Excitement levels are at an all-time high this morning as we wake up and pack in anticipation of an 8am pick-up for our lengthy drive to Kruger National Park and the eagerly-awaited first day of our South African safari. Our energetic private guide for the next few days, Mary-Anne, retrieves us fro[...]
Touching down in Johannesburg after a truly torturous (but certainly not unprecedented) 35 hours of flights and layovers, it dawns on me that we don't have any real plans for our two days in South Africa's largest city. Really, Joburg is just acting as a springboard to our safari in Kruger National[...]
Just yesterday, South Africa celebrated the 21 year anniversary of the signing of its constitution, the Flame of Democracy still burning brightly outside of the country’s Constitutional Court in Johannesburg. The Court, South Africa’s highest authority, allows anyone and everyone to come sit in[...]
To dive into just a little of the Apartheid history in Johannesburg, mum and I visited Number Four Prison today and took an hour long guided tour to learn about the horrifying conditions in ardhich many political prisoners, including Mahatma Gandhi and Robert Sobukwe, were kept (Nelson Mandela was[...]
It's what basically every local and traveller alike will tell you to do if you only have time for one thing in Honolulu, but despite visiting the island half a dozen times over the last few years, this is my first time making the quick and scenic ascent up Diamond Head Crater! And I'm immediately d[...]
Anyone who thinks Maui is just an overrated holiday destination crawling with American tourists in floral shirts and visors needs to seriously reinvestigate. True, you can still find parts of Maui that feel painfully over-developed with resorts (and visors), but that's only the experience you'll ha[...]
Once a sleepy town nestled between the beautiful Rif Mountains in Morocco's north, Chefchaoeun has grown to be one of the most well-known destinations in the region. There's a rich and vibrant history to be discovered in the narrow, winding streets or by climbing the ancient kasbah above the main s[...]
Following the most incredible adventures in Chefchaouen, Morocco’s Blue City, and in Akchour, home to magical green pools and sparkling waterfalls, my wonderful local friend, Hind, is taking me to spend time at the beach in Oued Laou with her extended family. My travels are nearing their conclusi[...]
After exploring the incredible Blue City with the best tour guide possible, Hind, an exchange student from Chefchaouen who lived with me and mum the summer I was 15, we are all off to Akchour for a more outdoorsy adventure. Hind says it's one of the most beautiful spots in Morocco, and, after splas[...]
Dreams of Morocco almost always include a camel-back trip through the Sahara Desert, retiring at the end of each hot day to sip tea on thick rugs and sleep under the stars surrounded by the impressive Erg Chebbi dunes. Thankfully, there are dozens of companies that all run variations of this exact[...]
Mallorca is the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, sitting in the sunny Mediterranean and enjoying all the crystal blue water that comes with the territory. The whole island is hardly more than 100km, but it is surprisingly full of adorable hillside towns, dramatic cliffs that plunge into the sea[...]
Since I finished my Tour du Mont Blanc hike several days ahead of schedule, my friend Katy and I have a few days of just hanging out in Chamonix before we fly to Spain. One of these days, we decide to visit the Mer de Glace, recommended to Katy by a retired Australian couple she met while I was hiki[...]
What better way to celebrate finishing my Tour du Mont Blanc hike than going paragliding right in front on Mont Blanc? Back in Chamonix just minutes after coming off the trail and meeting up with my friend Katy, we duck into a shop and book paragliding for tomorrow afternoon. We spend the rest of th[...]
Crossing through France, Italy, and Switzerland to circle Western Europe's highest peak, the 180km Tour du Mont Blanc trek is part epic alpine adventure, part authentic cultural experience, but entirely unforgettable. There are few routes in the Alps that rival the iconic TMB, and it's a c[...]
Not only did the impending storm not arrive yesterday afternoon, it also doesn’t arrive overnight as everyone was saying (on further investigation, it was basically just Noam saying this to every single person on the trail and those people repeating it). We wake up to amazing sunshine and clear vi[...]
I’ve been hearing from several people that a thunderstorm is supposed to roll in around 4pm this afternoon, so I’m up and active earlier than usual today. The two hiking friends I camped with last night, Noam and Ryan, are planning to leave early as well, so we all set off just past 9am to try a[...]
The first thing I check when I wake up is my feet. The blisters seem to have dried out a bit overnight, but the blister under my toenail is looking yellowed and the blister on my small toe is looking more than a touch infected. Only a few days to go, though, so I’ve just got to suck it up and push[...]
By the time I wake up in the yurt, one of the friends I met on the trail last night has already hit the road, having quite a distance to cover today on his bike, and my other new hiking friend, Noam, heads off shortly after while I'm still sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful sunny morning, and t[...]
In an effort to get on the trail at a reasonable time today, I actually woke up fairly early this morning. Of course, I still need to pack my bag, but I’m trying to be quick with it. Before too long, Katy and I walk down the hall to the breakfast included at our B&B and I gorge myself on Nutel[...]
Aiguille du Midi is a large peak (3,842m) within the Mont Blanc massif that offers unparalleled views of the incredible Mont Blanc itself (4,810m)— I knew I had to see Mont Blanc up close, especially considering I'm expelling all this energy just to circumnavigate the mountain on the Tour du Mont[...]