The Pros and Cons of Going on Safari to East Africa During the Rainy Season

Going to Africa is a bucket list trip for many! You could read on and on about when you should go to Africa, but sometimes your schedule {like ours!} dictates when you are actually available to travel. Most travelers choose to visit during the dry season, which is usually the end of June to the end of October. After we booked our trip and before we traveled I got sucked into blog post after blog post and article after article telling me why November was a horrible time to visit Africa! I got nervous and started tempering my expectations. After taking a three-week-long trip to East Africa in November, where we went on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, trekked gorillas in Uganda, went to Ngorongoro Crater, and made our way through Serengeti National Park before ending our trip with relaxation in Zanzibar, I started a running list of the pros and cons of visiting East Africa on safari in November. The pros list was surprisingly longer than I anticipated and this was the post I was hoping to read before our trip. Since I didn't find an honest report {outside of the ones that said don't book the trip!}, I am sharing our experience here in the hope that it will help you too!

Exploring San Diego Pacific Beach Area

Nestled along the sun-kissed shores of Southern California lies the coastal gem we know and love as San Diego. It's a city known for it's vibrant culture, stunning beaches and year-round sunshine. It has many beachfront neighborhoods, but Pacific Beach stands out from the rest as a haven for surfers, sunbathers, and young {and young at heart} folks! You'll find an iconic boardwalk, breathtaking sunset, and endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Pacific Beach is the perfect place to explore when you visit San Diego on that quintessential California beach getaway!

Make the Most of a Day in Great Stirrup Cay and Spend $0!

Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line's private island in the Bahamas. I've cruised a few times before, but this was my first time experiencing a cruise line's private island port. I am not going to lie, I didn't have high expectations for our visit. One of the things I like about cruising is that you can have a multitude of experiences from different cruise ports, especially cultural experiences. A cruise ship island is devoid of those cultural experiences. If you strip that all away, you just have a beach. And I do like the beach. But do I like a beach where 4500 people trade a boat for the sand for the day? I wasn't so sure! In the end, Great Stirrup Cay actually surprised me the most. But there were some things we did that set us up to enjoy the island even more and I'm sharing all my secrets with you so that you can enjoy them too. And it won't cost you any more money! 

Exploring San Diego Mission Bay Area

San Diego has a lot to offer visitors with its sun-kissed beaches, vibrant culture, and endless recreational opportunities. There are lots of hidden gems just waiting to be explored and one of them is the Mission Bay Marina area. It's the perfect haven for relaxation and adventure. It's surrounded by 27 miles of meandering shoreline and is bordered by several beach communities, giving you the best of everything! The area tends to draw a mellower, more laid-back crowd and offers a coastal paradise that perfectly blends comfort and exploration! If you are trying to find a home base for your visit to San Diego, look no further! The Mission Bay area is the perfect spot!

Pros and Cons of Cruise Ship Private Island Ports

The allure of cruising lies not only in the opportunity to explore exotic destinations but also in the opportunity to wake up in a new place every single day ready for a new experience. More and more cruise lines are offering the unique experience of exploring secluded paradises in the form of a beach island, usually nestled away from the hustle and bustle of typical tourist hotspots. They promise a day of relaxation, adventure, and exclusive amenities on cruise line-owned private islands. However, like any destination, there are both pros and cons to stopping at these private islands, and understanding them will help you make the most educated decision the next time you are considering a cruise with a private island port of call. I recently stopped on our Caribbean cruise in Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas and this is what I took away from our first cruise line-owned private island experience.