After a pretty incredible first day in Paris, Brandon and I were looking forward to what day two would bring.

And day two was looking to be a lot more laid back. We had no plans. No tickets, no reservations – Paris was our oyster.

Postponing the honeymoon meant we could save up some money and take a trip we really wanted to take. After a lot of waffling back and forth, we finally booked a 10 day trip in Paris and Amsterdam.

In August of 2023 I went with my friend on my third Contiki trip, this time it was LA to the Bay, exploring the American southwest.

It was such a great time, but of course, I’m here to share the good, the bad and the ugly.

Before we knew it, we were arriving at the last stop on our LA to the Bay Contiki trip – San Francisco. 

I’d never heard of Bass Lake before taking the LA to the Bay Contiki trip with my travel bestie, Sophie.

We’d be travelling from Las Vegas to Bass Lake, spending a night in a cabin, and then heading to Yosemite National Park for a day of hiking and gorgeous views.

I’m not usually one to have specific restaurants on my travel bucket list. But Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas is the exception. 

I never really had a desire to go to Vegas, until I visited with our LA to the Bay Contiki trip.

Then I caught the Vegas bug and wanted to go back.

Getting to visit the Grand Canyon for a couple of days with my travel bestie and our LA to the Bay Contiki trip truly was an incredible opportunity.

I’d never thought about travelling to Arizona. And then it was a destination on our LA to the Bay Contiki trip.

Now it’s one of my favourite states, and I can’t wait to go back one day.

I’d never had the desire to go to San Diego before my LA to the Bay Contiki trip, but friends, I get it now.

We had met both travelling solo for 3 weeks across Canada, but instantly became close friends, and we knew we wanted to do it again.

So we looked at some overlapping bucket list destinations and chose to go on Contiki’s LA to the Bay trip together.

One of the reasons I love New York City so much is the incredible food options.

No matter what you’re feeling – whether it’s a tasty brunch, an authentic Asian dish, or a classic New York slice – there’s somewhere that will hit your craving.

What’s the best way to spend three days in New York City?

My partner and I had been to NYC in 2019 with some friends, but in 2023 we decided it was time to go back and revisit.

Here is how we spent 3 days in New York City!

Even when I went on a month-long trip around Europe, I lived entirely out of a carry-on backpack. People always ask me, how do you pack so light?

I will share my secrets with you, but it comes down to this simple rule.

Considering travelling solo but don’t know where to begin?

I’m a type-A traveller who over-plans everything and loves every minute of organizing trips. 

Here are some of the questions I get asked as a person who loves to travel on my own!

The Grand Canadian (now Ultimate Canada) 3-week journey across Canada was my second trip with Contiki. 

Vancouver would be the final stop on our cross-Canadian Contiki trip.

It had been a long three weeks, but it was full of adventure and I was really bummed that it was coming to an end. 

Banff was probably the stop on our cross-Canada Contiki trip that I was most looking forward to visiting.

It was somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, but never got around to it. Now I’d be driving through National Parks and seeing iconic Canadian landscapes with other solo travellers.

As a person who doesn’t drive myself, I don’t know if I’d ever have had the chance to explore Jasper, if I didn’t go with my cross-Canada Contiki group. But the advantages of having our tour bus and a group of new friends to travel with were undeniable.

The drive from Whistler to Sun Peaks was a long but gorgeous one.

Our Contiki bus hit the road, and immediately I knew that day’s activity would be watching the scenery. We lost phone signal as soon as we drove into the Rocky Mountains, forcing everyone to talk to one another.