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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Day Trip to Lake Como from Milan
Lake Como is a Y-shaped body of water that snakes through the craggy mountains of Northern Italy. A well-known retreat for the rich and famous, Como blends movie-star excess with the simplicity of rural Italian life. In Como, it is not uncommon to cross paths with the rich and famous. It is the type of place where boutique shops sell high-end jewelry and opulent villas showcase the best of Italian lakeside living. And yet, its miles of hiking paths, its quaint streets and gardens and its easy accessibility from Milan…
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Game Drive in Hluhluwe Imfolozi: A South African Rhino Safari
For most Americans, the holiday season conjures images of tree decorating, gift-giving and wintry weather. It is difficult for many of us to imagine Christmas without also thinking of snowflakes, sleigh bells and a yearly visitor from the North Pole. And, though I remember very few years in which we actually had a white Christmas in Oregon growing up, the cold winter weather did not make it difficult to imagine a snowy wonderland outside. It rarely occurred to me that, for those, living South of the equator, Christmas and snowflakes…
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Hlane National Park Safari in Eswatini
In the siSwati language, the word ‘Hlane’ means wilderness. And the name is certainly apt. For the call of the wild doesn’t get much louder than in Hlane Royal National Park—a relatively obscure little conservation area located in Eswatini’s northeastern corner. Since Dan and I planned our trip to Southern Africa during the rainy season when animal sightings are more difficult to come by, we didn’t expect much from our visit to Hlane National Park. But, from the moment we entered the gates of the park, Hlane set us up…
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Swaziland: Arts and Crafts in the Ezulwini Valley
The landlocked Kingdom of Swaziland rarely receives much international attention and often sits forgotten in the shadow of its much larger neighbors. And in the few instances that it does pop up in conversation or make its way to the news outlets, it often draws inquisitive looks or comments from people who are quick to confuse it with Switzerland. But Switzerland and Swaziland share very little in common, save for their similar names and beautiful scenery. While the former is an organized, wealthy European bastion of stability, neutrality and punctuality,…
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A Self-Guided Safari in Kruger National Park
While safari-going may rank toward the top of things to do on a trip to Africa, I admit that prior to setting foot on the continent, animal viewing fell somewhere near the bottom of my travel list. After all, I’d been to plenty of zoos in my life and seen many of Africa’s prized animals up close in captivity. How different could it be to see these animals in the wild, I wondered? My first encounter with Africa’s animals in the wild came during a month-long adventure through Botswana, Zimbabwe,…
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The Spectacular Blyde River Canyon in South Africa
South Africa’s Blyde River Canyon, also known as the Motlae Canyon, sits at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. It is a remarkable geological icon, made even more beautiful by the lush greenery that clings to its walls. The Blyde River Canyon’s mist-shrowded rock formations tower above the verdant canyon slopes, providing birds-eye views of the river below. It is among the most beautiful canyons in the world and one of South Africa’s most awe-inspiring natural attractions. Visiting the World’s Third Largest Canyon Everyone has heard of Arizona’s…
