SOLO TRAVEL
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A list of the ~26+ countries and cities I have traveled to
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These are excerpts from my newsletter, I’ll add more as I write more :)
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Curious to see where I’ve been?
Within the Travel History list, I hyperlinked photos for some places!
SOLO TRAVEL HISTORY:
countries & cities I have traveled to alone
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*some clickable to photos*NORTH AMERICA
United States: NYC, Yosemite National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Stratton Mountain - Vermont, Jersey
Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Ontario
Mexico: Cancun***
Dominican Republic: Punta Cana
CENTRAL AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande
Colombia: Medellin
EUROPE
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Cambodia: Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Pailin
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur*, Melaka*
Thailand: Bangkok*
Vietnam: Hanoi*
ASIA
Hong Kong: Study Abroad. Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Lantau Island
KEY
*group trip with Hong Kong study abroad colleagues that included solo side quests
***family vacation and a college spring break. each trip included me having solo adventures
TRAVEL GUIDES
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ILHA GRANDE, BRAZIL
Only reachable by boat, this car-free island is where I spent my 23rd birthday solo dolo
HOSTEL: Balaio, ~$38 USD a night [hostelworld link]
TO DO: Drink, hike, chill, surf
GETTING THERE:
~95 mile bus ride from Rio de Janeiro → the port at Conceição de Jacareí
Boat ride → Vila do Abraão
LOPES MENDES BEACH:
The whitest and bounciest sand ever. On the morning of my bday, I took a 20min boat ride from Ilha Grande here and there was only one other person on the beach. Gorgeous
VILA DO ABRAAO: I was on a nightly beach walk and outside a bar, I saw my German lover from my Rio de Janiero hostel. Good vibes in the vila - restaurants, bars…its popping
PICO DO PAPAGAIO: Hike through the jungle!
INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND
A hiker’s dreamland, also great place for the beer enthusiasts
HOSTEL: Balmers [hostelworld link]
TO DO: Ski or hike, depending on the season. I went during hiking season
TO EAT: Toblerone chocolate
TO EAT 2: Cheese Fondue. It's Traditional Swiss
VILLAGES TO VISIT: Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen
TO HIKE
ROTHORN-BRIENZ RIDGE TRAIL: The hike that made me fall in love with ridges and rock scramble
AUGSTMATTORN TRAIL: Saw someone get engaged at the top
HARDER KULM TRAIL: Got lost with an arguing sibling duo. Hitch hiked at the end
BACHALPSEE: Pretty blue lake! Went with some boys from Montana
TO VISIT
SCHLITHORN- PIZ GLORIA: Take the cablecar up. One of the James Bond movies was filmed here
ST.BEATUS-HOHLEN CAVES: Go behind a waterfall and go cave exploring. A natural wonder by Lake Thun
THE BEAUTUS SPA: Lake view.
FIRENZE, ITALIA
Academically proficient in Italian, studied Italian for 4 years
HOSTEL: Ostello Bello Firenze [hostelworld link]
BOBOLI GARDENS: At breakfast, I asked a girl what book she was reading. And so, my new friend @brend_uhhh and I ventured to the Boboli Gardens armed with 4 bottles of wine. Throughout the day, we each read a book in beautiful silence. We walked through archways and quiet pockets of sun-drenched and tree-lined clearings with benches. We admired the Greek and Roman marble statues decorated along the grassy greens
PIZZA: La Divina Pizza in Firenze. Husband makes the pizza and the wife charms the clientele. The sweetest couple & they've won tons of awards for best pizza
TO DO: Hang out at the hostel. I loved meeting new people at breakfast as we moseyed over the buffet. There's a guitar, books, and late-night snack. You can read and chill there. There's also a balcony for the gardeners. This hostel does a good job of hosting events like: family dinner, karaoke, wine walking tours
TO DRINK: Fiddler's Elbow
EL TUNCO, EL SALVADOR
Surf City, home to surfers from everywhere
HOSTEL: Sunset Surf Villa [hostelworld link]
HOTEL: Boca Olas Resorts & Villa
YOGA: Balance Surf & Yoga @balancesurfyoga
SURF SCHOOL: El Tunco Surf School @eltunco_surfschool
BAR: Michela's! @michelabarcosv
HIKES: Volcan de Santa Ana, Las Sietes Cascadas (7 Waterfalls)
TO DO: Coffee farm tour at Conception de Ataco. Fun fact: El Salvador is the coffee capital of the world!