Life is short, so why not take a plunge into a volcano “Joe versus the Volcano” style, if possible, right? Well… we don’t want to instantly burn up in a second, and we definitely don’t want to venture into a journey of with no return. The good news is that the “Inside the Volcano” day tour is a real-life “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” as you do descend 120 meters via a cable lift into the magma chamber of the Icelandic volcano called Thrihnukagigur (“Three Peaks Crater”). From the bottom of the magma chamber, you’ll be able to marvel at the colorfully textured lava-rock walls. How cool is that?!?
SILFRA: Snorkeling Between Two Continents
When I first started looking for things to do in Iceland and I read about diving in the Silfra Fissure, I knew it was something I’d love to do with my husband. “Seriously, diving between two continents? How awesome is that?!”
However after some research I found out that I needed to be certified for dry suit diving (a 2 day course at least). While I was willing, considering everything we had planned for the trip, we decided to do the snorkeling instead.
We all have our different comfort zones and while mine is undoubtedly anything water related it was NOT freezing cold water (around 2°C / 35°F). I was worried that I wouldn’t withstand the cold and have to quit halfway regardless of the drysuit. Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone to learn and to reach and experience new heights….. and of course, to better ourselves.
Anyways, this is how it is done.
F1 Monaco Grand Prix Voyage with Azamara
Being at the Monaco Grand Prix has been on my bucket list since I started watching Formula 1, way back 2003. Aside from the sport, I’ve been wanting to see the beauty of Monte Carlo. My husband and I have been in and out Europe but hadn’t got the chance to visit Monaco and the French Riviera until last year. We just passed our 10th Wedding anniversary so we decided to do a couple’s trip – we haven’t done one since we had our first kid. We were lucky in that my in-laws were kind enough to fly in from South Africa to hang out and spend time with the kids. I know… they are the best!!! We went away for 2 weeks, kinda too long but we were so at peace knowing that the kids are in good hands and thanks to advance technology, we got to Skype with them everytime we got WIFI signal. We are beyond thankful.
You know the famous saying of Mark Twain, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Fortunately, I made my passion for travel into something that I can do for a living. I started my home-based travel agency last year and one of “the perks of the job” was to go onboard an Azamara Cruise for free… a choice of any destination I wanted. Pretty neat huh?!? So many options but one stuck out of the catalog was the 5 day F1 Monaco Grand Prix Voyage.
Photo credit by Azamara Cruises
Scenic Drive on the French Riviera
One of the most scenic drives in the world is in the South of France. I knew my husband would love this drive but I wasn’t so sure if it was a good idea since I know what it can be like to drive in a foreign country without knowing the local roads and traffic. So, I didn’t bother to book a car nor book any tours in advance. This recent trip we took was with just me and my husband; the first time we’ve spend time away from the kids in their lives. My idea was to be spontaneous; aside from being busy the past months before the trip, I was also thinking to take this vacation slow – no schedules, no planned itinerary, and no tours.
We spent the first 3 days of our trip in Cannes for the Film Festival and see a little bit of Nice. We then decided to take a drive through the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region. It has a lot of similarity with the scenery in Madeira, Portugal and Cape Town, South Africa where my husband is from. He enjoyed cruising around in a convertible with the top down 🙂 Indeed, a must-do if you visit this corner of the world.
Here are few of the photos we took along the way. Hope this will inspire you to visit the French Riviera. Buzz me to help you plan your adventure. xoxo
My Kids favorite European City – BRUSSELS
In the past days the news flash on our Amazon Echo has been talking about Brussels. The city is at the highest terror alert after the attacks in Paris. People were advised to stay away from train/bus stations, airports and not to gather around public places. Metro service and underground streetcar services have been interrupted. Last Saturday, the city was nearly empty since stores, bars and cafes closed down after 6 p.m.
This is the Grand Place in Brussels on a typical night. Can you imagine what’s it was like last weekend?
Lately, we have been bombarded with awful news around the world; Paris attack is just one of them… a long list for terrorist attacks happened this year. It is unimaginable for people who happened to be in those areas and it is heart breaking to hear their stories.
As a traveler and someone who encourages family travel, I had to pause and wonder as to what this means to people who love to travel. Would these incidents change their perspective towards travel? Is it still safe to travel or is their such a thing as safe anymore? I honestly can’t answer these questions for you but if you ask me, I’d say that my family will continue to travel the world. My hopes and plans for my children haven’t changed a bit. I still wanted them to explore the world – to learn, to have fun and discover the unknown.
Let no fear change the way you live!
Venice with Kids: Know Before You Go
My husband recently had a conversation with a coworker who is going to Venice with his family. He had a flashback of our unforgettable experience last 2011. Then, he asked me to write a blog about it since Venice is such a beautiful city and families who are planning to go shouldn’t hesitate tagging along their kids. Proper planning is needed.
Flashback… Venice -February 2011 while I was 6+ months pregnant together with our 14-month old boy. Imagine that!
It was our 1st international flight with our son and I was pretty confident that I got everything covered. However, travel is often full of surprises and its part of the whole experience. Our journey started bad – 1st flight delayed so we missed our connection from Heathrow to Venice, leading to an unexpected reroute with a bus transfer to Gatwick with 1 bag already lost.
We stayed Venice for a few days and it was magical as expected. Actually, it was more meaningful since we shared it with our little boy.
So, here is a list of few things to consider when traveling to Venice with kids. This is a Must-Do-Check-List.