Africa
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Life on the Road: Planning A Memorable Moroccan Road Trip
Moroccan Road Trip Morocco is a country made for driving. Easy, navigable roads, maybe not, but it’s the most satisfying way to see the country and experience what life is like outside of the tourist trail. The serpentine streets weaving through the Atlas Mountains, the desolate flat roads pushing you towards the Sahara, or the rural lush landscape leading you towards seaside towns. Whichever scenery you prefer, it sets the scene for a perfect Moroccan road trip. I’ve highlighted a week-long itinerary for all my road warriors, beginning in the High Atlas Mountain and Southern oases routes. Since I was traveling solo, I opted to have Open Doors Morocco…
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Rhino Conservation in Uganda
The Rhinoceros, like many animals, have become under threat due to poaching for their horns and changes to their habitat which have created a major problem in keeping these species safe in Africa and Asia. Rhino conservation in Uganda has become a priority for several NGO’s in the country, who are attempting to foster a sanctuary space to revive the population of Southern White Rhinos, which were once indigenous to the region. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary African safaris can provide for protection, education and conservation in addition to the opportunity for a spectacular vacation. Choosing a space that lets you observe the animals in a safe location while enjoying your trip…
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Wonder Women: Girls Finding Secondary Education in Morocco
The echoed singing through the minaret softly enters your ears, and you rub your eyes to adjust to the faint light. You lay in bed in the dark, the call to prayer continues as an alarm clock for the village. With out the capability of a snooze button, you comply, getting up, reaching for your headscarf, your feet finding warmth from your cold floor onto your prayer rug, facing Mecca as you begin Fajr, your morning prayers. As the sun begins to pierce through the windows, the cool mountain air in your room is warmed by the early morning light. You dip your flatbread in Argan oil at breakfast, quickly…
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Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: An Unparalleled Wildlife Experience
Where the Gold meets the Silver, Mgahinga National Park is a tiny slice of primate paradise, and the ultimate in Uganda Gorilla trekking. We started out from our hotel early, it had taken us several bumpy hours to get here the night before our trek. The terrain from the previous safari day changed drastically to what seemed like driving straight out of Africa and into an evergreen forest in Washington state. As we snaked our way towards Kisoro, the warm, dusty East African air that had been blowing into our Land Cruiser became crisp, filtered, fresh air from the pine trees, as we ascending higher and higher in altitude. The…
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Spectacular Things about 2017 Travel
It’s that time of year again, a yearly round up of the best moments of 2017 travel. The last week of December is always a good time for reflection on all of the highlights of the year, in addition to looking forward on plans to come for 2018. When I first started my blog it was a way for me to journal my journey and ever so slowly, five years later, it has been a way for me to share experiences, inspire others to see the world and maybe live a little less conventionally. Each year, I pull together a round up of moments I’m happily reminded of the rewards…
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A Girl’s Guide to Going on Safari
Most vacations to Africa are life long dreams of going on Safari. These are once in a lifetime trips for the average traveler and many Safari goers are first timers on the continent so planning for a trip like this can become a daunting task. I spent close to half this past year in Africa, on several different types of safaris and I have come up with my tips and tricks for being prepared for your own African adventure. I made a few errors along the way and would love to share with you ways to avoid making your own, as well as helpful hints so you feel ready to…
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Termite Poop & Cheap Whiskey: Volunteering in Zambia
The ritual of walking into town and perusing through the two markets became somewhat of a game. Each day ended the same, we would be picked up from the work site and driven back to camp. A group of us would descend into town, with dirt under our nails, dust in our pony tails and mud on our shoes. We stopped next door to the barber shop to pick up fresh, fried doughnuts from the same lovely women with her two girls always wanting to help collect the change. Then, it was off to see if there was anything new that was delivered to the market. We’d take our collection…
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Hiking the High Atlas: A Moroccan Adventure
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, the sun beat down on us with warm early morning light. I looked over longingly at the light dusting of snow on Toubkal, but for the rest of the mountains, the autumn heat was strongly shining down. Hiking the High Atlas Mountains was no small feat, even a few days trekking in the surrounding hills proved to be a welcomed challenge. Hussein, my guide for the weekend, quickly bounced up the path in front of me. He grew up in the region and has been guiding treks for the last 8 years, his agility shown through in his experience. “It’s a cold country…
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Serenity Meets Sustainability: Chumbe Island Coral Park
My hand reached for the railing, a light blue paint chip like a feather gently fell to the floor. The banister was smooth over the parts that had coats of paint, but on the worn sections that my hand slid along I could feel the century old wood splinter beneath my fingertips. The step creaked as I advanced onto the small platform in between the flights of stairs. I looked upwards towards the squared, spiral staircase that hugged the walls of the lighthouse. Some of the open windows let beams of light in and dust danced in the air as my eyes trailed higher where the shadows grew darker. I…
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Best Destinations for Responsible Wildlife Vacations
Responsible Wildlife Vacations Wildlife destinations are some the of most popular places to vacation, seeing animals you don’t find in your backyard can easily be the top priority when planning a trip. There are locations at all ends of the globe to learn more about different species and see more wildlife.  The important part before taking that dream trip is making sure you’ve booked a sustainable tour and ethically responsible tourism along with animal welfare should be the highest priority to ensure the animals we are wanting to see will be around in the future. Here is a list of my top places to find responsible wildlife vacations. Turtles Lay…
