• Egypt

    A Couple Days in Cairo

    December 29, 2016 - By 

    Cairo is one of those cities that you can love…if you have the luxury to avoid living in it. My native Egyptian friend left Cairo and Egypt altogether and can rant about his pure loathing for the city.  At first I thought it was only his pessimistic nature, but I quickly learned from other locals that Egyptians generally hold great disdain for Cairo; they only live there to work. The city is exhilarating and fascinating as much as it is dilapidated, filthy, and inefficient, and if you have a tolerance for such chaos plus a few days to spare then…

  • Egypt

    An Independent Pyramid Tour

    December 26, 2016 - By 

    Considering how far the Great Pyramids of Giza are from Cairo, I thought, “Why not spend a couple nights in Giza and check out the sites from there?” After all, the pyramids are one of the main reasons why people come to Egypt. Plus, staying in Giza not only allowed us to leisurely explore the Great Pyramids but also other less notable pyramids in the area. Then I discovered a couple of budget hotel options in Giza that sealed the deal. Can’t beat this terrace view for $30 per night, right? Sound and light show in the evening from the terrace:…

  • Egypt

    Before Going to Egypt

    December 23, 2016 - By 

    For an incredibly foreign country, I can’t imagine any tourist or traveler arriving to Egypt without having done any prior research.  Upon my homework, I repeatedly came across the same information: 1. Since the revolution of 2011, tourism in Egypt has been decimated. Once the top tourist destination in the world, Egypt’s hotels, restaurants, and tourist districts now struggle under pathetic despair. Egypt’s notorious temples and iconic sites that once saw mass tourism and rapid deterioration can now be enjoyed without anyone else in sight. As an independent traveler, it’s easy to think, “This serenity is wonderful!” but second thoughts immediately become…

  • Kenya

    Maasai Mara

    December 17, 2016 - By 

    Any online search for 3-day/2-night Maasai Mara safaris in western Kenya will show luxury options upwards of $800-$1,000 per person. Searching for budget options still resulted in $450-$500 trips per person. Seriously? What the hell. Fortunately while volunteering in Kenya my program manager told me that past volunteers had been able to tour the Maasai Mara National Reserve for $300 per person. Then I befriended a foreigner who knew of highly recommended locals that plan safaris to national parks all over Kenya. This agency is Safaribook Evolution. For $300 per person, Chris and I got picked up from our accommodation…

  • Kenya

    Coffee and Tea Plantations

    December 10, 2016 - By 

    According to worldatlas.com, Vietnam is the world’s 2nd largest producer of coffee, and the world’s 7th largest producer of tea. Also in the list of top world producers is Kenya, the world’s 15th largest producer of coffee and 3rd largest producer of tea.  Looks like Kenya and Vietnam have something in common! =) (While both countries are the world’s top producers of coffee and tea, Kenyans primarily drink diluted milk tea while the Vietnamese passionately consume plain tea and black coffee.) Because Nairobi’s neighboring towns of Kiambu and Limuru are surrounded by coffee and tea farms, I knew I had to take a tour on each…

  • Kenya

    Nairobi: Elephants & Giraffes, Oh My!

    December 2, 2016 - By 

    Full day tours of Nairobi cost about $100, with the highlights being the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center. However, visiting both places independently will cost less than $20 and requires only a half day. Traveling by bus in Kenya is incredibly cheap and easy! The elephant orphanage is only open to the general public from 11am-12pm on a daily basis.  During this hour, visitors can spectate the endearing site of bottle-feeding and mud-bathing elephants and listen to a quick introduction to the orphanage’s family of elephants.  Many elephants are rescue elephants and are later reintroduced back into the wild–yay! From…