If you’re planning your trip to the Tigray region of Ethiopia, it’s likely you’re going through a tourism company or individual guide who is experienced in the region and will complete accommodation bookings on your behalf. However, if you’re like me, even if this is true it’s nice to have some control over your experience…

Located 127 km from Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, are the Gheralta Mountains of northern Ethiopia, home to the largest number of cliff churches in Africa and some of the oldest churches in the world, not to mention the most difficult to access. The Gheralta Mountains are a hiker’s dream, with deep valley’s…

Akagera is located in the eastern region of Rwanda, and is today the only remaining refuge for Savannah animals in Rwanda. During the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, the park was degraded, and as a result animal populations plummeted. In 2010, the park had as few as 5000 animals, and many native specifics populations had…

Social Enterprises are gaining attention as a sustainable way to support local communities in developing financial opportunities but also preserving culture and heritage in a way that builds on the strengths of a community. For tourists, Social Enterprises are one of the best way to both experience and give back to the community you are…

So you’ve rented a car! Congratulations. You now have total freedom to travel wherever and whenever you want throughout the island. Only challenge now is deciding where to go . . . It’s easy to get lost in the endless resources available at your finger tips online when trip planning and there’s always those critical…

When I first moved to Africa, I admit I was a little nervous to operate a vehicle there. Of course I knew the facts, I was licensed in the state of Massachusetts where drivers are called “Mass-holes” for the high quantity of illegal driving moves that are performed daily. But the streets of Addis were…

Palacio da Pena, one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Portugal, sits at the top of a steep hill in the city of Sintra roughly 30 km Northwest of Lisbon. This spectacular palace is one of several must-see locations in a city that is described as out of a fairytale with it’s…

The first time I ventured north to this lakeside town, I was planning for a long weekend visit inclusive of all of the “classic” destinations that a tourist would need to see. My boyfriend and I visited the Blue Nile Falls, crossing the swinging bridge to get the overhead view and taking selfies dangerously close…

Being “global” can be interpreted in many different ways. It could mean understanding different cultures, or being empathetic to ways of life other than your own. Being “global” can also mean you have vast knowledge about other places, often from your personal experiences of traveling or perhaps from being an avid reader of foreign books….

A short twenty minute drive from the Falmouth Port where Cruise ships dock for their daily excursions, one finds oneself in authentic Jamaica driving past jungle, mountains and one-room homes before clearing to a popular tourist hot spot; Bamboo Rafting on the Martha Brae River. This was the excursion myself and seven friends chose to…

Next week is the Korean holiday of Chuseok, a time for family and food and eating songpyeong, which are traditional Korean rice cakes. My Korean friends keep telling me that the closest comparison they can think of for this holiday is American Thanksgiving, and though this comparison helps set the tone for holiday, I imagine…