Historic Marrakech: Must Visit Sites

Traveling to Marrakech was a dream come true! It’s an exciting vacation for lovers of color, architecture, food, shopping, and a bit of chaos. You could easily get lost and lose track of time, spending your whole time in the city navigating the souks, but you don’t want to miss the Medina’s historic sites. If you are only in Marrakech for a short time, here are the 4 Must Visit Sites in the Historic Marrakech Medina.

4 Must Visit Historic Sites in Marrakech -- www.AFriendAfar.com

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Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.

Costa Rica

Guest Post: Leaving My Comfort Zone in Costa Rica

Today’s post is by our good “friend afar,” Emily! She recently traveled to Costa Rica for an anniversary trip with her husband. We’ve known Emily for over a decade now, so we loved hearing about how she faced her fears and the wonderful adventures she had in return.

For my 5th anniversary, my husband and I decided to take a big trip.  I am absolutely a read and relax on vacation kind of girl so when we settled on Costa Rica as the destination, I was a little terrified.  I knew the trip would be lots of hiking, sight-seeing, and adventure.  I decided early on to buck up and really enjoy the ride, and I made a promise to myself not to complain and to push myself to be uncomfortable.

We started our trip in gorgeous Arenal, and it was exactly as expected: crazy driving on dirt roads, 8+ miles a day of hiking, and hundreds of steps climbed.  By the time we reached Monte Verde and saw both a pit viper snake and a tarantula right beside our hiking trail, I knew I definitely wasn’t in my element any more!!  Still, I was proud of myself for taking it all in stride and really appreciating the sites and experiences that came with quite the workout.   I knew, however,  the true test of my resolve would come towards the end of the trip when we planned to take a zip line canopy tour.
Guest Post: Leaving My Comfort Zone in Costa Rica- Getting Ready- www.afriendafar.com #costarica

It only got higher from there!

I don’t think I can communicate enough how terrified of heights I am.  I get queasy even when driving near a cliff or drop off! We went to some hanging bridges at the beginning of the trip, and I had to dart as fast as I could across them to keep from panicking.  By the end of the 6 bridges I was doing a little better and able to take my time a little.
 Guest Post: Leaving My Comfort Zone in Costa Rica- Bridge- www.afriendafar.com #costarica

Hanging bridges may have broken me in a little at the start of the trip, but dangling by a cable for the mile long zip line didn’t sound like my idea of fun! My husband, however, was beyond thrilled! Standing around, in full gear waiting for instruction, I nervously chatted with my husband about how safe he though everything was.  Two guys nearby jumped in and assured me everything looked pretty good, except the hand breaking, which they had never done before.  Turns out this was their 3rd zip line trip, and they had done this before in Puerto Rico and Mexico.  It was great to get some tips from people with experience! Come to find out, one of the pair actually works at the same company as me in another office!  The world has honestly never felt so small!

For the entire experience, they stuck with us, encouraged me, and even used their Go Pro to video my trip down the mile long zip line.  It was amazing how meeting these strangers totally eclipsed my fear!  Hanging a mile above the earth, dangling from a wire was so invigorating!!  It was worth pushing through those terrifying moments in the beginning! It wasn’t an experience I will soon forget! I was so glad I had leaned into the fear instead of missing out, and I’m so grateful for my husband and new friends for encouraging me to be brave.

hot springs near Arenal: Guest Post: Leaving My Comfort Zone in Costa Rica- Tarantula- www.afriendafar.com #costarica

It was worth it for the chance to relax in these amazing hot springs near Arenal!

Traveling to new places can be scary.  There are language barriers, lack of street signs, and different customs and traditions to navigate.  If I hadn’t faced these fears, I wouldn’t have been able to relax in the hot springs in Arenal, summit above the Cloud Forest in Monte Verde, and see all the monkeys in Manuel Antonio.  Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on and maybe even buy that plane ticket with you.  Nothing is more rewarding that looking head on into those fears and leaping into adventure anyway.

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.

Destinations I'm Dreaming About- Part II- New Zealand- www.afriendafar.com #newzealand #nz

Destinations I’m Dreaming About- Part II

I keep a note on my phone with a Travel List of the top places I want to visit and also use Pinterest to keep track of places I want to visit and places I’ve already visited. Recently, I was gifted a wonderful scratch off world map that is now on display in our guest bedroom. One night, I started erasing places off that I’ve been (way harder than I thought it would be, by the way) and quickly became distraught that “I haven’t been anywhere!” I bemoaned this fact to my husband who firmly brought me back to reality with a “you’re lucky to have gone as many places as you’ve been!” Alas, my wanderlusting heart won’t ever quite be satisfied, but I’m alright with that. It just means I’ll always be dreaming, listing and planning where to see next in this great big world we’re blessed to call home. Here’s my current Top Five Destinations I’m Dreaming About in no particular order:

Hobbit trail

New Zealand

I must confess that I’ve wanted to visit New Zealand ever since the Lord of the Rings movies came out. So of course Hobbiton is on my list, but also national parks for hiking, glaciers, and hanging out with Kiwis. As I research NZ, the more convinced I am that we’ll need at least two weeks if not more so we can experience both the North and South Islands. [Photos: Real Journeys for Featured Image and Flickr]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotravel/3360535294/in/photostream

Myanmar

I want to see Bagan before it becomes overrun with tourists, which is bound to happen because it’s fascinating and gorgeous. Sunrise at the pagodas with hot air balloons as backdrops, biking among the temple ruins, a sunset boat ride, and seeing this country also called Burma that’s only recently opened to the outside world. [Photo: Flickr]

Petra at Night

Jordan

Petra! I long to see this New Wonder of the World and pretend that I’m Indiana Jones. Petra at night looks so dreamy! Also, I keep seeing the Dead Sea [update: I got to go as part of a work trip and float] pop up on lists of places to see before they vanish, so I’d definitely check it out and float in it. In Amman, I’d explore the Citadel and Roman Amphitheater. [Photo: National Geographic]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gareth_weeks/4431758286/

South Africa

I’m really intrigued by Cape Town since it seems to have it all: beaches, Table Mountain, and a nearby day trip to visit penguins. Of course, a safari would be on the itinerary for a South Africa trip, but I’d also love to explore wine country and drive along the Garden Route. [Photo: Flickr]

nepal

Nepal

I love Asia in general after studying abroad in Thailand, so a second country on the continent makes my list. After the devastation of the recent earthquakes, Nepal continues to rebuild, and tourism is one way to support and help the country in its recovery efforts. I hear the scenery is breathtaking, and I’m intrigued by stupas, the culture, and whether trekking is for me. Plus the possibility to go on a safari to see rhinos and maybe elephants? Yes please! [Photo: Guidora]

I’m going to cheat a little by letting you in on a few close contenders for No. 5: Switzerland, Norway, Guatemala, Bhutan (again my love affair with Asia pops up), and a new country in South America since I loved Peru so much. It was so difficult to choose! What’s in your Top Five currently?

Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

Destinations I’m Dreaming About

Meagan’s Top 5

My Top 5 list of places to travel to changes all the time. All it takes is an Instagram picture, a friend’s story, or a new restaurant for me to throw all of my former priorities out the window for some place new. I wonder if my locations have a connecting theme, because they sure look different on paper. Maybe it’s that they’re all less-visited in comparison to other tourist destinations. After all, that’s how I ended up studying abroad in Thailand.

  1. Morocco – I travel for the food, to experience a completely different culture, and to learn about history. Shopping and home decor are also passions of mine, so the souks of Morocco have been calling my name for a very long time now. Camels in the Sahara, the High Atlas mountains, and crossing over from Gibraltar are all part of my armchair-traveling day dreams. [Photo: Jose Villa]
  2. Malta – This wasn’t on my list until a friend told me about her honeymoon there. It has every characteristic of my dream vacation: old architecture, fewer tourists, beautiful scenery. [Photo: Thinkstock]
  3. Iceland – Volcanoes, hot springs, and ethereal landscapes – I’ll take all of them. [Photo: Smári Ásmundsson]
  4. Turkey – Oh, Istanbul. Markets and minarets just seem so magical to a city-dweller in the south. Bring on the food, the chaos, and the ability to criss-cross between Asia and Europe all day long. Hot air balloon rides over Cappadocia, anyone? [Photo: Andrew E. Larsen]
  5. Mongolia – Yurts. Also, I can name 2 friends that have been to Mongolia, and I’m incredibly jealous of both of them. My interest in Mongolia is two-fold: the landscape and the remoteness. I dream about taking a train from London to Beijing along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. I’ll be sure to stop here for an extended stay.  [Photo: National Geographic]

Does this happen to you? Where are your Top 5 Destinations?
Tell us about them in the comments below!

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.