Falling in love with jolie Annecy, the Venice of the Alps

Palais de l'Isle Annecy

Not quite up the ranks of Venice’s celebrated romance or Amsterdam’s winding canals, but 22 miles south of Geneva you will encounter the most charming French village, nested in the Northern Alps. Tracing back to thousands of years ago, Annecy is the so-called Venice of the North, a whimsical town to explore rich history, lovely architecture and spectacular natural vistas. It was my second time here, and I could keep on coming … [Read more...]

Grindelwald: a guide to the pastoral wonderland of the Swiss Alps

Swiss cows Grindelwald

I’ve been to Switzerland twice before and each time I reveled at how perfectly on time and exceptionally proper the Swiss are. I strolled around Lake Geneva and the Old City and I marveled at the colorful architecture of Montreux and the mysterious grounds of Chateau de Chillon. I had never hiked however the Swiss Alps and its surreal mountainscape, until this summer. Part of a much-needed two-week vacation with my family, I spent a few nature … [Read more...]

Spotted in Bratislava: an UFO above the city

Observation deck UFO

Bratislava was the last place I thought to see an UFO, but I did. Following the tour of the small capital, I headed with my group across the The Nový Most Bridge over the Danube River to see what the curious looking structure across was. Constructed between 1967 and 1972 across the Danube river, the New Bridge – formerly known as the SNP Bridge, after the Slovak National Uprising – is perhaps the city's most distinctive structure. … [Read more...]

Is solo female travel safe or not?

solo_travel

Ever since the tragic death of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year old New York mom traveling solo in Istanbul, the solo female travel experience has received harsh criticism: of how women shouldn’t travel alone, of how it’s dangerous to travel outside the US, of how women shouldn’t go to a third-world country in the Middle East, of how men should never leave their women travel by themselves etc. In a nutshell, women should NOT travel abroad alone as it is … [Read more...]

Romancing Lake Geneva

Swan Lake Geneva

An European gem like no other, Switzerland is known for more than its exceptional Swiss watchmaking and superior lifestyle. It is home to Lake Geneva - or Lac Léman as the Swiss call it - and its picturesque landscapes overlooking the Swiss and French Alps. Having seen it both during summer and winter time, there is an undeniable charm that a month like January portrays. The crisp mountain air along with the pure white mountain peaks ready to be … [Read more...]