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How to spend 2 full days in ancient Luxor

Luxor, a city in southern Egypt is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and is one of the world’s greatest open-air museums. It is also one of the sunniest and driest cities in the world, think desert climate year-round. In ancient times Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes during the New Kingdom and later home to the god Amun. Discoveries are constantly being made including most recently the “Lost Golden City” which was discovered during my trip (April 2021.)

There are accommodations of every price range from hostels to 5-star hotels. I chose to stay at the Hilton Luxor which offers 2 infinity pools with a view of the Nile River, 2 full bars, a spa, breakfast buffet, restaurant, and laundry services. The hotel was clean, the staff was attentive, and I felt safe as the entrance was guarded including a metal detector.

I recommend spending at least two full days in Luxor, plan for a day on the East Bank and another day on the West Bank of the Nile River. On the East Bank I recommend visiting Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. On the West Bank I recommend visiting the following in order of my favorites Valley of the Kings, Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Mortuary Temple of Rames III at Medinet Habu, and Dier El- Medina (Valley of the Workers.)

Day 1: EAST BANK

Visiting Karnak and Luxor temples will only require a half a day, so I recommend starting your day with a hot air balloon ride over the temples. I will warn you most hot air balloon rides start with a 4:30 a.m pickup from your hotel. But waking up early is worth it, riding over the temples while watching the sunrise is magical! I will warn you the ride is hot, when getting into the basket try not to be assigned closest to the flame. I booked my hot air balloon ride with Hod Hod Soliman Hot Air Balloons through Viator and my captain was Omar. After your hot air balloon ride you will have enough time to go back to your hotel for breakfast before venturing out to the temples.

I also recommend doing a hot air balloon ride the first morning in case the ride is cancelled due to inclement weather so that you can re- schedule for the next morning.

Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple was known by ancient Egyptians as the “The Most Select of Places” and is the largest ancient religious site ever constructed. It is the second most visited site in Egypt following the Great Pyramids of Giza. Karnuk Temple was my favorite temple that I visited while in Egypt. The complex includes temples, chapels, a sacred lake, and other buildings that were built to honor Amun god of the sun and air, mother goddess Mut, and Khonsu the god of the moon.

The temple Amun is stunning and includes 134 columns, some as tall as 70 feet! This is the main building and if on a time constraint make sure to check this out if nothing else. Make sure to check out Sacred Lake and the scarab (beetle) statue nearby. There are numerous superstitions regarding this statue including if you walk around the statue 7 times it will bring you marriage. My tour guide told me to walk around 7 times and make a wish.

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is known as the “southern sanctuary” and is a mile south of Karnak Temple. Luxor Temple is enormous, the entrance is over 200 feet wide. At one time Karnak and Luxor Temples were connected by an avenue lined with 2 rows of human- headed stone sphinxes. Today, the sphinx is located outside of Luxor Temple. Unlike other temples Luxor was not dedicated to a god or god figure of kings of pharaohs but instead dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship. Luxor Temple was a part of the Opiate festival, a festival in which the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonso would travel from Karnak to Luxor Temple.

After visiting the temples head back to your hotel to spend time relaxing by the pool. For dinner I recommend El Hussein, a locally owned restaurant with authentic Egyptian cuisine. On the menu you will find pasta dishes, soups, pigeon (yes pigeon), and chicken dishes. The portions are huge. For $12 USD I ordered the Bird’s Tongue soup, chicken shish kabobs, rice, and baba ghanoush. Bird’s Tongue soup is an Egyptian soup made of chicken stock, orzo or similar pasta, and veggies. This soup is delicious, make sure you top it with the lime.

Day 2: West Bank

Valley of the Kings

I recommend making Valley of the Kings your first stop of the day and arriving early to avoid the crowds and heat. Valley of the Kings is home to over 63 tombs and is the burial place for most of Egypt’s New Kingdom rulers. Tomb of the Ramses the III is the largest and most visited tomb in the Valley of Kings. It was my favorite because the colors of the artwork are still highly saturated and beautiful.

Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

This mortuary temple is also known as the Holy of Holies. Hatshepsut was married to the god Amun and came into ruling after his passing due to their son being too young to rule. Although Hatshepsut was one of the first and few female kings in Egyptian history, she was one of the most successful pharaohs. Her success was due to reestablishing trade relationships which led to economic prosperity for Egypt and her reign being one of the most peaceful. Some of the trade goods included frankincense and myrrh (used a perfume, incense, and medication.) Interesting fact, Hatshepsut presented herself as a male including a fake beard.

Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu is the second largest ancient temple discovered in Egypt. The exterior walls of the Temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu depict religious scenes and images of Ramses war between Libyans and the Sea Peoples. My favorite part of this temple was the courtyard with Remmised columns.

Valley of the Workers

Unlike the other sites above, Valley of the Workers known locally as Diel el- Medina provides a look into the lives of the workers who built the surrounding graves for famous leaders. There are three tombs open to the public here and this site is not as crowded as the other sites.

After a long day of temple visiting go back to your hotel and relax by the pool until it cools down. On my last evening in Luxor my guide, Peter was able to arrange a private felucca cruise down the Nile River for $40 USD. This moment brought back memories from my childhood of being obsessed with a world globe that I often studied the continent of Africa on and was fascinated by the Nile River.

Luxor is an amazing city full of history and this itinerary just includes the most popular attractions. When I return to Luxor I plan to visit Valley of the Kings and Tomb of King Tut. I would love to have dinner at the famous Aisha restaurant.

Have you been to Luxor? What was your favorite part of Luxor or what are you most looking forward to?

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How to visit Cairo, a city full of history and culture

Sitting in awe of front of the Pyramids of Giza

Cairo is home to one of the tallest man made structures ( Great Pyramid of Giza), one of the oldest universities ( Al- Azhar University) in the world, and one of the most famous bazaars (Khan el- Khalili) in the world. It’s the capital of Egypt and more than likely if traveling to Egypt you’re first destination will be Cairo.

Arriving in Cairo

Cairo International Airport is the main international airport serving Egypt. If arriving to Egypt from the United States make sure to have $25 USD to purchase an Egyptian visa. Americans must have a visa to enter the country, the visa is for 30 days and renewable. You can purchase a visa in advance online but I did not do this and don’t feel comfortable speaking of an experience that I have not had.

Where to stay in Cairo

If visiting Cairo with the intentions of visiting the tourist sites I recommend staying in Giza. Giza is the second largest city in Egypt after Cairo and sits on the West Bank of the Nile River. There are dozens of hotels from every price point in Giza. I stayed at The Great Pyramid Inn, a simple but nice 3 star 40 room hotel. The Great Pyramid Inn offers in room free WiFi, rooms with views of the Pyramids, and breakfast on the rooftop with Pyramid views for a nominal view.

View from my balcony at The Great Pyramid Inn

I booked the Double Room with Balcony and Pyramids view. I arrived to Cairo after dark and was blown away by the view of the Pyramids from my balcony the next morning. The room was a basic but clean room that included a small refrigerator that came in handy for bottled water. The Great Pyramid Inn ranges from $30- 50 USD a night. If looking for a more upscale hotel with more accommodations I recommend the Marriot Mena House which also offers pyramid views, golf course, pool, and spa.

Things to do In Cairo
Most will recommend 3 days in Cairo but due to time restrictions I was only able to spend 2. I recommend you start your day early not only to avoid the crowds but to avoid the afternoon heat. Be ready for lots of walking in gravel/ dust so I recommen closed toe comfortable shoes and pack water in an insulated water bottle.

1. The Great Pyramid ($9 USD admission) is the oldest and largest pyramid in the complex of Giza pyramids. It’s 479 feet tall with a base of 754 feet. The Great Pyramid is the oldest of the ancient 7 Wonders of the World and last to remain fairly intact. I remember learning about the Great Pyramid in grade school but to see it in person was magical. I literally sat down in front of it in awe and thought to myself that one moment made the 24 hour treck to Egypt worth it.

2. Great Sphinx of Giza ( $9 USD admission) was built to represent pharoah Khafre, the builder of the second pyramid at Giza. It was built around 2500 B.C. out of limestone and is one the oldest monumental structures. Looking at the Sphinx, you’ll notice the nose is missing. There’s two tales 1. The nose was blown off by cannon balls fired by Napolean’s soldiers. 2. Erosion. I’m going with the second tale.

3. Saqqara ($9 USD for admission) is an archealogical site that houses numerous pyramids including the famous Step Pyramid and multiple tombs of the nobles. Make sure you go into the tombs to admire the limestone walls with images of wildlife, people hunting, farming, and insects. It’s mind blowing to think that these intricate images were done by hand over 4,700 years ago.

The papyrus I purchased from Key of Life- Papyrus Shop

Once the heat starts to rise mid afternoon I recommend going souvenir shopping or if your hotel has a pool going for a swim. I am not a huge souvenir person but I did want to purchase a papyrus scroll. Papyrus is a writing material made from the stem of a papyrus plant That originates from ancient Egypt. I purchased my papyrus scroll from Key of Life- Papyrus Shop. At this shop the employees will show you step by step how papyrus is made, explain the history of common papyrus scrolls, and offer you freshly made hibiscuses tea. The papyrus scrolls at this shop are more expensive then the street vendors but are real (comes with certificate) and the employees are not pushy. They will even offer to write your name on the scroll in hieroglyphics. Just a friendly reminder remember to negotiate progress. You can also go to Egyptian cotton shops.

My opinion on Cairo….

Cairo is a city full of history and culture but along with that comes sensory over load. I found it to be an extremely busy non- stop city with an insane amount of traffic, lots of pushy vendors, and men that like to catcall. It reminded me of Marrakech, Morocco in a lot of ways. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed Cairo and met some lovely people but it quickly became overwhelming to me.

Would I go back to Cairo?

I do plan to visit Cairo again in the future as I missed some of the well known tourist attractions like the Khan el- Khalili bazaar, The Egyptian Museum, and Coptic Cairo. I also would like to try koshary an Egyptian dish made of rice, lentils, Chickpeas, macaroni noodles, and tomato sauce.

If you’ve visited Cairo, what was your favorite part? Or what are you looking forward to the most when visiting Egypt?

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10 Things to know when visiting Egypt

Egypt was the furthest that I have traveled and slightly over-whelming to plan. While planning my trip to Egypt I spent hours upon hours watching Youtube videos, reading blogs, googling questions, and texting my guides. I will admit…I may almost enjoy the planning and researching pre- trip more than the actual trip. Below I’ve compiled a list of ten things that will help with planning a visit to Egypt.

Arabic is the primary language of Egypt. But most people working in tourism will speak English. I highly suggest learning “thank you” in Arabic which is “shukran.” Also, if you can learn to say “As-Salaam-Alaikum” which is a popular greeting meaning “peace upon you” your effort will be met with compliments from the locals. They will even teach you other simple Arabic sayings if you’re interested.
The currency is Egyptian pounds. Here is a link for current exchange rates https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/Amount=1&From=USD&To=EGP. I recommend carrying cash but make sure you have small bills. People will often say they don’t have change. Credit cards are accepted in some shops and restaurants, but internet connection can be unreliable.

3. Islam is the primary religion in Egypt. Women should dress modestly to reduce the amount of attention. I highly recommend wearing knee- maxi length dresses or skirts, pants, and shirts that cover your shoulders. Women only need to cover their hair when entering mosques.

4. Egypt is a tipping- based country and you will be expected to tip for everything. For example, depending on the area and location you may be expected to tip the attendant in public restrooms. Individuals working at tourist sites will offer to take your picture for “free” but before handing your phone or camera back will request money. For photos, I typically tipped 20 Egyptian pounds ($1.25 USD.) In restaurants it’s recommended that you tip 10% but if you receive excellent service tip more as the exchange rate is so high.

5. Never take the first price that you are given when shopping. If you have a tour guide they will help you get a fair price. Rule of thumb is to agree to pay 50% of original price quoted so barter, pretend to walk away and I guarantee you the price will come down. But if you are approached and don’t want to purchase say no firmly and keep walking. Don’t engage as that will only make vendors push more.

6. Uber is accessible in the larger cities and I highly recommend it to avoid being over charged. If you do have to take a taxi, make sure you agree on a price before you get into the vehicle, again barter. For example, on my last day in Hurghuda on the way to the airport my Uber app would not work so I had to use a taxi. Before the driver and I could agree on a price the hotel staff had already put my belongings in the trunk. The driver was trying to charge me twice what the Uber app quoted me. I ended up having to call an Egyptian friend to spoke to the driver in Arabic to agree on a more fair price as he wouldn’t budge on the price with me.

7.To transfer between larger cities like Cairo, Luxor, and Hurghada you can catch one- hour flights through Egypt Air for approximetly $50 USD. Buses are available but can eat into your time and you don’t save that much.

8.Catcalling is AWFUL in Egypt. I expected it as I experienced it in Morocco but it becomes exhausting no matter how used to it you are. Having a tour guide will reduce the amount of it but it will still happen. Again, don’t engage continue to look forward and keep walking. Men will shout at you and even offer you marriage proposals. I never felt unsafe as in tourist attractions there is a heavy police/ military presence.

9.Food poisining is very likely in Egypt. Avoid tap water and ice unless in a hotel that is known to have an adequate water purification system. I even used bottled water to brush my teeth. Bottled water is super cheap in Egypt, approximately $0.50. Unless I was eating in a restaraunt in my 4-5 star hotels I avoided uncooked veggies/fruits that aren’t peeled and avoided meat from street vendors. I recommended packing Pepto Bismol, Imodium, and pro-biotics (take daily.) *side note I recommend packing Tylenol and an allergy medication, the dust is unreal.

10.Since coming back from Egypt I’ve spoken with others that are planning trips to Egypt with Cairo as their sole destination. Quite a few people only think of the pyramids and the Sphinx when planning trips to Egypt. Get out of Cairo, check out the temples in Luxor and go spend a few days relaxing at the Red Sea in Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh. Before going to Egypt I never knew snorkeling or diving were excursions there. I loved Hurghada and it reminded of Miamia, FL without all the craziness. I didn’t have enough time but if you can fit it in head south to check out Abu Simbel and the Nubian Village. I definitely plan to head south next time in Egypt.

Have you been to Egypt? Was there something you wish you had known? Any questions about something I didn’t share?

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So how did I end up in Egypt?

In Jan. 2021 as a healthcare professional I had the oppurtunity to become vaccinated and then knew I wanted to go some where for spring break (April.) Once I decided I was going to travel I had three priorities: visit somewhere that my money would go far, support the locals directly as much as possible, and do 1:1 tours. So after researching what countries were open to Americans I stumbled upon Egypt.

Egypt is home to one of the earliest civilizations and one of the 7 World Wonders of the Ancient World. Archaelogists are literally discovering findings daily. For example, while I was there the Lost Golden City was discovered. But to be honest Egypt wasn’t in my top 5 or even 10 places to visit. After researching Egypt including listening to podcasts, watching tons of YouTube videos, and reading varrious blogs I decided to make the long trip to Egypt.

My itinerary included 2 nights in Cairo, 3 in Luxor, and 2 in Hurghuda as the Red Sea.

So how far did my money go in Egypt?

My flight from Seatle, WA to Cairo was $900 USD through Delta. I stayed 7 nights between The Great Pyramid Inn, Hilton Luxor, and Steigenberger Pure All Inclusive. All together my hotels totaled $800 USD. I definitely could have stayed cheaper but opted for more luxurious hotels and or rooms with the best views. My private day tours ranged from $50- 80 USD. I chose private tours, as one of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to know the locals and a group setting often feels like you’re just a number. I also did 3 excursions; a hot air ballon ride in Luxor for $90 USD, a private cruise on the Nile River at sunset for $40 USD, and a private snorkeling trip on a speedboat for $110 USD. Again, I could have probably found a cheaper snorkeling excursion but I wanted to avoid crowds as I’ve never really enjoyed groups and even less with COVID-19.

How can you support the locals?

Tourism is one of the largest sources of income in Egypt. In 2019 over 13 million tourists visited Egypt compared to roughly only 3 million in 2020. Supporting the locals was a priority for me. I booked my tours in Cairo and Luxor with Mr. Brown Sugar , who was suggested to me by numerous people in various travel groups. Mr. Brown Sugar and his team were amazing. I consider them “brothers from another mother.” I ate at three locally owned restaurants that I highly recommend; Cafe& Restaurant Maratonga, El Hussein Restaurant, and White Elephant Thai Restaurant. Egypt is a very tip centered county and I tipped graciously. For example at El Hussein my meal including soup, salad, soda, chicken skewers, potato, and bread totaled $12 USD. The service was great and the food was delicious, I tipped the server $12 USD.

What do tourists need in order to visit Egypt during COVID-19?

As of Spring 2021 Egypt is open for tourism without qurantine. In order to avoid qurantine US tourists are required to show negative PCR test resultes dated within 72 hours of departure. In order to re-enter the US you need an additional negative PCR test result dated within 72 hours. Most hotels either have the option for a lab to come to your hotel room for testing or coordinate transportation to a nearby testing site. I opted for a lab employee to come to my hotel for $85 USD and received my results in less than 24 hours.

Egypt was amazing and I can’t wait to share more content about Egypt! Have you been to Egypt? What questions do you have about Egypt?

How to visit Barcelona solo……

Summer of 2019 I had the pleasure of checking one of my bucket list destinations off, Barcelona. I had always wanted to visit Barcelona but thought I needed to be fluent in Spanish, had been told it wasn’t safe for solo travelers, and had no idea how to even start with an itinerary. Well, I spent months researching and planning my trip. I spent 4 full days in Barcelona and could have easily spent more time there. I fell in love with Barcelona and could see myself living there if I ever moved out of the US. I mean it doesn’t get much better than tapas, fresh pastries, siestas, and sangria with dinner every night.

Public transportation in Barcelona is super user friendly. I recommend the AeroBus for transfers from the airport to the city center. Tickets for AeroBus can be purchased online in advance or in person at the airport. Once in the city center, you will want to switch to either the Metro (subway) or the TMB (public bus.) I purchased a Hola BCN multiday pass in advance before arriving to Barcelona. Public transportation in Barcelona is clean, runs promptly, and is easy to use. I used Google Maps to plan routes on the train and subway.
I stayed at Acta Atrium Palace which was beautiful, convenient to public transportation, within walkable distance to the best churros (see below), and the concierge staff went above and beyond answering any questions including drawing little maps on napkins.

Barcelona is an amazing city full of culture, great food, friendly people, and stunning architecture. Here is my 3- day itinerary.

Day 1- After checking into my hotel I quickly freshened up and headed off to find Xurreria Laietana, an intimate churro café. Be prepared to stand in line, but I promise you it’s worth it. I had the delicious churros with chocolate and an espresso. It was delicious and I may have visited twice. Afterwards, I hopped over to Toress Venecianes, where I took in the sights. Next, I headed over to the beach. I had lunch at Surf House, a casual restaurant that offers seating outside with views of the beach. I highly recommend the nachos with a cocktail. Then I ventured over to the beach where I rented a lounge chair to relax, listened to the waves and people watched. I’ll warn you now, partial nudity is common at the beach.

Day 2- I didn’t have set plans for day 2. I explored Las Rambles where I took in the stunning architecture before venturing to Mercado de La Boqueria, often referred to as “the heart of Barcelona.” You guys, this market is a foodies dream come true. You can purchase some of the freshest produce I’ve ever seen, buy local meat/ seafood, pick up just-baked bread for dinner at home, or have a sit- down meal. I seriously ate my way through the market. I had a smoothie, scallops with a nice glass of white wine, and the best spinach cheese empanada ever.

After the market, I hopped on a hop off/ hop on tour bus to this lookout point right before Muntjuic Cable Car. The cable car is a gondola lift that climbs up to Montjuic Castle. I didn’t purchase a ticket to the castle but did walk around the breathtaking grounds. The lawns are manicured to precision and there’s great lookout points of Barcelona. I highly recommended taking the cable car up in the late afternoon/ early evening to catch the sunset. I’ve lived in the pacific northwest of the United States and seen some beautiful sunsets but this sunset in Barcelona was the most stunning sunset I’ve ever seen (photos are not filtered.)

Next was dinner and I was determined to try paella while in Barcelona. Paella is a Spanish rice dish consisting of rice, Spanish green beans, garrofo ( a variety off lima or butter beans), and a protein (rabbit, chicken, duck, seafood, etc.) Friends recommended L’arrosseria Xativa, just to warn you this restaurant requires reservations which can be made online. I ordered chicken and shrimp paella with sangria. I was a little hesitant at first to try paella, I’m working on being more adventurous when it comes to food. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the paella. It has somewhat an earthy taste because of the saffron.

Day 3- I was exhausted by day 3 from all the walking and staying up late. I ended up missing my reservation for Sagrada Famalia and was unable to get another reservation. However, later that afternoon I attended my first Air BnB experience. I made my own mosaic tile art piece with Martin, a well versed and talented artist. This experience brought on a whole new respect for mosaic tile artists. It requires a lot of hand strength to use the tools when breaking the glass into pieces, precision, and patience. Martin was a great host and his home was incredibly welcoming.

After my mosaic tile experience, I walked over to Cerveceria Catalana, a beer bar and tapas restaurant. This restaurant came up when researching my trip to Barcelona and didn’t disappoint. Plan to go with an appetite so you can try a few tapas. I tried the Beef Tenderloin, Patatas Bravas, and Pimentos de Padron. I had seen the pimentos all over Barcelona before this and finally decided to try them. Pimentos d Padron are small Spanish peppers cooked in olive oil and coated with flaky sea salt, they are simple but delicious. I ended my day walking around the Gothic Quarter before returning to my hotel early so I wouldn’t miss my red- eye flight to Morocco.

So how safe is Barcelona as a solo traveler? I used public transportation for the majority of my trip and never felt unsafe. Barcelona is a well known place for pic pocketing that I fortunately did not experience. However, I could see how it could happen as you are often in crowded places and as a tourist can be so busy taking in the views that maybe you let your guard down. I wore a crossbody bag that I would hold with my hand when in busy/ crowded places and in restaraunts I always put my purse on the table vs. hanging it on my chair. I traveled with two credit cards and left one in the safe of my hotel room so that if I was pic pocketed I would still have access to funds. I think Barcelona is like any other place, you just have to be aware of your surroundings.

Girls weekend in Cancun, Mexico

Man, how have times changed? 2 weeks ago, I returned from a girls’ weekend to Cancun, Mexico with my sister. Today marks week 1 of quarantine for who knows how long thanks to COVID-19. I’ve rescheduled my Iceland vacation and although I’m bummed, I feel like it’s such a small issue compared to everything else going on. People are dying, high school students are missing out on experiencing senior year including prom and graduation, couples are having to delay their weddings, businesses are hurting, countless people are out of work, international college students have been displaced, couples are separated due to borders closing, and so much more. Anyways I write all this to say everything sucks right now but I’m trying to stay positive and find the silver lining in all of this.

I’m so happy that I got to spend a long weekend with my sister before all of this. Before this trip, I hadn’t visited Mexico since I was a toddler and had never stayed at an all-inclusive resort. Cancun is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun is known for its tropical climate, consistently warm seawater, and countless resorts. We had the pleasure of staying at Villa del Palmar which I booked through Expedia.com. Villa del Palmar Cancun is a 4.5 star resort with 6 restaurants, 5 outdoor pools, 3 jacuzzies, and a full-service spa just to name a few amenities. It’s approximately 30 minutes from the airport. We booked roundtrip transportation to and from the airport and resort through Cancun Shuttle online. Cancun shuttle offers price options varying from $50 to $100 roundtrip .

The front desk manager unexpectedly upgraded us to an 1 bedroom, full 2 bathroom apartment. I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels but the bed here was one of the comfiest beds I’ve slept in. Normally in hotels, I toss and turn but here I sleep comfortably. The balcony had an amazing view of the resort and a cozy hammock for relaxing while listening to the beach waves.

We dined at the breakfast buffet every morning, ordered lunch from the snack bar, and dined at 3 of the 5 restaurants for dinner. I highly recommend the beef filet with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach at La Casona STK, but plan to arrive at opening or be ready to wait in the cozy outside lounge area while enjoying a cocktail from the outdoor bar.

Cancun offers numerous excursions including parasailing, day trips to Tulum, snorkeling, etc. However, rain with cooler temperatures was in the weather forecast for our visit so we didn’t book any excursions. Fortunately, the weather was perfect. It was low 80 degrees F with short rain showers. We seriously spent the weekend moving from lounge chairs by the beach, to sitting in the jacuzzi, to sleeping on cozy couches under umbrellas while drinking cocktails. Miami vice, a strawberry daiquiri mixed with pina colada and an extra shot of rum was my drink of choice for the weekend.

Overall I had an amazing and super relaxing weekend in Cancun. My sister and I are already planning a turn trip sometime between Dec- March (the ideal time to visit Cancun.) We hope to check out cenotes and the ruins at Chichen Itza.

Have you done a girls weekend trip somewhere?

Hello world!

Welcome to Adventuring with Ashley. I’m a 30 something year old travel enthusiast. I grew up traveling domestically here in the United States with my family frequently and occasionally internationally. As an adult I’ve continued to travel domestically and always wanted to travel internationally. Unfortunately, in fall of 2018 I lost my mother unexpectedly very suddenly. Before my mom passed away, I would often talk to her about all the places overseas I wanted to visit, and she would encourage me to go but I never went. I was afraid to travel overseas alone, thought international traveling was expensive, had no idea how to plan an international trip, etc. Well, losing my mother reminded me our time on earth isn’t guaranteed. Therefore, I decided to live the life I wanted. In 2019 I traveled all over including Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton Ntaional Park, Morocco twice, London, Barcelona, and Portland Oregon to just name a few. Some of these adventures were alone and some were with friends. So far in 2020 as of March I’ve visited Portland, Oregon and Cancun, Mexico with numerous other adventures planned for the year. So please follow along on my adventures.

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