Cruisin’ the Eastern Caribbean

In the spirit of the holidays, I decided to share a post on my second most recent trip. To escape the cold and sweat off the calories from Thanksgiving (I’m American, I know) my family and I embarked on a Carnival Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.  We set sail from the Port of Miami two days after Thanksgiving and our itinerary was as follows:

  1. Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas
  2. Fun Day at Sea
  3. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
  4. San Juan, Puerto Rico
  5. Grand Turk
  6. Fun Day at Sea
  7. Miami, FL

 

I think everyone should at least try a cruise once to get a feel for it. It’s the laziest way to see the world. Haha. All jokes aside, it’s great for those who want to have a stress free vacation that caters to your every need.

Below you will find photos from my week long voyage. I did not label each photo, as I will be doing individual posts on the islands later on, as well as my experience with the Carnival Cruise line.

If you are somewhere cold like me (Germany) I hope this warms your souls and gets you thinking about where to visit next!

Enjoy 🙂

 

Walk With Me: Yves Saint Laurent Garden

Words honestly fail me when trying to describe the vibrant garden dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent.  While it is a small garden in comparison to others that you may be used to seeing, for example, Garfield Park Conservatory is much bigger in size. What YSL Garden lacked in size it made up for in beauty.

 

 

 

They do have a small museum located in the garden for an additional fee, but we opted out and just enjoyed the garden alone. Twas enough for me.

Wednesday Women : Eva

eva-explores-3Meet Eva.

I’m Eva, a solo female traveler who just left on a trip of indefinite length! I am working remotely as an editor and social media manager along with running my travel blog, Eva Explores, about solo female travel. I love expressing myself creatively, whether that’s taking photos of colorful buildings, singing a song, or creating a sketch comedy video with my friends.

What inspired/inspires you to travel?

I love to see how other people live around the world, and even how they used to live when I visit places with a rich history. The fascinating nuances of how culture differs around the world, but how we are all essentially the same. Also, to be honest, I am constantly searching for the best cup of coffee!

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Where is your favorite destination to date?

I’m going to go SUPER cliché right now and say Paris! Although I recently went to Prague for the first time and that reminded me of Paris in a lot of ways. I just love French culture, and of course food! I feel like I’m living inside of a movie when I am in Paris.

How do you prefer to travel? Solo or With a group? Why?

I personally prefer traveling solo. I went on my first international solo trip this year, and was hooked! I love having the freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want. It’s an easy decision for me, since I’m an introvert. Solo travel lets me choose whether or not I want to engage with the outside world or just stay to myself observing everything around me.

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Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?

I do think that there is a difference. Unfortunately, women still have to think about safety in a unique way before deciding on a destination, and then during her travels. It’s no reason to stay at home, but it factors into the way we travel. I rarely leave my accommodation at night if unaccompanied, because I feel more comfortable. Also, around the world women don’t have the same freedoms to travel as men. In much of the world it’s still expected that women will get married and bear children at a relatively young age. There’s no time to travel, and even if there were the money they would spend traveling has to go to necessities like taking care of a family.

How do you plan your trips?

Currently I just wing it! When I first started traveling, I planned everything down to the hour. Now that I’m traveling long-term there’s really no need to do that. I usually get the desire to go to a certain place from reading a travel blog or seeing a photo on Instagram. Or I travel somewhere because I have friends who live there. From there, I try to travel overland as much as possible (I actually hate flying!) to any nearby destinations. For my current trip in Europe it was a combination of everything. Originally I wanted to explore Eastern Europe because of the beautiful photos I saw on travel blogs. Then I added Helsinki, Finland as a base because my best friend lives there. While in Helsinki I was browsing Instagram and saw a photo of a coffee shop in Prague and thought ‘I have to go there!’ I booked a flight to Prague and have been taking buses and trains north back to Helsinki.

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When is your next one?

I am currently in Poland, but in October I am going to Asia for the first time! I’ll be going to my first TBEX as well. From there, I have one or two planned countries to visit, but mostly I’ll be taking my time exploring the region slowly.

Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?

Embrace the unknown! Anyone who travels for any amount of time will tell you that things pop up you never could have expected. If you’re rushing around from place to place just trying to check off the top sites, you miss so much. Try waking up in the morning with no idea of what your day will hold and then letting your intuition guide you!

Want to know more about Eva?

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Snapchat: @evaeec

 

Wednesday Women: Maple

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Meet Maple. I am a fashion and travel blogger located in the Seattle area. I am a transplant from the beautiful city of Vancouver BC, Canada.  I am passionate about sharing travel stories/guides  that inspire a love to explore all this beautiful world has to offer. I’m also obsessed with being stylish and on my blog I share fashion tips that empower middle-aged women to feel confident as they age.

What inspired/inspires you to travel?
Discovering new cultures and meeting new people in those cultures inspires me to travel as well as knowing that life is short and I want to experience all the wanderlust this world has to offer!
023Where is your favorite destination to date?
My favorite destination is Waikiki Beach , Oahu Hi
How do you prefer to travel? Solo or With a group? Why?
I prefer to travel with my family or girlfriends because I am not super brave to travel on my own , although I do it on occasion.
Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?
Yes I think there is a difference traveling as a women, I think you have to be more aware of your surroundings and protective of yourself to ensure you are safe at all times.
How do you plan your trips?
I plan my trips around the cost of the airfare and accommodations. I also use the internet and tips from friends to decide on where I will go.  A lot of times I know someone in the destination I am traveling to.
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When is your next one?
My next trip is a weekend trip to Whistler BC with my school age friend. We have known each other since 6th grade!
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Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?
Don’t let the 9-5 grind or finances stop you from experiencing all the world has to offer. I don’t have a huge travel budget at all, but it can be done on  a budget and careful planning. I have not visited overseas yet, as that is very spendy. Hoping to in the near future!
Want to learn more about Maple?

Wednesday Women: Katalin

 

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Kupari, Croatia ; Abandoned hotels of Kupari in the background. A memorable place from the Balkans trip.

Meet Katalin. I’m Katalin, originally from Hungary. I have lived for 5 years in Finland and currently I am a kind of digital nomad (mostly working remotely) and traveling with my husband.

What inspired/inspires you to travel?

I love hiking and nature. First, I just took weekend trips around my home town, but after a while I wanted to see more and visit new places.

Where is your favorite destination to date?

My favourite place is either Lapland or Singapore. Lapland is the calm nature as far as you can see while Singapore is an always busy city with super summer weather.

How do you prefer to travel? Solo or With a group? Why?

I have been backpacking solo in Southeast Asia and Turkey, but I still preferred to group up with other travelers. Lately I am on the road with my husband. I love exploring cities with others, and usually safer to hike or try new sports if you are not alone.

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Atins, Brazil ; It is well known from its rainforest, but I have visited a little ‘desert’ there too while backpacking there a month.

Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?

You have to be much more careful – but it shouldn’t discourage you from traveling. I think after a while you learn how to avoid the risky situations, although in some countries you will still get different kind of offers, no matter what.

How do you plan your trips?

Usually after browsing a map for hours we just notice a bargain flight offer and we end up on a totally different country/continent.

When is your next one?

Now! We are continuously on the road since March (2016), changing country in every month or so. We were on the Balkans in Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic and Finland. Currently we are in Vancouver, Canada.

Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?

You can live with much less items than you first imagine! One (big) backpack is enough. ☺

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Albania ; Hiking in the Albanian Alps around 2000m. No trails, no tourists.

 

Want to learn more about Katalin?

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Wednesday Women: Kathy

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Meet Kathy. 

I’m Kathy from the North of England. In 2008 I went from package holidays to traveling solo around the world and now I have visited over 58 countries. I have made true friends, experienced the lure of travels and grown in confidence everyday.I have traveled to may places alone, made friends I will never forget and showed people you can travel safely as a female. My passion is exploring the road less traveled and being immersed in different cultures.

What inspired/inspires you to travel?

photo5I have an overwhelming urge to get up and go. It’s like having an itch which I have to scratch, I just need to go and have a look. I want to learn about other cultures, see different countries and open my mind to how other people live their lives. In addition, it’s the people who I have met on the way. The little old lady on the bus, the first time backpacker in Thailand and the local tour guide in Nepal. They all enrich my life and have given me long-lasting memories.
Where is your favorite destination to date?

I have two. I love Taiwan and Myanmar. The locals are such wonderful people. So kind and gentle. There are amazing things to see in both countries but if I had to narrow it down to just one place then it would be Bagan in Myanmar.

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How do you prefer to travel? Solo or With a group? Why?

This is a tough one. I think I am going to say Solo as I then have the best of both worlds. When travelling solo you get to meet people. It gives you the freedom to travel with lots of different groups of people but also gives you the time that everyone needs on their own. By doing this, I have met so many amazing friends who I have met up with time and time again on my travels.

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Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?

Yes. There is a definite safety aspect for females travelling. You might not feel vulnerable but you really are. I have received a lot of unwanted attention in some countries however I have also been offered some amazing experiences due to being a solo female traveller. It is just hard to know who to trust. For example; in Myanmar, a young lad took me around the area on his motorbike for 3 days, all because he wanted to practice his English. He introduced me to his family and we have become life long friends.

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How do you plan your trips?

I find the flights, either the cheapest ones that fly out of my local airport or to the place that I am really inspired to go. I use Skyscanner and Momondo for this. I then research the places in the destination I am going to, using Travel blogs, Wikitravel etc. Next I work out how to get to these places eg. bus, train, hitch hike, hire car. A lot of the time, I just have a bit of an idea where I want to go but never have things set in stone. Plans change and I want to be flexible.

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When is your next one?

I am currently in Norway after getting £39 return flights to Oslo. We have hired a car and currently on a road trip round the South West Norway.

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Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?

Follow travel blogs which will give you inspiration and tips on where and how to travel. Act confident when you are lost in major cities to prevent from being a target in some countries. But don’t forget to ask for help when you need it. Nip into a cafe, buy a drink and take some time out. Ask a member of staff to help you with directions etc.

Want to know more about Kathy?

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Walk With Me: Paris, France

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So, I’m scrolling through my phone while on my flight to San Diego, and I stumble upon a plethora of images from my trip to Paris. Some are gems that I’ve never shared with anyone until today. Take a walk with me…