Planning a Trip: Weekend in Ottawa in Winter
Growing up in Canada, and actually being born in Ontario, the fact I had never been to Ottawa was crazy to me. So when my friend’s partner suggested skating on the Rideau Canal, I was in. I’m not the best skater, but I love to be on skates and feel a great sense of freedom in the fresh air. Since I’ve been trying to keep my trips to long weekends, and since it’s the dead of winter, I hopped on a plane on a Thursday morning and headed for Ottawa to meet up with friends.
Laos Guide: Crossing from Thailand
First off, there are a few ways of getting into Lao, but this post is about the crossing from Thailand into Laos via the Mekong River. The two day slow boat was a trip I won’t forget and a fun way to spend the first couple days in a new country. Check out my tips for taking the cruise and what to do.
What to Do: Hoi An
What started as a three day stop quickly turned into almost two weeks in this amazing place. I fell in love with the beach, the waves, the pedal bike rides and the laid back lifestyle of the Old Town. I fell in love with the people, the walks through town, my morning coffee, and the waterfront lunches. By far, my favourite place in Vietnam, here are a few things that I recommend when you go!
What to Do: Sa Pa
First off, Sa Pa is this city/town, with surrounding towns that make up a northwestern part of Vietnam. Laying very close to the Chinese border, this place takes a bit to get to from Hanoi, but it’s well worth it to escape the city and be immersed in a bit of culture.
What to Do: Ha Long Bay
Now, after arriving at my hostel in Hanoi, I was overwhelmed with the amount of trips that were offered, everyone from your front desk, to tour company, to shack by the side of the road had tours they could book for you, and they promised they had the most exclusive deal. I’m going to start off this post with a few tips on finding the right tour and what you can expect to pay!
What to Do: Hanoi
I don't know about you, but I love hostel travel. I've been spoiled in meeting great people and hanging out with them during my stays and I end up becoming long term friends with a lot of them. I lucked out in Hanoi, staying in the Old Quarter at the Old Quarter View Hostel, right in the heart of the happenings of Hanoi and right where all the food and activity was.
Long Term Travel Checklist
So you've booked a long term trip and you're excited to leave. Now what! There are probably a million and one things that you have to do and think about before leaving, especially if you're considering not coming back, or there are other options out there for you that you want to take advantage of!
Planning a Trip: Seattle
After missing our flight, we ended up stuck in Seattle for an 8 hour layover. I had never been before and the opportunity to explore made me excited. With 8 hours and counting, we wanted to make sure that we maximized our time there and got a chance to see a few sights. We managed to cram a few things in, but given a weekend here is what I would have liked to do!
Traveling to NYC: Part II
Here’s the second part of our trip to NYC in February and all that we saw. Some highlights included the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Central Park, wandering around the city and just exploring. Check out everything we squeezed into two days in NYC!
Traveling to NYC
Our trip started off with a red eye flight to Toronto. Let me tell you, red eye flights may sound exciting, leaving one city and waking up in the next, however it’s key to note this means usually a 3.5 hour sleep if you’re lucky and then after a slightly hectic transfer, you’ll get another hour of uncomfortable sleep. Here is a run-down of the first couple of days in NYC!
Planning a Trip: Palm Springs
It's freezing outside for a lot of us this time of year, so now is the perfect time to plan a trip to somewhere warm. Somewhere that I discovered last year was this lovely retirement-esque place known to many as Palm Springs. With the aging population of 65+ and few younger people, it's a really great place to get away and relax with friends by the pool, hiking in the Joshua Tree National Park, or visiting the many interesting places that the area has to offer.
Planning a Trip: NYC
I've just booked a trip to NYC for the beginning of March! I've been to the Big Apple before, but when I was traveling with family and technically under age in the United States. I'm currently researching a few places that I'd like to go and a few experiences I want to have while being down there.
48 Hours in Shanghai
I was lucky enough to stop over in Shanghai on my way to SE Asia. If you are headed down there and you will likely have a layover or plane change in China, I recommend taking advantage of the not so talked about 144 or 24-hour visa that is offered at customs. Here is my travel diary while in China and what I recommend you know before you go there!
