Wonders of Traveling

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If you’re planning on visiting this stunning city and are wondering what you shouldn’t miss in Venice, make sure to keep on reading. In this article I will tell you all about what you can see in Venice in two days.

See my itinerary on this map:

Trip map created with Wanderlog, for itineraries

Day 1: Rialto and Piazza San Marco

On our first day in Venice, we stuck to the touristic highlights. Sometimes, these can disappoint, as is the case with for example Manneken Pis in Brussels or The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, but I promise that you won’t be disappointed when visiting Venice’s main attractions.

Walk, explore, discover

Visiting only two things in one day maybe doesn’t sound like much, but a big part of Venice’s charm is that the city itself is one big open air museum. You can spend hours wandering the cosy, narrow streets flanked by colourful stately houses, while you walk over many of the three or four hundred bridges (the official numbers vary) crossing the numerous canals.

The keyword of visiting Venice is “walking”. Walk, walk, walk and walk some more. Explore all the streets, let the city guide you and take you wherever you feel like. Behind every corner there’s something new to admire.

Rialto bridge with gondola — The Rialto Bridge is one of the highlights of Venice

Visit the Rialto bridge from all sides

Somewhere along the way, you’ll find yourself at the Rialto bridge, crossing the Canal Grande. Both the Rialto bridge and Piazza San Marco are very well indicated with yellow signs pointing you in the right direction. So even if you wander off in a small street, or are exploring a new piazza or nook of this city, these yellow signs will tell you how to reach the main attractions of the island.

Make a compulsory stop at the top of the Rialto to take pictures of the Canal Grande, or walk along each side of the canal to take pictures of the Rialto bridge. It’s a sight for sore eyes. Another way to see it, is from above, by going to the Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping mall. Here you can admire the Rialto and the rest of Venice from their rooftop terrace.

Enjoy some amazing Spritz and tasty cichetti at Bussola

Enjoy a Spritz and indulge in cichetti

If all the walking has made you thirsty, make sure to go for a cocktail at Bussola at Campo Bella Vienna, close to the Rialto. The Aperol and Hugo Spritz are to die for. Venice actually has their own type of Aperol Spritz, Select Spritz, made from Select liquor instead of Aperol. It is a bit more bitter than Aperol, so be aware of this if you’re not a big fan of bitter flavours.

In case you’d rather have a nibble, have some cichetti at Al Mercà. Chichetti are basically the Venetian answer to tapas. You order small sandwiches filled with mouth-watering ingredients like truffle cream, brie, spicy sausage and many, many more.

Piazza San Marco

Considering cichetti are fairly small, it’s very well possible you’re still a bit hungry. On the way to Piazza San Marco, you’ll find a delicious gelateria, where you can taste some of Venice’s finest ice cream.

The gelateria is called Gelatoteca Suso, and when we walked past we were immediately lured in by flavours like Mimosa, Cheesecake, Chocolate and almonds, and more. Also, the queue consisting of only Italians, told us the ice cream must be good. Believe me, it was some of the best I’ve ever had, so make sure to stop by Suso!

Piazza San Marco is located less than 10 minutes away from Gelatoteca Suso. Venice’s most popular square has a lot to offer: the gorgeous Basilica di San Marco, museo San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, etc. You can visit all of these if you’d like. We admired them from the outside and continued towards the Ponte dei Sospiri, another one of Venice’s main attractions.

One warning: if you’re planning on having a drink or a bite of food on Piazza San Marco, be aware it will cost you a lot. Some of the places offer live music, which you end up paying for. A simple cappuccino can set you back as much as €25! Opt for some of the bars and restaurants in the side streets instead, they are much cheaper.

Chances are, you’ll already be quite tired from walking all day and you’ll be looking into where to get your next Spritz or some more of those cichetti…

Day 2: Murano and Burano

On day two you can take the opportunity to explore some of the neighbouring islands. Two of the most famous ones are called Murano and Burano, which are famous in their own right.

Getting from Venice to Murano and Burano is fairly easy thanks to the ferries. The best way to get there is to leave from the ferry station Fondamenta Nove. From here you can choose between several different lines (3, 4.1, 7, 12, 13 & 18) which stop at Murano. The trip only takes about 10 minutes.

Man blowing glass — Murano is known for its glass

Admire a glass blower at work in Murano

Murano is known for its glass production. In this cosy little town with colourful houses, you can watch the glassblowers as they showcase their talent and make the most gorgeous sculptures, glasses, bowls, plates and much more.

There are dozens of different shops selling all kinds of goods made out of glass, and you’ll be amazed at how skilled these craftsmen are. I promise you, it’ll be difficult to leave Murano without buying a little something in glass for yourself.

Murano glass isn’t cheap, at least not if you’ve got your eye on something bigger, like a glass bowl or vase. These can cost more than €60, so it’s not for everyone’s budget. Luckily, all shops also sell smaller items, such as little gondola’s or animals made out of glass. These don’t cost as much and you can buy a small souvenir for as little as €5.

The colourful houses of Burano have become a tourist destination thanks to Instagram

Admire the gorgeous and colourful houses of Burano

From the Murano ferry stop “Murano Faro”, you can take the ferry (line 12) to Burano. This stretch takes a bit longer, around 30 minutes. Burano has mainly gotten popular in the last couple of years, thanks to Instagram (of course). When setting foot on Burano island, it becomes clear almost immediately why this town has shot to fame on the “Gram”.

All the houses on this island are painted in the most gorgeous, bright colours. It’s hard to describe how beautiful the colours were, and pictures don’t even do it justice.

Just like Murano, Burano isn’t that big, so it probably won’t take you too much time to stroll through it. However, the island has lots of cosy cafés where you can order another Spritz or nibble on a cichetto as you admire the gorgeous houses. It’s definitely worth the detour.

Afterwards, you can just hop on the next ferry back to Fondamenta Nove and you’re back on your way to Venice. At this point, your time in this beautiful city will be coming to a close, but make sure to enjoy the last couple of hours you have by exploring the cosy, small streets even more.

Cathedral in Venice — Behind every corner hides a new piazza, bridge, cosy street

To end your visit: explore a bit more

As I said before, a big part of Venice’s charm is walking the streets and admiring every alley, corner, house, bridge and canal. The city definitely has lots of highlights to offer, but for me personally, you get the best image of Venice by walking as much as possible.

Two days is a decent amount of time in Venice, but I assure you that you won’t be ready to go home yet. Venice, to me, is a city I want to keep on going back to, despite having been there several times before. It has this magical spell which makes you want to come back for more. And I’m sure you’ll be vowing to yourself to come back one day in the near future.

Tips:

Have an ice cream at Gelatoteca Suso
Enjoy the cichetti at Al Mercà close to the Rialto Bridge
Try a Spritz at Bussola
Go for a tasty dinner at Muro San Stae
If by any chance, you crave steak in Venice, make sure to go to Al Grill
You can buy your ferry tickets at one of the many stations (either at the till or the ticket machine)
Try a tramezzino (triangle sandwich)
If you’re visiting Venice in off season, consider taking a gondola. Before May 1st, they cost €40 for a 25 minute ride, compared to €80 during high season

]]> Best Time To Visit St. John Island https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2021/05/16/best-time-to-visit-st-john-island/ Sun, 16 May 2021 15:34:54 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2602 St. John in the Virgin Islands is known as the best place to travel in this small group of islands in the Caribbean. If you want to go there, you’ll want to find the best St. John Ultimate Villas for your stay.

It’s best to visit St. John when you’re most likely to have perfect weather. The island has temperatures from the low 70s to high 80s all year. The most rain tends to fall from June to November, with the peak between September and November.

So, you may find the best time to visit this island paradise is from December to March. You can expect hot but not scorching weather and minimal rain. You’ll always be able to take a dip in the cooler ocean waters anytime.

Note that high season because of the best weather is in the winter. So you can expect to have higher prices and more crowds at this time of year. But you can look for deals in January right after Christmas as there tends to be a slump in visitors. Note that February is by far the busiest month, so make sure you book your villa well in advance.

Picture of St John, Virgin Islands — St John, Virgin Islands

Off season in the Virgin Islands happens as temperatures warm in North America. Many assume that the Virgin Islands will be too hot to enjoy in the spring. But the temperature is fairly consistent year round because of the trade winds. There is only about 5 degrees difference between winter and summer.

If you are looking for a deal, you may want to look between April and December. You can see hotel rates cut by 50%. Also, you won’t see as many crowds at beaches, swimming pools, and restaurants.

When you go to St. John, you will mostly be there for the beaches. It’s hard to describe how perfect the beaches are. Trunk Bay is one of the most photographed beaches in the world, and you will enjoy the white sand and blue green water. The whole North Shore of the island has gorgeous beachfront and many beautiful reefs and snorkeling.

You will enjoy every moment that you stay on St. John and enjoy your beautiful villa. Remember that if you want the best weather, come between December and February, but that is when it is most crowded. You might have more rain in the summer, but you will see fewer people.

]]> Winter hike to Monte Faiè https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2021/02/25/winter-hike-to-monte-faie/ Thu, 25 Feb 2021 16:31:05 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2582 In times like these, when COVID has the whole world in its grip, we tend to take any chance we get to do anything that resembles normal life. So when the province I live in, Piemonte, went into a yellow zone, we immediately took advantage of the opportunity to travel within our region. We went for a little weekend getaway to Lago Maggiore. And since I love hiking, we decided to squeeze in a hike during our short weekend trip. Destination: Monte Faiè. Today I will tell you all about this hike and how to get there.

Monte Faiè

Monte Faiè is located on the Piemontese side of Lago Maggiore. The mountain stands tall at 1352 metres and overlooks not only Lago Maggiore but also Lago di Merluzzo, a smaller neighbouring lake, and Lago d’Orta. It’s the ideal hike for anyone who loves gorgeous lake views.

How to get there?

If you want to hike up to Monte Faiè, there are two ways to go about it:

Option 1: Alpe Ompio
If you leave from Alpe Ompio, the hike takes about 2.5 hours round trip and you have to hike up about 400 metres (dislevel).
Option 2: Bracchio
The second option is longer and more strenuous. If you leave from Bracchio, the hike takes 5 hours round trip and you hike up 1000 metres.

Since we wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, and not being locked up in our flat, we chose the 2nd option. Therefore, the information you find below is only applicable to this hike leaving from Bracchio.

Starting point of the hike

Bracchio is a small town 11 km (+/- 15 min) away from Verbania. You have to keep following Via Bracchio until you reach one of the two parking lots just before Trattoria il Risottino.

Here you can park for free the whole day, which is always handy. From the parking lot to the start of the hike, it takes about 10 minutes. You keep following Via Bracchio until the end and then take a right towards the church. Here you pass either left or right by the church and then keep following the road (Via Zanotti). You then turn left towards Via Montebello I and you have arrived at the start of the hike.

Once you reach the start of the hike, you will see a sign pointing both left and right to get to Monte Faiè. Having done both (we took left to hike up and came back the other way), I would suggest following the left sign (A52). This trail is a lot more scenic and you aren’t constantly walking in the forest.

1st part of the hike: Towards Vercio

The viewpoint from Vercio boasts gorgeous views

During the first part of the hike you will still mainly be walking in between the trees, but from time to time you see the lakes looming in the background. It will be hard not to turn around to take in the gorgeous views, but luckily there are several viewpoints along the way where you can stop and enjoy the landscape.

From Bracchio to Alpe Vercio, it takes about 1:15 and once you arrive there, you should make sure to walk up to the viewpoint. Here you already get an an amazing view of all three lakes, but it’s definitely worth to continue hiking up to see the view all the way from the top.

2nd part of the hike: Towards Cromlèch del Monte Faiè

Monte Faie with views of Lago d'Orta in the background — The 2nd part of the hike was quite strenuous

So far, the hike isn’t too strenuous or technically difficult. The second part of the hike becomes a bit more treacherous, especially when you do it in Winter, like we did.

From Vercio towards Cromlèch del Monte Faiè the trail becomes quite a bit steeper and zigzags up the flank of the mountain. After about half an hour after leaving Vercio, you turn the corner and from here it becomes very steep. We didn’t have any sticks with us and we basically crawled our way up the snowy hillside, using trees and branches to pull ourselves up (note to self: buy sticks!).

At this point we realised that going down this way wouldn’t be the best idea, so we decided we were going to do the whole Monte Faiè loop to get back to Bracchio. This part, towards the crest, took us about another 30 minutes. However, I’m sure that in Summer this normally doesn’t take as long.

3d part of the hike: Towards Monte Faiè

Monte Faie view from the top — The view from the top of Monte Faiè is gorgeous

Once we reached the crest, relieved we managed to scramble our way up, we were convinced Monte Faiè was just behind the next hill. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. We hiked over several hills before we reached the actual summit and sat down for lunch. Despite the efforts and the aching muscles, the view was absolutely worth it!

We arrived at the top about 2:45 after leaving the car park. As I said before, I’m sure it doesn’t take as long during Summer when you don’t have to plough your way through snow and the trail is easier to find.

The descent

After a refreshing (literally, our hands were freezing and shaking) stop and lunch, we decided to not turn around and go back the way we came from. The trail was a bit too slippery for our liking, so we decided to follow the A54 trail back to Bracchio. This way we’d make a loop around the mountain and we wouldn’t have to take the same road back.

This trail is a bit easier, and took us past Alpe Olmio (the other starting point). We realised that this is probably the most popular route to take to get to Monte Faiè but we still felt like the A52 trail was more scenic.

From Alpe Olmio we still had another 1:15-30 to get to the car park. At times the trail isn’t indicated that well, so it doesn’t hurt to have maps.me downloaded (since this works much better for hikes than Google Maps).

By the time we reached the car, our legs were shaking and quaking. No surprise, we hadn’t done any other hikes to warm up, we went straight from sitting on the couch all the time to hiking up and down 1000 metres in about 5 hours.

Conclusion

It took our bodies a whole week to no longer ache, but it was so worth it. I’m sure the pictures will give you a pretty good idea why. If you’re ever around Lago Maggiore, I would definitely recommend this hike. Even if you’re not the biggest hiker, it’s possible to reach Monte Faiè with less effort. In that case, I would advise leaving from Alpe Olmio. You’ll still be rewarded with those gorgeous views at the top.

If you do leave from Bracchio, like we did, I would advise to for sure take route A52 to hike up. Also, if you end up hiking up there in Winter: make sure to bring sticks, you won’t regret it.

Have you ever hiked around Lago Maggiore? Do you have any tips for my next visit? Please feel free to leave a comment!

Want to know more about what you can do in Piemonte? Read my blog about things to do in Torino, the capital city of Piemonte!

]]> Visiting The Iguazu Waterfalls: The Ultimate Guide https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2020/06/02/visiting-the-iguazu-waterfalls-the-ultimate-guide/ Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:18:50 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2560 Do you also find yourself daydreaming about your next holiday? Maybe you’re thinking about a trip to Argentina and would like to see the Iguazu Waterfalls. In this blog post I will tell you more about what to expect and how to prepare for your visit.

Disclaimer: this post is based on my visit to the Iguazu Waterfalls in January, 2019.

HOW TO GET TO THE IGUAZU WATERFALLS?

From Buenos Aires you can take a plane to Puerto Iguazu. The flight time is around 1.5 hours. Puerto Iguazu is the gateway to visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls from the Argentinian side.

Did you know that these waterfalls are spread across three countries? You can also visit them from Brazil or Paraguay. I only went to the Argentinian side, but I can testify that the waterfalls are spectacular from this side.

WHERE TO STAY?

I would advise staying in Puerto Iguazu. This city is located about 30 minutes from the waterfalls and has good connections to the Iguazu National Park.

HOW TO REACH THE FALLS FROM PUERTO IGUAZU?

There are several ways to get to the National Park from Puerto Iguazu. The easiest and fastest way is by taking a taxi.

If you’re traveling on a budget, you might be more inclined to take the bus. In that case, you need to go to the bus station of Puerto Iguazu. Several buses leave from here to the waterfalls. Be aware: the bus stop mentioned on the bus is called ‘Cataratas’, not Iguazu Waterfalls.

We paid €3 per person for a one way ticket. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes from the station to the park entrance.

HOW MUCH DOES AN ENTRANCE TICKET COST?

Once you reach the entrance, you have to queue to get a ticket. I will already warn you in advance: you will be doing a lot of queueing and waiting when visiting the Iguazu Falls.

The entrance tickets sets you back €16.50 per person. You will also receive a ticket for the first train. Train, I hear you say? Yes, you have to take trains to get around the park. It’s also possible to walk, but this takes quite a lot of time.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR VISIT?

As I just mentioned, you will be doing a lot of waiting. This is because you have to wait for the train to take you to the central station (Cataratas station).

Once you reach the central station, you can either start several hikes, or you can choose to go to the Devil’s Throat. This is the closest you get to the waterfalls.

To get there, you have to queue for another ticket. The train to Devil’s Throat leaves every 15 minutes. By the time we were waiting for the train to Devil’s Throat, we were already inside the park for two (!) hours. At this point we hadn’t seen any water yet.

When it was finally our turn to get on the train to Devil’s Throat, it only took about 20 minutes to get there. From the Garganta train station, you need to walk for about 30 minutes to get to the Devil’s Throat itself.

You will be walking on suspension bridges that cross the river. The walk is 1 kilometer long. Be aware that you will have to share the view with hundreds of other people. Everyone is fighting for the best spot to see the waterfalls.

This means that it’s not easy to get a picture of the waterfalls. You can opt to get a professional picture taken, for €8. After you’ve admired the view, you need to walk back to the Devil Throat’s station to queue for another ticket and wait for the next train to the central station.

Then you can opt to go on a hike from the central station, or go back to the main entrance. Once again: you need to queue for a ticket and wait for the train.

WHICH HIKES CAN YOU DO IN IGUAZU?

From the central station you can go on several different hikes. The most popular hikes are the superior and inferior circuits. If you go on these hikes, you see the waterfalls from above (superior) and below (inferior).

Superior circuit

This hike gives you a panoramic view of the waterfalls from the upper walkways. On the way you will see parts of the inferior circuit and you will be able to see the Brazilian national park as well.

The walkway is approximately 1.75km long and will take around 1.5 – 2 hours. The hike is relatively easy, you don’t have to mount any stairs. The only thing you have to take into account is the humidity.

Inferior circuit

This hike takes you to ground level so you can admire the waterfalls from below. You will walk through the jungle which means you can enjoy the local fauna and flora (and spiders).

This hike also takes in between 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on if you walk the long or short loop. The inferior circuit is 1.7km long and the difficulty is medium to high. There are some steep stretches and you have to climb up stairs.

Other hikes

You can also find the following hikes in the Iguazu National Park:

Macuco trail: 7.7km – 3 hours
Devil’s throat (from Garganta station): 2.2km – 2 hours
Green trail: 655m – 30 minutes
Isla San Martin: 700m – only reachable by boat first

CAN YOU DO A BOAT TRIP TO THE IGUAZU FALLS?

Would you like to get even closer than the Devil’s Throat? Are you not afraid of getting wet? Then a boat trip to the waterfalls is the best option for you.

This is the priciest way to visit the waterfalls (think around €100). You can book them through a travel agency. We didn’t do this since it was a bit too expensive. But if you want to get up close, this is the best way to do it.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to reach out below!

]]> What to do in Turin, Italy https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2020/01/23/what-to-do-in-turin-italy/ Thu, 23 Jan 2020 18:19:25 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2530 For the last 4 months I’ve been living in the Alpine city of Torino in Italy. I’ve spent a lot of hours exploring the beautiful streets of Turin. Of course, I still haven’t seen and done everything there is to do or see, but I still wanted to share my favourite spots and activities with you.

Explore the beautiful piazze

Italian cities are known for their gorgeous town or city squares (or “piazze” in Italian). Whether it’s Piazza San Marco in Venice, Piazza Del Campo in Siena or Piazza del Duomo in Milan. Italy boasts hundreds of gorgeous squares. Turin also has several amazing piazze that are worth a visit. After all, Turin was Italy’s first capital!

Some of the most beautiful squares of Turin are located quite close to each other. I would recommend going to Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Castello. Both squares are connected by Via Roma, the shopping street where you’ll find high-brow fashion stores. After visiting these two piazze, I would suggest walking along Via Po to Piazza Vittorio Veneto. All three squares are located in the city centre, so they will give you the chance to explore Turin’s most remarkable spots and highlights.

Enjoy the Alpine views

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Today it’s been exactly 3 months since we moved to Turin. It’s been so nice so far! It’s a beautiful city full of amazing people! #turin #torino #italy #piemonte #mountainview #italia

A post shared by Jolene Follens (@wondersoftraveling) on Dec 7, 2019 at 5:03am PST

The city of Turin is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. The Alps are only about an hour drive away. This means you can get amazing views of the mountains from the city centre.

There are several ways to admire the Alpine views. There is the Monte dei Cappuccini, easily reachable from both Via Po and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II on foot. Once you reach the foot of the hill it only takes you 10-15 minutes to walk up. You can also drive up, but the roads are narrow and parking spaces are limited. Also, walking up makes the views so much more worth it, no? Once you reach the top of the Monte dei Cappuccini, you’ll get a gorgeous view over Torino, its most famous landmark the Mole Antonelliana and the Alps.

A second option to see the beautiful Alps, is to go to the Superga. Superga is a hill located a little bit outside of the city centre. It is very easily reachable by car and by tram. From Piazza Castello you can take tram 15 which brings you to the foot of the hill. Here you can take a funicular up for €9 round trip (during the weekend). The ride up takes about 20 minutes. The Superga boasts gorgeous views of Torino and the Alps.

Another option (but definitely not the last one), is going up the Mole Antonelliana. As I mentioned before, this is the main landmark of Turin. The Mole houses the National Cinema Museum, which is definitely a must see. It also houses a lift which brings you to the top and allows you to see the beautiful surroundings of Turin. Tickets cost €11.

Visit one of the many museums

Speaking of the Cinema Museum, Torino is home to lots of different museums and palazzi. One of the most famous museums is the Egyptian Museum, which has been around since 1824. A visit to this museum will set you back €15. Here you will see lots of artifacts dating back to Ancient Egypt. There are also several mummies on display and lots of amazing statues.

The Cinema Museum is also worth a visit. A ticket costs €15 as well (including a trip up to the top of the Mole). The museum guides you through the history of cinema and shows you what happens behind the camera. It’s spread out over several floors and is very interactive.

Another interesting museum is the Museum of the Italian Risorgimento. Although, you can take “interesting” with a pinch of salt here. It all depends on whether or not you’re interested in Italian history. I, for one, am so I enjoyed exploring this museum which tells you all about Italian history and the unification in the 19th century. You also get to see the very first parliament of Italy and the bedroom of the first Kings of Italy.

Museums in Turin aren’t particularly cheap, which is why it might be interesting to get the Museum Card. This card costs €52 and allows you multiple entries to all museums in Turin. Other interesting and notable museums are: The Lavazza Museum, Juventus Museum and Venaria Reale.

Stroll around in the beautiful parks

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To be fair, I haven’t explored that many parks yet during my time here. But I really like Parco del Valentino and felt like it was worth mentioning. This park is located along the riverside of the Po. In this park you’ll find a museum, castle and a Medieval village. It’s the ideal spot to unwind for a bit or go for a walk. I especially liked walking through Parco del Valentino to Ponte Isabella and walking back on the other side of the Po. From Ponte Isabella you spot the Mole one one side and mountains on the other.

Cheer on Juventus or Toro

After living in Malta for 3 years, it was nice to finally be able to attend a football game of high level again. I personally root for Juve, so I loved going to the Allianz Stadium to watch Cristiano Ronaldo, Dybala, Buffon, etc. play in real life. As you can imagine, tickets for a Juventus game don’t come cheap, but it’s definitely worth it.

While Juventus might be the most known football team of Turin, it definitely isn’t the only one they have. Turin is divided in die-hard Juve and Toro fans. Watching Toro, or Torino, play doesn’t set you back as much as watching Juventus. You can get tickets for around €20 and you still get to see big teams play (Napoli, Roma, Inter, etc.). The stadium is also located relatively central compared to the Allianz Stadium and can easily be reached on foot or by tram.

Indulge in delicious Italian food

A trip to Italy wouldn’t be complete without sampling some of the best food Italy has to offer! After 4 months here, I can tell you: I haven’t had one bad meal yet. The cuisine in Torino is delicious. I’ve had some of the best pizza and ice cream in Turin. Here I’ll share some of my favourite places (this is only a short list since I haven’t been to that many restaurants yet. I try to avoid eating out too often since living in Italy usually leads to gaining weight).

Amici Miei: located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, this pizzeria has everything you want: tasty pizza at very reasonable prices. Not only is the pizza delicious, also the pasta and salads are to die for.
Pizzium: located on Largo IV Marzo and Via Eusebio Bava. Here you won’t find the typical Italian pizza like prosciutto e funghi, margherita, quattro stagioni. The pizza here are named after the different Italian provinces. They are a bit more pricey than at Amici Miei, but they’re finger-licking good.
Fratelli Pummarò: located in Via Principe Tommaso. This is one of my favourite pizzerie in Turin. The pizza is amazing, the service fast and the prices cheap. What more do you want?
Volver: okay, this is not an Italian restaurant but it’s too good to not mention. Here you can indulge in Argentinian cuisine. The empanades, cheeses, steaks, dulce de leche, everything was amazing.
Lucco: this gelateria is also located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Here you’ll taste some of the most delicious ice cream you have ever had in your life. I can personally attest to that, and I’ve had plenty of ice cream in my life (believe me!). It’s out of this world.

Once I’ve done more exploring, I will update this post to share my favourite spots, eateries and things to do. Keep checking for future updates!

]]> 24 hours in Zürich https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2020/01/03/24-hours-in-zurich/ Fri, 03 Jan 2020 08:09:26 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2510 Having friends who live all over Europe is definitely a blessing. Last November, I travelled to Zurich to visit one of my friends who lives there. Is it worth visiting a beautiful city like Zürich when you only have 24 hours to do sightseeing? Definitely! Curious to read what I did? In this article, I will guide you through my 24-hour itinerary.

Disclaimer: since I travelled on a low budget, Switzerland isn’t exactly known as a wallet-friendly destination, I mainly got everywhere by walking. This means that my itinerary here is primarily based on things I did on foot. I also didn’t sit down for drinks or lunch, since I opted to go to the supermarket instead. This way I managed to keep my spending in check. I only paid for the train to Üetliberg and the metro.

Üetliberg

If you’re starting your visit from Zürich Central Station, I would advise you to first of all head to Üetliberg. From the Central Station you can easily reach this mountain by taking the S10. This train takes you to Üetliberg in only 20 minutes. A return ticket sets you back 17.60 CHF.

Once you reach the Üetliberg, you still need to walk uphill for about 10-15 minutes. The view from the mountain is absolutely gorgeous. You get to see the city, Lake Zürich and the Alps in the background, all at once! Make sure to take your time up there because you will want to admire the view from all sides.

Old town Zürich

Up next: explore the Old Town. From Zürich Central Station, cross the Bahnhofbrücke in the direction of the Niederdorfstrasse. Here you can stroll through the cosy and narrow streets which are full of colourful houses and fancy stores. In this street you’ll also find tons of fondue restaurants. If you would like to try some typical Swiss fondue, I would advise to book a table. The Old Town can get very busy in the evening, so in order to avoid disappointment make sure to make a reservation.

From Niederdorfstrasse you can walk down to the Limmatquai where you get a gorgeous view of the river flanked by beautiful medieval houses. Here I would advise to cross over to the other side of the river to visit the Lindenhof Hill. From this hill you get a beautiful view of the city. Afterwards you can walk along the Limmat river towards Lake Zürich.

Walk along Lake Zürich

Since Lake Zürich is 40 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide, it’s not possible to walk around it. You can, however, choose to walk along the lakeshore. Keep walking straight ahead once you reach the Quaibrücke, in the direction of the Chinese Garden.

The walk along the lake is gorgeous. There’s a pedestrian walkway, so you don’t have to be worried about cars driving by. I would advise to walk towards Lake Side Restaurant where you get a gorgeous view of the lake and the Alps in the background. From the bridge to the restaurant it takes about 25 minutes.

Eat Swiss fondue

After all this walking and sightseeing, you’re probably starving. What better way than to finish of your 24 hour trip in Zürich than with some typical Swiss fondue? Just a reminder: Swiss fondue might not be the same as the one you’re used to. The Swiss eat fondue with alcohol in it. Restaurants will offer both versions, however if you want to enjoy fondue the proper Swiss way, you should try it with alcohol.

Like I said earlier, you’ll find tons of restaurants in the Old Town. We went to Le Dézaley where we paid around €35 for a fondue with bread and drinks. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but hey, it is Switzerland after all.

]]> How to Spend your day in Thailand https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2020/01/01/how-to-spend-your-day-in-thailand/ Wed, 01 Jan 2020 17:19:03 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2500 Thailand is a gorgeous country consisting of seventy-seven provinces, and each of them is worth visiting. One year would a more reasonable time frame if you want to explore every nook and corner, but you can revisit that dream another time. Whether you’re travelling for work or other personal reasons, don’t let the scarcity of time keep you from having the time of your life.

Travelling to different cities would be exhausting and tiresome when you only have twenty-four hours to spare. Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and the Phi Phi Islands are among the most popular destinations among tourists. This one day itinerary is going to be all about Bangkok, as it is the capital of the country and the hub for foreign visitors.

When you’re in Bangkok, it is best to keep your passport handy at all times to avoid getting into trouble with security or police. Also, avoid participating in any gambling during your short stay, as the government bans it. There are secret casinos around the city, but getting caught will result in criminal charges and jail time.

If you have a choice, try to visit Thailand during December or January. The country is hot and humid throughout the year, but these two months are comparatively cooler. Also, you may receive a pleasant surprise if you love rainfall, because rain in Thailand is unpredictable and can come along any day.

Hotels in the city are mostly affordable and I do not advise you to go for something too lavish anyway. A comfy bed and Wi-Fi is pretty much all you will need. You must make the best of your day through sightseeing, instead of lounging in a hotel room. The BTS Sky train and the MRT subway are cheap and convenient for roaming the city. You can also try the express boats, tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxi), or other local cabs if you are feeling adventurous.

Start your day with an amazing cup of hand-brewed coffee at ‘Gallery Trip Coffee’ in the Pathum Wan district. The shop is situated on the first floor of Bangkok’s Art and culture center, so have a look around if that’s your niche. After getting the necessary caffeine fix paired with a light breakfast, it is time to get over with the main tourist attractions because those places are mostly deserted during the early hours.

The Grand Place, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun have outstanding architecture, and taking a round of the grounds and open temples will be a serene experience. It is better to dress conservatively to avoid being disrespectful to the local culture. Treating yourself to a mini cruise is a must in Bangkok, so take a boat tour of the Chao Phraya river and relax. If you are particularly interested in seeing more temples, you can get an endless variety; just ask around for different locations.

After the refreshing tour of the river, you shall head towards Khao San road, which is a market for everything. It is the best place to run into other travelers, do some thrift shopping and indulge in unique street foods. If you still have ample time, hurry off to explore the famous floating market and China town of Bangkok. The floating market will offer the best of Thai cuisine, and China town is full of interesting trinkets/souvenirs to take back home.

Bangkok is also home to the most luxurious shopping malls of the world, where you can shop, eat, and find various sources of entertainment. MBK center, Siam Paragon, and Terminal 21 are among the top malls of the city. Finally, you can return to the hotel after spending every ounce of energy and probably the last penny of your budget. Don’t forget to take photos and conserve the great memories!

]]> Two weeks in Cuba: itinerary & handbook https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/09/15/two-weeks-in-cuba-itinerary-handbook/ Sun, 15 Sep 2019 14:12:01 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2470 Cuba… The land of cigars, rum and Che Guevara. The country that has been standing still in time. It’s no wonder it attracts many tourists, such as myself.

If you’re thinking about traveling to Cuba but you’re not sure how to go about it, you have come to the right place. You can find all the answers to your questions here.

Disclaimer: this blogpost is based on my visit to Cuba in August 2018.

2 WEEKS IN CUBA ITINERARY

We spent 2 weeks in Cuba and frankly, we could’ve stayed at least another week, maybe two. Cuba is a very versatile country and it’s impossible to see everything in 2 weeks time.

In our 2 weeks in Cuba, we only managed to cover the north/west of the country. We didn’t go down south to Santiago or Holguin. The itinerary you can find here only focuses on the north/west of Cuba.

Havana (day 1 – 3)

Most likely you will arrive in Havana when you fly to Cuba. The capital city is vibrant, lively and very colourful. All the stereotypes you’ve seen on tv or on the internet are true: you will see colourful houses, you will spot tons of oldtimers cruising the streets and you will see old ladies smoking cigars in the streets.

Havana is a gorgeous city which deserves at least 3 days. We stayed a couple of days in Havana at the beginning and at the end of our trip to Cuba. Keep on reading to discover what to see and do in Havana.

Varadero (day 4-5)

After Havana, I’d recommend going to Varadero. Varadero is a beach town which boasts some of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever seen. We had just come from Yucatan/Quintana Too, also known for gorgeous beaches, and we were still impressed with Varadero’s beach.

Here I’d suggest staying 2 days, which gives you enough time to relax on the beach and explore the small town of Varadero.

Santa Clara (day 6)

After Varadero, you can travel down south to Santa Clara. I would only recommend spending 1 day in Santa Clara since there isn’t really that much to do.

People usually travel to Santa Clara to see the Che Guevara memorial, which is definitely worth a stop. But other than that, there wasn’t that much happening. We also went to the “Che with child” statue, but to be honest, it wasn’t that impressive.

Trinidad (day 7 – 9)

The next stop is Trinidad. This gorgeous, colorful and cosy cobble-stoned town has to be on your Cuba itinerary.

I’d recommend spending 3 days in Trinidad, since I felt like I couldn’t get enough of this city!

Vinales (day 10 – 12)

After Trinidad, I’d recommend spending 3 days in Vinales. Vinales is known for its mogotes, hills composed of limestone, marble or dolomite. In Vinales you get a chance to do some gorgeous walks and enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature.

Havana (day 13-14)

After Vinales, it’s time to go back to Havana because your two weeks are almost over!

Like I said, two weeks in Cuba is actually not enough time. Before you know it, it’ll be time to go back home and you’ll leave Cuba wanting more.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

After quickly going over the 2 week itinerary, I want to go a bit more into detail about what to see and do in every city/town.

Havana

Havana is such a nice city which screams exploring. We spent 5 days in Havana and couldn’t get enough. Here are some things you should definitely include in your Havana visit:

Old Havana

The main highlight of Havana is Old Havana. As the name suggests, this is the core of the original city of Havana. Old Havana is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Here you can find lots of amazing squares, cosy streets and vibrant bars and restaurants. It’s a great place to stay, but it’s a bit on the pricier side. Main attractions include Castello del Morro, La Cabaña fortress, San Salvador de la Punta Fortress, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Catedral de San Cristobal, the Capitol, Plaza de Armas, Gran Teatro de la Havana, Museum of the Revolution and San Francisco de la Habana Basilica.

Exploring the cosy streets of Old Havana will probably take you at least a day, maybe even two.

Malécon

Another main highlight of Havana is Malécon. The Malécon is an 8-kilometre long promenade which stretches along the coastline. It goes from Havan Harbor all the way to the mouth of the Almendares River. It’s a lovely coastal walk which will take several hours of your day. Along the Malécon you will spot many oldtimers cruising the streets.

Cristo de la Habana

We also visited the Cristo de la Habana statue. To get there you need to take a ferry from Havan Harbor to Casa Blanca. When you hike up to the statue you will be treated to a gorgeous view over the city.

Plaza de la Revolución

Another highlight is the Plaza de la Revolución. This is where Fidel Castro (and other political figures) addressed the people of Cuba. The main attraction of the square is the monument for José Marti. Opposite of the José Marti memorial, you can see two buildings which steel memorials of the two most important figures of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos

Varadero

The main attraction in Varadero is the beach. This isn’t really an adventurous destination. People go here to tan and to swim in the gorgeous azure blue water.

You can also take a hop on/hop off tour which takes you through all of Varadero. It’s not the most exciting hop on/hop off tour I’ve ever done, but by taking this bus we discovered the Beatles Bar. This place is full of Beatles memorabilia and is a very nice spot to go for a drink. They also have live music 3-4 times a week, which is very fun.

Santa Clara

To be honest, Santa Clara isn’t the most interesting stop. We stayed here for 2 days but both agreed 1 day would’ve been more than enough. The main (and frankly only) attraction of Santa Clara is the Che Guevara Mausoleum. This is the resting place of Che Guevara and 29 of his fellow combatants who died in 1967 in Bolivia.

Trinidad

Trinidad was one of my personal favourites in Cuba. It’s a relatively small city, but it’s so lovely. I loved the cobblestoned streets, the coloured houses and cosy streets. The city centre is such a delight. It’s one of those places where you can just get lost in the streets.

While we were in Trinidad we also went on a horse riding tour. The tour took half a day and took us through the gorgeous Cuban landscape and nature all the way to a beautiful waterfall. Despite the painful legs/butt, it’s definitely worth a try!

You can also choose to go to the beach, Playa Ancon, which is probably one of the most famous beaches in Cuba. It’s not as nice as the beach in Varadero but it’s still a nice way to kill some time.

Viñales

Viñales is also not the biggest town, but it boasts some amazing views on the mogotes. The best view is seen from Hotel Los Jazmines. Here you can go for a swim or enjoy a drink while taking in the gorgeous views.

Vinales Valley in Cuba — The view from Hotel Los Jazmines in Vinales

In Viñales you also have the option to take a hop on/hop off tour (5 CUC per person) which takes you past the biggest attractions of the area. The bus makes a 90 minute continuous loop throughout Viñales valley. It stops at Hotel Los Jazmines, a tobacco plantation, the Indio Cave (which you can visit), prehistoric mural and ziplining.

CURRENCY

CUP vs CUC

In Cuba, they use two types of currencies: CUP and CUC.

CUP is the currency used by locals and is worth 25 times less than CUC. 1 CUC equals 1 dollar, which makes it very easy to keep track of how much you spend.

The locals get paid in CUP while all consumer goods are priced in CUC. I know, it sounds very confusing. But actually, it wasn’t that confusing at all. We were a bit worried we’d get scammed out of our money. We imagined paying in CUC and getting CUP back (and who can keep track when it’s worth 25 times less?)

Luckily, whenever we paid in CUC, we always received CUC back. You’ll notice that the locals pay a lot less than foreigners. For example, the entrance to the zoo in Havana was 3 CUC for foreigners and 3 CUP for locals.

We didn’t have any issues withdrawing money and frankly, our worries were really unnecessary.

INTERNET

As you probably know, the internet situation in Cuba is a bit dodgy. You won’t find any wifi at your hotel or your casa particular.

The only option to get wifi is by going to the ETECSA store where you can buy cards which grant you access to the internet for 1 hour. These cards cost about 1-2 CUC and can be used close by the ETECSA tower. People usually gather at the main squares of the town you’re staying in and surf there for an hour.

You will notice that the queues for the ETECSA store will be almost never-ending. There actually is an alternative. There are people at the parks or squares who will sell them to you for a little markup.

HOW TO GET AROUND:

Bus

The most known company to use as a tourist is Viazul. This bus company drives between the major cities. However, I would advise you to take some precautions when travelling with Viazul.

Book in advance

Firstly, I would advise you to book your tickets in advance. Initially, we wanted to travel to Vinales from Havana, which is quite a popular route. When we asked at the bus station to get tickets for 4 days later, everything was fully booked already. We decided to switch our itinerary around and go to Varadero instead. We paid €5 per person for a 2 hour drive.

Be flexible and patient

Be flexible when travelling by bus through Cuba is the main thing to remember. We booked our tickets to Varadero, showed up at the bus station at 3.30 PM (our bus left at 4). By 8 PM we were still waiting for our bus to arrive. There was no information, no updates, no nothing. Plenty of people who were supposed to take the bus with us opted for a private driver to Varadero instead.

When we wanted to leave Varadero to go to Santa Clara, once again we had problems with Viazul. There were no more tickets available when we asked at the ticket counter in Varadero. Instead, we opted to go for a private taxi.

As you can tell from our personal experience, travelling with Viazul is always a bit of an adventure. Will you be able to get tickets? If so, will the bus show up? It might not be the ideal way to get around if you’re short on time.

Private driver

Another way to get around Cuba is by private driver. This driver will take you everywhere you want to go and will essentially travel with you for the duration of your trip. As you can imagine, this option is way more expensive than taking the bus everywhere. Prices are around €80 per day.

You can either book a private driver before leaving for Cuba or you can get one when you arrive in Cuba. There are plenty of Cubans offering their driving services. Most likely, if you wait until you get to Cuba, you will be able to find someone who is willing to drive you around for less money.

If you choose to get a private driver, be aware that you will also have to pay for the driver’s food and accommodation for the duration of your trip.

As you can see, it’s definitely not the cheapest option to get around Cuba. But, it’s a very comfortable way and you get to travel in luxury and style.

Private taxi

When we wanted to travel from Varadero to Santa Clara, there were no more spots on the bus so we decided to get a private taxi. The owner of the casa particular we were staying in, booked the trip for us and we paid around €27 each for the 4-hour drive.

It’s definitely also one of the more expensive ways to get around, but you have the comfort of getting the car to yourself. It might not always be the faster way since our taxi only arrived 2 hours after the scheduled time. They have a very special way of timekeeping in Cuba…

Shared taxi

A last way to get around Cuba is to share a taxi or a collectivo. We shared a taxi on the way back from Vinales to Havana. We paid around €18 per person.

We didn’t know it at the time of booking, but we were going to share the taxi with 7 other people. We were among the first four to be picked up and we assumed maybe 1 or 2 more people would join. However, we stopped another 3 times and the driver kept on adding people to the car.

It was very irresponsible and everyone in the taxi complained. No one was told we were going to be sharing the taxi with this many people. Some people were even told they were going by private taxi…

The whole ride to Havana (about 4 hours), was very uncomfortable. Especially for Simen who is almost 1.90, it was incredibly uncomfortable. The driver was also driving way too fast, we didn’t have any seatbelts, to summarize: I thought I was going to die.

What is the best option?

As you can see, there is no ideal option when it gets to travelling around Cuba.

You either skimp on comfort or on price.

For me personally, I think the option of renting a private taxi was the best one. It still gave us the comfort of having our own car without having to pay crazy prices.

WHERE TO STAY:

When staying in Cuba, you have two options when it comes to accommodation: Casas Particulares and hotels.

Casas Particulares

One of the most popular accommodations in Cuba is casas particulares. This means that you’re staying in the house of local people. The majority of locals rent out a room with bathroom in their house.

The price for a room in a casa particular usually ranges between €22-€27 per night. It’s a very traditional way of staying in Cuba.

You get to meet the locals, who love to talk to you and love to know more about your country. They will be more than happy to tell you about their country and customs.

No need to book in advance

Almost every family in Cuba has at least one extra room they rent out. In Vinales about 85% of the houses are casas particulares.

We didn’t book any room in advance and had absolutely no problem getting a place on the spot.

Sometimes the owner of your casa particular will call ahead and book you a room in the next place you’re going to.

Hotels

Of course you can also choose to stay in hotels in Cuba. I do have to warn you about something though. All hotels have star ratings, and so do Cuban hotels. But their star rating isn’t really based on anything. Apparently, Cuban hotels get to choose themselves how many stars their hotel is, or so we were told by a local.

You can basically compare a 3-star hotel in Cuba with a 1 or 2-star hotel in another country. You won’t get that much luxury in a 3-star hotel in Cuba. If you’re looking for a hotel with lots of amenities and luxury, I would advise to go for at least a 4-star hotel.

2 WEEKS IN CUBA COSTS

We spent 2 weeks travelling through Cuba, we visited Havana, Varadero, Santa Clara, Trinidad and Vinales. I kept meticulous track of how much we spent every day (in dollars) and I divided the costs into the following categories:

Accommodation

During our whole stay in Cuba, we only stayed in Casas Particulares. If you’re planning on staying in a hotel, your costs for accommodation will probably be more expensive.

For 14 nights in casas particulares we spent $329 for 2 people. This comes down to $23.50 per night per room, or $11.75 per person per night.

Transport

As I mentioned before, we travelled a bit with all means of transportation in Cuba. We started by taking the bus, then chose a private taxi and returned to Havana in a shared taxi.

In 14 days we spent $391 on transportation. This includes taxis to and from the airport and transport between cities.

This means we spent on average $28 per day (or $14 per person) on transport.

Food

If you’re expecting to indulge in some tasty Cuban food, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you. Cuban food is actually pretty bland… Good meals were very far and few between, and could mainly be found in Trinidad.

Breakfast is usually included when you’re staying in Casas Particulares. So for 14 lunches and 14 dinners, we spent $500. This comes down to $35 per day for 2 people.

Excursions

Cuba is a country of lots of nice activities. We opted for horse riding in Trinidad, cave exploring in Vinales, visiting the Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara.

For those activities, we paid $67 in 14 days. This means that we paid $33.5 per person.

TOTAL COST

If we add up all the costs I’ve mentioned above, we spent $639 per person on accommodation, food, transport and excursions.

Of course, this isn’t the exact cost of everything we spent in Cuba. I didn’t account for any drinks, grocery shopping or unexpected expenses. When including those costs as well, we spent on average $854 per person for 2 weeks in Cuba.

This means we spent on average $61 per day.

LEAVE A MESSAGE

If you would like to know more or feel like I didn’t touch a certain topic, please feel free to leave a message or get in touch via email!

]]> The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: The Ultimate Guide https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/09/02/the-salkantay-trek-to-machu-picchu-the-ultimate-guide/ Mon, 02 Sep 2019 15:08:47 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2390 Would you like to do the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu but you’re not quite sure what to expect? No worries, you have come to the right place.

This post is about The Salkantay Trek, and talks about which trek to choose, what company to go for and what to expect.

Salkantay Trek Machu Picchu

Disclaimer: this post is based on my experience doing the Salkantay Trek with Salkantay Trekking in September 2018

1. WHAT IS THE SALKANTAY TREK?

If you’re like me, and you like hiking, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is right up your street. There is something about earning your visit to Machu Picchu, instead of just taking the train and bus. Hiking to this new wonder of the world is very rewarding and an amazing experience.

The majority of people opt for the Inca Trail, but the spots for this trek fill up very quickly. There are plenty of alternatives which are as nice, or maybe even nicer. We opted for the Salkantay Trek, which takes you from the snowy Andes mountains, through the Peruvian jungle all the way to Machu Picchu.

The Salkantay Trek is a multiday hike (either 4 or 5 days long) which leaves from Mollepata and finishes in Machu Picchu. You will conquer 72 km in 5 days, climb to 4600 metres altitude (the Salkantay Pass) and descend to Aguas Calientes (the closest town to Machu Picchu).

Your legs will ache and at times you’ll wonder why you signed up for this. But on the last day, all your efforts and pain will be worth it: you will see Machu Picchu with your own eyes.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

2. 4 DAYS VS. 5 DAYS

Like I said earlier, you can do the Salkantay Trek in either 4 or 5 days. What exactly is the difference between these two?

Does the 4-day trek leave from a different starting point?

No. Both the 4 and the 5-day trek leave from Mollepata. The difference is that during the 4-day trek, you will skip the jungle day (day 3). Instead, you will take the bus to the next starting point.

For me personally, the jungle day can easily be skipped since the jungle part isn’t that interesting and day 3 is basically a rest day. During this day you will do 4 hours of hiking, a coffee tour and get a chance to go zip lining or take a dip in the hot springs. It’s not a big loss if you skip this day and opt for a 4-day Salkantay Trek.

3. WHICH COMPANY TO CHOOSE?

As you can imagine, there are plenty of companies to choose from.

We opted for Salkantay Trekking. This is considered one of the pricier ones. Since we were celebrating my birthday, and we were going to see Machu Picchu (the one place I’ve always wanted to go to), we decided to splurge a little bit.

There are plenty of cheaper options available, both online as in Cusco. We booked several months in advance to make sure it didn’t sell out, but once we were in Cusco we realised this wasn’t necessary. There were plenty of companies offering the Salkantay Trek with departures the following days.

These companies offer the trek at a much lower rate (around 150-200 dollars for 5 days). Do keep in mind that this means the overal quality of the trek won’t be as nice. You might be sleeping in tents, the toilet situation might be a bit off, the food might not be as much, etc.

4. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The 5 day/4 night trip with Salkantay Trekking set us back 460 dollars per person. It’s obviously not cheap, but this company will make it worth your while!

What did we get for our 460 dollars?

A guide who accompanied us and the rest of our group along the way.
Two cooks, who prepared a three course meal for every meal.
Daily snacks and drinking water.
You don’t have to carry your big backpacks yourself. Before you leave, you will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by donkeys. The only thing you have to carry while hiking is your daypack.
Some of the most amazing accommodation you’ve ever slept in during a multiday hike. We slept in sky domes, cute jungle huts and hotels. Definitely beats tenting!
Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
Transport: van to the starting point and train/van back to Cusco
Huayna Picchu entrance ticket
Walking poles
Sleeping bags

5. DAY BY DAY: SALKANTAY TREK ITINERARY

Day -1:

The day before you leave for the Salkantay Trek, you will be asked to meet up at the office for a briefing and to meet your team members. You will also receive your duffle bag so you can pack for the next couple of days. Keep reading for tips about what to pack for the Salkantay Trek.

salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1: Mollepata to Soraypampa (8 km)

Your first day will be an early one. At 4 AM you will meet up at the office, from where you will be picked up and driven to Mollepata. The drive takes about 3 hours and you will stop for some breakfast (not included) along the way.

Once you get to the starting point, your guide will hand you some snacks and walking poles. He/She will give you some more information and will warn you that you might feel the effects of altitude sickness. I sure did…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1 is the shortest day of them all: only 8 km and 500 metres dislevel. However, don’t be fooled. You are walking at a very high altitude. I was used to hiking in the Alps and did some hiking in the Himalayas as well, but suddenly I was hit with altitude sickness. I felt nauseous within the first 15 minutes. This didn’t bode well for the rest of the trek… Luckily our guide gave me and other people who were struggling some coca leaves and he made sure to stop regularly so I could catch my breath.

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One of the highlights of the Salkantay Trek was the hike up to Humantay Lake! Absolutely breathtaking! #peru #salkantaytrek #travel #wanderlust #instago #instapassport #travelgirl #travelblogger #latergram #exploretheworld #wonderful_places

A post shared by Jolene Follens (@wondersoftraveling) on Sep 29, 2018 at 2:28pm PDT

After 4 hours of walking you will reach your first camp: the sky domes. This was my favourite accommodation of the whole trek. Once you get there, you will get some lunch and some time to relax. You can either choose to stay at the sky domes or start another hike: to Humantay Lake.

Despite feeling bad, I joined the rest of the group to Humantay Lake. Luckily it takes only 1 hour to get from camp 1 to the lake. You will be rewarded with the most gorgeous views: the lake and Salkantay Mountain!

Here you will get some free time and plenty of time to take amazing pictures. Afterwards, it’s time to go back to camp, enjoy an amazing dinner and get ready for the hardest day of the Salkantay Trek: day 2.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu — Camp 1: Sky domes

Day 2: Soraypampa to Chaullay (24 km)

Rise and shine! You will be woken up at 5 AM for some coca tea and breakfast. You will need the massive amounts of food they will serve you because day 2 takes you to the highest point of the trek: 4600 metres. Not only will you climb the Salkantay Pass, you will also hike for 24 kilometres.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Before starting your day, you will be offered the option of taking a horse up to the pass. However, it feels a lot better if you conquer the Salkantay Pass and the Trail of the Seven Snakes all by yourself!

The start of day 2 isn’t too challenging. The trail slowly makes its way up and you have time to adjust to the altitude. However, once you reach the 7 snakes (or also called “The Gringo Killer”, a set of switchbacks), you will really feel your legs and you might also feel short of breath. The guide will take his/her time to make sure you get past the Gringo Killer. Now you’re already at 4400 metres altitude. Only 200 metres to go to get to the Salkantay Pass!

You will most likely feel the altitude by now and your pace might drop a bit. But no worries, you will get to the Pass! And once you get there, you will be treated to some more coca tea, a sandwich and more snacks.

After about an hour, enough time to relax and take lots of pictures, you will start the descent towards Wayracmachay. Here you will have lunch.

After a tasty lunch, you will descend another 1000 metres until you reach camp 2: the Andean huts. Here, you will get the opportunity to take a shower for 2.50 euro.

Once again you will be treated to a delicious dinner before retreating into your huts.

Day 3: Chaullay to Lucmabamba (13 km)

Day 3 is considered a “resting day“. This is also the day you will skip if you decide to do the 4 day Salkantay Trek.

Don’t be fooled, however, you will still be walking for 4 hours today. Most of the way to Lucmabamba is downhill or flat, with some uphill stretches in between.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

At around 11 AM you the hiking part of the day will already be over.

What will you be doing the rest of the day? Plucking coffee beans to make your own coffee, going ziplining or taking a dip in the hot springs. Your legs will be thankful!

You will spend the night in the jungle domes. You will be very happy to have half a day off because day 4 is another very challenging day…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 4: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes (27 km)

On day 4 you will have to get up even earlier. You will be woken up at 4 AM by the Salkantay Trekking team. But it will be worth it because today you will catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu!

Day 4 is a very long and tiring day. The first part of the day will be heavy and long: you will hike up 800 metres on a steep hill. After 2h and 40 minutes, you will arrive at the top of the hill from where you’ll get to see Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The second part of the day consists of a 1000 metre downhill. Your knees will probably ache, and if you’re a bit like me, your feet will be covered in blisters.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The last part of the day is a 3-hour walk next to the train tracks leading to Aguas Calientes, which will be your “camp” for the day. You can avoid this (boring) part by taking the train for 30 dollars.

In Aguas Calientes you will be staying in a hotel which means you will be able to take a shower! You will also go for a very tasty dinner with your team members and your guide.

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Yesterday I got to spend my birthday in one of the most magical places in the world! After 4 days of hiking the Salkantay trek we finally arrived at Machu Picchu which is absolutely breathtaking in real life! Now I need about 5 days to recover ?… #machupicchu #cusco #peru #latergram #travelgirl #exploretheworld #instapassport #instago #travelblogger #traveltheworld

A post shared by Jolene Follens (@wondersoftraveling) on Sep 26, 2018 at 2:06pm PDT

Day 5: Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu/Machu Picchu Mountain

On day 5, your alarm clock will ring at approximately 3.15 AM. You will have to get up this early to make it on time to the gate which will open at 5 AM. At precisely 5 AM the gate will open, and you and hundreds of other people will hike up the last hill to Machu Picchu. You can also skip this part and take the bus up for 12 dollars, if you’d like.

The gates of Machu Picchu open at exactly 6 AM. The hike up takes about 45 min to an hour, and you will be very sweaty and tired.

Once you arrive at the gates, you will meet up with your team members and the time has finally come to enter Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Your guide will take you through the whole site and give you lots of information for about 1-1.5 hours. Afterwards, he/she will make his way down and you will be left on your own. Now you can either hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, or you can just explore the park until 1 PM.

The train back to Aguas Calientes will leave at around 4.15 PM. Since the guide has left by this time, you have to make sure to get there by yourself, but luckily it’s not too difficult. The guide will give you all the necessary documents and information.

AT 9 PM you will be back at your ho(s)tel in Cusco.

6. HOW TO PREPARE?

Fitness levels:

I get it, hiking for 5 days up to 4600 metres altitude sounds daunting… I totally understand if you feel like you won’t be able to do that. However, it’s definitely possible to train for the Salkantay Trek.

By the time we did the 5-day trek, we had already been travelling for more than 2 months. We were in pure holiday mode and had definitely indulged in lots of tasty Mexican food and cocktails. It’s not like we were in super shape. So what did we do to prepare for the Salkantay Trek?

We started preparing for it about 1 month in advance. We did several (short) hikes in Ecuador and then signed up for the Colca Canyon hike in Arequipa, Peru. This hike is considered one of the best ways to prepare for the Salkantay Trek or the Inca Trail. You can either do the 2 or 3-day trek. We opted for the 2 day trek since that one is more challenging.

We definitely struggled during the Colca Canyon hike, especially the second day. Despite that, it was a very good way to prepare for Salkantay. I would recommend it to anyone!

If you don’t have time to add the Colcan Canyon trek, I would advise to go for long walks for several weeks before leaving for Peru. Try to add a couple of jog sessions and make sure to raise your fitness levels.

Altitude sickness:

One of the other things people are a bit scared of, is the altitude. Like I mentioned before, I struggled quite a lot with the altitude on the first day of the Salkantay Trek. There isn’t really much you can do to prepare for it except for bringing medication and coca leaves. The coca leaves really helped me conquer those high altitudes. You can easily buy them in local stores in Peru.

7. WHAT TO BRING?

During the multiday hike, your main luggage will be stored in your hotel. If you’re changing hotels after you come back from the trip, the company will bring it to the new hotel for you.

You will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by the donkeys. Make sure to also bring a day pack so you can bring snacks, water and some fresh clothes (t-shirt, socks) with you.

Here’s a list of what you should bring on the Salkantay Trek:

Good hiking boots
Hiking clothes: long pants, fleece, jacket, 4-5 t-shirts/tops, underwear, hat, gloves, buff, hiking socks, thermal underwear
Torch
Flip flops
Sleeping bag (can be rented)
Walking poles (can be rented)
Sunglasses
Micro fibre towel
First aid kit: we brought a first aid kit we bought on Amazon, and it was a life saver. I struggled a lot with blisters and I was very happy we brought tons of bandaids!
Sun block / lip balm
Hand sanitizer
Camera + charger/batteries
Power bank(s)
Phone + charger
Passport

8. PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before leaving for the Salkantay Trek, I was a bit worried about the “toilet situation“. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and was honestly dreading that part of the hike.

Luckily, the toilets at the camps are very nice and well maintained. Especially the toilets at the sky dome camp were completely new and very clean. We had some clogged toilets at the jungle camp, but nothing too major. I was very pleasantly surprised, and clearly worried for no reason.

Disclaimer: This could differ for other companies. Since we booked with Salkantay Trekking (which is considered one of the more high end companies), the whole trip had a very high overall standard.

Speaking of bathrooms, I’m sure a lot of people are also wondering how often you get a chance to take a shower:

There are no shower opportunities on day 1 (but then you will have showered in the morning at your hotel before leaving).
You will get a chance to take a shower on day 2 at the Andean hut camp. To use the shower, you have to pay 2.5 euros. When you pay the fee, you have to write down your name on a list. Once the shower is available, your name will be called.
On day 3 there is no opportunity to shower.
On day 4 you will be sleeping in a hotel, so you will have access to a shower.

9. OVERALL COST

Here is a breakdown of the overall cost of the 5 day Salkantay Trek (per person):

Salkantay Trek 5D/4N + Huayna Picchu: 460 euros
Bank fees to withdraw money: +/- 12 euros
Shower on day 2: 2.50 euros
Drinks along the way: 17 euros
Entrance to the Salkantay trail: 2.70 euros
Breakfast on day 1 and lunch & dinner on day 5: 35 euros
Tips for the guides and cook: 40 euros

Total: 569.20 euros per person

If you have any more questions or you feel like I didn’t tackle a certain topic, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out!

]]> How to plan your visit to Chichen Itza https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/08/15/visit-chichen-itza/ Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:37:39 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1769 Chichen Itza is one of the seven modern wonders of the world and is located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. In July 2018, Simen and I visited this beautiful architectural marvel while travelling through Yucatan and Quintana Roo. Would you also like to visit Chichen Itza but you’re not sure how to go about it? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Disclaimer: the information in this blog is based on my visit to Chichen Itza in July 2018

Guided tour or independent day trip?

First of all, you need to decide whether you’d like to do a guided tour or not. From all over the Quintana Roo and Yucatan provinces, you can take day trips to Chichen Itza. Almost all travel companies offer this day trip, which usually costs around €50 or more. The buses leave early in the morning, which means you arrive at Chichen Itza at around 10 AM.

To be honest, if you’d like to explore Chichen Itza by yourself, a day trip is not a good option. Because all the buses need to drive several hours to get to the World Wonder, you will arrive when most people are already there. The park opens at 8 and is full of tourists by 10 AM.

However, if you’re short on time or you don’t like organising day trips yourself, an organised guided day trip is definitely a good shout. Whether you’re staying in Tulum, Playa del Carmen or Cancun, you will see tons of travel agencies offering this day tour, so it doesn’t require much organisation from your part.

We personally aren’t big fans of guided tours and decided to visit Chichen Itza ourselves. We arrived at 8. There were maybe a handful people queueing to get in, which meant we got the park almost to ourselves for about 30 minutes to an hour!

Visiting Chichen Itza by yourself

How to get there?

We had been travelling for a little bit already before we headed to Chichen Itza. We left from Cancun, travelled to Valladolid and afterwards made our way to Pisté (2.5 km away from Chichen Itza). Pisté is the closest city to Chichen Itza and offers a handful of hotels and hostels where you can stay the night before.

The main bus company in Mexico is called ADO. You can buy tickets online or in the bus stations. We travelled from Valladolid to Pisté, but you can basically travel to Chichen Itza from any major city in Yucatan or Quintana Roo. The bus drops you off at the entrance of Chichen Itza, from where you can either walk to Pisté or take a taxi. We took a taxi because we were carrying big backpacks. However, be aware that the taxi drivers charge quite a lot for the very short stretch to Pisté.

It is possible to travel to Chichen Itza and back by public transport in one day, but this means you won’t be there when the park opens. We preferred to spend the night in Pisté, since we really wanted to see the Wonder of the World first thing in the morning.

Chichen Itza

Where to stay?

Pisté is a very small city with only a dozen of restaurants and hotels. We booked a room at hotel Posada la Casa de las Lunas for about €30 per night. This was one of the nicest hotels we stayed at during our trip, the rooms were very clean and the pool was amazing as well. The hotel offered luggage storage so we could leave our big backpacks while visiting Chichen Itza.

We took a taxi to get to the entrance of the park. The taxi from Pisté to the park was a lot cheaper than the one we took from Chichen Itza. I think we paid around €3. Because we had spent the night before in Pisté we were among the first to arrive at the entrance and thus got to explore the park in all tranquillity.

As I mentioned before, it’s also possible to walk from Pisté to Chichen Itza. The walk takes about 30 minutes. Most of the time you’ll be walking along the main road which connects Pisté with the bigger cities. It’s almost impossible to get lost because there are several signs pointing you in the right direction.

Entrance fee

Now that you’ve travelled to Pisté and spent the night here, it’s time for the highlight of your visit: Chichen Itza!

Entrance tickets cost €12.50 and give you access to the entire park. Be aware that the park is very big and offers a lot more than just the Castillo (which is the most photographed monument of Chichen Itza). We spent between 3-4 hours just wandering around and exploring the park.

Don’t forget to factor in the price for the taxi ride back and forth, which was about €8. You can keep costs to a minimum by walking to the entrance of the park.

Chichen Itza

What to bring?

As you can imagine, everything inside the park costs a lot of money. Be prepared and make sure to bring water and snacks, unless you want to pay extortionate prices… Also, if you’re visiting Chichen Itza during July or August, make sure you bring lots of sunscreen. The sun is absolutely relentless in July and you can very easily get sunburned.

Also, don’t forget your camera, phone or selfie stick. The Castillo is as impressive in real life as it is on Instagram, maybe even more so. It would really suck if you don’t manage to get a picture of it!

There are tons of stalls inside the park selling a lot of different souvenirs. The vendors will most likely approach you whenever you walk past their stalls and they can be quite persistent… It’s of course nice to get a souvenir from Chichen Itza, but as you can imagine, these are also quite pricey.

Price tag visiting Chichen Itza independently

This is how much we paid to visit Chichen Itza (2 persons):

Bus to Pisté from Valladolid: €7
One night stay in Pisté: €30
Taxi from Chichen Itza to Pisté (optional): €5
Taxi to Chichen Itza (optional): €3
Entrance ticket: €25

In total we paid €36.75 per person to visit Chichen Itza, which is quite a lot cheaper than the guided tours which start at around €50 or more.

If you have any more questions about visiting Chichen Itza, please feel free to leave a comment!

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