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Cohica Travel

Our Custom Travel Plans include authentic activities and cultural experiences to better connect you to the places you visit.
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Cohica is an independent and certified travel design agency, developed to better connect travelers with the places they visit. Unlike traditional travel agencies, we offer transparent pricing and have no ties to hotel chains or corporate contracts, providing flexibility to design trips that are unique and inspired, seeking out - and creating - unique activities centered around culture, learning, nature and food.

09/09/2024

We love September. It's such a great month. Even though most people consider it the end of summer, to us, it always feels like the final, best most uncrowded bit of summer. It's a time when we really savor the sunshine and the warmth, when the nights get a little cooler and we start to sleep better, but we still hit the beach during the day. It's always a verrrrry chaotic time with work (you guys looooove a Sept/October Euro trip!), but the month ends with Ryan's birthday, which means we balance the work with some fun (and usually sneak in some of our own travel). So welcome, September! It's still summer to us! ☀️

26/08/2024

Breaking up work days with hot, sweaty runs in the most beautiful Spanish gardens. Valencia has these trees that look like they're straight out of a Dr. Suess book, with fat trunks and giant spikes, that we've never seen anywhere else in the world. At the end of summer, they bloom flowers that look like giant pink lilies. 💗

11/08/2024

Smack dab in the middle of the Spanish summer shutdown. It's August, which means the majority of Spaniards (and Europeans, really) have left the city and gone to the coast to soak up the official summer holiday season. Valencia is almost always a vibrant (and loud) city, but at the moment feels eerily quiet, with many empty streets and storefronts with signs saying that they'll reopen in September. Oh, and it's hot. Like really hot and humid and still. To be honest, we don't hate it. There's something super relaxed about the quiet streets, the darkened buildings, and the sultry summer heat. We've joined in to the slow pace of everyday life, the early morning runs, the multiple cold showers, and yesssss, the Spanish siesta. Happy summer. ☀️

01/08/2024

It's August, we're back in the city, and it is toooooasty! We're fighting our post vacation blues by diving back into work (from air-conditioned cafes), swimming at the barrio pool, and meeting friends for late night Spanish dinners. Oh, and eating a weird amount of watermelon.. like one of these pretty much every day. 😂

It's officially August, which marks the start of the summer shutdown when everyone in virtually all of Europe stops what they're doing and goes to the coast (or the mountains) for vacation. Except us. We wait out the crowds, buckle down and get a little work done until at least September when everyone else is back to work. So, if you need us, we're here. Sweating away, eating watermelon and popsicles, and planning fantastic trips for this fall and winter.

30/07/2024

Santorini! The most famous island in Greece and the final stop of our island hopping adventure. Like any incredibly mind-blowing but also wildly popular destination (shout out Amalfi Coast), Santorini can offer a mixed experience. There are more people here, the prices are higher, the food is a little less authentic, and there's a luxurious, high-end vibe that we haven't experienced on any other island (except maybe Mykonos). But it is possible to have cool, unique and authentic experiences here (see our Classic Island Hop Designed Trip), you just need to seek them out a bit more. And the views... the views, from almost any point on the entire island, are so out-of-this-world amazing and soooo unique that you're constantly reminded that this is a special spot in the world.
We spent a quick two nights here, hiking the famous 10k trail along the caldera edge, exploring the pretty town of Pyrgos, finding some beaches with rocks to jump from and soaking up the sun from the posh pool deck of our hotel. A luxurious end to a nearly two week Greece adventure. ❤️

28/07/2024

Amorgos. ❤️ This was the quietest, most relaxed, and least touristy stop of our nearly 2 weeks in Greece. We relished the empty beaches, calm sea water, inexpensive tavernas, and epic sunsets in this tiny village on the large and mountainous island. We love the energy here. It's pure summer, with a little bit of island life sprinkled in. Life is slow, people are friendly, and it feels like one of those places where you could really nestle in and spend a few weeks. Pure paradise.

23/07/2024

Heeeeeyyy Greece, you so dreamy! We just had the total pleasure of spending four glorious days on the tiny island of Koufonisia. It's the smallest of the cyclades, only about 2 square miles (we walked clear across in about 35 minutes), and has a year-round population of less than 400 people. The beaches here are next-level-out-of-this-world amazing, and the main town consists of a few main streets, two supermarkets, and a pretty church with an impressive mosaic. This is our fifth trip to Greece, and the first place where we've heard more Greek than English. But there are also a surprising number of trendy restaurants and souvenir shops, which makes us think that this little gem won't be hidden for very long. It's definitely one of those places that almost seems too good to be true.❤️

Following our time in Paros that was semi in work mode, we properly relaxed into vacation mode here, spending day after day swimming, sunning, and jumping into the Adriatic between cheap greek salads and sugary popsicles. Feeling so summery and loving every second. ☀️🇬🇷

22/07/2024

Ohhhh we have been eating well! It doesn't take much to love Greek food, but here we are, 1.5 weeks in, and we're still not tired of the selection of meze and salads that we've been grazing on day and night. Side note that Greece is quite veggie friendly, with loads of lentils, beans, cooked and raw vegetables and cheese, particularly feta and myzithra (a local cheese similar to ricotta). And if all goes wrong, you can pick up a pita stuffed with feta, fries, tzatziki and tomatoes for 4€. Pair this with some thick greek yogurt, and spinach pies and it's going to be verrrry hard to leave.

19/07/2024

Exploring the pretty and peaceful town of Lekfes. ❤️ On our final full day in Paros, we picked up an ATV and spent the day exploring the island's best beaches and most beautiful local towns, pulling over whenever we saw a good swimming spot to jump in the sea and lay in the sun. There's something so simple and delightful about having a whole day with no real plan but to discover new places. 🇬🇷
Paros will be this dreamy until the first few weeks of October, so if you want to visit too, check out our 'Best Less Visited Islands' Greece Designed Trip at https://www.cohicatravel.com/greecethebestlessknownislands.html ✈️

16/07/2024

We're in Greece! The island of Paros, to be exact. It's kinda like Mykonos' little sister, with fewer crowds, a far more laid-back vibe, but still a handful of trendy restaurants and semi swanky beachclubs. As usual, we skipped the sunbeds and instead spent our first day walking from beach to beach to beach until we found one that was nearly empty and perfectly dreamy. Then we stopped for a greek salad and a big ol french fry stuffed pita before arriving back to the hotel crispy and salty and oh so happy. This is summer at its best, and we are so pumped for every new day we wake up in Greece. 🇬🇷

04/07/2024

Ten years ago today, we met at a 4th of July picnic on the island of Maui. We don't often get too personal here (although it is a wonderfully gooey story), but we fell fiercely in love almost right away, and within six weeks of meeting, were making plans to move across the ocean to be together. We were so in love and inspired and felt like anything was possible (because it was, and it always is, really) and felt drawn to leave our day-to-day routines behind and experience the world together. So we created a doc: 'The World According to Megan & Ryan' and started to add places we wanted to go. Angkor Wat, Ha Long Bay, Machu Picchu, the tip top of the Eiffel Tower, Patagonia... the list kept growing. In about six months, we had saved every precious penny, sold both our cars, all our furniture, and most of our belongings and booked one-way tickets to Vietnam. Before we left the U.S., we incorporated our business, Cohica Travel, without knowing exactly what it would be, or how the next ten years would unfold.
We have always been travelers first, and there is absolutely nothing that either of us loves more than exploring a new place together. And now we have the opportunity to share our experience with other travelers, which is such a dream job that we often pinch ourselves and wonder how it all turned out this way. Our list of places we want to go continues to grow all the time, and we will never stop traveling and exploring every corner of the earth to create new Designed Trips and Custom Travel Plans for you. Happy Independence Day. We're celebrating freedom and love today. ❤️

27/06/2024

Summer has arrived! Isn't it strange when you look forward to something for so long, then all of a sudden, it's here? We LOVE everything about summer... all the sunshine, and the heat, and the long days, and the sea, and the sweatyness, we're here for it all. Even if it means waking up (sorta) early to get a morning run in ⬆️, it's worth it for the best, most relaxed, and dreamy season of the year. And, even more exciting, we just booked ourselves a little summer vacation. Yup, you read that right - we're going on a VAcation, not a WORKcation - for the first time in a long time. Cannot wait for a little time by the sea together (but still obvs will be avail for anyone traveling). Happy summer, friends! ☀️

17/06/2024

We spent Father's Day hiking along Roman aqueducts with Megan's dad, Mike, who is visiting from Colorado. Although we've lived in Europe for awhile now (over 8 years! 🤯), we still get homesick from time to time and definitely miss seeing our friends and family on a regular basis. So, it all feels pretty cool when someone makes the trip out to visit, especially one of our dads, and especially on Father's Day. 💛

14/06/2024

Wishing we were still poolside, but slowly pushing through our busiest time of year! 🤓 We joke about how often travelers tell us that they want to come to Europe during 'shoulder season' - in June or September - to avoid the crowds. The tricky thing is, evvvvverryone wants to travel during these two months, which make them some of the busiest times to visit!

So when is the best time to visit Europe, you ask? Well, it's a little complicado because it all depends on the destination. It you're heading to a city, the whole summer is fair game - we actually often see far lower rates during July and August than June and September in major cities. If you want a coastal destination, avoid August when every human on the European continent will find a shoreline and park it for 3-5 weeks (yes, it's the way PTO should be, but that's a whole different subject!). If you're not searching for summer vibes, May is soooo beautiful in most of Southern Europe, whereas mid-October starts to get a little dicey in Italy, Greece, and Portugal. July is fair game for most destinations and is often not nearly as crowded as most people assume. So, it depends on a lot of factors... but the takeaway is that June and September are not necessarily the best and only time! (And yes, we're hoping to sneak in a real vacation in July!🤞 🇬🇷). ☀️⛱️👙

10/06/2024

Hiking = one of our all-time favorite things to do while traveling. It seems like, without fail, a good hike always makes for the best adventures and conversations and allows us to really get a feel for a place. Walking along the coast, through the black lava fields of Lanzarote, reminded us so much of our early days in Hawai'i. We were feeling all gooey and nostalgic until we stumbled upon a gorgeous black sand beach with a few groups of n**e sunbathers and were instantly reminded that we're in Europe now. 😂 But, see? Hiking! These (the beach and the bathers) are just the kind of unexpected surprises that a good hike in a new place can bring!

07/06/2024

Stopped by the very instagrammable Museo Lagomar on our first afternoon in Lanzarote. This large house was originally built on a volcanic rock quarry and was designed to incorporate the rock's natural caves, tunnels, and terraces. Omar Sharif, the famous Egyptian actor, at one point owned it for less than 48 hours when he bought it on a whim then immediately gambled it away in a drunken game of bridge (whoops). Sooo dreamy for anyone who appreciates cool architecture and design.

06/06/2024

Fuerteventura! We spent the first weekend of our Canary Island workcation exploring the island's wild landscapes, running through lava fields, and soaking up the sun.✌️

03/06/2024

We're in the Canary Islands! Fuerteventura, to be exact. It's wild and rugged, and arid and beautiful and soooo different than anywhere we've ever been. On our first full day, we drove around the island and watched as the landscape changed from black lava to red rock to giant sand dunes ⬆️ within minutes. But the coastal towns (so far, at least) have less to be desired, contrived for holiday goers, and a bit lacking in culture or sense of place. So it feels like a strange mix. But we're here for it all and are pumped to continue to explore and take it all in over the next week.

28/05/2024

The purple trees in the city right now! 😍
We had a great weekend, and now it's back to work with a dozen groups traveling in June (it's one of Europe's peak seasons for American travelers!) and loads of people sneaking in some last-minute summer travel. Looking forward to a change of scenery ourselves... we'll be popping down to the Canary Islands next week for a little workcation. The volcanic islands off the west coast of Africa have intrigued us for years, and we can't wait to explore the wild landscapes, sand dunes, and sea water of both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura islands.

21/05/2024

Sunday's hike brought us to the little town of Buñol - where the famous tomato fight is held every August. 🍅 The surrounding area is full of farmland, rivers, waterfalls, and natural pools, making it the perfect place to spend a sunday (and for a hot dog to swim)! We have been working nonstop, so taking at least one full day to totally disconnect is sooo key until we can find some time to sneak in some travel of our own (soon! 😉)!

06/05/2024

Well it's official, spring has sprung in Spain! Flowers are everywhere, and the sunny days are starting to be delightfully warm. We've been soaking up all the springtime vibes, working with the balcony doors wide open and embracing Spanish culture by eating dinner well past 9 pm (it's just so damn light out!).
This is always a verrrrry busy time for us, and this year is no exception as we plan trips all over the world (tons to Europe and Asia) for summer and fall, and spring travelers start their trips. But it also always feels so exciting, with summer right around the corner and adventures on the horizon... ✈️

27/04/2024

Happy birthday to us! Nine (9!?) years ago, on April 17, 2015, we sat together on the tile floor of a near-empty cottage on the island of Maui, and clicked the publish button on CohicaTravel.com. We had sold almost everything we owned, quit our corporate jobs and purchased one-way tickets to Vietnam, fueled by a lengthy travel wishlist and inspired by some big new love. We didn't know what Cohica would be, exactly, but we knew we wanted to seek out the most unique and special experiences in the world and share them with others. And we did. We traveled for 9 months, fully circling the globe, and arrived home as different people. Going back to our old lives felt nearly impossible, so we took another leap, turning Cohica into a travel planning service, and making a move across the Atlantic to Europe. Now, nine (9!) years later, we cannot believe how far we've come and how grateful we are to do the work we do. We have the total privilege of helping people interact with different cultures, have new experiences, and create new memories with people they love. And we've gotten to work with so many cool people - of all ages, with all budgets, who travel in all different ways to all corners of the planet. Thank you for your continued support - of our business and our dream. We are grateful every day. ✈️🌍

18/04/2024

Everything, all at once. The best, most accurate description of India. Was it relaxing? Not really. But it was interesting, we learned a ton about the local culture and religion, and we experienced something new every single day. And sometimes that's just the kind of travel experiences we crave... not the easy peasy relaxing ones, and not the backpackery roughing-it kinda ones, but the ones that are somewhere in between. The smells, the flavors, the colors, the people, the beauty, the noise, the animals, the textiles, the.... everything. All at once. 🇮🇳

11/04/2024

Already missing the flavors, textures and colors of Indian breakfasts! This dish - Kanda Poha - quickly turned into our favorite. It's made with flattened rice combined with lots of spices (like curry leaves, mustard seeds and tumeric), onions, chilies, coconut, and fresh lemon juice and topped with cilantro, pomegranate seeds, peanuts (usually, but not for us) and crunchy chickpea snacks called ghatiya for the ultimate flavor and texture bomb. Served with a hot cup of spicy masala chai, it's the stuff breakfast dreams are made of.
Like most people, we were pretty nervous about getting sick during our travels through India, but we never did... We followed the advice of other travelers and ate at highly reviewed restaurants, sanitized as much as we could, took probiotics and charcoal when our stomachs felt a little off, mostly avoided raw vegetables, and (obvs) only drank purified water. Tasting all of the incredible dishes and flavors were sooooo worth the effort! 😋

02/04/2024

There was a time when we weren't so into tours. We either didn't feel like they were worth our precious travel budget, or we thought that more authentic and special experiences were found in everyday moments, not on an organized tour. But over time, we've really changed our tune. We love learning things that we wouldn't otherwise, especially when it comes to local life and culture. And, on a good tour, like this ⬇️ private bike tour in Jaipur, we got to experience so much more than historic landmarks and monuments. We started with good karma by feeding the cows that live on the street, drank chai from the city's best street vendor, participated in laughing yoga with a big group of people in the park, went to the morning prayer at the neighborhood temple, and visited the flower and vegetable market before eating a spicy samosa and drinking a cold lassi. These are the experiences and the kind of tours that we now love (and are worth every penny!)- and that we seek out for travelers all over the world. 🌎

31/03/2024

Jaipur! We teamed up with our local partner, .india, who organized the most amazing two days in this fascinating city. There is so much to experience here - the history, monuments, textiles, markets, temples, and buzzing energy of the city was the perfect introduction to Rajasthan. Every day in India blows our minds with something new that we haven't experienced before, and Jaipur did that over and over again. Oh, and hanging with a local guide means we get a few rare non-selfie snaps too 😊

27/03/2024

We spent our final few days in southern India at a cool (& pink!) surf and yoga retreat. This was a totally new experience for us, but we ended up loving it - the simplicity of surf at dawn and yoga at dusk broke up our otherwise fast-paced (and intense at times) travel. And turns out that a trendy spot in a laid-back surf town draws some cool travelers of all ages and nationalities, who we loved chatting with and sharing travel stories and tips. So now that we've meditated, exhaled and wiped out over and over again, we're moving on to our next stop, all the way up north... Jaipur, here we come!

25/03/2024

The Kerala backwaters are famous in southern India, covering 560 miles of canals, lagoons, rivers, and narrow waterways. Food and supplies are transported by boat, kids hop on a school boat each morning, and locals utilize the canals for washing (pots/pans, laundry, and bathing). It's a whole different way of everyday life than other parts of India. When many people visit Alleppey, they sleep on traditional houseboats or go on an early morning boat tour through the canals. We chose to sleep at a nearby heritage hotel and kayak, which made for a very quiet and peaceful way to cruise through the canals and see daily life unfolding. We also stopped at a local Toddy - a makeshift bar - on the side of the canal where coconut beer is made each day when the juice from the coconut flower (not fruit) is harvested and left in the sun to ferment. It tasted exactly like it sounds - a delicious and refreshing combo of beer and coconut.

14/03/2024

Fort Kochi was such a great first stop in India! The town is easily walkable, there are historical sights and fruit markets to check out, delicious food, and very friendly people who are more than willing to answer all of our questions. It's been toasty with very high humidity so we're getting excited for our next stop at 4,000 feet in the mountains...

13/03/2024

We're in India! Our adventure is starting in the southern state of Kerala. Like the U.S., the language, food and culture varies a lot from north to south, so we're looking forward to getting a feel for two different regions of this incredible country over the next few weeks. Our first stop is Fort Kochi (not well represented by this photo, near our hotel, and a bit outside of the center). This beautiful little port town has been the center of the spice trade for centuries and is steeped in history and culture, with traditional dancing, fishing nets, and colonial buildings. We've been de-jetlagging with tiny cups of spicy chai, trying all the food we can (starting to find some favorites!) and walking around town, chatting with cute local kids who have loads of questions. ❤️

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Happy New Year! As always, we're closing out the year reflecting on our 2021 adventures... Another year traveling within the confines of entry requirements and mask mandates and choosing destinations based on case numbers and vaccination rates. 😳 But we did our best to seize the moment and safely traveled to the U.S., Costa Rica, Greece, Austria, the Czech Republic, and all over Italy - from Prosecco Road to Puglia. We've always prioritized travel and now more than ever, are feeling so grateful for the experiences we've had and the memories we've made. So here's to another year full of new adventures. Let's hope it's not as weird as the last two! #2022 #letsgo

Italian Origins - September 2021

It's starting to feel like summer, which has us very excited for our Italian Origins small group trip this September! It's hard to pin down what we're looking forward to most. Maybe sipping Chianti Classico at a century old winery, wood-firing our own pizzas, hiking between the villages of the Cinque Terre, meeting a Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Master, or cruising Lake Como on a traditional wood boat George Clooney style. Or maybe it's sleeping in a historic Florentine palace, a Tuscan hamlet, or a lakeside villa. One thing's for sure - after more than a year with very few social engagements, we can't wait to come home with a handful of new friends and a boatload of new memories. ❤ Register by May 31 (Monday!), and get $200 off per traveler. Space is limited and registration closes June 15! Details at https://www.cohicatravel.com/italian-origins.html

What are you doing this September? We'll be traveling with a small group through four different regions of Italy - and we'd LOVE for you to join us! Dine overlooking the Duomo, cycle through the hills of Chianti, wood fire your own pizza, hike the Cinque Terre, taste parmigiano reggiano and balsamic vinegar of Modena, and cruise the coast of Como. 🇮🇹Space is limited and registration closes June 15! All the details: https://www.cohicatravel.com/italian-origins.html

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Patagonia Winds in Torres Del Paine

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About us

Cohica is a modern travel design agency based in Lucca, Italy developed to better connect travelers with the places they visit.

By understanding each traveler’s personal interests, utilizing our vast travel knowledge and network, and partnering with the best providers worldwide, we design trips that are completely customized, unique and inspired. Our dedication, attention to detail, and fully mobile Travel Plans ensure that every travel experience is seamless and worry free.

At Cohica, our mission is to make a positive impact through travel. We accomplish this by partnering with industry leaders and like-minded organizations, supporting independent and sustainable hotels, and focusing on experiences that are low-impact, locally operated and culturally insightful.