If you’re visiting Tongariro National Park in New Zealand, you’re most likely wanting to take on the very popular day hike, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. (Unless you’re like me, have no idea what the plan is, find out at 10 pm the night before that we need to book a shuttle, and that it would probably have been a good idea to pack real hiking shoes and not Nike Frees.) This 11-mile, point-to-point hike takes you through a variety of terrain, elevation, and weather. I should have done more research before I showed up in New Zealand with neither hiking shoes nor a clue. Learn from my mistakes and read my tips for taking on this epic hike! My top 5 tips for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Book your shuttle in advance - we used Tongariro Crossing Shuttle Wear good hiking shoes, and bring extra socks Dress in layers Pack a lot of snacks to eat along the way Bring toilet paper and plastic bags for garbage Tip #1: Book your shuttle in advance We arrived in Turangi on a rainy, mid-spring evening in late October. Turangi is an interesting little town of about 3500 people. We were eating at Rust, a pretty decent place for dinner. It has a full bar and all kinds of burgers, including veggie burgers. We started talking about the next day's plans. My friend had seen some pictures of crystal blue lakes against a volcanic backdrop, in Tongariro National Park. This was our main reason for putting it on the itinerary. What we didn’t know Continue Reading
Banff Travel Guide
Banff has always been a bucket list destination of mine, with its gorgeous scenery and amazing hiking trails. I was finally able to cross it off my list in early September 2018, and put together a short Banff travel guide. About Banff Banff is both the name of Canada’s oldest national park and the name of the main town. The town of Banff is the main commercial center within the national park, with many restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Banff National Park is one of the most visited national parks in North America and the most popular tourist destination in the Alberta province. Getting to Banff The town of Banff is about a 1.5-hour drive from the Calgary (YYC) airport (You will definitely want to rent a car - there are some public/tour transport options available but having a car allows you to be much more flexible). There is a fee for admission into the national park, and it is valid for any of Banff, Jasper, Yoho or Kootenay national parks. For a single vehicle, it is C$19.60 for a day or C$136.40 for an annual park pass and is good for parking in the lots in town, discounts on entrance to some of the historic site, etc. Based on the price it is worth it to buy an annual pass if you are going to spend 7 days or more in any of the parks. They accept cash or credit cards. What To Do What to do in the Banff area is, obviously, highly dependent on what season you are visiting. In the winter, there will be some great snow activities including Continue Reading
10 Things To Do In Medellin
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Medellin, once the most dangerous city in the world, has transformed itself into an innovative, beautiful, and modern city with amazing weather (it’s not called "City of the Eternal Spring” for nothing!) The locals (called paisas - no, not like Mexican paisas) are friendly and welcoming. Here are 10 fun things to do in Medellin. 1. Free Walking Tour (tip-based) Easily one of the most popular things to do in Medellin (it gets booked up fast), this is a fabulous half-day tour which takes you all around the center of Medellin, through historic plazas, parks, squares, and streets. You'll see Plaza Botero (which features many of Fernando Botero's sculptures), have the chance to try local empanadas, and much more. Reserve your spot at the Real City Tours website. Don't forget to tip, it's well worth it! 2. Free Graffiti Tour (tip-based) Don’t pay full price for a graffiti tour, take this one with Zippy Tours! Your guide will walk you through Comuna 13, providing insight into the art, as well as an informative history of the city and this comuna in particular, on this 4-hour tour. 3. Take the Metrocable up to Santo Domingo for gorgeous views of Medellin Locals are very proud of their metro system. Medellin is the ONLY city in Colombia with a rail-based metro system and was the first Continue Reading
Things To Do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Things To Do in La Fortuna Two Volcanoes Tour Ride A Bike El Salto (Rope Swing) La Fortuna Waterfall Other Things To Do Where To Stay In La Fortuna What To Eat In La Fortuna La Fortuna was my first stop in Costa Rica. I had come from San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, crossing the border by foot and taking a bus to La Fortuna. The bus actually dropped me off in Tanque, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) east of La Fortuna. The bus driver told me to wait for another bus that would take me to La Fortuna. A light drizzle fell and I waited in the bus shelter along with two other guys. Some of my first impressions of Costa Rica were here in this bus shelter. Maybe it was the warm drizzle, but the sleepy town of Tanque felt cozy and clean. Everything seemed to be more developed, the cars were nice, the people were chill. No one was whistling at me, there were no borrachos sleeping on the sidewalks, they actually had sidewalks. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved Nicaragua and Guatemala, in some ways more than Costa Rica. Costa Rica is kind of Americanized. I mean, there’s a Smashburger and Cinnabon at the airport, and you hear English everywhere. I like to call it the Disneyland of Central America. But there’s a reason so many tourists come here. It’s a beautiful country, with great Continue Reading