I just returned from a 8 day stay in Costa Rica. We split our time between four resorts. The first of which was Nayara Tented Camp in La Fortuna. This property is about 3.5 hours from San Jose or 3 hours from Liberia airports depending on traffic.

The tented camp is on the same property as the Springs (adults only) and the Gardens(family friendly). The tented camp is the newer property located at the top of the resort. Each tent has a hot spring feed floating pool on its balcony facing the volcano. The view is gorgeous!

La Fortuna is one of the main bases for excursions so when planning a trip to Costa Rica, I highly recommend a split stay between the beach and the La Fortuna area so that you are not spending 4 hours in the car every time you want to do one of the awesome excursions Costa Rica has to offer.

When I book your stay at this property, I can get you added amenities like included breakfast, $100 food and beverage credit, and a welcome amenity through my affiliations with the hotel. I can also book your restaurants and excursions for you as well.

Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations. Contact me at lauren@thatblondetravels.com to book your stay today!

Image c/o Fino Restaurant

Website: Fino Restaurant

Address: Oia 847 01, Greece

Reservations required? No, but highly recommended

Phone: +30 2286 072037

Would I recommend? Yes

When we arrived into Santorini, we were a little overwhelmed with the restaurant options. Having had some of the most delicious food of my life, I knew I didn’t want to leave it up to chance and end up in a tourist trap regretting everything. Canaves Oia Epitome did an excellent job helping us to figure out where and what to eat. They assisted with getting us last minute reservations when required as well! Huge shout out to them for sending us to this amazing restaurant!

Fino Restaurant is located in Oia right in the tourist streets. It is known for its delicious Mediterranean cuisine and intriguing signature cocktails. We ordered the Mexican Zombie signature cocktail on a suggestion from the shuttle driver at the hotel. When we told the server who recommended it, he said “Oh! I know him!”. Too funny that Santorini also has those “small town vibes”.

WHAT WE ORDERED:

For my drink, I had the Mexican Zombie 🧟‍♀️.

We started with fresh bread and seared tuna 🍣. We also had the ricotta gnocchi in goat and truffle pekorino cheese 🧀 topped with sun dried figs. Omg so good. Gnocchi is always a fav!

For my main course, I had the grilled chicken with avocado 🥑 salad and Kayla had the Iberian pork ragout with rigatoni and a sweet and sour sauce.

Dessert was a delicious baklava 😋. Notice the detail on the ice cream!

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Image c/o Mystique

Website: Lure Restaurant

Address: Oia 847 02, Greece

Reservations required? Yes

Phone: +30 2286 071114

Would I recommend? Yes

Lure by Chef Olivier Campanha is located in Oia, Santorini on the cliffside overlooking the caldera. The views and the food were simply spectacular! I am so grateful to have gotten to experience this restaurant first hand. If you are looking for a fine-dining experience while in Santorini, then Lure is an amazing option!

Grab yourself a seat here to witness the most amazing sunset!

WHAT I ORDERED:

We started with a pallet cleanser and some fresh sourdough bread. Omg, it was so good! The bread was accompanied by two types of sea salt, some fresh olive oil, and butter.

For our main dish, I ordered the free range chicken breast topped with thyme jus and Naxos gruyere. It came with a side of asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes. My cousin, Kayla, ordered the Black Angus beef filet with pepper crust, potatoes Anna, fresh slim amaranth, and onion chlorophyll. Both dishes were yummy!

For dessert, a bitter chocolate sphere with milk chocolate mousse and salted caramel sauce topped with a flower honeycomb.

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Website: Armeni Restaurant

Address: Armeni Bay, Oía 847 02, Greece

Reservations required? Yes

Phone: +30 2286 071053

Would I recommend? 1000%

To get to this off-the-beaten path restaurant, take the long hike down the cliffside in Oia or take the ferryboat from Ammoundi Bay. When we went, it was super windy outside so the ferry was not running. While the hike down was not too bad, the hike back up almost did me in! The views are phenomenal though so you have plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy them on your way back to Oia.

This was such an amazing experience to eat here and watch the waves crash against the dock. It was so peaceful and the food was delicious. Definitely add this one to your “must eats” when in Santorini! You will not be disappointed!

WHAT I ORDERED:

We ordered the spicy feta dip to start. While in Greece, we ordered the spicy feta dip several times at multiple restaurants and it was always fantastic!

I had heard that the octopus in Santorini was divine and that I should give it another shot. The first time that I tried octopus, I found it to be very tough and chewy. This on the other hand was very fresh and delicious!

For my main dish, I had the chicken souvlaki. It was grilled to perfection!

We hadn’t planned on ordering dessert, but they brought out a complementary chocolate ice cream cake that was wonderful!

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Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

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ultimate botswana safari

Written by Kelly Wilson

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Planning a safari is exciting, but also overwhelming! First, I asked myself what I wanted to from the experience. Do I want to see African wild dogs or gorillas? Do I value a more solitary experience away from crowds? Luxury or budget? Answering these questions helped me narrow down where to go on safari.

Why Choose Botswana

Botswana is committed to eco-friendly tourism. It has slightly higher prices but fewer crowds compared to the Serengeti for example. It's also home to the beautiful Okavango Delta, which is a unique vast inland river delta famous for its grassy plains. Flooding seasonally, this area becomes a lush animal habitat. During the dry season, animals travel for miles in search of water as other sources begin to disappear. This increases one's chances of seeing lots of wildlife! The Okavango Delta is also a paradise for bird enthusiasts as well. Botswana is home to the world's largest concentration of elephants, in addition to, conservation land devoted to the protection of African wild dogs, cheetahs and black rhinos. The landscape is diverse and beautiful, from marsh land of the delta, to the dry saltpans of the Makgadikgadi region, to the red sand of the Kalahari desert, Botswana will surely capture your heart.

BOTSWANA ITINERARY: OKAVANGO DELTA, MOREMI GAME RESERVE, CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, VICTORIA FALLS

Recommended 11-Day Botswana Itinerary:

Okavango Delta (4 nights)

Moremi Game Reserve (2 nights)

Chobe National Park (3 nights)

Victoria Falls (1 night)

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Total days: 11

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My Botswana Experience

My husband, Jimmy, and I chose to go at the beginning of the dry season, at the end of June, which is winter in the southern hemisphere. Some advantages of going at this time are that the prices are slightly cheaper, as it's off season, the weather is still cool, and no rain. Due to COVID, we were the only people on the boats and in our safari jeep, as not many people were traveling yet. There were still other guests at the lodges that we ate meals with, but all of our excursions were essentially private. Not only were the animals amazing, but so was the scenery. I loved the peacefulness we experienced out on our drives just as much as seeing the animals. I would sit back, enjoy the breeze and beautiful landscape, and wait to see what nature had in store for us that day.

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Okavango Delta

Location: Setari Camp (2 nights)

From the Maun airport, my husband and I took a 40-minute flight on a 12 passenger plane to an airstrip in the middle of the delta near our first lodge, Setari Camp. The views from the air were beautiful as the water created blue swirls of inlets among the green islands. We even spotted elephants and ostriches from the plane. After landing, we were met by two employees from the camp, a boat driver guide and a guide who sat next to us and knew the name of every bird we saw. To get to the lodge, we took a boat along the papyrus lined canals for 50 minutes allowing us to take in the scenery and wildlife during our journey! Upon arrival, lots of lodges offer you a tasty and much appreciated welcome drink. While sipping our welcome drinks, we spotted monkeys in the trees! It was so exciting to see so much wildlife already. That night we watched the sunset from the deck as we warmed ourselves with hot drinks around the fire before dinner. The food at all the lodges was amazing and we ate well the entire safari.

While at the Setari Camp, we did boat safaris around the delta and a guided walk around the island where the lodge was located. We saw African fishing eagles, Malachi Kingfisher, cormorants, and so many more types of birds! We saw sitatunga and red lechwe antelope, baboons, crocodiles and hippos. On an evening boat ride my husband, the second guide, and I were looking down into the water from the top level of the two-tier boat, when we spotted some bubbles floating to the surface, indicating an animal was below in the water. Suddenly, the boat lurched side-to-side knocking us off-balance almost tipping the boat! The boat driver had quick reflexes and righted the boat just in time. Hippos are very territorial and this bull did not like us in his space. He rammed our boat from the bottom! The hippo was ok. The guide, who has been working in the Okavango Delta for twenty years, said that has never happened to him before. It goes to show that you just never know what one moment to the next will bring.

Location: Mochaba Crossing (2 nights)

Next, we stayed at Mochaba Crossing on the eastern edge of Okavango Delta. Here, the land is much drier, but there are still areas of marshland and rivers. We did a game drive as well as a Mokoro Boat, traditional long wooden canoe, excursion to a large island where a local guide took us on a safari walk. We wandered over sand, past herds of zebra and antelope, into pockets of forest. At one point, while walking through the trees, I stopped to stare in awe at a huge termite mound, when I spotted movement ten feet away. I simultaneously noticed a large grey body and an ivory tusk. The next moment, the guide was silently pushing us along and away from what was an elephant hiding in the trees! Since it is not safe to surprise elephants on foot, we hastily and silently retreated to safety. It happened so quickly that my husband Jimmy didn't see the elephant or even know what was happening. It was a special experience to see the animals on foot, without the barrier of the jeep. I would definitely recommend a safari walk if possible and when it is safe to do so during your stay.

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Moremi Game Reserve

Location: Sango Safari Camp (2 nights)

We drove to our next camp which may have been my favorite! Sango Safari Camp is situated on the Khwai River at the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve. Our lodgings were right on the river and looked like an old fashioned canvas safari tent, however, it was updated with an en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower, and electricity.

On the other side of the river was the game reserve. More than once, we came out of our room to see elephants across the water about 50 feet away. One evening, I saw a monitor lizard right before it rushed back into the water. At night, we could hear the grunting of the hippos! They are a pretty noisy bunch. When we first arrived at the camp, we walked to a viewing platform where we could immediately see at least 3 elephants, a hippo, and several birds. Next, we ate lunch and made friends with a family from South Africa.

After lunch and a quick nap, it was time for our evening game drive. The guide said we would go to a spot where wild African dogs had been known to den with their puppy litters in years past. I held my breath as we waited for the first jeep from our camp to radio with news of the dogs’ presence! I was hoping against hope that I would be able to see African wild dogs while on safari. They are a favorite, but are endangered and rare to see. These dogs are found in much of Botswana, which is another reason I chose it for our first safari. After about 10 minutes, we finally received word the African dogs were here! We gave the first jeep time to see them, then we headed back into the pocket of the forest to finally see them for ourselves. The puppies were so adorable and the mom was patient as they all climbed and played on and over her. We must have stayed there for 30 minutes watching them. This is easy to do and the time goes very quickly!

Next, we drove around the game reserve, where our guide spotted a lion in the grass. I would never have seen the lion! They camouflage very well and this is why guides are a must on your first safari! It turned out to be not one lion, but a small pride of 7 lions. They were all sleepy as it was still pretty warm out. After watching for a bit, we drove around the reserve and saw more antelope, zebra, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, etc! As the sun was setting, we headed back to find the lion pride. The lions were starting to wake up and be playful. Slowly, by ones and twos, they started walking off toward the waterhole. We followed them, even going off road (this is allowed at this park, but not at all of them). We followed and watched them as long as we could before they disappeared into the night, past the waterhole, where we couldn't follow.

Day 2 at Sango camp

Early mornings are the name of the game in Africa! It's the best time to see wildlife before the heat of the day sets in. We were there in winter so the mornings were in the 40s and could be pretty chilly especially once the jeep got moving. On our morning game drive, the first thing we did was try and find the lions from the previous night. Before we could spot them, we found a zebra carcass. The lions had been on their way to hunt when we saw them the night before and we could see they had been successful. Next, we found the lions walking back to their favorite sleep spot. Their stomachs looked like basketballs because they had eaten so much! They wouldn't need to eat for another 4 to 5 days after eating an entire zebra.

That evening, we saw the African wild dogs again! We were the only jeep out there that particular day. FYI: all the parks we went to, we saw almost no one out there as it was during COVID. We stayed another 30 minutes or longer. We saw the male African dog come back to the family and regurgitate the found he hunted for them. African dogs do this so that other animals don't try and steal their food (you learn a lot while on safari as the guides are incredibly knowledgeable!). There were a few vultures who flew in and tried to steal the scraps of food the puppies were playing with, but momma dog scared them off. We saw lots more antelope and other animals during the rest of the drive.

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Chobe National Park

Chobe Elephant Camp (3 Nights)

Chobe National Park is an incredible place as it has the largest concentration of elephants in the world! There are over 120,000 elephants who live in this large park. So many elephants all the time! We saw elephants crossing the river from our boat, as well as, cute babies and juveniles playing in the water along the banks. The Chobe River separates Namibia and Botswana, so during the dry season, animals from all over come for water. We saw many crocodiles along the banks and in the water, so many beautiful eagles, cape buffalo, zebras, antelope, hippos, giraffes, and lots of baboon troops. One troop of baboons can have hundreds of monkeys. They are so fun to watch! The babies are adorable and the younger baboons play all day sometimes infuriating the older baboons. That is a little scary. We saw more lions here too! A larger pride than the previous park, but we did not see the males with this pride. The males will go out on their own and patrol their territory. This pride had 3 females and about 9 cubs. The cubs are very curious about the safari jeeps and will come up to your jeep and growl at it. The females are used to safari jeeps that they just carry on like you're not even there. It was fun to watch this group, as the cubs were initially up high in a rock outcropping, hiding behind trees, watching us. Slowly, the cubs came down one-by-one out of curiosity and because the sun was setting.

I was so happy because I saw so many lions, African wild dogs, giraffes, and elephants that I thought this trip would be really extra special if I saw a leopard. So, all the three days in Chobe, I looked in the low lying branches of the trees to try and spot a leopard. I was so obsessed! I even dreamed about a leopard. Our last day, we had just entered the park, early in the morning. Our guide parked the jeep in the road to tell us more about the Chobe river that was down the hill and straight ahead. He is mid-sentence when, all of a sudden, he got very excited and says, in one breath, "Look! A leopard!" We looked up to see one walking away from us in the brush. Miraculously, she turned around and started walking towards us. I was so happy, and the leopard is so beautiful, that I am close to tears (not exaggerating or trying to be overly sentimental). Leopards are so incredibly beautiful in the wild. The leopard walked right in front of our jeep on the road and looked right at us. I just stared and stared. I could not believe my eyes. Jimmy, my husband, was sweet and took photos so I could really soak in the experience. We tried to follow the leopard, but it was too far to see well. We caught a couple more glimpses of her from far away, but, eventually, lost her. We believe that she must've gone somewhere to sleep for the day.

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Victoria Falls

Location: Batonka Guest Lodge (1 night)

Chobe National Park is very close to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where we decided to end our trip. We only spent one day here, but, honestly, that was enough. The city was overstimulating after being in the bush for 9 days. It is worth a stop, however, as the falls are stunning and absolutely breathtaking!

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Final thoughts: If you are considering going on an African Safari, just do it! You will not regret it! Honestly, you will want to go back to Africa immediately. We are already looking into traveling to Uganda in 2023. An African Safari is such a unique and invaluable experience that you will always treasure.

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A few helpful tips

1. Bring a good camera. I already had a DSLR, but I did buy a new zoom lens. I was soooo glad I did. My favorite camera at the moment is my Sony Alpha a6300 Mirrorless Camera and I love the look and bokeh of the Sigma lenses.

2. Pack light! You are moving camps often and the weight limit in the small planes is only 20 kg. We each brought a hiking overnight backpack and a small carry on tote (hard luggage is not allowed).

3. Some light neutral solid colors are good to bring, but you don't have to buy a new wardrobe. You're sitting in the jeep a lot so you get a little dusty. You can definitely wear some clothes twice however, and most camps have laundry service.

4. Know what kind of safari that you want. What is your budget? What type of safari experience do you want, such as camping, luxury, or somewhere in between? We work with several outfitters that will work with you on your budget and specific requests for an amazing bucket list experience.

PIN FOR LATER!

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Destination: CROATIA
Travel Style: Active/LUXURY
DATES: SEPTEMBER 3-10, 2022
PRICE: $2999 PP (Based on double occupancy)

Day 1: Arrival Dubrovnik

Day 2: Dubrovnik City Tour

Day 3: North Elaphite and South Mijet Island Tour

Day 4 Transfer from Dubrovnik to Split - Evening city tour

Day 5 Full Day Hvar and Pakleni Island Tour

Day 6 Plitvice Day Trip from Split

Day 7 Free Day with optional Krka or Canyoning Tour

Day 8 Departure from Split

DATES & PRICES

September 3-10, 2022| From $2999 pp (based on double occupancy) | All-inclusive package including accommodation, activities, and meals as listed below.

International and intra-country airfare and visa fees not included

Payment schedule:

• $1000 per person deposit due upon booking (Non-refundable 180 days prior to departure)

• Balance due 120 days prior to departure

Optional Add-ons:

• Hotel single supplement (contact for accurate pricing)

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ITINERARY

DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 3RD - ARRIVE INTO DUBROVNIK

After arriving into Dubrovnik. transfer to hotel, Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik. This will be your home for the next 3 nights.

GROUP WELCOME DINNER PLANNED FOR TONIGHT AT RESTAURANT Dubravka.

• Overnight: Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik

DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 4TH - DUBROVNIK OLD CITY TOUR

Today we will spend the day getting to know and learning about Dubrovnik.

The tour lasts for about four hours and it begins with a drive to Srdj mountain. This is a place from which you can see the entire city, along with its two-kilometer-long walls and, believe us, it is breathtaking. Srdj is a place of historical importance since, during wartime, that is where the military front was located. It also hosts the Homeland War Museum.

After Srdj, we will begin our descend into the heart of the Old Town where you will see all the most important locations. After that, we will climb the famous walls that encompass the Old Town. During the hour and a half we spend there, you will see the postcard view of Dubrovnik and all its terracotta roofs.

Afternoon at leisure.

• Overnight: Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik

DAY 3: SEPTEMBER 5TH - NORTH ELAPHITE AND SOUTH MIJET ISLAND TOUR

Private boat tour on the Phantom and Ferratti from Dubrovnik to North Elaphiti and South Mljet Islands .During north Elaphiti islands tour you will visit Island Sipan and it’s Sipanska Luka Bay. Sipanska Luka ( Port of Sipan) is the main port at Sipan, therefore is very popular destination for sailors being well protected harbour. There are numerous architectural monuments from the Middle Ages, vineyards, pine tree woods, crystal clear Adriatic sea.

North from Sipan towards the Island Mljet, we will cruise along uninhabited Islands Jakljan and Olipa. This is where you will discover beauty of the Adriatic and untouched nature. Hidden bays, wonderful rock formations, cliffs and woods. Due to it’s privacy and nature this area of Adriatic often attract Mega Yachts so you might see some celebrities there. After a swim in one of the bays, we will head towards Island Mljet and visit Prozurska Luka.

Prozurska Luka is a small bay on Southern Part of Island Mljet and attracts families and sailors for it’s tranquility. Another stop on your private boat tour is Limuni Beach. Peaceful sandy beach with shallow waters. On your way back, we will stop at the Blue Cave on Island, Kolocep, if you wish to swim inside the cave. Overall, North Elaphiti and South Mljet tour will take you to places where we can truly escape the ordinary.

Drinks, Towels, Snorkeling masks, and Stand up paddle boards included on the tour.

Lunch on your own (Recommend Konoba Tauris)

• Overnight: Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik

DAY 4: SEPTEMBER 6TH - PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM DUBROVNIK TO SPLIT

After breakfast, we will enjoy a private transfer to Split. The drive is absolutely gorgeous!

Upon arrival into Split, we will get settled into the hotel and then regroup for an afternoon walking and history tour of Split.

Our guided tour will be followed by a group dinner at a local restaurant where you could possibly try the local cuisine “Peka”.

• Overnight: Le Meridien Lav Split

DAY 5: SEPTEMBER 7TH - FULL DAY HVAR AND PAKLENI ISLAND TOUR

Today we will have a full private day boat tour of Hvar and surrounding Pakleni Islands.

Hvar – everyone knows about it – 1h boat ride from Split – you have all the time in the world to explore the old town. After free time for sightseeing, we’ll take you to Pakleni islands archipelago (“Hell islands”). Just 5-10 minutes from Hvar town – amazing archipelago consisting of 16 islands, with numerous bays, beaches, beach bars, etc. – approximately 2 hours of free time.

Drinks, Towels, and Snorkeling masks included on the tour.

Lunch on your own in Hvar

• Overnight: Le Meridien Lav Split

DAY 6: SEPTEMBER 8TH - PLITVICE DAY TRIP FROM SPLIT

Today we will head from Split to Plitvice National Park.

Lose yourself in the UNESCO-listed landscapes of the Plitvice Lakes National Park on this full-day tour from Split. Take a short hike around the magnificent tree-lined Upper Lakes (Gornja Jezera); stand in awe before Veliki Slap, Croatia’s biggest waterfall; and enjoy a thrilling cruise around the Lower Lakes (Donja Jezera).

• Explore the UNESCO-listed natural wonders of the Plitvice Lakes

• Hike around the magnificent Upper Lakes (Gornja Jezera)

• Soak up the scenery with a boat cruise around the Lower Lakes (Donja Jezera)

• Overnight: Le Meridien Lav Split

DAY 7: SEPTEMBER 9TH - FREE DAY WITH OPTIONAL KRKA OR CANYONING TOUR

Enjoy a day at leisure or opt to take a day trip to Krka National Park or Canyoning adventure.

Farewell group dinner.

• Overnight: Le Meridien Lav Split

DAY 8: SEPTEMBER 10TH - INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT HOME

Enjoy your last breakfast at the hotel and then your transfer to Split airport is included.

End of Services

**International flights not included**

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Email me to reserve your spot today!

Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

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LONDON AND PARIS ITINERARY

Recommended 7-day London and Paris itinerary:

London (3 nights)

Paris (3 nights)

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Total days: 7

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LONDON

DAY 1:

Upon arriving into LHR, grab a taxi, take the tube, or get in your scheduled car service and head to your hotel.

If you arrive early enough, then you have a full day to explore the city! Check into your hotel and drop your bags. If you arrive early enough, then make a reservation at The Gallery for high tea and lunch.

After lunch, check out the London Eye or just walk around and acclimate yourself with the city.

In the afternoon, you could do a Jack the Ripper Tour and learn more about London’s dark past.

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DAY 2:

Grab breakfast at Peggy Porschen and then meet for your tour of Westminster Abby.

Once your tour is complete, grab lunch at Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden.

We opted to see Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in theatre. You can get your tickets here. If you chose to see Harry Potter in theatre, then I would recommend either eating at the theatre or grabbing something quick during intermission between the two parts.

If you chose an alternate day 2 activity, then I would recommend making reservations at Little Georgia (Georgian food- get the hatchapuri!) or Dishoom (Indian food).

ALTERNATE DAY 2 IDEAS:

There are so many options for Day 2. You could do a full day city tour, take a day trip to see stonehenge, see a play at a local theatre (Hamilton or Harry Potter), tour Buckingham Palace and watch the changing of the guards, or do a Harry Potter themed tour.

Whatever you choose, it is sure to be an exhausting fun-filled day!

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DAY 3:

Breakfast at The Parlour before your Harry Potter walking tour. Harry Potter not for you, then, try a half day city tour or another option mentioned above.

Lunch and then you can do a World War II history tour if its up your ally before dinner or just chill and take in the city.

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PARIS

DAY 4:

Spend the morning exploring Notting Hill or chilling at a cafe for your last few hours in London.

Head to the airport to catch your flight to Paris. I find flying is usually cheaper and faster than taking the train. I like to check out low-cost air carriers like Ryan Air or Easyjet for intra-Europe flights.

After arriving and dropping your luggage, jump on with a tour to better acquaint yourself with Paris. We opted for the Hidden Gems of Paris tour. You can then grab lunch near the Effiel Tower and make that your next stop for exploring the city.

Alternatively, you could go to a local market and pick up some stuff for sandwiches and have a picnic lunch by the Effiel Tower instead.

Spend the afternoon exploring the city before having dinner at Juvenilles Wine Bar.

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day 5:

Grab breakfast at FTG Paris before heading to explore the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay. If you start the day early enough, then head to Montmartre for a tour of the area.

Lunch at the famous Pink Mamma.

In the afternoon, spend some time at the Moulin Rouge or catch a show before dinner at Septime.

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DAY 6:

Day trip to the Palace of Versailles.

End the evening with dinner on a Seine River Cruise. For the best view, book either the premier or privilege package.

alternate day 6:

Grab breakfast at HolyBelly before heading to see Notre-Dame and do some shopping in Le Marais. In the afternoon, tour the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

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DAY 7:

Say goodbye to Paris and head to the airport for your flight home.

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WHERE TO STAY:

LONDON:

Raddison Blu

The Hoxton

The Strand

PARIS:

Les Bains

Charles V

Hyatt du Louvre

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This itinerary is action-packed! If you prefer a slower traveling pace or just like to get to a place and enjoy the vibe, then that is totally ok too! I usually only go to a place once so I like to hit everything possible in a short amount of time but it is anything but relaxing and I usually need a vacation from my vacation! HaHa!

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ABOUT ME:

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

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Follow me: @thatblondetravels

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We just returned from our 2 week babymoon to Croatia. What a wonderful country! From the people to the sites, to the food, it was all-around an amazing experience.

While traveling during normal times can have it’s challenges, traveling during a worldwide pandemic can especially be challenging.

Despite the extra hoops to jump through, my husband and I really wanted to travel somewhere before we welcome our new addition in January. This trip was planned and replanned probably 7 times at least. We started off originally going on safari in Kenya and then ending the trip in Oman. While Kenya reopened to tourists starting September 1, they omitted US citizens coming from Texas and California and a couple other states. Option 2 was Hawaii. I planned a full 2 week itinerary to Kauai as their quarantine was to be lifted on August 31st. Around mid-August, the governor instituted a mandatory inter-island quarantine for anyone traveling from Maui to Kauai. While we were not going to Maui and therefore did not need to quarantine, all the tour companies cancelled our excursions and restaurants began to close.

After planning several extensive itineraries, I began to get discouraged as it didn’t look as if any travel plans that I made were going to come to fruition. I told my husband ok so last ditch effort, we are going to Croatia! If that doesn’t work out, then we’re spending 2 weeks in Tulum in Mexico in a beach house haha. Putting together custom itineraries is a very time consuming process with all the research that goes into it, so as you can imagine, I was getting burnt out.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

I began to research the specifics on what we would need to get into Croatia and how we were going to get there. First off - COVID testing requirements. In order to enter Croatia, you can bypass the mandatory 14 day quarantine by getting a negative COVID PCR test within 48 hours of crossing the border OR you can enter the country with an “expired” negative result and retest on arrival. If you choose option 2, then you have to quarantine until the results are available.

This part isn’t super complicated unless you are leaving on a holiday (Labor Day) and all the labs are closed. Due to our flights, which I will talk about next, we had to take a test and have the results on the day of our flight, which was Labor Day. I had to find a place that offered COVID testing for people that are not experiencing symptoms that also had their own in house lab and that was open on a holiday. Are you overwhelmed yet? LOL. Anything is possible though when you really want to go somewhere!

FLIGHTS

With testing figured out, next up was our flights. Due to travel restrictions and lack of travelers, flights were getting cancelled left and right. There are no direct flights from Dallas to Croatia and all the ones with stops had a very long layover (I’m talking 30+ hours to get there) and were also very expensive. A travel hack that I’ve learned is to find a direct flight into a popular European hub (such as London or Paris) and then search for a flight on a local airline such as Easyjet or Ryan Air. Flights intra-Europe can be extremely cheap if you use this option. For example, our flight from Pula, Croatia to LHR was 8 euro! For a flight that was showing as more than 2k on google flights to fly from DFW to Dubrovnik, I got for 70k AA points (~700 dollars) plus an additional 80 dollars pp.

We had originally booked a British Airways flight from LHR to Dubrovnik on the same day (so arriving on September 8th) but the UK re-instituted their quarantine coming from Croatia for their citizens so BA ended up canceling all of their flights to/from Croatia. Luckily, I was able to get a flight on EasyJet that left on September 9th from Gatwick to Dubrovnik. This is why we had to get our COVID tests the day of our flight to London since we wouldn’t be arriving into Croatia until 2 days later.

Excited about our first flight since February!

With flights booked and COVID test appointments made, the next thing to figure out was if we could transfer airports in London and how to do it. As I said, we were landing into LHR and our flight to Croatia wasn’t until the next day out of Gatwick. Gatwick airport is located south of London and there are several ways to get there during normal situations. One reason that we chose to fly into London was that US citizens can actually enter the UK, whereas, places like France and Germany we cannot. This was a contingency plan in case our flights were cancelled or there was a missed connection. If there is one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it was to have a backup plan for your backup plan. In order to figure out if we could transfer airports, I did a ton of research on my own but eventually resorted to trip advisor for some locals input.

UK BORDER CROSSING

In order to enter the UK, you had to fill out a locator form that had where you would be spending your time quarantining and for how long you would be in the UK. We were just staying for 24 hours so I filled out the paperwork with all of our information and submitted electronically 48 hours prior to arrival. The UK’s quarantine rules stated that you shouldn’t use public transportation in order to get to your quarantine location. When we arrived into London, we checked out prices on taxis (150 pounds is the standard rate) and then I checked Uber which was half the price. We ended up taking an Uber from Heathrow to Gatwick once we landed.

We were very nervous about the whole landing process and going through border control and then taxi-ing to our hotel. Concerns were: how strict will they be? how will we get food? what if our flight is cancelled?. The list goes on as I’m sure you can imagine.

Being nervous about everything, I had made and looked into several options if anything did happen. When landing in LHR, the border crossing was so smooth. It was like pre-pandemic except with less people. All the border guards were super chill. They asked if we’d filled out our locator form and to see it. I showed it to them and they asked where we were headed. We told them Croatia and they got very excited and wished us well on our journey. Like I said super easy! We made it through the border, grabbed our luggage, grabbed a quick breakfast, and then hoped in our Uber to head to Gatwick airport.

Hotels, EasyJet flight, and Croatia border crossing, to be continued in Part 2!