Erika Bisbocci
Erika is an avid traveler and explorer of over ninety countries on six different continents. Since 2011, she has spent time studying Arabic in the Middle East, teaching English in Namibia and working as a flight attendant for a major US airline. When not traveling overseas, she loves exploring her own backyard in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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Visiting the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka
At the heels of a drawn-out civil war that effectively erased Sri Lanka from the trodden tourist trail, the small tear-shaped country has emerged as a rewarding travel destination. Despite its tiny size, the island country is replete with things to see—from ancient cities to verdant tea plantations and from gold-sand beaches to wildlife-rich parks. For travelers looking to delve into the country’s history, the Cultural Triangle is an absolute must-see area. The triangle’s three points mark the island’s three historic capitals: the hill country’s capital of Kandy, the medieval city of…
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Sintra Day Trip: Visiting Portugal’s Fairytale City
With its sea of rolling green hills, its whimsical palaces, and its its pastel houses, UNESCO-recognized Sintra is one of Portugal’s most enchanting gems. The photogenic city entices visitors with its verdant setting and dreamy charm. Once referred to as a “glorious Eden” by Lord Byron, Sintra has become a popular day trip destination from Lisbon. Home to some of the most beautiful castles and palaces in Europe, Sintra is chock-a-block full of places to visit. These colorful estates and crumbling fortifications lie hidden within the city’s forested hills—resembling the…
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Portugal’s Algarve Coast: Hiking, Caves and Azure Seas
The Algarve Coast in Portugal is a wonderland for hikers, swimmers, photographers and sunbathers. Known for its honey-colored cliffs and turquoise seas, the Algarve is visually stunning. The area’s natural beauty, coupled with its affordability relative to the rest of Western Europe, means that the coastline has become an increasingly popular tourist destination in recent years. But don’t the Algarve’s 4 million+ annual visitors scare you away. Despite the crowds, you can still find quiet places to enjoy delectable views on your own patch of golden sand. ALGARVE COAST…
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Two Days in Lisbon: The San Francisco of Europe
As soon as I set foot on the picturesque streets of Lisbon Portugal, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Despite the fact that it was my first time in Portugal, the city’s hilly lanes, bayside views and rickety streetcars, all seemed so familiar. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this sensation of retracing my steps, was due to the uncanny parallels between Portugal’s capital and California’s Golden City—San Francisco. With its charming neighborhoods, its orange suspension bridge, its oceanfront views and its sailboats…
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Porto and the Douro River Valley
At first glance, the city of Porto in northern Portugal is poorer, dirtier and grittier than Europe’s other popular metropolitan areas. Outside its touristy downtown, once-bustling storefronts lie boarded up and vacant due to years of stagnant economic growth. Its tightly stacked houses lay half crumbling, swallowed by overgrown vines and invasive weeds. But Porto’s charm lies in its faded colors, its peeling paint and its chipped azujuelo tiles. The hardworking city may be less cosmopolitan than Lisbon, but it is no less charming. Its walkable center is crammed with uneven cobbled…
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Northern Laos: Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi
Laos is a small country that flies largely under the radar due to its lack of big-name attractions. A land of verdant rice fields, spectacular karst formations, temple-speckled towns and friendly people, Laos packs the best that the region has to offer within its landlocked borders. Following my sojourn in Luang Prabang, I’d originally planned to head south, toward the dramatic karst-mountain scenery of Vang Vieng. But after reading about Vang Vieng’s notorious party-till-you-drop atmosphere, I had a change of heart and found myself in the rugged mountains of Nong Khiaw…
