Uganda - Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi

In January we set off to Rwanda to only have our airplane break mid air and have to turn back. This little delay made us miss the most sought after part of our trip. Determined to make it happen we booked our trip again once home with an even larger agenda in mind. 

Original Post: https://www.tripnwithtrina.com/blog/2019/1/27/roaming-in-rwanda

We decided this time to make an overnight trip of the hike instead of the day trip. I am completely glad we did as the views at Rushaga Lodge were a definite highlight. The lodge is tucked in the middle of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park close to all the gorilla trek start points. Our guide Christopher picked us up promptly at 8am from our Kigali guesthouse. 

Below is a breakdown of the inclusions and itinerary. I do not add full costs as its dependent on the number of people, budget range and number of nights.

Permits in Uganda at this time are $600 per person versus $1500 in Rwanda. In July 2020 permits in Uganda will increase to $700 per person.

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Safari cost Includes

• Gorilla permit

• 1 night accommodation (Budget/Mid-range) - Triple room

• Meals

• Bottled Water

• 4x4 Safari car to and from Kigali

• Fuel

• English speaking driver-guide

• Hotel pickup and drop off in Kigali

• A stop at Lake Bunyonyi/Lake Mutanda

Safari Itinerary

Transfer to Uganda

Our driver will meet you at the hotel to kick-start our safari. You will then head to Uganda through Katuna Border. Upon crossing, you will head to Kabale Town known as "The Switzerland of Africa". We can have a stop at lake Bunyonyi for relaxation (or stay there for the night) and pictures and then settle in our lodge for gorilla tracking the following day.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and transfer back to Kigali

This is the gorilla trekking day. Early in the morning, you will gather at the park offices where you will find fellow trekkers.

Please make sure you let the ranger know your interests before attaching you to a group. Some gorilla groups require a certain amount of physical fitness and might not be favorable to every one. Therefore availing this information to your ranger will help him to organize the best gorilla group to track.

Here you will be grouped(8 people) and the ranger will take you through the rules or Do's and Dont's of gorilla trekking.and then he will lead you into the forest to track the gorillas. The ranger uses radio communication to stay in touch with the trackers who head into the forest way before you start on your way into the forest. The trackers inform your ranger about the whereabouts of the gorillas and direct him to the actual location of the gentle giants.

You will then spend a maximum of 1 Hour in the presence of the gorillas. Here you will be able to take pictures and observe the way of life of these primates. After the experience, you will trek back out of the forest. Our driver will be waiting for you and will take you back to Kigali. 

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Now lets get back to the journey. The trip takes around 5 hours from Kigali to the Bwindi area. We came in rainy season this time so roads were washed out in places. Ebola has been found in the area so we did have to go through checkpoints both ways at the borders. 

The lunch in route was impromptu as the Coffee Pot Cafe we intended to eat at was closed on Sundays. We stopped at the hostel across the street for a quick lunch. There are no complaints as the views of Volcanoes National Park were amazing from their courtyard. The roads take you into some remote villages overlooking numerous lakes around Bwindi. 

As you can see in the itinerary its an early morning meeting with the rangers. The family we were assigned to was the Mucunguzi group which had 8 members; including 1 male silverback and 3 babies. There are ton of packing suggestions all over the internet, but personally the must have for the hike was a porter, walking stick, water, gloves, bug spray and gaiters. 

The cost for the porter are around $15 each and it includes the trekking pole. Please tip your guides, rangers and trackers. This maybe the closest you get to helping someone who devotes their time and effort everyday to save these amazing animals. You will get two trackers, two guides and one ranger on your trek. Any tip is honestly welcome, but $5 each for a full day with them is standard for tipping. 

Our car drove us to the start and we setoff into the jungle. About an hour into our trek we found out we accidentally started tracking the wrong family. All the food and drinks we packed and the porters were carrying were coming in handy. Plan for the worst and hope for the best in terms of length of hike. You could be out there for nearly 6 hours if the family is further into the forest. 

The trackers located our group and we started off again around 11am. The hike was straight down the mountain through some crazy foliage; which took a lot of effort to stay upright. We slipped often and even with the best shoes it was hard to navigate through the wild vines they had recently hacked away with machetes. About an hour into the hike and we located the group. We left all our belongings with porters and went to meet the gorilla group. 

We came upon the male silverback first. The first rule of gorilla trekking is do not run when the gorillas approach you. The trackers were hacking at some bushes around the very massive gorilla and lets just say it got agitated. He did charge us showing his teeth. It is something I will always remember, as most in the group tried to run. Its funny now, but in hindsight it was pretty scary in the moment. A real reminder that while they have been habituated to human contact over the last 20 years. They are still wild animals in the jungle. 

After the silverback decided it was nap time we moved on to find the rest of the family. A few minutes later we located the mother and two of the babies. The babies were super playful and we really had to stay still as possible, as they became quite curious of our presence. You try to maintain at least 7 meters in distance between yourself and the gorillas at all times. The hour passed by so quickly as we moved positions for better views of the family. 

The trek back out of the jungle was completely straight up. We used vines to pretty much swing ourselves up to higher levels, as the undergrowth was so thick you could barely place your feet on the ground below. We are given a completion certificate for all our efforts. We hugged our guides and thanked them for all the memories we made with their help. We headed back to the van where the rest of our packed lunch remained and drove onward to Kigali. 

Happy Traveling,   

Katrina 

No fee was paid for this review by the company and my trip was not compensated for a review. 

Tour operator: 

https://gorillaandadventuresafaris.com

Photos are a combination of efforts from Debbie, Diane, Krystle and myself.

Central Asia - Part 1 Turkmenistan

Central Asia was just named Best Region to travel in 2020!! I cannot agree more. 

Many years ago I became completely fascinated by the Silk Road. The journeys, spices and textiles make it a cultural paradise. I wanted to maximize my time in the area and many friends raved about Lupine Travels - 5 Stans tour. Its a jam-packed and adventure filled two weeks. The days were long, but you really get a great feel of the region. Another reason I love Lupine Travel is the mix of people they get on their tours. After joining one of their tours a year earlier in Bangladesh and Bhutan. I knew the kind of people they attract on their tours. We had people from ages 24 to 70 and everyone meshed so well. 

The 5 Stans tour starts in Turkmenistan and ends in Kazakstan. If you are not a lover of long days and nights this is not for you. We were up most days before 6am and turning in for the night around 11pm. 

I decided to arrive a day early into Turkmenistan to enjoy a day of leisure before the big group showed up. We landed into Ashgabat in the early morning hours. The city was vibrantly lit up from the sky and looked somewhat to the Las Vegas strip from the air. Not what I had expected when we landed. I met up with my roommate and some of the group that morning. We decided to head out to the cable car and some locations in the city not covered in the tour. The cable car was interesting and it offers a great view of the city. I could spot this amazing looking building from the lookout point and after a bit of convincing the drivers took us. Who would have thought a broken ferris wheel within the Alem Cultural and Entertainment Center would look so cool. Its been broke for a few years, but was really neat to get up close to. 

We headed into the Russian style market for lunch. It was filled with tasty goodies and fresh fruit and veg. Another gem I did not expect was the amount of candy stores we would find. I am talking wall to wall confectionary goodness. I brought back nearly a kilo of chocolate and ate triple that over the two weeks. 

We had a traditional dinner nearby the hotel and copious amounts of vodka, for you know medicinal purposes. That is pretty true for the whole tour, as stomach illness is fairly common for everyone in this region. 

The next morning we met up with the rest of the group to start our real adventure. We took a short city tour visiting Monument of Neutrality, Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque, Independence Monument, Memorial Complex and The State Museum of the State Cultural. 

We then setoff to the desert for our overnight stay at the famous gas crater. We left the large tour bus behind and started our convoy into the desert in 5 SUVs. The roads were less than favorable, but in the end its all an adventure. We arrived at the grater at dusk and awaited the guides to put up our allocated tents. The camping was one of the highlights for me as you are hours from any city. The star filled sky paired with the light from the crater was breathtaking. The guides made a delicious lamb and veg kabob meal and we drank by the campfire until nearly sunrise. 

Early morning departure to Dashoguz for an overnight stay before we headed into Uzbekistan. This day was quite a blur due to being fairly ill. Not sure if it was food or the amount of booze consumed, but I was in a pretty bad place. Lots of meds, water and sleep once we arrived to the hotel. The group enjoyed a tour of a temple and dinner that evening.  

Onward to Khiva we crossed the border in the most humorous way. There is a small bus you must use between the border. You pretty much pack in like sardines and allow the driver to toss you around for around 5 minutes weaving through barriers. 

To be continued in Part 2 - Uzbekistan

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina 

Roaming in Rwanda

Rwanda is a country that is known by many for the devastation that happened in 1994. What Rwanda is today is a country vast in culture, pride and beauty. It’s a country that will leave you in awe and coming back for more. The country is clean, I mean so clean you would think that litter did not exist in the country. In 2006 Rwanda banned plastic bags and even has a day a month dedicated to cleaning (Umuganda Day).

 Our original intention was to visit Bwindi from Kigali for an incredible Gorilla trek, but our Brussels Airlines flight was diverted back to Brussels due to plane malfunction. As fun as it was to come in for an emergency landing with fire trucks chasing us in; it was bittersweet that a full day in this country was missed. It was a guarantee we would be back in the near future.  We did not let the little hiccup get us down. Arriving a day late, but ready to visit the most underrated African safaris.

Upon arrival we were whisked away by our driver Emmanuel. We stayed in The Nest boutique guesthouse, which was in the heart of Kimihurura. A standard room with a city view, comfy bed and warm shower is what they delivered. Just a short walk away from the hotel we grabbed a quick dinner with city view from the infamous Republic lounge. The food was incredible and I was dreaming of my grilled goat and garlic potatoes the rest of the trip.

The next morning Kagera Safaris picked us up before the sun for our day trip to Akagera National Park. Nearly a two hour drive through the Rwanda countryside; it was definitely a highlight of our trip. Akagera is a point to point safari, meaning we came in the south and came out the north of the park. There is an optional boat safari, which in hindsight wish we had booked. The park offers all of the Big 5!! It is one the most affordable safaris I have done so far in Africa.

After 100km of driving through the park spotting wildlife at every turn, we headed back to Kigali at dusk. The infamous Republic Lounge was closed for the day, so we headed to the Crêperie next door for some sweet and savory creations.

To occupy our last day in the city we found GoKigali Tours to show us around. Boy we were in for a treat. The guide Eric was authentic and the tour ticked every desire. We visited markets, tasted local fruit, sailed on boats, drank coffee & milk. We even visited the Genocide Memorial, which is worth the visit to learn more about the Rwandan devastation.

If you visit Rwanda you are in for a treat. It was definitely the best country I could have picked for country number 100!!

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

(Photos credit by D. Miraballes)

Sunshine and Southern Africa

Sunshine and Southern Africa

After watching a recent reality show where two men road tripped from Scotland to Cape Town. I was completely intrigued about what Africa had to offer. All great things start with a flight and a ton of planning. I decided to use Victoria Falls for my base to travel around the region. Many safaris and overland tours use Victoria Falls, as a starting and end-point for their tours. Usually only spending a day or two in the area.

There are 3 airports that serve the region, and all are in three different countries. Picking the right one and the right visa is key to a seamless trip. I watched quite a few American’s come via Botswana and did only single-entry visas for the region. They were held at the border for over 3 hours trying to enter. I cannot stress enough that if you plan to country hop the Kasa Visa (Zimbabwe and Zambia) 30-day visa was the best option. I do not believe it’s possible to obtain this when coming into Botswana currently.

Now do you book ahead or wing it on arrival? I came in the height of high-season and many of the tours I had booked were sold out when I arrived. So, it’s a risk you must weigh if you chose to wing it. Choosing who to book through was the hardest thing by far. With the amount of tour companies in the area, it was overwhelming to say the least. I decided to go with Shearwater Adventures, as they were budget friendly and offered the largest variety of tours. They even helped with organize an external camping trip, but due to the water levels it had to be cancelled last minute.

Day One

Upon arrival I was collected by the Shearwater staff and taken to Explorers Village in the heart of Victoria Falls. The village offered camping and chalet accommodation. I stayed in a tent the first two days and then moved to the chalets the latter three days. To be honest knowing what I know now I would have stayed in the tents the whole time, as it was feasible for time I spent in the “room”. The shower/toilet block was large and clean. Don’t forget a towel and a lock for your tent and you are set.  The village was a five-minute walk to local craft markets and most of the restaurants. The falls were under a 10-minute walk.  

Straight off the plane I wasted no time and headed over to get some views of the bridge and waterfalls. There is a small trail that runs parallel to the road to the falls. Along the way you will see signs for the “Lookout Cafe” which is owned by Wild Horizons another prominent tour company in the area. I turned up as lunch was ending, but they did not skip a beat in letting me order. The view from here was downright incredible. From their viewpoint you can watch the zipline and swing that plunges into the falls. I called it an early night and headed back to camp.

Day Two

The next morning, I was collected for my trip to Botswana. The border crossing was quite quick, if you have the right visa to exit Zimbabwe. I love pedestrian border crossings, as they always have that good amount of chaos and excitement. We had some free time in Kasane to walk around before heading down to Chobe Safari Lodge on the river. Killing some time before our safari boat launch and I opted for a speed boat tour along the river. It was amazing, as you get into areas where the large barges cannot reach. If you an elephant lover, you are in for a freaking treat!!

I had pre-booked the game drive and river safari cruise with lunch to commence at 11am. You will get close to crocodiles, hippos and if you are lucky you will see tons of elephants. I preferred the water safari over the land, as many of the animals had already started migrating due to the bush being dry in areas. We saw a lot of impalas, water buffalo and a family of giraffes.

The group headed back to Zimbabwe and I met up with some of the other campers. We had found out that there was a free bus to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which is said to have the best sunset views. Off we went on the bus to check out this new-found gem. Upon arrival we headed to the bar for drinks and grabbed a seat overlooking the national park. The sunset did not disappoint in the slightest and glad this saved us the chaotic burden of the sunset cruise.

Day Three

Another morning and another activity. This by far was the one I was looking forward to the most. Canoe safari down the Zambezi river. I convinced one of the campers to join me, as I had book two spots to have this private tour. We headed through the national park for about 25km until reaching our landing point. As it was very early the game in the park was really on the move. We spotted so many animals, including a mother and baby giraffe.

We stopped and had a quick breakfast with the guides. The guides went over all the risks and safety information and we set off down the Zambezi. I say risks, as there are points when you come in close contact to hippos and they do try to capsize boats. I will not sugar coat it, I was damn scared. But how cool to talk about if you survive. This is quite strenuous, as you do canoe for over 20km down a river avoiding wildlife and debris. I got the experience of a lifetime and while we did have a near miss. I call it a win in my book.

As the excursion was quite early we ventured out to the Victoria Falls Bridge for some views. This was the perfect time to watch the bungee jumpers from the main platform. I cannot believe that over 1,000 people a month jump off that bridge. 90% of them women. The money from the activities on the bridge is used to paint and provide restoration. Sunset was approaching, and we whisked off to local brewery for some beer and grub. The River Brewing Company was touristy, but tasty.

Day Four

The next day was a bit chaotic, as I naively crammed three tours in one day. It usually works, but my transport in route was shared and well the group sharing transport turned up nearly an hour late (no apologises either). I started my day in a foul mood to be honest. The transport rushed me to the border to start my historic bridge tour, but I had missed it. They sorted it out and got me a private guide Simba. He really made the best of my frustrating morning. You are given some information about the bridge and then jump in a harness to walk the underneath of the bridge. I found this interesting and had the pleasure of a train coming over the top when we were underneath. As we finished the tour I walk to meet the bus and see it leaving back to Zimbabwe. Apparently, the others who were late, were too impatient to wait another 5 minutes for me to finish. The irony I tell you. The driver came back shortly after, as he saw me waving him down from Zambia. (HAHA)

I was rushed to the National Park to meet my guide Thabani for our waterfall tour. It was well worth the wait!! As it was now mid-afternoon most of the tourist had left. We had the waterfalls to ourselves for most of the tour. After a picturesque walk in the rain forest we headed back to the lodge. I killed a few hours before the sunset cruise I had booked for this evening.

I will spare you the grim details, but if you want to feel like cattle on a boat this is for you. We had arrived nearly last and others had already rearranged tables for their parties. I get it, but spare seats were sparse and forget anyone being considerate when asked to use a chair they had their bags in. I ended up standing right above the stairs in a nook to even get breathing room. Only bonus is unlimited booze was included, but we got some very unpleasant looking snacks. There were lots of boats on the river that looked orderly, but this was not it. So, do your research and book a sunset dinner cruise. I believe I got a better experience for free at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, but to each their own. The amount of alcohol consumption helped my fear of heights, as impromptu booked the helicopter flight for the next day.

Day Five

Final day in Victoria Falls and my hike to the Boiling Point was cancelled the night before. Rightfully so as the water was still too high, and we would have been swept away. There was one spot left to visit the local Elephant Orphanage. It was a before sunrise departure, but I felt it was totally worth it. On arrival you are greeted by the staff at the lodge and paired up with an elephant for your 45-minute walk.  I will spare you too many details but consider the Elephant Back Safari. After a walk in the bush, snacks with the elephants and breakfast we left. I was thankful I was able to go and learn more about the elephants native to the region. This is no dog and pony show, so if you really want to learn about elephant migration and conservation this place is for you. They limit the visitors to around 30 people a day.

Then the finale happened. Somehow convinced that getting in a helicopter over the falls was a great idea. My fear of heights and questioning the safety of the aircraft kept playing over and over in my head.  The van showed up to take me about 10 minutes away to the helipad. After arriving I jumped on the scale with my bags in hand and was briefed on my 15-minute flight. The couple I was to share the trip with had flown before, so pretty much told me I was taking the front seat. It was incredible and memorable seeing the falls from a few thousand feet above. You can get the video from your flight after your tour if you wish.

This trip was really one of the most amazing trips I have been on. It was great to meet so many people along the way, but enjoyed being outside my comfort zone alone.

Happy Travels,

Katrina

Georgia and Beyond- Journey through the Caucuses

When people say Georgia, they usually think of the small state in the USA and not the country squeezed in between Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Black Sea. Georgia is known for its vast vineyards, snowy mountains, ancient sites and UNESCO Monasteries. The country first sparked my curiosity as its proximity to the famous Silk Road and ancient sites. Georgia for me is where religion is a way of life and wine is the sacred nectar of all social functions.

My first impressions of Georgia were a 3am arrival at the airport, in which I could not find my driver. In country where my friends and family only knew it as war ridden and unstable, I will admit going alone had me on edge. People could sense I was looking for something or someone as I paced up and down the corridor searching the signs to see if I could find my name. They were helpful, but my guard was up and not prepared for so many genuinely helpful people. A quick phone call to the hotel and I heard my name over the intercom. A 30-minute transfer and I was in the heart of Tbilisi.  

I entrusted Envoy Hostel and Tours to keep me safe and show me around the amazing country and beyond.  On about 3 hours sleep, a simple breakfast and 2 cups of coffee I was ready to start my day in Georgia. A trip to Jvari, Mtskheta, Gori, Uplistsikhe and the infamous Stalin Museum offered a nice variety of culture and scenic beauty. What I loved the most about the Envoy tours was the knowledge of the guides and the people who joined the tours. Every day was truly an adventure which usually had some consumption of delicious food and wine. The lunch with the locals was a highlight for me on this day as our host was from the region where it is now forbidden for Georgians to go. 

Our first stop was the hilltop church of Jvari which was built overlooking Mtskheta the oldest village in Georgia. This church is said to be the holiest church among the Georgians. The church was built between the 5th and 6th century over the original location of the wooden cross; which was erected by King Mirian.  We made our way down to Mtskheta and stepped into what felt a boutique village. The fences, houses, and flowers were in perfect order within the village. You could see the amount of pride the Georgians have in preserving their longstanding heritage here. After a few hours walking around the churches and village we made our way to Uplistsikhe.

Uplistsikhe I think is a nice place to visit if you do not plan to see David Gareji, in my own opinion. While some of the buildings were intact it was truly just an afternoon of crawling through caves, but not much factual information to be told about the site. The Stalin Museum in Gori gives you a chance to visit Stalin’s hometown and you can see his childhood home on site. The museum was one-sided and all the good was told about his life in the museum and none of the bad, I would leave it at that.

We headed back after a long day into Tbilisi. I was completely exhausted at this point and searched for a good place for dinner. I found Pastorali and ate their everyday as the food was so delicious and the staff was super friendly. Its always really awkward for me showing up to a restaurant asking for a table for one, but the staff always let me pick a great seat to people watch from.

I truly loved Georgia and cannot wait to plan my next visit to the area to see more of what this country has to offer.

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

Kiev, Ukraine- City of Culture and Curiosity

Lets be honest—when I told my husband I wanted to visit the Ukraine, he told me I was nuts. Well, if you have followed me long enough, you know I am always willing to step outside the comfort zone when seeing new places.  I do not follow the news, not because I chose to be naïve to the world, but I think the best way to truly know a place, is to see it first hand instead of relying on preconceived notions.  This is how the Kiev trip was born. To provide my spouse some piece of mind, my friend Kristi joined me on the trip. Her husband had the same thoughts, but at least we were in it together.

As be boarded our flight to the Ukraine not really knowing what to expect, we were excited and nervous. Upon landing, we breezed through passport control and onward to our prearranged car provided by Dream Hotel and Hostel. The taxi dropped us off down the street and we began to walk to our hotel, down a very busy and crowded street full of vendor stalls. It was all so overwhelming.

The staff at Dream Hotel and Hostel was absolutely incredible. At check in we met our welcome hostess who showed us facilities and to our room. The hotel was just meters from the famous Andriyivsky Descent and 15-20 minute walk to most of the historic sights.

Andriyivsky Descent offered everything from food to souvenirs, and lots of handicrafts. Over the years I’ve found the best way to get my bearings in a new city is to jump on a Free Walking Tour. We chose http://freetours.kiev.ua/free_tours.html for our tour because they had great reviews on Trip Advisor. Currently, there are two tours a day covering historic sites and some further afield in the evening. The 4 pm Tour went along Khreschatyk street and included such sights as the Arch of Friendship, Mariyinskiy Palace, National Bank of Ukraine, House of the President, National Theatre and famous House with Chimeras. Alex, our guide, gave us a local perspective on not just the sites, but also the changes since the revolution in 2014.

It was hard to believe by the cities liveliness that it had one of its biggest revolutions just a few short months ago. Every place we ate, drank or shopped the locals were always looking to help and friendly.

Here are some places that I think are truly not to be missed:

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and Caves.

We went during Sunday mass, so it was rather crowded, but very much worth the wait. Come prepared with a scarf to cover your head and most of the churches prefer you wear a long skirt or dress. You can borrow a shawl to wrap around if you have forgotten.  There are two ways to visit the caves- One is with a tour guide (which runs rather infrequent from what we gathered) and the other is self guided, which will cost you about 3-6 UAH depending on the candle you purchase to light your way through the caves. If you are claustrophobic in the slightest, I would not recommend the caves, they were narrow and at times very busy, also, there is only one-way in and one-way out. Once finished in the caves, you can visit the rest of the complexes and the main church tower near the north east of the monastery. You can enter many areas for a small fee, but some were free. I recommend paying to climb the tower as the views of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Motherland Monument and river are stunning. 

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.

I highly recommend visiting this, it was recently renovated and the frescos inside the church are breathtaking. It is not very large, but it sure was grand in appearance. The monastery is just a short walk from the funicular, which brings you up from the lower part of the city.

If you love food and beer, well you came to the right city. We had the most enjoyable lunch at a local brewery Solomenska Browarnia on the famous Andriyivsky Descent. 2 flights of beer and some snacks put me back about $5. I was so impressed we came back for dinner to enjoy more food and local beer. They will actually bottle the tap beer to go, so if you are in a hurry this is the place to pick up that special pint.

The city is one of a kind and that made it that much more incredible.

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

Uniquely Tokyo

When most people think Japan, they think technology. Japan is so unique in its own right, that Tokyo truly lives up to the hype. 

Imagine ordering food from a vending machine, cuddling cats in a cafe or riding Mario Karts through the city. Well its all available to try in Tokyo.  

I headed to Tokyo to run the 2017 Marathon. Having lived in Japan before, I already had my heart set on some of the top crazy things to do in the city. 

I used Shinjuku as a good base, staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel. The hotel was centrally located near metro and JR stations. The hotel offers a penthouse Karaoke bar if thats something to tick off your bucket list. 

Vending machine restaurant  

Tokyo is truly the city that never sleeps. Suffering from jet lag made it easy to wander out late to see what crazy things happen after dark. The night life is incredible and you will be spoiled for choice on what to eat and see.  I mean even the man hole covers are gorgeous. After a long day I headed in to get some rest before the adventure truly began. 

Man hole covers.  

Shinagawa Port Area

A lot of things in Tokyo book up in advance, so I highly recommend prebooking if possible. While I came for the race, a chance to dress up and drive go-karts through the city was a dream come true. I left busy Shinjuku for Shinagawa port. What I found there was ornately painted temples and beautifully done metal doors. Each one offering a different part of the port towns story. 

I turned the corner to find about 20 cars all tucked in and ready to tour the city. This experience is truly a MUST do!   

After 2 hours wizzing around Tokyo it was time to find more fun. Now off to see what the Cat Cafe and Robot restaurant were all about.  For a small fee you can go in and pet cats!! 

And if thats not enough. Go have dinner with a few robots. 

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto, you know you were thinking it. Dinner was not open yet, so I did my robot moves out front and moved on. I was on a mission now and in search of the holy grail of Japanese treats, the KITKAT. No, I am not kidding. The flavours are unique and endless. Don Quiote is where you can find these magical treats. 

I loaded up on flavors such as red bean and sake. This store was packed with so much!! I decided a costume for the race was a must. 

I mean how many times will I have a chance to run in a Kimono with Pikachu and the gang. Tokyo lived up to all its expectations and a little more. 

Happy Traveling,  

Katrina

Temples, Sand and Sea- Myanmar (Burma)

Have you ever laid eyes on a place and thought, I must go there. This was my first thought when I came across a photo of the city of Old Bagan. It appeared to be untouched by civilization and just the type of adventure I wanted to end an epic year.

Getting there from the UK was half the adventure. It took 36 hours door to door, across 4 airports and half a dozen times zones. The feeling when I landed in Yangon was exhaustion and excitement. I met up with some incredible ladies, who months before agreed to jump on the trip with me. A few Facebook communications and the trip was booked. I will admit that planning the trip at first seemed overwhelming, not much has been written about it and finding trustworthy blogs with updated information was hard. That was until I came across this site: http://www.go-myanmar.com/ that offered the largest amount of accurate content and information.

Picking the right destinations for the 10 days was another battle. I wanted culture, sunshine, beaches and relaxation. Choosing Yangon, Bagan and Ngapali were indeed the right choices.

Spending around 1 full day in Yangon we stayed at the Hotel Esperado, which overlooked Kandawgyi Park and the Shwedagon Pagoda. The hotel was just a short walk to the Royal Barge and Shwedagon Pagoda. Shwedagon Pagoda is a great place to watch the sunset as the building seems to magically glow at dusk. Traffic was absolutely manic when we left Shwedagon Pagoda, so we ended up missing Old Town and the historic area. We used our time wisely and booked a few hours into the spa that evening. Feeling relaxed we went to bed for our early morning flight.

Coming into Yangon, I entered a 5 star airport, newly built and shiny. Leaving for Bagan from the domestic terminal was an entirely different experience. You enter the small building to the west of the international terminal. There were no fancy signs and the check in process was so relaxed. Handed over our passports and given simple boarding passes and our colored stickers placed on our lapels. These stickers are crucial into ensuring you make your flight. Once through security and into the waiting hall, we realized it was not as 5 star as next door. A small toilet area and café is all the airport had to offer. Thank goodness the hotel packed us a boxed breakfast, as this was a just what I needed in the morning chaos. About 15 minutes before our departure staff shuttled us outside where a plane had just landed, allowing some of the passengers to disembark. We jumped in our seats on the tiny propeller plane and we were off. I slept most of the flight as jetlag was getting the best of me. By the time I woke up we were coming into Bagan. If you are sitting on the left hand side of the plane, you will get to the see the incredible view of all the temples amongst the trees. This view was even more spectacular than I could have ever imagined.

On arrival into Nyaung U airport you will buy the Bagan Zone Pass that provides access to archaeological zone. The cost was 25,000 Kwat, it was about $20. Having done a lot of research I found that while many hotels in Old Bagan were closer to the famous temples, the hotels in New Bagan offered some of the best views for balloon watching. Having chosen B&B Hotel Manisanda, as the other travels raved that it offered the best views for sunrise over the temples. As you can see their reviews did not disappoint. There are a few ways to get around Bagan, and you can chose a taxi, ebike or horse cart. There are only two main roads running through the area, so it is hard to get lost even with no sense of direction like myself. The ebikes really allow you to get to some of the more remote temples.

 

Spending three days in the Bagan area was more than enough, as it allowed us to taken in the sites without feeling rushed. There is day trips to Mt. Popa and while it was a long card ride, it was a change of scenery from Bagan. You can set up a taxi to this for about $40 from one of the taxi shops off the main road where you can rent ebikes. Get one of the free maps and explore as many of the temples as you can. Many of them you can enter and get some great views of the whole area. Some of the temples caretakers expect a small tip to allow you to view from the top. I brought quite a few dollar bills for this, as it was suggested by another blogger. I have to admit we did not try many restaurants as the first trip to The Moon 2, we were hooked and kept returning.  

Concluding our amazing time in Bagan we headed into Ngapali for some sand and sea. Amata Resort Suites was just what we needed after long fun filled days in Bagan. On arrival the resort met with us and put us into a bus to transfer to the other end of the bay. Amata is one of the last resorts along the bay providing a nice secluded beach area. The lack of tourists made it feel like utter paradise. The spa, beach and happy hour were just what we needed to relax.  

 

There is not much to do once in Ngapali, but if looking for a livelier atmosphere stay closer to the airport. We saw quite a few bars, cafes and tourists. If looking to relax head to the end of the bay.

 

Leaving Myanmar (Burma) was so hard. It was one of the most amazing trips that I have ever planned. The country offered some of kindest people in the world. Always willing to help and making sure you enjoy their beautiful country.

 

Happy Traveling,

 

Katrina

Les Escaldes - The Heart of Andorra

Micro-country packed with beauty and adventure

Andorra sits right smack between Spain and France in the Pyrenees mountain region. A short flight and 2 hour drive from Perpignan made for a nice quick getaway. Andorra offered gorgeous views paired with thermal springs. My main goal for Andorra was to take in the small villages along the main road and visit the Caldea Spa.

We used Les Escaldes as our base for the 2 days. This was perfect as it offered walking trails up through the mountains, as well as great views of the natural flowing thermal river. The Mola Park Hotel had parking and was within walking distance to all the sites that Les Escaldes had to offer.

The Caldea spa is one of the largest in Europe with over 6,000 square meters of pure thermal spa bliss. We chose the evening package for about 30 Euros, which included 3 hours at the spa, and to our surprise, an acrobatic routine in the main pool.

Andorra offered so much to see and do, in such a small package. We stopped over at some ruins in route back to the airport. The snow capped in the mountains, quiet streets, paired with an incredible pink sunrises made it one of Europe's hidden gems. 

Happy Traveling, 

 

Katrina

 

Macedonia, Skopje- The City of Statues

I know you are probably thinking the same thing I was when Skopje came up on my fare finder last year. Where the heck is Skopje? I can assure you before moving to Europe I was unaware this little gem of a city existed or even the country for a matter of fact. Macedonia or FYROM as it’s usually referred to is tucked between Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Greece. It is a perfect starting point if you plan to see the Balkan’s as most of the car rental places allow you to cross borders without an issue.

 

I  was only in the country for a mere 36 hours. I know, not nearly enough time to soak it in a enjoy everything it had to offer, but the city of Skopje fit the bill. I stayed at Bushi Resort and Spa right at the edge of the Old Bazaar. This hotel was a steal and a great find with the spa being inclusive of the stay. The driver from the hotel collected me on arrival and whisked me into the city. While the city has nearly a million people, the city felt quiet and quaint.

 

I headed down into Old Town, which was just a short minute walk from the hotel. From here I found a square full of statues of leaders, conquers and musicians. The city is not as old as it looks as many of the buildings have been built recently due to the economic stimulus in the country and many buildings have been destroyed in earthquakes.  On the way into Old Town you can stop in to the Holocaust Museum and the National Theater. One of the most amazing and very unique things I found in Skopje is that they have built an area surrounding the House of Opera and Ballet with music playing from famous composers. I sat for about 20 minutes just enjoying the sounds of the music and peacefulness within this large city.

 

If you book in advance you can visit the home of Mother Teresa. It was closed the two days I was in town so I had to miss it on this trip. In order to get into the rest of Old Town you walk over the famous Stone Bridge. The river is being renovated right now so the views were not very good as there are backhoes, diggers and mounds of dirt along the river. They have built to ships along the river with restaurants and rooms on board. They looked really cool if you were staying with kids. Now the amount of statues that existed in this city was crazy. Everywhere you turned a statue was just around the corner. They were down the river, on the bridge, in the squares and intersections. They really provided uniqueness to the city. Looking through the building in Old Town is was so surprising to see many were just built as late as 2012, but the architecture is in line with Roman period.

 

I strolled back up to the hotel through Kale Fortress on top of the hill. It was a great viewpoint down into the Old Town. Since the hotel was very close to the Old Bazaar I had a look at some of the goods they had to offer. It seems many people come here to go wedding dress shopping as there was a lot of wedding dress boutiques located in the bazaar. One of the shops allowed me to have a look as some of the handmade lace gowns and they were just stunning.

After a ton of walking I went back to the resort to find an amazing spa right in the hotel. I was not expecting much due to it being in a hotel, but I was surprised by the hotels spa, which included a salt room, sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, heated loungers and large pool. 

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina

Geneva - On a Budget in 36 hours

Geneva – 36 hours and a budget

Before even arriving in Geneva all I had been told was prepare for how expensive it is. So with this in mind and my budget I did not know what to expect. Well the people were kind of right, but it is totally doable in a penny size budget.

On arrival into Geneva head towards the baggage claim area and you will see a silver machine near the exit with a sign that says free travel card. I pressed the button and there I was awarded a ticket for my onward journey into the city. I went for a city break, but Geneva is at the heart of many ski resorts so upon exit I found hundreds of people trying to locate their hotels signs to take their journey to their resorts. I was excited for a city break and that’s just what I got. I proceeded on to the train station which is located just on the end of the airport. From there I got the first train posted for city center which was about a 4 min wait. There is information staff in yellow shirts to assist you to the right track so do not worry. The journey into the central train station was about 15 minutes.

On arrival to Hotel Central I was given a travel card and explained what I could use it for. This in itself was already saving me about $5 a day and given to you at each hotel you stay in. The hotels photos on the website are outdated and they were recently refurbished. Breakfast was served in the room and you set this up on check in. I set off for the United Nations building and palace which was about a 1.5 mile walk from the hotel. You can catch the Bus 5 to Nations from just near the hotel. Your key card has this information and more about taking the Bus 10 back to the airport from the hotel. I decided to walk as I wanted to soak up the sun along the lake area and took advantage of the yellow boat trip across the lake to see the famous fountain. The United Nations tours run on the weekdays only in winter and from April to September offer weekend tours as well. Arrive early as this was popular from the time slots they had available.

I headed back to the hotel on the Bus 5 which brought me back to the edge of the river and lake. It was about a 5 minute walk back to the hotel from here. There is a market on Saturday right outside the hotel area in the square. I highly recommend getting one of the fresh rotisserie chicken and potatoes served there. There was a line each time I approached so come patient and hungry. I headed over to Jardin Anglais to watch the sail boats take off, see the famous flower clock and make my way to get a better look at the fountain (Jet d’Eau). With Geneva bordering France and Italy you get the feeling of family and the café culture that Europe really has to offer. I grabbed a cup of Joe and headed to the grass to soak up the sun with the locals. You can set up tours of the cities many chocolate and watch factories prior to arrival. I would highly recommend this as coming around Easter I was overwhelmed with the amount of chocolate around each corner. I did a lot of window shopping as some of the most exquisite watch designs exist in Geneva.

The next day I headed out around 9am to catch the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Pierre cathedral just up the road. The Cathedral is very simple on the inside, but what lies below was 2,000 years of history. Around the back of the church you can make your way into the archaeological site. The cost was under $10 and took about an hour if you follow all the signs and watch all the videos about the excavation. This is the largest of its size in Europe so it’s well worth a stopover for some of the Christian history in Geneva. During the tour of the site they provided some more places to see in Geneva that were part of the first settlements along the river. I headed to find the bus 10 and set off for the airport. Besides the splurge on a new swatch I spent less than $30 across the two days. So Geneva on a budget was a success.

Good Tips:

Bring a water bottle as there are water stations all over the city

Getting food to go and sitting at the parks will save you a hefty surcharge in most places

 

Happy Traveling,

Katrina 

Israel and Jordan - A New Year to remember

Road tripping through Israel

With the end of the year nearing it was hard to decide where I want to spend the upcoming New Years celebrations. I usually allow Ryan Air or Easy Jet's sales determine where the next adventure awaits and the place we chose surely surprised everyone we spoke to. Israel known for its conflict in the Middle East and Petra known for its Pink City was high on my bucket list, but I did not think it would be something I would do without a tour. 

We decided the most effective way to travel through the country was by car. So the hardest decision came we had to decide if we should rent a guide or do it on our own? Looking at costs and efficiency it looked as though the Budget rental car was going to be the way to go. So we boarded our flight from London to Tel Aviv and the adventure began. 

Eilat and Jordan

On arrival we collected the rental car, opened the Waze app and on we went for the 5 hour drive down to Eilat. We stayed at a local hotel called Motel Aviv as it was close to the bus station and just a short walk from downtown. Remember I talked about how Israel was portrayed in the news? Well on arrival to Eilat we found a thriving city right on the banks of the Rea Sea. Jokingly we did say its appearance was more Miami than what we thought Israel would look like. Bright city lights, night clubs and restaurants full of people. We caught a quick nights sleep before we made our onward journey to Jordan at 6am the next day. 

We arrived at the border for one of many checks before we were able to cross. We decided to go with Desert Eco Tours as they had high reviews and were efficient in responding to my many questions about Israel and Jordan. Petra was one of the highlights of our trip and we knew on arrival we made the right decision not to skip this easy day trip from Eilat. We left all the planning to the tour group and enjoyed the journey with not a fuss in the world. On the way back into Israel we came into issues crossing as we had asked for our passport to not be stamped leaving, but a form fixed the issue and we were on our way to celebrate New Years. 

As we came to Israel we did not pack our best clothes as we honestly didn't know what to expect. Threw on a maxi dress and a cardigan and headed out for the "Sylvestor" as they call it in Israel. We booked in advance through our hotel a South American restaurant called El Gaucho's. We were not disappointed. Welcomed with warm sangria shots to warm the pallet this place effectively kicked all my cravings for some southern cuisine.  After an eventful dinner we headed to popular hot spot called the "Three Monkeys". Be warned cocktails in Israel are expensive, I am talking $14-20 for a beer. So drink in moderation, or until your pocketbook empties. From here we got an amazing glimpse of the fireworks show and embraced the New Year with some lovely locals. 

Dead Sea and Jerusalem

The next day we made our way to the Dead Sea through the Arava valley area. We descended on the 'Snake Path' driving from there to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve near the Dead Sea.  By the looks from the pictures and information we have seen we figured it was a great day for a dip. Well a polar plunge is the best way to describe the experience, but it was done and I guess another bucket list item was ticked. I could not believe you could actually float. A quick shower and back on the road to Jerusalem for the night. We were pressed for time due to a late start (you know those cocktails I discussed earlier). We had to get to the city before Sabbath started and the car was to be parked as the city shut down. We arrived into the city about 5pm and set off to the Agripas Boutique Hotel for the night. After the eventful day we had we ordered in a Dominoes pizza and called it a night. 

After a bit of research we decided to take on the "Free City Tour" as it covered the majority of the highlights and we really wanted to take in a lot of the city on our own. The tour was great and our guide was very informative about all the history. Link to tour:  http://www.newjerusalemtours.com/daily-tours/new-jerusalem-free-tour.html

Here is what was covered: 

ON THIS 2 HOUR WALKING TOUR WE COVER:

All four Old City quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Christian & Armenian

View of the Western (Wailing) Wall

Visit the hidden rooftops of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Excavations of Ancient Jerusalem

Incredible rooftop views: Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Dome of the

Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Mount of Olives

Jaffa Gate

David’s Citadel

Roman Cardo Maximus

Hurva (Ruined) Synagogue

Suq - Covered markets

Leave in evening head to Tel Aviv for the evening.

 

Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa

After our tour we headed to Tel Aviv. We used this day as a relaxig day just covering areas of Old Jaffa and the coast. Old Jaffa offered some great shopping and boutiques within the walls. We visited the shop of the famous http://www.frank-meisler.com/ which you must stop in to see some of the masterpieces. 

All in all, the trip was a trip of a lifetime. A little courage and you could do this trip on your own too. This book was a lifesaver for everything we needed to know. http://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sue-Bryant/Israel-Travel-Pack/16581764?gclid=CKDw4bCkkMoCFRcYGwodG7cFNQ

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina