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shirtrose7-blog · 6 years ago

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10 Things To Do in Vilnius, Lithuania

This summer I spent a week in northern Europe exploring the three Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. When I was planning my trip I knew for sure I wanted to visit Latvia and Estonia. Both have beautiful, charming capital cities with gorgeous, colorful architecture.

Holy Trinity Uniate Church

I didn’t know much about Lithuania, but when I saw you could take a sunset hot air balloon ride over an island with a castle in the breathtaking Lithuanian countryside, I knew for sure I had to add Lithuania to the list. Be sure to check out our post on the Hot Air Balloon Ride in Lithuania!

MY OTHER RECIPES

Vilnius Cathedral Bell Tower

Lithuania also has a charming capital city with beautiful architecture. The historic center has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you’re considering visiting Lithuania, here’s a quick photo tour and guide to the capital city of Vilnius.

St. Nicholas’ Church

If this is your first time to Lithuania, here are 10 things you’ll definitely want to do and see in Vilnius:

Vilnius University (founded in 1579)

1. Walk up and down the main street

Start at the Gates of Dawn and wander your way to Cathedral Square. You’ll pass several beautiful churches, Vilnius University, and the Town Hall Square along the way.

2. Climb the Bell Tower

Climb the Bell Tower of St. John’s Church at Vilnius University for the best 360 degree panoramic view of the city! There’s even an elevator if you don’t want to take the stairs.

Looking up inside the Bell Tower at St. John’s Church!

When we were at Vilnius University there was a special event going on. How cute are these girls in traditional Lithuanian dresses?

3. Visit St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church

How beautiful is this all-white Roman catholic church from the 1600s with its intricate Baroque architecture??!

It’s about a 20 minute walk from Cathedral Square to St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church.

4. Eat Gourmet Ice Cream

We saw local, gourmet ice cream carts everywhere we went in Vilnius… especially along the main street and cathedral square. Be sure to save room for dessert and try some!! Perfect on a hot summer day.

Church of St. Casimir

5. Say Thank You in Lithuanian!

To say thank you in the local language, all you have to do is say Achoo! Yes, “thank you” in Lithuanian sounds just like Achoo! How fun is that? :) It may seem awkward at first, but definitely try it! If you listen closely you will hear the locals saying it all the time.

6. Visit St. Virgin Maria’s Church

During the Russian occupation, the inside of most churches were gutted and used as warehouses for the government. St. Virgin Maria’s Church has now been transformed into a free art gallery.

7. Take a Tour of the Republic of Užupis

Užupis is a funky neighborhood in Vilnius. It’s very popular with artists and has an ultra laid-back, bohemian atmosphere.

To get the most out of your experience, I highly recommend taking a guided walking tour of this neighborhood. If we didn’t have our guide from Vilnius Urban Adventures to show us around and explain the story of Užupis to us, I don’t think I would’ve been very impressed just exploring this area on my own.

On April 1, 1997, the residents of the neighborhood declared Užupis an independent republic. They have their own flag, president, constitution, anthem, even an army of 11 men. They celebrate their independence every year on April 1st.

I absolutely love the Constitution of Užupis!!! The constitution is engraved on a monument wall in the neighborhood in 23 languages. Here are some of my favorite rights from the Constitution of Užupis:

Everyone has the right to make mistakes.

Everyone has the right to be unique.

Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.

Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.

A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need.

Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.

Everyone has the right to be unhappy.

Everyone has the right to be silent.

Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.

Everyone has the right to cry.

8. Get Your Passport Stamped

You can even get a passport stamp from the Republic of Užupis at the Republic of Uzupis Information Center.

9. Swing from a Bridge over a River

The Bridge of Uzupis is a love-lock bridge. You can leave your lock on the bridge, then take a romantic swing over the river down below.

10. Take a Sunset Hot Air Balloon Ride

Fly over the lovely village of Trakai and its medieval fairytale castle on an island nestled in the beautiful lush countryside of Lithuania. Super easy day trip from Vilnius. I honestly cannot think of anything more romantic! Click here for all the details.

I worked with JayWay Travel to book my trip to the Baltics. They created a custom itinerary just for me so I could see the best of all three countries in one week. JayWay Travel specializes in Eastern Europe and creates custom, personalized itineraries just for you, based on what you want to do and where you want to go. They book everything and take care of all the little details for you. All you have to do is show up and enjoy!

They made sure someone was waiting for us at the airport, took us to our hotel, set up our hot air balloon ride as well as our private, guided tours in Vilnius, and arranged our transportation from Lithuania to Latvia. They had thought of every detail from start to finish! We didn’t have to worry about arranging any of our lodging or transportation on our own.

Need ideas for your next trip to Europe? Check out JayWay Travel’s most popular itineraries for one week, 10 days, or 2 weeks and more! Here’s a link to their Baltic Capitals Tour if you’re interested in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania!

I highly recommend the brand new 5-star Hotel PACAI in Vilnius.

This boutique hotel is set in a Baroque palace dating back to 1677.

You couldn’t ask for a more perfect location — Hotel PACAI is very well located on the main street right in the heart of the historic district of Vilnius.

Our room overlooked the terrace. You can have breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink out here every day!

Stay tuned for more posts from our adventures in the Baltics!

Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/vilnius-lithuania/

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electricmoi · 6 years ago

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Circa 2016-2017: Activism Amplified

In spite of the tourist commotions, the caretakers of Ayutthaya have maintained its Peace and Divinity as one of the Unesco World Heritage sites. Visiting each of the temples denuded some madness in me. Such hypnotic scenes were taking over my entire consciousness. Upon visiting Wat Lokayasytharam, I asked Buddha for Enlightenment instead of the usual--wealth, love, success. It was an immediate, almost natural entity that went out of my apprehension. Enlightenment, C'mon, who in this Capitalist-laden world could attain that? Adbusters In 2016, a friend and I went to our favorite second-hand bookstore to browse books and magazines. My friend stumbled upon this magazine called Adbusters. Here's their Wikipedia description: "The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, pro-environment organization. Characterized by some as anti-capitalist or opposed to capitalism, it publishes the reader-supported, advertising-free Adbusters, an activist magazine with an international circulation of 120,000 by the late 2000s devoted to challenging consumerism."

My very first Adbusters read was their March 2014 special issue, A Guide for the Perplexed. This is also by far the best Adbusters issue I've read and maybe the only volume that you will need to become socially aware. I agree with every bit of the account that was written. Every inch of my skin was moved. However, this issue made me insane because apparently, being "woke" can lead to confusion and exhaustion. What started as a doctrine of unpopular ideas and a tad request for enlightenment became my life for the past 3 years. I subscribed to several activist websites, journals, and social media outlets. They bombarded my entire consciousness from the morning when I first woke up, to the time I fell asleep. I even forgot about the life-changing concept of the Law of Attraction (which I used to adhere to). I went deeper into different issues. I was becoming different from almost everyone I know. However, I often realized that ever since I was a teenager, I knew that there was some depth in me so maybe this was something natural.

Related: Goodbye, my activist sensibilities

Complaints and Isolation Bracketed through this new thought are the social, economic, and political theories that have long been applied and misapplied by our leaders. I was enraged by all the things happening in the world–how 1% of people have too much, and around 80% have too little. I breathed through the struggles of the marginalized. I developed the activist DNA. I had internalized these ideals that only a few people can, to the point of wanting to be isolated. Since only a very few people understood me, I was on the brink of wanting to do a Henry David Thoreau (Walden Pond).

I believed that this awareness was the answer to attaining enlightenment. However, I experienced an upheaval of emotions. One day I get happy because I no longer have to prove and to ask for anything in my life--that all that success concept is just made by Capitalism and that it's something I could survive without. Another day I can get very depressed as I cannot control everything sordid in this world. I also can't give up my comfortable life and my loving family and friends. Of course, these were all in my brain. I didn't do anything about the disparity in this world. I am still living a privileged life. I still question whether or not the internal conflict and depression I had to go through because of my new beliefs were valid, but I was able to move on. See you in my next story about deciding to overcome this conflict I have for 3 years now. I also wrote about the effects of being ungrateful and focusing mostly on the negative on my post, Don't Take Anything For Granted. The copyright-free images used in this blog post are from Unsplash.

#personal

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emilysn2019-blog · 5 years ago

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We just got back from our summer trip to Japan, which included nearly two weeks in Kyoto. As we’ve already visited every major temple and shrine in the area, this visit was more about checking in on familiar favorites, eating at new places (for the sake of research!), and seeing seasonal events.

In this update, we’ll share things that have changed in recent months, Kyoto photos, and commentary on what to expect if you’re visiting in 2019 or 2020. Even though Kyoto is the epicenter of traditional Japan, there are plenty of new additions to the city, and plenty more is under transformation.

Essentially, there are two big stories for 2019 in Kyoto: ongoing recovery from Typhoon Jebi and preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. We’ll cover those topics, a bit more on the continued influx of crowds, and more in this two-part Kyoto, Japan 2019 update…

For starters, the trip has left me rejuvenated, even more enthusiastic about Kyoto, and ready to pump up a bunch of new posts. Which is pretty much exactly what happens every single time we leave Japan. I get really hyped about the experience, want to convince everyone else to visit, and plan on writing a 10-part trip report.

Inevitably, the bright-eyed excitement gives way to the reality of real world time constraints. After a single installment of the trip report, I abandon that and refocus on more mundane planning posts. Each time, I say that this time, it’ll be different. Well, this time, it will be different.

I’ve decided from the get-go that there will be no trip report, and instead I’ll use this as a way to offer a quasi-recap along with useful updates. My plan is to also tease a variety of topics here and see what’s of interest to readers, and turn those ideas into full topics later.

Likewise, just as I realized not everyone wants a full post about ~47 different temples (and thus cut back on those), this year I’ve realized not everyone wants to read random Kyoto trip planning content. As such, I plan on attempting a better balance of fun posts and useful posts. We’ll see how that goes!

Next, crowds. In our Tips for Surviving Crowds in Kyoto, Japan post, we caution that some of the most popular trip planning resources for Kyoto were written before Japan’s tourism surge, have been poorly updated since, and do not reflect the reality of current congestion in the city.

This remains true, and the crowds were pronounced in many areas even during the off-season time we visited. In other areas and at certain times, such as the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (above) and around Yasaka Pagoda one night in the rain (below), crowds were light to moderate.

I truly do not know Kyoto is going to handle the influx of post-Olympics crowds, and fear the worst. I’m not talking about the city’s unique charm and character being overwhelmed by foreigners (it’s probably not my place to comment too much on that).

I’m talking about its infrastructure being stressed to the literal breaking point in places, and visitors having a bad experience or not “seeing” the true Kyoto due to the congestion. Among other things, the city bus routes and tour group situation need to be entirely rethought.

The good news is that it’s still entirely possible, and will be even after the Olympics as only about a dozen places in the city are high profile, to have a great time. You just need to be smart and not follow the hordes.

We have a lot of savvy (in my opinion, at least) planning posts; in terms of “importance” our 1-Day to 1-Week Kyoto, Japan Itineraries and that ‘surviving crowds’ one are probably the most essential.

One way we always avoid crowds is by visiting temples in out of the way locations, and ones that we know are not on the “tour bus circuit.”

Sanzenin Temple is in the former group, and we made a return visit to this superlative temple for its summer Hydrangea Festival. Photos really can’t do this justice, but it’s one of the coolest things we’ve experienced in Japan. (There’s also surprisingly little info about this online in English, so I’m thinking it might by worth a full post.)

Even though it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Diagoji Temple is another less-visited spot in Kyoto due to its remote proximity to other major spots. I have mixed feelings about this temple, but the complex has some definite highlights–I look forward to making a return visit during fall colors season.

With a savvy itinerary, Diagoji is actually pretty easy to visit. Add some other spots in Uji and Kyoto, and you have a solid fifth or sixth day in the area.

Another way to avoid congestion on the city buses is to use the new Sky Hop Bus Kyoto, which is a hop-on/hop-off bus selling 1-day or 2-day passes. Per the Sky Hop Bus Kyoto site, it runs every 30 minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and covers many of the most popular tourist spots.

It’s not for us, so we did not use it. We also wouldn’t recommend it given the steep price and coverage (or rather, lack thereof). Really, it’s only advantageous in avoiding the packed city buses that run to Golden Pavilion and Kiyomizudera. With that said, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend avoiding it–the open air atmosphere and straightforward route does give it some appeal.

Next, an update on accommodations. Specifically, Airbnb, which is our preferred way to book inexpensive stays in Kyoto. Last summer, new laws were implemented that required Airbnb hosts to register and comply with other procedural requirements. This occurred just before our summer trip, and we ended up rebooking in a hotel.

Per the Japan Tourism Agency, almost 15,000 private lodgings were registered with authorities as of Spring 2019–as compared to only around 2,000 as of last June when the new law was implemented. However, this represents only around 20% of the 62,000 properties listed on Airbnb before the new law hit the market, which removed ~80% of its listings in Japan at that time.

We booked an Airbnb stay last October/November, and again (in the exact same building, actually) this summer. Although anecdotal, we can tell there are definitely fewer options in Kyoto, which actually has more onerous restrictions than most of Japan.

We’ve also noticed an increase in prices, which makes sense given the whole “supply/demand” thing. Nevertheless, Airbnb remains (by far) the cheapest option for booking more spacious accommodations and also allows you to live like a local, whether that means doing some laundry halfway through your trip or getting food to prepare you own meals. (You can use my sign-up link for a free credit your first time using Airbnb.)

On the other end of the accommodations spectrum, construction continues on the Higashiyama District’s newest luxury hotel. We detail this in our Park Hyatt Kyoto Preview & Photos post.

We’re really looking forward to this, and plan on booking a couple nights at Park Hyatt Kyoto as part of a split stay once it opens. It has the potentially to instantly be the top hotel option in Kyoto–impressive for a city with a stellar resort and ryokan lineup!

Next, new restaurants and shopping. The last couple of years, we’ve seen an explosion in the trendy options, particularly downtown and in the chic areas of Higashiyama and Arashiyama.

On this visit, we saw about a half-dozen chic-looking spots that were preparing to open.

Judging solely on their aesthetics, many of these are international or Asia-centric brands that are undoubtedly targeting affluent, social media savvy visitors from China and Korea. Some of them have good food, others don’t.

Kyoto’s burgeoning coffee and ramen scenes also continue to debut great options–more than we can keep up with!

That wraps it up for the first part of this ‘What’s New in Kyoto, Japan for 2019’ post. We’ll be back with Part 2 later this week–and you can rest assured that will actually happen this time, as the post is already written and photos are edited!

Part 2 will offer a photo update from various high profile temples in Kyoto that are currently undergoing renovation projects (or recently completed them!), summer fun in Kurama and Kibune, plus a look at new drinks and ruminations on vending machines. Oh, and another wild boar encounter at Fushimi Inari Shrine!

If you’re planning a trip to Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend that you start by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit!

Your Thoughts

Any thoughts about the latest developments in Kyoto? Have you noticed any changes recently? Concerned about the rise in crowds? Any topics you’d like to see us tackle in future posts about Japan? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post What’s New for 2019 in Kyoto, Japan appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

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sudanhelp53-blog · 5 years ago

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10 Things To Do in Vilnius, Lithuania

Holy Trinity Uniate Church

MY OTHER RECIPES

Vilnius Cathedral Bell Tower

St. Nicholas’ Church

If this is your first time to Lithuania, here are 10 things you’ll definitely want to do and see in Vilnius:

Vilnius University (founded in 1579)

1. Walk up and down the main street

Start at the Gates of Dawn and wander your way to Cathedral Square. You’ll pass several beautiful churches, Vilnius University, and the Town Hall Square along the way.

2. Climb the Bell Tower

Climb the Bell Tower of St. John’s Church at Vilnius University for the best 360 degree panoramic view of the city! There’s even an elevator if you don’t want to take the stairs.

Looking up inside the Bell Tower at St. John’s Church!

When we were at Vilnius University there was a special event going on. How cute are these girls in traditional Lithuanian dresses?

3. Visit St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church

How beautiful is this all-white Roman catholic church from the 1600s with its intricate Baroque architecture??!

It’s about a 20 minute walk from Cathedral Square to St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church.

4. Eat Gourmet Ice Cream

Church of St. Casimir

5. Say Thank You in Lithuanian!

6. Visit St. Virgin Maria’s Church

During the Russian occupation, the inside of most churches were gutted and used as warehouses for the government. St. Virgin Maria’s Church has now been transformed into a free art gallery.

7. Take a Tour of the Republic of Užupis

Užupis is a funky neighborhood in Vilnius. It’s very popular with artists and has an ultra laid-back, bohemian atmosphere.

Everyone has the right to make mistakes.

Everyone has the right to be unique.

Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.

Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.

A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need.

Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.

Everyone has the right to be unhappy.

Everyone has the right to be silent.

Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.

Everyone has the right to cry.

8. Get Your Passport Stamped

You can even get a passport stamp from the Republic of Užupis at the Republic of Uzupis Information Center.

9. Swing from a Bridge over a River

The Bridge of Uzupis is a love-lock bridge. You can leave your lock on the bridge, then take a romantic swing over the river down below.

10. Take a Sunset Hot Air Balloon Ride

I highly recommend the brand new 5-star Hotel PACAI in Vilnius.

This boutique hotel is set in a Baroque palace dating back to 1677.

You couldn’t ask for a more perfect location — Hotel PACAI is very well located on the main street right in the heart of the historic district of Vilnius.

Our room overlooked the terrace. You can have breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink out here every day!

Stay tuned for more posts from our adventures in the Baltics!

Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/vilnius-lithuania/

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havekiddoswilltravel · 6 years ago

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A Long Weekend in Santo Domingo, DR With Kids - Trip Report

Mother – Daughter 13th Birthday Getaway – Yes Trip to Santo Domingo

My eldest daughter and I enjoyed a mother – daughter 13th birthday Yes Trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and I’m ecstatic to share our trip report. It’s kid 1’s 13th year of life and I spent months planning a way to celebrate this milestone in a memorable and affirming way. Check out my two prior posts explaining what a Yes Trip is and the reasons why every parent should embark on one with their child - by clicking here and here. Now it’s time for me to report back on our trip and share more details about what we did while on the island. I traveled with over 22 letters from women in our lives and started sharing those letters with kid 1 as soon as we were sitting at the airport in NYC. Throughout our trip, I would hand her a letter, allow her to read and ponder the wisdom shared by so many amazing women in our lives. I’m so grateful for every amazing woman who took time out of their busy lives to speak into the life of my teen daughter.

How we got there?

We departed from New York City - JFK airport on a 5 am direct flight to Santo Domingo. This meant that we left CT at about 12:30 am and drove 2 hours to Queens, NY. I parked the car right at the terminal 5 parking and walked over to the departure area. Both kid 1 and I have TSA pre check (please note that children 13 and over are required to have their own TSA pre check number, but children 12 and under are covered by their parent’s). We encountered no traffic on our middle of the night drive into NYC and arrived at JFK prior to the TSA pre check lines even opening. We decided that it was worth waiting for TSA to open up and were the first in line at 3:15 am. We breezed through security and arrived at our gate to wait patiently for boarding. Who knew that a Jet Blue flight leaving NYC at 5 am would be this popular, but let me tell you, terminal 5 was packed with tourists and Dominicans taking advantage of the off-season deal!

Dominican travelers are the best. They get dressed up like they’re going to a fancy event in order to travel back home. They lack boundaries and are overly friendly to complete strangers and I soaked up every single part of this experience. I found myself being engaged in conversations with so many people at 4 am and you would have thought that we were family. This was the first of many signs for kid 1 of what her experience in Santo Domingo was going to be like. I always have an emotional response to landing in Quisquella and experiencing an entire plane full people cheering and clapping. Kid 1 was convinced that we Dominicans are “extra” and I’m more than happy to own that claim.

Customs in Santo Domingo

Our flight was uneventful and we arrived to Santo Domingo 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, there was still a plane using our arrival gate, so we were held off from taxing to our gate. Toward the end of our flight, we were given Dominican Customs forms to fill out. There are two different forms, one for foreigners and another for Dominicans. My daughter was considered American and I was considered Dominican, though I am a US citizen and travel with a US passport. I was born in the Dominican Republic and they recognize Dominican dual citizenship. Once we disembarked, I was so glad that I had the Dominican form, as the tourist line was incredibly long and the Dominican line was significantly shorter. We were allowed to go through customs together, even though my daughter had a tourist form. We traveled with carry ons and were through customs and outside looking for our ride within 15 minutes.

Transportation in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo SDQ – Las Americas International Airport is actually not located in the city proper, but rather 32 km or 20 miles east of the Dominican capital city of Santo Domingo. While on past trips, when on vacation with my entire family we have rented cars, on this trip I didn’t want to waste precious travel time dealing with the hard sales that happen at Santo Domingo rental car agencies. We’ve had some pretty bad experiences while arguing about rates and insurance with car rental agencies in Santo Domingo. I had arranged for family to pick us up at the airport and drop us off at our hotel and was planning to either walk, Uber or taxi around the city. This is pretty safe to do, if you’re staying in touristy areas and have some street smarts.

Where we stayed

I’m a pretty brand loyal costumer and have spent time at various Marriott properties in Santo Domingo. On prior trips, we’ve stayed at the Renaissance Jaragua, the Courtyard Santo Domingo and for this trip decided to take advantage of the Marriott Bonvoy changes and booked the Sheraton Santo Domingo, located on the Malecon (road parallel to the ocean). My aunt and cousin picked us up at the airport and we were sitting in the conference room at their place of business enjoying breakfast by 10 AM. After breakfast, my aunt convinced me to take their extra car and kid 1 and I made our way alone to the Sheraton Santo Domingo - thanks to Waze. Wow, Waze really works in Santo Domingo, it will even give you directions through callejones (alley ways).

Check in is normally at 4 pm, but I was hopeful that my Marriott loyalty level would allow us to check in early in order to head out to La Zona Colonial (The Colonial Zone) and get our trip started. I had the currency converted app on my phone and used it to keep track of my dollars and pesos. At the time of our trip in March of 2019 $1 US Dollar = $50.59 Dominican pesos. Prior to our weekend trip, I had researched what we wanted to see and planned how many dollars I needed to convert. I took into consideration which restaurants and tourist locations would take American Express and attempted to minimize how much cash I traveled with.

What We Did

Day 1:

- Arrived to Santo Domingo by 8:30 am via Jet Blue direct flight from JFK.

- Checked into The Sheraton Santo Domingo by 10 AM.

- Explored La Zona Colonial

o We took a short drive from the Sheraton Santo Domingo – Malecon to the Zona Colonial, found parking a few blocks away and walked to the Calle de las Damas. We were headed to the Kahkow Experience, but I kept getting distracted by the amazing architecture, streets, windows and doors that date back to the colonial period. Check out my VLOGs below to see pictures of the colonial architecture.

o We ran into a large group of school children entering La Fortaleza Ozama on a field trip and decided to join them and explore the historical site. Fort Ozama was built in 1502 by the Spanish at the entrance to Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone and overlooks the Ozama river, after which it was named. The castle which is also referred to as “La Fortaleza” is the oldest formal military construction of European origin in the Americas. It’s a Unesco World Heritage Site and a nice place to spend an hour while visiting Santo Domingo. Pro tip: pack water and a hat, as even in March it was incredibly hot and humid. The entry fee was $70 Dominican pesos, which is less than $1.50 US dollars per person. There are guides that you can pay for a formal tour, but I just wanted to take some pictures and explore on our own prior to heading to our next stop. You don’t have to use a guide in order to explore, so skip the non-affiliated people, walk right in, pay a few pesos and enjoy as long as you wish.

o Next on our agenda was a tour of El Kahkow Experience. The Kahhow experience was the perfect way for my chocolate loving teen daughter to kick off her 13th birthday trip. We took part in the English language tour and make your own bar add on option. The building in which the Kahkow Experience is housed is an old colonial property which was architecturally preserved. The entire experience is well done and it was one of the highlights of our weekend trip to Santo Domingo. The tour started with a video explaining the history of chocolate, harvesting and the process of making chocolate from cacao farm to consumption. We visited on a Friday morning in late March and literally had the entire place to ourselves. We were the only two in the beginning part of our tour and then joined six others for the chocolate bar making portion. Cost: $672 Dominican Pesos for 2 for the initial tour (equals 13.28 US Dollars) and $1440 Dominican Pesos for 2 (equals 28.46 US Dollars) for the make your own chocolate portion.

o We then headed to the square in front of the first cathedral in the New World: Catedral Primada de America and a stroll through the coffee shops, restaurants and stores of La Calle Conde. By then it was almost lunch time and we were melting, so we decided to head back to the El Malecon for lunch at Adrian Tropical.

- Adrian Tropical is a typical Dominican Restaurant which benefits from its location on Avenida George Washington on the Malecon near major tourist hotels including the Sheraton. We always enjoy at least one meal at Adrian Tropical when visiting Santo Domingo, because nothing says I’ve arrived to Santo Domingo like enjoying a traditional meal of rice, beans, chicken, sancocho and mofongo while drinking a fria (Dominican’s call their Presidente beer “frias”) and taking in the view of the ocean and listening to the waves crash nearby. Service was slow and leaves a lot to be desired, but that pretty much was the theme of all of our eating experiences on this trip. You’re in the Caribbean, I highly recommend heading to any restaurant to order food about one hour prior to you being really hungry.

- After lunch, we headed back to the hotel and put on our bathing suits. We live in Connecticut and it seemed like we hadn’t seen the sun in months. We laid out by the pool and enjoyed some vitamin D before heading back to our room to shower and change for dinner.

- Dinner with family at my aunt’s house. I have a lot of extended family that lives in Santo Domingo, but 4 days on the island with the intended purpose of connecting with my teen daughter, did not leave any time for visiting family. My cousin had coordinated for any family members who wanted to see us to join us for dinner at my aunt’s house in Santo Domingo, thus kid 1 and I jumped into our borrowed car and I endured rush hour driving to arrive at my aunt’s house for dinner. Wow. That was an experience. I quickly learned that using my turning signals was just a sign of weakness and making eye contact led to people cutting me off and blocking us in. Public transportation cars and buses constantly stop for passengers on the right-hand side and would just block traffic flow. Driving in Santo Domingo is not for the faint of heart. I’m accustomed to driving in Boston, NYC, DC and LA and while it prepared me for the lack of common courtesy, I still arrived to dinner with a knot in my neck. Somehow my teenager slept through much of the driving madness and only woke up a few times while I jerked to avoid a huge pot hole or a motorist. I was proud of myself for driving in Santo Domingo, though the lack of driving rules really stressed me out, as I’m a type A, uptight rule follower. Waze did save the day, as it was extremely reliable and even navigated me out of heavy traffic. We ended up enjoying hours of Spanish language practice, food and sweetened coffee and tea at my aunt’s house with over 40 of my extended family. I finally had to tell my family that I didn’t drink sugar in my coffee and tea and it’s still a running joke in my family WhatsAPP group chat. If you’re like me and enjoy your coffee or tea without cream or sugar, be prepared to get weird looks and comments from Dominicans. They drink their milk and sugar with a little bit of coffee.

Day 2:

- Traveling with a teen means that I got to enjoy lots of quiet time, because not once during our trip did my daughter wake up in time for breakfast. As a mother of four children ranging in ages from 6 – 13, It’s rare for me to enjoy a quiet breakfast, so on day 2 I got up and left kid 1 sleeping in our room while I enjoyed the included breakfast buffet at the Sheraton Santo Domingo. The buffet includes traditional Dominican breakfast items like mangu, queso frito, boiled yuca, salami and fresh fruit. After breakfast, I lounged by myself poolside while soaking up the morning sun. What a perfect start to what would prove to be an amazing day. Plans for day 2 included a road trip to Las Terrenas beach in Samana. My cousin, her husband and two kids picked us up in front of our hotel and off we went down the new highway to the Samana peninsula. My parents are originally from Samana and Sanchez and thus, I grew up taking long road trips to the Samana beaches, however with the toll road it only took us a little over 2 hours to arrive at a secluded and beautiful beach in Las Terrenas.

- The beaches in the peninsula of Samana on the northeast coast of Dominican Republic are one of the reasons why I’m a total beach snob. The turquoise blue water is bath water temperature and perfect for a swim. The palm tree lined beach provide the perfect mix of sun and shade. It’s literally paradise. If you’re ever in the Samana area, ask a local how to get to Playa Marico near the piedras de las ballenas. You won’t be sorry and you can join me in the ranks of total beach snobs. Las Terrenas is known as a European settlement in Dominican Republic, but it seemed that all of the locals were recovering from a late night, because we enjoyed having the entire beach to ourselves for the morning, prior to heading to lunch.

- Next, we headed to Restaurante Luis in Playa Coson. My cousin called ahead and reserved a table for 6 at the outdoor shack -restaurant, that was packed with locals and tourists. The restaurant consists of an outdoor kitchen – beach hut and outdoor plastic tables and chairs randomly placed on the sandy shores of Playa Coson. The kids literally played in the sand and swam while we waited for our meal. We hand-picked our fish and they cooked them for us while we sipped on pina coladas served in pineapples. I highly recommend eating fresh food while the ocean breeze cools you off and live musicians serenade you. Esa es la buena vida (that’s the good life)! Restaurante Luis is a must for anyone looking to experience Dominican Republic like a local. Just don’t tell too many people and spoil the exclusive vibe of this off the beaten path dive.

- We had packed so much into our one-day road trip to Las Terrenas that we decided to stop by my grandmother’s country home (now owned by my uncle) in Las Garitas. I loved reminiscing with kid 1 about summer vacations running around the campo, eating mangoes right off the trees and spending hours playing outside with neighborhood kids. We drank coffee and ate snacks on the porch with my uncle and cousin while laughing hysterically about our shenanigans as young kids. We were off and back to Santo Domingo by 7 pm. We spent a total of 12 hours including travel time in Samana and were able to pack in a ton in that short period of time. On the way back to Santo Domingo we stopped at Helados Bon for ice cream, because one can’t visit DR and not eat their ice cream.

- Our second day in Santo Domingo ended with what I call adventures in La Zona Colonial. Two of my cousins picked us up at 10 pm post a shower and nap and we headed to the Colonial Zone for a late dinner. Yes, I had my 13-daughter year old out at this time. This is DR and it’s Dominican time. In retrospect, we should have left their car at the Sheraton and taken an Uber to the restaurant, but our adventures in attempting to find a parking spot on a Saturday night in The Colonial Zone just gave us lots of opportunities for laughter. In true teen fashion, kid 1 fell asleep as soon as we got into the car and thank God she did. We drove around for over an hour prior to finding a government parking garage that was full, but the attendant agreed to allow us to park there as long as we were back by 2 am. We walked toward Calle Conde to Jalao Restaurant. Even though it was 11 pm, the Colonial Zone was packed and we quickly learned that there was not one available table inside the Jalao Restaurant, which had a live band and large groups celebrating birthday parties. We were able to score a table outside and ordered our dinner. Dominican Republic is not known for quick service, so we should have guessed that it was going to be a long night, when our waiter warned us that the kitchen was backed up and that we should order soon. It did take 1 hour for our food to come out and we did not make our way back to our car until 1 am. Thankfully, we were among family and we laughed and joked through dinner and loved people watching in the Zona Colonial.

Part 2 of my Mother – Daughter #yestrip will be forthcoming, but prior to signing off I wanted to share a couple pro tips about traveling to Dominican Republic with kids. Also, click here to see more pictures and lives posts from our Yes Trip to Santo Domingo.

Check out my VLOG of Day 1 for many more pictures of our adventures in Santo Domingo.

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Pro Tips:

- Pack your patience. Americans, especially those of us from the Northeast cities are always in a rush and always have an agenda. Dominican culture is not like that. Even in a major city like Santo Domingo, people move at their own pace (unless you’re driving and then everyone seems to be in a rush).

- Even in March, Santo Domingo is hot. Pack a hat, sunblock and a refillable water bottle like my extra-large hydroflask which helps keep bottled water cold longer in the hot DR sun.

- Practice your Spanish Language skills. Santo Domingo is a bustling city and it’s helpful if you can speak some Spanish.

- As aforementioned, Santo Domingo is a large city and as such I highly recommend that you leave your flashy jewelry and accessories at home. We were two women traveling alone and never felt unsafe. I travel with my favorite Ebag cross bag purse and leave my large wallet safely at home.

- Unless you’re an aggressive driver and have a thirst for adventure, leave the driving to the Dominicans. Car seats and use of seat belts are not common. It may require you to take a deep breath and relax your expectations a bit on this issue.

- Dominicans are friendly people and always ready to engage you in conversation. When traveling with kids, be prepared for total strangers to engage your family in dialogue. Everyone called us familia (family) or prima (cousin). Kid 1 is convinced that Santo Domingo is a city of extroverts.

- Take time to slowly explore the cobble-stoned streets and architecture of the Colonial Zone. Take lots of pictures and make beautiful memories.

- If you’re planning a trip to Samana, I highly recommend going in January and adding a whale watching trip to your itinerary.

- Water is not safe to drink from the tap in Dominican Republic. The Sheraton provided 3 bottles of water per day, which I used to refill my hydroflask water bottle and we picked up bottled water whenever we were out. We had no issues with GI side effects and even ate street food. We travel often though, and as a Dominican I think my GI system is probably stronger than most. If you’re worried about illness, stick to bottled water, ice in hotels and major restaurants are safe to drink.

Day 2 VLOG with many more pictures:

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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Travel to Georgia in 2020 – Everything to know

Georgia is the final word European journey vacation spot.

This Caucasian nation is dwelling to, undoubtedly, essentially the most hanging mountains in Europe, composed of huge glaciers, fairy meadows, and 5,000-meter snowed capped peaks; and nice, vibrant capital, very Japanese European on the one hand however, on the opposite, with its distinctive Caucasian and Georgian identification and full of essentially the most unimaginable chaos.

Barely found by the typical traveler, Georgia is a rustic with a really robust nationwide character, seen in lots of elements, from having their very own Christian department to a novel architectural type, a really elaborate delicacies thought of the most effective within the former Soviet Union and a deeply rooted wine tradition.

I lived and traveled in Georgia for greater than 7 months, and it’s actually a kind of nations which, each time I write about its stunning issues, I can’t keep away from falling into nostalgia.

Georgia is a good nation and this information incorporates every thing it’s essential to know for touring to Georgia, from methods to get a visa to cultural information, trekking recommendation and loads of journey ideas, making it essentially the most detailed Georgia journey weblog.

For extra particular information about Tbilisi, don’t neglect my final information to journey to Tbilisi, which incorporates a great deal of off-beat stuff to go to

Index:

Visa for Georgia Finest time to go to Georgia Journey Insurance coverage for Georgia How you can get in Books for touring to Georgia Excursions in Georgia Is Georgia protected? The individuals and the tradition Non-recognized republics Get off the overwhelmed observe Soviet heritage in Georgia Trekking in Georgia Wine in Georgia Georgian meals Cash Transportation in Georgia Lodging Web Extra data

My web site solely incorporates little details about Georgia, so if you wish to get deeper and find out about each vacation spot, get a duplicate of my information!

CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Visa for touring to Georgia

Free one-year visa – Georgia has one of many biggest visa regimes on the planet, as you will get a 1-year FREE visa upon arrival within the nation.

You possibly can stay in Georgia for the remainder of your life – The perfect half is that this 1 12 months will get robotically renewed as soon as you allow and re-enter the nation, even in case you cross the Armenian border and are available again after one minute. This implies which you could keep in Georgia without end.

Which nationalities? Right here you’ll be able to see the checklist of the nations (94) that are eligible for the 1-year journey visa, which incorporates all Western Nationalities, Latin America, and all excessive GDP Asian nationalities.

By the way in which, apparently, EU residents can enter the nation with out a passport, with simply their nationwide ID however, simply in case, I like to recommend you deliver each.

Different nationalities can get an internet visa – Then, some nations like India, China or Egypt, amongst many others, can apply for an e-visa via this portal.

Keep in mind to learn my Tbilisi journey information

If, like me, you may have an internet job, dwelling in Tbilisi is nice, and you may keep without end with this visa coverage

Finest time to go to Georgia

To start with, you need to know that Tbilisi could be visited all 12 months lengthy as, in winter, it by no means will get too chilly plus you received’t discover vacationers. Summer season is especially sizzling in Tbilisi however it’s the finest season to get pleasure from the remainder of the nation.

Go to Georgia in winter – Georgia has a number of ski resorts, Gudauri being the most well-liked one, round Three hours away from Tbilisi. Clearly, their ski resorts will not be as nice as those in Europe, however they’re all proper and for individuals dwelling in Dubai and different heat areas, Georgia is perhaps the most effective close by ski vacation spot.

Go to Georgia in spring – Lovely landscapes and lots of sunny days nevertheless it is perhaps too early to go trekking within the excessive Caucasus.

Go to Georgia in summer season – The perfect time for trekking within the excessive Caucasus and visiting the coastal space.

Go to Georgia in autumn – Mid-September is the harvest season, so for wine lovers, that is the most effective time to go to Kakheti area.

I personally assume that September can be the best month to journey to Georgia as a result of the trekking season isn’t over but, it’s harvest season, the climate in Tbilisi is nice and the massive crowds have already gone.

August is the most effective time to go to Georgia for trekking however do not forget that within the excessive mountains it may be chilly in any case

Insurance coverage for touring to Georgia

Nicely, Georgia is a trekking vacation spot and, as such, it’s possible you’ll wish to search for journey insurance coverage that covers journey locations and actions.

For this, I strongly suggest World Nomads:

It covers essentially the most journey actions

Their most elementary plan already consists of trekking as much as 4,500m

It’s the solely firm that gives cowl with a vast finances, together with rescue

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you wish to know extra choices, learn: methods to discover the appropriate journey insurance coverage

We did some fairly cool trekkings, that’s why you want correct journey insurance coverage while you journey to Georgia

How you can get to Georgia

How you can journey to Georgia by air

Through Tbilisi – Tbilisi has many connections with Europe, some Asian locations and Dubai and different Center Japanese cities.

Through Kutaisi – There’s a low-cost airport, with many Wizzair flights coming from a number of European cities, so it will even be an amazing probability to go to Kutaisi.

How you can journey to Georgia by land

Russia – Formally, just one border with Russia is open, which is the one in Kazbegi. Then, you may have the South Ossetian border, which may’t be used for getting into/exiting Georgia, and the border with Abkhazia, which can be utilized for exiting however not getting into. For extra data, learn my journey information to Abkhazia.

Azerbaijan – There are two official borders, one nearer to Tbilisi, which could be crossed by prepare, and the opposite one within the Kakheti area. Each are pleasant and really straightforward to cross. Learn my Azerbaijan itinerary for extra data.

Armenia – There are three borders to select from, relying on the place you wish to go.

Turkey – The are two very pleasant borders, the best being the coastal one, which takes you straight to Batumi.

Learn: Every little thing it’s essential to know for visiting Iran

Touring in Georgia by prepare is nice

Finest e-book guides for Georgia

In opposition to the Compass” Information to Georgia – My private book, filled with all my suggestions after 7 months of journey in Georgia. It incorporates 10 advised itineraries with their daily explanations, all sensible data and 12 journey guides to 12 totally different areas within the nation, with a particular give attention to off the overwhelmed observe locations.

CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Excursions for Georgia journey

Need to do some excursions if you are touring in Georgia?

Nice. I like to recommend you e-book them through GetYourGuide, as you will discover many excursions with evaluations and e-book them instantly on-line. To date, these are their hottest excursions:

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE AVAILABLE TOURS IN GEORGIA

That is Sighnaghi, essentially the most visited city in Kakheti area

Is it protected to journey to Georgia?

There may be not a lot to say right here apart from Georgia could be very protected to go to, because it enjoys among the lowest crime charges ever.

In actual fact, I used to work in several cafés round Tbilisi daily and I used to be very stunned that the Georgians would all the time go away their laptops and belongings on the desk and go exterior for a few minutes, one thing I might by no means do in Spain or in just about any European metropolis.

Touring to Georgia is protected, actually, together with for solo ladies.

Are you touring to Central Asia? Right here you will discover all my guides to the Stan nations

Touring in Georgia could be very protected

The individuals, the tradition and the nation

The nation

Georgia is a rustic situated within the Caucasus area that was once a part of the Soviet Union till its dissolution in 1991. It’s situated on the crossroads of Asia and Europe, which made it notably interesting and handy to occupy for a number of empires, from the Mongols to the Ottomans, the Persians and, in fact, the Russians, each the Russian Empire and the united states.

Georgia is a rustic with many layers of historical past, completely fascinating, but, and, surprisingly, they’ve been in a position to keep their robust tradition and character, very totally different from anyplace else you might have been to.

Learn: What to do in Iran for 1 month

Georgians have many World Championship gamers of chess. Their ardour for chess is a transparent heritage from the Soviet Union

Is it a part of Europe or not?

From a geographical standpoint, the nation is actually, proper in between Asia and Europe, in Eurasia, so some individuals might argue relating to allocating it.

To be trustworthy, I don’t actually care the place it sits as a result of I personally assume that its tradition is extra essential than its geographic location and, for my part, Georgia has many similarities to Japanese Europe, greater than even Turkey, which is geographically nearer; and it barely shares any similarity with its Central Asian cousins and this can be very totally different from any nation within the Center East.

The agricultural elements of Georgia are very, very conventional

Furthermore, as a Spaniard, I’ll even inform you that they’ve many similarities with South Europeans, particularly Greeks and Spaniards, not solely in the way in which we appear like but additionally, in the way in which we eat, drink and sit across the desk.

Truly, some research affirm that Georgians have frequent ancestry with Basque individuals, a separate nation inside Spain.

So sure, I believe that Georgia is a part of Europe.

Georgia and Russia

Heads-up. Georgians don’t like Russians, for a lot of causes, however primarily as a result of Georgian-Russian battle in 2008. I don’t actually wish to enter into politics however, mainly, Georgia went to battle with South Ossetia, a area that needed to separate from Georgia and had the assist of Russia, which ended up right into a navy invasion of Georgia with Russian tanks.

It’s, in fact, rather more difficult than that, however that is what most Georgians will inform you and, in case you meet some Georgians, you might be prone to hear them complaining about Russians on a regular basis.

This subject is form of controversial as a result of Georgia largely depends upon Russian tourism, and so they can truly journey to Georgia visa-free, however Georgians have to undergo a really tedious course of to enter Russia.

My nation is 20% occupied by Russia For those who keep within the nation for lengthy sufficient, you’re going to hear this sentence very often, instantly from Georgians and even written on blackboards from essentially the most progressive bars. This 20% refers to South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia.

Georgia is the place conventional and European values collapse

Tbilisi is a kind of capitals which, on the one hand, is dwelling to a really conventional and tremendous non secular, conservative society which nonetheless lives within the final century and, then again, a big younger inhabitants, very open-minded in all senses and with very robust European values.

And likewise in Tbilisi you discover very conventional areas

From not hiding their homosexuality to combating for gender equality, the younger crowd is actually demanding change.

They want to be on the degree of any EU nation, to be a part of it even, however, sadly, they’re in battle with the big, completely conservative department, who’re supported by the highly effective Church and, because of this, a lot of their demonstrations find yourself with violence.

Actually, once I was dwelling there in 2018, I witnessed fairly a number of extraordinarily violent episodes.

The language

Georgians converse Georgian, a language whose origins are a bit unsure plus it’s just like nothing you ever listened to. In addition they have their very own alphabet, fairly stunning for my part.

How you can talk with the locals

In Tbilisi, most younger individuals converse good English however exterior of Tbilisi not that a lot. Not like in most former Soviet nations, in Georgia, they stopped educating Russian in school proper after their independence, which implies that individuals who had been born after 1991 don’t converse Russian in any respect, and among the older technology who do don’t actually like to talk it for the above-mentioned causes.

Faith

85% of Georgians belong to a Christian department named Georgian Orthodox, one of many world’s most historical Church buildings, based within the 1st Century and the primary cause why Georgians have been in a position to protect their nationwide identification regardless of all of the invasions.

That is Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, an 11th Century Orthodox Monastery, one of many holiest church buildings in Georgia

Georgia is essentially the most non secular Christian nation I’ve ever been to, a rustic the place you’re going to see a number of younger individuals crossing themselves each time they move a Church.

By the way in which, visiting the countless Georgian Orthodox church buildings and monasteries is among the highlights, as they are typically inbuilt epic places, plus they’ve their very own architectural type.

Moreover, 10% are Muslims, primarily dwelling in Adjara, a area bordering Turkey, as that space was once a part of the Ottoman Empire.

Learn: What to do in Azerbaijan in Three weeks

Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi

The unrecognized republics inside Georgia

On this Georgia journey information, I believe it’s a good suggestion to say some unbiased, but, non-recognized, nations it’s possible you’ll not have heard of.

Principally, an unrecognized republic is a rustic that has bought its independence, however, no one within the worldwide neighborhood acknowledges it, which implies that the UN doesn’t acknowledge its existence.

There are lots of ghost nations all over the world and in Georgia, you discover two: Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

These nations declared themselves unbiased from Georgia, which led to a bloody battle and, since no one acknowledged them, they weren’t in a position to be a part of the worldwide banking system and their borders had been closed, so right now, they’re economically backed up by Russia, in trade for recognition, affect and navy presence.

Learn: Helpful ideas for touring to Iran

That is the border of Abkhazia

Nonetheless, getting into these enclaves seems like being in a very totally different nation, as they’ve a border, require separate visas, have a definite tradition and Georgia has completely zero energy and affect over them.

Abkhazia – You possibly can simply go to it from Georgia and all you want is an e-visa which takes one week to course of. For extra data, learn: How you can journey to Abkhazia.

South Ossetia – Not accessible from Georgia: you’ll be able to solely enter from Russia and it’s possible you’ll have to have a double entry Russian visa.

After they bought their independence, all Georgians had been pressured to go away so right now, you discover many deserted buildings

Get off the overwhelmed observe while you go backpacking in Georgia

Georgia is an rising vacationer vacation spot however I believe that, in a few years, it’s going to enter the mass tourism vacation spot stage.

In actual fact, some elements of Georgia, like Kazbegi or Mestia are already fairly commercialized, which implies that taxi rip-offs are frequent and the locals don’t care about something however the cash you may have in your pocket.

That is Ushguly, essentially the most visited village in Svaneti. It’s right now, actually commercialized

It’s a pity as a result of Georgians are recognized for his or her humble hospitality and plainly this commercialization got here too rapidly.

Nonetheless, don’t be upset as a result of many of the nation has been barely visited by vacationers and there are lots of pure areas, fairly uncooked, the place the locals will bless you with their hospitality. These are the most effective off the overwhelmed observe locations to go backpacking in Georgia:

The mountains of Adjara (bordering Turkey)

Some villages of Kakheti

Tusheti

Chiatura

Abkhazia

Racha

Right here we’re with an excellent heat, and really humorous, native household who invited us to their home randomly, someplace within the mountains of Adjara

Soviet Heritage in Georgia

Like I mentioned earlier than, the Georgia-Russia relationship is form of controversial as a result of, on one facet, they wish to erase any Russian affect from their tradition however, on the opposite facet, right here you discover a shit load of Soviet Heritage, rather more than in its neighbor Azerbaijan, a Soviet Nation that determined to remove most Soviet buildings, but, they’ve good relations with mom Russia.

Some Soviet relics it’s possible you’ll discover:

Soviet Modernism – Soviet Modernism was a creative motion that flourished over the past a long time of the united states and primarily consisted of buildings with notably bizarre shapes. Nicely, in Tbilisi you discover traces of this motion all over the place.

Concrete Soviet buildings – Exterior of the Outdated Metropolis, many of the buildings are from the Communist period, particularly within the suburbs, the place every thing stays untouched.

Deserted factories – There are a great deal of deserted Soviet factories all around the nation, my favourite being the one in Zestaponi.

Mining cities – Chiatura was once some of the essential facilities for the mining trade within the Soviet Union (Stalin himself used to stay right here) and the city hasn’t modified a lot since then.

Learn: Backpacking in Kazakhstan for 1 month

the outdated Soviet mining city of Chiatura

Trekking in Georgia

Georgia is the final word trekking vacation spot, dwelling to among the highest mountains in Europe, with its highest peak being Shkhara, situated at 5,193 meters.

A number of issues you need to find out about trekking in Georgia:

Many of the excessive mountains are situated within the north of the nation, on the coronary heart of the Better Caucasus.

If you’re planning to trek in excessive altitudes, summer season is the best season however the finish of spring and starting of autumn needs to be good as effectively.

The Better Caucasus is not any joke, because it gives some actually difficult treks and the climate is extremely unpredictable. For those who don’t have a lot expertise, don’t go alone, or attempt doing one of many busy, well-liked treks.

Besides in some elements of Svaneti and Tusheti, you received’t discover any guesthouses alongside the way in which, so it’s essential to deliver correct mountain gear.

From epic glaciers to mind-blowing snow-capped peaks, the mountains of Georgia are an actual surprise, so get pleasure from.

Regardless of spending 7 months within the nation, I simply did a few treks in Svaneti and Kazbegi (the guides are on their method), so in case you actually wish to find out about trekking in Georgia, I like to recommend you test this web site: Caucasus Trekking – It incorporates very detailed guides to just about any trek in Georgia.

Learn: A information for trekking in Kyrgyzstan

Trekking someplace in Georgia

Wine in Georgia (and chacha)

Wine is a part of Georgian’s identification and, subsequently, the spotlight of touring to Georgia and it actually deserves a single part on this Georgia journey information.

Archaeological proof exhibits that they’ve been producing wine for almost 8,000 years, making them one of many oldest nations on the planet, if not the oldest, to ever produce wine.

Historically, they used to make wine in one thing referred to as qvevri, that are some clay vessels that are positioned on the ground of a room referred to as marani. This was once the standard method and, like most traditions in Georgia, many wineries nonetheless use it.

A conventional wine store, someplace in Kutaisi

In rural areas and smaller cities, plainly all people produces their very own wine at dwelling and, if you’re staying in a standard visitor home, it’s not unusual that your host will most likely give you some for breakfast, no kidding.

It additionally occurred to us that random individuals stopped us in the midst of the road to simply greet us and provides a number of litters of wine, free of charge.

The actual fact is that Georgian wine is all over the place, and you’re going to discover good wine and unhealthy wine however an important is that for just some €, you will discover some great things.

If you wish to actually witness the wine tradition in Georgia, it’s essential to go to Georgia in September, through the harvest season, when all Kakheti is full of Soviet vans additional loaded with grapes and all of the small wineries are of their manufacturing levels.

A Soviet truck additional loaded with grapes

By the way in which, Georgia produces a big number of grapes however the most typical ones can be Saperavi for purple wine and Rkatsiteli for white wine.

What about chacha? When Georgians don’t drink wine, they drink chacha, a extremely robust liquor normally created from grape which may simply include as much as 60-70% of alcohol. You’ll be stunned to know that some visitor homes additionally give you chacha for breakfast.

We additionally bought supplied chacha by many taxi drivers, bus drivers and simply random individuals we ran into.

This man was making wine at his home, in a plastic bucket.

It was throughout harvest season, in fact, and he mentioned the wine he makes lasts for nearly the entire 12 months

Georgian delicacies

The meals is one other of the highlights of visiting Georgia.

In actual fact, Georgian delicacies is the delicacies of reference within the Soviet Union, to the extent that the most effective native eating places in Russia are Georgian eating places.

Their meals, nonetheless, tends to be heavy however they provide a big number of dishes and, not like all of the growing nations I’ve been to, in Tbilisi you already discover fairly a number of eating places serving excessive native delicacies.

Cheese, walnuts and meat, a great deal of meat, are normally the core of any of their meals however in addition they have many vegetarian choices, particularly eggplant dishes.

A number of the dishes you might be prone to style are:

Churchkhela – Churchkhela isn’t actually a dish however a standard candle-shaped sweet, and I’m placing it on the highest of the checklist since you discover it all over the place. Principally, it consists of walnuts and almonds dipped into an excellent thick, and very sizzling, grape juice, which they should hold for a few hours to dry out. Don’t purchase it in touristic areas, as they cost Four or 5 instances the precise value. The native value is 2-3GEL per unit.

A great deal of churchkhelas

Khinkali – The native dumplings, sometimes full of meat. You may additionally discover them full of cheese and different components however these are aimed toward vacationers. By the way in which, the native method to eat them is biting one a tiny bit to suck all of the meat broth after which consuming it as if it was an apple.

Khachapuri Adjaluri – Khachapuri is, mainly baked bread with melted cheese, however they’ve many variations and adjaluri is boat-shaped khachapuri with a great deal of melted cheese, butter and an egg floating over on high of it.

Further loaded Khachapuri

Badridzhani Nigvsit – Grilled eggplants with walnut paste. Maybe, my favourite.

Satsivi – Rooster in walnut sauce. This dish tends to be costly and never accessible on most menus however I strongly suggest you order it, at the very least as soon as.

Rooster in walnuts sauce

Lobio – Bean stew, normally served with cornbread and pickles.

Gobi – Gobi is a particular starter dish containing a number of vegetarian snacks corresponding to phkali, that are spinach balls with walnut paste.

Kupati – The native grilled sausage.

Gobi, a vegetarian starter

My web site solely incorporates little details about Georgia, so if you wish to get deeper and find out about each vacation spot, get a duplicate of my information!

CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Cash in Georgia – Georgia journey finances

In Georgia, they use the Georgian Lari (GEL) and, roughly, 1€ = 3GEL

They name the small foreign money Tetris.

Bank cards and ATMs – In Tbilisi, you’ll be able to pay by bank card just about anyplace and ATMs abound, all of them accepting worldwide bank cards. You will want money for taxis and the standard retailers. Exterior of Tbilisi, do deliver money.

Exchanging cash – Exchanging cash is simple and € and USD are accepted all over the place.

How a lot does it value to journey in Georgia?

The excellent news is that Georgia is actually, actually low-cost.

How a lot does meals value in Georgia?

A meal in finances, native eateries – Round 7-10GEL

A meal in increased high quality eating places – Round 15-25GEL

A meal in top-end eating places – From 50-60GEL

Cappuccino – 4-5GEL

Native beer – 2-3GEL

A glass of native wine – 2-4GEL

A glass of excellent high quality wine – 8-11GEL

How a lot does transportation value in Georgia?

Taxis inside Tbilisi – 3-5GEL

Bus/metro journey – 0.50GEL

Marshrutka to Mtskheta – 1GEL

Marshrutka to Kazbegi – 10GEL

Prepare to Batumi – 50GEL

How a lot does lodging value in Georgia?

Funds Hostels – From 15GEL

Double room in a finances visitor home – From 40-50GEL

Double room in a mid-range lodge – From 80GEL

Backpacking Funds for Georgia: 25-30€ a day

Georgia is the backpacker’s dream

Transportation – How you can go backpacking Georgia

How you can transfer round Tbilisi:

Taxi – If you wish to get the most cost effective charges (and keep away from bargaining), obtain Yandex or Taxify. Most rides value round 3-5GEL.

Metro – There are two metro strains. A single metro journey prices 0.50GEL, however it’s essential to first purchase a metro card for 2GEL.

Bus – It really works with the identical metro card and Google Maps tells you the bus variety of your route.

Yellow mini-vans – Additionally, you will see some yellow mini-vans roaming round Tbilisi. They’re non-public and one single ticket prices 0.80GEL. Nonetheless, they’re tougher to make use of as a result of the indicators are within the Georgian alphabet.

How you can transfer round Georgia:

Marshrutka – Marshrutkas are the tiny mini-vans used to maneuver across the nation. They go just about anyplace, are the most cost effective method to transfer round and go away as soon as they’re full. Nonetheless, the drivers are actually loopy, critically, among the craziest I’ve ever met, and notice that I’ve been touring in locations recognized for his or her loopy driving like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Prepare – There’s a prepare line that goes all the way in which to Zugdidi, Batumi and in addition to Armenia and Azerbaijan. You possibly can e-book your prepare tickets on the prepare station itself however I used to purchase them on-line via this web site. Do e-book them upfront, particularly in summer season as a result of they run out fairly rapidly.

Renting a automotive – When my dad and mom came over us in Georgia, we traveled across the nation by automotive for every week. It is extremely handy and, in case you drive fastidiously, you need to be all proper. We used a neighborhood firm named father or mother.ge, which is considerably cheaper than most worldwide branches. The proprietor of this firm was our landlord, Dato. He’s a cool man.

Lodging in Georgia

In Georgia, you discover a variety of lodging all through the nation:

Hostels – In Tbilisi, you will discover a shit load of hostels.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST HOSTELS IN TBILISI

Visitor Homes – Funds, beautiful guesthouses additionally abound throughout Georgia.

Motels – From 5-star inns in Tbilisi to the mountain lodges in Kazbegi, the lodge choices are countless.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE BEST HOTELS AND GUEST HOUSES IN GEORGIA

Homestays – In Svaneti and Tusheti, homestays are the way in which to go.

Airbnb – Airbnb could be very well-liked in Tbilisi. Do not forget that, in case you create an account via my hyperlink, you’ll stand up to 35€ of FREE credit score in your subsequent reserving.

Web and cellular

Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi is nice all through the nation. Within the mountains, the sign is unhealthy, in fact, however you’ll be able to nonetheless hook up with just about anyplace, even in Tusheti.

SIM Card – Magticom is the cellular firm I used to be utilizing and I do not forget that for just some €, you will get a great deal of GB each month. The perfect is which you could top-up your telephone on-line. Test their web site for the newest offers.

Extra data for touring to Georgia

Fb Teams – Expats in Tbilisi and Georgian Wanderers are some nice Fb Teams the place you’ll be able to ask questions.

Extra sources:

Keep in mind to test In opposition to the Compass’ Information to Georgia – CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

For trekking, don’t neglect to test Caucasus Trekking

Right here you will discover all my articles and guides to Georgia

Touring to Azerbaijan? Nice, right here it’s also possible to discover all my articles and guides to Azerbaijan

Many vacationers who journey to Georgia additionally go to Iran, so I like to recommend you test my information to journey to Iran.

Touring to Central Asia? Right here you will discover all my guides to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

For those who like my web site and located this submit helpful, do not forget that, in case you e-book any service via any of my hyperlinks, I’ll get a small fee at no additional value to you. These earnings assist me keep and hold In opposition to the Compass going! Thanks

source http://cheaprtravels.com/travel-to-georgia-in-2020-everything-to-know/

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frommilestosmiles · 5 years ago

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The boardwalk weaves through dense forest, crisscrossing gnarly tree roots, and hovering over thundering waterfalls and glistening lakes. I take care to navigate the haphazard wooden slats which intertwine to create 18km of trails that snake around and through the main lakes of Plitvice. All around, our eyes drink in glimpses of shimmering water, tiny streams and endless waterfalls cascading over the karst landscape. Plitvice Lakes is simply ‘heaven on Earth’.

Forest boardwalk

Plitvice Lakes

Don’t be alarmed if you have never heard of Plitvice Lakes. Until a few years ago, neither had I, then I spotted a picture on Instagram and was instantly hooked. I quickly added it to my bucket list, desperate to visit this magnificent site which covers an area of 29,630 hectares and comprises 16 larger lakes plus innumerable smaller lakes.

Countless waterfalls cascade over the dolomite rocks cutting canyons through limestone deposits. The highest waterfall, Velika Slap crashes 78m to its base, spraying tourists with cooling mist. The park is utterly sublime and was designated a national park in 1949. In 1979 it became a UNESCO world heritage site and boy is it deserving of the accolade!!

Plitvice Lakes pools

Big smiles at Plitvice Lakes (I am loving my new sunglasses from Smart Buy Glasses)

So let me walk you through everything you need to know before you visit Plitvice Lakes. Failure to follow some of this advice could leave you in danger or disappointed.

What you need to know

Location

Plitvice Lakes is located 140 km from Zagreb and 130 km from Zadar on the Dalmatian coast. We stay in the nearby village of Ostarski Stanovi on the D1 at Tourist Centre Marko. The centre is around 15 minutes from the park entrance in a lovely rural location. There’s a reasonable restaurant on site, an adventure park, swimming pool and other facilities. There are a few hotels within the park but you will need to book well in advance to secure a reasonable price.

From the hotel, the road to Plitvice is single file and it weaves through multiple twists and turns with little opportunity to overtake. You, therefore, need to plan your journey to ensure that you arrive for your allotted time.

Getting there

The nearest airports for Plitvice Lakes are Zagreb (2.5 hours), Zadar (1 ¾ hours) and Split (2.5 hours). You can see all three locations on the map above but if you want a more detailed view, click on the map for an interactive experience.

Book flights with Skypicker and then hire a car or to take an organised tour (trust me you won’t have to look far!). I recommend the former and suggest you book the earliest slot of the day at 7 am. To visit the park, it takes 4 – 6 hours and the site gets much more crowded in the afternoon as hoards of tour buses arrive. If you book the earliest time slot, you should be ready to leave as the swarms of tour buses arrive. This will mean that you avoid the bottlenecks on the narrow wooden trails and bridges and will enjoy your visit all the more.

Boardwalks meandering through the lakes

If you opt for this option, you will need to pre-book tickets on the Plitvice Lakes National Park website. This gives you the option of entrance via Entrance 1 or 2 and to reduce congestion, different walking routes are available from each. You can choose from four routes at both entrances and these are marked throughout the park.

Organised tour

This may work out considerably better value for those travelling solo but means you will have to contend with the masses. Herds of tour bus groups descend on the site later in the day causing bottlenecks and frustration.

If you opt for this mode of travel, book your tour using Get Your Guide. You can download their convenient app to make bookings and check prices from multiple operators. The app provides immediate confirmation and there is no need to print your tickets. You can also store all confirmations in one convenient place.

Public transport

There are plenty of buses running between Zagreb and Zadar to Plitvice lakes. You can book these online with Flix Bus or Get By Bus.

From Zagreb

Take a bus from Zagreb airport to the main bus station. From here, you can jump on a bus to Plitvice. The bus will take around 2 hours and twenty minutes. Be sure to check the time of return buses as the park is quite remote and you do not want to get stranded.

Buses depart from 05:45 and the last bus returns at 18.05. Tickets cost around €22.

From Zadar

From Zadar airport, take a bus to Zadar bus station and then a connecting bus. Journey time is around two hours.

It is possible to do the trip on public transport in a day as buses run frequently. You will not however be able to get there for the opening time as the first bus is at 8am from Zadar and the last bus returns at 23:20. A return fare on Get By Bus is €25 per person.

Disabled travellers

Plitvice Lakes is entirely unsuitable for the disabled. It is impossible to push a wheelchair around the site due to narrow pathways, gnarled tree roots underfoot, stairways and bridges. Furthermore, if you have walking difficulties you will struggle in this park. Even if you opt for the shortest route between St3 and St2 and then take the boat, you will still need to walk a good distance over uneven ground.

Waterfalls in the Plitvice Lakes National Park

Please think carefully about your physical ability as we did not see any rangers on the walking trails. If you get into difficulty you somehow need to make it back to base.

Visiting with children

Likewise the park is not suitable for pushchairs. We did see people pushing prams but honestly I thought they were bonkers. I cannot stress enough how narrow the pathways are and pushchairs simply add to the congestion. This is a tiring day (even if you are fit) in the heat of summer and with a pushchair you could easily succumb to heat exhaustion.

Map of the National Park

Tickets

Book your tickets online at the Plitvice Lakes National Park website to avoid disappointment if you do not opt for an organised tour. You will need to select your time of arrival then arrive early. It is a trek from the car park to the bus pick up point where staff scan your tickets.

There’s no need to print tickets as they scan your electronic bar code on your phone. Signs urge you to have your tickets with you at all times but our tickets were scanned only twice. The first time was as we jumped on the bus from St2 to St3 and the second was when we jumped on the boat from P2 to P3.

Tickets cost 250kn for adults (approx £30), 160kn for students (approx £20), and 120kn for children (approx £15). Although initially this may seem pricey, it is definitely value for money given the amount of time you can take to explore and enjoy the surroundings.

Parking

If you arrive by car you will also need to pay for parking. This costs 7kn per hour (just less than a £1 per hour). You park in between the trees in a designated forested area so your car remains in the shade. However, note it can be easy to lose your bearings in the car park so you may wish to save the location on your phone or pay extra attention to where you leave the car.

If you have pre-booked tickets, there is no need to check in at the kiosks when you arrive. Just keep the tickets on your phone (or print copies) and follow the footpath past the souvenir stalls and over the bridge. Signposts clearly guide the way to St2.

Panorama of the park – how stunning is that water?

Getting around Plitvice Lakes

The tourist bus travels almost the entire length of the southern side of the lakes from Station One (St1 on your map) to St2 and finally on to St3. The bus does not run in winter so you will need to allow a lot more time as this will add several miles to the tour. As we entered the park at entrance 2, we jumped on the bus at St2 and headed to St3. With hindsight, I would recommend that you follow the reverse route from St3 to St2 as you should be able to visit the Big Waterfall (Velika Slap) when there are fewer crowds.

Our route

We took the bus from St2 to St3 then followed the walking trail to P2 (simply following signs for P2). From there we hopped on the boat to P3 before walking to the big waterfall. From the waterfall you retrace your steps to St1 and board the bus to return to St2. We have better than average fitness but this still took around five hours including a lunch stop and a further refreshment pit stop.

One of the waterfalls in the park not the big one)

You can access details of the individual trails here which I highly recommend as par signage is not spectacular. This is the route we followed.

As I say, I recommend following the reverse in the hope of avoiding the bottleneck at the big waterfall (which seemed to be where all the tour bus groups clumped together). This would mean taking the bus from St2 to St1 then walking to the waterfall before heading to P3. Jump on the boat to P2 and then walk to St3 where you board the return bus to St2.

Route maps

I have also just discovered this Plitvice Lakes app which shows each trail in detail which could be worth downloading before your trip. I definitely think this would have helped us significantly during our trip.

Refreshments

Each station has snack bars and refreshment stops so there is no need to bring food. Avoid the coffee at all cost as it is expensive and tiny! One sip and it is gone but otherwise prices are reasonable. You can bring your own food and drink but bear in mind you will walk a LOT on this trip and may not enjoy that extra weight in your pack.

Refreshment stops are clearly marked on the maps that you can pick up at the information booth on arrival.

Detailed route of Plitvice Lakes

Our route around Plitvice Lakes

Bus from St2 to St3

The bus from St2 to St3 offers the first tantalising glimpses of the turquoise waters below. It winds through the forest high above the lakes and allows you to peek through the foliage at the stunning formations below. Natural barriers separate turquoise lakes and the park is jam packed with flora and fauna. It is also home to many endangered species and you will see dragon flies, birds and other creatures as you wander through the glorious scenery.

The Croatians have done a spectacular job of ensuring this national park remains untainted by civilisation. All the public areas have been designed to blend into nature using natural materials and staff regularly collect any stray waste that has been deposited in the park.

Dragonfly in Plitvice Lakes

Walking trail from St3 to P2

If you simply follow the signs for the boat at P2 from S3, it is not as near as you might imagine. Whilst you can follow the southern shore entirely to P2, the signposts and park maps lack detail so we walked the much longer route that the signposts take (see note regarding the app above). This route zigzags back and forth across the lakes and through forestry and provides fabulous panoramic views of the lakes. If you are fit and enjoy a walk I recommend you do the same. If you are concerned about walking (especially if you are visiting in summer) you may prefer to ask Park staff what signs to follow to take the shortest route between the two points.

The life of a travel blogger in action

This section of the park offers vast panoramic views of shimmering lakes, and boardwalks that hover above lakes and waterfalls. It’s a heady mixture of sunshine and shade as you dip in and out of the woodland to traverse back and forth across the lakes. Eventually the path descends to the shore where you board the boat from a small pier.

Electric boat from P2 to P3

At the boat pier, you can opt to take the shuttle boat to P1 and return to your car at St2 or take the longer boat journey to P3. We opt for the twenty minute trip across the length of the biggest lake, our feet in desperate need of some respite. The only sounds are of the rippling water and chatter of tourists onboard as the boat glides across the lake. All too soon we disembark and grab some lunch at one of the two snack bars within the glen.

Views of the fabulous lakes

Walk from P3 to the big waterfall

This walk seems surprisingly short after the meandering route of the morning and I estimate it is little more than a kilometre. The final section is narrow and full of groups of tourists with selfie sticks. Be extremely careful with young children as oblivious tourists with huge backpacks jostle on the narrow pathways. It would be all too easy for a small child to stumble into the lakes.

The big waterfall is nestled in a narrow ravine and crashes into a turquoise pool before splashing over another cliff into a stunning gorge below. This is one place in the park where there is ample seating to sit and rest whilst admiring the power of Mother Nature.

Stunning Plitvice Lakes

Big waterfall to St1

Retrace your steps to the intersection and follow the signs for St1 (remember to reverse this if you opted for the reverse route I mentioned at the outset). Before long you will be at the bus stop to return to St2.

Guidebooks

For a comprehensive guidebook for your trip opt for a Lonely Planet guide. You can either download the book or carry it with you depending on your preference.

Plitvice Lakes verdict

Having seen pictures of Plitvice lakes a few years ago, I was excited to visit the site. Sadly bucket list items can often be over-rated, but despite the crowds in the afternoon I can safely say that there is nothing remotely disappointing about Plitvice lakes. This destination is sublime and on that note, I will let the pictures do the talking. How can you resist?

Selfie time

The Big Waterfall

Views of Plitvice waterfalls

Panorama of Plitvice Lakes

Waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Panoramas

How To Make The Most Of A Trip To The Incredible Plitvice Lakes The boardwalk weaves through dense forest, crisscrossing gnarly tree roots, and hovering over thundering waterfalls and glistening lakes.

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easytravelpw-blog · 6 years ago

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Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/hotel-review-fontevraud-l-h-tel-loire-valley-france/hotels/

Hotel Review: Fontevraud L’Hôtel, Loire Valley, France

Imagine sleeping in a priory where nuns once tended lepers, sipping an aperitif in the former chapel, dining in the cloister. L’Hotel at Fontevraud, near Saumur in the Loire Valley, announces itself so discreetly that it’s hard to distinguish from the rest of the great French abbey complex of which it forms part. Until you get inside. Then it’s Apple meets the Middle Ages. On arrival guests are given a mini iPad which serves as a remote control, a source of information and enables them to make free internal and external phone calls – even internationally.

Accommodation

The bedrooms have a monastic look but without monastic discomfort. There’s a hairshirt coloured angled bed head and spotlights perfectly positioned for reading. The bed has a breathable mattresses from a Nantes-based company, Biosense. The television is hidden behind a sliding screen so you can just want to ignore it. You get BBC 1 and 2 if you don’t. The Fontevraud TV channel provides information on the Abbey.

The bathroom has a rain and hand held shower heads. I thought that the wash basin was rather large for a hotel claiming eco credentials – but loved the locally made honey soap with a little sisal sack so you can take it away rather than waste it. There are heating controls but no air conditioning.

Who for

Perfect for lovers of European history and foodies. The Abbey, founded at the start of the 12th Century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was unusual in that it was run by Abbesses and welcomed both sexes. Among the tombs in the great abbey church are those of Richard the Lionheart, Henry II and his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Napoleon turned the Abbey into a prison. It has since been restored to a approximation of its original state. You can wander around it at night after the other tourists have left, or book a modestly priced, guided tour through the hotel.

Facilities

The bar has touch screen tabletops enabling guests to mug up on the history of the abbey and those associated with it, or play chess. There is a fully equipped seminar/conference/event rooms for 20 – 1000 people.

Food

Chef Thibaut Ruggeri’s cooking is inventive and exciting. Think radish sorbet, lemon and black olives for dessert, pigeon fillet with almonds and a cognac marzipan. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, either, with menus at €20, €58 and €95. Water comes from the spring after which the abbey was named. Like dinner, the buffet breakfast is set up in the cloister – a lovely French selection including croissants, fresh bread, pastries, eggs – and delicious honey from the abbey’s own hives.

What’s nearby

If you’re staying more than one night the Chateaux of the Loire and the vineyards and caves of Saumur are within easy reach.

Wi-Fi available

Free Wi-Fi is accessed with a code which changes daily.

Room Rates

Double rooms from €125 – €185 depending on season; family rooms (2 adults, 2 children €150 – €195; suites €170 – €230. Breakfast is extra at €15.

Value for money

Genuine value for the whole experience – room, cooking and intimate access to the abbey.

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REVIEW OVERVIEW TripAdvisor (171 reviews) Booking (332 reviews) SUMMARY

“Genuine value for the whole experience – room, cooking and intimate access to the abbey.” ~ Roger Bray

4.5

OVERALL SCORE

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connorrenwick · 6 years ago

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Design Milk Travels to… San Diego

Special thanks to Erin Dollar for helping put together this guide together.

San Diego often flies under the radar… it’s tough to compete with LA just a couple hours away. The easy-going culture of the city extends way beyond the beach. This community has more to offer than just great weather and theme parks — San Diego, California has a vibrant developing art and design scene, and historical architecture to inspire even sophisticated design devotees.

WHERE TO STAY

One Bunk

One Bunk A gem of a vacation rental, One Bunk Ocean Beach is a thoughtfully decorated, mid-century landmark. Featuring exceptional post-war modern architecture and design, this historic Post and Beam home was designed by architect Loch Crane (an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright) in 1962.

One Bunk

One Bunk is steps from the beach, with a pool and a tasteful patio, but there’s plenty here for indoor-types, too. The home is decorated with a variety of classic Danish modern pieces, including furniture by George Nelson, Noguchi, Charles and Ray Eames, and modern art from many San Diego allied craftsmen.

The Pendry

The Pendry This hip, modern hotel takes up an entire block in The Gaslamp Quarter, the center of San Diego’s nightlife scene. The hotel was developed by ACRM, with Rottet Studio and Studio Munge responsible for the 317 guest rooms and six distinct restaurants inside the hotel. The entry to the hotel features Etruscan concrete tile floors and coffered wood ceilings, speaking to the influence of Spanish culture in the city. The rooms are luxurious and hip, with Instagram-worthy tile floors, and wallpaper with playful motifs like surfers and tropical plants in a coastal blue hue.

The Pendry

Notable mentions: The Pearl Hotel \\\ The Lodge at Torrey Pines (Ranked #1 Hotel in the West by Sunset Magazine) \\\ Tower 23 \\\ Hotel Republic

WHERE TO VISIT

MCASD

MCASD San Diego’s contemporary art museum is known for collecting works by promising emerging and mid-career artists, as well as by major figures in international contemporary art. The airy museum galleries house rotating exhibitions that highlight cool conceptual and pop art from the 1960s to the present, as well as installation art, art from Latin America, and art from California and the San Diego/Tijuana region.

MCASD

Geisel Library

Geisel Library The futuristic concrete and glass Geisel Library building was designed by architect William Pereira in 1970, and remains one of the world’s most modern libraries. This UC San Diego campus landmark was named for Audrey and Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss, another San Diego icon) in 1995. The building’s unique geometric design is typical of Pereira’s futuristic style — he’s also known for the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

Salk Institute

Salk Institute Designed by architect Louis I. Kahn, the Salk Institute features open, unobstructed scientific laboratory interiors in a dramatic location meant to inspire creativity among its researchers. In developing his namesake Institute, Dr. Jonas Salk (the researcher who discovered the Polio vaccine), hoped Kahn could, “create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso.” Completed in 1965 and now designated a historical site, The Salk Institute is a functioning private research institute; guided tours are your best bet for getting an inside look into this stunning space.

Chicano Park Murals Cross-border influence benefits the art scenes in San Diego and Tijuana alike, and the murals of Chicano Park highlight the rich cultural heritage of the Barrio Logan neighborhood. Painted directly on the concrete pillars of the I-5 Coronado Bridge, the artworks represent the world’s largest collection of Mexican-American outdoor murals. The monthly Barrio Logan Art Crawl showcases the murals, as well as the neighborhood’s art studios, galleries, and public art installations.

WHERE TO SHOP/EAT/DRINK

Polite Provisions \\\ Photo by Zack Benson

Maven

San Diego is home to plenty of unique shops to peruse between imbibing at local restaurants and well-appointed bars like Madison and Polite Provisions. In University Heights you’ll find Maven, a tightly-curated space filled with fashion, skincare, and home decor from emerging designers like Cold Picnic, Baggu, and local ceramic makers Norden.

Norden

Cotton & Flax

Just down the street, Cotton & Flax’s micro-retail space showcases their modern textile home goods, as well as other emerging West Coast designers like Fruitsuper, Scout Regalia, and The Granite.

Moniker General

Pigment

Out west in Point Loma, Moniker General has created a blend of third-wave cafe and retail shop. Their space in Liberty Station houses a craft coffee cafe and full bar with high ceilings and a hand-painted mural, as well as a retail shop filled with home goods and gifts hand-selected for quality, aesthetics, and functionality. Next door you’ll find local favorite Pigment’s new location, filled to the brim with beautiful plants, pottery and ceramics, and well-designed gifts.

Shop Good

JuneShine

Shop Good has set itself apart as a destination for clean beauty products in North Park. With a focus on natural wellness practices, Shop Good offers spa services, as well as a thoughtful selection of elegantly packaged natural skincare products. Around the corner, Artelexia highlights the Cali-Baja culture that makes San Diego unique. Vivid textiles, colorful cookbooks, and modern pinatas fill this fun shop. Need a break from shopping? Take a break with an effervescent hard kombucha in JuneShine’s bohemian modern tasting room.

The Book Catapult

In South Park, The Book Catapult features a great range of fiction and non-fiction titles, including a well-stocked art, design, and architecture section. This indie bookstore has a kids’ section that goes well beyond Goodnight Moon, stocking children’s titles illustrated by some of the biggest names in art and design. Their rotating gallery wall features literary-themed artworks, like their current exhibition of bold poetry broadsides and decorative patterned monoprints created with typewriters.

IIronside Fish & Oyster \\\ Photo by Zack Benson

San Diego is a beer town, home to 120+ craft breweries, the most of any region in the United States. Many delicious brews are originating in Miramar (sometimes called “Beeramar”), but Mikkeller Brewing’s quirky illustrated labels and murals in their taproom set them apart. Beer isn’t the only thing brewing in San Diego. Forward-thinking restaurants like Ironside Fish & Oyster and Campfire are creating beautiful dining experiences in high-design spaces.

Campfire

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’re visiting San Diego for Thanksgiving, check out Uncommon San Diego, a fun way to shop San Diego’s independent design shops, and explore the city as you start your holiday shopping.

San Diego is a design community in motion. The cross-cultural creativity of a border community combined with a development from the tech and life sciences sector mean that this city is growing into a hub for creativity. Whether you want to enjoy a tour of America’s best breweries, or planning a weekend away at the beach, there’s great design waiting for you in San Diego.

If you’ve traveled to the San Diego, California and have any travel recommendations, let us know below!

via http://design-milk.com/

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danielanduranb · 6 years ago

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Complete Guide to Plan a Family-Friendly Trip to Rajasthan

The opulence of Rajasthan consumed my attention and made me relive the historical era. Returning from my Rajasthan trip, I couldn’t stop myself from recalling the beauty and richness of such a royal state. I must say one thing, no matter what, Rajasthan has never failed to captivate the travellers from colours and sheer splendour. Filled with invincible forts, marble temples, waves of sand dunes, splendid palaces and lovely lakes are some of the reasons to travel to Rajasthan ones in a lifetime. So, are you looking forward for a family vacation to Rajasthan? If yes, then the only question that must be revolving around at the back of your mind – How to plan a family-friendly trip, what to see and do in Rajasthan? If this is the case, then this blog will assist you to get the best tips for planning a perfect family trip and help you know the top best things to do in Rajasthan. Please continue reading the step by step guide that I have curated just for you.

Step 1: Decide Where to go and When to Visit Rajasthan?

Where have you decided to go on for a family fun in Rajasthan? Confused? No worries. The state of Rajasthan has a number of places to visit that are perfect to family holidays. Depending on your interest, schedule, family size, and age of the family members, you can choose the right place for your Rajasthan tour from some of the given below destinations:

Udaipur: Udaipur – The City of Lakes or a Romantic City. Good to go and best place to visit in the Monsoon Season i.e., July to September. Your trip to Udaipur would take maximum 2 days and if you manage to wrap up visiting the places in just one day then you can even move forward to Chittorgarh which is just 113 km away from Udaipur.

Jaisalmer & Jaipur: Jaisalmer – The Golden City & Jaipur – The Pink City and The Capital City of Rajasthan. Are considered to be the best places to visit in the Winter, i.e., late October till February. The time period of 2-3 days is enough to explore the ‘Golden City and Pink City of India.’

Jodhpur: Jodhpur – The Blue City. Can be visited at any time of the year. Travelling to Jodhpur you would require 2 days that would be enough to get through the major sightseeing places and enjoy amazing food.

Mount Abu: Mount Abu – Rajasthan’s only hill station. Best Place to visit in Summer and Monsoon. 2-3 days would be enough to cover most of the places along with enjoying the beautiful mornings and evenings in the hill station.

Bikaner (a day or 2 would be sufficient to help you explore and enjoy your Bikaner Tour) and Bharatpur (best place to visit with kids and family during the monsoon season, so you would require to plan a trip of 2 nights 3 days).

Narlai, a beautiful village of Pali district in Rajasthan which is located at the Jodhpur-Udaipur highway is one of the most ethnic towns in Rajasthan and is best place to visit during the monsoon season. You can extend a day to visit Narlai when visiting Jodhpur or Udaipur, but make sure you book you book your stay at Rawla Narlai to get the Rajwadi experience.

Plan your escape to Ranthambore (October-April) which is a vast wildlife reserve near Sawai Madhopur that would take you maximum 3 days to explore the deep jungles and Ranthambore Fort, and enjoy safari rides, birdwatching, and so much more.

For international tourists, who are visiting India for the first time with family, consider taking the “Golden Triangle Tour?” This consists of a luxury train tour (Maharaja Express or Palace on Wheels Train) to the major destinations of India: DELHI-AGRA-JAIPUR (5 Nights 6 Days). The tour provides a full-fledged glimpse of rich cultural heritage and history of India. So, get ready to taste the British, Mughal and Rajputana Royalty in just one platter.

Other than these, there are a number of travel places for your family holiday in Rajasthan. Considering the factors I mentioned above, you can plan a trip easily. Need help in learning more about the tourism places in Rajasthan? Well you must take help of our Rajasthan Travel Guide, which has detailed information on all the must-see destinations in the state with important insights on best time to visit, top attractions, accommodation options, and how to reach.

Step 2: Learn How to reach the Selected Destination?

Once you are all done deciding the city for the family vacation plan in Rajasthan, the next thing is to decide the best possible means of traveling. In the sense, it could be either by airways, by railways or by roadways. Take a look at the brief insight on the major means of transport in Rajasthan:

By Air: Rajasthan is a well-known tourist hub both for domestic and international tourists. Whether you are about to travel from within the country or from outside India, there are hosts of options for airlines connecting all the states of India. The three major airports of Rajasthan are Jaipur (International), Jodhpur (Domestic) and Udaipur (Domestic).

By Train: Rajasthan has a good network of rail if you are travelling within India. There are several routes which you can opt for a train that connects to different cities of Rajasthan. For instance, Jaipur and Kota are the hubs connected to other major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata and others.

By Road: Planning to visit Rajasthan by road? With over 20 national highways, which encompass an overall span of 6373 kms, amongst which NH-8 is the most preferred one as it is the gorgeous road to be travelled on. The state has commendable bus service that is regulated by the state government with over 56 depots of buses which connects states like Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.

Wait… have you planned to go on a family adventurous road trip by car? You can either hire a taxi that would be charged per kilometer or if any of the family members wish to drive by themselves then nothing to worry as the roads are convenient and easy to navigate. You’ll find numerous ‘dhabas’ that can do more than justice to your appetite too. With some good music and snacks, the road trip would turn out to be the best and memorable with your kids and family.

Step 3: Book Your Hotel

Once you enter the land of Rajas and Maharajas, it’s now time to experience the stay in luxurious palaces to the modest havelis in Rajasthan. The royal hotels and resorts of Rajasthan give the feeling of princely state in a very rich and beautiful setting. You can choose to book your stay stay in one of Asia’s best and luxurious hotels that I have mentioned below:

In Udaipur: Book your stay at the Udaivilas, Leela Palace, Taj Lake Palace and The Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace to get a Royal Rajasthani Experience.

In Jodhpur: Experience a completely unique taste of royal life at the world’s largest private residence turned hotel Umaid Bhawan.

In Ranthambore: If you want to explore a walk-through nature and desert safari then staying at Oberoi Vanyavilas or Aman-i-Khas.

In Jaipur: you can again get to stay and enjoy your perfect family holidays in Rajasthan by booking your stay at the Raj Palace, Rambagh Palace and Jai Mahal places which are beautiful and decorated with arched gateways and breathtaking murals & frescoes.

In Jaisalmer: Without any second thought, you can book your luxurious stay at Suryagarh, and Jaisalmer Marriott Resort & Spa.

Or, if you want to save on accomodation and manage it on some other activities, then we have brought to you few budget-friendly hotels which is no less than providing you an amazing experience of vintage rooms that would impress you with its quality services. So here we go-

In Udaipur: Book your stay at Hotel Raj Palace, which is a good option to stay with family. Also, the Madri Haveli is the most preferred by tourist when looking for a budget-friendly stay in Udaipur. The rooms have modern decor and historic architecture. You can even look for Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel and Mewar Haveli. If you are planning for a family vacation on a budget, then you should start planning it Check out other popular staying options in Udaipur.

In Jodhpur: Shahi Heritage Haveli, Juna Mahal Boutique Homestay, and Singhvi’s Haveli are some of the best options to stay with your family. Find out more hotels in Jodhpur here.

In Ranthambore: Hotel Ranthambore National Resort and the Sher Vils are the most preferred budget-friendly options to book your stay. Check out more such places to stay in Ranthambore.

In Jaipur: Stay at Hotel Sarang Palace, where every room has a unique theme and the ceilings of some rooms are painted in Traditional Rajasthani themes or you can even look for Surya Villa and Krishna Palace. Check out popular hotels in Jaipur.

In Jaisalmer: Hotel Deoki Niwas Palace would be an ideal choice to book your stay in Jaisalmer. Find out other places to stay in Jaisalmer.

In other cities and town in Rajasthan that are appropriate for a family getaway, there are plenty of staying option both in luxury and budget category. In case you are planning your own holiday, you can find good deals on accommodations, on our site, Tour My India. We have a manicured list of hotels that offers brilliant facilities and services to its guests.

Tip: If you are planning for a family vacation on a budget, then you should start planning it 3-4 months in advance with the best tourism company for holiday packages suiting your needs.

Step 4: Choose the places for Sightseeing Tour, Food and Shopping

So, the last time when I visited Rajasthan in the month of November, 2017 for an exotic holiday with family, it was a 7-day trip to Jaipur and trust me, it was super fun and amazing! Although there is a lot to share but I thought of coming up with the basic things. In order enjoy a hassle-free trip, you should prepare an itinerary in advance and then follow it religiously to make things work smooth as silk. Pen down all the places you want to visit (you know where to find all the information, Pssst…on Tour My India website!) with your family by keeping in mind the top tourist attractions that are convenient for both you and your aged family members to travel and enjoy the trip in a peaceful and a hassle-less way.

Sacred and Religious Places

If you have decided to enjoy the summer vacations in Mount Abu then you must definitely go on and seek blessings at the Dilwara Jain Temple which has beauty that is indescribable in words. Similarly, if you go to Jaipur, then you must see the Birla Mandir Temple which is beautifully structured with white marble. Visiting the City of Lakes? You should definitely take your family to Jagdish Temple to watch out the beautiful carvings, decorated ceilings and steep steps. And yes, above all- the BLESSINGS of Lord Vishnu!

Explore the Sightseeing and Heritage Attractions

Enjoy boating and feel the breeze in Nakki Lake of Mount Abu. The Lake Pichola in Udaipur has a very clean and relaxing atmosphere that makes the sightseeing very calm and peaceful. Oh! Don’t miss the visit to Jal Mahal- a palace that is built on water which is awesome sightseeing place in Jaipur. Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) is a must-visit place during the monsoon (best time to visit is between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.). You can spend 3-4 hours that would be enough to explore the park or if you wish, you can even spend your whole day.

Also, make sure you don’t miss out on visiting the Mehrangarh fort while visiting Jodhpur.

Food Exploration: Don’t leave Rajasthan without tasting the authentic food

Want to try the Rajasthani Food? Then it’s a must that you should opt for Dal Baati Churma and other authentic Rajasthani food. Ah, I just cannot stop myself from drooling over these yummy dishes while typing about them. Dal Kachori, Pheni & Ghewar, Smoked Laal Maans (Red Meat Curry), Gatte ki sabzi, Ker Sangri ki Sabzi, Pyaaz ki kachori (made of mouthwatering masalas and golden-brown onions) and the list will not end. What makes the food so delicious are the use of dried beans, lentils, milk and buttermilk which are common in their cooking.

Shopping Spots in Rajasthan

So what strikes your mind while thinking about shopping in Rajasthan? The leather goods, spices and royal jewellery and trinkets, all make for some enticing pieces to be bought from the colourful bazaars of Rajasthan. Here is a list of shopping places that will help you get an idea of where to shop in Rajasthan’s popular destinations.

Johari Bazaar (Jaipur)- Shop the classic and typical Jaipuri ornaments

Bapu Bazar (Jaipur)- If you are in search of many choices, go ahead

Clock Tower Market (Jodhpur)- Get a variety of spices, flavoured-teas, antiques and so on

Nai Sarak (Jodhpur)- Grab the best of Rajasthani fabric: Bandhani suits, pagris and leather goods.

Mahatma Gandhi Road (Bikaner)- Your search for amazing mojris and handicrafts ends here.

And again, the list is endless as Rajasthan is vast and due to such rich culture, traditions and heritage, there is plenty to buy in the state. So, do not restrict yourself while exploring the markets, ask the locals about the popular bazaars and do visit them for that authentic shopping experience in Rajasthan.

Step 5: Add an additional Destination for Kids and the Elderly Family Members

As a kid, I was never interested in knowing the history of monuments and the culture. All I wanted to do is- perform activities that attracted me the most. Similarly, I believe, your kids might feel the same, so in order to not to make them feel restless or uninspired throughout the trip, you should add additional kids-friendly destinations or activities in your travel itinerary. Since Rajasthan is a destination for all, the state has a lot of things stored for the little guests as well. Some of the top attractions for kids in Rajasthan are mentioned below.

Puppet Making Workshop (Jodhpur), specially developed for families traveling with children.

Safari in Ranthambore National Park (Ranthambhore), bring the Children’s favorite Jungle Book to life and travel through the Indian Jungle on a Private Jeep Safari.

Boat Ride on Lake Pichola(Udaipur), your kids would love to enjoy boating around the shimmering water and watch out the activities being held all around.

Along, with your children, pamper your parents with the taste of royalty. There are a number of places that are perfect for your elderly parents to visit in Rajasthan. Below are some of the important ones:

The City Palace in Jaipur is one of the most visited and recommended place when visited with the elderly folks of the family. Experience the warm welcome with turbans and garland that best describes the traditional rajasthani royalty.

The Lake Pichola (Udaipur) would give an amazing sightseeing experience, with the building all around. Take them to Jag Mandir, which is situated on the Lake Pichola itself. Take a simple tour in the car and watching vibrancy of the city and cultural shows happening all around.

The Kalbeliya Dance on Rajasthani music in Jodhpur is a must visit with the age-old ones. Trust me they would love the unique way of dancing which is also called snake style dancing.

A visit to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (now Keoladeo National Park) is not at all a bad idea.

A visit to the The Thar Heritage Museum located in the backstreet of the Jaisalmer can also be planned to not miss out on the preserved history and culture of Rajasthan.

Other than these, seeking Allah’s blessing in Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti’s Dargah in Ajmer and Ranakpur Jain Temple in Udaipur.

Step 6: Choose a Travel Agent

Even though, the steps for planning your family trip in Rajasthan discussed by me in this blog are quite comprehensible, I feel sometimes it gets too hectic to plan everything on your own, especially when one is travelling with family. In such cases, booking your tour with a trusted travel company like Tour My India who are experts in organizing such trips in the country, is a good idea. Travel experts not only offer you trips in a budget of your choice but can also impart valuable suggestions that will certainly make your trip even more fun. The itineraries are well-curated where each member of the family has something or the other to enjoy. Transports are arranged and the best hotel in your budget is also booked along with arrangements of activities and sightseeing tours that will be enjoyed by all the family members. Therefore, it is a good idea to book with a travel company, when planning a family trip.

Well, I hope this mini 6-step guide was of some help to you in planning your family vacation in Rajasthan. In case, Step 6 felt most convenient to you, don’t hesitate to contact us for Rajasthan Tour Packages at +91-9212777225 or you can drop us an email at [email protected]. Also, please share and like this blog, in case you found it helpful.

The post Complete Guide to Plan a Family-Friendly Trip to Rajasthan appeared first on Tour My India.

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trekwithcraig · 6 years ago

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How to Trek Colombia's Lost City (La Ciudad Perdida)

Hidden in Colombia's deliciously green jungles lies an enticing secret. A secret unknowingly swallowed up by forest for 1,200 years, speckled with gold, jewels, and human sacrificial sites. Its ruins are 650 years older than Machu Picchu, and have only been publicly accessible in the last few decades. Known as the Ciudad Perdida or the Lost City, this ancient site is one of Colombia's most remarkably concealed gems. Reaching these epic ruins is no simple feat. River crossings, steep hills, and tropical heat make the four day hike here a gruelling one. Despite being accessible to tourists for the past 10+ years, the Lost City is still surprisingly under-visited. One thing is for certain, those who make it here are left in awe.

Colombia's Lost City: An Overview

The Lost City was built by the Tairona people who first created this settlement in 800 A.D. Spanning over 12,000 square meters (129,167 square feet), the city was once home to an estimated 2,000-4,000 people in its peak. This is thought to have been the Tairona's biggest city, and was the epicentre of economic and political activity. The Tairona were an advanced civilization, with a political structure and impressive engineering skills. Evidence of the latter lies in the complex bridges and drainage systems built to ensure the city withstood heavy rains. Stone-lined paths and staircases snake about the terraces, storehouses, ceremonial and feasting areas. All of this is but a fraction of what we know existed here. Only about 10% of the Lost City has been uncovered, further cloaking these ancient grounds in mystery.

The Tairona were skilled craftsmen and spiritual people. They practiced meditation and made symbolic offerings. Shamans were important to maintain natural order, sometimes even making human sacrifices to do so. Stunning gold jewelry, intricate gold idols, and colorful beadwork have all been uncovered throughout the ruins. The Tairona are said to have worn feathered headdresses, shawls, and jeweled chest ornaments. Today, much of these artifacts can be seen in museums throughout Colombia. I highly recommend doing this, as the detail and intricacy is astounding, further enriching one's understanding of the civilization behind the Lost City. The Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) in Santa Marta, as well as in Bogota, both have fantastic collections.

Like many indigenous South American populations, the Tairona were wiped out with the colonization of the Spaniards, most likely due to smallpox. Their disappearance left their entire city to be swallowed up by the forest for centuries. Today, their nearest descendants, known as the “Kogi”, continue to live traditionally in huts without electricity or running water. You may encounter the Kogi people while entering the Lost City, as we did.

The Lost City trek: What to expect

Swimming holes, thick and humid jungles, and breathtaking views are found throughout the hike. The grande finale – entering the Lost City – is an anticipation-filled experience in itself. After three days of steep trekking through humid forests, you reach its entry point – a steep stone stairway. It's comprised of 1,350 stones, built and once trodden on by the Tairona themselves. Farmers, potters, curious children, and even shaman would have once stepped foot here. It is magical to retrace their steps. After a steep venture up, the lushness of the Lost City is revealed. Much of the hand-carved stone terraces, which once housed huts and structures, are engrossed in moss and plants. It is eery, beautiful, and reminiscent of other nature-engulfed ruins like Machu Picchu. The Lost City is further explored on foot with your guide who will explain various areas of significance. That includes sacrificial sites, stones with engravings, and the various terraces and plazas. Besides the spectacular ruins, the scenery en route to the Lost City is majestic. Sweeping mountain views, colourful butterflies, sputtering waterfalls, and gorgeous rock pools (which you can dive into) are just some of what's in store. Hike difficulty The Lost City trek is a 44km hilly hike that takes 4-6 days to complete (round-trip). The journey begins with a bumpy 4WD up a mountain to the start of the hike. There is only one trail in and out to the Lost City, meaning that you will retrace the route. The first three days of the tour are generally inclining (approaching the Lost City), and the last two are declining as you return to the start. The only difference in tour duration is the amount of hiking completed each day. We did the 4-day (shortest) option and found it was fine, and this is a popular option for travellers. In terms of difficulty, this is a challenging hike. General fitness is required, and there are steep hills throughout. Ultimately, an elevation of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) is reached. Climate-wise, it is hot, humid, muddy, and buggy. There are several river crossings (i.e. you will literally walk through rivers), so you will get wet. If being hot, fatigued, sweaty, dirty, and bug-bitten is a suitable trade-off for you in exchange for incredible landscapes and ancient ruins, then you'll find this hike well worth it (we certainly did!).

Sunrise over the mountains on the trek Accommodation, food & water Accommodation throughout the hike is humble. There are small open-air huts with dirt floors, simple bunk beds, and hammocks inside, both of which have mosquito nets. Most tours have 10-12 people, so the sleeping area is small and quiet (imagine a rustic hostel dorm set in the jungle). Cold showers are available at the camp on the second day, though river swims are available on day 1 of the hike. Food is provided on all tours, which is usually three meals and two snacks per day. It is home cooked Colombian food, such as stews with rice and salad. Filtered water is available at each of the camp sites, so you can refill at each station. You should carry 1.5-2L each day to be well hydrated.

When to go

Colombia has warm weather year-round, so the Lost City trek can technically be done anytime. The dry season runs between December and March. Temperatures are slightly lower during this time and there is less rain, making the hike's several river crossings easier. On the flip side, this is the busier season, increasing the number of tourists on the trail. The rainy season (April to November) can involve anything from a light drizzle to torrential downpours. Rivers will be fuller, sometimes raising the water as high as one's chest, so keep this in mind.

Getting there

The closest city to the starting point of the Lost City trek is Santa Marta. It is accessible by bus or car transfer from nearby major cities like Barranquilla and Cartagena. Bus Colombia is well connected by bus. For example, you can get a bus ticket online from Medellin to Santa Marta from $38 USD, or from Bogota to Santa Marta from $27 USD. Bus prices can sometimes be negotiable outside of peak season. A gentle, “Hay discuento?” will reveal if you can get a better rate. To purchase tickets, go to the nearest bus station or buy ahead online on Busbud. Flying If flying into Colombia, the nearest major airport to the Lost City is Cartagena. Use Skyscanner and select “Whole Month” to visualize the cheapest dates to fly. From there you must transfer onwards to Santa Marta.

Where to stay

Santa Marta Santa Marta is a small colonial city located along Colombia's northern coast. It is home to a small variety of bars, restaurants, and beaches. There are several hostel, hotel, and AirBNB (as low as $10 USD/night for a private room) options here suitable to various budgets and travel styles. We stayed at the bright and spacious Drop Bear Hostel (read reviews here). Drop Bear Hostel

Owned by a friendly Aussie, this vibrant hostel is set in a rustic Colombian mansion. It has a swimming pool, games room, restaurant, bar, pool table, cinema room, large kitchen, and hammock lounge. Those wanting some screen time can make use its computers (there is also good Wifi throughout the hostel). It's slightly removed from town so that it is a quiet paradise, but still has proximity to the beaches and city. Pricing: $9-$13 USD/night dorms (varying sizes), $20-$44 USD/night private Book here – Read reviews here Cartagena A fairy-tale like city nestled on the sparkling waters of the Caribbean, Cartagena is not to be missed. Speckled with brightly colored colonial buildings, even a wander through the streets here is stimulating. Cartagena's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, teeming with stone-brick walls and cobblestone roads. The city is a delight to explore at dusk into nightfall, as its street lamps romantically illuminate the colonial buildings and stone walls.

There are a dizzying number of hostel, hotel, and AirBNB (around $20 USD for a private room) options on hand here. We stayed at Hostel Mamallena (read reviews here), covered more below. Hostel Mamallena

Quaint, vibrant, and clean, Hostel Mamallena is a great option for a central pad in Cartagena. Basic breakfast is provided and the staff are friendly to help with any queries you may have. Dorm and private rooms are tidy and have air conditioning too. The backyard chill area and bar are great for socializing with other travellers at nightfall. Pricing: $14 USD/night (8-bed dorm), $41 USD/night private Book here – Read reviews here

Booking a trek tour to Colombia's Lost City (Ciudad Perdida)

A guided trek to Colombia's Lost City is the only way to visit the site, as it is sacred indigenous land now protected by the Colombian government. You can book tours online in advance with instant confirmation on Viator or G Adventures, or in person at your accommodation or tour company. When you do book, request an English speaking guide (if you don't speak Spanish), as this will majorly impact your overall experience and understanding of the site. If that's not possible, the guides will often ask a bi-lingual member of the tour to do the translating (this happened on our tour), so it's unlikely you'll miss too much.

What to pack

Firstly, pack light. When you're hiking through humidity and heat that's as thick as pudding, every bit of weight adds strain. We packed 2 day hiking outfits each (plus nighttime wear) and alternated drying them. You will become dirty/sweaty within minutes of putting your clothes on each day, so it's up to you whether you want to add bulk for the sake of clean options. Some hikers wash their clothes in the river and hang them to dry in between (though with the humidity, items never fully dry). For tips on travelling light, be sure to check our men's and women's packing guides. Note: if you're travelling with much bigger bags, it may be possible to store extra luggage/items at your Santa Marta accommodation if needed (check in advance – Drop Bear Hostel let us!). Here is what we recommend to pack for the Lost City trek: Clothing 2-3 quick-dry tops (tank top or t-shirt) 1 long sleeved shirt (for night) 1 pair pants or leggings (for night) 2-3 pairs of socks 2 sports bras 4 pairs of underwear Hiking shoes (we used running shoes) Sandals or flip flops (we wore flip flops) 1 bathing suit Rain jacket (mainly for wet season; we didn't use ours as it was hot and dry) Hat Toiletries Toothbrush & toothpaste Deodorant (ESSENTIAL!!!) 1 fast-dry towel Small first aid kit (Bandaids, hydrocortisone cream, Polysporin, Immodium) Insect repellent (DEET-containing is most effective, you can buy a soap-like version in Colombia called Nopikex. Natural alternatives include citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, etc.) Sunscreen that is waterproof and sweat proof Miscellaneous Water bottle (we use the Platypusas it folds flat. Pack extra empty bottles if you don't have a large one already, you'll need 1.5-2L per day) Camera Portable charger Sleeping bag liner (on our hike there were bed bugs in the bunk beds; a liner does reduce the risk of bites, otherwise wear at least 3 layers) Rain jacket Flashlight and/or headlamp Waterproof backpack cover (we love our Deuter bags because they come with these!) Dry bag (very important for keeping electronics etc. safe during heavy rains and river crossings) Cash: the camps sell chocolate bars etc. in the evenings if you wish

The Thrifty Gist

The Lost City Trek in Colombia is an incredible trek. Booking a tour is required (check G Adventures or Viator for instant online confirmation, or book at your accommodation) Pack as light as possible, as you will be carrying your luggage on the trek A visit in dry season is advisable (Dec – March), but shoulder seasons are still okay Pack all essentials (refer to packing list above), as you will have no stops at shops on this remote trek Author:

JEN AVERY Jen is a five-foot-short fireball with an itch for adventure. Besides travel, her shameless vices include wine-fueled nights with good company, road trips to remote places, and squealing at adorable elderly dogs. (Also: COFFEE!). Read the full article

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thediurnalowl · 7 years ago

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In my recent post Back in Thailand, I talked about my adventures in Thailand with my Wealth Educators Circle family. After we visited the majestic temple of Wat Pho on our third day, a friend of mine and I went ahead to catch our bus going to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The original plan was that I would go to Cambodia alone. I wanted to go to another country that I’ve never visited before. Since Cambodia (a country I’ve never been to) is just a bus ride away from Thailand, I decided to have a side trip. I would have also visited Vietnam, only if I had more leaves at work. But it was good enough since I really enjoyed my stay, as brief as it was, in Siem Reap!

When I was planning my side trip, my friend told me that he also wanted to go to Siem Reap. I thought it would be safer for me to travel with a friend and perhaps more economical since I would have someone to split my expenses with (e.g. accommodation, transportation, activities). Plus, it would be more fun to have a companion, right?

This is the breakdown of my expenses:

Preparations

I booked our bus ticket way ahead (actually a few days after I booked my flight) because most of the blogs I’ve read suggested a pre-booked bus ticket. I’ve read about a couple of trusted bus lines but the one that I booked was a VIP van of Mekong Express. I chose this option because Mekong Express was the only one I’ve found to have trips every afternoon. Most of the buses depart at 7am to 9am, with an hour interval. My friend and I wanted to have more time exploring Thailand in the morning so the 14:30 departure worked best with our schedule.

It’s also cheaper compared to the other buses maybe because the other buses offer better (reclining) seats, snacks, and other complementaries, while our van didn’t have any of these. It only cost us USD 18 per head while the other buses cost more than USD 20. If you prefer to travel a little bit more comfortably, and leaving in the morning isn’t a problem for you, then perhaps it would be better for you to take one of the earlier trips.

Here are some of the sites that I visited: Camboticket and 12go

VIP Van (Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Now, here’s the scary-almost-made-me-pee-my-pants part. Before noon, my friend and I already started booking for a car through Grab. We also tried looking for normal cabs. It took us around 30 minutes and 3 cancelled bookings before we were able to hit the road again back to our hostel. Then, our travel time increased from an hour to an hour and a half due to heavy traffic.

We reached our hostel at 14:00 — that’s only 30 minutes before our bus departs. Luckily, our hostel was just 10 minutes away from the Mekong Express station. But still! At that point I was already freaking out because I know how dead serious they are about departing on the dot! Any delay could make us miss our van!

At 14:10, our tuktuk dropped us to a place where he said to be a few steps away from the station. But guess what, we couldn’t find any trace of the Mekong Express station! Of course we tried asking the locals there but it was hard to communicate with them since English is not widely spoken in Thailand. We roamed around the area, asked around some more, and at 14:23, we reached the station. But the VIP van wasn’t there!

We went inside their office, introduced ourselves, and said that we were supposed to take the VIP van that leaves at 14:30. The admin told us that the van already left. But this time, I didn’t freak out because they told us that the van would come back for us. And hey, it wasn’t our fault that the van left 10 minutes earlier than the set schedule!

I calmed my nerves when we finally settled on our seats. There was a wifi on the van but my friend and I couldn’t connect. We had a very light breakfast that day and we skipped lunch so we’re pretty much starving when we were already in the van. We were supposed to buy snacks before we board the van but due to our mishaps, we didn’t have the luxury of time. Good thing, after an hour or so, we had a 30-minute stopover.

It was at that point when my friend told me to chill. He said I worry too much. (well, can you blame me?) I thought we were gonna starve for the whole 10-hour trip. My friend made a bible reference, and told me, “God will provide.” And yeah, He sure did!

At the stopover, we ate a pretty good Thai meal and bought some to-go snacks.

Thailand-Cambodia Border

The sun has already set when we reached the border to the Kingdom of Cambodia. Since our trip was a direct trip to Siem Reap, we were able to leave our luggages safely inside the van. Some buses/vans travel only up to the border so if you took one of these, you might have to transfer to another bus/van to go to Siem Reap or Phnom Pehn or whichever part of Cambodia you’d like to visit. This would also mean that you would need to bring all of your luggages with you through the immigration.

It took us around 30 minutes to successfully cross the border. Since there were only a few of us inside the van, there was a short waiting time for us. If you took one of bigger buses, you might need to spend a little bit more time at the border because your bus won’t depart until all of its passengers passed through the immigration.

To be honest, I was a little bit scared when we were at the border. Maybe it’s just me and my thing with immigration sections in general. Every time I’m at the immigration, I just get really scared even though I know I’m not doing anything wrong. I fear that for some reason I might not be able to cross. But, that’s just my thing! And to add to that, I’ve also read that there are a lot of pickpockets and scammers at the Thailand-Cambodia border. Good thing, we didn’t have any problems when we were crossing.

I realized that it’s just really hard to trust something or someone you are not familiar with. But, when you’re travelling, you just have to take a leap of faith. Have some faith in the goodness of humanity. Give some goodness also yourself. And good things will follow.

Accommodation

We were a bit ahead our schedule. At a little past 23:00, we were already at the Mekong Express station in Siem Reap. I needed to find a place with good wifi because I had to communicate with our Airbnb host. We went inside Asia Market, a mini grocery store with a good wifi connection. We needed to buy something for a late dinner and early breakfast anyway so we’re fortunate to have found this store.

When I got a good internet connection, I confirmed our booking and I asked for directions. It was easy to communicate with our host and our room was nice enough.

We booked for a twin room in Angkor Orchid Hotel through Airbnb. Our booking was inclusive of one pick up/drop off and breakfast. If you’re planning on going to Cambodia, there are a lot of cheap and great finds on Airbnb. If you don’t have an account yet, you may sign up through this link to get a PHP 1,100 (USD 20) discount on your first trip.

We rode a tuktuk going to the hotel. Our driver was so nice that we ended up renting his tuktuk for the our whole day in Cambodia. It turned out that his rate was cheaper than the rate of the tuktuk drivers from the hotel, so it was a good deal for us!

Angkor Wat

This was my one-day pass at the Angkor World Heritage. I know, I know, I look terrible, right? The kind lady at the booth didn’t warn me that my photo was already being taken.

Our tuktuk driver picked us up at 04:30 because he strongly recommended that we see the sunrise at the Angkor Wat. Good thing we arrived there early because lines were already building up around the ticket booths.

There were three options: 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass. Since we were only staying in Cambodia for a day, we didn’t have much of a choice but to get the 1-day pass. If you’d like visit all the temples in the Angkor World Heritage, I suggest that you get either the 3-day pass or 7-day pass because there’s no way you can visit each and every temple in a day! There’s just so many temples and they are far away from each other so you really need a tuktuk to get from one temple to the next.

Read more: ANGKOR-PASS: NEW PRICES FROM 1.2.2017 – FULL DETAILS

When we arrived at the Angkor, we had enough time to eat our breakfast. We bought a local sub from one of the stalls/stores inside the heritage park. Then just right before the sun rises, we went in front of the famous Angkor Wat.

There was a long walkway to the Angkor Wat. On our way, we were greeted by these lovely lilies.

Beautiful lilies in front of the Angkor Wat

At 7:00, visitors were already allowed to go inside the Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Inside Angkor Wat

Beautiful silhouette of the Angkor Wat architecture

After exploring the wonderful Ankor Wat, we rode our tuktuk again and we went to Angkor Tom.

Angkor Tom

We basically just went on our own because we didn’t hire a tour guide. For me, you don’t really need a tour guide to appreciate the beauty of the temples. If you are on a budget, maybe what you can do is research on the history of these temples, save it on you tablet or phone, or have a print out. You may read them ahead and just locate them when you’re actually there; or you may read it while you are exploring the place itself.

It may not be the same as having the stories of these temples told by a local, but hey, close enough, right? You just need to find reliable sources of information and you’re good to go! If you could find blogs/articles written by a Cambodian, then, there’s your authentic Cambodian story already!

At this point of the day, the sun has already risen and was shining up bright. It was kinda humid but nothing new to me since I’m from the Philippines.

One of my favorite parts of the day was when we were riding the tuktuk around the Angkor World Heritage. We passed by a lot of different kinds of trees. We were just sitting there, admiring the beauty of nature, while we felt the fresh air brushing our hair and touching our skin.

It was such a wonderful day to feel so alive and be thankful for everything that’s happening all at once.

Ta Prohm

If you are only staying for a short while, and you just want to see at least a few of the temples, then the 1-day pass would be good enough. You may notice that the temples kinda look alike. Perhaps, you can just choose a few temples you’d like to visit. We visited the most popular ones: Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom, and Ta Prohm. We could’ve visited more since we still had some time but we were so tired from walking and just walking around the different temples.

After our little temple hopping, we had our late lunch in one of the restaurants inside Angkor Wat. Then, we asked our tuktuk driver to take us to the floating village. The travel time seemed to be about an hour and a half. I wasn’t so sure because my friend and I fell asleep during the ride (Oops! Boy, we were so tired!)

I didn’t realize we were supposed to pay for a boat ride, which was $10 per person! I think it was my fault because I wasn’t able to research much about the floating village.

When we arrived, we were torn because we drove so far and it would have been a waste of time if we didn’t go. But, at the same time, we found it too pricey and it wasn’t included in our budget. In the end, we decided not to go. We ended up just buying some pasalubongs (souvenirs) at the souvenir shop. Then, we headed back to our hotel.

On our way back we were fully awake. We saw the beauty of Cambodia beyond the Angkor. It was then when I thought that our long drive was not at all a waste of time because we may not have seen the floating village, but in some other way, felt like we had a taste of the very rich Cambodian culture.

This was me with our tuktuk when we stopped for some snacks. Our tuktuk driver took us to a place where they sell fried snakes! I didn’t try it because I feared that it would upset my stomach. I couldn’t afford to be sick because we were gonna fly back to Manila that night.

This was the picture of the fried snakes! Our tuktuk driver, Mr. Reun, told us that these are very popular to Cambodians. He said that during holidays, they go to that area to blow off some steam and eat this famous delicacy.

On our way back, I also noticed that there are a lot of English Tutor houses — by tutor houses I mean they literally looked like houses and are separate from the primary and secondary schools. We passed by at least three of these. No wonder Cambodians are really good in speaking in English. We didn’t have a hard time communicating with them because they are very articulate!

Night Market + Traditional Khmer Massage

We washed up in our hotel when we arrived then we headed to the night market which was just a few meters away from our hotel. We ate dinner by the street! Yes, by the street! That was my first time trying street food outside the Philippines. The food were so cheap. A meal ranges from 1-2 dollars.

After dinner, we went to the night market to do some last minute shopping. I was able to buy some shirts, elephant pants, and other little memorabilia!

Just right before we head to the airport, we dared to try the Traditional Khmer Massage near our hotel. It was so relaxing that I even fell asleep!

It was a very looong day. We were tired, sleepy, and still kinda hungry. We wished we could’ve spent more time to explore Siem Reap, but we were also feeling relieved that we would be home soon.

That’s it for my day trip in Cambodia!

Have you visited the beautiful Kingdom of Cambodia yet? I’d love to hear (or read) about your story! Drop me some links so I can visit your blog, too!

I didn't know I could say so much about a one-day trip. Preparations, activities, insights, mischiefs and mishaps --- I've included all of them here! Find out how I've spent my one day in Cambodia! In my recent post Back in Thailand, I talked about my adventures in Thailand with my…

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shennasmithies-blog · 7 years ago

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Old Classical Hairstyles.

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coollikeumee-blog · 7 years ago

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