Tag: Backpacking

Hiking the Cocora Valley in Colombia

Hiking the Cocora Valley: A Dream 10 Years in the Making I was never much of a hiker — at least not until I did a multi-day trek in Nepal a few years ago.While I still can’t call myself a hardcore trekker, I now find myself seeking out hikes more and more. The distances, the effort, […]

Backpacking Uganda in Photo’s

Budget Backpacking in Uganda: Safaris, Rolex, and Lakeside Magic As I mentioned in my earlier post on backpacking in Africa, traveling across this continent can get pricey. But with a little imagination and a healthy sense of adventure, you can explore Africa on a relatively low budget. Sure, it’ll never be as cheap as India, […]

5 Quirky things to do in Bogota, Colombia

Every time I spend a decent amount of time in a big city, I make it a mission to hunt down the quirky, funny, offbeat things that lie beyond the standard tourist trail. Since this was my second time in Bogotá, I’d already ticked off the usual “must-sees”—the Monserrate views, the Gold Museum, La Candelaria […]

Desert Oasis of your Dreams: Garmeh, Iran

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 blink. A place where you […]

First Time Africa Travel: Where to Backpack

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 the entire USA, China, India, […]

3 Awesome Budget Accomodations in Albania

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? Luckily, none of that came […]

Visit Berat in Albania and weep

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 season had long since ended, […]

What I’ve been up to + what’s next

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 the silence? I’ve been traveling… […]