My Next Adventure: Fire, Vikings, and Wild and Sexy Shetland!

It all began with a pamphlet entitled WILD & SEXY SCOTLAND. It was last fall and I was about to leave Edinburgh and jump on a train back to Chester.  On my way out of Haggis Hostel, I grabbed several pamphlets to plan my return trip to Scotland.  On the way out, the WILD & SEXY SCOTLAND caught my eye and I grabbed the pamphlet as well. And that is how I discovered Haggis Adventures, a tour... [Read more]

---

A Frog Named Lady Gaga: Australia Day in Hanoi

Today is Australia Day — and I’d love to wish a very happy Australia Day to my beloved Australian readers. This time last year, I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, and celebrated Australia Day for the first time…in a truly unique fashion. I was staying at the excellent Hanoi Backpackers, home to one of the best hostel happy hours in the world.  At 5:00 PM every night, it feels like every backpacker... [Read more]

---

Paris is Wonderful in Winter

I just spent the past weekend in Paris, my favorite city in the world.  I adore Paris, and though I wasn’t solo on this particular trip, I think it’s one of the best cities in the world for solo female travelers to visit.  This was my fifth visit to Paris, and though I’ve spent so much time in the city, I’ve never been during the winter before. It was a revelation.  I’ve... [Read more]

---

Chiang Mai is Not for Everyone.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say in passing, “Everyone loves Chiang Mai.”  Each time, it makes me wince — because it’s not true. Not everyone loves Chiang Mai. YIKES!  Someone finally said it. I can understand why people would think that everyone loves it.  Chiang Mai is home to a sizable travel blogger community, and as a result, receives... [Read more]

---

Bringing More Cowbell to the UK

On most days here in England, I somehow end up quoting Family Guy or Anchorman back and forth with my English friends. It’s easy to assume that all of American pop culture translates across the pond. After all, we share a common language, for starters.  Most of the films playing at the cinema are American, Comedy Central UK plays Friends and South Park all day long, and clubs play Lady Gaga... [Read more]

---

Lyme Park: Home of Mr. Darcy

Are you a fan of the Pride and Prejudice BBC miniseries from the 90s?  The one when Colin Firth first stepped into our lives and made us swoon as Mr. Darcy, long before anyone knew who Bridget Jones was? Well, this weekend, I went to see one of its filming locations: Lyme Park in Cheshire, England. Here is the scene when Colin Firth strips down (though not nearly enough for my liking) and jumps... [Read more]

---

Sign Up For The Adventurous Kate Newsletter And You Could Win $100!

After waiting far too long, I am finally, FINALLY, starting the Adventurous Kate Newsletter, a fantastic extension to this site. And because I want people to sign up, I’m making a special offer to entice you to subscribe. I’m giving away $100! If I get 100 people to sign up by February 5, 2012, I will be giving away $100 to a randomly selected subscriber.   I will either send you $100... [Read more]

---

Jordan: The Perfect Introduction to the Middle East

Dear Readers, I know that many of you long to see the world.  So you’ve traveled a bit in Europe.  You’ve done the resort vacation in Mexico.  Perhaps you’ve done a bit of Central America or even Asia. And you’d like to try somewhere new– somewhere adventurous, and exciting, and DIFFERENT. May I make a suggestion?  Go to Jordan. But it’s in the Middle East! Yes,... [Read more]

---

Stray Cats in Istanbul

As I walked through the streets of Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s historic center, I noticed that there were quite a few cats milling about.  That’s nothing special — you see that in most cities.  Probably Rome more than anywhere else. But upon further inspection, I realized that unlike the frail, weak stray cats that fill most cities, these stray cats were very well-fed and absolutely... [Read more]

---

Fethiye in Winter: Pure, Chilled Bliss

As I prepared to leave the sub-zero temperatures of Cappadocia in November, I had one thing on my mind: I need to get warm. And with that, I headed to Turkey’s southwest corner on the Mediterranean — to Fethiye. Oh God, this was such a wonderful place. I first heard about Fethiye from Julia and Barry of the blog Turkey’s for Life.  They described a beautiful seaside city filled... [Read more]

---