Tag: Explore Solo

Australia

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Time for the classic East Coast of Australia backpacking trip. You can rent a camper van or you can get a Greyhound pass, which is what I did. I bought a Whimmit pass, which allowed me unlimited travel for 30 days for $399 AUD. I spent 6 weeks heading up the coast, starting in Melbourne and finishing in Cairns.

CITY: Melbourne

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

United Backpackers– I preferred this hostel but it was the more expensive. It had free pancakes for breakfast with maple syrup. The bathrooms were really nice and updated. The rooms were a bit dark and smelly but that’s common for 10 bed dorms in the middle of a heat wave. The WiFi was excellent and there was a nice, small, comfy bar downstairs. Kitchen was large and easy to cook in. Location was great as there are lots of great bars and restaurants nearby. Also, it’s very close to some parks and I enjoyed going for a run right from the hostel. If you have the money, this is a great spot. 

Nomads All Nations – I switched hostels my last night so that I was closer to the greyhound station. This hostel was much cheaper but it showed. The kitchen wasn’t as nice and the bedroom, while bigger, was fairly run down. Also the location (other than being close to the bus station) wasn’t nearly as convenient. 

Where to Eat:

Famish’d– This is a great build your own salad place for a healthy meal.

Captain Melville– We went here after the walking tour and tried Chicken Parma for the first time. It was delicious! It also had a nice open air seating area in the back.

Section 8 – This is a fun outdoor bar in Melbourne, down a graffiti filled alley.

Weirdoughs – Ready to try some plant-based cookie dough? Here’s your chance! This was a delicious, fun treat.

Metro burgers– This is on the cutest little walking street, full of restaurants! Got a delicious burger here.

Doughnut Time– Never can go wrong with cute doughnuts.

What to do:

I arrived in Melbourne fairly exhausted from Queenstown and was little burnt out from all the activities, so I spent my time in Melbourne quite leisurely. I would sleep in, go for a run, then take a book to one of the many parks and read. This is my kinda day. Because I was burnt out from busses and day trips, I didn’t go the Great Ocean Road, but this is one of the top things to do in Melbourne!

I did do a free walking tour which I would definitely recommend doing. Just ask your hostel for details.

My favorite thing I did was head to St. Kilda and see all the penguins at dusk. The sunset was beautiful and then we headed to the end of the pier to see the penguins start to come out. Don’t skip this while in Melbourne.

Overall Thoughts:

Melbourne was definitely a cool city with a European vibe to it. There was a great food and bar scene. If I were to pick a city in Australia to live this would definitely be it!

  • Hanging in a park
  • One of the many alleys

CITY: Sydney

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Mad Monkey on Broadway in Sydney. It’s a smaller hostel but it meant you got to know people fairly easily. WiFi worked great. The kitchen was painfully small which made it difficult to want to cook (I didn’t cook at all here) but there was a GREAT free breakfast! Know having stayed at wake up in Byron Bay, I would stay at Wake Up in Sydney if I ever went again. 

Where to Eat:

Basket brothers– a light airy cafe for a yummy breakfast.

The Rocks Cafe– This was a yummy restaurant with a pub vibe near the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.

Harry’s– This restaurant is a must while Bondi! Delicious brunch food.

What to do:

Unfortunately while I was in Sydney the smoke was pretty bad from the many fires in the region. This limited what I could do as often the smoke was too bad to be outside. I wasn’t able to go to the Blue Mountains, which is supposed to be incredible. However, the two days that I was able to get outside I managed to see the Harbor Bridge, Opera House, Royal Botanical Gardens, and I walked the Coogee to Bondi trail, which was the highlight of my time in Sydney! Highly recommend doing this in the morning and getting brunch/lunch in Bondi after you finish (maybe at Harry’s)!

  • Botanical Gardens
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Coogee to Bondi Walk
  • Opera House
  • Harbor Bridge

Overall Thoughts:

I don’t feel like I got the best impression of Sydney given the smoke, but it was a nice, big city (similar to a major city in the US). Definitely no culture shock here 🙂 That being said if you are visiting Australia, Sydney is a must.

CITY: Yamba

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the YHA in Yamba and it was pretty great. There aren’t too many options here so for sure stay here. Location is in the middle of town and about a 1 min walk from the greyhound bus stop which is very convenient. Kitchen is slightly small, but does the job. WiFi was only available at the bottom floor where the reception and restaurant are located so no WiFi in the common areas or the dorm rooms. There was a great rooftop areas to eat and hangout as well as a great tv/Netflix area. Would definitely stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

Drift is the only restaurant I ate as in Yamba and they were great! They were friendly and kindly teased me about my build my own pizza (my pizza’s involve no tomato sauce and pear when I can). Worth a stop if you are ever here.

What to do:

Yamba is not your most popular stop along the East Coast backpacker route, but it should be. It’s a small, more local town with three beautiful beaches with great surfing! It’s a place to stop and chill for a couple of days in between Sydney and Byron, more high energy stops.

The pathway out into the ocean

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Yamba! I wish I could have stayed one more night here. It was very relaxing and low-key, which is needed periodically.

CITY: Byron Bay

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Wake Up in Byron Bay and it was fabulous. The rooms had air conditioning which is key during the summer months. The kitchen is spacious with plenty of burners. They have free towels, bikes and surf boards you can use. My favorite part was the free yoga and boot camps at 9am. Such a treat after being on the road with minimal exercise for a few months. It’s right next to the beach, but it’s about a 20 min walk along the beach to town. They also have a shuttle that runs about every 30 min into town and vice versa. They also have a great courtyard to hang out in the shade. Sometimes they have activities in the evenings here (such as free wine and cheese night). Overall cannot recommend this place enough! 

Where to Eat:

The Corner Store– The açai bowl here was not great, but it’s a great spot in the middle of town for a cup of coffee or a pastry.

The General Store– This is my favorite spot in Australia! I love, love, love their smoothie bowls. Also, the cafe just has such a cool vibe. You know when I take a photo of the water station, they are doing something right.

  • THE WATER STATION!

Betty’s– This is a cute, small burger chain in Australia that is decorated in a way that Instagram influencers can only dream up. The burgers are delicious and cheap. The fries do their thing and the desserts are such a treat! I actually went to Betty’s in Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Noosa (basically whenever I came across it).

Delicious, kinda like In-N-Out

In the Pink– Yummy gelato on a hot day. Get a cup instead of a cone as otherwise it will dripping down your arm immediately.

What to do:

Byron Bay is known for it’s surfing so take a lesson while here.

Sunrise at the lighthouse is another popular thing to do! It’s the most eastern part of Australia so you see the first sunrise of the continent 🙂

My favorite thing to do was lie on the grass in front of the main beach and enjoy the often live music being played all around. The people watching and tanning is prime (just be careful of the crazy, Australian sun so put on plenty of sunscreen.

Overall Thoughts:

This was my favorite stop along the East Coast. I know people think it’s touristy, but hello, we are tourists and there is a reason so many people come here. The sun shined every day I was here and I loved the restaurant scene. The hostel also made this stop so great for me as I made some really good friends here (who I would end up traveling much of the east coast with ) and I LOVED the free yoga and bootcamp every morning.

CITY: Brisbane

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the YHA in Brisbane. Kitchen was fabulous. Rooms were small and dark. Lockers were available to store belongings in the room. I wouldn’t stay here again as I found it difficult to meet people as a solo traveler. There was a rooftop bar and a tv room, but both were hard to meet people at. 

Where to Eat:

Corbett and Claude is an upscale pizzeria with a few locations in Brisbane. It was a classy spot with great pizza and selection of alcoholic drinks. This was a fun stop!

What to do:

I spent my time wandering around the city, doing some shopping and eating ice cream 🙂 I highly recommend walking through the South Bank where the lagoon is.

While I didn’t get to the Australia Zoo, this is a great day trip from Brisbane if you have time!

Overall Thoughts:

I liked Brisbane way more than I thought I would. Many people had told me that Brisbane wasn’t worth a stop, but I actually wish I’d had one more day so I could have gone to the zoo!

CITY: Noosa

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Flashbackers hostel and it was great! My ten person room had plenty of room and had two en-suite bathrooms and showers. Also, AC worked great.  It’s a smaller hostel so it’s fairly easy to meet people. The staff at the front desk were very helpful in planning my time in Noosa. The kitchen was well stocked and easy to cook in. WiFi was good, but not great. It’s a bit of a walk into town but there is a shuttle run by the hostel and a public bus that’s easy to use to get around. Would definitely stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

10 Hastings was a great spot for breakfast. Yummy drinks and brunchy food!

There’s a Betty’s Burger here so you know I stopped there for dinner 🙂

Concrete from Betty’s

What to do:

I spent my time in Noosa hiking all over to different beaches. The other highlight is the Fairy Pools. Enjoy the ocean, sand, and sun of Noosa.

Overall Thoughts:

Noosa is pretty laid back and an enjoyable stop along the East Coast. Spend at least 2 days here and you can easily spend longer.

CITY: Rainbow Beach

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Pippies was a cute little hostel that was perfect for before and after your Fraser Island trip. They also store your bags while you are away. No lockers in the room, but no one is going to steal your stuff. Kitchen was pretty tough to use so don’t plan to really cook here. Free, small breakfast available in the morning. WiFi was not bad but only really available in the main area. Small pool, but I never saw anyone in it. Cute hammocks and location can’t be beat in this small town. I would stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

Arcobaleno on the Beach– This is a nicer Italian restaurant (not a typical backpacker spot). Delicious food and the service was great!

Rainbow Beach Hotel has a great bar/restaurant that seems to be hopping most nights. We had our “afterparty” from Fraser here and it was a great spot for it.

Creme de la Creme– Can’t go wrong with some ice cream.

Café Jilarty at Rainbow– This place had a backpacker menu with some great deals so we obviously ate here about 3 times. Delicious chicken parma. It’s a laid-back spot with some reasonably priced meals so no complaints here.

Somewhere over Coffee– This is a good breakfast spot while you’re in town.

What to do:

There is not much to do in Rainbow Beach other than it’s a launching spot for a Fraser Island trip. The only place people tend to check out is the Rainbow Steps.

Overall Thoughts:

Rainbow Beach is a sweet, sleepy town that is cute for a night or two before and after your Fraser Island trip, but not much else.

Fraser Island Trip with Pippies

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Fraser Island is one of the best adventures to have along the classic Australia East Coast trip. It combines new friends, the largest sand island in the world, crystal clear lakes, champagne pools, driving 4×4’s, camping, and drinking. It is a BLAST. I ended up doing it over Christmas because if you can’t be home for it, might as well be on a island with no service and bunch of new friends. Fortunately for me, one of my best friends from home met me for this part of the trip so I had one familiar face. Also, I had met some people at other parts of the trip who luckily were also doing the same Fraser trip so I had some other friends going into the 3day/2night adventure. From start to finish, this was one of my favorite parts of my time in Australia.

CITY: Airlie Beach

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Base/Nomads. It’s a huge property with room to house over 600 people!! There’s a bar located within the property, 2 pools and 2 receptions. The rooms had a bathroom and shower, which was a treat. The AC worked great. The WiFi was horrendous. The kitchen had the necessities. There weren’t any lockers in the rooms to store valuables so make sure you can lock your bag itself. It was hard to sleep some nights due to the bar playing music so loud. I might look at staying elsewhere if I can back to Airlie Beach. 

The hostel

Where to Eat:

Village Cafe Restaurant and Bar– Went to breakfast here and it was a nice airy spot. Breakfast was pretty tasty and wifi worked well (sometimes hard to find).

Little Vegas– Delicious burgers and starters. If you are craving a large, tasty burger, look no further.

The Pub– I spent New Years Eve here getting some drinks with a friend. It had a great atmosphere and is a beautiful spot to hang.

The Deck– This is my favorite restaurant in Airlie Beach. I came for breakfast twice and it was great! Also, came for dinner on NYE and had the best sweet potato fries! Don’t miss this restaurant while in Airlie Beach.

What to do:

Airlie Beach, like Rainbow Beach, is a launching off spot for a Whitsunday trip. However, Airlie Beach is much bigger so there are far more restaurants and bars to check out. Also, there is a big lagoon that’s free to use (there isn’t actually a nice beach in town). There are a few hikes nearby, but I didn’t have a car so I couldn’t get to them.

Overall Thoughts:

I liked Airlie Beach, but the Whitsundays is the real star of this area of the East Coast.

Whitsunday Trip on Apollo

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the sailing trip on the Apollo boat. The food was delicious and while sleeping on a sail boat with 20 other strangers is never going to be the best night sleep you have, it was a good as it could’ve been. The highlights for me were scuba diving for the first time, seeing the sunset from the middle of ocean, and seeing the sandy beaches with the clear water. It was also a blast to meet so many new, fun people and hang for 3 days. Highly recommend taking a sailing trip around the Whitsundays while traveling along the East Coast.

CITY: Magnetic Island

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

There are two main options for hostels on Magnetic Island: Base and YHA. I stayed at Base because they had a package deal that included the ferry ticket, one breakfast and one dinner. It’s definitely more of a party hostel but if you want to sneak away to bed early, the noise is far enough away to be able to sleep soundly. The pool has chaise lounges, there’s a kitchen and the huts are pretty cute. However, the WiFi was not great and the hostel is a bus ride away from everything. Luckily the bus gets you where you need to go and it’s common to rent a 4×4 at least one day while you’re here. I would probably stay at YHA next time I was here as it houses the koala sanctuary and it’s closer to a town with cute restaurants and beaches. 

Where to Eat:

Early Bird– Breakfast is so good here I came twice in two days! Located in Horseshoe Bay, this is a can’t miss on Magnetic.

So much deliciousness!

Mamma Roma– This is a cute Italian restaurant on the other side of the island in Picnic Bay. The pasta was deliocoso!

Dessert with my cute Danish dates 🙂

Scallywags– Great spot for a great breakfast with a great atmosphere.

What to do:

Renting a Barbie Car- Don’t miss out on renting the cute 4 seater pink Barbie cars. This is a great way to independently get around the island. Otherwise you can use the bus, but it doesn’t come as often as you would like.

Forts Walk- This is best place to see Koalas in the wild. We expected to see one or two, but we say about 8 koalas while walking through the 90 min long loop. SO fun!

Wallabies- You can see wallabies in the wild at the rocks at Geoffrey Bay. We saw a few while stopped here at dusk.

Bungalow Bay Koala Village- Located at the YHA, there is a sanctuary where you can see some animals ranging from crocodiles, koalas, and lizards, to snakes and echidnas. Also, as 4:15pm they do a feeding for wild rainbow lorikeets.

Overall Thoughts:

Magnetic Island ended up being a highlight for me. It was so fun driving for the first time in months and having some independence over my schedule for the day. My favorite part was seeing the cute koalas in the wild. I loved my 3 days on this small island.

CITY: Cairns

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Global Backpackers is a great place to base yourself while in Cairns. The location is right on the esplanade where the lagoon and water front is. The wifi the best I’ve had anywhere in New Zealand and Australia!!! The hostel is on the newer side and is kept very clean. The air-conditioning works like a charm and the 4th floor has a great kitchen, walk-in freezer with plenty of space for your groceries, and a large tv (set up with Netflix!) with comfy couches. I would highly recommend staying here.

Where to Eat:

Jimmy’s– Delicious burgers and milkshakes! Need I say more….

The Cotton Club– This was a good cheap meal and I had a delicious salad! Always fun finding a good salad while traveling.

Frydays– Acai bowls were the move here.

What to do:

The two main activities to do here are exploring the Daintree Rainforest and exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

I chose to do a Cape Tribulation day trip with Uncle Brian’s and it was great! We swam in a local watering hole, walked through the Daintree Rainforest (oldest rainforest in the world), saw spiders, crocodiles, and snakes, and walked around Port Douglas. It was a blast and the tour guides were great!

To explore the Great Barrier Reef, obviously I had to go underwater. I chose to do an introductory scuba dive because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing the Great Barrier Reef before it dies and because I wanted to see if I liked scuba diving enough to get my open water certification. Turns out I’m hooked. Can’t wait to get my license while in Bali 🙂

My other favorite thing to do was go for morning runs along the beach front path. Such a beautiful view while jogging along.

Overall Thoughts:

Cairns is a nice spot to chill as it’s fairly cheap compared to other parts of the East Coast. I loved all the different animals I saw both on land and sea. I also happened to stay in one of my favorite hostels of the trip so far so Cairns definitely has a place in my heart.

Machu Picchu

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HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

While you can find tours that are cheaper than booking with Salkantay Trekking, you won’t be sorry to spend the extra money. You get to sleep under the stars in glass domes, in tents, and in a hotel, as opposed to sleeping outside in the cold or on the ground, like other tours. Additionally, you will be served some of the most amazing food by a chef who is dedicated to your tour group (up to 12 people). I can’t recommend booking with this company enough!

WHERE WE STAYED:

The first night was my favorite accommodation. We stayed in glass domes with views of the stars above. Despite the cold outside, the sleeping bags and blankets were more than enough to create a cozy, warm environment inside. The second night we spent in a tent under a thatched roof. Unfortunately it rained a decent amount before and while we were there so the tent was slightly damp, which tainted the experience a bit. However, it was still better than sleeping on the ground- which is what many other tours offer. Our last night we stayed in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the mountain which Maccu Picchu is perched upon.

Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 2
Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

One of the main reasons to chose Salkantay Trekking over the many other tour companies is the food quality. IT IS JUST SO GOOD (and I am a very picky eater). We also had one vegetarian, one one nut allergy, and someone who was gluten-free. Despite all the diets to balance, each meal was a full spread filled with delicious options. A personal chef travels with our group the first 3 days and prepare hot, fresh food for each meal. For the amount of money we spent on the tour, this was an incredible feature. I can’t explain enough how this really made the trip so special.

Night one dinner spot
Lunch spread
Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Each of the four days on the trek was unique. Day 1 was fairly easy. After being picked up around 4am from each our hostels, we drove for a few hours before we stopped for a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant somewhere in the countryside outside of Cusco. After fueling up we walked about 2 hours to the location of our first campsite. Such a magical spot. It would become my favorite spot of the whole trip. After eating lunch, we set off up a mountain up to Humantay Lake. It was surreal walking around the huge valley completed surrounded by nature. This is one of my parts about backpacking- escaping the human world and immersing myself in the natural world. Overall we walked around 7.5 miles (12km) and gained 5,000 feet (1,250m) of elevation.

Where it all began
The group!
The long road ahead
The Incan aqueducts
Base camp for night on1
The hike up to Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
The group at Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
New friend

Day 2 was the hardest day. We would reach our highest elevation (aka no oxygen) and walk the farthest. After an early wakeup call (~5am) we got our day started with a delicious breakfast spread including coca tea. Unfortunately it was drizzling the entire morning, which was when we had the most difficult hiking of the day. The morning would entail a 4 mile hike straight up to the Salkantay Pass. It would be a 3,000 foot elevation gain and would take 3 hours to complete. Despite the mist and rain that we faced, I couldn’t help but not care as the views definitely made up for it. As we left our glass domed campsite nestled in the beautiful valley, we slowly traded green, grassy mountainsides for snow-capped peaks. By the time we reached the pass, snow was all you could see- under my feet and all the mountains surrounding us.

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

After pausing for a snack at the peak, we began our descent to our next campsite. The further we got away from the peak, the warmer it became. Immediately our group began to peel off our many layers, including our rain gear. 3 miles later we stopped for lunch and a quick rest. After lunch, we quickly entered what is known as the “cloud forrest”, the upper part of the Amazon jungle. We finished the last 6 miles in this climate. We were rewarded with many birds and beautiful plants and trees during this part of the trek. Finally we arrived at the Chauflay Village, where we camped for the night. There was wifi and electricity at this camp, so the peak of luxury 🙂

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

We were offered two options for day 3: either hike 16.1 miles to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu or visit a coffee plantation and natural hot springs and finish with about a 5 mile hike to Aguas Calientes. Naturally I convinced our group to choose the latter. It was interesting to see how coffee was made at a local plantation and it was glorious to sooth our aching muscles in the hot springs. After the morning activities and lunch at the hot springs, we drove a bit towards Aguas Calientes. However, since there are no cars allowed, tourists have two options of getting there: walking or taking the famous train. Given we had already skipped the morning part of the trek, we threw on our hiking gear and began our walk along the train tracks. Luckily it was fairly flat so it wasn’t too tough on our already sore bodies. 3 hours later we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town where everyone stays the night before they go to Machu Picchu. As I mentioned there are no cars, but the train runs right through town. That night we were put up in a (very basic) hotel room and went to dinner at a local restaurant. Fairly quickly after dinner we rushed home to get into bed because tomorrow would bring an early 4am wake up call in order to be first in line to take the bus up to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

On our way to the coffee plantation
Coffee beans we collected right off the trees
Processing the beans
After roasting the beans
Coffee
Gathering the beans
Roasting the beans
The Hot Springs
Enjoying the rest

Walking along the train tracks
High jungle
Aguas Calientes appears

Day 4: Machu Picchu. You can either hike 90 min up the mountain or take a 45 min bus (and after all the walking we did, we happily voted for the bus). By 4:30am we were standing in line for the bus. Once the busses start running around 5:30am, we were on the second bus up. It is so worth it to be on the first couple of busses up. In the first hour or so, it feels like you have Machu Picchu all to yourself.

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

Machu Picchu
So beautiful
My favorite photo
The valley
Machu Picchu from afar
SO CUTE
Can’t handle the cuteness!!!
Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

Lima + Cusco

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I spent a total of 10 days in Peru, but I wish I could spend a month! Peru is just lovely. Felt completely safe as a solo female traveler. English is fairly widely spoken in the places I went, although I speak Spanish so I would be fine anywhere. Peru definitely is set up for international travelers, which makes it great as a first trip to South America.

CITY: LIMA

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Pariwana hostel located in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. This is a pretty common area for travelers to stay in and there are tons of hostels to choose from. This hostel has a hot shower, lockers for your bags, and a great (free) breakfast. It was easy to meet people in the dorm rooms as well as upstairs on the roof top hangout spot. Tons of comfy lounge chairs and couches in the shade. Overall I really liked this hostel and would stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

Lima has some of the best food… but between my day tours and being jet legged I honestly didn’t eat anywhere noteworthy other than for some churros at Manolo. I had churros with some warm chocolate sauce for dipping. Delicioso! Definitely do your research and find some of the yummy gems in Lima.

The famous churros

WHAT TO DO:

My time in Lima was filled with two main activities: the free walking tour and a day trip to Paracas + Huacachina.

After landing in Lima at 8am, I knew I couldn’t immediately go to sleep even though I was dead-tired from my red-eye from California so I chose to drop my stuff at the hostel, grab a quick bite of the free breakfast and jump on the free waking tour. So glad I did because I met some fun people I ended up spending the rest of the day with.

 

The main park near my hostel
The park is famous for its many cats

The highlight of my time in Lima was the day trip to Paracas + Huacachina. I was picked up straight from my hostel at around 5:30am and was pleasantly surprised to find there were blankets and comfy chairs awaiting on the bus for us. After a few more pickups we were on our way to Paracas, the small seaside town where you can take a boat out to the Ballestas Islands. Once we arrived, we all climbed onto a large speedboat to head out to the uninhabited islands home to sea lions, penguins, and blue-footed booby. It was fabulous to see so many animals up close from the boat.

Sea Lions

After returning to Paracas and grabbing a bite to eat, we climbed back onto the bus to head to Huacachina, the famed desert oasis in Peru. It’s super cool! I wish I had spent the night here instead of only having a few hours, but alas a two week trip doesn’t allow for this. We had about an hour to walk around before hiking up the sand dunes to get in a dune buggy. We zoomed over the large sand dunes for 10 or 15 minutes before arriving to some large dunes primed for sand boarding. Our group quickly began sliding down headfirst on the the boards! This was only the beginning of the adventure that awaited for me in Peru!

The Oasis

Dunebuggy

Strapped in!

Let’s go!

The desert

The oasis

Ready for some sand boarding

Sunset

Sunset

Huacachina bathed in the sunset

CITY: CUSCO

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Given the activities ahead of me in Cusco I did not want to stay in a party hostel. Sleep was key to fully taking advantage of all Cusco had to offer, however I still wanted to be able to meet people. Dragonfly Hostel was the perfect solution. I met tons of great people, but the rooms were fairly quiet. My 8 person room had it’s own bathroom and each bed had an assigned locker that fit my 44L backpack. There was a laundry-mat next to the hostel, which was great after finishing my 4-day trek. Also, the hostel had a kitchen and free breakfast every morning. Overall I would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

For some reason the theme of food in Cusco for me was pizza. I ended up eating pizza three nights out of the five I was there. The first place I ate was Incanto Pizza. It felt like a treat. Peru was so cheap that while this felt like an upscale restaurant, my budget wasn’t compromised. After long day trips (often up at 4am), by the time I was back, picking up a pizza was about all the energy I could expend. Twice I went to the pizza place around the corner from my hostel and picked up a cheese pizza with bacon & no sauce (my favorite).  A common option in many Peruvian restaurants is a “Set Menu” where for about ~10 soles (~$3 USD), you can get a starter, main course, dessert and drink. I experienced this at the restaurant directly next to my hostel, but you can find this all over town.

Incanto Pizza!

Despite my lack of creativity, Cusco is filled with amazing, cool, diverse restaurants. Tons of great local Peruvian cuisine as well as a large amount of vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

WHAT TO DO:

To start, Cusco is at a very high elevation so take it easy and drink some Coca tea. Then go explore Cusco! It looked like no other city I had been to. I loved the architecture and all the tiny streets and alleys. Spend at least one day meandering through all the shops and view points as it’s nestled in a little valley.

 

The main square
View from one of the many hills
Cusco
The main square
The main square
The main square
The old walls

After meeting a British couple in my hostel one late night, I was convinced to join them on a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain (also known as Vinicunca also known as Montaña de Siete Colores). At first I was skeptical since I had read it can be slightly dangerous to go up if it’s muddy and that the colors aren’t as bright as you have seen on Instagram, but  I liked Kade and Megan so I decided to join them. I learned on my year abroad that life is more about who you are with than about what you are doing. So the next morning at 4am the three of us sleepily got on the bus and we were on our way. When we arrived to the base of the hike, it doesn’t look that far, however it’s not the distance that’s killer- it’s the elevation. It’s about a 2 hour hike up, but you start at 14,600 feet and end at 16,520 feet. For perspective, basecamp Everest is 17,590 feet. Boy, did I feel the elevation. It was so strange to walk about 10 steps and need to take a break. You can feel your heart beating what feels like 10x faster than normal. However, despite the many breaks, Kade, Megan and I successfully made it to the top. It was definitely worth the early morning and the slight altitude sickness. Just take a look for yourself!

On our way to Rainbow Mountain

My favorite horse

Half way up

Beautiful day

Megan + Kade

Traditional clothing

New friends

We made it!

The main event was my four day trek to Maccu Picchu, but see below for that. However, after my trek I had one more day in Cusco and I spent it at Qoya Spa at the Casa Cartagena Hotel because my muscles were screaming at me! It was an absolutely lovely day. I floated in the spa, breathed deeply in the steam room, and fell half asleep in my 90 min hot stone massage. The massage was ~120 USD and with it came the use of the spa for the entire day so after spending about 6 hours in the facility it felt like a great deal. Also, the hotel is gorgeous and if a day comes where I can afford to stay there, I plan to.

The hotel!

The most picturesque spot I could imagine

Where I lounged half the day

HIKING THE SALKANTAY TRAIL TO MACCU PICCHU

4 days, 3 nights

While you can find tours that are cheaper than booking with Salkantay Trekking, you won’t be sorry to spend the extra money. You get to sleep under the stars in glass domes, in tents, and in a hotel, as opposed to sleeping outside in the cold or on the ground, like other tours. Additionally, you will be served some of the most amazing food by a chef who is dedicated to your tour group (up to 12 people). I can’t recommend booking with this company enough!

WHERE WE STAYED:

The first night was my favorite accommodation. We stayed in glass domes with views of the stars above. Despite the cold outside, the sleeping bags and blankets were more than enough to create a cozy, warm environment inside. The second night we spent in a tent under a thatched roof. Unfortunately it rained a decent amount before and while we were there so the tent was slightly damp, which tainted the experience a bit. However, it was still better than sleeping on the ground- which is what many other tours offer. Our last night we stayed in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the mountain which Maccu Picchu is perched upon.

 

Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 1
Accommodation Night 2
Accommodation night 3 was a hotel in Aguas Calientes

WHAT WE ATE:

One of the main reasons to chose Salkantay Trekking over the many other tour companies is the food quality. IT IS JUST SO GOOD (and I am a very picky eater). We also had one vegetarian, one one nut allergy, and someone who was gluten-free. Despite all the diets to balance, each meal was a full spread filled with delicious options. A personal chef travels with our group the first 3 days and prepare hot, fresh food for each meal. For the amount of money we spent on the tour, this was an incredible feature. I can’t explain enough how this really made the trip so special.

 

Night one dinner spot
Lunch spread
Dinner spread

WHAT WE DID:

Each of the four days on the trek was unique. Day 1 was fairly easy. After being picked up around 4am from each our hostels, we drove for a few hours before we stopped for a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant somewhere in the countryside outside of Cusco. After fueling up we walked about 2 hours to the location of our first campsite. Such a magical spot. It would become my favorite spot of the whole trip. After eating lunch, we set off up a mountain up to Humantay Lake. It was surreal walking around the huge valley completed surrounded by nature. This is one of my parts about backpacking- escaping the human world and immersing myself in the natural world. Overall we walked around 7.5 miles (12km) and gained 5,000 feet (1,250m) of elevation.

 

Where it all began
The group!
The long road ahead
The Incan aqueducts
Base camp for night on1
The hike up to Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
The group at Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake
New friend

Day 2 was the hardest day. We would reach our highest elevation (aka no oxygen) and walk the farthest. After an early wakeup call (~5am) we got our day started with a delicious breakfast spread including coca tea. Unfortunately it was drizzling the entire morning, which was when we had the most difficult hiking of the day. The morning would entail a 4 mile hike straight up to the Salkantay Pass. It would be a 3,000 foot elevation gain and would take 3 hours to complete. Despite the mist and rain that we faced, I couldn’t help but not care as the views definitely made up for it. As we left our glass domed campsite nestled in the beautiful valley, we slowly traded green, grassy mountainsides for snow-capped peaks. By the time we reached the pass, snow was all you could see- under my feet and all the mountains surrounding us.

Early morning start with rain

Almost at the summit

We made it!

15,255 feet

After pausing for a snack at the peak, we began our descent to our next campsite. The further we got away from the peak, the warmer it became. Immediately our group began to peel off our many layers, including our rain gear. 3 miles later we stopped for lunch and a quick rest. After lunch, we quickly entered what is known as the “cloud forrest”, the upper part of the Amazon jungle. We finished the last 6 miles in this climate. We were rewarded with many birds and beautiful plants and trees during this part of the trek. Finally we arrived at the Chauflay Village, where we camped for the night. There was wifi and electricity at this camp, so the peak of luxury 🙂

On the other side of the pass

Entering the high jungle

Unbelievable scenery

We were offered two options for day 3: either hike 16.1 miles to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu or visit a coffee plantation and natural hot springs and finish with about a 5 mile hike to Aguas Calientes. Naturally I convinced our group to choose the latter. It was interesting to see how coffee was made at a local plantation and it was glorious to sooth our aching muscles in the hot springs. After the morning activities and lunch at the hot springs, we drove a bit towards Aguas Calientes. However, since there are no cars allowed, tourists have two options of getting there: walking or taking the famous train. Given we had already skipped the morning part of the trek, we threw on our hiking gear and began our walk along the train tracks. Luckily it was fairly flat so it wasn’t too tough on our already sore bodies. 3 hours later we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town where everyone stays the night before they go to Machu Picchu. As I mentioned there are no cars, but the train runs right through town. That night we were put up in a (very basic) hotel room and went to dinner at a local restaurant. Fairly quickly after dinner we rushed home to get into bed because tomorrow would bring an early 4am wake up call in order to be first in line to take the bus up to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

 

On our way to the coffee plantation
Coffee beans we collected right off the trees
Processing the beans
After roasting the beans
Coffee
Gathering the beans
Roasting the beans
The Hot Springs
Enjoying the rest

 

Walking along the train tracks
High jungle
Aguas Calientes appears

Day 4: Machu Picchu. You can either hike 90 min up the mountain or take a 45 min bus (and after all the walking we did, we happily voted for the bus). By 4:30am we were standing in line for the bus. Once the busses start running around 5:30am, we were on the second bus up. It is so worth it to be on the first couple of busses up. In the first hour or so, it feels like you have Machu Picchu all to yourself.

We made it

Early morning

Up in the clouds

I spent the rest of the day wandering on my own, taking many breaks to just sit and take it all in. Pictures don’t do it justice- I highly recommend going and seeing it for yourself!

 

Machu Picchu
So beautiful
My favorite photo
The valley
Machu Picchu from afar
SO CUTE
Can’t handle the cuteness!!!
Obligatory selfie

Many hours later, I met up with the rest of our group and we made our way to the train station. Our magical journey to Machu Picchu had come to an end.

Our ride out of Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

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Where I have been (Cities)

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This is a list of all the cities I have been to (not including the US). If you are visiting any of these, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Total: 280 cities

North America (excluding the US) (3 Countries )

Canada (2)

  1. Vancouver
  2. Whistler

Mexico (1)

  1. Puerta Vallarta 

The Bahamas (1)

  1. Nassau

Europe (42 Countries) 

Albania (1)

  1. Shkodër

Austria (2)

  1. Salzburg 
  2. Vienna

Belgium (7)

  1. Brussels
  2. Waterloo
  3. Bruges
  4. Knokke Beach
  5. Leuven 
  6. Sint-Eloois-Winkel
  7. Ghent

Bosnia (3)

  1. Mostar 
  2. Blagaj 
  3. Pochitelj

Bulgaria (5)

  1. Sofía 
  2. Plovdiv
  3. Burgas
  4. Nessebar 
  5. Sveti Vlas

Croatia (6)

  1. Zagreb
  2. Plitvice National Park
  3. Zadar 
  4. Split
  5. Supertar 
  6. Dubrovnik 

Cyprus (1)

  1. Larnaca

Czech Republic (1)

  1. Prague

Denmark (1)

  1. Copenhagen

England (29)

  1. London
  2. Milton Keynes
  3. Salisbury
  4. Worcester 
  5. Stratford-on-Avon
  6. London Southend On Sea
  7. Reigate
  8. Brighton
  9. Bath
  10. Bradford-on-Avon
  11. Cambridge 
  12. Ardingly
  13. Lewes
  14. Ditchling
  15. Haywards Heath
  16. Lindfield
  17. Aylesbury
  18. Sheffield
  19. Castleton
  20. Holmes Chapel 
  21. East Croyden
  22. Twickenham 
  23. Croyde
  24. Lynton
  25. Lynmouth
  26. Clovelly
  27. Bristol
  28. Red Hill
  29. Manchester 

Estonia (1)

  1. Tallinn

Finland (2)

  1. Helsinki
  2. Porvoo

France (12)

  1. L’isle sur la Sorgue, Provence 
  2. Chamonix
  3. Paris
  4. Loire valley 
  5. Versailles
  6. St. Malo
  7. Eauze
  8. Nogaro
  9. Aire-del-l’Adour
  10. Arcachon
  11. St Emillion 
  12. Bordeaux 

Germany (5)

  1. Munich
  2. Hamburg 
  3. Bad Oldesloe
  4. Berlin
  5. Stuttgart

Greece (5)

  1. Mykonos Town
  2. Fira
  3. OÍa
  4. Kamira 
  5. Athens 

Hungary (1)

  1. Budapest

Iceland (1)

  1. Reykjavik 

Ireland (5)

  1. Dublin
  2. Galway
  3. Tralee
  4. Dingle
  5. Killarney

Italy (14)

  1. Lake Garda
  2. Sestri Levante
  3. Santa Margherita 
  4. Cinque Terre
  5. Lake Como
  6. San Gimignano
  7. Siena
  8. Florence
  9. Naples
  10. Ischia
  11. Rome
  12. Menori
  13. Amalfi
  14. Positano

Kosovo (2)

  1. Prístina
  2. Prizren 

Latvia (2)

  1. Riga
  2. Sigulda

Liechtenstein (5)

  1. Vaduz 
  2. Triesenberg
  3. Malbun
  4. Stausse Steg 
  5. Balzers 

Lithuania (3)

  1. Vilnius
  2. Trakai
  3. Kaunas

Luxembourg (1)

  1. Luxembourg City

Montenegro (4)

  1. Kotor
  2. Cetinje
  3. Budva 
  4. Ulcinj

North Macedonia (2)

  1. Skopje
  2. Ohrid 

Northern Ireland (2)

  1. Belfast 
  2. Derry

Norway (2)

  1. Oslo
  2. Bergen

Poland (2)

  1. Warsaw
  2. Krakow

Portugal (3)

  1. Porto
  2. Lisbon
  3. Sintra

Romania (6)

  1. Cluj-Napoca
  2. Sighișoara
  3. Alba Lulia
  4. Sibiu
  5. Brasov 
  6. Bucharest 

Scotland (2)

  1. Edinburgh
  2. Loch Ness

Serbia (3)

  1. Belgrade
  2. Novi Sad 
  3. Bajina Basta

Slovakia (1)

  1. Bratislava 

Slovenia (5)

  1. Ljubljana 
  2. Škofja Loka 
  3. Piran 
  4. Bled
  5. Lake Bohinj

Spain (22)

  1. Barcelona
  2. Madrid
  3. San Sebastián
  4. Sitges
  5. Montserrat
  6. Mallorca
  7. Seville 
  8. Valencia 
  9. Granada
  10. Alicante 
  11. Cadaqués
  12. Villanova de Arousa
  13. Villagarcia de Arousa
  14. Pontevedra 
  15. Vilassar de Dalt
  16. Vilassar de Mar
  17. Cábrils
  18. Mátaro
  19. Girona 
  20. Vidreres 
  21. Viladrau
  22. Santa Coloma de Farners 

Sweden (2)

  1. Stockholm 
  2. Värmdö

Switzerland (11)

  1. Geneva
  2. Verbier
  3. Le Chable
  4. Lausanne
  5. Lutry
  6. Brienz 
  7. Grindelwald
  8. Lauterbrunnen
  9. Mürren
  10. Gimmelwald
  11. Kandersteg

The Netherlands (2)

  1. Amsterdam
  2. Utrecht

The Vatican (1)

  1. The Vatican 

Wales (1)

  1. Cardiff

Africa (2 countries)

Egypt (3)

  1. Cairo 
  2. Aswan
  3. Hurghada 

Morocco (3)

  1. Chefchouan
  2. Tangier
  3. Tetouan 

South America (2 countries)

Chile (3)

  1. Santiago 
  2. San Jose de Maipo
  3. Valparaiso 

Peru (5) 

  1. Lima
  2. Paracas
  3. Ica
  4. Cusco
  5. Aguas Calientes

Oceania (3 countries) 

Australia (15)

  1. Melbourne
  2. Sydney 
  3. Yamba
  4. Byron bay
  5. Brisbane
  6. Noosa
  7. Rainbow beach
  8. Fraser Island
  9. Airlie beach
  10. Whitsundays 
  11. Magnetic island
  12. Cairns
  13. Port Douglas
  14. Cronella
  15. Gymea Bay

Fiji (2)

  1. Nadi
  2. Matagi Island 

New Zealand (14) 

  1. Auckland
  2. Hot water beach
  3. Waitomo
  4. Rotarua 
  5. Taupo
  6. Wellington
  7. Picton
  8. Kaiteriteri 
  9. Westport
  10. Franz Josef 
  11. Wanaka
  12. Queenstown
  13. Christchurch
  14. Mount Cook

Asia (10 countries)

Cambodia (1)

  1. Siem Reap

Indonesia (6)

  1. Canggu 
  2. Ubud
  3. Gili T
  4. Nusa Penida
  5. Uluwatu
  6. Seminyak

Japan (3)

  1. Tokyo
  2. Kyoto
  3. Hakone

Laos (3)

  1. Vientiane 
  2. Vang Vieng
  3. Luang Prabang

Malaysia (7)

  1. Kota Kinabalu
  2. Sepilok
  3. Mabul
  4. Sipadan
  5. George Town
  6. Cameron Highlands
  7. Langkawi

Singapore (1)

  1. Singapore

Thailand (8) 

  1. Koh Lipe
  2. Koh Lanta
  3. Khao Sok
  4. Koh Tao
  5. Bangkok
  6. Chiang Mai 
  7. Pai
  8. Chiang Rai 

The Philippines (6)

  1. Coron
  2. El Nido
  3. Bohol
  4. Siquijor
  5. Moalboal
  6. Malapascua

Turkey (4)

  1. Istanbul 
  2. Goreme/Cappadocia 
  3. Antalya 
  4. Arnavutköy

Vietnam (6)

  1. Hanoi
  2. Ha Long Bay
  3. Cat Ba City
  4. Ninh Binh
  5. Ha Giang
  6. Hoi An

Austin, Texas

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Austin was my first solo trip since getting back from Europe, and it was awesome! What a cool city.

CITY: AUSTIN

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at my first hostel in the States! Drifter Jack’s was located near UT Austin and about a 10 min bus ride to downtown Austin, which was perfect. The hostel, while not my favorite, was overall pretty good. It was fairly easy to meet people in kitchen, common room, or the pool table outside. There was no free breakfast, but there were lockers in the room (although mine was hard to reach because I had the one on top unfortunately). The rooms were spacious and clean. Overall would stay here again.

One of the walls within the hostel

WHERE TO EAT:

WOWOWOW Austin has some amazing places to eat. I was here for four days and felt like four weeks wouldn’t be enough time to try all the places I wanted to try. I started with Waltons Fancy and Staple, a yummy, clearly popular, brunch spot. I tried a biscuit sandwich, which had eggs, smoked cheddar, bacon, and an aioli. It was delicious.

My biscuit sandwich

I couldn’t go to Texas without trying BBQ so with the group of British guys I met at my hostel, we visited Freedmen’s Bar. I ordered a barbecue benedict and was not disappointed. Meanwhile the guys ordered one pound of meat each and ate every last bite.

The Brits enjoying the BBQ

BBQ Benedict

Voodoo Doughnuts, made famous in Portland, OR, also has a location on 6th street in Austin. In my time in Austin, I tried 3 doughnuts: Maple Bacon Bar (Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top), Old Dirty Bastard (Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreo cookies, and peanut butter), and Blueberry Cake (Blueberry cake doughnut with a glaze). Hands down the best one is the Maple Bacon Bar. After the pub crawl we can came here and the Brits were asking which one to get and I told them to get the Maple Bacon Bar. They were skeptical going in, but after trying it they couldn’t stop talking about how unbelievably good it was. ALSO it’s a great spot for pictures!

Inside Voodoo

The long line for DOUGHNUTS

Maple Bacon Bar

Old Dirty Bastard

For a quick and easy breakfast, Blenders and Bowls is perfect. I ended up eating there twice it was so good. Both times I had the O.G. acai bowl and added spinach.

O.G. Acari Bowl

I was delighted to spot a Modern Market while in Austin as I used to eat there probably 3 times a week when I lived in Boulder! They have great, healthy, fresh food with plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. I ate a yummy truffle potato pizza and side of sweet potato mash.

Last, but not least, was The Grove Bar and Kitchen. The reason I went was to try the Impossible Burger, but I ended up having the best bruschetta I’ve ever had (outside of Italy of course!). But honestly it was so good!!

The Impossible Burger!

I tried three: Heirloom tomato, garlic, basil, & mozzarella. Avocado, bacon, tomato, arugula, & aged balsamic. Apple, fig chutney, & brie. I can’t even pick a favorite because they were all delicious in different ways.

WHAT TO DO:

Austin has so much to do! You definitely need more than 4 days to do it all. The first day I was there I spent the day walking around the city. I probably walked for over 8 miles. Highlights include walking along the Colorado River, which runs through Austin. I would walk for a bit then stop at a bench and read my book. I also ended up walking through the capital building which was a highlight.

Walking along the Colorado River

View of Austin

Capital building

Hinges in the Capital building

View of looking up at the dome

Underneath the Capital building

Austin

View from the Congress bridge

6th street is famous for its great bars and nightlife and it didn’t let us down. I went on the pub crawl through the hostel and was headed straight for this spot on Saturday night. Among our crew was four Americans, one Australian, and five Brits so I knew it would be a fun group. Essentially 6th street becomes a city sponsored block party every weekend starting at 11pm as they shut down access to pedestrians only. Such a cool idea and it ends up being one big party in downtown Austin. We had a great time going from bar to bar.

6th Street

Enjoying the live music

Friday night

Rainey Street is one of the coolest spots in Austin. Each building houses a different and unique bar with cool food options (some restaurants and some food trucks). It definitely has a more laid back vibe compared to 6th street, which houses more club-like bars. I was here with the Brits and we spent our night at a bar that a grassy, backyard space with giant jenga, picnic tables, and cornhole. They had never played cornhole before so it was a blast teaching them!

Backyard at one of the bars on Rainey Street

Anther great activity is watching the bats at dusk. Over 1.5 million bats roost under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. This makes it the largest urban bat colony in the world. Crazy right?!

Waiting for the bats to come out

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Austin! There were so many cool things to do, and I can’t wait to come back when it’s a little warmer to explore all the water activities Austin has to offer between the lake and the river! There is such a young, hip vibe to Austin and I think it’s only going to get cooler. Other than the blistering heat during the summer, Austin seems like an amazing place to visit and live. No wonder so many start-ups have started to move to this incredible city!

 

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Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

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My time in Mostar 🙂

The famous bridge in Mostar

Walking around Mostar

City: Mostar

How Long: 3 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Miran and it was incredible!! The host, Miran, was an incredibly nice man who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region, as he had grown up there and actually lived through and fought in the Bosnian War. I learned so much from him. The hostel had small lockers in each room to store valuables but not big enough to store your whole bag, but I found everyone at the hostel to be very friendly and nice so I wasn’t worried about anyone stealing stuff from my bag. There was free breakfast and often at night Miran would BBQ so there was a free dinner sometimes. They also offered a great tour of the region. Highly recommend this place!!

Where to eat:

This place had free breakfast and sometimes free dinner so I mostly utilized that, BUT the hostel did recommend Hindin Han and I ended up going twice! Once just with Sam, and then once with Sam and three Germans we met on Miran’s tour (more on that in the next section!). Hindin Han was in the middle of the city center overlooking a small stream and was very cheap! Awesome food and alcohol selection.

Accidentally ordered Rakia, which is a rum made in the Balkans. Ranges from 40% alcohol to 90% alcohol. It was quite strong!

SO MUCH FOOD

What to do:

Number one thing you should do is go on Miran’s tour! (even if you don’t stay at his hostel I’m pretty sure you can still go on it!) Miran lived through and fought during the Bosnian War and had some incredible stories for us. The tour took us to an abandoned aircraft hanger utilized during communist occupation in Bosnia, two quaint cities (Blagaj & Pochitelj) and lastly, Kravice waterfalls. Each was uniquely beautiful, but the waterfalls were my favorite because we got to swim!! As we made our way back to Mostar, we were told many stories about the realities of living in Mostar during the Bosnian War. The damage from the war is still very visible in Mostar today.

Entering the abandoned airport hangar

From the inside

Blagaj

Blagaj

Drinking the fresh water

Where two rivers meet

View from the fort of Pochitelj

Up in the old fort

Pochitelj

Kravica Waterfalls

Our new German friend smoked his pipe and read while the rest of us swam in the water 🙂

The aftermath of the Bosnian War

Buildings still in disarray

 

 

The other thing that is fun to see while in Mostar is someone jump off the famous Stari Most bridge which is 24 meters (~78 feet) tall! The professional divers will jump once they have collected enough money from tourists 🙂 If you are a tourist, you pay around 20 euros for an hour-long lesson from the professionals and then you can jump! Only around 2,300 people have done it and Miran said they were mostly Aussie or Kiwi.

Someone about to jump!

Overall thoughts:

Mostar was such a pleasant surprise. I honestly had such little knowledge about this region and was thrilled to learn all that I did. Highly recommend visiting this richly historic, beautiful city.

Nighttime views of the bridge

 

Vienna (+ Bratislava)

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City: Vienna

How Long: 4 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna while I was here. The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit.

Where to Eat:

I ate a delicious traditional Polish dish at a restaurant called Mozart’s Restaurant. It was almost like pasta/dumpling combo with scrambled eggs. Sounds weird, but it was awesome. Otherwise, I chose to buy groceries and cook in the community kitchen with some friends I made.

While I didn’t eat here, Mozart + Beethoven did! In fact, Mozart’s last performance was here. This place has been opened for over 200 years. Pretty incredible.

What to do:

I visited the Easter markets here as well, but they weren’t as fun as the ones in Krakow I found. I also did a free walking tour with some friends, where we saw some of the old government buildings and some cool churches. I also met two other Americans staying at my hostel and ended up going out on a pub crawl with them which was fun!

Painted eggs at the Easter Markets!

Unfortunately the next day it rained and even hailed a bit. I chose to spend the day inside and catch up on reading, writing, and editing some videos. While it was nice to have a relaxing day, it meant that I did not get to see the palace or the gardens which I have heard are amazing.

On my last day in Vienna I did a day trip to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. I took a 5 euro bus ride there in the morning, early enough to catch the free walking tour. I really enjoyed learning about this tiny country that most American’s probably don’t know much about if they have even heard of it. Bratislava looks like it was torn out of the pages of a fairytale. In fact, the famous fairytale writer from Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen, spent time here. He famously said to the citizens of Bratislava, “If you want a fairy tale, look at your city.”

View of Bratislava from the Castle

We walked around most of the city in about 2.5 hours, as the city is fairly small. We saw the grand castle (although technically a fortress), a blue Church, and adorable cobblestone streets. I learned that Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in all of Europe, at just 34 miles apart. After spending just 5 hours in this city, I wish I had spent a few days here instead of staying in Vienna. Definitely don’t skip visiting Bratislava, even if it just for a day from Vienna or Budapest.

Main square in Bratislava

The Blue Church!

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava Castle

Overall Thoughts:

Vienna did not wow me. I am not exactly sure why, but overall it was not my favorite. The city is huge and I have learned that I tend to prefer more manageable cities. It’s also more expensive than some of the other cities I am visiting right now. I wish I had stayed in Bratislava and done a day trip to Vienna, instead of the other way around. I can certainly see why so many people love Vienna (amazing food, beautiful architecture, top-notch museums) but I just don’t think it’s for me.