#traveldiary2018

[pipou]

I dive into the future But I'm blinded by the sun I'm reborn in every moment So who knows what I'll become. #pinoy #igersph #instadiary #instadiary2018 #traveldiary2018 #traveldiary #travel #philippines #life #water #reflection #rain #life #revival https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmw7qcmDMen/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=5ynsb98klf2x

[dirtylittlebum-blog]

Everywhere I go, I’m home

[paubern]

Mesmerized #MRandMRSBdiaries #MRandMRSB #calayanisland #wanderlust #philippinesfirst #philippines #traveldiary2018 (at Nagudungan Hill)

[crystanagahori]

I still need Thor to hold me till the pain goes away. But for now, flowers. #sydney #sydney_insta #travelgram #traveldiary2018 #travelphotography #sydney🇦🇺 #sydneylife #travelgramph (at The Grounds of Alexandria)

[onegirlmanymiles]

Africa Part One

Note – This post and the ones to come will be similar to a diary recount but it’ll include day by day (especially beginning of the trip) and also include countries/cities/places (this may not be necessarily in the order I travelled – feel free to ask for the route!) I will try include specific towns and camp sites and my opinions of each, i’ll also include tips I learnt throughout the trip (like money exchange, expected pricing and recommended activities).

For those who are reading I did a tour called “Best of Southern Africa” with the company ‘Geckos’ – an Australian based company which caters for individuals 18-29 – This particular tour went for 17 days and included some meals, activities and accomodation (a tent)

*** During this entry and the ones to follow i will use the pronouns ‘black’ and ‘white’ to describe individuals and in no way is this intended to be racist, rather than a description to express the differences and notices in culture ***

After a long 26 hours of travelling I finally touch downed in Johannesburg (also known as Joburg). Excited was an understatement, not only was I about to embark on a journey of a life time, but the next day I was going to meet 15 strangers and 2 guides who I would be living with, making memories with and creating friendships with.

I met my driver at the airport and off we went 45 minutes to Rosebank where my hotel was situated.  The drive was quiet and I was exhausted so I took in a lot of the scenery (buildings and people). Coming from Australia I didn’t know much about Africa and I hadn’t really researched much as I wanted to create a fresh perspective.

I noted that all the white people were driving, and the black were walking. There was a very notable difference in wealth between houses we passed, many wealthy houses known to be owned by white people have fences as tall as the house, with electric fences at the top and some neighbourhoods even have security guards! Other houses were very run down with broken windows or tinned roofs and not a fence in sight.

Many black people were selling things on the road like fruit or jewellery or simply begging. I was quite shocked when I was a white person homeless and begging, as it seemed out of sort in the area. It was different to what I expected, not as bad as what everyone had told me. I hadn’t experienced much poverty or felt like the area was dangerous, but at this stage I hadn’t experienced the city.

My first day in Joburg I simply relaxed and slept, mostly because I was so drained from the travel but I was also unsure about the city. There are many safety warnings, especially considering I’m a white young female.

The next day was much the same but I was waiting for my buddy for the next 17 days! When she arrived I knew we were going to be good friends, we clicked instantly! Always laughing and were already comfortable with each other. We decided to go to the mall (next to the hotel) and have a look around to get some last minute supplies and have dinner before meeting the group. The mall was very large and clean but a lot of empty shops awaiting renters. There were security guards posted at almost every corner which instantly makes you feel safer.

The mall included a lot of shops you’d find in Australia like billabong, lush and sports stores like puma and nike (and luckily it happened to be Black Friday sales!) Seeing shops like these made me realise we were in a wealthy part of Joburg.  The billabong store was way cheaper than Australia and included a lot of “South Africa” branded items so of course I bought a shirt!

Time flew by and it was time to meet the group. We went upstairs and my first impression was “wow, everyone is so different”. I didn’t think we’d all get along, we all had different backgrounds, personalities and purposes. 12 girls and 4 boys, mixed ages and from different countries around the world. 2 guides, one from Zimbabwe and one from South Africa. I had no idea how the next 17 days were going to go!

After our meeting we were informed of the next days plan. 4:30am start with a long 10 hour drive across the boarder and into Botswana! (Covered Part Two)

Skipping forward to after the tour and I was back in Joburg. I had 1.5 spare days before my flight which finally meant exploring!

Note: I do NOT recommend exploring the city alone, regardless of age, race and gender!

Myself and 2 friends from the tour decided to do a “hop-on hop-off” bus after walking past a ticket place in the mall. May I add, best decision ever!  There are designated stops (tourist attractions) you can hop off at and explore and jump back on the next bus when you are finished!  As we only had 1 day, we chose 3 main stops we wanted to do – Constitutional Hill, Carlton Centre and the Apartheid Museum.

We chose these after looking at the brochure and seeing how fascinating each one looked.  Coming from Australia I honestly knew nothing about African history and had no idea what these attractions were until seeing the brochure.

I will go in-depth for each attraction both for education purposes, because it honestly changed my life and so you know how incredible they are!

Constitutional Hill With only a 100 year history, Constitutional Hill represents the transition between injustice to justice, separated by the great African steps. On one side is the jail that held many black political individuals who fought for their rights including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. It takes you on a recent, heartfelt journey which demonstrates the harsh treatment of individuals with some primary sources of individuals who experienced time here recounting their experiences. It showcases he differences in treatment between the black and white and includes first hand sites of jail cells, including isolation cells where individuals could spend up to 30 days, with the carvings on the doors still in place. There is also a women’s jail on the other side which held individuals like Winnie Mandela, recently renovated to include offices and a HIV clinic, it still opens your mind to history.

Separated by the great African steps, the other side is the Constitutional Court which endorses rights for ALL individuals.

I highly recommend taking a trip here! For 40ZAR. Learning about the Apartheid was something I’ll never forget.

Carlton Centre 223m high is sure a view to enjoy! For only 15 ZAR, it’s definitely worth a peak!

Take an elevator 50 floors high and see Joburg from above. See the differences in wealth between the North and South, see the skyscrapers and the small buildings still standing from the gold mine, and see the large yellow empty spaces where gold mining was once done. You only spend 15 minutes up here, but the Ariel view is something to take in!

Apartheid Museum Apartheid is the segregation between black and white individuals between 1948-1991. This museum showcases the different individuals and their stories on the battles they faced for justice and equality for their races. It houses a whole room on Nelson Mandela, from the start of his journey, in between up and all the way until his recent death.

Many people don’t know the great details about this time, so this museum is a good place to show you what it was truly like, with primary resources from interviews of individuals to original posters and signs.

As soon as you walk in you are captivated, you are assigned a piece of paper which tells you if your black or white and you must follow the path accordingly, potentially separating you from your friends.

This was extremely eye opening for me, being forced down a path on my own, segregated from my friends and seeing the lives of individuals along the way who experienced something much more tragic.

The Apartheid Museum is a tear jerker for sure, but it’s an important part of recent history which needs to be recognised more commonly around the globe, especially Australia!

[lostdrifters]

I love mountains and beaches. They just seem so relaxing and beautiful to me. 🤤😃 . . . . . . . . . #traveleverywhere #travelingman #travelinglife #travelingpost #travellingram #travelblogger #traveled #travellersnotebook #travelingram #traveltheworldwithme #travelblog #travelstyle #traveladdicts #travelphotograph #travelphotograpy #traveljourney #traveljournal #travelbugs #travelaway #travelpix #travelerlife #travelstoked #traveldiary2018 #traveldeep #travellingthroughtheworld🌍 #travellershouts #travelerslife #travelersnote #travellingram

[stacykate28]

The earth is indeed beautiful😍 All we need is courage to explore foreign lands.😊 . . . #traveldiary2018 #travelphilippines_ #chooseph #choosemindanao #travelersmap (at Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/BriMEtHghE7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4a9r65nemex4

[goagaga]

Bhaji and the lovely green. As the monsoon bids goodbye, these are a few cherished frames that settle well n deep within you, like these. This is Om Snacks run by two young ladies perched right in the fields on the Saligao road. The tea was sweet n comforting and surprisingly the bhajis did not leave me queasy as they normally do. #goodbyemonsoon #greenfieldsopenair #heritagelove #saligaofields #goafromgoagaga #teatime🍵 #weatherbee #insta_rains #localtrails #traveldiary2018 #snackporn #airbnbhost #airbnbindia #guesthouser (at Saligao) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnqEf3rHItE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=cx6j29inuoiz

[dreambymay]

new travel journaling video up on youtube🧡 link in my bio✌🏻

[pipou]

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19 #pinoy #igersph #instadiary #instadiary2018 #traveldiary2018 #traveldiary #travel #philippines #life #water #reflection (at Conrad Hotel Brasserie)

[ciklisawangi-blog]

. ======= 5 Benda Wajib Bawa Bila Travel Ke Jepun ======= . === Power Adapter. === . Better beli siap siap power adapter antarabangsa untuk travel ke Jepun. Sebab kat sini mereka tak pakai yang macam kita tu actually. Tapi, pakai two pins yang lain nau nauuu dari kita. . Macam Cik Lisa hari tu, terpaksa beli two pins simple gittew jer dah kena bayar dalam ¥496 untuk seketul tu tahu ke! 😅.. . . === Beg Jenis Beroda. === . Regardless kat mana pun hotel / Airbnb awak tu nanti, masih tetap nak kena angkut bag ke sana ke mari. Imagine lah kalau guna beg tanpa roda ni, tak ke stress beria awak tu sat lagi? . Sebab nak kena naik train itu dan ini. Tukar keretapi saban ganti! Dok heret beg tu merata okeh?.. . === Kasut Selesa dan Mudah Sarung. === . Ini penting since kita akan banyak guna kaki ke sana sini. Between one station to another tu bukan acah acah dekat, tapi ada yang jauhnya tak hengat! Contohnya; macam Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, Shin Osaka Station and oihhh... many others lah! . So, kalau kasut tu tak selesa... sakit tumit and segala, dah tak syiok nak kena jalan merata! Lagi satu; kalau ada yang berminat nak masuk shrine / temple... nak kena buka kasut. Same goes with “ryokan” (traditional Japanese inn - rumah tumpangan tradisi Jepun). . === Earphones / Headphones. === . Haha. Haa... sebab antara pantang larang orang sini: bila dalam train, regardless awak datang dengan kengkawan ke, family ke... kita tokleh huha huha dalam train nak sembang sakan! Kena bisik bisik or duduk diam diam sampai tiba ke destinasi kita. . === Kad ATM. === . Better untuk tak usung cash ke hulu ke hilir bebanyak dalam poket kita tu! Bukan sebab bahaya taww sebab crime rate kat Jepun ni tak tinggi pong. Tapi, bayangkan kot awak terlupa letak cash tu kat mana or terhilang beg tu tetiba? Tak ke naya???.. . But just make sure awak dah inform bank sebelum datang. Then all is solved! 👌🏼.. . . So, hopefully tips ni bermanfaat and jemput share untuk tatapan rakan kita yang lain okeh? InshaALLAH ada masa nanti Cik Lisa akan kongsi another tips lagi okay?.. . From Tokyo with love, Cik Lisa The Pot Pet Teller 😘. . . #WhenSheTravels #TravelDiary2018 #JapanTrip2018 (at Shinjuku)

[visitrannutsav]

Rann Utsav ka 'Haat' will give you all the feels! Shop local handicrafts and souvenir and take a piece of Kutch with you! Book your journey with Rann Utsav

[smithytravels-blog]

Lisbon Day Um/Dois

First of all welcome back to the blog, its been a very busy year since last year and a lot has happened. So I am in Lisbon for 5 day’s solo traveling and so far its been pretty good.  

The Flight

It was a good flight but damm it was early, who wants to get up at 4am to get a flight, I thought this would give me more time in Lisbon but it just resulted in me being tired and completely wiped out yesterday so I would recommend a later  flight if you don't want to be a zombie! Good old EasyJet all the way! 

The Hostel

I am staying in Lisbon Lounge which is in the Baixa Pombalina District, it’s a pretty sick hostel and the dorms are really airy and spacious. My one complaint would be that I am on the top bunk which is a bit of a struggle as I have damaged a ligament in my foot running (so before I flew out I ran the Edinburgh 10k then went to a wedding! Classic Andrew Cramming it all in, but as you asked I ran it in 48.90 minutes, new PB)  sorry for that detour but it helps explain my predicament. I am fine getting up into the bunk...kind of but getting down with one bad foot is slightly harder it a balancing act then a slight hop down landing on my good foot. Other than that the hostel is nice enough however it may just be me but this hostel dosen’t seen as friendly as those I have stayed in before, this is could be the difference in trailing solo.  

Walking Tour (well hobbling tour for me) 

This morning I chose to do one of the free activities offered by the hostel, a walking tour of Lisbon ran by  Wild Walker Tours (http://wildwalkerstours.com/walking-tour/) who were ace, I was on Sophia’s Tour what a wee scone!  Our first port of call after the Catholic Cathedral was to try some Ginjinha a Cherry Liqueur from Lisbon, we went to the oldest shop for Ginjinha in Lisbon.  The tour explored the newer area of Lisbon post earthquake and this game me a change to try out my new gimbal and kit for my GoPro so keep an eye on my Youtube channel for it! (Such a plug I know but I couldn't resist) but on the tour a French  traveller called Charlotte joined me from the hostel so yea it was a good way to meet other travellers in and around Lisbon.  

This afternoon was spent in the old town exploring the hilly winding streets and catching some pretty ace views of the city.  I’ll post some pictures up when I'm back in the UK or in Barca and a few vlogs as the WiFi isn't great here for uploading stuff.  

[whattheworldsays-blog1]

Blended In & With #coralgoa 🥕 #goa2018 #traveldiary2018 #styletraveler #coralshades #whatsupgoa #blending #solidtops #highwaistedjeans #sunnies #streetstyle #wiw #whatiwore #wtwstyle #luxurytravel #luxurystays #grandhyattgoa #wtwsingoa #wtwstravel #fashionstylist #orangerie #holidaying #travelwithme #indoretogoa #indoretraveler #whattheworldsays What The World Says! VLOG • Fashion • Decor • Lifestyle • Travel 🎥 whattheworldsays (YouTube) 📸 wtwsbykavya (Instagram) 🌐 WTWSofficial (Facebook) 👻 whattheworldsay (Snapchat) 💙 whattheworldsays (Roposo) 💌 contact@whattheworldsays.com 🌎 www.whattheworldsays.coms (at Grand Hyatt Goa)

[passionate-gal-blog]

http://travelsoloandsmart.com/2018/04/23/10-reasons-we-should-travel-every-month/ #travellifestyle #travelblogger #travelsolo #solotravel #solotraveler #solotravelers #travellife #travelling #travelersnotebook #traveldiary #traveldiary2018