I visited Burano in September 2018 when I stopped off in Venice. If you're in Venice for some time, get an unlimited pass for the water taxi and then you can travel around easily. Our hotel gave us a ride to Murano and then we took the water taxi to Burano but both are incredibly easy to access and the boat ride takes approximately 20 min. The island is super small and bright color houses are everywhere. You can walk the entire island lol.
I would recommend the visit to see how lace and glass is made. The craftsman ship is stunning and the prices are steep. Candidly, there isn't much else to do outside of walk around and see different shops, the town and grab a bite to eat but its a part of history and the islands deserve a visit nonetheless. Make a day of it, grab some lunch and dinner and then head back to Venice for some nice gold!
By far my favourite places in Italy remain Capri, Sorrento and the coast. If you want a vacation that includes a ton of relaxation, those are the places to go. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori and use that as our base for travelling around. We also spent a couple nights in Capri, which is accessible quickly by 40 min boat ride and ferries run frequently throughout the day. Grand Hotel has the best Risotto I've ever had in my life and its presented to you in a parmesan cup. We also walked to the city centre which has the best gelato and fresh potato fries. There's numerous shops around, all of which are great so feel free to stop in any. The best restaurant we went to in capri was Villa Margherita, Ristorante da Gemma and Buonocore Gelateria. If you decide to stop on the Island of Capri, take the 5 euro train ride up to the city centre to check out jewellery, ice cream and amazing linen. Be careful though, the prices are steep! :)
Rome wasn't my favourite destination in Italy but it definitely is a MUST see. To get everything done and in a reasonable amount of time, I scheduled four days and even then it was tight. The colosseum is a must, the Vatican was by far my favourite and I'm definitely not religious, if you're able to, take the extra time to climb up to the top of the dome. Bring water with you on the way up as the stairs get hot very quickly and although the stairs are straight, the ceiling is angled heavily and it can be very claustrophobic. The Trevi fountain was amazing and I would recommend going around 9:30am as they schedule cleaning of the fountain around that time and it's easy to get great pictures without having anyone in them and having to edit the photo and removing them. If you have some time, check out the Spanish steps, they are super central and within walking distance from a number of hotels. I would recommend getting there as early as possible so that you're able to get some good photos. The last thing I would recommend is if you're comfortable, walk out of the city, approximately 10 min and you'll get some great non-tourist oriented food. One of our favourite restaurants in all of Italy was Casa Prati. If you're up for the 10 min walk I highly recommend.
Price tag was high on this trip! So be prepared to spend!
Recommendations on partying:
- Void nightclub is amazing when they have Rap and Hip Hop nights, good vibes and amazing DJ's
- Scorpios is a popular one, wouldn't recommend them for food but definitely for partying and watching the sunset
-Nammos has amazing partying as well and when they aren't hosting parties I would recommend them for a good meal!
Accommodation:
- I would stay as close to the town as possible, we stayed at the Mykonos Bay Hotel and it made it super easy to get around and explore.
Food:
- I wasn't blown away by any meal I had in Greece so I would recommend getting a hotel that has breakfast included and then grabbing a light snack at lunch and a heavy dinner. I don't really feel that this is place to splurge on meals, so I would hit up some good places in Mykonos town.
New York has some of the best places to eat I've ever been! I went in November 2017, so the weather was still nice which made it easy to get around (you will be spending a ton of time outside!!)
Recommendations for food:
- Cafe China- the perfect cheap eats, with amazing ratings! Cafe China received a Michelin star last year and again in 2018 and if you can get a reservation, this place is a must eat.
- For brunch Harry's in FIDI is amazing, I recommend the steak and eggs after a long night out and the coconut crusted French toast, get a couple different plates and share, I think that's always best.
- Le Cou Cou for lunch is amazing, more affordable than the cost of dinner but still a great experience and meal if you like French food.
- Bondst for sushi is a popular joint and I highly recommend the Chilean Sea Bass, its one of their most popular dishes and well worth it!
- Marea was our major splurge for the weekend and the meal was absolutely exquisite. We actually stopped and picked up a 24 can of beer and gifted it to the kitchen staff (something I would recommend if you're super into the restaurant). The staff ended up taking care of us and sent out a ton of complimentary dishes! We made sure to leave a big tip and it was great knowing that it went to staff versus the restaurant.
- The donuts in Chelsea Market were AMAZING, if you stop by there I would highly recommend trying them.
Went to Rio in October 2017 and absolutely loved it! The temperature was perfect, 25-32 degrees celsius with minimal rain. I stayed in Leblon, right by the beach which was central to both the subway and getting around.
Recommendations in the city:
Food:
- Copacabana Palace for Sunday brunch, slightly pricey but well worth the trip
- For fine dining dinner, I would try Oro, they were given a Michelin star in 2017 and 2018 and by far one of the best meals of my life for half the cost of a normal Michelin star meal.
- For great affordable meal, I would recommend Miam Miam, they are rated great value and have the best beignets :)
- Jobi is a great place for a traditional local meal and not too expensive!
Places to see:
- Ipanema beach, I would rent a local bike and ride down the cost- it's super safe during the day/ weekends and a great way to get exercise
- Christ the Redeemer is a MUST SEE, try and get there as early as possible. With he heat and the crowds of people you want to ensure you get a great shot!
- Sugarloaf mountain is fantastic, I would recommend going a couple hours before sunset and then staying to watch it, its one of the best sunsets I've seen in my entire life.
- Escaderia Selaron is a great tourist attraction. Be careful when heading there as it's super close to downtown Rio and that area is not always the safest. Just be alert, try and put your phone away if possible.
I visited Burano in September 2018 when I stopped off in Venice. If you're in Venice for some time, get an unlimited pass for the water taxi and then you can travel around easily. Our hotel gave us a ride to Murano and then we took the water taxi to Burano but both are incredibly easy to access and the boat ride takes approximately 20 min. The island is super small and bright color houses are everywhere. You can walk the entire island lol. I would recommend the visit to see how lace and glass is made. The craftsman ship is stunning and the prices are steep. Candidly, there isn't much else to do outside of walk around and see different shops, the town and grab a bite to eat but its a part of history and the islands deserve a visit nonetheless. Make a day of it, grab some lunch and dinner and then head back to Venice for some nice gold!
By far my favourite places in Italy remain Capri, Sorrento and the coast. If you want a vacation that includes a ton of relaxation, those are the places to go. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori and use that as our base for travelling around. We also spent a couple nights in Capri, which is accessible quickly by 40 min boat ride and ferries run frequently throughout the day. Grand Hotel has the best Risotto I've ever had in my life and its presented to you in a parmesan cup. We also walked to the city centre which has the best gelato and fresh potato fries. There's numerous shops around, all of which are great so feel free to stop in any. The best restaurant we went to in capri was Villa Margherita, Ristorante da Gemma and Buonocore Gelateria. If you decide to stop on the Island of Capri, take the 5 euro train ride up to the city centre to check out jewellery, ice cream and amazing linen. Be careful though, the prices are steep! :)
Rome wasn't my favourite destination in Italy but it definitely is a MUST see. To get everything done and in a reasonable amount of time, I scheduled four days and even then it was tight. The colosseum is a must, the Vatican was by far my favourite and I'm definitely not religious, if you're able to, take the extra time to climb up to the top of the dome. Bring water with you on the way up as the stairs get hot very quickly and although the stairs are straight, the ceiling is angled heavily and it can be very claustrophobic. The Trevi fountain was amazing and I would recommend going around 9:30am as they schedule cleaning of the fountain around that time and it's easy to get great pictures without having anyone in them and having to edit the photo and removing them. If you have some time, check out the Spanish steps, they are super central and within walking distance from a number of hotels. I would recommend getting there as early as possible so that you're able to get some good photos. The last thing I would recommend is if you're comfortable, walk out of the city, approximately 10 min and you'll get some great non-tourist oriented food. One of our favourite restaurants in all of Italy was Casa Prati. If you're up for the 10 min walk I highly recommend.
Price tag was high on this trip! So be prepared to spend! Recommendations on partying: - Void nightclub is amazing when they have Rap and Hip Hop nights, good vibes and amazing DJ's - Scorpios is a popular one, wouldn't recommend them for food but definitely for partying and watching the sunset -Nammos has amazing partying as well and when they aren't hosting parties I would recommend them for a good meal! Accommodation: - I would stay as close to the town as possible, we stayed at the Mykonos Bay Hotel and it made it super easy to get around and explore. Food: - I wasn't blown away by any meal I had in Greece so I would recommend getting a hotel that has breakfast included and then grabbing a light snack at lunch and a heavy dinner. I don't really feel that this is place to splurge on meals, so I would hit up some good places in Mykonos town.
New York has some of the best places to eat I've ever been! I went in November 2017, so the weather was still nice which made it easy to get around (you will be spending a ton of time outside!!) Recommendations for food: - Cafe China- the perfect cheap eats, with amazing ratings! Cafe China received a Michelin star last year and again in 2018 and if you can get a reservation, this place is a must eat. - For brunch Harry's in FIDI is amazing, I recommend the steak and eggs after a long night out and the coconut crusted French toast, get a couple different plates and share, I think that's always best. - Le Cou Cou for lunch is amazing, more affordable than the cost of dinner but still a great experience and meal if you like French food. - Bondst for sushi is a popular joint and I highly recommend the Chilean Sea Bass, its one of their most popular dishes and well worth it! - Marea was our major splurge for the weekend and the meal was absolutely exquisite. We actually stopped and picked up a 24 can of beer and gifted it to the kitchen staff (something I would recommend if you're super into the restaurant). The staff ended up taking care of us and sent out a ton of complimentary dishes! We made sure to leave a big tip and it was great knowing that it went to staff versus the restaurant. - The donuts in Chelsea Market were AMAZING, if you stop by there I would highly recommend trying them.
Went to Rio in October 2017 and absolutely loved it! The temperature was perfect, 25-32 degrees celsius with minimal rain. I stayed in Leblon, right by the beach which was central to both the subway and getting around. Recommendations in the city: Food: - Copacabana Palace for Sunday brunch, slightly pricey but well worth the trip - For fine dining dinner, I would try Oro, they were given a Michelin star in 2017 and 2018 and by far one of the best meals of my life for half the cost of a normal Michelin star meal. - For great affordable meal, I would recommend Miam Miam, they are rated great value and have the best beignets :) - Jobi is a great place for a traditional local meal and not too expensive! Places to see: - Ipanema beach, I would rent a local bike and ride down the cost- it's super safe during the day/ weekends and a great way to get exercise - Christ the Redeemer is a MUST SEE, try and get there as early as possible. With he heat and the crowds of people you want to ensure you get a great shot! - Sugarloaf mountain is fantastic, I would recommend going a couple hours before sunset and then staying to watch it, its one of the best sunsets I've seen in my entire life. - Escaderia Selaron is a great tourist attraction. Be careful when heading there as it's super close to downtown Rio and that area is not always the safest. Just be alert, try and put your phone away if possible.