Constant travel does not equal constant happiness. Just because I’m nearly always on the road, it doesn’t mean it’s always easy or fun or exciting. Travel, as life-fulfilling as it can be, can also be very challenging. I try to show that darker side, but most of them time, those bad moments don’t make entertaining […]
My 12 Worst Travel Moments of 2012 Read More »
This week’s Ask Kate is a question that I get asked with surprising frequency. Two years ago, Nomadic Matt wrote a post called Why I’ll Never Return to Vietnam. It got quite a bit of outcry — many of his readers were in complete agreement; many more disagreed. Here I try to help a reader
Ask Kate: Is Vietnam As Bad As Nomadic Matt Says? Read More »
“Change of plans. We’re going up Table Mountain now,” David told us. Now? We had literally just stepped off the Blue Train. “There are no clouds on top of the mountain today. The weather probably won’t be this good again.” It turns out that although Cape Town has a fantastic climate, Table Mountain can be
View from the Top of Table Mountain, Cape Town Read More »
2012 was a wild year. It’s been a fantastic, exciting year, filled with good times and bad, fun, friendship, and adventure. Looking back, I’ve tried to narrow 2012 down to the best 12 travel experiences I’ve had. Here they are: 12. Visiting the Alhambra in Granada, Spain I’ve always been into architecture, but this marvel
My Top 12 Travel Experiences of 2012 Read More »
This past weekend, I got to experience a delightful festival for the first time: Lyon’s Fête des Lumières, or Festival of Lights. Every year from December 8-11, Lyon’s nights are filled with brilliant light shows that are as technologically savvy as they are artistically scintillating. Despite my lifelong francophilia, I had never heard of this
Lyon’s Festival of Lights Read More »
This week’s question is about how to help your parents adjust to the idea of you traveling — long-term or short-term, solo or with someone else. Hi Adventurous Kate! I’m planning to travel abroad for an extensive length of time (most of 2013), and my parents are very nervous about this. I’m 28, single, financially
Ask Kate: My Parents Don’t Want Me To Travel Read More »
Of all overland journeys, I’m not sure anything can top my experience in South Africa: riding from Pretoria to Cape Town on the Blue Train. The Blue Train, you see, is a FANCY TRAIN. The kind of train that requires men to wear jackets and ties and ladies to don elegant eveningwear. The kind of
The Blue Train: Crossing South Africa in Luxury Read More »
Changing from the iPhone to the Samsung Galaxy SIII? It wasn’t easy at first. But as time went on, I found myself more and more enamored with this phone. First things first: in my Knysna photo post the other day, I mentioned that the SIII had a great camera, but the only Android photography apps
Making the Switch to the Galaxy SIII Read More »
I didn’t spend all my time in Knysna ensconced in my treehouse — I also spent time exploring the fun, low-key town and its relaxing waterfront. This photo essay has a twist — it was done entirely on my Samsung Galaxy SIII! Here are my favorite photos from Knysna: Knysna is a surprisingly international destination.
Photo Essay: Knysna’s Waterfront (With a Twist!) Read More »
In a bit less than a week, I will be visiting Paris for the sixth time ever. I visited Paris for the first time at the age of sixteen, returning at seventeen, twenty, twenty-one, and earlier this year, twenty-seven. Paris has always been my favorite city in the world. Being a lifelong francophile, I think
This Time in Paris — The Expat Life! Read More »