Happy holidays everyone!
Gareth and I are spending Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day with the lemurs at the Berenty Reserve. I’m so excited — it doesn’t feel like Christmas AT ALL as it is so hot it’s hard to function. But that’s okay when you’re surrounded by nature and lemurs!
I hope everyone else is having a magical day. Drink some mulled wine and eat some mince pie for me please!
Though we’d planned for five days we only got 24 hours in Crete due to the ferry strike. Crete was stunning and I’d HIGHLY recommend planning for much more than one day there, but we ended up having such a good 24 hours, if you go you should spend a day retracing our steps.
The bus to Chania from Heraklion is within walking distance, but it’s confusing if you don’t know the route. The buses to Chania run from Bus Station A (to the right of the port) and you have to buy your ticket inside the station (about 14€). Buses depart hourly up until 18:30 when they become a bit more spaced out and the trip to Chania takes between 2.5 and 3 hours.
We stayed at Kydonia Rooms which was cheap and in the Old Town. I loved this place but I love big, old, creaky buildings which is what you can expect here. We paid for a double room but got put in a quad (all to ourselves) with a kitchenette and balcony. I was into it.
If you’ve only got a day, there’s no time to waste so don’t bother sleeping in. Get yourself to a car rental place as soon as possible and head right out to Elafonisi Beach. The drive takes about an hour and a half and is really beautiful — if you’re less crunched for time it also takes you right by Kissamos, which would be a nice place to stop for food and do a bit of exploring.
Once you’re past the highway there are loads of adorable little taverns to stop at, and we popped into one for a late breakfast. When we come back we’ll probably rent a place out here for a night, and do this hike, which we’d planned on but was one of the (many) things cut due to time constraints.
Just before you get to the beach there’s a convenience store — you can stock up on snacks here, though there is a bar at the beach.
Pull into Elafonisi and be prepared to be stunned. It was SO pretty. The sand was much more pink than it looks in photos, and the water just as blue. Rent a lounger or two and alternate between reading and swimming and spend a few hours just feeling completely relaxed.
It sounds far to go when you only have a day, but despite the crowds I really loved it here. Alternately you could visit Balos, which we considered but I’m so glad we went with this instead.
Once back in Chania, go to the harbour and have a few drinks whilst watching the sunset — it feels crazy to say after all the Santorini hype, but I preferred this one for sure.
After the sunset, you’re about ready for the highlight of your time in Chania. To Koutourouki. This place was incredible. It was filled with locals, had amazing live music, and the best food. We had to wait a while for a table so we sat at the bar, made friends and had way too many shots of Raki. This place was incredible and even if you don’t drink, the food and atmosphere alone are worth it. Don’t go anywhere else for dinner!
We had actually had two nights (but only one day) in Chania, so we slept off our food and Raki hangovers before heading out to the airport the next morning. We still had our rental, which provided us with a free parking spot just outside of Old Town. The drive to the airport takes about 30 minutes. Alternately you can take a bus for 2.50€. It takes about 90 minutes and only runs about three times a day. The last option is a cab for about 30€.
With that our Grecian holiday was over. Our time in Chania was the perfect end to our trip, though we definitely want to go back to Crete as soon as we can and spend far more time there.
Have you been to Crete? What were your favourite things to do? Let us know so next time we can make up for our unexpectedly brief trip this time around!
So I blinked and it has somehow been just over a month since I arrived in Fort Dauphin! In some ways it feels like I’ve been here much longer, and in so many others it feels like I’ve literally just arrived.
To back up, I left Boston the evening of Sunday, November 11th and after a long journey (Boston → Chicago → Addis Ababa → Tana), I arrived in Madagascar on Tuesday, November 13th.
I was nervous for the chaos I’d been told to expect at the airport, but it was really easy to find my driver and secure myself a Telma SIM card for my phone – everything went smoothly right up until I realized I had forgotten the PIN of my brand new ATM card and had no access to money. I changed what little cash I had and THANK GOD was able to remember it the next morning, when I was back to catch the internal flight down to Fort Dauphin.
view from my front porch
Fort Dauphin is stunningly beautiful. I keep having to take a break to look around in shock that I actually live here.
I’m really loving the work aspect of everything, which is exciting as that’s what I’m here for. My projects are all very interesting, and I’m really looking forward to learning so much more about HIV and WASH. I’m going to focus on learning enough Malagasy to get by — the basics, numbers, words for food, etc, and then I’m going to switch to learning French, as I think it’ll be really easy to learn the basics here and most people I’ve met speak it. There’s also an Alliance Francaise in Fort Dauphin where I might be able to take lessons. This is the first time I’ve been anywhere near an immersive French experience, and I want to take advantage!
I live with one other girl in house new to our company, meaning it’s empty aside from two beds, a table, and a couch. It’s going to take some work to make it homey, and our first week was a series of unfortunate events where every time we thought we had it figured out, something new went wrong. Finally got buckets to fill up when the water is on at night to use for showering/flushing the toilet, and the water went out for 10 days straight. There was a period of time when I had giardia, no water to flush and all the lightbulbs in our house had burnt out. Stumbling to a dirty toilet with a head torch whilst feeling like you’re dying in a brand new country is QUITE the trial by fire!
When I first arrived it was kind of terrifying how helpless I felt. I didn’t know my way around town and Google maps is not really a thing here. Nor is Google translate, and I didn’t know any Malagasy. So for things as basic as food and water I was so dependent on others to show us where to get them, order for us, handle the money. I’m so excited for everything coming up and by this time next month to hopefully feel even more settled in than I do now!
The biggest adjustment has been how much time it takes to accomplish anything. It took a full week to get to a point where we had drinking water, toilet paper, soap, buckets to shower/flush with, and a trash can. My first week I learned to celebrate the smallest victories – having a shower was an entire day’s accomplishment, and I’ve grown from there. There are still so many things I need (a fan! a fridge, a functioning laptop, a dresser not filled with cockroaches, etc), but I’m getting closer and closer to living a relatively normal life. We also had a Thanksgiving meal on the day, which was so lovely as it’s tie for Christmas as my favourite holiday.
That said, it’s only been a month and I’m now nearly as comfortable killing the roaches as our very capable upstairs neighbor is. We have a good stock of back up water, set up steady laundry service and a cleaner who comes twice a week (what luxury), and everything feels much easier. It’s shocking how happy the ability able to wash your hands, take a shower (even from a bucket), and flush a toilet can make you. I’ve also found a bunch of places in Fort Dauphin where I love to eat, and beside the giardia haven’t been that sick from food yet (touch wood).
Somehow time has moved fast enough that Gareth is currently in the air, on his way to Tana. It feels like we said goodbye so recently, and if we can keep this up through the year I think time will fly and be much easier than our LA to London long distance was. We’re hanging around the Fort Dauphin area while hoping to do a few day/overnight trips to nearby reserves and lodges, and maybe a few nights at the fancy hotel here in town.
After that we’re into 2019 which is almost too crazy to consider! 2018 flew by, and it’s kind of freaking me out how fast time has been moving lately. That said, 2019 will be quite the adventure and I’m looking forward to being even more settled here in Mada.
The last stop on my Semana Santa trip, which included trips to Florence, Venice, Slovenia, Zagrab and the road trip through Croatia and Bosnia, was Dubrovnik. We stayed just outside of Old Town and walked in and out each day, mostly because we still had the car and figuring out parking was easier staying outside the city walls. Dubrovnik was a gorgeous and wonderfully relaxed way to end weeks of constant travel. We didn’t do much beyond walk around and enjoy it, but it is exactly the city for that!
And then the holiday was over and Gareth flew back to London and I flew back to Logrono to finish the last month of teaching during my year in Spain!
Though Santorini wasn’t my favorite part of Greece, it was picture perfect. Photos below.
So I’m going to keep in real… Santorini wasn’t my favourite. I’ve been to quite a few places in the world and am bound to find a few that aren’t my cup of tea – and after not loving Morocco in 2015, I had an amazing travel streak until finally visiting Santorini in 2018.
That said, you may love it and we did some great things there. So without further ado, my guide to Santorini! 
The best thing we did in Santorini was the hike from Thira to Oia. It takes around three hours and is really gorgeous. There are about three steep uphill segments, and other than that it’s not physically challenging. It starts right by Hotel Atlantis and takes you through Thira, Imerovigli, and along the caldera to Oia. Go as early as possible – we finished around noon and the last 30 minutes the sun was so high it was a bit difficult.
Watch the sunset at Oia Castle. It’s an incredible view, but plan to get there about 2 hours early – we brought books and beer and the time went by fairly quickly.
It seemed like absolutely everyone was focused on getting that perfect IG shot, and many had even hired professional photographers to bring them to all the best places.
One of the magical bookstores of the world exists in Oia called Atlantis Books. If you’re an avid reader don’t miss out.
Santorini isn’t known for its beaches, but the most famous ones are the black sand beach, the white sand beach, and the red sand beach. The red sand beach is currently closed and unsafe due to a rock slide, and the white sand beach is only accessible by boat. We spent a few days at the black sand beach and really loved it – you can rent two lounge chairs with an umbrella for 10 euros for the day, and it was walking distance from our hotels in Perissa. Our other favourite place to swim was Amoudi Bay in Oia. It’s so gorgeous and the perfect place to cool off after a long hike!
The main options are Oia, Fira, or Perissa. We spent one night in Oia and it was beautiful and very convenient if you’re only there for a short time and sticking to that location. It’s also more expensive and doesn’t allow any escape from the crowds. Thira is lively, where the nightlife is, and a great location if you’re exploring the entire island. Perissa is for those who are mainly interested in the beach or who want a cheaper/less crowded holiday. It takes about an hour to get from one end to the other, so it’s not terribly big and you can easily stay on one end and visit the other.
Santorini didn’t compare to Paros or Crete, but it was somewhere I’d been dreaming of going since I was a child and I’m really happy to have been able to visit. And next time I go to Greece I can focus on some of the less touristy islands!
After Gareth arrived in Zagreb, we grabbed our rental car and set out on a road trip through the country (and into Bosnia). We were heading to Dubrovnik, with stops at Plitvice National park, Zadar, Krka National park, and Split along the way.
After Gareth landed at Zagreb airport we headed straight for Plitvice Lakes National Park. It has 16 terraced lakes and dozens of waterfalls. It is stunning.
There is parking at both entrances (7 Kuna) and for adults entry is 80 Kuna (£9) January to March and in November and December; 180 Kuna (£21) during April, May and October; and 300 Kuna (£34) for June to September.
I’ve heard wonderful things about Zadar but we were only here for about 18 hours. We had dinner and drinks on the water and watched the sun set. This was a cute little town but we left early the next morning for Krka.
There are buses and a ferry that give access to the park – we risked it and drove all the way there and bet on finding parking (there’s apparently also a car park in Lozovac but we didn’t know that at the time). We were successful and after about a 30 minute walk down the path we were there!
You can only swim June – September which was a bit gutting, because it looks wonderful! We didn’t time it right to take a boat tour (included in ticket price) but we’d do that next time for sure. There’s a cafe with food and drinks and it’s a nice place to relax for a few hours and take in the beauty!
Again we were only in Split a short while before our last leg in Dubrovnik, however we really loved Split. We had dinner at Konoba Marjan which is a really delicious fish restaurant, and most importantly found a old tavern, that I cannot remember the name of but that felt like it hadn’t changed in decades. We hung out there for a few hours playing cards and had a lovely time.
We walked up Marjan Hill to have a nice view of the city. We didn’t have time for a tour of Diocletian’s Palace, which Game of Thrones fans will recognise as Meereen and also the dungeon Danny keeps the young dragons in, but we did peek in and it looked very cool!
From there we drove up and spent a day in Mostar, before reaching Dubrovnik, our final destination.
Before going to Croatia, I was most looking forward to spending time on the cost, in places like Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. However, my friend Lee had spent three weeks in Zagreb in 2015, and insisted it was one of the best places around. Our original itinerary didn’t plan for any time there, so instead of cramming in Belgrade or Sarajevo after Slovenia, I decided to spend four leisurely days in Zagreb. I am so happy I did!
I spent my time in Zagreb before Gareth arrived, and it was the perfect city to do solo. It was small, safe, walkable, and oh my god so cute. I LOVE Zagreb. In an alternative life I never left and am hanging about, still as enthusiastic and in awe as I was when I first arrived. It was my favourite part of Croatia. Perhaps if we’d gone in warmer weather, when swimming was an option, I’d feel differently, but we went in April and Zagreb was the hands down winner.
I stayed at Hostel Chic which was exactly what I needed after being in crazy (bed bug ridden!) hostels for the last week. I’d only recommend Hostel Chic in the right circumstances. Unlike any other hostel I’ve ever stayed in, I was the youngest person there. It seemed to have about a 50/50 mix of people there for a short time, and people there longer term. Each night I planned to leave to find somewhere a bit livelier, but I ended up staying there the whole time. Zagreb is known for its amazing hostel scene, which is definitely worth looking into. But Hostel Chic was quiet, and each bed had its own lamp, plugs, and a half wall, so no one could see anyone else from their beds, and the bit of privacy was so refreshing after nearly two weeks of public sleeping.
Zagreb is so beautiful and so walkable. The city isn’t very large and it’s easy to explore. It’s also home to my absolute favourite museum in the world, the Museum of Broken Relationships. I spent hours in there—I wish they would open a place in London so I could go back all the time. It was so interesting and healing in a way, to see all the different experiences people have had. It wasn’t just romantic relationships, but familial, friends, everything that once meant something. A lot were decades in the past and it was like getting to skim the book of someone’s life. I really loved it and could not recommend it more.
I also went to the Museum of Naïve Art, which was smaller, quieter, and fairly inexpensive to visit. The art inside was gorgeous, and I loved getting another tiny taste of Croatian culture.
Be sure to visit St Mark’s Church which is maybe the most vibrant and fun church I’ve ever seen. On the way up I stopped into some really cool art shops, and picked up a hand painted canvas of a statue in the centre of town of Marija Jurić Zagorka, the first female journalist.
Also in Zagreb’s Upper Town is an incredible overlook, with great views of the city, especially the Cathedral of Zagreb. You can order drinks and sit, which I did, spending a few hours reading and writing. It was one of the best days, and I basically repeated it again and again —just changing up where I ate, and adding in a few new hang out spots—Park Zrinjevac, the little café next to the Museum of Broken Relationships, and Ledeni Park. There’s also Dolac Market, a farmers market with fresh produce and some cute souvenirs. Though Zagreb itself was very relaxed, it still felt really vibrant and alive.
I feel awful Gareth missed it, but it just means we have to go back to Croatia—what a not terrible problem to have!
Writing about our incredible road trip through South Africa over the Easter holiday has reminded me that I haven’t posted about our week-long road trip through Croatia during Semana Santa (Easter) last year. We packed a lot in but hit some of the best spots in Croatia (sans islands), and I think it’s time I share that itinerary!
I arrived four days before Gareth, and spent them hanging around Zagreb. Zagreb is SUCH a gem of a city, it would be a huge mistake to skip it and only see the coast. Trust me, it’s worth spending some time there!
Unfortunately for Gareth, we didn’t know that at the time, so while I got to spend four days there, he landed at the airport and we immediately set off for the Plitvice lakes. Plan to spend a few hours walking around and taking pictures, the place is really incredible.
To break up the drive we spent a night in Zadar. We stayed in a really cute Airbnb only a short walk from the city centre. Zadar was cute but quite honestly, it was the least exciting of the places we stayed and I think skippable. If we were doing this again, we’d find a place to spend a night in the mountains or just drive straight down to Split.
The main reason we needed to break the drive up was so we could stop at Krka National Park, which was gorgeous (and would be even better during the summer months when you can swim!).
We spent two nights in Split and could have stayed much longer! The city was gorgeous and was full of great food (and such a great bar).
We couldn’t be so close to Mostar (another place I saw in a picture once and knew I had to go), without popping in, and luckily it was (pretty much) on the way. We only spent one night in magical Mostar, but the town in tiny and honestly this felt like enough. Mostar is definitely a can’t-miss part of this itinerary.
After some trouble getting back into Croatia (some border crossings are only for locals!), we arrived in Dubrovnik for our final three days in the country.
While we would have absolutely loved to spend more time in each place, and to visit some of the islands, given our one week time limit this was the perfect itinerary for us. We moved around a lot but the infrastructure was top notch and the drive one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been on!
Hi there, it’s been a minute hey? We’ll be back to regularly scheduled Greece posts shortly, however I’m behind on everything due to some Major Life Changes. As of last Thursday, I no longer live in London. I’m home in Boston for a few (amazing) weddings, and next week I’ll be getting on a plane and arriving three days later in Antananarivo. Why you ask? I’m moving to Madagascar.
I fly out next Sunday night, and arrive midday Wednesday. The contract is for 12 months to start, which feels great professionally and long personally. This is without a doubt the most exciting, terrifying, adventurous thing I’ve ever done. I vary between confidence and fear, along with overwhelming sadness at leaving Gareth (OH GOD AND BRADY), both of whom I’ve already had to say goodbye. But it is an incredible career move – and in that respect I’m nothing but excited.
I’ll be a Project Development Officer for Community Health in Fort Dauphin, which is on the south-eastern coast of Madagascar. I’ll be working on project design and development, funding applications, donor reporting, and implementation for three projects – HIV in both rural and urban settings and WASH in schools.
ALSO, I was accepted to begin my Masters of Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Classes are through distance learning, so I can complete the work online while living in the field in Mada. It’ll take 2-3 years to complete, and I’m honestly shocked my degree in writing/TV got me into LSHTM, as it’s one of the top programmes in the world!
So by this time next year, I’ll be halfway through a masters and have a year in the field as an Officer on my CV. I’ve felt this urgency to progress as I changed careers quite late, and haven’t been so pleased to still be an assistant at 28. But now (I hope) the ball is finally rolling and things are going to only get more interesting from here. These are two things I’ve been trying to do for years, and I am SO happy it’s all happening!
I’ll be able to check off number 12 and 23 of my 30 before 30, which are probably the most important ones left on there. I’ll be posting more frequently as this is definitely a time I’ll want to look back on years from now. I’ll be talking about how to survive long distance, the preparation needed before moving to a developing country, and once I arrive, all things Madagascar. I’m so excited for this next chapter!
