Thinking of going global for the first time? See if my international travels can help you decide on your next destination!
So you survived the polar vortex and are now asking yourself, “Is this year over yet?” No matter how much you were looking forward to the new year, you cannot help but miss the lazy days of December and long for another holiday.
Well, I feel you. Every year I think to myself, “I will be good this year. I will not travel or go to insane restaurants and save money.” But January goes by and just like with most new year’s resolutions, my heart is eager to drop the declarations I naively made after the NYE countdown.
I’m a big believer in starting your international travels as early as possible. Nothing makes you more mature than seeing a world vastly different from what you are used. You don’t have to sign up for the craziest activities in the countries you visit for it to be a worthwhile experience. Simply immersing yourself in a new environment alone will give you an experience you will never want to trade.
So here are the 4 of my favorite travels.
1. Osaka, Japan
Like many cities in Japan in the spring, Osaka boasts an unbeatable view of the cherry blossom trees. You will want to spend a full day in the Osaka Castle Park to stare at the gorgeous baby pink surrounding you. The flowers fall in the river, making the stream pink-ish color. Around 5 pm, the sunset adds a yellow-orange color, making the whole scene look like a painting. The park has awesome food trucks selling dry noodles and ice cream (Macha ice cream was to die for) as well as Japanese street performance with monkeys!
After your beautiful day at the park, you can walk around to check out bustling bars and restaurants. You will meet crazy friendly locals, fellow travelers, and people with amazing life stories. Unlike Tokyo, Osaka is small and walkable. Every corner and alleys are full of izakayas, bars, and restaurants. We would walk into a random restaurant without Googling and have some of the best foods we’ve ever had.
There is a sushi making class you can sign up for in Osaka. Sakura Cook offers group cooking classes for foreigners for about $120 per person. You get to make and eat 11 pieces of sushi, one roll, and 2 yakitori. Honestly, the hardest part was fanning the rice!
Also, did I mention that Osaka has Nara park where you can feed and play with the deer?
2. Anguilla
If you want a sunny vacation spot without all the tourists, Anguilla is the perfect place for you. As you can see, the whole island is just shades of blue. Turquoise, mint, baby blue, sky blue…
They have a “” on the island who helps you find your taste in rum along with some of the finest cigars. Not only that, the island is full of retired folks from the U.S. and other countries; they have opened up restaurants to offer never-been-tasted fusion cuisines. The island has fully recovered from hurricane Irma and is open for business.
This is not a party island (unlike St. Maarten) so don’t expect any crazy nightlife. But you will feel rejuvenated and fresh!
3. Dubrovnik & Hvar, Croatia
Croatia is best known for yacht week where you rent a boat (or get on Contiki) to go island hopping across Croatia and Greece. But without a ‘yacht’, there are regular boat rides between islands so you can island hop to your heart’s content. Personally, I loved Dubrovnik and Hvar the most.
Dubrovnik is a lively city where you can jet-ski during the day (the waves are pretty strong), check out the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra inside a fortress for about an hour, and head out to popping nightclubs at night. I’ve had some of the best seafood of my life (oysters the size of my ears!)
Hvar, on the other hand, offers a very well-balanced ‘island’ experience. It’s a party island but it’s still clean and beautiful. There are a lot of tourists and locals mixed together. You can go hiking to see the beautiful tower, chill at a cafe on the harbor, bum around on the beach, or hardcore day drink. Their famous bar/lounge, Hula Hula, has sick music and everyone there is just enchanted by the sunset views and vibes.
Many hostels host sweet bar crawls for tourists (you can pay and sign up even if you are not a guest) and you will meet so many people from all over the world.
There is a free ferry ride (about 30 minutes) to a smaller island near Hvar where you will see a spacious, outdoor club called Carpe Diem with beautiful dancers and hammocks. The boat rides are provided 24/7. Seriously, you will not regret staying in Hvar for 2-3 days.
4. Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya is an interesting place. There is a lot of development happening due to an influx of capital from the Western companies and investors but it is also the home of two of the largest slums in the world. You will see a 4-star hotel being built right next to the shacks in a neighboring slum.
Safari Tour
Since Lion King was inspired by Kenyan safari, a safari tour is a must. I strongly recommend Sanctuary Olonana where you will be greeted by a flutist and some refreshing beverages. The prices may vary based on who you’re booking it through but we paid $1,200 pp for a 2-3 night stay. This includes a round-trip flight from and back to Nairobi (only about 45 minutes), food and drinks, and the game drive with a tour guide. Their food was better than most restaurants I’ve been to (for real). You stay right on the river with the hippos so you will see them bathing and chilling as you eat your breakfast. Don’t worry, there is an electric fence.
If you go in the summer (the peak season), you will see buffalo herds and other animals migrating between Kenya and Tanzania. Your game drives will likely be full. We went in January when it was slow and ended up getting our own tour guide for just the 2 of us. They pack your lunch and a bottle of wine for each person as well for a full-day game drive. Each day you will witness amazing animal actions in the wild such as lionesses hunting.
Slum Tour
If you are going to stay in Nairobi for a few days, you should sign up for the slum tours (do not go there alone or with just one other friend, especially if you are a woman). Bring a fake wallet with a little bit of cash just in case and do NOT pull out your cellphone anywhere in public. We had a lot of opportunities to actually speak to people living in the slums who had amazing drives and hustler moves. You’ll see women designing gorgeous handbags using nothing but left-over candy wrappers and beads. Trust me, it will be worth your time.
