I planned a month stay in Germany with low expectations. With that being said,y visit far exceeded what I expected. My AirBnB was less than $500 for a month stay. I know I wasn’t paying the train fees correctly but I didn’t spend more than $5 both ways for myself and my child (I couldn’t figure out the pay and never was questioned so it was probably way more). While there, we visited the Chocolate Museum, did a castle tour, and made some impromptu visits to festivals and events we didn’t know about - we just followed the crowds. In the area we stayed, food prices were inexpensive, on the downtown area they were a bit more. Overall, the price was decent if you’re traveling on a budget.

My experience is Egypt was overshadowed by how horribly I was treated. In the tourist areas (Giza pyramids and the Egyptian Museum) everything was cool. It may have been more so that I was a woman with my child, but the treatment from the men left me with a bad taste. I was I comfortable with the “brown sugar” cat calls in the market. I’m not sure who told the vendors that’s going to help with closing a sell. Make sure you have your visa before you arrive and any delivery men, have them leave your food at the door if possible. I’m the non-tourist areas, the glances and scoffs were noticeable and when we tried to make purchases we were ignored.

There is certainly plenty to do. Try to find a local guide or you may get lost in the Medina. You can visit the leather tannery (it smells funky but the right guide will give you a mint leaf to place under your nose), you can press leaves and olives to create your own oils, they’ll overcharge you for clothes (don’t forget to barter). If you’re back feeling adventurous, go on a tour to the mountains and feed monkeys (they’re aggressive af). When you order a meal, be mindful as pigeon is a delicacy.

Who would’ve known that waffles and crepes were a huge part of Greek cuisine. I stayed in Athens for 9 days and ate out EVERYDAY! The meals were inexpensive (and my AirBnB kitchen was closet size). Once you’ve gotten past the waffles and crepes, there are other wonderful places to eat. My favorite spot was a place called Grexico which was the Greek version of Chipotle. The woman who owns the restaurant studied in NY. While she was in school, she worked at a Chipotle. She learned the ins and outs and started Grexico. For breakfast, stop at any of the side restaurants for a cup of yogurt, fruit, and honey. If you have a chance to get out of central Athens you’ll find restaurants that serve the same foods at the tourist’s spots but the flavor is different. Central Athens definitely caters to a European pallet.

The city is huge and can be a bit overwhelming but there is plenty to do. When my daughter wanted to visit the elephants, we didn’t have to go all the way to Chiang Mai. We used klook tours and paid a third of the price to visit and elephant sanctuary in Kanchanaburi. The tour also included a trip to the floating market. Another inexpensive, fun tourist trap was the Giant Tours bus tour. We were able to get tickets online for $25 for two days. We visited some of the well-known landmarks and visit several temples throughout the city. If you want some nighttime entertainment go to Sou Cowboy which was founded by a black man (it’s a bit wild).

1. The food in Senegal is everything!!! I had the most amazing trip to Dakar. One must visit Goree Island and visit the Slave House and the door of no return and learn the history of not only the slave catchers but the rebellions. Ngor Island is a small island that has the best food I’ve ever ate. Order Cèebu jën. Dakar is also home of the Renaissance Monument and the Museum of Black Civilizations. Everyone refers to one another as brother/sister and everyone I met said, “Welcome home.”

If you’re planning to visit the tribes of Omo Valley, you may want to hire a guide. You can preplan a trip with a guide or fly into Jinka or Abraminch (there are ppl offering guided tours). There are over ten different tribes to visit. Each tribe had a separate guide that will take you through the village, teach you the history of the ppl, and answer any questions you have. It cost about 100-200 birr ($3-6) for photos. By the time the tour is done the ppl are setting up shop so be ready for some haggling. The Tourist Hotels have the very basics (a bed with mosquito netting and a bathroom with cold water). My daughter and I were not allowed to get one bedroom occupancy, we had to get two beds. The restaurants tend to have a variety of food choices but some you get what they have. An absolute must...traditional Ethiopian coffee. We visited the Dasanache market. The prices here for souvenirs are less expensive than in the markets. Research which tribes/villages you want to visit. If you want to visit them all, plan for a 10+ day trip.