Follow Your Heart Travel Experiences

09/11/2024

🇳🇵Nepal is home to the Momo🥟

A delicious and very addicting dumpling that is filled with vegetables, beef or a combination, along with a combination of spices is probably the most fun and most recognized national dish of Nepal.

Having a mono cooking class is a great way to learn about the culture and to get to know wonderful Nepalese people! My guests love being able to literally get their hands dirty and learn something new!

How do you know which Momo has which filling, was one of the questions I asked.

Simple, our Cooking teachers told us. By the shape.

I literally could not stop eating them my entire two weeks in Nepal. They are that yummy and that addicting!

Have you had momos?

09/08/2024

📍The beautiful Hassan II mosque in Casablanca🇲🇦

If you have never been and are going to be in the city, I strongly suggest you go on the tour of the mosque.

It is absolutely stunning. The craftsmanship is amazing.

After you buy your ticket and wait for your guide tour to start, be sure to visit the museum. So many interesting things about the building of the mosque and buildings surrounding it.

The actual tour of the mosque is held in several languages so many people can enjoy enjoy and understand.

It’s held several times a day. Look at their l website for more info on specific times and days.

📌 an adult ticket will cost 120DH or about 12€. It is also noteworthy that this is the only mosque that non-Muslims can enter in the whole country.

09/06/2024

📍The beautiful Turkish island of Cunda in the North Aegean

According to written sources, there have been settlements since the antiquity.

According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the kaza of Cunda (Yunda) had a total population of 4,671 consisting of 4,417 Greeks, 89 Muslims and 165 foreign citizens.

Until the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) the entire population of the island was Greek.

It has very dark history thanks to Mehmed Reshid who visited the island in 1913 and he suggested the settlement of wealthy Muslim muhacirs on the island in order to control the Greek population.

In 1923, following the Treaty of Lausanne, the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the few remaining islanders were forced to leave for Greece and were replaced by Cretan Turks and Turks from Lesvos.

Today Cunda Island has the character of a typical Aegean resort town and is very beautiful and has several museums and historical monuments with cobblestone streets lined with bougainvilleas and boutique shops and restaurants.

It’s absolutely worth exploring!

09/05/2024

📌Ten things you must do in Istanbul:

1️⃣ ride the tram on Istiklal street
2️⃣ eat fresh, warm simit
3️⃣ visit the old Orient express train station
4️⃣ attend a Whirling Dervish ceremony
5️⃣ drink Turkish coffee
6️⃣ shop at the Grand Bazaar
7️⃣ explore the beautiful Topkapı palace
8️⃣ walk down Istiklal street at night
9️⃣ stand in awe of the Blue Mosque
🔟 enjoy a traditional Turkish breakfast

What other must-see/do’s would you add? Tell me in the comments 👇🏽☺️

09/04/2024

Local connections are such a vital and intricate part of all of our travel experiences.

Khadija runs a museum out in old Berber underground home.

It would be easy to just go and look at a museum and probably get decent information and have a pretty good experience .

But when there is a local connection – a local resident who runs the place and has family history there - it brings that much much more depth and value to the experience.

We have these sorts of local experiences, not only in Tunisia, but in every destination that we travel to.

❤️🫰🏽🌍

09/03/2024

Ah, Italia 🇮🇹

As says, “By day, Venice is a collection of museums and churches, packed with great art. At night, when the hordes of day-trippers have gone, another Venice appears. Dance across a floodlit square. Glide in a gondola through quiet canals while music echoes across the water.”

Carnaval in Venice is Feb 22 - March 4, 2025.

Will you be there? 🎭

09/02/2024

✨SIGNATURE TRIPS 2025✨

Morocco • Nepal • Lesvos, Greece •
Türkiye • Tunisia • Portugal

Our scheduled Signature Trips are up! Ranging from 11-15 days, these trips are curated to give you the very best experiences in each country.

Local experiences, UNESCO world heritage sites, food and wine, culture and art…our Signature Trips are hosted by yours truly and I can guarantee you will have an experience of a lifetime!

(Check out our reviews - happy travellers through and through! 🥰)

Connect with me to get detailed itineraries, pricing and to answer any of your questions.

It would my absolute pleasure to host you in 2025 ❤️

(Want to travel on different dates? No problem - contact me and we can make that happen!)

📸:

09/02/2024

When you think of Nepal, what do you think of when it comes to accommodations?

We have beautiful boutique hotels throughout our journey to call “home” give you the best sleeps so you can enjoy your days fully.

From eco-lodges in Chitwan National Park to boutique hotels with infinity pools in Kathmandu, we are certain you will be most comfortable throughout your incredible journey through mystical Nepal 🇳🇵

We have a Signature Trip scheduled for March 12-26, 2025. We will map experience Holi during this trip. 🎊Contact me for more details!

08/30/2024

Treasures in a little shop in Merzouga, Sahara Desert 🇲🇦

I go to Hassan’s shop to let my guests choose the colour turban they want to wear on their camel trek into the desert .

Not only does he have a variety of length of turbines, but he also has a variety of colours and other treasures inside his little shop .

Everything from jewellery to local products to djellabas - the long cloak that you wear over your clothes that comes in a variety of colours and styles.

I love visiting Hassan‘s shop… every time I see him it’s nothing but smiles and I ask him anything new? And he shows me the latest.

Who doesn’t love a new bracelet or djellaba as a memento of their time in the desert? 😉

08/29/2024

The Whirling Dervishes 🇹🇷

Sufi whirling is a form of physically active meditation which originated among certain Sufi groups, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and other orders such as the Rifa’i-Marufi.

It is a customary meditation practice performed within the sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach greater connection with Allah.

This is sought through abandoning one’s nafs, ego or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one’s body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the Sun.

In Türkiye it is a intangible cultural heritage.

There are places throughout Türkiye where you can sit in on a ceremony.

It is very serene and relaxing experience that anyone visiting Türkiye must experience I think. ☺️

08/28/2024

Did you know that on top of the mountain near near Plomari on Lesvos island is an olive grove of .elia where I have adopted an olive tree?

It’s such an incredible project that Eirini and Simos started with her parents.

As members of the fourth generation of olive oilproducers, they thought they needed to spread this sacred knowledge to the world.

“We believe sharing is caring, and we care a lot about our earth and its generous offerings. Our adoption project is aimed to those who have the same passion as we do.”

And that they have. ✨

Fresh olive oil, supporting local, bringing awareness… it’s a win win.

Head over to .elia for more info to find out more.

Maybe it’s time you adopted your tree ☺️❣️

08/28/2024

How is it that the end of August is near already?!

I don’t know how summer got away on me. How about you? Did you get to do very thing you wanted this summer??

08/28/2024

Time to book some flights!

Πτήσεις 16/09/24 – 31/03/25

08/27/2024

Everyone loves the beach ⛱️☀️🌊👙
Or do they?!!

Do you love the beach? Or could you do without it?

Do you like Sandy beaches or pebbly beaches? Crowded beaches or secluded beaches? Tropical beaches or winter beaches?

I think my favourite so far are Mediterranean beaches. There’s something about all those shades of blue that just gives me warm fuzzies inside 💙🩵🤍

📍Nice, Côte d’Azur, France 🇫🇷

08/22/2024

And just like that, my time in Essaouira has come to an end. ☹️

Ten nights in this windy city … it has been an experience like I have never known… 🪬🧿
Much learned. About many things.

Nothing but great things are ahead, no matter what lies just beyond… ✨

Until next time , Essaouira 🤍💙🩵

08/22/2024

Have you been?

08/21/2024

Whenever I’m in Essaouira🇲🇦, I usually am only here for a couple to three days tops.

This time I will have been here for 10 nights… Ample time to do some exploring in regards to breakfast options! 🍳🧇🥞☕️🫖

I usually stay in an Airbnb so I’m able to make my own breakfast, but I like to go out every now and then as well and I usually, when I’m just here for a couple days, go to my favourite breakfast place - Snack Aljazira.

But this time I decided to try some other ones and so here they are and I can say that they have nice breakfasts. And some have a lot less lines than my favourite breakfast place! 🙌🏽

My go-to breakfast is usually Khliil omelette. Khliil is dried preserved meat that they mix with eggs and make an omelette. I’m not a meat eater but, boy, do I love these omelettes! 😋

If I can’t get that, then I just take a plain omelette and usually a “beldi” or local breakfast.

How many of the breakfast spots below have you tried? Are there any more in Essaouira that I should be aware of?

1) Patisserie Driss (medina)
2) Snack Aljazira (by the beach)
3) Les Anges (medina)
4) Brunch & Co (medina)
5) Armoric Cafe (down from Snack Aljazira)

08/18/2024

📍Essaouira 🇲🇦🚘

It’s true. I ❤️ Morocco. And Essaouira is my favourite place in this entire kingdom.

And THESE cars - the Renault 4 or the R4 - are one of my fave cars.

So many favourites in one frame 📷😉

08/13/2024

Essaouira. 💙 I fell in love with this coastal city back in 2015 on my first to Morocco.

Its unique charm and chill vibes will completely take you in as soon as you enter to the city.

The old medina is magical - relaxed yet bustling and not too big…just rhetorical right size.

The grand Atlantic ocean swells are constantly crashing against the sea’s shore.
What an incredible sound.

It’s my happy place and I am always happy when I get to spend time here. 🩵

I am here now actually. For the next 9 or so days. I’m not mad about that. 😉

It’s a business trip mixed with some reflection and business and personal planning for the future.

Amazing things are in store I felt it as soon as I drove into the city today.

I will share as it unfolds x
💙Tracey

08/03/2024

📌Plomari, Lesvos 🇬🇷

Located on the south part of the island of Lesvos, Plomari has made her grand return!

At the turn of the 20th century she was a bustling port, exporting olive oil and products such as soap and olive fruit as well as the ouzo capital of the island.

Then many years passed and the once bust village fell asleep. Until recent years…

It is home to just under 5,000 residents.

“It’s the allure of the sea, the warmth of the sun, the inviting beaches, and the charming picturesque houses.

“It’s the refreshing breeze that caresses you as you stroll by the port. It’s the distinct flavors of ouzo and the delectable local cuisine, infused with the richness of olive oil and the tantalizing taste of fresh fish.

“But above all, it’s the genuine hospitality and warmth of the people that sets Plomari apart. It’s the vibrant culture and the enchanting ambience that captivates your heart.

“That’s the true essence of Plomari.” - website

It’s one of DayTrip offerings as well as home for two nights on our North Aegean Paradise 12day Travel Experience.

2025 trips are booking now 🇬🇷💙

07/31/2024

Last year this time I was in France… South of France be exact… Côte d’Azur! My bestie lives in the UK - her parents have a wonderful villa in a village overlooking the Mediterranean.

I have gone there the last two summers, but this year we decided to change it… She’s coming to my Greek island…tomorrow!

What kind of fun and adventure are we going to get into these next 10 days? 😉

07/30/2024

My guests have always been my very best advertisement ❤️🙏🏽

07/30/2024

5 Nepal must-see/do's to put on your Travel Bucketlist 🧳 - https://mailchi.mp/c65d2b51bdd8/5famousplacesinmorocco-5716989

07/28/2024

The last of our journey through Morocco ends with driving up the coastal road from Essaouira to Safi.

The stunning seascape is absolutely captivating as we decide north. There is something about all those shades of blue b that does something to the soul .

We stop in n Safi to explore the pottery souk. Here we see potters creating their pieces and there is also a big place to shop for treasures to bring home.

Onwards to Casablanca, the place we started from. Once we check into our rooms it’s time for a sunset drink and a final farewell.

What a memorable 2 weeks we have been on together. An adventure like no other with memories to last a lifetime.

Join me November 21-December 5 this fall. I’d love to host you! DM for more details.

The final count is July 31… just c a couple days left to get in!

07/27/2024

📍Essaouira. My favourite place in all of Morocco💙

It’s how I always end our 15 day journey - 2 nights in this sleepy, seaside town.

The fresh ocean air, delicious seafood and all-around chill vibe make Essaouira the perfect “icing on the cake”.

Every single traveller I’ve hosted in Morocco LOVES Essaouira 💙

It’s only a 2.5-3 hour drive from Marrakech and the perfect place to chill any time of the year.

Have you been?

Join me November 21-December 5, 2024 for this incredible journey around a country I grown to love and know well the last 9 years!

07/26/2024

Ah, Marrakech🇲🇦

Its red buildings city is everything exhilarating, overwhelming, charming, chaotic and a must explore when in Morocco.

Some people don’t like it the first time they go. I didn’t. But then it starts to grow on you. 😉

The ancient medina is to be explored, the souks to be bought from, the beautiful garden in and around Marrakech visited and always take a cooking class. Always. 🥘

Join me November 21-December 5 this year and experience her yourself. ✨🇲🇦

07/25/2024

Hello there my wandering friends! 💛

Just taking a break for a hot minute from our Morocco 🇲🇦 journey posts to say hi! 👋🏽

I wanted to tell you that I am really glad you are here in my little corner of the internet. 🥰

I enjoy showing you pieces of the world 🌍 that you may or may not have travelled to. And I hope I can inspire you to travel more, discover more and dream more. ✨

That’s all. 😊❤️

Have a really lovely day and back to our Morocco 🇲🇦 posts!

😘

📷:

07/24/2024

The route of a thousand kasbahs. 🗺️🐪

For two days we basically count how many giant “sandcastles” we see 😉

A kasbah originally refers to Amazigh (indigenous North Africans) citadels, however, it also often alludes to the fortified historic centers found in many Moroccan cities.

From the Todra gorges through to the Atlas Mountains, the road is dotted with them - hence the name of this route.

So we stay in a renovated kasbah for night (as you do!✨), tour a very well maintained and detailed kasbah, and then wander through a real live one, Ait Ben Haddou.

These kasbahs in general have, over time, been used for movie sets. In fact Ouazazate has been dubbed “Hollywood of North Africa” and rightfully so! 🎥 🎞️

Of course we tour the cinema museum and Atlas studios for an interactive tour that brings everything alive.

But the best is when we “go on set” and explore Ait Ben Haddou where a handful of families still live. ✨

These days are magical…as though you are in a movie.

The route of a 1000 kasbahs is an unforgettable adventure that takes travelers through an enchanted world of breathtaking beauty and rich cultural heritage.

From these impressive kasbahs and lush valleys to fertile fig and rose 🌹 valleys, this journey is a visual feast that captivates the imagination of every traveler. 📸

Join me this fall from November 21-December 5 and explore the route of 1000 kasbah and much more of the beautiful country of Morocco 🇲🇦

07/23/2024

Welcome to the desert! 🐪

This next part of the 15 day journey are two of my most favourite days. ❤️

Exploring Merzouga and Rissani souk is getting a first hand look into local life here.

From touching millions of year old fossils to listening to Gnawa music 🎶 to choosing our turbans for the camel 🐪 trek, every part is unique and memorable.

The camel trek is like no other. The dunes majestic, the sky 🌅 massive. And our camp ⛺️— dreamy.

The next day we begin our slow journey 🗺️towards Marrakech but not before taking in the captivating landscape of- lush valleys and impressive gorges. ⛰️

Join me this fall - November 21-December 5 for the journey of a lifetime, friends!

07/22/2024

Lesvos DayTrips 💙🇬🇷

Our fun DayTrips are a great way to see the island of Lesvos.

We are fully booked now until Aug 31 and have availability again from 1st of September onwards.

Contact me for more details!