For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of visiting a real oasis. The sort of place you see in storybooks and old adventure films: a palm-fringed village with water gushing from an unlikely spring, crops growing against all odds, and silence so vast you could hear a sheep
So, you’ve decided to go for it—you’re going to venture into what many still unfairly call the scariest, darkest continent of them all. Let’s clear up that misconception right off the bat. Yes, some African countries come with their share of challenges, but Africa is enormous. Did you know that
I wasn’t sure what “on a budget†in Albania would actually mean. Would my daily lunch be a raw cucumber from the market? Would I have to skip bus fares just to save a few bucks? Would I be sleeping in grimy dungeons, sharing a single bathroom with 10 strangers?
When I think of “wine countries,†my mind immediately goes to France, South Africa, Chile, Australia, California…Greece doesn’t even come to mind. Strange, really—because back in antiquity, the Greeks were among the largest wine producers in the region. Their ancient techniques still form the foundation of modern wine culture today.
Weeping in the name of overwhelming charm and beauty is a thing, right? Well, it was for me. I definitely had to hold back a tear or two. Maybe they were just tears of general happiness—or maybe it was the setting I found myself in. Berat was nearly deserted. Tourist
It was a sunny September Friday when we set off for the north of the Netherlands. Having never ventured that far up in our neighbouring country, we instinctively packed our warmest jumpers and scarves.“With a name that roughly translates to ‘Freeze land,’ it must be exceptionally cold up there,†we
I spent the last two days of 2014 in a haze, trying to beat jetlag and fatigue from the long transatlantic flight to South America. While the rest of the world was exchanging hugs and watching fireworks to ring in the new year, I was soundly asleep, cocooned in my
Valbona: A Hidden Gem in the Albanian Alps The journey began in pitch darkness, on the side of a dirt road in northern Albania. I wasn’t alone—I had teamed up with a fellow traveller I’d met at a hostel. Our guesthouse owner in Shkoder had assured us that a bus
The very first thought that sprang to mind when I decided to go to Greece was:“YES! Greek food!†I’ve always been a fan of Greek cuisine. Feta is one of my go-to cheeses, and moussaka happens to be my signature dish. When my friends and I can’t decide what or
Montenegro in 6 Words: Learn, Move, Taste, Explore, Laugh, Dare It hit me on the way to the airport: in just a few hours, I’d be landing in Montenegro… and I knew nothing about the country. No idea where to go once my flight landed in Podgorica, the capital. No
f there’s one thing Rwanda does well, it’s pleasant, laid-back towns. Maybe a little too laid-back, depending on your mindset. There is a fine line between chilling and being bored and that was my general state of mind in Rwanda. I was never sure if I was relaxing or slightly
It’s been awfully quiet on Travel Cake these past few week. So quiet in fact, some of you have been wondering if maybe I’d left the blogging scene. If you’re following on Instagram or on Facebook you’ll already know that’s not the case. So what have I been doing? Why
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