Snow in Paris from the Louvre

Snow in Paris & Stranded in London Heathrow

With the snow on the East Coast this weekend which thankfully was a non-event in Philly for a change (although I did stock up on essentials – not milk, eggs, bread but wine, chocolate and potato chips to reward me for any shoveling I may need to do) it reminded me […]

Okavango Delta landscape

Okavango Delta Morning Safari Walk at Oddballs’ Camp

Day 2 on my Okavango Delta Walking Safari at Oddballs’ Camp begins at 5:30 (wake up call/visit to tent) with a light snack/coffee before heading out at 7am to start the first of two walks today.  My breakfast of champions this early is a power bar that I brought with me. […]

South African Flag

Safari Tip: Shipping Luggage from Johannesburg to Capetown

Checking into the Intercontinental Johannesburg, I arrived with two bags and a backpack.  Upon checkout, I would needed to be one bag lighter and make the weight (I bought a small travel scale just in case as backup) by shipping luggage ahead to Capetown.   The hotel was the perfect spot […]

Leopard paw

South Africa Safari Award Ticket – Flying SAA from IAD to JNB

So while it sounds great to say “I’m going on safari in Africa with an award ticket”, the reality is that I needed to reposition myself to Washington, DC from Philadelphia via Amtrak for the SAA flight from IAD to JNB (Johannesburg, South Africa).  The South African Airways (SAA) flight […]

Oddballs' Camp Safari Tent

Packing for Safari – Which Duffel Bag is Best? How Many Bags to Bring?

When it comes to packing, over the years, I have gotten much better learning to travel with less.  So while I was told one bag on the bush plane, I didn’t really understand in practical terms how I would be packing for safari.  I think I knew but buried it deep down […]

The Price of Travel Convenience – Is It Worth the Money?

Having forgotten to pick up bananas today and realizing that the nearest Trader Joe’s market is over five miles away, I decided to pop into the Whole Foods store next to my gym.  Now while the bananas would have cost less than a dollar at Trader Joe’s, the trip to […]

Moai at Sunset on Easter Island Hanga Roa

Easter Island Award Trip Using BA Avios: Inspired by The Points Guy

The Easter Island Award Trip – A little over a year ago, I started following a few points bloggers to learn more ways to earn and redeem travel points.  What I found is a community of engaged travelers  (yes, there is a community where I can go to the relief of my friends/families […]

No Resolutions – The New Year’s Travel List – Starting PhilaTravel Girl Blog

If you are like me, you celebrated the New Year looking back at the good, bad and ugly and looking forward to the potential of the new year – a clean slate to start over to reinvent yourself with a new chapter in your story.  On New Year’s Eve, rather than make […]