was truly incredible to visit. Perhaps most interestingly, Fes is known as one of the last hold-outs for true Moroccan handicraft, as the government has arranged for handicraft workers in Fes to be compensated well in order to preserve…
Wow. It’s only the 5th day since I landed in Morocco, and I have to admit, it’s incredibly overwhelming! So far, I’ve visited 4 cities/towns and just landed in my 5th (Fes) to explore over the next day or so. As you can imagine, we’ve been moving pretty quickly, although I have to say that I’m impressed at how well everything has been organized thus far! I am exhausted, though, and anticipate many early nights in my future on this trip! After…
I’m sitting by the ocean listening to the evening’s competing prayer calls ring out over the city, and I still can’t quite grapple with the fact that I’m in Casablanca. In Morocco! I’ve been dreaming about this day for years, and finally, I’m here. I’ve spent my first day visiting the legendary city of Casablanca, and before I part ways with my entry point into Morocco for my next city (Rabat), I’m eager to share my thoughts. Yesterday, after a…
For me, preparing to travel is actually the most nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing part of the entire experience. Once I’ve arrived at my destination, I’m overwhelmed by excitement; I’m learning new things, meeting new people, and exploring as much as I possibly can. Before my departure, however, I spend a lot of time thinking about all of the ways that I could possibly prepare for my impending adventure. If I’ve learned one thing from several years of travel, it’s that most of…
Now that summer is here, many people are gearing up for their summer vacations all over the world. And really, what better place for a good R&R vacation than a beach-side resort? You can have these views: These drinks: And the sand between your toes with nothing to think about besides what you’ll have for your next frozen beverage. I love resort vacations as much as the next girl, but one thing that has become increasingly irksome to me is…
Just slightly north of New York City is the lower Hudson Valley, one of the most beautiful regions of the state of New York- and hardly ever visited by the millions of tourists flocking to NYC throughout the year. This area features beautiful mountains, scenic river views, orchards, wineries, and all sorts of activities to keep you occupied throughout the year. I should probably come clean at the beginning and confess that I grew up in the Lower Hudson Valley (Monroe-Woodbury…
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” — “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now” by Maya Angelou (1993) Changing the world may seem like an incredibly lofty goal, especially in today’s world of intolerance and hate being slung by even those in positions of power in supposedly “great” nations. So many…
Where to stay: Unfortunately, there aren’t any hostels in Visby, and being in Sweden, it’s a pretty expensive place to stay. Given the budgets required for a hotel in the city, it’s likely that an Airbnb rental will be the only feasible option for budget travelers. Visby is a really small city on a pretty small island, so staying within the general Visby area will likely be fine. I found, though, that the money I spent on taxis getting to…
