Brandy Bell loves adventuring around the world. She's been a solo female traveler since 2006 and has visited over 25 countries, made countless international friends, and now writes to inspire you to travel in a sustainable and responsible way.
We made the mistake of walking to Riad Zahra from Madada Mogador at 12 noon with our backpacks in the afternoon sun beating down on us. Why we constantly try to cut a few corners (especially when a taxi in Essaouira is only 70 cents) I’ll never know. Perhaps — at least for me — it’s…
We arrived to Essaouira late at night on the Supratour from Marrakech (70 dirham and two hours for those wondering) and walked along the sidewalk parallel to the ocean. Though many touts were eager to bring us and our bags to the hotel we preferred to stretch our legs and enjoy a little silence. As…
Nothing could have prepared me for Rebali Riads. The car crept along the road and the tiny village of Sidi Kaouki came into view. A string of small guest houses, three restaurants, and a standalone cement room spray painted with “les legumes <——“ (the vegetables) comprised the town center. We’ll visit that treasure trove later….
We’ve got an appointment at 3pm at Azur Art and Spa, it will be Maddy’s first hammam and non-sports massage so I try to prep him for what the experience will be like. Deep down I know it’s going to be lightweight torture for him, but I know he’s going to like it at the…
It’s our first day in Marrakech, we’ve just taken the last sip of our coffee in the tranquil courtyard of the Riad. Ibrahim knocks on the door of the Riad at 9:01. His punctuality catches me off guard, I’m used to the languid mornings of Madrid and I am even more surprised when I open…
Last night we arrived into RAK airport around 10:30pm local time. Though we had been the first to board, we were the last to disembark. The line for immigration was very long but the wait was made more enjoyable by the multitude of people waiting around us. There was the scruffy guy wearing all of…
Entering the intricate golden doors of La Sultana the staff behind the counter greets me with a warm welcome. Before I know it I’m whisked away down the grand hall with hanging lanterns past the dining room with their magnificent statues and fresh flowers. Once in the spa the scent of fresh fragrances flirts with…
The room was dark even though it was already 9:30am. The wooden shutters of Riad Star kept out any clue of the sunlight and we had to dress and leave since we were signed up for the 10:30am cooking class at Dar Les Cigognes and I’d been looking forward to this for weeks. I found the…
Arriving at Our Jungle House (OJH) was like going back to childhood when I had a treehouse in my backyard. Oftentimes I would pretend that I was surrounded by jungle, rivers, wildlife, and curious monkeys. Today, I didn’t need to pretend – it was my reality. Getting to Our Jungle House From Surat Thani As…
As we pulled into the rocky driveway of Temple Tree Resort on Langkawi the sun was just starting to dip into the ocean, casting a beautiful orange light through the trees and onto the cobblestone path towards the reception area. We were welcomed with a delicious pineapple mint tea which was slightly effervescent and helped…