Words can hardly describe the immense natural forms, colors, and smells that make up Bolivia. It is home to the world’s highest lake that is deep enough to sail on and Salar de Uyuni – the world’s largest salt flat. This often overlooked land locked South American country is rich with diversity both geographically and demographically. From lowlands and forests to the Amazon and Andes mountains, desert scape and geysers, the country truly feels ‘wild’ and undiscovered. 

Upon arrival in La Paz, the airport feels like a time warp of the 1970’s with brown and beige colors dominating decor. The Visa process itself is not digital, requiring paper copies, but manageable. Once outside the airport, you can see traditional Bowler hat costumes and dress in much of the population, even within the city limits. In contrast, La Paz as a capital city is a huge and populous with a mix of modern and traditional, especially demonstrated by the interconnected and easy to navigate modern cable car system.

The altitude in La Paz is definitely something to prepare for – ranging between 10-13,000 feet. Altitude medication and proper preparation, is strongly recommended, especially if venturing on to the Salt Flats.

In typical Outlaw fashion, I signed up for a somewhat sketchy adventure upon arrival in La Paz. After dropping my bags at the lovely Atix Hotel, I ventured out to explore the cable cars, the Witch’s Market and rappel front first down a 17 story building in the middle of the city! Urban rush, the company who runs the $25 rappelling activity was awesome – the building overlooks the city square and is somewhat deserted, but don’t let that intimidate you – the experience was so much fun, especially the free fall at the end – highly recommended! The Witch’s Market was a cute market that had a lot of great souvenirs for purchase and fun people watching – much better than the local flea market that is touted as the country’s biggest – El Alto – pretty much just junk for locals and not to mention pickpockets galore.

The next few days consisted of relaxing in Atix’s lovely spa and exploring restaurants and the Moon Valley – a park that has formations that look like the valley of the moon! You can rent quad bikes and explore the areas outside of the protected park and go paragliding – which was another awesome experience, not to be missed. I was lucky enough to ride the winds for almost an hour – what a rush!

After a few amazing days in La Paz it was time to hit the most famous landscapes in Bolivia – the salt flats. I chose to visit not only the Salt Flats but continue onwards to the Atacama Desert and Chile, and my was it an experience! Thankfully, the folks at World White Travel (not a typo!) were super helpful, accommodating my 1,000 questions and preferences – our tour went off without a hitch and our guide was so amazing – he spoke great English and took so many awesome pics! To begin my journey, I flew into the town of Uyuni, which is a very desolate (and cold) stopover into the flats. The airport has no baggage carousel, you just fend for yourself when the handlers drop it right inside the door! The town itself has a handful of interesting restaurants (llama burger or 1980’s CD’s anyone?) but nothing much to see. After grabbing a vat of coffee and some fruit, it was off for a full day of driving into the flats, visiting various landmarks – a hotel, lunch on an ‘island’ on the flats and finally watching the sunset over mirrored glass of the flats. Our night ended with a lovely but slightly chilly stay within the edges of the flats at a salt hotel.

The next day was a full 8 hours of driving through rough terrain and higher altitude. I experienced a bit of stomach issues which did not make for a pleasant ride. Lots of wildlife, beautiful scapes, flamingoes, llamas, vicunas, and lakes. Finally, I arrived at my hotel in the middle of the desert landscape. There was nothing but stars around for miles and miles and the hotel had a few basic rooms, with hot water only until 8pm and heaters until 10pm and no wifi. I quickly showered because the power went on and off and would turn the hot water into ice, then had a lovely meal at the hotel’s restaurant. The food was actually quite good for being in the middle of nowhere!

The next day was my final day of driving, seeing more wildlife, geysers, bathing in a hot springs right on the edge of a lake with flamingoes and vicunas all around me! As mid afternoon approached I reached the border to Chile and then thankfully began the altitude descent! I was glad I did not do the opposite route into the flats – my guide assured me that it was much smarter the way I did it because it is hard for people to adjust so quickly to the altitude. Visiting the flats was definitely physically challenging, but well worth it for a once in a lifetime adventure!

Having visited some of the world’s most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, South America and Asia, the Maldives has never been high on my radar. In addition to being remote, visiting the islands is notoriously expensive and geared towards romantic honeymooners, not solo single budget travelers. However, Male, the capital of the Maldives, is only a 1-hour flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka and it seemed a shame that I would waste the opportunity to see if the islands lived up to their hype.

During my days of relaxation on the beach in Sri Lanka, I played with multiple flight and hotel options for visiting the islands and timing my flight home to the USA. The deciding factor was when I landed upon an incredible business class deal home to San Antonio, TX from Colombo, Sri Lanka and a great partial inclusive rate at the Maldives’ Kandima resort. Luckily, the Maldives had also been experiencing unseasonable rain and there were quite a few last minute cancellations, allowing me the ability to jump on a late open booking.

After departing Tangalle beach, I headed to the capital for an overnight stay at the Courtyard Marriott before my flight to the Maldives. For my USA friends, the Marriott Courtyard is not known to be the most luxurious property; however, as I discovered in my South American travels, sometimes USA hotel chains can actually be 4-5 star properties internationally. This theorem held true for Colombo, as the Courtyard not only had the most incredible service, but an infinity pool, fabulous rooms, and free high tea buffet and breakfast included, my only regret was not being able to stay longer!

The next morning I headed to the airport and bid Sri Lanka farewell courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines (yes in economy), and a quick 1 hour later I landed in Male. Stepping off the plane and into the airport, I expected a calm island feel but was instead hit with massive throngs of somewhat angry tourists (many of them Russian). The Male airport is currently undergoing a massive expansion construction and their temporary space is nowhere near what the current crowds demand. Getting through immigration and security (they screen all bags upon arrival for alcohol and other contraband) took almost 40 minutes to navigate.

Thankfully, when you book a resort in the Maldives, they take care of your transportation to/from the island as they have to know exactly when guests are coming/going. Each island requires a different mode of transportation to reach it – some require a flight, some a boat ride, and some a combination of the two. My resort required either a 45-minute sea plane ride or a 40- minute commercial flight and 20-minute boat ride. The commercial flight and boat ride were cheaper than the sea plane option, so I opted for for that choice. Of course the transport comes with a required extra fee, but it means that someone has planned for your arrival, understanding the delays and timing and is there to steer you where you need to go. My resort’s host met me outside of the baggage claim madhouse and quickly walked me to the other side of the airport where the local flights depart from. He checked me in and I passed through local security to wait for my flight to Dhaalu Atoll. The flight staging area consisted of one small, crowded room that held passengers for 3 upcoming flights. We boarded our flight directly from the tarmac and while the plane only held 20 passengers, we still had ‘in flight service’ which consisted of a Twix candy bar and a juice box. Once we started nearing the cluster of main islands I began to get excited as the views from the plane were just like what the pictures portray – the colors of the ocean and layout of the islands was truly incredible and breathtaking. Soon we landed on Dhaalu Atoll’s main island, where a van was meeting my group to take us to our boat transfer to the resort.

Prior to booking an all inclusive hotel I toyed with the idea of staying at a local hotel on a main island and then going for day trips to resorts nearby. However, once I saw the atmosphere a main island had to offer, I was glad I stuck with my all inclusive choice as the main populated islands are pretty empty and a bit desolate feeling. The Maldives follow strict Muslim rules and most homes are surrounded by high walls. There are almost no tourists or even locals walking around; definitely not very inviting and nothing like the islands of the Caribbean.

The van ride to the boat took about 10 minutes and the crew quickly us and our luggage and we set off to our resort. Once we cleared the open ocean and turned towards our resort I was simply giddy as it looked just like a dream – paradise in the middle of the ocean! The resort’s ‘port’ was a long dock that led to the sands of the island and we were greeted with cold towels and water and whisked away to the check in area where we received our wristbands that acted as our room keys and ‘credit cards’ for our stay.

I choose the partial inclusive package for my room, which included a full buffet breakfast for $300 USD/night; any other food and drink and activities would be priced a la carte. Even though I knew food and drink would be very expensive (think $20 for a small sandwich), my stay was only for 2 nights and 3 days, so I figured I could fill up on breakfast and limit the rest of my expenses. Once checked in, the resort’s tram took us to our rooms (the island itself is about 4 miles in circumference and has a free electric tram that runs continuously through the resort). My room was located directly on the beach with a full sea view and while big enough only for one couple, it was very modern and comfortable. My bags were already waiting for me in my room and I immediately changed into my swimsuit and set off to explore the island and resort.

I spent the majority of the day sunning, walking to the ends of the island, stopping at different points to watch the baby sharks right off the shore, pop in the water to snorkel and take self-timed photos. After sunset, I stopped at the resort’s café for a takeaway sandwich and some nuts and enjoyed a quiet night on my balcony listening to the ocean.

The next day I got up at sunrise and hit the gym before indulging in a large breakfast at one of the resort’s 6 restaurants. There was everything from Asian to Italian to Indian food and I had no problem filling up, knowing it had to last me until at least mid afternoon. The rest of the day I spent much like the first, enjoying paradise. There were other options for entertainment at the resort, like shows and dance parties and water activities (jet skis, diving, etc.), but I just wanted to enjoy the tranquility alone, especially since I was one of only a handful of solo travelers at the resort.

For my last half day on the island I enjoyed breakfast, the gym, time on the beach and a little snorkeling before heading back to Male, but for my return trip I decided to splurge and booked the direct sea plane ride for my return. I missed out on a sea plane ride in my previous travels to Alaska and figured why not combine an experience with transport. Once I checked out, the resort transported me by boat to a platform dock in the ocean to board the plane. The plane held 8 passengers and the pilot area was not enclosed – they were even wearing flip flops to fly the plane! It was pretty exciting to hear the roar of the engines and then see the ocean splashing next to your window and poof, suddenly you are in the air! The in flight views of the islands were even better than on the way in as we were flying much closer to them. After 45 minutes in the air, our plane touched down at the sea plane docking area in Male – it was surreal to touchdown and taxi in from the ocean – definitely worth the extra cost for the transfer!

A van transported us to the main Male airport for check in, abruptly ending the magical paradise experience as now we had to endure the incredibly long pre-terminal security and immigration lines, the jam packed airport and endless lines at every available food stand. Needless to say it is not the most pleasant flight departure experience, but hopefully the expansion will make it much more pleasant for future travelers.

My trip home then began with my 1 hour flight into Colombo, Sri Lanka and a 3 hour layover before my Qatar Airlines flight to San Antonio, Texas. In total, I would spend 48 hours travelling back to the USA, but the business class Q suite made my journey just a little bit more enjoyable!

I slept decently well on the flight back, however, once I touched ground in Texas, I was immediately overwhelmed with culture shock. The level of civilization, commercialism and pace of life immediately hit me like a ton of bricks and as soon as I got to my hotel in Houston I booked a flight to Mexico the next day for a week of slow immersion back into reality.

I won’t give a final verdict on the Maldives as it was more of a resort destination, but overall it is worth it if you have the time and money to splurge. Instead, I’ll provide the final verdict on my totals and top ratings:

TOTAL HOTELS: 38

TOTAL OCEANS: 8

TOTAL FLIGHTS: 25

TOTAL COUNTRIES: 9 new, 12 total

TOTAL MILES: ~50,000

FAVORITES

• OVERALL COUNTRY: Oman, but would repeat India and Egypt as well with different itineraries
• HOTEL: Four Seasons Amman, but close favorites are Wadi Shab Guesthouse in Oman and Villa Blue in Sri Lanka
• OUTLAW EXPERIENCE: Petra Police Escort
• AIRLINE: Turkish Airlines
• FOOD: Egypt

BEST VALUE: India

MOST MONEY SPENT IN FEWEST DAYS: Maldives

MOST NOTEABLE MEMORIES: Helicopter ride in Guatemala, Petra, Dead Sea, Feeing VIP in the Egyptian Oasis, Delhi Street Food Tour, Cabo Polonio in Uruguay, riding on the back of motorcycle in the beaches of India, and Oman’s mosques

WORST HOTEL: Hosteler in Agra, India

WORST THING I ATE: All inclusive food in Maldives, $25-30 for a tiny, tasteless sandwich

REGRETS: Not many, but a few on my wish list: 1) 3 more months to visit Africa and parts of Indonesia and New Zealand, 2) a few less clothes, not many but 3-4 items less, 3) less time in Sri Lanka, 4) timing that aligned to see Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi & money to sky dive (it’s soo expensive), 5) not being able to visit Lebanon and Israel due to the conflict.

I owe some concluding thoughts on my trip and what I learned along with some of how I did what I did, so stay tuned for more in the next post!

For those of you following my route across the globe, you might have guessed that the next destination would be a country easily accessible from India and Sri Lanka was to be the final stop on my 3 month world tour. Known for its natural beauty, tourist friendly attractions and beaches Sri Lanka has long been on my list of countries to visit and as the flight from Cochin, India to Colombo, Sri Lanka is just over an hour it made logical sense to add it in as my last country.

My flight from Cochin to Colombo went smoothly and after clearing a slightly disorganized customs area (an online Visa application is required for entry but their system was not synching with immigration control, so everyone in line had to scramble to fill out a manual form when they reached the immigration que) I was off to meet my driver.

As Sri Lanka’s train and public transportation system is not very connected and notoriously late, my pre-visit research determined that I would be best off hiring one driver for the majority of my trip. Car & drivers for hire are common and easily found with a little internet research. I connected with a company called Sri Lanka Private Drivers and decided to do an 8-day tour, making it the only country where I followed a pre-set itinerary. My tour rate was ~$50 USD/day for an air conditioned 4-seater car; I only paid for the driving service and choose to select and book my own hotels and activities/entrance fees separately.

From the airport it was a 3-hour drive to the first tour stop – the city of Sigrigla, located in the northern middle section of the country known for its safaris, temples and hiking. As I had already been traveling for most of the day, there was just enough time to make a pitstop at the Dambulla Cave Temple on the way to Sigrigla before heading to my hotel for the night.

Dambulla Cave Temple is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, towering 160 meters above the surrounding plains. Similar to Thailand, temples in Sri Lanka are filled with huge Buddha statues and paintings; dissimilar is the amount of hiking you have to do to reach them! All temples require patrons to remove their shoes and cover their arms and shoulders before entering, so it is advised to keep a shawl handy. Additionally, it is considered disrespectful to take photos of yourself in front of the statues, so no posing in front of huge Buddha feet for me!

The next day, after a delicious breakfast (included in my room rate), my driver picked me up and we set out early to climb the famous Sigiriya Lion Rock, one of the most famous attractions in Sri Lanka. The Lion Rock is an ancient fortress made of a column of rock ~200 meters high and dates back to 400 AD. Accessing the rock requires a very steep and hot climb up a series of staircases that emerge from the mouth of the gigantic carved lion. The hike up was definitely a bit challenging with the heat but the views from the top were worth it, especially since there were monkeys just hanging around to amuse visitors and steal your food.

After Lion Rock we set off for Minneriya Safari Park, a national park known specifically for wild elephant sightings. To visit the park, one must take a safari ride tour that takes place in what one would imagine safari vehicles look like in Africa. As I was a solo traveler I had an entire jeep to myself, which meant that I could stand up during the ride and observe from the roof! The safaris are pretty popular and only take place twice a day, so there were about a dozen or so jeeps on my tour, all following the same path trying to spot elephants. After about an hour of bumpy riding and spotting nothing other than some foliage we finally spotted our first group of elephants – a family of 5! It was so amazing to see these wonderful creatures in the wild! In total we probably spotted over 20 elephants during the safari tour, and while it wasn’t exactly Africa in the wild it was still worth the $65 tour fee.

The next day I was set to visit the ancient town of Polonnaruwa, however, after a long 2 days in the car and multiple ancient city visits in India and throughout my 3 months, I decided to skip the tour and instead have a day of relaxation at a traditional Ayurvedic Village, one of the practices Sigriya is famous for. The village is comprised of about a dozen rounded dirt and straw huts where your private treatment takes place with a specially trained therapist. While there are a variety of treatments available, including oil cleansing, I opted for a 1.5 hour massage and traditional steam bath. The massage was excellent and the steam room was a great experience in itself – a small wooden room covered with special leaves, heated by wood and water. My treatment was just what my tired legs needed and I left feeling refreshed and ready for the next day’s 2-hour drive to Kandy, a city in the center of the country.

After a leisurely start to the morning, my driver and I reached Kandy and my Airbnb, the Gangula Villa at around 2 pm. I had just enough time to stretch my legs for a quick walk in the neighborhood before it started to pour rain. Luckily, the rain was short lived and we headed off for that day’s activities of a local cultural show and the Buddha Tooth Temple. After the quiet town of Sigriya, the bustling city of Kandy was a a bit of culture shock and I had to fight tourist crowds in both the temple and cultural show. The Tooth Temple was historical to see but neither that nor the cultural show really held much unique interest for me and the crowds of tourists were off putting. The next day, rather than visit any other popular tourist sites I decided to just walk around the city and enjoy the pretty central lake, experiment with traditional Sri Lankan street food and even managed to get a pedicure, which was one of the best I’ve ever had albeit taking place in a somewhat sketchy back room of a local salon.

The next day I was off to the town of Ella, a 2.5 hour drive from Kandy. I could have taken the popular train ride from Kandy to Ella, but at 6-7 hours, driving was much more appealing, plus, along the way my plan was to try to fit in a water activity – rafting, rappelling or canyoning as there is an area along the route famous for adventure water sports. As a solo traveler, I hoped to find a group to tag along with, but unfortunately most of the tour operators had very few tourists that day so I opted for a canyoning activity that I could do solo with a guide. I had done canyoning in various countries previously and found it fun to rappel and hike through rivers water. Unbeknownst to me, the Sri Lankan definition of canyoning was far different than other countries. After outfitting me in a life vest and helmet my guide led me to the river and showed me my first water jump (not hike), which required climbing across a steep, slippery rock with fast rushing water and no safety rope! He assured me it was perfectly safe and being adventurous, I cautiously went along and followed his lead. The jump wasn’t too bad, but as we continued our hike through the waters, the jumps became higher and more precarious, each without much in the way of footholds, with extremely fast rushing water. Towards the end of the 1.5 hour long ‘canyoning hike’, we reached the final jump, which would require me to leap across a rock to land on the very edge of another rock (both extremely slippery) and jump off into rushing water with a very small pool of water surrounded by jagged rocks. I decided that, despite my adventurous nature, the jump was even a bit risky for me and had to instead climb the rock wall with the use of a single vine to get across to the other side. I managed to make it out alive, but then, when we reached the end of the river, I looked down at my legs and saw 3 leeches stuck to them! Luckily I was able to quickly brush them off but the bleeding would not stop (leeches have anti blood coagulation properties in their saliva). Surprisingly, my guide seemed pretty unconcerned with my profuse bleeding and we walked back to the staging area. Inside I began to panic a little, concerned with potential blood infection and the fact that I was covered in blood. My driver (who was one of the kindest people I met on my travels), took one look at my legs and said, “don’t worry ma’am, I have a treatment.” He then proceeded to light some newspaper on fire, blow the flame out and dab the ash on my legs. Amazingly the bleeding stopped right away and off again we went to drive the remaining hour to Ella – noted Boy Scout trick for leeches folks!

After the water adventure it started to rain heavily and unfortunately did not stop, even pouring harder once we arrived at my hotel, in Ella, the Cao Ella by Sans. My hotel was a small 4 room property located high up on a hill next to a popular hiking route and the Ella train station. However, with the rain there would be no hiking or exploring for me for the rest of the day, so I just dried off and ate a home cooked meal for dinner at the hotel, enjoying a bit of playtime with their resident puppy.

The rain continued throughout the night and into the next afternoon, but let up around 1pm and my driver and I quickly set out to squeeze in a visit to the famous 9 arches bridge, hike Little Ella and see some of the town. Ella is a quaint backpacker town, with lots of little shops and restaurants, albeit full of tourists, like every other place I had visited in Sri Lanka. Many people who visit Ella go specifically to hike Adam’s peak, but the rain and tourist crowds swayed my choices to just hike Little Ella and visit the bridge, both of which were pretty underwhelming, but nice to see all the same. Afterwards I enjoyed a great meal in town and poked around the shops for a bit before heading off to bed and my final night in Ella.

The next day was the last day with my driver and we had about a 3 hour’s drive to my final destination, the small coastal beach town of Tangalle. Along the way we stopped at Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home to catch the daily Baby Elephant Feeding. The transit home is where lost baby elephants are raised until they are old even to live on their own and then released into the wild in the national park. While I had seen elephants on my safari (and even along the highways in Sri Lanka!), nothing compared to seeing baby elephants run to get milk from a funnel and even cry when they want more! They were absolutely adorable and well worth the few dollars for entry.

The unseasonable rain (rainy season in Sri Lanka is April – September) continued to follow my route all the way to Tangalle. Fortunately, I had decided to splurged a little ($126/night) on my beachside accommodations, at the small boutique hotel, Villa Blue which meant that I could watch the ocean and rain from my luxurious bedroom suite that included a huge walk in bathroom and full stand alone tub. I also happened to be the only guest on property that night so I had the entire place to myself!

I bid a sad farewell to my driver in Tangalle, who at that point had become somewhat of a friend and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Traveling as a solo woman and being hit on constantly by tuk tuk and taxi drivers during my travels it was so refreshing to have a driver who was beyond respectful and attentive to my best interests. During our 8 day tour he shared with me how he became a driver, falling from grace to bring himself back up in the world and we discussed many thoughts on the meaning of life. He even showed me his hometown and stopped at little roadside stands along our route where he let me try local foods. Every day he showed up with the most positive and willing attitude, always with, “what do you need madam” and at the end of it all he gifted me some small magnets of Sri Lanka. If you are in Sri Lanka, I cannot speak more highly of Sri Lanka Private Drivers.

Finally away from all things touristy, the following morning, after a scrumptious breakfast in my room, the sun finally came out and I spent the next few sunny days walking the soft empty sands of the beach, feeding a small family of puppies, watching local fishermen pull in the day’s catch, eating locally spiced seafood and traditional Sri Lankan breakfasts.

After 4 beach days it was time to begin figuring out my journey back to the USA; however, there was one more stop on my agenda….read on to find out how I made it back home and where my final pit stop was!

Final verdict – how did Sri Lanka rate on the ‘Outlaw scale’?

FOOD: Very good, but also a bit pricier than expected. Sri Lankan food has some similarities to Indian food, but also has its own twist in spices, lending itself to Indonesian and Malaysian in some ways. All water is purified and cooking is held to high standards – the locals will even tell you so!

SAFETY: Very safe – I did not feel threatened at any time in Sri Lanka and found the people extremely polite and respectful, my driver was by far the kindest and most wonderful transport operator of my trip. The only things I had to watch out for were locals trying to sell me things at tourist sites, but my driver cautioned me ahead of any encounters.

LANGUAGE: English was widely spoken and I only came across a few communication hiccups in local shops and bus stations when I wasn’t with my driver, but easily found help from someone who could translate.

THINGS TO DO: Excellent – there is plenty of hiking, beaches and exploration – something for everyone!

TRANSPORTATION: Hiring a private car is the best way to get around – there are some bus options, but not necessarily direct, trains take almost twice as long to get anywhere you want and Uber/ride share is only present in the bigger cities.

MONEY: Cash by far the most common way to pay in Sri Lanka – only a small percentage of hotels even took card payments, but the US Dollar and Euro were also accepted outside of local currency.

VALUE: Excellent – the food is reasonable and varied (outside of red meat options); however, it would rate at at least double if not triple of the cost of food in India. Hotels and homestays are very reasonable, and of high quality, averaging $20-30 per day (a splurge is $100/day) and tourist activities are fairly priced with some ranging on the more expensive scale, but still at a reasonable cost.

OVERALL: While Sri Lanka is definitely geared towards tourism in the friendliness of its people, its cleanliness, the food, reasonable accommodations, and the size and variance of activities and things to do in the country, I found the amount of tourists and the tourist route so overvisited and overcrowded, it didn’t feel off the grid enough for me and I was honestly a bit bored with what it had to offer. I’m glad I went, but would not make a special trip to visit it outside of other places on the globe.

TRAVEL METHOD COUNT: 1 car, 2 Ubers, 1 bus

TRAVEL MILE COUNT: ~400

TRAVEL CASAUALTIES: One laptop keyboard (had to use a plug in version, which was not very user friendly)

The next day I headed to the airport, managing to almost make it through security without having to rescan and unpack my bag, but alas my tweezers flagged me this time! Despite the unpacking and repacking, I still had plenty of time to spare before my flight and grabbed a coffee from the only food kiosk and soon I was on board my Air Indigo flight to Jaipur, a quick 1 hour from Rishikesh.

Jaipur is known as the ‘pink city’ with its plethora of forts, temples and palaces to visit; however after being somewhat underwhelmed with Rishikesh, I discarded all previous expectations and aimed for nothing more from this new city than perhaps some animal protein and a slightly warmer climate.

As my arrival was during daylight hours and my homestay had informed me ahead of my visit that Uber was the best way to reach them from the airport, I chose to take an Uber rather than pre-arrange for a taxi or car. Uber was very easy to locate outside of the terminal and my car picked me up in less than 5 minutes. Right off the bat, just from the Uber ride to my homestay I liked Jaipur as not only was it much warmer than Rishikesh, but quite scenic with cool sites along the roadway, like picturesque Patrika Gate.

In less than 30 minutes I reached the All Seasons Homestay, which turned out to be another gem of a homestay choice with gorgeous gardens, 4 floors of spacious rooms and the bonus of a rooftop gym – all for $35/night! After checking in and inquiring about offered tours for the next day, I decided to do a quick self tour to the City Palace area of town as Google Maps indicated it would take me only 15 minutes to get there using the metro, a 10 minute walk from my homestay.

Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that Jaipur’s metro would not match my Delhi experience. Not only were they not connected by the same pass system, but Jaipur’s metro route was limited to only a few unfrequented lines and the station itself was a bit sketchy looking and empty. However, I had already committed to the trip and I bought my $.25 token at the kiosk and boarded the train headed towards the City Palace.

The City Palace area is actually a sort of compound, with a large bazaar and multiple sites to see, including the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. In less than 10 minutes I arrived at the station as I exited I was immediately overwhelmed with the insanely packed streets and sidewalks with the New Years holiday crowds out in full force. Side note: a car would’ve taken me at least 45 minutes to reach the center with the amount of traffic, so I was glad for the metro, as sketchy as it was. I pushed my way through the crowds for a few hours, taking a few photos and making notes of things I wanted to see the next day. As it was nearing dark by the time I finished my walk, I headed back to my homestay to explore nearby (non vegetarian!) dinner options.

My homestay was located in a nice neighborhood and actually had a few appealing Western oriented options and I decided on Native, a highly rated restaurant/cocktail bar. Luckily, as I was solo and it was before 7pm I was able to walk right in without reservations and ordered a grilled chicken salad and a proper cocktail. After about an hour, the bar was completely filled with patrons and I was about to leave when one of the only other Caucasians in the place approached me. He introduced himself, his two friends and their wives and it turned out they were actually the owners. We chatted for a bit and then they invited me to accompany them (yes with their wives) to the famous and exclusive Bar Palladio, a very ‘Insta-worthy’ hotel and bar for the remainder of the evening where we enjoyed a few hours of chatting under the twinkling lights of old colonial Jaipur.

The next morning after a delightful and animated breakfast with my homestay hosts where we solved world hunger, politics and retirement, I headed off in my tuk tuk for the day’s tour, which would include a visit to Amber Fort, the Jal Mahal (water palace), the Jantar Mantar (a collection of 19 astronomical instruments) and a tomb for $10.

The ride to the first stop, Amber Fort, took about 45 minutes to reach with the insane amount of holiday traffic, but once we finally reached the Fort, I could see what the fuss was all about – it was simply stunning and huge! Before entering the Fort, I visited the famous stepwell, Panna Meena Ka Kund, located adjacent to it. The stepwell is a stunning combination of staircases leading to a well designed so that people could reach water as the pool rose and fell with rainfall levels. Nowadays it is definitely an “Insta worthy” photo shoot op, but still really beautiful to see in person.

After the stepwell it was on to explore the main area of the Fort. Amber Fort was built in 1592, constructed of red sandstone and marble overlooking a lake. The outer wall of the Fort looks like a mini Great Wall and one could spend hours exploring its four different levels and multiple courtyards, but in true India form, the masses of crowds sway your experience. I walked the grounds for about an hour (NOT riding the elephants) and then headed back out in the nightmarish traffic for a quick photo stop at the water palace (only a photo stop as you could not go inside or ride a boat near the palace itself) and on to Jantar Mantar.

Before visiting Jantar Mantar, my guide suggested a quick stop at a royal tomb he guaranteed would be a nice crowd free break between stops. The tomb, called Gaitor Ki Chhatriyan, is one of many often overlooked attractions in Jaipur. It was indeed almost empty when we arrived and only cost $3 to enter the peaceful and beautiful grounds. After a couple of quick pictures it was on to the last stop – the astronomical collection of Jantar Mantar. I have a moderate interest in astronomy and was quite excited about seeing the cool structures I read about and fully ready to brave the crowds again. The entrance was packed with a line that wrapped around the courtyard and my excitement level began to drop as it seemed I would possibly be waiting hours to get in; however, after about 10 minutes of waiting, a guard approached me, asking if I was a foreigner and then pointed me to a marked ‘foreigner’ que with only 3 people in line to purchase my pricier foreigner ticket (I guess paying foreigner prices for entry does give you some privileges).

“Jantar Mantar” means “instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens” and the observation site/collection consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments which revised the calendar and astronomical tables when it was built in the 1700s. There are structures for both time and horoscopes and it felt like I was walking around in a giant sundial once inside the site.

After Jantar Mantar I headed back to my homestay to pack and prep for my flight the next day to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Again, I chose to fly as a private car would have cost me $60+ and 4 hours+ driving and I could never seem to catch a train with an optimal schedule, so $35 for a 1-hour flight was definitely worth it for me.

The next day I took an Uber to the airport and once again, almost made it through security without a hitch, this time it was my headlamp that got me, ha! My flight was delayed by 20 minutes but Jaipur’s airport had a few interesting snack and shopping options to pass the time, so the wait was not too bad. Landing in Agra was definitely quite the experience, as interestingly enough, for such a tourist hub, Agra’s airport consists of one small building that is actually shared with a military base. The only flight in and out was served by the plane that I took and upon landing and deplaning, the one ground crew member present at the airport started yelling at everyone to hurry up and get off the tarmac so the next flight could board. Then they ushered us all onto a bus, which was slightly confusing because it was unclear where the bus actually went and if it was mandatory to ride it. After a quick route through the military base we reached the main exit and a conductor came around to collect $2 from everyone (which was not mentioned upon getting on the bus), but luckily I had cash on me to pay the fee and I was able to exit the bus and set off to negotiate with a tuk tuk driver for the fare to my hostel.

After being pleasantly surprised with the city of Jaipur, I had been warned that Agra would be vastly different and it held true to this reputation. Not only was it chilly and foggy when I arrived, but it was nothing special to look at with tourist crowds and aggressive salesmen everywhere. My hostel, the Hosteller Agra, was located next to the entrance of the Taj, which I hoped would provide easy early morning access and an evening view, but the fog prevented that and I only got to see a faint outline of it if I squinted really hard. After checking in, I tried to scout the surrounding area for dinner options but it was so full of crowds and aggressive and unfriendly salesmen that I quickly turned back and decided to just grab a snack at my hostel and stay put for the evening. Unfortunately, my hostel room was also a huge let down (and by far the worst stay of my entire 3 months), with shoddy bathroom facilities, paper thin and questionably clean towels and all night long the sound of flapping sandals up and down the stairs and employees yelling resonated through the hallways, disturbing my sleep. Needless to say I was more than ready to leave the next morning.

I spent the night in Agra in hopes of catching the Taj Mahal at sunrise (when the crowds were said to be limited), then on to the Baby Taj and finally transferring by car back to Delhi the same day (there are only ground transportation options from Agra to Delhi). I debated visiting the Taj without a tour guide as I could easily walk to it from my hostel, but decided against it at the strong recommendation of friends and acquaintances I met in India. I found a tour guide online that offered me a decent price for what I wanted to do and the night prior I communicated with him on my pickup time. He informed me that an early morning visit would not be possible due to the extreme fog that had taken over the northern states of India the past week and I would do best with starting my tour at 8am with the Baby Taj. I was skeptical of his recommendation; however, his forecast turned out true as the next day the dense fog was still blanketing the city.

At 8am, my tour guide picked me up and we set off to the Baby Taj, which was almost empty and even though it was still foggy, it was amazing to walk around the beautiful grounds and inside the tombs. I was actually very thankful for my tour guide at this point as he took some REALLY awesome photos of me.

After the Baby Taj it was on to the main event – the Taj Mahal! Unfortunately, the fog was still hanging around and I had to walk right up to the Taj to really even see it, but that at least meant the crowds were lighter than usual. After walking the impressive grounds for about an hour, it appeared that the fog was not moving anywhere, so my guide took some Insta-worthy photos and videos of me and off we went to Delhi.

The ride to Delhi was relatively smooth, taking just over 4 hours to reach the lovely Tatvamasi Homestay, the same homestay I had stayed in upon arrival in India. After a few hugs and some chai with my awesome host, I headed out to grab some dinner nearby at one of Asia’s best bars – Sidecar and do a little dancing to practice my Bollywood moves at the hip Hauz Khas district (yes, there were quite a few selfies with the locals, who marveled at my dance moves!).

The next day I spent relaxing and finalizing the remainder of my trip in India, which I decided would consist of a visit to Cochin / Kerela in the south for some beaches and backwaters over the New Year.

The flight from Delhi to Cochin was just over 3 hours and I opted for business class on Air India for the journey and even though the route was technically domestic, it left from the international terminal, which provided another experience of India’s tedious, confusing and somewhat archaic airport security. The security check consisted of a facial and passport scan line before entering the building, a bag scan line right inside the doors, then a full security line after check in, all jam packed with people. Luckily, there were designated lines for business class, which allowed me a much smoother and faster screening (and yes, finally, I did not get flagged!). The flight to Cochin was on time and and soon I could see the pretty palm lined coastline, ocean and winding backwaters from my window, a lovely change from endless traffic lines and packed cities. Cochin’s airport was a decent size and relatively modern but boy was it hot outside compared to the chilly weather of Delhi! I did a quick change into shorts and a t-shirt before exiting the airport and meeting my ride to the homestay.

My homestay host had arranged for my transportation and offered me options for A/C and non A/C. As I was ready for a little sweating and feeling cheap, I opted for the less expensive non A/C version, which was a hybrid tuk tuk / taxi. The ride to the homestay, located on Marari Beach, was supposed to take 1.5 hours to reach; however, there was construction along the route and it ended taking over 3 hours! Needless to say, after 10 days in traffic and pollution I was chomping at the bit for some fresh air and it wasn’t exactly the most relaxing way to arrive to the beach, but once we entered the sleepy little town, it felt well worth the effort.

Marari Beach is quite off the map and there are only a few small hotels and homestays dotting the coastline. My homestay was just off the beach, a 5 minute drive from the center of town and a 5 minute walk to the beach. After getting settled in my room, I quickly changed into my swim suit and headed out for a sunset walk on the beach, which was mostly empty with the exception of a few happy dogs, fishing boats and seaside restaurants. By nightfall I was pretty starved and ready to try the local seafood, so asked my host where I should eat. As it was New Years Eve the next day, he informed me the town was having a small festival and offered to drive me on his motorcycle to check it out. I couldn’t resist the appeal of zipping along India’s coast on the back of a motorcycle, so of course I obliged and set off to explore the festival. The festival itself wasn’t wildly interesting, featuring local bands and food stands, but I managed to find a nice little restaurant for dinner and enjoyed people watching while I ate my meal of spicy baked fish (that I shared pieces of with a stray beach dog).

The next day, after a great night of sleep, my homestay host greeted me with breakfast and coffee and then I headed off to the beach for a full day of relaxation and sunshine. I found a little stand that rented out beach chairs and umbrellas for a few dollars and spent the day playing in the waves and taking in the fresh salty air.

The stand that rented out the chairs was situated next to a small restaurant and as that night was New Year’s Eve I was determined to have a meal on the beach while taking in the last sunset of 2023, so I inquired about their hours and menu. The owner told me that they set up chairs and tables at sunset and serve dinner on the sand. Their menu featured a fried local catch of the day which was served with rice and salad; however, I was really craving some green vegetables and I also wanted my fish grilled. I asked the owner if my desired changes were possible and he then proceeded to bring out the chef, who said that he could easily accommodate my request and asked what time I wanted to eat. Perfect! The only thing left to cap out my fantastic day was to figure out where I could find liquor to cheer the New Year in, as the majority of the restaurants did not serve it and the only liquor around was a local coconut moonshine / wine that I certainly was not trying.

Google indicated that there was a local liquor store about 1.5 miles from my homestay, so I figured what the heck and hopped on my homestay host’s bicycle to see what I could find. The liquor ‘store’ was a somewhat nondescript building with a lot of bars on the windows and a bunch of signage I could not read posted. There were also two huge lines of people standing outside. I parked my bike and tried to read the limited English signage and saw one sign above the shorter of two lines that said, “Premium Self Service.” After my que experience in Jaipur, I figured that it would probably be just what I needed. Sure enough, after a few minutes of standing in line I entered a small liquor store that was packed with locals, all furiously grabbing their liquor of choice off the shelves and clamoring at the counter to pay. Yes, I was definitely the only woman and most certainly the only non Indian in store that day, but I found what I needed, hopped on my bicycle and headed back to my homestay to shower….when in India….ha!

Just before sunset I headed down to the beach to the restaurant, which had set up a few tables and chairs and strings of lights along the sand. The owner greeted me and asked me if I was ready for my food, which I was, and it turned out to be incredibly delicious, with a whole fileted grilled fish and fresh veggies. It was a fantastic way to end an epic 2023!

The next day when my homestay host greeted me with my breakfast he asked if I wanted to join him at the local gym for a New Year’s Day workout and then go for a boat ride along the backwaters as he had a friend that owned a boat that I could take a tour on. I figured why not, so after breakfast we hopped on his motorcycle and headed to the self entitled, “Hercules Gym.” The gym was completely empty and had a lot of dusty 1980’s equipment, but was perfectly useable and I sweated my way through a great workout which ended up costing me only $1!

After a quick change and shower we hopped on my host’s motorcycle again (I think he actually just liked driving me around, but I did not mind) and drove to the backwater take off point, about 30 minutes away. Most of the backwater boats are very large and some are actual houseboats as touring the backwaters is a very popular activity in the state of Kerela. The boat my host had reserved was not a houseboat, but a very large boat with multiple comfy seating areas, albeit decorated like in a cheesy romantic way (yes, I’m pretty sure my host had a crush on me). The tour was only $20 for two hours of touring the waters where the locals live and work. The backwaters themselves are not appealing to swim in as the locals wash, bathe and dump waste into the water, but they do not smell and it was still a peaceful and scenic tour.

That evening, feeling brave after my workout and love boat tour, I biked into town to get dinner at one of the only restaurants in town that also happened to double as a grocery store. The menu was huge and I could not identify most of the things on it, but saw an interesting barbeque looking chicken dish being served at the table next to me. I gestured towards it when the waiter came to take my order and although he spoke limited English he said, ‘little spicy,’ as spicy is right up my alley, I ordered a portion for myself; it turned out to be really delicious and actually quite spicy, but it was so good that I went back the next day for a repeat order!

The following day was my full last day in India and I spent it relaxing by the beach, taking advantage of my host’s ‘kayak’ (which was a strangely shaped inflated raft that had a stick with metal plates as a paddle) to cruise the waters next to the shoreline at sunset and I enjoyed a repeat meal of grilled fish at the beach restaurant that hosted me for New Years that evening (it was that good!) to cap it all off.

The next day I bid farewell to my host and hopped in the non A/C tuk tuk / taxi for the drive to the airport. The ride back was much smoother, taking only 1.5 hours and soon I was on the plane to…..(read on to find out)!

Final verdict – how did India rate on the ‘Outlaw scale’?

FOOD: Excellent – my second favorite next to Egypt – I discovered a few new dishes I had never heard of and I actually never experienced “Delhi belly” – not sure how I lucked out, but I did!

SAFETY: Moderately safe – I felt ok walking around by myself and certainly wasn’t threatened in any way, but I could definitely feel eyes me as a solo white skinned woman traveling, so it was important I didn’t become overly friendly or talkative with anyone I encountered.

LANGUAGE: English was widely spoke in Delhi and to some moderate levels in the other cities; however, using tuk tuks, ordering food at small stands and negotiating sometimes posed a translation problem, making Google Translate handy, especially for those tricky negotiations!

THINGS TO DO: Excellent – there are countless options of things to do and see in the country, it is just a matter of getting there and finding the least crowded time to go!

TRANSPORTATION: I used a wide variety of transport in India, although I never got to take a train. Options for getting around vary based on what city you are in, where you are going and how fast you want to get there.

MONEY: For most Indians, a cash / payment app is used but it is not for foreigners, so cash was mostly king and it was a pain to keep enough on hand as I never knew if cards would be accepted where I went.

VALUE: Excellent – the food is incredibly cheap and varied (outside of red meat options); one can easily eat on a few dollars a day. Hotels and homestays are very reasonable, averaging $20-30 per day and transportation options are plentiful, with a range of comfort levels.

OVERALL: I have a love / hate relationship with India, the moment things got a little too much, with too many people, too many horns honking, etc., that was when it surprised me and made me fall in love it with its moments of pure enchantment and joy. I would definitely go back, now that I know what to expect and what I do / not enjoy.

TRAVEL METHOD COUNT: 5 Ubers, 4 taxis, 4 metro rides, 6 tuk tuks, 4 flights, 1 ferry, 1 scooter, 1 rickshaw, 4 motorcycles, 1 ‘love boat’, 1 bicycle, 1 kayak, 2 tuk tuk hybrids

TRAVEL MILE COUNT: ~2,800

TRAVEL CASUALITIES: 0

fter Oman, the plan was to go to India and Sri Lanka; however, I did not know which one I would visit first as there were two routes I could take – one starting north and going south or the opposite direction from south to north. I began researching flight deals from Oman to both India and Sri Lanka a few days before I decided to leave and came upon a great business class fare on Eithad to Delhi that included a free 2-night stopover in Abu Dhabi for the same price as an economy flight with a hotel via Dubai. I had heard great things about Eithad’s business class so it was a no brainer to book it and start with India.

The flight from Muscat to Abu Dhabi was only 1 hour, but Eithad came through in a big way with a dedicated check in and security area and a new and modern plane. They even served a ‘snack’ during the flight which was a chicken sandwich. Now, being from the US, when the attendant says it is a chicken sandwich you expect a pre-packaged hum drum snack, especially on a one-hour flight. The sandwich was certainly not hum drum – a delightful piece of fresh grilled chicken served in a tiny pretzel bun with a side of shrimp bruschetta, grape leaves, tabouli salad and even a desert! Needless to say, I could not wait to see what the longer flight had in store for me.

After landing and navigating the somewhat hectic Abu Dhabi airport it was on to my Eithad designated free stopover hotel, the Premier Inn Capital Centre. I was a little skeptical about the quality of the hotel after reading the online reviews, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how modern, clean and comfortable the hotel was. While it wasn’t the Four Seasons it was absolutely a great place for a quick stop over. As it was almost 10 pm when I arrived, it was a quick check in and off to bed for me before my one full day in Abu Dhabi.

There is no shortage of activities to choose from in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but I had limited time and two of the things I wanted to do in Abu Dhabi – a race car driving experience and Ferrari World rooftop walk were unavailable on Tuesdays (my actual full day in the city), so I decided to hop on a bus and explore Dubai instead. Buses to Dubai leave every 20 minutes from Abu Dhabi’s main bus station and the 2 hour ride is only $10.00 each way.

You can choose to get off at one of two bus stops in Dubai from Abu Dhabi – one located at the near end of the city or one closer to the center. For the ride in, I choose to get off at the central station as I could see some of Dubai’s highlights and it dropped me off next to the metro where I could continue my ‘tour’ via train, for a fraction of the cost of a private tour. After the bus dropped me off, I rode the metro to all the way to the Souk and marina and was able to get a clear view of sights along the ride like the Dubai frame – which looks almost unreal in person!

After a quick breakfast the next day I grabbed a taxi and was off to the airport. A side note – taxis are cheaper than Uber in Abu Dhabi and most take cards, so it is a good option for private transportation. I had done my research on India’s eVisa process five days before my flight as not only is the application process quite lengthy and slightly confusing but approvals are not instantaneous. I received my letter of approval within 36 hours and ensured to take screen shots of all the approvals and letter, which was perfect as at the check in desk in Abu Dhabi they had to input all of my eVisa information in their system before I could even check in. The desk representative said that there were definitely many instances where people do not get their eVisa ahead of time because they think they can get one on arrival and end up not being able to board the flight!

After going through the private check in and security areas reserved for Business and first-class passengers, I went to check out the Eithad business class lounge. Based on my first flight experience I expected to be ‘wowed’ with the lounge; however, it turned out to be a bit of a letdown. While the space was clean and new, it had VERY limited seating, was almost fully packed with passengers and only offered mostly Indian food selections. Perhaps the separate first-class lounge had more to offer, but this factor disappointed me, especially comparing it with other competitors, like Turkish Air. Soon it was time to board my flight and while the lounge disappointed, my second plane ride did not, as I had my own individual suite and all the other expected goodies like full meal service with 3 course options, hot towels and superb facilities. Overall, I would say I got a fantastic deal on Eithad and give them high marks.

I arrived in New Delhi, India around 7pm to a surprisingly empty customs and immigration area and I was at bag claim in less than 30 minutes. In usual fashion, I had arranged for my accommodations to pick me up at the airport and the car was waiting for me. Traffic in New Delhi was on par with Cairo and the peace of Oman was soon a distant memory with the endless horn honking and no lane ‘rules.’

My hotel was actually a homestay in the Greater Kalish district of Delhi, a somewhat upscale, residential area of the city. I was new to the concept of homestays, which are essentially bed and breakfasts where the owners live and rent out space in their homes. A homestay in India cannot be larger than 6 rental rooms or it is classified as a hotel and subject to different financial rules. The homestay I chose had a decently central location and high ratings online and I figured I couldn’t go wrong with it for $45/night. From the minute I arrived I knew I made a fantastic choice as my room was actually huge with a couch, desk, fridge and a private bathroom. The host himself was also a genuine delight, waiting outside to greet and help me with my bags and driving me around the neighborhood, showing me where I could eat and shop for groceries.

As a country to visit, India has mixed reviews, but I wanted to see for myself what it was all about and couldn’t wait to dive into it. After a great night of sleep, I chose to start off my immersion with a city/food tour. I know it was a bit risky, but I just could not resist the appeal of the highly rated Old Delhi city and food tour offered by the non profit company – Salaam Baaalak. To meet the tour, I had to take the metro to a central station where I would be met by my guide. The metro was actually very close to my homestay and the kind host drove me himself to the station so I would not get lost and told me how to buy a ticket/pass. Foreigners must pay a slightly higher fee (which was the case throughout India) for a card that is pre-loaded with about $1.25 (the rides themselves are about $.25- $.50 per way). In sharp contrast to the outside traffic, Delhi’s metro trains are actually very clean, new and really a convenient way to travel around the city.

I found the right train and exit with relative ease and my tour guide was waiting for me as agreed. My guide was a lovely young man from Nepal who was a product of the non-profit program. He spoke great English and was a delight to accompany me on my exploration of the insane back alleys of Delhi with for ~3 hours. During the tour, I got to try 6 different types of street food (I was soooo full), including my newly discovered favorite dish, mutton nihari. I also got to tour the home the non-profit funds, ride a rickshaw and see the gritty but touching reality of life in Old Delhi. Readers, while you can envision what India is like from photos and video nothing can prepare you for the wild contrasts of sight, smell and emotions that you experience by visiting it in person. The tour took me through alleys which were packed with people, food carts, small businesses, electrical wires, trash, monkeys and extreme poverty, but yet had direct views of forts and temples. There were definitely times where my eyes welled up with tears at the amount of struggle so apparent; however, I was also hit by the strong sense of community and harmony amidst the mix of smells and chaos, an ever-present underlying system of sorts – one where everyone is doing not only their best to survive but giving to others at the same time, regardless of how much they had. I toured a temple where local volunteers cook and feed masses of the impoverished and saw lines of people squatting outside restaurants waiting for their turn to receive the daily free food. Even more shocking to an animal lover like myself was the fact that despite the number of stray dogs, not one was starving – almost all well fed and most were even wearing little jackets to keep them warm!

After my tour ended, I spent a few hours exploring the area, perusing some old forts and temples and then headed back to my homestay via the metro, this time braving the 15-minute walk by myself (crossing the streets is something not for the faint hearted – you have to say a little prayer and simply look forward and walk, without any hesitation). For a little more cultural immersion, that evening I had arranged a private Bollywood dance lesson at Deli Dance Academy, a 15-minute Uber ride from my homestay located in a slightly run down but functional small studio. I was the only student and the class was actually a blast, dressing up in sari and learning 4 different dances over the course of 2 hours.

As the Taj is closed on Fridays to the public and my host did not have any availability the next night (Friday), my plan was to head north the next day and do the ‘Golden Triangle’ in reverse, ending with the Taj in Agra. As an add on northern city to my itinerary, I decided to visit Rishikesh to see what the Ganges River and Himalayas looked like in India.

The next day I headed to India’s domestic Airport for my quick 1-hour flight on Indigo Airlines. The fight was to be the first of 4 throughout India and only by my last flight did I have all of the tricks for passing the rigorous (and slightly archaic) security down pat. At the airport, before even entering through the doors to check in, you must show your boarding pass and identification. Once inside, you have to show them again at security, gate boarding and before you actually step foot onto the plan (yes, after your boarding pass is scanned). You also have to remove every single piece of metal and anything remotely electronic from your bags, to include even the smallest pair of tweezers and phone jacks and put it all in plastic tubs, which are smaller than any US sized ones, to pass security. You end up standing in line holding about 3-4 tubs in your hands (you do not wait until your turn to unpack your things or you will never get a place in line much less a tub). Then everyone has to be wanded and pass through separated male and female body scanning. Needless to say, the 2 to 3 hours pre-flight arrival time recommended by the airlines is required in India.

The domestic terminal facilities were sufficient enough and my flight to Rishikesh was actually surprisingly on time. Indigo is India’s budget airline but I found it comfortable enough as well as very cost efficient at an average of $50 per flight (much better than spending hours in the car for the same price or more or trying to finagle the complex and non-foreigner friendly train system).

I landed in Rishikesh at night and broke one of my main travel rules as I had not pre booked transportation. However, everything I read online said that it was very simple and easy to book a taxi at the airport and it ended up working out just fine – I even paid $5 less than the rate the hotel gave me at $15 for the 40-minute ride. From first impression, in the pitch black, Rishikesh was very mountainous and a bit cold! My hotel, the Holywater by Ganga Kinare was one of the few ‘luxury’ options available and located next to the river. It was decently modern and clean, but I would not deem it ‘luxury’ by Western standards, more of budget friendly mid-range option. I managed to endure the rigorous India check in process (which always consists of signing a ledger with ALL your information, copying your passport and entering your details again in their computer system) despite the lack of spoken English by the staff and soon I was in bed for the night.

The next morning I headed down for breakfast at the hotel’s onsite restaurant. The meal was included in my rate, but I quickly discovered that I was going to be a vegetarian for the next 3 days as almost all of the city is vegetarian and my hotel was no exception. Indian breakfasts are notoriously huge and while there were no eggs there were a lot of things to try and I dove right in. Luckily, the restaurant staff noticed the only foreigner at the hotel and took pity on me, explaining what everything was and recommending items to try. I can say that I actually enjoyed all of it and was thankful that it would fill me past lunch as I had no idea what I would find in town.

After breakfast I went exploring to see what tours and Ayurvedic treatments I could find as Rishikesh is known for rafting and natural healing. As I arrived at night, I was a bit surprised as for what seemed to be a remote place was actually a very busy town with quite a bit of traffic. Sure, there were only two lanes and a few more cows, but the city was not the far-flung respite I envisioned. Additionally, the layout is actually spread far out and as I was staying in the quieter, southern part of town I did not find much of anything on my 2 hour walk. I was beginning to lose hope when I came across a sign for a spa with ‘Tripadvisor ratings’. I followed the arrows to a VERY small storefront and the owner right away recognized the foreigner looking lost and invited me inside to show me his price list. The well-worn treatment menu showed a variety of options for various ailments and I indicated that I was most interested in the $25.00 2-hour skin treatment and massage combo. However, I told the owner I did not have enough cash on me and I would need to come back after going to the ATM. He then called his son in and told him to take me to the ATM on his motorbike. The ATM was only 5 minutes away and I was pretty tired of walking in the non-sidewalk traffic ridden roads, so I agreed (it actually sounds sketchier than it was and the motorbike ride was kind of thrilling). I successfully got the funds I needed and headed back to the ‘spa.’ My massage and treatment took place in a somewhat dingy small room with a tiny space heater and a Thai style mat on the floor. The masseuse was an older lady who was pretty surly, briskly instructing me to disrobe and lie down, but the massage turned out to be actually quite good. After the massage, the treatment consisted of her heating up some strange powder on a hot plate and then brushing and massaging it onto my skin for an hour. It was a very unusual treatment but I did feel good afterwards!

After the ‘spa’ I made my way back to the hotel, discovering that I could take the back route along the Ganges River as an alternative to the insane street traffic and smell of exhaust. It was only a few 100 feet from the main road but blissfully empty and quiet with a great view to boot. The Ganges River is actually very clean (and cold) and at its banks you can observe brave souls bathing (not washing) themselves in the holy waters. At night there is also a ritual you can observe, but I was tired, cold and my walk I did not discover much in the way of interesting or decipherable restaurants, so I decided to brave it again with my hotel’s restaurant for an early dinner instead. Dinner was as delicious as breakfast, but I could not even tell you the names of anything I ate!

As the next day was Christmas and many things would be closed, I decided to take advantage of the hotel’s offered activity of palm reading/astrology. For 30 minutes, the reader told me about my life and what was to come just by my birthdate and time. It was an interesting experience but was it more accurate than just reading my astrological horoscope online? The jury is still out on that one but it was still fun. The rest of the day I spent exploring the city via foot, ferry and tuk tuk, crossing the two large bridges in town and bearing the masses of local crowds visiting for the holidays. I did manage to find the rafting tours at a steal for only $12 but the water and temperature clocking in at a brisk 50 degrees was just too cold for me and I saw multiple boats with passengers swimming in the freezing water so I decided to just observe the Ganga Aarti rituals at night instead. The rituals are done twice a day, in the morning and evening along the riverbanks and are Hindu ceremonies designed to show gratitude and respect. They are led by priests who chant hymns and light candles with wicks soaked in ghee. Unfortunately, the spiritual experience is somewhat tainted as the riverbank temple area is full of vendors and homeless people begging for money. After the ritual I headed back to the hotel for dinner, but as it was Christmas the restaurant only offered room service. I was actually glad to take advantage of it after a long couple of days in a hectic and somewhat disappointing town and ate my meal in peace and packed my bags for the next day’s flight. Read on (soon) to see which city I went to next!

Next up on my world tour was Oman. Why Oman? A few reasons – 1) it neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both of which are main airport hubs for my further travels across Asia, 2) I read a lot of good things about its beautiful landscapes and kind people, and 3) it was rated as safe to travel as a woman alone, also a big selling factor for me. Once I decided that I had experienced enough of Egypt for this trip, I scoured the net for airfare deals and was able to score a relatively cheap business class flight on Egyptair from Cairo to Muscat. Airport check in was very smooth and surprisingly empty, however, this is was the extent of my pleasant experience with Egyptair. Cairo’s airport facilities in general are pretty poor – with very dated construction, décor and limited food and shopping choices. The business class lounge also fell right in suit with hard, wooden, old seats, low ceilings and abysmal food selection (no, I did not risk trying the somewhat pink looking salad and questionable cold cuts). Egyptair’s plane was no better with seats that looked like they were falling apart, old looking interior design and certainly no in flight Wi-Fi. Sure, you got juice and a hot towel upon boarding along with a bigger seat, but I would definitely rank this as my lowest quality business class flight in all my years of travel. Thankfully, the trip was a relatively quick 3.5 hours and soon I touched down in Muscat.

From the minute I walked off the plane, I could feel my insides relax as I was transported from the chaos of Cairo to the peaceful serenity of Oman. The airport itself is a beacon of tranquility, with its expansive, glistening and modern design, soft white noise and oh, the smell of frankincense that they pump throughout! To top it off, everyone I encountered, including the airport staff was fantastically warm, welcoming and kind, not to mention the bonus of a free 14-day Visa upon arrival!

Prior to my visit, I had debated renting a car in Oman, as the roads were rated as excellent and safe to drive as well as providing the easiest and cheapest way to see the country. However, reviews are only reviews until you see for yourself how things are, so I decided to use cab service at least for the first day until I could evaluate how difficult/easy it would be to drive myself around. The cab from the airport to my hotel was as expensive as promised due to the fact that the government regulates the charges – a hefty $18 USD for a 20-minute ride. However, I determined from that short ride that renting a car would be as beneficial and easy as the reviews indicated – the roads were indeed excellent and drivers clearly followed all traffic regulations (in sharp contrast to Cairo!).

I chose to stay in the center of Muscat for the first few nights due to price as well as proximity to things to see and do. Tripadvisor had rave reviews on the Royal Tulip, which was a steal at $50 USD/night and included a full gym, rooftop pool and restaurant. It was almost 10pm when I checked in and I was famished, but it was simply too late to go exploring and I decided to order room service from the hotel as a quick fix. My food arrived within 20 minutes, was actually very reasonable priced, delicious and served with delightful hospitality. Adding that to the super quick and hospitable check in process, the hotel was off to a great start in earning its top Tripadvisor rating!

After a good night’s sleep, I woke the next morning to begin my usual city ‘walkabout.’ The closest beach was only 20 minutes away by foot and I figured I would start there, making my way up the coastline, seeing how much I could actually get to by walking and just grab an Otaxi (Oman’s ‘Uber’ as they do not have Uber or Careem in Oman) if I got tired / lost. I reached the beach successfully in 20 minutes and while it was very picturesque, with clear blue water and almost no one else in sight, due to the conservative dress standards in the country I did not feel comfortable just plopping down for a sunning session and decided to continue on with my walk.

Oman’s car culture is huge and most everyone outside of taxi drivers has a big, gas guzzling, shiny, new car. However, this also means that while the roadways are clean and new, the sidewalks are minimally used and often end into busy streets without warning. My ‘walkabout’ quickly turned into a bit of an adventure as I found myself walking down dirt roads alongside highways, gathering looks by locals who wondered what this white girl was doing walking around in a city that no one actually walks around in, aside from the Asian worker population. Side note: there is a large population of Asian immigrant (mostly blue collar and service) workers across Oman and the UAE.

A few sweaty hours later I made it back to my hotel and decided to cool off in its lovely pool, where I would be welcome in my Western beach wear. Once the sun went down, I headed to my room to change for dinner and to check out a decent looking Thai restaurant I spotted earlier. I assumed that as it was surrounded by other small Asian food stands and shops that it had a good chance of being authentic and my assumptions proved right! My meal of morning glory and laarb was all the Thai spicy delight I could’ve hoped for! I ended the evening with a quick blog update and rental car search, as after the day’s walkabout experience it was definitely going to be my best option to see the country.

The next day I chose to relax by the pool and workout before picking up my rental car at the airport, which I found for $40 USD/day including all fees from Europcar. In line with my experience in Oman thus far, it was the smoothest rental pickup I’d ever experienced with zero wait time and a brand new car to boot. In fact, when I inquired about how to contact them if I decided to keep the car for extra days, they simply replied, “relax, enjoy, bring it back when you like, we will just charge you the same rate for however long you keep it, a week or a month!” With my new whip ready to go, I managed to drive myself back to the hotel with only one wrong turn, but boy did it feel good to have my own set of wheels to get around in after weeks of depending on other drivers! The rest of the evening I spent plotting my Oman road trip and ensuring my offline maps on both Google and Waze were in order.

The next day I had to check out of my hotel as it was sold out of rooms; however, I had already booked an early morning snorkeling tour to the Daymaniyat Islands and found another reasonably priced hotel, the Avani hotel and suites, at $45 USD / night, located close to the marina on the west part of the city (my rental car was already coming in handy). The 5 hour snorkeling tour, a reasonable $70 USD, was run by Oman Sea Tours, and consisted of an hour transit to / from the Islands, plus 2 snorkeling stops and 1 beach stop as well as a snack and (non-alcoholic) drinks.

After successfully driving myself to the marina, I checked in with the tour company and boarded the boat. My tour had 8 other passengers, a couple and their 2 children from South Africa, 2 Germans and 2 Italians. It was a nice little group and right on schedule, at 8:30 am we were on our way. Did I mention that the weather was amazing in Oman this time of year? The sun was shining and the seas were calm for our trip and soon we were in sight of the gorgeous island turquoise waters and a pretty white sand beach. Our snorkeling stops were also decent, with an abundance of sea turtles and marine life. On our way back from the islands we even spotted a pod of dolphins which we chased for a good 20 minutes! We arrived back at the marina at 1:30pm and I headed to my hotel which was nearby but also a bit outside of the city center. Along the way I was able to observe some of the Omani ‘countryside,’ with its quirky signage and food trucks (yes they have a lot of them in Oman, mostly burgers!).

At the hotel, it was time for a quick shower and then a bite before bed as the next morning I wanted to stop at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, largest mosque in Oman, before heading out on my road trip. Non-Muslims can only visit the mosque from 8 -11 AM Saturday to Thursday and I couldn’t chance missing it later on in my trip.

The next morning, as planned, I drove to visit the mosque, which was every bit as awe-inspiring as I imagined. Even though I do not practice the religion, I could not help but feel a sense of reverence and spirituality walking the immaculate grounds and admiring the mosque’s intricate architectural elements and design.

After the mosque, the next stops on my road trip were the Bimmah sinkhole and Wadi Shab, both located on the eastern coastline of Oman, about 1.5 hours away from Muscat. The term Wadi is means valley or ravine in Arabic and they are mostly dry, except during the rainy season, and year round they are have little bodies of water and small pools/waterfalls. Both the Wadi and sinkhole were supposed to be safe to swim, hike and free of charge to visit. One can arrange a day trip from Muscat to both areas, but at a price of $150 – $200, driving myself was a much more economical (and fun) choice!

Google maps easily led me along the 1.5 hour drive to the sinkhole through Oman’s scenic mountain range before finally reaching the gorgeous coastline. Side note: The speed limit on most roads in Oman is a hearty 120 km/hour and rather than physical police monitoring your speed, there are radar cameras almost every 1/2 mile. My rental car company warned me that I would be charged for any incurred speeding, parking or other road violations and my car was even equipped with a warning once I reached 120 km/hour, so I resisted taking advantage of the mostly empty roads and kept to the speed limit.

At the entrance of the Wadi, to get to the hiking portion of it, one has to take a 2 minute boat (really a small motorized canoe) ride across the river for $.50. At the boat ‘dock’ there are a few vendors renting life jackets, waterproof bags and even offering guide services for a few dollars. When the boat captain asked how many people I was with and I told them I was alone, one of the guides hanging out on the dock said, “my friend is also alone, she is from Morocco, let’s go together, as she is waiting on the other side (meaning where the boat drops you off).” I thought it was a strange and slightly suspect offer, but figured I would just ignore him once I got to the other side, as I really just wanted to hike alone. However, once we got to the other side of the river, there was indeed a younger Moroccan girl waiting on the other side, clearly a tourist as well. I can only assume the guide thought that naturally we would want to hike together as women traveling alone; however, the girl and I introduced ourselves, saying not much else and we set out walking. About 10 minutes in, the guide asked us why we were not talking and we both said that we wanted peace and quiet because our lives were so hectic that it was nice not to talk. The girl and the guide were walking kind of slowly and, because the girl also wanted to be alone, I had no qualms about picking up the pace and hiking forward on my own. I quickly lost sight of them and was soon amongst the stillness of the canyon and the pools. I had hiked alone about an hour and was sitting on a rock, enjoying the beauty of it all when the guide and the girl showed up. The guide was amazed I had made it on my own and so quickly, saying that I must have done something good in my life to have such good luck on my own. Ha! Luck or no luck, sundown was coming at 5 pm and I needed to get out of the canyon if I was to make it to my hotel before nightfall, so I made a quick hike out of the canyon and got in my car.

My next road trip stop was to be Wahiba Sands for an overnight stay in the deser;, however, I did not want to drive another 2.5 hours that same day and decided to break up my trip by staying on the coast for a night. Prior to my trip, I had scoped out the Wadi Shab guesthouse, located near Wadi Shab for a reasonable $35 USD / night. The hotel options were very limited near the Wadi (and the coast in general) as there are no large towns to speak of outside of Muscat in Oman. The photos of the guesthouse looked really lovely, but again, one has to see it to believe it. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot of the guesthouse I knew I had made the right choice. It was set apart from any other buildings and poised directly on a beautiful beach, with nothing but donkeys and a few goats roaming around.

I checked in and then wandered down to the ocean to watch the sun set, accompanied by no one else but few donkeys and waited for the bioluminescence that my guesthouse host had told me about to appear. Sure enough, there was bioluminescence (albeit only a minimal amount) in the water and I spent some time just playing around with it before heading up to my room for the night.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast I headed down to the beach again as my host had also informed me that if I was out early enough I could see sea turtles. I read that the sea turtle nesting season ended in October in Oman, but still wanted to see if I would catch a few stragglers hatching along the shore. I soon discovered that my interpretation of seeing the sea turtles was different than what my host meant as while I did not see any turtles hatching, I did see them swimming in the ocean, right off the shore, and not just one or two, but at least 40!

After packing my things it was time to hit the road again en route to the desert. My 2.5 hour trip was again smooth and went as planned; my only ‘adventure’ was stopping for a quick bathroom break and shawarma snack at a Turkish roadside shop where I managed to score a free bottle of hot sauce from the owner, who saw me putting it on my sandwich and said, ‘take it, enjoy!’ Oh this Oman hospitality….

Wahiba Sands is a very popular place in Oman to camp; however, it requires a 15 minute drive through sand dunes to reach any of the camps and as I did not have an off road vehicle, I arranged for the camp to pick me up at the central parking spot, which the owner assured me that most of the camps use. The parking spot was actually a dirt square next to a closed museum in a very small town outside of the desert entrance, which looked a little sketchy and deserted but I did see 2 other tourists parking their rental cars there and figured that it must be ok. I sent my camp owner a message once I arrived at the parking location and 15 minutes later he showed up in a (very dusty) Toyota Tundra truck and we set off for the bumpy ride to the camp.

Seeing the deserts in both Egypt and Jordan I had no idea what to expect from Oman and I can tell you that not all deserts are created equal! Wahiba Sands has much softer sands with the rolling hills and peaks one expects to see in a desert and the camps themselves are dotted along the dunes. There are also campsites that are more like hotels, with pools and hard walls, along the edges of the desert. I REALLY wanted to get my desert sunset and sunrise experience in, as the light cloud cover in Wadi Rum had prevented me from getting my fix in Jordan and timing prevented me in Egypt. I chose the Moon Light Campsite not only for its authenticity and price, but for its location on the top of a dune, poised in direct sight of the sunrise/set. While it was not as full function as my campsite in Wadi Rum, with an actual hard floor and attached bathroom, it did feel much more like camping with true tent walls and a ‘bathroom’ that was an open air shower/toilet combination (it did have an actual toilet and water, so not too shabby for one night).

Activities in the camp included sand bashing (riding in a truck over the dunes), camel riding, and sand riding (not boarding, but on a plastic sled). As I had done all those activities and more in previous desert spots, I chose to just relax and play in the dunes, watching the sunset for the rest of the day. My $45 USD/night included breakfast and dinner and after the sunset I was starved and excited to see what they had on the menu. Camp style and construction in Oman is Bedouin style with a communal covered area where they served meals in low tables with the ground and pillows as seating. However, the Bedouin cuisine in Oman was definitely different than Jordan; dinner was a surprising smattering of Indian foods mixed in with Middle Eastern cuisine, but still delicious!

There were about 8 other people, all couples, staying in the campsite and after dinner we all sat around the fire, drinking traditional tea and lightly chatting (remember folks, Oman is a mostly dry country – no late night parties or drinking here) until about 9pm, when we all headed off to bed. The temperature cooled down really quickly in the desert and I slept pretty comfortably in my tent, although I did hear some wildlife at various periods during the night, scurrying around and making little noises (yes, I discovered their little footprints in the sand around my tent the next morning)!

I woke up in time to catch the gorgeous sunrise and had a lovely little breakfast at the camp before heading back to my car to complete my road trip and head back to Muscat. The drive back was as smooth and easy as the rest of the trip, sitting at about 3 hours with some choice camel spottings to mix in a little amusement.

While I was in my guesthouse on the coast, I contemplated how much longer I wanted to stay in Oman. I knew I wanted to stay at least another night after the desert to see the corniche, the souk and the east end of Muscat. After ‘roughing it’ in the desert, I decided that I needed a little ‘pampering’ and would splurge a little to stay on the beach in Muscat. I found a decent deal at the Crowne Plaza in Muscat and determined I would decide when to leave Oman once there.

When I arrived in Muscat, I headed directly to the souk, corniche and Opera house to explore a little. The Opera house and corniche were beautiful to look at and the souk, while interesting to some, held little interest to a backpacker who could not buy anything, so after about an hour I headed to my hotel to check in. I had a bit of laundry I needed to do at this point and Googled a place about 1/2 mile away from my hotel. After driving for ~3 hours I was ready to get some exercise and decided to walk the short distance rather than drive to the shop. Well, in true Omani fashion, that little walk turned out to be a longer 40 minute adventure as they were doing road construction and had closed off large sections of sidewalks and I had to maneuver back routes, looks from drivers and side roads to get to the laundry shop! Oh well, I guess people will now remember the strange foreigner carrying a plastic sack wearing a “Guatever” t-shirt forever now!

The Crowne Plaza Muscat is a gorgeously located hotel with a private beach and 3 onsite restaurants directly overlooking the beach, making for a lovely al fresco evening. After a shower, I headed down to one of them to enjoy an actual cocktail (yes, my first proper Western style meal and drink since Jordan!) and a quick bite, while enjoying the ocean scenery. The rest of the evening I spent scouring the internet for ways to plan the best deal for my next move, which was to be India (more on this deal later). After a lot of searching, I determined that I would have one more night in Oman before heading onward and booked another hotel closer to the airport for the next (my last) night.

The next day I spent lounging at the beach, pool and gym before checking out and picking up my laundry (by car this time) and checking into my final hotel in Muscat, the luxurious (and actually reasonable) Hormuz Grand Muscat. The deal I found at the Hormuz was an Executive Club room, which included a ‘happy hour’ (actually dinner for me) and breakfast, all for $95 USD. While the hotel did not have the prime location of the Crowne Plaza, the rooms and hotel interior were far superior to the much older and dated Crowne Plaza at a cheaper rate!

After a great night of sleep and a huge breakfast at the hotel it was time to shed a tear and say goodbye to Oman, so I headed to the airport, turned in my rental car (just as easy and quick as renting it!) and checked in for my flight.

Final verdict – how did Oman rate on the ‘Outlaw scale’?

FOOD: Good to Very Good – there is a wide mix of cuisine to be found – Middle Eastern, Turkish, Indian and Southeast Asian. The Omani cuisine specifically I did not find particularly special, but nothing distasteful about it. I enjoyed all the other mixes of cuisines instead!

SAFETY: Very safe – I felt completely unthreatened or harassed and comfortable doing everything on my own in Oman. Of course, I did dress conservatively out of respect for their culture.

LANGUAGE: Arabic and English is widely spoken and I could almost always find someone who spoke enough English to help me or get around. I never had to use my Google Translate app.

THINGS TO DO: Very good – there are a lot of things to see and while they might not offer the most in terms of thrill seeking, places in the country are really easy to get to, which makes a huge difference!

TRANSPORTATION: Otaxi (their Uber app) is a great option to get around the city of Muscat, but renting a car versus tour options and pretty limited public transport is the way to go.

MONEY: Cards are widely accepted and I only needed to withdraw money once for my hotel near Wadi Shab.

VALUE: Good – Fair. Oman dollars are tricky, at a USD exchange rate of $2.60 to one Omani dollar, it can fool you. Renting a car definitely helped my budget and I was able to stay in hotels at a range of $50-65 USD average per night. Food varies widely by where you eat and while you can find some smaller food stalls you do really have to look for cheaper food options. You can certainly go wild here, but for the quality you get at moderate prices I feel it is a good value for your money and lots of free things to see. Side note: tourism at the time of writing was also a an all time low for the season due to the conflict in Israel, so I cannot speak to deals in perhaps more heavily touristic times of the year.

OVERALL: If you could not tell by now, I absolutely LOVED Oman. I would definitely go back to visit this gem of the Middle East, even to just bask in its beauty and serenity on the beach!

TRAVEL MILE COUNT: ~400

TRAVEL METHOD COUNT: 1 taxi, 1 Uber, 1 rental car, 1 boat ride

TRAVEL CASUALITIES (Items lost): 0

UP NEXT: How did I get to India? Tune in to the next post to see!

Next up on my world tour was the ‘motherland’ as my family likes to call it. Being an Air Force brat, I don’t really have any city I call home, but my father grew up in Cairo, Egypt (and is part Egyptian), and I have long anticipated finally getting to visit the place my heritage is tied to. Although I did not learn to speak Arabic growing up, my family did eat and prepare many common Egyptian foods and as my father and grandmother are both Egyptian, I am somewhat familiar with the culture. As I waited in the delightfully serene and almost empty Jordan airport lounge, I began the search for my hotel in Cairo – for at least the first night’s stay. Fellow travelers, I can offer one piece of critical travel advice – always ensure you have two things upon arrival in a new country: 1) a hotel (for at least the first night) and 2) airport transfer to the hotel. These two things are incredibly important as not only do they ensure your safety, but also allow you a certain level of freedom and peace of mind that you have somewhere to lay your head after the stress of travel.

Cairo is a HUGE city and there are pros and cons of each area when deciding which to choose as your base for travel. If you stay near the airport you are guaranteed a smooth arrival and speedy transfer for trips across the country and beyond; however, it is pretty far from any sights. If you stay near the pyramids, you are guaranteed a great view and speedy access, but there is little else to do and you are likely to be hassled for buying tours, souvenirs, etc. as it is a touristic part of town. If you stay downtown, you are close to sights to see and midway to the pyramids, albeit in a very busy area. Taking price, quality and tour experiences into account, I decided that booking a stay downtown, risking a bit more of a ‘real Cairo’ experience, was my best option. I found a decent bed & breakfast/hostel type accommodation, the Hathor House for a reasonable $45 USD/night. When I was in Petra, I had debated about taking the ferry over to Taba, Egypt and then a bus to Cairo; however, due to the Israel conflict, there were various rumors of the ferries and buses not running for tourists, so I decided that a flight was my safest option. The flight from Amman to Cairo was a quick 1.5 hours (yes, economy!) on Royal Jordanian Airlines and I arrived into Cairo at 7 pm, unfortunately too late to potentially catch any sightings of the pyramids from the sky. I opted to do a Visa on arrival in Cairo, which involved a quick and easy payment of $25 USD (in cash ONLY) to the bank next to the immigration kiosks. Going through immigration took about 25 minutes with medium length lines, requiring only a bit of savvy not to get cut off in line, but went off without a hitch. Note: the airport staff checks for an actual stamped Visa at 4 points before you leave the airport, so keep your passport handy until you exit the terminal!

Visiting the pyramids is ‘must do’ in Egypt and as the next day was Thursday, I wanted to check it off the list first (I read that it was best not to visit on a Friday as it is a weekend for Egyptians and the pyramids can get even more crowded). I landed on a decently priced Airbnb experience tour that included a camel and ATV ride near the pyramids as well as lunch and transportation, all for quite a bit cheaper than my hotel or Viator tours offered. Once that was set and I communicated via WhatsApp with the guide, I laid my head down to rest for the night – I was REALLY tired after an entire day of travel and my tour the next morning started at 7am sharp.
The next day, right on schedule, my tour guide arrived in a decently modern SUV and we set off for the pyramids. Along the way, my guide, who spoke perfect English, proceeded to tell me his version of pyramid history in Egypt. I was the only person on the tour, so I obliged his story, half listening and nodding at appropriate times, honestly just ready to see the pyramids already! Once we arrived in the city of Giza, I finally could see them in the distance – it was almost surreal to see the structures we all read about in the middle of this hectic city, just sitting there in all their glory.
Due to the conflict in Israel, the tourist crowds in Egypt were also very low, with 90% less tourists than usual for the winter season, according to my tour guide and the hotel (technically I could’ve waited a day to see them as the weekend wouldn’t have affected much in terms of crowds, but c’est la vie) and we reached the entrance relatively quickly with almost no lines to wait in. Seeing them up close and personal, after all this time, what was my impression of the pyramids? Dear readers, I will offer a potentially controversial viewpoint, but here goes. While to me they looked just as I expected, I wasn’t floored by their appearance. Sure they were certainly cool to see, but compared to how intricate Petra was (yes, I know Petra is way younger than the pyramids), the wow factor wasn’t there for me. However, this was still a bucket list experience and I could still appreciate them for what they are, so I hopped on the ubiquitous camel and took my picture from the panoramic viewpoint.

After the pyramids I made my way down to the Sphinx, which was wayyyy smaller than I expected and definitely less impressive, but also a great photo opp. From there my guide was supposed to take me to eat lunch and then to the ATVs; however, after a DELICIOUS falafel sandwich (so much better than falafel in the USA – light, crisp and flavorful) lunch, I decided that I had my fill of the pyramids for the day and wanted to explore more of Cairo instead. As it was really my very own private tour I struck a deal with my guide to head to Coptic Cairo, the Hanging Church, City of the Dead and Garbage City instead of the ATV tour.

Coptic Cairo is believed to be a part of Babylon and was founded in the 6th century BC. Egyptian Copts follow the Coptic Orthodox Church and consider themselves the descendants of Ancient Egyptians, the first people to convert to Christianity. The word “Copt” is derived from the Arabic word “Qibt” – or “Gibt” which comes from the Greek word “Egyptos” meaning “Egypt.” Personally, I found the Coptic Quarter area amazing – it was probably one of my favorites parts of the city! The quarter, located in the middle of the city, was so peaceful and calm and the different designs of the smaller historic churches were stunning. You could just feel the reverence of the place walking around the labyrinthine of cobblestone alleys; ironic that such a beautiful place is tied to the extreme religious contention that still exists today.

After my whirlwind city tour, it was time to head back to my hotel for the evening as I had quite the full day and still needed to plan my next day’s adventure. With one full day of being in and out of Cairo traffic under me, I decided that I needed to find out a bit more about Egypt outside of the city. After a bit of research, I discovered a tour that visited the only waterfall in Egypt as well as an oasis in the desert and included lunch, a boat ride and sandboarding. This sounded right up my adventurous alley and just what I needed. As it also started early in the morning, it was a quick dinner and off to bed for me. The next morning my guide picked me up and we set off to drive the ~2 hours into the desert. Along the way, we picked up two other passengers, a couple from Italy that had also booked the tour – my first tour with other people in almost 1.5 months! Prior to beginning the drive into the desert, our guide warned us that we would be stopped at various ‘checkpoints’ along the way, but not to worry because they were nothing more than an excuse for the police to make a few extra dollars and for foreigners to feel safer by police presence. Sure enough, about 30 minutes into the drive our guide called his policeman friend to give him a heads up about our arrival at the checkpoint. 15 minutes later we arrived at the checkpoint and were escorted to a cordoned area. Our guide rolled down the window, shook hands with the policeman, sliding a few bills into the exchange and voila, we were set to go. Security at its best! The rest of the drive into the desert was smooth – it was quite interesting to see the vast emptiness of the country beyond the packed city of Cairo – including, yes, I’m not lying, miles and miles of graveyards! Egyptians bury their dead in gravesites above ground outside of the city and the sites are even organized by faith – it was absolutely astonishing to see! After ~2 hours we reached the edge of the desert and the oasis park, which was beautiful and actually quite huge! Our group took the required photos of the falls, and then boarded a felucca (wooden rowboat) for a quick tour of the oasis lagoon, which was filled with various aviary life. Yes, I did try my hand at rowing a felucca and they are HARD! Fun side note: As it was Friday, the only other ‘tourists’ to the oasis were hundreds of Egyptians, who ALL wanted to take photos with the 3 foreign tourists. The Italians and I embraced our 15 minutes of fame and obliged as many as we could.

After the boat ride (and autograph signing) it was time for the highlight of the day – sand boarding! I’d boarded before on volcanic sand in Nicaragua (which was a bit death defying), but the volcano was very steep and I rode sitting down. The soft fluffy sands of Egypt were the perfect place to master standing and I was determined to ride them like a pro. After one try sitting down, I decided to go for it and, although I was a little wobbly, I actually did it! A few more tries later and I was feeling like a ‘pro’ – X games here I come!

The last stop on the tour was a ‘mountain’ in the desert that was actually under the sea hundreds of years ago when the desert was part of the ocean, nothing super special but a great view and photo opp!

After our hiking, boating and boarding, we were famished and thankful that lunch was up next. The tour description had not specified the lunch menu but the reviews indicated that it was delicious. Growing up, one of my favorite Egyptian dishes was Mulukhiyah, a green stew made from herbs, served with roasted chicken and rice. I had yet to try it in Egypt, given my hectic schedule, and when we pulled into the lunch stop and I saw the that the table spread was Mulukhiyah I was ecstatic! Needless to say it was absolutely wonderful and I ate EVERYTHING!

With full bellies and still sandy feet, our little tour group hopped back in the car for the return drive back. The ride was relatively uneventful and soon I was back at my hotel to plan for the next day(s).

Prior to visiting Egypt I had vacillated with adding a trip to Luxor, but I was unsure if it was worth the travel to see more ancient sites, given my moderate to low level of historical interest. After seeing the pyramids and experiencing a bit of Cairo, I decided that a quick run of the country was good enough for this visit and the next day would be a rest/city walk day before heading to my next country.

The next day I did indeed walk the mostly unwalkable city and managed to make it to Cairo tower, the Nile and the Egyptian Museum. Luckily, it was a public holiday due to an election and traffic was moderately navigable for street crossing; I managed to return to my hotel alive and unscathed, ready for the next stop in my adventure.

Final verdict – how did Egypt rate on the ‘Outlaw scale’?

FOOD: Very good – I am partial to Middle Eastern food and I loved the variety and selection and reasonable price no matter where you went there was always something to eat – falafel, foul, shawarma, burgers, Egyptian food, and so much more!

SAFETY: Like Jordan, everyone I encountered was relatively friendly. However, there was still a level of heightened awareness that, as a woman traveling alone, I kept with me at all times. There were definitely a LOT of men who tried to talk to me and various paper store sellers looking to scam, but being forewarned I knew what to look out for, dressed conservatively and did not venture out at night.

LANGUAGE: Arabic, and French to some extent, is widely spoken, although English was a hit or miss; I would recommend Google Translate as a backup for visits.

THINGS TO DO: Very good – there are a lot of things to see and outside of Cairo even more activities that I did not get to experience, but Egypt overall is the place for history lovers rather than adventurers.

TRANSPORTATION: I used Uber and booked tour guides/rides. I was not brave enough to try to bus system and the Metro, while decently rated, did not go anywhere I needed to go to. Personal drivers are a bit pricey and oh that Cairo traffic! I would rate this category as very poor and one of the most difficult factors for exploring the city – it simply takes forever to get anywhere and walking is almost not an option.

MONEY: Cash is king, especially the USD. Much like Argentina, the black market for USD (and Euro) is rampant, at least at this time of writing. Credit cards are only moderately accepted, so be prepared for those ATM fees.

VALUE: Good – the most expensive thing about traveling to Egypt was the transportation, everything else was decently priced for a budget trip. Of course, you can go wild with a luxurious style of travel, but the budget option is also possible.

OVERALL: I’m over the moon that I finally got not only an African continent stamp in my book but to visit the place where my heritage stems from. That being said, I would rate this country as moderate, worth a repeat visit to other parts outside of Cairo (perhaps for the Mulukhiyah alone – ha!).

TRAVEL MILE COUNT: 294 – Amman to Cairo, plus ~120 – around the city, to the desert and back

TRAVEL METHOD COUNT: 1 taxi, 1 Uber, 1 camel, 1 felucca, 1 sandboard, 2 hired cars

TRAVEL CASUALITIES (Items lost): 0

UP NEXT: Drum roll…… Oman – let’s see what this somewhat not talked about country has in store for me!

After about 20 minutes of walking, my newfound hiking buddy and I crossed paths with a group of locals who asked where we were coming from (we still had yet to see a single other tourist on our hike) and we told them Little Petra. They shook their heads and said; “oh, that bad, no, no, you cannot go this way, police, police!” Well, we both had been warned about the locals trying to scam us, and chalked it up to some elaborate scheme, just nodding our heads and continued hiking. After all, they let us into the park, so we had to get out somehow, right? Another 20 minutes later we came across another group of locals who told us the same thing and even tried to get us to watch a video on their phone while joining them for tea at their tent. We declined and kept walking, shaking our heads at the obvious scheme in play. However, after another 5 minutes of walking we found ourselves in an opening in the canyon and lo and behold, there were smoke mortars being fired across the sky (smoke, not explosives), locals running from them and police were everywhere! My hiking partner and I stopped in our tracks, a bit unsure of what to do next. Luckily there was a policeman ahead of us who noticed us walking in and motioned for us to come to him. We speed walked to him and he proceeded to escort us to an area where all the police cars were, including a tank or two. He then began excitedly talking with his colleagues as my hiking partner and I told them where we had come from and how. All of the policemen seemed to be in disbelief that we had hiked in from Little Petra. We showed our punched tickets and explained we were simply hiking out of the park. After a few minutes of discussion, the police escorted us into one of their vehicles to drive us the rest of the way out of the park. As this seemed it would be the end of our visit to Petra for the day, we pleaded with them to stop at the famous Treasury and Siq to take a few quick snaps. They actually agreed and it turned out that one of the men in the vehicle was the newly elected Minister of Tourism in Petra, who sincerely apologized for the situation, gave me his card and told me that if I needed anything while I was in town to call him. To clarify what was going on readers: evidently the local people (Bedouins) have been causing problems for many years by living unsanctioned in the park and ripping off tourists. The government has been trying to remove them for 7 years and the newly elected Minister had rallied the police to peacefully force them out that day.

After the police car dropped us at the main entrance of Petra, my hiking partner and I had a great laugh about the adventure we had and were happy we got to see all of the park, albeit in a rare way! While it was my hiking buddy’s only day in Petra, I had actually planned on visiting the Park for a second day, so I was not too worried that the park was still closed when we got dropped off at the main gate. Even though I had most of the day now free, I had plans to solidify for my visit to Wadi Rum to occupy my time.

Wadi Rum is about 2 hours from Petra by car and although there is a bus company that operates between the main cities in Jordan (JETTBUS), for whatever reason their system would not let me actually book a ticket online. I had booked my ticket from Aqaba to Amman, but the Wadi Rum route would not show up in their system. Not wanting to spend more money on a private car, I was determined to take a bus to Wadi Rum. My hotel informed me that there was a smaller local minibus, but it left at 6 am and they were not sure about the JETTBUS schedule, as it might not be running due to the low tourism levels. I had read online that the JETTBUS left at 11:30 am, a much more acceptable timeframe, especially since I wanted to try to squeeze in another Petra visit the next morning. So, as I had the rest of the day free, rather than just take my hotel’s word for it, I decided to walk up to the bus station and inquire directly about a ticket to Wadi Rum. The gentleman at the bus station assured me that yes, there was a JETTBUS the next day leaving at 11:30 am and I could just pay the driver cash directly for a ticket. There was also a ‘helpful’ taxi driver who also assured me that this was the case (and of course if I wanted private transportation he was at my service). All things seemingly in place, I then headed back to my hotel for a late snack and some rest for the night.

Once back at my hotel, they asked how my day went and I proceeded to regale my story to the receptionist at the front desk, (who balked at the Minister’s card I showed him) and informed me that sadly Petra would also not open until 10:30 am the next day (it usually opens at 7 am), so I likely had my one and only shot at visiting the park before I had to leave. Needing a bit more sleep, I just chalked it up to the travel gods and headed off to bed.

The next morning, at 10:45 am, after breakfast at the hotel, I asked them if their shuttle could take me to the bus station, located next to Petra’s main entrance. They asked me if I was taking a taxi to Wadi Rum and I said that no, I would be taking the 11:30 am bus. Again, they said they were unsure if it was actually running; I figured if it wasn’t, well, I would simply have to suck it up and take a taxi, but dang it I was going to try to catch that bus! After dropping me at the bus station, the station attendant asked which bus I was there for, I told him and he and indicated that yes, there was a JETTBUS, just as promised, sitting there in the lot. I then walked up to the bus driver, confirmed it was the bus to Wadi Rum and asked if I could pay for a ticket directly to him, in cash. He nodded, saying yes and asked me to wait 15 minutes (as it was only 11:15 am at that point). So, I went and sat down at a little café located in the bus station. After a few minutes, the man who ran the café asked me to come speak on the phone to the JETTBUS manager. I explained my situation and he told me to pay the driver cash directly and send a copy of my ID via WhatsApp for the bus manifest. I knew this was a standard requirement from booking my Aqaba to Amman bus fare, so I said ok and thought that was that. After 10 more minutes I walked over to the bus to pay my fare and to my surprise, the bus driver looked at me and said, “NO.” What? I had just spoken with this man 15 minutes ago! Then, the café gentleman walked over and started a heated conversation with the driver and proceeded to call the bus manager on the phone, who started arguing with the driver as well. Next, the taxi driver from the previous day heard the commotion, walked over and got into the argument too! At this point there were 3 men yelling and arguing, meanwhile, I’m sitting there in the middle of it all, having to explain and re-explain the scenario to various people at various points in the argument. After about 5 minutes of this, the bus driver starts to walk away and says, “bye, bye” to me. I stopped him in his path and said; “NO, that is not right.” The other gentlemen were still in heated discussion and then a passenger (there were only 2 other passengers on the bus) came out of the bus and said, listen, my wife didn’t show up, can’t she just use her ticket and pay me? The bus driver seemed amenable to this, but then the entire group started arguing again. I proceeded to pull out the Minister’s card from the previous day, showed it to them and said, “listen, if this is a problem I can call my friend.” Immediately, the entire group stopped, looked at me and said, ‘ok’ and I got on the bus, paid my fare and we were off! Needless to say, I’ve kept that gentleman’s card in my wallet ever since!

The bus ride was smooth and soon I arrived at the entrance of Wadi Rum park where my campground host met me. To gain entrance to Wadi Rum, there is a small park fee, waived with a Jordan Pass. From there you must either have campground reservations in the desert or choose to stay in the very small ‘town’ just outside the park; however, there is really nothing in the ‘town’ other than the most basic of accommodations and I personally would not really recommend staying anywhere but a campground.

After a lot of debate and research on which camp to stay in, I choose the Wadi Rum Quiet Village, due to the fact it had tents with private bathrooms, showers with hot water and WIFI and was advertised to be away from other camps. Choosing a campground from online research was not easy as most of them look similar and it is quite hard to tell just what you are getting. I didn’t want to pay upwards of $200/night for a luxury camp, but wanted something mid range that provided an actual bed and basic amenities. Again, I lucked out due to low tourism with a great last minute rate, less than half what it would normally be at $40/night including dinner and breakfast. When you book a camp stay it is normal to add on things like a camel tour, quad bike and/or jeep tour of the area. As it was early afternoon when I arrived I booked a 2.5 hour jeep tour of the desert, which turned out to be a private tour with just me riding in the back of a pickup truck, gazing at breathtaking scenery with multiple stops at awe-inspiring canyons and rocks in the desert, making me feel a little like “Josephine of Arabia.”

After the tour it was time to check into my tent for the night and get ready for dinner. My tent was actually huge with 3 beds and a full ensuite bathroom, clean and just enough for a night (or two) in the desert. Dinner was served community style in a common area of the camp, where they had an indoor and outdoor space, heated by fire. The meal was chicken and vegetables, cooked in the traditional Bedouin way (in the ground), served with rice and Arabic salads. It was actually delicious! After dinner, everyone gathered in the tent for a little local music and tea. As the camp only had 5 other guests it was a pretty early night and I slept well, falling asleep listening to the quick desert rain and light winds that passed through during the night.

The next morning I woke up to views of camels surrounded by the morning mist and had a great breakfast served in the community tent before I set off to travel back to Amman and catch my flight to my next destination. My trip back was smooth and uneventful – I took a taxi from Wadi Rum to Aqaba, about an hour away and then a 4 hour bus (yes JETTBUS) ride to Amman. As my flight was booked on Royal Jordanian Airlines I was also able to catch the $4 shuttle from the main bus station to the airport – score!

Final verdict – how did Jordan rate on the ‘Outlaw scale’?

FOOD: Very good – I am partial to Middle Eastern food and I loved the selection of vegetables and meat and there was a huge variety of restaurants and cuisine to choose from. There seemed to be a considerable lack of seafood, but I didn’t mind it and was happy with meat and vegetables as a staple. However, like everything else in Jordan, it was expensive!

SAFETY: Everyone I encountered was very friendly, helpful and honest. I didn’t feel any level of discomfort traveling alone as a woman and while I kept my dress conservative I also didn’t encounter any instances where I got harassed significantly. Sure there were men who REALLY wanted to talk with me, but it was easy enough to brush them off. The only place I was warned about was Petra and even there it felt pretty harmless to me.

LANGUAGE: Arabic is widely spoken and most I encountered did speak at least some English so it was fairly easy to get around without a translator and some basic hand pointing gestures.

THINGS TO DO: Very good – there are a lot of outdoor activities and things to do to keep one occupied, even some things I did not get to try due to the winter season and traveling solo. Given the chance, I would do a repeat of Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea as those were simply tops on my list as well as Petra (if there were limited tourists).

TRANSPORTATION: I used Uber, taxis and buses to get around, but there’s definitely a lack of public transportation in the country, which was a bit disappointing. Renting a car is common, but I did not trust myself well enough in a Middle Eastern country, especially during a time of war, to drive around alone. I did encounter a lot of security checkpoints in my taxi and bus rides and while they simply waved us on, I’m glad I chose not to drive myself.

MONEY: I only had to use cash to pay for my taxi services/tours to Petra and the Dead Sea, but those could have easily been done online through another tour company. Credit cards are widely accepted in country.

VALUE: Medium/Low – Jordan was extremely expensive to visit, with most prices at the levels of more expensive USA cities. While it is worth it, keep budgeting in mind for a future visit.

OVERALL: This was a great country to ‘get my feet wet’ in the Middle East, a region of the world I’d not yet visited prior to this trip. Would I repeat it? Perhaps for the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum, but there are plenty of other deserts on my list, so maybe I’ll just keep the Dead Sea from the Israeli side on my list….

TRAVEL MILE COUNT: ~550 – Amman to Dead Sea and back, Amman to Petra, Petra to Wadi Rum, Wadi Rum to Aqaba, Aqaba to Amman

TRAVEL METHOD COUNT: 5 taxis, 3 Ubers, 2 buses, 1 flight, 1 camel, 2 jeeps, 1 police car!

TRAVEL CASUALITIES (Items lost): 0

UP NEXT: After 48 years I’m finally visiting the place my father grew up – Egypt (or the ‘motherland’ as my family calls it) – leggo pyramids!!

After I left Guatemala, I headed back to Houston, TX for an overnight stay before my flight out across the pond to the Middle East. I scored a great deal on a business class Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul using my miles some months prior, figuring I could use it as a good base for flights across the Middle East, depending on where I decided to travel to next.

I had flown business class on Turkish Airlines a few years back and loved it; however, I was not prepared for the level of comfort and service they provided during my second experience. First off, I was again able to use the United Polaris lounge prior to my flight, which is always a delightful bonus. But, when I actually boarded the plane I even more blown away – each seat row took up 4 windows! Typically business class has no more than 2 windows per row, so the room to stretch out and walk around was insane – it felt much more like first than business class. They also give out top notch noise cancelling headphones, a personalized amenities kit (one for a man and one for a woman) and the airline stewards come to each passenger to make their seat up into a bed. Then, the chef greets you and asks for your food order from a huge lovely menu of the finest drinks and food to choose from, including prawns and a filet for dinner! Even the bathrooms are double the size of other airplane facilities. Needless to say, I tried to order everything and truly enjoyed my 12 hour flight.

After a delightful night of rest and the most sumptuous breakfast (included in my room rate) at the hotel, I set off to walk around the city. The famous Rainbow Street was only a few miles from my hotel, about a 30 minute walk. I arrived early Friday morning and did not realize that Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend holidays in Jordan and the city was very quiet with few cars on the roads, which made for a peaceful walk.

My first impressions of the city were a bit disappointing, to be honest. I heard Amman was a lovely city and while I found it clean and organized, it seemed to lack definitive character and beauty. Rainbow street proved to be a bit of a let down as well, with not much to see outside of the ubiquitous street of hanging lanterns, some restaurants, shops and bars. After Rainbow street, I made my way to the city ruins, local bazaar, as well as a few mosques and then headed back to the hotel to plan my visit to the Dead Sea for the next day.

My taxi driver from the airport to the hotel had passed along his details in case I needed any driver or tour assistance in Jordan and after some research and pricing online through Tripadvisor, Uber and Getyourguide, I found his quote to be on par/slightly less than other tour companies and contacted him to arrange for a trip to the Dead Sea.

After another night’s rest and breakfast I met my driver and off we went for the 1 hour drive to the Dead Sea. Once we were outside of the capital, I had the opportunity to observe what life looks like in the countryside and it was such a delight! Camels walking across the highways, people riding donkeys, and vast stretches of desert as far as the eye could see. I asked to stop and take a photo of the camels crossing and my driver insisted I take a quick ride on one. I protested, not wanting to get taken for an exorbitant tourist fare, but he was adamant, saying it was his treat, and I relented. So, I hopped on a camel and went for a ride down the highway – I felt like a silly tourist but it was actually really fun!

As I had a pleasant experience using my airport taxi driver for the Dead Sea visit, I decided to book him again for my transfer to Petra. There was a bus from Amman to Petra, but the timing wasn’t ideal, so I chose to pay more for a private ride. The drive was just over 3.5 hours of the Jordan countryside, vast landscapes and desert. I arrived in Petra (the city proper, not the national park) just after 4pm and checked into my hotel that I scored for a steal at $35 USD/night (it was actually high season, but due to low tourism in Jordan everything in Petra was discounted). My hotel, the Town Seasons, was quirky, to say the least. I would rate it as an average 3.5 star hotel, with adequate facilities and cleanliness, and small but functional rooms. It was a mix of modern and old with features like electronic room keys and a proper bellboy dressed up in formal (think old school India, a.k.a. The Grand Budapest Hotel) attire who greeted me, carried my bags and showed me all the ‘extras’ of my little room (how to turn the lights on/off and the ‘mini bar’ with 2 sodas and a water).

After checking in I headed out to do a quick exploration of the town. Petra itself is very small, but I found it a welcome change from Amman, with a bit more character and a distinctively local feel. It is situated within the mountains that surround Petra park, which also makes for picturesque evening and sunrise views. I had already purchased a ticket to Petra with my Jordan Pass and didn’t have to worry about visiting the ticket office, so after some walking I grabbed dinner and headed to bed as the next morning would start early at 6 am with my visit to the park.

The hotel provided a shuttle and informed me that I should leave the hotel at 6:45am in order to get into the park before the crowds and to allow enough time to explore and walk the routes. After a lovely buffet breakfast (included in my room rate), I hopped on the shuttle (which was really a pickup truck) and rode the 5 minutes to the park. Once I got to the park immediately a taxi driver approached me, saying that it was closed and that he could drive me to Little Petra (located about a 15 minute drive away from the main entrance). I had been forewarned that while Jordan in general was very safe and the people were trustworthy, to be careful of the locals in Petra park, so I dismissed him and continued walking towards the entrance. At the entrance there were policemen and I asked them if the park was closed; however, they gave me a pretty indecisive look and a half shrug, so I continued on to the ticket booth to inquire about the actual opening status.

The man at the ticket booth told me that indeed the main entrance was closed and the free shuttle to Little Petra was also closed, but due to open ‘in a few hours’ and if I wanted to enter via Little Petra I could hire a taxi to take me to the entrance. After getting up at 6am and knowing full well what ‘a few hours’ can actually mean, I decided to take the taxi driver’s offer and headed to the entrance at Little Petra. At Little Petra, the gate was also closed but the guard informed me that it would open in 15 minutes, and there were about 5 other people there waiting, so I decided to wait. Fifteen minutes later, they opened the gate, stamped my ticket and I headed off for the 2 hour hike to the Monastery, which is considered the back entrance of Petra park.

Despite there being a handful of other people at the gate, I was soon well on my own hiking through the mountains of Petra, which was absolutely stunning and peaceful. The only things I encountered along the way were a few stray cats napping and some random signage that gave vague-ish directions. Although I had my Google Maps on, it provided little direction and at one point my cell service said, “Welcome to Israel,” so there were certainly a few moments when I considered the fact that I may/not be on the right route. However, about 2 hours later, right on schedule, I walked into the entrance of the Monastery, which, to say the least, was STUNNING. Imagine this amazingly beautifully preserved (and HUGE) carving just sitting there, tucked into the mountains, in the middle of nowhere. Added to the fact that I was literally the only person there outside of 2-3 locals manning a small café and some stray dogs, it made for an incredibly magical experience.

After about 20 minutes enjoying the scenery and taking pictures, one other tourist arrived, a gentleman from the Philippines. He approached me, albeit a bit sweaty and out of breath and asked which way I was planning on hiking back. I answered that I had not yet determined if I was going to hike back the way I came in and take the shuttle to the entrance or continue to hike through the park. After a few minutes of debate and a word of advice from the locals at the café we both decided to continue hiking through the park as the locals said it was much easier and more scenic. Plus, by that time, we figured surely the rest of the park would be open. The gentleman asked if we could walk together and I agreed, as he seemed quite harmless and likely much more nervous about the hike than I was. Now, as promised, there is a bit of a good story coming folks, so be sure to read on in Part 2!

As I wrap up from almost 1.5 months of solo globetrotting, acquiring 4 new (6 total) passport stamps, thousands of miles and a mind full of memories, a bit of reflection on my experience is due to you, my readers.

Before I embarked on this 3 month trip, I had traveled alone to quite a few countries across the globe, but never for more than 2.5 weeks at a time. Additionally, much of my most recent travel has taken me to countries in Central and South America, due to its close proximity to my home in Houston, TX. I speak some Spanglish and consider myself pretty well versed in Latin country travel – I’m used to the culture (for the most part), the way and pace of life as well as the food, making it feel very comfortable and non-threatening as a travel destination. I also have lived and traveled extensively in Asia, so that travel feels comfortable and ‘easy’ to me as well. My first travels during this adventure took me to Guatemala and Uruguay, both which were relatively easy for me and while I loved visiting those countries, it somehow didn’t truly feel like I was doing anything different than previous trips and I still felt a little like I was on vacation. The length, scope and mental impact of my travel didn’t really sink in until I reached the Middle East, a completely new part of the world for me in terms of both geography and culture, both of which are an ‘in your face all at once’ experience as soon as you touch ground. As soon as I arrive in Jordan, I instantly felt I was outside of my element and on a truly new adventure.

Spending more than a few hours in cars and buses over the past ~40 days, I’ve had time to reflect and think about the answers to questions like; do I actually like moving around every few days or so, or would I prefer staying and living nomadically in a city? Do I enjoy the solitude of solo travel or do I wish someone accompanied me? What do I like most about my trip so far?

Moving around from place to place, packing and repacking my belongings is sometimes tiring, but for the most part, I don’t mind it. I do very little unpacking and even though I packed pretty light, am finding myself just wearing the same thing over and over. I also enjoy the ability to just decide the day prior where I’m going to be next; it’s almost a game to me – to figure out the best deal on a decent hotel or flight and then what I’m going to do. I did a fair amount of research before I began my trip, so I do have some aces in my pocket so to speak, but there is still quite an element of challenge to piece it all together. Additionally, I can’t say that I’ve discovered a place outside of Buenos Aires that I would like to visit again for weeks at a time, so moving cities/countries still feels very easy to me. Perhaps if I found a place I really wanted to stay I might feel different…the jury is still out on this one folks…

Traveling alone, as a 48 year old woman, is quite different than my experience would’ve been at 20 or even 30 years old as now, my style of travel is what I like to call ‘bougie backpacker.’ While I don’t spend money on the nicest hotels (that often, ok I do add in a splurge now and again along the way), I do have a level that I won’t cross (e.g. hot water, A/C, non shared bathrooms, cleanliness, safety, etc.) for travel and accommodations that might’ve been more acceptable when I was younger. To be frank, one thing that has surprised me thus far is the low number of friends I’ve met along the way; I haven’t met as many people (fellow travelers, in country friends) as I had anticipated when I began this journey. To some extent, my travel style has likely impacted this, that is if I were younger I might stay in more ‘hostel’ style accommodations where one meets and interacts with many other travelers on a daily basis. However, there are other potential reasons for the lack of connections; e.g. season of travel. In my first country, Uruguay, I visited during shoulder season, where there were few tourists and guests in the hotels I stayed in and places I visited. My second country, Guatemala, was visited with family, making most of my connection focused on family interaction; my third country, Jordan, was visited during the war in Israel, during a time that should’ve been high season, but was experiencing a 90% decrease in tourism. That being said, I actually do not mind the lack of fellow travelers as meeting people somewhat drains my energy and experience of a place; the few times I’ve had a guide during my trip thus far, because it was the only option available to visit a place, I’ve found myself tired and wishing I was alone! Haha!

I would say that the raw challenge true travel provides in terms of not knowing what to expect next, playing the booking game the day before I decide to do something, and having the ability to just decide to leave a place are my favorite parts of this trip thus far outside of the AMAZING things I’ve seen and done. I love finding out what will work out for me and just letting the travel gods lead me along.

What I hope to discover over the next 1.5 months are not only new places, but a sense of where I fit most into the world of travel and what’s next for me after this journey. How and where will I travel to next? What life lessons I will gain? This is only a brief chapter in my (travel) life book, but I can’t wait to read on!