At a short, direct plane ride from Milan, going never seemed urgent during the three years I lived in Italy. Which meant that I never went!
Fast forward to an autumn European trip I was planning after moving back to the US, and I knew Malta was a destination I definitely wanted to include on my visit.
The biggest question I got – “Why are you going to Malta?”
Apparently most people know very little about this small group of islands south of Sicily, so I wanted my first blog post about Malta to be filled with all the incredible reasons to go!
Top Reasons To Visit Malta
It’s Affordable
Even though Malta has become popular as a cruise ship port and with other European tourists, it is still quite affordable. You can get a pretty good tasting menu at a restaurant for around €30 or less, which is always a great marker for me of how much things cost. Street food is dirt cheap.
It’s even affordable to get there, with many discount flights arriving from all over Europe. Plus, there are plenty of reasonable accommodation options for your stay.
The islands of Malta, once part of the British Empire and now part of the Commonwealth, have held strategic importance in the Mediterranean for millenia. So it’s not surprising that it is a country with plenty of fortifications you can still visit today dotting its coastline, from massive forts to fortified lookout towers.
You know I’d go pretty much anywhere if I heard good things about the food! As an island nation that changed hands many times in history, Maltese cuisine includes Spanish, French, Italian, and other Mediterranean influences.
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Rabbit is considered to be the national dish and another local favorite is pastizzi, a palm-sized flaky pastry typically filled with cheese or a pea mixture. And the desserts will make you swoon – my favorite was imqaret, an Arabic-inspired pastry filled with a date spread.
Coastline Dotted with Caves and Pools
St Peter’s Pool
The rocky coast of Malta lends itself to caves that have been carved out by crashing waves, or indentations in the rock that form natural pools.
Blue GrottoBy the Ta Kalanka Sea Cave
These are worth the effort to seek out as they are often not as crowded as the beaches and are beautiful places to explore and swim.
Ancient Stone Cities
Entrance to Mdina
Part of Malta’s heavy fortifications mean that there are also walled, stone cities throughout. Most famous are the coastal capital Valletta and Mdina in the center, which served as Malta’s capital through medieval times.
Valletta’s Wall
The results have stood for centuries and are beautiful to visit today.
Even without going to a winery, you’ll be able to sample a variety of Maltese wines by the glass, half-bottle, carafe, and bottle at your meals each day. While familiar grapes are grown in Malta, there are also some delicious indigenous grapes like Ghirgentina (a white) and Gellewza (for red wine), both delicious varietals blended or on their own.
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Beaches
Ghajn Tuffieha Beach
The archipelago of Malta is composed of islands, so there are plenty of beaches to enjoy nearby wherever you decide to stay. Since the landscape is inclined toward creating natural harbors, all of the beaches I visited had stunning and dramatic views of the Maltese coastline.
St. George’s Beach
The swimming was lovely too, of course.
Impressive Archaeological Sites
Exploring the Tarxien Temples
From the 6,000 year old prehistoric burial site known as the Hypogeum to ancient temples and catacombs, archaeological sites are located all over Malta, and provide an interesting window into this region’s past.
St. Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat
If you like history or are fascinated by ancient cultures and traditions, there are plenty of spots to explore all over Malta.
Sunsets
There have been some places I’ve seen in my travels where the sunset is gorgeous and colorful nearly every night. And Malta is one of those places.
Wherever you are on the island, know when the sun will be going down so you can plan to be outside and watch the show. Malta had some of my favorite sunsets of the whole year!
The landscape of Malta is both dramatic and beautiful, and there are many way to take advantage of the great outdoors. There are interior hiking trails and also rocky coastal walks that link different beaches.
Malta is also known for one of my favorite sports, rock climbing, and has incredible limestone to climb on both Malta and Gozo. There are plenty of other outdoor adventure opportunities like cycling and diving as well.
Boats, Boats, Boats!
I love seeing boats and traveling by boat, and being on Malta with its many harbors provides plenty of chances to do both. There is a functional ferry to get between Sliema and the capital Valletta, as well as ferries and tours departing from many main spots around Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Even if boat travel is not your thing, plenty of boats will be docked and provide beautiful views along Malta’s coast.
Top Tips for When You Go
Transportation
The main thing you’ll want to know about getting around Malta is that there is lots of traffic! Traditional rush hours are the worst, but there always seem to be a lot of vehicles on the road and often bus delays.
If you decide on taking public transit (like I did), it is easy to purchase your bus pass from the public transit stand next to the Costa Coffee and by the exit from the airport – either from a person or the machine.
There is an Explore Card that is just for the bus and an ExplorePlus Card that also includes a round-trip ticket on the Valletta ferry and either a day on a hop-on hop-off bus around the island or a boat to the Maltese island of Comino. More details and prices are HERE.
TIP! The two downsides for me of riding the bus were the delays that made it hard for transferring bus lines and also when rush hour buses from Sliema to Valletta were so crowded they did not stop to let additional passengers on.
If you don’t love walking as much as I do (or are not as patient) you’ll probably want to rent a car for your time in Malta.
TIP! Be aware that if you’d like to take the car to one of the other islands, ferry space for a car can be quite limited and you’ll want to arrange this in advance or arrive very early to queue.
In either case, when you first arrive, a taxi is likely your easiest option to arrive at your accommodation, and there are set prices for each destination. My taxi trip from the aiport to Sliema (across the water from Valletta) was €20.
Traveling Solo
Malta is a great destination for traveling solo, especially since pretty much everyone speaks English, as a former British colony and now part of the Commonwealth. I was there for 5 nights on my own and had an easy time navigating and taking advantage of the different sights and activities around Malta, including getting a reservation for 1 at many of the restaurants. Malta is also very affordable, so even when you’re not splitting the cost of a room, it doesn’t break the bank to make the trip.
For whatever reason, tasting menus are plentiful around Malta, which was wonderful for me as a solo traveler who likes to try as many dishes as possible when I travel!
TIP! A lot of restaurants have a small capacity, so be sure to reserve ahead of time, even if it’s just earlier in the day for that same evening.
TIP! Making a reservation is necessary, even as a solo traveler!
While you might not be able to pick out the small archipelago of Malta on a map (you should go look!) there is so much see, do, and enjoy on the various islands. Now, go plan that trip!
Happy travels!
Lana
Have you been to Malta? What were the highlights for you? What types of activities do you look for most in your travels?
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Practical Guide to Achieve Your Travel Goals this Year
Happy new year! January 1st is a fresh start for many people. Have you made resolutions for the new year? Or are re-energized for a project that has languished?
One thing I always think about leading up to a new year is what kind of travel I’d like to do in the year ahead. Sometimes my focus is on visiting new countries. Other times it’s exploring close to home. Or visiting friends in new places. It depends on the year.
Whatever my travel goals though, it always takes a bit of planning to make my dreams a reality.
Sure, planning is not as fun as ogling over pretty pictures on Instagram, but a little bit of preparation goes a long way.
Here’s what you’ll want to think about *soon* so this is the year you actually make it happen!
When You Can Travel
It sounds so basic, but the reality is that if you don’t start blocking off times now at the start of the year, weeks will turn into months and the time to achieve your travel goals will slip away.
The good news is that it doesn’t take much to get organized!
First, break out the calendar. I’m old school, so I still have a paper version that I maintain each year. You’re probably using some form of app or electronic calendar. Whatever the format, the process is the same:
When You’ll Be Busy
Mark holidays. Public holidays in the country where you’re living, plus any religious holidays not already on there or any special days off (like possibly in an election year).
Block off busy periods at work you won’t be able to travel. It’s important to merge work obligations onto your personal calendar so you don’t accidentally book a trip when you’re expected to attend a conference somewhere or have another conflict or big deadline.
List other obligations. I know I’ll have a cousin’s wedding this June, so I’ve already marked that date on my calendar. Last year was a big celebration for my grandmother’s 90th birthday. If there’s anything you know is coming up, capture it now.
Time for Travel!
Anything not already marked off as a busy time is now fair game for all that travel planning you’re itching to do. You may want to consider things like having a weekend at home if you’re traveling for several consecutive weekends prior, but other than that, go nuts:
Block off times for top priorities. There are the travel goals you definitely want to achieve this year, so make those your top scheduling priorities whether it’s finding a weekend in common to travel with friends or blocking off two weeks in a row for a bigger trip.TIP! Of course, you’ll probably also want to think about the weather where you’re heading, so you don’t end up in Asia during rainy season – even if it’s a good time for you to vacation.
Ask for time off (if needed). If you have a full-time job like me, you probably need to request time off in advance. Some offices even approve limited vacation based on who asks first, so it’s definitely to your advantage to ask early!TIP! It’s also possible if you’re considering two different times (or comparing prices) to get tentative approval for both, and then later confirm what days you’ll actually be out of the office when you book.
Who to Travel With
Being back in the US after several years of living abroad, this is definitely the area where I struggled most last year.
In Milan, I had it easy. For many of the weekends I was looking to travel, I had a friend ready to go on an adventure with me, and it was also very affordable to travel solo.
This year I had some solo trips (including a week in Belize) and traveled several times on my own to visit friends in different cities – New York, Boston, Detroit, Washington DC – but I was far less successful managing a weekend escape with friends.
In the end, I only successfully planned ONE weekend trip with a friend this year. Everything else fell through.
I’m definitely getting on the planning for this much earlier than before (including reviving some of the trips that were planned but didn’t happen last year). I already have tentative plans with several sets of friends for weekend getaways and hope to get to some of those destinations early in the year.
Where to Go
Maybe your travel goals for this year include specific destinations, or perhaps you’re simply trying to visit 2 new countries and you’re not sure which ones to choose.
Here are some things to think about when deciding where you’ll go in the coming year:
Staying Close to Home
Many of us (myself included!) are guilty of gallivanting off to faraway places while leaving spots closer to home unexplored. I even did this when home was Perth, Australia and only when I was leaving for good did I finally explore the other parts of the country.
But no more. Wherever you are in the world, there is something (& probably several somethings) that are notable in your area, whether it’s a museum or restaurant or amazing spot in nature.
What is in your town (or village or city)? There is this glorious thing called the internet – which you can obviously access if you’re reading my blog! – that let’s you search for anything and everything. Even if you’ve lived in the same place all your life, you might be surprised about what information is out there. Find bloggers who write about things locally, or simply search for things like “Best Brunch in <your city>” or “Best Instagram Spots in <your city>”
What hidden gems are nearby for a day trip? You’ve maybe never looked at your hometown or where you currently live from a tourist perspective, but there may be a quirky museum you’ve never heard of before or a beautiful spot in nature within a half-hour drive. I’ve found great information about various cities I’ve lived around the world by searching for things like “Best day trips from <insert your city here>” or “Best Hiking in <insert your state or country>”
What is in driving distance for a weekend? For me, if I am driving somewhere for the weekend, I try to keep it around a 3-hour drive or less if I can. There is actually quite a lot encompassed in that area, from beautiful national parks to beaches to ski destinations to wonderful city escapes. This past year I enjoyed the beach in Delaware and Maryland, towns in Virginia like Richmond, Williamsburg, and the adorable college town of Charlottesville, and a girls’ hiking weekend. Figure out what towns you have yet to explore that are nearby – they might surprise you!
Heading Further Afield
Where can you get to easily by bus or train? For me, traveling by bus or train gives me a bit more flexibility with my travel plans, as I can relax more or be productive on the way (there’s usually WiFi) as opposed to when I’m driving. When I lived in Milan, Italy, there were a ton of adorable small towns just a train ride away, plus cities like Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, and Geneva, Switzerland. Check out the routes of where you can get to easily. Some of the destinations may be unexpected!
Lotus flowers in Bangkok, Thailand – a direct flight from Milan!
Where will a short, direct flight get you? Okay, so nowhere is exactly easy to get to from Perth, Australia, but Bali is only a 3-hour plane ride away. From Milan I flew direct to places like Seville, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand and Tel Aviv, Israel. And from Baltimore there are all sorts of spots easily accessible around the US, Canada, Caribbean, and Mexico. A quick search will tell you all the places you can get to directly from your local airport. Short flights make it especially easy to squeeze in a weekend escape without having to take any time off of work.
Tel Aviv, Israel – another direct flight from Milan!
What are your top destination priorities for longer trips? Last year for me this was Vegas for a long weekend, a week-long solo trip to Belize, and visiting several spots in the Caribbean on a cruise that left out of my current city, Baltimore, Maryland. For this coming year, I have a few priorities set including a return to Central America and several weeks in Europe. Longer trips are the hardest to schedule, so get these on your calendar early!
Booking that trip!
This is the hardest part for most would-be travelers. There are always endless reasons to delay actually committing to a trip, which means if you wait long enough, you’ll never actually make it anywhere. So even if it makes you a bit nervous to commit to that train ticket or flight, JUST DO IT!
Some of my least-stressful travel planning has been when I’ve booked a bus or train or flight several months in advance. There’s none of that back-and-forth of debating whether to go or not the week before, or analyzing if it is a good weekend for a trip. You already have a ticket and you’re going!
With your transportation taken care of you can focus on getting excited for the trip, even if you do minimal advance planning before you actually arrive. I’ve taken trips where I’ve researched extensively beforehand and others where I only first started looking into what to do as I was at the airport waiting for my departing flight. Either way, I always have a great time.
And if you’re not staying with friends or family, take the time early on to also book where you’ll stay. I like to arrange my accommodations through Booking.com, because most properties allow you to cancel with no penalty up until a few days before the trip.
You can find Booking.com prices and other sites on TripAdvisor for hotel bookings, where you can enter your dates and it will show you availability at the top-rated places to stay, including comparing the cost across multiple booking sites so you can get the best deal. So no need to worry, just lock in something now that can be cancelled later – and you can always re-book if you find a better spot.
And when I’m looking to have a kitchen to do my own cooking or am finding hotels to be a bit pricey, I check out what’s available on AirBNB. I’ve stayed in properties around the world and have had mostly positive experiences. Plus, if you run into any issues, their customer service is excellent.
This year’s travel goals for me are a combination of doing more exploring close to home and also making it to at least 3 new countries. Close to home for me in part includes doing more in Baltimore where I currently live. Despite having lived here before and a year and counting now, there is still plenty left to explore.
I also have some new US cities in mind for a visit, like Denver, Colorado (where family just moved), Savannah, Georgia, or Asheville, North Carolina. Plus, some cities I’d like to re-explore after a long while like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mexico City, and Quebec, Canada.
In terms of new countries, I’m already booked for a January trip to Nicaragua! I hope to explore other new countries on a European trip, possibly Malta (which has been on my bucket list for a while) and Norway (where a friend recently moved).
What My Travel Plans Look Like So Far
This month I’m headed to Nicaragua for the first time! I locked in flights back in November, and arranged my accommodations shortly after, so now I just need to finish with some planning and get on that plane.
I do take my own advice of course, so I’m working on confirming dates for other trips I’d like to take. The biggest one is a return trip to Europe where I haven’t visited since moving back to the US a year ago. Of course I want to see old friends in familiar places as well as hit up some new spots.
Just as important though is identifying weekends to block off for all those other shorter trips! My focus is currently on some weekend ski escapes this winter, and making it to some of those US cities I can get to easily by train or a direct flight. I’ve already made tentative plans with friends for a foodie weekend in Philadelphia and a trip to Savannah, Georgia – now we just need to lock down dates.
And of course, there’s my wish list of places to go. I’d love to get to the countries of Portugal, Georgia, and South Africa for longer trips. Closer to home is maybe Belize for a return trip or a weekend in Puerto Rico once hurricane recovery is further along. A road trip along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail or in Yosemite National Park would be amazing, plus city escapes large and small around the US.
Now granted, now that I’m living back in the US many of my wish list items are those spots close enough for a weekend trip, which means it’s centered around North and Central America.
Certainly my wish list has shifted every time I’ve moved continents – and yours should too! Think about spots that are close enough that you’ll reasonably make it there. And keep an actual list of where you’d like to go so when you’re itching to go somewhere it’s already handy.
I wish you the best year of travel yet – now go make those plans!
What are your travel goals for 2018? What travel challenges can I help with? And what topics should I cover in this year’s blog posts that would be most helpful, so this is the year you achieve your travel goals?
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As you’ll read in the section on Why Start a Blog?, I never really considered myself the type of person who would write a blog. In fact, several people suggested that I start a blog when I moved to Australia in 2012 (and with the 2013 move to Italy), and I don’t think it’s something I even seriously considered at the time.
However, about six months ago I realized that not only do I enjoy travelling and the preparations that go into planning a trip, I was essentially already doing a lot of the work that would be involved with a blog. It started around 2 years ago when I was already living in Milan and a friend asked me for recommendations for Florence, so I compiled a lengthy e-mail with the intel I had gained on my first two trips there. What to do, what local food to seek out, and where to eat some delicious meals. Then a second friend asked, so I forwarded the original e-mail.
Fast forward 2 years and there have been at least a dozen e-mails chains just for Florence, with recommendations on several other locations also being frequently requested by friends (Bangkok, Barcelona, & Berlin to name a few).
But why should these recommendations be limited to people who happen to know me personally?
“Travel everywhere” says this board at Borough Market in London
And that was one of the questions I thought about when the idea for Travel Savvy Gal was born. I research my travel destinations because I enjoy planning and learning about the options for the limited time I will have in a specific destination. As my grandfather always said, there are 3 stages of enjoyment for travel: the anticipation, the time spent travelling, and reflecting back on your memories afterward. The Travel Savvy Gal blog is an opportunity for me to reflect on my travel experiences, highlighting the best food I ate and cultural experiences in a particular place (and for you to benefit from all of the planning that went into it!).
I’ve also realized in the process of starting the blog that I currently have 2 main goals for the blog:
To Educate. I find that I learn much more about a place from traveling there than I ever did in history class growing up. And just as I learn a lot from my friends who have traveled to places I haven’t been yet, I hope that you can learn a bit more about the world and gain insights into other cultures from what I share on Travel Savvy Gal.
To Inspire Great Travel Experiences. When people enjoy something, they tend to seek out more opportunities to continue doing it. I know for some people they either do not have the time to plan travel or find the whole process a bit overwhelming. This is where Travel Savvy Gal comes in! I’ll give you some key essentials for traveling to a particular destination, and overall tips for how to make the most of any trip.
A beautiful day overlooking the water in Sydney, Australia
Now for the nitty gritty…
Stay connected using the links at the top right to:
As you’ll see on the Travel Lists and Longest Trips pages, while I have visited 60 countries and counting, I have never been a long-term backpacker. Typically I have planned longer trips over extended breaks (like summertime when I was a teacher) or when I’ve had a break in between jobs. Just like many of you.
Whether you work full-time and are vacationing for a week, are on an extended trip, or consider yourself a digital nomad, you’ll benefit from the recommendations and travel insights to help you “make the most of your time away.”
Happy travels!
Lana
ps. I want to hear from you! What type of posts would *you* like to see from me? Any particular destinations I should write about first? Leave a comment below =)
Best Wineries in Margaret River, Western Australia
How many wine regions do you know that were founded as the result of a research paper?
From an unusually academic start, the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia was born. It all started with a 1966 paper by Dr. John Gladstone identifying the region as suitable for wine production (since it was similar to the Bordeaux region of France). Apparently that’s all it took for some enterprising Aussies to start planting grapes and making wine.
That is a pretty high density of the good stuff, making Margaret River one of the best Australian wine regions you could choose to visit to make the most of a wine trip in Australia. Plus, with surf beaches, rock climbing, and nature nearby, even the New York Times posed this question about Margaret River: “With Beaches, Wine, and Buzz, Is This Australia’s Next Hot Place?”
Margaret River is strategically located between two capes jutting out from Australia’s western coast, meaning sea breezes from the Indian Ocean keep the grapes in perfect growing conditions. And at approximately a three-hour drive from the city of Perth, it is close enough for a weekend trip.
While I hear most often that “Australia is far,” there are actually many parts of the world with direct flights to Perth, the nearest major city to Margaret River in Western Australia (WA).
Beside other Australian and New Zealand locales, you’ll find direct access to Perth from many major cities in Asia and the Middle East, such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. There are also direct flights from Johannesburg (South Africa), and as of recently, even a direct flight from London!
And there’s no better time to check out this incredible wine region.
The Basics of Australian Wine and Wine Tasting
For my first visit to the region, I had been living in Perth, Australia for almost a year and had a pretty good sense of the local wine varietals. But in case you’re less familiar, here is a bit about the types of wine you’ll see at the wineries:
White Blends
In addition to single grape varietals you likely already know, Australians love their wine blends. The blend you’ll see most commonly is of the sweeter Semillon grape with the more acidic Sauvignon Blanc. You may have tasted these two grapes together already in a Bordeaux white, but in Australia, you’ll basically see two variations:
SSB standing for Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, meaning that there is a higher percentage of Semillon in the blend.
SBS standing for Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, with a higher percentage of Sauvignon Blanc
As you might expect, the blend takes on more of the characteristics of the grape that is named first. Try lots of both and decide which you like best! (I prefer SSB.)
Shiraz
First off, spoiler – Shiraz and Syrah are exactly the same grape. But just because you know Syrah does not mean you’ll know Australian Shiraz though, only because of the many different ways it is produced. Even one Australian Shiraz to another can taste quite different, so keep an open mind and taste lots of these wines.
Red Blends
Of course you’ll see plenty of blends with Shiraz, like Cabernet Shiraz (blend with Cabernet Sauvignon) and Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre, known as a GSM blend found typically in the Rhone region of France. Interestingly, another popular blend I’ve only seen in Australia – Shiraz Viognier – with the red Shiraz grape blended with white Viognier.
And there are lots of other Cabernet blends beyond Cabernet Shiraz, although you’ll most typically see Cabernet Merlot, which is both fruity and bold.
Other Things to Know Before You Go
You’ll notice quickly in Australia that Australians (Aussies) have nicknames and abbreviations for just about everything! And wine is no exception. The shortened version you’re most likely to encounter is the Aussie nickname for Chardonnay which is the abbreviation ‘chardy’ (pronounced SHAR-dee).
Don’t bother looking for a winery’s ‘tasting room,’ as you won’t find it. Instead, seek out the ‘cellar door.’
And don’t be dissuaded by the predominance of screw-top bottles over corked wine bottles, as in Australia it is not related to the quality of the wine. Since beginning the switch to screw-top bottles around the year 2000, today around 99% of all Australian wine is bottled that way.
Now let’s get down to it – which wineries you should visit to sample some incredible Margaret River wines!
Best Wineries in Margaret River
With an area so well known for its premium wines, there are plenty of exceptional wineries that are worth a visit. All of those alphabetically listed below are wineries that I’ve visited and enjoyed enough to purchase wines – which for me is a high bar to clear!
Also, wine tasting in Australia is probably more laid back than winery visits you’ve had in other countries, with ‘cellar doors’ that are open typically every day of the week and welcoming anyone who is in the area to stop by.
All smiles exploring Margaret River wine country
Often tastings are offered for free or for a minimal fee, which will often be waived if you make any purchases during your visit. Private tastings or tours at a winery tend to be extra, and often require advance booking.
TIP! Even if you think you know a grape or a wine, it all tastes different in WA, so keep an open mind and try everything!
Varietals: Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (GSM), Petit Verdot, Rosé, Shiraz Viognier, Verdelho, Zinfandel
Arimia Winery was a last-minute addition to my wine tasting itinerary based on a recommendation from nearby purveyor Gabriel Chocolate. You’ll see a lot of French style blends and grapes, taking advantage of Margaret River’s similarity to some parts of France. There is also a restaurant on-site which makes for a scenic and delicious meal overlooking the vineyard.
This is also possibly the spot where I bought the most wine:
This one of the oldest and also one of the best wineries in the Margaret River region, producing common grapes along with those less often seen in Australia, like Riesling. A third generation winery, Ashbrook celebrated its 40th vintage in 2018. There is great care taken with all the wine produced here, with grapes picked completely by hand, leading to a delicious final product.
This is one of my all-time favorite wineries from the region, and also one of the easiest to find represented at restaurants and wine stores outside of Australia. Which is not surprising since it holds the distinction as being one of the ‘founding five’ wineries of the region. Especially memorable wines include their SBS blend, the Cabernet Merlot Trinders blend, and the Zinfandel. Plus, the straight Cabernet Sauvignon makes for such perfect, smooth sips, it was my bottle of choice at a recent steakhouse dinner in the US.
Cape Naturaliste is one of the younger vineyards on this list, but one with consistent, quality wines. Even with the excellent quality, its wines are more affordable than some other wineries in the region, leading many of its vintages to sell out every year. Their SSB white blend is one of my favorites. The winery also aims to be in harmony with nature, hand picking grapes and applying bio-dynamic philosophies to preserving the local environment.
The fourth of the ‘founding five’ Margaret River wineries, Cullen opened the year after Cape Mentelle and has continued to evolve since then. Today it is Australian certified organic and bio-dynamic winery with fruit that is harvested by hand and an estate that is carbon-neutral and naturally powered. The wine is sophisticated and smooth, and comes in at a mix of price points, with some more affordable bottles and a few that are more exclusive – with a price to match.
One of the few Margaret River wineries that requires reservations, be sure to arrange with them in advance so you can sample their delicious wines. Offering a range of lines (at a range of price points), there are delicious wines to excite your palate, including a few sparkling ones. If you’re not sure which Aussie wine you fancy, Flying Fish Cove will help you figure it all out as you taste across their impressive varietals.
Varietals: Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Fortified/ Late Harvest/ Muscat/ Port style dessert wines, Rosé, Shiraz
Gralyn Estate also dates from the first wave of wineries in the 1970s and today is a boutique winery known for its fine wine production. A specialty here that you don’t see at many other Margaret River wineries is the dessert wine portfolio, which ranges from late harvest wines to sweet fortified and port-style ones that I love. You may not make the splurge to buy a ton of bottles here, but it is definitely worth coming for a tasting.
I was on an organized tour my first day in Margaret River, and after not loving the first winery, the tour guide brought us here and it was exactly the type of winery I was looking for. In addition to the Aussie staples, it offers delicious bottles of Tempranillo, a Spanish grape that grows surprisingly well in Western Australia, and also beautiful whites like Riesling.
But the show-stopper for me is their Aquitane Blanc, the best SBS I have ever tasted. The blend hails from France, but with the Margaret River grapes and expert treatment by this winery, it has a je ne sais quoi that will stop you in your tracks as well.
I found this to be one of the most laid back and fun wineries for a visit, but still with incredibly high-quality wine. I like so many of the wines I can’t even pick a favorite – for me it is between their various red wines and red blends and the more delicate of their white wines, like Chardonnay and the SSB. Although the winery has only been around since the 1990s, it has been racking up awards and is renowned across Australia for the incredible wine it produces.
I keep talking about the ‘founding five’ wineries of Margaret River and this is THE ONE, the very first winery in the region. Like Leeuwin, there is also a restaurant and art gallery on site, and events that are hosted there. But of course the main attraction is the wine. It is spectacular, and I was pleasantly surprised to find some great value wines along with the pricier lines, with their red offerings as my favorites.
Voyager didn’t come onto the Margaret River wine scene until the late 1970s, but it has become one of the most established and recognizable wineries since then. Its Chenin Blanc is my favorite from the region and its other whites are some of my favorites as well.
Lunch at Voyager Estate
The on-site restaurant made for an excellent lunch when I visited, with scrumptious food beautifully displayed in a lovely space – and plenty of delicious wine to go with your meal.
Woodlands Wines became established in the Margaret River region in the early 1970s, right after the ‘founding five’ wineries. As you can see from the list above, it specializes in red wines and blends, using some of the less commonly found grapes in the region like Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Pinot Noir, making some fabulous wines.
While the reds are great and numerous, there is one white wine that is absolutely outstanding and memorable – the ‘Chloe’ Chardonnay. It is bright golden in color and an explosion of flavor that wows you and then lingers as it shifts to some of the more subtle notes of the wine. And since it is such a small production, your best bet to taste this outstanding wine is at the Woodlands Cellar Door. Followed by buying some to take home, of course!
Tips for Wine Tasting in Margaret River
There is certainly no shortage of incredible wineries in Margaret River. To make the most of your wine tasting trip, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:
Australian ‘drink driving’ rules are strict.
Unlike other countries where you need to be suspected of a violation before you can be subject to a sobriety test, it is routine all over Australia to set up a road-block and take a breathalyzer (or ‘breathalyser’) test of every single driver on the road. WA is so serious about breathalyzers that once I even had to take one before going on the Tunnels Tour at the Fremantle Prison in Perth.
If you do decide to drive yourself, be responsible and exercise caution. You’ll see signs around a lot of the wineries asking, “Who is the skipper?” about a designated driver.
For those who don’t speak Australian, skipper = designated driver
So take a tour!
There are several reputable and well-regarded tour operators in Margaret River, who will both drive you around to wineries and recommend excellent spots based on what you like. Many tours book up quickly (especially on weekends) so make your arrangements in advance.
I went on an excellent tour with Top Drop Tours, where the driver/guide did an excellent job tailoring that day’s itinerary to my wine preferences.
This is a lesson I first learned wine tasting in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys of California. Even besides meals, it is important to mix up mix all that wine tasting with getting food in your stomach. Two of the best places to do that in Margaret River:
Gabriel Chocolate is an award-winning chocolatier that sources cacao beans from around the world and produces a wide range of chocolates at their Margaret River factory. Get all your questions answered by the helpful staff and taste differently sourced chocolate from around the world side-by-side to get a great sense of each.
Olio Bello has been harvesting olives in the region since the 1990s and they are serious about the product they produce. Over a dozen of varieties of olives are grown, hand-picked, and cold-pressed, all right on their massive property. At their tasting room you can sample various olive oils and preserves.
Other food and activity purveyors are best located on the Margaret River regional map, helpfully marked with different icons based on whether it is a winery, art gallery, activity, and also specifying whether there is a restaurant attached for each.
There are plenty of outdoor adventures to take advantage of as well, from hiking to world-class surfing to rock climbing.
Me rock climbing right on the Indian Ocean coast in Margaret River
TIP! You’ll also be able to pick up hard copies of the map at various wineries and Margaret River attractions.
Including Australian truffle country.
The other thing you may not know about this part of Western Australia is that nearby you’ll find the most truffles of any other spot in the southern hemisphere! While you may associate truffles more typically with Italy (or France), there are actually truffles in several parts of Australia, although you’ll find the vast majority in one part of WA.
Truffle season lasts from late May until September, when you’ll have access to freshly harvested truffles to enjoy, although you can enjoy local truffle products all year long. And sometime in late June or early July – the exact timing varies from year to year – you’ll be able to enjoy the annual Truffle Kerfuffle, the local truffle festival located about a 90-minute drive from Margaret River.
And definitely stay over.
As you can see from the massive list of top wineries (which doesn’t include every spot I visited, just the best ones), I spent several days exploring the Margaret River region – and so should you! Most visitors stay either close to nature or in town. I liked staying in the town of Margaret River, with lots of restaurants in walking distance to not have to worry about driving after a day of wine tasting.
I had an exceptional few nights at the Rosewood Guesthouse, which went above and beyond to provide little touches throughout my stay. The elaborate breakfast is a great start to a day of wine tasting or outdoor activity, and there are complimentary refreshments available all day long, from tea and biscuits to complimentary port and sherry for a nightcap. The Rosewood Guesthouse will also coordinate any number of snacks, in-house massages, or tours for you, including the option of a private tour in the on-site, cream-colored 1956 Rolls Royce:
Sadly, when I visited, the Rolls Royce was all booked out for the weekend, but I still got to admire it!
This was not a sponsored accommodation of any kind, I just had a really fabulous stay at the Rosewood Guesthouse!
When I travel, I always like to read at least one book that is set in my destination. And since vacation is a time to relax, I also like reading some lighter reads – from romance to thrillers to laugh-out-loud memoirs. Maybe even take the distance from home and a clear mind to devour something interesting that is non-fiction.
This one sounds absolutely adorable. The son of the US president has a confrontation with the Prince of Wales, and then the fake friendship they portray (for damage control in the media) turns into love. If you like politics, or royals, or just enjoy reading about two people falling for each other despite difficult circumstances, this is the book to bring with you to the beach.
I had so much fun last summer reading the first book in this series, The Kiss Quotient, that I’m excited to have a follow-up novel to read so quickly. The main character in this book was a side character in the previous book, although the story line seems to be similar with unrequited love and family meddling woven together into a single story.
The plot is simple enough – a single mom escapes to the big city (without her kids) for the summer and finds a love interest that turns her world upside down and makes her reconsider her life choices. Even though it’s a pretty basic premise, good beach reads are always in order for summer – and this is one of my picks because of how hilarious the writing is supposed to be!
I am drawn to this book partly because its premise is interesting – what happens when an infertile woman accidentally meets (and intentionally befriends!) the woman who is her anonymous egg donor to have a baby. Also, I am admittedly drawn to read something with a title character named Lana – just like me! While the initial details of the book make it sound like a human interest story, the thriller aspect comes into play when the egg donor goes missing and Lana might have been the last person to see her before the mysterious disappearance.
A typical suburban couple with kids gets bored and then somehow decides the secret to keeping their marriage exciting is getting away with murder. Literally. I admittedly know very little about the book since I don’t want to ruin the suspense and surprise of reading it. But it sounds like a fun page-turner not unlike the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith that will definitely entertain.
Set in the great outdoors of northern Canada, the peace of the natural surroundings are disturbed when two college friends overhear an argument between a man and a woman and then later see . . . only the man, paddling alone on the river. Again, I’ve prevented myself from reading anything that might spoil the story for me, but it sounds like this one gets pretty real, since descriptions talk about desperate wilderness survival. Don’t read this one on a camping trip!
When comparisons are made to Agatha Christie, one of my favorite mystery authors, I know this book is for me. A high-powered, seemingly successful marriage ends when the main character shoots and kills her husband one night the moment she sees him. And then goes completely silent. The book details the criminal psychologist who works with this silent patient to try and unravel the mystery of why.
Although Syria is not featured prominently in the news most days, rebel activity and humanitarian issues continue. So picture the scene set by this Syrian author, imagining a man whose final wish is to be buried in the tumultuous Aleppo region in the family plot. Once the surviving children decide to honor their father’s last request, the story unfolds. I don’t know that I’ve read any books set in Syria, and am looking forward to learning a bit about it through this fictional story.
This book won’t even come out until August 2019, but after devouring the author’s previous novel The Tiger’s Wife, I couldn’t leave this pick off my summer reading list, as I hope to read it while it’s still summer. Obrecht’s novels are part-historical, part-magical in her gorgeous storytelling style, with details unfolding in a way that completely captivates me. I’m also eager to read a historical novel set in Arizona Territory in the late 1800s after my recent Scottsdale trip.
I am drawn to what sounds like a James Michener style fictional tale spanning three families and several generations in Zambia, and based on a historical autobiography of Percy M. Clark called The Autobiography of An Old Drifter. It’s quite an ambitious scope for a debut novel, and I can’t wait to be transported to another place and time following along.
Like Inland above, this novel is part historical fiction and part fantasy. Drinking a bottle of Beaujolais wine from 1954 transports a bunch of modern day apartment dwellers to Paris of the 1950s, where they soak up the culture of that period while trying to find a way back to 2017. While technically historical, this is exactly the kind of wine-fueled exploration and light reading that is ideal for summer getaways.
This sounds to me like the book version of a cross between the cult classic movie This is Spinal Tap and Almost Famous. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the book is about a journalist seeing the inside workings of a hugely successful band of the era, and I love this idea for what a different type of novel this is. Reid is also the author of the popular The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so if you liked that, this summer reading book may be for you!
This debut short story collection explores issues of Chinese youth, in China and America, touching on other serious and cultural themes as well. I always find summertime to be great for short stories, because you can breeze through an entire single narrative in one afternoon.
If British humor – or should I say humour – is your thing, this summer read might be up your alley. Centered around a Jamaican British woman who breaks up with her long-time white boyfriend, there are more complex issues of race at play as you follow her string of bad decisions in the wake of the breakup. It sounds like somewhere between total fluff and a serious read.
This one is vaguely historical fiction, but only because Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis features prominently, and is mostly a regular tale with a famous character inserted. Other than Mrs. Onassis serving as one of the two main characters, this book really sounds like it is about the relationship between her as “The Editor” at publishing house and a budding author who is struggling to finish a manuscript about his dysfunctional family. Of course boundaries are blurred, and the editor and writer relationship becomes the story. I want to read this both for the historical aspect and the focus on books – which I obviously love!
I’ve been back living in the United States almost as long as I lived in Milan, but I am still feeling like a former expat adjusting and continue to miss Italy. So of course I was drawn to this memoir by the mention of Sicily in the title alone, not to mention the story beginning when the author experiences love at first sight encountering a professional chef on a street in Florence. Of course, nothing is ever simple when an Italian family is involved, and I can’t wait to follow along for this story.
I am not one to do any of the genetic tests out there, but plenty of others are. Even just in my circle of friends, I have heard stories of surprise relatives or unexpected paternity. I know just enough to know that this is a not uncommon phenomenon and there are even support groups on the internet for people who are struggling with these unearthed family secrets. What I didn’t realize is that there is a also a book detailing one person’s surprise discovery about her father and how she reconciles it with the person she thought she was.
I am fascinated by the premise of this one, talking about the inherent design bias of fields as vastly different as medicine and the automotive industry. I’m interested in reading it because it doesn’t sound like just a litany of complaints by women, but instead is a reasoned, intellectual look at the assumptions we take for granted in the everyday world.
Although this account was published in 2011, I only just heard of this book of how women in Liberia of different religious backgrounds banded together to lead a war-torn nation to peace. I love a feel-good story as part of my summer reading, and it’s even better when it’s true.
As a blogger, I keep hearing how important it is to have a focused niche where you are *the expert.* Which is all well and good for many people out there, but I really feel equally enamored about so many aspects of travel – adventure, culture, food, wine, expat life – and so I write about them all! I am hoping this book gives me a bit of validation, and am curious to see the flip side of Malcolm Gladwell’s argument in Outliers that 10,000 of hours of focused practice will lead you to mastery and success.
Obviously when I started looking into books to read on vacation this summer, I found quite a lot of amazing options to dive into. I can’t wait for summer travel – and summer reading – and hope you’ve found some great reading inspiration for the coming months as well.
Happy travels! And happy reading!
Lana
Any books on this list that you’re already reading and loving? What other books to read on vacation would you recommend for my summer reading? Let me know your summer reading recommendations below!
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12 Things To Expect on Your Visit That Are “So Perth”
I had (almost) forgotten so many things that make Perth a wonderful and unique city. I lived there for just over a year, and then went for my first return trip just a few months ago. I pride myself on having an excellent memory, so it really was quite a shock to the system to realize how much of what I knew about Perth that had migrated to the outer edges of my recollections and only returned to my consciousness in force when I was experiencing the city in person again.
The thing about moving away from a city where you’ve lived is that while you take many memories with you, there are so many more memories that are so inextricably tied to a sense of place that you only recall them walking the same streets, hearing the noises of the neighborhood, and smelling the aromas you’ve left behind. It’s the reason we re-visit places from our past, and why we’re drawn in some cases to travel to the same place over and over again.
Even many Australians from east coast cities like Melbourne and Sydney have never ventured to Perth (for those of you unfamiliar with the size of Australia, it’s about the size of the continental US – taking 5 hours flying to traverse east to west), so Perth can be a bit of a mystery, even to the Aussies. Every city has its own flavor, and Perth is no different, with all its quirks.
Here are some things that stood out in my rush of memories on my recent visit, and that you should also expect when you go. Things that are “so Perth.”
#1 | Friendly People
Australians in general are a pretty friendly bunch, and people in Perth really exemplify this. You’ll notice it when you’re getting coffee or browsing in a shop, or doing any activity really. On my recent trip I went to an outdoor kickboxing class with a friend, and the friendliness of the *other* people taking the class really blew me away. Although I was not a regular and they did not know me, every time we were running laps between intervals, the Aussies were shouting “good on you” and other words of encouragement. A stark contrast to other places I’ve lived for sure.
#2 | Sunny Days
When most people picture Australia, it’s probably a sunny image, but Perth takes things to a whole new level. It’s the sunniest capital city in the world, averaging 8 hours of sunshine daily, so any visit is likely to include mostly sun-filled days. For me this also means that I usually have some sort of hat or visor with me at all times, because the Australian sunshine is H-O-T. And beware that the hole in the ozone layer above Australia is no joke. I would sometimes get a bit of color or even sunburn on my 10-minute walk to the grocery store. But if you’re anything like me, bright sunshine puts you in a good mood, so every day feels like a pleasant vacation.
#3 | Great Coffee
Anyone who’s ever been to Australia knows that there are excellent espresso-drinks nearly everywhere – in fact, it was when I was living in Perth that I became a full-fledged coffee snob. Perth is pretty laid-back overall, but they sure do take their coffee seriously, from the beans to the roast to the barista artwork. And when you’re arriving in Perth from outside Australia like I was on my recent visit, the difference is striking. Enjoy several discerning cups of coffee, and appreciate it while you can.
#4 | Beaches
Like most major settlements across Australia, Perth is basically on the coast. The Central Business District, or CBD, is a bit inland along the Swan River, but most of metropolitan Perth’s coast is along the Indian Ocean. There are several great surfing beaches easily accessible by public transportation, areas like Mettam’s Pool with world-class snorkeling right off the beach, extended sections of coast that are basically a giant playground like Hillary’s Boat Harbour, and plenty of bars and restaurants up and down the coastline. Beaches are so loved by locals I even had co-workers on adjusted work schedules so they could head to the beach before or after work EVERY DAY.
#5 | Wind
People in Perth always told me that it was the 1st sunniest capital city in the world and the 3rd windiest. I’m not sure how accurate the windiest claim is, but the takeaway is that Perth can be quite shockingly windy. Somehow the grid of the CBD lines up with the typical wind currents, so you’ll experience some pretty strong wind gusts in the streets of downtown. It also tends to get more windy as the day goes on, so people in the know head to the beaches in the morning hours, before the windiest part of the day sets in.
#6 | Kangaroos
You don’t need to go to a wildlife park or zoo to get a glimpse of a kangaroo – there are plenty of wild kangaroos hanging out in and around Perth. Not far (and walkable!) from the CBD is Heirisson Island, with an area open to the public with wild kangaroos, in full view of the downtown skyscrapers. There are also quite a few wild kangaroos that hang out and play in Yanchep National Park, north of the city. When I was at Yanchep there were some kangaroos fighting – remember that kangaroos are powerful animals and don’t get too close in the wild, they have a fierce kick when balanced on their tail! Still very cool that kangaroos are just hanging around in many places throughout the city, especially at dusk.
#7 | Rainbows
For a place as sunny as Perth, rainbows are not something you would expect with great frequency. But there is just something about the weather patterns (and possibly how quickly the sun reappears after rainfall?) that makes huge arcs of color a common sight. Living there, I remember being very excited the first time I saw a rainbow, and immediately snapped a picture. A few days later, I felt like the luckiest rainbow-spotter ever, and took another photo. Not long after, I realized how often rainbows would appear, although that didn’t make them any less beautiful. I probably took more rainbow pictures in my one year living there than everywhere else I’ve ever visited combined!
#8 | Crazy Costs
Australia is a giant island, so many things have to be brought in from overseas, and are priced accordingly. Perth is so isolated – even from the rest of Australia – that prices can even be a bit higher than in other parts of Oz. The good news is that while the prices look exorbitant, for many nationalities coming from abroad, the currency exchange rate is way more favorable now than before. For example, when I lived there 5 years ago, the Australian dollar and US dollar were basically at parity, US$1 = AUD$1. Now an Australian dollar only costs about 75 US cents. My strategy on my last trip was to think about paying in US dollars or Euro, and then I had a very pleasant surprise when I saw the actual charges on my credit card bill =)
#9 | Wine Country
Did you know that Western Australia produces a disproportionally large percentage of Australia’s premium wines? While the most famous region is Margaret River, about a 3-hour drive south of Perth, don’t worry if you don’t have enough time to make that trek. Because there is also a wonderful wine region that is right off of the Perth metro, called Swan Valley, not far from the city center. It’s an easy drive to get there from Perth by car or metro, you can rent bikes and ride around the 32-kilometer loop that links many of the area wineries, or sign up for one of the many food and wine tours of the area. It’s the oldest wine region in Western Australia, and the area now boasts breweries, distilleries, and many excellent purveyors of culinary products – from coffee to honey to lavender.
There are lots of birds all over Perth, but those you’re likely to encounter are the swans, the ravens, and the magpies.
To See: Perth was settled around the Swan River, and you can guess how the river got its name! Especially along the bike and walking paths along the river’s edge in the CBD, you’ll come across both white and black swans, just a short stroll from the heart of the city. While they are beautiful, keep your distance as swans are not the nicest of animals.
To Hear: You’ll hear the ravens before you see them, and as you listen to their repetitive, whiny caw, you’ll wonder how a bird could possibly make such an unpleasant noise. The birds tend to be black and either up in a tree or hopping around along the ground, as long as no people have approached too closely. I had nearly forgotten all about their existence until the first time I heard their distinctive call during my recent trip. There is a lot of green space throughout the city of Perth, so there are plenty of trees where the birds like to nest, and you’ll hear them if you’re walking anywhere in the vicinity.
To Avoid:
Magpies, innocuous-looking black and white birds, can pose quite a danger when defending their urban nesting areas. You’ll need to be cautious during their ‘swooping season’ in September and October, when they can actually cause real damage to humans, especially cyclists. If you’ll be around Perth then, familiarize yourself with tips on staying safe. There is a good overview of what to do and not to do from Australia’s LifeHacker site here.
#11 | Bustling Downtown
Lots of cities have a bustling downtown, but the city of Perth makes it even easier to navigate – for free! There is actually a Free Tansit Zone (FTZ) that encompasses the major swath of downtown. All of the bus lines that cross through the CBD are free so long as you board and leave within the boundaries of the FTZ. There are also several CAT lines (red, blue, yellow, & green) for ‘Central Area Transit’ that loop through the downtown area – and even a bit beyond – that are completely free to ride. This means that during lunchtime on a weekday, local workers don’t typically restrict themselves to the immediate vicinity of their office building, but can be seen riding the buses to hit up the best restaurants for a delicious lunch, all within the time constraints of their lunch break – and for free.
#12 | Fireworks
When I lived in Perth, the first time I was sitting on the couch on a Tuesday evening and heard the explosive noise, I was alarmed and had to take a moment to think. My New Yorker sensibilities suggested that it might be a gunshot or explosion, but then I realized that not only is Australia (and Perth in particular) incredibly safe, but almost nobody owns a gun due to its strict laws. My next thought – could it be fireworks? I rushed out to the balcony to take a look and was delighted to discover a colorful display taking place over the Swan River. Little did I know when choosing an apartment that its view would offer front-row seating for the ridiculously frequent fireworks displays. Fireworks displays happen so often in Perth there’s even a blog dedicated to just that – Why are there fireworks in Perth tonight? So yes, when you visit, if you’re downtown in the early evening, you’ll probably see fireworks. Look up and enjoy the show!
As you can tell, I loved Perth and found it such an interesting place to be able to live. And recently, to come back as a visitor. While Australia if far from many places, it’s quite close to Asia, and a great place to pop into when you’re nearby or set as a destination for a longer trip.
Anything I missed about Perth? Any things that are also “so typical” about where you live? Share in the Comments below!
If you’re like me and love going out to a restaurant with a group of adventurous friends, because it means you get to sample even more different dishes, the thought of traveling solo may give you pause. How will you consume enough meals to taste all of the local dishes? What if there are multiple dishes you’d like to sample, but you’re just not hungry enough to order (and eat) them all?
As someone who both loves to eat and savors my time traveling solo, this issue has come up for me time and again. Over the last two decades or so, I have definitely honed what types of food I seek out when I’m on my own on the road, to maximize the number of different bites and how much local cuisine I get to experience. And fortunately, as solo travel has become more commonplace, I don’t get nearly the amount of looks or raised eyebrows as I used to when asking for a “table for one.”
How to Dine Solo, Your Own Way
“Oh no,” you’re thinking, “I just don’t feel comfortable eating at a restaurant by myself.” Don’t worry, that’s okay! Several of the options below involve street food or eating-on-the-go. And even at a proper restaurant, a lot of times there is a bar where you can sit and order food and socialize, or possibly a communal table where you may encounter others traveling solo or other friendly diners.
For those of you ready to dine solo at a restaurant for the first time, it can look like whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ve seen people reading a newspaper or a book as they eat alone, which for many eliminates what would otherwise be a socially awkward situation. Others spend it on their smart phone, reading, planning, or staying in touch with friends. Some solo diners sit back and quietly take in their surroundings. And others will just keep a deep focus on the food, slowly savoring each bite.
Personally, I tend to either be introspective, reflecting on my day or strategizing for the day ahead, or will go into people-watching mode. I’ll sit and quietly observe the diners around me inside the restaurant, pretending I am at an outdoor table at a cafe watching the passers-by. Occasionally, I’ll read – usually a long-form newspaper article or an article to learn more about a tourist attraction I already visited. And when the food comes, I do my best to channel my focus on truly enjoying the flavors as I eat. Do what works best for you!
Foods to Seek Out
To eat well during solo travel, my basic strategy is to cobble together a bunch of different bites on my own, by sampling the offerings of different street food vendors or enjoying small plates of food at a sit-down restaurant – in whatever combination feels right on a particular trip. Here’s what to look for:
Appetizers
I mention a lot of specific types of cuisine below, but in fact, any restaurant can be turned into your own customized version of small plates by simply ordering 2-3 starters or sides instead of a main dish. Just ask before you order, and most places will be happy to accommodate you. It can also be helpful to specify if you want your dishes to arrive all at once, or to be brought out one at a time.
Bakeries
Bakeries and pastry shops (or bakery sections in supermarkets) can offer a quick bite in the morning to leave room for a larger lunch. You can also get a taste of local life by sampling the baked good of choice, whether sweet or savory. Or get a bunch of smaller items to sample for lunch, as nibbles throughout the day, or snacks to consume while out hiking.
Breakfast or Brunch
You may not have thought of it this way before, but many breakfast or brunch options can really be several different types of food all on a single plate together: eggs, potatoes, vegetables, and a sauce. Even if breakfast is included with my accommodation, I will still sometimes go out somewhere for a more authentic first meal of the day, and a lot of countries have very local breakfast options that you won’t see anywhere else (check out this post on Singaporean breakfast for the details on one of my favorites). And many breakfasts can be ordered for take away if you don’t feel like dining alone.
Buffets
In general I’m not a huge buffet person, but when I’m on the road for a limited time, it can often be the most effective way to sample many different dishes of the local cuisine. Often hotels or hotel restaurants will serve food buffet-style, and you typically don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to partake. Do be sure to check ahead of time when buffet meals will be available, as in certain locales it will only be offered on 1 night each week (or only specifically feature local cuisine on a single night).
In my experience, there are a fair number of Indian restaurants all over the world that have lunch buffets or set menus available. When I am traveling solo and seeking out Indian food, I will also peruse a menu in advance to see if there is thali available, another option which is a built-in way to try lots of dishes. A thali is basically like a sampler platter and will include bread, rice, and a mix of other curries and dishes, all for a reasonable price. Usually a vegetarian and meat thali option will both be offered.
Set Menus
You’ll see a set menu option more often for lunch, with a choice of a few dishes for each course, sometimes including a beverage and/or dessert. Set menus offer a good value on price as well. One of my favorite places to take advantage of a set menu is in Liechtenstein, which otherwise can be a pricey place to dine out. Keep your eyes open starting in the late morning when these specials begin to be advertised, and find a spot that strikes your fancy or fits your budget.
Spanishrestaurants
I have one word for you: tapas! These small plates have become trendy in a lot of places outside of Spain, so in many countries you’ll be able to find a Spanish restaurant where the dishes come in small enough portions that you can pick out a few different ones and still have a reasonably sized meal for one. Of course this works in Spain as well, and is especially fun at a busy market stall. Plus, many tapas places I’ve visited – both in Spain and elsewhere – have a bar where you can sit and order dishes, which can be a more social experience for solo travellers.
Street Food
There are many cities renowned for their street food offerings, but even for most others, you can find delicious and inexpensive bites on the go. Street food lets you eat with your other senses first – hearing the sizzle of a piece of meat on a grill, smelling enticing aromas waft toward you, or seeing where the locals queue up for the best bites. I’ve had some of my best street food experiences in Asia (Bangkok & Chiang Mai in Thailand have possibly been my favorite spots – for being able to get small bites from a lot of different vendors). But if you keep your eyes open you’ll see street vendors in most cities you visit, and there are also a lot of places where Food Trucks are trendy and ever-present with many types of cuisines represented. Go ahead and sample whatever catches your eye. Or tempts one of your other senses.
Tasting Menus
On the opposite end of the budget spectrum, you can also get a fair bit of food variety on the high-end of dining, especially when there is a tasting or degustation menu available. And at several of these more fancy establishments, you’ll even have the option to sit at the bar or communal table, which can be a less intimidating experience for the solo diner. This can be true even at Michelin-starred places, like the satisfying tasting menu I recently enjoyed at Stockholm’s Ekstedt (sitting at a communal table where I met and chatted during the whole meal with another solo traveller!).
Or the very reasonably priced tasting menus I enjoyed on my own at Restaurant Bieberbau in Berlin and several restaurants around Malta.
This is another cuisine that naturally lends itself to having a lot of small dishes – called mezze – cobbled together to form a meal. Think grilled meats, falafel balls, hummus, babaganoush, and tabbouli in small portions that together can form a satisfying single meal with a whole lot of variety. Middle Eastern cuisines can also be well-suited to vegetarians, as many of the mezze are vegetable- or legume-based.
Vegetarian restaurants
Despite not having meat on the menu, vegetarian and vegan restaurants can offer some of the best variety of bites on a single plate. I usually encounter a mix of starches, proteins, and vegetables that can be mixed and matched for a single dish. Sometimes there are even small plates available. And although I’m not a vegetarian, some of my most recent memorable bites dining solo have been at vegetarian establishments.
Of course, there is no one right way to eat well while traveling solo. This list is really a starting point for you to venture out and figure out what types of cuisine and dining formats feel comfortable for you, and help you to maximize your time alone on the road. And of course, as you become a more and more seasoned solo traveler, use this list as inspiration for that food or restaurant to try next!
Do you notice yourself gravitating toward certain foods when you travel solo? What things have you found most helpful to keep in mind for eating well when you travel on your own? Any other advice or cuisines to add to the list? Share your tips below!
Whether you’re a visitor who’s looking to do some aperitivo hopping one of your nights in Milan, or you live in the city and are looking to add some new aperitivo spots in Milan to your repertoire, there are a wealth of options to choose from.
If you’re not familiar, aperitivo is not only a pre-dinner drink to whet your appetite, but also includes some small snacks at a minimum. And in some cases, a full buffet of food that can substitute for dinner. Check out a previous blog post for more about aperitivo, what drinks are typical, and why you want to experience it first-hand.
In general, aperitivo lasts from around 6 to 9pm, although exact hours vary place to place. If you’d like to sit outside or arrive several hours in, you may want to make a reservation. Otherwise, your best bet can just be to show up early and snag a table then. Most drinks are in the €8-12 range, although the posher places will be a bit pricier. And at some – but not all – places, your second drink (seconda consumazione) will be at a slightly cheaper price.
Milan is the city where aperitivo originated, so there are seemingly endless options for where to go. Two neighborhoods have clusters of places for aperitivo spots in Milan: Corso Sempione close to the Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace) and Milan’s canal zone called Navigli, close to the Porta Genova metro stop on the green line. If you’re going to do some aperitivo hopping, the Navigli area is probably the best place to go as it has the most variety and certainly the largest number of options.
But there are great options for aperitivo spots in Milan all across the city, which I’ve listed in two different categories, based on how much food you’ll get along with your drink:
Come early to snag a seat on their outdoor terrace overlooking the Duomo, Milan’s central cathedral. Aperol is one of the main spritz ingredients, and there cocktail list has an interesting variety of Aperol cocktails to choose from (as well as other drinks). Small bites will arrive with your drinks, and are great nibbles as you sip your drink and enjoy the view.
The cocktails here aren’t quite as nice as the Aperol Terrace listed above, but I think the view is better! And it’s a great option when the line at Aperol Terrace is so long it is snaking down the stairway like it was on my most recent visit. There are a few small nibbles that arrive with your drinks but the view of the Duomo will keep you lingering.
TIP! Part of the reason it’s less crowded here is that it’s a bit harder to find. When you get to the entryway below the terrace, follow the signs with arrows back to the left to take the further elevator upstairs.
Relatively new to the Navigli canal area is this bar with incredibly delicious cocktails and small bites fit for even the most discerning Milanese tastes. It’s also a bit down the canal from where most people enter so my friend and I had no wait to sit outside on a weekend evening. Definitely a great first stop for “aperitivo hopping” in this area packed with great options or as the pre-dinner drink and nibbles I enjoyed when I visited.
Off the yellow line of the metro and several tram spots, there is a cocktail bar and sister restaurant next door, and the cocktails are exceptional. There are tons of options, all well-balanced and with some interesting flavor combinations. There is a fairly sizeable plate of snacks that will arrive with your drinks, which can even be made vegetarian – just ask your server.
Located in the Navigli canal zone, this is often a first stop for me on a night of aperitivo bar hopping because the cocktails are excellent and if the outdoor seating is full, it is equally fun in the quirky inside seating area. And when your drink is served, in addition to a small plate of charcuterie and cheese, there is usually some kind of cute accompaniment. My most recent cocktail there came with its own custom postcard, which includes the recipe for the drink.
The only Milan spot to be voted as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, the cocktails here are works of art and whimsy. It’s quite tiny, so either reserve or be waiting outside the door when the bar opens. And plan to spend a bit of time here, as it may take you the first half hour just to leaf through the book that serves as the menu and make your choice. The drinks are not only delicious, but fun – the one meant to be like a science experiment is bright blue and arrives in a beaker with what looks like soap suds up top. Another in a high heel. So yeah, it’s that kind of place, with small plates of nibbles to accompany your cocktails creations. One of the most unique aperitivo spots in Milan you can visit!
This spot is a bit further up the Naviglio Grande in the canal zone from the main entry point, so it takes a bit longer to fill up and get busy, so it’s a great spot to seek out later in the evening. The cocktail list is interesting and vast, but presented in a manageable little booklet to help you decide based on what flavors you’d like. There are quite a few small snacks that come with the drinks, but there is also a full kitchen so if you stick around long enough you can also order a proper dinner dish, which is also tasty.
This is another spot in the Navigli zone, with small snacks so the focus is on the cocktails. There is a shorter set list of cocktails here, which makes deciding a bit easier than some of the other spots on this list. And since it is on a side street and not along the canal itself, it tends to be more relaxed while still lively. Even arriving later in the evening, I’ve never had to wait long for a seat.
Of this list of top aperitivo spots in Milan that include a full buffet, I like the cocktails here best – and you’ll pay a premium for them. Which I don’t mind, because there is a food buffet that rotates throughout the night and is also quite good. This is an especially coveted aperitivo spot when the weather is warm, as there is a vast outdoor garden with a lot of seating. It’s also a spot to dress on the nice side, officially “smart casual.”
This is the only spot in this post that is along the Corso Sempione stretch I mentioned above, as I find it to be a cut above the other nearby spots I’ve frequented. Outdoor seating goes quickly, so come early or reserve, and enjoy the variety of their high-quality food buffet. And if you’d like to hop around I’d start here first, but there are many other places to check out nearby as well.
I’ve grouped these two Navigli locations together because they are sister bars that share a kitchen, and are only a few doors apart from one another. You’ll get to enjoy piping hot pizza by the slice and dessert options, things that are not part of your typical aperitivo buffet. I’ve probably been to these the most of any spots on the list, because if you’re going to hit up one spot for aperitivo, you’ll get fed well here and get to experience the nightlife of the canal area. And the names come from the cocktails I believe, not the parts of New York, so you’ll see many different variations of a Long Island Iced Tea and Manhattan on the cocktail menus.
Spritz has a similar buffet to Long Island & Manhattan, and is also located in the Navigli area. Its cocktails are notable for the many variations they offer of the spritz, one of the typical aperitivo drinks. If you’re planning to reserve a spot, they usually organize into two seatings: one around 6pm and the second around 8:30pm. There is quite a lot of indoor seating as well, so it’s also a place you can probably just show up as long as it’s not too late in the evening.
Was your favorite aperitivo spot in Milan left off the list? Or which of the places above is your go-to for aperitivo? Let me know in the Comments below.
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Travel Bucket List: Best Light Shows Around the World
I didn’t necessarily set out to see some of the most renowned light shows around the world, it just sort of happened.
I first knew that I’d write this blog post when I was visiting Dubai late in 2016 not long after a visit to Singapore, two of the more famous places to see light shows on a grand scale. And that was after another memorable light show I took in earlier that year.
But something was missing.
VEGAS.
Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the more famous places in the world to catch a light and fountain show on a grand scale, and is well visited by Americans and foreigners alike. I just hadn’t been. Yet.
With my recent trip to Las Vegas late last year, I feel like I’ve now completed the main places you can enjoy the collective entertainment of the outdoor spectacle that is the light show.
And the best part?
All of these are FREE and open to the public.
Many of them even have fountains putting on a show with colored lights and music. And all are worth seeking out when you’re on the road!
I was debating including this one on the list, but it is beloved by so many and the only spot on this list in Western Europe, so here it is – the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. This is a comprehensive light display with a wide range of colors and fun, themed medleys to go along with the show, that both children and adults can appreciate. Showtimes can be found HERE.
TIP! The Magic Fountain only runs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (Wednesday – Sunday in summer), so plan your visit accordingly!
If you’re visiting the Burj Khalifa, world’s tallest building, you’ll already be up close and personal for the record-breaking show at the Dubai Fountain that you can view with the looming skyscraper as the backdrop. The nuance of the choreography of the fountains is mesmerizing and the shapes and light are quite the spectacle. Most shows take place during the evening hours, every 30 minutes. Details about the relatively new paid viewing platform and exact showtimes are HERE.
TIP! Viewing spots fill up quickly so get there early to stake out a good vantage point on the show.
The Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong only runs once a night at 8:00pm, but it is worth seeking out because it involves over 40 buildings across Victoria Harbour! There is also music to accompany the show, which you can hear live at two designated spots or you know, listen on your phone because there’s an app for that. I enjoyed catching it outdoors with the live music at the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) waterfront, which has the same communal feel you’ll get at the other light shows around the world.
TIP! You can also watch the show in all directions by taking a ride on the Star Ferry across the Harbour during the show.
You’ll have plenty of chances to see the Fountain Show at the Bellagio, which repeats multiple times every afternoon and evening, with different choreography and musical accompaniment. Although the Bellagio Fountains perform more often than the other light shows on this list, the length of each show is shorter – typically under 5 minutes for the length of a single song. But there is nothing like the rush of being close to the power and force of the fountains during the show, which can impressively shoot jets of water nearly 500 feet (over 150 meters) into the air!
TIP! If you want to see the show more than once, aim for an evening time when it repeats every 15 minutes.
TIP! Stand a bit to one of the sides for the best angle on the show and if you’re close be wary of the spray when the wind catches.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
This is probably the least well-known town on this list, but one with an incredibly impressive and lengthy light and fountain show that kept me mesmerized for a good part of the evening. Known as the Singing Fountains, the water and light show that ensues does not disappoint. Plovdiv has also been named a European Capital of Culture for 2019 and CNN thinks it will be the next big European destination, so get there soon before the rest of the crowds do!
TIP! The Fountains only run on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, so plan your visit accordingly!
The ‘trees’ of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay have solar cells to gather power during the day to fuel each night’s light and music spectacular. Showing twice nightly at 7:45pm and 8:45pm, I only caught this my last night in town – had I been earlier, I would have come back every night of my trip! The musical theme rotates every two months, and as someone admittedly obsessed with live theater and musicals, I was lucky enough to visit when the show was Broadway-themed:
You may know the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore more for its iconic rooftop infinity pool, but the light show there is just as impressive – and open for all. There is some serious technology involved in creating the Spectra Light and Water Show here nightly, and it is so massive it can be seen from high vantage points all over the city. It is also one of the longest shows on this list, providing 15 minutes of color and wonder.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, and now that I’ve enjoyed so many, more light shows are definitely on the horizon for me. Also on my radar for future travel:
Haifa, Israel
Okay, so this one doesn’t even exist yet, but a light show is coming soon to this city on the Mediterranean. I was less than impressed with the nightlife options in Haifa when I first visited nearly 20 years ago, and this latest investment is in part to extend the evening entertainment options in the city. This is planning to launch in late 2018, so stay tuned!
I didn’t even know this one existed until I recently saw a photo on Instagram! Another Asian metropolis joins the ranks of Hong Kong and Singapore in the race to outdo one another when it comes to their city light spectaculars. I’ll definitely seek this one out the next time I’m in Asia.
What light shows have you seen around the world? Which ones stand out most? Any that are missing from this list? Share away in the ‘Comments’ below!
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10 Things to Know About Kangaroos Before You Visit Australia
I’m an educated person. I took biology in both high school and college, lots of it. So how is it that when I moved to Australia 5 years ago, I was so woefully ignorant about that beloved creature and national symbol, the kangaroo?
If you’re planning to visit Australia – or even if you just like kangaroos or enjoy some fun trivia – there are all sorts of things you’ll want to know about kangaroos (and probably have never heard before). So let’s temper expectations here before you visit as I tell it like it really is.
Read on for some of the craziest things I learned about kangaroos during my time living there…
Baby kangaroos (joeys) don’t just sit in the pouch looking cute
I’ll admit it, a decent amount of my knowledge pre-conceived notions about kangaroos might have come from watching Winnie-the-Pooh as a child. It all looked so simple. Little Roo would sit in Kanga’s pouch and hang out as she hopped around (don’t worry people, I knew real kangaroos didn’t wear t-shirts like in the cartoon).
The reality of carting around a baby kangaroo? Sitting upright is kind of a human thing, and kangaroos just do their own thing. Often all 4 of the joey’s limbs and its tail are coming straight out of the pouch, with no head or body in sight. They just scrunch themselves right in there and get comfortable!
There are albino kangaroos!
I guess it makes sense that like other animals, you could have a kangaroo lacking pigment. But honestly, the thought didn’t even cross my mind once until I saw one in person at a wildlife park outside of Perth, Australia, where I was living at the time. They’re pretty cute-looking =)
A kangaroo’s tail is like another foot
Watch out folks, a kangaroo’s tail is a lode-bearing appendage. As of just a few years ago, scientists are calling it a fifth leg and saying that it makes hopping more efficient. Not only can a kangaroo’s tail be used as leverage, but they can also balance on it to kick with both legs at once!
Kangaroos have an alternating walk
This might have been the most interesting thing that I was really fascinated by and couldn’t stop watching, and seemed typical of some other marsupials as well. I don’t know how else to describe it, but there is this little hop kangaroos do while balanced on their tail, moving both legs forward together, and alternating that with advancing the tail on the ground. Yes, kangaroos hop too, but you’re just as likely to see one advancing slowly using this method.
Kangaroos can be vicious
You do not want to piss off a kangaroo. When kangaroos get angry or male kangaroos are vying for mating privileges with the females, they will essentially box, both punching and kicking at each other for superiority.
Kangaroos live in the wild, even in big cities
These are not just another Outback creature. In addition to finding plenty of kangaroos when you’re visiting at zoos and wildlife parks, there are also kangaroos that just live and hang out in green spaces across Australia’s cities. In Perth where I lived, you could see the kangaroos in their natural habitat just a short stroll from the city center.
Many consider kangaroos a pest in the Outback, and some kangaroo populations are growing so quickly without natural predators of days gone by, that the population is subject to culling. It’s not a practice you hear much about overseas, but each year over 1,000,000 kangaroos are legally killed in an effort to control the population and protect the native environment. It is disputed whether efforts help, and in many cases a mother is killed, leaving a joey alive in the pouch, which many Australians will try to foster back to health if they find it in time.
Head out at dawn or dusk to spot them
I don’t know what it is about Australian critters, but like the sharks that roam Australia’s waters, kangaroos are also partial to hanging out at dawn and dusk. Anywhere you visit, find out where the local kangaroo spots are, and plan a visit at the right time of day.
Kangaroo meat . . . available at your local supermarket
I learned this one on day one. I’m the kind of person who likes to cook, so the day I arrived in Australia, I stocked up on supplies at the local supermarket to cook dinner. The big surprise was when I entered the meat section, and alongside the more typical chicken and beef sections there was a section of kangaroo meat, too. Butchered into different steaks and cuts depending on its ultimate use.
I didn’t eat kangaroo meat often – and didn’t buy it that first night in country – but I definitely had it a bunch of times while living there. It is gamey, kind of like venison, and very lean. My favorite preparations were cooked like a steak on the barbie (barbecue) and as part of a curry, on its own or inside a meat pie. Kangaroo is also lately being touted as the most environmentally-friendly red meat to eat in Australia.
Most of the kangaroos I encountered were quite friendly and approachable, and I loved getting up close and personal and petting their soft fur. And I definitely also tried to embrace locally available food, by trying kangaroo meat as well. However adventurous you decide to be in your travels, kangaroos are definitely fascinating creatures!
Have you seen a kangaroo in Australia before? What do you love most about them? Anything else you’d add to my list of crazy facts?
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