Category: Travel Stories

Travel stories & ideas for adventures near and far – road trips, weekend getaways, budget trips and epic vacations.

Remote Coast Sea Kayak Tour of Abel Tasman National Park

Some places are just meant to be viewed from the water and Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand's south island is definitely one of them – especially to enjoy the beauty and wildlife of the Tonga Island Marine Reserve. Since this area is protected, only a... Read more

Touring Queen Charlotte Sound on a Picton Mail Boat Cruise

When researching must-stop places on your New Zealand road trip, you probably won't come across Picton – we didn't. However, most visitors still end up in this small, but picturesque port town because it is where the interisland ferry picks up and drops off... Read more

Cathedral Cove Beach Walk in the Coromandel, NZ

One of the most gorgeous coastal areas of New Zealand, the Coromandel Peninsula is a must for beach lovers – especially the multi-hour walk to Cathedral Cove beach (or water taxi). It's a (sometimes overly) popular track, but we loved spending a sunny summer day... Read more

Flipping Over the World’s Tallest Raftable Waterfall in New Zealand

As the day approached for our big Rotorua rafting adventure in New Zealand, I began to panic a bit. What if our raft tips over? What if we fall out? A 7-meter (23-ft) drop is no joke. A lot can happen over that distance, not to mention the risks once underwater. (All... Read more

Northland New Zealand Road Trip: One Week of Beaches, Backpackers & Beautiful Views!

Trying to decide on a first destination in a place with hundreds of amazing options is a challenge. Luckily, we were celebrating my birthday a few days after landing in Auckland and I only wanted one thing: sunshine. GLORIOUS SUNSHINE! After six weeks of winter in... Read more

The Rock Overnight Cruise in Bay of Islands

We don't always plan to splurge for birthdays and other special occasions … but when we do, we tend to really go all out (like learning to cook in Rome or hot air ballooning over Colorado Springs). So, when we decided to go to New Zealand for my big 3-0, I... Read more

What Does a Typical Day of International House Sitting with Pets Look Like? (+VIDEO!)

I remember when I first heard about international house sitting, we were still in a home of our own and I couldn't imagine ever being comfortable staying at a stranger's place – especially in a foreign country! Maybe that's because, at the time, I would have... Read more

22 Tips for Minimalist Packing with Carry-On Bags: Multi-Season Trip

Although we've managed to make carry-on bags work, we are far from pros at this minimalist packing thing. For our most recent five-month trip to Europe, I packed a thermometer “just in case we need to check if one of us has a fever.” We also brought a... Read more

Iceland New Year’s Eve with Outstanding Perlan Reykjavik Fireworks Viewing!

It is no big secret that the Iceland New Year's Eve celebration is over the top. Locals often spend entire paychecks on fireworks and we were warned multiple times that it gets really crazy. We definitely wanted to check out the celebration! But I was a little... Read more

What a Year of Full-Time Travel as Nomadic House Sitters Looks Like: Places, People & Pets

While some people would be ashamed to say they have no home or big career in their 30s, we take so much pride in saying we are full-time travelers and nomadic house sitters. Because … WE.FOUGHT.FOR.THIS! For many years, I'd look back on New Year's Eve at the 365... Read more