Destinations

Unzipping Zanzibar: A Tale of Two Matemwe

Being surrounded by all that raw nature on our Serengeti safari adventure was amazing. But after multiple consecutive days, it had left both Tristen and I dusty, sunburnt, and ready for a return to some form of civilization.

In researching where we would go next, Zanzibar and its nice relaxing tropical vibe sounded like the perfect transition. Luckily its also conveniently located along the standard flight route that just about every small airline uses within the Serengeti. These two points were more than enough to convince us. So without much additional thought, we were off to what we hoped would be our paradise. Read More

Discovering an Eastern Serengeti Safari

After a memorable landing and an even more memorable Central Serengeti safari, Tristen and I both couldn’t wait for what was in store for us next.

This excitement wasn’t so apparent when our 6am alarm went off. We sleepily got dressed, gathered our belongings, and made our way up to the main dining tent for breakfast.

One aspect of the Namiri Plains camp that consistently surprised us during our stay was the quality and variety of food that they had on offer. Fresh tropical fruit and scrambled eggs for breakfast? Sure thing! Seared pork chops and sweet potatoes for dinner? You bet! Read More

Safari Surprises: Escaping to East Serengeti

“Alright everyone. Please hold on tight and prepare yourselves for landing.”

I looked out my window over the vast expanse of the Serengeti in search of some kind of runway, but could only see a single narrow patch of lumpy dirt ahead.

“We’re landing there?” I shouted to the pilot of the small twin-propeller plane, who looked to be no more than 25 years old. Making sure to keep his eyes focused directly ahead of us, he respond back with a stiff but authoritative thumbs up.

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Flash Forward Friday: Paso Robles

This week I’m back home in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has allowed me to recoup from my Indonesia return flight (3 flights + 20 layover hours = GROSS). As luck would have it, Tristen also had a few days off from work so, rather than just sitting around the house, we decided to head out of town. Neither of us had spent much time in or around the San Luis Obispo area, but we had heard great things about the local vineyards. So off we went, with the promise of a long winerific weekend. Read More

Drinking in the Douro Valley

“Are you threatening me?!” a member of the large party joining our Douro Valley tour called out to the driver as she squeezed into the back of the narrow van.

“Not at all,” the driver calmly responded. “I’m just saying that if you feel like there isn’t enough room and you would rather not go, we would be happy to refund your money.” Read More