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10 Best Adventure Things to do in UAE {Guest Post by Neha Singh}
Guest posted by: Neha Singh of Dubai Wikia To start off the year, I’m expanding my website and introducing my readers to new content from other writers & travelers. I’m excited to share a place with you that I’ve never been before, but somewhere that Neha Singh knows very well! She’s written up a quick guide on the 10 Best Adventure Things to Do in UAE (United Arab Emirates), located in Southwest Asia! Enjoy! If you’re looking for dramatic landscapes and opportunities for awesome adventure, then you don’t have to look further than the UAE. Whether it’s the amazing desert, or the incredible Hajar Mountains, or the amazing scores of…
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Christmas Traditions
Growing up as a kid in the Dillon household meant a very special Christmas filled with traditions. This included everything from the day we decorated to the types of gifts we received and the parties we attended. The past two years I have spent Christmas overseas (and will again this year) and I’m very nostalgic on the traditions that haven’t been a part of my life in those few years. This year I find myself very emotional and truly missing everyone and everything that stood for what a “typical” Christmas would look like around Colfax, NC when I was growing up. First it started with when to decorate. We always…
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The Perfect Christmas Gifts for the Adventure Travelers in Your Life
I always have such a hard time shopping for my array of friends and family, from all walks of life, when it comes to the holiday season. If you feel the same way, I’m here to tell you that if you have someone on your list who loves to travel or who loves the outdoors and adventure, then I’ve put together a great guide below for the perfect Christmas gifts for adventure travelers! You’ll find lots of great gift ideas, and I’ve separated them according to the hobby! These are all things that are first-hand tested by me and are my favorite must-have’s when traveling or doing any of our outdoor activities. When Stephen and I got married and were deciding where to hold our wedding registry…
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Hiking and Climbing in the Dolomites: Via Ferrata in Val di Fassa
This October we completed our fifth via ferrata of the year and the summit viewpoint was incredible. It was by far the longest of any hike/climb we had completed yet. 11 miles, 9 hours, and 3400 feet of hiking and climbing in Val di Fassa. It was exhausting – mentally and physically – but the feeling afterward of accomplishing that feat is something I’ll never tire of. I wanted to see the leaves changing and we hadn’t climbed in many months, so we headed to our favorite mountain range in all of Italy – the Dolomites. I did a little research and found a valley and area that we hadn’t…
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Open Markets of Italy | The Ins & Outs
Every day in Italy brings exciting new sales and vendors to even the smallest of towns. You are pretty much guaranteed to pass by a market if you’re driving around mid-morning throughout the towns of Italy. I had heard about these infamous markets so I just had to check them out! Read below for more information about the Open Markets of Vicenza, Italy. Downtown Vicenza Market I was not disappointed either! There were tents galore full of fresh food, fried food, clothes, household items, vibrant flowers, and even some antiques. I would’ve spent my entire morning walking around to shop at each vendor. They also had handmade items of clothing –…
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Moving Overseas with a Dog: Presley’s Journey from North Carolina to Italy
When my fairytale started, we decided up front not to move my dog, Presley, overseas – for a number of reasons – none which seem significant in the scheme of things now. One of the reasons includes the fact that I had been on many flights where a dog cried the whole time. It was traumatic and seemed torturous to do that to an animal. I was also naïve about how dog-friendly Italy is and ignorant of the fact that I needed my little man in my life. Before Stephen came along, it was just me and Presley, for 2.5 years through relationships and breakups, schoolwork, late nights, and my…
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Asiago Christmas Markets: An Ageless Tradition
I’m so blessed to be living in Europe just in time for Christmas this year. Christmas Markets are famous throughout Italy and Europe, and my list of “to-see” markets is quite long. In Italian, a Christmas Market is called Mercatini Di Natale. They are in most of the major towns around Italy and even throughout countries like Germany and Switzerland. The Asiago Christmas Market was the first on my list as it is only an hour drive from Vicenza. Known for its cheese and beautiful surroundings, Asiago is located in the Veneto region in Northeastern Italy. Looking at the weather report, we saw that it had been snowing a good…
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Hiking and Cow Festivals: A Cool October Weekend in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Picture this: mountains with snowy peaks, cows parading through town with floral headpieces, shops of the most amazing handmade items, and delicious fresh meats and vegetables. What you’re imagining is the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Lucky for you, I have actual photographs of all the above so keep reading to find out about this quaint ski town in Northern Italy! Cortina d’Ampezzo has been one of my favorite towns to date in all of Italy. It has something for everyone! I highly recommend visiting this place if you are having guests in town and need the perfect place to go sightseeing and/or shopping. This village located at the base of…
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Chasing the Northern Lights Through Norway | When to Go, Where to Stay, What to Do
Shades of green swirled and danced over our heads in the night sky for as we sat soaking in the hot tub, while two feet of snow surrounded us. It felt like a dream, one that I had waited my entire life to witness. If you have been following along for a while now, you probably read that my lifelong bucket list consisted of two major items – seeing the Swiss Alps and experiencing the Northern Lights. I checked the first item off of my bucket list last July when I took a group of students to Switzerland and Italy through EF Tours. The second item on that list was just recently…
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Whitewater Kayaking in Italy
When I think of kayaking, I think of a nice, slow ride down the river. It brings back great memories with my family and friends in North Carolina. But since living in Italy, we’ve had a hard time finding any information on where to go river kayaking (also known to some as whitewater kayaking). When I first googled kayaking in Italy, all that turned up was information about kayaking through the canals of Venice, along the Amalfi coast, around the island of Sardinia (which we did and you can read about here), or on lakes like Garda. But, I wanted more information on where to go to put my kayak…
