Argentina

BUENOS AIRES BUCKET LIST AND TRAVEL GUIDE

8 Comments
Buenos Aires Bucket List
BUENOS AIRES BUCKET LIST AND TRAVEL GUIDE
Buenos Aires Bucket List

Buenos Aires is my city! I was born and lived 23 years in Buenos Aires before moving to London and still visit every year as my family lives here. Without much further ado, these are the best things to do and see in Buenos Aires. I also include detail on some of the things you must eat when in Buenos Aires as well as where to stay.

VISITING BUENOS AIRES: THE ESSENTIALS

Transport / It’s super easy to get around BA walking, by bus and subway. You’ll need a SUBE card which you can buy and load in subway stations and kiosks. Uber and Cabify are also widely used and cheaper that taxis on the street. The airport is quite a way from the city so I recommend you use WelcomePickups (which is what I use).

Tours / There are countless tours on BA but these are the most popular ones:
Buenos Aires: Piazzolla Tango Show with Optional Dinner
Buenos Aires: Hop-On Hop-Off City Bus Tour
Buenos Aires: La Boca Guided Walking Tour in English
Buenos Aires: City Highlights Guided Tour with Transfer
Buenos Aires: La Recoleta Cemetery Guided Tour in English


Stay / If you are looking for self-catering and cheap accommodation in a perfect location in Palermo then I wholeheartedly recommend you stay at my Mom’s Airbnb. If looking for hotels these are the best:

Alvear Palace Hotel $$$
Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires $$$
Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires $$$
CasaSur Palermo Hotel $$
Fierro Hotel Buenos Aires $$
Mine Hotel Boutique $$
Loi Suites Recoleta $$
Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires $$

Eat / My top recommendations for each meal:
Brunch/Breakfast: Malvon
Coffee: Cuervo Cafe
Dinner: Don Julio (steak) / Sacro (veggie)

Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Buenos Aires, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for Argentina.

Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN BUENOS AIRES

Have “asado” in a “parilla”

Our asado (barbecue) is just such a big part of our culture. Asado brings Argentina’s friends and families together, and it is done so much differently from anywhere in the world. It’s not just food, it’s a ritual, a tradition. Moreover, Argentineans eat practically the entirety of the cow in asados, not only the meat, but what we call “achuras”. Chinchulines (intestines), chorizo (thick sausage), molleja (sweet bread), morcilla (blood sausage) are only some of them, and they are delicious! We also have lots of sides that are cooked in the ‘parilla’ (the actual barbecue) as well. If you are visiting Buenos Aires for one day only, make a point of having asado. It’s definitely one of the main attractions in Buenos Aires. Now, asado in a restaurant will NOT be the real deal. Thankfully, you can now book the real deal here.

You should also go to a restaurant to have asado if you are staying for a while. This guided experience is excellent. If you prefer to just visit a restaurant on your own, the best places for asado are La Cabrera followed by Don Julio both in the neighborhood of Palermo and then La Brigada in San Telmo.

Continue Reading

Italy

TUSCANY ROADTRIP ITINERARY FROM FLORENCE OR ROME

4 Comments
TUSCANY ROADTRIP ITINERARY FROM FLORENCE OR ROME
TUSCANY ROADTRIP ITINERARY FROM FLORENCE OR ROME
SHOP MY LOOK – Tuscany Roadtrip Itinerary: Florence

The day came when I finally visited Tuscany! I had long longed for this dreamy destination after seeing so many movies that feature it: Under The Tuscan Sun, Life is Beautiful, Stealing Beauty, etc and just word out there about how wonderful it is.

ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR TRIP TO TUSCANY

Transport / As this is a road trip, you’ll need a car! I use DiscoverCars for all international car hires.

Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Italy and particularly to guide you on Google Maps while driving, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for Poland.

Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

TUSCANY ROADTRIP ITINERARY: HOW TO GET TO AND AROUND TUSCANY

The best way to get around Tuscany is with a car as there are so many small towns to visit not easily reachable with other forms of transportation, so for my visit to Tuscany I planned a roadtrip itinerary which came out just perfect. I recommend you book a car using DiscoverCars, get full insurance, and avoid Goldcar and any other brands that are ridiculously cheap and not international. I’ve heard horror stories from them. On my trip to Tuscany I got Alamo and it was perfect, you’ll be fine with any other well known brands such as Avis, Budget, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, etc.

Continue Reading

Poland

KRAKOW BUCKET LIST

19 Comments
krakow bucket list
Krakow Bucket List: Old Town – via Joel Bitantes Palma

If you only have time to visit one city in Poland, make it Krakow. This city is rich in culture and history, it has beautiful architecture, it’s super cheap and it’s fun. Krakow also has interesting and key places to visit nearby, one of them being the hard to digest but not to be skipped, Auschwitz. Below I outline the best things to do in Krakow, as well as accommodation and transportation tips.

VISITING KRAKOW: THE ESSENTIALS

Transport / Krakow is a very walkable city, with most of the key attractions located within the compact Old Town area, making it ideal for exploring on foot. The city also has an efficient public transport system, including trams and buses, which makes getting around easy and affordable. While many visitors don’t need a car for exploring central Krakow, if you plan to visit the surrounding countryside or nearby attractions on your own like Zakopane or going to other cities in Poland, renting a car can be useful and quite cheap. I recommend DiscoverCars for great rental options. If you’re arriving at Krakow Airport, I always use WelcomePickups for convenient, reliable airport transfers directly to your accommodation.

Tours / Here’s Krakow’s most popular tours:
Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour & Hotel Pickup
Zakopane Tour with Thermal Pools and Hotel Pickup
Kraków: Evening or Night River Cruise
From Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour
Krakow: Schindler’s Factory Tour with Entrance Ticket

Stay / These are the best rated hotels in Krakow for their price range:
Hotel Unicus Palace $$$
Hotel Copernicus $$$
Vienna House by Wyndham Andel’s Kraków $$$
PURO Kraków Stare Miasto $$
Metropolitan Boutique Hotel $$
Ibis Kraków Stare Miasto $

Eat / My top recommendations for each meal:
Brunch/Breakfast: Cafe Camelot
Lunch: Pod Wawelem
Dinner: Starka Restaurant
Dessert: E.Wedel Chocolate Lounge

Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Poland, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for Poland.

Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

KRAKOW BUCKET LIST: THINGS TO DO

Explore Krakow’s Old Town

Make this the first thing you do. As soon as I got to Krakow I did a walking tour of the Old Town. The tour guide was super knowledgeable and took us to many beautiful sites including the Main Market Square & St Mary’s church, Cloth Hall and Townhall Tower, the remains of medieval city walls with Barbican and St Florian Gate, St Francis Church, Bishop’s Palace, the Papal Window, Wawel Hill, Wawel Castle and Wawel Dragon.

Continue Reading

England, United Kingdom

BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO

10 Comments
birmingham

WHY VISIT BIRMINGHAM, UK

I’ve visited Birmingham from London more than seven times already and lived there for a couple of weeks while I was renovating my Airbnb. When I asked in my Instagram stories I realised no one really visits Birmingham, but it’s quite an interesting city! Some of the things that make it special are that it’s actually the second largest city in the UK and also the youngest city with over 40% of the population being under 25 (fun! right?).

Also, Birmingham is home to more canal waterways than Venice and is home to the Bullring Shopping Centre which is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. If you ask me personally, I really like the industrial vibe of Birmingham, the mix of old and new architecture and the artsy vibe the neighbourhood of Digbeth breathes. On top of that, Birmingham boasts of fine arts, fine dining and greenery. It is the home for some of the most ground breaking music in the world (metal was born here!), Cadbury’s chocolate factory and the Peaky Blinders!

BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO
BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO – Victoria Square

VISITING BIRMINGHAM: THE ESSENTIALS

Transport / Birmingham is a very walkable city, there’s great transport links to it and a great bus system in the city. Many still choose to drive there using a rental car as some attractions are a bit spready out. Book your rental using DiscoverCars, the website I recommend for all car hires. If you are not renting a car, should you require an airport transfer from Birmingham airport, I always use WelcomePickups.

Tours / Here’s Birmingham’s most popular tours:
Birmingham: Slogging Gangs Guided Walking Tour
Stonehenge & Bath Day Tour
Birmingham Guided City Center Walking Tour
Cotswolds Full-Day Tour
Victorian Canals and Modern-Day Birmingham Tour
Digbeth, Public art and Peaky Film Guided Walking Tour

Stay / We own a lovely Airbnb in possibly the best location you can be in, should you prefer a hotel, these are the best in the city:

The Grand Hotel Birmingham $$$
Malmaison Birmingham $$$
Hotel du Vin & Bistro Birmingham $$
Staybridge Suites Birmingham $$
Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street $$
EasyHotel Birmingham $

Eat / My top recommendations for each meal:
Brunch/Breakfast: Medicine Bakery
Dinner & Beer: Indian Brewery


Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Birmingham, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for UK.

Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Continue Reading