In July of 2018 as part of my round the world trip, I visited the beautiful city of Prague. Prague is a very charming city with vast architectural diversity that spans over many centuries and includes everything from Romanesque to Post Modern. If you love architecture, art and history, you must check out Prague! I kick started my stay in Prague with a two-day private walking tour. I chose to do a walking tour first so I could learn about the history and architecture of the city as well as get familiar with the different areas of the city. This made exploring on my own the rest of the week a breeze. If you are visiting Prague as a solo traveler or small group, I highly recommend this approach because Prague is such a beautiful, walkable city. As an added bonus, walking all day will make you feel less guilty about all of the Pilsner Urquell and Kozel you will no doubt consume given that the Czech Republic is the world’s highest beer consuming country per capita. As you can imagine after a ton of walking each day, I really worked up an appetite. For the spectacular view and rooftop dining experience, Teresa U Prince was great, but of all the restaurants I tried during my stay in Prague, V zátisí was my favorite. Not only was the food delicious, the staff there was very attentive and friendly. I also received a very tasty appetizer and sweet treat compliments of the chef. If available, I highly recommend you try the Traditional Kulajda Soup dish there, and if your in the mood to try something other than beer, order Slivovice Plum Brandy. It’s a little too strong for me, but worth a try. If you save room for dessert after dinner, take a stroll to Crème de la Crème for gelato or walk to Trdelník for a traditional ice cream treat that’s served in a sweet pastry cone that’s been cooked over hot coals. Delicious! When it comes to touring the area, no visit to Prague would be complete without visiting and learning about the magical Prague Castle. On top of its fascinating history, Prague Castle looks like it was pulled straight from a Disney movie. I wanted to capture all of the fairytale charm of the castle so I booked a 2 hour photography tour through AirBnB experiences that covered multiple stops including the magnificent Prague Castle. Talk about Instagrammable! If you enjoy having your photos taken, I highly recommend the experience I booked or something similar. The photographer I used had a fun personality, great eye, and gave really good instructions on various poses to do (that felt natural) during the shoot. On the accommodations front, I stayed in a gorgeous 1-bedroom AirBnB apartment on Jungmanova in the New Town area of Prague. I absolutely loved how conveniently located the apartment was. Many popular areas of interest like Wenceslas Square, Old Town, and Charles Bridge were 10-15 minutes or less on foot. I was also able to easily book Uber rides or order late night food delivery while staying in this area as well. Being centrally located in a city like Prague is key. If you want to kick back and enjoy a sunny summer day like a local, make your way to Žluté lázne. I had an opportunity to visit this area, and the atmosphere was great. While relaxing by the water, I had beers and tried foods prepared by local vendors while engaging in conversation with locals and people watching. There were also areas where you could play volleyball or enjoy a nice picnic in the grass. When nightfall descended, a large projection screen lit up with a movie for people to watch by the calm waters of the Vltava River. This less touristy experience hit the spot after multiple days of walking tours and photo snapping around the city. On a more personal experience note, I’ll share some additional information on how I was treated in Prague. For the most part (99% of the time), I was treated extremely well by all the people I encountered. This could have been attributed to multiple factors. First, the private walking tour I booked was based on the recommendation I received from a friend who has traveled to Prague multiple times. The tour guide gave me excellent recommendations on places to eat and bars to try so I’m assuming I had nice experiences at those places because the guide only recommended the places that she knew would treat me well and had excellent service. Second, since I was traveling to the city solo, I connected with some locals in advance via a large solo, female travel group on Facebook. The Prague locals that engaged with me in that group were great and extremely helpful, and I was able to meet up with one in Prague to visit the less touristy Žluté lázne area. The Czech person I met was extremely open minded and worldly so again I’m assuming she only suggested places to visit where I would have a great experience. With those points being noted, I was out one night at a bar, and a Czech guy started flirting with me. As we were talking, two Czech women seated next to us began speaking to the guy in Czech, and after they spoke briefly, he made a comment to me about how disappointed he was in Europeans sometimes. I asked him why he said that, and he told me the women were making comments about how they couldn’t believe that he would want to flirt with a black woman. WHOA I know!! That was the ONLY bad experience I had in Prague so I try not to let it spoil the absolutely fabulous time I had. I did however want to share my experience to bring awareness to a situation that someone visiting might encounter. Hopefully not though:) If you have any questions about my AirBnB booking, the walking tour company I used, or my stay in Prague, send me a message on Instagram at NoRiskNoRewardBlog. I’d be happy to share additional details of my trip. You can also check out my blog NoRiskNoRewardBlog.com. Happy traveling!

If you like partying, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia must be on your bucket list. I had no idea that there was such a party culture in KL, but let me just say I had many 5, 6, 7 am nights/mornings while visiting there. If you’re able to visit Kuala Lumpur on there National Day holiday (their Independence Day), you’ll be in for a treat! There’s a huge parade, concerts in the park, and a stunning fireworks show at midnight. I did not make it to the parade, but I did accidentally stumble into the park to see the water fountain light show and concerts on my way to Sky Bar to see the spectacular fireworks show. The city was full of country flags and high, energetic spirits during this time of celebration. All the tourists go to Changkat to party since it’s lined with bars making bar hopping super easy. I received the warmest welcome at Bar Fiam after telling an employee there that I was from the state where Jack Daniels is made. The employee made sure the DJ gave me, the TN girl, a shout out as I walked in, and he surprised me and my travel friend with Jack and Gingers and joined us for a shot! If you want to get away from the craziness of Changkat, try Pisco Bar which is around the corner. The atmosphere was great and the DJs were smooth. While there I heard the sounds of Prince’s Kiss, Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours, and many more classics. Make sure to pace your partying so you can actually get out and see the city. While there I visited the Batu Caves and the Petronas Towers which are an absolute must! Make sure you wear your walking shoes to the Batu Caves because you’ll need to climb 272 steps to get to the cave entrance. The statue at the base of the stairs is huge and magnificent. The Petronas Towers are currently the tallest twin towers in the world and the views from the 86th floor are awesome! For a lover of architecture, the towers are a modern wonder that has to be visited. To make my way around the city, I took a private tour using Get Your Guide. Other notable stops on my tour were the National Monument and the Royal Palace. You’ll definitely want to check out both of you can. And don’t forget about food. Jalan Alor is a major food street that is a stone’s throw from Changkat. You’ll likely be overwhelmed by all the options, but just pick one and sample the food. I tried spicy crab, pork ribs, sting ray, and rice with Skol beer to wash it all down. Loved every bite. Also if you’re in the mood to try something different, there are several places to buy Durian which is the national fruit. Now where to stay? I stayed at The Face Suites. I absolutely loved my apartment on the 19th floor. The view was beautiful, the space was stylish, and I had all the comforts of home including a washer/dryer which came in handy since I was doing a 6 month around the world trip. If you decide to stay at The Face, you have to go to the pool. It has one of the best views of the city and includes views of the Petronas Twin Towers and the Kuala Lumpur Tower. If you have any questions about my AirBnB booking at The Face Suites or my stay in KL, send me a message on Instagram at NoRiskNoRewardBlog.

In August of 2018, I visited Cape Town, South Africa. I had a spectacular time in Cape Town. Cape Town has it all - natural beauty, great seafood, history, and nightlife. On my first day in Cape Town, I along with a friend made the challenging journey up Table Mountain. We did the Platteklip Gorge Route, and for those who enjoy the stair stepper at the gym, this is your route. It took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes to make it to the top, and once we made it to the top, the views were an amazing treat after the torture we put our legs through. Instead of climbing back down the mountain, we opted for the cable car ride which I recommend. Note: do not make the trek up Table Mountain of there is fog. You will not be able to see more than a few feet in front of you if you do! The fog is thick, and you will not be able to see the view of the city. As a fun day trip activity, we took a trip to Boulders Beach to see the penguins. I highly recommend this activity as you get to see the penguins up close doing what they do best: waddling, shaking, swimming and squawking. You’ll be amazed by the number is penguins that you see, and the fluffy babies are adorable. Another nice activity if you enjoy learning about Animals is the Aquila Private Game Reserve Safari and Spa. The Reserve was created to protect rescued animals. While there, my friend and I saw and learned about hippos, elephants, lions, rhinos, and more. After an awesome day of driving, we headed to the spa for some much needed R&R in their lovely spa facility. Please note the reserve is a couple hours from Cape Town so you’ll likely want to spend at least one night at Aquila to make the drive worth it. As far as food goes, I highly recommend Panama Jacks for excellent seafood. If you want delicious seafood for extremely good prices, make sure you go there and sample their lunch menu. If you want ambiance and nice drinks, try Asoka Restaurant, Bar and Lounge. Can’t say enough nice things about that place. Finally if you want to try local game meat, you have to go to Arnold’s Restaurant and try the South African Game Platter. You’ll be able to sample 4 cuts of game meat! When I visited, my platter included kudu, crocodile, ostrich, and warthog. All were delicious, but the crocodile and ostrich were my favorites. If you try the platter out, you’ll have to let me know what you think. Another nice stop you might enjoy if you like wine is Groot Constantia. Groot Constantia Wine Estate is the oldest wine-producing farm in South Africa, and their wines are great. My friend and I tried the wine and chocolate pairing experience, and we were not disappointed. My absolute favorite pairing was the Groot Constantia Chardonnay with White Lime and Apricot Chocolate. Perfectly balanced deliciousness is all I can say. Now for the nightlife. We spent a fair amount of time on Long Street because it’s so easy to bar hop. One night, we spent all night enjoying live music at The Dubliner. If you’re looking for more of a beach vibe, you have to go to Camp’s Bay Beach and stop by Café Caprice. Café Caprice was so much fun that I didn’t want the night to end. Good music, nice, strong, delicious drinks, and an inviting crowd are waiting for you there. If you’re looking for a place to stay, I recommend staying in an AirBnB on Signal Hill. For starters the view is unbelievable, and the area is so conveniently located near everywhere you’ll want to go. I stayed in a 3 level town home for an amazingly low price. 1 level was private for my use, the host stayed in 1 level, and 1 level had a jacuzzi and grill that was available for use but a shared space. The place has gorgeous views of the ocean and stadium with Robben Island in the distance. The host was absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend his place. If you have any questions about his listing or things I did in Cape Town, feel free to message me on Instagram at NoRiskNoRewardBlog.

In July of 2018, I visited Ghana. I had an amazing time during my stay. As a single, female traveler I was told over and over again about how dangerous Africa is, but I wanted to visit anyway to learn about the area for myself. I’m so glad I did. I stayed in a lovely AirBnB apartment called The Gallery in Accra. My host Alfy was absolutely amazing. She was so nice it almost felt like I was visiting family. I also was fortunate enough to be connected with a family in Ghana. Having a local connection while I was there as a single person was clutch! They took me everywhere and made sure I was not treated like a tourist. They even invited me to their home and let me help make garden egg stew. It was truly amazing to feel immersed in the culture there. While there, I visited Kakum National Park, The Cape Coast Castle, The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park, and Shai Hills Resource Reserve. For those who like nature, Kakum National Park is a nice stop to visit the lush forest and take a walk through the canopy using the suspension bridges that are 100 feet above the ground. If you are afraid of heights, you’ll be challenged, but don’t let that deter you. You must go to face your fears and take advantage of the amazing views! Shai Hills Resource Reserve is another place the nature lover/hiker will enjoy. There are multiple duration hikes you can take that offer mild elevation changes, rock climbing and expansive, beautiful views. The tour guides at Shai Hills will also give an overview of the interesting history of the area. If you want to visit a place rich in history, you absolutely must visit Cape Coast Castle. EVERY AMERICAN should visit at least one of the castles in the area because West Africa’s history is America’s history. I can’t explain the sadness and pride you experience from visiting the castle and learning the history. Imagining yourself in the shoes of slaves while standing in the very place they were standing 100s of years ago before making the long, unbearable journey to the Americas is immensely different from reading about the experience in a chapter of a history book. You have to go and experience it yourself! While there if you have time, visit Elmina Castle as well as it is nearby. The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park is another must see site of Ghana. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana so learning about him and his legacy was another highlight of the trip. For the foodie, try the following: Groundnut soup with fufu Light soup with goat and fufu Chicken kebob Goat kebob with suya sauce Garden egg stew with tilapia (kobi) and a side of yams Grilled fresh tilapia and kelewele Before ending this review, I do want to share one not so positive experience that I had. Not that anyone else will experience it, but just be aware. Please note that my experience in Ghana overall was 99.9% positive so by no means am I writing this to deter people from visiting. Now that the situation is in the past I often laugh about the outcome. Now for the experience. When I arrived in Accra, a customs officer was giving me trouble and asking 99 questions about where I was staying. He said if I wanted to expedite the process I needed to pay him some money. I had visited Prague before going to Ghana, and I had not yet had a chance to get Cedis (currency used in Ghana) so the only money I had was Czech korunas (currency used in Czech Republic). When I told the officer my money situation and offered the Czech koruna, he said he didn’t want the money and let me pass lol. It’s funny now but was nerve wracking at the time so just be aware. Again, if you’re able to have a local contact, I highly recommend it so the local contact can help you navigate and avoid situations like this. Outside of the single incident at the airport, the Ghanaian people were extremely nice (overly nice) to me. Their hospitality was warm and they were very welcoming! If you want to know more about my trip there or have questions feel free to message me on Instagram at NoRiskNoRewardBlog.