Nothing captures the soul of the Balkans quite like sitting down to a local meal. Here is a deeper dive into the unforgettable meals that defined my journey through the Balkans!

The final day of a massive tour is always a mix of anticipation and nostalgia. We checked out of our hotel in Belgrade and prepared ourselves for the stretch up to the Hungarian border.

Day Eight of my Balkan trip began by waving goodbye to Sarajevo and settling into our coach seats for a long, scenic journey stretching toward the Serbian border.

Our full day in Sarajevo kicked off with a familiar face. We met up with our incredibly engaging guide from the day before, Enes, for a group walking tour of the city centre.

Seeing Mostar lit up at night was pure magic, but seeing it under the bright morning sun was a whole different experience. The way the light hits the turquoise Neretva River rushing beneath the historic stone arch of the Stari Most is absolutely breathtaking.

There is a distinct thrill that comes with driving toward a destination you know almost nothing about. As a traveller, those are the places that usually leave the deepest impression.

There is no better way to get the pulse of a new city than a bright-and-early walking tour. It is the ultimate strategy for a traveller: you get a curated preview of the city's highlights, figure out exactly where you want to circle back to later.

There is always a tiny bit of nervous anticipation that comes with joining a group trip late. I officially met up with the Contiki crew at 7:30 AM, stepping into a group of over 20 people who had already spent a week bonding their way from Budapest through Slovenia and Croatia.

There was a time when I thought my world was small. I waited for plans that never materialized and for "someday" to arrive. But then, I took the leap. I started traveling solo, and suddenly, the world opened up in ways I never imagined.

Are you planning a trip to Amsterdam?

I’ve put together my entire three-day itinerary for you to take some inspiration for your own Amsterdam travels!

Looking to book a trip to Paris and don’t know where to start?

From the hotel we stayed in, to the restaurants we chose to eat, here is the full list of everything my husband and I did on our three days in Paris!

I don’t remember what I expected from the food in Amsterdam, but I didn’t expect to be so blown away by the quality of every single thing we ate!

Waking up on the last day of our honeymoon felt so sad. We’d been married during the pandemic, and the honeymoon was something we continued to look forward to for so long. And now it would be over.

Our first day in Amsterdam was absolutely magical, but it was a lot of going from place to place and seeing the sights.

By day two, we’d gotten the initial excitement out of our system and gave ourselves the grace to take our time exploring.

After three days in Paris, my husband and I said goodbye to Paris and headed to the station to hop on a train to Amsterdam! 

I knew the food in Paris was going to be on another level. But I didn’t expect every single thing we ate to be spectacular. 

Here are all of the things my partner and I ate on our trip to Paris!

I don’t know if I’d ever tell anyone the entire story of what happened in Amsterdam. But I’ll give you the gist.

Arriving at Berlin, our second-to-last stop on the Europe trip felt extremely bittersweet.

Before even leaving for this Europe trip, a few friends of mine told me I would love Prague. They claimed it was very much my style – quirky, artsy, very bohemian. So as the bus pulled into Prague, I was already super excited.

Our group would only be spending one night in Salzburg, Austria.