Category: Travel

Review of the GetYourGuide Istanbul: Bosphorus and Black Sea Cruise with Lunch in Istanbul, Turkiye

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I had the privilege of traveling to Istanbul for a conference for work. It was my first time visiting this gorgeous city, and I was so lucky that my mom decided to join me for a long weekend exploring together! I had heard marvelous things about the food, culture, and atmosphere and was so excited to experience it. See my Istanbul Top Ten Attractions post here for more about our explorations around the city!

While I couldn’t find the exact link to our cruise, GetYourGuide offers its Istanbul: Bosphorus and Black Sea Cruise with Lunch. The cruise covers the same area with lunch, a stop in Anadolu Kavagi, and swimming in the Black Sea (a bonus that my tour did not have)! It’s a five-hour leisurely cruise that passes by major Istanbul landmarks, beautiful houses, and bridges along the Bosphorus, plus it offers free time to explore a quaint fishing village, Anadolu Kavagi.

To prep for my trip, I read a non-fiction book about the city called Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World, to brush up on its history. One undeniable theme in this book, is the significance and glory of the Bosphorus Strait. Its beautiful sparkling turquoise waters carry so much history, and I knew I wanted to spend time on the water for at least one day. Taking a boat tour would also be an opportunity to leave the big city and take in the timeless views from the water.

I’m really happy we booked a lunch tour because we were able to breakaway from the city and also have time to explore a small Turkish town on the water. Once we boarded the boat, our first hour was filled with SO many beautiful views and photo opportunities.

Since I was in Istanbul for work, I was staying at the Sheraton Istanbul City Center. It was a great venue for a conference, had comfortable rooms, and a lovely breakfast buffet with so many wonderful Turkish dishes. The hotel offered a free shuttle that took us straight to Taksim Square for sightseeing, people-watching, and plenty of shopping!

My favorite site to see from the water was the Ortaköy Mosque – it’s truly stunning. We had visited this mosque and surrounding neighborhood the night before, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.

Ortakoy Mosque
Ortakoy Mosque

We enjoyed a relaxing cruise up the Strait and once the major sights were passed, and we were fatigued from snapping photos, lunch was served! We had delicious dips and bread with a choice of type of meat (or vegetarian option) for our main course. After lunch, we went back out to the deck, enjoyed the breeze, and cruised.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at our destination. When we stopped in Anadolu Kavagi, we meandered the winding streets, popping into a few stores, taking photos, and of course grabbing some ice cream! It was a nice opportunity to see a local town outside the bustling Istanbul. We got to see the fishing boats and fishermen prepping their catches of the day. We had about an hour to explore the town, and then it was back on the boat for watermelon and post-lunch relaxing as we glided back to Istanbul.

The Bosphorus lunch cruise was one of my favorite day tours I’ve ever taken. The boat ride was smooth, lunch was great, and I loved that we had free time off the boat to explore an area in Turkiye that I never would have scouted out on my own. If you’re interested in a relaxing afternoon, witnessing views of Istanbul from the water, and enjoying Turkish food, this tour is for you! The link to the tour is here!

❤ Natalie Anne

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Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour with TripAdvisor Review | Rome, Italy Travel Tips

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Over the years, we’ve learned that one of the most complicated parts of traveling is figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B. It can be a lot to try to organize transportation, entry fees, restaurants, and tour guides, let-alone trying to figure out how to put gas in the car and get a license to drive in a foreign country! So instead of stressing ourselves out, we just book day trips from a central location so that we can see everything while staying in one hotel. It makes things so much easier. Not to mention, when we were in Italy, we were traveling with our parents, husbands, and siblings. It was a lot of people to satisfy and a lot of personalities to navigate.

As a photographer, I knew that I had to plan a day trip from Rome to see the Amalfi coast. When I found this tour – The Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour – I knew right away it was the perfect tour for our family. It included a 2 hour visit to the ruins of Pompeii (which I knew would make the history buffs in our group happy) as well as 2 hours in the coastal town of Positano for lunch and a 1 hour visit in the town of Amalfi. My sister and her new husband were actually honey-mooning in Positano at the time too, so it was absolutely perfect! We had all just spent a week in Tuscany for their wedding at the stunning hotel, Borgo Tre Rose, and then parted ways after a group day in Florence. You can actually watch our full wedding week in Tuscany on my YouTube channel here!

Our tour started bright and early at 7:00 am, but this specific tour included hotel pick-ups and drop-offs which makes such a difference that early in the morning. We didn’t have to waste time hunting for the meeting point, like we’ve had to do for some other tours we’ve taken in the past. It was a bit of a drive to Pompeii but we made a pit stop for espresso which broke up the journey a bit. As soon as we got to Pompeii, our tour guide handled the tickets and we were in right away. We were led throughout the ruins by an extremely knowledgeable guide who explained everything in exciting detail. Personally, I’m not a huge history fan, but this tour actually kept my interest, which is saying a lot! Pompeii is truly a fascinating place and the structures are beautiful. It’s incredibly amazing that there is still so much left of the ancient city after being buried under ash for over 1500 years!

After about 2 hours at Pompeii, we hopped back in the van to head to the coast. We stopped for gorgeous views and photo ops along the way, which helped those of us who were a little carsick from the winding roads along the coast. I always make sure to take Bonine, a motion sickness medication, that I prefer over Dramamine. It’s less drowsy and can be found on Amazon here. This tour wasn’t as bad as some of the ones I’ve taken in the past, like the Road to Hana in Hawaii or the winding roads in the highlands of Scotland on the way to Loch Ness!

When we got to Positano, our driver had to park at the top of the hill with the other tour buses, just because the roads are too tiny for cars to go down. The walk down the hill was charming though, with souvenir shops, gelato, clothing stores, and all kinds of things to keep our interest. We met my sister and her now-husband for light lunch at Ristorante La Pergola and then spent the rest of our time taking photos on the beach! Positano was so quaint and charming, we never wanted to leave! I made a promise to myself that if I ever get back to Italy, I’ll definitely spend a few days lying on the beach in Positano.

After stopping for a quick gelato on our way back up to the van, we made our way to the town of Amalfi. The sun was beginning to set and the town was absolutely glowing in the golden lighting. We watched sailboats coming in and strolled along the marina where our driver dropped us off. After taking a million photos, we headed into the town square, the Piazza Duomo, for a round of limoncello shots and a gander at the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea. We only had about an hour and a half in Amalfi, but honestly, it felt like plenty of time because the town is actually quite small. We were even able to pop into a few stores for souvenirs before it was time to jump back in the van.

On the way back to Rome, we stopped for one last view of the coastline and were able to catch gorgeous sunset colors over the coastal towns. The drive back to Rome felt a little long, but almost everyone fell asleep after our long day. We made it back to Rome around 7:00 pm, with just enough time left in the day for wine and pasta. It was a perfectly Italian day and was exactly what I was looking for when we were planning our trip.

I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to take a day trip to the Amalfi coast from Rome. We saw so much in a single day and made so many memories. It wasn’t necessarily on my list to visit Pompeii, but many of the people in our group found it to be the highlight of their day, learning the history of the ancient, buried city. It was a perfect tour for our large group and was absolutely way easier than trying to figure out a full day like this myself. If you’re interested in taking this same tour, you can find it here! Or you can check out all of the tours I recommend in Italy here!

I hope this post inspires you to take a trip to Italy or plan a day trip to the Amalfi coast if you’re staying in Rome. I promise you, you’ll never regret visiting Italy. It’s truly a magical, delicious, inspiring place! You can see more photos from our trip on my photography blog here!

If you’re still on the hunt for a hotel in Rome, I’d recommend the Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon if you’re a budget traveler, or the Pantheon Iconic Hotel if you don’t mind spending a little extra for luxury. If you’d prefer not to waste time planning out all of the details, check out some of the package deals to Rome on Expedia that include airfare & hotels all in one!

Happy travels!

❤ Myles Katherine

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Review of the Viator Hallstatt Day Tour from Vienna | Travel Tips and Must-Sees for Austria

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Hallstatt, Austria Day Trip

Hallstatt, Austria has been on my bucket list for quite some time. It was actually the inspiration for Arendelle from Disney’s Frozen, and it is truly a magical place. I was based in Budapest for four months for work and made the most of my weekends booking trips to neighboring countries. I love traveling to Austria, the food is delicious, and the country is stunning. This was my third time there and I knew it was time to finally visit Hallstatt.

I took this Hallstatt Day Tour from Vienna, via Viator, and it was the perfect introduction to this beautiful corner of the world. I couldn’t recommend this tour enough. I met the bus in a central area in Vienna not far from my hotel, the Vienna Marriott Hotel, and the tour took care of the rest.

I took one of my favorite cameras with me, my Canon AE-1 Program, which I’ve shared some of the photos at the bottom of this blog. I reviewed this camera recently on Myles Katherine’s blog – Canon AE-1 Program Sample Photos in Hallstatt, Austria | The Perfect 35 mm Travel Camera if you’re interested in learning more!

I went on this Hallstatt bus tour solo and enjoyed the ease of not having to stress about anything It was a longer bus ride, with beautiful scenery throughout the Salzkammergut region. We had a short break on the way to and from Hallstatt to stretch our legs and grab a snack at a popular Austrian rest stop, Lanzeit .

When we arrived to Hallstatt the the early October air was crisp and the morning fog was lifting up toward the mountains. While we were rolling into town, our guide provided some information on the town and gave us tips on what to see. We offloaded from the bus and had time to explore Hallstatt on our own. I loved this about the tour. I was able to choose what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I just had to be back at the bus by a certain time.

I meandered the streets shamelessly gawking at the beautiful houses and views. It was simply stunning everywhere I looked. I explored the cemetery and ossuary (bone house), which was so peaceful and such a beautiful resting place.

Next, I waited in a short line to take the tram to the Hallstatt Viewing Platform. It offered spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and lake, Hallstätter See. Be mindful, if you are weary of heights, it may be slightly scary, but the scenery is incredible.

After coming back down the mountain on the tram, I was so hungry and indulged in a delicious Frankfurter Würstl (hot dog) and fries. I found a bench by the water and took in the peaceful views and ducks swimming around.

After my snack, we headed to a small boat where we drifted across the water, taking in a different perspective of the town from the water. It was smooth moving and lovely to relax and glide along the lake.

Before I knew it, my afternoon spent exploring was coming to an end and we shuffled back onto the bus across the lake. On the way back, I ordered a tasty carrot cake, which was a perfect way to end this October day. All in all, it was one of my favorite travel excursions. It’s impossible not to fall in love with the town and mystical atmosphere.

I absolutely recommend taking this tour if you are in Vienna and looking to see more of Austria!

Below are more photos taken on my Canon AE-1 Program!

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What’s in our Bag? Our Favorite Carry-On Travel Essentials

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For my last few trips, I have tried refining my absolute necessities and favorite things to pack on trips – short and long! I keep a list in my Notes app that includes items from self-care to photography to basic necessities. I’m always seeking to save space and bring as few items as possible, which I’m sharing with you today. I’d also love to hear what your recommendations are! I’m always looking to revamp my style and bring what makes the most sense!

1. Monos Carry-On Pro in Terracotta – Our Favorite Carry-On Suitcase

  • We both have the same roller carry-on suitcase and we love it. The Monos Carry-On Pro has a special compartment for laptops that we both find so useful. It also glides easily throughout the airport and the size fits for all carry-on requirements across airlines.
  • If you aren’t up for splurging on a Monos suitcase, here is a similar one on Amazon in a variety of pretty colors. I like the yellow and green ones!
Alice & Olivia Duffle and Monos Carry-On Pro in Terracotta

2. Alice & Olivia Duffle

  • A duffle bag or a backpack are best to bring as “personal items”. I prefer duffle bags that I can just throw over my shoulder or place on my carry-on suitcase when gliding through the airport. Myles and I both have this Alice & Olivia Duffle, which has been a great size for traveling.

3. Glow Recipe Pink Juice Water Gel Face Moisturizer

  • Glow Recipe Pink Juice is my everyday moisturizer, and now I always travel with it too. Glow Recipe’s oil-free moisturizer has hydrating hyaluronic acid and is a radiance booster. It’s adapted from long-lasting Korean skincare and is great for oily skin. I always have the standard size with refills at home and travel with the smaller 25ml version, pictured below

4. Supergoop! Sunscreen

  • Always start your day with sunscreen! I like this Super Goop option because it serves as a great make-up primer and has a smoothing effect. It is matte and oil-free, which prevents extra shine on the face.
From top to bottom: Summer Friday’s Lip Butter Balm, Supergoop Matte Sunscreen. Noshinku Hand Sanitizer, Salt & Stone Deodorant

5. Summer Friday’s Lip Butter Balm

  • I keep vanilla lip butter balm on hand, but I also love the bright colors for tropical and warm destinations.

6. Noshinku Refillable Pocket Hand Sanitizer

  • Traveling on a plane or train requires sanitizing your station to prevent getting sick and cleaning the areas. I discovered this brand not too long ago and it’s my new favorite. I love the clean, botanical scents.

7. SALT & STONE Deodorant (2.6 oz)

  • With natural deodorants, I can get irritation and hadn’t yet found one that worked for me, but I’ve been using this for six months and have had no issues. It’s long-lasting and smells as good as a cologne. This one is a natural deodorant for Women & Men that is aluminum-free with seaweed extracts, shea butter, and probiotics. It’s free from parabens, sulfates & phthalates with 24-hour protection. And did I mention it smells heavenly! My favorite is the Bergamot and Hinoki, but they’re all refreshing, natural scents.

8. Holga 135BC 35mm Bent Corners Film Camera

Holga 35mm on left; Instax Mini 12 on right

9. Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera

  • While I love the Holga, you do have to wait to see your photos when you develop your film. I recommend an Instax if you want that instant gratification from a Polaroid. It’s like a little present every time you snap a photo and free souvenirs! The mini polaroids are perfect for journaling during any trip. I love bringing both my Instax and Holga together.
  • Don’t forget film for this one either.

10. Portable Charger Built-in Cables and AC Wall Plug

  • Finding outlets, and finding working outlets in general can be difficult when traveling. For backups, I always like to bring a portable charger. This one is pretty compact and also cute.

11. Dr. Scholl’s Women’s Time Off Sneaker

  • Another matching item for both of Myles and myself. We LOVE our Dr. Scholl’s sneakers. They have a subtle platforms style, and are so comfortable. It’s like walking on a cloud, which makes long travel lines, tours, and standing around much more bearable.

12. Super Soft Adult EarPlanes® Ear Plugs or Alpine Fly Fit Earplugs

  • We both have issues with our inner ears since one flight we took in Alaska long ago. Since then, we always travel with decongestants and Earplanes or Alpine Fly Fit Earplugs (if you have smaller ears) to help prevent painful air pressure changes.

13. Beats Studio Pro – Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones

  • Noise-cancelling headphones on airplanes are a game-changer. Once you start using them, you won’t be able to go back to regular earbuds. I recently got the Studio Pro version and I love them so much.

14. TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter, International Power Adapter with 4 USB Ports (1 USB C)

  • A universal adapter is a travel must. This one is great because you can switch the settings depending on where you are.

15. Bonine Non-Drowsy Motion Sickness Relief – 32 Chewable Tablets with Meclizine HCL 25mg

  • Motion sickness is also not our friend, but Bonine helps us cope and doesn’t make me as groggy as other travel medications might.

16. Passport Holder / Luggage tags

17. Last but not least, a cute travel journal

  • I’m always on the hunt for cute journals to document my trips. I use them as a pseudo-scrapbook, photo album! It can also be fun to pick one up wherever you are traveling to, but I will do this then save it for my next trip!

Happy traveling!

❤ Natalie Anne

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Howth and Ireland’s Eye: Easy Day Trip from Dublin Spent on the Coast

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Howth & Ireland’s Eye Day Trip

Two years ago I went to Belfast and Northern Ireland for my Master’s program where I conducted research with a team for an amazing organization, Widows Against Violence Empowered (WAVE). WAVE is a trauma support center that provides assistance for those impacted by the Troubles and surrounding conflict in Northern Ireland. It was an enduring, but inspiring project that informed my academic concentration in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. I won’t forget the people I met, and tangible impact WAVE has on the victims and survivors across Northern Ireland. After almost two weeks of conducting interviews, attending group sessions, and conducting research, I was ready for a solo break to reflect and decompress. I had 24 hours to myself before I headed back home to Washington, DC and decided to spend it in the coastal town of Howth after a friend recommended the area to me.

If you are interested in booking an easy half-day tour to Howth from Dublin, I recommend this one. I traveled on my own, but I’m sure a tour reduces some of the stress!

On my last morning in Belfast, I took the Aircoach bus down from Belfast to Dublin, arriving at the train station. From there I took a Bolt ride (similar to Uber) to my hotel. It was around $25, but it was worth it for the ease. I ended up staying in Sutton on the outskirts of Howth because the hotels and inns in town had already been booked out. My hotel was the Marine Hotel Sutton. It’s a historic waterfront hotel that provided a dose of seaside quaintness.

After I checked in and dropped my bags off, I took a short walk to the Sutton train station and hopped on a short train ride down to Howth.

When I arrived, I decided to do some exploring among the shops and restaurants along the harbor. It’s an easy place to people-watch and just enjoy this cozy corner of the world. I had fun taking photos and popping into some of the cute shops. Similar to my previous Amsterdam post, I brought my 35mm Holga camera with me for unique film shots and am sharing a few black and white photos in this post.

Holga photo

I hadn’t planned to take a boat ride, but there were a few tours offering bookings on the spot that departed every hour. Since it was a foggy day, the captain recommended that I head to Ireland’s Eye, since the coastal tour would be too cloudy to see anything. I took his word for it and was so happy I did. If you’re interested in booking a boat tour ahead of time, see here on GetYourGuide for a few options. You can’t go wrong!

When I boarded the boat, I could see fog in the distance which we headed straight toward. Before I knew it, we were surrounded by fog and I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Mystical indeed! The fog opened quickly and the island appeared before our small tugboat. We off-boarded and were able to roam around at our leisure. There were small beaches and lots of birds, like kittiwakes and guillemots. It was fun to take photos and enjoy the serenity of this little island. I took some time to sit on the beach before the next boat came to take us back to Howth.

Holga photo
Holga photo
Holga photo

After going back through the fog and arriving to shore, I spotted two adorably ugly Irish grey seals. I couldn’t help but giggle and snap a few photos as they bobbed along in the harbor.

My original draw to visiting Howth was to take the hike up on the cliffs and see the lighthouse. I followed my GPS and the pathway along the eastern coastline. There were so many gorgeous spots to take photos and I had only wished my sister was with me so we could have photoshoots!

I spent a couple of hours walking along the coast and its cliffs, taking in the sights and sounds. There were so many birds nesting and cawing along the cliffs and nesting. It was truly stunning. The fog had settled in though, which added to the magic of the day, but also made it difficult to see the full views. I didn’t make it down to the lighthouse because the fog was too thick, but the trail was still striking. The pathway was well-maintained and easy to follow. The photos don’t do the views quite justice and the cliffs were higher up than they even appear!

Holga photo in Howth

After I arrived back into town, I was eager to get to my dinner reservation at 30 Church Street. It was such a cozy restaurant to relax in with a glass of wine after a long day. I indulged in the beet and goat cheese salad and the Supreme of Corn-Fed Chicken. I had a wonderful window seat with views of Saint Mary’s Abbey ruins next door. The lovely end to a day on the coast before I headed back to the hotel for the night.

I recommend this beautiful day or weekend trip next time you’re in Ireland! Reminder to book here if you want a day tour!

❤ Natalie