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About me
Travel Destinations
- The Middle East
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Bahrain
  - Jordan
  - United Arab Emirates
  - Iran
- Asia
  - Sri Lanka
  - India
  - Laos
  - Myanmar (Burma)
  - Nepal
  - Maldives
  - Turkey
- Europe
  - Austria
  - Czech Republic
  - Serbia
  - Slovenia
  - Croatia
  - France
  - Ireland
  - Cyprus
- Africa
  - Tanzania
  - Swaziland
  - Kenya
  - Egypt
  - Tunisia
  - Seychelles
  - Uganda
- Caucasus
  - Azerbaijan
  - Armenia
  - Georgia
  - Russia
- South America
  - Brazil
  - Argentina
  - Paraguay
  - Uruguay
  - Chile
  - Peru
Teaching Abroad
Life in the UAE
Life in Qatar
- Things to do in Qatar
- Info for residents
  - Getting a drivers license in Qatar (if you already have a license)
Life in Kuwait

Adventure, Blog

Quiz: Which unique travel experience is perfect for you??

December 2, 2021 3 Comments

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Adventure adventure quiz just for fun travel unique travel experiences vacation

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3 Comments

winteroseca December 2, 2021 at 10:16 pm

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I got Antarctica!

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expatpanda December 5, 2021 at 6:46 am

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Me too 😁✌🏽

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higgledypiggledymom December 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm

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Me Three! Let’s go!!!

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🌀 New Blog Post: Spending a Few Days in Rwanda-

🌀 New Blog Post: Spending a Few Days in Rwanda- Africa’s not so hidden gem 🌀

Vibrant and rapidly growing, Rwanda has overcome it’s haunted past by focusing on their best assets; the lush, forested mountain ranges, savannah plains and its wildlife 🦍 Did I mention a clean, developed and modern capital city full of order and infrastructure?

One thing I really loved about Rwanda was the people; the warm and friendly nature of each stranger who assisted us from the policeman on the road who pushed my rental car to the man in the market who bargained with a seller to reduce the price of my goods. I loved how they were happy to see us- not to exploit us- but rather because they understand the importance of travel and tourism for helping Rwanda achieve its vision, including supporting the people of Rwanda and conserving its natural resources and wildlife 🐿

In my blog post I break down the costs, a 3 day itinerary and provide tips on how to plan a trip to Rwanda 🇷🇼 Find it in my story today or from the latest blog post tab in my bio 🌍

I recognize that traveling internationally is not for everyone right now, but for those willing to know and understand the rules, and take the risk, it can be very rewarding.

Read the blog post and let me know in the comments below what you think about travelling to Rwanda!

🌐Why I don’t recommend visiting Rwanda right

🌐Why I don’t recommend visiting Rwanda right now 🌐

Note that I’m not saying don’t ever visit Rwanda… just not right now.

Travel Report (Dec 2021):

3 days before we could fly to Rwanda, Rwanda changed their entry requirements requiring a 2 night, 3 day mandatory hotel quarantine for all travellers. We decided to go forth with your trip anyway and use the time to relax after the chaos of Uganda 🇺🇬

As per the requirements, we were tested at the airport upon arrival and were informed that we would be tested again the next day at our hotel.

By the time we woke up the next morning the doctor was ready to test us again (even though we hadn’t received the first test results yet). With both tests done, it was a matter of waiting. As soon as both results were negative, we would leave the hotel.

Unfortunately one member of our group tested positive with the first test result but then nobody- at the hotel or the medical department- seemed to know what to do. It was like they had all the procedures to prevent tourists bringing in covid but no idea what to do when someone tested positive 🙃

We were told to wait for our second test results which we were supposed to get 24 hours after testing.

And so we waited.
And waited ⏰

We were in quarantine for an additional night. We were on the phone, at reception and trying to figure out how we could speed up the results. 60 hours passed by before we got our results after- essentially- begging & pleading for a service we had already paid for.

Two covid tests in Rwanda set us back 120USD each 😐

We all tested negative.

Two of my travel companions took that result and left Rwanda. They had had enough. And I couldn’t blame them; the stress was too much😵‍💫

The other two of us extended our trip and enjoyed Rwanda. And enjoy it we did🤠

My point here is that with all the rules Rwanda currently has in place, there was a lack of knowledge on how to actually implement them. Their covid test results were inconclusive. And nobody had answers to our questions. It didn’t make for a great start to trip😶

So save your travel plans to Rwanda until these restrictions ease; it’s a country worth visiting… but not right now 🥲

🌀My Uganda blog posts are ready to to help you

🌀My Uganda blog posts are ready to to help you plan your next trip to East Africa🌀

-Planning a trip to Uganda: A detailed & honest guide
-Panda’ Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
-White Water Rafting in Uganda: Is it worth it?

I offer a cost breakdown (from accommodation to entry fees to transportation), how fit you need to be to for the gorilla trek and whether Uganda is actually a destination you would enjoy. Because truthfully, it’s not for everyone 😬

In order to travel to Uganda, you need to have heaps of:

-Patience
-Tolerance
-A calm disposition
-Money (Uganda is not cheap for travellers!)

Also, I share the many travel fails we experienced from a 12 hours drive to when our suitcases flew out of the vehicle as we drove to being stuck on the side of the road for 3.5 hours 😖

Uganda was a wild adventure- my most epic one yet out of visiting 57 countries. I would love for more people to experience the incredible nature of this stunning country but I also wanted to be honest about some of the struggles you may encounter 🤓

I’m linking all the posts in my stories today and you can also find them from the latest post tab from the link in my bio!

Would you be interested in travelling to Uganda? 🇺🇬

“Why would you save up to travel to African coun

“Why would you save up to travel to African countries?” Someone asked me when they found out I was saving up for my trip to Uganda & Rwanda 😶

This person is South African- just like me- by the way.

I didn’t know what to say 🤭

If we as Africans don’t support our own, then how can we expect anyone else to support us? 😯

We complain about African destinations being too expensive because they cater to tourists from the Global North but if we don’t show any interest in going, then why would countries offer any incentives to us? 😧

If I said I was saving up to visit Iceland, no one would bat any eyelid. But we have these toxic perceptions that the white-controlled mainstream media has fed to us about Africa (the entire continent of course) being dirty, diseased and best avoided in favour of other destinations 😐

We complain about having to apply for a visa to visit an African country but we happily submit pounds of flesh for visas to visit Europe or North America 😣

We complain about racism and passport privilege but don’t want to visit countries where we breeze through passport control and our skin color is welcomed😖

When you- as an African- make disparaging comments about African countries without ever visiting there, you’re perpetuating attitudes we have been battling since colonialism. It’s embarrassing really. And it makes me uncomfortable to hear it 😕

I am happy that so many people have expressed an interest in travelling to Uganda and Rwanda since I started posting my content from my trip. They are surprised at the kinds of experiences that are available in these countries. It only takes one person to inspire others to travel. Thats the beauty of social media 📱

Changing the perception of African countries starts with us as African travellers. We have to stop letting foreign voices and international media dictate our story. We must control the narrative and we must alter the perceptions 💡

Otherwise we can’t be surprised or annoyed when people ask us about our pet lions or whether we know what a skyscraper is 🤷🏾‍♀️

Travelling in Uganda: The good, the bad and the r

Travelling in Uganda: The good, the bad and the reality 🌍

Looking at this photo brings me joy because on this particular day, things worked out the way they were supposed to and I was happy 😊

This was not the theme of my Uganda trip though.

Since honesty is the cornerstone of my content, I thought I’d give you a quick reflection of my time travelling through a “real” African country as opposed to “Africa lite” which is where I grew up 🇿🇦

The good: Once in a lifetime bucket list experiences were had like gorilla tracking, seeing the tree lions on safari and white water rafting in the Nile. We stayed at 2 incredible properties- the staff took time to make personal connections with us and we felt at home. Uganda is beautiful and offered us so many stunning and diverse landscapes. It was hard to snap a bad photo 📸

The bad: We tried to save money by doing a DIY tour and while we made wonderful local friends, the logistical stress we encountered made the trip challenging. The traffic and poor infrastructure meant endless drives and multiple mechanical failures ⚙️ So many hidden costs started to arise and I felt that many rules were just being made up as they went along (no policies and procedures). Inefficiency was the name of the game at most places and after a while the frustration began to increase 😖

The reality: Many of the hardships we experienced were our own fault (I’ll elaborate more in my blog post), we were trying to be thrifty but Uganda is not a place to save money 🙈 It’s going to cost A LOT and there will be some frustrations when traveling in Uganda and you just have to be prepared for that. Everyday will surprise you in both positive and negative ways 🤪

Would I recommend Uganda as a destination? DEFINITELY 👍🏾

But is it for everyone? Not at all 👎🏽

I’m in Rwanda now- having a different sort of experience- so I’ll posting about that soon. If you have a question about travelling in Uganda, please post it below and I’ll answer it here or more detailed answers will go into my upcoming blog post. All my Uganda content is saved in my Uganda highlight or can be found on my feed 🇺🇬

Leave your Uganda related questions below! ⬇️

🌀 New Blog Post: 3 ways growing up in South Afr

🌀 New Blog Post: 3 ways growing up in South Africa helped me as an expat 🌀

Growing up in South Africa is a pretty unique experience. From the quirky shows we watched (YoTv & Tube 🤣) to the strange social cues you’ll only get from riding a taxi to school every day (never sit in the front seat 💵), South African society definitely has its own way of doing things.

But more than the nostalgia of Chappies bubblegum & sweet sips of Fresca, growing up in South Africa prepared me for a life abroad in ways I didn’t even realise 🇿🇦

For all the struggles of a post apartheid childhood being an expat, forced me to appreciate qualities I gained only because I grew up in South Africa. I talk about them in this blog post 📝

You can find it from the latest post tab from the link in my bio or linked in my story. Let me know- how did where you grew up prepare you for a life abroad?

P.S. It’s my last blog post of 2021 and I decided to end it with a personal one. Enjoy 💟

🌀 New Blog Post: Quiz- Which Unique Travel Expe

🌀 New Blog Post: Quiz- Which Unique Travel Experience is Perfect for You? 🌎

Take my quiz to find out which unique travel experience suits you best! From snorkeling between tectonic plates to sleeping on the side of a cliff, my quiz is going to send in the direction of your perfect unique travel experience that you may not have even known existed ❇️

The best part? In order to get your result, you have to put together your ideal meal choosing from an array of world cuisines and learning more about different dishes in the process 🥘

With everything thats going on in the world right now, I thought I would offer you something lighthearted to take your mind off the craziness. You can find the quiz linked in my stories and also from the link in my bio. Drop your result below- mine was perusing for penguins at Snow Hill, Antarctica 🐧

🌀New Blog Post: 10 lessons about expat life- th

🌀New Blog Post: 10 lessons about expat life- the 10 year review 🌀

Life abroad has opened doors for me, doors I am convinced would have remained shut had I stayed in South Africa. A life abroad has allowed me to pursue my passions. But a life lived in foreign lands is never straight forward, nor plain sailing ⛵️

I’ve been through culture shock and the expat blues. In the early days of expat life I doubted my leap into the Northern hemisphere more times than I like to think about now. Often, I thought about returning ‘home’ 🏠

Luckily I didn’t. Instead I stayed and learned some hard expat lessons. I adapted. I evolved. I came through the other side of culture shock a little shaken, but happier than I’d ever been. I’ll go through it again when I move again. But now I am better equipped to deal with these things. I detail all of these lessons, challenges & experiences in my blog post today 💚

Moving abroad put the puzzle pieces of my life in place and I love the picture that is now my life – my expat life. I’ve linked the the blog post in my story so be sure to read it and let me know what you think 😎

What’s 1 lesson you’ve learnt from being an expat?

🌀 New Blog Post: Musfur Sinkhole in Qatar 🌀

🌀 New Blog Post: Musfur Sinkhole in Qatar 🌀

Its always fun to see a place where the earth opens like a trap door; it’s human nature to be curious about what went down there, which is why sinkholes make such great tourist attractions. Musfur Sinkhole is Qatar’s most accessible cave & is free to visit. It requires minimum effort and is surprisingly accessible if you have a vehicle which is why I’ve complied a detailed blog post about it 📝

As you descend into the cave, the temperature drops dramatically; enjoy the milder temperatures and experience an area of Qatar that goes back to a time before roads and traffic. You’ll notice that the busy sounds of humans have been replaced with the quiet chirp of birds, rustling of leaves and the footsteps of camels. The deep sink hole in the middle of the desert is a testament to the power of nature. As you make your return journey back up the rocks, pause to appreciate your surroundings, taking with you the peacefulness found in this isolated landmark ☮️

Read, save & share the post which can be found from the latest blog post tab from the link in my bio!

💻 10 Job sites for work in the Gulf Arab countr

💻 10 Job sites for work in the Gulf Arab countries [Save & Share] 🤖

I get many messages with people asking me for the best job sites when looking for work in the Gulf countries. Being a teacher, the sites that I use are slightly different to what people use to search for vacancies in other industries. However, here’s a list of 10 websites as a result of research and recommendations:

bayt.com
naukrigulf.com
nesfircroft.com (engineering jobs)
gulftalent.com
gulfjobcareers.com
monstergulf.com
gulfwalkin.com
arabjobs.com
gulfjobs.com
anygulfjobs.com

Don’t forget that I have comprehensive guides written for prospective teachers and those working in hospitality already published on my website. Reach out to me and I will DM them to you. If you have another website I can add to the list, please let me know. Happy job searching! 🖥

🌀New Blog Post: 5 Free Sunset Spots in Doha 🌀

You wouldn’t think about Doha having any picturesque landscapes, but with miles of expansive coastline, Doha offers some of the best sunset spots in the gulf. As violet, coral, and fiery orange hues fill the sky, peace and calm cascade over the city. Sunset in Doha is the perfect backdrop to enjoy a stroll with a significant other or snap some photos for the gram with friends 📸

Although every sunset is different, its majesty never fails to enchant me and capture my imagination. At golden hour, this bustling metropolis transforms into a magical land, so grab a blanket and soak in the scenic views at my 5 free spots to watch the sunset in Doha. I included Google Maps links as well as some paid options to treat yourself! 🌇

Click on the latest blog post tab from the link in my bio to give it a read 🔆

😟 If you’re married to someone, does it make

😟 If you’re married to someone, does it make you an expert in their profession? 😳

I recently saw the story of someone I follow- no shade to this person, they seem nice enough- who was discouraging people from taking the Covid vaccine 💉

And that’s fine, that’s their choice which doesn’t impact on me in any way.

But the rationale behind their argument was, “As someone MARRIED TO A DOCTOR I recommend…” and I just thought, “Wait what? 👰🏾

So there’s people out there who think they’re experts in their partners’ professions purely by proximity of marriage… does knowledge, qualifications & experience transfer via osmosis if you share a bed with someone? 🤯

I just don’t have the confidence to publicly declare a viewpoint based on my partner’s profession 🧐

I’m not saying I don’t know what Polar does. I do. I’ve lived in his work environment for over a year. I just wouldn’t give others advice relating to his profession simply because we’re in a relationship. And he wouldn’t do that about mine either 🤷🏾‍♀️

Is marriage a credible source of information & expertise for you? Because I’m starting to see this more often on Instagram now that I’m aware of it. These people have large followings so maybe I’m the only one not taking advice from someone’s wife/husband 🤨 So I ask again: if you’re married to someone, does it make you an expert in their profession?

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