On Becoming a Travel Advisor 29 Mar 2023 6:11 AM (2 years ago)

Ah, my sorely neglected blog. Sadly, during the pandemic, I didn’t do much traveling and kept my eating to a small number of local restaurants in West Palm Beach, Florida. But finally, I have an exciting and relevant update for my PassportDelicious.com audience. Given my love of travel and all the pent-up travel demand coming out of COVID, late last year, I became a Virtuoso travel advisor. I wanted to let you know more about Virtuoso and what I can do for you when it comes to travel.

What is Virtuoso?
Virtuoso is a worldwide network of travel agencies with specializations in luxury and experiential travel. Importantly, bookings made through Virtuoso advisors come with value-added perks for no additional cost to you! Here are some of the benefits…

• Daily breakfast for 2 guests per room
• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late checkout (subject to availability)
• A special Virtuoso amenity (typically a $100 property credit or other amenity valued at a minimum of $100, like a massage or resort credit)

The catalog of Virtuoso hotels includes name-brand chains like Conrad, Four Seasons, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Rosewood, Peninsula, Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La, St. Regis, Viceroy, and Waldorf.

Booking Virtuoso rates with me is a lot like stacking benefits! Because a Virtuoso hotel rate still goes through the hotel’s booking system, you can still earn hotel points, elite night credits, and even enjoy hotel elite benefits when booking through me. But you just get a little something extra. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

OK, But What’s the Difference between Virtuoso and Amex Platinum Hotel Benefits?
I’ve gotten this question from a few friends recently and the simple answer is…it depends. For example, I’m working with an old friend on a trip to Vietnam. At first, she just assumed that she would get perks at all the hotels through Amex Platinum so she didn’t need me. I confirmed that 3 out of 5 of the hotels she selected for her trip did not offer any Amex Platinum benefits. By booking these hotels through me, she got spa credits, hotel credits, and free champagne! Score!

What Else Can You Do, Krista?
I have access to vetted and specially selected travel partners all over the world to help plan your perfect trip. For example, if you want to spend 10 days in Thailand, I will put together an amazing itinerary for you where all you have to do is show up. Want to self-drive Iceland but not entirely by yourself? I can set you up with an amazing self-drive itinerary with all your hotels and tours included. With my itineraries, all the transfers, hotels, and tours will be bundled together for one price. I can also do cruises (ocean and river) and any sort of tour pretty much anywhere. If you want to rent a yacht or charter a jet or reserve all 80 cabins on an AmaWaterways river cruise, I can do that for you too.

Yeah, But Does Anyone Use a Travel Advisor These Days?
Given how busy I am at the moment, the simple answer is YES.

I can save you a lot of time in researching places you don’t know and I can create an entirely seamless itinerary for you where all you have to do is show up. And of course, as a Virtuoso advisor, I can elevate your entire trip.

Here’s a personal story about the value of a travel advisor. In 2017, I decided to spend 10 days bouncing around the Cyclades in Greece. (This is the part of Greece where Mykonos and Santorini are located.) I tried to do it myself but quickly got flummoxed by the ferry schedules and the sizes of each island. I knew that there was probably a better way to organize my trip. So I gave my request to a travel advisor, who helped me see more of the Cyclades in 10 days than I ever would have seen on my own. (I visited Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Antiparos, and Koufonisia.) Also, every time I got off a ferry, there was a guy with my name on a sign and all I had to do was follow him. It was fantastic. And now, with my connections, I can organize the same thing for you.

What Can’t You Do, Krista?
Sometimes, people will ask me if I can beat a hotel price. To be completely transparent with you, I usually can’t. What I can do though is get you something extra (like a welcome amenity or an onboard credit or an upgrade). So if you’re price shopping, I hope you understand that I’m probably not your girl!

The other thing I don’t really do is flights. Flights are hard work and, well, if I book your flight for you, I don’t actually get paid for that – unless I charge you a booking fee — so that’s no fun. One exception to this is when booking flights for cruises. If you’re taking a cruise, it can be quite convenient to book the flight through the cruise line, so I will help you do that. (Plus, the cruise lines usually have enough buying power to get you a small discount!)

Lastly, I can’t help you with points bookings, either for hotels or airlines. The rules for using points are complex and it’s never as easy as you think it will be. Trust me. I’ve been trying to play the points and miles game for years.

So How Should I Use You, Krista?
At the simplest level, use me for free hotel breakfasts and welcome amenities when booking hotels!! But also consider me if you and 10 of your closest friends want to bounce around Croatia or Thailand for a week or two. I love working on vacation itineraries in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. I can pretty much do the entire world of course but Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are really my bag.

Next Steps
If you’re planning a trip, let’s do a 30-minute free consultation. I can suggest some ideas during our call and tell you how I can help you. Drop me a note if you’d like to chat. The call is entirely free!

The post On Becoming a Travel Advisor first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

45 of The Best Souvenirs from London 5 Jun 2019 10:10 AM (5 years ago)

If you’re planning a trip to London in 2019 — or maybe you’re already here in town — it’s time to start thinking about what to buy and what sorts of London souvenirs you’re going to bring home for friends and family. (And, um, maybe something for yourself too?) Steer clear of the tacky tourist shops on Oxford Street and around Piccadilly Circus. There are MUCH better and more personal and thoughtful London souvenirs to be had!!

As someone who has lived in London for over 10 years and always has to buy people little gifts, here — in my opinion — are my must-buys and some of the best souvenirs from London. (With a special note about which ones should be available in Duty Free at Heathrow if you need to leave your purchases til the last minute!)

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London Underground Souvenirs

London Underground Map

Did you fall in love with the tube during your London visit? Then there’s no better London souvenir than a map of the Underground! Makes for a great conversation piece.  Buy one from Amazon here.

London Transport Museum Posters

The London Transport museum in Covent Garden has some great vintage-look London Underground posters that I love to give as gifts to any Anglophile. They make an especially good gift for yourself! Honestly, I love these posters and think that they make the perfect London souvenir. I had two hanging in my old apartment in Chicago and guests would always comment on them and say how much they liked them. There are a few on Amazon here and here. Honestly, the London Transport Museum is worth a visit for the gift shop alone — a ton of London Underground souvenirs are available.

London Underground Labyrinth Art by Mark Wallinger

If you look closely, every tube station has a maze poster that looks like this. They are by artist Mark Wallinger and were commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the tube. Every station has its own unique  maze. So a great London souvenir is to buy the poster for your favorite tube station. (Or stations.) Once you have them up on the wall, these make great conversation pieces. You can buy a book of all the posters, or you can buy individual posters. The posters  go in and out of stock so check back frequently, or check with the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. This series of products makes for very modern London Underground souvenirs.

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Accessorizing with London Souvenirs

Liberty London Scarf

Liberty is a department store off of Oxford Circus known for its iconic fabrics and prints. (Also, the building itself is very beautiful.) It is honestly one of my favorite places to go shopping in London. When I finally started making the millions that I deserved (hah), I took myself to Liberty and bought myself a beautiful gray silk scarf in a Liberty pattern. These make fantastic London souvenirs so if you’re in the Oxford Street area, stop by the Liberty “scarf room” on the ground floor and check out the Liberty patterns. Alternatively, buy a scarf online.  If you’re not into scarves, there are many other “must buy” items in iconic Liberty prints.

Football Scarf

I recognize that not everyone will want a Liberty scarf. Some will want an Arsenal scarf instead! So for the football fan in your life, pick up a few football scarves. You should be able to find these at many of the souvenir shops on New Oxford Street or Piccadilly Circus. If we’re definitely talking about Arsenal fans, you could also head up to Arsenal Stadium and buy a scarf there at the gift shop. Take a tour of the stadium while you are at it!

Umbrella from James Smith & Sons

This is one of the most iconic and beautiful shops in London…all umbrellas! (And sword canes!) If you are in the vicinity of the British Museum or Tottenham Court Road tube, you should definitely drop by New Oxford Street just to see the shop! And if you’re looking for that perfect London souvenir, definitely pick up an umbrella here. There is no shortage of choices…every make and model you can ever imagine. This is a great field trip if you’d like to buy souvenirs IN London.

Anything from Smythson

Smythson is a British manufacturer of small leather goods and stationery. Basically, everything they make, I want. Nothing is cheap at Smythson, but everything is simple and beautiful. Consider a small notebook or passport cover as a gift, or go all out and buy one of their beautiful leather bags. These are the the types of London souvenirs that your recipient will have forever. If you can’t make it to the Smythsons in Central London, there is a Smythson in T2, T3 and T5 at Heathrow or buy online.

Anything Burberry

Anything Burberry or anything with the distinctive Burberry check/plaid makes for a wonderful London souvenir. Burberry usually has something at every price point…scarves, perfumes, bags, wallets, and of course, the classic trench coat. 

Alexander McQueen Scarf

To be fair, there’s a lot you could get from Alexander McQueen, but there’s one scarf in particular that you should consider as a London souvenir for yourself or for someone special in your life. It’s McQueen’s iconic skull pint and it’s available on scarves both for men and for women. In winter, you’ll find thicker scarves with this iconic print, and in summer, you’ll find much lighter skull-print scarves. If you’re lucky, Liberty will have them, but you can also drop into Alexander McQueen directly…there are locations on Saville Row and Bond Street. Buy on Amazon. Buy on Amazon. 

Links of London Charms

Links of London is know for their cuff links and their charm bracelets. A charm bracelet with a few London charms makes for a great London souvenir. There’s Big Ben, the London Eye, a British phone booth,  and a double-decker bus making these some of the best souvenirs in London. What I like to do is buy one charm at a time…that is, my first gift to someone might be the bracelet and one charm, and then for subsequent life events, I give additional charms. You don’t have to buy a charm bracelet — you can buy necklaces or other bracelets as well.

Pandora Charms

Pandora has a lovely selection of London souvenirs in the form of many, many charms. In the UK, you can find charms with a London theme. There’s a Union Jack, a London bus, and Big Ben along with a few other options.  I have not been able to find these charms outside the UK so definitely look for a Pandora shop while you are in London. Currently, there are Pandora shops in Covent Garden, Oxford Circus, and Marble Arch. 

Aspinal of London Keychains

Aspinal of London has a number of fun London key rings…there’s a London bus, a London telephone booth, a black cab, and a red post box. These are also an excellent value at £35 each. These make super classy London souvenirs for the Anglophile (Londonophile?) in your life. There are a number of Aspinal shops in London — Regent Street, Bank, and St. Pancras to name a few. 

Anything Barbour

Hah I remember my first trip to London when I was 19 years old…all the girls I was traveling with bought Barbour jackets while we were in town. These are very classic coats that are well-respected around the world. I’ve included a men’s coat here but they have nice ladies’ coats as well. This is probably one of the most classic must buy London souvenirs…you’ll have it forever! There are a number of Barbour shops in London, including one in Covent Garden and one in Regent Street. 

Anything Cath Kidston

You may not know Cath Kidston’s name but you will probably recognize her fun pretty prints. There are a few Cath Kidston shops in London for all your London souvenir shopping — one shop in St. Pancras International and another in Covent Garden — but you can also buy her books and lots of other fun stuff on Amazon. 

London Celebrity Chef Cookbooks

While you’re in London, hopefully you’ll have a chance to visit a Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, or Yotam Ottolenghi or restaurant. Even if you don’t do, one of their cookbooks can make an amazing momento of your trip to London. Nigella Lawsom doesn’t have a restaurant but I’ve included one of her cookbooks here too because personally, I think her stuff is amazing and generally easy to prepare. I highly recommend you drop into Books for Cooks in Notting Hill to peruse their entire selection of amazing cookbooks, but if you can’t, there’s always Amazon. 

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Traditional London Experiences

Sometimes they say that it’s experiences, not gifts, that people remember most. With that in mind, you don’t have to buy all physical London souvenirs! You can buy purchase experiential London souvenirs in the form of London tours and attraction tickets as well. Check out a few of these amazing London experiences to create memories of your London visit that will last a lifetime. Take lots of pics and frame them as mementos too! (Or hire a professional photographer to take the photos for you!)

• Magical London: Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour
• Coca-Cola London Eye
• Harry Potter: Warner Brothers Studio Tour and Transfers
• Tower of London Ticket with Crown Jewels Exhibition
• The View from the Shard Entrance Ticket & Optional Champagne
• Stonehenge, Bath & West Country: Day Trip from London

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Union Jack Souvenirs

Union Jack Umbrella

If you plan on “doing it for the ‘gram” all over London, you might want to consider getting a Union Jack umbrella to make all your London photos pop! This makes a great London souvenir before, during, and after your trip! (This is more of a decorative umbrella than anything that will protect you from heavy rain and winds. For that, I recommend a wind-resistant Lifetek!)

Union Jack Decorative Pillow

This Union Jack decorative pillow adds a little British flair to your living room or bedroom and makes for a great London souvenir. Buy this pillow on Amazon.

Union Jack Wine Bottle Stopper

This Union Jack wine bottle stopper makes a great conversation starter and London souvenir. OK, London is not known for its wine but we are known for being fond of good plonk so I think this makes a really nice souvenir from London. Buy this wine stopper from Amazon.

Union Jack Bunting

Throwing a party to mark your return from London? Union Jack bunting is a great idea. Serve some tea and biscuits too and create new memories with your friends and family. Buy Union Jack bunting from Amazon.

Union Jack/London Dress

I LOVE this super-cute dress for young girls and think it makes a very festive London souvenir. Buy this dress from Amazon.

Christmas Ornament London Souvenirs

These beautiful London Christmas ornaments can serve as a great memory of your trip to London or a great gift for any Anglophile in your life. And you can just get it shipped to your house via Amazon instead of trying to carry it back in your suitcase! All the heavy hitters are here…The London bus, Big Ben, the London phonebox, and the London Underground. These are really beautiful and I will probably buy them all for myself for some of my own London souvenirs!!

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Beauty Souvenirs from London

Jo Malone Candles and Scents

Jo Malone is a British perfume and scented candle brand that also has bath products and room scents. You will find Jo Malone shops all across London, and most department stores will also carry Jo Malone products. I honestly love the candles and overall clean aesthetic of the brand. Anything from Jo Malone makes for a fantastic London souvenir and/or gift. There are Jo Malone shops in Heathrow T3 and T4 after security or buy online.

Anything Boots No 7

Boots No 7 is a drugstore brand that most British women in the know are obsessed with. Affordable products that do anything and everything you can imagine. I particularly like their makeup remover. So if you’re a woman or if you are shopping for London souvenirs for the woman in your life, stop by Boots and BUY ALL THE THINGS. Do a big drug store haul!

Pehaligons Perfumes & Colognes

Penhaligons is a British perfume house…the founder of the brand was once barber and perfumer to Queen Victoria. Personally, I wear Blenheim Bouquet, the company’s longest surviving bespoke fragrance, which was created for the Duke of Marlborough and named for Blenheim Palace. I think this makes it one of the best souvenirs in London. There are small Penhaligon boutiques in multiple locations across town. They are worth a visit for their atmosphere alone. If you can’t swing a visit, you can also buy online.

Molton Brown Hand Wash & Moisturizer

For many years, Molton Brown handwash and moisturizer sets have been my go-to Christmas present for relatives. I joke that this way they can think about me whenever they wash their hands. And it works! My friends and relatives always tell me how much they love Molton Brown now and how they never would have bought it for themselves. It’s not cheap but still makes a really nice London souvenir. There are Molton Brown boutiques all over London and also in T1, T3, and T5 in Heathrow. You can also buy online.

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London Souvenirs for The Cocktail Aficionado

London Gin

There are soooo many London gins these days. Obviously, Hendrick’s and Tanqueray are the two big names, but there’s also Star of Bombay, Portobello Road, and Sipsmith to name a few. You’ll find the big names at duty free in Heathrow of course, but for the smaller more local gins, pop into an off-license or grocery store in London and see what you can find.  (Consider buying some of these bottle protectors before you travel to keep your purchases safe.) In short, local London gins make fantastic London souvenirs.

Pimm’s No 1 Cup

If you’re visiting London during the spring or summer, it’s likely that you’ll see Pimm’s on cocktail menus. A Pimm’s Cup is essentially Sprite, fruit (usually strawberries) cucumber, mint, and gin. (And Champagne!) But there’s something I have to tell you….I don’t like Pimm’s!! I mean, I like the idea of Pimm’s and drinking it on a warm summer day on a green lawn somewhere. And I like strawberries in my drinks. But I just don’t dig the taste of Pimm’s. More for you then! Don’t let me stop you. Buy some Pimm’s and whip up some summery London cocktails for your friends and family when you get home.

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London Souvenirs For Kids

LEGO London Kits

I mean, I totally want one of these! LEGO and London together! The London skyline, a double decker bus, Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace! All available in Lego!! SO MUCH FUN!! These are great gifts to bring back from London. (The main London Lego store is convenient to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.) If you feel like you are a Lego expert, you can even buy an expert version of the bus!

Anything Paddington Bear

If you have small children in your life, drop by the Paddington Bear shop at Paddington Station which has stuffed toys as well as key rings, mugs, T-shirts, videos and the famous Paddington books. I believe they might also have some…marmalade! If you are traveling with small children (or even if you’re not!), you can also have your photo taken at the Paddington Bear statue at Platform 1.

Anything Harry Potter

Don’t hate me, but I’ve never read the Harry Potter books!!! I know. One day, I promise. If you have kids, you should definitely consider bringing them back some Harry Potter themed gifts. If they’ve never read the books, maybe that’s your gift. If your kids are more advanced fans, head to Kings Cross to Platform 9 and 3/4 for the Harry Potter shop and pick up some merchandise there! You should also consider one of the many Harry Potter tours available from London.

Anything Roald Dahl

Maybe you don’t know Roald Dahl’s name if you’re an adult, but you’ve definitely encountered his works! He wrote James & The Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and Fantastic Mr Fox, among others! These make great London souvenirs for kids so pick up a few of his books in Heathrow, at one of London’s lovely bookstores, or buy online.

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London Souvenirs for The Pantry

Tea from Fortum & Mason

No trip to London is complete without a visit to Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly and tea in general is one of the best souvenirs in London. There’s tons of amazing stuff you can buy at Fornum & Mason but don’t leave without some tea for your friends back  home. Double-down with the English Breakfast Tea. If you have the time and the $$$, also consider enjoying high-tea AT Fortnum & Mason. (Reservations recommended.) You’ll find a Fortnum & Mason shop in T5 at Heathrow or you can buy online.

Whittard Teas

So here’s the thing…I’ve never had Whittard Tea, but my American friends who are visiting now are totally obsessed with it and have been to the shop multiple times during their visit. They were more excited about Whittard than Fortnum & Mason, which says something! There are Whittard shops in Covent Garden, Oxford Street, and Regent Street. You can also find Whittard on Amazon.

Walkers Shortbread

Who doesn’t love edible London souvenirs? I love this stuff and can eat tons of it. Walkers Shortbread is just great to have around whenever you have guests over. Serve some of your tea from London with some of this shortbread and you will be considered the best of hosts. Walkers is very easy to find in Duty Free and a t pretty much any corner shop. Be careful not to eat it all before you have a chance to share it with your friends. This was my go-to corporate gift from London when I was traveling a lot. 

Cadbury Chocolate

Brits love their Cadbury. Especially at Easter, when the entire nation becomes obsessed with Cadbury Creme Eggs. Don’t bring up the acquisition by Kraft though…no one here is happy about that. Cadbury chocolate is a great value London souvenir for everyone. Just pick up a few bars (or eggs depending on the time of year) at the airport on your way back home.

McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits

I don’t know what it is about McVitie’s Digestives but I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. They have some sort of malt in them and I know I’ve always loved malted barley so maybe that’s it. But these biscuits are covered in chocolate, making them my kryptonite. You don’t find McVitie’s so much in the US so definitely stock up on them while you are in town!

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes is an excellent English salt and a staple on the table in many restaurants. This is not a cooking salt…it’s a finishing salt that you sprinkle in when you are all done. (There’s a difference!) This is a great London souvenir for the gourmand in your life. And it’s the type of gift that just keeps giving!! Buy enough salt and you’ll have it for quite some time. You can find Maldon Salt on Amazon.

Strangely Flavored Crisps

Beef crisps. Chicken crisps. Prawn crisps. If you don’t want to spend too much money, just head into Sainsburys or Tesco and buy a bunch of oddly flavored Walkers crisps (potato chips) for your friends and family and then eat them all together. (Well, not like all the same flavors at the same time. I mean that you should try them all with your friends and compare notes.) Your friends will never forget these amazing London souvenirs, I promise you.

Coleman’s Mustard

There is something that’s just so…bracing…about Coleman’s Mustard. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how British people use Coleman’s — I just put a fire-y dab on ham sandwiches myself — but I LOVE it. There are some recipes on the Coleman’s website  if you need them.  If you’re American, have a little British American party by using Coleman’s (in small amounts) on your hot dogs at your next barbecue.

HP Brown Sauce

Ah, mysterious brown sauce. When I first move to the UK and would order a breakfast sandwich, they would always say “Ketchup and brown sauce?” And I would say no to the brown sauce…because I was DUMB. HP Brown sauce is delicious and it’s great on bacon and breakfast sandwiches. It’s vinegar-y and darkly tomato-y and well, you need it in your life. (HP stands for Houses of Parliament by the way.)

Jaffa Cakes

Is it a cake? Or is it a biscuit? This is the eternal Jaffa Cakes debate — there was even a court case about it!  Personally, I am not into the orange and chocolate combination but British people love these things so you should try some and then buy some for your friends so they can try them too and debate their legal existence. You can find Jaffa Cakes pretty much everywhere.

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London Souvenirs for Your Bookshelves

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel kept a diary from 1660 until 1669 and shared his first-hand experiences with things like the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London. It’s one of the most comprehensive firsthand accounts of London during this time. He wrote over one million words in ten years, chronicling everything from what he ate that day to the weather to his cat. Don’t worry, you don’t have to read all one million words in his diary…buy this abridged version instead.

Anything by Jane Austen

I came to Jane Austen late in life and honestly wondered why I hadn’t read anything by her sooner. (For some reason, I never had to read any Austen in high school or college.) These are delightful novels that I honestly think men and women would enjoy equally, along with any age group that appreciates a nicely turned sentence.

Anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

SHERLOCK HOLMES makes for a fantastic London souvenir!! If you have time while you are in London, you should visit the Sherlock Holmes museum.  If you don’t have time to visit the museum, you should definitely pick up a few books as a great London souvenir for yourself or for others. Look for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of The Baskervilles,  or A Study in Scarlet.

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My London Souvenirs Summary

I hope you’ve enjoyed my list of suggested London souvenirs and now know what to buy in London! I tried to cover gifts for everyone…from food and drink to literature to the more expensive stuff. Whenever I think of something new, like I did today with Booths No 7, I add to the list. Have I left anything out? What are your favorite London souvenirs and things to buy in London?

You Might Enjoy My Other Posts

• My Amazingly Comprehensive London Packing List
• 12 of the Best Non-Touristy Things to Do in London
• The Best London Food Tours
• What I Learned as a Tourist in London
• How to Save Money on Restaurants in London
• Restaurant Recommendations for London Tourists
• My Perfect 3 Day London Itinerary
• My Favorite Restaurants in London
• My Favorite Chicago Souvenirs

Pin The Best London Souvenirs for Later!

 

The post 45 of The Best Souvenirs from London first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

The Best Solo Dining in London 5 Jun 2019 2:05 AM (5 years ago)

A lot of people feel weird dining alone but after years of traveling the world for work — where I often had to decide between a lonely (and expensive) room service dinner in front of the television or exploring the city I was in and going somewhere fun for dinner — I’m a huge fan of solo dining. I honestly don’t mind dining alone at all but of course I have my preferences. I prefer comfortable bar seating and a lively bar area, preferably with an open kitchen where I can watch stuff happening. Long-term readers of this blog will also know that I am not the greatest cook (working on it…it’s a journey), so even when I’m home, given the choice between microwave ready meals and something prepared specifically for me at a restaurant, I will nearly always choose the restaurant.

And I’m not alone either. According to a recent Guardian article, OpenTable recently reported that reservations for one have increased across the UK by 160% since 2014.

Now after 10+ years in London and many trips in between during my four years in exile in Chicago, I’ve racked up quite a few solo dinners. Here are my favorite restaurants for solo dining in London. They are grouped by cuisine but no more than that. Read the entire list as these are all places that I equally love, depending on my mood, my budget, and how willing I am to travel.

(If you work for the PR firm for one or more of these restaurants, I’d love some images of the bar seating. Please feel free to email me at kristainlondon at gmail dot com.)

Spanish

Barrafina (All Branches)

Barrafina is an amazing tapas chain with a small number of locations spread out across Central London. They are all extremely friendly AND delicious to boot. They do not take reservations so showing up  with a large group at peak times is not advised. Get in early and ask your server for his/her recommendations. You’ll want to be strategic about your order because some dishes are more meant for sharing. Your server will never steer you wrong at Barrafina! Excellent changing specials menu and great wines too!

Iberica (All Branches)

Iberica is a very reliable Spanish tapas chain with beautiful decor. I sorta want whoever designed Iberica Farringdon to come over and design my house. I’ve spent many an evening at the bar at the Iberica Farringdon, slowly working my way through the menu and enjoying their very good value wines by the glass. Make sure you ask to see the bar menu in addition to the regular menu…the bar menu has all the small snacks which are perfect when you are not super hungry.

Seafood

J. Sheekey

If you’re looking for a clubby old-world feel, J. Sheekey is it. If you’re also the type of person who can down a dozen oysters in one seating, this is definitely the place for you! J. Sheekey is very seafood focused. The bar area is compact but the perfect place to down some Champagne while you’re enjoying some of London’s best crustaceans. Somehow the bar manages to always feel lively and fun for me, even at the quietest of times. I usually drop in here after a heavy afternoon of shopping in Covent Garden.

Bentley’s

If you can’t get into J. Sheekey for oysters and champagne, head on over to Bentley’s  for more of the same.  They’ll shuck the oysters right in front of you — they claim to open more oysters per day than any other London restaurant. This is one of London’s older establishments as well…Bentley’s has been around for over 100 years. I like the overall feel of Bentley’s and the location, right off Piccadilly Circus, really can’t be beat.

Wright Brothers

Wright Brothers Spitalfields was my go-to place on the weekends in London — never too crowded and great, friendly service. Wright Brothers has a number of locations around London but while I really love the long bar at the Spitalfields branch of Wright Brothers, Kelly from A Pair of Passports recently recommended the downstairs bar at the South Kensington location to me. She says, “With delicious seafood and a romantic setting, Wright Brothers is easily our favorite spot for a date night in London. Their newest location, at Battersea Power Station, offers the option to dine at the marble counter, perfect for anyone who enjoys watching the chefs work. At first glance, this riverside location seems more casual than the other Wright Brothers locations, but it doesn’t take long to recognize that it has the same wonderful, romantic ambiance as all the others.

Wright Brothers offers a relatively small permanent menu; however, there are also creative daily specials to consider. The chain specialize in seafood but they usually have a few non-fish options on the menu as well — thus worth a visit no matter what your meal preferences are. Our personal favorite thing to order? Oysters. All of them are wonderful, but we recommend trying at least one of the dressed oysters. On our most recent visit, the Tempura dressed oysters completely blew us away!”

Italian

Padella

Padella is a fun little Italian place right by Borough market. There’s a bar right in the middle where you can enjoy wine on tap (!!!) and any of Padella’s fab pastas. Service is very efficient…I always feel like when I go to Padella, I’m in and out in less than 30 minutes! Padella is definitely not fast food, but rather, their pastas are extremely fresh  and made on site daily. Historically there have also been huge queues at popular times so definitely plan ahead for this one.

Bocca di Lupo

If you’re in Central London and fancy a quick meal pre- or post-theatre bowl of pasta, Bocca di Lupo is a great option. The seasonal menu changes daily. The dining room here is always buzzing — you might actually want to make a reservation before heading over. This is a great option if you want to hang out in Soho before or after or have theatre tickets close by.

Lina Stores Restaurant

For years, Lina Stores has offered delicious pasta and deli products to the hungriest of Londoners through their shop in London’s Soho. Now they have their own restaurant — Lina Stores Restaurant —  with counter seating for those of us who don’t want to bring the pasta home and cook it ourselves! Note the shop is on Brewer Street and the restaurant is on Greek Street. Prices are particularly nice for Central London. This is a great option for a casual but central night out.

Bancone

Bancone is like all bar dining all the time so it’s great for a solo bowl of pasta. Service is friendly and efficient. You might want to make a reservation though because last time I dropped in for a late Saturday lunch the place was packed and there was a wait for counter space. This is a fun, lively place and if you’re lucky, they’ll be making pasta fresh in the window while you’re there.

American

Spuntino

It’s hard to decide exactly where to put Spuntino but they call themselves Italian-American comfort food but I think they’re more American than anything else. I LOVE Spuntino — it’s a great place for a quick snack if you’re around Soho and Piccadilly Circus. It can sometimes feel more like a bar than a restaurant but the menu has plenty of great options.  Get the truffled egg toast!

Japanese

Roka

I like Roka especially because for a change, we’re in super comfortable regular chairs as solo diners — no bar stools! Roka has great Japanese barbecue — I love the set up at Roka Charlotte Street because you get to watch all the barbecue action while it happens. Great cocktails and overall vibe too. This is a great place to go on your own if you’re looking for something a bit buzzy. Best to make a reservation.

Bone Daddies

Do you like ramen? Do you like rock and roll? Then Bone Daddies is the place for you! Multiple locations with communal and bar seating but I am fond of the original Soho location. Cool staff, cool food, cool tunes. Don’t be afraid to wear the bib.  You won’t be alone. You’ll have a fun time here at a reasonable price. Bone Daddies is a super casual, come as you are kind of place.

Koya Bar Soho

Koya Bar is a great little place for udon and small dishes of fantastic Japanese food. It’s a super small place — maybe the smallest restaurant out of those on my list. They don’t take reservations so don’t show up with eight of your closest friends. Koya is best enjoyed with one friend or maybe two or of course — as a solo diner. Note they have multiple locations but I’m not sure if all have bar seating. Soho definitely does!

Thai

Kiln

Kiln makes me hungry just thinking about it. It’s a great spot for northern Thai food and what I love is that you can watch them cooking nearly everything from your seat at the bar. The counter seating is walk-in only and there is often a wait so go early or go late! I’m not sure how I can do justice to the food in writing — it’s spectacular.

Israeli

The Palomar

The Palomar is just plain FUN. It’s like they are all doing their best to make sure you have a great time, even if you’re alone at the bar. They used to do this pot of Yemeni bread which was amazing. I don’t see it on the menu now but instead, you can have the Handmade Pittas Josperized with love?? You know what…just get anything they tell you to get. They know what they are doing and you will have fun and eat delicious food and maybe get a little happy drunk in the process.

Hot Dogs (I’m Serious.)

Bubbledogs

Do you like hot dogs? Do you like champagne? If yes to both questions, then Bubbledogs is the place for you!! This place is entertainingly random and the communal seating makes it great for a solo diner. Because if you are going to drink alone, drink Champagne! And uh, have some hot dogs too.

Modern British

The Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs

OK, so no hot dogs here at the Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs but what you will find is an excellent tasting menu and great counter seating. If you are looking to splurge a bit — the tasting menu is £150 — this is a great option for a solo diner. Two Michelin Stars to boot! And my favorite thing…that open kitchen. The seating here is particularly comfy.

The Ivy

The Ivy in Covent Garden has a wonderful central dining bar that does not require reservations. If you want to hang out with the beautiful people and enjoy some great modern British cuisine (think Shepherd’s Pie and fish and chips), this is a great option. Although they don’t take reservations, The Ivy is very popular at nearly all times of the week so I recommend that you get there early or late to secure a spot.

Summary of The Best Solo Dining in London

Those are some of my favorite restaurants for solo dining in London. What are yours? Tell me in the comments! (And as I note above, if you are the PR for one ore more of these restaurants, I’d love to add photos of the bar seating so please send any photos to kristainlondon at gmail dot com.)

You Might Also Enjoy These Posts

• My Favorite London Restaurants
• How to Save Money on Restaurants in London
• The Best London Souvenirs
• The Best Non-Touristy Things to Do in London

The post The Best Solo Dining in London first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Nour El Nil: My Dahabiya Nile Cruise Review 23 Apr 2019 1:05 AM (5 years ago)

Interested in exploring Egypt? I am now a Virtuoso travel advisor! Reach out to me via my travel agency website, antidotetravel.com. I’d love to help you with your trip!

Ages ago, before I left London in September, I made a list of places I wanted to go.

Egypt was on the list.

I had done some research (OK a lot of research) on Nile cruises and I kept coming back to one: Nour el Nil. I’ll be honest — it was the red and white sails and the crystal chandeliers that got me. Sigh. Doing it for the ‘gram.

I didn’t think anyone would want to go with me to Egypt. You know…because everyone thinks it’s unsafe. I had done my own research though and I felt comfortable going. Although I didn’t necessarily want to go alone.

Luckily for me, within *minutes* of e-mailing my friends Karen and Bob about Nour el Nil, they’d said yes and we had a date and we were going to Egypt! It was kinda crazy actually how quickly it all came together. (Karen and Bob are the owners of The Frost House, a mid-century modern home in Indiana that is totally worth following on Instagram.)

I wish all travel plans with friends were this easy.

Nour el Nil is a dahabiya, a smaller sailing barge for about 40 people as opposed to the baby cruise ships for 200 that make their way down the Nile. Historically, dahabiyas were the vessels that took tourists up and down the Nile for years until the invention of the steam engine.

I feel like selecting Nour el Nil for our cruise down the Nile is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Confirmed for me shortly before we set sail when Pilar Guzman, former Editor and Chief of Conde Nast Traveler, wrote about her trip on Nour el Nil and how fabulous it was.

She was right. cruising down the Nile with Nour el Nil was also one of the best vacations I have ever had. The pace was totally my pace. One big thing a day. Maybe two. Max three. Great food. Great wine — Le Baron Egyptian sparkling wine is really very good — and great conversation. A little walking but nothing too strenuous or time consuming.

Perfect really.

Itinerary on Nour el Nil

We did so much but yet so little on Nour el Nil. If you, like me, like to know what is going on at all times of the day, you will struggle a bit unless you are good at talking to people and getting the information you need. There is no printed agenda for the day pushed under your door every evening. There is no white board with the day’s plan in the common area. There is just your boat manager (maybe) telling everyone at breakfast (maybe) what is going to happen next and then (maybe) at lunch he’ll (maybe) tell you again. If you want more information, you will have to ask for it! I apparently became very good at this because the rest of the passengers on Malouka — our boat — would often come to me for information. “Krista, what are we doing next? You always know what’s going on!” “Well, I talked to Sawy (our boat manager) and he says…”

Hah. It was funny.

I don’t want to give away too much because who knows what will happen on your cruise, but beyond lazing around and reading 1.5 books and eating a lot of delicious food and drinking a lot of Egyptian sparking wine, here’s what happened on our tour at a very high level:

Monday: We were picked up from the absolutely stunning Al Moudira Hotel on the West Bank of Luxor in the morning and driven around 1.5 hours to Esna, where the Nour el Nil boats depart from. Once we were in Esna, our driver and the team from Nour el Nil moved our luggage to the boats and we went off with two guides to visit The Temple of Khnum.

 

It was a really hot day and the temple was blissfully cool. There was a lot of restoration work going on in and around the temple — watching the workers was actually pretty interesting as they passed items up and down a steep hill at the back of the temple.

Some of the columns still boasted their original colors which was amazing.

After a quick gauntlet through the market in front of the temple where everyone wanted to sell us something, we headed over to the Nour el Nil boats. There was a small moment of panic in that our luggage seemed to have been distributed haphazardly among the boats but eventually we found everything.

We quickly dropped our bags off in our cute all white rooms and went off to explore the rest of the Malouka.

The library on the boat was quite beautiful but we never really spent any time here! We spent all our time on deck.

Soon the sails were up and we were on our way, cruising down the Nile. We had a wonderful lunch on board and then visited a local village later in the afternoon. For some reason, I didn’t take many pictures in the village but that’s okay because that means it will be more of a surprise for you!

Tuesday: On Tuesday, we had the option of going for an early morning walk in the local countryside and watching the camels at work in the fields. A lot of people chose to sleep in instead but I had a great time doing this. I loved watching all the animals and the people. (The trails were a bit muddy though so as I mention below, proper footwear is essential!)

Once the camels were loaded up with sugarcane, we followed them to the sugarcane barge which was in the process of being filled.

The barge was a beehive of activity so early in the morning. It was a bit of organized chaos!

We spent a while chatting with the guests on the other Nour el Nil dahabiyas along with our crews and watching the activity before heading back on board for breakfast.

Later in the morning once everyone was awake and fed, we took a meandering walk to El Kab and toured a few of the tombs. We were some of the only tourists there — it was amazing. The engravings are truly magnificent and in pretty excellent condition considering  some parts of El Kab are from 3000 BC!

After a leisurely lunch and some more cruising, we headed to the Temple of Edfu, one of the most well-preserved Egyptian temples. It was truly stunning. All in all, this was a really action-packed day. I was actually worried that every day would be like this — I like a bit more downtime — but as it turned out, I had nothing to fear.

Wednesday: Wednesday was apparently a pretty chill day because I did not take a lot of pictures of anything but water and boats. I think we went for a walk in the morning because I also took some pictures of plants. I skipped the main evening walk once they said it would be about two hours long and just planned on chilling on the boat with a few others. But then Captain Hamdi took us on his own personalized tour of our docking area for the evening, cracking us up with all his jokes along the way. I think it was nice to have such a chill day like this after the previous day’s activities.

Thursday: On Thursday morning, we got the official version of the tour of the tombs above that Captain Hamdi took us on the night before. It wasn’t half as entertaining — Captain Hamdi is a ham — but it was still informative and interesting.

Later in the day, we stopped at a local village for some tea and shisha. Afterwards, a bunch of guests went swimming in the Nile but I decided to stay on the boat and just watch everyone go swimming. (The current is pretty fast and by all reports, in late March, the water was COLD.)

The light on the Nile is truly fabulous and we enjoyed another beautiful sunset, sad that we only had two more evenings on the boat together. What I found amazing is that everything went so quickly but yet so slowly. How is that possible??

Friday: On Friday, we visited Kom Ombo, also known as the Crocodile Temple.

It is seriously amazing to me that these structures are still standing over two thousand years later.
After a quick tour of the Crocodile Museum — lots of mummified crocodiles at all stages of life — and some more sailing, we docked for the evening. After a lovely farewell dinner and saying goodbye to everyone, we packed our bags and went to sleep on the Malouka for the very last time. (Unless that is I can find some people to go with me for a second trip!)

Saturday: After an early breakfast on Saturday morning, we left the boat around 9 am. Nour el Nil arranged our transfer to The Sofitel Old Cataract where we spent a few hours drinking coffee and taking picture while we waited for our flight back to Cairo. In hindsight, I wish we had stayed a night at The Old Cataract.  OR if that wasn’t feasible, I wish we had taken an earlier flight to Cairo. We lost a few hours here. It was a very relaxing few hours though — we were too templed out to see anything else in Aswan at this point.

OK, now that you know about the itinerary, here are a few more logistical and operational things you should know about Nour el Nil.

Rooms on Our Nour el Nil Dahabiya, Malouka

The rooms on our dahabiya were very simple. They are nicely decorated but they are fairly basic. To be fair, the photos online on Nour el Nil’s website show them at their very very best. I thought the bed was super comfortable — big cozy duvet and great high mattress — but some on our boat people found the mattress too hard. If anything, I think I could have done with nicer pillows. (Note that the bed in my room was “matrimonial” — i.e., two twin beds pushed together. I know this can really annoy some Americans but it doesn’t bother me.) The bathroom is actually a decent size for a boat and there are a lot of mirrors — something I think most hotel rooms lack! If I lived on this boat, I would probably re-tile and re-grout the bathroom. In general, I didn’t spend any time in my room except at night and one short nap I took one afternoon so you should be fine. But if you are looking for The Ritz, this isn’t it. And if you’re used to US cruise ships with their evening turn down service, this isn’t it either. One thing about the hot water — there was one morning where I took a shower later that everyone else on the boat and didn’t have the hottest shower because of it. The rest of the cruise was totally fine but I made it a point from then on to take showers at times when I guessed there would be plenty of hot water.

Food & Drinks on Nour el Nil

I loved loved loved the food on our cruise — my review of the food is overwhelmingly postive! On the Malouka, we had Chef Hashem who was in the Army for many years. I thought his food was excellent. The Egyptian fish and chips was a fun highlight, as was the falafel lunch we enjoyed on the low seating one afternoon. I thought the food was really healthy — lots of vegetables and salads if you wanted them. Plenty of meat for the meat lovers. The lamb moussaka one evening was particularly good.

I think I mentioned earlier (maybe like three times already?) my love of the Egyptian sparkling wine on Nour el Nil, Le Baron. We later encountered it in other hotels in Cairo so you can look forward to it on your trip to Egypt. On the boat, although wine and beer are available, the crew is limited in what mixed drinks they can provide. Consider bringing a few bottles of duty free booze with you. One of our fellow travelers brought some Scotch whisky that was particular popular one evening. And one afternoon, the crew made us cocktails out of the random assorted alcohol that our fellow passengers had brought along. We christened one Brazilian caipirinha-style beverage “The Malouka” after our boat. I came back from my nap one afternoon to find everyone drinking fresh Bloody Marys made with real tomato juice. The crew has access to plenty of fresh fruit and herbs so honestly, as the sun starts to set, get creative with your cocktail making!

Note that there are surprise snacks! But you have to know to ask for them. We were huge fans of the popcorn as well as the peanuts from Esna — once we discovered they existed. You can also get cheese and olives. I was so surprised one day when I saw one of our British passengers stretched out like a pasha, eating from a plate of cheddar!! I was like “Where did you get the dairy products???”

There was one vegan on our cruise and she was well-catered for. At breakfast each morning, she got huge platters of amazingly fresh looking fruit. I sorta wonder in hindsight if I could have asked for anything more interesting for breakfast. I stuck with a cheese omelette most days and it was very good. A few passengers became huge fans of the “Spanish omelette” — really just an omelette with peppers and onions. In short, you won’t go hungry at breakfast but don’t hesitate to ask for something you want. Thinking back, I probably would have asked for my own big fruit platter with my breakfast and shared it with the table. The OJ at breakfast is particularly delicious. And the coffee is really good too — just make sure you let the French press sit for a while before you push it down. I’m all about the French press but it seemed to be new to some of our fellow American travelers.

Weather & Packing for Your Nour el Nil Cruise

It will be very cool in the evening!! You may be surprised by this. I packed a lot of summer dresses that I never wore because after 5 pm, I needed layers. I lived in two hoodies I picked up at the last minute at Uniqlo before leaving London and two long dresses I bought from Boden.

I brought a pair of old New Balance sneakers and in hindsight, I wish I had brought some sturdy high-top sneakers or hiking boots like these modern Forsake hiking boots. The crew will take you for walks most days and it can be either a bit muddy or sandy or both. My socks were always totally dirty inside and out by the time I got back to the boat BUT the crew actually cleaned them for me!!??? (I don’t believe laundry service is provided generally but apparently they will clean your socks if you leave them in your shoes!) The crew will also clean your shoes. Amazing.

Definitely bring a good hat because you will out in the sun a lot while you are touring around. I recommend a roll up hat like this one so it’s easy to pack. Sunscreen is also a must.

You will have some downtime most days after lunch and before dinner. Bring a few books or your Kindle. I spent a lot of time on deck, just reading and watching the Nile go by. It was lovely. I want to do it again.

One last thing — you may want to bring small gifts for locals you encounter. We learned for example that some locals like pens…apparently they are a bit expensive in Egypt? I also wish I had brought some sort of American candy for the kids we encountered.

Service on Our Nour el Nil Cruise

I thought service on the boat was excellent. One afternoon, I admired the kohl on Alberto’s eyes and he offered to apply some for me the next day. (Apparently Chef Hashem is the kohl expert. He can also give you a haircut if you need one.) Everyone on the Malouka was very sweet and attentive. Maybe because I had been traveling for six months by the time I got to Egypt, but I asked everyone’s names and by Day 2, I knew most of the crew. This is a very simple thing that I suggest you do…getting to know the crew makes the cruise so much more enjoyable and interesting. Captain Hamdi was particularly fun to get to know…such a positive, happy person. The world needs more Captain Humpty Dumptys! (His nickname.)

Money on the Boat

Bring a lot of cash. You’ll want to tip at least 100 euros for each person in a cabin per Nour el Nil’s recommendation. I tipped a bit more because I thought the service was excellent and I’m American and it’s hard for me not to tip. And then you’ll need to pay your bar bill. Karen, Bob and I split many of our drinks but we uh still drank a lot of Egyptian sparkling wine which was 500 Egyptian pounds a bottle in early 2019. In hindsight, I wish I had brought about $500 USD in Egyptian pounds with me so I didn’t have to run to the cash machine to pay my bill at the end. On the night before the end of the cruise, I asked for an approximation of how much I owed. Then many of us went to the cash machine in Kom Ombo. (Lots of people piled into the back of a covered pickup truck but I shared a tuk-tuk with one of the guys from my boat along with someone from Nour el Nil.) The ATM at the last cruise stop at the Crocodile temple in Kom Ombo is about a 10 to 15 minute bumpy drive from where the boats dock. The cool thing is that you actually get to see a town along the Nile but it’s still sort of a pain of a ride. (Although maybe the view from the back of the pick-up truck isn’t as good as the one from the tuk-tuk.) When we went to the ATM, the queue was pretty long and one of the two ATMs ran out of cash. It was basically an hour that I would have rather spent on the boat!

The ATMs by the dock at the Temple of Edfu are MUCH more convenient so get money from there if you need to a few days earlier. It’s a very very short horse & buggy of ride or taxi ride from the dock. We had our driver take me to the cash machine on the way back from the temple. So tip #1: Get money in Cairo or Luxor.  Tip #2: Get money in Esna. Tip #3: Get money at one of the cash machines by the dock at the Temple of Edfu. Tip #4: Try to avoid waiting until Kom Ombo to get money.

Note you might be limited in how many Egyptian pounds you can take out. (3000?) But just try again and it may let you take out the same amount a second time. (That’s what a few people on the Malouka said worked for them.)

I’ve just told you to bring a lot of cash but here’s the thing…there’s no safe in the room on Nour el Nil. There was a nightstand drawer in my room that I could lock but it was fairly basic. I trusted the crew implicitly but you may want to consider a money belt or Pacsafe. Most passengers just left their stuff in their rooms but I tended to carry my passport and wallet with me everywhere because that’s just how I am.

Other Amenities on our Nou el Nil Cruise

Note that we traveled in a group of four Nour el Nil dhabiyas. There was a shop on one of the boats with really beautiful jewelry and clothing — another reason to bring more cash — and there was also the option of getting a massage. I wish these things had been better advertised because we didn’t figure this out til the 2nd to last night on the cruise.

Nour el Nil: My Ultimate Review

Nour el Nil is a wonderful, wonderful way to experience The Nile — again my review of Nour el Nil and our dahabiya experience is overwhelmingly positive. We passed a lot of the bigger boats (or well, they passed us) and we felt very very lucky to be having such an intimate experience on our dahabiya. You will too.  You should go!

Interested in exploring Egypt? I am now a Virtuoso travel advisor! Reach out to me via my travel agency website, antidotetravel.com. I’d love to help you with your trip!

The post Nour El Nil: My Dahabiya Nile Cruise Review first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

19 Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling these Last Seven Months 13 Apr 2019 9:24 AM (5 years ago)

As the end of my temporary life on the road grows close — I think I have about two months left if that — I’ve been thinking a lot of deep thoughts. Very deep thoughts. Have I learned anything? Do I do anything differently? Should I do anything differently? And why, when I have so many amazing places I could write about (Chengdu! Xi’an!!), do I just want to write about what’s been going on in my head? It’s always the type of blog post I’ve preferred writing so…here you go…some stuff I’ve been thinking about these last few months…

(Read more about why I left London in September here.)

Always Wear a Bathing Cap If…

Let’s start with the mundane but important. IF you color your hair and go swimming in a swimming pool, you are really really dumb because now you’ll have to color your hair again. Chlorine undoes hair dye. I did not realize this until this year. I know. I’m dumb. Getting my hair colored in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Chiang Mai was actually pretty fun, but I think I will get one of these for future swims.

Buy a Bike Lock for Train Trips

If you travel on long-distance trains in China (or anywhere really), lock your bag to the overhead rack. Or else someone is going to grab your bag and rustle through it. Like what happened on my train to Suzhou to Yichang when I stopped a robbery. Seriously. (Experts recommend a bike lock like this one.)

Keep Your Personal Belongings Close

Related to the above but totally different…Don’t ever put your backpack with your laptop and valuable shit in the back of a taxi. I’ve had more than one situation where for oddly strange reasons that still are unclear to me, my taxi to or from an airport has had to pull over for seemingly arbitrary checks where the entire world turns out to investigate the trunk of the car. Worse still, there have been so many times where my drivers have decided to get gas while I’m in the car and this always seems to involve some sort of opening of the trunk. Keep your good stuff with you. Not in the trunk.

Distracted Driving is Everywhere

If you are hiring a driver or guide for the day, you might want to make a point of asking the travel agency for a few things upfront and being very very clear about them: you don’t want anyone one who is very tired and no one who is going to check their phone constantly while they drive. My closest brushes with death have all occurred in the last eight months, as drivers have nodded off and/or been distracted by their phones. (Just happened AGAIN in Belgrade on Monday. For the love of god. I practically had to hit the guy.) Would you report something like this? Especially in a low income country where it could cost someone their job?? This is the thing I wrestle with.

Instant Noodles FTW

Instant noodles are amazing. The world needs more instant noodles. I’ve made so many meals out of instant noodles these last few months. They are perfect solo dinner food. Buy some fresh broccoli and cut it up and instant noodles are even better. Instant noodles are cheap and delicious. High in sodium yes but delicious. And so many varieties! They are my new favorite breakfast.

There is Too Much Plastic in the World

Everywhere guys. Everywhere. There’s so much plastic. I can’t even put this into words. In Koh Lanta Thailand, where I started my trip back in September, I would take walks on the beach every morning — when it wasn’t pouring rain (don’t visit Thailand during monsoon season) — and I was devastated by the amount of plastic that appeared on the beach each morning. (Despite the numerous resources devoted to cleaning up the mess daily.) Oceans everywhere are full of plastic. Beaches everywhere are full of plastic. We need to get rid of plastic. Struggling with where to start? First step: Get rid of your shower gels. Switch back to old school soap that comes in a paper wrapper. And definitely stop drinking bottled water and buy a Lifestraw instead.

F*ck ATM Fees

The global banking system is messed up. I know I’m stupid for not having a US Schwab checking account with no international ATM fees but hey changing banks has high switching costs. (This is how they get you!) I don’t even want to know how much I’ve paid in ATM fees over the last eight months. Too much. ATM fees are stupid. I KNOW it doesn’t cost $10 for me to get money out of my US bank account from the airport in Macau. Is there a petition I can sign here about ATM fees? Can I become an anti-ATM fee influencer? Help a gal out.

The Only Way to Get Instagram Followers is To Buy Them

Speaking of influencers…I’ve hashtagged the shit out of all my Instagram photos over the last eight months — 30 hashtags on most pics which is the max — with very meager results. (Give us a follow love will ya?) This says a few things to me: 1. My photos are shit. (Not denying that.) 2. No one is following anyone on Instagram via hashtags these days 3. The people that have many many followers on Instagram were either early adopters OR have purchased Instagram followers. (Maybe both.) Real authentic growth is not easy. Unless you become famous (rare) or post a gazillion times a day (who has this much time unless you hire a virtual assistant) or play follow/unfollow (again who has this much time) or join one of those crazy Facebook groups where you all agree to comment on each other’s photos which to me is just like…stupid.

Everyone Loves Bieber

Despacito is still everywhere. I have heard Despacito within 24 hours of arriving in every country I’ve been to in the last eight months. I still sing it. I think it’s a good song. (Dude the video has over 6 BILLION views on Youtube! And it’s not even the version with Bieber.)

We are So So Doomed to Repeat Everything

We all need to know our history better. In Da Nang, Vietnam, the kind young man waiting on me was university educated but knew nothing about the French occupation of Vietnam. (“I only know about the American war,” he said, as we were discussing Bahn Mi. And just in case any Americans are perplexed by that statement — he means the Vietnam war, not the US Civil War.) In Taiwan, while I was enjoying my beef noodle breakfast, an older woman approached my breakfast table and demanded — demanded — my answer: “Do you think Taiwan should be a part of China?” I really just wanted to eat my beef noodles but I listened because I was woefully uninformed about Taiwan’s past. (The BBC has a good brief but imperfect explanation. ) In Belgrade, I tried to unsuccessfully explain to my bartender why the U.S. Confederate flag was not something to be proud of and he should get rid of it. (“But musicians use it,” he kept arguing.) During this same trip, one Belgrade tour guide told me very clearly and specifically, “Kosovo is Serbian.” She reminded me so much of the Albanians who had told me with the same certainty just last year, “Kosovo is Albanian.”

Eat All the Fruit

Enough about politics. Let’s talk about food. In my opinion, we — and I say this meaning Americans and Brits — don’t appreciate fresh fruit enough. Some of my sweetest moments have been when someone has presented me with a plate of fresh cut fruit for breakfast or for a snack. Fresh oranges and fresh strawberries — there’s nothing better. Especially with a squirt of lime. Also, dates are underrated as are most dried fruits. Nuts are also underrated. Eat all the international nuts. (A sad moment, in Egypt. When we complimented the crunchy peanuts from Esna — a higher roast, apparently. “You know who used to have the best nuts?” our guide asked. “The Syrians. They really had a way with nuts.”)

Elephants are Amazing

I have such a newfound respect for the elephant. They are so smart! They have memories! They know stuff. I thought this recent news story was a perfect example of elephants knowing what is up.

F*ck the Patriarchy

Arrrggghhhh. Many parts of the world are run completely by men. Except in Vietnam and China — they feel refreshingly equal — and perhaps Thailand although I have so many questions about sex workers in Thailand. Bali? Mostly men except in spas.  The Maldives? All men. Sri Lanka? All men. Egypt? All men.  It kinda kills me that economies are reducing their capacity for a whole shitload of stuff by so much by keeping women in the home — today, in 2019. 2019! Make the pie bigger people!!! Get a bigger table! Get a bigger table with more chairs!!!

There are Racists Out There

I don’t want to even tell you these stories but you know when you’re on your own and have to talk to strangers a lot, 90% of strangers are totally cool but 10% of them are f*cking racists. You want to know why Brexit happened? Why Trump happened? Because there are racists out there. Travel is good because it forces us to talk to other people and understand how they see the world. And let me tell you — some people have a pretty messed up view of the world and/or think the world owes them an awful lot.

The World is Full of Disappointing Croissants

Trying to buffer the racist thing so let’s talk about…CROISSANTS! There are so so many disappointing breakfast buffet croissants everywhere in the world. Why???? Why??? Don’t even offer a croissant if you can’t do it properly. I can’t wait to go to Paris next week and have some real croissants.

Potable Water is a Gift

The ability to drink water straight from the tap is a gift. Appreciate it. Every day. It might not always be there. I am happy to write this from Belgrade where people look at you funny when you ask if you can drink the tap water. “Why of course you can,” they answer. Little do they know. When I explained to my Chinese teacher in Shanghai that I thought it was odd that the water in the world’s most populous country wasn’t potable, she looked at me like I was the crazy one. “No of course not. You should always boil it,” she said.

Tampons are Also a Gift

So many pads in the world, so few tampons. I would die if I had to wear pads all the time. In China, they actually put tampons on DISPLAY to help people understand what they are. In other countries — I’m looking at you Egypt — it’s nearly impossible to find tampons. Do you know what I was looking forward to about Serbia? I had a feeling I’d be able to easily buy o.b. tampons. (The best.) I was right and man have I stocked up. (o.b. are even hard to find in the UK. I used to import mine from Germany via Amazon.)

People are Beautiful

I mean, if there’s anything that will convince you of the existence of some sort of higher being, it’s the beauty of people all around the world. I love how both Vietnamese and Egyptian young men take the same care with their hair — closely shaved sides and all the gel at the top — from so many miles apart. In Laos one night at the bar before dinner, my server was so distractedly sexy that I actually announced to my friend Jen in full earshot of the man…”Um he’s so distractingly sexy.” In the Maldives, on a day trip to an all-inclusive resort, I met a group of young Malaysian girls away on a girls’ weekend — stunningly butterfly-like in their pastel colored floor length ensembles and hijabs during the day, returning to the boat in the evening like slick Bond girls in their full-length snorkel gear and head coverings. The Maldivan and Bangladeshi boat crews — themselves also distractingly sexy — were entranced.

The World is Also Full of Disappointing Pillows

When you go to bed tonight, ask yourself if you like your pillow. If you could be cozier. More comfortable. When was the last time you replaced your pillow? If it was more than two years ago, buy new pillows!!! I have been so dismayed by the quality of pillows I’ve encountered around the world. I think I’m going to start a new index — the #hotelpillowindex — and start rating hotel pillows and become a hotel pillow influencer. Because so many hotel pillows are so so disappointing. And part of me blames this on our own shitty pillows at home. So go buy yourself some new pillows. You deserve them. Your head deserves them. And they are not expensive. Like $25 each. Buy these if nothing else.

Conclusion

Not sure I can top ending on shitty croissants, tampons and pillows. But this is what I’ve been thinking about these last few months. What have you been thinking about?? Tell me.

The post 19 Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling these Last Seven Months first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

My Budget Trip to The Maldives: Visiting Maafushi Island 10 Mar 2019 3:53 AM (6 years ago)

I wasn’t originally planning on visiting The Maldives while I was traveling through Southeast Asia, but once I realized that it’s only a one hour fifteen minute flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka, I thought “Hey, why not?”

But then I started looking at prices and WOW. The Maldives is NOT cheap. Even the Holiday Inn wanted $500 per night. (Plus tax!) Plus $200+ for the speedboat to and from the airport. I think we all know that hotel food is not inexpensive so after running the numbers, I figured that a place like the Holiday Inn was easily going to cost me $750 a night unless I packed my own food and I wasn’t sure Colombo was the right place to pick up instant noodles.

Was a budget trip to the Maldives possible? Could I do a Maldives vacation for cheap? I used Booking.com and plugged in my parameter of uh less than $100 a night and within a max 90 minute speedboat ride of the airport. (A seaplane transfer can easily add $600 to your stay.)

I noticed that most hotels that fit my $100 per night/airport proximity criteria were clustered on Maafushi, a small island about an hour away from Maldvies airport.

Interesting.

Digging deeper, it seemed like there were lots of things to like about Maafushi island…the price was right, the distance was right, there were multiple restaurant options, and it looked like day trips were easy to book.

Sold. Maafushi it was.

Where to Stay on Maafushi

I started looking at hotels on Maafushi with my $100 budget per night all in (including taxes and breakfast) and found Triton Beach Resort & Spa, which had positive reviews and a good location, although it wasn’t on the beach itself. Later, I would learn that it’s hard to have a bad location on Maafushi! The island is pretty small. Of course, water views are great but at any point, you’re like a max 3 minute walk to the water so I figured I’d be fine. I like the Triton Beach. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the rooms were spotless. The food is not really super-gourmet but as I note below, I tried two other places on the island and the food was all pretty similar. (Get ready for a lot of fish curry.) The hotel has a ton of day trips to offer and is really good about suggesting which trips might be the best fit for you.  My only gripes with the Triton was that the bed was a little on the hard side and it was hard to eat breakfast without an audience. Surely they see a lot of Western tourists eating but the mostly young male staff seemed overly fascinated by me!

In short, I thought the Triton Beach & Spa was a great choice for a budget trip to the Maldives. (And note that I’m conscious that $100 is not “budget” by any stretch but I found it hard to find anything decent that was much cheaper and this was a last minute booking.)

If you’re looking for something a bit more upmarket in Maafushi, check out the Liyela Retreat Maldives hotel. It has a really gorgeous design, a boutique-y feel, and amazing food.

Likewise, if you really want something cheaper on Maafushi, check out the Venturo Maldvies It has comfortable rooms, friendly service, and is very quiet.

What to Do on Maafushi Island

The main activities on Maafushi revolve around the water and the beach. There are a ton of snorkeling trips and day trips to different resorts.  Here are a few things I to do on Maafushi that I can recommend:

Go to The Beach!

I thought the beach on Maafushi was pretty beautiful. Clear turquoise water. There is some dead coral in parts but if you walk the entire length of Bikini Beach and follow the crowds, you’ll figure out how to avoid the coral. If you’ve never encountered dead coral before, it can be quite painful to walk on. If you’ve got about 12 inches of water, I actually recommend trying to doggie paddle over it. (Please don’t ever ever ever walk on live coral.)

Go Line Fishing at Sunset

I loved this compact sunset cruise and fishing expedition. We spent about 2 hours trolling the waters around Maafushi, trying to find fish. I caught four white snapper! It was really fun but it was interesting to see how most people who had never fished before got really disappointed so quickly and easily. They expected to just throw their fishing line into the water and catch something immediately. Fishing doesn’t work that way!! I found that things picked up for everyone on the boat once the sun set. One gal even caught a barracuda! (Which was thrown back, along with a parrot fish.) We kept the white snapper and red snapper that everyone caught and headed back to the Triton Beach, where the chef prepared everything for us and we had a simple meal of grilled fish, rice, and salad. In March of 2019, this tour cost $50 USD which I thought was pretty cheap considering the value we got out of it. A sunset cruise, bottled water, and dinner!

Visit Andaaran Prestige Vadoo

If you are cheap like me and want to experience The Maldives the luxury way but don’t want to spend $500+ a night, you can stay on Maafushi island and get a day pass to one of the resorts. I visited Andaaran Prestige Vadoo one day for $125 and had a nice time. We arrived at the resort at 8:30 am and then the boat came back to get us around 5:45 pm. There’s not much to do at the Andaaran Prestige Vadoo besides going swimming and snorkeling, using the pool, indulging in their limited lunch buffet and afternoon tea, and drinking fruity cocktails (yes, with alcohol), but it’s still a nice day out. This resort is very quiet — each luxury bungalow has its own private plunge pool so I get the sense that most guests don’t really leave their rooms all day.  As such, I had the main pool practically to myself for the entire day…occasionally, one of the other 19 day trippers would come join me but they tended to stick more with snorkeling and drinking. Big warning though: my general sense from the Andaaran Prestige Vadoo is that they are not too keen on day trippers. They do a lot to keep you entirely separate from the main guests — there’s an entirely separate dining area for day trippers for example. And a separate bar for your all-inclusive alcohol package for the day. The other weird thing about this resort is that it faces a huge building site…apparently right across from the Andaaran, they are building a dining and entertainment complex. In March 2019, a day pass to the Andaaran Vadoo cost $125 including the boat trip. Ah one tip before I forget…when we went to lunch, there was only water and tea and coffee to drink. If you wanted a beer or wine or anything with alcohol, you had to walk back to the other side of the island was where the bar is. So one suggestion for you if you do the day pass at Andaaran Prestige Vandoo: make sure you get your drinks from the bar before you walk over for lunch!

Visit Centara Ras Fushi

My hotel laughed when I booked a second resort day pass. They were very concerned that I wasn’t booking any snorkeling packages. I can snorkel for about 5 minutes before I get bored so resort packages it was. I really enjoyed my day here because it was really social. The hotel has a swim up bar where all the guests tend to congregate so I had a chance to talk to some fellow Remainers along with a few Aussies and Americans (who all agreed that the UK should remain in the European Union btw). The staff were really friendly and helpful and the buffet lunch (included in the price of the day pass) was fantastic and large. This day pass was a little more expensive than the Andaaran Prestige — $140 compared to $125 — but I would gladly do it again. The Centara Ras Fushi is just a really good time.  Also, the snorkeling equipment here is totally free where at the Andaaran Prestige, you had to put in a $30 deposit. I don’t think I would ever stay at Centara Ras Fushi — even if I had the cash — it too is facing a building site and I’m not flying halfway around the world and spending $500 a night plus tax and meals  to stare at a construction site. But for a cheap way to experience a luxury resort in the Maldives, you really can’t go wrong with a Centarar Ras Fushi day pass!!

Eat Out in Maafushi

Because I didn’t want to take out a lot of cash in Maafushi — you can’t convert it back to anything! — I kept my dinners to my hotel, its sister property Stingray Beach, and one beachfront restaurant on the north side of the island whose name escapes me and I can’t find on Google Maps.  (It may have been the Arena Hotel Restaurant.) You can tell that the restaurants are trying to cater to tourists from China, India, Russia and Western Europe as most menus I looked at had Chinese and Indian sections, then your standard Club Sandwich/Pizza/Hamburger section, and then a few more Russian dishes like borscht. I ate A LOT of fish curry in the Maldives during my six days on the island. When I wasn’t eating fish curry — which is also frequently served for breakfast by the way — I kept to the Chinese side of the menu which was mainly noodle-based. In general, I found the food on Maafushi island refreshingly cheap.

Alcohol on Maafushi Island: Visit a Maafushi Bar Boat

There are three bar boats moored off Maafushi where alcohol is available in the evening. I didn’t visit them because I felt weird drinking alone and I sorta didn’t like the idea of taking a boat to a boat only to risk finding out that I was the only person there. I did try to meet up with some day trippers I met at Andaaran Prestige but they didn’t want to go to the boats until around 11 pm and that was too late for me. (Kids!) From the scoop I got from other tourists on Maafushi, as you’re looking out to see, the boat on the left is the more local boat with cheap drinks and a DJ. (Although I think “local” here refers mainly to the workers on the island who come from all over and aren’t necessarily Muslim.) The middle boat was supposedly a bit more upscale, and the boat on the right served both dinner and drinks. I thought this was all very interesting because the other blog posts I read did not refer to three boats — they made it seem like there was only one bar boat. I am not sure if the three boats is a new thing or what. Regardless, the good news is that even though Maafushi is a dry island, you can get booze if you want relatively easily by taking a very very short boat ride to one of the party boats.

Visit Male from Maafushi Island

One regret I have is not visiting Male from Maafushi. There are a few half-day tours that you can book like this one, which has a good rating. Apparently Male has one of the highest population densities in the world.  It would have been nice to learn more about the history of the Maldives and visit some local markets and interesting places.

Drawbacks to Maafushi Island

Of course, after I booked my budget trip to the Maldives, I learned a few things about Maafushi that you might want to keep in mind. Just giving these to you all upfront to help you make your decision about Maafushi.

• This is not a luxury island. It seems like most hotels are three-star hotels. Maybe one or two four-star hotels. Maafushi is definitely targeted at people like me who wanted to organize a budget trip to the Maldives.

• There is A LOT of construction on the island. My hotel was surrounded on all sides by new hotel projects. I imagine by next year, Maafushi will be an entirely different place. (The beachfront hotel that you see in this photo — the completed one — is the Kaani Grand. It would be nice to have one of those seafront rooms!)
• Maldivan currency is non-convertible! So anything you take out of the bank, you have to spend on the island.  In these situations, I’ve learned to use any remaining money to pay down my hotel bill before using my credit card for the rest of the balance. On a private island, this wouldn’t be an issue because you charge everything to your room, but on Maafushi, you will likely eat out and buy drinks and snacks from vendors, so you’ll need some cash. In hindsight, I wish I had brought US dollars for this. (Dollars seem to be very widely accepted.) Note that in general, I found prices on food and drinks on Maafushi to be very budget-friendly. Most meals cost me less than $10 USD.)
• There is no alcohol ON Maafushi. This is considered a local island and because the Maldives is a Muslim country, it’s impossible to get alcohol outside of the resorts which are all located on “private islands.”  There are “Booze Boats” moored off Maafushi though so you can still get drinks in the evenings.
• There is no pork on Maafushi again because it’s a local island and Muslim country. You’ll have to ready yourself for chicken sausages and beef bacon. This didn’t bother me but I could tell a few people were not pleased with their breakfast and really wanted more traditional Western food.
• Because this is a local island, you are relegated to one “Bikini Beach” area that is surrounded by foliage. It’s pretty large and you could actually argue that it’s two beaches and not one because there’s a rock jetty in the middle of it. I didn’t have a problem with this but just keep in mind that you can’t just go swimming wherever you want. You have to use the beaches for tourists. Related to this, you should dress somewhat conservatively when you are not in the main tourist area. I saw plenty of tourists flouting this however which really bothered me. I think some people had a “You’re not going to tell me how to dress” attitude where I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being respectful of a local culture. I was very surprised by how many people were walking around in short-shorts and tank tops when most hotels seem to ask tourists not to do this.

• Maafushi is home to a prison! Personally, I found this pretty interesting but just something to think about.
• Maafushi is pretty much exactly an hour away from the airport by speedboat. You are dependent on the schedule of the island hotel boats to get to/from the airport unless you want to pay a lot extra for a private transfer. It seemed to me that some of the hotels joined up to arrange transfers for guests as on my way to Maafushi, I was on an Arena Hotel boat. On the way back, I was on a iComm boat. The timings worked out pretty well for me…I probably only had to wait at the airport for about an hour for my outbound boat, and for my trip back to the airport, my hotel gave me a 2 pm checkout to help me out with my 2:30 pm airport boat. I just want to point out here that unlike most luxury resorts that arrange private transfers, with Maafushi, you are relying on group transfers unless you specifically pay for private.

Travel Insurance for The Maldives & Maafushi Island

If you’re planning a budget trip to the Maldives, you should definitely get travel insurance. You will be getting in and out of a lot of boats and most likely participating in a lot of water activities. You might want to make sure you are covered for air evacuation given the size of Maafushi and the lack of a large hospital. A budget trip to the Maldives can become pretty expensive without travel insurance!

What to Pack for The Maldives

Thinking about my time on Maafushi, here’s what I recommend packing:

A Turkish towel for the beach: Your hotel will likely give you a towel but it’s nice to have a Turkish towel too because it’s an easy-to-pack beach blanket. You can get loungers on the beach but you will have to pay.

Waterproof cell phone case: If you plan on swimming and want to bring your cell phone alone, buy one of these waterproof cell phone cases.

Waterproof camera: Because you’ll be doing so much snorkeling in the Maldives, get one of these underwater cameras for all the cool stuff you see!

Summary of My Budget Trip to the Maldives

I thought Maafushi was a great little island. and pretty cheap for the Maldives, all things considered. If anything, I wanted it to be more local and I wanted to interact with locals more. The island keeps you pretty isolated with all the tourists. I think Maafushi is going to change rapidly in the next 12 months as more and more hotels pop up so if you’ve ever wanted to go to The Maldives, I think now might be the time. I hope the island’s infrastructure can keep up and things only get better!

Pin It for Later!

The post My Budget Trip to The Maldives: Visiting Maafushi Island first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

26 of The Best Chicago Souvenirs 1 Mar 2019 12:31 AM (6 years ago)

Heading to Chicago sometime soon? Or perhaps you’re already there and wondering what to buy in Chicago? I lived in Chicago for 10+ years — check out my Chicago archives — and frequently had to find souvenirs and gifts from the Second City for friends and family. Inspired by my popular London souvenirs post, here are some of my all-time favorite Chicago souvenirs to help you remember your trip. Enjoy!

Chicago Jewelry Souvenirs

Chicago Bean Necklace

If you enjoyed your trip to Chicago’s “Cloud Gate” — aka The Bean — in Millennium Park you might like this cute little bean necklace as a cute little Chicago souvenir. (If you want a more expensive version of the Chicago bean necklace, head to Tiffany’s!)

 

Chicago Flag Necklace

If you really loved your trip to Chicago, or perhaps you have some Chicago connections, consider this Chicago flag necklace. (You’ll see the Chicago flag around town — it has four red stars and two light blue stripes on a white background)

Edible Chicago Souvenirs

Garrett Popcorn

If you’re looking for a party pleaser, Garrett Popcorn makes for a great Chicago souvenir. While I love Garrett’s cheese popcorn an awful lot, one really fun thing to do is get the “Chicago Mix,” which is half cheese & half caramel. If you can’t face the queue at one of Garrett’s downtown Chicago locations, you should be able to pick some up in O’Hare. Garrett’s have locations in Terminal 1, 3, and 5.

Vosges Chocolate

Since 1998, Vosges Haut-Chocolat has been fusing spices, nuts, roots and herbs from around the world with premium chocolate, encouraging you to travel the world through chocolate. Any bar or box of bars from Vosges makes for a particularly sweet Chicago souvenir. I particularly love the Vosges bacon bar! Vosges has a shop on Armitage in Lincoln Park and there’s another shop in 520 N. Michigan. There are also outlets in O’Hare in Terminals 1 and 3 and you can of course buy Vosges on Amazon if you’d prefer to have some of the best souvenirs from Chicago delivered. 

Fannie May Chocolates

Fannie May started in Chicago back in 1920 and the company is still headquartered in Chicago. Fannie May is known for its Pixie chocolates as well as Trinidads and my personal favorite, Mint Meltaways! You can find Fannie May chocolates in a number of locations in downtown Chicago and you can also buy them online at Amazon.

Chicago Pizza

Hopefully while you are in town, you will get a chance to try Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza. Personally, I’m an east coast girl so I’m thin crust all the way but there is always a time and a place for Chicago-style pizza. If you’d like to take some deep dish home with you — one of the best souvenirs from Chicago possible — many local chains will deliver frozen pizza to your door. Or you can order some Lou Malnati’s (my personal favorite) from Amazon! If you are really into pizza, you might also want to consider a Chicago pizza tour while you’re in town. Check out this cool walking tour that covers both crime and pizza.

Giardiniera

If you enjoy an Italian beef sandwich while you are in Chicago, you will probably encounter giardiniera, a spicy and vinegary mix of peppers that’s very very addictive. If you fall in love with giardiniera, pick some up as a souvenir from Chicago! You can find giardiniera at most grocery stores in Chicago as well as the Vienna Beef Factory Store. (See next entry.) You can also buy giardiniera on Amazon.

Vienna Beef Hot Dog Box

Who doesn’t appreciate a good Chicago hot dog? (Hold the ketchup.) Vienna Beef has been making hot dogs forever — you can even visit their factory store while you’re in Chicago. What better way to commemorate your visit to the Second City than a big ole box of Vienna Beef hot dogs as your Chicago souvenir? You can buy a Vienna Beef Hot Dog Box on Amazon.

Old Town Oil

Old Town Oil is a great little shop on Wells Street in Lincoln Park. They have hundreds if not thousands of olive oils (and other oils) to choose from. It’s worth a visit while you’re in town — they let you sample lots of the oils while you’re there — and afterwards, you can buy your favorite to take home with you. Or  just make a mental note to buy some on Amazon as a small Chicago souvenir when you get home.

The Spice House Spices and Rubs

Old Town Oil and The Spice House are very conveniently located just a few minutes from each other on North Wells Street so they are worth a visit together when you are in Chicago. What I love about The Spice House is all the cool spice mixes and blends they’ve created! They have a series of Chicago-themed blends like Lake Shore Drive (chives & shallots) and Bronzeville Rib Rub. This is one of the best foodie souvenirs from Chicago!

Hot Fudge Sauce from Margie’s Candies

Margie’s Candies is a Chicago institution. It’s a bit north of downtown but worth the trip if you want an authentic Chicago local experience. If you enjoy your ice cream sundae, consider purchasing some of Margie’s famous hot fudge sauce or caramel sauce to go! Unfortunately, you can’t order Margie’s sundae sauces online so you will have to make the trip!

Eli’s Cheesecake

Eli’s cheesecake is another Chicago institution. Eli Schulman was born in 1910 on the West Side of Chicago and got his start with a popular coffee shop and later a deli. In the 1960s, “Eli’s The Place or Steak” opened up with its signature dessert. Although Eli’s has closed down, the cheesecake lives on and has historically been a popular item at Chicago’s annual “Taste of Chicago” summer food fest. You don’t need to wait til summer though…you can get your very own delicious Chicago cheesecake souvenirs delivered to your house via Amazon!

Stephanie Izard’s Latest Cookbook

OK, obviously the book itself isn’t edible but if you follow all the instructions in the book, you’ll have lots of tasty treats to eat! Stephanie Izard is the chef behind Chicago’s famous Girl and The Goat and her latest cookbook, Gather & Graze, is one of the best Chicago souvenirs for foodies! Her recipes are definitely ready for anyone who wants to play around with interesting ingredients and flavors.

Tours & Activities as Chicago Souvenirs

Instead of one or more physical Chicago souvenirs, how about a Chicago experience instead? Give memories instead of gifts with one of these amazing tours of Chicago. To make the most of your time in Chicago, I highly recommend “Skip the Line” experiences. For example, if you are planning on doing an architecture boat cruise, try this Skip the Line Chicago River Architecture Cruise. You’ll skip the ticket purchase line and go directly to boarding. Likewise, instead of queuing up for tickets in the height of summer for the John Hancock Building, you can buy your Hancock Observatory tickets online and go straight to the elevator. Check out these other essential Chicago experiences too:

Chicago Christmas Ornament Souvenirs

These beautiful ornaments make excellent Chicago souvenirs even when it’s nowhere near Christmas time! They are so gorgeous and will help you remember your trip to the Windy City and City of Broad Shoulders. The great thing is that you can have them delivered directly to your house so you don’t have to worry about packing them in your luggage!

Drinkable Chicago Souvenirs

Koval Spirits

Koval is the first distillery in Chicago since the mid 1800s which is a  big deal considering everything the city went through with Prohibition. KOVAL produces organic whiskey, liqueurs and specialty spirits. You can take a tour of the distillery and/or attend one of their classes in person at their Ravenswood location.  You should be able to find Koval at many Chicago-area wine and liquor stores as well as at a few bars and restaurants. This is one of the most super-cool local Chicago souvenirs.

Jepsen’s Malort

Personally, this stuff makes me gag but people love this stuff and swear by it! Check out the video for how people describe it and their reaction to tasting it. You’ll find Malort in a lot of more local hipster bars. Most people drink it straight as a shot but some cocktail bars are also including it in cocktails. Here’s a relatively recent list of Chicago-area Malort-cocktails.  You should be able to buy Jepsen’s Malort in most large liquor stores in Chicago.

Chicago Beer

You’ll find Goose Island all over the world now but for more local Chicago beers, look for Half Acre, Revolution, Metropolitan, and Pipeworks. You should be able to find their beers in most local liquor stores, especially Half Acre and Revolution. If you’d like to experience Chicago craft beer while learning a bit about Chicago through comedy, check out this fun Chicago Comedy and Craft Beer Tour of Old Town.

Sporty Chicago Souvenirs

Chicago Cubs Stuff

No visit to Chicago is complete without a trip to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field on Chicago’s North Side. (A short walk from the Addison Red Line stop.) There are plenty of souvenir shops in the area to help you get your Cubs gear but you can also order your Chicago souvenirs from Amazon as well.

White Sox Stuff

Similarly, you can also pick up White Sox souvenirs while you are in town. You may not want to head all the way down to Guaranteed Rate field but you should be able to find White Sox t-shirts and hats at most Chicago souvenir shops and sporting goods stores.

Chicago Bulls Souvenirs

While the Michael Jordan days are over, you can still pick yourself up a 23 jersey or any sort of Chicago Bulls memorabilia at many Chicago souvenir shops. If you’re in town during basketball season, it’s also worth checking to see if you can get tickets to a Bulls game at the United Center. Always a good time and the experience alone makes it one of the most memorable Chicago souvenirs ever.

Chicago Literary Souvenirs

Devil in the White City

If you want to read a book to prepare for your trip to Chicago, Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen makes a great Chicago souvenir. It tells the true story of Chicago serial killer H.H. Holmes during The World’s Fair in 1893. (It maybe spends a bit more time on The World’s Fair then on Holmes, just fyi.) Weirdly, two of my friends in business school at the University of Chicago lived where Holmes’ victims apparently met their ends. (Different house though. The original building burnt down.)

Musical Chicago Souvenirs

Kurt Elling Live in Chicago

While you are in Chicago, please do not pass up an opportunity to visit The Green Mill in Uptown to hear some of Chicago’s greatest jazz music. Jazz musician Kurt Elling got his start at The Green Mill so as a fun Chicago souvenir, either pick up a copy of Kurt Elling Live in Chicago or download his music from Amazon. Elling is a baritone with a four-octave range and likes to improvise over some jazz standards I’m sure you’ll be familiar with!

Anything by Chance the Rapper

I’ve posted the video from Chance’s NPR Tiny Desk concert in case you are unfamiliar with his music but if you’re looking for the latest musician to make it big out of Chicago, it’s Chance the Rapper. And not only is his music super cool, but he’s also a super nice, high quality person who really gives back to his community. I really wanted to post a video of All Night, my favorite catchy dance number by Chance, but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a video online.  Check out his music on Amazon.

Chicago Souvenirs for Kids

Chicago Lego Set

This is great for both the kids and adults in your life! Lego has done a series on cities and you can get this Chicago skyscraper set with the Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower), John Hancock Building, and even a mini bean! I don’t know where you can find this downtown but you should be able to find it on Amazon for sure!

Chicago Pullback Police Car

If someone in your life is really into cars and trucks and things that go, this mini Chicago police car makes a great Chicago souvenir! Comes with doors that open and close! You can buy this on Amazon.

Summary of The Best Chicago Souvenirs

I hope you’ve enjoyed my suggestions for the best Chicago souvenirs. Do you have any of your own tips or suggestions? Have I missed any local products that make for great Chicago souvenirs? Let me know in the comments!

Need More Chicago Souvenirs? Book a Chicago Tour

The post 26 of The Best Chicago Souvenirs first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Cost of My Four Weeks in Vietnam 15 Feb 2019 3:29 AM (6 years ago)

After my month in China, I knew I needed to spend a month somewhere less expensive. I love Vietnam so it was a pretty easy choice. How much do I love Vietnam? Words cannot express. The food! The food…it is amazing. I could eat Vietnamese food every day for the rest of my life and die happy. I think it’s all the garlic and rice vinegar and fish sauce? Not sure but I love it all. Also, the people! Everywhere I went in Vietnam, people were so happy to see me. (And have me write a TripAdvisor review…)

Vietnam is a great destination — it has something for everyone. There are big cities like Ho Chi Minh/Saigon, UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Hoi An, and beaches likes Nha Trang and Da Nang and Phu Quoc. And it’s all distinctly affordable if you stay away from the big luxury hotels. You should visit! And soon! Here’s how I used my time and spent my money.

One Week by the Beach in Nha Trang

After a month of go-go-go in China, I just wanted to hang out on a beach somewhere. So Nha Trang it was. I flew from Xi’An to Guangzhou where I spent a wonderful few hours in the amazing Guangzhou airport lounge thanks to my Priority Pass membership — and then onward to Nha Trang. In Nha Trang, I stayed at the Aaron Hotel, which is pretty close to the beach and main shopping mall. While not luxurious by any stretch, it was nice and clean and the staff were super sweet and friendly. There was also a small rooftop pool which was nice. I liked this hotel for the price and the staff (they hugged me goodbye) and the location. Also, the speedy WiFi! (Another thing I love about Vietnam.) The hotel probably isn’t for everyone, but if you are on a budget, it’s a great pick. Also, I loved the more Vietnamese-style breakfast, served in the cramped little dining room. It made me feel like we were all in this together. Hah. This is a solid 3 star hotel.

In Nha Trang, I went for a long walk on the beachfront path each morning — I like the beach in Nha Trang a lot. There are lots of loungers to rent where people will bring you fresh coconuts.

There’s a lot of seafood in Nha Trang and I ate a lot of it. I also drank a lot of Vietnamese coffees in a few of the beachfront cafes, got a few massages, and bought some random stuff like instant Vietnamese coffee (G7 and it’s AMAZING). Nha Trang is an interesting place in that it’s one of the few direct flights to Southeast Asia from Russia so I had to keep reminding restaurant staff that I was “Amerikanski” and ask for the English language menu instead of the Russian menu. Also, I found that what I really wanted was the menu for the Chinese tourists because that’s where they keep the good stuff. (The Russian menu has borscht on it. English menu is all fish and chips. The Chinese menu is full of fresh vegetables. Morning Glory all day every day! Maybe there was a Vietnamese menu too but when I would ask for the local menu, they’d hand me the one in Chinese so I went with it.)

One thing about Nha Trang that I didn’t like…construction. The streets are pretty hazardous because there are new hotels going up everywhere. And there are no sidewalks. So central Nha Trang is not the most fun place to walk around. Add pouring rain for most of my stay and well…

Total cost of my stay including transfers: An amazing $325.76!! Dude, I need to spend more time in Nha Trang. We all do!

One Week with UNESCO Charm in Hoi An

After Nha Trang, I flew to Da Nang for Hoi An. (Hoi An is a 30 minute to one hour drive from Da Nang airport, depending on traffic.) In Hoi An, I stayed at the Silk Luxury Hotel, conveniently located right outside the old town. It is a very nice hotel with a nice (but cramped) swimming pool and an uninviting gym. (The pool is fine once you’re in it. It’s just the seating that’s cramped.) It’s a pretty affordable hotel through for the quality and the service levels. This was a 4 star hotel. Everyone knew my name by Day 2 and was just super friendly and charming. And honestly, the location is perfect if you want to visit the Old Town frequently…just a five minute walk, really.

In Hoi An, I went for long walks through the Old Town every morning during the traffic free hours between 9 and 11, but I started to love getting there just a bit earlier to hang out at some of the corner “cafes” (little red stools on the street really) drinking Vietnamese coffee with everyone before we all headed off to work.

In the evenings, I would return to the old town around sunset and watch as colorful lanterns floated slowly down the river. (Seriously!) During my afternoons, I worked for the most part but I also found time to get some clothing made which was a super interesting process. (The right fabrics and necklines are everything.)

Words cannot fully express how much I love Hoi An. I really want to go back!! You should go. Go go go.

Total cost of my Hoi An stay including transfers, a few meals, and laundry service: $557.47

5 Nights by The Beach (Again) in Da Nang

After Hoi An, my hotel drove me up the road to Da Nang where I stayed at the Paris Deli hotel which was not bad but not my favorite place either. (Small rooms.) The hotel probably considers itself 4 star but I’d put it more in the 3 star category given the rooms.

The Paris Deli is close to the beach so surprise — I spent my mornings taking long walks along the beach. The beach in Da Nang is really vast…it goes on forever. I didn’t do much in Da Nang unfortunately because of work but I know a lot of people think it’s great so  maybe one day I will go back to figure it all out. (I tried to hire a driver to get me to that golden hands bridge in the mountains that you see everywhere on the internet but it was ridiculously expensive for one person and going on a tour meant an 8 hour commitment and spending 8 hours on a tour bus is not my idea of fun.)

Total cost of my stay in Da Nang including transfers and a few meals and drinks: $499.89 In general, I kinda feel this was a bit pricey and meh for what I got. Just on a per night basis, I got much more for my money at the Silk Luxury hotel in Hoi An which was a much nicer hotel. If I go back to Da Nang, I’ll stay somewhere else. And actually, I’d stay closer to the river than to the beach. The river seems to be where all the action is.

One Week in Crazy Busy Hanoi

I spent time in Hanoi back in 2014 and I swear to God I was the only tourist there. It was really weird. I walked around that lake in town and saw no one except the people cutting the grass. Honestly, watch my video above from 2014 and notice the absence of tourists. (I took a golf cart ride around town back in 2014.)

5 years later and man how things have changed. (I should have taken another video.) Hanoi is overrun with tourists and now the old town is full of tourist tat. It’s not a bad thing — economic growth through tourism is a good thing — but it’s just different.

In Hanoi, I stayed at the Hanoi Marvelous, a nice centrally located hotel with lovely, lovely staff. Rooms were a bit dark — in the old quarter, the buildings are narrow and long so there aren’t many windows — but you couldn’t ask for nicer people. Each time I left the hotel by car, they all came out and waved me goodbye! I was more of a tourist in Hanoi than I was in Da Nang, taking a food tour and a history tour and generally just exploring a bit more to make up for my pretty uneventful five days in Da Nang The hotel calls itself a 4 star hotel but I’d probably put it more in the 3 star category. This was a fine stay but I’d be tempted to try somewhere else next time.

Total cost of my stay in Hanoi: $728.76 including transfers, tours, and a few meals at the hotel.

2 Nights in Beautiful Halong Bay

From Hanoi, I headed out to Halong Bay.

After a lot of research, I decided on Orchid Cruises. They are billed as 5 star but they are more like 3.5 to 4 stars. Everything has potential but it’s just not there yet. It’s one of the nicest cruise ships on Halong Bay so I definitely recommend that you check it out but it just didn’t have that luxurious feel that I was after. (My Yangtze River cruise on the other hand was much more five star.) I think I will write more about this cruise in a later post so stay tuned.

In general, I loved cruising Halong Bay. I mainly just sat out on my balcony and read books and enjoyed chatting with the other passengers who were from all over the world. I did a few of the cruise activities but honestly the highlight of each day was the “Floating 7-11s,” basically women in rowboats who would come alongside our cruise ship every evening and attempt to sell us beer, wine, and Pringles. One woman I swore just tried to stare deeply into my eyes for five minutes repeating “Pringllllles….Pringlllles…” It was pretty entertaining.

Total Cost of My Cruise: Ouch. $679.98 (This included all meals and excursions. If I was traveling with someone, it would have been half the price. Cruises are a bad deal for most solo travelers.)

Other Costs Including Those Pesky ATM Fees…

In Vietnam, you can only take small amounts out of ATMs. Most ATMs limited me to $80 a day, but in Hanoi, I was finally able to take out $100! So I recommend that you use no-foreign-transaction fee credit cards wherever credit cards are accepted to avoid ATM fees. Apparently, the ATMs in Saigon are more generous and let you take out more than $100. Beyond the costs I’ve already mentioned above, I spent about $700 in cash in Vietnam which was all on massages, facials, food, drink, tips and ATM fees. (The ATM fees are killing me. Why Krista? Why!!) I also took three flights: one to Vietnam from Xi’An, one from Nha Trang to Da Nang, and one from Da Nang to Hanoi. These cost $675 in total which includes hefty baggage surcharges for my — gasp — 40 kilos in luggage. (Don’t judge. I know you’re judging.)

Regrets…I Have a Few…

I really wish I had visited Sapa but I was worried about Internet access and I had a lot of work to do. 🙁 Next time.

Total Spend in Four Weeks

About $4200 all in, or about $150 a day.  Pretty much what I budgeted for myself going into this whole adventure. Note I am also working from the road so it’s important that I have a desk and high speed internet wherever I stay– hotels are where I live and my work schedule is too unpredictable to rely on internet cafes. In hindsight, I could have picked a cheaper Halong Bay cruise but my thing is that the last place you want to be alone and miserable about your accommodation is on a boat! Also, I had to pay for two people  on the cruise even though I was one person which is kinda sucky. Oh and I forgot to mention…I celebrated Thanksgiving by myself in Hanoi at the Melia Hotel which was hosting a Thanksgiving Buffet (WITHOUT GREENBEANS!!!!). That wasn’t cheap…dinner and one glass of wine was $80…but I didn’t really fancy bun cha for Thanksgiving so I’m glad I did it.

Ah, crucial detail…I booked the Silk Luxury Hotel and the Paris Deli Hotel on Hotels.com, using the non-refundable rate which got me a decent discount. (Sorry, it was ages ago so I don’t remember how much it was but enough that it made sense to do it.) I don’t recommend booking a non-refundable rate like this unless you are sure of your plans but it’s a nice way to save money. Also, Hotels.com gives you 1 night free for every 10 nights booked so that was another reason I did it.

The Verdict

You should go to Vietnam!! It’s amazing!!! And if you do it right, it’s pretty cheap!! You could totally get away with decent two and three star hotels in Vietnam and save a bundle. The food is especially delicious and especially affordable. Go go go go go.

Why I’m Writing about The $$$, Honey

I don’t think people talk about how much stuff costs on the internet enough. Everyone’s like, “Look at my amazing over- water bungalow in the Maldives!” Do you know how much that shi*t costs? I’ll tell you because I just spent the last week looking at resorts in the Maldives. Like $5000 A WEEK. And that’s before you’ve eaten anything! Crazy stuff.

If you haven’t already, check out my posts on my costs in Thailand and China.

Check out Some of My Other Vietnam Posts

• Getting a Visa to Vietnam
• The Best Tours in Saigon
• My Review of the Intercontinental Saigon
• Instagram Fun in Hanoi
• My Review of the Sofitel Hanoi

The post Cost of My Four Weeks in Vietnam first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

20 Fun Things to Do in Luang Prabang, Laos 8 Feb 2019 10:46 PM (6 years ago)

20 Fun Things to do In Luang Prabang, Laos

As soon as I heard that my friends Jen and Leigh were going to be in Luang Prabang for a few days on their year-long trip around the world, I immediately booked my plane ticket to Laos. Firstly, I miss Jen and Leigh. Secondly, last year, I spent a few days in Luang Prabang and quickly fell in love with this sleepy little Laotian town on the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khang rivers. Thirdly, I also uh accidentally left Laos last year with about $150 USD in Laotian kip, which is impossible to change outside of the country. So not only did I have emotional reasons to go back to Luang Prabang, I had a financial incentive to do so as well!

Where to Stay in Luang Prabang

When I traveled to Luang Prabang last year, it was more of a vacation so I stayed in a relatively luxurious hotel (for Laos), The Mekong Riverview. This time around, given that I am on the road for an extended period of time, I took a more budget-like approach and stayed at the friendly Mekong Charm Hotel. I’d recommend both properties for different reasons. The Mekong Riverview was just so COZY…great beds, great linens, lovely furniture and a wonderful restaurant overlooking where the Mekong and Nam Khang rivers come together. The Mekong Charm is right down the street from The Mekong Riverview and is very nice but the beds are harder and there’s a more limited (but still nice) breakfast menu.  There’s also no, uh, white wine. (There is beer in the minibar though.) What’s great about Luang Prabang though is that it is really a fairly small place so for the most part, you can’t go wrong with any decently rated hotel on the peninsula. Luang Prabang is also amazingly walkable, which I love.

Once you are settled in at your hotel, there is no shortage of restaurants and things to do in Luang Prabang. You can easily see everything in Luang Prabang in just two or three days, but if you like the slow pace and want to fit in more massages, I recommend staying five days to really experience everything Luang Prabang has to offer. After my 2nd slow visit, here are some of my recommendations for fun things to do in Luang Prabang:

Climb to the Top of Mount Phousi

Right in the middle of town, you’ll find steps heading up to Mount Phousi. This is a great place to watch the sunset, watch other tourists, or just watch planes land and takeoff from the nearby airport. It gets a little crowded at sunset so just plan accordingly. Perhaps bring some snacks with you to enjoy an impromptu picnic when you get to the top. This is one of those things to do in Luang Prabang as soon as you arrive so you get the lay of the land.

Take a Sunset River Cruise

Long-term readers will know that I am a sucker for a boat cruise. There are a few organized boat cruises in Luang Prabang that take you out onto the Mekong to watch the sunset. Usually one cocktail is included in your cruise. Maybe some small snacks too. You can also organize private boat cruises…there will be no shortage of guys offering you a private one hour boat cruise as you walk along the waterfront on the Mekong side. Last year, I did a full dinner cruise but I think a sunset cruise followed by dinner in town is just as nice. This is one of the more super chill things to do in Luang Prabang. Book a sunset cruise in Luang Prabang.

Check out the Night Market

Every evening, the main drag of Luang Prabang fills up with vendors selling Lao clothing, bags, pillow cases, blankets and other local products. Some of it is pretty cool and some of the vendors have some pretty great stuff. (Try to find the Lao whisky guys if you can.) The market can get a bit crowded at times — the street just isn’t wide enough — but it’s one of those great things to do in Luang Prabang if you are looking for souvenirs. It’s also just a nice walk before or after dinner.

Get Many Massages

There are a few places in town offering traditional Laotian massage. I’ve tried both Hibiscus and Silver Naga and like both although I would say the massage accommodations are pretty basic. You will likely find yourself in a shared room situation akin to Traditional Thai massage. The massages are pretty cheap though so personally, I really can’t complain! (It’s fair to say though that this won’t be a luxury experience. Keep your expectations low.)

Take a Cooking Class

If cooking is your thing, definitely take a cooking class to experience Lao ingredients and typical dishes and learn about Luang Prabang from a local. Make sure you take a class that includes a visit to the Morning Market for more of an insider’s view on the market! Take a cooking class in Luang Pabang.

Visit the Morning Market

If you’re into food but not up for a cooking class, head down to the morning market each morning to see all the local produce. There are also a few places with street food and snacks for sale. This is definitely a working market so be cognizant that people are trying to go about their daily business here and don’t be too obnoxious with your camera. It’s a great place to see real life in a city that is continuously changing given tourism.

Visit Wat Xiengthong

There are a number of temples dotted along the Luang Prabang peninsual but Wat Xiengthong is probably one of the bigger ones. For a small entrance fee, you can visit the Wat and wander around the grounds. I took this photo inside one of the temple buildings. If you take a river cruise, there’s a particular good photo opp of the stairs leading up to the temple from the river so definitely be on the lookout for that. Visiting all the temples on the peninsula is one of the top things to do in Luang Prabang and a great way to spend a few hours.

Offer Alms to the Monks

Every morning at 5:30 am, the local monks weave in long straight lines through the streets of Luang Prabang, collecting alms from the local people. It is a beautiful and peaceful procession, although unfortunately, the experience can sometimes be ruined by tourists trying to get the perfect shot. If you can avoid those bozos, this is a really one of the most beautiful things to do in Luang Prabang. Talk to your hotel or guesthouse about how best to prepare for your morning almsgiving. (You should ideally be prepared to give alms.)  Take a morning almsgiving and market tour in Luang Prabang.

Go for a Nice Long Walk and Grab a Coffee

If you are into walking, Luang Prabang is an amazing place for it. The streets are well-paved and even when you can’t walk on the sidewalk, the traffic is pretty light. The architecture is so beautiful and the city is just so so chill. I would do 10,000 steps easily every morning, just doing a lap and a half around the peninsula. There are a few cute coffee shops along the way if you need to keep up your energy. I recommend Saffron and Le Cafe Ben Vat Sen.

Go for a Bike Ride

Much like walking, Luang Prabang is honestly perfect for bike riding. It’s really flat and there isn’t much traffic. Most hotels have free bikes you can use or on the main street in Luang Prabang, there are a few places that rent bicycles. Just make sure to ride WITH traffic, not against it. If your hotel does not rent bikes, head up to the main drag and you’ll find a number of places with day rates for bike rentals. Pick up some snacks and drinks during your ride and have yourself an impromptu picnic along the riverfront and watch the boats go by. (Which I should really include as an individual item on my “Fun Things to Do in Luang Prabang” list.

Try All the Different Types of Beer Lao

Honestly, this should be #1 on the list!! After you’ve gotten your exercise, it’s time to DRINK ALL THE BEER. Beer Lao, the national beer of Laos, comes in many different “flavors” so one of the more fun things to do in Luang Prabang is try to find — and drink — them all. In addition to the original, Gold, and Dark Beer Laos, there’s now a White, Hoppy, and Amber. There’s also a unicorn beer called “LangXang” that I’ve read about but have yet to find. We had a good time in Luang Prabang, trying all the Beer Laos. You will too!

Drink all the Belgian Beer at Maolin Tavern

If you are a bit tired of all the Beer Lao (95% of Laotian beer is Beer Lao), head to the Maolin Tavern on Luang Prabang’s main street for a great selection of Belgian beers and unlimited Lao peanuts. (If you don’t see the big bowl of peanuts on the counter, ask! Sometimes they will even warm them up for you.) Hopefully the Maolin Tavern still has some Belgian beer left because we may have drank it all… The wifi here is also rather good and I saw more than a few people working from here during my stay.

Cross One of The Two Bamboo Bridges (Or Both!)

The first thing I thought when my friends asked me to meet them for dinner on their first night in town was “They’re going to make me cross a bamboo bridge again aren’t they?” I crossed one of the bridges last year all by my lonesome and scared myself senseless. Honestly, you’ll be fine BUT it’s just a little frightening. (And uh this is a good reminder: GET TRAVEL INSURANCE.) Note you will have to pay a small fee to cross each bridge, which pays for the bridge maintenance. Given that these are bamboo bridges, I think we can all agree that a maintenance fee is a good thing.

Bamboo Bridge by the Mekong Riverview: If you cross the bamboo bridge in front of the Mekong Riverview Hotel restaurant, once you get to the other side, go left and walk to the end. You should find a few benches overlooking the Mekong and if you’re lucky, a family will be set up there selling Beer Laos. In general, this is about all there is to do on this side of the bamboo bridge but what’s not to like? Beer with a view! Great stuff. There are also signs for a craft village but it wasn’t much when I last visited in 2019.

Bamboo Bridge by the Saynamkhan Hotel: If you cross this bamboo bridge, you can have dinner at the very lovely Dyen Sabai on the other side. Note the stars up from the bridge are a little steep on the opposite side of the river are a little steep. Dyen Sabai gets pretty crowded in the evenings so you may want to call ahead and make a reservation. The food is great and so is the service.

Learn about Lao History at Garavek

Every night at 6:30, the small Garavek Theatre runs a short production of traditional folktales and legends which together tell the story of Luang Prabang. It’s a very simple set up…an actor, a musician, and a small audience, but if you are looking to learn more about Laos, it’s one of the more cultural things to do in Luang Prabang. Garavek is very conveniently located on the peninsula so there are no shortage of eating and drinking establishments for after your show.

Hang out with the Beautiful People at Utopia

Utopia is a lovely bar with outdoor seating overlooking the Nam Kham river. There are low chairs and tables and lots of bean bag chairs scattered about.  There are even morning yoga classes. It’s a great place to just chill with some snacks and drinks. Personally, I prefer Utopia during the day because it’s a bit more relaxed. Evenings get really crowded with the backpacker and expat crowd and there may be a lot of drinking involved. The menu is a mix of local food and Western food if you’re hungry although we tried a pizza and can’t really recommend them.

Go Bowling at Luang Prabang’s Bowling Alley

I’m not kidding. If you are looking to go bowling OR if it’s 11:30 pm and all the bars in town are closed, ask a tuk tuk driver to take you to the bowling alley. Note that if you go late night, every backpacker in Luang Prabang will probably be there with you. You can also try your hand at archery which makes me a little nervous because alcohol and arrows are a bad combination! I can’t find a website for the bowling alley so check out the TripAdvisor reviews here. This is definitely one of the more random things to do in Luang Prabang but good if you need a late night!

Take a Class at Ock Pop Tock

Ock Pop Tok is a great shop with all sorts of traditional Lao fabrics. They offer occasional classes and will even sometimes organize private classes if you are interested in learning more about their work. At the very least, you should stop by here to buy some souvenirs but if you’re really into fabrics, see if you can do a class. They have classes that range from a half day to three days and they’ll even pick you up by tuk tuk if you need it!

Visit Kuang Si Falls

I visited this waterfall last year by myself and LOVED it. So peaceful and beautiful. This year, there were 50x the number of tourists but if you’re up for a short drive, it’s still one of the most lovely things to do in Luang Prabang. I recommend packing a picnic and enjoying it either at the midway point or going all the way up to the top and enjoying your picnic there. If you forget to pack a picnic, there are plenty of vendors selling food and snacks in the parking lot to the waterfall and there’s a restaurant with a nice outdoor terrace at the midway point of the waterfall. I’ve visited the falls through a private tour and on a group tour and I much preferred the private experience…this way, you can spend as much or as little time at the waterfalls as you’d like and you’re not jammed into a van with 12 other people. If you’re looking for one of the best things to do in Luang Prabang, this is it BUT go early!!! Book a private tour to Kuang Si Falls.

Get Some Buffalo Ice Cream at Laos Buffalo Dairy

On your way to (or from) the waterfall, there’s a nice roadside stand serving buffalo ice cream calls Laos Buffalo Dairy, a socially-responsible enterprise consisting of a commercial dairy and production facility to make products such as yogurt, cheese and ice cream for local and overseas customers. If you have time, you can also take a tour of the farm if you’d like.

Enjoy Dinner & Give Back at Khaiphaen

Khaiphaen is a social enterprise restaurant in Luang Prabang. They train marginalized young people to work in the restaurant industry. We had a great meal here and really enjoyed the experience. They are also very kid friendly. You can read more about the organization and the work it does here on their main website.

OK, I think those are all my tips for fun things to do in Luang Prabang! If I think of anything else, I will update this post. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment below.

Need More Things to Do in Luang Prabang? Take a Tour!

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16 of The Best Things to Do in Ao Nang, Thailand 11 Jan 2019 7:02 PM (6 years ago)

The Best Things to Do in Ao Nang, Thailand

If you’re anything like me, you’ve never heard of Ao Nang, Thailand. This small city is down the road from Krabi and serves as a jumping off point for sun seeking day trippers in Southern Thailand. I think people call the entire area Krabi after the airport. But when people saying they are heading to Krabi for a holiday, what they really mean is Ao Nang. Krabi is the city. Ao Nang has most of the boats. (Although you may need to go to Krabi pier for some of your tours.)

Honestly, I can’t really remember what made me book Ao Nang out of all the places in Southern Thailand, but it must have been something that said “cheap” and “fast WiFi.” I also think the fact that it’s got a Muslim population made me think, “Hmmm…probably not that many sexpats then. That’s good.” (Thailand has a sizable Muslim population in the south of the country, as you get get closer to Malaysia.)

I’m going to be honest here…After I arrived in Ao Nang, I wasn’t sure about my decision to stay here. Ao Nang is BUSY. It’s touristy. And my hotel was in the heart of all the busyness, located right off the main drag. But at something like $25 a night, the neat and tidy Whalecome Resort was a bargain. So I stayed. And because everyone at my hotel and in Ao Nang was just so gosh darn nice to me, I stayed some more. Even the tuk tuk drivers were amazingly chill and friendly and HELPFUL. I ended up really really liking Ao Nang. I’d go back in a heartbeat. Here’s what I got up to in town:

Spas in Ao Nang

One of the best things to do in Ao Nang is hit up one of the many spas and massage places. Get it all done while you are here! Massages, facials, scrubs, and manicures and pedicures are all very affordable. I didn’t think you could bargain but during many of my treatments, I saw a number of groups arrange group discounts, specifically. So don’t be afraid to ask! (Although for me, prices are so low, I feel really bad bargaining.)

Ruen Sukothai: I got a manicure, pedicure, facial and massage at this spa and found it to be friendly and clean. The guy that did my nails was amazingly friendly and even put me on the back of his motorbike one evening to take me to his favorite seafood place. (Krua Thara. See below.) The prices here were great and you can book via Facebook, which is handy. (They get very busy in the evenings.) My only complaint is that you don’t get an entirely private room for your treatments, presumably unless you ask. (It’s like a hospital bed situation with a curtain down the middle of the room.) So in the middle of my massage, they pulled a curtain closed and another tourist entered the room. (To be fair, it was pretty dark.) For the price though, it was hard to complain.

Thai Thai Massage at Golden Beach Resort: During one morning walk, I found this massage place facing the beach and resolved to return later that evening. For a very bargain price of 200 Thai baht (September 2018 pricing), you can get a one-hour Thai massage while listening to the waves and the long boats as they make their way back and forth from Railay. I liked this place a lot and it was so cheap, I visited three times in total. It became a running joke between me and the staff, when they would see me out for my morning walk. “See you later!!” To find this place, go down to the Ao Nang beachfront where the big flight of stairs is to the beach. As you are facing the water. turn left and walk straight on the pedestrian-looking path. (There are still a few cars but I think it’s a “local traffic only” situation.) Keep walking until you see the BIG massage platform.

Exercising in Ao Nang

This might not be on the top of your list of things to do in Ao Nang but hey, exercise is always a good thing. Here are two suggestions for keeping fit on your holiday in Ao Nang:

Bull Muay Thai: I sorta fell in love with Muay Thai in Ao Nang. I found Bull Muay Thai online and organized a few private workouts. This is a bare bones boxing gym but sometimes, that’s all you need And for 500,000 baht per session (2018 prices), how could you not? This is an amazing workout. Note that if you take a tuk tuk to Bull Muay Thai, ask the driver to come back and get you because it can be very hard to get a tuk tuk back. (Or get the driver’s phone number so you can call or text them later..)

The Beachfront Path: Ao Nang’s waterfront is pretty walkable so I really recommend a sunrise or sunset walk either directly along the beach or on the promenade  right above the beach.

Restaurants in Ao Nang

You will not go hungry in Ao Nang, that’s for sure. There’s a ton of Thai food but a lot of Indian food and well, most cuisines that you can imagine. Exploring the food of Southern Thailand is, in my mind, one of the best things to do in Ao Nang.

Krua Thara: On one of my first nights in Ao Nang, the guy that did my nails at Ruen Sukothai put me on the back of his motorbike and drove me along the coast to Krua Thara. I was one of the only tourists in the place and enjoyed a load of delicious, fresh Thai oysters. (Served with slices of lime and all sorts of chilis.) If you’re up for a short ride, this is a great choice although it’s distinctly lacking in atmosphere. (Aluminum chairs, fish tanks.) Bonus: Krua Thara drove me  home??? For free?? There was a bit of a language barrier so no idea if this is normal or not but when I asked for a tuk tuk or taxi to go home, they put me in their SUV and drove me back to Ao Nang!

The Last Fisherman: The place I ended up going to most often in Ao Nang was The Last Fisherman, which is right on the water on the end of the beach closer to the monkeys and Railay. I just really liked the kids that worked here and I liked the food a lot too. I had a great Thai omelette one night and a fantastic Massaman curry another night. They were also one of the few places I found that served wine a reasonable price and not in a thimble. I recommend heading here for sunset drinks. (Maybe get a massage from the massage place at the Golden Beach Resort I mention above first and then walk further south to Last Fisherman afterwards.)

Massaman: More than a few restaurant and bar managers recommended Massaman to me so I dropped in once and found the service so friendly and easygoing that I came back a second time. I really only had snacks here so I can’t comment on the full meal service but I felt very comfortable here.

Jenna’s Bistro: One day I just really wanted a salad. So I went to Jenna’s Bistro and had a great chicken Caesar and it was AWESOME. Honestly, it was so great. I was really happy here. Expensive but I needed a change from all Thai food, all the time.

Thailandia: I’m a sucker for atmosphere and this place looked great from the outside…all dark wood and foliage. Inside, the servers were in traditional dress and there was live guitar music. It was ALL tourists as opposed to Krua Thara which had a nice mix. Service at Thailandia was very formal and stiff. The food was okay. Nothing overly bad about it but afterwards, I sorta wished I had taken a motorbike ride along the coast back to Krua Thara.

Jose: This place was right down the hill from my hotel so I stopped in for a light dinner of chicken satay one night. It was nice to be up  a level, looking down on the street, but other than that…meh.

Cooking Class in Ao Nang

While we’re talking about food…whenever I am in Thailand, I can’t get enough of the food. So I love trying to make it myself. If you are like me, then I think one of the best things to do in Ao Nang is to take a cooking class. There are two schools that are located relatively close to downtown Ao Nang that are worth taking a look at. A bit further afield, there’s Krabi Thai Cookery School. And a little closer to Ao Nang, there’s Ao Nang Thai Cookery School. Both schools will include hotel pickups so definitely ask them if they can come get you.

Buy Wine at Mother Marche in Ao Nang

Wine in Ao Nang is either ridiculously expensive or just plain bad. (With the exception of The Last Fisherman on the waterfront who seems to get it right!) So if you are hurting for some wine, there’s a really great and amazing European/American-style grocery store in Ao Nang on the main drag. You’ll need to be wiling to walk 10 minutes up from the beach. It’s called Mother Marche and it is fantastic. It has an amazing wine selection with wines from all over the world. I highly recommend it!

Tours from Ao Nang

One of the top things to do in Ao Nang is to take a boat tour of the surrounding islands. There are so many options!! Before you book anything, make sure you understand the price of a packaged group tour vs the price of doing something just with your group. Also, consider speedboat vs long tail boat. Lastly, consider food…is food included and if so, will you get a basic lunchbox or will there be a fancier buffet involved? Personally, I decided I liked the buffet setups better because there was always more food.

Hong Island Tour. I really loved the islands we visited on this tour and just wish there hadn’t been 35 other tourists with me. Also, at every stop, there are like 12 other speedboat tours. Lading Island was particularly beautiful but also particularly crowded. Hong Island is really swimmable and big enough for everyone and was my overall favorite spot. Book a Hong Island tour. 

Four Islands including Koh Poda. Koh Poda is one of those “So near…but so far…” islands. You can see if from Ao Nang but unless you are traveling with others and can rent a long boat for yourselves, there’s no good way to get there. I tried to take the public boat service but they only go when full and no one wanted to go to Ko Poda because the national park fee makes it expensive. The public boats really just go back and forth to Railay all day long. We also visited Railay on this tour to see the “penis grotto,” which was less interesting to me because I had already done that myself when I stayed at Rayavadee. In short, I think if you can only do one boat tour, do the Hong Island tour. Mainly because it’s easy to do Railay on your own so to me, that discounts the value of the Four Islands tour. Book a Four Islands tour. 

Tubkaek Beach: After doing the two tours, I decided I wanted to get away from everyone so I got a tuk tuk driver for the day and had him take me all the way to Tubkaek Beach which ended up being much further than I expected. (The ride felt long but it was probably only 30 minutes.) HOWEVER, once I got there, it was perfect. There was NO ONE there and the beach was nice and there was just one restaurant on the beach, attached to the Tubkaek Krabi Boutique Resort hotel. I felt a bit bad making my tuk tuk driver wait for me while I sat on the beach for two hours ad read my book and swam but he seemed totally fine with it. On the way back, he even bought me some fresh watermelon from a roadside stand and a bottle of water. I mean…how much do I love Thailand?

Railay Beach: Guys, I was so excited to visit Railay Beach after reading so much about it and hearing that it was one of the best things to do in Ao Nang but then I was just…underwhelmed. It’s a working beach like Ao Nang and not very relaxing. (Lots of long tail boats coming and going. Basically, a taxi parking lot) Maybe I was on the wrong end of things (by Rayavadee) but it was’t for me. I just did’t think it was worth the trip. (I mean…compare the beach in this photo to the photos of the other beaches.) Note I also had food poisoning at this point though and was pretty miserable which may have colored my perspective.

Koh Phi Phi: There are many different options for getting to Koh Phil Phi but I had a private speedboat transfer because I was going to the Holiday Inn Koh Phi Phi. I really liked the north part of Phi Phi island where the Holiday Inn is. The beach is GREAT. I’ve been to the main part of Phi Phi before with the ferry and it was good but man…the beach at the Holiday Inn was amazing. Note there’s a public ferry that takes you to Tonsai Pier for the public beaches. Book a tour of Phi Phi from Ao Nang.

Summary of Things to Do In Ao Nang Thailand

Maybe you never heard of Ao Nang before you read this post. It’s a fun, affordable place to stay in Thailand with access to a ton of fun tours and outings.  There are so many things to do in Ao Nang! You will not be bored. (And if you do get bored, get a massage!)

Need More Things to do in Ao Nang and Krabi? Take a Tour!

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Pin Things to Do in Ao Nang Thailand for Later!

 

The post 16 of The Best Things to Do in Ao Nang, Thailand first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Digital Nomad Tips from Other Nomads 4 Jan 2019 6:36 PM (6 years ago)

Digital Nomad Tips: Find a Great Coworking Space like Livit in Sanur, Bali

Digital Nomad Tips & Advice from Other Nomads

I often joke that nobody likes advice. But I’m not really even joking. People hate advice. WHY though? Advice is helpful! Why try to figure something out on your own when lots of people have been there before you?? So before I set out on my new digital nomad lifestyle in September — if you missed it, I left London and am working from the road these next few months so I can save up for a down payment on an apartment — I asked other digital nomads for their advice. Here are some of the awesome digital nomad tips I received:

Choose Smaller Towns When You Consider Your Destination

Michelle C from Intentional Travelers shared this advice which I’ve been thinking about a lot as I’ve realized busy digital nomad hotspots like Canggu and Ubud in Bali aren’t really for me:

Since becoming digital nomads in 2014 and trying out various places to live and work abroad, we’ve learned an important lesson. Some of the big “digital nomad hubs” are not really our style. We’ve learned to be discerning when getting destination advice from our fellow nomads. Everyone has different tastes and different needs, so different places suit some travelers better than others. It’s important to think about your own values and personal preferences and weigh that against any recommendations you receive. We figured out what we like through trial and error.

We found that we tend to prefer staying in smaller towns with a well-preserved local culture. Many of the places we like have a decent sized expat retiree population because, like us, these folks often seek out places with an affordable cost of living that still has ample amenities (like wifi!).

Save Money as a Digital Nomad through House Sitting

Rob Tullis, his wife Tracey, and Son Makai from Expat Experiment are a Canadian family who have been traveling nomadically since April 2014. Their passion is sharing what they learn about the places they visit and the challenges and rewards of living an unconventional family life. Here’s are their digital nomad tips about house sitting:

The best way to save money while traveling the world as a digital nomad is saving on accommodation given that it is the largest ongoing expense.  Many digital nomads travel to ultra cheap locations in order to find the least expensive place to live. We have a different solution: house sitting!

Over the last 4 years we have saved tens of thousands of dollars by looking after other people’s homes and pets all over the world. We have visited Canada, the USA, Mexico, Belgium, France Spain, the UK and many more, never having to pay for accommodation. The last time we were in Europe we spent 5 months traveling through different countries and only paid for 5 nights’ accommodation. One of the biggest advantages of house sitting is that the home owner usually has great internet, so no more trying to find a co-working space or a cafe that has fast internet. This makes earning a living online much easier.Another benefit is you get to choose the amount of time you want to spend in a location.

If you want to slow travel, you can find longer house sits, if you want to see more, you can choose shorter ones. We have had sits that are as short as 2 weeks and as long as 6 months. House sitting is a great way to save money and see the world as a digital nomad!”

Live in Barcelona!

Ella Travels is French and has lived in many cities in many European countries. She enjoys responsible travel and writes about her travel experiences on her blog, Worldtravelable. She very highly recommends Barcelona for digital nomads. Here’s why:

1. Lifestyle: The weather was my number one reason to move to Barcelona. After living 6 years in rainy Ireland, Barcelona was such a great place to live! I discovered a very different lifestyle. The good weather allows you to spend a lot of time outside. The beach is easily accessible from the center. So if you want to get inspired while working, or simply take a break, just get your laptop and sit at one of the “chiringuito” available at the beach or one of the numerous terraces of the hotels with great views of the city.
2. Public transport: Barcelona has probably one of the most extensive public transport networks in Europe. You have everything you need to move around:sirport, train, metro, bus, tramway, Ferrocarril (local train). And it’s also very cheap. A T10 cost just about 10€ and allows you to do 10 single trips.The best thing is that you can use up to 3 different types of transportation within one single trip as they are all integrated.
3. Entrepreneurial spirit: The city encourages business minded people to meet, collaborate, learn, get informed. There is so much help offered and the best of all: It’s totally free!
4. International environment: There are people from all over the world living in Barcelona. The foreign community is getting bigger and it feels like a big family!
5. Health: If you eat the Mediterranean diet, do a lot of sport outdoor thanks to the great weather, you will see how healthier you will feel! And Spain has a very good health system in place. If you can’t have access to it, you can pay for a private insurance. It’s not expensive and easy to find

And don’t worry about what you hear on TV! The situation is quite under control with Catalonia. Just try Barcelona out a couple of days and you will quickly feel it’s actually the best city to live in, especially as a digital nomad!

Go with The Flow

Todd and Julie Bonner of www.TREKKN.co currently travel the United States and Canada full-time in their RV with three older kids, tracking down and enjoying every possible U.S. National Park. They wake up every day in awe of the fact that this is their life and with the intention to deeply enjoy whatever the journey brings. Here are their digital nomad tips which I’ve found particularly pertinent as I’ve tried to slow down:

When it comes to living the digital nomad lifestyle, you have to learn to go with the flow if you are going to have any chance of experiencing the type of life you set out to create.

Things rarely go exactly as planned on the road, so having a plan B for things like internet connection and a workspace are a must.

But more importantly, loosening your grip on your need for perfection, or for things to look just how you might prefer, is absolutely essential to both your sanity and your overall happiness.

Ironically, if there is one thing that will torpedo your efforts to live a fulfilling and adventurous life on your own terms, it is demanding from life that your own terms and expectations are always met.

Loosening your grip gives you the opportunity to experience something far better than what your own strong preferences or demands might have led you to.

The Importance of Networking

Jodie from A la Jode had super great digital nomad tips about networking and making sure you have a support network:

Networking is something most of us dread, and networking as a digital nomad comes with its own challenges. But whether you’re looking for business contacts, travel buddies or life-long friends, getting to know people when you’re in a new place (constantly) can be tricky. Luckily, the thing that gave you the freedom to live as a digital nomad can also help you meet other digital nomads, travellers and locals. Yes, I’m talking about the internet!

Finding ways to meet people in the local area – and then repeating the whole process all over again when I moved – was the only thing I hated about this lifestyle for the first few months. But then I realised the answer was in my hand all along: Facebook. Or more specifically, Facebook groups.

Now, before moving somewhere new I always type the name of my next destination + words like “digital nomads”, “expats” or even interests such as yoga/writing/business meetups into the search bar. It can take a few attempts, but I’m yet to travel somewhere without a Facebook community of real people waiting to hang out when I arrive. And even if you don’t meet up with any of the group members, they can always point you in the direction of events or classes where you will meet some new friends.

Try Lithuania!

Mary is a travel blogger from the Philippines who has been working online and travelling at the same time for a little over three years now. She’s been to 20 countries and is not planning to stop anytime soon. You can follow her blog A Mary Road here. She has suggested Lithuania as a digital nomad destination…here’s why:

Lithuania is the 4th place I’ve lived as a digital nomad, I have been nomading for 3+ years now. I’ve lived in the top digital nomad places like Thailand and Vietnam – which was both amazing, however, it was too hype and mainstream. If you are looking for a less popular place with not so hot weather, in Europe but not crazy expensive, Lithuania is the place.

• Cost per month: $500 – rent, bills, grocery
• Travel: cheap flights around Europe
• Cities that are digital nomad friendly: Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipeda (by the Baltic Sea)
• Internet speed: minimum of 20mbps in the apartment, 10mbps in cafes
• Coworking spaces: Yes
• Best time to go: May-September if you want to avoid the winter

The young locals speak amazing English, the foreigner/expat network is in medium size and very helpful, and they also organise a lot of activities and events. I even met digital nomads in the hostels in Vilnius. The cities of Lithuania are not full of tourists even in the peak season, it’s very walkable, and the traffic is almost non-existent. The local government, especially in Klaipeda, is working very hard to make the city freelancer and digital nomad friendly. I cannot rave enough how I love living here as a digital nomad. I’m leaving soon and it’s the first country I actually feel very sad to leave.

Staying Fit on The Road

Rebecca Carr believes we are all born to move!  After over 15 years teaching and researching gymnastics and natural movement and raising three “natural movers” of her own, she has a lot to say!  Rebecca created InnateMoves.com to teach and inspire you to find freedom in your body to move the way nature intended! Here are her tips for staying fit as a digital nomad:

As a digital nomad, planning your next adventure can make you feel strapped to your laptop! Avoiding being on your computer too long is key to keeping your fitness levels up, and getting to explore new places.Let go of the idea that you can only work while in front of your laptop. Utilize audio recorders on your phone for notes while you are traveling from place to place. Go for a walk or hike to explore your area while taking audio notes for work or listening to podcasts of your upcoming destinations or work-related material.

Plan your work, or computer, time. Knowing that you only have two more hours to finish up an article or to find your next week’s hotel will put the pressure on to get it done. When your work hours are over get up and move around. Just the act of getting up is motivating!

Time you do need to spend on your laptop need not be sedentary time. You can set up a movement-friendly work station in most hotel rooms. Simply put your computer on your bed or a coffee table. Sit down, squat, or stretch while you are working. Try changing positions often. You can also try putting your laptop on a higher table. This works better than the floor when you are at a coffee shop or restaurant! Just stand instead of sitting to work.

Make sure to wear comfortable movement-friendly clothing and try to take a yoga mat when traveling. This way you can stop and get in a few stretches, yoga poses, or push-ups wherever you are!

Buy a Laptop Stand

As I’ve been traveling around to all the different coworking offices in Southeast Asia, one thing that’s struck me is the number of people using laptop stands. I had never considered one of these before but now I totally get it. These stands pull your laptop up to eye height and help you avoid “tech neck.” Honestly, this is one of my best digital nomad tips for you…protect your neck!

Digital Nomad Tips Summary

Thanks everyone for all your great digital nomad tips to help me along my digital nomad journey. If anyone has any other tips, please let me know in the comments. 

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The post Digital Nomad Tips from Other Nomads first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

On Becoming a #DigitalNomad: Tips, Advice, and Reflections after 4 Months on The Road 3 Jan 2019 1:15 AM (6 years ago)

Krista’s Tips for Becoming a Digital Nomad

On September 7th, I put the remainder of my things in storage in North London, had a hasty late lunch at — surprise — St. John, and left London for life on the road. How long will I be gone? Most likely through March or so at which point DECISIONS MUST BE MADE. Or should be made. Or will hopefully be made. (You can read more about why I decided on becoming a digital nomad here.)

Maybe.

It’s been four months since I handed my keys to the alarmingly attractive flat inspector (WHY NOW GOD?) but it feels like four weeks. I’m constantly amazed at the end of every day how quickly time has evaporated. I feel so busy but yet as my (often) sorely neglected website asks…what have I been doing?

To be fair, I’ve been working. Working-working. I got bills to pay. The point in becoming a digital nomad is not to embark upon a life of leisure but rather to take advantage of lifestyle arbitrage and reduce my expenses by living in low cost-of-living countries. I am joining the ranks of the Financial Independence (hope to) Retire Early Movement. To give you some idea of what’s been going on…I worked on Christmas Eve. I worked on New Year’s Eve. I worked on New Year’s Day.

I am very rarely never not working.

The prospect of retirement looms large and my nest egg is hungry.

In some ways, these last four months have been everything I have ever wanted. I am surprised sometimes by how easy it all feels. I don’t miss London THAT much, which is what I feared the most. I don’t miss anything really, except for drinking water straight from the tap and the ability to throw toilet paper in the loo, directly. Ah, and the ease of purchasing tampons because if there’s just one small thing we women in Western countries should be thankful for, it’s tampons. (OK okay, I miss my friends and family too!!! Of course I do!!)

At the same time, I’ve made mistakes. Stupid ones. Some of you will laugh at my mistakes in that smug sort of way, not believing that I would be THAT unprepared or that uninformed or that…out of it.

These mistake-y experiences alone have become one of the main lessons of these last four months…

Given so many of our own stupidities, who are we to judge anyone, really?

If I have any one resolution for all of us in 2019 it’s that maybe we should all be…kinder. (Exception: Racists. No one should be kind to racists.)

I meant to write this blog post about becoming a digital nomad after one month on the road. But that wasn’t really enough time. So then it was going to be two months on the road. Then three months. But finally, now on the 4 month anniversary of my new life and becoming a digital nomad, here are my tips for surviving.

Always Have a Backup Connection. In Fact, Have Two Backup Connections. Or Three.

As a digital nomad, the internet is your friend and your enemy. Sometimes, I’ve been amazingly lucky, like in Thailand when my tiny 3 star hotel had a 60 Mbps connection that never wavered. Other times, I’ve been damned. Like I am right now in Ubud, during one of my busiest months, where my hotel internet slows to a crawl in the mornings and evenings when everyone is back at the property. (Thank goodness for Hubud.) So don’t rely on hotel wifi if you need to do intense internet related work or Skype calls. Attach yourself to a coworking office if at all possible. And get a local SIM card. And search out a cafe or restaurant close to your hotel with a decent wifi connection as another backup.

Trust me…there are never enough backup connections.

Get Vaccinated. For All The Things

In my rush to leave London, I just didn’t think about this. Stupid, stupid, stupid Krista. Let me tell you…when you are attacked by stray Balinese dogs, don’t ever google “Bali dogs rabies.” And guys, I am not kidding when I say the universe is always trying to tell us things because TODAY while I was on a conference call at my coworking office in Ubud, 30 monkeys started fighting with each other right in front of me and I was trying to be all businesslike and “I’m really going to have to call you back” when ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS RABIES.

So if you are thinking about becoming a digital nomad and working from countries like Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, etc, get vaccinated against all the things before you go.  Like rabies. Get vaccinated against rabies especially.

Mosquitoes are The Enemy

If your plan is to work from tropical locations…get ready. I have been bitten by more mosquitoes in the last four months than I probably ever have in my entire life. And this is with wearing Skin So Soft religiously PLUS mosquito repellent. So pack that “light, loose fitting clothing” that everyone talks about to protect yourself from mosquitoes and be prepared. In Koh Lanta, apparently nearly everyone at my coworking office Kohub in Koh Lanta, Thailand came down with Dengue in July.  Nobody “wants” to come down with Dengue.

Get a No Foreign Transaction Fee Debit Card

If you’re planning on becoming  a digital nomad and living a life on the road, you need to think about money and paying for things. I have both a US and a UK debit card and they both hit me with massive fees every time I take money out. It hurts. Especially in Vietnam where the max you can withdraw in a lot of places is about $90 USD. Get a NTF card and save yourself a few hundred bucks a year.

Hook up Apple Pay to Your No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card

This is my new answer to anything that costs over $20 USD so I don’t have to take out cash all the time on my debit card with foreign transaction fees. Now I ask “Do you take Apple Pay?” 50% of the time they will. (It’s the same as taking a credit card really but I feel so much cooler for asking.) They will usually charge 2% or 3% extra but it’s still usually cheaper than the ATM fees which can seriously be 10%.

Make Sure Your Parents Know How to Call You

I have kept my UK number but have cellular data turned off in most locations because of roaming fees. I thought my mother could handle calling me on Facebook. She doesn’t seem to know how to do this. My dad is not on Facebook but is on Skype so I thought we’d be fine there but he is “currently” (we’re going on four months now) locked out of Skype. My parents are old. I should have figured this out more. My brother and oldest cousin are the most tech savvy of the bunch but neither of them seems to want to talk to me. 🙁 I’ll probably get Google Fi BUT that’s still like $5 a day and so that’s a lot of money a year in roaming fees if I expect to be out of the US for 50% of each year. I am open to tips and suggestions here.

Understand that People Just Aren’t Going to Understand Your Life

Hey, I’m not just hanging around in my elephant pants getting massages all day long and being all “Eat Pray Love.”  I AM Donna Summer!!!! All day every day.

I told myself I would go to yoga during this sojourn and I have yet to do any yoga. At all. People keep asking me “Oh, how was Koh Lanta in Thailand???” And I CAN’T TELL YOU BECAUSE ALL I DID WAS WORK 12 HOURS A DAY EVERY DAY. I honestly never saw anything on Koh Lanta besides for my hotel and the wonderful KoHub coworking office. (They need better chairs but the food and staff are ace.) OK, one day I went for a massage on Koh Lanta. It wasn’t very good. And the island’s electricity went out while I was getting my massage. Which was stressful. I mean come on!!!

Guys I don’t even have time to Netflix. I haven’t Netflixed since September.

People don’t see this stuff on Instagram. They just see your pictures and think that you are on a really long vacation and that will bother people for some reason that has nothing to do with you and more to do with the fact that life sucks, no one gets enough vacation time or has enough money, and then we all die. Find people who get that you are not on vacation and that YOU WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY.  (P.S. I don’t own any elephant pants.)

Wear Shower Shoes

I haven’t taken a shower without shower shoes in four months. I am really afraid of foot diseases. This is the challenge with living out of hotels. If you are thinking about becoming a digital nomad, buy shower shoes.

Take Your Vitamins

I’ve been pretty good food wise but I’m out of my controlled circle of Pret a Manger and Itsu (again, don’t judge) where I’m more conscious of nutrition and able to log all my meals in My Fitness Pal. So I’ve tried to be better about taking vitamins. Take your vitamins.

Ditch the Bottled Water

I could seriously drink three to five liters of water a day. This is why I like tap water. But you can’t drink the tap water in Southeast Asia. So you have to buy bottled. Which sucks. Because it’s all plastic. So you have to learn to ask a place if they filter their water and if so if you can get some of it in your water bottle. Now I always plan ahead so I always have water available even if I don’t need it because I don’t want to buy bottled water I don’t need. Top tip? Buy a Lifestraw water bottle, which filters tap water. 

Wear Sunscreen

Like the song says.

Appreciate Local Pharmacists

When in doubt, ask a pharmacist. Since becoming a digital nomad, pharmacists have helped me with a terrible cold in China and a terrible knee infection in Bali. Pharmacists are kind and I kinda feel like they live to answer questions and do their job. Also, as I learned in China, pantomime is amazingly entertaining when describing cold symptoms!! Coughing, holding your throat, holding your forehead. Whenever you have something going on in a foreign country and can’t get to a traveler’s clinic immediately, ask a pharmacist, even if you can’t speak the language. They get you. (And hey, in some countries, you don’t need a prescription for stuff!! Like amoxicillin!)

Realize that Mother Nature is in Charge

I lived through a week-long monsoon on Koh Lanta, wondering if my little bungalow would be lifted from its foundation and if I could get back to the mainland easily. In Bali, there have been days where the heat and humidity have kept me either drenched with sweat and as lazy as the self-employed can be (i.e., not very but somewhat) or (more likely) seeking out the only air conditioned and enclosed restaurant or bar in town. In Vietnam, I prayed and prayed to God on the ride to Hanoi airport…the rain was so heavy that the highway was a pool. And as I write this, my little Balinese bungalow rumbles. Indonesia is always rumbling. Mother Nature is in charge. Realize we are just here for the ride and don’t be upset if the weather upsets your plans.

Buy a Big Phone Charger Block Thingie

One of the most stressful parts of my new life is not knowing where my next charge will come from. I mean, I don’t wake up at home in the morning and go to any one desk in any one office for the next 9 hours and then come home to my home.  If there’s one thing I wish I had purchased, it’s one of these big charger block thingies.

Tell People Where You Are

I’ve been surprised over the last few months by the invitations…people I never knew were on the road, wanting me to join them as long as I’m “in the neighborhood.” I haven’t been able to to take up most invitations…non-refundable hotels, visa timing issues, the need for plane ticket, my 40 kg of luggage, WORK…but it’s nice to know people want to see me. And they wouldn’t know that without social media.

Wear a FitBit

My FitBit hasn’t left my wrist since September. I love it. It tracks my steps (pretty good about the 10,000 steps a day except for over New Year’s when I’ve been both slothy and tied to my lapotop) and my sleep (generally, 7 hours a night although I know I feel best at 7 hours 40 minutes from previous experiments) and my cardio (about 45 minutes a day). My FitBit is like my friend. Sometimes I’m like, “OK, let’s take you out for a walk. I’d like to hit 12,000 today mister.”

BE KIND!!

This is perhaps my biggest observation/takeaway/advice for anyone considering becoming a digital nomad. And it’s just good life advice in general. Be kind to people. Everyone will be better off for it. Even when I am having a bad day, I take a deep breath and think “Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.” And I put a big smile on my face and ask for whatever it is that I want or whatever it is that I want to complain about. It works 80% of the time and my expectations are exceeded. It also, uh, helps everyone in your hotel know your name. Which generally is a good thing

Summary of Becoming a Digital Nomad

Thank you for reading my tips for becoming a digital nomad. I hope you found them helpful. Please let me know if you have any others.  I am always looking to learn!

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The post On Becoming a #DigitalNomad: Tips, Advice, and Reflections after 4 Months on The Road first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.