Italy for the Nature Lover

Italy is an overwhelming place to plan a trip to. At least, that was my experience. Every time I thought about going to Italy, I found myself overwhelmed by the number of “must visit” cities. For a country the size of Florida and Georgia combined, I always felt similarly to how I imagine tourists trying to plan a visit to the vast United States must feel - so many historical sites, so many different food regions, so many areas of unique natural beauty. There’s no way to see it all in one trip, unless you have an unlimited timeline.

But something kept drawing me to one area of Italy in particular, a place as far North as you can go before you’re in Austria - the Dolomites.

For two years in a row, I was signed up for a trail running tour group that would traverse the trails of the Dolomites and the lakes of Slovenia. And for two years in a row, the injury prone runner that I am, I couldn’t run. I had lost thousands of dollars, but after two years of disappointment I was still determined to see the spiky, jagged peaks of the stunning Dolomite Mountains. If I couldn’t run, I could hike.

The problem was, I had gone from having a fully-planned, guided vacation on the calendar and now I suddenly had two-weeks to fill with a self-created itinerary.

I love trip planning, but at times this felt like I may have bit off more than I could chew as I navigated websites not only in Italian, but German, as many of the regions in the Dolomites are German-speaking (in fact, 64% of people in the Northern Dolomites speak German as their primary language).

On top of all of that, I would be doing part 1 of the vacation totally solo AND without a car. I will admit, I was more nervous than I let on, especially to my parents, who were nervous enough themselves.

The algorithm kept bringing me to Italian pick-pocket TikTok, and I found myself terrified that I would be standing out as a solo female traveler somewhere I didn’t speak the language. That coupled with the fact that I had an ambitious itinerary with multiple locations, ferries, trains, etc., had me spending hours researching every single detail.

The good news is now you don’t have to! Instead of going into in-depth explanations on each and every step of this trip, I’ll link to some of the best resources that helped me, and can help you too!

DAY ONE - VENICE

I landed in Venice at 9:35 AM and had spent so much time stressing and researching the best way to get from the airport into the actual city of Venice. Here are two articles that will help you make the decision that’s best for you from Welcome Pickups and A Bontempo Abroad.

I opted for the Alilaguna “water bus” because I liked the idea of arriving to Venice via water and because it was more affordable than a private water taxi. Plus, my hotel had a very convenient map on its “Getting Here” section which showed the walking path right from the St. Mark’s ferry stop to the hotel.

I was able to check in pretty quickly after dragging myself and my luggage through the absolutely packed St. Mark’s Square. Venice is an expensive city, and not exactly cost-effective for solo travelers looking for lodging in a central location. I found out the hard way that going on the cheap can have consequences - I ended up with pretty terrible bed bugs and have no problem calling out the hotel that did absolutely nothing to remedy the situation so that you can avoid the same fate - DO NOT stay at Hotel Antico Panada! A quick review of Google reviews will show that since I stayed, there are TONS of guests reiterating the fact that there are bed bugs in this hotel.

It genuinely put a huge damper on my trip. The bites were massive, itchy, painful and I was up every night going down Reddit rabbit holes of people spending thousands of dollars to rid themselves of bed bugs. I was terrified to bring them back to my apartment. Each hotel I would get to, I would comb through my clothes and suitcase. It was awful.

Anyway. When I first checked in, I was blissfully unaware of the insect ordeal heading my way. I firmly believe that the only way to combat jet lag is to power through your arrival day sans nap and that is what I did. I headed out into maze-like streets of Venice with a vague idea of where I was headed - Libreria Acqua Alta - a unique bookstore that uses boats, bathtubs, and other buoyant containers as bookshelves.

Whether this is a kitschy gimmick or a necessity based on the local doesn’t really matter. It’s enormously popular, to the point that visitors need to walk in a predetermined path along the stores’ shelves, and pay up a few euro to take a photo in the gondola tied outside the window (I may sound judgmental here but rest assured, I stood in line for my photo).

I meandered and took photos of every bridge and canal I crossed - there are a LOT and couldn’t help but laugh each time I came to a dead-end that was just water. It was fascinating to think about this city being created. I also loved watching all the gondoliers - they are seriously skilled. I saw three at the same time in one teeeeeny, narrow canal. They use the sides of the buildings to push off with their legs. It’s nuts! Full body workout.

Next on the agenda was gelato, obviously. I joined the long queue for Suso gelato. There was a girl from Boston behind me also traveling solo and we chatted for a bit. I got pistachio and it was delicious!

Wandered some more until it was time for dinner at Trattoria Gazzettino. Honestly, I wasn’t blown away but I feel like the first night dinner on a trip is always hit or miss as you get your bearings. The staff were nice and gave little complimentary things like some risotto to try and a sampler of desserts at the end. And their bread basket was great! But my meal of linguine with scallops and mushrooms was just OK. I felt like it was drowning in oil and there weren’t a ton of scallops. It cost 32 euro, with a glass of the house red.

After dinner on my way back to the hotel, I stopped in San Marco Square and looked around, took some cool shots of the reflection of Doge’s and then I was under the impression that St. Mark’s Campanile closed at 7 PM per Google but I passed it and the last entry was 8:45 PM!

I went in at 7:20 and the views were beautiful - it costs 10E but when you think of the the price for something like the Empire State Building - it’s fair! I wish I wasn’t so tired and didn’t have to pee so badly because I would have loved to have stuck it out for sunset - I’m sure it’s gorgeous!

I was bummed that you needed to pay $3 to download the app to be told what all the points of interest were around the panoramic views but I wouldn’t be bothered with downloading, paying, etc. so I just took in the golden hour vibes and made my way back to the hotel for bed.

DAY TWO - VENICE

Day two in Venice I was up and out early for a walking tour booked through Airbnb Experiences.

On the way to the tour, I walked over the Rialto Bridge, overlooking the Grand Canal and it was so quiet and peaceful! The city was juuuust waking up and I enjoyed a solitary moment in this spot that would later be teeming with people.

The tour was good, not great - our guide, Clementine, was very sweet but very all over the place. And the woman on the tour with me was…not my favorite.

Regardless, we went over by an hour! So I go a three hour tour + my first Italian breakfast of a cappuccino and pistachio creme filled croissant.

Some random things that I remember from the tour:

-The fancy doors and fronts of the building are on the water side
-Don’t eat fish out on Monday - it’s not fresh (it’s from Saturday because the market is closed on Sunday).
-The islands all serve different purposes. There’s even a trash island!
-Burano is the most instagrammable place - Murano is more industrial with the glass factories
-There’s something like 600 unique columns on St. Mark’s Bascilica
-The piece of wood that the oar rests on each gondola is specific to the gondolier
-Learned a bit about the foundations of the buildings here - everything is crooked and leaning but designed so if it collapses it would collapse inward
-They’re really anti air-conditioning - they think it’s bad for you, and the environment (the shutters are their climate control).
-Cannoli should be refrigerated or it’s not real!

Some of my tour guides recs were:

• Marchini Time

• Al Merca

• Casa del Parmigiano

• Cantina Do Spade

• Carina Do Mori

• All Arco

After the tour I wandered over the “Wooden Bridge” and wanted to do some souvenir shopping along the way but it was a really fancy area and I wasn’t in the market for a Louis Vuitton bag.

Next up was one of the highlights of Venice for me- a rowing class with Row Venice! It was such a better use of 85 Euro.

To do a 30 minute gondola ride will cost you 80-100 euro. OR you could spend 85 Euro for 90 minutes learning the Venetian style of standing rowing in a batele with an all woman owned and operated organization! No brainer.

Rowing was tons of fun and easier than I thought! Of course I was delighted that my instructor said she loved how natural I looked! Steering/rowing from the back of the batele was WAY harder though, and my left shoulder was screaming!

The 90 minutes flew by even though I was worried the small talk was going to be awkward, since it was just me and the instructor, but it wasn’t at all!

We covered a random variety of topics, including an explanation on gelato types. The fruity gelato is sugar, the creamy ones use milk, and the chocolate, vanilla and coffee are egg based! I guess a lot of people in Italy are lactose intolerant and can really only eat parmegiano! (Which checks out, my tour guide Clementine was FULL of dairy slander!)

It was such a cute little area where we were rowing and when we finished I went to get a cappuccino gelato at the spot my guide had recommended. I liked it better than Suso, but it melted so quickly in the sun!

After refueling I wandered over to the Dorsuduro area - I wish I hadn’t followed so many main streets but it was quickest (and the most crowded). Along the way I shopped for some Murano earrings and finally settled on two pairs.

I dropped things off at the hotel and changed and then I thought I would stop at St. Mark’s Bascilica because I thought there was a 5:30 mass but it wasn’t until 6:45. So I wandered off to the Cantina Do Spade (two swords) and there were already a few people sitting outside waiting for it to open! We were all American and chatted a bit. One couple did a day trip to Cortina D’Ampezzo yesterday and said it was much cooler and that everything was written in Italian, German and English - PHEW!

When the clock struck 6 we walked in and I ordered a white wine and some pinchetti - the half egg with anchovy that Clementine had told us to order (served over polenta), a piece of bread with meat/cheese and fried artichoke. The polenta was by far my favorite part. The place was bumping and I journaled a bit and then with a bit of a wine blur made my way back to the church.

The security guard turned people away but let me in when I said I was there for mass. Then I felt guilty only staying for a few minutes so I settled in (I was actually fully dripping in sweat with my shoulders covered with a scarf).

I’m glad I stayed - the priest even gave a bit of a sermon in English and I was surprised at how many parts I picked up. Plus the little kids choir sounded beautiful and I was actually stunned and had mini chills looking up at the vast quantity of small gold mosaic tiles that make up the domes of that church. Unreal - I don’t get how it was ever finished!!

After church it was time for PIZZA. I went to 1000 Gourmet which sounds like it should be awful but I read it was some of the best in Venice. The dough was amazing, but overall the food here didn’t really do it for me.

My overall though leaving Venice was that as a New Yorker, we’re always saying “nothing is easy” - but Venetians may just have us beat!

DAY THREE - BOLOGNA

After a subpar hotel breakfast in Venice (I cannot find one good thing to say about this place…) I navigated myself to the “bus” (a ferry) to the train station where I bought my ticket to Bologna and boarded a very lovely, clean, well outlet-ed train (the LIRR could never).

The hotel I was staying at in Bologna (Hotel Il Guercino) was very close to the train station. Sadly, it was still early and my room wasn’t ready so I dropped my luggage in the storage room and headed out to walk the Portico and the Sanctuary of San Luca.

Mo Mortadella lab

Bologna is known as a foodie town in Italy - and to be known as a foodie town in Italy of all places, means the food is really damn good. Some people say Bologna is in fact Italy’s best food city! This put a lot of pressure on the 2 meals I would be eating here.

A friend had told me that a must-eat while in Bologna was a sandwich from Mo Mortadella Lab and knowing I had a long, steep walk ahead of me to the Sanctuary of San Luca, it was the perfect place to stop and be prepared for a “summit” sandwich.

I ordered the #2 which had mortadella, mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula. So simple, yet so good. The bread was so fluffy and fresh. The mortadella was divine (I now order mortadella whenever I see it on a menu). The layer of cheese was thin and not at all overwhelming. And my god I finally had that classic Italian moment you always read about where you taste a tomato and it’s like you’re eating one for the first time! I was legit closing my eyes, humming, happy dancing - while sitting on a bench with picturesque rolling hills in the background and the city down below. There was a brief moment where I thought I might save the other half for later, but that sandwich didn’t stand a chance. And for 9 euro! A STEAL.

Needless to say, Mo Mortadella Lab gets my full endorsement!

WALK THE PORTICO TO THE SANCTUARY OF SAN LUCA

One thing about me is that even in a city - I’m going to find a way to hike up a hill and eat a sandwich. Lucky for me, Bologna has a very well known urban hike that showcases some seriously historic architecture as you traverse the world’s longest portico (4 KM long) that has been around since the 1400s.

The route brings you through the hills outside Bologna and up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca.

Walking the portico route was honestly so great because it was SUNNY and HOT but being able to be in the shade 90% of the time made a huge difference.

At a certain point, the “hike” truly begins and it is definitely an uphill climb - for around 1.3 miles. I booked it, I was hot, tired and hungry and just wanted to be at the top! The views were gorgeous, and it was a very well deserved summit sandwich at the time.

I had been chugging water the whole way up and was happy to find that there were bathrooms at the top (be prepared with a few coins to pay!)

In my planning I found a few great step by step guides to completing this walk - complete with pictures!

May Cause Wanderlust

The Travel Folk

INSTAGRAM WORTHY STOP

I had saved this location in my offline map of Bologna so that I could stop by and snap a photo - I gotta admit, it was worth it! When I arrived, there was no one there, but by the time I had finished taking a peak at the canal, there was a small line starting to form.

Here you go.

DINNER AT TRATTORIA DA ME

After finally checking into the hotel and taking a quick shower, I walked another 30 minutes to my 7:30 PM dinner reservation, right when the restaurant opened. There was already a huge line!

It’s popular for a reason. My meal was phenomenal. I started with Lambrusco - a sparkling red wine that was super refreshing, followed by the “slow cooked egg” in a gazpacho with fried cheese. It was great, though the award for best gazpacho still goes to my friend Abby’s mom!

My entree was the ravioli (tiny little guys) filled with cheese that was sooo creamy, salty and amazing. It was served with crumbled sausage and a pea sauce. WOW. Had I been with my friends, I would have been mmm-ing and ahh-ing over it, but that would have seemed super weird for a solo diner so I kept the noises to myself.

I walked back to my hotel and stopped on the way for a stracciatella gelato - 3 days, 3 gelatos, 3 flavors.

DAY FOUR - FLORENCE

Tip: When you arrive at the train station - get some biscotti from Cantucci Lory. Deliziosa!

Shop for a leather jacket

My day trip to Florence had one main goal - purchasing myself a leather jacket. I had so much fun wandering in and out of the endless leather shops. I had a list of places that had been vouched for by friends and the internet and I also just went on vibes.

The owners in these shops were characters, let me tell you. They really gassed me up, telling me I had “the mannequin figure.” Every jacket I tried on was “perfect” - they wanted to FaceTime my parents to convince me to get the jackets.

It was really interesting to me that it seems like certain leather shops have regional clientele. When I went into Massimo’s, he guessed that I was from Long Island and lived on the Upper East Side…incredibly specific. He showed me his log of where his customers were from, and it was definitely a theme!

Here are some of the shops I had researched / came recommended to me:

Michelangelo Leather

Poker

Massimo Leather

Da Vinci Leather (this is where I ended up getting my jacket!)

It was so fun giving myself permission to splurge and pick something out that I really wanted and it makes me happy to this day every time I put my leather jacket on!

ALL’ANTICO VINAOI

Ok, this might be an Instagram spot, but it IS pretty damn delicious.

My initial plan was to visit Pino’s Sandwiches panini shop since there are now multiple All’Antico Vinaoi’s in New York City, but unfortunately it was closed for the summer.

So I joined the throngs in line for All’Antico Vinaoi. They have 4 difference windows so the line moved really fast but I was shocked at how many people plopped down right on the street’s tiny sidewalks to eat their sandwiches. It was giving Times Square red stairs and I wanted better ~atmosphere for my sandwich eating.

So I walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, passing Ponte Vecchio along the way (hard to photograph, but definitely beautiful) but it was HOT and fully in the sun. So I wandered down a little and found some shade with a view of the top of the cathedral to eat my sandwich. It was delicious (I ordered the La Favolosa (Salame toscana, pecorino cream, artichoke cream, spicy eggplant, with sundried tomatoes) but I felt incredibly hot and could only eat like 1/4 of it.

go for a walking tour

My walking tour was just OK, so I won’t necessarily suggest it, but I do think a walking tour in general is always a good idea.

When I got my first view of the cathedral, my jaw dropped. It is so massive and stunning. I think even if I lived there, I wouldn’t get used to the size of it!

One thing I noticed while in Florence - the sidewalks are SO narrow. One of the “things to do” is get a drink from one of the “wine windows” but while it might make for a cool photo opp, the actual drinking experience didn’t seem that great to me. Instead, I went into one of the places with a wine window (Babae) and sat down in a CHAIR to drink my Aperol Spritz. Call me crazy!

I finished the day in Florence with a chocolate gelato from Venchi in the train station that was UNREAL. I think it ended up being my favorite gelato of the trip (lucky for me - Venchi is also in NYC).

DAY FIVE - BOLOGNA TO BOLZANO

The train from Bologna to Bolzano was a breeze, and I even figured out the transfer from the Bolzano station to Bolzano Sud, which was closer to my hotel. Check-in was easy since I was staying at a chain hotel. I took a nap, worked out at the hotel gym, and read outside on the balcony before a hotel dinner.

It was a nice reset day before the outdoorsy portion of the trip started!

DAY SIX - SECEDA

Before I start diving into the portion of my trip where I explored the absolutely stunning Dolomites, I need to call out Moon Honey Travel - the blog that single handedly made this trip possible with their incredibly detailed information on the Dolomites and specifically, visiting the Dolomites without a car. If you’re interested in taking a trip to the Dolomites you without a doubt need to check out their blog.

I started Day 6 taking the train from Bolzano Sud to to Bolzano, a short 7 minute train ride to the main train station. Once there, I went to the bus ticket office and purchased a round trip ticket and found the 350 bus to Ortisei (this website will help with train/bus planning prior to your trip!)

The bus ride was slightly terrifying - completely blind turns up the mountains. I felt like we came close to hitting so many cars!

I had printed off pages from a blog showing pictures of how to find your way off the bus to the cable car once I arrived in Ortisei, and it was super helpful. I went up the escalator, up the moving sidewalk, and purchased a “return ticket to the top” - first was a small gondola car up to the middle station before switching to a huge gondola car that carries about 30 people which took us allllll the way up to Seceda.

Here’s the hike I did from Moon Honey Travel: Seceda – Rifugio Firenze Circuit Trail, Dolomites

The views were immediately jaw dropping. I don’t think I’ve ever taken so many photos on a hike but sadly, the weather meant the photos didn’t do it any justice. I did get a few moments of blue skies, but at least there were no storms or rain even if I was fully in the clouds with zero visibility at some points during the day.

The first hut I stopped at (the Pieralongia Hut) and had some yogurt with jam and wow - definitely the best morning yogurt views I’ve ever had, but I was also just really excited to have some yogurt at that point since all I’d had was some instant coffee and a pack of dried mango.

The most amazing thing about the scenery was that the valley was SOOOO GREEN in contrast to the crazy, craggy, rocky peaks jutting up around me.

By the time I made it to Rifugio Firenze/Ragensburger Hutte it was just opening up and I snagged a great table. I started with a macchiato, then got a mint tea and the “Hut Board” which came with meat, cheese and bread. All so fresh. I ate half then made little mini sandwiches to eat later along the journey. I was sad because since it was only a 6 mile hike, I was halfway done at this point.

After this stop, the uphill started and some points were STEEP MAN! I was finally sweating but kept my long sleeve on, I was SHOCKED at how cold it was for August (in the 50s!) I was also shocked at how little English I heard being spoken but whenever I did, I asked for a picture (and one girl saw me struggling with self time and saved me). Oh also, the cows! They got so close to you and were not bothered by humans at all. They wore bells and the whole time I was wondering if the cows hate them, and are sick of the noise they make wherever they go.

Halfway up I stopped at Sofia Hutte and again just sat and watched. Got a few more moments of bright sun and blue skies but then just as quickly clouds would come and engulf everything.

I took the cable car down at the end of the hike and talked to two nice families from Seattle and Holland. When I got back down to Ortisei, I realized it was SUCH a cute little town. I wandered around the San Antonioplatz area a bit, waiting for the next bus and sadly my gelato plans were foiled by a summer camp with like 20 children ordering in front of me and I eventually abandoned my mission for fear of missing the bus.

The 350 pulled up and I’m glad I asked the driver because it was NOT going to Bolzano. I recognized a trio that I had taken the bus with in the morning getting on and stopped them. The right bus came a few minutes later and at that point I was sweating and BURNING in the sun - such a different temperature down off the mountain!

When I got back into town, I took a stroll to the Bolzano grocery store and the woman at the cash register was so cute speaking English to me and apologizing that her English wasn’t great and she didn’t know her numbers. I was saying grazie and danke and feeling like the dumb one. It’s so impressive how many different languages people speak - and I didn’t get the feeling that they were annoyed by English speakers which definitely isn’t the case everywhere.

Then I hopped on the short train ride back to Bolzano Sud (the train station closer to my hotel) and had dinner - salad, tuna, cookies, trail mix).

DAY SEVEN - ALPE DI SIUSI

We have come to the point in the journey where I either stopped journaling or just can’t seem to find my journal / notes on my phone to recount this part of the trip. Unfortunately for you, you’ll be reading about the rest of the trip from my memory, which would be OK if I hadn’t waited nearly 2 years to finally write this trip recap.

For the Alpe Di Siusi hike, it was a last minute decision to go. I was tired and the weather wasn’t great so I had already decided I wasn’t going to do the Adolf Munkel Weg hike that was originally on my itinerary since the trip to the trailhead was more complicated. But I figured I could mentally handle the same journey to Ortisei and start a different hike from there. Lucky for me, Alpe di Siusi is one of the sunniest places in the Dolomites (around 300 days of sun a year!) and what appeared to be a cloudy day ended up being completely wonderful. I was so glad I put in the effort of going back to Ortisei.

For Alpe di Siusi you take another lovely gondola ride to start your hike. I ended up doing an 8 mile hike with 1,101 ft. of elevation gain. It was so beautiful and I stopped for so many photos. Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm in German) is an alpine meadow filled with various hotels and refuges. It would be an incredible place to stay for a few nights to go on a different trail run every morning. It’s also a great place to bike and obviously, ski in the winter. It is mind boggling to me that this is what ski-life is like in Europe. As a northeastern girl that grew up skiing in Vermont, I was amazed at how enjoyable skiing out west was. Imagining skiing in the Dolomites, it’s brain melting.

This time when I got back to Ortisei, I made sure to successfully get gelato.

Osteria Dai Carrettai di Sartori Stefano

Back in Bolzano, I went to a cute little wine bar that serves a variety of bruschetta and mini bruschetta. I got myself a glass of white wine and some small bites and enjoyed the atmosphere.

DAY EIGHT - BOLZANO “REST” DAY

By rest day I mean I didn’t go for a hike - but I did wake up and go to the hotel gym to do some strength. Then I walked around a cloudy Bolzano and waited in line to get in to see the local celebrity…

South Tyrol Archeological Museum

The local celebrity is Ötzi the Ice Man. And Ötzi is a glacier mummy from the Copper Age who was discovered by hikers in 1991. He was almost perfectly preserved. When was the Copper Age, you might be wondering? A casual 5,300 years ago.

It was a really interesting museum and seeing the mummy was wild. Definitely glad that I went, even though museums aren’t necessarily my travel jam.

After the museum, it was time to do something wild - meet up with a high school friend and her girlfriend who just HAPPENED to also be in Bolzano. Let’s be honest - when you hear people are visiting Italy, they’re usually not talking about Bolzano, so this coincidence felt really crazy. We both live in NYC, but hadn’t seen each other in years. We met up at Osteria dai Carettai di Sartori Stefano and caught up and it was great! I probably talked way too much after being alone for a week.

When they left for their next destination, I headed to dinner.

Cavallino Bianco

This place had great reviews online. I’ll lift the Google description: Meaty Tyrolean specialties, plus pasta & Italian wines, in a rustic, long-standing Alpine tavern.

I had a super hearty dish of beef and poltena while I read my kindle. After the taste of conversation and camaraderie with my friend that afternoon, I was beyond excited to finally meet up with Sam the following day!

DAY NINE - BOLZANO TO VERONA TO TO CORTINA D’AMPEZZO

If you couldn’t tell by the heading, this was quite the day.

First, I took a train to Verona where I stored my luggage in the station. Then, I went directly to the meeting spot for a walking tour with Free Tour Verona.

Since my notes are gone, any facts I learned about Verona are, sadly, also gone.

After the walking tour, it was time to find Sam! After parking the rental car, I immediately made Sam walk up a big hill to a scenic overlook. We passed on the massive line to see “Juliet’s balcony” and around 4:30/5 PM started our journey to a brewery that Sam had found and wanted to check out.

pfefferlechner

It was absolutely adorable! And a beautiful night to sit outside. The only problem was it was around 7 when we arrived and 8:30 PM when we left. And Sam was unaware that we were still 2-3 hours from our final destination. And not just 2 hours of highway driving… 2 hours of pitch black, blind curve, terrifying mountain driving on little sleep. This is what Sam and I call an “oopsie poopsie!”

There were moments that I was both laughing and crying at the same time because I was absolutely terrified, but also this was so classic Lauren and Sam that I really had to laugh!

We made it safely to Hotel Villa Argentina, eventually!

DAY 10 - LAGO DI BRAIES

During our treacherous drive from Verona to the Cortina D’Ampezzo area, it was pitch black and we weren’t exactly taking in any views.

Waking up in the morning, it felt like Christmas! I could see the mountains and I felt so energized just from the sight of them. We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast - nothing better than a hotel breakfast buffet - except a hotel breakfast buffet with views like these!

Our next order of business was filling up the rental car with gas which sounds simple and…wasn’t. Let’s just say we tried putting diesel in a car that most definitely did not take diesel. We chalked it up to another oopsie poopsie.

Meanwhile, I was just like - are these really the views from the gas station??

We had about an hour drive to our destination for the day which was Lago di Braies which is, a lot of vowels. It was immediately evident that this glacial lake is absolutely stunning. Maybe even more so than Lake Louise (which is hard to beat!)

But 'I’m someone who likes to work for my views, so I was never planning on just walking around the lake for some photos (though we did immediately start snapping pictures).

But we didn’t hang around for long - our mission was to hike the this route from Moon Honey Travel - Hochalpenkopf (Cima dei Colli Alti) Peak Hike.

I loved this hike. We marveled at the “ghost water” that was entirely translucent in streams and stopped to take in one of those views that makes you question whether or not you’re living in a simulation.

We dealt with some on and off showers but I loved frolicking my way through the Fojedöra High Alpine Pasture to perhaps my favorite hut of the trip! We found a dad in a kitchen with his child in a play pen, cooking up fresh, farm-grown food. After struggling through the entirely Italian and German menu, we had a delicious egg and potato scramble and unreal cheese plate (plus, cappuccino for me and a beer for Sam!) The sun came out as we ate and it was entirely magical.

The hike technically went further, but we decided to turn around since the weather was iffy and we wanted some time at the end to walk around Lago di Braies.

On the way back we got hit with some hail, but by the time we got back to the lake, it was beautiful out and perfect for a decent amount of photo taking. I’m SO glad we took the time (and energy) to hike to the Fojedöra hut and get more of an authentic experience in this region. Lago di Braies was next-level-beautiful, but we were enjoying it with a ton of other tourists. But, once you see the photos below, it’s really not shocking that there are tons of other people that want to take in these views!

On our final walk around the lake, we encountered an artist painting in the trees and I got a beautiful piece of art depicting Seceda! I love it in my apartment!

After finishing around 11 miles on our feet, we were ready to head back into town and get some foooooood! We ate and walked around Cortina D’Ampezzo (adorable town, pricy stores!) and obviously ended the evening with more gelato!

DAY 11 - TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO

The next day we got a little bit of a later start than anticipated on our way to hike the Tre Cime Di Lavaredo. I continued to be in awe of Sam’s bravery navigating the twists and turns and hills of the Cortina area. At one point, we made a tight turn and a giant tractor trailer truck came barreling towards us. We both screamed in terror and then started cackling with laughter in relief! Driving those roads felt like a physical and emotional roller coaster.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo is an incredibly popular day hike, so by the time we approached the main road, cars were being diverted to a parking lot where we had to wait in a pretty chaotic line to board shuttle buses to bring us up the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo where the hike starts.

Once we figured out the parking payment, the shuttle line, etc., we settled in for the ride up - it was gorgeous, and a beautifully sunny, but chilly morning!

Again, I highly recommend using Moon Honey Travels’ hiking guides - they have one specifically for the Tre Cime di Lavarado hike that you can find here. From Rifugio Auronzo you pick up trail 105, passing Forcella del Col del Medo until you hit another mountain hut - Langalm Alpine Hut- where you can stop for food and drinks (we kept going since it had only been about 45 minutes and the trail was already quite crowded).

As we continued, the Three Peaks of Lavaredo came into view and they were iconic. We obviously had to stop for a full on photo shoot.

Following the photo shoot, we set our eyes on our lunch destination far off in the distance - Rifugio Locatelli/Drei Zinnen Hütte. From the first hut to Rifugio Locatelli is around an hour and 10 minutes.

When we arrived at Rifugio Locatelli it was very busy but we managed to snag a table with an incredible view of the towers. It was COLD and windy and I had to steal a layer from Sam. The hut is self-service (go inside and order, there will not be a waiter coming around to tables) and CASH ONLY. We got some delicious (HOT) food and I also got a hot mulled wine. Continued to be impressed by the Dolomite mountain hut culinary experience!

The trail continues past Laghu dei Piani lakes where I got this cool reflection photo even though the sun was momentarily absent.

The views were just absolutely amazing, and I didn’t even mind how crowded the trail was (though this back half of the loop is definitely less crowded than the first half!) The slower we went, the longer I had to enjoy the views of the Cadini range.

Following lunch is was probably about another hour and a half to two hours before we finished the loop, passing one final mountain hut, Malga Langalm with the most clear creek flowing by.

I can’t believe these views that simply don’t quit for the entirety of the hike!

Is this a popular and crowded hike? Yes. Do I understand why, and would I do it again? Yes. As long as you set your expectations, I think you’ll enjoy it!

Following our hike we ate pizza in town followed by gelato, of course!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I could not be happier that I chose to spend my first visit to Italy in the Dolomites. It is an incredibly beautiful place whose popularity is growing (and with the upcoming Winter Olympics, will likely continue to do so). This is a place I can see myself returning to time and again to see different areas, in different seasons, to eat different food and hike different hikes.

Now having done two hut to hut treks (TMB and the O-Loop in Patagonia), I am absolutely wanting to plan a hut-to-hut hike in the Dolomites. In my opinion, the views might be my favorite and the food certainly was!

How can you look at these photos and not want to explore the Dolomites??

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the 2 year delay on posting about this trip :)

South Africa Travel Guide: Johannesburg and Safari!

Welcome to my wildly long and detailed retelling of our 2 week trip through South Africa in April of 2023. If you’re starting here, you may want to go back and read:

Days 1 - 4: Journey From Hell, But Ultimate Arrival in Cape Town
Days 5 - 5: The Wine Tram in Franschhoek and Activities in Plettenberg Bay

If you’re caught up, let’s dive back in. We arrived in Johannesburg and the next morning, I was up and anxiously awaiting “a ride” to come and get me for my Soweto tour. I knew basically no information, but as most things seemed to do in South Africa, it just worked out.

DAY ELEVEN

A TOUR OF SOWETO

A driver named Isaac picked me up from the hotel and on our drive to Soweto, told me that many South Africans were sad to learn about what R Kelly had done because they really loved him! Fun fact.

At Lebo’s, where the tour started, we kicked things off by singing The Lion Sleep’s tonight which was written in Soweto’s streets.

Touring a township was important to me, but it’s certainly a moral conundrum and ethical issue for some people. My experience with Lebo’s tour was absolutely incredible and I’m so glad I ultimately decided to go for it - but it’s a personal decision for everyone to make! Allison stayed at the hotel and lounged at the pool and that was a totally valid call on her part, too. Having a great grandmother who grew up in Johannesburg, I felt some personal responsibility to see Soweto.

Our tour guide, Linda, got us set with bikes and then took us first to Lebo’s camping grounds, whose hilltop location afforded a view over all of Soweto. 2+ million people and 41 individual areas exist within the township - the majority of people own or were given there homes. 8 Soweto citizens are white.

We saw the Orlando towers which apparently you can bungee jump from and Linda assured us there would be black people below watching white tourists do this and laughing. The towers also act as advertisement space.

Linda pointed out Orlando Stadium, which was used as the practice facility during the 2010 World Cup which is when a lot of the corruption that now persists in South African government really began. They promised they would building hospitals and employ 20 people, but then they would hire 10 people, pocket the rest of the money, and the 10 people now working there would be in a terrible, overworked position.

For the World Cup, 500 apartments were built that the community has refused to move into for the principal of it. They were supposed to be free, and then they announced that they were in fact “rent to buy” (it would take 20 years of tenting to own it). While rent to buy sounds like an amazing proposition to me personally as a New York City renter, the solidarity of the community to say “no, that is not what we were promised and we are not moving into these” is amazing to me. The private company that built them has spent 13 years paying for 24/7 security so there are no squatters.

Linda also pointed out his home down below and let us know that he’s a Pirates fan - the two major teams are the Orlando Pirates and the Kaizer Chiefs (we are talking football, or soccer, here).

We also saw the “mine piles” - dusty mountains that were blowing so much dirt into Soweto that they started planting on top of it and refer to them as “their Table Mountain.”

We stopped by some pretty down-and-out looking buildings, “hostels,” but Linda made sure to explain to us that these people aren’t necessarily poorer, they’re just in buildings that are state owned which means they can’t make improvements as easily as others. They may have a 5-10 minute walk to a community bathroom or figure out a way to run water and share with multiple families nearby. These hostels were made for mine workers and used to house 8 miners!

As we biked through Soweto, Linda told us we might be referred to as “Umlungu” - a non offensive term for a white person and that we should respond with, “yebo!” We also learned how to say hello in Zulu which is a very-fun-to-say “sanibonani!” “Shop shop” is slang for “all is good.”

We stopped at a farm stand and tried some of their popular snacks (amakipkip) and I was bummed I hadn’t bought more cash with me as part of the goodwill surrounding these tours is that it gets people into the community and buying from the various street vendors. If you visit Soweto, bring cash and support the local vendors!

Linda made a side mission to his girlfriend’s nail lady to make her an appointment - it was a tent set up amidst a ton of other “shops.”

There was absolutely no sense of pity from our tour guide. These are hard working people who are doing what they need to do to survive and it was really difficult during COVID because they weren’t supposed to be out and about and there was no one to sell to.

We started asking Linda about his girlfriend and he got into a description of “lobolo” which is a bride price, dating back to a price as it related to cows. He explained that things like a college education, or a master’s degree, was equal to “more cows.” The two families sit down to negotiate a cost AND the men are still expected to buy an engagement ring. Linda, at the time, wanted to propose to his girlfriend who he had met at university where they both studied adventure tourism.

I asked a question about bikes - we saw so many people walking, and I wondered why more people didn’t use bikes to get around. Linda explained that they’re expensive and women look at men with bikes and say, “Oh, he doesn’t own a car.”

It seemed so serendipitous that Linda had started an organization in Soweto to get kids into swimming, running and mountain biking!! I was in awe.

We stopped by a tuck shop (convenience store) and shebeen (bar) as we continued our conversations and learning.

Minibuses in South Africa use a system of hand symbols - and I thought the MTA bus system was confusing! The owner of the vehicles charges around 600 rand a week (equivalent to about 32 USD) to people who wish to be a driver. Once they pay back that 600 rand, they’re free to keep any other income (and may be given a small salary for slow weeks). There are certain owners that own certain routes, and what used to be a pretty wild-west-situation is now more regulated.

We stopped by a school and learned that while kindergarten is not free, after that, education is free. Healthcare is also free, but there can be long waits for appointments so some people opt to pay for private insurance.

There are many people living in Soweto who could leave Soweto, but they don’t. Which just goes to show how proud people are of where they come from.

We stopped by the Memorial for Hector Pieterson - a 12 year old schoolboy who was shot and killed during the Soweto uprising which was obviously a sobering stop of the tour - it reminded me of another amazing book about South Africa that I read called “Hum If You Don’t Know the Words.”

Our last stop was the only street in the world home to two Nobel Prize Winners - Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu’s houses were SO close to each other. Fun fact, Nelson Mandela’s family buried the family’s umbilical cords in the backyard!

Right in this area Linda pointed out the restaurant that his would-be girlfriend yelled his name from while he gave a tour which led to their reconnection! AW!

Overall, the tour was amazing. I asked if tours in general have support in Soweto and Linda said that tours like ours, where we are out, interacting have better response than tour buses that just drive through with people looking and pointing out windows. I can definitely see where that feels icky!

We finished with a delicious meal cooked by Andile of potjie and carrot salad and I think it might have been one of my favorite meals of the trip. I also loved watching Linda eat with his hands - far from feeling weird or rude it seemed so natural when he did it!

the apartheid museum

Isaac was waiting and brought me to the Apartheid Museum where I met up with Allison and we went through the full museum reading EVERYTHING, absolutely enthralled. It was such an amazing museum, I’m so glad we took the time to really go through everything.

I’ve never learned so much about a country while traveling - and I think South Africa was different because it’s history is so alive and so much a part of its present. Everyone has lived through so much change, conflict, reconciliation and struggle in such a condensed period of time that it feels wrong to use the word history.

Apartheid was the “perfecting” of institutionalized racism. The Afrikaner National Party drew from the Jim Crow South, Naziism and the Caste System and came up with a mega system of segregation whereby the white minority (~14%) ruled over a black majority. Black South Africans were forcibly relocated, had to carry passbooks or risk being arrested and interracial relations were made illegal.

How could a white minority enact these sweeping policies? For one - guns and money. But the most powerful tool they used was the concept of “Divide and Conquer.” There are 11 official languages in South Africa. 11 different tribal groups with different cultures, languages, history, beliefs and reasons to not get along. Afrikaners used this to their advantage to keep South Africa’s apartheid system in place for 45 years. Ultimately, Anti-Apartheid activists like Nelson Mandela, Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu, Robert Sobukwe, Steve Biko, Joe Slovo and more were successful in uniting a nation behind the common cause of true democracy and freedom for all.

On May 29, 1994, Nelson Mandela was democratically elected as the first black president of South Africa.

And that’s where the story ends in most American history books. A, “and then they lived happily ever after - black and white South Africans holding hands and skipping off into the sunset” the underlying subtext.

I can’t help but feel that when apartheid ended, what lay ahead was even more complicated - effective democracy and functioning society. And that’s never a black and white issue, it’s all about the shades of gray. It just goes to show how incredibly useless dividing people according to race is. It’s still a country with millions of unique individuals all with different ideas for South Africa’s future and the best way to get there.

Learning all this history while experiencing the reality of present-day South Africa was complicated, especially as a white woman. South African society still seems to be extremely segregated. I had to constantly reckon with the prevailing message that the “safe” areas are the white areas (because yes, there are still areas that are majority white - even in a country where only 7.7% of the population is white). I had to constantly question why all the nice houses were wrapped in barbed wire fences. Why my hotel was gated with a 24-hour guard. Why people were walking on the highways (only 30% of South Africans own cars) and why white South Africans we met were talking about their maids.

Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems. While my initial reaction was physical discomfort at the black woman working as a maid at our bed and breakfast - the reality is that South Africa has an unemployment rate of 36.8% for black South Africans. Am I meant to take the attitude of “Well at east it’s a job?” That felt icky too, especially when in comparison, the white South Africans’ unemployment rate is a much lower 7.8%. I found that I had to stop myself from feeling sorry for people multiple times. Especially during my township tour in Soweto. Yes there are corrugated tin shacks and people still using buckets as bathrooms. But after spending a day there, the overwhelming feeling that I had was that they are proud of their community. And they should be. The strides taken in 29 years are impressive. One street is home to two Nobel Prize winners (I was shocked at how close Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu’s houses were!) And most reports conclude that Soweto is safer than 97% of South African cities (this stat made more impressive by the fact that in 1976 the NYT wrote an article titled, “Crime Rate in Soweto Among World’s Highest”).

I left feeling that the people of Soweto and all of South Africa have something that I am incredibly jealous of - the ability to be happy with less. Less physical belongings, less creature comforts, less of the bullshit. They also have more in so many ways. More time with friends and family. A greater sense of community and commitment to that community.

In South Africa, children call their cousins brother and sister. Families live together, sometimes forever. They’re there for each other first and foremost.

The philosophy of ubuntu resonated with me so deeply - “I am because we are.” Life is about our relationships with others. We are human because of our relationships with other. The warmth of the ubuntu philosophy was felt throughout our travels, in all of our interactions. It makes me mad to see US politicians coopting this term in speeches when to me, it is so far from the “rugged individualism” that American thrives on.

For all that South Africa still has to overcome, their legacy of reconciliation is truly inspiring. Following apartheid, the black majority was not out for blood from their Afrikaner oppressors. Reading stories from the Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner, I was flabbergasted that politicians agreed to this. That a whole nation bought in. So many times, in museums and on tours, Allison and I just looked at each other and said, “We could never have been this forgiving.” It’s beautiful. And I also understand why it’s not for everyone. It’s reconciliation at the cost of justice. It’s complicated. Like so many things I’ve just reflected about are. This is the most complex, beautiful, compassionate, complicated country. It has so many challenges and issues, as all countries do, but I really want to see South Africa succeed. If the people we met along the way are an indication, I believe that they will. Zulu umuntu numuntu ngabantu. Recommended Reading: When Racial Progress Comes for White Liberals.

After the museum, we went to the neighborhood Parkhurst neighborhood where there was a road absolutely filled with bars and restaurants. We strolled for awhile before picking one out - which I cannot remember for the life of me, even after pouring over Google Maps. After dinner, we got ourselves some ice cream before heading back to the hotel.

We went to bed feeling like it was Christmas morning, because our SAFARI was going to start the next morning.

DAY TWELVE

THE START OF OUR SAFARI

Before we got to drive among the animals on African Safari, we had to get there. Another long travel day, but we were excited so it really didn’t seem too bad despite being a 5 hour journey.

Naledi had arranged for a company called “Swift” to handle our transport from Joburg airport to Bulela Game Reserve where Naledi is located (close to Kruger, but not technically part of it).

It was stressful because we were at a bus hub at the airport with tons of different shuttles and buses constantly pulling up and we had no idea what company we were supposed to be looking for. I called Kjell the Naledi owner and he answered right away and we found our little bus/van thing.

The shuttle was 6 hours and packed with people but we had a rest stop every 2 hours (we continued to be in awe at how clean the rest stops were).

When we finally go to the Naledi gate after dropping off people at various other stops, our guide Vuyanni was there waiting for us! He brought us the remaining 15 minutes through the reserve to the lodge and on that drive we saw an ELEPHANT spraying himself with water. We were off to a GREAT start and then it got better because we dropped our stuff and sat down for lunch surrounded by the sassiest monkeys trying to steal our food and they said they aren’t there every day so I know they were visiting especially for me!

Lunch was a crispy chicken sandwich with potato wedges and a LUNCH DESSERT. I love lunch dessert.

Then we got dressed and it was time for our first game drive! Ah!

The evening game drives definitely ended up being my favorite and we saw water buffalo and SO MANY LIONS. They were walking right in front of us and I don’t think I ever expected to be that close to a lion in my entire life. I never realized on safari you are THAT FUCKING CLOSE to the animals!

As it got darker our tracker Sydwell even somehow managed to spot a chameleon in a tree…in the dark! I think my favorite though might have been the frog hopping alongside us that for some reason cracked me up beyond belief. The way his legs were sprawling behind him with every leap - how embarrassing if you had to hop around like a frog?!

It’s cool how the tracker looks around, looks for tracks, and listens for signs like bird calls and other animals’ behavior to figure out what animals might be in the area.

Sundowners that night was near a little structure fairly close to Naledi. “Sundowners” is a chance to stretch your legs and enjoy a gin & tonic, jerky, dried fruits, nuts, chips, chocolate. We talked a lot about COVID which Vuyanni joked was a “rich person disease.”

Then we went back to the lodge to a beautiful dinner spread which our guide joined us for. The white South African couple we were with talked a LOT about all of their safari experiences which was cool because they clearly were passionate about it but I also was loling because she kept repeating herself, “we don’t chase the animals,” and saying her son’s name (Sean Douglas) over and over again - two simple words that will now cause Allison and I to crack up if we text each other.

Then the chef came out to explain our meal to us - pork loin with corn bread and maize - and introduced herself as Chef DooDoo and I felt so immature but I was physically biting my lips to stop from laughing.

That night we were also joined by a black South African family - a woman with her daughter and parents. We stayed and talked for awhile and got to bed probably around 11. The next morning we were up with a knock on our door at 5:00 AM!

DAY TWELVE

FULL SAFARI DAY!

After at 5:00 AM wake-up-knock at our door, we were into the main building by 5:15 AM for some coffee and rusks (South African breakfast cookies that I loved) before heading out for our morning game drive.

The morning drive didn’t prove to be too great for us - we saw lots of impala and spent a lotttt of time looking for the wild dogs which we had learned about at dinner the night before and were apparently very rare!

We did see a hippo walk into the water though!

We had an amazing breakfast buffet when we got back - complete with curious little monkeys. The spread included fruit, muffins, toast, juices, yogurt, and an omelet with sausage.

After breakfast we had the option of chilling, going on a game walk or doing a bush hide and chose the hide. Essentially, they drove us out into the bush, left us in a tall wooden tower structure, told us to come down and pee if we needed to, left us with a walkie talkie and said - SEE YA IN A FEW HOURS! We hung out with our binoculars hoping something came around to the water hole below us. We saw some cool birds (one that I named the worm bird, it was wild) and saw lots of elephants parading around off in the distance! And obviously did a photo shoot. It was so cool and a little scary being out there alone, listening to the sounds, and knowing there were literally lions, leopards, rhinos, etc. out there.

Then we had only a little time to relax and I REALLY wish we had had an extra day. I would have loved the next day to not do a hide or a walk and just sit at the pool (even though the pool wasn’t thatttt appealing looking - I would say that was my only complaint because otherwise, the grounds at Naledi were amazing. We had to keep pinching ourselves that we got such a personalized, beautiful experience for such an affordable price!)

Soon enough it was time for lunch on the upper deck and we were joined with lots of elephants at the water hole including BABIES!! It was surreal eating lunch with elephants so close by.

The game drive on night two would prove to be the highlight FOR SURE.

The first exciting thing was Allison spotting the silhouette of a REALLY TALL giraffe. I felt like I was getting a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster! As we got a little closer the sun hit it’s patterned fur and I honestly teared up a little it was so majestic. We couldn’t get that close, but as we drove we came across two smaller giraffes chilling with some zebras! The zebras are smart and hang out with the giraffes, who can see predators coming due to their height. Or, their heads’ height!

We continued on and not much was happening other than STUNNING views of the Olifant river at sundown with hippos playing in the water below. The sun set and we stopped for sundowners, which made me sad because it meant we were going to turn around and head back to the lodge afterwards and our last evening game drive would be over.

I saw something walking in the distance and Allison and I both tried getting the guides’ attention as they set up the snack table but no one seemed concerned. Then we heard things and I don’t know, the vibes were off. Then our fellow safari goer had walked off to pee and when he came back, he was making eyes with the guides and whispering. We were joking if there was a lion out there, we would run into the truck but then ultimately…we started hearing low lions roar and the guides admitted that a male lion had literally walked right past us on his way to the water. HOLY SHIT. They casually said OK now that we are done get in the car and we will go see him…

We drove a bit, not that far, but far enough where I felt at least a LITTLE better about the fact that I was just standing there in the dark drinking a gin and tonic as Mufasa strolled by.

The closeness we got to this male lion was honestly terrifying. I couldn’t breathe. And them shining the lights in his eyes was making me sad and I felt like this is unnatural, that this lion is just laying here. I had tears in my eyes from awe and fear and a little bit of overwhelm, like, should this be happening?

Then the lion started roaring and there were literally vibrations. It didn’t seem real, I immediately thought of Disney animatronics. I still can’t believe the whole thing happened. And then, he just got up and walked away.

WOW. That had certainly put the cherry on top of the evening game drive! But it wasn’t over yet…

Because as we got about 10 minutes back in the direction of Naledi Lodge, our guides got a radio call that there was a leopard and without thinking about the time, we turned around and rushed towards the location.

It was really awesome seeing how all of the guides from various lodges work together and are in constant communication via radio out in the bush. They follow strict rules, like not allowing more than 2 or 3 trucks up close to a certain animal at any given time, and take turn so that everyone has their opportunity. I really appreciated how the guides always seemed just as excited as the guests about spottings!

We waited a bit for our turn up close with the leopard, and when it came we approached pretty quickly which caused the leopard to get up and walk away. I thought, “Oh well, at least I got a glimpse!” But Vuyanni was determined to find him again and we did some extreme off-roading for a good amount of time bit it paid off and we found the leopard sleeping and got to watch for a few minutes. The leopard laying with it’s eyes closed totally chill while we sat there with a light on it made me feel a little better about them saying the animals really don’t mind the trucks.

Then it really was time to head back (we came SO close to a hippo butt on the side of the path) and Allison and I were high on life and could not stop laughing when we got back which was awkward because everyone was seated around a fire waiting for our return so they could eat and we strolled up so loud and excited and they probably were like omg these obnoxious American girls!

Dinner was so delicious and TK talked about the different languages, different Xhosa clicks, poijke, etc. and even performed Pata Pata for us.

DAY THIRTEEN

GOODBYE SAFARI, BACK TO JOBURG

The next morning was our final game drive…so sad! We started out with BABY ELEPHANTS up close and I was squealing I couldn’t help it. Their little trunks!!!! I could have sat there all day watching.

But we started looking for a rhino, the last of our big five that we were missing. Sadly, no rhinos were spotted but again the chase of the wild dogs was on. I didn’t care about them that much and the new couple that had joined us were pissed we weren’t stopping to look at birds. But we did end up finding the wild dogs after lots of chaotic, fast driving that kind of went against the whole “we don’t chase animals” but…there are only about 500 wild dogs (not hyenas) left in the wild and they’re one of the world’s most endangered mammals so it was a big win especially to find them staying still for a bit!

On the way in to the lodge we were stopped by a BABY ELLIE and protective, trumpeting mom. Didn’t love that eventually, Vuyanni drove past the mom even though she was clearly agitated.

When we got back they had our breakfast out quickly because we had to check out and get driven to the gate by 9:40 to be picked up by the shuttle. Our second breakfast was fruit, rolls, toast, juices, yogurt and eggs with bacon, beans, etc.

Then we were told, “Oh actually you were supposed to be at the gate at 9:40…oops!” Luckily, they held the shuttle for us!

The safari was a once in a lifetime experience, but I would gladly do it again!

We absolutely loved our time at Naledi, though we obviously can’t compare it to anywhere else. We learned that guides and trackers typically work 24 days on and then have a week off - it can take them up to 5 hours to make it home for that week off because they don’t have cars and need to wait for mini buses to be full to take them where they’re going!

Make sure to tip your trackers and guides! (20 USD per couple per day to your guide and 15 USD per couple per day to your tracker!)

Our daily schedule while ~on safari was:

• 5:00 AM - Wake up to a knock on our door

• 5:15 AM - Meet in the dining area for coffee and rusks

• 5:30 AM - 8:30 AM - Morning game drive with a stop for coffee/Amarula (like Bailey’s) and more rusks

• 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM - Freshen up

• 9:00 AM - Breakfast - a huge spread. Our first breakfast included fruit, muffins, toast, juices, yogurt, and an omelet with sausage.

• 10:30 AM - Leisure time - we chose to go on a game hide

• 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM - Poolside reading

• 2:00 PM - Lunch

• 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Evening Game Drive with a stop for “sundowners” (gin & tonic, jerky, dried fruits, nuts, chips, chocolate) and a chance to stretch our legs.

• 8:00 PM - Dinner with the other guests at the lodge (and on night one our guide joined us!) We seriously ate each more other than breakfast in a different spot on the property which was so fun and added a nice touch!

The shuttle journey back to Johannesburg was uneventful and we got back to our hotel, ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, and went to bed.

DAY FOURTEEN

CONSTITUTION HILL

Our final day in Johannesburg we went to a guided tour of Constitution Hill where I learned a ton about the South African government.

Then, we spent the rest of our time before our late night flight shopping and haggling at a local craft market and enjoying one final meal in the Rosebank area.

Luckily, our journey home was a lot less eventful than our journey TO South Africa.

reflecting

What an incredible trip. I came to South African excited to see animals and stunning landscapes and to eat new foods and drink cheap wine. But those are not the things that I will remember most.

I’ll remember Bongani from South Africa Airways who took it upon himself to help us for 5+ hours finding our lost luggage and getting it on a plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town and not leaving the airport until he saw it in our hands.

I’ll remember Andile from Local Knowledge Travel who made our one day in Cape Town absolutely perfection from start to finish. Sure there were the sea lions and the Cape of Good Hope and the sundowners at Chapman’s Peak but what will stick with me are the open, candid conversations about everything from LGBTQUA issues to abortion.

I’ll remember Vinthi from Nothando Backpackers in Plett who worked all day on a literal feast for us and the Belgian group staying there. We talked for hours about everything under the sun and her parting words of “stay left and drive left” were perfection.

I’ll remember Romeo and Franco from Untouched Adventures whistling Christmas songs, flipping our lilos and asking if Florida is really that weird (yes).

And I will never forget Linda who shared his city in a way that truly cannot be expressed. I won’t forget the excitement in his eyes talking about his girlfriend and wanting to propose…showing us where they reconnected after college. Joking about ice hockey players being crazy. And feeling comfortable enough to ask, “how do people really feel about us being here and taking tours?”

I’ll remember the way every single person we passed in Soweto had a greeting (sunabonani), a smile or a wave when they could have way more easily had suspicion or anger.

Alongside memories or close encounters with lions and elephants and giraffes I will remember Vuyani’s nonstop laughter and shared excitement at every animal spotting - even after 15 years as a safari guide.

Up until our final Uber ride, where our driver answered our long list of questions abut load shedding as he navigated Joburg’s stoplightless streets.

As cliche as it sounds - South Africa changed me. I wish everyone had these opportunities. And I’m so grateful!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Solo Senorita in New Mexico: El Paso to Truth or Consequences

The time finally came for me to take my first solo trip - and a road trip, nonetheless. As someone who isn’t a HUGE fan of driving, a road trip through New Mexico wouldn’t have been my first choice for a solitary adventure - but when a work trip brought me to El Paso, Texas, right on the border of New Mexico, I couldn’t resist heading for the desert landscapes, art galleries and hot springs.

Day One: El Paso — Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks — Truth or Consequences

Miles Driven:

• 158 Miles

• El Paso to Las Cruces to Truth or Consequences

• Fun fact - while driving through New Mexico you won’t have to worry about paying for tolls!

• Rental car pick up was pretty smooth - other than the fact that once I added coverage to the reservation it costs me over $500 for the week from a rental company called Payless. False advertising. I got my GPS mount set up, my Bluetooth connected and Armchair Expert playing and set out for Las Cruces, New Mexico - a quick hour drive from El Paso.

Miles Run/Hiked/Walked:

• 8.8 Miles

• Pine Tree Trail

• The drive to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument was actually not bad at all - and I feel very comfortable in my little Hyundai Range rental. Eventually I drove through a mountain pass and found myself fully in the mountains. I turned down the 6 mile winding road to Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and had stunning views of the eastern side of the Organ Mountains. The range really reminded me of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.

  When I made it to the campground and parking area - I realized I had given my last $5 to the hotel shuttle driver for helping me with my luggage and I wouldn’t be able to pay the permit fee (I understand people that work for the parks departments are typically crunchy granola back-to-basics people but can we get with the 21st century on things like your websites and permits? Can I Venmo you my parking fee?).

  I decided to risk it - and ripped off the parking permit portion without actually paying and stuck it in my windshield - I felt bad, and I would have been happy to pay, I just physically had no money (and uhm, who travels with their check book?)

  I found the start of the Pine Tree Trail and set off for a trail run! The up hills were steeper than anticipated and I did a decent amount of hiking as opposed to running but the views were stunning and there were so many butterflies! There were also a LOT of dinosaur-sized crickets hopping all over.

• The second half was a fun downhill and though I saw a snake tail slithering away at one point - overall it was a great time. Looking at Strava afterwards, it seems like a lot of trail runners combine this 4 mile loop (that was actually more like 5 for me) with the Baylor Canyon Pass trail I had also considered doing for a total of 15 miles.

• I wrapped up with some running around the campground road for a total of 6 miles and hopped back in the car to check out another trail. I was looking for the Tortugas Mountain Trail but after driving up a dirt road for a bit, I came across a big “CLOSED” gate and had to turn around. I was pretty tired and hungry at that point anyway, so it was fine.

• I stopped at a state park in Radium Springs - Leasburg Dam State Park - and had some carrots, hummus and apple on a picnic table before continuing my journey to the town of Truth or Consequences.

  Biggest observance on my drive? There are bugs so large I can see them cross the street. This is horrifying to me.

Elevation Gained:

• 1,250 Feet

Accommodations:

• $126.60 for a night at the Hot Springs Glamp Camp in Truth or Consequences

• Truth or Consequences, what a name, right? T or C (TorC) for short - earned its name thanks to a radio show contest (kind of like when my town asked a bunch of school kids to name the new park and we landed on The Wedge).

  The town is known for its natural hot springs - and I arrived at the Hot Springs Glamp Camp and was immediately in love with my trendy little glamping tent with string lights, a fridge (“swamp box”), fans, French press, and heated mattress.

• The best part about the Glamp Camp? 4 private hot springs open 24/7. The camp host greeted me and gave me a quick tour (he and his wife got here two weeks ago from Brooklyn) and I headed out on foot to check out the town and grab some groceries.

• Sadly, it was a Tuesday and nearly everything was closed but there was such a cute downtown street with a coffee shop, second hand store, book store, and a ton of other places I would have loved to check out.

• I bought a premade salad at the grocery store and a few other things and made a pit stop at the only other place that was open - T or C Brewery! I asked for the haziest IPA and bought a crowler to bring back with me to my tent.

• Back at the ranch, I was greeted by some people sitting out in the communal area with their dogs and said a quick hello before changing into my bathing suit and filling up one of the private tubs. It filled up pretty quickly and was the absolute perfect temperature. I obviously captured some #content as best I could without a tripod and then soaked and read on and off for about an hour.

  The rest of the night was spent reading, blogging and - if we are being honest - catching up on Bachelor in Paradise. I didn’t manage to shower, oops.

• Why I’d recommend the Hot Springs Glamp Camp:

  • Idyllic canvas tent with a seating area, bed (with heated mattress), coffee station, swamp box and fans – true aesthetic GOALS.

  • Communal bathrooms – super clean, with showers

  • Communal outdoor space with fire pit, grills, and seating

  • Private hot spring-fed tubs to soak in!

Highlights:

• I started the morning with one of my favorite things - a breakfast buffet.

• I had a weird but wonderful experience of three separate people reading my mind/knowing what I wanted before I even knew I wanted it.

  • The first was when I asked for a bellman to help me down to the lobby with my luggage - not something I ever request, but I had a ton of stuff with me and couldn’t really manage it all. When he loaded up the cart I said I would be down in a few minutes to get an Uber to the airport and he goes, “we have a shuttle, do you want a ride?” Uh - YES - had no idea they had a shuttle.

  • The second was when I was seated and ordered a water and the waitress goes - “do you want ice in that?” and I was like you know what - wow, I don’t want ice - no one ever asks that!

  • Last was when I was getting ready to leave and the waiter goes, “do you want a coffee to go?” and I said uhm, yep - that would actually be amazing.

• First solo trail run and escaping without a parking ticket

• Hazy IPA from the Truth or Consequences Brewery

Accomplishments:

• Driving!

• I found two MASSIVE black beetles I found scurrying around my tent - only to realize the bottom zipper hadn’t been sealed all day! EEEEEEK. I chased them down and crushed them with my “Wild” book only to Google them and realize they apparently can release a noxious smell when threatened - double EEEEK! So far, not smelling the remains of their crushed carcasses but who know what the morning will bring!

Hours of Sleep:

• 9 Hours 41 Minutes - can you tell I was coming out of a work event? Wowza!

Corsica's the Next Big Thing: Under the Radar Travel Destinations

On my desk there is a very tall tower of travel magazines. After flipping through them, I almost always have a new destination to add to my bucket list - a place I’ve either never heard of or never wanted to visit until an article or a picture captured my imagination.

In this new weekly series, I’ll share some of the lesser known destinations that have tickled my fancy in the recent months!

I’m always looking for under the radar travel destinations that have a lot to offer but aren’t yet “all the rage.” Imagine being one of the tourists who visited Iceland prior to 2016? Before the “Blue Lagoon” was featured in every twenty-somethings dating profile? That’s always my goal - to find the latest up and coming travel-worthy countries before they’re overrun with Instagram influencers.

So here’s week one of “Under the Radar Travel Destinations” - we’re kicking off with a popular destination among French travelers, but lesser known by Americans.

FRANCE - CORSICA

instead of paris or nice, consider a vacation to france’s mountainous mediterranean island

language: french

population: 330,455

inspiration: this article in national geographic

when to visit: may - september

where to stay: hotel napoleon in Ajaccio, the capital city

what to do:

• You’ll likely arrive in Corsica’s main port town, Bastia. Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, once lived here. Stop by the Mattei Concept Store and pick up a bottle of Cap Corse, a wine infused with orange and other local fruits.

• Make your way from Bastia to the capital city of Ajaccio (where Napoleon was born) via train. Once you arrive and check-in, walk down the bustling Roi de Rome and stop for a drink or meal at popular places like Le 20123, L’8 Dicembri and Bar a Vin 1755 (temporarily closed due to COVID).

• Be sure to take a walk to Pointe de la Parata at sunset to see Illes Sanguinaires (“The Blood Islands”) which turn a stunning red hue at the end of the day.

• Plaza Foch is an open air food market worth a visit - keep an eye out for local specialties like clementines (November - January) and chestnuts (canistrelli biscuits are a biscotti-looking treat made from chestnut flour). If you’re craving something more savory, opt for a beignet au brocciu - a pastry with cheese in the middle.

• Head to the town of Banifaio for a day relaxing at Plage de Sutta Rocca and take in the limestone cliffs.

• Other places on the island worth a visit include the fishing village of Erbalunga, the resort town of Porticcio and another sea-side stop, Tiuccia.

kick it up a notch:

• If you’re really up for an adventure on this mountain island, you could set out to complete the GR20 - a 112 mile backpacking trip that travels north to south down the center of Corsica.

can’t get there right now? Read this: The house at zarzona by vanessa couchman