Now that I've been back at work for 5 months, I'm reminiscing on my 3-week trip to Tanzania last December/January. My second solo backpacking trip, first one in Africa, was a complete success! The greatest achievement of all was reaching the Kilimanjaro summit, fourth of the top seven summits in the world. It was tough but I accomplished it. It was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget, but ha ...

Something about Dubai is just magical and it’s not the best hotels in the world, or tallest building, it’s the sheer ambition and vision the Emirates bring to this city. Dubai is a city of creativity that sits in the middle of a desert. Who would have guessed that the most extraordinary man-made structures would be in the middle of a desert? Just to grasp a little glimpse of the city, take a wander at my li ...

A little island far away from reality is slowly becoming many visitors favorite place in the Caribbean’s. Nevis Island is located near St. Kitts and only a ferry away, but its only now that people are starting to enjoy its amazing beaches. A few things to do on this Island are: 1. Hike uphill through the tropical amazing rain forest and once you reach the top of Nevis Peak, you will be able to see all the b ...

Remember the last email I received from my friend Matt who's currently backpacking Africa? (If you don't, you can read Diaries of Matthew Backpacking Africa). Well here is the last email I'll be receiving from his travels in Africa. I'm looking forward to meeting up with him in the next few weeks! Last time I saw him was January, during a brunch where I was sharing my Kilimanjaro experience and him, getting ...

When I was planning my trip to Kilimanjaro last year, I met Matthew through a mutual friend. Matthew was also planning a trip to Africa, which included the Kilimanjaro hike, and so we instantly became training partners and of course, friends! Two weeks after I returned from my Africa backpacking adventures, Matthew was heading to Africa. He's been there for 3 months now. After receiving his last email updat ...

After posting My Next Travel Destination poll, I was not surprised by the poll results. 66.67% voted for Colombia, 26.67% voted for Mongolia and 6.67% voted for Ethiopia. What does this mean? Out of the 3 countries, Colombia would be the easiest country to travel in. With my extensive traveling background in South America, my knowledge of Spanish and a developed transportation network. There are tons of hos ...

Following my previous post on my 5-day safari experience in Tanzania, here I continue to ramble about the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire Park. [caption id="attachment_4088" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="View of the Ngorongoro Crater"][/caption] The Ngorongoro Crater The Ngorongoro Crater is a Maasai word that means "Big Hole". In the last 5 million years, 9 ngorongoro volcanoes erupted. The crat ...

Following the 6-day Kilimanjaro hike, I must admit that I had no intentions of moving a finger on the 5-day safari. I wanted to be catered to. Simply sit or stand on the jeep, watch and take pictures of the animals, and that's it! And this is exactly what Marcel and I did. No hiking and no sleeping in the cold were part of our safari experience. During our 5-day safari, we visited Lake Manyara National Park ...

Unlike the other days, Day 6 or Dec 26th 2010 began at midnight. At midnight, our guides came to see us and we had to get moving quickly. With nothing but headlamps and the moon shining, we began a 6-7 hours ascent to Uhuru peak. It was steep, dark and cold. All we saw were the rocks in front of us and the reflection of other headlamps on the trail. It was nice, I have to admit. The toughest part was to rea ...

Day 5, or Dec 25th 2010 was the big day! While most of you were eating abundantly, I was about to lose every ounce of body fat. By day 5, I had suffered from altitude sickness, loss of appetite and the regular unwanted bathroom calls, which all led to some weight loss. I tried to eat as much as I could, a mix of cooked food and energy bars. I had to make sure to have enough energy for summit night. The nigh ...