COLOMBIA!!! I spend a day in Cartagena, 2 days in Bogota, and almost a week in Medellin. And lets just say I LOVE Colombia. While there I only experienced the best quality food for little money. I couldn't believe how inexpensive the food was. Every restaurant I visited took longer than what I'm used to waiting for food (at a North American spot). But the food was worth the wait. When it comes to transportation, I recommend Uber; especially leaving the airport. They will try to finesse you if you don't know any better. The local taxis were charging more than $50 to transport us to the city and still wanted a tip. The Uber was less than half of that! Lodging was also very affordable. We simply booked through Airbnb. There were a ton of options located in the city center for as little as $20 a night. Beyond Colombia being so affordable, the culture was rich! The people were really nice. And there was so much to do.

Budapest!!! Y’all I am a fan of this Eastern European gem of a city! I never thought I would ever go to Eastern Europe but I’m so glad I did. First of all Budapest is cheap! So affordable! The most I spent money on was activities. The local food is really good. The local beer and wine is also really good. I got my activities off Airbnb so I will link them at the end. I went on a cave tour in and it was quite adventurous, but not if you’re claustrophobic. I also went to a beer spa and bathed in beer as I ate hors d’oeuvres & drank beer. It was pretty cool. They have natural springs around the entire city, some big, some not so big but all are reasonably priced (approx $10-$20). They have ruin bars and there are these huge abandoned buildings turned into bars; with multiple rooms and at least 2 to 3 stories. The one I went to and the most popular was Szimpla Kert. The whole vibe there was a good one. You don’t need a car because getting a taxi is better and cheaper. But the taxi company is run by the Mafia so they hike up the prices. I suggest downloading “Bolt” it’s the Uber of Budapest and they don’t hike up the rate. I stayed at an Airbnb without A/C so I won’t recommend my place but there are plenty of places that are cheap and nice. Here’s the link for the cave tour. https://abnb.me/ Here’s the link for the beer spa. https://abnb.me/wVs4MNpqbY

I visited Cairo, Egypt as part 1 of 2 of my birthday trip. I didn’t know what to expect from such a historical city. Cairo is very impoverished. There’s so many unfinished construction projects around the entire city, it’s almost unbelievable. While staying there, my friends and I found our spot on Airbnb, right across from the Nile River and in the distance we could see the pyramids. It was quite beautiful. Our host was so nice. While in Cairo I recommend hiring a driver opposed to using a taxi because you need a car to go everywhere and cabs are a rip off according to friends there. We met our driver in the most random way. We were looking for a taxi when we first arrived and since only about 10% of Egyptians can speak and understand English, the first driver walking toward us spoke perfect English and ordered to take us to our Airbnb. He then went on and let us know that he works for a car service company and that he would be delighted to do business with us. (I’ll leave his info at the end.) We showed us around the entire city. Took us to restaurants and markets; he was our unofficial tour guide. Since we went during Ramadan, things closed early so we didn’t get to experience any night life. We did visit the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We were able to ride camels in the dessert and even climb on the pyramids. So cool! We drove about 1.5 hours out to the Red Sea to see where Moses parted it as mentioned in the Bible. But it turns out that it’s now a resort haha Our driver was so kind, he invited us into his home to have dinner with his family. They were so welcoming and loving toward my friends and I. When going into the temples or any place deemed holy ladies must cover up. I would also say if you want to do any tours look online at TripAdvisor to get better rates. Because trying to get a price at the door, they will rip you off. Also everyone there wants tips for anything. If you ask them where the restroom is, they’ll have their hands out wanting to be compensated. It’s really ridiculous. I did like Egypt for its history, culture and food. That’s it. Ayman is his name. Here is his what’s app. Tell him I sent you. +20 106 100 7803 Here’s the link for our Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19422399

Take me back to Thailand, please!! I really didn’t want to leave. That place was remarkable. Bangkok was a busy, crowded city that if you’re not into large crowds and many tourists, you won’t like it. But the night market, the floating market, and the temples were all must see/ must do’s. Khao San Road was party central. So many bars and so many vendors on the streets selling everything from cooked scorpions, to costume jewelry. I stay in a hotel because it was so cheap (around $25-$30 per night for a decent spot). I then went on to Phuket and island hopped. I loveddddd Phuket. It was so beautiful. The waters were pristine, the views at Maya bay and the Phi Phi Islands were breathtaking. I did elephant bathing and tiger petting. Super exhilarating! The food was A1, especially the street food. Like you have to try street food. It’s so cheap and so good! I would do Thailand again, every year! (Elephantjunglesanctuary.com for the elephant tour) You can google Tiger Kingdom Phuket to get that info. Also when island hopping use Air Asia for cheap flights.

Cape Town is my absolute favorite place on earth. It feels like home there! There is so much to do. Hiking to the top of Table Mountain, diving with sharks, going on wine tours, whatever you like to do, the adventure scale in Cape Town is high! I visited different local restaurants and tried local dishes and I was highly pleased. The club scene made me feel very black and very proud. The locals welcomed me with open arms and called me “brother” immediately. The beaches were beautiful. God took his time creating that place. I stayed in a hotel the first time and Airbnb the last time I went. Both were affordable. I recommend Cape Town to anyone! https://tablemountainnationalpark.org/ Some clubs I went to in Cape Town were Era Night club and Asoka. They had good music and good drinks. There’s also something called first friday’s that I learned about last time I was there. There’s a cultural festival that showcases artists ( like painters), and jewelry makers during the day and then at night all of the clubs downtown are live! It was an expected amount of fun!

Paris is one of my favorite European cities. The first time I did Paris I did not have a pleasant experience. But the 2nd time I went, I had a blast. First of all there is so much to do. So many tours and so much to see. I used Airbnb to find most of my activities. The have boat tours, wine tours, cooking classes, you name it. I didn’t pay more than $60 (that was my max) for any particular activity. Museums, big and small are all through the city. The famous Louvre is the biggest museum in the world and it costs about $70 for the guided tour or you can do like me and pay about $20 and figure it out on your own. Lol There’s lots of luxury shopping and shopping for those on a budget like I was. Haha I liked the local dishes, but I loved the local desserts and pastries. *Travel tip* Don’t ever eat at any restaurant in a tourist spot like near the Eiffel Tower or Louvre because chances are they are NOT authentic French restaurants and they hike up the menu prices to goop tourist. Traveling (while black) in Paris is ehhh... some people are welcoming and some are not. I didn’t think of it as racism as much as I thought of it as French culture. I definitely recommend going to all the famous monuments and museums that we learn about in grade school but be careful of the street hustlers. Don’t buy anything from them. The price is hiked up x3 or more compared to a non-tourist spot. Paris is a romantic city, so if you’re off the market, take your lover with.