Travel Guide – SarahVation

The Capitol aka Washington DC.

Hello Pals,

Washington is the Capital of the United States and is a territory surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. Yes, it’s a political city (looking for a man in finance®, 6’5, blue eyes) it’s also home to the Smithsonian, one of the largest collections holding 21 museums and the National Zoo which are FREE (not pay as you wish, not donations (although appreciated) they are free.

I’ve been to Washington DC twice, once in 2022 (just after Covid so masks may still be in photos) and again in 2024 when my cousin visited. It’s simply impossible to see everything so I recommend planning a basic itinerary from the museums, galleries and monuments below. I suggest looking here for a full list of everything.

Washington DC sits upon the unceded ancestral land of the Nacotchtank people. I honour the generations of displaced and enslaved people who built the country.

If you would like to know “What to do in Washington D.C ” click ‘read more’

Valladolid: It’s more than Chichen Itza.

Hello Pals,
Valladolid quickly became one of my favourite places within Mexico, and maybe even took the number one position. It’s vibrant colours, cobblestone streets, food halls and cute cafes – Valladolid has much to offer. It’s rich in history but showcases mostly, as a lot of Mexican cities, the Spanish Influence. If you look out – you’ll still be able to see examples of Maya Architecture.

While in Valladolid, I also managed to spend half a day at Chichen Itza, organising it by myself (okay well a friend organised it and we just tagged along.) You can read about that too.

If you would like to know “How to spend a few days in Valladolid ” click ‘read more’

Cancun; stay a day.

Hello Pals,
The first translation of Cancun was Kankun – “nest of snakes,” although I cannot find a definitive answer as to why – perhaps it’s related to the mangroves that used to surround Cancun.

If you read blog posts or forums on Cancun, people will either list day trips for you to do (so things not in Cancun) or tell you just to fly in and get out.
I think that like anywhere, you need to give it a few days to form your own opinion. Sure, Cancun is a major tourist destination, but that was the whole point of Cancun it was a government-backed investment.

If you would like to know “how to spend 2 days 100% in Cancun” click ‘read more.’

Yellowknife; slightly above the 60th parallel.

Hello Pals,
Yellowknife is the only city within the Northwest Territories so it makes sense that it’s also the capital. Majority of people head there for the Northern Lights (a fantastic reason) but there’s so much hidden charm within this small city itself. From the people, the monuments to the funny road names – you’ll enjoy your time here.

If you would like to know “How to spend a few days in Yellowknife” click ‘read more’

Mitrovica; a city of two sides.

Hello Pals,
While in Prishtina, I took a day trip to Mitrovica. Originally called Demetrius in the middle ages, it was changed to Mitrovica following the Ottoman conquest. Represented by international media perhaps as dangerous or on edge, I assure you at the time of this – I had nothing but a good experience.
Mitrovica is an interesting example of seeing a city divided by two, in the Serbian side – they use the Serbian Dinar and on the Albanian side, the Euro (as the rest of Kosovo)

If you would like to know “How to spend a day in Mitrovica ” click ‘read more’

Penang-in on.

Hello Pals,
Firstly, I wish to apologise for the quality of these photos. I left my camera at home. Luckily, a few photos have been taken from my friend’s camera.
A few years ago while travelling in Japan, I met some people from Singapore who studied in Melbourne. We became friends and thanks to social media – kept in touch. This year I was invited to one of their weddings – in Penang. Seemed like the best excuse to get away so with approval from work, I took some extra days – packed my bag (was weird packing heels) and started mapping out my itinerary.

Read below on some tips for what to do with your time in Penang.
Not really sure on Malaysian customs? Check my Before You Go post! Continue reading “Penang-in on.”