Erika Bisbocci
Erika is an avid traveler and explorer of over ninety countries on six different continents. Since 2011, she has spent time studying Arabic in the Middle East, teaching English in Namibia and working as a flight attendant for a major US airline. When not traveling overseas, she loves exploring her own backyard in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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Jamaica on a Budget: Negril and Montego Bay
Ever since I became a flight attendant and began flying standby, I’d dreamed of showing up at an airport, checking the departure board, and choosing a destination based on availability. So over a long Thanksgiving weekend in November, Dan and I did just that; we packed our bags, headed to Atlanta and found ourselves on a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, a mere seven hours later. Like its Caribbean neighbors, Jamaica is known for its turquoise water, its pure white sand and its balmy weather. It is an island paradise,…
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Pamir Highway Road Trip Itinerary
The Pamir Highway is a high-altitude road that bypasses some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Central Asia. Traversing the Roof of the World, this spectacular ribbon of pavement winds between craggy peaks, past glistening lakes and through lunar landscapes. Formally known as the M-41, the Pamir Highway extends from Osh in Kyrgyzstan to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan. Driving along the Pamir Highway is an ultimate road trip adventure for lovers of culture and off-the-beaten path wilderness. PAMIR HIGHWAY: PLANNING AND LOGISTICS After two weeks in Kyrgyzstan and southern…
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Things to See near Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk Kul
Boasting turquoise alpine lakes, cow-studded pastures, craggy mountain ridges and dramatic windswept rock formations, Kyrgyzstan is a country defined by its beauty. Kyrgyzstan’s wild and unspoiled scenery remains raw and relatively untouched by mass tourism. Mountains cover eighty percent of the country’s surface area and beckon hikers with dramatic vistas and abundant photo opportunities. Nestled at the heart of this dramatic wonderland, lies crystal-clear Lake Issyk Kul–the world’s second-largest high-altitude lake and the center of Kyrgyzstan’s burgeoning tourism industry. There are endless things to do around Lake Issyk Kul. In…
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The World Nomad Games: A Celebration of Nomadic Life
The World Nomad Games is an event unlike any other. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Olympics of the Nomads,’ the week-long celebration of Central Asian athletics is a stunning display of epic proportions. Since its inception in 2014, the popularity of the nomadic competition has soared. After all, where else can you see such a dizzying array of people from countries whose names you can’t even pronounce? Or watch men on horseback sling headless goat carcasses into hoops? Or cheer on Team USA as it tries to compete with falconers…
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Four Day Kazakhstan Itinerary from Almaty
Though Kazakhstan is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of area, the ex-Soviet republic doesn’t often find itself at the top of peoples’ bucket lists. A massive swath of land that comprises much of Russia’s southern border, Kazakhstan’s name recognition is antonymous to its size. Aside from oil production and Borat, mentions of Kazakhstan often draw blanks stares. As a result, when I told friends and co-workers that I would be visiting Kazakhstan for four days prior to the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan, their answers…
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Visiting the UNESCO Sites in Albania
Before visiting Albania, I had pre-conceived ideas about I might expect. What little I knew about Albania had to do with its repressive former dictator, its 20th century isolationism, its thousands of concrete bunkers, and its relative obscurity. Yet, Albania took my assumptions and turned them upside down. From the moment I stepped foot in Tirana, I realized I had become privy to one of the world’s best kept travel secrets; a secret that is spreading quickly amongst the travel blogging community and slowly leaking to the general public. Albania…
