Year: 2018

Schengen Area – Crafting a Travel Itinerary Within the 90 Days

Rooms are Running OutIf there is one thing I do not like to do when going on a long-term trip, it is making reservations more than a week in advance.  The freedom of being able to travel for months on end is something that allows us to be completely flexible with our itinerary, extending or decreasing stays in an given city at our discretion.

When going on our next 14-18 month trip, we were overjoyed with the fact that we would not have to plan very much in advance and could roam on our idealized itinerary.   Then we added Europe into the mix.  In the summer.  After counting the number of days we were hoping to spend on the continent, we realized that we were getting dangerously close to the 90 day visa limit for the Schengen Area while also having to combat the hoards of travelers during peak season.  Just like that our hopes for a reservation free long-term trip came crashing down.   To lock in the good deals in peak season, and to force us to fit within the 90 day Schengen visa limit, our bookings began and thousands of dollars were spent.

The logic of booking in advance during peak season is obvious. But the need to craft our itinerary to fit within the limits of a free Schengen visa may not be as apparent.

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Take Walks Review – What All Walking Tours Should Be

During our several explorations of Italy, we were fortunate enough to take many walking tours as guests of Walks of Italy (now Take Walks)- one of the country's premier tour companies.

To date, we have taken six tours, in three regions/cities, featuring an array of topics from the historical, to culinary, and even a bit religious at the Vatican Museums.

In the end, we walked away with a fond appreciation for all things Italy (far more than I had from my first trip to the country), and over the years have realized that Take Walks puts out what we believe are the best walking tours we've ever experienced.

In this Take Walks review (formerly Walks of Italy), we wanted to highlight our favorite aspects of each of the tours we took to give you a better insight as to why we think that!

Disclaimer: We were given complimentary tours with Take Walks when traveling around the country.

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Becoming a Professional Photographer – 10 Years in Photos

2018 marks the ten year anniversary of my first international trip (solo at least). This whirlwind tour of Europe was my college graduation present to myself and, unbeknownst to me at the time, would spark my wanderlust and put me on a path to become a travel writer, blogger, and professional photographer.

Since that fateful journey I've explored over 70 countries, on five continents, totaling over two solid years on the road, and shot well over 200,000 photos of the world's beauty along the way.

When looking back at my photos (something I do quite often), I've noticed an interesting evolution in my becoming a photographer.

From the style and composition, to the equipment I use and other post-processing techniques picked up along the way, my photography journey has been one that has only gotten better with age.

Today I wanted to share a glimpse into my journey over the last ten years as a travel photographer and the most important lessons I've learned along the way.

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Good Luck Getting to Le Petite Anse Kerlan on Praslin

It is said that all beaches in the Seychelles are public, and if you're envisioning free access to any beach you want I am sad to say you have another thing coming.

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that just because all beaches are supposedly public does not necessarily mean that you will have unrestricted access to visit them as you please.

(We say “supposedly public” because as much as it is written online, we could not actually verify it.)

You see, many beaches in the Seychelles have a hotel or resort located nearby. While it is entirely likely that the beach itself is public, the land around the beach that is occupied by the hotel is most certainly not- and there in lies the problem. 

Access is all but impossible.

One beach famous for this problem is Anse Source D'Argent on the island of La Digue, which is found deep within a plantation that charges 110 rupees for visitors to enter ($8 USD).

A few more are Le Petite Anse Kerlan and Anse Georgette, two beautiful spots found within the property of Constance Lemuria on the island of Praslin.

But where we can get beyond the fee to enter Anse Source D'Argent with the justification of it being used to maintain the grounds (and the fact that everyone can enter upon payment of a nominal fee), the more explicit restrictions for Le Petite Anse Kerlan and Anse Georgette are a bit more troubling.

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